The Asian Star October 31 2015

www.theasianstar.com Vol 14

Tel: 604-591-5423

Issue 40 Saturday, October 31, 2015

Educationist turned Financial Advisor : Manmohan Sekhon

Fiat Chrysler automobiles hiring at Windsor Page assembly plant

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Ousted politicians in line for golden pay out

Check Inside for Details

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he 180 MPs who were either defeated or didn’t seek re-election in the election will collect $5.3 million in annual pension payments, estimates the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. In total, Nina Grewal pensions will be worth a cumulative $209 million by the time the MPs reach age 90. In addition, another $12.8 million in severance cheques will be issued to former MPs. “Losing an election can be tough, but most MPs will have a

soft financial landing,” said CTF Federal Director Aaron Wudrick. “The good news is that thanks to the hardJinny Sims fought pension reforms that take effect on January 1, 2016, taxpayers will not have to shoulder as much of the burden in the future.” For MPs who retired or were defeated on Monday, taxpayers contributed $17 for every $1 put Continued on page 6

India’s ‘rent-a-womb’ industry closed to foreigners

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oon foreign couples won’t be able to pay surrogate mothers in India to have babies for them — if the Indian government has its way. India is one of the top countries in the world for couples searching for surrogacy that can be done far more cheaply than in the United States and elsewhere. It is a booming — and largely unregulated — business with thousands of clinics across India as the backbone of an estimated $400 Continued on page 7

Happy Halloween

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Deepak Obhrai king of the Conservative caucus - for the moment

or a brief moment in history, Deepak his native Tanzania — just learned about his role this week. “The irony is that I was the one Obhrai will be the man at the who was opposing (Chong’s) Rehelm of the Conservative party form Act, now I’ve got to follow it,” caucus. It’s all the result of changes said Obhrai, calling it an honour to made to the Parliament of Canada Act, have the role of presiding over the put forward in a private member’s bill first meeting. “Whatever is laid

by MP Michael Chong and passed into out, we’ll follow the process and as law in June. The new provisions call for things unfold, which could be very caucus to vote on a series of key matters, interesting or not, I’ll have to deal presided over by the caucus member Deepak Obhrai “with the longest period of unbroken with them.” Other changes Chong service.” That happens to be Obhrai, said the changes contained in his bill were elected in 1997 along with Jason Kenney and specifically designed to remove some of the Gerry Ritz, but whose victory happened to be confusion that can plague parties when a officially recorded first. The 65-year-old — releader steps down after an electoral defeat. ferred to deferentially as “mzee,” or elder, in

Continued on page 3

Dandia celebrations

Why pay for a home if you can live for free in public parks?

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Umendra Singh BC Supreme Court judge last week ruled that it is quite okay for people to camp on public land if they don’t have housing. Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson ruled that not allowing the homeless to sleep in public parks constitutes a violation of Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom which ensures the right to security of the person. The 81 page judgment did attempt to put a limit on permanent homeless encampments in public parks.

“I conclude that allowing the City’s Continued on page 4

Over 600 young people participated in the Disco Dandia Night in Surrey on October 23 as part of the Navratri Festival organized by the Gujarati Society of BC. Photo: Chandra Bodalia

Jihadists celebrate Trudeau’s win

Online jihadists are reacting with “elation and a sense of triumph at a perceived defeat of Canada” over last week’s election results as they anticipate the Liberals’ promised end to airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, says a report released Thursday. The Middle East Media Re-

search Institute study said “known jihadists” and supporters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant were rejoicing at the election of a government committed to halting Canada’s involvement in the international air coalition.

Continued on page 2

2 i Saturday, October 31, 2015 From page 1

Jihadists celebrate Trudeau’s win

Justin Trudeau says he told Obama he will pull out of air war against ISIL. And Obama’s OK with it. Canada has flown in 2.4 per cent of allied airstrikes in Iraq and Syria exactly one year after Parliament vote Allan Levine: Canada should keep its fighter jets in the Middle East “The reactions generally expressed joy and displayed a triumphalist outlook at this development, including statements such as ‘Canada runs away’ and referring to it as ‘the crumbling of the Crusader alliance,’” said Elliot Zweig, the report’s author Canada deployed six CF-18 Hornet fighters to Kuwait last year to take part in U.S.-led airstrikes against ISIL in Iraq and later Syria. The terrorist group responded angrily in its propaganda by threatening Canada and trying to incite its followers to stage attacks. The initial jihadi online reaction to his election and to his promised policies reflects feelings of elation and a sense of triumph at a perceived defeat of Canada and the anti-ISIS coalition Prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau campaigned on a pledge to withdraw from the air coalition, although he would continue training Iraqi forces. There

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have been no Canadian strikes since last Friday, when an ISIL ammunition cache was targeted. ISIL has made no official statement about the change in government but Zweig said MEMRI, a Washington-based non-profit, had noticed the reaction to the Liberal win as it was monitoring the social media accounts of terrorist groups and their supporters.

“Canada ran away,” read an Arabic-language Twitter post. Another, by Sally Jones, the widow of ISIL fighter Junaid Hussain, read: “Canadian fighter jets to withdraw from fighting ISIS – yeah because they know whats good for them.” While some online extremists saw it as a sign of the unravelling of the anti-ISIL coalition, others were skeptical. “I highly doubt they will withdraw cause at the end of the day Canada is a u.s. lab (Sic) dog and the u.s. is owned by the yahuud (Jews),” one post read. “The long-term effect of PM Trudeau’s promised withdrawal of Canadian fighter planes from the bombing campaign against ISIS remains to be seen, both on the ground as well as in terms of terrorists’ online discussions about Canada,” the report read.

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Alberta homicide: accused believed to be in Lower Mainland

CMP believe a man charged with second-degree murder in connection with a fatal stabbing in a northern Alberta bar has fled to B.C.’s Lower Mainland. Jordan Joseph Wendland (pictured) also faces three counts of aggravated assault in relation to an attack on four men which happened early Sunday morning in the town of Sexsmith, 20 kilometres north of Grande Prairie. One of the victims died in hospital and the other three were treated

for their injuries. RCMP say an autopsy has confirmed the death was a homicide. All four victims were in their early twenties.

Wendland was living in Grande Prairie, but is from the Lower Mainland. Police believe he has now returned to the area. Wendland is described as five feet 11 inches tall, weighing 161 pounds with brown hair and eyes.

RCMP warn Wendland is considered dangerous and should not be approached if seen.

Only 11 of 176 marijuana dispensaries approved by Vancouver

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nly 11 marijuana dispensaries out of the 176 that applied for business licenses under new regulations set out by the city of Vancouver have received the

go ahead. Don Briere, owner of nine Weeds Glass & Gifts medical marijuana dispensaries in the city of Vancouver told CBC only one of his stores, located on Victoria Drive, has been approved. All others were denied based on the new regulation that stores be located at least 300 meters from schools, recreation centres or other dispensaries.

“As an example, the one at Richards and Helmcken, it’s 127 meters from [The Gathering Place] Community Centre and 220 meters from the Roundhouse Community Centre,” said Briere. The B.C. Compassion Club Society, Vancouver’s oldest marijuana dispensary, also had its application denied. The Compassion Club is located across the street from Stratford Hall Private School on Commercial Drive.

Jamie Shaw, president of the B.C. Compassion Club Society, says her organization intends to appeal to the city board of variance and hopes to be granted an exception. “We’ve been in operation for 18 years and in the same location for almost all of that time,” said Shaw. “We looked at trying to move our location ... but rents were significantly higher. “For us as a non-profit that runs close to the bone, that literally would have resulted in cuts to health care services that we provide to our members,” she said.

Briere said he hopes the Canadian Cannabis Coalition will appeal and secure injunctions for the stores that have had their applications denied, allowing them to remain open. He’s also hoping incoming prime minister Justin Trudeau will make good on his campaign promise to legalize marijuana. “I think that a lot of people are wanting to let the federal government to regulate this now that the Liberals have come in,” he said. 30 of the 176 stores that did not receive first application approval will now move to a secondary, competitive licensing stage because their only issue is being too close to another dispensary.

Each of those stores will be asked to make a case for itself based on a number of criteria, including previous police contact and community complaints. Stores that have been denied licenses have until April 2, 2016 to either close down or move, according to the notices sent out by city hall.

2015-10-22 10:57 AM

LOCAL

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Saturday, October 31, 2015 i 3

South Asian man among vicitme of Tofino boat tragedy

he man reported to be missing from a boat sinking tragedy in Tofino from last weekend is a South Asian from Sydney, Australia.

He is Ravisham Pillay, 27, who has not been seen since the whale-watching boat MV Leviathan II capsized on last Sunday with 27 passengers and crew aboard.

Five people have been confirmed dead in the tragedy and Pillai is now presumed dead and search for him has been suspended.

Five British Ravisham Pillay citizens died afmissing after whale ter the boat went watching boat sinks down, and 21 peoin Tofino. ple were plucked

David Thomas

Stephen David

the site on the west coast of Vargas Island in Clayoquot Sound, Pillay has not been found. He is presumed dead.

On Wednesday morning, RCMP divers set out to continue what they are calling a recovery operation, but the team had to call off the search after it encountered three- to four-metre swells.

Const. Jim Preston said the team had to turn back for safety reasons.

“Icouldstickadiverinthewater,butIwouldn’t be able to recover that diver at all,” he said.

Preston said if there is a break in the weather, the search could resume later this afternoon.

Pillay’s mother spoke briefly to the media at Vancouver International Airport on Wednesday morning, where a large number of family members arrived in the company of Australian consular officials. She said she did not want to make a statement, but the family would issue one later.

British Consul General Rupert Potter said Tuesday that several families of the other victims and survivors were also travelling to Tofino from the U.K. and would likely be arriving today.

Katie Taylor Young victim remembered

The Sikh Research Institute Canada held its leadership mentorship forum for Sikh Youth in Surrey on October 25.Pictured above are some of the organizers and participants. also of Swindon, son of David Thomas.

In the U.K., a former colleague of one of the victims — Katie Taylor, 29 — spoke about the energetic woman.

“She was kind of like a ray of sunshine really,” said Phil Jones, who worked with

Taylor before she moved to Whistler.

“It was a terrible shock. We’d obviously heard about the boat capsizing and that there were people killed, but it was only last night that I found out through Facebook that she was one of the people so sadly killed,” he said.

“Nobody wants anyone to die at any age.”

Those confirmed dead are Nigel Francis

David Wyndham

Katie Taylor, 29, of Whistler, Jack Slater, 76, of Toronto, Nigel Francis Hooker, 63, of Southampton, U.K., David Wyndham Thomas, 50, of Swindon, UK and Stephen David Thomas, 18,

Jack Slater

from the water by locals who responded to a flare and radio calls.

Despite several days of searching at

Deepak Obhrai king of the Conservative caucus - for the moment

From page 1

The new changes require the Liberal, Conservative and NDP caucuses to vote on four main issues: Whether or not to give MPs the power to eject and reinstate colleagues; Whether to give MPs the power to spark leadership reviews after 20 per cent of MPs formally request one; Whether MPs should have the power to elect caucus chairpeople; Whether they should have the power to hold votes for interim leader.

“Often in Canada, when we’ve had questions of leadership, there’s a great deal of instability about the process because there’s a great deal of instability about what exactly the rules were,” said Chong.

“Now with the Reform Act, we have clear model rules to follow.” Obhrai said he’s well aware of some of the debate that continues to swirl around the law, and expects it will come up at the meeting.

The reforms specified that only elected

members of caucus be part of these votes.

That has created a discrepancy with the Conservative party constitution, which says the “parliamentary caucus shall appoint” the interim leader.

With no MPs elected from Atlantic Canada, that could mean the interim leader is voted in without any input from that region.

Newfoundland Sen. David Wells has already voiced his displeasure with the prospect.

Meanwhile, party president John Walsh pointedly used the words “Commons caucus” when referring to the vote for interim leader in a recent statement.

So far, MPs Diane Finley, Rob Nicholson, Candice Bergen and Erin O’Toole have come forward as candidates for the job.

When the Conservative party was formed from a merger of the Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parties in 2004, interim leaders John Lynch Staunton and Grant Hill were selected by the two existing party leaders.

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4 i Saturday, October 31, 2015 From page 1

EDITORIAL

Why pay for a home if you can live for free in public parks?

homeless to set up shelters overnight while taking them down during the day would reasonably balance the needs of the homeless and the rights of other residents of the City,” wrote Hinkson.

Obviously, the homeless camp is not anywhere near the home of the Chief Justice or he might have ruled otherwise. Neigh-

bors have been complaining that those occupying homeless camp discard trash and garbage all over the place and use private properties as open air toilets.

But Chief Justice Hinkson could care less for the rights of taxpaying and law abiding residents of Abbotsford.

Abbotsford’s lawyers told the court that

the local homeless population chooses to sleep outside rather than in available shelters, while the Pivot Legal Society argued it’s wrong to blame the homeless for their circumstances Again, Chief Justice Hinkson could care less for the city’s argument.

He just gave a blanket approval for anyone wanting to use city land or parks to sleep in.

“The evidence shows, however, that there is a legitimate need for people to shelter and rest during the day and no indoor shelter in which to do so. A minimally impairing response to balancing that need with the interests of other users of developed parks would be to allow overnight shelters to be erected in public spaces between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. the following day,” the ruling said.

The Chief Justice did not care to comment on such trivial matters as who would be responsible for paying for the daily clean up and for hiring staff to ensure that those occupying the city parks actual move out at 7am.

It’s the second time the high court has struck down a municipal bylaw aimed at preventing homeless people from setting up tents and sleeping in city parks.

In Oct of 2008, the B.C. Supreme Court threw out a Victoria bylaw, ruling it deprived the homeless of life, liberty and security of the person in violation of the Charter — a ruling later upheld by the B.C. Court of Appeal.

And now the question remains! Why pay expensive rent, mortgages and property taxes when you can sleep for free in city parks??

The good Chief Justice may have a different opinion if the city chose to move the homeless camp in the neighborhood of the chief justice

Saturday, October 31, 2015 i 5

Local

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Ousted politicians in line for golden pensions From page 1 into the plan by an MP towards their Conservative MP Nina Grewal, who went pension. After January 1, 2016, the ratio will down to defeat in Fleetwood-Port Kells Oct. gradually shift to a ratio of $1.60 in taxpayer 18, has a lifetime payout of $2.52 million for contributions for every $1 put in by an MP 11 years of service. or Senator. Wudrick noted that eight forDefeated Surrey NDP MPs Jinny Sims and mer MPs will gather more than $100,000 a Jasbir Sandhu only served one term, not long year in pension income, including outgoing enough to qualify for MP pension. They qualConservative cabinet ministers John Dun- ify for severance. can ($132,394), Peter MacKay ($117,746) Pension reforms kick in on Jan. 1. Accordand Bernard Valcourt ($116,987). In terms ing to the CTF, those reforms will see senaof lifetime estimated benefits to age 90, 21 tors and MPs paying more towards their own MPs are projected to collect more than $3 pensions. million, including MacKay ($5.9 million), But the 180 MPs who didn’t run for re-elecLiberal Gerry Byrne ($5.2 million) and tion or who were defeated on election night Conservative Rob Anders ($4.7 million). will collect a projected $209 million in penFat’ $2.7 million pension for retiring MP sions and $12.8 million in severance payments.

Hiebert Hiebert had a reputation as a staunch HarpLocally, Conservative MP Russ Hiebert’s er supporter, but never held a cabinet post. career in federal politics may be at an end, His most notable controversy occurred in but he’s looking at a comfortable retire- 2011, when it was revealed his personal exment, thanks to his severance package. penses from 2008-2009 as MP were the secThe four-time South Surrey - White ond-highest in the country.

Rock - Cloverdale MP – who announced The riding’s boundaries have been redrawn over a year ago he wasn’t running again – for 2015, with the creation of the new Clorepresented the now-redrawn riding start- verdale-Langley City electoral district – where ing in 2004. voters on Monday chose the riding’s first-ever He served past the minimum six years MP, John Aldag, a Liberal, a result that upendto qualify for what the Canadian Taxpay- ed predictions that the Conservative-leaning ers Federation calls a lucrative “fat-cat” MP riding would again elect a Conservative MP. pension.

In his final householder to constituents in According to the CTF, he’ll receive South Surrey - White Rock - Cloverdale, Hie$83,700 in immediate severance. His an- bert describes his 11 years in office as “life nual pension – which starts in 2024 – will changing,” naming his private member’s bill be $55,643. That works out to a lifetime becoming law as a highlight. pension (to age 90) of $2,791,083. Hiebert, The bill requires labour organizations to 46, can opt to start collecting his pension at publicly disclose finances and was not without age 55. On Tuesday, the CTF released its controversy. It was challenged as unconstituseverance and pension figures for the 2015 tional. He also highlighted his stance on crime, federal election. Out of the 75 MPs who his role in improving trade and transit with the retired or chose to not run again since 2011, U.S. and “being an active participant in the sigHiebert has the 22nd highest lifetime pen- nificant accomplishments and milestones of sion total. CTF research director Jeff Bow- our government.” Hiebert recently told Black es said those 75 MPs include 13 MPs who Press he plans to return to the private sector to didn’t serve long enough to earn a pension pursue some business opportunities and spend (less than six years). more time with his family.

2.72* 2.15*

aman@ewfinancial.ca

LOCAL

Saturday, October 31, 2015 i 7

India’s ‘rent-a-womb’ industry closed to foreigners million-a-year industry, according to a From page 1 India has been trying to pass a new Assisted Reproductive Technologies study by Sama, a New Delhi-based advocacy group for women and children. Critics Act since 2010, and a draft of the legislation have long said that fertility clinics and their cli- up for public comment through Nov. 15 do ents exploit surrogate mothers — often poor not specify the ban on foreign couples. But and illiterate women from rural areas who are it suggests stricter regulations on the practice paid little. A surrogate mother profiled in The such as limiting the number of surrogate births Washington Post was paid $8,000: an amount from a mother to one. However, the Ministry 12 times what she made as a garment worker. of Health and Family Welfare is pushing for Abuses abound, however, and the practice an outright ban on allowing foreign couples to has been derided as “rent-a-womb.� India’s hire Indian surrogates, activists say. In 2012, own Supreme Court recently called it “surro- the government banned singles and homosexuals from abroad from coming to India to use gacy tourism� and called for a ban.

In meetings officials have said foreign na- surrogates. “In meetings officials have said foreign nationals are exploiting our women The government submitted an affidavit tionals are exploiting our women,� said Manasi to the Supreme Court on Wednesday saying Mishra, who did a survey on surrogacy for the it “does not support commercial surrogacy� Center for Social Research in New Delhi and and that “no foreigners can avail surrogacy has been a part of the discussion on the new services in India,� although the service would law. If you ban it, everything will go underground and illegal be still available to Indian couples.

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8 i Saturday, October 31, 2015

Soothing the burns: Women for Women IPRAS

Chhavi Disawar

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irls, including myself are always fond of enhancing their physical appearance.

Every morning after waking up most of us stand in front of the mirror and crib for what we don’t feel looks perfect on our face.

“Oh! I hate my nose”, “agggrrhh! Why did God make my lips so big?” are some common complaints we have with ourselves.

I had the similar mindset as well until I met Mrs. Jinder Sandhu and got to know something that shook my heart. Today I am thankful for being the way I am and I look forward to generate similar feeling in everybody.

Jinder Sandhu is a nurse by profession and she along with Dr. Nancy Vanlaeken a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Vancouver and Dr. Giselle Villar, an Anaesthetist have taken an initiative to bring about a change through Women for Women organization by volunteering their time to make a difference in someone’s life.

Women for Women IPRAS is an NGO that helps women who have been affected by war or any conflict whether it is personal or accidental.

Till date they have helped women from various regions of India, Bangladesh and Africa. The organization solely works on the donations provided by IPRAS and funds raised by the volunteers and members.

At present they have started working towards helping and empowering the women who have been the victim of burns by acid attacks or gas stove.

Jinder lately visited Agra, India where she met some of the victims of the same.

“These women have their own brutal stories, some were attacked by their husbands and others by their family members. Listening to their stories made me cry”, said

she.

“We cry for small issues that stand nowhere in front of their condition.

They are the real heroes who are surviving and making their image in the society that doesn’t care. In some cases victims were affected for saying ‘no’ to a marriage proposal. I don’t understand what kind of love that is”, quoted Jinder.

Women for Women organization provides group of foreign female doctors to the affected countries who treat the affected women without any cost.

They rejuvenate the hope and the confidence amongst those who have lost it.

Keeping this in mind the three ladies organized their first fundraiser at Riverside Banquet Palace last week. Where around 160 guests joined them to help with the cause. It was an evening to educate people about the cause and make donors aware of where their donations are being used. It was amazing to see our community turning up and standing for such an initiative.

A usual mission to India is for about a week. We usually arrive in India in the

evening and next morning we are at the site and triaging patients to determine what is needed to be done. Our focus is functional disabilities such as contractures of the hands, neck, axilla, elbow and lower body so that once we have corrected this it will give these women a chance to be productive members of society again. If nothing else at least be able to look after their own day to day care and hygiene. The next five days are for surgeries as well as triaging and adding patients who are travelling long distances to come to these free camps. This last trip we did 45 surgeries which ranged from 1.5 hours to 4 hour long procedures in five days. The team flies out the day after and returns home. All this is funded by the organization by raising funds from the generous donations of kind hearted people want to help those less fortunate.

“This is just a start. We want to help as many of the victims as we can and we can do it when the whole society comes together”, smiled Jinder. Working with the less fortunate is our passion said the three and we need your help.

For more details about the organization please visit womenforwomen-ipras.org For more information or donations please contact: Mrs.Jinder Sandhu at jinder_s06@hotmail.com

New Indian Consul General, Rajiv Chander, was hosted by CHETNA Association, last week to honor and welcome him to Vancouver. Chander (pictured standing in the back row third from right) with some members of the CHETNA Association. Photo: Chandra Bodali

Abbotsford man convicted of lying to ICBC about accident on snowy road in Surrey

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n Abbotsford man has been convicted of lying to the Insurance Corp. of B.C. about an accident that took place in Surrey on a snowy morning nearly two years ago. James Steven Baker had claimed he had been struck by another vehicle when he lost control of his vehicle on the icy, snowy road in an area known as Bose hill, went off the road and ended up in a field.

But the driver of a City of Surrey salt truck said that Baker had lost control by himself

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and no other vehicle was involved. According to reasons for judgment, the accident occurred on a rural stretch of 64th Avenue in Surrey on Dec. 10, 2013. At about 5:30 a.m., James Steven Baker was driving his 2008 Dodge Ram pickup from his home in Abbotsford to his workplace in Surrey when he lost control of his vehicle on the icy, snowy road in an area known as Bose hill, went off the road and ended up in a field. Baker told ICBC in a statement that the accident was the result of his being struck by another vehicle that had attempted to pass him at the top of the hill.

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PERSON OF THE WEEK Chhavi Disawar

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Saturday, October 31, 2015 i 9

Educationist turned Financial Advisor: Manmohan Sekhon

ow many times a person changes career in his/her lifetime? One, two, three??

Actually the response is variable as every researcher has a different answer.

However, it is a fact that no matter how passionate a person is for one field, he/ she is bound to change the career path either by choice or by circumstances.

Stepping into a different vocation is definitely scary and risky but achievers are those who step out of their comfort zones and set a position for themselves.

she completed the challenge in half of the time. “It is all about reliability, if you build the trust in people they will depend upon you”, told Manmohan.

Manmohan works in a team with her husband Mr. Rajdeep Singh Sekhon who is a renowned name in the community and has around 29 years of experience working in the field of life insurance. He has worked with Life Insurance Corporation of India for 22 years. Rajdeep is a prominent figure in the community not only because of his work but for his singing talent and social work. “When people call you because of referrals, it shows their belief in you and belief comes when you have proceeded well on their expectations”, says Rajdeep.

Manmohan’s teaching experience and family support are two things that she thinks are responsible for her excellence.

“I love reading that makes me Manmohan Sekhon working in her office gain thorough knowledge of the products. I have the habit So is the case with Manmohan Sekhon. of preparing before delivering the final Working as a Botany Professor for 20 presentation and that is what I do in this years, Manmohan never thought she business too”, said she. would leave the field. “Teaching was my “Last year I passed my life insurance passion and my students loved me”, she exam and this year I am an established life smiled, while speaking to The Asian Star. and health insurance professional. I like “We came to Canada on PR basis sev- it because it feels like my ethical accounten years ago but I was moving back and ability as I give financial protection to so forth to India because of work uncer- many families. I love explaining people tainty and pending jobs back home. about the various available options and In 2010, I moved back to India and helping them decide according to their made my mind to stay there. How- priority”, smiled Manmohan. ever, I progressed to Canada permaManmohan keeps herself updated with nently last year”, quoted Manmohan. everything in her field. She regularly atManmohan is now an established Fi- tends seminars, conferences and lectures nancial Security Advisor. She is working to hold her position. Apart from Life Inwith Desjardins Financial Security Inde- surance Manmohan specializes in disabilpendent network, Richmond South. It ity, RRSP, RESP, critical illness, guaranhas been six to seven months for her to teed funds and long term care insurances. be in the field with Desjardins and has Apart from teaching, Manmohan has already been recognized by the team. She worked as an employment counselor with has won many awards during Pursuit of PICS for one year. “Some skills are in built Excellence and conferences to her credit in a person but you don’t get a platform to including Recruit’s conference in Toronto, identify them. While working with PICS, I and now she has a bull’s eye for Desjar- realized about my other skills than teachdins upcoming Sales Conference at Vi- ing. I had budget planning and financial enna and Masters Conference in Croatia. planning as further options in my mind “A person should always be goal-ori- as I have been planning finances and inented & focused and I implement this vestments for my family for a longer time”, quote in life that makes me stand out from told her. This experience became a kick crowd”, said Manmohan. Manmohan was for her to get started with financial planthe winner of Desjardins 16/16 challenge, ning and help people who look forward to that was to sell 16 policies in 16 weeks and a professional one.

“Now I think more than my profession, it is my moral duty as an advisor to guide clients in a better way to secure their future”, said Manmohan.

Manmohan has taken Insurance as her full time occupation unlike others who do insurance business for mending extra money. She is excellent with her explanation and is up to date with her skills.

She is trustworthy, hard-working, self-motivated, competitive individual who always follows a winning spirit and urges to learn more in order to serve the community better.

Manmohan Kaur Sekhon (left) with Rajdeep Singh Sekhon

For more details please contact Manmohan Sekhon: Manmohan.sekhon@ dfsin.ca Cell: (604) 358-0590

10 i Saturday, October 31, 2015

LOCAL

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FOI requests find nothing regarding health researcher firings, says NDP

B.C. court rules homeless have right to camp on public property in Abbotsford

ritish Columbia’s Supreme Court has sided with a group of homeless people embroiled in a dispute with the City of Abbotsford over their right to camp on public property. A judge has rejected Abbotsford’s bid to shut down a homeless camp after a group calling itself the Drug War Survivors took the municipality to court, alleging the city’s regulations and harassment tactics violated their charter rights. The judge also rejected the city’s request for a permanent injunction against homeless camping. The lawsuit follows incidents where municipal officials dumped chicken manure on a makeshift encampment

and police slashed and pepper-sprayed tents elsewhere.

A city lawyer said the local homeless population chooses to sleep outside

rather than at available shelter space.But David Wotherspoon of the Pivot Legal Society — an advocacy group representing the city’s homeless in this case — argued it’s wrong to blame his clients for their circumstances. Woman charged after bear spray used on cameraman who was shooting Abbotsford homeless camp Meanwhile, a resident of an Abbotsford homeless camp was charged with assault with a weapon Thursday, a day after a cameraman was hit with bear spray while filming the tent village. Freelance journalist Kevin MacDonald was shooting footage of the camp on Gladys Avenue on Wednesday morning when a woman confronted him and started yelling at him as he kept his camera rolling.

CRA clamps down on snowbirds

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and a co-op student. Months DP MLA Adrian Dix later, that co-op student, Rodsays that repeated freeerick MacIsaac was dead by dom of information suicide, and the lawsuits, court requests about who made key cases, and settlements had decisions in the firings of health begun to pile up. Dix says all researchers failed to turn up a of those developments should single record. Requests by the have produced some sort of opposition and the media for documents among senior emails, memos, briefing notes or correspondence of any kind Adrian Dix says pre- decision-makers, and confirms what Victoria lawyer Marcia about the scandal during the mier’s office believes McNeil’s initial review of the period of spanning mid-2012 itself ‘above the law’ firings found. In her report, to late 2014 turned up nothing, he said.

“There were no records, in spite of the McNeil noted that a “dearth of documents fact that this has been a central public is- has granted the decision-makers … an opsue for a couple of years, damaged the portunity to avoid taking ownership of the health care system and involved the most decision.” “What we have is a case where senior ranks of government,” he said. relatively junior officials in government were targeted and wrongfully dismissed, The scandal began in September 2012, and the most senior people in government when B.C.’s then-minister of health, Mar… get to avoid all levels of responsibility,” garet MacDiarmid, announced that her Adrian Dix said. ministry had fired seven of its researchers,

ARE YOU

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nowbirds beware: The federal government will use its planned border exit-tracking system to avoid paying hundreds of millions of dollars in social benefits now going to people who shouldn’t receive them due to absences from Canada.

Newly obtained memos say the Canada Revenue Agency and Employment and Social Development Canada expect to save between about $194 million and $319 million over five years once the long-anticipated system is fully in place.

Federal officials have been working quietly to satisfy privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien’s office that personal information will be properly collected, used and disclosed under the program.

Under the 2011 perimeter security pact, Canada and the United States agreed to set up co-ordinated systems to track entry and exit information from travellers.

For the moment, the tracking system involves exchanging entry information collected from people at the land border — so that data on entry to one country serves as a record of exit from the other.

The first two phases of the program have been limited to foreign nationals and permanent residents of Canada and the United States, but not citizens of either country.

The initiative was to be expanded

by June 30 of last year to include information-sharing on all travellers crossing the land border.

Tracking flights trips car as well as In addition, Canada planned to begin collecting information on people leaving by plane — something the United States already does — by requiring airlines to submit passenger manifest data for outbound international flights.

Saturday, October 31, 2015 i 11

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12 i Saturday, October 31, 2015

LOCAL

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Sanjha Vehra Women’s Association held its 11th annual breast cancer fundraiser on October 23 in Surrey. All proceeds will go to Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation.

Photo: Chandra Bodalia

Vancouver and Surrey mayors head to China on taxpayer dollars

urrey and Vancouver Mayors are off to China this week and you are paying for the trip.

Vancouver’s Gregor Robertson is celebrating a longtime sister-city pact with Guangzhou and Surrey’s Linda Hepner claims she’s in search of more investment opportunities.

The trip marks the third for Robertson after his first “economic” visit there in 2010, and the first for Hepner, who is tagging along with a delegation led by Premier Christy Clark. Hepner, who is in her first term as mayor, has previously gone to Israel and India on similar missions.

“It’s no secret I’m looking for investment and looking for people who are going to be attracted to putting

their head offices in Surrey,” she said.

Such a mantra is touted by most politicians when they head overseas on a trade mission or other relationship-building exercise.

But some question whether cities really benefit from trade missions and overseas conferences, or if they are using them as an excuse to travel on the taxpayers’ dime and avoid day-to-day duties.

Burnaby came under fire in 2012, for instance, when it authorized a handful of councillors and senior staff to travel on five-day trip to Burnaby’s sister city Mesa, Ariz., prompting one resident to write: “This council continues to amaze me in the way they waste our hard earned tax dollars on junkets to other countries.

Taxi drivers don’t like city plan to bolster service with additional licences

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ancouver cab drivers lined up at city hall Thursday for a chance to tell councillors what they thought of a plan to put more taxis on city streets.

N In short? Not much. And in the face of major opposition, councillors opted for status quo and turned down some key recommendations from staff.

A report before council had aimed to rev up taxi service in the downtown entertainment district during peak periods. According to a staff presentation, Vancouver has fewer than half the taxis per capita than Montreal or Halifax and about three-quarters as many as Toronto, Edmonton or Calgary. At no time is the relative shortage of cabs felt more acutely than late Friday and Saturday nights when buses are rare, the streets are bare of available taxis and prospective passengers are in no condition to drive.

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Burnaby RCMP investigating gunshots near Metrotown

olice in Burnaby, B.C., are inves- were found inside the apartment, which tigating after gunshots were fired is known to police, according to Wark. inside an apartment building, ear- Burnaby RCMP say someone fired ly Thursday morning. The incident hapmultiple bullets inpened around 12:30 a.m.

Police say nobody side this building on PT in a three-storey appears to have Sussex Avenue, early apartment building in morning. been hit, but the Thursday the 6500-block of SusWark said the suite’s sex Avenue, near Metro- attack is not beresidents fled the scene, town. Cpl. Will Wark lieved to be random and police have not yet with Burnaby RCMP been able to question said nobody appears to them about the incident. have been injured in the attack. “There Police don’t have a suspect, and offiwas no collateral damage. All the bullets cers did a sweep of the entire building were contained within the apartment, and to ensure nobody was hiding in any of we found no blood trails,” he said. Wark the other suites. Wark said the attack said the shooting does not appear to be did not appear to be related to any other random, and it’s believed drugs are be- recent shootings in the area. The crime hind the attack. Shell casings were found scene was held overnight until a forenin a second floor hallway, and bullet holes sics investigator arrived in the morning.

Police find body in burned out van in New Westminster

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e w We s t minster police are investigating after a body was found in a burned out car Wednesday night. Details are few, but police say at about 6:45 p.m., officers responded to the 1000 block of Fourth Avenue to assist the New Westminster Fire Department with a

vehicle fire. They say after the fire was extinguished, a body was located in the vehicle.

Police haven’t yet released an age or gender of the victim. Nor have they said whether the incident is suspicious.

The NWPD Major Crime Unit is investigating and say more information will be released as it becomes available.

Saturday, October 31, 2015 i 13

Dhahan Prize Gala a celebration of stories

As Shauna Singh Baldwin emphasized in her keynote at the second annual Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature Awards Gala, “We tell, read and watch stories in every language because we wonder how it must feel to be someone else, to have that person’s point of view. We tell, read and watch stories to find out how others might deal with arrivals, departures and journeys, how they have solved problems that seem intractable, insurmountable, how they beat the system. Stories are the first virtual reality.” Her comments res-

onated with the crowd as to the importance and significance of the Dhahan Prize.

Based in Vancouver, Canada, the Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature aims to inspire the creation of Punjabi literature across borders, bridging Punjabi communities around the world, and promoting Punjabi literature on a global scale. The Dhahan Prize is founded by Canada India Education Society (CIES) in partnership with the Department of Asian Studies in the Faculty of Arts at University of British Columbia (UBC).

Award presentation at the second annual Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature held in Surrey on October 24. Photo: Chandra Bodalia

14 i Saturday, October 31, 2015

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LOCAL

B.C. loses Supreme Court of Canada appeal over judges’ pay

he Supreme Court of Canada will not look at how much B.C.’s court judges are paid, despite attempts by the provincial government to appeal an annual raise of five per cent. The province was appealing a B.C. Court of Appeal ruling upholding the pay hike. They were hoping to reduce the raise to one-and-a-half per

cent, bringing the judges’ pay in line with other public service workers. “We are now bound by the Court of Appeal, which has set our salary for the provincial court judges,” Attorney General Suzanne Anton said Thursday. The decision is retroactive, which means the province will have to pay $2.67 million more than expected. Anton says the cost

Pakistan’s new High Commissioner to Canada, Tariq Azim Khan (2nd from right) welcomed by Pakistani Canadian Cultural Association (PCCA) during his visit to Surrey last week.

will only increase with time, and will affect the province’s fiscal plan. A lower court had originally ruled in favour of

the government, before the B.C. Court of Appeal overturned that decision.

Musqueam Indian Band golf course case heads to Supreme Court of Canada

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he Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear the Musqueam Indian Band’s bid to force one of Vancouver’s most elite country clubs to pay residential-level property tax on golf course land. The case has massive financial implications for the tony Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, which has leased the 162 acres of reserve land since 1958.

The Musqueam want the right to collect property tax on the course, which occupies a prime piece of southwest Vancouver realty, based on its value as residential real estate.

The issues at stake in the case have already been before the SCOC, which awarded the Musqueam $10 million in 1984 as compensation for the deal the Crown negoti-

ated in leasing the land on the band’s behalf.

The band is not allowed to lease reserve land. And so it surrendered the land in the 1950s to the Department of Indian Affairs, which in turn entered into a 75-year lease with the golf club.

The earlier SCOC case was a landmark ruling which established that the Canadian government has a fiduciary duty to First Nations. The Crown failed the Musqueam by entering into a lease with the golf club which was far below fair-market rent for the land.

The golf club has been paying property tax directly to the band since 1991. But in 2011, the band appealed an assessment of the property contending that it should be calculated based on its “highest and best use.”

In Vancouver’s super-heated real estate market, that would put the residential value of the land sky-high.

The fight led the Musqueam first to B.C. Supreme Court and then to the B.C. Court of Appeal. Decisions at both levels established that there is a restriction on the land and that — crucially — the restriction was “placed by the band.”

The band contends that the lease restricting the property for use as a golf course was entered into by the Crown.

But the Appeal Court found the Crown was clearly “acting on behalf ” of the band when it limited the use of the land.

Police seek woman who caused $1 million in flood damage to downtown hotel

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ancouver police are seeking a “woman of interest” in an incident last month that caused $1-million damage to a downtown hotel.

Sgt. Randy Fincham said the damage happened in the evening of Sept. 30 when

someone turned on a water pipe meant to be accessed by firefighters in case of an emergency. “Police believe she was leaving a party or event at a private residence,” he said. Fincham, who did not release details about the hotel involved, said the water “caused significant damage to the building.” Fincham didn’t know how long the water was left on for.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

LOCAL

Vancouver viaducts’ removal was discussed with province, mayor claims

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Saturday, October 31, 2015 i 15

Students from Beaver Creek Elementary and their teacher, Mrs Andrea Walker, participating in Chevron’s “Fuel Your School Program” on October 26. This program provides $200,000 to support public schools in Surrey

ancouver Mayor Gregor Robert- removal would affect access to B.C. Place, soil son denies B.C. Infrastructure remediation, and First Nations consultation.

Minister Todd Stone’s claims that Robertson said city staff had done “extraorthe city hadn’t consulted with the prov- dinary work” to examine the technical asince before voting to remove the via- pects, and had discussed them with PavCo. ducts that lead to the downtown core.

“It’ll be a big transformation, and our staff “I think he may not have have been working really hard been briefed and updated on to make sure we get all these the extensive meetings and details right,” said Robertson. discussions that have been go“There’s ongoing work ing on between the city and that we need to do with the the province,” said Robertson. province going forward now After city councillors voted that the decision is made.” t was an escape attempt worthy of an 5-4 to remove the Georgia and Council’s decision includaction movie, complete with the ramDunsmuir viaducts, Stone said ed $21 million for city staff to ming of a police vehicle and a 200-kithe viaducts’ removal was not continue working towards a lometre pursuit through southwestern B.C. a done deal and that city needplan over the next 18 months Five people face a long list of charges after ed to “cool down” on its plans. for the removal of the viaducts. RCMP followed a driver through numerGregor Robertson “I checked with my offi‘Once-in-a-generation op- ous jurisdictions and three vehicle changes.

The police pursuit of a stolen vehicle becials and it has been a number of years portunity’ Shortly after council voted to gan in Richmond, where two officers were unsince the city took any meaningful steps remove the viaducts, Robertson called the injured after their vehicle was struck. Police to reach out to PavCo, which owns plan a “once-in-a-generation city-building forces, then a helicopter and the dog service and operates B.C. Place,” said Stone. opportunity.” The city’s vote is no surprise; joined the pursuit as several occupants in a veStone said provincial officials didn’t attend the more than 50 public meetings about the plan over the summer, as it was up to the city to come to them.

But Robertson said city staff had met with PavCo at least eight times over the past two years. A week before the council decision, PavCo wrote to the mayor and council saying it was “willing to engage in detailed feasibility discussions” about the removal of the viaducts, but warned that there had only been “limited technical discussion.” The letter also More than 60 lawyers and staff are available to warns that it would be “premature you. We cover all litigation expenses and if there and inappropriate” for the city to is no recovery, there are no fees to you. Legal speculate on any land deals the services also available in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu. province has made in the area.

In the last paragraph, PavCo AweI.sI.bI.sI. Aqy prsnl ieMjrI klym ends by saying the letter “does not offer or imply agreement” swfw 40 qoN v`D vkIlW dw stwP quhwfI syvw ivc hY[ with the removal of the viaducts, muk`dmw nw ij~qx qy koeI PIs nhI leI jwvygI[ but the company will work with AsIN pMjwbI, ihMdI Aqy aurdU ivc g~l krdy hW the city to identify solutions.

Among its concerns are how the

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Police chase starts in Richmond, ends 200 km later with 5 arrests hicle travelled through the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley and almost reached Manning Park. Three men and two women, ranging in age from 20 to 31, were arrested and police say they face charges connected to break and enters, possession of stolen property and mail theft.

Police say they recovered two stolen vehicles, credit cards, cheques, identification, mail, computer equipment and a credit-card skimmer and are working

with Canada Post in the investigation.

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Only 90 days jail for BC man in child porn case

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n Enderby, BC man caught in a Canada-wide child-pornography ring has been sentenced to 90 days in jail.

Forty-six-year-old Rylan Sandberg pleaded guilty to possession of child porn in May. He must also serve 18 months probation.

He must submit a DNA sample and is barred from having contact with a person aged 16 or younger (other than his two children) while he is on probation.

Sandberg is also prohibited from using the Internet except for work.

He was among 150 men who were arrested across the country last year as part of a child-porn investigation.

Police seized more than a million pictures and videos depicting abuse of children, including infants.

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16 i Saturday, October 31, 2015

LOCAL

Vancouver Island soccer club suspended after teen player slams sponsor

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girls soccer team based in the Reed family, and our concern for the Comox has been suspended privacy and safety of our club’s players, amid a dispute over its spon- parents, and volunteers,” said commitsorship by a large fish farm company. tee member Sean Arbour in a statement.

Goalkeeper “We will Freyja Reed, 14, be meeting has said she was with the shocked to discovReed family er her team was to discuss to be sponsored the matter,

by Marine Harand hope to vest, one of the find a solulargest operators tion that of open-net fish may meet farming in B.C. the expecIn an email tations and to players over values of the weekend, the club and Riptide Steerfamily.” ing Committee, It is also the organizareported tion behind the Goalkeeper Freyja Reed, 14, and her mother, Anissa Reed, com- last week team, said the plained to organizers and online because they believe fish farming that the harms wild salmon. team and all its Reed famactivities have ily balked been suspended until further notice. at what they described as a “gag order” “We have had to pause our 2001 Girls’ from the committee, which sought to team events due to continued breach of bar them from voicing opinions about our organization’s code of conduct by fish farming with other team parents.

Reza Moazami should get at least 20 years for trafficking teens, Crown says

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British Columbia man convicted of trafficking underage girls for sex should be locked up for more than 20 years, say Crown prosecutors, though a defence lawyer is calling such a sentence “crushing.”

David Milburn told B.C. Supreme Court that a sentence between 10 and 12 years would be more appropriate for his client, Reza Moazami (pictured).

Moazami, who is in his 30s, was found guilty last year of luring nearly a dozen teenage girls into prostitution, in the province’s first human-trafficking conviction.

“There can be no doubt that he’s deserving of a substantial penitentiary sentence, but not along the lines of what the Crown is looking for,” Milburn told court Monday about the proposed 20-year sentence.

“In my submission, that is unduly harsh — it’s excessive, it’s crushing.”

Milburn listed several mitigating factors, including Moazami’s relatively young age, his limited criminal record, his history of being abused as a child and the impact steroids had on his temper.

info@eyelevelrichmond.com www.eyelevelrichmond.com

The court heard Moazami worked partially as a personal trainer around the time of his offences and would take steroids in order to attract more customers.

“They were changing his body as well but they were changing his emotional response in certain situations,” Milburn told the court.

“There’s a lot of literature out there that confirms that people who use steroids can have fits of rage.”

‘Crime isn’t cheaper by the dozen’ Justice Catherine Bruce interrupted Milburn at one point to raise concern over the cyclical nature of Moazami’s offences, saying she believed it would be “better for him” had they all occurred at the same time.

“It wasn’t that he did this all at once and he was arrested and that was it,” she said. “This was a situation where he was doing it, then he was arrested, released and he started doing it again.”

Bruce also challenged the math behind Milburn’s proposed 10- to 12-year sentence, noting that adding the minimum sentences together resulted in an overall sentence in excess of 40 years.

“That is troublesome to me,” she said.

“It isn’t one complainant where you have multiple counts. It’s 11 complainants.

Crime isn’t cheaper by the dozen.”

Moazami has already spent a little more than three and a half years behind bars. That time will go toward reducing his overall sentence, though Crown and defence lawyers dispute how much credit he should receive. Milburn agreed to a number of separate orders requested by the Crown, including registering his client on the sex-offender registry and paying a victim surcharge of $2,600. Other orders included weapons prohibitions for at least 10 years and a non-communication order with the 11 victims and a number of vulnerable witnesses. Moazami was to be sentenced last December, but the proceedings were set back several times after he fired his lawyers. Court heard during his trial that Moazami recruited at-risk girls by promising them alcohol, drugs and, in one instance, a puppy, which he then threatened to harm. Moazami testified that he wasn’t aware his victims were underage and insisted he hadn’t been living off the money they earned having sex with an average of 12 men a day. Bruce is expected to issue a decision on the sentence, Nov. 9.

LOCAL

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Canada Post halts controversial community mailbox program

anada Post is suspending the conversion of door-to-door delivery to community mailboxes. In a news release issued late Monday, Canada Post spokeswoman Anick Losier said the corporation will work “collaboratively” with the government of Canada to determine the best path forward given the challenges in the postal system.

“Efforts are now underway to place the comprehensive program on hold in an orderly fashion,” Losier said in the release.

“This involves roughly 460,000 addresses across the country which are currently in the process to be converted to community mailboxes.”

Outgoing Transport Minister Lisa Raitt, whose portfolio includes Canada Post, said the corporation makes decisions independent of government.

‘Arm’s-length Crown corporation’ “They are an arm’s-length Crown corporation and take their own operational decisions,” Raitt told CBC News. “But they also have a statutory obligation to operate self-sufficiently, and if they are not then I expect they will be held accountable.”

Canadian Union of Postal Workers national president Mike Palecek said members are “ecstatic” about the news.

“We’ve been fighting this campaign for a year and a half, and we’re glad they finally put a halt to this disastrous program,” he told. “It’s time to talk about the future of Canada Post, about restoring service to those who have lost it, and about having a public mandate review of Canada Post so we can look at alternatives to these cuts.”

Palecek said Canada Post should be looking at expanding services, such as having banking and financial services in post offices. He said it appears that the incoming Liberal government is following up on an election campaign promise to put an immediate moratorium on the cuts and to carry out a study.

The Liberal platform promised to ensure “high-quality service at a reasonable price to Canadians, no matter where they live.”

“We succeeded in making this a major election issue and making sure that people understood exactly who it was and is to blame, and that’s Stephen Harper and the Conservative government,” Palecek said. “I think the Canadian public spoke loudly and clearly last week by changing the government.”

Palecek said the CUPW will keep up pressure to restore delivery to the roughly one million addresses that have been converted to community mailbox service since the program began 10 months ago.

The Liberal Party declined to comment on the Canada Post announcement.

Montreal mayor ready to ‘reconsider’ lawsuit Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre, who once took a jackhammer to the concrete base of a community mailbox to make a point about his opposition to Canada Post’s plans, spoke to reporters gathered at city hall on Monday.

Coderre said he was prepared to consider withdrawing from the lawsuit he joined to block the implementation of community mailboxes in Canada.

The City of Montreal was one of several municipalities to join the Ca-

nadian Union of Postal Workers’ lawsuit earlier this year to block the implementation of community mailboxes.

“We’ll see what happens, but if everything is suspended I’m even ready to reconsider.

But clearly we have to have a truce — because you have to be vigilant with Canada Post, we never know. They say one thing and then the next day, who knows what happens,” Coderre said on Monday.

“But since we have a new government who was very clear on what would be the outcome of Canada Post, let’s sit together. We want to be a part of a solution.”

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Saturday, October 31, 2015 i 17

R.K. Chandra’s infant formula study withdrawn by medical journal

Smith said the journal’s statistical rer. R.K. Chandra lost his viewer concluded Chandra’s vitamin’s libel suit against CBC data had “the hallmarks of being enabout a 2006 documentirely invented.” “From my point of tary that questioned his research. view, the university’s the real villain of The BMJ has retracted Chandra’s the piece, unfortunately. I mean there paper after it obtained evidence will always be fraudsters. Wherever introduced at the trial. (CBC) there’s human activity, there’s miscon“He had all the data analyzed Dr. R.K. Chandra duct, but the university should have and published even before we taken this much more seriously,” said had the data collected,” nurse Marilyn HarSmith, who also wrote an editorial published vey, Chandra’s research assistant, told CBC at with the eczema retraction. “It seems to me the time. The BMJ said it’s retracting the pathat universities should be about integrity and per because of the 1995 report and “because truth and as I can see this university has comof the convincing evidence given in the CBC pletely ignored both of those.” The editorial television programs and the court case that labelled the case a “major failure of scientific the work of R.K. Chandra is not to be trusted.” governance” and called for a public inquiry, University ignored earlier fraud saying the saga highlights a collective failure to This is not the first study of Chandra’s to be redefend the integrity of science. Fictional data tracted. It was the BMJ that uncovered the first The retracted paper has been cited more than incidence of fraud for Chandra’s own patent100 times by other papers, said Dr. Ivan Oraned vitamin pill, which the university ignored. sky, co-founder of Retraction Watch blog and a When Chandra submitted a paper to the BMJ 15 professor of medicine at New York University. years ago about his vitamin pill, it set off alarms.

“Had it been retracted [before], that would Richard Smith was the journal’s editor then. have been a big red flag, literally a red water

18 i Saturday, October 31, 2015

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Economist says Bank of Canada and investors shorting Canadian housing t was just four Toronto condominium In Vancouver, the number of unabshould look closer at numbers 5/11 developers and questionable statistisorbed units fell over the past year from

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cal reporting that led to news earlier this year about a glut of high-rise units in Canada’s largest market, says a new report.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce deputy chief economist Benjamin Tal says in a report out Monday that even the Bank of Canada has been fooled by the raw numbers

CMHC says house sales to cool over next 2 years

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anada Mortgage and Housing Corp. is predicting housing starts and overall sales will slow in the coming two years, as the boom market in housing cools. A rise in the numbers of unsold homes, an increase in the number of rental units and the beginning of higher interest rates will slow sales and moderate price rises, CMHC says in its quarterly Housing This doesn’t mean the average price of housing will fall, CHMC forecasts, but the pace of increases will slow.

CMHC predicts a 7.2 per cent gain in 2015, a 1.3 per cent gain in 2016 and a further 1.4 per cent gain in 2017. Uneven market It acknowledges Cana-

da’s house price changes are uneven, with rapid increases in Toronto and Vancouver offset by a slowdown in Calgary. “In 2015, increased housing market activity in provinces like Ontario and British Columbia — provinces that have benefited from declining energy prices, a lower Canadian dollar and continued low mortgage rates — offset slowdowns in oil-producing provinces like Alberta,” says CMHC chief economist Bob Dugan.

“We expect, however, that this counterbalancing effect will decrease over time. As such, housing starts and MLS sales are projected to moderate in 2016 and 2017.” Sales through the Multiple Listing Service are expected to range between 444,000

about unabsorbed or unsold units that once broken down appear to be a bit deceiving.

“The big question is to what extent the condo markets in (Vancouver and Toronto) are overshooting. The answer, of 4 i Saturday, July 25, 2015 course, is multi-dimensional, but a good

starting point is to assess the trajectory of recently completed and unabsorbed units,” said Tal, in his report. “An increase here suggests that developers are finding it increasingly hard to sell completed units — usually a first sign of troubles ahead.”

just over 2,000 to the current 1,100 indicating an improving situation, he writes.

But Tal says towards the end of 2014 and early 2015 there was a notable increase in the number of completed condominiums in the greater Toronto area.

2 i Saturday, October 31, 2015

real estate / finance

Economist says Bank of Canada and investors shorting Canadian housing should look closer at numbers 5/11 From page 1 In a record housing year in 2012, the GTA saw just under 50,000 housing, 30,000 condos.

So what happened? Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. decided to register 10,000 condos in the month of January. Tal says that according to CMHC, the GTA has seen no less than 26,000 condo completions in the first half of this year — three times more than the level seen in previous years.

“Registering a completion is more art than science, as different data providers use different criteria,” said Tal, noting other data providers such as RealNet have chosen to distribute their completion count more evenly — a fact that resulted in a less volatile count of unabsorbed units.

What happened using the CMHC data is that between December 2014 and May of this year, the number of unabsorbed units rose in Toronto from less than 1,000 to close to 3,000 — a level that is even higher than those seen in the early 1990s.

“This meteoric ascent was not only highlighted by the Bank of Canada as a sign of vulnerability but also by various short-Canada investors

— using that surge as the ultimate illustration of the bubbly Toronto condo market,” said Tal, noting that since the numbers first came out completed and unabsorbed units fell over 800 in a month.

Now that the CMHC’s completed units have leveled off, it says there about 2,000 unabsorbed units in the GTA which is the same numbers that RealNet is now reporting— still a high level but not nearly as dramatic as 3,000.

So where did CMHC’s original numbers go awry? About half of the completed and unabsorbed units are in city of Toronto, but more importantly one third of all unabsorbed units, were constructed by four developers. And five projects coming on at once accounts for about one quarter of the unabsorbed units on the market today.

“To be sure, the GTA’s condo market will be tested as interest rates start rising in the coming years, and increased resale activity from domestic condo investors will result in excess supply and some downward pressure on prices,” says Tal.

“But for now, those who look at the rise in unabsorbed units as a sign of increased vulnerability are barking up the wrong tree.”

BOLLYWOOD / FILM

Saturday, October 31, 2015 i 3

Kareena Kapoor Looks like R Balki’s Ki And Ka will move to the beat of a new drum.

Moving away from the usual flavour of the music in his films, Balki will now have Kareena Kapoor Khan and Arjun Kapoor groove to High Heels

by Yo Yo Honey Singh and Jaz Dhami.

Apparently, when Arjun first heard the song in Bhushan Kumar’s office,

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Well, it looks like Kareena is set to take screens by storm in her high heels.

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8 i Saturday, October 31, 2015

AUTO

Saturday, October 31, 2015 i 19

Toyota passes VW again to be world’s top automaker

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oyota Motor Corp. has reclaimed the title of the world’s biggest automaker after the first nine months of 2015, dethroning Volkswagen AG which sold the most in the first half of the year. Toyota sold 7.49 million vehicles in the three quarters to the end of September, down 1.5 per cent from the same period last year. Its closest rivals were Volkswagen, which sold 7.43 million vehicles and General Motors Corp., which sold 7.2 million.

GM was the world’s largest automaker for almost 70 years, until Toyota surpassed it for the first time in 2008. Volkswagen sales for the first nine months of the year are almost unchanged, despite the scandal over rigging of emissions tests for its diesel vehicles. The German

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GM recall of 1.4M older cars affects Canadian drivers

or the third time in seven years, General Motors is recalling cars that can leak oil and catch fire, in some instances damaging garages and homes.

The recall, which covers 1.4 million vehicles, including 125,783 in Canada, dating to the 1997 model year.

It is needed because repairs from the first two recalls didn’t work. More than 1,300 cars caught fire after they were fixed by dealers, the company said.

In the previous recalls, in 2008 and 2009, GM told owners to park the cars outside until repairs can be made since most of the fires happened shortly after drivers turned off the engines. A spokesman was checking to see if the same recommendation applies this time.

In addition, GM will notify owners of 500,000 more cars that were not repaired in the previous recalls, spokesman Alan Adler said.

The latest recall, mainly in North America, includes: the 1997-2004 Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick Regal; the 20002004 Chevrolet Impala; the 1998 and 1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue; and the 1998-2004 Chevrolet Mon-

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automaker plans to recall as many as 11 million vehicles worldwide to fix the diesel engine software and has predicted a hit to its sales in 2016.

In the past two months, VW sales have slowed in both North America and Europe as consumers lose trust in the brand.

But both GM and Toyota have also suffered damaging recalls. GM sales are down one per cent after it was forced to recall 6.3 million cars worldwide over a faulty ignition switch that slipped out of the run position and could lead to accidents. Toyota was caught up in the recall of Takata airbags which forced its CEO to apologize to customers and shareholders. About 33.8 million cars with Takata airbags were recalled worldwide, from 10 different manufacturers.

te Carlo. All have 3.8-litre V6 engines.

Over time, a valve cover gasket can degrade, allowing oil to seep out. Under hard braking, oil drops can fall onto the exhaust manifold and catch fire.

Flames can spread to a plastic spark plug wire channel and the rest of the engine.

GM says it has reports of 19 minor injuries in fires caused by the cars. In 2008, a GM spokeswoman said the cars were responsible for 267 fires, including at least 17 that burned structures.

The problem first surfaced in 2007, when 21 consumer complaints about engine fires in some of the cars prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to investigate. That probe found three injuries. Most of the blazes happened five to 15 minutes after the engines were turned off, according to agency documents.

The investigation led to the recall in March 2008 of more than 200,000 U.S. cars with supercharged engines. A year later GM recalled almost 1.5 million more cars that weren’t supercharged. Dealers replaced the spark plug wire channels but

Fiat Chrysler safety chief Scott Kunselman leaving automaker

iat Chrysler’s safety chief is retiring from the company after a tumultuous year of conflict with U.S. government regulators.

The company said in a statement that Scott Kunselman will step down Nov. 30 as senior vice-president of safety and regulatory affairs. A successor will be named later.

The move comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in July hit Chrysler with a record $105 million penalty for violating laws in 23 recalls covering more than 11 million vehicles. The company admitted in an agreement with the agency that it failed to do recalls or notify customers in a timely manner, didn’t fix recalls properly and failed to report safety information to NHTSA. The company also is under investigation for failing to report some deaths and injuries to the agency as required by law. NHTSA said its investigators found a discrepancy in reporting by Fiat Chrysler and notified the company in late July. FCA investigated and

told the agency it found a lot of under-reporting. “This represents a significant failure to meet a manufacturer’s safety responsibilities,” NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said at the time. Automakers are required to report vehicle-related deaths and injuries to NHTSA so it can look for trends, spot safety problems and seek recalls if necessary.

Fiat Chrysler said it would co-operate with the government and make sure the problem doesn’t happen again.

A preliminary inquiry by NHTSA found that the reporting failures resulted from numerous problems with the company’s systems for gathering and reporting data, Rosekind said. He added that the agency will take “appropriate action” after further investigation into the scope and cause of the problems.

Fiat Chrysler wouldn’t say how many deaths and injuries went unreported or when the reporting lapses happened.

Kunselman represented the company at a government public hearing on the recall

Fiat Chrysler automobiles hiring at Windsor assembly plant

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iat Chrysler Automobiles is hiring line production workers for its Windsor Assembly Plant, where the company’s flagship minivan is built. LouAnn Gosselin, head of communications for FCA Canada, would not say how many positions need to be filled.

The jobs were posted on the company’s careers website Monday. It’s not clear how many people will be hired to work on the assembly line, but they will be unionized. They are expected to replace workers lost through attrition as well as boost employee ranks in preparation for the new 2016 Chrysler Town and Country minivan, said Dino Chiodo, the president of Unifor Local 444, which represents approximately 4,500 hourly workers at the facility.

“This shows there is some longevity, some commitment and stimulus in the economy,” Chiodo said. “People can make purchases knowing they have a job to go to tomorrow or the day after,” he said. “There are always challenges, but it starts to put people in a place where they feel comfortable, where they start to spend in a community and that goes a long way in making a stable economy.”

The company is also hiring a handful of supervisors and an engineer.

Chiodo said this round of hiring is a result of the $2-billion US renovation and upgrade of its minivan assembly plant earlier this year. This is significant because those renovations included robotics units which usually cost jobs, said Tony Faria, the co-director of the Office of Automotive and Vehicle Research at the University of Windsor. “Those types of investments tend to eliminate jobs, so this is positive,” Faria said. He said the industry, both in terms of North American sales and production, is slowly bouncing back. “This is the third consecutive year where there will be a new Canadian sales record. In the United States, sales remain high,” Faria said.

“Little by little, we’re getting back to where we were in 2007,” The Windsor plant will continue to build the same minivan model currently for sale on dealer lots across North America. The revamped and all new 2016 Town and Country model went into production this past summer.

There has been speculation the plant is also preparing to build a second vehicle. Even Fiat Chrysler hinted at “a future vehicle” at the end of 2014.

20 i Saturday, October 31, 2015

NATIONAL

Foreigners flocking to Canada to find surrogate mothers after Asian countries crack down

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s doors are closed in some Asian countries, foreigners are flocking to Canada to make use of its surrogate mothers — and the taxpayer-financed health care system that looks after them, consultants and lawyers say. One agency that helps “intended parents” work with surrogates says it has been “overwhelmed” with a 10-fold increase in business over the last few months.

Owner Sally Rhoads-Heinrich cites the closing recently of international surrogacy arrangements in Thailand, Nepal and — for same-sex couples — India. Some parents are even having embryos they had stored in such countries shipped to Canada to restart the process here, said another consultant.

“I’m averaging about 600 emails a day,” said Rhoads-Heinrich. “I start usually at about 6:30 in the morning and I’m going until 11:30 at night. I can’t keep on top of it right now so I’ve had to hire more people.” She used to sign up 20-40 clients a year, but now has more than 200, part of an industry estimated to be worth billions worldwide. Rhoads-Heinrich worries, though, that people from overseas are essentially taking advantage of the fact Canadian surrogates are covered by medicare, an advantage promoted by at least one of her competitors. “I don’t like Canada being seen as just a free-for-all for people to come here and use our health-care system,” she said.

Renaming Calgary airport after Stephen Harper sparks duelling petitions

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n online petition is gathering steam, calling on the Calgary International Airport to be renamed after the soon-to-be-former prime minister. But a rival petition has garnered, to date, even more support — this one calling for the airport to not be renamed after Harper. Who will win? Time will tell. Does it matter? Probably not.

The petitions are, of course, completely non-binding and, even as an expression of public sentiment, they’re somewhat dubious. Questionable signatories Among the names on the pro-Harper side, for example, is one person who signed as “Stephen Harper.”

Others have signed the pro-Harper petition but added virulently anti-Harper messages. Many of the supporters on both sides are also anonymous. “Harper was a great Prime Minister!” wrote “Name not displayed, AB.” A signatory to the anti-Harper petition, meanwhile, suggested a slightly different moniker — and acronym — should the re-naming go ahead. “Stephen Harper International Terminal,” wrote “Name not displayed, ON.” #HarperAirport Twitter, of course, had a field day with the whole thing. The #HarperAirport was trending in Calgary and across Canada.

Michael Chong urges MPs to ‘reclaim their influence’ as Reform Act takes effect

Public Service Announcement Program Launch: Workplace Integration for Mature Immigrants (WIMI 45+) If you’re an immigrant, 45 years or older and you want to get back into the job market then PICS has the program for you. Progressive Intercultural Community Services (PICS) Society is launching a new employment program called Workplace Integration for Mature Immigrants (WIMI 45+). This program partners with local community and business employers, to generate job placements for participants. To qualify for this program, you must be:  An Immigrant (either a PR or a Citizen) 45 years or older.  Unemployed or underemployed @ less than 20 hours per week  Non – EI receiver and out of School

Legally entitled to work in Canada  Job ready, committed and dedicated to finding a Job  Living in Mainland and Southwest of BC In this program, you will: Conduct assessment on Career Exploration Enhance your employment skills Learn Life Skills Enrich your job search experience Get Short Term Training Pair with a Mentor of your original profession Get job placement assistance  Establish Work Action Plan

      

The first session starts on November 2, 2015 at PICS Surrey Head Office located at #205 – 12725, 80th Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3W 3A6. For more information contact K. C. Chau at 604.596.7722 ext. 117 or via email at kcchau@pics.bc.ca

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e-elected Conservative MP Michael Chong is urging all 338 elected members of Parliament to vote in favour of strengthening their roles as his Reform Act comes into effect today.

“I urge my fellow MPs to vote for the Act’s model rules which will empower them to represent their constituents’ interests in Ottawa,” said Chong.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for MPs to reclaim their influence in caucus, and by extension, in Parliament.”

The Act requires MPs to vote as a caucus on whether they will have a say in four specific, party matters, namely:

The review and removal of the party leader.

The election and review of the caucus chair.

The expulsion and re-admission of caucus members. The election of the interim leader. The results will apply to their party for the duration of this Parliament.

“These four votes will determine which powers the party leader will have and which powers MPs will have,” said Chong.

The controversial private member’s bill nearly died on the order paper during the last session of Parliament, but eventually cleared the Senate after the House of Commons was adjourned and received Royal Assent.

POLITICS

Mulcair says niqab position was a defining moment of his political career

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DP Leader Tom Mulcair says he believes he did the right thing to stand up to Stephen Harper on the niqab — even though his position may well have cost his party some crucial support.

In his first post-election interview with The Canadian Press, Mulcair says maintaining a principled approach on the issue was one of the defining moments of his political career.

The issue of face coverings became a thorny issue during the campaign, with some suggesting it seriously hurt the party’s stronghold in Quebec, after Harper insisted on a ban on the garments at citizenship ceremonies.

The Federal Court of Canada found the Conservative rule unlawful in February and the Federal Court of Appeal has supported that decision.

Mulcair said he continues to think he did the “right thing to stand up to Mr. Harper on those issues.”

“I would quote back to him his MPs that were being very divisive, talking about brown people or talking about Muslim women who should get the hell back to where they came from,” Mulcair said.

“I wasn’t going to be part of that. I just found it undignified.”

Mulcair said he thought it was wrong to divide Canadians on issues of race and religion.

“These were defining moments for me in my

political career and in the campaign,” Mulcair said. “And could a different result have been achieved? Perhaps. But I wasn’t going to do something that I had never done in my career.

“I’d always been a person who stood up for his convictions.”

Mulcair said his team was aware the niqab debate was a “very emotional issue” that created waves in the campaign.

“That’s something that was measured by us,” he said.

“We knew that there was a very strong reaction. I was able to understand but I couldn’t agree...

“I was also obliged to say that we live in a society where rights are not a popularity contest and the rights, when they’re set down by the courts, have to be respected. It is no longer a question of what people like or don’t like.”

Following last Monday’s election, Mulcair says he has been busy calling successful and defeated MPs. “I have such great admiration and strong affection for every single person who had been involved in our caucus and I want to make sure we keep them close,” he said.

Reduced to 3rd party status The NDP caucus is now made up of 44 MPs, including 16 new members. That’s down from 95 in the previous Parliament, with high-profile MPs such as Paul Dewar, Megan Leslie, Peggy Nash and Peter Stoffer losing their seats to Liberals.

The NDP leader gave no indication that he has considered stepping down.

Liberal changes to electoral system ‘set up to fail,’ says defeated NDP MP Craig Scott

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defeated NDP MP says conference in January 2012. At he does not trust prime the time, party members voted 73 minister-designate Justin per cent in favour of implementTrudeau to fulfil his bold promise ing preferential ballots for all futo reform Canada’s electoral system. ture federal elections.

“I honestly do not believe that — “Will it help us?” Trudeau said at the leadership level of the Liberal at the time, “Me, I am a fairly poParty — there is a commitment to larizing figure, it might actually Craig Scott proportional representation,” Craig harm me in my own riding, but Scott said in an interview with Terry Milewski I think it is a good thing for Canada that we on CBC’s Power & Politics. Scott, who went move towards this,” he said. down to a stunning defeat in Toronto-Danforth, the riding of former NDP leader Jack Layton, penned a “frustrated” Facebook post in the aftermath of his party’s defeat.

He called his former Liberal colleagues in the House of Commons “lazy” and “arrogantly waiting for the messiah to take them back to the promised land of power.”

Scott said he has reached out to Liberal MPs, individually, to say he shouldn’t have used such inflammatory language.

But he maintains that he is genuinely concerned about prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau’s commitment to changing the way Canadians vote. “The question really is whether or not the Liberals … have set something up to fail.” “The Liberals did a very good job at making people think they’re either open or, in some on-the-ground campaigns, committed to proportional representation,” Scott said, “[In fact] they never, ever, committed to proportional representation.”

The Liberal Party did, however, promise in its party platform to strike an all-party parliamentary committee to study electoral reform. Proportional representation, ranked ballots and electronic and mandatory voting are among the electoral changes that could be “fully and fairly” studied by the committee, the party said. Trudeau promises end to 1st past the post The Liberal commitment to change the electoral system dates back to a party policy

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Saturday, October 31, 2015

Trudeau plans to start appointing Senators

iberals say advice from the Justice Department supports the party’s plan to put in place a panel to advise Canada’s next prime minister on Senate appointments, according to reports.

Prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau will move forward with an ambitious agenda and open Parliament with a speech from the throne before the end of the year.

With 22 vacancies in the 105-seat Senate, future senators will be appointed based on merit with the help of a panel, but the prime minister would still have to make the final call, a senior Liberal said. The

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new advisory board could be named by year’s end, the source said. Trudeau made a bold move last year when he kicked out Liberal senators from his caucus, effectively forcing them to sit as Independents. He promised a new, non-partisan Senate void of patronage appointments. When the next session of Parliament opens, Trudeau will be faced with a majority of Conservative senators sitting in opposition and no official government senators to usher legislation through. “We’re on a magical mystery tour here right now,” said Independent Senator Jim Munson.

Trudeau to move forward with ambitious agenda by year’s end

n incoming Liberal majority government will move forward with an ambitious agenda and open Parliament with a speech from the throne before the end of the year.

The new agenda will follow next week’s swearing in of a new Liberal cabinet, marking the official transition of power after nearly a decade of Conservative Party rule. The Liberal government’s general program for the parliamentary session that will follow is expected to include proposed legislation to lower taxes on the middle class and a plan to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees, a senior Liberal source said. That will happen after Trudeau returns from a busy travel schedule of international events including the Group of 20 summit in Turkey, the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit in the Philippines and the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.

Before the Paris meeting he is also expected to attend the Commonwealth meeting in Malta, where he would meet the Queen, whom he first met when he was a child and his father was prime minister. Extension on doctor-assisted suicide The Liberals will consider asking

the Supreme Court for at least an additional six months to come up with new laws around doctor-assisted suicide, the source said. The court ruled that in specific cases terminally ill adults have the right to ask a doctor to help them die, giving Ottawa until Feb. 6 to amend the current law.

“One year is hardly enough,” Trudeau said earlier this year when he introduced a Liberal motion calling on the House of Commons to take action on physician-assisted death.

Other Liberal government priorities include launching an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women, repealing certain measures included in Bill C-51, the anti-terror law, and a reinstatement of the long-form census.

Trudeau is expected to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama during the G20 meeting in Turkey.

Obama is already aware of Trudeau’s intentions to pull Canada out of the U.S.-led air combat mission against ISIS in Iraq. “He understands the commitments I’ve made around ending the combat mission,” Trudeau told reporters last week during his first news conference as prime minister-designate.

22 i

CLASSIFIEDS

Saturday, October 31, 2015

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Matrimonial

JOBS

Parents looking match for their Canadian 27 year old very handsome, jat sikh boy, 5’9”, graduate , well establisehd businessman.

Girl must be well cultured, educated, Canadian citizen or permanent resident .

Contact after 6pm 604-598-1987 - 778-387-1672

using woodworking machines, power tools and hand tools; Build exterior doors, interior doors, custom doors with jams; Install hardware such as hinges, handles, catches using hand tools and power tools; Repair doors & replace panels of doors.

Job requirement: High school with 2-3 years of experience.

Trade certificate will be considered as an asset. If interested send resumes by email at westerndoormanufacturing@gmail. com ------------- September 5, 2015

JOBS Vacancy for In-home Caregiver Balwinder Singh Singhmaar, resident of 15095 92Ave, Surrey, BC V3R 5V8 has a vacancy for Inhome Child caregiver for infant child and 9 years old son. Full Time, $10.45/hour, 40 hrs/week.

Applicant must have high school with minimum of one year of related experience within last three years or six months of full time training in caregiving.

Job Duties includes Supervise and care for children, prepare formulas and change diaper of infant, feeding, bathing, dressing, prepare children for rest period, escort child to school, prepare and serve nutritious meal and snacks, accompany to and from activities & appointments, light housekeeping, laundry, maintain safe environment at home, keep record of day-to-day activities, health and progress of children.

Send resumes by email at balwinderssinghmaar@gmail.com -------------- Oct 31 2015

Western door manufacturing Ltd. located at #109-8250 124Street, Surrey BC V3W 3X9, has an immediate vacancy of Carpenter. We design and manufacture high end solid wood exterior doors, solid wood interior doors and custom doors.

Full time permanent job position with wages of $25per hour.

35 to 40 hours per week.

Job Duties includes Read & interpret drawings & sketches to determine specifications; Estimate height, width, length, & other proportions; Measure, cut, shape, & assemble materials

“Balwinder Singh Singhmaar, resident of 15095 92Ave, Surrey, BC V3R 5V8 has a vacancy for In-home Child caregiver for infant child and 9 years old son. $10.25/hrs, Full Time, 40 hrs/ week. Applicant must have high school with minimum of 1 year of related experience within last 3 years or 6 months of full time training in caregiving. Job Duties includes Supervise and care for children, prepare formulas and change diaper of infant, feeding, bathing, dressing, prepare children for rest period, escort child to school, prepare and serve nutritious meal and snacks, accompany to and from activities & appointments, light housekeeping, laundry, maintain safe environment at home, keep record of day-to-day activities, health and progress of children.

Optional accomodation is available at no charge but this is not a condition of employment” -------------- August 13 2015 Jun13_155 Long Haul Truck Drivers Reqd. Sal:$23.00/hr, 40hr/wk, +1yr exp. & Class A 0r 1 license reqd., FT/PT Duties: Operate, drive straight or articulated trucks to transport goods & materials on local routes or over long distances.Plan trip logistics & obtain required documentation to transport goods.Perform pre-trip & post-trip inspection of vehicle systems.Record cargo information, hours of service, distance travelled & fuel con-

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JOBS

sumption.May perform emergency roadside repairs. Lang: English.

Work at various location in Canada & USA. Contact: Balwinder from Metro Transport ltd.12772 82nd Ave, Surrey, V3W 3G1 E-mail your resume at metro_transport@ yahoo.ca.

------------------------------Jun13_15

1 Optical Frame Fitter Reqd.

Sal: $22.00/hr, 40hr/wk, +1yrs exp. or certification reqd., FT/ PT Duties: Obtain specifications for eyeglasses or contact lenses from a prescription. Assist clients in selecting eyeglasses. Grinding & polishing of lenses. Cut & edge lenses & fit lenses into frames. May supervise or manage activities of other opticians. Lang: English. Location: 12841 96 Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3V 6V9 Contact: Imran from Eye See 2020 Optical at opt_eyesee@yahoo.ca.

------------------------------Jun 06_15 Dosa Corner Restaurant Ltd in Vancouver Looking to hire an authentic south indian chef .

This is a full time permanent position. $18.50/hr. 40hrs/week. Must have at least 3-5yrs experience in south indian cuisine & specialized knowledge in Dosas.

Duties include Prepare & cook meals.kitchen management. Plan menus & quality. Orders food supplies. Mail your resume to selvamm164@ gmail.com or apply by person at DosaCorner Vancouver. 110-8248 Fraser Street.

Vancouver. B.C.. V5X 3X6 Ph: 604-324-3672.

-----------------------------------Seamstress required Seamstress (Tailor) needed Foam & Décor is looking for Full Time or Part Time Seamstress ( tailor) for drapery in Surrey.

Salary will be provided @ 12 per hour. Please call 604-594-1882 Mayuri Indian foods inc is looking to hire an Ethnic Food Cook in Surrey BC. F/T & Perm.$17/hr.

Must have at least 2-3 yrs experience in South Indian cuisine & specialized knowledge in Indian

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spicing. Duties: Prepare & Cook meals; Supervise Kitchen helpers; Plan menus; Ensure quality & determine food proportions; Monitor & order food supplies; Set up & oversee buffets; Manage kitchen operation. Mail resume or apply by person Mayuri indian cuisine , Unit 102A,12677 80th Ave., Surrey BC V3W 3A6 Fax: 604-572-3281 ------------------------------------English Classes for Adults Register for classes September 2-8 For more information,Visit: www.victoryesl.com Call: 604.755.7976 E-mail: victoryesl1@gmail.com ---------------------------Cook Require Curry junction Restaurant in White Rock need cook immediately, This is a full time permanent position for a experienced person, Depending on experience salary will be upto $21 per hr. with other benefits. Call:604729-6741 or 604-385-1558 ---------------------------Transworld Security located at 2nd Floor, 5050, Kingsway, Burnaby BC V5H 4H2 is looking for a Static Guard, Static Guard Supervisor, Mobile Supervisor and Field Manager.

These are permanent full-time positions. Static Guard pay rate is $13.00 per hour plus vacation pay. You would be required to patrol industrial and commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows and gates.

Answer alarms and investigate disturbances. Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors and guests. Call police or fire departments in cases of emergency. Circulate among visitors, patrons and employees to preserve order and protect property.

Static Guard Supervisor pay rate is $14.00 per hour plus vacation pay. You would be required to oversee and super-

S vise Static Guards. You will need to ensure the duties of the Static Guards you supervise are being completed and the client’s needs are being met. Field Manager pay rate is $18.00 per hour plus vacation pay. You would be required to report to the Director of Operations and you are responsible for supporting, mentoring and supervising the security officers in the field. You will be required to manage the company’s field operations and resources after business hours. Mobile Supervisor pay rate is $18.00 per hour.

You would be required to provide ongoing leadership, direction and training. You need to ensure all standing orders and scheduled daily activities are carried out for each shift. You will be required to discipline staff when necessary and ensure proper documentation is passed onto head office.

You will have to investigate alarm responses and respond in a timely manner. You will need to communicate any concerns/issues with Site Supervisor/ Coordinator.

The above opportunities suit candidates willing to travel all over the lower mainland and from Squamish to Hope. We also have opportunities in Edmonton, Alberta.

Minimum qualification for these positions are completion of secondary school and BST Justice Training of BC. Past experience is preferred but we are willing to train candidates who show eagerness to learn. For more information please visit our website at www.transworldsecurity.ca.

Please email you resume to hr@ transworldsecurity.ca.

-------------------------------------

To PLACE YOUR AD IN THE ASIAN STAR CLASSIFIEDS Section Please

Call: 604-591-5423

COMMUNITY Public Notice All foreign governments may deny visa or entry into country on Non-machine readable passports’ with effect from 24.11.2015 because of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s(ICAO) decision to entirely phase out all ‘Non-machine readable passports’ by 24.11.2015.

Accordingly, Indian citizens residing in India and abroad with handwritten passports as well as 20 year validity passports, valid beyond 24.11.2015 are advised to apply for re-issue of passports in order to obtain ‘Machine readable passports (MRPs) before 24.11.2015 to avoid any inconveniences in obtaining foreign visa or immigration problem.

Schedule of Consular Camps ------------------------------Surrey - 1st November 2015 Col. Darshan Singh Sidhu, Indian Ex-Servicemen Society, Surrey, 201-8212-128 Street, indianexcervicemen@yahoo.com darshansidhu08@gmail.com 6045963327 -----------------------------------Vancouver - 1st November 2015 Mr.Kuldip Thandi, President, Ross St. Gurdwara 6047196800 kdsross@live.com ----------------------------------------Kamloops - 25th October 2015 Mr. Kulwinder Singh Kular, President, Sikh Cultural Society, kal@topdriver.ca Cell:2503768285 ------------------------------------Abbotsford - 8th November 2015 Mr. Jatinder Singh Gill Recording Secretary, Heritage Gurudwara, Abbotsford Bhajan Singh Toor 6048647700 kds@canadiansikhheritage.ca -------------------------------------------------------------Free English for the Workplace Classes at PICS PICS’ new Project Based Language Training Program (PBLT) is now offering free English classes for the Labour Market. It helps immigrants overcome language barriers that hinder new immigrants’ path to employment. The priority for this project is to attach clients to Labour Market and help them actively seek employment

or prepare them to enroll in a training course or move to an enhanced Labour market program.

Students will learn and develop soft skills, job search, resume writing, interview skills, networking and much more. To avoid disappointment, please register for classes by calling 604-5967722 ext 138 ASAP. Free Childminding on site.

----------------------------------------------------------Free Community Workshops & Activities November 2–8 Free Drop-In English Conversation Circle for Temporary Foreign Workers Meet new people and give support to your fellow TFW’s. Ask questions about housing, health, and employment concerns.

Mondays, 6:30–8:30pm until December 14 MOSAIC Vancouver Community Room, 1720 Grant St 604 254 9626 ext 487 -----------------------------------------Public Speaking Without Panic: Learn Effective Strategies to Communicate with Confidence Learn strategies and techniques for building self-confidence to communicate your ideas and opinions in a group setting. Tuesdays, 6–8pm until November 10 1522 Commercial Drive, Vancouver 604 254 9626 -----------------------------------------------English Conversation Circle for New Westminster Newcomers Wednesdays, 10–11:30am until December 2 Fraserside Community Services Society, 2nd floor, 519–7th St, New Westminster 778 558 9011 Let’s Talk! Support Group for Newcomer Parents Learn about Canadian culture, multicultural parenting, financial literacy, leadership skills and mor Thursdays, 1–2:45pm, until December 3 Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School, 1714 8th Ave, New Westminster Yumi 604 345 7737 ---------------------------------------------------Seniors Club: Taichi Class Fridays, 9:30–11:30am Brentwood Community Resource Centre, 2055 Rosser Ave, Burnaby 604 292 3908 Crossing the US/Canadian Border November 4, 10am–12pm New Westminster Public Library, 716 6th Ave 604 438 8214 ext 114 ----------------------------------------------Ways to Improve Job Search Skills for \ Work Permit Holders November 7: Creating effective résumés November 28: Different styles of cover letters December 5: Interview skills December 19: Stress management

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Saturdays, 10:30am–12pm MOSAIC Vancouver Community Room, 1720 Grant St ‘ Lam 604 254 9626 ext 258 ------------------------------------Legal Information Workshop: Employment Standards Learn about your rights in the workplace! The workshop will provide an overview on employee and employer rights and responsibilities, including: the minimum wage, parental leave, working hours, filing complaints, holiday pay and more.

November 8, 1–3pm MOSAIC Burnaby Centre for Immigrants, 5902 Kingsway 604 438 8214 ext 211 ---------------------------------------------Do You Have a Child with Autism? Free evening presentations in Punjabi Siblings, Parents, Grandparents and Neighbours — all are welcomed to these community events aimed at increasing awareness of the potential of children and adults with autism and the needs of their families for information and support.

October 13, 2015 The Individualised Education Plan (IEP)— what the school is supposed to do and how the parent can support the IEP process Speaker: Raminder Kaur, Behaviour Consultant, posAbilities November 17, 2015 Advocacy Tools for Parents— how to help your child get the services they need Speaker: Deborah Pugh, Executive Director, ACT December 1, 2015 One Parent’s Journey in Autism— the important role that family plays in supporting their child with autism Speaker: Sunita Braich, Integration Support Teacher, Surrey School District Details: www.actcommunity.ca/events Organized by ACT’s South Asian Autism Awareness Committee ( ASAAP ) --------------------------------------Want To Be Self Employed? Register with PICS Self- Employment Program PICS is calling all potential entrepreneurs in Delta, Surrey and Burnaby to join their next info session of Self Employment Program on October 14, 2015 at 2:30 PM at PICS Head office in Surrey. Through this program you will learn to develop self-employment skills, business plans, marketing plans. You will also learn how to arrange start-up funding and the best possible ways to manage your cash.

What – PICS self-employment program info session When – Wednesday, October 14, 2015, 2:30 PM Where - PICS Head office - #205-12725-80th Avenue, Surrey How - Pre-register at deshpal.grewal@pics.bc.ca or sunil.rawat@pics.bc.ca . Or call Mr. Deshpal Grewal at 604-596-7722, Ext 126, or Mr. Sunil Rawat at 604-596-7722, Ext 128.

Eligibility –BC Job seekers who are unemployed/underemployed and who have received EI in the past 3 years or Maternity Benefits in the past 5 years. Selected clients may be eligible to receive up to $300 per week for 48 weeks.

Hurry seating is limited !

-------------------------------UBC celebrates its centennial anniversary Advanced Education Minister Andrew Wilkinson made the following statement in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the University of British Columbia.“This year marks the 100th anniversary of the University of British Columbia. Government established UBC with the passage of the University Act in 1908, and the university first opened its doors to students in 1915. UBC is the oldest post-secondary

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institution in British Columbia.“The university welcomed 379 students in its first year. A century later, approximately 60,000 students are enrolled at UBC at its campuses in Vancouver and the Okanagan, with more than 10,000 students graduating in 2014-15. The university is a significant contributor to the B.C. economy with an economic impact of $12.5 billion annually.

“UBC has developed a reputation for excellence over the years. It is consistently ranked among the top universities in Canada and the world. UBC is also a world leader in innovation and scientific discovery in diverse fields. UBC faculty are leaders in medicine and biology, sequencing the SARS virus in record time and implementing the world’s leading treatment and prevention regime for HIV/AIDS. UBC graduates lead major international business consultancies and IT firms. “UBC has more than 300,000 alumni in 120 countries, including two Canadian Prime Ministers, and seven Nobel Prize winners in physics, economics and molecular biology.

UBC faculty, alumni and researchers have won 69 Rhodes Scholarships and 65 Olympic medals and UBC graduates are prominent in the private, government and non-profit sectors of our society.

“Congratulations to UBC students, staff, faculty and alumni on 100 years of academic success.”

----------------------------------------------------Navratri Festival 2015 Join us for the biggest and best Garba of the year in Vancouver When: Tuesday October 13th to Wednesday October 21st Time: 6:30pm until late Where: **Riverside Signature Hall 201-13030 76th Ave, Surrey, BC Tickets: $3 - Monday - Thursday. $6 Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

Email: info@navratri.ca / or i n f o @ n a v r a t r i . c a ----------------------------------------------------2015 Surrey Innovation Award Winners Announced At the September 30th Surrey Board of Trade Leadership Surrey Dialogue Lunch on ‘Surrey’s Transportation Future’ at Eaglequest Golf Course with Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner, Former Premier Mike Harcourt, Gordon Price of SFU, and a crowd of over 150 businesses, the Surrey Board of Trade proudly presented the 2nd Surrey Innovation Awards. “It is fitting that the Surrey Innovation Awards are being presented at the Surrey’s Transportation Future Lunch because our transportation problems require innovative solutions, and each of today’s winners exemplifies innovation, that is new ways of doing business. It is Surrey’s innovative companies that will meet the challenges of the new economy, expanding opportunity in the great city that is Surrey, improving lives locally and globally by transforming ideas and technology into commercial reality,” said Anita Huberman, CEO, Surrey Board of Trade. The 2015 Surrey Board of Trade, Surrey Innovation Award Winners are: 1. Young Innovator Category Recognizes the entrepreneurial spirit of an individual less than 30 years of age who has demonstrated innovative thinking through the research and/or development of a technology-related product or service WINNER: Empower Operations Corporation – GEORGE CHENG With more than 20 years of university research Empower Operations Corporation is built on world-leading, simulation-based design optimization techniques. Empower provides a flagship product, OASIS (Optimization Assisted System Integration Software) that offers efficient design exploration and optimization, engineer-centered interactive design environment and advanced visualization capabilities.

Empower also offers optimization procedures that can be integrated with existing engineering

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Saturday, October 31, 2015

Business / Finance

Alberta’s shock-absorber budget bets big on oil rebound

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lberta’s NDP government was in a tough position with its first budget.

After the election this past spring, it inherited an economy in recession, a budget that would be nearly impossible to balance and a worsening outlook for oil.

Having been dealt those cards, the government tabled a budget yesterday that tries to spend enough to provide a shock absorber to the provincial economy, but depends on an optimistic outlook for the price of oil to bring the budget back into balance in five years.

The budget assumes oil prices will average $50 US this fiscal year, then $61 US in 2016217, and $68 in 2017-18. While that may seem reasonable, the futures market thinks differently. The so-called forward strip, the U.S. futures contracts on which traders and energy companies alike depend when making investment decisions, assumes the U.S.

crude benchmark will be $55.43 US in December 2018, $13 US lower than the province assumes. “Each dollar that they’re off by, in terms of the per-barrel price of oil, affects the budget by $170 million,” said Trevor Tombe, an economist at the University of Calgary.

If the market is right and Alberta is wrong, that’s a $2 billion difference to the budget in 2017-18. Alberta’s extra spending will come in two parts, a small increase in operational spending, of between $1 billion and $1.5 billion a year for the next five years, below population growth and inflation. Operational spending is pretty restrained, according to Jack Mintz, who is with the University of Calgary’s school of public policy. “I don’t think this is big [operational] spending, this isn’t going to do much in terms of pumping up the economy, because the external factors will swamp it,” said Mintz.

Canada’s GDP ticks up 0.1% in August

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anada’s economy grew by 0.1 per cent in August — the third consecutive monthly gain following five straight months of shrinking — as the economy continued to pull out of the mild recession that began at the start of the year.

Manufacturing, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction and retail trade all expanded, Statistics Canada reported Friday.

The data agency reported that GDP expanded by 0.1 per cent in August, following growth of 0.3 per cent in July and 0.4 per cent in June. Prior to that, the economy had contracted during every month of 2015.

On an annualized basis, Canada’s econ-

omy expanded at a 0.9 per cent pace between August 2014 and this past August.

Both the monthly and the annualized figure were in line with what economists had been expecting. “Though growth is muted, there is fairly broad breadth to the gains with only two sectors meaningfully dragging on growth,” Scotiabank said, singling out finance and insurance and wholesale trade for much of the weakness.

Indeed, not all sectors of the economy expanded in August. In addition to the ones Scotiabank took note of, the arts, entertainment and recreation sector declined, as did the information technology, accommodation and food services, and public administration sectors.

Quebec to invest $1B US in CSeries program

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Bombardier loses $4.9B US in 3rd quarter

ombardier posted a loss of $4.9-billion US for the third quarter because of writedowns to its CSeries and Learjet 85 aircraft programs, and announced the Quebec government will take a 49 per cent stake in the CSeries program to get the project over the finish line. The Montreal-based company announced that the province of Quebec will invest $1 billion US into the CSeries, which is about two years behind schedule, and that it is still looking for more investment money for its rail business. The analyst community had been expecting bad news from the company on Thursday, as rumours of a Quebec bailout leaked earlier in the week.

But the actual numbers Bombardier posted failed to meet the already low bar of expectations. Revenue and adjusted earnings were both well below downgraded analyst estimates.

After the deal with the government of Quebec, Bombardier will own 50.5 per cent of a new joint venture, with 49.5 per cent belonging to the province. Quebec committed to the project for at least 20 years.

The CSeries has been tabbed as the future of the company for the better part of a decade now, and while Bombardier says the project is about 97 per cent of the way through final testing — one of the last steps before the planes can be put into service at airlines around the world — it it now sev-

eral years late and several billion dollars in the hole. Still, executives tried to strike an upbeat tone. “This partnership (with Quebec) comes at a pivotal time, with the CSeries on the verge of certification,” Bombardier chief executive Alain Bellemare said in a statement ahead of the company’s conference call with analysts. “The market is there, our leadership is in place, we have the best product and with the support of the government, we are ready to make this aircraft a commercial success.”

Bellemare doubled down on those comments on the call, saying that the government is the perfect partner for the company in trying to bring its long-overdue plane to market.

“We’re excited to unleash the full value of CSeries to shareholders,” he said. Although Bellemare struck an upbeat tone, analysts noted that the writedown announced Thursday is worth more than the entire company. And more cash will be needed before the plane gets into the air, with one executive on the call suggesting Bombardier will need another $2 billion over the next five years to get the project over the goal line and on to the runway. Investors appeared to agree with that gloomy view, pushing the shares down 17 per cent or 28 cents on the TSX to close at $1.33 on Thursday. That ‘s a larger loss than the decent gain seen the day before, when word of a bailout deal starting leaking out.

Learjet 85 completely cancelled

Business / Finance Saturday, October 31, 2015

Alberta to borrow heavily to finance spending and stimulate economy

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lberta’s NDP government hopes a spending stimulus will boost the economy and help the province climb out of a record $6.1-billion deficit. At the same time, the government will hike the markup on alcohol, increase cigarette taxes, spend more on lower-income families and try to create thousands of new jobs. Starting at midnight Oct. 28, the price of a carton of cigarettes will increase by $5 per carton; a 750 ml bottle of wine or hard liquor will cost 18 cents more and a case of 12 beers will go up an additional 21 cents.

There are also tax measures aimed to help lower-income families, including up to $2,750 for eligible families with incomes lower than $41,220. This program will cost the government $195 million.

Finance Minister Joe Ceci says billions in capital investment will stimulate the economy and could create as many as 37,000 jobs.

The NDP will also reverse cuts to essential services proposed by the previous government. “This is the right budget for the right time,” he said. The spending priorities are in keeping with the NDP’s campaign promises and mark a decidedly different direction for the province in the wake of a four-decade Tory dynasty.

For example, the government is pushing

the limits of what it plans to borrow. The contingency fund, the government’s savings account, will be drawn down to zero in the 2016-17 fiscal year.

That’s when the government will borrow to cover operating expenses for the first time since 1993. Borrowing for operational costs is forecast at $712 million that year, increasing to $3.3 billion the following year.In his budget speech, Ceci said his government is reversing the Progressive Conser vative’s mismanagement over the past 30 years and spending $49.9 billion to do it. Ceci praised the direction of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives under former premier Peter Lougheed, but said successive governments “lost their way” guiding the province. “The government of Alberta set up the Alberta Way and then threw it away,” he said. Brian Jean, leader of the Official Opposition Wildrose Party, called the budget a “complete fantasy” and said “every Albertan will be poorer because of this budget.” Jean accused the NDP of using “risky economic theories” and raising taxes that are affecting every person in the province. “With this budget even the most optimistic Albertans have to be very, very concerned,” he said.

Average house price up 6% to $433,649 in September, CREA says

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he average selling price of a Canadian home was $433,649 in September, the Canadian Real Estate Association said today. The figure increased by 6.1 per cent from the same month a year ago. That’s the lowest annual gain we’ve seen in seven months. “Overall, September’s housing markets stats are consistent with a continued hot housing market – it just doesn’t appear to be getting any hotter,” TD Bank economist Diana Petramala said after the numbers came out. As has been the case for a while, activity in Toronto and Vancouver is skewing the average higher, CREA said. Stripping out the two cities, the average drops to $334,705 and the gain is 2.9 per cent. Indeed, prices aren’t moving up everywhere, or at the same pace. Home

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prices rose from September 2014 levels by about 1.5 per cent in Greater Montreal, and by about 2.5 per cent in Greater Moncton.

Prices fell by four per cent in Regina, where they have been dropping since 2013. For the second consecutive month, prices in Calgary were flat on a year-over-year basis.

Prices in Saskatoon and Ottawa were also about the same level as they were a year ago. Beyond prices, sales were also stronger. The number of homes sold during September was the second highest on record for the month, falling just 130 purchases shy of the record set in 2009. “Sales are off the peak reached earlier this year, but are still running strong, particularly in British Columbia and Ontario,” CREA president Pauline Aunger said.

House prices overvalued in 11 biggest cities

anada’s national housing agency is warning of “problematic housing market conditions” in most of the country’s major housing markets. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation said in its Housing Market Assessment report on Thursday that many housing markets are showing troubling signs in four criteria: When all four factors are taken together, the agency singled out four cities for being particularly troubling: Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg and Toronto.

“In Toronto, strong evidence of problematic conditions reflects a combination of price acceleration and overvaluation,” the CMHC said. “Strong evidence of problematic conditions in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, and Regina reflects detection of overvaluation and overbuilding.”

While those four cities gave the housing agency the most concern overall, overvalu-

ation was called widespread. It was cited as either a “moderate” or a “strong” problem in 11 of the 15 cities the CMHC includes in its assessment. The cities include: ■Vancouver. ■Victoria ■Calgary ■Edmonton ■Regina ■Saskatoon ■Winnipeg ■Toronto ■Hamilton ■Ottawa ■Montreal ■Quebec ■Moncton ■St. John’s ■Halifax “The most prevalent issue detected in 11 of the 15 centres covered by the HMA is overvaluation,” CMHC’s chief economist Bob Dugan said. “The evidence of overvaluation has increased since the previous assessment in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton and Saskatoon as price levels are not fully supported by economic and demographic factors.” The four cities where the CMHC said overvaluation isn’t a problem are Victoria, Hamilton, Moncton and St. John’s.

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PUNJAB

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Punjab gets Rs 1.12 lakh cr investment

he second edition of the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit got off to a flying start today, with top industrialists promising to infuse an investment of Rs 1.12 lakh crore in the state. Prominent companies that signed MoUs with the state government today included Reliance Industries, Kings College-London, Vardhman Industries, Hero MotoCorp, ITC and GVK Industries. Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries, Dilip S Shangvi of Sun Pharmaceuticals, Sunil Kant Munjal of Hero MotoCorp, YC Deveshwar of ITC, Rahul Bajaj of Bajaj Group, Ajay Piramal of Piramal Enterprises, Chanda Kochhar of ICICI Bank and others endorsed the Punjab government’s industrial policy. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal announced a slew of incentives for the industry, including no new taxes on new food processing industry being set up in the state; fixed rate of power tariff (at the rate of Rs 4.99 per unit for the first five years after the plant gets commissioned); labour reforms; self and third party certification by the industry to do away with the Inspector Raj.

The new measures announced today, coupled with the fiscal incentives offered under Punjab’s Industrial Policy of 2013, got thumbs up by the industry delegates. Fifty-five MoUs in food processing sector, entailing an investment of Rs 8,000 crore, were signed on the first day of the summit. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Singh Badal rolled out the red carpet for industry bigwigs. Sukhbir said the signing of 376 MoUs, expected to see an investment of Rs 1.12 lakh crore, had the potential to generate 2.5 lakh jobs. The largest investment has been committed by DLF Universal (Rs 9,200 crore) in the real estate sector, followed by GVK Industries (Rs 5,000 crore) for setting up medical colleges and Adani Group (3,700 crore) for setting up a 500-MW solar power plant. ICICI Bank also signed MoU for participating in e-governance initiatives of the state government, skill development centres and offering customised financial services, besides increasing the bank’s branch network in Punjab. Kings College, London, signed an MoU for 100 million pounds (Rs 1,000 crore)

Good News!

Good News!

From left: Reliance MD Mukesh Ambani, Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, Bajaj group chief Rahul Bajaj, ITC chairman YC Deveshwar and Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal at the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit in Mohali.

Sops to investors leave state industry upset As the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit got a booster dose of investment from not just top industrial houses of the country but also from foreign delegates, small voices of dissent for the red carpet rolled for new investors could be heard from the state’s exist-

Good News!

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22nd November: Arrival from India to Lahore Lunch and shopping.

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ing industry. The grant of fiscal concessions to new investors has not gone down well with them and they are now seeking similar fiscal incentives. Having braved terrorism in the past and withstood the flight of industry to the neighbouring tax exempt hill states, the existing industry, especially the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), have rued the fixed power tariff of Rs4.99 per unit announced for all new investors. They have said this would make them economically unviable and uncompetitive. This is a blow we will not be able to withstand, they say.

Can’t call November 10 meet Sarbat Khalsa: Sikh scholars Certain Sikh organisations and scholars have urged Bhai Mohkam Singh of the SAD (United) and other leaders that the congregation proposed to be held on November 10 in Amritsar should not be named “Sarbat Khalsa”. They have urged to name it “Panthic convention” instead During a meeting held at Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha office, scholars passed a resolution telling the organisers of the “Sarbat Khalsa” that there was a tradition, code of conduct and philosophy under which such a congregation (Sarbat Khalsa) is held. The congregation to be held in Amritsar on November 10 could not be called “Sarbat Khalsa” as it had been scheduled without following the procedure and tradition, they stated. Among the scholars were Giani Kewal Singh, Bhai Ashok Singh Bagarian, Navkiran Singh, Prof Gurdarshan Singh Dhillon, Harsimran Singh, Karamjit Singh, Gurpreet Singh and representatives of political organisations.

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Sacrilege row simmers

ikh activists on Thursday blocked the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur road at Adampur for 2.5 hours demanding a thorough probe into the recent sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib at Ghariyal village near here.

About 500 protesters began a peaceful gathering at Daroli Road at 9 am, but moved to Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur Road to block the highway at 12.30 pm. The Sikh activists are demanding transparency in the probe with the addition of more members from the area in the five-member committee already constituted for the probe. They also said that DSP Nirlep Singh should apologise to them for allegedly threatening them with dire consequences during Sunday’s melee. The administration and the police were vigilant, having appointed the anti-riot squad to check any untoward incident. SP (headquarters) Kulwant Singh Heer, SP (D) HPS Khakh, SDM-1 Rajat Oberoi and other officials were at the spot for various rounds of talks with the protesters.

fOOD INDIA

6 i Saturday - April 4, 2015

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Saturday, October 31, 2015

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LET Commander Abu Qasim killed in Kashmir

ashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant Abu Qasim, the mastermind of the Udhampur attack on a BSF bus on August 5, has been killed in a gunfight in J&K, police said on Thursday.

“Abu Qasim, the operational commander of the LeT, was killed during the night in an ambush by the forces in Khandaypora village of Kulgam district,” a police officer said.

Security forces laid an ambush in the area following specific information about the movements of the LeT commander.

“Abu Qasim fell into the ambush along with an accomplice. Abu Qasim was killed in the first contact (exchange of gunfire),” the officer said, adding the killing was a major success for the security forces.

The officer said the LeT commander was active in the state for the last six years and was the most wanted militant commander in J&K. A resident of Pakistan, Abu Qasim was the mastermind of the Udhampur attack in which two BSF personnel were killed and 11 others injured, he said.

One terrorist was killed on the spot while another, Naveed was apprehended by villagers and handed over to police after he escaped from the site where the two LeT terrorists had carried out the attack.

The National Investigation Agency is investigating the case. Naveed and two local accomplices are all currently in a jail in Jammu.

Gujarat court upholds sedition charge against Hardik Patel

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Ingredients • 250g boneless chicken • 2tbsp rapeseed oil • 1 medium red onion • 3 large tomatoes • ½ cup cashew nuts • 100g tomato puree • 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves • 100ml low fat cream • 1tsp garam masala • 1tsp red chilli powder • 1tbsp ginger- garlic paste • 2tbsp thick low fat yoghurt • salt to taste

court in the Indian state of Gu- in support of the protests, the paper reported.

After a video recording of the comments surjarat has refused to dismiss charges of sedition against a faced, Patel said he had been “misinterpreted” firebrand young leader of the Patel caste. and that the recording was “doctored”. But the However, the court told the police to drop Gujarat police say the tape is genuine and filed a case against the Patel leader. charges of “promoting enmity between Patel is currently in prison in two communities or groups” against him. connection with another case Hardik Patel, 22, was caught on camera - police in Gujarat’s largest city earlier this month telling his supporters to Ahmedabad have accused him “kill policemen rather than commit suiof allegedly inciting his supportcide”. Patel says the video is “doctored”. ers to resort to violence after He has led huge protests, demanding Procedure: the Patel community’s massive quotas in government jobs for the comthe chicken the gingerHardik garlicPatel, paste22,and the in yoghurt foron 20 25 min. soak the cashew in warm water for 15 minutes.chop the onions and tomatoes. Heat 1 tbsp rally the city August. munity,Marinate despite their relative with prosperity. oil to a pan. sear the chicken pieces in the hot oil for 1 minute on each side to a golden colour. remove the chicken pieces. in the same pan, add 1tbsp oil and the chopped They have also charged him with sedition.

“If you have so much courage... then go and onions. saute till a translucent pink.

Add the tomatoes, red chili powder, garam masala powder and cook on medium flame till the tomatoes are tender (approx. 4-5 Under Indian law, sedition is a non-bailable kill a couple of policemen. Patels never comminutes). remove from flame and run in a blender with the soaked cashews to make offence.

In August, eight people were killed in a smooth paste. return to the pan and add the tomato puree. Bring to a boil and add mit suicide,” The Times of India quoted Patel theachicken pieces. simmer 4-5 minutes till the chicken is cooked. low fat cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Broil the fenugreek leaves on a pan. crush the two days of caste-related violenceAdd and the army as telling supporter in Surat on 3for October. theVipul curryDesai, and remove fire.to serve hot. peace in Ahmedwas from deployed maintain He wasfenugreek talking toleaves a localover youth, who had announced that he would kill himself abad and other areas.

chicken (no butter) Masala Your favourite butter chicken but without the butter and added calories!

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Saturday, September 26, 2015 Saturday, October 31, 2015

INDIA

Supreme Court to look at gender bias in Muslim law on polygamy and divorce

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ith Muslim women at a disadvantage under the Muslim Personal Law with no safeguard against arbitrary divorce and polygamy, the Supreme Court has now decided to examine the validity of such practices saying that it amounts to violation of women’s fundamental rights. A bench of Justices A R Dave and A K Goel said laws dealing with marriage and succession are not part of religion and the Muslim Personal Law has to evolve with the changing times. The bench said it is high time for the judiciary to examine these issues which the court had earlier refrained from venturing into on the ground that it was a

Saturday, October 31, 2015

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India had most Tuberculosis cases in 2014

policy matter to be decided by the government and the legislature. It said these are not merely a policy matter but relate to protection of fundamental rights of Muslim women guaranteed by the Constitution. Referring to an earlier apex court verdict, the bench said practice of polygamy is injurious to public morals and can be banned just like the practice of sati was banned.

“It was pointed out that in spite of Constitutional guarantee, Muslim women are subjected to discrimination. There is no safeguard against arbitrary divorce and second marriage by her husband during currency of the first marriage, resulting in denial of dignity and security to her,” the bench said.

I

ndia recorded the largest number of Tuberculosis cases in the world last year, according to a report by the WHO that said 1.5 million people died in 2014 from the disease which ranks alongside HIV as a leading killer worldwide. World Health Organisation’s Global Tuberculosis Report 2015, released yesterday, said that of the 9.6 million new TB cases in 2014, 58 per cent were in the South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions. India, Indonesia and China had the largest number of cases at 23 per cent, 10 per cent and 10 per cent respectively of the global total in 2014. Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa also had high numbers of TB cases last year.

Nearly 1.5 million people died from the disease last year, including 140,000 children, according to the report. “Most of these deaths could have been prevented. The disease ranks alongside HIV as a leading killer worldwide,” it said. Approximately 90 per cent of total TB deaths (among HIV- negative and HIV-positive people) and 80 per cent of TB deaths among HIV-negative people occurred in the African and South-East Asia Regions in 2014. India and Nigeria accounted for about one-third of global TB deaths (both including and excluding those among HIV-positive people), the report added. The report noted that globally, TB prevalence in 2015 was 42 per cent lower than in 1990.

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Saturday, October 31, 2015

INDIA

Sindh Club refuses to host Indian envoy’s function

I

n a development likely to further hit Indo-Pak relations, the elite Sindh Club in Karachi refused to host Indian high commissioner to Pakistan TCA Raghavan and his wife for a function on September 26.

Sources in Delhi and Karachi confirmed that the club, one of Karachi’s oldest institutions, said no to hosting Raghavan without giving any reason and even after Raghavan had arrived in Karachi to attend the event. The event was being organised by a group called Pakistan-India Citizens’ Friendship Forum. Liaquat Merchant, the grandson of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, is a co-chairman of the group. The organisers had invited Ragha-

van for an event related to India. Merchant was expected to make a speech at the event.

Sources here said the high commissioner and all other guests had received invitation cards saying Sindh Club, which has existed since 1871, was going to host the event. Raghavan got a rude shock though after he checked into his hotel in Karachi with officials informing him that Sindh Club had decided that it was not going to host him. The club never got back to Indian authorities to explain why it had decided to back out at the last moment.

While the MEA has taken the issue seriously, official sources did not want to venture a guess on whether or not Sindh Club had acted under pressure from Pakistan authorities.

Hindu Sena chief held for triggering beef row

H

indu Sena chief Vishnu Gupta was arrested on Thursday after his false complaint to the Delhi Police that beef (cow meat) was being served at Kerala House in the national capital sparked off a controversy. As the storm settled, Kerala House served buffalo meat for lunch which sold out in 45 minutes. The police had detained Gupta and questioned him over his complaint. They also submitted a detailed report over the beef row to the Union Home Ministry. The report explained the action taken by the police over the issue. On Monday, the Delhi Police had reached Kerala House over Gupta’s complaint. The police’s swoop on Kerala House yesterday had resulted in Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking action against people responsible for the event.

P

Pakistan’s ‘truth’ is finally out

olitical parties and security experts today reacted sharply to former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf acknowledging that his country supported and trained terror groups like LeT saying the truth is finally out and demanded that wanted terrorists be handed over to India. Both BJP and Congress were together in attacking Pakistan for aiding terrorists against India after Musharraf ’s statement. Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said: “For a change he spoke the truth... If they at all are really interested in fighting terror, sometimes they should also raise voice...” They should really make these people available to India because they have committed heinous crimes here.”

F

France to introduce biometric visas to Indians from Nov 2

rance will introduce biometric visas to Indian nationals from November 2, keeping in line with all the countries in the Schengen Area.

“To facilitate travel throughout the Schengen Area and help issue long-term visas more easily, France, in line with all the countries of the Schengen Area, will issue biometric visas to Indian citizens with effect from 2 November 2015,” a release from the French embassy said.

In this context, the French Embassy in India will offer a large number of 3 or 5 year circulation visas to frequent visitors of France.

However, visas issued prior to the introduction of biometrics will remain valid, the release added.

All visa applicants will now be asked to

come in person at any listed VFS centre of their choice to register their biometric data, it said, adding children under the age of 12 years are exempted from this procedure.

The recorded biometric data will be stored for a period of 59 months (almost 5 years), obviating the need for applicants to come in person again for renewing their visa.

Furthermore, the biometric data recorded by France will be valid during this period for all Schengen Area countries (similarly, the data recorded by any Schengen Area country will be valid for France during a period of 59 months).

The transition to biometrics will not impact the visa issuance period, which, for India, is a maximum of 48 hours, the release said.

NRI

A

Indian-origin engineer receives honour from Buckingham Palace

n Indian-origin structural engineer who helped build Europe’s tallest building, the Shard in London, was part of a reception hosted

by Queen Elizabeth II to Buckingham Palace on Monday.

Roma Agrawal, 29, joined a group of other female engineers at a reception hosted by the 89-year-old monarch to encourage more women to take up the profession.

“We need to break the stereotype of an engineer and show young girls it’s a fun career,” Agrawal said in advance of the event.

An official told Britain’s Sunday Times, “In part, this is born of personal experience.

As a young woman serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the queen learnt ve-

hicle maintenance skills that have stayed with her to this day”. “She got her hands dirty, enjoyed it and would encourage young people today to have the same experience. And at a time when there is a big industry push for more girls to become involved in engineering, the queen would wholeheartedly support that,” he said. The queen’s support comes as a report published this week is expected to reveal that Britain lags behind other nations in the status it gives to the profession. Only six per cent of registered UK engineers and technicians are women, the lowest number in Europe; just 15 per cent of UK engineering students are female.

NRI grandfather slammed to the ground

by US police officer posed no threat

A

n Indian grandfather slammed to the ground by an Alabama police officer posed no threat to police, two fellow officers testified in the retrial of the cop charged with use of excessive force. Sureshbhai Patel, who had arrived days earlier from India to take care of his grandson, presented no threat to police, Madison Police Officer Charles Spence told a Huntsville court Wednesday. “To me, he appeared to be in his 70s.”

“There was no criminal conduct to document” by Patel and that no reasonable suspicion existed to lay hands on Patel, testified Lt. Clint Harrell, according to lo-

cal Al.com. “Even if they are accused of something, you still treat them right.”

The first trial of former Madison Officer Eric Parker for the Feb 6 takedown of Patel while he was taking a walk near his son’s home ended early last month with a hung jury, as the jury split 10-2 in favour of acquittal. As police responded to a neighbour’s call about a “skinny black man” walking near homes and looking at garages in Madison, Spence circled back and arrived just in time to see the takedown by Parker. Spence, a 20-year patrol veteran of the Madison force, said he did not observe Patel jerk his hand away from officers.

Indian-origin cousins sentenced in US for murder conspiracy

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wo Indian-origin cousins, convicted for conspiring to commit murder of the wife of one of them in 2013, have been sentenced to 15 years each in prison by a US court, media reports said. Pratikkumar Patel and his cousin Kalpesh Patel of Gallatin city in Tennessee, received the sentence of 15 years each from Circuit Court Judge for trying to arrange the murder of Krupaben Patel, the wife of Prattikumar Patel, wgnsradio.com reported. They were arrested in September 2013. The

Patels were found guilty in August this year of paying Chris Robinson of Rutherford county to have Pratik’s wife killed because they couldn’t get a divorce.

Robinson instead cooperated with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, who set up a taped call with Prattikumar Patel and arrested both men.

The Patels, who owned a handful of convenience stores and gas stations in Sumner and Rutherford counties, will be eligible for parole after serving 30 per cent.

FIJI

NZ child rapist denied parole as ‘deportation will endanger Fiji women’

A

remorseless child rapist has been refused parole because he poses a danger to young women in Fiji, where he will be deported once freed from jail. Sanjay Kumar Chand Rana asked the Parole Board to free him at his latest hearing on October 13 so he could be deported home to live with family in Fiji. However, Parole Board chairman Justice Warwick Gendall said in his written decision, released on Tuesday, that Rana was “an untreated significant risk offender” and remained unsafe to whatever community he was released. Rana was convicted in December 2013 of raping and indecently touching a 13-year-old girl in Auckland, and was serving eight years and four months in jail. He was subject to a deportation order.

“The board has an obligation to ensure that young women in [Fiji] are not put at risk by his release into their community of a convicted sexual offender.

“Mr Rana must understand that the law does not permit the board to release offenders if they remain an undue risk to the safety of the community.”

Gendall said authorities deemed that the “community” could be in New Zealand or anywhere that an offender would reside on release, including overseas. The probation officer’s pre-sentence report described Rana as being at high risk of reoffending and displaying no remorse. He maintained his innocence, despite twice being convicted.

A psychologist’s report said Rana portrayed himself as a victim and blamed his real victim, had narcissistic traits and believed his own distortions. He refused to attend a child sex offenders course because of his professed innocence, but the board said he needed to complete a short intervention programme before his next parole hearing in January 2017. According to court documents, Rana had picked the teenage girl up from hospital where her mother was getting emergency treatment and took her to her home to col-

lect some belongings because she was going to stay with him and his wife until her mother’s discharge. While at her home, he raped and indecently touched the girl on her parent’s bed. His 2010 rape conviction was successfully overturned on appeal in 2012, but he was found guilty at a retrial in December 2013 and sentenced in February 2014 to nine years in jail. He appealed that sentence, and in September 2014, the Court of Appeal reduced it to eight years and four months because of his previous good character and lack of prior convictions. His sentence end date was June 1, 2020. Offenders serving jail terms of two years or more become eligible for parole after serving one-third of their sentence. Rana became eligible on November 13, 2014.

Earlier in October, Gendall said the board had “quite a few” offenders appearing in front of it who were subject to deportation orders, issued by Immigration New Zealand while in jail. “We don’t deport them. We can’t. We can grant parole, which has to take place in New Zealand because the board’s got no jurisdiction and neither does Corrections of somebody in Fiji ... or Australia.” He said it could only release offenders on parole if they were no longer an undue risk to the safety of the community. “If they can’t get past that threshold, whatever their community, they don’t get released.

“Not often, but sometimes, we release on parole knowing that they’re going to be deported, but the person may, for example, only have three months to go on his sentence before they’re going to walk out the door anyway.”

Once they were released from jail on parole or at the end of their sentence, they were immediately deported back to their home countries, where no parole or release conditions applied.

“And of course, whilst they’re on parole, they’re not really. They’re as free as a bird. We’ve got no jurisdiction,” Gendall said.

Saturday, October 31, 2015 i 31

Underperforming teachers dismissed

T

hree teachers in Rakiraki have been

removed by the Ministry of Education for non-performance.

The teachers taught at a special school in the area and Education Minister Dr Mahendra Reddy said the trio were not performing to the ministry’s standards. Mr Reddy said the ministry would take swift action if complaints lodged by school managers were justified. While speaking to more than 50 school managers from the Ra district, Mr Reddy urged the administrators to inform the ministry of any issue

concerning teachers. “We had to change all three staff because they were all in a mess,” Mr Reddy said. He said the teachers had to be removed once they received information from the school manager on how the trio were performing. We are swift in taking the necessary action because we don’t want any kind of damage.”

Mr Reddy said feedback from school managers were encouraged as the ministry worked on establishing the Fiji Council of School Managers. “The council is set up in such a way that we will be listening to their feedbacks and concerns.”

Comedy king loves Fijian hospitality

T

he hype surrounding the opening of Nadi’s newest tourism property has heightened with the arrival of Bollywood comedian Johnny Lever. Lever arrived in the country yesterday to attend the opening of Resort Relax Fiji at Sonaisali on the outskirts of Nadi this Friday. Speaking to this newspaper, the comedy king said he was privileged to attend the opening of a resort owned by friend and entrepreneur Bobby Khan. “I’m really happy to be here. I love Fiji and

the people,” he said. “People are so lovely and I always feel at home here. I’ve performed in Fiji many times.” Resort owner Mr Khan said he was honoured to have the renowned Bollywood stage and screen star at the opening ceremony. “The opening ceremony begins at 7pm. We are very honoured to have the Prime Minister at the event,” he said. “We will also have Cabinet ministers present for the opening and it is going to be a big event for what I believe is a good investment for the country.”

Man in custody for rape of girl, 7

P

olice have taken a 54-year-old man into custody for allegedly raping a seven-year-old girl on Sunday afternoon.

Chief of Intelligence and Investigations, Assistant Commissioner of Police Henry Brown said the incident took place in Tailevu and the

victim is now admitted at the CWM Hospital.

“The suspect is alleged to have lured the victim under the pretext of buying her some sweets following which the offence took place,” ACP Brown said.

He says investigations into the incident continues.

Former teacher jailed for moneylaundering

A

32-year old former school-teacher was sentenced to five years imprisonment last week by the High Court in Suva for money laundering. Savita Singh had pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering. She had admitted to laundering funds amounting to $2400 from the Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority (FRCA) in 2007. High Court judge Justice Achala Wengappuli said the proceeds of crime in relation to the offence committed were funds of a government agency. “Your

involvement in the commission of the offence is not limited to being a mere accessory to a grand scheme of fraud, but as an active participant at its several stages,” Justice Wengappuli said. However, the court took into account that she was a first offender, a mother, co-operated with police, she had repaid the money to the State, she had apologised to the court and she promised not to reoffend.

Singh will serve 12 months in prison before she is eligible for parole.

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PAKISTAN

32 i Saturday, October 31, 2015

S

Residents in quake-hit areas demand help to rebuild homes

HANGLA: Residents in a northwestern Pakistani town that was among the worst-affected by this week’s massive earthquake were seeking government help on Wednesday to rebuild their damaged homes, after spending the second straight night with relatives. Authorities Residents of quake-hit areas were seeking said Monday’s quake damaged gov’t help to rebuild their homes.

8,453 homes and 113 schools in Pakistan’s impoverished northwest. Rescuers aged many of the few existing roads, officials in Afghanistan and Pakistan are struggling to said. Dropping aid by air will be the only reach regions stricken by the magnitude-7.5 way to reach many of the needy, but those quake, which was centered in Afghanistan’s operations are not likely to start for many sparsely populated Badakhshan province days, until survey teams on foot return and that borders Pakistan, Tajikistan and China. report on the damage. The Pakistani town The quake left at least 258 people dead in Pa- closest to the epicenter is Chitral, and one of kistan, 115 in Afghanistan and three on the the worst-affected towns is Shangla, where Indian side of the disputed region of Kash- 70-year-old Zurqun Nain said his extendmir. Casualty figures are likely to leap once ed family was living at a relatives’ home afrelief workers return from remote villages ter the quake damaged his house. “I had my own home before the earthquake. Now I am that can be accessed only by foot or donkey.

The earthquake, with its epicenter close homeless at this old age,” he said. Another to the Badakhshan district of Jarm, dam- resident, Said Alam, said his family was still waiting for government help.

G

Hafiz Saeed’s security enhanced after ‘threat alert’

ov’t of Punjab in Pakistan has enhanced the security of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed following a home department alert that a “foreign intelligence agency” may make an attempt on JuD chief ’s life. “We have enhanced the security of Hafiz Saeed in accordance with the directive of the home department,” an official of the Punjab government told PTI on Tuesday. He said more policemen have been deployed at his residence in Jauhar Town and JuD headquarters Chauburji, Lahore, in the

wake of the threat. Senior superintendent of police Athar Ismail said the police had “sensitized” the people who are engaged in the personal security of Saeed. According to the letter issued by the Punjab home department, a “foreign intelligence agency” has made plans to attack “high-value targets” like Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and JuD chief Saeed to create chaos on a wide-scale. Recommended By Colombia The United States has already put $10 million bounty on the head of Saeed.

P

‘Pakistan under former military ruler Zia-ul-Haq broke promise on uranium enrichment’

akistan under former General Zia-ulHaq’s administration broke its promise on uranium enrichment in the 1980s, a series of newly declassified documents have shown amid reports that the US is considering a civil nuclear deal with the country. According to the latest declassified documents released by National Security Archive, the then military dictator General Haq assured that Pakistan would not enrich uranium above five per cent and in lieu of it extracted huge amount of financial aid and modern military assistance from the US. “I appreciate the assurances you gave ambassador Hinton that Pakistan would not enrich uranium above the five per cent level,” the then US President Ronald Reagan wrote in a letter to Zia on September 12, 1984. In the letter, Reagan expressed concern over Pakistan’s nuclear weapons programme. “I must candidly state that enrichment of uranium above five per cent would be of the same significance as those nuclear activities, such as unsafeguarded reprocessing, which I personally discussed with you in December 1982 and would have the same implications for our security programme and relationship,” Reagan said. In fact, Reagan in his letter warned that if Pakistan goes ahead with his nuclear weapons

programme, it might attract untoward action from other countries in the region. “I have personally discussed with you my concerns about stemming nuclear proliferation, and my Administration remains fully committed on this issue,” he wrote. “Concern is also growing in Congress and among the public about Pakistan’s nuclear weapons programme. I am mindful that other countries in the region might use this issue as a pretext for untoward action towards Pakistan,” Reagan said. By saying so, Reagan was referring to the CIA assessment that India was planning to carry out strikes against Pakistani nuclear facilities. A talking point memo ahead of the letter refers to this. The talking points, which has now been declassified and made public by NSA, refer to Washington’s “judgement” that it is “likely that at some point India will take military action to pre-empt your military programme.”

Such a possibility had been discussed in previous national intelligence estimates. Consistent with the allusion to an Indian threat, the talking points included an inducement for Pakistan to adopt safeguards on its nuclear facilities, in light of the threats that Pakistan faced, “we would be prepared to act promptly to discourage or help deter such action as you move toward safeguards.”

7 soldiers killed near Afghanistan border

S

even Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were killed in a terrorist attack at a checkpost of northeast of South Waziristan’s Angoor Adda which is situated near the Pakistan-Afghan border. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that the terrorists opened heavy fire from across the Pak-Afghan border. North and South Waziristan are among Pakistan’s seven tribal districts near the Afghan border which are the home ground for many insurgents and are strongholds of Taliban and al-Qaida operatives.

Christian woman on death row put in isolation

A

minority Christian woman on death row for blasphemy in Pakistan has been shifted to an isolation ward fearing threats to her life by extremists upset over a high-profile ruling in a separate case, officials said. Asia Bibi, a mother of five whose case had sparked international outrage over the country’s controversial blasphemy laws, was put in an isolation ward last week soon after the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence to a former police commando who brutally killed former Punjab governor Salman Taseer for seeking reforms. Bibi, sentenced to death in 2010 for allegedly uttering blasphemous words during a quarrel over a bowl of water with fellow Muslim women while working on a crop field in Punjab province, has denied the charges over the 2009 incident.

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Saturday, October 31, 2015 i 33

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B

SOUTH ASIA

Buddhist relic enshrined in Nanjing temple

EIJING: A rare piece of Lord the ruins of ChangBuddha’s skull has been gan Temple, which permanently enshrined in was built in the a temple on Niushou Mountain in Song Dynasty (AD China’s eastern Jiangsu province, 420-479) during seven years after the relic was discovexcavation work at ered. The relic was transferred from the Nanjing Grand Qixia Temple in Nanjing to Foding Bao’en Temple.

Palace for permanent enshrinement.

After its excava“We hope the relic can be well ention in Nanjing, the shrined and protected here with the parietal bone relic joint efforts of the monks, Buddhists of Sakyamuni was and people in Nanjing,” president of A rare piece of Lord Buddha’s first displayed in skull has been permanently enthe Buddhist Association of China, shrined in a temple on Niushou Nanjing in 2010. It Monk Xuecheng was quoted as sayMountain in China’s eastern Ji- was later exhibited ing by the state-run China Daily. angsu province, seven years af- in Hong Kong and The event was held following the ter the relic was discovered.

Macao in 2012. AcWorld Buddhist Forum in Wuxi, Jicording to Buddhist angsu province, over the weekend. records, Emperor Asoka collected all parts The parietal bone - one of the bones in of the body of Lord Buddha after his Nirvathe skull - of Sakyamuni was unearthed in na, stored them in pagoda-shaped shrines 2008 when archaeologists found a crypt in before sending them to different parts of

the world. China is believed to have received 19 of them but most of them have

K

collapsed due to natural wear and tear as well as negligence.

Nepal elects first female President

athmandu: Nepal’s parliament has elected a Communist leader who has long campaigned for women’s rights as the Himalayan nation’s first female President. Parliament speaker Onsari Gharti announced that Bidhya Devi Bhandari of the Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist received 327 votes Bidhya Devi Bhandari Nepal’s against her opponent’s 214 first female President in parliament on Wednesday.Bhandari is the deputy er this month and leads a coalition governleader of the party led by Prime Minister ment. Bhandari is Nepal’s second president Khadga Prasad Oli. He was elected earli- since the Himalayan nation was turned into a republic after abolishing the centuries-old monarchy. Ram Baran Yadav remained president for seven years because it took that long for the constitution to be prepared and adopted.

Afghan quake death toll rises further as survivors await aid Afghanistan and Pakistan were scrambling today to rush aid to survivors of this week’s magnitude-7.5 earthquake as the region’s overall death toll from the temblor rose to 385. Pakistan’s disaster management authority said the nation’s dead now were at 267, with 220 people killed in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and another 47 elsewhere in the country. Afghanistan has reported 115 dead and 556 wounded, while three people died on the Indian side of the disputed region of Kashmir. The head of the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority, Wais Ahmad Barmak told parliament that 7,630 homes had been destroyed and around 1,000 animals killed. In battered northwestern Pakistan, more than 10,000 homes were damaged, as well as 147 schools, officials said. The quake, which struck Monday, was centered in Afghanistan’s sparsely populated Badakhshan province bordering Pakistan, Tajikistan and China. The poverty-stricken region is vast, with mountains and valleys that make it difficult to reach affected areas. Taliban are active in some parts, further complicating access, Barmak said.

Survey teams have been sent to assess casualties and damage in areas that can be reached only on foot or donkey. Once the information they bring back has been assessed, food and non-food supplies would be delivered, Barmak said.

Badakhshan is often hit by earthquakes and other disasters, including floods and landslides. Other regions, too, such as Nuristan and Kunar provinces in the east were presenting access challenges, he told parliament.

“We have got some problems like security challenges and road blocks, and unfortunately all roads from Nuristan’s capital to its districts are still blocked and some roads are blocked in Kunar too,” preventing delivery of help. Meanwhile, funerals of the victims continued today and in Pakistan’s worst-hit town of Shangla, residents demanded the government’s help to rebuild their homes.

Saturday, October 31, 2015 i 35

36 i Saturday, October 31, 2015