Two men who worked for Air Canada allegedly played key roles in the theft of some $22.5 million in gold and cash from Toronto Pearson International Airport last spring, police say.
Continued on Page 14...
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VPD deputy chief says 50% drug seizures are from Safe Supply Drug
The deputy chief of the Vancouver Police Department told a House of Commons committee this week that 50 per cent of hydromorphone seizures in B.C. had been diverted from “safe supply” drugs. The comments set off criticism by B.C. United MLAs and the federal Conservatives, who said it was evidence of the unintended consequences of the province’s prescription opioid program, which aims to reduce toxic drug deaths. They accused the B.C. NDP government and Ottawa of ignoring the public safety implications of a “taxpayer-funded drug trafficking” program. Appearing before the House of Commons health committee on Monday, Fiona Wilson, who is also president
Modi’s
of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police, said 20 per cent of the patients who are prescribed hydromorphone receive the opioid through the government’s safer supply program.
“We also know that about 50 per cent of the pills that (police) come across that are hydromorphone can indeed be attributed to safe supply,” Wilson said. “And, you know, that’s just in recognition of the fact that someone who’s on a bonafide safe supply program has a more regular significant supply of hydromorphone.”
Wilson said the bigger concern, however, is organized crime groups producing counterfeit hydromorphone, which looks exactly like the real thing but “could absolutely be deadly.”
Hindu-first approach makes him a god to some Indian voters — and a danger to others
As Narendra Modi travelled along a main street in India’s southern Karnataka state, standing in a flower-laden pickup truck adorned with more than 10 photos of himself, the cheers grew louder and more ecstatic.
Hundreds of the prime minister’s supporters spent hours waiting for a glimpse of the politician, who was in Mangaluru briefly on Sunday for an election event called a “roadshow,” which lasted slightly more than an hour. It was one of the many pit stops Modi made as he criss-crossed the vast country in the week before voting in India’s marathon election begins Friday, dropping into more than a dozen Indian states as he aims to secure a third straight term. Continued on Page 14...
Canadian grandma on her deathbed leaves scathing final words for PM Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is no stranger to hate mail. Just look under any of his posts on X, and you’ll find thousands of messages from Canadians who are less than pleased with his leadership. But one Canadian grandma took it a step further, sending Trudeau some scathing final words — from her deathbed.
TikTok user @furyatthewall shared a video of her “dying grandma” sending a message to the politician in her hospital bed on Tuesday. “Doctors told me I’m on my way out, meaning, I’m dying,” grandma says in the video. “And you know what? I am so damn happy that I’ll finally get Justin Trudeau out of my life.”
The TikTok now has over 330,000 views. It has received mixed reactions from folks in the comments.
It’s mango mania in USA for Indian Americans
When mango season heats up in India, the golden warmth of ripening Indian mangoes is felt 10,000 miles away here in the San Francisco Bay Area. The sweet mango— Mangifera Indica, India’s national fruit—has disembarked at San Francisco International Airport by the plane loads. As spring opens to summer here in America, the Indian mango lures shoppers in Indian-American grocery stores, its cloying sweetness wafting through its supple skin. With some 1,500 varieties
call it lust—manifests in many forms, and with many varieties across the length and breadth of India. Rajaram says she would eat “even those vempal mangoes.” The word “vempal” in Tamil, she explains, means “prematurely ripened.” These are mangoes that fall of their own accord onto the ground below, and lie there unloved, while turning black.
Distributors like Subramanian Krishnan of San Jose’s Shastha Foods understand locals’ longing and lust. Not only tapping into the fervor around the mango, they view India’s abundant crop also as an opportunity to introduce the unique flavors of indigenous varieties to the American tongue and palate.
of mangoes, India is the largest mangoproducing country in the world. It produces 50 percent of the world’s mangoes and is the fifth biggest exporter of the fruit. In southeast Asia, mangoes are eaten in every imaginable way possible: sautéed with rice, simmered in a stew, grated for salad, diced or pureed for dessert, or simply juiced or eaten whole— minus the seed, of course. Priya Rajaram of San Jose is a veteran at eating it whole. Her mother would be confounded by the way she sheared the mango seed so clean with her teeth. “Please spare that seed!” she’d plead. This tactile love for the mango—some might even
This weekend the grocer is hosting Shastha Mango Fest ’24, a free event during which enthusiasts and newcomers can taste and purchase a variety of mangoes sourced straight from farmers in India. Given the vagaries of climate change, it’s remarkable that India produces sufficient mangoes to feed its own population and that of the rest of the world. Deprivation drives demand, too, and Indian mangoes had been banned in the United States for 18 years due to pest concerns related to the seed weevil as well as the competition from the South American mango industry. The story, however, has been sweet since 2007 when the ban was lifted and the fruit began making its way from India. News of the arrival of the alphonso and other mangoes from India made national headlines. Indian mangoes rolled into America bearing the stamp “treated by irradiation.”
Indian Consulate seeks answers following shooting death of student in south Vancouver
The Indian Consulate in Vancouver has reached out for more information following the shooting death of an Indian citizen in south Vancouver late Friday night.
According to the consulate’s X account, Indian authorities have approached their Canadian counterparts about the death of 24-year-old Chirag Antil near East 55th Avenue and Main Street at around 11 p.m. on April 12.
Antil, a student, was found dead inside of a vehicle. Neighbours interviewed by Postmedia said they heard between four and six gunshots on Friday night. One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said she heard two shots in rapid succession, a brief pause, then three more shots.
She initially thought the sounds were fireworks connected to the next day’s Vaisakhi parade.
She had lived in the neighbourhood for about 30 years and said it was shocking for a shooting to happen so close to home. “It’s a very good neighbourhood,” she said. Visintin said she did not have any information about Antil. However, social media posts from friends and family identified him as a student visiting from India. Antil’s Facebook page showed he was a student at University Canada West, a for-profit university offering business and management programs. A GoFundMe has been started by Anurag Dahiya, who says he’s seeking donations to help bring his younger brother’s body back to India.
Record 33,000 homes began construction in Metro Vancouver in 2023
An all-time record number of housing starts was recorded in Metro Vancouver in 2023, according to a new report by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
A total of 33,244 new housing starts were recorded in Metro Vancouver, representing a 28% increase from 2022. Generally, housing starts are defined as the beginning of construction work on the building. Metro Vancouver saw the highest year-
over-year percentage growth in housing starts amongst Canada’s six largest metropolitan areas — just behind Calgary’s increase of 13% to 19,579 units, which was their all-time record, and Greater Toronto’s increase of 5% to 47,428 units, which was their second-highest level since the 1960s. Steep declines were experienced for Montreal (-37% year-over-year to 15,235 units), Ottawa (-20% to 9,245 units), and Edmonton (-10% to 13,184 units).
B.C. home sales slide almost 10 per cent in March despite mortgage rate drop
Home sales in British Columbia fell by almost 10 per cent in March compared with the same period last year, in a slowdown an analyst says could be buyers waiting for lower interest rates.
The B.C. Real Estate Association says the province saw 6,460 residential unit sales in the Multiple Listing Service systems last month, a 9.5-per-cent decline from March 2023.
The overall dollar volume of home sales also fell 3.6 per cent from the same month last year, dipping to $6.6 billion. Association chief economist Brendon Ogmundson says
in a statement that potential homebuyers “appear to be waiting on the Bank of Canada to lower its policy rate.”
Ogmundson says March’s decline caps off a “slow start” to the first quarter of 2024 despite a “steep” drop in fixed mortgage rates.
The association says the average price of a home in B.C. on MLS did rise by 6.5 per cent from last March, reaching $1.02 million.
Overall, home sales in the province rose by 6.4 per cent in the first three months of this year, reaching almost 16,000 units.
Justin Trudeau’s government raises taxes on wealthiest Canadians in federal budget
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government announced Tuesday it is imposing higher taxes on the wealthiest Canadians as part of the federal budget.
The budget proposes to increase the capital gains inclusion rate, which refers to the taxable share of profit made on the sale of assets. The taxable portion of capital gains above $250,000 Canadian (US$181,000) would rise from half to two-thirds, which the federal government says will only affect 0.1% of Canadians and raise nearly $20 billion Canadian (US$14.5 billion) in revenue over five years.
“I know there will be many voices raised in protest. No one likes paying more tax, even — or perhaps particularly — those who can afford it the most,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said. “But before they complain too bitterly, I would like Canada’s one per cent
— Canada’s 0.1 per cent — to consider this: What kind of Canada do you want to live in?”
Freeland presented the federal budget, which pledges $53 billion Canadian (US$38 billion) in new spending that she says is focused on economic justice for younger generations.
Freeland denied that her latest budget is mainly a political exercise — but nonetheless acknowledged that for anyone under 40 in Canada, it’s “just harder to establish yourself” than it was for the generations that came before. “This budget will do very little to improve Liberal prospects. They will be going down to defeat, and they know it,” said Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto. “Their only hope is if Justin Trudeau steps aside and a new Liberal leader is selected. And, even then, it would be difficult for them to prevail.” AP
“What’s being done to help with housing and the cost of living? ”
The BC government is taking action to help increase affordable housing supply and offset the rising cost of living.
Cracking down on short-term rentals and speculators
Capping rent increases below inflation
Up to $400 tax credit for qualified renters
Building more homes for people with middle incomes
Increasing the BC family benefit
Reducing child care costs Learn
Freeland spends freely, gets slammed by business groups
Federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland brought down a federal budget Tuesday that continues the Trudeau government’s massive deficit spending and hits up corporations and high net worth Canadians for more tax revenue with higher capital gains tax rates.
Freeland handed down a budget bloated with more than $50 billion in new spending over five years and no way to pay for it, except for a hike in capital gains inclusion rates. The increased spending includes $8.5 billion for housing. It also earmarks $5 billion for a new loan guarantee program to help First Nations take equity stakes in major resource and energy projects.
The capital gains tax applies on profits from the sale of assets worth over $250,000. Freeland is hiking the inclusion rate on the capital gains tax from 50 per cent to 66 per cent.
Freeland’s budget forecasts a shortfall of $39.8 billion for 2024-2025.
The Montreal Economic Institute slammed the budget, saying it does nothing to address Canada’s productivity problem – a problem recently highlighted by the deputy governor of Bank of Canada.
“Canada’s productivity is in crisis and the
best way to get it back up is to attract new investments,” said Renaud Brossard, vicepresident of communications at MEI. “And few are those who have been able to lure investments and job creators with promises of higher taxes. With this budget, the Trudeau government is shooting us in the foot.”
The MEI also notes a bloated federal bureaucracy – one that has grown by 98,000 “new bureaucrats.”
“Canada faces a trifecta of closely linked economic problems: stagnant productivity, a pattern of weak business investment, and declining global competitiveness,” said Jock Finlayson, chief economist for the Independent Contractors and Business Association (ICBA).
B.C. government criticized for lack of funding on medications
A new report calls out the B.C. government for falling behind other provinces when funding medication for some ailments, including rare conditions.
The report from the Gastrointestinal Society says between 2018 and 2023, the B.C. government rejected coverage for 31 critical medications that are approved by most provinces.
In comparison, it says Ontario and Alberta declined coverage for two to three of the same medicines. The report stated that when medications were covered, B.C. allocated only $257 per person, compared to the Canadian average of $442.
Christine Langley cares for her three-yearold granddaughter who lives with short bowel syndrome and she told Global News she pays out of pocket for her granddaughter’s medication. Langley said she was about to move to Ontario to get medication for her granddaughter before they were granted funding on compassionate grounds.
“I was very lucky to get it on a compassionate basis,” she said. “I really think the government
should step up. If there is a treatment they need to step up.”
Gail Attara, president of the Gastrointestinal Society, said if people don’t have a private health plan then they have to pay out of pocket or go without the drug and their symptoms get worse.
“I think that we need to hear from the Ministry of Health as to why they keep doing this,” she said.
“It’s just not fair. I’ve reached out six times to Minister (Adrian) Dix, and I’ve also copied Premier (David) Eby on those emails… but the challenge is that no one’s responding. It’s like I don’t exist or none of these patients exist. They don’t care. And it’s so inequitable that someone in Ontario can do it”
On Tuesday, Dix said the government has funded many medications for British Columbians. “We have funded the therapeutics initiatives, funded evidence-based processes and make decisions based on the evidence, not on politics but on evidence and that holds our system in high regard across the country and around the world,” he said.
City clears tents pitched outside designated encampment area in Vancouver’s CRAB Park
Park rangers were back in Vancouver’s CRAB Park on Tuesday, removing tents set up outside a designated area that serves as the city’s only sanctioned homeless encampment.
City officials said crews removed an estimated 22 tents pitched in the park’s south side. The move comes after crews conducted a cleanup of the designated area, citing illegally-built structures, hazardous materials and human waste. People registered as sheltering in the designated area were moved to another part of the park while the work was underway before being allowed to return earlier this month.
But advocates for the homeless argue the city has restricted who can move back and is unfairly clearing out people sheltering elsewhere in the park.
“There are so many people just staying on the hillside, clinging to that hill, waiting for the chance to move into that designated area so they would have some protection and be
able to stay there until they could get housing and now their tents are being ripped down and their belongings are being removed,” CRAB Park advocate Fiona York said.
Sheltering
Ph: 604-591-5423
Fax: 604-591-8615
Surrey Mayor upset over release of dangerous offenders
Surrey’s mayor says she’s appalled that the city has become home to two dangerous convicted sex offenders in as many weeks.
The Surrey RCMP sent out warnings about two dangerous offenders being released into the community within the last month.
Shamir Doshi....................604-649-7827
Harminder Kaur...............778-708-0481
Michael Popek, 44, was convicted of sexually assaulting four women between 2015 and 2016 and police say he poses a danger to girls and women, including strangers.
Leonard Ramstead, 56, was convicted of sexually assaulting two girls under 16. According to police, he “poses a risk to young children and adolescent girls.”
Mayor Brenda Locke says releasing the pair into Surrey shows a blatant disregard for Surrey residents.
“It is beyond comprehension why multiple high-risk offenders are being unleashed into our City, which has the largest youth population in B.C.,” Locke said in a statement Tuesday. “This is utterly unacceptable.”
Locke is urging Corrections Canada to release individuals into all jurisdictions proportionately.
“I further call for rigorous monitoring following the release of any such individuals into this community so that it does not further task our police service and create risk for our residents. The protection of our community must be prioritized above all else.”
Metro Vancouver drug
trafficking investigation
leads to 7 arrests, large illicit substances seizure
Police in Chilliwack say a multi-jurisdictional investigation into drug trafficking has led to the seizure of hundreds of thousands worth of money, drugs and firearms.
In collaboration with police in Vancouver, Langley, Surrey and Richmond, 14 search warrants were executed during the investigation that began in July 2023.
“It was quite a quick investigation all things considered, because of the complexity of the file,” said Cpl. Carmen Kiener with the Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment.
Neighbourhoods where the searches occurred include downtown Chilliwack, Collingwood in Vancouver, Grandview Heights, East Clayton and Fraser Heights in Surrey and Willowbrook in Langley. In total, more than $500,000 of Canadian currency, eight kilograms of cocaine, 14 kilograms of suspected fentanyl, 27 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine, four handguns, three long
Capital gains tax ‘last
guns and four vehicles were seized. Evidence of drug trafficking was also found, including a cocaine press and cutting agents.
“I’m pretty confident that we saved quite a few lives by this amount of fentanyl being taken off the streets,” Kiener said. Seven people between the ages of 21 and 40 were also arrested. They have since been released pending further investigation, police add. Officers say additional investigative steps are required before charges can be recommended.
thing
the Canadian economy needs,’ say business groups
Canadian business groups say the federal government’s proposed changes to capital gains taxes will have a chilling effect on investment in the country, with one industry association saying the policy is “the last thing the Canadian economy needs.”
The federal government’s 2024 budget proposes hiking the tax rate for capital gains for corporations, trusts and individuals from one-half to two-thirds. For individuals, the tax would apply on gains of more than $250,000. The tax would not apply to principal residences and the lifetime exemption rate has been hiked from $1 million to $1.25 million.
government is taking away from our innovators to attract capital, attract talent and build companies.”
The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) trade group president Dennis Darby said in a statement that “taxing Canada’s job creators sends the wrong signal, at the wrong time.”
“This is the last thing the Canadian economy
“This measure (will have) a chilling effect,” Benjamin Bergen, the president of the Council of Canadian Innovators industry group, said in an interview with Yahoo Finance Canada on Wednesday. The tech industry, including top executives from Shopify, has derided the changes. Many tech sector executives and leaders have signed an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, calling for the government “to scrap this disastrous tax hike on investment.”
“This policy is discombobulated in terms of the overall goals that policymakers and the business community have stressed that the government should be focusing on, which is growing the economy, supporting domestic firms that are scaling and growing and helping generate revenue, rather than shrinking the pie and dividing it up further and further to pay for social programs,” Bergen said.
“It’s another tool or measure that the
needs, especially in light of Canada’s investment and productivity growth woes. Such measures would deter investment at a time when we are striving to boost competitiveness and innovation within the industry and across the economy,” the CME said. The changes in the budget come as Canada’s economy faces a productivity problem. In a speech last month, Bank of Canada deputy governor Carolyn Rogers called the country’s “pressing need” to increase productivity “an emergency.” Governor Tiff Macklem said at an event alongside Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday that “in Canada, we look at U.S. productivity growth with envy.”
TransLink gets $300 million infusion for buses, SeaBus, service upgrades
As the B.C. government announced up to $300 million in immediate cash for TransLink’s 2024 service plans, Metro Vancouver politicians had harsh words for the federal government for supporting high levels of immigration without committing immediately to increased transit in the fastgrowing region.
B.C. Transportation
Minister Rob Fleming made the funding announcement Wednesday in North Vancouver at the northern terminus for the SeaBus, one of the services that will be boosted as part of the provincial commitment.
to new routes across Metro. The money will flow into TransLink’s coffers right away.
“What this means is that we can announce significant service improvements in fall,” said Fleming.
Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West, chair of the mayors’ council on regional transportation, took Ottawa to task for its policy of increased immigration, which puts a strain on transit service across the country, without immediate assurances of federal support. He noted housing was a key pillar of this week’s federal budget, but no new transit commitments are in the plan.
The money will be used to extend SeaBus hours by 15 minutes at the start and end of each day; offer more frequent and longer service hours on 60 bus routes across the region, especially south of the Fraser River; buy 185 new buses to ease overcrowding on busy routes; and introduce bus rapid service
West said the Lower Mainland is dealing with a “massive influx driven by federal policy, without much consultation or support.” He said about 90,000 people arrived in Metro Vancouver last year alone, nearly triple the recent historical averages, with no signs that the influx is going to slow down.
City council looking at denser housing in Vancouver’s Shaughnessy neighbourhood
B.C.’s new housing legislation could mean the affluent Shaughnessy neighbourhood will have to densify.
Newly proposed policy and zoning changes could make the sparsely dense area much more compact. Bill 44, adopted by the Provincial Legislature in November 2023, will allow for increased maximum densities to create new “small-scale, multi-unit housing.”
The bill is forcing cities to allow up to four units on a standard residential lot.
A City of Vancouver staff report said most of the city already complies with the new rules, but the zoning for nearly 600 lots in the first Shaughnessy district, as well as more than 1,100 lots in Kitsilano, will have to be updated.
It is not the first time the Vancouver City Council has looked at increasing density in Shaughnessy. Back in November 2023, in a vote of 7-3, the motion to increase housing density in the Vancouver neighbourhood was defeated. The motion, which was brought forward by Coun. Christine Boyle looked to change bylaws and policies that limit construction in Shaughnessy — one of the least housing-dense neighbourhoods in the city. The motion also was proposing to bring more retail businesses
and services to the area.
The only three councillors to vote for the motion were Boyle and the two Green Party councillors, Pete Fry and Adriane Carr. Boyle argued densifying Shaughnessy could help address the city’s housing crisis. A new city staff report is being conducted and is expected to be presented to the city council in June.
UBC associate professor Tom Davidoff told Global News he thinks the province could force the city to adapt to Bill 44, if city council does not move ahead with zoning changes.
“It’s not a lot of people and it’s a lot of land area,” he said.
“It’s really unconscionable that it hasn’t happened yet. The province has the ability to force things on the city if they don’t improve their regulation behavior and get more homes built.
Trudeau’s ex-finance minister criticizes capital gains tax hike
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s former finance minister said he rejected the idea of hiking the capital gains tax while in office due to concerns it would stunt Canada’s economic growth, and called the move “very troubling for many investors.”
Bill Morneau was Trudeau’s first finance minister from 2015 to 2020 before resigning due in part to disagreements over fiscal policy. He said on Wednesday that raising the tax rate on capital gains means people are effectively hit with a retroactive tax increase, since they won’t get the profits they expected from investments.
In the federal budget published Tuesday, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland unveiled a measure to raise the capital gains tax inclusion rate to two-thirds from one-half, applicable to all gains made by corporations and trusts. For individuals, the new tax rate applies to gains over $250,000. The measure is projected to raise $19.4 billion over five
years, including $6.9 billion in the current fiscal year. “This was very clearly something that while I was there, we resisted,” Morneau said on Wednesday, speaking in a webcast organized by accounting firm KPMG.
“We resisted it for a very specific reason: concerned about the growth of the country,” said Morneau, who now holds several roles including on the boards of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and NovaSource Power Services. He said capitalgains rates are something investors “worry about a lot,” and the measure could have a chilling effect on future investing.
“From my perspective, this is clearly a negative to our long-term goal, which is growth in the economy, productive growth and investment.”
Freeland’s officials have pointed out the capital gains tax inclusion rate in Canada has been higher in the past — it was 75 per cent from 1990 to 1999.
Budget 2024 tries to sell youth a more affordable life with billions in spending
The Liberal government delivered a federal budget on Tuesday geared towards young Canadians, proposing a spending plan that promises to do everything from make it easier to buy a first home to crack down on costly concert ticket fees.
“We are acting today to ensure fairness for every generation,” Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said in the House of Commons Tuesday as she tabled the Liberals’ 2024 budget.
“We are moving with purpose to help
build more homes, faster. We are making life cost less. We are driving the kind of economic growth that will ensure every generation of Canadians can reach their full potential.” But the $57 billion in spending announced in the Liberals’ latest fiscal plan comes amid a stronger-than-expected economy and new taxes targeting the wealthiest Canadians. Net new spending included in the budget is pegged at $39.2 billion, thanks to these higher revenue offsets.
‘Innocent bystander’ mistakenly shot in Vancouver
A man has been charged after another man was mistakenly shot in the face in downtown Vancouver nearly two weeks ago, Vancouver police said Tuesday. Officers responded to the shooting on the night of April 3 near Homer Street and West Pender Street, where they found a 46-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to the face. Police said the man was rushed to hospital for treatment. The victim was not the intended target of
the shooting and was in fact “an innocent bystander,” according to Insp. Mike Rowe with the Vancouver Police Department major crimes unit. “While he’s expected to survive, his physical and emotional injuries will be long lasting,” Rowe told media Tuesday. Justin Delaney Littlewolfe, a 32-year-old Vancouver man, has been charged with discharging a firearm and aggravated assault in relation to the shooting.
Vancouver ‘social justice’ developer fined $350K for fraud
A B.C. Securities Commission tribunal has levied $626,000 of sanctions against a Vancouver woman who once said her main goal as a real estate developer was to “end poverty for families” in the Downtown Eastside only to end up committing fraud.
Cherie Evangeline White and her company Kingdom Investments 2015 Inc. are to repay $276,000 to investors while White herself is now responsible for a $350,000 penalty, according to an April 12 tribunal decision.
A tribunal found White illegally raised close to $1.2 million from 24 investors; White’s investment losses amounted to $776,100, however the $276,000 is said to be the amount White was personally enriched by her actions. Additionally, White is now barred from trading in or purchasing any securities or derivatives except if done through a registered dealer; White is also barred from promoting, consulting and directing companies in the capital markets.
South Asians behind $22.5M gold robbery at Toronto airport
Continued from Page 1...
At a news conference Wednesday, Peel Regional Police said their joint investigation with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has led to multiple arrests and 19 charges, as well as the interception of a “large quantity of firearms” destined for Canada.
“This story is a sensational one, and one which probably, we jokingly say, belongs in a Netflix series,” Peel police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said.
“This one is a carefully planned and wellorganized group of criminals from both inside and outside of airport facilities that orchestrated this theft,” he added.
Lead investigator Det.-Sgt. Mike Mavity called the daring theft from an Air Canada cargo facility the single-largest gold heist in Canadian history. He said two men who worked for the airline were instrumental in pulling it off. One of those employees, Parmpal Sidhu, a 54-year-old man from Brampton, Ont., who worked in the warehouse, has been arrested and charged with theft over $5,000 and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. Meanwhile, a Canada-wide arrest warrant has been issued for Simran Preet Panesar, 31, also from Brampton. Mavity said Panesar worked as a manager and led police on “a tour” of the cargo facility after the theft, then resigned from Air Canada last summer.
“They needed people inside Air Canada to facilitate this theft,” Mavity said. Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick confirmed two of the individuals identified by the police did
work for Air Canada in the cargo division at the time of the heist.
“One left the company prior to the arrests announced today and the second has been suspended,” he said. “As this is now before the courts, we are limited in our ability to comment further.” Brink’s Canada, the cash handling company that was supposed to transport the gold and currency the evening it arrived at Pearson, has sued Air Canada for the money lost in the heist. Air Canada has denied any improper conduct or responsibility for the theft in its statement of defence and rejected all allegations in the Brink’s lawsuit.
The 400 kilograms of pure gold, worth roughly $20 million CAD, and about $2.5 million in various foreign currencies were stolen from the cargo compound on the evening of April 17, 2023, shortly after arriving on a flight from Zurich. A man driving a five-tonne delivery truck approached the compound and gained entry to the warehouse by presenting a legitimate airway bill — a document typically issued by a carrier with details on a shipment. The gold and cash was then loaded onto the truck and the driver exited the compound.
Police later discovered that the airway bill was a duplicate of a document used for a shipment of seafood delivered a day prior, Mavity said. It was printed within the Air Canada facility, he added. Using security video assembled from businesses and other sources, police pieced together some of the driver’s subsequent route before losing track of the truck in north Milton, Mavity said.
George Speight’s pardon application review delayed
The application of 2000 coup prisoner George Speight is among other applications for further review. Attorney General Siromi Turaga in an interview said no date has been set to hear the submissions made by Mr Speight because of a few other adjustments needed. “The submission by Mr Speight is not a new one as it has been there previously from the last government,” he said.
“Some things need to be cleared first and once that is done, we will set a date to go through his application. In December last year, those sentenced to prison with Mr Speight for
the same crime were pardoned by President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere. They included Naitasiri high chief Ratu Inoke Takiveikata, Timoci Silatolu and Josefa Nata.
Fiji Development Bank pays $1.2m to six employees
The Fiji Development Bank paid $1.2million to its six key management personnel in 2023, states its annual report that was tabled in Parliament on Monday.
They are listed as Saud Minam (chief executive officer), Shaukat Ali (general manager relationship & sales – retired (05/10/2022), Titilia Vakaoca (general manager relationship & sales – appointed (19/09/2022), Bimal Sudhakar (general manager business risk services), Saiyad Hussain (general manager finance and administration) and Semisi Biumaiwai (general manager
talent & organisational development).
“Key management personnel are those persons having authority and responsibility for planning, directing and controlling the activities of the entity, directly or indirectly, including any director (whether executive or otherwise) of that entity,” states the report.
They had the greatest authority and responsibility for the planning, directing and controlling the activities of the bank and the group. In 2021, the key management personnel were paid $938,166.
FCCC to begin market inquiry in the grocery sector
The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission will undertake a market inquiry into the pricing practice of the entire industry, which will commence on the 1st of May this year. FCCC CEO, Joel Abraham says the objective of the study is to ensure that they are able to establish the structure of the grocery retail sector and undertake a comprehensive analysis to look at the market size and segmentation.
He says FCCC has some concerns regarding product prices, which may be artificially driven and as a result of sheer corporate greed.
Abraham says if this is revealed to be true, then the players in the supermarket industry will face the full brunt of the law. He says FCCC has intensified its monitoring of essential items both within regulated and unregulated sectors to tackle the elevated price levels that burden Fijian consumers.
The CEO says they have identified a list of
products for detailed supply chain assessment, ensuring the privacy practices aligned with fair market practices and protection of consumer rights. He says they are initially looking at certain products like chicken, noodles, toothpaste, bathing soap, washing detergent, baking powder, chicken portions, sausages, yogurt and lamb products.
The study will encompass the grocery retail sector market segment, and the wholesale sector as well as imports.
The CEO has also confirmed the establishment of a Bus Industry Advisory Committee where issues such as fair pricing and service quality will be looked at.
Land Transport Authority Deputy Chairman Rajendra Prasad will chair the Committee which has a representation from key stakeholders including industry experts, consumer rights group and government officials.
Couple busted for methamphetamine in Nabua
A couple has been arrested and busted in Munda Lane, Nabua for allegedly being involved in the distribution and sale of methamphetamine weighing more than 1 kilogram. This was made possible by the joint efforts between the Police and the Fiji Detector Dog Unit.
Police say they were working off a tip, officers from the Dog Unit, Southern Division Task Force, K9 Unit, Crime Scene Investigations, and Southern Division Narcotics executed a search warrant at the suspect’s home whereby they were allegedly obstructed by the first accused, a 30-year-old woman.
They said a team went to secure the back of the house when the second suspect, a 37-yearold man ran towards the main road and threw a bag into a creek which was retrieved by an officer. Police managed to arrest the suspect, and escorted him back to the house, where K9 Tiny was deployed inside the house and made the discovery of white crystals believed to be methamphetamine.
Police have confirmed the bag seized during the chase also contained several zip-lock plastic bags containing white crystals believed to be methamphetamine. Both suspects were escorted to the Nabua Police Station where they remain in custody. Police urge religious and community leaders to speak up and work with police by reporting such illegal activities.
Police say the arrest was made in such a densely populated area, someone must have known or suspected something, and they need to work together with community leaders, to encourage the reporting of such illegal activities to the Police.
Telangana school attacked after students questioned ‘saffron dress’
The Mancherial district police have booked a case against a school correspondent and principal for allegedly objecting to some students coming to the institution wearing ‘Hanuman Deeksha dress’ in Kannepalli village about 250 km from here.
According to Dandepally police, based on a complaint by the parents of the students, a case under sections 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion or race) and 295 (A) (insulting the religious feelings) was booked against the school officials on Tuesday.
The Blessed Mother Teresa High School management told PTI on Wednesday that two days ago, the principal asked the students to bring
their parents after noticing that they were wearing a saffron attire instead of a uniform.
Later, a group of people demanded an apology from the school management and some angry protestors allegedly vandalised the school windows on Tuesday, according to video footage given by the school correspondent. The protestors also allegedly demanded an apology from the correspondent, he said.
‘Huge conspiracy to kill Arvind Kejriwal in jail’, claims AAP amid ‘diet row’
Delhi Cabinet minister Atishi Thursday claimed there was a plot to kill Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the excise policy case, by denying him home-cooked food and insulin in jail, a charge rejected by the prison authorities. Her allegations came hours after the ED claimed before a court here that Kejriwal is eating high sugar foods like mangoes and sweets every day despite having type 2 diabetes to create grounds for medical bail or shift to a hospital.
Atihsi told a press conference the chief minister’s requests for insulin have been denied by the Tihar jail administration, and attempts to arrange a video conference with his doctor are facing opposition from the ED and the prions officials. “For the past several days, his blood sugar level has been consistently above 300 mg/dL.”
him,” she alleged.
Earlier in the day, the ED made the claims about Kejriwal’s dietary choices before special judge for CBI and ED cases, Kaveri Baweja, who directed the Tihar jail authorities to file a report in the matter, including Kejriwal’s diet chart.
“Despite Kejriwal’s repeated requests, he is not being given insulin, and his sugar level is increasing. He is not being given medication because there is a plot to kill
Responding to the claims made by Atishi at her press conference, the Tihar jail administration asserted that what she said about Kejriwal’s health issues are incorrect. His fasting sugar level was fine and never reached 300, the jail authorities said.
As per the court orders, he has been served home-cooked food and medicines. His health is being watched and looked after by two doctors in the jail,” a jail official, who did not wish to be named, said.
The Tihar jail has 250 patients having sugar issues, which include Kejriwal. All of them are looked after the doctors in their jails, he said. There was no immediate reaction from ED.
ED attaches Rs 98 crore worth assets of actor Shilpa Shetty, husband Raj Kundra
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday said it has attached assets worth Rs 98 crore, including a bungalow in Pune and equity shares, of actor Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra as part of a money laundering investigation. The case pertains to cheating of investor funds through use of Bitcoins.
The attached properties include residential flat in Juhu (Mumbai) presently in the name of Shetty and residential bungalow in Pune and equity shares in the name of Kundra, the federal agency said in a statement. A
provisional attachment order has been issued under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach these properties worth Rs 97.79 crore, it said.
The money laundering case stems from FIRs of the Maharashtra Police and Delhi Police against a company named Variable Tech Pte Ltd, Late Amit Bhardwaj, Ajay Bhardwaj, Vivek Bhardwaj, Simpy Bhardwaj, Mahender Bhardwaj and number of agents, where it was alleged that they had collected huge amounts of funds in the form of Bitcoins (worth Rs 6,600 crore in 2017)
from gullible public with the false promises of 10 per cent per month return in the form of Bitcoins. The promoters cheated the investors and have been concealing the ill gotten Bitcoins in obscure online wallets, the ED alleged.
Kundra, it claimed, received 285 Bitcoins from the mastermind and promoter of Gain Bitcoin Ponzi “s” Amit Bhardwaj for setting up Bitcoin mining farm in Ukraine. Kundra is still in possession of 285 Bitcoins which are presently valued at more than Rs 150 crore, the ED said.
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India-US jet engine deal is revolutionary, says American Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin
The India-US deal to jointly produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force is revolutionary, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has told lawmakers, as he hailed the “great relationship” with India.
The landmark deal was announced last June during the historic Official State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US. General Electric (GE) signed a memorandum of understanding with Hindustan Aeronautics to co-produce F-414 fighter jet engines in India.
According to provisions of the deal, GE Aerospace’s F414 engines will be co-produced
in India to power Tejas light combat aircraft Mk2.
Austin told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Wednesday that the United States has a “great relationship” with India.
“We recently have enabled India to produce a jet weapon, a jet engine in India. And that’s kind of revolutionary. That will provide a great capability to them. We are also co-producing an armoured vehicle with India,” he said. “So, all of these things, when you add them up, are probably more than we have seen happen in that region in a very, very long time,” Austin said.
India ‘reduced’ dependence on Russian arms
India in 2023 showcased itself as a global leader as it demonstrated a greater willingness to counter China’s activity throughout the Indo-Pacific region and took steps to modernise its military and reduce its dependency on Russian origin-equipment, the top US intelligence official has told Congress. The remarks by Lt Gen Jeffrey Kruse, Director of the Defence Intelligence Agency came during a Congressional hearing on defence intelligence countering China.
“During the past year, India has showcased itself as a global leader by hosting the Group of 20 economic summit and demonstrated a greater willingness to counter PRC’s (People’s Republic of China) activity throughout the Indo-Pacific region,” Kruse told members of the House Armed Services Committee — the subcommittee on intelligence and special operations.
“In 2023, India took steps to modernise its military to compete with China and reduce its dependency on Russian-origin
equipment. India conducted sea trials for its first domestically produced aircraft carrier and also has negotiated with several Western countries on the transfer of key defence technologies,” Kruse said.
US intel: Pak sustained Nuclear programme
Pakistan sustained its nuclear modernisation efforts last year, despite its economic turmoil as its contentious ties with India, continue to drive its defence policy, Lt Gen Jeffrey Kruse, Director of the Defence Intelligence Agency, has told Congress
Islamabad is improving the security of its nuclear materials and command and control, he said
London: An Indian-origin school principal, often referred to as “Britain’s strictest headmistress”, has hailed a UK High Court ruling upholding her ban on prayer rituals after a Muslim pupil challenged it as discriminatory. Katherine Birbalsingh had told the court that Michaela School — a “secular” secondary school for boys and girls in Wembley — did not allow religious prayers in keeping with its ethos of promoting an “inclusive environment”.
Modi’s Hindu-first approach makes him a god to some Indian voters — and a danger to others
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Modi’s party is well-placed to return to power, with opinion polls putting him and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the lead — ahead of the opposition alliance formed by more than two dozen parties, including the once-dominant Indian National Congress Party. “We have come to see Modi,” said Satish, who travelled from a smaller village 100 kilometres away for the Mangaluru rally. “Our god,” he added. He credits Modi with much of India’s growth, including new roads and infrastructure. “He has done very good work, that’s why we’ve come,” Satish told CBC News, before his friend, Suresh Dowda, interrupted to add, “especially strong Hinduism.”
Hindu nationalism has become the dominant political ideology in India in the past decade under Modi, whose party has been accused of aggravating religious fault lines and steadily eroding the secular principles enshrined in India’s constitution.
The adoration for the prime minister and his Hindu-majority ideology are even stronger in the Hindu heartland, in India’s north. Supporters at a recent rally near Jaipur in Rajasthan state repeatedly mentioned two moves that impressed them the most — Modi’s inauguration Ram Temple, which is built on the ruins of a demolished mosque, and his 2019 move to revoke the semi-autonomous status of Kashmir, India’s only Muslim-majority state.
Ludhiana court orders death penalty to woman for burying alive toddler
A Ludhiana court in Punjab on Thursday awarded a death sentence to a woman for the horrific murder of a twoand-a-half-year-old girl by burying her alive. Sessions judge Munish Singal convicted the 35-year-old woman, Neelam, a resident of the Shimlapuri area, last week for killing the child.
The court held her guilty on the charges of kidnapping and brutal murder of the child on November 28, 2021. The accused had buried the child alive and she died due to suffocation. The quantum of the sentence was pronounced on Thursday. According to the police, Neelam buried the child in a pit she dug in the Salem Tabri area on November 28, 2021.
the demand for the death penalty, while the convict’s counsel sought the plea of leniency.
An old rivalry with the victim’s family was the cause behind the crime. When the court held her guilty, the prosecution raised
CCTV cameras recorded the crime in which the convict was taking away the child. On interrogation, she confessed to the murder. Neelam and her parents had sold their house when the crime took place and were shifting to another locality.
As per the postmortem report, the child had to endure horror and pain before she was suffocated to death.
Doctors found the accused had bludgeoned the victim twice before burying her in a pit. There were two injury marks on the toddler’s head -- one on the forehead, and one on the back of her head.
The injuries were caused by a heavy and blunt object or by smashing her head against something hard, as per the postmortem report.
‘Rail roko’ protest by farmers at Shambhu disrupt train services for second day
The train service remained disrupted on Thursday as farmers continued their ‘rail roko’ protest on the second consecutive day at the railway station near Shambhu Border here.
Meanwhile, attempts to mollify the protesting farmers for lifting the sitin from the railway track failed on the second day.
Farmers under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (NonPolitical) blocked the Delhi-Ambala-Amritsar railway track near the Shambhu border on Wednesday.
would continue till the farmers were not released. Farm leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said the ‘rail roko’ protest was
They are demanding the release of three fellow protesters —Navdeep Singh, Anish Khatkar and Gurkirat Singh — who were arrested in March by Haryana Police. The farm union leaders said that the protest
Punjab School Education Board Class 10 results out; girls bag top 3 positions
Punjab School Education Board today declared the results of class 10 in which top three positions in the state were grabbed by girls. Among these, first two positions were bagged by Aditi and Alisha Sharma with 100 per cent and 99.23 per cent marks, respectively. Aditi scored 650 marks while Alisha scored 645 marks out of a total 650 marks. Both the girls are from
Secondary School in Shimla Puri. Third position was grabbed by Karmanpreet Kaur from Baba Bakala in Amritsar, securing 645 out of 650 marks. She is from Amber Public School.
Total 316 students got their names in the merit list. In Ludhiana, a total of 38,387 students had appeared out of which 36,573 students passed the exam.
being organised to oppose the arrest of these three farmers. He said they were implicated in a false case and the protest would continue till the farmers were released by the Haryana Police. “To oppose the arrest, Anish Khatkar has been fasting in the jail
for the past 28 days,” he said. The farmers had first announced a ‘rail roko’ protest on April 9. However, the plan was shelved following an assurance by the Punjab and Haryana authorities that the farmers would be released by April 16. However, Navdeep, Anish and Gurkirat were not released. The protest by farmers affected the service of nearly 80 trains from the Ambala and Ferozepur division. Almost all the trains have been rerouted either from Chandigarh or Dhuri in Sangrur. Navdeep and Gurkirat are from Ambala’s Jalbera and Behgal Patti villages, respectively, while Anish is from Ambala city, they said.
