The Asian Star - May 11, 2024

Canada welcomes criminals, says India’s foreign minister S. Jaishankar

India’s Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP’s recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar also called Ottawa the No. 1 driver of what he described as a violent movement of Sikhs trying to carve their own country out of India.

Read more on Page 14...

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India is first country to get over $100 billion in remittances, says United Nations

India received over $111 billion in remittances in 2022, which was the largest in the world, according to the latest report from the UN International Organisation for Migration.

The report noted that migrant workers who were sending these huge sums were vulnerable to financial exploitation, workplace abuse, unsafe working environment and xenophobia.

India-UAE, India-US, India-Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh-India were among the top 10 international country-tocountry migration corridors, the report said. The leading country for outbound migration, India was the 13th as the destination country for immigrants (44.8 lakh).

Indian woman throws 6-year-old son to crocodiles after fight with husband

A mother and father face murder charges after the woman allegedly threw her eldest son to his death in a crocodile-infested canal in India, according to media reports.

Savitri Kumar and husband Ravi Kumar, who lived in Halamadi village in Karnataka state, were arrested after authorities recovered the partially eaten body of the six-year-old boy, according to police reports obtained by the Times of India. The boy, identified as Vinod, was born deaf and mute and the couple reportedly often fought about the child’s condition, local outlets reported. Ravi allegedly blamed his wife for their child having disabilities, leading to Savitri taking the boy to the canal, which connects to the crocodile-infested Kali river, police said.

The final figures confirm the World Bank’s prediction made in December 2022 that India will be the first country in the world to receive $100 billion from remittances. Though remittances to the rest of the South Asian countries declined by 10 per cent, they rose by 12 per cent in India’s case, it had said. Speaking a few weeks later, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had welcomed the prognosis.

“India was well above the rest, receiving more than $111 billion. Mexico was the second-largest remittance recipient in 2022, a position it also held in 2021 after overtaking China, which historically had been the second-biggest recipient after India,” said the World Migration Report.

Punjabi student responsible for head-on crash that killed Indian couple & grandson

A 21-year-old robbery suspect, who was killed in a head-on crash in Canada that also claimed the lives of an Indian couple and their three-month-old grandson, as he fled from police speeding the wrong way was facing charges for two other liquor store robberies, according to media reports. The crash killed Manivannan Srinivasapillai, 60, Mahalakshmi Ananthakrishnan, 55, from Chennai and their three-month-old grandson, Aditya Vivaan. The boy’s parents -- Gokulnath Manivannan and Ashwitha Jawahar -- survived the crash.

The collision took place on April 29 after a police chase that began with the alleged liquor store robbery in Bowmanville, Ontario, in the regional municipality of Clarington.

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Facing 356 unsolved killings, BC unveils new gang homicide team

The B.C. government said police are facing 356 unsolved killings on Thursday, a startling statistic revealed during the announcement of a new gang homicide investigation team.

The new team has been created to try and address the recent wave of gang violence over the past few years across the province and to expand capacity.

It will prioritize “complex” gang-related homicides in an effort to catch those responsible and “disrupt gang activity.”

“Gang violence and organized crime impacts all of us, and we are coordinating with local, provincial and federal agencies to ensure we are taking the right steps to keep people safe and hold those responsible for gang-related activities accountable for their actions,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

the Integrated Gang Homicide Team (IGHT), will work alongside other agencies to leverage experts including the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, the Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia and the RCMP Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT). “For over 20 years, we have utilized an integrated policing approach, successfully investigating and prosecuting those responsible for the most egregious crimes, including members of organized crime groups who have, time and again, neglected public safety in furtherance of their own personal agendas,” said Supt. Mandeep Mooker, officer in charge of IHIT.

India waits for details on arrests in Canada over Sikh separatist’s murder

India - India will wait for Canadian police to share information on the three Indian men it has arrested and charged with the murder of a Sikh separatist leader last year, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Saturday.

Canadian police charged the three on Friday over the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar and said they were probing whether the suspects had links to the Indian government.

Jaishankar said he had seen news of the arrests and said the suspects “apparently are Indians of some kind of gang background... we’ll have to wait for the police to tell us.”

The trio, all Indian nationals, were arrested in the city of Edmonton in Alberta on Friday, police said.

Nijjar, 45, was shot dead in June outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb

“But, as I said, one of our concerns which we have been telling them is that, you know, they have allowed organized crime from India, specifically from Punjab, to operate in Canada,” said Jaishankar.

with a large Sikh population. A few months later, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cited credible allegations of Indian government involvement, prompting a diplomatic crisis with New Delhi.

“This is a top priority for our government. We are continuing to work alongside our policing partners to curb gang violence, and the development of this team is an important step forward in this collective responsibility.”

The new team, which will be called

Transit police seize 23 weapons over 3 days near Metrotown Station

It will consist of 18 positions including five civilian support personnel and seven officers, as well as five existing RCMP members from B.C.’s Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit. The team will operate under an existing homicide investigation team member.

The new team is expected to be fully functional by late 2024 or early 2025.

Metro Vancouver Transit Police say they seized 23 weapons during a three-day operation in and around Metrotown SkyTrain Station. The

Sanjay Verma, India’s high commissioner to Canada, said that it hopes to get regular updates from Canadian authorities regarding the three arrested Indians.

“I understand that the arrests have been made as a result of investigations conducted by the relevant Canadian law enforcement agencies. This issue is internal to Canada and therefore we have no comments to offer in this regard,” Verma added.

policing body sent officers from their Crime Suppression Team to the areas surrounding the station on April 13th, 19th, and 21st.

Nijjar was a Canadian citizen campaigning for the creation of Khalistan, an independent Sikh homeland carved out of India. The presence of Sikh separatist groups in Canada has long frustrated New Delhi, which had labeled Nijjar a “terrorist.”

Canadian police said they had worked with U.S. law enforcement agencies, without giving additional details, and suggested more detentions might be coming.

Over the course of the operation, police arrested 26 people and seized the nearly two dozen weapons. Police confiscated 142 grams of fentanyl and six grams of methamphetamine.

Police seized a total of $9,506 in stolen merchandise as well.

Deputy PM urges everyone to invest in Fiji SaysCanadamayopenaHighCommissioninFijisoon

By Umendra Singh

Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica enthralled a full house at the Fiji Canada Multicultural Centre and Fijian Centre in North Surrey last Monday night (May 6) with his government’s vision of how to improve investment in Fiji.

is leading a 10-day Fiji-North Amerca trade mission which started in Surrey last Saturday (May 4) and would stop over in San Francisco and Toronto,

The groundwork was done by Investments Fiji chairperson, Jenny Seeto and her team.

“We are open for business, and I promise you that the government of Fiji will remove all roadblocks and obstacles that may have been a problem in the past,” Kamikamica, who is also Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications, told the gathering of about 200 members of the Fijian diaspora and guests. Kamikamica

The trade mission includes more than 25 businesspersons and delegates from Fiji as well as Kamikamica, Ms. Seeto, Investment Fiji CEO, Kamal Chetty. Fiji’s Trade Commissioner in San Francisco, Alika Cooper. The delegates from Fiji included high ranking government officials from Lands Department, the National Provident Fund of Fiji and national airline, Fiji Airways.

Kamikamica thanked the Fiji Canada Association and the Fijian diaspora in metro Vancouver for keeping alive links with their birth country. He said that relations between Fiji and Canada were good, and a Canadian team was in Fiji recently to look at the possibility of opening a High Commission in Suva the capital of Fiji.

“I would think we might have a Canadian High Commission in Fiji in about a year,” he said to loud cheers. The Deputy Prime minister won over the crowd by leading the singing of the Fijian national anthem when the sound system manager could not get the Fijian national anthem online. Without hesitation, Kamikamica led the singing of his country’s national anthem – not missing a beat and not missing any lines. Read more on Page 11...

Deputy PM (right) with Asian Star editor Umendra Singh

Temperatures to soar above 30 C in BC this weekend

Time to bust out the sunscreen and a widebrim hat.

Environment Canada meteorologist Ken Dosanjh said while last week brought cool, standard spring conditions, temperatures are expected to soar across the province in coming days, reaching above 30 C in some parts of the Interior.

Environment Canada is forecasting sunny days and warmer nights through Monday, when things are expected to cloud over and cool off.

A high of 32 C is forecast for Kamloops on Saturday, which is about 12 C above normal and would break a daily heat record stretching back to 1971.

Communities including Kelowna, Penticton, Clearwater, Lillooet and Cache Creek could also see highs above 30 C.

Prince George is looking at highs of 26 C on Friday, more than 10 C above the seasonal average, according to Environment Canada.

It’ll be cooler on the South Coast, with temperatures of 21 C forecast for Vancouver on Saturday, climbing to 27 C further inland.

While it may seem tempting to go for a quick dip in a lake or river to cool off, Dosanjh is reminding British Columbians that bodies of water are still cold, and there is a risk of hypothermia for people exposed to cold for a long time. Dosanjh said this time last year temperatures were well above average, which contributed to early wildfire activity.

“While this weekend definitely will be warming above seasonal, so far it’s not packing the same punch as compared to May 2023,” he said.

BC prepares for impacts of ongoing drought: ‘Every drop counts’

Parts of British Columbia will likely enter “unfamiliar territory” with drought if they see another hot, dry summer, says the head of the province’s River Forecast Centre.

Dave Campbell says persistent drought conditions in B.C. stretch back to 2022, so the province is heading into this summer with “multi-year” precipitation deficits.

Satellite photos show rivers in the Interior running narrower and shallower than the same time in 2023, which went on to be one of B.C.’s driest years on record.

With the average snowpack level lower than ever recorded in B.C., Campbell says he’s expecting cumulative effects that could include water scarcity.

“We know these antecedent conditions that we’re coming into this year are much more challenging than we started out last year with,” he said in a recent interview.

“The concern obviously is if we get that hot, prolonged dry [period] that we’ve seen last year and the year before as well. If that continues this summer, then really we are on a path toward things that we haven’t seen in recent memory.”

B.C. officials held a news conference on Thursday to announce several new measures to help people prepare for threats such as drought and wildfires, which include an online tool for household emergency planning, an updated drought information portal and upgrades to the B.C. Wildfire Service mobile app.

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams to fly NASA to space on May 10: Boeing

After being scrubbed two hours before launch, Boeing now aims to launch the Starliner’s first crewed mission on May 10, it said on Tuesday.

The lift off, targeted for 10:34 pm ET (0234 UTC May 7) on Tuesday, was stalled due to a valve issue on the upper stage of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

“The next launch opportunity will be no earlier than Friday, May 10,” the company said in a statement.

oxygen tank of the Centaur upper stage of the ULA Atlas V launch vehicle,” the company said. The aerospace company said that its engineers are analysing the data to understand the problem and “determine any corrective actions”.

“The scrub was recommended after launch control teams detected anomalous behaviour by the pressure regulation valve in the liquid

“Boeing, NASA and United Launch Alliance have made the decision to allow engineering teams to spend Tuesday, May 7, evaluating the data,” the statement said.

The first manned mission of the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aims to carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Indian-origin Sunita Williams to the space station.

ICBC announces $110 rebate, freezes rates for another 2 years

Most drivers in British Columbia will receive a $110 vehicle insurance rebate this year after the Insurance Corporation of B.C. announced strong investment and financial returns.

Premier David Eby also announced that basic vehicle insurance rates will remain frozen until at least March 31, 2026, making

policies, temporary operation permits, and policies for golf carts, off-road vehicles, trailers and collector vehicles.

Rebates will begin being processed later this month.

ICBC president David Wong encouraged customers to update their addresses or sign up for direct deposit to receive the money as quickly as possible.

it six straight years with no increase.

Preliminary financial results show ICBC will make a net income of $1.5 billion this year, which includes the $400 million cost of the rebates.

The vast majority of personal and commercial ICBC customers who held an active basic insurance policy in February 2024 are eligible for the rebate.

However, the insurer says that some policy types are not eligible. Those include storage

Raw milk may be

Drivers who paid for their insurance by credit card will see the rebate refunded to the card. Those who paid by cash, cheque or debit will see it refunded by cheque or direct deposit.

In 2021, the provincial insurer shifted to a no-fault or “enhanced care” model for providing health coverage for people involved in crashes, effectively removing millions of dollars in legal costs from the system and putting the Crown corporation in a position to offer rebates.

“Six years of stable rates and the fourth rebate for drivers comes as a result of years of work turning ICBC around so that it actually works for people,” Eby said.

“On average, drivers have saved $2,000 in rebates and lower rates since our reforms to ensure that when auto insurance is properly managed, people in B.C. benefit.”

riskier amid avian flu outbreak in U.S. Stick to pasteurized dairy, experts warn

An outbreak of avian flu in U.S. dairy cattle has federal officials in Canada and the U.S. testing milk sold in stores to ensure pasteurization and other food safety measures are working.

Cows sickened with H5N1 in the U.S. produced milk that was abnormally thick and yellowish. The first known outbreak of this form of H5N1 in dairy cattle has since been confirmed in several U.S. states.

Veterinarians also discovered the virus in the lung of a U.S. dairy cow that didn’t show symptoms and originated from an affected herd. The animal did not enter the food supply.

But federal officials in Canada noted last month that spillover into livestock increases opportunity for genetic changes that could result in a virus better able to infect mammals, which includes humans, “especially if the infections are mild or asymptomatic in cattle and go unnoticed with minimal infection precautions.”

After U.S. scientists discovered fragments of the virus in one in five samples of processed milk, officials on both sides of the border introduced surveillance of milk being sold on store shelves to ensure it is free of traces of the virus. Early research from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration shows pasteurization works to neutralize H5N1. No cases have been reported in Canadian cows. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says commercially sold milk and milk products remain safe to consume, largely because all milk sold and used in most types of cheese in Canada is pasteurized.

Canadians consuming food past its ‘best before’ date due to economic strain

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The intersection of rising food costs and consumer health safety is emerging as a critical issue in today’s economy. Recent research from Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, in partnership with Caddle, provides alarming insights into how financial pressures are influencing food safety behaviours among Canadians, with significant public health impacts.

The study, which surveyed 9,109 Canadians, revealed that 58 percent of respondents are more inclined to eat food near or beyond its “best before” date due to economic pressures from rising food prices. This trend is not marginal but indicative of a broad shift in consumer behaviour driven by financial necessity. Alarmingly, 23.1 percent of these individuals consistently consume such foods, and an additional 38.6 percent do so frequently.

This risky behaviour has direct health consequences: 20 percent of those surveyed reported sickness related to consuming food products past their “best before” date. The data is even more worrisome among Millennials, with 41 percent having experienced foodborne illnesses from eating food products after their “best before” date. This demographic detail not only underscores the vulnerability of younger consumers but also highlights a generational divide in risk exposure and financial stability.

Approximately 50.1 percent of Canadians acknowledge that inflation has forced them to compromise on food safety, adopting strategies like freezing perishables or extending the usability of leftovers beyond typical safety margins. While these practices are resourceful, they can potentially lead to an increase in foodborne diseases, a concern substantiated by the reported incidences of illness. The implications of these findings extend beyond individual households, suggesting a systemic issue that intertwines economic policies with public health outcomes.

Surrey Schools facing cuts despite budget hike

The Surrey Board of Education said it is looking at some tough decisions to manage its budget for the next school year.

Recently, the Surrey School District passed a $1.1-billion budget but the board says it is still not enough to prevent cuts.

Terry Allen, the Surrey School Board budget chair and trustee told Global News that such a big budget could lead people to think the district has lots of money but that is not the case.

“So we’ve worked our way through it and we realize that there are certain areas that we’re going to have to cut,” Allen said. “One of them being the bus in service to some students, and also program changes.” Surrey has 85,000 students and is growing by 2,500 each year, which Allen said is a huge drain on the budget.

While the Strong Start program, which was at risk of being cancelled, will continue to operate in 23 schools, Allen said that program is an example of what’s happening in Surrey schools. “You put all these programs in and when you have no additional funding for inflation, everybody in B.C. understands what inflation is all about, they can barely put food on the table because of that,” Allen said.

“It’s no different for the school districts. Absolutely no different for the school district and government does not add to the funding for inflation.”

Allen said more cuts are likely to come if the budget remains the same next year.

“It’ll actually be worse,” he said. “So I don’t really know what else to say other than the fact that the funding, the shortfall in funding is really impacting the students.”

Anne Whitmore, the Surrey District Parents Advisory Council’s acting president

told Global News that they predicted these cuts were coming.

“What I didn’t realize was how that would impact the actual programming and other opportunities available to children in the district,” she said. “This is not a kid’s problem. This is an adult problem. And it’s for adults who are in charge, who have the ability to affect change.”

Whitemore said where she sees the most impact is among children who need the most support.

“I can say I have a child who has support needs and rather than having consistent EA support, they might have one person covering four to five students in one class, and then for a half day and then another person coming in and so having that consistency of support, somebody that knows them, that is able to be there anticipate what’s going to happen because they worked really closely with that child in that classroom, we’re not seeing that as much.”Whitmore said she would like to see enough money for the needs of the school district.

“If you look at our capital ask for last year, based on that., I think it was 17 new schools. We got one,” she said.

Whitmore added that in Clayton Heights and Cloverdale, they will need 66 portables to house the incoming students.

“That’s ridiculous and there’s no more money for portables.”

BC government says cyber incident not a ransomware attack

The B.C. government is keeping tightlipped on details around an apparent cyberattack affecting its digital networks.

The province revealed late Wednesday that it had identified “sophisticated cybersecurity incidents involving government networks.”

clarified exactly when the attack happened, with Farnworth telling reporters only that it had been “recently” identified.

“The challenge with going out right away and telling people that is the moment you do that, if you haven’t secured everything if you haven’t understood what has taken place you are then making the system more vulnerable to outside interference,” he said.

On Thursday, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said cybersecurity experts had yet to find any evidence that sensitive information such as health records were accessed or compromised.

“Their first priority is to ensure the integrity of the system, to protect the system, to protect the information, that is what they have been doing,” Farnworth said. The province is working with Cybersecurity Canada and police to investigate the incident, which Farnworth confirmed was not a ransomware attack.

Farnworth also could not speak to who the attackers were. But officials have not

Farnworth said security upgrades to the province’s networks in 2022 allowed officials to detect the attempt had happened. BC United Official Opposition

Leader Kevin Falcon said the government owes it to the public to provide more detail.

He pointed to the recent London Drugs cybersecurity incident, noting the company provided near-daily updates on the situation.

“We know that for at least eight days they have known this was an issue,” Falcon said. “And last night they quietly released a statement in the midst of a Canucks playoff hockey game, which is part of their pattern of always being secretive about things and not transparent.”

In its Wednesday media release, the province said it has notified B.C.’s Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner and that it would “be as transparent as we can without compromising the investigation.”

Punjabi student responsible for head-on crash that killed Indian couple & grandson

Continued from Page 1...

Police pursued the suspect as he drove the wrong way on Highway 401 in Whitby, about 50 kilometres east of Toronto.

Gagandeep Singh was behind the wheel of the U-Haul truck that slammed into a semi-trailer truck on the highway. Singh was pronounced dead at the scene, The Toronto Star newspaper reported.

Gagandeep Singh was facing three charges of theft under 5,000 Canadian dollars and one charge of robbery related to an alleged stealing spree between January 15 and February 27. The charges, according to court documents, included using violence against one man at an Oakville LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario).

The passenger in the van, Manpreet Gill, 38, remains in hospital and has not been charged in relation to the crash, according to the lawyer who represented him when he faced previous charges.

According to the release order signed by a Hamilton justice of the peace on Singh’s previous charges, he was to remain with a named surety, who pledged 2,000 dollars to secure his release and was ordered not to go to any LCBO or Home Depots in the province. He had been scheduled to appear in court again on May 14.

Singh’s criminal history has led to an outcry from some, including federal Conservative party Leader Pierre Poilievre, who say a stronger bail system could have prevented the deaths. But those who argue bail in court say the releases appear to have been reasonable, given what was known at the time.

Toronto criminal defence lawyer Daniel Brown said despite the tragic outcome of the crash, Brown said it’s not surprising Singh was released on bail for “relatively minor” offences before the fatal collision.

All those charges were outstanding at the time of his death.

Hundreds of jobs affected as Canfor makes cuts in northern BC

B.C. forestry giant Canfor has dealt a major blow to communities in northern B.C. with announcements affecting hundreds of jobs.

In a series of releases issued Thursday, the company said it is curtailing a production line at its Northwood pulp mill facility in Prince George, permanently closing its Polar sawmill in Bear Lake and suspending plans to reinvest in its facility in Houston, B.C.

Four-hundred existing and 200 anticipated replacement jobs are impacted by the decision.

One-hundred-eighty employees will lose their positions at the Polar sawmill in Bear Lake, an unincorporated community of roughly 150 people located 75 kilometres north of Prince George. Operations at the mill had been curtailed since January.

wood chips to pulp and paper products.

Approximately 450 people work at that facility.

And in Houston, about 300 kilometres west of Prince George, an anticipated 200 new jobs are now on hold as Canfor suspends its promise to build a new $200-million

manufacturing facility after eliminating 300 jobs with the closure of the community’s sawmill last year.

Pregnant BC woman dies after getting hit by car in Mexico while on vacation

A B.C. woman has passed away after she was hit by a car in Mexico while on vacation.

Initially, Kristyferr Koverola, 30, was hit in a crosswalk in Cancun last Sunday. She was in critical condition in hospital and needed blood transfusions to ensure she was stable enough for an air transfer to Miami. However, her motherin-law confirmed to Global News that Koverola passed away early Thursday morning. She was also five

A further 220 jobs will be impacted by the indefinite curtailment of a single production line at the Northwood pulp mill in Prince George, a processing plant that converts

Canfor will continue to operate Northwood at a reduced capacity, as well as Intercontinental and Pulp and Paper, also in Prince George.

BC farmers call for policy changes to enable increased food production

B.C.’s agriculture industry is calling for changes to government policies to allow it to produce more food.

Some farmers say that without an overhaul, it is going to get harder and harder to feed ourselves and to keep prices down.

UP Vertical Farms in Pitt Meadows is a one-stop shop for producing, processing and packaging leafy greens.

“We have to be able to feed ourselves,” Bahram Rashti, the CEO said. “If you actually look at the numbers of how much we’re actually importing it’s staggering. And the places we do get a lot of our food from like California and Arizona, they’re having drought issues and climate issues.”

Vertical farming offers efficiency, reliability and more importantly, price affordability and stability.

“You have to produce 350 acres worth of outdoor leafy greens on an annual basis to compare to the yields and produce that we get,” Rashti added.

While UP Vertical is on the cutting edge of agriculture technology, B.C.’s policies and

regulations seem stuck in the past.

“We have to be able to change, modify, improve our existing laws… otherwise we will run into shortages more and more in the near future and you’ll see these skyrocketing prices coming up,” Rashti said. The missing link in the local food supply chain is processing but industrial land to build more capacity is in short supply.

“It becomes very difficult to support farmers when you have zero manufacturing,” Sylvain Charlebois, the Agri-Food Analytics Lab director said.

“That’s why there are a lot of companies that are relocating to say Alberta or Washington state.”

months pregnant when she was struck by the car and lost her son on Tuesday.

Koverola was in Mexico with her husband Troy to celebrate their second wedding anniversary. Her mother-in-law said Koverola was such an important part of their lives.

“It’s difficult, so difficult. She’s just a bright shining star in our family and the love of his life,” Linda Koverola told Global News on Wednesday.

Vancouver police officer who struck pedestrian guilty of excessive speeding

A Vancouver police officer who struck and seriously hurt a pedestrian in the Downtown Eastside two years ago has been found guilty of excessive speeding. The collision happened on Sept. 20, 2022, on East Hastings Street between Columbia and Main streets. The incident was captured on camera. The police vehicle did not

appear to have lights or sirens activated at the time. Const. Jack Zhao was initially charged with driving a motor vehicle without due care and attention but was found guilty of the lesser charge. He was fined $2,300. Vancouver police confirmed Zhao remains a serving member of the force.

BC investment advisor who defrauded retired couple of $285K banned, fined $310K

Canada’s regulator of mutual funds has found a Fraser Valley investment advisor defrauded a retired Langley couple of $258,000; however, RCMP have yet to say whether they are investigating the matter.

On April 4, an independent hearing panel for the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization released its decision to fine Alvinder Singh Gill $310,000 and permanently ban him from the industry, after Gill was previously found to have committed fraud.

Based on the testimony of Donald Lapierre and Suzanne Lapierre, the panel described what happened to the retirees as “devastating.”

Gill, who resides in Surrey, was licensed to sell insurance and investment products at the time he solicited and accepted nearly $330,000 from the Lapierres over the course of a decade, starting in 2010.

unlicensed to handle investments, Gill was the sole principal of Greynote Group Financial Services, where he would direct the Lapierres to put their money.

By March 2016 Gill re-registered as a mutual fund representative with Sun Life Financial Investment Services (Canada) Inc. and until September 2019, the Lapierres would issue 18 cheques to Greynote or Gill, personally, totalling $329,625.

At the time, Gill worked in Abbotsford as a licensed insurance broker on behalf of the Canada Life Assurance Company; he had, however, relinquished his seven-year stint as a mutual fund representative in 2008. Although

Matters began to unravel just prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, when the Lapierres asked for their money to be withdrawn.

On Aug. 26, 2020, the Lapierres filed complaints with the Langley RCMP and Canada Life, after Gill could not come up with the couple’s money.

According to the ruling, Gill’s fraud had imposed a net financial loss of $258,486 on the couple.

The panel found Gill engaged in “two distinct categories of serious misconduct:” First, that he defrauded the Lapierres and, second, that he failed to cooperate with the investigation.

Police have arrested a man accused of threatening two people with a hammer outside the Cancer Agency building in Vancouver.

Investigators said the man approached the victims as they were exiting the building around 3 p.m. Wednesday.

The two people retreated inside the building and called police.

“It’s an unusual location as well as an unusual situation,” Const. Tania Visintin said, adding that the incident appeared to be random.

Visintin said police did not believe there was an ongoing threat to anyone using the building.

“Circumstances that led up to the incident, why this person picked these two in particular, we still don’t know.” Officers arrested a 44-year-old man who is known to police. He has been charged with assault with a weapon and remains in custody.

A Surrey man says more than $60,000 worth of bitcoin was stolen from him in a sneaky “SIM swap” scam, but a recent B.C. Supreme Court ruling has reluctantly hung up on his lawsuit

Canada, prompting calls in recent years for telecommunications companies to increase customer protections.

against the phone company he says is to blame. The case is one example of a troubling type of scheme police have warned is growing across

Sepehr Tahmasebpour claimed Freedom Mobile gave a new SIM card with his phone number to an unknown scammer impersonating his father — who pays for the account — in early January 2021, who then used it to access Tahmasebpour’s email, lock him out of his accounts and drain his bitcoin.

“This was caused by the grossly negligent actions and inactions of Freedom,” including failing to have proper safeguards over clients’ personal information, according to the January 2023 notice of civil claim.

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Preserving Sikh Canadian heritage

Prime Minister,

highlighted investments included in Budget 2024 to preserve Sikh Canadian heritage by helping create the Gallery of Global Sikh Art and Culture in the Royal Ontario Museum with a $6 million grant. Sikh Canadians have helped make Canada the country we know and love.

“The story of the Sikh community in Canada

is, in fact, the story of Canada. The investments in Budget 2024 will help Sikh Canadians share their own stories, create their own spaces, and preserve their own heritage – because diversity is our greatest strength. Let’s keep working together to make Canada more inclusive, more vibrant, and more welcoming for everyone.” Trudeau said .

A man is accused of stealing over $700,000 from a Toronto not-for-profit organization using fake invoices and bills.

Toronto police said the man worked for the unnamed organization between Nov. 2022 and Dec. 2023. During that time, he allegedly created false vendor invoices and bills payable to bank accounts he had access to.

The man then allegedly used funds from the organization to pay the invoices and bills.

On Thursday, police

announced that they had arrested 36-yearold Abbas Ali of Richmond Hill. He has been charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000, two counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, two counts of proceeds obtained by crime over $5,000, one count of forgery, one count of uttering a forged document and one count of laundering proceeds of Canadian crime.

Police have released his photo as they believe there may be more victims.

Canadian

Justin Trudeau, has

Deputy PM urges everyone to invest in Fiji

Continued from Page 3...

He also put off his dinner until eh had answered all questions for those in attendance. When eh was invited as the chief guest to have dinner, Kamikamica responded that he would like to answer all the questions first from the diaspora at the dinner – and indicated that others should eat while he answered all questions in detail. And there were many, many questions - from cheaper Fiji Airways fares to land issues, licensing, hotels, car rentals, buying houses, the medical and health care system, etc.

Kamikamica said that the Fijian government was in debt of about $10 billion and to pay off this debt, the economy needs to grow, and investment is required for economy to grow.

“That is why we are here – to seek more investment,” he said,

Kamikamica is hoping for a 5 percent annual growth in Fijian economy over the next ten years, meaning a 50 percent growth of economy in 10 years. Fijian economy also needs more diversification. He said Fiji’s economy was reliant on tourism, which makes up about 40 percent of the total Fijian economy and the way things are going, tourism will soon be responsible for 50 percent of the economy.

“We need to diversify, “he said. The Deputy Prime minister said his government was working hard on diversification of the economy and large global companies were taking notice.

“Google is coming to Fiji,” he said, giving an example. He said that Google is planning to string cable from Sydney (Australia) to Fiji as part of an internet cable link that will run from West Coast of USA to Hawaii to Fiji and then to Sydney. A second internet cable link by Google will run from Fiji to South America through French Polynesia. Other large global companies were also interested in Fiji, he said.

He talked about improved shipment of goods from Fiji to Canada ad North America. Fiji Airways twice weekly direct Fiji to Vancouver flights also makes bringing goods to Metro Vancouver much cheaper and easier.

Talking about governance in Fiji, the deputy Prime minister said that the Coalition government is all about restoring democracy to Fiji. He sought election with the aim to return true democracy, which had eroded under the

previous government in Fiji.

“The Prime Minister then appointed me Minister, which I did not expect, but once appointed, I have been doing my best to discharge my duties,” he said.

Kamikamica said that large parts of democracy, that had bene scaled back or eroded under the previous Fiji First Party government, has now been restored.

Giving an example, he said that his Coalition government has restored full media freedom. Previously, journalists were under threat to be arrested and or jailed if they reported on certain issues or people.

But now, under this government, the media is free to report whatever they want.

“There is no control on media anymore,” he said.

Talking about domestic issues, the Deputy Prime Minister said upgrading hospitals was a top priority that the current government was working on.

He further said that the local water and sewage system had to be upgraded.

“A recent report states we have to spend $10 million to upgrade our water supply system and our government is working on that,” he said.

He urged members of the local Fijian diaspora to invest in Fiji – no matter how small or big.

Investment Fiji chairperson, Jenny Seeto aid that Fiji receives $1 billion per year in remittance -money sent by Fijians living abroad to family and friends in Fiji – per year. Similarly, Fijians living overseas can put their money in funds in Fiji – and their money will be fully protected.

Ms. Seeto said that Investment Fiji is ready to support add help anyone who wants to invest in Fiji.

Answering questions, Ms. Seeto and Mr. Kamikamica said that Fijian government is looking into requests to eliminate the $3,000 per application fee for dal citizenship applications o more people can apply to get Fijian citizenship as well.

The Fijian delegation held a business forum at the Sheraton Hote in Guildford, Surrey, on Monday morning prior to the dinner at Fiji Canada Association Hall.

Former PM Bainimarama jailed 1 year while, Police chief Qiliho jailed 2 years

Former Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama has been sentenced to 1 year imprisonment after being found guilty of one count of attempt to pervert the course of

had taken an oath of allegiance.

The Acting Chief Justice highlighted that Bainimarama’s mitigating factors were his medical condition and character reference by two former Presidents.

justice in the University of the South Pacific case while suspended Police Commissioner, Sitiveni Qiliho has been sentenced to 2 years imprisonment for the charge of abuse of office. Bainimarama and Qiliho were escorted out in handcuffs to be taken to prison after spending some time with family members in the court room.

While delivering his sentence, Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo says there was a breach of trust and at the material time, Bainimarama was the Prime Minister. He says Bainimarama

He has also ordered the Commissioner of Corrections to map out a medical plan for the use of Bainimarama’s medical equipment and charging of his phone for his pacemaker app.

While sentencing Qiliho, Justice Temo says there was a breach of public trust as he was the Police Commissioner at the material time.

He says both prison sentences start immediately.

Acting Chief Justice Temo says that by ignoring the fact that Bainimarama and Qiliho have been convicted, the Magistrates Court had acted on the wrong principle for the orders of the High Court.

He says Magistrate Seini Puamau reexamined irrelevant matters in her sentencing of Bainimarama and Qiliho. He says she was obliged to view and sentence based on the facts given by the High Court which is a superior court.

2 brothers from Haryana’s Karnal arrested for killing Indian student in Australia

Two brothers from Haryana have been arrested in Australia for stabbing to death a 22-year-old MTech student from India.

Abhijeet and Robin Gartan were arrested in New South Wales’s Goulburn on Tuesday, two days after the fatal stabbing of Navjeet Sandhu in the Melbourne suburb of Ormond, officials said.

“Brothers Abhijeet

Abhijeet and Robin Gartan were arrested in Goulburn with the assistance of NSW Police,” the Victoria Police said in an official statement.

He said that one more student was injured in the incident, which took place on Saturday around 9 pm local time in Melbourne.

According to Yashvir, the victim’s uncle, Navjeet Sandhu was fatally attacked with a knife by another student when he tried to intervene in a dispute between a few Indian students over some rent issue.

The victim and the accused were residents of Haryana’s Karnal.

MTech student was allegedly stabbed to death in Australia during a fight between some Indian students, the victim’s uncle said on Monday.

“Navjeet’s friend (another Indian student) had asked him to accompany him to his house to pick up his belongings as he had a car. While his friend went inside, Navjeet heard some shouts and saw there was a scuffle. When Navjeet tried to intervene asking them not to fight, he was fatally stabbed in the chest with a knife,” Yashvir, who’ll retire from the Army in July, said.

India in talks with like-minded countries to regulate tourism in Antarctica

India is working with like-minded countries to promote regulated tourism in Antarctica as a steady increase in the number of tourists threatens to harm the fragile ecology in the White Continent.

Discussion on regulating tourism in Antarctica will be on the agenda at Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) and a meeting of Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) scheduled to be held in Kerala’s Kochi from May 20 to May 30.

“The problem is that tourism in Antarctica is not properly regulated. So this year, there is a discussion on its regulation,” M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, said.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences is hosting the 46th meeting of ATCM, the highest governing body for Antarctica, and the 26th CEP meeting.

Ravichandran also hinted at plans to facilitate visits to Indian research stations in Antarctica for the general public.

“Very soon, we will take it up,” he said when asked if a common man can visit Indian research stations in Antarctica.

Highlighting the necessity of regulation, Ravichandran noted the current challenges with unregulated tourism. India, along with other like-minded countries, is actively working towards promoting regulated tourism in Antarctica, he said.

Elected members of municipality can’t be removed at whims and fancies of civil servants or politicians: Supreme Court

Terming municipalities as a grass-roots level democratic institution, the Supreme Court has ruled that elected members of municipal bodies can’t be removed at the ‘whims and fancies’ of civil servants or their political masters.

“The Municipality is an institution of grassroots level democracy. The elected members cannot be removed at the whims and fancies of the civil servants or their political masters only because some of such elected members are found to be inconvenient within the system,” a Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice PS Narasimha said.

The Bench quashed disqualification orders issued in 2015 and 2016 by Maharashtra Urban Development Minister removing Naldurga Municipal Council President Nitin and Osmanabad Municipal Council Vice President Makarand @ Nandu.

“It requires no special emphasis that the elected representatives of public offices like a Municipality deserve due respect and autonomy in their day-to-day functioning, of course, subject to such limitations and restrictions as may be prescribed in law,” the Bench said last month.

“When question of determining misconduct committed by an elected member arises, ordinarily such misconduct would relate to his functioning after he has been elected to the office. However, in a given case, the misconduct committed before the election can also be taken cognizance provided that such misconduct is directly attributable to the elected representative and it went unnoticed and could not be scrutinized at the time when

he filed his nomination papers,” it noted. Nandu was removed following allegations of violation of provisions of the Maharashtra Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Industrial Townships Act, 1965, and misuse of powers by him on account of illegal construction of the house in excess of the permission granted. An enquiry held by the Collector concluded that the allegations were correct. A show-cause notice was issued to him and while the show-cause proceedings were pending, the Minister-In-Charge took suo motu action disqualifying him from the post of Vice-President of the Municipal Council, Osmanabad on December 2, 2015.

Nitin was removed as Naldurga Municipal Council President on May 10, 2016, following allegations of irregularity in allotting garbage collection and disposal work to Sevalal Institution.

In both the cases, the appellants were debarred them from contesting elections in the municipal council for six years and the Bombay High Court had refused to interfere with the Maharashtra Government’s orders. However, the Supreme Court had stayed the high court’s orders in both the cases.

Similarly,

Punjab Police nab 2 suspects after encounter in New

Chandigarh

Police have nabbed two suspects in the Kharar bouncer murder case after an encounter in Medicity, New Chandigarh, on Thursday.

The suspects have been identified as Vikram Rana of Teur village and Kiran, alias Dhanoa, of Kharar, said officials.

used in the crime have been recovered from the spot. One of the victims has sustained a bullet injury in the abdomen. Both of them have been shifted to the hospital.”

On May 7, a resident of Teur village, Manish Kumar (26), who worked as a bouncer, was shot dead by two unidentified bike-borne youths at Chando Gobindgarh village in Kharar in broad daylight.

Mohali SP (Investigation) Jyoti Yadav said, “There is already an Arms Act case against Kiran Dhanoa. Two weapons and a motorcycle

The assailants shot him in the head at point-blank range.

Manish, who was involved in an attempt-to-murder case in Chandigarh and a couple of others registered at the Mataur police station in Mohali, was returning home from a gym in Kharar.

Police suspect Lawrence BishnoiBambiha gang rivalry at play.

The bouncer’s killing was reportedly a fallout of more than eight-year-old tussle between two groups of bouncers over supremacy in the area.

Karan Brar, suspect in Hardeep Nijjar killing, says he entered Canada using ‘study permit’ visa

One of the suspects in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, has said in a social media video that he entered Canada on a ‘study permit’ which only took him days to obtain, Canada-based global news reported.

The accused, Karan Brar, in a video posted online in 2019, said he applied for a student visa through EthicWorks Immigration Services in Bathinda, in the Indian state of Punjab. He said he received his study visa days later, according to a translation of his Punjabi-language statement, as per Global News.

The promotional video and a picture of Brar, who the firm claimed was from Kotkapura, a city north of Bathinda, were uploaded on EthicWorks’ Facebook page.

“Congratulations Karan Brar for the Canada study visa,” the caption below the video read. “One more happy client from Kotkapura,” reported Global News.

of Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing made their first court appearance by video, according to Globe and Mail, a Canada-based news website.

As the trio, dressed in orange jumpsuits, appeared before court, pro-Khalistani protesters chanted slogans and held placards, outside the Surrey provincial court, blaming India’s government for the killing.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller has declined to answer questions about how the suspects came to Canada, but online posts indicate that Brar arrived on a student permit three years before the killing.

According to another Facebook page purportedly owned by Brar, he moved to Edmonton on May 4, 2020, after starting his studies at Bow Valley College in Calgary on April 30, 2020, Global News reported.

However, questions concerning the subject have not yet received a response from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Brar, 22, Karanpreet Singh, 28, and Kamalpreet Singh, 22, were all taken into custody in Edmonton on Friday. They are accused of murder and conspiracy; they appeared in court in Surrey, British Columbia on Tuesday.

Members of the Sikh Community from British Columbia crowded a Surrey courtroom on Tuesday as three Indian nationals accused

Akali Dal’s Chandigarh candidate

Hardeep Singh

quits

party to join AAP

Shiromani Akali Dal Lok Sabha candidate from Chandigarh Hardeep Singh, who recently left the party, has joined the Aam Aadmi Party, in a development that could be a major boost to INDIA bloc’s Lok Sabha candidate Manish Tewari. The SAD, which was going to fight the Lok Sabha election from Chandigarh for the first time, received a big blow two days ago when Hardeep Singh, a three-term councillor and SAD’s city president, resigned from the party.

Hardeep’s is a councillor from Ward Number 30 (Sector 41, Badheri and Butrela).

His father Gurnam Singh and brother Malkiat Singh have been councillors from the ward in 2006 and 2011, respectively. Incidentally, both died during their tenure as councillor. After his brother’s death, Hardeep was elected councillor from the ward in 2015, 2016 and 2021. He rose to become Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor. The lone SAD councillor, who is into tenting business, was to be pitted against BJP’s Sanjay Tandon and Congress’ Manish Tewari, making it a three-cornered fight.

The three men were taken into custody in Edmonton last week on Friday and are accused of firstdegree murder and murderous conspiracy in connection with the June 2023 shooting of Nijjar, which severely damaged Canada’s relations with India.

Notably, ties between India and Canada have been strained after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused agents of the Indian government of killing Nijjar. However, India has dismissed the accusations as “absurd” and “motivated”.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot and killed as he came out of a Gurdwara in Surrey in June last year. The video of his killing that reportedly surfaced in March this year showed Nijjar being shot by armed men in what has been described as a “contract killing.” Last week, Canadian police released photographs of all three persons arrested in the killing of Indiadesignated terrorist, Nijjar last year amid an ongoing probe into alleged connections of the Indian government.

Along with photographs of the three accused, the Canadian police also released the photographs of the car believed to have been used by the suspects in the time leading up to the homicide, in and around the Surrey area.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) of Surrey, RCMP had said that on the morning of May 3, IHIT investigators, with the assistance of members from the British Columbia and Alberta RCMP and the Edmonton Police Service, arrested the three men for the June 2023 killing of Nijjar.

BJP’s Navneet Rana threatens Owaisi brothers to remove police for ‘15 seconds’

In a scathing attack against AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and his brother Akbaruddin, BJP leader Navneet Rana has said if police were removed from duty for “15 seconds, the brothers would not know from where they came and where they went”.

Rana’s blistering attack came in response to AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi’s controversial speech in 2013 that it would take them only “15 minutes” to balance the “Hindu- Muslim ratio” in the country if the police were removed.

“The younger one (Akbarauddin) says, remove the police for 15 minutes and we will show what we can do. Let me tell the younger one, you will take 15 minutes, it will be only 15 seconds for us. If you remove police for 15 seconds, you

won’t know where you came from and where you went away,” said Rana, the BJP’s candidate from Maharashtra’s Amravati Lok Sabha seat. She shared a video clip of her making the comments on her ‘X’ page. Rana was campaigning in support of BJP’s Hyderabad Lok Sabha candidate K Madhavi Latha and others in Telangana on Wednesday.

Asked about her comments, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said he would like to tell Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give even one hour.

“Modi ji has power, give 15 seconds, rather take one hour. We also would like to see how much humanity is left or not. Who is scared? Who is stopping you? The Prime Minister is yours in Delhi. RSS is yours. Everything is yours. Tell us where to come. We will come,” Owaisi told reporters.

World wrestling body suspends Bajrang Punia; SAI approves his training stint abroad but wrestler cancels trip

Wrestling’s world governing body UWW has suspended Bajrang Punia till the end of this year following NADA’s decision to hand him a provisional suspension for refusing to undergo a dope test.

However, in a rather surprising decision, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) sanctioned close to Rs nine lakh for his training abroad despite being well aware of NADA’s order.

Bajrang, one of the country’s most successful wrestlers, was suspended by NADA on April 23 after being served a whereabouts failure notice on April 18.

Violation),” was the reason mentioned.

Interestingly, the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), in its April 25 meeting, was informed that Bajrang has been sanctioned Rs 8,82,000 plus air fare (actual) for his proposal to train at Dagestan, Russia from May 28.

In his defence, the Tokyo Olympics bronzemedallist said he never refused to give his sample for testing but merely asked the Dope Control Officer to explain the presence of expired kits which were brought to take his

Bajrang told PTI that he has not received any communication from the UWW about his suspension but the world governing body while updating its internal system clearly mentions that he stands suspended.

“Suspended for the following reason until Dec 31, 2024,” reads the update on Bajrang’s profile. “Provisionally suspended by NADO IND for alleged ADRV (Anti-Doping Rule

Bajrang’s initial proposal was for a 35-day training trip from April 24 but, as per the minutes of MOC meeting, due to “conflicting travel dates due to his whereabouts failure, he chose to defer the travel plans from 24th April, 2024 to 28th May, 2024.” The proposal also included travel plans of his strength and conditioning coach Kaazi Kiron Mustafa Hasan and his sparring partner Jitender. Neither Sandip Pradhan, the SAI Director General, nor Col. Rakesh Yadav, joint CEO TOPS, responded to calls or messages, when PTI reached out for an explanation for the decision to sanction his training.

Bajrang confirmed that he had given a proposal for approval to SAI.

“I am also surprised that SAI cleared it. I have actually cancelled my plan, I am not going anywhere for training now,” Bajrang said, adding that his lawyer has filed the reply to NADA.

criminals, says India’s foreign minister S. Jaishankar

Continued from Page 1...

“It’s not so much a problem in the U.S.; our biggest problem right now is in Canada,” Jaishankar said Saturday during remarks at a forum for intellectuals in India.

RCMP charged three Indian nationals last Friday in the death of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead last June as he left a temple in Surrey, B.C.

Nijjar was a fervent activist for the creation of a Sikh homeland called Khalistan, and his death sparked a wave of protests and rallies against Indian diplomats in Canada.

Those protests reached particular intensity after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused New Delhi last September of playing a role in the homicide.

While speaking at the forum in the eastern

city of Bhubaneswar, Jaishankar took questions on multiple topics. One attendee asked about countries like the U.S. and Canada wanting to partner with India while allowing people to support a separatist movement there, which New Delhi deems unconstitutional. Another attendee inquired about last Friday’s arrests. Jaishankar responded to both questions by saying the governing Liberals and other, unspecified political parties “pander” to Sikh separatists for votes, and “have given these kinds of extremism, separatism, advocates of violence a certain legitimacy in the name of free speech.”

Last year’s protests against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government included posters calling on people to “kill India” and offering cash rewards for the home addresses of Indian officials.

Big contingent of police deployed across Pakistan’s Punjab province to stop protest by Imran Khan’s party

A heavy contingent of police was deployed outside the residence of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and the offices of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) here in Punjab province of Pakistan on Thursday to prevent any protest by the party on the first anniversary of the May 9 violence.

The mayhem on May 9 last year was led by supporters of Imran Khan’s PTI party, who were triggered into action by the arrest of their leader in a case of alleged corruption.

The 71-year-old leader’s party workers vandalised a dozen military installations, including the Jinnah House (Lahore Corps Commander House), Mianwali Airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad after the cricketer-turned-politician was arrested in a corruption case.

The Army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi was also attacked by the mob for the first time. PTI leadership, alleging that

May 9 was planned by its opponents, has announced “peaceful protests” on the first anniversary.

“For Islamabad, Punjab and elsewhere, we will announce shortly as there’s been a massive crackdown on workers and leaders last night. We are anticipating more later today (Thursday),” a PTI spokesperson said on X.

Neither the Punjab police nor PTI provided the number of arrests during the crackdown.

High Court accepts plea of Imran’s wife to shift her to Adiala jail

In a major legal victory for Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, a high court here on Wednesday ordered the former first lady’s transfer from her private residence, designated as a subjail, to the Adiala jail where the expremier is incarcerated.

Bushra Bibi, 49, had been incarcerated at Banigala, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder’s mansion in the suburbs of Islamabad, after conviction in two cases while Khan, 71, was kept at the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

She had petitioned the Islamabad High Court against the decision to keep her at Banigala while seeking repatriation to Adiala jail. In its order, the court announced the notification to declare Banigala, a sub-jail, “null and void” and ordered the former first lady be shifted to the Adiala Jail.

3 Pakistani men arrested after sexually assaulting college student, videotape him naked

Three men lured a college boy to a riverbank, allegedly tried to sexually assault him ended up videotaping the boy in an unclothed state after which they blackmailed him in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Dawn reported.

An initial complaint was filed at police station Dandai in Bisham Tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa invoking sections 377 (unnatural offence), 511 (punishment for attempting to commit

with imprisonment for life or a shorter term), and 506/34 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

According to the FIR, the victim, having completed his intermediate examination last Friday, was approached by the suspects, whom he was acquainted with. The suspects purportedly enticed the victim under the guise of escorting him to a riverbank before making sexual advances towards him -actions that were met with resistance and thwarted, Dawn reported.

Nevertheless, the suspects recorded

to expose the footage and harm him if he reported the incident.

Station House Officer (SHO) Dandai, Muhammad Arif Khan, disclosed that the trio implicated in the FIR was apprehended today, with further interrogation ongoing.

As per the FIR, the victim was referred to the tehsil headquarters hospital, Bisham, on the day of the incident for medical examination, Dawn reported.

Data collected by Sahil, an NGO dedicated to addressing child sexual abuse, reveals a disturbing trend: the majority of abusers are

acquaintances, neighbours, or even family members.

Shockingly, religious teachers and clerics emerge as the primary perpetrators within institutional settings, surpassing even police officers, school teachers, or nuclear family members in the number of complaints filed against them, according to Dawn.

Primary data remains limited and organisations rely on media reports and police complaints but the trend over the past 20 years shows the gender divide of abused girls in madrassas is slightly higher than that