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Saturday, May 27, 2017

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Political instability as final count confirms BC Liberals minority government British Columbia entered a new stage of political uncertainty this week as the final vote count from the May 9 election confirmed the province’s first minority government in 65 years.

The Liberals finished one seat short of a majority, with 43 seats in the 87-seat legislature.

The NDP has 41 seats and the Greens hold three seats.

The focus during the final count was on the riding of Courtenay-Comox, which the

NDP won by 189 votes after holding a slim 13-vote lead on election night.

Continued on Page 7...

Calgary’s Jinder Mahal is the new WWE champion Jinder Mahal achieved his lifelong dream on Sunday when he beat Randy Orton for the WWE Championship at SmackDown Backlash in Chicago. Only the second Indian-origin wrestler to hold a title in the WWE, Mahal says his rise to the top has been the culmination of 15 years of hard work and dedication and a reward for his long and tough journey.

Continued on Page 9...

NASA names new organism found in space after APJ Abdul Kalam Scientists at NASA have named a new organism discovered by them after the late former Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam. Till date, the new organism -- a form of a bacteria -- has been found only on the International Space Station (ISS) and has not been found on earth! Researchers at the

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the foremost lab of NASA for work on inter-planetary travel, discovered the new bacteria on the filters of the International Space Station (ISS) and named it Solibacillus kalamii in honour of the late president.

Continued on Page 9...

CERTIFIED DENTAL ASSISTANT

Asian Star photographer Chandra Bodalia passes away The Asian Star community is heartbroken that one of its original Stars, photographer Chandra Bodalia, photographer of this newspaper since its inception, is no more. But his name continues to shine brightly. Asian Star Editor Umendra Singh and Chandra first met over 30 years ago and were friends and colleagues for the past 30 years.

Chandra passed away at the Vancouver General Hospital at 9am on Wednesday, May 24, 2017., after a battle with throat cancer.

Umendra was one of the last persons to see Chandra late on Monday evening at the Centennial Pavilion of the GVH. He was resting but opened his eyes for a few minutes when his wife told him Umendra had come to visit him. He looked at Umendra for several minutes, lifted his hand slightly and waved.

Umendra said he did not realize then that it was a goodbye wave. RIP Chandra. He will be sorely missed by the staff of The Asian Star.

Chandra was born in town near Surat, Gujrat(India) and and lived their unitl his marriage in 1974 to Neeru, who is originally from Fiji. The couple migrated to Canada same year. He leaves behind a son and a daughter and 2 grandchildren. His funeral will take place at Five Rivers funeral home in Delta on Wednesday May 31st at 1:00pm.

An artist with a purpose

Raj Kakra By: Chhavi Disawar Read on Page 8...

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Indian top cop back in Canada after High Commission in New Delhi apologizes The best you can say about Tejinder Singh Dhillon’s ordeal is that he has racked up a ton of Air Miles.

Dhillon arrived in Toronto on Thursday morning in time for his niece’s wedding, after being turned back at the Vancouver International Airport by Canada Border Service Agency officials last week and ordered to fly back to his native India.

Dhillon, a retired inspector-general of the Indian Central Reserve Police (a 300,000-strong federal force responsible for upholding law and order and fighting counter-insurgencies), thinks border officials overzealously interpreted a rule or two. After two full days of interrogation, he was declared inadmissible under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and sent packing.

“I was shocked,” Dhillon said. “It could have been a misconception — in any system problems can happen.

But it was not a pleasant thing.

“It’s the first time in my life I’ve experienced such humiliation, such disrespect.”

Dhillon has been visiting Canada off and on for 30 years, visits that last no more than six or seven days, he said. He has a visa that doesn’t expire until 2024, and had made the 19-hour journey from New Delhi to Vancouver

to visit friends, before flying to Seattle then Toronto, where his niece is getting married this weekend in a twoday ceremony.

But despite producing his and his wife’s airline tickets, despite his visa, despite his offer to surrender his passport if only the CBSA would allow him to attend the wedding of his brother’s daughter, he was sent back home after two days of being grilled.

His plight was picked up by the Hindustan Times in India and what Dhillon described as a media wildfire ensued, which brought the matter to the attention of the High Commission in New Delhi.

The High Commission apologized to him and paid for an economy-class direct flight to Toronto. His dignity was restored, he said.

“I deeply appreciate the concern of the Canadian government,” Dhillon said on Thursday. “They wisely, promptly and fairly rectified things.

“I could see they were concerned for what was done and that it should not have been done.”

One of Dhillon’s friends he had planned to visit, Kwantlen Polytechnic professor Shinder Purewal, said it was shocking the way Dhillon was treated, not to mention very un-Canadian-like.

“Only once in a while do you find someone (at CBSA) who’s had a rough day,” said Purewal, a political science prof with experience in immigration law. “But you wouldn’t believe the way Tejinder was treated, the way they came across.”

For Dhillon, who has a background of training officials in the fields of policing, it was particularly galling. He does not feel the border officials who detained and interrogated him acted professionally.

Law enforcement officers “are meant to serve society, not rule society,” he said. “Customs officials have a very important role to play, preventing anything bad coming in. They have mighty powers.

Millions in funds spent in 2015 election to defeat Harper govt Foreign money funnelled towards Canadian political advocacy groups affected the outcome of the 2015 federal election, according to a document filed last week with Elections Canada and obtained.

The 36-page report entitled: Elections Canada Complaint Regarding Foreign Influence in the 2015 Canadian Election, alleges third parties worked with each other, which may have bypassed election spending limits — all of which appears to be in contravention of the Canada Elections Act. The Canada Elections Act states that “a third party shall not circumvent, or attempt to circumvent, a limit set out . . . in any manner, including by splitting itself into two or more third parties for the purpose of circumventing the limit or acting in collusion with another third party so that their combined election advertising expenses exceed the limit.” The Canada Elections Act also states: “No person who does not reside in Canada shall, during an election period, in any way induce electors to vote or refrain from voting for a particular candidate” unless the person is a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident.

“Yet the outcome of the 2015 election was skewed by money from wealthy foreigners,” alleges the complaint, submitted by Canada Decides, a registered society with three listed directors — including Joan Crockatt, a former Conservative MP for Calgary Centre, who lost her seat to Liberal Kent Hehr, now the MP for the once longheld Tory riding and the Minister of Veterans Affairs. The other two directors include Chad Hallman, a University of Toronto political science student. The number of third parties registered during the 2015 general election more than doubled, to 114 compared with 55, in the 2011 election. In total, the 114 third parties spent $6 million and many of those third parties were funded by California-and New York-based Tides Foundation — which is known in Canada for holding numerous anti-Canadian oil campaigns.

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All the three parties doing a political dance around forming a minority or barely majority government are acting only in their self interest - not in the interest of the public.

Start with the Green Party which has found itself fortunate to have three seats in a minority government situation. Both the Liberals and the NDP are wooing Green Party leader Andrew Weaver and he is demanding a Kings ransom for his support.

Weaver and the Greens want whoever they prop up as a government to bulldoze through a electoral reform by approval get a proportional voting system in place of the current first past the post system - without a public referendum. A major electoral reform usually is preceded by a public referendum - 100 something that Weaver and Greens don’t want 100 in case public rejects their idea. In other words, Greens and Weaver do believe 95 in95 democracy when it suits them and democratic ideals don’t matter if it doesn’t 75 suit the Greens. A proportional voting 75 system will mostly, if not only, help the Greens by allowing them to win a lot of seats and 25 maybe even win power in future.

25The BC Liberals and the BC NDP are obviously only wooing the Greens for 5 VICTOR BAINS 5 their own personal interest of being the government - not in the public interest at all.

0 0 So if you get a chance, ask MR Weaver and his new best buddies, John Horgan and Christy Clark, : “what’s in it for the taxpayers?”

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FEATURE

Saturday, May 27, 2017

India debates whether women over 50 should use IVF to become pregnant To see Manjeet Kaur around her little daughter is to see joy at its purest.

The 15-month-old toddles about the sprawling courtyard of her parents’ farm, her oily curls tied up in a top knot, her rubbersoled shoes squeaking. Kaur’s eyes don’t miss a thing, and they often mist up with tears.

Gurjeet is the child Kaur yearned for desperately, after 40 years of being that thing which a rural Indian woman dreads more than almost anything else — barren. She gave birth at 58 years old, with help from a controversial IVF clinic in this corner of north India that specializes in fertility treatments for women over 50.

Such treatments have become more common across the world, and they strike a cultural chord in India, where a woman is often defined by her ability to be a wife and mother. While there are no reliable statistics for how many Indian women undergo fertility treatments each year at what age, tens of thousands of IVF clinics have sprouted up in the country over the last decade.

Fertility specialists say pregnancies like Kaur’s are troubling because of the potential health risks and the concern that the parents may not live long enough to raise their babies to adulthood. Legislation is pending in India’s Parliament setting 50 as the legal upper age cap.

But Dr. Anurag Bishnoi, the driving force behind the National Fertility and Test Tube Baby Centre in Hisar, harbours no such worries. His clinic’s website home page is dominated by photographs of patients who carried babies to term at ages well beyond what most other doctors anywhere in the world may permit. At least two of his patients gave birth at 70.

For Kaur, it’s simple enough. Bishnoi made preferably a son, can result in the taboo of usually stop paying for IVF treatment after 45. her belong. divorce or abandonment by their husbands. In the United Kingdom, the limit for fertility “You have no idea how I suffered,” she says For years Kaur begged her husband to take treatments under the National Health Service of her life before her daughter. “The pain I lived another wife. is 42. with. I used to work all day, but my nights were “I wanted to marry him off myself. I was Every now and then, news reports pop up spent in tears.” willing to do anything for this family. I said to about women across the world giving birth in Kaur married her husband, Gurdev Singh, him, this property, this house needs an heir. I their 50s and 60s. A Spanish woman gave birth when she was 18 and he was just a little older haven’t been able to give you a child,” she says, to healthy twins at age 64 earlier this year after than 20. She simply assumed that children as she walks through the guava trees outside fertility treatments at an undisclosed clinic in would follow marriage, and there the United States. A British woman was no question of waiting. Her gave birth in 2008 at the age of 57 after new relatives were relatively treatment at a clinic in Russia. wealthy Sikh landowners in this Many private clinics cap treatment corner of Haryana, and they had at 50 or less, and most doctors offering the means to raise a family and assisted reproductive treatments to property to leave to their offspring. women over 50 do it on the down low.

But no children came. She felt But Bishnoi, a boyish-looking 41-yearworthless. old, doesn’t hesitate to send a press “I asked God why he had release to promote his work, and lists abandoned me. I had been a good at least 30 patients on his website who Sikh, a good person. Then why?” gave birth between the ages of 50 and she asks, as she nervously fidgets 70. with the green scarf she uses to Manjeet Kaur, left, and her husband Gurdev Singh, right, walk Bishnoi says he is a careful doctor with their daughter, who was concieved with the help of IVF cover her almost entirely grey hair. who chooses his patients after a series With each decade she felt the of medical examinations to ascertain dream slip further away. The couple tried IVF her house, plucking fresh fruit for her visitors. their ability to carry a pregnancy to term. He twice in their 40s at two separate clinics in “I said I won’t do it,” says Singh, a short man says age doesn’t matter to him; all he examines north India. It didn’t work. with a smile constantly hidden behind his is whether a patient is physically, emotionally A woman in Kaur’s setting, without a child, flowing white beard. “If it’s meant to be, God and financially able. is an inauspicious creature. Her very presence will give me a child with you. If I marry again, He says he has turned away innumerable is often shunned at social gatherings, especially what will happen to you?” patients because he wasn’t satisfied they were at weddings and birth ceremonies which They lived, like most rural Indians, with healthy enough, and has never had a patient celebrate fecundity. extended family, and Kaur showered all her die. He complains that the doctors who “What I suffered you will not understand. love on the nephew and niece she helped raise. criticize him don’t ask about his clinic’s success People would turn their faces away from us,” She says it is perhaps her unconditional love rate, which is 30 per cent for mothers above she says, wiping away the tears that run down that made God and the Sikh gurus turn her 50. It’s an average that is low when compared her cheeks, lined by age and years of working fate around. to IVF success rates for women under the age in the sun.

It was Kaur’s nephew who first heard of of 45. But for older women, it’s an average that For the vast majority of married Indian Bishnoi, the doctor in the nearby town of Bishnoi considers “decent.” women, the inability to produce a child, Hisar, who had built a prosperous medical For older patients like Kaur, who make up practice and tidy little business empire by 20 per cent of his practice, Bishnoi harvests helping aging women across north India have eggs from anonymous donors, but in a deeply children through in vitro fertilization. The patriarchal culture, what really matters is couple was at first hesitant, thinking about that the sperm belongs to the father. He calls all the problems of such a late pregnancy. But reproduction a “fundamental right,” and likens meeting the doctor changed all that. his patients to the military.

“He treated us with so much respect and “They are soldiers of their family,” he says. love,” Singh says. “Doctor sahib was like a god “And of course the risks involved are there, but to us.” soldiers don’t care.”

Dr. Anurag Bishnoi is called many things.

Bishnoi says he suggests adoption or God and quack top the list. surrogacy to most of his patients, including His harshest critics in the medical Kaur, but few are interested. Indian families community accuse the embryologist of adopted only 2,210 children in 2016, partly making money off the dreams of the desperate, because of daunting levels of bureaucratic and of taking wildly unnecessary risks hurdles. And the importance of caste and with older women. When Bishnoi helped a religion are major deterrents.

70-year-old woman give birth last April, Dr. When Bishnoi first suggested Kaur adopt a Hrishikesh Pai, who heads a federation of child, she didn’t say anything.

ICBC Accredited Indian gynecologists and obstetricians, called “I just started crying,” she says. him a “rogue doctor” and “repeat offender” Then he asked her to think about using a Collision Repairs & who ignores the self-imposed guidelines that surrogate. She remembers breaking down and Valet Service most other fertility specialists follow. weeping in his office.

Dr. Narendra Malhotra, who heads the “I said, Doctor sahib, I have everything. I Indian Society For Assisted Reproduction, even have children around me. Grandchildren says Bishnoi is driven by a quest for records too. I play with them, I carry them. Nobody and has been attempting to “play God.” has ever called me ‘mummy.’ Ever.”

“We don’t endorse making mothers out of “If you can give me a child from my own grandmothers,” he says. “It’s too risky for the body, then give me that child.” women. Their bodies are not designed to bear The packed waiting room at Bishnoi’s clinic children after 50.” bears witness to the fact that working-class Malhotra notes that if a woman gets families across the country are willing to spend pregnant at age 70, her child may be an orphan their limited savings for a child of their own. before the age of 10. He says his association The cost of IVF treatment in India is relatively has requested that Bishnoi stop his extreme low, even though many families have to pay on practice of working with significantly older their own. At Bishnoi’s clinic, one cycle of IVF women, with no success. costs about 110,000 rupees ($1,700), compared “He’s not breaking any law because there is to about $12,000 in the U.S. no law,” Malhotra says. “But there are ethical “This treatment costs as much as buying and moral guidelines.” a buffalo,” says Bishnoi, whose patients are Most medical ethics guidelines around the largely from farming families. world recommend a cut-off between 45 and Gurdev Singh says the money was nothing, 50 for treatments like IVF, and the Indian as he playfully lets his daughter clamber all Medical Council sets 45 as the recommended over him and coo into his cellphone. “What age limit. Across the United States and most matters is that he gave us our little doll,” Singh www.blackandwhiteautobody.ca parts of western Europe, insurance companies says.

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Political instability as final count confirms BC Liberals minority govt Continued from Page 1...

Exploratory talks involving possible political collaborations with the Greens have been underway since the election, but the parties have said they were awaiting the final results to begin the talks in earnest.

Premier Christy Clark says with a plurality of seats in the legislature, the Liberals have a responsibility to form a government.

The final count includes almost 180,000 absentee ballots that were counted by Elections BC since Monday.

More than two weeks after voting day, absentee ballots favour a win for NDP candidate Ronna-Rae Leonard in Courtenay-Comox, giving the NDP 41 seats in the new 87-seat B.C. legislature.

Talks with the three-seat B.C. Green Party have taken centre stage in recent weeks, as the B.C. Liberals and B.C. NDP attempt to make a case for forming government.

As party representatives try to negotiate an agreement with Green Party leader Andrew Weaver to support one or the other major party in crucial votes, the focus shifts to B.C. Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon. Her largely ceremonial role becomes pivotal as she must invite either Clark or NDP leader John Horgan to form a new government.

History as well as numbers are on Clark’s side for now. The B.C. Liberals won the most seats and Guichon would need a clear reason to call for a change, such as the defeat of the government in a vote on its pre-election budget.

With support from the Greens, the B.C. Liberals would be expected to convene the legislature by July to present a throne speech and pass their pre-election budget. Its key provision, a 50-per-cent cut to Medical Services Plan premiums starting in January, was a similar commitment to the NDP and Green platforms.

If the B.C. Liberal government is defeated on a budget or other “confidence” vote in the early days of the new session, Guichon would be expected to offer Horgan’s NDP a chance to govern rather than call another election immediately.

The last time B.C. had a minority government was 1952, when W.A.C. Bennett’s Social Credit Party won 19 of 48 seats in a legislature that included Liberal, Conservative and CCF parties.

The following year, Bennett engineered the defeat of his own government and won the first of seven straight majorities.

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Saturday, May 27, 2017

An artist with a purpose

E

RAJ KAKRA

very person in this world is blessed with some talent, the need is to recognize and polish it.

People who find for their special gift, end up being an inspiration for others, and if this gift is combined with a purpose, gives birth to a legend. Situations teach one a lot of lessons and it was the effect of situations faced by a young boy at a very early age that made him pen down his thoughts as a way to communicate with the paper. Slowly and gradually this habit was nurtured and nourished, which gave birth to a beautiful and meaningful poetry that gave a name and fame to Raj Kakra.

“For any art to flourish, there has to be an inspiration.

For me that inspiration bloomed from the harsh times I

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have been through”, told Raj to the Asian Star newspaper.

After giving fistful of very popular songs to brilliant voices in the Punjabi Music industry, He recorded his first song in 2012 which marked an impression on every Punjabi’s heart. Talking about his sudden inclination towards singing he said,” I never wanted to be a singer, however I wanted to take my career differently. After writing so many romantic songs, I decided to proceed ahead with history and culture as my subjects for writing.”

Raj Kakra’s work in history and cultural song writing is applauded throughout Punjab and is also recognized among Punjabi community living abroad.

“I want to preserve our rich culture and history now.

I think, as a writer its my moral responsibility to pass it along to the upcoming generation”, told Raj. Apart from writing songs in historical and cultural context, Raj has also made some movies that are based of Societal issues and awareness.

Right now he is working on two movie projects that surely will form to be assets for Punjabi cinema.

Lately Raj Kakra was spotted in his first Canadian concert held in Surrey, where the response of the public was

tremendous. He has another concert in Toronto on May 27th, which again is one of its own kind musical evening.

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LOCAL

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Calgary’s Jinder Mahal is the new WWE champion Continued from Page 1...

Mahal started out as a 15-year-old who would take a one-and-a-half-hour bus journey to a wrestling school daily and fight wrestlers in their 20s and 30s for hours; despite being beaten up, he showed up day after day and was usually the last to leave.

From tasting early success to getting released and reinventing himself in the independent circuit, Mahal is now a WWE Champion and flag-bearer for the company’s SmackDown brand.

Winning a WWE title is huge, but to do that against Randy Orton, who is a 13-time world champion, how special is the feeling?

It feels great. Randy Orton is one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time, 13-time WWE champion and to knock off somebody like him, the ‘Apex Predator’ is a great feeling; being a WWE champion and to be representing India is tremendous. Hopefully this will be the first of many WWE title reigns to come. Being the WWE Champion translates in to the company putting faith in you to take the SmackDown brand forward.

Will that be an added pressure for you or is it something you are ready to take on?

It definitely is an added pressure. But I like pressure, I thrive on pressure, I use the pressure to motive me more; to work harder and to diet harder, to be more aggressive in the ring. Pressure is something I want. I want the company to put faith in me because I am ready for it. You know, a lot of athletes they just want to coast by, fly under the radar, but not me. I want to be the greatest, I want to be a champion, I want to represent WWE, represent India, represent everybody on as

big as a stage as I can.

After re-signing with WWE, in under100one year you are holding a title. Did you expect 95 such a meteoric rise?

Yes, it has been less than one year75and honestly during my first run with WWE100 I will be first to admit that I didn’t give my 100 per 95 cent. I got side tracked, I was too young. But 25 if I learned my lesson and said to myself that 75 I get another chance with WWE I won’t have any regrets and I will give my 110 per 5cent.

And when you give something your 110 per 0 cent, it gives you back 110 per cent and25that exactly what happened. I gave my all to WWE 5 trying to be the best superstar in the roster, and they rewarded me with the opportunity 0 to become the WWE champion.

You are only the second India origin WWE Champion after the Great Khali. How do you see yourself connecting with the Indian audience?

It is a great responsibility to be representing India in the WWE universe. Not only that, I am a WWE champion and as you said, the second ever (from India). India is such a passionate place when it comes to WWE, it has a special place in the WWE universe. The most passionate fans are from India and I hope that I can motive more Indians to pursue wresting or any athletics for that matter and become champions. And I hope they go on to represent India because in sports there is lack of Indian athletes. I think we have lots of talent there, we have everything and hopefully this (win) kick-starts and motivates younger people to pursue their dreams whether it is WWE or cricket or anything like this and become champions.

NASA names new organism found in space after APJ Abdul Kalam Kalam had his early training at NASA in 1963 before he set up India’s first rocketlaunching facility in the fishing village of Thumba in Kerala. “The name of the bacterium is Solibacillus kalamii, the species name is after Dr Abdul Kalam and genus name is Solibacillus which is a spore forming bacteria,� said Dr Kasthuri Venkateswaran, senior research scientist, Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group at JPL. The filter on which the new bug was found remained on board the ISS for 40 months.

Called a high-efficiency particulate arrestance filter or HEPA filter, this part is the routine housekeeping and cleaning system on board the international space station.

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This filter was later analysed at JPL and only this year did Venkateswaran publish his discovery in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.

According to Venkateswaran, even as it orbits the earth some 400 kilometres above, the ISS is home to many types of bacteria and fungi which co-inhabit the station with the astronauts who live and work on the station. “I am reasonably sure it has hitch hiked to the space station on board some cargo and then survived the hostile conditions of space,� explained Venkateswaran.

Naming the new microbe after Kalam was natural to Venkateswaran and his team. “Being a fellow Tamilian, I am aware of the huge contributions by Dr. Kalam,� he said.

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Saturday, May 27, 2017

Bangladeshi student blinded by domestic attack graduates from UBC law school As Rumana Monzur was guided to the podium to give a speech to fellow law graduates at the University of British Columbia, a hush fell over the crowd of more than 1,000 people gathered at the Chan Shun Concert Hall.

Monzur had come a long way since she

was savagely attacked by her then-husband in Bangladesh on a visit home in 2011. He gouged out her eyes, permanently blinding her. But Monzur, 38, persevered, returning to Canada to continue her studies. Two years later, she started law studies at UBC. On Wednesday, she graduated from the Peter A. Allard School of Law. “As a result of this horrendous attack, and life-threatening attack, I became blind. I never saw the world again,” Monzur told the assembly, which included her 11-year-old daughter.

Monzur spared the audience the graphic details of her husband’s attack: how her husband not only gouged her eyes, but bit off the tip of her nose as their daughter watched.

The attack was sparked after her husband grew enraged because Monzur had told him she’d be returning to Canada to continue

her education. At the time, she was taking a master’s at UBC. Monzur made international headlines when she spoke about the attack from her hospital bed.

When she returned to Canada with her daughter, she learned her husband had been caught and had died of a heart attack while awaiting trial.

In her speech, Monzur said many people at the university helped her after the attack.

“UBC gave me direction when I was lost,” she said in her speech.

“It would not be possible for me to get through law school without the support of my UBC family.”

One person Monzur thanked in particular was Catherine Dauvergne, dean of the Allard School of Law. “It was exciting this morning. I cried,” Dauvergne said after the ceremony as she praised Monzur. “She’s very unique, she’s forged her own path forward, and I can’t think of another person who could’ve done it in the same way.”

Outside the concert hall, Monzur embraced the students she’d come to know over the course of the program.

Many of her classmates dedicated their time to guide her to class or help her find her professors’ offices.

“She is a student who’s made a very strong impression on her classmates,” said Dauvergne. “I think she probably knows the name of everyone in her graduating class.”

Monzur completed her degree with the help of specialized computer programs and volunteer student services designed to help blind people study.

Power-sharing between BC parties is a mix of policies and personalities An intense new round of power-sharing talks are underway between B.C.’s Green, Liberal and NDP parties, but there’s more than just the issues on the table for the leaders.

Policy, personalities and the cold hard math of the seat count in the legislature are three of the biggest factors as the NDP and Liberals begin their tentative outreach to the Greens in hopes of lining-up a deal to secure the seats for a future majority government, said Hamish Telford, a political-science professor at the University of the Fraser Valley.

Without the Green support, neither the Liberals nor the NDP have enough votes to pass a budget or throne speech in the legislature.

“In the public’s mind, it’s probably the policy configuration” that’s most important, said Telford. “But the other two factors weigh larger for the leaders.” “We’re obviously working with both parties to see where we can find commonalities, where compromise exists,” he said Wednesday. That kind of lengthy accord is likely “overly optimistic” based on the average 18-month life of minority governments, said Telford.

“I think two years is generally as much as one can hope for.”

The Greens and NDP are the most closely aligned on policy. Both oppose the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion and want to stop or review the Site C dam. The Greens have a more aggressive plan to double the carbon tax. The parties also align generally on social issues, and want to ban corporate and union political donations.

They also both favour proportional

representation, though NDP Leader John Horgan insisted Wednesday a referendum must come first. “I think if you are going to change the electoral system you should ask people about that,” said Horgan. “It’s their system, not mine. I feel strongly about that.”

However, both parties could be satisfied with, say, a three-year accord to govern that would give enough time for both a referendum and then a change to PR. The Greens and Liberals have worked together in the past on legislation banning mandatory high heels in the workplace and improving post-secondary, sexual-assault policies. But their two platforms are “quite

dramatically far away” on major issues like Site C, Kinder Morgan and environmental protection, Weaver has said. That clear distinction could actually work in Weaver’s favour, giving him a clear identity in any deal with the Liberals, said David Moscrop, a political scientist at Simon Fraser University.

“I do think there’s a risk Weaver gets lost in the NDP to a larger extent than the Liberals.”

LOCAL

Saturday, May 27, 2017

11

Surrey mayor defends fast-tracking developments A plan by the mayor of Surrey to fasttrack several “transformative” developments through city hall — including at least three projects by developers that contributed to her Surrey First party in the last election — has some democracy watchers concerned.

During her 2017 State of the City address last week, Linda Hepner outlined plans to select six to eight projects each year and accelerate them through the city’s development process, with the aim of cutting approval time in half.

She said the projects would still have to go through normal processes, including public hearings and votes by council.

But critics say the plan will set a “dangerous precedent,” giving the mayor too much power over what goes before council and when, and giving the appearance of crony capitalism in Metro Vancouver’s fastest-growing city.

“When you have politicians making staff decisions on what to bring to council, you’re opening a real can of worms,” said Dermod

Travis, executive director of IntegrityBC. “It opens you up to criticism, legitimate or otherwise, when you start treating some developers differently than others.”

Travis said Hepner should have put the idea to a council vote before announcing it as if she was “above council.” In an earlier interview with Postmedia, Hepner said she consulted with senior city staff to decide how many and which projects would be fast-tracked this year, but the final decision was hers.

In addition to the SFU Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering building, which is already under construction, the mayor chose four developments for special treatment.

The list includes the Lark Group’s Legion Veterans Village. The Lark Group donated $12,100 to Surrey First in 2014, according to Elections B.C. online financial reports.

Hepner also chose a 41-storey Concord Pacific development called Park Boulevard.

Concord Pacific donated $4,000 to Surrey First in 2014. It donated the same amount to two other Surrey parties.

Anthem Properties’ proposed Surrey City Centre development is also on the mayor’s fast-track list. Anthem donated $12,000 to Surrey First, according to Elections B.C. It also made donations totalling $5,000 to the competition parties. The mayor also selected a Jim Pattison Development Group project.

The Jim Pattison Development Group did not make any contributions to Surrey candidates in the last election. On Thursday, Hepner defended each project and the process that

led to their selection, saying it was “a process of visioning — no more, no less.”

The mayor said concerned citizens should look at the projects themselves, as they were selected for their ability to transform and benefit the city, with the fast-tracking process meant to “catapult them from the drawing board into reality.”

Hepner also emphasized the process would be “incredibly transparent” moving forward,

ensuring citizens understand why each project was chosen.

That will be key for the success of the mayor’s plan, said Andy Yan, director of SFU’s City Program. “As long as the process is transparent and it’s clear why (the projects) are being fast-tracked, this really represents a leadership call,” he said. “If the public does not like the process, the mayor is accountable at the ballot box.”

Woman murdered in East Vancouver Marlene Thistle was stopped at the side of the road outside Quesnel when she learned by phone that her daughter, Janice Nicole Bryant, had been killed in East Vancouver on Tuesday.

Bryant, 33 and a mother of one daughter, was shot outside her home near East 7th Avenue and St. Catherines Street at around 5 p.m. Police have said little about the attack apart from stating they believed Bryant had been targeted. They had no further information to offer Thursday.

It wasn’t cops who called Thistle with news of the shooting, though she said they had her number. Rather, it was Thistle’s son who told her.

Thistle isn’t pleased about what others have said about her daughter in previous media reports and wished to describe Bryant’s home life and the relationships between some of the family members. She also had a message for those who may have killed her daughter.

Bryant had been happily married to her husband for a year-and-a-half. They had known each other for 18 years, she said.

“While he may have been involved in activities that ultimately put Janice in danger, he loved her and supported her,” Thistle said.

“Her love for (her husband) kept her beside him as he tried to walk away from his past and his past wouldn’t let him,” she said.

Bryant’s husband’s business dealings were kept separate from his home life, and the two never mixed, Thistle said. Bryant herself had never been in trouble with police, she added.

Bryant’s immediate family members all lived in Vancouver and she regularly spoke to her mother by phone, text or in person. “She came for Sunday dinners, we had evenings where we watched UFC fights or we went bowling as a family,” Thistle said.

“She had a big heart and was accepting of everyone — always focusing on the positive and not the negative.

That part of her character meant that even if others were troubled, she only saw the good in them,” Thistle said.

Bryant and her husband have one daughter, a promising young hockey player who lives outside of B.C.

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Getting Settled:

Preparing for your first year in Canada Moving to a new country can be both exciting and overwhelming. It’s a time of change from the familiar, and being prepared and knowledgeable about the first few things to attend to would go a long way.

“Every year, Canada welcomes thousands of newcomers from all around the world,” says Ivy Chiu, Senior Director, Cultural Markets, RBC. “While moving you and your family across the world is not easy, establishing a routine would help in settling and integrating to life in Canada, setting you and your family up for success from the beginning.”

The first 100 days are important. Here are a few things to consider when you first arrive: • Make a visit to your local government service office to apply for important government issued documents you need including: o Social Insurance Card (SIN Card) - a nine-digit you will need this number to work in Canada or to apply for government programs and benefits. Find a Service Canada Office near you to get started: http://bit.ly/2pHRWb6. o Health Card: Healthcare is likely different in Canada than it is back home.

With your health card, you will be covered for a range of services. The next big step is finding out what additional insurance you may need, and other healthcare providers including a family doctor in your community. Find one at: http:// www.cic.gc.ca/english/newcomers/after-

health-doctor.asp o Driver’s License: The process for getting a driver’s license in Canada depends on the province or territory in which you live and on your driving background. Learn more here: http://bit. ly/2pNJ4Bg • Open up your first Canadian bank account and start building credit history right away. Credit and credit history is needed in Canada for bigger purchases like a home or car, but may also be required for cell phone bills, rent and others monthly expenses. Additional information about banking for newcomers is available at rbc. com/newcomers.

• Start building a social network in your new community. There are lots of free services and community organizations for newcomers. You can even start researching before arrival to set up meetings and social events upon in advance. Visit http://www. cic.gc.ca/english/newcomers/services/ for more information on what’s available in your new community.

• Stay in touch with your roots by joining cultural associations. This familiarity may help with the transition to life in Canada and you will meet new friends along the way.

Moving to a new country requires a significant adjustment. Preparing before you leave and knowing how to effectively settle into a routine upon your arrival will facilitate the transition. For other newcomer advice, visit rbc.com/ newcomers.

Ancaster’s Karim Baratov, alleged Yahoo hacker, appeals decision to deny bail The U.S. paperwork detailing the extradition case against Hamilton’s Karim Baratov, an alleged Yahoo hacker, is in a Canadian prosecutor’s hands, and a date for 22-year-old’s hearing will be set in June.

The delivery of the required documents was confirmed by a Crown prosecutor in court in Hamilton as Baratov made an appearance. His lawyer, Amedeo DiCarlo, also confirmed that, as expected, they have appealed the decision to deny Baratov bail.

Both will be back in court June 16 to set a date for his extradition hearing. The bail review will be in Toronto on June 5, DiCarlo said.

U.S. authorities allege Baratov, from suburban Ancaster, was a “hacker-forhire” with suspected Russian ties. He faces charges related to a massive Yahoo email hacking scandal.

Baratov was one of four men indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice on charges related to computer hacking, economic espionage and other offences. Two of the others are Russian intelligence officers Dmitry Aleksandrovich Dokuchaev, 33, and Igor Anatolyevich Sushchin, 43. Russian national Alexsey Alexseyevich Belan, also known as Magg, 29, has also been indicted.

U.S. officials allege the four hacked into Yahoo’s systems and stole information from

more than 500 million user accounts.

Baratov is in custody awaiting the extradition hearing, a process that could take 18 months to three years to unfold if there are appeals to the decision.

DiCarlo said he has met with officials from various U.S. agencies, including the

FBI, and “they’ve been more than helpful.”

President Donald Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey set back the case a few days, DiCarlo said, because it occupied senior officials needed to sign documents and deal with the matter. He’s also waiting on disclosure from U.S. authorities.

The numerous delays illustrate why Baratov is so hopeful his appeal of the bail decision will be successful, DiCarlo said.

His team is appealing it on the grounds of judicial error.

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LOCAL

Saturday, May 27, 2017

13

Ottawa crafting plan to boost use of zero-emission vehicles The federal government is developing a strategy to get more zero-emission vehicles on Canada’s roads, a process that has sparked a battle between the environmental lobby

and the auto industry as each seeks to shape policy.

Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, are scheduled to announce on Friday the creation of an advisory group that will recommend policy on zero-emission vehicles or ZEVs. The advisory group and five subcommittees will contain members from environmental groups and auto industry organizations as well as companies in the auto sector with a goal of having a policy established by next year.

But the auto industry and environmental groups are already at odds about whether federal policy should require that a certain percentage of annual new vehicle sales consist of ZEVs. Such a requirement is strongly opposed by the auto sector.

One environmental activist who is participating in the federal discussions said he wants to see regulations that push these vehicles into the market faster. Forecasting consumer demand and providing incentives for drivers are not sufficient to get enough ZEVs on the road, he said.

Some environmental groups are urging governments to adopt aggressive regulations that would require half the vehicles sold in 2025 to be zero emission, a goal the auto industry rejects as wildly optimistic.

The electricity sector, including local distribution companies, also has a big stake in the development of a policy and is eager to see a heightened effort to get more electric vehicles on the road. Canadians bought just 4,000 electric or plug-in electric vehicles in 2015, 0.02 per cent of total new vehicle sales.

Quebec legislation requires that ZEVs represent 15.5 per cent of sales by 2025, with

SURREY

a target of having 100,000 such vehicles on the road by 2020.

In a report issued last year, Torontobased Pollution Probe and Plug’n Drive – a coalition of electricity-sector groups – laid out a list of recommendations aimed at spurring sales of electric vehicles. They included measures to support the expansion of charging stations; incentives for EV car buyers and for dealers; and public information campaigns aimed at educating consumers about advances in electric-vehicle technology.

Pollution Probe’s work on this issue “underscores that it will require proactive support and effort from many facets of the marketplace, in order to make this shift as 100 seamless as possible to the consumer,” the 95 organization’s executive director Ingrid Thompson said Thursday. “This means 75 that regulated mandates can work only if they are one piece of a larger puzzle” that would include governments, auto makers, 25 the5 electricity sector and a range of other stakeholders.

0 The subcommittees set up to help develop a federal government policy will look at: vehicle supply; the state of the infrastructure for ZEVs; costs and benefits of owning the vehicles; education and public awareness; and the impact of the technology on clean jobs and environmentally friendly economic growth. A briefing document for members of the committee examining costs and benefits of ownership says the objective is to make the purchase prices of ZEVs competitive with those of vehicles powered by internal combustion engines.

The cost of a zero-emission vehicle, estimated to be 25 per cent higher than internal combustion engine vehicles, is a significant barrier to higher sales of ZEVs, the document says. Costs are coming down, but Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV president Sergio Marchionne said in a speech in Toronto earlier this month that the auto 100 maker loses $20,000 (U.S.) on every electric 95 Fiat 500 it sells. Toyota is not opposed to 75 ZEVs – in fact, its fuel cell-powered Mirai is a ZEV – but Mr. Beatty said hybrids, where Toyota has focused much of its investment 25 on reducing emissions, offer a 30-per-cent 5 reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on all sizes of vehicles.

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Grace McCarthy passes away Grace McCarthy’s death Wednesday sparked tributes from around British Columbia.

Premier Christy Clark saw “Amazing Grace” as a trailblazer.

“At a time when female leaders were hard to find in Canadian politics, Grace McCarthy was an agent of change,” said Clark in a statement. “When she was first elected, women could not even apply for mortgages without a male guarantor — until she worked with the provincial and federal governments to fix it.

“From playing an instrumental role in bringing Expo ’86 to Vancouver, to starting the first toll-free help line for children, to becoming Canada’s first female deputy premier, she left an indelible mark on our entire province.

“Equal parts intelligent, warm, and tough, she led by example, inspiring more than one generation of women in B.C. and Canada to stand up and pursue a career in politics.”

Jim Pattison worked with McCarthy on Expo ’86.

“She was a hard worker, and she was a visionary,” said Pattison. “There would have been no Expo ’86 without Grace McCarthy.

It was Grace’s vision to bring a world’s fair to Vancouver, to help in the early ’80s when we had high unemployment rates and things

were not that good. ‘“(And) she was the driver who got (thenpremier) Bill Bennett to make the decision to have Expo ’86.”

Radio legend Red Robinson said McCarthy was a B.C. original.

“She loved the province, loved being here,” said Robinson. “It’s like Jimmy Pattison.

Why didn’t he move his vast, billion-dollar empire somewhere else? It’s because he loved Vancouver. And Grace felt the same way.

“The lady put lights on the Lions Gate Bridge. She was responsible for driving Expo ’86. She got the Trade and Convention Centre (built). And the list goes on.

“This was someone who was dedicated. Even when she was out of politics, she formed the Child Foundation, for children with liver disease and intestinal problems. She dedicated herself to it. She was an amazing woman.”

McCarthy held several portfolios in the Social Credit governments of W.A.C. Bennett and his son Bill. Bill’s son Brad said she was very close to both.

“She became a great confidante of my grandfather’s and my father’s, as well as a great friend,” said Brad Bennett. “She had an energy and a very infectious, warm smile that I’m sure people who knew her can picture. When she walked into a room she lit it up. She was a very approachable, nice, grounded person.”

McCarthy could be a fierce politician, but had a nice touch with people, even political opponents. When long-time Downtown Eastside champion Bruce Eriksen was dying from hepatitis several years ago, she phoned him and said how much she appreciated his work for the downtrodden.

“I don’t agree with her politics,” said Eriksen. “But that lady has class.”

Red Robinson concurs.

“I don’t care what side of the political spectrum you’re on, when you mention the name Grace McCarthy, there’s respect,” he said.

Big city mayors release new recommendations to combat opioid crisis Mayors from 13 cities are urging the federal government to lead a nationwide action plan to treat Canada’s opioid crisis.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson heads the big city mayors caucus (BCMC) that includes mayors from Surrey, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Hamilton, London, Kitchener, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.

Robertson says an important piece of the call to action is tracking the number of drug overdoses across the country.

“Many cities and provinces are not tracking the data. They don’t know how many people are dying. We want to make sure the federal government pulls together an action table that treats this like a national emergency.”

The BCMC’s recommendations draw in part from the frontline experience of emergency responders and community workers. In part, they urge Ottawa to : • Prioritize targets for reducing overdose and overdose fatalities.

• Adopt a pan-Canadian action plan to address the root causes of the opiod crisis.

• Urgently address the four pillars of harm reduction, treatment, prevention and enforcement.

• Expand efforts to improve the impact on Indigenous communities, with a focus on prevention and addressing social determinants of health.

The Vancouver Police Department released its own recommendations Wednesday. In an

annual report, the VPD called for the federal and provincial governments to enact an emergency response that is in keeping with the scale of the problem.

“The development of a functioning system for addiction prevention and care has long

been neglected,” the report said.

Hugh Lampkin, the vice president of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users says the efforts by various levels of government to try and tackle the crisis don’t go unnoticed but also don’t go far enough.

“Get rid of the black market, because the black market is what’s feeding this, so if this isn’t a topic, we’re not really going anywhere.”

British Columbia declared a public health emergency over a year ago, but despite that, the number of overdose deaths continues to escalate.

In March 2016, there were 79 suspected drug overdose deaths. In March 2017, there were 120 suspected drug overdose deaths, a 51.9 per cent increase year over year.

The BCMC is calling for a progress report

by September.

2 guilty pleas in crash that killed RCMP Const.

Kenneth Fenton, 29, has pleaded guilty to two criminal counts in the death of 32-yearold RCMP Const. Sarah Beckett. Fenton pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing

death and dangerous driving causing death in a Colwood B.C. courtroom.

Beckett died April 5, 2016 when the

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marked police car she was driving was struck by a pickup truck in the Victoria suburb of Langford, B.C. “This kind of thing impacts everybody,” said Colwood mayor Carol Hamilton who attended the court hearing today and said the entire community mourned the 11-year RCMP officer who left a husband and two young children behind.

At the crash scene more than a year ago an eyewitness reported seeing a speeding truck.

Jordan Coons tried to free both drivers from their vehicles after the impact.

“His truck was right on top of her. His bumper was right inside her window.”

Fenton had a history of driving infractions, including an impaired charge in 2010. He was found guilty of a lesser offence of driving without due care and attention.

He was also sued in connection to a rollover outside Victoria in May 2016 that left a female passenger in the truck he was driving with injuries, according to civil court documents.

LOCAL

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Vancouver says 4/20 rally at Sunset Beach cost nearly a quarter million A lot of people got higher than ever at this year’s 4/20 protest rallies in Vancouver. But so did the bill.

A joint news release from the city of Vancouver, the Vancouver park board and Vancouver police said the costs to manage and clean up after the rallies at Sunset Beach Park and the Vancouver Art Gallery on April 20

totalled $245,379 this year, after reviewing all costs associated with the unsanctioned event.

That’s a 66 per cent increase over last year’s total of $148,000, which itself was a 60 per cent increase on 2015’s total cost of $92,500.

The event appears to be gaining some serious momentum.

It’s also $90,000 more than what was estimated as the cost for the Sunset Beach protest when organizers filed for a permit, and were denied by the Vancouver park board in early March.

That didn’t stop the 4/20 rally from taking place, however — it was larger than ever. The city estimated a whopping 40,000 attendees at peak time, up from 25,000 in 2016.

The park board will be invoicing the organizers of the Sunset Beach Park site for their share of expenses, the city said, although it’s not clear what that number will be yet.

Likely the largest cost will be reseeding Sunset

Field, which acting park operations director Howard Normann said was “trashed” by the event.

Dana Larsen, one of the organizers for the Sunset Beach rally, said his group has already agreed to pay for that.

Larsen took issue with a several aspects of the news release, such as lumping the two separate rallies together. “(We’re) not responsible for what happens at the gallery,” he said. “That’s a separate group, a group that refuses to work with the city or anybody else like we do. (…) They cost proportionately a lot more.”

The numbers from the city bear this out.

According to the joint news release, the Sunset Beach protest racked up $127,245 in policing costs, while policing the Art Gallery event cost $43,425.

Larsen doesn’t feel his event’s policing budget — “something we have no control over,” he said — should be held against the rally. He pointed to the policing costs for February 28’s Trump Tower protest, attended by just over 200 people, which VPD said came to $105,000.

Furthermore, he felt the event was being demonized. If this was something other than a cannabis rally, he said, “the city would be highlighting all the revenue it brings to the surrounding community, all the business it brings in, people coming in not only from the Lower Mainland but also all over the world.

“They’re buying hotel rooms, they’re renting cars, they’re eating meals. So there’s a huge economic benefit to the community and Vancouver to having this event. With other community-type events those numbers get highlighted and promoted, but with ours the focus is on the relatively low cost of putting this on. That I think is a bit prejudicial.”

Canada Post issues first ever Eid stamp ahead of Ramadan Canada Post has unveiled its first ever Eid stamp honouring Islam’s most important holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, which begins Friday evening.

“I think it’s an acknowledgement of Canada’s religious diversity,” Mohamed Farhad Khadim, director of education at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, told Metro Morning.

Khadim attended the official unveiling of the stamp at an event organized by Canada Post earlier in the week.

“It is a sense of accomplishment, a sense of belonging,” he said of the stamp, which features the French and English words for Eid and Arabic script reading “have a blessed Eid.” The new stamp is part of an effort by

Canada Post to expand its offerings in reflection of Canada’s religious diversity.

Canadian post offices have sold Christmas stamps since 1964, but over the course of 2017, Canada Post will offer stamps commemorating Diwali and Hanukkah in addition to the Eid stamp.

“Together the Eid, Diwali and Hanukkah stamps build on the tradition of Christmas stamps and depict our pride in Canada being a land of diverse faiths, customs and celebrations,” reads a statement on the Canada Post website.

The stamp may also provide a temporary boost to mail volume.

“Oh definitely we have plans to send a lot of mail this Ramadan,” Khadim said of his plans to put the new stamp to use. “I encourage everyone to purchase some of the stamps.”

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Clark should step down as leader if Liberals can’t form a government: Poll A majority of British Columbians think Christy Clark should step down as leader if her B.C. Liberals cannot form a government, according to a new Insights West poll.

After absentee ballots were counted this week, the B.C. Liberals finished one seat short of a majority in the May 9 election, with 43 seats in the 87-seat legislature. The NDP has 41 seats and the Greens have three.

Clark remains premier and has called for the parties, “to move forward and form a government.”

“The final result reinforces that British Columbians want us to work together, across party lines, to get things done for them,” she

said in a statement.

In an Insights West online survey, 66 per cent of respondents — including 46 per cent of those who voted Liberal — would be in favour of Clark’s ouster if the Liberals fail to form government.

Most respondents, 51 per cent, want the Greens to support the NDP in the B.C. Legislature if a majority government cannot be formed, while just 38 per cent think the Greens should back the Liberals.

Among those who voted Green, 62 per cent said they are in favour of the party supporting the NDP, while just 23 per cent would prefer to back the Liberals.

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Saturday, May 27, 2017

Ottawa anticipates $23-billion year-end deficit The Liberal government ran a deficit of about $23-billion during its first full fiscal year in office, according to a preliminary estimate.

Finance Canada released its final tracking report of the 2016-17 fiscal year Friday, showing a $21.8-billion deficit. The department notes that when year-end adjustments are made, the final figure is likely to be “broadly in line” with the $23-billion deficit that was projected in the March budget. The official year-end deficit figures will not be released until the fall.

Monthly deficit figures had been trending toward a smaller deficit than what had been projected in the budget.

However, Friday’s report revealed that Ottawa ran a $10.4-billion deficit in March, the last month of the fiscal year.

At $23-billion, the 2016-17 deficit would be smaller than the $29.4-billion deficit projected more than a year ago by the Liberals in the 2016 budget. However, it is more than twice the size of the maximum $10-billion deficits the Liberals promised during the 2015 federal election campaign. The final deficit for the previous fiscal year, 2015-16, was $987-million.

After taking office, the Liberals said the government would be running larger-thanpromised deficits because of weaker-thanexpected economic growth.

Early indications for 2017 suggest the Liberals may have underestimated the strength of the economy. Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s 2017 budget is based on an average of private-sector forecasts from

December, 2016. The budget assumes the economy will grow by 1.9 per cent in 2017 and 2 per cent in 2018.

However, a May survey of private-sector forecasts conducted by Consensus Economics found the average forecast has increased to 2.4 per cent for 2017. The forecast remains at

1.9 per cent for 2018.

Friday’s report provides a breakdown of the areas where spending has increased.

Overall revenues are largely unchanged from the previous year at $290-billion. The deficit is almost entirely due to a 7-percent increase in expenses, which grew from $291.5-billion to $312.1-billion.

Some of the biggest specific increases included a $4.2-billion boost to children’s benefits through the new Canada Child Benefit, a $2.7-billion increase in elderly benefits due to growth in the elderly population, and higher consumer prices, which affect indexed benefits and increased transfers for infrastructure spending.

Lower-than-expected interest rates allowed the government to save $1.2-billion, which represents a 4.7-per-cent reduction in public debt charges.

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Surrey’s newest tree has roots in Vimy Ridge Surrey’s newest tree has a history that goes all the way back to the Battle at Vimy Ridge.

The oak sapling, which was planted Thursday afternoon, is a direct descendant of the trees that once lined the French battlefield where 3,598 Canadian soldiers were killed in April of 1917.

“The battle for Vimy Ridge involved a very intense artillery barrage and that barrage essentially destroyed every tree on the ridge,” said Fleetwood-Pt. Kells MP Ken Hardie.

“A Canadian officer, Lt. Leslie Miller from Scarborough, picked up some acorns from a tree that had just been blown apart. He sent them back home in 1917 and had them planted on his farm.”

Miller called the trees the Vimy Oaks, and that’s what they’ve been known as ever since.

As the 100th anniversary of the Battle at Vimy Ridge grew near, the Vimy Oaks Legacy Corporation planned to take dozens of saplings and plant them near the Canadian National Memorial Vimy site in France.

When those plans hit a snag, Hardie saw an opportunity to create a memorial site in Surrey.

“The idea was to take saplings from those trees and send them back to Vimy to reestablish oak trees on the ridge but unfortunately, at the last minute, they weren’t able to get them into France,” Hardie said.

“The trees were available, and I learned about this from one of my colleagues in caucus and I got one.”

Hardie called Surrey’s parks department to see if he could plant the sapling somewhere in the city.

They decided Francis Park in Fleetwood was the perfect location.

“This spot is actually quite symbolic,” he said.

“Francis Park is named after Francis Fleetwood, Arthur Fleetwood’s mom. Arthur Fleetwood is the namesake of this community and he died in World War I.”

Trans Mountain pipeline pushes forward despite BC’s uncertain political future B.C ‘s uncertain political future isn’t slowing down Kinder Morgan’s efforts to push forward the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion — but experts say the project will still have to navigate a political minefield.

On Thursday, Kinder Morgan announced construction on the project will begin in the fall, as long as it secures the necessary funding through its initial public offering.

The company is currently aiming to raise $1.75 billion, offering 102.9 million shares for $17 each.

University of British Columbia associate professor George Hoberg said that given the current political climate, the announcement

by Kinder Morgan is an audacious one.

“It’s a pretty bold statement to make at this particular time, despite all that uncertainty, that they’re still planning to plough ahead contingent on that IPO being successful,” he said.​ But Kevin Hanna with UBC’s geography department said the announcement should

not come as a shock.

“They were probably waiting to ensure that they could get sufficient financing in place and customers lined up, and it seems that all of that is coming together, so this isn’t surprising,” he said.

“It’ll be interesting to see the kind of people who choose at the end of the day to put money in the project and what their expectations are and what their risk tolerance is.”

During the campaign, the B.C. NDP and the B.C. Green parties vowed to kill the project if they formed a government.

The project is also currently tied up in 19 separate lawsuits from First Nations and environmentalist groups.

But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has given it a green light, and Alberta Premier Rachel Notley has aggressively advocated for it.

Hanna said that while a B.C. government hostile to the project could try to delay it, it’s unlikely they could stop it in the long run — and that the time required to decide lawsuits makes it unlikely that they will impact the project’s start.

Vancouver police crack down on noisy motorcyclists It happens every spring — the warm weather means a lot more motorcycles on the road.

Vancouver police say they get a lot of noise complaints from riled residents at this time of year and are reminding riders to be safe and considerate of others while out enjoying the weather.

Police also want to point out that new rules mean officers can now use their ears instead of a decibel meter to decide whether the roar of a motorcycle’s engine is acceptable or not.

A recent B.C. Supreme court decision said officers can use “subjective observation” to measure noise levels.

The fine for running your motor too loud is $109 under the Motor Vehicle Act.

Saturday, May 27, 2017

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NATIONAL

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Manchester bombing suspect Salman Abedi reportedly linked to former Ottawa extremist imam The bomber who attacked a Manchester pop concert has been linked to an extremist imam from Ottawa whom Canadian intelligence officials had warned was “promoting violent jihad” in Libya.

Quoting a senior American official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, The New York Times reported that Salman Abedi “had links to a radical preacher in Libya identified as Abdul Baset Ghwela.”

The report appeared to be referring to a Libyan-Canadian the Canadian government calls Abdu Albasset Egwilla. Formerly a cleric at an Ottawa mosque, Egwilla has been accused of inciting violence since returning to Libya.

“The RCMP is aware of the latest allegations,” Sgt. Harold Pfleiderer, an RCMP

spokesman, said when asked about the alleged Canadian connection to the Briton said to be behind Monday’s terrorist attack, which killed 22.

He would not confirm the RCMP was investigating, saying it would be inappropriate to do so before charges were laid. Canada was collaborating with its international partners to “ensure the safety and security of Canadian interests and that of the broader global community,” he said.

The New York Times report did not elaborate on the nature of the alleged

connection between Abedi and Egwilla.

Abedi had visited Libya days before he set off a bomb outside an Ariana Grande concert packed with teens.

ISIL has claimed responsibility for the attack but investigators are trying to identify Abedi’s possible links to extremist groups in Libya. Libyan authorities have arrested his father, Ramadan, and brother Hashim, who has been accused of belonging to ISIL. “While we can confirm the government of Canada is aware of these allegations, we do not comment on

national security operational matters,” said Scott Bardsley, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale’s press secretary.

Egwilla was part of a Libyan militant group based in Peshawar and supported by Osama bin Laden, according to a Canadian familiar with the extremist scene in the Pakistani city in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

He later arrived in Canada and obtained citizenship, but several years ago he returned to Libya, where he is considered a hardliner, and served as director of the Tripoli office of the ministry of religious endowments.

Canada’s Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre said in a 2014 intelligence report that Egwilla had appeared in a video in which he had “urged an audience of Libyan Islamist fighters to take part in jihad.”

Woman finds her stolen car; but loses it again after police take hours to respond A bizarre car theft has left a Brampton, Ont., woman angry with Peel Regional Police, after she found her stolen vehicle but then waited hours for help from law enforcement.

So long, in fact, that the car went missing a second time.

At 4 a.m. on Sunday, Monika Gaddu awoke to find her 2012 Acura TL stolen from her driveway.

“I freaked out,” she said. “I woke [my husband] and said, ‘Where’s my car, where’s my car?’”

When the 31-year-old and her husband moved into the Brampton home last year, Gaddu didn’t realize her nine security cameras weren’t recording.

But her neighbours captured footage of what appears to show at least two people wearing hoodies break into her locked vehicle and drive away.

Police say three other vehicles on Gaddu’s street were broken into that same night.

While the thieves took things in those other robberies, they didn’t steal the vehicles outright.

A Peel Regional Police officer came and took a statement from Gaddu on Sunday.

But when she didn’t get an update the next day, Gaddu and her husband went searching themselves.

“We’re hunting for my car, because I felt like no one else is.”

After a disappointing hour, the couple was driving back when Gaddu spotted what she thought might be her car parked on a side street a kilometre away from their home. “’Please, please, please be my car.’ That’s exactly what I said, and I saw the licence plate.

My licence plate was still on it.”

The couple took a video of the car as proof and, according to the couple’s call log, contacted police to report what they’d found at 5:55 p.m. Monday.

The couple allege that police told them that because there wasn’t a crime in progress, the pair would have to wait. Police also said that because there might be fingerprints, or other evidence on the vehicle, they should not touch the car, Gaddu said.

“I’m sitting there and [family members] are bringing us drinks and food, my vitamins, like it was so awkward,” she said. “Why am I sitting on the side of the street, when I live a kilometre away and I’m a tax-paying citizen?”

Gaddu said she and her husband ended up waiting for police for more than six hours.

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Saturday, May 27, 2017

Leader of Toronto 18 terror group denied release

Fahim Ahmad, one of the leaders of the group that became known as the “Toronto 18,” will remain behind bars, both a prisoner for his crimes and a system that is ill-equipped to deal with terrorism offenders.

The question Friday morning for two parole board members was not whether Ahmad would be released. It was simply when.

Member Scott Nettie described his role as this: “It’s an odds game … we’re like an insurance company here.”

But the choice was essentially whether 32-year-old Ahmad is released now, under supervision and into the care of the Salvation Army and imams who once worked for Correctional Service Canada (CSC), or wait until his sentence expires on Jan. 24, at which time he walks out of prison a free man.

Inmates in Canada are released after serving two-thirds of their sentence. Only rare cases, where someone is considered likely to commit a serious offence, as Ahmad was, is the inmate held past their statuary release date for their full sentence.

When Ahmad was denied release last year, it was because he could not show that he had a “viable release plan” and the board members were unable to measure how he had benefited from programs and counseling during his incarceration. But Ahmad had not participated in specific counseling for inmates convicted of terrorism offences, or had a release plan specifically tailored to his crimes because those types of programs — officially sanctioned by CSC — do not exist. “They use the Catch-22,” said in an interview with the Star from prison last year. “They say there haven’t been any programs to assess where you are, so we can’t let you out.”

A student was named the “most likely to become a terrorist” during a mock awards ceremony after the official awards ceremony at Anthony Aguirre Junior High in Texas, the

school said in a statement.

Texas school apologizes after 7th-grader given ‘most likely to become a terrorist’ award Chris Kunitz was the overtime hero for the Penguins in Game 7.

In the age of Daesh, and terrorist attacks such as the tragic bombing Monday night at a pop concert in Manchester, or the January mass shooting at a mosque in Quebec City, the case of the “Toronto 18” seems like a distant memory.

Yet on that June 2 evening in 2006, when SWAT teams fanned out across the city and arrested 17 men and teenagers at gunpoint, the world’s attention focused on Canada (an 18th suspect was later arrested).

There was fear: the suspects were accused of plotting to pack two U-Haul trucks with fertilizer bombs and strike downtown Toronto during rush hour, a third bomb simultaneously exploding at a military base north of the city.

The suspects called it the “Battle of Toronto,” and their dark fantasies envisioned maximum carnage, killing hundreds of pedestrians and hoping shockwaves from the blast would send vehicles flying, like toy cars tossed in the air by tantrum-prone toddlers.

There was doubt: lawyers for the accused argued that Mubin Shaikh, the outspoken and controversial informant for the RCMP who had infiltrated the group, pushed the suspects further than they would have ever gone on their own. Could the group have actually executed this plot?

There was ridicule: details later emerged that the youngest of the accused attended a winter “training camp” led by Ahmad and Shaikh, where the hapless jihadi wannabes had to retreat to the local Tim Hortons to use the indoor plumbing. A lawyer for one of the youths focused on the donut shop during his questioning of Shaikh – to underscore the juvenile nature of the experience. “All right,” lawyer Nadir Sachak finally concluded, “so basically the trips to Tim Hortons were to take a dump and to eat some food?” Shaikh agreed.

And, there was disbelief: Comedian Jon Stewart summed up what most of his American audience was thinking when he said, “You hate Canada? That’s like saying, ‘I hate toast.’

Longshot Obhrai has made his mark on CPC leadership race Deepak Obhrai admits with a laugh that it would take a “miracle” for him to win the Conservative leadership race this weekend But after nine months on the campaign trail, the veteran Calgary Forest Lawn MP calls himself a “happy camper” as the race comes to a close on Saturday.

“The reason I ran, the reason that I put my name forward, I believe I have achieved those reasons. And for that reason, I feel pretty good,” said Obhrai in an interview this week.

“I built my campaign on three major points, which were diversity, inclusiveness and equality. I believe that being on the stage during all that time, during the debates and everything with this strong message, I believe that message has been really well-received.”

Obhrai was born in Tanzania and went to school in that country, India and the United Kingdom before his family emigrated to Canada in 1977. In Calgary, he served as president of the India-Canada Association and the Hindu Society before his election as a Reform MP in 1997.

As a leadership candidate, the longestserving Conservative MP wasn’t shy about calling out fellow candidate Kellie Leitch’s controversial call for a Canadian values test for newcomers as an attempt to tap into antiimmigrant sentiment.

A longtime friend of Obhrai’s, former federal cabinet minister Peter MacKay, said the Calgarian played an important role in

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But while Obhrai was focused on keeping the Conservative party a “big blue tent,” he also drew attention for his loose, conversational style while campaigning, with quips such as “not all issues are black and white. they can also be brown.”

Even Obhrai’s mangled attempts at French appeared to prompt affection, rather than derision.

Tim Powers, a longtime Conservative strategist, said Obhrai brought some muchneeded lightness into the race.

“He’s been a great tonic for a Conservative party that needed a gin and tonic,” said Powers.

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the race with his advocacy of tolerance and inclusiveness.

“It was good he pushed back. He gave voice to what a lot of people were feeling — this is not the route to broadening our party,” said MacKay.

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Elections BC looking into mysterious attack ads in Richmond Elections BC is investigating after an NDP candidate in Richmond complained he was the victim of unfair and inaccurate attack ads.

The ads, sponsored by the Better Richmond Concern Group, accused Chak Au, the NDP’s candidate for Richmond South Centre, of breaking a promise to oppose issues like new supervised-injection sites, same-sex marriage, unisex public washrooms and young children receiving sex education. The BC NDP, the ads note, is a party that advocates for those issues.

The Better Richmond Concern Group registered with Elections BC as a third-party advertiser, as it was required to do. However, whoever is responsible for the group remains unknown.

Mr. Au complained to Elections BC that the ads did not include the required contact information and they were being distributed within 100 metres of an electoral office.

The Elections BC registration form lists King Chan’s telephone number and e-mail address as the contact for the group. But Mr. Chan said in an interview he is just a “nobody.”

“Obviously, I am a useless guy in the group.

I am pretty dumb; when they asked me to use my name, I agreed to it,” Mr. Chan said, adding he didn’t expect there to be such a furor over the ad when he agreed to become the contact person.

Mr. Chan wouldn’t name the “bigger figures” he said were behind the group: “I don’t know

them and I don’t want to.”

The attack ads first appeared in Chineselanguage newspapers and the Richmond News with a telephone number, though on flyers, they were printed without any contact information.

The Globe contacted Stephen To, whose number was printed in the newspaper ads, but Mr. To also said he was not in charge of the group. He said someone else was, but declined to name who. Mr. To also said he was a Liberal supporter, both provincially and federally.

Bill Li Tze Lung and Lily Cheung Wai Han are listed on the Elections BC registration form as the principal officers in the group. Ms. Cheung’s address is listed as the mailing address for the group.

However, the townhouse unit in Burnaby turned out to be empty and is for sale.

Mr. Au’s campaign manager, Henry Yao, said they reported the issue to Elections BC in early April and filed an official complaint on April 25, two weeks before the May 9 provincial election. But, Mr. Yao said, the problem was not addressed.

“With the sensitivity of the situation and with the time urgency, I definitely prefer a far more timely and effective measure to address this issue,” said Mr. Yao. “I know they tried, but I don’t think they helped.”

Andrew Watson, a spokesman for Elections BC, said the Election Act requires all advertising sponsors to register, and to include in their advertising an authorization statement – which includes a British Columbia telephone number or mailing address where the sponsor can be contacted. Additionally, they are required to file a disclosure report after an election if they sponsor $500 or more in election advertising. Since the flyers lacked an authorization statement, Elections BC hasn’t been able to determine who was handling them. Dermod Travis, executive editor of IntegrityBC, said legislation around third-party advertisers is weak because it only applies to election campaigns, not any other period.

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“Such groups do not meet the test of a genuine association, and the individuals behind them should be required to register as individuals and not as unincorporated associations as a means to prevent such front groups being used clandestinely for potentially nefarious reasons during election campaigns,” Mr. Travis said. Mr. Travis said the Better Richmond Concern Group should have a legal duty to disclose the sources of its funding for the six-month period prior to an election.

Duff Conacher, Democracy Watch’s cofounder, said Elections BC should conduct an audit on registered groups. “It’s pretty easy to hide and just claim that others gave the money if you have set up a front group,” said Mr. Conacher. “Anyone can donate to these things, but they are not allowed to collude to exceed the expense limit.

Mr. Yao said the attack ads showed up off and on from late March until election day. The flyers were found along Lucas Road, Blundell Road, and in Stevenson.

A photo provided by Mr. Yao shows a flyer that was right in front of an electoral office located in the Richmond Public Market.

Mr. Au lost the May 9 election to Liberal MLA Linda Reid, 6,159 votes to 4,893. Mr. Au said he is disappointed with the result, but without data, cannot prove how much he was affected by the attack ads.

Elections BC told The Globe it cannot provide more details as the investigation is ongoing. But it said it is an offence under the Election Act to sponsor election advertising if not registered or without an authorization statement. If convicted, the penalties for each offence include a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for a term not longer than one year, or both.

Ottawa offers $950 million for ‘superclusters’ to create jobs The federal government is spending $950 million to fund an “Innovation Superclusters Initiative” that it says will “create more middle-class jobs and more opportunities for Canadian businesses to grow into globally successful brands.”

Minister of innovation, science and economic development Navdeep Bains made the announcement at the offices of BlackBerry QNX in Kanata, Ont. near Ottawa on Wednesday morning.

“We are looking for bold proposals with ambitious visions and missions,” Bains said.

The initiative seeks to create superclusters in specific industries: • Advanced manufacturing.

• Agri-food.

• Clean resources.

• Clean technoology.

• Digital technology.

• Health/biosciences.

• Infrastructure and transportation.

Up to five superclusters will be created. Each supercluster will be a non-profit consortium created by large and small companies, along with post-secondary educational institutions

or non-profit organizations. Applications will be accepted from both Canadian companies and international companies with Canadian operations. “Each business-led consortium must commit to matching dollar for dollar the amount it is requesting under this initiative,”

said a government press release.

Minister Bains said he hoped to announce the successful applicants by the end of the government’s fiscal year.

The supercluster program follows up on innovation commitments made by the federal government in its 2017 budget.

Saturday, May 27, 2017

BC Green Party sought cash from developer, despite calling for campaign finance reform While BC Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver was insisting he was the only one of the three leaders running in the recent provincial election with “clean hands” when it came to campaign donations, his party was hitting up a prominent member of the Vancouver development community and major BC Liberal Party donor for a $30,000 contribution.

The Greens confirmed the overture

occurred but said the person, whom they refused to name, turned them down. The party said it approached “three or four” people about the possibility of donating up to this amount.

Campaign finance reform was a major issue on the campaign trail, and a repeated talking point of Mr. Weaver, whose party does not accept corporate or union donations. The Greens advocate putting a strict cap on individual donations in line with what the federal government has: $1,500 per individual, per party.

The Greens said the largest individual

gift they received during the campaign was $20,000 from a person “whose family is related to the real estate industry.” The party said the donor refused to have their name released prior to it being made public this summer by Elections BC. “Over the course of the campaign, there were four individuals who were asked for more than $10,000,” said Green spokeswoman Jillian Oliver. “And $30,000 was the upper limit of what we would ever be comfortable accepting.”

Ms. Oliver confirmed that Mr. Weaver spoke personally to some of the people the party was seeking larger amounts of money from, including the developer, but only “about our values and things like that.”

He did not, the party insists, ask for a donation personally. The Greens’ democratic reform proposals exclude members of the party’s executive council, including the leader, from being involved in fundraising pitches.

She said the party approached this person not because of the industry he was associated with, but because he was a friend of a Green candidate and “interested in some of our policies.” During the televised leaders’ debate, Mr. Weaver insisted in an exchange with NDP Leader John Horgan that the Greens were “principled” on the matter of campaign finance; he criticized the New Democrats for accepting union and corporate donations at the same time as they criticized the Liberals for doing it.

Uncertain outlook keeps Bank of Canada firmly on sidelines for now The Bank of Canada kept its benchmark interest rate steady on Wednesday, but signalled that could change once the weak U.S. economy starts to rebound as expected through the latter part of the year.

Canada’s central bank kept its target for the overnight rate steady at 0.5 per cent on Wednesday, the same level it’s been at since the middle of 2015, because the economy isn’t showing any signs of needing any more or any less stimulus.

“All things considered, [the bank] judges that the current degree of monetary stimulus is appropriate at present,” the bank said in a statement.

“There’s one very clear message in this statement and that is that the Bank of Canada is not spooked,” Manulife’s senior economist Frances Donald said in an interview after the bank’s decision came out.

The bank cited lower inflation caused by cheaper food as a factor in staying on the sidelines, but said it expects that to change soon. And the U.S. economy that started the year on a “weak” note will likely strengthen and “rebound in the second quarter,” the bank said. That should provide a shot in the arm to Canadian exports, which may require a change to the bank’s lending rate. Generally speaking, the bank hikes its rate when the economy is heating up too much, and slashes the rate when it wants to stimulate the economy. Most economists expect the bank to stay on the sidelines until 2018 before tinkering with its interest rate.

The bank’s statement was uncharacteristically brief — it was the second-shortest in governor Stephen Poloz’s tenure, Donald noted — and that’s a sign that the bank didn’t want to say anything that

might spook jittery investors.

Concerns over trade disputes with the U.S., and elevated house prices have garnered a lot of attention for Canada among international investors of late, Donald noted, which is why the bank’s statement was clearly targeted at

assuaging those fears.

“What this statement does is reassure global investors that Canada is just fine,” she told. “That’s a very important signal for the rest of the world.”

Federal and provincial governments have recently unveiled new rules taking aim at runaway home prices, particularly in Ontario, and the bank’s statement was careful to mention those moves while also conveying a sense of calm.

“Macroprudential and other policy measures … have yet to have a substantial cooling effect on housing markets,” the bank said. That’s the bank’s way of saying it “expects housing to slow in response,” economist Sherry Cooper of Dominion Lending Centres said. The cautious message appears to have worked — at least in the short term — as the Canadian dollar gained more than a third of a cent to trade at 74.37 cents US on Wednesday morning.

NATIONAL

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SOUTH ASIA

Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda resigns Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on Wednesday resigned after a brief stint of nine months, honouring a power sharing understanding reached

between his party and the ruling partner Nepali Congress.

Prachanda, 62, announced his resignation while addressing the nation in a live telecast.

It was his second stint as the Prime Minister.

He was elected as the 39th prime minister of Nepal after forging alliance with the Nepali Congress on August 3, 2016.

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Prachanda, the Chairman of CPN (Maoist Centre), had reached an understanding with Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba that he would step down as Prime Minister and hand over the leadership to him after nine months.

The pact was to run the government on a rotational basis until elections to the parliament are held in February 2018.

Prachanda was to hold office till local polls are held and remaining two elections provincial and central - were to be conducted under Deuba.

Millions of Nepalese on May 14 voted in the country’s first local-level polls in two decades as the Himalayan nation took a crucial step towards cementing democracy amid political turmoil.

Local-level elections could not be held after 1997 largely as a result of the decadelong Maoist insurgency that claimed more than 16,000 lives in Nepal.

The elections should be held in every five years but due to the political instability, they were halted since May 1997.

Bangladesh police arrest 27 youths in gay crackdown Bangladeshi police raided a party and arrested 27 young men early Friday in a rare crackdown on homosexuality in the conservative Muslim-majority country, where gay sex is a crime.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the elite security force that conducted the raid, said it had arrested the men from a a community centre south of the capital Dhaka for “homosexuality”, although they were later charged with drug offenses instead. “We’ve arrested 27 people for homosexuality. They are homosexuals. They held a get-together there,” said Major Manzur of the RAB, who

asked to be identified only by his rank and given name.

However, they were later transferred to the custody of the regular police where they were charged with drugs-related crimes.

“We have filed a narcotics case against them as the RAB found Yaba (methamphetamine) and marijuana among their possessions,” local police chief Mohammad Jubayer told AFP. Gays and lesbians in Bangladesh frequently suffer discrimination and other rights abuses and many are forced to hide their sexual identity and live double lives for fear of reprisals.

Bangladesh criminalises gay sex under a law dating back to the British colonial era that has never been repealed but is rarely enforced. Last year two prominent LGBT activists including an editor of the country’s only magazine for gay people were hacked to death by Islamist extremists linked to Al-Qaeda.

Many prominent homosexual activists have since fled the country after several of them received death threats.

Woman calls Pakistan ‘a death trap’ Uzma Ahmed, the Indian woman who alleged she was forced to marry a Pakistani man at gunpoint, painted a grim picture of her ordeal in Pakistan.

“It’s easy to enter Pakistan. But it’s nearly impossible to leave. Pakistan is a death trap. I’ve seen women who go there after arranged marriages. They’re miserable and living in terrible circumstances.

There’re two, three, even four wives in every house,” a visibly emotional Uzma said at a press conference on Thursday.

Uzma, who returned to India earlier in the day after crossing the Wagah border near Amritsar, revealed there were many women like her still trapped in the town of Buner, Pakistan.

“If I’d remained here for a few days more, I

would have died. They lure women from east Asian countries like Phillipines, Malaysia... there’re many women like me still trapped there,” she alleged. Uzma was also profuse in expressing her gratitude to the Indian government for rescuing her.

“I’m grateful to the Indian High Commission and EAM Sushma Swaraj, who gave me hope and a reason to live. They made me realise that my life was valuable, it was not futile.

So I fought hard against my circumstances there,” she said.

Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, who has called Uzma ‘’India’s daughter”, also thanked the Pakistani establishment and judiciary for helping Uzma return to India on humanitarian grounds.

US warship challenge China’s claim to reefs The US has sent a navy warship near an artificial island built by China in the disputed South China Sea as part of the first “freedom of navigation” operation under President Donald Trump, prompting Beijing to strongly condemn the “provocative action.”

The guided-missile destroyer, USS Dewey, conducted a patrol within 20 kilometres of Mischeef Reef, part of the Spratly Islands.

A crucial shipping route, China claims ownership of the vast majority of the South China Sea, including the Paracel and Spratly island chains, a claim disputed by numerous other countries including the Philippines and Vietnam.

The Chinese government has reclaimed land and built up artificial islands in the

sea, including on Mischief Reef, and deployed military assets to them.

The exercise is the first since October and comes after high-level visits and friendly exchanges between the US and China to settle trade issues and vows to cooperate to contain the nuclear programme of North Korea, a Chinese ally.

Nepal will carefully weigh use of funds from China As concerns abound in India over Nepal’s decision to join China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR), Nepal has come out strongly to underscore the significance of its ties with India, saying no country can change its geography.

While fears have been expressed about another South Asian nation walking into a debt trap, Nepal has assured India that the agreement it signed to officially join OBOR is still at a “premature stage” and that it will carefully weigh terms and conditions for

utilisation of funds from China.

“What we have is only a framework agreement (on OBOR) with China and the modalities of terms and conditions for fund utilisation will be worked out later. All such considerations will be made on merit and in keeping with our national interest,’’ Nepal’s ambassador Deep Kumar Upadhyay told.

This is significant in the context of Sri Lanka which, faced with a debt crisis that emanated from Chinese loans, has again turned to Beijing for help.

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Saturday, May 27, 2017

On the third anniversary of his taking over as Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the longest river bridge over Brahmaputra in Assam and dedicated it to the nation.

Modi, who is on a day-long visit to the state, was received by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Governor Banwarilal Purohit and several other dignitaries at the airport here.

After the inauguration, Modi embarked on a drive along the picturesque bridge and also took a walk alone on it to enjoy the magnificence of the environment in that pristine.

The Prime Minister, besides inaugurating the country’s longest river bridge (9.15 Km), Dhola-Sadiya bridge that spans Lohit River, the major tributary that converges with two other rivers in the area to form the main channel of Brahmaputra river in Assam,

will also address a public meeting in which he is expected to speak about the three years of his government.

Modi, who led the BJP to a massive victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, was sworn-in as the prime minister on May 26 that year.

A large gathering of people coming from various parts of eastern Assam has converged at Dhola to stand witness to the

momentous occasion.

Located about 100 Km away from the China border in eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh, the S-shaped bridge, which has been built at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore in six years time assumes much significance from strategic point of view, besides bringing the enchanting destinations of Sadiya and eastern Arunachal Pradesh like Anini, Roing, Tezu etc, closer to the mainland India through surface route.

After inaugurating the bridge and addressing people at Dhola in Tinsukia district, Modi will proceed to Gogamukh in Dhemaji district in eastern Assam to lay foundation of a research station of the ICAR. He will then proceed to Guwahati to lay foundation of an AIIMS through remote control before addressing the nation from Khanapara field in Guwahati in the late afternoon.

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As many as 675 government houses in the national capital are being illegally occupied -and in many cases, months and years after the death of the central government employees who were allotted the accommodations.

Besides, 38 houses meant for officers at levels from Senior Section Officer to Joint Secretary are also under illegal occupation.

Of the 675 houses, 555 belong to Type 1, 2 and 3 categories -- usually alloted to peons and junior level staff -- and 120 are Type 4 houses -- alloted to junior clerks and section officers -- the Urban Development Ministry said in reply to an RTI query.

These houses have been illegally occupied for periods ranging from a few days and months, to even years, even after the death and retirement of the allottees, who were government employees and entitled to get accommodation, according to the ministry.

To check illegal occupation of government accommodation by Members of Parliament and government employees, the Union Cabinet had on Wednesday given the nod to changes in the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, to empower officials to evict such people within three days of their overstay.

Even senior bureaucrats continue to occupy houses illegally. Of these houses, a total of 16 are Type-4S, alloted to Senior Section and Under Secretary-level officers, 11 are Type 5A (Deputy Secretary to Director-level) and seven belong to the 5B category (meant for senior Director-level to below Joint Secretary-level), the ministry said.

There are also four illegally occupied houses of 6A type, which are usually alloted to officers of the Joint Secretary-level, it said in reply to the RTI application filed by Delhi college student Aniket Gaurav.

The government has referred to litigation in all these cases of unauthorised occupation, the Urban development Ministry said.

Currently, it takes around a month to issue the vacation orders after issuing notices and hearing out the occupants. | Source: Reuters The changes in the Act also seek to debar such occupants to move any court below the high court with their appeals for overstay.

Currently, it takes around a month to issue the vacation orders after issuing notices and hearing out the occupants.

Once the vacation order is issued, time of up to 30 days is granted to the occupants for leaving the premises.

If such persons fail to comply with the order, the officers could use force to vacate the premises, he said. | Source: Reuters In between, the occupants usually move the courts, especially the lower courts, to get a stay order. The amendments seek to empower Estate Officers to send notices and such occupants need to reply within first three days of their overstay. The officer could issue an eviction order with immediate effect if not satisfied with the reply, as per an Urban Development Ministry official.

If such persons fail to comply with the order, the officers could use force to vacate the premises, he said.

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INDIA

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Fadnavis unhurt as copter crashlands Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis escaped unhurt after the helicopter he was travelling in got entangled in overhead wires soon after take-off and crash-landed at Nilanga in Latur district this afternoon.

Six persons, including Fadnavis, Principal Secretary Pravin Pardeshi, personal assistant Abhimanyu Pawar and media adviser Ketan Pathak, besides the pilot and co-pilot, were on board the helicopter.

The CM took to Twitter to say everyone aboard was safe. “Our helicopter did meet with an accident in Latur, but me and my team are absolutely safe and ok. Nothing to

worry (sic),” Dadnavis tweeted. He, however, told mediapersons later that the helicopter pilot and Pathak suffered minor injuries in the mishap.

Sources in the state secretariat said Fadnavis was on a visit to Latur as part of a programme to reach out to farmers suffering from agrarian distress.

As part of the “Shiwar Samwad Sabha”, Fadnavis and other BJP MLAs are carrying an outreach programme in rural Maharashtra.

State police officials said the six-year-old Sikorsky helicopter VT-CMM was damaged beyond repair as it landed on rough terrain.

4 gang-raped, family head killed on Yamuna e-way Four women of a family were gang-raped and the male head who came to their rescue shot dead by a gang of highway robbers at Jewar on the Yamuna Expressway in the wee hours today.

The family was travelling from Jewar to Bulandshahr when the highway criminals shot at the tyre of their vehicle, bringing it to a standstill near Sabauta village.

As the family got off to check the tyres, a group of half a dozen armed men suddenly appeared and surrounded the family members. At gunpoint, they dragged the family to nearby fields where they deprived them of their belongings, including around Rs 45,000 in cash, phones, wallets, purses and jewellery.

The armed men then took the womenfolk still deeper in the fields where they allegedly gang-raped them.

When the head of the family accompanying them attempted to stop the criminals, he was shot in the chest and leg, killing him instantly.

By the time the police arrived on the scene, the miscreants had vanished.

According to Gautama Buddha Nagar

Superintendent of Police Luv Kumar, a case of loot, murder and gang-rape had been lodged and raids were being conducted to arrest the criminals. The police have sent the women for

medical examination.

It may be recalled that last year, a similar case of a brutal gang-rape of a Noida woman and her minor daughter had hit headlines. The incident had taken place at Dostpur village of Bulandshahr on the Delhi-Kanpur highway.

Condemning the incident, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said a delegation of party MPs and former ministers would visit the crime scene on May 26-27 to make an on-the-spot enquiry.

BJP minister, 3 MLAs at Dawood’s kin wedding Maharashtra’s Minister for Medical Education Girish Mahajan, who was seen at the wedding of gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s relative here today, are expected to be let off.

After TV channels beamed pictures of Mahajan and other top BJP leaders, including three MLAs, and the Nashik Mayor enjoying the wedding feast, the minister explained that he had received an invitation from the groom’s family. He claimed he was unaware of the family’s ties with Dawood till the day after the wedding.

Court summons Advani, Joshi, Uma on May 30 The Ayodhya Special CBI court today deferred the appearance of senior BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Union Minister Uma Bharti from May 26 to May 30 in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

The court made it clear that the accused would get no further exemption and must appear before the court on that date. All three leaders have been charged with criminal conspiracy in the December 6, 1992, demolition of the Babri masjid.

CBI Special Judge SK Yadav showed his displeasure over appearance of only one accused — Shiv Sena leader Satish Pradhan — before the court on Thursday while Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Dr Ram

Vilas Vedanti, Champat Rai, Baikunth Lal Sharma and Mahant Dharam Das Maharaj were conspicuous by their absence.

Last month, the Supreme Court had ruled that conspiracy charges against the three, as well as other leaders, would be revived, seven years after the Allahabad High Court upheld a 2001 CBI court judgment dropping charges. The apex court also gave the CBI special court in Lucknow a month to frame fresh charges, and two years to deliver its verdict in the 25-year-old demolition case.

On May 20, the special CBI court began day-to-day hearing in the politicallysensitive case and granted bail to the five Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders after signing a surety bond worth Rs. 20,000.

Sugar, tea, milk powder to cost less under GST The staple morning cup of tea or coffee will cost less as the proposed tax rates under the GST regime will be lesser than the prevailing taxes in case of sugar, tea, coffee (other than instant coffee) and milk powder.

The present levy of taxes on sugar is 8%, while the GST rate on sugar is only 5%, which will be 3% less. Similarly, present incidence of taxes on milk powder, tea and coffee (other than instant coffee) is 7%, while the GST rate on these items is only 5%.

On the details of the tax incidence item wise, sugar attracts specific central excise duty of Rs 71 per quintal plus sugar cess of Rs 124 per quintal, which translates to ad valorem rate of more than 6%.

After including central sales tax, octroi

and entry tax, the present total tax incidence would work out to more than 8%. As against this, the proposed GST rate on sugar is only

5%, which is 3% less than present incidence of taxes. Tea and coffee attract nil central excise duty and VAT rate of 5%.

PUNJAB

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Opposition urges probe of ‘benami’ transactions Opposition parties today demanded that Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh be sacked from the Cabinet over the mine auction controversy allegedly involving four of his employees. Leader of the Opposition

HS Phoolka asked Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to take action against the ministers acquiring ‘benami’ contracts.

“Captain should explain what is stopping him from taking action against Rana Gurjit?” he asked. Addressing a press conference in Jalandhar, AAP MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira said if the CM failed to act against Rana Gurjit, the party would hold a dharna in front of the residence of the CM or the minister in order to make him quit. He said the state government should make public the source of income of Rana Gurjit’s cook Amit Bahadur.

He said AAP would also file a complaint with the Chief Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and urge the agency to keep tabs on the mafia that had been looting the state’s natural resources.

Khaira also asked the Punjab and Haryana High Court to take suo motu cognisance of the issue. In a press release, SAD demanded immediate sacking of Rana Gurjit for acquiring sand and gravel mines through ‘benami’ transactions in the name of his cook

CM Amarinder Singh refuses more security

and office staff. In a statement here, party MP Prem Singh Chandumajra said action should be taken against the minister under the Income Tax Act. “The case should also be handed over to the ED for an investigation,” he said, adding that the party would also raise the issue in Parliament.

Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a press conference in Ludhiana, former state BJP president Manoranjan Kalia dared the CM to make his position clear or order a CBI probe into the entire process of e-bidding of sand mining.

Former Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh said the case brazenly established conflict of interest in the auction of mines in Punjab and warranted Rana’s immediate dismissal.

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In wake of open threats by Canadian proKhalistan elements and intelligence inputs, CM Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday dared the former to come to Punjab and face his government’s wrath.

In a hard-hitting reaction to the reported video threats against him and Ludhiana MP Ravneet Bittu, the CM said he was not intimidated by such acts and was more than ready to take on such forces in order to protect the state and its people.

Elements like these are trying hard to disrupt the peace and harmony of Punjab, he said.

Vowing to stop them from realising their nefarious designs, he said, “If they have the guts, they should come to Punjab and my

government will take suitable action to ensure that they do not get away with their cowardly threats and attempts to revive terrorism in the state,” he added.

Stating that he would not seek enhanced security for him and Bittu, the CM said the state police was more than capable of providing protection to the people, including Congress leaders.

The CM told his colleagues and officials that there should be no move on their part to scale up his security cover in view of the video threats, said a spokesperson.

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh says the state police are more than capable of providing protection to the people, including political leaders.

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Former Punjab DGP KPS Gill passed away in a Delhi hospital on Friday. He was 82.

Gill served twice as the DGP of Punjab and is credited with having brought the Punjab insurgency under control. The tough approach adopted by him to achieve the goal of ending militancy in Punjab, however, has people divided over whether he was a brave and brilliant security mastermind or a police officer who had little respect for the law and human rights. Gill breathed his last at 2.55 pm at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. He was admitted to the hospital on May 18 under the care of Dr DS Rana, head of the department of nephrology. “He was suffering from endstage kidney failure and significant ischemic heart disease. Gill had been recovering from peritonitis but died of a sudden cardiac arrest caused by cardiac arrhythmia,” Dr Rana said.

Also read: Kanwar Pal Singh Gill: The ‘Supercop’ who led from the front The cremation will be held at New Delhi’s Lodhi crematorium at 4 pm on Sunday. Gill retired from the IPS in 1995. Gill was also president of the Institute for Conflict Management and president of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF). He received the Padma Shri in 1989 for his work in civil service.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences on Twitter and said Gill would be remembered for his service to the nation.

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Saturday, May 27, 2017

NRI doctor starts campaigning for UK polls An Indian-origin doctor and Britain’s Labour party candidate has launched his campaign for the June 8 general election from Bangalore Street in southwest London.

Neeraj Patil, who is in his late 40s, is a Consultant in Accident and Emergency Medicine and a former Mayor of the London Borough of Lambeth. He was born and brought up in Gulbarga in Karnataka.

He has been pitted against the Conservative

Education Minister of Britain, Justine Greening in Putney. Greening has been representing the constituency since 2005.

MP for Croydon North and Shadow Local Government Minister Steve Reed launched Patil’s campaign from Bangalore Street located in Putney constituency of London.

The Bangalore Street is located in the London borough of Wandsworth, which has three Parliamentary constituencies, Putney, Battersea and Tooting.

The street derives its name from the recruitment centre of the Bangalore regiment that was located on this street during the British colonial rule in the nineteenth century.

He has worked in the National Health Service for over 15 years in 41 different hospitals. The general elections in the UK are due on June 8, 2017. Patil has been selected as the parliamentary candidate mainly because of his service to the country’s National Health Service.

Indian-origin gay minister frontrunner in Irish prime ministerial race An Indian-origin doctor and Ireland’s first openly gay minister has emerged as the frontrunner in the Irish prime ministerial race.

Leo Varadkar, 38, the Dublin-born son of a Mumbai-born father and Irish mother, is expected to become the country’s first homosexual prime minister.

Varadkar, who is Ireland’s welfare minister, has won early support for his leadership bid from several senior Cabinet members and a majority of his parliamentary colleagues have publicly backed him.

He announced his candidacy after Prime Minister Enda Kenny announced his resignation, a title referred to as Taoiseach in Ireland.

Varadkar faces housing minister Simon Coveney in the race as nominations closed for the leadership of the governing Fine Gael party this week.

“I am not counting my chickens. I am really humbled at the level of support I have received from my colleagues and I am really looking forward to the hustings and the debates,” he said.

Kenny’s successor is due to be elected by June 2 and Ireland’s Parliament is set to vote in the new leader as prime minister a few days later.

Varadkar came out as a gay in 2015 when Ireland became the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage through popular vote.

In a coming-out speech he gave in a radio interview, he said, “It is not something that defines me. I am not a half-Indian politician, or a doctor politician or a gay politician for

NRI woman elected to City of London Corporation A 43-year-old UK entrepreneur has become the first India-born woman to be elected as a councillor to a ward in the UK. Rehana Ameer, who was born and raised in Chennai, contested from Vintry ward in the City of London county as an independent candidate.

She was elected as a councillor to the Court of Common Council, becoming the first India-born woman to be elected to the City of London Corporation.

NRI, foreign scientists to work in Indian institutes: Government The Centre is all set to launch a first-of-itskind programme next month wherein foreign and NRI scientists can work in the country’s scientific institutions for a period of one to three months.

The programme titled ‘Visiting Advanced Joint Research’ (VAJRA) is aimed at encouraging top scientists to work in India and guide doctorate and post-doctorate students.

“The aim of the programme is to expose the students to global research culture. The scientists selected under this programme will be a cut above the rest in their respective fields.

“The faculty will be physically available for 1-3 months in the Indian institutions, but will maintain an adjunct faculty status round the year,” said Ashutosh Sharma, secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology.

He was speaking at the sidelines of an event organised to publicise the ministry’s achievements since the NDA government came to power in 2014.

Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan, who was also present at the event, said thousands of Indian-origin scientists working abroad have come back to India ever since the NDA came into power.

“The scientists are seeing a change in India.

The scenario has shifted from brain drain to brain gain,” Vardhan said.

The scientists under the VAJRA programme would draw a salary of $15,000 in the first month and $10,000 each in the remaining months. The number of scientists under the programme has been capped at 1,000.

Meanwhile, Sharma said it was for the first time that the government has initiated such a programme at a mass level to attract foreign scientists. The government currently runs a programme under ‘Ramanujan Fellowship’.

However, it is aimed at attracting Indian students and doctors working abroad. The period of the fellowship is five years.

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that matter. It is just part of who I am, it does not define me, it is the part of my character I suppose”.

The popular minister has campaigned on same-sex marriage and liberalising abortion laws.

Varadkar worked as a general practitioner (GP) before winning a seat in the Parliament in 2007 and has rapidly risen through the party ranks, holding several ministerial portfolios including minister for social protection and minister for transport, tourism and sports.

“Leo has got off to a good start but there are two weeks to go so we will see how that plays out,” said his opponent Coveney.

Fine Gael is Ireland’s centre-right political party, seen as taking liberal positions on several social and economic issues.

“As an elected councillor, my key focus areas are road safety, improved air quality, mental health and better representation of all types of businesses as part of the Brexit negotiations,” Rehana told PTI. She aims to promote the city’s businesses in international markets and develop the city’s presence overseas. The City corporation is the richest local authority in the country which controls the 1.3 billion pounds city cash fund.

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FIJI

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Aussie woman on flight to Nadi hurls racist insults at Muslim family An Australian woman has been banned from Virgin airlines for life after she was filmed hurling racist insults at a Sydney family on a flight from Sydney to Nadi.

Fijian authorities were alerted about the incident after the woman on board flight VA 181 to Nadi began verbally abusing the family sitting across from her.

The woman is seen swearing at the family and mentioning the religion they follow.

Nine News says the woman’s distressed son can be seen repeatedly putting his hands over her mouth in an attempt to stop her ranting.

She continues swearing, then saying that she has done nothing and are they now a minority.

The woman is also seen arguing as cabin crew repeatedly try to subdue her.

The Australian woman then threatens to “knock out” the passenger filming her.

Rapist and murderer faces 30 years jail Should convicted rapist and murderer Josua Colanaudolu get an imprisonment term of 30 years, it would be the first of its kind in Fiji.

This was uttered by High Court Judge Justice Salesi Temo after the sentencing submissions made by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Lee Burney yesterday.

Mr Burney said the overriding purpose of the case was to ensure protection of the community and that Colanaudolu was not safe to be out and about in the community.

He said the gravity and totality of the offence committed by Colanaudolu puts the case in the category for a minimum term of 30 years.

Defence counsel Michael Fesaitu requested the sentence for each of the counts be served concurrently.

In his judgment, Justice Temo labelled

Colanaudolu as a person who took advantage of vulnerable people in the community.

He said he had no difficulty delivering his judgment considering the strong personality shown by the accused during the trial and that he was an evasive witness.

Justice Temo also commented on the great work done by the officers who interviewed Colanaudolu last year at the Navua Police Station. He said the style of the caution interview was modern and should be used for conducting future murder caution interviews.

Meanwhile, Justice Temo convicted Colanaudolu on six counts of rape, one count of indecently annoying females and one count of murder.

He acquitted Colanaudolu on the four counts of abduction and said the prosecution failed to prove their case without reasonable doubt.

SODELPA tries to break racial barrier THE Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) Youth Council will try to break the racial barrier that has stigmatised the political party in the country. Party Youth Council president Jope Koroisavou said Fijians still choose to stick with the events of 1987 in which the party leader Sitiveni Rabuka was involved. “We have a leader in Mr Rabuka and of course there is history with him, but unfortunately people choose to stick with this history. But we strongly believe he is genuine in his vision of a multicultural Fiji,” Mr Koroisavou said.

“We are working towards his vision of multiculturalism, setting a foundation for Fiji which is truly democratic and inclusive of everyone. At the same time where individual

and ethnic rights are upheld with equity.”

According to Mr Koroisavou, the council was still awaiting the finalisation of their manifesto, but they were in the process of mobilising their national and provincial youth councils together with organising pocket meetings all throughout their branches Fiji wide. Members of the council also paid a courtesy visit to the office of the Leader of the Opposition where the Opposition Leader, Ro Teimumu Kepa highlighted the importance of youth participation in national affairs and decision-making processes.

“Many young people are out there, some are too complacent while some have the urge to engage, however the culture of fear has restricted them to come forward,” she said.

Deshwar Dutt finally caught after trying to break into a warehouse 33-year-old Deshwar Kishore Dutt who escaped from Police custody late last month, was caught early this morning when a team of Police officers foiled a robbery at a warehouse located along Nadi Back Road resulting in the arrest of four men this morning.

Police Chief Operations Officer ACP Rusiate Tudravu says the team made up of officers from the Western Division as well as K9 capabilities from the Fiji Corrections Services arrived at the scene of the incident where the four men including Dutt, were allegedly in the process of breaking into the warehouse. ACP Tudravu says the officers had been gathering information over some time and moved in on the group early this morning.

Sexual crime increases drastically Rape cases increased last year by 5.2%, assault to intent to rape increased by 300%, sexual assaults by 116.7%, while abduction of persons at the age of 18 with intent to have carnal knowledge increased by 100%.

This was highlighted by Minister for Defence and National Security Ratu Inoke Kubuabola while delivering his ministerial speech on sexual offences in Parliament.

Out of the 1,226 criminal cases recorded last year on child victims, 632 were sexual offences against children which is 51.5%.

Kubuabola says that sex crimes against any individual should be everyone’s concern. He says that children are not safe even in their own homes.

The Minister says that the Fiji Police

Cane farmers in Labasa have already gathered in town this morning for a protest march against some issues they would like Government to address.

Police officers have also patrolled the town area and are at the National Farmers Union office ensuring a peaceful gathering of farmers.

NFU president Surendra Lal said their pleas to Government were very clear and

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Force and other stakeholders are conducting educational awareness in schools and communities to stop sexual offences.

National Federation Party Leader, Professor Biman Prasad says that he believes that harsher penalties should be given to offenders.

Prasad says that there is a need to have more traditional approaches to address these issues.

Opposition MP Mosese Bulitavu stresses that people should be made aware of gender equality since these types of offences are mostly committed against women and children.

Bulitavo says there should be proper management of cases to ensure that statements are not missing.

Labasa cane farmers protest

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All four suspects are being questioned at the Lautoka Police Station for their alleged involvement in other robberies in the division.

Deshwar Kishore Dutt was sentenced in absentia to 15 years imprisonment by Suva High Court Judge, Justice Salesi Temo. He was convicted for two counts of aggravated robbery.

Dutt robbed two families in Samabula on 20th July 2014 and stole assorted items with a total value of $165,863.He can apply for parole after serving 14 years in jail. The escorting officer Sepeti Tabaiwalu told High Court Judge Justice Salesi Temo that he was tying his shoe lace when Dutt ran away.

Tabaiwalu told the court that they looked around but could not find him.

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farmers wanted some changes done.

“We are asking if Government could listen to our plight and there are the five basic issues, which include the topping up of the fourth cane payment by $10, assure a minimum guarantee price of $100 per tonne, facilitate the election of Sugar Cane Growers Council and to halt the implementation of Sugar Bills and to set up an independent enquiry into Fiji Sugar Corporation,” Mr Lal said.

PAKISTAN

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Pakistan parliamentary panel unhappy with Sharif govt’s response over Jadhav’s case A Pakistani parliamentary panel on national security has expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s response on Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case at the ICJ and sought more information about its

strategy to defend the case at the next hearing.

The committee met on Wednesday to discuss the Jadhav case at the International

Court of Justice (ICJ).

Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf, who will now represent Pakistan in the case, testified before the Parliamentary Committee for National Security, Dawn newspaper reported.

The ICJ had last week through a unanimous verdict on a petition submitted by India stayed Jadhav’s execution till its final decision in the case and sought a report on measures taken for the implementation of the order.

Speaker of the committee Ayaz Sadiq in his interaction with media persons after the meeting said members raised critical questions. He acknowledged that most of the members were dissatisfied with the responses by the government officials.

Sadiq said the legal team would go fully prepared to the Hague for their next court appearance.

CPEC may ignite more India-Pak tensions: UN The $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) traversing through PoK might create “geo-political tension” in the region by igniting further tensions between India and Pakistan, a UN report has warned.

The report released by the UN’s Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) said that the project could also fuel separatist movement in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. “The dispute over Kashmir is also of concern, since the crossing of the CPEC in the region might create geo-political tension with India+ and ignite further political instability,” said the report on China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The report, prepared

at the request of China, also cautioned that the instability in Afghanistan could cast a shadow over viability of the CPEC over which India has already raised protests with China and boycotted the last week’s BRI summit in Beijing. “Afghanistan’s political instability could also limit the potential benefits of transit corridors to population centres near Kabul or Kandahar, as those routes traverse southern and eastern Afghanistan where the Taliban are most active,” the report said.

The report also covered other economic corridors of the BRI including the BangladeshChina-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM).

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2012 attack on Malala was scripted: Pakistani woman lawmaker A Pakistani woman parliamentarian has claimed that the 2012 Taliban attack on Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai was “scripted”. Mussarat Ahmadzeb, a member of parliament from Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) party, said that the entire saga of Malala writing for BBC and later the attack were part of a plan.

“The attack on Malala was scripted way before the incident (in 2012),” she told Urdu newspaper Ummat in an interview. Ahmadzeb, who is the daughter-in-law of former ruler of semi-autonomous state of Swat, doubted if any bullet was lodged in Malala’s head. “She (Malala) was shot in the head but no bullet was found in the Computerised Tomography (CT) scan in Swat. But yes, then the bullet got stuck in her head in CMH (combined military hospital) Peshawar,” she later said in a tweet.

She also accused that medics involved in the treatment of Malala were given land by the government to build houses.

“The medics who did the CT scan along with the doctor who examined her, all were awarded plots by the government,” the PTI lawmaker said.

Ahmadzeb claimed that Malala could not read and write when she was shown as writing stories for BBC as Gul Makai.

She alleged that an American lived in the house of Malala for three months to train her for the future role.

SAVE UP T0

It was not immediately clear why the lawmaker was giving the statement attacking Malala and her efforts.

Meanwhile, PTI spokesperson Shafqat Mahmood said that his party had already disowned Mussarat in 2014 along with two other lawmakers for violating party discipline.

“During the protest against election rigging, three MNAs (Members of National Assembly) -- Mussarat Ahmadzeb, Gulzar Ahmed and Siraj Muhammad -- refused to abide by party laws (and were disowned),” Mahmood told media.

Yousafzai, 19, became a global symbol of the fight for girls education after being shot in the head in October 2012 for opposing Taliban restrictions on female education.

The Pakistani education activist survived the attack and became an advocate for millions of girls denied formal education around the world.

In 2013, Yousafzai and her father Ziauddin Yousafzai co- founded the Malala Fund to bring awareness to the social and economic impact of girls education, and to empower girls to demand change.

She became the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate in December 2014, sharing the honour with Indian children’s rights and education advocate Kailash Satyarthi.

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PUNJAB

Saturday, May 27, 2017

School board chairman Dhol calls it quits Appointed at the fag end of the SAD-BJP’s tenure, Balbir Singh Dhol, chairperson of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), today resigned from his post.

The move followed Vigilance raids at his residence and office on the PSEB premises yesterday.

The VB team examined certain files in the DPI office regarding the appointment and promotion of education officials. Before his appointment as PSEB chairperson, he was serving as DPI, Schools. Sources claimed that during the raid, the Vigilance officials were seeking record related to Dhol’s appointment.

Dhol was continuing to hold on to the post after the formation of the Congress government even as his appointment

was marred by controversies as norms were reportedly tweaked by the previous government to favour him. The government first issued a press release, saying that Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has asked Dhol to resign, pinning responsibility for the poor results of Class X. Later, it was withdrawn and a new press release said the CM ordered him to resign after his appointment was found lacking in due diligence.

The interim charge of the chairman has been given to Additional Chief Secretary, School Education, and a threemember committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, has been formed to appoint a new chairperson.

Villagers locks government school The residents of Maniana village, the last village of Punjab on border with Haryana, today locked their government senior

secondary school and started an indefinite protest in front of the school. Last year the government had approved its upgradation to senior secondary level, but no new teacher

was posted nor was there any information when admissions to the senior classes were to be held. “The school was upgraded on October 21, 2016. We thought admissions will start after the class 10 result, but the school authorities refused to admit our wards in the senior secondary classes two days ago,” said Balwinder Singh, member of the village education reforms committee while sitting on protest. As per the letter issued, the approval was granted to upgrade school and he had sought a detailed report about the financial position of the school. The authorities sent the report last year, but till today nothing has been done. The then Finance Minister Parminder Dhindsa laid the inaugural stone on December 14, 2016, he added.

Tension at Sangrur over auction of reserved land Tension prevailed at Jhaloor village on Friday as the administration announced to auction the reserved land.

Dalits have been demanding that the land should be given only to those, who want to cultivate crops and not to the dummy candidates from Dalits nominated by upper-caste men.

Police have sealed all entry and exit points to the village to prevent the entry of outsiders. Last year, the village had witnessed clashes between Dalits and upper-caste men over the auctioning of land. Dalit Gurdev Kaur had died at the PGI, Chandigarh, in November 2016 after being injured in the clashes.

As many as 11 farmer organisations have formed the Jhaloor Jabar Virodhi Committee and are supporting Dalits. BKU Sidhupur has been supporting upper-caste men and its leaders allege that the committee members are deliberately creating division in the village.

There is 16 acres of reserved land in the village. “As many as 32 people are accused in the murder case of Gurdev Kaur. But the

police have arrested only five accused and want to allow the other accused to participate in the auction. We want to know how can an accused roam free without securing bail,” Mukesh Malaud, district president of Zameen Prapati Sanghrash Committee, said.

Moonak DSP Ajaypal Singh said they had sealed all entry points to the village to prevent any clash.

Later, after some Dalits had a minor clash with another member from their community, the administration stopped the process for the auction. The next date of auction will be announced soon.

Govt finally accepts Harmel Sra’s resignation The Congress government has finally accepted the resignation of “blue-eyed” man of the Badals, Harmel Singh Sra, who was appointed CEO of the Punjab State Transport Society for five years by the previous SADBJP government.

Sra is neither an IAS nor a PCS officer.

After serving two extensions post-retirement, he remained the acting State Transport Commissioner — a cadre post reserved for IAS officers — during the SAD-BJP

rule. Before the Assembly elections, he was “rewarded” with the post of CEO of the Punjab State Transport Society in October last year. The post was created to adjust him.

Welcoming the move, Jaswinder Grewal, president, Mini Bus Operators Association, said the government should fix the responsibility for the grant of illegal permits, extension of routes and other anomalies that had been struck down by the Supreme Court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Saturday, May 27, 2017

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FRUITICANA

Saturday, May 27, 2017

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Saturday, May 27, 2017

Tiger Shroff: With Rambo remake, we are paying a tribute to Sylvester Stallone Tiger Shroff is one of the best when it comes to performing action scenes on screen, if not the best. Now imagine

Tiger Shroff in a Rambo movie, how badass will it be! By now we all know Tiger Shroff is doing a remake of Sylvester Stallone starrer cult Rambo.

When Tiger released the poster of his Rambo remake it sent his fans into a state of frenzy and unexpectedly he got a response from original Rambo, Sylvester Stallone himself.

When he was asked about it, he told

HT Cafe, “I thought it wasn’t real at first, but then I saw that it was his verified account. I thought I was dreaming. It was surreal; I was at a loss for words and I didn’t know how to respond. It was kind of him to write the words he did. I didn’t know if I could thank him enough.

I want him to know that there is no way anybody can replace him. We’re paying a tribute to him.”

When asked if Sly is one of his idol, he said, “Who isn’t a fan of Sylvester Stallone? When you think of action, his name is synonymous with it. He has set the benchmark so high for us.”

However, he admitted that there is pressure to deliver as he said, “He is definitely watching. We don’t want to let him down in any way. It is still his character, but I will also add my own interpretation of the character.”

Pooja Banerjee: I Am Very Comfortable Wearing Swimsuits & Doing BOLD Scenes Actress Pooja Banerjee who is currently portraying Vishaka in STAR Plus’popular show Chandra Nandini has a bold role in the serial but she has no hesitation in going all out for her character.

Jhanvi, Ananya, Sara – Who do you think should Dharma Productions launch next?

Karan Johar has announced that he will soon launch three new faces in Bollywood.

Dharma Productions’ head honcho Karan has earlier scoured for and launched talents like Alia Bhatt, Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan – who are doing great in Bollywood now and are proving to be an asset for the industry. While he was recently called out for nepotism, we can’t overlook the fact that the star kids that he has launched are extremely talented. No harm done there. Certainly, Karan knows what talent looks like!

While, the media has been speculating the names of the next face to be launched by the prestigious banner, Karan confirming that he will be launching three faces will only add to the buzz.

There have been several reports claiming different star kids to be the next big thing

to be launched by Karan. For instance there were rumours that Shahid Kapoor’s

brother, Ishaan Khattar, was to star in a remake of Sairat by Dharma, but he is now going to debut with Majid Majidi’s Beyond the Clouds instead. There were also reports that Sara Ali Khan will star in Student of the Year 2 with Tiger Shroff, but no formal announcement has been made yet.

Guess Who Dared To SLAP Salman Khan After Tubelight Trailer Launch?

Salman Khan was busy with the trailer launch of his upcoming film, Tubelight. After launching the event at a suburban theatre, Salman moved on for a special screening of the trailer right outside his house in Bandra.

He also came out to his balcony and waved out to the sea of fans waiting outside his house. But, amidst all that there was one person who not only stood close to Salman, but even slapped and punched him.

Well, we apologise for the drama but it was Salman’s nephew, baby Ahil who dared to do that.

Talking about Tubelight, the film will

be Salman’s first release this year, and fans are expecting it to break all records.

Salman’s last film with director Kabir

Khan, Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), went on to become the highest grossing film of the year.

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Saturday, May 27, 2017

Bollywood

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This Is What Priyanka Chopra Was Nicknamed On Baywatch Sets By Dwayne Johnson... of her fans have heard before. Wondering what that is?

Well, it’s Priyanka Chopra’s nickname on the sets of Baywatch. Yes, PeeCee was addressed by her co-actors with a certain nickname and that was ‘Sizzler’.

During a recent fan interaction on Twitter, Dwayne replied to a popular magazine’s review calling Priyanka a sizzler. The glossy tweeted, “#Baywatch villain @priyankachopra Priyanka Chopra’s first Hollywood film, Baywatch, may have got bad reviews from the critics, but the movie opened to packed theatres wherever it was screened. Not just PeeCee, but even her co-stars Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Zac Efron are already trending on top of social media charts.

While everything about the film has been spoken about, there’s one small revelation that Dwayne did about Priyanka, which none

Plagiarism Case Filed Against Raabta By Magadheera Makers, Sushant Singh Rajput Denies The Accusation

Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon are not leaving any stone unturned to promote their upcoming film Raabta. They are visiting different cities, making appearances on various reality shows and what not!

But here’s a little hitch! When the trailer of their film, Raabta released, a lot of people felt that it reminds them of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Mirzya or SS Rajamouli’s Magadheera. While Mirzya makers didn’t care much, looks like it’s not the same for the makers of Magadheera.

The makers of the Telugu film, Magadheera have filed a law suit against the makers of Raabta accusing them of plagiarism.

Trade analyst Ramesh Bala tweeted a while back giving out the news. He wrote, "Breaking: #Magadheera film makers go to court against #Raabta... seek an injunction against the film's release...Story plagiarism charge..."

He also uploaded another image photo of text message which further read, “They contend that the Raabta film copied its unique story and plot line in violation of its copyright. The Hyderabad court issued notice and posted the matter to 1st June to decide whether the film must be permitted to release on 9th June.”

sizzles in every @baywatchmovie scene she’s in and goes toe-to-toe with @TheRock (sic)”.

In reply to this post, The Rock wrote, “Ironically, “sizzler” was one of my many nicknames for my co-star @priyankachopra.

What a bad ass. #Baywatch (sic).”

Priyanka too jumped in the conversation with a witty reply. She said, “Thank u DJ! Now let’s not give away all nick names u have for me! Good luck to us all for #BaywatchToday

In a theatre near u @TheRock (sic).”

Baywatch released in the US today, while in India it will release on June 2. As per the Hollywood reviews, the film has been slammed but good news for Priyanka Chopra’s fans is that she has been liked by everyone in the film.

So, let’s wait and watch to see how this sizzler (Priyanka Chopra) sizzles on the big screen in her first Hollywood film.

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Saturday, May 27, 2017 22 HITLIST

Bollywood Horoscope Aries

Libra

March 21 - April 20

Sept. 24 - Oct 22

Join a club to work off that excess energy; but consider ways of doing that without spending the money. If you’re feeling uncertain, spend some time alone and reevaluate your motives as well as your needs. It will be all around you. You can continue to make gains if you call a few people who can help you close an important deal.

Family outings should include visiting friends or relatives. You’re on to something tangible and need to act fast You will find yourself tied to the phone. Sudden changes regarding work and colleagues are apparent.

Your lucky day this week will be Wednesday.

Taurus

Scorpio

April 21 - May 20

Oct 23 - Nov 22

It would be in your best interest to stay away from any intimate involvement with a client or coworker. Don’t offer to pay for others. You will be attracted to unusual forms of entertainment and foreign cultures. Cutbacks at work will be a cause for worry.

Your lucky day this week will be Saturday.

Your irritability will lead to family squabbles. Try to include friends and relatives in your activities. Your mind is on moneymaking ventures. Ask those in key positions to help you overcome the delays and to support your concerns in order to move on.

Your lucky day this week will be Saturday.

Gemini

Sagitarius

May 20 - June 21

Nov 23 - Dec 22

Look into projects that you feel would con tribute something to your appearance.

Weigh the pros and cons and make a decision that will change the conditions you’ve been living under. Don’t spend too much in order to impress others. Loans will be attainable and legal matters easily taken care of.

Your lucky day this week will be Thursday.

Cancer

You can meet interesting new friends if you join worthwhile groups. You may be out of sorts If you have been extravagant or have let children or friends take advantage of you financially. Look into intellectual and physical games that will test your abilities. There’s lots to be done and if you meet your deadline you’ll be in your boss’s good books. Your lucky day this week will be Wednesday.

Capricorn

June 22 - July 23

Dec 23 - Jan 20

New romantic partners will evolve through group endeavors; however, the association may not be likely to last.

Look at your options before making commitments that could jeopardize your financial position. Sudden romantic encounters are quite likely, but discretion will be a must. Instant romance could be yours if you go out with friends.

Leo

Enjoy some socializing this week. You can bet that someone in a higher position is watching to see how busy you are.

Organizations may cost you more than you can afford. You may want to tell someone how you really feel.

Your lucky day this week will be Monday.

Aquarius

June 24 - August 23

Jan 21 - Feb 19

Disputes may start because of a lack of honesty. Get involved in sports groups or hobbies that attract you. Those who have been too demanding should be put in their place or out to pasture. This day was meant for love. Make creative changes to your residence.

Your lucky day this week will be Sunday.

Your determination and stamina will make your work look flaw less and effortless. Resist secret affairs that could be detrimental to your reputation. Don’t be too critical. Your lover may be annoyed if you have been flirtatious or not attentive to their needs.

Your lucky day this week will be Monday.

mid

Sanju full of surprises!

Why Dutt put Torbaaz — tipped to be his second film since release from prison last year — on hold to work on another project with the same makers SANJAY Dutt is being careful about his film choices. After release from jail last year, the actor refused two projects before zeroing in on his comeback venture, Bhoomi, filmmaker Omung Kumar’s father-daughter relationship saga. His second project was supposed to be director Girish Malik’s action flick, Torbaaz, produced by Rahul Mittra. It was announced last September. Dutt had also recorded a track for it and was to start shooting for it after Bhoomi’s wrap-up.

But, on Monday, it was announced that the actor’s next would be Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3, also produced by Mittra. The film goes on floors in August. Sources say Dutt opted for Dhulia’s film because he felt a critically acclaimed franchise was a better choice.

Mittra, however, says the idea of the next instalment in the Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster franchise cropped up as Torbaaz was a large-scale production and needed more time. “We are still working on the logistics. It needs a long spell of shooting overseas. It will be shot in Georgia. Since Sanju had time before promotions for Bhoomi, we decided to go ahead with Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3. Torbaaz will happen later this year. It was a sudden decision, but Sanju tells me some of his

most memorable films like Vaastav (1999) and Kaante (2002) were also planned in a similar way,” says Mittra.

In February last year [after his release from Pune’s Yerwada jail], director Siddharth Anand’s untitled action thriller was announced as Dutt’s comeback venture.

However, the film didn’t take off because the 57-year-old felt it was a mish-mash of Hollywood actioners. He then green-lighted Marco Bhau, filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s sister, Shelly Chopra’s directorial debut, but the project went into cold storage, as the script needed to be reworked. Dutt finally took up Bhoomi.

‘Since Sanju had time before the promotions of Bhoomi, we decided to go ahead with Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3.

Torbaaz will happen later this year’ Rahul Mittra, producer

Virgo

Pisces

August 24 - Sept 24

Feb 20 - March 20

Don’t let someone you work with put words in your mouth. Don’t overreact if your partner has a poor attitude. Travel will be fun, but expect it to cost you. You will feel the limitations if you have been overdoing it.

Your lucky day this week will be Thursday.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Your ability to be practical in business will help.

Your partner may make you feel jealous and unloved. You may find yourself caught in a triangle.

Your lucky day this week will be Monday.

Hair, notmore, there To Read Visit our Website

Rajkummar shaves hair off crown to replicate Netaji’s receding hairline for a new web series

www.theasianstar.com

Bollywood personalities’ birthdays Rajkummar Rao in the web series; (inset) Subhash Chandra Bose

pankaj kapoor May 29

paresh rawal MAY 30

t d o t o S m s a SHILPI SAMPAD shilpi.sampad@mid-day.com a t AFTER going unrecognisable a with heavy prosthetics in p Raabta, Rajkummar Rao is ex- m perimenting with his look yet i again for an upcoming web series based on freedom fighter M Subhash Chandra Bose. This p

madhavan june 1

Sonakhshi Sinha june 2

Saturday, May 27, 2017

d-day Friday, May 26, 2017 | www.mid-day.com | twitter.com/mid_day | epaper.mid-day.com

5

Bollywood

Sunny, Randeep reunite in Dubai Jism 2 co-stars join Salman, Katrina as new ambassadors of Middle East clothing label; shoot for ad on Jumeira beach

SUNNY Leone travelled to Dubai on Wednesday to shoot for Splash, a Middle East-based clothing line, endorsed by Bollywood stars Katrina Kaif, Salman Khan and his rumoured girlfriend, Iulia Vantur.

Sunny has begun shoot for a TVC and promo with Jism co-star Randeep Hooda in the UAE city.

A source says, “The duo was approached last month. The concept designers for the ad felt it would be great to have them together since their crackling chemistry in Jism 2 (2012) is still fresh in public memory.”

The source adds five looks for the TVC have been finalised so far. “Unlike the usual black and grey background of earlier commercials, the idea is to shoot at picturesque locales, including Jumeirah Beach. They finished an indoor shoot yesterday.

The remaining schedule will be decided after a meeting today.”

Salman and Kat are brand ambassadors for the Dubai market, while Sunny and Randeep are believed to feature in a publicity campaign that will be targeted at India.

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Sunny Leone; (inset) Randeep Hooda

Nia Sharma Flaunts Her Curves In A Bikini As She Poses By The Pool

the British rule. time around, he has decided to Bose was fair and bespectaditch prosthetic make-up and cled, his wide forehead and a opt for a one-time solution — receding hairline being distinthe actor has shaved the crown guishable features. That’s of his head to look convincing.

Nia“When Sharma is exploring Spain as she is Nia Sharma took Instagram to post a what Raotoset out to achieve.

Says a source, Rajkumshooting for her reality show Khatron Ke picture flaunting her curves in a black bikini “We tried prosthetics, but it mar gave his nod to the web wasn’t working foras, me.

Playing series, heKhiladi thought 8 of in sporting the city. But when she is not and she captioned the picture “Ironically, responsibility a semi-bald lookhere’s as what’s value keeping Nia busy. shooting, the hardestBose partwas of a ahuge pool is ‘water’ !! and I#spaintravel didn’t want to go addition to his appearance. He #kkk8” wrong. It was an impromptu takes his roles seriously Nia issays treating decision While to go shave,” the and doesn’t hold back from fans that with super sexy actor, her adding his wellputting in extra effort to pictures, we him sure they cant advised to give make them more relatable and Bose to the current generation. wishers I Bose is credited with revamp- it a second interesting.” wait to thought. see the TV“But hottie up my mind.

It isn’t The show, directed by Hansal ing the Indian National Army, had made perform some daredevil Mehta, will be an attempt to whose aim was to secure that big a deal. I did what had stunts. present the life and struggle of India’s independence from to be done.”

Talking about Khatron Ke Khiladi, Nia, in a media interaction expressed how she is looking forward for a woman to win the show this year. She also said that she doesn’t have any phobias except one — the fear of lizards.

6

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Movie Review

Sachin: As a critic, Sachin: A Billion Dreams is the first documentary (if I can call it that) I get to review. As a cricket fan, (Well I was once upon a time, before the relentless onslaught of IPL), I am glad that a movie has been made on his life. I am not a Sachin Tendulkar fan though. I loved Rahul Dravid’s techniques more.

But I can never deny that it always had been a very special feeling to see Sachin bat. Coming to specifications, Sachin: A Billion Dreams is a one-of-a-kind cinema for India – a docu-drama that is getting a wide release.

Directed by Emmy-nominated James Erskine, it is definitely an experiment when it comes to our box office. Will it pay off?

What’s it about Well, you know the story‌ it’s about the fantastic journey of Sachin Tendulkar from the time when he was a mischievous kid, to that moment when he bid farewell to cricket and left many in tears.

His childhood is shown through a dramatic representation, through actors who play his little self, as well as his family and coach, Ramakant Achrekar. Once he enters professional cricket, rest of the movie is told through a series of snippets and real footage, narrated by none other than the God of Cricket himself.

It’s really strange that it took a foreigner to coach India to its World Cup win in 2011. Similarly, it also feels weird that it took a foreigner to make a movie on Sachin Tendulkar, and in the process, make the best movie on cricket – the sport.

So let me say it, while Sachin may be a hero to billions, James Erskine’s taut direction is the hero of the film. Not only has he captured the spirit of cricket and its effect on India through

A Billion Dreams movie review

Sachin’s journey, he also makes sure that you don’t ever feel that it is a documentary. Rather, you feel that you are a part of the journey, or simply putting in better words, you are reliving the best part of your childhood. If you are a ’90s kid and have breathed cricket like me, you will understand what I mean. What I liked the best about Sachin: A Billion Dreams is that it is not entirely about Sachin. It’s also a journey of Indian cricket.

It’s also the story of his teammates and above all it is a celebration of his fans, who have cheered him, booed him but stayed with him throughout his career.

Some of the best moments to cheer for, during the film, were not even about Sachin. Perhaps it’s that wicket of Aamir Sohail that Venkatesh Prasad flicked during the 1996 World Cup, or when Laxman and Dravid guided India to a historic win in the 2001 series against Australia, or Dhoni’s iconic six that helped us win the World Cup. Sachin has not made it all about himself. But through these moments, he made us realise that Cricket is his everything, and sometimes it even came before his family. So when he talks about the infamous match-fixing scandal, you can feel the pain of betrayal he felt over certain colleagues. There are also many interesting tidbits about his life and career that you would easily lap up. Like, do you know which song Sachin always listens to when he feels down?

Yes, the film answers it! But it’s his family moments that gives the movie its heartwarming appeal. The film begins with videos showing Sachin holding his kids after their birth. This itself indicates how much importance he places

on his family. Be it his cheesy love story with his wife Anjali, who stood with him through the bleakest of times, or his emotional state when his father passed away on the eve of World Cup ’99 – it’s these moments that make us realise that the God is as human as any of us. Only he has used his adversities to rise up again like a phoenix. If there are enough moments to cheer about, there are also a few moments that will leave you teary-eyed.

Coming to technical values, both the editing and cinematography are top-notch and help make the movie an engaging watch throughout. AR Rahman’s background score is perfect – it is thumping at times, but it never overshadows the moments. And the use of Vande Mataram song during the World Cup final is a master-stroke.

I don’t know how the movie will appeal to the viewers who have never experienced Sachin in his prime – the ones who associate cricket with IPL and the T20 format. Or even those who have never been a fan of cricket. Even though the movie addresses the darker history of Indian cricket, like the match-fixing scandal and the Greg Chappell travesty, I feel the movie played a bit safe in those moments. The monkeygate incident is completely ignored. Also, Sachin never reveals how it was to be playing under Ganguly, Dravid and Dhoni, after his rather unsuccessful stints as the skipper of the Indian cricket team.

Sachin, as a narrator, was a bit stiff, but then he was never an actor. However, he was rather free when he was around cricketing equipment.

Sachin: A Billion Dreams is a movie strictly for cricket fans. But then that’s the entire country, including yours truly.

At the end of the movie, a fellow journalist told me ‘This is the happiest I have seen you after any movie.’ It’s true because I just watched a good piece of cinema where I became a cricket fan once again, and had relived my childhood. This is easily the best movie on cricket, and whether you are a Sachin fan or not, you will find tears flowing through the sides of your cheeks at the end of the film. Sachin: A Billion Dreams is highly recommended. Just make sure you cheer with the rest of the audience ‌Sachin‌Sachin‌!

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Review by Jag

7

2017 Land Rover Discovery

t. George, Utah: We all have them – those pesky expectations – about family, school, work, friends, and yes, even from the vehicles we drive. And when you hear the name Land Rover, your expectations just get a lot higher, elevated to the next level. For the past many years, the LR3 and LR4 have been synonymous with off-road grandeur, taking people through terrain that would put most other SUV’s to shame.

Thus, when Land Rover revealed that the legendary LR4 was going to be replaced with a modern Discovery, I wondered if my expectations would still be met. To find out, Land Rover Canada flew a select few journalists to breathtaking Utah and Arizona to

rows offer heated and cooled seats (even third row can be heated) and front seats offer massage for those long drives.

Need even more technology? To make sure occupants stay connected, the new Discovery offers nine USB charging ports and WIFI hotspot for up to eight devices. Now, I’m not suggesting putting a tablet in each occupant’s hands, but if you had to, you could.

As most of my friends and family know, I’m one of those people who spends a lot of time in cars; from simply driving to the office and/or business meetings to taking kids to their activities, I crave an infotainment system that doesn’t just work, but is easy and intuitive; moreover, I need a system that I can control with both hands on the steering wheel.

The one blemish JLR’s interiors faced was with their infotainment systems – they were sluggish, usually outdated (even in new cars) and never on par with competitors. I own a 2015 Jaguar XJ and yup, not impressed. Fast forward to the 2017 design and it seems like JLR designers and tech specialists made sure the new system was up to standards. Although there are two systems available, definitely go with the InControl Touch Pro, which comes with a 10” HD touchscreen.

(Expectations Exceeded) Driving Impressions: Okay, so let’s get to what most of you are anxious to read – the DRIVE. You have to hand it to the JLR team for providing one of the best driving experiences that most of us had ever been on. The manufacturer of course had an on-road course; but to show us the elegant strength of this composed animal, there were three impressive off-road courses. I’ve always known that Land Rovers are built to tackle almost any environment, but to experience it first-hand is a completely different ball game.

be the first to drive the new 2017 Land Rover Discovery.

Utah and Arizona provide an amazing playground for the new Discovery. Some of the most breathtaking scenery, often found on postcards or in Natural Geographic, were ours to discover. To make sure this was an overall experience, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) even had a branded private plane to escort us lucky writers from LA to St. George, where the adventure was to begin.

As we disembarked in St. George, Utah, awaiting us was a crisp sunny day and of course, our fleet of Land Rovers…the adventure was about to begin.

Exterior Design: Let’s get one thing straight – the new Land Rover Discovery looks nothing like the outgoing LR4. For those looking for the boxshaped, tall look that hadn’t really changed for many years, you are in for a surprise. Die hard LR3 and LR4 fans may need some time to wrap their heads around the new look, but personally, I like it a lot.

According to Darwin, a species evolves and transforms to fit into a new environment, and the 2017 Discovery is an example of this.

With fuel economy now being important for most manufacturers, Land Rover designers were successful in designing a luxury SUV that was not only 1000 pounds lighter than its predecessor, but more aerodynamic, spacious, and longer. Now, of course, there are still hints of Land Rover heritage in the new style, especially in the roof line, which rises slightly above the third row, and rear liftgate, where the license plate is slightly off-set. The front grille is redone and the lights are not much narrower, on par with siblings Discovery Sport and the Range Rover Sport. Up The 2017 Land Rover Discovery is available front, the noticeably large vertical vents on the with two power plants, both 3.0-liter: there’s a front bumper move air over the specially designed supercharged gasoline V6 or a turbocharged diesel wheels, giving this slick vehicle a coefficient of drag V6. Both offer great power, but depending on of less than 0.35! your need, the power comes at different points.

(Expectations Exceeded) The diesel variant is rated at 254 hp and 443 lb-ft Interior Design: Similar to the exterior, there of torque, giving tremendous low-end grunt, while were always clear interior differences between a the gasoline engine puts out 340 hp and 332 lb-ft Land Rover and a Range Rover. Step inside the of torque, giving more consistent power delivery new Discovery, and you’ll notice more Rover than at higher speeds. Both engines are mated with an before and the upgrades are impressive. No longer 8-speed ZF transmission and a very impressive does this Land Rover feel only functional – it’s filled four-wheel drive system, all of which we tested!

Jag Dhatt with luxury features that would make the Royal As our armada of Land Rovers left St. George Jag Dhatt is an automotive, family feel at home. As a Discovery should be, there airport, we had a chance to marvel the scenery motorcycle and lifestyle is space for 7 adult passengers – usually the 3rd row of Utah. The sky was a brilliant azure and only journalist. He is an AJAC member and regular is tight, but not so in this baby. Designers made sure deepened the beauty of the landscape. Zion contributor writer to many that all occupants not only had good leg room, but National Park gave us winding roads where the print and online media also great visibility. Journalists usually try out the Discovery proved to be elegant, as expected. Our outlets. front two rows of seating with few going to the third conversations were never overshadowed by any row. During the media presentation for the vehicle, road or engine noise – everything was picture there was a cut-out of the Discovery on display and JLR staff were perfect, and of course, we took plenty a picture along the route. eager for journalists to try the third-row seat. Of course, I jumped The truly fun stuff began when we took the Discovery away from in and was impressed – good leg room and of course, great head the asphalt. Part one of the off-road course was through some deep room. Keeping with the seats, our top-end test vehicles were all sand trails. The orange sands were tricky, but Discovery drove equipped with Intelligent Seat Fold technology, in which there are through them without breaking a sweat. The gasoline powered 23 seating configurations; drivers can even control the second and engine proved to be very capable in the deep sands, and for most third rows with their smart phones! Want more? Now, the first two owners, this would be considered extreme terrain because come

on, how many will actually take their capable luxury SUV’s offroad? Answer not required.

After a quick coffee stop, the drive continued through some great dry river beds, where once again, the Discovery demonstrated its agile nature. Seating position was great, providing great visibility all-around. Seating comfort was also impressive and not once did I have to fidget around to feel at ease.

If you’ve ever seen modified SUV’s do rock climbing, you know it’s nothing short of impressive. There was an amazing drive route where we, not the instructors, were going to rock climb.

Remember that the Discovery we drove was NOT modified at all – 100% stock. I was slightly concerned but JLR instructors reassured us that the Terrain Response 2 system will deliver.

This time, I was driving the diesel V6. With drive mode set to Rock Crawl, air suspension all the way up, I edged the Discovery towards the rock path. Slowly but surely, the Rover crawled…up up up. I gained more confidence, especially what I saw the vehicle in front of me doing. Another twenty feet and I had the Discovery driving at almost a 30-degree incline; the highlight came next when the right front tire was off the ground, the vehicle perfectly balanced. To show the rigidity of the Discovery’s chassis and body, we opened the doors, got out (took pictures of course) and then got back in. While getting back into a vehicle that is at such an angle isn’t easy, it was impressive that the doors still closed with ease. With the nose of the vehicle pointed at the sky, I felt like I

was climbing Mount Olympus itself, all the while in complete comfort and safety. Again, hardly any owner will take their Discovery to rock crawly, but knowing that they can is security enough.

The third and final off-road component was by far the most fun: the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, where the dunes were something out of the Prince of Persia movie. It was open playground and the goal was simple – have a blast without getting stuck. Pretty simple, right.

With Sand mode selected, air suspension again set to the highest, and the tire pressure set to only 15 psi, we were off. Let’s get one thing straight, the sand was deep and we navigated the Discovery up steep embankments and down some pretty harrowing drops. The key, as we were told, is to keep the momentum and you know what, it worked. Not once did I get stuck! I’m not saying that it as all me, but I’d like to think I had something to do with it. And in case something did go wrong, we had our lifeline. Atop the highest sand dune sat the Defender, watching over its younger siblings who were playing in the sand.

(Expectations Exceeded) Conclusions: As we concluded two days of driving, one thing dawned on me – in total, we had spent almost 15 hours behind the wheel of this new Land Rover! JLR wanted to make sure we experienced everything that the Discovery had to offer and we did.

The 2017 Discovery will be available mid-2017 and in three trim levels. Most people won’t buy the base SE, which starts at $61, 500. Nope, I suspect most Canadian roads will see either the HSE, starting at $68,500 or the very limited Discovery First Edition, which will run you $82,500. Is it a lot of money? Considering its luxury, heritage, and capabilities, definitely not.

The Discovery has a lot going for it: great looks, fantastic engineering, impressive safety systems, updated technology, and off-road capabilities that put other luxury SUV’s to shame. This could be the perfect luxury SUV on the market. And as a parent, what more could I ask for?

In the new Discovery, the “Road Not Taken” might be just the road to take.

(Expectations Fully Exceeded)

8

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Telus

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Saturday, May 27, 2017

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Saturday, May 27, 2017

Classifieds / Jobs

Production Clerk required for production and distribution of window screens and must complete general office duties.

Duties: Cut, shape and fit materials to make window and door screens; assemble parts and components to form final products; repair defective products for repair or recycle Check manufactured items for defects and conformance to specifications; answer calls; prepare invoice and collect payment. needs to use saws; drills and other small tools.

Education: High School or GED; Spoken and written English The position is full time 8:30-4:30pm with some overtime during summer months.

If you believe you have the necessary experience and skills, please submit your resume and references to info@ vancouverscreens.ca Vancouver Screens Ltd. #112 - 13085 115 Avenue Surrey, BC V3R 0C3 Phone: 604 - 520 - 6768 ------------ Apr 08-2017 Vacancies for Framer-Helper MN Framing Ltd. located at 6281 Knight Street, Vancouver BC V5P2V9 has an

immediate vacancy for Framer Helper.

Job Title: Framer Helper Number of Vacancies: 1 Location of work: Job requires on-site at various job sites within the lower mainland.

Job Type: Full time, permanent position with 30-40 hours per week. Overtime at the rate of 1.5 times after 40 hours per week.

Compensation: $20 per hour Benefits: WCB Coverage with 4% vacation pay Key duties: • Load and unload construction material and taking them to job site, • Move tools, equipment from storage to job site; • Assist framer with forming and framing related work; • Help put up, level, and install building framework • Remove rubble and clean work areas, machines and equipment to maintain a clean and safe jobsites • Perform other related job duties as required Job requirements: Some experience as a labourer will be an asset but not mandatory. Training provided on site.

Work conditions: • Physically demanding, handling heavy

NOW HIRING Bus Driver Gobind Sarvar School, located at 8820 – 168 Street, Surrey, B.C. is looking for a school bus driver living in Abbotsford area.

If you are licensed to drive a school bus, please email your resume and driver’s abstract to: info@gobindsarvar.ca or call Jaspreet at 604-930-2122 for further details.

loads, combination of sitting, standing and walking • Able to work long hours, weekends and outdoor in various weather conditions Contact: If you meet the requirements, please send your resume at mnframing@ hotmail.com.

Only those who our basic expectations will be contacted for an interview.

We thank you for your interest in our company!

------------ Mar 09-2017 Vacancies for Framer-Carpenter MN Framing Ltd. located at 6281 Knight Street, Vancouver BC V5P2V9 has immediate vacancies for Framer-Carpenter.

Job Title: Framer-Carpenter Number of Vacancies: 2 Location of work: Job requires on-site at various job sites within the lower mainland.

Job Type: Full time, permanent position with 30-40 hours per week. Overtime at the rate of 1.5 times after 40 hours per week.

Compensation: $26 per hour Benefits: WCB Coverage with 4% vacation pay Key duties: • Read & Interpret blueprints, drawings & sketches to determine specification; • Estimate height, width, length & other

proportions; • Measure, cut, shape & assemble the major structural elements of a woodframed buildings using woodworking machines, power tools and hand tools; • Build house foundations, Construct building framework including wall, beams, partitions, floor, doorframes, ceilings; • Inspect and replace damaged framework or other structures and fixtures; • Be able to understand building materials and building codes; Job requirements: • Completion of High School • 2-3 years of experience in trade or completion of 3-4 year apprenticeship program Work conditions: • Physically demanding, handling heavy loads, combination of sitting, standing and walking • Able to work long hours, weekends and outdoor in various weather conditions Contact: If you meet the requirements, please send your resume at mnframing@ hotmail.com Only those who our basic expectations will be contacted for an interview.

We thank you for your interest in our company!

------------ Mar 09-2017

LOOKING FOR CLASS 1 TRUCK DRIVER A trucking company, Planet Pride Logistics, located at 11411 Shell Road, Richmond BC V7A3W7 has immediate vacancies for 5 Long Haul Truck Drivers.

Term of employment: Full time, Permanent Position Shifts: Weekdays, Weekends, Evenings Salary: $23.50 per hour for 50 hours per week, overtime after 60 hours of the rate of 1.5 times with Vacation pay of 4%.

Requirement: Class 1 driving license with Air brake endorsement

Duties: Drive and operate company’s long haul trucks within all over Canada, receive and relay information to central dispatcher, maintain log book, bill of landing. Do pre-trip, en-route, posttrip inspection for any mechanical or body defect, reports incidents to the manager immediately and accurately.

Please send your resume at planetpride.logistics@ gmail.com or fax at 778-297-4402 Gill to Furmaan Kaur Gill

FOR LEASE Two retail units 3000sqft #130/140 - 304785 Cardinal Ave Abbotsford

(604) 725-6734 / (604) 595-1445

Saturday, May 27, 2017 South Asian Seniors - Bingo On The House May 28th 2017 ( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm.

Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members and non members also to come and play Bingo for the sake of fun during and make some new friends, on May 28th 2017( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall 8321 140th street Surrey B.C. Please bring only two dollars with you to play 2 games, do not worry if you do not know how to play, members will explain you the game just for the sake of fun. Tea & light snacks will be served after the game is over. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator at 604 - 507 - 9945 for further details. Project funded by Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program for Hindi speaking Seniors.

-----------------------------------------The Vancouver South Constituency

Jobs / Matrimonial

Youth Council, supported by the office of MP Harjit S. Sajjan, to host VanSouth Youth Talks at David Thompson Secondary School.

Vancouver, British Columbia – 19 May 2017 VANCOUVER – On Saturday, May 20, 2017, the Vancouver South Constituency Youth Council, supported by the office of the Hon. Harjit S. Sajjan, Member of Parliament for Vancouver South, will be hosting the VanSouth Youth Talks in the auditorium of David Thompson Secondary School.

MP Sajjan is excited to be a part of this event aimed at inspiring and empowering local youth. “It’s an honour for me to be the Member of Parliament for Vancouver South, and I’m looking forward to the VanSouth Youth Talks as a great opportunity to engage with many of the young people in our community.”

The event will feature presentations by 5 speakers – Tesicca Truong, Jason Costa, Eileen Zheng, Roseleen Batalia and the Hon. Harjit S. Sajjan – as well as information booths from a number of community organizations to give youth an opportunity to get involved, volunteer, and make

BRIDE NEEDED

MATRIM

ONIAL

22 year old, 5-11’ jatt sikh boy studying in Australia is looking for a Canadian Citizen or immigrant girl.

Boy’s family is permanently settled in Canada.

Contact 604.461.1614 for further information.

100 100 95 95 75 75

25 25 5 5 0 0

Canada Tent House We We rentrent tents for all & parties tents for functions any function

Portable Sinks, Luxury Washrooms, Flooring, Stage, LED Lighting.

For marriage party, birthday party or any program contact:

Now Open

Arjun Gill New work, new rate Tel: 604-598-2400 E-mail: info@canadatenthouse.com

Canada Tent House Friday, March 24, 2017 11:02:32 AM

positive contributions in the constituency.

This event is open to the media.

DATE: Saturday, May 20, 2017 TIME: 1:00p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

LOCATION: David Thompson Secondary School Auditorium, 1755 E 55th Ave, Vancouver FOR MORE INFORMATION: Harjit S. Sajjan Vancouver South Constituency Office 604-775-5323 | Harjit.Sajjan@parl.gc.ca.

-----------------------------------------South Asian Seniors are planning to visit Australia & New Zealand through 13 days cruise and 2 days extra tour of Sydney (Australia) total 16 days including travel time. The cruise itinerary starts from Sydney (Australia) on November 17th 2017, one day visit at each of these ports, Melbourne (Australia), Burnie (TasmaniaAustralia), Wellington (New Zealand), Napier (New Zealand), Tauranga (New Zealand), Auckland (New Zealand), Bay of Islands (New Zealand) and back to Sydney (Australia). Every port the ship Norwegian Jewel will stop, all seniors will go for city tour by bus. All arrangements will be made for your air travel from Vancouver to Sydney (Australia) and return from Sydney to Vancouver, Cruise bookings, all port city excursions, city visits of Sydney (Australia), hotel stay in Sydney, food ( Pure Vegetarian or Non Vegetarian as per your choice) during Sydney City visits, also local bus pick up from Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple Surrey to Vancouver airport & back to Temple on return from Vancouver airport. The total tour will be of 16/ 17 days including travel time from 14th November 2017 to 2nd December 2017.

The travel insurance with Medical Coverage, Cancellation, Interruption and Baggage 100 loss 100 is a must, which you can arrange yourself or get the one we arrange for the 95 95 whole group Insurance at a reasonable 75 75

price to cover Basic Medical Coverage, Cancellation, Interruption, & Baggage Loss etc. The maximum cost for the whole trip to cover everything including return air tickets will be approximately $ 4,500.00 US Dollars per person. All staterooms are Double occupancy, so you should select your partner to share the stateroom with you on the ship. If you are interested to join South Asian group of Seniors, you should be in good health to walk independently, can afford the Luxury in life for 16/ 17 days, then only call. The entire amount $ 4,500.00 US Dollars or Equal ant Canadian Dollars as per present Bank rates will be spent on you only and will be taken from you in 4 installments with intervals. You will have to pay me $ 750.00 US Dollars per person for Cruise deposit to confirm your stateroom, and if you don’t have your travel insurance as mentioned above then you have to pay me $ 205.00 US Dollars per person for group travel Insurance in addition to cruise deposit.

Please remember the Travel insurance once purchased can not be cancelled or transferred to somebody else. The final payment for the cruise is due by 20th June 2017 and you will be able to pay through your credit card directly to Cruise Web. For the other payments for Air Travel, Port City Excursions and hotel stay & food expenses etc. you will be informed time to time. The prices I have negotiated for the cruise are the rock bottom prices which can not be held for long and we are getting two amenities free, Gratuity for 13 days Cruise is Free and Cocktail Drinks are free for 13 days of Cruise for Ocean view cabins and above.

Inside cabins will have only one Amenity Free of your choice. I have only room for two more couples or 4 friends to share two cabins on the ship, So don’t miss the chance of enjoying the Luxury in life for 16/ 17 days to visit Australia & New Zealand and call Surendra Handa Organizer/ Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945.

To PLACE YOUR AD IN THE ASIAN STAR

25 25 5 5 0 0

11

CLASSIFIEDS Section Please Call:

604-591-5423

12

Anniversary

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Vivek & Patricia Savkur celebrated their 50th Golden Wedding Anniversary

Vivek & Patricia Savkur celebrated their 50th Golden Wedding Anniversary on 21st May 2017 on a grand scale at the Maharaja Banquet Hall. About 250 guests from BC, Ontario, India and Nairobi participated in this milestone event in the lives of Mr.& Mrs. Savkur. Vivek Savkur is the Chairman Emeritus of BC India Business Network.

Notable among the guests were: Tracy Redies- MLA White Rock; Sarabjeet & Randeep SaraiMP; Harinder and Dr.Gulzar Cheema; Jatinder & Amrik Virk; Isabella & Dave Hayer; Rupa & Rana Vig. The Spiritual Service was presided over by Apostle Shekhar Kallianpur, well known international Evangelist who came all the way from Mumbai.

The Toast was raised by Mrs. Rose Fernandes, family friend who flew in from Nairobi to Raise The Toast in honour of the Savkur's.

The highlight of the evening was a scintillating dance performance

by Shiamak Davar's Troupe.

This surprise performance was a personal gift from Shiamak Davar to Patricia & Vivek.

Saturday, April 2, 2016

i 5

Saturday, 2, 2016 Saturday, April April 2, 2016 i 5i 5

Vol. 6 No. 31 Saturday - April 2, 2016 - Tel: - Tel: 604-591-5423 E-mail: ads@theasianstar.com 604-591-5423 - -E-mail: ads@theasianstar.com Tel: 604-591-5423 E-mail: ads@theasianstar.com Vol. 6 No. 31 - Saturday - April 2, 2016 - Tel: 604-591-5423 - E-mail: ads@theasianstar.com

No. 31 -- MaySaturday Vol. 8 No. Vol. 17 -6 Saturday 27, 2017 - April 2, 2016

Vancouver’sskyline skyline rise amid an office-tower building boom toto10 rise amid anLISTED office-tower building boom AMONG TOP SOLD, TOP 10 & TOP 10 DOLLAR VOLUME IN FVREB BewareVancouver’s the Vancouver’s skyline to expect rise amid anyears office-tower building boom next two due to competition. it Suisse is optimistic his building tower tower is optimistic his building will will he $240-million $240-million Credit CreditSuisse/ Suisse/ Mr.Mr. Shokri others expectnext two years due to competition. it Suisse he Shokri andand others say say theythey The landlords who will likely suffer The landlords who will likely suffer next two years due to competition. start to fill as the completion date gets closer. start to fill as the completion date gets closer. it Suisse tower is optimistic his building will bigSwissReal tax hit SwissReal tower theheart heart many of the new towers to start signing tower ininthe of of many of the new towers to start signing tenant he that $240-million Credit Suisse/ Mr. Shokri and others say tenant they expect a result of the current boom are ownas aasresult of the current boom are ownThe landlords who will likely suffer Franz Gehriger, the CEO of SwissReal Franz Gehriger, the CEO of SwissReal start to fill as the completion date gets closer. downtown Vancouver will leases as they getget to completion. downtown SwissReal Vancouver will be heart leases as many they closer to completion.

Thattenant tower inbethe of ofcloser the new towers to startThat signing ers of Shokri said.

Asare ownersolder ofasolder buildings, Mr. Shokri As abuildings, result of Mr. the current boomsaid.

GroupGroup who bought the the original historic who bought theCEO original historic Franz Gehriger, of SwissReal completed a ayear, sosofar,far, will is is partly in Vancouver, couldininless be lurking completed lessthan than year,butbut partly because companies intoVancouver, downtown Vancouver be because leases ascompanies they get closer completion.well, Thatnew developments in the suburbs, well, new developments in the suburbs, stock-exchange building in 2002 before parters of older buildings, Mr. Shokri said.

As stock-exchange building in 2002 before partGroup who bought the original historic only has upupthan totomove in.in.butwhich want to be in energy-efficient onlyone onetenant tenant hassigned signed move to because benew, in new, energy-efficient completed in less a year, sowhich far,do do iswant partly companies in Vancouver, which have already experienced higher 604-897-9575 nering with Credit Suisse to develop it, said which have already experienced higher well, new developments in the suburbs, tenant has committed forfor a a10th buildings, to operate short timelines. nering with Credit Suisseinto2002 develop said stock-exchange building beforeit,partinThe basement Theyour tenantonly has committed 10th of move buildings, tend to operate oninshort timelines. one tenant has signed upof to in. tend which do wanton to be new, energy-efficient vacancy rates inhave recent years,years, may may have have the main group interested in leasing Vancouvacancy rates in already recent which experienced higher the a state AsAs he hesaid, prices in in the newnew thenering mainwith group interested in Credit Suisse to leasing developVancouit, said the370,000 370,000square square feet– –leaving leaving a stateofforofa 10th well, said, The feet tenant has committed ofwell, buildings, tend toprices operate onthe short timelines. trouble asvacancy compete each other. ver office space these days is the technology WWW.SAMEERKAUSHALPREC.REALTOR rates in with recent years, may have troublethey as they compete with each other. emptiness that is unusual for an office sky- buildings will likely come down in the theoffice mainspace groupthese interested Vancouif you decide daysinisleasing the technology the is370,000 square feetoffice – leaving of As well, said, down prices in in the new emptiness that unusual for an sky- a state buildings will likelyhecome In Vancouver, the co-developer of the Cred- sector.ver Those companies make their deciscraper in this city. Even so, a huge shift in trouble as they compete with each other.

In Vancouver, the co-developer of the Credver office space these days is the technology sector.

Those companies make their deci3604 9981 100 View Lots emptiness thatso, is unusual for aninoffice sky- buildings will likely come down scraper in this city. Even a huge shift 12042 in 100AtheAVE In Vancouver,14333 business tenancy is expected as the region the co-developer of the Cred- sector.

6964 152 St to rent it out 55A Ave Those companies make their deciWhalley Blvd Potential scraperisinexpected this city. as Even a huge shift in business tenancy theso,region experiences something it has not seen be$2,200,000 Penthouse PLA Done business tenancy is expected as If you’ve recently taken out a experiences something it has not seen be-the region $1.79M fore: an office-tower building boom much $6, 2 99, 0 00 Park Place 2 experiences something it has not For seen Sale be- in Hope whopping tobuilding buy a home fore: an office-tower boom much of which ismortgage speculative construction rath-

T T

SAMEER KAUSHAL PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION, B.Sc., MBA

#105-7928-128 St., Surrey BC E-Mail: samkaushal@gmail.com

Grand Centurion Producer

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MEDALLION CLUB MEMBER

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Open House Sun 2-4 pm

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Nearmuch Kawkawa Lake in offor Canada’s red-hot an soaring, office-tower building boom of one which is fore: speculative construction rather than specific committed tenants. housing one way to ease the Kettle Valley which is committed speculative construction rather“This thanismarkets, forofofspecific tenants. kind uncharted territory for Van- 20280 burden of those sky-high monthly Road, Hope BC. er than for specific committed tenants. couver, ” said Mehdi Shokri, a principal with “This is kind of uncharted territory for Vanmortgage payments is to consider Asking $7M “This is kind of uncharted territory for Vanthe capital markets team at Avison Young. couver,” said Mehdi Shokri, a principal with renting out acouver, room or perhaps even a principal ” said Mehdi Shokri, with “But I don’t see a big disaster occurring. ” the capital markets team at Avison Young. theThe entire basement of your But Suisse ishome. onlyteam the at most Avison “But ICredit don’tthe seecapital a tower bigmarkets disaster occurring. ” Young. before you decide to take on a tenant visible and furthest along of aasecond wave occurring.”

“But I don’t see big disaster The Credit Suisse towerbe is sure onlytothe most in your residence, of new principal office towers planned fortower VancouThe Credit Suisse only the most visible and furthest along of a secondiswave familiarize yourself withfurthest the Achangever and some key suburbs. first cluster visible and along of a second wave oftowers newrules office towers planned for of-use which could limit theVancouof – some twooffice million square feet –for BeautifulVancou3 Level Elegant custom built Mega house on of new towers planned ver built and downtown some suburbs.

Athree firstyears. cluster Rectangular 9250 Square Feet 70'x132', over 5700 Sq. Feet availability of thekey principal residence was in the past covered area.12 Bedrooms with 7 Bathroom.Big Kitchen & ver and some key suburbs.

A first (Spice) on Main Floor with Big Family Room.Back ofAnother towers –(PRE) some square feet – cluster exemption iftwo you million subsequently 11 office developments areWok-Kitchen lane access. 5 bedrooms on the top floor and 3 full bathrooms. of towers – some two million square feet Basement suites of– Two Bedrooms Each, 1 Bedroom & wasyour builthome downtown in theofpast three years. sell at a profit. proposed within blocks Credit Su-2Theatre Room for upstairs use. 2 Bedroom suite on main floor. was built downtown in the past three years.

3 unauthorized basement suites, about $2100 per month.

Under the 11 Income Taxdevelopments Act, and you Westare Another officeat isse’s Exchange tower Howe Another 11 disposed office developments are can be considered have Pender streets, eventoblocks while the office-va-Suproposed within of Credit within blocks of Credit Su- 56 Ave 18120 of either part or all of your principal cancy rate inproposed the region to inch isse’s Exchange tower atcontinues Howe and West isse’s Exchange tower at Howe and West Highway 10 residence evenofifthe youfirst didn’t up as a result waveactually of building.

Pender streets, even while the office-vaPender streets, even while the office-va$1,999,999 sell it to a third party.

This can occur But commercial brokerscontinues say the city is cancy rate in the region to inch cancy rate in athe region continues inchnext to new Kwantlen Prime to location ifupyou convert part (like room or not about to be populated by ghost towers. as a result of the first wave of building.

Campus. Zoned Light as aofresult the first wave College of building. basement) orupall yourofprincipal Industrial, excellent building site for I-L But commercial brokers say the city is But commercial brokers citylight is industrial building. residence to a rental property. The tax say3 the storey, not about to be about populated by ghost towers. to bethe populated Primarytowers. building plans in place. All rules state thatnot if you change use of by ghost measurements and spcs are a property, you are “deemed” to have approximate. disposed of the property at its fair market value and to have immediately 5956 130B ST reacquired the property for the same Picture $899,900 Coming Soon amount, which becomes your new tax + GST cost or adjusted cost base (ACB).

As a result, the general rule is that Brand new 5br house. Panorama Ridge - SW facing frontage with NE back yard. Bright sunny lot upon such a change in use, you are can accommodate 2 storey + basement home.

Central location close to park, schools, transportation, required to report the resulting capital and shopping. Easy access to US border, White Rock, gain in the tax year that the changeLangley, Vancouver, and Richmond. Build your dream home here ! Call for details. in-use occurs. While any initial gain resulting from the deemed disposition 9351 182 St related to the change-in-use may Port Kells, Surrey qualify for the PRE, the concern is 5 Acres - $5.9M that when you subsequently sell your home to a third-party, part of the gain 5 acres in Port Kells may be taxable.

Anniedale NCP with 2 Fortunately, if you change your houses both rented to entire principal residence to a rental property, there is a special long term tenants tax election you can make that will Restaurant For Sale allow you to designate the property In South Delta as your principal residence for up Well running indian to four years, even if you don’t use cuisine for sale in busy your property as your principal residence, provided you don’t claim location. any tax depreciation against the Good Running rental income. But you can only do business and low lease. this if you don’t designate any other Asking $99,000 property, such as a vacation home or cottage, as your principal residence during this period of time.

14495 72 Ave $1,499,000

D L O S

Beautiful, well maintained family home. built on a big square lot of size 135'x135'. Great view of mountains and city lights!

11144 84 Ave Delta $1,099,900

Investors/Builders Alert.....Investment opportunity available in one of the Most Desirable Nortel Area of North Delta. Close to Schools, Shopping, Transit, Medical, or Rent out, Great neighbours, RS 6 Zoning, Huge flat lot in the heart of N. Delta. Excellent central location. Short walking distance to all levels of schools, shopping & rec centre. Easy commute to Vancouver D/T. Finished basement has loads of potential for large family buy now and build or hold for possible future development. Measurements are approximate. North Facing Property and Sunny South Facing Backyard. Call for details.

11911 LADNER TRUNK ROAD $1,799,000 Lower PANORAMA area offering an opportunity to own a 10 acre parcel of land at the centre of Highways #10,91 & 99. Quick and easy to access in and out in both directions, directly onto #10 Highway. This property has split A1 & RS 1 Zoning and has SANITARY SEWER on the property line! Hilltop parcel provides ocean view but has NO access. Property has been professionally SURVEYED. Lower 6-7 Acre parcel located adjacent to the DELTA GOLF COURSE is in the ALR and would be an exceptional place to build your ESTATE HOME or Hobby Farm with an OCEAN VIEW from the second floor

17795 93a Ave $1,799,900 GREAT FAMILY HOME AND INVESTMENT FOR THE FUTURE! This 1.25 acre lot features a spacious 1,932 sf Rancher that has a great layout with 3 bedrooms, vaulted ceiling in the living room, a 3 car garage, extra storage shed and features a pool and hot tub. The Anniedale Tynehead NCP has been approved and this lot is designated as High Density Residential 25-45 Units per Acre - the highest density in the plan. This well located property is completely flat and has no watercourses. This is a great place to live in now and invest for the future. Port Kells NCP. Minutes to shopping at Guildford/Willowbrook Malls, Convenient access to Port Mann and Golden Ears Bridges, Highway/Freeway 1.

For Lease & For Sale in Little India Plaza 8028 128 St, Surrey #119 (1102SF), #120 (1083SF) , #206 (1017SF) 8078 128 St #102(1158SF) , #106 (1258SF) Lease available in York Centre Also

New Homes nearby, Coming New Development just a few blocks away. Great Future Potential. Excellent Investment Property. Investors, Developers, Builders - Build Your Mansion, Rent Out, Assemble Land, or Enjoy the Peace and Quiet of good size parcel of land. Car Enthusiasts has the Huge 40'x50' Detached Workshop (with Separate 200 Amp 3 Phase Powder), .Owner will rent back either 1 k for shop or 4 k whole house.This house has lots of renovations, Huge fenced Back Yard, Close to Highway 10, YMCA, Schools, Shopping, Transit, Parks. The Outdoor Pool is amazing for entertainment and has a recently replaced liner. More than 36,000 Square Feet Lot with 2,000 Square Feet Plus of Living and Entertainment Space. Motivated Seller.

15410 20 AVE $829,000 Better than a townhome.... 1/2 duplex in sunny south surrey.

Great location, minutes to shopping, schools, parks and transportation. Beautiful private sunny south facing backyard with tall mature hedging for maximum privacy. Freshly painted, this 3 bedroom, 1 and 1/2 bath is the perfect solution to home ownership in sunny south surrey... Ample parking for extra toys... Come by and see you will love it! Ask us about the city beautification package.... Great neighbours!

13881 56 Ave

Panorama Ridge $1,599,000

Here you will find an absolutely gorgeous home with all the bells and whistles, 4 bedrooms, top of the line stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, newer kitchen, cherry wood floors, Kohler faucets, bathrooms (rain shower & steam shower), heated bathroom floor downstairs, central air conditioning, newer hot water tank, metal roof. Step out into the backyard with an outdoor inground pool, hot tub, outdoor bar, great for entertaining guests all situated on almost half acre of pristine. Panorama Ridge property.

Extra large double garage for shop enthusiast. Close to all major routes, this home is a must see. Bring in your fussiest buyer.

13077 59A - $849,900 + GST 13083 59A AVE

Brand new 5br house. Panorama Ridge - South

facing frontage with North back yard. Bright sunny lot can accommodate 2 storey + basement home. Central location close to park, schools, transportation, and shopping. Easy access to US border, White Rock, Langley, Vancouver, and Richmond. Build your dream home here ! Call for details.

5950 130B ST - $849,900 + GST

Brand new 5br house.

Ready to build RF 9 lot.Panorama Ridge - West facing frontage with Sunny East Facing back yard. Bright sunny lot can accommodate 2 storey + basement home. Central location close to park, schools, transportation, and shopping. Easy access to US border, White Rock, Langley, Vancouver, and Richmond. Build your dream home here ! Call for details.

7568 123 St $1,249,900

$899,900 +GST

Brand new 5br house.Panorama Ridge South facing frontage with North back yard.

Bright sunny lot can accommodate 2 storey + basement home. Central location close to park, schools, transportation, and shopping. Easy access to US border, White Rock, Langley, Vancouver, and Richmond.

Build your dream home here ! Call for details.

$469,000

Well appointed 24th floor suite in the Park Place by Concord Pacific, this home shows beautifully! Upgraded Stainless Steel Appliances, Quartz Countertops, Dark Cabinetry and flooring

6972 126 ST, SURREY, #1,269,000 Very Well Kept Home in one of the most desirable area of West Newton and Fully renovated Home, Bright and Spacious, New Crown moldings, Granite Counter tops, 4 bedrooms up, New Kitchen Appliances, Renovated Kitchen, Three Sky Lights, New Flooring, New Drapes & Window coverings. Updated Bathrooms, 2 Bed Room Spacious Ground Level Suite rented to good tenants, Possibility to make another 1 Bed Room Suite, Presently Wet Bar. Separate Entry, Spacious Double Garage, Big Driveway, Ample Parking, Nice Private Back yard, Covered Patio, Spiral stairs, Security Cameras. Close to all major routes, this home is a must see and Central Location, Close to Shopping and Recreation Nearby. Walking Distance to Kwantlen University

8815 112 ST $1,099,000 Large 3552SF BASEMENT entry home on LARGE 7458SF LOT. Excellent NORTH DELTA location. 3 bedrooms up with 3 baths also has formal living/dining area and a large family room with kitchen. *2 BEDROOM LEGAL SUITE RENTED. RECROOM & FULL BATH WIT H SEPARATE ENTRY FOR OWN USE*.

RF-12 Two Storey Home RF-12 Two Storey Home Lot - 10153 130A St Lot - 13050 101B Ave 5631 SQFT. - $745,000 4505 SQFT - $724,900 Ready to Build, Plans Ready Ready to Build, Plans Ready Call for more info Call for more info

beautiful good sized house located on 75 and 123 street of surrey. call for viewing Trade in with any property or business is welcome

#123 8028 128 STREET $965,000

Very Well Designed Brand New Little India Plaza. The Best Visual Exposure, Never occupied Corner Unit. Very Good for Food or Clothing Business. Fenced complex with lots of parking and Secured Entry. Corner of 80th Ave & 128th St. 1422 Square Feet. Be your own boss. Very convenient Corner Retail Space, Centrally Air Conditioned. One of the most desirable commercial / office complex in the heart of City. Well Managed New Strata complex. Lots of parking. GET READY TO GET CORNER UNIT... 1422 SQUARE FEET. RETAIL SPACE located centrally

Lease at York Centre #212 7928 128 St 1227 Sqft

#109 8381 128 St Lease at Red FM Plaza Payal Business Centre

$549,000

Rare to find 24.25 Acres in the Heart of East Newton! Totally Renovated 2 level home with 1 Workshop, 3 Big Steel Barns, SMALL PLANE HANGERS, GUEST SUITE, Secondary Suite registered with City of Surrey. Portable Offices, Nice Landscaping, Huge Parking space for your Trucks, Cars, Dump Trucks, Big hall with bathrooms and lot more on these flat acres. Property connected to City Sewer and City water. Good holding property. Lots of future potential. A 1 Zoning, presently in ALR 415 FEET FRONT ON 152 STREET. All measurements are approximate, buyer to verify.

12669 93 Ave Surrey $1,599,900

Beautiful updated 2 Storey Magnificent Home in Queen Park Area of Surrey, 10,500 SF L.U.C. Lot.Custom Built, over 6000 SF With 5 Bedrooms, Big Rec Room, Huge Family Room, Balcony, Patio, Big Covered Sundeck on Main, 2 Suites down (3 & 3 bedroom) rented to good tenants at $1250 and $950 per month on month to month basis. 5 zone H/W radiant heat, Central vacuum, Solid oak cabs. Grand entrance, Circular driveway, Double Garage, Lots of Parking, RV Parking, Big Backyard and Storage 12X12. Double Spiral Stairs, 4 Skylights

Business for Sale 219 - 3665 KINGSWAY $32,000

Well established Unihealth Group Franchise Health Center, providing diverse range of treatments & Therapies. Services include Acupressure, Acupunture, Cupping, Reflexology, Massage, Chinese Medicine. Over 1800 Client File. No experience required. Turnkey Operation.

14773 68 Ave $2,249,900 **VERY LARGE LOT** 2 storey w/ bsmt home on 26,000sqft lot with Sub-dividable potential, HOME Features include 7 bedrooms plus 2 baths with private back yard, additional parking for RV parking available. Close to shopping, walking distance to schools, public transit and easy access to all major routes.

For Sale 104 - 7511 120 ST DELTA

ATRIA..This main floor Office / Retail is located south of 80th Avenue in the Scottsdale area with excellent visual exposure on 120th Street (Scott Road) Concrete construction. Separate HVAC units, front and backdoor access. 3 levels of residential units above. Ample parking available for commercial units (42 reserved parking stalls for Commercial Units). This unit has tremendous exposure to Scott Road, Just opposite to Bus Stop, ample parking available on site and great accessibility to all major transportation routes in the area. Rented to very good Tenants. One of the best investment opportunity.

#207 8120 128 St, 970 Sqft Lots in Panorama Parkview - for further info, please call 604-897-9575

Saturda

14

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Real Estate

Sky-high condo prices aren’t a T supply problem Vol. 6 No. 31

Jolly Arts -Custom painted wall murals for home, office or commercial establishments.

-Interior and decorative wall painting along with decorating design ideas.

Custom Designs Kids Room - Living Spaces - Offices - Wallpaper Install

Tejpal Singh Mann

778-885-2197

By Appointment

www.facebook.com/tejpalsingh.mann

For Traditional & Modern Hand Paintings

-

Saturday - April 2, 2016

- Tel: 604-591-5423 -

E-mail: ads@the

Vancouver’s skyline to rise amid an office-tower building

TSM Gallery 9353 - 120 St. Delta

778.395.5354

Have you heard the one about how supply is going to solve the great Canadian housing crisis? If you’ve listened to the real estate industry or our political leaders, you likely have. A lack of supply is the great culprit behind soaring prices and the lack of affordable homes. Just build more condo towers and presto, problem solved.

Well, they’re building them in Metro Vancouver and Greater Toronto – lots of them. The Onni Group is now marketing a building in downtown Vancouver with units starting at $1.7-million. Another developer, Intracorp, is advertising Belpark, on the city’s west side, where you can get a two-bedroom, plus a den for $1.5-million. And on it goes.

The truth is the problem of high costs, and access to reasonably priced accommodation in our two major cities is not being addressed.

That is a simple fact. People will say that the condo towers I highlighted are in downtown Vancouver, so what do you expect? Well, the fact is those prices set a standard for the region. They are driving up the cost of housing miles away.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. sounded this alarm just this month in a new report. “Increases in home prices in the city of Vancouver had a spillover effect in surrounding British Columbia municipalities,” the corporation said. And that effect was “measurable,” it reported.

Here is the other brutal reality about the great supply argument: vast swaths of these units are being built and presold to foreign purchasers. These buyers, in turn, are either flipping the properties for a profit before they

he $240-million Credit Suisse/ SwissReal tower in the heart of downtown Vancouver will be completed in less than a year, but so far, only one tenant has signed up to move in.

The tenant has committed for a 10th of the 370,000 square feet – leaving a state of emptiness that is unusual for an office skyscraper in this city. Even so, a huge shift in business tenancy is expected as the region experiences something it has not seen before: an office-tower building boom much of which is speculative construction rather than for specific committed tenants.

“This is kind of uncharted territory for Vancouver,” said Mehdi Shokri, a principal with the capital markets team at Avison Young.

“But I don’t see a big disaster occurring.”

The Credit Suisse tower is only the most visible and furthest along of a second wave of new office towers planned for Vancouver and some key suburbs. A first cluster of towers – some two million square feet – was built downtown in the past three years.

Another 11 office developments are proposed within blocks of Credit Suisse’s Exchange tower at Howe and West Pender streets, even while the office-vacancy rate in the region continues to inch up as a result of the first wave of building.

But commercial brokers say the city is not about to be populated by ghost towers.

Mr. Shokri and others say they expect many of the new towers to start signing tenant leases as they get closer to completion. That is partly because companies in Vancouver, which do want to be in new, energy-efficient buildings, tend to operate on short timelines.

As well, he said, prices in the new buildings will likely come 4 i Saturday, July 25, 2015down in the

next two years due to competition.

The landlords who will likely suffer as a result of the current boom are owners of older buildings, Mr. Shokri said. As well, new developments in the suburbs, which have already experienced higher vacancy rates in recent years, may have trouble as they compete with each other.

In Vancouver, the co-developer of the Cred-

are even finished or hanging on to them as safe investments and renting them out. Sure, that might help bolster the rental stock, but why are locals who earn incomes in Canada and pay taxes here being shut out from buying these homes?

The problem is this type of foreigninvestment activity is helping drive up prices. Everyone knows it and yet little is being done about it. Some of these offshore purchasers are, in fact, flipping the condos for a profit before final sale and avoiding paying the 15-per-cent foreign-buyers tax in the process. No, there is lots of “supply” in Vancouver and Toronto. That isn’t the issue.

It’s who’s getting access to that supply that is a big part of the problem. And it’s also the type of “supply” being built. Many of the condos being constructed are designed to be purchased by wealthy investors, the Lamborghini crowd. They aren’t being built for a couple of young professionals starting a family. Not unless you consider $1-million for 1,000-square-feet on the 10th floor of a tower in suburban Burnaby, B.C., reasonable.

No, somehow, some way, governments need to encourage developers, through incentives or whatever it takes, to start building housing that the middle class can afford. Right now, developers are getting everything their way.

They are putting pressure on local politicians to speed up the approval process so they can erect more towers, more quickly, but they are doing nothing – nothing – about the costs of the units they are constructing. In fact, you could argue they are engaging in activity that is helping ensure the costs keep going up.

it Suisse tow start to fill a Franz G Group wh stock-excha nering with the main gr ver office sp sector. Tho

31

Saturday, April 2, 2016

i 5

Saturday, May 27, 2017 -

Real Estate

HSBC dangles lower mortgage rate than Big Six in push for more market share in Canada

Saturday - April 2, 2016

- Tel: 604-591-5423 -

E-mail: ads@theasianstar.com

couver’s skyline to rise amid an office-tower building boom

edit Suisse/ he heart of er will be , but so far, to move in. or a 10th of ng a state of n office skyhuge shift in s the region not seen beboom much uction rathted tenants. tory for Vanrincipal with vison Young. r occurring.” nly the most second wave for Vancoufirst cluster square feet – three years. pments are Credit Sue and West he office-vanues to inch of building. y the city is host towers.

Mr. Shokri and others say they expect many of the new towers to start signing tenant leases as they get closer to completion. That is partly because companies in Vancouver, which do want to be in new, energy-efficient buildings, tend to operate on short timelines.

As well, he said, prices in the new buildings will likely come 4 i Saturday, July 25, 2015down in the

next two years due to competition.

The landlords who will likely suffer as a result of the current boom are owners of older buildings, Mr. Shokri said. As well, new developments in the suburbs, which have already experienced higher vacancy rates in recent years, may have trouble as they compete with each other.

In Vancouver, the co-developer of the Cred-

it Suisse tower is optimistic his building will start to fill as the completion date gets closer.

Franz Gehriger, the CEO of SwissReal Group who bought the original historic stock-exchange building in 2002 before partnering with Credit Suisse to develop it, said the main group interested in leasing Vancouver office space these days is the technology sector. Those companies make their deci-

HSBC Holdings Plc is getting aggressive in Canada — and one needs to look no further than its latest mortgage rate for proof of broader ambitions.

HSBC Canada is offering five-year fixedterm mortgages at 2.39 per cent, undercutting the lowest discretionary rates at the largest

domestic lenders including TorontoDominion Bank and Royal Bank of Canada.

“I want to be more competitive,” Sandra Stuart, chief executive officer of the Canadian unit of London-based HSBC, said in an interview from her Vancouver office. “I will never be as big as the Big Five, but I certainly want to have our share of market, and I want to be out there with good competitive products.”

The mortgage push is part of Stuart’s strategy to expand HSBC Canada across its main businesses of commercial lending, capital markets, retail banking and wealth management. Stuart, who became head of the Canadian operations in June 2015, won the backing of HSBC, which she said has made a fourfold increase in annual investment in the Canadian operations to gain market share.

“HSBC globally is making a big bet on

Canada, and they’re investing in us to do that,” Stuart said. “There’s a handful of priority markets that are going to get continued investment and our job is to develop the strategy, to execute and of course deliver the returns.”

HSBC has been in Canada since 1981, expanding through takeovers of domestic lenders and the Canadian operations of foreign banks to become the seventh-largest lender in the nation with $95.7 billion in assets.

Commercial banking accounts for 60 per cent of the firm’s Canadian profit, while its global banking and markets operations contribute 30 per cent and retail banking and wealth management represent 10 per cent.

“Canada is a great place to do business,” Stuart said, citing the nation’s growing economy, geographic stability and international trade ties that dovetail with HSBC’s global reach. “Canada is the No. 2 export partner for the U.S. and we’ve got the gateway to the Pacific, and we’ve got a real focus now on China, a great corridor with Hong Kong. We’re really well positioned.”

The Canadian operations are a “Top Five” producer of profit before taxes, contributing 7.6 per cent of total earnings for Europe’s biggest bank last year, up from 4.4 per cent in 2015. HSBC Canada had profit before tax of $715 million last year and revenue of $2 billion.

HSBC Canada is revamping its operations, spending more to update technology and rolling out new offerings for customers.

Toronto market turned on its head as flood of listings overwhelms buyers Toronto real estate agent Davelle Morrison recently bought a truckload of modern chairs, crisp bed linens and stylish lamps. She had to, she says, because the surge in listings in the Greater Toronto Area has sucked up all of the furniture normally used to make properties look as appealing as possible.

The stagers who place the furniture are so overbooked that Ms. Morrison had to track down an interior designer with some time to spare. “One furniture rental company had to shut down,” she says.

Ms. Morrison says she invested in her own stock of furniture because she’s going to need it for other properties in the pipeline. This is just one weird twist in a market that has been turned on its head.

Agents are also reporting price cuts for some listings, bidding delirium for others, and a swarm of investors looking for deals.

After holding on to their rapidly appreciating asset for so long, some sellers in the Greater Toronto Area appear to be rushing headlong to cash in. Buyers who lamented that there were so few listings now seem incapacitated by the amount of choice.

“I think they’re overwhelmed – there are so many houses to look at,” says Ms. Morrison of Bosley Real Estate Ltd. “No matter what neighbourhood they want to be in, there are so many houses to look at.”

In another harbinger of change, Ms. Morrison has also started receiving phone calls that are strange to her ears: Listing

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agents are pleading for her to bring her house hunting clients to their properties.

Ms. Morrison recently listed a duplex for sale in the posh enclave of Moore Park. It’s the kind of property that appeals to both investors and those who want to live in half of the house while renting out the rest.

“No agents booked showings,” she says. change 5 years fixed rate to 3.29% (30 days quick close, Hi ratio only Quite a few did go through the agents’

e

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15

#106 - 7565 132 St. Surrey, BC 604.572.3005 3 Year Fixed

2.69%

less than 20% down)

5 years fixed @ 2.64% 2 years fixed @ 2.24% 3 years fixed @ 2.49%

ought

Fixed Rate

5 years @ 2.59% 2 years @ 2.04%

Variable Rate 5 Year @ 2.00% (Prime-0.70)

• First, 2nd & 3rd Mortgages • Borrow against Partial share • Refinance up to 95% value, Consolidate Debts & keep existing low rate 1st mortgage.

• Construction Mortgage in 1st or 2nd position • Renewals • Private Mortgages

open house, however, and one brought a client who promptly made a “bully” offer – which means the potential buyer refused to wait for the scheduled offer deadline.

Ms. Morrison says her client decided not to take the bully bid and wait instead to see what happens at the table on offer night.

The indecision in the market has agents perplexed: showings are down but bullies can be as aggressive as ever.

Another wrinkle, Ms. Morrison says, is that house hunters are so accustomed to competing in multiple offers, they are flummoxed by houses that are actually available to buy. Buyers are not attuned to “offers any time,’” she says.

Saturda

16

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Garry Grewal

Vol. 6 No. 31

DIAMOND AWARD

WINNER OF FVREB’s TOP ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Sutton Group - West Coast Realty

CLUB MEMBERAWARDS WINNERCOMMERCIAL OF FVREB’sMEDALLION TOP ACHIEVEMENT - Highest Dollar Volume Award

- Commercial Top Sales Award

COMMERCIAL MEDALLION CLUB MEMBER

FOR SALE

- Highest Dollar Volume Award

FOR LEASE

- Commercial Top Sales Award

FOR SALE

14.827 CRES A HOME OR ALE FS 14841 DELWOOD PLACE, SURREY

Spectacular! Estate home on 14.827 Acres of high yield blueberry farm. Luxury unfolds with the stunning front foyer, dual staircases, and elevated catwalk. The regal great room is situated next to a gourmet chef kitchen w/ separate wok kitchen & walk in pantry. A media room, yoga/ exercise room, 8 bedrooms & multiple entertaining rooms round out this spectacular home. Gaze out upon south views of Mt. Baker or the north views of the North Shore Mountains from outdoor patios situated both upstairs and down. This is true luxury at its best! The farm features healthy mature blueberry varieties Duke, Elliott, and Reca ensuring steady crops throughout the season. Fully automated irrigation. Too much to list! Book a showing today! Asking $4,999,900

FOR LEASE PREMIUM OFFICE ACE SP HOTEL WITH 32 ROOMS FOR SALE FOR ALE S Picturesque location in the heart of beautiful British Columbia; this treasure of a

LUC 9095 SQ.FT. lot in quiet cul-de-sac Green Timber Neighborhood. Close to schools, shopping, 8318 cottS oad R ering is medical off and transportation and rec centre. This updated spacious home offers a new roof, new windows, and new business potential to expand upt to 50 rooms. Its other consists ofessionals pr of 32 rooms an with the opportunity o laminate floor with west facing backyard and is a great investment opportunity. List price $849,000.00 This purchase pr seat pub, of�ice space ey, in and a Liquor Surstore with lot also includes emium a 110 fully licensed resaturant updated spacious home offers a new roof, new windows and new laminate floor with a large west facing BC. o Set beed t y allcomplet b f 2016, this close to 45,000 sqft.

BCand PNP your ownstbusiness and achieve if eelIdeal forthe ete or run art concr backyard, storage in the back and room for RV parking. Ideal investment to live in or build your dream size state will er dreams! off aeContact etail mixtur of details. and rAsking $2,599,000 home. If you have friends or family you think may be interested kindly share this email with them. Please building your entrepreneurial for more A very rare opportunity to own a beautiful Parisian feel Salon/Café in of�ice space o ofessionals t pr lookingor f a contact me for the detailed informational brochure with Well moreestablished, pictures on this Asking $849,000 Historic Abbotsford. withproperty. a loyal client following this

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Showers, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Special occasions and even Private Wedding ceremonies. Wait...there's more! This beautiful treasure NEW of a business offers gorgeous select apparel, furnishings, jewelry,LIlinens, STINGgifts, vintage treasures and home décor. A beautiful, breathtaking turnkey operation this is a chance to own a niche business created and established with love and a business owners delight don't miss this opportunity!

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MEAT SHOP FOR SALE

Established since 2011 complete turn key retail meat shop in busy and fast developing area of Clayton in Surrey. Beautiful shop, well maintained with excellent quality meats that has built a reputation in the local area. Easy to run, excellent lease, well established sales makeabrication this an idealbusiness. opportunity not toopportunity be overlooked.

Established custom steel and aluminum eat Gr f our to business services that include: welding and repair, custom and stock trailers, Contactwith for more details.

Askingaluminum $199,000

CUSTOM TEELS &ABRICATION F BUSINESSOR ALEFS

mobile welding service, crane fabrication, fabrication of residential gates, security bars and much more! Mon– Fri operation closed on weekends. Please contact me for more details on this hard to come by opportunity! Asking $149,000

PIZZA BUSINESS FOR SALE ON KING GEORGE, SURREY

BUSINESS OR F SALE

Pizza business on busy King George in Surrey. Well established, tons of residences and commercial businesses in the area. New residential development opposite the plaza. Great investment opportunity to be your own boss! Please contact for more details. Asking 99,000

PIZZA

&

INDIAN

CUISINE

PRIME OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE

OFFICE UNIT FOR LEASE AT 8312 128 ST

PLATINUM AWARD

next two years due to competition.

The landlords who will likely suffer as a result of the current boom are owners of older buildings, Mr. Shokri said. As well, new developments in the suburbs, which have already experienced higher vacancy rates in recent years, may have trouble as they compete with each other.

In Vancouver, the co-developer of the Cred-

2010

2013-2014 FOR SALE

FOR 4020SALE 272 T, S/ LEASE LANGLEY

BAKERY FRANCHISE FOR SALE

COFFEE HOUSE FOR SALE

Popular and trendy Vancouver based retail bakery franchise Turn key opportunity to be a part of the Good Earth Cupcakes specializes in whimsical cupcakes, cakes and other Coffee House Franchise! Prime corner location at Alma goods baked fresh daily. This popular franchise has the rare & W. Broadway this amazing franchise is the perfect opportunity to purchase two excellent locations: Oakridge opportunity to run your own franchise cafe/restaurant.

Center Vancouver and Morgan Crossing South Surrey. Well With ethical trade coffees, healthy wholesome food running established locations this is the opportunity to turn your passion for baking into the business of your dreams. menu, liquor licence and catering this beautifully Magni�icent luxury estate situate don 8.5 acres with over 8100 sq. ft of living space. Home includes 6 designed location makes it a not to miss opportunity.

Contact 8forwashrooms, more details.a Both locations be and sold fruit bdrms, separate guestmust house stand. 5 acres has blueberry plants as well. This stunning home$498,000. possesses every luxury possible with ceilings, crown stainless steel Pleasehigh do not approach staff . molding, Asking $599,000 together. Asking

appliances,Granite counter tops, open �loor plan, large gym room, grand patio, sundecks, built in vacuum, top of the line security system, separate wok kitchen and much more! This gorgeous home is situated in the middle of serene farmland yet only two minutes away from Aldergrove Town centre and with quick access to Hwy #1. The second house is rented as well as fruit stall.Rare opportunity to advantage of this stunning home! Call today for a personal viewing.

RETAIL SPACE FOR SALE

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Prime office space on street level available for lease. Perfect for a variety of uses including daycare, martial arts or Church use. Central location with great exposure to Scott Rd. Contact money making business before it is gone! Contact for more details. Asking $189,900 Hair alon S Business for sale for more details.

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PHARMASAVE FRANCHISE

UNIT ORF SALE

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23 years Established Credit Company for sale. Retail and Commercial collections, Judgments, ACE SP OR ALE F S Tenancy Order Collection, loans andOFFICE outstanding invoices.Take advantage of this unique niche Approx.

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ED easy to operate Candy business! This established found…Liquor license as well! Outdoor seating back and front of premises,Ntons of parking and many, many more EW G DUC heart$589,000 of Surrey. Lots of traf�ic and close to franchise is located in Ocean Park Shopping Center NDA must beREsigned to obtain more info. Asking N I 7200 Sq. ft large Lot Fully LIST near major anchor Safeway.

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Attention Truckers!

Permitted use for wanting to try their hand at being an entrepreneur.

ATTENTION FOREIGN MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS!!! turn key operation. Asking $60,000 LOTS OF EXPOSURE. Asking $79,900 property. Asking $349,000 Transportation Industry and more. IL zoned land 29/07 2 BABY ULTRASOUND FRANCHISES FOR SALE! Well established .Baby Ultrasound Franchise, 3D/4D ultrasound (not diagnostic), Private clinic for pregnant moms. Full turn key operation available. Two side by side lots that are to be sold Well established Vera's Burger Franchise located on busy Fraser Highway in Cloverdale.

Well maintained A treasure gem of Italian cuisine tucked away in Hope!

Open for lunch and dinner this this easy to run niche market business is perfect for individuals or couples with Medical/Health industry backgrounds. Beautifully set up together. House is since demolished. Commercial establishment full turn key operation ready for you to be office, low lease rate, excellent hours and easy to run with low overhead expenses. Professionals and New Immigrants with a healthcare quaint restaurant serves traditional Italian classics in a fantastic atmosphere and Land only. Please contact for more details. Asking your own boss! Contact listing realtor for more details. background this is a perfect opportunity! Burnaby and Abbotsford locations available. Asking $125,000 each location ambiance. Perfect casual dining for locals as well as tourist traffic. Turn key operation ready $649,000 each.

Price : $249,000

INVESTOR 2590 sqft . etail R ande Of�ic space for sale Asking $649,000

OPP ORTUNITY

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OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE

OFFICE SPACE FOR SALE

QUIZNOS FRANCHISE FOR SALE

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Excellent opportunity to own your own franchise! Well established and recognized Quiznos Subs in Port Coquitlam will enable you to achieve your entrepreneurial dreams! Busy plaza with Earls, Safeway, Scotiabank, McDonalds, Bosley Pet Valu and much more! Residences and commercial businesses all around makes this an ideal location. Owners have run it for several years and are now ready to retire. Contact me for more details regarding this business opportunity. Asking $119,000

BEAUTIFUL TURN KEY A SPALON / OR FSALES

ATTENTION TRUCKERS!

ITALIAN RESTAURANT FOR SALE

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(6) doctorplaza offices, In Open six days/week den Mughal Gar High end Kroll 2 software, and Oscar unitsCRM software in ox sq.ft. Customized appr .Already 4875 sqft leased term tenants, to be use.available, Lease area of 2,400 tenancy improvements.

Business is runtoprofessionally bylong a Health Care Group together. Asking $1.25 million restaurant serves traditional Italian classics in Company- enormous expansion potential! Owner will provide training. Contact me for more details. Asking $899,000 RETAIL

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UNIT LEASE AVE & 130 Fully �inished y FOR side ataside ATb 83 orunits strotal af ST t of ox. appr 5540 . vailable sqft A or f sale. o Close Port ells K Industrial ea. ary Eas o access both t Highway aci�ic 1 hway Hig and ossing.

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Opportunity to get into the niche market of the thrift store industry! Long established thrift store on busy Rd is ideal for those wanting to expand their96 exiting businessentre or their own! Lots of opportunity to expand and great location with 13737 ve, Arun City C excellent lease as well. Contact for more details. Asking $75,000

,& CURRY Hwy verdale F RESTAURANT Cloea, ell ar w SALE established business, y o FOR higher y evenue. Asking $69,900 CONVENIENCE TORE S FOR&SALE MINI MAR T Established & turnPIZZA key Pizza & Currymonthl restaurant rfor sale. Prime location and 1200 sq ft perfect for fast food, of�ice or retail INDIAN RESTAURANT Don't miss this chance to run your own buy Convenience store/Mini Easy access to highway, close to all mart! This well established business is well or-ganized, excellent set completeGREAT turn key operation.

Full kitchen in place OPPOR and complete take out and space.

FRANCHISE TUNITY amenities on Busy King George prime areaas well Indian cuisine up,Excellent with all your location essential sundries for sale as lottery AND dine in and take out. Low OFFICEHwy. FORGreat LEASE Opportunity contact me today. the licensing to sell Pizza at this location! Busy area near parks, delivery service.Reasonable lease and ample parking space.

Online ordering, Great ranchise F opportunity ed! y just Bus list D schools, residences it is the perfect small business!

Ampledetails. of L Upstairs mezzanine office with separate entrance washroom 900 sq ft. Perfect for lease high traffic area Contract for more Asking $109,000 Oor location Coquitlam Center Mall Chop f N T Spresence opportunity to add your ideas to an already turn key operation! full website,Wsocial media alloss in place for you! Make your various Don't miss this great small business prospect! Asking $149,000 Franchise! ont last Asking long! $158,800 small office use prime areaY of Surrey. Contact for more details. per month.

AUTO BOD SHOP OR$1300F SA LE entrepreneurial dreams come true. Contact for more details. Asking $109,000 Established auto y or bod shopour sale f owny! be boss y toda L NE IS W

Don't miss this rare opportunity to own your own busy Lighthouse Indian Cuisine Franchise! Prime location in Brickyard Station Plaza this fantastic business has Take out and dine in, beautiful décor, quality kitchen, Full Liquor license and full Indian Cuisine Menu. Complete turn key operation enables you to be your own boss with this established franchise. Contact me today for further info. Asking $389,000

it Suisse tow start to fill a Franz G Group wh stock-excha nering with the main gr ver office sp sector. Tho

2010

Established and reputable jewellers in Approx 3178 Sq ft of retail space available in perfect for Bar/restaurant/hall separate entrance ideal location!

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ATGRE INVES TMENT ORTUNITY! OPP r prime business center in Surrey. Payal Business Centre. Two units excellent 4 es, acr el Hot velopment and de visual and retail exposure. Located in the heart Complete turn siteFOR vailable the egina, City of key operation.

R This is a of the Punjabi Market. Close to Banquet halls, NEW OFFICE SPACE LEASEa in LISTIN Saskatchewan.

Prime G location, not listing and info will only be confidential offices, restaurants & shops. Beautifully built own run y be missed! or e Contact mor providedf upon completion of an NDA. inside. Do not approach staff please contact LR Large office space currently usedtoas a classroom setting ideal for details. details. million $599,000 1000O 12,000 .for further T AIL S.F Asking & $3.1 RET ACEOFFICE private college etc. However with several office rooms, 2 kitchens , AskingMORE

Located

E-mail: ads@the

MASTER AWARD

ACREAGE ORforFlease ALEinS primeIN - 8000+ sq Sft space JEWELLERY BUSINESS FOR SALE Retail and office units areaGINA at 8312 RE 128 st.ASKATCHEWAN Large

Established Indian Sweets and Restaurant business located in high traf�ic area of Scott Rd, Surrey.

Perfect Wide ariety egetarian v v menu eets. with xpanded Can sw tobe egetarian add e dishes non to v with menu. Catering services provided regular clientele. Seating for 50. Complete turn key restaurant Cuisine great business opportunity! Asking $129,000 Fantastic opportunity to run your own Pizza & Indian Cuisine business! Excellent food, rated 4.5/5 by customers open 7 days a week, very busy location take out with availability for seating if desired. Tons of tourists year round, central to major sites in Hope and integral area near grocery stores, city hall, local police station, motels and cinema. Well established, great sales and a complete turn key operation that will not last long! Asking $199,000

home or ftheir business. Space Afternoon T limitoday Callor et f mor details.

2011, 2012 2006-2007 2011, 2012

- Tel: 604-591-5423 -

he $240-million Credit Suisse/ Mr. Shokri and others say they expect SwissReal tower in the heart of many of the new towers to start signing tenant downtown Vancouver will be leases as they get closer to completion. That completed in less than a year, but so far, is partly because companies in Vancouver, only one tenant has signed up to move in. which do want to be in new, energy-efficient The tenant has committed for a 10th of buildings, tend to operate on short timelines. the 370,000 square feet – leaving a state of As well, he said, prices in the new emptiness that is unusual for an office sky- buildings will likely come 4 i Saturday, July 25, 2015down in the scraper in this city. Even so, a huge shift in business tenancy is expected as the region experiences something it has not seen before: an office-tower building boom much of which is speculative construction rather than for specific committed tenants.

“This is kind of uncharted territory for Vancouver,” said Mehdi Shokri, a principal with the capital markets team at Avison Young.

“But I don’t see a big disaster occurring.”

The Credit Suisse tower is only the most visible and furthest along of a MASTER second wave PLATINUM of new office towers planned for VancouAWARD AWARD ver and some key suburbs. A first cluster of towers – some two million square feet – was built downtown in the past three years.

Another 11 office developments are proposed within blocks of Credit Suisse’s Exchange tower at Howe and West Pender streets, even while the office-vacancy rate in the region continues to inch up as a result of the first wave of building.

But commercial brokers say the city is not about to be populated by ghost towers.

2006-2007 2004-2005 2008-2009 2004-2005 2013-2014 2008-2009

#106 Group 7565 132 St.,Coast Surrey.

BC. Sutton - West Realty PH:604-572-3005 FAX: 778-574-4174 #106 7565 132 St., Surrey. BC. PH:604-572-3005 FAX: 778-574-4174

Saturday - April 2, 2016

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DIAMOND AWARD

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Vancouver’s skyline to rise amid an office-tower building

for you to implement your dreams as a restaurant owner! Asking $219,000

INVESTOR OPPORTUNITY

Investment Opportunity in Hope. 7200 Sq. ft large Lot Fully renovated home close to the Downtown core. 2 bed, 2 bath 850 sq.ft home to use as a rental property. Asking $349,000

SURREY VERAS BURGER FRANCHISE FOR SALE

AUTO /TRANSMISSION/CAR REPAIR IN LOWER MAINLAND

Over 37 year well established Auto repair / Transmission Repair / car repair in the Lower Mainland. Large shop, 3 Bays, ample storage space available. Currently services all makes and models of re manufactured transmissions, automatic and standard, clutches, differentials. This is a confidential listing and NDA will be required. Please contact for more details. Asking $229,000 26/05