Asian Star - Oct 29, 2016 by The Asian Star Newspaper

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www.theasianstar.com AsianStar logo Saturday, April 25, 2015 6:42:48 PM

Vol 15 - Issue 39

Saturday, October 29 , 2016

Ontario to declare October as Hindu Heritage Month

Punjab, UP and 3 other states to go to polls in Feb Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and three other states will go to polls simultaneously, most likely in February-March next, commencing shortly after the presentation of the Union Budget on February 1. While it will be a single-day polling in Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur, Uttar Pradesh is likely to have as many as seven phases, sources in the Election Commission sa id. Continued on Page 9...

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Reena Virk’s killer to give birth in jail She is one of B.C.’s best-known killers — found guilty of brutally beating and drowning a teenage girl under a Victoria bridge in 1997. Now Kelly Marie Ellard is about to become a mother. Despite serving a life sentence in prison for killing 14-year-old Reena Virk, Ellard is now about eight months pregnant. Continued on Page 7...

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DECEMBER 12, 2016 STARTING IN JANUARY PM Trudeau lighting a diya to celebrate Diwali on Parliament Hill A bill to proclaim October as Hindu Heritage Month annually in Canada's Ontario province has been introduced in the provincial assembly here. Ontario is home to more than 700,000 IndoCanadians. Introducing the bill in the Ontario assembly here, Joe Dickson, who is a Member of the Provincial Parliament (MPP), said that by proclaiming the month of October as Hindu Heritage Month, Ontario will recognize the "important contributions that Hindu Canadians have made

to Ontario's social, economic, religious, political and cultural fabric." Dickson said the first Hindu immigrants began to arrive in Canada at the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, they have made contributions in all fields - science, education, medicine, law, politics, business, culture and sports. "Right from the start, Ontario's Hindu communities helped build our province into the greatest place to live, work and raise families. Continued on Page 6...

Eminent Indian Journalist Shekhar Gupta in Vancouver

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Punjab Insurance Read on Page 8....

Eminent Indian journalist, Shekhar Gupta, held a forum at SFU Downtown, Vancouver on Oct. 24. Pictured from left Prof. S. Parasuraman, Director Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai; Prof. John Harriss, SFU International Studies ; Vivek Savkur, Chairman Emeritus , BC-India Business Network; Shekhar Gupta, Eminent Indian Journalist, Sarup Mann, Prominent Businessman.

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LOCAL

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Cr. Tom Gill against proposed homeless shelter Surrey is creating a 40-bed emergency homeless shelter on 104 Avenue. At least one city councillor thinks its a bad idea to locate the shelter across from a school and next to a busy park. On Monday night, Surrey council endorsed a corporate report recommending the creation of an emergency shelter at 14716 104 Ave. It’s right beside a RCMP district policing station and a Great Canadian Superstore. It is also across the street from Hjorth Road Elementary School and it is just north of Hjorth Road park. Surrey Coun. Tom Gill said it’s the right idea, wrong location. Having worked with social service organizations for the last 25 years, Gill said he’s acutely aware of the need, but insists the

city is putting this one in the wrong spot. “Even when we (city councillors) approve a liquor store, we make sure the liquor store is X amount of meters from a public school,” Gill said. The shelter will be in an existing two-floor building on 104 Avenue, will be a “low barrier” shelter, for street entrenched homeless. It will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for six months of the year. People will be able to keep the same beds until they no longer need them, and the space will include secure storage for personal belongings. The facility operations will be fully funded by B.C. Housing and is expected to be up and running by December.

YVR named best airport in the world Vancouver’s airport might not be everyone’s favourite place to hang out, but in 2016 it has been named the world’s best

airport by the CAPA Centre for Aviation. CAPA gives the award to the airport that is considered the biggest standout strategically and the one that has advanced

the progress of aviation internationally. Passenger traffic increased by five per cent in 2015 with 20.3 million travelers moving through YVR. In 2016, the airport expects visits to increase up to 23 million. CAPA has recognized the airport for its “unique governance structure with a communitybased, not-for-profit airport authority that reinvests all profits back into airport operations and development.” Singapore’s Changi airport has won the award four times, in 2003, 2006, 2008 and 2011.

Surrey unveils new crime plan

DIWALI DHAMAKA! Surrey has unveiled its new approach to crime in a plan called the Public Safety Strategy. The 174-page document, unveiled at city hall on Monday, builds on the successes of the Crime Reduction Strategy (CRS) created by council in 2006. As with its predecessor, the Public Safety Strategy has four general approaches, and also begins with prevention. The new strategy parts with the CRS in language and essence by calling to Ensure Safe Places, Build Community Capacity and Support Vulnerable People. Ensuring safe places calls for cleaning up distressed properties, implementation of closed circuit TV cameras among other existing programs. The strand of building community capacity calls for emphasis on emergency planning, home safe programs, safe schools partnerships, volunteerism and mentorship. The approach looking to support vulnerable people stresses the need fort an integrated services network, a community web portal and a network to eliminate violence in relationships. “Our vision is a community where everyone is safe and engaged,” says the executive summary of the strategy. “Our mission is to work together across sectors to create measurable results.” The new plan recognizes the vision laid out in the CRS. “The work undertaken through the Crime Reduction Strategy has laid a very strong foundation for moving forward into a new focus on Public Safety.”

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Editorial

Saturday, October 29, 2016

“Independent Senators” appointed by a Liberal board is a true Trudeau charade - By: Umendra Singh Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberals are trying to pull wool over the eyes of Canadians by claiming that six “independent” Senators had been appointed. How can the the nine appointed this week (and others yet to be appointed) be considered independent when they were appointed by a board which was set up and appointed by the federal Liberals. Only an independent and impartial board can appoint independent Senators. A Liberalappointed board will appointed Senators who lean towards Liberals. In any case, Canadians do not need yet another organization made up of people “appointed” by the government. Canadians deserve a Senate that is elected, equal and effective. To impose upon the people of Canada “Senators” who are appointed by a Liberal board is beyond ridiculous. Prime Minster Trudeau should end this charade and tell Canadians honestly that he can’t provide them with an elected and equal Senate. Trudeau named the five women and four men as Senators and they come from a wide variety of backgrounds, from an art

historian to a renowned human rights lawyer to a conservationist. They are the first senators to be chosen under a process that saw more than 2,700 Canadians apply to fill the 21 vacancies in the 105-seat upper house. Trudeau is poised to announce two more batches of appointments within days, filling the remaining 12 empty seats — six from Quebec, six from Ontario — and, for the first time, putting senators with no partisan affiliation in the driver’s seat. There was some talk that two of Trudeau’s top lieutenants in the South Asian community in BC, Dr Gulzar Cheema, and Prem Singh Vinning may be among those appointed to the Senate. But it did not happen - not yet anyway. Meanwhile, Trudeau’s supporters have been forced to defend new BC Senate appointee Yuen Pau after it was alleged that he is too close to the communist regime of China and that he has done a lot to promote the Chinese government in Canada. In fact, some see him more as a representative of the Chinese government in the Canadian Senate than as a BC representative.

letter to the editor

Surrey’s crime strategy

Dear Editor, By announcing a new crime strategy, Surrey Mayor Linda Hepener has awakened everyone to be more alert about public safety and security. The Mayor's move is worthwhile and deserves full-fledged support because safety is a prime concern. It is a difficult task to create public safety without implementing effective strategy, involvement of all community and spending money. if matters taken seriously and everyone remain forefront than crime reduction agenda could be successful. Surrey is one of the fastest growing commercial hub in North America. There is in dire need to do something about improving safety of the people. Surrey always highlighted in news headlines with road accidents,domestic violence, shooting on the streets, Bank robbery, crime at school premises, drug and violence incidents. The city spends 61 per cent of its budget it means colossal portion gone towards safety issue. City authority has confident that the needed fund would be available from other level of government but main question arise here is that for other key development purpose if we need extra fund than from which source we shall obtain ? Impose more tax on public. Indeed it is painful that ever escalating crime not only creates fear and anxiety but eats up public fund which could be utilized towards other meaningful area like health, medical,education, recreation and improving public infrastructure. The Mayor of Surrey has taken appropriate steps to curb the worsening state of violence and crime in the city. Need acute attention and save situation from further deteriorating. Time will tell how the new strategy will bring the change and people emancipate from insecurity. - Hanif Patel, Surrey

www.theasianstar.com # 202 - 7028, 120th Street, Surrey, BC V3W 3M8 Ph: 604-591-5423 Fax: 604-591-8615 E-mail: editor@theasianstar.com Editor: Umendra Singh Associate Editor: Shruti Prakash Joshi Marketing and Sales: Ravinder S. Cheema........604-715-3847 Shamir Doshi....................604-649-7827 Harminder Kaur...............778-708-0481 Parminder Dhillon..........778-859-9234 Layout: Avee J Waseer Pre-Press: Iftikhar Ahmed Contributing writers: Jag Dhatt, Akash Sablok, Kamila Singh, Jay Bains Photographer: Chandra Bodalia Publication Mail Agreement No 428336012 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Dept.

# 202 - 7028, 120th Street, Surrey, BC V3W 3M8 All advertising in The Asian Star is subject to the publishers’ approval and the advertiser agrees to indemnify the publishers against claims arising from publication of any advertisement submitted by the advertiser.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

LOCAL

Saturday, October 29, 2016

SURREY

BEAUTY CENTER Richmond’s Mayor Malcolm Brodie (second from right, back) with friends and supporters at his Fundraising Dinner. Pictured are with Brodie, Kal Rangi, Jas Cheema, Kashmir Dhaliwal, Major Sidhu, Lakhwinder Khangura, Dr Raminder Kang, Paul Dhanoa and Bruce Voss

Ontario to declare October as Hindu Heritage Month Continued from Page 1... We’re all proud of the achievements of the Hindu community and how they have helped each other and enriched our province,” the MPP said. Dickson said October held a special significance for Hindus. “Each year, three important festivals that members of the Hindu community celebrate occur in and around October. These festivals

include Navratri and Durga Puja, which were celebrated earlier this month, and Diwali, the festival of lights, which will begin next week.” He said if the bill is passed, the “Hindu Heritage Month would give all Ontarians an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about Hindu Canadians and the important role that they have played to date and continue to play in communities across Ontario.”

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South Asian man shot in Delta car wash A man is in hospital after being shot at a car wash, causing two schools to be locked down during a police search. At about 11 a.m. Monday, police were called to Elite Auto Spa, at 9215 120 Street, on reports of a shooting. On arrival, police found a South Asian man who had been shot in the leg while he was vacuuming his Mercedes.

The gunman pulled up beside him while he was at the auto shop and fired. The victim was taken to the hospital, where he is expected to make a full recovery. Scott Road was closed in both directions, and two local schools, Kirkbride Elementary and LA Matheson, were locked down immediately after the shooting. Delta police continue to look for the suspect.

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Saturday, October 29, 2016

Reena Virk’s killer to give birth in jail Continued from Page 1... The father is a man with gang links who was out on day parole when he was allowed the intimate visits with Ellard in the spring. Darwin Dorozan, 41, was granted full parole in August, but it has since been revoked after an alleged breach. The Parole Board of Canada said in its Aug. 3 ruling releasing Dorozan that “there are concerns about your relationship with your girlfriend, who is pregnant.” Ellard, 33, is not identified as the girlfriend in the documents, but Postmedia News has confirmed with several sources that she is Dorozan’s pregnant girlfriend. Dorozan was given credit by the twoperson panel for being “open and accountable about the relationship,” the parole ruling says. But the ruling also said Dorozan “will likely face significant stress relating to the birth of your child.” Dorozan is serving a seven-year, twomonth sentence after pleading guilty in 2012 to 11 counts of break and enter and break and enter with intent. Dorozan broke into several homes in 2010 and 2011 to steal things to finance a heroin addiction, the board noted. “Some of the residences were occupied and during a confrontation with a male victim, you sprayed him in the face about five times with bear spray.” Ellard had three trials before she was convicted in 2005. She was first found guilty in 2000, but the B.C. Court of Appeal ordered a new trial. The second time around, the jury couldn’t reach a verdict and a mistrial was declared. She was convicted of second-degree murder after her third trial. Though she was 15 when she killed Virk, Ellard was raised to adult court and was sentenced to life with no hope of parole for seven years. Last May, the Parole Board of Canada denied Ellard day parole, saying that while she was finally admitting some responsibility for Virk’s death, there was “ongoing minimization” of her crime. And the two board members told Ellard that they were concerned about her admitted drug use inside prison, as well as “your lack of insight into why you committed the murder and your sense of entitlement with respect to parole.” The ruling made reference to Ellard’s relationship with Dorozan, though he wasn’t named. “You have family support and the support of your boyfriend,” the board members said. “Your boyfriend is a federal parolee but in community assessment No. 6 he is assessed by (the Correctional Service of Canada) as a positive source of support.”

LOCAL

person of the week

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Celebrating ten years of SUPPORT: Punjab Insurance Any business is successful because of the support the community gives to it, so, it is very important to appreciate and give back to the community a recognition for the support. Such is the attitude of Sandeep Ahuja, the head of Punjab Insurance in Western Canada. Punjab Insurance is one of the most dependable names in the field of Insurance. Sandeep started his career as an insurance agent . After gaining appropriate experience in the field, he collaborated with his one of his colleagues Sherjung Singh Rana and started the venture. “The support of the community was immense right from the beginning and the name ‘Punjab’ was quiet relatable for South Asians, so the wings of dreams got their fire”, smiled Sandeep while talking to The Asian Star. “After reaching a level when I thought the business got stabilized, I felt like helping more people and getting them into the field along so that the hardships they face can be reduced”, said him. As per Mr. Ahuja, Punjab insurance was the first brokerage that invited people and guided them to get into the field. With days passing by, the Punjab Insurance team grew and the organization spread its wings nationally. Initially the business was not established in Vancouver area but with the rising demand of the field and potential in the market, Mr. Sandeep Abuja moved to Surrey. “It was not an easy decision for me but as we started here, we instantly had 30-40 agents

working with us. Seeing the growth we opened up our own office in the city. At present there are more than 400 people working with us”, told Mr. Ahuja. The achievements of this company are many but they are the

pioneers in serving this underserved sector of the western market that was most needed at the time. “People knew about car and home insurance but they didn’t have idea about life insurance, disability insurance and much more. We guided them to the best option suitable to their needs so as to help

them instead of just making money”, told him. The company has recently completed their

For adding the names into the draw, it doesn’t require one to be Punjab Insurance’s

10 years of service and for the support that community is giving them, they have initiated a draw. “This draw is continuing till Lohri 2017, and anyone starting from a pregnant lady till 25 years of age can give in their names for it”, told Sandeep. Everyday, every moment large number of people give their names in this draw and every week someone wins something. The prizes include tablets, iPads and much more. The final draw of Las Vegas Trip and Family trip to Disney land is planned on the auspicious day of Lori festival. “For new expected moms and the people celebrating their child’s first Lohri, we have kept a gift for sure as its just a way to appreciate them”, said him.

client. “We will give weekly gifts to the winner in our office itself, and for the bumper prize the draw will be done at our headquarters on 13 January 2017 in the presence of management”, said Mr. Ahuja. Mr Sandeep Abuja is a very prominent figure in the insurance industry who keeps highlighted in the media for various interviews. “I feel satisfied to inform people in-depth about the new offers and insurance policies”, added him. With the growing need and demand, Punjab Insurance is also opening their new branch in Abbotsford this November. Punjab Insurance has made it easier for people to enter their name through their website, www.punjabinsurance.ca. For enquiries, contact: 604-349-4040.

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LOCAL

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Fight over brownies led to killing at homeless camp A dispute over brownies apparently led to a double stabbing at a Burnaby homeless camp Monday night that left one man dead. Rick Melansonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sister, Joyce Gibson, said Melanson, 47, and his stepson Alec Peters, 24, were stabbed by a third man following an argument at the camp in the 6800 block of Rumble Street. Police found Melanson dead at the camp. Peters, who suffered two stab wounds, was treated at Burnaby hospital and released the same night. He told his family the dispute started over a plate of brownies. Samuel James Calladine, 53, also a resident of the camp, was arrested at the scene and charged

with manslaughter. Calladine has a lengthy criminal record including aggravated assault and uttering threats. He made a brief court appearance Thursday and will be back in court, Nov.10. Gibson said her brother had only been at the camp a couple of weeks after a dispute with his spouse. She said he was outgoing, cared about others and he and his stepson were close. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was an all-around good guy with a few demons like other people,â&#x20AC;? she said. He loved working on cars and did autobody work. He also did tattoos and Gibson says she was his first guinea pig.

Impaired driver paralyzed South Asian father of four The sentencing of a drunk driver who paralyzed a father of four has been delayed by two weeks after the judge expressed â&#x20AC;&#x153;concernsâ&#x20AC;? to Crown Counsel on Wednesday (Oct. 26) about the length of jail time being requested. Christopher Malloy, whose blood alcohol level was reportedly more three times the legal limit, was fleeing an earlier accident when he slammed into a vehicle driven by Gurb Aujla from behind, sending the car into oncoming Fraser Highway traffic, where it was struck by another vehicle. Aujla, 54, is now paralyzed from the chest down and two others were also injured in the crash. Malloy, 52, has pleaded guilty to three counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm and one count of failing to remain at the accident scene.

Crown Counsel Kim Wendel recommended Judge Danny Sudeyko give a prison sentence in the upper range of 12 to 18 months and 60 days to be served consecutively for failing to remain at the scene, while Malloyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s defence lawyer, Sarah Leamon, is seeking a sentence in the lower range of 12 to 18 months. Aujla, a former longshoreman was in Surrey Provincial Court surrounded by family and supporters for the sentencing, said he hoped this will result in a longer jail term given that Malloy was speeding away from a previous accident at an estimated 150 km/h in a 60 km/h zone when their vehicles collided in January 2015. The judge is scheduled to deliver a sentence Nov. 7.

Punjab, UP and 3 other states to go to polls in Feb Continued from Page 1... The BJP, which had swept the Lok Sabha elections more than two years ago, winning 70 of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, is seeking to make a comeback by wresting power after 15 years from the ruling SP. The BSP is expected to give a stiff challenge to both of them. In Punjab, after two successive terms, the ruling SAD-BJP combine is facing a tough battle from Congress on the one hand and a fledgling AAP on the other. Uttarakhand, where the ruling Congress staged a sensational comeback this year following a legal battle, is fighting anti-incumbency and facing challenge from the BJP. Goa, where the ruling BJP is seeking a fresh term, is pitted against Congress and AAP. In Manipur, the Congress is seeking to retain power. As a matter of abundant precaution,

the government approached the Commission for clearing its proposal to present the Union Budget in Lok Sabha on February 1 and avoid criticism of violating the model code of conduct that will come into force the day elections are announced. Sources said that the Commission had no objection to the budget exercise being carried on because of the fact that it would cover the entire country and was not specific to the poll-bound states. It has also been conveyed to the government that caution should be exercised so that overtly populist measures are not included in the budget aimed at voters in these states. The Commission is working on a schedule for the polls which should be completed by the middle of March so that new assemblies in these states could be constituted well in time before the expiry of their tenure.

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LOCAL

Saturday, October 29, 2016

South Asian lawyer was target of racial tirade in Abbotsford and posted video to start dialogue The man who recorded a shocking video of a racist altercation in Abbotsford says he posted the video to show Canadians there is still racism in this country. Real estate and business lawyer Ravi Duhra says the incident shown in the widely-shared video began when a pickup truck was getting a ticket for being illegally parked in his law firm’s parking lot. He says when an attendant came to ticket the vehicle, the truck’s passenger — a white man — rushed at the attendant. “I grabbed my phone and I thought I’d at least take a picture of the individual,” he told On The Coast host Stephen Quinn. “He saw me and started to charge towards me. I opened the video app, slid it to video and hit record.” The man unleashed a racial tirade against

Duhra before getting back in the truck as the driver of the vehicle sped off. Duhra says while “99.9 per cent” of the people he meets every day don’t act out in prejudicial ways, he still encounters racists “on occasion.” “It can be as simple as you’re riding your bike in high school on the sidewalk and not being careful where you’re going and instead of saying, ‘Hey, you jerk,’ they use a racial slur instead,” he said. “Those are the things I’ve experienced in the past. It’s an easy target for some bigots.” He says since the video went viral, he’s received many messages of support from people online who were horrified by the video. B.C.’s hate crimes team is investigating the incident. Duhra says more importantly, he hopes the incident and his video can start a dialogue in the community.

Several Vancouver streets flooded Thursday night Several streets in Metro Vancouver turned into waterways Thursday night as heavy rain

created some treacherous driving conditions. There were reports of flooding at Clark Drive and Charles Street, Powell Street and Wall Street, and Glen Avenue and Broadway. Some drivers didn’t realize how big the puddles were until it almost flooded their engines. Officials have yet to say what caused the flooding, but they have been warning for weeks that tree leaves can block street drains.

BC’s new superintendent of real estate promises change B.C.’s new superintendent of real estate said changes are coming on how the real estate profession is regulated in British Columbia. Micheal Noseworthy, a former lawyer from Newfoundland and Labrador who has held a number of positions in the Yukon government, started in his new position as superintendent this week. “This is a huge reset. This is a significant — you could say unprecedented — change in how the real estate profession is regulated in British Columbia.” After a series of scandals rocked the real estate industry earlier this year — including stories about so-called shadowflipping and other questionable practices — the province ended self-regulation by B.C.’s Real Estate Council, and appointed a superintendent to oversee the council. Noseworthy noted the government has made a series of changes from the recommendations of an independent advisory group appointed to reviewing the real estate industry. He said the government closed the loophole allowing shadow-flipping, and fines for real estate agents engaged in unethical practices were raised from $30,000 up to $250,000 per individual agent, and $500,000

for brokerages. Noseworthy added more changes are coming.

“My office has been given new powers and new ability to do things like make rules and oversee the activities of the council,” he said. As for whether the real estate industry would welcome his presence, Noseworthy was optimistic and said realtors who act in the best interests of their clients will be happy to see the new changes. “My sole job is to protect the public. I’m not here for realtors or the industry, I’m here to protect consumers and to make sure that British Columbians are protected when they’re making the biggest purchase they make in their lives.” The province also recently appointed 9 new members to the B.C. Real Estate Council.

RCMP investigate shooting near Lougheed Hwy Burnaby RCMP are investigating after gunshots were fired at an apartment near Lougheed Highway late Thursday night. Officers responded after a caller heard shots fired in a high-rise in the 2000 block of Rosser Avenue around 10:40 p.m. PT. RCMP say no one was injured but there

were bullets found at the scene. Officers are reviewing security footage from the apartment but haven’t found any suspects. Police believe this was a targeted incident are asking anyone with information to contact them.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

International student arrested for allegedly threatening to harm teacher An international student was arrested for threatening to bring a gun to a North

Vancouver school to harm a teacher, police say. RCMP Cpl. Richard De Jong said the student was arrested at Seycove Secondary on Tuesday after school staff reported it to the RCMP. Police later found a firearm close to the school property. The school’s principal, Mark James, sent

a letter to parents, saying “the student is no longer a student in the North Vancouver School District and is no longer in the country.” RCMP are also investigating a second international student in connection with the same incident. “That student is currently not attending school while the school district and RCMP work through their processes,” the principal said. James also assured parents that the school site remains safe for classes to continue as usual. Police are not releasing the name, age, grade or nationality of either students to protect their privacy, but say they are taking the incident very seriously. “It could have turned out quite differently,” De Jong said. “We’re still looking into how it was reported, and speaking to a lot of witnesses.”

Police re-arrest Ottawa man linked to ISIL An Ottawa man arrested on a terrorism peace bond in August over his alleged support for ISIL has been charged with breaching his bail conditions, court officials said Thursday. Tevis Gonyou-McLean, 24, was out on bail awaiting the outcome of his peace bond case when he was re-arrested Tuesday and charged with four counts of breach of recognizance. Among the conditions of his release were that he not leave Ottawa, have no contact or communication with several suspected local members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant network, and not possess weapons. But his lawyer said the alleged breaches that resulted in the new charges were unrelated to those conditions. “I can tell you this, they’re all minor breaches,” Biagio Del Greco said. The lawyer added he was awaiting details, but the charges concerned Gonyou-McLean’s reporting and residence requirements. None

stemmed from allegations he was “involved in any terrorist act.” Police also filed a new charge of mischief against the man: he allegedly damaged an ankle bracelet after his arrest. He is back in custody and a bail hearing was scheduled for Monday. Although Gonyou-McLean was arrested Aug. 12, the case only came to public attention last month when VICE News reported the convert and pizza shop worker was Canada’s latest terrorism peace bond case. In court documents, the RCMP alleged it had grounds to fear GonyouMcLean might leave Canada to “participate in the activity of a terrorist group” or commit an offence “for a terrorist group.” His arrest came two days after Aaron Driver was killed by police as he was leaving his home in Strathroy, Ont., to carry out a suicide bombing he said was a response to ISIL’s call for “jihad in the lands of the crusaders.”

Fired Vision Vancouver school board trustees allege education minister defamed them Four fired Vision Vancouver school trustees are demanding a retraction and apology for what they say are defamatory comments from the education minister and the president of the B.C.’s School Superintendents Association. Trustees Allan Wong, Joy Alexander, Mike Lombardi, and Patti Bacchus claim Education Minister Mike Bernier made defamatory comments by alleging the trustees had created a “toxic work environment ... and then went on to use that for an excuse for dismissing the entire board.” In a demand letter sent to Bernier, the trustees’ defamation lawyer Bryan Baynham wrote that the minister “seriously defamed my clients’ good names and reputations.” “[The minister alleged] that they created a toxic work environment by bullying, harassing and intimidating senior staff at the Vancouver School Board, which directly led to six members of the senior staff taking medical leave at the end of September,” he wrote. Baynham alleged the comments led the public to believe the trustees “were bullies

who intimidated senior management.” The letter also described Bernier’s earlier comments confirming a WorkSafe investigation as improper, saying the minister should have declined to comment for privacy reasons. A similar letter sent to Sherry Elwood, the president of B.C.’s School Superintendents Association, alleged she was the source of the complaint that led to the WorkSafe investigation and alleged her complaints appear to be based on hearsay. The trustee members demanded a full apology and retraction of the defamatory statements. The months leading up to the firing were filled with turmoil for the board. It started when the it refused to approve a school budget with a more than $21 million shortfall. On June 30, the board missed its second deadline to approve the budget and was eligible to be fired. Instead, Bernier ordered a forensic audit of the board. Then, at the end of September, WorkSafeBC began an investigation into allegations of bullying.

LOCAL

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Conflict of interest allegations against Premier Christy Clark heading to BC Supreme Court Two rulings clearing British Columbia Premier Christy Clark of conflict of interest allegations are now being challenged in B.C. Supreme Court by a citizen advocacy group. Ottawa-based Democracy Watch has petitioned the court to set aside rulings last May and August by provincial conflict of interest commissioner Paul Fraser. They cleared Clark of conflict allegations connected to her attendance at high-priced, exclusive B.C. Liberal party fundraising events. The petition filed Tuesday in Vancouver also asked the court to find Fraser should not have ruled on the complaints because his son works as a deputy minister for the provincial government. It said John Fraser “has personal ties to the premier. It is reasonable to suggest that the close family connection to senior members of the B.C. Liberal party, including

Premier Clark, is a factor indicating a reasonable apprehension of bias.” The petition also said the conflict commissioner recused himself in 2012 from a separate conflict complaint against Clark by a former Liberal member of the legislature on grounds his son’s senior government role could be viewed as creating a perception of conflict. Fraser, citing unique family connections in 2012, said in a letter he was asking the conflict commissioner for the Northwest Territories to complete the review. The petition filed Tuesday seeks an order to quash and set aside Fraser’s May 4 and Aug. 9 rulings on conflict allegations about Clark’s fundraising appearances. It also asked to send the complaints “to a substitute decision maker for reconsideration.”

Shri Durga Hanuman Religious and Cultural Society of BC celebrated Karwa Chauth on Oct 19th at South Hall, Vancouver last week. Photo: Chandra Bodalia

Canadians evenly split on recreational marijuana

Forty per cent of Canadians in a recent survey said they support the notion of legalizing marijuana for recreational use, slightly more than those who said they oppose it. Deloitte surveyed 5,000 Canadians recently for their views on marijuana, and the results suggest a country that is very much divided on a topic that the federal government is currently trying to clarify the rules on. The survey was conducted online between March 13 and April 3 among 5,000 adults, 1,000 of whom self-identified as marijuana consumers after having been selected

for the survey. There was representation from every province and territory and weights were applied to ensure representativeness by age and gender. Among respondents, 21 per cent said they “strongly support” the idea of legalized and regulated marijuana for recreational purposes. The same number said they “strongly opposed” it. However, 19 per cent said they “somewhat support” it while 15 per cent said they “somewhat oppose” the notion. The remaining 24 per cent said they neither support nor oppose the idea.

‘CRIME OF THE WEEK’

In April 2016, an unidentified female attended a Burnaby bank and was able to fraudulently transfer $40,000 USD to an account in a Caribbean country. The female had provided fraudulent identification belonging to a victim that lived in Alberta. The Burnaby RCMP are requesting assistance in identifying the female. It is believed that she may reside in BC or Alberta. If you recognize this suspect and wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. You could be eligible for a reward of up to $2000 upon arrest and charge. You will never be asked your name or have to appear in court.

LOCAL

Saturday, October 29, 2016

First Nations chief insults premier and BC Hydro CEO over Site C West Moberly First Nation Chief Roland Willson has lashed out at Premier Christy Clark and BC Hydro CEO Jessica McDonald in a Facebook post calling them “evil bitches”. The West Moberly are one of two First Nations fighting Hydro’s Site C dam project in federal court. The post is a photo of a yellow stake planted on the property of Ken and Arlene Boon, two landowners who will have to leave their family home to make way for the megaproject. For five days the caption included the insult and read, “Placed the first stake this morning. What Christy Clark and Jessica McDonald are doing to the Boons is beyond words!” In the comments section, Willson posted a photo of a cartoon middle finger with the caption, “Hey Christy

and Jessica!” In July, the $9-billion megaproject was permitted by the federal government and was quickly criticized

by environmentalists and First Nations groups who called it a betrayal by the Trudeau government. The West Moberly and Prophet River First Nations are trying to stop

the construction through a legal battle against Site C in federal court, arguing the project infringes on their treaty rights by flooding their traditional land, affecting hunting, fishing and trapping. The governing B.C. Liberals and BC Hydro are proponents of the project, arguing Site C is needed to meet the province’s future power needs. Non-Indigenous landowners are also fighting Site C under the banner of the Peace Valley Landowner Association. Some, like Ken and Arlene Boon, would be forced out of their homes in order to make way for the project. The Yellow Stake Campaign, launched the same day Willson’s post went up, invites the public to purchase a yellow stake and have it symbolically planted on the Boon’s farmland to show solidarity with those fighting Site C.

Langley homicide targeted and linked to gang activity: IHIT Police are keeping a stretch of rural road in Langley closed to continue their investigation after finding a dismembered male body on Wednesday morning. Langley police arrived on the scene on Robertson Crescent, between 240 and 244 at 7 a.m. and located the deceased man. Police determined the injuries were consistent with foul-play and identified it as a homicide. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) has took over the investigation and believe it to be targeted and linked to gang activity. Investigators do not believe the location of the body is where the homicide took place. No other information is being released at this time until police identify the victim. Neighbours in the area say this is disturbing and unnerving. They are especially concerned given the fact that 10 days ago, a 56-year-old Burnaby man who was a senior member of the

Hells Angels was found dead about 10 minutes drive away. While the investigation is still in the early stages, IHIT said this case is currently not linked to any other homicides. However as the gathering of evidence continues, they will be looking at linkages as part of their investigation. The road will be closed for the “foreseeable future” and police are asking drivers to consider other routes. Police are asking anyone with information about the homicide to call IHIT or Crime Stoppers.

Flu strain stronger, earlier this year, warns BC Centre for Disease Control Initial indications are this year’s flu season is starting earlier than usual and the dominant strain will be stronger than last year’s, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control says. Lead researcher Dr. Danuta Skowronski says, although it’s impossible to forecast the flu season, an “unusually early number of outbreaks” of the influenza virus H3N2 has already been detected at long-term care facilities in multiple provinces. Typically the flu season doesn’t pick up until the end of November and peaks in late December, she says. This year’s dominant strain is also

considered more powerful than last year’s mild H1N1 strain. “H3N2 tends to cause more hospitalization and more deaths,” Skowronski said. While healthy young people aren’t exempt, this strain of the virus is most likely to target seniors, those with underlying illnesses and children. “Seventy per cent of deaths due to H3N2 are typically in the elderly,” she says. Based on data spanning multiple flu seasons across Canada and the U.S., she says 80 per cent of all flu-related deaths can be traced back to H3N2.

Fall is here and Thomas Dale is pictured busy collecting leaves outside his house. Photo: Chandra Bodalia

Former MLA staffer pleads guilty to stealing from MLA’s office A former constituency staff member in the office of Victoria-Swan Lake MLA Rob Fleming has pleaded guilty to two counts of theft over $5,000. Marni Offman, through her lawyer Jeff Johnstone, entered the plea during a short appearance in Victoria provincial court on Wednesday morning. Offman pleaded guilty to one charge of theft that took place between March 24, 2009 and Nov. 28, 2015 and another that took place between Jan. 9, 2009 and May 13, 2010. Three other charges against her have now been stayed because they were similar in nature to the other counts.

LOCAL

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Rising house prices pushing out young people If home ownership rates among young people plummet, cities could face severe consequences, a Scottish economist warns.

Duncan MacLennan, a professor at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, who researches international housing policy, is in Vancouver to present at the Re:Address conference on housing affordability. MacLennan said it is getting much more difficult for younger people in many cities

around the world to purchase their own homes, including Vancouver. “Young people are being deterred by these high house prices and saying, ‘we’ll go somewhere else, thanks very much,’” he said. If young people leave the cities, he said, economic growth could become “somewhat sluggish.” “Younger couples who are both skilled and innovative at being in labour markets ... are the drivers of success in dynamic cities like Vancouver ... and a really important driver of productivity,” he said. When house purchases get deferred, MacLennan explained, there will be less money spent on other important household expenditures in later life stages like children’s university fees and family weddings. “It will have a negative effect on the general expenditure in the economy.”

3 arrested in violent Vancouver pot shop robbery Three men have been arrested in connection with a violent marijuana store robbery in Vancouver 10 days ago, while a fourth female suspect remains at large.

Vancouver police says Darnel Matsui, 28, from Medicine Hat, Hosea Smith, 26, from Calgary and Cory Robert Ulmer Brown, 20, from Surrey are all in custody facing various charges including robbery with violence (firearm) and assault. Surveillance video taken during the robbery of the Stressed and Depressed

marijuana store on East 41st Avenue in Vancouver Oct. 16 shows a number of people taking a quantity of cash and drugs during the robbery. Police did not identify the woman but released a photo of her, also taken from surveillance video. They are asking anyone with information to contact the VPD. Two store employees were threatened with a gun and one was punched during the robbery. The three men were taken into custody after Surrey and Delta police executed search warrants in their respective cities. Items connected to the robbery were seized at the time. Montague said any cash recovered would be returned to the store but not the drugs, because police cannot return illegal goods. Stressed and Depressed has been robbed three times in the last 18 months according to Montague.

RCMP seeking witnesses to pedestrian and vehicle collision Surrey RCMP is looking for witnesses to an incident where a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle on the morning of October 19th in the Newton area of Surrey. On October 19th, 2016 at 8:30am, a 2004 grey Toyota Sienna minivan was travelling west on 82nd Avenue. The minivan struck and seriously injured a woman near the intersection of 82 Avenue and 121A Street. The woman was transported to local area hospital in serious condition. The Surrey RCMP’s Criminal Collision Investigation Team (CCIT), who investigates all serious injury and fatal motor vehicle collisions in Surrey, is leading this

investigation. The driver of the minivan has been identified and investigators are appealing for any witnesses to come forward. “Crash investigations are very complex and require extensive work,” says Corporal Scotty Schumann. “Police would like to speak with anyone who witnessed this incident.” For more information on pedestrian safety, please see the Surrey RCMP or ICBC websites. Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604599-0502 or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.solvecrime.ca. Please quote file #2016150870.

Copper-cable thieves should be jailed long term: Telus The theft of telecommunications cables containing copper, far from being a “victimless” crime, should be treated as a serious offence punishable in some cases with a life jail term, Telus Inc. is telling the federal government. “The ramifications can be very serious,” Liz Sauve, a spokesperson for the Va n c o u v e r - b a s e d telecommunications giant, said Tuesday. “That’s why we’re seeking support from federal government to just look at this and take it seriously.” Telus, in a brief sent to the House of Commons finance committee in August, said that it spends “tens of millions of dollars” annually to protect its infrastructure from thieves. Despite those efforts, the thefts continue to plague the industry, with 130 incidents across Canada last year affecting roughly 18,000 residents and costing companies more than $20 million. The thievery, focusing primarily on copper and aluminum, doesn’t just hurt business productivity, inconvenience residents and lead to higher costs for consumers. Lives have been put at risk in recent years when entire communities are denied access to emergency 911 access, like the 3,600 Surrey residents who went without landline and wireless services for 14 hours after cables were cut by thieves. Another 2,000 Telus customers in Aldergrove were unable to make emergency calls for 18 hours when three cables were pilfered. “Incredibly, drivers heading down Highway 1 escaped harm when thieves cut a heavy 150-metre overhead cable, letting it fall onto the busy highway below,” said the brief to

the committee, which has been conducting cross-Canada hearings in advance of the 2017 federal budget, which is due in March. The submission includes a draft amendment to the Criminal Code stating that anyone who willfully obstructs, damages or destroys critical infrastructure, which in turn “causes actual danger to life,” would be “guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for life.” The request echoes an identical plea from the Canadian Electricity Association, which is also arguing for tougher sentences. The CEA notes on its website that thieves typically are charged with theft under $5,000, a relatively minor offence. Telus said its proposal is linked to the 2017 budget because the protection of telecommunications infrastructure would improve Canada’s economic productivity. “Giving law enforcement and the Crown the ability to investigate and prosecute these crimes ensures that Canadians remain safe, but also gives Canadians more reliable access to services and communications that are becoming essential to productivity.” Parliament has to send a strong message to thieves who appear to think that cable theft is a “victimless crime where the costs are borne by large utility companies and government,” according to the company. Telus said that cable thefts were more prevalent on the West Coast prior to 2012, when the B.C. government brought in a new law intended to prevent thieves from selling to scrap metal dealers. Alberta has adopted similar legislation. Simon Fraser University criminologist Neil Boyd said a Criminal Code amendment is unnecessary.

Canada’s 9 newest senators appointed by a Liberal board Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has named nine new, non-partisan senators, bringing him within reach of his goal to transform the discredited Senate into a more reputable, independent chamber of sober second thought. The five women and four men hail from a wide variety of backgrounds, from an art historian to a renowned human rights lawyer to a conservationist, The Canadian Press has learned. They are the first senators to be chosen under an arm’s length process that saw more than 2,700 Canadians apply to fill the 21 vacancies in the 105-seat upper house. Trudeau is poised to announce two more

batches of appointments within days, filling the remaining 12 empty seats — six from Quebec, six from Ontario — and, for the first time, putting senators with no partisan affiliation in the driver’s seat. When he’s done, independent senators will hold a plurality of 44 seats, outnumbering the Conservatives’ 40 and the independent Liberals’ 21. The prime minister said the new appointment process is meritbased and open. “It is part of our ongoing efforts to make the Senate more modern and independent and ensure that its members have the depth of knowledge and experience to best serve Canadians,” he said in a statement.

LOCAL

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Man convicted in explosion of Vancouver Taco Del Mar restaurant ordered to pay $3 million in damages The man convicted in the explosion of the Taco Del Mar and the estate of one of the co-owners of the Vancouver restaurant have been ordered to pay $3 million in damages. Kamaljeet Singh Josan pleaded guilty in connection with the Feb. 13, 2008 fire and explosion at the West Broadway restaurant owned by Harjit Singh Nandha and Manjeet Kaur Nandha. The explosion tore through the building’s entire ground floor and into the parking garage. The blast wave blew out windows of a London Drugs store across the street and a Holiday Inn more than 90 metres away.

Josan a close family friend of Manjeet Nandha, testified at a civil lawsuit that was filed by Austeville Properties Ltd., the owners of the building. He told the court that Manjeet Nandha told him that the ownership of two restaurants, including the Taco Del Mar, was too much for her to deal with and they were losing money. He said it was her idea to set the fire

BC Conservatives oust leader Dan Brooks a month after re-electing him The B.C. Conservative party is leaderless again. Dan Brooks says the party’s board has stripped him of his leadership on a technicality. The 41-year-old businessman from Vanderhoof says the board has ruled the party meeting that approved his candidacy for the September leadership race lacked a quorum. Brooks first became leader of the BC Conservatives in 2014 but resigned earlier this year, citing family and business responsibilities, and concern about a lawsuit from a losing candidate. Over the summer, he announced all the issues had been resolved and he would again seek the leadership, which he won with a narrow, second ballot victory. He says the party’s board could have named him interim leader while resolving the questions surrounding his candidacy for the second leadership bid, but he believes the board wanted him out.

because she wanted to walk away from the lease. Josan said Nandha gave him a key to the premises, provided him with the code to the alarm, and told him about the location of the security cameras. He claimed he had nothing to gain by setting the fire and only did it to help Nandha, a mother of three who wanted to spend more time with her kids. Nandha, who was last seen by her family on Feb. 14, 2008, was found on Feb. 15, 2008,

having committed suicide. At trial, Austeville Properties sought to have Josan and the estate of Nandha declared liable along with the company that Nandha and her husband ran. In a ruling released Thursday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Gregory Bowden said that there was no question that Josan was personally liable for the fire and explosion which he admitted he caused.

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LOCAL

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Horgan promises improved public transit in Surrey NDP leader John Horgan was in Surrey on Thursday (Oct. 27) to sell the idea that a change in the provincial government would be good news for commuters who rely on public transit. A crowd of several dozen people, many of them TransLink workers and members of Unifor Locals 111 and 2200, gathered outside the Surrey Central Bus Exchange to hear Horgan summarize his party’s plan to improve transit options in the city and throughout the Lower Mainland. “Surrey is the fastest growing city in Metro, it is the fastest growing city in the province, it has 20 per cent of the Metro Vancouver population but has only seven per cent of its transit service,’ said Horgan. “Transit is suffering because Christy Clark is not taking action, aggressive action, to meet the growing

demands of this spectacular city. If a BC NDP government is elected next May, it will invest 40 per cent into the Mayors Council 10-year Transit Plan, it will get LRT going here in Surrey, it will get more B-lines going here in Surrey, more frequency of the bus service here in Surrey so Surrey families can spend more time at home with their loved ones and less time in traffic.” The BC NDP is promising to break the gridlock over Metro Vancouver transit expansion if it wins next spring’s provincial election by boosting the province’s traditional one-third share of capital funding for new projects to 40 per cent. A 40 per cent provincial share, coupled with the federal government’s commitment to contribute half of major transit capital projects, would significantly reduce the required regional contribution to just 10 per cent of capital, plus operating costs.

Ontario nurse facing 8 murder charges in deaths of elderly patients

A former Woodstock, Ont., nurse killed eight elderly patients in southwestern Ontario nursing homes, Ontario Provincial Police allege. Elizabeth Tracy Mae Wettlaufer, 49, is facing eight counts of first-degree murder in connection with deaths that occurred between August 2007 and August 2014, police said during a Tuesday morning news conference in Woodstock. The victims were between the ages of 75 and 96. Police would not say exactly how they died, except that seven of them received a fatal dose of a drug. Wettlaufer was employed by Caressant Care Nursing and Retirement Homes, which operates six facilities in southwestern Ontario. Seven of the victims died at the company’s nursing home in Woodstock, a community of around 37,000 people about halfway between London and Hamilton. She was also employed at the Meadow Park facility in London, where the eighth victim died. Wettlaufer first became licensed as a registered nurse on June 8, 1995, with the College of Nurses of Ontario — the governing body for registered nurses, registered practical nurses and nurse practitioners. She resigned on Sept. 30, 2016, one day after the OPP say their investigation began. Her neighbours at her Woodstock apartment building described her as a friendly, unassuming woman known as Beth. She lived alone with her small dog, Nashville. A Facebook page Woodstock police confirmed belongs to Wettlaufer shows pictures of her travelling and appearing with her family and her cats. There are several

posts discussing her life as a nurse. On Sept. 28, 2015, a post on that page said: “My own voice called to me in the darkness. Others hands lifted me when I chose the light. One year ago I woke up not dead. 365 days clean and sober.” Wettlaufer also appears to have written poetry and posted her writing at allpoetry. com. The profile name is bettyweston, but her own name is also attached to the poems, and the accompanying photo is one that appears on Wettlaufer’s Facebook page. Police identified the victims who died at the Woodstock home as: • James Silcox, 84, who died Aug. 17, 2007. • Maurice Granat, 84, who died Dec. 23, 2007. • Gladys Millard, 87, who died Oct. 14, 2011. • Helen Matheson, 95, who died Oct. 27, 2011. • Mary Zurawinski, 96, who died Nov. 7, 2011. • Helen Young, 90, who died July 14, 2013. • Maureen Pickering, 79, who died March 28, 2014. • The victim at Meadow Park was identified as: • Arpad Horvath, 75, who died Aug. 31, 2014. Donalda Osmond, who was friends with victim Helen Matheson, said she was surprised to learn about the charges in her friend’s death. “She was private and trusting, she’d trust anybody, obviously she did,” Osmond said of Matheson. “Just a good and decent person.”

SFU receives $500,000 pledge to host leading Indian Scholars Simon Fraser University has received a $500,000 pledge from Hari and Madhu Varshney to bring world-class Indian scholars to Vancouver. The Hari and Madhu Varshney Visiting Scholars Program in Indian Studies will enable SFU students to learn from leading Indian academics, who will also share their knowledge of India with the broader

community. “This wonderful gift will strengthen SFU’s commitment to engage the world,” says SFU president Andrew Petter. “Thanks to the Varshneys’ generosity, these scholars will enrich our educational and research environment, while deepening understanding of India’s rich culture and heritage amongst the communities we serve.” In 2014, SFU established a visiting scholars program with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)—the first Canadian university in Western Canada to host ICCR scholars. The Hari and Madhu Varshney Endowment will augment this program and ensure its continuance, with the first scholar expected in spring 2017. “Madhu and I believe that learning never ends and education never gets wasted,” says Hari Varshney. “We have made this contribution so the knowledge of visiting Indian scholars will enrich the studies of SFU students and benefit the community. Madhu is a Katthak classical dancer and poet who has published 10 books. The learnings from Vedas and Vedic scriptures are also close to our hearts.” ICCR scholars, ranging from experts in Indian arts, history, culture and Vedas and Vedic scriptures and knowledge, will be resident at SFU for one or two semesters. The pledge was announced at SFU’s 9th annual Diwali Gala on Tuesday, October 18. The gala honoured the SFU-India Advisory Council. Hari Varshney was an original member of the council when it was established in 2006.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

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Saturday, October 29, 2016

Winnipeg parents charged after nine-month-old son almost dies from suspected fentanyl overdose Two parents are in police custody facing several charges after their baby boy suffered a possible overdose of the powerful opioid fentanyl. Const. Jason Michalyshen said paramedics were called to a Winnipeg home last week and found the nine-monthold in critical condition. Officers also found a powder which they believed to be fentanyl. He said a search of the home found 285 grams of suspected fentanyl powder, along with a cutting agent and other contaminated paraphernalia, Michalyshen said. The biological parents — a 33 year-old man and 32-year-old woman who police are not naming — have been charged with failure to provide the necessities of life, causing bodily harm by criminal negligence and drug trafficking, Michalyshen said.

The baby boy has been upgraded to stable and is in care, he said. The child’s life was probably saved by officers, who immediately noted the presence of fentanyl in the home, which allowed him to be properly treated with an antidote, he said. “Limited information was being provided to us,” Michalyshen said Tuesday. “This was not something that was divulged to officers, investigators, emergency personnel, that the child’s situation may be as a result of drug or a substance within the home.” Although the baby’s condition improved immediately following the antidote, Michalyshen said police are still waiting for confirmation from Health Canada that the drug they found is fentanyl.

Dhahan Prize to award $25,000 grand prize at UBC Media are cordially invited to attend the Dhahan Awards Gala, taking place at the UBC Museum of Anthropology this Saturday Night. The Gala will celebrate the winners of the Dhahan Prize; the Grand Prize of $25,000 to Jarnail Singh for Kaale Varke (Black Pages), and Second Prizes of $5,000 to Zahid Hassan for Tassi Dharti (Thirsty Land) in Shahmukhi, and Us Pal (That Moment) from Simran Dhaliwal in Gurmukhi. In addition, two major newsworthy announcements will be made during the Gala event. These announcement will be

transformative for Punjabi Literature in BC and Canada. DATE: • Saturday, October 29, 2016 TIME: • 6:30pm – Registration • 7:15pm – Formal Program followed by reception • Keynote Speaker – Giller Prize winning author, MG. Vassanji LOCATION: • UBC Museum of Anthropology, 6393, NM Marine Dr, Vancouver B.C.

Jatinder Rai appointed to PavCo’s board of directors The Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone has made changes to the B.C. Pavilion Corporation’s (PavCo) board of directors, with the departure of two members and appointment of four new members, who will bring diversified experience to the provincial Crown corporation in charge of BC Place, the Vancouver Convention Centre and Corporate Office. Jatinder Rai, John Dyble, Elizabeth Model and Ron Mundi have been appointed to the board, with Don Zurowski and Stephanie Sharp’s departure. Zurowski has served on the board since 2012 and Sharp since 2013. Both have provided valuable expertise, strategic direction and principled governance during their time on PavCo’s board. The new members of PavCo’s board of directors have been selected to serve based on their diverse knowledge and skill sets to usher PavCo into the next phase of its development in becoming a world-class leader in service, events and entertainment: * Jatinder Rai is founder, president and chief executive officer of Response Advertising Inc., a leading specialist communications agency that has been providing creative media, market research and public relations-based communications solutions to some of the major marketers in Canada and the United States. Previously,

he served as both a member and interim chair on ICBC’s board of directors. Rai is a graduate from the University of Victoria. * Elizabeth Model is the chief executive officer of the Downtown Surrey Business Improvement Association. Previously, she was the general manager of operations for Captain’s Cove Marina Ltd., Cove Links Golf Course, Foremarke Management and Springbank Land Development. Prior to that, she was the executive director for the Chamber of Commerce serving Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody, the director of D.T. Addams and Associates Ltd. and the owner of Travelodge in Vernon. * John Dyble retired as the deputy minister to the Premier, cabinet secretary and head of the BC Public Service after serving 27 years in public service. Previously, he served as the deputy minister with the B.C. Ministry of Health Services, deputy minister with the B.C. * Ron Mundi is an entrepreneur in the hospitality industry. Mundi presently owns six hotel properties and oversees 375 employees. Some of his hotels include the Coast Kamloops Hotel and Conference Centre, the Holiday Inn Express Kamloops and the Best Western Cedar Park Inn Edmonton among others.

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United Sikhs provides emergency relief in Haiti

New Trudeau Senate appointee Yuen Pau Woo has both his fans … and panned in B.C. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, by appointing to the Senate a prominent B.C. advocate for closer Canada-China relations and the construction of oilsands pipelines, has predictably triggered both praise and scathing criticism. Yuen Pau Woo, who moved to Canada from Singapore as a teenager, was from 2005 to 2014 head of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. The 53-year-old Woo was one of nine independents (non-political party affiliated) appointed to the Senate on Thursday.

On October 4th, 2016, Hurricane Matthew devastated Haiti. It is the worst disaster to have hit Haiti since the January 12, 2010 catastrophic earthquake, which, according to CNN, measured 7.0 magnitude and killed approximately 316,000 people and injured 300,000 more. According to UNICEF, 80% of homes were damaged by Hurricane Matthew. Over 16,000 people are in shelters and hundreds of children are drastically affected as Hurricane Matthew knocked out power lines and left thousands without electricity or homes. The Haitian community is in dire need of resources and according to people on the ground the death toll has reached approximately 1380 as heavy rains continue to come down causing massive flooding. Inadequate housing threatens further harm to survivors. With instances of Cholera on the rise, UNITED SIKHS Emergency Response Team has distributed thousands of gallons of clean and treated water donated by supporters and good samaritans to stall an epidemic. UNITED SIKHS’ project coordinator, Luna Charles, who has been leading the relief efforts stated, “I was able to make an assessment and many homes were destroyed.

Electrical poles and trees were uprooted by the hurricane. The streets are littered with trees, debris and sheet metal that once covered shelters. Many windows in the makeshift shelters are broken and children, infants and the elderly are without blankets and are prone to pneumonia and other illnesses, including Cholera.” On 16th October, 2016, the UNITED SIKHS team visited the Port Salut Hospital, the Ofatma Hospital and shelters. The team distributed clean, treated water and emergency relief materials to the patients in the maternity wards and emergency rooms to alleviate suffering. Water was distributed to over 400 families in Torbeck, Port Salut and the Town of St. Jean. UNITED SIKHS, SIKH AID National Director Jatinder Singh made pleas for help to communities world-wide stating, “We need your help and support to assist those impacted. Donations can help provide much needed blankets, clothing, bottled water, firstaid and food supplies. Children have been greatly affected as schools are being used as temporary shelters and classes have been suspended. Your help is needed now. Your donation, in any amount, will help save lives and help the Haitian community rebuild.”

During his tenure at the foundation, Woo urged Canadian society as well as governments to support greater economic, social and academic links between Canada and Asia. “This would make sense if it was the Chinese government that appointed him to the Canadian Senate, because he’s he’s certainly very focused on looking out for Chinese interests,” said New Democratic Party MP Nathan Cullen, the MP for SkeenaBulkley Valley.

BC Minister Finance Michael de Jong meets reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel. Thumbs up to masala bonds.

National

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Self-driving truck carrying Budweiser beer makes first delivery in Colorado The futurists of Silicon Valley may not have seen this one coming: The first commercial delivery made by a self-driving truck was 2,000 cases of Budweiser beer.

On Tuesday, Otto, the Uber-owned selfdriving vehicle operation, announced the completion of its first commercial delivery, having delivered its beer load from Fort Collins, Colorado, to Colorado Springs, a roughly 190-kilometre trip on Interstate 25. In recent years, Uber has predicted a future in which you can ride in a selfdriving car that will take you where you want to go, no driver necessary. But the idea that commercial trucking could be done by robot is a relatively new idea — and a potentially controversial one, given the possibility that robots could one day replace human drivers. “We think this technology is inching closer to commercial availability,” Lior Ron, co-founder of Otto, said in an interview. In August, Uber acquired Otto, a

San Francisco startup run by a number of veterans of Google’s long-running autonomous vehicle research. Though largely symbolic, the beer delivery marks the first commercial partnership for Otto, which was founded less than a year ago. Terms of the deal between Otto and Anheuser-Busch InBev, which owns the Budweiser brand, were not disclosed. “We’ve tested with trailers, of course, but there’s nothing like actually doing the real thing, end to end,” Ron said. The delivery was indicative of Uber’s larger ambitions to become an enormous transportation network, one in which the company is responsible for moving anything, like people, hot meals or cases of beer, around the globe, at all hours and as efficiently as possible. Travis Kalanick, Uber’s chief executive, has said he envisions a future in which transportation will occur in different ways, using both manned and unmanned vehicles. Otto is a particularly large bet for Uber, which paid nearly $700 million (U.S.) for the startup only a few months after the company started publicly discussing its selfdriving-truck ambitions. Since backing down from its moneyburning effort to dominate the Chinese ride-hailing market in August, Uber has invested more time and resources to focus on breaking into the trucking market.

Justin Trudeau gets rough ride from crowd at young workers’ summit Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced off with a room of angry protesters today who were venting their frustrations over everything from pipelines to the failed federal payroll system. Some of the participants turned their backs on Trudeau in protest during the “armchair discussion” event at the Canadian Labour Congress National Young Workers Summit in Ottawa. “Honour your promises!” hollered some in the crowd, as event moderators tried to keep the peace. Trudeau attempted to keep calm and urged people to engage in conversation rather than a war of words that “reflects poorly” on the crowd. “I will tell you, it is a little bit frustrating for me to come in, sit down and look forward to hearing from you and talking with you, and seeing a room full of people who are standing in a way that shows they are not listening to me, that you don’t want to engage,” he said. Some of the audience members heckled remarks about Indigenous rights and the Kinder Morgan pipeline. One placard read: “What will you commit to today?” A woman, who identified herself as a

young worker representative for the Public Service Alliance of Canada and a member of the union’s bargaining team, grilled Trudeau on the failed Phoenix payroll system. “When the hell are we going to get paid, and, two, when the hell are we going to get a contract that is a good deal for all of us, not just one generation?” she asked. “And why are we sticking with the Conservative mandate? I’m just so confused.” After the event, one participant explained that some in the group turned their backs on the prime minister as a “deliberate message,” because they believe he has turned his back on them. “I am disappointed that they felt they could bring the prime minister to this event and expect a group of young workers who they’ve spent the last two days telling us to be empowered, telling us to stand up, telling us to speak truth to power,” said Jessica Sikora. “Then they put power in front of us and they expect us to sit quietly? That was never in the cards.” Erin Warman said she is upset by the “broken promises.” “Trudeau was elected to get some of these things done, electoral reform is a huge one,” she said.

Canadians’ use of high-interest payday loans doubles, raising more red flags about debt As Canadians rack up high levels of debt that are causing concern even outside the country’s borders, new research from The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada has found nearly 90 per cent of Canadians who take on costly high-interest payday loans are doing so to cover necessary expenses or avoid late charges on bills. The use of short-term payday loans — where charges in some provinces can be equivalent to an annual percentage rate of 500 per cent — has doubled recently to include four per cent of Canadian households, according to the consumer agency. While some are using the loans to cover unexpected expenses that crop up, the

FCAC is concerned about the overall trend. “High household indebtedness and low levels of consumer savings, particularly the absence of a household emergency fund, make a payday loan a solution for many consumers despite their very high cost,” said Jane Rooney , financial literacy leader at the consumer agency. The survey of 1,500 payday loan users showed that many Canadians are unaware of the high cost compared to alternative sources of funds. For example, fewer than half, 43 per cent, understood that a payday loan is more expensive than a cash advance on a credit card.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Finance minister says get used to short-term employment and career changes Finance Minister Bill Morneau says Canadians should get used to so-called “job churn” — short-term employment and a number of career changes in a person’s life. Morneau made the comment on Saturday at a meeting of the federal Liberal Party’s Ontario wing, days before he’s scheduled to deliver a fall economic update. The remark also comes just three days after the Bank of Canada delivered bad news for the economy, downgrading the country’s growth outlook yet again. And when asked about precarious employment the finance minister told delegates that high employee turnover and short-term contract work will continue in young people’s lives, and the government has to focus on preparing for it. “We also need to think about, ‘How do we train and retrain people as they move from job to job to job?’ Because it’s going to happen. We have to accept that,” Morneau said during a question-and-answer session. Elsewhere in his presentation, Morneau noted that some people will see their jobs disappear in the years to come — truck drivers and receptionists, for instance.

Morneau said the government has to look at helping out with the “things underneath” disappearing or precarious work. He listed the changes to the Canada Pension Plan as an example, calling it “a recognition that people aren’t going to have the same pension benefits” as in generations past. “Recognizing that we need a way to help people through their career is something that will soften that blow as they think about the long term.” He told delegates that the “first thing” the Liberals did was reduce taxes for nine million Canadians, and touted the Liberals’ Canada Childcare Benefit as the biggest advancement in Canadian policy since universal health care. He said the policy — which was among Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s campaign promises — has been lifting “hundreds of thousands” of Canadians out of poverty. Trudeau also mentioned the benefit when he spoke at the meeting Friday night, when he said it provided more money to 90 per cent of Canadian families. “We’re on track to doing what we promised — lifting 300,000 Canadian kids out of poverty,” Trudeau said.

Federal Govt may change mortgage default rules, targets banks with risk-sharing plan The federal government is looking for feedback on proposed changes to Canada’s mortgage system that would require lenders

to take on a “modest portion” of the losses on insured-loans that default. As part of measures announced earlier this month, the Finance Department on Friday began a four-month consultation period for individual Canadians and organizations to submit their views on Ottawa’s plans to “modify the distribution of risks” in the housing finance sector “by requiring mortgage lenders to manage a modest portion of loan losses on insured mortgages that default, would enhance the current system.” In particular, Ottawa is considering whether that transfer of risk — from taxpayer-backed insurance to private lenders — would provide greater stability to the financial sector. Along with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., a federal agency, there are two major private mortgage insurers — Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance and Canada Guaranty Mortgage Insurance. Since the 1950s, the government has required lenders to have mortgage default insurance. At present, insurance is necessary if the mortgage on a property is more than 80 per cent of its value. Mortgage insurance guarantees the total amount of any default, minus a 10-per-cent deductible paid by the private lender. If a

lender does not have enough capital to cover the remaining amount of the mortgage, Ottawa — and ultimately taxpayers — is responsible for the paying the difference. “The government guarantee of mortgage insurance is intended to protect against severe risks that could threaten financial stability,” the Finance Department said in its consultation document. “Lender risk sharing would aim to rebalance risk in the housing finance system by requiring lenders to bear a modest portion of loan losses on any insured mortgage that defaults, while maintaining sufficient government backing to support financial stability in a severe stress scenario and borrower access to mortgage financing.” Ottawa has set a deadline of Feb. 28, 2017 for written comments on the proposed changes. Friday’s announcement on mortgage-risk measures is part of series of changes suggested to help normalize Canada’s housing market, which has seen recordhigh prices in Vancouver and Toronto as consistently low interest rates have attracted homebuyers — many of whom could find themselves unable to meet their mortgage payment in the event of a plunge in sector — and resulted in personal debt reaching historic levels. Among the changes announced by Finance Minister Bill Morneau on Oct. 3. was the closing certain tax loopholes on non-resident real estate investors, the introduction of a mortgage-rate “stress test” to ensure perspective homebuyer can meet their payments when lending levels begin to rise. The Finance Department said Friday it is taking “a long-term view of the way the mortgage market functions by reviewing the distribution of risk in Canada’s housing finance system.”

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Saturday, October 29, 2016

Vancouver bets on modular to fix housing and homeless crisis

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A shipping container-like structure parked on the south side of the Vancouver Art Gallery could hold the answer to the city’s homeless and housing crisis, according to Mayor Gregor Robertson. The unit contains a display model of a single suite in Vancouver’s first ever temporary modular housing complex, set to open in early 2017 at 1500 Main Street. “We want people in Vancouver to experience what it’s like on the inside and understand the quality and

the efficiency and appropriateness of having modular housing to address the particular challenge we have,” said Robertson. The display suite is 250 square feet in size with a private bathroom and kitchen. There’s also a small bedroom/sitting area and a closet. The Main Street complex will consist of 40 similar units. The complex will be available to homeless people and those on low or fixed incomes.

RCMP probes $4.2M paid to leaders — belonging to a single family — of tiny BC First Nation The RCMP is investigating the finances of a tiny B.C. First Nation band used to enrich members of a single family to the tune of $4.2 million over 3½ years, according to a forensic audit obtained by Postmedia News. The Shuswap First Nation’s transfers to the family, and payment for trips to Las Vegas and Cuba ended in November 2014, when the family was voted out of office after Postmedia’s disclosures. In July, the federal government-funded Ernst & Young audit was provided to the 100 band members who live on the reserve on the outskirts of Invermere near the B.C.-Alberta border. The 13-page

report was also handed over to the Mounties. “It is under RCMP investigation,” Chief Barbara Cote and her two councillors said in a recent written statement to members. Despite the continuing police probe, the person who received the largest portion of the $4.2 million in 2011-14 is running in next month’s council election and could become chief. Dean Martin, son of former chief Paul Sam and former councillor Alice Sam (Paul Sam’s ex-wife), is one of the challengers going against the three incumbents, Cote, Tim Eugene and Rosalita Pascal.

punjab

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Harmanjeet Kaur Mann crowned as Miss Punjab 2016

The Supreme Court has directed the Punjab Government to pay salary and allowances to daily wage/temporary workers—pump operators, fitters, helpers, drivers, plumbers, chowkidars and others—on a par with regular staff, going by the principle of “equal pay for equal work”. “There can be no doubt, that the principle of ‘equal pay for equal work’ will be applicable to all the temporary employees concerned, so as to vest in them the right to claim wages, at par with the minimum of the pay-scale of regularly engaged government employees, holding the same post,” a Bench comprising Justices JS Khehar and SA Bobde held in a 102-page judgment on a batch of CROSS appeals by the state government and affected workers. The appeals were filed in the wake of conflicting judgments by two Division Benches of the Punjab and Haryana, one holding that temporary employees were not entitled to equal pay and the other holding the contrary view. A full Bench of the HC had, however, put the temporary employees in two categories – those appointed against regular sanctioned posts through a selection process and those working for more than 10 years on non-sanctioned posts. While the first category was entitled to equal pay and allowances, the second category would get only equal pay, not allowances. In addition, the second category would be considered for regularisation. The SC, however, ruled yesterday that: “In our considered view, it is fallacious to determine artificial parameters to deny fruits of labour.

Hoshiarpur village gets Diwali gift — electricity This Diwali will be a bright one for the poverty-stricken residents of Upparla Malout village in the Kandi area of Hoshiarpur. After 69 years of Independence, electricity has reached the village. Today — for the first time — the villagers were seen using electric bulbs to illuminate their houses. It took more than two months for Punjab State Power Corporation Limited officials to find a contractor who was ready to undertake the project in this tough, hilly terrain. Once started, it took a week’s continuous day-night work to set up the required infrastructure so that electricity could reach the village.

Till yesterday, Upparla Malout looked like a village in the 18th century with no drinking water, no road connectivity and no medical facilities all because there was no electricity supply to the village. Once, years ago, they were promised power supply. They had deposited security for power connections, but even then, they got none. “In 2003-04, we had deposited the security money with PSPCL for connections, but we were told that the expenditure for laying power lines has to be borne by us. We were asked to deposit Rs 11.25 lakh,” said Amarjit, Sarpanch of the village.

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The jazzy evening of October 15th at GNA University, Phagwara witnessed the remarkable event of Miss Punjab 2016 where 29 girls showcased a perfect blend of beauty, talent, and brains, and one winner was crowned as the proud owner of the title! Harman Mann, 18, had no plans until her elder sister gave her the idea to prepare for the next Miss Punjab pageant. The young girl proudly brings home the title most girls dream about, and is truly deserving of it by having cleared all pre-auditions and making it through to the title with flying colors. Apart from the title of Miss Punjab 2016, Harman was also awarded as the ‘Miss Catwalk’ by the esteemed panel of judges and jury which included big names of the industry - Alwinder Wariach (Owner Sovi Entertainments and Video Director), Amar Noori (Singer), Sonu Gandhi (Designer), Sandeep Kumar (Founder & CEO of Rubaru Miss India Elite & Mister India), Aslam Khan (Designer), S.B Haryanvi (Singer and Video Director), Balraj Singh khaira (2015 Roadies

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Saturday, October 29, 2016

NRI Singaporean awarded for life-saving efforts Singapore honoured a 58-year-old Indianorigin man with Public Spiritedness Award for his life-saving efforts to help an elderly unconscious Chinese man. U Silvakumar, a military expert, put his life-saving instincts to practice and used cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) process to help the Chinese man who was lying unconscious near a Hindu temple before the ambulance arrived on Sunday. News of Silvakumar’s efforts made rounds online after a Facebook photo of him and other Hindu devotees helping the elderly man was posted on the social networking site. For his efforts, Silvakumar was honoured

with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Public Spiritedness Award, the Channel News Asia reported. “First at scene, first to render assistance. Community first response transcends all boundaries, and can be embraced by anyone and everyone,” it said. It is a popular annual festival in which even Chinese people take part while many tourists click photographs as they consider it a unique event. Singapore’s Home Minister K Shanmugam, who was among the devotees, said, “you see Indians, Hindus, taking part, but you also see others, nonIndians taking part. It’s really something unique about Singapore.”

‘Ab Ki Baar, Trump Sarkar’, Donald Trump says in new campaign ad In a bid to woo Indian-Americans, Donald Trump has borrowed from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s winning slogan of the 2014 general elections as the Republican presidential nominee is seen in a TV ad saying “Ab Ki Baar Trump Sarkar”. This is the first time that a US presidential candidate has specifically targeted the IndianAmerican vote bank. The new advertisement shows the 70-yearold reality TV star adapting BJP’s catchy election slogan of the 2014 polls “Ab Ki baar, Modi Sarkaar”. Indian-Americans are traditionally supporters of the Democratic Party and Trump’s move is seen as an effort to make a

dent in this vote bank. The billionaire is seen in the 30-second video saying, “Ab Ki Baar, Trump Sarkaar”. “It’s running on 20 channels,” Shalabh Kumar, chairman of the Indian American Advisory Council of Donald Trump for President, said. The commercial, which ranges from 20 seconds to 50 seconds in different variants, is being run 20 times a day on these Indian-American channels. It concludes with “I am Donald Trump and I approve this message” and carries excerpts of his remarks from his recent address to the Republican Hindu Coalition charity events in New Jersey.

Theresa May praises British-Indians on Diwali Hailing the contribution of British-Indians, Prime Minister Theresa May has said she would highlight their success during her first official visit to India next month. May praised British-Indians in her message at the annual Diwali celebrations in the House of Commons on Wednesday. "In Britain's Indian communities, we can see the good that can be done when people's talents are unleashed. I think of all those running their own businesses, taking risks and working hard so that they can provide for their families and take on staff," May said in her message, read out by Bob Blackman, the parliamentary host of the annual Diwali event organised by the

Hindu Forum of Britain (HFB). She said that she would be highlighting this success when she visits India next month on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I will be so proud to highlight the achievements of BritishIndians next month when I make my first official visit to India as Prime Minister at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," May said. The event organised on the House of Commons Terrace Pavilion overlooking the river Thames began with the reciting of mantras and was attended by leading Indianorigin parliamentarians including Lord Swraj Paul, Lord Dolar Popat, Lord Jitesh Gadhia and Shailesh Vara.

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INDIA

Saturday, October 29, 2016

CBI questions former Mumbai top cop Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria and two other senior officers have been questioned by the CBI in connection with investigations into Sheena Bora’s murder. CBI officers said on Thursday that the three were questioned because they were part of the team that first investigated the case and arrested prime suspect, Indrani Mukherjea. Deven Bharti, the joint commissioner (law and order), and Satya Narayan Choudhary, deputy commissioner of police (Zone-X) were the other two questioned in the case. Indrani Mukerjea, her exhusband Sanjeev Khanna and former driver Shyamvar Rai have been accused of having first stangled Bora — Mukerjea’s 24-year-old daughter from her previous relationship — and then dumping her body in a wooded area of Raigad district on April 2012. Maria was then the Mumbai police commissioner but has since been appointed Maharashtra’s director general (home guards). His involvement in the case came to be questioned when he and his team arrested media baron Peter Mukherjea last year. Maria had been accused of not having thoroughly investigated the case.

Kashmir issue not on agenda of her talks with Modi: British PM

British Prime Minister Theresa May has said that the UK’s stand on Kashmir remains unchanged and it is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan to address. The issue was raised in the House of Commons during the weekly Prime Minister’s questions session on Wednesday by Pakistaniborn Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi, who asked if the Kashmir issue would form part of May’s discussions during her visit to India next month. “I take the same view as this government has since it came into power, and indeed previously, which is that the issue of Kashmir is a matter for India and Pakistan to deal with

and sort out,” the British PM said in Parliament, clearly indicating that Kashmir was unlikely

to be on the agenda during her bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when she visits India between November 6 and 8.

Qureshi, who represents a heavily Pakistaniorigin constituency of Bolton in north-west England, had questioned in the Commons: “Will the Prime Minister meet with me and cross-party colleagues to discuss the human rights abuses and the issue of selfdetermination for Kashmiri people, as was set out in the resolution of the UN in 1948 and can she raise this issue with the Indian Prime Minister.” May, while dismissing any meeting herself, said: “The foreign secretary [Boris Johnson] has heard her representations and I am sure will be interested in taking those issues up with her.”

RSS hopeful Ram Temple will be built The RSS is hopeful that the Supreme Court will give an early verdict to pave the way for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya amid a renewed focus on the issue in the run-up to the UP polls. Amid the prevailing tension along the borders, the BJP’s ideological fountainhead also favours a ban on Pakistani artistes. But it feels that issues such as prohibiting import of Chinese products should be left to society. Briefing the media on the RSS meeting, Delhi state general secretary Bharat Bhushan said, “The Ram Temple is central to our faith and a temple should come up at the Ram Janmabhoomi site, which has been made clear by the Allahabad High Court verdict. It is a matter of few days, months or years.” “People of the country want a grand temple at Ayodhya. The matter is before the Supreme Court and we expect that the court gives an early verdict. We expect this issue should be resolved early,” Bhushan said. On demand by some for day-to-day hearing, he said, “It has nothing to do with the UP elections.” Regarding the ban on Pakistani artistes, the RSS leader said though art is a universal subject, “artistes coming here and not condemning terror and criticising those who raised the issue should be banned”.

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Govt tells states not to panic about Avian flu After confirmed cases of bird flu in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi, the Health Ministry today advised states to get people handling ailing wild birds to use protective gear and take anti viral medicine Oseltamivir for ten days as a measure of abundant precaution. Ruling out human to human transmission from the virus, the ministry quoted the WHO as saying the risk of zoonotic infection (spread from animals to humans) from the current H5N8 virus (bird flu) was low. “A number of wild birds have died in the National Zoological Park and Deer Park, both in Delhi, and Zoological Park, Gwalior, in

the preceding two weeks. Domesticated bird deaths (ducks) were reported this week from Alappuzha in Kerala. In all these instances, samples tested at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal, were found positive for Avian Influenza A H5N8,” the ministry said. It added as a matter of abundant caution, state health departments should insist on the use of personal protective equipment by those handling dead and sick birds, keep persons exposed to the dead and sick birds under surveillance and provide them chemoprophylaxis (Oseltamivir 75 mg once daily for 10 days).

India-Russia military ties to be like before Indicating a shift from public perception of having turned pro-US, New Delhi has told Moscow it will remain its “foremost” defence partner and has shared a future vision of a relationship that could very well mirror the “past”. At a meeting between Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his Russian counterpart General Sergey Shoigu here yesterday, New Delhi proposed a greater military-to-military contact and setting up of IndoRussia joint ventures in producing spares for military equipment. “Military contact and not trade will be the guiding force in the Indo-Russian ties,” a source said. New Delhi in its internal assessment has decided to “recapture the dynamism of the military-to-military interaction as it was earlier” — the days of the erstwhile Soviet Union (it disintegrated in 1991) when Indian officers, troops, sailors and pilots frequently trained with the Russians.

Cyrus Mistry’s lying: Tata Sons

Dismissed Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry took his gloves off in his widely leaked 2,100-word mail to the board targeting Ratan Tata and people close to him with a string of allegations of bad business bets and questionable deals. On Thursday, Mistry was party to business decisions for over a decade, says Tata Sons in reply to Mistry’s allegations that, at 700 words, was one-third as long as Mistry’s mail and steered clear of specifics— but made it amply clear that it wouldn’t hesitate to bare its knuckles. Even while professing that it was “beneath the dignity of Tata Sons to engage in a public spat”, it issued a thinly veiled threat that it was prepared to abandon strategic restraint and strike back at a time and place of its choosing: “The record, as and when made public, will prove things to the contrary.” Pointing out that Mistry had been on the board since 2006 and deputy chairman for a year till he formally replaced Ratan Tata in end-December 2012, it said, “It is unfortunate that it is only on his removal” that “malicious allegations” and “unsubstantiated claims” were being made about “business decisions that the former chairman was party to for over a decade in different capacities”. Tata Sons sought to turn the tables on Mistry, who has claimed his dismissal was illegal and invalid, by stating that he “had overwhelmingly lost the confidence of the board...for a combination of several factors.” The directors, it said, had “repeatedly raised queries and concerns on certain business issues, and trustees of the Tata Trusts were increasingly getting concerned with the growing trust deficit with Mr Mistry, but these were not being addressed. The Tata Sons board, in its collective wisdom, took the decision to replace its chairman in the manner undertaken.” Mistry’s tenure, it added, “was marked by repeated departures from the culture and ethos of the group”.

Mumbai trains to have automatic doors Despite complaints of suffocation and congestion from commuters, the Railways has decided to press ahead with automatic closing doors in Mumbai’s local trains. Sources say the first phase will see women’s compartments on 10 trains in the Central Railway fitted with automatic doors. These doors will remain shut when the train is in motion and open only when it comes to a halt at the station. Each train will require 20 sets of automatic doors for the women’s compartments alone, officials said. The Railways has drawn criticism over footage of commuters falling off running trains on the social media. Apart from Members of Parliament, the World Bank, which is funding

the Mumbai Urban Transport Project, is also insisting on automatic doors as a condition for financial assistance to revamp Mumbai’s train network. As an experiment, the railways had installed automatic doors in the women’s compartment of a train on Western Railway. However, commuters complained of suffocation and the system malfunctioned from surging crowds, officials said. Technical experts from the railways have zeroed in on improved technology for automatic doors to be introduced in Central Railway’s trains. Sources say the compartment will have to be fitted with ventilation equipment to ensure passengers are not suffocated once the doors are closed.

FIJI

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Kamilla Singh (middle) and PICS CEO Charan Gill (third from left) and others with a cheque of $5001.25 donated to PICS after Fiji Independence Day celebration last week.

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Saturday, October 29, 2016

NFP leader accuses Fiji PM of being racist Prime Minister and Fiji First Party Leader Voreqe Bainimarama is insulting the intelligence of the people of Fiji by labeling the National Federation Party as racist just because the Party champions the interests of the cane growers, says the National Federation Party. Speaking to FBC TV News on Wednesday night (26th October) the Prime Minister said his Fiji First Party would not form a coalition with another party for 2018 general elections because “their policies don’t align”. He also stated that “that the National Federation Party now is not the same as the NFP of old” and furthermore said, “I would think that the NFP party now is a racist party that’s why they all in the cane fields because of the vote of the Indo-Fijians. Their policies are totally at the extreme nowadays.” NFP leader Biman Prasad said nothing can be further from the truth. Prasad said the Prime Minister, if he believes his warped logic must now answer the following: 1. Does he know that almost 30% of cane growers are Fijians of i-Taukei descent? 2. Is he refusing to accept sound and sensible solutions proposed by the NFP to resuscitate the sugar industry and improve the livelihood of cane growers because he thinks upholding the interest of growers who comprise of 70% Indo-Fijians and who are descendants of the Girmitiya is racism? 3. Does this mean that the Prime Minister

who is the Minister for i-Taukei Affairs is a racist because the Ministry exclusively looks after the interests of our i-Taukei community? 4. Does this also mean that the Prime Minister, who was Commander of Republic of Fiji Military Forces for 15 years, an organisation whose personnel are almost exclusively i-Taukei, is a racist? 5. Does this mean that just because the elite arm of RFMF (CRW Unit) helped George Speight execute the coup in May 2000 to overthrow a Government led by an IndoFijian, make the Prime Minister racist because he was Commander of the Army? 6. Does this mean that the abrogation of the 1997 Constitution and then Commander Bainimarama’s refusal to re-instate the Fiji Labour Party Leader as Prime Minister following the end to the hostage crisis in 2000, actions later proven in Court of Appeal to be in defiance of the rule of law was an act of racism? 7. And does this mean that when as Commander, Bainimarama executed the coup to topple an i-Taukei led multi-party multiracial Government in December 2006, was yet again a racist act? These are legitimate questions that the Prime Minister must now answer truthfully and he must do so by applying the same logic that he did in labeling NFP a racist party. His political character and credibility now faces the litmus test.

Baber is Fiji 7s coach Gareth Baber is the new Fiji 7s coach. This was announced by Fiji Rugby Union chairman Francis Kean. Baber is a level 4

accredited coach and is head of the Hong Kong men's rugby sevens. He replaces winning Olympics 7s coach Ben Ryan.

NFP calls for public holiday on Girmit day THE centennial celebrations to mark the arrival of the last shipload of indentured labourers to Fiji from India on board the Sutlej in 1916 will start on November 9. Starting at Albert Park in Suva, celebrations will also be held in Nadi, Nausori, Tavua, Savusavu, Labasa, Rakiraki and Ba. Attorney-General and the Minister for Economy, Aiyaz SayedKhaiyum launched the centennial celebrations at Albert Park yesterday afternoon. While launching the event, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum also highlighted that direct descendants of the 888 indentured labourers who were on board the Sutlej V would also be given commemoration plaques. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said it was important that during the celebrations people

talk about the courage of these labourers who were suppressed by the political system which existed during that time, but were able to survive and become free citizens of Fiji. Vodafone Fiji gave $100,000 for the celebrations. Meanwhile, during a press conference last week, the National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad called on the Government to mark the centennial celebrations with a public holiday. However, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said it was another political scoring comment made by Mr Prasad and that a public holiday was not the answer to recognising the work done by the indentured labourers.

PAKISTAN

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Asian Development Bank refuses to fund Pakistani dam that India says is in ‘disputed area’ Pakistan has had no luck with the World Bank funding its 4500 megawatt DiamerBhasha dam, a project that India opposes, because it’s located in a disputed area in Gilgit-Baltisan. And yesterday, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) too declined to fund the $14 billion dam over the Indus river, Pakistani media reported. Two years ago, the World Bank refused to come on board as a lender for DiamerBhasha, because Pakistan didn’t want to seek a no-objection certificate from India for the project. The

dam is planned in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, which India claims is a part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Yesterday, ADB said the project was too big to be funded solely by them. Delhi has long protested moves to support the DiamerBhasha dam and other infrastructure ventures in or bordering Pakistanoccupied-Kashmir. A little over a year ago, the US was making noises about supporting the project and India didn’t shy away from showing it was peeved.

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South asia

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Green-eyed woman in National Geographic photo arrested in Pak An Afghan woman whose photograph as a young refugee with piercing green eyes was published on the cover of National Geographic magazine in 1985, becoming a symbol of the turmoil of war in Afghanistan, is facing charges in Pakistan of fraudulently obtaining national identity cards. The arrest Wednesday of the woman, Sharbat Gula, came as the Pakistani authorities are cracking down on Afghans with illegal national identity cards. She was detained at her home in the northwestern city of Peshawar after more than a year of investigation, said Shahid Ilyas, the assistant director of the Federal Investigation Authority. “We raided the house and picked her

up,” he said. “It took us a while to collect all the evidence against her, and the officials involved in helping her and her two sons get Pakistani national identity cards.”

The Pakistani authorities said Ms. Gula had illegally obtained a Pakistani identity card in 1988 and a computerized identity card in 2014, while retaining her Afghan passport, which she used in 2014 to travel to Saudi Arabia for the hajj pilgrimage. She faces up to 14 years in prison and a fine of US$3,000 to US$5,000 if she is convicted, according to the Dawn newspaper. Her arrest goes to the heart of an ordeal confronting many Afghan refugees who fled across the border into Pakistan because of decades of war. The Pakistani crackdown on them appears to have intensified since May, when the former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour was killed in a drone strike in Baluchistan, southwestern Pakistan. He had been traveling with forged Pakistani documents, officials said.

He added, “We have the evidence now, and we are going to go for prosecution.”

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Bangladesh PM Shiekh Hasina may come this December

Indian and Bangladeshi officials are working on a plan that could see Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visit New Delhi this December. Bangladesh foreign secretary Shahidul Haque told reporters that Hasina may visit India on a bilateral tour in December. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had heaped praises on Hasina’s counter-terror initiatives at a meeting between the two leaders during the BRICS-BIMSTEC meet on Sunday. The move is seen bolstering efforts by the Modi government to build a strong front against terror activities in the region. “The two sides are working on this visit,” Haque said, even as the much anticipated Teesta water sharing deal between the two nations is yet to see progress. If the plan materialises, it will be Hasina’s maiden standalone state visit to India after Modi came to power. Hasina has made two visits of less than 24 hours to India earlier — demise of Pranab Mukherjee’s wife in 2015 and BIMSTEC meet. Bangladesh has shown support for India after the terror attack in Uri (Kashmir) and surgical strikes. It pulled out of the SAARC Summit scheduled for Islamabad along with India, Bhutan and Afghanistan. Dhaka has also emerged as a strong partner for India in South Asia, pushing for connectivity network and development projects. Hasina’s name was earlier considered as the chief guest for the 2017 Republic Day celebrations.

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The death toll from a ferry disaster on a river in central Myanmar four days ago has risen to nearly 50, officials said on Wednesday, with most of the deceased identified as women and at least two dozen others still missing. The overloaded vessel, whose passengers included scores of teachers and university students, went down early Saturday while it was travelling on the Chindwin River in Sagaing region. Some 150 people were rescued alive on that day but officials believe the ship was carrying up to 250 passengers when it sank on its way to Monywa, a city around 72 kilometres south. “We have found altogether 48 dead bodies so far,” said local MP Tun Tun Win, a jump up from the 32 people pronounced dead on Monday. “Many more could be dead,” he said, adding that local monks have begun leading memorial services for the deceased. An official from the local relief and resettlement department said two thirds of the dead were women. At least 23 people -- 17 of whom are women -- are still missing, the official said, requesting anonymity.

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Saturday, October 29, 2016