The Asian Star August 29 2015

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Issue 31 Saturday, August 29, 2015

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2 i Saturday, August 29, 2015

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Surrey French immersion short students despite long-standing demand

arents say new school is too far away despite long-standing fight for more French immersion A new French immersion school at Cougar Creek School in Surrey is in peril of shutting before it opens, as only six families have signed up. A loud outcry for French immersion opportunities in Surrey sparked a new program at Cougar Creek Elementary School, but now lack of interest may shut the entire venture down. After years of Surrey parents asking for shorter wait lists and better access to French immersion the school district did something about it, but ended up surprised when only six families signed up. “[This] isn’t what we anticipated...given the interest expressed,” said Doug Strachan, communications manager for the Surrey School District. Given the lack of enrolment, the new kindergarten program at Cougar Creek might not even start, despite hundreds of people on wait lists for the opportunity.

Canada’s docs call for proof of vaccinations before children can be enrolled in school

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After calling all 229 families and offering them seats in the new program, Strachan says, the most common response is that the school is too far away.Cougar Creek School is located at 12236-70A Avenue in South Surrey.”Some parents might be willing to drive a little further, if it’s ten minutes, but if it’s 40 to 45 minutes one way, that is not a ‘little bit’ further,” said Mary-Em Waddington, of the Canadian Parents for French in Surrey.

Sign-up is open for two more weeks.

The school district hopes more students are enrolled by then, or it will be forced to cancel the program.

very elementary and high school in the country should require parents to provide proof their child has received up-to-date immunizations for school entry, Canada’s doctors say. But in a move that could fuel the anti-vaccination movement, delegates to the Canadian Medical Association’s annual general council meeting Wednesday overwhelmingly rejected a call for a national program to compensate those who suffer the extremely rare injuries that can be caused by vaccines.

That proposal was among a raft of motions aimed at combatting “vaccine hesitancy,” a growing phenomenon public health experts fear is driving immunization rates for key diseases below target in many regions of the country.

A critical resolution calls for governments to authorize schools to require parents show proof of vaccination. Those whose children have been “inadequately vaccinated” would be required to meet with public health officials to discuss why.

The proposal doesn’t call for mandatory vaccinations, CMA president Dr. Cindy Forbes stressed. The goal, said Forbes, a Halifax family doctor, is to improve vaccination rates and not inflame the situation by calling for compulsory shots. “We’re looking to have a very reasoned, rational conversation with our patients, and not have a situation where someone is telling them what to do,” she said.

“It’s a way, a checkpoint, where we can take a toll, and say: ‘Has your child been immunized?’ And if they haven’t, it’s an opportunity to provide the immunization” or information to address concerns or fears, she said.

Studies suggest more than a third of Canadian parents wrongly believe vaccines can cause the very diseases they are designed to prevent.

While fewer than five to 10 per

cent of parents have strong, anti-vaccination views, “many more parents have doubts and concerns,” said CMA past president Dr. Chris Simpson.

The issue has come under sharp focus following alarming outbreaks of measles — a highly infectious disease that can cause blindness, brain swelling and severe respiratory disease, even death, in severe cases — in the U.S. and parts of Canada. In June, California signed a bill into law requiring nearly every schoolchild in the state to be vaccinated and abolishing exemptions on religious grounds.

Doctors in Canada worry parents are rejecting vaccines out of misplaced fears and deep suspicions of science and Big Pharma.

Simpson said that a declaration of immunization, “coupled with a requirement to meet with public health if it’s not up to date, provides the opportunity to understand why the parent hasn’t fully vaccinated the child.”

It’s an opportunity, he said, “to fully inform those (parents) who may be hesitant.” Only Ontario and New Brunswick have laws mandating children receive the full schedule of recommended shots, although exemptions are allowed for medical reasons, or on religious grounds. “We want to see it done on a national level,” Forbes said.

Delegates rejected a motion for a compensation plan for people who suffer grave injuries associated with vaccinations — a motion partly designed to help allay parents’ fears about vaccine safety. Should someone suffer the rare occurrence of a severe side effect resulting in a permanent handicap, “we thought they should know they would be compensated for the rest of their lives,” said Quebec physician Dr. Pierre Harvey, a member of the CMA board and seconder of the motion. The motion was rejected partly due to fear it would send the wrong message to the public that vaccines are dangerous

. . . BC’s Health Officer agrees with policy requiring proof of vaccination B.C.’s provincial health officer Perry Kendall says requiring parents to provide proof of their children’s vaccination status could help stop sudden spreads of preventable illnesses in schools.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Kendall. “We would know in a very timely fashion in advance whether there were children who were vulnerable. So, if we got a case of measles or whooping cough, we would know which kids to send home until the outbreak was over.”

He says requiring parents to provide proof of vaccination status could also help schools engage with “vaccine hesitant” parents who aren’t deeply opposed to the idea, but have lingering concerns.

“We can target parents of children who aren’t immunized. We can find out what the reasons for that are. We can try and address any concerns they might have,” he said.

Policy not aimed at ‘anti-vaxxers’ A recently released Statistics Canada report on national immunization coverage

revealed that, as of 2013, vaccination rates for Canada’s two-year-olds hover between 75 to 92 per cent, depending on the shot.

No records could mean exclusion Ontario and New Brunswick are the only provinces that currently require immunization recordswhenachildisbeingregisteredforschool.

Following Ontario’s lead, Kendall said ultimately, B.C. may consider temporarily excluding children whose parents refused to provide their vaccination status.

“In jurisdictions in Ontario where they have this requirement and where the public health authorities follow up, the levels of vaccine coverage are somewhat higher than they are in B.C,” he said.

“Our levels are not actually sufficient to guarantee herd immunity and we clearly have some communities where the levels of vaccine coverage are very, very low.”

“We should do everything we can do get the levels of vaccine coverage higher.”

www.theasianstar.com Vol 14

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Issue 31 Saturday, August 29, 2015

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RAINY RAINYDAYS DAYSARE ARE HERE HERE AGAIN

Average Canadian family spending more on taxes than basic necessities

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About 80 to 120 mm expected to fall this weekend, enough to cause flash flooding or landslides.

Offshore cash in real estate causes concerns

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report prepared for Canada’s anti-money laundering watchdog points to offshore cash in the real estate sector as a “significant risk” for criminal wrongdoing.

The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Cana-

da, commonly known as FINTRAC, commissioned a profile of the sector’s vulnerabilities by accountancy firm Grant Thornton.

“The purchase of Canadian real estate assets with offshore money and/or by offshore persons was noted as a significant

Continued on page 6

Gujarat remains tense after Patel caste violence

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ension prevails in Gujarat state where two days of casterelated violence has left eight people dead. Fresh clashes were reported overnight and the army has been deployed to maintain peace. A curfew has been imposed, after members of the influential Patel community, demanding quotas in gov-

Continued on page 4

Rioters burn 70 buses in recent cast violence.

Donation to Liberals ends up with Conservatives without donor’s consent

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longtime Liberal supporter says his credit card was charged for a donation to a local Conservative riding association without his authorization. Brampton, Ont., resident Jagdish Singh says he’s been supporting the Liberal Party since he moved to the area, northwest of Toronto.

Continued on page 7

he average Canadian family continues to spend more on taxes than they do on food, shelter and clothing combined, according to the Fraser Institute’s annual study of taxation in Canada. The think-tank’s Canadian Consumer Tax Index study released Thursday says a Canadian family earning $79,010 in 2014 would have spent 42.1 per cent of income on tax bills compared to 21 per cent of income on shelter, 11 per cent on food, and five per cent on clothing. Although the 2014 numbers can still change as more data becomes available, the percentage of income used to pay taxes has continuously risen since 2008 when 40.9 per cent of income was spent. Charles Lammam, co-author of the study, said the consistent tax increases mean Canadians continue to have less money to use in other avenues.

“As the tax bill grows, there is less money available for families to spend on things they want to spend on, to save for retirement or their kids education, or even to pay down their household debt,” Lammam said. A key aspect of the Fraser Institute study is the comparison of current taxes to those in 1961. The study shows average families in 1961 earned an average of $5,000 and paid taxes worth $1,675.

The average family’s tax bill rose by 1,886 per cent in that time, while food prices rose by 561 per cent and clothing by 819 per cent. The cost of shelter Continued on page 4

OPINION

4 i Saturday, August 29, 2015 From page 1

Average Canadian family spending more on taxes than basic necessities

1961 earned an average of $5,000 and paid taxes worth $1,675. The average family’s tax bill rose by 1,886 per cent in that time, while food prices rose by 561 per cent and clothing by 819 per cent. The cost of shelter was

the basic necessity that came closest to matching the increase seen in taxes, having risen by 1,366 per cent. Average annual income also increased at a slower rate than taxes, rising by 1,480 per cent.

The Fraser Institute determined taxes rose 149.2 per cent after inflation in that time period, as average families in 1961 would have only paid $13,353 in present day dollars.

The comparison marks a significant shift in how family income was divided, the study shows, as the average family only used 33.5 per cent of income on taxes and was able to spend 56.5 per cent of it on the basic necessities. Ten per cent was devoted to other spending.

Lammam said it’s important for Canadians to know the 2014 tax rate would be even higher — 44.2 per cent — when government overspending in 2014 is taken into consideration.

“They were spending more than the total revenue brought in and the difference has been borrowed. Essentially this difference between taxes and spending is a deferred tax.”

Even without considering the upcoming federal election, Lammam said Canadians should use the information to determine whether they’re getting value for the amount being paid.

“Independent of what’s happening politically, I think it’s important for Canadians to be armed with the information that we provided.

Armed with that knowledge, Canadian families can then decipher whether they’re getting good, great, or not so great value for what they’re paying.”

Patel caste violence

From page 1 overnment jobs, clashed with the police and local people. PM Narendra Modi has urged the people of his home state to maintain peace. Clashes broke out late on Tuesday when police briefly detained the protesters’ firebrand leader Hardik Patel, who had hours earlier led a massive rally in Ahmedabad.

Eight people, including a policeman and a father and son, have been killed in the violence and at least a dozen policemen injured. About 40 police stations and 70 buses have been set ablaze. Overnight clashes between the police and protesters were reported from Surat, Vapi and Rajkot. A policeman who was injured in the clashes in Surat died in hospital late on Wednesday.

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Saturday, August 29, 2015 i 5

6 i Saturday, August 29, 2015

LOCAL

Local Liberal candidates launch Trudeau’s infrastructure plan in Surrey Local Federal Liberal candidates held a press conference in Surrey on Thursday to help launch their leader Justin Trudeau’s infrastructure strategy for Canada. Trudeau says a Liberal government won’t balance the books for three straight years but will double spending on infrastructure to jump-start economic growth.

The Liberal fiscal plan would see “a modest short-term deficit” of less than $10 billion for each of the first three years and then a balanced budget by the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

The Liberals also announced they would commit billions to nearly double Canada’s spending on infrastructure, part of the party’s pitch to create jobs and stimulate economic growth.

The decision not to balance the budget immediately opened Trudeau to a barrage of fresh criticism from Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, who accused the Liberal leader of “changing his tune.”

Trudeau, making a campaign stop in Oakville, Ont. Thursday morning, said over the next decade the Liberals would spend $125 billion on new infrastructure investment — about twice the amount

Local Federal Liberal candidates held a press conference in Surrey on Thursday to help launch their leader Justin Trudeau’s infrastructure strategy for Canada, Pictured from left are Harjit Sajjan (Vancouver South), Jessie Adcock (Port Moody – Coquitlam), Joy Davies (South Surrey – White Rock), Ken Hardie (Fleetwood-Port Kells), Liberal candidates Sukh Dhaliwal (Surrey – Newton), Carla Qualtrough (Delta), Randeep Sarai (Surrey Centre), Jati Sidhu (Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon), John Aldag (Cloverdale-Langley City) and Dr Gulzar S. Cheema advisor for South Asian affairs.

the Conservatives have committed.

Investments would focus on three areas: public transit, social infrastructure such as affordable housing and seniors centres and “green” projects like clean energy infrastructure.

“Our economy needs investment in orof how it will be done — such as eliminating der to create growth,” he said. “Our plan the Conservative measure to offer income features three years of historic investment splitting for families. At a campaign stop in in the Canadian economy. That growth Toronto Thursday, Mulcair said the days will eliminate the Harper deficit and we of downloading big debts on the provinces will balance the budget in 2019,” he said. would be over under an NDP government Asked if he would deliver on campaign and offered a few more examples of the parpromises even if the economic situaty’s spending priorities. tion deteriorates, Trudeau said he would “There’s a whole bunch of things we’re gobe “open and transparent” with Canaing to do differently from Stephen Harper. dians about the state of the economy.

He subsidized oil companies to the tune of Speaking in Hamilton later in the day, an billions of dollars while he’s been in power. animated Stephen Harper mocked the LiberWe won’t do that. He spent millions fighting al leader’s announcement after Trudeau preFirst Nations. We won’t do that. He spent a viously said “the budget will balance itself ” billion dollars on the Senate. I`m going to try — a refrain used by Conservative attack ads and make sure Canadians never spend anthat have swarmed the airwaves for weeks. other penny (on the Senate).”

Stephen Harper on Trudeau’s deficit Trudeau has also argued that Harper’s own plan1:18 “He now says he’ll run a modrecord of deficit est deficit, a tiny deficit, so small Liberal leader spending means you can hardly see it,” Harper said, says budget the Conservatives pinching his fingers slightly and can’t be trusted to drawing laughter from the crowd won’t be bal- balance the budof supporters. “And only for three anced until get if re-elected. years, so three modest, little deficits, But Harper touted 2019-2020 and maybe $10 billion each, a modhis own economic est, $10-billion deficit to start with. credentials when “Friends, we’ve gone through this before. it was pointed out that he himself used defiLook at the mess in Ontario with a modest cits to combat the recession in 2009. “My deficit from a Liberal government.” economic training tells me that’s actually Liberals, NDP trade jabs over deficits the time when you do run a deficit,” HarpTrudeau, who has harshly criticized NDP er said. “When you have modest growth,we Leader Tom Mulcair for saying an NDP govhave modest growth this year, we will have ernment would balance its first budget, said modest growth, you don’t return the country Mulcair is being “disingenuous” by prominto deficit.” ising to balance the budget and still pay for In an email to CBC News, Conservative commitments like more affordable child care Party spokesman Stephen Lecce said the spaces. Trudeau insists cuts will be required Harper government has increased infrastrucunder the NDP plan. Mulcair argues he is ture investments by three times what the foroffering a more balanced approach than his mer Liberal government invested — all while adversaries. He hasn’t denied cuts will be recutting taxes and balancing the budget. quired but has only provided a few examples

Offshore cash in real estate causes concerns risk factor,” says an overview of the report, released through access to information.

The report also flags a lack of “quality and ethics infrastructure” in the sector as a concern of “critical importance.”

The warning comes as FINTRAC claims to have significantly increased enforcement around activities in Vancouver’s overheated real estate market.

The agency says it has conducted more than 200 compliance examinations in the real estate sector in Western Canada in the past three years.

By law, real estate brokers, sales representatives and real estate agents have to report suspicious transactions and transactions involving the receipt of $10,000 or more in cash.

But according to FINTRAC’s records, the agency has only received a total of eight reports from January 2012 to June 2015 involving either suspicious or large cash transactions.

The Grant Thornton report notes the use of legal trust accounts as a specific area of concern for the real estate sector; lawyers are exempt from FINTRAC’s requirements because of so-

From page 1 licitor-client privilege.

Kenneth (Kim) Marsh is a vice-president with IPSA International, a company that works with foreign governments and banks to recover funds and investigate fraud. He says he has recently been hired by a number of defrauded Chinese banks trying to track down cash laundered into the markets in Vancouver. “The real estate market is one of those methods that is used fairly extensively,” he said. “I’ve seen a number of cases now where large amounts of high-end real estate have been purchased over a short period of time, and people are on the run.” He says the Canadian real estate market has developed a reputation as place to launder money. “We’re not seeing a lot of disclosures from the real estate industry and who knows what’s going on with the legal industry,” he said.

“They don’t have to comply. They’re not transparent. They’re basically unaccountable.” Marsh says there is a danger the flight of cash out of China may intensify with current turmoil in the country’s economy and stock market.

OPINION

Saturday, August 29, 2015 i 7

Donation to Liberals ends up with Conservatives without donor’s consent From page 1 However, when he saw a Visa credit card statement in June of this year, he noticed a $400 charge made to the Conservatives — not the Liberals. The contribution was made to the Brampton North Conservative riding association. Parm Gill is the Conservative member of Parliament for that riding. The Liberal supporter said he was shocked to see his contributions end up with the Conservatives when he had intended for them to be made to the Liberals. He doesn’t know how his personal credit card information ended up in the hands of another political party. Jagdish Singh (pictured) said he raised the issue with Harbhajan Singh, who was the man he contacted whenever he wanted to make a donation to the Liberals. Harbhajan Singh reached out to him for a donation, took his credit card information and arranged the payment, according to Jagdish Singh. He said Harbhajan Singh offered to personally refund the $400. Jagdish Singh responded by saying the funds should be reimbursed by the Conservatives — not by Harbhajan Singh. Jagdish Singh said Harbhajan Singh now appears to be supporting the Conservatives.�When I saw my bill, I call to him, then I know he shift his parties, otherwise, he don’t tell me nothing,� Jagdish Singh said, who added that he found out about the donation charge only when he saw his bill. The Liberal supporter says he was never informed

by Harbhajan Singh that he was no longer associated with the Liberals or that his funds

would be reallocated to the Conservatives. ‘This is cheating with me’ “He tried to convince me to leave it like this,� Jagdish Singh said. “I said no because I am not a supporter.

This is cheating with me.� The Conservatives have since refunded the money but it’s unclear how the funds ended up there in the first place. The Tories say they are investigating to see if there are any other donations involving Harbhajan Singh. The party says he has no role with their campaign. “The Brampton North EDA received a request from Jagdish Singh to refund a donation in August 2015. The donation in question was immediately refunded,� said Conservative spokesman Meagan Murdoch, referring to the local Electoral District Association. “The EDA is currently investigating whether there are other donations involving Harbhajan Singh.� When asked about Harbhajan Singh’s connection to the Liberals, the Liberal Party issued the following statement: “The individuals in question are occasional donors to local Liberal riding associations. It appears that those donations were made directly to the riding association, and that all applicable rules have been followed,� said Liberal spokesman Olivier Duchesneau. It’s unclear what role Harbhajan Singh had with the Liberal Party. Phone calls made to Harbhajan Singh were not immediately returned.

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LOCAL

8 i Saturday, August 29, 2015

Haryana’s Chief Minister in Metro Vancouver

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Community leader and Notary Public, Del Virk, (left) welcomes Haryana’s Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, to a reception in his honor in Surrey last week.

Photo by Chandra Bodalia.

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Coquitlam RCMP searching for liquor store robber

ounties are asking the public for help identifying a man who they allege has stolen from a Port Coquitlam liquor store on two separate occasions.

According to Coquitlam RCMP, the man allegedly took two bottles of Talisker Scotch and left without paying from a liquor store in Port Coquitlam last Tuesday.

He is believed to be the same man who

allegedly stole liquor from the store earlier, police said.

Investigators obtained an image of the man through the store’s surveillance video and are releasing it with the hopes that someone might recognize the man.

Anyone with information is asked to call Coquitlam RCMP at 604945-1550 or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-877-222-8477.

EYEGLASSES

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Canadian banks get poor marks on trust in customer survey

anadian banks are failing to meet the expectations of 75 per cent of their users, according to a survey from bank technology company FIS. The survey gave banks high marks for digital innovation, but suggests they fail to meet customer expectations for fairness and transparency, especially around bank fees.

The findings were based on an online survey of 1,000 bank customers, performed for Jacksonville, Fla.-based FIS by research firm TNS in August 2015. The survey sample was adjusted to represent Canadian demographics. Only one-quarter of respondents said their bank met or

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cluding one organized by Indo-Canadian Socio Economic Association (ICSEA) and Overseas Friends of Bhartiya Janata Party – BC (OFBJP- BC) in Surrey.

A these events, the Chief Minister talked about the proactive steps his government is taking in ensuring that a business friendly and a graft free environment existed in Haryana encouraging foreign investors to invest in his state. He emphasized greatly upon the policy of e-governance his government has undertaken in an attempt to eliminate corruption from all levels of government.

“I am overwhelmed by the kind of welcome I have received here. I invite you to invest in Haryana and I can assure you that you will not be disappointed” said Khattar.

Industry minister Captain Abhimanyu Sindhu encouraged BC businesses to invest in Haryana. He thanked British Columbians for the warm welcome and said he was amazed by how well the Indian diaspora had done for themselves adding that they were successful because they still believed in the core Indian cultural values.

Study Skills

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exceeded expectations, with credit unions getting the highest level of approval.

Canada’s big banks were ranked much lower on fairness, transparency and reliability, mainly around the issue of hidden charges and fee levels. “Canadian banks need to do more to satisfy consumer expectations in the area of trust,” FIS said in a report based on its findings.

Canada’s big banks instituted a round of fee increases earlier this year that angered customers. This week, they are reporting profits that increased anywhere from four to seven per cent in the second quarter of the year. Respondents to the survey also said the banks fell short on safety and security, customer recognition and tailoring bank products to their individual needs.

But bank customers said they were satisfied with the way Canadian banks provided connectivity and with their innovations in digital technology. Most were happy with the in-person service, though credit union users were more satisfied than customers of the big banks. Despite the gap between customer expectations and performance, Canadian banks did quite well on a global scale.

The top performing banks were in Germany, followed by the U.K. and U.S., with Canada in fourth place. FIS surveyed 1,000 bank customers in nine different countries to create the ranking.

FIS CEO Gary Norcross said younger Canadian consumers are the least satisfied with the banks and are looking elsewhere for financial services. But he said financial institutions have to find a way to gear their service toward all consumers.

‘‘

French

‘‘

Local businessmen, Tony Singh, of Fruiticana (second from left) and Daljit Thind (second from right) showing Haryana’s Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, around a local farm in Richmond. Photo by Chandra Bodalia.

hief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, accompanied by his Industry Minister, Captain Abhimanyu Sindhu and 14 members of a business delegation were in Metro Vancouver last week to promote their state.

“I am here to promote Haryana and let people know that Haryana is the best place to invest and do business,” Khattar said.

He and his entourage stopped here before going on to Toronto.

They also visited New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles, San Francisco and other American cities before coming to Vancouver.

The Chief Minister said some American companies have shown keen interest in investing in Haryana or doing business with Haryana.

“I am very pleased with the response,” he said a at the press conference held after a meeting with local business people, including Daljit Thind and Tony Singh (of Fruiticana) at Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver on Saturday, last week.

He also attended various meeting and receptions in Metro Vancouver, in-

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Saturday, August 29, 2015 i 9

LOCAL

T

Vancouver gets 176 applications for marijuana-related businesses

owners would shuck out the $30,000 for the legalized, he was pleased that so many had he city of Vancouver says it has re- not fall within the 300 metre regulations. ceived 176 applications for medical He also said he was surprised that so many license, but as an activist trying to get pot applied. marijuana-related businesses after earlier this summer imposing new licence requirements.

Of those, 69 have the potential to be licensed as compassion clubs, while the rest have applied as retail businesses, the city said Friday.

The cost of a business license is significantly lower for compassion clubs, non-profit groups that also offer other health services such as nutritional counselling, acupuncture and massage therapy. The clubs paid $1,000 compared to a standard license of $30,000 for the rest of the medical marijuana retail dealers.

The deadline for applications closed on Aug. 21, and any medical marijuana businesses that did not apply must close their doors, or the city warns it will take enforcement action, including hefty fines and lawsuits.

City staff will now assess the applications based on zoning regulations. Some of the those regulations will relate to whether the medical pot shop is located in a permitted commercial zone, and whether it is a minimum of 300 metres from schools, community centres, neighbourhood houses, places that serve vulnerable youth, and other medical marijuana-related businesses.

Donald Briere, a marijuana activist and owner of 17 medical marijuana dispensaries in B.C. and two in Ontario, said he applied for nine corporate licenses for his Vancouver locations. The rest of his B.C. stores are located in North Vancouver, Abbotsford and elsewhere. It was recently alleged Offer ends soon in court documents that Briere has a lengthy criminal record, has been selling pot to 16-year-olds, and claims to have been threatened by the Hells Angels. The information was contained in a police application for a warrant at one of his Vancouver stores.

Despite the allegations, Briere says he doesn’t want anything to do with gangs, and he’s confident that he will meet the requirements for the licenses.

Learn more at WINDmobile.ca. Offer is valid as of August 17, 2015 and is subject to change or cancellation without notice. All unlimited plan features in Canada are from anywhere on our network, otherwise However, Briere said two of his long distance and roaming rates apply. All services subject to WIND’s Terms of Service, Fair Usage Policy and Internet Traffic Management Policy and are for personal use by an individual. Applicable taxes extra. Additional terms and conditions apply. Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ are trademarks of Samsung Electronics Canada, Inc. and/or its related entities used with permission. Screen nine locations would have to be images simulated. WIND, WIND MOBILE and TRUE MOBILE FREEDOM are trademarks of Wind Telecommunicazioni S.p.A and are used under license in Canada by WIND Mobile Corp. © 2015 WIND Mobile. moved because the locations do

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10 i Saturday, August 29, 2015

LOCAL

I

Police search for four B.C. kids allegedly taken to Middle East by their father

nternational police are searching for four Vancouver Island children allegedly abducted by their father overseas.

Alison Azer said in an online fundraising campaign that her ex-husband, Dr. Saren Azer, is a Kurdish Canadian who took their kids to the Middle East.

The children were legally allowed Police say Saren took his children out of Canada and has not to leave Canada returned as expected. with their father children, both at home and abroad, is of the but police were contacted on Aug. utmost importance to the RCMP, and we 15 when they weren’t returned to will continue our efforts to locate and safely their mother as scheduled, RCMP return these children to British Columbia.” spokesman Cpl. Darren Lagan said.

Azer is a well-known internist from A Canada-wide arrest warrant the Comox Valley and has spoken for Azer — also known as Salapublicly about volunteering medihaddin Mahumudi-Azer — was cal care to refugees in the Middle East. issued Monday for abduction in In February, he was part of a delegacontravention of a custody order. tion that met with then-defence minCanadian police have worked with their ister Jason Kenney to advocate for international counterparts to restrict more humanitarian assistance in Syria.

Azer’s international travel, Lagan said.

Kenney tweeted a photo of the pair shakPolicing agency INTERPOL lists ing hands in March, with a caption that the children — girls Sharvahn, 11, said Azer was “doing tremendous work” and Rojevahn, 9, and boys Derto get medical help for Iraqi refugees. sim, 7, and three-year-old MeitAlison Azer said on her fundraisan — as missing on its website. ing page that she needed $25,000 to “We understand how difficult this search for her children and bring them situation is for the children’s mother home. About $26,000 was raised by and others in the community,” Lagmid-day Wednesday, when the amount an said Wednesday in a statement. required was increased to $35,000 “The safety and security of Canadian

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Saturday, August 29, 2015 i 11

Surrey RCMP investigating assault followed by shooting

ne man is recovering from injuries and Mounties in Surrey are trying to sort out all the details after an early-morning assault, followed by gunfire.

Surrey RCMP say the incident began around midnight in the Whalley neighbourhood (at 113B Avenue and 132 Street.)

They were called to the scene by a man who reported seeing a second man being assaulted by several people, but the attackers fled when the first man intervened.

The Good Samaritan also reported that

someone shot at him from a vehicle that had arrived to pick up the injured victim, but the suspect vehicle sped away.

No one was injured in the shooting and officers located the car not far away, arrested three people and took the injured man to hospital for treatment.

Police say they are still trying to determine how the three are linked, if there is a connection to the Good Samaritan, why the shot was fired and what led to the original assault.

12 i Saturday, August 29, 2015

LOCAL

Nursing shortage cost B.C.’s two largest health authorities $70 million in overtime pay last year Vancouver South Liberal Candidate and Combat Veteran Harjit Sajjan joins Justin Trudeau in Ontario for Veterans Policy Announcement

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anadian veterans have often found themselves facing significant challenges upon returning from service abroad. Vancouver South Liberal candidate Harjit Sajjan has experienced this first-hand. He is himself a decorated combat veteran who served 3 deployments to Afghanistan and one to Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“Arriving home from tours in Afghanistan I was disappointed to see the soldiers still having to fight to get the financial and medical support from their own government,” says Sajjan.

“The Harper Government has closed down nine Veterans Affairs service offices, cut benefits and forced veterans groups to launch lawsuits, just to access the support they were promised.”

Sajjan joined other veterans and Liberal

Leader, Justin Trudeau, in Belleville, Ontario today to introduce significant policy initiatives. The Liberal commitments include re-establishing lifelong pensions for injured veterans, re-opening the nine Veterans Affairs service offices closed by the Harper Conservatives and fully implementing all of the Auditor General’s recommendations on enhancing mental health service delivery to veterans, among other initiatives.

“My work in Afghanistan was credited for saving many Canadian soldiers’ lives but I was limited with what I could do for our veterans when they returned home,” says Sajjan. “Now as a candidate with the Liberal Party under the leadership of Justin Trudeau, we will ensure all veterans -- including the men and women I served with -- get treated with the dignity and respect that their sacrifices for our country deserve.”

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chronic shortage of specially trained nurses kept overtime costs for B.C.’s two largest health authorities at more than $70 million a year, with the two hardest-working nurses taking home an astounding $125,000 in overtime pay.

“The health care system is running on nursing overtime, it depends on nurses working the overtime,” said B.C. Nurses Union president Gayle Duteil. “Sixteen-hour shifts are the new norm.”

Data provided by Vancouver Coastal Health listing the top 10 overtime earners showed employee Peggy Holton worked an additional 1,541 hours and was paid, at $81 an hour on average, $124,865 in overtime pay for 2014.

Staffers Francis Tiuseco, who worked 1,172 additional hours at $84 an hour and took home $98,512 in extra pay, and Mary Hooi, who worked 1,117 hours of overtime to earn an extra $91,989, at $82 an hour, were the other top two earners.

The health care system is running on nursing overtime

The top earners for Fraser Health for the 2014-2015 fiscal year were Minecar Li, who had 1,469 hours of overtime at $124,078, Irene Queh, who worked 1,021 hours for an extra $85,820, and Mary Morishita, with 959 hours for $79,740 OT pay.

The six staffers would also have worked around 2,000 hours at their regular shifts at an average wage of $30 to $50 an hour. Median pay for a Vancouver registered nurse is $75,000 a year, according to payscale.com.

Duteil said the staff shortage isn’t confined to big city hospitals, with specialty nurses in particularly short supply in Fraser Health, Interior Health and the Provincial Health Services authorities.

“I just got back from Kelowna emergency where the hospital is regularly posting five shifts of overtime a day,” said Duteil. She knows of two nurses in longterm care residences in Vancouver who both worked 20-hour shifts last week.

B.C. government to start fall session Sept. 28

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hile all eyes are on the federal election campaign, British Columbia’s politicians are preparing to get back to governing the province for the third session of the year. Premier Christy Clark’s office told media on Friday that all parties have now been notified that the Legislation will be back in session on Sept. 28.

The fall session, which returns a week after the Union of B.C Municipalities annual conference in Vancouver, will run for six weeks. This year’s spring session wrapped

up May 28, but MLA’s summers were interrupted briefly when they were called back for a rare summer session to Victoria to debate and ratify the project development agreement for the Petronas-led Pacific NorthWest LNG project on July 13.

The proposed $36 billion project – the largest private capital investment in the province’s history – still requires an environmental certificate and agreements with First Nations.

LOCAL

Saturday, August 29, 2015 i 13

Justin Trudeau fundraiser picketed by Jewish Bank of Canada will cut interest rates again group over Liberals’ support for Iran nuclear deal on Sept. 9, National Bank predicts

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he Bank of Canada will cut interest rates at its Sept. 9 meeting, National Bank Financial says, becoming the first major bank to call for a cut amid signs market turmoil threatens an economic recovery.

Speaking by phone from Montreal on Wednesday, economist Paul-Andre Pinsonnault predicted Governor Stephen Poloz will cut the policy rate by a quarter point to 0.25 percent next month, matching a record low set in 2009 during the global financial crisis.

The odds of a September rate cut have risen to 31 percent from 18 percent a week ago based on trading in swaps markets. Signs of global eco-

nomic turmoil are being seen from falling stock market and crude oil prices to the weakest Canadian dollar since 2004.

“If over time the international situation improves and Canadian skies clear, the Bank could always withdraw some of its accommodation,” National Bank Financial economists wrote in a research note Wednesday. “Better one rate cut too many than sorrow for not having acted sooner.”

The government’s ability to offer quick fiscal stimulus is limited by campaigning for a federal election on Oct. 19, the report said.

After the September announcement, the Bank of Canada’s next rate decision is scheduled for Oct. 21.

Massive storm will drop an entire summer’s worth of rain on Metro Vancouver If the forecasters are right, this weekend is going to be a soaker in Vancouver.

Environment Canada is predicting a massive shift in weather patterns, bringing virtually non-stop rain from Friday morning through to Monday. The Vancouver Sun spoke with meteorologist Matt MacDonald to find out the five things you need to know about the coming deluge.

“It’s a pretty interesting system. It’s a big upper low that’s going to cross the south coast over the weekend,” MacDonald said.

The storm will be tapping into some leftover moisture from Tropical Storm Kilo, which hit Hawaii earlier this week. That extra vapour will deliver “copious” amounts of rain.

The storm will also bring slightly cooler temperatures in the 18 to 19 degrees C range, as well as windy conditions.

Between 80 and 140 mm of rain could fall between Friday and Monday. To put that in perspective, the Vancouver area has only seen 41.6 mm since the beginning of June, and an average July or August has just 40 mm.

“This will be quite an impressive storm,” MacDonald said. “To get this type of storm is something you see typically in October or November, but to see this at the end of August is something else.”

“It will do wonders for the drought conditions,” MacDonald said.

The four-month period from April to July was the driest on record, with only 87.4 mm of rain. After those extremely parched months, this storm looks like it will bring total summer precipitation back up above the three-month average of 126.2 mm.

This incoming storm will

flush out all that smoke The storm will also be a relief for the Interior, where wildfire smoke from Washington State has caused hazy brown skies all week.

“This incoming storm will flush out all that smoke,” MacDonald said.

Southeastern B.C. won’t see the torrents of rain predicted for the south coast, but the expected 20 to 30 mm will definitely help with some of the local wildfires.

All these long, dry months mean that the soil has lost much of its capacity to absorb water, which means a lot of the rain will just run off the surface. That could lead to flooding, landslides and blocked culverts.

Meanwhile, the drought has allowed contaminants to build up on the surface of the soil.

“All this rain is going to flush all of those contaminants into the rivers and into the oceans. From a water-quality perspective, there’s likely to be impacts,” MacDonald said.

Driving conditions may also be a bit hairy.

During dry times, grime builds up on roadways, and when the rain hits that dirt, the streets and highways will get very slippery.

This weekend’s downpour will have many Vancouverites breathing a sigh of relief, but meteorologists are warning that the stage could already be set for another drought next summer.

Warm sea-surface temperatures near the equator are expected to bring the strongest El Niño season in almost two decades. That could mean above-average temperatures this winter and about 10 per cent less precipitation.

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Toronto Jewish group made the rare move of protesting one of its own community leaders on Wednesday evening, staging a picket outside billionaire Barry Sherman’s house during his cocktail fundraiser for the Liberal party.

About 30 protesters from the Jewish Defence League lined the street out front of Sherman’s lavish north Toronto home, holding Israeli and Canadian flags.

“Enjoy the food,” a man holding an Israeli flag yelled as guests walked up the driveway, past a line of valets. Tickets for the party and opportunity to meet leader Justin Trudeau reportedly went for $1,500 each.

One guest stopped and smiled at a protester in the picket line.

“Joel? What are you doing here?”

The protester, Joel Goldman, said he was

there because he didn’t support the Liberals’ position on the Iran nuclear deal.

“They’re just coming to see Mick Jagger tonight,” Goldman said after his friend went inside. “They’re coming to see a rock star.”

Defence League leader Meir Weinstein, who organized the protest, emphasized that his group wasn’t “looking to get into any shouting matches or anything like that.”

But the disruption nonetheless “unnerved” some of his counterparts, as he put it.

“We don’t picket Jewish leaders in our community,” Weinstein said. But “when it comes to Iran, that’s the red line.”

The Liberals have pledged to reopen diplomatic ties with Iran and have welcomed the new Iranian nuclear deal.

“If there was disagreement (on the Iran deal), that would be one thing.

14 i Saturday, August 29, 2015

B.C. judge rules man has a right to half of $1.2-million Vancouver home he hasn’t lived in for 44 years

I Sunset Indo-Canadian Seniors Society of Vancouver celebrated India’s Independence Day on August 20. Photo by Chandra Bodalia.

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First Nation members charge drivers $20 to detour through reserve

n official with a southern Alberta reserve says he supports fed-up band members who charged drivers a toll this week to detour around a fatal crash.

Ken Christensen is tribal administrator with the Stoney Nakoda First Nation along the Trans-Canada Highway west of Calgary.

He says construction has created traffic jams since June and band members posted at the reserve’s main entrance have been waving drivers off private property.

“Nation members own the reserve and people were illegally – I want to empha-

size illegally – on the reserve using it as a detour route,” he told CTV News.

On Monday, following a crash that killed an 86-year-old woman, RCMP rerouted vehicles to a public highway through the reserve, but some cars ended up on reserve roads.

Christensen says he has heard that some members pocketed tolls of $10 or $20, although motorists weren’t forced to pay and could have taken the proper detour.

He says some people may not agree with charging money after an accident.

t’s a classic Vancouver real estate story: In the nearly five decades since David Johnston bought a Victoria-Fraserview property with his estranged wife, the value of the home has shot up by a factor of 32.

And even though Johnston hasn’t lived in the home or made any mortgage payments on it since he separated from Sharon Johnston in 1971, he still deserves half the proceeds from the sale of the home, now valued at $1.2 million, a B.C. judge has ruled.

The Johnstons bought the home at 8286 Elliott St. for a piddly $37,500 in 1968, but within three years David had moved out and Sharon’s new partner Ezra Lucas had moved in. She lived there with Lucas until her death in 2009, raising one son named Philip Lucas.

Despite those four decades of separation, the Johnstons never divorced or signed a separation agreement, and David’s name remained on the land deed.

In 2012, he filed a petition asking for the home to be sold, with the proceeds divid-

ed equally between him and Philip Lucas.

Lucas took exception to that request, arguing the Johnstons had reached a verbal agreement wherein David would drop any claim to the property and in return, Sharon would not seek spousal support from him.

But David Johnston denied consenting to those terms, and B.C. Supreme Court Justice Lisa Warren agreed that Lucas hadn’t presented compelling evidence of a separation agreement.

Instead, Warren said, it seems probable that both Johnstons were happy to ignore the issue rather than risk confrontation.

“In my view, it is likely that Mr. Johnston did not press his claim for an interest in the property because he knew that Ms. Johnston would likely respond by pursuing a claim for spousal support. Ms. Johnston likely did not press her claim for spousal support because she knew that Mr. Johnston would likely respond by claiming an interest in the property,” Warren wrote.

Without a separation agreement, David Johnston’s one-half interest in the property is still valid, the judge said.

Grant De Patie’s killer, Darnell Pratt, in trouble with the law - yet again

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he father of Grant De Patie, a young B.C. man who was dragged to death in a horrifying gas-and-dash, is angry that a decade later, his son’s convicted killer is still in trouble with the law.

“My blood boiled in my veins,” said Doug De Patie, after learning Darnell Pratt had been handed only one day in jail for his latest offence — theft under $5,000 and obstructing a police officer.

“It was a spit in Grant’s face, a slap in the face for Grant and a punch in the stomach for us.”

Gas station attendant Grant De Patie, 24, was killed when he tried to stop 16-yearold Darnell Pratt stealing $12 worth of gas in Maple Ridge, B.C. in 2005.

In a case that shocked the province and led to new regulations protecting late-night workers, it emerged Pratt dragged De Patie seven kilometres under a stolen car, leaving a bloody trail behind him as he fled the scene.

Pratt was convicted of manslaughter in the death of De Patie and was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2005, but was eventually released in 2012, after two previous attempts at parole failed.

LOCAL

Saturday, August 29, 2015 i 15

Charter of rights don’t apply to strata disputes: BC Supreme Court

A India’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) representatives, Sanjay Singh Himmat Singh Shergill, being welcomed at the Vancouver Airport on August 21.

Photo by Chandra Bodalia.

Canada and Pakistan in diplomatic deadlock over deportation of two men arrested in Toronto for terrorism

B.C. Supreme Court judge has dismissed a White Rock man’s attempt to invoke Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms in a dispute with his strata corporation.

In an ongoing court battle, Roderick Louis claimed a bid by his strata to force the sale of his condo violated his right to security of the person.

But Justice Trevor Armstrong dismissed the attempt because the Charter only applies to forms of government — and strata corporations don’t fit the bill.

“The threshold question is whether the strata is by nature a government entity or controlled by government,” Armstrong wrote in a 50-page decision.

“This is a private relationship that is not government or government-controlled activity.”

‘Mutual dislike’ The ruling is part of a complicated and bitter dispute between Louis and the strata, which is seeking an order for the sale of a condo registered to his brother and the executrix of his mother’s will.

Louis has occupied the condo since 1999 and pays all the associated costs. Al-

Pakistan has well known practice of not acknowledging its citizens caught in terrorism plots overseas Canadian and Pakistani officials have met Ansari, who has lived in Canada since 2007, four times this month in an attempt to re- was arrested last October. The IRB upheld solve an impasse over the fate of two Paki- the case against him and ordered his deporstani men arrested in Toronto for terrorism, tation in May. Malik was arrested in March. according to a newly-released document.

A transcript of a hearing held behind closed doors last week describes a flurry of diplomatic talks in Ottawa and Islamabad over Muhammad Aqeeq Ansari and Jahanzeb Malik, whom Canada is trying to deport to Pakistan.

Both are Pakistani citizens who are subject to deportation orders for terrorism — Ansari for being a member of the terrorist group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and Malik for plotting a suicide bombing in Toronto’s financial district.

But Pakistan is reluctant to take More than 60 lawyers and staff are available to them back. Nazia Khalid, Press you. We cover all litigation expenses and if there Secretary at the Pakistani High Commission in Ottawa, said is no recovery, there are no fees to you. Legal her government was concerned services also available in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu. about the risks the men might pose once they returned home.

AweI.sI.bI.sI. Aqy prsnl ieMjrI klym “We don’t want them to swfw 40 qoN v`D vkIlW dw stwP quhwfI syvw ivc hY[ just walk away,” she said. muk`dmw nw ij~qx qy koeI PIs nhI leI jwvygI[ The diplomacy began Aug. 6 when the Canada Border Services AsIN pMjwbI, ihMdI Aqy aurdU ivc g~l krdy hW Agency and Department of Foreign affairs met in Ottawa with the acting High Commissioner and We handle accident issues related to: Toronto Consul-General of PakiBrain and spinal cord injuries stan, according to the transcript.

The next day, the Canadian High Fatality claims Commissioner met the PakiChronic pain stani interior ministry in Islamabad. That was followed by Soft tissue injuries an Aug. 12 meeting between All economic damages and losses the CBSA, Pakistan’s acting Slip and fall injuries High Commissioner and the Second Secretary in Ottawa.

On Aug. 13 a Canadian diploFor a fair settlement for your claim, mat met again in the Pakistani call Mandeep Randhawa today. capital with the interior ministry “to provide some explanation about immigration processes in an attempt to move along approval from Islamabad,” it said.

Pakistani Consul-General Asghar Ali Golo visited Ansari and Malik at the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ont. on Aug. 17. Khalid said Thursday the Pakistani government had not yet reached a final decision on whether it would agree to the deportations.

“The discussions on this case continue, they continue very frePERSONAL INJURY BUSINESS STRATA quently,” Jessica Lourenco, rephammerco.net mrandhawa@hammerco.net resenting the CBSA, told the 604-269-8500 1-888-LAW-5544 Immigration and Refugee Board hearing. “They are taking part both locally, nationally, internationally.”

though he gained the right to attend strata meetings as a proxy, the managers refused to give him notices and minutes.

As a result, Louis disputed the strata’s right to collect fees. He stopped paying in 2012 for reasons dating back to a 2008 dispute over payments and his right to live in the condominium.

Armstrong notes a “mutual dislike” between Louis and the other occupants of the 17-suite, three-floor property; at one point a provincial court judge ordered him to stop videotaping or taking photographs of other residents.

In 2013, the strata filed a petition for judgement on the debt owing for fees and levies and for an order for the sale of the condo.

Louis responded with a multi-pronged Charter argument, challenging the constitutionality of the parts of the Strata Property Act which allow stratas to strip owners of voting rights, prohibit them from seeking office and sell or threaten to force the sale of properties.

B.C.’s Attorney General entered into the fray, arguing against Louis’s right to invoke the Charter, which they claimed is limited to the affairs of parliament, legislatures and the governments of Canada and the provinces.

Injured in an accident?

ICBC claim?

We can help.

Mandeep Randhawa, Partner

16 i Saturday, August 29, 2015

VANCOUVER

Illegal trash pile sprouts at vacant South Vancouver apartment building

City visited 85 vacant properties last year that were used for illegal dumping

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vacant apartment building in South Vancouver has become a dumping ground for a slew of unwanted household items, including discarded furniture, clothes, kitchen utensils and even razor blades.

The pile of debris has accumulated on the yard at 7350 Fraser St. The apartment block is empty now and developers are waiting for the city to give the go-ahead to demolish the building. But first the site must be rezoned. The owners submitted an application more than a year ago.

Meanwhile the trash pile continues to grow. Residents say they’re concerned the mess is unhealthy and unsafe.

“It’s very disturbing,” said Susan Leong.

“It’s very stressful for the neighbourhood, especially my family here. When we look out the window all we see is a big dump.

I’m sick and tired of dealing with it.”

The trash heap has even attracted scavengers. Neighbour Sukhgit Teja, says it’s getting worse. A neighbour photographed this couple dumping household items at the Fraser Street property. “When there is a pile of junk, people come and throw their own junk on it,” Teja said. At times, residents have caught people dumping their unwanted household items, sparking confrontations. “People would just retaliate by swearing back,” Leong said.

“It gets confrontational. As a home owner, what do we do?” The Fraser Street apartment block isn’t an isolated case. Across Vancouver, homes slated for demolition are used as dumping grounds. Earlier this month, another illegal dump sprouted just blocks away. City crews eventually cleaned what had spilled over onto public property.

A neighbour photographed this couple dumping household items at the Fraser Street property.

Last year, the city visited 85 vacant properties that were used for illegal dumping.

In the case of the Fraser Street property, the city has given the owner a deadline of Sept. 2 to clean the site. Otherwise, the

city will do the work and bill the owner. The neighbours on Fraser Street just want the dump gone. “I want the city to come over and remove this immediately; all the filth around here,” Teja said.

Vancouver councillor pushing city to act on plague of vacant properties

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he City of Vancouver is broadening its scope in examining the problem of vacant, deteriorating homes along the Cambie Corridor.

Boarded-up homes with overgrown yards — easy targets for thieves and vandals — are most visible along Cambie Street, where block after block of unoccupied properties await development into condos and townhouses.

But these eyesores are also plaguing other neighbourhoods not affected by the same densification pressure as Cambie Street, said Coun. Adriane Carr.

“There are other areas other than Cambie that are affected by the same set of development forces where homes are bought and left in limbo with either the developer or owner waiting on development, or with land assembly, which takes longer,” said the Green Party councillor.

Homes can be left vacant for a number of reasons: They could be in the process of being sold, renovated or rented. In Vancouver’s sizzling real-estate market, properties can also be bought by speculators and investors who sit on them with an eye toward future profit.

But unoccupied homes attract crime, encourage illegal dumping, and can pose a fire hazard. With enough of them in concentrated areas, they can turn neighbourhoods into ghost towns.

Carr said she has heard from residents in Shaughnessy, Marpole and Point Grey who report seeing million-dollar properties left to decay: “I have a feeling this is a bigger problem than is visible along the Cambie Corridor, although that certainly has been the focal point,” she said.

Council appears ready to tackle the issue.

Carr’s motion passed unanimously in July.

The motion asked city staff to provide “an estimation of the city-wide extent of the problem” and offer possible solutions.

In a city where the rental vacancy rate is shockingly low and property values have soared out of reach for many, Carr said the first priority is to see whether the city can force developers who sit on properties for a long time to rent out or occupy the units.

Failing that, developers or owners should ensure there is security on-site, she said.

LOCAL

‘Man with No Name’ faces deportation after his identity finally confirmed

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go and his country of origin he Man With No is Cameroon,” Antonella DiName arrived in CanaGirolamo wrote in an email. da in 2005 using a boAccording to a weekend report gus U.S. passport in the name in the Toronto Star, a CBSA liof Andrea Jerome Walker. File aison officer travelled to rural The identity of a man who has been Cameroon in March to try to held in immigration detention for track down proof of the man’s almost a decade has finally been confirmed, paving the way for The Man With No identity. The officer managed to get a copy of a birth certifName arrived in his deportation back to his native Cameroon. Michael Mvogo came Canada in 2005 using icate in the town of Mvengue. a bogus U.S. passport to Canada in 2005 using a fraud- in the name of Andrea He also tracked down an uncle who confirmed on vidJerome Walker ulent U.S. passport in the name of eo and in a statement MvoAndrea Jerome Walker. When he was convicted in 2006 in Toronto for carry- go was born in the area in 1959.

The Star cited a source that said ing $10-worth of crack, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) tried to deport his deportation was to have taken him but discovered his passport was bogus. place by Monday, but CBSA officials Authorities were unable to remove the “Man could not say if this had happened.

“It is not the practice of the CBSA to with No Name” from Canada until they could verify who he was and where he was born. confirm/deny the removal of any individuThe CBSA has now tracked al from Canada,” DiGirolamo said. down the necessary information, a spokeswoman said Monday.

“We can confirm that he is Michael Mvo-

Two get lengthy jail terms for smuggling cocaine

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wo Lower Mainland men have been handed hefty sentences in B.C. Supreme Court for their roles in an international cocaine smuggling operation.

Christopher Lloyd Mehan, 43, and Jeremy Albert Stark, 41, were convicted by a jury in April of conspiring to import cocaine. Stark was also found guilty of plotting to traffic the drug.

On Monday, Justice Ian Bruce Josephson sentenced Stark to 13 years and Mehan to a decade behind bars.

Josephson said both men were cocaine importers “at the wholesale level,” with connections to buyers and transportation networks in Canada.

He noted that Stark was a directing mind of the cross-border operation, along with American Lionel Alvarez, who was convicted earlier in California and sentenced to almost 16 years.

The B.C. men were snared in the investigation that was started in 2008 by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Los Angeles.

“Using a confidential informant, the DEA were successful in distributing encrypted BlackBerry devices to members of an illicit drug organization,” Josephson said. “Some of the BlackBerry devices were successfully distributed to persons in Canada who were suspected of purchasing cocaine from Mr. Alvarez and importing the drug into Canada.”

The BlackBerrys used a server that was inside a DEA office, allowing agents to read all the messages as they were sent between drug gang members.

U.S. agents sent information to the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit in B.C. “There was an extensive investigation of these activities on both sides of the border.”

The coordinated effort led to two large seizures of cocaine at the Pacific border crossing in December 2008.

The first was 121 kilograms — 65 of which “were brokered by Mr. Stark from Mr. Alvarez,” Josephson said.

“The second seizure was of 97 kilograms of cocaine at the border on December 24, 2008, in a shipment of bananas being carried by a commercial transport vehicle. Mr. Stark arranged the purchase and acquisition of the cocaine in LA

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Saturday, August 29, 2015 i 17

‘Conflict of rights’: Christian university takes battle for law school to B.C. Supreme Court

Christian university that forbids sexual intimacy outside heterosexual marriage says the Law Society of British Columbia is violating the right to religious freedom of those who would graduate from its proposed law school.

Trinity Western University is asking B.C. Supreme Court to overturn the society’s decision to deny accreditation to graduates because of its “community covenant,” which prohibits sex outside marriage between a man and a woman.

The society accredited the proposed law school in April 2014, but reversed that decision in October after a vote by its members.

The B.C. government later revoked its support, barring the school from enrolling students.

“I expect over the next week you’ll hear a lot about conflict of rights,” TWU’s lawyer, Kevin Boonstra, said in court Monday.

“If anything … the membership of the law society shows that if anybody’s rights

need protection, it’s religious minorities.”

The judicial review, scheduled for five days, is the third time the university has fought provincial law societies in court for refusing accreditation.

The cases pit religious freedoms against same-sex equality rights, with each side arguing discrimination.

Boonstra said Trinity’s covenant is central to the private university’s identity as an evangelical Christian institution. It enrols about 4,000 students annually. They are not screened for sexual orientation but must abide by the code of conduct.

“It asks students to make a choice. If they come, they should understand what being part of an evangelical Christian educational institution is about, to make sure they understand what they are getting into.”

Students can be disciplined for breaking the covenant, but Boonstra said there is no specific mechanism for reporting sexual-related breaches.

18 i Saturday, August 29, 2015

GARRY GREWAL

604-614-3400

Sutton Group Medallion Realty 7832 - 120 St., Surrey, BC V3W 3N2 Ph: 604.572.1211 Fax: 604.572.3216

Commercial Medallion Club Memeber

Vol. 6 No. 2 - Saturday - August 29, 2015

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fter a trying search, Jacob Butula has finally found a place to rent in Vancouver. But the apartment on the top floor of a house is far from ideal. Only a sheet separates his room from the living room that he will soon share with three roommates.

One roommate has promised to build him a makeshift wooden wall to replace the sheet. But it still means everyone living there will have easy access to his room.

“I hope I can trust these people with my stuff when I’m gone because they can just pull the wood [wall] aside and enter my room if they feel like it,” says the 30-year-old Butula “It’s a sacrifice I’m making for affordable rent,” he adds, as he moves to Vancouver to finish a master’s degree in counselling psychology and complete his practicum.

For now, he believes a temporary wall may be as good as it gets with his $750 a month rent limit. According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s spring rental market survey, the vacancy rate in greater Vancouver now sits at less than half the national average for large centres. It declined to 1.4 per cent in April 2015 from 1.8 per cent a

White Rock condo owner says strata removed voting privileges

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B.C.Supreme Court decision, scheduled to be released Tuesday morning, could determine if strata members can be stripped of their voting powers. Roderick Louis, who owns a condominium in White Rock, says he’s been fighting with what he calls a vengeful strata council since 2006. Louis said the strata revoked his voting rights after he attempted to get more detailed financial information from his strata’s president. At one point Louis stopped paying his fees.

He has argued that a strata president’s power to remove voting privileges from a member is unconstitutional. Louis is attempting to have the court strike down several sections of the provincial strata law. Strata will retrieve unpaid fees, says condo association “We don’t, in this day and age, allow for legal authorities, in this case a strata council, at their whim to disenfranchise parties.”

Tony Gioventu, the executive director of the Condominium Home Owners Association of B.C., said if a person refuses to pay fees, the strata will attempt to retrieve them.

“Strata fees are just like a tax on any other level,” Gioventu said. “They are required for operations and functions. If a person doesn’t pay their strata fees, the strata corporation will eventually make an application to the courts for the sale of the strata lot.”

Tuesday’s decision will also rule on whether stratas have the right to block strata owners from being elected to council along with whether a strata can commence legal action without approval of all owners.

Tel: 604-591-5423

- E-mail: ads@theasianstar.com

Rental woes: Prices jump, vacancy shrinks for Vancouver, Toronto

Young people struggle to find affordable rentals in hot real estate markets year earlier. At the same a rental vacancy rate of time, the average rent 1.8 per cent in April, on a two-bedroom unit down from 1.9 per jumped 3.4 per cent to cent in April 2014. The $1,345 a month — the average rent for a twohighest rent in the counbedroom also jumped try The situation isn’t 1.8 per cent to $1,269. much better in the To4 i Saturday, July 25, 2015 And the situation ronto region, which had could get worse. A re-

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cent TD Economics report noted that due to escalating home prices in the Greater Toronto Area, it’s expected more people will choose to rent, leading “to a further tightening supply in the rental market.” A July report by realtor David Goodman concluded that a shortage of rental stock and unprecedented demand in and around Vancouver are creating the perfect storm for a “rent increase tsunami.” As for Butula, all he wanted was to rent a room in a house. But he found even that was a challenge. “It’s a little ridiculous,” he says.

Continued on page 2

2 i Saturday, August 29, 2015

real estate / finance

Rental woes: Prices jump, vacancy shrinks for Vancouver, Toronto

Young struggle to find affordable rentals in hot real estate markets From page 1 When he started his search, he says he answered more than 30 online rental ads and had only two responses.

He also posted his own ad, which led to just two more responses. And by the time the grad student had taken the ferry from his current home in Victoria to Vancouver, he discovered the first rental he had booked to see had already been snapped up.

The second place he saw didn’t pan out either. The first thing the landlord did was hand him a page-long list of house rules that included no overnight guests.

“At this point, I’m like, this is too weird for me. I’m out, thank you.” He also gave up

on the third location because the landlady suggested he couldn’t have guests for at least the first two months.

So when Butula finally scored the room with a makeshift wall, he decided “it’s good enough and I’ll make it work.”

Real estate expert John Andrew says there are quality rentals available in hot real estate markets, Toronto and Vancouver — if you’re willing to pay a premium price for a condo.

“If you can afford the $2,000 a month, which is pretty typical for a one-bedroom [condo], you’re fine,” says the Queen’s University professor.

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LOCAL

1780 Liberals cast 2,065 ballots at Montreal nomination meeting

race Batchoun says she doesn’t have a problem with losing. But she does seem to have a problem with pretty near everything else that happened during last Sunday’s vote to choose a Liberal candidate for the federal riding of Ahuntsic-Cartierville. And that could prove to be a problem for Mélanie Joly and, ultimately, Justin Trudeau.

Yesterday morning, Batchoun, a project manager who was one of three opponents contesting Joly for the nomination, announced that she had filed an appeal of the Sunday’s vote. Her challenge is based on several factors, the most worrisome based on simple arithmetic. On Sunday organizers of the vote announced that 2,065 ballots had been cast, including spoiled votes. But according to Batchoun’s reading of the list of ballots cast that she says was provided to her by a Liberal Party official, only 1780 people actually showed up to vote. That it appears there were 285 ballots counted in

excess of the number of party members who actually participated is troubling enough. But the fact Batchoun lost the nomination by 194 votes pretty well explains why she has asked the Liberal Party to provide her with a final list identifying those who cast a ballot.

Batchoun also has problems with the fact the vote was carried out at two different venues – the Armenian Community Centre and Collège AnJohn Kenney / Montreal GazetteGrace Batchoun dré-Grasset – despite earlier requests (right), put a smile on her loss after being defeated for from the three losing candidates to have the Liberal party candidacy in Ahuntsic-Cartierville by the voting take place at a single venue.

Mélanie Joly (second from right).

Yesterday Batchoun told The Montrethe events leading up to and following Joal Gazette her party wasn’t obliged to hear ly’s being named candidate pretty well had her appeal but hoped nevertheless it would a feeling something like this was going to send her the final list to clear things up. happen. That sense of foreboding began to And if the Liberals are as smart as they’ll coalesce last Friday, when Radio-Canada need to be when it comes to handling the reported on allegations the party had deQuebec end of this federal election, they’ll layed the nomination process to allow Joly send off that list lickety-split, because it has to catch up with her opponents and that to be said that anyone who’s been following two candidates dropped out to give Joly an

easier shot. Then there was the fact it took what seemed an eternity (in fact about six hours) to tabulate three rounds of votes on Sunday, which did little to smooth frayed nerves or still the muttering from some of the riding membership over the fact Joly had been parachuted into the riding by the party brass. And finally there was the decision by at least one defeated candidate not to participate in the traditional, ostensibly enthusiastic endorsement of the winner once the result had been announced. Her challenge is based on several factors, the most worrisome based on simple arithmetic Perhaps all of this will prove to be unfortunate misunderstanding, the kind of embarrassing glitch that occurs when the labour intensive process of grassroots democracy is carried out by volunteer and at times inexperienced hands. But whatever actually happened, the Liberals will have to move quickly and credibly if they expect to dissipate the darkening cloud over Joly’s candidacy.

Secondary suites most common in BC

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Study examined 4,000 homeowners in Canada’s five most western provinces

study conducted by a Vancouver-based insurance company shows that homeowners in British Columbia have the highest percentage of secondary suites west of Ontario, with Vancouver owners leading the pack.

“B.C. is the highest across all of the provinces at 25 per cent,” said Daniel Mirkovic, president of Square One Insurance. “In Vancouver, it can creep up as high as 40 percent of people who have a detached home have a basement suite or some type of suite that they are renting to others.” The study conducted by Square One Insurance examined 4,000 of its home insurance policy holders in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. On average, 14 per cent of the company’s policy holders had secondary suites, compared with 43 per cent in Vancouver.

“Probably the number one reason is to help them fund their mortgage with the high cost of real estate,” said Mirkovic.

“Other people simply have unneeded space and see this as a good way to make extra

income as well.” This may not come as a surprise to Vancouverites, who are living in one of the hottest real estate markets in Canada.

The study found that only five per cent of its policy holders in the Prairies rent out a portion of their homes to non-family members. The company also said that those numbers may be lower than the actual percentage because people may be reluctant to disclose illegal suites that don’t have a permit from the city. It also encourages homeowners with secondary suites to ensure they have the proper policy in place so their property is adequately covered. The City of Vancouver has long advocated for secondary suites as a strategy to increase density and provide more rental housing. Although they were originally seen as a nuisance and discouraged, rules in Vancouver around secondary suites began to soften in the 80s. In 2004, all sign-family areas were rezoned to allow secondary suites. In Calgary, councillors recently rejected a plan to make it easier for homeowners to have secondary suites in a handful of Calgary wards.

‘Super’ woman comes to Surrey

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woman who didn’t initially want to be a cop is now the highest-ranking female officer in the Surrey RCMP. Carol Bradley has been promoted to superintendent, making her the highest-ranking woman in Surrey and one of just 26 female superintendents in the country’s national police force.

As the new Operations Support Officer, Bradley will oversee members services, professional standards, training, media and a host of other areas within the RCMP. It’s a steep climb for a woman who didn’t start out wanting to be a cop.

“I spent the summer of 1984 working as a Summer Student Constable with the RCMP at the UBC detachment,” Bradley said. “I had never considered joining the RCMP – it was still considered a non-traditional career

for women back then – but my experience working with the RCMP that summer was so positive that I decided to join. Two years later, I became a regular member constable.”

Since then, Bradley has served in federal, protective, general duty and traffic roles in four provinces. In addition to operational duties, she worked at the RCMP Depot in Regina for 15 years, where she held positions in cadet training, recruiting and staffing. In 2006 she was commissioned to the rank of inspector as the Officer in Charge of Applied Police Sciences at Depot. Bradley also held positions in the North West Region and B.C.’s South East District, followed by her most recent position as the Officer in Charge of the B.C. RCMP’s Respectful Workplace Program.

Bradley will be a key figure during the expected increase of the Surrey RCMP by 100 officers in the next year to 803 members.

POLITICS

New poll puts NDP support at 41% in BC

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new poll says Thomas Mulcair’s New Democrats are widening their lead over rival parties in British Columbia.

The survey, by Insights West, found 41 per cent of decided B.C. voters would cast a ballot for NDP Leader Tom Mulcair. Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are in second spot with 24 per cent and Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Tories are in third at 22 per cent.

The Green Party trails at 12 per cent.

The poll surveyed 815 British Columbians in an online study from August 20 to August 24, 2015. It also found 21 per cent of respondents undecided.

Mulcair’s lead represents a marked increase from a previous Insights West poll that surveyed B.C.residents in May. That survey put NDP support at 35 per cent, the Conservatives

at 29 per cent and the Liberals at 25 per cent.

When asked who would make the best prime minister in the August poll, 27 per cent of respondents chose Mulcair, 20 per cent picked Trudeau, 19 per cent selected Harper and nine per cent named May.That’s a sharp improvement from the May poll, when 27 per cent of respondents said Harper would make the best prime minister.

In that survey, 22 per cent named Mulcair as the best prime ministerial candidate.

Nineteen per cent picked Trudeau.

The poll asked decided voters in B.C., “If the federal election were held today, which party’s candidate would you vote for in your constituency?” (Insights West)

Tom Mulcair promises to boost guaranteed income supplement for seniors

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om Mulcair promised an NDP “A $400-million increase in GIS and regovernment would boost the turning the OAS eligibility age back to 65 guaranteed income supplement will bring real relief for the very poorest to help Canada’s most vulnerable seniors. seniors and will go a long way to lifting ev“Our commitment once fully phased in ery Canadian senior out of poverty,” said over the next four years will see a $400-mil- Susan Eng, the group’s execulion annual increase to the GIS program,” tive vice president said in an said Mulcair, calling it an important first email to CBC News on Monday. step to lifting 200,000 Eng added that in “Politicians seniors out of poverty. the last federal elecare elected to The GIS provides a tion, CARP sought monthly non-taxable support from all lead and now benefit to Old Age Semore than ever, parties to address curity recipients who Canadians are looking for poverty among sehave a low income and federal leadership to help niors and that in are living in Canada.

2011 the Harper develop a national seniors government “delivMulcair also reiteratstrategy,” said ed his party’s promise ered $300 million CMA president to reverse the eligibility annually to top GIS.” for OAS back to 65 after Mulcair made Stephen Harper’s Conhis announcement servatives raised it to 67. The changes brought in the Toronto riding of Davenin under Harper would be gradually phased port which had been a Liberal in over a period of six years starting in 2023. stronghold until New Democrat The NDP leader noted that Kev- Andrew Cash won it in 2011. in Page, the former parliamentary budCash was on hand for today’s get officer, found that the program announcement along with anothwas sustainable without the changes. er NDP candidate, Peggy Nash.

Mulcair said these two promises combined They were joined by Stephen had the support of the Canadian Associa- Lewis, Canada’s former ambassation of Retired Persons (CARP), a group that dor to the United Nations and a counts over 300,000 members across Canada. former leader of Ontario’s NDP.

Saturday, August 29, 2015

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Former Liberal MP says party didn’t probe allegations of membership fraud in recent nomination battle A former Liberal MP says his party did nothing to investigate allegations of membership fraud in the nomination of their chosen candidate in a suburban Toronto riding — a claim the party denies.

Paul Szabo, who spent 17 years as MP for Mississauga South, says he warned top officials with the Liberal Party of Canada and its Ontario wing about his concerns about new members signed up last year by nomination contestant Sven Spengemann.

“They never responded to anything I sent to them,” said Szabo, who worked as official agent for Julie Desjardins, Spengemann’s rival for the nomination in the riding, now called Mississauga-Lakeshore.

“This is really difficult, to say your party’s complicit, but there is absolutely 100 per cent proof that they are.” This is really difficult, to say your party’s complicit, but there is absolutely 100 per cent proof that they are Spengemann did not respond to requests for comment but Liberal Party executive director Jeremy Broadhurst calls Szabo’s allegations false and says the party “actively engaged” with him on his concerns about memberships and other issues involving the nomination. Toronto lawyer Andrew Mitchell, who helps resolve issues in the nomination process for the party, looked into the allegations and the membership committee also

reviewed some disputed memberships and eventually disqualified some. Commissioner of Canada Elections Yves Côté last week revealed that Spengemann had entered into a compliance agreement and admitted overspending on the nomination race in the riding, which he won in September.

Szabo says Côté’s investigation didn’t go far enough. “I am really disappointed that the Commissioner not only let Sven off the hook but flipped the facts on their head by describing this as an over-contribution issue rather than deliberately failing to report all nomination expenses,” Szabo said. Szabo says he discovered numerous cases of members who were signed up using questionable addresses and found indications that some had their memberships purchased for them. He also alleges forgery and identity theft among the problems with memberships.

But when he passed his concerns on to Broadhurst and, later, party president Anna Gainey, nothing happened, Szabo said. He also got former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion to call Gainey about the matter, but with no result. Szabo contends that Spengemann was close to other favoured Liberals in the Toronto area who are close to leader Justin Trudeau, including candidates Navdeep Bains and Omar Alghabra, both former Liberal MPs, and MP Kirsty Duncan.

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CLASSIFIEDS

Saturday, August 29, 2015

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JOBS

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JOBS

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

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

Perform pre-trip & post-trip

inspection of vehicle systems.

Record cargo information, hours of service, distance travelled & fuel consumption.May perform emergency roadside repairs.

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

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

1 Optical Frame Fitter Reqd.

Sal: $22.00/hr, 40hr/wk, +1yrs exp. or certification reqd., FT/ PT Duties: Obtain specifications for eyeglasses or contact lenses from a prescription. Assist clients in selecting eyeglasses. Grinding & polishing of lenses. Cut & edge lenses & fit lenses into frames.

May supervise or manage activities of other opticians. Lang: English. Location: 12841 96 Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3V 6V9 Contact: Imran from Eye See 2020 Optical at opt_eyesee@yahoo.ca.

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

This is a full time permanent position. $18.50/hr. 40hrs/week.

Must have at least 3-5yrs experience in south indian cuisine & specialized knowledge in Dosas.

Duties include Prepare & cook meals.kitchen

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JOBS

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

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

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

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

Must have at least 2-3 yrs experience in South Indian cuisine & specialized knowledge in Indian spicing. Duties: Prepare & Cook meals; Supervise Kitchen helpers; Plan menus; Ensure quality & determine food proportions; Monitor & order food supplies; Set up & oversee buffets; Manage kitchen operation. Mail resume or apply by person Mayuri indian cuisine , Unit 102A,12677 80th Ave., Surrey BC V3W 3A6 Fax: 604-572-3281 ------------------------------------English Classes for Adults Register for classes September 2-8 For more information,Visit: www. victoryesl.com Call: 604.755.7976 E-mail: victoryesl1@gmail.com ----------------------------

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Cook Require Curry junction Restaurant in White Rock need cook immediately, This is a full time permanent position for a experienced person, Depending on experience salary will be upto $21 per hr. with other benefits. Call:604-729-6741 or 604-385-1558 ---------------------------Transworld Security located at 2nd Floor, 5050, Kingsway, Burnaby BC V5H 4H2 is looking for a Static Guard, Static Guard Supervisor, Mobile Supervisor and Field Manager.

These are permanent full-time positions. Static Guard pay rate is $13.00 per hour plus vacation pay. You would be required to patrol industrial and commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows and gates. Answer alarms and investigate disturbances. Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors and guests. Call police or fire departments in cases of emergency.

Circulate among visitors, patrons and employees to preserve order and protect property.

Static Guard Supervisor pay rate is $14.00 per hour plus vacation pay. You would be required to oversee and supervise Static Guards. You will need to ensure the duties of the Static Guards you supervise are being completed and the client’s needs are be-

S Matrimonial

Parents looking match for their Canadian 27 year old very handsome, jat sikh boy, 5’9”, sportsman, graduate , working in own business. Girl must be well cultured, educated, Canadian citizen or permanent resident .

Contact after 6pm 604-598-1987 - 778-387-1672 ing met. Field Manager pay rate is $18.00 per hour plus vacation pay.

You would be required to report to the Director of Operations and you are responsible for supporting, mentoring and supervising the security officers in the field.

You will be required to manage the company’s field operations and resources after business hours. Mobile Supervisor pay rate is $18.00 per hour. You would be required to provide ongoing leadership, direction and training. You need to ensure all standing orders and scheduled daily activities are carried out for each shift. You will be required to discipline staff when necessary

To PLACE YOUR AD IN THE ASIAN STAR CLASSIFIEDS Section Please

Call: 604-591-5423

COMMUNITY MOSAIC Seniors Club provides free activities for immigrant seniors age 55 and above. We also provide workshops and individual support on topics relevant to seniors. We run activities such as walking clubs, English conversation classes and field trips.

Come make new friends, practice English, get information and have fun!

Volunteer language support available in many languages. For more information, or to register, call: Burnaby South: 5902 Kingsway || 604 438 8214 Basic computer classes, English conversation circles, Persian calligraphy, DIY class Burnaby North: 2055 Rosser Avenue || 604 292 3907 English conversation circles, Taichi class Vancouver: 1720 Grant St || 604 254 9626 ext 273 English conversation circles, basic computer classes For the Vancouver location, there is priority for Permanent Residents.

-------------------------------------------Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members and also non members, even family members to come and watch the Bollywood Movie - MORNING WALK - on big screen free on August 23rd 2015 ( Sunday ) at 1.30 pm to 4.00 pm at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321 - 140th street Surrey BC. A retired professor Anupam Kher experiences his morning walk changes his life forever, when he meets his once a classmate and friend Sharmila Tagore.

A beautiful and heart tugging tale of two families who are so different from one another, yet connected through a special bond. Light snacks and tea will be served during intermission.Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further information.

------------------------------------Culture & Conversation Night August 27 MOSAIC Vancouver, 2nd floor, 1720 Grant St ‘ 604 254 9626 ext 488 Karen Legal Information Workshop: Employment Standards Learn about your rights in the workplace. Topics include: minimum wage, parental leave, working hours, statutory holidays, filing complaints as well as the rights of caregivers, employees and employers. There will be sample scenarios to explore.

August 30 1–3pm Our Lady of Mercy Parish, 7455 10th Ave, Burnaby Joy 604 438 8214 ext 211 --------------------------------------Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members and non members also to attend a Powerful Presentation - Exercise for a Healthy Life Style with a Focus on Healthy Heart by Monika Tsia Clinical Exercise Physiologist and Amy Sangha Physiotherapist both working for Fraser Health in Cardiac Rehablitation and Prevention Program at Jim Pattison Out Patient/ Surrey Hospital. They will explain Health related Fitness and will demonstrate you, how to perform different types of Exercise for Healthy

Life Style. Monika Tsia and Amy Sangha will answer all your questions about Health related Fitness. Tea and light snacks will be served after the Powerful Presentation. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604- 507- 9945 for further details.

------------------------------Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members and non members also to attend a Powerful Presentation - Exercise for a Healthy Life Style with a Focus on Healthy Heart by Monika Tsia Clinical Exercise Physiologist and Amy Sangha Physiotherapist both working for Fraser Health in Cardiac Rehablitation and Prevention Program at Jim Pattison Out Patient/ Surrey Hospital. They will explain Health related Fitness and will demonstrate you, how to perform different types of Exercise for Healthy Life Style. Monika Tsia and Amy Sangha will answer all your questions about Health related Fitness. Tea and light snacks will be served after the

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Powerful Presentation. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604- 507- 9945 for further details.

------------------------------------Vancouver’s 42nd Chariot Festival of India 11:30 to 1:00pm Sunday, August 9, at 2nd Beach in Stanley park, Vancouver --------------------------------------------Free Community Workshops & Activities August 1–16 English & Multilingual August 1: Powell St Festival August 8: Korean Cultural Heritage Festival August 27: Wood Boat Festival Meet up location will be confirmed upon registration 604 438 8214 --------------------------------------Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults, Senior members and also non members to come and attend Meditation for Anxieties ( Worries ) to retrieve your ‘’ Inner Child ‘’ so that you can become whole as a person and learn better self care, by Dr. Jaswant .

S . Bhopal a Psychiatrist, Physician &

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Spiritual Preceptor on August 2nd 2015 ( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321 - 140th Street Surrey BC. Please bring yoga Matt. with you, Dr. Jas Bhopal will answer all your questions about Meditation for your better self care after the Meditation. Tea and light Snacks will be served in the end. Please call Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604- 507-9945 for further information.

--------------------------------------Free Multicultural Activities All are invited to Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society’s (PICS) wrap up event for “Many Faiths-One Common Thread” program funded by Inspirit Foundation on Friday July 24, 2015.

The program is to inspire pluralism among young Canadians (ages 18-30) of different spiritual, religious and secular beliefs. Apart from a delightful multicultural dinner there will be fun activities for all.

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Saturday, August 29, 2015

Business / Finance

Royal Bank profit climbs 4% to $2.5B

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oyal Bank of Canada will be raising its dividend to shareholders following a four per cent rise in third-quarter profit to $2.475 billion.

RBC’s net income for the three months ended July 31 amounted to $1.66 per share and included record-high earnings from its Canadian banking arm.

On an adjusted basis, its cash earnings were $1.68 cents per share — one cent above analyst estimates. The bank says its quarterly dividend will be increased by three per cent to 79 cents per share, up two cents per share.

About half of RBC’s total profit was from personal and commercial banking, including $1.239 billion from its Canadian operations — a record for Royal.

RBC says the increased profit from its core Canadian operations was driven by added business volume and a 10

per cent increase in fee-based revenue.

Royal was the second of Canada’s big banks to report third-quarter results this week. Bank of Montreal also beat analyst estimates as its net income rose six per cent from last year to $1.19 billion.

Montreal-based National Bank of Canada also reported results later Wednesday morning. Its third-quarter profit was up three per cent from last year, rising to $453 million or $1.28 per diluted share.

Analysts have been watching the banks closely to see how they are being affected by a dramatic plunge in the price of oil, which affects the overall Canadian economy, but some say it will be awhile before the banks’ results will show the impact.

As with Bank of Montreal, RBC said it benefited in the May to July quarter from operating in different geographic areas.

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Saudi Arabia’s pump-and-dump strategy come back to bite its own economy

n the battle between shale and sheikhs, it’s not about who’s winning but who has the staying power to withstand heavy losses. Saudi Arabia’s strategy for rebalancing the oil market through a period of lower prices shows few signs of working so far — with rival producers claiming they will raise output even as prices slide to new lows.

Last November, with Brent crude was trading at close to US$100, Saudi Arabia and other influential OPEC members decided against cutting production, which helped collapsed prices to where they are today, at about US$43 per barrel.

The Saudis had hoped their pump-and-dump strategy would flush out high-cost North American oil producers, and also hurt rivals Iran, Russia in the bargain. Certainly, OPEC’s move has spread pain liberally across the global energy landscape. In the process, however, the Saudi government has been unable to shield its own economy from the headwinds despite an ample fiscal cushion.

Compared to other oil exporters, the kingdom has the wherewithal to survive a period of lower prices, says Paul Gamble, senior director at Fitch Ratings, who spent six years in Saudi Arabia as an economist. “But I am sure they are not comfortable with this price level,” Gamble said in an interview. Last week, Fitch cut Saudi Arabia’s credit outlook to negative.

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The kingdom is certainly running through its reserves quickly, burning as much as US$68 billion, or nine per cent, of its warchest of foreign assets within six months.

“If they want to have some of these reserves as a longer-term savings fund then they would naturally cut down spending, because at the moment they are spending far more than they

are receiving in oil revenues,” Gamble said.

Still, the world’s largest oil exporter has US$668 billion in foreign assets, and recently issued bonds worth US$9 billion to plug a looming US$97 billion budget deficit, said to be the largest in its history.

To protect its reserves, the kingdom is also reportedly seeking advice on cutting its budget for next year — a sign that it expects a lower-for-longer oil price environment. King Salman, who took over after the death of King Abdullah in January, has pursued an assertive — and certainly expensive — foreign policy, launching a war in Yemen, cranking up production even as prices fell and offering a two-month bonus for public sector workers, which dented the budget. But the bonus-fuelled boost has faded as lower oil prices and China’s recent devaluation rocked Saudi Arabia’s stock market. Saudi retail investors, who account for 90 per cent of the US$2 billion traded daily on the exchange

Will China’s stock market plunge affect Vancouver real estate?

he meltdown in China’s stock markets, which experienced the biggest one-day dive since 2007, likely won’t have much of a ripple effect in Vancouver’s red hot real estate market.

Dubbed “Black Monday” by Chinese state media, stocks in Shanghai’s main index closed down eight-and-a-half percent.

But according to some experts, even with markets plummeting, Vancouver real estate remains a safe and secure place to park money.

Tung Chan, former TD Bank vice president, says history has shown that market meltdowns in China have little effect in slowing Asian investment in Vancouver real estate.

“The trickle down effect to Vancouver would be minimal,” said Chan, in a phone interview. “We expect to see a slowdown, but

not of people selling and liquidating assets (in Vancouver).”

Chan added that the overriding influence is the perception that Vancouver real estate remains a safe place to invest, regardless of stock market conditions.

“If the economy in China is bad, people send their nest egg here because it’s a safer place. If the China stock market is booming, they send their extra money here.”

Chan added the current exchange rate is working to increase the appeal of Vancouver real estate to Asian investors.

“The Canadian dollar has depreciated quite bit vis à vis the RMB. That makes it more favourable,” he said. “I’ve heard people bidding up real estate because their money goes further because of the exchange.”

Business / Finance Canadian debt levels rising with home prices, but mortgage rules helping to manage risks: BoC deputy

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ising home prices have increased household debt levels, but steps taken by regulators to tighten mortgage lending rules have helped manage the associated risks, according to the Bank of Canada.

In a speech in Kingston, Ont., deputy governor Lawrence Schembri said Tuesday that the strength in the housing market has increased household imbalances.

However, the risks stemming from these vulnerabilities have been well managed, he added.

The government has moved several times in recent years to tighten mortgage lending rules, including reducing the maximum amortization period for insured mortgages as well as making changes to the qualifying rules.

“Recent evidence suggests that these measures have resulted in higher av-

erage credit scores, which have improved the quality of mortgage borrowing,” Schembri told the Canadian Association for Business Economics.

He added that the trend rate of growth in mortgage credit fell from 14 per cent in 2007-08 to around five per cent in 2013-15.

Home prices have been rising relative to income in Canada and other comparable countries for about 20 years.

The increase has been driven by demographic forces as well as lower interest rates and changes in mortgage financing.

As well, constraints on supply, especially in urban areas, have played a role.

“In Vancouver, bounded on three sides by water with coastal mountains as a backdrop, condo development has dominated housing starts since the early 1990s,” Schembri said.

“We are now seeing a similar shift to condos in Montreal and Toronto.”

National Bank profit up 3% to $453M

N

ational Bank of Canada says its third-quarter profit was up three per cent from last year, rising to $453 million or $1.28 per diluted share.

The Montreal-based bank — the sixth-largest in Canada — says all three of its main businesses performed well during the quarter.

National’s personal and commercial banking operations had $197 million in net income, up six per cent

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from last year — with growth coming from consumer loans and mortgages.

Its financial markets arm generated $202 million in net income, an eight per cent increase from last year, due to higher trading activity and service revenue.

National Bank’s wealth management operations had $78 million of net income, up 20 per cent from last year.

The dividend on its common shares remains unchanged at 52 cents a share.

Fracking triggered 2014 earthquake in northeastern BC

racking triggered a 4.4-magnitude earthquake in northeastern B.C. last year, CBC News has learned, making it one of world’s largest earthquakes ever triggered by the controversial process.

B.C.’s Oil and Gas Commission confirmed the cause of the earthquake in an email statement to CBC this week, saying it was “triggered by fluid injection during hydraulic fracturing.” The 4.4-magnitude quake was felt in Fort St. John and Fort Nelson in August 2014. It was preceded by a 3.8-magnitude earthquake in late July, also caused by fracking.

B.C.’s Oil and Gas Commission told CBC that several companies were doing hydraulic fracturing in the area at the time, and several more were disposing of fracking waste.

But the commission says it was Progress Energy’s operations that were “associated with triggering this event.”

Hydraulic fracturing, often called fracking, is the process of injecting water, sand and chemicals at high pressure deep underground to break rock and free gas.

Since the 2014 earthquake, Progress Energy has been ordered to reduce the volume of fracking fluid being used, and the company has complied, according to the commission.

As well, new seismic equipment has been set up in the area. No new earthquakes

have been detected in the immediate area.

Sign of things to come? Progress Energy is owned by Petronas of Malaysia, which also owns Pacific NorthWest LNG, the firm planning to build a giant liquefied natural gas export facility near Prince Rupert, B.C. supplied by gas fracked in northeastern B.C. Matt Horn, with clean energy advocate the Pembina Institute, calls the significant earthquake “another warning sign for what could be down the road. “If B.C. goes down the LNG road in a big way, it’s really important when we’re debating LNG proposals, we’re eyes wide open.... to both the benefits and impacts. Increased earthquakes is one of those impacts.”

B.C.’s Oil and Gas Commission declined a taped interview, providing only background information by email. B.C. Minister of Natural Gas Development Rich Coleman and Peace MLAs Mike Bernier and Pat Pimm didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Progress Energy did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.

In January, Alberta’s energy regulator reported fracking likely caused a 4.4-magnitude earthquake in the northern town of Fox Creek.

Saturday, August 29, 2015

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PUNJAB

Saturday, August 29, 2015

21 all-women police stations in Harayan

n a state where women and issues relating to them are put on the back burner more often than not and much of the crime against them goes unreported, Haryana is all set to take a unique initiative of rolling out 21 all-women police stations—for the women and by them too. To be launched as a “Rakhi gift” on August 28 the state over, the Police Department wants these to go beyond the narrow definition of police stations merely confined to registration and investigation of cases and assume the larger role of empowering women. Explaining the concept, Haryana Director General of Police Yash Pal Singal says, “In all cases of crime against women, the victims are gen-

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Women Police Station in Karnal, Haryana

erally more comfortable talking about it to women. By opening these, we are providing victims an option of reporting the matter to an all-women police station, if they so desire.

For us, it will build up expertise and specialisation of our teams in handling such crimes.”

Congress seeks probe into ‘insecticides scam’

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undreds of farmers from the cotton belt of Abohar, Balluana and Fazilka staged a dharna at the sub-divisional complex here today. While leading the protest, Leader of the Opposition Sunil Jakhar submitted some damaged cotton plants instead of memorandum to the government through the sub-divisional administration. Carrying placards, the protesters raised slogans against the government. Launching a scathing attack on Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Jakhar said, “The veteran Akali stalwart was till 2000 known as farmers’ leader, but his priorities have changed now. Though the senior Badal had ordered action against top officials of the Agriculture Department when I produced documents to substantiate their involvement in the subsidised wheat seed scam a few years ago, later the erring officials were promoted to plum posts.”

“Tota Singh is considered as the next to Badal in seniority in the Akali politics, but he too feels handicapped in framing a result-oriented agriculture policy,” he added. Reiterating that a particular brand of insecticide to deal with whitefly attack on cotton crop was purchased by the Agriculture Department allegedly without calling for tenders, Jakhar demanded a high-level inquiry into the “scam” as the insecticides provided on 50 per cent subsidy “did not work”. The investigation in the “seed scam” should also be handed over to an independent agency, he said. Jakhar said the state government had on March 25 requested the Central government to provide Rs 717 crore as compensation to farmers hit by untimely rain, but no funds had been received so far. He claimed that Rs 193 crore was available with the state exchequer under the Disaster Relief Fund and it should be immediately given to affected cotton growers.

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Decline in number of Sikhs maybe due to migration

f all communities, Sikhs have reported maximum decline in population, according to the religion-based census data (2001-2011) released by the Centre .The decadal growth rate in Sikh population was pegged at 24.3 per cent in 1991, which fell to 18.2 per cent in 2001 and further to 8.4 per cent in 2011. The fall in 2001-2011 is 9.8 per cent when compared with the 1991-2001 census — 15.9 per cent in two decades. For Hindus, the decline in growth rate is 3.5 per cent, Muslims 4.9 per cent and Christians 7.1 per cent for 2001-2011.

Aswini Nanda, demographic expert, says migration of Sikhs to countries such as the US, the UK and Canada was the main reason for fall in their population. He said a significant number of Sikhs had also moved to Italy and Australia — two new destinations for the community. Many of them are also settled in Norway and some other countries in Europe, he said.

Other reasons being cited by experts include prosperity. Sikhs were reportedly more prosperous and adopted family planning schemes earlier than others. A reason for switching to smaller families may be the shrinking land holdings, which they decided not to divide further.

The share of Sikhs in the country’s popu-

lation has come down to 1.7 per cent in 2011 against 1.9 per cent in 2001. Their number is pegged at 2.08 crore — fourth on the population chart. The first slot goes to Hindus with 79.8 per cent proportion of the total population, Muslims with 14.2 per cent are placed at number 2 and Christians with 2.3 per cent

are third. In Punjab, the Sikh population has fallen to 57.7 per cent in 2011 as compared to 59.9 per cent in 2001, while that of Hindus has grown to 38.5 per cent from 36.9 per cent. In Chandigarh, the Sikh population has come down to 13.1 per cent in 2011 from 16.1 per cent in 2001. Same is true for Delhi and Haryana. In Delhi, it fell from 4 to 3.4 per cent and from 5.5 to 4.9 per cent in Haryana.

In J&K, the Sikh population stands at 1.9 per cent, in HP at 1.2 per cent, Uttarakhand at 2.3 per cent, and Rajasthan at 1.3 per cent. In almost all other states, it is varies from 0.1 per cent to 0.3 per cent.

Chief Minister Badal meets Union Ministers, returns ‘empty-handed’

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arkash Singh Badal’s meetings with Union Ministers — Finance, Agriculture and Rural Development — reportedly failed to elicit tangible gains.

Many attribute this to Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Badal being among regular callers on ministers with a list of demands which are sometimes repetitive in nature.

Going by official version of the Punjab government, the ministers gave assurances to Badal to look into the issues flagged by him during today’s meetings. During his meeting with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Badal sought “fast-tracking” of the expansion of Naya Nangal-based National Fertiliser Ltd.

AirCare

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He sought release of Rs1,200 crore for the purpose. The unit’s capacity is to be upgraded from 5 to 15 lakh tonnes. He also urged, among others, release of Rs1,375 crore as special funds for rejuvenation of the Uppar Bari Doab Canal (UDBC) passing through Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur, and the sanction of Rs18 crore to upgrade Sirhind Canal and Bisit Doab Canal.

Mishap involving Badal bus ends in compromise yet again

day after a bus of Dabwali Transport, a company owned

by Deputy Chief Minister, Punjab Sukhbir Badal, hit two cars at Rail Majra village near Balachaur in Nawanshahr, the bus driver managed to go scot free as no complaint was lodged against him. The impounded bus has this coupon - the company. also been with handed back to The bus expires had hit the car of Nirmaljit Dec. 31 Kaur, wife of former Jails Minister and Kartarpur SAD MLA Sarwan Singh Phillaur, and another car of an ADC. Neither of the two got a complaint lodged.

Even though the policemen have been maintaining that it was the car of an ADC from Ropar, no ADC has come on record saying that it was his car (PB07 AD 3363).

According to eyewitnesses, the two cars were heading towards Chandigarh.

The ADC’s car applied the brakes and so did the driver of minister’s wife but the

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The damaged bus and car near Balachaur in Nawanshahr, Punjab

speeding bus banged into Nirmaljit’s car.

But the family has chosen to keep silent.

“My mother is fine. We got her tests done today at Chandigarh and the reports are okay. Though the car got damaged, we are not interested in lodging a case,” said the minister’s son Damanvir Phillaur.

Asked if he would have got the case lodged had it been some other bus, he replied diplomatically, “Maybe not even then”.

INDIA

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rime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday appealed for calm in Gujarat after violence on the reservation issue and said that all issues can be resolved peacefully through discussions.

Making an appeal in Gujarati over television, he said, “I appeal to all brothers and sisters of Gujarat that they should not resort to violence. The only ‘Mantra’ must be ‘Shanti’ (peace).”

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PM Modi appeals for calm in violence-hit Gujarat Army called out to control the situation The Prime Minister underlined that the government is committed to the welfare of all people and that all issues can be resolved peacefully through discussions.

In his statement against the backdrop of the violence in his home state after a Patel leader was detained briefly last night, Modi said, “Gujarat is a land of Mahat-

Hardik Patel rules out negotiations Hardik Patel, who is spearheading the Patel agitation for quota, has decided to take Gujjar’s aid to bolster their demand, as he threatens to intensify the protest. The 22-yearold B.Com Graduate, who galvanised enough strength for the movement to bring Gujarat to its knees, has also refused to negotiate his demand. He will now head for Delhi to meet Gujjar leaders. Hardik Patel, however, said it was still to early to say whether he was willing to take his protest to the national level.

“Our sole objective is the inclusion of Patel

Saturday, August 29, 2015

community in the OBC (Other Backward Classes) category. We will not relent till our demand is fulfilled. We do not want reservation system to be abolished as it is being talked. We just want OBC quota for Patels,” he said, when asked if it was true that he had demanded the reservation system to be scrapped if Patels were not included in the reserved list. Patel or Patidars of Gujarat are traditionally a farming community whose votes the BJP have relied on heavily in the past 25 years.

So much is their support to the saffron, in

ma Gandhi and Sardar Patel.”

Asking everybody in the state to make effort to take Gujarat to new heights of development, the former chief minister said, “Violence has never done good for anyone. All issues can be resolved peacefully through talks.”

He said it is only through development and by working together that people, especially the poor, can be served.

“Once again, I appeal to the people of Gujarat to maintain peace. Violence will never achieve anything... Everybody should respect democratic values,” he said.

Curfew has been clamped in parts of Ahmedabad, Surat and Mehsana districts and

security stepped up in the wake of violence and state-wide bandh called by agitation leader Hardik Patel for today.

An uneasy calm prevailed in the state with RAF, BSF and SRP forces deployed along with police to ensure that no untoward incident takes place.

Members of Patel community indulged in arson and stone pelting and vandalised public property last night after the detention of Hardik, who is spearheading the agitation for inclusion of Patel community in OBC category for reservation.

More than 50 incidents of violence were reported from Ahmedabad city where buses, police posts and private vehicles were set on fire while police personnel were also attacked at some places.

Who’s behind Hardik Patel’s war machine?

he stunning success of the Kranti Rally organized here by Patidar bodies to demand OBC quota, and the violence that followed the arrest of Hardik Patel, convener of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), has surprised all.

It’s unlikely that the 22-year-old alone could have mobilized 5 lakh people at the GMDC Ground here on Tuesday. Equally interesting was the way the event was managed — from getting parking for thousands of vehicles to obtaining permissions and mobilizing funds.

Hardik’s rise has baffled everyone. He was a member of the Sardar Patel Group (SPG), a Patidar youth body, and president of its Viramgam unit. He was ousted from the post as SPG leader Lalji Patel wasn’t amenable to Hardik promoting his outfit PAAS. Formed only in July, PAAS has shaken Gujarat’s stability, becoming the rallying point for Patels.

Many believe bigger forces are at work.

Hardik, who graduated with less than 50% marks from Ahmedabad’s Sahajanand College, hails from a middle-class family from

Viramgam near Ahmedabad. He helps his father, once a smalltime BJP leader, run a business in submersible pumps. “His father Bharatbhai got to know CM Anandiben Patel when Mandal-Virgamgam was her constituency. Maybe something happened that hurt the family,” a BJP leader said.

Who are those behind this stormy agitation and Hardik? This question has as yet remained unanswered. An audio clip, circulated before the Ahmedabad rally in defence of CM Anandiben Patel, hinted at unknown forces behind the agitation. It urged agitating Patels to realise that a conspiracy had been hatched to destabilize the government.

Hardik’s photographs with VHP’s Pravin Togadia, who has a strained relationship with PM Modi and Anandiben were in circulation.

Rumours of Arvind Kejriwal and Nitish Kumar backing Hardik started doing the rounds after he mentioned them in his address. Kumar has publicly supported the Patel movement.

Patidars have been associated with religious outfits known to manage huge gather-

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3 BSF jawans among 4 killed in Red ambush

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t least three BSF jawans and a villager were killed and six para-military personnel, including an assistant commandant, injured in a suspected Maoist ambush in Odisha’s Malkangiri district on Wednesday. Sources said the incident occurred between 6.30 and 7 am at Palangarai ferry point on Gurupriya river, in Sarkubandha Reserve Forest, about 100 km from the Andhra border. A BSF team of the 104 battalion stationed at Janbai had gone to the ferry point for a routine operation. “From there, they were supposed to move to some other place. The Maoists triggered a blast at the ferry point and started firing on the security men,” DIG (south-western range) S Shyni said. “The jawans retaliated and the exchange of fire continued for some time. Three BSF men hit by bullets and a civilian standing at the ferry point died in the cross firing. There is no report of any injury or casualty on the other side,” she added.

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Protests over Nepal statute kill at least 9

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t least nine people, including six policemen, were killed and several others injured as thousands of ethnic protesters demanding a separate state in the proposed new Constitution on Monday attacked police with axes, spears and bricks in a western Nepal district bordering India.

The clash erupted after about 20,000 demonstrators from the Tharu ethnic group breached the prohibitory orders and attacked police with weapons in Tikapur in Kailali district on the issue of dividing the country in seven provinces, a home ministry spokesperson said.

The situation turned violent after the demonstrators surrounded police who were enforcing a curfew in Tikapur and attacked security officials with bricks, spears and knives, killing six policemen,

including an SSP, the spokesperson said.

SSP Laxman Neupane was hacked to death while a head constable was burned alive by the protestors, officials said, adding that three demonstrators were also killed in the clash.

The injured were taken to regional hospitals and the death toll was expected to rise, they said. Some local media reports put the death toll at 20 that include 17 policemen.

However, there was no official confirmation.

Thousands of flood-hit Bangladeshis sheltering on river banks: Red Cross

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loods, landslides and a cyclone Missiri, head of the IFRC’s South Asia have made at least 180,000 peoregional delegation, said in a statement. ple in Bangladesh homeless, “For well over a month people’s copwith thousands living in makeshift sheling mechanisms have been worn down ters on river banks, the International by successive waves of flooding. CyFederation of Red Cross and Red Cresclone Komen made a bad situation even cent Societies (IFRC) said on Tuesday.

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INDIA

After mother Indrani, cops arrest ex-husband in sensation murder case

day after former television network owner Indrani Mukherjea was arrested for the 2012 murder of her daughter Sheena Bora, the police today arrested Indrani’s former husband Sanjeev Khanna from Kolkata for his alleged involvement in the case. Sheena was Indrani’s daughter, not sister as claimed by the accused, the police said. The motive remained a mystery though Indrani’s son Mikhail claimed he knew the real reason behind the murder but would not disclose it now. The police claimed Indrani was present at the site in Raigad district where Sheena was killed in 2012. Indrani Bora, who became Indrani Mukherjea after marrying media baron Peter Mukherjea, had a daughter and son — Sheena and Mikhail — from an earlier marriage with Siddharth Das. Mikhail lives with Indrani’s parents in Guwahati. Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Pallab Kanti Ghosh confirmed tea garden owner Khanna’s arrest after he was questioned by a Mumbai Police team for around two hours. Khanna will be produced before the court on Thursday where the Mumbai Police will seek transit remand for taking him to Mumbai. Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria told mediapersons the murder was by strangulation followed by burning of the body by petrol. The murder took place on April 24, 2012 and the body was found by the Raigad police on May 23, he said.

The three-year-old murder came to light following the arrest of Shyam Rai, employed as Indrani’s driver. Rai was arrested in connection with an Arms Act case. Rai, however, told the police he murdered Sheena at the behest of Indrani and dumped her remains at a desolate spot in hilly Raigad district. The police claimed they recovered Sheena’s dismembered and charred remains. After Indrani’s interrogation, the police learnt that Sheena was actually her daughter from a teenage relationship.

Before her marriage to Peter, Indrani was married to Khanna. Peter told mediapersons that he believed Sheena to be Indrani’s sister.

The former honcho of Star India TV channel claimed Sheena was living together with Rahul, his son from his first marriage. “They were two consenting adults.... I could have tried to stop them but they could have met anywhere else,” Peter said. He further added Indrani was opposed to the relationship between Sheena and Rahul. Peter further said in 2012, Sheena suddenly disappeared. “Indrani told me she was abroad. She also showed me photographs of Sheena celebrating Diwali in the US,” he added. Peter further said his son

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eligion-based census data released yesterday has revealed the status of gender balance in various communities placing Sikhs at the bottom of the table. In repetition of earlier trends, the Sikhs, as a religious group, have posted the lowest sex ratio indicating a preference for boys and lack of freedom for women to give birth to girls. After every 1,000 males, Sikhs have only 903 women, the lowest for all religious outfits. Hindus are the next worst on sex ratios with 939 females for every 1,000 males; Jains with 940; Muslims with 951 and Buddhists with 965. Christians with 1,023 women for every 1,000 men have the best sex ratio, a crucial indicator of women’s empowerment. Sex ratio for the country is 943 with Sikhs and Hindus being the only religious groups posting lower sex ratios than the national average.

Sex ratios at birth for religious groups are a harbinger of another vital set of statistics – child sex ratios at birth with population experts saying they won’t be surprised if child sex ratios follow similar patterns as overall sex ratios for religions. “A low sex ratio among Sikhs indicates rampant use of sex selection techniques and an unequal status of women vis-a-vis men. We would not be surprised if the Sikhs post the lowest child sex ratios at birth. Past trends for Sikhs as a group were similar,” AR Nanda, former chief of Population Foundation of India, told The Tribune today. The data on sex ratios at birth (0 to 6 years) by religion are yet to be released by the Registrar General of India. One heartening takeaway from yesterday’s data is – sex ratio for all religious communities improved between 2001 and 2011.

3 civilians killed, 16 hurt in Pak firing in Jammu Peter Mukerjea with wife Indrani Mukerjea Both of them were produced in the Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate’s court on Tuesday Rahul was suspicious about Sheena’s sudden disappearance but was put down by Indrani.

Rahul was living with his biological mother in Dehradun. Mikhail Bora told television channels in Guwahati that he and Sheena were Indrani’s children and not siblings as was made out to be. Mikhail said he was told

by Indrani that Sheena was abroad and had settled there. He claimed he knew the “exact reason” for the crime by their mother but would bring out the facts if she did not confess it to the police.

Sheena Bora, her brother Mikhail were born out of wedlock

ikhail Bora said he doesn’t want to reveal the identity of his and Sheena’s biological father. Both children grew up at their maternal grandparents house in Guwahati without their mother. Mikhail said their mother, Indrani

Sikhs report lowest sex ratio, Indian census stats show

Mukerjea, introduced them to others as her brother and sister. Mikhail Bora also claimed that property dispute was not the real reason for his sister’s murder. “If Indrani Mukerjea doesn’t admit to her crime, I will tell cops exact reason for the murder,” Mikhail Bora said.

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hree killed and 16 injured when the Pakistani Rangers heavily shelled civilian areas and Army posts along the International Border in R S Pura and Arnia sectors of Jammu district on Friday, drawing retaliation from the BSF. “The Pakistan Rangers resorted to unprovoked firing. Initially small arms were used but later on mortars bombs were shelled on the BSF posts and civilian areas in R S Pura and Arnia sectors since midnight,” a BSF spokesman said today.

The firing and mortar shelling started around 1.45 am along the IB in Kishanpur, Jora Form, Jugnu Chak, Nawapind, Harna, Sia, Abdullian and Chandu Chak areas, a police officer said.

The Pakistani troops fired mortar bombs and used automatic weapons in the firing. The shelling was so heavy that the shells landed deep inside villages much away from the IB, he said.

Jammu Divisional Commissioner Pawan Kotwal said three persons were killed in the firing.

BSF troops guarding the border retaliated resulting in heavy exchanges, which are going on when the last reports came in from the area, they said.

“Undeterred and resolute BSF troops de-

ployed in these forward post areas gave a befitting reply and fired on the forward areas of Pakistan along the Line of Control, reportedly, causing damage to them,” the officer said.

“No damage and casualty to BSF troops on own side has been reported till the last reports came in,” he added.

There have been 55 violations of the border ceasefire agreement of 2003 by Pakistan in August and over 245 ceasefire violations during the year so far.

The Pakistani Rangers had pounded civilian areas and military positions along the International Border (IB) in R S pura and Arnia sectors of Jammu district on the intervening night of August 17-18, injuring a villager.

On the intervening night of August 1617, Pakistan troops had resorted to ceasefire violations in Saujiyan and Mandi sectors of Poonch district and shelled forward posts and civilian areas with 120 mm and 82 mm mortar bombs and heavy machine guns (HMGs).

On August 16, a woman was killed and five persons were injured as Pakistani troops fired 120 mm and 82 mm mortars bombs, HMGs and RPGs on border posts and civilian areas in Poonch and Rajouri districts. On Independence Day, six civilians, including a sarpanch, were killed and five others injured

President, PM pay tributes to 1965 war martyrs President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday laid a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti to pay tribute to the soldiers as India marked the 50th year of the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid his respects to the soldiers who fought the 1965 war.

“As we mark the 50th anniversary of the 1965 war, I bow to all brave soldiers who fought for our motherland in the war,” Modi said in a tweet. “The courage and bravery of our armed forces is very inspiring. They triumphed over every obstacle and protected India’s unity and integrity,” he said. “We recall the dynamic leadership of Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri. In 1965, he led from the front and was a key source of strength for the nation,” the prime minister added. India is commemorating the golden jubilee of the war at a grand scale, with a slew of events planned for the occasion.

Nearly 3,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen were martyred in the war, which lasted 17 days. The commemoration began on Friday to mark the day the Indian Army captured the Haji Pir Pass. A tri-service seminar will be held on September 1-2, with a commemorative exhibition slated from September 15-20 in the national capital.

FIJI

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Saturday, August 29, 2015 i 31

Hard work pays off for businessman

iji business“You go through some man Chanan Singh has hiccups and then there come a long way since are always the good times leaving his home in Tabia, after the bad times,” he Labasa in 1963 for greensaid. “I believe that. I er pastures in the Capital always advise people to City. He worked for the work hard, be faithful Norotam Company during and honest in your busithe early part of his workness. “For my business, ing life and later started his Chanan Singh and his wife Maya are own Dominion tailoring directors of DC Singh’s Investments Ltd. I believe in making good things and when you business — becoming one have a good thing there of the best tailors in the South Pacific for about is always a market for it.” When asked about 40 years before venturing into property develthe significance of the name “President” for opment. He started his business from scratch, most of the developed properties, Mr Singh investing in various properties and businesses.

“I wanted to build up my business. I sold some said the letter P for “President” represented of the businesses I had acquired and made the names of his four children — his only a bit of money but I kept investing,” he said. son Pramendra, and his daughters Premila, “We had different types of businesses and the Premina and Premita. Mr Singh said they one thing we don’t do is go into politics. We aimed to create an exclusive look and brand. are about hard work and whichever Government comes into power, we are with the Government.

“I’ve seen changes over the years.

The changes are there and we go with the changes. “Most of the buildings I acquired was during the difficult times in Fiji. In 1987, I bought a lot of properties but wherever you go, you have to start from scratch.” Singh and his family own DC Singh’s Investments Ltd, the developers of properties such as President Towers in Nasese, President Plaza in Samabula and the soon-to-be-developed 16-storey Grand President in the heart of Suva City. “The investment in Grand President is the biggest for my family. I’ve got other plans for Panja Saheb high-rise building and apartments in Nadi as well as some commercial buildings in Suva,” he said.

He said the family business was run on hard work, team building, faithfulness and honesty. Though the company’s investments had provided employment opportunities for hundreds of people in the construction process, Singh said he also employed family members in the business.

Good News!

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Complex boosts property portfolio

he much-anticipated multi-milyet for interested tenants but we will do that lion dollar insoon. The investment is just to grow my company,” he said. “We vestment by DC are still waiting for the engineers Singh’s Investments Ltd in to confirm the plan. There are the soon-to-be-developed not that many contractors here Grand President complex who can do this so we might in Suva is expected to genhave to seek opinion outside of erate employment opportunities for 300-400 people.

Fiji — that is still in the planning Company director Chanprocess.” He said more than 150 an Singh said the commercial people would be involved in the building would be located construction phase, which was along Loftus and Goodenough expected to start in November streets and boast 12 levels over a span of 2-3 years. Singh of office space, retail space said his other properties, PresiAn artist’s impression dent Plaza and President Towers, and three levels for carpark.

“We haven’t called a tender of the Grand President were also progressing well. complex in Suva

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Opposition MP warns that the “end of this government is near”

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ttorney - General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said the general election was the only thing that determined whether a Government lasts and not by any other means.

He made the comment in Parliament during his right of reply to comments made by Opposition Member of Parliament Semesa Karavaki who said the end of the Government was near. Karavaki did not withdraw his statement when asked by the Speaker, Dr Jiko Luveni whether he wanted to do so.

Karavaki while contributing to the Sugar Industry Amendment Bill 2015 said the commissions had been removed with appointing authorities now vested on the Minister for Sugar.

Armed soldiers patrol Tavua

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he usually quiet town of Tavua was abuzz with soldiers dressed in full military gear, some carrying rifles who stopped over to shop yesterday. It is believed that the soldiers were in Tavua to assist officers from the Fiji Police Force maintain security as more than 30 people charged with sedition and inciting political violence were produced at the Tavua Magistrates Court.

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JuD, Haqqani network not banned

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umbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Afghanistan-based dreaded Haqqani network are not banned in Pakistan, according to an official list of 60 proscribed outfits. However, the government has put the JuD on the list of groups being closely watched by the officials, which means that it can be banned if found guilty of promoting militancy. JuD is listed as a terror outfit by the UN and its chief Hafiz Saeed has a USD 10 million US government bounty against him, but he moves freely across Pakistan. The al-Qaeda-linked dreaded Haqqani network, blamed for several deadly attacks against Western and Indian interests in Afghanistan including the 2008 bombing of the Indian mission in Kabul, is also not on the list.

According to the list, there are 60 organisations banned by Pakistan for their involvement in militancy. Arranged in alphabetical order, the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) is on number 39 while Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) is on 29.

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13 killed in road accidents

t least 13 people were killed and 16 injured in two separate road accidents in Pakistan on Tuesday, local media reported. Samaa TV said that in the first accident, a van-oil tanker collision left nine people dead and six injured in the country’s east Punjab province. The passenger van with some 20 people aboard had a head-on collision with the oil tanker coming from the opposite direction in Jand area of Attock, a district located some 95 km west of the capital Islamabad. Police said that the over-speeding oil tanker went out of the driver’s control and hit the van. The inured people have been shifted to a nearby hospital where at least two of them are said to be in critical condition.

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Former federal minister remanded in custody for 90 days

n anti terrorism court (ATC) remanded former federal minister Dr Asim for 90 days to custody. The former minister was presented in the court by the Rangers who informed the court that Mr Asim has been placed under a 90-day preventive detention under Section 11-EEEE of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

Court sources told that the law enforcement aughorities contended that they have credible information regarding Former minister’s involvement in terrorism related activities as well as embezzlement of funds. Therefore, ATC-III placed Dr Asim under a 90-day remand to Rangers custody for further inquiry.

Dr Asim’s arrest challenged in Sindh High Court. A petition was filed in the Sindh High Court challenging the arrest of Dr Asim The

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Former federal minister Dr. Asim was presented in court and has been placed under a 90-day preventive detention. petition was filed by Dr Asim’s family and Advocate Maulvi Iqbal Haider who contended that the former federal minister was an esteemed politician and his detention was unlawful as he did not have a criminal record.

Military talks may also be called off

fter the cancellation of NSA-level talks, proposed meetings between top military officials of India and Pakistan are now unlikely, a media report said . Pakistan cancelled the talks on Saturday after India clearly said that it would not allow a meeting with Kashmiri separatist leaders and talks will only focus on terrorism. The Express Tribune said that with the NSA talks called off due to differences over the agenda as well as Pakistan’s invitation to Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders, the meetings between director general military operations (DGMOs) as well as heads of Pakistan Rangers and Border Security Force are uncertain.

US cautions Pakistan over brandishing of nuclear status With Pakistan brandishing its nuclear status in the wake of cancellation of Indo-Pak talks, the US has cautioned that such statements would not help reduce tensions between the two countries. The US also asked India and Pakistan to resolve their long-standing issues through constructive dialogue. “(US) secretary (of state, John) Kerry has said repeatedly that he wants the two nations to continue to work together, with constructive dialogue, to resolve their issues, and we understand that there are issues that are longstanding,” state department spokesman John Kirby

Any dialogue sans Kashmir will be futile: Nawaz Sharif

told reporters at his daily news conference on Thursday. “But that’s what really needs to happen, is sitting down, dialogue, cooperation, talking through these things, and trying to work through some meaningful solutions,” Kirby said in response to a question. Asked about statements coming from Pakistan that it was a nuclear-armed country, Kirby said, “What we want to see are the tensions decrease, and speculation about the potential use of nuclear weapons certainly isn’t doing anything to help decrease tensions, if in fact those comments were made.”

wo days after a scheduled meeting between the national security advisers of Pakistan and India was called off, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said any dialogue between the two countries without the Kashmir dispute figuring will be pointless.

“Any dialogue sans Kashmir issue will be futile,” said Sharif in a cabinet meeting in Islamabad on Monday.

Kashmiri leaders are an important party to this issue. Any decision on their future cannot be made without their opinion and consultation, Radio Pakistan cited Sharif as saying.

Pakistan calls off NSAlevel talks, says conditions set by India unacceptable

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akistan on late Saturday evening called off NSA-level talks citing conditions put forward by India were unacceptable. Sartaj Aziz, adviser to Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif on security and foreign affairs, was to hold talks with national security adviser Ajit Doval on Monday. Pakistan’s decision to cancel the talks comes after India hardened its position that the talks would be only on terrorism and Kashmir would not be in the agenda. Calling Pakistan’s decision to cancel the talks as “unfortunate”, India said it had not set any condition for the talks.

Foreign ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted: “Pakistan’s decision is unfortunate. India did not set any preconditions. We only reiterated that Pakistan respect the spirit of the Simla & Ufa Agreements to which it was already committed.”

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GM’s final ignition switch tally is 124 dead, 275 hurt Wreckage of the car crash that killed Gene Mikale Erikson, one of 124 death claims accepted by General Motors as related to the ignition switch

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awyers hired to compensate vicThe fund has made offers in 124 tims of General Motors’ faulty death cases and 275 injury crashignition switches have finished es.

Of those, 325 were accepted, eight determining which claims are eligirejected and 65 haven’t decided. ble, rejecting 91 per cent of them. The compensation fund led by lawyer Kenneth Feinberg approved 399 of the 4,343 claims filed and rejected 3,944.

Camille Biros, deputy administrator of the fund, said Monday the claims that were rejected “couldn’t support any connection to the ignition switch.”

For example, Wreckage of the car crash that killed Gene Mikale Erikson, she said, claims one of 124 death claims accepted by General Motors as related were submitted for to the ignition switch fault.

Two injury claims were added cars that weren’t part of the recall for to the eligible list in the past week faulty ignition switches in older comFamilies of those who died will get pacts such as the Chevrolet Cobalt. In at least $1 million. GM has set aside other cases, the airbags inflated in the crash, an indication that the ignition $625 million to compensate people.

GM said in a second-quarter filing with switches were not at fault, Biros said.

Last year GM recalled 2.6 mil- securities regulators that it had paid $280 lion small cars because the ignition million to compensate ignition switch switches could slip out of the run crash victims and their families as of July 17.

The company said it faces 181 wrongposition, causing the cars to unexpectedly stall, disabling the air bags ful death or injury lawsuits due to reand power steering and brakes. called vehicles in the U.S. and Canada.

Saturday, August 29, 2015 i 33

Driverless crash trucks could boost road construction crews’ safety 2 autonomous crash trucks will debut at highway construction sites in Florida by year’s end

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oving construction crews — the kind you see blacktopping a road, painting lines, inspecting a bridge or installing a traffic signal — are often protected from oncoming traffic by a specialized truck outfitted with a crash barrier.

The crash trucks, fitted with a device called a truck-mounted attenuator, have been credited with saving lives. But the workers who drive them are inevitably placed in harm’s way, “literally waiting to be struck,” said Robert Roy, president of Royal Truck & Equipment Inc. in Coopersburg. On Monday, Royal demonstrated its new driverless crash truck that it hopes will some day improve safety at work zones around the country. Two of the autonomous vehicles will make their debut at highway construction sites in Florida by the end of the year under a state Department of Transportation demonstration program.

“Any time a driver can be removed from these vehicles in a very dangerous situation, and if the vehicle’s struck, there’s nobody inside of it to receive the damage or the injuries, that’s measuring success,” Roy said. Truck-mounted attenuators have been around for 30 years. One study, published this year in the Journal of the Transportation Research Board, found they cut work-zone injuries and fatalities from rear-end crashes nearly in half.

There is considerable interest in autonomous truck-mounted attenuators, both for their potential to reduce risk and as a way to save on labour costs, one of the study’s

authors, Gerald Ullman of Texas A&M’s Transportation Institute, said Monday.

“Connected and autonomous vehicles in general are viewed as the future of surface transportation, and this technology may be one of the first ways in which it gets commercialized,” he said. Google and traditional car companies have been developing self-driving vehicles, while Daimler Trucks North America LLC recently demonstrated the first self-driving tractor-trailer to be licensed on public roads.

Daimler said it would be years before a self-driving truck hits the market.

In Monday’s demonstration, a lead truck beamed information to Royal’s attenuator truck. The crash truck followed the lead truck around the parking lot of Bethlehem’s municipal swimming pool, perfectly mimicking its movements, speed and braking. Royal, the nation’s largest manufacturer of truck-mounted attenuators, is partnering on the driverless crash trucks with Micro Systems Inc. of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, which supplies unmanned vehicles to the military and developed the technology. Royal said the terms of the agreement with Florida’s transportation department are still being negotiated. Anderson said he understands why the idea is unnerving for some, but noted that unmanned vehicles have the potential to remove human error from driving.

34 i Saturday, August 29, 2015

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Over 40,000 register for Modi’s reception at Silicon Valley

ver 40,000 people have signed up to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to Indian-Americans in Silicon Valley on September 27, surpassing the 30,000 registrations at last year’s Madison Square Garden reception for him in New York.

With about a month still to go, organisers of the event hope that the number could cross 50,000, a record in itself.

By last night when registration process for members of 500 community organisations concluded, officials of organising Indo-American Community of West Coast told PTI that more than 40,000 people had registered for the September With individual registration process for those who are not members of any community organisations being part of the reception kicking off in the next few days, organisers said they expect the total number of registrations to cross 50,000.

“This is a phenomenal response. It’s simply Modi Magic,” Vijay Chauthaiwale, in

charge, foreign relations department of BJP, who is currently in Silicon Valley on a short visit to review the preparations, told PTI. Notably some 30,000 people had registered for the Madison Square Garden reception in New York last September where Modi was given a rock star reception.

As a result of the huge response, after the individual registration process ends, organisers would be conducting a computerised draw of lots to determine who all would be receiving the free tickets for what would be the first ever public address to the Indian-Americans in West Coast.

Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit California after Morarji Desai in 1978.

Jawahar Lal Nehru was the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the West Coast. “Everyone who registers through the website till the last day of the registration process would be eligible for the computerized draw of lots,” said Khande Rao Kand, convener of the Indo American Community of West Coast.

NRI

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NRI Silicon Valley securities analyst charged with insider trading

young Silicon Valley investment banker of Indian descent and two of his friends have been charged with insider trading in a scheme that allegedly netted them more than $600,000, Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell announced Tuesday.

JP Morgan Securities analyst Ashish Aggarwal and his friends,who surrendered to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and were arrested, face securities fraud, conspiracy and wire fraud charges, Caldwell said.

Aggarwal, 27, who worked in the JP Morgan San Francisco office, allegedly got inside information about upcoming mergers and acquisitions which he shared them with his friend Shahriyar Bolandian, 26. He in turn relayed them to another friend, and Kevan Sadigh, 28, the FBI said in a press release.

Bolandian and Sadigh then allegedly used the inside information to trade in ad-

vance of the public announcements of Integrated Device Technology Inc.’s April 2012 planned acquisition of PLX Technology Inc., and Salesforce.com Inc.’s June 2013 acquisition of ExactTarget Inc., the FBI said.

Their $600,000-profit apparently didn’t finance luxuries. The FBI said they allegedly used the profits to pay off liabilities and cover the trading losses of Bolandian and Sadigh.

Aggarwal is the latest person of Indian origin to face insider trading charges in the US. Rajat Gupta, a former CEO of the consultancy company, McKinsey, is the best known of them and was convicted in 2012 for insider trading with Raj Rajaratnam, a hedge fund operator of Sri Lankan origin. Anil Kumar, a former McKinsey employee, pleaded guilty in the samw case.

In April this year, Amit Kanodia, a private equity investor, and Iftikar Ahmed, a general partner at a venture capital firm, were charged with insider trading.

Indian woman to serve 14 yrs in jail for toddler’s death in US

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29-year-old Indian woman will serve 14 years in prison in the US after she was found guilty for the death of a child in her care.

Kinjal Patel (pictured) pleaded under the Alford doctrine, in which a defendant does not admit guilt but concedes that there is enough evidence for conviction at trial, a report in the New Haven Register said. Patel was found guilty by court in the death of 19-monthold Athiyan Sivakumar, who died last year in January, three days after he sustained injuries while under her care.

Superior Court Judge Patrick Clifford will impose a 20-year sentence at sentencing in October, to be suspended after Patel serves 14 years.

She will also serve five years’ probation.

Patel’s attorney Kevin Smith said that since she is not a US citizen, she will be deported to India after she completes her sentence.

The office of the chief state medical examiner ruled the child’s death a homicide and that the cause of death was blunt-force trauma with multiple sites of impact. Sivakumar’s parents also face charges in the case. His father Sivakumar Mani, 35, and mother Thenmozhi Rajendran, 26, have been charged with risk of injury to a child and interfering with an officer.

Indian store owner foils robbery in New Zealand

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n Indian-origin businessman in New Zealand foiled a robbery attempt at his store when he wrestled the gun away from a masked man and chased him away, a media report said on Tuesday. Rupan Patel was working alone at his convenience store in Hamilton town’s Hukanui road when the incident took place, stuff.co.nz reported.

An armed man wearing a mask entered Patel’s shop and ordered him to put all the money in a plastic bag. While Patel was struggling to open the drawer containing money, the impatient offend-

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36 i Saturday, August 29, 2015