The Asian Star October 3 2015 by The Asian Star Newspaper

www.theasianstar.com Vol 14

Issue 36 Saturday, October 3, 2015

Tel: 604-591-5423

Volkswagen halts some sales

‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’

bollywood Page

Page

India beats US, China as No. 1 foreign direct investment destination

Check Inside for Details

ndia has emerged on top of the foreign direct investment league table, overtaking China and the United States, according to the FT data service. A ranking of the top destinations for greenfield investment (measured by estimated capital expenditure) in the first half of 2015 shows India at number one, having attracted roughly $3 billion more than China and $4 billion more than the US, according to the Financial Times newspaper. “With midyear data on greenfield FDI now in, 2015 looks to be a milestone year for India following its impressive performance in 2014,” the article in FT said quoting fDi Markets, a data service of the FT. The news comes as a shot in the arm for the Narendra Modi government

which has taken several steps to attract foreign investment and has helped revive mood of investors since it came to power in May 2014. While there has been a demand for accelerating the reforms drive, the government has unveiled several initiatives such as ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ to lure investors. It has moved to ensure that the country moves up the ranking on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business and states have started their clean-up act on this parameter. But experts say there are several areas where the government needs to step up reforms. The areas where investors want more reforms include tax policy, labour laws, cutting red tape and issues linked to land acquisition. Continued on page 6

Grey Power More Canadians are over 65 than under age 15

NRI doctors charged with fraud in Toronto

wo South Asian doctor brothers in Canada have been slapped with charges of fraud of over $5,000 each for billing the government for medical services they never provided to their patients. Mukesh (Mick) Jain, 45, who is a radiologist, and his brother Minto Jain, 48, who is a surgeon, have been slapped with charges of fraud of over $5,000 each, Toronto Sun reported. The two brothers are from Mississauga run their own MIC Medical Imaging which has many locations in Ontario province. The Jain brothers billed the government-run Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) for chest ultrasounds that were supposedly performed at their clinics in Orangeville, Bolton, or Cambridge in Ontario. Continued on page 6

or the first time ever, there are now more people in Canada age 65 and over than there are under age 15, according to Statistics Canada. The data agency said Tuesday that Canada’s population sat at 35,851,800 at the start of July, a figure that has increased by 308,100 or 0.9 in the past year. That’s the smallest annual increase in 17 years, but still the largest pace of growth seen in any G7 nation. Much of growth came in the form of people coming from other countries, as migration accounted for 60.8 per cent of the population growth. The Continued on page 6

Proud moment for Fruiticana to be named a finalist for an Earnest and Young entrepreneur of the year 2015 award Pictured above is Tony Singh (Second from left) owner of Fruiticana with others.

Local

2 i Saturday, October 3, 2015

Former Quebec lieutenant-governor led to jail in handcuffs on fraud conviction

hen she was Quebec’s lieutenant-governor, Lise Thibault (pictured) expensed roof repairs, ski and golf outings, legal fees for her divorce lawyer, a specially adapted golf cart,

and travel, dinner and birthdays with friends and family. She once filed expense claims for fishing rods and earthworms purchased from a hunting shop. All in all, she claimed $700,000 in expenses unrelated to her vice-regal duties. On Wednesday, the ailing

76-year-old was sentenced to 18 months in prison for breach of trust and fraud, and was led away in handcuffs. Quebec court Judge Carol St-Cyr said Thibault had engaged in a “culture of deceit,” and also ordered Thibault to reimburse $300,000 to Ottawa and Que-

“It was a new country but it very quickly felt like home.”

bec. “It is important that the public know this behaviour was highly reprehensible,” the judge said. “A sentence in the community would not satisfy the legal requirements to maintain the confidence of citizens with regard to public institutions.”

Charges laid in shooting near elementary school

Amarpreet Samra

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Shakiel Basra

ounties in Surrey say two men are facing criminal charges in connection with a shooting near an elementary school earlier this month that sent a man to hospital with a gunshot wound. Amarpreet Samra, 21, of Richmond and Shakiel Basra, 21, of Delta have each been charged with two counts of attempt to commit murder and two counts of intentionally discharging a firearm. Police said investigators now believe the incident is related to a string of shootings and ongoing violence between two drug trafficking groups in Surrey this year. The shooting happened shortly after 6 p.m. on Sept. 15 at Strawberry Hill Elementary School in the 7600-block of 124 Street. A 22-yearold man, who is known to police, was found at the scene with serious but non-life threatening injuries. Police said the men, who have not been arrested, are considered to be armed and dangerous. Samra is described as South Asian, six-foot and 141 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Basra is described as South Asian, six-foot-three, and 150 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Police said they are believed to be associated with a light coloured Jeep with the Saskatchewan licence plate:

Saturday, October 3, 2015 i 3

4 i Saturday, October 3, 2015 By Judith Lavoie, Freelance writer

nergy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett visited southeast Alaska this summer, trying to calm critics of the province’s aggressive push to build at least 10 mines close to the Alaska border. “I understand why people feel so strongly about protecting what they have,” Bennett said at a news conference in Juneau. “There’s a way of life here that has tremendous value and

OPINION

It’s no surprise Alaska doesn’t trust BC the people here don’t want to lose it. I get that.” Bennett’s conciliatory tone was in response to an unprecedented outpouring of concern from a powerful alliance of Alaskan politicians, tribes, fishing organizations and environmental groups. They’re perturbed by the modern-day gold rush alongside vital transboundary salmon rivers such as the Unuk, Taku and Stikine. Indeed, long-held

perceptions of Canada as a country with strict environmental standards and B.C. as a province that values natural beauty have taken a beating in southeast Alaska. Many now regard Canadians as bad neighbours who unilaterally make decisions that could threaten the region’s two major economic drivers - tourism and fishing. Alaskans say they are not against resource extraction, provided there are adequate environmental and financial safeguards. But they believe Canada’s record - most recently illustrated by the Mount Polley mine tailings-dam collapse - demonstrate that B.C.’s regulations are not strong enough to protect downstream communities. It’s little wonder Alaskans have difficulty trusting B.C. when it’s known that in the years leading up to the Mount Polley incident the provincial government permitted substantial increases in mining, beyond the design capacity of the tailings facility. Furthermore, in 2010, the government was told about cracks across the front of the retaining wall. When Alaskans asked for a panel review of Seabridge Gold’s KSM mine, there was no response from B.C. and the mine was approved. That project will have a massive 239-metre-high earth dam to hold back toxic tailings. Subsequently, the Red Chris mine, close to the Stikine River and owned by Imperial Metals - the same company that owns the Mount Polley mine - was given the go-ahead with a tailings dam similar to Mount Polley’s despite a recommendation from a government panel to stop using such dams. When I started writing a 10-part series on these transboundary tensions for online news magazine DeSmog Canada, I expected to be chronicling differences between environmental regulations in Canada and the U.S. I didn’t expect to stumble upon a vast difference in the treatment of media requests. Over the past four months, I’ve submitted four requests for interviews with Bennett. Not a single request was granted. Instead, I was provided with prepared statements to be attributed to a ministry “spokesperson.” ReJudith Lavoie is a freelance journalist and former Victoria Times Colonist reporter.

porters in B.C. are so commonly left trying to untangle this kind of government mumbo-jumbo that we’ve almost stopped complaining about it - which is what made the response I received from Alaskan officials all the more refreshing. Phone calls to the Alaska government were met with the offer of an interview with Lt.-Gov. Byron Mallott who is in charge of the transboundary mining file. The faceto-face interview was chatty and unscripted, giving useful insights into how the problem was viewed by the state, and the probable direction of the Alaskan government. A cold call to Alaska Dep a r t m e nt of Natural Resources was immediately transferred to a senior manager who answered all questions, including those on finances, and unlike B.C. civil ser vants, could be named in the story.

Saturday, October 3, 2015 i 5

LOCAL

6 i Saturday, October 3, 2015

India beats US, China as No. 1 foreign From page 1

direct investment destination

Investors have started taking interest in the India growth story and the recent visit of Modi to Silicon Valley triggered enormous interest from software and technology czars.

Growth is expected to be one of the fastest in the world and several multilateral agencies have said that India remains the bright spot among emerging economies. Experts say India is expected to benefit from the slowdown in China and the overall sluggishness in global commodity prices including crude oil is expected to provide a cushion to the growth fortunes of Asia’s third largest economy. The government is confident of achieving close to 8% growth in the current fiscal year. India has also moved up on Global Competitiveness Index by 16 places to 55th position. The FT said that for the past several years, China and the US have vied for FDI supremacy and fought each other nearly to a draw last year, with the US ranking as the number one greenfield des-

tination by number of projects and China coming in first by capital expenditure. It said India ranked fifth last year for capital investment, after China, the US, the UK and Mexico. In a year when many other major FDI destinations posted declines, India experienced one of 2014’s best FDI growth rates, increasing its number of projects by 47%, the article said. “India is tracking well ahead of where it was at this time last year: it has more than doubled its midyear investment levels, attracting $30 billion by the end of June 2015 compared with $12 billion in the first half of last year,” the newspaper said, adding that the news comes at a time at a time when FDI into emerging markets as a group is falling off a cliff. “Research from fDi Markets found 97 of 154 countries typically classed as emerging markets experiencing declines in capital expenditure on greenfield investment projects in the first six months of this year compared with the same time period last year,” it said.

Two men facing terror charges deported back to Pakistan Two Pakistani men deemed dangers to Canada appear to have been deported. Mohammed Aqeeq Ansari’s parents were summoned to a location near the Toronto airport Wednesday night to see him off, a friend said. Meanwhile, the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ont., said Jahanzeb Malik was also no longer at the facility, where he had been held since his arrest in March for allegedly plotted a suicide bombing in Toronto’s financial district. The Canada Border Services Agency had been preparing to escort both men to Pakistan between Sept. 27 and Oct. 4. Malik apparently flew out of Montreal. The CBSA media office did not respond to questions by dead-

From page 1

More Canadians are over 65 than under age 15

rest was natural population growth, as people already in Canada had children. Canada met a milestone that demographers have seen coming for a long time. In the year ended in July, the population of people 65 and older is now larger than the number of children under 15. There were 5,780,900 Canadians 65 and older on July 1. That compares to an under-15 population of 5,749,400. In percentage terms, 16.1 per cent of Canadians were in the 65-and-over group in July, with under-15s accounting for just 16 per cent of the population. The cohort of people 65 and up isn’t just large in absolute terms, but their ranks are growing

From page 1

faster than the rest of us, too. The population growth rate for the over-64 set increased by 3.5 per cent during the year, four times faster than the population at large. If current population trends continue, Statistics Canada estimates that seniors will outnumber children in Canada by a factor of three to two in 20 years’ time. That pace of growth has increased every year since 2011, the data agency said. But by international standards, Canada’s population of 65-and-overs is still relatively small, and lower than any other G7 nation. In Japan, for example, 26 per cent of the population is over age 64.

NRI doctors charged with fraud in Toronto

ut these chest ultrasounds were never performed on the patients who visited these locations, the report said. Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long Term Care referred the case to the

aman@ewfinancial.ca

line. The removals, if confirmed, followed weeks of diplomacy between Ottawa and Islamabad, which was reluctant to take the men back. The deportations were delayed almost three months amid a flurry of meetings between the two countries. An official at the Pakistani High Commission in Ottawa said she had no information on the matter or whether the government in Islamabad had agreed to cooperate with the deportations. Pakistan had stalled the removals because of the seriousness of the allegations. While both men were permanent residents of Canada, neither were citizens. They lost their status when the Immigration & Refugee Board ruled they had been involved in terrorism and posed a danger to Canadian security.

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). The OPP’s Anti-Rackets Branch has taken over the probe. “This isn’t closed and there are still elements under investigation,” said Det-Staff Sgt Dorian Dwyer Dwyer. “This is an open file.” The Jain brothers will appear in court on November 19.

LOCAL

Massive fire in North Surrey

ore than 180 people were evacuated after an inferno at a large apartment complex at 108 Avenue and King George Boulevard on Wednesday. Crews were called to the 253-unit complex at 10838 City Parkway at about 6 a.m. Fire ripped through several suites and then to the roof of the massive complex. It was a threealarm fire with 30 firefighters in all. There are no reports of injuries at the four-storey complex, and the entire building was safely evacuated, and at least one person was rescued from a balcony. Surreyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s general manager of parks, recre-

Saturday, October 3, 2015 i 7

ation and culture Laurie Cavan said the city enacted a level 2 Emergency Social Services Wednesday morning and relocated 186 people from 79 units to six local hotels. Cavan said people are understandably shaken, but are being looked after. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very stressful and traumatic situation for people,â&#x20AC;? Cavan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been doing our very best to make sure everybody is comfortable and has a place to stay.â&#x20AC;? The complex, called Access, was built in 2005, and was marketed as a Yaletown-style development in the heart of Surrey. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

B.C. Liberals work on revisions to property transfer tax

C.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finance minister is working on possible changes to the property transfer tax in the next provincial budget to address housing affordability concerns in Metro Vancouver. Mike de Jong said the government hopes to have details to unveil in Februaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fiscal plan, which is being developed now by his ministry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Is Vancouver going to suddenly turn into a low-cost housing market? No,â&#x20AC;? de Jong said in an interview Thursday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nor, quite frankly, have we set that as the objective, because we have said for most families the equity they have accumulated within their home is their single biggest asset and our purpose is not to diminish that. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking at is how we facilitate greater access to the housing market, particularly among first-time homebuyers, young buyers.â&#x20AC;? The average price of a single-family detached home in Greater Vancouver is now at a record high $1.47 million, having risen 20 per cent over the past year. The provincial and federal governments have come under increasing public pressure to make it easier for middle-income families to purchase a home in the region, after many have complained they are priced out of the market.

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LOCAL

8 i Saturday, October 3, 2015

Driver sues over ‘criminal’ late-payment fee on Port Mann Bridge tolls

Burnaby man has filed a class-action lawsuit over a $20 fee charged to him for late payment of his toll debt on the Port Mann Bridge, a fee that he claims amounts to a “criminal” interest rate.

Jasper Lui, 31, says he has made many trips over the bridge since it opened in September 2012 and until September 2014, he paid his toll invoices on time. Beginning in Septem-

ber 2014, he “inadvertently” failed to pay his toll debt of $27.18 for a number of months and was charged, in addition to his debt, a $20 “Refuse to Issue Processing Fee.” If a cus-

tomer has an outstanding toll debt of more than $25 and fails to pay that debt within 90 days, they are charged the $20 late payment fee. “Such a fee constitutes ‘interest’ within the meaning of the criminal interest rate provisions of the Criminal Code,” Lui says in a notice of civil claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court. “In many cases where such a fee is charged, the effective rate of interest substantially exceeds the annual criminal rate of 60 per cent.

Road tolls called too risky after referendum

etro Vancouver mayors are foolish to even consider pushing ahead with road pricing as long as Premier Christy Clark insists any new tax for transit in the region must survive another referendum. That was the advice from SFU City Program director Gordon Price at a Surrey Board of Trade panel discussion Wednesday on the future of transportation. Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner, who was also speaking on the panel, listed some form of mobility pricing as the likely method to deliver the regional share of funding for Surrey’s $2.1-billion light rail network. Metro mayors and Transportation Minister Todd Stone have said they intend to study road pricing as an option. But Price predicts disaster if mayors persist with that revenue strategy in light of the July referendum defeat of a 0.5 per cent sales tax for transit. “It’s a tax on something we’ve previously taken for granted to be free,” he said of a pricing scheme that could toll not just bridges but major roadways as well. “The emotions on that are going to require extraordinary leadership and maturity. Don’t even start unless you’re prepared to engage with that.”

Transit cops spared jail time after assault conviction

wo Transit Police officers were this week given a conditional discharge for assaulting a construction worker at a SkyTrain station Consts. Bruce Shipley and Alfred Wong, who used to work as sheriffs at the provincial jail at 222 Main St., were spared an inside look at the cells when Judge Reg Harris sentenced them each to a conditional discharge for the assault. That means after completing four months’ probation without committing another crime and finishing 25 hours of community service each, the officers will have the offence cleared from their records and be free to return to policing. Harris said the 30- to 60-day jail sentence sought by the Crown was disproportionate to the crime, during which the officers struggled to subdue Dyck before pepper-spraying and arresting him. The officers after the Feb. 9, 2012, assault had also recommended charges of assault, resisting arrest, obstruction and causing a disturbance against Dyck, but those charges were never approved. Instead, after a probe by an outside police force, Shipley and Wong were accused of tampering with their reports to back up their version of events and charged with fabricating evidence, public mischief and breach of trust.

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Saturday, October 3, 2015 i 9

South Asian man jailed for 18 years for killings three

Surrey man who choked three people to death has been sentenced to life in prison with no parole for 18 years. Sarbjit Bains, 33, pleaded guilty in April to manslaughter in the death of 29-year-old Amritpal Saran, and two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Jill Lyons, 45, and Karen Nabors, 48. They were killed in on Feb. 23, Aug. 9 and Aug. 25, 2013. He was sentenced in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster on Wednesday morning. According to an agreed statement of facts read at Bainsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sentencing hearing, on

Feb. 23, 2013, Bains and his common-law partner Evelina Urbaniak called Saran to bring drugs to their Surrey apartment. That afternoon, the three drank and did cocaine together, something they had done before on a number of occasions. Urbaniak went to bed in the evening, and the two men continued to drink and do drugs. Bains went to the bathroom at one point and when he returned he found Saran naked and about to get into bed with Urbaniak. Bains put Saran in a choke hold and dragged him out of the room. He believed he used too much force and killed Saran.

PICS Employment Programs presented Mega Job Fair and BC Small Business Expo 2015 on September 24 in Surrey last week. Photo by Chandra Bodalia

10 i Saturday, October 3, 2015

LOCAL

Toronto 18’s Zakaria Amara first to lose citizenship under Bill C-24

he federal government has sent letters to at least four people linked to extremist activity, including the man thought to be the mastermind of a plot to bomb downtown Toronto in an effort to terrorize Canadians and cripple the economy, telling them their citizenship is being revoked, CBC News has learned. Zakaria Amara (pictured) is among three members of the socalled Toronto 18 — the other two are Asad Ansari and Saad Khalid — who were informed by letter they were being stripped of citizenship under Bill C-24, dubbed the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act, passed last May. Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh, convicted in an Ottawa terror plot and sentenced to 24 years in prison, received a similar letter. Another man, Mohamed Hersi, received word from his parole officer that the government may be taking similar steps to revoke his citizenship, Hersi’s lawyer, Paul Slansky told CBC News. Hersi has not, however, received any formal documents. Hersi was convicted of trying to join the Somali militant group al-Shabaab and received a 10-year sentence in July 2014. Amara was sentenced in 2010 to life in prison with no chance of parole until 2016 after admitting his role in the plan to attack sites in Toronto, aimed in part at forcing Canadian soldiers to leave Afghanistan. His citizenship has already been revoked, after receiving the letter in June. Ansari was released with time served in 2010 for his role in the Toronto 18 plot. He was convicted of knowingly contributing to, directly or indirectly, a terrorist group for the purpose of enhancing the ability of

the group to carry out an act of terror. Khalid is still serving time for intending to cause an explosion that would likely cause serious bodily harm, death or damage to property. Toronto 18 bomb plotter Saad Khalid tells his story Mohamed Hersi sentenced to 10 years for attempting to join alShabab At least two of the men applied for delays in responding to the notices that their citizenship is being revoked, as they plan to challenge the constitutionality of the move. Ansari’s lawyer, John Norris, said his client was granted an extension. Alizadeh’s lawyers, Howard Krongold and Leo Russomamo, said their client received the letter in June, but notice to respond has been delayed until December. Following a National Post report published Saturday saying Amara’s citizenship will be pulled

Home grown terrorist challenges federal move to revoke citizenship over terrorism

n Ottawa man serving time for his part in a homegrown terror conspiracy is asking a court to halt the federal government’s attempt to strip him of Canadian citizenship. In an application to the Federal Court of Canada, Misbahuddin Ahmed (pictured) says the government is relying on unconstitutional provisions to revoke his citizenship. Ahmed argues the provisions amount to “cruel and unusual treatment” and violate guarantees of fundamental justice. He is just the latest to challenge the new law that allows the government to take Canadian citizenship away from someone convicted of terrorism, treason or espionage who is eligible to claim citizenship in another country. Ahmed, 31, received a 12-year sentence in 2014 after being found guilty of conspiring to facilitate a terrorist activity and participating in the activities of a terrorist group. The former hospital technician is currently imprisoned

at Warkworth Institution in Campbellford, Ont. Ahmed was born in Pakistan but became a permanent resident of Canada at age 14. He attained Canadian citizenship in 2004, several months before turning 21. On July 3 of this year, the government issued a notice of intent to revoke his citizenship — one of several notices that have gone out to people who fall under the new provisions. Hiva Alizadeh, convicted along with Ahmed in the conspiracy, has also received a notice. The government has successfully stripped the citizenship of one individual — Zakaria Amara, found guilty in a Toronto terrorism plot — under the new process. The court application from Ahmed says the revocation law violates the principle that a person cannot be punished twice for the same offence. Ahmed’s lawyer, Lorne Waldman, said his client is already serving a lengthy prison sentence.

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t seems an Edmonton senior who took on the post office over a community mailbox is not alone. Canada Post said Tuesday that fully 30 per cent of the mailboxes are eventually moved from their original planned locations, based on feedback from the residents and municipalities. The Crown corporation said it tries in each case to find the best location to serve a particular neighbourhood. Ken Pudetz was determined to stop a community mailbox from being built outside his Millwoods home. Earlier this month, when Canada Post sent a crew to dig a hole for the new mailbox, Pudetz simply shovelled the dirt back in. Then he stood guard and waited. On Monday, the 76-year-old declared victory, saying the box was being moved to another space a block from his home. Canada Post has now confirmed that mailbox is one of the ones being relocated.

Saturday, October 3, 2015 i 11

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12 i Saturday, October 3, 2015

Liberals talk immigration to win ethnic voters back into the fold

he federal Liberals talked immigration policy Tuesday in Calgary as they took aim at capturing one of the most ethnically diverse ridings in the city. Former Liberal cabinet minister John McCallum appeared sideby-side with Calgary Skyview candidate Darshan Kang in a grocery store in the northeast Calgary riding that is one

of the Liberals’ main targets in the The Liberals under Justin Trudeau the challenge not only of winning a in Calgary — where they have been

city. face seat

shut out for more than 40 years — but also to woo back ethnic voters who formerly supported the Grits, but have been courted by the Conservatives over the last decade. “It’s true that in some past elections the Con-

servatives have made headways,” acknowledged McCallum, who is seeking re-election in the Ontario riding of Markham-Thornhill. “But … I think the appeal of the Conservative Party to ethnic groups is on the wane.” Members of ethnic communities are likely to play an increasingly important role in elections in Calgary as a growing part of the population. According to the 2011 census, the visible minority population in Calgary was 28 per cent, up six per cent from 2006.

Kang, a former Liberal MLA, will face incumbent Conservative Devinder Shory, as well as the NDP’s Sahajvir Singh and five other candidates in Calgary Skyview. Calgary cabinet minister Jason Kenney has led the Tories’ outreach efforts to new Canadians, but Kang said “everybody is hopping mad” over recent changes to immigration policy, such as the cap on the number of parents and

grandparents who can immigrate to Canada under the family reunification program.

Vancouver creates its first heritage conservation area

Vancouver neigh-

ister. Pre-1940 heritage bourhood has homes in the area will be been designated protected from demolias the city’s first-ever hertion. The proposed new itage conservation area. regulations will also al“First Shaughnessy is one low additional dwelling of our most historic neighuses and units, such as bourhoods, and in a city secondary suites, coach as young as Vancouver it’s houses, infill buildThe First Shaughnessy District, important that we protect ings and multiple-conits unique heritage,” Mayor Vancouver September 29 2015. version dwellings. Gregor Robertson said in a news release. The “By designating First Shaughnessy as VanFirst Shaughnessy District is the area bound couver’s first Heritage Conservation Area, by West 16th, King Edward, Arbutus and we are taking a balanced approach that will Oak streets. There are 595 properties in First prevent the demolition of these historic Shaughnessy, of which 315 were constructed homes while providing new opportunities to before 1940. Eighty of the properties are cur- add very modest density where appropriate,” rently listed on the Vancouver Heritage Reg- Robertson said.

Abbotsford man charged with child pornography

n Abbotsford man has been charged with child pornography offences after police say they found photos and videos in his home depicting child sex abuse. Eric Andrew Ellingsen, 28, was arrested on Sept. 9 and has now been charged with possession, accessing and distributing child pornography. Ellingsen was identified as a suspect

after Abbotsford police launched an investigation into the online sharing of child pornography. During a police search of his home, officers seized CDs, DVDs, phones and computers, according to a police press release. The accused man has been released on bail and is prohibited from having any physical or online contact with people under the age of 18.

LOCAL

Hundreds of tickets were written across Metro Vancouver for violating water ban

he number of warnings and tickets for illegal use of water soared in many Metro Vancouver municipalities this year after drought led to tougher-than-usual watering restrictions, including a ban for most of the summer on lawn sprinkling. Vancouver has issued nearly 6,000 warnings and handed out 415 tickets that carry a fine of $250. In comparison, last year there were 767 warnings and 43 tickets in Vancouver. Richmond handed out more tickets than warnings during Stage 3 restrictions. In all, 407 people received a fine of $500. West Vancouver, by contrast, issued no tickets but gave out 463 oral and written warnings so far this year. Metro Vancouver chair Greg Moore said Metro Vancouver will be reviewing what went right and wrong during the water restrictions this summer, and will look at how different municipalities enforced its bylaws when people watered their lawns when they were not allowed. He said he believes the review will likely result in a recommendation that municipalities take a more unified approach to enforcement and be consistent in what fines are levied to

offenders. But, Moore, added, Metro Vancouver can’t force municipalities to do that. Several municipalities had a sliding scale of fines depending on the level of watering restriction. Richmond fined people $200 for violating Stage 2 restrictions and $500 for Stage 3 restrictions. In Port Coquitlam, the seven people given tickets were repeat offenders: Two received a fine for

$150 during Stage 2 and the other five were fined $300 during Stage 3. In Port Coquitlam, where Moore is the mayor, he said summer students were hired as water ambassadors to educate the public on how they could reduce their water consumption. Recent rain has eased the pressure on Metro Vancouver’s reservoirs, allowing the regional district to ease watering restrictions to Stage 1.

Woman sexually assaulted at UVic, ‘several’ men sought

aanich police are hoping to find the person who intervened in a sexual assault at the University of Victoria Saturday in which “multiple” suspects set upon a woman walking alone. “It was not allowed to continue to such a degree that she suffered any injuries or required any medical intervention,” said Saanich police Sgt. Steve Eassie. “This certainly appears as though somebody saved somebody from extreme harm.” He would say only that the attack involved the woman being grabbed and held against her will. The assailants are all believed to be strangers to her, he said. The assault took place between midnight last Friday and 1 a.m. last Saturday, and happened in a wooded area near

UVic’s residences and parking lot No. 1. The lot is located directly across Ring Road from the Bob Wright Centre. “It would appear as though she had detached herself from a group and was proceeding to another area on campus,” Eassie said. “The information we have is that the first contact was made in a relatively low-lit area. “These are shocking revelations that have taken place. This isn’t something commonplace on the campus. This campus in general is extremely safe but this is a good reminder to everyone to ensure that they are taking proper safeguards — to make sure that they are safe when they’re walking from place to place.”

Saturday, October 3, 2015 i 13

LOCAL

14 i Saturday, October 3, 2015

South Surrey crash, Road-crew worker airlifted

collision between an eastbound vehicle and two members of a road line-painting crew has closed 24 Avenue between 148 and 150 Streets in South Surrey Wednesday afternoon. One victim has “substantial injuries,” according to police, and was airlifted to hospital. The second victim was also taken to Peace Arch Hospital by ambulance. Traffic is being re-routed, and the road is expected to be closed “for a lengthy period of time” as Surrey RCMP’s Criminal Collision Investigation Team investigates, according a news release issued by the detachment Wednesday afternoon. A woman who lives nearby witnessed the victims “about a second” after they were struck around 3:30 p.m., and told Peace Arch News the scene was chaotic. The woman – who didn’t want to give

her name – said she witnessed another car crash earlier today in the exact same spot and questioned why the stretch of road, which has been under construction for several months, was being so poorly managed. “People are confused by the markings,” she said. “It makes me really angry when things like this that are preventable happen.”

Canadians of all stripes oppose face coverings at citizenship ceremonies: Poll

anadians right across the political that arise during the campaign. Between spectrum are opposed to immi- Sept. 17 and 18, those taking the online grants being allowed to wear facial survey were asked whether they agreed coverings during the citizenship ceremo- or disagreed with the following statement: ny, according to the latest results from “Immigrants should be allowed to cover Vote Compass, CBC’s ontheir faces for religious line voter engagement surreasons while swearing vey. Asked whether immithe oath of citizenship.” grants should be allowed The question garnered to cover their faces for reli13,930 respondents. gious reasons while taking The issue has been the oath of citizenship, 72 thrust into the election per cent of Canadians say campaign as a result of no. Only 19 per cent say a 29-year-old Muslim they are OK with the idea. woman from Pakistan, Zunera Ishaq Vote Compass, which was developed by Zunera Ishaq, who went to court seeking Vox Pop Labs, asks people to respond to the right to wear a niqab when reciting a series of policy questions to determine her oath of Canadian citizenship — and, how their views match up with the po- subsequently, be allowed to vote in the sitions of the main political parties. It is federal election on Oct. 19. A ministerial also posing additional questions on issues directive issued in 2011 banned face coverings at citizenship ceremonies, but Ishaq successfully challenged that order in Federal Court and won. That ruling was upheld by the Federal Court of Appeal last Wednesday. In response to Wednesday’s ruling, the government asked the ruling be put on hold while it seeks leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. Asked about it on Friday, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper said, “When you join the Canadian family in a public citizenship ceremony, it is essential that that is a time when you reveal yourselves to Canadians, and that is something widely supported by Canadians.” ‘Canadians are very uncomfortable’ The findings from Vote Compass largely bolster this claim. When broken down along party lines, the results show that Bloc Québécois and Conservative supporters were most opposed to the idea of allowing people to cover their faces during citizenship ceremonies — 96 per cent and 92 per cent, respectively. NDP, Liberal and Green supporters were less opposed, with 62, 57 and 51 per cent, respectively, saying face coverings shouldn’t be allowed during this type of ceremony. On the other hand, 31 per cent of Green supporters, 29 per cent of NDP supporters and 28 per cent of Liberal supporters agree that it should be allowed. The issue is often “framed as religious freedom, but it’s also an issue about cultural norms, and right across the spectrum you’re seeing that Canadians are very uncomfortable with people covering their face for whatever reason,” says Kyle Matthews, senior deputy director for the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies at Concordia University. The niqab issue is not something that touches most Canadians directly, Matthews notes. But he says many people believe it represents larger concerns about the perils of religious accommodation in today’s society, particularly when that involves Muslims. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has pointed out that prior to writing and passing her citizenship test in 2013, Zunera Ishaq did remove her niqab in order to be properly identified by an immigration official. Trudeau has said the government’s approach to the issue “frays away the edges of our multicultural fabric.” ‘A textbook wedge issue’ The issue is most heated in Quebec, where the notion of reasonable accommodation was a major issue during the 2014 provincial election.

LOCAL

Abbotsford seniors’ home nurses fired and replaced to cut costs

ore than two dozen nurses are being replaced in an attempt to cut costs at an Abbotsford seniors’ care facility. Menno Place CEO Karen Baillie says 29 registered and licensed practical nurses have been let go at Menno Hospital because the facility is running a deficit. The positions — eight part-time RNs, 11 fulltime LPNs and 10 part-time LPNs — will be contracted out to a company that pays lower wages. “Basically we couldn’t sustain our beds if we

Health workers “snooping” on private data among most common breaches, privacy commissioner says

ritish Columbia’s privacy commissioner is calling for immediate action by provincial health authorities to boost protection of citizen’s health information in the absence of disclosure laws. Privacy Commissioner Elizabeth Denham says authorities are not legally obligated to report privacy breaches, which could involve sensitive personal information from HIV tests, to mammograms or routine blood results. Denham has released 13 recommendations in a report that examined eight provincial health authorities between April and June. The review found the most common breaches include lost or stolen records, unencrypted data, health workers “snooping” in electronic records and deliberate social media disclosures. More people are affected by privacy breaches due to the growing reliance on electronic records, said Denham in a release. As a result, Denham is urging health executives to promote a culture of rigorous security and privacy controls by providing resources and tools for implementation of stronger practices. She says regardless of B.C.’s lack of legal requirements, authorities should promptly notify people if their personal information is breached and could cause harm.

didn’t make a big change,” said Bailie. “So this change was laying off 29 nursing positions will allow us to balance our budget in three years. So it’s a change, which is tough, but we had to make it.” Baillie says all of the staff will be replaced with nurses who have the same qualifications.

Saturday, October 3, 2015 i 15

Man on trial for murder of pregnant girlfriend

B.C. man had just learned his 16-year-old girlfriend CJ Fowler was pregnant when he killed her with a 25-kilogram cement block, the Crown prosecutor has alleged at Damien Taylor’s murder trial. Taylor, 24, is on trial in Kamloops for the second-degree murder of Summer Star Elizabeth Krista-Lee Fowler, also known as CJ, a 16-year-old girl from the Gitanmaax First Nation Band near Terrace. Today in court, Fowler’s mother and stepfather wept as they heard how the girl’s body was found in a ravine on Dec. 5, 2012 by a man out walking his dog. A second witness, Julie Buie, who was working as a meter reader, said she originally thought she had spotted a mannequin, but as she got closer, realized it was a body with a concrete block lying on top of it. Fowler just learned of pregnancy Taylor and Fowler had been living with her mother and step-father in Terrace in

2012, when some of Taylor’s friends from Kamloops came to town, the court heard. Fowler’s stepfather, Glen Wilson, testified that he caught her and two friends high on drugs in the house. He kicked the friends out, and Fowler left with them. Days later, in late Nov. 2012, she travelled with Taylor to Kamloops to visit the friends. Wilson testified that he was texting back and forth with Fowler the night before her body was found — and even the morning of Dec. 5. Wilson says Fowler told him during that exchange she had gone to the hospital with chest pains after smoking speed with her friends. That was when Fowler and Taylor learned she was pregnant. The stepfather testified that he bought bus tickets for the couple to come back home to Terrace — but he never saw Fowler alive again. Fowler’s step-father, Glen Wilson, said he had previously had a good relationship with Taylor, who called him “Poppa.”

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LOCAL

16 i Saturday, October 3, 2015

Police report a pot possession incident every 9 minutes

Student sexually assaulted in Richmond

Student was groped while walking to school on Tuesday morning

olice in Richmond are warning people to be vigilant after a high school student was sexually assaulted Tuesday morning on her way to school. The female student was groped by a man who then exposed himself to her around 7:30 a.m. PT, according to RCMP. The suspect is described as: About 40 years old with a medium build. Dark hair and bushy eyebrows. Wearing dark pants, a hoodie and a toque. The president of the school’s parent advisory council Patrick Chun said an email was sent to parents of children attending R.C. Palmer Secondary School warning them them to be aware of who their children encounter on their way

to school. “We are going to be talking about it at the next parent advisory council [meeting] for sure,” said Chun. Richmond RCMP Cpl. Dennis Hwang says people in the area should keep an eye out for suspicious behavior. “If you’re going to school or anywhere else in public, just kind of be aware of your surroundings. If somebody looks a little odd — someone who shouldn’t belong there, somebody that you don’t normally see — just be vigilant,” said Hwang. Anyone with information should contact Const. Jason Pickering at 604-2781212 or Richmond_Tips@rcmp-grc. gc.ca, or anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

of 79. The city of St. John’s, olice deal with a Kelowna tops by contrast, had 11 charges marijuana posthe list of 34 Cana- per 100,000. Stephen Harpsession incident dian cities for the er announced a tougher atevery nine minutes in titude on drug possession highest Canada, according to when he took office, and 2014 figures, but a CBC per capita rate of statistics show marijuana News analysis found that marijuana charges incidents and charges have where you live plays a gone up by about 30 per cent big role in determining whether you would between 2006 and 2014. But local attitudes have faced criminal charges. Kelowna tops by law enforcement play a big role in how the list of 34 Canadian cities for the highest many charges are laid, according to experts. per capita rate of marijuana charges. There Kelowna, B.C., topped the list of 34 Cawere 251 charges per 100,000 population nadian cities for the highest per capita rate in 2014, far above the Canadian average of marijuana possession charges in 2014.

Suspect sought following sexual assault in Surrey

over 6’ tall, approxn September imately 160 lbs., in 27th at aphis late 30’s, with proximately short black hair, and 4:30 pm, a male sexuno facial hair. The ally and physically assuspect has a dissaulted a woman in a tinctive “wanderwooded area near the ing” or “lazy” right intersection of Fraser Surrey RCMP is requesting the eye. At the time of Highway and 140th public’s assistance in identifying a the offence, the susStreet. The suspect suspect alleged to have committed a pect was wearing was last seen leaving on sexual assault earlier this week. a dark blue sweatfoot. The victim was er with thick black lettering, blue jeans treated for injuries at local area hosand white runners. The suspect was pital. Investigators with the Surrey also seen carrying a brown paper bag. RCMP Special Victims Unit (SVU) Anyone with more information is have so far been unable to identify the asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at suspect and, as a result, are releasing 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers, if the attached photos and appealing to they wish to remain anonymous, at the public for their assistance. The 1-800-222suspect is described as a black male, TIPS or www.solvecrime.ca.

Away or busy on October 19? You can vote in advance. If you’re ready to vote early, you can vote at your advance polling place between October 9 and 12, from noon to 8:00 p.m. Or you can vote at any Elections Canada office across the country any day until October 13 at 6:00 p.m. For all voting locations, check your voter information card, visit elections.ca or call 1-800-463-6868 ( TTY 1-800-361-8935). Elections Canada has all the information you need to be ready to vote.

LOCAL Federal Tories will fund $700m of Surrey’s $2.1b light rapid-transit project if re-elected

urrey’s $2.1-billion light rapid-transit project has been identified as a key priority for the federal Tories, who promised Monday to provide the proposal with $700 million in funding if re-elected Oct. 19. The pledge, made in Surrey by outgoing MP James Moore and South Surrey-White Rock candidate Dianne Watts, marks the first time in this campaign that any of Conservative candidate Dianne Watts the three main federal parties have specifically targeted one of Metro gin in 2018. “There are funding formulas Vancouver’s transit projects for funding. and then there are financing options,” she While both the federal Liberals and fed- said. “So I could be looking at a financeral NDP have pledged billions in tran- ing option, not unlike the Canada Line.” sit funding to the Lower Mainland if Grewal, the Conservative Candidate for elected, neither have tied the money Fleetwood-Port Kells joined with the to specifics, believing that such a deci- Honourable James Moore and the Consion should be left to local governments. servative team for Surrey, to announce a Moore, however, said Monday’s announce- promise of $700 million for a new light rail ment doesn’t mean other major transit projects, such as Vancouver’s Broadway SkyTrain extension, wouldn’t receive future federal money. Asked why the Surrey project was being given preference, Moore said because it was set to go. “This does not preclude any kind of arrangement, either if it is a one-off with the City of Vancouver or something with the regional authority, if that is how the government structure makes most sense to move forward with Broadway,” he said. “We will be at the table as a funding partner for projects in the future.” Watts, who last week came under fire for a controversial Conservative brochure that came out in her riding, said that the LRT project will connect the town centres of Newton, Guildford and Langley to Surrey City Centre. In total, there will be two lines, stretching an estimated 28 kilometres. “It’s not just about moving people through those corridors, it’s about shaping the city, and it’s aboutpreparing this region south of the Fraser for new growth that is coming its way,” said Watts. “This transit project will reduce congestion, and in turn reduce greenhouse gases.” Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner said the B.C. government has already committed to its third of the money, meaning it’s now up to the region to come up with its share. She estimated that construction would be-

North Vancouver homicide leads to charges against 4 men

our men have been charged in connection with a man who was found dead Tuesday in North Vancouver, B.C. Police said Wednesday they were responding to an alleged kidnapping when they discovered the body of a man in the area of Lynn Valley. They have yet to release his name. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the police response to the kidnapping was directly related to an active and ongoing investigation taking place throughout Metro Vancouver. Four men have been arrested: Tian Zhang, 23 and Casey Hiscoe, 21, have been charged with kidnapping and indignity to a body. The other two, Dyllan Green, 20 and Jacob Gorelik, 18, have also been charged with indignity to a body. Sgt. Stephanie Ashton with IHIT said they are only releasing limited information in order to “protect the integrity of the investigation,” but reassured the public this was a targeted incident.

Saturday, October 3, 2015 i 17

Ontario resident slain at Oak and King Edward likely a victim of ‘an ongoing gang conflict’

ancouver police have identified Vancouver police at 604-717-2500 or the city’s 13th murder victim of CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477. 2015. Duy Ly Nguyen, 30, was shot while in the front passenger seat of a white Toyota Camry on Sunday in a mall parking lot on King Edward Avenue at Oak Street. Police said Nguyen was from Ontario and his murder is believed to be targeted and “likely the result of an ongoing gang conflict.” There have been no arrests. Anyone with inforVancouver police identified city’s 13th murder victim of 2015. mation is asked to call Grewal, the Conservative Candidate for Fleetwood-Port Kells joined with the Honourable James Moore and the Con-

servative team for Surrey, to announce a promise of $700 million for a new light rail system in Surrey.

18 i Saturday, October 3, 2015

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Vancouver bans teardown of character homes in oldest, richest neighbourhood

omeowners are no longer allowed to demolish pre-1940s character houses in Vancouver’s oldest and richest neighbourhood, First Shaughnessy. Council voted Tuesday to name the district a heritage conservation area in order to preserve the heritage houses in the community known for its mansions and expansive green spaces. It’s the first time Vancouver has protected heritage with a large-scale zoning bylaw, a move that could hurt property values by up to 10 per cent. That amounts to an average of $600,000, considering the average sales price of a home is more than $6 million in the neighbourhood originally built by Canadian Pacific Rail in 1907 to lure people away from the increasingly crowded West End. To offset the economic hit, the plan allows owners to build secondary suites, laneway houses, infill buildings and multiple-conversion dwellings. While that density may seem minor compared to other parts of town, some people opposed it at the public hearing.

Vancouver Art Gallery releases design for new $350M gallery The Vancouver Art Gallery has finally unveiled its grand plans for a new museum made of stacked, wooden boxes that evoke images of Jenga or an inuksuk, a design intended to stand out from the homogeneous glass towers that have come to define the downtown peninsula. Designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, the new museum at Larwill Park would be nearly double the size of the old courthouse six blocks away at Robson and Howe where the gallery is squeezed for space. It would feature a 40,000 square-foot outdoor public courtyard framed by one-storey buildings, a 350-seat auditorium and more than twice the exhibition space built to feature natural light. Online reaction to the design was swift, with residents split between loving it (the wood structure was a hit for many, although it’s not entirely clear how plausible wood is) and despising it (the words “ugly” and “dated” were bandied about). The proposed courtyard at the new Vancouver Art Gallery. But the gallery is still more than $200 million away from making its $350-million dream a reality. It has secured only 20 per cent of the funding thus far – $23 million from its board of trustees, director Kathleen Bartels announced Tuesday, and $50 million from the province in 2008.

“First Shaughnessy is one of our most historic neighbourhoods, and in a city as young as Vancouver it’s important that we protect its unique heritage,” Mayor Gregor Robertson said in a statement lauding the decision. “We are taking a balanced approach that 4 iprevent Saturday, July 25, 2015 will the demolition of these historic

homes while providing new opportunities to add very modest density where appropriate.” More than half of the 595 properties in First Shaughnessy were built before 1940, according to the city. And not all of their owners are pleased about council’s controversial decision. In a letter to council dated Sept.

15, Robert Miranda wrote his old house has never before warranted a heritage designation and pleaded with council not to designate the neigbhourhood in one fell swoop. He wrote he would not hesitate to sue the city if the changes diminish his property value.

2 i Saturday, October 3, 2015

real estate / finance

Bentall Centre up for sale

he offering, which has not yet been listed but was confirmed Wednesday by Ivanhoé Cambridge, will likely be one of the largest transactions in the Vancouver’s history, according to observers. The buildings, built between 1969 and 1981 and located between Burrard and Thurlow and Dunsmuir and Pender streets, have long been the epicentre of Vancouver’s central business district; the towers at Bentall 1,2,3 and 4, ranging from 21 to 35 storeys, house many of British Columbia’s established businesses and law offices. The sale will attract interest from major investors around the world, said Arthur Lloyd, Ivanhoé Cambridge’s executive vice-president of office for North America. “We believe there is appetite from global institutional investors seeking stable returns in core assets such as Bentall Centre,” he said in a statement. Ivanhoé Cambridge spokesman Sébastien Théberge confirmed the company was selling the Bentall Centre but declined to comment on the specifics or details. The four buildings contain nearly 1.5 million square feet of office space, along with 53,000 square feet of retail space underground. The complex is coowned by Ivanhoé Cambridge Inc. and Great West Life Assurance, one of the original investors in the project. How the sale will be arranged given the shared ownership is unclear, but such co-operative ownerships usually have buy-sell clauses that require one partner to first offer to the other partners. In this

case Great West Life owns 40 per cent each of Bentall 1,2 and 3, and 25 per cent of Bentall 4, according to real estate experts with knowledge of the arrangement. Calls for comment to GWL Realty Advisors, Great West Life’s real estate arm, were not returned. The news surprised both the city and commercial real estate agents, who say the property is “irreplaceable” and is coming on the market at a strategic time. “This is a big deal in a market that has been constrained for offerings like this,” said Kirk Kuester, the executive managing director of Colliers International. Kuester’s company isn’t involved in the listing but he agreed to discuss the impact of Ivanhoé Cambridge’s decision. “We are in a market that is absolutely devoid of product in general, let alone trophy real estate, irreplaceable real estate, such as this. I mean you just don’t replace this kind of real estate,” Kuester said. “We continue to field inquiries from domestic, Canadian, foreign and international investors looking to acquire this kind of real estate and it just isn’t available.” Vancouver’s Class A downtown business real estate is largely controlled by “less than half a dozen major institutional investors,” he said. “They are all looking to expand their holdings because economies of scale are ever so important when you own this kind of real estate.” That demand, he said, will put the Bentall Centre sale off the charts. “What is more relevant is that it will set a record in pricing — there is no doubt about it. We are at a point in time today where valuations are at all-time highs and supply is at an all-time low and liquidity is at an all-time high,” he said.

BOLLYWOOD / FILM

Saturday, October 3, 2015 i 3

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to open the ISL

t looks like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is ready to turn up the heat in the month of October. Aside from her comeback with Jazbaa on October 9, the actress is set to perform at the opening ceremony of the second edition of Indian Super League football tournament on October 3. The event will take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, right before the opening match of the season between Chennaiyin FC and Atletico de Kolkata. Interestingly enough, Chennaiyin FC is coowned by hubby Abhishek Bachchan and this is apparently Aishwarya’s gesture to cheer for his team on the big day. Possibly shaking a leg to a medley of her hit numbers like Crazy Kiya Re, Zor Ka Jhatka and Dola Re, we’re sure Aishwarya will add more than a dose of glamour to the league tournament.

Kya Jazbaati sawaal poochhaa hai,’ says Salman Khan when asked about Bigg Boss 9 and Aishwarya

igg Boss’ has often proved to be a good platform for actors to promote their upcoming films. With the reality show slated to go on air from October 11 and Aishwarya Rai‘s comeback film, ‘Jazbaa’ releasing on 9th October, one wondered if Aishwarya Rai

and team would promote their film on ‘Bigg Boss 9’? However, when Salman Khan was asked about former girlfriend Aishwarya Rai appearing on his show to promote her movie, Salman initially pretended not to hear the question. Watch Salman ‘Hero’ Khan Sets The Tone For ‘Bigg Boss Nau

– Double Trouble’: The question was repeated with so much gusto that the Dabangg star couldn’t pretend not hearing it. Unfortunately, Salman Khan ducked the question in his own inimitable manner. “Kya Jazbaati sawaal poocha hai,” exclaimed Salman signalling the end of the press conference.

Salman Khan was asked whether exgirlfriend Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was appearing on “Bigg Boss” hosted by him, to which he said, “jazbaati sawal…kar diya”.

BOLLYWOOD / films

4 i Saturday, October 3, 2015

Salman gets diplomatic

he entire team of ‘‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’’ launched the trailer of their film in the grandest possible way and even took the media’s questions in a more than sporting manner. During the Q&A session, though, Salman was slightly taken aback by a question thrown at him. It was brought to Salman’s attention that a number of people find enough similarities between the posters of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, with him and Aishwarya and that of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo with Sonam

Kapoor, to the point of blatantly comparing the too. While co-star Anupam Kher tried to tackle it jovially, Salman looked at the poster twice and thoughtfully said, “That was a nice poster as well. And this one is beautiful too.” To which Sonam Kapoor added, “This is prettier.” Salman had to tackle another such question about Mrs. Bachchan at the Bigg Boss press meet. When asked whether Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will promote Jazbaa on the sets of Bigg Boss,

Salman had wittily replied, “You’ve asked a Jazbaati question.” Well, looks

Dal Dal tadka tadka

Recipe

Ingredients: (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml) •½ cup arhar dal/tuvar dal/ split pigeon pea lentils + ½ cup masoor dal/split pink lentils or 1 cup arhar dal/tuvar dal/ split pigeon pea lentils •1 or 2 green chilies, chopped or slit lengthwise •1 medium sized onion, chopped •2 medium sized tomato, chopped •½ inch ginger, finely chopped or grated, about to ½ tsp of grated or chopped ginger (optional) •1 tsp turmeric powder/haldi •a pinch or two of garam masala powder •a pinch of asafoetida/hing •2.5 cups water for pressure cooking •1 tsp kasuri methi/ dry fenugreek leaves, crushed •1 or 2 tbsp cream (optional) •1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves •salt as required Tadka: •2 tbsp oil or 1.5 tbsp ghee or butter •1 tsp cumin seeds/ jeera •5 to 6 garlic cloves/lahsun, finely chopped •2 to 3 red chilies •a generous pinch of asafoetida/hing •½ tsp red chili powder Garnish: •1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves/dhania patta Method: Preparing the lentils: 1.rinse the lentils and add them to the pressure cooker. the below pic shows only tuvar or arhar dal. you can also cook the lentils in a pot. just soak the lentils for an hour or two before you cook them in a pot. cooking the lentils in a pot, will take more time than cooking in the pressure cooker. method on how to cook lentils in a pot is mentioned

IT’S OUR FAVOURITE TIME OF FEAR.

like Salman not only knows how to wow the audiences but also tread tricky ground with care and flair

in the notes section of recipe details below 2.to the lentils, add chopped onions, tomato, green chilies, ginger. 3.pour 2.5 cups water. if cooking in a pot, then about 4 to 4.5 cups water can be added. 4.add turmeric powder and asafoetida. stir well. 5.pressure cook the lentils for about 7 to 8 whistles or more till they become soft and creamy. mash the dal with a wired whisk or with a spoon and keep aside. if the dal looks thick, then add some water to get a medium consistency. simmer the dal for 3 to 4 minutes. pic of the consistency of the lentils in step 6 6.once the desired consistency is reached, add cream (optional), garam masala powder, crushed kasuri methi, chopped coriander leaves and salt. switch off the fire. please note crushed kasuri methi can also be added in the tempering later and skipped at this step. 7.once the desired consistency is reached, add cream (optional), garam masala powder, crushed kasuri methi, chopped coriander leaves and salt. switch off the fire. please note crushed kasuri methi can also be added in the tempering later and skipped at this step. 8.mix well so that everything combines uniformly. check salt before you add the tempering. if less than add more salt.

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inging his popular songs to the beat of his accomplished musicians and joined by his fans all over , Mika Singh kept the crowd of music loving fans on their toes throughout and mesmerised the concert goers in all three cities Ottawa , Edmonton & Calgary. The party started in nation capital and moved on to Alberta and needless to say that the Albertans are still under Mika spell as the roaring cheers of Mika , Mika, Mika greeted him all over. Mika is performing in O2 arena in London on October 4th and then he’ll start the second leg of his Canadian tour which will take him to Toronto , Montreal and then finishing with the finale in Vancouver on October 12th. Tickets for Mika Singh’s concert on Monday , October 12th ( Thanksgiving Holiday Long Weekend ) at Vancouver’s iconic Orpheum theatre are selling out fast and Van-

couvrites are sure raring to party with King Mika Singh to his latest hits from Welcome back , ABCD 2 , Bajrngi Bhai Jan and many more with the amazing dancers of Shimak Vancouver , so check out for tickets at www. vtixonline.com and visit Kamal’s Video Palace in Surrey or call Kamal at 604-592-9777 for more information.

Ranveer, Sushmita, Lisa spotted together Ranveer Singh, Sushmita Sen and Lisa Haydon created quite a frenzy at the airport. While Ranveer was seen in a Mickey Mouse printed shirt, Lisa Haydon and Sushmita Sen were seen at their casual best. What really amused us is to see Lisa carry a polka dotted balloon at the airport. Credit: Viral Bhayani

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6 i Saturday, October 3, 2015

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Alia and Varun in a film together Yes, the jodi of Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan will be seen together again. Though the actors are tight-lipped about this development, sources insist the two have given their nod to their Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania director, Shashank Khaitan’s next. And this too is a love story. Cool.

Sushant Singh Rajput to get hitched

years, is looking forward to a grand-scale wedding. When asked about the big move, here’s what Sushant had to say: “Ankita wants an elaborate wedding and it will happen at the end of next year when I am done with my current commitments. By then I’ll have a year to condition myself so that I can enjoy the wedding. I have no option.” Turns out, Sushant would have gotten married sooner if his career wasn’t at stake. The actor, who made his debut in 2013 with Kai Po Che, had this to say about why it took so long to come to this point: “I was told that if I get married, I will lose my female fan following. If that happens, I will quit acting.” Well, now that Sushant is a rather sought after actor, it looks like he doesn’t need to worry about his fan base. But when asked about his reel-life love story helmed by Dinesh Vijan, he will be starting that after the biopic. And as far as the leading lady opposite him is con-

t looks like the wedding bells are ready to ring for Sushant Singh Rajput. The reticent actor, who is currently working on the biopic MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, where he plays the Captain of the Indian team himself, says that he is looking to marry his long-term girlfriend, Ankita Lokhande, next year. Apparently, Ankita, who was also his co-star on the hit TV show Pavitra Rishta and has been living in with him during their relationship of six to seven

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Spinach and Feta Pasta

Kat skips the ramp

s Ranbir Kapoor walked the ramp for Manish Malhotra at a recent fashion week and it was an exciting evening to see Ranbir play the showstopper. But Katrina was conspicuous by her absence. And it didn’t take long for those present at the show to add two and two together and come up with seventy two. Silly people. What actually happened was conflict of brand interests. Since Katrina is the brand ambassador of a beauty brand, the company frowned when they heard she was going to make an appearance at the fashion show. So naturally, Katrina dropped out. We hear she used that time to do a chat show instead.

Recipe

Ingredients :

riginal recipe makes 4 servings, 1 (8 ounce) packagepenne pasta, 2 tablespoonsolive oil, 1/2 cupchopped onion, 1 clovegarlic, minced, 3 cupschopped tomatoes, 1 cupsliced fresh mushrooms, 2 cupsspinach leaves, packed, salt and pepper to taste, 1 pinchred pepper flakes, 8 ouncesfeta cheese, crumbled Method: 1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente; drain. 2.Meanwhile, heat

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LOCAL

Parents in shock after 3 kids die in car crash 1/9

t’s like the worst nightmare, as a daughter, as a parent, to have to go through and just know it was caused by someone’s stupidity... It just kills me,” Jennifer Neville-Lake told Toronto television station CP24. “Planning one funeral is difficult, never mind when you’re planning four funerals and three of them are your children and one of them is your dad.” Daniel Neville-Lake, 9, his brother Harrison, 5, and their two-yearold sister Milly, died after the Sunday afternoon crash in Vaughan, Ont.. Jennifer Neville-Lake said her father often took care of the children because she and her husband both work full time. Daniel was devoted to dance, having taken ballet for several years, and went to Cubs meetings every week, his mother said. He loved to play strategy games, she said. Harrison — nicknamed Harry — was a bilateral hand amputee and was often sick, Jennifer Neville-Lake said. He also had a developmental delay, she said. “Harry was just so happy. He loved beauty, loved to dance, loved long flowing hair and dresses and pink and My Little Pony,” she said. Milly, she said, was “feisty” and loved to play outside. The two youngest siblings died together in hospital, holding hands, as their grandmother — who was driving the van and suffered serious injuries — sang to them over the phone, Neville-Lake said. “She didn’t know that my dad had died,” she said. “She was driving and was pinned in the car and was screaming the kids’ names and she couldn’t...there was no answer. “At first she thought it was her hearing but it wasn’t until I called her from Sick Kids and I said, ‘Mommy the babies are

“

Mother of drunk driver extends condolences to Vaughan crash victims

he family of the man facing impaired driving and other charges in connection with Sunday’s crash in Vaughan, Ont., that left four family members dead issued a statement today that extends condolences to the families. The statement by the Muzzo family reads: “We are all greatly saddened by yest e r d a y ’s tragedy and express our deepest sympathy and condolences to the Neville, Lake and Frias families. We would ask for the cooperation of the media in respecting the privacy of our family during this very difficult time.” Marco Muzzo, 29, faces 18 charges, including four counts of impaired driving causing death. The crash happened when an SUV driven by Muzzo collided with a minivan carrying six members of the Neville-Lake family. All three children in the Neville-Lake family died: Daniel, 9, Harrison (Harry) 5, and Milly, 2. Their grandfather, Gary Neville, 65, was also killed. The children’s grandmother and great-grandmother are recovering in hospital. Marco Muzzo, of King Township, appeared Monday in a Newmarket, Ont., court. He is from one of Canada’s wealthiest families, worth $1.7 billion, according to an estimate early this year from Canadian Business. He is listed as a director of Marel Contractors, which has projects across the city, including ones in Liberty Village and the Trump Tower.

Saturday, October 3, 2015 i 19

Saudi Hajj disaster toll questioned

A mother who lost her three young children and her father in a car crash north of Toronto involving an alleged drunk driver said Monday she is struggling to plan four funerals while grappling with devastating grief.

dying, I need you to sing to them please,’ so she did, she sang to each of them, and then she found out about my dad.”

fficials from several countries have said that more than 1,000 people died in last week’s stampede near Mecca during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The last figure given by the Saudi authorities was 769. However, a Nigerian official told the BBC that more than 1,000 bodies had been taken from the disaster site to morgues in the city of Jeddah. Indian, Pakistani and Indonesian officials have also been quoted as saying they think more than 1,000 died. A Nigerian Hajj official from Kano told the BBC’s Yusuf Ibrahim Yakasai that he had been to Jeddah, where the dead from Thursday’s crush are being processed. The official said that in total, 14 trucks loaded with bodies were brought to the city. He added that so far 1,075 bodies had been offloaded from 10 trucks and taken into the morgues. Four trucks had yet to be dealt with, he said. Several countries have been severely critical of the way the Saudi authorities have handled the accident’s aftermath, notably Saudi Arabia’s regional rival Iran, which lost more than 140 people in the disaster. The stampede left 934 people injured Saturday, August 29, 2015 i 19

Saturda

LOCAL

20 i Saturday, October 3, 2015

Canadian military ponders integrated force with U.S. to respond to hotspots

he Canadian military has been working on a plan to create with the United States a bi-national integrated military force to deploy to hot spots around the world. The so-called Canada-U.S. Integrated Forces would be the result of an agreement between the two countries under which air, sea, land and special operations forces would be jointly deployed under unified command, outside Canada. The forces would operate in the same manner as those controlled by the North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad), but would be used on expeditionary operations, and not in defence of the homeland, according to a source. The briefing note was written in October 2013. It contemplates how the military could remain globally engaged as Afghan training mission was coming to a close. Daniel Proussalidis, a spokesman from the defence minister’s office, said in an email to CBC News that the document was not presented to the minister and the government has not considered its contents. Canada and the U.S. have for long partnered together on military operations, including in the war against ISIS and in Afghanistan. Both countries would continue to operate their own separate militaries, which would contribute units based on need. But the plan laid out in a military briefing note written for then chief of the defence staff general Tom Lawson goes further. It suggests

military officials from both countries were seeking to align some forces in a permanent and formal arrangement. A source familiar with the planning said the CAN-US IF, as it’s called, would be scaled in proportion to the conflict it was being deployed to. Such a force could feature just ships, or ships and planes, or some combination of all military forces including ground troops and special operation soldiers. The “conceptual development” of the force would include devising techniques for the management of the force, its command structure and its links back to national headquarters in both countries. It would also have to deal with some thorny questions around the use of force and varying interpretations of the laws of war. Soldiers from Canada’s elite Joint Task Force 2 counter-terrorism unit encountered difficulty in Afghanistan operating alongside U.S. government forces who allegedly committed unlawful killings in full view of Canadian commandos. ‘Close engagement with the US will enable the achievement of other [Canadian] regional strategic objectives.’– Military document The JTF-2 soldier who raised those allegations also claimed that in January 2008 his team was sent to conduct a mission alongside an American team. He said he witnessed the U.S. forces kill a man who was wounded and unarmed — a war crime.

Vancouver Island Liberal candidate resigns after questioning 9-11

iberal candidate Maria Manna has On Friday she said she still doesn’t resigned after reports that she had know how the New York towers colcalled the official account of how lapsed since she posted her skepticism the Twin Towers came down on 9-11 a lie. on Facebook in 2013, but said she’s “After stepping back and reflecting on moved on. “We will never know how recent events, I have decided to resign as those buildings came down,” said Manna. the Liberal candidate for Cowichan-Mala- She said she formalized her view after hat-Langford,” Manna posted on her Face- about the terrorist attack after she attended book account today. “I fully support Justin a forum by “architects and engineers” who Trudeau, the Liberal team, and the real supported the theory that a single plane change they are bringing to Caalone could not have taken down nadians. This election is far too a tower. “And then I just said: ‘OK. important to have my past opinI believe that it wasn’t just a plane ions and comments detract from that went through the building.’ that goal. I sincerely apologize And that’s my truth, and that’s to those I have offended. I will OK, and now we have to move continue to devote myself to my on.” Manna said she firmly bemusic and humanitarian work.” lieves that 9-11 was a terrorist atIn a Times Colonist interview on Maria Manna tack against the United States and Friday, Manna explained a Facethat it never entered her mind to book post she made in September 2013. consider the conspiracy theories suggest“So today we remember the tragedy of 911. ing otherwise. “I didn’t go on thinking who Today we will talk about who did it and why. did it, and why did they do it. I just didn’t Today most people will continue to believe believe that physically it could have hapthe lie, and again, THEY continue to win. pened ... and then I moved on,” Manna said. Thank God I know the truth! LOVE is the During this federal election campaign, cananswer!!!” read the post. On September didates from all parties have faced varying 11, 2001, al-Qaida terrorists hijacked four degrees of scrutiny having to apologize, airliners, crashed them into the Pentagon, backtrack or step down over their posts a Pennsylvania field and New York’s World on social media, many from years ago. Trade Center’s north and south towers. Luke Krayenhoff has submitted his paWithin 1:42 minutes both 110-storey tow- perwork to Elections Canada to repreers collapsed. Nearly 3,000 people, includ- sent Cowichan-Malahat-Langford for the ing 26 Canadians, died in the day’s attacks. federal Liberal Party. That paperwork has Specifically, Manna explained she doesn’t been accepted but the party has not yet ofbelieve a single plane could have, on its ficially announced him as the candidate. own, taken down an entire building.

POLITICS

NDP sets sights on Trudeau in bid to recapture momentum

ith their political momentum apparently stalled, the New Democrats plan to launch a course correction, shifting their strategy with a recalibrated campaign that includes sharper attacks on Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau. TheNDP will be buying more broadcast ads in an attempt to reverse a recent sag in the polls. Not only can Canadians expect to see more ads, but the NDP plans to intensify campaigning in the days ahead, which includes more touring in southwestern Ontario. This new strategy would move away from comparing NDP policy with the Liberal plans and instead highlight the issue of leadership — who would make the best prime minister. The idea is to demonstrate Tom Mulcair is a stronger leader than Trudeau, to knock down his support a few points and to reduce the Liberal leader’s likability quotient in English Canada. To that end,

onservative Leader Stephen Harper portrayed himself as a hard-headed realist, but his opponents painted him as the leader who turned Canada away from what the country believes. The leaders of Canada’s political parties turned a large chunk of last Monday’s Munk debate on foreign policy into a discourse on Canadian values. Unlike previous debates, this was a case where the veteran incumbent, Harper, who has steered Canadian foreign policy for the past decade, was at the centre of the argument, beset by two opponents. But by staying cool and striving to sound moderate, he

managed to use experience to counterattack. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said Harper has moved Canada far from what it used to be, unwilling to bring in Syrian refugees and talking only about security, unwilling to send Canadian troops to peacekeeping missions, turning its back on multilateralism, and damaging Canada’s reputation abroad. New Democratic Party Leader Thomas Mulcair also accused Harper of hurting Canada’s reputation and failing to deliver results: Canada, he noted, is the only country that withdrew from the Kyoto protocol, but it still did not get any oil pipelines built.

i 21

Niqab ban prevented only 2 women from proceeding with citizenship oath

the party has just launched a series of anti-Trudeau radio ads, which include attacking the Liberal leader over his support for C-51, the controversial anti-terrorism legislation that gives more power to Canada’s security forces. The other ads accuse Trudeau of being hostile to the auto and manufacturing sectors and slam him for charging thousands of dollars of speaking fees for appearances at school boards and charities. The party has also seen its support decline in Quebec, a province where it’s crucial for the party to at least retain its seat count for any hopes of a victory. The NDP believes it has been hurt by the so-called niqab issue and opposition to the Conservative government’s ban on wearing the face veil while taking the Canadian citizenship oath. Polls suggest a vast majority of Canadians support the Tories on this issue, but the strongest support is in Quebec.

Foreign policy debate turns into discourse on Canadian values

Saturday, October 3, 2015

ince the Conservative government implemented a policy in 2011 stating that candidates for citizenship must remove any kind of face covering when taking the public citizenship oath, only two women have decided to not go through with the ceremony. “Citizenship applications have not been refused based on the 2011 policy,” said Sonia Lesage, a spokeswoman for Citizenship and Immigration Canada. “We are only aware of two individuals who have chosen not to proceed to the citizenship ceremony based on the requirement to remove their face coverings.” The controversy centres around the case of Zunera Ishaq, a Pakistani woman and devout Sunni Muslim who is seeking Canadian citizenship. Based on her religious beliefs, Ishaq wears a niqab, or veil, to cover most of her face when out in public. It’s not known how many women are dissuaded from seeking citizenship be-

cause of the niqab ban. The wearing of the niqab during the citizenship oath has become a controversial election issue. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May oppose the ban, while Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe support it. In 2011, then immigration minister Jason Kenney issued a new policy manual stating that candidates for citizenship must remove any kind of face covering when taking the public citizenship oath. While applying for citizenship in 2013, Ishaq had agreed to unveil herself to an official before taking the citizenship test. But she objected to removing her niqab at the public swearing-in ceremony. Ishaq, a permanent resident, later sued the government, arguing, in part, that the ban against her wearing the niqab during the ceremony was an infringement of her charter rights.

Senators to meet in private to talk Red Chamber reform

egardless of which party wins the election, there will be no status quo for the Senate after Oct. 19. To tackle the prospect of change head-on, Conservative Senator Stephen Greene and Liberal-appointed Senator Paul Massicotte have invited their peers to Ottawa for a post-election meeting on how they can reform the Senate from within. “Everything is on the table,” Massicotte said of the meeting, which will be held from Oct. 26 to 28. “The Senate, obviously, is constitutionally created. But the way we operate and the rules we set, and the process we follow, is totally within the re-

sponsibility and the authority of the Senate. “There’s no limits relative to what we can change,” says Massicotte. In June, Greene and Massicotte sent out a questionnaire asking their colleagues for feedback on ideas for reform. ‘There’s no limits relative to what we can change.’- Liberal-appointed Senator Paul Massicotte Massicotte says the point was to get an idea of where there might be consensus. “Can we modernize the Senate, can we make it more relevant, can we make it more useful, can we gain better credibility with the public so they understand a bit better what we’re doing?”

If you got this card, you’re ready to vote! Federal election day is October 19. Did your voter information card arrive in the mail? It tells you that you’re registered to vote, and explains when and where you can vote. If you didn’t receive one, or if it has the wrong name or address, check, update or complete your registration at elections.ca. Or call 1-800-463-6868 ( TTY 1-800-361-8935). Elections Canada has all the information you need to be ready to vote.

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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

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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 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

is $14.00 per hour plus vacation pay. You would be required to Mayuri Indian foods inc is looking oversee and supervise Static to hire an Ethnic Food Cook in Guards. You will need to ensure Surrey BC. F/T & Perm.$17/hr. the duties of the Static Guards Must have at least 2-3 yrs expeyou supervise are being completed and the client’s needs are berience in South Indian cuisine & specialized knowledge in Indian ing met. Field Manager pay rate is spicing. Duties: Prepare & Cook $18.00 per hour plus vacation pay. meals; Supervise Kitchen helpers; You would be required to report to the Director of Operations and Plan menus; Ensure quality & you are responsible for supportdetermine food proportions; ing, mentoring and supervising Monitor & order food supplies; the security officers in the field. Set up & oversee buffets; Manage You will be required to manage kitchen operation. Mail resume the company’s field operations or apply by person Mayuri indian and resources after business cuisine , Unit 102A,12677 80th hours. Mobile Supervisor pay rate Ave., is $18.00 per hour. You would be Surrey BC V3W 3A6 required to provide ongoing leadFax: 604-572-3281 ership, direction and training. You ------------------------------------need to ensure all standing orders English Classes for Adults and scheduled daily activities are Register for classes carried out for each shift. You September 2-8 For more information,Visit: www. will be required to discipline staff when necessary victoryesl.com and ensure proper documentaCall: 604.755.7976 tion is passed onto head office. E-mail: victoryesl1@gmail.com You will have to investigate alarm ---------------------------responses and respond in a timely Cook Require manner. You will need to commuCurry junction Restaurant in nicate any concerns/issues with White Rock need cook Site Supervisor/ immediately, This is a full time Coordinator. permanent position for a experiThe above opportunities suit enced person, candidates willing to travel all Depending on experience salary over the lower mainland and will be upto $21 per hr. with other benefits. Call:604-729-6741 or from Squamish to Hope. We also have opportunities in Edmonton, 604-385-1558 Alberta. ---------------------------Minimum qualification for these Transworld Security positions are completion of located at 2nd Floor, 5050, secondary school and BST Justice Kingsway, Burnaby BC V5H 4H2 Training of BC. is looking for a Static Guard, Past experience is preferred but Static Guard Supervisor, Mobile we are willing to train candidates Supervisor and Field Manager. who show eagerness to learn. For These are permanent full-time more information please visit our positions. Static Guard pay rate website at www.transworldsecuis $13.00 per hour plus vacation rity.ca. pay. You would be required to patrol industrial and commercial premises to prevent and detect To PLACE signs of intrusion and ensure YOUR security of doors, windows and AD IN THE gates. Answer alarms and inASIAN STAR vestigate disturbances. Monitor and authorize entrance and CLASSIFIEDS departure of employees, visitors Section and guests. Call police or fire departments in cases of emergency. Circulate among visitors, patrons Please and employees to preserve order Call: and protect property. Static Guard Supervisor pay rate 604-591-5423

JOBS

COMMUNITY UBC celebrates its centennial anniversary

dvanced Education Minister Andrew Wilkinson made the following statement in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the University of British Columbia.“This year marks the 100th anniversary of the University of British Columbia. Government established UBC with the passage of the University Act in 1908, and the university first opened its doors to students in 1915. UBC is the oldest post-secondary institution in British Columbia.“The university welcomed 379 students in its first year. A century later, approximately 60,000 students are enrolled at UBC at its campuses in Vancouver and the Okanagan, with more than 10,000 students graduating in 2014-15. The university is a significant contributor to the B.C. economy with an economic impact of $12.5 billion annually. “UBC has developed a reputation for excellence over the years. It is consistently ranked among the top universities in Canada and the world. UBC is also a world leader in innovation and scientific discovery in diverse fields. UBC faculty are leaders in medicine and biology, sequencing the SARS virus in record time and implementing the world’s leading treatment and prevention regime for HIV/AIDS. UBC graduates lead major international business consultancies and IT firms. “UBC has more than 300,000 alumni in 120 countries, including two Canadian Prime Ministers, and seven Nobel Prize winners in physics, economics and molecular biology. UBC faculty, alumni and researchers have won 69 Rhodes Schol-

arships and 65 Olympic medals and UBC graduates are prominent in the private, government and non-profit sectors of our society. “Congratulations to UBC students, staff, faculty and alumni on 100 years of academic success.”

2015 Surrey Innovation Award Winners Announced At the September 30th Surrey Board of Trade Leadership Surrey Dialogue Lunch on ‘Surrey’s Transportation Future’ at Eaglequest Golf Course with Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner, Former Premier Mike Harcourt, Gordon Price of SFU, and a crowd of over 150 businesses, the Surrey Board of Trade proudly presented the 2nd Surrey Innovation Awards. “It is fitting that the Surrey Innovation Awards are being presented at the Surrey’s Transportation Future Lunch because our transportation problems require innovative solutions, and each of today’s winners exemplifies innovation, that is new ways of doing business. It is Surrey’s innovative companies that will meet the challenges of the new economy, expanding opportunity in the great city that is Surrey, improving lives locally and globally by transforming ideas and technology into commercial reality,” said Anita Huberman, CEO, Surrey Board of Trade. The 2015 Surrey Board of Trade, Surrey Innovation Award Winners are: 1. Young Innovator Category Recognizes the entrepreneurial spirit of an individual less than 30 years of age who has demonstrated innovative thinking through the research and/or development of a technology-related product or service WINNER: Empower Op-

Saturday, October 3, 2015

erations Corporation – GEORGE CHENG With more than 20 years of university research Empower Operations Corporation is built on world-leading, simulation-based design optimization techniques. Empower provides a flagship product, OASIS (Optimization Assisted System Integration Software) that offers efficient design exploration and optimization, engineer-centered interactive design environment and advanced visualization capabilities. Empower also offers optimization procedures that can be integrated with existing engineering simulation software. Empower Operations won the 2015 Coast Capital Savings Venture Prize and was featured in the Vancouver Sun and Business in Surrey. 2. Excellence in Innovation Awards Recognizes a company that has developed a new or improved technology, service, process or product by using creative methods and innovative thinking that has the potential to transform an industry sector or quality of life. WINNER: Vantek Innovations Since 2014, Vantek Innovations has developed the technology to create a safer environment for Emergency Response Vehicles. Vantek Innovations’ algorithm is to shut off the car stereo system and provide an audio message instructing the driver to pull over, even before they are aware of an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) approaching. With the successful implementation of their software into passenger vehicles it will lower the collision/fatality rate, along with decreasing the response times by providing the ERV a safe and clear path to the accident/crime scene. Vantek Innovations is currently in discussion with multiple car manufacturer’s who have expressed interest in their software. 3. Organization Innovation Award Recognizes an organization that has developed a new or improved technology, service, process or product by using creative methods and innovative thinking that has the potential to transform quality of life WINNER: Pacific Community Resources Society The Pacific Community Resources Society (PCRS) Green Courier program was established to substitute the use of commercial couriers for regular inter-office mail between PCRS sites. The PCRS Green Courier program is able to provide respectful employment to persons presently and formerly part of

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the Ministry of House and Social Development funded Community Assistance Programs. The PCRS Green Courier program saved the agency 17-25% of the pre-existing courier budget in their first year of operation. Along with this, their greatest benefits have been addressing poverty, reducing the agency’s carbon footprint and providing employment to those coping with a variety of challenges.

How to “winter ready” your vehicle

Winter weather is quickly approaching, and the ministry would like to remind motorists that B.C.’s winter tire rules kick in as of tomorrow - Thursday, Oct. 1. Motorists will need to equip their vehicles with winter tires if they will be travelling on certain highways in the North, the Interior, the South Coast (such as the Sea to Sky route to Whistler and Pemberton) and Vancouver Island (such as the Malahat, Highway 14, Highway 4 and Highway 28). “It’s our annual reminder to drivers to ensure your vehicle has winter tires if you will be travelling on the designated routes, and to ensure the tires are in good condition, with appropriate traction,” said Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone. “We want to be sure everyone is well prepared as they set out for driving this fall and winter. This means getting your vehicle winter ready, and remembering to always drive to the road conditions.” As a result of the technical analysis completed during the 2014 Rural Highway Safety and Speed Review, winter tires have been defined as those labelled with either the Mountain Snowflake symbol or the Mud and Snow (M+S) symbol. Winter tires must be in good condition with a minimum tread depth of 3.5 mm. Winter tires improve driving safety by providing better traction in snow, slush and icy conditions. Drivers are also reminded to check tire air pressure frequently, as it decreases in cold weather. Commercial vehicles that are 27,000 kg gross volume weight (GVW) and greater, such as tractor trailers, are required to carry chains on the designated routes. The ministry recommends that commercial vehicle drivers keep chains on board at all times. Signs are posted to identify those highways where winter tires are required for lighter cars and trucks, and chains are required for heavy commercial trucks. These routes are generally located approaching high mountain passes and highways which see significant winter conditions and where conditions can change from rain to snow quickly. The ministry has also increased funding in support of the multi-agency “Shift into Winter” campaign, which promotes safe winter driving in British Columbia. As a result, the reach of the campaign has doubled from previous years.

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Business / Finance

TPP trade deal will be decided by Canadians, not ‘foreigners,’ Harper says

his government remains absolutely committed to making sure we preserve our system of supply management through trade negotiations,” he said. “Decisions to be made on whether we have such a system or not are decisions we want Canadians to take, not foreigners to take.” Canada’s supply management system protects the domestic industry by controlling the price of milk, cheese, eggs and poultry through marketing boards and limiting imports through high tariffs. Tomorrow, International Trade Minister Ed Fast will join the Canadian delegation in Atlanta for two days of talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Conservatives hope to close the deal that would establish the

world’s biggest free-trade zone just weeks before the Oct. 19 federal election. ‘Privileged access’ to world markets Harper said jobs of the future depend on Canada’s “privileged access” to world markets. Touting the Conservative trade record, he accused his opponents of wanting to give up when the going gets tough in complex negotiations. “Unlike the other parties, we’re not going to walk away from a trade negotiation at the first sign of worry. We’re there to make sure Canada is a full participant in the global economy of the 21st century,” he said. “That’s the only way we can create jobs, and we’re the only party that has a record of doing it.”

Canadian negotiators are prepared to concede a share of Canada’s domestic dairy market to reach an agreement. American negotiators have demanded 10 per cent access to Canada’s dairy markets under the TPP, but Canada rejected that proposal during talks in Hawaii in July. Farmers brought placards, cattle and tractors to Parliament Hill Tuesday to protest any changes that could harm their industry. Quebec dairy farmer Rene Buhlmann has supported the Conservatives in past elections, but said trade concessions that affect his industry could sway his vote. “We have good regulations. We have good quality milk here in Canada. Why should we have any kind of milk com-

ing in? Why can we not produce the milk here and sell it to our customers?” he asked. Secrecy around deal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau accused Harper of negotiating a deal in “secrecy” and said a Liberal government would be more transparent about what’s on the table. Canada must only agree to a deal that boosts jobs and protects farms, he said. “We expect our Canadian government to continue to be able to do what governments of all stripes, including Liberal governments, have done in the past, in negotiating significant free trade deals without having to endanger the systems that work right now to protect our farmers.” Harper also said any TPP deal would not come at a cost to Canada’s auto sector. “We will only sign a deal if we believe it’s in the best interests of all of our Canadian economy, including our auto industry.”

New pension standards provide greater flexibility, security

odernized standards governing workplace pension plans that take effect Sept. 30, 2015, will improve pension coverage options and security for more than 900,000 British Columbians covered by employer sponsored pension plans. Pension benefits standards protect the financial health of workplace pension plans and the interests of plan members. The act applies to all employment pension plans registered in British Columbia, and plans registered elsewhere that have members employed in BC. The new Pension Benefits Standards Act accommodates alternative plan designs such as target benefit plans and plans that are jointlysponsored by employers and employees. The new act improves plan governance by strengthening disclosure requirements and requiring that all plans are covered by a governance policy. The new act also provides former plan members with greater access to locked-in retirement accounts (i.e. locked-in RRSPs) or locked-in

life income funds. These funds may now be accessed for reasons of financial hardship in certain circumstances, which include: low expected income, inability to pay medical expenses (including those of a spouse or dependent), threat of eviction for rental arrears, threat of mortgage default on a principal residence, or inability to pay a deposit on a new rental residence. An annual limit to the amount of funds that may be withdrawn applies. To access locked-in retirement funds, former plan members facing financial hardship must apply to the financial institution holding these locked-in retirement funds. The new Pension Benefits Standards Act was developed following extensive collaboration with the Government of Alberta. Pension standards among the two provinces have been largely harmonized, reducing the complexity and cost of administering pension plans that have members in both Alberta and B.C. * The new Pension Benefits Standards Act was developed jointly by B.C. and Alberta based on the 2008 Report of the Alberta-B.C. Joint Expert Panel on Pension Standards. The panel’s two rounds of public consultation indicated broad support for the report.

Business / Finance

B.C. job creation sputtering despite premier’s promise

remier Christy Clark’s goal to transform British Columbia’s economy into a top job-producing engine appears stuck in second gear despite prospects of hot economic growth. Clark’s unfulfilled economic goals on the liquefied natural gas industry, including a promise of 100-thousand jobs and billions in revenues, are expected to fuel debate as B.C. politicians return to the legislature today. Clark’s ambitious four-yearold jobs plan set lofty and ambitious economic goals in September 2011, including placing B.C. among the top two in Canada for both economic and job growth for 2015. Recent Statistics Canada data indicates

B.C. is poised to be a leader in economic growth, but job creation is sputtering at about half of one per cent, and the province is currently positioned in fifth spot among the provinces. Jobs ministry parliamentary secretary Greg Kyllo says B.C. has created 92-thousand jobs over the past four years, and he expects the province to be in the top three in job creation at year’s end. Opposition New Democrat jobs critic Shane Simpson says B.C. has put too much focus on developing LNG plants at the expense of other job-producing sectors that include forestry and technology.

Will the gas prices go down this Fall?

very May we are warned to brace ourselves for higher gasoline prices as the summer driving season begins. There were points this past summer when a litre of gasoline cost only a few cents less than in the summer of 2014, even though crude oil was half the price. With our summer roadtrips now in the rear-view mirror, what’s next for pump prices? Fall usually means some relief at the gasoline pumps. Demand is lower and refineries begin to blend less-expensive winter gasoline. However, there’s not much hope that this fall will follow the well-worn path of lower gasoline prices. As of Sept. 15, that winter gas has gone on sale, and the summer driving demand has fallen off, but prices at the pumps have dropped just a penny a litre on average. So what’s going on? The gasoline market has been a tricky one to follow over the 16 months since oil prices began to drop. The price of a litre of gasoline bottomed out at 91 cents a litre the week of Jan. 13, 2015, when oil was $46 US a barrel and the Canadian dollar was still 83 cents US. Since then, oil has traded up in the $60s, down in the $30s, and gasoline markets have sometimes paid close attention to the price of crude and at other times, seemed to completely ignore it. The swing factor over the past several months has been the refining industry. Refineries have seen their take from a litre of gasoline increase from 12 cents the week that gasoline prices hit bottom in Canada to nearly 30 cents a litre in July, when Natural Resources Canada stopped releasing its weekly fuel report because of the election. The money has been so good in refining that there’s been a reluctance to do semi-annual maintenance, but that maintenance is about to start in earnest

in October. Lower demand for crude oil feedstock will likely drag oil prices down further, but will not ease gasoline prices. “The lower crude prices go, the more panicked oil companies get,” said Roger McKnight, a senior petroleum analyst with En-Pro. “They try to save their upstream (exploration) bottom line, by putting it to the downstream part of the company, which is refining and marketing.” Storage getting full This is also the time of year when the amount of oil in storage starts to increase, as refineries slow down. Storage at the Gulf Coast was already at record highs last week, storage at Cushing, Okla., has been slowly draining, but is still at nearly 70 per cent capacity. The investment bank Altacorp Capital said 669,000 barrels per day of refining capacity in the U.S. Midwest will be offline in October. That oil will likely end up in storage containers at Cushing, raising questions as to whether tanks will fill. Canada sends approximately 2.1 million barrels of crude oil a day to the U.S. Midwest. “In times like we are now when storage is more full in North America that it historically has been, that makes a bad situation worse,” said Rob Mark, an energy analyst with 3Macs. “Could we have weak prices and ugly inventory levels in the third quarter? Absolutely, I’d be surprised if we didn’t.” Refinery margins a black hole The question is whether those weaker prices will flow through to the pump. With the information blackout at Natural Resources Canada, it’s not clear where refining margins are right now. But even if we did have that information, it’s nearly impossible to trace the wholesale price of gasoline back to the price of the crude oil feedstock that goes into the refineries in the first place.

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PUNJAB

Sikh groups get poor response to bandh call on pardon row

he bandh call given by various Sikh was deployed in the city, particularly at Hall organisations to lodge their pro- Gate and near the Golden Temple. Although test against the clergy’s decision the bandh call did not have much impact in to pardon Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet the city, it affected the transport services. The Ram Rahim Singh over his blasphemous bus stand wore a deserted look till afternoon. bid to impersonate Guru Gobind Singh in Apprehending trouble, commuters avoided 2007 evoked a poor response on wednes- travelling. day. Educational institutions and commercial establishments remained open as usual. The police launched a crackdown against leaders of Sikh outfits, which had given the bandh call, by detaining SAD (Amritsar) leaders like Jarnail Singh Sakheera and Harbir Singh Sandhu in the morning. They were released at 2 pm. Representatives of Sikh bodies being detained from outside A heavy security force Gurdwara Central Town in Jalandhar on Wednesday

PU slips 275 places in global rankings

anjab University, Chandigarh, India’s top ranked higher educational institution in the 2014 Times Higher Education Global Rankings, slipped dramatically by 275 points in the latest table, ending up in the ranking category of 501-600 as against 226-250 in 2014. The slip, as recorded in the latest edition of Times Higher Education Global top 800 World University Rankings, comes close on the heels of similar losses of position for PU in the previous top 100 BRICS and Emerging Economies Rankings and Asia top 100 rankings. Except in 2014 when PU was top ranked ahead of the 15 IITs, IISc Bangalore has retained the status of top ranked Indian institution in major world rankings. Asked what the reasons for the slip are,

Vice Chancellor of PU Arun Grover today told The Tribune that the new global rankings were based on a new criteria for rating research and citations, and placed heavier premium on science and technology research than humanities. “When PU was top ranked, it had the highest citation score. That score was based on our high energy research. We regularly participate in large scale international research collaborations which have several hundred authors. Past rankings rated institutions based on such performances. But new criterion does away with such scores to prevent what could have been perceived as unfair advantage for institutions like PU where a single department with one major global collaboration can pump the university’s rankings dramatically as had happened in 2014.

Wake up to agrarian crisis, farmers tell govt

armers in large numbers today held protests across the state against the alleged anti-farmer policies of the state government. The protesters were backed by several farmer unions as well as other organisations. Most leaders sought to draw attention of the state government towards the worsening farm crisis. Phagwara: Hundreds of activists belonging to the Bhartiya Kisan Union staged a demonstration and blocked traffic on the Goraya-Phillaur stretch of the national highway for three hours. The blockade continued from noon

till 3 pm, causing inconvenience to commuters. The Indo-Pakistan buses were diverted from Amritsar via the Tarn Taran-Moga route. The traffic from Goraya to Ludhiana was diverted throught other routes. Union’s state general secretary Pooran Singh Shahkoti, Jalandhar district president Amrik Singh, Nawanshahr president Ranjit Singh, Tarn Taran president Dilbag Singh, Amritsar president Ajmer Singh and Gurdaspur president Gurnam Singh addressed the rally at the dharna site and demanded immediate implementation of the Swaminathan committee report.

Badal misusing Akal Takht, says Amarinder

ongress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Amarinder Singh today expressed concern over unease and unrest among members of the Sikh community and open defiance of a recent Akal Takht ‘hukumnama’ (edict). He said this was unfortunate and unprecedented and did not bode well for the community and the state. “With due deference and reverence for the Akal Takht and its edicts, as a humble Sikh, my only concern is the erosion of its authority and credibility for which

only Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is to be blamed”, he said in a statement issued here today. “Over the years, a perception has been reinforced, and rightly so, that Badal has been misusing the Akal Takht for his personal and vested interests and consequences are before all of us,” he said. At the same time, he said it was the duty and responsibility of the five Singh Sahibaans to realise that the community had not only vested supreme authority in them, but also reposed faith in their wisdom and judgement.

Constable arrested on charge of raping minor girl

n an embarrassment for the UT police, a constable posted with the Women and Child Support Unit has been arrested for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl at her house in Gobindpura, Mani Majra. The constable has been suspended. According to the police, the accused has been identified as Ankit. Sources said the constable, a tenant of the victim, entered her house and allegedly raped her. The victim raised the alarm following which her parents, who were sleeping

downstairs, rushed to rescue her and caught the constable. The victim is a Class IX student. The Police Control Room was informed after which a police team reached the spot. The constable was arrested. A medical examination of the victim was conducted at a government hospital. Guriqbal Singh Sidhu, ASP (East), said the matter was under investigation and a case under Sections 376 (rape) and 452 (house trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint).

INDIA

5 get death, 7 face life for train blasts

special court set up under the Siddiqui (30), Naveed Hussain Khan (30) Maharashtra Control of Organ- and Asif Khan (38). All of them were proised Crime Act (MCOCA) on nounced guilty of planting bombs in local Thursday awarded death penalty to five trains. Those awarded life imprisonment persons for setting off bombs in Mumbai’s for being part of the conspiracy are Tanvir Ahmed Ansari local trains on July (37), Mohammad 11, 2006. The blast Majid Shafi (32), claimed 188 lives, Shaikh Alam while 829 persons Shaikh (41), were injured. Mohd Sajid AnsaSeven other conri (34), Muzzamvicts in the case were mil Shaikh (27), awarded life terms Soheil Mehmood for being part of Shaikh (43) and the conspiracy. The Zamir Ahmad court also slapped Shaikh (36). On on the convicts a September 11, hefty sum of Rs 1.51 File photo of a train coach damaged in a the court had crore as fine, directbomb blast in Mumbai on July 11, 2006 convicted 12 of ing each one to pay over Rs 11 lakh. Imposing death penalty on the 13 accused. They were found guilty of five convicts, the Judge Yatin D Shinde wrote charges under various sections of the Indiin his order, “They shall be hanged by their an Penal Code, Explosives Act, Unlawful neck till they are dead.” Those awarded cap- Activities Prevention Act, Prevention of ital punishment are Kamal Ahamed Ansari Damage to Public Property Act and the (37), Mohd Faisal Shaikh (36), Ehtesham Indian Railway Act.

Terrorist gets life term for Jammu blasts of 1995

he Supreme Court today sentenced Pakistani terrorist Ghulam Nabi Guide to life imprisonment for his role in three powerful explosion at Jammu’s Maulana Azad Memorial Stadium in 1995 while the then Governor, General KV Krishna Rao, was addressing a gathering of about 40,000 persons on Republic Day. Eight persons were killed and 18 injured in the explosions. The Governor, however, escaped the assassination bid. One of the bombs was planted near the dais. A Bench comprising Justices AK Sikri and UU Lalit held 76-year-old Guide guilty on three

counts—Section 302 of the Ranbir Penal Code for the murders and Sections 3 and 4 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) for acts of terror and harbouring terrorists. The Bench, however, clarified that all three life sentences would run concurrently. The state government produced Guide in the court today, as directed by the Bench that had reversed his acquittal on July 1. The Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist from Sialkot has served around 15 years in jail so far. The state government pleaded that the sentences should run consecutively, but the Bench rejected the plea as it was a case of acquittal-turned-conviction.

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PM rides Gandhi wagon to woo Africa leaders

his Gandhi Jayanti, PM Narendra Modi will rekindle Mahatma Gandhi’s Africa connection to reach out to African leaders ahead of the third India-Africa Forum Summit from October 27-29. A mobile exhibition, named Memories of the Mahatma, has been organized by the Modi government in the form of a specially designed truck which will leave Porbandar on Friday and traverse Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana before reaching the summit venue, Indira Gandhi In-

door Stadium, here on October 29. Modi looks at the Africa summit as one of his most significant diplomatic engagements since he took over as PM. After he asked MEA to organize events to stress Gandhi’s special bond with Africa, foreign minister Sushma Swaraj spoke to the chief ministers of Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat and requested them to facilitate the movement of the truck and also organize events along the route.

India hits back after Sharif’s UN speech, asks Pakistan to vacate PoK

ndia hit back strongly at Pakistan after it raked up the issues of Kashmir and LoC ceasefire violations at the UN, asserting that Islamabad is actually a victim of its own policies of breeding and sponsoring terrorism. Exercising India’s Right of Reply during the General Debate of 70th session of UN General Assembly here late yesterday, First Secretary in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN Abhishek Singh termed as “regrettable” Pakistan once again choosing to “misuse” the

High-Level Segment of the UN General Assembly session to “distort reality and portray a false picture of the challenges in our region”. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in his address to the General Assembly earlier in the day, had said his country is the “primary victim” of terrorism. Singh retorted sharply that “in truth, it is actually a victim of its own policies of breeding and sponsoring terrorists. The heart of the matter is a state that regards the use of terrorism as a legitimate instrument of statecraft.

Man lynched for allegedly consuming, storing beef

50-year-old man in northern India has been killed in a mob lynching allegedly over rumours that his family had been storing and consuming beef at home. Mohammad Akhlaq was kicked and beaten with stones by a group of men in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh state on Monday night. Mr Akhlaq’s 22-year-old son was also seriously injured in the attack, and has been admitted to a hospital. Six people have been arrested in connection with the incident. Police are probing who spread the rumour. Slaughter of cows is a sensitive issue in India as the animal is considered sacred by Hindus, who

comprise 80% of the country’s 1.2bn people.

U N LI M IT ED P R O V IN C E- W

Uttar Pradesh is among a number of Indian states who have tightened laws banning cow slaughter and the sale and consumption of beef. The beef ban has also provoked outrage with many questioning how the government decides what is on their plate. Mr Akhlaq’s family said the family had stored mutton, and not beef in their fridge. The police have taken the meat and sent it for testing, reports said. “Some locals spread rumours that Akhlaq had cow meat at his home and engaged in cow slaughter. Following the rumours, they attacked his home,” senior local official NP Singh told The Indian Express newspaper.

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fOOD INDIA

CBI questions BSP chief Mayawati in connection with National Rural Health Mission scam

ormer Uttar Pradesh chief minister and BSP chief Mayawati has been questioned by the CBI for her alleged involvement in the National Rural Health Mission scam. During her examination by the CBI officials, Mayawati is alleged to have evaded answers on crucial questions and even feigned ignorance on some of the decisions taken during her tenure as the chief minister. The CBI, which has been investigating the scam since 2011, had earlier hinted that it wanted to question Mayawati to unearth the larger conspiracy in the National Rural Health Mission scam. The quizzing of Mayawati was done as the probe agency claimed to have got new evidence against her on bifurcation of the health and

family welfare department and creation of 100 posts of district project officers who were allegedly instrumental in alleged corruption in the implementation of NRHM schemes, official sources said. Mayawati was the chief minister of the state when the department was bifurcated. CBI alleges that the bifurcation of department was done so that the NRHM funds could be placed directly under the charge of the department of family welfare which was under minister Babu Singh Kushwaha — already chargesheeted by the agency. Mayawati had targeted the BJP-led government over the CBI’s decision to question her in the multi-crore NRHM scam, claiming she

AAP lawmaker arrested for ‘domestic violence’

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controversial lawmaker from Del- then marched to the house himself with a hi’s governing Aam Aadmi Par- crowd in tow, and accosted the inhabitants. ty (AAP) has been arrested after Bharti surrendered on Monday after India’s his wife accused him of domestic violence. Supreme Court rejected his plea to give him Somnath Bharti gave himself up to the police bail or allow him more time to surrender. “He was arrested around 4am” on Tuesday, on Monday night and was arrested early on Tuesday, police said. His wife Lipika Mitra Press Trust of India quoted senior police ofhas also accused him of attempting to mur- ficial Dependra Pathak as saying. A member der her. Mr Bharti has denied all the charges. of the Delhi legislative assembly, Mr Bharti is Last year, he was accused of leading “a mob” accused of attempt to murder, cheating and 7950 Granville St. Van-Granville: (604) 266-6080 to a house and misbehaving with four Afri- dishonesty, criminal breach of trust, caus(604) 303-0665 Richmond: 5333 No.3 Road ing miscarriage without a woman’s consent, can women who lived there. 4880 Victoria Dr. (604) 568-3890 Van-Victoria: Procedure: voluntarily hurt, cruelty and soak crimi-the cashew in warm 3516 Kingsway Van-Kingsway: (604) 558-3689 Bharti, who the waschicken then thewith law the minister Marinate gingeringarlic paste andcausing the yoghurt for 20 min. water for 15 minutes.chop the onions and tomatoes. Heat 1 tbsp Mr Pathak is a colour. remove the 102-22325 Mcintosh Maple Ridge:pieces. (604) Delhi’soillocal government, alleged pieces that the to a pan. sear the chicken in thenal hotintimidation, oil for 1 minute on eachsaid. sideBharti to a golden chicken in the same pan,Ave. add 1tbsp oil and380-2666 the chopped 102-7655 Edmonds St. 544-6777 of Chief Arvindgaram Kejriwal’s inhabitants the house were involved onions.ofsaute till a translucent pink.inAddmember the tomatoes, redMinister chili powder, masala powder and cook onBurnaby: medium flame till the tomatoes are tender(604) (approx. 4-5 (604) 497-0888 Surrey: 105-15155 101 Ave. whichwith was borne out ofcashews an anti-corrupprostitution andremove drug use. Television footminutes). from flame and run inAAP a blender the soaked to make a smooth paste. return to the pan and add the tomato puree. Bring to a boil and add (604) 492-2298 Johns St. Moody Ave. that swept India years age showed him ordering police officials at tiontillmovement the chicken pieces. simmer for 4-5 minutes the chicken is cooked. Add two the low fat cream and simmerPort for 2Moody: minutes.9-3130 Broil St the fenugreek leaves on a pan. crush the Van-E Hasting: 120 - 2741 E Hasting St.. (604) 559-9599 ago and swept Delhi state elections earlier midnight to raid the house, but police refenugreek leaves over the curry and remove from fire. serve hot. Abbotsford: 5-32298 South Fraser Way (604) 744-8898 fused, saying they had no legal warrant. He this year. Last week, Kejriwal advised Bharti to surrender and face the law.

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Saturday, October 3, 2015

NRI

British-Indian ‘hero’ to get bravery award

ONDON: A British-Indian delivery van driver has been named the recipient of this year’s ‘Pride of Britain Award’ for risking his life to prevent a road accident that could have resulted in multiple fatalities, a media report said.Dee Patel, being hailed a “hero”, will receive the award in the outstanding bravery category in a glittering ceremony at the Grosvenor House in London’s Park Lane on Monday night, the Mirror reported. Patel, who works for Camberley townbased ventilation specialists Zehnder Group UK, was on a routine job on May 18 when he spotted a car ahead of him lose control on the M25 motorway.The 48-year-old dad of two watched in horror as the car swerved into the central barrier and bounced off it before coming back on to the carriageway at a high speed.The car hit the barrier a second time, before swerving across four lanes of traffic and on to the hard shoulder. Patel sprang into action after realizing that the driver, a young woman, was unconscious and a high-speed pile-up

seemed inevitable, according to the daily. “As she came back across she ended up right in front of me. I instantly saw what I needed to do -- I had to slow her down,” Patel was quoted as saying. “I had to make sure I hit her with my driver’s side to her passenger side, to force her into the central reservation. Otherwise it could flip over and cause an even worse accident.” As the braveheart pushed the car against the crash barrier, it grinded to a screeching halt, finally slowing to a complete stop straddling the fast lane and the central reservation. Police later praised Patel’s courage, saying: “Instead of a multi-vehicle collision with potential serious injuries, it has ended up with no injuries and just damage to vehicles which can be repaired or replaced thanks to your quick thinking.” Founded in 1999, the ‘Pride of Britain Awards’ are presented to the country’s unsung heroes. The winners are decided by a panel of distinguished judges and is jointly supported by the Daily Mirror, Lidl, ITV, Daybreak and the Prince’s Trust. This year, the awards will be handed out by Prince Charles.

Indian jailed for wife’s murder in New Zealand WELLINGTON: A New Zealand court on Tuesday sentenced a 29-year-old Indian-origin man to life in prison for murdering his wife earlier this year. The Auckland high court sentenced Mandeep Singh after he pleaded guilty to murdering his wife Parmita Rani, 22, and attempting to murder Parminder Sandhu at AWI International Education Group school in Auckland on May 22, stuff.co.nz reported. Judge Mark Woolford set the parole period for Singh to a minimum of 13 years, after which he will be deported back to India. Parmita Rani and Singh had been hav-

ing marital issues and Singh believed that his wife had formed a friendship with Sandhu. He attacked Rani after confronting her at the school soon after she finished an exam. When Sandhu tried to intervene, Singh stabbed him from behind, puncturing a lung. According to the court order, Singh will serve a concurrent sentence of eight and a half years for the attempted murder of Sandhu. The couple married in 2013 and Singh followed Rani to New Zealand as a dependent. They were in the process of renewing their visa permits when the murder took place.

New Republican Hindu group focuses on Indian-Americans W ASHINGTON: A key supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has roped in former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich to back a new effort to bring Indian Americans, a traditional Democratic political base, into the Republican Party. He will be the honorary chairman of the “Republican Hindu Coalition” funded with an initial $2 million from Chicago businessman Shalabh “Shalli” Kumar, of AVG Advanced Technologies, an electronics firm, according to a media report.Fashioned after the influential Republican Jewish Coalition, Kumar’s outfit could give the Republican Party a new inroad to first-generation immigrants that traditionally vote Democratic, Gingrich told the Washington Examiner. “What Shalli is doing is really making us move towards bringing together people from all over the country, giving them a chance to get involved in politics, and in the process really beginning to give us an opportunity to have a much different Republican Party that’s much broader based,” Gingrich was quoted as saying. Kumar said he was prompted to

form the political group by concerns that President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders are undermining the economic recovery with regulations, and dropping the ball overseas. The RHC, which will officially start this autumn, will back candidates that will focus on cutting US debt, supporting a strong national security policy against terrorist groups such as the Islamic State It also advocates reducing aid to India’s foes like Pakistan, and expanding trade with India. For example, Kumar said he wants to convince US companies to shift manufacturing operations from China to India. Kumar and Gingrich have a plan to attract 400 founding members to the Republican Hindu Coalition to raise money for Republican candidates and groups, while also convincing Indian-Americans to switch to the Republican Party. Gingrich said Kumar’s group should help activate Indian-Americans not involved in politics. “A lot of first generation folks feel more comfortable and feel more engaged and more involved if they network with fellow people from their background,” he told the Examiner.

NRI deposits in Kerala banks over Rs 1 lakh crore The deposits made by Non Residents (NR) in Kerala banks crossed the Rs.1 lakh crore mark by June 30 this year, according to a report released here on Tuesday. The State Level Bankers Committee report said the total deposit was Rs.1,17,349 crore — an almost 25 per cent jump from Rs.94,097 crore as on June 30, 2014. NRI deposits in the Kerala banks have been growing over the years. They totalled Rs.75,883 crore on June 30, 2013. The latest study report of S Irudayarajan said 90 per

cent of Kerala’s 23.63 lakh diaspora is working in Middle-East countries, of which United Arab Emirates accounts for 38.7 per cent, followed by Saudi Arabia at 25.2 per cent. Kerala’s bank State Bank of Travancore led the field with NRI deposits of Rs.28,228 crore, followed closely by Federal Bank with Rs.24,736 crore. The report said that in Kerala, the total number of branches of all the banks put together stand at 6,010 with 7,951 ATMs. The total bank deposits in Kerala as on June 30, 2015 stood at Rs.3,28,763 crore — up from Rs.2,83,928 crore in June 2014.

FIJI

Court rules on woman’s funeral rites

legal family wrangle that ensued for more than two weeks over the body of a Ba woman ended yesterday when the Ba Magistrates Court delivered an unprecedented ruling on which of her sons should conduct the final burial rites. Twenty-one days after her death, 70-year-old Gangamma of Wailailai Settlement will finally be laid to rest by Jitendra Prasad, instead of his elder brother, Kamlesh Prakash, who resides in New Zealand. The legal proceeding was initiated by the New Zealand resident who did not want his mother buried in Wailailai. Magistrate Mosese Naivalu also ordered that Gangamma be accorded Christian and Hin-

du burial rituals today. Naivalu said the case was unprecedented and no court in the country had dealt with such a matter. He said he had held discussion with the two men and their brother Bimlesh Prakash who also resides in New Zealand. He said all agreed their mother should be buried at the earliest possible time. The magistrate said that her third son, Bimlesh Prakash, was hopeful a Christian and Hindu burial was accorded as his mother followed both religions. Gangamma died in Suva after a long illness and her body was kept at the Lautoka Hospital because of the legal wrangling. A court order has been issued to the hospital to release the body.

Fiji introduces anti microbial plan

iji is the first Pacific Island State that will introduce a national anti microbial resistance plan. Opening the discussions on the formulation at the National anti microbial resistance workshop in Suva on Thursday, Minister for Health and Medical Services Jone Usamate said: “In Fiji we are committed to combating anti microbial resistance and have developed it has one of our priority agenda.” “We are currently developing our national plan on anti microbial resistance. This will be the first in the Pacific and hopefully serve as a model to other countries. We are also establishing an AMR taskforce to oversee the implementation of the plan through a One Health approach. “Our national plan has five key objectives: improving awareness, strengthening our surveillance system, infection prevention and control, optimising our use of anti microbial and strengthening our governance to ensure sustainable actions to combat anti microbial resistance.” “Through a multi sectoral approach we hope to contain anti microbial resistance in Fiji and contribute to the global efforts to ensure that our children and children of children will still have access to effective treatment options for infections.” ------------------

Good News!

Pastor on indecent assault charge in court

one Cokanauto, 53, a senior pastor who is charged with one count of indecent assault contrary to section 212 of the Crimes Decree 2009, appeared Thursday afternoon before Magistrate Charles Ratakele. The offence is alleged to have occurred between January 1 to July 31, 2006. His lawyer Simione Valenitabua made a verbal bail application in court on the grounds that the investigations were still continuing and they have just been served with a charge of indecent assault and not rape as alleged by the media. He added that the ODPP had not proven or shown that his client would not turn up in court in the next occasion. The third ground for bail was for medical reasons as Cokanauto is diabetic and suffers from high blood pressure. “He is presumed innocent until proven guilty so the court should not

Fiji seeks India’s help in agriculture sector

UVA: The Fiji-India Business Council has sought technical assistance from India to further develop Fiji’s agriculture sector, a media report said on Monday. “India leads in processed food exports and there is a growing market for these products in Australia and New Zealand,” the Fiji Times on Monday quoted Fiji-India Business Council president Swani Maharaj as saying on Saturday. “Processed food or downstream processing of fruit and vegetables is a growth sector and markets for these products exist in many countries. Unfortunately, we do not have the research capacity and we need to get universities involved in this area,” Maharaj was quoted as saying. He said processing fruits into juices and canned products formed another viable market. “We need to develop farm orchards to produce the best quality of fruit with consistency,” he added.

Saturday, October 3, 2015 i 31

Good News!

consider DPPs submissions that they intend to charge him for further offences,” Mr Valenitabua said. The State objected to bail because of continuing police investigations and the likelihood of laying further serious charges in due course.The matter had been adjourned for a bail ruling by Magistrate Ratakele.The self-proclaimed pastor who allegedly sexually exploited some female members of his church, including young girls produced in court on Thursday. Chief of Intelligence and Investigations, Assistant Commissioner of Police Henry Brown said the man was charged with one count of indecent assaul. “Investigation continues and anyone with information that could assist our investigation is requested to call the CID office in Toorak,” ACP Brown said.

Good News!

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Pakistani daily said on Friday that ‘‘India is the only option from Asia, especially in the eyes of the US, for permanent membership at the UN Security Council “no matter how unfortunate this is for Pakistan”, Describing the US and India as the new dynamic duo, an editorial in the Nation said they are “a terrifying combination”. The US has reaffirmed its support to India for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council

For US, India sole option for UNSC seat: Pakistani daily (UNSC). Even though both countries have disagreed over the UN Security Council reforms, the US has made it clear that it is committed to India’s inclusion as a permanent member of the Security Council. “A number of members, including permanent members, have voiced strong disagreements. Pakistan, a member of the Uniting for Consensus

Bin Laden had prior knowledge of 2008 Mumbai attacks: Book

l Qaida chief Osama bin Laden had prior information of the 2008 terror attack at Mumbai, a new book has said. The book “Pakistan’s secret war on Al-Qaeda” said that bin Laden had prior knowledge of the 2008 Mumbai attack. “He wanted to establish an al Qaida state in Pakistan following the breakout of full-scale war between the two nuclear armed neighbours,” reported Dawn, citing the book. The revelations were made in the book authored by Azaz Syed, an investigative journalist and a former correspondent for DawnNews. 166 people were killed in the November 26-28 Mumbai terror attack mounted by 10 gunmen from Pakistan who sneaked into India and let loose a reign of terror. One of them, Ajmal Kasab, was caught alive, tried, sentenced to death and executed later.

group of countries which opposes any additional permanent members on the Security Council, told the 193-member Assembly that the document was partial and incomplete. It could not be the basis for a negotiated solution,” it said. With the successful conduct of the maiden strategic and commercial dialogue between India and the US, the stage is set for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third summit with President Barack Obama on September 28. “The United States also reiterated its support for India’s membership in four major global non-proliferation export control regimes, including the Nuclear Suppliers Group,” said the daily. “Pakistan should be worried.” “Their joint declaration has identified terrorism as a profound threat to global peace and security.. They have pointed out ‘the threat posed by entities such as Al Qaeda and its affiliates, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, D Company, and the Haqqani Network, and

Pakistan to hang man who claims he was 15 at time of crime

uthorities in Pakistan are set to hang a man who says he was 15 when he was arrested for a murder he claims he did not commit, lawyers said , in the latest case to shine a spotlight on Pakistan’s crumbling criminal justice system. Ansar Iqbal says he was 15 when he and a friend were arrested 16 years ago for the murder of neighbor, which the victim’s family said was over an argument at a cricket match. Iqbal says police framed him because he was poor by planting two guns at his house. Pakistani law forbids the execution of juveniles, but the country’s courts have refused to examine Iqbal’s school records and birth certificate because they say

they were submitted too late, said Maya Foa of British legal aid group Reprieve. His old school record and a new birth certificate issued this year give his age as 14 and 15 respectively. Record keeping in Pakistan is poor and records are easily forged. Instead, the court concluded he was in his early 20s based on a policeman’s estimate at the time of his arrest, Foa said. Iqbal’s friend was tried as a juvenile. “The onus has to be on the government and prosecution to prove that the individual facing the gallows is not a juvenile if all the available evidence points otherwise,” she said. “Otherwise it puts the defendant in an impossible position.”

other regional groups that seek to undermine stability in South Asia’,” the editorial noted. It went on to say that India now has a powerful ally, and “reason to remind us to provide justice for whatever wrong they think we have committed”. “Both countries have already jointly urged Pakistan to ‘bring to justice the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attack’. Modi won’t stop at this.” The editorial said that China and Russia, as permanent members, can and probably will provide balance to the US and Indian ambition. “However, for the global community, better representation is why the UNSC permanent membership needed to be expanded in the first place. Asia has two permanent member countries; hardly representative of the gigantic continent. South America has none. Europe has two, and Germany has been gearing up for its own bid for a seat. If Europe and South America get better representation, it makes sense that Asia will too.”

Addressing at the United Nations PM Sharif proposes agenda to diffuse tension with India

rime Minister Nawaz Sharif, while addressing the UN General Assembly’s 70th session in New York, proposed a four point agenda to diffuse tension between Pakistan and India. “Cooperation, not confrontation, should define our relationship with India,” said Nawaz. Yet today ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary are intensifying, causing civilian deaths including women and children, he added. “I want to use the opportunity today to propose a new peace initiative with India, starting with measures that are the simplest to implement.” Nawaz suggested that Pakistan and India should formalise and respect the 2003 understanding for a complete ceasefire on the Line of Control in Kashmir. For

this purpose, he called for UNMOGIP’s expansion to monitor the observance of the ceasefire. Secondly, the premier urged both the countries to reaffirm their resolve that they will not resort to the use of force under any circumstances. He pointed out that this is a central element of the UN Charter. Nawaz also proposed that steps should be taken to demilitarise Kashmir. “Pakistan and India should agree to an unconditional mutual withdrawal from Siachen Glacier — the world’s highest battleground,” he said. Nawaz said an easing of threat perceptions through such peaceful efforts will make it possible for Pakistan and India to agree on a broad range of measures to address the peril posed by offensive and advanced weapons systems.

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General Electric to move 350 jobs to Canada to get export financing

eneral Electric Co. says it plans to move production of large, gas-powered engines from the U.S. to an unspecified location in Canada, to benefit from trade financing from Export Development Canada. In an announcement geared at pressuring the U.S. Congress to fund the U.S. Import-Export Development Bank, GE said it would shut its Waukesha, Wis., plant and move 350 jobs to Canada. GE said in a news release that it notified its U.S. employees and its local suppliers today. GE said it will invest $265 million in a new state-ofthe-art manufacturing plant in Canada to make large piston engines generally used for compression, mechanical drive and power generation applications. GE is winning contracts around the world, especially in emerging economies, for power generation, but its customers need the help of government-backed trade banks to get financing. The Republican-controlled Congress has blocked new funding for the U.S. Export-Import Bank. The federal credit agency stopped accepting new loans at the beginning after Congress allowed its charter to expire on July 1. Trade development agencies have been lining up for GE’s business in the interim. Export Development Canada has pledged export financing for products made in the new plant, expected to begin operations in about 20 months, GE said. The company said it has a long history of working with the EDC to export products made in Canada. The facility can be expanded and provide flexible manufacturing capacity to support oth-

er GE businesses, including engines for railroad locomotives, GE said. Contacted by CBC News, GE Canada said there was no further information regarding the location or the process it will use to determine where the plant is located. GE recently expanded its cold-weather jet engine testing facility in Winnipeg, but it has plants in several other cities. In recent weeks, GE has announced deals to expand production in the United Kingdom, France, Hungary and China, and take advantage of export credit offered in those countries. GE vice-chairman John Rice urged Congress to restore the U.S. trade credit agency, but he expressed concern about the resignation of House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, who has been a supporter of the U.S. Export-Import Bank. Boehner’s likely successor is House majority leader Kevin McCarthy, who has sided with opponents of the trade credit agency, calling it a form of corporate welfare. Rice issued a press statement that clearly pointed to the link between lack of trade credit financing in the U.S. and the loss of American jobs. “We believe in American manufacturing, but our customers in many cases require ECA financing for us to bid on projects. Without it, we cannot compete and our customers may be forced to select other providers. We know these announcements will have regrettable impact not only on our employees but on the hundreds of U.S. suppliers we work with that cannot move their facilities, but we cannot walk away from our customers,” Rice said.

Minis fail U.S. crash tests: Regulator critical of recall plan

he National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it’s investigating the company’s Mini brand because it may have been slow to fix cars that didn’t pass federal crash tests. At issue are just over 30,000 Mini Cooper and Cooper S models from model years 2014 and 2015, plus the John Cooper Works from 2015. The agency said in paperwork posted on its website Monday that government crash tests found that a 2014 Mini Two-Door Hardtop Cooper didn’t adequately protect a female dummy in side-impact crash tests done in October of last year. Two months later, BMW agreed to a recall and later said it would do a “service campaign” to add padding to the rear side panels of 2015 TwoDoor Hardtop Cooper models. But the campaign was never done, and BMW never told NHTSA that it wasn’t, according to the documents. Then, in July 2015, NHTSA tested a 2015 Cooper S, which also failed

the side impact crash tests, and BMW agreed to recall the 2014 and 2015 Cooper S and Two-Door Hardtop and 2015 John Cooper Works models. The agency said it’s concerned that BMW knew or should have known about side crash problems and should have taken action sooner. “It appears from a review of NHTSA’s databases that BMW may have failed to submit recall communications to NHTSA in a timely manner,” the documents said. Messages were left Monday seeking comment from Mini and BMW spokesmen. NHTSA has the authority to fine an automaker up to $35 million for failing to act quickly on safety problems or failing to communicate with the agency. Since the start of 2013, Fiat Chrysler, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Ford, Toyota and air bag maker Takata all have been fined by the agency.

Saturday, October 3, 2015 i 33

Volkswagen to recall 11 million vehicles as emissions scandal expands

olkswagen announced plans on Tuesday to refit up to 11 million vehicles and overhaul its namesake brand following the scandal over its rigging of emissions tests. New CEO Matthias Mueller said the German carmaker would tell customers in the coming days they would need to have diesel vehicles with illegal software refitted, a move which some analysts have estimated could cost more than $8.7 billion. Europe’s biggest automaker has admitted cheating in diesel emissions tests in the United States and Germany’s transport minister said the company also manipulated them in Europe, where Volkswagen sells about 40 per cent of its vehicles. The company is under huge pressure to address the worst business crisis in its 78-year history, which has wiped more than a third off its market value, sent shock waves through the global car market and could harm Germany’s economy. “We are facing a long trudge and a lot of hard work,” Mueller told a closed-door gathering of about 1,000 top managers at Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg headquarters late on Monday. “We will only be able to make progress in steps and there will be setbacks,” he said, according to a text seen by Reuters news agency. Volkswagen did not say how the planned refit would make cars with the “cheat” software comply with regulations, or how this might affect vehicles’ mileage or efficiency, which are important considerations for customers. It said it would submit the details to Germany’s KBA watchdog next month.

Manipulating emissions results allowed Volkswagen to keep down engine costs in a “clean diesel” strategy that was popular in Europe and at the heart of a drive to improve U.S. results. Mueller was appointed CEO on Friday to replace Martin Winterkorn. German prosecutors said on Monday they were investigating Winterkorn over allegations of fraud. Embarrassment for Germany The crisis is an embarrassment for Germany, which has for years held up Volkswagen as a model of its engineering prowess and has lobbied against some tighter regulations on automakers. The German car industry employs more than 750,000 people and is a major source of export income. Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel told reporters he was not worried about damage to the economy from Volkswagen’s problems, “at least, not if we deal with it sensibly.” There must be no “soft pedalling, no obfuscation and no covering up” by Volkswagen, he added. The KBA has given Volkswagen an Oct. 7 deadline to come up with a plan to bring diesel emissions into line with the law. Investors are impatient for answers too. A survey of 62 institutions by investment banking advisory firm Evercore ISI found around two-thirds said it would not be possible to invest in Volkswagen over the next six months if costs, fines, legal and criminal proceedings were outstanding or inadequately quantified.

34 i Saturday, October 3, 2015

SOUTH ASIA

Nepal mulls new Everest restrictions

he Nepalese government is considering banning anyone deemed too young or too old or with a severe disability from climbing Mount Everest. A spokesman said under new proposals, no-one younger than 18 or older than 75 would be allowed to climb. The ministry of tourism could also insist that all climbers have previous mountaineering experience. Nepal makes millions of dollars every year from the Everest industry but has been criticised for poor management. In 2014,

the mountain was closed after 16 Sherpas (guides) died in an accident. And earlier this year, the climbing season was called off after a massive earthquake triggered an avalanche that killed 18 climbers. Over the past decade many people have sought to establish world records on the world’s highest mountain, a practice the government wants to discourage. The youngest person to climb Mount Everest was 13 and the oldest 80. “We don’t think we should issue permits to people who cannot see or walk or who don’t have arms,”

Italian aid worker shot dead in Bangladesh

n Italian citizen has been shot dead by unknown attackers in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka. There have been growing security fears in Bangladesh following attacks on bloggers. The Italian man was gunned down in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone on Monday, police said, and died later in hospital. “A 50-year-old man called Tavella Cesare was shot three times at Road Number 90 in the capital’s Gulshan area in the af-

ternoon today,” Dhaka police spokesman Muntashirul Islam told Agence France-Presse.“He died after being brought to a Dhaka hospital.” The man is understood to have worked for a Netherlands-based global development agency that has offices in Bangladesh. An online statement later claimed responsibility in the name of the “Islamic State” militant group, saying its attackers followed the man and shot him dead. The claim could not be independently verified and police said they were not aware of it. There have been heightened security fears in the country after the violent deaths of a number of atheist bloggers this year, which sparked a crackdown on local hard-line Islamist groups.

Madhesi border blockade sparks anti-India feelings in Nepal

he disruption in cross-border trade between India and Nepal following protests by Madhesis has affected markets and citizens across both sides of the un-demarcated border. Long convoys of trucks carrying supplies are stuck amid protests in Nepal over the country’s newly adopted Constitution that keeps Madhesis, the Indian-origin inhabitants of the Terai plains, ting Nepal into seven provinces, and who claim they’ve been left out of the power structures. Demonstrators in the region have blocked two main border crossings from India, shutting off vital supply lines. With hundreds of trucks stranded, supplies of essential commodities like sugar, salt and cooking gas cylinders has been hit. Also, cable TV operators in Nepal have blocked 42 Indian channels in protest against what they call an unofficial “blockade of goods” into the country . The move comes after a former Maoist splinter party started a campaign against Indian movies and TV channels in Nepal.

Afghan forces battle to reclaim city of Kunduz Afghan forces backed by US air support battled Taliban fighters for control of the northern city of Kunduz on Tuesday , after the militants seized a provincial capital for the first time since their ouster 14 years ago. The sudden fall of Kunduz on Monday was a major setback for the government of President Ashraf Ghani, which marked its first year in power on Tuesday , and raised questions over how ready Afghan forces were to tackle the Islamist insurgency alone. Ghani announced in a televised address that more reinforcements were on their way to regain the city, which he said had fallen partly because government forces had shown restraint to avoid civilian casualties. “

LOCAL

B.C. Hydro rates should be lowered for low-income customers, says advocate

Abbotsford to shut down medical pot shops

Screenwriter, director and producer Deepa Mehta was in Surrey last week, Pictured above Mehta during an interview at the SFU Surrey campus. Photo: Chandra Bodalia

he City of Abbotsford is taking steps to shut down two medical marijuana dispensaries. Two outlets – Mary Jane’s Glass and Gifts on George Ferguson Way, and a similar shop on South Fraser Way – have opened in Abbotsford in recent months. “We don’t want to see them in Abbotsford, and we will move to have them removed,” said Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun. Both are co-run by Weeds Glass and Gifts Limited, a Vancouver-based medical marijuana group. They sell dried marijuana, concentrated resins, marijuana-infused food products, and pills and tinctures containing marijuana-based ingredients, as well as smoking and vaporizing equipment. The stores only sell their products to people age 19 and over with a valid medical marijuana prescription.

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legal advocacy group in Vancouver is asking the B.C. Utilities Commission to help make electricity more affordable for low-income people. Of B.C. Hydro’s 1.7 million residential customers, 10 per cent are considered low income — and many of them have trouble paying their electricity bill, according to the B.C. Public Interest Advocacy Centre. “We’ve heard a lot of stories of people facing disconnections, having difficulty paying arrears, and having just long-standing problems paying their bills,” said Sarah Khan, a lawyer with the centre. The advocate is asking the B.C. Utilities Commission, the provincial agency that regulates energy services, to implement an elec-

tricity affordability program at B.C. Hydro. Currently, B.C. Hydro has programs that provide energy-saving products and tips for low-income residents, but Khan says more needs to be done. She wants to see an emergency bill assistance program for those facing disconnection, and more flexible payment options for those behind on their bill. Khan said similar programs are already in place in Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba. “Ontario is in the process of implementing quite a wide range of low income energy affordability programs,” said Khan. “They’ve already got low income terms and conditions and already have some bill assistance programs, and they’re just in the process of expanding that.”

World

Teachers’ Day OCTOBER

Journée mondiale des enseignants 5 octobre

October

Globe - iStock

We nurture the love of learning Nous cultivons l’amour de l’apprentissage

A message from the Surrey Teachers’ Association

IT’S OUR FAVOURITE TIME OF FEAR.

FRIGHT NIGHTS WESTERN CANADA’S SCARIEST HAUNT

OCT 9-NOV 1

POSSESSES

(OPEN SELECT NIGHTS)

Admission includes unlimited access to

upgrade to a RAPID PASS to get into the Houses and 5 Rides

FASTER!

STALK US ON

PNE _ PLAYLAND PNECLIPS

7 5 RADIANT THE MONSTERS HAUNTED RIDES, HEAT OF SCHLOCK HOUSES INCLUDING GRUESOME FIRE THE BEAST COMEDY ACT PERFORMANCE SAVE ON FRIGHTPASSES AT: Monsters of Schlock will not be performing Oct 9-11

36 i Saturday, October 3, 2015