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India asks FBI to share intelligence on Sikh separatists India has asked the United States to share intelligence on Sikh separatists living there amid investigations into an accusation that an Indian official was linked to a plot to kill a Sikh separatist on American soil, an Indian official said on Tuesday. The request was made by the National Investigations Agency (NIA), India’s federal
Canada’s grocers see record-high profits As many Canadians struggle to put food on the table and some consider scaling back their holiday dinner, a new report finds Canada’s grocery sector is set to rake in a record amount of money this year. The Centre for Future Work says grocers are expected to make more than $6 billion in
2023 — a new record and an increase of eight per cent from last year. The new data from the institute found food retailers are now earning more than twice as much profit as they did before the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from Statistics Canada, the report says the net income margin on food
Supreme Court upholds scrapping of article 370 regarding Kashmir’s autonomy Supreme Court of India backed the Centre’s move to scrap special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and ordered elections next year. Article 370 was a temporary provision to ease Jammu and Kashmir’s merger with India, said Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, reading out a majority Supreme Court judgment. The Supreme Court said Jammu and Kashmir should be put on par with other states “at the earliest and as soon as possible”, and called for state elections by September 30, 2024.
anti-terrorism agency, in meetings with visiting FBI Director Christopher Wray, said the official, who works at the NIA and spoke on condition of anonymity. The issue of what New Delhi says are Sikh separatists operating against India from U.S. soil was discussed in “greater detail by a team of internal security officials from both countries”, the official said.
Surrey drug smuggler fled to India to avoid 15-year prison sentence: RCMP Canadian authorities are asking Interpol to issue a “red notice” for the arrest of a Surrey, B.C., man who was convicted of smuggling cocaine into Canada but allegedly fled to India to avoid prison. If granted, the “red notice” would ask foreign police agencies to arrest Raj Kumar Mehmi, a 60-year-old truck driver who was sentenced in absentia to 15 years
in prison for possessing and importing 80 kilograms of cocaine through the Peace Arch border crossing. A Canada-wide warrant has also been issued for Mehmi’s arrest. The Surrey man was initially caught at the border in November 2017 while driving a semi-trailer he owned with the sealed bricks of cocaine Continued on page 7
Syrian Ibrahim Ali 32, guilty of sexual assault & murder of 13-year-old girl A first-degree murder conviction comes with a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole for 25 years. The marathon murder trial of Ibrahim Ali has concluded with a jury finding that he sexually assaulted and
strangled a 13-year-old girl, then left her body on the forest floor of a park in Burnaby more than six years ago. After jurors stood to confirm they were in agreement with the verdict, Justice Lance Bernard thanked them for their months of dedication.
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Saturday, December 16, 2023
Truck driver who caused deadly Broncos crash loses latest bid to stay in Canada A judge dismissed applications on Thursday from the truck driver who caused the deadly Humboldt Broncos bus crash and was fighting deportation back to India. Jaskirat Singh Sidhu was sentenced to eight years in prison for causing the 2018 crash in Saskatchewan that killed 16
people and injured 13 others. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving charges. The rookie Calgary trucker, a newly married permanent resident, barrelled through a stop sign at a rural intersection near Tisdale, Sask., and drove into the path of the bus carrying the junior hockey team to a playoff game.
Over 200,000 illegal Indian immigrants stopped by US in last 5 years The US authorities “encountered” with over 200,000 illegal Indian immigrants in the last five years with the highest cases of 96,917 reported in 2022-23, according to details furnished in Parliament by the
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) while citing data from American homeland security. Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said the US authorities came across 8027 illegal Indian immigrants in 201819, 1227 in 2019-20 and 30,662 in 2020-21.
Tesla to build its largest service facility in North America in Vancouver North America’s largest purpose-built Tesla service facility will be constructed in Vancouver’s Strathcona district. The battery-electric car manufacturer announced today it has partnered with local developer Beedie to build the facility at 950 Raymur Avenue, which is a 1.6-acre vacant industrial site at the southeast corner of Prior Street and
Raymur Avenue — immediately east of Strathcona Park. The new state-of-the-art 120,000 sq ft building complex will provide servicing, vehicle preparation, delivery operations, and a showroom. According to Tesla, this will be the company’s most expansive service centre with the largest service capacity in Western Canada.
A Surrey man is one of three delivery drivers arrested after the Burnaby RCMP investigated reports of Amazon drivers stealing packages. “In each of the three cases, the driver was accused of stealing the packages they were meant to be delivering and then attempting to sell the items online,” Cpl. Mike Kalanj of the Burnaby RCMP said. “There is nothing to indicate the three incidents are linked.” The names of the accused have not been released, pending charge approval.
winner who wants to continue working! “I love the work I do and the people I work with, and that makes my two jobs so meaningful to me. I want to be the same Noel,” explained Patricio, who works in the field of housekeeping, while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his massive windfall.
On November 22, the Burnaby RCMP’s Prolific Offender Suppression Team (POST) executed a search warrant at the Surrey driver’s residence. “The suspect, a 26-year-old man, now faces six counts of theft which have been forwarded to the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of charges,” Kalanj said. The other two suspects are Vancouver men. In the first case, Burnaby Mounties received a report on Sept. 10 that an Amazon driver was stealing packages and selling them online.
Burnaby council approves giant $240M pool, arena redevelopment at $54M more than planned The facility is intended to be a “destination recreation facility capable of drawing regional participation in leisure and competitive sports activities,” staff told council at a meeting Monday, Dec. 11. The project came in $150 million overbudget in August, so council abandoned that plan and instructed staff
to cut costs to get the project back to its original budget of around $187 million. The new design incorporates almost all the program elements of the original plan, but it combines two standalone pools (a leisure pool and a 25-metre pool) into one, according to a staff report.
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3 Amazon delivery drivers accused of package theft in Surrey & Vancouver
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OPINION
Saturday, December 16, 2023 Raheel Raza and Mohammed Rizwan
The Muslim world’s selective outrage over Israel
The pro-Hamas, pro-Palestine, antiIsrael rallies on the streets of Canada, the United States, Europe and the Middle East are nothing new. Ever since the creation of State of Israel in 1948, Arab politics has largely been defined by Palestinian question. The question for the rest of us is: what drives this sentiment? Is this expression of political support driven by sympathy and
affinity for Muslims in Palestine? Is this a question of human and religious rights? Or is it a decades-long attempt to change a regional geopolitical situation that Arab rulers believe is unfairly tilted towards a lone Jewish state in a sea of Arab monarchies? It is simply not the case that these demonstrations are an expression of solidarity for Muslim human and political rights, because
one doesn’t see the instant outpouring of emotions, the pain and anger, when Muslim populations across various conflict zones and under various dictatorial regimes suffer far more atrocities than the Palestinians. Take, for example, Iran. The theocratic regime in Iran has been running a reign of terror for nearly 45 years. Its record of torture and atrocities against its own people is well documented and well known. Following the death of Mahsa Amini, who was killed for not wearing a proper hijab, we did not see widespread protests across the Muslim world. The government in Turkey even rounded up protesters who dared come out. In Iran, tens of thousands were arrested and some were sentenced to death. But the same governments encourage protests against Israel. Now look at the case of Assad regime in Syria. More than 350,000 people have been killed in the Syrian Civil War, largely due to atrocities committed by the Assad regime and the Islamic State group. Yet there has been near-total silence from those who are now championing the Palestinian cause. According to the Foundation for Political Innovation, as of 2021, al-Qaida had been responsible for over 14,000 deaths. The Taliban had killed 69,303 people. And since the Taliban retook Afghanistan in August 2021, it has slaughtered at least 1,000 people. Where is the outrage over the Taliban on the streets of Middle Eastern and western cities? In Sudan, an estimated 200,000 people were killed in a mass genocide that took place between 2003 and 2005. Yet the Muslim world hardly took notice. Raheel Raza is a board member of the Council of Muslims Against Antisemitism. Mohammed Rizwan is former journalist
BC cracking down on crashes with fines or suspensions B.C. government has announced a suite of new penalties and regulations to crack down on commercial vehicle overpass strikes. The move comes in the wake of what Transportation Minister Rob Fleming called an “inexplicable series of collisions” involving trucks and highway overpasses.
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From page 1
Surrey drug dealer fled to India to avoid 15-year prison sentence: RCMP
hidden inside. The RCMP’s federal serious and organized crime unit estimated the street value of the drugs at $3.2 million. Mehmi was found guilty one charge each of importing a controlled substance and possessing a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking in September 2022. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for this past January, however authorities say Mehmi
Police seek man accused of stealing $20,000 in jewelry
boarded a flight from Vancouver to New Delhi on Oct. 11, 2022, and has not returned to Canada. Despite his absence, he was sentenced last month in Surrey provincial court to nine years for the importation charge and six years for possession. The latest data available from Statistics Canada indicates cocaine use has steadily increased since 2020, and has contributed “significantly” to accidental drug toxicity deaths in B.C., and Canada overall.
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LOCAL / NATIONAL
Saturday, December 16, 2023
Garba of Gujarat Goes Global
On 6th December 2023, Unesco declared garba-folk dance form of Gujarat, as intangible cultural heritage of humanity. This is in fact fifteenth inclusion of intangible inscription from India, Durga puja was included in the list in 2021. Indian consulate, Vancouver, in collaboration with Gujarati society of BC, arranged for a small event to celebrate the occasion. Recently there has been a steady increase in Gujarati diaspora in Vancouver and garba enthusiasts. Consulate general of India, Mr. Manish talked about the importance of cultural values and traditions and
explained the processes involved in inclusion of such cultural heritage. A small group of ladies performed a traditional garba on the song penned by PM Mr Narendra Modi himself. The very song that was performed at the UNESCO convention. Yashvi Mehta of Bolly Fusion led a session where she showed some of the modern garba steps and attendees got to dance along some Bollywood garba songs. Vibhooti Vaishnav anchored the event, giving a small account on significance of garba. Congratulations India and Gujarat.
Surrey Memorial Hospital to move patients to ‘transitional housing’ in hotel to free up beds Fraser Health is using a nearby hotel to house patients as they move out of acute care at Surrey Memorial Hospital. The hospital has been battling overcrowding for years, but the health authority says the use of a hotel for what it calls “community transitional housing” is
about providing round-the-clock care, social and rehabilitation services to vulnerable patients who live in precarious housing or who are unhoused. The George Point Inn at 9414 King George Blvd. will have space for 53 patients once it scales up starting Monday.
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Brother of slain Burnaby girl speaks out about Ibrahim Ali guilty verdict The guilty verdict in the trial of a man accused of sexually assaulting and killing a 13-year-old Burnaby girl was the “best possible outcome” given the confines of the Canadian justice system, according to the girl’s brother. “To (my sister), if she is listening now, I want to tell her that we love her, we miss her and nothing will ever fill the void that she left when she was so brutally and suddenly torn
from us,” he said. “But we hope that she can find some modicum of peace now, knowing that we caught the monster that did this and found him guilty for his heinous crimes.” A jury found Ibrahim Ali, 33, guilty Friday of first-degree murder in the death of the girl, whose partially naked body was found in Burnaby’s Central Park just after 1 a.m. on July 19, 2017, less than two hours after her family reported her missing.
Police say person took loaded gun into Ibrahim Ali murder trial ‘with intent to kill,’ lawyer says A lawyer for Ibrahim Ali in his firstdegree murder trial says police told him a person close to the proceeding brought a handgun into the Vancouver courtroom on Friday with “intent to kill.” He said he and his wife were called to the Victoria Police Department
on Sunday, where officers informed them of the incident. McCullough said he then told his co-counsel. Multiple children, including teens as young as 16, bought and used his packages to kill themselves, according to the BBC.
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Saturday, December 16, 2023 Canadian chef hit with 14 murder charges after selling hundreds of poison ‘Suicide Kits’
UK police are investigating 88 deaths of people who died after allegedly ordering packages from Kenneth Law. A former chef in Canada who allegedly sold hundreds of poison “suicide kits” online to people who were at risk of killing themselves has been charged with 14 counts of murder. Kenneth Law, 57, is now facing 28 charges
Vancouver council approves 7.5% property tax hike for 2024
related to the packages he sold, including a previous 14 charges of counseling or aiding suicide brought against him in August. Canadian police allege that Law sold kits containing hoods, masks, tubing and sodium nitrite, an off-white odorless powder that can be deadly in certain concentrations.
Calgary’s poverty line higher than Toronto & Vancouver Calgarians have to make more than those in Toronto or Vancouver to be above the poverty line, according to Statistics Canada’s (StatCan) latest report. StatCan’s Market Basket Measure is how Canada measures poverty and is based on cost of living, which includes food, and clothing. Shelter and transportation use a reference
Residential and business property owners within Vancouver will still have to contend with a relatively high property tax increase in 2024, but it will be smaller than last year’s double-digit increase. The 2023 average property tax increase was a historic 10.7% increase. Earlier this year, City of Vancouver staff projected the need for a 9.5% increase in 2024 but brought it down to 7.6%
ahead of today’s budget deliberations. With some amendments during today’s public meeting, Vancouver City Council reduced the 2024 average property tax increase from 0.1% to 7.5% by reducing the budget item line for general government expenses by $537,000. The 7.5% increase can be sourced to 1% to pick up the pace for infrastructure renewal,
Victoria police suspend officer after misconduct complaint
family of two adults and two children. The latest stats for 2022 show Calgary at $55,771, which means if a family makes below that in disposable income, they’re living in poverty. When compared to Toronto, the basket number is $55,262, and Vancouver is $55,727, both lower than in Calgary.
A
Victoria police officer has been suspended amid a misconduct investigation, the city’s police department announced Tuesday evening. “Earlier this year, a misconduct complaint was made about a VicPD officer,” the Victoria Police Department said in a statement. The department did not elaborate
on when the complaint was filed or what misconduct was alleged. “Upon receiving the complaint, the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) assigned the Vancouver Police Department to investigate,” the statement continues.
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BC govt wants to seize $1.5M in cash found after deadly Vancouver shooting
Driver charged with manslaughter after killing another man in road rage incident A Calgary driver is now charged with manslaughter, accused of killing another man with his car in what police are calling a road rage incident. Steven Allen, 34, appeared in court on Wednesday and was released Press release
on bail by a justice of the peace. Allen is accused of killing David Berglund, 35, Tuesday in the northeast community of Temple. Police say they were called Tuesday afternoon by the passenger in a red Chevrolet
B.C. government is seeking the seizure of more than $7 million in property and cash linked to a deadly shooting earlier this year in east Vancouver. In a civil suit filed in B.C. Supreme Court this month, the province’s director
of civil forfeiture alleges that two houses in Vancouver and one in Abbotsford, and nearly $1.5 million in cash, are the proceeds of crime. On Sept. 10 just after midnight, Vancouver police responded to reports of shot being fired at East 28th
Celebration of life event for late Gurcharan Singh Mansoor Writers from Vancouver honour the life & memory of poet Gurcharan Gill Mansoor
Hardam Maan
Gazal Manch Surrey and Vancouver Vichaar Manch hosted a gathering to remember and honor a well-known poet late Gurcharan Singh Mansoor. Historically, when poets pass on, the gatherings are
generally somber and subdued. This event was unique as the family is of progressive thought, therefore, with collaboration with the family it was a celebration of life event for Gurcharan Singh Mansoor.
Many prominent poets, writers and novelists including Jarnail Singh Sekha shared his professional and personal connection of 50 years
Community news Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society of BC, is going to celebrate Christmas & Group birthday on 27th December 2023 (Wednesday) at Ultimate Banquet hall 8072 - 120th street Surrey BC, starting at 6.00 pm to 9.30 pm. Group Birthday of all members born between 14th November to 27th December will also be celebrated. Dr. Sunil Bhatt a Family Physician by profession, Mr.
Abhishek Dobhal & talented singer Nirupma also, has kindly accepted to entertain the seniors community with old Bollywood Melodies free of cost. All are welcome to attend and everyone will be contributing the cost $45.00 dollars per person to be paid to the Banquet hall, please register by paying your share to the Coordinator. -------------------------South Asian Adults & Seniors
of
Ageing, Loneliness, Purpose Life & after Regrets in Life, Swami Ram Singh Ji from India, on Dec. 17th 2023 (Sunday), from 2.00 pm to 3.30pm at Shanti Niketan hall, In Person Yoga classes for members only, Every Monday & Every Thursday from 10.00 am to 11.15 am, Pure Vegetarian Lunch on
#106 - 7565 132 St. Surrey, BC 604.572.3005
with Gurcharan Singh Mansoor. Poet Dashmesh Gill Firoze shared his experiences about his father Mansoor Sahib and he shared how proud his father was of him and his poetry.
Thursdays after the Yoga session. -------------------------In Person Yoga classes for members only, on Every Monday & Every Thursday will continue by Mr. Ashwani Bansal expert Yoga Instructor -------------------------Lakshmi Narayan Temple, 8321 - 140th St., Surrey, BC, V3W 5K9 Tel: 604 - 507 - 9945
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Saturday, December 16, 2023
INDIA Don’t overestimate India’s new Middle East strategy
Much of the commentary on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unprecedentedly pro-Israel response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack has overestimated the
extent of deviation from India’s traditionally nonaligned and slow-evolving Middle East policy. Modi’s response came after the largest attack on Israel in decades and was made prior to major Israeli retaliation.
Fake toll tax booth collected $9 Million over 18 months The bogus booth, set up in a closed ceramic factory, allowed drivers to bypass the official plaza and pay lower tolls. The fake toll plaza was set up off a highway in India collected equivalent of nearly $9
million over the course of 18 months while letting drivers bypass the actual, more expensive tolls, according to authorities. The bogus booth was set up in a closed factory in Morbi in the state of Gujarat.
Adani Contractor probed by India resurfaces under new name The Adani Group has been maintaining its relationship with a controversial contracting firm controlled by a Taiwanese family, with previously unreported regulatory filings showing how the connection has evolved amid a government investigation and auditor scrutiny. The contracting firm — Howe Engineering Projects (India) Pvt Ltd. —
contains the core operations of a business called PMC Projects Pvt Ltd. that India’s government alleged in 2014 was being used by billionaire Gautam Adani’s empire to siphon money overseas. Adani denied all wrongdoing and the probe’s findings were dismissed in 2017 by an adjudicating body.
Parliament lower house adjourned after security breach Two men wrongfully entered the floor of India’s parliament house in a security breach that halted proceedings on the anniversary of a terrorist attack two decades ago. Both the men jumped into the house from the visitors’ gallery and rushed toward
the Lok Sabha speaker’s chair, opposition lawmaker Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar told reporters. The people were caught by security officials and the proceedings of the lower house was adjourned, she added.
FBI chief reaches India following explosive US assassination plot indictment FBI director Christopher Wray is in India this week for a trip aimed at strengthening security cooperation and deepening a partnership. But it comes in the wake of a major law enforcement issue between the two nations, one far more sinister and with the potential to cause cracks within that alliance. Just two weeks ago, the United States accused an Indian government official of being involved in a conspiracy to kill an American citizen on its home soil. The citizen in question is Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist,
who was allegedly the target of a murder-for-hire plot in New York City. Pannun is a wanted man in India considered by the government there as a terrorist and national security threat. But to some Sikhs overseas, Pannun is an outspoken activist and a man rallying for a cause that has come to unite large swaths of the community’s international diaspora. Late last month, US federal prosecutors charged an Indian national on suspicion of trying to kill him, according to an explosive indictment, which alleged the hitman was acting upon orders from an unnamed Indian govt official.
Devastating floods kills 30 in Himalayan region Devastating floods killed more than 30 people and destroyed the livelihoods of thousands in Himalayan region. Dozens of people still missing after being swept away.
The flash flood was triggered by a cloudburst, which caused the South Lhonak glacial lake to burst its banks. The excess water flowed into the Teesta river downstream, causing its water level to rise.
‘Cash for Kidneys’ allegations hit one of India’s top hospital chains The Union government asked Delhi health authorities to probe a UK-based media report of an illegal kidney transplant racket functioning at the Apollo Hospital in Delhi involving a top surgeon, even as the hospital
denied any wrongdoing. The National Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organisation (NOTTO) wrote to the Delhi State Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organisation to examine the allegations, take appropriate
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Saturday, December 16, 2023
India India’s plan for 50,000 E-Buses on its roads gets US support Sign up for the Green Daily newsletter for comprehensive coverage of the climate summit right in your inbox. India is aiming to get 50,000 electric buses on its streets by 2027 with help from a joint finance mechanism with the US. The $390 million fund will act as a guarantee for manufacturers seeking loans to expand production, Indian and US officials said at a side event at COP28. India currently only has 12,000 e-buses in operation. The payment security mechanism, established with $150 million from the US government and philanthropic groups, and $240 million from the
Indian government, “is the bedrock of risk management for building out the financial system for electric mobility at scale in India,” said Mahua Acharya, a government official who spearheaded the deployment of the first e-buses in the country. India has been working to drive down the price of electric buses. The government previously introduced the concept of “transportation as service,” whereby manufacturers rent buses to public entities and collect monthly payments for 12 years.
Indian National Congress alleges BJP, BRS trying to topple Telangana govt The Telangana unit of Congress filed a complaint to the state police chief alleging that the BRS and BJP are conspiring to topple its newly elected government in the state. The complaint was filed by Telangana PCC general secretaries Kailash Neta, Charukonda Venkatesh and Madhusudan Reddy to DGP Ravi Gupta asking for an inquiry on their allegation. PCC General Secretary Kailash Netha alleged that the BJP and KCR were trying to topple the Government by “giving money”. Congress government is working towards the development
of Telangana but BJP Raja Singh and BRS leaders Kadiam Srihari and Palle Rajeshwar stated that after 6 months Telangana government will Fall. We have the majority,” Kailash Netha told ANI. “But BJP Narendra Modi and K Chandrashekar Rao are trying topple the Government by giving money. So we gave a memorandum to DGP Ravi Gupta, to conduct an inquiry into the matter,” he added. In the recently held Assembly election in the state, the Congress won wresting power from KCR-led BRS. In the 119-member Assembly, Congress won 64 seats, BRS 39, BJP 8, AIMIM 7 and others 1.
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FIJI Biman wants to lift Australia, New Zealand visa rules
An economically integrated Blue Pacific will arise from a foundation of visa free movement of people, says Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad. In his opening address at the Australasian
Aid and International Development conference in Canberra, Australia, he said the benefits of a visa free Pacific region that included Australia and New Zealand was going to be immeasurably substantial for people in the Pacific.
Rabuka affirms support for RFMF Republic of Fiji Military Forces personnel have received reassurance from Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka today, affirming that the government is there to support them. The Prime Minister made the comment during a historic visit to the RFMF, marking his first since reassuming office.
Rabuka has also stated that he has no issues with the RFMF. The Prime Minister expressed deep gratitude to the RFMF for steadfastly fulfilling its duties and unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law. I as Prime Minister have not had any issue to complain about and Minister of Home
PAKISTAN Imran Khan indicted again in cipher case In Pakistan on Wednesday a specia court indicted former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in cipher case for allegedly leaking state secrets and violating the laws of the country.
Suicide attack on army base kills 23 A suicide squad drove an explosiveladen truck into a military camp in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, killing at least 23 soldiers, the army said, the heaviest death toll in a single attack in years, less than two months ahead of elections.
Seaqaqa farmers receive warning letters Warning letters have been issued to cane farmers in Seaqaqa to clear their farms of all unapproved cane varieties by next year. Reminding cane farmers during a
Ministry of Finance-organised cane farmers’ consultation at Solove Primary School yesterday, FSC officer Viliame Volai said some farmers had received warning letters while others would soon receive theirs.
Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqernain conducted the proceedings of the case in Rawalpindi jail where the two leaders have been incarcerated in the case. This was the second time that they were indicted after October.
The gun and bomb attack, which was claimed by an Islamist militant group, comes as political watchers have already voiced concerns about holding the vote, scheduled for Feb. 8, amid a surge in militant attacks in the northwest and southwest.
Court indictment hits Imran Khan’s election ambitions Former Prime Minister Imran Khan pleaded not guilty to charges of leaking state secrets under an indictment on Wednesday that dealt a new blow to his chances of contesting
Pakistan’s general election in February. The charges are related to a classified cable sent to Islamabad by Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington last year,
16-year-old drowned while trying to save another boy Fiji Police Force issued a warning to adults at the Seventh Day Adventist Fiji Mission Pathfinders Camporee at Naravuka in Seaqaqa, Vanua Levu of the importance of supervising children after a 16-year-old lost his life while attempting to save a boy from drowning.
Divisional Police Commander Northern Senior Superintendent Kemueli Baleidrodroka while confirming the tragic incident said adults at the camp needed to be aware of the whereabouts of the children as the camp site was near the road and river.
BC home prices resilient in 2023: BCREA “The BC housing market has been more resilient than expected in 2023,” according to Brendon Ogmundson, the chief economist with the BC Real Estate Association (BCREA), in a market update today. Based on the trends seen from data compiled from the province’s regional real estate boards, BCREA is estimating a 2.8% year-over-year decline in home sales for 2023, and a 2% drop in the average home price to
Court suspends ‘Election Commission’s appointments of bureaucrats Lahore High Court suspended Election Commission’s decision to appoint bureaucrats as Returning Officers (ROs) for the February 8 general elections, prompting a war of words between
Real Estate
$976,600. Within the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver’s (REBGV) jurisdiction, home sales in 2023 are forecasted to drop by 4.3% year-over-year, while the average home price will see a slight year-overyear uptick of 0.2% to $1.275 million. For the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB), home sales in its jurisdiction in 2023 are predicted to fall by 0.7% year-over-
political parties, with two of them terming it as a “conspiracy” to postpone the polls. Lahore High Court on Wednesday announced a reserved verdict on the plea challenging the Election Commission
Debt is costing Canadians more of their income
Canadian debt-to-income ratio narrowed slightly, says StatsCan. The report says that the ratio of Canadian household debt to income narrowed in the third quarter. The agency says household credit market debt as a proportion of household disposable income in the third quarter fell to 181.6 per
cent, on a seasonally adjusted basis, down from 181.9 per cent in the second quarter. In other words, it says Canadians owed $1.82 in credit market debt for every dollar of household disposable income in the third quarter.
Saturday, December 16, 2023
Sukhbir Badal apologises for sacrilege incidents under SAD govt’s watch SAD president Sukhbir Badal on Thursday sought an apology for the sacrilege incidents during the SAD government and appealed to the dissident Akali leaders to come under one umbrella shunning the differences. Sukhbir said this while addressing a gathering on the 103rd foundation day of SAD commemorated at Shaheed Baba Gurbax Singh Jee gurdwara near the Akal Takht. Harsimrat Badal, Bikram Majithia, Anil Joshi and SGPC president Harjinder Dhami were present on the occasion. The sacrilege incidents had occurred in Faridkot district between June and October 2015.
Punjab police constable posted in ADGP staff held for extortion in Mohali A Punjab Police constable, posted in the staff of an Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), was arrested for allegedly extorting money from a scrap dealer here on Thursday. Police said constable Mohinderpal Singh and Mauli village resident Sandeep Singh were nabbed while extorting Rs 8,000 from Munna, a scrap dealer, in Sohana. However their accomplice Kala, a resident of Raipur was absconding, they added. Meanwhile, scrap dealer Munna’s wife alleged that the trio took Rs 7,000 from her on Wednesday by posing as officials of Sohana police station.
10 arrested as Police unearth inter-state illegal arms smuggling racket An inter-state illegal arms smuggling racket has been unearthed with the arrest of 10 people, including a Madhya Pradesh-based weapon manufacturer, a top police officer said on Thursday. A total of 22 weapons have been recovered, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said. “CIA Team @KhannaPolice has busted an interstate illegal weapon smuggling racket operating from #MadhyaPradesh 2 weapon supply gangs unearthed, arrest of 10 members along with weapon manufacturer from MP, Recovery of 22 weapons,” Yadav posted on X. An FIR has been registered and further investigation was under way.
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Saturday, December 16, 2023