The Asian Star November 21 2015

www.theasianstar.com Vol 14

Tel: 604-591-5423

Issue 43 Saturday, November 21, 2015

Uncommonly commonAman Bring

Volkswagen: more gasoline engines had emissions cheat device

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AAP leaders in Canada to woo NRI Punjabis

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ith eyes set on the 2017 Punjab assembly polls, a delegation of AAP leaders has flown to Canada to woo the NRI Punjabi diaspora settled in the North American country in a bid to strengthen the party’s voter base in the state as well as attract overseas donation. Top AAP leaders Sanjay Singh, also the party’s Punjab affairs in charge, and Ashutosh, along with sev-

I

No kissing 007, we are Indian

ndia’s film censor authorities have ordered that kissing scenes in the latest James Bond movie, Spectre, be shortened before it is released in the country. The Central Board of Film Certification has ordered that four scenes in the new James Bond film be trimmed, including at least two kisses between the lead actors, Daniel Craig and Monica Belluci. The decision to reduce the length of the kissing scenes was trending on social media Thursday as Indians mocked

NRI Bobby Jindal gives up on his US presidential dream

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eral other leaders from Punjab, have started holding dialogues with the Punjab natives.

This is Singh’s second visit to Canada this year. “The trip is meant for interaction and engagement with those who belong to Punjab,” Ashutosh said. When contacted, a party leader said, “Canada is to the people of Punjab what Delhi and Mumbai are to Biharis and UPiites. A lot of migrant population from the state is settled in Canada and Continued on page 6

ouisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on Tuesday announced he was ending his campaign for president. “This is not my time,” Jindal told Fox News’ Bret Baier. “I’ve come to the realization that this is not my time.

So I’ve come here to announce that I am suspending my campaign for president of the United States.”

Continued on page 8

the prudishness of film certification authorities. Earlier this week the film cer-

tification board gave Spectre a U/A rating suggesting parental discretion for children under 12. The film will be released in Indian theatres on Friday.

Meanwhile, on Twitter, scores of Indians used the satirical hashtag #SanskariJamesBond, or “traditional James Bond” to ridicule the cuts.

Continued on page 8

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Trudeau wrong to end ISIS combat mission: former Liberal minister Dosanjh

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former Liberal cabinet minister says Justin Trudeau is wrong to end Canada’s combat mission against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. “I hate war but I hate ISIS more,” Ujjal Dosanjh said in an interview Tuesday with Andrew Nichols on CBC News Network.

“What message are we sending to people across the world? That Canada is willing to walk away from the actual war to bring about peace? If that’s the message, I think it’s the wrong message for Canada.” Dosanjh said Canada has a contribution to make and Trudeau needs to stand shoulder to shoulder with France in the wake of the attacks linked to Continued on page 7

Canadian man’s selfie altered to look like Paris suicide bomber

Spanish newspaper apologized Sunday after it printed the photo of a Canadian Sikh man, which had been altered and presented as the image of a person responsible for the deadly attacks in Paris on Friday. An image of Veerender Jubbal, a freelance writer from the Greater Toronto Area, began circulating online shortly after multiple, co-ordinated attacks in Paris left 129 dead and hundreds injured.

The image appeared to show Jubbal, who was not identified by name, wearing a suicide bomb vest and holding a Qur’an. The photo was eventually posted by an unofficial ISIS support group on the social media plat-

Altered photo, falsified information used on several European news outlets, newspapers form Telegram, the same platform that ISIS used to claim responsibility for the Paris attacks. The image was actually a selfie taken by Jubbal in 2014. The iPad Continued on page 6

2 i Saturday, November 21, 2015 ROP_R15-NoFrillsGO_SurreyND_Nov19th.pdf

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LOCAL

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Body of Raveshan Pillay found weeks after disappearance in Tofino whale-watching tragedy A body found near Vargas Island, B.C., yesterday has been identified as that of 27-year-old Raveshan Morgan Pillay, an Australian tourist missing since last month’s fatal whale-watching tragedy off the coast of Tofino.

Twenty-seven people were on board the

MV Leviathan II when it sank on Oct. 25 off the west coast of Vancouver Island. Five people — all British citizens, including one resident of B.C. and another of Ontario — died.

Twenty-one people were plucked

from the water by locals who responded to a flare and radio calls.

Pillay was the only person on the boat not accounted for in the search-and-rescue effort.

Divers searched for Pillay for

several days, at times having to call off their search due to three- to four-metre swells.

Pillay’s body was found by a group of surfers who reported spotting a body on the beach at Vargas Island in the early evening of Nov. 18.

4 i Saturday, November 21, 2015

OPINION

Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner has not delivered on election promises

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t was a year ago this week that Linda Hepner’s promises of better transit and a beefed up police force propelled her to an easy victory in the race for the mayor’s chair in Surrey.

Hepner told voters the city would hire 100 new RCMP officers, keep property taxes low and build a new LRT system.

“Whether it’s public policy, transit, livability, sustainability, these four years are going to be busy for all of us,” Hepner said in her victory speech.

Darlene Bowyer with the group known as the Surrey Association of Sustainable Communities says she is still waiting for the mayor to make good on some of her campaign pledges.

“There are a lot of things that reBy Marc Lee

ally haven’t been fixed in Surrey, which were promised,” Bowyer said.

“We have a number of shootings on our streets still and there are a number things that really haven’t changed.”

Crime still an issue A few months after Hepner was sworn in as mayor, a bloody turf war broke out between low level dealers in the Newton area.

There were dozens of shootings, and Hepner addressed the issue in her state of the city address earlier this year.

“I could trot out statistics and graphs and charts that demonstrate that we are legitimately a safe, big city,” Hepner said.

“The simple fact is that if you don’t feel safe, all the statistics in the world aren’t going to matter.”

Surrey RCMP say 66 of the 100 new of-

Five LNG whoppers

British Columbians have heard many “too good to be true” claims about the benefits of launching a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export industry. Our research has uncovered a pattern of misinformation about LNG – coming primarily from the BC government, which should be looking out for the public interest instead of blindly championing the industry.

Let’s take a look: 1. 100,000 jobs!

Regulatory filings made by LNG proponents show that job creation from new LNG terminals would be very small, around 100–300 permanent jobs per facility. There would be a few thousand more jobs during the construction phase, but these are only temporary. There would also be gains to the upstream gas sector, but adding it all up we don’t come anywhere close to 100,000 jobs.

The claim of 100,000 jobs is based on a consultant’s report commissioned by the BC government in the lead-up to the 2013 (pre-election) Throne Speech. So it’s no surprise this was an exercise in exaggerating job prospects at every turn.

2. Debt-free BC (aka $100 billion Prosperity Fund)! This claim is based on a fantasy world where (a) BC launches a massive LNG industry that is equivalent to one-third of all current world LNG exports; (b) those exports fetch top dollar in Asia; and (c) BC puts in place a tax and royalty regime that captures a fair share of those gains.

None of this is happening. Market prices for LNG in Asia have crashed – at prevailing prices, a company exporting LNG from BC would lose money on every tanker load.

Even if we assume prices for LNG in Asia go back up to profitable levels, BC government revenues will only inch upwards. The much-heralded Petronas deal would add about $0.2 billion per year, and possibly much less. Compare that to the BC budget’s $46 billion in revenues and total provincial debt of $43 billion. 3. Over 150 years of gas supply! BC’s Natural Gas minister Rich Coleman claims BC has 2,933 trillion cubic feet of gas in reserve. While there may be this much gas in the ground, most of it will never be profitable to extract. Typically no more than 10–20% of what is called “in-place resources”

ficer positions Hepner promised have now been filled and the remaining 34 officers will be in place by summer.

Earlier this week, former VPD officer Terry Waterhouse was hired as Surrey’s director of public safety strategies.

Transit Woes Hepner promised to have the first leg of a light rail transit system up and running by the end of her first term as mayor.

She admitted she couldn’t deliver on that promise shortly after the transit plebiscite was shot down by voters.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University political science professor Shinder Purewal said that was the low point of Hepner’s first year as mayor.

“The TransLink referendum was a question

can be recovered from shale gas deposits.

More realistic estimates come from the province’s own Oil and Gas Commission, which says proven gas reserves are only 42 trillion cubic feet, and the total “marketable resource” 416 trillion cubic feet. The latter is one-seventh the claim made by the minister.

Based on numbers from the National Energy Board, a successful BC push for LNG would make Canada a net importer of gas, undermining our energy security.

4. Minimal impact on BC’s water! All of this new supply will come from fracking, where sand, water and chemicals are forced into wells, cracking open the shale beds containing the gas. Water used in fracking operations is so contaminated it must be kept in tailings ponds. Another risk is that drinking water supplies in northeast BC aquifers could also be contaminated by fracking, as they have been in other parts of North America.

The government argues water impacts from hydraulic fracturing will be minimal by averaging out withdrawals across all of northeast BC. In reality, impacts are highly localized. Peak water consumption for an LNG industry could be as much as 22,000 Continued on page 8

mark, because it really failed,” Purewal said.

Hepner now says she hopes construction

Saturday, November 21, 2015 i 5

Local

6 i Saturday, November 21, 2015

Douglas Todd: Immigration fraud on a grand scale

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Mass immigration deception ‘adversely impacts Canadian society’

Metro Vancouver man who made millions producing fraudulent documents for Mainland Chinese and helped them avoid paying taxes should be locked behind bars for the rest of his life, says Rong Chen. Richmond resident Xun Wang’s companies hauled in $10 million over eight years by producing altered Chinese passports and fraudulent identities for up to 1,200 clients in arguably the largest immigration fraud case in Canadian history.

“How could Wang have done this so easily for 1,000 people? It’s ridiculous,” says Vancouver-based Chen, a real estate consultant raised in China who now helps wealthy Chinese invest in properties along the West Coast of North America. Instead of life in prison, Richmond provincial court Judge Reg Harris last month sentenced “mastermind” Wang to seven years. He also has to pay a fine of $188,000 for falsely claiming unearned tax rebates, plus another $730,000 for evading Canadian taxes. Five illegal immigration consultants who worked for Wang also face charges, prosecutor Jessica Patterson said Wednesday. Search

warrants are out for two of them. Others remain under investigation by the Canada Border Services Agency.

The prime purpose of Wang’s operation was to convince Canadian officials his many clients resided in Canada for immigration purposes when they actually lived in China. In addition to evading taxes himself, Wang, who was not a member of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants, helped his clients avoid paying taxes in Canada. On their behalf, he also falsely reported income so low that many obtained tax rebates. Even though Chen believes some of the thousands of people in Canada and offshore who call themselves “immigration consultants” are legitimate, he

Chen’s views echo those of immigration law scholar Liu Guofu, of the Beijing Institute of Technology, who has predicted that Wang’s complex network — which employed at least 14 people in B.C., Alberta and China — will likely convince Ottawa to tighten its immigration requirements for Chinese people. “There’s a huge demand for Canadian passports,” noted Chen, who said many upper-middle-class Mainland Chinese seek a safe haven outside their country because they feel economically called on the Liberal government to more vulnerable.

He also said they want to escape rigorously regulate the country’s consultants China’s pollution and want their children to and more effectively combat scams. have an English-language education.

AAP leaders in Canada to woo NRI Punjabis

From page 1 therefore, households in each village will have have someone or the other working in from Punjab are also settled in Australia, the Canada.” “The Indians working in Canada US, the UK and Malaysia. AAP is planning to not only hold economic power because of the send party delegations in these countries in money they send back, but can also influence coming days to garner support and raise funds.

With an aim to wrest power in Punjab afvoters. More importantly, they are also a major source of fund for the party,” the AAP leader ter having made its presence felt in the state said. Of the overseas donation received by during the Lok Sabha elections, AAP had the AAP, major contributors are from the US recently made structural changes in the state and Canada. The party had sought to reach unit, which irked many in the party.

AAP had opened its account in the Lok out to Punjab natives in Canada during the Lok Sabha polls as well. “During such vis- Sabha by winning four seats in Punjab in 2014 its, we canvas support for the party and such general elections. However, two of its MPs delegations also help spread party’s tentacles. Dharamvira Gandhi and Harinder Singh KhalIn fact all the parties do this,” the AAP lead- sa - have been suspended on the charge of aner said. Apart from Canada, a lot of natives ti-party activities.

Canadian man’s selfie altered to look like Paris suicide bomber

From page 1 he used to take the photo was altered to look like a Qur’an, and a suicide bomb vest was added to his shirt. An object that resembles a sex toy was added to the background of

2.72* 2.15*

aman@ewfinancial.ca

the image as well.

Jubbal took to Twitter to clear his name, writing that he lives in Canada and has never been to Paris.

LOCAL

Saturday, November 21, 2015 i 7

Trudeau wrong to end ISIS combat mission: former Liberal From page 1 minister Dosanjh

the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Paris last Friday. “What does standing with France mean? If bombing is wrong — why is France bombing more than before?� Trudeau said Tuesday that while he’ll pull back the six CF-18s dropping bombs on ISIS-held territory in Iraq and Syria, he’ll beef up the number of troops on the ground training local forces. “Yes, we will be doing more,� Trudeau told reporters travelling with him to the APEC summit in Manila, Philippines. “We committed throughout the campaign — and I’ve committed repeatedly to my allies — that we were going to do more on the training front and that means obviously more than just 69 trainers,� Trudeau said. About 70 Canadian special operations forces are currently training Kurdish Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq. “How many [trainers] that will be, what form that will take, what kind of engagement we’re going to have, those are things that we’re going to work out,� Trudeau said.Dosanjh said he supports sending more special ops to Iraq, but said that effort shouldn’t preclude the air war. “Do you think the U.S. is not training? I think they’re training, we can train, too.

Why give up the bombing mission?�

As of Nov.11, Canadian planes had flown 1,731 sorties, according to the Department of National Defence. Of those, 1,109 were combat missions by CF-18 fighters, although jets return without dropping bombs about twothirds of the time, owing to what the department describes as Canada’s cautious approach.

There have been more than 54,000 sorties by all members of the U.S.-led coalition air

war against ISIS since the campaign began last fall. “I think it’s important to train more people, and send more people to train. But it’s also important to stand with our allies,� Dosanjh said. “It is not either/or, they are not mutually exclusive.� The U.S. spent more than $500 million training Syrian rebels but was forced to cancel that effort after it was revealed only five soldiers successfully completed the program. The U.S. said it would use the money to provide ammunition and some weapons for groups already engaged in the battle. ‘Sunny ways’ no match for ISIS jihadists Dosanjh also took to Twitter Sunday to criticize the new prime minister, saying that his emphasis on “sunny ways� will be no match for Kalashnikov-wielding Islamic State jihadists like the ones who initiated the Paris attacks. Trudeau has repeatedly pointed to his election victory on Oct. 19 as proof that Canadians stand behind him and his pledge to withdraw fighter jets.But Dosanjh rejected that logic, saying that the “last election wasn’t about the combat mission.� “[Trudeau’s victory] was about changing the government and I believe that nobody went into that booth and said ‘I’m going to end the combat mission in Iraq, no matter what.’ I think that’s something Mr. Trudeau needs to consider,� Dosanjh said.

Trudeau has not yet set a timeline for the jet withdrawal, but the Liberals have pledged to pull the planes out before the scheduled end of the mission in March.

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8 i Saturday, November 21, 2015

LOCAL

NRI Bobby Jindal gives up on his From page 1 US presidential dream Jindal, 44, was once seen as a rising star in

the Republican Party and a strong contender for the White House. The Brown University graduate and Rhodes Scholar was viewed as a strong voice for a Republican Party looking to reach out to minorities and broaden its base.

He rose to prominence at the start of President Barack Obama’s first term and was given a major spot delivering the Republican Party’s rebuttal to the State of the Union address in 2009, but delivered a widely-panned performance. Jindal’s presidential campaign never gained traction as he, along with other establishment Republican candidates, fell victim to the GOP’s desire for outsider candidates such as Donald Trump and Ben Carson, who have never held public office. He never topped 2% in any CNN/

ORC poll and never advanced past the “undercard” round at the Republican debates held thus far. A top adviser to Jindal told CNN he may endorse one of his former Republican rivals. But if he does, it will not be imminent. He has a respectable following among some Iowa conservative activists, the product of spending years planning a presidential run. He is the latest governor to drop out of the race, following Scott Walker and Rick Perry. One adviser said Jindal believes government experience is needed in a presidential candidate, so he is more likely to back Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio than Trump or Carson, the two leading candidates in the race. Jindal reached his decision, two aides said, because he didn’t want to go into debt and realized there was no credible path to the nomination.

From page 1

No kissing 007, we are Indian

“ J a m e s Bond’s women must be feeling so safe now that our Censor Board is there to protect their honour from that creep,” said Bollywood director and producer Shirish Kunder in one of a series of tweets on the subject. Compared to Hollywood, movie norms in India are extremely strict. Censorship authorities often order filmmakers — both Indian and foreign— to chop scenes deemed offensive. Films with graphic content

can be barred completely.

In years past, Indian filmmakers circumvented censors by showing two flowers bending and touching when they wanted to depict a kiss between the hero and heroine.

Public kissing is frowned upon in India’s conservative society, and even a peck on the cheek can upset some people. An arrest warrant was briefly issued for Hollywood star Richard Gere in 2007 after he kissed the cheek of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty at an AIDS awareness rally. Indian movie directors and producers have grown fed up with what they see as curbs on their creativity. Many in India’s vibrant movie industry see the censorship board as an outdated and bureaucratic irritation and regularly push for censors to allow more. “It is quite ridiculous that in this day and age the censors should be cutting out or abbreviating something like a kissing scene from a film,” The Times of India newspaper said Thursday in an editorial about the Bond film. Cuts should be limited to scenes that might threaten public order

Five LNG whoppers From page 4 Olympic-sized swimming pools per year.

5. Reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions! Lower emissions from burning gas instead of coal only apply at the point of combustion. Methane, the principal component of natural gas, is 86 times more heat-trapping than carbon dioxide, so small leaks at points along the supply chain can wipe out any emissions advantage. In addition, LNG is very energy-intensive, requiring some 20% of gas to be consumed in the liquefaction, transport and regasification processes. Climate change is principally caused by extracting carbon from below ground and putting it into the atmosphere. When we add it all up, BC’s plans for LNG are equivalent to adding 24 million cars to the roads of the world (and not hybrid or electric ones). So why would the BC government tell such tall tales about the benefits of LNG? The BC government’s plan will essentially privatize a finite, public resource worth hundreds of billions of dollars – the shale gas below ground – and lock up that supply for foreign corporations for decades into the future.

Marc Lee is a Senior Economist with the BC office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, and Co-Director of the Climate Justice Project.

PERSON OF THE WEEK

Saturday, November 21, 2015 i 9

Uncommonly common- Aman Bring Chhavi Disawar

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ust think about Scott Road.

Most of the businesses here are owned by our Punjabi community. In a sense it motivates me to see our community growing on a business, professional, and family level”, a sense of honour ushered with Aman’s smile while talking to The Asian Star in an interview.

Aman Bring is the name well trusted for equipment financing and mortgage financing in the Punjabi community. With 10 plus years of experience in financing and a vision to rise above ‘just selling’ attitude, Aman Bring and his friend Gary Akali started East to West Financial Corp. This Canadian-born Punjabi is proud of his community as he thinks Punjabis to be one of the most successful and hard-working people in the country.

Aman started working in the mortgage industry when he was 18 years old. “I started working with RBC in residential mortgages for two-years while finishing my University edu-

cation obtaining a Bachelors of Business Administration at University of Fraser Valley”, told Aman.

Aman holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with double majors in Finance and Accounting.

In addition he has ten years of commercial banking experience specialising in Agricultural/Commercial Financing.

His company East to West Financial Corp. specialises in equipment financing business including Truck

/Trailer financing, which includes long haul semi-trucks, dump trucks and other heavy duty equipment.

Apart from this, Aman is an independent mortgage broker and provides financing for Agricultural, Commer-

cial and Residential properties.

Aman enjoys working with Punjabi community.” Punjabis are most loyal, passionate and honest people that I have worked with and I enjoy working with them and getting to know

them on a personal level and hearing their story of success.”

Aman has a deep understanding of his clients and their needs. He believes in having a st raig ht-for ward approach. “All of my clients are truly hard workers and I find it to be my utmost duty to explain the whole mortgage process to my clients so they feel educated and knowledgeable.

I like educating people before proceeding with anything else. I like being detailed to the clients in context to their expectations. In my first meeting I like to discuss about terms and conditions of financing and possible costs/fees so my clients are not surprised later on in the process. I truly believe that everyone needs to have basic knowledge of mortgages.”

According to Aman his specialization in Agricultural mortgages is an asset to him as no other mortgage broker has similar specialization. ”There is no other mortgage broker who has ten years of experience financing agriculture properties”, said Aman in the interview.

Aman’s expertise and knowledge gives him an upper hand in the field of finance. Aman believes in working hard each and every day. He relies on his hard-work, respect and honesty.

He is a motivated, trustworthy and strong personality who insists on doing business with morality and integrity.

Aman Bring with family.

On a family note; Aman enjoys spending time with his wife (Amy) and 7 month old son (Logan). He enjoys every minute with his family that he has while taking a break from working diligently to help his clients with financing solutions.

For further details on East to West Financial Corp., visit: www.ewfinancial.ca For information on Aman Bring, visit: www.amanbring.com For any query, email: aman@ewfinancial.ca or contact him @ (604)832-0950.

Local

10 i Saturday, November 21, 2015

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hree Indian-origin CEOs, including Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and MasterCard’s Ajay Banga, have been named among the top 50 global business leaders by Fortune magazine, a list that is topped by Nike’s Mike Parker.

While global payment solutions provider MasterCard’s Banga is ranked at the fifth position, Cognizant’s chief Francisco D’Souza has been ranked 16th followed by software giant Microsoft’s Nadella at the 47th spot.

Other people on the list includes Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg at the second place, followed by Electronic Arts’ CEO Andrew Wilson (3), Apple’s Tim Cook (4), Ulta Beauty’s Mary Dillon (6), Xiaomi’s Lei Jun (7), Uber’s Travis Kalanick (8), Chipotle’s Steve Ells and Montgomery Moran (9) and Biogen’s George

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Canadian NRI caught trying to cross India-Pakistan border in car because he did not have time to get a visa

3 Indian-origin CEOs in Fortune’s list of global business leaders Scangos (10). All of them are Chief Executive Officers.

About Banga, the magazine said that under him, MasterCard has doubled profits and revenue in five years. Besides, he has been aggressively acquiring companies to build its technological edge.

“This year, Banga signed a 10-year deal that locks in almost all Citi cards as MasterCards and a similar 20-year deal with Itau Unibanco in Brazil. Shares are up 40 per cent in the past two years as MasterCard swipes its way toward USD 10 billion in revenue,” it noted.

Fortune said D’Souza has kept Cognizant on the “cutting edge” not only with digital services, analytics and cloud services but also by expanding its health care segment and its biggest acquisition to date of health care IT-services provider called TriZetto.

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n NRI from Canada attempted to cross the Attari-Wagah Indo-Pak land route in his car today, smashing a barrier near the international border before he was nabbed by BSF personnel. According to a senior BSF official, Surinder Singh Kang, from Canada, who originally hails from Jalandhar, has told investigators that he wanted to pay obeisance at Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, but thought obtaining visa and going through other formalities would take time. Giving details, the BSF official said that at around 4:30 AM, after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple

here, the NRI crossed the first gate near the border after which he smashed a Customs barrier whose pillars broke and then proceeded towards the Swarn Jayanti Dwar, and was apprehended before he could further proceed towards the international gate.

“Preliminary investigations reveal that he was undergoing psychiatric treatment. He told us that he wanted to pay obeisance at Nankana Sahib, but did not want to wait for the visa and other formalities and adopted the illegal way,” the official said.

B.C. triple delete email investigation: special prosecutor steps down

ust hours after his appointment was announced, the special prosecutor tasked with the investigation into the triple delete email scandal surrounding the B.C. government, has withdrawn from the position. According to the Criminal Justice Branch (CJB), Greg DelBigio, QC withdrew after conflict of interest concerns were raised regarding his current role as defence counsel for a former B.C. Liberal Party employee on another case. That case involves alleged offences under the provincial Election Act, the CJB said, and DelBigio’s decision was made “out of an abundance of caution.” Another special prosecutor will be appointed to take DelBigio’s place in due course, they added. Once appointed, the special prosecutor will provide legal advice to the RCMP as they investigate concerns raised by Privacy Commissioner Elizabeth Denham following her report into possible freedom of information irregularities. Re-

leased last month, Denham’s report, Access Denied, revealed a culture of deleting emails within government apparently to skirt freedom of information laws. Denham found that a staffer in the transportation ministry, George Gretes, could face charges after he lied under oath when he denied that he intentionally deleted emails and records connected to the Highway of Tears. She referred the matter to the RCMP, and Gretes has resigned. The special prosecutor will work as an independent legal advisor to the RCMP, and conduct an independent assessment of the evidence, before making a decision on whether criminal charges are appropriate.

If a criminal prosecution is deemed appropriate, he will also conduct both that and any possible appeal. Denham’s report also found that Michele Cadario, deputy chief of staff in the premier’s office, routinely deleted emails in contravention of laws protecting the public’s right to hold politicians accountable for their actions.

The Goel Family Charitable Foundation & the University of British Columbia Centre for India and South Asia Research at the Institute of Asian Research celebrated the Nehru Humanitarian Award ceremony in Burnaby on November 15. Pictured above are some of the performers and participants at the event.

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LOCAL

Rona Ambrose taps women for top shadow cabinet jobs Jason Kenney removed from the front benches

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Saturday, November 21, 2015 i

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Vancouver real estate magnate offers building Gillespie said he has been ancouver property developer Ian for Syrian refugees pointed by some negative

V

Gillespie is refurbishing and furnishing a 12-unit property in the city’s West End in order to provide temporary accommodations for Syrian refugees.

Gillespie, founder of Westbank Developments, has offered the building to the Immigrant Services Society to be used as first-stop housing for refugees waiting for permanent homes in B.C. “For me, it started with what I’m best able to do,” Gillespie told CBC News on Thursday.

“Some can volunteer time, donate money.… We’re in the property business, so it seemed an obvious place to start.”

The company did an audit, he said, and found that the unit — scheduled for dem-

olition as part of a major redevelopment by the company — was sitting empty while waiting for city permits to come through.

Gillespie, just this week named No. 1 on Vancouver magazine’s Power 50 list, called the Immigrant Services Society offering a minimum commitment of four months’ use.

“I don’t even think he finished his sentence before I said yes,” the group’s Chris Friesen told CBC News.

disapreactions over the arrival of the refugees.

“Some of the dialogue you’re hearing isn’t particularly Canadian,” he said, “I think a lot of people need to show some leadership and turn the conversation into a positive.

“We had a well-earned reputation for being good citizens. I think we lost some of that and have lost the concept of [us all] being immigrants. We are one of the most multicultural cities in the world.”

Gillespie said we all have a responsibility to help, and that he hopes his company will be able to do more.

“And to those who might be fearful,” he said, “grow up.”

nterim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose is stacking her shadow cabinet with a healthy dose of seasoned veterans and a smattering of new faces as the party positions itself as Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition for the first time in a decade.

“I believe the team we have assembled will be the strongest Official Opposition this country has ever seen,” Ambrose said in a statement, noting the party’s first priority is challenging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s “massive tax-and-spend plan.” the Conservative Party after its defeat. tone under Harper after the electoral party is broadening its appeal among The party, which was reduced to 99 seats The Milton MP managed to survive the defeat. Her deft communications skills suburban women with children — votin the House of Commons after the Oct. Liberal wave that swept over much of and ease with the media will be perti- ers like herself — a key demographic 19 vote, will have 32 shadow cabinet the Greater Toronto Area in the last elec- nent in such a high-profile portfolio. which jumped ship to Trudeau’s Liberals. ministers to challenge Trudeau’s minis- tion. She also emerged as an early crit- Raitt has already said a priority for the Michelle Rempe. ters and their ambitious change agenda. ic of the government’s performance and “I am proud to lead this team of talented and respected individuals from across Canada. Together, we will ask the government tough questions and hold them to account,” Ambrose said.

Harper loyalists on the margins The full list, released Friday, includes a few surprises — chief amongst them is Jason Kenney’s absence from the front bench. Kenney, who was widely seen as Stephen Harper’s most competent minister, will not hold a critic portfolio in the next session of Parliament.

As a result, he will not take the lead on any particular file during question period. Instead, he will chair the shadow cabinet committee on strategic operations. Some political observers have said the move will free up Kenney’s time to run for the party’s permanent leadership.

Diane Finley, who was a staple of Harper’s cabinet during his tenure in government, has been relegated to a relatively minor role: deputy critic for science, innovation and economic development, reporting to Quebec MP Maxime Bernier, who will take the lead on that critical file. She will also serve as the caucus party liaison.

And Peter Van Loan, the former government House leader, has been passed over for that role in opposition by the outgoing Speak• CREDIT CARDS DEBT • COLLECTION CALLS er of the House, Andrew Scheer.

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12 i Saturday, November 21, 2015

LOCAL

Vancouver Jewish temple raises $40K to sponsor Syrian family

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elations between Israel and Syria have been tense since the mid1990s — the nations have fought against each other in several wars, and have never had formal diplomatic relations.

Yet when Rabbi Dan Moskovitz (pictured) of Vancouver’s Temple Sholom asked his congregation for donations to sponsor a Syrian refugee family, he received $40,000 within a few days.

“This is our story as human beings, it’s particularly our story as Jews — we have been ourselves refugees throughout our time all the way back to the times of the Bible,” said Moskovitz, senior rabbi at the Oak Street synagogue.

‘Love the stranger’ “It says 36 times in the Bible in the Old Testament to love the stranger, to love the refugee, because you were once strangers, you were once refugees yourself,” he said.

“You don’t repeat something 36 times in the Bible unless it’s really, really important, and this is our obligation to see ourselves as them and to do what we can to save lives.”

The temple is working with Mosaic immigrant services organization, the Jewish Federation of Vancouver and the Anglican Archdiocese to sponsor a young family which has relations in Vancouver, but need sponsorship support to leave the refugee camp where they live.

Some of Vancouver’s other synagogues

have also agreed to work with these organizations to sponsor one or two refugee families. Moskovitz said $40,000 is the estimated budget to support a family of four for a year.

‘Are we importing problems?’

Moskovitz said there were some in his congregation that were apprehensive, but said “98 per cent” of his congregation were supportive.

“Those that had concerns had valid and just concerns … there’s a long history of conflict between Israel and Syria, and anti-Semitism in the region, and concerns that, ‘Are we importing problems for Canada, problems for Jews in Canada?’”

He said all the organizations involved “feel confident” about the families they are sponsoring.

To those who have concerns about refugees posing a security or terrorism risk, Moskovitz had the following to say: “We are blaming a refugee crisis for terrorism, when really we should be blaming terrorism for a refugee crisis,” he said.

Moskovitz hopes that, in addition to saving lives, this effort will also work towards peace between Jews and Syrians.

“One by one, family by family, we can build bridges of understanding and hopefully reduce, at least on the micro scale, the conflict between the peoples.”

Peterborough mosque arson is suspected hate crime

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eterborough police are investigating a case of arson at the city’s only mosque, an act that the president of the local Muslim association says was a “clearly a hate crime.”

The fire broke out at the Kawartha Muslim Religious Association’s mosque around 11 p.m. Saturday, police said. No one was inside the Masjid Al-Salaam mosque at the time.

But association president Kenzu Abdella said members of the congregation had been inside the mosque at 784 Parkhill Rd. just an hour before the fire broke out there, celebrating the birth of a new baby.

“The scare for people is that what if this had happened while we were in there?” he said Sunday. “So there’s a bit of uneasiness in the community.”

Abdella said the Muslim congregation was devastated by the arson as members have placed roots in the community and integrated into the surrounding neighbourhoods.

The mosque holds regular open houses that are attended by churchgoers and politicians. They also make regular donations to the local food bank, according to Abdella.

“So to us, this is out of nowhere,” he said. “Even when we were hearing all the things that are happening around the world, it never occurred to us that this could happen in our community.”

The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) issued a news release Sunday in response to the fire.

“This attack is very disturbing. The mosque is regularly attended by families with young children,” said NCCM executive director Ihsaan Gardee.

“We are relieved no one was injured as this incident could have been much worse,” he added.

“While deeply hurtful and offensive, Canadian Muslims know that such acts do not represent the views of the vast majority of their fellow Canadians or of the residents of Peterborough,” Gardee said in the statement.

The organization thanked local religious and political leaders for their words of support. Gardee also called on Canadians to remain vigilant against suspicious behaviour.

There have been concerns that Friday’s attacks in Paris could incite a rise of Islamophobia or retaliatory violence around the world.

Abdella said that since the Kawartha Muslim Religious Association was founded in 1994, there has been only one other attack on the local mosque.

After the 9/11 attacks, the previous building had its windows smashed.

But Abdella noted that local churches raised funds to replace them, something that was already happening again Sunday.

Premier Clark says B.C. ‘ready’ for 3,500 Syria refugees

B.C. has been asked to take in 3,500 refugees from civil war and terrorist attacks in Syria and Iraq and is ready to do so, Premier Christy Clark says.

“The federal government has asked us to welcome 3,500 refugees as part of this, and we’ve said yes, we think we can do that,”

Clark said Wednesday. “We’ve set a million dollars aside and the federal government has also said they’re going to restore the resettlement funding that was cut not that long ago.

“We are going to fund their children when

they go to school, of course, and support them in finding the counselling services, the housing and general settlement services that they need.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has stuck to his election commitment to bring

25,000 refugees into Canada by the end of December. But as logistical issues and security concerns have arisen, the deadline may be altered.

In his mandate letter to Immigration Minister John McCallum, Trudeau said a top priority is to “lead government-wide

LOCAL

Montreal man charged with inciting hatred after anti-Muslim video emerg-

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ontreal police have charged a 24-year-old man in connection with a video posted on YouTube that shows someone in a Joker mask threatening to kill Muslim people in Quebec. Jesse Pelletier faces charges of uttering threats, inciting hatred against an identifiable group, making a declaration to incite fear among an identifiable group, and using a fake firearm.

In the video, a man wearing a mask resembling the Joker from Batman comics threatens the death of one Arab per week in the province.

Police arrested Pelletier (pictured) at an address on Monselet Street in the borough of Montreal North on Tuesday night.

Video meant as ‘joke’: lawyer He appeared in court on Wednesday and has a bail hearing scheduled for Monday.

Pelletier’s lawyer, Audrey Amzallag, said after the court appearance that Pelletier meant the video as a “joke” and regrets the situation he is now in. “He did not mean anything in the video,” she told reporters. “When he realized the impact ... he took it off and unfortunately it stayed on the internet.

“He is [beside] himself because he’s never been in jail. He has a son at home.

He has a wife at home. I think it’s a sit-

uation where he’s definitely scared of what’s going to happen,” Amzallag said.

In court, Amzallag requested that Pelletier be kept in a medical facility until his bail hearing because of a medical condition with his legs. He appeared in court in a wheelchair on Wednesday. ‘Serious legal repercussions’ Interim Quebec Security Minister Pierre Moreau warned that the kind of threats made in the video carry serious legal

repercussions. “This attitude has to be condemned,” he said. “Under the Criminal Code, such threats can carry a sentence of five years in prison.”

Moreau also said investigating such incidents puts additional pressure on police resources.

“We’re diverting our security forces, who have more important things to focus on,” he said.

Police acted illegally during undercover sting of terrorist couple, says presiding Judge

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B.C. Supreme Court judge has ruled there is evidence the RCMP “were engaged unlawful acts” during an undercover sting that led to a Surrey couple being arrested and later convicted of planning to bomb the Victoria parliament buildings on Canada Day 2013. John Nuttall and Amanda Korody were found guilty earlier this year of one count each of conspiring to commit murder and possessing explosives for the benefit or on behalf of a terrorist organization. The verdicts were not entered, however, due to a defence application for a stay of proceedings.

Defence lawyers argue RCMP officers entrapped the couple during a monthslong police sting in 2013 – dubbed Project

Souvenir – that culminated in Nuttall and Korody’s arrest after inert pressure cooker bombs were planted outside the B.C. legislature. “In this case there is evidence that the RCMP’s actions during Project Souvenir constituted the offence of facilitation of a terrorist activity,” said Justice Catherine Bruce in her Nov. 17 finding in response to a defence application for all legal opinions provided to the RCMP during the investigation. During Nuttall and Korody’s criminal trial, which began in February, the jury saw and heard more than 100 hours of undercover video and audio evidence collected by the RCMP as undercover officers posing as Islamic extremist sympathizers befriended and worked with the couple, who had recently converted to the Muslim faith.

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Saturday, November 21, 2015 i

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Sask. Premier Brad Wall asks Ottawa to suspend Syrian refugee plan

askatchewan Premier Brad Wall wants the federal government to suspend its plan to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by the end of the year.

In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Wall said he was concerned bringing in refugees could “undermine the refugee screening process.”

“I understand that the overwhelming majority of refugees are fleeing violence and bloodshed and pose no threat to anyone,” wrote Wall. “However, if even a small number of individuals who wish to do harm to our country are able to enter Canada as a result of a rushed refugee resettlement process, the results could be devastating.”

In the letter, Wall cited the recent attacks in Paris last week, which killed 129 people.

“The recent attacks in Paris are a grim reminder of the death and destruction even a small number of malevolent individuals can inflict upon a peaceful country and its citizens,” wrote Wall. “Surely, we do not want to be date-driven or numbers-driven in an

endeavour that may affect the safety of our citizens and the security of our country.”

Wall said he wants to see a “redoubling” of security checks before the refugees are brought into Canada.

Meanwhile, Saskatchewan Opposition leader Cam Broten accused Wall of “stirring up fear.”

“Does Mr. Wall really think Ralph Goodale and the Canadian security authorities were just going to rubber stamp refugee claims without proper security checks?” wrote Broten in a news release. “Canada should have the best, most thorough security screening of all potential refugees, and we will.”

Local agencies in Saskatchewan are preparing for the arrival of 2,000 refugees by Dec. 31.

In September, Saskatchewan asked the federal government to increase the number of refugees coming to Saskatchewan by 15 per cent.

Trudeau made the Syrian refugee announcement a key part of his election campaign.

Health Minister Jane Philpott said more details on the plan would be released next week.

14 i Saturday, November 21, 2015

LOCAL

Supreme Court rules Albertans have no right to traffic tickets written in French

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he Supreme Court of Canada on Friday issued a ruling that says there is no historical element that prevents the province of Alberta from passing and enacting laws in English only.

Two francophone Alberta men, Gilles Caron and Pierre Boutet, challenged traffic tickets they received more than a decade ago that were written in English only. The pair claimed in particular that a decree dated from 1870 obligated the province to draft laws in both languages.

In a split 6-3 decision, a majority of the Supreme Court rejected that interpretation. “Language rights have been conferred expressly,” the majority decision said. It called the historical interpretation presented by Caron and Boutet a “complex amalgam of instruments, vague phrases, political statements and historical context.” But three judges, including two from Quebec, said

in their minority dissent that Alberta is required to publish its laws in both English and French. According to them, history shows that there was a 19th-century agreement to protect legislative bilingualism in Alberta. While today’s decision specifically addresses an Alberta case, it mentions in passing that this ruling is consistent with an earlier Supreme Court ruling that said Saskatchewan is not required to have bilingual legislation. Caron was issued a traffic ticket in Edmonton in 2003 that was printed in English. He argued it was his right to be issued a ticket in French and have his trial conducted in French. A trial judge tossed out the ticket in 2008, but an Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench judge later overturned that ruling.

The Alberta Court of Appeal later heard the case and agreed that Alberta was not constitutionally required to publish all of its legislation in both languages.

Federal Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan (second from left) being honored at the Indian Cultural Centre in Richmond last week. Photo: Chandra Bodalia

Yasin Ali charged with carrying concealed weapon on Parliament Hill

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asin Mohamed Ali, 56, of Toronto appeared by video in an Ottawa court Wednesday to face a charge of carrying a concealed weapon.

Ali did not resist when he was arrested outside Parliament Hill’s Centre Block in Ottawa on Tuesday by the Parliamentary Protective Service.

Ali, a permanent resident of Canada, will be held in custody until his next court appearance on Friday, when he will be assisted by a Somali interpreter. His defence attorney also asked that Ali be assessed by a doctor.

The RCMP said Wednesday the investigation is continuing. Man had meat cleaver tucked into his pants Sources have told CBC News that on Tuesday, Ali obtained a tour ticket from the parliamentary visitor centre on Wellington Street, and then entered Centre Block through the public entrance at the base of the building.

Security guards asked a man to remove his overcoat as he was about to pass through the metal detector.

The man reluctantly opened his coat, at which time the guards spotted a large meat cleaver tucked into the waist of his pants.

Ali has no known connection to the Ottawa area. He was staying at the Ottawa Mission homeless shelter, according to Riad Tallim, the Crown prosecutor assigned to this case.

“The Parliamentary Protective Service apprehended a male for carrying a concealed knife outside of Centre Block,” Cpl. Brigitte Mineault, a media relations officer with the RCMP, said in an email to CBC News. “The subject is in custody.”

According to court documents, Ali was convicted of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest in Toronto in 2000. At a later date, he was convicted of breach of probation.

The Parliamentary Protective Service was created in the wake of the Oct. 22, 2014, shooting on Parliament Hill.

That day, gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau ran on to the grounds, hijacked a ministerial car and stormed Centre Block with a hunting rifle and knife, after having shot dead Canadian Forces Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at the National War Memorial across the street.

Following the attack, there was criticism about confusion and lack of security co-ordination during the incident.

The RCMP had been responsible

LOCAL

MRI wait lists get extra funding from B.C.

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four years by extending hours and possibly he B.C. government is ramping up contracting out the service. funding for MRI scans to clear the The government will add $20 million backlog of patients on wait lists. annually in funding for the extra services Health Minister Terry Lake said the fourby the end of the fourth year. year plan will boost the annual number of Under the plan patients will have MRI MRIs by 65,000. Patients wait an average tests booked during evening hours or on of 256 days for a magnetic-resonance weekends. Lake said he expects drastic imaging scan, and the government should reductions in MRI wait times over the have taken action long ago, he said. next four years. Dr. Stuart Silver, acting “We should have acted sooner,” Lake said medical director of medical imaging serWednesday. “I would agree that this is one vices for Island Health, said reducing wait that’s been out there for a while. The radioltimes for MRIs will make big differences ogists have certainly been letting us know for patients. “If you are waiting for a test about it.” He said efforts to balance the like an MRI, your life’s on hold,” he said. province’s budgets meant less money for Premier Christy Clark said an aging popMRI tests, Each of B.C.’s health authorities ulation means provincial health authorihas committed to increasing the number ties also face increasing demand for MRI of MRI exams by 45 per cent a year over services.

Vancouver hikes rezoning fees by 30%

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evelopers will have to fork over more cash for building permits in Vancouver next year, a decision the majority of councillors said will get housing built faster despite concerns that a fee hike could make the city even more unaffordable.

Council voted Tuesday to raise rezoning fees by 30 per cent and to increase permit fees for smaller things such as tree removal, plumbing or secondary suites by a two per cent inflation rate. The

for smaller apartments and retail buildings.

Non-Partisan Association councillors voted against the fee hike due to fears it will make the city more affordable if developers pass on the costs to consumers.

Saturday, November 21, 2015 i

Vancouver street vendor crackdown displacing homeless people, say advocates

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ozens of homeless people in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside are being displaced by a heavy police presence during the city’s push to relocate illegal sidewalk vendors to sanctioned markets, advocates say.

But the city denies the initiative is driving away people who sleep on the street, insisting the goal is only to make sure that vendors are selling their wares in safe and legal spaces.

Pivot Legal Society lawyer Doug King said the city stepped up its efforts this week to move vendors from a section of Hastings Street to a market across the street. More officers are patrolling the busy block, deterring people from setting up shelter, he said.

“They don’t feel comfortable being there, and either explicitly or indirectly they’ve received the message from police that they’re not welcome there,” he said.

King said the push began on Monday,

when Vancouver had cold and wet weather and the city’s shelters were full.

“I heard some pretty profound things from people about feeling like their home was being taken away from them,” said King. “One of them said, ‘I felt like I had come back from vacation and they had bulldozed my house.”’

King said he was concerned that people were being forced into less-populated, dangerous areas. He added the action could potentially violate a recent B.C. Supreme Court decision that found people in Abbotsford had the right to set up a shelter overnight.

Accusations of stolen goods The sidewalk market has been operating for years on the north side of Hastings Street in the heart of the Downtown Eastside and has long been dogged by accusations that its vendors sell stolen goods.

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Staff will use the cash to hire more people to deal with an overflow of development permit and rezoning applications. There were more than 2,400 permit applications in process as of Oct. 1 this year, according to the city.

The city ran the potential increase by developers, who said higher fees would be reasonable if the permit process actually speeds up, according to a city report. After all, “time is money,” acting city manager Sadhu Johnston told council.

“The permit fees are negligible,” Johnston said. “What is of concern is how long it will take to get a permit.”

While rezoning fees represent a mere fraction of the overall cost for large comprehensive development projects, they will still jump by about $10,000 to more than $40,000. That’s well above rezoning fees for similar projects in Surrey ($10,000), West Vancouver and Richmond (about $5,000), and Coquitlam and Burnaby (about $3,000), according to the city.

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16 i Saturday, November 21, 2015

LOCAL

Strong winds knock out power in Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley and west coast

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ore than 40,000 homes and businesses were without power in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley last Tuesday as strong winds blasted across British Columbia’s south coast, downing trees and causing widespread damage.

Most of the outages were in Abbotsford and Chilliwack, which was hit by winds of 70 to 90 km/h throughout the day.

On Tuesday evening, BC Hydro reported that the severe weather had caused more than 250 outages in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and the Sunshine Coast, affecting more than 40,000 customers.

Meanwhile, on southern Vancouver Island, the storm caused more than 120 outages that left nearly 15,000 customers without electricity. At times, the storm knocked out power to up to 30,000 cus-

tomers during the day on the south island.

BC Hydro said crews were working to restore power as quickly and safely as possible to affected customers.

According to Environment Canada, the strong west to southwest winds are the result of a frontal system moving across Va n c o u v e r Island with an accompanying low pressure centre moving into the B.C. interior.

Environment Canada warned on its website the winds may cause damage to buildings, like windows and roof shingles, and urged drivers to be prepared for windy road conditions.

Heavy rainfall warnings were also in effect for the Fraser Valley, with up to 30 millimetres possible for Howe Sound and eastern portions of the Fraser Valley until Tuesday evening, according to the national weather agency.

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Ranjit Chandra ordered to pay $1.6M to cover CBC’s legal fees in libel lawsuit

judge in Ontario has ordered a former Memorial University professor to pay the CBC more than $1.6 million to cover legal fees in a libel lawsuit.

The decision comes after Ranjit Kumar Chandra lost a lawsuit against the CBC earlier this year. Chandra sued CBC, following a three-part documentary on The National in 2006, called The Secret Life of Dr. Chandra.

The documentary reported that research published

by Chandra in leading medical journals was fraudulent.

Chandra originally sought $137 million for libel and damages from CBC. In July, following a 56-day trial, a jury in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismissed Chandra’s claim that the CBC had wrongfully defamed him.

The jury concluded the broadcast report

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was defamatory “given the natural and ordinary meaning of the words it contained,” but also found the words used were true.

In addition, the jury dismissed Chandra’s claims for invasion of privacy. The judge said in his decision Chandra “played a high stakes game. The phrase ‘live by the sword, die by the sword’ comes to mind.”

In the decision, the judge said “in the end, he failed abjectly.”

Last month, the prominent medical journal BMJ, formerly the British Medical Journal, retracted Chandra’s 1989 study on the effect of infant formula on the incidents of allergies.

The BMJ called the case a “major failure of scientific governance.” A former editor in chief with the BMJ said Memorial University “failed badly” and was the “real villain” in the case.

Vancouver police urge pedestrian safety as winter approaches

s days get shorter, police are urging pedestrians to stay visible and be aware of their surroundings to keep safe. On Tuesday morning, police of-

info@eyelevelrichmond.com www.eyelevelrichmond.com

ficers and ICBC officials handed out safety reflectors to commuters at Broadway and Commercial to help educate pedestrians about the importance of being visible to drivers to avoid getting hit by cars.

Between November and January, when daylight savings kicks in and the weather gets wetter, the injury rate of pedestrians being hit by cars doubles across the province, according to ICBC. “We are fully into the fall season, so that means darker days, bad weather and poor road conditions,” Joanna Linsangan, spokeswoman for ICBC, told Metro.

“We need to be extra vigilant to stay safe.”

Across the Lower Mainland, an average of 33 pedestrians are killed and 1,700 pedestrians are injured in crashes every year, according to ICBC. The majority, 75 per cent, of collisions involving pedestrians happen at intersections, the insurer said. Collisions also tend to happen between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., and on Fridays.

This year is already proving to be deadly for pedestrians in Vancouver.

According to Vancouver police, there have been 12 fatalities as a result of car crashes, of which nine have involved pedestrians, in the city. Last year, there were 14 fatalities, seven of which involved pedestrians, police said.

Linsangan urged pedestrians to ensure they are visible, make eye contact with drivers to check that they have been noticed, especially at intersections

Saturday, November 21, 2015 i

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Justin Trudeau formally confirmed to lifting visa requirement for Mexicans

rime Mintive government. ister Justin Olivier Trudeau has Duchesneau, formally committed the deputy dito removing visa rerector of comquirements for Mexmunications for ican citizens entering Trudeau, could Canada, a policy imnot say when posed by the ConMexicans would servative governbe able to travel ment in 2009 to stem to Canada withthe flow of Mexicans out a visa, but seeking asylum here. told CBC News Mexico’s Presby phone today ident Enrique Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, met with that the prime Pena Nieto said Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto during minister had inthat Trudeau con- a bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Anta- structed memfirmed the commit- lya, Turkey, on Sunday bers of his cabment during a face-to-face meeting inet to move forward with the change. with Canada’s new prime minister at Top priorities for Liberal government the G20 summit in Antalya, Turkey. Trudeau instructed Foreign Affairs “Justin Trudeau confirmed that he Minister Stéphane Dion in a manhas signalled his cabinet to remove in date letter made public last Friday the future the Canadian visa require- to lift the Mexican visa requirement. ment for Mexicans,” Pena Nieto wrote in Spanish in a post on Twitter Sunday.

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said Trudeau discussed mutual issues with Pena Nieto, including climate change, and “reitThe Mexican ambaserated the sador to Canada says [election] his country is “really mad” at the Harper platform governc o m ment for the continued mitment imposition of a visa on to lift its travellers here. the visa requirement on Mexican citizens.”

The requirement had become an irritant between the two countries with the Mexican ambassador saying in 2013 he was “really mad” at Stephen Harper’s Conserva-

Former BCLC CEO raised betting limits while seeking Paragon gaming job: NDP allege

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he NDP is calling for the investigation into former B.C. Lottery Corporation CEO Michael Graydon’s departure to be re-opened after it obtained an email showing he raised betting limits at casinos while negotiating his new private sector gaming job.

In February 2014, Graydon was hired as president of PV Hospitality ULC, a joint-venture between Paragon Gaming (which owns and operates the Edgewater Casino) and 360 Vox Corporation, and tasked with overseeing plans for the proposed mega casino resort on provincial land near BC Place.

A government audit following his resignation at BCLC found that Graydon “was in a conflict of interest” during his last two months as CEO for not disclosing he was in negotiations with a private sector gaming company, but concluded there was “no evidence of Paragon Gaming or Edgewater Casino receiving preferential treatment.”

But Graydon’s controversial departure was raised again in the Legislature during question period on Tuesday, after NDP MLA David Eby obtained a Dec. 19, 2013 letter that had been previously undisclosed despite Freedom of Information requests for all of Graydon’s correspondence during that time.

The prime minister said he expected Dion to work with other cabinet colleagues to “strengthen trilateral North American co-operation with the United States and Mexico.”

A top priority for Dion, according to Trudeau’s mandate letter, is to “support the minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship in lifting the Mexican visa requirement.”

Another top priority is to “work with relevant ministers, including the ministers of international trade and environment and climate change, to prepare for the North American Leaders Summit in Canada.”

3 Amigos summit soon?

The Mexican president also said he and Trudeau discussed the trilateral annual summit between the prime minister of Canada, and the presidents of Mexico and the U.S., which Canada was set to host by year’s end.

“We agreed on the importance of realizing before long the North American Leaders’ Summit,” said Nie-

to in a subsequent post on Twitter.

The last North American Leaders’ Summit was held in Mexico in February 2014.

Canada hasn’t hosted one since 2007, when it was held in Montebello, Que. Duchesneau, the spokesman for the prime minister, told CBC News today that no date or location has been set for the meeting.

The so-called Three Amigos summit had been scheduled for February but was postponed indefinitely by the Conservative government.

The decision to push back the summit came as a general election loomed in Canada and a decision by the U.S. president on the approval of TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline was still pending.

U.S. President Barack Obama recently rejected the pipeline application, ending a seven-year saga that became an irritant in Canada-U.S.relations.

Pena Nieto also said on Twitter that he concluded his meeting with Trudeau by inviting him to visit Mexico.

18 i Saturday, November 21, 2015

S

TAR &

S

TYLE

Saturday - November 21, 2015

SRK clicked shooting for Fan The megastar was captured on the streets of the capital in his ‘Fan’ avatar. Take a look...

I

t was a moment that many fans will remember

for a long time. India’s biggest superstar shot a scene amidst his fans near the Red Fort in Delhi. SRK had tweeted a picture of himself saying that he would be in Delhi even gushed about being happy to be in his hometown. Pictures of the actor in the avatar of Gaurav made a splash on social media, as expected. The Maneesh Sharma directed film stars Shah Rukh Khan in a dual role as superstar Aryan Khanna and fan, Gaurav Sharma.

Aaradhya Bachchan’s birthday

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e’ve got our hands on these two inside pictures from Aaradhya Bachchan’s princess themed birthday party, that was held last night at Jalsa. As you see, in the first picture Aaradhya is looking every bit a princess in her pink dress on mommy Aishwarya’s lap as daddy

Abhishek is happily posing with Amtiabh Bachchan’s personal photographer Paresh.

The second picture is taken by an insider and from the looks of it, it looks of it a nanny is clicking Aaradhya’s picture on her phone while Aish is looking after the party preps.

And the third picture is of the party set up.

Bollywood loses yet another artist

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ne of the most well-

known Indian actors in Hindi and international cinema, Saeed Jaff r e y

passed away earlier today at the age of 86, due to age-related ailments. The actor’s niece, Shaheen Aggarwal shared the news of his demise on Facebook, stating that the actor was the last in the generation of Jaffreys as he had lost his siblings before him.

Known for his roles in films like Shatranj Ke Khiladi, Masoom and Ram Lakhan, Saeed was the first Indian to take Shakespearean plays on tour in the USA and also the first to receive an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contribution to dramatics. His international projects include roles in films like A Passage to India, After Midnight

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ihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has invited veteran BJP leader L.K.Advani and PJB Lok Sabha member Shatrughan Singha to his oath-taking ceremony to be held here in November 20, an aide said. “Advani and Shatrughan Sinha have been invited to the event at Gandhi Maidan. We sent invitations to both of them, “said a Janada Dal-Untied leader close to Nitish Kumar.

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nion Minister for Road Transport, Highway and Shipping Nitin Gadkari left for Brazil on yesterday for a global conference on traffic safety to be held.

The conference, to be held in Brazil aims to reaffirm the international community’s commitment to reduction of traffic accidents, which are responsibile for 1.2 million deaths annually.

and My Beautiful Launderette.

He received a BAFTA nomination for the latter.

He was previously married to travel writer Madhur Jaffrey and together they have three children – Meera, Zia and Sakina. We mourn the loss of this great actor.

Salman Khan’s ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’ collections are all set to touch the 100-crore mark

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hat was anticipated as a major blockbuster for the Salman Khan-Sooraj Barjatya combination, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo is living up to the expectations with its box-office performance. Having kicked off the success run with Rs 40.35 crore in the first day, collections saw a predicted drop of 23 per cent and clocked a figure of Rs 31.03 crore on the second day.

A

mir Khan will be out of action for a week. He will not be shooting for ‘Dangal’ as he has apparently suffered a muscle spasm during the shooting of the film. According to a source close to the actor, Doctors have advised him bed rest for at least a week.

Dangal is a biopic of wrestler coach Mahavir Phogal and his two daughters Geeta and Babita.

Star & Style

2 i Saturday, November 21, 2015

Priyanka to romance Sushant

I

n a casting coup, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has paired Sushant Singh Rajput with Priyanka Chopra for the first time together.

The two will be seen romancing each other in Bhansali Productions’ Gustaakhiyaan, to be directed by Ashi Dua. The film is a biopic of sorts on the life of legendary poet Sahir Ludhianvi and Sushant will be essaying the titular role. Apparently, Priyanka, who’ll be playing Amrita Pritam in the film, had given her nod long ago but the hunt for the male lead was on. It was earlier reported that Sonakshi Sinha and Fawad Khan were signed for the film but things didn’t work out. The film will go on floors next year. In the recent days, while some moviemakers From page 1

are bringing together Bollywood’s accomplished love pairs, some are also bringing forth new jodis that seem to have a wide appreciation!

Well, while some romantic jodis of Bollywood have made their pairing iconic, some are experimenting for a better jodi. Among these experiments, you’ll find Sushant Rajput and Priyanka Chopra! Woah! Hold up there! Priyanka Chopra and Sushant Singh Rajput together!

That’s some refreshing pair to look forward to, don’t you think? Gustaakhiyaan!

Bhansali Productions finally narrowed in Sushant as their lead actor for their next love story,

Gustaakhiyaan.

Amazingly Sushant will be playing the role of legendary Film poet Sahir Ludhianvi’ and Priyanka will be his love interest, Amrita Pritam, in this upcoming biopic. While the Bajirao Mastani actress had agreed to play the role of Amrita Pritam long ago, the makers had a tough time searching for the right actor to play the leading star. Now the leads are finally in place, the makers are all set to start filming the movie that will go on floors next year.

Aaradhya Bachchan’s birthday

She splits Rochelle, while Kishwer enjoys all the fun !

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Bigg Boss 9: Mandana gets upset on being called Salman Khan’s favourite

We all know how Mandana was kept in a secret room for a day where she was asked to nominate two contestants, on her return to the house! Well, the pretty babe did come back to the house with a plan but much did anyone know that things would get so nasty on her return! Yes! Mandana’s changed behavior came very evident on her face! While she genuinely met Rishabh Sinha and others, she completely ignored Rochelle Rao and Aman Verma who were her best friends, at one point in time. Why? Because Mandana is offended by all that Rochelle said about her, while she was away! #Kishwer confronts Rochelle for betraying Mandana’s trust Although Rochelle spoke against Mandana on purpose as she had to convince her to nominate her and then get immune from eliminations, but Mandana failed to understand this!

She blasted on Rochelle for being such a betrayer! That’s when Kishwer grabbed the golden chance and instigated their differences even further!

She confronted Rochelle for being such a mastermind and backstabbing the same person who was once her best friend! Rochelle however took it as joke and maintained it was just a game but Kishwer left no stone unturned to pull her down. #Mandana bluffs about meeting Keith and family Later in the day Rochelle pretended she knows nothing about Mandana’s secret room and walked up to her to know where was she! Did she meet her boyfriend Keith Sequeira? But much to everyone’s surprise, Mandana faked it saying she met Keith and also said he is in desperate need of his close ones’ She said he is very low and he needs more people by his side! I mean

Star & Style

Saturday, November 21, 2015 i 3

Baahubali star, Prabhas in Dhoom 4?

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aahubali: The Beginning was a larger than life venture in more ways than one. The epic action drama became the highest grossing Indian film ever, earning a total of 5 billion rupees in the country’s domestic market and doing smashing business overseas with a worldwide total that production houses can only dream

of. The lead character, Baahubali, portrayed

by South star Prabhas became a house-hold name, earning the actor multiple endorsement deals and much applause from critics and masses alike. Hence, it comes as no surprise when we hear that YRF studios has apparently approached the muscled actor for the fourth movie in the Dhoom series.

Mandana: Salman Khan’s new favourite

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4 i Saturday, November 21, 2015

Star & Style

Shah Rukh Khan signs Rs 60 crore deal with a TV network for Dilwale?

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hah Rukh Khan’s Dilwale is gearing up to make a grand release on December 18! While the starry trailer/song launch has already created a huge stir among the audience. We hear that producer SRK is further trying innovative ways to market the film on a bigger scale.

Yes! As per reports, after plunging into the distribution market for Dilwale. SRK’s production company Red Chillies Entertainment has now entered into a ‘strategic alliance’ with TV network Multi Screen Media (MSM) to explore opportunities related to television, digital and film content. Sources reveal, MSM has acquired the satellite rights of ‘Dilwale’ for Rs 60 crore and the entire deal covering his next two to three creative projects comes to a whopping Rs 220 crore.

Can you believe it? While talking to a leading daily, the source confirmed, “This is the

first time in many years that the satellite rights of a movie has been sold before its release. The alliance involves some of the future creative content that RCE will make.

Although not exclusive, it will be among the biggest and one-of-its-kind deals.”

Earlier this year, an online portal too had reported how Dilwale’s music rights have been sold at a whopping Rs 19 crore. No wonder Kriti had revealed in her interview how SRK is a perfect producer who pushes the limit with every film. She had said, “I think he(Shah Rukh) wants to spend more and more. He doesn’t care about how much money is going in as long as the film that is coming out is good.

He always says that when so many people come and spend their money and time to watch a film, they deserve the best.

That’s how he is.” n Directed by Rohit Shetty, Dilwale also stars Kajol, Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon in lead roles! Stay

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Are young homeowners doomed if housing prices drop?

oung Canadian homeowners are in for some tough times if the housing market comes crashing down around them, a new study suggests, but realtors and economists say there’s no reason to panic.

A report released last week by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives suggests that one in 10 homeowners under

Slower growth new economic reality, Bank of Canada says

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Professional and Award Winning Service

hat’s the conclusion of a Bank of Canada research report released on Thursday titled Is Slower Growth the New Normal in Advanced Economies?

“Overall, there is increasing evidence that growth in advanced economies may remain slow in the immediate future compared to its pre-[financial] crisis average, as a result of a combination of cyclical and structural factors,” according to authors Abeer Reza and Subrata Sarker.

The cyclical factors – including households and governments getting their debts under control – will eventually ease, according to the report contained in the autumn edition of the Bank of Canada Review, a twice-yearly collection of academic papers by bank economists.

But longer-term factors, including the aging population and slowing labour force expansion, will continue to take a bite out of growth.

The economy has typically bounced back rapidly from recessions with aboveaverage growth. But that did not happen after the Great Recession of 2008-09. Instead, growth averaged just 1.4 per cent a year in advanced economies between 2010 and 2014, down from an average 3.6 per cent a year from 1985 to 2007.

“Growth has continually disappointed and forecasters have regularly adjusted their forecasts downward,” the report pointed out. The Bank of Canada, for example, has repeatedly revised its forecasts lower – most recently in October, when it cut its forecast of gross domestic product to 2 per cent in 2016 and 2.5 per cent in 2017, down from 2.3 and 2.6 per cent, respectively. The most significant longer-term problem is the slowing growth rate of the working-age population as the baby boom generation retires.

In Japan, the working-age population is already shrinking. The report pointed out that later retirement and increased participation by women have in the past helped offset demographic trends.

40 will be underwater on their mortgages — meaning their debts will be greater than their assets — if real estate prices crash as expected at some point in the near future.

Right now, real estate prices are overvalued by anywhere from 10 to 30 per cent, according to Bank of Canada estimates.

4 i Saturday, July 25, 2015 Eventually, most analysts say, the market

will correct itself and prices will go down, either due to declining incomes, rising interest rates, or a combination of both.

When that happens, homeowners under 40 will be disproportionately affected — not because they stand to lose more actual dollars, but because they are debt-strapped and will see a bigger

drop in their net worth, the study argues.

Canadians in their 30s carry debt worth an average of four times their incomes, according to the Centre for Policy Alternatives. That means they stand to lose a much bigger percentage of their net worth if their homes lose value.

Continued on page 7

6 i Saturday, November 21, 2015

Celebrate Diwali with the new Quality Street tin

Q

uality Street caramels are in a new special Quality Street 550g celebration tin, featuring a beautiful and intricate design inspired by Diwali.

The new Quality Street tin retails for about $15.99 and contains an assortment of imported chocolates and individually wrapped colours, making it an excellent gift choice that is sure to make any Diwali celebration even brighter.

For the past few years, Quality Street has celebrated Diwali with the South Asian community.

These new tins will spark joy and excitement during this holiday as the perfect gift for family and friends to share.

On November 14, Nestlé Canada will showcase the festive tin at DEEWA – The Festival of Lights, a free indoor event at the Living Arts Centre celebrating South Asian entertainment, activities,

chocolates and now available

caramels, each in bright jewel

and fashion.

ABOUT DIWALI Diwali is one of the most well-known South Asian festivals. It is known as the ‘festival of lights’ because houses, shops and public places are decorated with diyas, candles and colourful lights on this occasion. In Canada, as in India, the festival is a time for springcleaning, wearing new clothes, and exchanging gifts, sweets and chocolates.

ABOUT NESTLÉ CANADA Backed by more than a century of research and experience, Nestlé Canada’s vision is to be the most trusted and respected food and nutrition company in Canada, bringing Good Food, Good Life to Canadians. Nestlé in Canada manufactures some of the world’s most recognized and trusted brands, including STOUFFER’S, LEAN CUISINE, NESQUIK, NESTLÉ GOOD START, HÄAGEN-DAZS, KIT KAT, NESCAFÉ, NESTLÉ PURE LIFE, NESTLÉ DRUMSTICK and Nestlé Purina BENEFUL. Nestlé in Canada employs approximately 3,500 people in more than 20 manufacturing sites, sales offices and distribution centres across the country.

For more information, please visit http://diwali.qualitystreet.ca/

Saturday, November 21, 2015 i 7

Are young homeowners doomed if housing prices drop?

From page 5 “Their entire net worth is wrapped up in their home when they’re in their twenties and thirties. They’re early on in a mortgage, so ... almost everything they’ve paid has gone into interest,” John Andrew, a real estate professor from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., said.

“And the other thing is that they’ve leveraged this to the hilt. So it’s a triple whammy, those three factors.”

‘Not a big deal’ Families in their thirties could lose an average of $60,000 if there is a correction of 20 per cent, and that would represent an average of 39 per cent of their net worth. People in their twenties would see their net worth reduced by 45 per cent in the same situation.

It all sounds scary, but young homeowners do have one thing their older counterparts do not — time.

“Even if you’re underwater, it’s not a big deal, because as long as you live in this house and you pay your mortgage, that’s fine,” Benjamin Tal, deputy chief of CIBC’s World Markets, told CBC News.

CIBC’s Benjamin Tal says young homeowners shouldn’t panic about a potential drop in housing prices because they have the luxury of being able to wait it out. (CIBC) “Of course, it’s difficult to be underwater. It’s not a very good thing to experience. But from a practical perspective, as long as you have a job and you have income, I really don’t see

Recipe

a situation in which you should panic.”

Andrew agrees. Asked what advice he has for young homeowners, he said: “Don’t panic.

Yes, your net worth may have declined significantly, but until you go and sell your house, if you’re in the market, you’re in the market.”

Interest rates hikes an ‘urgent issue’ Both Tal and Andrew say the bigger issue at play here is the possibility that interest rates on mortgages will rise, triggering the anticipated drop in housing prices.

“I’m pretty sure we’re not going see a collapse in home prices until we see a rise in interest rates,” Andrew said.

And while most young homeowners can withstand a housing market crash by staying put and waiting it out, not everyone can afford to pay a bigger monthly mortgage.

“If you can’t keep the house because you can’t afford the extra $350-$400 a month in mortgage payments, now you’ve got a really serious and urgent issue,” he said.

‘The economy will slow down’ Soaring interest rates and declining housing prices can also impact the economy at large.

“You have a situation in which more young people, young families, spend more money on their housing as opposed to

Tomato Rice

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anything else. So you don’t go to restaurants, you don’t take vacations — you just finance your mortgage,” said Tal. “And if you don’t [spend money], the economy will slow down, and that will make things even worse because it means that unemployment starts to rise, and therefore some people actually won’t be able to pay at all.”

That’s particularly bad news in Canada, said economist David Macdonald, who authored the Centre for Policy Alternatives study.

We’re already seeing weak growth in Canada,” he said, “and this would add to that slow growth.”

What’s the solution?

In his study, Macdonald recommends the government look at adopting U.S.-style policies to help young Canadians weather the storm.

That could mean giving unemployed homeowners some leeway on their mortgages, or allowing those in extreme circumstances to walk away from their mortgages without taking a huge hit to their credit scores.

But these are solutions for later down the road, when prices start dropping, he says.

In the meantime, Tal said young and prospective homeowners should make sure they have enough wiggle room in their budgets to comfortably make month-

ly mortgage payments even if rates rise by a couple of percentage points.

“If they cannot do it, they should buy a smaller house,” he said.

Or, not buy a house at all.

‘There’s nothing wrong with renting’ Studies like this one might put you off buying at all, and that’s a perfectly reasonable option, said Andrew, especially in high-cost cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary, where a housing market crash would hit hardest.

“If you look at a lot of world-class cities around the globe, there’s nothing wrong with renting. If you lived in New York City, you could easily rent your entire life and you wouldn’t feel inadequate about it.

“We’ve got this kind of Canadian hangup,” he said. “There’s this sense that if you don’t own your own home ... you’re not a success. And I think that’s changing.”

Homeowners in big, expensive cities like Vancouver stand to lose the most if housing prices drop. That’s why some analysts say it might be better for city-dwellers to rent. (Robert Giroux/Getty Images) Renting means avoiding the hidden costs of home ownership, like maintenance and property taxes. What’s more, you can up and leave whenever you want.

“Certainly for young people, as long as you’re saving some money, as long as you’re putting a significant amount away monthly and working toward that long-term goal, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.”

8 i Saturday, November 21, 2015

AUTO

Volkswagen says more gasoline engines had emissions cheat device

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olkswagen says its manipulations of carbon dioxide emission levels affect more gasoline-powered engines at the German automaker than it had previously disclosed. VW said on Nov. 3 it had understated the level of CO2 emissions in around 800,000 predominantly diesel-powered vehicles, with some models using a 1.4-litre gasoline engine.

Volkswagen finds new CO2 problems on 800,000 vehicles Volkswagen shares tumble again after company admits understating fuel consumption A spokesman said on Monday that more gas-

oline engines were implicated by the CO2 violations, adding to a statement the carmaker had released after business hours on Friday.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that causes climate change and regulators set limits on how much can be emitted by automobiles. About 24 gasoline-powered models were listed, among them vehicles such as the

1.0 litre Seat Ibiza, the 1.2 litre VW Jetta and the 2.0 litre VW Passat.

Volkswagen said it was notifying regulators around the world about the issue and consumers could check into the status of their vehicles on its websites.

All the cars are currently being retested in Germany, it said. A VW spokesman confirmed on Monday more gasoline engines were implicated by the CO2 malfeasance than previously disclosed.

The previous revelations about cheating on emissions involved its diesel engines.

The revelations about fuel economy and CO2 emissions have deepened the crisis at Volkswagen, which is facing a crisis of consumer confidence, as well as an expensive recall of its vehicles.

The revelation comes after VW’s admission in September that it rigged emissions tests for four-cylinder diesel engines on 11 million cars worldwide, including almost 500,000 in the U.S. It has already set aside €6.7 billion ($9.5 billion Cdn) to cover the costs of recalling those vehicles, and these additional problems are projected to cost $2.8 billion.

Saturday, November 21, 2015 i

19

Tesla shares slump after Consumer Reports cites owner-reported problems

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year after recommending the car as one of the best it has ever reviewed, Consumer Reports said it would no longer recommend Tesla’s Model S sedan because owners reported a variety of problems with the vehicle.

The news sent shares in Tesla slumping down more than seven per cent. The magazine reported that owners of the all-electric sedan released in the summer of 2012 wrote in about “an array of detailed and complicated maladies” with the car.

The survey in December’s issue, released Tuesday, predicts the reliability of 2016 cars and trucks based on a survey of its subscribers. This year’s survey was based on responses from owners of 740,000 vehicles.

Owners of Tesla cars reported sunroof leaks and problems with the electric motor and the dashboard screen, among other issues.

Consumer Reports’ initial review of the Model S gave the car a score of 103 out of its 100-point scale because of its driving performance, luxury features, and innovation in energy efficiency.

Technically, Tesla isn’t ranked as an automaker by the magazine alongside 28 other companies because it only has one basic version, the Model S, to review, and the magazine requires a company to make at least two different types of car before it is considered an automaker.

An SUV known has the Model X has since been released, to mixed reviews, but not in time to be included in the rankings.

Still, Consumer Reports decided to include Tesla in its automaker ranking after hearing from 1,400 Model S owners about their driving experiences. And regardless of the reports of issues, 97 per cent of Tesla drivers surveyed said they would definitely purchase the car again.

Tesla was eager to stress how satisfied its customers are, and said any issues will be quickly addressed. “Consumer Reports also found that customers rate Tesla service and loyalty as the best in the world,” Tesla said in a statement Tuesday. “Close communication with our customers enables Tesla to receive input, proactively address issues and quickly fix problems. Over-the-air software updates allow Tesla to diagnose and fix most bugs without the need to come in for service. In instances when hardware needs to be fixed, we strive to make it painless.”

Other companies ranked Other companies that scored well on the magazine’s rankings include Lexus and Toyota, who received top marks for overall owner satisfaction and reliability. Audi, Mazda and Subaru rounded out the top five. The worst performers were Infiniti, Cadillac, Ram, Jeep and Fiat.

Ford was the survey’s biggest gainer this year.

20 i Saturday, November 21, 2015

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he new Liberal government has gone over the books and says it is likely inheriting lots of red ink.

The last Conservative budget forecasted a $2.3-billion surplus for this year, but Finance Canada now says it’s more likely the year will end with a $3-billion deficit — and that’s before Liberal campaign promises are costed in.

As the oil shock rolled through the country, business investment plummeted, shrinking the economy in the first half and dampening growth in the second half.

Finance Canada still predicts the econ-

NATIONAL

Fiscal update erases projected surplus Liberals now project $3B budget deficit instead of $2.3 B surplus projected by Tories omy will eke out growth in 2015 — but only at an average of 1.2 per cent. The April budget by the Conservatives had predicted two per cent growth for the year.

“The simple truth is that the economy has not performed as well as projected in the last budget,” Finance Minister Bill Morneau told a news conference Friday morning in

Ottawa. “Despite the economic situation we’ve inherited … we have a plan to deal with it.”

The deteriorating economic picture means that the projections of last April are now about $6 billion per year lower, on average, for the next few years. That accounts for the projected $3-billion deficit in the current fiscal year and a larger $3.9-billion deficit next year, before eventually returning to surplus in 2019-2020.

Part of that is the ongoing slump in oil prices. In April, the government was assuming a per-barrel price of $63 US and up for WTI next year. That’s been ratcheted down to $50 US a barrel. Even that lowered figure is $10 above where oil is currently trading, just over $40 a barrel. Ottawa is also now assuming a weaker loonie, too. In April, the budget was forecasting an 83-cent loonie, on average, between now and 2019.

Friday’s fiscal update downgrades that to 79 cents US. The loonie is currently trading hands at around 75 cents US. Morneau noted that Canada is not the only country with an economic picture that isn’t looking as rosy as it did earlier in the

year. The International Monetary Fund is now projecting the global economy to grow by just 3.1 per cent this year — the smallest forecast since 2009, when most developed economies were in recession.

The Liberals had originally planned to post “modest” deficits of $10 billion or under for the first few years of their mandate, but those were based on a budget that was supposed to be currently in surplus.

‘It’s just not possible to cut our way to prosperity.’ - Morneau If the government’s budget is already in the red, those deficits could be much larger than anticipated, but the

finance minister deflected numerous attempts by journalists to get him to acknowledge that reality. “It’s just not possible to cut our way to prosperity,” said Morneau.

The Official Opposition Conservatives were quick to respond to the numbers, asking the government why their updated figures don’t mesh with the recently released Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) report, which is forecasting a small $1.2-billion figure for the current fiscal year.

“Clearly some of the money has already been spent or the plans have been put in place behind closed doors, and we’d like to know what that money difference [is] between what the PBO said and what is being said today,” Tory finance critic Lisa Raitt said.

The NDP, for its part, said it will hold the government to account to ensure it is financially sustainable while also investing in the economy in the way it said it would during the federal election campaign.

“We are giving this government some time to come clean on what it wants to do,” NDP finance critic Guy Caron said. “We have to ensure the government remains fiscally responsible, [but] the idea of balanced budgets at all costs has never been part of our platform.”

Contineud on page 21

POLITICS

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Senator John Wallace quits Conservative caucus

ew Brunswick Senator John Wallace has resigned from the federal Conservative caucus, citing the idea that the appointed upper chamber is supposed to operate independently.

Wallace, appointed to the Senate in 2008 by then Prime Minister Stephen Harper, will remain in the Senate and sit as an Independent.

Senator Mike Duffy to star in the last chapter of his long trial Justin Trudeau’s Senate appointments plan backed by advice from justice officials Wallace’s resignation letter, dated Wednesday, says he has “irreconcilable” differences with the Conservative leader in the Senate, Claude Carnignan, and other party senators.

“These differences are fundamental to the roles and responsibilities that I have sworn to uphold as a member of the Senate of Cana-

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da,” the letter says. Wallace singles out “political partisanship” as an obstacle to the Senate performing its role as a chamber of “sober second thought” that scrutinizes legislation passed by the elected House of Commons.

He cites the 2014 decision by the Supreme Court of Canada in a reference case on Senate reform.His letter quotes the court’s decision, which said the Fathers of Confederation wanted the Senate to be “thoroughly independent” so it could “dispassionately” examine bills free of the “unremitting consideration of short-term political objectives.” In 2014, the Hill Times, a weekly political newspaper in Ottawa, identified Wallace as part of a group of Conservative and Liberal senators that was holding secret meetings to come up with a way to reform the Senate from within.

Syrian refugees pose low risk, but no reason to rush process, experts say

ustin Trudeau’s plan to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees in Canada by the end of the year has raised concerns about whether the prime minister’s adherence to the fast-approaching deadline could compromise the security of the country.

Citing the deadly attacks in Paris, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall on Monday called on Trudeau to suspend his plan, arguing that “if a small number of individuals who wish to do harm to our country are able to enter Canada as a result of a rushed refugee resettlement process, the results could be devastating.”

While Trudeau has dismissed such concerns, some security experts suggest that trying to process that many refugees in such short time is not without risk, however slight, and that the prime minister doesn’t need to rush the effort.

“I very much hope that in the end, that they will have removed Dec. 31 as part of the plan and say, ‘We’’re going to do it and we’ll get it done when we get it done,’” said Peter Showler, the former head of Can-

Fiscal update erases projected surplus

From page 20 At least one major bank said Friday that the new numbers suggest bigger deficits are indeed now in the offing, but Toronto-Dominion Bank said they should be “manageable.”

“Assuming that budget deficits of $10 billion [as promised in the Liberal platform] will be completely additional to today’s starting point, near-term deficits of between $13 billion and $14 billion can be expected when budget 2016 is announced,” the bank said. “At approximately 0.7 per cent of GDP, these deficits appear manageable.”

For comparison purposes, the U.S. government had a deficit-to-GDP ratio of roughly 2.8 per cent last year.

Canada’s Liberal government was quick to stress that the calculations in Friday’s update did not factor in any of the costs of some of the promises the Liberals made on the campaign trail, including big infrastructure spending and a rejigging of the tax code to lessen the burden on middle-income earners at the expense of higher ones.

Stock options issue Morneau did, however, offer one tidbit about a campaign promise and that was on the subject of stock options.

ada’s Immigration and Refugee Board.

As for whether Canadians should be concerned about security risks from Syrian refugees, Showler said, “I would say no — until you put in ‘[coming] by the end of the year,’ and then I would say I don’t know.”

The evidence, so far, that refugees pose risks in North America has been scant. A recent article in the Economist points out that of the 745,000 refugees resettled in the U.S. since Sept. 11, only two have been arrested on terrorism-related charges, and those had not planned any kind of attack. Meanwhile, Canada has taken in nearly 265,000 refugees from 2005 to 2014.

However, those refugees underwent a rigorous screening process, one that can take years. Trudeau is hoping to resettle 25,000 refugees in a matter of weeks.

Syrian refugee security screening ‘paramount,’ Health Minister says Refugees welcomed to B.C. despite Paris attacks Sask. Premier Brad Wall asks Ot-

Saturday, November 21, 2015

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Harjit Sajjan says expanding military training must avoid negative ‘ripple effect’

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anada’s new defence minister is warning against haste in coming to a decision to replace six CF18 warplanes with new military trainers.

In an interview, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said Canada must be cautious in assigning troops to a new training mission and carefully select its partners, both on the ground in Iraq and in the allied coalition.

Sajjan said the role is important — crucial even — and must not be dismissed as an inconsequential military effort.

“It’s going to be a meaningful contribution to the fight against ISIS,” said Sajjan. “And in our opinion, the training mission is the one to do it.”

Sajjan said training was a perhaps overlooked effort, one that has the potential to be a game-changer in Iraq.

The ability of ISIS fighters to take ground came as a result of Iraqi military failures, Sajjan said. The force simply crumbled in the face of the extremist forces.

“So if we do not focus on the training mission, imagine where are we going to be? The end result has to be with them, not only regaining the ground, but also then holding it as well,” Sajjan said.

Canada currently has 69 special forces trainers based in the northern part of Iraq on what is known as an advise-and-assist mission with Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.

The Kurdish region is semi-autonomous inside Iraq, but the central government, such as it is, has not let go of its claim to that territory. Any expanded Canadian effort in the Kurdish region risks inflaming tensions in Baghdad and in Ankara, the capital of neighbouring Turkey, which has for decades had its own trouble with Kurdish national ambitions.

There are other potential partners in Iraq, but they’re also problematic.

The national army is a largely Shia force whose own alleged excesses against Sunni Iraqi civilians are said to have contributed to early support in Iraq for the forces of the Islamic State.

There are Shia forces, but some are deeply allied with the Iranian regime and are

trained and supported by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Sunni militias are also active in Iraq, but it too is a force with its own agenda, one that might align today with Canada’s but perhaps not tomorrow.

Sajjan says the government is aware of this challenge and looking at ways to best ensure its forces contribute to the defeat of ISIS and without fomenting sectarian tensions.

“We’re very mindful of the political dynamics that are at play,” the defence minister said. “But we want to make it very clear: Our contribution that we’re doing is to take the fight to ISIS … making sure that when we make this decision, it’s going to have that meaningful impact and not create other problems for us,” Sajjan said.

The former soldier and police officer said his own experiences, including fighting gangs in Vancouver and the Taliban in Afghanistan, have led him to understand the importance of tribalism and sectarianism and its role in insurgency and violence.

“We have to understand that it’s not just one issue, everything is interconnected and we have to understand those linkages,” Sajjan said. “If we don’t, we’re not going to be able to assess when we do something, is it going to create the positive impact that we want?

“Because the last thing we want to do is do something that’s going to think we’re going to create a positive impact, but it actually creates a negative one.”

The minister offered no new information about the size or composition of the new training force. All the options are still on the table, Sajjan said.

But the prime minister has hinted broadly the training effort would resemble the 800-strong force deployed to Afghanistan following the end of combat for Canada there in July 2011.

Canada’s contribution there was part of a much larger NATO-led training mission in Afghanistan comprising soldiers from more than 40 nations.

Sajjansaysheexpectsasimilarcoalition-style training mission will eventually be cobbled together to support anti-ISIS efforts in Iraq.

“I trust in the entire military leadership with all the countries involved, that

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CLASSIFIEDS

Saturday, November 21, 2015

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Matrimonial

JOBS

Parents looking match for their Canadian 27 year old very handsome, jat sikh boy, 5’9”, graduate , well establisehd businessman.

Girl must be well cultured, educated, Canadian citizen or permanent resident .

Contact after 6pm 604-598-1987 - 778-387-1672

using woodworking machines, power tools and hand tools; Build exterior doors, interior doors, custom doors with jams; Install hardware such as hinges, handles, catches using hand tools and power tools; Repair doors & replace panels of doors.

Job requirement: High school with 2-3 years of experience.

Trade certificate will be considered as an asset. If interested send resumes by email at westerndoormanufacturing@gmail. com ------------- September 5, 2015

JOBS Vacancy for In-home Caregiver Balwinder Singh Singhmaar, resident of 15095 92Ave, Surrey, BC V3R 5V8 has a vacancy for Inhome Child caregiver for infant child and 9 years old son. Full Time, $11 / hour, 40 hrs/week.

Applicant must have high school with minimum of one year of related experience within last three years or six 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.

Send resumes by email at balwinderssinghmaar@gmail.com -------------- Oct 31 2015

Western door manufacturing Ltd. located at #109-8250 124Street, Surrey BC V3W 3X9, has an immediate vacancy of Carpenter. We design and manufacture high end solid wood exterior doors, solid wood interior doors and custom doors.

Full time permanent job position with wages of $25per hour.

35 to 40 hours per week.

Job Duties includes Read & interpret drawings & sketches to determine specifications; Estimate height, width, length, & other proportions; Measure, cut, shape, & assemble materials

Jun13_155 Long Haul Truck Drivers Reqd. Sal:$23.00/hr, 40hr/wk, +1yr exp. & Class A 0r 1 license reqd., FT/PT Duties: Operate, drive straight or articulated trucks to transport goods & materials on local routes or over long distances.Plan trip logistics & obtain required documentation to transport goods.

Perform pre-trip & post-trip inspection of vehicle systems.

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

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

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

1 Optical Frame Fitter Reqd.

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

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

------------------------------Jun 06_15 Dosa Corner Restaurant

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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 Mayuri Indian foods inc is looking to hire an Ethnic Food Cook in Surrey BC. F/T & Perm.$17/hr.

Must have at least 2-3 yrs experience in South Indian cuisine & specialized knowledge in Indian spicing. Duties: Prepare & Cook meals; Supervise Kitchen helpers; Plan menus; Ensure quality & determine food proportions; Monitor & order food supplies; Set up & oversee buffets; Manage kitchen operation. Mail resume or apply by person Mayuri indian cuisine , Unit 102A,12677 80th Ave., Surrey BC V3W 3A6 Fax: 604-572-3281 ------------------------------------English Classes for Adults Register for classes September 2-8 For more information,Visit: www. victoryesl.com Call: 604.755.7976 E-mail: victoryesl1@gmail.com ---------------------------Cook Require Curry junction Restaurant in White Rock need cook immediately, This is a full time permanent position for a experienced person, Depending on experience salary will be upto $21 per hr. with other benefits. Call:604-729-6741 or

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604-385-1558 ---------------------------Transworld Security located at 2nd Floor, 5050, Kingsway, Burnaby BC V5H 4H2 is looking for a Static Guard, Static Guard Supervisor, Mobile Supervisor and Field Manager.

These are permanent full-time positions. Static Guard pay rate is $13.00 per hour plus vacation pay. You would be required to patrol industrial and commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows and gates.

Answer alarms and investigate disturbances. Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors and guests. Call police or fire departments in cases of emergency. Circulate among visitors, patrons and employees to preserve order and protect property.

Static Guard Supervisor pay rate is $14.00 per hour plus vacation pay. You would be required to oversee and supervise Static Guards. You will need to ensure the duties of the Static Guards you supervise are being completed and the client’s needs are being met. Field Manager pay rate is $18.00 per hour plus vacation pay. You would be required to report to the Director of Operations and you are responsible for supporting, mentoring and supervising the security officers in the field. You will be required to manage the company’s field operations and resources after business hours.

Mobile Supervisor pay rate is $18.00 per hour. You would be required to provide ongoing leadership, direction and training. You need to ensure all standing orders and scheduled daily activities are carried out for each shift. You will be required to discipline staff when necessary and ensure proper documentation is passed onto head office.

You will have to investigate alarm responses and respond in a timely manner. You will

S need to communicate any concerns/issues with Site Supervisor/ Coordinator.

The above opportunities suit candidates willing to travel all over the lower mainland and from Squamish to Hope. We also have opportunities in Edmonton, Alberta.

Minimum qualification for these positions are completion of secondary school and BST Justice Training of BC. Past experience is preferred but we are willing to train candidates who show eagerness to learn. For more information please visit our website at www.transworldsecurity.ca.

Please email you resume to hr@ transworldsecurity.ca.

------------------------------------Retail Sales Supervisor (6211); Saim’s Communication Inc.,Surrey, British Columbia, (6211); Salary: $17:50/Hourly; Positions Available: 2; Type: FullTime; Minimum Education: High School; ,Description : Assign sales workers to duties and prepare work schedules, Authorize payments by cheque and the return ofmerchandise , Sell merchandise to customers, Resolve problems that arise, such as customercomplaints and supply shortages, • Maintain specified inventory and ordermerchandise, Prepare reports regarding sales volumes, merchandising and personnel matters, Hire and train or arrange for the training of new sales staff, Ensure proper tagging, packing and displaying of products, Travel upto four different sites daily and/or weekly as required, Resolve disputes related to customers and employees, Get daily reports from employees and submit report to head office, Meeting with

To PLACE YOUR AD IN THE ASIAN STAR CLASSIFIEDS Section Please

Call: 604-591-5423

COMMUNITY ------------------------------------------------------Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members and non members also to come and play Bingo for the sake of fun and make some new friends, on November 22nd 2015( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall 8321 - 140th street Surrey B.C. Please bring only two dollars with you to play 2 games, do not worry if you do not know how to play, members will explain you the game just for the sake of fun.

Tea & light snacks will be served after the game is over. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator at 604 - 507 - 9945 for further details.

-----------------------------------LCA of BC Celebrates Jalaram Jayanti in Burnaby and Surrey 1. Keshyapbhai Ruparel & Family (Bharat Jewellers) cordially invites all to 216th Jalaram Jayanti celebrations with bhajans and kirtans on Saturday November 21, 2015 at VHP Temple, 3885 Albert Street, Burnaby.

Priti Bhojan 5.30pm Bhajan\Satang program 7.00pm For Further Information Please Contact: Kaushikaben Pabari: 604 945 5640 VHP Temple: 604 299 5922 -----------------------------------------------------------Hetsi and Keshvi Vithlani & FAMILY cordially invites all to 216th Jalaram Jayanti Celebrations with Bhajans and Kirtan on Sunday November 22, 2015 at 10.30 am at Laxminarayan Temple, 8321 140th Street, Surrey. Bhajan Program will be Presented by Highly Talented Local Group.

Priti Bhojan After Arti.

For Further Information Please Contact: Mansukhbhai Thanki (604) 518-1557.

----------------------------------------------------------Secret Asian Super Singer to Support S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Seniors Service S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Multi-Level Care Society Goodwill Ambassador Charity Night will be held at 6:00 pm , Monday, November 2, 2015 at the River Rock Show Theatre, Richmond.

The event aims to raise $ 110,000 to support the S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Seniors Care Home expansion and maintenance project. The festivities include a VIP reception, an exclusive dinner, entertainment and fundraising karaoke. The night will feature an acclaimed popular artist from Hong Kong as a secret guest performer.

A group of artists from AM1320 will present a mini concert and a Beijing Opera from Sunshine Troupe Association will perform as well. The Honourable Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia and other elected officials will join the event. The Goodwill Ambassador Council is a group of passionate volunteers of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Multi-Level Care Society.

Established in 2006, the Council hosts fundraising events every 2 years to support the Society to improve the quality of life for the seniors. Incorporated in 1995, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Multi-Level Care Society was established to provide linguistically and culturally appropriate care for seniors in our community.

------------------------------------------------------South Asian Seniors - Iron Deficiency & Dipression Dr. Pargat Bhurji - Nov. 15th 2015 - 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm.

Vedic Senior Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members and also non members

to attend a presentation on - Iron Deficiency & Dipression - by Dr. Pargat Bhurji a Pediatrician and a well known Person in the South Asian Community, on November 15th 2015 ( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321 140th Street Surrey BC. Dr. Pargat Bhurji will answer your health related questions, tea and light snacks will be served after the presentation.

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

Saturday, November 21, 2015

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Hindu Temple Diwali Show

-----------------------------------The Global Hindu Foundation with support of SMH will celebrate Diwali -the Festival of Lightson November 9,2015 at Main Cafeteria from 1.00-2.30 PM. The guests will be served with sweets and snacks. This celebration is in the true spirit of multiculturalism and interfaith of Canada. ALL ARE WELCOME. For further information call to Acharya Dwivedi-604 507 3099 or Deepa Sharma 778 388 9024 ------------------------------South Asian Seniors - Clinical Prevention Workshop, 8th Nov. 2015, 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm.

Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members as well as non members to attend Clinical Prevention Workshop presented by Dr. Virendra Sharma MD, MPH, Project Coordinator with Fraser Health Authority on November 8th 2015 ( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321 - 140th street Surrey BC. There will be questions & Answers session after the workshop and you can ask questions about Clinical Prevention. Tea and light snacks will be served after the workshop is over. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further information.

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Public Notice

All foreign governments may deny visa or entry into country on Non-machine readable passports’ with effect from 24.11.2015 because of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s(ICAO) decision to entirely phase out all ‘Non-machine readable passports’ by 24.11.2015.

Accordingly, Indian citizens residing in India and abroad with handwritten passports as well as 20 year validity passports, valid beyond 24.11.2015 are advised to apply for re-issue of passports in order to obtain ‘Machine readable passports (MRPs) before 24.11.2015 to avoid any inconveniences in obtaining foreign visa or immigration problem.

Schedule of Consular Camps ------------------------------Surrey - 1st November 2015 Col. Darshan Singh Sidhu, Indian Ex-Servicemen Society, Surrey, 201-8212-128 Street, indianexcervicemen@yahoo.com darshansidhu08@gmail.com 6045963327 -----------------------------------Vancouver - 1st November 2015 Mr.Kuldip Thandi, President, Ross St. Gurdwara 6047196800 kdsross@live.com ----------------------------------------Kamloops - 25th October 2015 Mr. Kulwinder Singh Kular, President, Sikh Cultural Society, kal@topdriver.ca Cell:2503768285 ------------------------------------Abbotsford - 8th November 2015

Devotees at the Hindu Temple in Burnaby during the Govardhan Puja/Annakut celebrations on Nov 15th.

Burnaby Hindu Temple’s 45th Diwali Show was held on Saturday November 7,2015 at Michael J Fox Auditorium, Burnaby. Multinational ethnic entertainment was applauded with cheers by the audience at the sold-out Show. There was food, dances, songs, music and entertainment by the participants as young as three years old. About $408,000 was raised as donations at this Diwali Show to complete the construction of the new Hindu Temple under construction at 5420 Marine Drive, Burnaby. The New 31,000 Sq.feet Temple and Community Centre, when completed, will be one of the largest Hindu Community and Cultural Centre in North America. There will be Prayer Hall, Dining Hall each with capacity of over 800 persons, Auditorium/Wedding Hall for 324 seated perMr. Jatinder Singh Gill Recording Secretary, Heritage Gurudwara, Abbotsford Bhajan Singh Toor 6048647700 kds@canadiansikhheritage.ca -------------------------------------------------------------Free English for the Workplace Classes at PICS PICS’ new Project Based Language Training Program (PBLT) is now offering free English classes for the Labour Market. It helps immigrants overcome language barriers that hinder new immigrants’ path to employment. The priority for this project is to attach clients to Labour Market and help them actively seek employment or prepare them to enroll in a training course or move to an enhanced Labour market program.

Students will learn and develop soft skills, job search, resume writing, interview skills, networking and much more. To avoid disappointment, please register for classes by calling 604-5967722 ext 138 ASAP. Free Childminding on site.

----------------------------------------------------------Free Community Workshops & Activities November 2–8 Free Drop-In English Conversation Circle for Temporary Foreign Workers Meet new people and give support to your fellow TFW’s. Ask questions about housing, health, and employment concerns.

Mondays, 6:30–8:30pm until December 14 MOSAIC Vancouver Community Room, 1720 Grant St 604 254 9626 ext 487 -----------------------------------------Public Speaking Without Panic: Learn Effective Strategies to Communicate with Confidence

sons, Multi purpose Room For seniors, satsangs, birthday celebrations, meetings etc. There will be library and classrooms for Hindi classes; suites for priests and out- of- town guests, professionally landscaped grounds with 147 parking stalls, elevators and handicapped facilities. The new temple is scheduled to be completed by next year.

In order to reduce mortgage, the temple is organizing a fund raising dinner on Saturday, February 27, in Vancouver. For tickets and more information on sponsoring our FUNDRAISER or sponsoring a Room in our New Temple or for donations to our New Temple please contact our Fund Raising Committee at www.hindutempleburnabybc.com.

Temple Phone: 604-299-5922.

Krishan Soni, Chair, Fund Raising Committee

Learn strategies and techniques for building self-confidence to communicate your ideas and opinions in a group setting. Tuesdays, 6–8pm until November 10 1522 Commercial Drive, Vancouver 604 254 9626 -----------------------------------------------English Conversation Circle for New Westminster Newcomers Wednesdays, 10–11:30am until December 2 Fraserside Community Services Society, 2nd floor, 519–7th St, New Westminster 778 558 9011 Let’s Talk! Support Group for Newcomer Parents Learn about Canadian culture, multicultural parenting, financial literacy, leadership skills and mor Thursdays, 1–2:45pm, until December 3 Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School, 1714 8th Ave, New Westminster Yumi 604 345 7737 ---------------------------------------------------Seniors Club: Taichi Class Fridays, 9:30–11:30am Brentwood Community Resource Centre, 2055 Rosser Ave, Burnaby 604 292 3908 Crossing the US/Canadian Border November 4, 10am–12pm New Westminster Public Library, 716 6th Ave 604 438 8214 ext 114 ----------------------------------------------Ways to Improve Job Search Skills for \ Work Permit Holders November 7: Creating effective résumés November 28: Different styles of cover letters December 5: Interview skills December 19: Stress management Saturdays, 10:30am–12pm MOSAIC Vancouver Community Room, 1720 Grant St ‘ Lam 604 254 9626 ext 258 ------------------------------------Legal Information Workshop: Employment Standards Learn about your rights in the workplace!

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Saturday, November 21, 2015

EI rolls swell 95.2% in Calgary over the past year, StatsCan says

he number of Calgarians collecting Employment Insurance cheques skyrocketed by more than 95 per cent from September 2014 to the same month this year, according to the latest figures from Statistics Canada. By comparison, many other provinces recorded only modest year-over-year increases and some saw the figures go down, the federal agency said in its September 2015 report released on Thursday.

Nationally, the EI rolls increased by 8.3 per cent, or 41,600 people from September 2014 to September 2015. In Calgary, the number of EI recipients increased by 95.2 per cent over the same period, Statistics Canada says.

And in Edmonton the number went up 85.7 per cent. Province-wide, the number of recipients went from 29,150 last September to 57,980 this September — a 98.9 per cent jump. The numbers highlight how different the current downturn is from the one in 2008, says Justin Smith, the director of policy at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.

“What’s particularly unnerving about this is the localized nature of the problem. It seems Calgary and Alberta have taken the brunt of this increase, which we didn’t necessarily see in ‘08-’09,” he said. “So this is definitely a regional problem, this is a problem centred on our energy economy and it’s something we need to look at critically to solve.”

Business / Finance

EI number ticks up to 543,800 as Alberta reports 9% more jobless beneficiaries

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he ranks of people receiving Employment Insurance benefits swelled to 543,800 in September due in large part to a surge of new jobless beneficiaries in Alberta.

Alberta’s EI number jumped by 9.1 per cent, Statistics Canada reported Thursday.

Smaller increases were recorded in Newfoundland and Labrador (up 2.2 per cent) as well as Nova Scotia (up 2.1 per cent) while it decreased by 1.1 per cent in P.E.I. The other provinces reported little change in their EI numbers, the data agency said.Across the country, there were 543,800 Canadians receiving EI benefits

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in September, an increase of 1.1 per cent from August’s level. But on an annual basis, that figure has increased by 8.3 per cent or 41,600 people. Despite the swelling jobless rolls, there was an indication on Thursday that the figure could soon come down. The number of people filing an initial EI claim declined three per cent in September to 234,400. The claims number is considered a leading indicator of future beneficiaries because people have to fill out a claim for EI before they can receive it. If the claims number is coming down, that should help the main EI number eventually come down as well.

U.S. to slap tariffs on Canadian glossy paper imports

series of costly duties will be levied against Canadian mills that produce glossy paper following a vote Wednesday affirming the trade action by the U.S. International Trade Commission.

The trade body says the vote was part of the final phase of a countervailing duty investigation into Canadian imports of supercalendered paper, which is mainly used for magazines, catalogues, corporate brochures and advertising inserts.

Exports of supercalendered paper from Canada to the United States were valued at $959 million last year, the Canadian government said. The U.S. commission issued a statement saying the duties will be imposed because the U.S. paper industry has been injured by unfairly subsidized imports from Canada. “As a result of the (commission’s) determinations, the Department of Commerce will issue a countervailing duty order on imports of this product from Canada,” the statement said.

Under a decision released last month, the U.S. Department of Commerce said it would impose duties ranging from 17.87 per cent to 20.18 per cent against Canadian mills.

Trade minister Chrystia Freeland says Ottawa plans NAFTA appeals of the tariffs. The U.S. ruling affects Nova Scotia’s Port Hawkesbury Paper, which has been hit with a 20.18 per cent duty. As well, Montreal-based Resolute Forest Products will have to pay a duty of 17.87 per cent. Other Canadian supercal-

endered mills, such as the J.D. Irving mill in New Brunswick and Catalyst Paper of British Columbia, face a duty of 18.85 per cent.

Canada’s international trade minister Chrystia Freeland, issued a statement saying an appeal under the North American Free Trade Agreement will determine if the countervailing duties are being applied in accordance with the laws of the United States.

“Canada believes that the U.S. Department of Commerce erred in calculating subsidy rates on Canadian exports of supercalendered paper,” the minister said.

“Canada is exercising its rights under NAFTA Chapter 19 and requesting a panel review in order to defend the Canadian industry.”

The U.S. trade action is the result of a petition filed by two American producers of supercalendered paper. Mill gets power at reduced rate The latest decision was greeted with disappointment in Nova Scotia, where the minister responsible for trade called the duties “unfair.” Michel Samson said the issue for the Cape Breton mill centres around power rates set by the province’s regulator. The mill is getting electricity at a reduced rate, however Samson said U.S. officials don’t understand the role of the Utility and Review Board, which is an arms-length organization independent of government. The Nova Scotia government has said the cheaper power rates from Nova Scotia Power, a privately owned utility, don’t constitute a subsidy because, under U.S. rules, subsidies must come from government entities.

Business / Finance

Pick-and-pay service or $25 cable package should be in place by March 1 - CRTC

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able and satellite providers must provide skinny basic packages priced at $25 a month or a pick-and-pay service to every consumer by March 1, 2016, the CRTC says.

The federal broadcast regulator laid out a timetable Thursday for changes to ways television signals are distributed across Canada. The cable and satellite providers must provide one of these alternatives by March 1 and both by Dec. 1 of next year. The basic package must include channels on the CRTC’s mandatory distribution list, including CBC, CTV and Global, a group of U.S. channels and aboriginal and minority English or French language channels. The U.S. channels usually would be CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX and non-commercial channel PBS. At least 10 of the channels must

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Canada’s inflation rate steady at 1% in October

he cost of living increased by one per cent in October, the same pace as the previous month and well within the range that the Bank of Canada likes to see.

Statistics Canada reported Friday that seven of the eight components the agency tracks in calculating the consumer price index were higher.

The lone exception was transp or t at i on , which includes gas prices. That number has now fallen for 12 consecutive months. Gas prices have fallen by 17.1 per cent compared to October of 2014.

But as the cratering of oil prices stretches beyond a calendar year now, it’s likely that gasoline’s impact on the inflation rate is also likely to diminish, TD Bank economist Brian DePratto said.

“The decline in transportation prices

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be local or regional, including the community channel and the proceedings of the provincial legislature, if available.

TV viewers will then be able to supplement this with either individual channels or small bundled channel packages.

The CRTC ruled last year that consumers should have access to more choice in their cable and satellite packages as well as cheaper basic packages.

This the first announcement of timing of those changes. Some critics of the new regime say consumer may end up paying more for fewer choices, depending on how the cable companies bundle and price individual channels or packages of channels. And some specialty broadcasters worry they’ll be left out in the cold if their signals aren’t bundled with popular or must-have choices.

continues to decelerate as the past effects of lower energy prices work their way through the index,” he said.

The Bank of Canada sets its monetary policy based on trying to achieve an inflation rate of between one and three per cent. If inflation is above that, the bank tends to hike rates. If it’s below, the bank tends to cut rates to s t i mu late the economy, so Friday’s inflat i o n number s u g gests the central bank will have no urgency to move its benchmark rate one way or the other at its next policy meeting.

Regionally, the inflation rate rose in nine out of Canada’s 10 provinces, with the exception being P.E.I. where the inflation rate has dropped for 11 months in a row and now stands at minus 0.8 per cent.

Caisse putting $1.5B US into Bombardier for stake in rail busines

ombardier has signed a deal that will see the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) invest $1.5 billion US in a newly created company that will hold the company’s rail transportation business. The giant Quebec pension fund — Canada’s second-largest — says the investment will help stabilize the company’s current financial situation. The Caisse says it’s betting on Bombardier and in rail transportation. The $1.5 billion represents a 30 per cent stake in a new holding company, BT Holdco.

The company is a subsidiary of Bombardier Transportation and will be based in Germany. The investment comes less than a month after the provincial government announced a bailout of more than $1.3 billion in the company’s struggling CSeries jet program. Bom-

bardier posted a loss of $4.9 billion US in the third quarter. The Montreal-based company says the deal concludes its review of financing options for Bombardier Transportation, which sells subway cars and other mass transit systems. “This investment by CDPQ, which has a long history as one of our major investors, is a testimonial to the growth potential of the rail industry and to Bombardier’s leadership in seizing the opportunities this market offers on a global scale,’’ Bombardier chief executive Alain Bellemare said in a statement. Caisse president Michael Sabia said the investment is a safe bet. “Bombardier Transportation is a global leader in the rail industry, with a robust backlog, predictable revenues, and meaningful potential for growth,” Sabia said in a statement.

Saturday, November 21, 2015

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26 i

PUNJAB

Saturday, November 21, 2015

US Court dismisses SFJ law suit against Facebook for blocking its page in India

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US Federal Court has dismissed petition filed by Sikhs For Justice against Facebook for blocking former’s page in India.

This happens when Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Government of India, is already mulling to block SFJ’s website in India for containing “objectionable content”. Cyber Laws and e-security Division of the Department of Electronics and Information Technology had put the group on notice in last week of October.

In Nov 13 ruling, US Northern District of California, San Jose division, District Judge Lucy Koh stated that Sikh groups claims of religious discrimination are precluded under the Communications Decency Act, which protects providers of “interactive computer services” by barring courts from treating service providers like Facebook as the publishers or speakers of speech created by others.

SFJ, a US based rights group, had filed the lawsuit against Facebook Inc. and claimed that the social media giant blocked its page at the behest of Indian government because of its outspoken campaign against government’s “persecution of Sikhs a religious minority and advocating for Sikh referendum in the Indian state of Punjab.”

Facebook allegedly did not restore access to the page despite repeated requests, nor did it provide any explanation for the page block.

SFJ sought a permanent injunction ordering Facebook to stop restricting access, and any documents or correspondence with the Indian government related to a request that Facebook block its page. SFJ lawsuit had also requested the court to issue an order compelling Facebook to produce all its communication with government of India related to SFJ’s page and to issue an order reinstating access and enjoining Facebook from blocking right group’s online content in

future.

Good News!

Good News!

Punjab Chief Minister Badal calls for peace

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hief Minister Parkash Singh Badal addressed the state from Doordarshan and All-India Radio and appealed to people to maintain peace, communal harmony and brotherhood. He said he firmly believed that the process of development was not feasible without peace and communal harmony in the state. He said some anti-Punjab elements were trying to derail the ongoing process of development and growth in the state. SAD (A) men detained Muktsar: To foil a protest against AkaliDal leaders who held a meeting here, the police

Airport not to close for runway repairs

There is good news for air passengers. The new Chandigarh international airport will not close for runway resurfacing. The Union Government has given the nod to undertake

Good News!

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arrested about five workers of SAD (Amritsar) as a preventive measure and sent them to judicial custody.

SAD Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder and Budhlada legislator Chittan Singh Smao on Wednesday faced a protest by SAD (A) activists in Budhlada where they held a meeting to prepare for the “Sadbhawana” rally to be held in Bathinda on November 23. Rajinder Singh, a former sarpanch of Jawaharke village, was among those arrested. Rajbir Singh Boparai, DSP, Budhlada, said: “We have arrested five persons who were trying to interrupt the meeting of Akali Dal leaders.”

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the work to resurface the runway without disturbing the flight operations here. To facilitate the work, which would have otherwise led to the closure of the airport operations for almost a year, the Punjab Government and the UT Administration will provide 80 acres of land contiguous with the airport for constructing a parallel taxi track, a top government functionary told The Tribune here today.

Pakistan denies visa to 51 pilgrims The Pakistan High Commission has denied visa to 51 pilgrims for a visit to Nankana Sahib gurdwara on the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev that falls on November 25. The SGPC had sent applications of 975 devotees along with their passports to the Union Home Ministry and the Pakistan high Commission in New Delhi, of which only 924 were given visa. The Sikh jatha would leave for Pakistan on November 20 through a special train. SGPC’s additional secretary Daljit Singh Bedi said they were disappointed as 51 pilgrims were denied visas without assigning any reason. “This attitude of the Pakistan authorities has hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community. This is a very important pilgrimage for the Sikhs.

We demand flexibility in visa policies and the authorities should help us in the process of getting visas. The cancellation of visas at the last juncture is unjustified,” he said.

SGPC postpones executive meeting to Nov 26 The SGPC has postponed its executive committee meeting scheduled for tomorrow to November 26. The meeting assumes significance as it is expected to deliberate over replacing the Takht heads who have come under fire following the controversial Sirsa dera chief ’s pardon case. On October 24, the Panj Pyaras passed a “gurmata” (religious decree) directing the SGPC executive to replace the five Takht jathedars. Since this development, the SGPC has been avoiding to hold its meeting. An emergency executive meeting was held on November 13 with a single-point agenda of nullifying the resolutions adopted during the controversial Sarbat Khalsa.

Karnail Singh Panjouli, an executive member, said there had been resentment among the Sikh community against the flip-flop over the grant of pardon to the dera chief by the Takht heads. “Time has come for the SGPC to take a final call. The jathedars must be replaced to overcome the present crisis and Sikh community’s emotions. I will take up the matter during the next executive meeting,” he said.

6 i Saturday - April 4, 2015

fOOD INDIA

Saturday, November 21, 2015

i 27

Controversial Indian VHP leader passes away

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senior leader of India’s Hindu na“He passed away at 2.30pm today. He had tionalist Vishwa Hindu Parishad multi-organ dysfunction, ARDS [acute respimovement Ashok Singhal has died ratory distress syndrome] and sepsis and was aged 89. He was admitted to hospital near being treated by a team of specialists,” The Delhi last Friday in a critical Times of India quoted condition after complaining of Dr AK Dubey of Medbreathlessness. A leading figure anta hospital in Gurgain the drive to build a temple on as saying. at a disputed religious site in The 16th Century Ayodhya, he was known for his Babri Masjid (mosque) anti-Muslim remarks. Ayodhya was torn down in 1992, has sparked deadly riots and reallegedly by activists of mains a flashpoint. Prime MinVHP and other hardister Narendra Modi described line Hindu groups who his death as “a deep personal claim the site is the loss”. Singhal was the internabirthplace of their deiAshok Singhal tional president of Vishwa Hinty, Ram. du Parishad (VHP) - an affiliate of the RashTributes have been pouring in for the triya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) - for more controversial leader on Twitter. In a series than 20 years. The VHP is a close ally of Mr of tweets, Modi described him as “an instiModi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. tution”:

Guru Ramdev selling Patanjali’ noodles without approval or licence

chicken (no butter) Masala

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Ingredients • 250g boneless chicken • 2tbsp rapeseed oil • 1 medium red onion • 3 large tomatoes • ½ cup cashew nuts • 100g tomato puree • 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves • 100ml low fat cream • 1tsp garam masala • 1tsp red chilli powder • 1tbsp ginger- garlic paste • 2tbsp thick low fat yoghurt • salt to taste

ndia’s food quality watchdog has dardised products, they cannot bring said a brand of noodles recently this into the market without approval,” launched by yoga guru Baba RamFood Safety and Standards Authority dev does not have mandatory approvals. of India (FSSAI) chairperson Ashish Patanjali noodles insists its product falls Bahuguna told Indian media. “Patanunder the category of pasta, for which jali Atta Noodles has not got product it has the correct licence. Baba Ramdev Procedure: approval from us,” he was quoted as launched Patanjali Atta with (wheat) Noo- garlic Marinate the chicken the ginger pasteby and yoghurt for 20 min. soak the cashew in warm water for 15 minutes.chop the onions and tomatoes. Heat 1 tbsp saying thethe Indian Express newspadlesoilontoMonday as athe“safer” alternative a pan. sear chicken pieces in the per. hot oil for 1 users minute each side Twitter areon amused thatto Pa-a golden colour. remove the chicken pieces. in the same pan, add 1tbsp oil and the chopped afteronions. the recent furore Nestle India’s saute till a over translucent pink. Add the tomatoes, red chiliitspowder, tanjali had advertised noodlesgaram to be masala powder and cook on medium flame till the tomatoes are tender (approx. 4-5 Maggi brand. remove Social media usersand made minutes). from flame run in asafe blender with the cashews to make a smooth paste. return to the pan and add the tomato puree. Bring to a boil and add and healthy, butsoaked fell into the same funthe of the noodles with #FSSAI trending chicken pieces. simmer for 4-5 minutes till the chicken is cooked.

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28 i i Saturday, Saturday, September 26, 2015 28 November 21, 2015

INDIA

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Justice TS Thakur appointed new CJI

ustice Tirath Singh Thakur has been appointed as Chief Justice of India (CJI) for a 13-month tenure till January 3, 2017. An official announcement said President Pranab Mukherjee “is pleased to appoint” Justice Thakur, a Judge of the Supreme Court, to be the CJI with effect from December 3, succeeding Justice HL Dattu who would demit office the previous day. Elevated to the SC six years ago on November 17, 2009, Justice Thakur has been Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court (August 11, 2008-November 16, 2009) and Acting CJ of Delhi HC (April 9-August 10, 2008). Justice Thakur has headed the apex court Bench that ordered the overhaul of the cricket administration in the country in the wake of allegations of betting and fixing in Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. He also instituted an inquiry against IPL players, owners and officials who had faced such charges. Justice Thakur is the second senior most judge of the SC, next only to CJI

Dattu. Appointed as an Additional Judge of the Jammu and Kashmir HC on February 16, 1994, he has been a judge of the Karnataka HC. Born on January 4, 1952, he was enrolled as a pleader in October, 1972 and joined the chamber of his father late DD Thakur, a leading advocate who later became a Judge of Jammu and Kashmir High Court. He was elected President of the Bar Association in 1986 and designated as a senior advocate in 1990. He took over as Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority in October 2014 and was conferred with Doctor of Laws by Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow, on October 31, 2015. As a lawyer, he practised laws governing civil, criminal, constitutional, taxation and service matters. Outgoing Chief Justice of India Dattu had recommended Justice Thakur’s elevation as the CJI earlier this month as required under practice.

Pakistani-American David Headley made co-accused, but extradition long way off

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avid Coleman Headley, the Pakistani-American who allegedly provided vital inputs for the terrorists who carried out the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, will be made a co-accused in the case. Special Judge GA Sanap today passed the order to issue summons to Headley who is presently in the custody of the American authorities. The court ordered that Headley be produced before it via video-conferencing on December 10. Earlier today, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam argued that

Headley needed to be tried by Indian courts.

“The charges under which Headley has been convicted by the US court and the charges we are pursuing against him are entirely different,” Nikam told the court. Concurring with Nikam, the court asked the police what efforts were being made by the city police to investigate the charges against Headley after he was taken into custody by the US authorities.

Despite the court’s order, it is still not clear whether Headley will really be produced before it via video-conferencing. “The court will send a Letter of Request to the US District

20 Indians freed as 27 dead in Mali hotel siege Almost a week after the Islamic State created mayhem in Paris that killed 129 people, Islamic extremists armed with guns and grenades stormed a luxury hotel in Mali’s capital this morning, taking 170 people, including 20 Indians and many foreigners, hostage.

Malian troops reacted quickly and within hours they were joined by French special forces in the rescue operation. Officials said 27 bodies were recovered and the gunmen were holding no more hostages.

In New Delhi, the External Affairs Ministry said all 20 Indians taken hostage had been safely evacuated. “Good news! All 20 Indians in the hotel in Bamako have been safely evacuated. Our Ambassador in Mali has confirmed,” the Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry tweeted.

Employees of a Dubai-based company, these Indians were staying in the hotel permanently, the spokesperson said.

At least 10 gunmen entered the 190room hotel compound at around 0700 GMT (1230 IST) in a car with diplomatic plates and automatic gunfire was heard from outside, security sources said. Earlier, local TV images showed heavily armed troops in what appeared to be a lobby area of Radisson Blu, one of Bamako’s smartest hotels.

Malian special forces freed hostages “floor by floor, Malian army commander Modibo Nama Traore said. Al-Mourabitoun, an African Jihadist group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, claimed the responsibility for the hostage-taking at the hotel.

Six Americans were rescued from the luxury hotel. US officials said, adding that US special forces were assisting in rescue efforts there.

The US Embassy in Mali told citizens to shelter in place amid reports of an “ongoing active shooter operation”.

Monique Kouame Affoue Ekonde, from Ivory Coast, said she and six other people, including a Turkish woman, were escorted out by security forces as the gunmen rushed “toward the fifth or sixth floor.”

“I think they are still there. I’ve left the hotel and I don’t know where to go. I’m tired and in a state of shock,” she said.

A top official at the French presidency said French citizens were in the hotel but could not give more. The official spoke anonymouslyinlinewithpresidencypolicy.

Rescue op lasts nine hours

At least 10 Islamic extremists enter a 190-room luxury hotel in Mali’s capital at 0700 GMT (1230 IST) on Friday

Armed with guns and grenades, the extremists hold 170 people, including 20 Indians, hostage

Malian troops react quickly and within hours are joined by French and US special forces in the rescue operation. Six Americans freed The Malian government nine hours later declares the rescue operation by special forces is over. At least 27 bodies are recovered

As the drama in Bamako unfolds, EU ministers agree at an emergency meeting in Brussels to tighten border controls

Saturday, November 21, 2015

i 29

Choke fund flow to terror outfits, says PM Modi “The dastardly acts of terrorists committed in Paris a few days ago are a grim reminder that terrorists have shown remarkable flexibility and adaptability in meeting their funding requirements,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the sixth Global Focal Point Conference on Asset Recovery organised by the CBI. The Prime Minister also highlighted the steps taken by the government against corruption and black money.

Addressing the conference that was also attended by general secretary of Interpol, Jurgen Stock, the PM said the

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terrorists derived funding from a variety of criminal activities, including smuggling of narcotics, bank robbery, vehicle theft, fake currency, or from state sponsors and activities in failed states. “Disrupting fund flow constrains the capabilities of terrorists and reduces their ability to execute attacks. This involves putting in place both systemic safeguards and targeted economic sanctions based on credible counter-terrorism intelligence,” he said. Modi said globalisation of organised crime posed major threat to economies throughout the world. “It is a fact that dirty money drives out good money.

Colonel Mahadik who died battling terrorists in J&K

housands of grieving people turned up on Thursday for the funeral of Colonel Santosh G. Mahadik who was killed while fearlessly leading his men in an operation against militants in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, an official said.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other dignitaries paid homage to Col. Mahadik and offered sympathies to his family members, including parents, wife Sashwati, two children and brothers. Later, the slain hero’s body was brought in an Army cortege to his native village Pogarwadi early on Thursday and kept for people to pay their last respects.

Col. Mahadik, who was decorated with a Sena Medal, was accorded a funeral with full military honours in an open ground in the

village, the official said.

The Commanding Officer of 41 Rashtriya Rifles, Col. Mahadik, 38, was leading a search party and was critically injured when militants, holed up in a dense forested area of Haji Naka in Kupwara district, fired at him.

Hailing from Satara, Col. Mahadik belonged to a small farmer’s family and later joined the Satara Military School, before joining the army in 1998. A family friend described Col. Mahadik as “a gentle, soft-spoken officer who never conveyed the looks of a special forces officer, besides being a forceful orator who spoke his mind”.

The last rites were performed in the presence of his immediate and extended family members, Pogarwadi villagers and people from Satara district who raised cries of “Santosh Mahadik amar rahe”.

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NRI

Jindal questions White House about how many Syrian immigrants are living in his state

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overnor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal asked the White House how many Syrian refugees have been resettled in Louisiana, saying he wanted that figure and other information “in hopes that the night of horror in Paris is not duplicated here.”

Jindal’s letter to the White House on Saturday came the same day that the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for attacks that killed 129 people and wounded 350 in the French capital.The question of admitting refugees from war-torn Syria has been debated for months, and Friday’s attacks raised concerns about people with ties to Islamic militants flowing across borders.“As Governor of Louisiana, I demand information about the Syrian refugees being placed in Louisiana in hopes that the night of horror in Paris is not duplicated here,” Jindal wrote in his letter Saturday.

Fourteen Syrians have been resettled this

year in Louisiana: one in Baton Rouge and the rest in New Orleans and suburban Kenner, the State Department told WWL-TV ( http://bit. ly/1PuLFY6 ) on Sunday. A spokesman for President Barack Obama said Sunday that the administration is continuing with its plan to thoroughly vet and resettle up to 10,000 Syrian refuges in the United States in 2016. The State Department said they’ll be spread across the country.

Jindal said he wanted to know what level of background screening was made before Syrians entered the United States and what monitoring would be done once such refugees are in Louisiana. “As Americans,

we embolden freedom and opportunity to the rest of the world, but by opening up our borders and refusing to collaborate or share information with states, you are threatening that reality,” Jindal wrote.

Indian American couple convicted of falsifying medical documents

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n Indian-American couple, who owned a mobile diagnostic company, admitted falsifying thousands of reports as part of a USD 4.3 million healthcare fraud scheme.

Nita Patel and Kirtish Patel, both 53, of New Jersey pleaded guilty before US District Judge William Walls to separate informations charging them each with one count of healthcare fraud.

The two admitted receiving more than USD 4.3 million from insurance companies for diagnostics and reports that were never interpreted by a licensed physician, US Attorney Paul Fishman said. Kirtish admitted to, from October 2008 through June 2014, fraudulently interpreting and writing diagnostic reports produced by his company despite having no medical li-

cense and knowing that the reports would be used by the referring physicians to make important patient treatment decisions. Nita admitted assisting her husband in forging physician signatures on the f r au du l e nt l y produced reports to make them appear legitimate. They also admitted falsely representing to federal insurance programme Medicare that the neurological testing performed by their company was being supervised by a licensed neurologist.

More than half of the diagnostic reports generated by the Patels between October 2008 and June 2014 were never actually reviewed or interpreted by a physician.

Indian jailed in Bahrain for forging phones used for blast

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n Indian and a Bangladeshi in Bahrain were on Sunday jailed for one year for forging the registrations of cell phones used in detonating bombs against police between 2013 and 2014 in which seven policemen were injured. The High Criminal Court in Bahrain delivered the verdict against the Indian and the Bangladeshi nationals and ordered them to be deported after serving their sentences. Their identities were

not made public, Gulf Digital News reported. The two were not aware with the fact that the mobile phones whose registrations they were forging would be used for bombings.

They had helped extract the SIM cards used in the explosions, the paper reported. The court also sentenced 12 Bahrain nationals to life imprisonment and stripped them of their citizenship after convicting them of bomb attacks against police in the Kingdom, injuring seven policemen.

Indian-origin Maoist leader charged with slavery and rape in the UK

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9687 - 120 St., (Scott Rd.), BC

75-year-old Indian-origin Maoist revolutionary leader in the UK who has been charged with modern day slavery, sexual assault and imprisonment of his own daughter will appear in a court here this week.

Aravindan Balakrishnan, referred to as “Comrade Bala”, raped female followers and imprisoned his own daughter for 30 years after brainwashing them into believing he was an all- powerful and all-seeing leader, Southwark Crown Court was told.

Balakrishnan ruled over a dwindling band of women supporters in his south London communist collective using threats and violence as he pursued his goal of overthrowing the “fascist state”, jurors were told.

His daughter - whose mother was another member of the collective - was beaten, bullied and rarely left the house with Balakrishnan using her fear of the outside world to terrify her into submission, the court heard.

“She was hidden from the outside world, except as a tool with which to terrify her into subjugation.

“Her freedom of movement was restrained to the extent that even though she could have left physically, the power that the defendant exercised over her meant that she could never leave,” said Rosina Cottage, counsel for the prosecution, opening the case for the prosecution.

Balakrishnan is also charged with child cruelty and false imprisonment of his own daughter.

He denies the charges against him.

Balakrishnan, a charismatic and energetic speaker, was the organiser of a communist group in the 1970s based in Brixton, known as the Workers Institute, the court heard.

He is accused of raping and indecently assaulting two women members of the group, including one who was allegedly attacked seven times over a period of about 12 years from 1980,

‘The Independent’ newspaper reported.

FIJI

Militarisation of the Police Force Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho claims his appointment as the Acting Police Commissioner doe snot mean the police force is being taken over by the military.

He claimed that as he cannot change any policy or law that governs the Fiji Police Force, therefore the “militarisation” of the Fiji Police Force is impossible.

The only person that can see changes made to the policy and Act that governs the force is Defence Minister Timoci Natuva.

Natuva said the Acting Police Commissioner should not be seen as the militarisation of the police. The previous Police Commissioner Bernardus Groenwald quit last week, citing interference by Fiji Military in police work. he claimed military officers stopped police from investigating corruption cases in which police and military officers were allegedly involved. “The policy of the police is intact and the Act that they are working under, nobody can change that, if there’s any policy change I have to change the policy. He cannot change anything,” Natuva said.

Qiliho is not the first officer from the

RFMF to lead the Fiji Police Force as former commissioners Esala Teleni and Iowane Naivalurua were career military officers. “He’s just following the procedures that have been going before. There is no militarisation of the police that is what was also done by previous Military people, Naivalurua and Teleni. They were only working according to the Police Act.” When asked if the current deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners were not good enough to take up the role which was the reason behind the selection of Qiliho, he said the decision was not his.

“The appointment was from the constitutional office and it didn’t come from me, so I cannot answer that question,” Natuva said.

National Federation Party President Roko Tupou Draunidalo in an earlier statement said: “The unexplained, controversial and sudden departure of the Police Commissioner as well as the appointment of the Fiji Military Forces land force commander to act as the head police is clearly continued militarisation of various state offices including the police force.”

Opposition motion to reduce Qorvis’ funding defeated

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arliament has defeated a motion by Opposition Leader, Ro Teimumu Kepa to decrease the $1million budgetary allocation to Qorvis Communications.

Moving the motion, Ro Teimumu said she could not understand the logic behind the allocation of $1m to Qorvis

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Communications when the country had a Communications Ministry that can do the same job. “Why can’t the staff at the Ministry of Communication be trained and up-skilled to undertake the type of work undertaken by Qorvis Communications?”

No Members of Parliament opted to talk on the motion.

Students score zero in Year 6 exam

he Ministry of Education is trying to determine how some students scored zero in their Year 6 Examination. Dr Mahendra Reddy said there were a few contributing factors to why the students may had scored zero. He said there were issues where students may have written the wrong index numbers which was not picked up by the supervisors. “There are cases of zero so what we want to know is - did the student sit for their exams, what is the student’s background? What is their annual mark? What is the issue? There are students who may have appeared in the exams but there is no mark.” There are reports of a few

students who had scored 80 and 90 in other subjects but zero in English. When questioned on the credibility of the markers, Dr Reddy, said “that is not an issue. “We don’t even know whether the person did sit for the exam or the person did not do anything in the exams you know blank, we want to know if they have 80 or 90 in their annual and zero in this then there is some problem.” Dr Reddy said all 731 schools should have copies of the provisional results whether accessing it through FEMIS on the ministry’s education website or being sent via fax. He said schools that didn’t have internet access may have to visit the nearest education office or otherwise the results would also be faxed.

Saturday, November 21, 2015 i 31

Fijians are safe in Paris, Govt assures

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here have been no reports of Fijian casualties in the terrorist attacks in Paris. Ambassador to Belgium and Permanent Representative to the European Union Deo Saran who is currently in Paris for the UNESCO General Conference has assured Foreign Affairs Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola that he has not received any re-

ports of Fijian casualties. Fijian Ambassador for Climate Change and Oceans Amena Yauvoli, who was in Paris earlier this week, also assured Minister Kubuabola he was safe after leaving Paris for Beijing, China,on Wednesday. Ambassador Saran said his staffs are liaising with all Fijians working in Paris, particularly rugby players, to confirm everyone was safe.

Burger King enters Fiji market

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orld famous fast food restaurant chain, Burger King has opened its first Fiji branch at the Nadi International Airport serving its world famous burgers at the new-look Departure Lounge.

Burger King Fiji General Manager Akash Narsey says they are excited to launch Burger King at the new modernised Nadi International Airport Departure Lounge which reflects a world class airport facility boasting international luxury brands in retail and now world famous food with their introduction. Airports Fiji Limited commended Motibhai Group for the milestone achievement of bringing a world-renowned brand to Fiji.

“When we embarked upon seeking expressions of interests from reputable operators, we had said to the public of Fiji that we were looking for international or local brands – we wanted brand names and Burger King is a big brand and we are just glad to have them here,” Airports Fiji Ltd said. “This Burger King restaurant which is ‘airside’ will be serving up our world famous burgers to travellers leaving Fiji via the new-look Departure Lounge,” Mr Narsey said. He said the second Burger King restaurant also at Nadi International Airport will be in the Farewellers Hall by the end of 2016. Departing travellers, their family and friends will be able to enjoy Burger King’s flame grilled menu before they part ways.

Wife burns down family home after dispute with husband

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n 18-year-old woman has been taken into police custody after she allegedly set fire to her husband’s home in Aralevu, Nadi yesterday afternoon following a domestic dispute.

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According to Police, the five bedroom house was completely destroyed with the estimated cost of damage at $100,000.

Investigations continue.

Lawyer resigns from Constitutional Offices Commission

he Constitutional Offices Commission is not politicised, says Attorney-General and commission member Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. This followed the resignation of Opposition nominee to the commission and prominent Fijian lawyer Richard Naidu yesterday. Naidu in a statement said the commission was effectively politicised with four Government members/appointees having the power to outvote the other two members. Concerns were also expressed by Naidu on the recent appointment of the Acting Commissioner of Police.

He said Prime Minister Voreqe Baini-

marama should not act as he pleased and “he should have recommended the most senior available officer in the police ranks to act as commissioner until a new substantive appointment was made.” “If he wanted to recommend a random acting appointment, outside the police hierarchy, he owed it to the commission members to consult them first,” Mr Naidu said. He said previous constitutions had provisions where non-politicians were members of the commission hence respected the need for independent constitutional officers to be appointed by an independent body.

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PAKISTAN

32 i Saturday, November 21, 2015

Military expands its power, and is thanked for doing so

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he most popular man in public office in Pakistan does not give speeches on television, rarely appears in public and rejects news interviews.

He is General Raheel Sharif, army chief of Pakistan, who has presided over the country’s armed forces at a time when they are riding high after curbing domestic terrorism and rampant political crime. Aided by a new-media publicity campaign, the military command’s popularity has helped it quietly but firmly grasp control of the governmental functions it cares about most: security and foreign affairs, along with de facto regulatory power over the news media, according to interviews with Pakistani officials and analysts.

In a country with a long history of military coups, the current command has gotten what it wants, edging aside the civilian government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is not related to Raheel Sharif, without the messiness or the international criticism a complete takeover would bring. And it is being thanked for doing it. “I wouldn’t describe it as a soft coup, but I would definitely say the civilian leadership has yielded space to the military — for their own survival and because there were major failures on their part,” said Talat Masood, a retired lieutenant general and military analyst. Raheel Sharif, known as General Raheel here, took over the military command late in 2013. He was appointed to the post a few months after the new civilian government was inaugurated, and the country was in trouble. There were suicide bombings, political party killings, rampant crime and violence in its big cities, and assassinations of political leaders.

Some politicians were calling for negotiations with the Pakistani Taliban as military efforts to set the militants back appeared to have stalled.

Then the Pakistani Taliban carried out a cruel attack on a school for army families in Peshawar last December, killing 145 people — including 132 schoolchildren methodically gunned down in their classrooms. Supported by a huge public backlash against terrorism, the army ramped up its crackdown on some of the militant groups sheltering in the country’s northwestern tribal areas, especially in North Waziristan.

Capital punishment was restored, and the military was handed new power, starting its own counterterrorism court system alongside the badly backlogged and compromised civilian justice system. This year, the Pakistani Taliban have managed to carry out only a single major suicide bombing. The army’s success against the Taliban emboldened it to take on violent political parties and criminal gangs in the country’s biggest city, Karachi, through a paramilitary group known as the Sindh Rangers. Despite complaints of human rights abuses in Karachi, and millions of internally displaced people from the tribal areas, most Pakistanis were simply relieved to see the violence hugely reduced. Through it all, Sharif ’s public appearances have been less ostentatious than those of some of his predecessors. But at the same time, his face has become ubiquitous on social media, after giving a free hand to the officer commanding the Inter-Services Public Relations office, the military’s media arm, to modernize that service. The office, known as ISPR, had long been headed by lower-ranking officers, and it remained decidedly lodged in the analog era. But by this year, the leader of the office, Asim Saleem Bajwa, had been promoted to lieutenant general — a three-star rank normally reserved for corps commanders — and his agency had become an impressively slick machine. Bajwa’s Twitter account has more than 1.5 million followers, and the agency’s Facebook account has more than 2.8 million likes. A film division is pumping out offerings for television, as it had long done, but it has added short videos tailored to YouTube-style platforms.

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Army chief General Raheel Sharif in US amid anti-terror mood across world

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akistan’s army chief Raheel Sharif, effectively the country’s ruler, arrived here uninvited on a fiveday visit amid a worldwide revulsion against terrorism, which his country has often been accused of using for policy ends.

General Sharif ’s General Sharif visit comes only three weeks after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who met President Obama at the White House. But illustrative of the conflicted nature of ties between the two countries, Washington snubbed the bemedalled military strongman even as it engaged him on security issues. US officials let it be known last week that General Sharif was visiting the U.S on his own volition with no invitation from Washington, but they would engage him with meetings that he had sought.

ed meetings with defence secretary Ashton Carter, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford and US army chief general Mark A Milley. He is also expected to fly down to the Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida.

Pakistan leaders vow to protect Hindus

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n an inherently adversarial political culture, very rarely do rival Pakistani politicians speak in one voice. Diwali was one such rare occasion when leaders of three top political parties, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, echoed each other in supporting minority rights at separate festiv-

Pakistan is a “victim of terrorism”, claims China

escribing Pakistan as a “victim” of terrorism, China on Tuesday said it will continue to support the neighbouring country in the fight against terror even as it called for greater counter-terrorism cooperation with India, including at the international level. China also took on the USA, saying it does not agree with interference of

The snub came amid reports from Islamabad about a power struggle between the civilian government and the military dispensation. ‘’Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif will be visiting Washington from November 16 to 19. Sharif is travelling to Washington of his own volition and Department John Kerry of Defence officials are meeting with General Raheel at his request,’’ a Defence Department official told PTI. Officials said Sharif request-

countries outside the South China Sea region in the ongoing dispute with its neighbouring countries. “Pakistan is also a victim of terrorism. In the past few years, Pakistan has been fighting terrorism with a lot of casualties,” Rear Admiral Guan Youfei, Director General, Foreign Affairs Office in China’s Ministry of National Defence, said here.

ities. Sharif flew to Karachi on Wednesday to take part in Diwali festivities amid war of words with military establishment after it put him under pressure again by publically ticking him off over tackling terror. An unfazed Sharif spoke passionately about minority rights, insisting all religions in Pakistan enjoyed equal rights while pledging to safeguard them at a function, where Gayatri Mantra was recited along with the Quran.

He told Hindus he will stand by them if they are in distress. “Even if a Muslim commits an injustice, I will stand with the victim,” said Sharif. Sharif underlined he is prime minister of all communities. “Minorities are part of Pakistan and it is my duty to protect them,’’ said Sharif, who became the first prime minister to attend Diwali festivities.

He said he had long been asking his Hindu friends to invite his for Holi festivities.

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SOUTH ASIA

Nepal PM wants India to ‘immediately lift undeclared blockade’

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nvoking the Panchsheel principles, Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli today called on India to “immediately lift the undeclared blockade” imposed on Nepal that would help boost bilateral ties amid the recent political crisis over the country’s new Constitution. “Nepal wants to maintain relations with its neighbours on the basis of the principles of Panchsheel, Oli said. The Panchsheel doctrine is a set of principles to govern relations between states.

Their first formal codification in treaty form was an agreement between China and India in 1954. Oli also asked neighbouring countries “to honour Nepal’s territorial integrity, national sovereignty and independence”.

Addressing the nation for the first time after assuming office last month, Oli

said Nepal’s new Constitution was excellent in terms of process and content.

“The ongoing blockade is worse than the war-time situation,” he said asking India to swiftly lift the blockade. Hospitals have run out of medicines and blood bags for emergency and people are unable to cook food due to the shortage of cooking gas as a result of the transport blockade, he said.

India has firmly denied imposing the blockade, saying truck drivers are concerned for their safety after violent protests against Nepal’s new Constitution in which over 40 people were killed. Calling on the agitating Madhes-based parties to end their protests, Oli assured that the Constitution would be amended and provincial borders redrawn on the basis of consensus among all to address the demands of the agitating parties.

Myanmar president ‘will hand power’ to Suu Kyi after poll win

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yanmar’s President Thein Sein on Sunday said historic polls won in a thumping landslide by Aung San Suu Kyi’s party were the consequence of his government’s reforms and vowed a smooth transition of power. The former junta general, who shed his uniform to lead the country’s quasi-civilian regime five years ago, said the November 8 polls were testament to the political and economic changes that have swept the former pariah state since the end of junta rule. “The election is the result of our reform process and as we promised, we were able to hold it very successfully,” he told a meeting of political parties in Yangon, in his first public appearance since the polls. “We will hand

this process (of reform) on to a new government,” he said, adding “don’t worry about the transition” in comments aimed at calming nerves in the country’s first attempt at a democratic-style transition for decades.

Addressing representatives of nearly 90 political parties, many of which were trounced by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, the Myanmar leader said elections are the “duty” of a democratic nation. He appeared sanguine about the resounding defeat of his army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, which will slip into opposition in the next parliament due to sit from February - with some ten percent of the elected seats in the national parliament, compared to the NLD’s 80 percent.

Nepal objects to India-Britain joint statement

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epal on Sunday objected to a reference made to the Himalayan nation in a joint statement between India and Britain, saying the constitution making was purely an “internal affair” and the country was capable of handling its internal affairs.

In an official release issued on Sunday, the foreign affairs ministry said the Nepalese government’s attention was drawn to the reference made in the recent joint statement released during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Britain. “Nepal has been able to promulgate a new democratic and inclusive constitution through an elected Constituent Assembly after a rigorous democratic exercise of about eight years,” Xinhua quoted the release as saying. The ministry said the promulgation of the constitution marked the conclusion of the nationally-driven peace process initiated in 2006 and also institutionalized significant democratic gains and aspirations of the people.

Italian priest in critical condition after attack in Bangladesh

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hree men fired shots at an Italian priest Wednesday as he rode his bicycle to church in northern Bangladesh, leaving him in critical condition amid a recent surge in militant violence. The three assailants were on a motorbike when they attacked Piero Arolari in the town of Dinajpur, police officer Abul Hasan said.

They fled after the attack.

The 57-year-old priest, who also is a doctor at St. Vincent hospital, was hit in the neck by a bullet, said AsiaNews, the news agency of the Vatican’s missionary office. After undergoing surgery at a local hospital, he was taken by helicopter to Dhaka, the capital, in critical condition, AsiaNews said. It said several Protestant pastors in Dhaka have received death threats from Islamic extremists in recent days. The bishop of Dinajpur, Sebastian Tudo, called for better security, saying “it is unacceptable that our people become such easy targets,” AsiaNews said.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. Arolari has lived in Dinajpur for 35 years, treating poor people from the area, said local police chief Ruhul Amin. The town is 415 kilometers (260 miles) north of Dhaka.

Saturday, November 21, 2015 i 35

36 i Saturday, November 21, 2015