The Asian Star September 14 2019

www.theasianstar.com Vol 19 - Issue 32

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Tel:604-591-5423

Surrey RCMP aim to calm fears with outreach session days after shooting Days after a targeted shooting injured two men in Surrey, RCMP held a community engagement meeting to address concerns of residents.

The shooting happened in the Fraser Heights neighbourhood on Tuesday evening, in an area with daycare centres and a school nearby.

Two men were taken to hospital with serious injuries but police say there was no indication of a continued risk to the public.

Still, it was a scary evening for Shawneen Davenport and her three-year-old granddaughter.

Davenport had just picked her daughter up from daycare that evening when they saw the emergency vehicles rushing past.

Shooting near schools, daycares “That day was traumatic for her,” Davenport said. “Her hands were up in the air she was crying, she was scared.”

Police warn against interacting with man injured in Surrey shooting Davenport brought her granddaughter to the community engagement event at a North Surrey strip mall Thursday evening so she could see the police officers and know everything is okay.

There are at least three schools and daycares near where the shooting happened. RCMP say the intended victim was Thomas Gabriel Saul, 35, from New Westminster. He was also the target of a shooting in Burnaby in August.

Saul has a history of involvement in the drug trade, according to police. They have spoken to him since the incident and are asking British Columbians to avoid interactions with him.

Shawneen Davenport brought her threeyear-old granddaughter to the event at the

Continued on page 2

India’s Chandrayaan 2 landed on the moon Friday afternoon By the time you read this, history would have been created with India landing its spacecraft Chandrayaan 2 on the South Pole of the moon. The landing is scheduled for between 4 Pp.m. and 5 p.m. Friday New York time. (In India, it will already be Saturday, Continued on between page 2 1:30 and 2:30 a.m.) The Indian Space Research Organization, or ISRO, which is India’s equivalent of NASA, streamed coverage of the launch on its website, YouTube and on

Liberals denounce Jerusalem Post immigration story as false The Liberal government is calling for corrections from The Jerusalem Post, an Israel-based broadsheet publication, over a story about Canadian immigration that they’re labelling “misinformation”. A recent news story in the mainstream publication claimed that “there is an understanding between the United States and Canada for Canada to receive 100,000 Palestinians (40,000 from Lebanon and another 60,000 from Syria”). Their source was an Arabic language

Continued on page 2

NDP’s Jagmeet Singh tackles turban issue head-on in Frenchlanguage campaign ad The NDP has unveiled its slogan and campaign ads ahead of the federal election, and in a Frenchlanguage ad targeting Quebecers, leader Jagmeet Singh makes clear that he will be the party’s face in Quebec, despite concerns his turban could turn off voters. The ad comes as the NDP struggles to hold ground in Quebec, with candidates nominated in less than half

of Quebec’s ridings and polls suggesting the party could be facing collapse in the province. The party has chosen “In it for you” as its national campaign slogan, an effort to position the NDP as the party working on behalf of ordinary people. The French slogan, “On se bat pour vous,” translates to “We’re fighting for you.”

Continued on page 7

BC municipalities keep racking up bigger and bigger surpluses The next time your city hall says they’re strapped for cash, take a closer look at their audited financial statement.

For the seventh straight year, the cumulative surplus for all 162 B.C. municipalities went up in 2018, reaching $2.98 billion, up 27 per cent from 2017. Much of that surplus went back into reserves to pay for future capital projects. B.C. municipalities had a total of $6.4 billion in net financial assets, up from $5.4 billion in 2017. “[We’re] trying to make sure development pays its way, and that means we end up with a reserve in order to fund some of the needed infrastructure once

development happens,” said Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart, whose municipality recorded a $179 million surplus in 2018 (fifth highest in B.C. behind Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby and Richmond) and has $523 million in net financial assets (third highest, behind Burnaby and Richmond).

Frank Leonard, former Saanich mayor and chair of the Municipal Finance Authority of B.C., says it’s part of a longstanding political culture in B.C. communities.

“British Columbia is a very small-c conservative, pay-as-you-go approach,” he said, adding

Continued on page 7

2

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Prolific fraudster targeting seniors in Metro Vancouver, RCMP warn North Vancouver RCMP are warning the public, especially seniors, about a suspect wanted in a rash of thefts targeting elderly victims.

Police say Donald Robert Quinnell is a suspect in at least nine incidents in North Vancouver since mid-July, in which he allegedly gains the trust of a victim then steals their wallets, purses and other valuables.

Investigators have been working with Vancouver police and West Vancouver police, saying Quinnell may also be linked to a series of similar thefts in those jurisdictions.

Police say Quinnell, who is from Chilliwack, appears well dressed and well mannered, and allegedly approaches lone elderly victims in grocery store parking lots and outside residences under the pretence of needing or offering help.

North Vancouver RCMP allege Quinnell attempts to win the trust of his victims and then works his way into their cars or homes to steal valuables. (North Vancouver RCMP) In some cases, he says he has locked his keys out of his car and needs help, while in others he offers to help carry the victim’s groceries, police allege.

Trusted caregiver jailed for stealing $260K from elderly B.C. couple “He gains trust so that he can betray it,” said Sgt. Peter DeVries.

“It makes us angry that we have to tell the public they need to think twice before giving or accepting kindness from strangers.”

Quinnell is described as: White 52 years old 6 feet 1 inch tall 190 pounds Short brown hair Light to medium complexion May be wearing glasses and/or a ball cap Well dressed and well groomed Anyone who sees Donald Quinnell, or witnesses anything suspicious is asked to call 911. (North Vancouver RCMP) North Vancouver RCMP are asking elderly people and others in the community to stay vigilant and report anything suspicious to police. “Knowing this guy is watching the elderly in order to find his next victim, we hope everyone else will also be watching for this guy, and keeping a close eye on the elderly in our community,” said DeVries.

Scammed senior citizens being recruited as drug mules: CBSA Anyone who sees the suspect or witnesses anything suspicious is asked to call 911 immediately.

China uses arbitrary detentions as ‘tool’ to achieve ‘political goals’: Trudeau China uses arbitrary detentions as a tool to achieve its international and domestic political goals, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday. He called that a pressure tactic that is worrying not only to Canada, but to its western allies. Trudeau offered that assessment during a meeting with the editorial board of the Toronto Star, where he was asked to respond to the latest upbraiding of Canada by the spokesman for China’s foreign ministry. Asked earlier about Trudeau’s appointment of business consultant Dominic Barton as Canada’s new ambassador to China, spokesman Geng Shuang said Canada needs to reflect on its “mistakes” and immediately release Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested on a U.S. extradition request.

“We look forward to his positive efforts to help bring China-Canada relations onto the right track,” Geng said in translated remarks posted on his ministry’s website. “Lately China-Canada relations have encountered serious difficulties. The responsibility lies

completely with the Canadian side, and Canada knows the root cause clearly. We urge the Canadian side to reflect upon its wrongdoing, take China’s solemn position and concerns seriously, immediately release Ms. Meng Wanzhou and ensure her safe return to China.” China has imprisoned two Canadian men, ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor, on suspicion of spying in what is widely viewed as retaliation for Meng’s arrest “Using arbitrary detention as a tool to achieve political goals, international or domestic, is something that is of concern not just to Canada but to all our allies, who have been highlighting that this is not acceptable behaviour in the international community because they are all worried about China engaging in the same kinds of pressure tactics with them,” Trudeau said at the end of a meeting with Toronto Star journalists, which was livestreamed. Trudeau said he doesn’t want to escalate tensions with China, and noted Beijing gave speedy approval to Canada’s request to appoint Barton as its

Last time Canada’s economy gained this many jobs in a year it was 2003 Canada recorded one of its best months of job gains on record in August, a surprising show of strength by a labour market that has been relentlessly powering the nation’s expansion.

The economy added 81,100 last month, Statistics Canada said Friday in Ottawa, versus expectations for a gain of about 20,000. Canada has now added 471,300 jobs over the past 12 months, the most in a year since 2003.

The unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.7 per cent, as much of the employment gain reflected a surge in new entrants to the labour force rather than fewer jobless individuals.

The monster gain in August — which was largely part-time employment — marks a rebound from back-to-back poor readings earlier in the summer and should ease worries about the extent of any slowdown in the second half of this year. The rebound in jobs should also reaffirm expectations at the Bank of Canada that the economy has developed a certain amount of resilience to global trade headwinds, giving the central bank ammunition to buck the global easing trend The strong jobs market is largely

being fed by new workers. That’s a good sign, suggesting there is a reserve of available workers that employers can tap. That should help temper any overheating risks and raise confidence the jobs rally has more room to run. The labour force jumped by 91,300 in August, more than half of which were youth. The participation rate increased to 65.8 per cent of the population.

Wage gains slowed but remained strong.

Hourly pay was up 3.7 per cent in August from a year earlier. While that’s down from 4.5 per cent in July, it’s still well above average in recent years. Permanent worker pay slowed to an annual pace of 3.8 per cent Total hours worked in August were up 1.2 per cent from a year earlier, compared to 0.7 per cent annual pace in Jul The economy added 23,800 full-time jobs in August, while part- time employment increased by 57,20 The number of people employed by private sector companies surged 94,300, more than reversing a drop the previous month The employment gain last month was largely in services, which recorded a 73,300 increase

Surrey RCMP aim to calm fears with outreach session days after shooting

From page 1

Fraser Heights Village Centre to ease her fears after a scary day on Tuesday. (CBC) RCMP have released a photo of a black Dodge Journey they believe was involved in this latest shooting in Fraser Heights. They have increased the number of officers in the area.

RCMP Cpl. Elenore Sturko said Thursday evening’s event at the Fraser Heights Village Centre is a way for police to answer questions from residents and provide information on what resources are available to deal with the impact of the shooting.

More than 150 people showed up, many with questions about safety in the neighbourhood, Sturko said.

“Whether they want to voice concerns, they have questions they want answers to or they’re

looking for some emotional support, we’re offering all those things today,” Sturko said.

Cathy Moore from the Fraser Heights Community Association said the shooting happened a few houses from where she lives.

Before she heard the sirens, Moore thought it was the sound of roofing being replaced.

She said she is happy about the police presence in Fraser Heights.

“The concern is that there were people out walking,” she said.

“Peoplewithdogs,kids,carsanditwasafterschool time. The concern is that they could have been hit.”

“Whether they want to voice concerns, they have questions they want answers to or they’re looking for some emotional support, we’re offering all those things today,” Cpl. Elenore Sturko said.

Liberals denounce Jerusalem Post immigration story as false turning quoting an apparent official from a Palestinian faction. Canada’s immigration department says the story is completely false.

“We have contacted the Jerusalem Post to request a correction to the story,” Mathieu Genest, press secretary for Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, told the Sun in a statement. “Canada does not have such an agreement with the United

States and there are no special programs currently being considered to resettle people from Lebanon or Syria.” Genest placed this in a larger context of false reporting. “We regularly monitor for online misinformation and disinformation,” he added.

“When false information is being circulated, as in this case, we aim to act quickly to provide facts.”

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Vol 18 - Issue 32

Saturday, September 7, 2019

David Eby and de Jong trade barbs over Hastings Racecourse immigration scandal Former Liberal finance minister says David Eby raised concerns about drug use at Fraser Downs, not illegal employment of foreign workers at Hastings, while still in Opposition.

Liberal MLA Mike de Jong is accusing Attorney General David Eby of misleading the public by saying he raised concerns about impropriety in horse racing while still in opposition, but no action was taken by the

then Liberal government. Eby said on Aug. 27 that he raised his concerns in 2016 with de Jong, who was then the minister responsible.

But de Jong said Thursday the allegations Eby brought to his office were about drug use at Fraser Downs race course, not the recent revelations of fake credentials being sold to foreign workers as Hasting Racecourse.De

Jong said he ordered an investigation into the drug allegations by former auditor general George Morfitt. “It strikes me that he deliberately wanted to convey to the media and the public that this was a specific allegation that he had brought to the attention of the previous government, and it’s just not true,” de Jong said of Eby.

2 arrested in connection with deadly Surrey shooting Two suspects have been arrested after a man was shot dead in south Surrey overnight.

RCMP were called to a house near 160 Street and 16 Avenue just after midnight. Inside, officers found a 46-year-old man with gunshot wounds. A statement said first responders tried to revive the man, but he died.

The RCMP’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) is now leading the investigation. IHIT said Friday two men have been arrested in connection with the man’s death. A tweet from the team said there are no outstanding suspects.

RCMP said the suspects and victim are known to each other and officers do not believe public safety is at risk.

Officers taped off a crime scene in the area of 160 Avenue and 16 Avenue after one person was shot dead just after midnight.

Vancouver is the sixth most liveable city in the world, new report says Vancouver is deemed one of the most liveable cities in the world, along with two other Canadian cities, according to an annual report from an international magazine, The Economist. The coastal city falls behind Calgary by one spot, but edges out Toronto.

Each year, the Economist Intelligence Unit ranks 140 cities on 30 factors that fall into five categories: stability, health care, culture and environment, education and

infrastructure. Vienna, Austria earned a nearperfect score of 99.1 out of 100 for the second year in a row. Every city surveyed in Canada and the United States received scores above 80, the Economist says. Vancouver was once in the top spot but has fallen in the ranks since 2011.

In 2017, it was the third most liveable city but has now claimed the sixth spot for the second time in a row.

Here are the world’s 10 most livable cities,

according to the report: 1. Vienna, Austria 2. Melbourne, Australia 3. Sydney, Australia 4. Osaka, Japan 5. Calgary, Canada 6. Vancouver, Canada 7. Toronto, Canada, 8 Tokyo, Japan 9. Copenhagen, Denmark 10. Adelaide, Australia

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OPINION

By Jake Fuss and Milagros Palacios The Fraser Institute

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Federal government’s appetite for spending is a serious problem

With seemingly little regard for the consequences, the current federal government has increased spending throughout its mandate with no sign of change any time soon. This spending trend has been a stark departure from promises made during the 2015 election campaign, when the Liberals pledged to run small deficits for three years before returning to a balanced budget in the final year of their term. Instead, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ramped up government program spending immediately after taking office.

And spending has steadily increased by 25 per cent over the last four years, reaching $323.5 billion at the end of last fiscal year. In fact, in 2018, federal government spending (adjusted for inflation) reached $8,869 per person – the highest level in Canadian

history, including the 2009 recession and both world wars. And according to this year’s federal budget, the government could set a new per-person spending record, as program spending is projected to grow by 12.1 per cent by 2023-24. Of course, all of this spending creates more red ink. Since the government took office in 2015, borrowing is expected to increase by $75.5 billion. The government expects to run a $19.8-billion deficit this year – officially killing the campaign promise to balance the budget by 2019-20. Moreover, recent reporting shows federal finances in 2019-20 are off to an unfortunate start. For April and May – the first two months of the fiscal year – the deficit totalled $1.4 billion compared to a $3.2-billion surplus during the same period last fiscal year (which

ended with a $14.9-billion deficit).

Why is this happening?

For April and May of this year, government revenues were up $2.3 billion over last year – but program spending increased by $6.3 billion. The growth in program spending outpaced growth in revenues by nearly three-toone. Clearly, the government enjoys spending every extra dollar it gains in revenue – and then some. But as the federal budget deficit grows each year, along with the federal debt and the burden on taxpayers, the government’s borrowing means each Canadian will accumulate $1,725 more in debt (adjusted for inflation) from the time Trudeau took office to the end of the current fiscal year. To pay for this rapid rise in public debt, future generations will face higher taxes.

Finally, the latest estimates from the Department of Finance suggest the budget will not be balanced until 2040. The debt burden on Canadian families will likely increase even more over the next two decades. The government’s poor track record in managing Canada’s finances – during a period of economic growth, no less – underscores the importance of fiscal responsibility and the negative consequences associated with recent financial estimates. If the federal government wants to turn things around for the benefit of all Canadians, it must better control spending, rein in debt and return to balanced budgets.

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Saturday, September 7, 2019

NDP’s Jagmeet Singh tackles turban issue head-on in Frenchlanguage campaign ad

From page 1

In the English-language ad, Singh tells viewers he’s “different from the other leaders,” because he doesn’t “work for the wealthy and well-connected.” He promises to invest in health care and fight climate change. The spot shows him chatting with voters and playing soccer with a group of children.

But the 30-second Frenchlanguage ad is quite different, opening with a shot of Singh with his long hair down, followed by a glimpse of him winding a turban around his head. “Like you, I’m proud of my identity,” he says in a voiceover. The images send a clear message about Singh’s values to a province that has recently passed a ban on religious symbols for some public sector workers. Under Bill 21, Singh would not be able to work as a teacher or police officer in Quebec unless he removed his turban. The law is popular in Quebec, and the importance of secularism in the province has led to concerns about whether the NDP leader will be able to reach Quebecers.

“I think we want to say to Quebecers that of course he’s wearing religious signs because it’s part of his identity and he’s proud of that,” said Montreal MP Alexandre Boulerice, the party’s deputy leader. “But it’s also to say it’s not the end of the world and he can show his head without a turban and it’s not a big deal.”

Karl Bélanger, former national director of the NDP, said the party is making the best of the cards it’s been dealt. “There is no point in not talking about the elephant in the room,” he said. “Short of him losing the turban altogether, which I don’t think is in the cards, they have to deal with it. Bill 21 is not going to disappear, and so they are trying to make of his difference an asset.”

The ad goes on to show Singh, who grew up practising taekwondo, punching a bag and grappling in a ring. “I’ve known enough injustice to know how to fight,” he says. “And now, I’m ready to fight for you.”

The spot also makes clear that Singh will be front and centre for the NDP in Quebec, and will not take a backseat to Boulerice and other Quebec MPs who are better known in the province. “My name is Jagmeet,” he says at the end. “You know the NDP. Now, you know what I’m made of.” Boulerice said Quebecers

BC municipalities keep racking up bigger and bigger surpluses From page 1 a strategy helps a municipality’s credit rating.

“Whether it’s Trail or Campbell River, [cities] try and pay as you go as much as [they] can, and even build up surpluses so that you can do some projects without having to borrow money at all.”Leonard specifically cited the budgetary acumen of Burnaby, which now has $1.6 billion in net financial assets, double that of any other city in the province. “[Fomer mayor] Derek Corrigan at Burnaby left them debt free, which was remarkable. And people might not have associated somebody as high profile on the left of the political spectrum as [having] so strong a pay-as-you-go mentality,” he said. However, Corrigan lost his bid for reelection in Burnaby last year to Mike Hurley, who said the city had been moving too slowly to provide new infrastructure. Now the mayor, Hurley said Burnaby residents shouldn’t expect the spending taps fully turned on — but that capital projects should begin moving quicker.

still need to get to know Singh, and this ad aims to give them a closer look. “We know that with that attention, when people get to know him, the first barriers will come down,” he said.

The NDP is facing an uphill battle in Quebec, with recent polls showing the party’s support in the province hovering at or below 10 per cent, sometimes behind the Green Party. To date, the party has just 29 candidates nominated in Quebec’s 78 ridings, though communications director Mélanie Richer said that number will be up to 53 by the end of next week.

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Saturday, September 7, 2019

Hasan Minhaj didn’t interview Justin Trudeau — he took him to the woodshed There are only a few things that Americans, and largely the rest of the world, know Canada for: hockey, “eh,� health care (because we brag about it all the time), and our “hot� prime minister, Justin Trudeau. (Apparently a lot of Americans don’t realize Drake is from here— not sure what they think the 6ix means.)

Maybe it should be flattering that the rest of the world thinks we’re this benign, post-racial utopia led by a Disney prince, but most of the time I find it frustrating and patronizing, given that it’s untrue.

In the latest episode of his satirical news show Patriot Act, comedian Hasan Minhaj lays bare Canada’s hypocrisy on the environment, Quebec’s secularism bill on religious symbols, and the arms deal with Saudi Arabia. He calls out Trudeau on the disparities between the prime minister’s progressive sound bites and his actual policy. The episode, aptly called “The Two Sides of Canada,� switches back and forth between Minhaj in studio and a one-on-one interview between Minhaj and Trudeau.

It begins with a nod to some of Trudeau’s greatest public relations hits, including his gender-balanced cabinet, his welcoming stance towards refugees, and his stated dedication to combating climate change. “He was the dream politician for the left,�

Minhaj tells his audience. “He’s like if the Green New Deal had piercing blue eyes and wanted to read your poetry.�

But then Minhaj explains how Trudeau’s approval rating has plummeted, which he attributes to the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Bless him for explaining to an American audience that convoluted controversy, which saw Trudeau found guilty by the country’s ethics commissioner for attempting to pressure his former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould into interfering with the criminal prosecution against Quebec engineering firm SNC-Lavalin.

The company is facing bribery charges with respect to its activities in Libya, and is accused of doing things like paying for sex workers for

the son of former dictator Moammar Gadhafi. “It’s weird to think of a Canadian scandal involving corruption, bribery, and Libya,�

Minhaj says. “The SNC scandal doesn’t fit with our image of Canada or Justin Trudeau.�

That’s when the episode gets good, as we see Minhaj directly contrast the mythology around Canada and Trudeau with what’s actually happening. Here are a few of the highlights.

Quebec secularism law Minhaj, who is Muslim, asks Trudeau what’s going on with Quebec’s secularism law, which has banned people from wearing religious symbols, such as turbans or hijabs, while working in public sector jobs.

Trudeau sighs deeply and says, “I disagree with it. A government shouldn’t be telling anyone what they should or shouldn’t wear in a free society, so I strongly disagree with that. I have been very clear that in a free society you cannot legitimize discrimination against someone based on their religion.� Trudeau tells Minhaj that Canada “needs to be defending minorities, defending people’s rights.�

The problem, as others have pointed out, is that other than parrot some version of that line when asked, Trudeau hasn’t done anything about the deeply discriminatory law.

Minhaj then delves into Canada’s history as peacekeepers, only to state that “Canada doesn’t participate directly in most conflicts but they make a lot of money from war.�

In particular, he notes Canada’s $15-billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, which was initially signed under Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper but has proceeded with Trudeau at the helm.

“It’s so weird to me that this progressive, peace-loving place has a deal to sell tanks to the Saudis, especially when Trudeau’s government has been so vocal about their brutality,� Minhaj

says, pointing the the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi as one example.

When Minhaj essentially pleads with Trudeau to stop selling weapons to Saudi Arabia, Trudeau responds, “We take our legal responsibilities and the breaking of contracts very seriously in this country.�

Minhaj says Trudeau could announce the end of the contract on the show, which he insists is watched by Saudis. Creepily, Trudeau replies, “I don’t doubt that they do. I’m sure they’re keeping an eye on you.�

Minhaj spends most of the episode roasting Canada on its environmental policy, mostly due to the government’s purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline. “We did the math and there’s no overlap,�

Minhaj says, while a graph pops up behind him showing two separate circles, one that says “facing climate change� and the other “extracting a shit ton of oil.�

When he confronts Trudeau, likening the

pipeline project to trying to whiten your teeth by drinking wine at every meal, Trudeau talks in circles. “We are not going to be polluting more; we’re going to be putting a price on pollution and we are going to move forward in a way that a lot of people choose to make fun of by saying ‘you can’t do both at the same time.’ Canadians know you can protect the environment and grow the economy at the same time,� he says, claiming that the pipeline won’t result in ramping up oil production.

Asked about Indigenous opposition to the pipeline, Trudeau makes another utterly vague statement. “When we’re talking about engaging with Indigenous peoples, it is important to engage responsibly and positively but at the same time to know that there are always going to be a broad number of opinions and perspectives within that community. We need to respond in a substantive way to their concerns and show that we’re listening and working with them in real partnership. That’s what reconciliation looks like.� Towards the end, Minhaj likes Canada to Wakanda, the futuristic civilization from the American superhero film Black Panther. “You’re White Panther,� he tells Trudeau, to which Trudeau replies, “I’m like 1/16 Malaysian.

Oh no, 32nd or whatever.� OK, Rachel Dolezal. “We don’t have to get into the Elizabeth Warren math,� Minhaj says, referencing the time the U.S. senator claimed she took a DNA test to prove she’s part Native American.

Admittedly this one isn’t important, but it was just so lame. When Minhaj asks Trudeau to finish the sentence, “Kawhi Leonard should...,� Trudeau says, “Be very proud of what accomplished in his time in Canada.� Snooze.

But then Minhaj disagrees saying that Leonard should never come back to Canada because he’s a traitor. Trudeau responds, saying, “People bring American sentiments onto Canadian politeness every now and then.�

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Saturday, September 7, 2019

Premier Horgan on board with ride-hailing as taxi industry fights back Ride-hailing is coming to BC and pushback from the taxi industry won’t change that, Premier John Horgan said Thursday.

Horgan’s comments come a day after a group of nine Vancouver-based taxi companies filed a petition with the B.C. Supreme Court. The group is asking the court to quash rules recently introduced by the Passenger Transportation Board that would allow ride-hailing to begin legally operating in the province.

The group is arguing the rules, which include no initial limits on fleet size and larger operating areas for ride-hailing companies, favour companies like Lyft and Uber at the expense of the taxi industry.

But Horgan says the introduction of ride-hailing in B.C. will not be delayed as his government has been working with both the ride-hailing and taxi industries.

“My mom used to say to me that if you’ve offended people on all sides, you’re probably in the right place,” Horgan said.

“The taxi industry is concerned about the pace at which we’re changing. The ride-hailing international companies are concerned that we’re not moving fast enough. That strikes me as an equal balance and I think the public understands that.”

‘You can’t just wave a wand’

Beware fraud suspect who offers to carry seniors’ groceries, police say Police have identified the man suspected in a slew of recent frauds targeting Metro Vancouver seniors as a 52-year-old man from Chilliwack.

Authorities said Donald Robert Quinnell is suspected in at least nine incidents in North Vancouver alone, along with others in Vancouver and West Vancouver.

According to police, the victims are being approached by a “well dressed, well mannered” man in his 40s or 50s who will sometimes offer to help them carry groceries.

In other cases, he will pretend to be locked out of his car and ask the seniors for help.

“Sometimes he plays the victim and other times the saviour,” Sgt. Peter Devries of North Vancouver RCMP said in a news release.

“He convinces his victims to either give or receive kindness, which seems a very lovely thing. But then he uses their goodness as a distraction so he can steal their belongings. He gains trust so that he can betray it. It’s manipulative and deplorable.”

Victims are also sometimes targeted outside their own homes. Police said the suspect will win their trust, weasel his way into their vehicle or residence, and then quietly snatch their valuables, including wallets and purses.

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Alberta man told oil and gas shirt not allowed in Senate Parliamentary security says it made a mistake telling an Alberta man he wasn’t allowed to wear a T-shirt in support of Canadian oil and gas during a visit to the Senate. William Lacey says he was at the Senate for a tour on Monday, but was told by a security guard that he would have to remove his shirt because it could be offensive.

Lacey was wearing a black shirt with white text that included a heart and Maple Leaf to read “I love Canadian oil and gas.”

He says he chose to turn the shirt inside out to be part of the tour because his other option was to leave. The shirt comes from a pro-oil-and-gas organization called Canada Action, which Lacey is associated with. Lacey is also chief financial officer of Steelhead Petroleum Ltd. in Calgary. He says

he has worked in the sector for more than 20 years and wore the shirt in Ottawa because he’s proud of the energy industry, but knows many people think of it negatively.

“It’s important that people should be allowed to express themselves in a positive and non-confrontational way,” he says.

Lacey doesn’t view the shirt as political or offensive, he says, and he questions what the reaction would have been to a shirt reading “I love Canadian forests.”

He didn’t run into security problems while touring the House of Commons in the same shirt, he adds, and left disappointed.

He later wrote a letter to members of Parliament, senators and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about his experience. “It’s not a private business,” he says. “This is a

public institution funded by taxpayer dollars where access should be open to everyone and anyone.” The security department responsible for Parliament apologized in an email Thursday. “Personnel misinterpreted a message on the visitor’s article of clothing. The staff involved will be receiving operational guidance and training with respect to visitors to the Hill,” wrote Guillaume Vandal with the

Parliamentary Protective Service.

Lacey says he’s happy with the outcome and appreciates his complaint was taken seriously. Earlier on Thursday, senators raised the issue during a committee meeting and asked for answers. “As a western Canadian, I just find that outrageous,” Conservative Sen. Denise Batters from Saskatchewan said during the meeting.

BC expands biosimilar drug program to include treatments for Crohn’s, colitis The British Columbia government says it is expanding its substitute drug program to include 1,700 patients with diseases such as Crohn’s and colitis.

Health Minister Adrian Dix says biosimilars, which are cheaper alternatives to name-brand drugs, have worked well in other countries and the province will be saving about $96.6 million to be put back into health care over three years.

Biosimilars are highly similar versions of bioengineered drugs known as biologics. There are 17 such products approved for sale in Canada.

Bioengineered medicine is the single

biggest expense for public drug plans.

In 2018, B.C. spent $125 million to treat chronic conditions such as diabetes, arthritis and Crohn’s disease.

B.C. shifting to cover cheaper ‘biosimilar’ drugs, health minister says Will USMCA affect Canada’s drug prices?

Depends on what happens next, experts say In January, the province made a threeyear, $105-million investment to help lowincome British Columbians get access to the drugs. The initial program announced in May saw more than 20,000 British Columbians move their prescription from the biologic to biosimilar drugs.

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128th Street, 84th Ave., Surrey, BC

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Fatal crash shuts down South Surrey thoroughfare A section of Highway 15 (176 Street) is closed to traffic this morning as Surrey RCMP investigate a fatal crash in South Surrey.

Const. Richard Wright confirmed a twovehicle collision occurred at around 6:50 a.m. at 176 Street and 40 Avenue, and said police are asking motorists to avoid the area.

A release issued by Surrey RCMP Thursday morning confirmed one driver died in the crash, while the driver of the second vehicle was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Traffic in the area will be affected for an undetermined period of time as officers continue

their investigation. A road closure is in effect for 176 Street between the intersection of Highway 10 and 32 Avenue, and on 40 Avenue between 168 Street and 176 Street, the release states.

The investigation into the collision is in its early stages, but impairment from alcohol or drugs is not believed to be a factor.

Investigators are seeking witnesses who observed the collision or those who have dash cam video of the incident to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or Crime Stoppers if you wish to remain anonymous at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.solvecrime.ca.

Theft of dozens of Vancouver firefighting connection points is a major safety concern Vancouver police are concerned that metal thieves have created a new and potentially deadly safety hazard by stealing key fire suppression equipment.

Sgt. Aaron Roed says more than 60 standpipe connections on the outer walls of highrise buildings in downtown and the Downtown Eastside have been stolen recently.

Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services says standpipes include the Y-shaped brass or metal connections used to feed water into a building and up to higher floors during a fire.

“The illegal removal of these puts occupants of the building at high risk,” said Vancouver Fire Rescue’s Capt. Jonathan Gormick.

Without them, police say firefighters can’t properly suppress a highrise blaze, although firefighter Matthew Trudeau says there are other methods to get water on a tower fire.

Investigators believe there have been additional thefts that may not have been noticed or reported to authorities, and Roed urges apartment dwellers, managers and owners to be vigilant.

“We encourage anyone who observes a missing connector to call us so we can investigate,” said Roed.

Trudeau says loss of the connections can compromise a building’s emergency water supply, putting crews at risk and he hopes the thefts — which have become more frequent over the last month — are occurring only because thieves don’t know what they are stealing.

“I’m just trying to err on the side of caution (and say) they don’t know what it is, and hopefully this discontinues soon. But it’s been pretty frustrating,” Trudeau told a Vancouver news conference on Thursday.

The older brass connections and newer cast aluminum versions weigh about seven kilograms and would fetch about $15 dollars at a scrapyard, he says.

Trudeau estimates it would take as long as a week or more to replace some fittings, which thieves can loosen with battery operated grinders and then use wrenches to pull from the wall.

Depending on the complexity of the fitting, repairs can mount into the thousands of dollars for replacement and flushing of the system, and Trudeau said building owners are responsible for all those costs.

This handout image provided by Vancouver police shows one of dozens of connection points that had metal components stolen.

Vancouver’s mayor calls on park board to cede control of Oppenheimer Park Declaring that efforts to remove dozens of homeless people from a Vancouver park had “stalled,” Mayor Kennedy Stewart called on the city’s independent park board to relinquish authority over Oppenheimer Park, so the city could quickly implement its own solution.

“We have to look at how are we going to return the park to normal operations with a whole range of options,” said Stewart on Tuesday.

Two weeks ago, eviction notices were sent to people living in the over 200 tents in the Downtown Eastside park. While most have been placed into housing through B.C. Housing and other non-profit groups, around 40 people remain, according to the city.

“Some folks in the park may need a little nudge to move ahead, however right now this is park board jurisdiction,” said Stewart, who declined to elaborate when asked whether a ‘nudge’ meant a formal injunction.

“If if they don’t come forward with a plan that’s going to return to normal operations, then the power should be turned over to us.”

Vancouver is the only municipality in Canada with a directly elected park board. It has jurisdiction over actions inside the park but relies on funding from the city for about half its budget.

Stewart argued that oversight by the city could help when it comes to negotiations with higher levels of government.

“I met with the prime minister on Friday.

The chair of the park board did not meet the prime minister on Friday,” he said. “And that is the disadvantage of when we have major social problems that erupt in parks.”

Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart answers questions on Sept. 4, 2019, about his proposal to take over jurisdiction of Oppenheimer Park from the park board .

Former Mountie charged with breach of trust following sexual misconduct allegations Breach of trust charges brought against a former RCMP officer in Kelowna, B.C., are related to allegations of sexual misconduct involving seven different women, according to court documents filed July 19.

The charges against Brian Mathew Burket were announced Wednesday afternoon.

In an emailed statement, the B.C. Prosecution Service said Burkett has been charged with breach of trust in connection with his duties as an officer.

The statement said the alleged offences against seven individuals took place

between October 2015 and August 2016.

Court documents obtained by CBC show the seven individuals are all women with whom Burkett is alleged to have pursued a sexual relationship.

A ban on publication of their names has been ordered by the court.

The prosecution service says the charges were approved by a senior Crown lawyer with no prior or current connection to the former officer.

Burkett’s next court appearance is Sept. 23 in Kelowna Provincial Court.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Vancouver taxis ask Supreme Court of BC to quash ride-hailing rules A group of Vancouver-based taxis is asking the Supreme Court of B.C. to quash rules recently introduced by the Passenger Transportation Board that would allow ridehailing to begin legally operating in B.C. Nine taxi companies from the Metro Vancouver area filed the petition Wednesday, arguing the rules put taxis at a disadvantage against companies like Lyft and Uber.

“We just think it was a mistake for the Passenger Transportation Board to rush out in advance of any applications and set rules without really examining the business practices of [ridesharing companies] Uber and Lyft,” said Peter Gall, the lawyer representing the taxi companies.

The court action followed correspondence Tuesday from Premier John Horgan to the Vancouver Taxi Association, acknowledging the taxi industry’s concerns.

The board, an independent tribunal, set out the stipulations for ridehailing in B.C. a couple of weeks ago.

The board’s rules include no initial limits on the companies’ fleet size, although a cap could be imposed later if congestion becomes an issue. The minimum rate the companies may charge will be equivalent to the taxi base rate, but price surging will be allowed.

Gall said these rules give ride-hailing

companies an unfair edge over taxis.

“The Passenger Transportation Board, in an effort to support that business model [ridesharing companies], has set certain rules that discriminate against the taxi companies and give Uber and Lyft what the taxi companies think are an unfair advantage,” Gall said.

He argued the board doesn’t have the authority to set operating rules before receiving applications by the ride-hailing companies, adding the issue was not given a fair hearing.

A spokesperson with Uber said the company was only made aware of the court petition on Wednesday and is taking time to review the file before commenting.

In the days before the petition was filed in court, correspondence between officials in the B.C. government show an awareness of the taxi industry’s worries.

No cap on ride hailing fleet sizes, says Passenger Transportation Board Premier John Horgan sent a letter to the Vancouver Taxi Association on Tuesday promising to take its concerns seriously.

“We remain convinced a solution to this problem can be found within the [Passenger Transportation Board] framework and I urge you to work closely with the board,” Horgan wrote.

Police warn against interacting with man injured in Surrey shooting Surrey RCMP are warning that one of the men injured in a targeted shooting Tuesday afternoon poses a risk to public safety because of the continued attempts on his life, and are asking British Columbians to avoid interactions with him.

Thomas Gabriel Saul, 35, has been the target of recent shootings this summer including the daytime attack Tuesday in the Fraser Heights area of Surrey. A second man was injured during that shooting and both were taken to hospital with serious, but not life-threatening, injuries.

Saul, who is from New Westminster, B.C., is known to police and has a history of involvement with drug trafficking in the Lower Mainland and outside of the province, according to RCMP. He was also the intended victim in a shooting in Burnaby in August.

No one was injured in that incident.

Police responded to reports of shots fired in the 15900-block of 111 Avenue at about 4:50 p.m. PT Tuesday. (Bhupinder Hundal/CBC) RCMP said Saul has provided very limited information to the police about the shootings, even though his life is in danger. As such, officers said, he is considered a risk to public

safety and to anyone interacting with him.

“Gun violence in our community is perpetuated through the continued demand for illicit drugs,” said Cpl. Elenore Sturko in a news release.

“We are appealing to the community to reduce the demand for illicit drugs and to provide information which can assist us in our investigations.”

Tuesday’s shooting in Surrey is believed to be a targeted attack related to the drug trade in the area, RCMP said, and there will be an increased police presence there as officers canvass the area and gather evidence.

RCMP are also holding a neighbourhood outreach event in Fraser Heights on Thursday night to address residents’ concerns in the wake of Tuesday’s shooting.

“Whenaneighbourhoodexperiencesatraumatic incident, particularly during the daytime hours, we know that people can have questions about safety,” read a public notice issued Wednesday.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about the attack to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800222-TIPS or go to www.solvecrime.ca.

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2 injured in Surrey shooting police say was targeted Surrey RCMP are investigating a shooting in the Fraser Heights that seriously injured two men.

Police responded to reports of shots fired in the 15900-block of 111 Avenue at about 4:50 p.m.

PT Tuesday. The area has been blocked off as investigators gather evidence and information.

Two men were injured in the attack and taken to hospital with serious, but non-life threatening, injuries.

Police say the incident appears to have been a targeted attack and there’s no indication of a continued risk to the general public.

The shooting took place in a neighbourhood with daycares and schools nearby.

“When criminals commit these crimes using firearms in our community, they do put the public at risk,” said an RCMP spokesperson at the scene.

“Whenever we see these types of incidents, there is a concern for safety.”

Surrey RCMP’s Serious Crime Unit is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 604-599-0502 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

At least 130 losing jobs as Interfor announces closure of century-old Maple Ridge mill Interfor has announced plans to permanently close its Hammond Cedar Sawmill in Maple Ridge, B.C., by the end of the year, the latest in a growing list of mill closures to rattle the province amid an industry slump.

The company said in a statement the mill has been working at half capacity for “some years” as the province’s forestry industry grapples with “significant log supply challenges.”

Duncan Davies, Interfor’s president and CEO, also said “cedar producers have also been disproportionately impacted” by duties on softwood shipments into the United States.

Davies said the company, which has 18 mills across North America, will seek jobs for the affected workers at its other operations or at outside mills.

New ICBC premium rates take effect The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) is introducing a new way of calculating basic insurance premiums, effective Sept. 1.

For drivers renewing their policies under the new system, the difference in insurance premiums can range from hundreds of dollars to a couple of thousand — either in savings or in additional costs, depending on the individual case.

“This is about calculating rates in a way that is more fair,” said Tyler McGilvery, business process advisor for ICBC. “Cars don’t cause crashes, drivers do.”

Figuring out ICBC’s new premiums: bad drivers pay more, low mileage gets a break Starting Sunday, driving experience and crash history play a bigger role in determining the cost of insurance than before.

Ahead of the changes, ICBC released an online rate calculator tool where British Columbians can get an estimate of their basic insurance premiums.

Playing around with the calculator and changing the variables — like years of experience and crash history of a secondary listed driver — leads to a price shift of a couple hundred dollars in either direction.

‘I am almost not a person’: ICBC denies photo ID to Richmond woman over middle initial The premium is primarily determined by who’s behind the wheel, based 75 per cent on the main driver and 25 per cent on the incidental driver with the highest level of risk.

Previously, crash history followed the vehicle rather than the driver.

Federal Court agrees to hear appeal of cabinet’s green light for Trans Mountain pipeline The Federal Court of Appeal has agreed to hear appeals from opponents determined to overturn the Liberal government’s approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project. It’s another legal hurdle for the longdelayed project — which, if it’s built, will carry nearly a million barrels of oil per day from Alberta to B.C.’s coast. The court has agreed to take up simultaneously six of 12 possible appeals to the federal cabinet’s decision.

The court said it would hear evidence on whether the federal government adequately consulted with Indigenous peoples before approving the project for a second time in June — consultations that have since been described by critics as “window-dressing, box-ticking and nice-sounding words.”

As of two weeks ago, some construction work was already underway. The Crown corporation that now owns the line has said it will be finished by mid-2022. That timeline could now be in jeopardy if the B.C.-based Indigenous groups — including

the Coldwater Indian Band, the Squamish Nation, the Tsleil-Wautuh Nation, the Upper Nicola Band and the Secwepemc Nation — are again successful in convincing the Federal Court to quash cabinet approvals and nullify construction permits. “The court has ordered that the challenges proceed on an expedited basis. Short and strict deadlines for the steps in the litigation will be set,” the court said in a short one-page news release Wednesday.

“There is a substantial public interest in having the upcoming proceedings decided very quickly one way or the other.” In a highly unusual move, the court also posted its reasons for agreeing to hear the appeals.

It said that Indigenous groups raised serious concerns about the federal Liberal government’s re-do of the consultation process. After the shock Federal Court decision last August, the government tasked retired Supreme Court justice Frank Iacobucci with leading the team of 60 Crown

Accused murderer and wife sued by daughter of Penticton shooting victims The daughter of a Penticton, B.C., couple who were allegedly murdered by one of their neighbours is suing both the accused killer and his wife.

Sarah Young’s parents, Susan and Barry Wonch, were killed along with two other residents of Cornwall Drive in April.

A former city employee who lived on the same block, John Brittain, is facing three counts of first-degree murder and one count of seconddegree murder in relation to the killings.

In her notice of civil claim, Young names Brittain’s wife, Katherine, as “a conspirator to the murder.”

Family of Penticton shooting victims emotional during accused killer’s court appearance “Katherine Jean Brittain instructed, counselled, encouraged and directed the defendant John Brittain to commit the murder,” the lawsuit reads.

‘Nothing to do with the deaths’ Both Katherine and John Brittain have filed responses denying the claims.

“Katherine Brittain had nothing to do with the deaths of the plaintiff ’s parents and had no idea that John Brittain would kill them, if he did,” reads Katherine Brittain’s response.

Her response also says she can’t be held liable for events outside her knowledge and control.

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Man who praised ISIS terrorism on Facebook ordered released and nowq awaiting deportation A British Columbia man who glorified terrorism by the Islamic State group in multiple Facebook posts has been ordered released from immigration detention by the Federal Court nearly a year after the Immigration and Refugee Board deemed him inadmissible and a security risk to Canada.

The court upholds a decision made in August by the immigration division of the board, which ordered Othman Hamdan released.

Hamdan has been in custody since September 2017, when the Canadian Border Services Agency arrested him on the same day he was acquitted of terrorism-related charges based on Facebook posts calling for so-called lone-wolf attacks. “The fact that the immigration division had found Mr. Hamdan to be a danger to the public in the context of its admissibility hearing decision the previous year did not require the immigration division to reach a similar conclusion in the detention context as these adjudicate different sections of the (Immigration and Refugee Protection Act),� Judge Alan S. Diner said in a written decision released Tuesday.

The border agency said it would not comment on the court decision until Wednesday.

In upholding the immigration division’s decision, Diner said 25 conditions imposed by the board are reasonable, including that Hamdan live with a friend who

was to post a $2,000 bond on his behalf.

Diner cited 38-year-old Hamdan’s good conduct in prison, his admission of wrongdoing in the past, his testimony at detention review hearings that are held for all immigration and refugee board detainees, and by his long-time friend and bondsperson, who he must live with in Enderby, B.C. He must also abide by a nightly curfew, cannot drive a vehicle or accept a ride from any person, expect with the approval of his bondsperson, be treated for any mental health issues and co-operate with any removal proceedings. “Quite apart from the lack of violence, Mr. Hamdan was found not to raise any of the other concerns so often confronted by the immigration division, namely regarding flight and identity risks,� Diner wrote. “The bondsperson understood the prohibition of internet use, including accessing computers at public places such as the library,� he said, adding the board member who made the decision in August “accepted the appropriateness of the bondsperson as someone who would have moral suasion and a strong motivation� to supervise Hamdan’s behaviour.

Diner said Hamdan does not have a history of non-compliance with conditions, including through the investigation stage prior to his arrest at his home in Fort St. John, B.C., in July 2015. “Terrorism is not an easy subject matter for

any tribunal or reviewing court,� Diner said, adding the immigration board member made similar comments during his oral reasons when ordering Hamdan’s release, saying his decision was not a vindication of the ideology Hamdan had expressed in the past.

Hamdan’s Facebook posts, between September 2014 and July 2015, drew the RCMP’s attention following two terror attacks in Canada in 2014,

allegedly in support of the Islamic State.

Board official Marc Tessler said in an October 2018 ruling Hamdan was a security risk, and while he did not have a history of violence he “praised lone-wolf attacks, actively promoted the Islamic State, disseminated instructions on how to commit attacks and seems fascinated with the extreme violence the Islamic State demonstrated by possessing Islamic State videos depicting gruesome murders.�

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Chilliwack council rejects petition to install rainbow crosswalk Chilliwack city council has rejected a request to install a rainbow crosswalk in the city’s downtown.

In a meeting Tuesday, all but one councillor voted in favour of denying a petition for the crosswalk, which had the support of 780 signatures and letters. “You cannot change attitudes by painting crosswalks,� said Coun.

Sue Knott during the meeting. “When it comes to painting rainbows,

a rainbow on a crosswalk, or baby feet, crosses, anti-immigration or anything else, it becomes a political statement,� she added.

Pride bench unveiled in B.C. village where council refused rainbow crosswalk Coun.

Harv We s t e r i n g h echoed Knott’s comments, saying the crosswalk was a divisive factor rather than a unifying one for the community. “For me, is, where would it end?� said Coun.

Parents want more action after racist video posted by Vancouver high school student Parents and students at a Vancouver high school are looking for answers after hearing a student who made a racist and threatening video could be back this year. “A racist threat was uttered online by a white student at Lord Byng Secondary School in a video posted to Facebook,� according to the BC Community Alliance, a group formed as a result of the November 2018 incident.

Marie Tate of the BC Community Alliance tsaid he student who made the video was initially suspended, t h e n expelled and transferred to another s c h o o l .

N o w , she said school board officials have told at least one parent the teen will be back at Lord Byng this fall.

The organization is circulating a letter online, signed by more than 700 people as of Tuesday afternoon, targeting the “lack of action� from the school board and police department and calling for the incident to be handled “with the level of concern that is warranted.�

Tate said parents, as well as the black community in Vancouver, just want to know what’s being done. “I take the subject matter here very seriously,� principal Geoffrey Taylor said

before deferring comment to the school board.

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Police arrest pair believed responsible for string of distraction thefts Vancouver police have arrested two people they believe are responsible for a string of distraction thefts targeting seniors on the city’s East Side this summer.

Petre Alexandru, 23, and Gratiela Stoian, 18, have been charged with one count each of theft of jewellery.

Officers made the arrests Wednesday after a 69-year-old man had his necklace stolen by a man and a woman near Kerr Street and East 49th Avenue, police said in a statement Friday.

Police believe the two are responsible for other thefts in the area and anticipate more charges.

(Picturde) Vancouver senior targeted by distraction thieves in own backyardVancouver police re-enact the the distraction theft con to show how it works. The scammer approaches a victim offering fake jewelry and while placing it removes the victim’s real jewelry.

In July, police put out a public warning following a similar distraction theft targeting a 77-year-old senior in her own backyard. Police say the victim was gardening when a man and woman distracted the senior with other jewelry while stealing her gold bracelet.

In March, police issued public warnings after eight distraction-style thefts in

Vedic Seniors Parivar members visit Hayward Lake Park, Mission

Vancouver and Abbotsford took place in one week. All of the cases involved a suspect swapping out the victim’s expensive jewelry with an inexpensive imitation.

Vancouver police re-enact the the

Vedic Seniors Parivar Center’s members had a visit to Ruskin Dam, Power House at Stave Falls and Hayward Lake Park, Mission on Labour Day weekend.

Scientists monitor new marine heat wave off West Coast distraction theft con to show how it works.

The scammer approaches a victim offering fake jewelry and while placing it removes the victim’s real jewelry.

Most distraction thefts involve suspects getting out of a vehicle and approaching an elderly woman who is in her own yard or on a sidewalk. Alexandru and Stoian remain in custody until their next court appearance on Sept. 9.

Federal scientists say they are monitoring a new ocean heat wave off the U.S. West Coast.

Researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday the expanse of unusually warm water stretches from Alaska to California, and it resembles a similar heat wave that disrupted marine life five years ago.

It remains to be seen whether this heat wave dissipates more quickly than the last one.

NOAA Fisheries said the water has reached temperatures more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit above average.

Ocean ‘blob’ returns to B.C.’s north coast Scientists dubbed the last West Coast heat wave “the blob.” Its effects included

poorer survival rates for young salmon, more

humpback whales becoming entangled in fishing gear as they hunt closer to shore, and an algae bloom that shut down crabbing and clamming.

Revamped B.C. treaty negotiation process drawing mixed reaction from First Nations The First Nations Summit, province of British Columbia and federal government unveiled a new policy approach to the way treaties are negotiated in B.C. on Wednesday, anticipating more Indigenous groups will seek agreements.

Those involved in developing the new policy are touting this as an “opportunity

to make profound improvements to how treaty negotiations are approached in British Columbia,” according to a news release.

The B.C. Treaty Commission and the treaty negotiation process were established in 1992 and have long been criticized for the low number of treaties finalized since then.

According to the new policy document, “Between 1992 and 2019, three treaties were concluded with seven Indigenous Nations in British Columbia through the British Columbia treaty negotiations framework.”

Cheryl Casimer, a member of the First Nations Summit political executive, said her own nation has been at the treaty table for over 20 years and is still “slogging away.” Vancouver Island treaty agreement in principle includes West Coast Trail Budget 2019: $1.4B in loans to be forgiven or reimbursed to Indigenous groups for treaty negotiations She said the new approach brings the B.C. treaty process “into the 21st century” and should help expedite a number of agreements. The First Nations Summit represents 65 First Nations involved in the treaty process, which is about half of all Indian Act bands in the province. When asked what British Columbians should know about the new policy approach, Cheryl Casimer said it boils down to the outstanding land question in B.C. that’s gone largely unresolved for centuries.

“British Columbians need to know that Aboriginal rights and title exist in this province.

It’s not a scary thing,” she said. “I know that government is always talking about certainty to be able to entice investment and continue to do development on these lands. And so, what is different now is we’re equal players at the table.”

This is how Akshay Kumar will be celebrating his 52nd birthday Akshay Kumar aka Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia, who started his career in the world of showbiz in 1987 will turn 52 on September 9. The actor-filmmaker does not have

grand plans for his birthday. It would be an intimate affair with his family - wife Twinkle Khanna and their kids, Aarav and Nitara in London. A source close to Akshay informed Mumbai Mirror, “It will be a low-key celebration for the Kumars.

The idea is to spend quality time with the entire family”. Last year, the Khiladi actor rang in his special day by hosting a party with wife Twinkle and a few close friends,

including actor and Housefull 4 co-star Bobby Deol.

Akshay Kumar was 24, when he made his Bollywood debut. Having started his career in the 1990s, Akshay has featured in more than hundred films and has a huge fan following all over the world.

Akshay and Twinkle, one of B-Town’s most celebrated couples, reportedly first met in Mumbai during a shoot for

a magazine, where Akshay Kumar developed an instant crush on the actress-turned-author. In an episode with Koffee With Karan season 5, Twinkle Khanna confessed that how her flop film Mela (2000) encouraged her to marry the hunk immediately on January 7, 2001.

The couple has two children Aarav and Nitara.

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With her very first film, “Parineeta,” Vidya Balan showed that there was space in the industry for a homely girl whose forte was acting and not glamour.

Fourteen years later, after playing roles as varied as a housewife, a ruthless femme fatale, a brothel-owner, sister to a murder victim, lady detective and an RJ, she has shown that she is a star with a difference.

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Admittedly, she has floundered in many a case, notably in fairly recent films like “Kahaani 2” and “Begum Jaan,” but the triumphs have outclassed these failures – people still remember her path-breaking turns in movies like “The Dirty Picture” and “Kahaani” among others. We begin our conversation on this note as we meet up on the eve of the release of “Mission Mangal,” in which she essays a scientist. Q: You have been the forerunner of the trend

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18

Bollywood

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Jackie Shroff talks about his special friends Jackie Shroff is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film “Prassthanam,” which also features Sanjay Dutt (also its de facto producer) and Manisha Koirala. The trio earlier worked together in the 1999 success “Kartoos,” and they have now collaborated after 20 years for “Prassthanam.”

Said Shroff, “There was a free flow of energy because for us, it was like picking up from where we had left off.

Even though the industry is a small world, sometimes it takes years for friends to meet and working together takes even longer.”

Confessing fondness for his co-stars, he further added, “We love each other intensely, but don’t need to say it aloud.

Ishq ka zyaada izhaar karo to kharaab ho jaata hai (Too much declaration of love spoils it).” Inside knowledge is that the three are deep friends and have

always been in touch. The political drama is the Hindi remake of the 2010 Telugu film by the same name. Directed by Deva

Katta and produced by Maanayata Dutt, “Prassthanam” stars Chunky Panday, Ali Fazal, Amyra Dastur and Satyajeet Dubey.

The film releases Sept. 20. Other Jackie Shroff-Sanjay Dutt films: Super-hits and hits in UPPER CASE, success in Bold font) “Hum Bhi Insaan Hai” (1989) “Jeene Do” (1990)

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SRK to Launch Prithvik Pratap Every newcomer in the film Industry has a wish to work with the best, and that often includes Shah Rukh Khan at least once in their lifetime.

But few are lucky enough.

Khan is all set to launch Prithvik Pratap’s new project under Red Chillles Entertainment.

Farah Khan was launched with “Main Hoon Na,�

Deepika Padukone with “Om Shanti Om� and Zoa Morani, Harsh Nagar and Satyajeet Dubey with “Always Kabhi Kabhi.�

It is now Pratap’s turn. Pratap, who was seen in couple of Marathi television dramas and is also credited with a win in one of the

Marathi reality shows, will be debuting in the world of Hindi. Pratap shared a photograph on social media with Khan and subtly hinted about his association with King Khan. He said, “Ever since I have watched SRK’s films, I dreamt of meeting my idol one day, and I was taken aback when I met him in person. It was a nerve-wracking moment for me, but Shah-sir’s humble approach eased me.

I was so mesmerized that I don’t even remember half of the conversation. It was surely a fan moment and the best of my life.�

Pathak is tight-lipped right now about the details due to a contract.

19

Bollywood

Aries

March 21 - April 20 With plenty of action going on in your lifestyle sector, your focus may be on streamlining your routines and making healthier choices about food and exercise.

This week, though, you may also be turning to new ideas for inspiration, especially those that take you out of your comfort zone.

With both the sun and chatty Mercury linking to Mars, you could be quite forceful about how you express yourself.

Taurus

April 21 - May 20 Leisure and pleasure activities could be very much on your mind this week and over the coming weeks and something you can indulge to your heart’s content. As the focus is also on the sign of Virgo, this can be one of the better times for learning a skill or hobby that

in a creative project that requires a lot of

for making a success of it. Don’t discount the idea of earning money from a skill or ability or perhaps pooling resources with someone

Gemini

May 20 - June 21 You could be involved in family projects, have visitors, or be working to get your place shipshape. With an emphasis on your home zone, you might be doing a lot of entertaining, whether it’s friends, relatives, or people you work with. This may be the time you consider trying something like feng shui to get the

certain rooms and putting chimes, plants, or pieces of artwork in the right places

Cancer

June 22 - July 23

! "

it could be rather a lot with four planets in your sector of talk and thought over this and coming weeks. This can be an excellent time to get organized, get ahead with administrative tasks, and remember to book those important doctor and dentist appointments. Do you need to pay bills? Write it all down in the order of priority because this will make it easier to get things done.

Leo

June 24 - August 23 All the action seems to be taking place in

# key aspects over the course of this week. This can be an excellent time to take stock of your income and expenditures and consider how you can get your money to work harder for you.

With the sun and articulate Mercury linking to feisty Mars, you also could be quite proactive about sorting out any lingering issues. This is

$

%

Virgo A powerful focus on your sign suggests this is an opportunity to be well and truly yourself.

This is your time to share ideas, get involved in personal projects that are deeply meaningful to you, and reach out to others who are on the same wavelength. At the same time, with sweet Venus, lively Mercury, and the sun linking to jovial Jupiter and your home zone, you may want to involve your family in your latest plans, or they could insist that you allow them on board. Accommodating other people’s needs may not be easy, particularly if you’re set on a certain course.

Libra

Sept. 24 - Oct 22 This week and the coming weeks could see you involved in an annual phase in which the cosmos is encouraging you to take a back seat. With a focus on a more secluded and spiritual sector of your chart, and with four planets in this zone, this isn’t a time to put yourself forward. Rather, it’s an opportunity to

# #

!

so that you can start with a clean slate from September.

Scorpio

Oct 23 - Nov 22 Your social life could be keeping you on your

at this time than you have in some while. And you could be inclined to get involved in group or community projects or work as part of a team.

This can be an excellent time for collaboration and planning events that involve groups of people.

Keep an eye on expenses, though, because it could cost more than you think to attend parties, weddings, and celebrations and get involved in group activities.

Sagitarius Nov 23 - Dec 22

& ' " you’ve enjoyed a few weeks of travel, exploration, and discovery traversing new terrain, you’ll likely (

& !

passport away just yet, because there may be %

!

to miss. From this week, the emphasis on your sector of goals and ambitions increases. With feisty Mars already blazing a trail here, sweet Venus moves in on Wednesday to encourage you to charm those you want to do business with.

Capricorn Dec 23 - Jan 20

You could feel an urge to move out of your comfort zone and explore new ideas and opportunities. With a powerful focus on your sector of travel and far horizons, this may be one of those times when a vacation isn’t a luxury but

! #

past weeks, getting away from it all and relaxing should be nonnegotiable. At the same time,

or perhaps research a subject in more depth.

Aquarius

Jan 21 - Feb 19 Still waters run deep this week, with four planets emphasizing a more intense zone of your chart. This is the time to deal with those skeletons that are rattling around in the closet, including issues that are causing regret or

!

to deal with them all at once, but making a start could bring some real relief.

This can also be a good time for business

) % especially those linked with shared assets and investments. Be careful about taking advice from others, because there are some who may seem to be knowledgeable

Pisces

Feb 20 - March 20 There will be plenty of interactions, conversations, and social activity over this week and coming weeks. With a full house in your relationship zone, it might seem like everyone on your contact list is showing up on your doorstep or calling you. You could get more than the usual number of calls about invitations to various events, people requesting help, or others who simply want to connect with you.

You likely can’t deal with everyone, so be choosy. Certain planets linking to nebulous Neptune in your sign suggest you’ll need time

20

Bollywood

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Saturday, September 7, 2019

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Saturday, September 7, 2019 Press release

Dhahan Prize Announces 2019 Winners For Best Punjabi Fiction

The Dhahan Prize promotes Punjabi literature on a global scale by awarding $25,000 annually to the best book of fiction published in either Gurmukhi or Shahmukhi scripts, along with two additional finalist prizes of $10,000 CDN. In addition, details will be provided for: t ćF %IBIBO 1SJ[F :PVUI "XBSE in creative writing for B.C. Grade 11 and 12 students enrolled in Punjabi language classes.

Sponsored by Coast Capital Savings, 8 prizes of $500 each will be awarded at the Dhahan Prize ceremony on November 2, 2019 at the University of British Columbia. An anthology of the 2019 Youth Stories will be released in both Punjabi scripts, English and French

Press release

Member Dhahan Prize Advisory Committee t.S *BO 4BNTPO 4FOJPS 71 $PNNFSDJBM Banking, Coast Capital Savings t.T "OOJF 0IBOB %FQU Head and Aboriginal Teacher Advocate, L.A. Matheson Secondary t.T (VSQSFFU #BJOT Languages Department Head, L.A. Matheson Secondary School t.S 1FUFS +PIOTUPO 1SJODJQBM L.A. Matheson Secondary School t0OF PG UIF :PVUI "XBSE 8JOOFST About the Dhahan Prize for Punjabi

Literature: The Dhahan Prize celebrates the rich culture and transnational heritage of Punjabi language and literature by awarding a yearly prize for excellence in Punjabi fiction.

The Prize mission is to inspire the creation of Punjabi literature across borders, bridging Punjabi communities around the world and promoting Punjabi literature on a global scale. www.dhahanprize.com Facebook & Twitter @dhahanprize #DhahanPrize Media Contact: C a r o l y n Treger Phone: 604-831-6831 admin@dhahanprize.com

Royal Academy of Bhangra Presents Folk Lok Live:BORDERLESS, A Celebration Of Pre-Partition Punjab

Royal Academy of Bhangra, with funding support from the Government of Canada. The Government of BC, The City of Surrey, Metro Vancouver, The BC Arts Council is proud to announce Folk Lok Live: BORDERLESS , a celebration of Punjabi culture pre-partition.

The event will be Emcee’d by MLA Rachna Singh, Surrey Green Timbers Constituency and facilitated by Mo Dhaliwal, a community advocate for diversity and inclusion. The night has been curated by Vijay Yamla, grandson of legendary Lal Chand Yamla Jatt and choreographed by Hardeep

Press release

t 3#$ &NFSHJOH "SUJTUT (SBOU The RBC Emerging Artists grant helps a young writer bridge the gap from emerging to established, and provides support to help advance artists’ careers DATE: Thursday, September 12, 2019 TIME: 11:30 am LOCATION: SFU Surrey Campus, Room 3040 */5&37*&8 0110356/*5*&4 t . S #BSK 4 %IBIBO GPVOEFS %IBIBO 1SJ[F t%S Prem Mann, Chair, Dhahan Prize Advisory $PNNJUUFF t.S 4BEIV #JOOJOH "VUIPS and member of the Dhahan Prize Advisory $PNNJUUFF t%S 3BHICJS 4JOHI 4JSKBOB

Singh Sahota of Royal Academy of Bhangra Society.

Before invisible lines laid down by the British, Punjabis laughed together, cried together and were a part of each others story. Their daily lives, daily rituals, traditions and dreams were rooted in the same soil. Their love stories carried the same sweetness, their struggles shed the same tears, their songs told the same stories and bodies moved to the same beats.

Through the beauty of Waris Shah’s Heer and Bulleh Shah’s poetry, the

movements of Jhoomar and Jugni, and the sound of the dhol, tumbhi and bugchu; Royal Academy of Bhangra honours the Spirit and the brotherhood of their forefathers by exploring their identity, culture and history pre-partition.

In a time that there is so much division and discrimination, Folk Lok Live: BORDERLESS will spread the message of love and unity. Royal Academy of Bhangra invites you to come and let your Spirit dance freely to

the folk sounds of Punjab.

Folk Lok Live: BORDERLESS Centre Stage @ Surrey City Hall September 7th, 2019 Doors Open 6:30pm Event Starts: 7:00pm For ticket information please call Deep Sahota: 604.771.2301 or email: info@royalacademyofbhangra.com Opportunity for interviews before and after the event.

Please contact info@royalacademyof bhangra.com or 604.771.2301 for more information

Award of Excellence to Dr Mangat for outstanding services to the underprivileged Canfor’s latest announcement that it will be cutting back an additional 75 million board feet of production falls in the wake of comments by the newly appointed parliamentary secretary for the forest ministry, Ravi Kahlon, that there are “too many mills� operating in the province. Kahlon made the comments during a radio interview with CHNL on Monday. “The actual forests minister, Doug Donaldson, has been virtually absent during the crisis and for communities like Vanderhoof, Houston, Prince George, Fort St. John or Bear Lake to be abruptly written-off by the minister’s underling is frankly unacceptable,� says BC

Liberal forestry critic and Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad. “Premier Horgan handpicked his partisan hack Mr. Kahlon to launch a public relations campaign on behalf of an incompetent minister who is literally missingin-action.� Canfor announced on Tuesday that its Prince George, Polar, Houston and Fort St. John sawmills will be curtailed during the week after Labour Day.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

BC families start the school year with less money in their pockets, uncertainty about their futures As parents get set to take their kids back to school, the concern that John Horgan and the NDP have failed to reach a deal with teachers looms over this usually exciting time.

“John Horgan and the NDP have failed to reach an agreement with the BC Teachers’ Federation and that means students are heading back to school facing an uncertain future,” said BC Liberal Education Critic and MLA for Peace River North Dan Davies.

“The NDP has only met sporadically with the teachers’ federation over the summer and shows no real ambition to get a deal done.

That is not good enough for B.C. students who deserve better from this government.”

There are currently hundreds of teacher positions that remain unfilled in British Columbia. Meanwhile, more than 7,000 students in Surrey alone will start the school year in portables, with no plans from the NDP to address this situation beyond empty promises. “John Horgan and the NDP promised to eliminate 50 per cent of portables in Surrey by this year, but instead we have

seen a 32 per cent increase in portables since 2016,” said BC Liberal MLA for Surrey South Stephanie Cadieux. “This was clearly a promise the NDP never planned to fulfil and it’s Surrey students who are paying the price.”

For hard-working B.C. families, the harsh reality of back to school is less money in their pockets as ICBC premiums reach recordhigh levels. This follows a summer of paying the highest gas prices in North America and John Horgan’s unfulfilled promise of action to address soaring rates.

This all comes at a time when the NDP is taking in more money than ever, with 19 new and increased taxes since taking office in 2017. But instead of using this money to reduce portables, support the forestry sector, establish housing supports and services in Maple Ridge, or provide relief at the pumps, John Horgan and the NDP are spending this money on wasteful reports, time-dragging studies, and sham lawsuits. Hard-working B.C. families can’t afford John Horgan and the NDP.

Punjab Agricultural University (P.A.U.) Family Association Annual Picnic

Punjab Agricultural University (P.A.U.) Family Association’s organized Annual Picnic at Peace Arch in Surrey last weekend.

“Too many mills” in forest industry according to John Horgan and the NDP as Canfor announces additional closures Canfor’s latest announcement that it will be cutting back an additional 75 million board feet of production falls in the wake of comments by the newly appointed parliamentary secretary for the forest ministry, Ravi Kahlon, that there are “too many mills” operating in the province.

Kahlon made the comments during a radio interview with CHNL on Monday.

“The actual forests minister, Doug Donaldson, has been virtually absent during the crisis and for communities like Vanderhoof, Houston, Prince George, Fort St. John or Bear Lake to be abruptly written-off by the minister’s underling is frankly unacceptable,” says BC Liberal forestry critic and Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad. “Premier Horgan handpicked his partisan hack Mr. Kahlon to launch a public relations campaign on behalf of an incompetent minister who is literally missing-in-action.”

Canfor announced on Tuesday that its Prince George, Polar, Houston and Fort St. John sawmills will be curtailed during the week after Labour Day. In addition,

the company’s sawmills in Vanderhoof and Houston will also transition to a four-day work week in September. Kahlon made his comments in response to what many consider the worst crisis in the forest industry in 40 years. When asked directly if the loss of more than 4,000 jobs is considered a crisis by the provincial government, Kahlon bristled at the suggestion saying: “It doesn’t matter how you define it…call it whatever you want.”

“I welcome the fact that the government is starting to adopt the 5-point forestry plan that the BC Liberals presented to John Horgan and the NDP almost three months ago,” Rustad added. “Minister Donaldson is however creating market uncertainty by sending mixed signals about stumpage fees. On the one hand Donaldson says lowering stumpage fees would severely jeopardize Canada’s position in the softwood lumber dispute, but at the same time he is going on record as saying that ‘we are looking at ways for stumpage to be more responsive’ to lumber prices. Minister Donaldson has to make up his mind and be absolutely clear on stumpage fees in British Columbia.”

Press release

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24

Vol. 10 No. 32

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Saturday - September 7, 2019

Tel: 604-591-5423

E-mail: ads@theasianstar.com

Condos, the ‘future of our communities,’ now cost more per square foot than a detached home Condominiums may be the “future of our communities” but per square foot, they are hardly a bargain. According to a Royal LePage report released today, aside from Vancouver and Calgary, every major city’s condo price per square foot has increased. With the exception of Vancouver, the median price per square foot of a condo is now higher than that of a single family detached home nationwide.

Canadian home prices are up — but by the smallest amount in a decade. Seven reasons Canada’s housing market is stronger than it looks

The latest Canadian house price forecast from Moody’s Analytics really has no good news for anyone. If you’re a homeowner hoping to make big equity gains, forget it. And if you’re an aspiring homebuyer hoping for a reprieve from astronomical urban house prices, forget

Vancouver’s housing market is dismal — but you still need six-figure income to get your foot in the door “While condo units are smaller, they are the present and future of our communities. With more development opportunities, they can meet both the growing need for housing and lifestyle expectations of homebuyers,” said Phil Soper, the president of Royal LePage in a press release.

The Greater Ottawa condo price per square foot appreciated the fastest among the cities that were measured,

rising 17.9 per cent year-over-year to $395, while the Greater Vancouver price actually declined the most by 8.3 per cent to $764.

“We are seeing significant interest in Ottawa’s south and west ends from residents working in the nearby military and technology hubs,” said Kent Browne, broker and owner of Royal LePage TEAM Realty.

The city of Vancouver remains the most expensive condo market in the country, with homebuyers paying $1,044 per square foot for a condo and $1,279 per square foot for a singlefamily detached home.

Greater Calgary offers the lowest condo price

per square foot, with a fall of 6.7 per cent to $313.“For the fourth consecutive month, condo inventory in the region declined compared to last year. It’s a good sign that the condo market may be stabilizing,” said Dawn Maser, a realtor for Royal LePage Benchmark.

“It is no wonder that the city vaulted to number four in The Economist’s ranking of the World’s Most Livable Cities,” said Soper.

The Greater Toronto price increased 9.1 per cent to $743, while the Greater Montreal area increased 10.3 per cent to $362.

Canadian house price forecast: What the next 5 years will look like in 33 cities that too. The forecast calls for house prices nationwide to grow by an average of 2.2 per cent per year over the next five years. Given that the Bank of Canada is predicting inflation at 2 per cent in the coming years, this means that inflation-adjusted house prices will likely

see no net growth. With Canada’s economy bouncing back from a slowdown at the start of the year, Moody’s expects mortgage rates to rise by a full percentage point over the next two years. That increase in monthly housing costs, combined with high prices and high debt levels,

will keep prices in check, the research firm predicts.

“House price appreciation will slow down in 2020, turn briefly negative in 2021, and only recover in the following years,” wrote Andres Carbacho-Burgos, a director and head housing economist at Moody’s Analytics.

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Saturday, September 7, 2019

Growth in Greater Vancouver house prices slowing: realtor survey

P

rices for homes in Greater Vancouver have stalled over the last two quarters, a new survey says, even as prices year over year still show big growth.

The latest Royal LePage House Price Survey, released Tuesday, shows that when compared to the same time a year ago, the aggregate home price in the region is up 7.2 per cent to $1,269,816, with condominium sales driving much of that growth: the median condo price is up 18.4 per cent compared to a year ago, at $692,452.

But when tracked with data from January, when the same survey showed the aggregate home price was up 8.5 per cent year over year — a number driven again by condos; they were up 20.2 per cent — there has been a slowing in growth over the last six months.

The latest survey’s data show there has been little growth over the last two quarters, with the latest three-month period up just 0.5 per cent compared to the first three months of 2018.

While the year-over-year growth in aggregate price in Vancouver (2.4 per cent), West Vancouver (3.8 per cent), North Vancouver (5.9 per cent) and Richmond (six per cent) are all below the regional average; Burnaby, Coquitlam, Surrey and Langley saw above average growth of 8.5, 14, 16.4 and 21.2 per cent respectively. The aggregate price in both Surrey and Langley remains below $1 million: Surrey is at $900,433, Langley at $975,360.

The median condo price in Surrey is now $381,626, up 25.6 per cent compared to last year.

The long term picture is a staggering thing to contemplate, as laid out by a Royal LePage representative.

“Condominium prices continue to grow at unprecedented levels across Greater Vancouver,” Adil Dinani, real estate adviser, Royal LePage West Real Estate Services said in a news release.

“Purchasers look to condominiums for relative affordability, yet with competition continuing to intensify, property values within the segment now outstrip most detached markets across the country.

“To put it into perspective, the budget now needed to purchase a condo could have netted someone a two-storey home here in Greater Vancouver four years ago.”

New rules introduced in January, aimed at curbing consumer debt, have made it harder to get a mortgage, for instance.

“During the quarter inventory began to rise in the region’s detached segment as sales activity slowed and affordability constraints continued to price many purchasers out of the market.

“As a result, large swaths of prospective homeowners continued to look to condominiums in the metropolitan area in search of value, pushing prices higher and intensifying competition within the segment,” they said in a news release.

Meanwhile, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s latest report on housing starts showed an upward trend in the number of multiunit dwellings being built.

June 2018 saw 222,041 housing starts across the country, compared to May 2018’s 216,701.

At the beginning of the year, Royal LePage predicted there would be 5.2 per cent growth over the rest of the year, but they now expect growth to be relatively flat, just 1.5 per cent over the next quarter.

Royal LePage points to erosion in affordability and new governmental policies that have put pressure on purchasing power as the reasons for this slowed growth.

“Notably, the national inventory of newly completed and unabsorbed multi-unit dwellings has remained below its 10-year historical average so far in 2018, indicating that demand for this type of unit has absorbed increased supply,” said Bob Dugan, CMHC’s chief economist.

In Vancouver, however, housing starts trended lower in June 2018; the first half of 2018 matched housing starts in the same period during 2017.

Affordable housing unit projects starts in Toronto The city has commenced construction work on hundreds of affordable housing units, with the help of a $357 million cash injection from the federal government.

Liberals detail $40B for 10-year national housing strategy, introduce Canada Housing Benefit.

Adam Vaughan, MP for Spadina–Fort York, made the announcement on Thursday,

said the project would include three towers comprising some 761 units, of which 229 are affordable units; 532 market units; and 4,371 square feet of non-residential space.

“We are in a housing crisis in this part of the country,” said Vaughan, who is also parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development.

“This investment is wonderful news for the Toronto middle-income families that will

move into these new rental housing units.”

The project, located on Block 8 of the West Don Lands in downtown Toronto, will provide affordable housing options close to public transit, schools and services for middle-income families. Mayor John Tory described the announcement as “a big deal” for the city.

“This investment will positively impact the

Over 11% of Vancouver condos have a non-resident owner, says new CMHC report

#106 - 7565 132 St. Surrey, BC 604.572.3005

Over 11 percent of Vancouver condos have at least one non-resident as an owner, a number that jumps to more than 19 per cent when it comes to newer built condos.

The information is contained in a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation housing market insight report which also found that non-residents — defined as someone who

doesn’t have their principal residence in Canada — tend to own more expensive properties than residents, especially in Vancouver.

Some of the other findings: 7.2 per cent of all Vancouver properties have at least one non-resident owner.

Non-resident ownership is highest in

lives of many residents in our city and ensure that more families have access to affordable and quality housing here in Toronto,” Tory said. Toronto Community Housing data paints ‘grim’ picture of future repair needs, mayor says The mayor said the project represents the kind of co-operation that can occur between three levels of government and the private sector.

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Classifieds / Jobs Looking for work?

Cleaning company wanted workers for clean up job in Coquitlam For more details please call 604-902-2858

Matrimonial Punjabi Bansal family seeking a suitable mach for their 31 year old,” son, Height 5’.11, Handsome,Sober, soft spoken, vegetarian currently in Patiala Punjab India. He has done studies in BTech Computer Science and working in Judicial Department as IT Analyst in Patiala. Girl should be well educated and family oriented freferably Canadian citizen or Canadian Permanent resident. For more details please call 604-617-0615 or email Kushal.20776@gmail.com

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Matrimonial Seeking match for a Canadian Citizen,BSC Nursing, good family value, 31 years old girl from a reputed family, Boy must be well educated & Vegetarian.

Call 604-290-5424

Matrimonial Parents are seeking suitable match for for their British born son of 31 year age, holding Master degree in Marketing and he is in Canada on work permit.

Please contact by Email vazir@talk21.com Minnegill@gmail.com or Phone 604-763-6727

Help wanted Clean-up workers wanted Tsawassen Mills area mall, only sub-contracters, bring your own ride, experienced workers only please phone:

Phone: 778-240-0101 / 604-902-2858 South Asian Adults/ Seniors - Health Benefits of Yoga & Important Home Remedies, Sadhana Buch Expert Yoga Instructor, 8th September 2019 from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm.

Vedic Seniors Parivar Center of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society of Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members and nonmembers also to attend an important Presentation on Health Benefits of Yoga & Important Home Remedies you can use for keeping good general health by Sadhana Buch the expert Yoga Instructor on 8th September 2019 (Sunday) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321 - 140th street Surrey BC V3W 5K9. There will be questions & answers session after the presentation and Sahana Buch will answer your general health related questions. Tea and light snacks will be served to all participants. Please call Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further information.

Child care provider required at a private home Location Surrey, BC - Salary $14.50 to $14.75 / Hour (To be negotiated) Permanent, Full time 40 Hours / Week Start date As soon as possible Job requirements Languages English Education College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma from a program of 1 year to 2 years Experience 1 year to less than 2 years Additional Skills Assume full responsibility for household in absence of parents, Perform light housekeeping and cleaning duties, Shop for food and household supplies, Travel with family on trips and assist with child supervision and housekeeping duties, Wash, iron and press clothing and household linens Children’s Ages School age (6 - 12 years), and 2 - 3 years Specific Skills Bathe,

dress and feed infants and children, Discipline children according to the methods requested by the parents, Prepare infants and children for rest periods, Keep records of daily activities and health information regarding children, Sterilize bottles, prepare formulas and change diapers for infants, Maintain a safe and healthy environment in the home, Take children to and from school and to appointments, Tend to emotional well-being of children, Instruct children in personal hygiene and social development, Organize, activities such as games and outings for children, Prepare and serve nutritious meals, Supervise and care for children, Help children with homework Work Setting Employer’s home How to apply By email: umendrasingh@hotmail.com By phone: 604-537-3551

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Saturday, September 7, 2019

Stable housing market forecast through 2020 Home sales in every BC region to recover in 2020 - a forecast. Total home transactions across province expected to rise 11 per cent versus 2019, with average sale prices also predicted to increase in every area.

Although every region in B.C. is expected to see lower home sales in 2019 than in 2018, sales will more than recover in 2020, according to a September 5 forecast by the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA).

Overall in 2019, residential transactions across the province are predicted to be five per cent lower, at about 75,000 units, than the 78,505 sales of 2018. Every one of B.C.’s 12 boards is expected to report a year-overyear decline in total sales across 2019, with drops ranging from one to 14 per cent.

However, BCREA forecasted that every board will see considerable sales jumps in 2020, totalling a province-wide increase of

nearly 11 per cent to 82,700 homes — which the association said would be just below the 10-year annual average.

“B.C. markets are showing signs of recovery after nearly a year and a half of policy-induced declines,” said Brendon Ogmundson, BCREA’s deputy chief economist. “We expect that recovery to continue into next year, with home sales normalizing around long-term averages.”

BCREA BC home sales forecast Sept 2019 Having seen the steepest annual sales declines in 2018, and a forecast drop of 2.2 per cent in 2019, Greater Vancouver is expected to see the biggest recovery in 2020, said BCREA. Home resales in the Greater Vancouver region are predicted to rise 16.3 per cent to 28,500 units — still a far cry from 42,000 sales of 2015, but a marked improvement over both 2018 and 2019.

The optimistic Metro Vancouver forecast follows a September 4 report by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver that the region’s home sales in August rose nearly 16 per cent year over year, following a 23.5 per cent annual jump in July.

BCREA said the Fraser Valley is also expected to outperform the previous two years of home resales, with a forecast rise in 2020 of 12.4 per cent year over year.

Victoria and Vancouver Island, having not seen declines as steep as the Lower Mainland, are expected to see 2020 sales improve by less than the provincial average, at 7.5 and 5.5 per cent respectively.

Average home prices in 2020 are also expected to improve on those achieved in 2019, in every B.C. real estate board jurisdiction — albeit

by modest amounts. The overall B.C. average sale price is forecast to rise by 3.3 per cent, with predicted rises ranging from 0.2 per cent in Victoria to four per cent in the B.C. Northern region.

Greater Vancouver sale prices are predicted to be down 5.6 per cent in 2019 to $990K, but are forecast to increase two per cent in 2020 to an average of $1.01 million.

Auto sales climb 0.6 per cent in August for first rise in 17 months.

New condo building proposed under Grandview-Woodland Community Plan New condo building proposed under Grandview-Woodland Community.

Greater Vancouver real estate sales return to ‘more typical levels’ in August: REBGV sales average for the month.

Metro Vancouver’s summer real estate bump continued in August, with sales returning to “more typical levels” according to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV).

The board’s latest report says the region saw 2,231 sales last month, up 15.7 per cent from August 2018, though down 12.7 per cent from July 2019.

Greater Vancouver home sales jump in July, but prices continue steady slide It’s the second month in a row with yearover-year sales growth, after more than a year of slumping sales in what many analysts have called a correction to the region’s previously white-hot market.

Mortgage stress test contributes to a decline in BC home sales August’s growth was led by a large boost in sales of detached homes, which jumped 24.5 per cent over August 2018, while condo sales climbed by 8.9 per cent year-over-year.

However, August’s sales total remained more than nine per cent below the 10-year

READ MORE: Metro Vancouver’s June home sales lowest since Y2K, benchmark price drops below $1M Despite the boost in sales, inventory remains high in the region, with 12,296 homes on the market – up 13.3 per cent over August last year, though down 5.9 per cent from July.

“With more demand from home buyers, the supply of homes listed for sale isn’t accumulating like earlier in the year. These changes are creating more balanced market conditions,” said REBGV president Ashley Smith in a media release.

Despite the stronger sales figures, prices in the region continued to slide.

Greater Vancouver home prices 1977-present.

Greater Vancouver home prices 1977-present.

Real Estate Board of Greater Vancovuer The benchmark price for detached houses across the region was $1.4 million, according

Government of Canada funds project with Sheet Metal Industry Training Board to help apprentices in Surrey, BC Canada’s changing economy and investments in infrastructure make skills training critical to our future. The skilled trades offer good, well-paying, middle-class jobs, and the Government of Canada is committed to supporting key groups, such as women, Indigenous people, newcomers and

Program (UTIP). The Government of Canada will provide$ 424,213 over five years via a focused project, ‘Technology and an Inclusive Workforce: Forging our Future Sheet Metal Industry’ which is being delivered by the Sheet Metal Industry Training Board. The Board will purchase innovative equipment that will help participants as they develop their technical skills and be better prepared for the emerging technology trends in the sheet metal industry. The Board will also collaborate with broad-based Ken Hardie – Member of Canadian Parliament for Fleetwood-Port Kells Jud Martell – Training Coordinator: Sheet Metal Workers Training Society partners to develop Trustee Members of the Sheet Metal Industry Training Board strategies to build a persons with disabilities access these jobs. more inclusive workforce. UTIP projects help That’s why today, Ken Hardie, Member unions across Canada improve the quality of of Parliament for Fleetwood – Port Kells, training through investments in up-to-date on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, training equipment and materials, and support Minister of Employment, Workforce innovation and enhanced partnerships to Development and Labour, announced a address long-standing challenges that limit project that will invest in training equipment apprenticeship outcomes in Canada. As a and materials to help apprentices get the skills result of this investment, more apprentices they need to succeed. This project is funded will be able to develop their skills, complete under the Union Training and Innovation their training and find good, well-paying jobs.

to the board, down 9.8 per cent from August last year, and down 0.7 per cent from July.

The dip in prices from August 2018 was led

by Richmond (12.6 per cent), Vancouver’s west side (12 per cent), Vancouver’s east side and Coquitlam (11.4 per cent) and West Vancouver (11 per cent).

Metro Vancouver home sales up ‘modestly’ in May: Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver Whistler and Squamish were the only municipalities in the region to see year-overyear price growth, at 7.9 per cent and 5.6 per cent respectively.

The benchmark price of a condo across the region was $771,000, down 7.4 year-over-year, and up 0.1 per cent from July.The drop in prices from August 2018 was led by West Vancouver (11.3 per cent), east Burnaby (10.5 per cent), south Burnaby (9.6 per cent) and New Westminster (9 per cent).

As with detached homes, just Whistler (3.4 per cent) and Squamish (1.1 per cent) saw apartment price growth year over year.

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Saturday, September 7, 2019

Press release

Forestry crisis hits Maple Ridge, NDP MLAs nowhere to be found No part of our province is immune from the forestry crisis – a reality that is becoming increasingly clear as British Columbia’s coastal sector faces the difficult news that Interfor is permanently closing its Hammond sawmill in Maple Ridge.

This closure comes amidst silence from Maple Ridge’s two NDP MLAs. Lisa Beare and Bob D’Eith have done nothing to support their constituents’ concerns over forced supportive housing

in the community, and they are yet again M.I.A. on the forestry crisis.

“With the coastal forestry sector now facing the same curtailments and closures as the interior sector, the Lower Mainland is going to start feeling the same negative effects,” says Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Critic and Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad. “The BC Liberals put a five-point plan on the desk of the inept Forests Minister months ago, listing immediate actions his government could

take to help stem the flow of job losses in the troubled sector. But thousands of job losses later, still nothing from his government.”

So far in 2019, there have been at least 146 weeks of operational downtime announced at various mill operations throughout B.C. In total, more than 55 mills have been impacted by permanent closures and significant shift reductions, while hundreds of millions of board feet have been curtailed.“To date, rural B.C. and the forestry sector have been totally ignored by

John Horgan and the NDP. If it takes closures in the Lower Mainland to finally get them to act, then so be it,” added Rustad. “John Horgan needs to stop pretending the crisis doesn’t exist and support the sector that has literally helped build this province.”b Many British Columbians may not know that of the approximate 140,000 forestry jobs across B.C. (a number in sharp decline under the BC NDP), 40 per cent of these jobs

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Horgan’s Attorney General misleads British Columbians on illegal Mike de Jong, BC Liberal MLA for Abbotsford West, issued the following statement in response to misleading allegations by Attorney General David Eby regarding alleged wrongdoings at Hastings Racecourse: “I was surprised and perplexed to learn that on August 27th, 2019, B.C. Attorney General David Eby suggested to the general public through the media that he had notified me as former Finance Minister of alleged immigration wrongdoings at Hastings Racecourse.

No such notification occurred.

“On November 3rd, 2016, David Eby wrote to advise me he was contacted by a gaming worker from Fraser Downs Racetrack – a different location altogether – alleging possible illegal drug use by staff and concealment of this use. “These allegations were taken seriously and George Morfitt, a highly respected former Auditor General, was asked to independently review the matter in question. “At no time did Mr. Eby bring forward concerns or allegations related to immigration issues at Hastings or any other race track.

His insinuation that he did is false and should be retracted.

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Saturday, September 7, 2019

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, September 7, 2019

$1.3B Burnaby Hospital redevelopment announced by NDP burning out ... [and] working copious amounts

The government plans to spend $1.3 billion to upgrade and redevelop Burnaby Hospital.

“It’s been 40 years since the last upgrade to this facility and that’s way too long,” said Premier John Horgan.

Horgan said the completely upgraded and modernized facility would include two patient care towers, 400 new beds, a bigger emergency room and new cancer treatment centre. The original Burnaby Hospital was built in the 1950s and has undergone upgrades and additions over the years.

City of Burnaby removes parking meters from streets next to hospital In 2012, a damning report by a committee put together by the Fraser Health Authority cited overcrowding, underfunding and serious problems around the hospital’s aging

electrical and plumbing infrastructure.

The report also noted the high rate of C. difficile bacterial infection within the patient population. Burnaby Hospital currently has 285 beds and receives 70,000 visits annually.

Christine Sorenson, president of the B.C. Nurses Union, says the announcement is welcome news but she expressed concerns about staffing. “We have 1,100 nurses that work at that facility now [and] with the increased numbers of beds, I anticipate you’ll probably

need around 2,000 nurses,” Sorenson said. “Many of these units are specialty units requiring specialty education [and] nurses with advanced training.”

Sorenson said she hopes the government will also make a commitment to recruiting and retaining staff for the new facilities, especially because, she says, the province isn’t graduating enough nurses “We’re not graduating enough nurses in this province to actually replace the many of us that are about or able to retire,” she said. “And in fact we’re seeing many of these nurses not staying in nursing and our nurses today are

of overtime.” Health Minister Adrian Dix said health care staffing is as much of a concern for his government as health care facilities. “We need new hospitals ... but we also need more nurses now and in the future. We need more care aides now and in the future,” Dix said. “We need to deliver the services and we need to have the facilities to both recruit people into and also to give people hope in the health care system.”

Work to be completed by 2027 Horgan and the NDP’s 2017 campaign promises included replacing Burnaby Hospital. Work is expected to begin in 2021 with the construction of a new, six storey tower that is expected to be complete in 2023. The second tower is expected to break ground in 2024 with a completion date of 2027.

Burnaby is the third largest municipality in

Kamloops elementary school ‘a complete loss’ after huge fire An elementary school in Kamloops, B.C., is believed to be completely destroyed after an intense fire tore through the building, hours after school was dismissed during the first week of classes.

The fire at Parkcrest Elementary School was out of control for hours after it broke out around 5:15 p.m. PT on Thursday.

Thick black smoke and orange flame could be seen coming from the rooftop from blocks away as firefighters worked to save the building. Smoke could be seen floating across the Thompson River more than a kilometre away.

By dusk, at least one portion of the school had collapsed.

Kamloops Fire Rescue assistant chief Steve Robinson said no one was injured in the fire and no nearby buildings were threatened. The school district said three staff members — one teacher and two custodial workers — were in the building at the time but escaped safely.

Residents were asked to avoid the area as more than 30 firefighters remained on scene “for an extended period of time” working to douse the flames, Robinson said.

At least four firefighters stayed on site overnight to douse hot spots.

Onlookers gathered on nearby streets and playing fields, staring at the fire as it raged through the school.

Kathleen Karpuk, chair of the board of education for the school district, said the school is destroyed.

“We believe it’s going to be a complete loss, unfortunately.

We’re devastated,” she said.

“We knew within a very short time frame that we had probably lost the school and we know that for sure now.”

Karpuk said the school’s pet rabbit, named Thumper, is believed to have died in the fire.

The school, which Karpuk says was built in the 1960s, had more than 350 students enrolled this year.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Ontario police lay nearly 1,900 charges for traffic violations over the Labour Day weekend Ontario Provincial Police say they’ve laid nearly 1,900 charges over the long Labour Day weekend related to traffic violations.

OPP’s eastern region says the charges include speeding, stunt driving, impairment, distracted driving and not wearing seat belts properly.

They say more than 1,200 charges were related to speeding.

And nearly 300 charges were laid for hazardous moving violations.

Police are warning drivers to obey the rules of the roads and to report any dangerous driving.

Alaska cancels Prince Rupert BC ferry service Starting Oct. 1, residents in Prince Rupert, B.C., will no longer have access to Alaska by ferry, after the state decided to end the service.

The decision comes after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) put in place a requirement to have Canadian law enforcement at the Prince Rupert terminal to protect American personnel doing passport and contraband checks.

U.S. officials say Canada was not able to meet that requirement.

“This is not a budget issue, this is a staffing issue,” said Meadow Bailey with the Alaska Department of Transportation.

Alaska ferry service to pay for

armed Mounties at B.C. terminal To comply with the new requirements, a Canadian officer would be needed once a week during the winter months and twice a week during the summer.

“The Royal Canadian Mounted Police really did not have staffing that they were able to divert from what their normal duty is in the City of Prince Rupert to be able to dedicate entirely to the ferry,” said Bailey.

7,000 passengers per year U.S. transportation officials have received multiple emails and calls from people who are upset with the news, Bailey added.

The route sees about 7,000 passengers and 4,500 vehicles every year.

Former Edmonton MLA and his son charged with helping illegal immigrants A former Edmonton MLA and his son have been charged for allegedly employing and arranging cash loans for people who were in Canada illegally.

Former Edmonton-Mill Woods Conservative MLA Carl Benito, 65, and Charles Benito, 25, were found to be employing “unauthorized foreign nationals” at Triple Maple Leaf Canada Corporation, Helping Migrants Canadian Immigration Corporation and World Immigration Group Corporation.The men also helped temporary foreign workers who were not going to school apply for student permits, and facilitated short-term cash loans up to $17,000 that were a requirement of the student permit application, says the Canada Border Services Agency.

The offences happened between November 2015 and June 2018, the CBSA said.

“The CBSA takes this matter very seriously and works closely with our partners, including Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, to identify, investigate and prosecute those engaging in immigration fraud to profit from vulnerable individuals,” said Andrew Klatt, assistant director of the CBSA’s criminal investigation section.

Each man faces nine counts of unauthorized employment of foreign nationals, two counts of counselling/ aiding misrepresentation and one count of counseling/aiding misrepresentation related to study permit loan scheme.

Carlito also faces two other charges related to misrepresentation and mischief.

The men will appear in Edmonton Provincial Court on September 5.

LOCAL / NATIONAL

31 19

Patient will have to pay $9,500 for refusing service from Arabic healthcare worker A patient will be required to pay $9,500 in damages for discriminating against a healthcare worker in the Montreal area.

According to the facts laid out in the judgment, the complainant, who is of Arabic origin, worked as a nursing assistant in a hospital. During an exchange with a patient, the patient aggressively asked him to leave, told him to return home and treated him with contempt because of his ethnicity.

The hospital coordinator was required to intervene, but the patient refused to apologize and asked to be served by other employees who were not Arabic. The request was refused.When the patient was contacted by an investigator from the Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission to obtain his version of the facts, he reiterated his remarks and threatened to physically attack the complainant.

During the hearing, the patient tried to justify himself, saying he was under

the effect of morphine, but the tribunal deemed that anger or intoxication is not a valid excuse for discriminatory remarks.

The complainant testified that he found it difficult to work in the weeks following the events. He was affected to the point of having sleep problems and did not want to leave the hospital alone.

The judgment emphasized that a society cannot on one hand welcome people from other countries who may practice a religion different from the majority, and on the other allow those people to be admonished for their origins or religion, refuse them work or access to certain jobs. We cannot allow people to refuse to be served by people from elsewhere, the judgment read.

The tribunal awarded the complainant $7,500 in moral damages and $2,000 in punitive damages because of the patient’s cavalier attitude and the fact that he still considered his remarks justified.

Man wanted on Canada-wide warrant for human trafficking arrested: Police A man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for human trafficking has been arrested, according to the Regina police.

Daniel Khet, 26, was arrested in Montreal on Aug. 28 on “unrelated matters,” police said in a news release.

He remains in custody in Montreal and will return to Regina to appear on charges from an investigation into offences in Saskatchewan between March and April of this year.

Khet is facing multiple charges, including uttering threats, assault, forcible confinement and human trafficking.

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Federal Court agrees to hear appeal of cabinet’s green light for Trans Mountain pipeline The Federal Court of Appeal has agreed to hear appeals from opponents determined to overturn the Liberal government’s approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.

It’s another legal hurdle for the longdelayed project — which, if it’s built, will carry nearly a million barrels of oil per day from Alberta to B.C.’s coast.

The court has agreed to take up simultaneously six of 12 possible appeals to the federal cabinet’s decision.

The court said it would hear evidence on whether the federal government adequately consulted with Indigenous peoples before approving the project for a second time in June

— consultations that have since been described by critics as “windowdressing, boxticking and nicesounding words.”

While the federal Liberal cabinet has now twice approved the project, Attorney General David Lametti “took no position for or against the leave motions brought by the Indigenous and First Nation applicants,” the court said.

As of two weeks ago, some construction work was already underway.

The Crown corporation that now owns the line has said it will be finished by mid-2022.

That timeline could now be in jeopardy if the B.C.-based Indigenous groups — including the Coldwater Indian Band, the

Bank of Canada holds rates steady but flags global trade concerns The central bank - which has sat on the sidelines since last October - maintained its key overnight rate at 1.75%. The

current level of stimulus remained appropriate, it said, reiterating the pace

of Canadian economic growth would slow down in the second half of the year.

The bank, which has showed no appetite for cutting rates amid steady domestic activity, has sat on the sidelines even as some of its counterparts eased borrowing costs or signaled their intention to loosen monetary policy.

Andrew Kelvin, chief Canada strategist at

Squamish Nation, the Tsleil-Wautuh Nation, the Upper Nicola Band and the Secwepemc Nation — are again successful in convincing the Federal Court to quash cabinet approvals and nullify construction permits.

“The court has ordered that the challenges proceed on an expedited basis.

Short and strict deadlines for the steps in the litigation will be set,” the court said in a short one-page news release Wednesday.

The court said the parties seeking an appeal have just seven days to file their applications for a judicial review, a timeline the court conceded is “extremely short.”

TD Securities, said the statement “is a little bit less dovish than markets had been set up for.”

Market expectations of an interest rate cut on Oct 30, as reflected in the overnight index swaps markets, fell to 54% percent from 66%.

A Reuters poll released last week found economists were divided on whether the bank would cut rates this year or hold off until early 2020.

73% of short-term rentals now licensed in Vancouver, city says One year after new regulations for shortterm rentals were put into effect, the City of Vancouver says 116 illegal listings have been referred to prosecutors. Also during that time, 642 warning letters have been sent out, 660 violation tickets have been issued, 276 legal orders have been obtained, 150 listings have been cancelled voluntarily and

117 licences have been suspended, according to a press release from the city. “A year into our regulations we’ve seen promising results from our enforcement efforts and I’m looking forward to seeing how our approach continues to adapt to put the needs of Vancouver’s long-term renters first,” Mayor Kennedy Stewart said in the release.

Canada’s softwood lumber industry hasn’t harmed U.S. producers, NAFTA panel finds A joint NAFTA panel has given the United States three months to rethink its tariffs on imports of Canadian softwood lumber.

The five-member panel of Canadian and American representatives says there is no evidence that Canada’s softwood industry has harmed United States softwood producers.

The most recent softwood agreement between the two countries expired in the middle of the last federal election.

Eighteen months later the U.S.

imposed a new round of import duties, arguing Canada unfairly subsidizes its softwood producers by underpricing lumber cut on government-owned land.

The Canadian industry is struggling with numerous mill closures and layoffs amid the tariffs, depressed prices from lower international demand and supply issues in Canada related to forest fires and pest infestations.

Trade war uncertainty is hanging over Canada’s economy, Bank of Canada deputy governor says The Canadian economy has shaken off the weakness seen at the start of the year, however escalating trade conflicts and the related uncertainty are taking a toll, a senior Bank of Canada official said Thursday.

In a speech in Halifax, deputy governor Lawrence Schembri said the Canadian economy has rebounded from its earlier soft patch, but the economic data shows some areas of concern.

Schembri said the Canadian economy is operating close to full potential with low unemployment and inflation

right on the central bank’s target.

“This solid starting point means the economy has a welcome degree of resilience to possible negative economic developments,” he told the Halifax Regional Chamber of Commerce according to prepared remarks released in Ottawa.

“That said, we agree that the data show some areas of concern. Among these is the weakness in consumption ... and, of course, we are concerned about the drop in business investment, which is likely linked to ongoing trade war and related uncertainty.”

Consumer advocate wants Toyota to compensate owners hurt by parts shortage A national consumer advocacy organization is calling on Toyota Canada to be transparent about parts delays and compensate owners affected by the Canadawide problem that has seen some vehicles in the shop for more than two months.

George Iny, director of the Automobile Protection Association (APA), told CBC in an interview on Ontario Today that he doesn’t know the specifics of Toyota’s problems, but it needs to speak up.

“It’s non-transparent, and they will evade or provide incorrect or incomplete information for as long as they can get away with it, and when they feel something is potentially embarrassing,” he said.

He noted that this has happened before when Toyota in the U.S., made statements and accepted responsibility for problems with their vehicles while in Canada. “They just kept quiet, and it usually works.”

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Ousted Liberal candidate says party was aware of his online ‘anti semite’ comments for weeks Ousted Liberal candidate Hassan Guillet admits to posting online about a Hamas-aligned activist, but says the party was well aware of his comments and were even working on a public relations plan before they withdrew his nomination. Last week, the Liberal Party dumped Guillet as a candidate in Quebec after a Jewish human rights group accused him of making a number of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel statements. In a statement posted to its website Friday, B’nai Brith Canada alleges Guillett congratulated a Hamas-aligned activist, Raed Salah, upon his release from a “prison of

occupied Palestine” and prayed that he would one day succeed in liberating “all of Palestine.”

The group said he described Salah as “frontier-fighter.” The group also said it found a sincedeleted Facebook post from 2016 in which Guillet allegedly wrote “the Zionists control American politics.”

The group said it reached out to the Liberal Party more than a week ago to make it aware of their allegations against him. The Conservative Party also called for his withdrawal. Later that day, the Liberal Party said Guillet’s “insensitive comments” don’t align with the party’s values and revoked his candidacy in the riding of Saint-Léonard—

Elizabeth May accuses NDP of using ‘strong-arm tactics’ to force defectors back into the fold The federal NDP and Greens traded accusations Thursday over the apparent defections of some former New Brunswick NDP provincial candidates, capping off two days of squabbling between the progressive parties over the extent of the NDP exodus and the motivations of those involved.

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh accused the Greens of spreading misinformation about the number of defections from the provincial wing of his party, while Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said Singh’s party used “strongarm tactics” to push some would-be defectors to stay in the party fold or risk putting Singh

in a bad light. In a strongly worded statement sent to reporters Thursday, May said seven of the 14 former provincial NDP candidates will stay with the New Brunswick Green Party after making the swap on Tuesday, as most of the group have since “rejected these strong-arm tactics and will continue to support the Greens.”

A spokesperson for the NDP said they used no such tactics, as some of the so-called defectors were never prepared to leave the NDP in the first place. The spokesperson said a number of the supposed defectors gave interviews to CBC News denying they were leaving the party before ever speaking to NDP operatives.

Filings show NDP ended 2018 in rough financial shape Heading into an election year, the federal New Democratic Party fell deeper into a financial hole in 2018, hitting a low the party hasn’t seen in at least 17 years. Elections Canada posted the party’s annual financial return online on Thursday, showing the NDP finished last year with assets worth $4.7 million and liabilities totalling $9.2 million, leaving the party with negative net assets of $4.5 million. That put the party deeper in the red than it was in 2017, when the NDP’s balance sheet showed negative net assets of $3.1 million — which was the party’s worst recorded financial standing for any fiscal year since before 2001, the earliest year for which party records are

posted on Elections Canada website. The party also spent more money than it had coming in, running a $1.4 million operating deficit in 2018. That’s largely on par with 2017.

The NDP also had less cash in the bank — almost $155,000 in 2018 compared to more than $378,000 in 2017.

The party has said the 2018 balance sheet doesn’t include the value of the Jack Layton building it owns in downtown Ottawa. The building and the land it sits on were appraised last year at close to $8 million, according to the filings. “With the dramatic increase in the value of the building, we were able to securitize our loan,” said spokesperson Melanie Richer in a statement.

Canada displays wider-than-expected trade deficit in July Canada posted a wider-than-expected trade deficit in July as imports rose and exports declined, data from Statistics Canada showed on Wednesday, a sign that the boost to the domestic economy from trade in the second quarter may not be repeated.

Canada’s trade deficit was C$1.12 billion ($0.84 billion) in July, while the prior month’s surplus was revised to show a C$0.06 billion deficit. Analysts had forecast a deficit of C$0.40 billion in July.

“Canada’s trade balance took a dive into the red in July, playing into fears that Q2’s big growth driver, exports, would go missing in Q3,” Avery Shenfeld, chief economist at CIBC Capital Markets, said in a note.

Data on Friday showed that the Canadian economy expanded at a surprisingly strong annualized rate of 3.7% in the second quarter, a pace much higher

than the Bank of Canada had predicted, thanks to a resurgence in goods exports.

The Bank of Canada was due to make an interest rate decision at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT).

Money markets expect the benchmark interest rate to be left on hold at 1.75%.

They do expect the central bank to ease by the end of the year.

BOCWATCH Exports edged down by 0.9% in July partly due to lower trade in crude oil, as well as farm, fishing and food products.

Imports were up by 1.2%, largely on consumer goods and locomotive cars.

Exports to the United States fell 1.1%, while imports from the United States rose 1.6%, narrowing Canada’s trade surplus with its southern neighbor to C$4.6 billion

NATIONAL

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INDIA

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Lata Mangeshkar among celebrities who protested to save trees from Mumbai Metro Several prominent celebrities, including veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar, and politicians such as Uddhav and Raj Thackeray along with more than one lakh citizens have come together to oppose a plan to chop down 2700 trees in Mumbai.

The trees are proposed to be felled at Aarey Colony in suburban Mumbai to build a car shed for the city’s metro. “.... cutting down 2700 trees and (destroying) natural habitat of so

many species would be a tragedy. I firmly oppose this move and I earnestly request the government to look into this matter and save the forest. #SaveAareyForest,” Mangeshkar tweeted. The feuding Thackeray cousins and their children, too, found themselves on the same side with the Shiv Sena accusing the Devendra Fadnavis-led government of “betraying Mumbaikars” by destroying the “last” green lung of the city.

Those left out of final NRC will get chance to appeal Those left out of the final NRC may get an extended period of time to approach a tribunal to prove their Indian citizenship as authorities are yet to start issuing certificates citing reasons for their exclusion from the list of Assam’s residents, officials said on Wednesday.

According to new guidelines issued by the Centre, an individual who has been excluded from the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) can approach one of the 300 foreigners tribunals set up in Assam within 120 days beginning August 31.

Since the NRC authorities are yet to start the process of issuing the certificates

giving the reasons for their exclusion, there is a possibility of the NRC coordinator approaching the Supreme Court, seeking an extended period, a government official said. The certificate is necessary to approach a foreigners tribunal to challenge the exclusion from the NRC. The reason for the delay in issuing the certificate was due to the Supreme Court’s directive to the NRC coordinator to ensure fool-proof security to the NRC data, the official said. The NRC coordinator will approach the Supreme Court only after fully securing the complete NRC data, he added.

Govt courts global investors and opens doors to more FDI The government of India on Wednesday allowed foreign direct investment (FDI) in coal mining, contract manufacturing and digital media, while easing rules for single-brand retail to make it attractive for global brands such as Uniqlo, Apple and IKEA to inves...

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PM Modi explains rationale behind J&K decision to Putin, and thanking for support With Russia rejecting Pakistan’s pleas for intervention on Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday thanked President Vladimir Putin for the same and told him that “false and misleading” information was being spread by Pakistan on the matter.

During his talks with Putin, Modi himself brought up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in the context of a recent decision to abolish the state’s special status. The Prime Minister “explained the rationale” behind his government’s decision, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said while briefing media persons on the talks. Modi thanked Putin for giving a

“clear message” on the issue, days after Russia rejected Pakistan’s request for intervention.

Russia has maintained that Jammu and Kashmir was a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan and there was no need for its intervention. Earlier, while making a statement to the media along with Putin, Modi said both of them were against any “outside intervention” in matters related to any country, sending out a message to Pakistan, which has been desperately trying to rope in other countries on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir ever since the special status of the state was abolished last month.

Don’t speak out of turn, treat J&K as every ministry’s project: Modi to ministers Ministers should not make claims in public which they cannot deliver on or on subjects that are not in their arena of work and there is no need to hold forth on diverse issues,

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is understood to have told the council of ministers on Wednesday.

Former finance minister Chidambaram sent to jail till Sept 19 in Aircel-Maxis cases Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram was sent to Tihar jail Thursday by a Delhi court where he will spend 14 days in judicial custody in connection with the INX Media corruption case.

Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar sent him to judicial custody till September 19. The court allowed him to carry his medicines to jail and directed that he be kept in a separate cell in Tihar prison as he was a protectee under Z-security.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured

that there will be adequate security for Chidambaram in the jail.

The court also issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate on Chidambaram’s plea seeking to surrender in the money laundering case lodged by the agency in which the Supreme Court Thursday dismissed his plea against the August 20 order of the Delhi High Court denying him pre-arrest bail. Chidambaram, 73, was produced before a Delhi court on Thursday after the expiry of his 2-day CBI custody in the case.

PUNJAB

Saturday, September 7, 2019 ‘Punjab has more cops dealing with drugs than NCB has for nation’ Punjab has more cops deployed in the state to deal with drug menace than the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has for the entire country. Information to this effect was furnished before the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the hearing of a petition on implementation of mandatory directions issued by the Bench for arresting drug problem

in the state. Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta said the operational strength of the NCB was only about 607 for the entire country, which was lesser than Punjab STF with operational strength of about 665. Gupta, who remained on his feet for more than two hours during the hearing even after the High Court asked him to sit, said he was trained to do so.

23 killed, many injured in firecracker factory blast in Batala Twenty-three people were killed and more than a dozen others injured, some of them seriously, when a powerful blast took place inside a three-storey firecracker factory in Batala town of Punjab on Wednesday afternoon. Located on the Samadh road, the illegal factory was being run in a residential area. Some factory workers are still believed to be trapped inside the building rubble.

“The immediate priority before the district administration was to rescue the people and

Batala factory blast probe ordered Chief Minister Amarinder Singh orders magisterial inquiry into Batala firecracker factory blast that killed 23 people and left several injured. The ADC (Batala) has been asked to conduct the inquiry into the tragic incident. Capt Amarinder also directed Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa to rush to the spot to oversee the relief and rescue operations. The CM has announced an ex gratia grant of Rs 2 lakh each for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the seven severely injured, who were referred to Amritsar Medical College. He has also announced Rs. 25,000 each for those with minor injuries. The CM also directed both the civil and police administration of Gurdaspur district to extend all possible help to the victims’ families. He also directed the Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner to provide the best possible treatment to the injured free of cost, besides asking SSP Batala to supervise the evacuation operations being carried out by the NDRF teams.

Amritsar: Six of injured in the firecracker factory blast at Batala were brought to Government Medical College here. One of them Amrit Singh (32) died on the way.

Dr Rakesh Sharma, professor (surgery), managing the emergency, said, “Two of the patients are critical as they have around 70 per cent injuries.”

DSGMC sends legal notice to Flipkart Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday said a legal notice had been served on online shopping platform Flipkart for unlawfully using the image of Harmandar Sahib, Amritsar, and other Sikhs shrines and religious articles for promotion of its business interests. Sirsa alleged that the company was unlawfully using images of Darbar Sahib and other Sikh Shrines for selling and advertising its products. Such products were being sold by the website in different countries.

He said Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple) was the supreme religious shrine for the Sikh community. Sinful usage of its image for promotion of business interests had hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community

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4 members of Nawanshahr family washed away in Kenyan floods Four members of a Nawanshahr, Punjab family died in Kenya. The incident took place when the family, residing in Kenya for the past 15 years, gone out, they got washed away in floods.

The deceaseds identified as Jaswinder Singh (50), Manpreet Kaur (38), Inderpreet Kaur (15) and Harshdeep Singh (11). First Jaswinder, a businessman, moved to Kenya in

1993 and after his marriage, he called his wife too. Jaswinder Singh is survived by two sisters, one in Canada and another in Nawanshahr.

Ranbir Singh, one of his relatives, “Before their death, the children had a video call with us and were telling us the places they were going to visit. We had never imagined that this was the last time we were talking to them.”

No charges to shift power lines On the directives of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has exempted domestic and commercial consumers from the to provide medical aid to the people who material and storage cost, as well as supervision have been injured” Deputy Commissioner, charges, for shifting of 11 KV HT/LT lines Gurdaspur Vipul Ujjawal said. According to passing over/ along their buildings and not

having sufficient electrical clearance.

The Chief Minister ordered the PSPCL to issue necessary guidelines in this regard to mitigate the hardships faced by consumers. The move would go a long way in ensuring the safety and security of residents from high-tension wires.

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INDIA

Saturday, September 7, 2019

ISRO explains how soft landing of ‘Vikram’ will take place The crucial landing of ‘Vikram’, Chandrayaan2’s moon lander, will be carried out by at least eight onboard equipment in a coordinated manner.

‘Vikram’ with rover ‘Pragyaan’ housed inside is scheduled for a powered-descent between 1 am and 2 am on September 7, followed by its touchdown between 1.30 am and 2.30 am.

Ahead of the proposed touchdown in the early hours of Saturday, the ISRO explained through a video how it will take place.

The space agency explained that the machine will be fitted with at least three cameras, Lander Position Detection Camera (LPDC), Lander Horizontal Velocity Camera (LHVC) and Lander Hazardous Detection and Avoidance Camera (LHDAC), to ensure its soft landing on the lunar surface. There will be two KA Band Altimeter-1 and KA Band Altimeter-2. The KA Band stands for Kurtz-above band, which is part of the Kurtz (K) band in the microwave band of

the electromagnetic spectrum. There will be a Laser Altimeter (LASA), an instrument that is used to learn about the topography, or the shape of the surface of a planet. It will operate through the orbitor revolving around the moon above the lander. The lander will have five 800N Liquid thruster engines, touchdown sensors and solar panels. During the rough braking Phase at an altitude of 100 km, the four engines on four sides of the cubical shaped lander will be switched on. At this stage of the Absolute Navigation Phase, KA Band-1, Laser Altimeter and Lander Position Detection Camera will be activated to ensure that the lander is positioned in the space just above the moon surface to sit perfectly on the ground. The Lander Position Detection Camera will be switched on to identify the perfect place to sit cozily on the ground. At this hovering stage of lander, about 400 metre above the moon surface, two engines will be ignited.

India likely to produce nuclear fuel with Russia’s help India and Russia beginning new era of cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region to make it “open, free and inclusive”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, amidst China flexing its military muscles in the strategic region.

Addressing the plenary session of the 5th Eastern Economic Forum here, Modi said, “When ships will start plying between Vladivostok and Chennai with the opening of the maritime routes between the two cities, the Russian port city will become the springboard of northeast asia market in India. This will further deepen the Indo-Russia partnership.”

A Memorandum of Intent was signed on Wednesday between India and Russia for the development of maritime communications between the ports of Chennai and Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East Region.

“We are starting a new era of cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region,” Modi said, adding that the partnership between India and Russian in the development of the Far East will make it a “confluence of open, free and inclusive Indo-Pacific”.

The Far East, Modi said, will become the bedrock of strong Indo-Russia ties.

Swimming coach dismissed for molesting minor girl Swimming coach Surajit Ganguly, was sacked by the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) after a video and photographs of him allegedly molesting a minor girl surfaced online. Speaking to the media, SFI President Digambar Kamat said that he had sought a report from the state body about the incident.“We have taken a suo moto step after the video surfaced online.

We don’t yet know where the incident took place, but we are trying to find out,” Kamat said. Late on Wednesday, filmmaker Vinod Kapri uploaded grabs of the video and tagged Sports Minister Kiren Rijuju, seeking action against the coach. Rijiju tweeted in response: “A stringent action will be taken through Sports Authority. Firstly, it’s a heinous crime of serious nature so I’ll urge the Police to take stringent penal action against the coach urgently.” On Thursday, Rijiju directed the SFI to ensure that

the “coach is not employed anywhere in India”.

“I’ve taken a strong view of the incident. The Goa Swimming Association has terminated the contract of coach Surajit Ganguly. I’m asking the Swimming Federation of India to ensure that this coach is not employed anywhere in India.

This applies to all Federations and disciplines,” Rijiju tweeted.

Man beaten to death for entering Pandit Gali in Delhi family claims mob took him to be Muslim A 23-year-old man in Delhi was lynched for the mere act of entering the Brahmin lane.

A man named Sahil, who lived in the Adarsh Mohalla of Maujpur was brutally beaten up on August 30. Sahil was involved in a fight with some people of the same locality on Friday evening and had sustained injuries. On Friday, Sahil’s friends were passing through Gali no. 5 of Vijay Park in Maujpur. A man named Chandrabhan, his son Ayush and some others stopped the group. Chandrabhan allegedly asked the group why they were passing through a lane inhabited by pandits and then started beating the group of friends. Upon hearing of the scuffle, Sahil rushed to the spot to help his friends. Chandrabhan also accused Sahil of trespassing in the Pandit lane and thrashed him too. Sahil was beaten so brutally that he fainted. He was taken to his home where he started vomiting and was having difficulty breathing. When his family took him to the hospital, he was declared dead.

Sahil’s father Sunil Singh has claimed

that his son was killed because the attackers mistook him to be a Muslim who had entered a Hindu area.

He said, “My son’s name was Sahil. The area was a pandit’s lane. They thought he was a Muslim.” He alleged that the accused were drunk when the incident took place. Sahil’s mother Suneeta also said that communal sentiments were behind her son’s death. She said that the accused thought Sahil was a Muslim name and hence he was beaten up.

Sahil was the sole breadwinner of his family.

He was taking care of his father’s construction material business. His father had stopped working due to a heart ailment. The 23-yearold had two other siblings -- a sister Anjali and a 13-year-old brother Aditya.

“My son came home running. He had been beaten up very badly. He told his sister he could not breathe. Then he lay down in my lap and said he had been attacked in Gali no. 5...as he said this, he died in my arms. My 23-year-old son left me and I was not able to do anything,” a desolate Suneeta said.

Jealous man sends bomb threat to the airport to stop ‘friends’s flight A man, who had been jealous of his friend going to Canada for further studies, sent a bomb blast threat in an email to the Hyderabad airport to stall his visit. The Cyber police in Hyderabad have arrested a youth for sending hoax bomb threat email to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport of Hyderabad on Tuesday. Rajeev Gandhi International Airport on Tuesday received an email on the airport’s customer support department, in which an unknown individual claimed that he wanted to blast a bomb there on Wednesday.

A search operation was immediately launched after receiving the mail. However, they found nothing and the mail was declared as Non specific.

The mail, which was sent from ID: ‘sairamkaleru@live.com’ at 2:31 pm on Tuesday, read, “I want to blast bomb in airport tomorrow [Wednesday].”

Further,

a police complaint was lodged for further investigation on the threat. Following an investigation, it was revealed that a man, who had been jealous of his friend going to Canada for further, had sent the threat to stall his visit.

24-year-old accused hatched the plan for a “bomb blast” email as he was jealous that while he was still jobless, his childhood friend had got a Canadian visa. The accused has been identified as Katraju Shahshikanth, a resident of Warangal. He stays at a boys hotel in Hyderabad and is friends with Sairam Kaleru, a resident of Uppal Hyderabad.

Recently, Sairam received the Canada visa as he was planning to go for further studies.

This led to jealousy as Shahshikanth was not able to even find a job. At first, he wrote a fake email to Canadian immigration to cancel Sairam’s visa all to no avail.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

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SOUTH ASIA

Saturday, September 7, 2019

12 killed in Kabul suicide bombing A suicide blast in Kabul killed at least 10 civilians and two NATO soldiers on Thursday, destroying cars and shops in an area near the headquarters of international military force and the US embassy. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack even as the insurgents and US officials have been negotiating a deal on a US troop withdrawal in exchange for Taliban security guarantees.

“At least 10 civilians have been killed and 42 injured were taken to hospitals,” said Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesman for the interior ministry. The NATO-led Resolute Support mission said in a statement a Romanian and a US member of the force were killed in action in Kabul. A senior Afghan interior ministry official said the two soldiers were killed in the suicide bomb attack and their vehicle was the main target. —

US backs India on terror tag The US has backed India’s move to declare four notorious criminals, including JeM chief Masood Azhar, LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, as terrorists individually under a new anti-terror law, expanding possibilities of cooperation between the two countries to combat the scourge of terrorism. India has declared Mumbai terror attack accused Zaki-urRehman-Lakhvi, fugitive gangster Dawood

Ibrahim, Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, as individual terrorists by the government under a new anti-terror law.

“We stand w/ #India & commend it for utilizing new legal authorities to designate 4 notorious terrorists: Maulana Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi & Dawood Ibrahim.

Bangladeshis speak up about ‘rampant’ rapes in madrasas Former Bangladeshi students are turning to social media to detail allegations of “rampant” sex abuse at the hands of teachers and older pupils in madrasas, breaking their silence on a taboo topic in the conservative country.

Child abuse in madrasas has long gone unreported in Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation where hardline Islamist groups draw their support from the tens of thousands of schools across the nation of 169 million people.

But in the wake of a brutal murder of a teenage girl who was burnt to death in April after accusing her headteacher of sexual assault, such incidents have been subject to national scrutiny and debate for the first time.

In July alone, at least five madrasa teachers have been arrested on rape charges against boys and girls under their care.

Several senior students were also held by police over the rape and beheading of an 11-year-old orphan, while a Dhaka cleric and

seminary teacher was charged with sexually assaulting a dozen boys aged between 12 and 19.

The accusations reveal how students from poorer and rural backgrounds, whose parents send them to madrasas as they are more affordable than secular schools, are

disproportionately affected by the abuse.

Rights activists said the assaults - which range from violent rapes to forcible kissing - are so pervasive that the cases reported in the media are just the tip of the iceberg.

“For years these crimes eluded spotlight due to sensitivity of the subject,” Abdus Shahid, the head of child rights’ group Bangladesh Shishu Odhikar Forum, said.

“Devout Muslims send children to madrasas, but they don’t speak up about these crimes as they feel it would harm these key religious institutions.” Hojaifa al Mamduh, who studied in three madrasas in the capital Dhaka, published a series of posts on Facebook in July detailing the abuses endured by students including himself. The assaults were “so widespread in the madrasas, every student who has studied there knows about it”, Al Mamduh, now a journalism student at a Dhaka University, said.

In this photo taken on July 15, 2019, Hojaifa al Mamduh, a former madrasa student who is now studying journalism at a Dhaka university, poses for a photo in Dhaka. Former Bangladeshi students are turning to social media to detail allegations of “rampant” sex abuse at the hands of teachers and older pupils in Islamic schools, breaking their silence on a taboo topic in the conservative country. Image Credit: AFP “Many madrasa teachers I know consider sex with children a lesser crime than consensual extramarital sex with women. Since they live in the same dormitories, the perpetrators can easily hide their crimes and put pressure on their poor students to keep mum.”

The 23-year-old’s posts generated heated debate in the country, and he was personally threatened. He was accused of being “an agent of Jews and Christians” and smearing the “sacred image” of a madrasa by one social media user. Another reminded him of the fate of Avijit Roy, a top Bangladeshi atheist blogger and writer who was hacked to death by Islamist extremists in 2015. But his posts encouraged others to share their own experiences of alleged sex crimes. Mostakimbillah Masum, who published his story on a feminist website, said he was “first raped by an elder student in my madrasa when I was just seven”.

The 25-year-old told AFP that another one of his rapists was “a teacher who made me unconscious and raped me. It traumatised me permanently”. “Dozens of madrasa students I know were either raped or witnessed rapes and sexual assaults of their fellow students,” he added. “It is so rampant almost every madrasa has a fair share of such stories.”Madrasa teachers have strongly denied the allegations, calling them “negative propaganda”. Mahfuzul Haq, a principal of a madrasa in Mohammadpur where Al Mamduh studied, told AFP “one or two isolated incidents can happen” as there were 20,000 madrasas in the South Asian nation.

“Those who don’t like to study in madrasas are spreading these stories,” he added. A spokesman for hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islami, which represents a coalition of thousands of madrasas, said his organisation told a recent conference of 1,200 principals to take “tough stand against any sex crimes”.

SOUTH ASIA

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Maldives, India sign treaty on mutual legal assistance Maldives, on Tuesday, signed the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters with India to extend assistance and support in criminal investigations and prosecutions.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maldives and India signed the treaty in Paradise Island Resort on the sidelines of the ongoing Indian Ocean Conference 2019.

This marks the first instance of Maldives signing a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with any country. Maldives was represented in the treaty exchange ceremony

by Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid and Prosecutor General Aishath Bisham, whereas the Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Ambassador of India to Maldives Sunjay Sudhir represented India. The treaty document was exchanged by Foreign Minister Shahid and Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar.

Compiled under the full title of ‘Treaty between the Republic of Maldives and the Republic of India on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters’, the treaty was approved by the parliament on July 8. Out of the 75 parliamentarians in attendance, 65 MPs’ voted in favour while 11 voted against signing the document.

Jim Mattis say ‘Pakistan is most dangerous country I have dealt with’ Former US defense secretary James Mattis has said he considers Pakistan as the “most dangerous country” he dealt with it in a long career spanning decades in the military and as a member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet, because of the level of radicalization of its society and its nuclear weapons.

Mattis, who left the Trump administration in January, also slammed Pakistan’s obsession with India, saying it “views all geopolitics through the prism of its hostility toward India” and that has also shaped their policy on Afghanistan as the “the Pakistan military wanted a friendly government in Kabul that was resistant to Indian influence”.

He has long years of experience dealing with Pakistan and South Asia, first as a top US

Marine Corps commandeer in Afghanistan, head of US central command and then as secretary of defense. “Of all the countries I’ve dealt with, I consider Pakistan to be the most dangerous, because of the radicalization of its society and the availability of nuclear weapons,” Mattis has written in “Call Sign Chaos”, an autobiography that hit the stands Tuesday. “We can’t have the fastest-growing nuclear arsenal in the world falling into the hands of the terrorists breeding in their midst.

The result would be disastrous.” Pakistan has the world’s fastest growing nuclear arsenal, with a substantial quantities of tactical weapons that its leaders have publicly boasted about, including a member or Prime Minister Imran Khan’s cabinet recently. And Mattis

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Myanmar to extend visa relaxation on Asian travelers for one more year Myanmar government will extend preliminary schemes of visa exemption for visitors from Japan and South Korea, and visaon-arrival for those from China and India for one more year to Sept. 30, 2020, to attract more tourists to the country, according to an announcement of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism late on Monday.

Visa exemption was initially allowed for visitors from Japan and South Korea and visaon-arrival for those from China from Oct. 1, 2018 to Sept. 30, 2019.Meanwhile, visa-onarrival, granted for Indian tourists for one year from Dec. 1, 2018, will also be extended

to Nov. 30, 2020, the announcement added.

The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism said in another earlier release in July that Myanmar authorities planned to grant visa-on-arrival to visitors from six more countries starting on Oct. 1 as a further relaxation of visa restriction on foreign visitors in addition to Asian ones to boost tourism.

The prior relaxation of visa restriction on Asian travelers have significantly prompted the increase of tourist arrivals in Myanmar in the first six months of 2019 to 2.14 million, up 420,000 compared with the same period of 2018 when 1.72 million entered the country, according to the figures from the ministry.

Bangladesh bans cellphone services in Rohingya camps Bangladesh ordered telecommunications companies to stop selling SIM cards and shut down mobile phone services to almost one million Rohingya refugees living in sprawling refugee camps.

The order resonated across the camps on Monday, where it threatened to disconnect Rohingya from several settlements that stretch for kilometres in the border district of Cox’s Bazar. The communication blackout will also isolate Rohingya from family still in Myanmar from where they fled a brutal military crackdown.

Telecommunications operators have seven days to submit reports to the government on the actions they took to shut down networks in the camps, said Zakir Hossain

Khan, spokesman for the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.

“Many refugees are using mobile phones in the camps. We’ve asked the operators to take action to stop it,” Khan told the AFP news agency, saying the decision was made on “security grounds”.

The decree follows what the government describes as a series of violent crimes in the camps in recent weeks.

About 700,000 Rohingya fled into Bangladesh from Myanmar’s Rakhine State beginning in August of 2017, following a military crackdown on the majority-Muslim Rohingya minority, an apparent systemic purge described by the United Nations as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing”.

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FIJI Police name ‘witch doctor’ and wife suspects in deaths of five family members

Rumours of witch doctors, curses and secret Raheesh Isoof — a man the family had known potions are circulating following the mysterious for decades before he moved to Christchurch. deaths of five family members on a perilous Fijian Mr Isoof and his wife were born in Fiji but mountain range. Nirmal Kumar, 63, his wife Usha relocated to the east Christchurch suburb of Linwood, where he Devi, 54, their daughter had been working as a Nileshni Kajal, 34, and bus driver, according Ms Kajal’s daughters to The New Zealand Sana, 11, and Samara, 8, Herald. Neighbours were all found dead in told Stuff.co.nz the the Nausori Highlands pair had returned to on Monday without their “homeland” for visible injuries. Posta holiday and were mortem examinations expected back in the found all five victims had consumed a “toxic Muhammad Raheesh Isoof, 62, aka Kamal the next few days. Raj substance” but authorities witch doctor, and his wife have both been grilled said Mr Isoof was known locally as over the five deaths by police. have not disclosed the “Kamal”, a highlyname of the poison. A baby sought after “healer” girl, identified as Sumaira Kumar and believed to be Ms Kajal’s niece, is revered for his “special abilities” who had been under observation in hospital after she was treating his sister-in-law Usha Devi for severe rescued by a young woman who stumbled across abdominal pains for several years. However the grisly scene. Neighbours of the family, who police have labelled Mr Isoof a “witch doctor” lived in the Nadi suburb of Legalega, said they and have enacted a “stop departure order” to had not seen them since last Saturday — meaning prevent the couple from returning to New the defenceless infant may have braved at least Zealand. The order was enforced after a court 36 hours alone in the wilderness. Sumaira’s rejected an application to detain them longer mother, who is thought to live in Sydney, left than the 48 hours permissible under Fijian law.

Muhammad Raheesh Isoof, 62, aka Kamal Australia this morning to be by her daughter’s side. The child is believed to have turned one the witch doctor, and his wife have both been just a day before the family perished. Found grilled over the five deaths by police. Picture: dead: Nileshni Kajal, 34 with her daughters Facebook. “We released the man, who we have Sana, 11, and Samara, 8. Picture: Facebook. been told is a witch doctor, (on Wednesday) News.com.au asked the Department of and we released the woman when her 48 hours Foreign Affairs and Trade to confirm if the pair expired (on Thursday),” a police spokesman are Australian nationals and, if so, whether they said. “They are our prime suspects right are providing assistance to them.But a DFAT now. We also ran a check on the couple and spokesman said the department had yet to they are both known in our police records, receive any requests relating to the case, which so we are just wondering how they got PR has stunned Fijians. Mother-of-two Kelera (permanent residency) for New Zealand.”

Raj Kumar said his family had known Toloi, 25, described the incredible moment she stumbled across tiny Sumaira crawling Kamal, “since 1972 when his father built near a cliff at Celekuta, a popular but rugged their house next to ours”. His brother, sightseeing spot, at around 9am on Monday. who was a carpenter, had helped Kamal’s Ms Toloi said she did not know how the infant family extend their home several times.

“My brother used to look after their had managed to survive alone without shelter or sustenance but said her inability to walk home and fix anything that needed to be had probably saved her life. “I grabbed her fixed,” he told Stuff.co.nz. “We were very and changed her soggy diaper straight away close, since 1972. We grew up together.”

A family friend who requested anonymity and fed her two milk bottles,” She told The Fiji Sun. “By the looks of it she was hungry but I said Kamal was used at least three times wonder what inhumane mind could have by the Kumar family to heal Usha Devi’s done such a thing. Fortunately she did not abdominal pains and had been known to walk or she would have fallen off the cliff. As carry out the rituals outdoors. “He prays for a mother, it’s a really sad scene.” One report them and gives them some herbal medicine claimed Sumaira was found sitting on top of or something to drink,” the friend told Stuff. her grandfather’s body moments before she co.nz. “They’ve performed rituals together was rescued but police have not confirmed this. at the beach and elsewhere. This is not the BIZARRE LINK TO NZ ‘WITCH first time they’ve been out together.” Kamal DOCTOR’ Police investigating the five deaths could “fix a problem” by praying for people have questioned a married couple from New who came to him for healing, the friend said.

Zealand they say were known to the victims. “Headaches, sores on the leg, any type of Mr Kumar’s brother Raj Kumar, who lived pain — he had this special power to fix it by next door to the victims in Legalega, identified praying for people. And he knew about herbal the detained man as 62-year-old Muhammad medicine sometimes he would give that too.”

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Father of youngest victims blames witchcraft for death of family in Nausori Highlands The father of the two children found dead in Fiji blames the family’s belief in witchcraft for their deaths.

Salvin Singh told the Fiji Sun his in-laws were “too much into witchcraft” and that he used to transport witchdoctors to and from their home. “I knew that my father-in-law was practising witchcraft and in extreme conditions, he would call witchdoctors home or take my mother-in-law to them as she always used to complain of stomach pains and claim that someone has done something to her.” Singh’s

daughters Sana, 11, and Sumara, 8, whom he shared with Usha Devi, 34, were among the five found dead in the Nausori Highlands in Nadi on Monday. The other victims were identified as Devi’s husband Nirmal Kumar and their 34-year-old daughter Nileshni Kajal.

The post-mortem examination results showed they died as a result of ingesting a toxic substance. * Woman known to Kiwi ‘healer’ also questioned by Fiji police after death of family Singh, a professional counsellor and child protection officer, said.

No hidden agenda says Rabuka Opposition Leader Sitiveni Rabuka says he didn’t have a hidden agenda when meeting with the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama.

Rabuka along with Ratu Suliano Matanitobua and Ro Temumu Kepa met with Bainimarama to try and push for a reconciliation with NFP President Pio Tikoduadua. Bainimarama yesterday said that Rabuka’s hidden agenda was he wanted to act as a peacemaker and a statesman and wants people to know that he came up with the idea of reconciliation. peaking to FBC

News today, Rabuka says this was not his agenda. “I didn’t have a hidden agenda, it’s all open, I did not try to become a peacemaker, I just tried to resolve an issue” However, Bainimarama says the Speaker had already made efforts for reconciliation, in which he had already offered his apology but Tikoduadua refused to meet with them on the day after the altercation.

Meanwhile, the Privileges Committee will have their last meeting today and they will deliver their outcome in Parliament tomorrow.

Fijian seasonal worker to be deported back for burglary charge A New Zealand Judge says that a Fijian man who broke into a house to proposition a woman for sex will be deported as soon as possible. Stuff.Co is reporting that the 23 year old Ratu Vereniki Romuakalou who was working under the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary.

He broke into the house in the early hours of Sunday April 14 through an unsecured rear door and turned on the light and moved towards the woman who had been sleeping

in the lounge near a newborn baby she had been babysitting. She ran from the room alerting the other members of the household.

Romuakalou fled but was located by police a short distance away. In a statement to police he said he went into the house “looking for someone to have sex with’’ and had been very drunk at the time. Lawyer Emma Riddell said Romuakalou was remorseful and very ashamed for his actions and wanted it to be known he did not mean to frighten the woman. Judge David Ruth sentenced

17-year-old to appear in court for unlawful cultivation of Marijuana The 17-year-old was arrested after police seized plants which were tested positive as Marijuana from his farm in Nalawa Ra, earlier

this week, has been charged with count of unlawful cultivation of illicit drugs. He will appear in Court on September 5.

More charged for drug related offence Another youth has been charged for a drug-related offence. A 17-year-old girl charged with unlawful possession of illicit drugs following a raid conducted by officers from the Nasinu Police Station at her parent’s home yesterday. Police say the raid was conducted yesterday morning in

Narere where officers discovered more than 60 sachets of dried leaves confirmed to be marijuana and more than $900 cash allegedly in her possession. She has been charged and will be produced in the Sigatoka Magistrates Court tomorrow. In a separate case, a 24-year-

PAKISTAN

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Prime Minister Imran Khan discusses Kashmir situation with Saudi & UAE foreign ministers Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday discussed the situation in Kashmir with visiting foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, amid tensions with India after New Delhi abrogated Article 370.

Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the UAE Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan

al-Nahyan arrived here early in the day and were received by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Khan said that Saudi Arabia and the UAE along with the world should play a role in urging India to reverse its recent decision on Kashmir.

No Kartarpur agreement yet as govt wants Rs 1,437 service fee

Opening of Kartarpur corridor holds religious significance to crores of Sikh pilgrims.

They have waited for over 70 years for this dream to come true, but gov’t in Pakistan, it means business. India requested Islamabad to not charge any entry fee from pilgrims but it seems to be not happening. The Kartarpur corridor agreement could not be finalised as Pakistan

insisted on charging a service fee for allowing pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.

Pakistan remains adamant on charging entry fees from the Sikh pilgrims. Indian officials who have already raised this issue during the July 14 delegation meeting raised this issue again during the Atari Border meeting.

Pakistan’s fiscal deficit reached a record level of 8.9% of GDP in 2018-’19, shows government data Pakistan’s fiscal deficit for the 2018-’19 financial year reached a record level of 8.9% of the Gross Domestic Product, Dawn reported on Wednesday. This was higher than the 6.6% recorded in the previous financial year, and much above the government’s target of 4.9%

at the beginning of the year, and 7.1% in June.

The fiscal deficit is the difference between the expenditures and revenues of the government. In Pakistan, the financial year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30 the following year.

Woman among six IS militants killed in encounter in Quetta A woman was among the six militants of the Islamic State terror group killed in an encounter after security forces raided a terrorist hideout on Wednesday in Quetta, police said. Inspector General of Police Mohsin Hassan Butt said that an official of the Balochistan Constabulary was also killed in the operation carried out near Eastern Bypass in the provincial capital Quetta, the

Dawn newspaper reported. Butt said that the militants belonged to the Islamic State group.

Eight other personnel from the Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) were injured, one of whom is said to be critical. Butt said that the operation, that lasted for six hours, was carried out by officials of the intelligence agencies, counter-terrorism department and ATF. The security forces also

Pakistan army contradicts Prime Minister Khan, denies having no-first-use policy on nukes Days after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said his country will not use nuclear weapons first, his country’s military today stated that it does not follow the “no first use” policy on nuclear weapons, new agency PTI has reported. “We don’t have any “no first use” policy... Our weapons are for deterrence.

As far as India is concerned, it us up to them to formulate any policy,” Pakistan military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said at a media briefing in Islamabad, when he was asked about Defence Minister Rajnath Singh saying last month that India reserves the right to change its policy of ‘No First Use’, which

First Hindu woman police officer in Sindh province Pushpa Kolhi (pictured) has become the first girl from the Hindu community who has qualified provincial competitive examination through Sindh Public Service Commission and become Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) in Sindh Police.

Pushpa Kolhi became the first Hindu girl to be inducted into Sindh Police

after passing the provincial competitive examinations.

Kolhi has been posted as the Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) in the province, the news agency said quoting Geo News. “Pushpa Kolhi has become the first girl from #Hindu community who has qualified provincial competitive

Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after New Delhi withdrew Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcated it into two union territories.

A statement released by Khan’s office said, “Both countries would remain engaged to help address the current challenges, defuse tensions, and promote an environment of peace

Pakistan rules out change in its nuclear policy A day after Prime Minister Imran Khan unexpectedly announced that Pakistan will not use nuclear weapons or initiate military action against India first. Islamabad on Tuesday said that there was no such change in its nuclear policy.

Addressing an event of Sikh community in Lahore on Monday, Khan had said that both Pakistan and India were nuclear-armed countries and if tension escalated between them, the whole world could be in danger.

“But there will be no first from our side ever,” Khan reportedly said.

However, Dr Muhammad Faisal, spokesperson of the foreign affairs ministry, in a tweet said, “Prime Minister’s comments on Pakistan’s approach towards conflict between two nuclear armed states are being taken out of context.” “While conflict should not take place between two nuclear states, there’s no change in Pakistan’s nuclear policy,” he added.

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NRI

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Naturopathy helps NRI lose 10kg in 20 days A 48-year-old US-based NRI — weighing 112kg and battling various health issues, from diabetes to hypothyroidism — shed 10kg in 20 days. Not with any medicine or surgery, but through lifestyle changes, dietary restrictions, detox therapies and naturopathy. In August Chhattisgarh police also arrested two Nigerian nationals from New Delhi for allegedly duping a Rajnandgaon-based woman of around Rs. 44 lakh after befriending her on a social

networking site, an official said on Sunday.

The accused, identified as Kibi Stanley Okwo (28) and Nwakor (29), were arrested from Chanakya Place in the national capital on Friday by a special team of Rajnandgaon police, Rajnandgaon Superintendent of Police Kamlochan Kashyap said. “They were brought to Rajanandgaon Sunday on transit remand from Delhi,” he added. The complaint in the case was registered in December last year.

NRI techie kills himself in cab A US-based techie, who returned to the city on Saturday, killed himself on Sunday by consuming poison inside a cab on his way to his sister’s house in Kukatpally. Police suspect marital discord to be behind his suicide.

Police said, E Anil Kumar, 30, stayed in a hotel after he returned from the US. He hired a cab

to meet his sister when she called him home but consumed poison on the way. “By the time the cab reached Eenadu colony, Anil had died.

He has left a suicide note in which he stated frustration as the reason for ending his life,’’ said subinspector Krishna of Kukatpally Police Station.

Panjab University extends deadline for filling NRI seats Panjab University extends deadline for filling NRI seats Chandigarh News, Latest Chandigarh News Headlines & Live Updates - Times of India The Panjab University (PU) has extended the deadline for admissions to the NRI and foreign-national seats at the university that are still lying vacant.

NRI dies during bike ride near Hyderabad A US-based software engineer from Hyderabad was killed after a fourwheeled All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) he was riding overturned at a resort in Telangana’s Vikarabad district, police said on Wednesday.

Arvind Kumar Peechara, 45, was riding the bike in the Hills and Valley Adventures Resort at Godamaguda near Hyderabad when the incident occurred on Monday.

The came to light on Wednesday after police registered a case on a complaint by Arvind’s friends. The techie, who was apparently riding the bike without a guide, tumbled as it was sliding down a small mound. The vehicle also overturned and fell on him. He sustained grievous injury on head and was rushed to a hospital at Vikarabad, where doctors declared him brought dead.

The techie, who was based in Dallas, was vacationing along with friends. Vibha, a non-profit organization that supports the education of underprivileged children in India and the US, condoled the death of Peechara.

Plans to rank English skills high in post-Brexit UK visa system An applicant’s English language skills are likely to be ranked according to levels of proficiency in a new post-Brexit visa regime being finalised by UK home secretary Priti Patel.

Britain’s senior-most Indian-origin Cabinet minister in the Boris Johnson-led government commissioned a major review on Wednesday to kickstart her plans to implement an Australian-style points-based system of immigration in a letter to the UK’s influential Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). Along with English language proficiency, educational qualifications and work experience are some of the other factors that are likely to be at the heart of a new immigration system at the end of Freedom of Movement rules, which currently apply as part of the UK’s membership of the European Union (EU).

“The British public have been clear that they want an immigration system that takes back control of our borders while welcoming aspirational and hard-working people to enhance the UK’s dynamic labour market and diverse society. This government is working on making that a reality,” Patel said in a letter to the MAC, commissioning the organisation to expand its ongoing research on a post-Brexit visa regime beyond that put in place by her predecessor Sajid Javid.

“I am asking the MAC, as part of their current work on future potential salary thresholds, to conduct a review of the

Australian immigration system and similar systems to advise on what best practice can be used to strengthen the UK labour market and attract the best and brightest from around the world,” she writes.

Javid, now UK Chancellor, had presented a white paper on what Britain’s skills-based immigration system would look like after Britain has left the EU -- the latest deadline for which is October 31. He had commissioned the MAC to conduct a review on salary thresholds that should be imposed on skilled visa applicants from around the world, including India, which currently stands at GBP 30,000 a year. Patel, a long-term advocate of the Australian visa strategy which functions on a pointsbased system, has now asked MAC to additionally consider how additional flexibility could be added to the operation of salary thresholds through the awarding of “points” to prospective migrants for the attributes that they possess.

“Such as their educational qualifications, language proficiency, work experience, willingness to work in particular areas and occupation; and the degree to which points in one area should be ‘tradeable’ to make up for a lack of points in another,” Patel’s letter noted.

Australia’s points system awards 20 points for skilled migrants with “superior” English – based on scoring an eight or more in an internationally-recognised language test – and 10 points for “proficient” English,

Nigerian illegally residing in India dupes NRI of Rs 1.6 crore A resident of Mandeville Gardens, who now lives in New Jersey, was defrauded of Rs 1.6 crore by a Nigerian illegally residing in India.

The money had been transferred from the NRI account of the US-based Utpal Sengupta to four different accounts.

$100K Mahatma Gandhi scholarship awards by San Diego Indian American Society The San Diego Indian American Society’s Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture Series was held at the Atkinson Auditorium in the University of California, San Diego, here Aug. 17. In his opening remarks, Dr. M.C. “Madhu” Madhavan, the 87-year-old Indian American founder and executive director, traced the history of SDIAS and its growth from recognizing 10 outstanding students with awards of about $5,000 in 1984 to 54 students this year with scholarship awards of $110,000. He also pointed out that the 500 people who filled the auditorium to witness the award ceremony and hear the 36th annual Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture delivered by the president of the Self Realization Fellowship, Brother Chidananda, was also a record for SDIAS. Brother Chidananda discussed the special relationship between Paramahansa Yogananda, the founder of SRF, and Gandhiji and their mutual interest in bringing peace to the world. In 1950, as is known, he had enshrined a portion of Gandhiji’s ashes at the SRF Lake Shrine in Pacific Palisades.

He said from 1923, after Yogananda came to the U.S., he began to spread the yoga science of meditation and began telling audiences all over the country about the profound spiritual movement that Gandhiji was creating.

Chidananda said, as Gandhi had put, “yoga philosophy to work on an unprecedented

level, and by doing so, literally changed the history of the modern world.” Chidananda went on to outline how the spiritual example of Gandhiji can be a source of inspiration and guidance for the young people in these turbulent times. His address was received with interest and deep attention by the hundreds who attended, according to a press release.

Following the lecture, Prof. Ramesh Rao, Dr. Sabodh Garg and Madhavan presented the scholars on stage. About 85 percent of the cash awards benefitted students from families with no college education. These students also received U.S Congressional Certificates given

by Congressman Scott Peters. Twenty-eight high school graduates from 22 San Diego area high schools will be studying this fall in UC Berkeley, Yale, UCSD, UCLA, Columbia, UC Davis, UC Irvine, San Diego State, Pitzker, Stanford, Dartmouth, Harvey Mudd, Marquette University and Purdue University.

Community college students will continue their studies at San Diego Miramar College, Mesa College and San Diego City College.

Two scholars, Rena Alspaw of Mesa College and Sama Sathaya of Valahalla High School, spoke about how they were able to overcome difficult situations in their lives and how the Gandhian approach helped them. Rao explained SDIAS’s interest in building bridges with India through technological initiatives in cooperation with Qualcomm Institute

INDIA

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Disgruntled Aam Aadmi Party MLA Alka Lamba quits Disgruntled Delhi MLA Alka Lamba on Friday resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party and announced that she would return to the Congress.

She put out a tweet saying the time has come to say goodbye and took a swipe at AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj who had said the party would accept her resignation even on Twitter.

Lamba, who quit the AAP’s primary membership, said she would shortly join the Congress in the presence of its president Sonia Gandhi. The MLA from Chandni Chowk asked the AAP leadership to accept her resignation on Twitter and said it had now become the “Khas Aadmi Party”. “@ArvindKejriwal Ji, your spokespersons asked me as per your desire, with the full arrogance that the Party will accept

My resignation even on the Twitter. So pls Kindly accept My resignation from the primary membership of the ‘Aam Aadmi Party’, which is now a ‘Khas Aadmi Party’,” she tweeted.

The past six years, she said, had been a period of great learning.

“The time has come to say Good Bye to #AAP and to resign from the primary membership of the Party,” she added.

Lamba had been at odds with the party for some time. The move came days after she met Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi at her New Delhi residence.

Lamba also posted a video on Twitter on which she says that she has been trying to seek an appointment from Bhardwaj to submit her resignation but she is not being given time by the party.

Delhi court adjourns Aircel-Maxis case against P Chidambaram sine die A Delhi court on Friday adjourned the Aircel-Maxis case, involving former Union Minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti, sine die, noting that the CBI and the ED were seeking repeated adjournments.

Special Judge OP Saini adjourned the matter without giving any date for further hearing, saying the prosecution might approach the court as and when the probe is complete.The court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to Chidambarams in the corruption case filed by the CBI as well as in

the money laundering matter lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to the Aircel-Maxis deal. The matter was listed for arguments on the cognizance of chargesheet

in the case. However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Special Public Prosecutor Nitesh Rana, appearing for the CBI and the ED respectively, sought adjournment on the

grounds that response to Letters Rogatory (LRs) were awaited. The agencies requested the court to adjourn the matter for first week in October.

$1bn line of credit for Russia’s Far East India today announced an “unprecedented” $1 billion line of credit for Russia’s Far East as part of its active engagement under the Act East policy. Making the declaration at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) at Vladivostok, PM Narendra Modi hoped this would also lead to active involvement of the Indian diaspora in the development of this vast region spread over six time zones.The resource-rich Far East, bordering Siberia, is sparsely populated due to its harsh climate and virtually untapped for its mineral wealth, including oil, timber and coke. Moscow recently sought to settle ethnic Russians escaping the Ukrainian conflict with offer of free land but evidently needs more migrant hands with India being the first to make the offer during a ModiPutin meeting in Bishkek in June this year.

Two brothers found hanging in rented Delhi house Two brothers were found hanging with an iron grill inside their rented house in Delhi, the police said. However, the exact cause and time of deaths could not be ascertained immediately.

According to the police, on Thursday afternoon they received a call that falls smell was coming from a house in West Delhi’s Hari Nagar area, which was locked from inside. When we broke in the door, we found two men -Ashish Kumar Dev (58) and his younger brother --- were hanging with the iron grill a room, the official said, adding that both died days back.

Making car insurance better for B.C. To get the car insurance system back on track and better for B.C., we’re making changes to it.

One of the biggest improvements we can make is changing the way premiums are set. So, on September 1st, we moved to an insurance model that’s more driver-based. This means each driver’s experience and crash history plays a bigger role in determining premiums. Plus, crashes now follow the driver, not the vehicle, and all drivers are more accountable for their driving decisions.

What this means for you Under the new model, we expect that around 55% of drivers with full coverage will pay less for insurance than they do today. This will depend on a few key factors:

;QWT GZRGTKGPEG The more driving experience you have, the bigger your discount. Inexperienced drivers will continue to receive discounted premiums, but these have been reduced to better re ect the risk they represent on the road.

;QWT ETCUJ JKUVQT[ The more at-fault crashes a driver has, the more they’ll pay for car insurance. This is in line with feedback we got from B.C. drivers on how premiums should be set. It won’t impact how much money ICBC receives, it’ll help rebalance the system so that it works for everyone.

9JQ GNUG FTKXGU [QWT ECT With the new model, every driver’s experience and crash history plays a bigger role in determining premiums. That’s why we’re asking you to list the people who drive your car. This should include

people you live with, your employees and anyone else, like friends or relatives, who use your car more than 12 days in a year.

Ü Ì ÃÌ `À ÛiÀÃ Þ ÕÀ « VÞ When you visit your Autoplan broker to renew or buy insurance, please bring the driver’s licence number and date of birth of each driver you want to list on your policy. To list out-of-province drivers you’ll also need the jurisdiction of their licence (for example, Alberta) and their full name.

0GY FKUEQWPVU The new insurance model also includes two new discounts: 10% off for vehicles driven less than 5,000 km per year, and 10% off for vehicles with autonomous emergency braking (AEB).

Ü Ì V iV v Ì iÃi >«« Þ Ì Þ Õ If your car is driven less than 5,000 km in a year, please bring a current photo of the odometer reading to your Autoplan broker. You can also check your ownership manual, or call your dealership, to see if your car has factory-installed autonomous emergency braking.

Find out more To learn more about these changes and what they mean for you, visit KEDE EQO EJCPIG. Once you get your renewal reminder, you can also access our online estimation tool to pre-list drivers and get a better idea of what your premium might be before visiting your broker.

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