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www.theasianstar.com Vol 15
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Issue 16 Saturday, May 21, 2016
PM Justin Trudeau apologizes in Parliament for Komagata Maru incident
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‘No words can erase the pain and suffering they experienced,’ Trudeau says of victims
rime Minister Trudeau has formally apologized in the House of Commons in Ottawa for the Komagata Maru incident in 1914, in which hundreds of Sikh, Muslim and Hindu passengers were denied entry to Canada and forced to return to an uncertain and ultimately violent fate in India. Opposition Leader Rona Ambrose, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, BQ Leader Rheal Fortin and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May also rose to add their voices to the apology and to offer their own remarks. “Canada does not bear alone the responsibility for every tragic mistake
that occurred with the Komagata Maru and its passengers, but Canada’s government was without question responsible for the laws that prevented these passengers from immigrating peacefully and securely, for that, and for every regrettable consequence that followed, we, are, sorry,” Trudeau said. “First and foremost, to the victims of the incident, no words can erase the pain and suffering they experienced,” Trudeau said. “Regrettably, the passage of time means that none are alive to hear our apology today, still, we offer it, fully and sincerely, for our indifference to your plight, for our failure to recognize all
Continued on page 10
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (middle) is applauded as he formally apologizes for a 1914 government decision that barred most of the passengers of Indian origin at the Komagata Maru ship from entering Canada.
Angry Punjab Congress leader Amarinder Singh Toronto wife hired Punjab criminals to kill Canadian NRI he police claim to have refuses to meet Canadian High Commissioner cracked the murder case
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apt Amarinder Singh, president Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee has declined to meet the Canadian High Commissioner to India, who had offered to meet him after the Canadian government had denied him permission to
Amarinder Singh
hold public interactions during his North America tour. The communication from the Canadian High Commissioner follows Capt Amarinder’s letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to protest the denial of permission to hold rallies in Canada.
Continued on page 7
Surrey Sikhs deliver $1 million worth of donations
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of Canada-based NRIcum-landlord Jaskaran Singh at Sawara village stating that the victim’s wife hired her “criminal friends” to eliminate him. The CIA wing of the Mohali police, led by Inspector Gurcharan Singh, has arrested four persons — Lakhvir Singh (32), a resident of Sanawa village (Nawanshahr), The four accused killers being paraded by police. Davinder Singh, alias Prince (25), this connection. The key accused, Pawandeep of Bhagowal Karali village, Bhawanpreet Kaur, alias Pamm, wife of the victim, lives Singh Bhangu (25) of Hussainpur village in Ropar and Gurpreet Singh, alias Soni (25), in Continued on page 6
Metro Vancouver home sales drop means owners are scared to sell
Members of the Surrey Sikh community deliver $1 million worth of donations to Fort McMurray
See story on page 10
Home sales in the Vancouver region appear to have “topped off ” in April, despite a record-breaking month in real estate nationwide, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. Sales activity fell by 7.6 per cent last month compared to March in the cities covered
by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, with 4,781 residential properties changing hands. That still makes April 2016 the highest-selling April on record, but the Canadian Real Estate Association’s chief economist Gregory Klump believes the re-
Continued on page 6
4 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
OPINION
Fort St. John’s pro-LNG campaign example of real social licence By Dean Pelkey, Community support for the project a test Troy Media hen it comes to major infra- try as a source of future prosperity. In parstructure projects such as pipe- ticular, they want the federal government lines, much is made about how to approve the PETRONAS-backed Pacific proponents must obtain “social licence” NorthWest LNG project, a planned $36-bil- support for a project from the people lion export terminal to be built near Prince who live in or near the project’s location. Rupert that would source its natural gas During last year’s federal election, the Lib- from the region surrounding Fort St. John. erals stated: “While governments grant However, the project is snarled in regulapermits for resource development, only tory red tape, awaiting an environmental communities can grant permission.” certificate. Once the Canadian EnvironmenBut as critics have pointed out, who de- tal Assessment Agency completes its review, cides when social licence is granted? expected in June, it will be up to the federal Which brings us to Fort St. John in Brit- cabinet to give the project its final approval. ish Columbia’s Peace River region, where But rather than quietly waiting for Otan interesting experiment in demon- tawa’s decision, Fort St. John residents strating social licence is unfolding. are coming together, boldly and loudFort St. John has long been the hub for B.C.’s ly declaring their support for PNW natural gas sector, servicing the gas fields LNG, in effect granting social licence. and assorted pipelines that feed the re- It began with the formation of a group, FSJ source to homes and businesses across the for LNG, a Facebook page, and a truck rally province. It is to B.C.’s natural gas industry in March that featured more than 600 trucks what Fort McMurray is to Alberta’s oilsands. adorned with signs and placards in support But the collapse in oil and gas prices has of LNG development parading down the battered Fort St. John. Jobs have dried Alaska Hwy. They followed that with public up and unemployment has soared. That’s rallies, including one in April attended by left the community looking at B.C.’s pro- B.C. Premier Christy Clark. Now they plan posed liquefied natural gas export indus- to travel to Ottawa, along with support-
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for Trudeau government ers from Fort Nelson and Prince Rupert, to deliver a petition supporting LNG development and reinforce the community support. Local politicians are also on side. Fort St. John Mayor Lori Ackerman travelled to Ottawa with a group of northern B.C. mayors in April, meeting with key Liberal ministers to make the case for a B.C. LNG industry. FSJ for LNG has the support of Liberal MLA Pat Pimm and Conservative MP Bob Zimmer. The FSJ for LNG organizers say they need to make their voices heard; they need to show Ottawa that the community supports and wants the LNG projects. “It’s about time the federal decision makers hear the voice of the unemployed here in Fort St. John and northern B.C.,” FSJ for LNG organizer Alan Yu recently told the Alaska Highway News. But they face a formidable challenge as many of the well-funded environmental activists are campaigning hard to ensure the project doesn’t go ahead. The fear is Ottawa will listen to the anti-fossil-fuel activists, not the people working and living in northern B.C. “I have no doubt that the environmentalists will not stop their delay tactics until they drive (the) Canadian economy into the ground. But FSJ for LNG is fighting back,” Yu wrote in a column for the Alaska Highway News. In what seems to be an increasingly polarized debate on energy projects, is the civic activism exhibited in Fort St. John now required for rural communities that support and want natural resource projects? Are there lessons here for other resourcebased communities, be they in Alberta, Saskatchewan, northern Ontario or Atlantic Canada? Do New Brunswick communities that want the Energy East pipeline need to mount similar campaigns of support? With Fort St. John showing its support for LNG, it appears the social licence is there. The question is, will Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet listen? Dean Pelkey is a Vancouver-based communications consultant.
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6 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
Local Toronto wife hired Punjab criminals to kill Canadian NRI From page 1
in Toronto. The police have also recovered the victim’s Swift Dzire car (PB 65Y 9696) following information provided by Lakhvir. Prince, Bhangu and Soni had done BCA together. Prince was working in the office of the DTO at Nawanshahr while Soni had joined the Punjab Roadways as a bus conductor. The remaining two accused were unemployed. The body of 38-year-old Jaskaran Singh was recovered with multiple stab injuries from a field at his native village, Sawara, on March 16 this year. Mohali SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the key accused, Pamm, had planned the murder of her husband in Toronto and had hired her criminal friends for the purpose. “She was having illicit relations with Soni and Bhangu. Lakhvir Singh came in contact with Pamm through Bhangu and Soni,” said the SSP, adding that inheriting huge property of Jaskaran Singh after his murder was the motive behind the crime. “After the conspiracy was hatched, Lakhvir started following the victim, who was also running a real estate agency from the Ekam shopping complex, owned by him at his native village. On the day of the incident, Lakhvir found Jaskaran alone and approached him as a land buyer. Jaskaran took Lakhvir in his car to show a piece of land where the latter stabbed him to death,” said Bhullar. After murdering him, Lakhvir took Jaskaran’s car to Delhi and kept it at a public parking. Af-
ter that, he fixed a fake number plate on it and started using the vehicle, said the police. The SSP said Pamm had sent Rs 2 lakh to the miscreants through Western Union and the sum was shared by them. “Besides, she had also sent Rs 75,000 to Lakhvir separately. In fact, she had also made separate offers of contract killing to all these miscreants. She had offered Rs 85 lakh to Lakhvir, Rs 1 crore to Bhangu and Rs 25 lakh to Soni,” said the SSP. After her husband’s murder, Pamm came to India, but returned soon on the pretext of her children’s studies. Lakhvir is a hardcore criminal, who has reportedly confessed to having murdered four persons. The police said Lakhvir, along with his younger brother Sukhbir Singh and other accomplices, had murdered Kamaljit Singh and Dharminder, both residents of Mundho Sangtian village at Kurali, in 2009 for which they had been awarded the life sentence. He had come out of jail on parole in October 2012 and jumped it. He had also stabbed Parminder Singh at Kurali on April 27. Parminder had succumbed to his injuries at the PGI the next day. “After jumping parole, Lakhvir had also worked as a cricket bookie while living at Zirakpur,” said the police. The SSP said they had approached the Canadian High Commission for Pamm’s extradition. The accused have been remanded in police custody for three days.
Metro Vancouver home sales drop From page 1 gion’s tight housing supply and competitive atmosphere are starting to self-perpetuate. “While significant home price gains may entice some homeowners in these markets to list their home for sale, the issue for many is that the decision to move means they would also be looking to buy while competition for scarce listings is fierce,” Klump said in a news release. “As a result, many homeowners are deciding to stay put and continue accumulating capital
gains. That’s keeping listings off the markets at a time when they are already in short supply.” A similar pattern was on display in April in Toronto, leading association president Cliff Iverson to suggest that Canada’s two hottest markets may have “topped off.” As homeowners grow wary of selling, prices in Vancouver continue to skyrocket. The association’s benchmark price for all types of real estate across the region rose by 25.34 per cent Continued on next page
Local Amarinder Singh From page 1 Reacting sharply, the Member of Parliament referred to the discriminatory approach of the Canadian government in disallowing him to interact with Punjabi diaspora while the representatives of the ruling SADBJP alliance and the Aam Aadmi Party had been allowed to hold similar meetings there. “Thank you for offering to meet me. I do not think anything further will emerge from such a meeting as I have already expressed my views,” the PCC president said in his reply to the High Commissioner. “Their interactions did not warrant any action by your government. They did their bit and returned to India. In my case, however, the matter took a different turn,” he wrote. Referring to the complaint by Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, Capt Amarinder Singh said, “I understand that this intervention against me took place on a letter written to your Ministry of Global Affairs by a known antagonist of India, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu.” “I, however, find it strange that a known anti-Indian individual’s views were given precedence over an Indian MP who is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of India and who is also the president of the state Congress in Punjab,” he added. Capt Amarinder suggested to the High Commissioner that it would be more appropriate for his government to ban all such interactions for all irrespective of the party they belong to and not just a selective application as was done in his case.
Home sales From previous page over the last year to hit $844,800. The benchmark price for a detached home was $1.4 million last month. The ratio of sales to active listings in April was 63.3 per cent in April in greater Vancouver, which indicates a market strongly in favour of the seller. According to the local real estate board, prices are generally only pushed down if that ratio falls below 12 per cent. The areas covered by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver include: Whistler, Sunshine Coast, Squamish, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, and South Delta. Across the country, home sales set a new record for April as they gained 10.3 per cent compared with a year ago. The national association says sales were up in about 70 per cent of all local markets compared with a year ago, boosted by markets in other parts of B.C., as well as southern Ontario. There were 57,669 homes sold nationwide over the Multiple Listing Service in April. Compared with March, sales were up 3.1 per cent in April. The national average price for homes sold in April was $508,097, up 13.1 per cent compared with a year ago. Excluding the Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto markets, the average price was $369,222, up 8.7 per cent from April 2015. The rise in sales came as the number of new homes put up for sale slipped 3.7 per cent from a year ago to 103,028.
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Saturday, May 21, 2016
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Canadian tourist put a baby bison in his SUV — leading to the animal’s euthanization
he man who made international headlines because it after putting a bison was “causing calf into his SUV at Yellowa dangerous stone National Park — which situation by led to the animal being euthacontinually nized — is from Quebec, a park approachspokeswoman said Wednesday. ing people Charissa Reid said a crimiand cars nal complaint was filed against along the Shamash Kassam for disruptroadway,” acing wildlife after he and his son This bison calf, which two tourists drove to a ranger cording to a scooped up the animal, put it in station in Yellowstone National Park because they news release the trunk of their SUV and drove thought it looked cold, was rejected by its herd and p u b l i s h e d it to a park facility on May 9. had to be euthanized. by the park. He was reportedly trying to help “I think they were just really concerned,” the calf because he thought it looked cold. Reid said in an interview. “I don’t think they Kassam, who Reid said is from Que- had any ill intent, but they were just apparently bec, is due in court at the Yellowstone ill-informed about what our policies were and Justice Center in Wyoming on June 2. what the best things to do for the calf was.” Park rangers tried multiple times to reunite Reid said rangers were most likely unthe calf with its herd but their efforts failed. able to reunite the calf with a herd They had to eventually euthanize the animal
because it was handled by people. The official criminal citation against Kassam states he told a ranger that he understood what he did was wrong and wouldn’t disturb wildlife again. Bison injure more visitors at Yellowstone National Park than any other animal. Reid said five people were gored by bison in the park last year, and the number of incidents are on the rise. Park regulations require visitors stay at least 23 metres from all wildlife — including bison, elk and deer — and at least 91 metres from bears and wolves. “Disregarding these regulations can result in fines, injury, and even death,” the park said in its news release. “The safety of these animals, as well as human safety, depends on everyone using good judgment and following these simple rules.” Kassam, who was also fined $110 for his actions, could not be reached for comment.
8 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
‘Famous Five’s’ Nellie McClung top choice as female face to appear on new Canadian bill Come 2018, Canadians will be seeing a new face in their wallets, and the latest public opinion poll from the Angus Reid Institute indicates Canadian preference tilts towards Nellie McClung’s. The ‘Famous Five’ activist is the most popular choice to become the first Canadian woman to be featured on a banknote, though she’s far from a majority pick. Indeed, Canadians are divided – particularly along regional lines – as
to which woman should be featured on the new bill, even as they voice strong support for the idea of putting more female figures on the country’s currency. Four-in-five Canadians (80%) agree that at least one woman, other than Queen Elizabeth, should appear on the front of a Canadian banknote. Key Findings McClung is the
Nellie McClung
LOCAL
Majority of British Columbians think Premier Christy Clark’s stipend is unjustified: poll A majority of British Columbians believe Premier Christy Clark’s annual stipend from the B.C. Liberal Party is unjustified, according to a new poll. The Insights West survey of 802 British Columbians conducted from May 15 to May 17 found that two-thirds of B.C. residents (or 66 per cent) believe the annual payout — which amounts to $50,000 on top of Clark’s $195,468.20 salary as premier — is unjustified. Most of those (44 per cent) said it was “definitely” unjustified. Only 26 per cent of respondents said the stipend is justified. Younger British Columbians and women were most likely to say the stipend is unjustified. Not surprisingly, 83 per cent of NDP voters said they are against the practice, while B.C. Liberal voters were split. Insights West also asked respondents how much awareness they had of the recent news concerning the premier’s stipend. More than half of those polled said they are following stories related to the stipend “very closely” or “somewhat closely,” including 66 per cent of BC NDP voters and 57 per cent of B.C. Liberal voters. The premier recently faced heat after
NDP MLA David Eby argued the money violates B.C.’s Conflict of Interest Act because it provides a direct personal financial benefit to Clark from party donors who pay to see her at Liberal fundraisers. The Liberal party, however, denied the accusation and called the stipend a long-standing practice that has been publicly reported on Clark’s annual MLA disclosure form. Earlier this month, B.C.’s conflict of interest commissioner ruled Clark was not in a conflict of interest for hosting exclusive party fundraisers or receiving an annual stipend for leading the B.C. Liberal Party. Respondents were then asked whether they would like to see the party cancel the stipend to the premier, and most (68 per cent) said they want it cancelled, including 47 per cent who said it should be “definitely cancelled.” Twenty-two per cent said to leave it alone. The margin of error for the online poll is plus- or minus-3.5 percentage points.
Pamela Wallin will not face Senate expense charges
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he RCMP closed another chapter in the long-running Senate expense saga Thursday by declaring they will not charge Senator Pamela Wallin after an extensive criminal review of her travel claims. The force made the long-awaited announcement in a terse statement, nearly three years after they first started looking at the Saskatchewan senator and nearly a month after the sensational dismissal of 31
criminal charges against Sen. Mike Duffy. “The RCMP has completed its thorough investigation into Sen. Pamela Wallin’s Senate expenses,” said the statement from assistant commissioner Gilles Michaud. “Following consultation with Crown counsel, the RCMP has determined that no criminal charges will be laid against Sen. Wallin and will be concluding its investigational file.”
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pick of 27 per cent of Canadians, followed by Thérèse Casgrain (19%) – the first woman to lead a Canadian political party – and Elizabeth MacGill (18%) – the world’s first female aircraft designer – among others Regionally, Quebeckers and British Columbians are most enthusiastic about a woman’s placement
on new bill, 86 per cent and 83 per cent agree with this venture respectively Women are more likely than men to view the issue of representation of women on currency as important (46% rate it a 4 or a 5 on a 5-point scale, compared to 37% of men who do the same) See full details of the poll here: www.angusreid.org/women-onmoney
New film studio proposed for Surrey
he City of Surrey is poised to hit the limelight after reeling in the producers of major films like Star Trek and Mission Impossible to create a film and television studio in Newton. Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner said California-based Skydance Media is converting the former Pacific Newspaper printing press building in Kennedy Heights to a five-stage sound studio that can accommodate a production staff of up to 400 people. The studio is slated to produce programming for Netflix this fall on a show about a city of the future, called Altered Carbon. “I’m really excited about it. We’ve tried for a long time to get a studio here and I’m pleased with the calibre we got,” Hepner said.
Surrey Mayor, Linda
Calling her city “the premier metropolitan centre south of the Fraser,” Hepner told attendees at her second annual state of the city address Thursday that Surrey is poised to become a centre for smart technology, innovation, and economic growth. Besides the film studio, the city has announced it will move ahead with a new clean technology global innovation zone at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Cloverdale and a “child safety village,” with child-sized buildings in Newton to educate youngsters on road safety, avoiding drugs and gangs and “making good life choices.” The city is also in discussions with pri-
vate helicopter companies in a bid to create a network of helipads in both north and south Surrey to serve the growing demand for links with cities like Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna. Hepner noted these plans should “come as no surprise” for her burgeoning city, which is the second largest in B.C. with 530,000 people. “With a city growing as fast as ours, our work is never done,” she said. “But what we are doing today is laying down a firm and stable foundation that will shape the social, economic, and environmental requirements of Surrey for years to come.” A film and television studio will bring Surrey closer to the ranks of other Metro Vancouver areas like Burnaby, the North Shore and Vancouver ― the third-largest film production centre in North America ― which are already cashing in on the $2-billion film industry sweeping B.C. Although it’s only five months into the year, Hepner noted Surrey has already issued 52 permits, up from the 31 issued during the same time last year, which broke filming records with 97 permits and 193 days of filming. The city says Skydance estimates it will bring in $100 million per year of regional economic spinoffs at full production; its deal with the Netflix series is slated to run over the next eight years. Hepner noted a Coca-Cola commercial filmed in Cloverdale a few years ago drew busloads of tourists to the area, and if the Netflix series became as popular as, say, Game of Thrones, it could put Surrey on the Hollywood North map. A Chinese investor has also approached the city, she said, looking to build another studio. “There’s economic spinoffs in every direction, whether it’s food or hairdressing or rental equipment. The studio will make a big difference even in the sheer number of people here. That’s a huge economic spinoff industry itself,” Hepner said. “In Vancouver, people can’t even get into the studio space.”
Saturday, May 21, 2016
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Chaos in the House as PM Trudeau swears, manhandles one MP and elbows another
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ensions boiled over in the House of Commons Wednesday during the lead-up to a vote to restrict debate on physician-assisted dying. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was accused of charging across the floor, swearing, elbowing an NDP MP, “manhandling� the chief opposition whip, Gordon Brown, and exchanging angry words with NDP Leader Tom Mulcair. Though Trudeau quickly apologized, opposition MPs were not as swift to forgive and forget. “It was just so clear that he lost his temper,� said Andrew Scheer, the Conservative House leader who was sitting across the aisle from the prime minister. “Normally the whips wait a few seconds for members to sit down and collect themselves. And in the 15 seconds it may have taken for members to clear the aisle, he just popped up and ran over.� The NDP House leader, Peter Julian, said he was “stunned� by what had transpired, and that he had never seen such an action in his career as an MP. He was also critical of what he said was the PM’s lack of remorse. Video grabPrime Minister Justin Trudeau, with back to camera, goes across the floor to engage Thomas Mulcair in the House of Commons. “For the prime minster to act in that way, so completely inappropriately and then not jump to apologize but just kind of dance around the possibility of somebody who was offended, he should have known that what he did was absolutely inappropriate.� NDP MP Tracey Ramsey claimed Trudeau swore at MPs as he tried to grab Brown, saying, “Get the f–k out of the way� she wrote on Twitter.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with back to camera, goes across the floor to engage Thomas Mulcair in the House of Commons.
Video clearly showed NDP MP RuthEllen Brosseau crying out in pain as Trudeau elbowed her in his attempt to drag Brown to his seat so the vote could start. According to Trudeau’s version of events, he crossed the floor to help Brown get through a “gaggle of MPs� that had gathered around him and were “impeding� his progress to the vote. The prime minister said he felt that this “lacked respect for Parliament.� “If anyone feels that they were impacted by my actions, I completely apologize. It was not my intention to hurt anyone,� he said. After the initial kerfuffle, the vote went ahead and time allocation was agreed to. But a motion from Conservative MP Peter Van Loan had MPs debating, afterward, whether to refer the matter of a “physical molestation� to the procedure and House affairs committee. The Liberals tried to move for unanimous consent on the motion so it could be sent to committee right away, but opposition MPs forced a debate, during which there was some disagreement about how severe the incident actually was.
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10 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
PM Justin Trudeau apologizes in Parliament for Komagata Maru incident From page 1 that you had to offer. “For the laws that discriminated against you so senselessly, and for not apologizing sooner. For all these things, we are truly sorry.” Trudeau also apologized directly to the passengers’ descendants, some of whom, he noted, were gathered in the House of Commons visitors’ gallery to hear the apology. “We can never know what your lives would have been like had your relatives been welcome to Canada,” Trudeau said. “The ways in which your lives would have been different, the ways in which Canada would have been enriched. Those possibilities are lost to history, for that, and to you, we apologize.” The prime minister said Canada must now commit itself to positive action, to learning from mistakes and to make sure that we never repeat the errors of the past. Trudeau ended his remarks with a tip of the hat to his Sikh Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, who Trudeau said worked hard to bring the Komagata Maru incident to national attention. The prime minister noted that before entering politics Sajjan was the commanding officer of the British Columbia Regiment Duke of Connaught’s Own, the regiment that forced the British Komagata Maru out of Canada in 1914. “The minister’s family might well have been turned away from Canada, today the minister is an essential member of this government and sits here in this House,” Trudeau said. As Trudeau finished his remarks, several members of the visitors’ gallery overlooking the House of Commons rose and called out a traditional Sikh chant and response. ‘We want to live up to our own values’ Opposition Leader Rona Ambrose said that her side of the House welcomed the apology and wished to join with the government in offering a “deep and sincere commitment to honour the memories of those who suf-
fered, and to learn the lessons of this tragedy.” Ambrose referenced former prime minister Stephen Harper’s apology to the Sikh community in 2006, and subsequent apology in 2008. “We take these actions because we want to live up to our own values,” she said. “We cannot change the past but we can demonstrate Canada has changed. “No nation can grow without re-examining our past and seeking to move beyond our ancient prejudices. And we can show those communities who have been wronged that their tragedies are understood and their experiences are valued.” Ambrose referenced the help Edmonton Sikh’s have provided to those fleeing the forest fire in Fort McMurray, noting they were among the first to offer assistance to their fellow Albertans. ‘Horrific chapter’ in Canada’s history NDP Leader Tom Mulcair also rose in the House to offer his apologies, beginning by echoing remarks by Ambrose when she noted Harper’s earlier efforts to express regret for the incident. “Now here in this House today, we are making that act official, this act of contrition, from all Canadians for this historic tragedy,” he said in French. “It was racism pure and simple that put our fellow human beings at such risk,” Mulcair said. “It was a horrific chapter in the history of a country that has come to recognize diversity and tolerance as great strengths.” The Komagata Maru steamship arrived on Canada’s West Coast on May 23, 1914, anchoring in Vancouver’s Coal Harbour. Its arrival was a direct challenge to Canada’s immigration rules at the time, which had grown increasingly strict and discriminatory.
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Car crash sends 4 people to hospital
our people are in hospital after a serious crash involving four vehicles in New Westminster late Tuesday evening. The BC Ambulance Service says the patients were transported to Royal Columbian Hospital in stable condition after the crash on McBride BouOfficer examines one of the four vehicles involved in the crash that levard, halfway between throughout the night during the invesSixth Avenue and Royal tigation. Sgt. Paul Fayle with the New Avenue. Police from the NWPD’s Traffic Westminster Police says traffic is expected Unit search for debris from the crash. to re-open on McBride prior to having an Investigators from the New Westminster impact on the morning rush. The cause Police Traffic Unit had traffic blocked of the crash has yet to be determined. on that section of McBride boulevard all
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Surrey Sikhs deliver $1 million worth of donations to Fort McMurray
convoy of Sikh truck drivers from Surrey, has completed a 3,000-km journey, hauling almost $1 million worth of donated goods to Edmonton for families from Fort McMurray forced to flee the wildfire. The donations come from BC’s Sikh community, mostly from Surrey and Vancouver. “When they see people are fleeing their homes, in B.C. the whole Sikh community for collecting food and clothing and whatever was needed,” said Kulmit Singh Sangha, a member of Edmonton’s Sikh community who welcomed the truckers midday Monday. Surrey truck driver Rhanjit Dhillon was set to back his tractor trailer up to a loading bay at Edmonton’s southside emergency donation centre. Normally, Dhillon hauls containers of lumber. But Monday, he was unloading brand new pillows, children’s clothes, toys, baby food, diapers and soft drinks. It was his second long haul trip from Surrey to help
the victims of the Fort McMurray fire. “I love it,” said Dhillon. “I love helping the people. We feel they are all our families. They need our help.” Dhillon drove over the Rocky Mountains in a convoy with eight other drivers from Surrey, their trucks sporting colourful banners stating the message: BC Sikh Community Donation Drive for Fort McMurray. Out on the highway, Dhillon said, the drivers were greeted with lots of horn honking from other vehicles and people saying things like “you are doing very well” and “we’re very happy and excited.” Dhillon is urging other Sikh communities across B.C. to join in the generosity.“The main fundamental principal of Sikhism is helping and sharing with others,” said Sangha. “Sikhs have been blessed by coming here to this country that has bestowed on them so many opportunities. So why not share with people when they need it?”
LOCAL
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Shootings in Surrey continue unabated
nother shooting last weekAt about 3:30 a.m. on Saturday poend in Surrey has left one man lice got 911 calls about gunshots in the in hospital and local residents 1700-block King George Boulevard. Police shaken. The shooting broke out at about said several rounds were fired into a house. 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the intersection RCMP say there was a party going on inside the of 75th Avenue and Scott Road in New- home when shots rang out, but no one was hurt. ton — metres away from an apartment complex playground where about a dozen children were playing. “It was crazy. It was right beside the playground, literally feet away,” said Ashley Leslie, who lives half a block from the crime scene and was in the area in the aftermath of the shooting. “It just blows my mind.” Surrey RCMP say a man with multiple gun shot wounds was found in a silver SUV riddled with bullet holes. He was transported to a regional hospital conscious and able to speak. The shooter or shooters quickly fled the scene. As of Sunday night, A man suffering from gunshot wounds in this police have not issued any descrip- vehicle at the intersection of Scott Road and 75th tion of any suspect or suspect vehicle. Avenue in Surrey on Saturday, May 14. In a statement Saturday, Mounties said: “The investigation is still in Police called the incident “isolated but targeted.” its early stages, but initial indications “Thankfully nobody was injured in this inciare that this is a targeted incident.” dent and what we know at this point is that it The shooting is the 39th shooting or certainly appears that it was a targeted event, shots-fired incident in Surrey this year although it has no links to the recent spike in and frustration is piling up for residents. violence that we saw last March here in Sur“There’s so many shootings going on,” said rey,” said Surrey RCMP Cpl. Scotty Schumann. Leslie, questioning whether this latest inciMuch of the gun violence in Surdent is bound to trigger retaliation and a spi- rey has been linked to the players inral of violence. “It’s continuous and it’s getting volved in the low-level drug trade. to the point residents are getting sick of it. It’s Anyone with further information who scary. Enough is enough. We’re tired of it.” hasn’t already spoken to police is asked to The shooting comes less than 24 contact Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 hours after the 38th shots-fired call.
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Saturday, May 21, 2016
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Regular helicopter service coming to Surrey, promises mayor
new helicopter service could soon be taking off to connect Surrey with downtown Vancouver and Victoria, Mayor Linda Hepner has revealed. “Surrey is currently in discussion with a consortium of private helicopter firms to create a network of helicopter pads across our city,” said Hepner during her annual State of the City address Thursday. Hepner said with more high tech firms and other firms settling in Surrey, there is now demand for the pricey commuter service. During the same speech she also revealed the Hollywood production company, Skydance Media, will open a studio in
Newton that can accommodate a production staff of up to 400 people. If the deal is completed, helipads in both North and South Surrey could be under construction by next year. “We are in site selection mode right now ... so I would hope that by this time next year .... it would be solidified and under construction.” Hepner did not reveal the names of the companies involved in the proposal. Currently Helijet offers helicopter service between Vancouver and downtown Victoria and Nanaimo. Helijet also operates the province’s air ambulances from bases in Richmond and Prince Rupert.
Teen girl escapes Abbotsford sex assault
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17-year-old girl managed to escape a man who groped her and tried to pull her into his car earlier this month, according to Abbotsford police. The girl had just gotten off a bus on Townline Road near Firhill Drive around 11:15 p.m. PT on May 7 when the male suspect stepped out of his car and grabbed her. Police say at first he offered her cash and then he started to grope her as he attempted to push her into the back seat of his black four-door sedan. After a brief exchange, the victim managed to call 911 and the suspect fled the area, said a statement released by Const. Ian MacDonald.
The suspect is described as: A South Asian man. 20 to 35 years of age. 5’7” to 5’9” tall with a medium build. Short black hair and a couple of days of beard growth. Spoke with a Punjabi accent. Wore black pants and a black T-shirt with a grey pattern or logo on both the front and back. MacDonald said the suspect has been spotted in the area by other witnesses and police believe he may live or work nearby. As a result they are warning everyone to be extra vigilant and report any information to police at 604-859-5225 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Strong Action For Safer Communities A three-year, $23-million commitment by the Government of B.C. builds on the Guns and Gangs Strategy with the B.C. Anti-Gang Unit, RCMP and Crime Stoppers to support B.C. communities like Surrey to prevent gang and gun violence. Key elements include: $450,000 to support Crime Stoppers’ proven Cash for Tips on Illegal Firearms and to promote awareness of the Gang Tip Line Enhancement of the End Gang Life Program Continued funding for the Gang Prevention Surrey Wraparound (Wrap) Program More outreach to youth Dedicated Crown counsel on priority files in Surrey that involve alleged offenders with ties to guns and gangs
You could receive a cash reward of up to $2000.
More police, with the addition of two 10-person teams New Office of Crime Reduction and Gang Outreach Illegal Firearms Task Force
2016_Surrey Crime Stopper Print_Asian Star BW H.indd 1
2016-05-04 1:02 PM
LOCAL
12 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
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Surrey parent to talk portables with BC’s Education Minister
Surrey mother of two will be at the BC legislature in Victoria nest Wednesday to meet with Minister of Education Mike Bernier about overcrowded classrooms. Cindy Dalglish says she will tell Bernier she does not want her children to spend their school years in portables. “I would like to see that not happen, I would like to see portables used for what they were intended, like seismic upgrades and when new schools are built.” Surrey welcomes about 1,000 new students every year and already has 275 portables. Last month, school board trustee Laurae McNally asked Surrey city councillors to halt all new development proposals until the district receives more capital funding to build additional schools. Meanwhile, the NDP says it is up to the government to keep its promise of deal-
A Sunnyside Elementary in Surrey, where the temporary buildings have been used for decades.
ing with the issue of overcrowding. “The overcrowding situation in Surrey is getting worse and this government has promised for at least five years that they would get on top of it. I think Surrey parents have had enough of broken promises,” said BC NDP education critic, Rob Fleming.
Goats turned loose on Chilliwack’s destructive Japanese Knotweed
bout 30 goats were set free to go chomp down on the City of Chilliwack’s Japanese Knotweed — an invasive plant that even pesticides have a hard time killing. “They really went for it and chewed it down really well,” said Lindblom, who has been using goats to eat weeds for almost two decades. Goats have been used to manage weeds in other cities Goats tackling invasive Japanese Knotweed (knottybefore. Amazon even rents stemmed plants) in Chilliwack. out goat grazer’s. Goats have been used before to take plants alone,” he said. Next, he will be out invasive plants but the practice is travelling to Cranbrook to unleash 350 still fairly new in Canada. Lindblom goats to tackle invasive plants there and said some goat breeds are better than help restore the area’s native plants. others, but it comes down to how they’re Lindblom said it takes more than one handled. “It’s the way we manage them. grazing to uproot all the weeds, usually We go into grasslands and they go after the goats need to come back for a mowinvasive plants, and they leave the native down three years in a row.
U.S. border malls try to counter low loonie with special offers for Canadian shoppers
Iva Grbesic’s sister is getting married this August. That means new wedding outfits for her entire family. Normally, Grbesic, who lives in Toronto, would make a beeline for the border to snap up new threads at a nearby U.S. mall. But the stylist and mother of four hasn’t cross-border shopped since the Canadian dollar began its dismal decline last fall. “The discrepancy is so bad, there’s not even a point,” says Grbesic.
The loonie recently rebounded somewhat but still hovers around a meagre 76 cents U.S. “Unless it’s rock bottom prices, it doesn’t pay to cross-border shop,” said Grbesic. Now, some U.S. malls near the border are looking for ways to convince shoppers like Grbesic they should come back. To soften the blow of a stubbornly weak loonie, the malls are offering special incentives to Canadian shoppers.
LOCAL
Abbotsford man facing 66 charges after stockpile of guns, drugs and fentanyl seized
Stockpile of firearms seized include semi-automatic pistols, revolvers, a sub-machine gun, semi-automatic rifles and a sawed-off shotgun, as well as magazines, silencers and ammunition.
An Abbotsford man is facing 66 charges related to firearm and drug offences. In a statement released Tuesday, Abbotsford police spokesperson Const. Ian MacDonald said its gang unit recently executed 10 search warrants that yielded numerous firearms, drugs and cash. The stash of firearms included semiautomatic pistols, revolvers, a sub-ma-
chine gun, semi-automatic rifles and a sawed-off shotgun. Police also seized cocaine and more than 1,000 pills containing fentanyl. Abbotsford resident Corey Jim Perkins, 28, faces 66 charges in relation to the investigation. Also charged is Caitlin Rose Bransford, 26, who faces charges related to possession of drugs, trafficking and possessing a restricted handgun.
Drugs that were seized in Abbotsford, including over 1000 fentanyl pills, heroine, cocaine and methamphetamine.
Victoria retail workers subject to precarious and illegal work conditions: study
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xploited and disrespected. That’s how workers are feeling in retail, food service, and hospitality sectors, in Victoria according to a new study by the Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group. The reports highlights how the workers face low wages in combination with irregular scheduling, involuntary part-time hours and the expectation of being constantly available. “They’re precarious workplace conditions,” report author Stephanie Hardman told All Points West host Robyn Burns. “They make it difficult for a worker to afford the cost of living in Victoria and there’s no job stability or security in that, and no benefits.” B.C. minimum wage now the lowest in Canada B.C. Federation of Labour holding rallies demanding $15/hr minimum wage Tim Hortons’ complaints continue to percolate with B.C. Human Rights Tribunal Hardman’s research looked at a variety of businesses: cafes, hotels, coffee shops, mall stores, and found many examples of precarious work conditions. The employers ranged from large corporations to mom-and-pop outfits, but that made little difference, she said. She heard stories of employers who did the bare minimum under the Employment Standards Act, and also of some employers who
did not live up to their legal obligations. “The B.C. minimum wage was increased in September 2015, and we found some instances of workplaces paying the old minimum wage,” she said, adding workers also told her of being asked to come in early or stay late without pay. Also troubling were reports of racism and harassment from customers — which employees are expected to simply endure. “[Customers] could take it out on workers in very aggressive and abusive ways. We did hear of sexual harassment, racism, other forms of verbal abuse,” she said. “Workers reported not really being sure how to respond in that situation — feeling unsafe , but feeling their employer didn’t provide them any support.” Hardman says these incidents often happen in isolation and to lone individuals, which speaks to the need for employers to provide better support and protection for their workers.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
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14 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
LOCAL
Good Citizenship medal awarded to abuse survivor
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inister of Environment Mary Polak, on behalf of Premier Christy Clark, will present Kamal Dhillon, a courageous Langley citizen, with the province’s newest honour, the Medal of Good Citizenship. The ceremony will be held Tuesday, May 24 at 3 p.m. at the Douglas Recreation Centre, 20550 Douglas Crescent. Launched in July 2015 by Premier Clark, the prestigious Medal of Good Citizenship recognizes individuals who, through exceptional long-termservice, have made outstanding contributions to their communities without expectation of remuneration or reward. The medal reflects their generosity, service, acts of selflessness and contributions to community life. Nominations for the Medal of Good Citizenship are accepted year-round. Dhillon, who is a
survivor of severe domestic violence, will be honoured with the medal for her courage to transcend her suffering from domestic violence to bring a powerful message to the public about domestic violence, offer hope to other victims, and to advocate for changes in laws. Her service to community and countless hours of volunteering include support to victims of domestic violence and willingness to travel to conferences and communities where she brings awareness of the devastation exacted by domestic violence to classrooms, police departments, business and community organizaions, and churches. Whether speaking to officials at the The World Bank, The International Monetary Fund, or a local group of educators, her inspirational message brings understanding to the complex issue.
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Over 100 people homeless after White Rock fire
ore than less,” he said. “It hasn’t 100 people all sunk in yet.” Clayhave lost ton Cosco says he’s their homes after an grateful for the comintense fire engulfed munity support after an apartment builda fire damaged his ing White Rock over White Rock home. the weekend. The Cosco said their home blaze flared up at a was insured but he construction site in fears it will have to be Construction site fire engulfed near by White Rock around torn down. He and his four story building in White Rock last week. 5 a.m last Sunday. It wife plan to stay with spread to a nearby aparttheir daughter tonight but More than ment complex, destroyaren’t sure where they’ll live 100 people ing the building’s nearly after that. “Now we’re on 70 units, as well as the have lost their that journey of finding out ground-floor, commer- homes in aphow, [and] where we’re gocial spaces. Crews from ing to live,” he said. “We’re partment buildneighbouring Surrey still a little stunned, but we’re were called in to help. ing fire. emotionally touched and Clayton Cosco was among suffering right now.” Comthe dozens who had to flee. He and his wife munity donations White Rock’s Centennial woke up to a crackling sound and escaped Arena has become both a gathering spot for with only their phones and wallets, along evacuees and a drop-off point for donations. with their dog. “At this point, we’re home-
Alberta man charged with murder after parking lot confrontation turned deadly A Grande Prairie man has been charged with second-degree murder after a man died of injuries from being pinned by a truck in a Home Hardware parking lot on Saturday. The incident occurred when the victim, 34-year-old Nikkolas Steenhuisen, of Abbotsford, BC left the store in Grande Prairie the afternoon of May 14 and noticed a man inside his truck in the parking lot. He confronted the man, who fled to an-
other truck and tried to drive away. Steenhuisen was standing on the running boards of that truck when it collided with a parked vehicle, pinning him between both vehicles. The man then drove away, leaving Steenhuisen severely injured in the parking lot. He was taken to hospital in Grande Prairie, before being airlifted to Edmonton. He died of his injuries on the way there.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
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Former Liberal gov’t communications director charged in ‘quick wins’ scandal
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Higher fines for failing to stop for a school bus means safer rides for students
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signed to boost the B.C. Liberals. ormer B.C. government comigher fines for drivers passing receive three penalty points on top of the Election Act charges munications director Brian school buses with flashing lights increased fine. “It is important that all moBonney is facing three other Bonney has been charged with in British Columbia are more than torists understand that passing a school charges under the Elections Act breach of trust by a public officer. bus with flashing lights is dangerous and related to conduct during the doubling to $368, announced Minister According to a statement from B.C.’s puts children’s lives at risk,” said Stone. “I of Transportation and Infrastructure, Todd provincial 2012 Port MoodyCriminal Justice Branch, the charge want to thank the many parents, school bus Stone. This follows a review of the penalCoquitlam by-election campaign. follows an RCMP investigation into drivers and school trustees who have ties conducted in March 2016 that found the He and former Liberal party potential offences arising from the brought this issue to the public’s previous fine of $167 was one of the lowest field director Mark Robertson “quick wins” draft multicultural straattention. It’s a result of their tireless advoin Canada and not enough to deter drivers. are charged with two counts Brian Bonney tegic outreach plan that was drawn cacy that we have increased the fines to send each of “making a political con- This increase in fine amount is designed to up in 2011. At the time, Bonney was discourage drivers from ignoring flashing a message that the safety of our children the communications director for multicultur- tribution” and one count each of incurschool bus lights. Drivers will continue to must come first when driving near school alism and government communications, as ring “an unauthorized election expense.” well as a volunteer with the provincial Liberal party. Outside of court Bonney’s lawyer Ian Donaldson said his client will fight the charges. “Mr. Bonney was employed by the public and the public got what they paid for and then some. That’s our position.” said Donaldson. Donaldson said the Crown, not his client, had requested and been granted a publication ban on Bonney’s bail hearing. Start saving for your child’s future ‘Three years to get here’ B.C. NDP leader John Horgan questioned why it education in a Registered Education took so long for Bonney to be charged. Savings Plan (RESP) and receive up to “My significant concern is that it took us $8,400 in government grants.1 three years to get here. It strikes me that that would lead to a lack of cooperation by Open a CST RESP now and you’ll start receiving the the government, a lack of cooperation by the Canada Education Savings grant (CESG). The CESG B.C. Liberal party,” Horgan told reporters. can add up to $7,200 to your child’s RESP. A 2013 report looked into allegations Premier Christy Clark’s Liberal administration When your child turns six, they can receive an blurred the lines between government and additional $1,200 from the B.C. Government. partisan activity in drawing up plans to win the multicultural vote ahead of the 2013 election. The report, authored by deputy minister John Dyble, concluded Bonney breached Surjit S. Madhopuri public service standards of conduct by not Branch Manager distinguishing between his role as a pubC.S.T. Consultants Inc. Branch 888 lic servant and as a volunteer for the Lib(604) 377- 4171 / (604) 594 - 7200 erals. It concluded that Bonney spent as surjit.madhopuri@cstresp.com http://www.cstresp.com/6117 much as half of his time on partisan activities while being paid by taxpayers. 1 The Canada Education Savings Grant matches 20% of the first $2,500 you contribute to your child’s RESP each year up to a lifetime maximum of Dyble’s report also concluded that as $7,200. BC Training and Education Savings Grant (BCTESG) is a one-time $1,200 grant available to BC resident children born on or after January 1st, much as $70,000 of government resources 2007. Children are eligible for the BCTESG on their sixth birthday. You have until the day before your child’s ninth birthday to apply for the BCTESG. were inappropriately used by government Conditions apply. workers on the ethnic outreach strategy deThe CST Plan is only sold by Prospectus. You can get copies of the prospectus from www.cst.org or by calling 1.877.333.RESP(7377).
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16 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
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LOCAL
South Asian man charged with manslaughter after assault that killed his relative
charge of aggravated assault has been upgraded to manslaughter after an argument between two family members in Surrey, resulted in a death. RCMP Staff Sgt. Jennifer Pound says a 32-year-old man sustained a head injury on May 2 and was transported to hospital by a relative. Pound says a skull fracture required emergency surgery, and the patient was
released from hospital a week later. She says that on May 12, the victim was taken back to hospital with life-threatening bleeding in his brain and died on Sunday. Pound says 29-year-old Mandeep Bhatti was arrested at the scene after the argument and released before being charged with aggravated assault. He was being held in custody when the manslaughter charge was laid.
Arrest of second suspect in convenience store robbery
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urrey RCMP has arrested the second suspect in a convenience store robbery on March 31. Josue CISNEROS, 18 years old from Vancouver, has been charged with one count of Robbery. He remains in custody pending his next court appearance. RCMP thanked the public, media, and our policing and community
partners for their assistance. The Surrey RCMP’s Robbery Unit continues to have success solving commercial robberies in the city. Overall robberies were down 29% during the first quarter of 2016. For more information on business robbery prevention please visit the Protect Yourself section of our website.
Langley RCMP is seeking the assistance of the public with the following investigations 2016 - 14554
Police allege the pictured woman has committed fraud by impersonating the holder of a Langley bank account. It is believed she has obtained nearly $40,000. The offences have taken place over a period of time.
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It is alleged the pictured male stole baby formula on April 27th from the Superstore in Langley. He is
described as being in his early twenties, with dark hair, and was wearing a black ball cap, black shirt and jeans.
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The pictured bike was stolen from a garage in the Willoughby area overnight from April 30 to May 1st. The bike is worth $3000 and is a blue Trek road racing bicycle. If you have information that might assist with any of the above investigations, please call Langley RCMP at 604-532-3200. Should you need to remain anonymous, please call CrimeStoppers:
Vancouver man “known to police” shot dead
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quiet residential neighbourhood on Vancouver’s west side was rocked late Monday by what police are describing as an “extremely brazen” targeted shooting that claimed the life of a 23-year-old man. Sgt. Randy Fincham, spokesman for Vancouver police, said the incident happened around 10:30 p.m. when several residents called 911 reporting multiple shots being fired in the area of West 27th Avenue near Cambie Street. He said police responded quickly and found a silver Kia SUV on the sidewalk. Sgt. Randy Fincham, spokesman for Vancouver police, speaks to reporters at the scene of a shooting in the city’s west side Tuesday morning. The driver, a 23-year-old Vancouver man, was found inside the vehicle. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene shortly after, he said. “This is an extremely brazen shooting,” Fincham told reporters at the scene Tuesday. “To have something like this happen anywhere in Vancouver is incredibly rare. Why it happened in this quiet residential neighbourhood is certainly something that we’ll look at.” Detectives spent much of Tuesday interviewing witnesses, canvassing the neighbourhood and gathering a significant amount of evidence at the scene. While Fincham confirmed that the victim is known to police, he would not elaborate on his past interaction with law enforcement except to say that police believe the shooting was targeted. Fincham said it’s too early to tell if the victim has any ties to gangs or organized crime. He also could not say whether the victim was armed at the time of the shooting. “It’s still too early to tell exactly what the motive was for the shooting last night, why this person was targeted,” he said. “But with the information that we have, we believe it was a targeted shooting.” He said detectives are trying to determine why the victim was in the neighbourhood. He said it’s still unclear if the man lived in the area. Fincham said police don’t have any information leading them to a suspect yet. He asked anyone who witnessed the incident or anyone who has any information about a suspect to call police.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Saturday - May 21, 2016
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n Food Revolution Day British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver along with Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez and judge Kunal Kapur will be calling for people around the world to sign up for the ‘Food Revolution.’ With the initiative, Oliver aims to get the attention of governments at the World Health Assembly meeting in Geneva May 23 to tackle the child nutrition crisis. In a move that Oliver has called a “game-changer,” he and nu-
merous other well-known personalities will take to Facebook Live May 20 for a sevenhour cooking marathon, read a statement. The aim is to encourage people to join them in a full-scale, global food revolution — a major part of which will be giving people power to lobby their own governments to fight diet-related disease. “This Food Revolution Day we are going to give governments that extra little nudge by running the longest-ever Facebook Live campaign, getting millions of people involved from all around the globe,” Oliver said. “The world is
Apple CEO Tim Cook’s went to Mumbai’s famed, dined with a host of Bollywood stars at Shahrukh Khan’s residence.
Mallika rocks at Cannes 2016 Mallika Sherawat, whose film “Time Raiders” was screened at the ongoing 69th Cannes Film Festival, attended the UNICEF dinner in a gorgeous gown by ace designer Alex This is not the first time that Sherawat has made an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival. The actress made head-
crying out for action, and there has never been a better time to make changes to save millions of lives.” The “Roy” star also says it is great to be associated with a good cause.
Jacqueline Fernandez
Jacqueline Fernandez joins celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s ‘food revolution’
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Bollywood
2 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
‘Azhar’ is by far the mostchallenging role I’ve done so far
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ctor Emraan Hashmi (pictured), who is gearing up for the release of “Azhar,” says he had to play former Indian cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin’s role in a more dramatic fashion in the film. I wasn’t a hardcore cricket buff, but I believe cricket is a part of every Indian’s DNA. We can’t escape cricket. I also played cricket. But not the professional cricket that the captain of the Indian cricket team is expected to play after the experience of 20 years. I had to observe Azhar’s batting style.
I became an actor after seeing my sister Act: Randeep
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ctor Randeep Hooda says his sister, Anjali Hooda Sangwan (pictured) , is very good at acting, but she gave up her dreams due to the casting couch trend, and, if he ever goes behind the camera, he would love to cast her. The actor, who will soon be seen in Omung Kumar’s “Sarbjit,” shared that his sister even came to Mumbai to try her luck. “I’m now thinking that whenever I’m directing a movie or a play, I’ll cast her. She is very spontaneous and good at acting,” Hooda said in a statement. The actor spoke about his elder sister, who is now an accomplished doctor, while appearing on the TV show “Yaar Mera Superstar.”
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How many houses does Ranbir have?
anbir Kapoor is single. So his multiple residences have left us mystified. After moving out of the Carter Road sea-facing apartment he had shared with Katrina Kaif, the actor has moved twice more! We wonder if his heart and soul are so restless after the breakup that it’s a case of “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (his film with Karan Johar) Jeena Yahaan” as the famous vintage song went! The buzz is that Ranbir Kapoor, who is currently wrapping up the last schedule of the hitherto never-ending Anurag Basu marathon “Jagga Jasoos” in Morocco, will move into the family home at Deonar, near RK Studios in Chembur on his return to India. The old bungalow, belonging
My character in ‘One Night Stand’ is a weak woman, couldn’t Relate, Sunny Leone:
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he is in a chirpy mood, and yet there is a nononsense aura about the lady. Sunny Leone, as always, talks candidly, talks sense — and talks a lot! Here she talks about her second film of 2016, “One Night Stand,”. Q: What is your personal take on one-night stands? A: (Narrows her eyes thoughtfully and grins) Weeeeeeell, if you are single and your physical emotions take over your brains and needs, I think it’s your prerogative and choice, provided you are not committed! I think that one-night stands happen frequently at least in the bigger Indian cities. In smaller towns in India, most aunties know who is hand-holding which girl, so it’s probably not so common! That said, it happens much more than reported. C’mon, no one here asks anyone, “Hey, tell me what you did last night?” (A tinkling laugh) Q: The vibe that the title and promo of this film give is that it is your first film with a message. A: Of course. For one, it shows how you can spoil a great life by falling into such weak moments — your own happiness as well as your family’s can be ruined. For my character, it is the biggest mistake of her life. For Tanuj (hero Tanuj Virwani)’s character, he has a perfect life with a beautiful wife and ends up destroying his home through his obsession with me. Yes, this film is a lot different from the movies I have done. It talks about one of the key aspects of gender equality — that when a woman is a part of a onenight stand, she is looked down upon but not so the man. I personally found my character quite horrible! Q: Explain! A: I could not relate to her or understand her! Despite her strong moments off and on, she was a weak woman. I had so many workshops and conversations with my director, and would dig so much that she would say, “Just shut up and shoot!” (Laughs) Q: How was it working with your first woman director and especially so in such a movie? A: I think that it is wonderful that women directors are trying out so many different themes. Jasmine (Moses D’Souza, the director) shot this movie from her eyes. A male director with the same subject
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Salman, iulia love story, is the complete lowdown?
UMBAI — Salman Khan, who might reportedly get engaged to be married to Romanian beauty Iulia Vantur soon and has been very open about her as of late at events and in public, will have to face the fact that this is the second marriage of his bride-to-be. The buzz is that earlier in 2013, Vantur married Romanian musical superstar Marius Moga. Moga is a Grammy-nominated producer, composer and singer, who is famous in Eastern and Central Europe. He writes and produces music in various styles and genres, especially pop, R&B and club music. Some reports say they were together for four years before Moga found love in another woman, says a local Web site that broke the story.
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Buddha in a Traffic Jam
COD Khan and Vantur met for the first time in Romania itself, where Khan was on a reconnaissance for his film “Jai Ho.” The recce was held in 2011, so Khan has known her for five years now.
ing, I got hospitalized for a week for certain reasons. I was speaking the lines of a scene while unconscious, and my wife called him (Kashyap) and said, ‘What have you done to my husband? You have changed him,’” Siddiqui said at the trailer launch of the film. Be it “Badlapur,” “Manjhi - The Mountain Man” or “Bajrangi Bhaijaan,” Siddiqui has a method to his madness. He spoke to India-West ahead of “Raman Raghav 2.0’s” world premiere at Cannes Film Festival’s Directors Fortnight on May 16. Speaking about his detailed and utterly convincing role Siddiqui said, “I studied a lot about various psychopath killers on the Internet in order to under-
Abhishek snubs wife Aishwarya at ‘Sarbjit’ Premiere: Watch
bhishek and Aishwar ya Rai Bachchan at the premiere of “Sarbjit.” Bachchan has been lying low for quite some time now. First, it was his back issues that kept him bed-ridden. Then, due to his “Housefull 3” pre-release promotions, he missed Cannes. We don’t know what is going on with the couple, but their body language seems to suggest all is not well. At the premiere event of “Sarbjit,” the couple walked in holding hands, but soon Abhishek let go of his wife’s hand and proceeded to mingle with the guests. When
May 2016
Comedy, Thriller Arunoday Singh as Vikram Pandit Mahi Gill as Charu Siddhu Anupam Kher as Professor
For acting, I did psychopathic study, says Nawazuddin
he trailer of Anurag Kashyap’s new thriller, “Raman Raghav 2.0,” starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, is cold, dark, gloomy and spine-tingling. Siddiqui plays a psychotic man, Ramanna, a character inspired by the notorious serial killer from the ‘60s, Raman Raghav, who preyed upon victims living on the streets of Mumbai. The trailer portrays the grisly deeds of Ramanna, who continues in Raghav’s footsteps instilling bone chilling fear into the world while fearing nothing and no one. “For two days, I just went away without telling anyone and started fearing myself when I was preparing for this role. And then I returned, and, after I started shoot-
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Saturday, May 21, 2016 i 3 Bollywood New released Bollywood films
he came back to pose with her for the cameras, he left in a rush, leaving Aishwarya wondering what happened. Graceful as usual, she folded her hands in Namaste and walked off the scene as poised as ever. Is this a case of insecurity or a one-off tiff between the couple? Only time will tell, but we love the couple too much to see them displaying their dirty laundry in public like this. Hope they sort out their issues and go back to being their lovey-dovey selves.
Comedy, Thriller, Director Tinu Suresh Desai Actors: Sharman Joshi, Meera Chopra
Sarabjit Director – Omung Kumar, Cast – Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Randeep Hooda, Richa Chaddha
Traffic Thriller, Director Rajesh Pillai Actors: Manoj Bajpai, Jimmy Shergill, Divya Dutta, Kitu Gidwani, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Sachin Khedekar
Bollywood
4 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
Horoscope Libra
Aries
Sept. 24 - Oct 22
March 21 - April 20 The start of the week shows what you’re capable of when you’re looking for romance. You’re a goal setter and you keep your eye on the prize, so you’re a force to be reckoned with when you take the time to focus on your love life. You aren’t used to feeling shy, but someone you’ve got a crush on makes you blush over the weekend. Practice what you’re going to say to this person before you actually say it.
Taurus
A friendship could lead to more in the beginning of the week. Although it can feel awkward at times, changing a platonic relationship into a romantic one seems like the most natural progression in the world. You find yourself missing someone from your past at the end of the week, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should try to get in contact. If you already have closure, make your peace with it.
Scorpio
April 21 - May 20
Oct 23 - Nov 22
How long has it been since you pampered yourself? The beginning of the week is a great time to do something for you that you wish a partner would do for you. Just because you’re single doesn’t mean you don’t deserve everything you want! You can get somewhat overly enthusiastic when you’re interested in someone new later in the week, but patience will pay off in the long run.
Gemini
May 20 - June 21
Is there just one perfect person out there for you or do you have many chances when it comes to love? Examine what you really believe in and then go for it. There’s no time like the present to get what you want and deserve. You can be slightly intimidating at the end of the week, so try to soften the edges when you’re on a first date or meeting someone for the first time. Reveal your true self slowly.
Sagitarius
You’re a student of love. You want to know everything there is to know about romance, seduction, and passion, but reading about it isn’t enough. Be open to new experiences in the beginning of the week, because learning by doing is the very best way to learn! If you have to convince someone to go out with you over the weekend, it probably isn’t meant to be. Let love happen naturally or not at all.
Cancer
Nov 23 - Dec 22
What’s inhibiting you? You have a wild side that wants to break free, but something is keeping you from expressing it in the first part of the week. Don’t let people in positions of authority make you feel like you can’t be you. What other people think should be low on your radar when you’re looking for love. Learning about a new dating app or flirting technique ups your game over the weekend. It’s on!
June 22 - July 23
Are you going to give up? Someone isn’t making it easy, but only you know for sure whether or not it’s worth the effort to keep pursuing this person. It’s possible you’ll celebrate an anniversary together someday and both look back on these days and laugh! You have a romantic hero to look up to later in the week, which helps you remember that true love really does exist. Keep believing.
Capricorn Dec 23 - Jan 20
If you aren’t getting dates with people you want, it isn’t for lack of effort. You’re really putting yourself out there, and it’s only a matter of time before your hard work pays off. Be patient just a bit longer. True love is worth the wait. Scheduling more than one date for the weekend is risky, but you have a good organizational system that should help you keep track of it all.
Leo
June 24 - August 23
Aquarius
It isn’t always easy to let yourself be emotionally vulnerable, but you’re willing to do whatever it takes to win over your crush in the first part of the week. Stick to the truth, though, because embellishing could backfire. Your dreams tell you a lot about the future of your love life over the weekend, so look up any vivid symbols you can remember from your sleeping hours. You can use all the help you can get at this point!
Virgo
August 24 - Sept 24 You’re highly discerning, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting exactly what you want. It might narrow your chances of finding a casual date, but when you refuse to lower your standards, you’re on track to eventually finding your perfect match. There are mysteries to be solved later in the week. Any activity that involves researching unexplained phenomena is great first-date material. Raising your heart rates together could lead to passion!
Jan 21 - Feb 19 Keep your friends and family on a need-toknow basis when it comes to your love life. You definitely don’t want to see your intimate business posted all over social media for all the world to see and comment on! Logic falls by the wayside as emotions take over in the latter part of the week, which could be very confusing. Is this love? Are you ready to find out?
Pisces
Feb 20 - March 20 What are your biggest obstacles when it comes to finding love? Are they self-imposed or are there outside influences blocking your way to true happiness? Spend some time in the first part of the week figuring out what’s wrong and how to fix it. The weekend is a good time to try out a new dating app or service, but read the fine print before you sign up. Finding love shouldn’t cost a lot of money!
Kamal’s video palace presents Johny Lever Live KVP Entertainers invite you all to destress yourself with the ‘ one & only ‘ JOHNY LEVER on Saturday, June 11,2016 @ 8 PM at Vancouver’s iconic HARD ROCK CASINO for what promises to be ‘ An evening of rip roaring laughter ‘ . Johny , a veteran of 400 bollywood films , is accompanied by his talented daughter JAMIE LEVER and upcoming comedian GAURAVand the evening will be full of comedy gigs , mimicry , singing & dancing and like every KVP Entertainers concert , $1 from the sale of every ticket is going to BC CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL Foundation.Tkts. from $35 & up are available
at www.ticketmaster.ca or KAMAL’S VIDEO PALACE ( www.kamalvideopalace.com ) and for more information , please call KAMAL SHARMA at (604 )833-1977
SRK & Aamir totally bonded at party Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan are not really known to be best friends, but their recentTwitter conversation and the fact that Aamir brought AbRam toys has warmed the cockles of our stone cold hearts. According to Bombay Times, on the night of the party thrown by SRK for Tim Cook, Aamir decided to stay back after all
the guests left. The two superstars then hung out atMannat till the the wee hours of the morning. The best part is that both of them are such intelligent men, we’re sure their banter would be extremely interesting. Cheers to this new friendship!
‘Baahubali’ team to have panel discussion at Cannes film festival “Baahubali - The Beginning” director S.S. Rajamouli and producer Shobu Yarlagadda will be leading a panel discussion at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. The southern magnum opus will also be screened at the prestigious film fest. Rajamouli, who got the Best Feature Film award at the recently held 63rd National Film Awards, will lead a discussion on virtual reality at the Marché
du Film, a film market event taking place alongside the festival. The film festival will take place from May 11-22. And the film’s team will be part of the gala May 16. The director of the film and the producer along with Raja Koduri, senior vice president of Radeon Technology Group, AMD, will lead a panel discussion titled “Increasing the Intensity and Scale of Epic Film Experiences Through VR” at the NEXT Pavilion, read a statement.
Bollywood personalities’ birthdays Karan Johar MAY 25
MADHURI DIXIT MAY 15
WAHEEDA REHMAN MAY 14
ZARINA WAHAB MAY 14
Saturday, May 21, 2016
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Bollywood
6 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
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Harbhajan Mann’s Attitude is like Rajnikanth – Dev Gill
o Doubt! King of Pollywood Harbhajan Mann and Tollywood Superstar Rajnikanth are legends in their regions. During a Press conference, Popular Movie artist Dev gill who worked with Rajnikanth in Tollywood movie Linga and Punjabi movie Saadey CM saab
with Harbhajan Singh stated that both stars are awesome and have cool behaviour on the sets. He also said that “I never felt that I worked with Pollywood star, He always treated me like a good friend”.
Aditya Roy Kapur Is Super Excited About The Dream Team’s Us Tour
With the young brigade of Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Parineeti Chopra reaching out to their fans sending video messages to be a part of the Dream Team concert, how could the dashing Aditya Roy Kapur be far behind? Adi too followed their footsteps and recorded a message for the same. A part of the Dream Team, Aditya, with his contemporaries, is all set to take you on an entertainment roller coaster with the coolest Bollywood celebrities on the block. A team of the youngest, most vibrant and biggest faces
of Bollywood is all geared up to show America and Canada what Bollywood is all about. The Dream Team will present a 3-hour-long show across 5 cities, viz. Houston, San Hose, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York that shall blow you away with jaw dropping performances, wow audience moments, larger
‘Housefull 3’ music review Label: T-Series - Music: Various - Lyrics: Various
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e do not know what producer Sajid Nadiadwala was thinking of when he left the music (we think) to his director duo of Farhad-Sajid. Now, they may be skilled writers and decent directors, but, clearly, creating music and co-writing lyrics is definitely not their bowl of biryani. For one, naming all the ‘composers’ and ‘lyricists’ above would have taken several needless lines, since we are forced to ‘list’ (the correct term, as you will see!) them below anyway. Before that, all we have to say is that probably for the first time ever in such a big film, the music is so atrocious in all its creative aspects. Correction: There are NO creative aspects! Every song is an exercise on how NOT to make music. And we salute those daring and gutsy recording engineers who actually put this tripe on a recording format! Another sad and very reprehensible fact is that some good talents have been wasted criminally in the vocals — Anmoll Mallik, Neeti Mohan, Divya Kumar and Kailash Kher. If the film is called “Housefull 3,” the music seems to target a house of fools, which is what the film’s team thinks about
we poor music buffs! And we guess everyone knew how beyond bearable the songs were, because no one composer or songwriter dares to take (dis) credit for each! We have a song here that goes like this: “Dekho chand ko chadh gayi hai charbi / Suraj bhi lagaa bakne Arbi / Iss awesome waale mausam mein / English waali pappi / Pyar ki maa ki aaj se pooja karni hai.” This ‘blasterpiece’ is written by Danis Sabri, Farhad-Sajid and Manoj Yadav and scum-posed by Sharib-Toshi, who are excelling in unmusical products nowadays. It is delivered by Mallik, Kumar, Nakash Aziz, Earl Edgar and Sharib Sabri. The atrocity called “Taang Uthake,” which sounds like and yet is worse than a zillion such songs in the last many years is sung by Hrishikesh Chury, Mamta Sharma, Madan Shukla, Mika Singh, Mohan and Sohail Sen, who has also made the ‘tune’ with lyrics by Farhad-Sajid, Mamta Sharma (!), Sameer Sen (Sohail’s composer father — what’s he doing here????) and Sanjeev Chaturvedi. “Fake Ishq,” which almost sounds nice (though it isn’t) in comparison, is sung by Altamash Faridi, Kher and Aziz.
Bollywood
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Abhishek Bachchan says Aishwarya Rai Looked FANTASTIC with Purple Lips
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Shah Rukh Khan named as second richest actor in the world
Shilpa Shetty to conduct yoga class in Spain for IIFA
ctress Shilpa Shetty will be conducting a special yoga class at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards in Spain next month. The 17th edition of IIFA awards will begin from June 23 to 26. Sponsored: Avail attractive trading plans online at Sharekhan “Today yoga is practised world over. I am glad to have a class there. Its (IIFA) a great platform. I feel privileged to do it (yoga), ” the 40-year-old actress told reporters here
Saturday, May 21, 2016
venkyshanky23@yahoo.com
at the event of IIFA. “I wonder how IIFA team comes up with a better show year after year…they have been a trend-setter. I am looking forward to IIFA,” Shilpa said. A host of celebrities like Salman Khan, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan,
SRK named the second richest actor in the world. Be it movies, endorsements or business ventures, whatever SRK touches becomes gold. Hence, he is among the most successful actors in the world today.
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hile Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s purple lip color at Cannes got mixed reactions from her fans and the fashion police, hubby Abhishek Bachchan, couldn’t stop raving about the look. When asked about Ash’s dramatic look, Abhi was quoted saying, “I think she looked fantastic ... She always does.” This time around, Ash celebrated her 15th year at Cannes and her upcoming film Sarbjit was also showcased at the event. Ash’s choice of lip colour turned out to be a head turner at the red carpet, but her look was trolled widely on social media. She paired it with an embellished light pink Rami Kadi dress.
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Auto
8 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
Fiat Chrysler recalls three-pedal 500s and ‘07-10 Jeeps
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Recalls affect transmission and airbag it’s still troubling news for some Fiat owners.
iat Chrysler is recalling more than 39,000 Fiat 500s in the U.S. with manual transmisFiat 500 owners shouldn’t fret too sions due to a clutch problem. much though since no injuries or “An FCA U.S. investigation deteraccidents have been reported. The mined certain vehicles equipped with “re st r i c t i on manual transmisof gear shifts s le sions are subject ic h e v r le s and propulFiat chry to clutch travel sion” does that may exceed sound a bit concerning however, design parameters,” a statement from so taking a trip to the local Fiat Fiat Chrysler said. “Over time, this may dealer appears to be in order. cause component damage capable of No turbocharged verestricting gear shifts and propulsion.” hicles are affected by this The recall includes three-pedal 500’s recall, so Abarth ownfrom model years 2012-2016, and exers will be sitting this one out. FCA tends to countries outside the U.S. U.S. is urging its customers to follow with an additional 41,000 cars globally. the instructions on their recall notices.
While not at the same scale as Fiat Chrysler’s last transmission related re-
Fiat Chrysler discovered that excessive exposure to dust and dirt is what triggers this problem. Model year 2007-2010 Wranglers are affected by this issue, and it should also be noted that if the problem is present in your Jeep, the airbag light will be illuminated. call,
Five popular car models in India
Five car models fail crash safety test Five popular car models in India, including Maruti Celerio, Renault Kwid, Mahindra Scorpio and Hyundai Eon, failed crash tests with “zero star” rating by vehicle safety group Global NCAP. The UK-based group tested five models, including Maruti Suzuki’s van Eeco, sold in India and found
that the vehicles “showed low levels of adult occupant protection”. “The latest Indian crash test results from Global NCAP released today in Delhi continue to disappoint with all five models rated as zero star,” Global NCAP said. Global NCAP Secretary General
In addition to the Fiats, a half-million Jeep Wranglers are being recalled globally to replace a clockspring assembly in the steering wheel that could prevent the driver-side airbag from going off.
David Ward said the latest results showed how important it was for
cars to have a body shell that could remain stable in a crash. Renault’s Kwid was tested in three versions, including one with airbags, but each was rated as zero star for
adult safety. Car makers must ensure that their new models pass the UN’s minimum crash test regulations, and support the use of airbags, he said. Renault India Operations Country CEO Sumit Sawhney said the Indian Government has announced that the crash test regulation for existing cars will come into effect in 2019 and for the new cars in 2017. “Renault is committed to comply with these timelines.” While Maruti declined to comment, comments from Hyundai and Mahindra could not be immediately obtained.
2016 Ford Mustang
The sixth-gen Mustang has been in the
relatively affordable, powerful V8 GT before the EPA bans them forever. The 2.3-liter, then,
public eye for over two and a half years now (and on sale for nearly two). Time flies, but the car has held up well -- vindication for Ford’s evolutionary approach to styling. I didn’t get tired of looking at it. Neither did the neighbors. I was especially eager to explore this car’s 2.3-liter EcoBoost four. Before trying it out, I’d have figured that those who just want the Mustang look will stick with the base motor, while the die-hard Mustang fans will spend the extra bucks to snag a
was an odd and possibly superfluous compromise between power and
economy -a suspiciously European one at that, especially for an all-American pony
car (indeed, the engine is shared with the Focus RS). But it’s not a compromise: It’s an intriguing alternative. There have been a few early attempts at tuning and modifying this car with this engine and I’d love to see it taken further. It’s more than fine out of the box, though, with next-to-no lag before you get into those 320 lb-ft of torque. Paddles do give you control over shifts, but I’d like to have it for a weekend with the manual. Either way, it
in my book.
doesn’t feel unnatural in the car, which is a sincere compliment
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Saturday, May 21, 2016
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Volvo 40 series concepts unveiled:
Meet the new, modular face of Swedish luxury
he new XC90 and S90 flagship have left us with little doubt that Volvo has the chops to design and build stunning, technologically impressive vehicles on the large (and more expensive) end of the luxury spectrum.
The Swedish automaker is going to have to roll out a lineup of thoroughly modern smaller vehicles, however, if it wants to succeed globally. And it needs to do it fast. To that end, Volvo has developed a new platform, dubbed
Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), to underpin its upcoming range of small cars. This justunveiled pair of concepts, called the 40 series, gives us our first look at what these CMAbased vehicles might look like when they
head to production in 2017. This is apparently “the flavor of small Volvos to come,” in the words of senior design VP Thomas Ingenlath. Hope you’re all ready for it. The crossover is called the 40.1 -- perhaps it will be called the XC40 in production trim. The 40.2, the sedan we suspect will be known as the S40, gets a more
Mitsubishi Motors president to resign as scandal grows Mitsubishi Motors president and chief operating officer Tetsuro Aikawa announced that he will be stepping down in the wake of the fuel economy crisis that ignited last month, as the automaker admitted to advertising overstated fuel economy ratings on a wide range of models dating back to 1991. Executive vice president Ryugo Nakao will also step down from his position, days after Nissan agreed to buy a majority stake of 34 percent to keep the crisis-hit automaker afloat. Both will resign on June 24, during the company’s annual shareholder meeting.
CEO Osamu Masuko, who appeared publicly at various press briefings on the crisis as well as with Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, will stay with the company and will assume the tasks of his two departing deputies until replacements are chosen As our announcement today on the Report to the Ministry of Land,
carlike ride height and what appears to be a more compact fascia; this isn’t just a roof chopjob. Both cars incorporate the Volvo design language we’ve seen on the XC90 and S90. There are unique Volvo touches like
the “Hammer of Thor” headlight detailing on both cars, and the 40.1 retains the Swedish automaker’s signature boomerang-esque taillights. As important as the styling is the powertrain -- or should we say, powertrains. The automaker didn’t give many details, but it says the CMA platform can accommodate battery electric powertrains, in addition to plug-in hybrid variant (likely mated with a gasoline I3) and conventional gasoline-only versions. Front and
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism concerning improper conduct in fuel consumption testing of vehi-
cles manufactured by MMC shows, MMC has caused tremendous trouble and concern to our customers and all of our stakeholders,” Mitsubishi Motors said in a statement. “Considering this, Mr. Aikawa and Mr. Nakao decided today that they will resign as Representative Directors as of June 24, 2016.” The rapidly developed crisis implicated most if not all of the automaker’s current lineup of Japanese-market cars, as well as cars that it has been producing at its facilities for Nissan. But so far, there is no indication that Mitsubishi submitted improperly achieved fuel economy data to cars sold in the U.S., with the automaker’s North American arm pointing out that the U.S.-market vehicles use a different methodology than in Japan.
N PE O O N W
S N D E E K WE AND HOLIDAYS FEATURING
SAVE UP TO $5 ON PLAYPASSES AT:
10 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
Classifieds
JOBS
JOBS
Western Door Manufacturing Ltd located at #1098250, 124th St, Surrey, BC V3W 3X9, has an immediate vacancy for Carpenter. We design and manufacture high end solid wood exteriors doors, solid wood interior doors and custom doors. Job specification: Full time position with wages of $25/ hour. 35 to 40 hours per week. Job requirement: High School with 2-3 years of experience. Trade certificate will be considered as an asset. Job duties includes read & interpret drawings & sketches to determine specifications; estimate height, width, length and other proportions; measure, cut, shape & assemble wood materials using woodworking machines, power tools and hand tools; Build exterior doors, interior doors, customs doors with jams; moulding, make transom arch shape; specially skilled in fancy wood design, traditional murals crafting on doors; Install hardware such as hinges,
handles, catches; Repair doors and replace panels of doors. If interested send resumes at westerndoors@outlook.com -------------- May 21 2016 Planet Pride Logistics Ltd. of Richmond, BC is urgently seeking an Office Manager on f/time, perm. basis. Must have min. high school education and either min. 2 yrs. exp. in clerical/secretarial/ office admin. or a university degree or college diploma in business admin. Duties incl. manage office staff and assign tasks as needed; analyze internal processes and recommend / implement procedural or policy changes to improve operations; establish work priorities; manage office supply inventory and maintain office equipment repairs. wage btwn $22.25 $24/hr (depending on exp). Please email resume to planetpridelogist@gmail.com. No phone calls or drop-ins please. -------------- May 14 2016
“Vacancy for Stock
JOBS Supervisor A1doors and mouldings, located at 12625 – 80th Avenue Surrey, BC, V3W 3A6 has an immediate vacancy of Stock Supervisor Term of employment : Full time, Permanent with 35 to 40 hours per week Salary : $18/hour Job duties : To supervise and coordinate activities of stock staff, plan and organize the display of stock in the showroom, identify outdated & defective stock, ensure orders are executed & delivered in time, maintain inventory and order merchandise, prepare periodic inventory reports, assign duties to stock clerks, providing stock clerk with the training, information, guidance encouragement &recognition needed to meet expectation, investigating, resolving & escalating customer issues as appropriate. Requires : Completion of secondary school with one year of related experience. If interested please send resumes by email at resume@a1doors.ca”
Optical Store Manager required at:
Clear Cool Optical - 2450 McCallum Raod, Abbotsford, BC, Canada, V2S 6R9 For details check website: http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/ jobposting.do?id=19833072 - ---------------- Apr 23 2016
Required urgently for beauty salon in Burnaby We have a great opportunity to add a new member to our team. We are looking for someone who is professional and confident in there waxing and threading skills. Our salon has an amazing reputation in these services and would love the right professional for the job. Please message for more info. 604-723-7553
Vacancy for In-home
JOBS Caregiver
Balwinder Singh Singhmaar, resident of 15095 92Ave, Surrey, BC V3R 5V8 has a vacancy for Inhome Child caregiver for infant child and 9 years old son. Full Time, $11 / hour, 40 hrs/week. Applicant must have high school with minimum of one year of related experience within last three years or six months of full time training in caregiving. Job Duties includes Supervise and care for children, prepare formulas and change diaper of infant, feeding, bathing, dressing, prepare children for rest period, escort child to school, prepare and serve nutritious meal and snacks, accompany to and from activities & appointments, light housekeeping, laundry, maintain safe environment at home, keep record of day-to-day activities, health and progress of children. Send resumes by email at balwinderssinghmaar@gmail.com -------------- Oct 31 2015
Baker / Sweet Maker wanted
Nirala Sweets and Restaurant in Surrey BC needs fully qualified Pakistani style Baker/Sweet maker (Mithai). Responsibilities will include Sweet making for retail and banquets, training of employees, labour & food cost control and supervision. Must have at least three years experience as a Pakistani Baker. Knowledge of Urdu an asset. ourly salary $15.50/hr. Contact Pasha 604 593 7323 or send resume at anwarpasha786@hotmail.
Matrimonial
Parents are looking a suitable match for their Indian 31 year old divorced daughter , fair complexions, 5.5” tall, well educated. All family is well settled in Canada. Call 778-322-5242 com --------------- Jan 23 2016
Cook for Pakistani cuisine wanted
Nirala Sweets and Restaurant in Surrey BC needs experienced chef for Halal Northern Pakistani style dishes. Must be expert in making kababs and tandoori dishes. Must be able to handle halal meats. Responsibilities will include menu design and planning, cooking for individual customers and banquets, training of employees, labour & food cost control and supervision of kitchen staff. Must have at least 3 years experience as a Pakistani cook. Knowledge of Urdu and asset. Hourly wage $17.00 per hour. 40 hours per week. Contact Pasha at 604 593 7323 or send resume at anwarpasha786@hotmail.com ---------------- Jan 23 2016
Basement for Rent
One bed room basement suite is available for rent from 1st of January 2016. Rent $ 600 including utility & internet . Walking distance to Bell Centre, Elementary & High School and Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib. Call 778-628-4473
To PLACE YOUR AD IN THE ASIAN STAR CLASSIFIEDS Section Please
Call: 604-591-5423
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Community News Maha Harinam Picnic Saturday May 14th 12:00 - 3:00 PM @ Grandview Park 1657 Charles Street @ Commercial Drive more info contact: Manu das 604 600 4527 Sunday Feast May 15th 5:30 PM -------------------------------------------------South Asian Seniors - Visiting 6 Scandinavian Countries of Europe From Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple Surrey, 12th May to 28th May 2016. South Asian Seniors have gone to visit Europe though 12 Nights Cruise & 3days tour of Amsterdam Holland on 12th May 2016. The Cruise Itinerary is as follows- Starts from Amsterdam Hol-
land, first stop 1 day visit Berlin Germany, 2nd stop for 1 day visit Tallinn Estonia, 3rd stop 2 days visit St. Petersburg Russia, 4th stop 1 day visit Helsinki Finland, 5th stop 1 day visit Stockholm Sweden, 6th stop 1 day visit Copenhagen Denmark and back to Amsterdam Holland the 13th day morning. All arrangements for Air Travel, Cruise bookings, all Excursions for all ports and Amsterdam City, Hotel stay & food in Amsterdam and also pick up service by Bus from Surrey Temple to Vancouver airport and back to Temple from Vancouver airport on return have been organized by Surendra Handa Coordinator Vedic Seniors Parivar Center of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey.. The Cruise is by Ship Celebrity Silhouette from May 14th 2016 to May 26th 2016. All 56 South Asian Seniors will be back in Surrey Temple from Tour/ Cruise of North Europe on 28th May 2016. -----------------------------------------
“Sanskriti Cultural Awareness Society of BC” invites you with your family and friends to a specially designed evening, full of laughter and humor to celebrate Holi a festival of joy, happiness and participation with legendary poets from India and North America coming to make everybody laugh and giggle. Program would be followed by dance and a lavish dinner. This is an family event. For queries contact: Janardan Pandey Prachand at 604-889-2204 , Sanjeev Sharma at 604 767 4366 Sanskriti Cultural Awareness Society of BC 15165 91Ave, Surrey BC V3R 1B6 PH: 604 767 4366 E:mail: humarisanskrit2@gmail.com www.humarisanskriti.ca
--------------------------Don’t give fraudsters an extra “tax” this season
With March being Fraud Prevention Month and residents making final preparations to their tax returns, the Surrey RCMP is reminding residents to be extra vigilant when it comes to protecting their personal and financial information. As frauds involving the Canada Revenue Agency are on the rise not only in Surrey but across the country, tax season is prime time for fraudsters to prey on unsuspecting victims. Residents need to be vigilant if they receive fraudulent communications from these agencies and report it to authorities immediately if they suspect they are a victim. “This time of year serves as a good reminder for residents to check their mail regularly when sensitive financial and personal information may be arriving daily in your mailbox,” says Surrey RCMP Corporal Scotty Schumann. “If criminals are able to access this information they can fraudulently use it to gain access to bank accounts, apply for loans and credit cards, or engage in criminal activity that ultimately becomes associated to you.” Surrey RCMP has also noticed a trend in fraudulent telephone calls claiming to be from debt collectors for unpaid phone, cable, hydro, or other utility bills. Most of the reports involve complainants who have lost their wallets or purses within the last year and have not reported it to authorities. Scams like this are good reminders to cancel and replace all important cards once lost and to routinely check your credit report to ensure
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you are not a victim of identity theft. Another scam that residents should be aware of that is making the rounds locally is the “black” or “white” money scam. This sophisticated counterfeit scheme comes in multiple forms but usually involves currency that on initial appearance has no colour but can apparently be washed with a chemical that makes it a legitimate bank note. In most cases, the victims are usually conned into making an initial investment into this counterfeit money with the promise of large returns. “Surrey is a very diverse community that includes many residents who are new to Canada,” says Cpl. Schumann. “Unfortunately those who are unfamiliar with how our institutions and businesses operate can be more susceptible to these frauds. We ask that residents take this opportunity to discuss these recent fraud trends with family members who may not be aware.” For more information on fraud prevention please visit the Scams & Fraud page on our website. If your business or community group would like to host an info session on fraud prevention please contact the Surrey RCMP’s Economic Crime Unit at 604-5990502. If you are the victim of a fraud, please contact your local police and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online or at 1-888-495-8501. ------------------------------------------------Train-the-Trainer workshop for Hepatitis and other communicable diseases at PICS, Surrey Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS) is hosting Train-the-Trainer Workshop for Healthcare Providers to make them aware about Hepatitis C and other related communicable diseases in high risk Immigrant ethnic communities. PICS is part of the Sexually Transmitted Infections and Tuberculosis Coinfections project undertaken by Canadian Ethnocultural Council, Ottawa and will provide training in the Metro Vancouver region. In Canada, STIs and TB continue to be public health concerns, however; very little information is available on the prevalence of these diseases in the selected ethnic populations and therefore; appropriate training is a must. What - Train-the-Trainer Workshop for Healthcare Providers Where – PICS Surrey, #20512725-80th Avenue, Surrey When October 7th 2015
12 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
Vancouver real estate prices, lack of public transit hinder city, report says
A
new report says Vancouver’s inadequate public transit and lack of affordable housing may hinder the city’s ability to attract labour and business investment. The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade released a scorecard today prepared by the Conference Board of Canada that rates the city ninth among big international cities in terms of key economic and social indicators. The report says Vancouver ranks ninth in the economic category and seventh in the social category, but housing and public transit hurt the city’s liveability ranking and could be hurdles for attracting future investment. The report says other challenges facingBritish Columbia’s largest city include a low propor-
tion of 25 to 34 year-olds — a demographic change the report says should not be ignored. “You’re only feeling the leading edge of it,” said conference board CEO Daniel Muzyka. “It’s going to get a lot worse. So, yes we need to involve everybody, but we really need immigration.” The decrease in the number of young people may be due to the cost of housing — the city got a “D” for housing affordability. “Anyone contemplating a move to the region faces exorbitant housing costs,” the report notes. “This limits the region’s attraction to younger people who could represent its future.” Low productivity levels, land scarcity and high marginal tax rates were also noted as drawbacks in the Vancouver area.
Vancouver realtor accused of making threats “He is just saying some bad words back to me – and I got really upset and I hung up the phone. Then a couple of minutes later, he called me back again,” said Ms. Tao, who is also a licensed realtor. “I said … how can I help you? And he just kept saying some bad words to me.” Ms. Tao said she felt threatened and reported the incident to Ms. Yang. The businessman said Ms. Yang called him two hours later, and he recorded part of that exchange. The multimillion-dollar house is near Point Grey, one of Vancouver’s most popular areas for foreign investors and speculators. Records show Ms. Yang sold it once already this year – for $4.42-million. The new MLS listing classifies the home as owner-occupied. However, the buyer relisted it for sale with Ms. Yang just five days after taking possession. Sales records show the same investor flipped at least one other home last year, making a quarter-million-dollar profit in three months. The businessman reporting the threats said he is concerned the owner will flip the newly listed property too, then claim it as a principal residence to avoid paying capital-gains taxes. He said he told the realtors he expected them to apologize for trying to get him to “play their rigged game.” He said he warned that if they did not, he would report their activities to the Canada Revenue Agency. His phone records indicate the first threatening call came after 10 p.m., from a number used by Ms. Yang’s sister. Ms. Tao confirms Ms. Yang was with her sister that night. The alleged victim says the caller identified herself as Layla Yang, but he did not record that part, because her call was unexpected. Before warning him about her gangster connections, the woman in the recording says, “I’m telling you – don’t … cause me troubles,” possibly a reference to reporting her to the tax authorities. “To threaten my family and my safety is unacceptable,” said the man, who adds he was in shock. He again compared the activity to trading on the stock market. “I was just telling them my true feelings … if you play stock games, you should pay taxes.” Ms. Yang’s office sent several text messages to The Globe explaining why she would not comment. “We suggest you contact police not Layla Yang office for this matter. Layla Yang is fully engaged in business day and night and thank you for contacting and trusting our team! We have to dealing with our other business now.” “Let’s make a Hollywood movie out of this! Pls contact police as needed.” The alleged victim said he called 911 soon after the calls on the Monday night. “I was awake the whole night … but
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Saturday, May 21, 2016
Vol. 6 No. 38
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Saturday - May21, 2016
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E-mail: ads@theasianstar.com
Affordable housing in Greater Victoria gets $60M boost from province, CRD
he provincial government is contributing $30 million to help ease the affordable housing shortage in B.C.’s Capital Regional District. The CRD has also agreed to borrow $30 million to help with the issue.
Vancouver realtor accused of making threats From previous page they [police] didn’t come,” he said, adding that a Vancouver police constable came by the next night. “I told them, when you don’t come for 24 hours, I could be killed already.” He says the officer advised him to move to a hotel. Vancouver police refused to comment, because no charges have been laid. After The Globe contacted the police, the alleged victim said, two detectives called him in to give a video statement. The businessman also complained to the Real Estate Council of B.C., the industry self-regulator. A lawyer from the council contacted him on Wednesday, asking for a copy of the phone recording. “You complaint will now be assigned to a compliance officer here who will be in touch with you regarding the next steps to be taken,” reads the e-mail from the regulator. The businessman said that, as a Canadian citizen, he thinks the authorities should take his complaint – and the manipulation and speculation in Vancouver real estate – more seriously. “I am a residential buyer. I am not a stock buyer. I buy to live,” he said. “Even in China, the government it would control this. I am not sure why they don’t here.”
CRD board chair Barb Desjardins says the combined $60 million is enough to get started on a housing first plan for the region’s most vulnerable people. “We know that housing people really helps in address4 i Saturday, July 25, 2015 ing many of their other healthcare and other
mental health needs,” Desjardins said. Those who work with the homeless say the funding can’t come soon enough. A recent count found that there are 1,400 people in Greater Victoria who don’t have access to housing.
“This will really help us,” said Grant Mckenzie, a spokesperson for Our Place, a group that helps people transition from the street. “Once we get people stabilized, and ready for housing, there should be
Continued on page 15
14 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
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espite calls by Vancouverites and the city’s mayor to ‘dump the Trump’ name from the downtown luxury hotel tower, thousands of people have applied to get a job there. The hotel’s management team said nearly 10,000 job applications have come in for 300 available positions. They’ll only be interviewing 1,200 hopefuls. The B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association says 10,000 applications does seem like a large number considering the industry is currently undergoing a bit of a labour shortage. “It seems to me an odd number,” said Ian Tostenson, CEO of the association, but he said people might be attracted to working at the tower. The interview process takes place over the next three days at the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver. “Started at 7:00 a.m. and goes to 7 p.m.,” said Philipp Posch, the general manager of Trump International Hotel and Tower Vancouver. Posch said they are looking to
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Trump Tower job fair gets 10,000 applications fill a range of positions from cooks, to housekeepers, front desk personnel and payroll managers. Despite the Donald Trump name, Posch said none of the applications have mentioned anything to do with his campaign. “We haven’t received applicants that were super negative or positive. People in the service industry look at it as an incredible opportunity,” he said, adding that the tower is the first luxury hotel to open in Vancouver in almost six years. “We’ve visited close to 100 corporate businesses in Vancouver, people are embracing us with open arms. We’ve already booked a few weddings and a dozen Christmas parties,” he said. The 69-storey tower is set to open at the end of August. Trump Tower, located on Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver, had a Mexican flag on dis-
Realtor training, education, needs to be more robust, realtor says
ne Vancouver real estate agent says it should be tougher to be able to become a realtor. New regulations designed to stop agents from engaging in shady practices around ‘shadow flipping’ took effect yesterday, but Keith Roy says there’s a better way. Keith Roy is a 10-year member of the Professional Conduct Committee at the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. He says compared to other professions, there is very little formal training required for realtors. “We need to change this from giving a test, to giving an education. Right now we’re test-
ing and not educating our new Canadian housing market agents,” Roy told On The Coast hits $508,097 average price host Stephen Quinn. “I’m dealin April as sales rise to record ing with multi-million-dollar “[The requirements] are transactions every day … I have not in line with the reality of an online course that I took.” what’s going on. The stakes Burnaby man’s petition asks are higher in British ColumCanadian government to take bia, and I think we need to action on foreign ownership raise the bar higher as well.” Regulators warn Roy says beyond passing a about unlicensed real es- Realtor Keith Roy test, there’s little else a prospectate brokers preying on tive realtors need to do bevulnerable Okanagan homeowners fore they start looking for commissions. Roy says he’s been calling for higher standards for the 10 years he’s been in business, and ultimately, it’s about consumer protection.
Jolly Arts
“The province is under enormous political pressure to at least let families and regular people feel like they’ve got a fair shot at the game. And people don’t feel that way,” he said. But what will this do for the Lower Mainland’s skyrocketing real estate prices? Will this proposal help? “Realtors don’t control the price: the market controls the price,” he said. “Consumers need to know that the rules are fair, and that multiple offers happen within a structure, and you don’t get beat out by someone who maybe paid less than you because that realtor cut back and kicked back commission here, there and everywhere.”
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From page 13 ing, there should be housing for them to go to,” he said. A homeless camp on the lawn of Victoria’s courthouse has been in place since last fall, much to the discontent of nearby residents who complain of discarded needles, noise and human waste. The
province
re-
cently said it will be installing running water and a flushing toilet for the roughly 100 people living at the tent city. It’s unclear how many affordable units can be built with the combined $60 million dollars, but the province and the CRD say their goal is to reduce the homeless population in the region by 2018.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
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ost millennials who buy a home in Metro Vancouver will go deeper into debt every year, according to a Vancity survey released Wednesday. The report found a typical millennial couple in Vancouver will accumulate $2,745 in debt each year — including additional expenses — if they buy property. It found Vancouverites aged 25 to 34 have less pocket money that their counterparts in 10 other Canadian cities. “We found...Vancouver was the hardest place for a millennial to set down roots and have disposable income left over after paying for the key expenses and be able to have a high quality of life,” said William Azaroff, vice president of community investment at Vancity. He hopes this data will push the conversation of affordability forward. “We want to present some data to get the
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Vancouver millennials have lowest discretionary income in Canada after buying property: Study conversation going at a deeper level because it’s a stage in life when people are settling down roots. We want people in this cohort to set down roots in Vancouver.” Vancouverites aged 25 to 34 have the
least amount of pocket money compared to their counterparts in 10 other Canadian cities, according to a Vancity report. Researchers found the average cost of owning a home in Vancouver is about $44,354 per
year. The average Vancouver millennial couple earns $72,291 a year, which is the second lowest in the country, according to Vancity. When researchers took into account other expenses like taxes, clothing, healthcare, food, public transportation, and utilities, households were in the red. The report states millennial couples who buy condos are better off, acquiring an average of $16,422 in disposable income. The situation becomes much more difficult if couples want to raise children. In that case, the report shows only by living in a condo, can an average family make ends meet.
Housing starts drop to lowest level since January
he pace of new home construction slowed to its lowest level in three months in April as builders took their foot off the gas pedal. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said Monday that the seasonally adjusted rate for housing starts last month was 191,512 units — down from 202,375 units in March and 212,594 units in February. Most places saw slight upticks in building, but that was offset by big slowdowns in Ontario and Quebec. Ontario’s seasonally adjusted rate for
urban starts fell to 62,672 starts in April, down from 85,518 in March while Quebec’s urban starts fell to 27,423 from 29,696. “Condo construction is slowing down in Montreal as builders are managing inventories by channelling demand to units that have been completed but remain unsold,” CMHC economist Bob Dugan said. In terms of types of housing, urban multiple-dwelling starts fell by 4,945 to 177,851 and single-detached housing starts fell by 3,522 to 56,959.
16 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
PREC PREC
DIAMOND
DIAMOND AWARD AWARD
WINNER OF FVREB’s TOP ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Sutton Group - West Coast Realty #106 #106 7565 7565 132 132 St., St., Surrey. Surrey. BC. BC. PH:604-572-3005 PH:604-572-3005 FAX: FAX: 778-574-4174 778-574-4174
COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL MEDALLION MEDALLION CLUB CLUB MEMBER MEMBER
-- Highest Highest Dollar Dollar Volume Volume Award Award
FOR FOR SALE SALE
-- Commercial Commercial Top Top Sales Sales Award Award
FOR FOR LEASE LEASE
PREMIUM OFFICE SPACE PREMIUM OFFICE SPACE FOR SALE
14.827 ACRES HOME FOR SALE
14.827 ACRES HOME FOR SALE
Spectacular! Estate home on 14.827 Acres of high yield blueberry farm. Luxury unfolds with the stunning front Spectacular! Estate foyer, dual staircases, and elevated catwalk. The regal great home on 14.827 Acres of high yield blueberry farm. Luxury room is situated next to a gourmet chef kitchen w/ separate unfolds with the stunning front foyer, dual staircases, and elevated catwalk. The regal wok kitchen & walk in pantry. A media room, yoga/ exercise great room is situated next to a gourmet chef kitchen w/ separate wok kitchen & walk room, 8 bedrooms & multiple entertaining rooms round out in pantry. A media room, yoga/ exercise room, 8 bedrooms & multiple entertaining this spectacular home. Gaze out upon south views of Mt. rooms round out this spectacular home. Gaze out upon south views of Mt. Baker or the Baker or the north views of the North Shore Mountains from north views of the North Shore Mountains from outdoor patios situated both upstairs outdoor patios situated both upstairs and down. This is true and down. This is true luxury at its best! The farm features healthy mature blueberry luxury at its best! The farm features healthy mature varieties Duke, Elliott, and Reca ensuring steady crops throughout the season. Fully blueberry varieties Duke, Elliott, and Reca ensuring steady automated irrigation. Too much to list! Book a showing today! Asking $4,999,900 crops throughout the season. Fully automated irrigation. Too much to list! Book a showing today! Asking $4,999,900
ONE IN A MILLION BUSINESS FOR SALE
ONE IN A MILLION BUSINESS FOR SALE A very rare opportunity to own a beautiful Parisian feel Salon/Café in
A very rare opportunity to own a beautiful Parisian feel Salon/Café in Historic Abbotsford. Well established, with a loyal client following this Historic Abbotsford. Well established, with a loyal client following this beautiful establishment offers all day brunch, Lunch and Afternoon Tea. beautiful establishment offers all day brunch, Lunch and Afternoon Tea. In addition, this beautiful café offers so much more! Reservations for In addition, this beautiful café offers so much more! Reservations for Showers, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Special occasions and even Private Showers, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Special occasions and even Private Wedding ceremonies. ceremonies. Wait...there's Wait...there's more! more! This This beautiful beautiful treasure treasure of of a a Wedding business offers gorgeous select apparel, furnishings, jewelry, linens, gifts, business offers gorgeous select apparel, furnishings, jewelry, linens, gifts, vintage treasures treasures and and home home décor. décor. A A beautiful, beautiful, breathtaking breathtaking turnkey turnkey vintage operation operation this this is is a a chance chance to to own own a a niche niche business business created created and and established established with with love love and and a a business business owners owners delight delight don't don't miss miss this this opportunity! Please do not approach staff, contact listing realtor for any opportunity! Please do not approach staff, contact listing realtor for any info required. Asking $75,000
FOR SALE
8318 Scott Road is offering medical and other professionals an opportunity to 8318 Scott Road is offering medical and purchase premium office space in Surey, other professionals an opportunity to BC. Set to be completed by fall 2016, this purchase premium office space in Surey, state if the art steel and concrete building will offer a mixture of retail and BC. Set to be completed by fall 2016, this office space to professionals looking for a state if the art steel and concrete long term home for their business. Space building will offer a mixture of retail and is limited. Call today for more details.
CUSTOM STEEL & FABRICATION BUSINESS FOR SALE CUSTOM STEEL & FABRICATION BUSINESS FOR SALE
Established custom steel and aluminum fabrication business. Great opportunity to run your own Established custom steel and aluminum fabrication business. Great opportunity to run your own business with services that include: aluminum welding and repair, custom and stock trailers, mobile welding service, crane fabrication, fabrication of residential gates, security bars and much business with services that include: aluminum welding and repair, custom and stock trailers, more! Mon– Fri operation closed on weekends. Please contact me for more details on this hard to mobile welding service, crane fabrication, fabrication of residential gates, security bars and much come by opportunity! Asking $149,000 more! Mon– Fri operation closed on weekends. Please contact me for more details on this hard to
BUSINESS FOR SALE
come by opportunity! Asking $149,000
BUSINESS FOR SALE
Established Indian Sweets and Restaurant business located in high traffic area of Scott Rd, Surrey. Wide variety vegetarian menu with sweets. Can be expanded to add non vegetarian dishes to the menu. Catering services provided regular clientele. Seating for 50. Complete turn key restaurant Established Indian Sweets and Restaurant business located in high traffic area of Scott Rd, Surrey. great business opportunity! Asking $129,000 Wide variety vegetarian menu with sweets. Can be expanded to add non vegetarian dishes to the
menu. Catering services provided regular clientele. Seating for 50. Complete turn key restaurant great business opportunity! Asking $129,000
UNIT FOR SALE
PIZZA & INDIAN CUISINE BUSINESS
In Mughal Garden plaza 2 units available, approx 4875 sqft.Already leased to long term tenants, Fantastic opportunity to run your own Pizza & Indian Cuisine to be sold together. Asking $1.25 million business! Excellent food, rated 4.5/5 by customers open 7 days a week, very busy location take out with availability for seating if desired. Tons of tourists year round, central to major sites in Hope UNIT FOR SALE and integral area near grocery stores, city hall, local police station, 82nd Ave & 124 Ave, 2350 sqft. office space is available for sale. Ready to move in. Asking motels and cinema. Well established, great sales and a complete $645,000 turn key operation that will not last long! Asking $199,000
CONVENIENCE STORE & MINI MART RETAIL SPACE AVAILABLE
8321 - 128 St., Surrey. Excellent location in busy plaza. Asking $209,000 Don't miss this chance to run your own buy Convenience store/Mini mart! This well established business is well or-ganized, excellent set 12837 76 AVE up, with all your essential sundries for sale as well as lottery AND the licensing to sell Pizza at this location! Busy area near parks, 2986 sqft. Warehouse including offices and kitchen available in Newton area of Surrey. schools, residences it is the perfect small business! Ample of Asking $360,000 opportunity to add your ideas to an already turn key operation! Don't miss this great small business prospect! Asking $149,000 OFFICE SPACE FOR SALE
LIGHTHOUSE INDIAN CUISINE
Approx. 3100 SF of office space available for sale in the busiest plaza in Surrey. Close to Banquet Halls, retailshops & offices. Asking $749,000
Don't miss this rare opportunity to own your own busy Lighthouse Indian Cuisine Franchise! Prime location in Brickyard Station Plaza this fantastic business has Take out and dine in, beautiful décor, quality kitchen, Full Liquor license and full Indian Cuisine Menu. Complete turn key operation enables you to be your own boss with this established franchise. Contact me today for further info. Asking $389,000 #303 8675 130th St.
WAREHOUSE WITH LOADING DOORS FOR SALE
UNIT FOR SALE
Approx. 2800 sqft. warehouse for sale. 12’x14’ ceiling. Full washroom. Ready to move in. Adjoining unit is also available.
17358 104A AVE
In Mughal Garden plaza 2 units available, approx 4875 sqft.Already leased to long term tenants,
Fully finished side by side strata units for a total to be sold together. Asking $1.25 million of approx. 5540 sqft. Available for sale. Close to RETAIL SPACE AVAILABLE Port Kells Industrial area. Easy access to both 8321 - 128 St., Surrey. Excellent location in busy plaza. Asking $209,000 Highway 1 and Pacific Highway truck crossing. OFFICE SPACE FOR SALE
Approx. 3100 SF of office space available for sale in the busiest plaza in Surrey. Close to Banquet Halls, retailshops & offices. Asking $749,000
2590 sqft. Retail and Office 17358 104A AVE space for sale Asking $649,000
GREAT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY!
4 acres, Hotel and development ACREAGE FOR SALE IN REGINA - SASKATCHEWAN site available in the City of Regina, Saskatchewan. Prime location, not GREAT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY!
to be missed! Contact for more 4 acres, Hotel and development details. site available in the City of Regina, Saskatchewan. Prime location, not to be missed! Contact for more PIZZA BUSINESS FOR SALE details.
BUSINESS FOR SALE
Great opportunity. Non Stop Pizza Franchise available in various locations throughout the Lower Mainland. Contact for more information.
BUSINESS FOR SALE
Laundry Business for Sale. Well established coin laundry on Scott Rd. and PIZZA BUSINESS FOR SALE 94 Ave. Very profitable, heavy duty washers and dryers. Good lease terms.
Great opportunity. Non Stop Pizza Franchise available in various locations throughout the Lower Mainland. Contact for more information.
Baby ultrasound franchise, 3D ultrasound private clinic for pregnant moms is available for sale. Easy to run with low overhead. Located across Surrey Memorial Hospital in a medical building. Asking $169,900 Laundry Business for Sale. Well established coin laundry on Scott Rd. and
94 Ave. Very profitable, heavy duty washers and dryers. Good lease terms. Non Stop Pizza and Curry Business for Sale
Very well running Non-Stop Pizza and Curry Restaurant for sale in Cloverdale - Baby ultrasound franchise, 3D ultrasound private clinic for pregnant moms is 191 and 72 Ave. Don’t miss it. Asking $179,900
available for sale. Easy to run with low overhead. Located across Surrey Memorial Hospital in a medical building. Asking $169,900 Hair Salon Business for sale
Located on Fraser Hwy, Cloverdale area, well established business, easy to Non Stop Pizza and Curry Business for Sale maintain, higher monthly revenue. Asking $69,900
Very well running Non-Stop Pizza and Curry Restaurant for sale in Cloverdale - 191 and 72 Ave. Don’t miss it. Asking $179,900 GREAT FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY
Great Franchise opportunity just listed! Busy Coquitlam Center Mall location for Chop N Toss Franchise! Wont last long! Hair Salon Business for sale Asking $158,800
Located on Fraser Hwy, Cloverdale area, well established business, easy to maintain, higher monthly revenue. Asking $69,900
BUSINESS FOR SALE
Excellent established ladies Apparel and jewelry GREAT FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY wholesale business for sale. Well established clientele with Great Franchise opportunity just listed! Busy Coquitlam Center showroom and full online business. Mall location for Chop N Toss Franchise! Wont last long! Great Opportunity for this turn key Asking $158,800 operation. Asking $125,000
MASTER
MASTER AWARD AWARD
2006-2007 2004-2005 2011, 2011, 2012 2012 2008-2009 2008-2009 2013-2014 2013-2014
2010
FOR FOR SALE SALE
4020 272 ST, LANGLEY
4020 272 ST, LANGLEY
NEWNG I LISETW
N NG I LIST
office space to professionals looking for a long term home for their business. Space ACREAGE FOR SALE IN REGINA - SASKATCHEWAN is limited. Call today for more details.
info required. Asking $75,000
PLATINUM
PLATINUM AWARD AWARD
BUSINESS FOR SALE DONAIR BUSINESS FOR SALE
Magnificent luxury estate situate don 8.5 acres with over 8100 sq. ft of living space. Home includes 6 bdrms, 8 washrooms, a separate guest house and fruit stand. 5 acres has blueberry plants as well. This stunning home possesses every luxury possible with high ceilings, crown molding, stainless steel appliances,Granite counter tops, open floor plan, large gym room, grand patio, sundecks, built in vacuum, Magnificent luxury estate situate don 8.5 acres with over 8100 sq. ft of living space. Home includes 6 top of the line security system, separate wok kitchen and much more! This gorgeous home is situated in the bdrms, 8 washrooms, a separate guest house and fruit stand. 5 acres has blueberry plants as well. This middle of serene farmland yet only two minutes away from Aldergrove Town centre and with quick access stunning home possesses every luxury possible with high ceilings, crown molding, stainless steel to Hwy #1. The second house is rented as well as fruit stall.Rare opportunity to advantage of this stunning appliances,Granite counter tops, open floor plan, large gym room, grand patio, sundecks, built in vacuum, home! Call today for a personal viewing.
top of the line security system, separate wok kitchen and much more! This gorgeous home is situated in the middle of serene farmland yet only two minutes away from Aldergrove Town centre and with quick access to Hwy #1. The second house is rented as well as fruit stall.Rare opportunity to advantage of this stunning home! Call today for a personal viewing.
PAYAL BUSINESS CENTRE - 82 Ave & 128 St
PAYAL BUSINESS MORE 1000 TO 12,000 S.F. RETAIL & OFFICE SPACE CENTRE - 82 Ave & 128 St AVAILABLE FOR SALE & LEASE UNITS FOR SALE & LEASE MORE 1000 TO 12,000 S.F. RETAIL & OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE FOR SALE & LEASE
13737 96 Ave, City Centre
#705 $465,000, #706 $335,000
UNITS FOR SALE & LEASE
Two adjoining offices in a new building across from SMH. Can be bought or leased together for a total space of 13737 96 Ave, City Centre 1600 sqft. or separate.
#705 $465,000, #706 $335,000
UNITS FOR LEASE
Two adjoining offices in a new building across from SMH. Can be bought or 9453 120 St., leased together for a total space of Approx. 1200 sqft, space available 1600 sqft. or separate. for lease. Located on Delta side of Scott Road. Lots of exposure.
UNITS FOR SALE
OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE Great Investment Opportunity! Total 2168 Sq. Ft of space 1084
Sq. ft on the ground level and 1084 Sq Ft. on the upper level. 8927 152 St.,Approx. 1100 sqft. office space for Main level has reception area and a large room, the upper level
NEW LISTING
can be used as office space. There is an office on the main floor as lease available in Guildford area on 152nsd street well. Yoga studio, dance studio and many, many other idea can
be implemented here! Bring your ideas to this great investment in Surrey. unit. Please contact me for more info. Asking $475,000
93 AVE & 120 ST
Units available on busy Scott Road at 93rd Ave & 120 St. Approx. 750 to OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE 1700 sqft. space available on main floor, second floor and basement. 8927 152 St.,Approx. 1100 sqft. office space for Ready to move in!
lease available in Guildford area on 152nsd street in Surrey.
11925 95 AVE
Approx. 4500 sqft. office space available. Rec. area, small office, lunch 93 AVE & 120 ST room and conference room. Very nicely designed and finished.
Units available on busy Scott Road at 93rd Ave & 120 St. Approx. 750 to 1700 sqft. space available on main floor, second floor and basement. J.J SAINI PLAZA Ready to move in! 8077 KING GEORGE BLVD. Units available for lease in one of the best
located plazas. East access to highway and close to all amenities. Excellent established ladies Apparel Amazing opportunity to be your own boss! Established Donair food 11925 95 AVE and jewelry wholesale business for outlet in prime busy area in Langley. Already steady clientele from sale. Well established clientele with UNIT FOR LEASE ON 72 & 132 ST Approx. 4500 sqft. office space available. Rec. area, small office, lunch the numerous businesses surrounding, tons of traffic and lots of showroom and full online business. Available for lease. Opp JR Furniture. Good mix of warehouse and office room and conference room. Very nicely designed and finished. opportunity to expand the business further. Low lease, and great Great Opportunity for this turn key space. Centrally located in light industrial zoning. area make this the perfect turn key operation to own your own operation. business today! Asking $99,000 Asking $125,000
J.J SAINI PLAZA
8077 KING GEORGE BLVD. Units available for lease in one of the best BUSINESS FOR SALE BEAUTIFUL TURN KEY SPA / SALON FOR SALE DONAIR BUSINESS FOR SALE
Well established Pizza Franchise on Scott Road & 93 Ave.
located plazas. East access to highway and close to all amenities. Located in a busy commercial plaza in the heart of Surrey.
Lots of traffic and close to public transportation, Amazing opportunity to be your own boss! Established Donair food Located in a busy area with great exposure. Reputable and restaurants, office and retail shops. Established recently complete turn key operation. Recent renovations done only a outlet in prime busy area in Langley. Already steady clientele from D L Fully finished side by side strata units for a total 95 Ave & 152 St., 940 sqft. office space is available for lease on 2nd floor including 3 SO the spa and salon offers modern décor up to date UNIT FOR LEASE ON 72 & 132 ST few months ago. Great business opportunity. Ideal location on the numerous businesses surrounding, tons of traffic and lots of small offices, meeting room and reception. Also available 9400 sqft. space for lease. of approx. 5540 sqft. Available for sale. Close to equipment/furnishings. Excellent turn key operation. busy Scott Road lots of traffic both drive by and walk in. Near Available for lease. Opp JR Furniture. Good mix of warehouse and office LOTS OF EXPOSURE. opportunity to expand the business further. Low lease, and great Port Kells Industrial area. Easy access to both to school, business and residential and commercial area. Asking $80,000 space. Centrally located in light industrial zoning. 13/05 area make this the perfect turn key operation to own your own Highway 1 and Pacific Highway truck crossing. business today! Asking $99,000
2590 sqft. Retail and Office BUSINESS FOR SALE D SOL space for sale Asking $649,000
95 Ave & 152 St., 940 sqft. office space is available for lease on 2nd floor including 3 small offices, meeting room and reception. Also available 9400 sqft. space for lease. LOTS OF EXPOSURE.
Well established Pizza Franchise on Scott Road & 93 Ave. Located in a busy area with great exposure. Reputable and complete turn key operation. Recent renovations done only a few months ago. Great business opportunity. Ideal location on busy Scott Road lots of traffic both drive by and walk in. Near to school, business and residential and commercial area.
WAREHOUSE WITH LOADING DOORS FOR SALE #303 8675 130th St.
D
SOL
Approx. 2800 sqft. warehouse for sale. 12’x14’ ceiling. Full washroom. Ready to move in. Adjoining unit is also available.
BEAUTIFUL TURN KEY SPA / SALON FOR SALE
Located in a busy commercial plaza in the heart of Surrey. Lots of traffic and close to public transportation, restaurants, office and retail shops. Established recently the spa and salon offers modern décor up to date equipment/furnishings. Excellent turn key operation. Asking $80,000 20/05
18 i Saturday, March 26, 2016
Saturday, May 21, 2016
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LOCAL
18 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
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Toronto stabbing suspect Rohinie Bisesar is fit to stand trial for murder despite bizarre rants
he woman accused of court on April 22 after she stabbing a stranger to went on a bizarre and paradeath in a drugstore in Tonoid rant during a video ronto’s financial district last Deappearance, and after she cember is fit to stand trial, a menwas hospitalized by a psytal health court judge has ruled. chiatrist at the Vanier Centre Rohinie Bisesar appeared in the for Women in Milton, Ont. specialized court at Old City Hall When Bisesar first apon Thursday to have the results of peared in mental health her psychiatric assessment concourt, she told the judge Rohinie Bisesar sidered. The details of the report that she needs a “body prepared by CAMH and the hearing are cov- scan,” not a psychiatric assessment. ered by a publication ban, 680 news reported. “I have no mental health problem. I am Bisesar’s case has suffered a number of de- innocent of the crime,” she said on April lays since she was first charged with attempt- 26. She said that she is well-connected and ed murder when she was arrested on Dec. 15. has contact with senior leaders in Canada The charge was upgraded to second-degree and the United States, including presimurder after Rosemarie Junor died in hos- dents “past and current,” so her matter pital five days after she was stabbed in the should be treated as a “terrorism concern.” chest in a Shoppers Drug Mart in Toronto’s Bisesar completed her MBA at York underground PATH system. The charge was University in 2007, but struggled to find upgraded to first-degree murder on Feb. 3. work in her field, despite regularly atAfter a dozen court appearances, and tending Bay Street networking events. little progress in her case, Bisesar fired Bisesar is due back at Old City Hall in courther lawyer Calvin Barry on May 4. room 11 on June 6 at 9 a.m. Her case will no Bisesar’s case was referred to mental health longer be handled by the mental health court.
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Vancouver realtor accused of making threats
Vancouver realtor has been accused of threatening a local businessman after he denounced her for encouraging a bidding war on a house she is trying to flip for a client – in a deal he worries could lead to tax evasion. The man says he was frightened for his life. He reported the May 2 incident to the real estate industry regulator and Vancouver police, which are both investigating. He gave The Globe and Mail a recording of a threatening call – from a number connected to Layla Yang, a licensed realtor from Re/Max. In the recording, a woman he said had identified herself as Ms. Yang warns him in Mandarin: “I’m telling you – people above me are from Harbin [China] gangs. Gangsters, right? You don’t fucking want to be alive.” That call was followed immediately by another, also in Mandarin, from an unidentified man, also recorded. That caller repeatedly demanded to know the businessman’s address and told him, “You have lived for too long.” The Globe had the recordings translated. The Globe agreed not to name the alleged victim because of his fears. Ms. Yang declined to talk about any of this.
The incident reveals a dark side of the palpable tension in Vancouver over outof-control house prices. In this case, the businessman says he believes shady practices and speculation in the real estate industry are hurting the Chinese community. The man said the episode began when Ms. Yang’s assistant, Mo Tao, phoned him to promote a west-side house in which he had expressed an interest. Ms. Yang had just listed it for $4.28-million, however, he said Ms. Tao told him that price was just a low-ball enticement to start a bidding war. He claims she told him he must offer at least $1-million more to be competitive, which he found offensive. “I had no interest in playing this game, with multiple offers. I told her, you are crazy. You can’t play a house like stocks. A house is to live in,” said the man, who claims he simply wanted a new home for his family. “I called her back and told her, I don’t like your style … you are making Vancouver unlivable and unacceptable.” Ms. Tao said she recalls the businessman lost his temper and began yelling at her, and she did not understand why.
Continued on Page 14 (real estate)
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A farm-to-fork carrot success tale for South Asian family
ahota brothers, who emigrated to Canada from the Doaba region of Punjab where every other homestead has an NRI, are today the largest producers of carrots in western Canada. In fact, a packet of carrots, potatoes, cabbage or parsnips at any supermarket in Canada invariably bears the label of Sahotas’ Canadian Farms. “Though we produce many crops such as potatoes, cabbage, parsnips, pumpkins and others, we are the largest carrot growers in western Canada. And we are the only producer of baby carrots in the whole of western Canada,” says Amrik Sahota, the youngest of the four Sahota brothers who hail from Phalpota village, near Jalandhar, in Punjab. The four Sikh brothers Avtar Sahota, Sucha Sahota, Ranbir Sahota and Amrik Sahota have revolutionized carrot cultivation in Canada. “Our farming operations spread over 900 acres yield the best carrots in Canada. Last year, we produced over 10,0000 tons of carrot and shipped it across Canada, the US and elsewhere. Though the US and Canada are our main markets, we also ship to Dubai and Thailand,” says Amrik. In less than three decades, the four hard-
working Punjabi brothers have become the top carrot producers by employing state-of-the-art technology. Their sales turnover topped $15 million last year. “We have procured the best technology from around the world to stay ahead of the competition. We have imported costly machines from Germany, Denmark, Holland, the US and Belgium. All our farming from sowing to harvesting are tech-oriented,” explains the youngest of the Sahota brothers. Though they employ hundreds of people during their peak season from June to December, Canadian Farms are essentially a state-of-the-art farming operation where just three persons manning one machine can harvest up to 18 tons of crop in 45 minutes! The Sahotas are a typical Punjabi immigrant success story in Canada. Their eldest brother landed as an immigrant in Vancouver in 1970 and then the whole family joined him in 1976. And just like any new immigrant, they worked in factories to make a living in their earlier years. “But farming was in our DNA. So we bought 40 acres in Cloverdale near Vancouver even when we used to work in factories. It was only in 1988 that we decided to make a living out of it,” says Amrik.
Gastown gains historic designation plaque
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ancouver’s historic Gastown district now has the hardware to show off its status as a national historic site. Federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna — who also oversees Parks Canada, the body which administers the national historic site program — joined Mayor Gregor Robertson to unveil a commemorative plaque declaring the Gastown Historic District a national historic site. The site officially gained its designation in 2009, when then-Environment Minister Jim Prentice declared the site a significant area in shaping western Canada’s economy. Mayor Robertson noted the nearly seven year delay saying “it’s overdue that Gastown is finally designated and recognized, and we have an official plaque unveiling.”
Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson unveil a plaque commemorating Vancouver’s Gastown district as a national historic site.
POLITICS Trudeau says RCMP surveillance of journalists ‘will not happen again’
Tom Mulcair calls for public inquiry after revelation RCMP spied on journalists
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should have been DP leader is followed,” Goodale calling on the said in a statement, government to referring to RCMP investigate revelations rules that demand that RCMP officers “special care” when conducted unauthordealing with sensiized surveillance of tive sectors such as two journalists in 2007. media, academia, “There has to be, rapidreligion and unions. ly, a public inquiry into CBC News first how this happened and reported Wednesif higher ups approved Tom Mulcair day that a group it. I’ve rarely, in my life, of RCMP investigators placed two Ottaseen officers acting on their own in somewa-based reporters under physical surthing like this. This is an attempt to stifle veillance for nine days in August, 2007 the abilities of journalists to do their crucial in the hope it might lead them to idenwork in our democracy,” Tom Mulcair said. tify the source of a leaked CSIS document. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed The journalists, Gilles Toupin and Joel-Dethat the RCMP was out of line to spy on nis Bellavance, both with La Presse, obtained journalists and he repeated assurances a secret CSIS document in 2007 about alleged Wednesday that it won’t happen again. discussions of a terrorist attack on an airliner. “It was unacceptable and we’ve alAdil Charkaoui, one of the men named in the ready apologized directly to those document, has denied the allegations in court journalists,” the prime minister said actions against the government and La Presse. briefly in French on his way into the LibThe officers spying on the reporters did eral caucus meeting Wednesday. “We not obtain the necessary permission from will ensure that it will not happen again.” their bosses before launching their surveilCanada’s public safety minislance efforts. When they eventually sought ter also condemned the spying, addapproval, they were immediately denied auing the government is committed to thorization and told to cease the surveillance. protecting the freedom of the press. They appealed three times before receiving “This matter has been handled at the higha partial green light from Bob Paulson, then est levels. The responsible officers have an acting assistant commissioner, months been reprimanded and RCMP leadership later. That approval was not acted upon. has reaffirmed the existing policy, which
Syrian refugees using foodbanks because of ‘cultural element’ says immigration minister
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he federal immigration minister said the fact some newly arrived Syrian refugees are using food banks can be partially explained by a “cultural element.” John McCallum told a Senate committee studying the resettlement of more than 25,000 Syrians in Canada that he’s not overly concerned by reports of Syrians turning to food banks. He said some are coming from camps where it is the norm to be offered meals and suggested that’s why they may be using food banks here. Very few of the Syrians settled in Canada are from refugee camps — the vast majority of more than 4 million refugees from the Syrian war don’t live in UN camps, but in cities or informal settlements in the region.
Conservative Sen. Salma Ataullahjan says she’s concerned by McCallum’s suggestion it’s a cultural issue, noting it’s her understanding people use food banks because they don’t have money. Government assisted Syrian refugees receive income support but there has been criticism it’s not enough, given the larger-thanexpected size of the average Syrian families who’ve come to Canada in the last six months. Demand is growing for food banks and the organizations that supply them. From February to March, Daily Bread, which supplies its own food bank and 200 other food programs in Toronto, including the Scott Mission, saw a 20 per cent jump in the number of clients using its services.
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Saturday, May 21, 2016
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Religious freedom office replaced with new ‘office of human rights’
ustin Trudeau’s Liberal government has replaced the Office of Religious Freedom created by the previous Conservative government with an office focused more broadly on human rights. Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion announced the creation of the new Office of Human Rights, Freedoms and Inclusion in a release late Tuesday. Andrew Bennett was appointed as Canada’s ambassador for religious freedom in 2013. The new office will expand on his work “under a comprehensive vision that includes all human rights,” the release said. The budget allocated for the previous office now has been tripled to $15 million.
Religious Freedom 20160321 Andrew Bennett was appointed Canada’s ambassador for religious freedom in 2013. He announced earlier this spring that he’s accepted a position as a senior fellow at a think tank with a religious focus. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press) The fate of Bennett’s office — a showpiece of the government of former prime minister Stephen Harper’s approach to foreign affairs — was uncertain after the change in government last fall. His mandate had been extended to the end of March, but a change in approach had been expected.
20 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
National
Ottawa’s legal manoeuvre on veterans benefits called ‘a betrayal’
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he federal government is taking veterans back to court to try to block certain benefits for injured and wounded soldiers, despite a Liberal campaign promise to better support them after an era of Conservative cuts. “It’s a betrayal,” said Donald Sorochan, the lawyer representing the six Afghan war veterans who initiated a classaction lawsuit over pensions and other benefits. “They have turned the Liberal election campaign into a lie. I sat at tables [during the campaign] with some of the people who are now in cabinet. Those ministers have been turned into liars by the Department of Justice,” he said Tuesday, noting the election platform explicitly promised that no veteran
would have to “fight the government” for the support and compensation they have earned. A peace agreement of sorts reached by the previous Harper government and the veterans, the plaintiffs, expired Sunday. The two sides failed to reach an out-of-court settlement, and now government lawyers have informed the B.C. Court of Appeals that they will pick up the lawsuit where it left off. The plaintiffs have argued in court that the government has a sacred obligation to its injured soldiers and that the lumpsum payment wounded veterans receive under the New Veterans Charter — as opposed to the pension that was previously offered to veterans before 2006 —
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Justice minister to select judges using existing process, for now
ederal Justice Minister Jody WilsonRaybould (pictured) says she will use the existing judicial appointments process to fill several critical vacancies on Canada’s superior courts. Speaking to a parliamentary committee of MPs today, Wilson-Raybould said she understands some courts cannot wait for the conclusion of her review of how judges are appointed in Canada. The minister has been under pressure to explain why she still hasn’t named a single judge, six months into her mandate despite critical shortages of judges in key centres across the country. Last week chief justices in Alberta and Quebec told CBC News that judge shortages in Alberta and B.C. are causing inexcusable delays. In Nunavut, some of the territory’s circuit courts may have to be cancelled this year if judges are not appointed soon. Alberta’s Court of Queen’s Bench Chief Justice Neil Wittman noted that a serious fraud case had been stayed due to institutional delays and that there were several more similar motions before his court. There are at least 46 superior court vacancies across Canada. Wilson-Raybould has said she would be putting in “short-term procedures” to deal with the immediate needs on some courts. “I am wondering what those short-term proce-
dures are,” Conservative MP Michael Cooper asked the minister at committee. “I am engaged and have spoken to chief justices across the country and know that there are lists of potential justices that can be drawn from, and we are reviewing very closely those lists of persons (...) to fill those more urgent positions in the short-term,” replied WilsonRaybould, “those appointments will be coming as soon as possible, ensuring that we have done our due diligence in reviewing those names.” “[The vacancies] are all urgent but there are some that are more urgent than others,” she later told CBC News Network’s Power & Politics. Minister to select from existing pools of judicial candidates Those lists of judges have been compiled by judicial advisory committees, which vet and recommend candidates for appointment. Alberta’s committee met as recently as March. Quebec Superior Court Chief Justice Jacques Fournier told CBC News he has no doubts there are several highly-qualified people who could be appointed in short order. The minister added that her review of judicial appointments is now underway and will look at how to improve diversity on the bench. “We’re committed to ensuring a comprehensive process that changes the identification of judges to be appointed to the federal courts.
Senator Leo Housakos, reporter Althia Raj spar on Twitter over leak allegations
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well-known Parliament Hill And that’s where things picked reporter named a high-proup on Tuesday. file senator as the source Raj jumped in on Twitter sayof last year’s Senate spending audit ing Ferguson is right to deny leak, starting off a lively spat on the blame, because she says Twitter Tuesday evening. Before Housakos is the source. Senate diving into Tuesday’s quarrel, here’s report leak wasn’t from my a quick refresher: A Senate comoffice, @OAG_BVG Michael mittee is trying to figure out how Ferguson says. He’s right. It was Althia Raj journalists received the damaging @SenatorHousakos. https://t.co/ report on senatorial expenses before its pubvRlsDzs5FD lic release last year. (Members of the com— @althiaraj The Conservative senamittee argue the leak violated their parliator was quick to defend himself, accusing mentary privilege) In December, Huffington Raj of a smear campaign. I was one of first Post bureau chief Althia Raj wrote an article victims of leaks,. along w/ Senators Cowan, naming then Senate Speaker Leo Housakos Carignan. And now a victim again thx to @ as the source of the leak. Her story cited two althiaraj ‘s smear job. @OAG_BVG anonymous sources. Earlier this week, Audi— @SenatorHousakos Althia fired back tor General Michael Ferguson took questions saying Housakos was “lying.”@SenatorHoufrom a Senate committee where he repeatsakos You’re lying. I wish you had more edly defended himself and his office against respect for the institution you work in and accusations they were to blame for the leak your colleagues. — @althiaraj
Business / Finance
CMHC expects home building to slow, but prices to keep rising
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ales activity in both the existing and new home market is expected to slow down for the rest of this year and into 2017, but price increases will continue, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. The Crown corporation, which advises the government on housing, says new home construction will range from 181,300 to 192,300 this year after recording 195,535 starts in 2015. By 2017, the range of newhomes construction will drop even further to 172,600 to 183,000. On the existing homes front, sales could drop as low as 501,700 this year after a record 505,673 sales through the Multiple
Listing Service in 2015. CMHC does have 2016 sales at the a higher end of its range, at 525,400. By 2017, the range of sales through the MLS is forecast to drop to 485,500 to 508,400. Is it time to tax foreign property owners? CIBC economist weighs in Canadian luxury sales now competing on world class levels with Toronto and Vancouver on the rise Vancouver mansion sold by Canaccord founder for record $31.1 million now owned by ‘student,’ records show
Manufacturing sales falls to $50 billion
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anadian manufacturing sales dipped by 0.9 per cent to $50.0 billion in March, a second consecutive monthly decline, Statistics Canada said Tuesday, although the drop wasn’t as deep as economists had been expecting. TD Economics said the consensus forecast for the month was for a pullback of 1.9 per cent. Stats Can said the drop in March was mainly due to lower sales of transportation equipment and primary metals. Sales were down in 16 of 21 industries, representing 88.3 per cent of Canadian manufacturing. Sales of transportation equipment fell by 3.4 per cent to $10.8 billion in March, while primary metal sales fell 5.6 per cent to $3.5 billion. Measured in constant dollar terms, sales rose by 0.1 per cent in March, indicating that higher volumes of manufactured goods were sold. The numbers suggest weakness in Canada’s economy after a brief strong period. “Today’s report largely supports our view that the pop in economic activity in [the first quarter] will be weaker than previously thought and will none-
theless prove temporary, with the economy likely to settle into a lower growth trajectory going forward,” TD economist Warren Kirkland said in a commentary. “While U.S. demand should prove supportive, the recent rally in loonie towards 78 US cents, in combination with a still soft global backdrop, will likely temper some of the momentum in Canadian exports and ultimately weigh on manufacturing sector activity,” Kirkland said. Manufacturing has been viewed, fairly or not, as the sick sector of Canada, still struggling to shake off the 2008-09 recession and get back on its feet. The long recovery period has been well-charted, with many critics blaming the industry for not doing enough to help itself out. The usual prescriptions have always called for more investment and expansion into new markets. The cheap Canadian dollar was supposed to assist in the healing process by making Canadian exports all the more palatable. The process has been slow and inconsistent. But as the latest data show, there is some progress being made. Factory shipments declined by 0.9 per cent
Debt loads increased 2.7% this year to $21,348 on average, TransUnion says The typical Canadian owed $21,348 in consumer debt at the start of 2016, a figure that has jumped 2.7 per cent in the past year and doesn’t include mortgage debt. That’s the conclusion of a new report from credit monitoring firm TransUnion, which said Canadians now have more of virtually all forms of consumer debt, including credit card debt, instalment loans and car loans. The lone exception to the trend was lines of credit, the size of which declined by 0.54 per cent in the past year, TransUnion said. Canada’s debt to income ratio sets new high at 165% Debt levels rising but we are still
managing to pay it off, experts say “The story on the debt front is that average balances haven’t moved much, if you consider all Canadians together,” TransUnion’s research director Jason Wang said. The national average figure is in fact a slight decline from the record $21,512 reached in the fourth quarter, but wide regional differences remain. The average Canadian owed $21,348 in January, and that figure doesn’t include the mortgage, according to the credit monitoring firm TransUnion. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) In Alberta, the average consumer debt load is $27,803. In Quebec, it’s only $17,612.
SFU names inaugural Tom Foord Professor of Practice in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
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enowned Vancouver entrepreneur Andrew Harries has been appointed as the inaugural Tom Foord Professor of Practice in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business. Through his role in the newly created professorship, Harries will focus on teaching and curriculum development to continue to enhance the Beedie School’s ability to deliver world-class, experiential entrepreneurship education. The position will
also help connect Vancouver’s dynamic entrepreneurial community with SFU’s burgeoning entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem. Harries, a graduate of the MBA program at the Beedie School of Business, has forged a successful career as a prolific entrepreneur and business advisor. He is founder of several ventures, including Sierra Wireless, a TSX and NASDAQ-listed wireless Internet of Things (IoT) solutions vendor, where he previously served in a variety of leadership roles.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
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PUNJAB
Sikh preacher Dhadrianwale escapes murderous attack
Nirankari head Baba Hardev Singh cremated
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he mortal remains of Nirankari head Baba Hardev Singh, who died in an accident in Canada, were cremated at Nigambodh Ghat here on Wednesday. His family and Nirankari leaders were present at the Ghat when the body was consigned to flames. The funeral procession started from the Nirankari Mission Ashram at Burari at 9 am. The procession came to Nigambodh Ghat through Mukherjee Nagar, Mall Road and Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT), Kashmere Gate. It reached the crematorium around 1.40 pm. The procession was accompanied by security vehicles and vehicles of Nirankari leaders who reached the Ghat chanting religious hymns. People on both sides of the road from ISBT Kashmere Gate to Nigambodh Ghat were waiting since morning to have a last look of the Baba. As soon as the body reached the crematorium, devotees started wailing. Earlier, thousands of followers joined the funeral procession as it made its way towards the Nigam Bodh crematorium. Delhi Police had issued a traffic advisory urging commuters to avoid certain roads. Mo-
Good News!!
S Thousands of followers join the funeral procession of Nirankari head Baba Hardev Singh in Delhi on Wednesday.
torists had been advised to take alternative routes, said a Delhi Traffic Police advisory. Traffic is closed from Kingsway Camp to Burari Road due to heavy pedestrian movement. The 62-year-old Nirankari head was killed in a road accident in Montreal in Canada on May 13. His mortal remains were brought to Delhi on Monday morning. His son-inlaw was also killed in the same accident. His wife Salvinder Kaur has been appointed the head of the sect.
Good News!!
ikh preacher Baba Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale was attacked by unidentified persons late in the evening near Barewal village. Bhupinder Singh Khasi Kalan, who was travelling with him in a Land Cruiser, was shot dead. Dhadrianwale’s cavalcade was on its way to Isewal village when it was attacked. Eyewitnesses said 15 assailants, most of them baptised Sikhs, had erected a tent for “chhabeel” on Canal Road. They stopped the cavalcade at 7.45 pm. They offered juice to the driver and asked him where “Babaji” was. One of them shot Bhupinder Singh in the neck as others started breaking car windows. Dhadrianwale said he ducked for cover as his driver speeded away. Police officials said the attackers fired 50 shots. Dhadrianwale’s SUV was badly dam-
aged. “The tyres of our vehicles burst, we alighted and run toward the fields where some labourers gave us shelter,” said Dhadrianwale. He denied he had blamed any group for the attack. “I don’t know who the attackers were. The police must trace them.” Dhadrianwale had participated in protests against the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib.
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aving acquired nearly 145 hectares of the Forest Department land along the Nakodar-Moga-Barnala road
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for the four-laning project being executed by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the work to axe more than 25,000 fully grown trees has begun along the route. Most of the trees which are being uprooted using JCB machines include Peepal, Sheesham and Eucalyptus. The authorities claim to have deposited Rs 32 crore for compensatory plantation to the Forest Department for taking the due sanction. Recently, nearly 24,777 trees were axed along Bist Doab Canal. Environmentalists feel that there are hardly any highways left along which there is plantation for cyclists to take rest under shade. Principal Chief Conservator, Forests, Kuldeep Kumar said the funds had gone to the GOI account under compensatory forestation scheme. “The government will provide us double the area for forests soon.
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Trees being axed and cut into pieces along the Nakodar-Moga-Barnala road.
Won’t allow trees to be axed in Punjab: NGT
From Vancouver-New Delhi Starts from
Punjab poice examine the car after the attack near Ludhiana.
25,000 trees being axed for four-lane project
SINCE 1982
22 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
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cted on two petitions alleging indiscriminate felling of trees in Punjab for widening roads and those standing along the canal banks, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) today ordered that not a single tree would be axed in the state without its permission. Imposing the ban, it cited a report published in The Tribune earlier this month in this regard. The tribunal, headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar, observed that no effort whatsoever was made to transplant the trees or to compensate for the loss to the green cover, particularly in case of Nawanshahr and Jalandhar districts. “We hereby restrain the State of Punjab, any project proponent, various authorities and government departments from felling and cutting any tree in the state without the specific permission of the tribunal,” the order read. The NGT also ordered that the Punjab Government should place before it all facts regarding afforestation in the state in the past five years. “The information should be provided year-wise, district-wise and scheme-wise and the state must tell how many trees have been felled,” the order said.
INDIA
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Indian President Prabab Mukherjee to visit China next week
resident Pranab Mukherjee will visit China from May 24 to 27 during which he will hold talks with the top Chinese leadership, the Foreign Ministry here said on Wednesday, announcing the first trip to the county by an Indian head of state in six years. Mukherjee will be visiting China at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping, the Foreign Ministry said. Mukherjee, the first President to visit China after his predecessor Pratibha Patil’s trip in 2010, will arrive in the highly industrialised Chinese city Guangzhou on May 24. The city has strong business links with India. Besides interacting with the Indian community, which has over 3,000 businessmen, Mukherjee will also address In-
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Jayalalithaa files defamation complaint against Elangovan
hief minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday filed a criminal defamation case against Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president E V K S Elangovan for making “malicious statement” against her in a television programme telecast by a private channel. City public prosecutor M L Jegan filed the complaint before the principal sessions court here on behalf of Jayalalithaa. According to the complaint, Elangovan, in an interview telecast on April 30, 2016, made defamatory statements against the chief minister in a matter pertaining to appointment of vice-chan-
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dia-China Business Forum to highlight the investment opportunities in India. Top Chinese officials of the province are expected to attend the event. A number of Indian and Chinese businessmen are also expected to take part in the event, official sources said. Later, he will arrive in Beijing on May 25 and attend a reception hosted by The Chinese People’s Friendship Association for Foreign Countries (CPAFFC). On May 26, he will address a meeting at the Peking university and later hold talks with Xi and also meet Premier Li Keqiang along with other Chinese leaders before leaving for home on May 27. Mukherjee’s four-day visit would set off a series of high-level visits between the two countries as they seek to deepen bilateral engagement.
cellors in state universities. Elangovan had said the chief minister and the Governor had committed irregularities in the appointment of vice-chancellors. Last week, Governor K Rosaiah filed a defamation case against the TNCC president for making such remarks. The statement was malicious and defamatory and it tarnished the image of the chief minister, said the petition adding that the offence was punishable under Section 500 of the IPC (defamation in respect to discharge of public functions when instituted upon a complaint made by the public prosecutor).
Ten killed in landslides in Assam
en persons were killed in landslides in Karimganj and Hailakandi districts in Barak Valley in Assam on Wednesday following incessant rain. Five members of a family were killed in a landslide at Sonachirra in Karimganj district in the wee hours, a police official said. The landslip, triggered by incessant rains, buried a house on the edge of a hill killing the five persons. Among the victims are
a man, his wife and their daughter and two sons. The area has been hit by continuous rain for the past three days. In the neighbouring Hailakandi district, two incidents of landslide killed four persons at Bilaipur and a six-year old boy at Ramchandi area, police officials said. The debris fell on two houses where the victims were sleeping early in the morning, they said. The NDRF and police have been engaged in rescue and relief operations.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
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Main accused in Godhra carnage was working with fake name at BMC
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he alleged masnabbed him,” said Bhatt. termind of 2002 “Bhana was working with Godhra train burna fake name at the Bombay ing case Farooq Bhana was Municipal Corporation and hiding his identity and used to hide his identity. working with a fake name For the last five-six years, he Members of the anti-terrorist at the Bombay Municipal squad (ATS) escort Farooq Bhana was in Mumbai and used to Corporation (BMC), said (face covered) from the ATS work for small contracts,” he JK Bhatt, Joint Commisadded. sioner of Police, Crime Branch. Bhana Bhatt further said that they received was absconding since the infamous information about Bhana being spotted in incident took place and never came to Mumbai and then in Pakistan after which Godhra earlier, but in the recent past the police got active. “ATS was searching he visited Godhra four-five times for for Bhana from past two-three months meeting his family members. “When and finally he was nabbed today,” Bhatt we received information about Farooq said. Bhana will now be handed over to Bhana travelling to Godhra frequently, we the investigating officer for further probe.
INDIA
24 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
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Apple to set up iOS app design, development centre in Bengaluru
ech giant Apple will set up an app design and development centre in Bengaluru to support developers in India creating innovative mobile apps for its iOS platform. The announcement comes as part of the visit of Apple chief Tim Cook to India. Cook, who arrived in the country last night, is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other officials as part of his trip. The company, however, did not disclose the investments for the initiative. The centre is expected to open in early 2017. “The company will establish a design and development accelerator in Bengaluru, the home of India’s startup scene. Tens of thousands of developers in India make apps for iOS (foundation for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch). This initiative will provide additional, specialised support for them,” Apple said in a statement. Apple’s team will work with developers on best practices, help them hone their skills and transform the design, quality and performance of their apps on the iOS platform, it added.
Read: Tim Cook visits Ganesha temple “India is home to one of the most vibrant and entrepreneurial iOS development communities in the world. With the opening of this new facility in Bengaluru, we are giving developers access to tools which will help them create innovative apps for customers around the world,” Cook said. Each week, Apple experts will lead briefings and provide one-on-one app reviews for developers. The facility will also provide support and guidance on Swift, Apple’s intuitive programming language created to build apps for iOS, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Watch. As part of his visit, Cook is expected to meet government officials and key industry executives from telecom firms to discuss matters like manufacturing and expansion of network in the country. The Apple CEO’s visit comes at a crucial time when the US-based firm is focusing on new growth markets like India after posting its first-ever decline in iPhone sales.
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Pakistan minister admits that State ‘involved’ with JuD, JeM terror groups
n a startling admission, a senior minister in Pakistan’s Punjab province said the government cannot take legal action against militant groups like Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) as the “state itself remained involved” with them. In an interview to BBC Urdu, Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah was asked why legal action has never been taken against anti-India groups in the province which were close to the “establishment”. “By pro-establishment groups if you mean JuD and JeM, then let me tell you that they have been declared proscribed organisations and they can no longer carry out
any activity in the province,” he said. The minister ruled out the possibility of any legal action against the groups saying “How can you prosecute a group with whom the state itself has been involved with?”. India accuses Pakistan of patronising terror groups like JuD and JeM who carry out attacks in the country. Pakistan however denies the charge calling them “non-state actors” who are not in its control. The candid admission by Sanaullah about the Pakistani state’s past ties with JuD and JeM may increase international pressure on the country to act against all militants groups including the Haqqani network active in Afghanistan.
Muslim woman seeking Supreme Court’s help after being divorced remotely through Speed Post
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freen Rehman, 25, recently received dowry,” Rehman said. “Later, they started something shocking in the mail, not beating me up and asked me to leave. I just via regular mail but through came to my maternal home and now I have ‘Speed Post’. It was a divorce, or to be prereceived speed post announcing divorce. cise, ‘triple talaq’ (divorce, three This is completely wrong, unfair times). After the initial shock, and unacceptable. I have filed a the young woman moved the Supetition in the Supreme Court preme Court against ‘triple talaq’ seeking its intervention into the provision in Islam. Talaq-e-bidat matter,” she added. The All India is a practice by which a Muslim Muslim Women Personal Law man can divorce his his wife by Board president Shaista Ambar saying ‘talaq’ three times. He can Afreen Rehman, 25 has been demanding the abolialso get divorce instantaneously tion of triple talaq. The Centre has set up by repeating the word ‘talaq’ three times, a a high-level committee to review the status practice called unilateral triple-talaq. “I got of women in India and according to reports married in 2014 through a matrimonial por- has recommended a ban on the practice of tal. After two to three months, my in-laws oral, unilateral and triple talaq as well as on started mentally harassing me by demanding polygamy.
State election
Congress citadel crumbles in Assam I am grateful to the people of Assam for responding to our promise of all-round development, corruption-free governance and purging the state of illegal migrants. We will do everything possible to keep all promises. — Sarbananda Sonowal, BJP’s Chief ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Welfare, is set to lead the first BJP-led government in Assam. The Sonowal-led BJP has accomplished the task entrusted to it by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to decimate the Congress led by Tarun Gogoi that crumbled under the wave of saffronisation and burden of anti-incumbency. The BJP-led alliance comprising the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodoland People’s
Front (BPF) has trounced the Congress that won 78 seats in 2011 poll. The AGP and the BPF have helped the alliance to cross the magic figure of 84 seats in the 126-member House. The BJP had got only five seats in the 2011 elections. The alliance swept elections in eastern Assam, western Assam and Barak Valley (South Assam) — three culturally and ethnically distinct regions. The results have shown that that the BJP has made inroads into the Congress’ bastion among tea tribe voters in eastern Assam and among Bengalispeaking Hindus in Barak Valley in south Assam. The alliance gained out of division of Muslim votes between the Congress and the AIUDF even as some of the Muslim votes went to the BJP’s ally AGP.
Kerala goes Left, Assam goes Right as Didi and Amma march on
The electorate across four states and a Union Territory on Friday gave a decisive mandate, voting out three governments and re-electing two, and in the process gave the BJP a strong reason to celebrate: a government in Assam for the first time. Keeping with the pattern of handing down a clear majority in successive elections since the 2014 General Election, the voter reposed faith once again in two women Chief Ministers, J Jayalalithaa of the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu and Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, but showed the door to incumbent Chief Ministers Oommen Chandy in Kerala, Tarun Gogoi in Assam and N Rangaswami in Puducherry. For the CPM-led Left Front, its impressive
victory in Kerala with 91 seats saved the party from a strong setback in West Bengal where the party had hoped to turn the tables on Mamata’s TMC in league with the Indian National Congress. The Congress’ electoral misfortunes continued to tail the party with its hopes of retaining power in Assam and Kerala dashed amid mild satisfaction of regaining control in the 30-member Puducherry Assembly, winning 15 seats. Its ally, the DMK, won two. BJP’s avowed quest for a “Congress-Mukt Bharat” remained on course, as claimed by its party chief Amit Shah as it gloated over its simple majority win in Assam under Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
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6 i Saturday - April 4, 2015
INDIA
26 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
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Majithia files defamation against Kejriwal, aides
unjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia on Friday filed a criminal defamation case against Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal, his close aide and party think tank Ashish Khetan and party’s Punjab affairs incharge Sanjay Singh in a local court here. Majithia himself filed the case in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Gurpartap Singh under Sections 499, 500 and 501 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code. Majithia, in his complaint submitted to the court, claimed that the AAP was bent
on maligning his image, along with that of his family, without any basis and had been levelling baseless allegations against him. He said even the Supreme Court had endorsed criminal proceedings against someone who deliberately maligned anyone’s image, and that he is fighting a legal battle against the AAP. Majithia alleged, “Kejriwal’s whole politics is based on lies and fraud. He and his aides have been repeatedly defaming me and my family through baseless allegations. Today, I have demanded action against them in court by submitting a criminal defamation case against him and his aides.”
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Journalist’s murder: Police raid Shahabuddin’s jail cell
dead at a busy market near Staolice on Wednesday raided tion Road last Friday night. “A Bihar’s Siwan jail in conpolice team led by Siwan District nection with the probe into Magistrate and Superintendent the killing of journalist Rajdeo of Police have raided Siwan jail, Ranjan, and are reported to have where Shahabuddin is lodged, searched the cell of former RJD in connection with the killing MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, of Rajdeo,” a district police ofwho is lodged there. The raid ficial said. According to official came after the opposition Bharatisources, Shahabuddin’s cell was ya Janata Party (BJP) alleged the Mohd Shahabuddin searched during the police raid. role of jailed former Rashtriya Police have already arrested Janata Dal (RJD) MP Mohammad ShaUpender Singh, an aide of Shahabuddin, habuddin, who has been lodged in Siwan and are likely to take him on remand to quiz jail, in the murder. him in connection with the killing. Singh is The raid signalled known as a sharpshooter of Shahabuddin. Ingredients that police offiSingh• 250g was boneless sent tochicken jail on charges cials involved in of violation of the new Excise Act. • 2tbsp rapeseed oil the investigation Police in Siwan said that Ranjan’s kill• 1 medium red onion were not ready to ing was a pre-planned conspiracy. • 3part largeoftomatoes take any chances, Meanwhile, Bihar nuts Director Genersaid an official. • ½ cup cashew al of• Police PK Thakur Shahabuddin, a 100g tomato puree said that police • have identified the shooters criminal-turned1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves involved in the killing of the journalist. politician, locally • 100ml low fat cream Five police teams have been constituted known as Ba• 1tsp garam masala to investigate case. “Each team has hubali, has been • 1tsp redthe chilli powder been working on different angles,” he said. lodged in Siwan • 1tbsp ginger- garlic paste The state government has constijail for over a • 2tbsp thick low fat yoghurt tuted a special investigation team of decade. He has • salt to taste two DSPs, three Inspectors and five only twice been Sub-Inspectors to trace the killers. shifted to BhagalProtests against the killing continued in pur and Gaya jail Procedure: Patna andand other parts ofHeat the state also. The for brief periods. Marinate the chicken with the ginger garlic paste and the yoghurt for 20 min. soak the cashew in warm water for 15 minutes.chop the onions tomatoes. 1 tbsp protesters, including mediapersons, Ranjan, Siwan oil to a pan. sear the chicken pieces in the hot oil for 1 minute on each side to a golden colour. remove the chicken pieces. in the same pan, add 1tbsp oil and the chopped have demanded justice for the family of Ranjan. bureauflame chief of tomatoes onions. saute till a translucent pink. Add the tomatoes, red chili powder, garam masala powder and cook on medium till the are tender (approx. 4-5 The Bihar government led by NitHindi minutes). remove from flame and run in a blender with the soaked cashews to make a smooth paste. return to the pannewspaper and add the tomato puree. Bring to a boil and add ish Kumar has already recommended a Hindustan, the chicken pieces. simmer for 4-5 minutes till the chicken is cooked. Add the low fat cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Broilwhich the fenugreek leaves on a pan. crush the CBI probe into the journalist’s killing. is part of the HT fenugreek leaves over the curry and remove from fire. serve hot. Media, was shot
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Fiji
28 i Saturday, May 21, 2016
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Fiji to win Rio Olympic gold in rugby: experts predict
uatralia’s most capped player and 2013 IRB Hall of Fame inductee George Gregan has rated Fiji to win the 2016 Olympic gold medal in sevens rugby. Gregan, who is a HSBC ambassador, was in attendance at the HSBC Paris 7s and will be at the HSBC London Sevens this week. “To be honest, I would love to see Fiji win a medal — the gold medal. As an Aussie, if Australia can’t win it, I would like Fiji to win it,” Gregan said. “I think it’s going to be really tight. The level of competition is incredible. I think it’s really exciting for sevens and the Olympics. “I have been lucky enough to go to Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris and London. The standard and level of play from all teams has been so incredible. Now, that it is an Olympic sport, Fiji will be the No.1 to beat. But the man who played at halfback and known for his quick wit and fast distribution has not ruled out New Zealand.
Jarryd Hayne (middle) with the national Fiji sevens team in London.
Gregan said the team had been consistent and always had a good comeback when coach Sir Gordon Tietjens waved his magic wand. “With sevens if you get on a roll, you can do great things. Kenya looks really really good and has adapted well to sevens in the last three years.”
Chaudhry queries $175M write-off
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he National Farmers Union says it will be a folly to believe the Fiji Sugar back into complacency and old habits. “Indeed, to us it is a devious way of juggling Corporation’s finances can be turned the books to make the balance sheet look good. around by writing off $175 million of its It adds no value — it is not new money coming debt to the Government. into the corporation.” This was the view submitted Mr Chaudhry said in by union general secretary and its 2010 Statement of former prime minister MahenComprehensive Indra Chaudhry to the Standing come, an impairment Committee on Economic Afloss on property, plant fairs during submissions on the and equipment of Reform of the Sugar Cane In$173m was recorded. dustry Bill in Lautoka last week. “This reduced their val“The Qarase government ue from $261m in 2009 made the same mistake when it to $95m in 2010. This Former prime minister wrote off a total of $104m beinformation is in the Mahendra Chaudhry tween 2003 and 2005,” he said. FSC Annual Reports. “This reprieve lulled FSC
Call to enforce anti-discrimination laws
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he Opposition has called for the enforcement of anti-discrimination laws for people living with
disabilities in the country. The office made its submission to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence yesterday and called for the ratification of the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities without reservations. Making the submission, office representative Peter Waqavonovono said it was important for the Bill to have provisions that protected women and girls from discrimination based on gender, disability or the interaction of gender and disability. “Identify areas of multiple or intersecting discrimination affecting women and girls, who are users and survivors of psychiatry, and take appropriate action,” Mr Waqavonovono said.
Plea for help leads to murder probe
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handra Kishore heard his neighbour’s cries for help and immediately ran to his aid. He found neighbour Nazim, whom he knew little about, in his back yard, “his face and hands burnt”. Mr Kishore said he saw Nazim burning something, but did not know what it was because he was more concerned about taking him to the hospital. When a team from this newspaper met him at Yalalevu in Ba yesterday afternoon, he was still reeling from news that the “something” was what police have alleged to be the dismembered body of Nazim’s de facto partner. “I was working out in my garden at around midday Monday when I heard him scream for help,” Mr Kishore said. “He was burnt and asking for my help so I put him in my van and took him to the hospital.”
Hayne Plane call up excites Fijian fans
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ome fans are still sceptical over Jarryd Hayne’s inclusion in the Fiji 7s squad for the HSBC World Rugby London 7s. Josefa Lesi, a market vendor in Suva shared the sentiments of many others when he said there was a need to have Hayne tested among the rest of the squad. “I think he will need to prove himself first. I mean what happens to the other players that are in the squad. Where do they fit in? I am excited though to see what happens,” he said. Another avid rugby fan, John Madraiwiwi, a shoe shine boy based outside the S Nagindas outlet in Suva was all smiles at the mention of Hayne. “I’m a big fan. He is the one to watch out for and I would just like to say that I would really love to be like him,” he said.
NRI
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Neera Tanden leads Hillary Clinton campaign, slams Donald Trump’s policies
N
eera Tanden led the Hillary Clinton campaign in slamming the economic policies of Donald Trump, Republican presidential presumptive nominee, on Thursday, alleging that this poses threat to the economic future of women and families. “Make no mistake: Trump’s divisive comments about women’s health are a direct threat to our dignity and economic security,” said Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.
“Trump is now trying to cover up the bald spots in his economic plan but women can see for themselves and women can see through his comb over,” said Tanden who was joined by Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland. The two said that the trillions in tax cuts for millionaires, billionaires and corporations laid out in Trump’s tax plan would be an enormous boon for the top one per cent of earners, made at the expense of working families, seniors and the health of the economy.
Indian artist wins award at UN’s poster contest
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22-year-old Indian artist is among the three winners of a UN poster competition aimed at raising awareness about nuclear disarmament, with her poster of a peace dove slicing through a nuclear weapon garnering appreciation from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Anjali Chandrashekar, a New York-based designer and “artivist”, won the third prize in UN Poster for Peace contest presented by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA) to raise awareness of the need for nuclear disarmament.
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Anjali Chandrashekar, 22 with her UN poster.
US Senate passes Bill allowing 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia
he US Senate has passed a Bill that would allow families of victims of 9/11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia, even as the White House said President Barack Obama would veto the legislation. Saudi Arabia has reportedly threatened to withdraw its $750 billion worth of investments in America if it became law. While the Bill is yet to be passed by the House of Representatives before it lands up on the table of Obama to sign it into law, the White
House has said that Obama would veto it. “This legislation would change longstanding international law regarding sovereign immunity,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said yesterday after the Senate passed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA). “The President of the United States continues to harbor serious concerns that this legislation would make the United States vulnerable in other court systems around the world,” he said.
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More than 150 feared dead in landslides in Sri Lanka
ore than 150 people are feared dead after they were buried under two landslides triggered by more than three days of heavy rain in central Sri Lanka , disaster officials said on Wednesday as rescuers raced to find survivors and recover the dead. Torrential rains have forced more than 196,000 people from their homes, the latest official data showed, with the recovery of another 19 bodies across the South Asian country bringing the official death toll so far to 35. More than 350 people were plucked to safety during rescue operations in landslideaffected areas across the country early on Wednesday, officials said. Rescue efforts have focused on the town of Aranayaka, 100km north-east of the capital, Colombo, where three
villages were buried late on Tuesday in the central district of Kegalle. A Sri Lankan Red Cross official who attended a disaster meeting at the Aranayaka landslide site early on Wednesday said it was feared the death toll was much higher than the official figures listed so far. “At that meeting, it was revealed that around 300-400 people are feared to have died in the Aranayaka landslide,” Neville Nanayakkara, director general of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, told Reuters. Nanayakkara was speaking before other officials said that about 150 people had been rescued from the Aranayaka area, leaving fears for the safety of at least another 150 people. The Red Cross has set up a welfare camp for survivors of the Aranayaka landslide. Police said another landslide at Bulathkopitiya, also in Kegalle district, had buried at least 16 people.
Bangladesh arrests Islamist over killing of gay activists
Police in Bangladesh have arrested an Islamist militant over the killing of two gay rights campaigners, who died amid a surge in violent attacks against liberal activists and other minorities in the south Asian nation. Xulhaz Mannan, 35, editor of Bangladesh’s first magazine for gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and fellow activist Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy, 25, were killed in a apartment in the capital Dhaka late last month, in an attack claimed by al Police arrested Shariful Islam, 37 (fourth from right). Qaida in the Indian subcontinent. Poin the capital Dhaka late last month, in an lice in Bangladesh have arrested an Islamist attack claimed by al Qaida in the Indian militant over the killing of two gay rights subcontinent. The Muslim-majority nation campaigners, who died amid a surge in violent attacks against liberal activists and other of 160 million people has seen a series of attacks over the past year in which atheist minorities in the south Asian nation. Xulbloggers, academics, religious minorities and haz Mannan, 35, editor of Bangladesh’s first foreign aid workers have been killed. An magazine for gay, bisexual and transgender elderly Buddhist monk was found hacked to (LGBT) people, and fellow activist Mahbub death on Saturday at a temple in Bangladesh. Rabbi Tonoy, 25, were killed in a apartment
Islamic militant arrested for killing professor Bangladesh police have arrested an Islamist militant charged with the murder of a professor amid a surge in deadly attacks against liberal activists and other minorities in the South Asian nation, a senior officer said on Tuesday. Rezaul Karim Siddiquee, 58, an English professor at Rajshahi University , was hacked to death on his way to work last month. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the killing of the professor for his “calling to atheism”. Police however arrested a member of the banned local militant group, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, thought to have been lying low since six of its leaders were hanged in 2007.
Nepal’s forest cover increases by over five per cent
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A Nepali government survey has said that forests today take 44.74 per cent of the total 141,718 sq km area of the Himalayan country, compared to the total forest cover of 39.6 per cent between 1997 and 1998. The Department of Forest Research and Survey conducted its five-year survey between 2010 and 2014 and found the forest cover to have increased, according to Nepal’s national news agency RSS. The report showed Nepal’s mid-hill area was greener than other regions while the lowest forest cover of 6.9 per cent fell in the Tarai, the plains region in the southern parts of the country where over half of the country’s population lives. Forest research department spokesman Keshab Raj Gautam said implementation of protection programmes and massive migration from rural to urban areas were the main reasons behind the rapid growth rate of the forests. For example, with a theme “One house one tree; one village one forest; one town several parks”, the Nepali government a few years ago announced 2014-2023 as the forest decade to make the country greener. At the same time, an increasing people has been migrating to urban areas from remote regions.
PAKISTAN
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US House of Reps votes to stop $405M aid to Pakistan
gnoring objections of the White House, the Republican majority House of Representatives has approved the National Defense Authorisation Act which blocks $450 million aid to Pakistan for failing to take action against the dreaded Haqqani network. The NDAA 2017 (H R 4909) was passed by the US House of Representative (277-147) on Wednesday night, which among others included approval of three major amendments reflecting the strong anti-Pak sentiment prevailing among the US lawmakers. As a result, as per the House version of the Bill, the Obama administration must certify that Pakistan has met before releasing $450 million in aid. “Pakistan has shown progress in arrest-
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ing and prosecuting Haqqani network senior leaders and mid-level operatives”. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher’s amendment adds an additional requirement that the secretary of defense certify to Congress that Pakistan is not using its military or any funds or equipment provided by the US to persecute minority groups seeking political or religious freedom. The NDAA-2017 also includes the sense of the Congress that Shakil Afridi is an international hero and that the government of Pakistan should release him immediately from prison. NDAA-2017 now needs to be passed by the Senate, before it can be sent to the White House for the US President Barack Obama to sign it into law.
Pakistan to urge UN to declare Indian Ocean ‘nuclear free zone’: Aziz
akistan Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz informed Senate that the country is considering to move a resolution in the United Nations, urging it to declare the Indian Ocean a “nuclear free zone”. Referring India’s interceptor missile test of its advanced air defence missile Ashwin, the adviser blamed India for nuclearisation of Indian Ocean and said Pakistan would raise the issue with all major powers “bilaterally and multilaterally”, a report in Dawn.com said on Friday. He announced that Pakistan is planning to high-
light the “implications” of India’s nuclear plans and a proposal is under consideration to move a resolution in the next session of UN General Assembly to declare the Indian Ocean a “nuclear free zone”, the report noted. “Apart from this air defence system, India has also recently conducted tests of nuclear capable, submarine based K4 ballistic missiles. Simultaneously large nuclear powered submarines are being built to carry these nuclear armed missile as a part of its second strike nuclear capability,” Aziz was quoted as saying.
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Pakistan applies for NSG membership
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akistan on Friday said that it has formally applied for the membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, after China blocked India’s entry into the 48-member elite group. The Foreign Office (FO) said that Pakistan’s ambassador in Vienna on Thursday applied for the membership through a letter addressed to the NSG chairman. In the letter, Pakistan said the decision to seek participation in the export-control regime reflects Pakistan’s strong support for international efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. “Pakistan has the expertise, manpower, infrastructure, as well as the ability to supply NSG controlled items, goods and services for a full range of nuclear applica-
tions for peaceful uses,” the Foreign Office said. It said Pakistan attaches high priority to nuclear safety and security. It has taken legal, regulatory and administrative measures to bring nuclear safety and security at par with international standards. “Pakistan’s export-control regime is underpinned by strong legislation, regulatory and enforcement mechanisms. The national export control lists are harmonized with the control lists of NSG, MTCR and Australia Group,” it said. The development comes as China harps on the need for consensus in the NSG, where it is reportedly pushing for Pakistan’s entry despite US’ strong backing for India to join the elite body that seeks reducing nuclear proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of materials.
‘CIA in knew about Sino-Pak N-cooperation’
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y late 70s, the CIA knew that China had aided Pakistan’s nuclear weapons programme by providing it with weapons design information, according to just declassified US documents. According to recently declassified State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) reports by the National Security Archive and the Nuclear Proliferation International History Project, a few years after China’s first nuclear test in October 1964 INR wondered whether China would
help Pakistan, among other countries, acquire a nuclear capability. INR experts believed China had limited resources and seemed “cautious and indecisive” on the question of nuclear assistance, but they saw “reasons for continued concern”. In a report to the Secretary of State, the then INR Director Thomas Hughes had said that “several recent developments raised the possibility that Pakistan and Communist China may have entered into some sort of an agreement for collaboration on nuclear matters.”
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