The Asian Star October 14 2023 by The Asian Star Newspaper

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www.theasianstar.com Vol 22 - Issue 37

Jeet Singh

Saturday, October 14, 2023

routes, especially in Ontario, dependence on food banks for groceries are some of the observations of the young and freshly out-of-school Indians about the living standards for international students in present-day Canada. Indians comprise Continued on page 7

Trudeau reignites diplomatic row with India In a fresh provocation, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on X that he has discussed India “and the importance of upholding — and respecting — the rule of law” with Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed, the President of the United Arab Emirates. In a post on Sunday, he said: “On the phone today, His Highness Mohammed Bin Zayed and I spoke about the current situation in Israel. We expressed our deep concern and discussed the need to protect civilian life. We also spoke about India and the importance of upholding — and respecting — the rule of law.” His comment comes amid a raging diplomatic fracas with India following Canada’s allegation that Indian officials are involved in the murder of a Canadian citizen. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force and one of India’s most-wanted terrorists. India has strongly refuted the allegations.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar held a ‘secret’ meeting with Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly in Washington during his recent visit. Financial Times reported that the meeting was secret and Canada’s foreign ministry did not comment on this. During his US visit, Jaishankar met US Secretary of State

Antony Blinken and NSA Jake Sullivan and in both the meetings, the Canada issue came up, Jaishankar said. The report of a private meeting comes as India’s deadline to Canada to withdraw additional diplomats came to an end on October 10. The Financial Times report said Canadian diplomats Continued on page 6

Communist Party (CCP) were involved in the killing of separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada, an independent blogger, Jennifer Zeng, has said that China’s “purpose

was to frame India creating discord between India and the West”. She also alleged that it was a part of the CCP’s sinister “Ignition Plan” to disrupt the world in line with Xi Jinping’s military strategy regarding Taiwan.

Organisation representing Hindu parents, Dalit group celebrate veto of California’s anti-caste discrimination bill An organisation representing Hindu parents in California, eminent IndianAmericans and a Dalit advocacy group on Saturday welcomed the decision of

BC first province to sign individual health deal with feds, worth $1.2 billion

India & Canada’s Foreign Ministers met secretly in Washington: Report

Independent blogger alleging China’s hand in Nijjar killing On 18 June 2023, Hardeep Nijjar, a designated terrorist in India, was shot and killed in parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia. Alleging that the agents of the Chinese

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California Governor Gavin Newsom to veto the anti-caste discrimination bill, saying it was brought with the sole intention of “stereotyping the community”.

The governor vetoed the bill, which was recently passed by the state assembly, and said that laws to ban caste-based discrimination already exist in the state.

Canada’s health minister is touting Ottawa’s new $1.2-billion bilateral funding agreement with British Columbia as a new model for federal-provincial co-operation to address the health-care crisis across the country. Mark Holland said the deal focuses on finding answers to the challenges facing Canada’s health-care system instead of placing provincial and federal officials at odds over who’s in charge in each jurisdiction. “Look, I get that we want to think about jurisdiction and we want to protect jurisdiction,” Holland said at the signing of the deal with B.C. at Vancouver General Hospital on Tuesday. “But at the end of the day, health is health, and we all have a Continued on page 2

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Justin Trudeau’s gambit backfires, trolled for ‘complaining’ about India update on the situation between Canada and India, underscoring the importance of respecting the rule of law and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” his office said in a statement. This came hours after Justin Trudeau spoke to UAE president Mohamed Bin Zayed about India and the “rule of law”. “On the phone today, His Highness @MohamedBinZayed and I spoke about the current situation in Israel. We expressed our deep concern and discussed the need to protect civilian life.

In a recent incident adding to the growing list of controversies surrounding Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister is now being trolled for raising India with various global leaders. Justin Trudeau on Sunday discussed India ties with the king of Jordan amid a huge row over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. “The Canadian Prime Minister spoke with King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan on Sunday and he provided “an

Canada allegations haven’t hurt India’s diplomacy Australia envoy chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.“The Canadian Speaker is not attending the Summit. Schedules keep changing,” Parliamentary sources said. Earlier, Birla had said he would raise “several issues” in his informal talks with the Speaker of the Canadian Senate.

Amid a diplomatic row, Speaker of the Canadian Senate Raymonde Gagne has decided to skip the Presiding Officers’ Summit of Parliaments of G20 nations that began in New Delhi on Thursday. Gagne had earlier confirmed her presence at the Parliament-20 meeting

Vancouver women allege they were threatened with murder, sexual assault after Israeli vigil Vancouver police say they are conducting a number of investigations related to incidents that occurred at rallies on Monday . Shortly after leaving a vigil to honour those killed in Israel, two Metro Vancouver women say they

were threatened by two men who were seen carrying Palestinian flags. The friends told CTV News they didn’t know they were being followed until they were confronted and one of the men allegedly threatened to rape one of the women.

Two studendts from India identified as victims of fatal plane crash in Chilliwack Abhay Gadru, 25, pictured with his cousin Shradha Trisal. Gadru, who is from Mumbai, India, who was in B.C. training to be a pilot, died when a small plane crashed near Chilliwack Municipal Airport on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023. Two others also died in the crash. Photo by Courtesy of Shradha Trisal

Katie Van Hoepen, of Chilliwack, told The Chilliwack Progress that she saw the plane go down as she was travelling on Highway 1 to Abbotsford. She got off the highway at Young Road. Witnesses tried to help the crash victims after the plane went down, she said. “We had to get ladders and mattresses” to lay in the blackberry bushes in order to access the plane, Van Hoepen said. It remains unclear where the plane was travelling from and its intended destination. The BC Coroners Service and Transport Safety Board are still investigating and the crash site will remain contained until further notice.

Two of the three people who died in a plane crash near the Chilliwack Airport Friday afternoon (Oct. 6) have been identified as trainee pilots from Mumbai, India. Abhay Gadru and Yash Ramugade, both 25 years old, were onboard the small plane with the still-unidentified pilot when it crash landed behind the Chilliwack Motor Inn. Though Chilliwack RCMP have not released details yet about any of the victims, the two men have been identified/named in an article by NDTV (an Indian news outlet). Both men were in Canada for pilot training. Gadru was from Vasai, Mumbai and Ramugade was from Santacruz, Mumbai, India. All three people were in a Piper PA34 which is currently registered to a Langley flight school called SkyQuest Aviation Ltd.

Canadians scramble for residency status in India to travel to home country Permanent residency applications for Canadians of Indian origin are in high demand after India suspended visa services. Dozens of Canadians of Indian origin are lining up to apply for a form of permanent residency status in India so they can visit their families after the country suspended visa services in Canada last month. India’s Ministry of External Affairs announced the suspension of visa services because of what they said are “growing antiIndian activities, politically condoned hate

crimes and criminal violence in Canada.” BLS International Canada Services Inc. is a service partner that manages visa, passport, Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) and other consular applications for the Government of India. Considering the recent diplomatic row between India and Canada, and no sense of when the suspension of visa services will be lifted, many Indo-Canadians are instead applying for OCI, which will give them life-long entry to the country apart from the rights to live and work there.

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Local / National

Saturday, October 14, 2023

BC first province to sign individual health deal with feds, worth $1.2 billion

From page 1

responsibility to find ways to work together. “I’m not looking to walk around with a stick and be aggressive towards provinces. I want to work with provinces and territories. I want to find solutions. So that isn’t about intruding on jurisdiction. It’s about being partners.” The agreement is part of a $196-billion,

10-year national health accord that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered provinces in February. Quebec is the only province that hasn’t agreed in principle to the accord, as Premier Francois Legault has bristled at being held accountable to Ottawa for reaching certain health-care targets as part of the deal.

BC’s vaccine program against flu and COVID-19 begins B.C. launches its immunization campaign today for respiratory virus season, with flu and COVID-19 shots gradually becoming available simultaneously at hundreds of pharmacies across the province. The immunization plan was announced late last month when the provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, announced the reintroducion if mask mandates in health-care settings, as respiratory illnesses started trending upward. In a statement, Pharmasave said its drugstores are anticipating an increase in demand for vaccines this year as patients increasingly turn to pharmacists to treat common ailments. Pharmacists were authorized to offer expanded health services in June.

Though vaccinations begin Oct. 10, priority is being given to those over 65 and other vulnerable populations first. Those groups will get their invitations first. Healthcare workers and those in long-term care have already begun receiving vaccines as shipments arrived in the province. Anyone who has received a round of COVID-19 shots or boosters is already in the system and will get an invitation when vaccination is recommended. Those who have yet to receive a vaccine should register at getvaccinated. gov.bc.ca or call 1-833-838-2323. The latest vaccines are designed to protect against variants of the coronavirus that are most widely circulating in Canada.

Ottawa woman identified as third Canadian killed in Hamas attack A third Canadian has died in Israel following a weekend attack by the militant group Hamas, her family said in a statement shared Wednesday at a press conference by an Ottawa Jewish group. Adi Vital-Kaploun, who is IsraeliCanadian, was killed in the coordinated and deadly assault in Israel over the weekend, the statement from her family said. The statement said she was “murdered by terrorists in her home, just for being Jewish.” The family did not speak with reporters, but

Andrea Freedman, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa shared the statement at a press conference on the family’s behalf. “Adi brought love, laughter and a sense of purpose to her parents and siblings, the one always leading the way in a very close family,” Freedman said. “Her love was like rays of sunshine, warming the world around her with her smile, her warmth and compassion.” The family said that while her children were “miraculously home and safe, she is not.”

Two girls reported missing in Mission Police are looking for two missing girls in Mission. Mounties said the two girls have been missing since Tuesday. Taylor Jackson and Cora Schiller, both of whom have been reported missing from different homes, may be together, police said. Jackson, who was last seen at her home on Tuesday, is described by police as four feet

eight inches tall, and with a slim build and sandy-brown long hair. Schiller, who was last seen at her home on Tuesday afternoon, is described as five feet nine inches tall, and with a slim build and dark hair. She was last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants and no shoes. Anyone with information regarding the missing girls can contact Mission RCMP at 604-826-7161

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other Canadian authorities on Monday condemned demonstrations across Canada by those they said were glorifying violence by supporting Palestinian Islamist group Hamas’ attack on Israel. “I strongly condemn the demonstrations that have taken place, and are taking place, across the country in support of Hamas’ attacks on Israel,” Trudeau said in a post on X, formerly called Twitter. “The glorification of violence is never acceptable in Canada,” he added. Trudeau joined a solidarity gathering

for Israel late on Monday and condemned Hamas’ attack in his address. Political leaders from across the spectrum in Canada have expressed support for Israel. When asked if he made a distinction between proPalestinian protesters and demonstrators supporting Hamas, his office declined to comment. There were competing demonstrations and rallies through Monday by different groups across Canada, including in Toronto, where some 1,000 protesters gathered in a demonstration organized by a group called Palestinian Youth Movement.

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Youth allegedly set a fire on BC Ferries vessel: RCMP A 16-year-old boy was arrested after a fire was set in a bathroom on the Spirit of British Columbia ferry on its 7 p.m. sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay on Tuesday. Police were called about 8:40 p.m. by B.C. Ferries to report a fire had been set in a washroom on deck 6, Sidney-North Saanich RCMP Const. Brent Vose said. Ferry crews quickly extinguished the fire, Vose said. Police arrived as the ferry was pulling into Swartz Bay. They arrested a youth of no fixed address who matched a description they were given from witness accounts. He was taken off the vessel without incident. The extent of the damage remains under investigation, RCMP spokesman

Corp. Alex Bérubé said Wednesday. The youth was released on an undertaking to appear in court at a future date on a charge of mischief. Passenger Tracey Rompain was in her vehicle on the upper car deck when fire alarms sounded and a public announcement was made for crew to report to muster stations. Travellers still on passenger decks were ordered to muster stations as well, she said. Crew members checked on passengers in vehicles, initially telling them to stay where they were but later asking them to up to deck 6. Rompain said they were about halfway there when another announcement told them to return to their vehicles.

PM Trudeau condemns ‘glorification of violence’ in celebration in Canada after Hamas attacked Israel

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OPINION

By Michael Taube

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Pro-Hamas protests face backlash Canadians who marched in support of Hamas terrorist attack against Israel showed their true colours

Most Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving weekend with their families, friends, neighbours, and others. Alas, there was a small albeit vocal minority in Canada who decided to celebrate events related to racism, hatred and an act of terrorism. We’ll get to that part shortly. As most people know, the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas launched a major attack

against Israel on Oct. 7. It coincided with the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, and occurred nearly 50 years after the start of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Hamas was aided by other Palestinian terrorist groups such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Lions’ Den. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Iran, which has a

strategic alliance with Hamas, also played a role in the assault, although the totalitarian regime’s direct involvement remains unconfirmed as of this writing. Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was quoted by ISNA news agency as having reportedly said during a meeting, “We support the proud operation of Al-Aqsa Flood.” The attack caught the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and intelligence services completely by surprise. This made it one of the biggest intel failures in the country’s history. Israel has since retaliated against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, with the IDF claiming that more than 700 Palestinian terrorists have been killed to date. The Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah, along with Islamic Jihad’s armed wing, Al-Quds Brigades, also reportedly entered into a conflict in northern Israel on Oct. 8. Close to 1,100 people are reportedly dead due to this terrorist attack. Over 2,600 people have been wounded, and more than 100 are being held hostage. These numbers will continue to climb until the fighting is over. There have been demonstrations in various cities around the world related to this terrorist attack. A few rallies have been supportive of Israel. Most of them haven’t. In Canada, small groups of young men in Toronto and Mississauga, Ont. went out the night of Hamas’s terrorist attack against Israel to celebrate. One widely-viewed video posted on X by Rebel News showed them riding in cars and trucks in Mississauga, honking their horns and enthusiastically cheering and waving Palestinian flags. Additional videos, including several posted by Toronto Sun columnist Joe Warmington, showed them standing on top of the vehicles waving flags. There have also been significant protests in cities like Montreal on Oct. 8 and downtown Toronto on Oct. 9. Various chants calling for Israel’s destruction could be heard at the latter protest. Police were on hand to keep things in order. These demonstrations, while completely acceptable within the realms of free speech and freedom of expression, were, nevertheless, awful to see. Some people who either attended or were supportive of the protests have attempted to paint them in a different light.

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Sikh man who ‘housed’ Khalistani militants in India’ allowed to live in Canada The immigration tribunal ruled that the Sikh man who “housed and fed” armed Khalistani militants in India over a decade should be allowed into Canada because he did so due to fear of retribution, as per a report. An immigration tribunal in Canada has ruled that a Sikh man who “housed and fed Khalistani militants in India” over a decade should be allowed into the country because he did so “mostly out of necessity” and fear of retribution, a media report said on Wednesday. According to the National Post newspaper, Immigration and Refugee Board tribunal member Heidi Worsfold in a recent ruling said the government did not have reasonable grounds to

declare Indian citizen Kamaljit Ram inadmissible to enter Canada based on the belief he had provided a “safe house” and “logistical support” to Khalistani militants. The immigration tribunal ruled that the Sikh man who “housed and fed” armed Khalistani militants in India over a decade should be allowed into Canada because he did so “mostly out of necessity” and fear of retribution, the paper said. The original decision to bar Ram from Canada by the federal government came after he told Canada Border Services Agency officers during an interview that he sheltered and fed armed Sikh militants at his farm in India on-and-off between 1982 and 1992.

New licensing system gives health workers freedom to work throughout much of Canada Canadian health ministers have green-lit a new cross-Canada licensing system for health-care workers that will allow doctors or nurses in B.C. to work in any other province or territory. It’s one of the major commitments coming out of the two-day meeting of Canada’s health ministers in Charlottetown, P.E.I., that wrapped up Thursday. B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix, speaking to reporters by Zoom from Charlottetown, said it could be key to addressing the health-care shortage while also promising that B.C.’s strategy isn’t to poach health workers from other parts of Canada. “These arrangements are going to help B.C. because I think people want to come here,” said Dix, pointing to the new compensation agreement for family doctors reached with the province last year that makes them among the highest paid in Canada. “We’re recruiting most effectively by the reforms we’re making in our health-care system, the change in the way that we pay doctors,” he said. “The way that we fund and support primary care has been a huge attraction to doctors to go into primary care.” Dix said more than 80 per cent of medical graduates trained in B.C. stay in the province, with just eight per cent opting to work in neighbouring Alberta. By contrast, only 60 per cent of medical graduates trained in Alberta stay in that province with 20 per cent coming to B.C., he said.

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India & Canada’s Foreign Ministers met secretly in Washington: Report From page 1 continued in India as talks are on between India and Canada. Financial Times reported that S Jaishankar held a private meeting with Canada foreign minister Melanie Joy. Financial Times reported that S Jaishankar held a private meeting with Canada foreign minister Melanie Joy. Amid the row triggered after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s public allegation that India was behind the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, India said there are far many Canadian diplomats present in India, outnumbering Indian diplomats present in Canada. Accusing them of interfering in India’s

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internal matters, New Delhi asked Ottawara to withdraw 41 diplomats from India by October 10. Reports said Canada started the process and many diplomats posted in India -outside New Delhi -- were shifted to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. “Several days earlier, Joly also held a secret meeting with India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar in Washington, said people familiar with the situation. Canada’s foreign ministry declined to comment,” The Financial Times reported. “India has cited the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations as justifying its call for parity. Canada has rejected that argument, saying New Delhi is misreading the treaty that provides a framework for diplomatic ties,” the report said

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Indian students face food, housing & work crisis in Canada

Work commences at Cloverdale hospital site

From page 1 Indians comprise 40% of international students living in Canada, that is, roughly 2.4 lakh. The ongoing diplomatic row between India and Canada has brought the spotlight on the working and living conditions for international students there. Over the past few months, there has been an acute problem of housing, food and jobs for the new students who got enrolled in Canadian colleges and universities this summer, and it has gotten only worse by the fall (September) intake, News18 reported. Students blame colleges for expanding classes without having any accommodation facilities for international students as well as unscrupulous agents in India who have been selling a false dream to young students who just prepare to leave for Canada right after completing school. Also, the Justin Trudeau government has been facing flak at allowing its educational institutions to issue study permits to as many students without having enough infrastructure to support them. Acute housing and work crisis started to unfold only in July-August this year, News18 reported immigration experts as saying. “Canada has not been able to handle the influx of international students, as it doesn’t have the infrastructure in terms of housing or enough jobs to support the number of people that have joined its colleges and universities. While the Canadian government is looking at how to address the housing issue and strengthen its visa office in colleges is issuing fraudulent letters of intent to students. A lot of responsibility also lies with India to rein in its unlicensed, unscrupulous agents who dupe parents showing them a fake picture. So, many students get a reality check of the situation only when they come here while they were promised something totally different,” Manan Gupta, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC-IRB) from Skylake Immigration, Brampton, Ontario, was quoted as saying. Gupta also said there are talks of putting a cap on the number of students a Designated Learning Institution (DLI),

an educational institution approved by a provincial or territorial government to host international students can enroll. But there is a huge variation in the quality of DLIs in Canada with a number of small, private career colleges, often running from a floor in a building, partnering with known universities just to lure students. Of late, there have been talks on how to strengthen the college-recognition system. According to Gupta, despite the issues, students from India still want to move out to Canada. A lot of it has to do with parents as well, who just want to see their children settled here at any cost. Amid the recent tension between the two countries, there has been little second thought over the study destination while the majority still is the same. Only some parents have called asking us to pause study permit applications for a while. Study abroad experts said 90% of those going from India, most of whom are from Punjab, followed by Gujarat, Haryana and Delhi, enroll in a college only to enter Canada and later get a work visa here. Most of these colleges offer one or twoyear diplomas in non-futuristic courses such as community studies and business management. The students enrolling in such colleges with random courses are not pursuing any careers as such, but looking at ways of settling in. However, they are paying the fee for even such colleges four times of what Canadian students are paying, as the fee structures are different for international and domestic students, the report added. This year, the Canadian government again changed the work-hour policy for international students back to 20 hours per week. Students can work part-time during sessions and full-time during scheduled breaks. But the wages have gone low. With savings running out and no work, it’s getting even harder for students to survive. Running out of savings and the guilt of parents having taken loans to send their children to Canada weigh heavily on them. Groceries are expensive, so students rely on food banks.

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It’s been a month since the Province held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Cloverdale hospital, but now real shovels are in the ground. Back on Sept. 12, the NDP government, with Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Mike Starchuk and B.C. Premier David Eby, held a photo-op as about a dozen politicians and dignitaries shovelled some dirt for the camera on the site at 180th and 55th Avenue.

Saturday, October 14, 2023

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, October 14, 2023

BC launches $600K forfeiture case against Burnaby fraudster

Vancouver Island man loses $150,000 in romance scam Oak Bay police say a resident has lost more than $150,000 after being scammed by someone with whom he believed he was having a relationship. The man reported meeting a woman online in December who claimed to live in the southern U.S. Over several months, she asked for money to buy plane tickets, pay medical bills and cover other expenses, police said. The woman said she was expecting a large

payment but needed money to secure it, and that once the funds arrived, she would move to Canada to live with the man. When he refused to share his banking information, the woman stopped all communication, police said. It’s not an uncommon story. Victims in Canada reported losing $64.6 million in 2021 in romance scams, more than double the $28 million lost in 2020, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Amnesty for asault-style weapons extended until next elections The federal Liberal government has given itself an extra two years to establish a long-promised buyback program for firearms it banned in the wake of the deadly 2020 Nova Scotia shooting rampage. An amnesty period that was set to expire at the end of the month will now remain in place until Oct. 30, 2025 -- after the next federal election is scheduled to take place. On Wednesday, staff quietly added that update to Public Safety Canada’s website, prompting concern from gun-control

advocates and, on the other hand, relief for those representing firearms owners and retailers. The amnesty applies to those who own one of the more than 1,500 models and variants of “assault-style” firearms that Ottawa banned, saying guns such as the AR15 have no place in Canadian communities. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the ban in May 2020, within days of a gunman in Nova Scotia committing the deadliest mass shooting in modern Canadian history.

In just one of four police investigations into Hao Luo’s alleged Lower Mainland ‘fencing’ operations, officers seized dozens of bags of suspected stolen goods and more than $122,000 in store gift cards from Home Depot, Best Buy, Peoples Jewellers, Lululemon and more, according to a recent civil forfeiture claim. The B.C. government is going after a Burnaby man for $600,000 in cash, alleging the funds are the proceeds of trafficking in stolen goods, fraud, theft and income tax evasion. Hao Luo, also known as Ken Luo, was

a millionaire, he said, “I’m just so happy I don’t exactly know how to explain it… I’m still in disbelief. I think just having the financial freedom of not worrying about money is a dream come true.” Cacacho plans to use some of his winnings to start a small business back home in the Philippines. He will also use some to pay off his mortgage and give some to his kids.

the subject of four police investigations between 2017 and 2020 for alleged scams targeting businesses in Burnaby, Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey and Delta, according to a civil claim filed by the province’s director of civil forfeiture last month. The first investigation, by the Vancouver Police Department, allegedly revealed Luo bought stolen Home Depot merchandise from known shoplifters and then went to various Lower Mainland stores to return it.

Trans Mountain pipeline has cost Canada $35 Billion Canada faces an uphill battle to recoup the roughly C$35 billion ($25.74 billion) in taxpayers’ money it has sunk into the Trans Mountain oil pipeline, as uncertainty over shipping tolls and a limited pool of buyers cloud the asset’s unique strategic value. The federal government plans to sell Trans Mountain once a long-delayed expansion to nearly triple the flow of crude from Alberta to Canada’s Pacific Coast is completed

early next year. Last month, Ottawa started informal talks with Indigenous communities located along Trans Mountain’s path, an early step in divesting the soon-tobe 890,000 barrel-per-day pipeline. The sale, however, has seen muted interest from other pipeline operators due to higher financing costs, while longterm investors like the pension funds are likely to steer clear on concerns about exposure to fossil fuel assets, analysts said.

Highest court rejects BC Hells Angels bid to appeal clubhouse forfeiture

Surrey man wins $2 million in BC/49 draw A Surrey man is $2 million dollars richer after winning the top prize from the Sept. 30 BC/49 draw. Ronald Cacacho’s wife and children did not believe him at first. “Once I found out I won, I had trouble sleeping because I kept thinking I was dreaming,” Cacacho stated in a BCLC news release Thursday (Oct. 12)The family celebrated his big win during their Thanksgiving celebration. When asked how it feels to be

Members in Nanaimo, Vancouver and Kelowna wanted to fight a B.C. Court of Appeal decision that stripped them of ownership of the clubhouses . A nearly two decade-long court battle over the fate of three Hells Angels clubhouses in B.C. has likely been ended by the Supreme Court of Canada’s refusal to hear an appeal from the biker club. Members of Hells Angels’ chapters

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in Nanaimo, Vancouver and Kelowna wanted to fight a B.C. Court of Appeal decision that stripped them of ownership of the clubhouses, and overturned a lowercourt ruling in favour of the biker gang. .BC’s high court found the original trial judge was wrong to reject a claim under the province’s Civil Forfeiture Act and find “no evidence” that the three Hells Angels’ clubhouses were used for the planning or commission of crimes.

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Ontario NDP MLA faces calls to step aside over The leader of Ontario’s NDP is ordering one of her members to withdraw a statement she made about conflict in the Middle East, saying it does not align with the party’s values. Sarah Jama, who was elected in March, came under fire for a statement on fighting between Israel and Hamas. On Saturday, Hamas launched a bloody and unprecedented attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip. The group, which the Canadian government has designated a terrorist organization, has controlled the territory since 2007. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by declaring war on the group and promising swift

retaliation, including air strikes across Gaza. The country said a “complete siege” of the area had begun, including cutting electricity, food and fuel supplies. Jama released a statement on social media, under Ontario NDP letterhead, calling for a ceasefire in the troubled region and describing the situation in the Gaza Strip as “apartheid.” In her statement, Jama demanded Israel “end all occupation of Palestinian land and end apartheid.” One group working in Holocaust education and antisemitism programs called the MPP’s statement “abhorrent.” Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center demanded the NDP remove Jama from the party.

Home sales prices dip in Metro Vancouver: Report Sluggish sales in the third quarter of 2023 put a small hitch in the steady climb of housing prices across Canada, but don’t suggest any major price corrections on the horizon, according to a real estate forecast released Thursday by Royal LePage. Based on that third-quarter slowdown, Royal LePage is downgrading its end-of-year projections, but the real estate company is still predicting that the aggregate price of a home in Canada will increase seven per cent in the final quarter compared with the same period in 2022. Earlier projections had that increase at around 8.5 per cent. Greater Vancouver had a modest price dip in the third quarter of 1.8 per cent, similar to a 2.8 per cent drop in the country’s biggest housing market, Toronto. Year over year, however, the market’s aggregate house prices were relatively flat, increasing just 0.1 per cent to $1,251,900 in the third quarter of 2023. Overall, 57 per cent of regional markets in Canada showed third-quarter declines as sales softened, primarily due to higher interest rates, according to the survey. The only major market to buck that trend was Calgary, which had a busy summer and posted a 1.6 per cent price increase during the third quarter. Much of the activity

was from out-of-province buyers seeking more affordable housing, said Soper. Year over year, the aggregate price of a Canadian home increased by 3.6 per cent to $802,900 in the third quarter. That’s a modest 0.8 per cent decline from the second quarter. The latest quarter appears to have been affected by the increased cost of borrowing

and elevated interest rates, the report said. The Bank of Canada held its key lending rate at five per cent in September after two rate hikes in the summer. “With activity slowing, home prices softened in some of our major markets over the last three months, following a stronger than expected second quarter. Prices remain up on a year-over-year basis, with today’s stable market standing in sharp contrast to the steep declines experienced in the third quarter of 2022,” said Phil Soper, president and CEO of Royal LePage.

Canada Senate speaker to skip G20 event in India as relations remain tense

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Canada’s Senate speaker will not attend two-day G20 event in New Delhi. India said, as ties remain frozen after Canada said it is investigating allegations linking Indian agents to the killing of a Sikh separatist leader. Speaker Raymonde Gagne will not be present at the twoday parliamentary speakers’ summit that starts on Friday, as part of India’s year long presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies, which expires in November. “We invite all members for G20 events. Participation is their decision and subject to a number of factors,” said Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. “I’ll have to check whether anybody is actually attending from Canada because the parliament speaker could not attend.” The Canadian senate did not

immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Indian media cited India’s lower house speaker as saying Canada would be represented by the Senate s p e a k e r . Te n s i o n s between India and Canada have escalated after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly levelled suspicions last month that New Delhi’s agents were involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on June 18 in a Vancouver suburb. India dismissed the allegation as absurd and both countries expelled a diplomat. India also suspended issuing new visas for Canadians and asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence in India.

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Concerns over proposed rapid bus route from Richmond to Burnaby A new rapid bus route is being proposed between Richmond and Burnaby, but city staff are not on board with the exclusive bus lanes plans. TransLink is working on plans for an R7 RapidBus route, which will replace the existing 430 bus in Richmond, connecting city centre and Burnaby-Metrotown. The R7 will start at the Brighouse bus loop, run along No. 3, Lansdowne and Garden City roads before going along Cambie Road and onto the Knight Street Bridge. TransLink is suggesting a dedicated bus-only lane for the entire route to Burnaby “with transit stations replacing conventional bus stops” as part of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, according to a city staff report.

While city staff endorses the BRT project, they are concerned existing lanes for vehicle traffic, parking lanes or roadway shoulders converted into exclusive lanes for buses would “increase traffic delays by at least 50 per cent.” “One of the benefits of (an) HOV lane as part of an initial Bus Rapid Transit implementation phase is that it can be monitored over time to assess traffic pattern changes and determine if travel demand along the corridor warrants a dedicated bus lane in the future,” reads the city staff report. “Staff believe a transit system for Richmond’s arterial roads that packages a suite of transit enhancements will achieve significant travel time savings for buses while balancing the needs of other traffic on the R7 corridor.”

B.C. Jewish group raises security concerns as former Hamas leader calls for protests A Vancouver-area Jewish organization is raising safety concerns amid reports Hamas has called for a day of action on Friday amid the escalating conflict in Israel and Palestine. In a community security update posted to its website, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver said it was taking the reports “very seriously.” “Our understanding is that Hamas is calling for violence in Israel, the West Bank, and around the world under the guise of showing solidarity with Palestinians,” the organization wrote. The bulletin came after former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal called for protests across the Muslim world in support of Palestinians. “[We must] head to the squares and streets of the Arab and Islamic world on

Friday,” Meshaal said in a recorded statement. “To all scholars who teach jihad… to all who teach and learn, this is a moment for the application (of theories),” he added. The Jewish federation said it was working closely with police and was taking proactive security measures at high-profile locations, including schools, synagogues and the Jewish Community Centre. “We are confident here in the Jewish community that, with our partners in law enforcement, we have great thanks to Vancouver police, RCMP, working together with them, with the federal government, with the provincial government, we are safe,” Jewish Federation CEO Ezra Shanken told Global News.

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Press release

Mom Bipasha’s adorable pic with daughter Devi Community news Vedic Senior Parivar Centre Surrey and Newton Seniors Social Group, both together, are going to have a special Program of Get Together & Entertainment on October 14th 2023 (Saturday) from 10.00 am to 12.45 pm at Shanti Niketan hall. -----------------------------------------Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society of BC invites South Asian Adults & Senior members to play the New Game which we have recently purchased, Ladder Toss Balls ( Bolas ) Game. This game is designed to engage Seniors in activities of sports and the exercise. The game will start on Oct. 15th 2023 (Sunday) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Temple

In Person Yoga Classes will continue for members only at Shanti Niketan hall every Monday and every Thursday by expert Yoga Instructor Mr. Ashwani Bansal from 10.00 am to 11.15 am both the days and will also help to make sure all seniors are doing correct Yoga. All members are requested to place the yoga mat at a social distance ------------------------------------------

Please keep the social distance while seating for personal & other’s safety. ------------------------------------------For more info call: 604 - 507 - 9945

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Name change “I, Manpreet Kaur Monjer, daughter of Sukhdev Singh, resident of Near Clock Tower, Faridkot 151203, Punjab, India and presently residing at 14491 115 Ave, Surrey BC V3R 5Y2 do hereby change my name from Manpreet Kaur to Manpreet Kaur Monjer with immediate effect”.

Mom Bipasha Basu celebrated her daughter Devi turning 11 months old in the most special way. On Thursday, the Dhoom 2 star treated her social media family to a picture of herself holding little devi in her arms. In the adorable picture shared, Devi can be seen imitating her mom’s pose as both out their hands on

their heads. Bipasha Basu kept the caption simple and sweet. It read, “Oh My God!!! Devi’s favourite expression these days.. learnt from her papa. And Oh My God!!!! Our Devi turns 11months old today Time is flying soooo fast! And she is growing up to be such a joyful , loving , intelligent and affectionate baby girl. So grateful for this bundle of joy. Durga.”

Saira Bano recalls good old days Saira Banu treated her Instafam to some unseen pictures and videos from her wedding to Dilip Kumar on her wedding anniversary (October 11). The reel features glimpses of Saira Banu’s mehendi ceremony, marriage rituals, cake cutting ceremony and tender moments shared with Dilip Kumar. There are also glimpses of Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor and Raaj Kumar who attended the wedding. The reel

begins with Saira Banu’s voiceover in which she calls her marriage “the dream of Cinderella.” The veteran actor admits in the video that it was her “obsession” with getting married to Dilip Kumar since she was a “ten-year-old girl”. Saira Banu signed off the video with these words, “It takes two to achieve it and two to understand that it’s an elastic relationship of give and take and an abiding sense of togetherness forever.”

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Mahira Khan styles in saree for her pre-wedding festivities

Sahir Ludhianvi March 8, 1921 – October 25, 1980

One of the best lyricist, poet of Indian cinema Sahir Ludhianvi was born on March 8, with news music directors like Laxmikant– 1921 in Ludhiana, Punjab, India. Sahir’s Pyarelal in films “Man Ki Aankhe”, “Izzat”, real name was Abdul Hayee. He adopted ‘Dastaan’ and “Daag” amd many more, all his pen-name as Sahir (magician), then have got fabulous songs written by Sahir. From 1950 Sahir Ludhianvi, He is until his death, regarded as one of the Sahir collaborated greatest revolutionary with Baldev Raj poets and film lyricist. Chopra, a film His literary work producer and influenced Indian cinema. director. Sahir’s Sahir Ludhianvi won last work for Filmfare Award twice, Chopra was first time for his best for film Insaaf lyrics for film Taj Mahal Ka Tarazu. (1963) and then He won For B.R.films, second Filmfare Award Yash Chopra, for for his poetry for film d i r e c t o r / Kabhie Kabhie (1976). producer, also He was awarded Padma engaged Sahir Shri (one of the highest as lyricist civil awards of India) in for his films. 1971. A commemorative Sahir Ludhianvi and Lata Mangeshkar with In 1958, Sahir stamp was also issued in his music director Ravi wrote lyrics for honor on March 8, 2013, R a m e s h (at his ninetySaigal’s film second birth ‘Phir Subah anniversar y). Hogi’. The F r o m leading act Ludhiana, Sahir was played by settled in Lahore Raj Kapoor. 1943 there, he It was completed his presumed world famous t h a t work of Shankar– poetry called Jaikishan “ Ta l k h i y a a n would be the “(the bitterness). composer He was active b u t m e m b e r of All Indian Students Federation. Sahir demanded a composer with more intimate knowledge Sahir became editor of many famous novel and leteratur. Urdu magazines such as Adab-e-Lateef, of Music director Khayyam composed the Shahkaar, Preet-Lari, and Savera. He also joined Progressive Writers’ Association. film score. The song Woh Subah Kabhi In 1949, Sahir left Lahore Toh Aayegi (morning will rise, somehow to settle down in Bombay. sooner or later) with its phenomenal There, He met another famous Urdu background music remains popular. poet Gulzar, and one of the best writers Music director, Khayyam paired with called, Krishan Chander, a veteran Sahir for many films including world name in Urdu litterateur and poetry. famous ‘Kabhie Kabhie’ and Trishul. Sahir was born artistically a In 1970’s Sahir built a house which he called Parchaiyaan (shadows), temperamental man. He insisted that Radio named after one of his poetry works, must credit film songs for the lyricists. He also insisted the film score should and lived there until his demise. Sahir made his debut with four songs be composed for his lyrics and not the for film ‘Azadi Ki Raah Par’ (1949). other way around. Sahir also promoted One of the songs was his friend from Lahore, Sudha Malhotra’s Badal Rahi Hai Zindagi. music and singing career. Sahir’s literary work and (Books): The film and its songs went unnoticed. However, after film ‘Naujawan “Tanhaiyaan” , “Talkhiyan” , ‘(1951), Sahir gained recognition. “Parchaiyaan’’ and many more, Sahir’s Sahir’s major success started life has been chronicled by Sabir Dutt, with film ‘Baazi ‘(1951). Chander Verma and Dr. Salman Abid in Sahir joined part of Guru Dutt’s book “Main Sahir Hoon”(I am magician). team. The last film Sahir made with S. D. In 2010, Danish Iqbal wrote a stage play Burman was Pyaasa (1957). In that film entitled, Sahir, about the life of this Guru Dutt played a poet named Vijay. famous poet. It was directed by Pramila After Pyaasa (1957), Sahir and Le Hunt in its Delhi premier. It used song Burman went separate ways due to to narrate Sahir’s life. Sahir Ludhianvi: artistic and contractual differences. the People’s Poet by Akshay Manwani Sahir started his work with other The book is the product of interviews composers including Roshan, and writings about Sahir given by his Khayyam, Ravi and Datta Naik. friends such as Dev Anand, Yash Chopra, Datta Naik also credited as N. Datta. Khayyam, Sudha Malhotra, Ravi and Ravi He admired Sahir’s poetry and their Sharma. The book also analyses Sahir’s poetry collaboration produced score for many films, such as Milaap (1955), and lyrics in the context of his personal Chandrakanta (1956), Saadhna (1958), life. Sahir’s contribution to the Progressive Dhool Ka Phool (1959). Sahir also worked Writers’ Movement is also commendable.

Mahira Khan from her pre-wedding festivities and no we are not complaining. actress Mahira Khan, who got married to entrepreneur Salim Karim in an intimate ceremony in mountanous Muree, Pakistan earlier this month, treated her fans with new pictures from the

festivities leading up to her big day. In the pictures, Mahira Khan can be spotted posing adorably while wearing a yellow saree. The actress can also be seen showing off her Mehendi in several pictures. For the caption, Mahira Khan simply wrote, “My Khadija made this sari for me. Pray for you everyday, K”. (Khadija).

Name change “I, Satnam Singh, son of Jasvir Singh Gill, resident of Village Burj Dunna, P.O. Ghola Khurd, Moga, Punjab, India and presently residing at 8745 147 St., Surrey BC V3S 6L9 do hereby change my name from Satnam Singh to Satnam Singh Gill with immediate effect”.

Saturday, October 14, 2023

BC govt to launch new digital building permitting tool for cities More new homes for people will be approved faster as the Province works with partners to develop a new digital building permit tool. “People will soon see new homes approved faster as we make good on our commitment to position B.C. as a North American leader in digital permitting and construction,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing. “We are excited to start work together with our partners to design and then implement this new digital building permit tool, so we can speed up the delivery of new homes and create the

types of housing options people need in B.C.” Currently, many jurisdictions in B.C. rely on a paper-based application process for new housing developments that leads to delays and slow approval times. Once completed, the new digital building permit tool will make it faster and simpler for builders and developers to digitally submit building permits for new housing and for local

governments to receive and process the application. The tool will also automatically review the submission to ensure it is compliant with key parts of the BC Building Code to prevent any delays with the submission process. Establishing a provincial building permit submission tool is the first step toward a modern housing development process that embraces innovation and

digital collaboration technologies like building information modelling (BIM). The Ministry of Housing is also working with the National Research Council of Canada to make construction codes machine readable, which will allow for more automated and faster permit reviews in the future. “A fast, efficient permitting process is key to ensuring infrastructure projects are able to move forward in a timely manner,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Citizens’ Services. “Citizens’ Services staff are lending their expertise to help develop the new digital permitting tool which will help make this happen.”

New board members appointed to BC Housing include YouTuber New voices appointed to BC Housing’s board to help deliver more homes. BC Minister of Housing appointed four new members to the BC Housing board of commissioners to help provide more housing options for people in British Columbia. “We must continue to add strong and diverse new voices to the housing

conversation so that we can identify new and innovative solutions to address the housing crisis,” Kahlon said. “These four individuals are community leaders who have been chosen based on their experience and track record delivering important services to their communities and the people who live in them. I look forward to

working with them and sharing insights to deliver more homes for people.” Robert Brown, X’staam Hana’ax, Jackee Kasandy and Uytae Lee will join the board, which oversees policy implementation and provides strategic guidance to BC Housing to help deliver on government’s plan to create more sustainable, affordable housing for now and over the long term. The new board members join current board chair Allan Seckel and members Russ

Jones, Jill Kot, Mark Sieben, Sheila Taylor and Clifford White. “BC Housing has experienced substantial change in the last year, and there will be even more ahead as we continue to strengthen organizational structure and capacity, financial systems, governance practices, and processes and policies,” said Allan Seckel, chair, BC Housing board of commissioners. “Having these new members join the board will

Federal loans for nearly 700 new rental homes in Tri-Cities Low-interest loans from the Government of Canada — not grants — were doled out today, Oct. 11, to three developers building affordable homes in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam. More than $267 million in federal loans were disbursed via the Rental Construction Financing Initiative (RCFi) for two projects in Burquitlam and another in downtown Port Coquitlam. Coquitlam–Port Coquitlam MP Ron McKinnon was at the announcement for Westminster Junction where the operator, the Affordable Housing Societies, will receive $96 million in RCFi loans for 300 residential units now under construction at Kingsway and Gately avenues in PoCo.

Society CEO Stephen Bennett said, that renters living in its River Woods complex across the street will get first dibs on the new homes — and at the same rent they’re currently paying. The first of three wood-framed buildings in the Westminster Junction project is expected to be up by the spring of 2025. The society has owned River Woods for about 20 years and, once Westminster Junction is fully complete, it’ll be demolished for up to 400 more affordable units and a daycare, Bennett said.

Two new towers proposed near Brentwood SkyTrain Just over a year after Burnaby City Council approved the site master plan for Brentwood West, a rezoning application has been submitted for the first major parcel up for development. Brentwood West is the future redevelopment of the 3.3-acre northwest corner of the prominent intersection of Lougheed Highway and

Willingdon Avenue — immediately west of SkyTrain Brentwood Town Centre Station and The Amazing Brentwood mall. The newly submitted rezoning application by Bosa Development spans the northernmost parcel on the site — a 1.5-acre property with the addresses of 44304488 Halifax Street and 1801 Willingdon Avenue in the core of Brentwood Town Centre.

Saturday, October 14, 2023

PUNJAB

Justice Ritu Bahri appointed acting Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court In a recent announcement, the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India, has formally appointed Justice Ritu Bahri as the Acting Chief Justice of the esteemed Punjab and Haryana High Court. Justice Ritu Bahri is slated to assume the responsibilities of this crucial role, commencing from the upcoming Saturday. Currently, Justice Ravi Shankar Jha presides as the Chief Justice in Court No. 13 of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and is set to retire on October 13, paving the way for Justice Ritu Bahri to step into this prominent position.

Bishnoi & Moosewala tiff on phone led to singer’s murder, says Sachin Thapan Bishnoi’s nephew and accused in Sidhu Moosewala murder case Sachin Thapan has made some new revelations regarding the singer’s murder to Mansa police during police remand. Sources claim that he has told Mansa police that Moosewala had an argument with Lawrence over kabaddi cup, which was followed by another one with Lawrence and Goldy Brar on phone. And this ultimately led to the conspiracy to kill him. But police officials are tight-lipped on the matter. During interrogation, Sachin revealed that he was with Lawrence in the prison when all this happened. He said he knew in 2021 that Moosewala would be murdered. Sachin said he was in Rajasthan’s Ajmer Jail along with Lawrence in August 2021.

Drug peddling surged in two years During the first leg of his visit to the border districts of the state, Governor Banwarilal Purohit said it was shocking that despite numerous seizures by the Punjab Police, both movement and use of drugs within the state had increased in the past two years.

Expressing a viewpoint to the DGP in his address, Purohit said while the performance of most of the MLAs was satisfactory, some of them were approaching the police to favour the arrested peddlers. “But the police should not come under pressure,” he said to DGP Gaurav Yadav, who accompanied him.

INDIA

Saturday, October 14, 2023

230 Indians expected to brought back from Israel in first chartered flight

San Francisco’s Indian American population is growing The Indian American population more than doubled in San Francisco from 2010 to 2020, according to census data. Why it matters: Indian Americans have a long history in the U.S., but their population was relatively small until the 1960s when a change in immigration policy helped lead to a migration boom of Indian tech workers. Over the generations, other family members also moved to the U.S. The big picture: Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial group in the U.S., and Americans of Indian descent are now the largest sub-group within that, new data released from the 2020 census confirms. The number of Americans who

consider their racial origin as solely Asian Indian grew more than 50% to nearly 4.4 million people from 2010 to 2020. When factoring in people who consider themselves either single race or multiracial, the most populous Asian identification among Americans is still Chinese (excepting Taiwanese): 5.2 million people. According to the census, the five states with the largest percentages of Asian groups are California, New York, Texas, Hawaii and Washington. In San Francisco, that number more than doubled from about 9,000 in 2010 to a little over 22,000 people in 2020.

230 Indians expected to brought back from Israel in first chartered flight under Operation Ajay. Evacuation is difficult for 4 Indians in Gaza and about a dozen in West Bank. India has termed the Hamas assault on Israel as a terrorist attack but called for direct negotiations to move towards a lasting solution of establishing a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine living within secure and recognised borders, side by

side with Israel. The Indian position of a two-state solution is in line with its long standing and consistent position, added MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi at a media briefing on Thursday. Asked if PM Modi in his conversation with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned that “today is not the era of war”, Bagchi said, “The PM raised some issues. The conversation stands on its own and doesn’t require any clarification.”

As caste bill meets defeat, Hindu Americans on both sides make their voices heard California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill intended to outlaw discrimination on the basis of ancestry, adding a definition of caste to the list of protected categories under California’s existing civil rights laws. “In California, we believe everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter who they are, where they come from, who they love, or where they live,” said Newsom in his veto statement, calling the bill “unnecessary” because

existing civil rights law prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, ancestry, national origin and other characteristics. The veto appeared to end — for now — a debate that has raged at least since February, when state Sen. Aisha Wahab, a Muslim who represents Fresno, introduced the measure, Senate Bill 403, eliciting fierce opposition from Hindus who claimed it would increase discrimination against their entire community.

Court declines divorce to 89-year-old man

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Noting that the institution of marriage occupies an important place and plays an important role in society, the Supreme Court has refused to grant divorce to an 89-year-old man on the ground of “irretrievable breakdown of marriage” as his 82-year-old wife opposed it. “Therefore, it would not be desirable to accept the concept of ‘irretrievable

breakdown of marriage’ as a strait-jacket formula for the grant of relief of divorce under Article 142 of the Constitution,” a Bench said. Under the Hindu Marriage Act, there are several grounds for divorce, including adultery, cruelty, desertion, etc, but “irretrievable breakdown of marriage” is not among them.

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INDIA

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Railway to introduce 9 more trains ahead of Diwali Indian Railways is gearing up to introduce nine more Vande Bharat trains ahead of the upcoming Diwali festival on different routes. Among these, it is speculated that three of these highspeed trains will likely be introduced

on the Central Railways network. While official confirmation remains elusive, sources have revealed that the process of identifying potential routes for these new Vande Bharat trains is currently underway.

High level inquiry ordered into Bihar train accident The railways on Thursday ordered a highlevel inquiry into the derailment of the DelhiKamakhya North East Express in Bihar’s Buxar district, in which four persons were killed and several people injured, officials said Twenty-three coaches of the train, on the way to Assam from Delhi, derailed near the Raghunathpur station around 9:53 pm on Wednesday, they said. “A high-level inquiry has been ordered to investigate

the reason behind the incident,” East Central Railway’s chief public relations officer Birendra Kumar said in a statement. An ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh will be given to the next of kin of each deceased, and Rs 50,000 will be given to the injured, he said. ECR general manager Tarun Prakash, who is in Raghunathpur to supervise the restoration works, told PTI-Video that the priority is to clear the tracks.

India’s 100 Richest - a dramatic reshuffle in top ranks After hosting the G20 Summit in New Delhi this September and becoming the fourth country to land a spacecraft on the moon, India is on a high. Reflecting that sentiment, the stock market rose 14% since we last measured fortunes. But that jump, tempered by a weaker rupee, isn’t reflected in the collective net worth of India’s 100 Richest, which flatlined at $799 billion. That leveling off was due to a dramatic shift in the pecking order at the top of the rankings. Mukesh Ambani, who transformed his Reliance Industries into

a diversified conglomerate, reclaimed the No. 1 spot with a net worth of $92 billion. Shortly after spinning off and listing Jio Financial Services, which has an asset management joint venture with BlackRock, Ambani cemented his succession plan by appointing his three children to Reliance’s board as non-executive directors in August. (His wife, Nita, stepped down.) The fortune of infrastructure magnate Gautam Adani, who rose meteorically to overtake Ambani as India’s richest person for the first time last year, reversed

PM Modi weighs giving farmers Rs 8,000 before elections India’s government is considering a plan to boost cash support to small farmers by a third, allowing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party to shore up support from a key voting bloc ahead of elections. The government is weighing options to raise the annual direct cash transfer to small farmers to Rs 8,000 ($96) from Rs 6,000,

according to two officials familiar with the discussions, who asked not to be identified as the matter is still under consideration. If approved, the plan would cost the government an extra Rs 20,000 crore, according to the people, on top of the Rs 60,000 crore budgeted for the program in the current fiscal year through March 2024.

Largest Hindu temple outside India opens in New Jersey The largest Hindu temple outside India has been constructed in New Jersey. The temple, built in Robbinsville by the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha sect, took over 2 million cubic feet of stone. “Service and devotion are the two basic elements that form the subtle foundation of how a temple so majestic gets built here in central New Jersey,” said Hinduism scholar Yogi Trivedi at Columbia University.

“It’s not even just Indian or Indian American,” Trivedi said. “What we’ve tried to do is express these universal values in a way that relate to all visitors.” Over 4.7 million hours of work were spent on the temple, which was designed by artisans and sculptors on a 126-acre plot of land. New Jersey temple faces an ongoing civil lawsuit filed in 2021 that alleges the construction team, made up of low-caste Indian laborers, was undercompensated and overworked. Of the original 19 plaintiffs, 12 have retracted their allegations.

17-year-old girl thrown in front of running train In a distressing incident, a 17-year-old girl from Bareilly district in Uttar Pradesh, India who had aspirations to clear the exam, was thrown in front of an oncoming train for confronting two young men for harassing her. The accident resulted in the loss of her limbs. She lost both legs and one hand and is currently in a critical condition in a hospital, having sustained multiple fractures. On the evening of October 10, the

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survivor was returning home from tuition. That was when the two boys started misbehaving with her and when she resisted, threw her in front of the train. Later, she was discovered in a bloody aftermath, her legs and one hand severed near Kahdau Railway crossing. Subsequently, during the night, she was swiftly transported to Izzatnagar Hospital, where medical professionals conducted emergency surgery.

FIJI

Saturday, October 14, 2023 198 Fijians arrive home from Israel

198 Fijians who were in Jerusalem when war broke out between Israel and Hamas on the Gaza border have safely returned home. They reached the Nadi International Airport at about 3am today and were welcomed by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. They arrived on Fiji Airways flight 2394, which landed at Ben Gurion

Airport, Tel Aviv, on Tuesday night with a mission to bring Fijians home. Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration Pio Tikoduadua says the audacious commitment of Fiji Airways, especially the valiant crew members who chose to fly into a nation at war, cannot be overstated.

3 tropical cyclones likely to pass through Fiji this season Fijians need to prepare now for the upcoming tropical cyclone season as two to three tropical cyclones are likely to pass through Fiji’s Exclusive Economic Zone during the 20232024 tropical cyclone season, of which

one to two may reach severe Category. According to the Fiji Meteorological Service tropical cyclone seasonal outlook for the 2023-2024 season, there is equal risk of tropical cyclones affecting any part of the Fiji Group during the season.

246 lives saved by Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital The Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital has saved the lives of 246 children since it opened in April last year. While speaking on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan, the hospital’s

Director, Doctor Krupali Tappoo says they had realised that the problem of congenital heart disease was bigger than what they actually thought and that they needed a dedicated facility to help more children.

Bainimarama and Qiliho found not guilty Former Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended Police Commissioner, Sitiveni Qiliho are free men as they have been found not guilty for attempting to stop investigations into USP in 2020. Press release

Bainimarama was charged with a count of attempt to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho was charged with a count of abuse of office.

Pakistan Caretaker prime minister seeks to expedite privatization of Pak airline The caretaker govt government has announced the privatization plans for its debt-ridden national carrier, PIA. Employees are concerned about their jobs and pensions, and they plan to resist the move. Amid ongoing economic problems, the

government argues it cannot subsidize loss-making entities. The move comes after Pakistan agreed in June to fiscal discipline plans as part of a €3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout.

Gunmen kill aide to founder of militant group in the mosque Two gunmen walked into a mosque in Daskaa, near Sialkot and opened fire at worshippers, killing one member of outlawed anti-India militant group and another man

before fleeing the scene, authorities said. According to the police, the gunmen pretended to be worshipers when they walked into the mosque in Daskaa.

Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood to be indicted on Oct 17 in cipher case PTI Chairman Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be indicted in the cipher case on October 17 as a proper trial of the case has begun. During a hearing of the cipher case in Adiala

Jail Rawalpindi, The Judge of the special court also summoned all government witnesses. The FIA special prosecutor told the court that Imran Khan and Qureshi had been provided copies of the case.

Army retreated from Marri & other tribal area - says Baloch leader Baloch leader Hyrbyair Marri says, the Army has retreated from Marri and other tribal areas. There were 40-50 military camps which the security forces have vacated for other areas. In mountains it is difficult to sustain and there was a constant threat to the army from the

Baloch fighters. It will reflect positively on Balochistan if the enemy is weak. Apart from Makran, where China has been spending money. In Afghan war, we were caught between Mujahideen and the Russians forces firing rockets over us.

Single-payer universal pharmacare will save Canadians billions, expand coverage to millions

In reaction to the Parliamentary Budgetary Officer’s (PBO) report on single-payer universal pharmacare, NDP Health Critic Don Davies issued the following statement: “Every year, millions of Canadians are forced to go without their prescription medications because they can’t afford them. Thousands of people die preventable deaths across this country because they can’t access medication. And we consistently pay

among the world’s highest drug prices due to our private patchwork approach to coverage. This must change. Thursday’s report from the PBO once again confirms that we can save billions, while extending comprehensive prescription drug coverage to every Canadian through a single-payer universal pharmacare system. On clinical, ethical, and economic grounds, single-payer universal drug coverage has been recommended by royal commissions,

committees, and advisory councils dating as far back as the 1940s. Most recently, the Liberal-appointed Hoskins Advisory Council provided the federal government with a detailed blueprint for this urgently needed program. The Liberals must stop dragging their feet and finally deliver the legislative framework needed to build single-payer universal pharmacare in Canada. The 8 million Canadians who currently lack

adequate drug coverage cannot afford to wait. People are already being squeezed by the sky rocking cost of living – and no one should be forced to skip their medication because they can’t afford it. It’s time to put people ahead of the profits of giant pharmaceutical companies. NewDemocratswillcontinuetofightforsinglepayer universal pharmacare so that everyone in Canada can get the medication they need.”

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Harmony Within Reach

Amenities to Fit Your Tempo

PIANO features a multitude of indoor amenities including a Piano Lounge, a Co-working Lounge, an Entertainment Lounge, a soundproof Music Studio, Pet Spa and more! For those who

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All renderings reflect the artists’ interpretation of the project only and do not take into account the neighbourhood buildings, physical structures, streets, and landscapes. The developer reserves the right to make modifications, substitutions, changes brands, sizes, colours, layouts, materials, ceiling heights, features, finishes, and other specifications without prior notification. This is not an offering for sale. Any such offer may only be made with the applicable disclosure statement and agreement of purchase and sale. Concord Piano Limited Partnership. E & O.E.

Saturday, October 14, 2023