www.theasianstar.com Vol 20 - Issue 3
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Global Covid-19 cases have dropped As the number of new coronavirus infections in Canada continues to fall, natural seasonality of coronaviruses could all be a similar phenomenon is unfolding in many playing a part, observers say. In countries with other parts of the world, leading experts to try relatively high rates of vaccination and infection, to better understand why COVID-19 cases are such as the United States and Britain, immunity plummeting right now. Stronger public-health could also be starting to slow the spread. In the measures, stricter adherence to the rules borne past six weeks, the number of new coronavirus out of fear of faster-spreading variants, and the infections reported globally has dropped nearly
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by half, from about five million the first week of January to about 2.7 million last week. Worldwide, overall daily case tallies are the lowest they’ve been since October, according to the World Health Organization. Canada is part of that trend. The country has seen new infections plunge from 57,519 in the week beginning Jan. 4 to 20,776 in the past week – a 64-per-cent drop.
2 men accused of violently killing South Asian woman appeared in court The two men accused of posing as police officers and violently attacking an elderly South Asian woman in her Vancouver home in late January, appeared in court on Tuesday. Pascal Bouthillette, 41, and Sandy Parisian, 47, are accused of attacking 78-year-old Usha
Nearly 70% blame govt for vaccine delays in new poll The vast majority of Canadians blame Ottawa rather than provincial governments for delays in COVID-19 vaccine delivery, a new poll suggests. Sixty-nine per cent of respondents believe Canada is behind on deliveries due to federal challenges obtaining doses on the global market, according to an online survey by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies. Only 14 per cent of respondents point the finger at provincial governments. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says all Canadians who want a dose will get one by the end of September, despite recent hiccups in the production of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Residents remain divided on whether they will be able to roll up their sleeves before October, with 44 per cent confident they will and 51 per cent skeptical.
Singh, who died of her injuries a few days later in hospital. Bouthillette has been charged with second-degree murder while Parisian faces a manslaughter charge. Both cases were adjourned until March 3 when disclosure statements
are expected to be submitted to the court. Bouthillette is said to be submitting written and audio disclosure statements to the court at this date, according to his counsel. The incident is Vancouver’s second homicide of 2021.
Moderate Sikh leader killed by his son in demstic fight, reports One person is dead after a fight broke out at a home in the Newton on Wednesday, according to RCMP. The dead man is moderte Sikh leader, and the person arrested for the killing is his son, According to reports. Police were called to the house in the 5500-block of 125 Street just after 8:30PM, according to a statement. Officers found a critically injured man outside the home. The officers and paramedics tried to treat the man at the scene, including with CPR, but he was pronounced dead. The
Integrated Homicide Investigation Team later said the man was assaulted during a fight with someone who lived in the same home. “A tragic and isolated incident,” read a tweet posted Thursday. RCMP said one person has been arrested and remains in custody. Anyone with information about what happened is asked to call the IHIT Information Line at 1-877-551-4448 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 if they want to remain anonymous.
Experts say India’s Covid-19 ‘human barricade’ keeps cases under control With falling rates of Covid-19 infection in India and surveys suggesting nearly 300 million people may already have antibodies, some experts believe the worst of the disease has passed, despite a recent uptick in two hard-hit states. “There is a human barricade for the virus,” said Bhramar
Mukherjee, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan, who with a team of researchers, has been modeling the trajectory of the outbreak in India. “By the end of March, we should see a very slow, steady decline (in cases),” she added. Cases that were rising by nearly 100,000 a Continued on page 7
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Indians in Canada face threats from Khalistani groups for supporting farm laws - claims National Alliance of Indo-Canadian
ndian Diaspora in Canada is facing threats from Khalistani separatist groups across Canada, a letter written by National Alliance of Indo-Canadians (NAIC) to Canadian Minister for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Bill Blair, has alleged. The letter requests the Canadian government
to act at the federal level against this coordinated attack on Canadian Hindus and moderate Sikhs. “There have been multiple reports of Indo-Canadians, who are critical of the arguments against the laws or remain committed to improving and strengthening relations between the land of their heritage,
India, and the land that has adopted them, Canada, being intimidated online, threatened with violence including rape of women their families, and this has escalated to certain elements even gathering at the residences and offices of individual Canadian citizens,” the letter alleges. Continued on page 6
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Saturday, February 20, 2021
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Two Indian-Origin experts in Biden cabinet at key positions Biden administration has roped in two Indian-origin experts in public service at key positions in AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteering and service. Sri Preston Kulkarni, 42, is appointed as the new Chief of External Affairs, while Sonali Nijhawan has been named Director of AmeriCorps State and National Though having run for Congress twice unsuccessfully in Texas, Kulkarni was certainly noticed by the leadership in Washington. Kulkarni’s appointment, along with Nijhawan and Dan Kohl, reflects “the Biden administration’s commitment to diverse leadership,” according to the release by AmeriCorps. In their roles, these leaders will use service to support the administration’s agenda, focusing on four of the most urgent challenges of our time: COVID-19, economic recovery, racial equity, and
climate change, the AmeriCorps said. Kulkarni lost his race for the Texas District 22 seat in the US House of Representatives to
former Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls in November as the Democratic nominee in a deeply Republican district. Kulkarni brings a variety of experience in service and public affairs to AmeriCorps, including 14 years as a foreign service
officer with the State Department where he specialised in public diplomacy and worked in public affairs and international information programmes, completing tours
in Taiwan, Russia, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica and Washington, the statement said. Nijhawan has committed her career to developing leaders and growing national service. Most recently, she developed and served as the executive director of Stockton
Service Corps, a six-year, USD 12 million initiative to address local needs through AmeriCorps. Her professional background also includes extensive experience in education, AmeriCorps said in a press release. Inspired by the students, families, and AmeriCorps community she met, she went on to help found City Year Sacramento and launch the organisation’s 22nd site with 50 new AmeriCorps members. Nijhawan also served as the California director of Education Pioneers where she recruited, placed, and supported managers in urban school systems and education nonprofits, empowering people to challenge the status quo of our public education system. She earned a bachelor’s in education and psychology from Marquette University and a master’s in social work.
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OPINION
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Rapid COVID-19 screening tests are sitting in Canadian warehouses. Governments and businesses need to collaborate to put them to use Canadians are tired.We have endured almost a year of lockdowns, red zones, yellow zones, physical distancing, masks and school closings. More than 20,000 Canadians have died, many more have suffered from the symptoms of COVID-19 and the price being paid as other necessary medical treatments are delayed is
impossible to calculate. The road to recovery of our economy and our mental health is unclear. We have no playbook for what is happening, at home or abroad. “Tired” hardly captures what Canadians are feeling. Last fall, Health Canada began approving point-of-care antigen tests, so called because they can be analyzed outside a
laboratory, can screen for COVID-19 within 15 to 45 minutes and are typically much cheaper than laboratory-based tests. This set the stage for the ability to have mass screening accessible to the general population. As of last November, the government of Canada had signed contracts to buy 38 million rapid point-of-care tests. According to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, 19 million rapid screening kits have been delivered to provincial health authorities. These rapid tests are not as accurate as conventional laboratory-based tests. But they are often capable of identifying asymptomatic people who may be infected with COVID and can infect others – even though the people tested don’t know they are sick. Every time someone who has no symptoms screens positive and is confirmed with a PCR test that diagnoses the disease, that person can isolate at home. Every time they do, they have broken the chain of transmission. And every time we break the chain of transmission, we reduce the impact of COVID on our society and our economy. We are all safer. We have known this since November. But the screens are still in federal and provincial warehouses. How do we get the rapid screens out of the warehouses and into the hands of those who can use them in schools, long-term care homes and workplaces? The Industry Roundtable, which represents large and small business, has advocated for wide-scale rapid antigen screening since the group began meeting in November, 2020. Data presented to the roundtable in late 2020 indicated that daily screening of 3 per cent of the population would have positive impact on the health care system. The data also indicate that 25 per cent of those screens should be done in workplaces that are critical to the country’s economy. This level of screening will reduce the burden on an already strained health care system. To get these screens out of the warehouses simply requires collaboration between the private sector and government at all levels. Canadian businesses are positioned to implement screening in communities large and small. By identifying potential infections in workplaces, businesses can help to break chains of transmissions that have had such a devastating impact on our communities and on our economy.
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Saturday, February 20, 2021 Man’s death outside Newton home deemed a homicide The RCMP’s homicide team is investigating after a man was killed at a home in the Newton neighbourhood of Surrey, B.C., on Wednesday night. Police were called to the house in the 5500-block of 125 Street just after 8:30 p.m. PT, according to a statement. Officers found a critically injured man outside the home. It’s believed he was assaulted. The officers and paramedics tried to treat the man at the scene, including
with CPR, but he was pronounced dead. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has taken over the case. A statement Thursday said police believe the man who died knew the person who attacked him. Anyone with information about what happened is asked to call the IHIT Information Line at 1-877-551-4448 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 if they want to remain anonymous.
Homicide investigators called to suspicious death in Surrey Man found dead in 19300 block of 66 Avenue on Friday night. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has been called in after the suspicious death of a man in Surrey, B.C., on Friday night. The man’s body was found in the 19300 block
of 66 Avenue at about 7:17 p.m. after RCMP were called to respond to an “incident” in the area, according to a police press release. Few details about what happened have been released, and investigators say they are still in the process of gathering evidence.
Records 617 new cases of COVID-19 and 4 more deaths B.C. health officials announced 617 new cases of COVID-19 and four more deaths on Thursday, the highest number of new cases since Jan. 7. In a written statement, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix put the number of hospitalized patients at 224 people, 60 of whom are in intensive care. A total of 1,321 people in B.C. have lost their lives due to COVID-19 since the pandemic began. There are currently 4,348 active cases of coronavirus in the province, with public health monitoring 7,440 people across B.C. due to COVID-19 exposure. More than 69,602 people who tested positive have recovered.
B.C. recorded two new outbreaks in health-care facilities — one at Mission Memorial Hospital and another at Fleetwood villa. An outbreak at Cariboo Memorial Hospital is now over. The number of people in critical care is at its lowest point since Nov. 24, and the province has seen seven deaths in the last 48 hours, the lowest two-day stretch since Nov. 15 and 16. An additional 4,676 people received vaccination shots in one day, the highest number in a month, as the new supply of Pfizer vaccine became available. A total of 3,922 people received their second shot, the highest daily figure of the vaccination campaign. In total so far, 180,691 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, with 29,952 of those being second doses.
Separate overdoses prompt police warning about lethal drugs in Surrey Overdoses promp public warning about strong illicit drugs circulating in the city. RCMP are warning of lethal illicit drugs circulating in Surrey, B.C., after separate overdoses in a short time frame. Police say they were called to a home early Thursday and despite life-saving efforts by paramedics, a 46-year-old woman died. Minutes later, police were called to help ambulance paramedics at a shelter where two people had overdosed after injecting an unknown drug. Shelter staff administered overdose-
reversing drugs and revived both people, who were taken to hospital. 2020 was B.C.’s deadliest year ever for drug overdoses, coroner says Police say none of the bystanders in that incident were willing to provide information about the source or type of drug used. The overdoses prompted the public warning about strong illicit drugs circulating and a reminder that people shouldn’t use alone and need to have a naloxone kit on hand.
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Saturday, February 20, 2021
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He said city staff field many calls from people who have dropped money into the older meters, only to have the payment not register. This is often because someone has jammed the machine by snaking a homemade chain or string into the coin slot to block coins from landing in the holding chamber. After the frustrated parker moves on, the thief returns and uses magnets or a homemade device to fish out the coins. “These are going to be a lot harder to tamper with,” said Storer about the new pay stations. Storer said the replacement machines have technology that will alert staff when they are broken so responding to any issues can be done faster. Also, he said, the old machines have simply “reached the end of their life” and finding equipment to repair them has become a challenge.
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Experts say India’s Covid-19 ‘human barricade’ keeps cases under control
From page 1
growing at just 10,000 a day. And India’s official number of total infections, which was projected to surpass that of the United States in late 2020, now stands at 11 million, well behind the US tally of about 28 million. Total deaths so far in India are just under 156,000, the world’s fourth highest number of fatalities. “India suffered through a lot and because it suffered through a lot, it’s reached the other shore now,” said Ramanan Laxminarayan, an epidemiologist at the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, a research firm based in Washington, DC. and New Delhi. “I don’t see the prospect of a second wave in India. If it does happen, it will likely be a modest one.” A recent government serological survey indicated 21.5% of Indians
Point Roberts residents exempt from Canadian COVID-19 test requirements U.S. residents who live in Point Roberts, Wash., will not require COVID-19 testing if they are travelling through Canada for essential services, Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday. Point Roberts, located on the Tsawwassen Peninsula, is only accessible on land via a 40-kilometre trip through B.C. On Feb. 15, the Canadian government announced anyone arriving at a border by land must provide a recent negative COVID-19 test. Inslee’s office said Wednesday when the new rules went into effect, state officials immediately reached out to the Canadian government to express concerns about Point Roberts residents. The exemption, which was granted Wednesday, states that habitual residents of Point Roberts will not have to take a COVID-19 test in either the United States or Canada.“Point Roberts residents have had very real concerns about transit ever since the pandemic struck, and this exemption will ease some of the burden,” Inslee said in a release.The Canadian and U.S. border has been closed to non-essential travel since March, 2020. The Canadian government had previously announced it was relaxing the rules for the border towns of Stewart, B.C., Hyder, AK., Campobello Island, N.B. and The Northwest Angle of Minnesota. Residents of those four isolated communities can enter the nearest Canadian or American community for essential grocery shopping and medical appointments without having to quarantine for 14 days upon entry to Canada.
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were likely infected by Covid-19, giving them a degree of immunity, while antibody tests on more than 700,000 people by a diagnostic company showed that 55% of Indians may have already been infected. To be sure, not all epidemiologists agree India is out of the woods. The country is currently battling a surge in cases in two states - Maharashtra and Kerala, which account for a combined 70% of nationwide active cases. Even those predicting further declines in cases, like Mukherjee, warn that India will need to continue Covid-19 containment measures and surveillance of new variants, besides aggressively vaccinating its people. More socializing, coupled with a recent restart of local trains in Mumbai.
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Saturday, February 20, 2021
Where lies Liberal loyalty: Canada or China? Reading our extensive China coverage these past days, the mind turned to the everrelevant question posed by the late George Shultz, Ronald Reagan’s secretary of state. After his death earlier this month at the grand age of 100 — he was born when Woodrow Wilson was president — nearly every obituary explained how he would greet new American ambassadors, who had to report to the boss before heading abroad. He would take his new colleague over to a globe and ask: “Which is your country?” Man driving tractor arrested after cannabis and cocaine was found in his system The new ambassador would invariably rotate the globe slowly, perhaps feeling patronized by this elementary geography test, before laying a manicured finger upon, say, South Korea or Kenya. “No,” Shultz would reply, rotating the globe himself and pointing to the United States. “This is your country.” Our current federal government got that spectacularly wrong with our former man in Beijing, John McCallum, who famously said upon his appointment as Canadian ambassador to China that his policy was “more, more, more” — whatever China wanted, McCallum wanted more of it. As between Beijing’s interests and
Ottawa’s interests, McCallum reliably opted for the former. Or more accurately, there was never a conflict between the two, as he saw Canada’s interests as facilitating whatever China wanted. After the kidnapping of the Two Michaels, McCallum rolled out his usual apologist and appeasement routine, which was a little too much. Ambassadors are at least supposed to pretend to have an interest in justice for Canadians detained abroad. Justin Trudeau had to fire him. But the firing of McCallum two years ago was the exception. He was too indiscreet about putting China at the centre of his globe. As for the rest of the government, its conduct this past coronavirus year does invite the question: Which is your country? Our federal health minister — in pandemic time analogous to a minister of war — took over McCallum’s role as chief representative of the Chinese regime to Canada, continually defending how the Chinese communist party handled the pandemic. Six days after the first coronavirus case arrived in Ontario in January 2020 — a passenger from Wuhan, China — president Donald Trump restricted flights from China to the U.S., barring non-citizens from arrival. That mightily upset China, so Trudeau took China’s side, not imposing flight restrictions for another six weeks. Continued on page 10
Canada’s vaccine supply from Europe remains secure: Trudeau Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he received further reassurance this week that Canada’s expected supply of COVID-19 vaccines is secure. Trudeau says he spoke Tuesday morning with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about Europe’s vaccine export controls and Moderna chair Noubar Afeyan Monday about the company’s Canadian contract.
He said von der Leyen reiterated that Europe won’t stop Canada’s shipments. She later tweeted that Canada is a “cherished friend” to Europe. A spokeswoman for the European Commission told The Canadian Press last week that every request for vaccine exports has been granted so far, with 37 countries receiving them, including Canada.
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Saturday, February 20, 2021
Two passengers fined a combined $17,000 for allegedly faking negative COVID-19 tests Transport Canada has fined two airline passengers a combined $17,000 after allegedly presenting falsified COVID-19 tests before flying back to Canada. According to a news release, the passengers have been fined $10,000 and $7,000 respectively for “for presenting a false or misleading COVID-19 test and for making a false declaration about their health status.” “In both cases, the individuals knowingly boarded a flight to Canada from Mexico on January 23, 2021, after having tested positive for COVID-19 only a few days before their flight,”
Transport Canada wrote in the release. Under current regulations, travellers must present a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of boarding a flight to Canada or provide proof of a positive result between 14 and 90 days prior to arrival. Anyone failing to abide by these regulations can face a fine of up to $5,000 per violation. “Transport Canada will continue to investigate incidents reported to the department and will not hesitate to take enforcement action where it is warranted,” the agency said.
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Saturday, February 20, 2021
Meet NASA’s Swati Mohan, star of Perseverance rover’s epic Mars landing Swati Mohan is the guidance and control operations lead for NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, meaning she has basically been in charge of making sure the spacecraft carrying the Perseverance rover is oriented in the right direction. As Perseverance came in for its high-stakes landing Thursday, Mohan also provided much of the commentary from mission control during its tense entry, descent and landing. From page 8
As she walked the world through the steps of slowing a spacecraft down from over 12,000 miles per hour to make a soft landing in an ancient crater, Swati’s star began to shine on social media. Mohan emigrated from India to the United States when she was a year old. A bindi could be seen on her forehead as she calmly announced each step of Perseverance’s journey through her mask in mission control.
Where lies Liberal loyalty
While the American administration was launching Operation Warp Speed to produce a vaccine in less than a year — despite the entire public health bureaucracy saying that it simply could not be done — the federal government’s main vaccine strategy was designed to help China portray itself as the solution, not the source, of the global pandemic. How a joint venture with CanSino, part of the vast apparatus of the Chinese armed forces, would advance Canadian interests was never clear. Sometimes there is no fig leaf large enough to shroud naked appeasement, and so the federal Liberals had to drop that foolish project. On the matter of allowing Huawei
to siphon off Canadian data by providing 5G infrastructure, the federal Liberals were too timid even to follow the lead of our chief allies. Our ambassadors in London and Canberra were likely reminded that their country was China, too. So the decision to exclude Huawei was offloaded to Canada’s own telecommunication companies. The same is being done on the question of whether Canada should participate, 1936 style, in the Beijing winter Olympics next February. That decision has been off-loaded to the sports federations, though it is likely that a quiet word will be had about our athletes declining invitations to tour the concentration camps where Muslim minorities are interned.
Single doses of Covid-19 vaccines might be enough for now One of Canada’s top public health officials says provinces may move to a single dose of authorized two-dose vaccinations and delay a second dose, based on early data showing a high level of protection after a single dose. Although not yet authorized, the delay could open the door to wider and speedier inoculations as variants of the coronavirus take hold. The news comes as federal officials announced Canada expects to receive more than five million PfizerBioNTech and Moderna vaccine doses earlier than initially scheduled. Ottawa is looking at receiving up to 23 million doses between April and the end of June, officials said Thursday. Even so, provinces may be justified in a much longer than authorized delay between
doses, Ottawa admits. Deputy chief public health officer Dr. Howard Njoo told reporters that Health Canada used evidence from clinical trials when it approved PfizerBioNTech and Moderna products as vaccines in two doses spaced three and four weeks apart. However, he said, early “real world” data on vaccine effectiveness shows that a first dose provides up to 80 to 90 per cent effectiveness after 10 to 14 days, and a second dose can come later. Njoo said that with current limited vaccine supplies — which are expected to ramp up within weeks — provinces may move to a single dose for now, based on “what makes sense for them” in their vaccine rollout plans.
Two Vancouver police officers found ‘reckless’ for use of force during 2016 wellness check An adjudicator has ruled two Vancouver police officers were reckless in their use of force during a March 2016 wellness check. Const. Eric Ludeman and Const. Neil Logan responded to a call at the home of Vladamir Tchaikoun on March 13, 2016. Tchaikoun said he was severely beaten by the officers when they forced themselves into his home. Police said they were called because of a possible domestic assault, giving them a legal obligation to enter the home and ensure everyone is OK. The Office of Police Complaint Commissioner adjudicator Carol Baird Ellan handed down her decision Thursday saying the allegations of unlawful entry were proven against Ludeman as, during a wellness check, there is no basis or authority for forced entry unless there are signs someone is in danger and needs immediate help. “The actions of Const. Ludeman… are
indicative of a cavalier willingness to intervene physically as a shortcut for other reasonably available investigative options,” Ellan said in a public hearing. She added that any action taken by the officers after gaining entry is a reckless use of force. At any point, they could have used their words, or they could have removed themselves when they knew the wife wasn’t in danger. The allegations of unlawful entry against Logan were not proven, as Ellan said he only entered the home after a struggle between Tchaikoun and his partner had already ensued. Logan was found to have used a reckless use of force against Tchaikoun’s wife and son when they approached Logan during the incident and he told them to “stay back” and struck them. Again, Ellan said he did not use alternative measures to resolve the situation. The penalities for Ludeman and Logan still have to be determined.
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Liberals introduce new bill to relax penalties for drug offences The federal government has introduced a new bill to repeal mandatory minimum penalties for certain drug offences — penalties the Liberals say have disproportionately harmed Indigenous and Black offenders and those struggling with addictions. Attorney General David Lametti introduced Bill C-22 in the House of Commons this morning and will hold a news conference at 12:30 p.m. ET to provide more details. CBC News will carry it live. His office says the bill also will require police and prosecutors to consider alternatives to laying charges in simple possession cases, such as diversion to addiction treatment programs. It will give the courts leeway to use conditional sentence orders in cases where an individual isn’t a public safety threat. “Serious criminals deserve to be seriously punished and kept away from our communities. But too many lower-risk and first-time offenders, including a disproportionate number of Indigenous peoples and Black Canadians, are being sent to prison and locked up for too long because of policies
which are proven not to deter crime or help keep our communities safe,” said Lametti’s spokesperson Rachel Rappaport. Some mandatory minimum penalties would be repealed The bill would make changes to both the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. If passed, it would repeal more than a dozen mandatory minimum penalties on the books — including penalties for all drug offences in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, certain offences involving the use or possession of firearms and one tobacco-related offence. Mandatory minimum penalties would remain in place for serious offences, including murder, child sexual abuse, firearm trafficking, importing and exporting restricted or prohibited firearms and firearm offences linked to organized crime, according to government documents prepared before a technical briefing on the new bill. 2020 was B.C.’s deadliest year ever for drug overdoses, coroner says
Facebook blocks Australians from accessing news on platform Facebook announced on Thursday that it has blocked Australians from viewing and sharing news on the platform because of proposed laws in the country to make digital giants pay for journalism. Australian publishers can continue to publish news content on Facebook, but links and posts can’t be viewed or shared by Australian audiences, the USbased company said in a statement. Australian users cannot share Australian or international news. International users outside Australia also cannot share Australian news. “The proposed law fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between our platform and publishers who use it to share news content,” Facebook regional managing director William Easton said. “It has left us facing a stark choice: attempt to comply with a law that ignores the realities of this relationship, or stop allowing news content on our services in Australia. With a heavy heart, we are choosing the latter,” Easton added. The announcement comes a day after Treasurer Josh Frydenberg described as “very promising” negotiations between Facebook and Google with Australian media companies. Frydenberg said after weekend talks
with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Alphabet Inc and its subsidiary Google, he was convinced that the platforms “do want to enter into these commercial arrangements”. Frydenberg said he had had a “a constructive discussion” with Zuckerberg after Facebook blocked Australian news. “He raised a few remaining issues with the Government’s news media bargaining code and we agreed to continue our conversation to try to find a pathway forward,” Frydenberg tweeted. But communications Minister Paul Fletcher said the government would not back down on its legislative agenda. “This announcement from Facebook, if they were to maintain this position, of course would call into question the credibility of the platform in terms of the news on it,” Fletcher told Australian Broadcasting Corp. “Effectively Facebook is saying to Australians information that you see on our platforms does not come from organisations that have editorial policies or fact-checking processes or journalists who are paid to do the work they do,” Fletcher added. The Australian Parliament is debating proposed laws that would make the two platforms strike deals to pay for Australian news.
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LOCAL / NATIONAL
Saturday, February 20, 2021 Bear spray, needles, knives and guns: 260% increase in shoplifting with weapons downtown, Vancouver police say Police say there was a dramatic increase in armed shoplifting incidents last year, particularly in Vancouver’s downtown core. The Vancouver Police Department said incidents of shoplifting involving a weapon were up 260 per cent in 2020, compared to the previous year. “To be clear, we’re not talking about trivial and minor thefts here, we’re talking about incidents where there was violence, weapons produced or threats during the commission of these offences,” Insp. Rob Clarke said at a news conference Wednesday. These weapons ranged from “uncapped dirty syringes” and bear spray to knives and guns, Clarke said. The data prompted a month-long initiative in the city dubbed “Project Arrow.” At the end of four weeks, nearly 270
criminal charges were recommended against “violent and prolific shoplifters,” the VPD said. During that time, those involved investigated 250 reports of shoplifting. The VPD says 130 people were arrested, resulting in 268 recommended charges. According to police, 45 of those people were either wanted on existing warrants or caught breaching bail conditions when they were arrested. “These individuals that committed these offences, they really caused havoc in these businesses. They terrorized employees, sometimes young female clerks who were in stores by themselves. They used weapons, they threatened, they intimidated anybody who stood in their way,” Clarke said. Officers say they recovered $37,093
Bid for injunction against BC churches breaking Covid-19 rules dismissed A judge has dismissed the B.C. government’s application for an injunction against three Fraser Valley churches that are breaking COVID-19 rules prohibiting in-person services. The injunction request by B.C.’s attorney general and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry came after the churches filed a petition challenging the restrictions, arguing they violate parishioners’ rights and freedoms. Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson of the B.C. Supreme Court turned down the request today. Last week, he said the provincial government was putting the court in an “impossible position” by asking for an injunction before the churches’ petition is heard next month.
He said health orders already prohibit in-person religious services and Henry and the province have the power to escalate enforcement. The Riverside Calvary Chapel in Langley, the Immanuel Covenant Reformed Church in Abbotsford and Free Reformed Church of Chilliwack filed the petition last month. During a hearing on Friday, Hinkson told a lawyer with the Ministry for the Attorney General there are other remedies to an injunction. He said the court is “rather ill equipped” to second-guess health decisions by people who have the expertise to make them. “I shouldn’t be doing Dr. Henry’s job. If she wants police to have the ability to arrest people, the order can be amended, can’t it?” he asked.
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Surge of anti-Asian hate crimes reported by Vancouver Police is “deeply troubling.” - Premier Horgan B.C. Premier John Horgan says the surge of anti-Asian hate crimes reported by the Vancouver Police Department is “deeply troubling.” Horgan is set to speak to reporters on Thursday morning at 10:20 a.m. The premier’s weekly media availability will be covered live on BC1 and online, both on this page and the Global BC Facebook page. The 717 per cent increase in anti-Asian hate crimes over the past year was included in a year-end report presented to the Vancouver Police Board on Wednesday. “This is deeply troubling,” Horgan tweeted. “Our work includes moving forward on anti-racism legislation, but there’s more for
all of us to do in our stand against racism and hate in all its forms.” Horgan and Minister of Children and Family Development Mitzi Dean will be on the Westshore on Thursday morning to “celebrate a new way of working for BC Public Service employees,” according to a statement from the province. The premier is also expected to take questions about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and continued shortages of the vaccine. British Columbia is expected to see an increase in deliveries of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines over the next week, but it is unclear when the province’s vaccination plan will get back on track after several delays in the federal vaccine delivery schedule.
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LOCAL / NATIONAL
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Vancouver police make 130 arrests in shoplifting crackdown A month-long crackdown has resulted in nearly 300 recommended criminal charges against people police allege are violent and prolific shoplifters working in downtown Vancouver. A statement from Vancouver police says officers worked closely with retailers and store security teams over four weeks, ending Feb. 12. The crackdown identified 250 alleged shoplifting incidents leading to 130 arrests and 268 recommended criminal charges. Police say just over $37,000 in stolen merchandise was recovered, along with 35 weapons, and 45 of those arrested were either the subject of a warrant or were allegedly breaching bail conditions when they were taken into custody. 260% increase in shoplifting with weapons
Insp. Rob Clarke says the crackdown was launched in response to concerns about increasing criminal activity in the downtown core. He says he is hopeful the initiative sends a message that thieves are being watched and can expect to be arrested and charged. “Last year in the downtown core, [Vancouver police] saw a 260 per cent increase in shoplifting incidents involving weapons, such as bear spray, knives, needles, and guns, when compared with the previous year,” Clarke said in the statement. Police say one man arrested for allegedly shoplifting at a Lululemon store had a full can of bear spray up his sleeve, while a woman arrested at a London Drugs store was alleged to be carrying a large knife and a firearm, violating a court-ordered firearms prohibition.
How some Canadians plan to circumvent Ottawa’s new hotel quarantine requirement Some Canadians abroad plan to change their route home and cross the border by land, instead of air, to bypass Canada’s pricey new hotel quarantine requirement. “If I can avoid it, I’m going to do it,” said Brian Cross of Burlington, Ont., who is spending the winter with his wife, Anne, in Mesa, Ariz. The couple originally planned to fly back to Canada in April. But that was before the federal government announced last week that, effective Monday, most air passengers entering Canada must take a COVID-19 test upon arrival and spend up to three days of their 14-day quarantine at a designated hotel to await their test results. (They can leave earlier if their results come back early.) Travellers must foot the bill for their stay, which could cost upwards of
$2,000, according to the government. But the hotel quarantine rule doesn’t apply to travellers entering Canada by land, inspiring some like Cross to revise their plans. “Common sense says, well, let’s do the path of least resistance, right? If I can save 4,000 bucks, why wouldn’t I do it?” he said, estimating the total hotel bill for two people. Brian Cross in Mesa, Ariz., where he is spending the winter. Cross said when he returns to Canada, he plans to fly to Buffalo and then cross the border by foot to avoid the cost of quarantining in a hotel. (Submitted by Brian Cross) If the hotel quarantine rule is still in effect when Cross, 63, and Anne, 61, return home in April, he said they plan to fly to Buffalo instead of Toronto.
NDP must extend deadline for small business grant program Press release
Todd Stone, B.C. Liberal Critic for Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation is calling on the NDP government to extend the deadline of the Small and Medium-Sized Business Recovery Grant program beyond the March 31st deadline, despite repeated refusals to do so by the NDP’s jobs minister. “While small businesses have been begging for help, the NDP’s minister responsible for B.C.’s economic recovery had the audacity to sit in a meeting with business leaders but completely ignore their feedback and refuse to give a direct answer. That’s tone-deaf. B.C. is
losing small businesses day by day while these grant monies sit unused thanks to major flaws in the program. I’m urging the government to listen to the business community, fix the eligibility criteria, and extend the deadline of this botched program to immediately get these funds out the door,” said Stone. Five months since the launch of the program, the NDP has distributed only $19 million of the $300 million in grant money, funded by a $1.5 billion budgetary allocation approved by all parties at the beginning of the pandemic. The program is set to expire on March 31, 2021.
Games night’ led to Covid-19 infections In spite of public health orders prohibiting nearly all social gatherings outside households, B.C.’s top doctor says those events are still leading to the spread of COVID-19 in the province. Dr. Bonnie Henry said during her COVID-19 briefing Tuesday that about 40 per cent of the exposures happening in the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health regions are connected to social gatherings. “Social gatherings that should not be happening right now,” Henry said. “This is the message we’re trying to put out there, it has implications, even though you think that you’re not at risk, or your family’s not at risk.” The health orders limiting gatherings have been in place since November and minor exceptions are only available to those who live alone. Henry pointed to one recent event where she said 50 people attended a games night at “an
establishment that should not have been having a games night.” “Fifteen people from that event, which is against orders, became infected and spread to several workplaces, to schools and to a childcare centre,” Henry said. The top doctor said British Columbians need to hold each other accountable. “We in public health cannot be everywhere,” she said. “We can’t be in every pub or restaurant or business or every place, all at the same time, we need to hold each other accountable right now for stopping the spread, because that’s what’s going to get us into the spring.” B.C. renewed its state of emergency because of the pandemic for a 25th time on Tuesday. In announcing that, the province also revealed more than 250 COVID-19 violation tickets were recently handed out in a two-week period, which is nearly a quarter of the tickets that have been handed out in the entire pandemic.
Tenants displaced by Abbotsford apartment fire face daunting search for new homes rent,” she said When the fire started in on Wednesday. the early morning hours According to the on Sunday, everyone in Canada Mortgage the building on Delair and Housing Road in Abbotsford — C o r p o r a t i o n’s nearly 60 rental suites (CHMC) latest — had to vacate in hurry. numbers from By the time the flames October 2020, were extinguished, the Abbotsford has building was severely Flames erupted early Sunday at an apartment complex 4,398 rental units. damaged, and the units The building on Delair Road in Abbotsford. rendered unlivable. damaged by the Residents like Jan McAusland didn’t fire made up nearly 1.4 per cent of those units. have a chance to collect many possessions. CMHC reported that vacancy in the “When we initially left, I grabbed my city is 0.6 per cent, which is a little less purse with very limited ID and stuff, than half of what was lost in the fire. and the clothes on our back, and that’s The Salvation Army, which jumped in basically all we’ve got,” said McAusland. to help provide shelter for the displaced Now, with emergency accommodation at a Best residents, keeps a list of rental apartments Western hotel running out, the former residents in Abbotsford for people in need; that list are setting out on a challenging search for rental has 36 basement suites on it, three houses or suites in a city with relatively low vacancy. apartments, and eight suites in nearby Mission. Over 100 people left homeless by Acitystaffmembersentawrittenstatementfrom fire at Abbotsford apartment building the mayor that doesn’t address the limited vacancy. McAusland and several of her former “The fire at Delair Court this weekend was neighbours have had online fundraising a terrible incident that has impacted many campaigns started on their behalf. residents, particularly those who may not have According to McAusland, the fund set up had home insurance,” Braun said in the statement. by her niece will be enough to give her some “The city has reached out to BC Housing breathing space while she looks for a new, for residents who are in need of further permanent home — she’ll spend the next few emergency shelter as individuals seek longweeks living in short-term rentals or perhaps term housing options in the private market.” staying at the Best Western a while longer. ‘Very surreal in a way’ But McAusland said the search for a new McAusland is one of those residents who rental suite is daunting, even more so for lacked insurance. She said she’s approaching her her former neighbours with young children. situation as if everything in her apartment is lost “I don’t know how much is out there to — that way everything that’s recovered is a gift.
LOCAL / NATIONAL
Saturday, February 20, 2021 WestJet temporarily suspending service to 4 Canadian airports With travel demand remaining low due to COVID-19, WestJet will temporarily suspend service to St. John’s, N.L., London, Ont., and Lloydminster and Medicine Hat, Alta. The suspension is scheduled to last from March 19 to June 24. “We have continued to operate in the face of uncertainty as domestic and international travel restrictions and quarantines have caused demand to plummet,” WestJet president and CEO Ed Sims said in a statement. “Unfortunately, with new and increasingly restrictive policies, we are left once again, with no other option than to suspend service to these communities.”
As a result, flights between St. John’s and Halifax, which operates three times a week, will be suspended as of March 21, while service between London, Ont., and Toronto, currently operating four times a week, will cease on March 22. WestJet Link service from Calgary to Lloydminster, which runs twice a week, will end on March 19, and Calgary to Medicine Hat, which operates once a week, will be discontinued as of March 21. “Our ability to return to markets remains directly correlated to government policies and the prioritization of a domestic travel program,” said Sims.
Jagmeet Singh urges to speed Covid-19 vaccinations across Canada NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is calling for a quicker, clearer vaccination plan that would see Canada’s military deployed across the country to speed up provincial COVID-19 inoculation efforts — though the country’s top doctor sees little need for those boots on the ground. The federal government should engage military personnel along with more medical and nursing students and retired health-care workers to ramp up Canada’s faltering vaccine rollout, Singh said Tuesday. The announcement, presented as a campaign-style pledge ahead of a possible election this year, comes despite the fact that provinces have not publicly requested military assistance with vaccine delivery. “The provinces haven’t specially asked for that,” Singh said in an interview. “But we’ve got the capacity to use the military, set up sites in federal facilities and federal buildings across the country.
“There seems to be this notion that, ‘OK, we get the supply, then it’s up to the provinces to deliver it.’ And I don’t buy that.” Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam, asked about the proposal Tuesday, said the number of vaccination sites and staff is not a hurdle. “That doesn’t at the moment appear to be the critical factor,” she said. “I know that the human-resource aspect is not the biggest concern from provinces and territories. We have many pharmacists, family doctors, other health professionals.” Military commander Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin is managing logistics of vaccine distribution for the Public Health Agency of Canada. And the Canadian Armed Forces is deploying reconnaissance teams to the border as Ottawa prepares to enlist the military’s help in establishing COVID-19 screening centres for travellers. But soldiers play no part in administering the vaccine.
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Here’s how many people in Vancouver received CERB last year: federal data The city of Vancouver had about 12.82 per cent of its residents receiving the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) last year. An analysis of federal data by The Canadian Press shows that the city had on average 67,207 recipients during each four-week pay period for the pandemic aid. Over its lifespan between late March and October of last year, the CERB paid out nearly $82 billion to 8.9 million people in Canada whose incomes crashed either because they saw their hours slashed or lost their jobs. In the first four-week period, there
were 113,810 people in the city receiving the CERB, and the figure fell from there. There were 79,670 in the second period, 69,810 in the third, 60,970 in the fourth, 52,980 in the fifth, 49,880 in the sixth, and 43,330 in the final month before a trio of new benefits and a revamped employment insurance system replaced CERB. The figures come from federal data The Canadian Press obtained under the Access to Information Act that provides the most detailed picture yet of where the aid went.
Canada & UK impose sanctions on Myanmar Britain and Canada imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s ruling generals on Thursday for toppling the civilian-led government while Japan said it had agreed with the United States, India and Australia that democracy must be restored there quickly. Western countries have condemned the February 1 overthrow and detention of elected
leader Aung San Suu Kyi, which has also brought daily mass demonstrations to the streets of the Southeast Asian country. Following sanctions from the United States announced last week, both Britain and Canada announced measures. Britain said it would impose asset freezes and travel bans on three generals while Canada said it would take action against nine military officials.
Justice Centre suing federal government over requirement for travellers to quarantine at designated hotels Edmonton and area international travellers are part of a group now represented by The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms suing the federal government for requiring them to quarantine at designated hotels at a cost of $2,000 per passenger. Last week the federal government released more details on air travel restrictions for international travellers that come into effect on Feb. 22. Passengers entering the country must provide a COVID-19 molecular test before leaving the airport and another following a 14-day quarantine period. Passengers are
also required to book a three-night stay in a government-designated hotel prior to departure. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, during the initial announcement of the restrictions in January, said the cost for travellers staying at government-supervised hotels would be $2,000 per person. Health Canada confirmed on Wednesday the costs for staying at a designated hotel include accommodation, transportation, cleaning, food, health professionals to conduct assessments and security.
7832 120 132 ST St. #106 - 7565 SURREY BC Surrey, BC BUS: 604-572-3005 604.572.3005
14103 110 AVE., N.SURREY
26964 28 AVE., LANGLEY
Truly delightful huge basement entry app. 7200 sqft. home sits on rectangular 9965 sqft. lot. House features 11 bedrooms & 10 washrooms build by good reputation builders. Main floor has 5 bedrooms & 4 bath with huge family room,living room,kitchen,& spice kitchen.Ground level basement has 27'x15' media room with bar & washroom for upstairs use.House has 3 spacious ground level basement suites (3 bed.+3 bed & bachelor suite).Total rent of the suites is $3500/month.Very nice tenants.Easy access to Pattulo bridge, Port Mann bridge & shopping center.Motivated sellers.Easy to show.
Truly delightful fully renovated 6 bedroom basement entry home sits on rectangular 7920 sf flat lot in most demanding area Aldergrove Langley.Main floor features 3 bed ,2 bath with new kitchen /island ,new flooring,new tiles , new woodwork,new fixtures,splash back,granite counters,new tiles,new cabinet, new windows,new zebra drapes,4 new washrooms & much more .Newly built 3 bedroom unauthorized basement suite with rear separate entry.Excellent renovated covered 333 sf Patio & deck.Landscape front & fully fenced back yard. Storage shed.Walking distance to both schools,shopping,community center with pools,water Park,ice arena,playing fields& to all major routes.
$1,779,000
$920,000
#125 32850 GEORGE FERGUSON WAY, ABBOTSFORD
9420 119 ST., N.DELTA
Hot deal! First Time Buyers or Investors, great investment property with reliable tenants, centrally located in a great neighbourhood. 2 bedroom and 1 bath spacious ground level apartment. Well maintained complex, with many updates on the complex over the last couple of years including, roof, windows, balconies, boilers, security cameras, fob access systems and landscaping. There is shared laundry on every floor. Wheelchair access, elevators secure underground parking. Close to Bus stop, walking distance to shopping, restaurants, banks and
NORTH DELTA! - Starter family home or holding property - 2 level 4 bedroom home has been was been well maintained - 3 bedroom up and 1 bedroom down. Fully finished basement with great suite potential - separate entry. Lots of parking for cars and RV - private yard with large covered deck - great patio area. Quiet family friendly street in central/high demand N. DELTA neighbourhood. NEED 24 NOTICE TO VIEW.
$210,000
$1,070,000
5843 180 STREET, CLOVERDALE 14030 GROSVENOR RD., NORTH SURREY
$912,500
Solid family home on almost 10,000 square foot rectangular lot in Cloverdale with loads of potential. Large open lot offers plenty of space for a pool, playground & trampoline; or use the extra space to build your dream home. Great central location close to shopping, transit & schools. Same owners since 1987. Three bedrooms up, one down in partially finished basement (just needs a closet). Walkout basement with its own entrance offers potential for two bedroom suite. Large covered patio off the living area overlooks the private, sunny backyard. Transform it into a modern, functional family home
$955,000
This well-maintained family home w/3-beds up, suite-potential down and a detached workshop/garage has everything you and your family needs, all located centrally. It's a 5 -10min drive to Guildford Town Centre & Hwy 1; only a 3min drive to Gateway Skytrain Station. The 2level home has a brand-new furnace, dishwasher & washing machine +plenty of other extras including a mobile accessible alarm system and a cozy living room gas fireplace for winter nights. The back deck located off the dining room is perfect for summer barbecues! In addition to the carport and the driveway that fits up to 4-5 vehicles, the 10,200sf lot (60x170) has a massive 1100sf detached workshop that will hold 3 cars, an RV or boat, and meet all of your storage needs.
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Saturday, February 20, 2021
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Saturday, February 20, 2021
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Looking Up
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INDIA
Saturday, February 20, 2021
IPL auction: Morris becomes most expensive foreign buy; Kohli retained for Rs 17 cr All-rounders and foreign fast bowlers fetched the big bucks at this year’s IPL players’ auction where South Africa’s Chris Morris clinched a recordbreaking Rs 16.25 crore deal with Rajasthan Royals and uncapped Karnataka player Krishnappa Gowtham also invited a bank-breaking bid. Morris became the most expensive buy in the IPL auction history with Rajasthan Royals shelling out big money for the all-rounder even as uncapped players such as Gowtham also hogged the limelight here on Thursday. Spin bowling all-rounder Gowtham was bought for a record Rs 9.25 crore by Chennai Super Kings. The 32-year-old is currently with the Indian team as a net bowler for the ongoing Test series against England. Arjun Tendulkar gets maiden IPL deal; Mumbai Indians pick him for base price Test specialist Pujara back in IPL fold after 2014, CSK buys him at base price Tamil Nadu’s Shahrukh Khan, named after the Bollywood superstar, expectedly got a handsome Rs 5.25 crore deal from Punjab Kings, more than 51 times his base price of Rs 20 lakh.
Shahrukh has been in the limelight with his exploits in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Gowtham, an IPL regular who was released by Punjab Kings, was the second off-spinner CSK bought after England’s Moeen Ali. With the hefty price tag, Gowtham became the most expensive uncapped buy in IPL history. His base price was also Rs 20 lakh. Morris’ big pay day came after another
all-rounder and perennial under-performer, Australian Glenn Maxwell, once again managed to attract a winning Rs 14.25 crore bid from Royal Challengers Bangalore. New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson, who is known more for his performances in Test cricket, secured a massive Rs 15 crore deal from the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Punjab Kings, who went into the auction
with the maximum purse among eight teams, paid Rs 14 crore to rope in Australian pacer Jhye Richardson, hoping he will plug the gap in their leaking bowling department. The 24-year-old, who has played two Tests, 13 ODIs and nine T20Is for Australia, was the leading wicket-taker in the recent Big Bash League. Punjab paid a big amount — Rs 8 crore — for another Australian pacer, the uncapped Riley Meredith, making him the costliest uncapped foreign player in the IPL history. The 24-yearold has 43 wickets in 34 T20s that he has played. The last player to be sold at the auction was the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s son Arjun, a fast bowler finding his feet at the domestic level for now. The 21-year-old was picked up by his father’s erstwhile franchise Mumbai Indians. While the pacers raked in the moolah, Chennai Super Kings were applauded by other teams in the room for buying India’s Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara for his base price of Rs 50 lakh, paving the way for his IPL return for the first time since 2014. Morris, who came with a base price of Rs 75 lakh, generated bids from four teams before it became a battle between Royals and Punjab Kings.
India rejects UN experts’ concerns on ending of J&K’s autonomy India said concerns expressed by UN human rights experts on Centre’s move to scrap Jammu & Kashmir’s special status and enact new laws disregarded the fact that the region is an integral part of the country and that the decision on the changes was made by Parliament. Fernand de Varennes, special rapporteur on minority issues, and Ahmed Shaheed, special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, had said in a statement issued in Geneva that the changes in Jammu and Kashmir could curtail
political participation of Muslims and other minorities and lead to potential discrimination in employment and land ownership. The external affairs ministry questioned the timing of the remarks by the UN experts, saying they were “deliberately timed” to coincide with the visit by 24 envoys to Jammu and Kashmir. The statement by the special rapporteurs “disregards the fact that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India and the decision of 5 August 2019 regarding the change in the status
of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into a union territory of India was taken by the Parliament of India,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said. Srivastava said it was “deplorable” that the experts had not waited for India’s response after sharing a questionnaire on February 10. “Instead, they chose to release their inaccurate assumptions to the media,” he said. De Varennes and Shaheed said in their statement, “The loss of autonomy and the
imposition of direct rule by the government in New Delhi suggests the people of Jammu and Kashmir no longer have their own government and have lost power to legislate or amend laws in the region to ensure the protection of their rights as minorities.” The experts said the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was “established with specific autonomy guarantees to respect the ethnic, linguistic and religious identities of its people”, and it was the only Indian state with a Muslim majority.
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Why Was Puducherry Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi Sacked? As Lt Governor of Puducherry, Kiran Bedi’s mission was to keep the Congress government under V. Narayanasamy under constant vigil and check. But in her over-enthusiasm, the maverick retired IPS officer would often cross the line embarrassing the Centre. For example, in September 2019 she suddenly ordered that the Public Distribution System (PDS) rice distributed to the poor by the UT government should be substituted by cash directly deposited into the beneficiary’s bank account. This created a storm in the UT, notorious for its liquor culture, thanks to cheap prices, as the money in bank accounts would have been splurged by the menfolk on alcohol. In such a situation the women would have been deprived of their main source of
food. Even the state BJP was against LG’s move. Even after all the parties adopted a resolution unanimously in the Assembly that only rice should be distributed to ration cardholders at the rate of 20 kg to Below Poverty Line (BPL) and 10 kg to Above Poverty Line (APL), Kiran Bedi refused to accept the recommendation. Only after the Centre intervened she allowed the distribution of free rice through PDS. Similarly, her comments that Chennai’s water crisis in 2019 was the result of corruption and failure of the local government only angered the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu which was friendly towards the Centre and the BJP. Some of her comments like Coronavirus being a result of karma of meat-eaters only invited derisive remarks on social media. She forgot that a majority of the UT’s population was meat-eaters. While Narayanasamy repeatedly accused her of running a parallel administration by giving direct orders to officials, Kiran Bedi claimed that the LG of a UT had more powers than state governors. Even BJP leaders admitted that she often exceeded her brief in her over-enthusiasm. “Some of her unilateral actions instead of embarrassing the Chief Minister only created sympathy for him,” observed a BJP leader. That is one reason why Delhi has sought to replace her since under the President’s rule,
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INDIA
Saturday, February 20, 2021
India’s mysterious drop in Covid-19 virus infections There were grave fears for the world’s second most populous nation as Covid-19 swept through India last year. Nearly 100,000 new infections were reported each day when the virus took hold of the nation of 1.3 billion people in September. At that point, India was on course to overtake the USA and record the biggest case toll of cases worldwide. As deaths began to soar in tandem with the rising cases, experts warned the consequences were to be dire for the developing nation as Covid-19 tore through India’s infamously overcrowded cities. It looked as if their fears were realised in November when official figures showed 90 per cent of New Delhi’s critical care beds with ventilators were filled. However, things began to change unexpectedly and suddenly. Cases started to
plummet overnight and the number of daily deaths linked to the disease soon followed. Now the country is reporting about 11,000 new cases a day. Despite new variants causing massive surges in cases in other countries in recent months, India’s cases have continued to drop consistently since September. Large parts of India have already returned to normal life. In many cities, markets are bustling, streets are crowded and restaurants are full. India does not have the testing capabilities of some developed nations, and its huge population poses significant issues for that capacity — so the actual number of cases is likely to be much higher than the number of confirmed cases. There are also questions about how the country’s is counting virus deaths, so they are likely to be higher than the official figures suggest.
PM Modi has destroyed the institution of Lt Governor: Rahul Gandhi Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the former did not allow the Congress government in the union territory to function freely for the last five years. Gandhi’s comments come in the backdrop of political turmoil in Puducherry, where the Congress lost its majority in the Assembly after four of its MLAs resigned on Wednesday. Gandhi also accused Modi of destroying the institution of the Lt Governor and of not respecting the people’s mandate. “Through the office of the LG, he (Modi) has repeatedly sent you a message saying that your vote does not matter. PM Modi has taken your dreams, aspirations and worked against them by destroying the institution of the Lt Governor, just like he destroys
all other institutions,” Rahul Gandhi said. The Congress MP also alleged that no one can seek justice from the country’s judiciary without being terrified of the consequences. Addressing his first public meeting for elections to the Puducherry Assembly likely in April, he alleged, “Today, no Indian can get justice from the judicial system without being terrified of what will be done to him.” While journalists feared for their lives, Bills were passed in Parliament without any discussion and elected leaders were not allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha because, “one man thinks he is not the Prime Minister but he is the king of the country,” Rahul Gandhi said.
UGC urges varsities to ‘Encourage’ students to write ‘Cow Science Exam’ Vice chancellors of varsities across the country have been asked to “encourage” students to write an online examination to test their knowledge on ‘gau vigyan’ (cow science), officials said. The ‘Kamdhenu Gau Vigyan PracharPrasar Examination’, for which there is no registration fee, will be held on February 25, and students from primary, secondary and senior-secondary schools as well as colleges can
take the test being conducted by the Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog (RKA), officials said. “I write this letter to request you, to give wide publicity to this initiative (cow science exam) and encourage students to enrol or register themselves for this examination. This may also be brought to the notice of the colleges affiliated to your university,” UGC secretary Rajnish Jain, said in his letter to vice-chancellors.
Farmers not going home, will head to Kolkata soon: Rakesh Tikait Asserting that farmers sitting on the Delhi borders will not go back to their homes till the farm laws are repealed, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Thursday said “our next target is to reach Kolkata on tractors”. “We are out to change the scenario of the country. We need one month to correct the powers-that-be. We will not return until course
correction of the ruling party. Farmers of Bengal are also in crisis and we will have to fight for them as well,” Tikait said addressing a “mahapanchayat” at Kharak Poonia village of Hisar. The new agriculture laws will ruin the economy of the small, marginal as well as big farmers, he said, adding that the private firms will take control of the fields in the guise of contract farming.
Railways deploys additional RPSF companies ahead of Rail-Roko Andolan The railways have deployed 20 additional companies of the RPSF across the country, with a focus on Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, in the wake of the “rail roko” called on Thursday by farmer unions protesting against the Centre’s new agriculture laws. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of protesting farmer unions that is leading the protest, last week had announced the rail blockade to press for its demand to repeal the opposed bills.
Director-General, Railway Protection Force, Arun Kumar on Wednesday said, “I appeal to everyone to maintain peace. We will be liaisoning with district administrations and will have a control room in place.” “We will gather intelligence. States such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, and some other areas will be our focus. We have deployed 20 companies (around 20,000 personnel) of the Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) in these areas,” he said.
Magnitude 4.7 earthquake strikes Assam A magnitude 4.7 earthquake was reported in Assam’s Sonitpur district at 5.54 pm on Wednesday, officials at the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said. Earlier, police confirmed that no loss of life or
property has been reported due to the tremor. The epicentre of the quake was reported at a depth of ten km located on latitude 26.71 degrees north and longitude 92.63 degrees east in Tezpur area of Sonitpur district, the NCS said.
India inks new agreement with Australia on space collaboration India signed a new agreement with Australia on Wednesday and decided to expand on space collaboration as the sector continues to grow and create jobs. The amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Australian Space Agency and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), builds on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Australia and India announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year.
India’s partnership with Australia on the subject of space is underpinned by a formal Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries in 2012. Head of the Australian Space Agency Enrico Palermo said the signing symbolizes the importance of the strong collaborative partnership between the Agency and ISRO, which will look to identifying new areas of cooperation in space technology, applications, education, and outreach.
Will engage with new USTR for fresh trade package; old one off the table: Goyal Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said he will engage with the new United States Trade Representative (USTR) for a fresh trade package as both the countries would have to look afresh at different ideas. He said India and the US will have to see how their engagement in the future can address some of the problems they
have seen in the past and prepare both the countries to meet the needs of their people. “I will engage with the new USTR to try and put together a fresh package. I think the old one is now off the table,” he said at a USIBC webinar. The remarks assume significance as both the countries were negotiating a mini-trade deal.
Indian university caught selling 36,000 fake degrees has graduates working in Singapore Times of India reported earlier this month that during a routine investigation of a fake degree case, the Indian police had uncovered a much bigger case of an Indian university selling tens of thousands of fake degrees to multitude of people (‘Manav Bharti University of Himachal Pradesh sold 36000 fake‘, 1 Feb). It was reported that Manav Bharti
University in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh had sold 36,000 fake degrees across 17 states in over 11 years. In fact, of the total 41,000 degrees issued by the university, only 5,000 have been found to be genuine so far. The university is run by the Manav Bharti Charitable Trust, Police have now initiated the process to extradite trust chairman Raj Kumar Rana,
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Punjab Farmers sit on railway tracks in protest Farmers on Thursday sat on railway tracks at many places in Punjab and Haryana as part of the four-hour ‘rail roko’ protest against the Centre’s three farm laws, with officials saying trains were halted at stations as a precautionary measure. Normal movement of trains on various rail routes was disrupted as farmers squatted on tracks. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM),
an umbrella body of farmer unions which is spearheading the protest, had last week announced the nationwide rail blockade to seek the repeal of the three farm laws. The farmers sat on tracks as part of the ‘rail roko’ agitation from 12 noon to 4 pm. Farmers at Kurukshetra in Haryana climbed on the locomotive of the Gita Jayanti Express
10 fatalities, 278 new Covid-19 cases in Punjab Covid-19 claimed 10 more lives and infected 278 more people in the last 24 hours in Punjab, taking the pandemic death toll in the state on Thursday to 5,732 and total caseload to 1,77,376. There are 2,642 active Covid-19 cases in the state, as of now, a medical bulletin said. Jalandhar reported 44 cases, Patiala 33 and Mohali 27, among fresh cases witnessed in the state on Thursday.
A total of 169 coronavirus patients were discharged after recovering from the infection, taking the number of cured people to 1,69,002, read the bulletin. Eight critical patients are on ventilator support while 70 are on oxygen support, it added. A total of 47,94,887 samples have been collected for testing so far in the state.
Youth Congress leader shot dead in Faridkot A 34-year-old youth Congress leader Gurlal Singh Bhullar was allegedly shot dead in Punjab’s Faridkot on Thursday evening, said police. Two unidentified motorcycleborne men fired around 12 shots at Bhullar near Jublee Chowk
in Faridkot district, a police official said over the phone. He later died at a hospital, the official said. Gurlal Bhullar was the president of Faridkot district Youth Congress.
BJP’s s drubbing in local bodies polls in Punjab Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that the results of local bodies elections in Punjab should not be viewed in context of the ongoing farmers’ protests against the three central farm laws. Also interestingly, while BJP leaders in Punjab have been claiming that the party is on an upswing since parting ways with the Shiromani Akali Dal, Tomar said that the former allies contested separately in these elections which
was the main reason for the BJP not doing well. “It is not correct to link the result of municipal corporation polls in Punjab with farmers’ agitation. We were weak in Punjab and used to fight polls in alliance with the Akali Dal. This time we fought separately, which caused us losses,” he said while speaking at Guwahati. Notably, the BJP’s drubbing in Punjab has been linked directly with farmers’ laws
Pakistan Pakistan’s economic indicators improving: PM Imran Khan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Pakistan’s economic indicators improving, banking on foreign reserves and exports, despite the severe challenge posed by the COVID-19 outbreak. Prime Minister Imran Khan was addressing Roshan Digital Accounts (RDA) felicitation meeting, celebrating the Roshan Digital Accounts (RDA) crossing the USD 500-million (Rs 7,939 crore) mark in deposits. The RDA initiative was launched in September last year by the State Bank of Pakistan, the country’s central bank, to provide banking solutions to Non Resident Pakistanis (NRPs).
The initiative aims to improve Pakistan’s foreign currency reserves. In his address, Khan said the main indicator showing an improvement in the economy was the rise in exports, which grew more than that of regional competitors. He said the textile sector was attracting investmentandnewmillswerebeingopened. “They can’t find [enough] skilled workers for textile factories in Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot,” he said. The prime minister said the current account deficit had decreased as another indication of economic stability brought by his government.
Sri Lanka cancels Imran Khan’s speech to its parliament Sri Lanka on Wednesday cancelled Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address to its Parliament during his official visit to the island nation. According to sources, the decision has been taken because of concerns that Imran Khan could rake up the Kashmir issue. Imran Khan has a habit of parroting lies on the Kashmir issue whenever he is presented with a global platform,
especially since the Indian Government’s decision to scrap Article 370 in the former state of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. ANI has quoted a Sri Lankan newspaper saying that the move may also have been an effort to ensure Imran Khan isn’t granted parity with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had addressed the country’s Parliament in 2015.
Pakistan may not be off FATF grey list until June Pakistan may not exit the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list until June, despite its efforts to garner support from the member nations ahead of the plenary meeting of the global terror financing and money laundering watchdog next
week, according to a media report on Wednesday. In October last year, FATF ruled Pakistan would remain on grey list for failing to fulfil six key obligations
Malala Yousafzai questions Imran Khan, army over threatening post A terrorist outfit, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) former spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan, who took the responsibility for having shot Malala Yousafzai in 2012, has now threatened Nobel Laureate on Wednesday by posting on Twitter, “next time, there would be no mistake.” The threat by Ehsan prompted Ms Yousafzai to question Pakistan’s military
(DGISPR) and Prime Minister Imran Khan on Twitter to explain how her shooter, Ehsan, had escaped from the government’s custody. “This is the ex-spokesperson of Tehrik-iTaliban Pakistan who claims responsibility for the attack on me and many innocent people. He is now threatening people on social media. How did he escape @OfficialDGISPR@ ImranKhanPTI?,” tweeted Ms Yousafzai.
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PM slammed for making misogynistic comments about USP appointment Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama says the University of the South Pacific Council needs to do a good clean up at USP and he is raising the question on why the position of Director for the Centre of Flexible Learning was not advertised externally.
Bainimarama is also raising the question where does National Federation Party Leader, Professor Biman Prasad bring the issue of the Prime Minister making misogynistic comments when he is raising the issue about the appointment process.
House fire killed 3 people including toddler in Sabeto, Nadi Three people including a 5-month-old baby passed away in a house fire in Nadele in Sabeto, Nadi this morning. Police say the three were trapped inside the house. The two other people that died in this tragic incident were 92-years-old and 87-years-old.
According to Police, six people were inside the house when the fire broke out at 1am and two adults and a 2-yearold child managed to escape. Investigators from the National Fire Authority and Police are still at the scene.
Vuniwaqa urges people to apply for Poverty Benefit Schemes after claims that women are being forced into prostitution Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Mereseini Vuniwaqa says people who have been badly affected by COVID-19 and disasters can apply for their Poverty Benefit Schemes if they are still struggling. This is after revelations by Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre Coordinator Shamima Ali that some women and girls in Nadi are forced into prostitution for as low as $1.50 to $2 because of the impacts of COVID-19 and disasters that are coming up.
Ali says the counsellor advocates and staff who work at their centres have informed her about this. She says these women and young girls are forced to do this to provide for their families as they are suffering to put food on the table. Ali also calls on the government to start telling the truth to the people of the country if they do not have money to assist the affected people and they can work together to find a way through this.
Association of USP Staff Women’s Wing congratulate Doctor Rajni Chand The Association of the USP Staff Women’s Wing Chair, Rosalia Fatiaki says the Women’s Wing congratulates Dr. Rajni Chand for smashing the glass ceiling as she has worked hard and has been recognized for her achievements including the Teaching Excellence Award at USP by Professor Rajesh Chandra and
being a recipient of the Fiji 50th Anniversary medal awarded by President Jioji Konrote. Fatiaki says they demand that the Prime Minister withdraws his comments and issues a public apology to USP Director for the Centre of Flexible Learning, Doctor Rajni Chand.
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