www.theasianstar.com Vol 20 - Issue 4
Gurmant Grewal brings you Expertise to your Immigration Process By Harvinder Sandhu
Gurmant Grewal Immigration Resources Inc. is now where you will find Gurmant Grewal, a 3-terms (19972006) MP of Canada. An experienced Parliamentarian, Businessman, Consultant, Financial Institution Director, Senior Manager, University Professor, Motivational Speaker, and Community Leader and activist, Gurmant now has ventured into the immigration consultancy business as a way to help future new immigrants and to also provide the community with ethical practises. “As an MP of Surrey, at one time I had 16,000 immigration files from my constituents looking for help in navigating the immigration system. Many of these challenges came about because some immigration consultants in the arena were neither knowledgeable or experienced, some people just got their own immigration done from student visa to work permit to PR and have started this business without having core knowledge and are looting people by selling work permits.” Gurmant has thorough understanding of the working of government, parliament, the regulatory process, and public policy. He is hoping to utilize this unique knowledge, along Continued on page 8
Saturday, February 27, 2021
Tel:604-591-5423
Canada sees good news about Covid-19 inoculations as doses arrive more quickly
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anada’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign is ramping up after earlier supply disruptions and the number of inoculations last week hit a five-week high, officials said on Thursday. Canada has deals with Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc, but both companies ran into production problems last month and
reduced shipments. The country trails many other nations in the total number of inoculations and critics accuse Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government of bungling the rollout. Ottawa buys the vaccines, while the 10 provinces and three northern territories administer them. Continued on page 8
South Asian quarantine officer demanded cash, then sexually assaulted Ontario woman A quarantine screening officer, identified only as Hemant, who allegedly demanded cash from a woman before sexually assaulting her at her home faces related charges, police said on Wednesday. The accused had been trained by the Public Health Agency of Canada as a designated screening officer under the Quarantine Act, Halton regional police said.
According to a police statement, the accused was doing a quarantine compliance check at a home in Oakville, Ont., on Feb. 18. “The accused informed the victim that they were in violation of the quarantine order and demanded that a fine be paid in cash,” police alleged. “When the victim declined to pay, she was sexually assaulted by the accused.” Continued on page 6
India beats China at its own game in Vaccine diplomacy battle India’s huge capacity to make coronavirus vaccines is helping the country take on China in the battle to gain political influence across the developing world. Competition among poorer nations to get cheap or free vaccines to fight the pandemic had given China a golden chance to strengthen ties in emerging markets it has
been courting for years. And initially Beijing seemed in a strong position. It suppressed the domestic spread of Covid-19 last year and accelerated the production of shots. At the same time, India was struggling to contain one of the world’s worst outbreaks of the virus, with nearly 100,000 cases a day, while a nationwide lockdown sent its economy Continued on page 3
Pakistan to remain on FATF ‘grey list’ untill June Global terror financing watchdog, Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Thursday retained Pakistan on its “grey list” till June after concluding that Islamabad failed to address its strategically important deficiencies, to fully implement the 27 point action plan that the watchdog had drawn up for Pakistan. “To date,
Pakistan has made progress across all action plan items and has now largely addressed 24 of the 27 action items. As all action plan deadlines have expired, the FATF strongly urges Pakistan to swiftly complete its full action plan before June 2021,” FATF said in a statement at the outcome of a plenary that began on Monday.
A US doctor just called BC the ‘Florida Of Canada’ because of their Covid-19 rules
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n American epidemiologist and health economist has made waves on the internet after describing British Columbia as the “Florida of Canada.” In a tweet on Wednesday evening, Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding took aim at B.C.’s COVID-19 policies, saying he was “watching the Florida of Canada.... errrr British Columbia.”
The doctor was criticizing the province for not being “serious” enough when it comes to mask-wearing in schools. While masks are mandatory for students in B.C. middle schools and secondary schools, he’s calling for them to be required for younger kids, too. In another tweet, he explained, “7 different
school outbreaks in one small area seems like a lot…” “And yes, British Columbia’s transmission is currently the highest in Canada,” Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding added. While B.C.’s transmission rate is currently equal to Nunavut’s and below Manitoba’s, not the highest, it’s still worrying.
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Vol 20 - Issue 4
Saturday, February 27, 2021
Seniors receiving their 2nd Pfizer vaccination at Chartwell Imperial Place in Surrey “It was great day for our retirement home, here at Chartwell Imperial Place in Surrey, our 100 residents received their 2nd dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccination. Many seniors are alone and feeling so isolated, and this is a great testament to retirement living. Our Health and Wellness Manager Irene Garcia, (LPN) who has been with Chartwell for 14 years, coordinated this with Fraser Health and their team. We had two successful days, our first vaccine was January 13th, and our 2nd dose was administered February 23rd . The smiles behind the masks tell their story.” Ross Staschuk and Doreen Baird have become good friends since meeting last year when they both moved into Imperial Place. In Ross’s& Doreen’s words, this is how they described living in our Retirement Home. Doreen says
“I thoroughly enjoy it here, I have met lots of friends, I am glad I am here. I feel safe here, the food is great, the staff are wonderful”. Ross says “it’s great, he thinks the staff are absolutely super, they are really nice. I don’t have any complaints. I am quite content here. Retirement Living Consultant Nicola Romaniuk says, “both Ross and Dorreen always have a smile every day when you see them, we have a lot of laughs together and they are both such lovely residents. Here at Imperial Place, our goal is Making Peoples Lives Better. For more information on Retirement Living at Chartwell Imperial Place please contact Nicola at, 604 581-1555 or 604-785-1337.
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India beats China at its own game in Vaccine diplomacy battle From page 1
into recession for the first time in 25 years. But Chinese pharmaceutical companies have been reticent in sharing details of their pivotal vaccine trials crucial for building public trust around the world, and new domestic outbreaks reinforced the urgency of inoculating China’s own 1.4 billion population, a task that could take years. Meanwhile, India sent millions of doses to neighboring Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, allowing them to begin vaccinations earlier than if they had waited for Chinese doses. “Because of their gift, Sri Lanka has been able to start vaccination immediately,” said Eran Wickramaratne, a Sri Lankan opposition lawmaker who received one of the Indian shots. “Most Sri Lankans would be thankful for this.” So far, New Delhi has managed to ship nearly 6.8 million free vaccines around the world. China has pledged around 3.9 million, according to publicly available information compiled by Bloomberg, some of which have yet to arrive. Beijing and New Delhi have long competed for influence in Asia, and tensions between
the two have risen since the pandemic struck, including their most violent border clash in decades. India has banned hundreds of Chinese apps, including ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok, sought to attract investors away from China and boosted security ties with Japan, Australia and the U.S. The rapid growth of China’s economy -- now roughly five times the size of India’s -- has allowed Beijing to forge ties with poorer countries by loaning tens of billions under its Belt and Road Initiative. But Covid has given India a diplomatic opportunity to pursue its aspirations of becoming a global power. Its pharmaceutical industry, especially the Serum Institute of India, had already made the South Asian nation the main supplier of essential medicines to the developing world. Now it’s allowing India to push back against China’s growing influence. A case in point is Myanmar, which has been rocked by a military coup and shares borders with both China and India. Beijing promised to send around 300,000 doses.
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OPINION
By Gerry Bowler Senior Fellow Frontier Centre for Public Policy
For centuries, Arab states across North Africa made fortunes from piracy. Now in the 21st century, a new pirate state is taking prisoners and holding them for ransom. In the past, raiding the coasts of Spain and Italy, scouring the Mediterranean and ravaging into the Atlantic as far as Iceland, Barbary
Saturday, February 27, 2021 Time for Canada to stand up to China’s bullying corsairs captured over a million Christian prisoners for their slave pens. Some were forced to labour for the rest of their miserable lives, some were forced into harems or the sex trade and some, the richer ones, were held for ransom. The rulers of Algiers, Tripoli and Salé grew rich from this lucrative trade in hostages, but
even better was the protection money they extorted from European countries in return for leaving their merchant vessels alone. The newly independent United States found that American ships could no longer rely on the protection of the British Royal Navy and were the prey of these Barbary Coast pirates. Before too long, the ransom payments amounted to 20 per cent of the national budget. In 1786, Thomas Jefferson reported what an Arab ambassador to London had said provoked these attacks on American shipping: “The ambassador answered us that it was founded on the laws of the prophet, it was written in their Qur’an, that all nations which had not acknowledged the prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave; and that every (Muslim) who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise.” After enduring this treatment for decades, the Americans decided enough was enough. Acting on the slogan “Millions for defence, not one penny for tribute,” they built a strong navy and, in co-operation with the British, made war on the Barbary pirates, blasting their home ports and putting an end to this slave-taking. In the 21st century, it’s China that’s taking prisoners and holding them for ransom. In retaliation for Canada’s arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on an extradition warrant, China has seized two innocent Canadians – Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor – on phoney charges and used their captivity to pressure the Canadian government. While Meng is free to loll about her Vancouver mansion as she awaits legal proceedings, the two Michaels have been kept in cells with the lights on all day and night, and both have been subjected to interrogation at least three times a day. Both were denied access to lawyers for some time. To make matters worse, the Chinese ambassador to Canada has openly threatened the safety of Canadian citizens in Hong Kong, while Canadian exports to China have been blocked on flimsy excuses. How is Canada to react? The national motto of Scotland is Nemo me impune lacessit: “No one provokes me with impunity.” This phrase should be on the lips of Canada’s federal officials.
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Saturday, February 27, 2021 Unregistered ‘shadow’ mortgage broker who made millions in fees says he was just meeting demand A so-called unregistered “shadow” mortgage broker responsible for securing more than half a billion dollars’ worth of home financing through the use of altered tax and bank documents says there will always be a demand for the services of people with his skills. Jay Kanth Chaudhary, who was ordered by authorities to cease and desist his unregistered activities in 2019, testified Wednesday at a public inquiry tasked with investigating money laundering in British Columbia. He is estimated to have earned $6 million in fees related to 900 deals fronted by registered mortgage brokers in the decade before regulators raided his offices in 2018. Speaking in front of inquiry commissioner Austin Cullen, Chaudhary characterized his role as a “moral” one in which he helped people who had the means to pay a mortgage — if not the documentation to prove it — avoid the dangerous world of private lenders. He claimed none of his clients ever defaulted on a loan, none of the banks who gave them money were ever hurt, and a booming B.C. real estate market meant he was always busy. “How could I have been prevented?” he asked, replying to a question from the commission’s counsel. “In reality I don’t think it can be prevented. Because there always will be a need for individuals like us and
what we did, and because the demand itself is there. The demand comes from the borrowers themselves. The demand comes from people who want a house and do not fit in the traditional guidelines.” During the course of the hearing Chaudhary’s lawyer confirmed that his client, who was summoned to appear at the commission, is under investigation by the Canada Revenue Agency. B.C.’s acting registrar of mortgage brokers issued a cease and desist order against Jay Kanth Chaudhary, pictured, for allegedly acting as a ‘shadow broker’ on more than half a billion dollars worth of questionable files. (Belluxe Photography) Chaudhary worked as an accountant and was also licensed as a real estate agent before registering as a mortgage broker in January 2007. His registration was suspended in October 2008 after a co-worker reported that he had been arranging financing using altered documents. Chaudhary never applied for reinstatement. HetoldcommissioncounselEileenPatelthat word of mouth grew while he was a registered broker that he could arrange mortgages for people who would not normally qualify. He said he received referrals from real estate agents and developers, and he paid the real estate agents a quarter of the roughly one per cent commission the banks would pay.
Trudeau and his cabinet abstains as Parliament votes to call China’s treatment of Uighurs a genocide Canada voted Monday to recognize the treatment of Uighurs Muslims in China as a genocide—without the support of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet. Trudeau didn’t participate in the non-binding motion, while Minister of Foreign Affairs Marc Garneau abstained on behalf of the government. The rest of Trudeau’s 35-person cabinet was absent, CTV News reported. “We remain deeply disturbed by horrific reports violations in Xinjiang, including the use of arbitrary detention, political re-education, forced labour, torture, and forced sterilization,” Garneau said in a statement following the vote. “The free vote in Parliament ensures each member can make a determination based on available evidence.” Trudeau’s government has repeatedly denounced human rights violations against Uighurs, but it’s up to independent, international
bodies to investigate and report allegations of genocide, Garneau said. Canada is only the second country after the United States to label China’s treatment of Uighurs as a genocide. The federal Conservate Party first introduced the motion last week, with all opposition parties and a handful of Liberal MPs voting in favour. Bloc Québécois also amended the motion to call on the International Olympic Committee to move the 2022 Winter Games from Beijing “if the Chinese government continues this genocide.” The treatment of Uighurs in China’s northwestern province of Xinjiang is well-documented. Earlier this month, former detainees and a guard gave detailed accounts about mass surveillance, detention, indoctrination, and sterilization in China’s internment camps, where, according to estimates, more than a million people have been held, the BBC reported.
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South Asian quarantine officer demanded cash, then sexually assaulted Ontario woman From page 1 Police said they arrested a man they identified only as Hemant, 27, of Hamilton, on Tuesday. He has been charged with sexual assault and extortion. The Public Health Agency of Canada said it was “very disturbed” by the alleged events and was co-operating with investigators. Police refused to disclose the name of the security company that employs the man, but said he had been suspended. The Public Health Agency said it had awarded contracts last month to four companies to conduct in-person compliance visits. Agency spokesman Eric Morrissette said trained and designated screening officers
working under these contracts began inperson compliance visits on Jan. 29 in Montreal and Toronto. However, screening officers are not police officers and have no authority to issue a ticket or arrest anyone. As a result, they should never be demanding payment during a quarantine-compliance check. o be designated, officers must be licensed security guards and have had a valid police background check. Training comprises online self-study courses related to the Quarantine Act and their duties and responsibilities. They must also pass an exam. Continued on page 7
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Saturday, February 27, 2021 Liberals rhetorically support NDP pharmacare bill, then vote against it On Wednesday afternoon, the House of Commons voted down a New Democratic motion to take a first step toward national
pharmacare. The vote went 32 for the measure to 295 against. All 24 New Democrats and all three Greens voted for the motion. Two Liberals supported the bill, Nathan Erskine-Smith, who represents the Toronto riding for which Jack Layton was once the MP, and Wayne Long, a New Brunswick MP. One Conservative also voted for the bill, Ben Lobb from central Ontario, as did two independents: Jody WilsonRaybould, the onetime Liberal justice minister who got embroiled in the SNC-Lavalin affair, and Brampton MP Ramesh Sangha, who was booted out of the Liberal caucus in January after he accused fellow Liberals of supporting the Sikh separatist movement. Peter Julian, the NDP’s finance critic, presented the bill, which would have established the conditions for federal financial contributions to provincial drug insurance plans. Those plans would, in turn, guarantee all Canadians access to life-saving medications. The bill did not have specific dollar amounts in it. It was merely a statement of principles to guide the federal government in consultations with the provinces -- if and when such talks occur. The purpose of the bill was to advance a process to which the Trudeau government claims it is fully committed, namely, to expand Canada’s public and universal health-care system so that it includes prescription drugs. There was no timeline in the measure. The bill would not bind the government in any way.Had it passed Julian’s bill
Woman sexually assaulted The investigation announced Wednesday was prompted by a complaint from the alleged victim, said Const. Steve Elms, a police spokesman, who had no other details. Elms said the accused is on bail pending a court appearance March 23 and apparently goes only by one name. Police said other people might have been victimized and urged anyone who might have had a similar experience to contact their local police. Issues have previously arisen with quarantine guards. Last year, private security contractors at a quarantine hotel in Melbourne, Australia, were accused of sleeping with guests, the Herald Sun reported.
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would have been, in essence, a statement of the Canadian Parliament’s aspiration for universal drug coverage, nothing more than that.And yet the governing Liberals voted against it, with two lonely exceptions. Oh, there was a third, sort of. New Brunswick Liberal MP and former health minister Ginette PetitpasTaylor abstained.The official opposition Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois had their own reasons for opposing the bill.The Conservatives argued that most Canadians already have some form of prescription drug coverage, making a national pharmacare program unnecessary.
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From page 1
Gurmant Grewal brings you Expertise to your Immigration Process
contacts and experience from his years in Parliament in contributing to the integration of new immigrants to their dream life in Canada. He elaborated on what he learned during those years as a federal politician in Ottawa. “My job in Opposition was to criticize and bring deficiencies and drawbacks of the bills bring introduced, to the fore. There were many immigration bills at the time and having gone through them, and contributed to amending them, I find myself in a unique position of knowing a lot about this field and how it works. This is what made me realise I have a service I can provide to assist future hopeful immigrants.” Gurmant Grewal Immigration Inc. offers efficient, ethical, and competent advice and services for immigration, visa, and citizenship to Canada. As he’s promotion material states, ‘Migration is one the most important decision in life as it paves the way for one’s destiny; attempting to hit the bull’s eye without professional guidance may
From page 1
be difficult and occasionally futile.’ Their also represent clients dealing with CBSA, main office is in the Payal Business Centre in Appeals, Service Canada and Provincial Surrey with more offices to be established in Nominee Programs. He elaborated how other cities in Canada and abroad to deal with his immigration consulting firm will also applications for temporary and permanent liaise and follow-up with the appropriate residence in Canada. As Gurmant informed department, and if any issues arise, ending The Asian Star, “We provide a focussed with, “if we need to appeal, we will appeal approach throughout the case process from and fight for the client till the issuance the beginning till the end. Addressing any of visa or status.” “During my time as an roadblocks, and unnecessary MP, I raised many issues “As an MP, I had 16,000 procedural delays, as well on immigration, from
as preparing applicants for Komagata Maru apology to
interview.” The emphasis of his lobbying the government
business practice is innovation, to stop labelling new knowledge, and experience as minority immigrants as the key that makes them the Indo-Canadian, Chinesepreferred choice for immigration solutions. Canadians, etc., since we are all Canadians They invest time in understanding their once we are here. I also brought up the fact customer’s needs, characteristics, and that Canada was accepting foreigners on suitability for meeting the criteria for a the point system which rewarded highly particular immigration pathway, submitting educated and experienced foreign applicants accurate and thorough information to with permanent residencies, and then not address the requirements of IRCC, ensuring recognizing those same credentials once the fair treatment by the visa officer. They applicant landed here!”
Gurmant shared how he brought these issues to the fore, with two of them being, helping multiculturalism and the integration of new immigrants into Canada. “My track record of working and learning how the government works is totally embedded in me and I am confident I can help many people achieve their dreams of migrating here.” Their clients include professionals, entrepreneurs, investors, individuals and families, employers, international students, and workers. In his promotional material he says it best with this, ‘We believe in the quality of service; thus, we only take the cases that we can confidently process.’ For more info: Gurmant Grewal Immigration Resources Inc. 778-710-0303 info@GGImmigration.ca
Canada sees good news about Covid-19 inoculations as doses arrive more quickly
three northern territories administer them. Howard Njoo, Canada’s deputy chief public health officer, said more than 240,000 doses were injected last week, the most in more than a month. “We are seeing positive signs that the rollout is ramping up. ... This is a reflection of greater supply,” he told a briefing, saying about 2.9% of Canadians had received at least one dose. “We expect this percentage to significantly increase
throughout March,” he added. Canada has so far recorded a total of 21,807 COVID-19 deaths and 855,126 cases. Major General Dany Fortin, in charge of coordinating the rollout, said a total of 643,000 doses had been distributed
this week, the highest amount yet.Canada says it is still on track to receive a total of 6 million doses from Pfizer and Moderna by the end of March and that anyone who wants a shot can get one by the end of September.
Ontario, the most-populous province, has started to lift some restrictions imposed to combat a second wave of the virus even as experts say case rates are rising again. “We need to watch our every step. There is no easy path through a minefield,” Adalsteinn Brown, co-chair of the province’s science advisory panel, told reporters.
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Winter storm warnings in place for mountain highways after parts of Metro Vancouver awake to surprise snowfall Parts of B.C.’s South Coast woke up to a surprise hit of winter weather on Thursday morning, but Environment Canada says the snowfall has now mostly ended. The unexpected accumulation brought a warning for the morning commute as police urged drivers to be careful. New Westminster police reported it had responded to several collisions due to messy, slippery road conditions. Environment Canada said up to three centimetres fell in parts of the Lower Mainland, but areas like Richmond and parts of Burnaby avoided the localized band of snow. The weather agency says Metro
Vancouver, Victoria and the Fraser Valley can expect some partial clearing this afternoon with a high of 9 C — but unstable conditions over the North Shore could bring more wet snow or hail. A winter storm warning is in effect for the Coquihalla Highway and Highway 3 through the Allison Pass. There’s also a snowfall warning in place for the Sea-to-Sky Highway and wind warnings for the north and central coasts, Haida Gwaii and northern Vancouver Island. Environment Canada says it will be mainly cloudy tonight and windy at times, with a low near 3 C. Conditions are expected to clear tomorrow, with a high of 8 C, but strong northwesterly winds are also forecast.
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Saturday, February 27, 2021 Gang associate arrested in BC after 9 years on the run
BC reports 10 additional deaths, 395 new COVID-19 cases The province announced 10 additional deaths and 395 new COVID-19 infections during a live press briefing on Thursday (Feb. 25). Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said 86 of the cases were in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 207 were in the Fraser Health, 37 were in Island health, 24 were in the Interior Health and 41 were in the Northern Health. The number of people being treated in hospital fell to 228. Of those patients, 62 people were in critical or intensive care. Henry told a news briefing there are 4,489 active cases, including nine cases of virus variants of concern. She says B.C. is ramping up its screening
for the variants, aiming to test 100 per cent of COVID-positive samples by next week to determine whether it’s likely they are variant cases and should be sent for further study. Henry is also warning that weekly average case counts and test positivity rates have ticked up in recent weeks, particularly in the Lower Mainland. Close to 240,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in B.C. so far, including more than 68,000 people who received their second shot. To date, There have been a total of 78,673 cases of the virus in the province.
For nine years, B.C.’s anti-gang cops have been hunting for fugitive Khamla Wong, alleged to be an international drug smuggler with ties to the United Nations gang. This week, they finally got their man. Wong, 51, was arrested at Vancouver airport Wednesday after arriving on an international flight. Wong was scheduled to appear in Surrey provincial court on Thursday on charges of conspiracy to traffic 121 kilograms of cocaine; conspiracy to import 97 kilograms of cocaine and possession of a firearm. Duncan Pound, the chief of B.C.’s Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, said his anti-gang agency never gives its search for fugitives.
“We will not stop our relentless pursuit of those individuals who cause significant harm and pose the greatest risks to our safety due to their involvement in gang and organized crime activity,” Pound said. “Time and time again we have sought out individuals living abroad to hold them accountable and face justice in Canada. Those who remain on the run from CFSEU-B. C. should know that we will not stop until we find you.” Wong was charged with several others in the summer of 2012 after an investigation by the CFSEU that began four years earlier and spanned B.C., California, Mexico and Peru.
Canada’s chief of defence staff steps aside amid military police probe: defence minister Canada’s Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Art McDonald has stepped aside from his post while an investigation is conducted by the force’s national investigation service. In a statement released late Wednesday evening, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS) is investigating McDonald. The CFNIS is the investigative arm of the Canadian military police. It was not immediately clear what the investigation was in regards to but the news comes amidst an investigation by military police into allegations of inappropriate behaviour against former chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance, sparked by exclusive reporting by Global News. Since then, sources have told Global News the external probe promised by McDonald in
response to those allegations has been expanded to “unprecedented” levels to investigate the allegations of inappropriate behaviour from the former military chief, as well as to root out those who were complicit. Global News has reached out to the Department of National Defence to determine the nature of the investigation into McDonald, but did not immediately hear back. “I was informed that Admiral Art McDonald has voluntarily stepped aside while the investigation is ongoing,” the statement read. Sajjan said he has appointed LieutenantGeneral Wayne Eyre as Acting Chief of the Defence staff. “I will have no further comment at this time due to the ongoing investigation,” Sajjan said in the statement. McDonald was appointed Chief of Defence staff last month.
Spike in BC home sales attributed to remote work, increased savings Growing up in Tsawwassen, B.C., Ashley Bell and Brock Ranata had both heard of Southlands — a 530 acre development with homes, farmland and open fields near Boundary Bay Regional Park — but never seriously considered living there. That is, until a global pandemic dramatically changed their day-to-day lives. “We were living in our one-bedroom apartment in Vancouver and working literally a foot beside each other for eight hours a day,” said Bell, 36. “Not going to confirm or deny that that maybe had something to do with us getting more space.”The couple says before COVID-19, they were looking to buy a condo in downtown Vancouver. Working from home, however, inspired them to expand their
search criteria.In November, they said goodbye to their rental in the city’s Fairview neighbourhood and purchased a townhouse in the Southlands development with help from their parents. COVID made things in our lifestyle a lot better to then put us in this position to be out here and make it work,” said Hill, who acknowledges that not everybody has been so fortunate in the past year. “It was a catalyst for completely changing our lifestyle.”Though the pandemic initially caused home sales to slump, economists and real estate insiders say 2021’s numbers have already surpassed expectations, as many British Columbians look to capitalize on low mortgage rates and increased savings in order to purchase property — in some cases for the very first time.
Saturday, February 27, 2021 CMHC says majority of mortgage deferrals have ended, risk of arrears could re-emerge Most homeowners who sought deferrals for mortgages last year have seen their deferral periods end, but the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the risk of these borrowers falling into arrears could re-emerge. The federal housing agency says in a report that more than 250,000 homeowners with mortgages insured by CMHC sought payment deferrals between last March and September, but by the end of that period almost 65% of the deferrals had ended. CMHC says slightly more than 67% of the deferrals ended on time,
while almost 33% finished early. The data show about 85% of the mortgage deferrals still active after Sept. 30 were scheduled to expire in October, and almost 10% were due to end by the start of 2021. Only 6% of mortgage deferrals sought between last March and September were due to finish in 2021. CMHC says as deferral options expire, the risk of these mortgages entering arrears could emerge again, but the report did not quantify that risk.
BC’s COVID-19 business grant fund still mostly unspent One of the most pressing issues facing B.C. Premier John Horgan’s government when the legislature resumes sitting March 1 is its inability to provide grants of up to $30,000 to keep small businesses going until the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions are eased. Tourism businesses are eligible for up to $15,000 more, because travel restrictions have devastated their ability to operate, but eligibility rules have prevented many businesses from applying. And almost a year after borrowing the money was unanimously approved by MLAs, the business portion remains mostly unspent as businesses continue to fold. Horgan announced the program days before calling the October election, with $300 million allocated from a $5 billion emergency fund approved by the legislature last March. In December the Small and Medium Sized Business Recovery Grants program was overhauled by incoming Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon to make it easier to qualify. As of Feb. 18 the ministry reported 9,500 applications were in progress for only $21 million in grants, with a deadline of March 31 for the remaining $279 million. Due to the accounting rules of the legislature, any money not spent by the end of the fiscal year
is automatically returned to the treasury to pay down the province’s fast-growing debt. The program deadline can’t be extended because of that rule, Horgan said, but more changes may be made to get the rest of the money out to struggling businesses, with as many as one third of owners saying their operations won’t survive the pandemic. “The challenge is not criteria,” Horgan said. “The challenge is we are not having enough people asking for the money.” Interim B.C. Liberal leader Shirley Bond said there is no doubt of the need, and Horgan’s suggestion that even more changes are required is an admission of “how badly this program has been botched.” “To suggest it might be retooled again?” Bond said. “Since the moment this program was rolled out, it has been a mess. Now we’re finding a mad scramble to try to get dollars out the door.” The original program required businesses to show they lost at least 50 per cent of their revenue in each month of pandemic restrictions. With the December changes, businesses in operation for 18 months were allowed to apply, down from the original limit of three years, and an additional grant for tourism-related businesses was increased
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LOCAL / NATIONAL
Saturday, February 27, 2021 Covid-19 outbreak spreads at Vancouver hospital, affecting 16 patients, 13 staff Two more units have been added to a COVID-19 outbreak declared at Vancouver General Hospital. Two more units have been added to a COVID-19 outbreak declared at Vancouver General Hospital. A statement from Vancouver Coastal Health says outbreaks are underway on inpatient units T-14-G and T-11-G in the highrise tower of the hospital’s Jim Pattison Pavilion. The health authority says the outbreaks
are in addition to one declared Sunday in unit T-10-C in the same tower. The statement says, in total, 16 patients and 13 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. Visits to all three units have been suspended, except for end-of-life compassionate visits, and the hospital says infection prevention and control protocols are underway to prevent further transmission. Coastal Health says the rest of the hospital, including the emergency room, remain open and operating as usual.
Baffled Canadians spread reports of ‘Hard’ Butter There’s something off about the butter in Canada that’s left many flustered residents looking for answers. For weeks, Canadians have increasingly churned up debate on social media with anecdotes about “hard” butter that fails to spread as easily as it once did. “Something is up with our butter supply, and I’m going to get to the bottom of it,” cookbook author Julie Van Rosendaal tweeted earlier this month, renewing speculation. “Have you noticed it’s no longer soft at room temperature? Watery? Rubbery?” While some respondents blamed cold winter temperatures for the alleged change in consistency, others felt their suspicions were validated. Some food experts are linking “buttergate” to the increased presence of a palm oil derivative — a conclusion that’s been dismissed by the dairy industry, which says it is investigating the matter. For food researcher Sylvain Charlebois, suspicion began last year when he
noticed differences in comparing an organic stick of butter with a regular one. “Is it me or is #butter much harder now at room temperature?” Charlebois, the senior director of Dalhousie University’s AgriFood Analytics Lab, tweeted in December. While he says that more testing is needed, Charlebois, who dubbed the saga “buttergate,” is convinced that an increased use in palmitic acid — a byproduct of palm oil that’s commonly added to cow feed — is the most likely culprit. Van Rosendaal also has pointed the finger at palm oil, writing in a piece last week for The Globe and Mail that “though it’s perfectly legal for dairy farmers to use palm fat in livestock feed, whether they should be is a contentious issue.” Charlebois surmised that a mystery acid could be at work in October, when the British Columbia Milk Marketing Board posted a memo about issues with nonfoaming milk in which it mentioned a link between fatty acids and non-foaming milk.
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Canadian Parliament calls for China to lose ’22 Winter Olympics Even the lefties at Deadspin sports blog get it right once in a while. Dustin Foote’s Tuesday Deadspin blog exposed the NBA for its silence on China at a time when Canada is calling for the 2022 Winter Olympics to be removed from the genocidal communist nation. While the big mouths of the NBA are usually flapping about social justice and systemic racism, they are Velcro-lipped on and protecting their revenue sources in China. Earlier this week, Canada’s House of Commons voted 266-0 to accuse China of committing genocide on more than a million Uighurs in its Xinjiang province. Canada’s far Left Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who recently allowed Chinese troops to train up in the Great White North, and his cabinet abstained from the vote.
Foote points out that human rights groups, Uighur activists, the United Nations, and others have provided credible reports that China is forcing Uighur Muslims and other ethnic minorities into indoctrination camps. Canada’s Parliament called for the International Olympic Committee to take away the 2022 Olympic games from Beijing. Former U.S. President Donald Trump called out China for genocide, but the Biden Administration is slowly reviewing the situation. Biden recently excused China’s oppressive regime as a cultural norm, though he labeled it “genocide” last August. Foote confirmed the NBA’s shameful reputation for putting profit over principle with regards to the brutal Chinese communists.
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LOCAL / NATIONAL
Saturday, February 27, 2021
BC seniors over age 80 to get info next week on when they’ll get vaccinated British Columbia is expected to start informing people over age 80 about their vaccinations for COVID-19 starting next week as the province prepares to open mass clinics while doing more in-depth testing for variants.Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said B.C. is in a phase of “vaccine hope and pandemic reality” but an agebased immunization plan will remain in place despite some calls to prioritize essential workers. “I think that’s been absolutely supported across the world,” she told a news conference Tuesday.
“Our goals are to minimize morbidity and mortality and to minimize the impact on society of the pandemic. And the primary goal that we have is to keep our healthcare system functioning and to protect lives with the amount of vaccine that we have.” Any change in the immunization plan to prioritize both essential workers and people who can’t work from home would be considered after enough vaccines are available, Henry said.
Vaccinating essential workers before seniors in BC could save lives: experts British Columbia should change its COVID-19 vaccine rollout plans to prioritize essential workers who can’t avoid contact with others, suggests research from mathematical modelling experts at Simon Fraser University. In a paper out Wednesday, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, the experts outline how their modelling shows vaccinating
essential workers earlier could prevent more infections, hospitalizations and deaths than the province’s age-based approach. The shift in strategy for vaccinating the general population could also save millions in healthcare costs and reduce instances of so-called long COVID, or people who experience symptoms for more than 28 days, they say.
Jordan’s Principle order may cost feds $15Billion in compensation to First Nation The parliamentary budget office (PBO) says it could cost the federal government up to $15 billion to compensate First Nations families and children impacted by the child welfare system, as well as denials or delays of essential services. The figure updates the budget office’s initial estimate to include thousands more children, parents and grandparents who would qualify for the $40,000 payments under recent developments in the case. Jordan’s Principle requires governments
to cover the cost of services for First Nations children, and work out any disputes over jurisdiction afterwards. The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has ordered the government to compensate children and families who had been denied service, or faced delays. The updated report adds roughly 100,000 more First Nations children, along with their parents and grandparents, whose compensation would alone be about $10 billion.
BC Liberals join coalition to call for pay equity
Dentists, midwives and pharmacy technicians allowed to give vaccine in BC Dentists, midwives, pharmacy technicians and a raft of other health professionals will be recruited for mass vaccination clinics to open next month in B.C. The provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said she issued a public health order on Tuesday that would make it easier for health authorities to hire for the 172 clinics set to open provincewide. COVID-19: Dentists, midwives and pharmacy technicians allowed to give vaccine in B.C. “We have run mass clinics before, and
this is going to be a big scale. At a scale that we have not done in many, many years. And it will be prolonged,” Henry said. “We are looking at large numbers of people, which is one of the reasons I put the order in today about being able to recruit people to work over time in these clinics, to provide different functions.” Dr Bonnie said that over the next two weeks health authorities would contact people aged 80 and over who are living independent.
Vancouver Coastal Health VP removed ‘without cause’ Five days after refusing to provide any detail on her removal other than confirming it happened, a Vancouver Coastal Health spokesperson has reached out to CTV News in answer to a question posed to them last week. Karin Olson, who’d been the vice president and chief operating officer for the coastal district was suddenly removed from her post at the end of January in a move that came as a shock to medical staff, according to a leaked memo obtained by CTV News. Her duties included oversight of medical services for coastal communities, including Bella Coola, where a botched vaccine rollout frustrated the Nuxalk Nation and even led to allegations of racism. When asked whether Olson’s termination had anything to do with that issue, Vancouver Coastal Health initially refused to respond to the question – but a spokesperson has now
decided to address it, days after the media coverage began. “We can confirm that the conclusion of Karin Olson’s employment was without cause and was not related to the vaccine roll-out,” they wrote in an email. When asked to elaborate, VCH responded that’s all they have to say at this time, and so the circumstances of her termination are still shrouded in mystery and the subject of speculation and rumours within the medical community with no clear answers. Olson is a veteran medical administrator with a background in nursing and executive MBA from UBC’s Sauder School of Business. A search is underway for her successor while Sean Parr is filling the role on an interim basis. “As VCH recruits for a Vice-President, Coastal Community of Care, solid leadership continuity is in place across the Coastal communities,” wrote the health authority.
Press release
Karin Kirkpatrick, BC Liberal Critic for Children, Family Development and Childcare is joining Equal Work – Equal Pay B.C. today to call on John Horgan and the NDP to deliver pay equity for non-unionized workers in the community service sector. “It’s unconscionable that in the middle of a pandemic, the very people who put their health at risk to keep the rest of us safe are being discriminated against because the NDP is making policy decisions based on ideology, rather than equity and fairness,” said Kirkpatrick. “If this is not an example of government interference resulting in unfair labour practice, I don’t know what it is.”
Since April 2019, the B.C. Liberals have been asking when John Horgan would end the practice of pay discrimination against the 17,000 non-unionized workers — mostly women — who are offering the same level of essential community services as unionized workers, but for less money. “As the Legislative Session is set to begin next week, we ask this government to immediately equalize funding and to pay the wage increases to non-union employers, which have been held back since April of 2019,” added Kirkpatrick. “It’s unacceptable for the NDP to disrespect the hard-working workers and punish them, simply for being non-unionized.”
Canada wants 2022 Winter Olympics out of China, says country is committing ‘genocide’ The 2022 Winter Olympics are less than a year away and one country is starting to call for the games to relocate over egregious human rights abuses. Yesterday, Canada’s House of Commons voted to formally announce that China is committing genocide on over one million Uighurs in its Xinjiang province. The motion passed 266-0, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet abstaining from the vote. Human rights groups, Uighur activists, the United Nations, and other researchers, have brought forth numerous credible reports of
China rounding up Uighur Muslims and other ethnic minorities into Chinese “training centers” that are really indoctrination camps. In addition to formally recognizing the genocide for what it is, the resolution also called for the International Olympic Committee to move the 2022 Olympic games from Beijing. In a press briefing last week, Trudeau said he will continue to follow the International Olympic Committee, the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s lead on tackling China’s human rights violations. Translation: he wont do anything about it.
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LOCAL / NATIONAL
Saturday, February 27, 2021
Most Canadians support travel restrictions, Ipsos poll finds As travel restrictions have clipped the wings of many snowbirds hoping to fly south to their Florida homes for the winter, the vast majority of Canadians support the new travel rules — and very few think exceptions should be made for those with second residences south of the border. That’s the finding from a new Ipsos poll, which comes on the heels of the federal government announcing fresh travel restrictions. Those new rules include a mandatory hotel quarantine for those flying into Canada that carries with it a $2,000 price tag, as well as multiple compulsory PCR COVID-19 tests. COVID-19 cases across the country have been falling recently though public health officials warned on Friday the pandemic could “resurge rapidly” if public health measures are lifted further. New variants of the coronavirus, which are believed to have emerged abroad, have spread throughout Canada as a result of international travel. While 41 per cent of Canadians think some exceptions should be made when it comes to people who left the country before the new, stricter travel rules were announced, that sympathy dissipates slightly when it comes
to snowbirds travelling to second homes or long-term rentals in sunny destinations. When asked whether “we need to be more supportive of the needs of Canada’s ‘snowbirds’ who travel to second homes or longer-term rentals in places like Florida, Arizona, Mexico,” just 31 per cent of Canadians told Ipsos they agreed. “Interestingly, the people who are hardest on snowbirds are older Canadians, which suggests that they’re making different choices than the people that they’re seeing who are travelling south and taking on their usual snowbird lifestyle,” said Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos, in an interview with Global News. “Or maybe there’s a few people who would like to be snowbirds who are upset that other people can do it, but (there’s) not a lot of sympathy for snowbirds right now.” The vast majority of Canadians also support the new travel restrictions overall, the polling numbers show. Most people, 83 per cent, agreed that they support the new travel rules, including “pre-testing, testing upon arrival, and a mandatory hotel quarantine at the traveller’s own expense.”
NDP will not trigger election as long as Covid-19 pandemic continues: Jagmeet Singh NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not trigger an election as long as the COVID-19 pandemic persists. Singh says he will stand by his pledge to prop up the Liberal minority government on confidence votes regardless of whether the Liberals back an NDP bill to implement universal pharmacare, due for a vote later today. The government is expected within the next couple months to table a budget, which would trigger an election if it fails to garner support from at least one major opposition party.
New Democrats have been hyping their pharmacare legislation in advance of a vote that will either kill Bill C-213 or send it to committee for further scrutiny. The NDP and Liberals both promised some kind of pharmacare program during the 2019 federal election campaign, but differ on the details. Singh says his party’s universal medication plan, laid out in a private member’s bill sponsored by MP Peter Julian, resembles the framework recommended by a governmentcommissioned report released in June 2019.
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Some travellers from Toronto Pearson International Airport violating Quarantine Act Several international travellers arriving at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport have refused to comply with a new rule requiring a three-day hotel quarantine, local police said Wednesday. Peel Region police said that while most cases were resolved after conversations with officers, some people refused to follow the rules that took effect this week and were fined $880 under Ontario regulations. Police said they will not detain anyone for breaking the hotel quarantine rule unless there are aggravating circumstances involved, such as a criminal offence. They added that the Public Health Agency of Canada would be responsible
for any further potential fines for travellers under the Quarantine Act. The Quarantine Act states that anyone arriving in Canada must stay in an isolation hotel for three nights. They may only leave after a negative COVID-19 test, but are expected to self-isolate for a total of 14 days. Dr. Lawrence Loh, Peel Region’s medical officer of health, said Wednesday that the quarantine measures are in place to protect the public. “It’s unfortunate (…) that this might be occurring,” said Loh. “Please remember that it’s a disease that spreads from person to person and it takes all of us to do our part.”
Procurement Minister won’t say whether Canada waived right to sue over vaccine delays Procurement Minister Anita Anand is not saying whether the Canadian government waived its right to sue over delays by coronavirus vaccine suppliers in any of the contracts signed, as the European Union appears to have done with AstraZeneca. In an interview with Global News Morning, Anand was asked what recourse the federal government has if it encounters delays to shipments of coronavirus vaccines such as those that dried up or severely reduced deliveries during the end of January and early February. The question came in light of news late last week that the European Union waived its right to sue over delays, according to a more fulsome copy of the bloc’s contract with AstraZeneca that was released by Italian public broadcaster RAI.
“If there are delays of any sort, does Canada have any kind of recourse?” asked Antony Robart, host of Global News Morning. “In other words, did Canada give up the right to sue any of these vaccine manufacturers over any possible delay?” “Well, let’s be clear — lawsuits are not going to bring vaccines into this country any more quickly,” said Anand. “What we need to make sure we are doing is having solid relationships with the vaccine manufacturers so that they do abide by their contractual commitments, and that’s exactly what they’re doing.” The federal government has faced criticism from opposition parties over its response to the delays in deliveries of vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna in recent weeks.
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
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
$210,000
9420 119 ST., N.DELTA
10520 128 ST., SURREY
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.
Absolutely gorgeous family-home with TWO mortgage helper suites and plenty of room on the main floor with 4 large bedrooms, master bedroom with a walk-in closet and ensuite bathroom, multiple living areas with 2 fireplaces, and a spacious kitchen. Kitchen lets out to a large covered sun-deck to enjoy a cup of coffee in the summer or host a BBQ. Large backyard with a brand new fully-surrounded fence with plenty of room for children or pets. Entire property is beautifully landscaped with a large decorative palm tree and multiple fruit trees including fig, apple, pear and cherry trees.
$1,070,000
$1,448,880
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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Looking Up
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INDIA
Saturday, February 27, 2021
UK judge orders Nirav Modi to be extradited to India In a comprehensive extradition win for Indian authorities, a UK judge has ruled that fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi not only has a case to answer in the Indian courts but that there is no evidence to suggest he would not receive a fair trial in India. Nirav Modi, wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering in the estimated $2-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case, lost his legal battle against extradition on all grounds as District Judge Samuel Goozee also concluded that there are no human rights concerns that his medical needs would not be addressed as per several Indian government assurances. The 49-year-old appeared via video link at Westminster Magistrates’ Court from
Wandsworth Prison in southwest London, dressed in a formal suit and sporting a thick beard, and showed no emotion as excerpts of the judgment were read out in court. “I am satisfied that there is evidence upon which Nirav Deepak Modi could be convicted in relation [to] the conspiracy to defraud the PNB. A prima facie case is established,” the judge noted. He similarly concludes a prima facie case to have been established on all counts of charges brought by the Central
Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) — money laundering, intimidation of witnesses and disappearance of evidence. “I am not required to exclude all Mr Modi’s various alternative theoretical possibilities and narratives; nor exclude his personal interpretation of the evidence, in order to find a prima facie case has been established,” the judge noted, referring to the extradition case of former Kingfisher Airlines boss Vijay Mallya as precedent.
He accepted that while Nirav’s mental health had deteriorated due to the lengthy incarceration in a London prison, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, his risk of suicide does not meet the high threshold to satisfy him that his mental state is such that it would be “unjust or oppressive” to extradite him. Under the UK Extradition Act 2003, the judge will now send his findings to the Secretary of State for Home Affairs, Priti Patel. It is the UK Cabinet minister who is authorised to order an extradition under the India-UK Extradition Treaty and has two months within which to make that decision. The Home Secretary’s order rarely goes against the court’s conclusions, as she has to consider only some very narrow bars to extradition
Explosive substance found near Ambani House A suspicious vehicle with gelatin, an explosive material, inside was found parked near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house in Mumbai on Thursday evening, police said. The vehicle was found on Carmichael
Road near ‘Antilia’, Ambani’s residence, a police official said. A Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) team reached the spot immediately, he said.
It was not an assembled explosive device, he said, adding that further investigation was on. Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh told news channels that the vehicle, a Scorpio van, was found some distance
away from the multi-storey residence of Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries. The Crime Branch of Mumbai police is conducting probe, he said.
England slump to two-day Test defeat against India in Ahmedabad England were on the wrong end of cricketing carnage in Ahmedabad as they succumbed to the embarrassment of a two-day defeat by India. When Rohit Sharma clubbed the winning six to seal a
10-wicket home win under lights it ended a dizzying day of activity that added up to a hopelessly uneven contest between bat and pink ball but also a deserved victor.
Two-day finishes are rare for a reason – there have been only six others in the last 75 years – and it took a mixture of fine bowling, deeply flawed batting and a pitch unsuitable for long-form matches to add to that list.
To dismiss any of the three factors would be myopic and unhelpful, but while 17 wickets in the first two sessions made for high-octane entertainment it was a mostly unedifying spectacle.
Saturday, February 27, 2021 India sets stricter rules for social media giants India has announced new regulations for social networks and other web services in the country, particularly “significant social media” companies with large user bases, like Facebook and Twitter. India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) announced the rules earlier today. They require social media companies to establish a “grievance redressal mechanism” for users, including official “grievance officers” who acknowledge complaints within 24 hours and resolve them within 15 days. Services must also remove nudity and sexually explicit content within 24 hours of a user flagging it. “Significant social media intermediaries” face additional responsibilities. These companies must appoint India-based officials that work with law enforcement and publish a monthly report on their moderation activity.
President’s Rule imposed in Puducherry President’s Rule was imposed in Puducherry following a recommendation by the Union Cabinet after a Congressled government lost power in the Union Territory in a vote of confidence. The notification, signed by President Ram Nath Kovind, said the decision was taken after the President received a report from the administrator of the Union Territory of Puducherry on February 22. It said after considering the report and other information received by him, the President was satisfied that a situation had arisen in which the administration of the Union Territory of Puducherry could not carry on in accordance with the provisions of the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 (20 of 1963).
India searching for Rohingya adrift without food, water: UN The UN refugee agency said the Indian coast guard had answered its plea to look for a boat carrying Rohingya refugees believed to be adrift in the Andaman Sea without food and water for several days. The boat was believed to have left Bangladesh two weeks ago and then broken down at sea, with the UN and rights groups reporting many of the about 90 refugees on board now suffering acute dehydration. Their families are worried many may have already died. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said on Wednesday it does not know the boat’s exact current location. The agency on Monday had alerted nearby nations to look for the boat and said it was prepared to offer humanitarian assistance if it was found.
INDIA
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INDIA
Saturday, February 27, 2021
Sardar Patel stadium renamed after Narendra Modi President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday inaugurated the Narendra Modi Stadium, which is now the world’s largest cricket stadium with a seating capacity of 1,32,000 fans. Spread over 63 acres, the Sardar Patel stadium, popularly known as the Motera Stadium, has 11 pitches in the square, besides possessing a unique subsoil drainage system that helps in draining the wet ground in 30 minutes. “It is a coincidence that when the old stadium was being constructed the then President Giani Zail Singh was here. And now that it has been reconstructed and renamed after Honourable Prime Minister Narendra
Modi I got the opportunity to be here,” the President said after the inauguration ceremony. Earlier, the President along with the First Lady Savita Kovind, also, performed the ‘bhumi pujan’ of the proposed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave. The proposed facility, once complete, will have a cycling velodrome, aquatic centre, indoor sports centre, a tennis centre and an athletics cum football stadium. Located at the Sabarmati riverfront, the multi-sports facility will also include hotels, retail and food courts.
More Covid-19 cases in Mumbai The highest in 129 days, a total of 8,807 fresh Covid-19 cases were added to Maharashtra’s daily tally on Wednesday. The state reported 80 deaths, highest in two months since December 24, when 89 deaths were reported. With this, the total cases in the state jumped to 21,21,119 and the toll touched 51,937. Mumbai also saw a three-month high in daily Covid-19 cases. It
reported 1,167 new infections, the highest in 119 days. The last time the city had more than 1,167 cases was on October 28, when 1,354 were detected and Mumbai was merely coming out of the peak. It is also after 88 days since November 28 (1,063) that the city has added over 1,000 cases in a day.
E-commerce delivery boy & his aide arrested for raping 66 women One of the accused, Vishal Verma, was working for an e-commerce delivery platform. In the pretext of receiving feedbacks, Vishal managed to get the contact details of his victims. Later on, he lured them into video calls. Vishal used the screenshots to blackmail the women, mostly married, and subsequently raped them when they turned up at his house in Bandel, reported Bengal daily Aajkal. Acting on a rape complaint filed by a local woman from Chinsurah, the two accused, Vishal and his aide Suman
were picked up from their residence. Reportedly, Vishal had extorted money and jewellery from his victims at gunpoint. Vishal has revealed to the police that the woman who had filed the complaint against him was his 66th victim. According the woman, Vishal had befriended her after he had delivered a good at her place two months back. When she had gone to his place, Vishal had raped her. After the police raided Vishal’s house on Saturday, they had caught him
Govt ready to talk with protesting farmers: Narendra Singh Tomar The government is ready to resume talks with protesting farmers if they respond to its offer to put the three contentious farm laws on hold for one-and-a-half years and work out the differences during that time through a joint committee, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Wednesday. Tomar said the government is committed towards the interest of farmers and agriculture. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is making efforts to double farmers’ income and strengthen the Indian agriculture sector, he said at an event to mark the second anniversary of PM-Kisan scheme. On whether the government is making any effort to resume talks with unions in view of BKU leader Rakesh Tikait’s threat to march to the Parliament on 40 lakh tractors if laws are not repealed, Tomar said the government has been
holding discussions with farmers sympathetically. “Even today, whenever their response comes, the government is always ready to hold talks,” he said. Meanwhile, riding high on bumper rice and wheat output, India’s foodgrains production in 2020-21 is slated to touch a record 303.34 million tonnes (MT) up from the 297.5 MT produced in 2019-20, according to second advance estimates of crop production. Announcing the latest production estimates, Tomar said, “The second advance estimates of production of major crops reveal a record production of 303.34 million tonnes of food grains, which clearly outlines the tireless hard work of farmers, research by agricultural scientists, and farmer-friendly policies of the Central government. All-round agricultural reforms will also benefit the country in the long run.”
Disengagement win-win situation for both sides: Army chief The disengagement of armies of India and China from north and south banks of Pangong Tso is a “very good end result” and a win-win situation for both the sides, Army Chief Gen M M Naravane said on Wednesday, stressing that there are strategies in place to address other pending issues in eastern Ladakh. He said there were no signs of an “overt collusion” between China and Pakistan during the Ladakh standoff but India also caters to a long term strategy for not a two, but a two-and-half front war. With the half front, he was referring to the internal security.
He said right from the beginning of the standoff, all sides on the Indian side worked together. Be it at the political level, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to their Chinese counterparts, he said. “We were all in it together. We had our plan chalked out which we had discussed on what should be the way forward. Whatever has panned out, has happened as a result of that. What we have achieved so far is very good,” Naravane said at a webinar organised by Vivekanada International Foundation. The advice which was given by National Security Adviser also came in extremely
People over 45 to get Covid-19 shots from next week The govt has announced that people over 60 years and those above 45 with comorbidities can get coronavirus vaccine from 1 March. The vaccine will be offered free of cost at
government facilities and for a charge at many private hospitals, the Union Cabinet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided on Wednesday.
India, Pak agree to follow all ceasefire pacts India and Pakistan have agreed to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and other sectors, according to a joint statement on Thursday. The decision on ceasefire, effective since Wednesday midnight, was taken at a meeting
between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan. The DGMOs held discussions over the established mechanism of hotline contact and reviewed the situation along the Line of Control and all other sectors in a “free, frank and cordial atmosphere”.
Sourav Ganguly faces condemnation for tweet crediting PM Modi, Amit Shah for world’s largest stadium BCCI President Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday faced widespread outrage for his decision to praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on the inauguration of the world’s largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad. While some
slammed him for being a ‘coward,’ others wondered if he had formally joined the BJP. Taking to Twitter, Ganguly wrote, “Will miss being at the stadium today ..what an effort it must have been to create this ..pink test was our dream and it’s going be the 2nd one in india.
Rahul Gandhi takes dig at PM Modi over renaming of Motera Stadium Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter over the renaming of the Motera Stadium over the prime minister’s name and stands named after Adani and Reliance. “Beautiful how the truth reveals itself. Narendra Modi stadium - Adani end Reliance end With Jay Shah presiding.
#HumDoHumareDo,” Gandhi tweeted. The stands at the renovated stadium have been named after Adani and Reliance. The stadium was constructed in 1983 and was first renovated in 2006. It became the regular venue for international matches in the city. In 2015, the stadium was closed and demolished before being completely rebuilt by February 2020.
India’s ASEAN journey has much further to go Very often, especially after India’s recent refusal to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), we hear that “the ASEAN-India FTA is not good for India”. While India’s free trade agreement (FTA) with the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) was finalized in 2009 and came into
effect in 2010, the country’s trade association with the bloc was not an isolated event, but a phenomenon that has emerged naturally and grown over time. The geographical zone it covers has disparate countries, but is a contiguous region that offers a unique space for various economic and geostrategic interests to move hand-in-hand.
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Punjab Farmers will be ruined by closure of markets (mandi) : Yogendra Yadav Social activist Yogendra Yadav on Tuesday said if ‘’mandis’’ are closed due to the Centre’s new agri laws the farmers of Punjab and Haryana will be ruined as the government would no longer procure their crops. Addressing a “Kisan Mahapanchayat” organised by United Kisan Morcha in Rajasthan’s Sikar district in support of the ongoing farmers’
agitation against the agri laws, Mr Yadav exuded confidence that these legislations will be repealed. =Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait and former MLA Amra Ram also attended the “mahapanchayat”. Mr Yadav said the government will not procure farmers’ crops if “mandis” are closed due to the three agri laws enacted by the Centre.
Deep Sidhu requests Delhi court for fair probe Actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu on Thursday moved a Delhi court seeking a fair and impartial investigation in the matter against him in connection with the violence at Red Fort on Republic Day. In his plea, filed by advocate Abhishek Gupta, Sidhu sought to issue directions to the investigating agency to call, preserve and
make part of the record of investigation the material related to the case and to conduct a fair and impartial investigation in the matter. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gajender Singh Nagar will hear Sidhu’s plea on Friday. Sidhu was arrested by the Delhi police special cell on February 9 for his alleged involvement in the January 26 violence in the national capital.
Punjabi folk singer Sardool Sikander dies at 60 World renowned Punjabi singer Sardool Sikander passed away in Mohali on Wednesday. He was 60. Sardool Sikander was hospitalized for his kidney treatment and other ailments for the past few days. “Sikander, who was diabetic, was recently treated for Covid-19. He had undergone renal transplant in 2016 and Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)
in 2003,” the hospital said in statement. He was admitted to Fortis Mohali on January 19 in serious condition with complaints of low oxygen levels, it added. Sikandar known for his famous filmi, folk songs, singles, duets & religious. As news of his demise went viral, celebrities and fans expressed condolences from around the world.
Housewife wins Rs 1 crore from lottery ticket that cost Rs100 A housewife from Amritsar has won the first prize in a lottery worth Rs 1 crore from a ticket that cost her Rs 100. As per a statement from the state government, the lucky winner, Renu Chauhan, on Thursday submitted the ticket and required documents to the State Lotteries Department for encashment of her prize. Expressing elation for the godsend amount, Chauhan said that the blessing has
come as a huge relief to her middle-class family. “My husband runs a cloth shop in Amritsar and this bumper prize money will be a great help so that our family can lead a smooth life,” she said. The results of the Punjab State Dear 100 + monthly lottery were announced in a draw on February 11, an official spokesperson from the Punjab State Lotteries Department informed.
Pakistan Health expert warns against Covid-19 virus complacency Special Assistant to PM on National Health Services, Dr Faisal Sultan warned against complacency in following Covid-19 precautions and said the threat of Coronavirus variants remained which the govt was keeping a close eye on. Dr Faisal Sultan was addressing a ceremony
in Islamabad where he provided updates on Pakistan’s vaccination campaign. He said the struggle against Covid-19 was “not over yet”, adding that after facing the second coronavirus wave, there was now a new threat of Covid-19 variants.
Afghan Taliban have had sanctuary in Pakistan: former US general A former top US military official has told lawmakers that the Afghan Taliban have had sanctuary in Pakistan and the terror group originated from the madrassas in that country. During a Congressional hearing on Tuesday, General (rtd) Joseph F Dunford, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also told lawmakers that the probability of
civil war is high in the wake of a precipitous US withdrawal from Afghanistan. “We know that the Taliban have had sanctuary in Pakistan. We know that they have an active diplomatic effort travelling to Moscow, travelling to Beijing, travelling to other countries. We know they travel in the Gulf. We know Iran has provided some material support,” he said.
Election Commission of Pakistan orders re-election in Daska by-poll Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruled that re-election to be held in entire NA-75 Daska constituency after suspicions results may have been falsified. Election Commission, while hearing an application by a candidate Nosheen Iftikhar, declared the poll held in the constituency null and void. A fivemember commission, headed by Chief Election
Commissioner, announced the decision and ordered fresh by-elections to be held on March 18. The order was issued using the powers conferred on the ECP under Article 218 (3) of the Constitution and Article 19 (1) of the Election Act, 2017. It noted that “on the day of the election, chaos was spread in the entire constituency.”
Lawmaker apologises for tweet hurting Hindu community Member of National Assembly M.N.A (Member of Parliament), Dr Amir Liaquat Hussain, from Karachi, started the controversy when he tweeted an image of a Hindu deity to mock Opposition party leader Maryam Safdar Nawaz . Dr Amir Hussain, who is also tv host, faced flak from the Hindu community, civil society and other politicians for the tweet.
Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ruling PTI party’s representative from Tharparkar, Sindh criticised the tweet as “shameful act”. “Strongly condemned this shameful act by someone who claims to be a religious scholar also but doesn’t know the respect for other religions,” Vankwani, who is also the chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council, tweeted.
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Five police officers appear in Court on charges related to planting drugs in complainant’s vehicle Police attempted to block the media from entering in courtroom where five Police officers appeared on charges related to planting drugs in the vehicle of a 23-year-old complainant. The five are Police Constables Rusiate Tuga Ralase, 39, Simione Basulu, 29, Samuela Antonio, 24, Orisi Tukana, 24 and Police Inspector Apisalome Vesikula, 37. They appeared at the Magistrates Court in Suva before Magistrate Jeremiah Savou. An altercation between the media and
Police officers who escorted their own, broke out when they blocked the media personnel from entering the courtroom. Before this, the Police officers who were charged were seen to arrive at the courthouse about two hours earlier than their appearance time. A video footage showed that the accused were hidden in the Juvenile Bureau Office from the public eye.
Former Fiji man killed in Christchurch The Fijian who died in Christchurch, New Zealand, from allegedly being hit several times by a hammer on Sunday, once aspired to build a retirement home in Nadi. Faiz Ali, 33, of Armagh Street, Christchurch, was allegedly murdered by a man known to him. The man fronted the Christchurch District Court and was granted interim name suppression and remanded in custody to appear in the High Court at Christchurch on March 14 Speaking at his home in Nadi yesterday,
Mr Ali’s brother, Tashlim Ali said the tragedy had become a double blow for them. “We are supposed to complete our daily evening prayer for our father on Saturday,” Tashlim said. “Now we have to extend for another 40 days for my younger brother. It is a big loss.” The victim is said to be a divorcee and had two children. He worked as a hairdresser at Namaka before moving to New Zealand seven years ago. He worked as a manager at the Krazy Price Mart, Philipstown.
Commission filed new charges against former Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) manager Shameem Khan The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption has filed new charges in the case of former Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) manager, Shameem Khan. The new charges are: Abuse of office: It is alleged that Khan, between January 1, 2016 and May 5, 2017, while being employed in the public service as the Chief Ethical Standard Unit Officer and the Director Intelligence, Compliance and Investigations respectively at Fiji Revenue and Customs Services (FRCS) did an arbitrary act in abuse of
the authority of his office, namely prepared an investigation report with false contents and submitted to the Chief Executive Officer of FRCS which is an act prejudicial to the rights of the FRCS. False information to public servant: It is alleged that Khan, between January 1, 2016 and May 5, 2017, gave to the then FRCS chief executive officer Visvanath Das information contained in the investigation report which he knew or believed to be false.
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