www.theasianstar.com Vol 19 - Issue 31
Saturday, September 5, 2020
BC on cliff edge over COVID-19 infections B.C. continues to expand its testing capacity, with 28,025 tests completed in the last week alone. Henry said rates of transmission remain low in most parts of the province, and she believes it’s still possible to reflatten the curve of infection if everyone recommits to preventing transmission. “We are trying to maintain a fine balance, but we are on an edge,” she said. Right now, British Columbians are maintaining an average of about 65 per cent of their regular, pre-pandemic connections. Bringing that back down to about 50 per cent could bend the curve back down.
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PM Trudeau brushes aside ethics critics Prime Minister Justin Trudeau brushed off a question about his ethical compass Wednesday, saying Canadians will have an opportunity to draw conclusions on his record in “election campaigns.” Trudeau made the comment during an interview on CBC Radio’s “The Early Edition” after host Stephen Quinn asked if it’s fair for Canadians to wonder about their prime minister’s sense of right and wrong, particularly in light of the WE Charity controversy and multiple Conflict of Interest Act violations. The prime minister chalked up that kind of flak
to partisan politics. “I think that’s certainly something that a lot of people are talking about in opposition,” Trudeau said. “And Canadians will make their determinations in election campaigns.” He said his government is “totally focused on doing the right things for Canadians,” and referenced the “historic amounts of supports” the Liberals introduced to buttress the widespread economic shocks due to stayat-home orders because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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BC Premier says province is willing to adjust back-to-school plan Premier John Horgan says what B.C. schools look like next week could be much different than what they will look like next month. Taking questions from reporters, Horgan said his government is looking at ways to address the issues raised by parents, teachers and staff. “Teachers will be back at the beginning of the week and then we will start the process of developing the plan that will get us through next week, next month, and into the spring,” he said. “This is not about ‘here is the plan, we are sticking with it.’ Here is the start
and we will amend the plan as we need to in order to address safety and provide a quality education for our kids.” Horgan and Education Minister Rob Fleming met with B.C. Teachers’ Federation President Teri Mooring and the union executive on Wednesday. Horgan says the province is willing to look at remote learning options in an attempt to allow for physical distancing in the classroom. “I believe we have ample time to make the changes we will need going forward,” he said.
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Pakistan’s house of cards may be failing, with Gulf states openly moving closer to India Amid an increasingly polarised Muslim world, Pakistan’s strategy to maintain diplomatic ties with countries in the Middle East is no longer working. In a break from the past where the Gulf countries balanced their relations with Pakistan and India, they are now seen moving towards New Delhi and distancing from Islamabad, according to a report in the Al Jazeera. Pakistan, on the other hand, is seen moving closer to Turkey and Malaysia. two countries that Saudi Arabia sees as challengers to its stronghold within the Muslim world, according to foreign policy analysts Abdul Basit and Dr Zahid Shahab Ahmed writing in the Al Jazeera.
Pakistan, on the other hand, is seen moving closer to Turkey and Malaysia - two countries that Saudi Arabia sees as challengers to its stronghold within the Muslim world, according to foreign policy analysts Abdul Basit and Dr Zahid Shahab Ahmed writing in the Al Jazeera. The relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, went haywire last month when Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi openly rebuked the kingdom for its lack of support for Islamabad’s interests on the Kashmir issue. During a television talk-show, the Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmud Qureshi made a statement that irked the Saudi “big brother”, where
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