The Asian Star April 22 2023

Happy Vaisakhi

2 wanted for murder in India arrested in USA roundup of Sikh gangs called ‘Minta’s’ & ‘AK47’

Two men wanted for murder in India have been arrested in California in a multi-agency law enforcement operation against internecine Sikh

violence, according to a local prosecutor. Sutter County District Attorney Jennifer Dupre said on Monday the two men were “fugitives from India or wanted on a number of murders out of India”.

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Passports, tax returns, immigration applications delayed during massive Federal strike

Canada’s largest federal public-service union and Ottawa are both warning of likely service disruptions as nearly one-third of all federal workers remain on strike. The job action taken by members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada could amount to a complete halt of the tax season, slowdowns at the border and pauses to new EI, immigration

Indians ditch cash as home-grown apps like PhonePe, Paytm and QR codes make digital payments ‘much easier’

Indians ditch cash as home-grown apps like PhonePe, Paytm and QR codes make digital payments ‘much easier’. On the streets of Kherki Daula, a village outside the tech hub of Gurugram in northern India, Icha Lohar holds her young child, as she prepares for work selling claypots. She is one of millions across the country who make a living selling roadside items – but the old-fashioned routine of trading goods for money is now moving into the digital age. In front of Lohar’s stall is a

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and passport applications. In one of the largest strikes in Canada history, government workers walked off the job as of 12:01 a.m. ET Wednesday, hitting the picket lines at some 250-plus locations across the country. The bargaining groups involve some 155,000 federal public servants, including 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency staffers

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Rahul’s defamation trial highlights drift away from democracy under Modi

Two men were arrested Monday on charges that they helped establish a secret police station in New York City on behalf of the Chinese government, and about three dozen officers with China’s national police force were charged with using social media to harass dissidents inside the United States, authorities said Monday. The cases are part of a series of U.S. Justice Department prosecutions in recent years aimed at disrupting Chinese government efforts to locate

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Rahul Gandhi, India’s most prominent opposition leader and the principal adversary of the country’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, was recently disqualified as member of parliament. This came after Rahul was found guilty of defamation for comment he made about Modi’s surname at a rally in 2019. Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had also run a furious campaign demanding “Rahul Gandhi maafi mango” (Rahul Gandhi, apologise) after comments Gandhi made during his recent visit to UK.

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Budget officer says Trudeau gov’t may have ‘lost control of its spending’

Budget Officer Yves Giroux said the Trudeau government may have “lost control of its spending,” as the department of Finance forecasts halftrillion dollar budgets for the next several years with deficits until at least 2028. “The government projects $500 billion in annual spending over the next two or three years,” Giroux testified at the Senate National Finance committee. “We are going over a psychological hurdle, a very large one.”

“Has the government lost control of its expenditures?” asked Sen. Clément Gignac (QC).

“This is a good point,” replied Giroux.“Has the government lost control of its spending? I don’t know if they have lost control, but I can certainly say expenditures are rising at a sustained rate,” said Giroux.

Two arrested for operating secret Chinese Police Station in New York

Eid Mubarak

South Asian man arrested from Surrey in connection with assault & abduction of Ontario woman

A South Asian man from Delta has been arrested and transported to Ontario to face charges in relation to an alleged December 2021 attack on a woman hit with frying pan and then later abducted.

He was taken from B.C. to the York region Friday night and remains in custody.

Cops have nailed sixth suspect in the Richmond Hill beatdown of Elnaz Hajtamiri, who was lucky to escape with her life. Two weeks later, Hajtamiri, 37 at the time, was kidnapped in the dead of night from a relative’s home in Wasaga Beach by three suspects wearing police gear.

She has not been seen since.

Last Friday in Surrey, B.C., police arrested Jaspreet Singh, 24, of Delta,

B.C. York Regional Police had issued a Canada-wide warrant for Singh. He has now been charged with aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and extradited back to York Region.

Detectives are still hunting at least one more suspect in the Dec. 20, 2021 assault and suspected kidnapping attempt in a Richmond Hill underground garage. He is Sukhpreet Singh, 24, of Mississauga.

“He is encouraged to seek legal counsel and turn himself in. Investigators are reminding the public that anyone who is, or has, assisted the suspect may be subject to criminal charges,” YRP said in a press release. Singh is the sixth person arrested in relation to an assault on 37-year-old Elnaz Hajtamiri.

Traffic police busts same driver for same offence twice in four hours

A Vancouver traffic cop must have thought he was seeing double on Tuesday, after busting the same driver twice for the same offence. The VPD Traffic Section posted about the incident on Twitter, which involved the same officer and same driver in separate traffic stops in the 3800-block of Granville Street and the 1300-block of West Georgia

Street less than four hours apart.

“The driver didn’t recognize the officer and even gave the same excuse for their driving behaviour,” the traffic unit wrote.

Police said the motorist was driving in a bus-only lane, but claimed both times not to realize what they were doing was wrong.

The driver was handed a pair of tickets for $109 each.

Violent crime has technically been worse in Canada, but never quite like this. As recently as the early 1990s, the rate of knives and bullets being driven into Canadians was far higher than it is now. But amid a dramatic uptick in national violence are trends the country has never really seen before. Police officers are being shot and killed on duty at unprecedented rates. Record numbers of Canadians are being randomly attacked by people they’ve never met, for seemingly no reason.

Just on Wednesday, a 17-year-old boy was stabbed and killed on a bus in Surrey, B.C. The tragedy occurs just two weeks after a 16-year-old was killed in a similar incident in a Toronto subway station. And in the interim have come a host of transit stabbings

which didn’t make national headlines because the blades missed vital organs. And worst of all, the crime is everywhere.

When Toronto was struck by the socalled “summer of the gun” in 2005, it was a shocking anomaly within a country that was otherwise enjoying another year of dropping crime.

In the first months of 2023, skyrocketing violent crime is the new reality in basically every Canadian time zone.

In Saskatchewan, First Nations leaders are sounding the alarm on a “crisis” of on-reserve violence. Newfoundland and Labrador is coping with a 20 per cent increase in violent crime severity. In the Yukon territory, politicians and RCMP officials are reporting crime that is both “more intense” and “increasing dramatically.”

First Nation says 40 unmarked graves of children found around former school in BC

The shishalh Nation on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast says groundpenetrating radar has identified what are believed to be 40 unmarked graves of children on or near the site of the former St. Augustine’s Residential School.

A statement from the nation says it listened to elders and survivors of the residential school and stories shared of missing children have now been confirmed.

The nation says ground-penetrating radar is one of the tools it used in the archeological project, which also

includes interviews with survivors and records of documented historical events. The shishalh First Nation says it has been working with the University of Saskatchewan to find the remains of children who didn’t return from St. Augustine’s Residential School. Terry Clark, an associate professor at the university, said they always had enough proof of the remains and they strongly believe there are many more unmarked graves in the area.

Canada is seeing violent crime like never before What’s behind the wave of killings & attacks

Delhi family’s clever ‘jugaad’ (solution) to attend daughter’s wedding in USA

Weddings are an important part of our life. And it is a dream that our families should be present to witness this beautiful moment. But what to do if your dear ones aren’t able to attend this special occasion? Terrible, right? Well, you will love this wedding ‘jugaad’ by a US-based Indian family. And you will love it!

Sunil Dhar, a US-based man, was planning his son’s wedding. However, there was just one obstacle — visa! Apparently, the bride’s family didn’t have a US visa permit mandatory to enter the United States Of America. For Indians, the waiting time for a US visa can stretch up to one month, despite the deployment of temporary visa officers to Mumbai.

According to Sunil Dhar, a wedding is a memory that lasts for a lifetime and he didn’t want his daughter-in-law to have the wedding without her parents. So, he came up with the idea of shifting the location to a place that is neutral territory for the United States and Canada!

The family decided to host the wedding at Blaine, Washington, near Peace Arch — a neutral territory for both countries, and people don’t need a visa to visit. This will give a chance to the bride’s family (who have a Canadian visa) to attend the wedding without any problem! In fact, they can carry out every ceremony without any hassle. This ultimate wedding jugaad by the Dhar family enables everyone to attend this joyous occasion.

Immigration delays are a huge inconvenience for many people. This is because of a massive backlog in the visa process. Besides, students and working professionals, people who are getting married or who want to visit

their parents suffer due to this delay.

Many immigrants experience great mental hardship as a result of the difficult visa application procedure. Moreover, there is the uncertainty of when they will be reunited with their loved ones. This can be depressing and can take a toll on one’s health too! There should be a faster visa process to ensure that people don’t have to wait for too long.

Every country in the Gulf seems to try to become liberal and break social norms that have been followed for ages here. The latest one to follow the trail is Oman. What’s happening there you ask? Well, Omanis can now marry any foreign national without needing approval. That’s a revolutionary reform that has been now confirmed by the Oman government. Let’s check out the details of this act.The good news was announced by the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tarik. In the announcement, he proceeds with the statement that the law governing Omanis marrying foreigners has changed. The new decree on marriage laws was passed on Sunday in Oman.

This confirms that there would be no permit or prior approval required to marry non-Omanis. .The royal decree had seven articles, the first of which provided for the deletion of the prior law’s authority to issue laws governing Omani marriages to non-Omanis and amending the law governing Omani nationality.

The implementation of the previous law that barred Omanis and nonOmanis marriage has been cancelled.

British Columbia is bringing in a new regulation immediately to ensure diabetes patients don’t face a shortage of the drug Ozempic, touted by celebrities for its weight loss side-effects.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said Wednesday the change will ensure patients in B.C. and Canada needing Ozempic to treat their Type 2 diabetes will continue to have access to that medication and other drugs that may require protection in the future. Dix said the regulation will help prevent online or mail-order sales of Ozempic to people who don’t live in Canada and who are not in B.C. to make a purchase.

“We do not bring drugs to B.C. for them to be re-exported to the United States,” Dix said at a news conference. “Here in Canada, we have to protect the interests of B.C. patients. This is a legislated regulation response to a real problem. This action will address this problem.”

The changes come after the discovery that about 15 per cent of Ozempic prescriptions were being filled at two Vancouver locations for shipment to the United States. Earlier this month, the Nova Scotia College of Physicians and Surgeons suspended the licence of a doctor living in the United States who the college said wrote thousands of prescriptions for Ozempic, a drug some patients are seeking to help with weight loss.

OPINION

Ivy League courses, executive training, and certifications from newage self-help gurus are among the postpolitical life transition expenses claimed by former members of Parliament.

Former MPs billed taxpayers over $90,000 in ‘transitional’ education benefits: documents MPs billed the federal government’s transition support program $90,303.89. The program makes $15,000 available to former MPs, meant to assist in career transition for life outside of public office.

Documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation show that 12 former

While each former MP has up to 12 months to use the $15,000 benefit, extensions were

granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among others, Whitby MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes in 2022 claimed $3,983.34 to the Chopra Centre, a new-age wellness and educational institute co-founded by celebrity alternative-medicine guru Deepak Chopra. In 2019, she expensed $2,094.08 to San Diego-based private online school Northcentral University.

In 2022, former Fredericton MP Matt DeCourcey expensed $8,690 in transition fund dollars for a “Mini MBA” program with the McGill Executive Institute.

This is appalling and must change. Running for office is a calling it is not and should not be viewed as a career nor a stepping stone to a new one courtesy of the taxpayer. The trouble we have now is too many career politicians who have no idea about the real world and feel compelled and justified to use these perks all paid for by their neighbours. Plus a $92K severance if you don’t qualify for the pension? Where do I sign up? No wonder they all vote in unison. Don’t wish to rock the boat or be kicked off the good ship gravy train.

According to his LinkedIn page, DeCourcey spent nine months as senior adviser to the federal finance minister, before taking a two-year position as senior strategic engagement advisor to the president of the University of New Brunswick between December 2020 and February 2023.

He started a new position this month as head of corporate affairs for a California-based software development firm. He’s also a senior fellow for the Pearson Centre think tank, and a mentor with a youth-oriented education and fellowship program.

Two former MPs who billed for transition funding ultimately

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Canada changes King Charles’ official title

Canada has quietly changed King Charles’ title and any reference to the UK in it amid fears some realms may move to axe the monarch after the Coronation.

The move has been hailed as “very significant” in Canada which is one of the 14 countries outside Britain where Charles is Head of State.

It comes as ex-Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey told a new five-part series the late Queen Elizabeth II told him “I can’t resign”.

But a government bill announced yesterday revealed they will no longer include the phrase “Defender of the Faith”, and delete mention of the United Kingdom in his official royal title in Canada compared to the late Queen’s title.

Richard Deacon, retired Archdeacon of the Diocese of Saskatoon, said: “I think it is very significant. It’s a historic departure from tradition.”

Annie Cullinan, director of communications for the King’s Privy Council in Canada, said: “As we prepare for the coronation of the new monarch, a decision was made to modernize the title to bring Canada in line with other Commonwealth countries, including Australia.”

The term ‘Defender of the Faith’ has been bestowed on every monarch since Henry VIII was first given the honour by the Pope 502 years ago.

His new title will read: “Charles the Third, by the Grace of God King of Canada and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.”

The late Queen was known as “Queen Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.”

Claims that the King will swear an oath to be defender of all faiths at the Coronation have been dismissed.

There are claims of friction with Lambeth Palace over the King’s desire to include more faith groups at the ceremony - which have also been downplayed by royal sources.

Barbados ditched the Queen as Head of State 18 months ago and similar calls for republicanism are growing in Jamaica and Bahamas.

A new five-part ITV series The Real Crown: Inside the House of Windsor retalls the moment the then-Archbishop of Canterbury announced he was stepping down.

Lord Carey says: “I remember going to see the Queen once to hand in my resignation and said: ‘Your Majesty the time has come.’

“And she looked at me, more or less she said: ‘You people come and go, I can’t resign, I can’t surrender - I’ve got to keep going’.

“And I said: ‘Well, the Lord tells me at the age of 70 I’ve got to go.’ But she would never go anyway.”

Lord Carey served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991-2002 and during his period in office took part in the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 and became the first Archbishop to ordain women to the priesthood.

He also reveals how the Queen Consort talked about the earliest days of her relationship with the King during their secret meeting in Peckham.

He said: “She walked through the front door, we met and had coffee together and I was really struck by her.

“Very nice looking lady, very presentable, very intelligent, we had a really animated conversation.

“And we talked about her relationship with Charles, going way back to when they were teenagers and so on.

“And after she left, I said: ‘Well, there’s no way I could ever treat her as other than a really nice human being who’s deeply in love with Charles.’

“And that affected me in talking to other people behind the scenes and I hoped it had a way forward - I think it did.”

All five episodes of The Real Crown: Inside the House of Windsor are now available to screen on ITVX.

Campfire-sparked blaze threatened homes in Kamloops

Electricity has been restored to nearly 4,000 homes and businesses in Kamloops, B.C., after a rapidly spreading grass fire swept through an area not far from the city centre.

A statement from Kamloops RCMP says the blaze was sparked Wednesday by a campfire in Strathcona Park and a criminal investigation has begun as police search for the person who lit it. Flames came within metres of homes and

structures but RCMP Supt. Jeff Pelley says in the statement that Kamloops firefighters and the BC Wildfire Service “did an amazing job” controlling and dousing the fire.

The BC Hydro website shows power in the area on either side of the Thompson River, overlooking the Overlanders Bridge, was cut just before 3 p.m. Wednesday, but had been restored about seven hours later.

The fire was fanned by gusty winds

Shooter pointed gun, repeatedly fired at group in broad daylight

Police in New Westminster have provided an update on the Tuesday shooting that left one person injured.

On April 18, New Westminster police said gunfire broke out on Carnarvon Street around 12 p.m., resulting in one person being injured and two people in custody.

The initial crime scene on Carnarvon Street has been expanded to include Alexander Street, police said.

On Thursday, police released a few details regarding the brazen shooting.

Staff Sgt. Jeff Scott said through video evidence, officers believe a single shooter approached a group of people, pointed a firearm in their direction and repeatedly fired at the group before fleeing. “It is extremely concerning that it was in broad

daylight, near businesses, and residents in a very populated area,” Scott said.

“We want the public to know we are doing everything to address this seemingly rise in violence in New Westminster.”

A heavy police presence was seen at Royal Columbian Hospital in relatio The department said it’s upping its presence in heavily populated areas, and is “reallocating resources.”

“I have heard from residents that incidents like this cause people to feel like they can’t go downtown and can’t engage in the things they want and should be able to do,” said Chief Constable Dave Jansen.

2 wanted for murder in India arrested in USA

From page 1

They were being held without bail and California authorities will have to find out about their extradition from international authorities, she said at a news conference videocast online.

A chart released by her office showing 17 men arrested during what authorities called “Operation Broken Sword” identified the two wanted in India as Pavittar Singh and Husandeep Singh.

Dupre said that she did not think they are US citizens, but was not sure.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said that because of the operation guns “are out of the hands of dangerous individuals” and “during the investigation we prevented, at least two additional shootings”.

Dupre said that 500 law enforcement personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, local police and anti-gang forces were involved in the operation named for a

2018 incident in Yuba City in which a man was attacked so violently that the sword broke.

During the raids child pornography, narcotics, 41 firearms including AR15 semiautomatic rifles, AK47 assault rifles and at least one machine gun were seized, she said.

One person was arrested for child pornography, she said.

Those arrested belonged to two rival gangs knownas“Minta’s”and“AK47”andtheshooting victims were all gang members, Dupre said.

Statements by her and other law enforcement officials did not indicate any religious motive, although Dupre said that what propelled the violence between two gangs was “murky”.

“They started out as one group and one faction broke off and since then, they have been rivals trying to outdo each other,” showing up at places and trying to shoot each other, she said.

The fights between the two gangs started in at least 2018 with the sword attack during a Sikh parade in Yuba City.

From page 1

Two arrested for operating secret Chinese Police Station in New York

America pro-democracy activists and others who are openly critical of Beijing’s policies and to suppress their speech. One of three cases announced Monday concerns a local branch of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security that had operated inside an office building in Manhattan’s Chinatown neighbourhood before closing last fall amid an FBI investigation. The two men who were arrested were acting under the direction and control of a Chinese government official and deleted communication with that official from their phones after learning of the FBI’s probe in an apparent effort to obstruct the inquiry, according to the Justice Department. Though China is believed

to be operating secretive police outposts in countries around the globe, Justice Department officials said these arrests were the first of their kind anywhere in the world. “This is a blatant violation of our national sovereignty,” Michael Driscoll, the head of New York’s FBI field office, said at a news conference announcing the cases. The men, identified as “Harry” Lu Jianwang, 61, of the Bronx, and Chen Jinping, 59, of Manhattan, both U.S. citizens, were arrested at their homes on Monday morning. A lawyer for Lu declined to comment. An email message seeking comment was left with a lawyer for Chen.

New legislation aims to protect Canada’s dairy, poultry prices amid trade deals

Members of Parliament are rallying to bolster Canada’s system of protecting dairy and poultry prices amid trade deals, and suggest developing countries do the same.

The House of Commons trade committee is set to undertake its final, detailed review Thursday of a Bloc Quebecois bill aimed at tying trade negotiators’ hands so that new deals don’t chip away at the system that controls quotas and prices for certain industries.

Since 1972, Ottawa and the provinces have regulated the supply and cost of eggs,

dairy and poultry through steep tariffs on imports, with slight tweaks for trade deals in the last decade that have drawn the ire of Canada’s powerful agriculture lobby. The legislation would make it harder for negotiators to give ground on a system that proponents argue keeps a stable supply of goods and protects farms, but which detractors say drives up the cost of grocery bills and leads to farmers dumping millions of litres of perfectly good milk.

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Vancouver Vaisakhi Celebrations

Passports, tax returns, immigration applications delayed during massive strike

From page 1

and about 46,000 essential workers who are not part of the strike action.

The union is asking for a 13.5 per cent raise over the next three years, saying the increases are necessary to keep pace with inflation and the cost of living.

The Treasury Board and the CRA both say they have offered the union a nine per cent raise over three years, on the recommendation of the third-party Public Interest Commission.

PSAC’s national president Chris Aylward told reporters Wednesday that members are willing to strike for “as long as it takes.”

“Workers are fed up, workers are frustrated and workers are saying, ‘Enough is enough. We’re not going to take the garbage anymore.”‘

Government made public sector workers an offer that is ‘fair’: Freeland

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Thursday that the federal government’s offer to striking public sector workers is a fair one that wouldn’t burden the treasury with unnecessarily high wage costs at a time of economic uncertainty. Speaking to reporters at a nuclear power plant in Pickering, Ont., Freeland said the federal government has to remember the “hardworking people of Canada” who pay public sector wages. Echoing Treasury Board President Mona Fortier, who has said Ottawa won’t write a “blank cheque” to cover big increases in public servant pay, Freeland said there’s only a finite amount of money to go around and Ottawa needs the cash to fund other measures. “The budget was clear that, in order to spend money on Canadians and on our economic capacity, in order to spend money on the clean tax credit, it is important for the government to be thoughtful about our spending on ourselves, on the spending on the operations of government,” Freeland said, referring to a tax credit to spur green innovation.

Poeple attended Vaisakhi parade in Vancouver last week in large number, despite rainy weather.

Surrey recognized as ‘Tree City of the World’ for fourth time

The City of Surrey has been designated a ‘Tree City of the World’ for the 4th time by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

“I am proud that our City has once again been recognized as a Tree City of the World,” said Mayor Brenda Locke. “This recognition speaks to the City’s ongoing dedication in protecting our urban forests while balancing significant growth. We understand the important role trees play in creating a healthy and sustainable community.

Surrey is proud to receive this award and to be recognized for our continued commitment to ensuring a healthy, green and thriving community for future generations.”

The City of Surrey was selected as an inaugural member of the Tree Cities of the World Program in 2019 and was recognized as a Tree City in 2020 and 2021.

The Tree Cities of the World Program is an international initiative intended to recognize cities and towns that are committed to ensuring their urban forests are celebrated, properly maintained, and sustainably managed. The five standards include demonstrating an established framework of responsibility that delegates responsibility of tree care in the City; established bylaws and official policies that guide the management of the City’s forests and trees; a comprehensive inventory of the City’s forests and trees; dedicated funding to support the implementation of the City’s forest and tree management plans; and annual celebrations of trees to raise awareness among residents.

Mother of Surrey stabbing victim urges people to call police, not film violence

The mother of a teenager stabbed to death on a transit bus in Surrey says she hopes her son’s death will bring change.

Holly Indridson said while she believes there needs to be more police and security on buses, the public also needs to be more aware of what to do.

“If you see these types of acts happening, don’t film them. Call the police,” she said in an interview Tuesday.

She said teachers and other members of the public who see children with violent tendencies should refer them for help.

“There’s no reason people do these types of things,” she said of her son’s murder.

Indridson said her 17-year-old son,

Ethan Bespflug, didn’t know the man who attacked him, but was acquainted with the woman who was with his alleged attacker. Her plea comes as premiers from across the country are slated to meet with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Friday to discuss the recent spate of violence across Canada.

City of Vancouver to explore creating six-way pedestrian scramble crossings

Imagine an intersection where pedestrians can cross the street in every direction at the same time, including paint markings on the road that allow them to walk diagonally.

To achieve this six-way pedestrian crossing, a new traffic signal phase that stops all vehicle traffic is also added to the intersection.

Termed a “pedestrian scramble,” bringing this pedestrian crossing concept to Vancouver would not amount to reinventing the wheel.

The world’s best-known pedestrian

scramble is certainly Shibuya Crossing where as many as 3,000 people cross the intersection in each vehicle stop signal phase. For well over a decade, a pedestrian scramble has existed at the busy intersection at Oxford Circus in London.

Within Canada, there are five pedestrian scrambles in Toronto, including the intersection of Yonge and Dundas streets downtown.

The iconic Shibuya Crossing intersection in Tokyo with its pedestrian scramble.

New inflation data indicates a welcome slowing of inflation. Prices increased by an average of 4.3 per cent over the 12 months ending in March. That’s barely half the year-over-year inflation rate just nine months ago, in June 2022 (when inflation peaked at 8.1 per cent).

Despite this encouraging news, however, there are some important and worrying factors lurking in the weeds:

1. Core inflation (excluding food, energy, and other volatile items) is now faster than headline inflation (up 4.5 per cent in the previous year, versus 4.3 per cent for all items). This suggests future risk that inflation could rise – especially if some of the changes in non-core items (and energy, in particular) reverse themselves.

2. Indeed, almost all the slowdown in inflation since June is due to energy. The CPI excluding energy slowed just 0.7 of a

percentage point in that time: from 5.98 per cent to 5.26 per cent. In contrast, the headline all-items CPI rate slowed by 3.8 percentage points in the same time. Energy costs were the key factor driving inflation higher before June (not wages and labour costs); and by the same token, the decline in energy costs (and hence overall inflation) since June had nothing to do with painful increases in Canadian interest rates.

3. Worse yet, shelter costs are now growing faster than the overall rate of inflation – and by the biggest margin in two years. Shelter costs rose 5.43 per cent in the last 12 months, versus 4.3 per cent for overall inflation. Skyrocketing debt service charges (due to higher interest rates) rose by 26 per cent in the last year. That crushing burden more than offset the impact of higher interest rates on real estate prices (known as ‘replacement cost’ in the CPI).

Police arrest boy, 12, wanted in connection with 6 sexual assaults on Toronto walking trails

Police have arrested a 12-year-old boy suspected in a string of sexual assaults committed on public trails in Toronto dating back to last summer.

A release issued Thursday said the boy was arrested on Monday and charged with two counts of sexual assault.

As a minor, the boy’s identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The charges have not been proven in court. The release lists six alleged sexual assaults suspected by police to have been committed by the boy -- of the incidents, five took place when the suspect was 11 years old,

police said, and therefore he cannot be criminally charged for them.

The first incident took place on July 7, 2022, police said. The boy allegedly blocked a woman running on the Gatineau Hydro Corridor Trail just west of Birchmount Road with his bike before sexually assaulted her.

The next day, a second incident was reported in which the boy allegedly followed a woman riding her bike on the same trail, before asking if he could show her an “11 fingers TikTok trick,” and sexually assaulting her.

Inflation is coming down – but interest rates have nothing to do with it

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family rang in the New Year in Jamaica at an estate belonging to a family that made a large donation to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation two years ago.

The estate, home to five luxury villas, is owned by Peter Green’s family, whose relationship to the Trudeaus dates back to the ’70s, reports CBC.

Though the trip was approved by the ethics commissioner, it’s not clear whether the Prime Minister’s Office and the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner were aware of the donor relationship at the time.

Trudeau defends Jamaica trip, accuses Poilievre of struggling with ‘concept of friendship’

Speaking in the House of Commons last month, Conservative MP Pierre Paul-Hus noted that the prime minister billed Canadian taxpayers $160,000 for the trip, which ran from Dec. 26 to Jan. 4.

According to CBC, Trudeau reimbursed the equivalent value of a commercial flight for the personal trip for himself and his family, but the PMO did not reveal whether Trudeau paid for his

accommodations or other expenses out of pocket.

Several unnamed sources told the CBC they were concerned about the optics of such a trip at a time when many Canadians are struggling to stay atop of growing expenses as inflation remains high, and that support for the trip within the PMO was not unanimous.

The total cost of the trip for taxpayers was at least $162,000, including more than $115,000 related to RCMP security. Sources told CBC that some government employees who made the trip stayed at all-inclusive hotels near the Prospect estate, which was purchased by mining tycoon Harold Mitchell in the 1930s.

Mitchell is the late father-in-law of Peter Green. Green took over the mining business when his wife and Mitchell’s lone child, Mary-Jean Mitchell, died in 1985. Most of the operation was sold in 1996 for £300M (about C$500 million), reports The Times.

Stays at the estate can reach upwards of $7,000 a night during peak season, and each villa offers a personal concierge and private beach or swimming, according to the Prospect Estate website.

Police chief talks surge in transit assaults

The head of Metro Vancouver Transit Police believes the justice system needs a “bit of a reset” when it comes to repeat, violent offenders, particularly with respect to the use of knives.

In an exclusive interview, Chief Officer Dave Jones said the uptick in criminal activity the region has experienced as of late “is not like a light switch,” but an evolution over time.

“You eventually come to a point where you sit back and you realize how far you’ve gone,” he said Monday. “I think it worries me just as a citizen — how am I protected within society?”

His comments come in the aftermath of multiple attacks on Metro Vancouver buses and SkyTrains

that have left victims hospitalized with injuries, and in one case, dead.

Abbotsford teen Ethan Bespflug was killed after a stabbing on a Surrey bus on April 11, and a second-degree murder charge was laid against a 20-year-old suspect on Monday.

A man in his 20s was also stabbed at the Surrey Central SkyTrain station last Saturday and brought to the hospital in serious condition. He has since been released. Meanwhile, three suspects remain at large in a stabbing that left one person in the hospital at the Columbia SkyTrain station in New Westminster last week. No arrests have been made in connection with alleged assaults

Group of wealthy Americans warns US Democracy ‘Will Not Survive’ unless rich are taxed heavily

A group of rich Americans marked Tax Day on Tuesday by calling on the U.S. Congress to aggressively tax wealthy people like themselves, warning that the U.S. will remain in a state of “perpetual chaos” until lawmakers boldly confront the worsening inequality crisis.

“Tax Day isn’t just a filing deadline—it’s also an annual reminder that the ultra-rich exist in an entirely separate world when it comes to taxes,” said Morris Pearl, chair of the Patriotic Millionaires, an advocacy group that supports progressive taxation.

“For us, the loopholes are bigger, the rates are lower, and many rules are entirely optional,” Pearl, a former managing director at BlackRock, continued. “The tax code has been contributing to growing inequality for decades, and we’re reaching a point where the concentration of wealth is simply unsustainable. We need a change, or our economy and our democracy will not survive. For my future, my grandchildren’s future, and our country’s future, we need to tax the rich.”

PM Trudeaus rang in New Year at luxury Jamaica estate owned by Trudeau Foundation donors

Open banking could mean cheaper services and a better credit score

The Liberal government failed to meet its own deadline earlier this year to overhaul how banks handle Canadians’ data — a missed promise that industry players say has a major impact on how Canadians manage their own money.

The concern from some in the financial services industry revolves around open banking — an approach to banking that gives Canadians more choice about how and with whom they share their financial information.

Such a system could make it easier to move money and even accounts across institutions, improve access to credit for new Canadians or allow a small business owner to receive payments from customers in a way that avoids costly fees, says Alex Vronces, executive director of advocacy group Fintechs Canada.

“This system will ensure that you, not your bank, control your data,” reads the federal Liberals’ 2021 election platform, which promised to introduce a “made-inCanada model of open banking that will launch no later than the beginning of 2023.”

Now four months into the year, the rollout for open banking remains an open question for industry stakeholders like Vronces.

“There’s a worry that we’re going around

in circles in the open banking conversation right now,” he tells Global News.

“We’re not yet close to a decision on how this thing is going to be stood up and what exactly it’s going to look like. This, I think, is a pretty, pretty big risk.”

The federal government confirmed to Global News in a statement Wednesday that despite missing the early 2023 deadline, open banking is still on its radar and it hopes to have something more tangible by the end of the year.

Experts say Canada risks falling behind if it doesn’t implement the model soon, with Canadians themselves missing out on the benefits of an open banking system.

Vronces says an open banking system would allow Canadians to more efficiently connect their financial information to third parties or app developers who offer services outside what major banks typically provide.

“If there’s a company that offers a service that you want to access, but in order to access it, you need to share some of your financial information, open banking is a regulatory framework that lets you do that safely, securely and efficiently,” he says.

Zero-emission electric truck plant opens in Kelowna

Industries around the world are looking for cleaner options in order to reduce their emissions and a new facility is hoping to provide exactly that.

Wednesday was an electrifying day for the staff of Hexagon Purus with the opening of their facility in Kelowna, B.C.

Employees from around the world, elected officials and more were invited to tour the new plant.

“For me personally, it’s over 20 years in the making to get to this point with the factory in Kelowna, so very exciting. This is one of five factories that we’re opening around the globe this year,” said Hexagon Purus EVP Todd Sloan.

Hexagon Purus serves customers across the globe and works directly with companies like Toyota, Panasonic and Samsung. One of the new features of the zero-emissions plant will be an assembly line to build electric battery systems.

“We also do all the engineering work to design systems so we can build complete battery electric commercial trucks. We also have engineering here for building hydrogen fuel cell versions of the same trucks,” said Sloan.

With more clean energy options becoming available across the world, Kelowna is taking steps to be a part of that process. One of city council’s priorities is to look at things from a climate standpoint and Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas says this facility does exactly that.

“We’re seeing more and more of that and technology like that and this company coming to town will lead the path that way because it is an industry which is creating good jobs. It is a clean industry and it is an industry that is in demand,” Dyas said.

The CEO of Hexagon Purus, Mortum Holum says in recent years the company has been growing quickly, as more people look for solutions to help the climate crisis.

4/20 set to return to Vancouver with pair of unsanctioned events

Cannabis aficionados are expected to turn out in large numbers on Thursday as annual 4/20 festivities return to Vancouver at two separate locations.

Neither event has been sanctioned by the City of Vancouver.

One gathering is scheduled at Thornton Park at Main Street and Terminal Avenue, where organizers say they’ll set up a cannabis farmer’s market and are promoting the rolling of what they claim will be the “world’s largest joint.”

The other event is slated to take place at Sunset Beach Park, which has been the main location of numerous 4/20 events in recent yearsandthesubjectofsignificantcontroversy.

In an email, the Vancouver Park Board told Global News it has not had contact with organizers for this event.

It said it was aware of the Sunset Beach event, and stressed that it had not issued

any permits to organizers, who it said had failed to meet special events permitting terms including liability insurance, permit fees, adequate ground protection and safety and traffic management plans.

“That said, we respect residents’ Charter of Rights to protest, while ensuring public safety, protecting park assets and minimizing impacts to the adjacent neighbourhood and park users,” the park board said.

“As such, we are acting out of an abundance of caution and closing nearby facilities to ensure staff and public safety and support the neighbouring community.”

Closures will include the Vancouver Aquatics Centre and the Sunset Beach washrooms, concession and parking lot.

Last year’s 4/20 event was staged outside the Vancouver Art Gallery, the event’s home for several decades before moving to Sunset Beach.

Ottawa matches USA with up to $13-billion in subsidies to land Volkswagen plant

The federal government has reportedly agreed to provide approximately $13 billion in subsidies over the next decade, in order to see Volkswagen build its first overseas battery manufacturing plant in southwestern Ontario.

According to Bloomberg News, which first reported the “unprecedented” contract after speaking to Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, the plant will cost $7 billion to build.

The Canadian Press has confirmed that the contract Canada has inked will include both an initial capital investment of $700 million and then up to $13 billion in annual production subsidies, comparable to what Volkswagen would receive had it taken its business to the U.S.

In mid-March, the German automaker said its subsidiary PowerCo had plans to establish an electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing “gigafactory” facility in St. Thomas, Ont., south of London. With production planned to start in 2027, the EV battery plant is expected to employ thousands of workers once fully operational.

“Canada and Ontario are perfect

partners for scaling up our battery business and green economy jobs, as we share the same values of sustainability, responsibility and cooperation,” said chairman of PowerCo’s supervisory board, in the March statement detailing the deal. At the time and until now, the federal and provincial governments have remained tight-lipped about how much governments agreed to spend to secure the plant. Ontario has yet to release how much it plans to contribute towards this plant, or what form provincial funding may take. Any provincial contributions would be on top of what Ottawa has put on the table. Touting the deal as an indication of Canada’s growing green economy and ability to attract international investment, the move comes amid pressure for this country to remain competitive against the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) which is offering billions in clean energy and net-zero industries south of the border.

Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre members at Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Surrey celebrated Vaisakhi Festival on April 17, 2023

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Game for Senior MembersLadder Toss Balls (Bolas) Game, New Game at Shanti Niketan hall on April 23rd 2023 (Sunday) from 2,00 pm to 3.30 pm.

Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey informs South Asian Seniors that during the Tax filing period we can help you to file your Income Tax Returns for the year 2022 free of cost, through the community

volunteer program, from March 4th 2023 to April 30th 2023. Sin Card & photo ID will be required to prove your documents.

In Person Yoga Classes will continue for members only at Shanti Niketan hall every Monday and every Thursday by expert Yoga Instructor Mr. Ashwani Bansal from 10.00 am to 11.15 am

For more info call: 604 - 507 - 9945

Shailendra, the great lyricist

August 30, 1923 – December 14 ,1966

One of the best lyricist of Indian cimema

Shailendra was born as Shankardas Kesari-lal on August 30th, 1923 in Rawalpindi (Pakistan). His ancestors were basically from Arrah, a district in Bihar but settled in Rawalpindi (in pre-partition India). He lost his mother and sister at very young age. His village in bihar mostly comprised agricultural laborers then Shailendra’s father decided to shift to Rawalpindi and find work at a military hospital.

Shailendra came in contact with Indra Bahadur Khare at the Kishori Raman Vidyalay in Mathura. Both started composing poems, sitting on the rock at the bank of a pond near railway lines. Afterwards Shailendra moved to Bombay for films and Indra Bahadur Khare got his fame in

himself approached Raj Kapoor in need of money. At this time, Raj Kapoor was filming world famous ‘Barsaat’ (1949), and two of the film songs had not yet been written. For Rs. 500, Shailendra

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Raashtreey Kavita. Shailendra started his career as an apprentice with Indian Railways in Matunga workshop, Bombay in 1947. He started writing poetry during these days.

Actor, Producer, Raj Kapoor noticed Shailendra, when the latter was reading out his poem Jalta hai Punjab at a mushaira (poetic symposium).

Kapoor offered to buy the poem Jalta Hai Punjab written by Shailendra and for his movie Aag (1948). Shailendra, a member of the left wing Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA), was wary of mainstream Indian cinema and refused. However, after his wife became pregnant, Shailendra

wrote these two songs: Patli kamar hai and Barsaat mein. The music for Barsaat was composed by Shankar–Jaikishan.

The team of Shailendra, Shankar–Jaikishan & Raj Kapoor, went on to produce many hit songs.

The song “Awara Hoon” from the 1951 film Awaara, written by Shailendra, became the most appreciated song outside India at the time.

Shailendra had penned down plenty of Urdu songs for Raj Kapoor’s films. Film Shree 420 released in 1955 is one of them. All songs of the film were super hit and popular till date in all walks of life. One can easily understand the power and magic of Shailendra’s lyrics from the song “Pyaar hua iqaraar hua hai”, is evergreen golden classic song till date.

In 1961 Shailendra invested heavily in the production of ‘Teesri Kasam’ (1966), directed by Basu Bhattacharya, starring Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman. The film won National Film Award for Best Feature Film. However, the film was commercially a flop. It paved the way to Shailendra’s falling health resulting from tensions associated with the film production and anxiety due to financial loss, coupled with alcoholism, ultimately led to his early death.

Parineeti Chopra & Raghav Chadha to tie the knot soon

Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra had earlier sparked dating rumours with AAP leader Raghav Chadha with their outings. However, their wedding already seems to be on the cards as the couple took the first step towards the union.

As per media reports, Parineeti and

Raghav got engaged in a traditional roka ceremony in the presence of close family members. The two will reportedly get married by the end of October this year.

Parineeti was spotted outside Manish Malhotra’s showroom in Mumbai. Check out the video:

Singer Muhammad Rafi with Shailendra, Asha Bhosle, Raj Kapoor and Shankar–Jaikishan

Rent for unfurnished one-bedrooms in Metro Vancouver shoots up

After rental prices have been in a relative lull since November 2022, the cost of rent appears to be going up more sharply once more. In liv.rent’s latest report, Metro Vancouver rent prices for unfurnished, one-bedroom units increased in April by $55.

According to liv.rent data, rent dipped in December and hasn’t been as high as November on average since.

B.C.’s NDP government has unveiled legislation to push through a controversial supportive housing project on Vancouver’s west side.

The 13-storey development on Arbutus Street between 7th and 8th Avenue, which will include 129 studio apartments for lowincome people and those experiencing homelessness, is facing a court challenge from a Kitsilano neighbourhood group.

“This month, the average rent for a one-bedroom, unfurnished unit has risen by $55 – bringing the region’s average cost to $2,263. Since April 2022, the average rent for an unfurnished, one-bedroom unit in Metro Vancouver has increased by $355, or 18.61%.”

Overall, most units for rent are twobedrooms followed by one-bedrooms. Three-bedroom units are much rarer.

Breaking down the data by city, rent

Vancouver city council approved the project last June, and Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said the city’s current mayor and council asked the province to step in and ensure it gets built.

“It’s critically important that when we have projects that have gone through long, extensive, public engagement, two years of approvals, and finally get a city council to approve it, that we get going,” he said

has gone down slightly in Vancouver and New Westminster since last month, but in every other Metro Vancouver municipality it seems to have gone up.

Right now, the most affordable place to find a one-bedroom is Langley followed by Surrey. The most expensive place to rent a one-bedroom is West Vancouver. Will rent keep going up?

In April, the Bank of Canada

“The mayor and council wrote a letter to us asking us to take action to ensure we can get this housing built because we know the need is great.”

The Municipalities Enabling and Validating Amendment Act, which is written to only apply to this specific project, will mark the first time the province has used legislation to push through a project on land it does not own.

Ownership of the property will be transferred to the province once the development is complete.

“We are thankful for the ongoing support from senior government partners to expedite the delivery of much-needed affordable housing in the city. This project will deliver 129 studio homes and make a huge difference in the lives of people in the community,” Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said in a media release.

“We look forward to continuing conversations and working with the community via the neighbourhood Community Advisory Committee as the project progresses.”

Under the current plan, at least half of the 129 units in the project will be

announced that it would hold the interest rate at 4.5%. But since demand is still incredibly high in Canada’s major rental markets, it’s not liv.rent says it’s uncertain whether prices will continue to rise throughout 2023 or return to previous levels. You can learn more and see the full April rent report from liv.rent.

held for people currently homeless and on income assistance, while the other half would be held for people earning between $15,000 and $30,000 per year. During the approval process last year, the development faced significant opposition from neighbourhood residents who argued it will house too many people with complex issues.

Members of the Kitsilano Coalition argued the project would “import the culture of the street” while congregating a large proportion of people with mental health and substance use problems in one place, that there won’t be enough support services, and that the project is too close to an elementary school.

The group subsequently filed a court challenge of the project, which the new legislation will circumvent.

The bill states that “all powers and duties in relation to the zoning bylaw” were “validly adopted by the Vancouver council” and explicitly protects the city’s approval process “despite any decision of a court to the contrary made before or after this section comes into force.”

High-density residential development with as many as five high-rise towers is being eyed for the northwest corner of the intersection of West 41st Avenue and Oak Street.

The City of Vancouver is currently in the early stages of considering two separate proposals for the corner, where there are significant sites totalling over eight acres. However, the proposals are non-compliant with existing City policies as they call for significantly more height and density than what is prescribed in the Cambie Corridor Plan.

The two proposals are going through the municipal government’s Policy Enquiry Process stream, which was created by the previous City Council in July 2021 to provide elected officials, not

City staff, with the final say on whether a formal rezoning application should be accepted for consideration and reviewed.

“Based on staff’s assessment of the two Policy Enquiry proposals, there is rationale for Council to consider the deviations for height and number of expected towers on each site from existing policy in order to advance Council’s priorities and objectives,” reads City staff’s report ahead of next week’s public meeting.

“However, given that the proposed departures from policy are significant, staff are seeking direction from Council before continuing to advise the applicant through the enhanced rezoning process.”

The proposal sites of Louis Brier (orange) and Shawn Oaks (pink) at the northwest corner of the intersection of Oak Street

BC NDP table bill to push Arbutus housing project through despite court challenge

Five towers up to 30 storeys proposed for Oak Street & 41st Ave corner

The Canadian housing market has been experiencing a downturn since March 2022, and the question on everyone’s mind is when will it reach its bottom? However, after a significant decline in the housing market last year, Canada’s housing market appears to be on the road to recovery. The average home price has increased by 8% compared to last month, reaching $662,437, the highest level since June 2022, and all provinces saw their provincial average home price increase compared to last month, according to the data released by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). However, the national average home price is still down by 19% year-over-year due to the impact of higher Canadian interest rates seen over the past year. Sales during February 2023 are down 40% year-over-year, but there was

Canadian home prices forecast to rise by end of 2023

an increase of 41.6% from last month when Canadian home sales were at a 14-year low.

Canada’s MLS Benchmark Price, which measures the price of a “typical” home in Canada, has increased by 0.2% from last month, reaching $715,400. This is the first time the benchmark price has increased on a monthly basis since March 2022. The rise in home prices and benchmark price may be a sign of the housing market’s recovery, but it’s still too early to tell.

The recent report released by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) shows that

national home sales were up on a month-overmonth basis in February 2023. The Canadian housing market is showing signs of recovery in February 2023, with sales increasing on a month-overmonth basis, the market tightening and month-over-month price declines getting smaller. Future sellers are likely biding

their time until the optimum time to list and buy something else, which is typically in the spring. With new listings falling considerably and sales moving higher, the market may shift toward a seller’s market. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), home sales in Canada increased by 2.3% from January to February 2023, with the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Greater Vancouver leading the gains. The actual number of transactions in February 2023 was 40% lower than the same month in 2022, comparable to the numbers seen in 2018 and 2019. The market is showing signs of recovery and the potential for a more robust market in the spring, with homeowners preparing to list their properties and buyers getting mortgage pre-approvals.

Housing sales in Northern BC see 39% decline in the past year

The north continues to lag behind the rest of the province when it comes to the overall recovery of the housing market according to the BC Real Estate Association.

Our region has seen a 39% yearover-year decline in home sales – just 289 unit sales were tallied last month, compared to 475 in March of 2022.

Economist, Ryan McLaughlin spoke with Vista Radio on the topic.

“Relatively speaking, the north isn’t showing as much of a pickup compared to the rest of the province like Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley

where they really picked up last month. However, sometimes the north lags a little bit from other markets.”

Over the past 12 months, active listings have risen by 44% going from 1,073 in March of 2022, to 1,546 last month.

However, McLaughlin noted when you examine it a little closer they have flatlined since January, which indicates a tightening of the market.

“That’s a sign of a changing in a direction in the north as well – the fact that active listings are changing direction as active listings are going down means that there are more sales than there are new listings going up, which is a sign of a tightening in the market.”

“We are still down from where we

would like to be. We are way down from where we were in 2015 and 2016. It is interesting that it changed direction –since one year ago when rates started getting tightened the market has been softening and what that typically meant was falling sales, falling prices, and falling active listings. Now with active listings trending down in the north in the past two months, it could be a sign the market is re-tightening again.”

The average home price in the north is $384,271. In Prince George, single-detached homes sold for just over 511 grand in March.

India economic growth seen stuck in low gear

India’s economy will slow considerably this fiscal year as the global economic slowdown impedes domestic growth prospects, according to a Reuters poll, which showed inflation will remain elevated despite recent interest rate hikes.

While the expected expansion would be faster than other major economies, it will be below the long-term average.

Growth in Asia’s third-largest economy was expected to slow to 6.0% in the fiscal year to end-March 2024, unchanged from a March survey, after likely growing 6.9% last fiscal year, according to an April 10-19 Reuters poll of 45 economists.

The Reserve Bank of India’s projection was 6.5% for this fiscal year. The range of forecasts in the poll had widened from last month.

All respondents in the latest poll predicted a notable deceleration in economic growth this fiscal year, with the most optimistic forecast 6.6% and the weakest 4.4%.

“With the pent-up demand induced technical rebound over, following the deep pandemic-led contraction, India’s real GDP is expected to slow down substantially... in FY24,” said Kunal Kundu, India economist at Societe Generale.

“We believe domestic demand will barely support economic activity but not drive growth. We expect public capex-led infrastructure investment to be the major growth driver, while private business capex would still likely remain quite subdued.”

For more Updates, Visit our Website

www.theasianstar.com

What next for Rahul Gandhi and his electoral career?

Rahul Gandhi, the senior leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, has been disqualified as a member of parliament after a local court convicted him of defaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi — a huge setback for his party ahead of national elections next year.

India’s lower house of parliament said the disqualification was effective from March 23, the same day the local court found Gandhi guilty of making a disparaging remark about Modi’s name.

A court in Surat rejected Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s application for stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his “Modi surname” remark.

A stay on conviction by the Sessions Court could have paved the way for his reinstatement as the Member of Parliament.

Gandhi, who represented Wayanad in the Lok Sabha, was disqualified a day after he was sentenced to two years imprisonment in the case filed by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi under Sections 499 and 500 (defamation) of the IPC.

The Sessions Court will continue the hearing on his main plea against the order, according to the reports.

The Congress, meanwhile, said it will continue to avail all options available under the law.

What it means for Rahul Gandhi

The disqualification means Rahul could remain out of the electoral politics for some time. According to the law, a lawmaker remains disqualified for six years after the sentence is completed. In other words, Rahul will be ineligible to contest in the 2024

general elections if he is unable to get the conviction revoked by higher courts.

Given that around a year is left for the next general elections, it also remains to be seen if the Election Commission will order fresh elections in Wayanad.

Gandhi has been disqualified under Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, according to which a lawmaker sentenced to not less than two years will be disqualified.

As per the law,a person convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years will also continue to remain disqualified for another period of six years after the release.

It will be interesting to see how the Congress uses the developments in Karnataka and other Assembly elections due this year.

The BJP has hailed the Surat court’s decision calling it a “victory” of the judiciary and the people.BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra called the court’s decision “a slap on the arrogance of the Gandhi family, especially Rahul Gandhi.” It also proves that law is equal for everyone, he added.

Key assembly elections are due this year, which will also set the tone for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Apart from Karnataka, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are also due for polls this year. Both the states have Congress governments. Madhya Pradesh elections are also due this year.

BJP leaders are also expected to use his words as an “insult to the OBCs”, the largest vote block not just in Karnataka but the country, in their election rallies.

Missing climber found alive in critical condition

Indian climber Anurag Maloo, who went missing on Monday while descending from Camp III on Nepal’s Mount Annapurna, has been found alive in critical condition by rescuers.

The climber Anurag Maloo, who went missing on Monday after falling into a deep crevasse on Nepal’s Mount Annapurna, has been found alive in critical condition by rescuers, his brother said on Thursday.

Anurag, 34, a resident of Kishangarh in Rajasthan, went missing on Monday after he fell from around 6,000 metres while descending from Camp III.

Mount Annapurna is the 10th highest mountain in the world.

“He is found alive. He has been taken to the hospital in critical condition, ..

Human sacrifice’ in Fatehgarh Sahib

Police in Punjabi on Thursday successfully solved a sensational case of ‘human sacrifice’ bid on a middleaged woman with the arrest of two persons, who attempted to murder the victim as part of sorcery to get wealthy.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ropar Range Gurpreet Singh Bhullar has identified the accused persons as Kuldeep Singh alias Keepa and Jasvir Singh alias Jassi, both residents of Ferozepur village in Fatehgarh Sahib. The police have also recovered a Hero Deluxe motorcycle (PB 52 B 2187) and a sickle used in crime from the possession of accused persons. As per information, 50-year-old Balvir Kaur of Faror village in Fatehgarh Sahib was found lying gravely injured in the fields near canal at Ferozepur village on Wednesday morning.

The victim is out of danger and has been undergoing treatment at PGI Chandigarh. IGP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, while addressing the media, said that both the accused persons were circus performers and used to perform cycle shows in different villages. Accused persons Keepa and Jassi met Balvir Kaur through her son Dharampreet, who became friends with them during their show at Faror village about eight months back, he said. Divulging more details about preliminary investigations, Fatehgarh Sahib SSP Dr Ravjot Kaur Grewal said both the accused persons wanted to rich and came in contact with a ‘tantrik’ (sorcerer), who asked them to perform a ‘human sacrifice’ on a woman.

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67 accused in Naroda Gam case acquitted after 21 years and 6 trials

All accused in Naroda Gam riots that killed 11 people acquitted. A special court in Ahmedabad on Thursday acquitted all the 69 accused in the Naroda Gam massacre where 11 people had been killed 21 years ago during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Judge Subhada

Baxi acquitted all of them from all charges, in a verbal order. The detailed order wasn’t immediately available. The acquitted include former BJP legislator and exGujarat minister Maya Kodnani, Bajrang Dal activist Babu Bajrangi and former VHP leader Jaydeep Patel.

Slogans of “Jai Shree Ram” filled the air as they came out of the courtroom Thursday evening.

Another 17 people who were also accused died while the trial was going on The Naroda Gam massacre was one of the nine major cases of the 2002 Gujarat riots which were handed over to a SIT constituted by

the Supreme Court under former CBI director RK Raghavan. According to the case, 11 members of the Muslim community, including four women, had been burnt to death by a mob.

India approves construction of its own LIGO

The Indian government has granted the final approvals necessary for construction to begin on LIGO-India, a nearly identical version of the twin LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) facilities that made history after making the first direct detection of ripples in space and time known as gravitational waves in 2015. The Indian government will spend about $320 million to build LIGO-India, with first observations expected by the end of the decade.

“We’ve worked very hard over the past few years to bring a LIGO detector to India,” says David Reitze, the executive director of the LIGO Laboratory at Caltech. “Receiving the green light from the Indian government is a very welcome development that will benefit not only India but the entire international

Earlier, Kodnani and Bajrangi were convicted by the special SIT court in the Naroda Patiya massacre case. While Kodnani was later acquitted by the HC, Bajrangi’s conviction was upheld.

After coming out of the court, Kodnani told the media that truth has prevailed. The case was registered in 2009 and six judges have presided over the trial before the order came on Thursday.

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gravitational-wave community.”

“As the newest gravitational-wave detector, LIGO-India will have all of our latest and best techniques incorporated from the get-go,” says Rana Adhikari, a professor of physics at Caltech who helps lead the development of LIGO-India along with Reitze and others on the LIGO team, in collaboration with Indian scientists.

LIGO-India is a collaboration between the LIGO Laboratory—operated by Caltech and MIT and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF)—and India’s Raja Ramanna Center for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), and the Department of Atomic Energy Directorate of Construction Services

Australia’s University of Wollongong denies ban on applications from Indian students

It was reported that UOW was one of the five universities that had placed ban or restriction on students from some Indian states in response to a surge in fraudulent applications seeking to work, and not study, in the country. The UOW said in a statement that it does not have any restrictions on student applications from India other.

Australia’s University of Wollongong (UOW) said on Thursday that it has not placed any ban or restriction on applications from Indian students, nor on students from any specific Indian states or regions.

It was reported that UOW was one of the five universities that had placed ban

or restriction on students from some Indian states in response to a surge in fraudulent applications seeking to work, and not study, in the country.

The UOW said in a statement that it “does not have any restrictions on student applications from India other than the standard entry criteria we apply to all international students and the requirements of the Australian Department of Home Affairs”.

Instead of introducing restrictions, UOW said it has streamlined its application process for all international students,

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In front of Lohar’s stall is a small box with a speaker and a machine-readable QR code. Her customers use the code to make an online payment and the speaker, which connects to the internet via a built-in SIM card, reads out a payment confirmation message, letting sellers and buyers know the money has been received. These QR codes and sound boxes can now be found throughout India, as the country of 1.4 billion people transitions from a cash-first to a cashless society.

“Most of the people who come here use the code to buy the pots,” Lohar said. “Very few people are carrying cash now.” Lohar, whose family lives in the shacks they built on the same road, does not have a bank account. It was a family friend who suggested they set up a QR code last year. He made one for them

using his own bank account and Aadhaar, a government identification number. She now tracks her money through an app, and retrieves cash from him when needed. “For the first few days I tried it, the technology was a bit confusing,” she added. “But over time, I learned to use my phone and it has become simple and more convenient than cash sometimes.”Asean planning regional payments network that could benefit migrant workersThe codes are part of a home-grown scan-and-pay system that has transformed the way businesses in India operate. Hundreds of millions of people across the country can access this online transaction system, using apps like Paytm and PhonePe.

For years, India had been lagging behind other Asian economies such as Singapore, South Korea and China,

70-Year-Old woman forced to walk to collect pension

In a shocking incident from Odisha, a 70-year-old woman was seen walking barefoot for several kilometres only to collect her pension from a bank.

According to a video which has gone viral on social media, the frail woman can be seen walking barefoot in scorching heat with the support of a broken chair. The incident happened in the Jharigaon block of Nabrangpur district of Odisha on April 17.

The elderly woman, Surya Harijan, is very poor. Her older son is working as a migrant labourer in a different state. She is staying with her younger son’s family and he makes his living grazing other people’s cattle. The family has no land to plough and lives in a hut.

The lady went to the bank to get the

pension, but she was told that her thumb is not matching the records, and she was forced to return home.

Reacting to the incident, the State Bank of India (SBI) manager has claimed that she is facing trouble in withdrawing money because of her “broken fingers” and the bank is working to resolve the problem.

“Her fingers are broken, so she is facing trouble withdrawing money. She has been given ₹ 3,000 manually from the bank. We will resolve the problem soon,” the SBI manager of the Jharigaon branch said.

The Sarpanch of her village also said that they have discussed listing such helpless people in the village and providing pension money to them.

Shashi Tharoor on court dismissing Rahul’s plea

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor reacted to the Surat Court’s dismissal of Rahul Gandhi’s plea seeking a stay on his conviction in the 2019 defamation case. Tharoor said the Surat court said Rahul Gandhi has not been able to show any exceptional circumstances to grant astay on conviction. “Isn’t it exceptional enough to get a 2 years sentence for criminal defamation? Just long enough to be disqualified from Parliament,” Tharoor tweeted.

BJP’s Sambit Patra at a press conference on Thursday said the rejection of Rahul Gandhi’s petition is a victory of the common people and a defeat of the arrogance and the ecosystem of the Congress. “The Congress did a mobilisation after Rahul Gandhi’s conviction across the country and abroad,” Sambit Patra said.

The Congress on Thursday said it will explore all other legal avenues available in front of it. Senior advocate and Congress leader Abhishek Sinhvi will address a press conference at 4pm.

If the sessions court stayed the conviction, Rahul Gandhi would have been reinstated in Parliament. Complainant Purnesh Modi’s lawyer Harshit Toliya said the sessions court observed that this is not an exceptional case and merely being an MP is not a ground for the suspension of the conviction. In his appeal, Rahul Gandhi said that the trial was not fair and that his disqualification from Parliament meant an irreparable loss. Purnesh Modi, on the other hand, opposed the plea and said Rahul Gandhi is a repeat offender and is not regretful for his ‘Modi surname’ remark.

Kejriwal appeals to people to vote for his party

Ahead of next month’s Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-election, AAP party national convener Arvind Kejriwal appealed to people of the constituency to vote for his party if they want development, claiming the Congress did nothing for them in 60 years.

“We are doing good work and with honesty,”hesaid,addressingagatheringhere. “Vote for us in place of Congress...give us one chance,” the Delhi chief minister added.

“For past 60 years, Jalandhar has been represented by a Congress MP. For 60 years, you voted for the Congress. What did you get? Did the Congress give you anything? Nothing,” Arvind Kejriwal said.

He said people of Punjab gave AAP a chance in last year’s assembly polls and the party formed the government with overwhelming majority. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was also present.

“And the second thing, if you vote for the Congress, what benefit will you get?

In Punjab, it is our government, we have to get the work done. If you vote for the Congress, they will fight and indulge in ‘Tu Tu Mein Mein’. If you want fights, vote for them, but if you have to get all your work done, get roads built, landfills cleaned, then give one chance to AAP,” Mr Kejriwal said. The Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll was necessitated due to the death of Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary in January. The Congress has fielded his wife Karamjit Kaur, while AAP has fielded Sushil Kumar Rinku, a former Congress leader who recently joined the ruling party in the state.

Arvind Kejriwal told the people of Jalandhar that he was giving them a guarantee that all their work would be completed by the AAP government. After AAP came to power in Punjab, during past one year, “we have started to fulfil these promises, guarantees”, he said.

Indians ditch cash as home-grown apps like PhonePe, Paytm and QR codes make digital payments ‘much easier’

Punjab

Vigilance Bureau arrests dismissed AIG under Corruption Act

Punjab Vigilance Bureau arrested a dismissed AIG Raj Jit Singh under the Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly owning disproportionate assets.

The Vigilance Bureau FIR is based on three reports by Special Investigation Team on Raj Jit’s collusion with drug-

tainted and dismissed cop Inderjit Singh.

The SIT reports and stated there was a surge in Raj Jit’s properties in the year 2013 (when Inderjit was working under him in Tarn Taran as CIA in-charge) The FIR quoting the reports said Raj Jit while buying the properties under-valued those in the registration deeds.

Amritpal Singh’s wife stopped from flying to London

The immigration authorities stopped Kirandeep Kaur, wife of fugitive pro Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh, from boarding the flight for UK at Sri Guru Ram Dass ji International airport here on Thursday. She was questioned by the

Amritsar rural police authorities along with officials of different intelligence agencies. Where is Amritpal Singh? One month on, no sight of pro-Khalistan activisit except in CCTV footage

Ambala girl & father apologise days after controversy at Golden Temple

Days after a controversy erupted when a girl claimed that she was denied entry into the Golden Temple, she and her father today said the issue was blown out of proportion. The girl and her father said they had no intentions to create any controversy. They apologised in case anybody’s feelings were hurt.

The girl from an Ambala village said she had

sent a video on WhatsApp groups just as a proof of safety in case anything went wrong later. “We had no idea that it will go viral and be taken in a wrong manner,” she said, adding, “When I went there, I was asked to adjust my dress, which I did. A “sewadar” saw the flag on my face and then whatever happened can be seen in the video. I apologise if I have hurt anyone’s feelings.”

Pakistan

Top diplomat plans to visit India

Foreign Minister, Bilawal Zardari will attend an international conference in India next month, the first official visit by any one of top diplomats visiting India, since 2016.

Bilawal Zardari will go to attend Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Goa from May 4 to 5, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told in a news briefing.

Islamabad suspended trade and

diplomatic ties with India in 2019 when New Delhi imposed direct rule on the part of Muslim-majority Kashmir it controls and enforced a heavy security lockdown.

Both countries withdrew their top diplomats and several consular staff were expelledorwithdrawnintit-for-tatmeasures.

Although it is not clear if Bhutto will have any bilateral meetings with Indian officials on the sidelines of the SCO meeting,

We cannot undo the verdict, says Chief Justice

Three-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan, Umar Ata Bandial ordered State Bank of Pakistan to issue funds for the forthcoming elections. After examining reports submitted by the officials, the bench ordered that funds should be issued by State Bank of Pakistan directly to the Election Commission. A full order would be issued after Friday noon.

“The State Bank of Pakistan shall from Account I lying under its control and management (and which constitutes the principal component of the Federal Consolidated Fund) forthwith allocate and release Rs. 21 Billion for purposes of

the general elections to the Punjab and KP Assemblies,” the order said.

The order says that the Ministry of Finance should give directions to the AGPR to raise the ceiling of the Election Commission’s funding.

“Likewise, the Election Commission shall on 18.04.2023 file a report with this Court confirming that Rs.21 Billion have become available to it in terms as stated above.”

Attorney General Mansoor Awan presented the government’s version to the bench, saying that any amount from the Federal Consolidated Fund cannot be issued without the parliament’s approval.

Supreme Court declares govt’s plea seeking all elections simultaneously inadmissible

Supreme Court on Wednesday declared as inadmissible for hearing the defence ministry’s plea to hold general elections across the Country upon completion of term of interm govt as well as province of Sindh and Balochistan Legislative Assemblies.

The apex court also warned the government of “serious consequences” if it failed to release the funds required for conducting election in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while hearing the defence ministry’s request.

A members’ bench of Judeges comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mr Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar heard the petition.

A day earlier, the defence ministry filed an application in the SC, requesting the top court to recall its April 4 order that had fixed May 14 as the election date for the Punjab Assembly. The application asked the apex court to issue directives that general elections to the national and all provincial assemblies be held on the same date.

Fiji is facing triple threat: Naidu

The chair of the Fiscal Review Committee Richard Naidu warns that Fiji is facing a triple threat.

Speaking at the National Economic Summit, Naidu stresses that the high debtto-GDP ratio will constrain Fiji’s borrowing that is needed to undertake investments.

“But we must still urgently invest in physical

and human capital. If not our quality of life and our long-term economic growth is threatened. Even the assumptions that we make today about our road and bridge network surviving, about there being water in our taps. Those are the things that we assume will continue. Those are actually at risk.”

A 2021 National Survey jointly conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Fiji’s Bureau of Statistics have found that over 5,000 people were known to be “hidden victims” of human trafficking in the country from 2017 to 2021; New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs Carmel Sepuloni visits Fiji as part of a Pacific Mission to strengthen bilateral ties.

Fiji & New Zealand focus on strengthening bilateral ties will hold bilateral meetings with Fiji. The visit will be her first to the country since the election of the new coalition Government led by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sitiveni Rabuka. The visit will be an opportunity to meet kanohi ki te kanohi with Government leaders and reaffirm the close links that already exist between Fiji and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta

‘We must all work together’ says US ambassador

Participants of three-day Pacific Regional Forum on Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants conference in Suva emphasized on ‘We must all work together’. United States ambassador to Fiji Marie Damour also attended the event.

Joint collaboration between multiple agencies nationally and regionally are vital in combatting human trafficking.

This was the point highlighted by Dr Rebecca Miller, the regional coordinator for human trafficking and migrant smuggling at the United Nations

Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

She is one of the facilitators in Suva this week for the three-day Pacific Regional Forum on Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants conference which began in Suva on Tuesday.

“It’s an issue in Fiji but it’s an issue in all countries around the world,” she said.

“This is part of the work that UNODC does to help countries throughout the southeast Asia Pacific region to strengthen their data collection systems, understand what human trafficking is, and really

Germany unveiled draft reforms on immigration, skills training and promoting immigration from countries outside the European Union, a bid by Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government to plug labour shortages in Europe’s largest economy.

“Securing our skilled labour base is one of Germany’s biggest economic tasks for the coming decades,” Labour Minister Hubertus Heil said. The number of job vacancies in 2022 was at a record high of close to 2

million, according to the ministry.

“With this, we are laying the foundation for a new start in migration policy,” Finance Minister Christian Lindner tweeted after the cabinet approved the reforms. “Anyone who can contribute to the country’s economic success as a skilled worker is welcome.”

The draft law says the reform could increase the number of workers from countries outside the EU by 60,000 people a year, according to a report by Reuters.

NDP wastes time prioritizing politics over people

As B.C. faces multiple crises, from affordability, to housing, to healthcare and crime, David Eby and the NDP have chosen to use time in the Legislature to play petty, divisive pandemic politics, calling a vote on an anti-vaccine protest motion, instead of delivering the results British Columbians need and deserve.

“It’s incredibly disappointing that the NDP would leverage the pandemic for political reasons, focusing on the divisiveness of the past, rather than how to move forward as a province,” said Shirley Bond, BC United Shadow Minister for Health. “It is irresponsible for this government to spend our limited time in the Legislature voting on issues with the sole purpose of further dividing people and inflaming conflict rather than working together to address the critical issues impacting British Columbians every single day.”

In the Legislature this afternoon the NDP forced a vote on a motion regarding anti-vaccine protests that has been widely decried by media and pundits as divisive and

unproductive, taking time away from debates on housing, transportation, and economic development.

“The housing crisis in B.C. is the worst it has ever been, anywhere in the country. The overdose crisis has tragically claimed the lives of 11,000 British Columbians, with no end to the devastation in sight, and the deadly health care crisis continues in every single corner of our province. Homelessness continues to increase, and the problem of repeat violent offenders has never been worse in B.C.‘s history. In the face of so many serious problems, and so much suffering across our province, it is more important than ever for government to have the right priorities. The NDP should be spending more time working to save lives and keeping people safe than scoring cheap political points.”

Media Contact: Abigail Uher Senior Communications Officer BC United Caucus 250-896-5337 abigail.uher@leg.bc.ca

Housing affordability worse than ever under NDP

Press release

During a debate on housing affordability in the Legislature in which not a single NDP MLA rose to speak, BC United MLA Shirley Bond called out government for their lack of progress on such a critical issue.

Bond highlighted the continued worsening of the housing crisis, which has B.C. renters paying over $4,000 more in rent every year than they did when the NDP first came to power. Vancouver is now the least affordable rental market in

the country, with Victoria and Kelowna now third and fourth worst, respectively.

Despite the NDP’s promises to make life more affordable for British Columbians, it’s clear the opposite has happened under their leadership.

The debate on housing affordability took place after the NDP worked with BC Conservative Leader John Rustad to shut down discussion of a motion expressing support for small businesses impacted by crime.

Press release

BC Liberals reintroduce legislation to provide relief from rising taxes

With new NDP tax increases coming into force on April 1, 2023, and as British Columbians continue to struggle in the face of a worsening affordability crisis, BC Liberal MLA Peter Milobar has reintroduced legislation that would give people much-needed relief from paying the highest fuel prices in North America.

“B.C.’s affordability crisis has only grown more severe in the past year — from housing, to food, to fuel, everyday costs are putting incredible strain on British Columbians,” said Milobar, BC Liberal Shadow Minister for Finance. “Rather than implementing measures to provide people with relief, David Eby and his NDP government are increasing taxes, with these new rates taking effect in just a few days. What people actually need are tangible solutions to address affordability and help them make ends meet right now. That’s why I am reintroducing this private members’ bill, which would allow the NDP government to temporarily suspend

provincial gas taxes and immediately leave more money in British Columbians’ pockets at a time when they need it most.”

The Miscellaneous Statutes (Gas Price Relief) Amendment Act, 2023 would enable government to suspend provincial gas taxes as well as those applied to gas being brought to B.C. from Alberta, relieving pressure on both consumers and the supply chain. These measures would help to offset the impacts of the NDP’s impending increase of the carbon tax, set to go up by another 3.26 cents per litre on April 1, 2023.

“High fuel prices do not just impact commuters and vehicle owners, they also contribute to rising grocery and housing costs, affecting every part of our supply chain,” added Milobar. “People should not have to choose between buying groceries to feed their family or filling their vehicle with gas. Instead of putting more pressure on people during a crisis, David Eby should call this bill for debate and give people the help they desperately need and deserve.”

Province makes it easier for stratas to greenlight EV charging stations

Press release

VICTORIA - More people living in strata buildings will soon be able to charge their electric vehicles (EVs) at home as the Province has introduced legislation to make it easier for strata corporations and owners to install charging stations.

“Many B.C. strata residents are eager to make the switch to electric vehicles, but the lack of charging stations in their buildings is holding them back,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing. “Our government is committed to help people reduce their carbon footprints by improving access to EV charging stations in residential buildings. That’s why we’ve introduced legislation to make it easier for strata corporations to greenlight charging stations.”

The proposed amendments to the Strata Property Act, introduced on Thursday, April 6, 2023, will improve access to EV charging stations in residential strata buildings by: threshold from 75% to 50% approval for expenditures and changes to common and personal property that are needed to install EV charging stations;

corporations to obtain an electrical

planning report to help understand the building’s electrical capacity and plan for the expansion of EV charging stations; and to approve owners’ requests to install EV charging stations at the owners’ expense, when reasonable criteria are met.

“B.C. has one of the largest public electric vehicle charging networks in Canada, but we need to make it easier for more people to charge their EVs at home,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “When people have access to EV charging stations at home, they’re much more likely to purchase electric vehicles. This new legislation builds on our ongoing work to get more EVs on the road, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and meet our climate goals.”

The Province has introduced several initiatives to encourage people to purchase electric vehicles, including the CleanBC Go Electric Passenger Vehicle Rebate program and a provincial sales tax exemption on used EVs. As a result of these initiatives, the number of EVs on B.C.’s roads has increased from 5,000 in 2016 to more than 109,000 as of December 2022.

Contact:

Ministry of Housing Media Relations

236 478-0251

Germany unveils immigration plan to tackle labour shortage