The Asian Star April 23 2022 by The Asian Star Newspaper

www.theasianstar.com Vol 22 - Issue 12

Saturday, April 23, 2022

Police investigate after partial human remains found in Surrey

Police in Surrey, B.C., are investigating the discovery of partial human remains in two separate locations days apart. Surrey RCMP said officers were called to a report of potential human remains in some bushes in the 13400 block of Hilton Road in the Whalley neighbourhood around 9 a.m. on Sunday. Two days later, officers were called to a second report of possible partial remains in the 10600 block of 135A Street, about a kilometre and a half away. “Although the remains have not yet been identified, they are believed to be from the same origin,” Surrey RCMP said in a media release. Mounties say the areas around both discoveries were cordoned off and processed by forensics teams. The detachment’s serious crime unit and the BC Coroners Service are both investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers if they wish to remain anonymous.

Vancouver businessman David Sidoo faces new fraud allegations Vancouver businessman and philanthropist David Sidoo is facing further allegations of fraud. The Securities and Exchange Commission in the U.S. has named the former CFL player as one of eight people it has charged with committing securities fraud. Sidoo and the other defendants are accused of using public companies, including a B.C. issuer, for gain. The commission claims Sidoo and others generated a combined $145 million as a result

of this scheme, which comprised what documents suggest were “a series of highly profitable These latest claims against Sidoo come a couple of years after he completed jail time in connection with the U.S. college admissions scandal. Back in 2020, Sidoo spent three months in jail

after entering a plea deal to mail fraud conspiracy. He was among 50 prominent parents, university coaches, and other people charged in 2019 in connection with what authorities said involved rigged entrance exams and bogus athletic credentials to make applicants look like star athletes for sports they didn’t play. Sidoo paid the admissions consultant at the centre of the scheme $200,000 to have someone pose as his sons using a fake ID to secure higher scores on their SATs, prosecutors said.

India has always followed ideals of Sikh Gurus: PM Modi says at Red Fort India has never posed a threat to any country or society and it thinks for the welfare of the entire world even today amid global conflicts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, asserting that the country is following the ideals of Sikh gurus. Addressing an event from the Red Fort to celebrate the 400th birth anniversary of Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur, Modi said the Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib near the Red Fort stands a symbol of the immortal sacrifice of Guru Tegh Bahadur. “This holy Gurdwara reminds us how great was the sacrifice of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji to protect our great culture. At that time there was a storm of religious fanaticism in the country. India, which considered religion as a matter of philosophy, science and self-reflection, was

‘Samosa Kid’ fundraising for Ukraine Armaan Dhaliwal likes boxing and basketball. The 11-year-old is also a successful, local entrepreneur known as the Samosa Kid. The spicy samosas are made in Vancouver by a family friend and shipped frozen to Salmon Arm. Armaan’s business was born on March 17, 2021 when, on tasting them, family members and friends clamoured for more. And as of April 18, his revenues were already $3,000, which earned him $1,000 in profit. But Armaan is learning that being an entrepreneur is about a lot more than making money. It is about being

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grateful and giving back. This is something the successful entrepreneurs in his family are making sure he understands. His dad, Sunny Dhaliwal, and grandfather, Gordie Dhaliwal, own City Furniture and his maternal grandfather, Baldave Bath, is a philanthropist and owner of a car dealership in the Lower Mainland. “Both grandfathers came from India with $7 in their pockets,” says his mother, Prab. “They’re from Third World countries, they know about poverty and they talk to Armaan all the time.”

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South Asian man convicted of smuggling meth across border wins new trial on appeal A B.C. man who was found guilty of smuggling 14 kilograms of methamphetamine across the Canada-U.S. border has had his conviction overturned on appeal and a new trial ordered. In October 2019, a B.C. Supreme Court jury found Rajkumar Subramaniam guilty of importation of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. The jury heard that Subramaniam was arrested on July 1, 2014 after attempting to cross back into Canada from the U.S. at the Pacific Highway crossing, having crossed southbound several hours earlier. A search of his SUV revealed a compartment installed in the rear seat fold-down well and a system of electronic components tied into the compartment locks and the vehicle’s electrical systems, including a GPS locator device. Inside the compartment, Canada Border Services Agency officers found 33 packages wrapped in brown tape. The packages contained 14.79 kilograms of meth with an approximate wholesale value of $375,000, or a street value of $1.5 million.

Cases in BC hospitals up 33% in one week, ICU cases hold flat British Columbia’s latest weekly data report shows the number of COVID-19 cases in hospitals has climbed more than 33 per cent since last Thursday. The B.C. Centre for Disease Control reported 485 cases in hospitals, up from 364. The number of patients in critical or intensive care climbed by just two, to 38. The province also added another 2,036 confirmed cases over the past week, but only conducted 26,872 PCR tests, meaning the figure is likely a significant under-representation of

the true case count. British Columbia’s new weekly data reporting regime also provides information on hospital admissions, though with a one-week delay. According to the BCCDC, 238 people were admitted to hospital with COVID-19 between April 10 and April 16. Of them, 97 were in the Fraser Health region, 41 were in the Interior Health region, 44 were in the Vancouver Coastal Health region and 39 were in the Vancouver Island region.

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Saturday, April 23, 2022

Old growth logging protesters dragged off road by frustrated drivers after blocking major bridge

Coroner to reopen case into BC woman’s drowning during 2016 canoe trip with husband BC’s Chief Coroner Lisa LaPointe has reopened the investigation into the 2016 death of a Lake Country woman who drowned in Okanagan Lake while canoeing with her husband. In a letter to Arlene Westervelt’s sister Debbie Hennig dated April 19, LaPointe said that “to ensure that the Coroners Service has done all it can with respect to determining the circumstances of (Arlene Westervelt’s) death,” the investigation has been reopened. Jurisdiction has been assigned to another coroner who will review the entirety of the investigative material and evidence gathered in the case, according to the letter, including the findings of the initial autopsy and the autopsy review. Coroner Carolyn Maxwell

has been assigned to complete that review. “The Coroners Act permits the chief coroner to reopen an investigation if new evidence arises or if the chief coroner considers it would be in the public interest,” a representative from the Coroner’s office said in an emailed statement. “In this case, the chief coroner has determined that it is in the public interest for another coroner to undertake a new investigation to include any new or additional information that may assist the public’s understanding of the circumstances of Arlene Westervelt’s death.” A coroner’s investigation is independent, impartial and objective, the representative continued.

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When protesters blocked southbound lanes of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge during Thursday’s commute, it appears some drivers became very frustrated. The six protesters, with the group Save Old Growth, were dragged off to the side of the bridge by some commuters. Vancouver police were soon on the scene to clear the protesters and allow traffic to move again, police said in a release. “Demonstrators who block vital pieces of infrastructure, like bridges and major intersections, put themselves in danger and create a safety risk for the rest of the public,” Const. Tania Visintin said. “We know these incidents frustrate the public, and we thank everyone for their patience while VPD responded to this protest.”

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The group, Save Old Growth, has staged protests on a number of roadways in B.C. recently. This is its 10th direct action in Vancouver this month and 84 people have been arrested in the province since January in Vancouver, Revelstoke, Victoria and Nanaimo. “We’re done being afraid. We won’t stop until the government passes legislation to end all old-growth logging,” Julia Torgerson, a spokesperson for the group said in a release. “This is not a big demand, we’ve only got 2.7 per cent of the productive old-growth left. Killing the last of these ancient trees is a death sentence for millions of Canadians due to ecological breakdown.” A member of the group, Howard Breen, is on day 21 of his hunger strike and will stop drinking liquids in protest on Earth Day, which is risky to his life, the group said. Another member, who is on day 28 of his hunger strike, said the hundreds of people dying during the heat dome last summer shows humanity is not doing enough to combat climate change. “We are entering the darkest age of human history, and facing mass starvation as we approach a two degrees increase in global average temperatures. The BC government is aiding in the destruction of the country,” Brent Eichler said in a release. Click to play video: ‘Anti-logging demonstrators briefly block Lions Gate Bridge during morning commute’ 0:41 Anti-logging demonstrators briefly block Lions Gate Bridge during morning commute A court injunction against old-growth logging protests on Vancouver Island was extended in January until next fall in a British Columbia Court of Appeal decision that overturns a lower-court ruling. A panel of three judges granted the appeal by forestry company Teal Cedar Products Ltd. of a B.C. Supreme Court decision that denied the company’s application to extend the injunction by one year.

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Saturday, April 23, 2022 Surrey reviewing Scott Road with eye to running ‘fast’ bus and densifying corridor Mayor Doug McCallum says the cities of Surrey and Delta want to put a “fast bus” along Scott Road heading south from Scott Road SkyTrain Station and then up 72nd Avenue east to Newton Town Centre. “It will go right through the middle of the Scott Road program that we’re looking at now, and I think that when you look at Scott Road we get along great with Delta,” McCallum said. “We can work together on both sides of Scott Road so that both cities can look at densifying along that corridor; I think it’s a very important corridor.” The area under review for this corridor is 11.3 km long, extending from Scott Road SkyTrain Station south to 72 Avenue and then east along 72 Avenue to Newton Town Centre. McCallum made his comments April 11 as Surrey council authorized staff to conduct a planning review of the Scott Road Corridor, including preliminary planning and background studies to support a land use plan. He said the area has “huge potential” mainly

Inflation rate jumps to new 31-year high of 6.7% Canada’s inflation rate rose to 6.7 per cent in March, far more than economists were expecting and a full percentage point higher than February’s already 30year high. Statistics Canada reported Wednesday that all eight categories of the economy that the data agency tracks rose, from food and energy to shelter costs and transportation. “The spike in prices over the month of March is the largest monthly increase since January 1991, when the goods and services tax was introduced,” economist Royce Mendes of Desjardins Group noted. The latest sign of inflation? $5 items at Dollarama After years of relative stability, inflation has been on an up and down ride during the pandemic, with rates plunging in 2020 when the uncertainty of COVID-19 began, before roaring back in 2021 and beyond due to supply and demand imbalances, and record-low interest rates. Canada is not the only country grappling with high inflation. In the U.S., the inflation rate hit a 40-year high of 8.5 per cent last month. While the cost of just about everything is going up fast, transportation costs are leading the way, up 11.2 per cent in the past year. A big reason for that increase is the 39.8 per cent rise in gasoline costs since March of last year. Gasoline prices rocketed higher in March mostly due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine throwing global supplies into chaos. Although they have since come down a little, at one point last month numerous Canadian cities saw their average price for a litre of gasoline hit $2 for the first time ever. High gas prices have an outsized impact on overall inflation because the cost of shipping and transportation gets added to the cost of everything else, from grocery bills (up 8.7 per cent) to the price of durable goods like furniture (up by 13.7 per cent in the past year) and even plane tickets (up by 8.3 per cent.) Prices for furniture jumped by more than eight per cent in the month of March alone. That’s the highest monthly increase in that category in more than 70 years. ‘Everything has gone up’John Salgueiro, owner of JS Furniture in Winnipeg, has been in business since 1974 and said he’s “never ever seen a situation like this.” Grocery bills Food prices in particular tend to raise the ire of consumers, since it is hard to avoid or lessen the impact of rising prices on something that is such a necessity. Services getting more expensive, too

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because it’s on the SkyTrain corridor and noted that Bridgeview will be home to “one of the world’s largest factories,” being built there now – the Damon Motors electric motorcycle plant at 12850 112B Ave., which is expected to bring with it more than 300 high-tech manufacturing jobs and 500 high-tech office jobs. “This whole area is starting to show interest because of the transportation nodes that are in it and also because it has some land that we can develop, especially in Bridgeview, industrial land that we can develop,” McCallum said. According to a corporate report that came before council on April 11, with the subject heading “Initiation of Background Studies for the Scott Road Corridor and South Westminster Neighbourhood Concept Plan Update,” the planning review will inform the basis for land use plans along the planned rapid bus corridor.

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Saturday, April 23, 2022

OPINION

By Gabriele Giguère and Olivier Rancourt

Trudeau’s spending spree hitting Canadians families hard

The Bank of Canada’s decision to increase the policy interest rate by 0.5 percentage points, up to one per cent, was necessary in the current context. The soaring inflation that is hitting the Canadian economy full force, reaching 5.7 per cent in February, must be reined in, and this action from the central bank should help. However, the Bank of Canada (BoC) is not the

only institution to have an impact on inflation: the federal government, going on a spending spree with taxpayers’ money, is also a key culprit. Right now, we have the central bank trying, by raising rates, to plug the inflationary holes in the boat, but the federal government is busy poking new ones in the hull with its colossal spending. Meanwhile, there’s no one at the helm making

good decisions for the country’s economy. The first to suffer from rising prices for things like food and transportation are clearly Canadian families. With less and less money left in their pockets after paying the bills each month, they should see this interest rate hike as good news, with the potential to slow the soaring prices that hit the middle class and less well-off particularly hard. But the government also needs to take this situation seriously and take an interest in the effects of monetary policy, which has repercussions for the entire population, whatever the prime minister may think. Of course, it must also be acknowledged that the BoC’s rate hike will have repercussions on variable rate mortgages and new mortgages and renewals, which will have an impact on homeowners. This effect, however, should be offset by the downward pressure on inflation. Canadians will, unfortunately, have to tighten their belts for the time being, but this is largely due to the federal government’s continued profligate spending. What’s more, the federal debt, which was already gigantic, is now over $1.26 trillion. This will have to be repaid, and higher interest rates – based on the central bank’s rate increase – will certainly be felt in the wallets of Canadian taxpayers. Just paying the interest to service this debt will cost nearly $43 billion for the 2026-27 fiscal year, according to the budget tabled last week. That’s $16 billion more than this year. Concretely, assuming the same number of taxpayers as in 2021, this works out to a burden of some $1,476 per taxpayer for that single year – just to cover the interest on the federal debt! This by itself should be enough to convince the government to rein in spending because this debt that it keeps inflating will cost Canadians a lot of hard-earned cash in the coming years. For the central bank’s rate increase to have the hoped-for effects, the government must control its spending habit. It needs to set a path to a balanced budget, which was noticeably absent from last week’s budget. The deeper in debt society tumbles, the more painful the repercussions of the BoC’s policy rate hikes.

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, April 23, 2022 New Surrey Forward civic slate registered with Elections BC A new civic slate is being formed to take on the competition for control of Surrey city hall. Surrey Forward has registered itself with Elections BC but has yet to reveal a candidate. Brett Barden is listed as the fledgling slate’s authorized principal official and Oluwatobi Abisoye is the financial agent. Both have ties to the provincial NDP – Barden as a constituency assistant hired by former SurreyGreen Timbers MLA Sue Hammell and Abisoye as a volunteer constituency assistant for Jinny Sims, MLA for Surrey-Panorama. Abisoye was also Sims’ financial agent in the 2020 provincial election, and Barden also served as Surrey NDP MLA Garry Begg’s riding president, in Surrey-Guildford. Sims said she is not a member. There was some buzz last December she was

considering taking a run at civic politics, possibly for mayor. Barden said Monday no candidates have been confirmed. “They did ask me to run a long time ago, as you know, before Christmas,” Sims said Tuesday, “even before they formed the organization, and things have not changed from my perspective, right now. “I’m not trying to be coy, I do have a lot of pressure on me right now to run, from many different corners, but I still have not said yes,” Sims said. “But I’m flattered. I see the need, I’ll be honest, after I’m seeing what’s happening now. It’s the young kids who are saying to me we need somebody strong enough to come and clean out city hall. That’s the language they are using.”

Surrey man suing Amazon, delivery driver for wife’s 2020 death Paramjit Kaur Masutta was killed by a runaway cargo van while walking with her two kids . The husband of a woman who was killed by a runaway cargo van in Surrey in late 2020 has filed a lawsuit against a local delivery service, the driver of the van and Amazon Canada. Paramjit Kaur Masutta, 47, was killed by the runaway cargo van that rolled down the hill on 144 Street near 61A Avenue on Dec. 15, 2020. Her husband, mechanic Daljit Singh Masutta, filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of B.C. on March 7 against driver Jeo Kurian, delivery service Damy Logistics Ltd., Foss National Leasing and Amazon Canada. Daljit’s two daughters, Supreet and Manpreet, are also listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. As a result of the fatal crash, the lawsuit says the Masuttas are seeking damages for suffered losses including, the guidance and companionship of their wife and mother, as well as past and future income arising from increased childcare needs. The lawsuit claims Kurian was operating the Ford van while employed as a

delivery driver by “Amazon and/or Damy Logistics” and it was “parked illegally” on 144 Street facing north against traffic. Kurian was out of the vehicle making a delivery when the unoccupied van rolled down 144 Street, hit a southbound vehicle and “crossed over to the northbound lane, and then rolled onto the sidewalk” on the east side of the street, the lawsuit notes. While the unoccupied van was rolling down the street, Paramjit was walking home from school with her twin daughters when she saw the vehicle and she “pushed her daughters out of the way, but was unable to avoid being struck and dragged under the Ford herself.” The lawsuit claims the collision and death of Paramjit “were caused by or contributed to by the negligence” of Kurian, including failing to take the proper or reasonable steps to avoid a collision; failing to park the van in a way that would have prevented it from rolling down the hill and parking illegally and without using an emergency brake. It also adds “parking the Ford without putting the vehicle into ‘Park.’”

Surrey RCMP investigating two discoveries of possible human remains Surrey RCMP are investigating after what appear to be human remains from the same person were spotted in two locations in Whalley. Police were called after someone reported “possible partial human remains” in some bushes in the 13400-block of Hilton Road on Sunday morning. Then on Tuesday afternoon, a report came in of possible human remains in the 10600-block of 135A Street, more than a kilometre away. RCMP say a visual inspection

suggests the remains are human. Both locations were examined by evidence specialists. “Although the remains have not yet been identified, they are believed to be from the same origin,” said RCMP Cpl. Vanessa Munn in a statement. Anyone with information is asked to call Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or make an anonymous report at Crime Stoppers, 1-800-222-8477 or solvecrime.ca.

Blisteringly hot and dry summer ahead for BC says Farmers’ Almanac You know it must be a great job if you arrive at the interview determined to turn it down, but then jump at the chance once you get the concept. “I was just curious, so I drove out to Richmond,” Cindy Hamilton said. “The whole way, I’m driving, I’m thinking, ‘Even if you get this job, you’re not going to take it.’ “But once I met Sharadh, the deal was sealed. I believe wholeheartedly in what he is doing and what he is trying to accomplish.” Sharadh is Dr. Sharadh Sampath, a Richmond surgeon who started a food truck called Cultivate to raise money for charity, and give training and work to people from marginalized and under-represented backgrounds. “I am super happy to be a part of this,” said Hamilton, now the manager for Cultivate after 10 years of owning Mom’s Grilled Cheese Truck, which she sold in 2020. Executive chef Ken Iaci (Joe Fortes, the

Cannery, Papi’s Ristorante Italiano) and Hamilton plan a healthy, fresh menu every week, and there are always gluten-free and vegan options. The most recent menu featured grilled chicken fiesta salad, tempeh tacos, a delicious tuna salad croissant with exactly the right amount of mayo, and chicken tortilla soup. The truck appears at Peace Arch Hospital on Wednesdays, and alternates between St. Paul’s and Vancouver General Hospital on Thursdays, Richmond and Mount St. Joseph hospitals on Fridays. Hopes are to begin catering soon. “We’re building a business right now and getting it out there,” Hamilton said of the fledgling culinary social enterprise. “And Sharadh has big plans, it’s not just this one truck. Once we get this up and running, he said, ‘Let’s take this across Canada, and there’s no reason why more people can’t be doing this.’”

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Saturday, April 23, 2022 From page 1

India has always followed ideals of Sikh Gurus: PM Modi facing people who had committed violence and atrocities in the name of religion,” he said. At that time, there was a great hope for India to save its identity in the form of Guru Tegh Bahadur, he noted. “In front of Aurangzeb’s tyrannical thinking, Guru Tegh Bahadur ji, becoming ‘Hind di Chadar’, stood like a rock,” Modi said. Red Fort is witness that Aurangzeb and tyrants like him might have beheaded many people but our faith could not be separated from us, the Prime Minister said. The sacrifice of Guru Tegh Bahadur has inspired many generations of India to live and die to protect the dignity of their culture, for its honour and respect, he said. Big powers have disappeared, big storms have calmed down, but India still stands immortal and is moving ahead, Modi asserted. “India has never posed a threat to any country or society. Even today we think for the welfare of the whole world. When we talk about a self-reliant India, we keep the progress of the whole world in front of that goal,” he said. The Prime Minister also released a commemorative

coin and postage stamp to mark the occasion. The programme was focused on highlighting the teachings of the ninth Sikh guru who sacrificed his life to protect religion and human values, ideals and principles in world history. Guru Tegh Bahadur’s death anniversary is commemorated as ‘Shaheedi Divas’ every year on November 24. Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, built at the spot where he was beheaded, and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj, the site of his cremation, in Delhi are associated with his sacrifice. His legacy serves as a great unifying force for the nation. The fort was chosen as the venue for the event as it was from here that Aurangzeb had given orders for the execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur in 1675, according to Ministry of Culture officials. The event also saw performances by 400 Sikh musicians and a langar was also held.

Cases in BC hospitals up 33% in one week, ICU cases hold flat Those numbers are expected to increase in the coming days with more data collection. Thursday’s report, for example, saw the number of admissions between April 3 and April 9 revised from 233 to 289. Officials also recorded 27 fatalities. H o w e v e r, the figure for deaths now includes a n y o n e that died in the week of April 3 to April 9 who tested positive for COVI-19 within the 30 days prior. The province says the figure likely overcounts fatalities and that future “retrospectiveevaluations”willbeconducted to better understand COVID-19 mortality. Monthly BCCDC data continued to show unvaccinated people at a higher risk of severe outcomes. From March 20 to April 16, per 100,000 population, there were 41.2 cases of unvaccinated people in hospitals, 7.6 unvaccinated cases in the ICU and 3.3 deaths, compared to 25.7 cases in hospitals, 3.3 cases in the ICU and 2.3 deaths among people with two doses. Since the start of the pandemic, British Columbia has reported a total of 361,034 cases and 3,077 deaths.

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Saturday, April 23, 2022

This BC city will soon face the hottest heat waves in Canada & here are the ‘Red Zones’ A recent report projected the areas in Canada that are at most risk when it comes to future heat waves — and one city in B.C. stood out. After last year’s heat dome in the province, which broke all-time Canadian heat records, and the projection of an extremely hot summer to come, the reality of climate change is more clear than ever. The Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation published the report on Wednesday, where it outlined the areas of Canada likely to be the most exposed to extreme heat from 2051 through 2080. It also illustrated the measures people in the areas are going to have to take to deal with the extreme heat. Kelowna, B.C. is projected to be the city in Canada that will face the hottest

heatwave temperatures. The top areas for warmest maximum temperature heat waves until 2080. The top areas for warmest maximum temperature heat waves until 2080. Irreversible Extreme Heat: Protecting Canadians and Communities from a Lethal Future It is also projected to be the city with the longest-lasting waves in the country. Irreversible Extreme Heat: Protecting Canadians and Communities from a Lethal Future The whole province was referenced as a risky zone throughout the study, because of its “red zones.” The report said that while big cities are hotspots for global warming, there

are three “red zones” in Canada that “will be hardest hit by extreme heat.” The three zones are the “valleys between the West Coast and the Rocky Mountains in B.C., prairie communities bordering the U.S, and north of Lake Erie through the St. Lawrence River Valley in Ontario and Quebec.” Kelowna also ranked in the top 10 metropolitan areas that are most exposed

extreme heat, the report said. According to the report, smaller exposed communities in B.C. are Kamloops, Penticton, Vernon, and Creston. The managing director of Climate Resilient Infrastructure, Joanna Eyquem, warned that if “an extreme-heat event coincided with an extended electricity outage — with no fans or air conditioning running — loss

Inflation rate jumps to new 31-year high of 6.7% While the cost of anything that needs to be transported is going up, the service sector isn’t immune to the current inflationary pressure. The overall price for services has increased by 4.3 per cent in the past year, up from 3.8

in February. As TD Bank economist Leslie Preston noted, the main factor there wasn’t pump prices; it was the easing of COVIDrelated health restrictions pushing up demand for close-contact services like restaurant dining and other in-person events.

Unattended candles responsible for ‘accidental’ Gastown fire, demolition set to begin A preliminary investigation into the fire that razed a Gastown heritage building last week has revealed unattended candles are to blame. Vancouver firefighters’ initial investigation has found the fire was “accidental,” and originated on a second-floor unit where the candles were left burning. “The fire was first detected by supervisory staff conducting a fire watch. They attempted to extinguish the fire but were unsuccessful in their efforts,” said Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services in a Thursday statement. According to the fire department, the April 11 blaze was the second in four days at 203 Abbott St. There was another fire on April 8 in a different unit, but it was extinguished by the building’s sprinkler systems. Story continues below advertisement At the time, fire crews issued a notice

of violation to have the fire safety systems serviced, and put the building under a fire watch until that work was complete. Work to demolish the four-storey Winters Hotel, whose roof collapsed in the second fire, was set to begin Thursday morning but was delayed after crews learned people had gone back inside. Those individuals have since evacuated. A man was arrested after he was seen climbing up the fire escape and entering the hotel earlier on Thursday, police said, adding there’s been an issue with former residents trying to access their items after having to flee when the flames broke out. Former resident Brandy Mingo told Global News Thursday morning the man who was arrested was trying to rescue her pet turtle and collect her husband’s ashes for her.

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Saturday, April 23, 2022

Fatal multi-vehicle collision in Surrey One person died in a multi-vehicle collision in Surrey Tuesday (April 19). Police responded to 108 Avenue, near 140 Street, at approximately 6:40 p.m. According to an RCMP news release, the driver of an eastbound pickup was pronounced dead at the scene, while two occupants of a second vehicle were taken to hospital with minor injuries. One witness of the aftermath told Black Press Media that a total of seven vehicles were involved, including a transit bus. Firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life and other equipment to extract one driver, however, that individual succumbed at the scene, the witness said.

Due to the nature of the collision, 108 Avenue was shut down b e t w e e n 139 and 140 Streets for several hours while police investigated. The road was reopened at approximately 3:30 a.m. Wednesday (April 20). The Mounties’ Criminal Collision Investigation Team is investigating. Anyone who witnessed the collision, or with dash-cam footage of the area from the time it occurred, is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 605-599-050

Coroner to reopen case into BC woman’s drowning during 2016 canoe trip with husband “The coroner does not have a vested interest in the outcome of an investigation but will endeavour to ensure that all relevant information is gathered and considered,” they said. “The coroner’s investigation is focused on the facts surrounding the death; specifically, the identity of the deceased, and when, where, how and by what means death occurred. Coroners have no authority to assign blame or determine fault but are focused on establishing facts as supported by evidence.” Hennig said in a statement that this falls short of what the family wanted, given that Maxwell’s appointment means this review is not independent of the Coroner’s Service.

“While I appreciate Chief Coroner LaPointe’s willingness to allow a review, I’m afraid an internal review is meaningless as it cannot independently address questions surrounding various acts and omissions by the BC Coroner’s Service,” said Hennig. “Given all the concerns that surround this case, the only way to ensure a meaningful independent review is for this to be done by an anatomical forensic pathologist outside of British Columbia, and not a member of Lisa LaPointe’s own team behind closed doors. An external expert pathologist can provide objective opinion that includes an honest assessment of the BC Coroner’s work and findings.

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Victoria house fire investigated as arson after gas poured through mailbox A family is shaken but safe after a fire ripped through their home in Victoria, early Wednesday morning. Father Yuriy Vyshnevskyy, pastor of the Ukrainian Catholic Church of St. Nicholas on Caledonia Avenue, lives with his family in a wooden heritage home beside the church. He said his wife woke up to noise early in the morning and went to check it out. She then heard a commotion on the front porch and called for Vyshnevskyy to come. “First she heard this sound, this gulp, gulp, like someone’s emptying a bottle of liquid and then with the smell she could tell it was gasoline and then someone was pouring the gasoline through the mail slot right into the house,” Vyshnevskyy said. Const. Cam MacIntyre, media spokesperson for the Victoria Police Department, said when crews arrived on scene flames had engulfed the

front door and the front entrance. “This file is being investigated as an arson,” he said. “We’re confident that this fire was set and we are continuing our investigation.” Vyshnevskyy said the fire had broken out by the time he got downstairs, and that he tried putting it out but it spread very quickly. He then ran outside through the back door while his wife rushed upstairs to get their three girls who are five, seven and 11 years old. “They were leaning out of the window, gasping for air,” he said. Vyshnevskyy said the fire spread so fast that black smoke and fire filled the main floor. His wife and the girls were not able to get back down the stairwell so they were forced to jump from the second-floor bedroom window.

Saturday, April 23, 2022

Children jump from second floor to escape fire at Victoria home Yuriy Vyshnevskyy caught his children as they jumped from a second-floor window early Wednesday at their burning Victoria home. All got out safely, he said, but his 11-year-old daughter had to go to the hospital for stitches after being cut by shattered glass when she landed. Vyshnevskyy, a pastor at the neighbouring St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, believes the fire was set deliberately in the area of the front porch. The wooden heritage home, where the family has lived for about six years, serves as a parish rectory for the church. Even though the home had heavy damage, the church — located at the corner of Cook Street and Caledonia Avenue — looked to have escaped any effect from the fire. The home on the other side seemed unscathed, as well. Vyshnevskyy said his wife was awakened by a

noise about 1 a.m. then realized there was a fire. At first, he tried to put it out with water. “It just was spreading too fast.” He ran outside through the back door then realized his wife and children were on the second floor, with the fire now right underneath the staircase. Black smoke was filling the interior of the home, Vyshnevskyy said. “You could hardly see what was happening.” Mom and the kids went to a window with him waiting below, by this time joined by a neighbour from across the street. The five- and seven-year-old were caught easily when they jumped but it was a little hard with the eldest, who ended up cutting her arm badly and losing a lot of blood, Vyshnevskyy said. Her injury was luckily limited to soft-tissue damage, he said.

With Russian forces pushing forward in a new offensive in Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada would have news in the coming days about the provision of heavy artillery to the country. Trudeau said he is in regular contact with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and this is what the country needs as Russia masses troops for a new assault. “We’re very responsive to what it is that they need most specifically. Their most recent request from Canada is to help them with heavy artillery because that’s what the phase of the war is in right now,” he said at an event in New Brunswick.

Trudeau said the government would meet that request, but provided no specifics. “Canada will be sending heavy artillery to Ukraine, with more details to come in the coming days,” he said. Defence Minister Anita Anand’s office could also not provide additional details. Thousands of Russian troops backed by artillery and rocket barrages began a long-anticipated offensive in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday. Ukrainian officials said their soldiers would withstand the assault, calling it the Battle of the Donbas.

BC govt announcing investment in watershed health

Some Americans upset with return of BC travellers over holiday weekend It seems some Whatcom county residents didn’t miss Canadians as much as we thought, judging by the number of local Facebook comments complaining about long border lineups going into the U.S. from B.C. on Friday. Some complained about the traffic, dubbing it the ‘B.C. Blockades’ on the I-5, while others were upset with B.C. plated cars taking up all the lanes and driving below the speed limit. One man wrote “They wipe our store shelves and leave us with crumbs, god forbid they just buy one thing.” But there was somewhat of a balance in the comment sections where some wrote that they were happy about the return to pre-pandemic style traffic levels, saying that the local businesses needed the help. Blaine’s Deputy Mayor, Richard May says although it will be an adjustment period for

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledges Canadian heavy artillery for Ukraine as Russia steps up attacks

folks who haven’t seen traffic like this in over two years, the local economy will thrive with the return of regular weekend travel. “A lot of Whatcom county’s economy depends on the flow, not just of Canadians coming to visit, but of Americans on the way to Canada stopping in Whatcom and spending money,” said May. He adds these complaints aren’t anything new, as in the past, Americans living near the border have got themselves quite worked up about things like parking availability at Costco and other big box outlets. “Frankly, the worse thing is not having the economy and people need to be patient with the visitors,” May said. “So, pick your poison, do you want peace and quiet or do you want to be able to fund things and have people working?”

The B.C. government has announced $30 million in grants to restore and maintain ecosystem services and watershed health across the province. The funding was originally announced in Budget 2021 and will also support climate resiliency and support local organizations in meeting their mandates. Premier John Horgan participating in the announcement, his first government announcement since his COVID-19 diagnosis. “Healthy watersheds and wetlands are

critical for climate adaptation,” Horgan said. “They serve as a protective buffer for communities against flooding, droughts and wildfires. This new funding will help safeguard B.C.’s watersheds and wetlands for generations to come, while continuing to create good, local jobs for people throughout the province.” Half of the funding, $15 million, will be provided to Watersheds BC through the MakeWay Foundation to co-ordinate watershed restoration projects led or co-led by First Nations.

Richmond surgeon starts food truck with profits going to local charities You know it must be a great job if you arrive at the interview determined to turn it down, but then jump at the chance once you get the concept. “I was just curious, so I drove out to Richmond,” Cindy Hamilton said. “The

whole way, I’m driving, I’m thinking, ‘Even if you get this job, you’re not going to take it.’ “But once I met Sharadh, the deal was sealed. I believe wholeheartedly in what he is doing and what he is trying to accomplish.”

Saturday, April 23, 2022

Sikh captain and three soldiers file federal lawsuit alleging discrimination by US Marine Corps A Marine captain and three Marine delayed entry program poolees of the Sikh faith have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Corps’ decision to not allow the wearing of a traditional turban and beard in either combat zones or recruit training. Capt. Sukhbir Singh Toor along with Jaskirat Singh, Aekash Singh and Milaap Singh Chahal filed the lawsuit through their attorneys, with assistance from the Sikh Coalition on Monday in the Washington, D.C., federal district court. “Singh,” meaning lion, in the Sikh faith is adopted by men much like a baptismal name in Christianity. Over the past year, the Marine Corps modified some of its previous practices to allow for Toor and others to keep a beard, turban and articles of faith intrinsic to Sikh religious identity. However, the lawsuit, reported on by The New York Times and other media outlets, states that remaining restrictions on which the Corps hasn’t yet budged violate Toor and his fellow plaintiffs’ civil rights, primarily First Amendment rights to exercise free speech through the practice of religion. “We didn’t want to do this, none of us, including our clients, (a lawsuit) is never a goal, it’s absolutely a last resort,” Giselle Klapper, senior staff attorney with the Sikh Coalition, told Marine Corps Times on Wednesday. “We’ve tried for a year now to practically communicate with the Marine Corps, the Department of the Navy,” she said. “We want to make it work, we’re not here to fight you, we’re here to help you.” That years’ worth of work refers primarily to Toor’s personal campaign, which he initiated on both his behalf and for current and future Sikh Marines, when he was selected for captain in spring 2021. Toor joined the Corps in 2017

and became an artillery officer. Initially, he did shave his beard and did not wear his turban or articles of faith. That, Toor has said, was primarily because he felt he had to give something of himself to the Corps before asking for the accommodation. The Sikh faith has a strong tradition of warrior heritage that encourages its members to fight for the oppressed. Military service dovetails closely with that tradition. The beard, turban and articles of faith such as the “kanga,” a small wooden comb; a “kirpan” or small knife or ceremonial sword; “kachera” a cotton soldier short or longer underwear; a “kara” which is a small steel bracelet and the practice of not cutting their hair or beard, known as “kesh.” Following his petition, Lt. Gen. David Ottignon, head of Manpower and Reserve Affairs, authored a letter granting Toor permission to wear the turban and unshorn hair, within limits. At first, Toor was restricted from wearing the turban and articles of faith while assigned to units, such as the on in which he served, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California. 1st Lt. Sukhbir Toor may have been the first Marine to wear a turban in uniform as a sign of his Sikh faith. (Sikh Coalition) Those limits also included a prohibition against wearing those articles while in a dress uniform in a ceremonial position. When later challenged by Toor’s fellow plaintiffs, all three of which were delayed entry program poolees who’d not yet shipped to recruit training, Corps leadership also refused to allow them to attend boot camp without cutting their hair and ditching those articles.

Tacher who pursued ‘romantic relationships’ with students given 10-year ban A male teacher from B.C. has been banned from teaching for 10 years for “breaching professional boundaries” with multiple students. According to a consent resolution summary published on April 19, Joseph James Hizon Arnesto admitted to the behaviour during his time working as a Grade 7 to 12 teacher at an independent school. The names of the students involved and the school are not identified in the document. Arnesto admitted meeting Student A, who was in Grade 12 at the time of the incident, for coffee where they talked about “personal matters.” Arnesto also “made it clear that he wished to pursue a romantic relationship” with Student A shortly after they had graduated. He also admitted to communicating with Student A through texts and social media messages. The summary describes another encounter with Student B, who was in Grade 8, with whom Arnesto exchanged messages over text, Facebook and Instagram. Specific details about the exchanges were not included in the hearing, but they did involve “personal questions” about the student — in a relationship that continued for four years until Student B’s graduation, at which point Arnesto also indicated he wanted a

romantic relationship with Student B. In another interaction with Student C, a Grade 10 student, Arnesto exchanged text messages with the student, some of which were related to schoolwork, but “they often turned to unrelated topics, including Student C’s personal and romantic life,” according to the summary. During Arnesto’s tenure at the school, the principal warned him “not to discuss non-school related matters with students and to be mindful of his relationship with Student B in particular.” Arnesto was then given a written warning from the principal for having “a private conversation” with another Grade 8 student, Student D, reminding him about “maintaining clear professional boundaries.” Arnesto has held a teaching certificate since 2015 but has not been teaching since 2020, when the school superintendent first made a report about the incidents to the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation. His teaching contract was not renewed for the 2020-21 school year and, after admitting to the conduct at the hearing on March 29, Arnesto agreed to the cancellation of his teaching certificate for 10 years, effective March 30, 2022. This article’s cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Russia bans 61 Canadians from entering country, calls Ottawa’s actions ‘Russophobic’ A group of 61 Canadians will be “indefinitely prohibited” from entering the Russian Federation, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced Thursday.These banned individuals include senior government officials, active and retired military personnel, academics and leading media figures.Among the Canadians banned are foreign and defence policy adviser to the prime minister of Canada Dan Costello, Toronto Mayor John Tory, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Premier of Alberta Jason Kenney, chairman of the Bank of Canada Tiff Maclem, and president and CEO of CBC / Radio Canada

Catherine Tait.Wimbledon bans Russian, Belarusian tennis players over Ukraine warIn a release, the Russian ministry said this move has been made in response to the sanctions imposed on Russia by the federal government. The ministry also went on to say that in the near future, the Russia “stop list” will continue to expand. “The Russian side will continue the principled line, which implies a resolute rebuff to the Russophobic actions of the official Ottawa, including the supply of weapons and connivance in sending mercenaries to Ukraine,” the ministry said in a statement.

Pierre Poilievre among the dozens of MPs with rental property amid housing crunch Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre is among the dozens of MPs who own rental property even as he blasts the unfairness of Canada’s housing market for young Canadians, Global News has learned. Poilievre, the perceived frontrunner in the party’s leadership race, has made housing unaffordability a central part of his campaign so far, and has frequently criticized what he calls the “gatekeepers” keeping homes out of reach for home-buying hopefuls.At the same time, the 42-year-old Conservative politician – who has drawn a six-figure public salary since he was 25 years old – co-owns a Calgary-area rental property through a real estate venture called Liberty West Properties Inc. “Mr. Poilievre’s disclosure statement to

the federal ethics commissioner remains accurate. He owns half of a company whose sole asset is a condo in the Calgary area. Mr. Poilievre does not own any rental properties in the Ottawa area,” Anthony Koch, a spokesperson for the Poilievre campaign, wrote in response to Global News’ questions. “His wife Anaida Poilievre owns a condo in Orleans that is rented to a tenant that has no relationship with the Poilievres.” There is nothing against the rules about Poilievre owning investment property – as Global News has reported, at least 65 other federal members of Parliament also own investment or rental real estate, including one-third of the Liberal cabinet.

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Star & Style

Saturday, April 23, 2022

Ayushmann Khurrana in ‘Anek’ Ayushmann Khurrana playing as undercover cop in Anubhav Sinha’s Anek. Ayushmann Khurrana has been in the industry for a decade and has appeared in several hit films. Ayushmann is currently making headlines for his upcoming film Anek, directed by Anubhav Sinha. Recently, the Bala star opened up about his character in Anek, revealing that he will play an undercover cop in the film. When asked about his character, Ayushmann stated that this is his first time playing such a role on screen and that he is very excited to play Joshua in Anek. “Joshua in Anek is street smart and intelligent. He knows his way around people and can fight bad guys not only in a physical capacity but also with his great intellect,” He continued. Ayushmann also stated that Joshua compelled him to do things

he had never done before. Furthermore, the Vicky Donor actor discussed his preparation for the role of Joshua, stating that he had to work hard on both his physical and mental abilities. “Right from his observation skills to his ability to combat the enemy, the character’s journey keeps one intrigued and gripped throughout. Also, the action sequences had to look real and raw to fit into the world of Anek and to portray what Anubhav had envisioned, I was inscribed with the right amount of guidance and training,” Ayushmann said. Meanwhile, Anubhav can’t stop praising Ayushmann for his ability to inhabit the role of Joshua, saying that no one could have done it better. Anek is a political action thriller set in the North East of India. The film is scheduled to be released on May 27.

After hugging Shehnaaz Gill pics went viral, this is how SRK stopped paparazzi Shah Rukh Khan made sure that he does not give the paparazzi a chance to click his pictures. At Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt’s wedding party also he drew a thick black blinder in his car to prevent the media from taking his pictures. In pictures shared by paparazzo Viral Bhayani, Shah Rukh Khan was spotted at the private airport in Mumbai, where he was heading to catch a flight with his wife Gauri Khan. Shah Rukh made his way into his car while covering himself behind a big umbrella. However, Shah Rukh made a rare public appearance at the Baba Siddiqui’s Iftaar party in Mumbai where stopped

to pose for the cameras. In the videos from inside the party, Shah Rukh was seen meeting other guests. A video of Shah Rukh hugging Shehnaaz Gill had gone viral while they were clicked in the party. Shah Rukh has also announced his upcoming movie with Rajkumar Hirani titled ‘Dunki’. “Dear @hirani.rajkumar sir, Aap toh Mere Santa Claus nikle. Aap shuru karo main time pe pahunch jaunga. actually main toh set par hi rehne lagunga!Feeling humbled and excited to finally work with you.Bringing to you all #Dunki in cinemas on 22nd December 2023 @taapsee @ gaurikhan @redchilliesent @rhfilmsofficial,”

Rajkumar Hirani and SRK’s new venture ‘Dunki’ Shah Rukh Khan, finally confirmed rumours about his upcoming venture with director Rajkumar Hirani. The film, titled Dunki, will be released next Christmas. Taapsee Pannu has also joined the cast for the same. Although no other details about the project have been revealed at this time, Shah Rukh has stated that the film will be released on December 22, 2023. On Tuesday, he shared on social media, “Dear@RajkumarHirani sir, Aap toh Mere Santa Claus nikle. Aap shuru karo main time pe pahunch jaunga. actually main toh set par hi rehne lagunga. Feeling humbled & excited

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to finally work with you.Bringing to you all #Dunki in cinemas on 22nd December 2023.” Rajkumar Hirani confirmed the development, “Through the course of my career Shah Rukh Khan has always been on my wish list and after trying to collaborate several times in the past, we were finally destined to have ‘Dunki’ mark our partnership. The energy, charisma, humour and charm that he brings to a film is unparalleled and I look forward to bringing that magic to the big screen.” Shah Rukh Khan added further, “Raj Kumar Hirani is one of the finest filmmakers of this generation.

Saturday, April 23, 2022

Preity Zinta set for ‘game day’ with Punjab Kings jerseys for twins Preity Zinta, the coowner of the IPL team Punjab Kings, has shared pictures of team jerseys she has gotten made for her infant twins Jai and Gia. Preity Zinta, the co-owner of the IPL team Punjab Kings, has her twin children turn cheerleaders for the team. As Punjab Kings played Delhi Capitals on Wednesday, Preity prepared to watch it with her children -- son Jai and daughter Gia. The actor has also gotten customised jerseys made for the twins, pictures of which she shared on her Instagram account. Taking to Instagram Stories on Wednesday evening, Preity shared a picture that showed little red

jerseys with golden stripes placed on a brown couch. The jerseys, which were in Punjab Kings colour and included the names of its sponsor, had Jai’s name printed on one t-shirt and Gia’s name printed on the other. Sharing the picture, Preity wrote, “Game Day (punching emoji) #TataIpl...All the best @punjabkingsipl...#DCvsPBKS.” In the next story, Preity shared a picture of the front side of the jerseys, and captioned it with two punching emojis. Preity Zinta shares pictures of Jai and Gias jerseys on Instagram.

Varun Dhawan congratulats Ranbir & Alia V a r u n Dhawan has a busy schedule lined up for him while he shoots his upcoming movie Bawaal, which also stars Janhvi Kapoor. Busy with his shoots in Lucknow, the actor could not attend the wedding reception of his close friend and co-star Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor. When spotted by the paparazzi, Varun was asked to share wishes for the newlyweds. Varun, being his usual comedic self, managed to plug his upcoming movie in his response. On being asked to share good wishes, the actor replied, “Jug Jugg Jeeyo”. Jug Jugg Jeeyo is also his upcoming movie where he will be playing the lead along with Kiara Advani. The movie will also be starring Neetu

Kapoor, who was seen joyously dancing and celebrating her son’s wedding. Varun and Alia Bhatt’s friendship goes way back to when they made their Bollywood debut together in Student of the Year. After the success of Student of the Year, the pair released back-toback hits like Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, and Kalank. Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor tied the knot on April 14, which was followed by their wedding reception. The reception was attended by their closest friends like Gauri Khan, Malaika Arora, Arjun Kapoor, Tara Sutaria among others.

Iulia Vantur on filming Salman Khan’s docu-series ‘Beyond The Star’ part of BTS, but it is a differnt BTS. It is ‘Beyond The Star’. It is our new project that we are working on,” she said. Talking about the project, she said, “It is our docu-series about a star and gives the audience an all-round perspective of the star and the importance of the support system - family, friends, teachers, co-stars and all the people involved in creating the star. It is an amazing project that I put my whole heart and energy into. We still have the last 100 meters to wrap up this project. Most of the interviews are done. I am very excited for that to come out on a big platform.”

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan had teased fans last year about his upcoming docu-series ‘Beyond The Star’, and now, ETimes had Iulia Vantur, the brain behind the project, spill all the details. In a candid chat with us, the actress and singer spilled the beans about her passion project that is taking shape rather quickly and may just be hitting our screens later this year. While talking about music and performing at arenas in the USA, we had to ask Iulia if she was a fan of the K-Pop supergroup BTS and if she was attending their gig over the past weekend. “I am a

‘Heropanti’ girl Kriti Sanon Kriti made her debut in 2014 with action film Heropanti. She later appeared in films such as Bareilly Ki Barfi, Luka Chuppi, Dilwale, and Housefull 4. The release of Mimi in 2021, however, had a significant impact on Sanon’s film career. In Mimi, Sanon, who played a surrogate in the Laxman Utekar-directed film, gave one of the most enthralling and committed performances of her career. Now Kriti has found yet another way to connect with her fans, by starting her very own youtube channel. Kriti took to social media to announce her first vlog titled ‘A day in my life, though my eyes’. It is a very popular form of video where creators take the audience through their daily life and activities. Kriti shared on twitter, “Excited to share my first Vlog on my YouTube channel.. thought I’ll show you guys a day in my life, through my eyes” In the video she started by working out at the gym and even showed the behind the scenes for an ad shoot.

Kriti was most recently seen in Farhad Samji’s Bachchhan Paandey, in which she co-starred with Akshay Kumar and Arshad Warsi. Shehzada, a film with Kartik Aaryan, is also in the works. Kriti will be reuniting with Tiger Shroff in her upcoming film Ganapath. M e a n w h i l e , T-Series is reportedly planning a biopic about Meena Kumari and has approached Kriti Sanon to play the lead role. Kriti, on the other hand, has not mentioned it to anyone. According to the report, the actress is overjoyed and proud of the offer. Kriti Sanon has also been approached by filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, who is preparing a web series based on Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy, titled The Immortals of Meluha. She is being considered for the role of Sati, who is an important character in Shiva’s journey.

Real Estate

Saturday, April 23, 2022

South Asian landlord landlord unable to move into farm he bought two years ago, as tenant refuses to move out A man who bought a 40-hectare farm in the Toronto area two years ago says he’s still waiting to move in because a tenant is refusing to leave — and he says the body that’s supposed to rule on landlordtenant disputes has been too slow to act. Sarbjit Sra, a real estate broker from nearby Brampton, bought the property in April of 2020. He first went to Ontario’s Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) in June of that year seeking an eviction order on the grounds that he and his family want to live on the property, located about 60 kilometres northwest of Toronto. But the board didn’t rule in his favour until June of 2021 and the order can’t be acted upon until the LTB issues it in writing. Almost 10 months later, Sra is still waiting for that written order. “I can’t sleep at night right now,” he said. “Right now, we are very frustrated.” Meanwhile, he says, he’s facing expenses of about $10,000 a month to pay mortgages, taxes and utilities on the farm, which he bought for $1.75 million. He says the tenant refuses to pay rent or allow him onto the property to inspect it for damage. Organizations that represent landlords in Ontario say the situation underscores a growing problem — the LTB’s seeming inability to quickly rule on these disputes and promptly evict problem tenants.

Since that first application, an exasperated Sra has tried to speed things up by applying for two more eviction orders. In November of 2020, he filed a request on the grounds that the man hadn’t been paying his rent. That was denied but the board did order the tenant to pay back rent of almost $11,000. Sra says he hasn’t seen a penny of it. So Sra then filed for a third eviction order, also based on non-payment of rent, in June of 2021. It was heard by the board this past January, and this time, the LTB agreed — in writing — to evict the tenant. But about a month ago, Sra was notified that order had been set aside while it was reviewed at the tenant’s request. Sra and the paralegal who represents him say it all could have been avoided if the board had only issued a written order on his original application in a timely fashion. An LTB spokesperson declined CBC Toronto’s request for an interview to explain the delay, but in the past, the board has acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a backlog of cases. Paralegal Ajmer Singh Mandur says he’s never known a client to wait for almost 10 months to receive an eviction order in writing from the LTB.

throwing global supplies into chaos. Although they have since come down a little, at one point last month numerous Canadian cities saw their average price for a litre of gasoline hit $2 for the first time ever. High gas prices have an outsized impact on overall inflation because the cost of shipping and transportation gets added to the cost of everything else, from grocery bills (up 8.7 per cent) to the price of durable goods like furniture (up by 13.7 per cent in the past year) and even plane tickets (up by 8.3 per cent.) Prices for furniture jumped by more than eight per cent in the month of March alone. That’s the highest monthly increase in that category in more than 70 years. Food prices in particular tend to raise the ire of consumers, since it is hard to avoid or lessen the impact of rising prices on something that is such a necessity.

Canada bans foreign home buyers for two years Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government announced it will ban foreign investors from buying homes in Canada for two years in a bid to cool off a hot housing market. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland took a number of measures to tamp down speculation and demand amid record home prices in announcing the federal budget for the year. The government announced a twoyear ban on foreign home buying as well as higher taxes for people who sell their home within a year, though both measures include multiple exceptions including for permanent residents and foreign students. The budget also includes billions for new housing and measures to help Canadians trying to get into the market, including a new savings account and changes to the first-time home buyers tax credit.

The government is under pressure to cool an overheated market after prices climbed by more than 20% last year, while rental rates have also been rising. The federal Liberal government is also promising $500 million Canadian ($397 million U.S.) in additional military aid to Ukraine as well as more humanitarian and financial support to Kyiv in response to Russia’s invasion. Canada responded to months of pressure from the NATO military alliance and others by promising more than $8 billion Canadian ($7.2 billion) in new military spending over the next five years. Canada will remain far short of NATO’s spending 2% of GDP target, even as other allies dramatically ramp up their own military investments following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Saturday, April 23, 2022

A more than 20% price drop or 40% crash is possible Home price growth could decline a little after the Bank of Canada’s (BoC) second rate hike. The key interest rate is now 1%, following the 50-basis-point increase on April 13, 2022. However, if four or more hikes are still coming until the year-end, prices might finally drop tremendously. BoC will also end reinvestment and begin quantitative tightening on April 25, 2022. Because the central bank won’t replace maturing Government of Canada bonds anymore, expect its balance sheet to decline over time. Furthermore, BoC forecasts the economy to grow by 4.25% this year and then slide to 3.25% and 2.25% in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Assuming the BoC increases its rates six times more (0.25% per hike) in 2022, the benchmark will climb to 2.5%. According to David Doyle, Macquarie Group Head of Economics, the 1.5% increase from April is a headwind for housing activities. While the housing market contributes significantly to overall economic activity, the BoC had to act aggressively. Besides the increasing risk, the feds warn that inflation could remain well above its 2% target throughout this year. The policymakers expect more normal levels to return in 2024. Oxford Economics forecasts home prices in Canada to fall 24% by mid-2024. Among the factors that could drive prices down are higher interest rates, a foreign ban on ownership, and anti-speculation policies. The global forecasting firm said prices could rise further if the above measures fail. More worrisome is

that a 40% crash could follow the unsustainable climb and lead to a financial crisis. However, the firm believes that a more than 20% price drop is more likely than a severe correction. A major problem today is the market imbalance, as demand outpaces supply. Oxford said home prices will not bounce back after the 24% decline in 2024, although it expects the trend could reverse. The firm sees supply outpacing demand from 2025 to 2023. If annual growth is below 1% for five years, incomes should catch up, and affordability could return by mid2028. Bloomberg reported that real estate investors or buyers of second homes own nearly one-third of the supply in the country’s biggest housing markets. Statistics Canada said this group creates more competition. However, investors who want exposure to the real estate sector have alternatives to direct ownership. Real estate investment trusts (REITs) can provide rental-like income at a lower cash outlay. The high-yield real estate stocks today are NorthWest Healthcare Properties (TSX:NWH. UN) and True North Commercial (TSX:TNT. UN). The former is the only REIT in the cure sector, while the latter boasts a solid tenant base. NorthWest owns and operates medical office buildings, hospitals, and clinics globally. At $13.75 per share, this $3.27 billion REIT pays a juicy 5.82% dividend. On the other hand, the federal and provincial governments are among the anchor tenants in True North’s 46 high-quality commercial properties. The share price is only $7.01.

Real Estate

Vancouver now ranked as the 3rd-least-affordable housing market globally Vancouver has dropped one place, now behind both Hong Kong and Sydney, in an annual ranking of global cities with the least affordable housing markets. According to the newly released findings of Urban Reform Institute’s Demographia International Housing Affordability Study for 2021, based on the final quarter of the year, Vancouver’s median multiple is now at 13.3 — up from 13.0 in the previous study analyzing 2020. The median multiple is the price-to-income ratio, which is the median house price divided by the gross median household income, pre-tax. This means Vancouver’s median house in Vancouver costs 13.3 times the average annual income in the city. Vancouver’s median multiple exceeded Sydney since 2018, but both cities have now flipped positions again, with the median multiple of Australia’s largest city growing from 11.8 in 2020 to 15.3 in 2021. Vancouver and Sydney are followed by San Jose at 12.6, Melbourne at 12.1, Honolulu at 12.0, San Francisco at 11.8, Auckland at 11.2, Los Angeles at 10.7, and Toronto at 10.5. Hong Kong remains the least affordable housing market in the world, with a median multiple of 23.2. Although Vancouver is ranked third for its poor affordability, it saw the smallest year-over-year increase in its median multiple amongst the top 10 cities. In contrast, the most affordable housing

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markets are Pittsburgh at 2.7, Oklahoma City and Rochester tied at 3.3, and Edmonton and St. Louis tied at 3.6. Calgary is tied at 10th place with Kansas City, Louisville, Tulsa, and Detroit for most affordable markets, with a median multiplier of 4.0, while Montreal is tied at 60th place with Plymouth/ Devon and Austin at 6.1. Ottawa/Gatineau has been given a median multiple of 5.6, ranking it as the 50th most affordable housing market. Cities with a median multiple of 3.0 and under have “affordable” housing markets, while the range from 3.1 to 4.0 is “moderately affordable,” 4.1 to 5.0 is “seriously unaffordable,” and 5.1 and over is “severely unaffordable.” The study ranked a total of 92 global cities. Based on the six major Canadian cities ranked, Canada has a median multiple of 6.0 — up from 4.4 in pre-pandemic 2019. Canada saw the largest increase amongst the nations included in the study. “Severely unaffordable housing has spread from Vancouver to smaller markets, as Metro Vancouver has shed domestic migration to smaller markets in British Columbia, such as Chilliwack, the Fraser Valley, and Kelowna and markets on Vancouver Island,” reads the study. The study also saw a similar pattern in Toronto: “Severely unaffordable housing has spread to smaller markets in Ontario, such as Kitchener-Waterloo, Brantford, London, and Guelph, as residents of Metro Toronto seek lower costs of living.”

Saturday, April 23, 2022

Boris Johnson becomes first UK PM to visit Sabarmati Ashram in India Visiting British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday termed Mahatma Gandhi an “extraordinary man” who mobilised the principles of truth and non-violence to change the world for better. Johnson became the first prime minister of the UK to visit the Sabarmati Ashram here, the place from where Gandhi led India’s struggle for freedom from the British colonial rule for more than a decade. In fact, the Tory politician is also the first British prime minister to visit Gujarat post 1947. “It is an immense privilege to come to the ashram of this extraordinary man, and to understand how he mobilised such simple principles of truth and non-violence to change the world for better,” Johnson wrote in the visitors’ book at the Gandhi ashram. While the British PM was effusive in his praise for the Mahatma, during the freedom struggle such praise for Gandhi from Britain’s ruling class was rare. Winston Churchill

Assam police arrest Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani

famously called Gandhi a “half-naked fakir” as the latter opposed sending Indian soldiers to fight for Britain in the Second World War and launched the Quit India movement in 1942. The Mahatma’s call to use the charkha (spinning wheel) and boycott foreign goods including cloth hit the textile industry in Manchester. Charkha became a very potent symbol of the anti-colonial struggle. During his visit, Prime Minister Johnson tried his hand at the charkha at Hriday Kunj, the hut where Gandhi lived. A replica of the charkha was also presented to him. The Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust also gifted two books to him. One of the books was ‘Guide to London’, an unpublished book which consists of Gandhi’s suggestions on how to live in London. The other book was ‘The Spirit’s Pilgrimage’, autobiography of Mirabehn or Madeleine Slade, Gandhi’s British-born follower.

Assam police have arrested Gujarat MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani from Palanpur town in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district and took him to the north-eastern state by air in the early hours of Thursday, officials said. While the police did not specify the reason behind his arrest, Mevani’s close aide cited a document shared by the Assam police and claimed that the legislator was held over his tweet on Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse. AngeredoverMevani’sarrest,GujaratCongress leaders staged a demonstration near Sarangpur circle in the city and demanded his release. “Assam police took custody of Mevani from Palanpur circuit house late on Wednesday night and took him with them to Assam after informing the local police,” an official of Banaskantha police station said. Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Akshayraj Makwana confirmed that Assam police arrested Mevani and took him to their state after informing Palanpur police. Mevani had won as an independent MLA from Vadgam (SC) seat of Banaskantha in 2017 through Congress support. Though

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he is “ideologically” with the Congress at present, he has not joined the opposition party officially. He has earlier said that he would fight the next elections as a Congress candidate. He was arrested after an FIR under section 153A of the IPC, which deals with offences related to promoting enmity between communities, was registered at Kokrajhar police station in Assam, said Mevani’s aide Suresh Jat. “As per a document shared by the officials of the Assam police, an FIR has been lodged over a tweet by Mevani few days back. However, the tweet has been withheld by Twitter. It was about Nathuram Godse. Mevani was first brought to Ahmedabad by road and then taken to Assam by air early in the morning,” Jat added. Apart from section 153A of the IPC, Mevani has been booked under section 295A (malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 504 (provocation with an intention to break public peace) and under relevant sections of the IT Act. In a statement, Mevani’s office said he was arrested by Assam police from Palanpur circuit House at 11.30 pm on Wednesday and then taken to Assam by air from Ahmedabad airport in the early hours of Thursday.

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Saturday, April 23, 2022 Vaisakhi and Khalsa’s Sirjana Divas celebrations

This year’s Vaisakhi and Khalsa’s Sirjana Divas celebrations have been quite different in the Metro Vancouver area. The two big celebrations – Dasmesh Darbar Gurdwara Sahib in Surrey and Khalsa Diwan Society’s celebration in Vancouver have been confined mainly to their premises. However, in many other Gurdwaras, the celebrations continued the way they have been in previous years. For example, at India Cultural Centre of Canada Gurdwara Nanak Niwas in Richmond, a large congregation celebrated both of these special events on the evening of April 14. It was at the conclusion of the Akhand Paath Sahib that got under way on Tuesday, April 12. On this special occasion, the Gurdwara Management Committee decided to honour a number of police officers from Vancouver Police Department. The Committee felt that the police officers put their lives in danger in order to protect the public and keep it safe. As such, they deserve recognition and our thanks. Five outstanding VPD police officers including Deputy Chief Steve Rai were thus recognized .All of these officers have been doing an exceptionally good job . Deputy Chief Steve Rai was presented with a plaque by Chairperson of India Cultural Centre of Canada Gurdwara Nanak Niwas Society ,Mrs. Kashmir Kaur Johal. Also, it was a pleasure for the Committee to welcome Mr. Rahul Negi, Consul/First Secretary of Consulate General of India, Vancouver who brought greetings from the Consulate. The congregation was treated to a melodious keertan by the resident Jatha at the Gurdwara. The congregation enjoyed listening to special guest prominent scholar Dr. Kamal Neel explain the significance

of Vaisakhi and the Sirjana of the Khalsa Panth. All of them enjoyed a delicious vegetarian Langar afterwards. To coincide with the celebration of Vaisakhi and creation of the Khalsa Panth, the Gurdwara Management Committee had initiated a fund -raising campaign to help the people of war ravaged Ukraine. The response to these efforts has been great. A lot of money has already been raised in this regard. However, there is need for a lot more. More than five million Ukrainians have been made homeless by this unnecessary war. Most of that country is in ruins. Ukraine and its citizens need all the help they can get. The South Asian community in general and Sikhs in particular have responded to this tragedy in a wonderful manner. Nearly every Gurdwara and Sikh organization is actively engaged in helping our Ukrainian brothers, sisters and children. While collecting money at Gurdwara at Nanak Niwas our volunteers had a moving experience the other day. A five year old girl approached our volunteers who were accepting donations for the victims of war in Ukraine. She pulled out one American dollar bill and gave it as a donation to the Ukraine Relief Fund. With a heavy heart she told our volunteers that she is very troubled by the destruction of Ukraine and wants to help. What a beautiful gesture by this innocent five year child! She is a great inspiration for young and old alike to help the needy in their hour of need. Balwant Sanghera General Secretary, Gurdwara Nanak Niwas,

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LeT’s longest surviving commander Yousuf Kantroo among 3 militants killed Top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander Yousuf Kantroo, one of the longest surviving terrorists in the Valley, was among three militants killed in Baramulla district on Thursday, police said. Kantroo was involved in the killings of several security forces personnel as well as civilians and was among the top-10 most wanted ultras in the Kashmir valley, they said. With Kantroo’s killing, the security forces achieved a major success, a police spokesman said. He said acting on specific information about the presence of terrorists in the Malwah area of Baramulla in north Kashmir, security forces launched a cordon and search operation there. As the search party reached the suspected

spot during the operation, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately at them, injuring four soldiers, including one officer, and a policeman, the spokesman added. In the ensuing encounter, three terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT, including dreaded terrorist commander Kantroo, were killed and their bodies retrieved from the gunbattle site, he said. “Kantroo earlier had joined as an OGW of HM (Hizbul Mujahideen) outfit and was arrested in 2005. He was released in 2008, but he again joined terrorist ranks in 2017 and started killing innocent civilians, policemen and political workers. Later on, he switched from HM to LeT terror outfit,” the official said.

India condemns US Congresswoman’s visit to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir US Congresswoman Ilham Omar’s trip to Pakistan has landed her in controversies both within the country she is visiting as well as India which has called her travelling to the Line of Control (LOC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as “condemnable’’. This was the first US delegation to PoK in three years. “She visited a part of J&K currently illegally occupied by Pakistan. If such a politician wishes to practice her narrow-minded politics at home that may be her business, but violating our territorial integrity in its pursuit makes this ours. Condemnable,’’ said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi when asked to react to her visit to PoK. Landing in PoK on Thursday, Omar said

at a press conference that the US administration and the Congress is not talking as much as needed about human rights violations in Jammu & Kashmir and the effects of the Modi administration’s anti-Muslim rhetoric. “The condemnations and concerns of those who fight for human rights and the question of Kashmir will be included in future hearings within the USA,’’ Omar assured after meeting PoK President Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry. Omar has been hawkish on J & K after the repeal of Article 370 and has repeatedly called for de-escalation in Kashmir and permission to international organisations to fully document what is happening on the ground.

Saturday, April 23, 2022 British PM Johnson signals visa flexibility with India to win trade deal British Prime Minister Boris Johnson indicated he was ready to offer more visas to India in return for this year clinching a free-trade deal that could boost annual bilateral trade by billions of pounds. Speaking on the plane on his way to the world’s second-most populous country, Johnson signalled he was ready to be more accommodating on an issue that could have stalled the talks. “I have always been in favour of talented people coming to this country,” Johnson told reporters. “We are short to the tune of hundreds of thousands of people in our economy and we need to have a progressive approach and we will.” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson scatters rose petals on the statue of Mahatma Gandhi during his visit to the Sabarmati Ashram also known as Gandhi Ashram, in Ahmedabad, India April 21, 2022. Britain has made getting a trade deal with India one of its post-Brexit priorities as ministers, free from the European

Union’s common trade policy, look to gear policy towards faster-growing economies around the Indo-Pacific region. India wants greater opportunities for Indians to live and work in Britain. Any trade deal will likely be contingent on relaxing rules and lowering of fees for Indian students and professionals going to the country.India and former colonial power Britain already share strong trade ties, and more than a million people of Indian origin live in Britain after decades of migration.Britain wants to tap into the wealth of India’s middle classes and their appetite for premium British products such as Scotch whisky. They also hope that India can become a customer of its green technology and that service trade can also be strengthened. Britain has said the trade deal could almost double British exports to India, and by 2035 boost total trade by 28 billion pounds ($38 billion) per year. Total trade in 2019 was worth 23 billion pounds, according to British statistics.

2 Indians killed in explosion at oxygen plant in Nepal Two Indian nationals were killed and six others injured on Thursday in an explosion at an oxygen plant in an industrial area in Lalitpur district near Kathmandu. The explosion took place at the Sagarmatha Oxygen Plant inside the Patan industrial estate on Thursday morning while workers were filling gas in a cylinder, police said. The explosion also destroyed the zinc roof of the oxygen plant and

broke windows of adjacent buildings. In the explosion, 45-year-old Brij Mahato, a resident of Ratanpurwa village in Bihar’s West Champaran district, died on the spot while another Indian national, Raj Kumar Mahato, 25, died while undergoing treatment at B and B Hospital in Lalitpur. Nepal Home Minister Balkrishna Khand has instructed the police to carry out rescue work and investigate the accident

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Saturday, April 23, 2022

Japan says India refused permission for air force plane to collect aid for Ukraine India has denied authorising the entry of a Japanese transport plane to collect aid supplies for Ukrainian refugees, a lawmaker said on Thursday, derailing Tokyo’s plan for the flight later this month. Under the original schedule, a C-2 transport plane of the Air Self-Defence Force was supposed to pick up relief items such as blankets stockpiled by a UN agency in India and the United Arab Emirates, and transport them to Poland and Romania, both of which border Ukraine and have welcomed refugees from the war-torn country. India, which has traditionally maintained close military ties with Russia, has refrained from condemning Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine that began on February 24. A Japanese government official explained

at a ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) meeting that India had agreed at a working level to allow the transport plane to land, but it suddenly withdrew its consent on Wednesday, according to the lawmaker. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet was slated to formally approve on Friday the plan to send the aircraft, possibly in late April, but the flight will be put off following India’s withdrawal of consent, said the ruling party lawmaker who took part in the meeting. Some of those at the LDP policy meeting accused the government of failing to take into account the possibility that India, which is highly dependent on Russian military and energy supplies, could reject the plan, according to the lawmaker.

Indian Navy studying the sinking of Russian cruiser Moskva The Indian Navy’s operational planners are studying the sinking of the missile cruiser Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, by two Ukrainian anti-ship cruise missiles on April 14 with the focus on how to protect Indian warships from anti-ship ballistic missiles like the Chinese DF-21. The last Russian flagship sunk was in the Battle of Tsushima by the Japanese imperial navy in 1905, 117 years ago. The sinking of a Russian cruiser in the ongoing

Ukraine war poses serious questions about the survivability of warships in the day and age of anti-ship cruises as well as ballistic missiles. The anti-ship weapon poses threat to all navies in the world including the Chinese Navy, which has been flaunting its aircraft carriers, Liaoning, and Shandong, against in the Indo-Pacific while threatening the mighty US Navy with DF 21 and DF 26 missiles. The Chinese propaganda media has dubbed DF 21 as a ship killer and DF 26 as killer of the US base in Guam in the Indo-Pacific.

India may have imported coal from Russia at a discount Russia is increasingly India’s go-to destination for key commodities, thanks to steep discounts. It was crude oil earlier; it is coal now. India is being offered Russian coal at a discount of around $10 per metric tonne over Australia’s Newcastle thermal coal. The payment mechanism, timing, and deliveries are, however, under negotiation. With global coal prices doubling in the wake of the Ukraine war, Indian buyers have been scrambling for lucrative Russian offers. India uses coal to generate about 70% of its electricity.

Russia is the world’s third-largest coal exporter. However, a ban on Russian coal by the European Union and Japan has disrupted supplies. “Markets suspect that India and China may boost coal imports from Russia, offsetting some impact of a formalised EU ban,” Vivek Dhar, director of mining and energy commodities research at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, has said. India plans to double its imports of Russian coking coal, used to make steel. Indian power plants’ coal stocks stood at 22.26 million metric tonnes as of April 19,

BJP leader shot dead outside Delhi home A local BJP leader was shot dead this evening in east Delhi, said the police. He was 42. The man has been identified as Jitu Choudhary. A police constable found the BJP leader’s body in a pool of blood in front of his house in Mayur Vihar Phase 3. “The victim had gunshot injuries,”

the police said in a statement. He was immediately rushed to a hospital where the doctors declared him dead on arrival. A few cartridges have been recovered from the crime scene, said the police. The police are scanning the CCTV footage. The accused are on the run.

India trade deal will mean accepting increased migration to UK, PM Boris indicates Boris Johnson has indicated that a post-Brexit trade deal with India will include accepting Delhi’s demands for an increase in migration to the UK. The Prime Minister said he was hopeful that a free trade agreement (FTA) can be struck by the end of the year, as he headed to India for talks with his counterpart Narendra Modi. Mr Johnson vowed to press for a reduction of fossil fuels from Vladimir Putin’s Russia, amid concerns Mr Modi has not been critical enough of the invasion of Ukraine. The two-day trip was coming amid

the fallout from Mr Johnson being fined for breaching coronavirus laws with a gathering for his 56th birthday in 2020. While he is out of the country, MPs will vote on Thursday on whether to open a Commons

investigation into whether he lied to Parliament. On immigration I’ve always been in favour of talented people coming to this country Downing Street had not expressed confidence that a trade deal with India would be brokered this year, saying “we don’t want to sacrifice quality for speed”.

Army rescues 16 civilians trapped in heavy snow at 12,000 feet in Jammu and Kashmir Indian Army on Thursday rescued 16 people who were stranded amid heavy snowfall at Sinthan Pass of Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir. At around 3 PM, civil administration informed army about 16 civilians stuck on NH 244 near Sinthan Pass. Upon receiving the news, a rescue team of Indian Army headed

to the spot from Sinthan Maidan. The team walked around 15 km on NH 244, in continuous snowfall and zero visibility condition, to reach the spot near Sinthan pass at around 6:15 PM. All stranded civilians were brought down to Sinthan Maidan, where they were provided with food and necessary medicines

Saturday, April 23, 2022

FIJI

Punjab Former Army Chief questions CM Bhagwant Mann’s meeting with British MP Dhesi Former Army Chief Gen JJ Singh has sought an explanation from Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadda over a meeting with British Labour Party MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi who has an anti- India stand on the Kashmir issue. “Despite knowing that Dhesi has an antiIndia stand on Kashmir, why CM Mann and Raghav Chadda met him recently in Punjab

and must explain what assurance has been given to the British MP by Maan and Chadda,” Gen Singh said. He further said that it was said that discussions were held on giving certain facilities to the Non Resident Indians (NRIs) in Punjab. He also said the Indian government has given many facilities to the NRIs of Punjab and many of them have been de-listed from the ‘black list’ and were allowed to visit the state.

Why Punjab’s farmers can’t move beyond rice and wheat Every time we visit Punjab, we ask farmers why they stick with the rice-wheat cropping pattern year on year. Especially when most are witnessing receding underground water levels, forcing them to deepen their borewells each year during the paddy season. One answer from a young farmer stayed with us. He said, if you give us profitable and stable markets, we will produce whatever you want us to produce. It is well established that Punjab’s

farmers are hardworking and enterprising. Most of them today acknowledge that the underground water line is receding and their costs of cultivating, particularly paddy, are rising. Families of many in rural Punjab continue to suffer from severe illness due to high dosages of fertilisers and chemical pesticides applied to crops that are then found in the soil and even water. So, why is it that, despite the large-scale suffering and

Former president of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Mastan Singh attacked in Nankana Sahib Tension prevailed at Sri Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak Dev in Pakistan, after a group of men belonging to the land mafia attacked members of a prominent Sikh family, leaving them injured. The injured included Mastan Singh, former president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC); his sons Dilawar Singh (25) and Parminder Singh (30); besides their two friends Taranjit Singh (25) and Palwinder Singh (21). Taking cognisance of the incident,

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said if a prominent Sikh family could be subjected to brutality, what security could the ordinary Sikhs expect in Pakistan? The family of Mastan Singh and their relatives had for the past several years been cultivating wheat and paddy on 5.5 acres of leased land, 5 km from the shrine. The local land mafia, which had been eyeing this piece of prime land, attempted to forcibly occupy it, which was resisted by the victims.

Pakistan US Congresswoman visits Pakistani part of Kashmir, draws India’s ire Congresswoman Ilhan Omar made a rare visit by a U.S. lawmaker to Pakistan’s part of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir on Thursday and said the issue should get more attention from the United States, prompting an angry response from India. The Muslim-majority Kashmir region has long been the source of tensions between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan, leading them to fight three wars since winning

independence from the British Empire in 1947. Both countries claim the territory in full but rule it in part. “I don’t believe that it (Kashmir) is being talked about to the extent it needs to in Congress but also with the administration,” Omar told reporters after visiting the de facto border dividing the disputed territory between Pakistan and India.

Imran Khan made Rs 142 million by selling state gifts Newly-appointed information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Thursday claimed that former prime minister Imran Khan paid a meagre amount of 20 per cent retention money and made Rs 142 million by selling state gifts from the Toshakhana. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, she said Khan used his position as the prime minister to do business and earn money.

She said ImranKhan declared that he earned Rs 141 million till date since he started earning. However, he earned Rs 142 million by selling the precious gifts, she said. She asserted that only 20 per cent retention money was paid by Khan for the gifts. Aurangzeb asked Khan to provide the money trail of the amount spent to buy gifts from the Toshakhana.

The troubled path ahead for new PM Shehbaz Sharif After weeks of political chaos and uncertainty that resulted in the removal of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan from the prime minister’s office through a vote of noconfidence, the president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Shehbaz Sharif, was sworn in as the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan.

Sharif assumed the office at a critical juncture, inheriting a depleting economy, troubling foreign relations and a polarised domestic front. Sharif will have to manage these challenges while standing atop a fragile alliance of 11 political parties that joined hands for the common objective of removing Khan from power.

New PM’s “Emergency Measures” to fix broken economy Pakistan’s new PM Shehbaz Sharif said the country’s economy had stagnated under his predecessor Imran Khan, setting the tone for possibly months of bitterness before an election that must be held by October next year. Sharif, sworn in Monday, is still finalising his

cabinet but has called for “Pakistan speed” to hurry along development projects and fix the economy. On Thursday the 70-year-old visited a metro bus project in Rawalpindi and complained about the pace of infrastructure development.

Female law student wants to become accredited FIFA referee Kajal Karishma Prasad is looking forward to making a major step in her career as a football referee with the hope that she will be an inspiration for females in the country who want to take similar steps in sports. The 20-year-old wanted to become a football player as a young girl, but she was inspired by some of the referees, so she turned to refereeing. “I used to come to the academy to train football with Nasinu team and I saw how the referees were trained with the laws of the game practically which caught my eyes, “Prasad said “The way they were running and doing the signals in the game, got inspired and decided to take on refereeing,”

“Refereeing has just become a passion of mine, “ “I joined referee training and the referee’s director Rakesh Varman was always there for me to give me advice. I was scared to do it, but the encouragement from other referees made me what I am today,” “I went through the workshops and learned the laws of the game and now I have been in the panel as an assistant referee,” The second-year law student of the University of the South Pacific said she had to face some challenges before taking up refereeing. “My parents were hesitant to allow me to do refereeing but I persuaded them and they allowed me to train and become a referee,” “I had to plan my days well with my studies.

Fiji issues restraining order that stops a sanctioned Russian oligarch’s $325 million superyacht from leaving the country A $325 million superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleyman Kerimov will not be allowed to leave Fiji’s waters after the country’s high court granted a restraining order against the vessel. The US is seeking to seize the Amadea, which arrived in the Pacific nation on April 13 after an 18-day voyage from Mexico. Fiji’s director of public prosecutions (DPP), Christopher Pryde, filed applications with the high court on Tuesday “seeking orders (i) that the motor yacht Amadea be restrained from leaving Fijian waters until the finalization of an application to register a warrant to seize the property and (ii) that a US warrant to seize the Amadea be registered.” A spokesperson for Pryde told Insider on Wednesday: “The DPP received an Authority

to Proceed from Fiji’s Attorney-General after Fiji received a formal request for mutual legal assistance from the US government.” The spokesperson said that the high court in Suva, Fiji’s capital, had on Tuesday granted the order to restrain Amadea. They said that “the issue of registration of the US warrant will need to be determined at a later date” with a next court hearing on the matter scheduled for Thursday. Legal ownership of the Amadea was “still subject to investigation,” the spokesperson added. Western countries have placed sweeping sanctions on Russia after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine. As well as targeting Russian businesses, finances, and industry, the West has been sanctioning Russian elites to put pressure on the country to stop the invasion.

Saturday, April 23, 2022

Indigenous Peoples still need the resources to heal as more unmarked graves are found

Falcon says Speculation and Vacancy Tax unfair to 1% with empty second homes Kevin Falcon is defending the fewer than 1% of British Columbians who pay the Speculation and Vacancy Tax on second properties left empty in cities hard hit by the housing crisis. Recently, Falcon said the tax was unfair to those with multiple vacant properties: “Two thirds of the speculation tax is paid for by British Columbians. These are not speculators. These are people that have a second property and they’re being forced to pay, you know, an additional cost.” (Video) Falcon has opposed the BC NDP’s Speculation and Vacancy Tax since it was introduced in 2018. “In the middle of a housing crisis, Kevin Falcon is more concerned for people who already own multiple homes than he is for those hit by this crisis,” said NDP candidate for Vancouver-Quilchena Jeanette Ashe. “He’s looking out for those who have profited

off the housing crisis, not for people who are trying to find a home they can actually afford.” StatCan data shows that the Speculation and Vacancy Tax, along with other NDP measures to curb demand, created a 5.6% increase in the number of first time homebuyers in 2018 and 2019. In the same time, the number of repeat buyers decreased 10.1%. The CMHC has previously reported that the Speculation and Vacancy Tax has turned 18,000 empty condos into homes that renters live in. “The Speculation and Vacancy Tax is working to put more homes on the market for renters and first time buyers,” said NDP MLA Ravi Kahlon. “Kevin Falcon’s plan to scrap it because he thinks it’s unfair to the 1% with vacant second properties will take housing away from everyone else. People can’t afford that.” BC NDP Communications

NDP Critic for Indigenous Services and Indigenous-Crown Relations, Lori Idlout, made the following statement: “Today, my heart goes out to the George Gordon First Nation in Saskatchewan as they process the devastating discovery of 14 potential unmarked burial sites close to the former George Gordon Indian Residential School. Indigenous Peoples across Canada feel this pain as we are once again reminded of the genocide that was perpetrated and still goes on to this day. The Prime Minister has promised to take significant steps to help communities heal and find truth, but many Indigenous communities still lack the resources they need. New Democrats continue their calls for the Liberal

government to give Indigenous Peoples the truth and justice they are owed. We have been calling for a major increase in funding to undertake forensic investigations at the sites of former residential schools – investigations that must be under the authority of the affected Indigenous communities. In addition, we have called for the creation of a special prosecutor who would reach out to the International Criminal Court and bring to justice those that have committed crimes against humanity through colonialist structures. New Democrats are committed to holding the Liberals to account and supporting the needs of First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities. We must turn empathy into real action.”

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