The Asian Star April 2 2022

www.theasianstar.com Vol 21 - Issue 9

Saturday, April 2, 2022

US criticizes India on Russia talks as Lavrov visits Delhi

USA and Australia criticized India for considering a Russian proposal that would undermine sanctions imposed by America and its allies, showing a deepening rift between the emerging security partners as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov traveled to Delhi for talks.

“Now is the time to stand on the right side of history, and to stand with the United States and dozens of other countries, standing up for freedom, democracy and sovereignty with the Ukrainian people, and not funding and fueling and aiding President Putin’s war,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters in Washington on Wednesday. She called reports of the arrangement “deeply disappointing,” while adding that she hadn’t seen details.

Dan Tehan, Australia’s trade minister who also spoke at the briefing, said it was important for democracies to work together “to keep the rules-based approach that we’ve had since the second world war.”

The comments reflect growing unease with India among fellow members of the

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Canada lays out C$9.1B roadmap to meet 2030 climate targets Canada released its first real roadmap to meeting 2030 climate targets on Tuesday, laying out detailed plans and C$9.1 billion ($7.3 billion) in new spending to cut planet-warming carbon emissions after years failing to meet its goals.

The Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) is the first time Canada has had a comprehensive plan, rather than just a collection of policies, setting out how it will meet its international commitment to cut carbon emissions 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030.

Environmental think tanks called it a “watershed moment” for Canadian climate policy, but warned Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government

needed to follow through.

“A plan is just a plan without action. Expedited implementation will be key to success, and Canada now needs to shift into high gear,” said Rick Smith, president of the Canadian Climate Institute.

Canada has missed every emissions reduction target it has ever set but Trudeau said fighting climate change was one of his government’s top priorities during last year’s election campaign, and a recent deal with the opposition New Democrats should ensure the passage of climate legislation for the next three years.

Canada sees all-time record for immigration in 2021 Newly released population estimates by Statistics Canada for the fourth quarter of 2021 show an all-time record for immigration for any quarter and year since records began post-war in 1946.

A total of 405,750 immigrants were recorded throughout 2021, with 138,182 in the fourth quarter alone. Immigration flows grew throughout the year, with 70,467 in the first quarter, 74,353 in the second quarter, and 122,748 in the third quarter, the second highest quarter ever. The record volumes for the first and second quarters of 2021 beat the previous quarterly record of 119,956 in the second quarter of 1957, when Canada accepted tens of thousands of refugees during Hungary’s revolution against Joseph Stalin.

The final three months of the year typically see lower levels of movements than other periods of the year, with immigration and emigration usually highest in the second and third quarters. But that was not the case for 2021.

Key measures include a zero-emissions vehicle mandate that is more ambitious than anything proposed by Canada’s neighbor the United States, and a target for reducing emissions from the oil and gas sector 42% below current levels by 2030. Factbox of key measures: read more The ERP was introduced under the requirements of Canada’s NetZero Accountability Act, which the government adopted last summer in a bid to produce more binding climate policies.

The country is the world’s fourth largest oil producer and 10th largest carbon emitter. The oil and gas industry is its highest polluting industry, followed by transportation.

She died resisting abduction -

Hundreds of minority girl are forced into marriage every year in Pakistan Every year at least 1,000 girls from religious minorities in Pakistan are abducted and experience forced marriage and religious conversions.

Pooja Kumari wasn’t your typical teenager. Lively, quick-witted and resourceful, the 15-year-old was a talented seamstress who would stitch beautiful clothes for her entire neighbourhood in Pakistan’s southeastern city of Sukkur. The eldest daughter of a working class Hindu family, Kumari had set up a sewing station at home, where she babysat her four younger sisters while her parents worked. “She was a brave little girl with a courageous heart. She took care of the whole family,” Oad, her uncle, told VICE World News. Oad has only been identified by his surname for safety. Early in March, a Muslim man from an influential family, Wahid Bux Lashari, 24, allegedly began harassing Kumari to get her to convert to Islam and marry him.

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Bring back masks, says BC Human Rights Commissioer British Columbia’s human rights watchdog wants public health officials to reinstate the provincial mask mandate to protect the most vulnerable from severe COVID-19 outcomes.

The “hasty” end of the mask mandate is placing elderly, disabled, immunocompromised and racialized people, as well as children too young to be vaccinated, at elevated risk, said human rights commissioner Kasari Govender. “Lifting the mask mandate will do disproportionate harm to those who are already marginalized, forcing many to withdraw from activities of daily life in an effort to protect their health, and reducing the capacity to enjoy their human right to their full extent,” Govender wrote in a March 16 letter to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry released Monday.

“While many of us have the good fortune to simply move on with life, thousands of British Columbians will be left behind because of their age, disability, or other protected characteristic under B.C.’s Human Rights Code.”

The letter was written just days after Henry lifted the indoor mask mandate on March 11.

Continued on page 7

First Nations delegates meet with Pope Francis to ask for apology Chief Gerald Antoine says he hopes the meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican can forge the beginning of an important relationship.

“Despite our collective grief and pain, there comes hope for change,” the Assembly of First Nations delegation lead said Thursday following the meeting with the Pontiff.

“This change will bring dignity, equality, trust and an opportunity for this change to happen.” The delegates were emotional as they walked out of the meeting surrounded by the drumming of family and community

members who waited in St. Peter’s Square.

The meeting with the head of the Roman Catholic Church lasted for two hours, although the encounter had only been scheduled to take place for one.

The delegates said they shared stories of residential schools and requested the doctrine of discovery be rescinded and Indigenous lands be returned.

They also requested Pope Francis travel to Canada to apologize for the church’s role in residential schools.

Continued on page 7

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Saturday, April 2, 2022

Sixth wave was ‘guaranteed’ after mask mandates dropped, experts say

BC doctor accused of issuing fake vaccine, masking exemptions suspended Another doctor who has also been accused of spreading COVID misinformation, Dr. Charles Hoffe, is facing a disciplinary panel.

A hearing date is yet to be set.

In February, B.C. Provincial Health Officer was asked about those in health care who are actively participating in COVID conspiracy theories and discouraging patients from being immunized.

Dr. Bonnie Henry did not shy from condemning those taking part, saying “I think this is a very egregious breach of our responsibilities as health care professionals.”

Another doctor who has also been accused

of spreading COVID misinformation, Dr. Charles Hoffe, is facing a disciplinary panel. A hearing date is yet to be set.

In February, B.C. Provincial Health Officer was asked about those in health care who are actively participating in COVID conspiracy theories and discouraging patients from being immunized.

Dr. Bonnie Henry did not shy from condemning those taking part, saying “I think this is a very egregious breach of our responsibilities as health care professionals.”

As officials in Ontario and Quebec report the provinces have entered a sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, some experts say the rise in infections was inevitable as health authorities removed restrictions, such as mask mandates and proof of vaccination requirements, amid the emergence of the Omicron subvariant BA.2.

Dr. Kashif Pirzada, an emergency physician in Toronto, told CTV News Channel on Wednesday that decreased public health vigilance cleared a path for BA.2 to drive up infections and hospitalizations.

“I think it was pretty predictable that when they dropped the mask mandates it pretty

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much guaranteed that this would happen,” said Pirzada, adding that the sudden rise in hospitalizations in Ontario is “alarming.”

Despite hopes that Canada’s immunization rates and community level protection through infection could blunt the impacts of the socalled “stealth” subvariant, Pirzada said recent wastewater surveillance suggests otherwise.

Officials in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and B.C. have recently reported wastewater analysis suggesting COVID-19 infections are climbing again.

However, Pirzada said it’s still not yet clear whether this sixth wave will be a surge or a ripple, but noted what’s currently happening in Ontario and Quebec may be a sign of what’s to come for other provinces.

“It looks like hospital capacity might be overwhelmed again. So we are repeating the same mistakes that we did before unfortunately,” he said.

With hospitalizations rising, Pirzada said provincial governments may have to re-impose mask mandates to help stem infections amid the upcoming spring holidays.

“Governments will have to be clever, but they’ll have to walk back the mask mandate somehow because the big religious holiday season is coming up. Ramadan, Easter, Passover, these are large groups of people that are going to get together indoors, it’s going to magnify things,” he said.

Canada’s top public health officials have said that continuing to wear a mask amid restrictions easing in many provinces is a “personal choice.”

PHAC’s website states that even if masks are no longer mandatory by local or provincial public health advice, wearing a mask is important and provides “an added layer of protection.”

“Whether you’re vaccinated or not, you should consider wearing one in shared spaces with people from outside of your immediate household. This is especially important indoors, whether in private or public settings,” PHAC says on its website.

Spring wave of COVID-19?

Be prepared Canada, experts warn Dr. Peter Juni, director of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Table, told CTV News Channel on Tuesday Ontario is “definitely again” in a phase where case numbers are going up “actually quite steeply,” and said now is not the time to gather or go to crowded events without a face mask.

Juni said case numbers, based on wastewater surveillance, are back to the levels experienced during the Omicron wave this past winter.

He explained that the difference between these waves is that during the winter’s Omicron peak, changes in people’s behaviour and the easing of restrictions was “moderate” compared to now when mask mandates and vaccine requirements having ended completely.

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Saturday, April 2, 2022

Two teens arrested in Coquitlam SkyTrain station machete attack Two teens have been arrested after an alleged machete attack at Burquitlam SkyTrain station.

It happened on March 10, with Transit Police saying a man was chased into the station by two people — one of whom was carrying the large knife.

According to police, the man tried to protect himself by using a pylon. However, they say one of the teens swung the machete, hitting the man on the side of the head and leaving him with a large cut.

The victim was taken to the hospital and required multiple staples for his wound.

“This was a terrifying ordeal for everyone involved, and our officers put in a lot of work to make the arrests quickly. However, we do not believe there is a risk to public

Biden orders release of 1 million barrels oil a day from US strategic reserve President Biden is ordering the release of 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve for six months, the White House said Thursday, in a bid to control energy prices that have spiked as the U.S. and allies imposed steep sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Biden was to formally announce the release later Thursday. The White House said Biden would also call on Congress to impose financial penalties on oil and gas companies that lease public lands but aren’t producing. He also intends to invoke the Defense Production Act to encourage the mining of critical minerals for batteries in electric vehicles.

The White House characterized the release of the petroleum as a bridge until output increases from domestic producers. Administration officials estimate that average production will grow by 1 million barrels a day this year and an additional 700,000 barrels daily in 2023.The move by Biden shows that oil remains a key vulnerability for the U.S. at home and abroad. Higher prices have hurt Biden’s approval ratings domestically, while also adding billions of oil-export dollars to Russia as it wages war on Ukraine.

Street racing leads to scary rollover crash Dangerous street racing has caused a scary rollover crash and charges against one driver in Abbotsford, BC, according to Police.

The incident involving a two-car collision occurred on Monday afternoon.

Police say that three cars moving in tandem were affected, and the drivers of the vehicles were known to each other.

One of the drivers is a 20-year-old who holds a class 7 license, which falls under the N classification for new drivers. Thankfully, only minor injuries were sustained in the crash.

Abbotsford Police tweeted several pictures of the incident with the caption “the outcome of street racing.”

Potential charges for drivers involved in street racing in BC include speeding, dangerous driving, driving without due care and attention, traffic control violations, or excessive noise. Drivers who partake in street racing could be the subject of fines or jail time if convicted.

safety as the suspects and victim were known to each other,” said Const. Amanda Steed.

Steed says officers were able to arrest the 16 and 17-year-olds after working with the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team and the Port Moody Police Department.

The teens cannot be named because they are minors.

Transit Police say they are recommending a number of charges, including Aggravated Assault, Failure to Comply with a Court Order, Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose, and Possession of a Controlled Drug or Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking.

The teens have been released from custody under several conditions, including a curfew.

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OPINION Putin’s War puts global food security in jeopardy

By Sylvain Charlebois

United States President Joe Biden was the first G7 leader to admit publicly that many parts of the world will soon experience food shortages and even famine. The world will be short of many commodities.

Regions like the Middle East and northeastern Africa already have dangerously low food inventories. The world will soon discover that the pandemic was just a dress rehearsal for what’s about to happen.

The circumstances are the result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine together

export over a quarter of the global supply of wheat and one-fifth of the world’s corn supply.

Saying that Ukraine is Europe’s breadbasket is an understatement. Half of Africa’s wheat imports come from Ukraine and Russia, which is also a major fertilizer exporter.

Because of sanctions, Russia can’t sell to anyone except perhaps China. And with limited or no access to fuel, farmers in the region can’t even think about putting seeds in the ground.

To make matters worse, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the largest such operation in the world and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, has lost one of its most significant contributors. Last year, Ukraine was the largest single source of food for the program, providing nine per cent of the total food provisions managed by the WFP, which was already carrying a deficit due to pandemic-related complications.

Countries in need may not be able to rely on the WFP this year. So the almost eight billion people in the world face unprecedented food shortages.

All eyes are on North America to make up for the losses generated by the conflict and subsequent sanctions.

Many observers expect, or at least hope, that farmers will plant more this year. But relying on specific quantities planted by farmers can be problematic. Input costs like fertilizers and fuel are going up even more than the price of grains like wheat.

If the Ukraine conflict ends in the next month, it would be good news for the world. But farmers may end up losing with prices plummeting.

They’re keenly aware of this agonizing possibility.

Mostly unknown in Canada is the fact that Canpotex, a Saskatchewan-based company, is mandated to sell fertilizers to the rest of the world for export markets. It’s owned by Nutrien and Mosaic, two industry powerhouses.

Canpotex helps both companies collude and inflate fertilizer prices on world markets. This archaic model is perilous to global food security and this year’s predicament makes this painfully obvious.

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Saturday, April 2, 2022

BC cyclist hit by car gets $3,752 bill from ICBC for car’s damage Ben Bolliger was shocked to open the mail last week and see a bill from ICBC for $3,752.01.

The amount is what ICBC hopes to get back after paying to fix a windshield and hood damaged when a driver crashed into Bolliger while he was on his bicycle last summer.

The driver had run a stop sign while Bolliger was crossing the intersection at West 7th Avenue and Willow Street in Vancouver, the cyclist said. “(The driver) contests that, and that’s his prerogative, but my bike was snapped in half

and I was thrown probably 45 feet onto a bunch of rocks,” he said. “My helmet was decimated.

“My right arm was totally broken and I’ll never have full range of motion in that arm again. My foot was broken, they pulled about 10 pieces of his windshield out of my back and that took close to 100 stitches and staples.”

He suffered no head or back injuries, but he was off work for almost four months.

BC Health Minister responds to human rights office’s letter on ‘hasty end’ to mask mandate B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner is calling on provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry to bring back the COVID-19 mask mandate, saying its “hasty end” will have “profoundly unequal effects” on society.

“While many of us have the good fortune to simply move on with life, thousands of British Columbians will be left behind because of their age, disability, or other protected characteristic under B.C.’s Human Rights Code,” Kasari Govender says in a letter released on Monday.

“Indigenous peoples and racialized people are overrepresented in high-transmission work environments,” she adds as an example,

“and are at greater risk because of higher incidences of chronic conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.”

The mask mandate for public indoor spaces was dropped on March 11, while students in the K-to-12 system had to wear them until they return to class following March break.

Govender also mentions seniors and people with disabilities who may feel they still have to isolate, as well as parents who are medically vulnerable having to choose whether to send their child to school or keep them home to protect their own health.

“It is understandable that after two years of the global pandemic, many people are tired of wearing masks,” the commissioner

BC to waive health-care wait period, student fees for Ukrainian refugees The B.C. government is expected to waive the three-month waiting period for health care and the international student fees for Ukrainian refugees who arrive in the province.

The move comes as the first refugees from Ukraine begin arriving in Canada including in parts of British Columbia.

In an interview, Municipal Affairs Minister Nathan Cullen said the province was working on better understanding what supports will be provided by federal government.

B.C. will ensure options are available for housing and barriers are eliminated for accessing the health care and education system, he said. Currently, those moving from B.C. from other jurisdictions must wait three months to receive health care services.

International students are also required to pay a student fee to attend the K-to-12 system.

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“We are also working quite quickly to connect British Columbians who are looking to support Ukrainians, either financially or offering up space, and we’re working very closely with the Ukrainian Congress here in B.C. and other service providers to make sure those answers are there for British Columbians,” Cullen said.

Earlier this week, federal immigration minister Sean Fraser announced an expansion of the federal settlement program to offer key services such as language training, orientation, employment assistance and other supports for Ukrainians as they settle into their new communities.

More than 60,000 Ukrainians have applied to move to Canada but the expectation is many of those people have applied to

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2022 federal budget to be tabled April 7, Freeland says The government will be tabling the federal 2022 budget on April 7, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced Tuesday.

The budget — the first since the 2021 federal election — is expected to include increased defence spending as well as funding for commitments, such as dental care, made as part of the new LiberalNDP confidence-and-supply agreement.

“Our government was reelected on a commitment to grow our economy, make life more affordable, and to continue building a Canada where nobody gets left behind. That is exactly what we are doing, and that is what we’re going to continue to do in the budget,” Freeland said during question period in the House of Commons. The latest economic update, provided

by Freeland virtually in December, saw the government commit more than $8 million towards combatting COVID-19, while also predicting a moderate decline in the national deficit.

The document forecast that the deficit in 2021-22 would drop to $144.5 billion, down from $154.7 billion estimated in the spring 2021 budget. In the 2022-23 fiscal year, the deficit was projected to sit at $58.4 billion, down slightly from the earlier predicted $59.7 billion.

Conservative finance critic Ed Fast said he’s expecting the budget to “continue the free spending ways of the Liberals,” but that he thinks it should instead address the “issue of long-term sustainability of our massive debt.”

“We had called in the last budget for the minister to include a defensible fiscal anchor,

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Saturday, April 2, 2022 From page 1

Two weeks later, she was dead.

On March 21, Lashari and two other men broke into Kumari’s home, attempted to abduct her and ended up firing a gun, killing her on the spot, local police said.

Kumari’s case isn’t rare. Every day, about three girls from Pakistan’s marginalised religious minorities are systematically abducted and forced into marriage and religious conversion, according to a UK parliamentary committee that monitors religious freedoms in Pakistan.

But without a law against forced conversions

She died resisting abduction -

Hundreds of minority girl are forced into marriage every year in Pakistan and with languid law enforcement in rural areas where these coercions are common, many girls continue to be targeted despite insistent calls for help from their families and advocates pushing for their safety.

“She informed her parents twice about his attempts. Her father consulted with the local feudal lords to look into the issue to prevent him from harassing her.” The family also complained to the police, who gave Lashari a warning. “In anger, he kept threatening

Lockdown at Kwantlen University Surrey campus lifted after phone call threat found not dangerous A seemingly threatening phone call that prompted a lockdown at Kwantlen University’s Surrey campus Thursday was

found not to be dangerous after all.What to know about alopecia, the disorder behind the Oscars’ most dramatic moment Just after noon, Surrey RCMP were called to the

her that he would come after her,” said Oad. Following Kumari’s murder, politicians with the Sindh United Party, a provincial nationalist political party, are blaming the Sukkur police. “If police had taken preemptive measures, Pooja Kumari might not have suffered death at the hands of her tormentor, because her parents had already indicated to police about the alleged killers,” party president Syed Zain Shah told local press.

Police have arrested Lashari and the two other suspects. The murder has drawn widespread condemnation on social media, with the hashtag #JusticeforPooja. An estimated 1,000 religious minority women and girls experience abductions, forced marriage and religious conversions under duress every year in the Muslim-majority country, according to a 2021 report issued by the UK-based All Party Parliamentary Group for Pakistani Minorities. Hindu and Christian women and girls are often the target.

Surrey KPU campus after staff at the school received a phone call with an undisclosed threat.“Out of an abundance of caution, the school was placed into a lockdown and there was a significant police presence surrounding the campus,” said police in a statement.

Surrey RCMP found that the threat did

not pose any real danger and the lockdown was later lifted, though an investigation continues into the origin of the phone call.

Anyone with information about the call is asked to contact investigators at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca.

South Surrey business owner hosting Crescent Beach cleanup A South Surrey restaurant owner is looking to make a difference this Earth Month, and he’s encouraging others to pitch in as well.

Daksh Patel – owner of Quesada Burritos & Taco restaurants – is hosting a beach cleanup at Crescent Beach this Sunday (April 3).

From 10 to 11 a.m., staff, friends, family and guests will gather at the waterfront to clear as much debris as possible. In particular, they’ll focus on discarded glass and plastic, a news release notes, explaining that the two items can take 4,000 and 400

RCMP sending investigators to The Hague to probe allegations of war crimes in Ukraine The RCMP is sending more officers to the International Criminal Court to help investigate claims that war crimes and crimes against humanity are taking place in Ukraine.

“It’s critical that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and the regime be held to account,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.

“The RCMP will support the International Criminal Court’s investigation of Russia’s alleged war crimes and undertake their own investigation under Canada’s Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes [Act].”

The seven special investigators being sent to the International Criminal Court [ICC] will be in addition to the three special RCMP investigators already deployed to ICC investigation teams, a government official told CBC News on background.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said in a media statement that the additional investigators were tasked following a request from the ICC’s office of the prosecutor for additional assistance.

The officers are being sent to The Hague but may be deployed to Ukraine once it’s safe to do so, the official said.

The RCMP says it also will launch its own investigations in Canada under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act. The law, which came into force in 2000, incorporated the tenets of

the Rome Statute, the international treaty that established the ICC. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino joins Power & Politics to discuss the news that RCMP investigators are headed to the International Criminal Court to assist in its probe into possible Russian war crimes. 8:16 The RCMP says that, using the powers available under the Act, it will work with officials from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency and the Department of Justice.

Investigators will be looking to prevent people involved in war crimes from entering Canada, and to prevent those found guilty under the Act from retaining their citizenship or immigration status in Canada.

RCMP investigators are also expected to investigate claims that people guilty of war crimes are living in Canada.

In 2009, Désiré Munyaneza became the first person to be convicted under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act. The former Rwandan businessman was found guilty of seven charges under the law, all related to atrocities he committed during the Rwandan genocide — when an estimated 800,000 Rwandans, mostly minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus, were raped and murdered.

He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. In 2014, the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear his appeal.

years to decompose, respectively.

Anyone interested in joining the effort is welcome.

For those who are unable to turn out, Patel encourages them to support sustainability in any way they can – by using a recyclable bottle or reusable tote, or by cycling instead of driving, for example.

In addition, throughout April, Patel will donate the proceeds of every roasted veggie burrito or quesadilla purchased to the B.C.-founded David Suzuki Foundation. All burritos are wrapped in compostable paper, the release notes.

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Saturday, April 2, 2022 From page 1 First Nations delegates meet with Pope Francis to ask for apology It marks the second time Phil Fontaine has met a pope and requested an apology.

The former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations said circumstances are much different now than when he asked former pope Benedict to apologize in 2009.

Fontaine said he was optimistic about the progress achieved at Thursday’s meeting.

“This was a special moment for us. A profound moment,” he said.

Fontaine put abuses at the schools in the national spotlight in 1990 when he spoke about his own experiences as a child at the Fort Alexander Residential School in Manitoba.

He said the recent discoveries of unmarked graves at the sites of former residential schools has

From page 1

put an incredible pressure on the Catholic Church.

While Pope Francis did not commit to an apology or even a trip to Canada, Fontaine said it has been suggested the Holy Father could travel this summer.

Fontaine said he expects the Pope to make that clear during a meeting Friday with First Nations, Métis and Inuit delegates.

“The whole world is watching,” Fontaine said.

“And that’s quite a bit of pressure on the church.”

Métis and Inuit residential school survivors and leaders met with Francis on Monday.

Delegates spoke about wanting him to truly hear their stories and understand how they’ve been shaped by the legacy left by the Catholic Church and colonialism.

US criticizes India on Russia talks

a group of democracies seeking to counter China’s assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region that also includes the U.S., Australia and Japan. India is the world’s largest buyer of Russian weapons, and has also sought to buy cheap oil as fuel prices surge.

Russia’s War in Ukraine Keep up with the latest news and the aftermath of one of the worst security crises in Europe since World War II. While India has supported calls for a cease-fire and a diplomatic solution, it abstained at the United Nations on votes for draft resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion that were ultimately vetoed by Moscow. Bloomberg reported Wednesday that India is weighing a plan to make rupee-ruble-denominated payments using an alternative to SWIFT after the U.S. and European Union cut off seven Russian banks from using the Belgium-based cross-border payment system operator.

Bring back masks, says BC Human Rights Commissioer Henry cited high vaccine coverage and declining hospitalizations as reasons the mask mandate could be lifted in B.C. She also plans to lift the vaccine passport requirements for restaurants and other public spaces on April 8.

Henry said the government wants to manage the pandemic with the least restrictive means possible, but that masks could be required once again if the situation changes. The last time the provincial mask mandate was lifted, on July 1, 2021, it was reinstated less than eight weeks later as the Delta variant exploded in the province.

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Saturday, April 2, 2022

Surrey to pay $46.62M in RCMP retro pay, wage increases Surrey taxpayers are looking at a $46.62-million bill arising from the RCMP’s collective bargaining negotiations concerning back pay for Mounties.

This city, currently home to Canada’s largest RCMPdetachment,istakingthelargesthitinB.C. to cover the wage increase retroactive to 2017.

The RCMP’s roughly 20,000 members will see a $25,000 annual pay raise for sergeants and $20,000 for constables as of Friday, April. 1. The Surrey RCMP has 843 Mounties and fewer than 20 are not unionized.

A corporate report by Surrey’s general manager of finance Kam Grewal, and policing transition general manager Terry Waterhouse to council last September indicates that the total retroactive payment from 2017 to 2021, based on the RCMP’s ratified collective agreement, is $46.62 million, with $24.85 million being the total funding shortfall from 2017 to 2022.

A statement emailed to the Now-Leader on Wednesday by the city’s communications department, attributed to the city’s finance department, states that city hall has made “provisions in its annual budget for the retroactive and future funding obligations.”

“All municipalities with contracts for RCMP policing in Canada have received communication regarding the details of the RCMP retroactive pay which is now a financial obligation,” the statement reads.

“In September, 2021 with information available at that time the City estimated the impact of the retroactive pay would be $46.62M up to the end of end of 2021. Cities do not have a role in negotiating the collective agreement and the federal government does not take into account any cities ability to pay when negotiating the agreement. Cities are informed after the fact and the actual costs are known over time as invoices are received.”

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Saturday, April 2, 2022 Gas prices tomorrow will be a lot cheaper in Alberta Compared to rest of Canada As gas prices are set to rise across Canada tomorrow, drivers in Alberta will be relieved to hear that prices are set to drop across the province as a result of the suspension of fuel tax. Prices at the pumps in Edmonton will drop by up to 10 cents per litre and, in Calgary, gas prices will drop by eight cents per litre from April 1, according to the latest data

from price prediction website Gas Wizard.

That is in stark contrast to prices across most of Canada.

Gas prices in Toronto are expected to rise by seven cents per litre, and Vancouver will see prices rise by five cents per litre. Windsor, Ontario is set to see the steepest rise of eight cents per litre.

This is where the winning Maxmillions tickets for Lotto Max were bought in Ontario A number of Ontarians are waking up richer this morning after winning big prizes in the Lotto Max draw.

While no one won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot on Tuesday, there were at least six tickets sold in Ontario that are now worth more than $100,000.

According to the OLG, two Maxmillion tickets, each worth $1 million, were sold in Ontario on Tuesday night.

One of the million-dollar tickets was purchased in Richmond Hill and the other was bought in Waterloo Region. An individual in Toronto is waking up $333,333.40

wealthier after splitting a Maxmillions prize with two other people in Canada.

Another prize-winning ticket, worth $921,610.50, was also sold in Whitby.

Two Encore prizes worth $100,000 were also purchased in Ontario. Those tickets were sold in Kawartha Lakes County and Scarborough, the OLG said.

Friday’s Lotto Max jackpot will again be $70 million, with an estimated 39 $1 million prizes up for grabs.

The winning numbers for Tuesday’s Lotto Max draw are 7, 17, 32, 34, 39, 35, and 47. The bonus number is 42.

Suspect charged in connection with homicide in Delta Charges relate to February 4 shooting in the 11800-block of 92nd Avenue in Surrey.

Police in Delta, B.C., believe they have caught the man responsible for a deadly shooting in the city last month.

Aaron Spencer Dutiaume, 31, of Abbotsford, B.C., was arrested and remains in custody on a second-degree murder charge, according to a statement from the Delta Police Department.

He is accused of killing Dana Gilbertson, 54, who was found Feb. 4 in a residence in the 11800-block of 92nd Avenue suffering from gunshot wounds and later died of his injuries.

Dutiaume was arrested for the homicide and an unrelated outstanding warrant on Feb. 12, following an investigation by Delta police’s major crime section. Man dead after shooting in residential area of Delta “This violent crime created significant fear in a North Delta neighbourhood. We are pleased we can restore a sense of safety by announcing the arrest and charge,” said Insp. Heath Newton.

Police say the shooting was likely a targeted, isolated incident and not connected to any ongoing Lower Mainland gang conflict.

Dutiaume is due to appear in court in Surrey, B.C., on April 11.

After 36 years of playing the same numbers, BC couple win $6,000,000 prize For 36 years, Chau Ming (Lana) Leung and her husband (Joery) Yiu Fai Leung have been playing the same Lotto 6/49 numbers, and they finally won the $6 million jackpot in the March 16 draw.

The Burnaby, B.C., couple revealed their winning numbers are based on family birthdays and their son was actually the person who prompted them to check their winning ticket.

Their winning numbers for the March 16 draw were 1, 3, 8, 14, 15, and 16 - and were the only ones across Canada to match all six.

“He found out someone from Vancouver won on Instagram, a few days after the draw,” Lana said. “He saw that they were our numbers, and he texted my husband to ask if he bought tickets for that draw.”

“When we scanned the ticket and saw the $6

million on the phone, we all started screaming and crying.”

Lana plans to quit one of her two jobs and Joery will keeping working for now, before they settle into early retirement. They also want to buy their son a car and pay off their daughter’s mortgage.

Before their big win, the couple were planning to buy a new house but now they don’t want to move out of the house where they won the Lotto 6/49 jackpot.

Joery and Lana purchased their winning ticket at the Lucky Mart on Nanaimo and East 7th in Vancouver, where they have been buying lottery tickets for years.

In 2021, lottery players in B.C. redeemed more than $99 million in Lotto 6/49 winnings.

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Saturday, April 2, 2022

Canada lays out C$9.1 bln roadmap to meet 2030 climate targets Canada released its first real roadmap to meeting 2030 climate targets on Tuesday, laying out detailed plans and C$9.1 billion ($7.3 billion) in new spending to cut planet-warming carbon emissions after years failing to meet its goals.

The Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) is the first time Canada has had a comprehensive plan, rather than just a collection of policies, setting out how it will meet its international commitment to cut carbon emissions 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030.

Environmental think tanks called it a “watershed moment” for Canadian climate policy, but warned Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government needed to follow through.

“A plan is just a plan without action.

Expedited implementation will be key to success, and Canada now needs to shift into high gear,” said Rick Smith, president of the Canadian Climate Institute.

Canada has missed every emissions reduction target it has ever set but Trudeau said fighting climate change was one of his government’s top priorities during last year’s election campaign, and a recent deal with the opposition New

Democrats should ensure the passage of climate legislation for the next three years.

Key measures include a zero-emissions vehicle mandate that is more ambitious than anything proposed by Canada’s neighbor the United States, and a target for reducing emissions from the oil and gas sector 42% below current levels by 2030. Factbox of key measures: read more The ERP was introduced under the requirements of Canada’s NetZero Accountability Act, which the government adopted last summer in a bid to produce more binding climate policies.

The country is the world’s fourth largest oil producer and 10th largest carbon emitter. The oil and gas industry is its highest polluting industry, followed by transportation.

Greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas sector have risen for the last two decades, meaning the 42% cut from current levels will only amount to a 31% cut from 2005 levels.

That lower target for the oil and gas sector means other parts of the economy will have to make deeper emissions cuts if Canada is to hit its overall 40-45% reduction goal, said Simon Dyer, deputy executive director of the Pembina Institute.

Canada’s first early earthquake warning sensor installed at Horseshoe Bay The federal government’s Natural Resources Canada department has installed the first of hundreds of new sensors for the National Earthquake Warning System at Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. The system will provide seconds to tens of seconds of advance warning before the ground starts to strongly shake, which will help reduce injuries, deaths, and loss of property. Alerts will be generated for operators of critical infrastructure, industry, and the public, such as triggering trains to slow down, stopping traffic from driving onto bridges or into tunnels, diverting incoming air traffic, allowing surgeons

to stop surgery, closing gas valves, and opening fire hall and ambulance bay doors.

For BC Ferries’ terminal at Horseshoe Bay, for instance, the new sensor provides ferry terminal operators with potentially some time to conduct evacuations or halt the boarding and loading process of vehicles.

“Earthquake preparedness is an important part of our emergency response planning, given the critical role BC Ferries would play to connect communities along coastal British Columbia following a major earthquake,” said Mark Collins, president and CEO of BC Ferries, in a statement.

BC doctor alleged to be opposed to COVID-19 regulations suspended during probe The College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. says it has suspended a doctor from practising while it completes an investigation into allegations that he circumvented COVID-19 public health orders. The interim suspension order, effective March 24 but posted on the college’s website on Monday, affects Dr. Stephen Malthouse, a family practitioner on Denman Island.

The order says an inquiry panel hasn’t decided on the merits of the allegations, but it has determined there would be “a real risk of harm to the public” if Malthouse continued to practise without restriction.

It says Malthouse hasn’t responded to allegations that he signed COVID vaccine and mask exemption forms based on false

statements and used his status as a doctor to “circumvent public health orders.”

It finds a “high likelihood” that Malthouse would continue those actions if the interim order weren’t issued, and it says although the allegations haven’t been proven, the suspension will remain in effect pending completion of the probe. Malthouse didn’t immediately respond to messages requesting

RCMP sending investigators to The Hague to probe allegations of war crimes in Ukraine The RCMP is sending more officers to the International Criminal Court to help investigate claims that war crimes and crimes against humanity are taking place in Ukraine.

“It’s critical that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and the

regime be held to account,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.

“The RCMP will support the International Criminal Court’s investigation of Russia’s alleged war crimes and undertake their

own investigation under Canada’s Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes [Act].”

The seven special investigators being sent to the International Criminal Court [ICC] will be in addition to the three special RCMP investigators already deployed to ICC

investigation teams, a government official said..

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said in a media statement that the additional investigators were tasked following a request from the ICC’s office of the prosecutor for additional assistance.

Saturday, April 2, 2022

BC govt prepares to impose real estate cooling-off period The B.C. government is moving ahead with its promise to impose a cooling-off period on real estate sales, to give people time to get home inspections and consider their financing before making a deal in a bidding war for scarce homes.

Finance Minister Selina Robinson tabled amendments in the B.C. legislature Monday to impose what she calls a “homebuyer protection period,” but it will be some months before buyers and sellers know how long it will be. The target for regulations that would set the cooling-off period and other terms is expected by some time this summer, after the newly created B.C. Financial Services Authority consults with realtors, home inspectors appraisers and legal and financial representatives.

Robinson, who announced the cooling-off change in early November, emphasized the need for home inspections, which were among

the first casualties of multiple-bid home sales that have intensified in the past two years.

“In our overheated housing market, we have seen buyers feeling pressure to waive conditions just to be considered, and new homeowners discovering costly problems only after a deal has closed,” Robinson said March 28. “We want to make sure people buying a home have time to get the information they need to make a sound decision within limits that still give sellers the certainty they need to close sales.”

Helene Barton, executive director of the Home Inspectors Association of B.C., said the previous hot real estate market in 2016 resulted in many disappointed buyers who found significant problems with homes after they closed the deal, in some cases having to move back out shortly after moving in to make repairs.

BC reveals 89-point action plan to advance the rights of Indigenous Peoples The province has unveiled a five-year, 89-point action plan to advance the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which became legislation in B.C. over two years ago.

Hailed as historic by government and Indigenous leaders speaking at its unveiling, the plan outlines a list of “significant actions” the province is promising to undertake in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous Peoples.

Chief Jerry Jack of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations said the document charts a path to a renewed relationship with government and reconciliation.

“I commend this significant effort,” said Jack. “What [Indigenous Peoples] have been going through is multi-generational. I went with my dad to blockades in the 1970s, fighting for our rights. I don’t want my grandchildren to still have to fight for our rights, our land back.”

The 89 actions address a wide range of issues, including governance, land and water stewardship, salmon, education, antiindigenous racism, child welfare, policing and justice, data collection, health care, sport and recreation, Indigenous languages, climate change, B.C. place names, cannabis policy and high-speed internet access. Indigenous man says he can sell cannabis without B.C. licence because of UN declaration Each of the 89 actions notes which provincial ministry is responsible for its implementation.

Premier John Horgan called the plan a roadmap to do “what has never been done on planet Earth before.”

“This ... is a first for any government in the world. It will drive transformative change in the relationship with Indigenous Peoples and help us build a brighter future for everyone,” said Horgan.

Interest rates could be headed up even faster and higher than thought Some economists now think Bank of Canada rate could go twice as high as it was pre-pandemic.

When the Bank of Canada raised its benchmark interest rate for the first time in two years earlier this month, it sent an unmistakable message to borrowers that the era of cheap money was coming to an end.

While economists expect the bank to gradually raise its rate another half-dozen times or so this year, there’s a growing sense that the bank may need to start moving faster and more dramatically than anticipated to rein in inflation, which is already at its highest level in a generation.

Pricing in investments known as swaps suggests there is a good chance the bank will ratchet its

rate up by half a percentage point when it meets in April, taking the benchmark rate to 1 per cent.

At central banks, caution is a virtue, so they tend to like to move up and down slowly, in 25-point increments, or a quarter of a percentage point at a time. Moving half a percentage point at a time is a sign the bank could be thinking more aggressive action is necessary.

The bank’s deputy governor said as much at a speech in San Francisco this week, telling attendees at a monetary policy conference that an uptick of household debt was “worrisome” and that the bank was “prepared to act forcefully” to ensure inflation doesn’t run too hot for too long.

LOCAL / NATIONAL

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PM Trudeau says Lower Mainland housing relief measures coming soon Prime Minister Justin Trudeau played coy Tuesday in Vancouver about what specific housing relief is in the works for British Columbians as wages fail to keep pace with record levels of inflation.

“Without giving away too many details, I can assure you that investments in housing here in the Lower Mainland – but indeed across the country – will be a strong topic in the budget that we’ll be presenting in the coming weeks,” Trudeau told reporters following a keynote speech at the Globe Forum 2022 in the city’s downtown.

The average multiple-listing service (MLS) residential price in B.C. was $1.109 million in February — up 24.9 per cent from the $887,866 recorded in February 2021, according to data from the B.C. Real Estate Services Association.

Meanwhile, inflation reached a 31-year high of 5.7 per cent last month at the same time wage growth remained at levels TD senior economist James Marple described as “nominal.”

This comes as global uncertainty,

such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and recent COVID-19 lockdowns in Shanghai that are poised disrupt supply chains, is escalating consumer prices.

“There will be pain,” Trudeau said during the keynote address earlier in the day, referring to the consequences of Western sanctions targeting Russia.

“Yes, many people in democracies like ours will face higher energy and food prices.

But others in the world may face outright shortages and famine.”

Speaking to reporters after the keynote, the prime minister said the Canadian economy has bounced back strong in the wake of the pandemic, “but it is also having an impact on higher housing prices.”

Trudeau pointed to initiatives such as the $10/day childcare program that Ottawa has partnered on with the B.C. government as among the measures offering relief.

He added the federal government is working on measures “to bring down housing costs, increase availability and affordability.”

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Star & Style

Saturday, April 2, 2022

Film The Kashmir Files - movie review A Bollywood film about the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus has sparked a huge controversy in India.

While some people see it as a true depiction of the Hindu killings in the 1990s, others say it distorts historical facts.

Over the decades of endless cycles of violence, waves of separatism, the infiltration of Pakistanfunded terror outfits, and the simmering discontent amongst the people, scholarly works and journalistic exercises have dug deep in order to excavate and explore.

As is always the case with complex histories of places and people, we’ve had

accounts depending upon which aspect of the issue they have been interested in. The last time Bollywood brought up the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley was in the 2020 ‘Shikara’, made

by Vidhu Vinod Chopra.

Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s ‘The Kashmir Files’ expands on that narrative and makes it the sole lens through which he views it. Right from the beginning, we know which side the film’s sympathies lie; as far as ‘The Kashmir Files’ is concerned, it was not an ‘exodus’, it was a ‘genocide’, in which thousands of Kashmiri Hindus were massacred, women were raped, children were shot point blank:

Randhir Kapoor is in ‘early stage of dementia Randhir Kapoor is in the early stage of dementia’. Nephew Ranbir Kapoor, who is currently promoting his father Rishi Kapoor’s last film Sharmaji Namkeen, recently confirmed that his uncle is in the ‘early stage of dementia’.

He also said that after watching the film, Randhir wanted to speak to Rishi Kapoor. In an interview with media, Ranbir said, “My uncle Randhir Kapoor, who is going through an early stage of dementia, and he came to me after the film, He said, ‘Tell dad that he is amazing, and where is he, let’s call him’. Art crosses the boundaries of medical conditions… And a good piece of storytelling really embodies that.” Rishi Kapoor passed away in April 2022 following a prolonged battle with cancer. His last film, Sharmaji Namkeen, wasn’t complete

at the time. Paresh Rawal had stepped in to complete the remaining portions of the film.

In the same interview, he said, “The show must go on — you all have heard it but I have seen my father live that.”

Amitabh Bachchan declares Abhishek Bachchan as his ‘heir’ Amitabh Bachchan is very impressed with son Abhishek Bachchan’s work in the new trailer of his upcoming film Dasvi. After tweeting about the film in the day, Amitabh took to his blog and Twitter to elaborate on how proud he felt about his son. He also declared Abhishek as his heir, quoting his own father Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s poem.

(Also read: Amitabh loves Dasvi trailer, tells Abhishek, ‘Bhaiyu, simply love the moves’).

Sharing the trailer of Abhishek Bachchan’s new film Dasvi, Amitabh Bachchan declared him as his heir. Amitabh quoted his father, writer-poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan in

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his tweet. The first trailer of Daasvi came out on Wednesday and is being widely appreciated. The film also features Yami Gautam and Nimrat Kaur in lead roles.

Posting a link of Dasvi trailer, Amitabh wrote late Wednesday, “Mere bete, bete hone se tum mere uttradhikari nahi hoge.

Jo mere uttradhikari honge, wo mere bete honge (My son, you won’t become my heir by virtue of being my son. Those who will be my heir, will be my sons). --Harivansh Rai Bachchan.” The actor wrote, “Abhishek, tum mere uttradhikari hoge, bus keh diya to keh diya (You will be my heir.

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Saturday, April 2, 2022

Rimi Sen files FIR after being defrauded of Rs 4.14 crore

Dilip Kumar December 11, 1922 – July 7, 2021

Bollywood actress Subhamitra Sen, better known by her stage name Rimi Sen, has filed a police case against a Goregaonbased businessman for allegedly defrauding her of Rs 4.14 crore.

The accused persuaded her with promises of 28-30% profits and forced her to deposit Rs 4.14 crore in a new business endeavour through her film production company. Neither the principle nor the anticipated profit were returned

to her. She claimed the guy has stopped communicating with her since then.

The 40-year-old actress, who has appeared in films such as Golmaal, Hungama, Baghban, and Dhoom, said the fraud began in 2019 when she met the accused Ronak Jatin Vyas at an Andheri gym. He had convinced her that he was involved in investments through

BC-India Business Network (BC-IBN) appoints a new President

Press release

While retirement is not in the cards, after nearly a decade, BC-IBN’s Founder and President Mr. Vivek Savkur has announced that on April 1, he will be passing on the BC-IBN torch to Sobhana Jaya-Madhavan, Associate Vice President of External Relations at Simon Fraser University (SFU).

Vivek, an accomplished businessman, and community leader received Queen Elizabeth II, Diamond Jubilee Medal, by the GovernorGeneral of Canada in 2013 for his valuable service and dedication to his peers, community, and Canada.

After nearly four decades of experience in import and export consulting in India, Mr. Savkur immigrated to Canada in 2007 and founded BC-IBN in 2015. Vivek has worked tirelessly with diverse stakeholders and helped connect Canadian and Indian companies, and strengthened trade between two great nations. Vivek has worked closely with all levels of the Canadian government and has been an Advisor to many individuals and agencies interested to do business with Indian companies. As a dedicated community leader, he continues to be involved with many advisory boards and committees including SFU’s India Advisory Committee and Vancouver International Film Festival’s (VISAFF) Advisory Board.

“It is time for new leadership. Sobhana is a connector with deep roots in India and Canada. As a senior leader in the post-secondary sector, a community leader, mentor to several young CEOs and entrepreneurs, advisor to many organizations in Canada and India, and mother of two young entrepreneurs, Sobhana is well-positioned to lead BC-IBN and I look forward to staying connected to BC-IBN as President Emeritus”, says Vivek.

“BC-IBN values the deep connection between Canada and India. We are very

committed to strengthening this relationship through trade and networking between businesses on both sides. We live in very challenging times and trade within/between nations will continue to be critical for not just the progress and prosperity of nations, but also for peace”, says Sobhana.

Sobhana JayaMadhavan, MSW - BIO Sobhana graduated from Calicut University with a Bachelors’s degree in Philosophy and from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) with a Master’s degree in Social Work. After working in South East Asia, Sobhana immigrated to Canada in 1995 and worked with the Government of British Columbia serving in front-line child welfare and senior management positions for nearly two decades. After a two-year stint in India as head of HR, Sobhana joined Simon Fraser University (SFU) as Associate Vice President, External Relations in 2017. Sobhana engages with all levels of government, diverse organizations, and communities to strengthen relationships and partnerships. Sobhana sits on several Advisory Committees and Boards and dedicates time for pro bono work in Canada and India. Sobhana is the Chief Impact Officer for HashHackCode (India).

Sobhana mentors young entrepreneurs/ CEOs, offers skill development programs at TISS National University Students Skill Development Program (NUSSD), and is an Advisor to India’s The National Federation Of the Blind Maharashtra (NFBM) and Canada’s The Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival (VISAFF), The Inclusion Project (TIP), and Global Emerging Leadership Program (GELP).

In 2019, Sobhana was recognized by the global Women Economic Forum (WEF) with a Woman of the Decade award.

One of the greatest actors of Indiam cinema Dilip Kumar widely considered one of the greatest and most influential actors in history of Indian cinema, and cinema in general. Dilip Kumar, a pioneer of method acting, predating Hollywood method actors such as Marlon Brando.

He inspired many Bollywood actors, including Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Balraj Sahni, Shah Rukh Khan , Aamir Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Irrfan Khan .

Dilip Kumar, who pioneered his own form of method acting without any acting school experience, was described as “the ultimate method actor” by noted filmmaker Satyajit Ray, despite not having worked with him.

Dilip Kumar was born as Mohammad Yusuf Khan on 11 December 1922, in Peshawar (north western province of Pakistan). His father’s name was Lala Ghulam Sarwar Khan and his mother, Ayesha Begum. His father was fruit merchant. He grew up in same neighbourhood in Peshawar as Raj Kapoor,

his childhood friend, and later his colleague in the film industry. Yusuf Khan was schooled at Barnes School, Deolali, Maharashtra. In 1940, he moved to Pune and set up a dry fruit supply shop and a canteen.

Despite hailing from Peshawar, Khan’s family decided to remain in Bombay following the partition of the subcontinent in 1947.

In his autobiography, Dilip Kumar: The Substance and the Shadow, he wrote that the name was a suggestion from Devika Rani, who was one of the producers on Jwar Bhata. Dilip Kumar was appointed Sheriff of Mumbai in 1980.

The Government of India honoured Dilip Kumar with Padma Bhushan in 1991. He received Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015.

The Government of Andhra honoured Kumar with NTR National Award in 1997.

He was honoured with CNN-IBN’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. The Government of Madhya Pradesh honoured Dilip Kumar with Rashtriya Kishore Kumar Samman in 2015.

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Saturday, April 2, 2022

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Surrey to pay $46.62M in RCMP retro pay, wage increases Surrey taxpayers are looking at a $46.62-million bill arising from the RCMP’s collective bargaining negotiations concerning back pay for Mounties.

This city, currently home to Canada’s largest RCMP detachment, is taking the largest hit in B.C. to cover the wage increase retroactive to 2017.

The RCMP’s roughly 20,000 members will see a $25,000 annual pay raise for sergeants and $20,000 for constables as of Friday, April. 1. The Surrey RCMP has 843 Mounties and fewer than 20 are not unionized.

A corporate report by Surrey’s general manager of finance Kam Grewal, and policing transition general manager Terry Waterhouse to council last September indicates that the total retroactive payment from 2017 to 2021, based on the RCMP’s ratified collective agreement, is $46.62 million, with $24.85 million being the total funding shortfall from 2017 to 2022.

A statement emailed to the Now-Leader

on Wednesday by the city’s communications department, attributed to the city’s finance department, states that city hall has made “provisions in its annual budget for the retroactive and future funding obligations.”

“All municipalities with contracts for RCMP policing in Canada have received communication regarding the details of the RCMP retroactive pay which is now a financial obligation,” the statement reads.

“In September, 2021 with information available at that time the City estimated the impact of the retroactive pay would be $46.62M up to the end of end of 2021.

Cities do not have a role in negotiating the collective agreement and the federal government does not take into account any cities ability to pay when negotiating the agreement. Cities are informed after the fact and the actual costs are known over time as invoices are received.”

Name change I, Tegbir Singh holder of Indian Passport No. N6895339,

KCW Rani Jhansi Road Ludhiana, Punjab, India 141001 and presently residing at 47A-18 Azure Road Whitehorse YT Y1A 0L2, do hereby change ! "$ % "& ! "$ % "& ' ( & ) *

PM Trudeau announces $2.9M for Williams Lake First Nation investigation into potential burial sites To continue the Williams Lake First Nation’s search for “truth and healing and closure,” the prime minister has announced $2.9 million in additional funding to support the First Nation’s investigation into potential burial sites on the grounds of a former residential school.

Justin Trudeau made the announcement in Williams Lake Wednesday, adding the funding is being made to continue

the First Nations’ efforts at the former St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School where a preliminary search was conducted last year using ground-penetrating radar. Only a small portion of the site has been searched to date.

“Right now we’ll focus on documenting and finding truth but also on supporting survivors, supporting a community that is being re-traumatized,” Trudeau said.

Landslide caused 100-metre high tsunami, set off earthquake scale in remote BC valley: study A retreating glacier in a remote British Columbia valley caused a massive landslide that crested a 100-metre tall tsunami, wiped out kilometres of salmon habitat and was detected as far away as Australia, a study says.

The landslide on Nov. 28, 2020, sent 18 million cubic metres of rock cascading down the side of a mountain, uprooting trees and displacing soil before crashing into Elliot Creek, said the study published in Geophysical Research Letters.

Earthquake sensors at stations around the world including in Germany, Japan and Australia detected the landslide, the study said.

The slide destroyed salmon-spawning habitat over 8.5 kilometres of the creek and sent a plume of mud and organic matter more than 60 kilometres into Bute Inlet, about 150 kilometres from Vancouver, it said.

At the same time as the slide, a professor at Columbia University in New York measured a magnitude-5 earthquake in that area.

Marten Geertsema, lead author of the paper and adjunct professor at University of Northern British Columbia, said although the landslide wasn’t the largest in Canada, it was “very, very enormous.”

“Imagine a landslide with a mass equal to all of the automobiles in Canada travelling with a velocity of about 140 kilometres an hour when it runs into a large lake,” he said in an interview.

Geertsema said when the massive slide fell into a lake below, most of the water was drained and forced down a 10-kilometre long channel, causing widespread erosion and loss of salmon habitat. It removed about four million cubic meters of material from the creek within 10 minutes, something that would have taken thousands of years if the stream continued to flow normally, he said.

Prof. Brian Menounos, Canada Research Chair in glacier change at University of Northern British Columbia, said several factors came together to cause the slope’s instability and the landslide.

“What we don’t know is whether the final straw that broke the camel’s back, for lack of a better phrase, was a rainstorm or unusually wet conditions during 2020,” he said.

What scientists do know, he said, is that glaciers that once blanketed and held the slopes together are melting at rapid speeds due to human-induced climate change.

Saturday, April 2, 2022

Brampton house fire leaves parents, 3 children dead Mayor Patrick Brown ordered city flags lowered to halfAn early morning fire that ripped through a house in Brampton Monday has left a young family with three children dead and another adult in critical condition.

Neighbours and family members identified those lost.

Their deaths have left the community devastated.

“Our hearts are absolutely breaking,” said Brampton Fire Chief Bill Boyes.

“What happened here today, to lose three children and two adults, Nazir Ali and Raven Ali O’Dea, and their three children as Alia, with one additional10, Jayden, 8 and Layla, 7. person in life-threatening condition, it’s absolutely tragic.” be made available to the firefighters.

“Unfortunately, it was a terrible outcome.”

Boyes said fire crews were met with heavy One adult was able to get out smoke and flames when they arrived on the scene of the fire at Conestoga Drive of the house and was rushed to a and Sutter Avenue at approximately 2 a.m. trauma centre in critical condition.

Two other adults were able to leave The three-alarm fire made for a “difficult entry” for crews upon arrival, Boyes said. the house through the basement Two of the children were rushed by without physical injuries, Boyes said.

Emergency officials have not released paramedics to hospital in life-threatening condition and died shortly after, Peel the identities of the victims but said police Const. Heather Cannon told they believe the ages of the children are reporters at the scene. Two adults and a six, eight and 11. (Paul Smith/CBC) John Lambe, who lives in the area, said he third child were found dead at the home.

The fire department did everything would say hello to the family when he saw they could to rescue the occupants them and their deaths have affected many of the home, the chief said. in the quiet Brampton neighbourhood.

“It’s quite sad to hear what’s happening “They risked their lives to go into this fire and get these people out,” Boyes said, here today. It’s going to hit this noting mental health resources would neighbourhood pretty hard,” he said.

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New survey shows decline in Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek’s early approval rating A new survey by ThinkHQ Public Affairs suggests a majority of Calgarians don’t approve of Mayor Jyoti Gondek’s performance to date.

According to the survey, just 38 per cent say they approve of Gondek’s performance since taking office five months ago, while 53 per cent say they disapprove.

Nine per cent of respondents say they are unsure of how they feel about her performance as mayor thus far.

Such low approval ratings stand out as an anomaly compared to previous ratings of Calgary mayors and there is generally a ‘honeymoon phase’ for elected officials in the first few months after assuming their role. In the early days of Dave Bronconnier’s tenure as mayor of Calgary, 75 per cent of Calgarians said they approved of the work he had done.

Naheed Nenshi saw staggering support with 86 per cent approval early in his first term as the city’s mayor. “The first five months of Gondek’s administration have been eventful, but perhaps not in the way a new mayor would want,” said ThinkHQ Public Affairs’ president Marc Henry. “The arena deal fell apart with the Flames, protests in the beltline, a (nearly) four per cent tax increase when it was supposed to be zero, etc. There are certainly circumstances outside of the mayor’s control, but others are entirely of her own making.” In the 2021 muncipal election, Gondek received slightly more than 45 per cent of the 390,383 votes cast for mayor. Individual city councillors received roughly 45 per cent support from their constituents, while 31 per cent disapprove and 24 per cent of voters are unsure about the work that has been done.

Key player in Quebec maple syrup heist ordered to pay $10-million fine The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that Richard Vallières, one of the key players in Quebec’s infamous maple syrup heist, does indeed have to pay a $10-million fine for his crimes or serve another six years behind bars.

The decision delivered Thursday morning reestablishes the sentence Valliéres, 43, received in 2017 following a trial in Trois-Rivières.

He was recently granted day parole on his sentence of seven years and 10 months. But Superior Court Justice Raymond Pronovost ordered five years ago that Vallières serve a sixyear prison term consecutively if he is unable to pay a $10-million fine within 10 years.

The fine is based on the value of the gallons of maple syrup Vallières admitted that he sold.

He admitted he made $1 million in profit from

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those sales. He appealed the fine and the Quebec Court of Appeal reduced it to $1 million.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled the appellate court was wrong. It ruled Vallières is “required to pay a fine equal to the value of the property that was in his possession or under his control, that is, $10,000,000. Even though the amount of the fine in lieu may seem high, it is warranted in light of the scheme for the forfeiture of proceeds of crime.

“The fine imposed on Mr. Vallières is set at $9,171,397.57, that is, $10,000,000 minus the amount of the restitution order, $828,602.43. Mr. Vallières has 10 years to pay this fine, in default of which he is subject to imprisonment for six years consecutive to any other term of imprisonment.”

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PM Imran Khan loses parliamentary majority after main ally quit coalition Prime Minister Imran Khan effectively lost majority in the parliament after a key partner of the ruling coalition joined the ranks of the Opposition, which has tabled a no-confidence motion against his government in the National Assembly. The Muttahida Qaumi MovementPakistan (MQM-P), a key ally of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led coalition government, with its seven members announced that it has parted ways with the government during a joint press conference of the opposition parties here.

Prime Minister Khan needs 172 votes in the lower house of 342 to foil the Opposition’s bid to topple him. However, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islama Fazl (JUI-F), said that the Opposition has the support of 175 lawmakers and the prime minister should resign. was also announced that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif would be next prime minister of the country after removal of 69-year-old Khan.

“We want to make a new beginning for politics of tolerance and true democracy,” MQM-P chief Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui told reporters. “I announce to support

Why the world’s largest democracy won’t back Ukraine

the opposition in the parliament.” Sharif said that it was an important day as all opposition parties have joined together to address the problems faced by Pakistan.

“The premier, even if he is a selected one, should resign to set a new tradition,” he said.

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), said the support

by MQM was a big development and with this the prime minister has lost the majority. “The prime minister has no option and he will have to resign,” he said. Bilawal also said Sharif will soon be elected as the next prime minister.

Another ally of the ruling coalition, the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) with five members in the lower house had announced on Monday that it had “accepted the opposition’s invitation” to vote against Khan. Briefly talking to the media after a special session of cabinet, which was chaired by the premier, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said Khan also shared a “threatening letter” with the cabinet colleagues, who in return expressed complete trust in him.

Addressing a mammoth rally in the national capital on Sunday, Khan had claimed that foreign powers were involved in conspirac.

As the war in Ukraine has raged on, no country has found itself in a more awkward diplomatic position than India.

While most of the world’s major democracies have rallied to Ukraine’s cause, the world’s largest democracy has conspicuously declined to publicly take sides in the conflict. Earlier this month, India joined with 34 other countries that abstained from the United Nations’ motion condemning Russia’s attack, and it has continued to abstain from U.N. General Assembly motions taking stances against Moscow’s aggression.

India’s most powerful allies have firmly, yet fruitlessly, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to reconsider its stance.

Shortly after India’s first U.N. vote abstention, the U.S. State Department dispatched, then retracted, a diplomatic cable referring to the subcontinent as being “in Russia’s camp.” The European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan later held multiple mostly hopeless discussions with New Delhi to persuade it to fully divest from Russia. Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden claimed in a public address that the United States and its allies “presented a united front” against Russian President Vladimir

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Putin—then called out India, exclusively, for “being somewhat shaky” on the issue.

Some important context adding to these tensions is that India is a member of the socalled Quad alliance with the U.S., Australia, and Japan. The geopolitical foursome was conceived as an explicitly democratic coalition meant to stand up against China’s economic aggression and military dominance. But the U.S. also considers the Russia-Ukraine conflict to be a litmus test for other countries’ commitment to democracy. So from Washington’s perspective, India appears to be failing that litmus test, which may bode poorly for the Quad’s future.

Why won’t India just join its friends and back Ukraine? There are, in fact, many reasons the South Asian powerhouse would not wish to jeopardize its ties to Russia—and why its own varying self-interests might preclude it from joining a grand battle for liberal democracy.

For starters, Russia is the subcontinent’s most important weapons dealer. Its tools account for up to 60 percent of India’s current defense arsenal, including missile systems that were subject to sanctions by the U.S. since before the Ukraine crisis.

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Saturday, April 2, 2022

India Baba Ramdev threatens reporter when asked about ‘petrol hike’

A video of Patanjali Ayurved co-founder Ramdev has gone viral after the spiritual guru appeared to have threaten a reporter when asked about his 2014 comment over petrol price coming down to Rs 40 if the Congress government changed.

Speaking with media in Karnal, Ramdev, in a video, was seen getting angry at the reporter.

He threatened the reporter, who questioned the spiritual guru about his assurance that petrol and LPG costs would come down if people will vote for BJP in power. In a 2014 television interview, he

had said: “I have a study with me that says the basic price of petrol is only Rs 35, on which 50% tax is levied.” “Agar 50% ke jagah 1% tax ho jayga to it’s only practical.

Itna arthshastra to humne bhi pad rakkha hai.” In the latest video, Ramdev is heard saying: “Don’t ask me such questions. I am not a thekedar that I have to answer whatever you ask? I gave that statement and now I don’t want to answer. Do what you can.” Ramdev goes on to threaten the reporter, saying that it will not be good for him if he would ask such questions again.

Maritime pacts with India no threat to Sri Lanka’s national security The Sri Lankan government has asserted that the recently signed maritime security pacts with India will “neither result in hindrance nor threat” to the island nation’s security as “misinterpreted” by several media outlets in this country.During the visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar here this week, a MoU was signed to set up a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC). “The establishment of MRCC is highly essential to instantly respond to the

search and rescue services of vessels in distress operating in the region and ensure safety of vessels in compliance to various international conventions,” the defence ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka Navy is the authority responsible for conducting Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) operations for commercial ships around the island’s SAR region, it said.

Netflix movies, shows struggle to attract Indian subscribers Two-and-a-half years after it launched in India, Netflix Inc. had its first big hit.

Based on a sprawling novel by IndianAmerican author Vikram Chandra, 2018’s Sacred Games was a Hindi-language TV show exploring Mumbai’s criminal underworld and one police officer’s efforts to save the city. The drama stood out in a country best known for romantic musicals, which was the point. The New York Times named Sacred Games one of the best foreign-made shows of the last decade, and Netflix described it at the time as its most-watched locally produced show in the country.

The success seemed to indicate that the company’s plan for India was coming together. Netflix’s formula for international expansion, which has worked everywhere from Canada to Japan, starts by targeting wealthy, young consumers in large cities who’ll pay to watch Stranger Things or Narcos. Then, to reach progressively larger audiences, the company hires a local team to commission projects from the country’s biggest producers, offering them creative freedom they wouldn’t get elsewhere.

Certain things about India were working in Netflix’s favour. The country has a robust local film industry, a growing middle class, and rapidly expanding access to the internet. Several months before Sacred Games was released, Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings told a group of Indian business leaders that Netflix would sign up 100 million customers in the country.

Almost four years later, it has only 5.5 million subscribers in India, according to the research firm Media Partners Asia.

Netflix describes the second season of Sacred Games as a success, but hasn’t announced a third season. Many of its other shows have been cancelled after just one season. In a call with investors in January, Hastings expressed frustration with the lack of progress in India, alarming employees who aren’t used to their boss being so forthcoming about

Netflix’s failings. The stakes are higher than ever. Slowing subscriber growth has investors worried, and the company’s share price has fallen almost 40 per cent so far this year, wiping out more than $100 billion in value. To keep growing, Netflix will have to find customers in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. There’s no bigger prize than India, the second-most populous country in the world. The only nation with more people, China, has blocked every major streaming service. Netflix’s struggles are even more notable when contrasted with rivals Walt Disney Co. and Amazon.com Inc., whose Indian services draw millions more viewers.

“Netflix underestimated the immense complexity and challenges India brings,” says Vivek Couto, head of Media Partners Asia.

Netflix’s problems started when executives began debating how much to charge when launching in the country in January 2016.

At the time, the typical Netflix rates globally were $8 to $10 a month, aimed at young consumers who might be looking for a cheaper and more convenient alternative to pay-TV. In India, pay-TV costs far less than it does in most of the world, typically $2 to $3 a month. But Netflix decided it would prefer at first to have fewer, more lucrative subscribers, so it charged 499 rupees a month, which was about $7.50 at the time.

The company later reconsidered, deciding it could reach the subscriber numbers it hoped for only by dropping the price.

Executives conceived a plan that would allow customers to watch its entire library for less than half its standard fee, but only on mobile devices. In December, Netflix cut its price even more dramatically, bringing it more in line with the competition.

Lower prices have brought in more customers, but holding on to them has been a challenge. Netflix’s mobile-only subscribers have been much more likely to cancel after only a few months than those who were paying for the initial, pricier plans. India also has laws that require many customers to approve the payment every

Supreme Court strikes down 10.5 per cent reservation for Vanniyars in Tamil Nadu The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down the 10.5 per cent reservation provided to Vanniyars, a Most Backward Community (MBC) in Tamil Nadu, in government jobs and admissions to educational institutions.

A bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and BR Gavai upheld the Madras High Court order which had quashed the reservation.

“We are of the opinion that there is no substantial basis for classifying Vanniakula Kshatriyas into one group to be treated differently from the remaining 115 communities within the MBC groups and, therefore, the 2021 Act is in violation of Articles 14, 15 and 16 of the Constitution.

Therefore, we uphold the decision of the high court,” the bench said. The Tamil Nadu Assembly had in February last year passed the then ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)piloted bill providing internal reservation of 10.5 per cent for Vanniyars, with the incumbent Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government issuing an order in July 2021 for its implementation.

It had split the aggregate 20 per cent reservation for MBCs and denotified communities into three separate categories by regrouping castes and provided a 10 per cent-plus sub-quota for Vanniyars, formerly known as Vanniakula Kshatriyas.

Amit Shah announces reduction of AFSPA applicable areas in Nagaland, Assam & Manipur n a major outreach to the Northeast, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday announced reduction of the disturbed areas imposed under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Nagaland, Assam and Manipur after decades.

A home ministry spokesperson, however, said the decision does not imply that the AFSPA has been completely withdrawn from the three insurgency-hit states but will continue to be in force in some areas of the three states.

In a series of tweets, Shah said: “In a significant step, GoI (Government of India) under the decisive leadership of PM Shri @NarendraModi Ji has decided to reduce disturbed areas under Armed Forces Special

Powers Act (AFSPA) in the states of Nagaland, Assam and Manipur after decades.” The home minister said the reduction in areas under AFSPA is the result of the improved security situation and fast-tracked development due to the consistent efforts and several agreements to end insurgency and bring lasting peace in Northeast by the Modi government. The home minister said the reduction in areas under AFSPA is the result of the improved security situation and fast-tracked development due to the consistent efforts and several agreements to end insurgency and bring lasting peace in Northeast by the Modi government. The AFSPA has been in force for decades in the three Northeastern states to assist the armed forces operating there to tackle insurgency.

Saturday, April 2, 2022

Maharashtra to lift all Covid-19 restrictions from April 2, mask won’t be compulsory With the Covid-19 cases declining significantly over the past few weeks, several states have decided to lift all the pandemicrelated restrictions, including the mandatory wearing of face masks. Maharashtra, one of the worst-hit states, and West Bengal on Thursday announced that all curbs related to the viral disease would be lifted, while Delhi decided to do away with the mandatory wearing of face masks at public places. The withdrawal of the Covid-19 curbs came almost two years after the pandemic struck in March 2020. It is expected that some other states may follow suit in the coming days.

At a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) chaired

by Lt Governor Anil Baijal, it was decided that there will be no fine for not wearing face masks at public places in the national capital, officials said. They added that the DDMA, however, is likely to issue an advisory for people, asking them to use masks at crowded places. Currently, there is a fine of Rs 500 for not wearing masks at public places in Delhi. n Maharashtra, the state government announced that all Covid-related curbs, including the wearing of masks, would be lifted from April 2. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Health Minister Rajesh

Tope told reporters.

“From Gudhi Padwa (Marathi New Year which falls on April 2 this time), all Covid-19 related restrictions under the Epidemic Diseases Act and Disaster Management Act will be withdrawn,” Tope said.

Wearing of face mask will be voluntary from April 2, he said. Similarly, the West Bengal government said that all curbs related to the contagion would stand withdrawn from midnight. In a notification, the government, however, stressed the use of masks and hygiene maintenance. “Accordingly, it is hereby notified that restrictions as currently in force by aforesaid orders are hereby withdrawn.

However, advisory in respect of health and hygiene protocols, including wearing of masks at all times, hand hygiene and sanitisation of public places shall continue to be strictly observed until further order,” it stated.

Meanwhile, with 1,225 new coronavirus infections reported in a day, India’s Covid tally rose to 4,30,24,440, while the active cases dipped to 14,307, the Union health ministry said. The death toll climbed to 5,21,129 with 28 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. The active cases comprise 0.03 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate remained at 98.76 per

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Hindu leader honored as Interfaith Ambassador of the Year, in Indianapolis Dr. Vimal Patel, President of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA (HSS), Indiana Chapter was honored as the ‘Interfaith Ambassador of the Year’ at the Center for Interfaith Cooperation banquet in Indianapolis.

The CIC Interfaith Banquet, an annual gala event, at the historic Union Station, Indianapolis was attended by people of all faiths, including a Pagan community outreach group. This event, a confluence of diverse spiritual paths reflects the well known Upanishadic saying, “Ékaṃ sáth víprÄ bahudhÄ vadanti” – There is one Truth, the wise say it in many ways.

The 82-year-old Dr. Patel received his Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry from the University of California, Davis. He has been a Hoosier for over 50 years and one of the earliest Hindus to have settled in the Indianapolis area. Dr. Patel a co-founder of several organizations, notably, the exquisitely crafted Hindu Temple of Central Indiana, built

according to exacting Hindu temple building traditions. He is also a board member of the Hindu University of America, Orlando, FL. Dr. Patel, the first Hindu leader to be given this award, was recognized for his tireless efforts to reach out and build bridges with other faith leaders. According to Dr. Patel, a successful interfaith leader, “figures out what is the most cherished value in each faith and brings it out so that it connects us all”.

At this event the audience got a glimpse of the nationwide traveling poster exhibition, ‘Darshana: a glimpse into the Hindu civilization’. This exhibition portrays the ‘Hindu way of life,’ which is a product of the Hindu Civilization, born and nurtured in the womb of the Indian subcontinent for over 5000 years.

Darshana is a display of 25 posters with carefully selected topics from Hindu Dharma representing its antiquity and continuity.

Attractive illustrations and lucid descriptions engage and excite audiences of all age groups.

IIM-Rohtak head got 2nd term ‘despite Modi govt objections’ Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Rohtak Director Dheeraj Sharma has been appointed for a second term as head of the premier business school, despite “strong objections” from the Narendra Modi government, ThePrint has learnt.

The Union Ministry of Education had sent a show-cause notice to Sharma on 28 March, asking him to explain why he “concealed” his actual qualifications from the ministry.

Sharma has been under the scanner for alleged discrepancies in the educational qualifications he had mentioned in his records, as well as his eligibility.

According to a petition filed last year in

the Punjab & Haryana High Court against his selection, he had not submitted any supporting documents to the institute.

Sharma’s existing term as director of IIMRohtak, which began in February 2017, ended on 28 February this year. On the same day, at a meeting of the institute’s Board of Governors with an education ministry representative, the board decided to appoint Sharma for a fresh term despite the ministry raising the issue of discrepancies in his qualification, a highly placed source in the ministry told ThePrint.

By virtue of the Indian Institutes of Management Act, 2017, IIMs have the autonomy to appoint their own directors.

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Unmarried daughter can claim marriage expenses from parents: Chhattisgarh High Court Chhattisgarh High Court has ruled that an unmarried daughter can claim the expenses of marriage from her parents under the provisions of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956.

A division bench of the high court in Bilaspur was hearing a petition filed by a 35-year-old woman, Rajeshwari, a native of Chhattisgarh’s Durg district.

The bench of Justices Goutam Bhaduri and Sanjay S Agrawal on March 21 allowed her plea for hearing by admitting that an unmarried daughter can claim the amount of her marriage from her parents under the provisions of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956, said the petitioner’s advocate A K Tiwari.

The bench set aside the order dated 22 April 2016 passed by the Principal Judge of

family court Durg and remanded the matter to the family court for adjudication of the same on merits in the spirit of Section 3(b) (ii) of the Act of 1956. The court has directed the parties to appear before the family court.

The petitioner, daughter of an employee of Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) Bhunu Ram, filed a petition in Durg family court under Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956, and made a claim that maintenance to the tune of around Rs 20 lakh be given to her in the mode of marriage expense.

The family court had on 7 January 2016 dismissed the application by stating that there is no provision in the Act that a daughter can claim the amount of her marriage.

In her plea, Rajeshwari said that the respondent, Bhanu Ram, is going to retire

Why Citibank left India?

Citi Bank on Wednesday joined the list of foreign banks that have exited the retail banking business in India as the US-based banking giant announced selling its consumer banking portfolio to Axis Bank for an estimated Rs 12,325 crore.

Global banking majors such as ANZ Grindlays, RBS, Commonwealth Bank of Australia have scaled down their operations in India.

In a mega-deal announcement on Wednesday, Axis Bank and Citibank said their

boards have approved acquisition of Citibank’s consumer businesses in India by Axis Bank.

Under the deal, the USbased Citi will sell consumer banking businesses of Citibank India, which includes credit cards, retail banking, wealth management and consumer loans.

Citi’s scaling down of operations in India is part of its strategy to exit retail businesses in 13 markets to conserve capital

Cops trash man’s claim of threat over PM photo A day after an Indore resident alleged that his landlord asked him to vacate the house for having a photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Station House Officer, MG Road Police Station, Dharamveer Singh Nagar on Wednesday said the former was found to be not paying his rent for a long time and was resorting to such complaints “to gain cheap popularity”.

Yusuf Khan, a resident of Pir Gali in Indore, who said he was inspired by the Prime Minister and had his photo in the house, had

alleged that he was being pressurised by his landlords Yakub Mansoori, Sultan Mansoori, Sharif Mansoori for having the photograph and aligning with “Sangh’s ideology”.

“Yusuf has not been paying the owner rent for a long time. Whenever they asked for the rent, he misbehaved with them. The interview that he gave and the complaint that he registered, have been exaggerated by him. No such thing has come to attention before. According to me, Yusuf did this to be the centre of attraction to gain cheap popularity,” SHO Singh told ANI.

US Deputy NSA, Daleep Singh urges India not to enhance ties with Russia Hours before Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and other key Indian officials, the US deputy national security advisor for international economics, Daleep Singh, has cautioned India against enhancing ties with Moscow, ThePrint has learnt.

Singh, who was on a two-day visit to India that concluded Thursday, is believed to have apprised India of the sanctions imposed by the US on Russia and their long-term impact during his meetings with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, sources told ThePrint.

Sources also said that both sides also discussed the importance of holding US-India 2+2 talks for the first time

under the Joe Biden administration.

During his meetings, Singh is believed to have also informed India about the impact of secondary sanctions kicking in if India tries to do business with Russia.

The US has been particularly miffed with India ever since New Delhi indicated that it would buy more oil from Russia, sources said.

In an interview with CNN-News18, Singh also discussed the possible consequences for India of Russia growing more dependent on China as a result of the war, and of Russian military capabilities being degraded by sanctions.

“The more Russia becomes China’s junior partner, the more leverage China gains over Russia, the less and less favourable that is for India’s strategic posture.

Journalist prevented from flying to Europe to speak about intimidation A prominent Indian journalist has been prevented from flying to Europe to speak about intimidation of journalists and rights in the world’s largest democracy.

Rana Ayyub, an outspoken critic of the government of Narendra Modi and columnist for the Washington Post, was not allowed to board a flight at Mumbai airport on Tuesday. She had been due to travel to London to address a conference at the International Centre for Journalists.

“I was stopped today at the Indian immigration while I was about to board my flight to London to deliver my speech on the intimidation of journalists with @ICFJ. I was to travel to Italy right after to deliver the keynote address at the @journalismfest on the Indian democracy,” she said in a tweet.

Ayyub said she had previously publicised her planned trips on social media but the Enforcement Directorate – which investigates economic crimes such as money laundering –

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Saturday, April 2, 2022

FIJI

Punjab 12 IAS, 13 IPS reshuffled in Punjab The five Deputy Commissoners are: Harish Nayar- Barnala, Kulwant Singh – Moga, Showkat Ahmed Parray – Bathinda, Jitendra Jorwal – Sangrur and Jaspreet Singh – Mansa.

In other posting of IAS officers, Himanshu Jain is additional secretary to CM – Punjab, Mohinder Pal is Special Secretary-Home Affairs and Justice, Ramvir is Director General Employment Generations besides Mission

Director Skill Development, Kumar Amit is Special Secretary Personnel and MD- Punjab Small Industries Export Corporation, Vineet Kumar is Special Secretary Agriculture and MD Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, Kumar Saurabh Raj is Director – Technical Education and Industrial Training, while Dalwinderjit Singh is Joint Secretary Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board.

Resolution introduced in US Congress to designate April 14 as National Sikh Day More than a dozen lawmakers, including Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, have introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives to designate April 14 of each year as National Sikh Day. Observing that the Sikh community, which began immigrating into the United States over 100 years ago, has played an important role in developing the United States; the resolution supports the

designation of ‘National Sikh Day’ to honour and celebrate the important role played by the Sikh community in strengthening and inspiring the people of the United States.

Sponsored by Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, the resolution introduced in the House on March 28 was co-sponsored by over a dozen lawmakers: Karen Bass, Paul Tonko, Brian K Fitzpatrick, Daniel Meuser,

300 Fijians to be repaid $2.2Million Over 300 Fijians who paid deposits to the People’s Community Network for a flat at Lagilagi Housing will be refunded.

PCN took $2.2 Million from Jittu Estate members to give flats on rent, but this never happened.

The government has allocated $2.27m in

the revised budget to accommodate the refund.

Ministry of Housing is working with the Solicitor General’s Office and Ministry of Lands to transfer the lease from PCN back to the Director Lands.

Line Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says they are aware that there are ineligible tenants occupying lots at the Lagilagi Housing.

Gas and fuel prices go up The new fuel and gas prices will come into effect from tomorrow.

The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission states that the prices will also incorporate the Government’s recent National 2021/2022 Revised Budget initiatives which

have succeeded in cushioning the adverse impact of rising market prices on consumers.

Basically from tomorrow the 1st of April 2022, all cooking gas and kerosene will be exempted from the 9% VAT. Article continues after advertisement

Confidence level high for Nadi businesses There is more confidence in the Nadi business community than ever before, as additional restrictions have been eased.

Chamber of Commerce Dr Ram Raju says there’s a sense of hopefulness for owners in Nadi Town as many continue to recover from the pandemic.

Dr Raju says there is an increasing number of tourists seen in the Jet Set Town which is a positive sign.

“The road to recovery is already there and by the end of the year with the increasing tourism numbers the optimism, our business

New Zealand & Fiji sign partnership agreement Punjab will seek NRIs’ help for projects in rural areas Rural Development and Panchayats and NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal today held a meeting with the Block Development and Panchayat officials and asked them to create a database of the NRIs so that the department could get in touch with them to seek their support for projects in their native villages.

He said they would be asked to adopt village schools, hospitals and dispensaries.

“We will ask them to contribute whatever amount they can like Rs 5 lakh or so on.

We can even put up a stone in memory of their parents or family members along with

the work they have sponsored,” he said.

The minister said the state government would establish four special courts in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Bathinda for the cases pertaining to the NRIs. Dhaliwal asked the officials to start the exercise to get back the encroached panchayat land.

On the freezing of grants, he said: “The previous government had announced huge grants for villages at the fag end to win over the voters. We are just checking if the right amount had been doled out. Once all verification is done, we will release the grant again.” —

Pakistan No-confidence motion session adjourns without debate till Sunday The National Assembly session was adjourned abruptly till Sunday, after opposition lawmakers demanded immediate vote on no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. As soon as the National

Assembly session began at the Parliament House, Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri asked the lawmakers to discuss items listed on the agenda.

However, opposition demanded immediate vote on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister.

‘Backdoor efforts underway to reach deal between PM and Opposition’ With Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan virtually losing the majority in the 342-member National Assembly after defection of two key allies, backdoor efforts are underway to reach a deal between the premier and the joint opposition to dissolve the lower

house, according to a highly placed source.

The highly placed source in the federal government told PTI on Thursday that backdoor talks between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government and the joint opposition are underway on the issue of no-confidence motion against Khan.

Pakistani Taliban announce Ramadan offensive against security forces ThePakistaniTalibanonWednesdayannounced they would launch a Ramadan offensive against security forces, after claiming an attack which the military said killed at least six of its soldiers.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a separate movement that shares common roots

with the militants that took power in Afghanistan last year, have stepped up attacks in recent months.

The government held a series of talks with the militants late last year before an agreed truce collapsed.

PM Imran Khan says country has reached a ‘defining moment’ in its history Ahead of the crucial no-trust vote, a defiant Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said the country has reached a “defining moment” in its history with two paths ahead. He also said he is ready to trust vote, slated for Sunday.

“I will not resign and will play till the last ball,” said the former cricketer quite dramatically.

In a live address to the nation, the 69-yearold said he would return stronger no matter what the result of the no-trust vote would be.

Khan needs 172 votes in the lower house of 342 to foil the Opposition’s bid to topple him.

Khan also discussed a threat letter that purportedly showed “evidence” of a foreign conspiracy to topple his coalition government. He named the US as the country behind the threat in what appeared to be a slip of tongue. “…Our policy was not anti-US, -Europe, or even India […] it became antiIndian after New Delhi revoked the special status of Kashmir and broke international law in August 2019,” said Khan, who insisted that the Kashmir dispute remained a big issue between the two countries.

Prime Minister Bainimarama and New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta jointly signed the Duavata Partnership: Aotearoa Whenua Manapori o Whiti Tauaki Mahitahi agreement in Suva.

The agreement states that it “affirms our

joint ambition to elevate the relationship to a new level of expanded strategic cooperation in the years to come based on a foundation of shared values and equal partnership and achieved through trust and consultation”.

Krishna scores a double in Fiji’s win Digicel Bula Boys captain Roy Krishna scored twice to give the national team a 2-1 victory over Vanuatu in an International Friendly match in Qatar today.

Vanuatu was up on the scoreboard first with a goal to Andre Batick.

Down 0-1, Fiji fought back and Krishna netted a brace to put them back into the lead in the first half.

Both teams didn’t score in the secondhalf ending the game at 2-1.

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Saturday, April 2, 2022

Hundreds express their frustration with NDP policies at hunting townhall

NDP stands up for Afghan interpreters’ families Press release

NDP Critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East) called on Justin Trudeau’s Liberals to fulfill their promise to bring families of Afghan interpreters safely to Canada. This morning, Kwan was joined by former Afghan interpreters representing a group of 300 families who have been waiting for months for the government to process their applications to come to Canada. The longer these families wait, the more their lives are at risk.

“Since the application process opened on December 9, 2021, these former Afghan interpreters representing 300 families submitted over 300 applications,” said Kwan.

“To date, not one family from their group has arrived in Canada, and all applications submitted in January haven’t even received a file number. This is unacceptable. Meanwhile, lives hang in the balance. The government must expedite these applications so these families can be reunited safely in Canada.”

Hundreds of Afghan interpreters provided vital services to the Canadian military in Afghanistan. In early September 2021, just weeks after the fall of Kabul, former Afghan interpreters organized a hunger strike calling on the Liberal government to allow their extended families to get to safety in Canada. They were successful with their advocacy when the government announced new measures for extended families of Afghan interpreters—but the government has yet to process their applications.

“Afghan interpreters feel that they have been betrayed and deceived by the Canadian government,” said Kwan. “Not only did the Liberals fail to properly evacuate Afghans before Kabul fell, interpreters are now stuck in this bureaucratic nightmare, while the lives of their loved ones hang in the balance.

The Minister must take immediate action to bring their extended family members to safety in Canada. No more delays.”

Nearly 300 hunters and wildlife advocates joined the BC Liberal caucus’ virtual townhall to express their frustration with the NDP government’s mismanagement of provincial hunting policies and wildlife management, which have been heavily criticized for taking place behind closed doors without offering proper consultation to locals and communities impacted.

“Any avid hunter has a deep appreciation and respect for our wilderness and ecosystems and is heavily invested in wildlife management and conservation,” said MLA for Peace River North Dan Davies. “British Columbians want to see government implement hunting policies and

conservation efforts that are led by a sciencebased approach and respect both the traditional hunting rights of our First Nations and the needs of the thousands of British Columbians who depend on hunting to feed their families.

That’s why we’re calling on the NDP to pause these proposed changes made in Bill 14, which is currently being debated in the Legislature.”

On March 4, 2022, BC Liberal MLAs John Rustad, Dan Davies and Mike Bernier sent a letter to Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRORD) Katrine Conroy calling for greater transparency and the opportunity for open, meaningful conversations about wildlife management with all concerned parties.

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