The Asian Star August 1 2020

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Vol 19 - Issue 26

Indian schoolgirls discover asteroid moving towards Earth

Radhika Lakhani ( left ) with her project partner Vaidehi Vekariya

Two Indian schoolgirls have discovered an asteroid which is slowly shifting its orbit and moving toward Earth. Radhika Lakhani and Vaidehi Vekariya, both studying in 10th grade, were working on a school project when they discovered the asteroid, which they named HLV2514.

The girls, from the city of Surat in the western Indian state of Gujarat, were participating in a Space India and NASA project, which allows students to analyze images taken by a telescope positioned at the University of Hawaii. Aakash Dwivedi, senior educator and astronomer at Space India, told CNN that students across India were taught how to spot the celestial bodies using software which analyzes images collected by NASA’s PAN Star telescope.

Students then searched for moving objects in the pictures. The project, Dwivedi explained, was intended to involve and educate students in science and astronomy. “We started the project in June and we sent back our analysis a few weeks ago to NASA. On July 23, they sent us an email confirming that we had identified a near Earth object,” Vekariya, who is 15 years old, told CNN.

Saturday, August 1, 2020

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Top doctor urges caution over BC Day long weekend The province’s top doctor is calling on the public to play it safe over the B.C. Day long weekend and help prevent a second surge in COVID-19 cases. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry made the plea at a live briefing Thursday as she announced 29 new cases of the virus, and no new deaths. All but one of Thursday’s new cases are linked to an outbreak at the Fraser Valley Packers blueberry packing plant, which

now involves 59 people. British Columbia saw a surge in cases throughout July, following several exposures at private parties in Kelowna over the Canada Day long weekend. British Columbians were encouraged to resume travel within the province as a part of the province’s Phase 3 plan back in June. “Let’s make this long weekend a different one than what we saw in early July… what you do today and this weekend Continued on page 6

Doctor Sapan Desai - the man behind the disputed Covid data A college degree at 19. A medical school graduate with a Ph.D. at 27. By the time he completed training in vascular surgery in 2014, Dr. Sapan Desai had cast himself as an ambitious physician, an entrepreneur with an M.B.A. and a prolific researcher published in medical journals. Then the novel coronavirus hit and Dr. Desai seized the moment. With a Harvard professor, he produced two studies

in May that almost instantly disrupted multiple clinical trials amid the pandemic.

One study’s findings were particularly dramatic, reporting that anti-malaria drugs like hydroxychloroquine, which President Trump promoted, were linked to increased deaths of Covid-19 patients. But that study and another were retracted in June by the

Continued on page 6

Mukesh Ambani is now world’s fifth-richest man Mukesh Ambani, the chairperson of Reliance Industries Ltd, is now the world’s richest man after surging past Warren Buffet, according to Forbes.

The 63-year-old is now worth $74.6 billion, surpassing Berkshire Hathaway’s chief executive Buffett’s $72.7 billion as of Wednesday, according to the Forbes’ billionaires’ list. Mukesh Ambani

has seen a string of deals for his digital business and shares of his conglomerate have more than doubled since a low in March. All this came after RIL’s Jio Platforms got more than $15 billion in investments from companies including Facebook Inc and Silver Lake.

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OPINION

By Sylvain Charlebois, Professor Dalhousie University

People under the age of 30 will pay a dear price for the global pandemic and could even be renamed the COVID-19 generation. After almost five months, most would agree that the older generations – although perhaps medically affected by COVID-19 – have been largely unscathed economically. Baby boomers and older generations have lived long enough to have careers, raised children and see their pensions turned into

Saturday, August 1, 2020 The making of the COVID-19 generation annuities. COVID-19 won’t affect them as much.

Generation X members will also be sparred as they have been given a fair shot at life in general, minus a couple of major bumps such as the 2008 recession and the dot.com bust. The newlydesignated COVID-19 generation, however, is another matter. Some argue that a generation can hardly be defined by books written by people presenting an array of theories. There’s some truth to that. Generation Xers, millennials

and generation Z members were born out of fiction, in a sense. A series of hypotheses led social scientists to suppose that a large group of individuals share common values and see the world in similar prescribed ways. Boomers, on the other hand, were delineated by the Second World War, which in and of itself was a very powerful, transformational moment. It was global and many lives were destroyed, ruined and changed forever. Wars change the world.

COVID-19 has similarly disrupted many lives, unfairly punishing the underprivileged, women and minorities. It has even discriminated against people with other fatal illnesses like cancer and cardiovascular diseases. For months, the entire globe has been focused on one thing: COVID-19.

COVID-19 is a true threat to humanity, make no mistake. With little science, measures had to be taken whether we agreed with them or not.

COVID-19 will mark many lives by the time it’s done – and humanity’s reaction to it will impact billions of lives. The lockdowns, and the economic wrath that followed, will leave a definite scar on the lives of many young people. The COVID-19 generation will build what German sociologist Ulrich Beck called a risk society. It will be the opposite of what most past generations have experienced, which is the influence and dominance of the nation state. The nation state society is focused on the production of wealth and comfort for the majority.

A risk society will be obsessed with potential future disasters and devastating occurrences.

Some argue that our modern society was already there. Certainly, the nation state’s ability to fully distribute wealth has often been disputed. The COVID-19 generation will likely accept that all new risks are inherently created by humans.

Modernity and progress, then, are seen as threats rather than solutions. Younger people will see global risks like climate change very differently.

Important risks for the COVID-19 generation will often be borderless and pointing at who’s responsible will be almost unfeasible.

It’s a very different way to see the world.

In food production, some risks will be given a second and more committed look. Think of food safety and how to mitigate risks across supply chains. And the role of genetic engineering in agriculture may be more frequently questioned.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is senior director of the agrifood analytics lab and a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University.

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Why the hype over Dassault Rafale is completely warranted The addition of the Dassault Rafale to the Indian Air Force’s fleet has been much awaited and much hyped over the years. Now that it has finally touched down in Ambala, we take a look at why the addition of this 4.5 generation ‘omnirole’ fighter jet is a big deal for India.

The twin-engine, delta-winged jet, which is now the most advanced aircraft in the IAF’s fleet, boasts of an advanced avionics system that is designed to reduce radar cross-section, making the aircraft difficult to track and shoot down, despite lacking stealth technology.

This system, also known as the SPECTRA, deploys radar warning receivers, low band jammers, infra-red search and tracking systems and a towed decoy system. Fun fact: This system makes up to 30 percent of the cost of the aircraft.

The jet is powered by two SNECMA M882 engines pushing it to a maximum speed of Mach 1.8 and a range of 3700 km. Packed with a host of features, the aircraft can also refuel

mid-air not only from a tanker but also from another Rafale, in a feature called the buddy-tobuddy refuelling. The pilot, on the other hand, gets treated to a holographic heads-up display inside the cockpit.

It’s ‘omnirole’ makes it capable of a wide variety of missions including reconnaissance, close air support, anti-ship attacks, and nuclear deterrence. The Indian variant of the aircraft also boasts of being able to perform quick landings and take-offs from high altitude bases like Leh. When it comes to its weaponry, the aircraft, which can carry 14 tons of payload, is capable of engaging targets not only in the air, but also on the ground. The Indian variant of the aircraft is coming loaded with the SCALP missile which can target ground targets up to a range of 300 km. It has the HAMMER missile for ground targets up to a range of 70 km and the METEOR missile for air targets that are beyond visual rang

International student from Punjab drowns in Cultus lake Surrey international student Manpreet Singh, 22, drowned Saturday while swimming near Entrance Bay at Cultus Lake, despite a stranger’s desperate attempt to save him. The tragedy came days before he was set to move to Winnipeg and embark on a family dream.

Chilliwack RCMP say the rescuer found Singh underwater and pulled him to shore, but he could not be saved. Singh’s cousin Jagpal Singh said 10 friends were swimming when three of them got into trouble in deeper water. Two of the swimmers were saved by a stranger who was able to somehow reach them and pull them to safety. But his cousin Manpreet was further away, past a sudden underwater drop-off and slipped under the murky waves, before the rescuer could help him. Paramedics were called to Cultus Lake around 3 p.m. on July 25.“A guy saved two of them — and he’s like light weight

so a wave pushed him, so due to that he was unable to save [Manpreet],” Jagpal said in a telephone interview from Ottawa Wednesday.

The death of the talented young man, dubbed “Lucky” by family, ended Singh’s dream of starting a business with four cousins in Manitoba. BC Coroners Service investigate Cultus Lake drowning. RCMP say man who drowned at Cultus Lake Saturday was 22-yearold from India Singh moved to Canada from the Punjab region of India in 2017. Family say as a child he always shone, a top athlete and student. “He was so smart, so intelligent and talented in every field. I called him ‘Lucky, Lucky, Lucky.’ We are so sad. It’s too much to handle,” said his cousin Navdeep Kaur, 23, speaking from Manpreet’s family in Gurdaspur where she is staying with his parents.

Executive at Vancouver-based BuildDirect charged with COVID-19 relief fraud in USA A top executive at a prominent Vancouver tech company has been arrested and charged with fraud for allegedly seeking millions of dollars through a U.S. government COVID-relief program and laundering the proceeds. Mukund Mohan, the chief technology officer of Vancouver-based BuildDirect, was arrested last week in Washington state, where he lives, and charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

Court documents, which were unsealed when Mohan was arrested Thursday, allege he had submitted at least eight fraudulent applications for forgivable loans, on behalf of six different companies this year, seeking a total of more than US$5.5 million through a program intended to provide emergency payroll assistance for companies impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mohan allegedly submitted fake federal tax filings and altered

incorporation documents to claim the firms had employees for whom they paid salaries and payroll taxes, although government records showed this was not true. The companies basically only existed on paper, prosecutors allege, with no employees, no operations, and, in most cases, not even a business licence.

The court documents identify Mohan as the CTO of BuildDirect, although none of the allegations appear to involve the Vancouver-based company, an online seller of flooring and other home improvement products which was, at one time, celebrated as one of Vancouver’s top tech companies and reportedly worth almost half-a-billion dollars.

Mohan, whose bio on BuildDirect’s website describes him as a “serial entrepreneur,” is alleged to have filed the bogus applications on behalf of six other companies he controlled, unrelated to BuildDirect.

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Full-Service Notary Public

Top doctor urges caution over BC Day long weekend From page 1

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will determine how we are going to be able to manage in the weeks and months ahead,â&#x20AC;? said Henry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is going to be our COVID summer, an unusual summer, a summer of doing things differently, but we can do it.â&#x20AC;?

She took a moment to thank British Columbians for listening and changing their behaviour when health officials raised concerns about the spike in new cases earlier this month. New cases have begun to trend downwards, after regularly topping 30 per day and even reaching into the 40s and 50s. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to especially thank the young people

who have taken this to heart,â&#x20AC;? she said.

The number of people hospitalized with the virus dropped to just five, with two in critical care. B.C. has recorded a total of 3,591 cases, with 3,155 people having recovered, or about 88 per cent. It still has 242 active cases, while the provincial death toll stands at 194.

Coronavirus: Tam says thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been an upward trend of average daily cases in Canada Coronavirus: Tam says thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been an upward trend of average daily cases in Canada

Surrey school district anticipates â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;full returnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for elementary students: superintendent Surrey Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s superintendent says there is â&#x20AC;&#x153;much more for us to consider and to unpack as we work with the new guidelines and protocolsâ&#x20AC;? as the district moves forward in planning for a return to school for students. On Wednesday (July 29), the Ministry of Education announced that provinceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan for a return to school provincewide in September, but much of the plan will be up to individual school districts.Minister of Education Rob Fleming said the province is moving to Stage 2 of the B.C. Education Restart Plan for the start of the 2020-21 school year on Sept. 8. Students will be organized into â&#x20AC;&#x153;learning groupsâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;cohortsâ&#x20AC;? made up of a â&#x20AC;&#x153;consistent group of staff and students.â&#x20AC;?

Students will be assigned to groups of up to 60 for elementary school and 120 for high

school. This is to reduce the number of people each student or staff member will come into contact with, reduce the risk of transmission and help with contact tracing for health authorities.

In a July 30 message from Surrey Superintendent Jordan Tinney, he said cohorts will stay together for learning and other activities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In this concept, students will still be in classes, but these classes can learn and interact together. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very similar to expanding your contacts in the community, but it limits the close contacts to 60 or 120 in our schools,â&#x20AC;? he said. When in-class learning returned in June, elementary students went to school on alternating days, either Monday / Tuesday or Thursday/Friday, with students in kindergarten to Grade 5 receiving two days of instruction and students in grades 6 and 7 receiving one day each.

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WE Charity spent more than $600,000 on U.S. political consultants, IRS filings show WE Charity spent more than US$600,000 on political consultants in Washington last year, including a firm co-founded by a trio of long-time Republican Party strategists.

The U.S. arm of the Toronto-based charity paid three consultancies a total of US$605,853 in the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2019, according to filings with the Internal Revenue Service.

The payments included US$130,000 to Firehouse Strategies, which was co-founded by three veterans of Senator Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign: Terry Sullivan, the campaign manager; Alex Conant, the communications director; and Will Holley, the chief adviser on delegate strategy.

Marc Kielburger, screen left, and Craig Kielburger, screen right, appear as witnesses via videoconference during a House of Commons finance committee in the Wellington Building in Ottawa on on July 28, 2020.

The Firehouse website says it is a “fullservice public affairs firm that focuses on delivering targeted persuasion campaigns.”

It has become a regular pollster for the Republican Party, and the partners are frequent commentators on the coming presidential contest. It says its team “curates authentic content from media sources and influencers.”

Matt Terrill, a Firehouse partner who served as chief of staff on the Rubio campaign, said the firm’s work for WE mainly involved the annual gatherings the charity describes as “a powerful celebration of individuals who are making an impact.”

“Our efforts were focused on supporting WE Charity’s WE Day events, specifically in key regions in the United States, including Washington, D.C.,” Mr. Terrill said in an e-mail.

“We represent several Fortune 100 companies, major trade associations and non-profits.”

WE Day events have been held in 19 cities across Canada, the U.S., Britain and the Caribbean. In the U.S., the arena-sized affairs have taken place in New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis and Seattle.

There has yet to be a WE Day in Washington, D.C. WE officials did not respond to questions about why the charity hired the consultants.

Republican operatives, including two with links to Mr. Rubio’s campaign, wrote a series of articles in 2018 and 2019 that sought to discredit Canadaland, a news outlet that has published investigative stories over the past two years raising questions about WE and its initiatives focusing on child labour and overseas development.

WE has denied any wrongdoing and has been critical of the coverage. Lawyers for the charity issued notices of libel but did not file a lawsuit, Canadaland has said.

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Surrey city attempts to address parking woes in Clayton The City of Surrey is trying to address the parking problem in East Clayton.

City Council approved two recommendations for increasing parking in Clayton at a meeting held July 13.Detailed in a corporate report from July 9, the measures could add between 18 and 24 additional parking spaces to the area.But one Clayton resident says the approved measures won’t solve anything.“It’s just smoke and mirrors,” said Clayton resident Mauro Hrelia. “How are two dozen spots going to solve the problem for all of East Clayton?”Those “two dozen spots” will be garnered by removing redundant fire hydrants and curb bulges. Nine hydrants will be decommissioned (see map below) to make 14-18 new spots and two mid-block curb bulges on 68A Avenue, between 190 Street and 192 Street, will be taken out to add four to six spots.

Hrelia noted East Clayton definitely needs more parking, but the City won’t listen to what he and other residents have been saying for years.

“The issue in East Clayton is the illegal suites, period,” he said.Hrelia’s been fighting with the City over the issue since 2010.“On December 10 2010, the City put in a bylaw that no secondary suites were permitted with a coach home on the property,” he said. “This has never been enforced. All the City cares about is collecting the extra suite fees.”This means some homes could have three different tenants. Renters, or owners, in the main house, renters in a secondary suite, and renters in a coach house.Hrelia said he can’t have friends or family come to visit him because they can’t find parking on his street. And they can’t find parking on adjacent streets either.“We’ve contacted the City regarding this issue, only to

be ignored,” Hrelia said. “We had the city manager and bylaw manager at our house along with 11 other homeowners—that’s 12 of 14 homeowners on this street—to address this situation.”Hrelia said they were told to report the illegal suites and something would be done. Hrelia claims they did this, but nothing happened.

Hrelia also chuckled at councillor Laurie Guerra’s assertion Skytrain to Langley will solve his neighbourhood’s parking headache.

“At the end of the day, I think that we just really need to get the SkyTrain going all the way to Langley,” Guerra said at a July 13 council meeting. “I think that’s the best solution for their parking problem.”

“What planet is she on?” Hrelia laughed.

“Skytrain won’t solve the parking problem here.”

Hrelia said there are two ways to solve East Clayton’s parking woes and he said he’d be happy with either fix.

“It’s easy: shut these illegal suites down,” explained Hrelia. “In the absence of that, give us the permit parking pilot (project).”

He said the City promised, on three different occasions, to set up permit parking on a pilot project basis, but nothing has ever come to pass.

He also said a majority of residents, 87 per cent, had agreed to the pilot project, unlike the 28 per cent approval rate for the recently quashed queuing street conversion pilot project.

That project was quashed “based on the low level of resident support across all 14 proposed queuing streets,” according the City report from July 9. He said the City doesn’t care about East Claytonians as much as the City cares about the extra suite fees they get.

“If they do not want to shut down these suites, then we are entitled to our permit parking!”

Hrelia exclaimed. “We have been lied to and inconvenienced long enough!”

B.C. Teachers Federations asking for start of school year to be pushed back to address plan concerns The B.C. Teachers Federation (BCTF) is asking the provincial government to push back the start of the school year in order to address numerous concerns and allow for proper training under the new schooling model.BCTF president Teri Mooring says a Sept. 8 return does not give teachers enough time to understand how to operate in the cohort system and could put the health and safety of teachers and students at risk.2:50 B.C. government announces ‘learning groups’ for back to school in SeptemberB.C. government announces ‘learning groups’ for back to school in September“We have a concern about a return after a long weekend when long weekends are notoriously risky times for the transmission of the virus,” Mooring said.

“We think there is a multitude of reasons why the school year start should be pushed back so that families and teachers can feel very confident.”

Right now schools in the province will start Sept.

8, a day after Labour Day.

The province released a full back to school plan on Wednesday. The plan calls for a nearly full return to school for all students in the province Kindergarten to grade 12. Students will be put in cohorts of 60 in elementary and middle schools and cohorts of 120 in high schools.

The cohorts will include teachers, staff, and students and will be the primary interactions during class, library, gym and recess. Mooring says when school begins the school districts must work directly with local teachers around what a return to the classroom looks like. Individual classroom teachers will need to adjust how they are teaching to accommodate COVID-19 changes. The province has committed to bringing back a working group to address the concerns and the BCTF will be included in those conversations.

“This is brand new. A lot of unexpected things will come up and a lot of things will need to be solved,” Mooring said.

LOCAL

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Trudeau says he ‘pushed back’ on WE contract due to family ties — but didn’t recuse himself Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a House of Commons committee today that, despite his family’s ties with WE Charity, he did not place himself in a conflict of interest through his involvement in cabinet discussions on getting the charity to run a $900 million student grant program — but he apologized again for failing to recuse himself from those discussions. “I was not in a position of conflict of interest. I apologized because of the perception [over] ties with my family. I should have recused myself,” Trudeau said in French. Trudeau said that, when his government was working on the grant program, events related to the pandemic were moving fast and his government was sprinting to get programs out the door. He said that haste was part of the reason why he failed to recuse himself from cabinet discussions regarding WE Charity. “That is certainly part of the context but I don’t think it is the whole reason why I didn’t

recuse myself,” Trudeau said. “Youth issues have been something that I have been deeply involved with all my career, and I care deeply about the idea of youth service.” Trudeau also claimed he slowed down the approval process for the grant program, pulling it from the May 8 cabinet meeting to give the public service more time to review it.

“I did not influence the public service to choose this organization. Indeed, when the public service came forward with this organization, I said, ‘You know what? Let’s put the brakes on that. Let’s make sure it’s done absolutely right because there are going to be questions of the connections with my family on this,’” he said.

“Yes, in hindsight I should have recused myself and perhaps the program would be delivering for students right across the country right now.”

Ethics commissioner expands probe into finance minister over WE scandal anada’s Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion says he is broadening the scope of his inquiry into a multi-million contract awarded by the minority Liberal government to WE Charity by taking a deeper look at the actions of Finance Minister Bill Morneau. In a letter addressed to New Democratic Party MP Charlie Angus on Wednesday, Dion confirmed he would be expanding the scope of the ongoing investigation into Morneau’s actions to also probe whether the finance minister’s acceptance of travel gifts from WE Charity and failure to report them violated the Conflict of Interest Act. Dion’s office launched an investigation into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on July 3 to examine whether the Liberal leader, who had close family ties to WE Charity, had breached federal conflict of interest laws by awarding the charity a solesourced contract to administer a $912-million student volunteering grant program. To run the

program, WE was set to receive $43.5 million.

Ethics Commissioner launches investigation into Trudeau over WE Charity deal Trudeau apologizes for handling of WE Charity student grant contract It also emerged that WE Charity had paid Trudeau’s mother and brothers, Margaret and Alexandre Trudeau, nearly $300,000 in speakers fees for their participation in various WE Charity events over the years. The investigation was later expanded to include Morneau, after it emerged that the finance minister, who also had close ties with WE Charity, did not recuse himself from cabinet discussions on awarding of the contract for administration of the Canada Student Service Grant. Morneau’s problems grew bigger Wednesday over his repayment of $41,000 in WE-sponsored travel expenses for family trips three years ago.

Hospital technician charged with sexual assault of three patients A hospital technician has been charged with sexually assaulting three patients at Toronto hospitals.

Police say a 46-year-old woman was reported having been sexually assaulted on January 22, 2018.

She was a patient at Toronto Western Hospital near Bathurst Street and Dundas Avenue.

The second alleged sexual assault took place on September 14, 2018, police say. The patient was a 50-year-old woman

at the Humber River Hospital, near Wilson Avenue and Keele Street.

A third sexual assault was also reported at Humber River Hospital against a 36-year-old woman. Police allege this incident took place on June 10 this year. Syed Zaki, 48, of Toronto was charged with three counts of sexual assault on Tuesday, Toronto police said.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 416-808-1100 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).

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Saturday, August 1, 2020

Controversial Shaughnessy apartment project approved

by Vancouver council Vancouver council gave near-unanimous approval Wednesday to a rental apartment project in the Shaughnessy neighbourhood.

The four-storey apartment complex will be built at Granville Street and West 32nd Avenue and have 81 units.

The project was opposed by the Shaughnessy Heights Property Owners Association, which called the development “out of place” in the community. One Shaughnessy resident argued the building would snarl traffic and create parking problems.

But Mayor Kennedy Stewart was pleased the project is moving ahead, calling it, in a tweet, a step in the right direction.

“Seniors downsizing and others who want to stay in this neighbourhood now

have 81 more choices,” he says. “Room for renters in all communities helps build a Vancouver that works for everyone.”

Charles Gauthier, president of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association, agreed.

“Will give renters options other than a Shaughnessy basement suite, legal or otherwise,” he responded.

Coun. Colleen Harwick was the only member of the 11-person council to oppose the project.

Hundreds of neighbourhood residents wrote to council to weigh-in on the apartment project, some calling the building “massive” and “insane.”

Those who support it say rentals should be welcomed everywhere given the region’s lack of available

Police dismantle drug lab in Vancouver condo, two charged Two people face drug-trafficking charges in connection with the dismantling of a drug lab in a downtown Vancouver condo in February.

Vancouver police announced Thursday that Cody Timothy Casey and Janell Sandhu, both Vancouver residents, have been charged with the production of a controlled substance and four counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Police dismantle drug lab in downtown Vancouver condo, two people charged The charges come five months after VPD officers executed a search warrant for a suite in a downtown condo tower at 1255 Seymour St. Charges related to the production and distribution of drugs were approved against a man and woman this week after a lengthy Vancouver police probe that resulted in the dismantling of a fentanyl-laced drug lab in the city. VPD handout Police discovered that the suite was being

used as a mixing location to combine fentanyl and carfentanil with other drugs before being distributed at the street level, the VPD said in a news release.

Officers seized more than 10 kilograms of fentanyl, the VPD said, estimated to be worth over $1.5 million. The fentanyl had been dyed several colours to differentiate the different mixtures.

Casey, 33, has been arrested and remains in custody. Sandhu, 30, was arrested and has been released, pending a court appearance.

VANCOUVER, BC., February 16, 2020 Vancouver Police and Vancouver Fire execute a search warrant at 1255 Seymour St., in Vancouver, BC., February 16, 2020. VPD said the search was linked to a drug lab investigation and that firefighters had been called in to assist due to the possible presence of fentanyl.

NOTICE OF SETTLEMENT APPROVAL

Did you experience gender or sexual orientation-based harassment or discrimination while working or volunteering with the RCMP? You may be eligible for compensation.

On March 10, 2020, the Federal Court approved a settlement of the class action Tiller v. Her Majesty the Queen. The class action concerns allegations of gender and sexual orientation-based harassment and discrimination of women working or volunteering with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (“RCMP”).

Who is Eligible for the Settlement?

Women who experienced gender or sexual orientation-based harassment or discrimination while working or volunteering with the RCMP during the Class Period (September 16, 1974 to July 5, 2019).

“Primary Class Members” means current and former living Municipal Employees, Regional District Employees, employees of non-profit organizations, volunteers, Commissionaires, Supernumerary Special Constables, consultants, contractors, public service employees, students, members of integrated policing units and persons from outside agencies and police forces who are female or publicly identify as female and who were supervised or managed by the RCMP or who worked in an RCMP controlled workplace during the Class Period, excluding individuals who are primary class members in Merlo and Davidson v.

Her Majesty the Queen, Federal Court Action Number T-1685-16 and class members in Ross, Roy, and Satalic v. Her Majesty the Queen, Federal Court Action Number T-370-17 or Association des membres de la police montée du Québec inc., Gaétan Delisle, Dupuis, Paul, Lachance, Marc v. HMTQ, Quebec Superior Court Number 500-06-000820-163.

What are the Terms of the Settlement?

The settlement provides six levels of compensation ranging from $10,000 to $220,000 for Primary Class Members. The settlement claims process is confidential and non-adversarial. Claimants with higher level claims will be interviewed by a female assessor.

How do I make a Claim?

Primary Class Members must submit a claim form on or before January 12, 2021. Claim forms may be obtained and submitted online at www.rcmpsettlement.ca or mailed to the address on the form. Primary Class Members whose claims are approved at either of the two highest levels will be provided with a Secondary Class Member claim form.

More Information?

For complete details on the proposed settlement or more information, contact Class Counsel or the Administrator: Klein Lawyers LLP www.callkleinlawyers.com wsantos@callkleinlawyers.com

Higgerty Law www.higgertylaw.ca info@higgertylaw.ca

Office of the Administrator www.rcmpsettlement.ca rcmpsettlement@deloitte.ca 1-844-965-0088

12

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, August 1, 2020 Vancouver community centres set to resume services starting Sept 8

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Two dozen community centres across Vancouver will be resuming services this fall in a limited capacity, as the city slowly reopens.

In a bulletin on Thursday, the Vancouver Park Board announced all 24 community centres will be reopening as of Sept. 8, with a focus on programs and services for children, youth, seniors and access to food.

No timeline has been determined for the reintroduction of gyms, racquet courts, rinks, indoor pools, and pottery and woodworking studios.

“The park board is taking a thoughtful and phased reopening and recovery approach in alignment with B.C.’s Restart Plan, and in consultation with various

government and non-government agencies and partners,” reads the release.

The city closed virtually all public spaces, including community centres, in March to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Parks, beaches and gardens have been permitted to reopen, and most outdoor pools reopened on July 13.

B.C. Education Minister Rob Fleming announced Wednesday the plans for reintroducing students to classrooms this fall, and last week the park board announced licensed childcare and preschool services that are being offered by community centres will be available starting Sept. 1.

Most BC students to return to school full time in September Truly delightful fully renovated 6 bedroom basement entry home sits on rectangular 7920 sf flat lot in most demanding area Aldergrove Langley.Main floor features 3 bed ,2 bath with new kitchen /island ,new flooring,new tiles , new woodwork,new fixtures,splash back,granite counters,new tiles,new cabinet, new windows,new zebra drapes,4 new washrooms & much more .Newly built 3 bedroom unauthorized basement suite with rear separate entry.Excellent renovated covered 333 sf Patio & deck.Landscape front & fully fenced back yard.Storage shed.Walking distance to both schools,shopping,community center with pools,water Park,ice arena,playing fields& to all major routes.A must see to appreciate.

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said, on the advice of provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, students will be organized into “learning groups” to reduce the number of people they come in contact with, cutting the risk of transmitting the novel coronavirus. Henry said elementary and middle school learning groups will have a maximum of 60 students, while those in secondary school will have up to 120. Fewer students will be allowed in the learning groups for younger students, as it is more difficult for them to practise safe physical distancing and proper handwashing, she said.

Homicide team investigates after body found in vehicle in Burnaby Social Sharing

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The latest: Most B.C. students from kindergarten to Grade 12 will return to school in the fall, divided into cohorts or “learning groups.” Elementary and middle school learning groups will have a maximum of 60 students.

Secondary school learning groups will have up to 120 students. Provincial government is putting up $45.6 million to help ensure safety measures. Most B.C. students from kindergarten to Grade 12 will return to class full time in September, Education Minister Rob Fleming announced Wednesday. Fleming

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Burnaby RCMP officers were called to an industrial area at Thorne Avenue and Meadow Avenue in South Burnaby on Wednesday, after reports of a dead body inside a vehicle.

Police believe

the victim was targeted and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) is now working with Burnaby RCMP on the investigation.

“It is not believed that there is any danger to the public at this time,” Burnaby RCMP said in a release.

Anyone with information is asked to contact IHIT.

Saturday, August 1, 2020

BC teachers worry back-to-school plan needs more time The province says most B.C. students from kindergarten to Grade 12 will return to class full time in September, but some teachers say they need more time to prepare.

The provincial plan, announced Wednesday by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Education Minister Rob Fleming, organizes students into “learning groups” to reduce the number of people they come in contact with, cutting the risk of transmitting the novel coronavirus.

Elementary and middle school learning groups will have a maximum of 60 students, while those in secondary school will have up to 120.

Most B.C. students to return to school full time in September Elementary school teacher Allison Baird will be heading back to the classroom in September, but the summer leading up to the school start will be unlike any before.

“In a typical summer you shut off July 1, and you don’t check your emails until mid-August.

But I have a feeling a lot of us are going to be online, emailing each other back and forth,” Baird said.

Teacher Allison Baird is pictured at a park in New Westminster, British Columbia on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. (Ben Nelms/CBC) Some administrators are calling for a delay of the school year altogether.

Ken Christensen with the Coquitlam Teachers Association says the back-toschool push is a heavy burden on teachers.

“I don’t think its fair and reasonable to be asking teachers and schools to be coming in on their summer vacation to help organizers and arrange this stuff.”

More needs to be done, says BCTF That call for more time is echoed by the B.C. Teachers Federation.

6 Americans fined in BC as federal govt closes ‘Alaska loophole’ at borders Six Americans have been fined for violating the Quarantine Act in British Columbia, CTV News has learned, as the federal government cracks down on travellers trying to skirt the closure of the border to non-essential travel.

The BC RCMP would not specify when or where the Americans had been stopped or under what circumstances in recent weeks.

“There have been six violation tickets issued under Section 58 of the Quarantine Act for failure to comply with an order prohibiting or subjecting to any condition the entry into Canada,” said spokesperson Sgt. Janelle Shoihet. “The fine is $1,000.” On Thursday, Canada Border Services Agency announced that as of midnight, it’s closing the so-called “Alaska loophole” that had

an unknown number of American travellers claiming to be going to the state via B.C., but staying to vacation in the province instead.

“Stricter rules and additional entry conditions will be imposed on travellers transiting through Canada to Alaska for a non-discretionary purpose,” said the agency in a news release.

“These measures are put in place to further reduce the risk of introduction of COVID-19 cases and to minimize the amount of time that in-transit travellers are in Canada.”

Those travellers who still plan to go to Alaska will have a fixed time to get there on the most direct route “while avoiding all national parks, leisure sites and tourism activities” and must confirm their exit from Canada with the CBSA.

LOCAL

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14

LOCAL

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Woman reunited with lost teddy bear containing recording of her mother’s voice Mara Soriano has spent the last four days checking the alleys and dumpsters of Vancouver’s West End, putting up posters and answering multitudes of e-mails and tweets, hoping she’d find a stolen teddy bear that carries her late mother’s voice.

And on Tuesday night, the Vancouver resident was successful.

Sitting in her apartment, surrounded by half-unpacked boxes, a smiling Soriano cuddled the brown bear returned hours earlier by two Good Samaritans, still wearing its red-and-white dress and white jacket.

“I’m not gonna lie I kind of buckled. As soon as I saw (him) pull her out of the bag my knees just buckled,” she said in a Skype interview.

“I just started sobbing and I grabbed her out of his hands and I couldn’t let her go.”

The bear was stolen Friday while Soriano was moving to a new apartment, and her social media plea for help went viral. Celebrities such as Ryan Reynolds and George Stroumboulopoulos each promised $5,000 rewards for its return.

Marilyn Soriano was diagnosed with cancer

about 10 years ago when Mara was 18 years old.

Her mom gave her the bear in December 2017 and it included a voice recording made by Marilyn reminding Mara of the love between mother and daughter.

It was also a last memory of Marilyn’s voice because it changed as her cancer progressed.

“It was much softer.

The cancer had really eaten away at her and that bear was basically the last reminder of the mom that I knew - it was her voice that I remembered growing up,” she said in an earlier interview.

After a year-and-a-half of treatment, Soriano’s mom died last June.

Her mom had put the toy together at Build-A-Bear adding glasses and a jacket like the ones she used to wear, Soriano said.

The glasses weren’t returned but she said she’s not worried and will ask Build-A-Bear for a similar pair.

“It feels so surreal like I can’t believe, I can’t believe it, I can’t - like Mama Bear’s home.”

Soriano said she got an email around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night from someone who said

Can I still make an ICBC Claim?

Steve Ferguson, Associate Lawyer Simpson, Thomas & Associates

BC residents often feel uncertain about their rights and options when it comes to ICBC claims. If you have been injured in BC motor vehicle accident, you may be entitled to bring both a personal injury compensation claim (also known as a tort claim) and an accident benefits claim (also known as a Part 7 or no-fault ICBC claim). Here are some FAQs when it comes to making ICBC claims in different situations.

1. If ICBC says I was at fault, can I still make an ICBC claim?

Yes. If ICBC determines that you are partially or totally at fault for the accident that caused your injuries, and you disagree with ICBC’s decision you have the right to dispute it. Ultimately, BC courts have the final say on fault. A skilled personal injury lawyer can help gather evidence and present legal argument to support a determination in your favour.

If you are ultimately found to be partially at fault, you are still entitled to compensation, though the amount you receive will be reduced by the percentage of fault that is attributed to you. And remember, there are two different types of claims that arise from BC motor vehicle accidents: tort claims and Part 7 claims. Even if you were entirely atfault for the accident, you still have the right to file a claim for Part 7 accident benefits.

2. If I was injured in a hit and run accident, can I still make an ICBC claim?

Yes. A victim of a BC hit and run motor vehicle accident can bring a personal injury ICBC claim for compensation for losses up to $200,000 because of section 24 of BC’s Insurance (Vehicle) Act. However, there are very specific requirements and limitation periods set out in section 24 that must be complied with in order to successfully claim ICBC compensation for a hit and run accident.

3. If some time has passed since the accident, can I still make an ICBC claim?

Yes – but if certain limitation periods are missed, you may lose the right to make a claim. ICBC has requirements for reporting accidents and filing claim applications.

Beyond that, general rule is that a Notice of Civil Claim should be filed with the courts, within 2 years of the accident date, or the claim may be statute barred. However, the applicable deadlines may be shortened or extended for some types of claims, such as claims involving minors or claims against a government or municipality. To ensure that you do not lose the right to compensation, you should not delay in contacting an experienced personal injury lawyer.

Do you have questions about your ICBC claim?

Surrey / Delta, Vancouver, Burnaby and Abbotsford office appointments are available, as are virtual appointments over Zoom, if you want to know if you have an ICBC claim. Lawyers at Simpson, Thomas & Associates have considerable experience handling all types of ICBC claims. We are here to answer your questions.

Call (604) 689-8888 to schedule

Most BC students to return to school full time in September The latest: Most B.C. students from kindergarten to Grade 12 will return to school in the fall, divided into cohorts or “learning groups.”

Elementary and middle school learning groups will have a maximum of 60 students.Secondary school learning groups will have up to 120 students. Provincial government is putting up $45.6 million to help ensure safety measures. Most B.C. students from kindergarten to Grade 12 will return to class full time in September, Education Minister Rob Fleming announced Wednesday.

Fleming said, on the advice of provincial

health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, students will be organized into “learning groups” to reduce the number of people they come in contact with, cutting the risk of transmitting the novel coronavirus. Henry said elementary and middle school learning groups will have a maximum of 60 students, while those in secondary school will have up to 120. Fewer students will be allowed in the learning groups for younger students, as it is more difficult for them to practise safe physical distancing and proper handwashing, she said.

NDP plan for school reopening gets failing grade Press release The BC Liberals are calling out John Horgan and the NDP for failing to provide leadership and certainty for parents and teachers following the reveal of today’s outline of a plan for a return to schools in the fall. “Dr. Bonnie Henry and health officials are doing excellent work to ensure students and staff are safe, but NDP Education Minister Rob Fleming’s decision to download responsibility onto school districts is just creating more uncertainty for parents, students, and teachers,” said Dan Davies, BC Liberal Education Critic. “We found out a few details today but school districts won’t be able to finalize actual plans until August 26 — that’s still only a week before classes are supposed to return. Normally we would agree with the Minister’s suggestion to ‘rely on our distance learning resources,’ except he slashed $12 million from Independent Distributed Learning school budgets earlier this year so I’m not sure what resources the Minister is referring to.” The NDP guidelines will expand permissible “bubbles” to school cohorts of 60 for elementary schools and 120 people for high schools but with no guides to school districts on how to structure this. The BC Liberals are joining parents as well as the BC Teachers Federation who are saying the NDP’s plan needs more work.

“Parents won’t find out until a week before classes start what school will look like in their districts and that simply isn’t good enough. They expected clarity today and instead are left with more questions than answers,” added Davies.

LOCAL

Saturday, August 1, 2020

15

Man who murdered Vancouver couple will serve life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years A young man who viciously murdered two complete strangers in their South Vancouver home will serve 25 years in prison before he can apply for parole.

Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam, 27, was sentenced in B.C. Supreme Court on Tuesday for the September 2017 slayings of Dianna Mah-Jones and Richard Jones.

“Mr. Kam has committed two brutal and

senseless murders which call out for very strong denunciation,” Justice Laura Gerow said Tuesday as she handed down her sentence.

Kam was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder last month. Each of those convictions carries an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole for at least 25 years, but the question before the court was whether those sentences should

Here’s what to expect from second wave of COVIDE-19 For many health specialists in Montreal, a second wave of COVID-19 infections isn’t a matter of if but when — and how bad it will be.

And some epidemiologists believe the second wave may already be underway.

The good news is that many of these experts also say the severity and duration of that wave can be kept under control and that it is not a foregone conclusion that Quebec will again fare worse than the rest of the country.

Those observations are based on the answers that 170 medical doctors, epidemiologists, public health experts and medical researchers provided to CBC Montreal in an informal survey circulated earlier this month.

Of the 170 who answered, two-thirds indicated that a second wave was “very likely.” A further 24 per cent said it was “somewhat likely.”

The concept of a second wave is contested and carries different meanings. It should be understood here at its most basic level: another sustained increase in infections.

Some experts believe a second wave is

inevitable, based on the history of infectious diseases such as SARS, a respiratory illness caused by a virus that is genetically related to the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.

“It’s useful to understand that a second wave is not a discrete thing that happens or doesn’t,” said Dr. Cédric Yansouni, an infectiousdisease physician at the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal. “There haven’t been any pandemics of respiratory diseases that had a single wave.

“You will always have ongoing transmission for some time. It can last for months and up to a two-year period.”

When will life return to normal? Montreal health experts offer their best guesses Another reason a second wave is likely is that not enough people were infected in the first wave to generate sufficient levels of immunity in the population at large.

“Second waves are expected for airborne transmitted viral infections for several

Officials say ‘broad community transmission’ resulted from Kelowna COVID cluster The cluster of COVID-19 cases linked to parties in Kelowna has led to “broad community transmission,” health officials said Wednesday.

Interior Health said new numbers will be provided this week that reveal the events and gatherings held in the Okanagan city around Canada Day had an even bigger impact than previously recognized.

“We now know the situation has shifted into more broad community transmission beyond these initial cases in downtown Kelowna,” the health authority said in an email. “This new reporting will more accurately reflect what is happening in the city and region at this time.”

Officials have not specified how many additional cases have been indirectly

Woman, teenage children assaulted at Cultus Lake, RCMP say RCMP say they are looking for witnesses after a woman and her children were assaulted in a popular shorefront area of Cultus Lake in Chilliwack over the weekend.

Police said officers were called to a fight at Entrance Bay on Saturday evening. A statement said a group of men had “allegedly directed a number of racial slurs” toward a woman and her two teenage children.

Mounties said the teenagers were taken to hospital, treated for undisclosed injuries and later released. Cultus Lake would have been busy with beachgoers during the heatwave on Saturday. Entrance Bay, in particular, is a typically crowded area.

RCMP say man who drowned at Cultus Lake Saturday was 22-year-old from India “Investigators believe the incident would have drawn attention,” said RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Mike Rail.

linked to the Kelowna parties, but said those details will be shared on Thursday.

Interior Health stressed that “the vast majority” of the infections are not new. The cases were previously identified, but weren’t initially associated with the Kelowna cluster.

Up until now, health officials have blamed 90 cases for those events and gatherings, including

be served back to back or at the same time.

Man found guilty of 1st-degree murder of Vancouver couple after judge rejects ‘gaming consciousness’ defenceGerow said the interests of justice are served by concurrent sentences, describing the possibility of serving 50 years without a chance of parole as “unduly long and harsh.”

She described the crimes as “extremely

disturbing” but said no evidence had been presented that suggests a longer sentence is necessary to protect the public. Gerow also noted that just because Kam is eligible for parole, that doesn’t mean he will be granted parole.

‘Devastating effects’ on friends and family Kam was 25 when he followed Mah-Jones into the living room of her home and slit her throat before stabbing her husband multiple

16

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Saturday, August 1, 2020

17

18

Saturday, August 1, 2020

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NATIONAL

Saturday, August 1, 2020

19

Ethics commissioner expands probe into Morneau over WE-sponsored travel expenses The Opposition Conservatives called on the federal ethics watchdog today to widen his investigation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding his family’s ties to WE Charity, as his finance minister faces an expanded examination of his own.

Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion

is already investigating Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau for possible violations of the Conflict of Interest Act for not recusing themselves during cabinet discussions about the WE deal.

Both have apologized for not doing so.

Morneau’s problems grew bigger

Govt’s effort to publicize Big 3 cell service prices isn’t driving them down, advocates say Publishing the cost of major wireless companies’ cellphone services isn’t making those services any cheaper, affordability advocates say.

This week, the federal government released its first ever cellphone price tracker report, which shows there has been little movement in prices since the Liberals promised to reduce

the cost of cellphone services by 25 per cent.

The tracker shows that most of the provinces surveyed didn’t see a reduction in cell service costs between February and June 2020.

Quebec — a market with a high degree of competition among cellphone services — was the only province to report a decline in prices.

Russian hackers target Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine research, recovery efforts, cyber defence agency says Russian hackers are targeting Canadian, US & UK organizations working on COVID-19 vaccine research and recovery efforts, a rare joint statement from the three countries’ cyber defence agencies says.

Canada’s Communications Security Establishment (CSE) says Russia’s intelligence services are “almost certainly” behind persistent cyber attacks on Canadian organizations “including vaccine research entities involved in COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.

“These malicious cyber activities were very likely undertaken to steal information and intellectual property relating to the development and testing of COVID-19 vaccines and serve to hinder response efforts at a time when healthcare experts and medical researchers need every available resource to help fight the pandemic,” said the statement released Thursday morning.

“CSE assess that APT29, also named ‘the Dukes’ or ‘Cozy Bear,’ was responsible for this malicious activity, and almost certainly operates as part of Russian intelligence services.”

That assessment is “supported” by the U.K.’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA).

TheagenciesreleasedtechnicaldetailsofAPT29’s alleged hacks, and urged organizations involved in COVID-19 research to “take any necessary actions to protect themselves from cyber threats.”

Both CSE and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service have publicly warned that the global pandemic has presented a “heightened risk” for Canadian health organizations working on the national response to COVID-19.

But it is rare for Canadian intelligence agencies to publicly attribute cyber attacks or other forms of espionage to a specific

CFIA investigating mysterious shipments of seeds landing in mailboxes The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning gardeners not to plant “unauthorized seeds” from packages they weren’t expecting to arrive in the mail.

The agency says it is investigating reports of peoplereceivingunsolicitedshipmentsofseeds.

Authorities warn that “unauthorized seeds” could sprout into invasive plants or carry pests that can be harmful if introduced to Canada.

They say these species can invade agricultural and natural areas, causing “serious damage to our plant resources.”

The CFIA is asking people who receive unrequested seed shipments to contact their regional office “immediately,” and hang on to the packaging and contents until they hear from an inspector.

The United States Department of Agriculture says it is aware of “suspicious,” unsolicited seed packages that appear to have been shipped across the U.S. from China.

foreign government and exceedingly rare to do so while the threat remains active.

Wednesday over his repayment of $41,000 in WE-sponsored travel expenses for family trips three years ago. Dion told the NDP he would look into the spending.

Regulations prohibit ministers or their family members from accepting free travel, lest it be seen as buying

influence over government policy.

In a letter to NDP ethics critic Charlie Angus, the commissioner wrote he will look into whether Morneau ran afoul of that rule and a separate one for “failing to disclose these gifts,” which could lead to a fine, albeit not a large one.

Edmonton real estate agent escapes lifetime ban, still faces $21K fine and licence cancellation A former Edmonton real estate agent has escaped a lifetime ban but still must pay a $21,000 fine and re-apply for his real estate licence in October after a Real Estate Council of Alberta appeal panel ruling.

Mehboob Ali Merchant admitted to several breaches of the Real Estate Act that occurred between 2011 and 2019, according to an Oct. 21 RECA written decision.

A RECA hearing panel found Merchant leased a condo without permission, mishandled a commission, and withheld documents from investigators.

Lifetime ban sought for real estate agent suspended 1 year over breaches Panel upholds $21K fine, suspension for Edmonton real estate agent who admitted to fraud “The Industry Member committed multiple breaches that were criminal in nature and involved intentional deception for the purposes of enriching himself,” Merchant’s admission of conduct reads as contained in the RECA decision.

“The theft, fraud and identity fraud were all committed intentionally, with full knowledge that he was deceiving his victims,” the RECA hearing panel summary reads.

20

INDIA

Saturday, August 1, 2020

India overhauls its education policy India approved a new National Education Policy after 34 years, paving the way for radical reforms, including the introduction of local languages as the medium of instruction till class V, initiation of vocational training and coding classes in school and offering senior students more choice in how they want to pursue studies.

The policy, which was cleared by the Union cabinet on Wednesday, aims to promote autonomy in the higher education sector, and

lays greater emphasis on learning outcomes. The policy has been designed to benefit students, education providers and the labour market through an emphasis on vocational training.

Under the policy, multiple higher education regulators, including the University Grants Commission, All Indian Council of Technical Education and National Council of Teacher Education, will be merged into a single regulator to reduce the multiplicity of regulations.

India gets new jets amid border tension with China India’s air force has received five new Rafale fighter jets amid ongoing border tensions with China. The aircraft are part of India’s deal with France in 2016 to buy 36 warplanes.

Delhi is hoping to modernise its dwindling Soviet-era air force fleet with the induction of Rafale multi-role jets.

But experts warn that these aircraft cannot be used right away in case of a conflict.

Air Marshal (retd) Pranab Kumar Barbora, who oversaw the induction of the Jaguar aircraft fleet, told the BBC that the arrival of

the Rafale was a welcome move because “it will significantly enhance the air force’s capability”.

“But it will take a while before these aircraft are fully operational.

You have to set up a logistics chain, train technical and ground staff in India,” he said. He added that it usually takes up to two years before a new squadron is fully functional. The Rafale squadron will be fully operational when it has at least 18 aircraft.

The delivery of the remaining Rafale aircraft is expected to be completed by next year.

Punjab is part of India, UK on Khalistani extremist group planning The British government has rejected the Khalistani extremist group Sikhs for Justice’s Referendum 2020 which seeks separation of Punjab from rest of India, saying that it considers Punjab as part of India.

A British High Commission spokesperson in response to a question on the SFJ-led referendum said, “This is a matter for the government and people of India, not foreign countries or overseas organisations.

Rajnath Singh’s veiled warning to China Moments after the five Rafale fighter jets landed at the Indian Air Force’s Ambala air base on Wednesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the arrival of the aircraft in India would give the IAF’s combat capability a “timely boost” and make it “much stronger to deter any threat” that may be posed to our country. Singh, who had travelled to France last year to formally receive the first fighter jet,

showered praises on the multi-role aircraft for its capabilities, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the decision to buy 36 fighter jets.

Singh also packed in a sharp, even if veiled, message to China’s military. Defence minister Rajnath Singh didn’t name China. He didn’t have to. China’s People’s Liberation Army has parked troops near the Line of Actual Control where it had been in a standoff with Indian defence forces since May this year.

Fiji Rajnita Kumar is a pioneer in Fiji soccer

D

o not limit the knowledge and the skills you have; span your wings for the greater things outside your comfort zone.

Good planning and the willing heart to thrive to pursue in unknown grounds have led Rajnita Kumar to be an accredited football coach.

“It was never in my dream that I would one day be a coach, especially for football as not many women would be involved in a male dominated sport,” Kumar said.

Originally from Navua the mother of one got into football in 2018 when she was assistant secretary for the Rewa Football Association.

Her efficiency in administration work and experience won RFA’s favour for her to manage the Rewa Youth team assisting coach Raju Goundar in 2019.

Like taking a duck to water Kumar assisted by taking light training sessions for the Under-16 boys team.

“I am fortunate to have good and genuine support from RFA executives and committees,” she said.

“Their support was awesome and I would like to thank everyone for their support these years.

“Especially the RFA executives and my family- my husband and daughter who always need to adjust to my availability for football.”

Reporter: Did you dream of landing this job?

KUMAR: I never dreamt of taking up this position in football leaving alone playing.

My interest developed in understanding the structure and functions of the organization I was bold enough to take up the new role as administrator and coach.

Administration work is my field; I have been working as an administrator since I started until today.

Reporter: What is the overview of the work that you do?

KUMAR: As assistant secretary I assisted

in the RFA administration, looking after correspondence and logistics. As a youth coach I manage both the Under- U16 / U19 teams.

Reporter: What level of coaching/ management that you hold?

KUMAR: MA (Member Association) Youth Coaching Certificate, FIFA and FFA accredited.

Reporter: What part in your coaching career you love the most?

Reporter:: The competitive environment surrounding the youth competition. Watching the young players grow in terms of football.

Reporter: What motivates you?

What inspired you to do the work that you do? This is because not many women coach male dominated sports teams?

KUMAR: I’m the Personnel Assistant (PA) to my director- Sanjay Patel. Mr Patel is also national President for the Fiji Gujarati Sports Association and president for Rewa Gujarati Sports Association, vicepresident of Rewa Football Association.

During all Gujarati tournaments I do the administration work from player registration to bookings of ground, medics, referees and all the works.

This really pushed my interest into football.

Another was when coach Marika Rodu took the reins for Rewa; the daily chats about training techniques inspired me to assist in the training sessions for Rewa men’s team.

Once I was given the chance to manage the youth team, the passion I saw among the young players and how keen they were to learn more was inspiring.

Reporter: What are some of the challenges that you face regarding your work?

KUMAR: The biggest challenge is balancing family life, work and football. Being a wife and mother I always make sure that everything is in place for my family. Proper planning right from when I leave home for work, up to the training venue on time.

Pakistan former PM Sharif says he can’t return to Pak akistan’s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, currently in London for treatment, on Tuesday informed a court here that he is unable to return to the country as his doctors have told him not to go out as he may contract infection due to the Covid pandemic.

The 70-year-old three-time premier is currently in London for treatment after he was diagnosed with an immune system disorder. He

left for the UK in November last year after the Lahore HC granted him four-week permission to go abroad for treatment. In his latest medical report, which he submitted to the Lahore HC, doctors have recommended him to avoid going outside due to the pandemic. Sharif said he has low platelets counts, diabetes, heart, kidney and blood pressure related problems.

5 commandos killed in raid on militant hideout Police in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday conducted a raid on a suspected militant hideout, resulting in a firefight in which five anti-terrorism commandos and two civilians were killed.

The incident took place in Chilas, a city of Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan.

According to Gilgit-Baltistan police spokesperson Mubarak Jan, the operation was carried out after the CounterTerrorism Department (CTD) received

information about the presence of the militants at a house in Ronai area of Chilas.

“Five CTD officials were killed and as many injured during the operation. Two civilians were also killed in the shootout,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

However, it did not give any details about the militants who opened fire on the police team.

“Police cordoned off the area after the incident,” he said.

Elderly man facing blesphemy charges shot dead infront of judge An elderly man from the minority Ahmadi community, facing trial for blasphemy, was shot dead in front of judge in local court situated in high-security zone in Peshawar, police said.

Tahir Ahmad Naseem, who was arrested two years ago on blasphemy charges, died on the spot in the court of Additional Session Judge Shaukatullah Khan, they said.

The court is situated in a high-security zone in the cantonment area where the provincial assembly building, the Peshawar High Court, chief minister’s secretariat

and Governor House are also situated.

Security at the main gate and inside the judicial complex is also high. It was not clear how the armed attacker managed to get into the court amid tight security.

The police arrested the killer, identified as Khalid Khan, from the courtroom.

A lawyer, who was present in the courtroom when the incident occurred, said a case had been registered against the deceased under blasphemy laws.

Saturday, August 1, 2020 Capt Amrinder hails Canada’s rejection of SFJ’s drive Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh hails Canada’s decision not to recognise the result of the ‘Referendum 2020’ being organised by the proKhalistan group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).

Reacting to a report carried in these columns on Saturday, Amarinder hoped that other countries would also follow Canada’s example and reject the secessionist `Referendum 2020’, which the SFJ was promoting to divide India on communal lines.

The CM said the categorical stand taken by the Justin Trudeau government on the issue is exemplary and other nations and governments should also come out openly against the SFJ, which has been banned by India as terrorist organisation.

No question of falsely implicating anyone under UAPA: Punjab CM A day after SAD chief Sukhbir Badal cautioned against “indiscriminate” use of the UAPA, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday asserted that there was no question of falsely implicating anyone under the anti-terror law.

The Chief Minister also said he would do everything under the law as needed to protect the security and integrity of Punjab and of the nation, and the SAD president’s “threats” could not deter him from ensuring the safety of his people.

The Shiromani Akali Dal chief had cautioned Amarinder against “indiscriminate” use of the UAPA by the state police.

FIR by police constable against her husband backfires An FIR alleging cruelty and breach of trust lodged by head constable against her husband has virtually boomeranged. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the police to look into her source of funds.

The direction came after the Bench was told that the head constable had two cars, one of which was plying without permanent registration for almost eight years. The fact was brought to Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa’s notice by the state counsel, who initially submitted that the petitioner-husband had surrendered before the investigating agency one of the cars, allegedly purchased by the complainant-wife.

“It would be expected from the employer/ police authorities concerned to even look into the aspect as to how a 2012-model car under the ownership of the complainant has been plied on the basis of a temporary number.

PUNJAB

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