The Asian Star December 24 2022

Ban on foreign homebuyers coming into effect January 1

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No snap election, says Premier Eby

BC Premier David Eby held his first press conference with the South Asian press corp in Surrey earlier this week with Surrey-Delta area MLAs and cabinet ministers in tow.

As usual, it was an embarrassing display of questions by the South Asian media representatives but Premier Eby did his best to keep up.

“journalist” complaining she was a dentist in India so why she could not qualify to be a dentist here after seven years of trying to pass a dental exam - and failing.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has announced regulations for the ban on foreign homebuyers, which comes into effect on Jan. 1.

Starting in the new year, foreign commercial enterprises and people will be prohibited from purchasing residential properties in Canada for two years.

Questions included some personal agenda inquiries including one by a

BC’s Minister of State for Trade Jagrup Brar (right) with Premier David Eby in Surrey on December 19.

Not our letter, Gurdwaras tell Farnsworth

by representatives of local Gurdwaras Sahib Dasmesh Darbar, Gurdwara Sahib Amrit Parkash, Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib and Gurdwara Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib, warning

Extreme cold conditions cover most of BC &

It’s only the first day of winter, but Western Canada is absolutely gripped by winter weather conditions. As of Wednesday, December 21, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has dozens of weather warnings for both BC and Alberta.

From Victoria and Vancouver to Calgary and Edmonton, these cities are facing belowseasonal freezing conditions.

him that a letter that had been sent to him, allegedly on their behalf, that supports the continuation of the transition to the Surrey Police Service “was not authorized by the

Continued

Alberta Canadians spent way more on groceries last month due to inflation: StatCan

While extreme cold poses a risk to everyone for frostbite and hypothermia, folks without proper shelter, young children, older adults, people working or exercising outdoors, and people with chronic illnesses are the most at risk.

Cold-related symptoms to watch out for are shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour change in fingers and toes,

It wasn’t in your head, you really did pay more for the same items at the grocery store last month than you did previously. According to Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index report for November, food prices have climbed year-over-year, and many items even spiked significantly from October.

“Prices for food purchased from stores rose 11.4% year over year in November, following an 11.0% gain in October. Food inflation remained broad-based, with prices for Continued on page 7 Continued on page 3

From

Canadians spent way more on groceries last month due to inflation: StatCan

groceries rising at a faster rate than the all-items CPI every month since December 2021,” the report reads in part.

Overall, that meant Canadians saw some pretty scary numbers next to their grocery bills and a major hit to their cost of living.

For those who bought fresh fruit, they saw a jump of 11% last month, yikes!

Poultry prices have risen sharply as well, up more than 9% from last year, blamed on reduced global supply as a

result of the ongoing avian flu which has forced many farmers to cull their flocks.

Edible fats and oils continue to be incredibly expensive, up 26%, as do coffee and tea, eggs, and cereal products.

Canada’s Competition Bureau has launched an investigation into the rise in food prices.

While Canadians are practically bleeding moneyatthegrocerystore,therehasbeensome “savings” elsewhere, according to the report.

report

British Columbia’s civilianled police watchdog has cleared police officers’ fatal use of force in the midst of a shootout outside a Saanich bank last summer.

Six officers were wounded and two armed suspects were shot dead on June 28 after the pair entered a Bank of Montreal on Shelbourne Street around 11 a.m. and took hostages.

“(The suspects) had reacted to police presence with unbridled violence at the upper end of the scale that could reasonably be anticipated in a civilized society,” the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) found in its Wednesday report.

“In those circumstances, (the suspects) posed a clear and imminent threat

of death or grievous bodily harm to officers and to the public, and the use of lethal force in response was justified.”

The investigation also revealed new details about the attack it described as a “series of dramatic and violent events” that occurred “in the space of mere seconds.”

The reported stated that the two suspects, whom police have identified as 22-yearold twins Mathew and Isaac Auchterlonie, were prepared for violence with body armour and rigid leg protection tucked beneath their outer gear — windbreakers, balaclavas, gloves, and combat boots.

The Auchterlonies, who hail from Duncan, carried 7.62-millimetre calibre SKS semiautomatic rifles with extended magazines.

BC pauses electricity connections for crypto mining, citing ‘massive’ consumption

The British Columbia government is temporarily suspending requests for electricity connections from cryptocurrency mining operations, saying the decision is aimed at preserving the power supply while supporting climate action and economic goals.

A statement from the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation says 21 cryptocurrency projects are requesting a total of 1,403 megawatts, enough to power about 570,000 homes per year, or 2.1 million electric vehicles.

It says the 18-month suspension will give the province and BC Hydro time to engage with industry and First

Nations as a permanent framework for cryptocurrency operations is developed.

Energy Minister Josie Osborne says in the statement that cryptocurrency mining consumes “massive amounts of electricity” by running high-powered computers around the clock, but adds “very few jobs” to the local economy.

B.C.’s electricity is generated almost entirely by hydropower, and the province says it has attracted “unprecedented interest” from cryptocurrency miners.

The statement says seven operational cryptocurrency mining projects and six more projects that are well advanced in the connection process won’t be affected by the suspension. Their consumption totals 273 megawatts.

New details on guns, timeline of deadly Saanich bank shootout revealed in watchdog

OPINION

By Ricardo Tranjan

The federal government has launched a onetime $500 housing benefit for low-income tenants. Though a good initiative in times of high inflation, the program is fraught with problems. Unless these problems are fixed – which is doable – the program will fail the people it aims to assist. The first problem is communication. The federal government is calling it a one-

Feds must fix flawed housing benefit

time top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit, although there is no program with this actual name. The name refers to a federal initiative administered by the provinces under different guises, like Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit and Saskatchewan Housing Benefit. This is already confusing, but it gets worse.

Each province has its own eligibility criteria,

which are different from the criteria for the one-time top-up, which is being delivered through the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). People who are not eligible for the provincially delivered benefit may qualify for this one-time installment. But why would anyone apply for a top-up of a benefit they don’t receive? Also, people already receiving the benefit will not automatically get a top-up. If they are eligible, they have to apply separately.

Communications matter because confusion leads to low take-up rates. That is what happened to the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit.

The second problem is that the income eligibility thresholds – $35,000 for families and $20,000 for individuals –don’t capture all tenants living in poverty.

In 2020, the most recent year for which data is available, Canada’s official poverty line for a family of four varied between $38,600 and $50,600, depending on where the family lived. For single individuals, the poverty line was above $20,000 everywhere in the country except rural Quebec. In Toronto, it was $25,000.

By design, the program excludes thousands of tenants living in poverty and paying too much in rent.

Then there is the problem of trust. Can people be sure they won’t be penalized if they apply?

People who receive social assistance are wary of government initiatives that give with one hand and take away with the other. It happens all the time.

Provincial social assistance programs have yet to clarify how they will treat this additional $500 in income. Will recipients just lose other benefits? Will recipients have to fill out yet more forms and provide yet more justifications, generating more anxiety than security?

Even people who have never received social assistance have reasons to be wary of benefits delivered by the CRA. Will it send letters to people two years from now asking them to pay back the $500 as it is doing with CERB?

The federal government has been touting the program all week, but it has to be more than a media sound bite. The program needs to actually work.

The fixes are simple. Rename the program. Increase thresholds so all low-income tenants are eligible. Promote

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Guru Nanak Food Bank ‘soft opened’ Monday in the former Southridge Hardware at 112th St. and 84th Ave.

Members of Delta council and school board joined other local dignitaries for the soft opening of the new North Delta food bank on Monday afternoon.

Surrey-based Guru Nanak Food Bank’s new North Delta facility — located next door to the Delta Lion Pub in the former Southridge Hardware (11188 84th Ave.) — opened its doors at 1 p.m. on Dec. 19, marking the first sevenday-a-week food bank to open in not just North Delta but the city overall.

At 6,500 square feet, the North Delta location is the largest of GNFB’s three storefronts. GNFB operates out its flagship location in Surrey (101 – 15299 68 Ave.), which opened July 1, 2020, and also maintains an outlet in Abbotsford, which opened to the public on Feb. 6, 2022.

“Our ‘No Boundaries’ facility will serve all comers regardless of faith or city of residence, and one day in week would be dedicated to serve the seniors,” GNFB general secretary Neeraj Walia said in a press release ahead of Monday’s opening.

The food bank will begin offering its dedicated day for seniors in January.

An Edison woman has pled guilty in her alleged role in connection with a decade long transnational technical support scam that generated $10 million in proceeds from at least more than 20,000 victims, many of whom were elderly, in the United States and Canada, according to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey.

Meghna Kumar, 50, pled guilty on Dec. 14 by videoconference before Judge Michael Hammer in Newark federal court to an information charging her with engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity based on her role in the scheme, according to a press release through the United States Attorney District of New Jersey.

Kumar’s guilty plea along with the indictment of five men in the alleged scam was announced on Dec. 16.

Gagan Lamba, 41, and Harshad Madaan, 34, both of New Delhi, India; Jayant Bhatia, 33, of Ontario, Canada, and Vikash Gupta, 33, of Faridabad, India, are all charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, and substantive violations of wire

fraud and computer fraud, according to the press release.

Lamba, Madaan, Bhatia, and a fifth defendant, Kulwinder Singh, 34, of Richmond Hill, N.Y., are also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. Bhatia has been charged with offenses related to his participation in the high-tech fraud scheme, according to the press release.

Authorities in India apprehended Madaan on Dec. 14 and Gupta on Dec. 15 on local charges for their involvement in the tech support scheme. Lamba remains at large. Bhatia was apprehended by Canadian authorities pursuant to a provisional arrest request from the United States. Singh was apprehended at his home in New York, and he made his initial appearance on Dec. 14 before Hammer in Newark federal court and was released on a $100,000 unsecured bond, according to the press release.

US Jan. 6 committee recommends Trump be criminally charged

The congressional inquiry into last year’s riot at the United States Capitol on Monday voted to refer criminal charges against former President Donald Trump to the Justice Department.

The House Select Committee blamed Trump for the violent attack on the Capitol by his supporters.

Slamming Trump for summoning the mob to the Capitol nearly two years ago, the committee’s chairperson, Bennie Thompson criticized the former president for undermining faith in the democratic system.

“If the faith is broken, so is our democracy. Donald Trump broke that faith,” Thompson said. The bipartisan committee unanimously recommended

he be charged with insurrection, obstructing an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and conspiracy to make a false statement.

Trump: ‘Attempt to sideline me’

Later on Monday, Trump hit back, accusing House lawmakers of recommending “fake charges” against him as part of an attempt to stop him from running for the White House in future.

“This whole business of prosecuting me is just like impeachment was — a partisan attempt to sideline me and the Republican Party,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Last month, Trump outlined his intention to run for the White House in 2024.

Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart and city manager Peter Steblin are named in a court petition by Metro Vancouver alleging that confidential information was leaked in January to a company that Metro Vancouver was about to sue.

In court papers filed last Friday (Dec. 16) at BC Supreme Court in Vancouver, Metro Vancouver is seeking an order to preserve evidence about the unauthorized

disclosure to Acciona, the Spanish firm hired by Metro Vancouver in 2017 — and then fired in early 2022 — to design and construct the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant (NSWWTP) to replace the Lions Gate Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The petition states that Metro Vancouver wants to conduct a forensic audit of Acciona’s computer systems and

NRI woman pleads guilty in decade long global tech support scam that spanned the U.S., Canada and India

Guru Nanak Food Bank now open in North Delta

Coquitlam mayor, city manager at centre of legal action alleging leak of confidential information to Spanish company

No snap election, says Premier Eby

stick handling that one and many similar “personal agenda” questions.

Premier Eby made it clear that there will by no snap election. He said no one wants an early election and in his tour of BC during the leadership campaign, no one said they wanted a quick election.

Premier Eby said his government intends to honor the fixed date election which means next election will be in 2024. He was pretty committed so it does not seem like he will pull a fast one like his predecessor John Horgan did by calling a snap election mid way in his first term in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic to selfishly grab an absolute majority.

Premier Eby also spoke about homelessness and said that he and his cabinet are busy with trying to fix the homelessness problem all over BC - not just in Downtown Eastside Vancouver where currently there are two large tent encampments. He skillfully avoided a question about corruption in the “ homeless and poverty industry”in which most of the money flowed to advocates and staff salaries and administration costs

of advocacy groups instead of actually going towards homes for the homeless.

He is traded talked about how the NDP government has streamlined ICBC but steadfastly ignored what is happening at BC Housing.

Premier Eby did venture into the lion’s den by answering a question on policing transition in Surrey - something that the Surrey MLAs do not do even in their sleep. Premier Eby said proper procedures, protocols and rules will by followed on the

Premier David Eby (fifth from left) with NDP MLAs.

issue of police transition in Surrey. He also said that any police investigation into “fake letters” sent to the Solicitor General in support of Surrey Police Service should be initiated by the Gurdwaras and temples whose letterheads were used without permission.

Premier Eby spoke at length on health care and how the BC Government is working hard to attract more medical professionals, including foreign trained professionals, to this province.

And he spoke of how the government

Straws and other single-use plastics now banned in Canada

is trying to reduce the line ups at hospitals throughout BC. The newly minted premier carefully stayed away from the federal government demand for healthcare reform in exchange for more healthcare dollars that is being demanded by the provinces.

Premier Eby was accompanied at the press conference by local cabinet ministers Jagrup Brar, Harry Bains, Bruce Ralston, Ravi Kahlon, Rachna Singh, Speaker of the Legislative Raj Chohan and MLAs Aman Singh, Garry Begg and Mike Starchuk.

Canada’s ban on the manufacture and import for sale of some plastic items, including grocery bags and straws, has taken effect.

As of December 20, companies can no longer produce or bring into Canada plastic checkout bags, cutlery, stir sticks,

Resident of homeless shelter says victim protected her during altercation. Eight teenage girls have been charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of a 59-year-old man in Toronto, police say. Police have not released the man’s name because his next of kin is still being notified. Three of the girls are 13 years old, three are 14 years old and two are 16 years old, according to Det.-Sgt. Terry Browne of Toronto police’s homicide unit. Three had previous contact with police, he said.

Police believe the girls met on social media. None of their identities can be released under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The girls appeared in court at Old City Hall on Sunday, were remanded into custody and are due in court again on Dec. 29.

Police have no evidence that suggests that the girls knew their alleged victim.

Browne said police wouldn’t describe the girls as a gang at this point, but investigators are calling the incident a

straws and takeout containers -- and in a year, it will also be illegal to sell them.

The manufacturing and import ban will extend to the plastic rings used to package six-packs of canned drinks next June and their sale will be prohibited a year after that. The federal government

estimates that getting rid of the single-use plastics will eliminate 1.3 million tonnes of difficult-to-recycle plastic waste and a million garbage bags’ worth of pollution.

Here’s what is included in the federal plastics ban Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised in 2019 that a ban

would take effect by 2021, but it took the government a year longer to figure out a regulatory framework to make it happen.

Statistics published last month suggested that Canadians were already cutting back on using items such as straws and plastic bags ahead of the national ban.

Police believe the group was in the area at least by 10:30 p.m.

“swarming,” which he said normally involves selecting a target to victimize. At a news conference Tuesday, Browne told reporters a group of people flagged down emergency medical services staff in the York Street and University Area — in the city’s downtown core just north of Union Station — on Sunday around 12:15 a.m.

Police said the group of teen girls allegedly assaulted and stabbed the man.

Unclear why girls met that night

Browne said the man was socializing with another person when the group of eight approached him. Police don’t yet know why the girls did so or why things escalated, Browne said.

The entire incident unfolded over the span of three minutes, he said.

The man was taken to hospital by

paramedics with life-threatening injuries and died a short time later, police said.

Officers from 52 Division arrested the girls nearby and recovered a number of weapons, Browne said. Police have not said what those weapons were.

Police believe the girls came from various parts of the city, but don’t know how or why the met that night. Investigators also don’t know how long the girls have known each other, Browne said.

“We really can’t see what the [connection] is with these eight young ladies right now. But our sense is, right now, that there’s probably some sort of social media component to it,” Browne told Here and Now.

The girls were also involved in an altercation before the stabbing, said Browne, describing their behaviour as criminal. The earlier incident is believed to be “similar in style to the swarming,” he said.

‘He protected me,’ witness says of victim Police say the victim moved into Toronto’s homeless shelter system in late fall and had a supportive family system.

“He is not someone that I would describe as someone who appears or has been homeless for a long period of time,” he said.

A resident of the homeless shelter at the Strathcona Hotel, who didn’t want her name to be used, said, she was smoking a cigarette with the man outside the shelter when the group of girls approached them.  She said the girls tried to take her alcohol. The man told them to stop and leave her alone, she said. “He protected me,” she said.

The girls punched him repeatedly, she added. She walked away because she was frightened and one of the girls tried to follow her.

“Bleeding, bleeding, bleeding. I didn’t know if they had a knife or what. I was just scared,” she said.

8 teen girls charged with 2nd-degree murder in swarming death of man in Toronto: police

South Asian man charged with daytime shooting on busy Coquitlam street in 2021

A Surrey man has been charged with a shooting on a busy Coquitlam street in 2021, police say.

Police say Gunder Bringi, 26, charged in shooting that they say happened during argument.

Gunder Bringi, 26, has been charged in relation to the daytime shooting in the area of North Road and Clarke Road, Coquitlam RCMP said.

Officers responded to a call of shots fired on March 31, 2021 around 5:30 p.m. One man was found with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Cpl. Alexa Hodgins, media relations officer with Coquitlam RCMP, stated the shooting happened during an argument between two men. “This shooting

Extreme cold conditions cover most of BC & Alberta

From page 1

ECCC. Weather alerts in BC Many regions of BC are under extreme weather alerts. On the South Coast, arctic outflow warnings are in place for the following areas: Fraser Valley- Greater Victoria- Howe Sound- Metro Vancouver- Whistler In Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, strong outflow winds and cold wind chill values continue to bring bitterly cold temperatures throughout the region from Wednesday through Thursday. Wind chill values of -25°C to -20°C are expected, while in Fraser Valley East, it’ll be more like -30°C to -25°C. An arctic front brought a cold airmass to the South Coast, with outflow winds bringing temperatures five to ten degrees below seasonal. Weather alerts in Alberta The entire province is blanketed in weather alerts from ECCC. In both Calgary and Edmonton, extremely cold wind chill values of minus 40°C or colder are expected to continue throughout the week. It will be the coldest overnight and early morning, with some places seeing wind chill values of -50°C or colder on Wednesday. It’s expected to start warming up by the weekend.

14-year-old girl arrested after alleged assault at Guelph high school

A teen has been arrested and another girl sustained a concussion after an incident at a Guelph high school.

According to Guelph police, on Dec. 7, they received a call from a parent saying his daughter was assaulted at school that morning.

Police said the victim was in the hallway of a local high school when she was approached by another girl, slapped, pushed against a wall and punched several times.

The victim sustained various bumps and bruises and was transported to hospital for treatment of a concussion.

On Tuesday, a 14-year-old Guelph girl was arrested for assault causing bodily harm and is expected in court in February.

occurred on a busy street during the day in the middle of the week, which shows a complete disregard for public safety.”

Police say Bringi, who remains in custody, has been charged with multiple offences including:

Discharge of a Firearm with intent to wound or disfigure

a Firearm contrary to Order Coquitlam RCMP asks anyone with information regarding the shooting are asked to call 604-945-1550, and quote file number 2021-8323.

tell Farnsworth

not authorized by the Gurdwaras / Temples and fraudulently used our names and logos.” Representatives from Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara and Darbar Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji later added their signatures as well.“On 12 December 2022, a letter was sent to you which we strongly condemn (the Letter”),” this second letter states. “The letter is not reflective of our opinion and position,” this second letter states. “We recognize that there are some people that want to make Surrey’s policing decision political and create divisive in our community. Our Gurdwaras’ and Temples’ are places of faith and worship. Our attendees have different political views which have nothing to do with their religion.” Narinder Singh, president of Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib at 152 Street and 68 Avenue, was one of those who signed the Dec. 14 warning letter.

“We don’t know who wrote that letter on 12 December.” Singh told the NowLeader on Thursday. “They used our logos, they used our name but we have nothing of our know about that you know.

Significant’ winter storm, freezing rains & snow alert issued for BC’s South Coast

Starting from Thursday evening, residents of the South Coast and Vancouver Island can expect heavy snow followed by freezing rain and rain, localized strong winds, and a localized windchill of -25 due to arctic outflow winds, and then localized flooding in heavy rain.

Thursday, December 22nd, ready or not, BC, will have yet another significant snowfall, along with some ice potentially, it is on the way just in time to put holiday travel plans in peril.

Freezing rain is expected during the transition from snow to rain, which could cause significant impacts on the road conditions.

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Investigators in Edmonton are looking to speak with about 100 kids who they believe may have been lured and abused by a man charged with more than a dozen sexual offences.

Imesh Ratnayake, 21, was arrested in July on allegations of sexual assault, sexual interference andmakingandtransmittingchildpornography.

On Tuesday, Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) announced an additional 18 charges including sexual assault, luring a child and obtaining sexual services for consideration from a child.

There are six known victims aged 11 to 13 years old and all are from the Edmonton area, investigators said. Additional victims may be located anywhere in the world.

“There was a degree of transactional behaviour involved in these incidents,” Sgt. Kerry Shima said.

“Our investigative theory is that Mr. Ratnayake was luring the children using things like vapes, marijuana and alcohol.”

Ratnayake contacted the kids on Snapchat, Shima said.

“We need parents to be on board with their kids and their applications and start talking about what these apps are used for. Have your kids teach you stuff,” he suggested.

“Enhancing digital literacy is a really big part of that. Sometimes when we ask our kids to teach us things, it generates a level of trust too.”

Keeping tabs on kids, their devices and multiple apps is a lot easier said than done, according to a spokesperson with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.

“To say that parents need to know, or can know, everything that their child is engaged in online is just unrealistic.

From page 5

and of Anika Calder’s electronic devices.

It is alleged that Calder, a former Acciona employee and Steblin’s daughter, took photos on her personal cell phone from her father’s laptop of a sensitive report that came before Metro Vancouver directors during a closed meeting in January. That confidential report, which sought the termination of the Acciona contract, as well as advice on future legal action against the company, was accessed using Stewart’s unique ID and password, the court papers read.

The application states that Calder then passed on Metro Vancouver’s report to her employer, which in March sued the regional authority for wrongful termination of its contract.

In May, Acciona notified Metro’s legal team that it had Metro’s confidential report in its possession and at least four other Acciona employees had seen it.

When Acciona didn’t co-operate in a joint investigation with Metro on disclosure, the regional authority launched the petition to save the evidence and to stop all recipients from reproducing or making further copies of Metro’s confidential document.

We are now hearing from the family of Harpreet Kaur Gill (pictured), who was stabbed to death in Surrey earlier this month, after her loved ones arrived in Canada from India.

In an exclusive interview with OMNI TV on Tuesday, Harpreet’s father, Jasbir Singh Bajwa, says he learned about his daughter’s death from his son.

“We never imagined. We were shocked. ‘What has happened to our daughter? She has been murdered? How? Why?’,” he recalled.

On Dec. 7, the 40-year-old woman was found in her home on 66 Avenue and 127 Street with multiple stab wounds. She later died on her way to the hospital.

On Dec. 16, the Surrey RCMP said that Gill’s husband, Navinder Gill, had been charged with second-degree murder. - Surrey stabbing suspect was husband of victim: IHIT

- Husband charged with murder in Surrey stabbing

Bajwa says his daughter worked as a science teacher in India and Australia before getting married in 2011. He says his daughter and her husband moved with their small family to Canada in 2015.

WhenshearrivedinB.C.,BajwasaysHarpreet worked to get her teaching credentials, eventually getting a job in Maple Ridge.

“She was so busy, working five days a week as a teacher,” he recalled.

The victim’s father says the couple was happy when they first immigrated to Canada. However, Bajwa says things changed when Harpreet’s inlaws moved in, claiming her husband became more aggressive. Bajwa says while he sensed there was unhappiness in his daughter’s family life, Harpreet remained positive.

“I have myself heard that she was not happy at all. In life, she was very charming. Very thankful … very positive towards life, motivational towards others, towards students,” he said.

As Navinder Gill awaits trial for a charge of second-degree murder in connection with Harpreet’s death, Bajwa is hoping for justice.

“I again pray to the Canadian police, which are one of the best police in the world, and in the Canadian law and the Canadian government that the culprit who killed my daughter mercilessly, must be punished to the highest degree, so it should be a great lesson to the others who dare to take such steps to diminish life. Nobody has the right to take the life of a human being,” he said.

Bajwa is also hoping to receive custody of his daughter’s three kids.

“I love my grandchildren very much. My wife … my son, we love them,” he said.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign has been set up to support Harpreet’s family with costs associated with travel and her funeral.

South Asian man charged with child pornography in Alberta

Coquitlam mayor, city manager at centre of legal action alleging leak of confidential information to Spanish company

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau received a national security briefing this fall in which he was told China’s consulate in Toronto had targeted 11 candidates in the 2019 federal election, but that security agencies had found no evidence of covert funding by Beijing, according to two sources with direct knowledge.

The sources said David Vigneault, director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, provided the briefing to Mr. Trudeau and his national security adviser Jody Thomas. Weeks later, in November, Mr. Trudeau met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia, and complained to him about interference in Canadian domestic affairs.

Mr. Trudeau was informed in the briefing

that there was no evidence of Chinese money secretly flowing to the 11 candidates, all of whom were running in the Greater Toronto Area. He was also told there was no indication China’s interference efforts had helped elect any of them, despite the consulate’s attempts to promote the campaigns on social media and in Chinese-language media outlets.

The CSIS director told Mr. Trudeau that the spy agency had no evidence any of the candidates – a mixture of Liberals and Conservatives – were compromised by China, the sources said. Most of the candidates were Liberals, but the sources would not provide a breakdown of party affiliations.

Canada is overpaying for its new F-35s

Experts are warning against drawing conclusions on whether Canada is getting a good deal for the F-35, given the large startup costs associated with buying and fielding a new fighter jet, which include much-needed upgrades to the Air Force’s physical and digital infrastructure. While a formal announcement has not been made, The Canadian Press reported on Tuesday that the Department of National Defence has received authorization to spend $7 billion on an initial set of 16 F-35s and associated gear. While that works out to about $450 million per plane, which is about four times more than the publicly reported cost of the aircraft, the total includes weapons and spare parts, new facilities to house and maintain the fighter jets and upgrades

to the military’s computer networks. Experts say those infrastructure and network upgrades are necessary given the state of the Air Force’s current facilities and the advanced nature of the F-35 compared to the CF-18s, and they almost certainly account for most of the $7 billion.

“What’s occurred here is they basically front-loaded every single cost that wasn’t related to the acquisition of the aircraft,” said F-35 expert Richard Shimooka of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. “Hangars, labs and support equipment. They’ll probably buy all of the terminals and support equipment right off the bat.”

The Liberal government has repeatedly promised to buy a total of 88 new fighters to replace Canada’s aging CF-18s,

Alberta sees largest population increase ever: StatsCan data

Canadian taxpayers spent at least $1 million hosting King Charles III, who was then Prince of Wales, when he visited Canada earlier this year.

The RCMP provided a breakdown of the nearly $450,000 in costs it incurred for the three-day visit this past May by Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, who was then Duchess of Cornwall.

The Mounties spent around $235,000 on travel and about another $212,000 on overtime. They say there may be additional costs to process, adding that the totals do not include regular

salary costs, benefit plans or supporting units. The price tag is merely a portion of what the visit cost taxpayers, as other departments such as Canadian Heritage, were involved in hosting the royals during their travels to Newfoundland, Ottawa and the Northwest Territories.

The Department of National Defence says it also spent around $568,000.

“This includes the costs of flying the Airbus Polaris and associated support services to transport members of the Royal Family, along with personnel for the royal tour as identified by

Alberta’s population grew by nearly 60,000 people between July and September of this year — more than in any other year since Statistics Canada began estimating populations in 1951.

StatsCan estimates the population of Alberta as of the start of October to be 4,601,314 people.

That’s 58,203 more than three months before.

The 1.28 per cent increase is a proportional growth that rivals some of the biggest growth periods in Alberta history and shows the return of a stronger economy, according to analysts.

“We have recently been seeing increases in inflows towards Alberta, and that was normal during periods of high oil prices. But what makes this pretty unusual is just the sheer magnitude of it,” said economist Trevor Tombe with the University of Calgary.

“The scale of it is pretty stark, and a lot of folks coming in from B.C. and Ontario as well, potentially a sign of strengthening economic conditions here relative to elsewhere, and more affordable housing, in particular.”

Historically, population increases have been tied to high prices in oil and economic growth, Tombe says, and this boom appears to be no different.

There was also a drop in the number of people leaving Alberta, which tends to be less sensitive to oil prices, but he says the cost of living elsewhere may be playing a role.

“I think it would be fair to say that the Alberta economy has been doing reasonably well for the last couple of years, and that’s made it more attractive,” said Janet Lane of the Canada West Foundation.

Charles and Camilla’s visit to Canada for Platinum Jubilee cost RCMP nearly $450,000

CSIS briefed PM Trudeau that China targeted federal candidates in 2019 election

Canada, China set aside differences to help COP15 nature talks succeed:

The international biodiversity framework reached Monday in Montreal was possible because Canada and China were able to set aside their diplomatic differences to co-lead the negotiations, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said as the summit came to a close.

And the agreement will bind the two countries together, because it is named after the cities in China and Canada where it was negotiated. Though China officially hosted the COP15 event, the final negotiations were ultimately moved from Kunming to Montreal because of China’s COVID-19 policies.

The Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity agreement is being lauded by governments and nature experts as a historic deal meant to turn the tide on the devastating impacts humanity is having on wildlife and critical

Guilbeault

ecosystems. The 196 parties to the agreement are now aiming to set aside 30 per cent of their land and marine territories as conservation areas by 2030, reduce the use of pesticides and harmful plastics, increase urban green spaces, ensure sustainable use of wild species and reduce overconsumption and food waste.

“We’ve achieved a Montreal moment for nature,” Guilbeault said Tuesday at the final press conference for COP15.

“The Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework is a major win for our planet and for all of humanity.”

Canada was asked to host the talks in Montreal because it’s the city that houses the UN biodiversity secretariat offices. While China remained the official host, Canada took on logistics and had a bigger influence over the ambition of the talks.

Ontario man denied his jackpot win for not having any photo ID

A Welland, Ontario man who reeled in a jackpot at a slot machine said he’s been kept out of collecting his winnings because he doesn’t have a photo ID. Anthony Michael said he was unaware of the identification requirement when he visited the casino in Etobicoke last month.

“I said to the casino I just want to get my money and never to go back there again,” he told CTV News Toronto.

Ontario casinos are required by law to verify the ID of anyone who wins more than $3,000 as an anti-money laundering measure. Michael said he visited Woodbine Casino on Nov. 18 to try the slot machines and won $4,133.50 in just a few minutes of playing.

But he didn’t have the ID required to collect his winnings because of a health issue. “I suffer from epilepsy. I’m 52 years of age and I have had it since I was

15. It’s one of the reasons I don’t drive, so no driver’s licence,” Michael said.

Michael argued that the law seemed to suit the casino’s interest.

“The fact that you don’t need to show identification when you’re spending thousands of dollars or hundreds of dollars when you’re gambling, you don’t have to show ID, but to collect your winnings you do,” said Michael.

The casino responded to CTV’s inquiry, saying it is “not aware of any exemption that could apply.”

“We welcome the opportunity to pay out his winnings once he is able to produce the necessary identification, per AGCO’s regulations,” the casino said.

Michael said he is planning to get a government ID but was told it could take until February to arrive.

The baggage claim at Vancouver’s airport is a nightmare after the snow storm

A luggage nightmare is underway at Vancouver International Airport following a terrible snowstorm that halted hundreds of flights and stranded thousands of passengers. Pictures and video of the baggage claim at YVR show hundreds of bags piled up at the carousels late Tuesday night. Apparently, things got so out of hand that RCMP had to be called to the airport to respond to an argument over the luggage. YVR said it is working to help, but passengers waiting for baggage will need to speak with their airline or go through the airline’s online portal. Many people have taken to social media to say that getting through to those phone lines has been next to impossible due to the high call demand.

And there’s more snow coming. This is not the news travellers wanted to hear after anxiously waiting for a rescheduled flight in time for Christmas.

Vancouver International Airport says it is preparing for “severe weather”

coming Thursday, with flakes set to arrive in the evening through to Friday. It comes as a cold air warning remains in place for most of Western Canada, further impacting travel woes in several airports due to deicing efforts. The impact of the weather is being felt by the hundreds of people still stranded at YVR on Wednesday and those unable to fly into Vancouver due to a 48-hour cutback on international flights.

That’s bad news for many who have holiday plans.

“YVR is doing everything in our power to prepare for severe weather that’s expected tomorrow. Detailed information will be provided in advance of that system. Passengers expecting to fly today and this week are strongly encouraged to check with their airline before coming to YVR.

According to new statistics, Canada’s Vaccine Injury Support Program has approved or paid out more than $2.7 million to claimants since the program opened in 2021.

So far, 50 claims of a serious and permanent injury connected to a vaccine authorized by Health Canada have been approved.

Between June 2021 and Dec 1, 2022, the program received 1,299 claims, 209 of which were determined to be inadmissible because they either didn’t meet the eligibility criteria or had incomplete information.

Of the remaining claims, 221 have been fully assessed by the program’s medical review board, while 48 are pending medical review board assessment and 662 claims are in the process of collecting medical records, which is usually the longest step in the assessment process, according to the Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP). The VISP previously released statistics in the summer, but this is the first time they have disclosed the total amount of financial support paid to claimants thus far. The program, which was first

announced in December 2020, officially started accepting claims in June 2021.

To be eligible for compensation, you must have suffered a serious and permanent injury connected to a vaccine authorized by Health Canada that was administered in Canada after December 8, 2020.

The program includes all vaccines that provide protection against preventable diseases, including, but not limited to, COVID-19 vaccines.

It’s unclear how much each person whose claim has been approved received in compensation, or which vaccine their claim pertained to.

A serious or permanent injury is defined as “a severe, life-threatening or life-altering injury that may require inperson hospitalization, or a prolongation of existing hospitalization, and results in persistent or significant disability or incapacity, or where the outcome is a congenital malformation or death.”

Serious reactions to vaccines are rare. According to data from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), only one in 10,000 people have experienced a serious reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine, for instance.

Visit our Website www.theasianstar.com

More than $2.7M paid to 50 claimants of serious injury connected to a vaccine in Canada

Artistes’ Association) members in Mumbai on Wednesday evening. The prayer meet was attended by actor-comedian Johnny Lever, actors Rajeshwari Sachdev, Dalip Tahil among other CINTAA members. Vikram Gokhale made his film debut in 1971 with Amitabh Bachchan’s Parwana. In 2010, he

received the National Award for Best Actor for his work in the Marathi film Anumati. He also forayed into direction with the Marathi film Aaghaat. CINTAA announced a prayer meet for the late actor. The caption on the post read: “In loving and everlasting memory of CINTAA erstwhile President Late Vikram Gokhle ji, who left all of us for his heavenly abode on 26th November, a prayer meeting is being organized.” Promoted Vikram Gokhale, during his extensive career, featured in Marathi as well as Hindi films, including Amitabh Bachchan’s Agneepath and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, starring Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Ajay Devgn. In the recent years, he starred in films like Mission Mangal, Hichki, Aiyaari, Bang Bang!, De Dana Dan and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, among others.

Community news

South Asian Adults& SeniorsCelebrate Christmas Get Together & Group Birthday on Dec. 26th 2022 (Monday), At Ultimate Banquet hall # 200- 8072 - 120th Street, Surrey, BC from 6.00 pm to 9.30 pm, entry by invitation and by paid, contributions only . Appetizers both Vegetarian & Non vegetarian &soft drinks will be served first, after the Musical program is over then

cake cutting ceremony will take place and the dinner with both the vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes will be served.

Yoga classes will be running as usual on Thursday the Dec. 22nd 2022 and on Monday the Dec. 26th 2022 from 10.00 am to 11.15, am For more info call: 604 - 507 - 9945 for registration or further details.

Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone are creating a heavy buzz on the Internet owing to the release of their recent song Jhoome Jo Pathaan. Now, the choreographer Bosco Martis has shared some BTS pictures from the sets of Jhoome Jo Pathaan, and we can’t take our eyes off Shah Rukh. In the images, Bosco is posing with the superstar (who is showing off his chiselled abs and sporting long hair). Both are twinning in black ensembles and stylishly posing for the camera. However, before posing for the camera, SRK was “shy” to show his abs, as per Bosco. Along with the photos, the choreographer dropped a long post thanking SRK for the pictures.

He wrote, “This is undoubtedly one of the best pictures I have on my Insta page . Been so lucky to get this picture I know you were very shy to click this one . And you were also so shy to show your Abs Sir.. It’s a treasured moment for me

for a life time. Thank so much @iamsrk for nailing our moves and posing for this picture . All this and picture credit goes to @poojadadlani02 I really sneaked this one . Hope we all enjoy our glorious #pathaan.”  He also mentioned Deepika Padukone in his post and called her the “epitome of glamour”. He wrote, “@deepikapadukone you are the epitome of glamour shining and looking super hot . My best wishes to my team.”

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt starrer Brahmastra are all set to be released on September 9, 2022. Brahmastra is the first film in the trilogy film was announced by Dharma Productions. The lead actors including Ranbir and Alia are busy seen promoting their upcoming film in full swing. Netizens are constantly trending #BoycottBrahmastra and stars are requesting their fans to watch the film. Questions are being raised about whether their film is able to create money at the box office?

How many box office numbers will Brahmastra make for it to be declared a hit?

Well, in an interview with IndiaToday. in, trade analyst Akshaye Rathi gave an approximate estimate of box office calculations about Brahmastra . The film is reportedly made on a budget of over Rs 300 crore and the makers want to give viewers an experience for a lifetime. The actors worked in the film for five years now. As per a report in IndiaToday.in, Akshaye said that in the case of Brahmastra, it is different from most films. He even added saying that films produced by Disney like Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar,

the way the platform is looking to create profit. But to create IPS that generates profit for years is important. Brahmastra has been trending on the Entertainment He even said that Brahmastra is one of those films wherein makers want to create diverse IPs as they will want to monetise for years. He said, ‘While Rs 100 crore may not be enough, even if we manage to achieve a figure between Rs 200250 crore, I think it will be enough to warrant taking this universe forward, with more characters coming out of it. Rs 250 crore will not be close enough to recover the investment of this film but will be enough to establish the universe.’ Akshaye concluded by saying that the Astraverse is an attempt to make something like a Multiverse out of India. Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the fantasy drama will also feature Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna, Mouni Roy in lead roles.

A few weeks after death of veteran actor and former CINTAA President Vikram Gokhale, a prayer meet in his remembrance was hosted by CINTAA (Cine and TV

How much Ranbir & Alia ’s fantasy drama need to make a HIT

Johnny Lever attends prayer for Vikram Gokhale

SRK “Very Shy” to show his abs

Kriti Sanon has been popular model before becoming Bollywood star. She made her name in Bollywood by herself. She was born on 27th July 1990 in Delhi. After modeling, she made her acting debut in a Telugu movie. Her first Bollywood movie was ‘Heropanti’ for which she won the Award as the best debut female. Besides that, she has completed her Bachelor of Technology degree in Electronics and Communication.

She did also acting in movie ‘Dilwale’ which was one of the highest gross eaning movies of that year. Her first release in 2022 came with Bachchhan Paandey, marking her

Kriti Sanon

second collaboration with Kumar. The film was a box office bomb, grossing ₹69 crore (US$8.6 million) against a budget of ₹180 crore (US$23 million).

Sanon will reunite with Shroff in Vikas Bahl’s action film Ganapath and Dhawan in the horror comedy Bhediya. She will play Janaki in Om Raut’s film Adipurush (2023), costarring Prabhas and Saif Ali Khan. She will also reteam with Aaryan in Shehzada, a remake of the Telugulanguage film Ala

Sonakshi Sinha got her fans enticed after she posted pictures of hers in a bridal look, recently on social media. Not just her followers, even her alleged boyfriend Zaheer Iqbal reacted to her pics, excitedly, by posting a comment that read, “Shaadi pakki ho gayi? Bataya bhi nahi?”

Just like many other occasions, this time too Sonakshi slipped into her bridal mode for work and promotions. Earlier this year, the actress had walked looking like a bride at Bombay Times Fashion Week. Having been there and done that, the Dabangg actress now has a different idea in mind when it comes to dressing up for her own wedding.

Christmas 2022 is around the corner, and celebs are keeping us updated by sharing their stunning pictures on their Instagram handles. The recent actress to join the list is Karisma Kapoor. A while ago, she shared some gorgeous photos in a printed green dress paired with black boots. She has styled her hair into a sleek top bun and is sporting maroon lipstick to accentuate her look. Sharing the post, Karisma wrote, “Ready,Steady,Christmas #tistheseason #christmasiscoming.” Soon after she shared the post, Shibani Dandekar was quick to drop a comment: “wowser,” followed by a fire and heart emoticon.  Karisma Kapoor keeps treating her Insta family to beautiful pictures of herself. A few days ago, she shared an adorable post sending birthday wishes to her nephew and Kareena Kapoor’s son Taimur. She shared a picture from his Star Warsthemed party and captioned it as “Happy birthday to our jaan Tim Tim. Big boy now.

Salman Khan to perform in Kolkata

An exciting piece of news for Salman Khan fans in Kolkata. If all goes according to plan, the Bollywood superstar will be in Kolkata in January next year to perform in a major event at Eco Park. Not only Salman but several other stars including Sonakshi Sinha, Jacqueline Fernandez, Prabhu Deva, Ayush Sharma, and Guru Randhawa will also accompany him. The program was officially announced on Monday. Salman’s brother Sohel Khan and his personal security guard Shera have already visited Kolkata to inspect the security measures of the venue where the actor will be performing live.

I will be a very simple bride

Karisma Kapoor is ready for the party

From page 1

Ban on foreign homebuyers coming into effect January 1

The ban, which was passed by Parliament on June 23, aims to address housing affordability challenges. There are some exceptions, including for those with temporary work permits, refugee

The slowdown in underway in Canada’s housing market, new figures showed, with the average selling price falling, and the number of home sales off by almost 40 per cent.

The group, which represents more than 100,000 realtors across the country, said that the number of homes sold in November fell by 38.9 per cent from the same month a year ago. November isn’t typically a busy month for home sales, as cooler weather often pushes buyers to the sidelines this time of year.

But the housing market was even chillier than usual this November, with a little over 33,000 homes being sold during the month. That’s down about 10 per cent from the typical November sales pace, and down from almost 50,000 in the same month in 2021.

The average selling price of a home that went on CREA’s Multiple Listings Service was $632,802. That’s 12 per cent below what it was a year ago, and down from 22 per cent

claimants and international students who meet certain criteria.

Non-Canadians

found in contravention of the ban will be fined up to $10,000 and may

What to Expect in 2023 if buying home in Canada

from the peak hit in February of this year.

That was before the Bank of Canada started its aggressive campaign of rate hikes, which has taken the wind out of the market’s sails by making it much more expensive to borrow money.

CREA says the average selling price can be a misleading picture of the market, since it is easily skewed by sales in big expensive cities like Toronto and Vancouver, so it trumpets another number, the House Price Index, as a better gauge of the market.

What to Expect in 2023 Inflation moderation

Annual consumer price inflation in Canada peaked above 8% in June but has been falling to under 7% since then. This is still much too high for comfort—be it that of the Bank of Canada, consumers, or businesses—but the inertia in inflation is one of downward movement based on underlying easing of supply-side factors (shipping container costs, energy prices, and other commodity costs, specifically) and demand-side

ones (housing market activity is lower and retail spending is down). With inflation having run up aggressively in early 2022 on the back of, among other things, what was then a new war in Ukraine, a simple arithmetic inspection of the inflation calculus suggests that the absence of a similar global-impacting shock in early 2023 will, on its own, yield more slowly-growing prices in the coming months.    Lower interest ratesThe pace of the extent of interest rate increases over the past year has almost entirely been in response to high and rising inflation (we say “almost entirely” because fixed mortgage rates were rising before the Bank of Canada took any explicit action to fight inflation). With inflation expected to continue to moderate relatively steadily over the next 12 months, the Bank of Canada will, in all likelihood, pause—we’ll go further and say that they’ll halt—their rate hikes in the new year. Bond yields and mortgage rates have already started to fall from their recent peaks, with the average discounted 5-year fixed

be ordered to sell the property.

In a news release, Housing Minister Ahmed Hussen says housing shouldn’t be a “commodity” and that the ban will ensure homes are owned by Canadians.

mortgage rate sitting at 4.69% compared to 5.19% one month ago.   A return to more typical buying and listing activity Stability in consumer prices (i.e. inflation) and in borrowing costs (i.e. interest rates) will, in turn, create housing market conditions that are more typical insofar as sales counts and inventory levels are concerned. By the spring of 2023, we expect the number of homes available for purchase to be about 50% greater than it is now, with sales counts naturally rising as buyers have more options and more certainty as it relates to prices and financing.    Rising home values Home values are unlikely to rise in any meaningful way between now, the end of 2022, and the spring of 2023; indeed, there are few, if any, material tailwinds one can point to as a real source of increasing housing prices in the next few months. Having said that, the expected cessation of rate hikes by the Bank of Canada in early 2023, combined with falling mortgage rates and housing demand that has pent-up over the past 6 months, could conspire to create a floor for home values in the spring before helping to support more moderate growth in prices.

Commercial real estate in Metro Vancouver experienced a similar period of adjustment as the housing market last year, resulting in a mixed outlook for the near term through 2023, according to a market outlook from CBRE Vancouver.

While there is some uncertainty for next year, the Vancouver market’s underlying fundamentals, which have historically provided resilience, remain in place, the outlook says.

According to Jason Kiselbach, senior vice president and managing director at CBRE, the commercial real estate industrial sector is expected to perform strongly. He pointed to shifts in manufacturing as the sector becomes more active in North America.

“There is still a lot of stock being ordered and routed through the warehouses as the supply chains are correct. With ongoing port activity, I think industry will still be one of the stronger asset classes,” he said.

Though available land has been a challenge for Vancouver, he said people have found ways to unlock development sites and redevelop functionally obsolete properties. “We’ve seen some sales of this nature for future new developments in the core markets, but that’s definitely a limiting factor for us,” he said.

According to the report, interest rate hikes have dampened demand for pre-sealed industrial layers. It is predicted that this will affect land prices, which have risen along with industrial strata in recent years.

According to the outlook, the industrial asset class will also have a low supply in 2023.

“Based on our mid-case absorption scenario, which assumes absorption of two-thirds of the remaining supply that is not pre-committed, we expect vacancy to be at or below 1% in 2023.” Forecast.

Office real estate had a remarkable year in 2022 as more companies tried to switch back to in-person work, which Kiselbach said created demand that stalled during the pandemic.

“Looking back at this year, there has been a lot of activity, particularly in the first half of the year. The asset class is going through a bit of an adjustment period and it’s playing out over a longer period of time than we thought,” he said.

In 2023, office real estate is expected to remain somewhat strong as more companies adapt to hybrid or personal work models. When those decisions are made, adjustments will need to be made to current office space usage, which Kiselbach said will result in some transactional activity.

Metro Vancouver industrial real estate sales expected to be strong in 2023: CBRE

Home prices fall more sharply in November than previous month

Canadian home prices fell in November from the previous month and at a faster pace than in October, while year-over-year price gains continued to slow, Teranet–National Bank National Composite House Price data showed on Monday.

The index, which tracks repeat

sales of single-family homes in major Canadian markets, dropped 1.3 per cent on the month, led by declines in Vancouver, Montreal and the metropolitan area of Ottawa-Gatineau. It was down 0.8 per cent in October.

From its peak in May, the

index has now fallen 9 per cent, with Hamilton down 16.9 per cent and Toronto, Canada’s most populous city, falling 12.9 per cent. Prices are still

higher than a year ago, up 2 per cent from November 2021, but gains slowed for a seventh consecutive month and were the slowest since November 2019.

The Teranet index tracks closings, so it typically lags realtor sales data by three to five months.

Calls grow for changes to mortgage stress test in Canada

Canada’s federal banking regulator is leaving the stress test for uninsured mortgages unchanged, citing economic uncertainty and increasing vulnerabilities in the financial system.

The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions said Thursday the minimum qualifying rate — a buffer that ensures a borrower will still be able to afford the mortgage if interest rates rise — would remain the greater of either the mortgage contract rate plus two per cent, or 5.25 per cent. OSFI added that it would review Guideline B-20, the regulator’s playbook for residential mortgage underwriting practices, which includes the minimum qualifying rate, in January. Until then, OSFI plans on maintaining the stress test, though it noted the economic environment could bring “a more immediate change.”

“In an environment characterized by sustained high inflation, rising mortgage interest rates and potential risks to income, it’s prudent that lenders continue to test

borrowers for adverse conditions,” said OSFI assistant superintendent Tolga Yalkin. OSFI added that a sound margin of safety was in place to ensure borrowers could be able to keep up with mortgage payments in case of negative financial shocks such as job loss or diminished income, higher mortgage interest expenses and higher housing expenses.

Leading up to the announcement, there had been speculation that the policy measure might be eased as rising interest rates have now pushed the qualifying rate above eight per cent for some borrowers and mortgage defaults remain low across the country. OSFI head Peter Routledge threw cold water on the idea, saying there was great risk in

speculating on the mortgage rate cycle and that the minimum qualifying rate provided an important safety buffer. Phil Soper, chief executive officer at real estate company Royal LePage, said he wasn’t surprised by the decision to maintain the stress test, but was disappointed by OSFI’s lack of flexibility.

“I’m a fan of the financial instrument, it’s unique in the world and it did its job in 2022,” Soper said. “However, if you look at when it was implemented, interest rates were well below the historical norm and … very likely to rise. They are now very high and likely to stay the same or fall. So, we’re at that absolutely different time in the interest rate cycle.”

Soper said the fact that OSFI does not even appear to be considering the possibility of making the test less stringent suggested a bureaucratic approach “completely lacking in imagination.”

OSFI will evaluate what effects its guidance has on the market and says it stands ready to make changes to policies should the need arise.

#106 - 7565 132 St. Surrey, BC 604.572.3005

Gautam Adani, Asia’s richest person, has won the rights to redevelop Mumbai’s Dharavi neighborhood after a 50-billion rupee (approximately $616 million) bid on Tuesday.

Dharavi, which first gained world recognition after appearing in the 2008 film “Slumdog Millionaire,” is currently the site of some 60,000 shanty homes with around one million residents.

Multiple attempts have been made over the decades to redevelop the neighborhood, which is considered India’s largest slum.

Adani’s redevelopment plan is expected to be completed in 17 years, followed by seven years of rehabilitation.

Indian business tycoon Gautam Adani, Asia’s richest person, plans to redevelop India’s largest slum after a successful bid on Tuesday.

Adani Properties, the real estate unit of Adani Enterprises, reportedly outbid leading developers with 50 billion rupees (approximately $616 million) to win the rights to renovate Dharavi, a dense neighborhood of 60,000

shanty homes with a million residents.

“It will be a township — a city within a city, with mixed land use, both commercial and residential,” SVR Srinivas, chief executive officer of the government-established Dharavi Redevelopment Project which set the international bidding, told Reuters.

Slated to cover an area of 625 acres, Srinivas described the redevelopment plan as “the world’s largest urban renewal scheme.”

Dharavi first gained world recognition in 2008 as the site of the hit film “Slumdog Millionaire.” Located next to Mumbai’s sprawling skyscrapers, the neighborhood is seen as the epitome of India’s massive wealth inequality.

Multiple attempts have been made to redevelop Dharavi over the decades, but none have succeeded. Currently, the government plans to resettle 68,000 residents who moved there before the year 2000 in 300-square-foot homes, but specific details have not been disclosed to those residents yet, Vice reported.

Eight bidders, including entities from South Korea and the United Arab Emirates,

slum?

attended a pre-bid meeting in October, according to NDTV. In the end, only three actually bid for the project, including Adani.

The new redevelopment plan is expected

to be completed in 17 years, according to Indian finance portal Moneycontrol. A seven-year rehabilitation period will follow.

Dharavi will be Adani’s fourth realty project in Mumbai and his 24th across

Can the richest man Gautam Adani, remake India’s biggest

The Ministry of Tourism has decided to shut down its seven overseas offices tasked with promotional activities by March 31 next year.

At present, the ministry runs tourism offices in London, Tokyo, Beijing, Dubai, Singapore, New York and Frankfurt.

An office memorandum, issued by under secretary Rajesh Kumar, reads, “The undersigned is directed to intimate that as per the approval of the competent authority, Ministry of Tourism has decided to wind up all the overseas Indian Tourism offices before March 31, 2023.”

“Accordingly, all the officers posted in the ITOs (Indian Tourism Offices) overseas are requested to take necessary action in pursuance of this decision and

submit an action taken report,” it further said.

Though the memorandum has not assigned any reason for shutting down overseas offices, government sources say the decision has been taken by the Prime Minister’s Office.

“The government somewhere feels that the expenses incurred on the functioning of these offices are not worth the promotions that the Indian tourism sector gets abroad,” a government officer associated with the sector said.

He added the government feels that digital medium and existing embassies can be good alternatives. Some experts have called it a wrong move which, they believe, will impact the sector badly.

India steps up Covid-19 surveillance after China surge

India’s health ministry is on alert following a surge of Covid-19 cases in neighbouring China.

The government has instructed states to ensure genome sequencing of all positive cases in the country.

It has also asked state governments to step up efforts to curb any possible spread during the Christmas and New Year festivities.

India witnessed two deadly waves of Covid in 2020 and 2021, but has seen low infection levels this year.

According to government data, the country reports roughly 1,200 Covid cases every week. Over 2.2 billion Covid vaccine doses have been administered so far.

On Tuesday, the federal government asked states to send Covid samples of all positive

patients to labs runs by INSACOG, a forum under the health ministry which studies and monitors various strains of Covid in India.

The move came amid growing concerns over the spread of Covid in China following the recent easing of strict lockdown measures.

Hospitals and medical facilities in China have come under increasing strain as those who’ve tested positive at home seek medical support.

In a letter to all states, federal health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said it was important to track new variants through genome sequencing due to the “sudden spurt of cases being witnessed in Japan, United States of America, Republic of Korea, Brazil and China”.

India looks at expanding rupee trade to Africa, W Asia to make it stronger

India, which has already been in talks with Russia for a rupee-rouble payment system, is now looking at expanding the rupee trade with other nations as well, including several countries in Africa, UAE and Saudi Arabia among others.

Besides cash-starved Sri Lanka is also likely to start using the Indian currency for bilateral trade.

An analyst working for an industry body noted that as many countries look at setting up alternative supply chains in India, there is an ‘openness in accepting the rupee trade.’

Expanded trading in rupees will help India to reduce dependence on its foreign exchange reserves and even help in boosting

the balance of payments position and strengthening the fundamentals of the economy.The exercise will also strengthen the rupee and internationalise it while reducing the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on the economy. ‘Given the situation with rapid geopolitical shifts, India has already started taking appropriate steps to make the rupee more acceptable internationally,’ a government insider told India Narrative. He added that there are a few issues which have come up and those need to be resolved for a smooth deal.

Reliance Industries, split between traditional and modern businesses

The outbreak of the Covid pandemic in March 2020 set businesses back like very few calamities in the past ever have. It was time to re-orient business models. Survival became the mantra. In the midst of the storm, India’s largest private-sector enterprise, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), spent a good part of its time raising investor money for its telecommunications and retail businesses.

For the calendar year 2020, the conglomerate raised funds to the tune of $20 billion for its digital services arm Jio Platforms, followed by another $6 billion for Reliance Retail Ventures. The message was two-fold. The investors were convinced about RIL’s story. And also about India’s longterm story. And there were impressive names among the investors, including Facebook,

Google, TPG, Silver Lake, KKR, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign Public Investment Fund (PIF). Importantly, RIL’s Chairman and Managing Director, Mukesh Ambani, put out a statement in June 2020 that the company was net debt-free. The journey of the transformation of RIL into a company with a robust set of new-economy businesses has been underway for a while now. Going from textiles to plastics to oil and gas exploration to refining, the conglomerate has in recent times been looking at new businesses relevant to the times, such as retail, renewable energy, and telecom. The renewable energy foray was announced with much fanfare at last year’s annual general meeting.

Govt to wind up its overseas tourism offices by March 31 next year, experts criticise move

S Jaishankar: India beefs up military at tense China border

ndia’s foreign minister has said that the country has scaled up troop deployment along a disputed border with China to an unprecedented level.

S Jaishankar added that India wouldn’t let China “unilaterally change” the status quo at the border.

His comments came days after Indian and Chinese forces clashed in a disputed area along the border in Arunachal Pradesh state.

India said that the encounter began due to “encroachment” by Chinese troops.

China’s foreign ministry has said that according to their knowledge, the situation on the border was “generally stable” and the two sides were maintaining dialogue on the issue.

India and China share a disputed 3,440km (2,100 mile) long de facto border - called the Line of Actual Control, or LAC - which is poorly demarcated. Soldiers on either side come face to face at many points, and tensions sometimes escalate into skirmishes or clashes.

Both sides have been trying to de-escalate since a violent brawl in June 2020 in the Galwan Valley in the Ladakh region much further to the west - 20 Indian soldiers and at

least four Chinese soldiers died in the battle.

The latest flare-up - the first in more than a year - occurred on 9 December, and resulted in minor injuries to a few soldiers. Both sides immediately disengaged from the area, the Indian army said.

Mr Jaishankar was answering questions about the incident while speaking at an event organised by media company India Today on Monday.

“Today, you have a deployment of the Indian Army on China border that we never had. It is done to counter Chinese aggression. The Indian Army today is deployed to counter any attempt to unilaterally change LAC,” he said.

The latest clash had led to a political uproar in India last week, with opposition parties walking out of parliament after their demand for an immediate discussion of the border situation was denied.

Rahul Gandhi, leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, has accused the government of ignoring the threat from China, and alleged that the country’s forces were “thrashing” Indian soldiers at the border.

India ready to export fever drugs to China amid Covid-19 surge

India, one of the world’s biggest drug makers, is ready to step up exports of fever medicines to China as it reels from a spike in COVID-19 cases, the chairperson of an Indian drug export body said on Thursday.

China’s sudden easing of strict COVID-19 rules earlier this month triggered a surge in demand for fever medicines and virus test kits on the mainland, leading to shops imposing limits on how much customers can buy and drugmakers ramping up production. “Marketing queries are coming to drugmakers asking for quotes on ibuprofen and paracetamol,” Sahil Munjal, chairperson of the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil), told Reuters. “Ibuprofen and paracetamol are facing a shortage in China at the moment, they are high in demand.”

China’s embassy in New Delhi did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

India’s foreign ministry said the country, one of the biggest makers of generic medicines in the world, was ready to help China. “We are keeping an eye on the COVID situation in China,” foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a regular news briefing. “We have always helped other countries as the pharmacy of the world.”

India’s pharma exports to China accounted for just 1.4% of its overall exports in 2021/22, according to Pharmexcil’s latest annual report. The United States remains India’s largest destination for drugs exports. Shares of Indian pharmaceutical companies (.NIPHARM) have risen over the past few days on worries of a COVID-19 resurgence.

Indian armed forces to acquire ‘Pralay’ ballistic missile amid ongoing conflict with China

Amid the ongoing conflict with China, the Indian armed forces are now going to acquire the ‘Pralay’ ballistic missile which can hit targets from 150 to 500 Kms. The proposal moved by the Indian defence forces is at an advanced stage and is scheduled to be taken up for clearance during a high-level meeting this week, defence sources told ANI.

The proposal is also important as it comes at a time when the Indian forces are working on the creation of a rocket force which has

been in discussion at the highest levels in the Defence Ministry.

Recently, Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar stated that the late Gen Bipin Rawat was working on the creation of a rocket force to counter enemies on the border.

The missile was successfully tested twice on two consecutive days last year in December and since then, the forces are working towards its acquisition and induction. With a range of 150 to 500 km, ‘Pralay’ is powered with solid propellant rocket motor and

India set to offer wheat to flour millers, biscuit makers to tame prices: sources

India is set to offer 2 to 3 million tonnes of wheat to bulk consumers such as flour millers and biscuit makers as part of efforts to cool record high prices, two government sources said, even as state reserves have dropped to the lowest in six years.

Wheat prices have surged in India this year after a sudden rise in temperatures hit crop yields and output.

A jump in exports following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also pushed up local wheat prices , prompting India, the world’s second-biggest producer of the grain, to

order a ban on exports in May, but that has failed to stop domestic prices rising. As open market prices rose above the rate at which the government buys the staple from domestic farmers, state purchases of wheat have fallen by 53% this year to 18.8 million tonnes.

“We’re planning to offload wheat in the open market to control prices as we can’t afford to have yet another year of lower procurement (when purchases start in March/April 2023),” said one of the sources. “In terms of stocks, we have the elbow room to intervene in the market.”

AAP says Delhi LG can’t pass orders recovering

The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday said Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has no power to pass orders directing the chief secretary to recover Rs 97 crore from the party for “political advertisements”.

Addressing a press conference here, AAP chief spokespersonSaurabh Bhardwaj termed the LG’s direction a “new love letter”.

“The BJP is flustered that we have become a national party and wrested power from it in the MCD. LG sahab is doing everything in accordance with the BJP’s directions and that is troubling the people of Delhi. The more worried Delhi’s people are, the happier the BJP gets,” Bhardwaj claimed.

He further said that the LG’s directions would not stand in the eyes of law.

“The Delhi LG has no such power. He cannot issue such directions. These won’t stand in front of the law. Other state governments also issue advertisements. The BJP’s various state governments issued advertisements that have been published here. We want to ask when will the Rs 22,000 crore spent on the advertisements be recovered from them? The day that money is recovered, we will also give Rs 97 crore,” the AAP leader said.

Delhi LG Saxena has directed the chief secretary to recover Rs 97 crore from the Aam Aadmi Party for political advertisements it published in the guise of government

National Investigation Agency raids Punjabi singer house in Mohali

National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday raided Punjabi singer Kanwar Grewal’s Mohali residence over his alleged links with gangsters. NIA team on Monday morning reached Kanwar Grewal’s Mohali house at Taj towers.

So far, NIA has interrogated Afsana Khan, Jenny Johal and Mankirat Aulakh in this connection. The infamous link between Gangsters and Punjabi entertainment industry is being

investigated by the NIA. In this regard, there are many big singers of Punjabi industry on NIA’s radar. Notably, NIA is also investigating the funding by gangsters in Punjabi songs. After the murder of Sidhu Moosewala, NIA has questioned many Punjabi singers. Along with this, NIA is also investigating whether gangsters are purchasing songs from singers by investing their money in Punjabi songs.

The petition argued that a committee be asked to look into the issue and see if the blade length should be reduced to 4cm instead of the existing 6inches. The Delhi high court on Thursday dismissed a plea by a lawyer who challenged the permission granted to Sikhs to carry “kirpan” in domestic aircrafts for travel within the country. A bench of chief

justice Satish Chandra Sharma and justice Subramonium Prasad rejected the plea which challenged a March 4, 2022 notification that allowed Sikh passengers to carry “kirpan” on any civilian flight operating on domestic routes provided the blade does not exceed six inches and the total length does not exceed nine inches”.

Heavy fog & cold grips Punjab

For third day in a row, dense fog engulfed Punjab with Bathinda distt reporting zero visibility at 5.30. Punjab, northwest Rajasthan, east Uttar Pradesh and Haryana remained blanketed with fog and cold, affecting road and rail traffic. “Cold wave conditions were observed in isolated pockets in Himachal Pradesh. Dense to very dense fog was observed

at many places in Punjab, pockets of Haryana, northwest Rajasthan, east UP, Bihar and pockets of Uttarakhand and Tripura,” the IMD said. The situation is expected to be similar tomorrow. The IMD said the fog situation and visibility were expected to improve around December 22 night and December 23 morning due to a decrease

Pakistan

Maulana Fazal ur Rehman, a member of ruling coalition, canceled his 4 days trip to India against the backdrop of antiPM Modi remarks of foreign minister Bilawal, Zardari, Bhutto. Fazal-urRehman, President of his party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), he is also a prominent member of ((PDM) Pakistan Democratic Movement), a coalition of opposition parties, instrumental in overthrowing the Imran Khan administration before his tenure to complete. He was scheduled to travel to India to attend the event, according to some media sources in Pakistan.

The last known visit by a Pakistan minister was when Syed Ali Zafar, the interim country’s minister of law and justice, visited Delhi in August 2018 to extend Islamabad’s condolences on the demise of former Indian Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. During the visit, he met India’s external affairs minister.

The visit comes at a time when Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal made remarks against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi which New Delhi has termed as an “uncivilized outburst”.

New Zealand congratulates Fiji’s new Prime Minister

Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has congratulated Sitiveni Rabuka and his new coalition for winning the Fiji general election.

Mahuta posted a congratulatory message on Twitter after the kingmaker party, Social Liberal Democratic Party (SODELPA), made the decision to form the next Fiji

government with Rabuka on Tuesday. The Fiji election ended with a hung parliament after the incumbent, Frank Bainimarama’s Fiji First Party and Rabuka’s coalition with the National Federation Party finished with 26 seats each.

Sitiveni Rabuka to be new Prime Minister as Bainimarama’s 16-year reign ends

Cheering, singing and car horns have filled the streets outside the office of the man who will be crowned Fiji’s new prime minister.

Sitiveni Rabuka will head the Pacific nation after his People’s Alliance party secured the vote of the Social Liberal Democratic Party (SODELPA), whose three members held the balance of power after a hung parliament. Rabuka will head a tripartite coalition between People’s Alliance, who billed themselves as an alternative to the nationalist FijiFirst government, the Indigenous-focused

SODELPA and the more liberal-democratic National Federation Party. It’s the second time Rabuka will become prime minister, after he seized control through a coup in 1987 before legitimising his government at a democratic election in 1992.

He remained in power until 1999.

The heads of the Liberal Democrats narrowly decided to dethrone Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, with 16 votes for People’s Alliance and 14 for FijiFirst after three days of negotiations with both sides.

Fiji deploys military for ‘law and order’ as power hangs in balance after election

Fiji’s military has been called in to help police maintain law and order after last week’s disputed election that resulted in a hung parliament. The Pacific nation’s longtime Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama confirmed the move on Thursday, citing unsubstantiated reports of postvote ethnic violence as the reason for the military deployment. Bainimarama has refused to concede, despite rival Sitiveni Rabuka’s Political Alliance

party and two other parties announcing they had the numbers to form a coalition and the next government. “So long as it is our responsibility to serve in government, we will fulfil our duty to every Fijian’s safety,” Bainimarama said in his first public comments since the December 14 election.

“Reports of harassment suffered by our citizens and violence targeted at IndoFijian homes and businesses in the wake of the election are deeply disturbing,”

Lahore: President Arif Alvi met with former Prime Minister and Chairman Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party Imran Khan on Wednesday at his ancestral home in Lahore amid persisting political turmoil in the biggest province Punjab (population wise).

President Arif Alvi called on former prime minister Imran Khan to discuss his meeting

with finance minister Ishaq Dar. Both leaders also exchanged views on decisions taken by the PTI’s senior leadership. Uncertainty has gripped Punjab as the provincial govt and opposition remain at loggerheads over the no-confidence motion and vote of confidence against Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.

by in-laws

A Pakistani woman of American origin was allegedly tortured by her inlaws in Sukha area of Jhelum district.

According to the victim, she landed in Pakistan on November 28 and went to visit her in-laws with her mother and a driver, who went back after dropping her.

She said that she had estranged relations with her in-laws and they tried to snatch her infant daughter and also took away

her $7,000 and her mobile phone. She further said that her in-laws including her father-in-law dragged her into a room and attempted to lynch her, and tear her clothes but she managed to escape. She told police that she had married to Zohaib a couple of years ago and got her husband visa cancelled after their relationship became estranged, which annoyed her husband and the in-laws and they wanted to kill her.

President meets former Prime Minister Imran Khan at his residence amid political turmoil in Punjab

Pakistani American woman tortured

Ruling coalition parties leader cancels India trip following outrage over foreign minister Bilawal’s remark on PM Modi

Lawyer Court rejects lawyer’s request to ban kirpan on flights

Families and friends of South Asian Business Association join their annual get together and Christmas dinner in Surrey last week. SABA president Jatinder Sandhar celebrated his Birtday at the event, Happy birthday to you, Jatinder Sandhar.

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