The Asian Star July 3 2021 by The Asian Star Newspaper

Happy Canada Day www.theasianstar.com Vol 20 - Issue 22

Saturday, July 3, 2021

Indian fossil-fuel billionaire to invest $10.1B in clean energy project India’s Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s richest man and a fossil-fuel billionaire, announced he will be investing 750 billion rupees ($10.1 billion) over three years in clean energy. Ambani is chairman, managing director, and the largest shareholder of Reliance Industries, a Fortune Global 500 company and India’s most valuable company by market value.

Premier says ‘extraordinary results’ mean most restrictions being lifted British Columbia will move toward a return to normal life on Canada Day as the province removes most Covid-19 restrictions and allows outdoor gatherings of up to 5,000 people. Premier John Horgan said high vaccination rates and a low number of cases and deaths compared with other jurisdictions including Ontario

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9 of 11 US Spelling Bee finalists this year are Indian-Americans Nine of the 11 finalists for this year’s U.S. Spelling Bee contest are IndianAmericans, reflecting the dominance young kids from the small ethnic community have had on this prestigious and high-pressure endurance test for more than a decade now. The 11 spellers, of which nine are Indian-Americans, will compete for the champion title during the Continued on page 8

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New Canadian temperature record set in Lytton, BC Lytton, has broken the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded in Canada for a third straight day, hitting a scorching 49.6 C on Tuesday. The latest record was broken as a historic heat wave continues to scorch Western

Canada, leading to a spike in sudden deaths in B.C. and dangerous wildfire conditions. Lytton, in the Fraser Canyon located about 260 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, also saw record-breaking highs of 47.9 C on Monday Continued on page 6

Canada needs to fix its border management now to prevent fourth wave of Covid-19 Canada’s international borders are the frontline against future importation of SARSCoV-2 and its variants. As researchers in global health, we have analyzed the effective use of cross-border measures internationally during the COVID-19 pandemic through

Chalo! FreshCo - Your home to South Asian and Canadian grocers and now home to Rupa

Meet Rupa, the new trailblazing owner of Chalo! FreshCo in Strawberry Hill Family is everything to Rupa Marcus. Deeply proud of her Punjabi roots, her favourite childhood memories are of being surrounded by family – her parents, brother, sister, cousins, aunties and uncles, all hanging out, with the irresistible smell of homemade samosas wafting through the air. “I remember my mom and my aunties working their magic in the kitchen,” she says. “Every weekend was a sweet and savory food-filled event.” These wonderful memories still inspire Rupa today, who is a trailblazer in her industry, a wife, a mom-of-two, and now

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the new owner of Chalo! FreshCo in Strawberry Hill (at the corner of 120th St. and 75A Ave). As a child, Rupa used to accompany her parents to the supermarket every Sunday. The excursion was always a family affair. Little did she know at the time, that such grocery aisles would one day become her second home, as she built an impressive career in food retailing. Twenty-two years ago, as a student, Rupa took on a job as a parttime clerk, answering phone calls and doing “put-aways.” Continued on page 6

the Pandemics and Borders Project. At this critical stage of the COVID-19 response, our findings point to the urgent need to address the gaps in border management to prevent another resurgence of the virus in the fall.

Time to bring Governor General perks back down to planet Earth It’s a rare event when the stars align in the cosmos of Ottawa to create the perfect opportunity for politicians to save taxpayers some money. That phenomenon is happening now. Ottawa is facing a black hole of debt. It needs to save money, and that signal needs to come from the top. When a new governor Continued on page 4

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Evacuation orders, alerts issued for BC communities because of spreading fires The McKay Creek fire north of Lillooet has grown to about 50 square kilometres while the The Sparks Lake fire north of Kamloops has been mapped at 23 square kilometres. Evacuation orders and alerts have been issued in two B.C communities, as extreme hot weather continues to push wildfire risk across B.C. to dangerously high levels. As of Wednesday morning, two blazes, one north of Lillooet and one northwest of Kamloops, were burning out of control and

have forced authorities to inform residents they either need to leave their homes or be ready to go at a moment’s notice. The latest evacuation order is because of the McKay Creek fire, which was discovered Tuesday burning about 23 kilometres north of Lillooet. That out-ofcontrol blaze has grown to about 50 square kilometres. Continued on page 5

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Saturday, July 3, 2021 Time to bring Governor General perks back down to planet Earth

general soon takes the controls as head of state, the systems check needs to include a halt to the routine waste of money at that office. Former Governor General Julie Payette’s turbulent three-year odyssey at Rideau Hall made systematic failures expensively clear.

Her swearing-in ceremony foreshadowed the rest of her tenure as the bill came in at $649,000. That’s 30 per cent over an already astronomical budget. The open bar and snacks cost more than $96,000. Payette’s secretary and associate secretary also racked up nearly $65,000 in flights, meals and other expenses

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during their first 18 months. From the time Payette took office until her resignation, renovations that her office requested for her taxpayer-funded Rideau Hall mansion cost $464,395. Documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation show that even Ottawa’s bureaucrats were worried about the out-of-control spending. “The Financial Administration Act and the Treasury Board Policy on Financial Management seek to ensure ‘public resources are used prudently and in an economical manner,’” wrote National Capital Commission Vice President Greg Kenney as a recommended message to the governor general’s office. “As a result, we require sound rationale to appropriately justify the use of tax dollars.” Translation: a bureaucrat recommended reading the riot act to a governor general to get her to stop wasting money. Despite the big reno bills, Payette still refused to live in the mansion. The taxpayer nightmare doesn’t end with Payette’s resignation because the problems are systematic. Even though Payette has now blasted off from Rideau Hall, she’s still allowed to bill taxpayers up to $206,040 a year for office expenses thanks to a lifetime perks policy. These expenses can continue for six months after a governor general dies. This crazy perk came to light after the National Post reported in 2018 that former governor general Adrienne Clarkson had claimed more than $1 million in expenses since leaving Rideau Hall in 2005. How many Canadians receive a six-figure expense account after they stop working for a company? Anyone allowed to keep billing their former employer into the afterlife? Since standard disclosure and access to information laws don’t cover governors general, we don’t know what they’re spending money on. We don’t even know how much each former governor general spends unless expenses total more than $100,000 in a year. In addition to these six-figure expense accounts, former governors generally get an annual pension of about $150,000. Payette will still collect the full payment even though she only held the role for a little more than three years.

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Saturday, July 3, 2021

Peace Tower flag lowered on Canada Day to honour Indigenous children: Trudeau Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he asked that the national flag on the Peace Tower remain at half-mast for Canada Day to honour the Indigenous children who died in residential schools. In a post on his Twitter account Wednesday, Trudeau said he made the decision as he and many Canadians reflect on the tragedy of the institutions. Hours later, the Lower Kootenay Band in British Columbia said a search using ground-

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penetrating radar had found 182 human remains in unmarked graves at a site close to a former residential school in Cranbrook. Cowessess First Nation last week said that ground-penetrating radar detected 751 unmarked graves at the former Marieval Indian Residential School east of Regina, Sask., a few weeks after the finding of what are believed to be the remains of 215 children in Kamloops, B.C.

Canadian Heritage plans to still go ahead with virtual Canada Day events like last year, with an online music show featuring English, French and Indigenous artists. Several cities and communities across the country have decided to forgo parts of their usual Canada Day festivities. Events will be partially or fully cancelled in Saint John,

Fredericton, Victoria, Wilmot Township in Ontario’s Waterloo region, and St. Albert, a city northwest of Edmonton, in solidarity with mourning Indigenous communities. Several communities in Yukon including Dawson City, Teslin, Carmacks and Haines Junction have also chosen to scrap celebrations in light of the discovery of unmarked graves at former residential schools.

Evacuation orders, alerts issued for BC communities because of spreading fires

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District has issued an evacuation order for a large area of West Pavilion Road due to “immediate danger to life safety” caused by the rapidly spreading wildfire. Vanessa Murphy, a spokesperson for the district, said early Wednesday that 10 properties were being evacuated. Meantime, the Sparks Lake fire, which has been mapped at 23 square kilometres about 15 kilometres north of Kamloops Lake, is also rapidly spreading. The out-of-control Sparks Lake fire is burning about 15 kilometres north of Kamloops Lake. The out-of-control Sparks Lake fire is burning about 15 kilometres north of Kamloops Lake. Photo by B.C. Wildfire Service An evacuation order has been listed for nine properties in Copper Desert Country, while an evacuation alert is in place for 150 properties in the Deadman, Red Lake, Tranquille Valley and Vidette Lake areas. The out-of-control blaze is spreading because of the hot and dry weather, and is expected to grow Wednesday, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service. Adding to firefighters’ woes is that the mercury was expected to hit 43 C in

Kamloops Wednesday, and there is a warning in effect for possible lightning and intense wind, a potentially dangerous combination for wildfires. Smoke is visible from Kamloops and nearby communities. Both fires are suspected to be human caused, but remain under investigation. Across B.C., 25 wildfires are burning. Of those, eight are believed to be human-caused, nine are lightning-caused, and eight are undetermined. In B.C. numerous weather records have been smashed over the past few days, with Lytton reporting a recordbreaking 49.6 C on Tuesday. The scorching temperatures have led to an “extreme” or “high” wildfire danger rating across most of the province. Another wildfire of note is the George Road blaze, which is burning seven kilometres south of Lytton. On Wednesday, the BC Wildfire Service had mapped that out-of-control fire at 3.5 square kilometres. A previous evacuation order has been lifted by the Lytton First Nation, and the ThompsonNicola Regional District has rescinded an alert for 10 residences. In the last week, 64 new fires were reported in the province as the heat

wave causes conditions that are “historically abnormal,” according to Jean Strong of the B.C. Wildfire Service. The tinder-dry conditions in B.C. forests — where wildfire risks in many parts of the province were elevated to

high or extreme in recent days — are about a month earlier than normal, she said. This is compounded by a drier than normal spring and low relative humidity. Strong said the wildfire service is on heightened alert for potential lightning activity.

Saturday, July 3, 2021

Meet Rupa, the new trailblazing owner of Chalo! FreshCo in Strawberry Hill

From page 1 She grew up the ranks quickly over the years, and prior to taking on this entrepreneurial journey with Sobeys (the parent of Chalo! FreshCo), Rupa was a store manager at another store in the community. Today, she is excited to make this new opportunity her own. “I want my customers to walk into my store and feel like they are at home – to come and meet me, and ask for me by name when they return,” says Rupa. “I want them to know they can get whatever they need, from milk and bread to haldi and methi, that we will always have the staples they are looking for, guaranteed.” Rupa admits that her sister inherited her mom’s extraordinary talents as master Indian chef at home, but if you want an unforgettable pasta experience, Rupa is happy to report that her kitchen is the place to be. “I love that our store reflects the way Canadians want to shop,” adds Rupa. “Get your McCain fries, your Haldiram snacks, desi-licious pistachio ice cream, and my personal favourite, a Drumstick, all in one place.” Back in the day, Rupa remembers how South Asians had very limited choices. “I remember Golden Temple atta was the only choice for our rotis, which was a great product, but today, Chalo! FreshCo has more varieties of

atta than we can count on our fingers! We’ve all come a long way.” Coming in as the new owner of this Chalo! FreshCo, one of Rupa’s top priorities as a South Asian leader is to connect with the community. Her vision is to do some kind of seva with local temples, mosques, churches, gurdwaras, community groups and food banks. Rupa says: “Our team is here to support the community, and my wish is for people to tell their friends, ‘Go see Rupa at Chalo! FreshCo on 120th. She always does whatever she can to take care of you.’” Chalo! FreshCo is the South Asian community’s one-stop store for all South Asian and Canadian groceries. Get all your South Asian favourites, fresh produce, Fraserview Meat and Seafood, and quality Halal products from Taqwa Halal Butcher. Everyday low prices are guaranteed with three promises: 1) Double fresh guarantee, 2) Lowest price guarantee, and 3) In-stock guarantee. And when they say low price guarantee, they mean low price guarantee. They don’t just price match on staples. They beat prices on staples. Details are available at: www. ChaloFreshCo.com. Visit any one of three Chalo! FreshCo locations with in-store pharmacies, in Strawberry Hill, Newton or Abbotsford.

Mrs Nirmala Bodalia passes away Mrs Nirmala Bodalia, the widow of the late well known community photographer, Chandra Bodalia, passed away last Tuesday. She was 69 years old. According to a Facebook post, Mrs Bodalia suffered a heart attack at her home.on the morning of Tuesday, June 29, and passed away shortly afterwards.

Her funeral will take place on July 11. Other details.of the funeral arrangements will be announced later. Mrs Bodalia leaves behind a son, Vimal, a daughter, Mona, sonin-law, grand children and many, many loving family members. She was well liked and loved by all who knew her.

O’Toole speculates he’s the ‘only’ leader who is proud of Canada amid calls to cancel Canada Day Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole speculated that he could be the only person running to be prime minister who is proud of Canada – though he says he still wants the country to do “better.” His comment comes amid multiple communities cancelling their Canada Day celebrat ions in the wake of an estimated 751 unmarked graves being found at a former Saskatchewan

residential school site. The discovery came just weeks after the remains of 215 children were found at another former residential school site in Kamloops. As communities and families reel from the news, some advocates have called on Canadians to hold off on the fireworks and fanfare for Canada Day this year. “The recent discovery at Kamloops residential school has reminded us that Canada remains a country that has built its foundation on the erasure and genocide of Indigenous nations, including children,” read a post on Indigenous rights group Idle No More’s website.

Indian fossil-fuel billionaire to invest $10.1B in clean energy project Reliance is a diverse company that gets 60% of its revenue from oil refining and petrochemicals. Ambani announced that Reliance will spend 600 billion rupees on four gigafactories to produce solar modules, hydrogen, fuel cells, and a battery grid. An additional 150 billion rupees will be invested in value chain and other partnerships. Ambani was ranked fourth among global fossil-fuel billionaires by Bloomberg Green in 2020. Ambani said: The age of fossil fuels, which powered economic growth globally for nearly three centuries, cannot continue much longer. The huge quantities of carbon it has emitted into the environment have endangered life on Earth. In 2020, Reliance announced it would become net-zero carbon by 2035. However, Ambani said the company’s plan to bring the Saudi Arabian Oil Company into its energy division as an investor will be finalized this year, and Aramco chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan will join Reliance’s board.

Saturday, July 3, 2021

Premier says ‘extraordinary results’ mean most restrictions being lifted From page 1 and Quebec mean the province has achieved “extraordinary results” through its public health response and the efforts of residents who followed protocols. “I am so proud, so proud to be a British Columbian based on how all of us have responded over the past 16 months,” Horgan said Tuesday at the final regular government update on COVID-19 was held since they began in January 2020. Horgan said B.C. recorded 29 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. As of Thursday, restaurants and pubs will no longer have limits on the number of diners, but people will still not be allowed to mingle with those at other tables, masks will no longer be mandatory and recreational travel outside the province can resume. “We welcome Canadians back to B.C., provided you’ve had those two vaccinations, provided that you check before you arrive to make sure that there aren’t local restrictions in place, to ensure that Indigenous communities have a clear understanding about how many people are coming to their territory and what the consequences will be,” Horgan said. Casinos and nightclubs will open this week for the first time in 16 months, but some barriers will be in place and socializing between tables will not be allowed. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said some businesses may want people to continue wearing masks for now, and everyone should comply with those requirements or face the potential of fines. Overall, the transition among individuals and businesses will depend on their level of comfort, she said. “Not everybody’s ready for a handshake right now. We’ve never been through something like this before, as a collective, as a society, so we need to be patient.

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Saturday, July 3, 2021 From page 1

9 of 11 US Spelling Bee finalists this year are Indian-Americans

2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals on July 8, a statement said on June 28. During the in-person finals, the Bee will have the option of activating a spell-off if needed. The spell-off would be activated in the closing minutes of the competition if a champion has not yet been declared in a traditional, one-person, one-word round, it said. “We are honoured to introduce our 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finalists. Round after round, this group of spellers proved their mettle, and we look forward to seeing them show off their knowledge and hard work as they square off against the dictionary on the national stage,” said Dr. J. Michael Durnil, executive director of the Bee. “Congratulations to all of this year’s 209 national qualifiers – they’ve persevered over a year that has been challenging in many ways,

and our team is proud to have witnessed their journey,” he said. The National Bee is a highprofile, high-pressure endurance test as much as a nerd spelling match and spellers spend months preparing for it. The final rounds of this year’s contest will be hosted in person at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida, and will be broadcast live in prime time on ESPN2. The 11 finalists are Roy Seligman, 12, from Nassau, The Bahamas; Bhavana Madini, 13, from New York; Sreethan Gajula, 14, from Charlotte, North Carolina; Ashrita Gandhari, 14, from Leesburg, Virginia; Avani Joshi, 13, from Illinois; Zaila Avant-garde, 14, from New Orleans; Vivinsha Veduru, 10, from Texas; Dhroov Bharatia, 12, from Dallas; Vihaan Sibal, 12, from Texas; Akshainie Kamma, 13, from Texas and Chaitra Thummala, 12, from San Francisco.

Canada’s GDP shrank by 0.3% in April as COVID-19 continues to squeeze the economy The total value of all the goods and services produced in Canada’s economy shrank for the first time in a year in April, a reminder of the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 even as provinces tentatively reopen. Statistics Canada reported Wednesday that Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 0.3 per cent as a majority of industries had less output during the month than they did in March. All in all, April’s data shows that Canada’s economy is still not as big as it was in February 2020, before the onset of the pandemic. Then, the economy was worth just over $2 trillion. According to the latest numbers, it’s now at $1.978 trillion, after bottoming out in

April at just over $1.6 trillion. Goods-producing industries expanded by 0.5 per cent, but that was more than offset by a contraction of 0.6 per cent in the service sector, which is a much larger part of Canada’s economy. Retail, manufacturing and the real estate industry led the declines. On the other side of the ledger, construction, oil and gas, and the public sector grew. Economist Sri Thanabalasingam with TD Bank noted that socalled “high touch” industries like retail, food, accommodation, and arts and entertainment were hardest hit. “The economy’s march towards a full recovery took a step back in April as the third wave and tighter restrictions weakened activity for the month,” he said.

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Saturday, July 3, 2021 Premier Horgan walks back comments on heat wave after facing backlash Premier Horgan walked back comments he made on Tuesday related to the devastating heat wave that has led to dozens of deaths in the province.While speaking at a news conference about the province’s restart plan, Premier John Horgan was asked about the government’s support for locals as temperatures soared at the start of the week. In Metro Vancouver alone, at least 134 sudden deaths were reported in recent days, with most related to the heat. “The public was acutely aware that we had a heat problem,” Horgan said. “And we were doing our best to

break through all of the other noise to encourage people to take steps to protect themselves.” The premier said he was waiting for further details on the recent deaths from the provincial coroner adding, “fatalities are a part of life” and that the causes of them “are examined by officials.” He also emphasized there was a “level of personal responsibility” for residents to look after themselves and each other. Many locals took to social media to voice their disappointment in Horgan’s comments.

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Saturday, July 3, 2021 Digital loonie may be inevitable amid rise in competing cryptocurrencies, experts say The Bank of Canada has said steadfastly that it is not currently planning to issue its own digital currency, but a growing chorus of experts suggest the need to compete with private forms of money may end up ultimately forcing the central bank’s hand. Central banks around the world have been grappling with the questions of whether to create their own digital money as cryptocurrencies gain wider adoption. Known as Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), a bank controlled digital currency would be separate from traditional fiat used in reserves and settlement accounts. CBDC’s are also separate from decentralized cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin since CBDCs are regulated by a central authority and are effectively a country’s official currency in a fully

digital format. In February, Bank of Canada deputy governor Timothy Lane raised the risks of private sector control over cryptocurrency innovations and consumer data during a speech in Montreal. “If (the data-collection) p business model were used as a foundation for the dominant method of payment in the economy, the issuer would gain control over an enormous range of data — bringing with it overwhelming market power,” Lane told an audience at the Institute for Data Valorisation. “In effect, a technology company could become the gatekeeper of the entire economy, with concerning implications for privacy, competition and inclusion.”

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BC to lift many restrictions, including mask mandate on July 1st BC will move to Step 3 of its pandemic reopening plan on Thursday, lifting the provincial mask mandate and government state of emergency declaration. Encouraged by low daily case totals, declining hospitalizations and rising vaccinations, the move ends restrictions on social gatherings and indoor and outdoor dining and allows large outdoor events like fairs and festivals with up to 5,000 people. Recreational travel within Canada will also be encouraged. “I believe it’s safe to take the next step forward,” said Premier John Horgan Tuesday. Businesses will no longer need Covid-19 safety plans and will operate with more general communicable diseases strategies, including not allowing mingling between tables in restaurants and bars. Casinos and nightclubs may also reopen with limited capacity. It is still recommended that anyone who has not been fully vaccinated wear a mask indoors. The public health emergency declaration, which allows the provincial health officer to enact broad orders, remains in effect. The news came as B.C. reported 29 new cases and no new deaths on Tuesday, with 110 individuals hospitalized including 34 in intensive care. The province expects to deliver

its five millionth dose of vaccine in the next 24 hours, and 77 per cent of eligible people over 12 have received at least one dose, with 29.5 per cent having both shots. But the new rules and end of regular media briefings signal B.C. is moving closer to a maintenance phase of the pandemic, despite the low number of fully vaccinated people and the spread of new, more transmissible variant strains. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Covid-19 remains her office’s primary concern, but it’s safe to ease restrictions issued by her office. “We are continuing our gradual and measured approach to bringing us back together,” she said. “We will continue to follow every case and manage outbreaks and clusters and transmission.” Evidence from the United Kingdom suggests second shots are crucial to protect against the Delta variant and other strains of the virus, increasing effectiveness at preventing hospitalization from around 30 per cent with one dose to as high as 80 per cent. Second shots are an essential part of ending the pandemic in B.C., Henry said, but current protection levels are preventing about 70 per cent of new infections according to provincial modelling released Monday. “Even with a single dose our protection is high enough that we no longer need such restrictive measures,” said Henry.

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Where is the Covid-19 Delta variant most prevalent in Canada? With the increasing presence of the Delta variant in Canada, experts say that it will soon become the dominant strain of COVID-19 infections. But, having a larger proportion of the population vaccinated, along with other measures, can help prevent Canada from entering a fourth wave of the pandemic. As of Tuesday afternoon, there have been more than 4,100 cumulative cases of the Delta variant in Canada, with Ontario accounting for 42 per cent of the cases in the country and British Columbia accounting for 31 per cent. The Delta variant, also known by its lineage of B.1.617.2, was first identified in India. According to experts it is 50 per cent more transmissible than the original strain and is also more transmissible than the Alpha variant, currently making up 90 per cent of all new infections in the U.K. “When you have a more transmissible variant – also known as a more fit variant – you’re going to see a takeover,” Dr. Isaac Bogoch, infectious disease specialist, told CTVNews. ca. “It’s more fit than the Alpha variant. It’s more transmissible, and we’re seeing it take over as the more dominant variant here in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada, and quite frankly, in many other parts of the world.” With a daily average of approximately 166 cases of the Delta variant per day in Canada, is the country at risk of heading into another wave? Bogoch said that as things open up, there will be more opportunities for transmission, but vaccinations can be one factor in preventing another wave from occurring. “As we gradually open up, there will be more and more opportunities for the virus to be transmitted. This virus isn’t going anywhere and we know it’s not going anywhere, and if it’s given opportunities to be transmitted, we’ll see cases,” he said. “But the vaccines work against this variant. A single dose is pretty effective. Regardless of the vaccine, it’s pretty effective in keeping people out of the hospital, and of course, two doses are more effective than one.”

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Studies show that the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are more than 90 per cent effective in preventing hospitalizations due to the Delta variant, however there may be some breakthrough infections with the reduction of antibodies in the bloodstream. Moderna also announced Tuesday that, after a lab study, they found their vaccine to be effective in producing the antibodies needed to fight against the Delta variant. “There will still be cases among fully vaccinated people, they’ll just be less common. Fully vaccinated people, even if they test positive, are much less likely to have severe illness,” said Bogoch. Thomas Tenkate, associate professor at the

Ryerson University School of Occupation and Public Health, adds that while vaccinations can help curb the spread of COVID-19, Delta variant cases can still increase, especially in unvaccinated people and under-vaccinated communities. “Those who are partially vaccinated are at greater risk than those who are fully vaccinated of becoming infected with the Delta variant,” Tenkate said. “We also have under 12s who are not able to be vaccinated as yet, and the number of people under 19 who have been vaccinated is still relatively low compared with the rest of the adult population. These groups are really the most vulnerable.” Tenkate said that to avoid another wave, vaccination efforts need to continue and more Canadians need to become fully vaccinated. “We need to ramp up the proportion of the population who are fully vaccinated and we have to encourage those who haven’t been vaccinated yet with their first dose to do so,” he said.

Continued lack of action from NDP troubling as overdose crisis worsens

Today’s updated illicit drug overdose report by the Coroners Service shows B.C.’s deadly overdose crisis continues to claim far too many lives, while the NDP government fails to use every tool to help bring an end to the epidemic. “Urgent action is needed. Month after month, too many lives are lost – and too many loved ones are forced to mourn a tragic, irreplaceable loss to their families and communities,” said Trevor Halford, BC Liberal Critic for Mental Health and Addictions. “The current crisis in B.C. cannot simply be blamed on the impacts of the pandemic. It’s also due to the lack of proper supports available in our province. Nearly 28 per cent of all opioid-related deaths in Canada are in British Columbia – demonstrating just how severe the crisis is in our province, and how we need more resources to save lives.” Culturally appropriate services are also critical to ensure a continuum of care, as First Nations people, especially First Nations women, continue to be disproportionally represented in opioid-related deaths

in B.C. First Nations people died at 5.3 times the rate of other B.C. residents in 2020, up from 3.9 per cent in 2019. “The time for talk is over. People living with addiction need access to a continuum of care so that when they need help it’s readily available to them. That means immediate action to ensure more treatment beds, better prevention efforts, and more culturally sensitive resources,” concluded Halford. “Despite more than a year of record overdose numbers, John Horgan and the NDP’s inaction continues to put lives at risk, failing the people who need access to lifesaving resources right now.” On May 14, 2021, Interim Leader of the Official Opposition Shirley Bond wrote a letter to Premier Horgan calling on the NDP government to activate the Select Standing Committee on Health to urgently address mental health and addictions issues in a public, all-party setting. As of today, the Official Opposition’s request has yet to receive a response from Premier Horgan and the committee has not been activated.

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, July 3, 2021

Chilliwack woman arrested after two young children left in the vehicle on scorching hot day In the middle of a record-setting heat wave, two children were left in a van in a Chilliwack Walmart parking lot on Sunday. RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Mike Rail confirmed police were called out to Eagle Landing around 7 p.m. on June 27 along with firefighters and BC Ambulance paramedic. He said a three-year-old and a 12-yearold were immediately removed from the van by officers, and he said they “were OK.” They were taken by ambulance to hospital and are now with their father. The mother, a 32-year-old woman, was located in Walmart around 8 p.m. and was arrested at the scene. Rail noted at she was allegedly in possession

of a substance contrary to the Controlled Drug and Substance Act. She was later released and the police investigation continues into why the children were left in the van to wait on a day when the temperature outside got as high as 42.2 C. “Even after being paged to go to their car, an hour went by and they still weren’t coming,” Channy Kiniak wrote. “Omg who would do this do they not understand how quickly this could kill them??” Marcy Barrett added. Several posters suggested the vehicle’s windows should have been smashed to free the kids, but

Rail said bystanders did the right thing by calling police. Smashing a vehicle’s windows in can have consequences if you aren’t 100 per cent certain what the situation is. “First responders were there quickly and got the children out of the vehicle right away,” he said. “It is a good reminder that people should use caution when leaving children in a vehicle for any length of time on any kind of hot day, but especially at a time when we’re

experiencing record-breaking temperatures.” According to healthykids.org, a child’s body heats up three to five times faster than an adult’s does, and major organs begin to shut down when his/her core temperature reaches 40 C. A child can die when his/her core temperature reaches 41.6 C. According to canadasafetycouncil.org, a study funded by General Motors of Canada found that after 20 minutes, the air temperature in a previously air-conditioned small car exposed to the sun on a 35-c day climbed to 50 C, and within 40 minutes, it rose to 65.5 C. The study noted that leaving a window slightly open did little to prevent the inside the vehicle from becoming dangerously hot.

Surrey man facing eviction after installing air conditioner without permission and

Despite sweltering temperatures across B.C., renters may want to think twice before installing an air conditioning unit without their landlords approval, after one Surrey man was handed an eviction notice for doing just that. Cole Lussier, who currently pays $700 a month for a basement suite, moved in right before the pandemic started in February, 2020, and says he can’t handle the heat because he has a condition that makes him heavily perspire. “I don’t know how I would be able to really manage without it. When these really,

really hot days come, it becomes very, very unbearable to stay in any sort of room that is at a very high temperature,” Lussier says. Lussier’s landlord told him to remove the air conditioner. When it was not taken down, he was handed an eviction notice and ordered to move out with only 30 days notice, even though he’s willing to cover increased electricity costs. “The thing is I actually did offer her compensation between $10 to $30 a month and obviously, if it costs more, I would

absolutely be willing to pay more,” he says. “I told her that on two separate occasions and both times were completely ignored.” Lussier says now that his landlord has twice rejected an offer to help cover rising electricity costs, he’s not giving up. “I filed for dispute resolution. I also filed for a notice for her to follow the actual Residential Tenancy Act.” According to the B.C. Ministry of Housing, disagreements between landlords and tenants can often relate to utility use,

therefore it encourage landlords make clear what services and utilities are included as part of the rent in tenancy agreements. Although declining NEWS 1130’s request for an interview, the landlord, whose name is being protected at Lussier’s request, says her BC Hydro bill has more than doubled to almost $700 since the winter, and the ongoing COVID-19-related rent freeze keeps her from charging more rent. The eviction notice accuses Lussier of “significantly” disturbing other occupants of the house.

Kelowna man is in custody after being caught in possession of two stolen vehicles in the span of a week A 32-year-old West Kelowna man is in police custody after twice being caught in possession of a stolen vehicle within the span of a week. The incidents, according to local police, took place June 8 and 15. During the first incident, RCMP deployed air and ground teams to follow, and eventually locate a stolen truck in the area of

the Myra Forest Service Road in East Kelowna. Bryce Williamson and two other men were arrested. A subsequent search of the the men and the vehicle also turned up a gun, weapons, stolen property and suspected drugs. The truck had been reported stolen three days earlier in Glenmore.

A week later, Williamson was arrested entering a convenience store on Boucherie Road. Police say he was in possession of a Ford F350, reported stolen earlier in the Summerland, which was in the store parking lot. “A search of Williamson and the F350 revealed suspected methamphetamine,

suspected fentanyl, various weapons and breakin instruments,” police stated in a news release. Williamson faces a long list of charges related to possession of stolen property and drugs, violation of court orders and prohibited driving offences. A search of court records shows Williamson has spent time in jail previously.

LOCAL / NATIONAL More than 25 people died suddenly in Burnaby, mostly due to the heatwave

The brutal heat wave that has enveloped BC is taking a deadly toll, prompting a massive spike in sudden death calls and putting emergency resources under strain. In Vancouver, the volume of calls is creating a backlog as officers scramble to respond to 911 calls reporting an unexpected death in a home. ‘Fatalities are a part of life,’ Premier Horgan says after dozens of heatwave deaths Over a 24-hour period starting 8:15 a.m. Monday, Vancouver Police responded to 31 such calls. Out of these, 29 were likely heatrelated. Since Friday, there have been 65 unexpected deathsinhomes all over the city, most of them due to the heat. Police received a flurry of calls Tuesday morning “as people are showing up in their parents’ house or relatives’ house and finding them deceased,” said Sgt. Steve Addison. As of 1:45 p.m on Tuesday, the VPD had already attended 20 sudden deaths — and that number was expected to grow by the hour. “It’s changing as people are discovering their loved-ones dead,” said Addison, who noted that police usually respond to three or four sudden deaths on a typical day. In Vancouver, when someone discovers a sudden death, police and ambulance or fire rescue are sent to the home. Paramedics determine if the person can be saved, while police are tasked to investigate if the death appear suspicious. Because of the overwhelming volume of calls, some of the deceased are left inside

the homes waiting for police officers who are handling other sudden death calls. “We have more reports that have been made to us that we have not been able to send officers to because they are currently at other scenes waiting for the coroner to take over the investigation,” said Addison, who said the heat-triggered situation is unprecedented in his experience. “I’ve been a police officer for 15 years and I’ve never experienced the volume of sudden deaths that have come in in such a short period of time,” said Addison. “This has been an extreme sudden spike in sudden deaths throughout the city all over the city. The VPD is redeploying officers from other departments and calling in others from home to ease the backlog of calls. Premier John Horgan spoke about the impact of the heat wave on Tuesday. “This was an unprecedented heat wave, with records being broken day after day. The public was acutely aware that we had a heat problem. And we were doing our best to break through all the other noise to encourage people to take steps to protect themselves. But it was apparent to anybody who walked outdoors that we were in an unprecedented heat wave and again there’s a level of personal responsibility,” said Horgan. “This is a tragedy upon a whole host of others we’ve had to address over a number of months but I believe we did what we could to get the information out and we rely also on the public press and media outlets who’ve done a really good job in my mind, of making the case, telling people to be wary and we have our internet presence and social media doing that as well.” The B.C. Coroners Service has experienced a significant increase in deaths reported where the extreme heat is suspected to have been a contributing factor.

Saturday, July 3, 2021

Person in 20s is one of five new COVID-19 deaths in BC BC’s death toll from Covid-19 rose to 1,754 on June 28, as five additional people died from the disease in the past three days, including one person who was aged between 20 and 29 and in the Interior Health Region, according to provincial health officer Bonnie Henry. The other deaths included one person aged between 60 and 69, and three who were older than that. Henry did not provide any additional information about any of those who newly died from the disease, such as whether any were fully vaccinated. Getting two doses of vaccine does not make a person immune, Henry stressed. She said nine people in B.C. have died so far following their second doses of vaccine. The new deaths come as other metrics show that the province is limiting the spread of the disease that has caused a global pandemic. Of the 145 people newly diagnosed in B.C. with the disease, 57 cases were detected on June 26, 50 were detected on June 27, and 38 were detected in the past 24 hours. Monday totals for new infections tend to be lower because fewer tests and less lab work is done on Sundays. Nonetheless, the 38 new cases in the past day is the lowest daily total in B.C. since August 9, when there were 37 cases. Hospitalizations fell by .. in the past day, to 107 – the lowest number since November 6, when there were 104 COVID-19 patients in B.C. hospitals. Of those, a net total of 37 people remain in intensive care units. The number of those actively infected in B.C. fell in the 45th consecutive provincial data update, to 930, which is the first time that this number has been below 1,000 for months.

The last time that there were fewer than 930 active COVID-19 infections in B.C. was August 27, when there were 906 known active cases. Vaccinations endured a “disruption” during the weekend because of the soaring temperatures. Provincial health officer Bonnie Henry, however, said that 95% of appointments for vaccinations were kept. She has calculated that 78.1% of all B.C. adults, and 76.8% of all British Columbians aged 12 years and older, have been vaccinated at least once. In the past day, officials provided 183,160 doses of vaccine to 30,083 unvaccinated people, and 153,077 others as needed second doses. In total, since the first dose in B.C. was provided on December 16, B.C. has provided 4,886,709 doses of vaccine to 3,566,515 people, with 1,320,194 of those getting needed second doses. Henry said there was a data glitch in the province’s data for total number of COVID-19 infections. The new data holds that more than 98.1%, or 144,848 of 147,549 people known to be infected have recovered. Henry did not say that any active outbreaks at seniors homes were over. On Friday, the province said the five active PVUCSFBLT JO UIPTF IPNFT XFSF BU t -BVSFM 1MBDF JO 4VSSFZ t )PMMZCVSO )PVTF JO 8FTU 7BODPVWFS t .JOPSV 3FTJEFODF JO 3JDINPOE t Glenwood Seniors’ Community in Agassiz; and t 3PUBSZ .BOPS JO %BXTPO $SFFL ćFSF XBT B new outbreak of COVID-19 detected at Surrey Memorial Hospital, Henry said. There is also an ongoing outbreak at Port Moody’s Eagle Ridge Hospital.

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, July 3, 2021 Mayor slams councillor Lock’s attempt to learn what Metro does for Surrey taxpayers Mayor Doug McCallum blasted Councillor Brenda Locke’s motion seeking a breakdown on what Surrey residents get for the taxes they pay to Metro Vancouver before her motion was defeated Monday night. “I have to choose my words carefully, because I have no idea what this motion means and it kind of shocks me that it’s been brought forward and I know it would shock Metro, which they know that we’re dealing with it tonight,” McCallum said. “To put this kind of question to Metro about whether the cost benefit, whether we’re getting our share, astonishes me, absolutely astonishes me.” Locke’s motion called on council to direct city staff to “prepare a cost/benefit analysis on a per capita basis of the Metro Vancouver

taxes paid by Surrey residents in relation to the services and facilities provided by or paid for by Metro Vancouver for the City of Surrey.” McCallum slammed it hard. “It really upsets me that this kind of thing comes forward,” he said of the motion. “You know, it’s unreal.” Locke said her Metro Vancouver taxes rose by 18 per cent this year. “I think it’s just important that the residents of Surrey believe that their taxes are well spent, and they’re well spent equally throughout the region. Councillor Doug Elford also opposed the motion. “We can’t possibly be pulling out of Metro Vancouver, I mean the cost would be astronomical,” he said. “So I really don’t understand the intent of this motion that’s why I’m struggling with supporting this.

Rise in heat-related deaths and calls in BC strains emergency services The current heat wave sweeping B.C. is putting a major strain on the emergencies services in the province. In Burnaby alone, more than 25 people have died in the last 24 hours, with many of the deaths believed to be heat-related. Residents are reporting being placed on hold when calling 911 and waiting hours for an ambulance to show up. In Vancouver, the fire department is even assisting paramedics with callouts. “We had every rig, or every one of our apparatus out last night, around midnight, running around the city assisting medical calls, dealing with heat exposures and cardiac arrests,” Vancouver Fire Rescue Services Chief Karen Fry said.

The Firefighters Association of B.C. says many departments are experiencing the same level of volume and need for help with some running low on oxygen supplies due to the extra strain in resources. E-Comm 911 operators say they’ve never seen this level of call volumes before, and the organization put out a video saying they had more than 8,000 calls on June 26 and more than 7,300 calls on June 27. That is more than 55 per cent above historical June numbers. “Between the heatwave, the province-wide restart, and a 911 operator staffing shortage there simply aren’t enough of us to get there as quickly as you deserve,” Donald Grant, chairperson for CUPE Local 8911 says.

China unwilling to admit problem over systemic abuse of Uyghurs Prime Minister Trudeau Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has lashed out at Beijing after China demanded an investigation into the discovery of the remains of indigenous children in Canada. He said there was a difference between the matter and the communist country’s systemic abuse against ethnic minorities, including Uyghurs. Trudeau said Canada knows its relationship with indigenous people is broken, but it has a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and is working on trying and addressing the issues. On the other hand, China is not even willing to admit that there is a problem over the numerous human rights abuses against Uyghurs. “Where is China’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission?”Trudeauaskedatanewsconference. “Where is their truth? Where is the openness that Canada has always shown, and

the responsibility that Canada has taken for the terrible mistakes of the past, and indeed, many of which continue into the present?.” Earlier this month, the mass burial place of 215 children, aged three years, was found at a school site, closed in 1978, near the Canadian town of Kamloops. Following the discovery of graves, a probe has been opened into the circumstances and the accountability of these fatalities. The remarks came after Chinese diplomat Jiang Duan demanded an investigation during a United Nations Human Rights Council meeting. “We are deeply concerned about the human rights violations against the Indigenous people in Canada,” said Jiang, a senior official at China’s mission to the UN in Geneva.

Canada is banning the sale of gas-powered cars & it’s hppening sooner than expected It’s time to go green! The federal government has announced a new plan to cut pollution, which includes banning the sale of all gasolinepowered cars in Canada by 2035. Sharing the news on Tuesday, June 29, Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra confirmed that the government is “accelerating its mandatory sales target of 100% zero-emission vehicles.” This means that from 2035 all new cars and light-duty trucks sold in Canada will be zero-emission vehicles. It will no longer be possible to buy brand new cars that run only on gasoline, either. Government officials hope this will encourage Canadians to consider greener transportation alternatives such as electric cars — instead. The new target is an acceleration of

the federal government’s previous goal of 2040. The announcement comes alongside existing measures to help Canadians with the transition to more environmentally-friendly cars, like help with the upfront costs of zero-emission vehicles and investments in charging infrastructure. “Only bold climate policies lead to bold results,” Alghabra said on Tuesday. “Through measures aimed at accelerating the transition to 100 percent zero-emission vehicles sales, we will continue building a cleaner and more resilient economy, while also creating good jobs and opportunities for all Canadians.” Earlier this year, officials also announced the Canada Greener Homes initiative, which offers up to $5,000 to Canadians who are making energy-saving improvements to their homes.

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Saturday, July 3, 2021

INDIA

Saturday, July 3, 2021

The Indian state that hosted the super-spreader Kumbh Mela was on the verge of “inviting a catastrophe again” The Uttarakhand high court on Monday stayed the state government’s decision to allow locals of three districts to participate in the Char Dham yatra from July 1, saying it could lead to a new surge in COVID-19 cases, like with the Kumb Mela during the second wave. Bluntly, the court observed that if the Char Dhar yatra is permitted to be held, “we would again be inviting a catastrophe”. A bench of Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma, hearing a bunch of petitions on the availability of health infrastructure in the state, took a prima facie view that the decision to allow the yatra is arbitrary, unreasonable and violative of Article 14 of the constitution of India. According to LiveLaw, the court stayed the order for a period of four weeks, but said that any religious ceremonies like archanas or pujas that are conducted during this period should be live-streamed for the benefit of the people. The Uttarakhand government had on June 25 decided to start the Char Dham yatra from July 1 for locals in the districts of Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi, where the four shrines are located. It had postponed the yatra from being held in May, during the peak of the second wave. In view of this decision, the court said that though the second wave of COVID-19 is on the wane, there is the possibility of a third wave hitting the nation. Observing that by December 2020, many Indians were of the opinion that the pandemic had abated. Consequently, the “second wave struck the country like a tsunami”. The bench recollected the devastation caused by the second wave, saying “neither the lifesaving medicines were available, nor the oxygen tanks were available, nor sufficient numbers of bed[s] were available, nor sufficient numbers of ambulances were available”. “It is common knowledge that as people began to die, there were insufficient spaces in our crematorium and burial grounds. People could not perform a decent cremation, or decent burial to our lost brethren.” The court said that experts were of the opinion that the Kumbh Mela was “one of the great contributory factors” for the steep rise in cases during the second wave, describing the government’s move to hold the religious gathering as an “ill-decision”. Noting that 57% of deaths in Uttarakhand which occurred in May 2021 were “due to holding of the Kumbh Mela in April 2021”, it said the pictures of the Kumbh Mela being held “not only embarrassed the entire country, but also shocked the world community”. “Suddenly our country was painted as a renegade, and as an irresponsible member of international community. Suddenly, flights coming from India were stopped by other countries. Even today, we are not free from the devastation caused by the second wave, although fortunately the second wave is on the decline.” However, every country across the world is “trying to protect itself from the possible assault of the third wave”, the court said, noting concerns about the more infectious variants of the coronavirus, such as the Delta and Delta+. It said that within the state, the number of

people who were vaccinated is not satisfactory. In the three districts where the temples are located, “not even 50% of the population has been inoculated”, the court said. A majority of the people who have received

the vaccine have only got one dose, it said. Hindu devotees take a holy dip in the Ganges River during Shahi Snan at “Kumbh Mela”, or the Pitcher Festival, amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19),

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Pictures show bodies of Covid-19 victims floating along Ganges River in India

orrifying images emerged of hundreds of saffron cloth-shrouded bodies of COVID-19 victims floating along India’s Ganges River after the start of the seasonal monsoon flooding dislodged the corpses along the 1,550-mile-long waterway. The victims’ families gave up the bodies of their loved ones to the river or buried them in shallow graves on its banks — unable to afford the cost of funeral pyres at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in April and May, according to Agence France-Presse. Officials in Allahabad, one of Hinduism’s holiest cities, told AFP that almost 150 bodies that floated up in the past three weeks have been cremated, as funeral pyres await new bodies along riverside embankments. Bodies, many of which are believed to be COVID-19 victims, are seen partially exposed in shallow sand graves floating along the Ganges River in near Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, on June 28, 2021.

Bodies, many of which are believed to be COVID-19 victims, are seen partially exposed in shallow sand graves floating along the Ganges River near Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, on June 28, 2021.Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images Up to 600 bodies were buried along the holy river during the virus surge, according to officials, but locals believe that is a fraction of the real number and fear that many more could be dislodged by rapid waters in the next few weeks. A municipal worker cremates bodies that washed up on the Ganges riverbank after monsoon rains swelled the river. A municipal worker cremates bodies that washed up on the Ganges riverbank after monsoon rains swelled the river.

S o n u Chandel, a boater who works for a crematorium, was shaken by the sight of families burying their loved ones a couple of months ago. “It was really sad to see poor people burying their loved ones in an undignified manner, but the rising water level has made it worse,” Chandel told AFP. “There is always the fear of (a body) hitting the oar or (my boat) running over a dead body as the water level goes up.” People fear that if the bodies are not removed, one of the world’s most polluted waterways will become even more toxic. Bodies seen washed up on the banks of

the Ganges River in India on June 28, 2021. “This could cause dangerous diseases,” Dipin Kumar, who lives near the Ganges in Allahabad, told the news agency. “The government must think this over and only they can make a plan.” Even before the deadly outbreak, millions of Hindus cremated their dead along the banks of the Ganges before scattering the ashes in the river. Some who could not afford wood or other materials for funeral rites would submerge the bodies, while others conducted water burials as part of their religious traditions. The number of bodies in and around the river rose sharply during India’s latest, record-breaking viral surge. Locals said funerals — which can cost more than 7,000 rupees, about $100 — compounded the hardships of those already struggling to make ends meet. Police and state disaster crews now patrol the river looking for bodies.

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INDIA

Saturday, July 3, 2021

BJP workers and farmers clash near Ghazipur BJP workers and farm law protesters clashed in Ghazipur on the DelhiUttar Pradesh border on Wednesday. The ruckus took place when the BJP workers were carrying out a procession on a flyway where the farm law protesters, chiefly supporters of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, have been camping since November 2020, according to eyewitnesses. As the two sides came near each other on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway around noon, a scuffle broke out and they fought with sticks which led to injuries, they said. Videos and pictures surfaced on social media, purportedly showing some damaged vehicles which were part of a cavalcade of

a BJP politician, Amit Valmiki, for whose welcome the procession was being held. Farmer leaders, however, alleged that the episode was another “conspiracy by the government” to quell the protest against the three contentious farm laws and give it a bad name. Samyukta Kisan Morcha spokesperson Jagtar Singh Bajwa claimed that the farmers at the Ghazipur border informed the district administration and government officials to remove the party workers as they were creating a ruckus in the name of a welcome rally. “They misbehaved with farmers and themselves damaged their vehicles as part of a conspiracy.

Rescued girl married off to J&K Sikh youth One of the two Sikh girls from Jammu and Kashmir, allegedly abducted, converted and forced to marry elderly men from another religion in Kashmir, has been recovered with the efforts of members of the DSGMC and SGPC’s Jammu and Kashmir Sikh Mission. The 18-year-old girl from Badgam district in Kashmir, who was lured and converted at gunpoint, has been handed over to her family by the court. She was married off to a Sikh youth from Srinagar, with the ‘anand karaj’ (marriage as per Sikh conduct) being performed at Rainawari Gurdwara Sahib, Srinagar, today. The couple was shifted to New Delhi by DSGMC president Manjinder Singh Sirsa. “Yesterday I met the girl, who disclosed

how she was kidnapped and told that her parents were behind the bars and would be freed only if she conformed to their wish. She was later recovered by the police after protests and court’s intervention,” said Sirsa. The other 28-year-old victim, who belongs to Mehjoor Nagar in Srinagar, also underwent a similar ordeal and remains missing. Efforts were on to recover her. In a ‘fake’ video message, she purportedly admitted to having gone ‘underground’ and conducted inter-faith marriage of her own will. Sirsa claimed the clip that went viral on the social media was doctored. Her family said she was facing threat and was made to give misleading statements.

For not marrying her husband’s brother, Kirti Chakra awardee’s widow denied monthy dole Marrying a man who is not the brother of her first husband, an Army officer who died fighting militants and was feted with the nation’s second highest peacetime gallantry award, Kirti Chakra, posthumously, has led to Punjab government denying her a monthly payout granted to the next of kin of such awardees. Major Raman Dada of 11th Battalion of The Sikh Regiment was killed in May 1999 while fighting militants in Asaam’s Somitpur district. Major Raman killed three militants, one of them in hand to hand combat, while his troops killed seven others in the encounter. He succumbed to the injuries sustained in the encounter and was awarded the Kirti Chakra posthumously on August 15, 1999. His widow, Anjini Dada, had initially received the annuity of the Punjab government, which is now Rs 13,860 per month, till she remarried in 2005. The annuity was stopped by the state government as according to the rules a widow who remarries a person other

than the brother of the deceased is not eligible for such benefits. Now, in 2021, Anjini has once again been intimated by the District Sainik Welfare Officer, Jalandhar, that a case to re-start her annuity on compassionate grounds was taken up but has been turned down by the Finance Department. Anjini got divorced in 2011 and has a son from her first marriage and a daughter from the second who she looks after despite remaining in ill health. Due to her present financial circumstances, she and the coursemates of her husband have been trying hard to ensure that her annuity gets re-started. They say there are high court as well as Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) judgments that say a widow’s rights do not get waived due to her remarriage. Speaking to The Indian Express on phone from Dehradun where she now resides, Anjini said that she even tried to meet Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to present her case but was unable

Rahul attacks govt over high fuel prices Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the long queues for public transport are not just due to Covid-19 restrictions but also because of high petrol and diesel prices. Gandhi’s remarks came amid reports of serpentine queues outside Delhi Metro stations as the average waiting time for commuters went up to nearly an hour at some places on Tuesday. “Long-inconvenient queues for public

transport aren’t just due to Covid restrictions. See the rates of petroldiesel in your city to fin .The Congress has been accusing the government of collecting crores through excise duty and taxes on petrol and diesel due to which fuel prices are hovering around or have crossed Rs 100 per litre at several places in the country.

As fuel prices surge, BJP leaders have bizarre justifications The fuel prices in the country have been on the upward trend ever since the declaration of Assembly election results in five states on May 2, 2021. In many states, the petrol prices have already crossed Rs 100/litre and in many states, they are inching closer to that mark. As the fuel prices are soaring high, many BJP leaders have trotted out bizarre justifications and outrageous statements regarding it. The latest addition to the list being Madhya Pradesh Energy Minister Pradhuman Singh Tomar who advised people to cycle to go to the vegetable market as it will keep them healthy and end pollution. Talking to media on Tuesday, Tomar asked, “Who uses petrol and diesel? Do we go to the vegetable market by cycle? It will keep us healthy and will end pollution. Is petrol and diesel necessary for our health?” Revealing that he uses a bicycle, Tomar further said that the money was “not going to any leader’s house but to the poor people in the country”. Free ration is being given to people till Diwali, he added. This is not the first time, BJP politicians have made such remarks.

‘People will get used to it (price hike)’ Earlier in February this year, BJP leader and Bihar minister Narayan Prasad said that ordinary people will not be affected by the fuel price hike since they use public transport. “Common people mostly use buses. Only a few use private transportation,” Prasad said adding that only politicians were raising a hue about the surge. He further went on to say that “people will get used to it”. A few days ago, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that though high fuel prices were a problem, government expenses were up due to Covid relief measures, and “the Centre is saving money to spend on welfare schemes”. He also said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi must answer why fuel prices are high in Congress-ruled states like Punjab, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. “If he is so concerned about the poor, he should instruct the Maharashtra CM to reduce taxes, as fuel prices are very high in Mumbai.” Pradhan, however, refrained from commenting on whether BJP-ruled states, like Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka,

Modi discusses Kashmir elections in first talks since autonomy revoked PM Modi told leaders from Jammu & Kashmir that elections would be held there after the region’s constituencies were reconfigured following the revocation of its semi-autonomous statehood, meeting participants said. The talks on June 24 were the first between Modi and Kashmiri leaders since the government scrapped the Himalayan region’s special status in 2019, detaining thousands of people and imposing a months-long lockdown. Kashmiri leaders have long demanded a restoration of their semi-autonomy and for elections to be held, but India has been working to re-adjust some assembly and parliamentary constituencies there

under a process known as “delimitation”. Modi later took to Twitter to reiterate the line he had taken in the roughly three-hour talks in New Delhi. “Delimitation has to happen at a quick pace so that polls can happen and J&K gets an elected Government that gives strength to J&K’s development trajectory,” he said. Regional leaders said they pressed their demand for restoration of statehood and limited autonomy at the talks. “We told PM that we don’t stand with what was done on 5th Aug 2019,” said Omar Abdullah, leader of the regional party National Conference. “We’re not ready to accept it, but we won’t take

Saturday, July 3, 2021

Punjab Ensure victory of SAD-BSP alliance in Punjab Assembly elections, Mayawati tells cadre Upping the ante in Punjab, BSP supremo Mayawati has asked the cadre to ensure the success of party’s alliance with the SAD in the upcoming Assembly elections. “The cadre must ensure victory on all seats being contesting by the alliance in the Punjab Assembly elections,” Mayawat told party leaders during a meeting to review the working of party’s Delhi unitThe elections in Punjab are due in February-March next year. Referring to the BSP-SAD alliance, she urged party

activists to ensure its victory on all seats. “In the larger interest of the people and to ensure they are liberated from the failed Congress government, a robust effort by the BSP is imperative,” Mayawati told party functionaries. “The present Congress government is ridden with internal squabbles and factionalism. The party’s internal feud has led to neglect of public issues and welfare of the people for long,” she said.

Punjab DGP meets BSF, police officers; security up at Kartarpur corridor DGP Dinkar Gupta met officials of the BSF and the Punjab Police at the BSF guest house and urged them to take preventive measures to counter the use of payload-carrying drones by Pakistan. The issue of enhancing security at the Integrated Check Post (ICP) of the Kartarpur corridoratDeraBabaNanakwasalsodiscussed. Anti-drone weapons the key A senior officer says in future drone

guns and sky fencing systems may be pressed into service to ward off drone attacks “A drone gun is capable of jamming the radio, GPS and mobile signal between the drone and its handlers, following which the contraption is forced to the ground,” he says The sky fence system uses a range of signal disruptors to jam the flight path of drones and prevents them from entering the target area, he says

Amid Delta+ concerns, curbs to stay till July 10 in Punjab With cases of Delta Plus variant coming to light, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today ordered extension of Covid restrictions till July 10, with some more relaxations, including opening of bars, pubs and taverns at 50 per cent capacity, beginning July 1. Skill development centres and

universities have also been allowed to open, provided the staff and students have taken at least one dose of vaccine. At a high-level Covid review meeting, the CM made it clear that bars, pubs and taverns would have to strictly maintain social distancing and the employees should have taken at least one shot of vaccine, which needs to be ensured by the owners.

Pakistan Pakistan seeks civilized ties with USA Pakistan seeks “civilised” and “even-handed” relationship with USA like the one that existed between the US and India or UK “right now”, Prime Minister Imran Khan said, underlining the role Islamabad could play in the region, including in Afghanistan after America leaves the war-torn country. Khan made the comments during an interview with The New York Times in which he also expressed his disappointment that his bid to normalise ties with India did not make any progress though he approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon after assuming office in August 2018. In the interview that comes as US President Joe Biden had his first face-to-face meeting with his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghan at the White House on Friday, Khan recalled that Pakistan has had a closer relationship with the US than other nations in the region, such as India, and was a US partner in the war against terrorism, Dawn newspaper reported. “Now, after the US leaves Afghanistan, basically Pakistan would want a civilised relationship, which you have

between nations, and we would like to improve our trading relationship with the US,” he said. Asked to elaborate his concept of a civilised relationship, Khan said he was seeking relations like the one that existed “between the US and Britain, or between US and India right now. So, a relationship which is evenhanded”. “Unfortunately, the relationship during the war on terror was a bit lopsided,” he said. “It was a lopsided relationship because the US felt that they were giving aid to Pakistan, they felt that Pakistan then had to do US’’ bidding. “And what Pakistan did in terms of trying to do the US bidding cost Pakistan a lot … 70,000 Pakistanis died, and over $150 billion were lost to the economy because there were suicide bombings and bombs going on all over the country,” he said. The main problem with this lopsided relationship was that “Pakistani governments tried to deliver what they were not capable of,” and it led to a “mistrust between the two countries,” Khan said.

Minorities delgation urge provincial govt to speed up drafting of Hindu Marriage Act A delegation comprising members of minority communities urged provincial government of KPK (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) to expedite the drafting of rules for the Hindu Marriage and Divorce Act. The federal government approved the

Hindu Marriage Bill in March 2017 with the consent of the governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Baluchistan provinces and issued necessary instructions to them to draft the required rules. Pakistan has about 3.8 million Hindus.

Pak says 5,000 TTP ultras present in Afghanistan Pakistan on Monday claimed that more than 5,000 militants of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were present in Afghanistan, a day after Kabul denied the presence of the banned terror outfit in the war-torn country. “The assertions of the Afghan side are

contrary to facts on ground and various reports of the UN, which also corroborate the presence and activities of over 5000-strong TTP in Afghanistan,” Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudri said.

FIJI Settlements locked down as Fiji endures deadly Covid-19 wave At the Qauia settlement, a community of more than 2,000 near Fiji’s capital of Suva, police stand guard to ensure no one other than health workers comes in - or out - of an area that has become a hotspot of COVID-19 infections. After keeping the coronavirus at bay last year, Fiji, with a population of about 900,000, is now recording as many as 300 new cases a day as part of a wave of infections linked to the highly transmissible Delta strain, a variant first detected in India. The spread has been rampant in the

Pacific island’s close-knit settlements, with Qauia representing the fastest-growing cluster, according to health authorities. “The names of those who are sick are not mentioned. Those within the zone who are sick, their names are not publicised so we do not know who is sick nor do we know if any of our relatives are sick,” said Sefaira Vere Waqaituinayau, who has family members in Qauia. “So what we do is we organise food and other items to be taken into the zone, through the police or soldiers, to deliver to our relatives.”

Four new deaths as Fiji records hundreds more Covid-19 cases The Health Ministry says 295 cases are from the Lami-Suva-Nausori containment zone, while 17 are from the western division. There are now 3306 active cases in isolation with 21 deaths reported since March 2020 19 from this latest outbreak in April this year. Fiji’s Health Secretary James Fong said four cases were from the existing containment zones of Tramline and Qima Settlement in Nadi. He said one was a corrections officer from Suva undergoing quarantine at the Tavua Prison compound as part of the essential movement from the red zone to the green zone when they tested positive. This is similar to the prison officers who

had tested positive on Monday in Rakiraki. The second case in Tavua lives at the Public Works Department quarters and his source of transmission is under investigation. There are four new cases from Lovu, Lautoka, with unknown sources of transmission. Seven contacts of these Lovu cases have also tested positive. Dr Fong said out of the 295 cases in the Lami-Suva-Nausori containment zone, 165 are from existing areas of interest and 10 from new clusters: Cost U Less supermarket, Golden Manufacturers, and the Kidney Foundation of Fiji.

New area of concern is Lautoka, as Covid-19 cases grow rapidly Fiji has recorded 274 new infections of COVID-19 in the 24-hour reporting period that ended at 8 am today. Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says the daily case average is expected to rise. Doctor Fong adds there is a new area of concern in rifle range, Lautoka.

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Saturday, July 3, 2021

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