www.theasianstar.com Vol 22 - Issue 19
Saturday, June 11, 2022
Canadian super visa to allow parents, grandparents to stay for up to seven years per visit Heartwarming news for immigrants — Canada has announced it will allow parents and grandparents of citizens and permanent residents to stay in the country for five years (maybe even seven!) per visit under the “super visa” program. Heartwarming news for immigrants — Canada has announced it will allow parents and grandparents of citizens and permanent residents to stay in the country for five years (maybe even seven!) per visit under the “super visa” program.
Tel:604-591-5423
Surrey has most crimes in Canada on the Global crime index
The super visa program was launched in 2011 to reunite immigrants who meet a certain income level with their parents and grandparents. It’s a ten-year multiple-entry visa that allows for a stay for up to two years per entry. Every two years, the visa holder must leave the country and can return to Canada to continue living with their children. Heartwarming news for immigrants —
While much of Metro Vancouver is known for picturesque mountains and green landscapes, one city has been named the worst in Canada for crime. Two BC cities landed within the top 100 of Numbeo’s 2022 global crime index, including one in Metro Vancouver. Surrey ranked #49 with a crime index of 64.34, making it the worst city for crime in Canada according to the global crime index.
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Atmospheric river hits BC Thursday, prompting more flooding concerns A category 3-4 atmospheric river is hitting the B.C. coast Thursday, which has prompted upgraded advisories from the B.C. River Forecast Centre. Global BC meteorologist Kristi Gordon said the dangerous part about atmospheric rivers is that they can stall over an area for multiple days bringing heavy rain and mild air. “This is what we experienced in November of 2021 where a combination of heavy and quickly dissolving snowpack was off the charts,” she said.
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Interpol issues red-corner notice against Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar in connection with murder cases of 2020, 2021 A Red Corner Notice (RCN) has been issued by Interpol against Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar, the Canada-based gangster who claimed responsibility for the killing of Punjabi singer-politician Sidhu Moosewala. The RCN against Brar was issued today on the written request by the CBI, which is India’s Interpol liaison agency. But sources in the agency said the request for issuance of RCN was sent not in connection with the killing of Moosewala. However, the issuance of RCN paves the way for Brar’s extradition — the prime suspect in Moosewala’s killing along with jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who had claimed his gang’s involvement.
NDP MLA Jinny Sims joins new Surrey Forward Party in mayoral bid Longtime British Columbia teacher, labour leader and politician Jinny Sims has announced her intention to run for mayor in Surrey when municipal elections are held this fall. Sims made it official Wednesday at an event with the newly formed municipal party Surrey Forward and the party’s four declared council candidates, Ramon Bandong, Jim Bennett, June Liu and Theresa Pidcock. She has represented the provincial riding of Surrey-Panorama as a New Democrat since 2017 and also served as the NDP member of Parliament for the Newton-North Delta riding between 2011 and 2015.
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Georgia parents left kids inside hot car in aldi parking lot, say they did nothing wrong If there’s one rule that should never, ever be broken, it’s leaving pets and kids alone in a car. We all know that it is extremely dangerous (and illegal!), but despite tragic stories and millions spent on public education campaigns,
Kelowna ranked #92 with a crime index of 58.26. While Vancouver didn’t quite reach the top 100 worst cities in the world for crime, it did make the list at #295 with a crime index of 37.16 and a safety index of 62.84. Of the 459 international cities on the index, there are a total of 45 Canadian cities listed. According to Numbeo, “crime levels lower than 20 as very low, crime levels between 20
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2 more suspects in Sidhu Moosewala murder case arrested Police on Thursday arrested two more suspects in connection with the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. They have been identified as Keshav and Chetan. Police had been searching Keshav’s house here for the past two days but could not find him. His mother and sister had admitted to the police that he had not come home since May 24. Keshav has been charged with supplying weapons to Moosewala’s killers and providing a vehicle used in the attack. The killers are said to have brought weapons from Amritsar. Keshav, along with Sandeep Kekra, was spotted in the CCTV footage of May 29.
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Saturday, June 11, 2022
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LOCAL / NATIONAL
Saturday, June 11, 2022
BC man facing reckless driving charges after he posted videos on social media A 27-year-old man from Smithers, B.C., is facing multiple driving-related charges after he posted videos of himself on social media engaging in high risk driving behaviour. In late May, B.C. Highway Patrol in Smithers became aware of videos circulating on social media of a man police allege was driving in a very aggressive manner, in excess of 160 km/h in a Dodge pickup truck on local provincial highways. Police determined the man was the owner of the vehicle. They allege he was engaged in several high risk behaviours including speed, using an electronic device while driving, consuming alcohol while driving, and stunt driving without holding the steering wheel at high speeds. Investigators then figured out the location where the man, who was identified by very distinct tattoos, was driving in the videos. On June 4, a vehicle stop was conducted to
Avian flu detected in Langley Township Avian flu has been detected in the Township of Langley, the third municipality in the Lower Mainland to be dealing with the highly-contagious viral infection. On Wednesday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed the presence of the virus at a commercial poultry operator in Langley Township. The latest outbreak comes on the heels of recently-reported cases in small flocks in Summerland, Sechelt, and the Peace River. This virulent strain of avian influenza sweeping across North America was first reported in B.C. on April 13 in the Regional District of North Okanagan. Since then, flocks in Kelowna, Kootenays, Comox Valley, Okanagan-Similkameen, Richmond and Abbotsford have reported outbreaks. Experts say migratory birds are responsible for the current spread and expected cases to rise as birds fly north for the summer. The B.C. agricultural ministry had ordered commercial poultry operators to move flocks indoors. It has also advised other measures such as reducing
Many B.C. rivers reaching ‘near capacity’; province is monitoring closely for Many of B.C.’s rivers are reaching “near capacity” and are being closely monitored by the province. In a press conference Thursday afternoon, B.C. River Forecast Centre head Dave Campbell said the snowpack around the province coupled with potential rainfall and rising temperatures poses the biggest risk for potential flooding. “In a typical year, we would see about half our snow melted (by this time of year),” said Campbell. “We are seeing only about 20 per cent of the snow we have accumulated has melted.” The B.C. River Forecast Centre said the province’s snowpack melt is around three weeks behind normal, sitting around 165 per cent above average. With many B.C. rivers and areas under flood warning, flood watch or high streamflow advisories, the province is potentially at risk for major flooding if a significant weather event were to take shape. “This really will be the critical window for the freshet season across the province over the next two to three weeks,” Campbell said.
address a speeding infraction and police officers recognized the vehicle as the one in the videos. The driver was served with numerous violation tickets under the provincial Motor Vehicle Act, Motor Vehicle Act Regulations, Liquor Control and Licensing Act and Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations along with an inspection notice to address several defects on the vehicle. At the time of the vehicle stop, several opened containersofliquorwerelocatedwithinthedriver’s reach and were poured out, according to police. The vehicle was impounded under three separate excessive speeding/stunting allegations and towed from the scene. In a statement, Insp. Darren Woroshelo, a spokesperson for Northern Highway Patrol, said just one of these behaviours is extremely dangerous and risky, but “the combination is downright scary.”
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Saturday, June 11, 2022
OPINION
The Liberals could do more to tackle inflation — but that’s now a question for the fall On Tuesday, as the inflation debate that consumed question period this spring ground on for another day, interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland got into an argument over which of them was “out of touch.” Brandishing a new survey that
suggests a quarter of Canadians have been eating less because of the cost of food, Bergen asked whether the Liberal government was ready to agree with the Conservative Party’s suggestions for easing some of the increased costs currently facing Canadians. Have a question or something to say? Email:
ask@cbc.ca or join us live in the comments now. In response, Freeland pointed to the ways in which the spring budget enhanced support for Canadians: an expansion of the Canada Worker Benefit, an increase in Old Age Security and a one-time increase of $500 in the Canada Housing Benefit. Bergen dismissed such measures as “a few piddly cheques” that “might dribble in through the mail.” “The Liberals are so massively out of touch that they do not understand gas prices, they do not understand high food prices and they do not understand long lineups,” Bergen said. “They understand nothing about what Canadians are dealing with and they do not care.” Bergen had overplayed her hand. Freeland made sure everyone noticed. “Mr. Speaker, what is out of touch is for someone who lives in government accommodation to suggest that a cheque for $2,300 for a family of three working at minimum wage is ‘piddly’,” Freeland said, referring to the workers’ benefit. That was a rare opportunity for the Liberals to play offence in a spring sitting during which they have faced — and have largely resisted — incessant calls to do something in direct response to inflation and the increased cost of living. With just two weeks left before the House of Commons is set to adjourn for the summer, it is exceedingly unlikely the Liberals will respond to those calls before the fall. But if inflation is still running hot when the House of Commons returns, the Liberals might be compelled to do something more. That could look like another cheque, “piddly” or otherwise. Politicizing the price at the pumps The Liberals have argued — not unreasonably — that recent inflation is a global phenomenon, driven largely by the pandemic and Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Aaron Wherry
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LOCAL / NATIONAL
Saturday, June 11, 2022 Woman charged in connection with 2 separate stabbings at Surrey grocery stores RCMP have arrested a 33-yearold woman in connection with two separate, allegedly unprovoked, stabbing incidents last week at supermarkets in the Guildford area of Surrey, B.C. The woman was arrested following a stabbing at a Walmart in the 10300-block of 152 Street Saturday just before 9 p.m., two days after a separate stabbing at the Real Canadian Superstore on 104 Avenue left a woman with serious injuries. Police believe the same person is responsible for both incidents. The second victim was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Police said the woman left the store following the stabbing but was
located in the 15000-block of 104 Avenue. “The suspect was taken into custody without incident,” said Surrey RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Vanessa Munn. Now that an arrest has been made, police have taken down surveillance images from the Superstore incident for privacy reasons. “These were disturbing and violent incidents in our community, and we are thankful to all who assisted in ensuring a suspect was arrested,” said Insp. Bill Parmar in a statement. Anyone with information about either stabbing incident is asked to contact Surrey RCMP.
Two men murdered in Richmond had links to Lower Mainland gang conflict Two men gunned down in Richmond over the weekend had been aligned with the Brothers Keepers gang but switched over to associate with people in other Lower Mainland gangs, Postmedia has Jeevan Saepan, 22 learned. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team released the names of the two men — Jeevan Saepan, 22, and Kevin Allaraj, 23 — and said both were known to police. IHIT media officer Sgt. David Lee also said homicide detectives were consulting B.C.’s anti-gang agency — the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit — to get more background on Saepan and Allaraj. Both were shot to death Saturday about 11:03 a.m. in the parkade of an apartment building in the 7000-block of Ackroyd Road. Postmedia has learned they were lured to the spot. The pair had been associated to Iqubal Grewal, who was just 23 when he was gunned down mid-block on East 64th Avenue between Knight
and Inverness streets on Sept. 16, 2020. Like his friends, Grewal had been connected to the BK but switched allegiances to the United Nations gang.A BK rapper later posted a song appearing to take Kevin Allaraj, 23 responsibility for the Grewal murder, though no one has been charged. While the most recent victims in the region’s gang war had been associating with the UN, they were also known as “freelance” players working with other gangs. Allaraj had no criminal record in B.C. He claimed in a civil suit over a 2018 car accident that he was a construction worker. Saepan had been sentenced this past February to five months in jail and 18 months probation on a conviction of assault with a weapon and using an imitation firearm in connection with a three-city crime spree on Dec. 11, 2018. At the time, police said Saepan robbed a
Man charged with second-degree murder in brother’s stabbing death A Vancouver man has been charged with second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of his brother in East Vancouver on Sunday morning. According to police, Zachary Trimble, 23, was found “badly injured” outside a home near Bruce Street and East 49th Avenue around 3 a.m. He later died of his injuries. At the scene, officers arrested his brother, 27-year-old Alexander Trimble, they confirmed in a Monday news statement. He has been charged with second-degree murder and remains in police custody. It was Vancouver’s sixth homicide of 2022. On Sunday, a neighbour, who said his
name was Tip, told Global News he called police when he was awoken by the altercation. “I heard this blood curdling noise and screaming from a girl — I thought I was dreaming — and a guy was screaming as well,” he described. “I got up and looked out the window. I could see three people out there scuffling, so I called 911 right away and they responded really quickly — like half a minute. When the police came in they were doing CPR right through.” Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Vancouver police at 604-717-2500.
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‘City hall is broken,’ says Jinny Sims as MLA announces bid to become Surrey mayor NDP MLA from Surrey, Jinny Sims has officially announced her bid to become Surrey’s next mayor. “City hall is broken. You just have to watch us on the news, or read the news, and because it’s broken, we need someone who can go in and has the strength and the fortitude to fix it,” Sims told the Now-Leader. “The biggest embarrassment for all of us, I think right now, is we make international and national news and it’s about our governance being broken.” Sims, who will be running under the Surrey Forward banner that was announced in April, said the slate will be releasing their official platform in the coming weeks, but she said it will fall under “three pillars.” Those pillars, she said, are openness and transparency, fairness and affordability.
“Number one is to have openness and transparency at our city council level and our governance, but also to have democracy restored,” she explained. “Secondly, to build, going forward, fairness, so that everybody in the city no matter where they live or what their background, feels that things are being done fairly and openly.” As for affordability, Sims said “everybody in Surrey now is struggling.” “The affordability issues, whether it’s housing, whether it’s transportation, whether it’s childcare and in order to address some of those issues, we need to have stability at city hall. “We need to have a functioning city hall, and then we need to work in collaboration with different levels of government, the public and private sector, in order to build the best city.”
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LOCAL / NATIONAL
Saturday, June 11, 2022
Torched BMW identified as suspect vehicle in fatal Vernon shooting Police believe a now-torched BMW 2004 BMW 320i was reported abandoned was used in a fatal Vernon shooting and on fire along the 5300 block of and they are hoping that anyone who Heywood Armstrong Road, Spallumcheen. “We’re releasing a stock photo as well as saw it can help in their investigation. The shooting happened just before a surveillance photo of this vehicle and are 6 p.m., on Friday, along the 5300 block asking the public for any information that may of 25th Avenue and the black 2004 assist in furthering the investigation,” said BMW 320i was seen in the aftermath. Const. Chris Terleski, media relations officer “Surveillance footage uncovered during for the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP. the investigation captured a small, black, From four-door sedan fleeing the scene at the timepage 1 Anyone who was travelling near these locations around those times on Friday of the shooting,” RCMP said in a press release. A stock photo of a similar black BMW and Saturday and who may have dashcam footage or information about this vehicle that police believe was involved in a fatal can contact the Vernon North Okanagan shooting last Friday. Courtesy: RCMP RCMP at 250-545-7171. Then on Saturday at 4:45 p.m,, a black
CBSA officers caught giving preferential treatment, associating with criminals, documents reveal Canadian border officers have been reprimanded for hundreds of acts of misconduct over the past two years — including preferential treatment and criminal association — according to documents obtained by CBC News. Details of the cases — all of which were deemed founded — were released under access to information law and cover the period Jan. 1, 2020 to Jan. 1, 2022. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said that, during the last fiscal year, it concluded 92 founded investigations. Of those, 12 saw border officers verbally reprimanded, 42 led to written reprimands and 38 ended in suspensions. That figure is substantially lower than the number for 2020 — the first year to see a reduction in travel due to the pandemic. In 2020, the CBSA reported 215 founded cases resulting in nine dismissals, 82 suspensions, 52 written reprimands
and 27 verbal reprimands. (The figures don’t say what happened in the remaining cases.) A CBSA spokesperson said the agency considers a complaint “founded” if “aspects” of it are found to be “valid.” While details of these cases — including names and locations — are redacted in the documents released to CBC News, they describe some troubling behaviour at land and air crossings. In one case, an officer was found to have failed to properly process travellers and vehicle plates — a key component of the job — for three years. In another, an officer accessed the CBSA’s computer system to remove flags from someone’s file. Flags are indicators related to an individual’s criminal or travel history that are meant to warn CBSA officers that a particular traveller warrants a closer look.
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First case of monkeypox confirmed in BC British Columbia’s first case of monkeypox has been detected in a Vancouver patient. The BC Centre for Disease Control confirmed the infection through laboratory testing, it said Monday, and is awaiting further confirmation from the National Microbiology Laboratory. Vancouver Coastal Health is conducting a public health follow-up, but the risk to the public remains low, a news release said. “As with any emerging pathogen, we can expect it was brought into the province, so it was related to travel,” Dr. Mayank Singal, BCCDC epidemiologist, said in an interview. Monkeypox is “much less infectious” than COVID-19, he added. Since May, more than 700 cases of monkeypox have been found in nonendemic countries, primarily in Europe, according to the CDC. As of June 3, there were 77 confirmed cases in Canada, with 71
in Quebec, five in Ontario and one in Alberta. A vaccine is available, but “there is no need for the general public to get vaccinated” due to the low risk posed, the centre said. “We don’t think most people are at risk of getting exposed,” said Singal. “What we are likely going to do, whenever there are cases in B.C., (is that) we will follow up with all the contacts of that individual and likely offer (the vaccine) to contacts who might have been exposed to it.” Monkeypox spreads through contact with sores and items like bedding or towels that have the virus on them. It can also spread through respiratory droplets, distributed by coughs or sneezes. It isn’t known to spread through semen, vaginal or rectal fluids, the centre added, but it can transmit through close contact during sexual activity.
Six months’ house arrest for man who left scene of fatal Surrey accident A man will spend six months under house arrest after being convicted of failing to remain at the scene of a fatal accident. The conviction stemmed from a May 10, 2019 collision involving Roger Gerald Joseph Dionne’s vehicle and motorcyclist Perbinderjit Rana. Rana died shortly after the collision. Dionne, 66, was driving southbound in the 7300-block King George Boulevard in Surrey, B.C. He was in the process of making a left-hand turn into a shopping plaza when his truck crossed the path of Rana’s motorcycle. Rana hit his brakes immediately before the collision. The motorcycle fell down on its right side. Rana’s helmeted head struck the right rear tire of Dionne’s truck. B.C. Supreme
Court Justice Palbinder Kaur Shergill said in a May 30 decision released June 8 that Dionne could see people attending to a man on the ground, who he believed had been involved in an accident and could be seriously injured. He parked his truck, got out of it, and assisted someone in standing Rana’s bike upright. “Rather than staying at the scene of the accident, Mr. Dionne panicked and fled,” Shergill said. “Though he did eventually turn himself in, there is no doubt that those hours before he did so, must have been excruciatingly painful for his family as they struggled with the fact of Mr. Rana’s death and not knowing the identity of the person that may have been implicated in it.”
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Saturday, June 11, 2022 Metro Vancouver city ranked worst in Canada on the global crime index From page 1 and 40 as being low, crime levels between 40 and 60 as being moderate, crime levels between 60 and 80 as being high and finally crime levels higher than 80 as being very high.” Numbeo global crime index At the very top of the list was Caracas,
From page 1
Venezuela, with a crime index of 84.27. Out of 459 cities ranked on the index, 45 Canadian cities were listed in total. Lethbridge and Red Deer rounded out the top three worst in Canada.
Canadian super visa to allow parents, grandparents to stay for up to seven years per visit
Canada has announced it will allow parents and grandparents of citizens and permanent residents to stay in the country for five years (maybe even seven!) per visit under the “super visa” program. The super visa program was launched in 2011 to reunite immigrants who meet a certain income level with their parents and grandparents. It’s a ten-year multiple-entry visa that allows for a stay for up to two years per entry. Every two years, the visa holder must leave the country and can return to Canada to continue living with their children. While a regular multiple-entry visit visa has a 10-year validity period, too, it permits visitors to remain in the country for no more than six months per trip.Thousands of Canadians obtain super visas for their parents and grandparents each year. It allows for easier family reunification but complicates things for people who want to make Canada a primary or secondary home for their parents. Applicants must get medical coverage for their family members from a Canadian insurance company. Leaving and returning to the country as frequently as two years can also take a financial, physical, and emotional toll on families of immigrants. Now, in an effort to attract and retain immigrants, particularly in light of Canada’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that starting July 4, 2022, the length of stay for super visa holders will be five years per entry. Those with a super visa will also have the option to request an added two-year extension — that’s seven years at a time.
IRCC will also be able to designate international medical insurance companies to provide coverage to super visa applicants in the future, and applicants will no longer be limited to only Canadian insurance providers to obtain coverage for their parents and grandparents. The federal immigration agency also announced that further details about any designated medical insurance companies located outside of Canada will be communicated on IRCC’s website at a later date.
Atmospheric river hits BC prompting more flooding Gordon said this atmospheric river will not stall over our area for more than 24 hours as the South Coast is expecting to receive between 20 to 45 millimetres of rain while the Interior could receive five to 15 millimetres of rain.
NDP MLA Jinny Sims joins new Surrey Forward Party in mayoral bid Sims also worked as a high school teacher and was the president of the BC Teachers’ Federation between 2004 and 2007. She says she will take an unpaid leave of absence from her legislature duties while she focuses on the mayoral bid. Sims and Surrey Coun. Brenda Locke are the first announced challengers to current Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum in municipal elections set for Oct. 15.
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Saturday, June 11, 2022 Crown drops domestic assault charges against Calgary real estate mogul Riaz Mamdani
Prosecutors have dropped domestic assault charges against well-known Calgary real estate mogul Riaz Mamdani, who was once the victim of a near fatal shooting. Mamdani, 54, was charged on Nov. 28 following an argument with his girlfriend, Kate Abbott, at his Mount Royal home. Although CBC News did not previously identify Abbott, she has since sent several statements, court documents from her family court case and has taken out an Instagram ad in which she discussed the incident. Allegations had ‘devastating’ effect Mamdani said he feels “vindicated” by the withdrawal of the charges but would have liked to have seen the Crown review the case earlier. “Consequences of even a meritless allegation can be as damaging as a conviction,” he wrote. “In some ways, the accusation
is the sentence; the stigma attached to these lies has been devastating to me.” On Friday, defence lawyer Cory Wilson appeared in court on Mamdani’s behalf as prosecutors withdrew the charges. Mamdani maintains the motive for the allegations was “greed.” “These allegations were made alongside absurd claims for more than a million dollars a year in spousal support by a woman I did not live with and a sixfigure demand for child-support for her child of a previous relationship.” “During this time, I have followed my legal counsel’s advice to remain silent while the complainant actively sought out media and purchased social media advertising to falsely portray herself as a victim.”
BC govt delays some school upgrades due to shortage of capital cash The B.C. government has deferred at least seven school projects due to a lack of capital cash. The projects put on hold are a new school in Fernie, seismic upgrades in Vancouver for False Creek Elementary, Killarney Secondary and David Thompson Secondary, an upgrade to Pitt Meadows Secondary, and the building of a new secondary school in Mission. “The uncertainty is the deferment,” Mission School Board chair Tracy Loffler said. “We don’t know if it is a one-year deferment or a 10-year deferment, especially knowing the urgency we need this school built.” The province says it is spending more than $3.1 billion over the next three years to build and upgrade schools, including nearly $1 billion to fast-track seismic upgrades. But due to the pandemic and last year’s floods, the province has fewer capital
funds available than originally expected. The province recently informed school districts if their projects were deferred or will go ahead. “There are times where we need to rejig and reprioritize our capital list,” education minister Jennifer Whiteside said. “These situations come when the priorities change and another project becomes more urgent.” But critics are quick to point to the government’s own priorities. The province has committed to spending $1 billion on a new Royal BC Museum and Archives building. The investment only makes up one per cent of the province’s capital investments, but the BC Greens say it is money that could be spent elsewhere.
Traditional Indian Ayurveda effectively treats type 2 diabetes, study suggests
E
xperts have suggested that several traditional medicines widely used in South Asia can be effective in helping patients with type 2 diabetes manage their condition. The study reviewed how medicines used in Ayurveda – a traditional medical system used in South Asian countries – are effective in controlling the blood sugar levels of people with type 2 diabetes. Other benefits of the medicines include positive effects on body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and other diabetes-related symptoms. Researchers from the University of Nottingham conducted the first comprehensive review on any traditional medicine, including Ayurveda, for this study. The team, led by Dr Kaushik Chattopadhyay, associate professor in evidence-based healthcare at the university, examined a range of sources, including 18 electronic databases. In total, 219 articles were included in the review, which represented 199 randomised controlled trials involving 21,191 participants and 98 Ayurvedic medicines. The study, which was published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology, reviewed Ayurvedic medicines containing plant, animal or mineral-origin ingredients, both single and in combinations. According to the
researchers, the traditional medicines is commonly used by South Asian patients “as it fits with their health beliefs and culture”. Use of Ayurvedic medicines yields high levels of acceptability, satisfaction and perceived relief, particularly among rural, poor, older, and indigenous communities. Ayurveda therapies include herbal medicines, medical oils, specialised diets, meditation, yoga, and massages. Dr Chattopadhyay said: “This is the first time a thorough review has taken place looking at all these medicines on a much larger scale. “The current evidence suggests the benefits of a range of Ayurvedic medicines in improving glycemic control in type 2 patients.” He added: “Given the limitations of the available evidence and to strengthen the evidence base, high quality randomised controlled trials should be conducted and reported. “As part of the funded project, we have developed a clinical guideline for managing type 2 diabetes by Ayurvedic practitioners based on this evidence and will be evaluating it.”
LOCAL / NATIONAL
Saturday, June 11, 2022
Dutch man accused of cyberbullying BC teen Amanda Todd pleads not guilty The Dutch man accused of tormenting B.C. teen Amanda Todd before she took her own life a decade ago pleaded not guilty to all charges in B.C. Supreme Court on Monday. Aydin Coban was extradited to Canada in 2020 on allegations he harassed and extorted the 15-year-old prior to her death in 2012. “For me, this is Amanda being able to share her voice. She made this happen. I’m overwhelmed because the day is finally here,” said Todd’s mother, Carol Todd, outside the courtroom on Monday morning. Coban is charged with extortion, possession of child pornography, communication with a young person to commit a sexual offence and criminal harassment. Dressed in a dark collared shirt with his grey hair combed back, he sat silently in the prisoner’s box in the New Westminster courthouse, speaking only to plead not guilty to all counts. Justice Martha Devlin spent Monday morning laying out court protocols and standards of evidence for the 12-member jury. The trial is scheduled to run 35 days. A court sketch of Aydin Coban on his first day in B.C. Supreme Court in New Wesminster on June 6, 2022.
View image in full screen A court sketch of Aydin Coban on his first day in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster on June 6, 2022. Coban is charged with extortion, possession of child pornography, communication with a young person to commit a sexual offence and criminal harassment in the high-profile Amanda Todd case. Credit: Felicity Don Crown alleges ‘sextortion’ Click to play video: ‘Trial begins in B.C. for Dutch man accused of cyberbullying Amanda Todd’ 2:45 Trial begins in B.C. for Dutch man accused of cyberbullying Amanda Todd Trial begins in B.C. for Dutch man accused of cyberbullying Amanda Todd In her opening statement, prosecutor Louise Kenworthy laid out the Crown’s theory, telling the jury she would prove Coban used a network of 22 different social media accounts to mount a campaign of harassment and extortion against Todd, grouped into four major “episodes” between 2009 and 2012. “Amanda was the victim of a persistent campaign of online sextortion,” Kenworthy said.
Surrey has most crimes in Canada on the Global crime index and 40 as being low, crime levels between 40 and 60 as being moderate, crime levels between 60 and 80 as being high and finally crime levels higher than 80 as being very high.” Numbeo global crime index At the very top of the list was Caracas, Venezuela, with a crime index of 84.27. Out of 459 cities ranked on the index, 45 Canadian cities were listed in total. Lethbridge and Red Deer rounded out the top three worst in Canada.
Surrey man reported missing, last seen in Vernon Vernon RCMP are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing man. Carlos Ely Palmer of Surrey was last seen in Vernon on May 26. Police and Palmer’s family are concerned for his well-being, RCMP say. Palmer, 38, is described as
a Hispanic male, five feet 10 inches tall, 161 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. If you have seen or heard from Palmer, you are urged to contact your local police or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
3211 - 152 st., Unit 205, Surrey, BC, V3S 3M1
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Indigenous group, BC RCMP meet over alleged hit and run at residential school march The head of an Indigenous group says members have met with the RCMP in Chilliwack, B.C., to discuss how police plan to proceed after the driver of a pickup truck allegedly hit four people participating in a memorial march. Garett Dan, captain of the British Columbia chapter of the Crazy Indians Brotherhood, says the meeting at the Cheam First Nation band office went on for about four hours and got “out of hand” at one point as everyone sat in a circle.
Dan says there was anger over the alleged actions of a 77-year-old man who turned himself in on Monday, two days after some members of the group were allegedly hit while marching along a highway to draw attention to survivors of residential schools. He says Andrew Victor, chief of the Cheam First Nation, began the meeting where eight members of the brotherhood met with four RCMP officers, including an inspector and sergeant, from both the Chilliwack and Mission detachments.
Nanaimo RCMP issue warrant for arrest of violent offender An arrest warrant has been A issued A for aA violent offender charged with forcible confinement, assault with a weapon and theft. Ordway, 37, of Nanaimo appeared in court in February 2021 to face the charges and was released into the community. “Shortly afterwards, Ordway breached his court-ordered release conditions,” which led to a warrant for his arrest, said Nanaimo RCMP Const. Gary O’Brien in a news release.
Ordway is white, 5-foot-10, 150 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. Anyone with information on his whereabouts are asked to call the RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345. Note: The photo provided by police is recent. More news, fewer ads: Our in-depth journalism is possible thanks to the support of our subscribers. For just $3.50 per week, you can get unlimited, ad-lite access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites.
Extreme heat emergencies to be added to BC alert system The B.C. government is launching the BC Heat Alert and Response System to more directly inform the public of extreme weather events. On Monday, the province announced that extreme heat emergencies will be added to the province’s Alert Ready system, which issues public safety alerts through TV and radio broadcasters, as well as mobile devices, for floods, wildfires, potential tsunamis and Amber Alerts. “Last summer’s unprecedented heat dome tragically resulted in hundreds of fatalities
– making it clear we need to do more to be better prepared for future extreme heat events,” Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said. “We’ve developed a new heat framework so we’re ready for the next heat event, and we are ready to issue Broadcast Intrusive alerts for extreme heat emergencies to ensure people are aware.” The province has been under intense pressure to act after the BC Coroners Service concluded 595 people died from “heat-related deaths” in the province between June 18 and Aug. 12, 2021.
8-year-old boy’s family on review of care at Abbotsford hospital before he died Abbotsford mother Cinzia Rossi will never forget the “blood-curdling” screams made by her eight-year-old son in the 48 hours leading up to his death. During that timeframe, Jaxon Glubis had vomited violently, gripped his head in unbearable pain, gone unconscious, and told a doctor he couldn’t feel the right side of his head. “I’ve grown up with a history of headaches. This was not a headache. This was a rupture,” Rossi told Global News. “It’s like it was a hit-and-run. He was injured by negligence.” It was one day after he was sent home from the Abbotsford Regional Hospital without the CT scan his mother said she pressed for, but with the doctor’s instructions
to return if his symptoms got worse. Last month, Jaxon’s parents filed a complaint to the Fraser Health Authority’s Patient Quality Care Office. The results they received on June 3 are a “gross misrepresentation” of what happened, they alleged. “They were outright lies,” said Rossi. “It’s retraumatizing over and over and over again … There was no accountability, there’s no recourse. It makes me so angry.” The letter from the Patient Quality Care officer states that Fraser Health undertook a review of Jaxon’s files, including his medical chart, and the policies and procedures that applied to his care. Officials met with his care team and doctors who were not involved in
Ontario doctor billed for 42,000 tests he didn’t do, investigation finds A Toronto doctor billed for tens of thousands of tests authorities say he never performed, and subjected other patients to scores of unnecessary procedures, CTV News has learned. The case illustrates what critics say are weaknesses in the province’s ability to find suspect claims and recover millions lost to those who could be bilking the medical system. Dr. Ayokunle Fagbemigun was among the top billers in Ontario for several procedures at his second-floor office in North Etobicoke, but never actually acquired the materials to perform many of them, a disciplinary decision says. The doctor also administered to patients several tests they didn’t need, didn’t have documents to back up his decisions to provide them and couldn’t explain why he was drug testing patients as young as nine
years old, and offering another patient eight pregnancy tests in a year, even though she was not sexually active. “Dr. Fagbemigun billed for services he did not provide and took referral fees for referrals to a cardiac care provider. He put inaccurate information in patient charts and sent his patients for unnecessary tests that could cause them anxiety, time and inconvenience,” said the Ontario Physicians and Surgeons Discipline Tribunal in a decision issued in March. “He did this for his own financial gain, at the cost of his patients’ care and the public health care system. He intentionally received many thousands of dollars to which he was not entitled,” the decision read. Reached at his office in Etobicoke, Dr. Fagbemigun opened the door, and then waved away a reporter and photographer with CTV News Investigates. His secretary, in a phone call, confirmed the doctor
Saturday, June 11, 2022
Gordon said this atmospheric river will not stall over our area for more than 24 hours as the South Coast is expecting to receive between 20 to 45 millimetres of rain while the Interior could receive five to 15 millimetres of rain. Gordon said the Liard River from Fort Nelson to Watson Lake, Yukon, could be an area of concern as heavy rain will hit that area later Thursday and into Friday morning. “The Liard River is under flood warning with flooding expected Friday into the weekend,”
she added. The Cariboo Mountains and surrounding tributaries flowing westward, including the Quesnel and Horsefly rivers, are now under a flood watch. “Rainfall and snowmelt across the region has led to on-going rises in rivers draining from the Cariboo Mountains,” said B.C.’s River Forecast Centre staff. “Significant snowpack remains in the mountains.”
BC Ferries fined more than $600,000 after worker dies on the job BC Ferries has been fined more than $600,000 by WorkSafeBC after one of its workers died on the job. In June 2020, an employee was working in the fleet maintenance unit in Richmond when he fell into the water. WorkSafeBC said the worker leaned onto and over a panel of fabric webbing and was attempting to retrieve an item floating in the water. The fabric webbing broke away and the worker fell into the water and drowned. Following an investigation, WorkSafeBC determined the worker had not been wearing a personal flotation device and “the fabric webbing panels were insufficient at controlling the hazard of falling into the water below.” WorkSafeBC also found there had
not been a safe work plan developed for retrieving objects that had fallen in the water. “Thefirmfailedtoensurethehealthandsafety of all workers at its worksite,” WorkSafeBC said. “The firm also failed to provide its workers with the information, instruction, training, and supervision necessary to ensure their health and safety. These were both high-risk violations.” BC Ferries was fined $674,445.92. In a statement to Global News. BC Ferries said “We know that this tragedy has been a devastating loss to the family, our colleague’s co-workers and all employees. The health and safety of our employees is our number one priority and we fully cooperated with police and WorkSafeBC in their investigations.”
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Influenza cases in Canada see rare spring surge amid eased COVID-19 restrictions The easing of public health restrictions that were aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 has lead to a surge in cases of another virus, experts say. Since the start of April, Canada has seen a sharp increase in cases of influenza, something not typically seen in the spring. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) most recent FluWatch report, there were 1,580 laboratory-confirmed cases of the flu between May 22 and May 28. This is down from the peak of 2,121 flu cases seen during the week of May 8 to 14, but PHAC warns that the number of flu cases “remains above the epidemic threshold.”
Last year, the period between May 23 and June 19 saw just one laboratory-confirmed flu case. Prior to the pandemic, a fiveweek period in May and June 2019 saw 864 laboratory-confirmed cases, an average of 172.8 cases per week. Toronto-based emergency room physician Dr. Lisa Salamon says she’s also noticed more patients with the flu in her practice, particularly children. “I’m really seeing influenza a lot in children. A lot of kids are coming through the emergency department with various upper respiratory tract infections, fevers and lasting quite a few days,” she told CTV’s Your Morning on Tuesday.
Post about Dr. Bonnie Henry’s lottery win taken down after negative tweets The Victoria Hospitals Foundation says it removed a post about provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry winning a prize in a fundraising lottery on Friday “because it fuelled so much unnecessary hate.” Henry had won an early-bird prize of two e-bikes in the May 10 draw — using a random number generator — for a lottery benefiting the $10-million Emerge Stronger fundraising drive to buy more than 200 pieces of equipment for Victoria hospitals. A Twitter post from the foundation included a photograph of Henry wearing a bike helmet with the e-bikes. More than 4,200 tickets were sold in the lottery. Avery Brohman, the foundation’s CEO, said Monday that information about lottery winners is regularly posted for “full transparency.” In this case, however, “instantaneously, we received negative tweets that were not
factual or true, so we decided to take the post down, because it wasn’t serving a benefit.” In many replies to the post, Henry is criticized for not preventing enough infections, hospitalizations and deaths. The foundation was also rapped for a perception of conflict of interest, although it’s an independent charity that raises funds for medical equipment, special projects, education and research at Victoria’s two main hospitals
Grad 2022 Photo: iStock.com/kali9
Atmospheric river hits BC Thursday, prompting more flooding concerns
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Congratulations to the class of 2022! Despite many challenges these past few years, you kept going and should be proud of what you’ve achieved.
Our very best wishes for a successful future! A message from your teachers, members of the Surrey Teachers’ Association
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Saturday, June 11, 2022
Advertorial
Balmoral launches pro-bono campaign to rally Asian-Canadian communities in support of the Indigenous Spirit Fund
President, Sharifa Khan says this work honours the historic, symbiotic relationship of Chinese and Indigenous communities, and gives back to the Native Child and Family Services of Toronto
– Sharifa Khan, founder and president of Balmoral Multicultural Marketing, Canada’s largest and longest-running ethnic marketing agency launched a pro-bono campaign with her team today to support the Native Child and Family Services of Toronto’s Indigenous Spirit Fund. This fund, established in 2018, gives Canadians an opportunity to work together with Toronto’s Indigenous communities for the preservation, revitalization, and strengthening of Indigenous children and families. “This may not be widely known across the country, but Chinese-Canadians and First Nations have had a deeply-rooted and meaningful shared history – they supported each other, reciprocally sharing foods, building community, and surviving together against colonial oppression,” said Khan. “Today, we have an opportunity to honour this ancestral lineage and tangibly practice Reconciliation by donating to this Indigenous Spirit Fund.” The Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, which administers the Indigenous Spirit Fund is a multi-service ubran Aboriginal non-profit agency that provides holistic, culture-based programs and services for Aboriginal children and families. Its mission is to provide a life of quality, wellbeing, caring and healing for the children and families it serves. Balmoral’s pro-bono campaign is focused on building awareness and raising money for The Indigenous Spirit Fund with its multicultural audiences. Khan has been personally supporting The Native Child and Family Services of Toronto for many years
too. Prior to the pandemic, Khan organized golf tournaments two-years running that brought leaders together from the Chinese community to raise over $70,000 for the Indigenous Spirit Fund. This year, the golf tournament will be back again, and there will be more information in the coming months. “It has been an honour to work with Sharifa, the Balmoral team and the Asian community over the years, and I can tell you from first-hand experience, your donations have an incredible direct and positive impact on our Indigenous children and youth in our city,” said Kenn Richard, Executive Director, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto. “We are grateful for our longstanding relationship with this community.” The Indigenous Spirit Fund offers several programs to Indigenous People, including: On the Land – Culture Camps for Indigenous children and youth, designed to give this next generation a stronger cultural identify and sense of belonging. It offers Culture Programs to help maintain and strengthen Indigenous languages and cultures, engaging with Elders and Knowledge Carriers. It helps those who may have grown up feeling disconnected from or unaware of their rich Indigenous cultural backgrounds to re-connect and access their culture, and strengthen their identities.
Rajinikanth, SRK attend Nayanthara-Vignesh Shivan’s wedding One of the biggest celebrity weddings of Kollywood — of actor Nayanthara and filmmaker Vignesh Shivan, was held on Thursday, June 9. According to reports, the couple tied the knot at 9.30 am on Thursday. The ceremony was attended by several high profile celebrities including superstar Rajinikanth. Actor Shah Rukh Khan, who is set to team up with Nayanthara in director Atlee’s next titled Jawan, was also seen at the wedding. The actor’s manager took to social media on Wednesday to share photos of him from the wedding. Donning an all-beige ensemble with black sunglasses, Shah Rukh Khan can be seen sporting a stylish look in the photo. Photos of Shah Rukh Khan and Atlee’s images from the wedding have also gone viral online. Atlee is seen wearing a pastel green
kurta with Nehru jacket. His outfit falls in line with the dress code that was reportedly chosen for the wedding — ethnic pastels. Photos of other celebrities who attended the wedding have also gone viral online. Photos of actors Karthi and Vasanth Ravi, producer Boney kapoor, Thalaivii fame director Vijay, and Television host Dhivya Dharshini (DD),
I made my choices and my kids can make their - Sunny Leone Sunny Leone has been active in showbiz in India for a decade. While she has been sinking her teeth into different avenues in the entertainment space — movies, anchoring on TV, dancing and doing music videos — she has also turned entrepreneur in the field of lifestyle. However, in the thick of all of this, Sunny has always managed to be a hands-on parent, shouldering equal responsibility for her three kids — Nisha, Noah and Asher — along with her husband Daniel Weber. And the actress believes that what kids really need is having their parents around them and having the freedom to make
Star & Style
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Kangana Ranaut’s new, second Manali home Kangana Ranaut has shared a glimpse of her second new home made of river stone in Manali. She tagged it as “authentic, typically mountain style made of river stone, local slates and wood.” Kangana shared a motley of pictures of her home on Instagram. She also shared a photograph of herself from her balcony. She captioned: “Here is something for all design enthusiasts, who love the decor and are curious about mountain architecture which is local but ancient and deeply traditional.” “I built a new home it’s an extension of my existing house in Manali but this time kept it authentic, typically mountain style made of river stones, local slates, and wood. I have also incorporated Himachali paintings, weaves, rugs, embroideries, and wooden karigiri. Have a look, also these pictures are clicked by an incredibly talented Himachali photographer @photovila1.”
On the work front, Kangana will be next seen in a political drama ‘Emergency’. She also has ‘Tejas’ where she will be playing an
Indian Air Force pilot. She had also announced ‘Manikarnika Returns: The legend of Didda’ and ‘Sita: The Incarnation’ as her upcoming projects.
Kamal Haasan gifts his own ‘Rolex’ watch to actor Suriya Kamal Haasan gifted his own Rolex watch to actor Suriya for his power-packed performance in the just-released action thriller ‘Vikram’. Suriya, who appears at the fag end of the film, interestingly plays a character
called ‘Rolex’ in the film. Director Lokesh Kanakaraj and Kamal Haasan, who are delighted with the overwhelming response to their film which is smashing box office records, called on Suriya at his residence to thank him for his contribution to the film.
Kshama Bindu gets married to self in ‘1st sologamy in India’ The priest who had earlier agreed to perform the riruals at Kshama Bindu’s wedding with herself backed out after BJP leader Sunita Shukla said she will not allow the wedding to happen at the temple. Kshama Bindu got married on Wednesday at her residence after she faced resistance against her earlier plan of getting married at a temple.  Kshama Bindu got married on Wednesday at her residence after she faced resistance
against her earlier plan of getting married at a temple. Kshama Bindu who created a row by announcing her plan to marry herself in the first-ever sologamy in India has got married in a private ceremony at her residence on Wednesday, instead of the much-publicised date June 11, to steer clear of controversy. No priest was present to solemnise the wedding, reports said. Also Read: Sologamy: Gujarat woman to marry herself on June 11
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Mahima Chaudhry talks about her battle with cancer Mahima Chaudhary has been diagnosed with breast cancer. In an Instagram post on Thursday, veteran actor Anupam Kher, who is said to be working with her on a project, shared a brief about her health. During the 1990s, Mahima involved herself in a few modelling assignments before appearing in several television commercials and venturing into films. Her acting debut in the 1997 film Pardes gave her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. In addition to establishing a career with several roles in films including Daag (1999), Dhadkan (2000), Kurukshetra (2000), Dil Hai Tumhaara (2002), receiving critical recognition for her performances in Dil Kya Kare (1999) and Lajja (2001) she also appeared in several TV ads, of which the most famous was for Pepsi, with Aamir Khan and Aishwarya Rai.
Sharing a video of the actor, Anupam Kher captioned it saying: “Story of Mahima Chaudhry’s courage and cancer. I called Mahima Chaudhry a month back from the US to play a very important role in my 525th film The Signature. Our conversation turned to her discovering that she has breast cancer. What followed is in this candid conversation between us. Her attitude will give hope to so many women all over the world. She wanted me to be part of her disclosing it. She calls me an eternal optimist but dearest Mahima.” In the video, Mahima was seen sharing how Anupam Kher got to know about her cancer and how she had not shared the news with anyone. The actor at one point broke into tears when she was recalling how she asked Kher if she can show up on set with wig on.
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New Brunswick loses status as Canada’s most affordable province to buy a house Soaring real estate prices over the last three years have cost New Brunswick its status as the cheapest province in Canada to buy a house. That title now belongs to Saskatchewan. According to data compiled by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and released last month, the calculated benchmark price of a home sold in New Brunswick in April, including houses, townhouses and condominiums, reached $313,700. That is 34.2 per cent higher than one year earlier and nearly double prices in the province from three years ago. This multi family home on Saint John’s west side sold for $115,000 in November, 2020. After renovations, it is back on the market with a $404,000 asking price. (Robert Jones/CBC News) New Brunswick home sales in 2022 have not been as frenzied as in 2021 with deals running about 17 per cent below last year’s record levels but most everything that is listed is selling
and prices have remained strong, according to Saint John real estate agent Marcus Power. “The number of buyers have slowed down, but there’s still multiple offers on every listing,” said Power. “I’m writing offers that are getting turned down every day.” New Brunswick’s housing market became energized during the COVID-19 pandemic with thousands of Canadians moving east in search of cheaper housing, more space or a different lifestyle. Thousands of immigrants also arrived from abroad generating the most significant population growth in the province in more than 40 years. Statistics Canada now estimates 804,000 people are living in New Brunswick, up 31,000 in the last three years. The influx created an intense demand for housing that has driven up both the cost of owning a house and renting an apartment.
Remarkable Lake Country townhouse project catches buyers’ attention range in size from 1,600 to 1,900 square feet— Lakeside Estates— Remarkable Okanagan living. The level of interest in this remarkable new townhome development in Lake Country is not surprising the seasoned real estate professionals marketing the project. In the first 30 days that the townhomes at Lakeside Estates, at 3041 Woodsdale Road, have been available for purchase, 24 of the 44 townhomes available have already sold. “The level of sales in just 30 days is great, over 50% of the project was sold in May,” says Don Warkentin of Fortune Marketing Inc., noting the affordability, location, high-quality finishings, size of the townhomes, low 10 per cent deposit and the fact construction has already started are all very appealing to buyers. With prices starting at $695,900 for the threelevel, three-bedroom townhouses—which
the homes are perfect for families looking to enjoy the lifestyle the Okanagan offers. It’s the perfect Okanagan location – set amid sparkling blue lakes, and just steps from Wood Lake (and dog beach). The Okanagan Rail Trail is nearby, as well as numerous world class wineries. Buyers love the convenient access to the shopping hub nearby for their shopping essentials. With Kelowna just a short 10-minute drive away and quick access to Kelowna International Airport and UBCO campus, these townhomes offer some of the best value in the local real estate market today. “These carefully crafted townhomes set in idyllic Lake Country are ideal for firsttime homebuyers with only a 10% deposit required when you purchase and the balance when you move in,” Warkentin says.
Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society of BC South Asian Adults and Seniors - Playing Cards in Groups to preserve Mental Health & In Person Yoga Classes at Shanti Niketan Hall. Playing Cards on 12th June 2022(1.30 pm to 3.00 pm) & Yoga on 13th June 2022 (Monday) & 16th June 2022 (Thursday) 10.00 am to 11.15 am. Pure vegetarian lunch will be served to all senior participants on Thursdays after the yoga class at around 11.30 am. Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society of BC invites South Asian Adults and Senior members to join and play Cards in groups of Four to preserve Mental Health, to make a positive change to the brain (Memory) and for Socialization on 12th June 2022 (Sunday) from 1.30 pm to 3.00 pm at Shant Niketan hall. Please use facemask and keep the social distance while seating for personal & other’s safety, Please use Hand Sanitizer, it is kept for all of you. Tea and light snacks will be served after the Playing Cards game is over. Yoga Classes in person are going on at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Temple 8321 - 140th street Surrey V3W 5K9 BC. Yoga classes will be conducted by Mrs. Gunwant Kaur Chana expert Yoga Instructor on 13th June 2022 (Monday) & 16th June 2022 (Thursday) both days from 10.00 am to 11.15 am. Members already vaccinated both the doses against COVID - 19 should join, and they should bring a facemask, a Yoga mat with them and follow social distance for placing the yoga mat. Project funded by Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program for Hindi speaking seniors. Contact Surendra Handa Coordinator , Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre, Lakshmi Narayan Temple, 8321 - 140th street Surrey V3W5K9, BC - Ph: 604 - 507 - 9945
Vancouver woman accused of fraud in real estate ‘fixing and flipping’ scheme B.C.’s securities regulator is alleging that a Vancouver woman and her company illegally raised more than $1 million from investors, operated a fraudulent real estate flipping scheme and obstructed an investigation into their activities. Cherie Evangeline White is scheduled for a hearing before the B.C. Securities Commission (BCSC) on July 14 to face allegations of fraud, illegal distribution of securities and obstruction of justice, according to a public notice. White was the sole director of KingdomInvestments2015 Inc., formerly known as KingdomRealty Inc. and Kingdom Investments Inc., and promised high returns from “fixing and flipping” and the “buying and
holding” of real estate, according to the BCSC. Between 2016 and 2019, White and her company are accused of raising $1.25 million from 24 investors by distributing securities without a prospectus or a prospectus exemption.She and her company allegedly told nine investors in 2017 and 2018 that their funds would be used for high-return real estate investments. Instead, the BCSC alleges $176,000 of the money was used to repay other investors and a personal loan. White allegedly raised another $100,000 from two investors in August 2018 without informing them the company was defaulting on its payments.
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Real Estate Housing downturn definitely underway in Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley
The rising cost of living in BC:
What’s going on and how should we respond? The cost of living is going up and is putting strains on household finances. BC’s headline inflation rate hit 6.7% in April, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Most of the policy response to rising inflation has emphasized the Bank of Canada raising interest rates to cool down the economy. However, much of the inflation we are seeing is externally driven, due to supply chain impacts of war, COVID and natural disasters. Higher gas and food prices won’t go away just because the Bank of Canada raises overnight interest rates somewhat. Nor is the domestic economy overheated. Nationally, research from the CCPA’s David Macdonald found that two-thirds of workers have had wage increases that have not kept up with inflation. Unemployment rates in BC and nationally are consistent with levels between 2017 to 2019. Breaking down the recent spike in the CPI, three areas stand out: transportation, housing and food. Transportation costs are up 9.5% over the past year, but at the pump prices are more like 40% higher. Due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine world market prices for crude oil have shot up,
and this is reflected in higher pump prices.Oil and gas companies in particular have made out like bandits with massive profits, showing that not everyone loses from inflation. Following on the federal budget’s push for windfall profits taxes on Canadian banks, these taxes could be applied more broadly, to
oil and gas in particular, at a time when corporate profits are at record levels. Higher gas and food prices won’t go away just because the Bank of Canada raises overnight interest rates. The United Kingdom recently announced such a windfall profits tax on oil and gas companies to be used to provide transfers to low- to moderate-income households. Higher food prices, up 8.1%, are attributable to the war in Ukraine, which is a major grain exporter, but also higher fertilizer and energy costs. Ensuring food security for vulnerable and low-income households should be a top priority for the BC government. A recent survey found one-quarter of Canadians.
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A downturn of the Lower Mainland’s housing market is now in “full swing” with not only home sales volumes and prices seeing a very clear downward trend, but building permits are now also sharply declining. Based on analyzing the newly released data from the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) and the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB), Central 1 chief economist Bryan Yu says the local housing market has entered a correction phase. In fact, May 2022 saw the third-fewest same-month units sold since 2011, only behind the hard-hit pandemic year of 2020 and the slightly lower volumes in May 2019. On a seasonally-adjusted basis, there was a 15% sales drop last month, adding to the consecutive similar drop in April. “The rapid decline reflects sharply higher borrowing costs and the expiration of preapproved rate commitments. Five-year fixed rates have surged above 4% and variable rates moved higher on Bank of Canada rate hikes,” reads Central 1’s new market update. “Affordability has been decimated as prospective buyers internalize both the highest
fixed rates in a decade and home prices which have surged 40% over two years. This has priced buyers out of the market while others are understandably nervous about market conditions and the risks of price declines after the recent run-up.” FVREB’s jurisdiction, which includes much of Metro Vancouver such as Surrey and Delta, experienced a much deeper retraction in May 2022, compared to REBGV. At the same time, a growing number of new listings is allowing the market to rebalance itself, following the previous lows in recent years due to high demand. The sales-toactive-listings ratio falling to 26% represents the lowest ratio since the middle of 2020 and is approaching the balanced market range.
Typical mortgage payment could be 30% higher in 5 years, Bank of Canada warns High house prices and debt loads associated with them are a major vulnerability to Canada’s economy, the Bank of Canada said Thursday, warning buyers who bought during the pandemic that the impact of even slightly higher mortgage rates could be dramatic. In its Financial System Review, the central bank said that while the country’s financial
system is strong and weathered the pandemic well, the economy remains vulnerable because of elevated debt levels tied to the country’s increasingly expensive housing market. “Even as the average household is in better financial shape, more Canadians have stretched to buy a house during the pandemic,” Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem
said Thursday. “And these households are more exposed to higher interest rates and the potential for housing prices to decline.” The bank said that assessing risks related to high household debt levels has become more complex, but overall “the vulnerability has increased.” Roughly two thirds of Canadians are home
#106 - 7565 132 St. Surrey, BC 604.572.3005
owners, and about half of them own their homes outright while the remaining have some sort of mortgage debt attached to it. Home prices increased by about 50 per cent, on average, during the pandemic, as low rates allowed buyers to qualify for larger loans while still keeping the ongoing payments relatively affordable.
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INDIA
Saturday, June 11, 2022
‘Mohan Bhagwat no shankaracharya’ — why many Hindu priests are upset with RSS chief Referring to the ongoing controversy over Varanasi’s iconic Gyanvapi masjid, Mohan Bhagwat had said last week that there was ‘no need to search for a Shivling in every mosque’. RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat’s statement last week, that there is “no need to search for a Shivling (one of the forms in which the Hindu deity Shiva is worshipped) in every mosque”, has made him a controversial figure among many Hindu priests and Hindutva groups and individuals, who choose to disagree with him. Bhagwat was speaking on the ongoing legal tussle involving the Gyanvapi mosque, which stands adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, and where a Shivling has allegedly been found. “He (Bhagwat) is no shankaracharya. Let him speak what he thinks. We don’t want politicians,” Mahant Kulpati Tiwari, a former priest at the Kashi Vishwanath temple, told ThePrint. Shankaracharyas, or the heads of maths of the four peethams or important seats of Hinduism under the Advaita Vedanta tradition, are revered by many Hindus, priests and saints across the country. “This is a matter of faith. When the BJP and the RSS are not fighting the case, why are
they saying that a temple is not required? We are only seeking our right to worship the deities present on the premises,” he said. Tiwari has filed a petition in a Varanasi court demanding that the premises of the Mughal-era Gyanvapi mosque be handed over to Hindus and they be allowed to worship the Shivling reportedly found inside it, a reference to a structure inside the mosque’s ‘wuzukhana (place for ablution)’ that the latter claims is a fountain. Swami Avimukteshwaranand, a prominent priest of the Dwarka peetham — one of the four seats — has been on an indefinite fast in Varanasi for the past four days, after he failed to offer prayers in front of the alleged Shivling. Meanwhile, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of the Govardhana peetham in Puri (Odisha), has said that no power in the world can deny the Hindus the right to re-consecrate the “value points (a reference he uses for places considered to be of religious importance) defiled or demolished by encroaching the limits of human rights (a reference to temple demolitions in historical times)”. Meanwhile, petitioners in the ongoing
Gyanvapi legal dispute, who have moved court for the right to worship Shringar Gauri and other Hindu deities whose idols have been carved onto the western wall of the Gyanvapi mosque, told ThePrint that if they got Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura, they are willing to “leave the others”. While a temple is already coming up at Ayodhya, believed to be the birthplace of the Hindu deity Ram, where the Babri mosque was demolished, Kashi is the site of the Gyanvapi mosque, which many historians say was built during the Aurangzeb era
With green hydrogen priced at $1 a kg, India hopes to spur clean energy use India wants global funders including the World Bank to structure guarantee programs to help access funds at low rates, said Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant India plans to slash the production costs of green hydrogen to $1 a kilogram from $5-$6 currently to encourage industries to use cleaner energy and wants access to cheaper loans to hep fund that transition, a senior government official said. The world’s third-largest carbon emitter put out a roadmap in February to become a hub for the production and export of
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after demolishing the Vishweshwar temple. In Mathura, the Shahi Idgah mosque was built in Aurangzeb’s time, again after the alleged demolition of a temple built at the site where Hindu deity Krishna is believed to have been born. Apart from this, petitions have been filed in court demanding the right to worship at Delhi’s iconic Qutub Minar — citing the presence of images and statues of Hindu and Buddhist deities at the site — and for the opening of sealed rooms inside the Taj Mahal to investigate the monument’s “real history”.
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INDIA
Saturday, June 11, 2022
Beaten & starved for having daughters: Who said gender bias was a thing of past? Bearing daughters is no longer seen as a curse for women, as long as you are part of a progressive family or manage to bear a son as well. From we don’t want daughters, the Indian society has seen a shift to we don’t mind daughters, with terms and conditions applied. What happens when these terms are not met? When a woman only bears daughters but no sons? That’s when we find out how prevalent gender bias is in our society, even today. A woman in Uttar Pradesh’s Mahoba district was allegedly beaten and starved by her husband and in-laws because she had two daughters and they wanted her to bear them a son. According to her, “My husband and in-laws tortured me for not conceiving a son. The harassment had increased after my second daughter was born.” After not being fed by her family the woman resorted to working as a labourer. UP woman beaten for having daughters A video has surfaced online in which two women can be seen assaulting her while she begs them to stop. According to Mahoba’s Superintendent of Police Sudha Singh, an FIR has been registered in the case and the woman has been admitted to a hospital for treatment. This is not an isolated incident. Every now and then we hear about incidents of abuse fueled by desperation for a son. We cannot generalise though. Parents are booking helicopter rides to welcome baby girls. Parents are leaving no stones unturned to ensure that their girls get all the opportunities that they can provide them. Yet, India is a
country of contrast, so tucked between these heartwarming stories of progress are crimes that underline that fact that for many Indian families girls can exist but boys are a mustbecause how else will the family name be carried forward? Who will fend for the parents in their old age? What about the dowry that the future daughter-in-law will bring? And the status and pride that a male child brings to a family? In March this year, a woman’s husband and in-laws allegedly assaulted her with a hot iron rod for giving birth to a baby girl. In 2020, A woman from Haryana reportedly killed her four daughters after she was pressured by her family to bear a male child. Then in 2018, a man allegedly broke his wife’s hands for giving birth to three daughters. Not just violence, the pressure to have a male child often puts women on the path of repeated pregnancies and child birth which could have long term consequences for their health. In 2017, it was reported that a woman from Karnataka birthed 11 daughters in a hope to have a male child. She did get “lucky” the twelfth time. Where there are government schemes to discourage incidents of female infanticide and early marriages. Well, beti has been saved, but is she loved as much as a beta? How many parents have a sense of fulfilment if they have daughters but no sons? Perhaps governments now need to teach us how to love our daughters and stop pining for sons. To accept, celebrate and love our children, not their gender.
Adani group figures in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary debate on electricity amendment bill; know why A renewable energy deal with India’s Adani group figured in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary debate on the Electricity Amendment bill, which was passed in Parliament on Thursday amid resistance from Opposition lawmakers and industry trade unions. The Opposition charged that an unsolicited government-to-government agreement to build a 500 MW wind power plant in the
northern coast with the involvement of the Adani Group was key to the amendments to the 1989 Act. The amendments to the Sri Lanka Electricity Act were passed with 120 votes in favour of the amendments against 36 in the 225-member Parliament amid strong resistance from power sector trade unions in the staterun Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).
Nupur Sharma, Owaisi, Naveen Jindal, Saba Naqvi among people booked over social media hate messages The Delhi police have registered an FIR against a number of people, who allegedly indulged in spreading hate messages, inciting various groups and creating situations detrimental to the maintenance of public order. According to officials in the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of Delhi Police, among those who are named in the FIR include Nupur Sharma, Asaddudin Owaisi, Naveen Kumar Jindal, Shadab Chauhan, Saba Naqvi, Maulana Mufti Nadeem, Abdur Rehman, Anil Kumar
Meena, Pooja Shakun and Gulzar Ansari. Later, Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO) KPS Malhotra told reporters that the FIR was against several individuals cutting across religions. The unit will investigate the roles of various social media entities in promoting false and wrong information with a view to creating unrest on the cyber space and that have ramifications on the physical space, thereby compromising with the social fabric of the country, Malhotra said.
The horror story of a teen from TN forced to be an egg donor many times She was only 12 years old, when her mother took her to a private fertility clinic in Erode. There, she was forced to undergo a procedure where her eggs were retrieved and in exchange, her mother received a considerable amount of money for it. Over the last four years, this girl was forced by her mother and her mother’s partner, to have her ovum/eggs retrieved, a staggering eight times, to fertility centres
located in Erode and neighbouring districts. According to Erode police, the fertility centres provided Rs 20,000 to the victim’s mother and Rs 5,000 to an agent who is a friend of the victim’s mother, for each forced retrieval. The now 16-year-old girl’s mother, her partner and her friend from Erode district, Tamil Nadu were all arrested by Erode South police for forcing the girl to give up
Saturday, June 11, 2022
Deadly heat wave in India and Pakistan was 30x more likely due to climate change, scientists say The climate crisis made the heat wave that took lives and smashed records in India and Pakistan this spring around 30 times more likely. That’s the conclusion drawn by an international team of scientists from World Weather Attribution, who use a peer-reviewed method to determine the role of the climate crisis in extreme weather events. In a report released May 2022, they found that the heat wave would have been around a full degree Celsius cooler before the industrial era. “Climate change is a real game changer when it comes to heat waves,” report coauthor and Imperial College London climate scientist Friederike Otto told The New York Times. “It’s really a major factor.” The period of prolonged heat gave India its hottest March since record-keeping began 122 years ago, according to the report. Pakistan, meanwhile, saw the world’s highest March temperature anomaly. The month was also unusually dry, with 62 percent less rainfall than normal in Pakistan and 71 percent less rainfall in India. The hot, dry weather continued into April, impacting 70 percent of India by the end of that month. And so far, May has brought no relief. “High temperatures are common in India and Pakistan, but what made this unusual was
that it started so early and lasted so long,” study co-author Krishna AchutaRao of the Centre for Atmospheric Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi told USA TODAY. Determining the likelihood of such a rare event was made difficult by the fact that indepth temperature records for both countries only go back to 1979, the report authors said. They combined this data-set with one in India dating back to 1951 to determine that the heat wave was a one-in-100 year event. They then compared on-the-ground observations with 20 climate models to determine that the climate crisis made the event around 30 times more likely; however, they acknowledged this figure might be conservative. Indeed, the UK’s Met Office calculated earlier this month that the climate crisis made the heat wave more than 100 times more likely. Otto told The Washington Post that this was within the range of uncertainty for the more recent study. The study also serves as a reminder of the human impacts of the climate crisis. While its full toll is yet unknown, the heat wave has already claimed at least 90 lives, triggered glacial flooding in Pakistan, fueled wildfires in India, forced India to go back on its plan to bolster global wheat supply in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and deprived millions of power.
India could import even more Russian oil under new agreement India’s state-run oil refiners are in talks to increase imports of Russian crude, Bloomberg first reported. The move aims to take advantage of cheap oil from the Kremlin in light of its invasion of Ukraine, which is pushing international buyers away from doing business with the heavily-sanctioned country. Russia became India’s fourth-largest oil provider in April. Refiners are looking at six-month contracts with Rosneft PJSC, Russia’s top state-run producer, on a delivery basis with India handling insurance and shipping. India’s state-run refiners include Indian Oil Corp., Hindustan Petroleum
and Bharat Petroleum. Rosneft partially owns some of India’s private refiners including Reliance Industries and Nayara Energy. Sanctions from the US and UK have pummeled the Russian economy but have not been able to shut Russian oil out of the market, and India has been able to amass stockpiles at large discounts. The panic over global oil supplies and gas prices has pushed President Biden to plead with Saudi Arabia and other OPEC countries to increase output to make up for the Russian embargo. But Russia still reported a 50% increase in revenues despite global condemnation, signalling the country is still finding ample buyers.
INDIA
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Saturday, June 11, 2022
Mitsubishi to establish new electric cars factory in India Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced it will invest approximately INR 2.2 billion in its subsidiary Mitsubishi Electric India to establish a new factory in India. Expected to start operations in December 2023, the new factory will manufacture inverters and other factory
automation (FA) control system products, expanding the company’s capabilities to meet the growing demand in India. The Indian market is expanding at an annual rate of about 8 per cent mainly in industries such as automobiles, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, data centers and textiles, with further market expansion expected in the future.
India brought down to its knees, PM’s photos stuck on garbage bins: Uddhav Thackeray on Prophet row Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that India was “brought down to its knees and was forced to apologise” by the Arab countries, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photos were stuck on garbage bins, because of Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘tinpot spokespersons’ who spoke against Prophet Muhammad. Addressing a rally in Aurangabad, BJP brought shame to country because of the
controversial remarks made by the party spokesperson on Prophet Muhammad. “Why did they need to make comments on the Prophet Mohammed? Just as our gods are dear to us, they also revere their gods.... Why should you show hatred towards any other religions.... India is now facing protests in all Muslim countries and the PM’s photos are stuck on garbage bins, bringing shame to the country,” Thackeray exhorted during the rally.
Found Rs2.85 cr cash, gold coins in Satyendar Jain raids, says ED. Arvind Kejriwal responds The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has recovered ₹2.85 crore in cash and 133 gold coins during raids on Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain and his associates including a jewellery shop in connection with a money-laundering probe, the agency said in a statement on Tuesday.
Six or seven places, including Jain’s residence and a jewellery shop in southeast Delhi were searched by ED on Monday following the Delhi minister’s arrest last week. Tuesday’s ED statement did not give a break-up of the seizures from various locations.
Gupta brothers arrested in UAE on corruption charges, confirms South Africa The South African government on Monday said that law enforcement authorities in the UAE have arrested Rajesh Gupta and Atul Gupta of the Gupta family. It remains unclear why the third brother — Ajay — was not arrested. The Gupta brothers are accused in South Africa of using their relationship with former president Jacob Zuma to profit financially and influence senior appointments, charges that they have vehemently denied.
In 2018, the Gupta family went into selfexile in Dubai after looting billions of rands from parastatal institutions in South Africa, authorities said. Best of Express P r e m i u m UPSC Key-June 9, 2022: Why increase in Repo Rate, Running Inflation, or F...Premium UPSC Key-June 9, 2022: Why increase in Repo Rate, Running Inflation, or F... ‘Our time has come,’ says Punjab BJP with Sunil Jakhar by its...Premium
Billionaire Ambani has a $6.3 billion prescription for boots Private equity firm Apollo Global Management Inc. and Reliance Industries Ltd. Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani have made a firm offer for the Boots chemical chain. If they can strike a deal, the consortium has a good chance of making a decent return on the British high street stalwart. But the cure for Boots won’t be cheap or easy.The formal proposal, fully backed by committed funding, values Boots at more than £5 billion ($6.3 billion), Bloomberg News reported on Thursday.
Current owner Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. will retain a minority stake in the business. At this level, buyers will not pay too much. The retailer’s enterprise value has long been estimated at around £5 billion, although Walgreens initially considered a price tag of up to £7 billion. But the assessment reflects the fact that Boots will need a complete overhaul. The business struggled as shopping moved online and AS Watson Holdings Ltd steered rival Superdrug into beauty and services.
India’s Islamophobia is affecting its foreign relations When antony blinken, America’s chief diplomat, criticised the decline of religious freedom in India on June 2nd, bemoaning an increase in “attacks on people and places of worship” in the country, the government’s reaction was defiant. It slammed his “illinformed comments” and suggested
that America get its own house in order. The reaction was rather different when, a couple of days later, many countries in the Gulf lodged complaints concerning offensive remarks about the Prophet Muhammad by two senior officials in India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (bjp).
BJP has new rules for leaders joining TV debates after Nupur Sharma row: report After international condemnation of the remarks made by two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders against the Prophet, the saffron party has issued new rules for its spokespersons and leaders joining TV debates, as per reports. Only authorised spokespersons and panelists will participate in TV debates, and they will be assigned by the party’s media cell, as per an NDTV report that cited sources, and they
will be assigned by the party’s media cell. The spokespersons have also been warned against criticising any religion, or associated symbols and figures. They have been asked to study about the party’s views on the concerned issue before appearing for debates, as per the report. This comes after the central government faced widespread backlash for the contentious remarks of the ruling party’s leaders, with many Islamic
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Saturday, June 11, 2022
Punjab SGPC objects to appointment of non-Sikh as MD of Punjab & Sind Bank SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami on Thursday raised an objection to the appointment of non-Sikh as managing director and chief executive officer of Punjab & Sind Bank (PSB). Swarup Kumar Saha was recently appointed as the head of the PSU lender by the central government. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief said that PSB was established in 1908 as a dream of an independent bank of Sikhs. “This bank (PSB) is known as Sikh bank
and only a Sikh should be appointed at its top post. A consensus was also reached in this regard with the government at the time of nationalisation of this bank, but sadly it is not being implemented in spirit,” said Dhami. Even before the appointment of Saha, the Sikh traditions were not followed and now, it has been done again, the SGPC president said and appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider appointing a Sikh as the MD and CEO of the bank.
aide Santosh Jadhav, also from Pune, has been identified as one of the shooters. Sidhu Moosewala killing: Police raid 7 jailed gangsters’ houses in search of arms, ammunition Mahakal, against whom MCOCA was invoked, was wanted by the Pune (Rural) police for allegedly sheltering Jadhav, against
Previous state assembly members not entitled to positional security cover, Punjab tells HC The State of Punjab on Thursday told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that the member of the previous State Assembly (2017) would no longer be entitled to “positional security cover”. In an affidavit placed before Justice Anil Kshetarpal’s Bench, the State said security cover beyond positional norms could be provided on threat perception assessment basis.The affidavit
by Punjab AIG, Security, Varinder Paul Singh was submitted by Senior Deputy Advocate-General Gaurav Garg Dhuriwala in response to a petition filed by senior Akali leader Gulzar Singh Ranike. Quoting the State security policy, the AIG said personal security cover to an individual may be provided either on the basis of position held by him or an assessment of threat perception.
Youth who talked about Lawrence Bishnoi in interview to Canadabased channel on arrested under Arms Act A youth, Rajveer Singh Sopu (21), of Amargarh village of Sadulshehar tehsil in Sriganganagar district, who had given an interview to a Canada-based channel, about gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has been arrested
under the Arms Act. Superintendent of Police Anand Sharma said Rajveer had given a telephonic interview to a Canadian YouTube channel (Hamdard), claiming to be a “relative” and associate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
Pakistan Pakistan imposes 10% regulatory duty on petroleum products from China Petroleum products will attract 10 per cent customs duty on imports while an equivalent 10 per cent deemed duty is applicable on local production of these products by domestic refineries Pakistan has imposed a 10 per cent regulatory duty on the import of petroleum products from China, according to media reports. This comes after a massive 673 per cent surge in duty-free imports to Pakistani rupees 250 billion this year with a revenue loss of PKR 25 billion under the garb of the China-
Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA). The decision was taken at a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet which also approved almost PKR 147 billion worth of supplementary grants including PKR 81 billion additional funds to defense services for expenditure before June 30, Dawn newspaper reported. Under Pakistan’s import policy, petroleum products attract 10 per cent customs duty on imports while an equivalent 10 per cent deemed duty is applicable on local production
Controvercial televangelist Amir Liaquat Hussain dies at 50 Arguably Pakistan’s most controversial televangelist Dr. Aamir Liaquat Husain has died. Local media reports that Liaquat was in his home and died in a room locked from the inside. By the time he was found and taken to hospital, he had died, and now, a post-mortem investigation is in order. Liaquat rose to fame in Pakistan and in the Pakistani Muslim diaspora through the Geo
TV show Aalim Online — a talk show where he’d answer his audience’s religious queries with the help of various experts he’d invite on the show. It quickly made him a household name. The televangelist entered the world of Pakistani politics when he joined the Karachibased party Muttahida Qaumi Movement. He later became an ardent supporter of the recently ousted prime minister of the country,
18 killed as passenger van falls into ravine in Balochistan 18 people were killed and a child was injured when a passenger van traveling on the Zob National Highway in Balochistan fell hundreds of feet into a ravine near Qila Saifullah on Wednesday morning. District Deputy Commissioner Hafiz Muhammad Qasim said that the crashed van, along with about 18 people, had left from Lorelai for Jhob. don.com, “The vehicle fell from the top of a hill near Akhtarzai and all 18 passengers on board were reportedly killed in the accident,” he said. Akhtarzai is a tribal area situated at an altitude of 1,572 meters in Jhob. However, Rescue 1122 officials said that a child
Goundar halts Lau, Rotuma trips Approximately 20,000 travellers will be affected after Goundar Shipping Limited halted its franchise and private runs to the Lau Group and Rotuma yesterday. Managing director George Goundar said the continuous increase of fuel price had affected the company. “We had a loss of about $4million last
year, but we managed it because the fuel price was low. But with the increased fuel price, we can’t do much,” Mr Goundar said. “The franchise the Government is giving us is $11,000 for Yasayasa, $18,000 for Northern Lau and $25,000 for Rotuma. “With the increase of fuel price what can we do with that much and we are expecting another increase next month.
Body find near Rewa bridge in Nausori
Lawrence Bishnoi mastermind behind Sidhu Moosewala’s killing Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, in the custody of the Delhi Police, is the mastermind in the Moosewala murder case, Special Commissioner of Police HS Dhaliwal said on Wednesday. The Maharastra police have, meanwhile, arrested Siddhesh Hiraman Kamble, alias Mahakal, in connection with the killing while his
FIJI
was injured in the accident and was being taken to Qilla Saifullah District Headquarters Hospital. He said that 14 bodies have been sent to the hospital so far. Nine of the dead belonged to the same family. The DC said a state of emergency has been imposed in hospitals located in the area and teams fromQuettahavebeencalledforrescueoperations. There was a wave of mourning as soon as the news of the accident was received. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed grief over the incident. The Pakistan People’s Party Media Cell said in a tweet that the party president expressed his condolences to the bereaved families.
A body has been found in Nausori near the Rewa Bridge. Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro said
their investigators were at the scene. She said Police had yet to identify the body.
Rabuka refuses to apologise, Vanua of Lau disappointed People’s Alliance Party Leader Sitiveni Rabuka has refused to apologise to the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara’s family and the vanua of Lau for his allegations. The traditional warrior clan of the late Tui Nayau, the bati-leka clan leader, Sisaro Temo says they are disappointed with Mr Rabuka’s claims. Mr Rabuka who spoke on Sashi Singh’s Talking Point on Facebook, had claimed that the late Prime Minister and President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara knew and supported his 1987 government takeover.
He had said that although Ratu Mara was not an active contributor to the thinking, he came as a supporter to make sure that things were going well. At a press conference that was held at the Holiday Inn on Friday, Mr Rabuka refused to apologise when he was asked. In an evasive reply he said that Ratu Mara never wanted an apology. “The late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara did not ask me to apologise for the same information that appeared in my authorised biography.”
US wins case to seize Russian superyacht in Fiji, sails away The United States won a legal battle on Tuesday to seize a Russian-owned superyacht in Fiji and wasted no time in taking command of the $325 million vessel and sailing it away from the South Pacific nation. The court ruling represented a significant victory for the U.S. as it encounters obstacles in its attempts to seize the assets of Russian oligarchs around the world. While those efforts are welcomed by many who oppose the war in Ukraine, some actions have tested
the limits of American jurisdiction abroad. In Fiji, the nation’s Supreme Court lifted a stay order which had prevented the U.S. from seizing the superyacht Amadea. Chief Justice Kamal Kumar ruled that based on the evidence, the chances of defense lawyers mounting an appeal that the top court would hear were “nil to very slim.” Kumar said he accepted arguments that keeping the superyacht berthed in Fiji at Lautoka harbor was “costing the Fijian government dearly.”
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Saturday, June 11, 2022 Press release
Statement from MLA Trevor Halford on updated illicit drug toxicity report Trevor Halford, Official Opposition Critic for Mental Health and Addictions, has released the following statement on the latest BC Coroners Illicit Drug Toxicity report: “Today we learned the tragic news of 161 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths — the second-highest number of deaths ever recorded in the month of April. “Month after month we continue to discuss the unprecedented tragic loss of life from this public health crisis, yet the NDP government continues to fail to take comprehensive action to help save lives. “It has almost been one hundred days since the BC Coroners Service Death
Review Panel report, released March 9, 2022, outlined an urgent action plan to help stop these deaths yet, inexcusably, the NDP continues to ignore its recommendations. “Despite the rhetoric, there continues to be little action and urgency from John Horgan and the NDP government as they disregard the life-saving goals and timelines laid out in this report. “Every day that goes by without the urgency this crisis deserves from the NDP is a day wasted. People in our province deserve a coherent, province-wide strategy so when someone reaches out for help, they can immediately get the help they need.
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