OPINION
A B.C. councillor is proposing a new way for cities to assess traffic fines.
Saanich councillor Teale Phelps Bondaroff is proposing that fines should be based on how much money a person makes rather than just a flat rate.
“So if you fail to yield for a pedestrian,
you get a $121 ticket,” Bondaroff told Focus BC Friday. “Failing to yield to a bus is a $368 ticket. There’s two problems with these fines. The first is that they disproportionately punish people with lower incomes. And the second aspect is they fail to adequately serve as a deterrent to the extra wealthy.”
He said a similar system has already been adopted in countries such as Finland, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Austria, France and Switzerland.. Bondaroff explained that in Finland, they have what’s called a defined system where they take the income of the individual and they figure out what their spending money would be for the day on average. That number is then divided in half.
“And they decide that half of your day, you know, you’re spending money for the day is an adequate amount to deprive someone else, and then they multiply that by number of days based on the severity of the crime,” he added.
“If someone is very wealthy, a $100 ticket does nothing to deter their behaviour. You know, that’s a cost of a bottle of wine with dinner. If you get a $368 fine, that’s the difference for someone between paying rent that month. But it’s also an expensive Coach bag. This is a system that’s been adopted around the world and it works. You’ll see very wealthy people getting fines that actually serve as a deterrent.” Finland made headlines in 2015 when a millionaire businessman received a €54,000 fine for travelling about 20 km/h over the speed limit. Bondaroff said even a $483 ticket, the highest in B.C. for excessive speeding, does not necessarily deter a person who can easily afford that cost.
Kyla Lee, a Vancouver criminal lawyer with Acumen Law, said this is not the first time an idea like this one has been floated.
“I’m not aware of it being used anywhere in Canada. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s not used anywhere in Canada,” she said. “But it could work. It would require additional information. The government would have to have tax-related records in order to base the income decisions, and there would have to be regulations put in place to determine what the fine amount would be based on
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Should traffic fines in B.C. be tied to a person’s income
BC puts $150M into 911 service; E-Comm union hopeful staffing challenges will be solved
The B.C. government announced Wednesday it will be investing $150 million into the provincial emergency communications system. “When people experience a life-threatening emergency, they need to know they can count on an accessible and reliable 911 system,” said Mike Farnworth, B.C. Solicitor General and Minister of Public Safety.
“Next Generation 911’s advanced technology will help ensure safer and coordinated emergency responses. Our $150-million investment will support
local governments through a transition to Next Generation 911.” Next Generation 911 will give people the choice to contact 911 through new options such as texting and caller location features, according to the province. E-Comm, the organization that handles 99 per cent of the province’s 911 calls, is leading the implementation of the new system in B.C. municipalities. Pending approval by the legislative assembly, the $150 million will help “offset local governments’ costs for the transition,” the government said in a press release.
Sextortion may have played role in 14-year-old South Asian hockey player’s suicide
Warning: This story contains content that may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised.
British Columbia’s minor hockey community is reeling after the sudden death of an up-and-coming teen player earlier this month.
Global News has learned Surrey RCMP is investigating whether sextortion may have played a role in the tragic suicide of 14-year-old Robin Janjua, described as a bright young hockey star from Surrey.
The tragedy has rattled the Delta Hockey Academy, where Janjua played on the U-15 team. Former NHL player Kris Beech, who coaches at the academy, told Global News the club has been deeply affected, adding he’d lost one of his brightest and most dedicated players. “The kids on the team are devastated,” he said.
“It was one of the worst things I’ve seen when we had to tell them the news. It was one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen in my life. Janjua took his own life at home on the night of Feb. 13. CPR was provided at the scene, but he did not survive.
Sources said the alleged sextortion
involved an intimate image of Janjua. It remains unclear who was behind the offence and where it originated.
“It was some horrible people that took advantage of this young man,” Beech said.
Beech would not speak to specific details of the incident, but told Global News the “online predatory situation” did not involve anyone from Janjua’s team or people the teen knew. “One-hundred per cent it was a shock,” he told Global News.
“I don’t think anyone knew what was going on,” he added.
“There was no warning, I’ll say that.” Surrey RCMP has conduct of the file, but would not agree to an on-camera interview.
Mounties would only say they are still investigating the circumstances leading up to the death.
They did, however, provide numbers on a disturbing trend. Last year, Surrey RCMP received 209 reports of sexual extortion. Seventy per cent of the victims were male and 20 per cent were under the age of 18.
The numbers also showed an almost 40-per-cent increase in the last half of 2022 over the same period in 2021.
No charges approved in massive B.C. money laundering investigation
A major money laundering investigation into B.C. casinos will not result in any criminal charges, the BC Prosecution Service (BCPS) announced in a statement Wednesday following an independent prosecutor’s assessment.
E-Nationalize was considered by the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia (CFSEU-BC) “to be one of the largest investigations in CFSEU-BC’s history, surpassing even the Jonathan Bacon murder investigation
that spanned almost seven years.”
CFSEU stated in April 2019 the investigation was “likely to set an investigative benchmark and precedent for future money laundering investigations by Canadian law enforcement.”
This will not be the case, however, after two assessments — an initial one by Crown prosecutors and a subsequent independent one by Victoria-based criminal lawyer Christopher Considine KC.
Calls grow in Canada for inquiry into election interference by China
Forget about a partisan public inquiry into alleged Chinese interference in Canadian elections. Investigate immediately. This is what Democracy Watch is strongly urging following the leak of Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) documents containing allegations that China violated rules and used influence and money to help Liberals win elections. A day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested “anti-Asian” racism may behind allegations, Democracy Watch co-founder Duff Conacher has written a letter to the “Commissioner of Canada Elections to investigate interference by China in the 2019 and 2021 elections.”
Conacher told The Toronto Sun an
investigation based on election law, and not politics, should commence now. “I just hate delaying things,” said Conacher. “We know it’s wrong. We know enough already about what went on, actually — that Trudeau knew about it and didn’t tell people for months and months.”
In his letter to Commissioner of Canada Elections Caroline J.Simard, Conacher wrote “Democracy Watch requests as soon as possible … a full investigation and public report on the situation involving China-sponsored third-party interest groups and individuals supporting or opposing election candidates in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 federal elections.”
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The three deceased skiers were identified as 57-year-old management consultant Thomas Kräh and his 34-year-old sonin-law, Henning, and Christian Altmann, a 57-year-old council member in Eging.
The fourth member of their group, the 25-year-old son of the management consultant, also named Thomas, survived the avalanche with minor injuries.
Passauer Neue Presse said the group were on a ski vacation to celebrate the completion of the 25-year-old’s thesis.
The avalanche happened in the riding of Columbia River-Revelstoke, represented by member of the legislature Doug Clovechok.
He told the B.C. Legislature on Thursday that one of those injured was a guide leading a group of international visitors skiing at the Panorama resort. “Panorama ski patrol and local search and rescue crews carried out the effort to locate and free the victims and work with B.C. Emergency Services to get
Clovechok said the dozen avalanche deaths this winter make it one of the worst seasons in decades in the province.
“When these tragedies occur, it shakes the entire community,” he said as his voice cracked with emotion. “And I know right now, there is deep sadness.”
He said their hearts go out to the victims and their loved ones, and those who survived the frightening event.
Clovechok added that last month an experienced search and rescue volunteer
died in a B.C. avalanche while off-duty, and her teammates with Cariboo search and rescue had to carry her body out. “Even the most experienced backcountry skier can encounter trouble. It’s vital that people check the warnings, carry the right gear and be mindful of the dangers that come out there.”
There have been 12 avalanche
fatalities reported in B.C. so far this year, including the Invermere avalanche.
Last month, the avalanche deaths of two skiers in B.C.’s central Interior prompted an emotional plea about this season’s dangerous conditions.
Nate Fochler, a ski guide in Revelstoke, said this year’s snowpack has created dangerous conditions in the backcountry, with spikes in freezing temperatures creating what’s known as a “deep persistent weak layer” of snow.
He said the likelihood of triggering it is low, but the consequences would be very high if you did trigger it. The avalanche danger rating from Avalanche Canada is ranked as considerable or high for much of the province.
More details to come.
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3 German nationals killed, 4 people injured after avalanche hit near Invermere, BC the injured to hospital.”
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U.S. urges Beijing to come clean on COVID origin as report says it likely came from lab leak
Beijing denies. The department reached its conclusion with “low confidence” in a classified intelligence report.The document was provided to the White House and key members of Congress, The Wall Street Journal reported. On Sunday, Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, said there were a “variety of views in the intelligence community” on the origins of the virus. The FBI has also blamed the pandemic on a Chinese lab leak. In 2021 it concluded with “moderate confidence” that it was caused by an accidental leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, which had been collecting bat viruses. Four other U.S. agencies still believe it was the result of natural transmission, and two others are undecided — one of them reportedly being the CIA. China’s foreign ministry pointed to a WHO-China report that suggests a natural origin for the pandemic, probably from bats. A foreign ministry spokesman said: “Certain
Proposed double-digit property tax hike in Surrey draws ire
Residents and city councillors in Surrey are reacting to a weekend announcement by the municipality that most could face a large double-digit property tax hike this year. The city says a large part of that is to help cover the cost of the transition of its police force, but councillors are asking for the budget to be deferred until the total cost becomes clearer.
“It is because of all those issues that have been happening over the last four years,” said Mayor Brenda Locke.
“The cost overruns and the staling of getting here.” The city is maintaining that even though keeping the RCMP in Surrey is cheaper than going ahead with the Surrey Police Service, the transition has created a shortfall of $116 million so far. To make up for it, the budget proposes a 9.5 per cent general property tax increase for the next three years. That means the average singlefamily household can expect to pay $219 more next year. Combined with the seven per cent property tax increase already proposed for inflation, city operations and hiring extra police officers, plus an extra one per cent roads and traffic levy the average Surrey home could see a 17.5 per cent surge in property tax.
“This budget is based on what the council voted, which is to keep the RCMP as the police of jurisdiction. If we go with the Surrey Police Service, that number would be significantly more,” said Locke.
parties should stop rehashing the ‘lab leak’ narrative, stop smearing China and stop politicizing the origins-tracing issue.” Burns said the U.S. would need to push China to take a more active role in the World Health Organization if it wanted to strengthen the United Nations’ health agency. The ambassador also said the Chinese spy balloon affair and Beijing’s stance on the war in Ukraine were “two of the most important issues that we’re dealing with right now.” Burns said the U.S. had believed there was a “chance for greater stability” this year following the meeting between Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in November.
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Canadians are buying a lot less alcohol
Canadians are not buying alcohol as frequently as they used to, a new report from Statistics Canada has found.
Between March 2021 and March 2022, alcohol sales totalled $13.5 billion across provinces, showing an increase of 1.1%. But that doesn’t mean Canadians were actually drinking as much. Inflation rose 2.8% for alcohol purchases from stores, thus driving sales.
The country has recorded the largest drop in sales by volume in over a decade, declining 1.2% to 3,131 million litres in the same fiscal year.
This is equal to 9.5 standard boozy beverages per week per person of legal drinking age, and is the first and largest decline recorded since 2013-2014.
Health Canada defines a “standard” drink as a 341 ml of beer, cooler or cider with 5% alcohol content; a 142 ml glass of wine with 12% alcohol content; or a 43 ml spirit drink with 40% alcohol.
Here’s what things look like by alcohol category: Wine Volume-based wine sales went dipped by 4%, and the per-person average volume of wine consumed now stands at 2.4 glasses. “This was the largest decrease in the volume of wine sold since Statistics Canada began tracking alcohol sales in 1949,” the report states.
Wine sales, however, produced a higher dollar amount, rising 2.1% to $8.1 billion.
The drink made up 31.3% of all alcohol sales in Canada, and Quebec had the highest wine sales at 43.4%. British Columbia followed with 33.2% of Canada’s wine sales. Red wine was the prime choice of Canadians (52.3%), followed by white wine (33%), sparkling wine (7.6%), and rosé, fortified, and other types of wine (7.1%).
Beer - Things are rather rocky for one of Canada’s favourite beverages. Not only did beer sales decline by volume (-2.8%), but also by value (-0.7%). The average weekly consumption of a person of drinking age is now 3.7 bottles of beer. For more Updates, Visit
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Vancouver police notify watchdog after man shot with rubber bullets during mistaken arrest
Vancouver police have notified the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner after officers shot a man with rubber bullets during a mistaken arrest last week.
Elijah Barnett told Global News he was walkinghisdoginYaletownshortlyafter5p.m. on Wednesday when the incident happened.
“The next thing I know I’m on the ground, thought I’d been hit by a car first, and realized I was being swarmed by police and K-9 units, I’d been shot twice with nonlethal rounds in the gut and the butt, but they were beating at me and ripping at my clothes, questioning where my girlfriend was and why I’d covered up my tattoos,” he said.
“I was cuffed and roughed up in broad daylight and detained for over two hours. After they realized their error, I was dusted off and sent on my way with a blatant, empty apology.” In a media release, Vancouver police said they were acting on “reliable information” that a man wanted on a Canadawide warrant was in the area of Richards Street and Pacific Boulevard last Wednesday.
Police said the man they were seeking is wanted for connections to a violent
Calgary home invasion, and that he was believed to be “armed and dangerous, and potentially in possession of a firearm.”
Police said they deployed their emergency response team because of the “high-risk nature” of the arrest and that officers shot the person they were arresting twice with rubber bullets from a “less-lethal” ARWEN gun.
“We believed the man we were arresting was that suspect. And we’d taken a number of steps to independently confirm the man we were arresting was that man,” VPD Sgt. Steve Addison told Global News.
“It’s really an unfortunate set of circumstances.” Addison said police realized the error “within several minutes of the arrest” and that the man was treated at the scene and released with an apology.
“Senior VPD officials” later reached out to apologize as well, he said.
“We’re asking the OPCC just to independently review all of the circumstances, to drill down a little bit more to find out exactly what happened, what could have been done differently and if anything could be improved on for next time.”
Border agents seize massive cache of weapons in B.C.
Canada Border Services Agency says it has seized more than 1,350 prohibited weapons and firearms linked to residences in Chilliwack, B.C.
A statement from the agency says parcels imported from China using a false declaration were intercepted at Vancouver International Airport last month.
In late January, the agency says an unnamed Chilliwack resident was arrested for suspected offences under the Customs Act and a number of prohibited weapons
and firearms were found during the arrest.
The agency says more prohibited weapons were also found at a Chilliwack home the day after the arrest.
It says the list of weapons included 13 conducted energy weapons, better known as Tasers, 360 stun guns, 171 stun batons and hundreds of prohibited knives and brass knuckles.
The agency says it is reviewing all evidence and charges are pending.
Canada bans TikTok on government devices
Canada announced Monday it is banning TikTok from all governmentissued mobile devices, reflecting widening worries from Western officials over the Chinese-owned video sharing app.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it might be a first step to further action or that it might be it.
“I suspect that as government takes the significant step of telling all federal employees that they can no longer use TikTok on their work phones many Canadians from business to private individuals will reflect on the security of their own data and perhaps make choices,” Trudeau said. “I’m always a fan of giving Canadians the information for them to make the right decisions for them,” he added.
The European Union’s executive branch said last week it has temporarily banned TikTok from phones used by employees as a cybersecurity measure.
The EU’s action follows similar moves in the U.S., where more than half of the states and Congress have banned TikTok from official government devices. Last week, Canada’s federal privacy watchdog and its provincial counterparts in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec announced an investigation to delve into whether the app complies with Canadian privacy legislation. TikTok is wildly popular with young people, but its Chinese ownership has raised fears that Beijing could use it to collect data on Western users or push proChina narratives and misinformation. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020 TikTok faces intensifying scrutiny from Europe and America over security and data privacy amid worries that the app could be used to promote pro-Beijing views or sweep up users’ information.
Police union accuses Surrey councillor of conflict of interest over family RCMP ties
The union representing the Surrey Police Service has filed an ethics complaint against Coun. Rob Stutt, who is a member of mayor Brenda Locke’s majority Surrey Connect party.
The SPS union says it has recently confirmed that two of the councillor’s adult children work for the Surrey RCMP.
Union spokesperson Ryan Buhrig said because Stutt has recently cast pivotal votes on the future of the policing transition in Surrey, that constitutes a conflict of interest and a breach of the Surrey council code of conduct.
“Under the code of conduct, city
councillors have to rigorously avoid the perception of conflicts of interest and bias, and they can’t try to obtain a benefit for a family member. So we do believe councillor Stutt violated these bylaws,” said Buhrig, adding “Moving forward, we don’t believe thatcouncillorStuttshouldhaveinvolvement regarding policing decisions for the city.”
Surrey First Coun. Linda Annis says she was shocked to learn Stutt had family members working for the RCMP.
“It absolutely should go through to the ethics commissioner for their review and to determine whether or not there is a conflict of interest,” said Annis.
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Surrey needs cannabis retail stores, says Board of Trade
The Surrey Board of Trade released a report Wednesday indicating its support for cannabis retailers to operate in the city, while also recommending sweeping changes to the industry as a whole.
“Our message to the City of Surrey, to all levels of government, is, ‘You need to reduce the red tape for cannabis businesses,’” said Anita Huberman, president of the Surrey Board of Trade.
“Now is the time to allow cannabis businesses in Surrey.” The report calls for eased regulations and streamlined licensing and zoning processes.
“With all the red tape that exists and all the taxation measures and all the rules, it’s very difficult for cannabis retailers to survive,” said Huberman.
“It is dire straits right now,” said B.C. dispensary owner Vikram Sachdeva.
“The province and the municipalities need to work together and understand this industry will only grow if they combine their thoughts and let us move forward easily.”
Sachdeva says high regulated costs and strict bylaws are added hurdles making it hard for business owners to turn a profit.
“Let’s be honest, the five-year leases are coming up. I anticipate a number of shutdowns,” he said.
Sachdeva says on a $4.50 pre-rolled joint (0.5 grams), his business profits less than $1. He says the federal excise tax of $1 per gram of cannabis is responsible
for roughly 20 per cent of his costs alone.
Huberman also recommends a change to the excise tax.
“We’re hearing complete exhaustion dealing with the red tape, dealing with the taxation,” said Huberman.
Despite marijuana being federally legal since 2018, B.C.’s second-largest city has yet to allow cannabis retailers to operate in its city limits. However, there appears to be momentum with a new city council in place.
“This new council will consider allowing cannabis stores in Surrey,” said Mayor Brenda Locke.
“I have asked staff to work on a report to develop a measured approach for the potential introduction of retail cannabis locations in Surrey. Once completed, the report will be brought forth to council for consideration.”
“I think we need to make sure that we open cannabis stores in a responsible fashion,” added Linda Annis, a Surrey city councillor.
“(That means) putting them in city centres, not putting them close to schools and perhaps asking the operators to sign a good neighbour agreement.”
The report is expected to presented to council within the next few months. CTV News reached out to the provincial government for comment on streamlining the zoning and licensing process but did not receive a response before deadline.
Port Coquitlam touts tax increase of 3.3% as Vancouver voters face surprise 10.7% hike
In a surprise move, Vancouver city council passed its 2023 budget Tuesday night, just hours after the mayor announced city hall was considering a nearly 11 per cent property tax.
The 10.7 per cent tax hike — up from an initially proposed 9.7 per cent — was approved in a nearly unanimous budget vote that will see spending increase for the fire department, police and city engineering services.
Mayor Ken Sim conceded the hefty increase “sucks,” and pinned the blame on what he said was years of underfunding, leaving core city services badly in need of new investments.
“These are not normal times. Property tax increases of this magnitude cannot and will not become the norm as we move forward,” Sim said. “Our team will continue to look for ways to achieve cost savings.”
Among the approved new core service funding was just over $4 million to hire 33 new firefighters, a suite of budget asks from the Vancouver Police Department boosting its budget over $400 million this year, $1.8 million for snow readiness, $600,000 to increase “horticulture service levels,” and $300,000 for road maintenance.
But the budget also included some big ticket non-core service measures that aren’t funded in any other Metro Vancouver municipality. That includes $2.8 million for Vancouver Coastal Health to hire mental health nurses, one of Sim’s key campaign promises.
Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West contrasted Vancouver’s situation to his own city, where council managed to hold the property tax hike to 3.38 per cent year.
Police officers in Nelsonto face discipline in racist-messages investigation
Six police officers in Nelson have been found to have committed discreditable conduct following an investigation into messages sent in a WhatsApp chat group.
In a statement provided Wednesday, the police department said one of the six officers was also found to have committed neglect of duty. Two officers who were investigated were cleared of any wrongdoing. The WhatsApp conversations involved sharing inappropriate messages and memes, racist comments.
The year-long investigation was conducted by members of the Vancouver Police Department under civilian oversight
from the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner. “Our force has been through a lot already this year, and although these findings are troublesome, we are determined to learn from this and grow as an organization,” he said. Just weeks ago, two members of the department, Wade Tittemore and Mathieu Nolet, died in an avalanche while off-duty.
The officers whose allegations have been substantiated in the WhatsApp investigation will have a chance to respond to the findings, before there is a final decision on discipline.
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BC and Ottawa reach $27-billion health funding agreement
“This money will go to, absolutely, supporting emergency care in the province, supporting strained hospitals,” Eby said, speaking against a backdrop of a Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) nursing school classroom.
Eby and Trudeau unveiled the agreement a day after B.C. Finance Minister Katrine Conroy tabled a provincial budget that the premier said pumps another $6.4 billion over the next three years into the health system. The offer made by Trudeau to Canada’s premiers included health transfers of $2 billion right away and annual increases of five per cent over the next five years, but only if each province agreed to conditions, including upgrading health data collection.
For B.C., Eby talked about enacting “shared priorities” with the federal government on longterm care and mental-health care.
“The piece that’s really going to make the difference here is about getting the people with the skills that are on the sidelines right now into our health-care system,” Eby said.
The political leaders toured the KPU nursing school before unveiling the announcement and Trudeau, in his remarks, noted that some of the students they met were internationally trained nurses working to attain B.C. credentials to practise in the province.
“We’re glad they’re here, we absolutely need their skills and their dedication,” Trudeau said
Majority believe China likely or definitely interfered in Canadian election: poll
A majority of Canadians believe the Chinese government probably or definitely interfered in the last two federal elections in a “serious threat” to democracy, a new Angus Reid Institute poll finds. One in four Canadians believe the 2021 election was stolen due to Chinese interference, compared to one in two who disagree. In another key finding, 69% of Canadians polled — including 91% of those who voted Conservative and 46% who voted Liberal — believe the federal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is afraid to stand up to China.
Of those polled, 53% say the federal government’s response to China has not been strong enough,
compared to 41% who described it as about right and 6% as too strong.
“Amid allegations Beijing attempted to influence the outcomes of both the 2019 and 2021 elections to ensure the federal Liberal Party formed a minority government over the opposition Conservatives, two-thirds of adult Canadians express belief that Beijing ‘definitely’ (32%) or ‘probably’ (33%) tried to meddle,” a statement from Angus Reid released Wednesday says. “Majorities across the political spectrum are of this view, while half of Canadians say this attempted interference represents a serious threat to democracy (53%),” the Angus Reid statement says.
NDP’s Singh joins calls for inquiry on alleged China election interference
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to hold a public inquiry into alleged Chinese election interference, joining several highprofile officials making the same ask.
Singh, whose party is upholding Trudeau’s Liberal minority government, said in a statement Monday that while his party accepts the outcome of the 2021 election, serious allegations of foreign interference made in recent media reports need a “thorough, transparent and independent investigation.”
“When Canadians learn about possible foreign interference through leaked documents, confidence in our democracy is put at risk,” Singh said.
“The way to stop alleged secret Chinese interference is to refuse to keep their secrets for them. A fully independent and non-partisan public inquiry is the way to shine a light into the shadows.” Global News reported Saturday that Richard Fadden, the former head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and a former national security adviser to Trudeau, said he could see no “compelling reason” not to hold a public inquiry into foreign interference allegations.
Fadden’s comments came after a recent Globe and Mail article saying China deployed a “sophisticated strategy” in the 2021 election to defeat Conservative candidates and attempt to support the federal Liberals towards a minority government, citing national security memos.
The report followed months of exclusive
reporting by Global News into allegations of attempted Chinese interference, starting with a Nov. 7, 2022, report that Canadian intelligence officials had warned Trudeau that China had allegedly been targeting Canada. The vast campaign of foreign interference allegedly included funding a clandestine network of at least 11 federal candidates running in the 2019 election, according to Global News sources.
On Dec. 21, 2022, Global News reported that an unredacted 2020 national security document alleged that Beijing used an extensive network of community groups to conceal the flow of funds between Chinese officials and Canadian members of an election interference network, all in an effort to advance its own political agenda in the 2019 federal contest.
And on Feb. 8, 2023, Global News reported that national security officials drafted a warning for Trudeau and his office more than a year before the 2019 federal election, alleging that Chinese agents were “assisting Canadian candidates running for political offices,” according to a Privy Council Office document reviewed by Global News.
On Friday, Trudeau told reporters the country must remain “vigilant” on foreign interference.
Asked directly if he would convene a public inquiry into foreign interference, Trudeau said he “welcomed” the reviews underway at committees, but did not directly answer the question.
New election borders threaten to split Vancouver’s South Asian community
Leaders in the neighbourhood are concerned that the proposal was made without sufficient community consultation. Leaders in South Vancouver’s Punjabi Market are concerned that proposed changes to the federal electoral boundaries of the neighbourhood ignore decades of history and will dilute the political representation of Vancouver’s South Asian community. New boundaries proposed by the federal electoral boundaries commission of B.C. effectively split the decades-old South Asian community in half, separating two community pillars: the Punjabi Market, North America’s first South Asian cultural market, and the Khalsa Diwan Society Gurdwara (KDS), one the community’s most important spaces. The two organizations have a decades-long history of collaboration providing benefits to the residents of South Vancouver, said Gulzar Nanda, chair of the Punjabi Market Collective, which works to revitalize the historic market district.
“The gurdwara is a space where political leaders come and engage with the community,” Nanada said. “People who live in Sunset around the Punjabi Market would have an opportunity to voice their concerns to politicians at KDS.” He
questioned whether those needs would be met when residents near the market were grouped in with the neighbourhoods of South Granville and Shaughnessy as part of the proposed Vancouver Arbutus riding. Nanda said those communities have needs that “are completely different to the needs of working-class, racialized groups” in Sunset.
“When you split up a community like this, there’s a risk that power diminishes a little bit, that capacity to advocate on behalf of the community diminishes,” Nanda said.
“There has been quite a bit of work that’s gone on in the last few years to really help to try to rejuvenate the market area and the neighbourhood in general,” he added. The gurdwara and the Punjabi Market are currently located in the riding of Vancouver South, which stretches from Cambie in the west all the way to Boundary Road in the east and north from the Fraser River to 41st Street. The new boundaries would split the Sunset neighbourhood along Fraser Street and dip south along the northern edge from 41st to 49th Street. The Punjabi Market would straddle the corner of two ridings, Vancouver Arbutus and Vancouver Kingsway, while the gurdwara would be located in the riding of Vancouver Fraserview–South Burnaby.
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Kriti
In the latest episode of Kriti Sanon scribbles, the actress is asking you to slow down and feel life as it is. We can see how Kriti Sanon is getting wiser by the day and this sage has a lot to share with the world. We have seen her outperform as an actress but she simply surpasses our expectations when we look beneath her face and connect with her brain.
Taking to social media, Kriti shared a beautiful video of herself, feeling the sun,
Scribbles’
sky, and environment as she recited a well written poem. While reciting the poem, Kriti Sanon says “While you chase one dream after the other, in this race called life. Where time doesn’t stop and the heart always wants more, take a moment to slow down.
To breathe. To just soak in the sun and watch it beautifully set. Unplug the noise and just hear the wind. Take a moment to just walk, with no purpose. To smile for no reason and to just look back, at how far you have come.
Community news
In Person Yoga Classes for members of Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre Surrey at Shanti Niketan hall, 8321 - 140th street Surrey BC on Every Monday & Every Thursday
Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey informs South Asian Seniors that during the
Tax filing period we can help you to file your Income Tax Returns for the year 2022 free of cost, through the community volunteer program, from March 4th 2023 to April 30th 2023.
For more info call: 604 - 507 - 9945
Kareena Kapoor
Armaan Jain and Anissa Malhotra set to welcome their baby soon. Last month, the couple hosted a baby shows ceremony at their home. The ceremony was attended by special guests including Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Neetu Kapoor and Navya Naveli Nanda, among others. Now, Anissa has offered a sneak peek into the ceremony. However,
what grabbed our attention was Alia, Kareena, Neetu Kapoor and Navya Naveli’s beautiful candid moments. The video opens with Rita Jain blessing soon-to-be parents. In the next few frames, we see Alia Bhatt,Neetu,KareenaKapoorandNavyaNaveli Nanda flashing their million-dollar smiles.
Ranbir Kapoor gets himself busy
2023 is proving to be a busy time for Ranbir Kapoor. The actor who married Alia Bhatt in April last year, welcomed their first child, Raha on November 6, 2022. While both, the couple still trying to adjust themseve being new parents, Ranbir is also busy promoting his next, Luv Ranjan’s Tu Jhooti Main Makkaar co-starring Shraddha Kapoor. With just days left until the film hits cinemas, RK is busy promoting the film at different events and on different shows. For the same,
Ranbir, Shraddha, and Anubhav Singh Bassi visited The Kapil Sharma Show to talk about the romcom and more. In a recent promo shared by Sony for the upcoming episode of The Kapil Sharma Show, we see the host ask Ranbir Kapoor if there are any close relatives or aunties who comment on whether Raha looks like him or his wife Alia Bhatt. Answering the question, Ranbir said, “Hum khud confuse hein kyuki kabhi kabhi uska chehra mere jaise dikhta he, kabhi Alia ke jaise dikhta he… par achhi baat he ki hum
Happy Holi
Be Holi-ready with OxiClean
It’s Holi season! Time to load up the pichkaris, stock up on gulaal, make tons of water balloons, and shout from the top of our lungs: Holi hai! As snow-white winters give way to the colours of spring, we look forward to the festival that heralds all the fun and festivities that come with it.
What better way to invite every colour in the universe our way than by wearing crisp white clothing? And it goes without saying that the clothes look like a missing piece of the
Versatile Stain Remover to your laundry routine. They are the most powerful stainfighters to remove all Holi-related stains.
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rainbow by the end of the evening!
Being Holi-ready also comes with the dread of cleaning up the day after—because nobody looks forward to getting the colour off their clothes after the celebrations subside. In fact, statistics show that people would rather discard their Holi clothes than take the trouble of washing them and bringing them back to life. After a long day of festivities, getting gulaal off your clothes is the last thing on your mind. If only there was a stress-free way to get through the post-Holi chaos.
The answer is to simply add OxiClean™ MaxForce Laundry Stain Remover Spray, and OxiClean™
along with your preferred detergent. This incredible oxygen-based stain fighter is chlorine-free and colour-safe. OxiClean™ uses the power of oxygen to get tough stains out of your laundry using a unique formula. This formula is activated by water, unleashing bubbling oxygen power for safe, effective cleaning. It boosts your laundry water’s pH to improve your detergent’s cleaning ability, and its special ingredients are designed to help rinse stains away.
Learn more about how to be Holiready with OxiClean products and where to purchase them at www.OxiClean. ca or look for OxiClean on Amazon.ca Wishing you a very happy Holi, from OxiClean™
12 Saturday, March 4, 2023
our Website
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Sanon brings back her ‘Sanon
Press release
Hasrat Jaipuri
One of the best lyricist, poet of Indian cinema
One of the best poets of Indian cinema, Hasrat Jaipuri was born on April 15, 1922. A renowned film lyricist of Indian cinema, He won the best, Filmfare Awards for twice, once in 1966 and then in 1972.
Iqbal Husain (Hasrat Jaipur) was born in Jaipur, where He studied English, and then concentrated on his taalim (education) in Urdu poerty and Persian from his maternal grandfather (nana), another famous poet Fida Husain Fida. He began writing verses, when he was twenty years old.
At the same time, he fell in love with a girl.
Hasrat talked about the love and also expressed it, in an interview, later in his life, that love knows no religion.
Hasrat Jaipuri was quoted as saying, “It is not at all necessary that a Muslim must fall in love only with a Muslim girl. My love was silent, but I wrote a poem for her, ‘Yeh mera prem patra padh kar, ke tum naaraaz na hona.” It is not known for sure whether the love letter was actually delivered to his girl friend or not? But veteran film producer & actor Raj Kapoor did like it enough to include it in his famous film Sangam (1964) and the song became a superhit. In 1940, Hasrat Jaipuri came to Bombay, and started working as bus conductor, earning a monthly salary of eleven rupees.
But the best part is , He used to participate in Urdu mushairas(poetry readings). At a mushaira, actor Prithviraj Kapoor noticed Hasrat Jaipuri and recommended him to his son, Raj Kapoor.
Raj Kapoor was planning a musical love story, Barsaat (1949) with Shankar–Jaikishan. Jaipuri wrote his first recorded song, Jiya Beqaraar Hai for the film. His second song (and first duet) was Chhor Gaye Baalam
Along with Shailendra, Hasrat Jaipuri wrote lyrics for all Raj Kapoor films till 1971.
After the death of music director, Jaikishan and failures of film Mera Naam Joker (1970) and Kal Aaj Aur Kal (1971), however, Raj Kapoor turned to other lyricists and music directors.
Raj Kapoor initially wanted to call him back for Prem Rog (1982), but later settled for another lyricist, Amir Qazalbash.
Raj Kapoor finally asked him to write lyrics for the film, Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985).
Later, Raj Kapoor also invited Hasrat Jaipuri to write three songs for movie Henna (1991). Hasrat Jaipuri said that after Raj Ji’s death, one of the music
Darpan Power Women of Influence Gala 2023
From page 1
on Friday, March 24 at Vancouver Convention Centre
Just a month from the Power Women of Influence Gala 2023, we’re so excited to announce our power-packed panel, which consists of the Minister of National Defence, Honourable Anita Anand, Business Leader and Regional Vice President of RBC, Devinder K. Gill, Social Activist also known as the “Mother of Education” in Afghanistan, Dr. Sakena Yacoobi; Indian actor and the winner of the Miss Universe pageant 2000, Lara Dutta Bhupathi; Media Personality and Host of CBC Vancouver News at 6, Anita Bathe.
Neetu Garcha from Global BC will be the moderator. Be it in the form of a gentle, soothing touch from our selfless mothers, or the fearless and bold leadership of global leaders, we are surrounded by women of excellence in more ways than one. As mothers, daughters, and sisters, we are no strangers to the many sacrifices the female figures in our lives continue to make, going above and beyond to contribute to the betterment of our families and society. In the workforce, we have seen an uprising of women who, everyday, break the shackles of gender inequality and shatter glass ceilings to realize not only their own full
composer “conspired” to “scrap” his lyrics and replace them with his own lyrics.
Lyricist Shailendra turned producer with Teesri Kasam, he invited Hasrat Jaipuri to write lyrics for the film. He also wrote screenplay for the movie Hulchul (1951). His last film as a lyricist was Hatya (2004). Hasrat Jaipuri wrote several books of poetry. Once He said about literature, that “Hindi and Urdu are like two great and inseparable sisters.”
His famous book, Abshaar-E-Ghazal (compilation of Hasrat Jaipuri’s poetry) Hasrat Jaipuri invested his earnings in real estate or rental property, on his wife’s advice. Thanks to earnings from these properties, his financial condition was sound, and therefore he could devote his time as a lyricist. He was survived by two sons and a daughter who live in Mumbai.
[4] His sister Bilqis Malik was married to music director Sardar Malik and is the mother of composer Anu Malik. He has two sons & a daughter, Akhtar Hasrat Jaipuri and Asif Hasrat Jaipuri & Kishwar Jaipuri. Aadil, Amaan, Aamir & Faiz Jaipuri are his grandsons.
Filmfare Best Lyricist Award
- 1972 for Zindagi Ek Safar
Hai Suhana Andaz, (1971) Filmfare Best Lyricist Award
- 1967 for the song Baharo Phool Barsao Suraj (1966 film)
- Josh Malihabadi Award, from Urdu Conference
- Dr. Ambedkar Award, for Jhanak Jhanak Tori Baaje Payaliya film Mere Huzoor (1968), a Brajbhasha song Hasrat Jaipuri was also honoured degree from the World University.
Shraddha Kapoor gets a gift from fan
Shraddha Kapoor enjoys a crazy fanbase all across the nation. She is the one special star who received unprecedented love from her fans who time and again shower their love on her by giving gifts and the actress also never leaves a chance to give back her love to her fans. Ahead of her birthday, a fan of Shraddha brought a special gift for her, all the way from Shirdi.
While Shraddha is currently running on the promotions of her upcoming ‘Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar’, she encountered a super fan who brought her a special gift from Shirdi. As the actress was seen wearing a white top and blue denim, she was totally mesmerised by having received such a special gift from the fan and she was seen saying ‘Bohot Sundar Hai’ as she accepted the gift.
potential, but really that of humanity overall!
While world-renowned names may often grace the media and high profile events, sometimes, local heroes who are close to home may go unnoticed. Undoubtedly, it is these gifted and driven women who are making impactful positive contributions to society, which creates a ripple effect and leaves a global footprint. The time has come to recognize these women for all that they are, and for all that they have done for our communities.
Having experienced the South Asian community inside out, DARPAN Magazine wholeheartedly takes on its next calling by humbly taking on the noble responsibility and honor of creating a platform to celebrate, admire, and recognize esteemed and accomplished women in our community. We take this opportunity to invite you to partner with DARPAN Magazine as we embark on this journey and urge you to join hands with us in celebrating the very females that build our homes and strengthen our communities, at the first ever DARPAN Power Women of Influence 2023.
13 Saturday, March 4, 2023
April 15, 1922 – September 17, 1999
Muhammad Rafi,Hasrat Jaipuri, Shashi Kapoor and Shankar Ji
Canadian home prices to drop 12% in 2023, but still remain unaffordable for many: poll
The drop in home prices in Canada this year will be steeper than forecast three months ago but mild compared with an historic run-up during the COVID pandemic, leaving many first-time buyers still priced out of the market, a Reuters poll showed.
Following nearly a year of mostly aggressive interest rate rises from near-zero that the Bank of Canada has only recently set on pause at 4.50%, mortgage rates have soared over 170 basis points, restricting activity in the once red-hot market.
Average home prices in Canada have already fallen roughly 15.0% from their early 2022 peak and are forecast to drop 12.0% this year, according to the median view from a Feb 15-28 poll of 13 housing experts.That is slightly more severe than
the 10.0% fall predicted in a November survey.
But that expected decline is dwarfed by the more than 50% rise during the height of the pandemic, and is a very small fraction of prices that roughly tripled over the past two decades, suggesting the dream of owning a home will remain out of reach for many prospective first time buyers.
While most analysts said such a fall in house prices would improve affordability somewhat, others said they needed to drop a lot more to make any difference.
“We think in normal times a 30% house price decline would be a crash, but in this
context of what we’re coming from with the two-year surge, it’s a necessary correction to restore affordability,” said Tony Stillo, director of economics for Canada at Oxford Economics. Asked how much average house prices would fall from peak to trough, the median response was 20.0%, more than the 17.5% predicted in the November poll. The range of forecasts varied from 12.5% to 30.0%.
House prices in Toronto and Vancouver, front runners in the recent house price boom, were forecast to drop 15% and 12%, respectively, in 2023, compared with rises
of over 50% and 30% during the pandemic. Without a large correction, prospective homeowners will continue renting. A strong majority, 7 of 10 analysts, said home ownership would decrease over the next two to three years.
“We view the drop in average prices as only offsetting the run-up in mortgage rates, so net affordability really hasn’t improved in the past year,” said BMO Capital Markets chief economist Douglas Porter.
“Of course, the Canadian housing market is rarely ‘affordable’ for many potential first-time buyers.”
Urban rent affordability is also set to worsen over the next two years, according to eight of 11 respondents, with rents kept elevated through ever-expanding demand from immigration and supply not keeping pace.
10.7% property tax hike means council set to invest in Vancouver’s future: mayor
Property taxes in Vancouver will jump by nearly 11 per cent this year after city councillors approved a $1.97 billion operating budget for 2023. Council voted Tuesday to pass the budget which
contains a property tax increase of 10.7 per cent, one per cent higher than the hike proposed last month and more than double the five per cent amount put forward by staff last November. A
statement from the city says It means average increases of $549 for business properties, $326 for single-family homes and $125 for condominiums, although the assessed value of each property will determine the specific amount.
It’s the highest property tax increase in Vancouver in more than a decade, but Mayor Ken Sim says in a statement that the vote corrects artificially low rates approved by previous councils.
One per cent of the rate hike will go to the reserve fund and infrastructure renewal, three per cent will be directed to the police department, and 5.7 per cent goes to other city services and will be used as a hedge against
uncertain costs. Sim says the budget was challenging but the unanimous vote shows councillors “have chosen to invest in Vancouver’s future.”
“The investments â ¦ will lead to better quality roads and sidewalks with fewer potholes, cleaner streets and more frequent cleaning of public spaces, revitalized neighbourhoods, and for the first time in over a decade, police, fire, and mental health services are going to be properly funded,” Sim says in his statement.
He says double-digit property tax increases “will not become the norm,” and pledges that council will continue to search for cost savings.
Home sales in Vancouver area up 77% from January, ‘but lag behind last year’s numbers: real estate board
The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver says the number of homes sold in February was up 76.9 per cent from January, but down 47.2 per cent compared to the same month last year.
The board says sales for the month in the area it covers totalled 1,808, down from 3,424 in February 2022 and roughly 33 per cent below the 10-year February sales average.
The board says the numbers reflect a continued reluctance from prospective home sellers to list their properties, pushing sales well below historical norms.
However, the total number of homes listed for sale in the region has continued inching upwards, moving up by 16.7 per cent from February 2022 and 5.2 per cent from January 2023. There were 3,467 new listings last month, a 36.6 per cent decrease when compared with February 2022, but a 5.2 per cent increase when compared with January 2023.
The composite benchmark price for all residential properties hit $1,123,400, a 9.3 per cent drop compared to the same month last
year but a 1.1 per cent increase over January.
“While we continue to expect home price trends to show year-over-year declines for a few more months, current data and market activity suggest pricing is firming up,’’ said Andrew Lis, the board’s director of economics and data analytics.
“In fact, some leading indicators suggest we may see modest price increases this spring, particularly if sales activity increases and mortgage rates hold steady.’’
At least 3 B.C. homes listed for sale without homeowners’ knowledge amid surge in title fraud in Ontario 1 in 5 properties across much of Canada are owned by investors. That makes it harder for 1st-time buyers
Areas and municipalities covered by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver include: Burnaby, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, South Delta, Squamish, Sunshine Coast, Vancouver, West Vancouver and Whistler.
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The average Vancouver renter needs 17 years to save for a home
According to a new report, an average renter needs 17 years to save for the upfront costs of buying a home in Metro Vancouver.
The City of Vancouver is hailed as one of the most expensive places to live, but several other Metro Vancouver cities are climbing the ladder of unaffordability.
Vancouver, Richmond, Coquitlam, Burnaby, Langley, and Surrey are in the top 20 regarding average upfront costs of going from renter to homeowner, assuming a 20% down payment. Upfront costs include the down payment and closing costs. Nationally, the average down payment is $142,740, with closing costs totalling around $10,500. The national benchmark price of a home is $713,000 as of January 2023. Locally, the average annual renter income in Metro Vancouver is $73,769, and 20% of that set aside is $14,754.
Vancouver leads all BC cities for the average upfront costs of buying a home
totalling $256,775. However, point2Homes suggests it would take 17 years to accumulate those savings. The average cost of the first year of homeownership in Vancouver, which also includes the annual mortgage, property taxes, and homeowners insurance is $369,051.
It’s mostly the same for Richmond, BC, although the total costs are slightly less, at $243,454. You can shave a year off in Coquitlam, where it takes 16 years to save $229,164.
While costs are generally lower in Burnaby, it would still take 15 years to accumulate $226,217, the average upfront
cost of buying a home in that city. Langley and Surrey are further down at 14 years each.
Surprisingly, Richmond Hill in Ontario is the locale where it takes the longest to save up for the upfront costs at a whopping 22 years. The average upfront costs total $304,647. On the opposite end of the spectrum, places like Saguenay, Regina, and Edmonton are some Canadian cities where the first year of home ownership is the cheapest. Never has the dream of becoming a homeowner in Canada felt just like that — a dream. As homeownership rates declined to a 20-year low back in 2021,
potential buyers might still be inclined to postpone ownership plans due to ongoing inflation and out-of-reach home prices. The first year of homeownership, in particular, can be daunting, given the down payment, closing costs, first mortgage payments, homeowners’ insurance, and property taxes — all new to first-time homebuyers. Point2 set out to determine the major Canadian cities where the first year of homeownership was easier on the wallets of new buyers. To do so, we took the 50 most populous cities in Canada and analyzed data pertaining to two categories: upfront costs and annual recurring costs. Upfront costs include closing costs and a 20% down payment based on local benchmark home prices. Annual recurring costs consist of mortgage payments (assuming the conventional, five-year, fixed-rate mortgage with a 5.86% interest rate and a 25-year amortization period), average
Number of private mortgages growing as Canadians struggle to secure traditional loans, FSRA warns
A dramatic increase in the number of homeowners relying on private mortgages to finance their homes is causing concern in Ontario’s mortgage industry, and the province’s financial regulator says it expects reliance on such high-interest loans to increase.
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario said 10.6 per cent of homeowners arranging financing through licensed brokers used private mortgages in 2021, and that number is expected to rise for 2022 and 2023 as high interest rates put further pressure on homeowners.
The dollar value of private mortgages brokered by FSRAlicensed brokers in Ontario increased by 72 per cent between 2019 and 2021, jumping from $13-billion to $22.4-billion.
Private mortgages are generally a short-term financing product for people who are struggling to qualify for traditional
mortgages because their income-to-debt ratio is not sufficient, their credit rating is too low, or for other scenarios that banks and other lenders may find too risky. They are often offered by smaller companies and non-traditional lenders, and involve higher lending fees, more restrictions and sometimes payments that only cover interest and don’t chip away at principal debt.
Robert McLister: Why not all mortgage lenders are created equal Calculator: How does your debt compare to Canadians your age?
Ron Butler, a mortgage broker with Butler Mortgage, said the high number of private mortgages in 2021 was driven by a frenzied pandemic housing market, in which buyers disregarded the prices they qualified for and bid hundreds of thousands of dollars outside their budget. He said most bids were unconditional,
15 Saturday, March 4, 2023
Real Estate
#106 - 7565 132 St. Surrey, BC 604.572.3005
16 Saturday, March 4, 2023
A temple in Kerala introduced a robotic elephant to replace live elephants in Hindu religious rituals and festivals.
Parvathy Thiruvothu, an Indian
India temple replaces
elephant with robot for rituals
actress who has appeared in regional Malayalam and Tamil films, and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which works to end animal cruelty in the country, have
Supreme Court directs govt to provide Z+ security to Mukesh Ambani & family
The Supreme Court has directed to provide the highest level Z-plus security to industrialist Mukesh Ambani and his family members all across India and abroad.
A bench of Justices Krishna Murari and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said on Monday it was of considered opinion that if there is a security threat, the security cover cannot be restricted to a particular area or place of stay. “Highest Z+ Security Cover provided to respondent nos. 2 to 6 (Ambanis) shall be available all across India and the same is to be ensured by the State of Maharashtra and Ministry of Home Affairs. “Highest Level Z+ Security Cover, as per the policy of Government of India, be also provided, while
respondent nos. 2 to 6 are travelling abroad and the same shall be ensured by the Ministry of Home Affairs,” the bench said. The top court said the entire expenses and cost of providing Z+ security cover to Ambanis within the territory of India or abroad shall be borne by them. It said that looking into the business activities of Ambanis within the country as also outside the country, the very purpose of providing security cover would stand frustrated, if the same is restricted to a particular place or area. “We find that the security cover provided to the respondent nos. 2 to 6 has been the subject matter of controversy at different places and in different high courts,” the bench said.
joined hands to support the Sree Krishna Temple in Thrissur in this initiative.
“This will help conduct ceremonies at the temple in a safe and cruelty-
free manner and thereby support real elephants’ rehabilitation and lives in forests and end the horror of captivity for them,” PETA said in a statement.
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India’s Russian oil buy below western price cap: US officials
The Biden administration will continue to discuss India’s purchases of Russian oil with government officials but is satisfied so far that New Delhi is buying the crude well below a western price cap, senior State Department officials told reporters on Wednesday. India’s purchases of Russian oil are a constant topic of discussion between the US and India as Washington seeks to deny Russia the revenue it needs
to fund its invasion of Ukraine, the officials said. They briefed reporters on condition of anonymity. It’s good both for the Indian economy and for stabilizing oil markets
that India is buying crude at deep discounts from the cap, the officials said.
FIR lodged against film actor Shah Rukh Khan’s wife over property purchase
It looks like actor Shah Rukh Khan’s wife Gauri Khan is in legal trouble as one complaint has been filed against her over a property purchase. The case is registered under the section 409 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian penal code.
A resident of Mumbai, Jaswant Shah has alleged that the company of which Gauri is the brand ambassador has failed to give possession of a flat despite charging Rs 86 lakh. This flat is located at Tulsiyani Gold View, in the Sushant Golf City in Lucknow.
Modi’s shady dealings with Adani Group
The Indian government granted an extraordinary favour to controversial tycoon Gautam Adani, boosting his coal business, documents reveal.
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office had ascertained that a particular regulation handing over coal blocks to the private sector was ‘inappropriate’ and lacked transparency, his government made an
exception. It allowed Adani Enterprises Limited to mine from a block holding more than 450 million tonnes of coal in one of India’s densest forest patches. The government did not explain why the Adani Group, owned by billionaire Gautam Adani, was given an exception, documents accessed by The Reporters’ Collective (TRC), a non-profit media organisation based in India, and Al Jazeera show.
India made significant efforts to stop terrorism
The Indian government made significant efforts in 2021 to detect, disrupt, and degrade operations of terrorist organizations, according to an annual report by US bureau on counterterrorism. The report suggested a shift in terrorists’ tactics in their attacks against civilians and greater
reliance on IEDs, including an explosives attack using drones in the technical area of Jammu Air Force Station in June 2021. Indian security forces have intensified counterterrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir amid spate of targeted killings.
Sutton premier’s realtors were awarded in an impressive ceremony at Morgan Creek Golf Course on Wednesday, March 1st. Realtor Parveen Khan was also honoured as one of the best.
18 Saturday, March 4, 2023 INDIA
Gautam Adani drops from 3rd to 38th in rich list
Adani Group Chairman Gautam
Adani is no longer among the 25 richest billionaires in the world after his net worth dipped below $43.4 billion on February 22, according to Forbes and Bloomberg indices. The fall comes more than a month after the U.S. short-seller Hindenburg Research alleged the Gujaratbased conglomerate was mired deep in stock manipulations and accounting fraud.
Mr. Adani, who held the title of Asia’s richest person and the world’s third richest until recently, saw his personal
net worth fall, making him the 26th richest billionaire, as per Forbes. The Adani Group’s stock witnessed another round of sell-off on Wednesday which wiped $3.6 billion from Mr. Adani’s personal net worth.
Nike’s Phil Knight and family have surpassed Mr. Adani to take the 25th position, with a net worth of $46.3 billion, on the Forbes list . On the Bloomberg Index, he is ranked between Italy’s Giovanni Ferrero & family ($42.9 billion) and France’s Francois Pinault ($41.3 billion).
India’s bid to rebrand Ukraine war as a ‘challenge’ or ‘crisis’ fails at G20 meet
India appears to have failed in its mission to stop G20 countries from calling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a “war”.
While hosting financial ministers of the Group of 20 in Bangalore last week, Indian delegates tried to get members to call the Ukraine war a “challenge” or a “crisis” instead, multiple reports said.
Russia, which is a member of the G20 and sent a delegation to the meetings, has previously discouraged the use of the word “war” to refer to its
Khalistan supporters getting funding from Pakistan, other countries: says Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday said that Khalistan supporters are getting funds from Pakistan and other countries, reported news agency PTI. Speaking on the recent happenings in the state over the release of Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal Singh’s aide, Mann said that Punjab police were capable of handling the matter.
Mann’s remarks come after Khalistani supporter ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh and his followers stormed a police station in Amritsar demanding the release of Singh’s close aide Lovepreet Singh Toofan.
The Punjab CM was addressing a press conference in Bhavnagar city of Gujarat after attending a mass wedding function, a PTI report said.
Responding to a question about
pro-Khalistan slogans in Punjab after the recent episode, he said, “Do you think 1,000 people (who have been seen shouting pro-Khalistan slogans) represent the entire Punjab? You come to Punjab and see for yourself who all are shouting such slogans.” “Only a handful of persons are behind this and they run their shops through funding from Pakistan and other foreign countries,” Mann added, as quoted by PTI. “Though Rajasthan shares a much larger border with Pakistan, why do drones (sent from Pakistan) land in Punjab and not in Rajasthan? Because their (Khalistani element’s) masters are sitting there (in Pakistan) and they want to disturb Punjab. But we will not let them succeed,” the CM said.
Days of ‘Made-in-India’ passenger aircraft not far off
Mon-Fri - 12:00 - 9:30 Sat-Sun - 12:00 - 10:00
military action in Ukraine. To sway public opinion, the country has been calling the war in Ukraine a “special military operation” However, a press release published jointly by the G20 countries on Saturday describes the attack on Ukraine as “a war”.
“Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed that it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy,” the summary says.
“Those wearing ‘hawai chappals’ should travel in ‘hawai jahaz’ (aircraft). I’m seeing it happening”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday as he highlighted that India’s aviation market is growing rapidly.
Speaking at a public meeting after inaugurating the Shivamogga airport, he said in the coming days India will need thousands of aircraft, and the days of Madein-India passenger aircraft are not far.
Modi also took a dig at the Congress, saying before 2014 Air-India was often discussed for negative reasons, and the company was recognised for scams during that party’s rule. The inauguration of the airport
coincided with the 80th birthday of Karnataka BJP strongman and fourtime Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who hails from Shivamogga district.
Modi asked people to switch on their mobile flash lights to commemorate Yediyurappa’s birthday.
Karnataka has made up its mind to repeatedly give opportunity to “double engine” government, he said.
This is Modi’s fifth visit this year to the State, where Assembly elections are due by May.
The new airport has been developed at a cost of around Rs 450 crore. The passenger terminal building of the airport can handle 300 passengers per hour.
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19 Saturday, March 4, 2023
INDIA
India Supreme Court sets up panel to probe Adani fraud allegations
India’s Supreme Court has set up an independent panel to investigate a US research firm’s allegations of fraud against billionaire Gautam Adani’s business empire.
Hindenburg Research had accused Adani Group firms of stock manipulation and financial fraud in a report in January,
sending its shares into a sharp fall.
The group has denied the allegations.
But the incident sparked a political row, with opposition leaders demanding an investigation into the claims.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court appointed a five-member panel to investigate the allegations.
India & Italy seal defence and energy partnership
Italy and India announced a plan to cooperate on defence and energy as Giorgia Meloni seeks to boost business deals with the Asian giant.
“We decided to become strategic partners as our relations are very solid,” Meloni said after a bilateral meeting with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, the first state visit by an Italian premier in over four years. “Trade between India and Italy
has more than doubled in two years and is at a record of €15 billion ($16 billion), but we are convinced we can do more,” Meloni said.
Meloni’s decision to pick India as her first Asian trip since taking office shows her willingness to relaunch bilateral ties and to steer the nation closer to the West following a string of diplomatic incidents.
These have included New Delhi’s move to jail two Italian marines for allegedlykilling unarmed fishermen off the southern Indian cost in 2012.
New investigation reveals older brother as key player in Adani Group’s biggest deals
In early 2021, Gautam Adani scored a big win. Adani Green Energy, one of eight publicly traded firms controlled by his Adani Group conglomerate, agreed to sell a 20% stake to French oil firm TotalEnergies. “We have a shared vision of developing renewable power at affordable prices,” said Adani at the time.
The deal was also a coup for TotalEnergies, now the world’s fifth-largest energy company by market capitalization. It paid $2 billion for Adani Green Energy shares that, on India’s stock exchange, were worth about $4.1 billion. As part of the deal,
TotalEnergies also spent $510 million on a joint solar venture with the Adani Group.
“It’s a win-win situation for both companies,” says Haran Segram, an adjunct finance professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business and Columbia Business School. In return for a “bargain” priced slice of Adani Green, TotalEnergies improved the Adani Group’s standing with foreign investors. “A European multinational oil company investing gives a lot of credibility for Adani Group,” says Segram.
Indian national shot dead in Australia for stabbing railway cleaner
A 32-year-old Indian national was shot dead by the Australian police after he allegedly stabbed a cleaner at railway station in Sydney, Australia and threatened law enforcement officers, media reports said.
Mohamed Rahmathullah Syed Ahmed, who hails from Tamil Nadu, was identified by the Consulate General of India in Sydney, as the man who was fatally shot by the police. Ahmed allegedly attacked a 28-year-old
At G20 meeting, PM Modi says ‘global governance has failed’
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has criticised global institutions for failing to address the world’s biggest challenges, calling on countries to find common ground on divisive issues.
Speaking at the opening of the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, Modi said that countries should acknowledge that multilateralism is currently “in crisis”. The experience of the last few years – financial crisis, climate change, pandemic, terrorism and wars –clearly shows that global governance has failed,” Modi said in a recorded statement.
“We should not allow issues that we cannot resolve together to come in the way of those we can,” Modi added. India holds the G20 presidency this year. But New Delhi’s longstanding security ties with Moscow have put the host of Thursday’s meeting in an awkward position.
India, being a major buyer of Russian armaments and energy, has not directly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said Russia’s war in Ukraine is expected to be an important point of discussion at the meeting.
Supreme Court asks market regulator SEBI to probe manipulation of stock prices
Supreme Court on Thursday directed market regulator SEBI to investigate if there was any violation of Section 19 of SEBI Rules and if there was any manipulation of stock prices in contravention of existing laws.
A three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud asked the SEBI to investigate if there was any failure to disclose transactions with related parties and other relevant information concerning related parties to the market regulator. It took note of the fact that the SEBI was already investigating the allegations made
cleaner at the Auburn train station in Sydney on Tuesday before arriving at Auburn police station, Sydney Morning Herald newspaper quoted police officials as saying. Two police officers were leaving the police station, when they were confronted by Ahmed, who tried to attack them, the report said. A police officer fired three shots, two of which hit Ahmed in the chest. A probationary
in the January 24 Hindenburg Research report. Clarifying that its directions will not limit the contours of the ongoing probe, it asked the SEBI to submit a report to it in two months.
The Bench—which included Justice PS Narasimha and Justice JB Pardiwala—also set up an expert committee headed by former SC Judge AM Sapre to suggest measures to safeguard investors’ interests in the wake of Hindenburg Research report leading to sudden crash in Adani Group shares. Other members of the expert committee are—OP Bhat, Justice (Retd) JP Devdutt, Nandan Nilakeni, KV Kamath and Somasekharan Senderasan
blames system
Veteran BJP leader and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Shanta Kumar on Wednesday lauded AAP leader Manish Sisodia for his “clean image” but suggested that he might be “collecting money” for his party to fight elections.
Sisodia was arrested Sunday over alleged irregularities in the
formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.
In remarks that could embarrass his own party, Shanta Kumar said the AAP formed its government in the national capital “right under the nose of the BJP government at the Centre”, after badly defeating the ruling party.
20 Saturday, March 4, 2023 INDIA
BJP veteran Shanta Kumar defends AAP’s Manish Sisodia,
Amardeep Singh and Vininder Kaur trace Guru Nanak’s footprints
The Hindi version of the English and Punjabi docu-series on the iconic travels of Guru Nanak across the distant lands of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Tibet, Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka, was released by the Singapore-based
couple, Amardeep Singh and Vininder Kaur.
To carry forward the legacy of Guru Nanak, the couple took the road less travelled and released the Hindi docu-series, titled Roopak: Guru Nanak Ke Kadmon Ki Roohani Chaap. The English version of this docuseries was
Indian-origin health worker extradited to Australia to face 2018 murder charges
A 38-year-old Indian-origin male nurse, who fled Australia after allegedly murdering an Australian woman in 2018 was charged on Thursday, a day
after he was extradited from India. Rajwinder Singh was charged by the police with one count of murder and is expected to appear before the Cairns
Policemen arrested in bribery case
Two policemen were arrested by Punjab Vigilance Bureau, one sub-inspector and another one head constable posted in Kapurthala arrested in connection with bribery case, officials said.
S.I. Rachpal Singh and Head Constable Sukhjit Singh were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from complainant Rajwant Kaur, a resident of Fauji Colony in Sultanpur Lodhi.
5 gangsters eliminated, 564 arrested in past 10 months claim only 73 gangsters are currently active (not caught yet) in the state.
While the bloody clash between members of the Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gangs inside the Goindwal Sahib Central Jail in Tarn Taran district on Sunday has once again brought to the fore the menace of gang war in Punjab, the police
Two men have been produced in the Nausori Magistrates Court charged with the alleged murder of a Fijian born Canadian national on the 20th of February. The man’s body was found floating in Waimaro River near Waito Village in Tailevu.
Two charged with murder of Fijian born Canadian national Raikaci said the two are alleged to have colluded to rob the 64-year-old victim upon his arrival in Fiji last month.
Chief of Intelligence, Investigations and Prosecutions Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police (A/ACP) Sakeo
It is alleged that the victim had been communicating with one of the suspects who was using a fake profile as a woman, and the two had planned to meet upon his arrival, where they took him under the pretext of meeting the woman he was communicating with.
Suspended Polce Commissioner resigns
The Commissioner of the Fiji Corrections Service Commander Francis Kean has resigned.
This has been confirmed by the Constitutional Offices Commission. Pursuant to section 138(3) of the Constitution, following the concurrence of the majority of the members, the Chair and
The sheer number of gangs and their hideouts, as per the police record, reflects the deep reach these criminals have, though police officials claim the number of active gangsters has dropped below
Pakistan
Women hockey player died in shipwreck near Italian coast
A Pakistani women hockey player died when the boat she was on wrecked off the coast of Italy on Sunday, She had been trying to reach Italy to get medical treatment for her son, her sister told BBC. Saadia Raza said her older sister
ndonesia has protested to Fiji’s government after the prime minister of the Pacific island country met with a Papuan leader in a morale boostfortheregionalindependencemovement.
Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, who was elected in December, also said he
called from the ship, which had set out from Turkey four days previously, and said she was about to land in Italy.
“She was thanking God that she was nearly there,” Saadia tells us over the phone from her home in Quetta.
Govt baffled by IMF moving goalposts
Govt of Pakistan once again sought US help to conclude a desperately-needed deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
It is “rare” that despite implementing tough decisions with high political cost, the coalition government has to deal with a situation where the global lender
keeps changing the goalposts constantly.
The request for the US help was made by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in a virtual meeting with US Deputy Secretary of Treasury Wally Adeyemo, according to the government sources.
The US made the contact to discuss a different matter, the sources said and added
High Court orders interim bail to former PM Imran Khan in Toshkhana case
Islamabad High Court approved former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s interim bail pleas till March 9 in gift depository (Toshakhana) case.
Imran Khan reached Islamabad High Court and after biometric procedure test, he appeared before the court. In view of security concerns, Imran Khan’s vehicle was given special permission to be taken inside the Court premises. His party workers were also present. Earlier, a district and sessions court in Federal Capital issued non-bailable arrest warrant
for PTI Chairman Imran Khan if he does not appear in court in Toshakhana case.
Earlier, Imran Khan filed a petition seeking adjournment of the case for five days due to his schedule as he was to appear in other courts today.
The former Prime Minister’s lawyer Mr Ali Bokhari, told honourable judge that his client was coming to Islamabad from Lahore (5 hours drive) as he was due to appear before two other courts in the Judicial Complex. He said his client would not be able to attend the hearing of the Toshakhana case due to shortage of time.
Imran Khan suspends jail bharo protest in wake of Suprem Court’s ruling on election schedules
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday announced he is suspending the party’s ongoing ‘Jail Bharo’ movement in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling on elections being conducted in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa within 90 days of their assemblies’ dissolution.
In a spilt ruling, the apex court directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to consult with President Arif Alvi
to announce a date for elections in Punjab, and with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali to fix a date for polls for its assembly. However, while maintaining that polls must take place within 90 days of the dissolution of the two assemblies, the court granted a “barest minimum” deviation from the schedule in light of the delay in announcing a date for polls.
Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka will advise the President regarding the resignation of the Commissioner. Kean was suspended earlier this year for allegations against him that are currently before the COC. Hehadfouryearsremaininginhisfive-year term following his reappointment last year.
Indonesia protests Fiji PM’s meeting with Papua independence figure would support Papuan membership in a U.N.-recognized organization of Melanesian nations. Fiji’s previous government and Papua New Guinea for a decade have blocked such a membership bid to maintain good relations with Indonesia, a source of foreign aid for both nations.
Cyclon Judy reaching far west of Fiji Islands
The Fiji Meteorological Service says Category 3 Tropical Cyclone Judy now lies to the far west of Fiji.
The weather office in its latest update says that TC Judy continues to direct fresh to strong northeasterly winds over the country.
While TC Judy poses no direct threat to
Fiji, the country is expected to experience some showers and thunderstorms, particularly in the Northern Division. Meanwhile, a strong wind warning remains in force for the land areas of the Yasawa and Mamanuca groups, Nadi, and the Ba and Lautoka areas.
21 Saturday, March 4, 2023 FIJI Punjab
Award winning artists give spellbinding performances at Surrey Arts Centre
Saturday, March 4, 2023
Naad Festival of Music and Arts in Surrey celebrations of Indian classical arts forms performed at “Rhythmic Remembrance
artists Guru Sanchita Bhattacharya (Odissi) and Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya (Santoor) along with Amarjeet Singh (Tabla) paid a mesmerizing tribute to Tabla Guru Thakur Kishan Singh at “Rhythmic Remembrance 2023” - Naad Festival of Classical Music and Dance at Surrey Arts Centre on February 25, 2023. Despite inclement weather and heavy snowfall warning, lovers of classical music and arts thronged the Arts Centre to watch and listen to the soulful performances.
Renowned
performance by the students of Naad Arts Centre, Akaaljot Singh, Jaskirat Singh, and Sahib Singh. They were accompanied by Ustad Kulwant Singh on Dilruba. Next performances were by Guru Sanchita Bhattacharya and Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya.
Sanchita Bhtaatcharya is an Indian awardwinning performer specializing in the Odissi dance form and has performed all over the world. Her abhinaya performance of a classical piece from the Mahabharata depicting Draupadi’s anguish during her
Shakti which was also very well received by the audience. After this came the power packed performance by Pt Tarun Bhattacharya on Santoor accompanied by Amarjeet Singh on Tabla. Recipient of the prestigious Sangeet Natak Academy award, Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya is a renowned Santoor player who is credited for having invented the ‘mankas’ - unique tuners which help in fine tuning the Santoor, to broaden its scope. Pt. Bhattacharya’s skills with Santoor,
Bhattacharya. Naad Arts Academy also established the Naad Yogi awards for the first time this year. The awards will be given each year to individuals and organizations who have been teaching, performing, organizing and working in the field of Music and Dance for more than 25 years. Naad Yogi awards 2023 were given to Sudnya Mulye (Sudnya Dance Academy), Ustad Amrik Singh Phull -Ustad Gurdev Singh Phull (Amar Music Academy) and Oscar Nieto- Kasandra Lea (Mozaico Flamenco Dance Academy) Naad Arts Centre organizes the Naad Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance each year in the memory of Tabla Guru Thakur Kishan Singh.
Quote: Amarjeet Singh, Artistic Director, Naad Arts Centre “Hindustani Classical music and arts is food for the soul. My attempt with Naad Arts Centre is to bring awareness of Hindustani Classical music and arts forms and its richness to our large South Asian population in Canada,” said Amarjeet Singh Artistic Director of Naad Arts Centre.
Among those who attended were Hon. Minister of Education Rachna Singh, MLA Jinny Sims, Delta School district trustee Nimmi Daula and Consul General of India Mr. Manish. The evening began with a beautiful rendering of ‘Guru Strotam’ rendered by Bhargavi Singh. Accompanying Bhargavi Singh on the flute was Dr. Bruce Harding, a well-known flautist of the lower mainland. The flawless performance paying respect to all our Gurus set the mood for the evening. This was followed by an equally beautiful Tabla Ensemble
disrobing by Kaurava dushasana left the audience spellbound. Sanchita Bhattacharya also performed a beautiful piece on Hindu Goddess Durga depicting the power of
the hundred stringed instrument was quite visible as he rendered soulful ragas for the audience. Keeping pace with Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya was Amarjeet Singh on the tabla and the duo created magic through their jugalbandi. The last act of the evening was the quartet with Pt Tarun Bhattacharya on Santoor, Amarjeet Singh on Tabla, Bruce Harding on the Flute and Odissi performance by Guru Sanchita
For more Information contact: Naad Arts Centre 778-883-2627
iCON South Asian Health Forum - Take Charge of Your Health – Living Well Together with Diabetes
iCON 2023 South Asian Health Forum
Take Charge of Your Health: Living Well Together with Diabetes
March 1, 2023 – Surrey, B.C. – In support of multicultural communities, patients and caregivers, UBC intercultural Online Health Network (iCON) is hosting the 2023 South Asian Health Forum: “Take Charge of Your Health: Living Well Together with Diabetes” in collaboration with City of Surrey, on Sunday, March 5, 2023 at Surrey City Hall. This forum is designed to help participants optimize their quality of life by empowering them with knowledge and resources to manage diabetes.
Through a series of presentations and discussions, health experts from the community will educate and engage with the audience, providing an introduction to diabetes self-management tips (on nutrition, mental health, fitness, etc.) for living well with diabetes, as well as share community resources.
This free South Asian Health Forum will be delivered in Panjabi, with simultaneous interpretation in English. Walk-ins are welcome with limited seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Date: Sunday, March 5, 2023
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm PT
Admission: Free to Attend
Language: Panjabi and English
Format: Either online or in-person with boxed lunch served
In-person location: Surrey City Hall, 13450 104 Ave, Surrey, BC V3T 1V8
Virtual location: A Teams link will be emailed to registered participants
Social media: iCON Facebook: @iconproject
UBC DigEMTwitter: @UBCdigem
UBC DigEM Instagram: @ubcdigem
iCON LinkedIn: @interCultural Online health Network (iCON)
Special thanks to Community Partners and Media Partners.
Community Partners: Choose to Move - Active Aging Society
City of Surrey Age Friendly Strategy for Seniors
DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society
Family Caregivers of BC
Fraser Health Virtual Care
Guru Nanak's Free Kitchen
In support of multicultural communities, patients and caregivers, UBC intercultural Online Health Network (iCON) is hosting the 2023 South Asian Health Forum: “Take Charge of Your Health: Living Well Together with Diabetes” in collaboration with City of Surrey, on Sunday, March 5, 2023 at Surrey City Hall. This forum is designed to help participants optimize their quality of life by empowering them with knowledge and resources to manage diabetes.
Through a series of presentations and discussions, health experts from the community will educate and engage with the audience, providing an introduction to diabetes self-management tips (on nutrition, mental health, fitness, etc.) for living well with diabetes, as well as share community resources.
This free South Asian Health Forum will be delivered in Panjabi, with simultaneous interpretation in English. Walk-ins are welcome with limited seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Date: Sunday, March 5, 2023
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm PT
For more details: https://iconproject.org/event/ south-asian-health-forum-livingwell-together-with-diabetes/
22
Press release
____________________________________________________________________________ NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Photos by: Aziz Ladha
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