The Asian Star May 15 2021 by The Asian Star Newspaper

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Vol 20 - Issue 15

Saturday, May 15, 2021

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Trust in Canadian political leaders has cratered during the pandemic, poll finds — except in Quebec A new poll suggests that most Canadians have less trust in their current political leadership because of how the Covid-19 pandemic was handled, with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau taking the worst hits.

But the poll also found one province to be a notable outlier: Quebec, where respondents reported a substantial increase in trust in Premier François Legault’s leadership. The only other place where respondents

reported an increase in trust was in Atlantic Canada, though the gains were much less than in Quebec. The survey suggests that incumbent governments — at least from Ontario westward — may run into trouble when the next election comes around. Continued on page 6

Mother of Surrey Six victim praises police and criticizes courts, as gang violence escalates Eileen Mohan knows what it’s like lose someone to gang violence. Her only son, Christopher Mohan, was shot and killed when he was 22-yearsold, one of six people murdered, in the spree of killings dubbed the Surrey Six. to

India received US $83 billion in remittances in 2020 India received over USD83 billion in remittances in 2020, a drop of just 0.2 per cent from the previous year, despite a pandemic that devastated the world economy, according to a World Bank report. China, which received USD59.5 billion in remittances in 2020 against USD68.3 billion the previous year, is a distant second in terms of global remittances for the year gone by, as per the latest World Bank data released on Wednesday. In 2019, India had received USD83.3 billion in remittances. The report said India’’s remittances fell by just 0.2 per cent in 2020, with much of the decline due to a 17 per cent drop in remittances from the United Arab Emirates, which offset resilient flows from the United States and other host countries.

Mohan and another man, Ed Schellenberg, were both innocent victims. “It’s been 14 years, but for me, it’s like yesterday,” Mohan said, “holding my own dead son in my arms.”

India saw a record rise in Covid-19 deaths with 4,205 new fatalities taking the country’s death count to 2,54,197, while 3,48,421 new coronavirus infections were reported, according to Health Ministry data. Total tally of Covid-19 cases in the country now stands at 2,33,40,938. The active cases have reduced to 37,04,099 comprising 15.87 percent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has

we saw before the coronavirus pandemic. “Last week, I went to the Chinese version of Burning Man. It’s a big art and camping festival with people all over the country,” said Nikk Mitchell, former Vancouverite.

Muslim candidate wins local body elections in Hindu dominated area in India In what could be termed as a perfect example of brotherhood and unity, a Muslim candidate has registered a win in the UP Panchayat Elections from Rajanpur village in Ayodhya. The village which is

Continued on page 6

India sees record 4,205 deaths by Covid-19 in 24 hour Karnataka, Maharashtra suspend vaccination

China largely returns to normal as Canada continues to battle Covid-19 pandemic As pandemic restrictions continue to be extended across Canada, life is largely back to normal in the country where Covid-19 was first detected. Restaurants, malls, conferences and even music festivals are all operating at capacity levels

Mohan has been watching the escalation in gang-related gun violence across the Lower Mainland, including high-profile public assassinations, with horror and the sense that history is repeating itself.

dominated by the Hindu population has selected Hafiz Azeem Uddin as their village head (Pradhan). Hafiz Azeem Uddin is the only Muslim family in his village, and even after that, he defeated Continued on page 7

improved to 83.04 percent, the data updated at 8 am showed. On a day when two of India’s worst-hit states, Karnataka and Maharashtra decided to halt the vaccination for 18 to 44 years of age group due to vaccine paucity, the Central Government claimed that India was the fastest country globally to reach the landmark of administering 17 crore doses in 114 days.

Saturday, May 15, 2021

Saturday, May 15, 2021 South Asian man identified in deadly shooting at Vancouver Airport A South Asian man, Karman Grewal had previously been targeted and police warned in 2017 that he was a threat to public safety. RCMP have identified the victim of a fatal shooting at Vancouver International Airport on Sunday as a longtime gang associate who was the subject of a rare public warning more than three years ago.Karman Grewal, 28, was shot and killed outside the airport’s departures terminal in front of several witnesses around 3 p.m. PT. He was well known to police, officers said Monday, and his death is believed to be related to the ongoing gang conflict in B.C.’s Lower Mainland. More than 10 people have been shot since mid-April. “As members of the public, you are undoubtedly and deservedly concerned … I can advise you that we are working around the clock in both overt and covert investigations to hit these gangsters at every possible turn,” said RCMP Asst. Comm. Dwayne McDonald. Deadly shooting at Vancouver airport linked to gangs, police say. The mid-afternoon shooting sent travellers scrambling for cover. Simonne Chalifoux, 58, told CBC News she saw bullets ricochet off the glass as she was sitting near a terminal window to wait for her flight home to Whitehorse. “I’m staring out the window and … the next thing you know, ‘bam, bam, bam, pop, pop, pop.’ It was so fast, so consecutive,” said Chalifoux, who had been in B.C. to care for her father after surgery for a stroke.“I’m like, ‘Holy crap, this just happened.’ It took about 10 seconds to resonate … and then I realized I had to get out of where I was sitting immediately.” Questions about suspects’ escape RCMP faced a series of questions Monday as to how the suspects escaped the airport, known as YVR. The airport is secluded on an island in Richmond, B.C., with a dedicated police and security presence. The major routes and

bridges off the island were shut down after the shooting, but the suspects were able to get away. Police intercepted the getaway vehicle — described as a red or maroon Honda Pilot — but suspects shot at the responding officers. They did not fire back or chase the suspects out of concern someone in the area might get hurt, officials said. The suspect vehicle was last seen in the area of Sea Island Way and Garden City Road. “That airport is immediately accessible to a majority of thoroughfares. When criminals commit crime, they don’t play by the rules,” said McDonald. “There’s people in cars, everywhere,” the officer continued. “Unlike the movies, when bullets start to fly, they eventually stop somewhere … we can’t take that chance to allow a gun battle to rage through the streets.” The killing was the first deadly shooting at the airport, though there was an attempted murder there in 2015. Chalifoux said RCMP officers on scene Sunday seemed shocked. “It really will stick in my mind how shaken up the members were themselves,” she said. Grewal targeted before Grewal had previously been targeted in a gang-related shooting. RCMP released his photo, along with those of four other men, after a series of shootings in 2017. Officers said the men were still targets and a threat to public safety, as they had not co-operated with investigators.

BC to refuse driver’s licence as insurance renewals for those who don’t pay Covid-19 fines The British Columbia government is trying to put some teeth into the fines issued to people flouting Covid-19 safety orders. New legislation introduced Tuesday could see people with unpaid fines have their efforts to obtain or renew a driver’s or vehicle licence blocked by ICBC. “That small minority of persons who have been fined for violating the rules in place to protect us all are going to be held accountable for the debt they owe,” said Minister of Public Safety and

Solicitor General Mike Farnworth. “We’ve already moved up the deadline for sending unpaid Covid-19 fines to collections. Now, we’re going to refuse to issue offenders a driver’s licence or vehicle licence if they still won’t take their tickets seriously and pay up.” If passed, the Motor Vehicle Act will be changed to trigger an RTI or “refuse to issue” restriction to people with outstanding fines levied under the Emergency Program Act and Covid-19 Related Measures Act.

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4 By Matthew Lau Fellow MEI

Saturday, May 15, 2021

More federal labour regulations mean fewer jobs

Most of the headlines from the Liberal budget were about the big dollar expenditures: tens of billions in new spending on child care, corporate welfare handouts (even excluding pandemic-related supports),

student debt relief, climate change programs, Indigenous services, and much more. All this spending will reduce economic growth by shifting economic control from the private sector to government. However, even

when the Liberals aren’t spending more of taxpayers’ money, they are introducing other economically harmful policies. The budget includes, among other things, a new $15 per hour minimum wage for federally regulated workers and a commitment to strengthening “labour protection” for workers in the gig economy. The problem with these sorts of employment regulations is that they discourage hiring by artificially inflating labour costs and restrict the ability of workers and firms to design employment contracts in ways that maximize the total economic value created through employment. For example, the $15 minimum wage effectively requires federally regulated employers to discriminate against lowskilled workers. It makes it impossible for federally regulated employers to offer jobs to any workers whose skills are insufficient for them to produce $15 of net output per hour unless those employers want to lose money. The certain result of the policy is, therefore, to reduce job opportunities for low-skilled workers. Some minimum wage advocates claim that minimum wages don’t kill jobs, but the vast majority of empirical studies contradicts them. Moreover, the downward-sloping demand curve – which says that if you raise the price of something, people will buy less of it – is a foundational idea of economics, and it makes no logical sense to say that it doesn’t apply to labour. Importantly, even many of the workers who see their wages rise when the minimum wage is increased would be worse off. Suppose, for example, that an employer pays a worker $16 per hour: $14 in wages and $2 worth of benefits. The benefits might include discounts on goods the employer sells, extended break times, leniency if the worker is occasionally late, and so on. Matthew Lau is a fellow at the MEI. The views reflected in this op-ed are his own.

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Saturday, May 15, 2021

Loaded gun seized from man & woman at traffic stop in Surrey A man and woman have been arrested in Surrey following a high-speed police chase and the seizure of a loaded weapon last Thursday. Surrey RCMP say that shortly before 7:30 p.m. officers tried to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation. The RCMP allege the driver failed to stop for police and took off. The Air 1 helicopter was in the area and was able to observe the vehicle from a distance and provide direction to officers on the ground. Officers tracked the vehicle to the 8200-block of 120th Street as the vehicle went into an underground parkade.

Police say a man and a woman were arrested for failing to stop for police and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. Officers searched the car and seized a loaded firearm. They also allege the vehicle contained drugs, packaged in a way that is consistent with drug trafficking. A woman is facing numerous charges for firearm possession and possession of drugs for the purposes of trafficking. She was taken into custody. The man was released with conditions, and hasn’t yet been charged.

BC reports 587 new Covid-19 cases and 5 deaths, active cases fall again BC reported 587 new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday and five additional deaths as active cases and the number of hospitalized patients dropped again. Thursday’s update brought the seven-day moving average for new cases down to 598, the first time it’s fallen below 600 since March 22. Of the new cases, 126 were in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 365 were in the Fraser Health Region, 21 were in the Vancouver Island Health region, 60 were in the Interior Health region and 15 were in the Northern Health region, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said. Active cases dropped to 5,691, the lowest they have been in more than six weeks. There were 413 people in hospital, an overnight decline of 10. Of them, 141

people were in critical or intensive care. Henry also reported B.C.’s second known case of a rare blood clot condition linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine, a man in his 40s. “There is a test for it and there is treatment,” Henry said of the clotting condition. “People, if anybody (have had) any vaccine in the last four to 28 days and is feeling unwell, you should call 811 and connect with your health care provider, particularly if you have serious symptoms, which include persistent, sever headache, shortness of breath, ongoing chest pain or abdominal pain, swelling or redness in a limb.” It comes after health officials said Wednesday they would no longer use the vaccine for first doses, citing a supply shortage.

HAVE YOUR SAY The Personal Information Protection Act governs the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information by private sector organizations. A parliamentary committee is reviewing this Act and wants to hear what you think. Register by June 4 to present to the Committee or share your thoughts in writing by July 30. For full details visit our website, email us at pipacommittee@leg.bc.ca, or call us toll-free at 1-877-428-8337 Special Committee to Review the Personal Information Protection Act

www.leg.bc.ca/cmt/pipa

Saturday, May 15, 2021

2nd person in BC diagnosed with rare blood clot disorder following AstraZeneca vaccine Another person in B.C. has been diagnosed with a rare blood clot disorder following a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

206 - 55 Water Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 1A1

The man in his 40s is currently recovering in hospital in the Fraser Health region, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Thursday.

This is now the second case of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic, or VITT, that officials have seen since beginning the Covid-19 vaccine program. Earlier this month, a woman in her 40s became the first person in the province to be diagnosed with VITT. She was stable and receiving treatment in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. Henry said this is very rare, but VITT is associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. So far, research shows it affects about one in 100,000 doses. More than 200,000 doses of AstraZeneca have been administered in the province, Henry confirmed Thursday. The rare disorder can affect someone between day four and day 28 after receiving the vaccine, Henry said at a previous

briefing. If anyone feels unwell after receiving any vaccine, they should call 811 or speak to their doctor right away. Symptoms of B.C. woman who developed rare blood clot following AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine – May 6, 2021 Symptoms of VITT include:t 4FWFSF IFBEBDIF t 7JTVBM DIBOHFT t "CEPNJOBM QBJO t $IFTU QBJO t /BVTFB BOE WPNJUJOHt #BDL QBJO t 4IPSUOFTT PG CSFBUI t 4XFMMJOH BOE QBJO in a limb. Henry said there is a test that can be done that will indicate if a person is suffering from symptoms of VITT. “This is rare but it is also serious,” she said.

Mother of Surrey Six victim praises police and criticizes courts, as gang violence escalates

From page 1

4IF UPME $57 /FXT 7BODPVWFS a new generation of gangsters appears to have emboldened itself and she is not the least bit surprised. “If we don’t have a message from the court system to deter gang warfare, this is what is going to continue to happen,” Mohan said. And she speaks from personal experience. The two gangsters found guilty of her son’s 2007 murder have their convictions on hold, while they apply for a stay in proceedings based on an abuse of process. Red Scorpion gang leader Jamie Bacon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit the murder of one of the victims. With credit for time served, Bacon will spend a total of five years and seven months behind bars. Mohan said she gives the courts a “failing grade” when it comes to deterring gangsters and would-be killers. “The message that comes out from the court system is very weak,” she said. “Look at where my case is at the moment. How many sweetheart deals have been cut through the courts?” Mohan added she’s had conversations with the provincial attorney general and solicitor general, and has written to the federal justice minister, but on the subject of the courts, they’ve all been “silent.” In a statement, Attorney General David &CZ UPME $57 /FXT JO QBSU i.Z IFBSU goes out to Eileen Mohan on the tragic loss of her son, and all that she’s gone through since this tragic incident occurred. Our government works hard to ensure timely

access to justice so that justice is served.” Eby went on to write the B.C Prosecution Service has been working to reduce systemic delays in the court to meet timelines established by the Supreme Court of Canada, and has committed to increase the number of sheriffs and court administrative staff. In 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada in R v. Jordan established how quickly a trial must be heard, creating additional challenges for investigators and Crown counsel surrounding timelines when it comes to making arrests and laying charges. “However,” Eby wrote, “the federal government also needs to fill vacancies on the BC Supreme Court, which hears the more serious cases. Victims of crime deserve and should expect nothing less.” Eby did not directly answer questions about how Canada’s criminal code could or should be reformed to further deter takedowns by gangsters in public places that put innocent people at risk. Mohan praised the actions of police and investigators in their efforts to combat the latest surge in gun violence. But she added there is a need for more political will from elected leaders across Canada to work to reform the overall justice system. If they don’t, she fears a new generation of gangsters, willing to take risks and endanger the public, will continue to rise up. “You can walk to the doorstep of my home, steal my sons innocent life,” Mohan said, “and then, the courts will protect you.”

Trust in Canadian political leaders has cratered during the pandemic, poll finds — except in Quebec From page 1 The poll surveyed 1,500 Canadians from April 30 to May 4, and was conducted by QVCMJD TUSBUFHZ ĕSN /BWJHBUPS T SFTFBSDI EJWJTJPO DBMMFE %JTDPWFS CZ /BWJHBUPS The political leaders of Ontario and Alberta fared the worst in how the public’s trust has changed during the pandemic, the poll found. Both provinces have seen massive third waves this spring that have resulted in strict lockdowns to ease the pressure on hospitals. Fifty-four per cent of Albertans said they have less trust in Kenney now because of the pandemic, with just 13 per cent saying they have more. In Ontario, 51 per cent said they have less trust in Ford, while 20 per cent said their trust has increased. The poll uses the difference between the two trust numbers to create a “pandemic trust progression score,” which puts Kenney at -41 and Ford at -31. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, meanwhile, also suffered a hit in his trust score with the public. The poll found 44 per cent have less trust in Trudeau, while 19 per cent have more, giving him a -25 trust score. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Alberta saw the steepest drop in trust for Trudeau, with a trust score of -43. But his second worst numbers were found

in B.C., where half of respondents said their trust in him has decreased and only 15 per cent said it increased. Trudeau fared relatively poorly in the other regions as well, except for Atlantic Canada, where his trust score was +3. B.C. Premier John Horgan had slightly better numbers but still negative overall, with 35 per cent of British Columbians saying they trust him less now and 22 per cent saying they trust him more. One exception to the public’s eroding trust is in Atlantic Canada, where the poll found slightly more trust overall for the premiers. The much greater exception is Quebec, however, where trust in Legault has soared. The poll found 43 per cent of Quebeckers saying they trust Legault more now, while 20 per cent said they trust him less. This lines up with other recent public polling that has found Legault performing well in public TVQQPSU /BWJHBUPS QSJODJQBM "OESÏ 1SBUUF a former Canadian senator and editorial writer with Quebec newspaper La Presse, said Legault’s numbers are a bit surprising given Quebec’s rocky pandemic performance in the early months, when its case count and death rate were the highest in the country.

Saturday, May 15, 2021

Muslim candidate wins local body elections in India From page 1 other candidates who were in the fray. Hafiz Azim Uddin is a resident of Rajanpur village of Mavai block of Rudauli assembly constituency in Ayodhya and his win has now proved that still, people do vote above caste and religious lines. The village has now become the center of attraction and has set a perfect example of BNJUZ BOE CSPUIFSIPPE 4QFBLJOH UP /FXT over the phone, Haji Azim Uddin said, “It is just the love and support of the village people which gave me strength to file nomination and finally win the election. There is communal harmony in the village. We are all like a big family. There are three temples in the villages and I came to know that the people of my village had prayed to God and even kept fasts for my win. It was only after I won, people had water and food and such is their affection.” “My father has been a Pardhan decade back and it was his blessings too. My two brothers are abroad and one brother is a teacher. The entire village is like a big family and everyone is always ready to help each other. All the festivals are celebrated here with equal fervor, Gujia’s are made in our house on Holi. I want to thank all the village people and assure them that development is only what they will see now,” added an elated Hafiz Azim Uddin. At the same time, after the UP Panchayat elections, the formation of village panchayats and the swearing-in of village heads and area panchayat members have been postponed. According to information received from the Panchayati Raj Department, the proposal sent for the election of newly elected village heads, area panchayat members, and district panchayat presidents and blockheads have been sent to the Chief Minister’s office. It is being said that due to the spread of corona infection in the rural areas, all the programs have been postponed at the moment.

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Saturday, May 15, 2021 Some of BC’s Covid-19 hot spots also have the lowest vaccination rates, data shows /FXMZ SFMFBTFE OFJHICPVSIPPE MFWFM EBUB from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control is providing a clearer look at race between vaccination and COVID-19 in the province’s virus hot spots. On Wednesday, the province finally made the high-detail pandemic data public, which offers a snapshot of the province as of the first week of May. The data shows central and north Surrey, East Vancouver and a portion of Abbotsford facing the highest levels of test positivity and cases per capita. Test positivity was more than 20 per cent in two central Surrey neighbhourhoods, while East Vancouver, north Surrey and most of the Fraser East region all had positivity rates of between 10 and 20 per cent. One central Abbotsford neighbourhood and the entire western side of Surrey both reported more than 40 cases

per 100,000 residents, while East Vancouver reported between 20 and 40 cases. While health officials have set up pop-up vaccine clinics in some of these communities, available doses haven’t translated easily into vaccinated residents. “There is an element of accessibility issues that underlie this,” B.C. physician Dr. #JSJOEFS /BSBOH TBJE i8F LOPX UIBU TPNF PG the populations that have been hardest hit also have other barriers that we’ve seen in the past accessing healthcare in general. Whether its a language barrier, whether it’s essential work that doesn’t allow them the the flexibility to seek healthcare.” Many of the neighbourhoods facing high levels of transmission are among the region’s most racially diverse, tend to be lower income and are among those facing disproportionate impacts from the overdose Continued on page 8

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Saturday, May 15, 2021

From previous page

Covid-19 hot spots also have the lowest vaccination rates, data shows

DSJTJT BT XFMM /BSBOH BEEFE “It might not be at the top of their priority list when it comes to their health right now. Part of that is how do we approach these patients in a more holistic manner, addressing their needs along with the needs of public health,” he said. Health officials say they’re using the data to better target communities at risk and to try and boost vaccination rates. Fraser Health CEO Dr. Victoria Lee said the health authority was working with community groups to better understand the barriers they face.As an example, Lee said the health authority was working to better communicate that multi-lingual translation options are available to people who phone the vaccine registration line by pressing “3.” “We are identifying every barrier and removing them as quickly as possible,” Lee said. “But once your age comes up,

please, please, please register as soon as your age is up in any of the communities, because that’s the only way we will put this pandemic behind us.”Health officials are working to get the message out in different languages, as well as running clinics and registration drives in culturally-safe environments, such as gurdwaras and mosques she said. They’ve also tried extending hours for vaccine clinics to account for people whose work hours may interfere with getting their shot. “We are seeing actually improvements in those communities 18-plus, so we’re seeing positive progress from the efforts we’re putting in, which is the whole point for having that data,” Lee said.“Some of the work we have done, in terms of having more of the neighbourhood inreach clinics and having some of the drop-in capacity, some of those actually made 200-300 per cent increase in immunization on those days.” As of Wednesday, more than 42 per cent of British Columbians had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Saturday, May 15, 2021

Fraser Health warns of possible Covid-19 exposure at Surrey dance competition Fraser Health is warning the public of a possible Covid-19 exposure at a Surrey dance competition.In social media posts Wednesday evening (May 12), Fraser Health noted the Synergy Dance Competition at Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel (15269 104th Ave.) on May 7. The health authority is

recommending people selfmonitor for symptoms. There was also another possible exposure at the Core Dance Competition in Abbotsford at the Clarion Hotel and Conference $FOUSF / 1BSBMMFM Rd.) on May 5, 6 and 8.

Federal ethics commissioner says former finance minister Monreau broke ethics law over WE Charity contract Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion has ruled that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not breach the Conflict of Interest Act in relation to his involvement in granting WE Charity a federal contract, but former finance minister Bill Morneau placed himself in a conflict of interest “on several occasions.” Dion’s findings follow two separate investigations prompted by both Trudeau and Morneau failing to recuse themselves from the 2020 cabinet decision to pay WE Charity $43.5 million to manage a $912 million student summer service program, despite their close personal family connections to the charity. The ethics commissioner said in his report released Thursday, that Morneau— who left cabinet and resigned as an MP in the face of this controversy last summer—breached various sections of the Act by “improperly furthering WE’s private interests, by failing to recuse himself from decisions relating to WE, and by giving WE preferential treatment.” The federal government’s decision to sole-source the program aimed at awarding grants to students who couldn’t find summer work due to COVID-19 embroiled the Liberal minority in a parliamentary controversy for months. It started with the announcement of the program in April, but really sparked off in June when the government announced WE would be running the volunteer program. It was then that questions were raised over past WE Charity payments to Trudeau’s mother, brother, and his wife, for speaking engagements over the years, and related to Morneau’s daughters’ ties to the

charity. For months, the federal government was grilled by the opposition who launched committee probes compelling testimony from Trudeau, Morneau, senior political staff, and top public servants. The grant program eventually fell through amid the political battle and the beleaguered charity has since moved to shutter its Canadian operations. Responding to Dion’s findings in a statement, Trudeau said the report “confirms what I have been saying from the beginning.” “At the heart of this initiative was getting support for youth during this pandemic as fast as possible. … My job as Prime Minister is to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes by providing direct support to people and businesses to get through this. That’s what our government has done,” he said. The prime minister has denied ever attempting to influence the decision and said he took steps to ensure WE was the best organization to run the program given his government’s connections to the charity, but has apologized for not recusing himself at the time cabinet was discussing the WE deal. Morneau also issued a statement, but continued to point to the role the public service played in advising the cabinet that WE Charity was best suited to administer the program. “As I have already stated, in retrospect, I should have recused myself from the discussion.” Dion has conducted two other investigations into Trudeau over his ethical conduct regarding the 4/$ -BWBMJO TDBOEBM BOE IJT "HB ,IBO USJQ *O both previous instances he was found to have broken federal ethics laws.

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Saturday, May 15, 2021 More than 50% of eligible people in BC have received first Covid-19 vaccine With 2,162,023 people in B.C. already having received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by May 12, more than 50 per cent of those eligible have now been given a shot. “We’ve made extraordinary progress together over the past few weeks toward everyone getting their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine,” Premier Horgan said Tuesday (May 12). The Covid-19 vaccine rollout is the

largest immunization program in provincial history, with a booking system registering more than 2.5-million people to get vaccinated since April 6.“People must now register through the G et Vaccinated system,” said Dr. Penny Ballem, executive lead for B.C.’s immunization efforts. Register online, by phone from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day at 1-833–8382323, or in person at a ServiceBC office.

Someone in BC is the heir to $1.9 Million estate & they don’t know it yet Have you ever wished that a distant relative would leave you a boatload of money so you could become rich without lifting a

finger? Well, there is over $149 million in unclaimed money in B.C. and that includes a $1.9 million estate that has yet to be claimed by its legal heirs. According to the BC Unclaimed Property Society (BCUPS), there are a whole bunch of dormant accounts with forgotten assets that are just waiting for their legal owners to claim them. In its essence, it’s basically a “lost and found” for money that’s floating around and needs to be dished out. “Most unclaimed accounts in BCUPS’s database amount to between $300 to $500.

The single largest unclaimed property payout by BCUPS was a $1.01 million estate made in 2019,” says the press release. But now, this $1.9 million estate is the largest-ever unclaimed account in the BCUPS database. If you have a suspicion that someone may have left you some money, you might as well check and see if you might be a millionaire. Or, maybe you have a few hundred dollars waiting to brighten your day. How do you know if you have unclaimed money? In order to check the database and see if you’re richer than you think, all you need to do is head over to the BCUPS portal and click “search.”

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, May 15, 2021 B.C. students lose access to important fresh food program Press release

The BC School Fruit and Vegetable Nutritional Program, which provides fresh B.C. fruits, vegetables and milk to students, appears to be nixed after B.C. Agriculture Minister Lana Popham refused to acknowledge whether program funding will be continued. “This represents a huge loss for students in nearly 1,500 public and First Nations schools across the province,” says BC Liberal Agriculture Critic Ian Paton, MLA for Delta South. “Teachers have told us this program is the only way for some kids to access fresh produce, which is so important for a growing child’s health and nutritional needs.” Since February, the BC Agriculture in

the Classroom Foundation has been asking government for the $3.5 million needed to continue the program for the 202122 school year. The Foundation told the minister it would need an answer by May 10, 2021 so that farmers could plant in time and so 4,000 volunteers could be organized — but the deadline has passed with no funding put in place for the program. “Why would the minister abandon a program that not only supports students, but farmers as well?” asks Paton. “More than 1,000 B.C. farmers stand to lose income from growing and providing products for this important initiative. It is a win-win for everyone involved, yet the minister hasn’t been in a hurry to act to save it.”

BC Liberals raise questions about vaccine dose timeline for cancer patients Press release

As a growing number of Canadian jurisdictions prioritize second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for cancer patients, the BC Liberals are raising questions about why the NDP government is not yet considering this option in B.C. “I have heard from dozens of British Columbians over the past few weeks asking why patients in B.C. who are currently receiving treatment for cancer are not being prioritized for early second doses, as they are in places like Alberta and Ontario,” said Opposition Health Critic Renee Merrifield. “With a large and more stable supply of vaccines around the corner, B.C. can begin vaccinating our population in even greater numbers — and now that the distribution of first doses is well underway, it’s natural that many people are beginning to consider the best options for giving second doses.” Over the last few weeks, both Alberta and Ontario have revised their second

dose timelines for certain cancer patients and other high-risk individuals to just 3-4 weeks between doses, in line with the manufacturers’ guidelines. Last month, a coalition of cancer organizations including Lymphoma Canada, Myeloma Canada, and Lung Cancer Canada wrote to Health Minister Adrian Dix, also recommending a shortened dose timeline for cancer patients. “There is a growing number of advisory groups, experts, advocacy organizations, and concerned British Columbians calling for a change in dose timeline for vulnerable patients, and the NDP government should be listening to their concerns and considering their recommendations,” added Merrifield. “With more vaccines than ever arriving in B.C., government should be exploring all the options available to ensure the safety of our most vulnerable and be ready to adapt our practices as new information comes to light during this vaccine rollout.”

Nearly 200 passengers at Vancouver airport fined for refusing mandatory hotel quarantine Nearly 200 tickets have been handed out to travellers at Vancouver International Airport for refusing to go to a governmentauthorized accomodation (GAA) hotel, which can cost around $2,500. The fine for refusing to go to a GAA is $3,000, and those fined are referred to local law enforcement for “priority follow up,” according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). PHAC said that, as of May 2, “at least” 188 tickets have been issued to travellers at YVR, who did not book a government-authorized accommodation hotel prior to arriving in Canada and subsequently refused to go to one. The federal government introduced the mandatory hotel policy on Feb. 22, which required travellers to stay at an approved hotel for three days while awaiting COVID-19 test results — part of the mandatory 14-day

quarantine period for all arrivals into Canada. Travellers must cover the cost of their hotel stay, which can cost around $2,500. Those who refuse mandatory quarantine requirements, including the instructions of a quarantine officer, could face a fine of up to $750,000 and/or imprisonment for six months, according to PHAC. Furthermore, anyone who causes a risk of imminent death or serious bodily harm to another period while contravening the Quarantine Act, could be liable for a fine of up to $1 million or imprisonment of up to three years, or both. In addition, travellers can also be fined under the Contraventions Regulations, which provide police and other enforcement officers the tools to enforce the Quarantine Act. This includes fines of up to $3,000 for each day of non-compliance or each offence committed.

Canadians need clearer guidance on what to do post Covid-19 shot, experts say Half of Canadians will soon be partially protected against COVID-19, as the vaccine rollout enters full swing — but there still isn’t a lot of information on how much people who have received one vaccine dose can ease up on pandemic restrictions. As of Wednesday, about 15.5 million Canadians had received at least one dose of a vaccine, representing about 41 per cent of the entire population,accordingtoCovid-19TrackerCanada. And as that number grows, some experts are calling for clearer guidance from the government on what people can and can’t do after their first dose. Currently, the advice is to “stay the course and keep following public health measures,” according to a statement from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). “It is still important that everyone continue to follow public health measures and apply a layered

approach, using as many personal preventive practices as possible, regardless of vaccination status,” the statement reads. This means continuing to mask, avoiding close contact especially indoors, and avoiding social gatherings, among other measures — in other words, the same as an unvaccinated person should. Scientifically, this makes sense, said Alyson Kelvin, a vaccinologist with the Saskatoon-based Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization. While recent studies have shown that a single dose of a two-shot vaccine like Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca is highly protective against severe disease, she says this doesn’t apply to everyone. “Certain people, older individuals, people who may be immunocompromised, they’re not seeing that protection after the first dose,” she said.

LOCAL

Saturday, May 15, 2021

Loaded gun seized from man & woman at traffic stop in Surrey A man and woman have been arrested in Surrey following a highspeed police chase and the seizure of a loaded weapon last Thursday. Surrey RCMP say that shortly before 7:30 p.m. officers tried to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation. The RCMP allege the driver failed to stop for police and took off. The Air 1 helicopter was in the area and was able to observe the vehicle from a distance and provide direction to officers on the ground. Officers tracked the vehicle to the 8200-block of 120th Street as the vehicle went into an underground parkade. Police say a man and a woman were arrested

for failing to stop for police and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. Officers searched the car and seized a loaded firearm. They also allege the vehicle contained drugs, packaged in a way that is consistent with drug trafficking. A woman is facing numerous charges for firearm possession and possession of drugs for the purposes of trafficking. She was taken into custody. The man was released with conditions, and hasn’t yet been charged.

Critics not happy with BC’s 3 days’ Sick Pay Fifteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the B.C. government is introducing a temporary measure to give every worker three paid sick days and promising consultations on creating a permanent paid sick leave program. Critics said the program is still insufficient, but Premier John Horgan said it will bridge the gap until workers can access other programs that are available to them. “Having paid sick leave is good for businesses, good for workers and good for our communities, and it will help our economy recover faster,” Labour Minister Harry Bains said in the legislature while introducing the amendments to the Employment Standards Act. “This new leave will better support workers during the pandemic, giving workers three days of paid leave for circumstances related to COVID-19,” he said. “At the same time, we know that we need to support businesses that

are already struggling due to the pandemic, so the province will be stepping up in a major way to support employers with the cost.” The program will be administered through WorkSafeBC with funding from the provincial government. It will reimburse businesses up to $200 per worker per day. Bains said, it’s very difficult to know exactly how much the program will cost since it is unclear how many workers will need it, especially as many receive vaccines, but it could be around $300 million. “The cost of not doing this is much higher than the cost of providing the service,” he said. The most important way to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 is to stay home and self-isolate, but about half of workers in B.C. have no access to paid sick days as part of their employment, Bains said. “The pandemic has highlighted how difficult it is for workers, many of whom are already living paycheque to paycheque.”

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, May 15, 2021

2 people killed in Highway 401 crash near Cornwall, Ontario Two people were killed and a third person critically injured when their vehicle veered off Highway 401 near Cornwall, Ontario on Thursday afternoon. The single-vehicle crash happened just before 4:30 p.m. on the highway’s westbound lanes between the Boundary Road and McConnell Avenue exits, said Ontario Provincial Police. The initial investigation revealed the vehicle left the highway and hit

the ditch, OPP said in a news release. Two of the vehicle’s three occupants were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The third person was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries. Their names have not been released. As of 6 p.m., a stretch of Highway 401 in both directions was closed near the scene of the crash. Anyone who may have seen the crash or captured it on their dashcam is asked to call Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

Expert says Covid-19 safety claims in leaked BC school report not ‘valid’ as teachers urge hybrid learning A leaked presentation from the province’s biggest health authority contains details that have the BC Teachers’ Federation calling for a switch to hybrid learning in COVID-19 hot spots, while an infectious disease expert says the province is trying to demonstrate schools are safe rather than asking if they actually are. A 37-page presentation titled “COVID-19 school cluster and transmission analysis” dated May 7, was conducted by a team of medical health officers and epidemiologists in Fraser Health from Jan. 1 to March 7, and includes public and private schools. It’s a more detailed description of the highlevel information Dr. Bonnie Henry presented during her monthly modelling presentation in mid-April and includes critical new information: not only were 52.5 per cent of transmissions between students (9.7 per cent were staff-to-staff, 21.4 per cent staff to student), but a map outlines the fact 35 per cent of Surrey schools had confirmed clusters or outbreaks during the nine-week period. “It’s the opposite of what we were told earlier on and it really does spell out the need for physical distance and mask wearing — for a long time it was only the adults in the building wearing masks and we really had to fight for that policy,” said BC Teachers Federation president, Teri Mooring.

She also pointed out the study was done at a time variants accounted for a small number of cases and were not yet the majority as they are now. She’s is calling for a change in the learning plan for hot spots through the end of the school year. “We would like to see in those hard-hit regions, especially Surrey and the Peace River Region, where there could be a hybrid model put in place for a few weeks even,” she said. “It would not be difficult, it would mean that students would still go to school every day, just not all day and they would be in smaller classes so they could physically distance.” But the public health officer who oversees schools in Surrey and the Fraser Valley insisted the study shows schools are safe. “There are 315,000 staff and K-through-12 students and of them only a fraction, less than one per cent during our study period, actually developed COVID and the majority came from outside the school, so it was from the community,” said Fraser Health’s Dr. Ariella Zbar, who insisted the contact tracing and testing system can determine whether students brought COVID-19 to school or the other way around. “We found that about a third transmitted it onwards outside of the school and it was mostly within the household setting.”

Future of AstraZeneca vaccine uncertain as provinces ponder what to do with remaining supply Questions remained Wednesday about the future of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in Canada as the federal government prepared to receive hundreds of thousands of doses while provinces limited use of the shot. Nova Scotia and Manitoba both announced new restrictions on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Wednesday, following similar news out of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec a day earlier. Most provinces said they’re pausing the use of AstraZeneca for most — if not all — first doses due to a lack of supply, and it wasn’t immediately clear how the 655,000 doses Ottawa expects to distribute next week will affect those plans.

But Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia have pointed to a connection between the AstraZenca vaccine and a rare blood clotting condition as part of the reason for their pause. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for his part, said he intends to get a second jab of AstraZeneca. “I talked to my doctor just last week and he recommended that I indeed get a second dose of AstraZeneca in the coming weeks or months when it becomes available,” he said in question period on Wednesday. Trudeau urged others to consult with their doctors, too.

BC defence lawyers also want to be bumped up Covid-19 vaccine priority list Some members of the B.C. justice system are asking to be included in the latest round of priority vaccine access. The BC Prosecution Service has confirmed Crown Counsel members in Vancouver were bumped up the queue for a shot. While the chair of the Criminal Defence Advocacy Society, Kasandra Cronin, is happy to see that move happen, she says defense lawyers have been left out. “We do our best to appear remotely when we can, but there’s lots of occasions when we can’t, and we do work with vulnerable, Indigenous, people of colour — those kinds of folks who are otherwise vulnerable. So we’re also wanting to ensure that we’re protected not just for ourselves but also that

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we’re protecting our clients,” she explained. The Criminal Defence Advocacy Society has written a letter to Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, with the hopes its members will also be bumped up the priority list. “I have been in courtrooms, certainly, where there are people who don’t mask for legitimate reasons,” Cronin said. “Sometimes our courtrooms are physically small and we can’t be physically distanced from everybody at all times, and there’s not always glass.” The letter points out defense counsels are routinely travelling across various health regions to deliver essential services to their clients. “We’re just wanting to ensure that there’s a conversation that includes defence counsel as well,” Cronin said.

Saturday, May 15, 2021

Police raid Swaminarayan temple in USA to release workers treated as forced labour: Report A Swaminarayan temple in New Jersey, US, was raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, and the US Department of Labour to investigate allegations of forced labour against Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sansthan (BAPS), reported The New York Times. Quoting a source, the NYT report said 90 labourers were removed from the site by US federal agencies after Tuesday’s raid. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in US District Court of Newark, six workers alleged that the organisation brought them to the United States from India to work on an extension of the temple situated in Robbinsville, New Jersey. However, they were paid merely 10 per cent of the hourly minimum wage according to New Jersey law, and forced to live in gruelling conditions. Their passports were allegedly impounded and they were confined to a fenced, guarded area. A majority of the workers were Dalits, said the report. The organisation has, however, denied all allegations, and in a statement said they are “thoroughly reviewing the issues raised”. BAPS has been behind scores of temples built around the world. The foundation has close ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the spiritual head of the organisation — Pramukh Swami Maharaj — as his “mentor”. The PM gave a eulogy at his funeral. The organisation has also donated the equivalent of about $290,000 to the construction of the temple in Ayodhya, the NYT report said. Mukesh Kumar, 37, was among the 200 construction workers flown out to the US by BAPS in 2018. He quit and returned to India after a labourer died due to an illness. Shortly after, Kumar contacted Swati Sawant in 2020, an immigration lawyer who then began investigating these claims. Sawant, a Dalit herself, organised the temple workers and arranged legal teams to take up the case, according to NYT. In the complaint, six men have come forward with the allegations saying they were brought to the US in 2018 and were made to work long hours often under dangerous conditions. They allege that they were paid $1 per hour for their work when the minimum wage in New Jersey is $12 per hour. According to the complaint, the workers were allegedly brought to the US on R-1 Visas that are applicable for clergy and religious workers like missionaries. The labourers were presented to the US government like volunteers. The complaint further said the workers were made to sign several documents, often in English, and tell US embassy staffers that they were skilled workers or decorative painters. However, the lawyers for the workers say the men were forced to do manual labour on the site and made to work for more than 13 hours a day. They were given $450 a month — $50 in hand and $400 deposited to their bank accounts in India. The complaint added that the workers’

passports had been confiscated, they were given lentils and potatoes for meals and that their pay was cut for the smallest of violations such as being seen without a helmet. Earlier, the organisation had come under the

radar of US federal agencies after a 17-yearold boy died in 2017 following a fall at the construction site. A case was filed against BAPS by the family, which was settled for an undisclosed

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Saturday, May 15, 2021 Doctors warn against cow dung as Covid-19 cure

Doctors in India are warning against the practice of using cow dung in the belief it will ward off Covid-19, saying there is no scientific evidence for its effectiveness and that it risks spreading other diseases.

15 more die in Goa hospital after drop in oxygen levels

The coronavirus pandemic has wrought devastation on India, with 22.66 million cases and 246,116 deaths reported so far. Experts say actual numbers could be five to 10 times higher, and citizens across the country are struggling

Oxygen levels dropped between 2am and 6am on Thursday morning and 15 people lost their lives, hospital authorities told the Bombay high court at Goa, a day after the judges asked the government to do whatever it takes to ensure no deaths occur due to oxygen shortages for “at least one night”. Fifteen patients at staterun Goa Medical College and Hospital died allegedly of oxygen shortage early on Thursday despite high court directives to shore up supplies, barely two days after 26 people succumbed to low oxygen flow at the state’s premier hospital. Oxygen levels dropped between 2am and 6am on Thursday morning and 15 people lost their lives, hospital authorities told the Bombay high court at Goa, a day after the judges asked the government to do whatever it takes to ensure no deaths occur due to oxygen shortages for “at least one night”. “Around 15 people lost their lives last night between 2am and 6am at GMC the hours during which the oxygen levels have

been dropping for every night for the last five days or so,” the hospital told the court via Advocate General Devidas Pangam. Earlier 26 patients being treated for Covid 19 died between 2am and 6am with Goa health minister Vishwajit Rane saying the hospital got only a third of the 1,200 oxygen cylinders required and pushing for a probe by the high court. Oxygen shortages were reported in multiple wards of the GMC that are set aside for treating Covid patients on Wednesday night with the situation being a repeat of the previous four days when oxygen also ran out. “Despite raising SOSes, police and health dept officials reaching GMC in the wee hours of the night after the alarm of oxygen fluctuations in the central pipeline was raised, 15 people died last night. Again,” tweeted Shruti Chaturvedi, one of the petitioners. Medical college dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar said not all the deaths could be attributed to dropping oxygen pressure.

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INDIA India will surpass China as most populous country

China’s population is growing at its slowest pace in decades, latest census data released on Tuesday showed, with the country adding only 72 million people in the past decade. The average annual growth rate was 0.53% over the last 10 years, down from 0.57% between 2000 and 2010, taking the population to 1.41 billion. The total population on the mainland stood at 1.41178 billion on November 1. The latest data puts China on course to be overtaken by India as the most populous country, which is expected to happen by the year 2025. India’s population last year was estimated by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs at 1.38 billion, or 1.5% behind China.

India has maintained a fertility rate of around 2.3, which indicates that its population may surpass China’s by 2023 or 2024, He Yafu, an independent demographer, told Chinese state media on Tuesday, earlier than the latest UN prediction. The population growth rate in China is the slowest since 1953, when the first census was carried out. The slump in the growth rate – despite Beijing withdrawing the one-child policy in 2016 after it was in force since the late 1970s – will add pressure on Beijing to incentivise childbearing as the most populous country deals with a rapidly ageing population and the resultant economic burden.

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Cow dung cakes found in the baggage of Indian passenger at US airport The US Customs and Border Protection agents discovered cow dung cakes in a leftover baggage of a passenger from India at an international airport in the suburb of Washington DC, according to officials. Cow dung cakes are prohibited in the US as they are considered to be potential carriers of the highly contagious foot and mouth disease. They were destroyed, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said on Monday. “That is not a typo. CBP agriculture specialists

found two cow dung cakes in a suitcase that was left behind after passengers from an Air India flight cleared CBP’s inspection station on April 4,” a media release said on Monday. “Foot and Mouth Disease is one of the animal diseases that livestock owners dread most, has grave economic consequences, and it is a critical threat focus of Customs and Border Protection’s agriculture protection mission,” said Keith Fleming, Acting Director of Field Operations for CBP’s Baltimore Field Office.

Scores of dead Covid bodies found floating in holy rivers Scores of dead bodies have been found floating down the Ganges River in eastern India as the country battles a ferocious surge in coronavirus infections. Authorities said they haven’t yet determined the cause of death. Health officials working through the night Monday retrieved 71 bodies, officials in Bihar state said. Images on social media of the bodies floating in the river prompted outrage and speculation that they died from Covid-19. Authorities performed post mortems on Tuesday but said they could not confirm the cause of death due to the decomposition of the bodies. More corpses were found floating in the

river on Tuesday, washing up in Ghazipur district in neighboring Uttar Pradesh state. Police and villagers were at the site, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Monday’s incident. “We are trying to find out where did these dead bodies come from? How did they get here?” said Mangla Prasad Singh, a local official. Surinder, a resident of Ghazipur who uses one name, said villagers didn’t have enough wood to cremate their dead on land. “Due to the shortage of wood, the dead are being buried in the water,” he said. “Bodies from around 12-13 villages have been buried in the water.”

Here’s how rich Indians are able to take vaccines from the poor “Well-off people like us are getting access to vaccines... but there are people who don’t know how to access the vaccine when they need it the most.” India had a vaccination plan. Folks living in cities or places with easy internet access could sign up for their Covid-19 vaccine shots on the government’s

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website or mobile app. And Indians living in villages or places with low or no internet access could go to the closest government health facility, sign up online there and get their Covid-199 jab on the spot. The plan didn’t work. Because Indians living in cities gamed the system – after it failed them.

Bharat Biotech refused to supply 67 lakh doses of Covaxin to Delhi on Centre’s directives: Dy CM Bharat Biotech has refused to supply the required doses of its Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin to Delhi, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia claimed on Wednesday. Addressing a press conference, Sisodia said that Delhi had asked for total 1.34

crore doses of two Covid vaccines - 67 lakhs each of Covaxin and Covishield. However, Bharat Biotech informed the Delhi government of its inability to supply the said doses as it is “making dispatches as per directives of concerned government officials”.

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Soumya Santosh, a 30-year-old Indian woman killed in Israel in rocket attack by Palestinian militants from Gaza, reported PTI, citing officials. Her death occurred amid escalating hostilities and instances of violence between the Israelis and Palestinians, and a day after a

residential tower in the Gaza Strip was hit by an Israeli air strike. The woman belonged to Kerala’s Idukki district and was employed as a caregiver, attending to an 80-yearold woman at a house in the southern Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon.

Saturday, May 15, 2021

FIJI

Punjab

Covid-19 mutation cause of concern in Fiji

Punjab to launch Covid-19 vaccination for people age 18 - 44 Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday announced the launch of 1844 age group vaccination for families of healthcare workers in both government and private sectors, as well as those suffering from co-morbidities, from tomorrow. Directing judicious use of the limited available stocks of vaccine, the Chief Minister also directed the Health Department to initiate the process of vaccinating comorbid prisoners in this age group amid

the surging cases of Covid in the state, where the positivity rate for the week ended May 12 stood at 14.2%, with CFR of 2.1%. Reviewing the Covid situation and the vaccination status at a virtual meeting of his cabinet, the Chief Minister asked the Health Department to kickstart the vaccination programme for these priority groups from identified school and other buildings, to prevent further spread of the pandemic due to crowding at government hospitals.

Covid-19 cases surge in 5 districts Even as the state continues to battle the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, five districts have emerged as a big worry for the government. These worst-affected districts have reported 1.07 lakh cases and 1407 deaths in the past one month. The state has reported a total of 1.83 lakh cases and 3,359 deaths in the past one month. Of this, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar,

Jalandhar, Patiala and Bathinda districts alone have contributed 58.7 per cent of the total cases and 42 per cent of all deaths. Among the districts, Ludhiana topped the chart with 36,357 cases and 398 deaths; followed by SAS Nagar with 25,147 cases and 237 deaths; Jalandhar reported 16,067 cases and 195 deaths; Bathinda 15,455 cases and 279 deaths; Patiala 14,435 cases and 298 deaths.

CM announces Rs 3,000 subsistence allowance for registered construction workers To mitigate sufferings caused due to loss of livelihood of construction workers amid the Covid restrictions, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday announced subsistence allowance/cash assistance of Rs 3,000 to all construction workers registered with the Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) Welfare Board. Amarinder Singh, who is also the Chairman of the Board, said the subsistence

allowance of Rs 3,000 would be paid in two instalments of Rs 1,500 each, the first one to be released immediately and another by June 15. It may be recalled that the Amarinder-led state government had similarly extended a helping hand to distressed construction workers last year too, amid the first wave of the pandemic. It had then provided financial assistance to the tune of Rs 174.31 crore at the rate of Rs 6,000 each to 2.91 lakh construction workers registered with the Board.

Pakistan 88% work on CPEC hydropower project completed: General Asim Bajwa Pak, China Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa on Wednesday said that the 88 per cent work on 720-megawatt Karot Hydropower Project — CPEC’s first hydropower project — has been completed. Located on the Jhelum River on the boundary between Punjab and Azad Kashmir, the project is expected to be completed by April 2022, Bajwa wrote on his official Twitter handle. He said that the investment in the project amounted to $1,780 million whereas 5,000 local people were directly employed in the construction. The project was earlier expected to be completed in 2021 and will generate 3.2 billion units of cheap, clean electricity for Pakistan. In September 2018, the plant finished a river

closure and entered into the comprehensive construction phase. It aims to annually meet the electricity needs of about 2 million local households and deliver about $20 million in taxation. The China Three Gorges South Asia Investment Ltd (CSAIL) is the lead sponsor in the three hydropower projects in Pakistan namely 1,124MW Kohala Hydropower Project, 720MW Karot Hydropower Project and 640MW Mahl Hydropower Project. Last month, China’s official state-run press agency Xinhua reported that Pakistan’s Suki Kinari (SK) Hydropower Project in the northwestern part of the country achieved the second-stage river closure.

Seven more Covid-19 vaccination centres set up in Punjab Seven more Covid-19 vaccination centers have been setup in rural areas in Punjab districts from where people of above 40 years could get Covid-19 vaccination. Deputy Commissioner Naveed said seven centres had been set up at Kolo Tarar, Vanike Tarar, Kassoke, Rasoolpur Tarar, Jalalpur Bhattian and Sukheke. Two

centres at Hafizabad and two centres at Pindi Bhattian were already operational. He advised people above 40 years to get themselves registered and utilize free facility of vaccination to save their own as well others lives.

As US readies to exit Afghanistan, India-Pakistan proxy war likely to be last thing on General Bajwa’s mind American troops from Afghanistan are beginning to pack their bags after President Biden announced that all US forces will leave Afghanistan by September, 2021. Army Chief General Bajwa visited Kabul to reassure the Afghan leadership of Pakistan’s support for peace process. General Bajwa also accompanied by Director General ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), Lieutenant General Faiz

Hameed. Besides meeting Afghan president Ashraf Ghani. They will met with Chairman of High Council for National Reconciliation of Afghanistan, Mr Abdullah Abdullah. Afghanistan has undoubtedly entered into a new troubled phase of its life as a nation. The approaching destabilisation is not entirely a new phenomenon; the security spillover effects generated by the two decades of the Talibandictated conflict could not be solved by Washington.

The World Health Organization has now classified the Covid-19 mutation that is present in Fiji as a variant of concern. This comes as cabinet will be meeting to look at and endorse the available options in the fight

against the rapid spread of Covid-19 cases in Viti Levu. While the WHO has been warning about the threat of Coronavirus in general, the new information to hand does show some concern.

Major parts of Fiji to be locked down this weekend The total number of community cases now stands at 44, as an outbreak of the B1617 (Indian) variant of the virus prompted the government to announce that the Suva and Nausori area will be locked down from 11pm Friday to 4am Tuesday. It is in this area that the government said it expected

to have “many” more cases recorded in the coming days. As the government works to trace infections from an outbreak at a large supermarket in Flagstaff, near the capital Suva, health authorities have admitted they may not have employed the best communications strategies in this second wave of the virus.

9 new Covid-19 cases sends Suva & Nausori into lockdown he announcement of 9 new cases of Covid-19, of which two are from unknown origin is a worrying trend. The two cases presented at the Nausori Health Centre with Covid-19 symptoms. This brings to six the total number of cases from Nausori. None of the six are currently linked to other existing cases. “While we are still early into our investigation, we will be treating these cases

as instances of community transmission until they are proven to be otherwise,” Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr James Fong said during a 9.30pm scheduled press conference. Because of the series of new clusters, large scale contact tracing to the magnitude of several hundred primary and secondary contacts is required.

5 military officers & police officer arrested for drinking alcohol 5 Military Officers and a Police Officer were arrested for drinking alcohol in Narere last night while six others were arrested for celebrating a birthday in Nakasi. 57 people were arrested for failing to comply with health restrictions and breaching curfew in the last 24 hours. Acting Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu says 38 cases were alcohol related

while 11 were related to consuming kava. Tudravu says the Western Division recorded 11 cases, the Southern Division recorded 26 cases, the Eastern Division recorded 18 while 2 people were arrested in the North. Two people were arrested for drinking alcohol in Savusavu while two others were arrested for crossing a containment area.

Saturday, May 15, 2021

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#Limited time lease offer is from Honda Canada Finance Inc. (HCFI), on approved credit. Lease details: 2021 CR-V LX 2WD (RW1H2MES) for a 48-month period, for a total of 208 weekly payments of $88, leased at 1.99% APR. 20,000-kilometre annual allowance (12 cents/km excess charge). Total lease obligation is $18,356. Lease payments include freight and PDI of $1,870 and applicable fees, but do not include lien registration fee (up to $85 in certain regions) and lien registering agent fee (up to $6), which are due at time of delivery. No down-payment required. Taxes, insurance, license, and registration fees (all of which may vary by region) are extra. β "Honda Bonus" lease or finance cash of $750 on select in-stock 2021 CR-V models available on lease or finance transactions from HCFI on approved credit only, deducted from the negotiated selling price after taxes. †Enhanced Loyalty Rate Reduction is available to eligible customers who: (i) are the current owner/lessee of a Honda or Acura vehicle and reside in BC, AB, SK or MB; or (ii) have a current Honda Financial Services (HFS)/Acura Financial Services (AFS) lease or finance account, or a previous HFS/AFS account that expired within the past year (365 days). This offer is not transferable to any other person. Proof of eligibility is required and must be submitted to HFS to qualify for this loyalty offer. Loyalty Rate Reduction will be applied only to a Honda brand vehicle leased or financed through HFS, on approved credit, as follows: up to 1.5% on Civic Sedan models, up to 1% on CR-V models. Loyalty Rate Reduction: (i) will apply only to current rates advertised by HFS in Canada; (ii) cannot be combined with other existing loyalty offers, unless otherwise indicated; and (ii) cannot reduce lease rate below 0.01% and finance rate below 0%. Offer ends June 30, 2021 and is subject to change or cancellation without notice. Dealer may sell/lease for less. Dealer trade may be necessary. Offer available only at participating Honda dealers in British Columbia. Offers valid on select new in-stock 2021 vehicles. Models may not be equipped as shown and are for illustration purposes only. Visit Honda.ca or your Honda dealer for details. Visit Hondacanada.ca to learn more about Made-in-Canada.