The Asian Star May 29 2021

www.theasianstar.com

Vol 20 - Issue 17

10 things you need to know about BCs Covid-19 restart plan On Tuesday, British Columbia launched a restart plan laying out a post-COVID-19 pandemic life. Here are 10 big things to look forward to: Social gatherings Effective Tuesday, a social gathering indoors can take place with one other household or up to five visitors. Outdoor personal gatherings of up to 10 people are also allowed. By June 15, outdoor personal gatherings will go up to 50 people, though indoor ones will remain at up to five visitors. Playdates for kids will be allowed. The goal is to return to normal for indoor or outdoor personal gatherings

by July 1 and an encouragement to have sleepovers. Travel - Starting June 15, British Columbians will be encouraged to travel across the province. Until then, people are urged to stay in their health region. As of July 1 at the earliest, the province will open up to recreational travel across Canada.

Recreational sports Outdoor recreational sports are now back on for adults and kids. Low-intensity indoor fitness classes can also restart. High-intensity indoor fitness classes are expected on June 15 at the earliest. Indoor team sports are back in the same time frame, with up to 50 fans allowed for outdoor sports. All indoor fitness classes are set for July 1 at the earliest with limited indoor spectators.

Movies - Movie theatres are expected to Continued on page 10

Saturday, May 29, 2021

Widow of Surrey murder victim seeking referendum vote on policing transition The widow of a Surrey murder victim has filed an application with Elections BC seeking a binding referendum vote on whether the Surrey Police Service should replace the Surrey RCMP. Darlene Bennett is a registered nurse.

Her late husband Paul Bennett was shot dead in front of their Cloverdale home in 2018 in what police believe was a case of mistaken identity. The case has not been solved. She’s spearheading the Surrey Police Vote campaign based on guidelines prescribed under the B.C. Referendum Act, which permits cabinet to

order one, and the B.C. Recall and Initiative Act. “Surrey residents are seeing the costs of this proposed Surrey Police Service go up and up,” Bennett said. “Later this month, homeowners will receive inflated property tax bills to pay for this expensive and unnecessary transition. There has been no feasibility study, no clear plan, and no obvious public safety benefit. Surrey voters have been asking for a definitive say on this with no response, and now we’re asking government to hold a referendum.”

Joe Biden nominates Indian American Arun Venkataraman to senior administration post US President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced his intent to nominate Indian American Arun Venkataraman to a key position in his administration related to foreign commercial service.

Venkataraman is the nominee for Director-General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service and Assistant Secretary for Global Markets, Department of Commerce, the White House said.

With over 20 years of experience in advising companies, international organisations and the US government on international trade issues, Venkataraman is currently the Counselor to the Secretary of Commerce, advising the

department on trade and other international economic matters.

Before joining the BidenHarris administration, he was a senior director at Visa, leading global government engagement strategy on a range of international policy issues including digital economy, trade, tax and sanctions.

Venkataraman previously served as the trade and investment policy advisor at Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where he counselled multinational firms and other organisations on e-commerce, intellectual property rights, and US and foreign trade policies.

Continued on page 7

IMA slaps Rs 1,000-crore defamation notice on Yoga Guru Ramdev The ongoing confrontation between the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and yoga guru Ramdev escalated further on Wednesday with the medical body serving a Rs 1,000-crore defamation notice on the latter, besides writing to the PM seeking sedition charges against him. In the notice, the IMA’s Uttarakhand branch demanded a written apology from Ramdev in 15 days and a video statement clarifying matters on “anti-allopathy” remarks made by him last week. It also demanded removal of “misleading Coronil advertisements that claim to address the side-effects of Covid vaccines”. The IMA also questioned the

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Haryana Government’s move to distribute Coronil among Covid patients, saying the product was scientifically not proven.

In a letter to the PM, the IMA questioned Ramdev’s recent contentions that “10,000 doctors died” after taking both doses of Covid vaccine. It said he should be booked for sedition as the statements tantamount to misinforming the public about inoculations. Noting that 753 doctors had died in the first Covid wave and 513 in the second, the IMA said it was painful to see services rendered by nearly 10 lakh modern medicine practitioners being ridiculed as a “stupid system”.

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Saturday, May 29, 2021

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Saturday, May 29, 2021 FreshCo and Chalo! FreshCo Present Cheque for $50,000 to the Canadian Red Cross, supporting the India COVID-19 response

Half of all Canadians have had one Covid-19 vaccine shot, full reopening still months off More than half of all people in Canada have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as the country edges closer to lifting anti-pandemic restrictions, health authorities reported on Wednesday. In all, 20 million people have had a shot, close to two-thirds of those aged 12 and older. Children under 12 won’t become eligible to be vaccinated for several more months. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam wants to see three-quarters of the population fully vaccinated before most restrictions are lifted.

Provinces have already begun easing restrictions, with some announcing various reopening plans

Today, in an effort to support India’s COVID-19 response, senior executives from FreshCo and Chalo! FreschCo presented a cheque for $50,000 to the Canadian Red Cross at the Chalo! FreshCo Brampton store on Airport Road.

These funds will directly support preparedness, response and recovery activities on the ground in India, helping communities that have been affected or are at risk of being affected by the deadly virus.

Today’s donation cheque was presented by Tony McGrath, VP Operations, Discount Format, Sobeys Inc.,

that depend on higher vaccination rates and falling case counts. British Columbia announced a four-step plan for reopening which, if all goes well, sets Labour Day as a target for the final stage to begin, which would include allowing live entertainment. Ontario, which has eased up on outdoor recreation, is planning a three-stage reopening, beginning middle of next month, while Quebec is aiming to see the province out of its highest alert level on June 7. Quebec is planning to relax restrictions in eight regions as of Monday.

Donny Sandher, National Chalo Operations District Operator, Discount Format, Sobeys Inc. and Hamza Rizwan, Chalo! FreshCo Store Owner to Canadian Red Cross. Please see attached pictures for your reference.

FreshCo and Chalo!

FreshCo’s stores across the country will be promoting the Red Cross appeal for donations with instore communication, encouraging community members to donate directly to this relief effort in the days and weeks to come.

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OPINION

Saturday, May 29, 2021

Why India desperately needs a new and more just Covid-19 vaccine policy As India reeled under a deadly second wave of COVID-19, with massive shortages of medical supplies and hospital beds, authorities finally understood the need to rapidly vaccinate the country’s billion-plus population. Many people live densely crowded together, with little access to proper healthcare. Vaccines play an essential role in preventing severe illness from COVID-19.

On May 1, the central government opened up

COVID vaccinations to those 18 and older. But without adequate preparation — something that has routinely marred the Bharatiya Janata Party-led administration’s response to the pandemic — it soon became apparent that India needed to reset its vaccine policy, which is riddled with access and inequity problems.

India has one of the world’s largest capacities to manufacture vaccines, but the central government’s failure to place orders in time, complexities around

licensing Western vaccines and overreliance on just two domestic manufacturers has led to a massive supply crisis. As of early May, India was vaccinating half as many people daily as it was in early April. Several state governments have temporarily suspended vaccinations for the 18-to-44 age group because of shortages.

Although India has fully vaccinated over 40 million people, and while over 150 million have received one dose, they are a small percentage of the population.

Ensuring an adequate supply of safe and effective vaccines is crucial. However, as India’s vaccine rollout policy illustrates, merely increasing the supply will not be enough to ensure universal, equitable and affordable access to vaccines. There are serious concerns over delivery approaches that are exclusionary and may lead to greater inequity.

The central government’s strategy effectively allows vaccine manufacturers to set differential prices and exacerbate regional inequities.

While 50% of the vaccines produced in India are reserved for the central government to be distributed free through public health facilities, the rest are for sale to state governments and private hospitals and entities.

This means companies can decide at what price to sell to state governments and private entities, and richer states may be able to buy more vaccines than poorer ones.

The shortage, coming amid a high count of new cases and deaths, also led the government to temporarily halt all export of vaccines. That has created a ripple effect in many developing countries that relied on India to supply vaccines for their population.

COVID-19 patients receive oxygen outside a government run hospital in Jammu, India, Wednesday, May 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) The Indian government is taking some steps toward relaxing rules for foreign vaccine makers to sell in India.

Dozens of countries, including the U.S., have said they will support a proposal by India and South Africa at the World Trade Organization to temporarily waive some intellectual property rights for COVID-19 related vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics. The proposal, if passed, could unlock new production capacity and contribute toward greater vaccine access globally.

The government has made registration for the 18to-44 group available online only via CoWIN, the Indian government portal for COVID vaccination, exposing policies that are incredibly out of sync with the populace. The requirement for online registration for vaccination means that it excludes millions without access to the internet or smartphones, those who are not literate, and particularly those from rural and poor communities. Women and marginalized groups tend to have even less digital access. The government defended its decision, telling the courts that “citizens who do not have access to digital resources can take help from family, friends, NGOs.”

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Saturday, May 29, 2021

BC reports 378 new Covid-19 cases, seven deaths British Columbia has recorded another 378 cases of Covid-19 and seven related deaths, health officials said Thursday as the province marked a new vaccination milestone.

There have now been 143,264 coronavirus infections and 1,690 fatalities in B.C. since the start of the pandemic.

The latest deaths involved one person in their 60s, three people in their 70s and three people who were over the age of 80, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said.

“As always through this very difficult time, our condolences go to those who have lost loved ones – to their families, to their caregivers and to their whole communities,” Henry said. “We mourn their loss.”

Thursday’s update follows days after the government loosened several Covid-19rules and restrictions as part of B.C.’s four-step restart plan – the continuation of which will depend on infection rates continue to decline and vaccination rates continuing to increase.

Henry noted the province has just surpassed three million administered doses of vaccine, with approximately 66 per cent of the adult population now having received at least one dose.

“These are exciting times and this is exciting news,” she said. “We know that these vaccines work. They’re safe, they’re highly effective, and simply put, they’re saving lives across British Columbia right now.”

B.C. has administered 3,032,811 doses as of Thursday, including 156,730 second doses.

The latest case numbers left the province’s rolling weekly average at 330 infections per day, a slight increase from Wednesday. B.C.’s active caseload and hospitalizations decreased, however.

There are now 3,543 active cases across the province, with 286 patients battling the disease in hospital, 88 of

whom are in intensive care.

Henry also announced that officials have shortened the recommended interval between shots to eight weeks.

That’s still longer than the manufacturers’ original recommendation, but only half as long as the extended interval of 16 weeks the province implemented in order to get as many people partially protected with one dose as possible.

“We are making great strides and we want to keep this momentum going,” Henry said. “We now have sufficient, confirmed deliveries of vaccine in our age-based program - that’s the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines - that we can move up the interval.”

Starting Thursday, invitations to book a second shot are being sent to about 400,000 people who are over the age of 70 or deemed clinically extremely vulnerable, the provincial health officer added.

The first step of B.C.’s restart plan allowed residents to once again dine with friends in restaurants, and host as many as five guests (or one household) inside their home.

Henry and B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix had more good news to share on Thursday, including the resumption of indoor worship services. New guidance has been posted online for how churches and temples can begin offering in-person services for up to 50 people, provided they have detailed Covid-19 safety plans.

Henry offered thanks to the “wise council of the faith leaders” who have worked with the government on the plans.

“I look forward to our ongoing revision and opening up of all indoor faith services in the coming steps of our restart program,” she added.

Officials also announced plans to resume non-urgent scheduled surgeries at the nine Lower Mainland hospitals that had to sacrifice some surgical resources to help patients battling Covid-19.

The surgeries will resume over a threeweek period that began this week and will continue through the week of June 7.

BC moves to 8-week gap for second Pfizer or Moderna vaccine dose B.C. public health officials announced Thursday that people will be offered the second dose of a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine about eight weeks after the first dose.

Due to an increase in vaccine supply, the gap is shrinking from 13 weeks — down from the original plan of 16 weeks.

This means more than 400,000 British Columbians will be contacted over the next few days about booking a second shot.

At a news conference, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry urged everyone ensure the are registered in the province’s Get Vaccinated system.

“What we don’t have in the registration system is an email or phone number, which means if you’re not in the system, you can’t get the automated text or call. We are sending

letters and you will get a letter from me. It may just be a bit delayed,” Henry said. The order of receiving second doses will be based on the same principles as the first dose, according to Henry. This means those over the age of 70, Indigenous people, and those who are clinical extremely vulnerable will be prioritized.

So far, 3,032,811 doses of vaccine have been administered in B.C., of which 156,730 are second doses. About two thirds of all adults have received at least one dose.

Because of a shortage of the Moderna vaccine, officials said those who received Moderna as a first dose will receive Pfizer when necessary.

For remote communities where Moderna was used, the goal will be to use B.C.’s current Moderna supply for second doses.

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Saturday, May 29, 2021

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Saturday, May 29, 2021

Joe Biden nominates Indian American Arun Venkataraman to senior administration post From page 1 As the first-ever Director of Policy at the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration under President Barack Obama, Venkataraman helped shape the US government’s responses to critical challenges faced by firms in the country and in markets around the world, including China and India, the White House said.

While at the Office of the US Trade Representative ( U S T R ) , he led the development and implementation of the US-India trade policy as the Director for India, for which he received the agency’s Kelly Award for outstanding performance and extraordinary leadership.

Venkataraman also served as the associate general counsel, representing the United States in litigation before the World Trade Organization (WTO) and in negotiations on international trade agreements. Before joining the USTR, Venkataraman was a legal officer at the WTO, advising the organisation on a wide range of issues raised in appeals of trade disputes between countries.

He began his career as a law clerk for Judge Jane A Restani at the US Court of International Trade. He holds a JD from the Columbia Law School, a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and a BA from Tufts University.

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Saturday, May 29, 2021 Indian sprinting legend Milkha Singh suffers massive health scare Legendary sportsman, sprinter Milkha Singh was hospitalized as a precautionary measure. While his health has been reported as being stable, he has been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a hospital in Mohali. Here is more on what happened to Milkha Singh and the latest Milkha Singh news.

On May 20, Milkha Singh tested positive for Covid-19 and subsequently quarantined himself at his Chandigarh residence.

Although Milkha Singh’s parameters seemed alright, he was hospitalized as a safety precaution as reported by his son, Jeev Milkha Singh said. Jeev gave the Milkha Singh Covid update after he returned to India on Saturday from Dubai. Milkha Singh, who is

also famous Indian golfer, said, “He has been hospitalised. He was weak and not eating since yesterday, so we had to hospitalise him. Though his parameters seemed alright, we thought it is safer to have him admitted where he would be under supervision of senior doctors. He is under good care of doctors there.

He is a strong man, always positive and will recover soon.” Milkha Singh, who on Monday was admitted to the ICU of a hospital in Mohali, was reported as being stable. The legendary sprinter was diagnosed with Covid pneumonia. While giving the Milkha Singh Covid update, the hospital stated, “He is stable and presently on low flow oxygen and medical management.”

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Saturday, May 29, 2021 Surrey RCMP seize small arsenal during drug raid Surrey RCMP seized a small arsenal of weapons including rifles and handguns during a raid last week on a South Surrey home they believe to be tied to the Lower Mainland drug trade.

The Mounties began an investigation in April into street level drug trafficking and weapons offences in Whalley.

The RCMP say the investigation led officers to an associated residence in the 16200 block of 28th Ave. in South Surrey. A man related to the home was arrested on May 18 and found to be in possession of nearly nine grams of methamphetamine, seven grams of fentanyl, $895 cash and a Karambit, a curved knife that is a prohibited weapon in Canada.

A search warrant was served at the home on May 19 and police seized a cache

of weapons with ammunition that police said included a Ranger Silah semi-automatic shotgun, an M4 “assault rifle”, an SKS semi-automatic rifle, a .45-calibre Colt pistol, a 9 mm Caspian Arms pistol and a .32-calibre Llama pistol. Police also seized 223 grams of fentanyl, 1.7 kg of caffeine and more than $16,000 in cash.

“Surrey RCMP is strategically targeting the people who put our community at risk by engaging in the drug trade and the violence that accompanies it,” said Surrey RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Vanessa Munn.

Four people inside the residence were arrested and later released pending further investigation. Charges have not been filed.

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10 open as early as June 15 if the province is on track with cases and vaccinations, with up to 50 people allowed in the theatre. The capacity is expected to increase starting July 1 if cases stay on track.

Casinos and bingo halls - On July 1, the province is hoping to open casinos, bingo halls and nightclubs with limited capacity.

They will operate based on safety plans.

Concerts and professional sporting events - B.C. aims to hold concerts and professional sporting events by Sept. 7 at the earliest. This will be based on safety plans that will be established closer to the events taking place. Fans will be expected at BC Lions’ games in the fall and the Vancouver

Saturday, May 29, 2021 From page 1

10 things you need to know about BCs Covid-19 restart plan

Canucks’ return in September or October.

Restaurants - Starting right now, you can dine with anyone indoors or outdoors at a restaurant at a table of up to six people. Liquor can be served until 10 p.m. If vaccination levels continue to rise and cases to decline, liquor will be served until midnight. Officials said work will be done to ease more restrictions.The eventual plan, with cases still under control and low, is to have no limits on group sizes for indoor or outdoor dining. Workplaces - The existing plans will stay in place with a move to small in-person meetings starting as early at June 15. Seminars

and bigger meetings are expected as early as July 1, with safety plans. British Columbians will be back in the office starting as early as Sept. 7.

Shopping and masking - Directional arrows in stores are expected to be gone in July. The masking mandate is expected to be lifted in all public indoor spaces at that time as well. There

will be times when people will still be asked to wear a mask indoors after July 1, however.

Fairs and festivals The province will allow fairs and festivals on July 1 at the earliest. This will be based on safety plans and will have different capacities depending on being indoors or outdoors.

Canada’s three big banks beat profit expectations on lower provisions Three of Canada’s major lenders reported better-than-expected quarterly profits on Thursday, as signs of economic recovery helped them reverse bad debt provisions and their capital markets and wealth management units boomed.

Royal Bank of Canada, the country’s largest lender, released funds worth $260 million from its loan-loss reserves in the second quarter, compared with provisions of $2.1 billion a year earlier.

Canadian Imperial

Bank of Commerce (CIBC) reported an almost 98 per cent fall in provisions, while Toronto-Dominion Bank recovered $373 million of funds set aside to cover bad loans.

Analysts had expected average core earnings per share for Canada’s top six lenders to more than double in the three months through April from a year earlier when they set aside nearly $11 billion to cover potential bad loans.

Eliopoulos appointed new President and CEO of Vancouver Coastal Health Vivian Eliopoulos, who has been serving as interim head of Vancouver Coastal Health during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been appointed president and CEO of the authority.

The VCH board of directors made the announcement on Thursday and say the appointment is effective immediately.

The VCH chair, Dr. Penny Ballem, said Eliopoulos has provided “exemplary strategic leadership” during the pandemic.

“Vivian is a remarkable and authentic leader

with a deep commitment to our mandate of service to the public, our patients and clients, and our staff,” Ballem said in a statement.

“Her work across VCH over the last year has ensured ongoing safe, quality patient care, strengthened our senior leadership team and deepened our relationships with partners — all while ensuring VCH actively supported the provincial response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

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Saturday, May 29, 2021

Shan E Punjab Arts Club’s co-founder Jatinder Singh Randhawa passed away Family and friends mourn co-founder of Shan E Punjab Arts Club.

Tributes to Jatinder Singh Randhawa fill social media as family members and friends mourn the death of Shan E Punjab Arts Club’s co-founder.

Described by some as Surrey’s “King of Bhangra,” Randhawa died of an apparent heart attack on Tuesday (May 25).

Surrey Centre MP Randeep Sarai posted on his Facebook page, “Today I lost a friend and a passionate advocate of art and culture,” Surrey.

“Jatinder Singh Randhawa was a passionate advocate for the arts, particularly punjabi Bhangra and Giddha. He opened a school, Shan E Punjab Arts Club, with his friends and taught thousands with excitement and enthusiasm. His artists performed at the 2010 Olympics, at Canucks Games and even at Parliament Hill. He will be missed by his students, friends and family.”

The Newton-based club was founded in 2007 with a goal of keeping “the next generation linked with their beautiful folk dances and to keep the ethnic Punjabi culture and heritage alive.” The group’s history is posted to spacbc. com, along with accolades and photos of Randhawa and other team members. Randhawa’s own Facebook page is filled with tributes to him and his legacy in Surrey.

“Jatinder, you was a source of inspiration, a tunnel of light, motivation, helping hand and above all a best friend to young lives,” posted Baljinder Gill. “You knew the balance in relationships and cherished everyone around you. Today i went and visited your house and found teary eyes looking for you, emotions cherishing your memories and sadness in walls.”

Posted Armaan Kahlon: “From the fouryear-old chubby little girl who walked into your studio 15 years ago, thank you. Thank you for inspiring me as a dancer, teaching me how to be a better human, and loving me like your own.”

South Asian man charged with murder in East Vancouver stabbing Rajesh Narayan, 38, was arrested on Saturday and has been charged in the city’s seventh homicide of 2021 .

A 58-year-old man became Vancouver’s seventh homicide victim of the year on Monday when he died from injuries sustained in a stabbing early Saturday morning.

Vancouver police said it happened at a home near Joyce Street and Vanness

Avenue around 2:30 a.m. The man had several stab wounds was found and was taken to hospital, where he later died.

Rajesh Narayan, 38, who was arrested on Saturday, has now been charged with second-degree murder.

The victim’s name was not released.

VPD spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison says it’s believed the two men knew each other

LOCAL / NATIONAL

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Saturday, May 29, 2021 Indoor faith services to return as part of BC’s restart plan

Consultations are finishing between the province and faith leaders to return to in-person worship in the coming days.

“This has been such anticipated and hoped for news,” said senior rabbi Dan Moskovitz with Temple Sholom in Vancouver. “Our congregation, our community and I’m sure all faith communities are just so relieved to know that there’s a path forward and we’re going to be able to start to return to in-person worship, outdoors and indoors.”

A new order is coming this week from public health that will outline protocols for indoor, inperson faith based gatherings, such as capacity limits and safety regulations, as part of the first step of B.C.’s newly unveiled restart plan. “I’m really excited just, for a number of reasons, it’s a measured response,” said Christopher Pappas, dean of the diocese of Christ Church

Cathedral. “It was exciting to hear today that these are going to begin loosening up.”

While a few churches in the Fraser Valley continued in-person gathering throughout the pandemic, despite health orders, the vast majority closed their doors and turned to worshiping online.

Moskovitz said consultations have been going on for months between faith leaders and the province.

“I’m most looking forward to not having to pray into a computer screen anymore, and actually to be able to pray into the faces, and with the faces, of my congregation,” said Moskovitz.

“We can be church without the building, you could demolish the building and we would still be the church,” said Pappas. “What this pandemic has done has kept us from coming together as individuals that form the community.”

Border reopening talks need to include businesses: Surrey Board of Trade There are rumblings the U.S. wants to reopen its border with Canada in late June, according to the Surrey Board of Trade, and businesses that B.C. border city want more of a focus from Canada on getting things flowing both ways across the 49th Parallel.

The Surrey Board of Trade wants local businesses to have a voice in those talks, saying that city is home to many businesses and people who are anxious and would be directly impacted by the lifting of travel restrictions.

“In Surrey, we have the greatest number of manufacturers within British Columbia. A lot of people movement across the border — we are a border city,” explained Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade. Without giving any specific dates, federal Chief Public

Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam has hinted changes are coming soon to some border policies. However, Huberman says businesses are totally in the dark. She stresses the need for comprehensive pre-planning, including talks with the private sector, if Canada is moving toward re-opening the land border.

“We’re really concerned about the fact that there’s been no consultation, no regional representation of stakeholders in a joint decision that needs to be made in reopening that border,” she told NEWS 1130. “It’s not like a flick of a light switch. There needs to be significant planning on both sides of the border to ensure health and safety protocols, to ensure mechanisms are in place.

Woman stabbed inside Vancouver courtoom Woman in stable condition after courtroom stabbing, Vancouver police say.

Two women were involved in some kind of dispute, according to reports. Another woman arrested.

A woman was stabbed inside a Vancouver courtroom Tuesday morning. Vancouver police say it happened around 10 a.m. at the courthouse downtown along Smithe Street.

“A female suspect entered the courtroom and attacked another woman,” an email from the VPD reads. It appears the two women involved had been caught up in some kind of long-running dispute. Police say the woman who was stabbed was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition.

The other woman has been arrested, with police adding “charges will be forthcoming.

Computer glitch allowed some in BC to book 2nd dose of Covid-19 vaccine early Many in BC are wondering when they’ll be able to get their second dose of Covid-19 vaccine, but a computer glitch meant some were able to book another shot before they were supposed to.

Most shots being given out at vaccine clinics in the province are first doses, but over the long weekend, some residents in B.C. were able to book a second jab – long before the four-month interval.

Zahra Lalani said some of her friends were able to book their doses early. She said she was getting text messages suggesting she try to do the same, so she tried to book second

shots for herself and her mother. Apart from the sailors, today’s other cases are linked with the Waila cluster, the Muanikoso cluster and another from Kinoya near Nasinu Town.

One was also a day patient at Suva’s CWM Hospital, where she was tested as part of a pre-admission screening programme.

Meanwhile vaccinations restarted on Monday with 9069 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine administered, 7121 in the Suva-Nausori area and 1948 as second doses for frontliners across the country.

Federal government will pay up to $5,000 if you make your home more energy efficient The government of Canada is launching a new program today that offers Canadians grants of up to $5,000 to pay for energy-saving home upgrades.

The Canada Greener Homes Grants program — worth about $2.6 billion over seven years — will help homeowners upgrade heaters, install solar panels and replace windows and doors, according to a federal government source with knowledge of the program.

People across the country will be able to apply online starting today. An application starts with an energy evaluation by a certified adviser. That adviser visits an applicant’s home and determines which energy-saving measures would qualify for reimbursement.

If the homeowner chooses to proceed, a licensed contractor would then be hired to conduct the retrofits. After an inspection of the completed work, the homeowner would be reimbursed.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan are expected to announce today further details of the program, which they say is intended to lower energy bills for Canadians, create jobs and reduce emissions.

Lower panel prices boost interest in

home solar power but true cost is complex It’s estimated that private homes and buildings are among some of the largest sources of carbon emissions in Canada, contributing about 18 per cent of the country’s emissions.

Today’s announcement answers a promise the federal government made in the Fall Economic Statement. The federal grant, the source said, could be combined

with other provincial grants as well.

Last week, the federal government announced it’s providing up to $10 million to recruit, train and mentor 2,000 people to conduct energy audits.

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, May 29, 2021 BC ombudsperson urges caution if governments adopt Covid-19 vaccine passports As British Columbia lays out plans to shed COVID-19 restrictions, the person who ensures fair access to government resources is calling for caution, especially when deciding who is eligible for relaunched services. A statement from the office of B.C.’s ombudsperson says vaccination certification programs are being explored in B.C. and in jurisdictions across Canada.

Ombudsperson Jay Chalke says this raises concerns about provincial or local public services being limited based on vaccination status.

The organization representing the public advocates across Canada has released guidance about how so-called vaccination passports could affect receipt of services under its members’ jurisdiction such as municipal, health, education and other provincial ministries. Chalke says fairness must be at the centre of any passport program and the national guidance document created by the Canadian Council of Parliamentary Ombudsman agrees.

It says passports must be open to appeal, alternative services must be available for those who have not been vaccinated

and governments must offer clear legislation or policy directions about how vaccine certifications are used.

The mandate of a provincial or territorial ombudsman is to ensure people are treated fairly in the delivery of public services and Chalke says vaccine passports have the potential to “result in outcomes that are unreasonable, unfair and u n j u s t .”

“Although we’re not seeing people having to provide vaccination status yet when receiving public services, we know given the highly dynamic nature of this pandemic that this kind of verification could potentially come into play in a variety of ways,” Chalke said in the statement. If governments do decide to restrict access to services based on a person’s vaccination status, Chalke said the decision must be transparent, procedurally fair and clearly communicated. Possible confusion created by vaccine passports will likely result in complaints to his office, he said. He said he hopes the guidance issued by his colleagues across Canada will prevent unfairness by offering “proactive reminders” to governments.

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Two South Asian men killed in targeted shooting in Coquitlam & Calgary A man was killed in a targeted shooting in a quiet Coquitlam residential neighbourhood last Saturday afternoon, the latest victim in the Lower Mainland gang war. And two other murders in recent days in Nanaimo and in Calgary are believed to be linked to the on-going violence in Metro Vancouver. Killed on the island about 3:30 p.m. May 20 was Yasin Khan, born in 1995 and linked to the Red Scorpion-Kang group.

And gunned down near his Calgary halfway house was former B.C. resident Gurkeert Kalkat, the brother of Jaskeert Kalkat, who was shot to death in Burnaby on May 13. Both are linked to the Brothers Keepers gang. Gurkeert was finishing a three year sentence for drug trafficking in Calgary at the time of his murder.

The identity of the Coquitlam victim has not yet been released. He could be seen slumped out of the door of a white Toyota SUV, near Henderson Avenue and Hart Street after being shot about 5:30 p.m. May 22. “Officers arrived to find a man with gunshot wounds, who was pronounced dead at scene,” Integrated Homicide Investigation Team spokesperson Sgt. Frank Jang said in a statement.“Investigators will be working to identify the victim and notify next of kin.”A woman who lives nearby said she was repotting plants on her balcony when she “heard about six shots.” “I live down a really long driveway and when I looked across the street, I saw somebody running away. And they had like blue pants on and a blue shirt. And I think it was

a male and that’s all I saw. That’s all I know,” she said. Another neighbour was watching hockey when he heard what he thought were fireworks. “The next thing we know — about half an hour later — there’s cops everywhere,” he said. Kalkat, who was known as Gary, was shot to death about 5:30 p.m. local time.

Calgary Police Service Sgt. Duane Lepchuk told Postmedia that police there have reached

out to their counterparts in other jurisdictions, including B.C.Calgary police got calls about shots fired in the 1800-block of 26th Avenue SW. When officers arrived, they “located a male suffering from gunshot wounds inside a vehicle. He was pronounced deceased at the scene,” Lepchuk said. “We also responded to a vehicle fire located in the 2200-block of 31st Ave SW.”“Witnesses observed multiple suspects leaving that vehicle and entering into a blue four-door car — possibly a Subaru — and fled the scene, and we believe it is a targeted attack,” Lepchuk said. Meanwhile, Nanaimo RCMP confirmed Saturday that the murder there is also linked to the Lower Mainland conflict.

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Surrey RCMP looking for rightful owner of sports cards, comic books Stolen comic books are not funny. But Surrey Mounties are looking to bring back a smile to the rightful owner of a pile of comic books and cards that were recovered during a 2019 police investigation.

Corporal Vanessa Munn said that on March 21, 2019 police executed a search warrant related to stolen property.

“A collection of sports cards and comic books were seized during the search,” Munn said. “The Surrey RCMP were unable to locate

any reports of the items being stolen, however given the circumstances of the investigation it is believe that the collector’s items were stolen.”

She said anyone whose comic books or sports cards were stolen in the Lower Mainland prior to March 21, 2019 should contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

John Horgan’s inaction means BC is one step closer to losing its cruise ship industry Press release Despite comments by Premier John Horgan that the likelihood of the bill being passed would be slim, B.C. is one step closer to losing its cruise ship industry after the U.S. Senate passed a bill allowing Alaskabound cruise ships to bypass our province.

“The Premier’s job is to protect our cruise ship and tourism industry and advocate for it, but for months he sat and did nothing,” said Teresa Wat, MLA for Richmond North Centre and Opposition Critic for Tourism, Arts, and Culture. “Now, his lack of action is putting our industry at risk.

What is to stop a temporary measure like this from becoming permanent, causing long-term impacts to the industry and the thousands of businesses it supports?”

After writing a letter to NDP Tourism Minister Melanie Mark on April 7, 2021 asking government to outline what steps it has taken to protect B.C.’s cruise ship industry, the minister responded with a letter stating she was “disappointed” in the Opposition’s

approach and said, “the possibility of this legislation passing is very unlikely.” On May 13, the Alaska Tourism Recovery Act passed the U.S. Senate unanimously.

“We have raised the issue to the Premier since March, both in Question Period and through letters, and received nothing but dismissive responses,” added Wat. “Now this bill is one step closer to becoming a reality. If this bill doesn’t turn out to be temporary and remains in effect after the borders reopen, the fallout for B.C.’s tourism industry and economy would be devastating.”

The cruise ship industry brings an estimated $2.5 billion to British Columbia’s economy every year. Victoria lost an estimated $130 million in tourism revenue in the 2020 season, while the entire B.C. tourism industry lost $16.4 billion of an annual $20 billion in GDP. It is estimated that the industry supports 20,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Maple Ridge secondary student wins $110,000 scholarship The grad class from Maple Ridge secondary school features 11 students who have earned academic scholarships ranging from big to whopping.

Daisy Li, an international student from China who has attended MRSS for the last three years, was the top scholarship winner with a $110,500 award.

She said it was an unbelievable amount, and she had to be convinced she had really won so much.

Next year, Li will attend the University of Toronto for studies in a Communication, Culture, Information and Technology Program, and said she hopes to work in the fashion industry.

She said her parents chose Maple Ridge to keep her focused.

“My parents know me so well. They know if they put me in Vancouver there are a lot of distractions for me, and I couldn’t focus on studying,” she said. “But Maple Ridge is quite a small town, and quiet. I can focus more on studying here.”

She put up a 97 per cent average, and admits her laser focus sometimes drifted to friends and shopping.

“I work really hard, but I also have leisure time,” she said. “Before COVID, I would go shopping every day.

There are also three more international student scholarships to UBC of $80,000.

Marshal Guo, from China, won one of the $80,000 scholarships, and he will study computer science. Guo has attended MRSS for five years, and said he has made a lot of friends. His average is a perfect 100 per cent.

Guo will also compete on the UBC fencing team, and looks to be an immediate contributor – he took second place at a Canada Cup event in 2019 in Richmond, in the under-23 class.

Diamond Gao, from China, also won an International Student Scholarship of $80,000, and will attend UBC in the engineering faculty. She is interested in

engineering physics or electrical engineering.

Gao had an academic average of 99.5 per cent, while also participating in extra curriculars like the physics Olympics team and student council. She attended MRSS, where she has been for three years, because her good friend and neighbour in China also graduated from MRSS and went on to university.

Jessica Yoon won an International Student Scholarship of $80,000, and she will study science at UBC. She is interested in biology and neuroscience. Yoon came to Maple Ridge in Grade 8, and attended Garibaldi secondary for two years. She found there were numerous Korean speakers there, so she transferred to MRSS to use more English. She has an average of 95 per cent. Yoon also has a black belt in Taekwondo.

Aidan Scarcella won a UVIC entrance scholarship of $28,000 and will study economics and political science. He posted an average of 98.75 per cent.

Jack Emley-Graham was awarded a TWU presidential entrance scholarship of $24,000, and will study human kinetics and kinesiology. His average is 96 per cent. He will also be a member of the track team, and the pole vaulter got an additional $5,000 as an athletic scholarship.

Ethan Page was awarded a UVIC entrance scholarship of $28,000, and will study music. He posted a 97 per cent average, and impressed in his audition as a percussionist.

Ivy Threatful won an SFU entrance scholarship of $27,000, and will study archeology and forensic sciences. Threatful posted a 93 per cent average, and was involved in numerous activities including the wrestling team, school council, field hockey, band and volunteer work. She also had an athletic scholarship.

Lily Carlisle was awarded a UVIC entrance scholarship of $24,000 for her 96 per cent average. She will study humanities, and hopes to go into anthropology.

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, May 29, 2021 International review says BC was ‘reluctant’ to follow evidence of Covid-19’s airborne transmission Responses from British Columbia officials are part of a damning analysis on the reluctance by public health to acknowledge the airborne transmission of Covid-19 despite scientific consensus on the matter.

The new study, spearheaded by an influential and widely-respected Oxford professor, includes case studies in B.C. and Quebec, where responses were in line with a rejection and grudging acceptance by public health officials elsewhere.

The piece is titled “Orthodoxy, illusio, and playing the scientific game: a Bourdieusian analysis of infection control science in the Covid-19 pandemic.” In simple terms, they conclude that rigid thinking stemming from traditional medical education along with political influence, led health officials to reject evidence of airborne COVID-19 transmission for months. “Covid is airborne, this has been proven, and so the focus of our paper is ‘why is it that public health authorities refuse to acknowledge this?’” said study co-author

and University of Victoria professor of public health, Damien Contandriopoulos. “What we’ve seen is that medical doctors trained in infectious diseases realized they were outdated, outpaced and wrong — and instead of saying ‘oh, whoops’ what they’re saying is ‘oh, it can’t be true ‘ and the reaction was just ‘let’s pretend this does not exist’ and we see a lot of this in every public health authority.”

The research was organized by Oxford’s Trisha Greenhalgh, a professor of primary health sciences, who is influential in her field. She approached Contandriopoulos and another British professor to collaborate on the analysis. https://twitter.com/trishgreenhalgh “Scientific and policy bodies’ failure to acknowledge and act on the evidence base for airborne transmission of SARSCoV-2 in a timely way is both a mystery and a scandal,” reads the first line of the study, which has yet to be peer reviewed.

Squatters take over multimillion-dollar Sammamish home, police say hands are tied Amultimillion-dollarhomeinSammamish, Washington state is at the center of an ongoing investigation, as squatters continue to break in and make the home their own.

“The amount of guns, drugs, etcetera that were confiscated out of that place are not for personal use or for any good reason,” Sammamish Police Chief Dan Pingrey said. “I totally recognize how frustrating it is for the neighborhood and it’s just as frustrating for us to be honest with you.”

The homeowner lives overseas, but a few people living locally help maintain the home with routine checkups. One of those workers stopped by the home and found 12 guns, bulletproof vests,

more than 15,000 fentanyl pills, heroin, meth, and more than $40,000 in cash.

The worker called 911 and police arrived on scene. “As we were beginning to take a look at our next steps, an unlicensed motorcycle showed up with two people on it,” Pingrey said. Neighbors identified the two people as the squatters and both were arrested for burglary, according to Pingrey.

Both were out of jail within days and headed back to the home, bringing more people with them. “After they were out of jail, we had a large group trying to get back into the house,” Pingrey said. “No one was supposed to be there. The homeowners were not allowing anyone to stay there.”

15

Court rules NEXUS cards can’t be cancelled for minor rules infractions A recent Federal Court decision could make it more difficult for Canadian government officials to cancel someone’s NEXUS trusted-traveller card for a minor infraction.

Federal Court Justice John Norris ruled late last month that revoking a Montreal man’s membership in the NEXUS trusted traveller program for neglecting to declare some of the cash he was carrying was unreasonable. Norris set aside the decision to cancel the card and ordered that the matter be “remitted for reconsideration by a different decision maker.”

Lawyer Cyndee Todgham Cherniak, who pleaded the case, said the ruling means it now takes more than a minor error for someone to lose a NEXUS card and the travel privileges that come with it.

“That’s going to be critical because people make mistakes,” said Todgham Cherniak, a lawyer with the Toronto law firm LexSage. “People make minor mistakes at the border. They didn’t

intend to make a mistake and they shouldn’t have their NEXUS cards taken away.”

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) does not plan to appeal the Federal Court decision.

“The Canada Border Services Agency is reviewing the ruling and will take it into consideration in the regular assessment of the program,” said spokesperson Rebecca Purdy.

The CBSA estimates that 1.4 million of the 1.7 million NEXUS card holders are Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Each year, hundreds of NEXUS cards belonging to Canadians or Americans are revoked.

The case in question stems from an incident at Montreal’s airport in October 2019. Paul Abou Nassar, a frequent international business traveller, was waiting to board a flight to Vienna for a trip to China.

Forgiving CERB debt for ineligible Canadians who received ‘unclear’ information to cost government $240M About 30,000 Canadians will be able to keep $240 million in Canada Emergency Response Benefits despite originally being ineligible for the money, according to government estimates.

The Liberal government has decided to forgive the debt of all self-employed Canadians who claimed an average $8,000 in CERB overpayments — worth a total of $240 million.

The claimants did not meet the benefit’s eligibility criteria due to confusing government messaging, according to information quietly published in the Canada Gazette two weeks ago.But of those people, roughly 6,500 already

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voluntarily reimbursed the government after receiving an “educational letter” from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) in December warning they may not have been eligible for CERB. In those cases, the government will take the unusual step of sending them back about $52 million in total CERB payments they weren’t qualified for in the first place, so long as they meet all other eligibility criteria. The agency said the process to apply for reimbursement will be released “soon.” According to details in the government’s official publication, the move comes because it considers that it “would be unreasonable and unjust for the Crown to collect the debt.”

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Saturday, May 29, 2021

Narendra Modi completes 7 years as Prime Minister of India despite Covid-19 Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes seven years in the top job of the country this week amidst what he himself has termed a “once in a century pandemic”. In the midst of the deadly second wave of Covid-19, his party, the BJP, despite investing much political capital in the West Bengal Assembly polls, lost to the Trinamool Congress. This, many have conflated, was a comment on the handling of the pandemic in its second avatar, especially in the later phases of polling. Will the seven-year itch, that scourge of office and other partnerships, affect Mr. Modi, as it did his predecessors from Indira Gandhi in 1973-74 to Manmohan Singh in 2011 onwards?

Or will his dream run at the hustings continue?

According to political scientist Ashwani Kumar of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, the pandemic is no less than a “tsunami”, disrupting existing models of governance and living, centred on health resources.

“Though I hesitate to predict, but the future of the ruling BJP government hinges on how quickly and effectively it addresses the issue of mass vaccination of people specially belonging to marginalized and poorer sections of society.

The pandemic has threatened to test the march of the BJP from an ideological movement, then party and now the government,” he observed, speaking to The Hindu.

Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in February-March, he added, “promise to become a referendum on the BJP”.

“The pandemic has exposed the widening gaps between the government and the party, denting the party’s reputation as a social service

organisation and carrier of social capital. In short, the government needs to unveil an Indian variant of national reconstruction-a peoplecentric Marshall plan to modernise, upgrade well-being infrastructure in the various States,

revamp the architecture of federal governance and extend the arch of individual liberties in the times of existential crisis. And most importantly, perhaps urgently, the nation needs a healing touch, reaching out to grieving families and

individuals, no matter how poor or rich, how isolated or well-connected they are. This is where the future of the national BJP government resides, at least in the immediate future,” he stated.

BJP MLA Satish Reddy’s aide arrested in Bengaluru hospital beds’ bloking scam The CCB police statement said that a man named Babu, 34, a resident of Roopena Agrahara in Bommanhalli, was arrested on Monday evening after his role of blocking hospital beds and selling them at higher price for Covid-19 patients came to light.

The Central Crime Branch of Bengaluru city police arrested the man is an aide of BJP MLA Satish Reddy in connection with the Covid-19 beds’ bloking scam, embarrassing the ruling party in the state. On 4 May, party MP from Bangalore South Tejasvi Surya, accompanied by his uncle and Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya, Bommanahalli MLA Satish Reddy and Chickpet MLA Uday Garudachar had stormed into Bengaluru South Covid-19 War Room to flag the scam. But now the Congress has questioned if Tejasvi Surya will hold a press conference and explain the development. Srivatsa, National Campaign In-charge, Youth Congress, took to Twitter, alleging, “BJP MLA Satish Reddy’s close associate Babu ARRESTED in Bed Blocking Scam. Satish was with Tejasvi Surya during his ‘expose’ but is himself the Scam’s Kingpin!

Tejasvi, will you hold a PC & explain the arrest? Were you protecting your people by blaming Muslims?” The CCB police statement said that the accused Babu, 34, a resident of Roopena Agrahara in Bommanahalli.

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BJP’s focus is UP state elections, instead of tackling Covid-19 pandemic - claims Shiv Sena The Shiv Sena targeted BJP, instead of tackling Covid-19 is focusing on Uttar Pradesh holding meetings to improve avoid a West Bengal-like

claiming that pandemic, it elections and its image to performance.

The Saamana editorial said that after the BJP failed to win the West Bengal Assembly polls, PM Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and UP CM Yogi Adityanath held a meeting to discuss ‘Mission Uttar Pradesh’.

“It seems as if all the issues in the country are resolved and the only work left is to declare the elections, hold big rallies and roadshows to win the polls. The elections are inevitable in parliamentary democracy but is the present situation suitable for it?” it asked.

The editorial further said that media reports on the dead bodies in the Ganga dented the image of the BJP and questioned the efficiency

of the Modi and UP governments. “Now, the BJP is working on how to improve its image and win the UP polls,” it said, adding that the dismal performance in the UP panchayat polls is also a cause of worry for the BJP. The editorial said that the UP CM was the BJP’s star campaigner in West Bengal but there was no religious or social division in the name of Hindutva.

India’s Covid-19 vaccination goes past 200 million doses; 14.5% jabbed India has so far administered 200,662,456 vaccine doses. That is 770.82 per cent of its total caseload, and 14.42 per cent of its population.

India reported a net reduction of 91,191 in active coronavirus cases to take its count to 2,495,591. India’s share of global active coronavirus cases now stands at 16.77 per cent (one in 5). The country is second among the most affected countries by active cases. On Wednesday, it added 208,921 cases to take its total caseload to 27,157,795. And, with 4,157 new fatalities, its Covid-19 death toll reached 311,388, or 1.15 per cent of total confirmed infections.

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With 2,039,087 more Covid-19 vaccine doses being administered on Tuesday, India’s total count of vaccine shots so far reached 200,662,456. The count of recovered coronavirus cases across India, meanwhile, reached 24,350,816 – or 89.66 per cent of total caseload – with 295,955 new cured cases being reported on Wednesday.

With a daily increase of 208,921 in total cases, India’s tally of coronavirus cases has risen from 26,948,874 on Tuesday to 27,157,795 – an increase of 0.8%. Death toll has reached 311,388, with 4,157 fatalities. Now the second-most-affected country by active cases.

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WhatsApp sues Indian govt, says new media rules mean end to privacy The lawsuit, described to Reuters by people familiar with it, asks the Delhi High Court to declare that one of the new rules is a violation of privacy rights in India’s constitution WhatsApp has filed a legal complaint in Delhi against the Indian government seeking to block regulations coming into force on Wednesday that experts say would compel the California-based Facebook unit to break privacy protections, sources said.

The lawsuit, described to Reuters by people familiar with it, asks the Delhi High Court to declare that one of the new rules is a violation of privacy rights in India’s constitution since it requires social media companies to identify the “first originator of information” when authorities demand it.

While the law requires WhatsApp to unmask only people credibly accused of wrongdoing, the company says it cannot do that alone in practice. Because messages are end-to-end

encrypted, to comply with the law WhatsApp says it would have break encryption for receivers, as well as “originators”, of messages.

Reuters could not independently confirm the complaint had been filed in court by WhatsApp, which has nearly 400 million users in India, nor when it might be reviewed by the court. The people with knowledge of the matter declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The lawsuit escalates a growing struggle between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and tech giants including Facebook, Google parent Alphabet and Twitter in one of their key global growth markets.

Tensions grew after a police visit to Twitter’s offices earlier this week. The micro-blogging service had labelled posts by a spokesman for the dominant party and others as containing “manipulated media”, saying forged content was included.

Indian Army will soon get 4 Heron TP drones on lease from Israel, plans to deploy them at LAC The Indian Army will soon get four Heron TP drones on lease from Israel, which will be deployed along the Line of Actual Control with China for long surveillance missions, ThePrint has learnt.

The Heron TP, which is as long as a Rafale (14 metres) and has double the wingspan of the French fighter, has been developed

by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). It is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for all weather strategic missions. While the Heron TP drones are capable of being armed if needed, sources said the ones being leased

by India are non-weaponised versions.

“The first two drones will be delivered soon.

The other two will be delivered after a gap of three months,” a source told ThePrint, adding that the contract for the lease was signed earlier this year. The lease is for a period of three years with an option of another two years, but costs are not being divulged.

This is the Indian Army’s first time leasing military equipment, after a clause was introduced in the latest version of the Defence Acquisition Procedure. The Navy has already leased two non-weaponised General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B Sea Guardian MALE UAVs from the US under this policy, but sources in the defence establishment said that the Israeli Heron TP performs better and is cheaper.

The Army and the Indian Air Force use a mix of previous generation Heron and Searcher 2 drones. Sources said that the Heron TP is much more capable than its predecessor.

“The Heron TP is huge. It looks like an AN-32 aircraft in size because of its large wingspan. It has a maximum take-off weight of 5,670 kg, with a maximum payload weight of 2,700 kg. The earlier generation has less than half this capacity,” a source said, adding that with an endurance of 30 hours, the drone has a range of over 1,000 kilometres.

Cyclone ‘Yaas’ hit Odisha & Bengal A powerful cyclone has torn into eastern India, with reports suggesting it has killed several people.

Cyclone Yaas, which intensified into a “very severe cyclonic storm”, hit the states of West Bengal and Orissa - also known as Odisha - on Wednesday, as well as lashing southern Bangladesh.

This is the second cyclone to hit the country in a week, after Cyclone

Tauktae killed more than 150 people.

It comes as India is already struggling to deal with its Covid-19 outbreak.

Yaas lashed coastal areas with ferocious wind and rain as it made landfall in India, damaging homes and bringing waves that swamped towns.

More than one million people were evacuated in the country as the storm approached.

Fugitive jeweller Mehul Choksi arrested while trying to flee Mehul Choksi was taken into custody after he was reported missing in Antigua and Barbuda.

It seems fugitive Mehul Choksi will not be repatriated to India as Dominica on Thursday, 27 May announced that once the authorities of Antigua and Barbuda ascertain some facts including Choksi’s Antiguan citizenship, then “possible arrangements will be made for him to be repatriated to Antigua”.

Earlier, Dominica’s Ministry of National Security and Home Affairs had confirmed that Mehul Choksi was detained by law enforcement for illegal entry into Dominica.

India has been in touch with the governments of both Antigua and Dominica and has been using diplomatic channels to get back Choksi, sources were cited as saying in media reports on Thursday. The fugitive diamantaire, who is wanted by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, was taken into the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Dominica after he was reported missing in Antigua and Barbuda.

As per reports, Choksi was trying to flee to Cuba and was caught on a beach in Dominica.

‘He Made a Monumental Error’ Speaking to news agency ANI, earlier Prime Minister of Antigua & Barbuda Gaston Browne had said that Choksi will not be welcome in Antigua. “He made a monumental error by skipping the island. Dominican government and law enforcement are cooperating and we have informed the Indian government to have him repatriated to India. We have been coordinating discussions to ensure that he is ultimately

repatriated to India.”

Stating that Choksi may have entered the island of Dominica “illegally, possibly on a boat” the PM added, “I am not aware that he is a citizen of Dominica and that he enjoys any Constitutional protection. So, on that basis, it will be easy for Dominica to deport him.”

‘Not an Indian Citizen Anymore’ Meanwhile, Choksi’s lawyer Vijay Aggarwal asserted that he could be deported only to Antigua as he is not an Indian citizen anymore.

“As per Indian Citizenship Act, the moment Mehul Choksi acquired citizenship of Antigua, he ceased to be an Indian citizen. As per Immigration and Passport Act, he can be deported only to Antigua,” he was quoted as saying.

Earlier on Wednesday, Aggarwal had told news agency ANI, “I have spoken to his family and they are happy and relieved that his whereabouts are now known. Efforts are being made to speak to him so that one can get a clearer picture of how he was taken to Dominica.”

Choksi, an accused in the over Rs 13,500-crore Punjab National Bank fraud case, along with his nephew Nirav Modi, had been reportedly residing in Antigua and Barbuda since 4 January 2018.

Fugitive Indian-born jeweller Mehul Choksi has been captured in Dominica and will likely be repatriated to India, Gaston Brown, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, told Reuters partner ANI, days after he went missing from the Caribbean nation.

Police in Antigua and Barbuda had been questioning relatives and associates of Choksi, a main defendant in India’s largest bank fraud case, and had requested international

Emirates plane flies from Mumbai to Dubai with just one passenger Emirate airlines Boeing B-777 airplane flew a 40-year-old businessman named Bhavesh Javeri who travelled all alone in the entire plane from Mumbai airport due to Covid-19 ban. The plane had a capacity of 350 passengers, but took off from the Mumbai with just one passenger on board. The plane flew with a 40-year-old businessman named Bhavesh Javeri who travelled all alone in the entire plane on a ticket that cost him Rs 18,000. According to the media reports, the plane was entirely vacant due to UAE placed Covid-19 restrictions on Indian passengers

amid rising cases of new Covid-19 variant.

As per the UAE advisory in effect, only selective categories of the passengers are allowed to enter Dubai with a negative PCR antigen test for Covid-19. These include the members of diplomatic missions, holders of UAE golden visa, UAE nationals, passengers exempted and/ or granted permission to enter the UAE by the appropriate authorities as well as passengers travelling on a business flight who have a valid Civid-19 PCR test certificate, according to the Emirates airlines’ website.

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Saturday, May 29, 2021

Punjab Two members of Khalistan Tiger Force arrested by Punjab Police Punjab Police claimed to have arrested two Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) members allegedly involved in several heinous crimes over the past one year, including the murder of a dera follower and firing on a priest.

The two were acting on the directions of KTF’s Canada-based chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose name had figured on the list of Khalistan operatives handed over by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to Canadian

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his visit to India in 2018. The suspects, Lovepreet Singh, alias Ravi, and Ram Singh, alias Sonu, who were arrested late last night near the Mehna railway crossing at Moga were allegedly planning to kill another dera follower to exact revenge for the sacrilege cases.

Three .32 bore pistols with 38 cartridges and a .315 bore pistol with 10 cartridges, along with two magazines, were seized

Punjab records 4,124 fresh Covid-19 cases, 186 more deaths Punjab’s Covid-19 caseload surged to 5,52,235 on Wednesday as 4,124 more people tested positive for the disease while the death toll climbed to 13,827 with 186 more fatalities, according to a medical bulletin.

Of the latest deaths, 20 each were reported from Ludhiana and Patiala, 15 from Sangrur and 14 each from Amritsar, Bathinda and Fazilka, the bulletin stated.

Ludhiana reported the highest number of fresh cases at 438, followed by 385 in Bathinda,

337 in Jalandhar and 318 in Mansa, it said.

The number of active cases dropped to 50,549 from 53,127 on Tuesday.

The state’s positivity rate stands at 5.44 per cent, the bulletin said.

There are 354 critical patients who are on ventilator support, 942 other critical patients and 6,007 patients on oxygen support, it said.

As many as 6,397 Covid-19 patients recovered in a day. With this, the number of cured persons increased to 4,87,859, it added.

From Amritsar to Tikri, black flags hoisted to mark six months of farmers’ agitation Farmers in Punjab and Haryana on Wednesday hoisted black flags atop their houses and vehicles and burnt effigies of the Union Government to mark the completion of six months of their agitation against the three contentious agri laws. Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders, spearheading the protest, said they were prepared to stretch the stir till 2024 when the next General Election is to be held.

Speaking at an event in Delhi, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait said the SKM was prepared for a long haul.“There is no going back,” he stressed.

Protesters at Singhu and Tikri, the epicentres of the farm movement, hoisted flags at the main stage, atop tents, bamboo huts and vehicles.

They gathered at the ‘Kisan Andolan’ office at Kundli and held a march amid sloganeering.

Pakistan Pakistan, Uzbekistan start road link & trade via Afghanistan Pakistan and Uzbekistan have exchanged goods through war-torn Afghanistan for the first time, in a move hailed as a milestone for regional economic integration.

A Pakistani cargo truck on May 4 transported medicine from Southern port city of Karachi to the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, via Kabul. An Uzbek cargo truck then took shipment of trade items from Tashkent to Lyallpur (Faisalabad) on May 13.

The shipments are part of five planned trial

runs aimed at testing the viability of various routes in the region, where trade has been hampered by the decades-old conflict in Afghanistan and longstanding diplomatic tensions between Kabul and Islamabad.

The project has received technical and financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The agency said the initiative is intended to “boost regional trade integration and connectivity.”

The shipments were made under the Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR)

Second suspect arrested in British woman’s murder in Lahore Mahira Zulfiqar, 25, a British national was found shot dead in her rented house in Lahore on May 3rd and police registered murder case against two suspects, Zahir Jadoon and Saad Ameer Butt, on complaints of her uncle, M. Nazeer. The Crime Investigation Agency arrested Jadoon on Sunday. The other suspect, Saad Butt, had already was arrested and sent into the police

investigation. Jadoon’s lawyer, Zarak Khan, claimed his client was on pre-arrest bail till May 27. Mr Khan, in a series of tweets, said, “Our client Zahir Javed Khan, after attaining pre-arrest bail, joined the investigation accompanied by his brother, Tahir Javed Khan, and cousin, Sheryar Khan, in the evening.

US security assistance to Pakistan remains suspended: Pentagon US President Joe Biden has continued his predecessor Donald Trump’s policy on suspending security assistance to Pakistan and there is no clarity if the administration will change its stance in the future, the Pentagon has said.

Former US President Trump suspended all security assistance to Pakistan in January 2018, arguing that he was not satisfied with Islamabad’s cooperation and role in the fight against terrorism.

“At this time, the US security assistance to Pakistan is still suspended. I will not get into speculating one way or another about if

or whether that will change going forward,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters at a news conference on Monday.

He was responding to a question on if the new Biden administration has reviewed the policy of the previous Trump administration and if there were any changes in it or if this issue was on the table during talks with the Pakistani leadership. Earlier in the day, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to discuss regional interests and objectives, Kirby said.

FIJI Cane farmers to receive 4th cane payment The fourth cane payment of $10.31 per tonne will be made tomorrow.

The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Sugar Yogesh Karan confirms the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama had discussions with the FSC and other stakeholders and it was decided that no deductions should be made from this payment except for those farmers who have loan obligations.

However, Karan says those growers who have loans from the Fiji Development Bank

and the Sugar Cane Growers Fund can talk to these institutions for their loan deductions to be deferred and he has also spoken to these institutions to assist the growers.

Meanwhile, the National Farmers Union says cane farmers are disappointed with the $10.31 per tonne payment.

General Secretary, Mahendra Chaudhry says farmers are owed $25.30 for their 2020 crop and were expecting at least $20 per tonne considering the hardship posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

22 naval officers among latest Covid-19 victims Fiji’s latest Covid-19 cases include 22 members of the Fijian Navy who were in contact with a colleague who was announced on Tuesday, health authorities announced this evening. This, on a day when 27 new Covid-19 cases were identified, taking the country’s tally to 286 with four deaths.

Meanwhile at the Lautoka Hospital in the country’s western division, all staff and patients have tested negative to Covid-19 after 21 days in isolation.

Earlier today some of its staff were sent home and tomorrow patients will be too, health Permanent Secretary Dr. James Fong said.

“Lautoka Hospital has completed 21 days of sequestration. It has also been 21 days since the last case was recorded from within Lautoka Hospital, with 4 rounds of testing completed for all patients and staff. Tomorrow the patients who were sequestered in the hospital will be discharged home, as will the staff,” Dr. Fong said.

Fijian duo elected to FIFA committees Fiji Football Association is proud to announce the election of two Fijians into the football international governing body, FIFA Committees.

Fiji FA vice president Aiyaz Musa was elected as a member of the powerful FIFA Governance, Audit and Compliance committee while Ba Lawyer Samuel Ram was elected as a member of the FIFA Appeals committee.

Ram had previously served as a member of the FIFA Appeals committee.

Both Musa and Ram were elected during

the 71st FIFA Ordinary Congress last Saturday which was attended by all 211 member countries via the virtual platform.

They will serve for the next four years together with the Fiji FA President Rajesh Patel who is a FIFA Council Member.

“My heartfelt congratulations to both our members for being elected in the FIFA committees. It is indeed a milestone achievement for Fiji FA to see two more of our members in the influential committees,” Patel said.

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Saturday, May 29, 2021 Surrey Board of Trade to induct Baljit Dhaliwal as new board chair on June 17th – The Surrey Board of Trade will induct its 56th Board Chair on June 17 at a Digital Surrey Economic Update and Annual General Meeting from 11:00am – 12:00pm. Baljit Dhaliwal, Owner of Tinker’s Tax & Accounting, will be inducted.

“I am humbled and honoured to be the 56th Chair of the Surrey Board of Trade during the 103rd year of Surrey’s business organization. I follow in the footsteps of many amazing leaders.

I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to roll up my sleeves with my fellow board directors to support and further the needs and interests of Surrey’s business community,” said Baljit Dhaliwal, incoming Surrey Board of Trade Chair.

“I’ve known Baljit for more than 20 years. I welcome him to the role of Board Chair as we continue our leadership-oriented city-building advocacy and projects as we prepare to be the largest city in British Columbia. The Surrey Board of Trade has a responsibility and accountability to ensure that Surrey receives the infrastructure investments that the city needs to ensure a sustainable, thriving and livable city for our businesses and their employees,” said Anita Huberman, CEO, Surrey Board of Trade.

The Board Chair serves as Chief Governance Officer for the Surrey Board of Trade to ensure that the Board of Directors have a visionary future of not only the organization, but also for city-building initiatives in Surrey.

Saturday, May 29, 2021

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