The Asian Star - May 02, 2020

www.theasianstar.com

Vol 19 - Issue 14

Saturday, May 2, 2020

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Premier extends state of emergency but says details on reopening BC will be unveiled next week

Spring is in the air!

Cherry blossom season has arrived in Vancouver and people are taking to the streets and parks to take snaps of the delicate pink blossoms.

Regular return to classrooms unlikely in BC until September: Premier Horgan Most BC students are unlikely to return to school as they know it before September, according to Premier John Horgan. He also announced Wednesday that plans to reopen the economy will be unveiled next week, while extending the provincial state of emergency for a third time, until May 12, due to COVID-19. “We don’t anticipate a regular return to education as we know it until into September,” Horgan said. “But we will do a gradual increase in the number of students in classrooms, and we’re working with all the stakeholders, whether they be support staff teachers, administrators, trustees, to make that happen, always focusing on what is in the best interest of British Columbians, as you would expect us to do, and as we are committed to doing this whole host of other issues.”

Amardeep Singh is the 1st man to face hoarding & price-gouging charges A New York man is facing up to a year in prison for violating the Defense Production Act by hoarding and price-gouging critical COVID-19 supplies, prosecutors said. Amardeep Singh is the first person in the US to be criminally charged for violating the law, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Investigators found and confiscated personal protective equipment found at

Continued on page 6

BCs state of emergency introduced last month in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been extended until May 12. “It’s going to take resolute action from all of us to make progress and not give up progress,” said Premier John Horgan in announcing the extension. The provincial state of emergency was originally declared on March 18 and was last extended on April 15. Horgan also said he will outline details next week about lifting restrictions related to the pandemic. The premier said the reopening guidelines will be different than other provinces, mostly because BC didn’t fully lock down its economy, but allowed construction, agriculture and other industries to continue operating. Quebec has plans to reopen schools. Why not BC? “The approach in BC was to focus on how could we keep sectors operating safely, rather than shutting them down until such time as we Continued on page 7

Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor dies of cancer Rishi Kapoor, the romantic star of many a Bollywood film who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2018, died in a Mumbai hospital on Thursday, his brother Randhir Kapoor said. He was 67.

Rishi Kapoor, third-generation of actors from famous Kapoor dynasty, He is survived by his wife Neetu Kapoor, son Ranbir Kapoor and daughter Ridhima. “He is no more. He has passed away,” Randhir Kapoor said. Rishi Kapoor was taken to hospital by his family on Wednesday. His death comes a day after his “D-Day” co-star Irrfan Khan died also of cancer. Three months ago Rishi Kapoor’s sister Ritu Nanda also died of cancer. “Our dear Rishi Kapoor passed away peacefully at 8:45 am in hospital after two-year battle with leukemia.

Over 200,000 H-1B workers in USA could lose legal status by June

As many as 250,000 guest workers seeking a green card in the U.S. About 200,000 of them on H-1B visas could lose their legal status by the end of June Manasi Vasavada has less than three weeks left before she loses her legal right to be in the country. The dental practice in Passaic County, New Jersey, where Vasavada, 31, has worked for almost two years closed its doors in mid-March due to Covid-19. She has been on an unpaid leave of absence ever since. Vasavada is in the country on an H-1B visa, a temporary visa program designed for people with specialised skills.

Chinese groups in Canada helped China stockpile COVID-19 medical & safety supplies In mid-January, Chinese consulates in Canada and worldwide issued an urgent call. China was concerned that the new coronavirus raging

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www.theasianstar.com

Vol 19 - Issue 14

Saturday, May 2, 2020

100 days after BC’s first warning on COVID-19, 111 people have died Thursday marks 100 days since B.C. health officials issued their first official warning on COVID-19, and in that time, the province’s total has risen to 2,112 confirmed cases.

During her daily briefing, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced 25 new confirmed cases along with two more deaths. To date, 111 people in B.C. have died from the virus.

“Our lives, businesses, and communities have dramatically changed in this last 100 days.

What has stayed the same is the unwavering commitment in British Columbia,” Henry said.

As of Thursday, there were 82 COVID-19 patients in hospital, including 30 in intensive care, down from a high of 149 hospitalizations on April 6. A total of 1,322 people have recovered from their illness.

Twelve of the new cases announced on Thursday involved inmates at Mission Institution, Henry said.

Many of the new cases in the past week have been around a cluster of outbreaks in poultry-processing plants in the Lower Mainland. There are now 50 cases connected

to Superior Poultry Processors in Coquitlam and 42 to United Poultry in Vancouver.

There are also active outbreaks at 24 long-term care homes and acute care units in hospitals.

Because of the high number of cases connected to long-term care, Henry has ordered that staff be restricted to working in a single facility.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said Thursday that implementation of that order is still a work in a progress. Of the 545 affected facilities in the province, 276 have completed their plans for making this happen.

Premier John Horgan said he will announce details of the province’s reopening plan in the days and weeks to come. It will focus on ensuring health orders on physical distancing and self-isolation are being practised, so that new COVID-19 cases are kept to a minimum.

During Thursday’s briefing, Henry touched on hopes for lifting some restrictions. She said the next phase will include looking at how people can expand their social circles, perhaps by meeting small groups of friends outside.

“We need to consider ... how we can expand our circles, but doing it in a way that is safe,”

Henry said. “We might be able to connect with others in a way that we haven’t been able to do in a while, but we need to be thoughtful about it. The more groups and people we have connections with, the more chances are

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Large gatherings and indoor parties are out of the question for this summer.

Henry said casinos in particular shouldn’t expect to open again any time soon.

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OPINION

By Jock Finlayson and Denise Mullen, Business Council of British Columbia

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Baby steps toward restarting our economy

The Great Suppression, the widespread shutdown of most non-essential economic and social activity across much of the world, is both a lived experience and experiment like few others in human history.

There have been three other worldwide pandemics in the 20th century – 1918 (Spanish flu), 1957 (Asian flu) and 1968 (Hong

Kong flu). But COVID-19 is unique because of the speed of spread and the concentrated economic impact. The lockdowns can’t continue indefinitely. Restarting economies is critical to minimize business destruction, and retain and restore as many jobs as possible.

As Winston Churchill once said: “It is no use saying, ‘We are doing our best.’ You have

got to succeed in doing what is necessary.”

It’s necessary to kick-start shattered economies as soon as it’s reasonably safe to do so. Some European nations are taking steps in this direction, although there’s no single playbook that will work everywhere.

Much depends on the extent of COVID-19 infections, the capacity for testing and tracing, and social norms. Austria and Denmark have begun to unfreeze a few sectors, with Germany poised to follow suit.

All are reopening many retail businesses beyond grocery stores and pharmacies – including clothing and shoe stores, hardware stores, beauty salons, car dealerships and bookstores. They are also planning to resume primary and elementary school education by early May. Governments rightly are cautious about moving too quickly, given how easily COVID-19 is transmitted and the risk of another surge in the fall. Most jurisdictions will be very slow to permit large gatherings of people for any purpose. And in most cases, public health authorities are imposing social distancing and other hygiene rules of varying stringency on the businesses and other organizations that are permitted to operate.

How fast these baby steps will translate to walking at full gait is uncertain. Even after the rules now constraining economic and social activity are relaxed, there could be a return to sporadic business closures if new waves of the virus reappear. A huge unknown is when or even if an effective vaccine will be available. As policy-makers across Canada ponder next steps, they may want to study Saskatchewan’s economic reopening plan, released on April 24. Saskatchewan has had relatively few COVID-19 cases, creating favourable conditions for relaxing its social distancing restrictions. Saskatchewan has outlined four main phases for reopening its economy. By May 4, parks, golf courses, and fishing and boating businesses will reopen.

At the same time, the public will be able to access several previously restricted health services (e.g., dentistry, optometry and occupational therapy), albeit with additional safety and hygiene precautions in place.

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Saturday, May 2, 2020

Amardeep Singh is the 1st man to face hoarding & price-gouging charges

Celebrating the achievements of Sikh-Canadians in law enforcement

By Brian SauvÊ, President of the National Police Federation The month of April is Sikh Heritage Month – a time to celebrate and honour the contributions Sikh Canadian community members have made to Canada, as well as to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Canada is unique across the world in its celebration of Sikh Heritage Month, first in Ontario, then in British Columbia, and as of last year enshrined into law across the nation. This annual recognition is a testament to the lasting impact the Sikh-Canadian community has had on all facets of Canadian society. The Sikh community has a long and proud history in Canada, first arriving in 1897 as part of a military contingent for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. While today Sikhs live all across Canada, the first immigrants settled predominantly in the Vancouver area, where the first Canadian Gurdwara was built in 1907. Sikhs are known and respected across the world for their longstanding tradition of service in the armed forces and law enforcement. In World War I, Sikhs fought proudly alongside British and Canadian soldiers. Their service continues in the Canadian army, navy, air force, and of course, throughout the ranks of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. bCanada is strengthened by our commitment to upholding equality, respect, and freedom for all. These are values shared by the RCMP, placing a priority on making sure that RCMP Members reflect the diversity of Canadian communities.

There is no greater example of this, than Baltej Singh Dhillon who became the first turbaned RCMP officer in Canada in 1989, and blazed a path for future generations. Today, children from

multicultural households across Canada can dream of growing up to become RCMP officers, regardless of race or religion, because of Dhillon’s example. My own experience as an RCMP officer in British Columbia goes back to 2004, and I have cherished working for a police force that embodies the diversity of Canadian languages, cultures, and religions. For many years now, the RCMP have participated in Vaisakhi celebrations across the country, including Surrey Vaisakhi, the largest Vaisakhi celebration outside of India, which annually brings together Canadians of all backgrounds to celebrate the birth of the Khalsa. This year’s Sikh Heritage Month will not be the same without the very social celebration of Vaisakhi, but we can continue to honour the principles of kindness and hospitality as we address the unprecedented challenge of COVID-19. In difficult times the Sikh-Canadian community has always risen to the occasion with their “seva�. I have been so inspired by the actions of Gurdwaras all across the country, who have supported first responders, truckers, and food banks throughout this global pandemic. The kindness and generosity of their service to others cannot be overstated. We will get through these challenging times together.

Canada is known across the world as a place of diversity, equality and respect for all. However, it’s not in the good times but in the challenging times that these principles shine the brightest. Kindness rooted in respect for everyone is what will see us through this global pandemic.

These values are shared by the Sikh-Canadian community, whose immense contributions have made our country an even better place for all Canadians. In this way, Sikh Heritage month is a time to reflect not just on the history of Sikh Canadians, but also on the history of Canada.

From page 1 and warehouse in Long Island, some of which was being sold at a 1000% markup.

Prosecutors say Singh’s records show he purchased a slew of different equipment used to detect or prevent contracting the virus, and then jacked up the prices.

The federal criminal complaint includes: Digital thermometers purchased for $35.50 each, then resold by Singh at $79.99 each — a 125 percent mark-up PPE face shields purchased at $3.10 each, then resold by Singh at $9.99 each — a 222 percent markup.

KN95 respirator masks purchased at $1.75 each, then resold for $4.99 each — a 185 percent mark 32-ounce bottles of “Perfect Purity� brand hand sanitizer purchased for $8.50 each, then resold for $24.99 each — a nearly 200 percent markup Singh runs a retail and shoe store, but began selling PPE supplies in mid-March, the EDNY alleges. From a warehouse

in Brentwood and Singh’s storefront in Plainview, investigators recovered more than 100,000 face masks, 10,000 surgical gowns, nearly 2,500 isolation suits and more than 500,000 pairs of gloves, according to the EDNY. Singh’s records allegedly reveal the store owner had inflated bulk sales to “organizations serving vulnerable senior citizens and children battling the virus,� according to the Eastern District of New York. He also designated part of his sneaker and apparel store for “COVID-19 Essentials,� where he sold items to the public at the inflated prices. Authorities said Singh marketed the products on social media and continued selling them even after he received a cease-and-desist letter from the New York Attorney General’s Office, which called his pricing “unconscionably excessive.� Singh’s stockpiles for now are being held as evidence.

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Saturday, May 2, 2020 From page 1

Chinese groups in Canada helped China stockpile COVID-19 medical & safety supplies

billion safety masks, Chinese government data shows. And this raises big concerns on a number of fronts, say critics, including Conservative MP Erin O’Toole. China was evidently hiding the extent of a pandemic that endangered the world while covertly securing PPE at low prices. This “surreptitious” operation left “the world naked with no supply of PPE,” Jorge Guajardo, Mexico’s former ambassador to Beijing, told Global News.

The result: starting in March, after COVID-19 had circled the globe, countries that provided masks to China in January and February were forced to compete for China’s supply.

By late January, sources in manufacturing and military circles were warning western

governments that China seemed to be covertly seizing global PPE supply, O’Toole and Guajardo said. But leaders in Canada didn’t act, according to O’Toole. “One source told me in January it became well-known amongst military and emergency services that China was stockpiling masks and basically buying out as many quantities as it could,” he said in an interview with Global News. “And we know, … that senior officials, in the end of January and the early days of February, are equally aware at Public Works Canada, with respect to a run on PPEs.” An investigation by Global News examines the troubling methods and underground actors used

by Beijing to quietly corner the world’s supply of

Premier extends state of emergency but says details From page 1 on reopening BC will be unveiled next week could open them up again,’’ he said. Horgan said the reopening plan will focus on ensuring health orders on physical distancing and selfisolation are being practised, so that new COVID-19 cases are kept to a minimum. “It’s not just going to be the flick of a switch,’’ said Horgan, who added that the public must have confidence about safely entering businesses and workers must have assurances about their safety as the province takes a “slow, methodical, phased-in approach’’ to reopening.

“The only way we build that confidence is to have a set of common protocols, common guidelines, in place to protect workers, in place to protect consumers,’’ he said. Financial stimulus promised for quick reboundHe also said industries important to the economy like the tech sector and film production are positioned to bounce back quickly in B.C. once restrictions are lifted. “Keep in mind that

[Finance Minister] Carole James put aside $1.5 billion for stimulus that we have not touched,” said Horgan. “This will be used for our rebound.” According to Horgan, B.C.’s strong financial position has allowed politicians to plot a more cautious and public health-centered return from the pandemic. He said it was unlikely schools would reopen in a significant way before September. The declaration of a provincial state of emergency allows for the preservation of supply chains of food and other essential items, as well as giving the province powers to enact emergency measures.

A number of restrictions related to housing have been put in place under the current state of emergency, like the banning of evictions and rent hikes. Profiteering and hoarding of food and medical supplies have also been outlawed.

PPE in a state-level operation.

China used diplomatic channels, state-owned businesses and Chinese diaspora community associations that are thought to be increasingly under the influence of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s powerful United Front Work Department (UFWD).

And through clandestine United Front networks run out of Chinese consulates in cities from Vancouver to Toronto to New York to Melbourne to Tokyo, the Communist Party urged millions of “overseas Chinese” to bulk-buy N95 masks in order to ship “back batches of scarce

supplies for the motherland.”

As troubling as China’s methods were, the operation looks even worse under a magnifying glass because some organizations seemingly involved in the United Front’s efforts in Canada include members that have previously been monitored or investigated by the RCMP and Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), according to RCMP and CSIS sources.

According to a U.S. congressional report released in April, from Jan. 24 to Feb. 29, China ramped up its production of masks and slapped export restrictions on China-based foreign companies su

Missing New Westminster mother Nirla Sharma found dead Missing New Westminster mother Nirla Sharma has been found dead. Sharma, 44, was last seen Feb. 23 when she went to bed at her home in the 300 block of Lawrence Street in the Queensborough area.

A family member reports hearing the front door chime around 4 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 24. On April 26 at approximately 4 p.m., Burnaby RCMP contacted the New Westminster Police Department after reports that a deceased person was found along the shoreline of the Fraser River bordering New Westminster and Burnaby. Major Crimes Unit called in to help finding missing New West mother Nirla Sharma Investigators

believe the deceased person is Sharma.

“This is a tragic conclusion in the search for Mrs. Sharma. At this time, there is no evidence of foul play, but the cause of death is yet to be determined,” Sgt. Jeff Scott said in a release. “The New Westminster police victim assistance unit is providing support to the family during this very difficult and sad time. We would like to thank the public for their efforts and assistance, and we understand that this news is difficult for everyone.” New Westminster police’s major crime unit detectives will work with the B.C. Coroner Service in the coming days to determine the cause of death.

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Saturday, May 2, 2020

Dr. Theresa Tam should answer questions about COVID-19 failures or resign What kind of a public servant dodges valid questions from elected officials about an unprecedented national crisis?

A public servant who has lost their way and needs to either promptly answer them, resign or be fired. David Staples: Dr. Theresa Tam should answer questions about COVID-19 failures or resign Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, takes questions from selected media at press conferences most days but since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic 48 days ago, she has failed to appear before the parliamentary health committee, even as it has met six times. This committee has been crucial to Canada’s effort to stop the virus. For three months now, its determined group of NDP, Conservative, Bloc and Liberal MPs have dug into the pandemic like no one else, pushing officials like Tam on whether they have the right policies in place. But twice, on March 11

and March 31, Tam has said she’s going to show at the committee but then cancelled at the last minute, say Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux of Edmonton and NDP MP Don Davies of Vancouver.

Tam is at the top of the C o n s e r v at i v e s’ list to question, Jeneroux says, and he’s frustrated by her no-shows.

She appears to be dodging the committee, Davies says, noting that two late cancellations doesn’t seem like a coincidence. “I don’t think she should be too busy to come to health

committee and answer questions, which is basically the only accountability mechanism in the country.”

Tam did find time recently for a lengthy chat with the CBC’s Rosie Barton, where she answered a series of softhitting questions.

On the issue of Canada’s slow move to border closure and quarantines, which only happened two months into the crisis, Tam said: “Could we have done more at the time? You can retrospectively say yes, absolutely, you could screen more, or you could change your stance. But at the time we had very, very few cases globally and in Canada.”

Australia wants a global inquiry into coronavirus but how would it work?

The Federal Government is being urged to clarify its proposal of an independent review into the coronavirus outbreak, or risk its failure. Since last week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and other ministers have pushed for what they call an “absolutely critical” international investigation into the origins and handling of COVID-19. But they have offered little information about what it could look like, how it would be undertaken or what role Australia would have. “We have a concept rather than any great detail about how this would move forward,” Australian National University international law professor Donald Rothwell said. “The key challenge for the government is to put some content around its proposal and then seek to diplomatically advance that in the best way possible.”

Staff wearing face masks outside the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) in Camperdown, Sydney.

Staff wearing face masks outside the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) in Camperdown, Sydney.

Labor spokesperson for foreign affairs Penny Wong told SBS News the opposition supports the inquiry but said questions were left unanswered.

“It remains to be seen exactly how the government plans to rally much-needed international support for the inquiry, including how to get China to the table,” she said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to the media at Parliament House.

Australia and China clash over independent inquiry into coronavirus pandemic “We’ve already seen pushback – this is exactly why the foreign minister needs to be front-footed to secure buy-in from as many countries as possible.”

Since Foreign Minister Marise Payne first floated the idea, China has aggressively opposed it and this week threatened to boycott Australian education, tourism and agriculture.

People wear protective masks and suits at Beijing Railway Station. People wear protective masks and suits at Beijing Railway Station. The virus emerged from the Chinese city of Wuhan last year and the country’s government has faced criticism for how it handled the early stages of the outbreak. “We need to move quickly from words to actions, so this doesn’t happen again,” Senator Wong said. It also remains unclear how the inquiry fits together with the government’s separate calls for World Health Organization reforms and an investigation into wildlife wet markets.

A United Nations inquiry?

Federal Liberal MP Dave Sharma, who has been strongly advocating the inquiry, told SBS News it was not incumbent on the government to lay out specifics yet.

“It would be wildly premature if we were to land a fully-cooked proposal on the desks of other world leaders now,” the former ambassador to Israel said.

“You need to socialise the idea to begin with, you need to get nations conformable with it before you start going into detail.”

But, stressing he was not speaking for the government, Mr Sharma shared his thoughts about what the inquiry could look like.

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Canada’s early COVID-19 cases came from USA not China, provincial data shows The global COVID-19 pandemic began in Wuhan, China, but data from Canada’s largest provinces show it was American travellers, not Chinese, who brought the deadly virus to our shores. Despite this evidence, the federal government brought in travel restrictions on China first and American border restrictions were the last to be put in place.The National Post asked for data on the origins of travel-related

cases in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta, the four provinces that have seen the majority of Canada’s COVID-19 cases. Canada moved later than many other countries to restrict international travel from China. It began with screening measures at airports that were slow to roll out and relied on passengers to disclose if they had symptoms of the virus.

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Saturday, May 2, 2020

BC inmate who died from apparent COVID-19 complications was serving life sentence for 1990 murder The BC inmate who died from apparent COVID-19 complications two weeks ago was in prison for killing a Yukon woman 30 years ago Twenty-one-year-old Tina Washpan was found dead on a rural property near the Old Alaska Highway between Fort St. John and Dawson Creek in July 1990. It would take 16 years for an arrest to be made. In 2006, Paul Felker, who was 60 years old at the time, was arrested and charged with seconddegree murder in Fort St. John, following an undercover police operation known as a Mr. Big sting. He was found guilty by a jury in 2009 and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 12 years. In mid-April, the Correctional Services of Canada announced an unnamed inmate serving time at the mediumsecurity Mission Institution — which has been grappling with the worst COVID-19 outbreak at

a federal prison — had died from complications of the new coronavirus.

Felker, who was 73 years old and a year short of parole eligibility, is the first inmate at a Canadian federal prison to die from COVID-19.

“I am so glad he’s dead. It’s time now to face his demons,” Pearl O’Brien, one of Washpan’s older sisters said. Washpan was born on Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation in Yukon.

She grew up in Regina as Cynthia Burk after she was taken away from her family as a baby during the Sixties Scoop, along with several siblings, and placed with a non-Indigenous family in the Prairies. “When the welfare came to get signatures for adoption release, nobody would know how to read to [my mom] the words,” O’Brien recalls. “So they caught her, with nobody there to read the paperwork or anything and she was illiterate.” The siblings were split up, with a few sent to the U.S.. Others,

including O’Brien, ended up in group homes or the residential school system, where they were physically and sexually abused.

Eventually, most of the siblings found their way back home to Yukon as teens or young adults, with Washpan finding her birth family when she was almost 20 years old. O’Brien saw her for a few hours for one of the first — and last — times in Alberta, where she was living at the time, as Washpan made her way up north to reunite with her mom and siblings.

“She stopped on at my place in Calgary and then continued to go home,” adds O’Brien.

“That’s when I told her, ‘don’t go home, don’t go home’ and then she went home, back to Carmacks.”

Washpan spent about a year with her birth family in Yukon before she was murdered.

It’s believed she crossed paths with Felker in northern B.C. as she was hitchhiking back to

Saskatchewan, possibly to get away from an abusive boyfriend. “[Her boyfriend] beat her up so bad that that’s who she was running from when she was hitchhiking away,” says O’Brien.

While Washpan was reported missing by her family in Yukon the same month she was found dead, her body wasn’t identified for several months. She was initially buried in Prince George under the name Jane Doe until family paid to bring her back to Yukon for a traditional burial, after investigators figured out who she was.

Felker was first identified as a suspect in Washpan’s murder in 2004, when Mounties questioned him about the killing, but did not arrest him. The Mr. Big sting operation was launched two years later, and ended when Felker confessed to killing Washpan to undercover cops he thought were criminals.

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Saturday, May 2, 2020

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Killer wins appeal for second chance at faint-hope hearing Convicted killer Ravinder “Robbie” Soomel will get a second chance at early release from prison.

The B.C. Court of Appeal agreed with Soomel that a lower court judge erred in determining whether or not Soomel should be granted a faint hope hearing before a jury.

COVID-19: Plan to expand number of surgeries coming soon | Vancouver Sun In December 2018, Justice George Macintosh ruled against the special hearing, saying that there was no “reasonable prospect” that a jury would vote unanimously to lower Soomel’s parole ineligibility period because of his violent history.

“I do not believe a jury voting unanimously could get past the fact that Mr. Soomel killed two times, once in the first-degree murder he orchestrated, and the other in the conspiracy to gun down a man in front of his girlfriend,” Macintosh said at the time.

Soomel was convicted of the first-degree murder of friend-turned-drug trade rival Gurpreet Sohi, who was shot to death in a Delta basement suite in September 2000. And he pleaded guilty in 2010 to conspiracy to commit

murder for assisting with the contracted killing of Jason Herle in Abbotsford in 1997.

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Gurpreet Singh Sohi was shot to death on Sept. 14, 2000. He was just 20.

Appeal Court Justice Lauri Ann Fenlon agreed with Soomel’s lawyer Brent Anderson that his client was not convicted of killing “two times” as Macintosh said.

“It is apparent from the reasons that the judge understood that Mr. Soomel’s second conviction was for conspiracy to commit murder,” Fenlon said in her written decision, which was supported by Appeal Court Justices Peter Willcock and Gregory Fitch.

“However, in my respectful view, the judge erred as to the legal effect of the conspiracy conviction.

He did so by going behind the conviction to consider that the circumstances of that offence could have supported a conviction for murder.

As a result, he assigned to Mr. Soomel moral culpability for two murders, rather than one.”

Continued on page 13

Saturday, May 2, 2020 From page 12

Killer wins appeal for second chance

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But she did not grant Soomel the jury hearing that he sought. She referred the matter back to the Supreme Court for a second review to

determine if Soomel would get before a jury. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although I agree that the order below must be set aside, in my view the matter should be remitted to the trial court for a new screening hearing,â&#x20AC;? Fenlon said.

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LOCAL

Saturday, May 2, 2020

BC says firms can chop down whole trees for pellet fuel if they are ‘inferior’ Companies can cut down whole trees to be ground into pellets for fuel if they are “inferior,” says British Columbia’s natural resources ministry, a position that has led to concerns the government is “rebranding” old growth forests as low-quality in order to justify logging them.

B.C.’s Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development told National Observer on April 27 that

“timber harvesting has evolved over time” and that the industry is now focusing on sending “high-quality” lumber to sawmills.

Other whole trees, the ministry said, can get sent to plants that manufacture wood pellets, a type of biomass fuel that is burned for heating or electricity and is made by compacting together wood material.

Canada set to ban assault-style weapons Ottawa is set to ban a number of assault-style firearms and weapons involved in mass shootings in Canada and abroad, including the Ruger Mini-14 that was used during the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre, federal officials say.

The formal announcement of the gun ban is expected by the end of the week, but the key measures have already been approved by cabinet, the officials said. In addition to the gun ban, according to officials, the government will be putting forward further gun control measures in a coming legislative package.

Along with the Ruger Mini-14, the government will ban

the AR-15 and similar types of firearms that have been used in a number of mass shootings in the United States, officials said. They added that the ban will also include the CZ Scorpion, the Swiss Arms Classic Green, the Beretta Cx4 Storm, the Robinson Armament XCR and the Sig Sauer SIG MCX, among others, as well as firearms that use the same platforms.

The Globe and Mail is not disclosing the names of the officials because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to act on gun control in the aftermath of the worst mass shooting in Canadian history, in which a gunman killed 22 people on April 18 and 19 in Nova Scotia.

Armed man arrested after Vancouver apartment barricaded and set on fire Vancouver police used beanbag shotgun rounds to subdue an armed man who they say barricaded himself inside a downtown apartment suite and set it on fire Wednesday night.

Police responded to a 911 call at an apartment building near Drake and Burrard streets at around 11 p.m.

Armed man arrested after Vancouver apartment barricaded and set on fire The caller told police he was being threatened inside his suite by another man who was armed with a chain and a knife.

“Fearful for his safety, the victim locked himself on the balcony of his suite,” VPD spokeswoman Const.

Tania Visintin said in a news release.

Police say the armed man barricaded himself inside the suite by using furniture to block the door.

He then set a mattress on fire that led to smoke spreading into other suites.

Police say multiple residents were moved to a nearby hotel as their suites were deemed unsafe due to smoke and water damage.

“Officers were quick to evacuate the building, carrying the elderly and disabled down the stairs” Visintin said. “This was a joint effort from our patrol officers, emergency response team and negotiators.”

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, May 2, 2020

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Two arrests, stolen CERB, other government cheques recovered by Surrey RCMP Surrey RCMP arrested two people and recovered $33,000 in stolen government cheques Saturday.

During patrols, members of the RCMP COVID-19 Compliance and Enforcement Team noticed three suspicious vehicles near a home in Cloverdale. They noted the vehicles had fake license plates and temporary operating permits. Officers tried to stop one of the vehicles as it pulled into the driveway of the home, but it drove into the backyard.

Police said the man driving got out and ran off, while a woman in the car was arrested as

soon as she stepped out. After a brief chase on foot, police managed to arrest the man.

“Further investigation of the vehicle led to the seizure of a large quantity of stolen property from several Lower Mainland jurisdictions, including $33,000 worth of stolen Canada Emergency Response Benefit cheques, and numerous pieces of fraudulent identification,” RCMP says in a release.

RCMP have since confirmed the ceques weren’t just CERB cheques, but also GST cheques, income tax refunds,

500 travellers tracked down by police enforcing quarantine orders Two weeks since the premier announced strict new measures requiring a written quarantine plan from travellers returning to B.C. from outside the country, 500 of those travellers have had a visit from their local police after officials couldn’t follow up with them.

North Delta MLA Ravi Kahlon was tasked with overseeing a provincial effort to limit the movements of travellers after the health minister and Premier John Horgan grew

increasingly frustrated with the slow pace the federal government (which has jurisdiction over air and land travel) was taking in enforcing a two-week quarantine requirement implemented weeks ago but not actively enforced.

“It’s a ghost town, you don’t see many people at YVR,” said Kahlon, noting that 6,064 people arrived from international locations at Vancouver International Airport while 8,563 people came to B.C. from land border crossings in that time.

Man charged in SkyTrain attack on woman A man has been charged in connection with the violent attack of a woman on a SkyTrain car in Vancouver on Saturday.

Sandy Sanderson, a 51-yearold Vancouver man of no fixed address, has been charged with assault causing bodily harm and mischief. He is known to police.

Man charged in SkyTrain attack on woman Metro Vancouver Transit Police appealed to the public for help in identifying a man who they allege attacked a woman, punching her multiple

times and striking her head against the seats on SkyTrain.

The victim told police she was approached by a stranger around 7:50 a.m.

Saturday after boarding a SkyTrain at Waterfront station in Vancouver.

Police allege that the man, who had been staring at the woman on the train earlier, started screaming, “You people are why my daughter is sick!” before grabbing her bag and punching her in the face several times.

Some BC pharmacies to remove 30-day prescription refill limit as drug-supply fears ease Some pharmacies in B.C. have lifted a 30-day limit on prescription refills that led to concerns over an increased number of dispensing fees.

Most pharmacies across the country introduced the limit — lowered from the usual 90-day refill term — last month due to a potential risk of drug shortages, after a surge in demand and drop in supply.

However, with dispensing fees kept the same, it meant many people were paying three times the amount for their medication — leading to particular concern for seniors, who can often have several prescriptions to fill.

Dispensing fees can range from about $4 to $15 per prescription, depending on the pharmacy and which province a patient lives in.

Prescription change meant to safeguard supply in COVID-19 crisis triples fees for some patients The B.C. Pharmacy Association announced on Monday that the supply problems seen in midMarch are easing and “the situation is balancing.”

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said there had been a drop in supply for precursor chemicals for medications, many of which are produced in China and India, but now the global supply chain is coming back on line.

1,500 unauthorized COVID-19 test kits seized in Richmond More than 1,500 unauthorized COVID-19 test kits have been seized in Richmond, Mounties announced Thursday.

The tests were confiscated from a Richmond resident by Health Canada inspectors, with assistance from Richmond Mounties, after a tip that unauthorized tests were being sold to British Columbians online.

COVID-19: 1,500 unauthorized test kits seized in Richmond Only test kits authorized by Health Canada can be imported or sold in Canada, as unauthorized tests may lead to misdiagnosis.

“Selling or advertising health products that make false or misleading claims to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure COVID-19

is illegal in Canada,” explained RCMP Cpl. Daniel Michaud in a news release. “Health Canada takes this matter very seriously and is taking action to stop this activity.”

Health Canada actively monitors the internet for false health claims and unauthorized products. In some instances, they even stage raids with the RCMP. “Canadians are reminded to be extra careful during the pandemic regarding online frauds and scams,” said RCMP Insp.

Lav Mangat. “We work with many partners, such as Health Canada, to protect British Columbians. We are all in this together.”

No charges were laid as a result of the seizure.

and some from other organizations.

The man, in his 30s, is still in custody, while the woman was released with an appearance in court set for a later date.

Charges have not been laid, but the investigation continues.

The COVID-19 Compliance and Enforcement Team was created by Surrey RCMP and the City of Surrey.

“Not only are we looking out for safety

aspects like social distancing, but keeping our eyes out for criminals who would seek to take advantage of opportunities presented by the pandemic,” says Insp. Wendy Mehat.

Since its launch at the end of March, the team has conducted more than 12,000 checks of businesses, faith-based locations, event locations, recovery homes, and parks and beaches in Surrey.

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Saturday, May 2, 2020

INDIA COVID-19 cases touch 35,043, deaths reach at 1,147 Total coronavirus cases in India have gone past the 35,000 mark, Health ministry’s daily update showed.

India has a total of 35,043 confirmed Covid-19 cases.

As many as 1,147 people have died from the disease. 8,889 have been cured.

With cases at 10,498 and 459 deaths, Maharashtra remained the worst-hit state in the country. Next, Gujarat with 4,395 cases and 214 deaths, followed by Delhi (3,515 cases, 59 deaths), Health ministry data showed.

India’s Serum Institute to make millions of potential coronavirus The Serum Institute of India said it plans this year to produce up to 60 million doses of a potential vaccine against the new coronavirus that is under clinical trial in Britain. Serum, the world’s largest maker of vaccines by volume, is mass-producing the vaccine candidate developed by the University of Oxford, which started testing it on humans last week, and is a leader in the global race to develop an antidote to the novel coronavirus.

Some 3.05 million people have been reported to be infected globally and 211,376 have died from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, according to a Reuters tally.

India needs to open economy in measured way: RBI ex-chief Rajan India should be cleverer in lifting the lockdown and needs to open up its economy in a “measured way” soon to save jobs, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan said on Thursday, underlining that Rs 65,000 crore should be spent to support the poor amid the crisis.

In a first-of-its-kind dialogue broadcast on Congress’ social media handles this morning, Rajan, who was in the US, deliberated on the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

The interaction through video conference lasted for about 30 minutes.

“We have to be cleverer about opening up...

We need to open up in a measured way but as fast as possible so that people start having jobs. We don’t have the capacity to support people across the spectrum for too long. Being a relatively poor country, people start out with significantly lower reserves,” Rajan said.

“It is all too easy to have a lockdown forever, but obviously that is unsustainable for the economy,” he said.

Saturday, May 2, 2020

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Saturday, May 2, 2020

PUNJAB

Saturday, May 2, 2020

105 new Coronavirus cases in 24 hours, total count 485 The situation seems to be spinning out of control in Punjab as the state reported 105 fresh cases of Covid-19 on Thursday.

Eighty-two of these cases are those who had recently entered the state either from Hazur Sahib or Kota. It is the highest number of cases reported in a single day since the first case reported on March 5.

As per the state media bulletin, the total count has reached 480 now.

The fresh cases include 34 from Ludhiana, 28 from Amritsar, 13 from SAS Nagar, seven from Tarn Taran, 6 from Kapurthala, three each from Muktsar, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, two each from Sangrur and Ropar and one each from SBS Nagar, Ferozepur, Patiala and Moga.

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total of 41 pilgrims who returned back from Nanded have tested positive in Ludhiana district. The first batch was sent home and then called back and was quarantined and their samples were collected and the pilgrims who came back yesterday were directly taken to quarantine centres and samples were collected.

Apart from that Amritsar district also witnessed highest cases in a single day as 23 fresh cases were reported. With this the positive patient count in district has increased to 37 from the previous count of 14.

The district officials stated that all the new positive cases had returned from Sri Hazur Sahib in Nanded (Maharashtra) and were quarantined at different isolation centres here.

21

SAD demands Rs 50L cover for depot holders SAD chief Sukhbir Singh today urged the state to provide an insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh as well as appropriate safety arrangements for all depot holders so they could start distribution of central relief, including wheat and pulses, among 35 lakh blue card holders.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said he had received a representation from the Punjab State Depot Holders Union, which

informed him that the state and Central governments had directed 26,000 depot holders to distribute ration among the needy.

“On one hand, the government has advised all citizens to stay indoors, while on the other, all depot holders have been put into service for distributing ration among masses without providing any protection to them,” he alleged.

Punjab extends curfew by 2 weeks Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday announced extension of curfew in the state by two weeks after May 3, while unveiling steps for limited lifting of the lockdown restrictions, from Thursday, in the non-containment and non-red zones, with strict adherence to Covid-19 safety protocols.

Based on the report of the Expert Committee set up to formulate the state’s exit strategy, and the inputs received from various sections of society, the Chief Minister said it was necessary to continue with the lockdown restrictions for some more time.

22

Saturday, May 2, 2020

SOUTH ASIA Total number of Covid-19 patients 653 in Sri Lanka The number of coronavirus patients detected in Sri Lanka reached 653 this evening.

The Ministry of Health said that four more patients were detected with the virus today.

The four patients are residents of Suduwella and are currently at the Oluvil quarantine center.

As a result the total number of patients reached 653 early this evening (Thursday).

Suicide bomber kills 3 civilians in Kabul A suicide bomber on Wednesday targeted a base belonging to Afghan special operations forces on the southern outskirts of the capital, Kabul, killing at least three civilians and wounding 15, officials said.

The government blamed the Taliban for the attack, which took place a day after the country’s defense minister and the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan visited the facility.

The bombing happened outside the base for army commandos as civilian contractors working in the facility waited outside to get into the base, said a military official, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the media about the attack.

Tareq Arian, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said the site of the bombing was in the Chahar Asyab district and blamed the Taliban

Heavey rains to hit Bangladesh The Met Office and Flood Forecasting & Warning Centre forecast heavy rains in May. Alow-pressurehasformedoverSouthAndaman Sea and adjacent areas near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands which could concentrate into a depression, according to the meteorological departments of Bangladesh and India.

If the low turns into a depression between Thursday and Saturday, it could become even more potent in the next 48 hours and accelerate northeast from the Andaman-Nicobar areas, said Md Arifuzzaman Bhuyan, executive engineer of Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre.

NRI South Asian man found dead following assault in UK A 37-year-old Indian-origin man has been found dead after he was assaulted in an alleyway in west London and Scotland Yard detectives have launched an appeal for witnesses to identify the perpetrators.

Baljit Singh, who lived in the Hayes area of London, was pronounced dead at the scene after the Metropolitan Police and London Ambulance ServicewerecalledtoStationRoadonSaturdaynight.

A forensic post-mortem examination held at Fulham Mortuary in London on Monday gave the cause of his death as compression to the neck.

Officers from the Met Police’s Specialist Crime Command (Homicide) are investigating the case.

The Met’s Homicide team wants to trace two people Singh was in the company of just prior to his death.

Pregnant woman and husband found dead in New Jersey A 35-year-old Indian woman, who was five months pregnant, was founded murdered in her apartment and her husband was found dead in an apparent suicide in the Hudson River near here, authorities said.

Garima Kothari was found unresponsive with trauma to her upper body on April 26 by Jersey City police officers, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office said.

Following an autopsy by the Regional Medical Examiner, Kothari’s death was ruled homicide. She suffered multiple injuries in her upper body. Additionally, the Medical Examiner determined that Kothari was approximately five months pregnant.

Kothari’s husband Man Mohan Mall, 37, was found dead in the Hudson River in Jersey City.

The Jersey City Police Department was responding to a report of the possible suicide attempt in the Hudson River. They found an unresponsive Mall in the river near Montgomery Street and Exchange Place in Jersey City.

Mall was pronounced dead at the scene.

The cause and manner of Mall’s death is still pending with the Regional Medical Examiner.

The Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit is investigating the case with assistance from the Jersey City Police Department.

While it seems that the deaths are the result of a murder-suicide, the final determination is pending till the complete findings of the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.

Authorities have sought information on the murder-suicide.

According to a report in the Daily Voice, Kothari was a talented chef and Mall was an alumnus of the India Institute of

Technology (IIT), who had come to the US to pursue his master’s degree at the Columbia University. The couple owned an Indian restaurant ‘Nukkad’, a few blocks from their Jersey City high-rise apartment.

By Vibhooti Vaishnav

Uncertain times, fearful hearts, terrifying silence, unreal reality, inconceivable outcomes, doubtful minds, baron roads, closed shops, enclosed children, lonely elders, Lost jobs, lost incomes, threatening future, unanswered questions, Shaken faith.

A shudder before touching anything and anyone As if something unknown is just waiting to hunt you down, grab you, strangle you, push you into the valley of death. ambivalent implausible news channels, social media, fake vs real , negative vs positive effects of attitudes and attributes Numbers entangled in deaths, hospitalization, sufferings, scare, quarantines and some protesting -aha!!

There is hunger and health to deal There is worry and weary too For now what and till when and is there a choice, even a room to choose for anyone?

Today or tomorrow? You or me?

Questions arise in pandemic terror With no answers just worthless talks An ugly truth surfacing and yet the best thing to do is being scared of another human and be the witness to this unprecedented unfortunate unforgettable historic time.

Nothing is forever, nor is this time So this too shall pass We are in this together Let’s face it together Do what we can, give what we can For stranger or a friend, little or more Join in together in a selfless act All you do is be at home Be safe and let others be safe In this ever changing tide of time What is our tiny existence and yet it matters the most Let’s find ourselves in this adverse times Be for not against Fearlessly yet cautiously tread on this unchartered territory And swim across the stream, strive to reach into the other side There has to be light at the end of the tunnel Beyond politics, beyond vested interests, beyond ignorance We will find our authentic spiritual conscious self With a gratitude to all those who are keeping us going.

23

FIJI

Saturday, May 2, 2020

7 arrested in Nabua for breaching COVID-19 restrictions 7 people were arrested in Nabua yesterday for breaching COVID-19 restrictions which included playing touch rugby and working out in a gym.

Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho says a team of officers on mobile patrol along Sukanaivalu Road arrested two men aged 18 and 19 years who were playing touch rugby Qiliho says in a separate case, five people including a 16 year old juvenile were arrested by a team of officers on patrol as they were

A heavy rain warning remains in place for Suva, Nausori, Navua, Pacific Harbour, Tailevu, Naitasiri, Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Kadavu, Lau and the Lomaiviti Group.

A flood warning remains in force

allegedly found working out in a gym.

The Police Commissioner says it has been clearly stated that gyms are to remain closed and touch rugby is prohibited because of the potential

threats they have on individuals in our nation’s ongoing campaign to control and contain the spread of COVID-19.

Qiliho adds that the 7 arrests recorded in Nabua were part of the 19 arrests made in the last 24 hours in the Southern Division.

Heavy rain warning remains in effect for most parts of Fiji for low lying areas, and areas adjacent to Wainimala and Wainibuka rivers.

The warning is also for the Suva to Nausori

corridor, Korovou to Natovi and from Lami to Naboutini along the Queens Highway.

Heavy rain can also cause

The remaining 12 were for breach of curfew.

The Eastern Division 5 breach of curfew arrests, while the North and West recorded 1 case each.

Qiliho says it has and continues to be a busy period for policing operations in light of COVID-19, the unfavorable weather conditions and routine operations, but they will continue to step up on the monitoring of related breaches.

flash flooding of low lying areas.

The Nadi Weather Office says a trough of low pressure remains slow moving over the country and will affect us until tomorrow.

Traditional Massage for Your Health Health

PAKISTAN Prime Minister Khan cracks whip on media, appoints former army spokesman Prime Minister Imran Khan fired his media advisor and replaced her with powerful former military spokesman as PM revamped his media team for the second time since coming to power amidst

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mounting criticism for failing to address key issues including the COVID-19 outbreak.

Newly appointed aide is former Army spokesman Leutnant General (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa, also chairman CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) Authority, replaced Firdous Ashiq Awan as Assistant to Prime Minister for information & broadcasting.

Asim Bajwa, Director General (ISPR) Inter-Services Public Relations, media wing of Pakistan Army, from 2012 to 2016 when General Raheel Sharif was Army Chief and served as the commander of the southern command before his retirement last year.

Bajwa was credited for making Sharif a larger than life figure and transforming the working of the ISPR.

More COVID-19 fatalities expected in May Pakistan till May 1 recorded 16,900 cases of Coronavirus with 385 deaths so far while 4,315 have recovered.

According to official statistics, May could be the worst month in this regard (registration of new cases of coronavirus as well as deaths) and the number of deaths could rise to 1,200-1,300 by May 15.

At present, Pakistan’s only hope against coronavirus is its past record of registering lower numbers of deaths than what was being predicted.

Currently, Pakistan’s actual number of deaths is 20 per cent lower than the projected number and Prime Minister Imran Khan has also referred to this good sign in his media interactions a day earlier.

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