The Asian Star February 8 2020

www.theasianstar.com

Vol 19 - Issue 2

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Tel:604-591-5423

BC Supreme Court favours Uber & Lyft, slapping down Surrey Mayor’s policies BC taxi industry denied injunction Court orders Surrey to stop ticketing against Uber & Lyft Uber drivers argument over irreparable harm to the industry was “scant at best� and included anecdotal evidence from one taxi driver, without any details of how many hours he’d worked over six days.

Jackson says ride-hailing is in the public interest in a province where half a million residents have registered to use an Uber app with a company that has Continued on page 6

BC govt cuts out lawyers in no fault insurance promising 20% ICBC rate discount The B.C. government announced significant changes to ICBC’s system Thursday, which is expected to lower average insurance premiums by approximately 20 per cent. ICBC is set to remove lawyers and legal costs associated with its current litigation-based system, and will transition into a new care-based model.

The system will insure healthcare is available to anyone injured in crashes, regardless of who is at fault. Similar care-based insurance systems are already in place in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, which have kept yearly rate changes close to 0 per cent, according to the B.C. government. Under the new care-based model, British Columbians’ ability to sue drivers in a crash will be extremely limited.

A B.C. Supreme Court justice has ordered the City of Surrey to stop ticketing unlicensed Uber drivers working within its borders, handing a victory to the ride-hailing company and prompting the mayor to give up a months-long fight against the business. Justice Veronica Jackson read her decision by conference call in court Friday morning. She found Uber would face a loss of revenue if drivers were regularly fined, in part because the fines would deter drivers from working in Surrey.

She also said city bylaw officers had been unfairly ticketing Uber drivers for not having a municipal business licence, while the city refused to issue any such licences.

Continued on page 7

Plane carrying Canadians from centre of Coronavirus outbreak lands at CFB Trenton No one on board the airlift from Wuhan, China that landed at CFB Trenton in Ontario Friday morning showed symptoms of the coronavirus or any other illness during the flight, Health Minister Patty Hajdu said today. The plane left Wuhan on Thursday and stopped in Vancouver to refuel before carrying on to the Ontario military base. “Fortunately, no one showed symptoms on the plane, so no

one had to disembark at the fuelling station in Vancouver,�

Hajdu said in an interview.

Another group of 39 Canadian passengers who travelled on a U.S. government-chartered flight also arrived in Trenton Friday, after transferring to a federal government-chartered plane in Vancouver. Passengers who returned on both the flights out of Wuhan are now under a 14-day quarantine.

Beer and Alcohol is literally pouring from people’s taps in Kerala Beer is quite literally on tap for residents of an apartment block in south Indian state of Kerala, after alcohol seeped into a well and mixed with the water supply for the surrounding area. People living in Solomon’s Avenue Apartments were stunned to notice a dark color to their tap water on Monday morning, and raised the issue. “When we switched on the water motor, brown water flowed from our taps,� Joshy Maliakkal, who has been a resident of Solomon’s Avenue

Apartments, in the Chalakudy municipality, for 47 years, told CNN. “When we went to check the tank, we saw there was an oil-like film floating on the surface and a stench was emanating from it.� Maliakkal said that workers had been digging a hole and disposing of alcohol from the nearby Rachna Bar and Hotel

the previous day. A total of 6,000 liters (1,585 gallons) of liquor was stored there, according to a Kerala official. “The liquor had expired and was kept there since 2014 so we dug a trench on the premises to dispose of the liquor. Unfortunately, it seeped into the nearby well and polluted the water stream of the nearby apartment complex,� a local said. As a result, beer, brandy and rum has been pouring into the apartment complex’s kitchen sinks.

Anybody selling magic potions 5-year jail, Rs 50 lakh fine for fair skin ads in India and drugs for fair skin, enhancing sexual brain capacity are in for trouble.The Health and (Objectionable Advertisements Act, 1954), performance, stammering, infertility in women, Family Welfare Ministry has proposed a draft with a stringent punishment of jail term of premature ageing and greying of hair, increasing amendment to the Drugs and Magic Remedies up to 5 years and fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.

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BC Supreme Court judge has rejected request for an injunction against Uber and Lyft pending a legal challenge against the approval of ride-hailing services in Metro Vancouver.

Justice Veronica Jackson says the Vancouver Taxi Association failed to establish that an independent regulator used an uneven playing field in allowing the two companies to operate as of Jan. 23. She says the association’s

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3

www.theasianstar.com

Vol 19 - Issue 2

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Tel:604-591-5423

Canadians being evacuated from Wuhan should pay for the flight costs: Canadian Taxpayers Federation should not mean everything is free, no matter

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says Canadians who are being evacuated to Canada from Wuhan, China, the source of the coronavirus outbreak, should have to pay something towards their flight. Foreign

Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne told reporters this week that the federal government will assume the entire cost of the flight from Wuhan to the Canadian forces base

Two Chinese visitors test positive for Coronavirus, bringing total to four cases in BC Two of the visitors from China staying with a Vancouver-area woman have been identified as the third and fourth cases of novel coronavirus in B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry confirmed Thursday that two positive tests came back from the group of visitors staying with B.C.’s second patient, identified earlier this week.

One of the visitors, a man in his 30s, is believed to be the source of the infection for the group, and all are in isolation and being monitored, Henry told reporters at the B.C. legislature. The first B.C. case was identified Jan. 28, when a man in his 40s returned from a visit to Wuhan, the Chinese city where the new coronavirus strain was identified. He was aware of the risk and isolated at home, Henry said. Health Minister Adrian Dix said four cases for B.C. is a significant number, but “everyone is self-isolating,” and the situation is confined to two homes in the Vancouver Coastal Health Region. The second patient,

a woman in her 50s with guests from China, was identified with a positive test announced Feb. 4. Her visitors remain in isolation with her. Health Canada describes typical symptoms of the newly emerged virus “2019nCOV” as headache, coughing, a sore throat and fever. More serious cases can develop into pneumonia, respiratory failure or kidney failure. Henry said the best prevention measures include frequent hand washing, covering coughs and remaining at home if flulike symptoms emerge. Those visiting doctors’ offices or hospitals should wear masks to protect others if possible.

Public health officials say the new virus is believed to have been transmitted from animals to humans as a result of the large animal and seafood markets in Wuhan. The intensive measures being taken around the world are to contain and eradicate the strain from the human population.

in Trenton, Ont., where those who have been repatriated will be quarantined for two weeks.

Individuals will have to pay for their own transportation out of Trenton to wherever in Canada, or elsewhere, they would like to go.

Aaron Wudrick, the federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, says that’s unfair to all taxpayers. “Consular assistance

the cost,” Wudrick told HuffPost Canada.

“I think at least they should have to pay something.” Minister of Health Patty Hajdu looks on as Foreign Affairs Minister FrancoisPhilippe Champagne responds.

The actual cost recovery for a chartering an aircraft could be overwhelmingly burdensome for Canadians affected, he noted.

4

OPINION

By Tegan Hill and Milagros Palacios The Fraser Institute

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Federal deficit-spending plans put burden on taxpayers

Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau recently confirmed that, should a recession occur, Ottawa will turn on the spending taps using borrowed money.

This government’s lack of fiscal discipline coupled with a willingness – if not outright enthusiasm – for even more deficit spending could imperil federal finances for decades to come. The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is already spending at historically unprecedented levels, reaching more than $9,000 per person in 2019.

Despite a growing economy and comparatively low unemployment over the last four years, after adjusting for inflation and population growth, perperson program spending is at its highest point in Canadian history. That includes the Great Depression, two world wars and the 2009 recession.

This high level of spending doesn’t come without consequences. According to current projections, the federal deficit will reach $26.6 billion this year, almost $7 billion more than budgeted in the spring of 2019. And higher deficits mean a growing debt burden for Canadians. By 202021, the deficit is expected to grow even larger – during last fall’s federal election, the Liberals committed to new spending of $9.3 billion in 2020-21. But spending will likely rise higher still because the Liberals will need the support of the NDP and/or Bloc Quebecois to pass the budget.

The NDP have called for new additional spending of $35.0 billion in 2020-21 alone.

So spending will almost certainly increase beyond current budget levels by at least $10 billion and will be financed largely by greater deficits. If a recession hits, the state of the federal finances will immediately worsen, even before any policy response

from the federal government. Why? Because during a recession, revenues from taxes such as personal income tax automatically decline while spending on programs (employment insurance, for example) automatically increases.

Based on findings from a 2019 Fraser Institute study, which assessed the implications of a recession on federal finances due to such automatic revenue declines and spending increases, the deficit could reach $37 billion if we experience only a mild recession – even before the government enacts any policy response.

But as Morneau indicated, Ottawa will further increase spending if a recession occurs in an effort to stimulate the economy. Based on previous recessions and the government responses to them, the increase in discretionary spending could easily reach $14 billion, meaning the deficit (borrowing for the year) could total almost $59 billion. These large deficits take time to reduce as the economy recovers. Meanwhile, the government continues to accumulate debt and the interest costs that come with it. As more and more resources go towards paying debt interest (instead of providing programs, services and perhaps tax relief), the gap between what we pay in taxes and what we receive in services widens. Because the government has spent (by borrowing) at unprecedented levels during relatively stable economic times, tomorrow’s taxpayers will pay even more for the same – or lower – level of services.

And the risk to the federal finances, regardless of the severity of the next recession, has markedly increased.

Tegan Hill and Milagros Palacios are economists with the Fraser Institute.

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Saturday, February 8, 2020 From page 1

BC taxi industry denied injunction against Uber & Lyft over 800 drivers who would lose income if an injunction were granted.

Uber, Lyft approved for ride-hailing in Lower Mainland She agreed with the independent Passenger Transportation Board, which granted the approval, that extensive submissions from the taxi industry were considered and

it received ample disclosure from both ridehailing services.

Dates have not yet been set for a judicial review, which could take months, but Jackson suggested a decision would not be positive for the taxi industry.

Five more Canadians test positive for the new coronavirus aboard cruise ship Five more Canadians on a cruise ship that has been quarantined off the coast of Japan have tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total on board the vessel to seven.

The Canadians were among 41 positive tests for the virus identified in the latest round of tests conducted by the Japanese Ministry of Health, according to a statement from Princess Cruises, the operator of the

Diamond Princess. “This is the last batch to be tested and the quarantine end date will be Feb. 19, unless there are any other unforeseen developments,� said a statement from the cruise line. The cruise line said the nationalities of the new cases, in addition to the Canadians, were one from Argentina, five from Australia, 21 from Japan, one from the United Kingdom and eight from the United States.

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Saturday, February 8, 2020 From page 1

Court orders Surrey to stop ticketing Uber drivers “Surrey has been trying to ride two horses at once,” said Jackson. A ticket issued to an Uber driver in Surrey, B.C. Uber applied for an injunction against the municipality last week. The company said the city’s plan to hit ride-sharing drivers with daily $500 fines was illegal under the Motor Vehicle Act, and wanted a court order to stop the practice.

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum promised to fine Uber drivers daily after the service launched in Metro Vancouver last month.

McCallum, a longstanding ally of the taxi industry, said Uber was operating illegally within his city. McCallum conceded in a statement shortly after Jackson read her ruling aloud.

“Time to move on,” the mayor wrote.

The Passenger Transportation Board (PTB) approved Uber and other ride-hailing companies to operate in the Lower Mainland, including Surrey, on Jan. 23, but McCallum had said the ride-hailing companies have an “unfair advantage” over the taxi industry.

The province has said local governments can enact rules and unique fees around drop-off and parking in granting local licences, but cannot deny licences to companies outright.

Metro Vancouver mayors have endorsed plans for a region-wide business licence for ride-hailing companies that would create a single set of requirements for companies like Uber and Lyft.

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Saturday, February 8, 2020

Millionaire businessman burns $1Million in cash to keep it from his ex-wife & child Bruce McConville would rather burn his own money than give it to his ex-wife, and a disbelieving Superior Court judge is giving him 30 days in jail to rethink his claim. The 55-year-

old Ottawa businessman and failed mayoral candidate sold properties and businesses behind her back, then withdrew the $1 million and, he claims, burned the money in two

bonfires: $743,000 last Sept. 23, and $296,000 on Dec. 15. McConville has long defied a court order to file an affidavit about his finances, notably where the money went from the secret sales. Because his financial affairs remain a mystery, the court has been unable to figure out what he owes in child and spousal support. As a result, he has been paying neither.

McConville also defied a court order not to sell his properties because there was a fear that he was trying to keep the proceeds out of the court’s reach.

McConville, in fact, sold some assets to his former accountant.

And he has further defied a Superior Court order to pay the court $300,000 as a security.

McConville’s explanation that he set fire to the missing million was revealed during a contempt motion last week before Superior

Court Justice Kevin Phillips. McConville told Phillips he withdrew a total of $1,050,000 through as many as 25 withdrawals from six bank accounts — and had the receipts to back up his claim — but no longer had the cash. “So where’s the money now? Phillips pressed.

“I destroyed it,” McConville replied.

“You’ve lost me. What do you mean?” the judge asked.

McConville r a m b l e d and spoke of anxiety about a relationship with a daughter.

“Can I back you up a bit? When you say you destroyed it, what do you mean?” the judge asked. “I burnt it,” McConville explained.

“To the tune of how much?” the judge probed. “In total, about a million and thirtynine thousand dollars,” McConville said.

(McConville later said he burned $1,050,000 in all.)

Settlement in lawsuit against Niagra College brought by international student The student at the helm of a class-action lawsuit against Niagara College says a settlement Thursday should empower vulnerable international students to stand up for themselves. “This has set a great precedent that will benefit future international students in Canada,” an emotional Anish Goyal told Justice Paul M. Perell after the Ontario Superior Court of Justice approved a settlement between the college and its international graduates.

Anish Goyal, second from left, and other international graduates who were part of a classaction lawsuit against Niagara College, were at an Ontario Superior Court of Justice hearing in Toronto Thursday where a settlement was approved. (RICK Some of those students were forced to leave the country in 2015 and had their immigrant dreams shattered when Canadian immigration officials rejected their work permit applications because their credits were earned through Niagara College’s online courses — though the government later reversed some of the refusals.

“I wish to thank Canada and all Canadians for being welcoming to international students.

Also, to God for empowering me to help so many students. This situation has affected my life in ways that are irreparable by money. We settled this lawsuit mostly to ensure that we don’t burden the already overburdened courts of Canada and its colleges,” Goyal told Justice Perell. “International students are here to be a positive part of Canada. I am sure every international student is here to work hard and be a better part of this society,” he said.

“Problems are part of every system. Important is its willingness to help.” According to the settlement terms, the college has offered to compensate each student between $7,500 and $20,000, depending on their circumstances. At least 100 former international graduates from the college’s general arts and science program have been identified as part of the lawsuit, but the number of members could reach as many as 500 as the legal action initially indicated.

The students had alleged the school and its representatives misled them to believe that by completing the mostly online general arts and science diploma transfer program, after finishing a year of graduate or postgraduate schooling On page 9

Saturday, February 8, 2020 Drivers found guilty in collisions that killed Brazilian exchange student Two drivers who hit an exchange student in a Burnaby, B.C., crosswalk in 2018 have been found guilty of driving without due care and attention in connection with the teenager’s death. Paul Oliver Wong and Kai Man Cheu were convicted under the Motor Vehicle Act in Vancouver Provincial Court on Thursday.

Wong and Cheu each hit Fernanda Girotto as she crossed Cariboo Road near the Highway 1 overpass just after 7 a.m. PT on Jan. 17, 2018.

Girotto, 14, died at the scene. A memorial was created on Cariboo Road in Burnaby, B.C., for international student Fernanda Girotto after

she died on Jan. 17, 2018. The student, who was from Brazil, was first hit by a pickup truck driven by Wong.

He got out of his truck and turned on his hazard lights, but Girotto was hit again when a second vehicle driven by Cheu went around Wong’s truck. Court heard Girotto likely died as a result of the second impact.

Neither Wong nor Cheu was criminally charged and impairment was not believed to be a factor. Both pleaded not guilty. Traffic light installed at Burnaby crosswalk where student killed 1 year ago

Canada added 35,000 full-time jobs last month Canada’s economy added 34,500 jobs last month, enough to push the jobless rate down to 5.5 per cent.

Statistics Canada reported Friday that the economy added 35,700 full-time jobs during the month, but that was slightly offset by a loss of 1,200 part-time positions.

Most of the new jobs came in Quebec, Manitoba and New Brunswick. Alberta lost almost 19,000 jobs. Everywhere else, the job market was essentially flat.

Economists had been expecting the numbertocomeinataround17,000newjobs.

The monthly job figure is notoriously volatile, and many economists advise to look past the monthly noise and focus on the overall trend. To that end, TD Bank economist Brian DePratto said the average job gain for the past six months is now a healthy 20,000 per month, and the economy has added almost 270,000 jobs in the past year.

Average hourly wages for full-time

workers are up by 4.4 per cent in the past

, year, which is another good sign, he said.

Amid worker shortage, Taco Bell floats $100K salaries for managers “The Canadian economy has had no shortage of headwinds and shocks of late, but monthly noise aside, the labour market continues to shrug them off, suggesting the economy remains resilient,” DePratto said.

Economists were shocked when the official numbers showed Canada’s economy lost a whopping 71,000 jobs in November. But decent gains in the two months that have followed have been enough to offset that drop.

By sector, goods-producing industries led the way while the service sector was a laggard. There were more than 15,000 new construction jobs added during the month, and 20,500 new manufacturing ones.

On the downside, the healthcare sector lost 16,000 jobs.

South Asian missing boy found but two 13-year-old boys still missing Surrey RCMP says a 12-year-old boy who was reported missing on Thursday night has been “located and is safe,” but police are still looking for two 13-year-old boys.

Still missing are Diego Guevara and Eric Appelby, both last seen at 8:15 p.m. Thursday in the 7500-block of 144th Street.

Appelby is described as South Asian, five feet eight inches tall and 150 pounds with black curly hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a black champion hoodie and black pants.

Guevara is Hispanic, five feet nine inches tall, about 130 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a black hoodie with white writing on the sleeves and black pants. Staff Sergeant Joe Johal said their

families and police are concerned for their “health and well-being.” Police ask anyone with information as to their whereabouts to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Meantime, 12-year-old Landon VangeelMorgan, who was reported missing at 7:20 p.m. in the 9600-block of 149th Street in Guildford has since been found.

Constable Richard Wright said the VangeelMorgan missing person’s case was “unrelated” to the two other boys.

Diego Guevara and Eric Appelby, both 13, were last seen 8:15 p.m. Thursday in the 7500-block of 144th Street.

Settlement in lawsuit against Niagra College brought by international student

From page 8

in Canada, they would qualify for a threeyear work permit. But they later learned the four-month Niagara College program didn’t meet the immigration department’s work permit requirements because the program was considered distance learning. Without a permit, students must leave the country after graduation. Price of Admission, an ongoing joint investigation by the Toronto Star and the St. Catharines Standard, looked at the exponential growth of international students, particularly in the Ontario college system, and its impacts on Canada’s immigration and education systems. The series found the

influx has resulted in governments, recruiters, academic institutions and employers directly, and indirectly, profiting from international students, who are willing to pay hefty tuition fees and, in some cases, put up with abuse and exploitation, for the dream of making a life in Canada. Goyal, who has a background in IT project management from India, is still in the process of settling permanently in Canada after ultimately receiving a three-year work permit. He and other members of the class action are bound by a gag order not to speak with the media as part of the settlement terms.

LOCAL

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Surrey police investigating two alleged sex assaults during massages in Newton Police in Surrey are investigating two alleged sexual assaults that they say happened during massages at a therapeutic clinic in Newton.

The alleged sexual assaults are both reported to have happened in January of this year at the HealthLand Clinic, located at 7128 King George Boulevard in Surrey. In both cases, police say the victims were allegedly sexually assaulted by an employee while receiving massage treatment.

Surrey RCMP say a 48-yearold Asian man was arrested, and has been released pending further investigation. Because charges have not been laid, police won’t release the man’s name. But because investigators believe there may be more victims who have not yet come forward, the RCMP has disclosed the name of the business.

Second indecent act reported in North Delta park

Healthland Clinic has two locations in the Lower Mainland, one in Surrey, and the other in New Westminster. It is believed that the suspect in these assaults has performed massages at both locations.

“Reporting a sexual assault to police can be a very difficult thing to do, as it is a very personal incident,” says Constable Richard

Wright. “Our investigators take allegations of sexual assault very seriously and work closely with our Victim Services to ensure emotional support is provided throughout the investigation and court processes.”

Anyone with more information, or who may have been a victim of a similar offence at these clinics is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or New Westminster Police at 604-525-5411, quoting file numbers 2020-11299/202015804.

Surrey man treated for smoke inhalation after Whalley house fire A 40-year-old Whalley man was taken to Surrey Memorial Hospital Friday morning to be treated for smoke inhalation after a basement suite fire in Whalley, in the

13900-block of 92nd Avenue.

“There was a fire in the furniture, in the living room,” Surrey Battalion Chief Brian Carmichael said. “Right now it’s under investigation.”

A family of four – a man, woman and two school-aged children – living upstairs weren’t harmed.

“The smoke detectors went off

and they vacated the building. As far as I know the kids have gone to school today. The upstairs was not involved – minor smoke upstairs.”

Surrey sex offender arrested in Coquitlam for ‘breaching his conditions’ A Surrey sex offender, who was “deemed a high risk to re-offend,” has been been arrested in Coquitlam for “breaching his conditions,” police say. Earon Wayne Giles, who is a convicted sex offender, was arrested on Feb. 2, Coquitlam RCMP said in a news release Wednesday.

Around 10:15 p.m. Feb. 2, police said, Coquitlam RCMP “received a call from BC Corrections who advised that Giles was not at his court-approved address in Surrey and was in violation of his curfew.”

“Minutes later,” according to Coquitlam RCMP, Giles was arrested at a home in the 1300-bock of Pinetree Way in Coquitlam. Giles was also “in the company of an adult woman that he knew and was allegedly carrying items that were contrary to his conditions.” Police did not specify which condition, or conditions, Giles breached.On Feb. 3, the Surrey branch of the BC Prosecution Service approved three counts of a breach of section 810.2 Criminal Code order, Coquitlam RCMP said.

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Saturday, February 8, 2020

Khalsa Business Centre

128th Street, 84th Ave., Surrey, BC

12

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Fraud suspects turn themselves in after swapping price tags and threatening employees Male suspect threatened Superstore employee with a knife when he was confronted, police says.

Two suspects were seen swapping price tags on several items at grocery store on Gladwin Road in Abbotsford last month, police say, the two suspects have turned themselves in.

Their names are not being made public.

Abbotsford police are requesting help identifying a couple who threatened a grocery store employee with a knife after allegedly committing fraud.

Police say the two suspects entered the Real

Canadian Superstore at 2855 Gladwin Rd. on Jan. 25 just after 9:30 p.m. PT and were seen switching price tags on several items. After checking out with the items, a store employee confronted the couple in the parking lot. The man allegedly brandished a knife and threatened the employee.

The couple left a shopping cart with the merchandise behind, according to police, and were last seen leaving the parking lot in a dark-coloured vehicle.

‘Grocery delivery wars’ expected to create boom in online food shopping Ordering groceries online has become a ritual for Laura Lougheed.

Every Sunday, she curls up on the couch with her grocery list in one hand and her cellphone in the other and begins placing items in her virtual cart.

She then picks a time slot for delivery.

And bam! Grocery shopping — done.

Lougheed said shopping online like this saves her time, gas and the hassle of packing up her two young kids and heading into the store.

“It was just getting too difficult with the kids running around and around the grocery store. It was just insane,” she said.

After years of lagging behind U.S. and U.K. retailers, Canadian grocers are now deep into what is being called “the grocery delivery wars,” each trying to offer customers the

most convenient way to shop for food and leading to impressive growth in the industry year after year. The mounting pressure to win over consumers has led stores to try to oneup each other by offering everything from special parking stalls for customers who order online and pick up in-store to same-day delivery.In the U.S., Walmart is even offering to place the groceries right into your fridge.

“It’s all about convenience. People are desperate for time and grocery shopping requires a lot of time. So, if you’ve a grocer that allows you to save time, you’ll capitalize on that,” said Sylvain Charlebois, director for Agri-food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Why Vancouver’s corner stores — the city’s gathering places — are disappearing

South Asian man amongh 3 Canadians charged in US$35M ‘pump and dump’ penny stock scheme A South Asian man Rajesh Taneja is among three Canadian businessmen have been accused of artificially inflating the price of stocks they held in a “pump and dump” scheme that allegedly generated more than US$35 million.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged the Canadians and three other individuals and their companies with participating in an international scheme to profit from the illegal sales of stock in at least 45 microcap companies, or publicly traded companies with small market capitalizations of between about $50 million and $300 million, from July 2015 to June 2019.

A “pump and dump” scam is the illegal act of artificially inflating the market price of an owned stock through false promotion and selling it once the price has risen as a result of the surge in interest. The schemes usually target penny stocks, or the shares of small public companies that initially trade at low prices, such as less than $5 per share. They are considered highly volatile and at risk of manipulation by stock promoters because they are often traded “over-the-counter,” or without the supervision of an organized exchange.

The SEC’s New York and Boston offices led the investigation into the group’s alleged penny stock scheme with assistance from multiple international regulators in Canada, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Malta, Mauritius, New Zealand, Panama, and Singapore.

The Canadians charged in the SEC’s complaint are Steve M. Bajic, 49, a dual citizen of Canada and Croatia who lives in Canada; Rajesh Taneja, 43, a Canadian citizen and resident of Vietnam; and Christopher Lee McKnight, 45, a Canadian citizen who resides in Canada.

Kenneth Ciapala, 38, a dual citizen of Switzerland and the U.K.; Anthony Killarney, 34, a U.K. citizen; and Aaron Dale Wise, 34, a U.S. citizen, have also been charged.

Bajic, Taneja, Killarney, Ciapala, and their companies have been charged with violating the antifraud and registration provisions of the U.S. federal security laws and with acting as unregistered broker-dealers.

McKnight and Wise were charged with aiding and abetting the fraudulent stock sales. McKnight was also charged with violating an antifraud provision of the U.S. federal securities laws.

The SEC alleges that Bajic and Taneja helped shareholders secretly dump large quantities of microcap stock. The agency said the pair co-ordinated the illegal stock sales with Ciapala and Killarney.

McKnight and Wise have been accused of fraudulently transferring and hiding the sources of funds that were used to promote the microcap stocks.

The SEC complaint said the accused used various companies registered overseas, including in Switzerland, Thailand, Seychelles, Hong Kong, and Anguilla, in order to carry out the alleged scheme.

“As we allege in the complaints, the defendants evaded the securities registration requirements and engaged in other manipulative conduct, including by disguising the true sellers of securities, to defraud investors and generate illicit profits for themselves,” Marc Berger, the director of the SEC’s New York regional office, said in a press release earlier this month.

LOCAL

Saturday, February 8, 2020

13

BC passengers living under ‘cabin arrest’ on quarantined cruise ship Passengers on a cruise ship quarantined in Japan after a coronavirus outbreak are trying to get used to the idea of being trapped in their small cabins for the next two weeks, waiting for their meals to be delivered to the door, according to B.C. residents on board.

Paul Mirko of Richmond said he and his wife Kayoko are trying to make the best of things after learning that they and

thousands of others won’t be allowed to leave their rooms on the Diamond Princess for at least 14 days while Japanese officials try to contain the spread of the disease.

“I’m calling it ‘cabin arrest’ as opposed to house arrest. It’s a three-metre by five-metre room and we can’t leave,” said Mirko, 63.

He considers himself lucky because his room is on the outside of the

Chilliwack man convicted after failing to disclose HIV-positive status to partner A Chilliwack man was convicted of aggravated sexual assault in BC Supreme Court on Wednesday for repeatedly having sex with a woman while infected with HIV without her knowing about his HIV status.

Steven Stewart Gauthier was convicted by Justice Martha Devlin in New Westminster of one count of aggravated sexual assault under section 273 of the Criminal Code.

Aggravated sexual assault is defined as sexual assault that “wounds, maims, disfigures or endangers the life of the complainant.”

Consensual sex with a person who does not disclose their HIV status meets the test of endangering the life of the complainant, and the consent is vitiated – rendered legally invalid – because of the non-disclosure.

The now 58-year-old Gauthier was in a relationship with R.G., the complainant who cannot be named due

to a publication ban. Starting in late summer 2016, the two began engaging in sexual activity, according to evidence presented in BC Supreme Court in New Westminster by Crown counsel John Lester.

R.G. was tested for HIV in November of 2016 and was negative.

She was then certified under the Mental Health Act in late January 2017 for about a month. It was early in that stay at an institution that a blood test was done, and she was deemed to be HIV positive.

Crown called numerous doctors as witnesses, some who explained the way HIV is transmitted and when it is detected in a test after transmission.

There were also allegations by R.G. that the sex itself did get physically rougher and rougher leading to further charges of sexual assault and assault.

Volunteers needed for 2020 homeless count in Surrey, White Rock, Delta Roughly 1,200 volunteers are needed throughout Metro Vancouver for the 2020 Homeless Count. Of those 1,200, some are needed in Surrey as well. Organizers are looking for volunteers “with experience in a previous homeless count, those who work with poeple experiencing homelessness (nurses, outreach staff or first responders), students in social service fields, and people with lived experience of homelessness,” according to a release from the BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA) Wednesday (Feb. 5).

Experienced volunteers are paired with people who are new to the count, BCNPHA added.

The 2020 Homeless Count takes place over a 24-hour period, starting in the evening of March 3 and throughout the day on March 4 (6 a.m. to midnight).

To volunteer, or for more information, visit vancitycommunityfoundation.ca/

initiative/2020-homeless-count.

“The regional homeless count is such an important tool for people working with individuals experiencing homelessness, as well as those in the community housing sector, and in government,” said Jill Atkey, CEO of BCNPHA. “The demographic information helps service providers tailor their programs to better meet the needs of the individuals they’re serving, and the trends we see over time are critical for policy development for all levels of government and the non-profit groups that are working to prevent and end homelessness.”

Surrey is one of 11 communities in Metro Vancouver conducting a homeless count this year. The others include, Burnaby, Delta, Langley (city and township), New Westminster, North Shore (city and district of North Vancouver and West Vancouver), Richmond, Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows,

ship, which means he has a balcony.

“The inside cabins are smaller — it’s a real little cell — and unlike prisoners, we’re not allowed out to exercise,” he said.

2 Canadians on quarantined cruise ship test positive for coronavirus A total of 251 Canadians were on board the cruise ship when it was quarantined at Yokohama, near Tokyo,

earlier this week. Twenty people in total, including two Canadians, have tested positive for the coronavirus so far.

Mirko points out that among the 3,700 people on the ship, there are families with multiple children, who are going to be confined together in a small space for two weeks.

“They’re just going to be bouncing off the walls,” he said.

6 arrested at Wet’suwet’en anti-pipeline camp Six people were arrested at a camp on traditional Wet’suwet’en territory as RCMP conducted a pre-dawn raid to enforce an injunction order against those blocking construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline in northern B.C. According to supporters of the blockade, more than a dozen RCMP officers moved past the police checkpoint on Morice Forest Service Road early Thursday morning.

“It’s a whole damn army up there,” said Wet’suwet’en hereditary Chief Woos, who also goes by the name Frank Alec.

“They’ve got guns on, they’ve got tactical gear on. They look like they’re ready for war.”

The arrests were made at kilometre 39 — one of three camps built by supporters of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs — on the traditional territory near Houston, B.C., Gidimt’en clan spokesperson Molly Wickham said in a Facebook video.

Police were enforcing an expanded injunction order granted to the Coastal GasLink on Dec. 31. (Jesse Winter/VICE) “They’re clearing out 39-kilometre camp, which is the supply camp.

We have word they started tearing

down the tents,” Wickham told CBC News by phone, just before watching several RCMP trucks drive past her. “[We’re] frustrated and worried about people.”

In an open letter posted on the Coastal GasLink website, president David Pfeiffer called the situation “disappointing.”

“This is not the outcome we wanted.

We have made exceptional efforts to resolve this blockade through engagement and dialogue,” said Pfeiffer.

The RCMP statement said no one will be allowed past the force’s access control checkpoint Thursday while the order is enforced, except enforcement officers and some Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs and elected council members who have an arrangement with a senior RCMP commander.

“Local residents, media and the motoring public may be inconvenienced during the injunction enforcement period,” it said.

Police entered the camp at 4 a.m. to “remove those whose presence would interfere with the lawful execution of duties,” RCMP said.

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LOCAL

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Accused killer clashes with prosecutor at murder trial A killer’s chuckle led to a tense moment of confrontation Wednesday between a Crown prosecutor and a man on trial for slaughtering two people in their Vancouver home.

Seconds after prosecutor Daniel Mulligan pointed out that — despite Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam’s claim he had no plans to kill anyone on the evening of Sept. 26, 2017 — the 29-yearold left his home with a backpack containing two knives, a hatchet, gloves and a baseball hat.

“And shampoo,” Kam added, his smile turning into a grin as Mulligan began to ask another question.

The prosecutor stopped speaking. “Is that funny?”

Mulligan asked Kam. “It’s not funny,” Kam replied.

But he said he couldn’t understand why Mulligan seemed unable to accept his insistence he didn’t know exactly why he found himself in possession of tools used to commit two killings.

“You can see that that would be pretty annoying when you suggest otherwise,” Kam said. “Well they’re items that you used to kill two people,” Mulligan replied. “That’s why I’m suggesting it.” ‘I don’t know why I killed’ The exchange came on the last of the three days Kam spent under cross-examination, capturing the dissonance between a prosecutor bent on proving two charges of first-degree murder and a defendant who admits killing Dianna Mah-Jones and Richard Jones but insists he never intended to do so.

At one point Mulligan asked Kam why he decided not to kill another woman — also a stranger — who he saw on the street immediately after leaving the Jones’ house.

“Why is your DNA on this knife?”: Watch as police interrogate Kam ‘You’re an animal’: Police interrogate accused killer Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam Raw surveillance video shows police trying to get answers from Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam who is accused of stabbing a couple to death in their home in 2017 2:00 “I don’t know why I killed Mr. and

Mrs. Jones,” he said. “I don’t know why I didn’t kill the woman who just walked by.”

Kam’s defence lawyer plans to argue that his client was under the spell of a mental disorder that left him believing that he was functioning inside a violent video game when he killed 64-year-old Mah-Jones and 68-year-old Jones.

Originally from Hong Kong, Kam moved to Calgary with his family before arriving in the Lower Mainland months before the killings.

He claimed to have spent between 12 and 14 hours a day playing online video games and poring through internet fantasy comic books.

A psychologist is expected to testify about the alleged role of video games in Kam’s consciousness on Friday. But the Crown intends to challenge the qualifications of the expert and the admissibility of “novel science” at the trial.

If necessary, prosecutors told Justice Laura Gerow, they will bring forward a psychiatrist of their own to rebut the evidence of the defence witness.

Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam has admitted to killing Dianna Mah-Jones, 64, and Richard Jones, 68, but has pleaded not guilty to first degree murder. (Airbnb.ca) All of that testimony will happen within a voir dire — a kind of trial within a trial.

One of the cases the Crown will use to make a point about the use of “novel science” is a Supreme Court of Canada decision banning any evidence obtained through hypnosis from admissibility at criminal trials.

The second involved the exclusion of evidence purporting to determine a male subject’s sexual preferences by showing him images and sounds of sexual activity, while monitoring reactions through a gauge attached to his penis.

According to Wednesday’s testimony, Kam told the defence psychologist he didn’t miss video games and comic books as much as he thought he would in the time since his arrest.

Mulligan also asked Kam whether any of the video games he played depicted

Former Liberal MP Joe Peschisolido repeatedly broke conflict of interest rules, watchdog says Former Liberal MP Joe Peschisolido broke Canadian conflict of interest rules through a “chronic failure” to disclose his private interests, the federal ethics watchdog has found.

Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion released the results Wednesday of his investigation into Peschisolido’s conduct while he was representing the B.C. riding of Steveston-Richmond East.

Dion said the former MP broke the conflict of interest code for members of Parliament in multiple ways.

“Given Mr. Peschisolido’s chronic failure to comply with the code’s disclosure requirements, there is no doubt in my mind I would have recommended that Parliament impose appropriate sanctions.

I did not do so because Mr. Peschisolido is no longer a member of the House of Commons,” Dion said in a written statement.

Former B.C. Liberal MP loses bid for ‘urgent’ hearing to avoid reputation damage Federal ethics rules require MPs to report any material changes to their investments and other private interests within 60 days.

Peschisolido broke those rules when he failed to report a shareholder’s loan worth more than $10,000, a personal guarantee of debt worth more than $10,000, his 2018

marriage and the fact that the Law Society of B.C. had obtained a court order to take over his legal practice, according to Dion’s report.

“The disclosure of private interests is essential to helping prevent conflicts between public and private interests,” Dion said.

“It is a key foundation of some of the code’s fundamental purposes, including to maintain and enhance public confidence.”

Questions about real estate deal The investigation into Peschisolido began last summer in response to a complaint from Conservative MP Peter Kent.

Kent’s concerns were based on reporting by Global News, which published a story about the role Peschisolido’s law firm had played in a “bare trust” real estate transaction involving an investment in a condo development by an alleged kingpin in a Chinese drug cartel.

Richmond MP regrets wearing ‘communist’ scarf at flag raising event Such deals are legal, but have come under scrutiny as B.C. grapples with money laundering issues.

Peschisolido ran for re-election with the Liberals in October, but was defeated by Conservative Kenny Chiu.

Trenton prepares for arrival of 200 coronavirus evacuees Trenton, Ontario has the country’s largest air force base, is preparing with some apprehension, for the arrival of some 200 evacuees from Wuhan, China, the center of coronavirus outbreak.

Canada plans to fly the evacuees to the base in Trenton, Ontario, the country’s main military hub for air transport, and hold them in quarantine for two weeks. The outbreak has killed 492 people and sickened nearly 25,000 worldwide.

Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, said on Wednesday the plane was expected to arrive on Friday.

“We understand that because of Sars [severe acute respiratory syndrome], they are much more prepared for things like that,” said Cindy McMaster, 55, who manages the local Bargain Bin discount store.

“But it’s not fair to say people aren’t worried or scared, because they are. And it is a concern in our area.”

Sars, a contagious respiratory illness, killed 44 people in Canada in 2002 to 2003, the only country outside Asia to report deaths from that virus.

Government health officials say Canada is better prepared this time.

The evacuees arriving from China will be separated from each other and from others on the base, although family units will be kept together, the government has said.

They will all stay at Yukon Lodge, a new facility on the base which resembles a small chain hotel.

Voices of coronavirus patients: ‘Wherever we go, no one cares’ Individuals will only be moved to a hospital if they require acute care, said the local health authority, but local hospitals were prepared, with 21 negativepressure rooms at four of them.

“I was in the military, I know how it works,” said resident Joyce Aucoin, 81. “There’s going to be people upset about it but once they’re here and once they’re settled and they see what’s going on, I think it will all pass.”

Lynn Cao, 60, who owns a tobacco shop in the town, had been concerned about the plane arriving until she received reassuring emails from friends on the base.

LOCAL

Saturday, February 8, 2020

15

Federal Court of Appeal dismisses legal challenge over Trans Mountain project The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by Indigenous groups challenging the federal government’s approval of the Trans Mountain expansion project — clearing yet another major legal hurdle for the longdelayed $7.4 billion project, which will carry nearly a million barrels of Alberta oil per day to the B.C. coast.

In a unanimous 3-0 decision, the court ruled that Ottawa carried out “reasonable” and “meaningful” consultations with Indigenous peoples affected by the project’s construction before approving the pipeline for a second time.

“This was anything but a rubber-stamping exercise. The end result was not a ratification of the earlier approval, but an approval with amended conditions flowing directly from renewed consultation,” the court said.

“All very much consistent with the

concepts of reconciliation and the honour of the Crown.” As part of the consultation process, Ottawa sent 60 Crown representatives to meet with 120 Indigenous communities in both Alberta and B.C. The team gathered thousands of submissions and directed cabinet to impose additional conditions on the project based on the feedback they gathered — which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his ministers did in approving the project last year.

No Indigenous veto, says court “The case law is clear that although Indigenous peoples can assert their uncompromising opposition to a project, they cannot tactically use the consultation

Surrey RCMP seeking high-risk missing female Surrey RCMP is requesting the public’s assistance in locating a high risk missing female.

Lauren Bennett was last seen at 4 a.m. on January 31st, 2020 in the 106 block of 135A Street in Surrey. She has not been seen or heard from since.

Bennett is described as a 34-year-old Caucasian female with a fair complexion, 5’ 9, slim build, curly brown hair and hazel eyes.

Police and family are concerned

for her health and well-being.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of this person is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-8477 or http:// www.solvecrime.ca, quoting file number 2020-15956.

Sooke rallies to show its support in the wake of tragic deaths In the wake of a tragedy that rocked Sooke, the community is coming together to show support for the families of the three young men who lost their lives on Friday night.

The men died when the pickup truck they were riding in was engulfed in water during unprecedented flooding near the lower parking lot of the Sooke Potholes.

It’s believed the men travelled to the spot late Friday night to see the high water and were swept into the Sooke River.

A GoFundMe page has been established to help address the financial burden facing the three families, and by Wednesday morning about $20,000 was raised.

Lesley Baker, who launched the page, is also organizing a bottle drive on March 14.

The funds raised by the bottle will establish a scholarship for Edward Milne Community School students in the names of Cory Mills, Eric Blackmore and Anthony (A.J.) Jensen, the three men who lost their lives in the accident.

Another fundraising effort, organized

by Mike Price of Sooke will take place Feb. 15 when residents will gather at Langford’s Westshore Town Center for a Cruise for a Cause, a drive along the Port Renfrew loop.

Participants will gather at 9 a.m. to express their support and grief through their participation in the drive. Stickers and other material will be for sale and donations for the families of the lost men will also be taken.

Another initiative, organized by Sooke resident Kristel Blank , is a Meal Train. The intent is to help relieve some of the stress being felt by the families by providing the meals that they will require in the days ahead.

Although the dates for providing meals were quickly filled, there is still the possibility of donating a gift card to the families.

“The level of community support has been just amazing. When we were organizing the search there were 120 people there at 6:30 a.m. and that numbers grew to over 300. It just shows the kind of community we have,”

Eric Blackmore’s father, William McInnes said.

“I was told about one elderly man, walking with a cane, who was walking down West Coast Road, trying to do what he could.

That’s the kind of community Sooke is.”

McInnis said the community continues to be supportive now and that those efforts are helping the families cope with the tragedy.

His feelings were echoed by Jodie Gunter, a close friend of A.J. Jensen’s family.

process as a means to try and veto it,” the court ruled. “Canada must act in good faith, but at the same time accommodation cannot be dictated by Indigenous groups.”

The federal government has a constitutional duty to consult and, to the extent it can, accommodate Indigenous

peoples before approving major projects on their traditional lands. I think his government understands there has to be a balance, and we agree. A balance between economic growth and environmental responsibility. We are committed to that.

16 Adam Ueland

An ICBC personal injury claim arising from a motorcycle accident presents unique challenges that can make the claim more complex.

We’ve put together the top three challenges faced in motorcycle accident claims.

1.

Severity of Injuries Motorcyclists often sustain severe, lifechanging injuries when a crash occurs.

Compared to an occupant of a car or truck who is protected by the vehicle frame, seatbelt, and airbags, a motorcyclist is much more vulnerable to serious injury due to the lack of protection offered by a motorcycle and the risk of being thrown from the bike as a result of the crash. While motorcycle helmets and other safety gear can help minimize the risk of serious injuries such as concussions or brain injuries, chance of serious personal injury or death can never be eliminated. In addition,

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Top 3 Challenges in Motorcycle Accident Claims there is a significant risk that a motorcyclist will sustain harm to other parts of their body, such as fractured bones, permanent scarring to the arms and legs, damage to the internal organs, or spinal cord injuries.

2.

Liability Disputes and Bias Against Motorcyclists Motorcycle accident injuries are often extremely serious, which means that the ultimate payout for the ICBC injury claim can be substantial. ICBC will fight hard to try to minimize the compensation it has to pay to the accident victim. One of the ways it will attempt to do so is by disputing liability for the crash. ICBC will allege that the motorcyclist was at fault and the actions of the motorcyclist will be scrutinized to determine if he or she caused or contributed to the accident in any way. The majority of people have never operated a motorcycle and many people make false assumptions about motorcyclists. People are often influenced by negative stereotypes (e.g., that motorcyclists are reckless or take risks such as weaving through traffic or

exceeding the speed limit). The truth of the matter is that accidents are often caused by inattentive or careless car or truck drivers who fail to check blind spots for motorcycles or who turn in front of motorcycles without signalling. Many motorcyclists are injured by other drivers who attempt to share the lane with a motorcycle or who misjudge the speed or distance of a motorcycle. When ICBC denies liability, it is often necessary to gather evidence from independent witnesses or an accident reconstruction expert to establish the cause of the crash.

3.

Allegations of Contributory Negligence Another way that ICBC will attempt to minimize the compensation it has to pay is by raising the defence of “contributory negligence” against the injured motorcyclist.

At its essence, this is an allegation that the motorcyclist contributed to their own injuries by failing to take reasonable precautions for their own safety. For example, if the motorcyclist sustained a head injury, concussion or brain injury as a result of a

Loaded sawed-off shotgun seized from suspected drug trafficker The Surrey RCMP Gang Enforcement Team has seized a loaded sawed-off shotgun and paraphernalia consistent with drug trafficking following a search warrant at a residence in Guildford.

On January 29, 2020, Surrey Gang Enforcement Team (SGET) executed a search warrant at a residence in the 14800-block of 107A Avenue, related to an unlawful weapons possession investigation. During the investigation police located and seized a loaded

sawed-off shotgun, small amounts of suspected narcotics, along with drug processing and packaging materials consistent with drug trafficking. An 18-year-old Surrey man, was arrested at the residence and later released.

crash, ICBC may allege that the injured rider failed to wear a proper safety helmet and as a result contributed to their own injuries. It is important to understand that the defence is fact-specific, and ICBC must prove its allegation that the motorcyclist could have avoided or lessened their injuries. ICBC will likely need to obtain expert engineer or medical evidence to prove the defence.

Motorcycle accident claims can be complex.

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident in BC, you should get legal advice from an ICBC claim lawyer who understands the complexities and who has experience with handling the unique challenges of a motorcycle accident personal injury case.

We have offices in Vancouver, Burnaby, Abbotsford, and Surrey. Our experienced ICBC claim lawyers can help you overcome any challenging aspects of your ICBC claim and fight to secure the compensation you deserve. Contact us today at (604) 6898888 to schedule your free consultation with one of our team of ICBC claim lawyers.

The Surrey Gang Enforcement Team is continuing this investigation; no charges have been laid at this time.

“SGET is continuing to be successful at gathering intelligence on the street and converting it into arrests and firearms seizures,” says Staff Sergeant Glenn Atkins.

Group birthday celebration of 16 seniors at Vedic Seniors Parivar Center

Group Birthday of 16 Seniors was celebrated at Vedic Seniors Parivar Center Surrey on 1st February 2020, attended by Hon’ble Sukh Dhaliwal Newton MP and well known Musicians, Tejaswita Mohan, Raj Toora, Suman Sharma and Dr. Birendra Sahu.

High-risk sex offender expected to spend time in Metro Vancouver, BC Corrections warns Corrections officials are alerting Metro Vancouver residents about a high-risk sex offender who is

expected to spend time in the area.

Daniel Isto, 48, poses a “significant” risk to girls under the age of 16 — particularly those between the ages of five and 15, according to B.C. Corrections. Isto’s criminal history includes sexual interference, sexual assault and breach of a probation order.

Officials anticipate that Isto may spend time in Vancouver, North Vancouver and Bowen Island.

He is described as a white man with brown hair and blue eyes, measuring five feet four inches tall and weighing 150 pounds.

Isto is currently the subject of monitoring by authorities and 18 courtordered conditions, including: That he must not have any contact with children. That he must not visit any park, swimming area, school or community centre where children may be present.

That he is barred from drinking alcohol or taking drugs. That he cannot possess or access any pornography. That he must not possess any guns, crossbows or other prohibited weapons.

Anyone who sees Isto breaking those conditions is asked to call local police.

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Rishi Kapoor admitted to Mumbai hospital Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, who was discharged from a Delhi hospital last week, has been admitted to a

hospital on Monday, the same day the actor went on Twitter to say he was back home, is doing “fine”, the Kapoor family insider said.

“He has been admitted to Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital in south Mumbai two days ago due to viral fever. He is fine and there is nothing to worry about” . The actor returned to India last September after undergoing treatment for cancer in

the US for almost a year.

News of Rishi Kapoor being rushed to hospital came up after he failed to attend ceremony of his nephew Armaan Jain in Delhi last week. After spending some time in hospital he was discharged and the was back home in Mumbai. Brushing off the news of concern surrounding him saying, “I had an infection which

I am getting treated. Nothing dramatic.

Pollution got me I guess.”

However, new reports suggest that the actor has again hospitalised in Mumbai.

According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, Kapoor has been rushed to Mumbai’s H N Reliance Foundation. His wife Neetu Kapoor and son Ranbir Kapoor are with him.

Traditional Massage for Your Health Health hospital in Mumbai with viral fever, a source close to the family said Thursday. The 67-year-old, who was shifted to a Mumbai

Tamil director Atlee and SRK project is still on

18

0m

The internet exploded last year when it came to light that blockbuster Tamil director Atlee is in serious talks with superstar Shah Rukh Khan for an out-and-out commercial masala film. SRK fans especially were overjoyed as the actor had delivered a huge debacle in 2018 in the form of Zero. The actor then refused to speak up as to which will be his next project. Hence, they were happy to know that he’s doing a safe commercial film, that too backed by a pro, and which hopefully it will reap dividends. A few days before Diwali, Atlee at an event also admitted that he’s indeed doing a film with SRK. However, there was no update on this project after these revelations.

Many felt that the film was scrapped.

Meanwhile, Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK revealed that Shah Rukh Khan has signed their next film.

A section of media also strongly insisted that SRK has also shown interest in master director Rajkumar Hirani’s next. So what happened to Shah Rukh Khan-Atlee film? Is it shelved or will it be made? Well, it turns out that the project is very much on but has been put on the backburner for now.

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Bollywood Suchitra slams Wendell Rodricks over his post about Priyanka’s Grammys dress

Priyanka Chopra’s Grammy Awards dress made headlines across the world for its chicness and sexiness. PeeCee looked gorgeous in it and powerful too as the global icon wasn’t afraid to carry off the revealing outfit with elan.

Of course, there were some who didn’t appreciate the outfit as much and took to social media to express their thoughts. Fashion designer Wendell Rodricks too shared his thoughts on Instagram. He shared a photo of Priyanka in her Grammys dress and wrote, “@priyankachopra nailed it at the Grammys 2020. Truly the bold and beautiful in this @ ralphandrusso couture fringed gown where the neckline goes all the way from LA to Cuba. Love it” Grammys 2020 Round Up: Billie Eilish makes history at awards gala Singer Suchitra Krishnamoorthi was quite upset with Rodricks’ unwarranted comment and shared a lengthy note on how it’s not okay to body shame anyone. She wrote, “Was so upset to see this post on insta

by Wendel Rodrigues who’s work I otherwise have a modicum of respect for. I think the fact that Priyanka is not trying to hide her belly with her clutch is what makes this pic so beautiful.”

What one wears is fully the concern of the person wearing it. No one can judge someone on their clothes or expect them to dress up a certain

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Akshay to work with Dhanush and Sara Akshay Kumar will be starring with him.” Announcing alongside Sara Ali Khan and the film, co-producers Dhanush in their new film T-Series released a video “Atrangi Re.” The film, which wherein the names of the is being directed by Aanand L. cast and crew alongside Rai, is an A.R. Rahman musical the title were announced. written by National awardKumar also announced winning writer Himanshu the film on his social Sharma. The film is slated to media handle, tweeting: release on Valentine’s Day, 2021.

“This one is really special.”

Kumar is excited about the As a co-producer himself, collaboration with Rai and said, “I he also added a video have always admired the way he showcases announcing the new film and captioned it his stories and I am thrilled to be working saying: “Love, in all its glory!”

Akshay moves the release date of Bachchan Pandey Akshay Kumar and Amir Khan have been close friends for decades now.

However, this year, there was a clash at

Kriti Sanon. Aamir tweeted, “Sometimes all it takes is one conversation. Thank you to my friends @akshaykumar & Sajid Nadiadwala for

the box office due for the two megastars with Akshay Kumar starrer Bachchan Pandey and Aamir Khan starrer Laal Singh Chaddha. Aamir Khan has already started shooting for his project while Akshay Kumar’s film is yet to go on floors.

In a tweet done by Aamir Khan, he is grateful for Akshay Kumar and producer Sajid Nadiadwala for moving the release date of Bachchan Pandey to avoid the box office clash with Laal Singh Chaddha. The duo has apparently had a conversation about it and Akshay Kumar is ready to move the release date of his project with

their warm gesture of moving the release date of their film Bachchan Sometimes all it takes is one conversation. Thank you to my friends @akshaykumar & Sajid Nadiadwala for their warm gesture of moving the release date of their film Bachchan Pandey at my request. I wish them the very best for their film. Looking forward to it.

As scheduled, Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor starrer Laal Singh Chaddha will release on December 25, 2020. As for Akshay Kumar’s Bachchan Pandey, the new release date is yet to be announced.

way just to safeguard someone’s sensibilities.

Suchitra put her point across quite powerfully.

About the gallery Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who attended Grammys 2020 with hubby Nick Jonas, opted for a navel-grazed outfit, and her bellypierced look created a wave on social media.

We have pictures Wendell Rodricks, however, didn’t take this lying down. While he said he was being sarcastic before, he later responded with a scathing response of his own. He wrote, “For all those that said some really nasty things about me body shaming, here is my retort.

Did I say anything

Saturday, February 8, 2020 The trailer of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Saahoâ&#x20AC;? promised highoctane action, special effects and stylised sequences. Like a stock opening sequence that starts with an extreme close-up and zooms out to reveal a different picture, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Saahoâ&#x20AC;? is a whole other movie than the trailer lets on. The plot, which moves between Mumbai and the fictional city of Waaji, concerns an undercover agent named Ashok (Prabhas) and a crime syndicate run

by Roy (Jackie Shroff). Ashok is a top cop, but his demeanour suggests otherwise. He is languid and awkward and would rather make moves on his colleague Amritha (Shraddha Kapoor) than fight crime. She feebly resists his rather demeaning attempts

Movie Review: Saaho to woo her, but succumbs quickly â&#x20AC;&#x201C; giving the film a chance to cut to exotic locations where the two can dance to mediocre music.

At 179 minutes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Saahoâ&#x20AC;? drags on and on. Director and writer Sujeeth throws in countless plot twists,

intent on distracting viewers with action, blood, gore and romance over substance. At one point, when a character says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve concocted so many false stories, you think I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come up with one moreâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it is as if he is talking about the script. Sujeeth borrows scenes and tonality

Jackie Shroff joins Rohit Shettyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much awaited â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sooryavanshiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the story in his head.

He is the boy who has come right from the soil. He knows his job and I loved working with him. It is an experience I will never forget. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t disclose my character but its an interesting role.â&#x20AC;?

He further adds, â&#x20AC;&#x153;To be in the same film with all these young stars is fantastic. It is a great opportunity to be part of a film like this, which gives me a lot of strength. It has been a great experience and a fantastic feeling working in Sooryavanshi.â&#x20AC;?

from several Hollywood films, including â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mission Impossibleâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mad Maxâ&#x20AC;?, but neither he nor his leading man match their quality. Prabhas, fresh off the success of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Baahubaliâ&#x20AC;? franchise, fails to re-create his brooding action hero persona. Shraddha Kapoorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s character doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have much to do except be rescued by a manly-man, with whom she must occasionally dance. The rest of the cast, including Chunky Pandey and Mahesh Manjrekar, seem to be wondering what on earth is going on. So will viewers.

HOROSCOPE Aries

Jackie is the new addition to the stellar cast with Akshay Kumar and Katrina in lead roles. The movie also features Ajay Devgn as Bajirao Singham, Ranveer Singh as Sangram Bhalerao. Rohit Shettyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sooryavanshiâ&#x20AC;? has been making headlines ever since the movie went on floors and has got the fans excited for more.

Shroff said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have worked with his father Mr. Shetty sahaab whom I respected a lot. I have done a lot of work with him and now working with his son Rohit has been fantastic. He has

19

Bollywood

March 21 - April 20 As thoughtful Mercury enters a private

and bring a chance to connect with your deeper feelings on key issues. You might also be more inclined to follow your dreams and spend time exploring their deeper meaning.

Watch out for a touch of inspiration and sheer genius midweek when a spirited Mercury-Uranus tie could bring ideas out of the blue. This can be a time of coincidence and synchronicity.

Taurus April 21 - May 20 The sun in your sector of goals can be an opportunity to shine. Use this time to showcase your best skills. If you sense that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to take a step forward, do your best to impress. Talkative Mercury enters your social sector early in the week, and it can also inspire you to have more fun by making

Whatever you enjoy doing, there is likely a club or group associated with it, and joining could be a revelation.

Gemini May 20 - June 21 Thoughtful Mercury moves into your career sector where it encourages you to think logically. With dreamy Neptune already in this

what you want from what others want.

Lively Mercury could encourage you to look at the facts and apply some common sense. However, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also be more aware of your instinct and sixth sense, and applying both could make it easier to form a sensible strategy.

Cancer June 22 - July 23 Inquisitive Mercury moves into your sector of travel and adventure on Monday, and you might be in the mood to expand your options. What is normal and familiar may seem a tad boring, and you might look for fresh alternatives that excite you or involve a learning curve. Still, as this chatty planet aligns with restless Uranus midweek, a friendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suggestion could encourage you to

Leo June 24 - August 23 While the sun lights up your sector of relating, encouraging you to reach out and connect, inquisitive Mercury moves into a more

!

"

# "

to happen, though, it might help to talk things through with someone you feel comfortable with. It could be a counselor, life coach, or even a friend. However, this thoughtful planet aligns with restless Uranus midweek, which could highlight an opportunity related to your career

Virgo August 24 - Sept 24 The illuminating sun is in your lifestyle sector, making this a good opportunity to consider your routines and how you might use them to enhance your life. And with a supermoon, or turbocharged full moon, building up this week and taking place this weekend, this is a prime time to let go of those habits that have been holding you back. Making the intention to adopt a healthier outlook and sticking

! !

Meanwhile, chatty Mercury moves into your relationship sector, encouraging conversations, negotiations, and liaisons.

Libra Sept. 24 - Oct 22 This is very much a time when indulging in hobbies that you enjoy can recharge and restore you. Plus, romantic options could light up your life, especially since this is the month with Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day. Logical Mercury enters your sector of work

" organized helps you to be more productive.

Make lists and timetables, use strategies that "

$ " your concentration is enhanced and you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss a trick.

Scorpio Oct 23 - Nov 22 As articulate Mercury enters your leisure zone on Monday, it encourages you to explore avenues that can inspire and inform. You " !

art exhibitions, concerts, theater, and anything else that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re drawn to.

This is also your romance sector, so you may

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your interests and whose conversation appeals to you. You may be seduced by someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind rather than body.

Sagitarius Nov 23 - Dec 22 Home and family life perk up this week as convivial Mercury moves into this sector and encourages conversations about key issues.

Its presence in Pisces can inspire you to connect with your feelings and share them in a sensitive way. You might also have plans that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready to put into action. These could range from starting a home business to learning more about cooking to getting organized in general.

An inspired idea that you put into action could help you make short work of a task that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve !

Capricorn Dec 23 - Jan 20 Sobering Saturn eases away from powerful Pluto in your sign, which indicates that a key issue could seem less fraught. Any pressure youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve felt might slowly melt away.

Plus, with the sun in your money zone, its presence can shed a light on your current situation and encourage you to make wise investments. Talkative Mercury moves into your sector of communication on Monday, and its presence here could inspire you

Aquarius Jan 21 - Feb 19 With the sun illuminating your sign, you

! vitality. This is something you can channel into your plans and projects as well as your daily life. Chatty Mercury moves into your money zone on Monday, making this an excellent time to get organized and perhaps create a budget or savings plan.

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for a special item for the " & %" " !

online. Mercuryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s positive link with Uranus on Wednesday suggests youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get a great deal, too.

Pisces Feb 20 - March 20 With the sun continuing in your spiritual zone, $

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be an opportunity to let go of emotional baggage " "

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Talkative Mercury moves into your sign on Monday, though, so you may be able to give voice to your dreams and any ideas youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been hatching over recent days and weeks.

New information or an opportunity could come % "

and perhaps speeds up the pace of progress.

20

Bollywood

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Shah Rukh & Kajol to star in film directed by Rajkumar Hirani?

Rajkumar Hirani is one of the most talented and commercially successful filmmakers of our times so any new movie of his generates maximum excitement.

Everybody is waiting for Shah Rukh Khan to announce his next project. While it has been heard that both are set to do a film together and the announcement is expected soon,

we have now heard that Kajol Devgn and Kareena Kapoor Khan have been approached to play the romantic lead opposite SRK. Says a trade source, “While there have been reports that Kareena Kapoor Khan has been signed, the filmmaker is apparently keen to cast the Shah Rukh-Kajol pair together in his next movie after Sanju. It’s an exciting

combination and while the director has worked with Kareena before in 3 Idiots, he is keen to cast Kajol as Hirani hasn’t worked with her before. It’s a mature, intense love story of a couple who discovers love again and both Hirani and SRK are keen for Kajol came on board for this project. Apparently, Shah Rukh has told her about the concept and she has loved it. The script is still being finalised and while it will take some time before a proper narration happens and the modalities are worked out (including dates), Kajol may do the movie. Shah Rukh and she last worked together in Rohit Shetty’s Dilwale (2015) and both share an excellent box-office track of blockbusters, whereas Kareena’s movies with SRK haven’t done as well.

If Kajol and Shah Rukh appear together in a Hirani movie, it will probably be the announcement of the year.

The explosive combo of SRK-KajolHirani will be a treat to watch!” Shah Rukh and Rajkumar Hirani has been regularly meeting over the last year to discuss doing a project together and now it’s almost finalised. The source

adds that it will be a joint production of Hirani and SRK’s production house Red Chillies, with Hirani directing the film. Hirani will float his own banner.

The movie, that SRK and Hirani are in talks with, is a romantic drama with a strong emotional cord running through it, as all Hirani movies have. It’s the kind of role that Shah Rukh has excelled in movies like Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman. In fact, it’s a role specially written for the actor – who plays a man with a golden heart. The source adds, “It will be interesting to see who is the final choice between Kajol and Kareena for Hirani’s next. Both are excellent actors, great on screen and have had blockbusters in Tanhaji and Good Newwz this year.”

Sunny & Bobby Deol fans of Angoori Bhabhi The sweet, pretty and much-loved Angoori Bhabhi, played by Shubhangi Atre, has been winning audiences’ hearts not only in India but across the world with her comic timing and innocence. And the newest additions to her list of admirers are Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol. Recently, Sunny and Deol were shooting a commercial, and elder brother Sunny revealed

that he is a big fan of Angoori Bhabhi and that his entire family thoroughly enjoys watching her show “Bhabiji Ghar Pe Hai” on &TV. He mentioned that Angoori is everyone’s favorite and the show is a real stress-buster for them. Agreeing with Sunny, Bobby mentioned that Angoori’s iconic line “Sahi Pakde Hain (You have understood me correctly)” simply cracks him up every time he hears it and it has indeed become his pet catchphrase too!

Anand Kumar on Super 30 and life after the Hrithik Roshan film When educator Anand Kumar introduced his Super 30 program in India a few years ago, he said he hoped it would help make quality education accessible to all.

His brainchild, that tutors underprivileged children, in batches of 30, for one of the world’s most competitive exams – the entrance to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), is today the subject of a mainstream Bollywood film with the same name.

The educator and mathematician spoke to Reuters about how

the box office success of “Super 30”, starring popular actor Hrithik Roshan, has changed his life. He also opened up about the lure of IITs and the future of his Super 30 program.

Here are excerpts from the Hindi-language interview: Q: When did you watch ‘Super 30’, the film? What did you think of it? A: I watched it a day before it released. I really liked the film and felt like Hrithik Roshan was almost like a shadow of my self. Several times, not just me, but my entire family, who was watching with me, wept. We didn’t just enjoy the film, we felt it. Q: Did the film play out like you imagined it would? A: The story of my life is big, and I wasn’t sure if they would be able to fit it all in. But they have managed to pack in quite a lot, sometimes in dialogue, if not in actual scenes. Like the time that some people filed a case against me and sent one of my associates to prison, they have alluded to it in a line of dialogue.

Q: How much of the film is based on true events?A: Most of the things are true, but they have all been made a little more dramatic. The parts where my father was attacked, where I met ministers, etc, those are all true.

Q: How has life changed for you since the release of the film? A: It changed in the sense that earlier very few people would recognize me – only those who had followed the Super 30 program closely, but now I find many

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Stunning Sunny Leone

S

unny Leone has been doing it all from her films to TV shows, and even promoting her makeup business.

When not neck deep in work commitments, the star makes it a point to jet out on relaxing holidays with her hubby Daniel Weber and their three kids.

This time around, the beauty headed over to Jaipur for a short break and surprised fans with a stunning photo to assure all that she is having a swell time there. Posting a mirror selfie in a floral bikini, the star not only showed off her curves but also gave everyone a good look at her sculpted abs.

“Pulled this bikini after a long time! Time for a swim in my private villa pool here in Jaipur! Gorgeous resort!” she captioned the photo.

While shooting for her TV show, Sunny also ventured South and starred in ‘Madhuraja’ featuring superstar Mammootty in the lead. known by the name Sunny Leone a Canadian-born Indian-American star and actress, model, currently in Indian film industry, Bollywood. She has American citizenship. She has also used the stage name Karen Malhotra.[8][9] She was named Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003, was a contract performer for Vivid

Entertainment, and was named

by Maxim as one of the 12 top porn stars in 2010. She has played roles in independent mainstream events, films and television series. Her first mainstream appearance was in 2005, when she worked as a red carpet reporter for the MTV Video Music Awards on MTV India. In 2011, she participated in the Indian reality television series Bigg Boss. She also has hosted the Indian reality show Splitsvilla.

In 2012, she made her Bollywood debut in Pooja Bhatt’s erotic thriller Jism 2 (2012) and shifted her focus to mainstream acting which was followed up with Jackpot (2013), Ragini MMS 2 (2014), Ek Paheli Leela (2015) and Tera Intezaar (2017).

Apart from her acting career she has been part of activism campaigns including the Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles Half-Marathon to raise money for the American Cancer Society and has also posed for a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) ad campaign with a rescued dog, encouraging pet owners to have their cats

Bollywood

21

Ileana says she has always had trouble accepting her body the way it is Ileana D’Cruz, who regularly gives sleepless nights to netizens with sexy snapshots on social media, has revealed that she has always had issues accepting her body the way it is.

At the same time, the 33-year-old actress claims that she is in a happier space right now, and that she respects her body a lot more than before.

During an interview with IANS, Ileana said: “I have always had issues accepting my body the way it is.

I have finally come to a place maybe where I am learning to like it how it is. I am respecting it a lot more and taking care of it a lot more. And I think it is showing, so I am happier right now.”

Ileana, who returned to the Bollywood screen after a hiatus with the multistarrer “Pagalpanti,” also shared diet and fitness tips with fans: “There are times when I workout like crazy, for months. I lose weight and look great. Then, I give it up for a while. I have realized that if you change your lifestyle completely, it makes a difference.” Earlier I used to spend so

much time in the gym and did not focus as much on what I was eating. I have realized that ninety percent of what you look like is your

diet. So, you need to eat well. Invest in a good nutritionist if possible. Eat clean, eat well. That’s what I try and do as much as possible now. I am very careful about what I am eating. Keep a check on how much sugar you consume daily.”

While she sets social media afire with her social media pics, Ileana admits it isn’t easy to look picture perfect in real life all the time.

“People have a certain perception of how you are supposed to look. When you are portrayed on screen, you are portrayed in a glamorous way. Women are meant to look pretty and perfect.”

22

Press release

Saturday, February 8, 2020

NDP Health Tax leaves people paying more As the NDP continue trying to convince people they’re making life more affordable, stories keep piling up of local restaurants, cafes and shops across the province struggling to pay the Employer Health Tax (EHT).

“All across British Columbia businesses are being impacted by the Employer Health Tax and the government continues to ignore the fact that small businesses are being forced to make decisions about raising prices, laying off employees or closing,” said BC Liberal Finance Co-Critic Shirley Bond. “It is time for this NDP government to admit they made a mistake with this heavy-handed tax and listen to entrepreneurs and business owners who have said they simply can’t get ahead because of unfair taxes like the EHT.”

“It’s no surprise the NDP are ignoring the countless British Columbians who have said the EHT is destroying everything they’ve worked for,” said Stephanie Cadieux, BC Liberal Finance Co-Critic. “What makes it worse is that Carole James won’t acknowledge the actual facts showing how badly the EHT is impacting small businesses.”

The NDP talking points fail to show the whole story – here are the facts: The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade reported that the average EHT bill for small businesses (i.e. those employing 50 or fewer persons) is just over $40,000 a year.

For a small business with minimum-wage employees, that is equivalent to almost a year’s salary for two employees. A 2019 BC Chamber of Commerce Survey found that 79% of participants said the cost of doing business had worsened and 49% said their confidence in B.C.’s economy had declined in the last year. While the NDP claim that 85% of businesses don’t pay EHT, over half of that figure (61%) are self-employed people with no employees (such as doctors, lawyers, independent contractors, etc).

The facts clearly show the EHT keeps hurting thousands of small businesses across the province who just want to make ends meet.

For more Updates, Visit our Website

www.theasianstar.com

23

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Vol. 11 No. 2 Saturday - February 8, 2020 Home sales in every BC region to recover in 2020 - a forecast. Total home transactions across province expected to rise 11 per cent versus 2019, with average sale prices also predicted to increase in every area.

Although every region in B.C. is expected to see lower home sales in 2019 than in 2018, sales will more than recover in 2020, according to a September 5 forecast by the

Housing market to see modest price growth in 2020 and 2021, predicts CMHC

The Metro Vancouver housing market will remain “balanced” over the next two years with home prices expected to increase in line with population growth, according to the latest housing market outlook report from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Housing sales and prices have dipped recently as a result of multiple factors — including rising mortgage rates and new taxes — but the CMHC predicts that starting in 2020 and through 2021, there will be a modest increase both in prices and sales volume.

Attached homes, condos and apartments priced under $700,000 are expected to generate the strongest demand because “homes in this price range can be accessible to buyers making a purchase based on their income compared with properties requiring substantial equity for a down payment,” says the report. The report says housing starts are expected to remain high, especially multi-family homes, which currently account for 88 per cent of unit starts.

Tel: 604-591-5423

Real estae, housing forecast through 2020 British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA).Overall in 2019, residential transactions across the province are predicted to be five per cent lower, at about 75,000 units, than the 78,505 sales of 2018.

Every one of B.C.’s 12 boards is expected to

report a year-over-year decline in total sales across 2019, with drops ranging from one to 14 per cent. However, BCREA forecasted that every board will see considerable sales jumps in 2020, totalling a province-wide increase of nearly 11 per cent to 82,700 homes — which

E-mail: ads@theasianstar.com the association said would be just below the 10-year annual average. “B.C. markets are showing signs of recovery after nearly a year and a half of policy-induced declines,” said Brendon Ogmundson, BCREA’s deputy chief economist. “We expect that recovery to continue into next year, with home sales

24

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Condo prices are set to put many investors in the red as rents fail to meet carrying costs, experts warn There’s no shortage of people lining up to invest in the city’s burgeoning condo market — many of them mom and pop investors who see rental units as a hedge for their c h i l d r e n against the increasingly unaffordable property market. Others are self-employed individuals without a pension

who view a condo as an appreciating asset to help fund their retirement.

But real estate experts are warning that the investment scene will shift in less than five years as the cost of condos continues to climb at the same time Toronto tenants show signs of hitting a wall when it comes to paying for

an apartment.

That will have significant cash flow implications for property investors because rent won’t cover the monthly carrying cost of those units, said Shaun Hildebrand, president of market research firm Urbanation.

“I’m not sure that condo investors that

have been active recently in buying preconstruction units fully appreciate how much supply is underway in the condo sector and what that will do for their assumptions for returns,” he said. Rents that rose about 10 per cent a year in 2016 to 2018, will likely increase at a more moderate 5 per cent annual for the

Anti-money-laundering course mandatory for real estate agents and property managers Real estate professionals will learn how to recognize red flags and be instructed on their obligations if they’re involved in a suspicious transaction. The regulatory agency for B.C.’s real estate professionals is launching a mandatory anti-money-laundering course to show real estate agents and strata and property managers how to recognize red flags and what steps they’re obligated to take to report suspected cases.

The course will provide “the information you need to understand why real estate is attractive to money launderers,” said the course outline on the website of the Real Estate Council of B.C., the self-regulatory body of the province’s 26,000 licensed real estate pros. Members will learn “how to recognize the risk signs and red flags associated with money laundering (and) review your obligations and the steps to take to report suspicious transactions,” it said.

The self-paced online course will “empower them (real estate pros) to actively contribute

to preventing criminal activity in B.C. real estate markets” and support them to “comply with their federal reporting obligations,” spokesman Warren Mirko said in an emailed statement. “Real estate professionals work closely with their clients, so they are well positioned to identify suspicious transactions,” he said.

The announcement of the course requirement comes two months after the provincial government unveiled plans to create a new regulator for B.C.’s real estate sector by spring 2021. A single regulator for the sector was a key recommendation of recent reports aimed at cracking down on money laundering.

The three reports into money laundering since 2018 have revealed billions in proceeds-of-crime, and other questionable sources of income have been laundered for years through the real estate industry, as well as through other luxury purchases and through casinos.

The latest report, by Maureen Maloney in May, estimated up to $5 billion was funnelled through the B.C. property market in 2018

alone, likely increasing housing prices that year by five per cent.

Retired B.C. Supreme Court associate chief Justice Austin Cullen is in the middle of a yearlong public inquiry to investigate the causes, scope and impact of money laundering in the province.

Registration will open when the course is launched next week and it will be required for licence renewal beginning April 1.

“It will become part of the mandatory education that real estate professionals must take in order to maintain their licence to practise in B.C.,” said Mirko.

The B.C. Real Estate Association announced this week a new requirement of 18 hours of professional training every two years for its realtors (who make up 90 per cent of all real estate agents), but there was no reference to money laundering

Reasons why Canada’s apartment building owners are happy

R

ental apartment building market in Canada is trongest it’s ever been, especially from the perspective of apartment building owners.

Buildings are practically full across the country, rental rates are at or near 10-year highs in nearly every market, and average national rents have climbed 4.4 per cent annually over the last two years, according to a new report by commercial property brokerage house CBRE. This rapid rise of rental rates is earning more money for building owners. Total annualized returns for the Canadian multifamily sector were 9.8 per cent as of the first quarter of this year, just behind the industrial sector.

Canada’s national average rental apartment vacancy rate ended 2018 at 2.4 per cent, below the 10-year average of 2.6, CBRE said in its national multifamily mid-year update.

Investors are lining up to get into the market in most cities. Multifamily investment volume reached record levels for four consecutive years, including an alltime high of $8.3 billion in 2018.

Apartments are traditionally viewed as stable and defensive assets to own, said CBRE Canada vice-chairman Paul Morassutti. “(The asset class) never displays great amounts of volatility,” he told Postmedia

last week. “Very rarely would you have declines in rental rates or net operating income. Typically, things would go up in a slow and steady fashion and it was always a favoured asset class for all those reasons.”

Here are other main drivers that Morassutti and his firm believe will continue to stoke demand for apartment buildings in Canada.

Population growth: Canada’s population is expected to grow by nearly one per cent annually over the next four years, surpassing

growth in all other G7 countries, the report said. Much of this momentum is being fuelled by immigration, which accounted for 80.5 per cent of the country’s population growth last year. The government has a plan to welcome one million new immigrants between 2019 and 2021. Much of that new population is settling in the Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver regions, with Toronto and Vancouver experiencing the sharpest annual apartment rental price growth of 5.0 per cent and 7.1 per cent, respectively, over the past four years.

Shortage of new supply Canada’s big cities are not building enough new rental apartments to keep up with demand, when compared to global peers, the report said.

The largest rental market in Canada is Montreal with just under 600,000 units.

Toronto follows well behind with 313,000 units, and Vancouver trails with just 109,000 units. Units on the secondary market, including privately rented condos, do close the gap, but it’s clear that renters across the country need more options, or else rents will continue to climb.

While we are seeing increased construction of rental units more recently, the overall number remains relatively low, Morassutti said.

Rising cost of home ownership An expanding proportion of Canada’s big-city dwellers can’t afford to buy a home. This factor, above all others, is probably having the greatest effect on stoking apartment rental prices, while spurring investors to buy buildings, Morassutti said. “In Toronto, if you want to buy a detached house or semi-detached house, you need to have a household income of close to $200,000,” he said. “The average household income in Toronto I believe is something like $100,000.”

(According to the last Canadian census, the average household in the Greater Toronto Area earned $87,993 after tax.) That leaves residents with only a couple of choices.

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Saturday, February 8, 2020

The mortgage stress test is making housing supply issues worse — and making homes even more unaffordable

C

anada is experiencing sustained economic and population growth.

Millennials and new Canadians are forming households and their desire for home ownership is very strong. Interest rates are low. In this environment, home sales should thrive and supply should rise alongside demand, keeping prices in check. Instead, our housing supply is lagging and prices have risen dramatically in key markets.

Governments bear much of the blame for this undesirable market imbalance, as a narrow focus on suppressing household debt has dominated the policy mix while the root causes of undersupply — including excessive red tape, fees, taxes and nimbyism — have gone largely unaddressed.

If we want to address housing affordability in Canada, governments need to redesign the policy mix to confront these factors. For its part, the federal government could start by developing a more nuanced mortgage “stress test.”

Ottawa’s stress test is demolishing Canadians’ housing dreams. Which party will rebuild them?

Why Ottawa’s attempts to help young Canadians afford housing simply won’t work The mortgage ‘stress test’ has started harming Canadians more than it helps

First, consider mortgage debt in the Canadian context.

Canadians have some of the highest rates of home ownership and mortgage borrowing in the world.

Evidence shows that Canadians use mortgage debt responsibly; in the majority of cases, we make additional payments or otherwise accelerate our repayments.

Equifax credit scores for first-time Canadian homebuyers are in the upper half of the range considered “very good,” and they typically continue to improve in the first, second and third years of home ownership.

Second, we have the indisputable finding, reproduced in dozens of independent surveys, that Canadians strongly value home ownership. It is overwhelmingly identified as a top priority across the age

spectrum, from millennials to baby boomers.

And the opportunity for home ownership here is a key attraction for immigrants, many of whom leave behind societies where it is rare.

Unfortunately, despite all the evidence that Canadians are committed and responsible

borrowers, would-be homebuyers are today restricted by a number of government policies that need redesign, most notably the mortgage stress test. To be clear: when applied selectively on mortgagors who are attempting to borrow significantly more than their annual income or who are carrying a heavy load of non-mortgage debt already, the stress test can be a useful tool. But there is reason to be concerned about the scope and duration of the test’s current application in Canada. While the government’s one-size-fits-all approach has helped cool overheated markets, it has also destabilized Prairie housing markets, which were already suffering from that region’s economic slowdown.

It has now been 23 months since the stress test was implemented. At that time, policy-makers wanted to ensure borrowers could service their debts when their mortgages came up for renewal — mainly because it was widely presumed rates would rise in the near term. But now, if anything, interest rates are expected to ease amid weakening economic growth, trade tensions and other factors. Given the current environment, we must ask if the marginal improvement in mortgage credit quality created by the stress test is worth the many unintended consequences it causes.

Condos, the ‘future of our communities,’ now cost more per square foot than a detached home Condominiums may be the “future of our communities” but per square foot, they are hardly a bargain. According to a Royal LePage report released today, aside from Vancouver and Calgary, every major city’s condo price per square foot has increased. With the exception of Vancouver, the median price per square foot of a condo is now higher than that of a single family detached home nationwide. Canadian home prices are up — but by the smallest amount in

a decade. Seven reasons Canada’s housing market is stronger than it looks Vancouver’s housing market is dismal — but you still need six-figure income to get your foot in the door “While condo units are smaller, they are the present and future of our communities. With more development opportunities, they can meet both the growing need for housing and lifestyle expectations of homebuyers,” said Phil Soper, the president of Royal LePage in a

press release. The Greater Ottawa condo price per square foot appreciated the fastest among the cities that were measured, rising 17.9 per cent year-over-year to $395, while the Greater Vancouver price actually declined the most by 8.3 per cent to $764. “We are seeing significant interest in Ottawa’s south and west ends from residents working in the nearby military and technology hubs,” said Kent Browne, broker

Over 11% of Vancouver condos have a non-resident owner, says new CMHC report

#106 - 7565 132 St. Surrey, BC 604.572.3005

Over 11 percent of Vancouver condos have at least one non-resident as an owner, a number that jumps to more than 19 per cent when it comes to newer built condos.

The information is contained in a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation housing market insight report which also found that non-residents — defined as someone who

doesn’t have their principal residence in Canada — tend to own more expensive properties than residents, especially in Vancouver.

Some of the other findings: 7.2 per cent of all Vancouver properties have at least one non-resident owner.

Non-resident ownership is highest in

and owner of Royal LePage TEAM Realty. The city of Vancouver remains the most expensive condo market in the country, with homebuyers paying $1,044 per square foot for a condo and $1,279 per square foot for a single-family detached home. Greater Calgary offers the lowest condo price per square foot, with a fall of 6.7 per cent to $313.“For the fourth consecutive month, condo inventory in the region declined compared to last year.

26

Classifieds / Jobs

Saturday, February 8, 2020

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South Asian Adults/ Seniors - Musical Chairs Game.

9th February 2020 (Sunday) at Shanti Niketan Hall.

Vedic Seniors Parivar Center of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults, Senior members and also nonmembers to join us for the Musical Chair Game to be held on 9th February 2020 (Sunday) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan Hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321 - 140th street Surrey BC V3W 5K9. Musical Chairs is a game of elimination, involving players, Chairs and Music, with one less chair than the total number of players. When the music stops whichever player fails to occupy the chair is eliminated, with one chair being removed and the process repeated until only one player (Winner) remains. Any player found waiting for the chair and not moving with other players will be disqualified. The winner will be awarded a Punjabi Biscuits Package of 2 lbs. Please contact Surendra Handa organizer Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further details.

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Press release

27

Joint statement on updates on the 2019 novel coronavirus in British Columbia Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer (PHO), have issued the following joint statement regarding updates on the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in British Columbia: “The federal government announced its plans to bring Canadians home from Hubei, China. In the near future, a repatriation flight will bring Canadians from Hubei province, including Wuhan City, China to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton, near Toronto. Each of these returning Canadians, including staff and flight crew, will remain at CFB Trenton for 14 days to receive the necessary social and medical support they may need.

“We have been working closely with the federal government to ensure the repatriation

process is smooth and conducted in a way that best protects the returning Canadians and the public here at home. It is expected that B.C. will be the final destination for some of the returning Canadians and we will continue liaising with the Federal government as they identify passengers for the repatriation flight.

“The returning Canadians will spend 14 days at CFB Trenton, which is the 2019 novel coronavirus maximum incubation period, so that they can be assessed and monitored and to support their transition back to Canada.

“In B.C. we have chosen testing criteria with an intentionally low threshold to purposely ensure a wide range of people are eligible for novel coronavirus testing. Last Friday we

Why should you trust ICBC and the NDP? John Horgan and the NDP announced they are taking away the rights of accident victims and giving ICBC full responsibility for the care for those injured in car accidents.

“With today’s announcement, the NDP just abolished your right to compensation for pain and suffering if you’re injured in a car accident,” said MLA Andrew Wilkinson, BC Liberal Leader. “Under this new scheme, if you’re seriously injured in an accident the NDP will force you to deal with ICBC for the rest of your life, giving you no choice but to deal with the state-run monopoly.”

“B.C. drivers need more affordable rates – that’s especially true for young drivers and they need it now,” added Jas Johal, MLA for Richmond-Queensborough. “This NDP

reported testing 114 cases and one confirmed case.

Updates will be published each Friday at www. bccdc.ca. “There continues to be one confirmed case in B.C. “We want to reassure people that the risk of spread of this virus within British Columbia remains low at this time. We are watching the evolution of the outbreak in China very closely and will notify the public if the measures we need to take in B.C. change. “All necessary precautions are being taken to prevent the spread of infection.

We have multiple systems in place to prepare for, detect and respond to prevent the spread of serious infectious diseases in the province. “The most important measures to prevent all respiratory illnesses including this novel coronavirus remain

Press release

scheme is nothing more than an election trick with sky-high rates set to continue through this year and the promise to lower them only coming after the next election. It’s offensive to ask British Columbians to put even more faith in ICBC, which is a broken system that most people already don’t trust.”

“Why aren’t we being offered the Saskatchewan model where drivers can choose either no-fault or the current system of lump-sum settlements, with no difference in premiums?” concluded Wilkinson. “People deserve choice in insurance and they deserve it now. We will continue to stand up for B.C. drivers and insurance choice while Horgan and the NDP fight for ICBC instead of you.”

cleaning your hands regularly, avoiding touching your face, coughing or sneezing into your elbow sleeve, disposing of tissues appropriately and staying home and away from others if you become sick.

“Anyone who is concerned they may have been exposed to, or are experiencing symptoms of, the coronavirus should contact their primary care provider, local public health office, or call 8-1-1.

Translation services for 8-1-1 is available in 130-plus languages.”

For more information and latest updates on 2019-nCoV, follow the BC Centre for Disease Control on Twitter @CDCofBC or visit their website: http://www.bccdc.ca/

Mediators have walked, John Horgan needs to finally step up and help end labour dispute at Western Forest Products

PRINCE GEORGE (February 5, 2020) – BC Liberal Forestry critic John Rustad is calling on the BC NDP to intervene immediately in the labour dispute between Western Forest Products and the United Steelworkers following yesterday’s announcement that Vince Ready and Amanda Rogers have pulled out as mediators. “We are in the eighth month of deadlock and the NDP can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch further hurt be inflicted on coastal communities when it’s clear no agreement is on the horizon,” said John Rustad, Forestry Critic for the BC Liberals. “John Horgan has a number of options to resolve the dispute, which includes

calling an industrial inquiry commission.

Additionally, the Labour Minister Harry Bains could ask former mediators Vince Ready and Amanda Rogers to publish a report with a list of recommendations.”

John Horgan and his government have proven to be incompetent, uncaring and irresponsible. “NDP Labour Minister Harry Bains knows this dispute can no longer be resolved through mediation or at the bargaining table and is only inviting more economic devastation to communities up and down Vancouver Island as this strike drags on,” added Rustad. “Government needs to act, and they need act now.”

Punjabi Language in Canada During the past few years, Punjabi has attained a fairly high profile in Canada, locally, provincially and nationally. We see a lot of signs in Punjabi at prominent government and private institutions, hospitals, businesses, YVR and a number of public places. Organizations like ICBC are now offering their claim services in Punjabi as well. Signs like: We Speak Punjabi- are prominently displayed in banks, hospitals, city halls, credit unions and various other locations. Punjabi is now fast becoming the language of employment. Punjabi Language Education Association (PLEA) continues to work hard in promoting Punjabi at all levels.

However, it can do only so much. PLEA needs your help in becoming goodwill ambassadors for our mother tongue.

It is true that we have come a long way since Punjabi was officially recognized in 1994 as one of six second languages taught in BC’s public schools. With PLEA’s efforts

Canada’s largest producer of softwood lumber, has been left out of the federal government’s high-level trade meetings in Washington thanks to John Horgan’s absence.

“The NDP is missing in action on the forestry file once again. The Deputy Prime Minister and five provincial premiers will be discussing American tariffs on softwood lumber all while

and community and Indo-Canadian media support, Punjabi classes have been under way at various elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities around Metro Vancouver. Also, it is encouraging to note that well-wishers of Punjabi in other parts of Canada are making efforts in promoting Punjabi wherever they can. On top of that, it is very gratifying to note that a lot of other institutions like Khalsa Schools, Sikh Academies as well as Gurdwaras are doing an excellent job in this regard. On behalf of PLEA I would like to commend them all.

Surrey has always been a great model for us. At present Punjabi is being taught in six elementary and nine secondary schools in Surrey. The six elementary schools where Punjabi classes are under way are: Beaver Creek, Green Timbers, Newton, Strawberry Hill, Chimney Hill and T.E. Scott. The nine high schools are: Enver Creek Frank Hurt, L.A.Matheson, Panorama Ridge, Princess

Margaret, Queen Elizabeth, Sullivan Heights, Tamanawis and SAIL (Surrey Academy for Individualized Learning). In addition to that Punjabi classes are being offered in North Delta Secondary School, New Westminster Secondary and Queensborough Middle School in New Westminster, Burnaby South Secondary in Burnaby, five schools in Abbotsford as well as four Universities-UBC, S.F.U., Kwantlen Polytechnic University and University of the Fraser Valley.

PLEA would like to add more schools to these lists, especially at the elementary school level.

However, it needs community support in order to do so. In this context, I would like to urge wellwishers of Punjabi to become its ambassadors and organise parents at schools where there is a large number of students interested in enrolling in Punjabi classes. After organizing at the local school level, they should contact the school officials and PLEA to follow up on this. We need to encourage parents and students to take more pride in their mother tongue Punjabi.

Canada heads to Washington to talk softwood without BC British Columbia sits on the sidelines and John Horgan just doesn’t seem to care,” said John Rustad, BC Liberal Forestry Critic and MLA for Nechako Lakes. “This is a slap in the face to every unemployed forestry worker in our province. It’s inconceivable that other premiers are making this trip and the leader of the largest

producer of softwood lumber can’t find the time.”

British Columbia’s forestry sector is reeling. Last year alone saw ten permanent or indefinite mill closures and over ten thousand job losses in B.C’s forestry sector, all while the NDP did nothing to help workers or the industry.

“Why does John Horgan not care enough to be

Like previous years, PLEA will be celebrating the 17th International Mother Language Day on Sunday, February 23 at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), Surrey Campus Spruce Building Atrium beginning at 1:30 PM. PLEA is very thankful to KPU and the Deepak Binning Foundation for opening the KPU doors for PLEA and this celebration. No prior registration is required. There will be light refreshments. The admission is free. On behalf of PLEA I would like to extend this invitation to our community and well-wishers of Punjabi language to join us. For further information please feel free to contact me at 604-836-8976 or Sadhu Binning at 778-773-1886.

Balwant Sanghera President, Punjabi Language Education Association (PLEA)

on a plane to Washington right now to stand up for thousands of British Columbian forestry workers and their families in the middle of a crisis?” added Rustad. “Back in 2017, John Horgan promised he could solve the softwood lumber dispute with one trip to Washington, D.C. and now he’s nowhere to be seen. He needs to stop hiding, own his

28

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Canada’s economy bucks forecasts, posts surprise gain Canada’s economy rebounded to a gain in November, marking a surprise win for a domestic economy that’s been repeatedly hammered during the final quarter of 2019.

Real gross domestic product increased by 0.1 per cent in the month, nearly offsetting a 0.1-percent drop in October, Statistics Canada said Friday. Economists had expected a flat reading

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in November, given a spate of weak data of late, along with the impact from a brief Canadian National Railway Co. strike and temporary Keystone XL pipeline closing.

But 15 of 20 industrial sectors expanded during the month, more than masking the fallout from those temporary events. In particular, the utilities sector was a strong contributor, increasing 2.1 per cent “as a result of unseasonably cold weather in central Canada,” Statscan said.

Construction increased by 0.5 per cent, as did retail trade, helped by car dealerships. House resale activity at the offices of real estate agents increased for the ninth consecutive month, another sign of a fulsome rebound in Canadian homebuying activity.

“Overall, the above-consensus reading was surprising given the temporary factors which were expected to restrain growth (pipeline outage, rail strike, weather) and should limit the downside risk to the Bank of Canada’s [fourth-quarter] forecast,” Royce Mendes, senior economist at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, said in a client note.

The Bank of Canada last week revised its estimate for the fourth quarter to 0.3-per-cent annualized growth, down from 1.3 per cent. For the first quarter of 2020, it expects growth of 1.3 per cent, down from a prior 1.7 per cent. The bank expects the economy to accelerate as the year progresses.

That may occur during a time of lower rates, however.

Governor Stephen Poloz and his colleagues removed the word “appropriate” to describe the bank’s current policy rate of 1.75 per cent, which observers viewed as firmly putting a rate hike on the table

Saturday, February 8, 2020

DREAM CARPET

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Richmond man gets 3.5-year jail for illegally smuggling Chinese migrants to BC A man from Richmond who pleaded guilty in human smuggling case last year has been sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.

Michael Kong, of Richmond, was sentenced on Friday.

While sentenced to 42 months, with credit for time served, Kong has just 17 months left to his sentence before being released.

He was also given a $175,000 fine.

Police also seized $175,000 from his home when he was arrested and that money will be forfeited.

Kong was accused of bringing dozens of Chinese migrants illegally cross into Canada by the Peace Arch border crossing. Between

June 2014 and October 2015, the 63-year-old helped 34 people enter from the U.S. The prosecution said the migrants, some of whom were children, crossed through Peace Arch Park, which was built about a century ago as a symbol of friendship between

Canada and the U.S., so there is no fence.

All had travelled to the U.S. on visas issued in China by the U.S. consulate.

Kong initially pleaded not guilty, but later admitted to his role in the smuggling case.

Court documents detail a statement Kong made to CBSA investigators in which he admitted to helping many more people enter Canada illegally.

Complaint filed by trans activist Jessica Yaniv deferred until $6,000 paid to beauty salons A complaint brought forward by trans activist Jessica Yaniv has been deferred for six months by the BC Human Rights Tribunal for her failure to pay costs from previous unsuccessful complaints against three beauty salons.

According to the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, Yaniv failed to pay $6,000 in costs to beauty salons she accused of discrimination for refusing to wax her genitalia. Yaniv filed the complaints in 2018 and the tribunal dismissed them in 2019.

In October, the Human Rights Tribunal thoroughly dismissed Yaniv’s case, ruling her persistent complaints that female salon workers refused to wax her scrotum were part of a campaign to both enrich herself and punish South Asian people, whom she views

as hostile to the rights of transgender people.

Yaniv ‘targeted small businesses, manufactured the conditions for a human rights complaint’ In effect, the tribunal found the respondents did not offer scrotum waxing to anyone, so they did not deny Yaniv a service in the first place. It also preferred the respondents’ evidence wherever it conflicted with Yaniv’s, which was “disingenuous and self-serving.”

Yaniv “targeted small businesses, manufactured the conditions for a human rights complaint, and then leveraged that complaint to pursue a financial settlement from parties who were unsophisticated and unlikely to mount a proper defence,” read the ruling. The ruling orders Yaniv to pay $2,000 to each of the three beauty salons for “improper conduct” including using human rights law as a “weapon” for “extortion.”

On Jan. 7, the Justice Centre said Yaniv had launched a new complaint, against a salon run by immigrant women who are of the Sikh faith. The salon, She Point Beauty Studio in Surrey, B.C., said it was approached by Yaniv seeking services in August of last year, like Brazilian bikini waxing and leg waxing.

Eight more cameras to check intersection speeding ICBC and BC govt are activating eight more intersection cameras to issue automatic speeding tickets, with new Lower Mainland locations going live on Feb. 24.

Four of the new sites are in Surrey, with one in Langley and one in Delta, bringing the total to 35 high-accident urban intersections across the province.

ICBC operates a total of 140 intersection cameras, with the remaining ones issuing tickets by mail only for running red lights. The other two new locations are in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam.

The public safety ministry posted its latest statistics Monday, showing a steep increase in speeding tickets generated as more cameras were activated. From October to December 2019, 7,353 speeding tickets were mailed to registered owners of vehicles with a photo of their infraction. That is up from 2,370 from July to September when only five cameras were set for speeding.

The highest speed recorded by a camera from July to September was 174 km/h in an 80 km/h zone. The worst intersection speeder from October to December was recorded at 154 km/h in an 80 km/h zone.

With all 140 intersection cameras active for running red lights, a total of 20,907 automatic tickets were issued for that infraction from October to December.

The public safety ministry has indicated that it has no plans at this point to expand the speed camera locations beyond the 35 now identified. The speed-enabled cameras issue tickets over an undisclosed speed threshold, whether the light is red, amber or green.

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Extreme cold weather alert issued for Toronto The city’s medical officer of health has issued an extreme cold weather alert ahead of a massive temperature drop overnight.

Toronto will see a high of -5 C today but the temperature is expected to steadily drop until it hits around -17 C at around 7 a.m. on Saturday. Environment Canada says it will feel closer to -25 with the wind chill.

Extreme cold weather alerts are usually

issued when the daily forecast suggests temperatures will reach approximately -15 C or colder, or when the wind chill is forecast to reach -20 or colder. In addition to year-round 24-hour respite sites already open across Toronto, a warming centre will be open at Metro Hall starting tonight at 7 p.m. It will remain open until noon on the day the alert ends.

Calgary boy writes immigration minister in attempt to stop his family’s deportation A Calgary family is facing following years of court proceedings. deportation back to Sri Lanka even though “There are two Canadian born kids here two of their children were born in Canada. and the only options that my clients were The family’s eldest son, nine-year-old given is to put the Canadian-born into Maneth Fernando, foster care and go penned a letter back to Sri Lanka, to Minister of which is completely Immigration, Refugees unacceptable,” said and Citizenship Canada Udani Perera, the Marco Mendicino, in family’s lawyer. a last ditch effort to The couple and have Ottawa intervene. their first born son “Canada is a safe came to Canada Nishan Fernando, Sulakshana Hewage and their place with lots of good in 2012 after fleeing three children ahead of their scheduled deportation schools and my friends Sri Lanka. Fernando to Sri Lanka are here,” Maneth told told Canadian CTV News. “If I go immigration back, the kids in the officials that Sri Lankan schools will his uncle had laugh at me because I criminal ties and can only speak English.” he feared for his The letter, which family’s safety. appears below, indicates “We were seeking the boy is worried a safe place for my “something bad will kids and family,” happen” to his parents Fernando said. and younger siblings if According they’re sent back to Sri to documents Lanka — the country filed in Federal where he and his parents were born.

Court, the uncle was a “political fixer”, The couple, Nishan Fernando and wife “contract killer” and a “loan shark” Sulakshana Hewage, have two Canadianwho had ties to influential politicians. born children aged four years and 15 months.

The Canada Border Service Agency The uncle, who raised Fernando, has arranged to have the family fly has since been murdered. to Colombo, Sri Lanka March 3

Ontario Court of Appeal rules that Manulife doesn’t have to pay wife of violent Palestinian terrorist The wife of a notorious Palestinian terrorist who attacked an Israeli airliner has lost out on her bid to collect on her late husband’s life insurance because he failed to mention his unsavoury past when he took out the policy in 1987.

In overturning a lower court decision, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled against Fadia Khalil Mohammad given the important omission on his original application.

“It is a principle of long standing that an applicant for insurance has an obligation to reveal to the insurer any information that is material to the application,” the Appeal Court ruled. “The deceased knew that his past activities were relevant.”

Mahmoud Mohammad Issa Mohammad, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, made international headlines in 1968 when he and an accomplice attacked an El Al commercial aircraft at the airport in Athens. They threw grenades and fired live rounds, killing one person and destroying the plane.Mohammad was convicted in Greece of manslaughter and other offences but released after a hostage negotiation when other front members stormed another plane. He moved to Lebanon and then, under an alias, to

Canada in 1987 and settled in Brantford, Ont. After a publicized battle with immigration authorities, he was deported to Lebanon in 2013 and died from cancer in 2015. His wife, as sole beneficiary, sought to collect on the $75,000 policy issued decades earlier by the Manufacturers Life Insurance Company.

When he applied for the policy, Mohammad said he had just moved to Canada from Spain and provided a social insurance number, court records show. The application, however, did not ask about his citizenship or residency status, or any convictions. He made no mention of his nefarious past.

Khalil argued successfully before Superior Court last May that she should get the money. Justice Shaun O’Brien ruled that her late husband had not misrepresented his immigration status or failed to provide significant information about himself, because the insurance company had simply not asked those questions on the application form.

Manufacturers appealed, arguing O’Brien was wrong. The company maintained that Mohammad’s failure to disclose material facts had voided the policy. It relied on a clause that stated the company required “complete and accurate answers” and that it

LOCAL / NATIONAL

31 19

Ailing man spared deportation to China amid coronavirus outbreak A Toronto man who needs dialysis three times a week has been given a last-minute reprieve from being deported to China, which is battling a deadly coronavirus outbreak.

Ming Guo, 52 (pictured), was slated to be deported early next week but the Canada Border Services Agency informed his lawyer on Tuesday that the removal has been deferred and that his application for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds would be reassessed.

“Mr. Guo is to continue to abide by any terms and conditions imposed and attend any scheduled interviews with CBSA as required,” the agency said in a letter to the man’s lawyer.

Guo, who fled to Canada after the Tiananmen Square Massacre in Beijing in 1989, said he was relieved by the agency’s decision, which means he can continue caring for his ailing parents, both 85, in Canada.

“I want to thank the Toronto Star for writing about my case,” Guo said. “Also, I want to thank the legal clinic for helping me

fight this case. They gave me the chance to continue to stay here to look after my parents.”

Last Friday, Canada Border Services Agency announced it was temporarily deferring removals to Hubei province, where the majority of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus were identified. However, deportees who are deemed inadmissible to Canada for criminality, human rights violations and national security reasons continue to be subject to removal to Hubei.

On Tuesday, China reported 425 deaths and 20,438 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus. Outside mainland China, at least 180 cases have been confirmed.

Guo, who is from Liaoning province and suffers kidney failure, got his permanent resident status in 1993 under a special government program for Chinese dissidents. In 2011, he was arrested after trying to make a purchase with a credit card he found in a mall. As a result of the criminal conviction, he was ordered deported.

Homeowner escapes $12K firefighting bill after Edmonton amends bylaw An Edmonton man billed more than $12,000 after his house burned down won’t have to pay after all. That’s after city council amended a fire services bylaw Monday to provide clarity on which expenses should be covered by the fire department — and which should be the responsibility of homeowners. The amendment, which was passed unanimously, was brought forward

by Coun. Mike Nickel after the home of one of his constituents was badly damaged in a fire in October 2018. Woytek Stachowski was in the process of submitting his insurance claim when he received the $12,854.12 invoice that included items like a $2,200 vacuum truck, $285 work lights and even a $19 carbon tax charge.

Edmonton Fire Rescue Services said the bill was to cover higher-thannormal costs because the cellulose insulation used in the house meant it took extra work to extinguish the blaze.

Fire also had to hire a contractor to pull out the insulation. Stachowski said at the time his insurance company offered to pay

the bill but it would be deducted from his overall settlement. But that changed after council’s vote. “Some of the services were above and beyond, for vacuum services, for pulling out the cellulose, for shovels, for gloves and things like that, and his insurance wasn’t going to pay for it,” Nickel recapped.

“We determined today finally that yes, these services, if it’s fighting the fire, you’re not going to get an extra bill in the mail. It’s part of your taxes.”

The amendment will apply to four or five other similar situations where homeowners were billed, he said, but only amounts roughly $100,000 in costs for the city. “It’s just about common sense,” said Nickel. The amendment covers three specific expenses that were not previously referenced in the Fire Rescue Services Bylaw: Fencing to secure the property and prevent public from entering unsafe areas Heavy equipment and/or a trackhoe to move debris and prevents structures from falling outside of the secured area Vacuum truck services

20 32

National / Finance

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Report shows rental prices rising in Canada, in part because of short-term rentals A real estate listing site shows the average housing rental price in Canada has increased by 4.3 per cent year-over-year, and one expert says short-term rentals is one of the reasons why.

The Rentals.ca January 2020 report collected data from the rental listings posted to their site, which includes 30 cities and more than 12,000 rental listings of all property types. The national average rent is $1,854 per month and of Canada’s largest cities, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal saw the highest increases. Out of the three, Montreal renters had the highest increase at a 25 per cent rate hike across all property types (from an average of $1,286 per month to $1,611).

According to a University of McGill study released in 2019, Airbnb likely removed 31,100 units from the long-term rental market. Since the report, many cities have been advocating for stricter regulations when it comes to home-

sharing. Ontario’s provincial tribunal approved a bylaw in 2019 for Toronto that would limit hosts to renting out their entire home for a maximum of 180 nights per year.

Matt Danison, CEO of Rentals. ca spoke to CTVNews.ca Jan. 31 about the report and how shortterm rentals continue to be a factor.

“Short-term rentals have had a direct impact on the housing supply and prices have gone up ...

The regulations have been this snowball effect and for Toronto it can open up around 5,000 available units,” Danison said.

David Wachsmuth, professor of urban planning at McGill University, said although regulations are being introduced the shortterm rental market has not slowed down.

“In the three big cities [Toronto, Montreal,

Vancouver] you can see some progress but the flipside of that issue is that it is hitting medium-sized and smaller communities,” said Wachsmuth in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

Communities such as Victoria, Halifax and Charlottetown are among those affected by the shortage of rental units, which has created a challenge for their economies as they rely heavily on tourism.

Wachsmuth says home-sharing businesses bring a rise in tourists that while benefits the economy, doesn’t aid in the rental housing shortage.

“They don’t want to do anything that’s going to cut off the demand for visitors to come support their economy. Some of these smaller places, understandably, are trying to balance this issue in a way that hasn’t been as

much of a problem for bigger cities,” he said.

Since the rise of short-term rentals companies such as Airbnb, regulating the industry has been the subject of debate in municipalities across Canada. Calgary implemented a new policy in January 2020, that requires hosts to obtain a business licence before making their units available for short-term rental.

Wachsmuth says these regulations have been trying to crack down on landlords who are renting out properties through Airbnb and other home-sharing businesses that are solely used for short-term rentals; rather than those who only occasionally rent out their own homes.

“There’s been a shift to a focus on the things that municipalities and provinces have a good chance of figuring out, which is are you [landlords] running a short-term rental out of your home or is it a commercial operation that isn’t your principal residence.

Senate proposes new harassment policy, and a hotline after years of scandal After years of discussion and debate, the Senate has drafted a new harassment policy to address abuse by senators and staff in the upper house.

The Senate has been rocked by highprofile harassment scandals over the past decade: former Sen. Don Meredith’s sexual harassment of staff, a police constable and a teenage girl; allegations of questionable conduct by former Conservative Sen. Dan Lang and his former parliamentary affairs director; and alleged misconduct by Liberal Sen. Colin Kenny, among others.

The new policy is designed to root out abuse by tapping third-party investigators to depoliticize probes, and by enacting clear punishments to deter would-be harassers, said Sen. Raymonde Saint-Germain, chair of the subcommittee that drafted the new rules.

It’s the first major rewrite of the Senate’s harassment code in more than a decade.

“Harassment, violence and abuse of authority are not tolerated from anyone, at any time, in the Senate of Canada workplace,” the new policy states.

“Individuals at all levels and in all roles in the Senate are accountable for their actions and share a responsibility to ensure that conduct not conducive to a culture of respect is addressed promptly, fairly and effectively.”

The Senate’s subcommittee on human resources tabled a 23-page policy Thursday that gives complainants the option of going to an outside third-party independent investigator to lodge a complaint.

The Red Chamber also is launching an “anonymous harassment-prevention hotline,” to be run by an outside firm, so that people working in the Senate can report mistreatment without having to go through the existing Senate human resources bureaucracy.

Trade confidence among Canadian exporters falls to eight-year low Trade confidence among Canadian exporters fell to its lowest level in nearly a decade, Canada’s export credit agency said on Tuesday, as businesses wrestle with protectionist policies and fret about the global economy. In its biannual survey of 1,000 Canadian exporters, Export Development Canada (EDC) said its trade confidence index fell to 69.3% - the lowest level since 2012 and 6% below the survey’s historical average. “The results, an eight-year low in confidence, suggest a soft start is likely for Canada’s exports in 2020,” Stephen Tapp, EDC’s deputy chief economist, said in a statement. “Protectionism and concern about the global economy are key issues weighing on the minds of Canadian exporters.” Thirty percent of exporters polled said protectionism was affecting their global strategies, while nearly 90% said they expected protectionism to either stay the same or increase in 2020, the survey found. “Trade barriers are now

the No. 1 challenge, cited as a bigger problem than perennial issues, like finding skilled talent, logistics and financing,” Tapp said.

Meanwhile, 34% of respondents said they had been negatively affected by the U.S.-China trade dispute. The national telephone survey of small, medium and large-sized companies was conducted between Nov. 18 and Dec. 15, before the United States and China agreed to an initial Phase 1 trade deal in mid-January. [nL1N29L033] Closer to home, more than three-quarters of respondents told EDC they expect United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement (USMCA) to be ratified. The pending trade deal will update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Only 16% of respondents expressed a negative assessment of the deal, down from 34% in the previous survey, EDC said. Canada, which sends about 75% of its goods to USA, is the only one of the three signatories to not have formally blessed the USMCA deal.

US Commerce Department rules tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber could be greatly reduced Canadian softwood producers are getting a surprise break from the United States. …The Commerce Department ruled late on Monday that tariffs imposed on most Canadian lumber sold south of the border could be reduced, after conducting an administrative review of antidumping and countervailing duties applicable for 2017 and 2018. …“We expect Canadian lumber equities to respond positively to this news as these rate revisions were better than

most Canadian industry participants were expecting,” CIBC World Markets Inc. analyst Hamir Patel said. Details for the reasons behind the looming decrease in duties are to be released within days, but… “Canadian companies will not receive any refund or credit for the overpayment until the trade dispute is resolved,” he said. Still, the prospect of lower tariffs will be welcomed by the slumping forestry sector.

Saturday, February 8, 2020

PM Trudeau seeks to rescue faltering U.N. Bid on Africa Trip Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leaves for Africa on Thursday to revive what diplomats say is a faltering bid for a rotating seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Failure to win would be embarrassing for the Liberal Party leader. He came to power in November 2015 promising that “Canada is back” after nine years of a Conservative administration that was often suspicious of the world body and failed to win a council seat in 2010.

“The bid is not going well,” said a diplomatic source with direct knowledge of Canada’s campaign. The source requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation.

Canada, Ireland and Norway are vying for two seats that open up in 2021-2022. Voting will be held on June 17.

“It is a tight race; we’re facing strong competition. There’s a lot of work to be done,” said a second source, who is in the Canadian government.

Trudeau will meet African leaders in Addis Ababa at the annual African Union summit

before heading to Senegal.

Africa has 54 of 193 votes at the U.N., but senior Canadian government figures have largely ignored the continent since Trudeau first took office in 2015, as they focused on dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump and North American trade talks.

“Part of the reason Canada is not back is Donald Trump, pure and simple,” said Stephanie Carvin, an assistant professor of international affairs at Ottawa’s Carleton University. Last month Canada’s new Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne visited Morocco as well as Mali, where Canada had peacekeepers stationed for a year, and said he was cautiously optimistic about the bid. Canada though spends much less of its gross domestic product on foreign aid than Norway and Ireland. Successful campaigns also depend on lobbying envoys at the United Nations, where officials and diplomats said Canada’s Ambassador MarcAndre Blanchard was working effectively.

Canada to collect C$2.81 billion in direct revenue from federal carbon price in 2019-20 The Canadian government will collect billions of dollars in direct revenue from its federal carbon pricing system over the next four years, but most of the country’s households will still receive more in rebates than they initially pay, Canada’s budgetary watchdog said on Tuesday.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his then-majority Liberal government introduced a revenue neutral carbon pricing system in October 2018 as part of its pledge to combat climate change.

The policy includes a “backstop” that applies to five Canadian provinces whose own provincial climate plans the Trudeau government said did not meet federal standards, including Ontario - Canada’s most populous province - and energy-rich Alberta. Under the program, the majority of the proceeds from the fuel charge are returned directly to individuals and families

through rebates. On Tuesday, the Parliamentary Budget Officer said the Canadian government could expect to collect C$2.81 billion ($2.12 billion) in direct revenues in 2019-20 from its current C$20 per tonne price on carbon. Direct revenues, it noted, would rise to C$8.27 billion in 202223, with the carbon price increasing to C$50 per tonne.

An additional C$99 million will be collected this fiscal year through Canada’s federal sales tax, the PBO said, adding that figure is expected to triple by 2022-23. Households, the PBO said, can still expect to receive 90% of the revenues raised from the fuel charge proceeds and about 80% of total revenue collected via direct federal rebates.

“Under the federal government’s current rebate structure, most households will still receive more than what they pay in fuel charges,” said Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux.

Federal & provincial sales taxes will reduce benefits households get from carbon-tax rebate, PBO says A new analysis by Parliament’s budget watchdog has found that most households in provinces where the federal carbon tax applies will receive more money back in rebates than they will pay through the scheme — just not as much as projected last year.

“Under the federal government’s current rebate structure, most households will still receive more than what they pay in fuel charges,” parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux said Tuesday.

“However, once the provincial and federal sales taxes on carbon pricing are accounted for, these amounts will be lower on a net basis when compared with the analysis in our previous report.”

The finding, which comes nearly four months after the majority of Canadian voters cast their ballots for parties that favoured some form of carbon tax, appears to bolster the Liberal government’s argument that Canadians will not be negatively affected by the tax.Ottawa implemented a fuel surcharge last year of $20 per tonne of emissions on five provinces — Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario

and New Brunswick — that did not have carbon-pricing schemes of their own. New Brunswick has since implemented its own tax.

The federal government has written into law that 90 per cent of the revenues collected from the fuel charge will be returned to individual households in the provinces where the revenues were raised.in a report last April, the PBO estimated the carbon-tax costs and rebates for households in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick, and found the majority would come out ahead.

Alberta was excluded because the federal tax was imposed later on. It latest report adopted the same approach, and while the findings were similar, Giroux said the net gain for most households was lower because of the impact of provincial and federal sales taxes.

“Most households will receive higher transfers than amounts paid in fuel charges,” according to Giroux’s report. “However, by now accounting for the carbon cost embedded in the provincial and federal sales taxes, fewer households will be categorized as better off, on a net basis, in comparison with the analysis in the previous report.”

NATIONAL

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34

INDIA

Saturday, February 8, 2020 Budget 2020

Rs 4,400 crore allocated to curb pollution The government plans to shut down old, polluting power plants, and encourage states to draw up plans to combat air contamination with the help of an allocation of Rs 4,400 crore in this year’s budget, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

Many cities led by Delhi and Gurgaon are regularly listed among the world’s most polluted, with air quality frequently deteriorating to alarmingly hazardous levels, which have triggered a public outcry.

The FM said the government encourages states that have formulated and implemented

plans to ensure cleaner air and will provide incentives to them.

“Parameters for the incentives would be notified by the ministry of environment, forests and climate change,” she said.

The FM also announced the closure of outdated thermal plants whose carbon emission levels are high. Sitharaman said the utilities running these plants will be advised to close them, if their emission levels are above the preset norms. The land vacated will be put to alternate use, she said.

As retail price falls, 7,000 tonnes of imported onions rot at port: Report As onion prices cool down, 7,000 tonnes of imported onions have been rotting for about a month, in container freight stations (CFSs) at Navi Mumbai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), The Hindu BusinessLine has reported. According to the report, importers are in no hurry to clear their consignments as the landed cost of onions is way above than the local market prices. Onion prices has plummeted sharply with the key kitchen staple now reportedly selling for Rs 23 per kilogram in the wholesale market. The landed cost of the imported bulbs works out to be Rs

45 per kg. This has led importers to go slow on clearing consignments from the CFSs. They now want shipping companies to waive certain charges so that their landed costs come down, the report said citing sources.

Onion is grown during both Kharif (summer) and Rabi (winter) seasons. The Agriculture Ministry had recently said that there was around 22 percent damage in Kharif onion crop due to late monsoon and excess rainfall later — which led to supply constraints and a sharp rise in prices. ‘

Weak growth to pull down Indian rupee, coronavirus fears to impinge: Reuters poll The battered Indian rupee will weaken further against the dollar over the coming year as a significant pickup in economic growth is unlikely, according to a Reuters poll of strategists who said the coronavirus outbreak was a downside risk. While Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das has said reviving growth was a ‘national objective’ in coordination with the government, the latest

budget provided only minimal support to the slowing economy. That comes as a deadly coronavirus epidemic that is spreading globally has spooked investors and sent them rushing for cover into safe-haven assets and shunning emerging markets. A wider Reuters poll showed fear will keep the U.S. dollar, which has dominated for around two years, on top well into 2020 as well as the yen and Swiss franc -

Finance Minister’’s budget proposals get highest-ever rating since 2013 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’’s marathon Budget 2020 speech that ran into two hours and 40 minutes with proposals covering all sectors of the economy seems to have gone down well with people, with majority of them giving it the highest approval rating in the last eight years.

According to an IANS-CVoter post-budget poll, a majority of the respondents has given the Budget 2020-21 a rating of 7.1 on a scale of 1-10. This is the highest rating a budget has got since 2013, when the budget proposals of the UPA government got a rating of mere 4.4.

The high rating for the budget 2020-21 is

largely on account of budget proposals regarding tax incentives for the salaried class and the rural economy, including infrastructure sectors.

The post-budget poll noted that 2020 approval rating of 7.1 even surpassed the first budget of Modi 2.0 last year which got a rating of 7.0. In fact, ever since coming to power in 2014, the budget rating of the Modi government has remained in the healthy zone.

The survey said that while the budget of 2014 got an approval rating of 4.8, it moved up to 6.6 the next year. The decline started thereafter with rating falling to 6.3 in 2016, 5.2 in 2017 and 4.7 in 2018.

7th Pay Commission: What CG employees got and what they did not get The Union Budget 2020 turned out to be a damp squib where the 7th Pay Commission is concerned. There were reports in various outlets that claimed that there would be a DA hike or a pay hike. 7th Pay Commission: What CG employees got and what they did not get Where Do The Richest Americans Live? Sponsored Where Do The Richest Americans Live? Mansion Global This

smartwatch conquers Canada by storm Sponsored This smartwatch conquers Canada by storm trendy-gadgets.net However OneIndia had said clearly that CG employees should expect nothing from the Budget. 7th Pay Commission: Why CG employees will get nothing in the Union Budget 2020 Meanwhile there has been some major relief for Income Tax payers in the Union Budget 2020.

Bollywood actor Rajinikanth throws weight behind CAA, NPR Supestar from South Rajinikanth threw his weight behind the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act and asserted that the legislation did not pose any threat to Muslims while backing the National Population Register exercise as “very essential.”

The actor’s remarks did not go down well with the opposition, led by

the DMK, which alleged he was echoing the views of the BJP and Sangh Parivar. The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu welcomed his stand that he would back Muslims if they were affected by the CAA, saying it was its policy too. In his first reaction after the amendment to the Citizenship Amendment Act .

Goa MLA arrested for ‘threatening’ BJP leader Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte was arrested by Goa Police on Wednesday night for allegedly threatening a state BJP spokesman, an official said. He was later granted bail in the wee hours of Thursday, he said. Goa BJP spokesman Premanand Mahambrey on Wednesday filed a police complaint against Khaunte for allegedly threatening him. He also submitted the

complaint to state Assembly Speaker Rajesh Patnekar.“Khaunte was arrested from his residence at Porvorim in North Goa district around midnight and later released on bail,” Deputy Superintendent of Police said.

The MLA was placed under arrest after Goa Police approached the Assembly Speaker, seeking his consent for the legislator’s arrest.

AB InBev CFO Dutra to step down, Ambev’s Tennenbaum to replace him Belgium-based beer maker Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI.BR) said on Wednesday that Chief Financial Officer Felipe Dutra would step down and be replaced by Fernando Tennenbaum, the CFO of its Brazilian unit, Ambev SA (ABEV3.SA).

Tennenbaum will also join the executive committee of the company that makes Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois. Dutra, who was CFO for almost 15 years, will remain with the company during a transition period, the company said. Ambev, Latin America’s largest brewer, said in a statement that its new CFO

would be Lucas Lira, who is currently Global VP Finance, M&A of Anheuser-Busch InBev. Brazil was AB InBev’s second-largest market behind the United States as of late last year and the company saw its volume drop by 3% in that market in the third quarter. The company has been selling assets and listed its Asian business in Hong Kong in September.

It also named David Almeida as chief strategy and technology officer and Nelson Jamel as chief people officer.

FM introduces Bill to resolve disputed direct tax cases Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today introduced in the Lok Sabha a Bill seeking to provide for resolution of disputed tax cases —“Direct Tax Vivad Se Vishwas Bill, 2020 — amid “vivad” (dispute) over its name and intention.

Introducing the Bill, the FM said the scheme will not be an open-ended scheme and can be availed for a limited time. It aims to build trust and seeks to provide a formula-based solution without any discrimination, she said. It will also reduce the litigation expenditure for the government and help in generating revenue, she said Opposing its introduction, Congress

leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said by giving it a Hindi name the government was trying to impose the language on the country and also hurt the tax collection. Echoing the sentiments, his party colleague Shashi Tharoor said the Bill violated principle of equality by equally treating honest and dishonest taxpayers.

In her Budget speech on February 1, Sitharaman announced Vivad se Vishwas scheme to resolve 483,000 direct tax disputes pending in various tribunals. Under the scheme, taxpayers whose tax demands are locked in dispute in multiple forums can pay due taxes

by March 31, 2020, and get complete waiver of interest and penalty.

PUNJAB

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Court fines state Rs 50,000 for bias against principal Rapping the state government and its functionaries for making a scapegoat out of a principal in its attempt to ensure promotion for another employee, the High Court has slapped costs of Rs50,000.

Making it clear that the amount was to be paid to the petitioner-principal within 45 days, Justice Jitendra Chauhan also ruled that an inquiring authority was barred from calling witnesses or cross-examine them and the inquiry officer in the matter displayed overzealousness to indict the petitionerprincipal. The petitioner, Laxmi Devi, was seeking the quashing of order dated September

18, 2014, passed by respondent-Principal Secretary, Department of Education, wherein a punishment of stopping two increments with cumulative effect was inflicted.

Appearing on her behalf, counsel Gagneshwar Walia submitted the ACRs of the respondent-employee were recorded below average by the petitioner being principal. As a result, she was found ineligible to be promoted to the next higher post. As a counter-blast, she lodged a false complaint against the petitioner alleging that her ACRs had been subsequently changed.

Time to rework seat-sharing with Akalis, says BJP leader State BJP core group member and former Cabinet Minister Madan Mohal Mittal on Wednesday said the party would ask its alliance partner in the state SAD to spare 59 seats during the Assembly elections this time. Mittal said the party had 23 seats to date while the major share used to go in the SAD kitty. The BJP has always been allotted three of 13 Lok Sabha seats and 23 of 117 Vidhan Sabha seats by its ally. Mittal, who accompanied by his son Arvind Mittal, held meetings in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act in different villages, said till now, the SAD was playing the role of an elder brother but now it’s time for a role reversal.

After the Assembly elections, the party would also claim a bigger share in the Lok Sabha seats, he added. Claiming that the present seat sharing was not justified, Mittal said the BJP in Punjab was in a much better situation than its counterpart in neighbouring Haryana, where the party formed the government for second

Woman & her brother-in-law arrested for aiding jailbreak Amritsar police arrested sister and brother-in-law of Gurpreet Singh and Jarnail Singh, two of the three undertrials who escaped the highsecurity Jail on February 2, for sheltering and providing financial help to the trio after the jailbreak incident.

The arrested are Paramjit Kaur of Chohla Sahib and Sukhwinder Singh of Vain Poin village in Tarn Taran district.

Commissioner Sukhchain Singh Gill said during the probe, the police found that Paramjit met her brothers on November 21, 2019, in the Central Jail.

They told her that they would escape from the jail. The duo suggested her to shift her rented house and arrange an accommodation for them. Paramjit left her rented place from Khadoor Sahib and took another house on rent at Chohla Sahib to shelter her brothers.

Man arrested with 1.2-kg heroin, two on the run A team of Special Task Force (STF) against drugs, Sangrur, arrested one person and seized 1.20 kg of heroin on Tuesday evening. The team officials said two accomplices of the arrested accused managed to flee from the spot.

“On a tip-off, we arrested Harminder Singh from near Samundgarh Chhanna T point and confiscated 1.20 kg of heroin. The market value of the confiscated heroin is worth Rs5 crore.

We are conducting raids to arrest the remaining accused, including Rahul Kumar and Sukhdev Singh, who escaped in another car,” said Ravinder Bhalla, inspector, Special Task Force.

time in a row. “Still, we have not been allotted even a single seat in many districts, including Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Nawanshahr, Mansa, Bhatinda, Sangrur, Barnala, Faridkot, Muktsar and Moga,” he added.

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Locust threat not over yet, crop on 30-lakh acres hit in Rajasthan After wreaking havoc on agricultural fields in Rajasthan, locusts may spread over to Punjab and Haryana that share boundary with Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh, warned experts. Sriganganagar MP Nihal Chand said 12 Rajasthan districts were badly affected by locusts. He claimed that standing crops spread over 30 lakh acres were affected by the menace. He also said that farmers had suffered a loss of about Rs700 crore.

“The farmers in the border regions suffered heavy losses due to hailstorm and untimely rain when kharif crop was at harvest stage and now locust swarms were damaging rabi crops.

The state government has not effectively tried to tackle the problem that emerged as a disaster. Besides the state government, the Centre should also take necessary steps to tackle the menace, he demanded.

Punjab recently managed to avert locust attack in several villages of Fazilka. A 3-kmlong swarm of locusts had devoured mustard

crop and settled on sheesham and kikar trees.

It took multiple government agencies and local villagers to fight the insects. Residents of Rupnagar and Bareka villages in Khuian Sarwar block of Fazilka, first saw the swarm and alerted the district administration.

The emergency response team of the Agriculture Department was rushed to the affected villages and an operation to eliminate the swarm was launched. Hundreds of litres of insecticides were sprayed on the 450 affected trees through high-velocity sprayers.

Locusts were spotted in Sivana, Muradwala, Chananwala, Khanpur and Nejeke villages of Fazilka. The state has already sounded high alert along villages bordering Rajasthan and Pakistan.

Earlier, PAUscientists had said weather was adverse for locusts and the insect would not be able to survive in intense cold. But the same cannot be said now with the state witnessing rise in temperature.

36

INDIA

Saturday, February 8, 2020

PM Modi one of the world’s best leaders: American billionaire Ray Dalio Prime Minister Narendra Modi who delivered the keynote address at Saudi Arabia’s flagship annual investor meeting recently has been lauded as “one of the best” leaders in the world by billionaire founder and influential global investor Ray Dalio.

“In my opinion, Indian’s Prime Minister Modi is one of the best, if not the best, leaders in the world,” Dalio posted on his official Twitter account on Thursday. Dalio founder, co-chairman and co-chief investment officer of Bridgewater Associates conducted an on-stage discussion after Prime Minister Modi’s keynote address at the third iteration of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) event, which is also known as the “Davos in the Desert” as it draws high

profile participants including political leaders from various countries.

The American billionaire investor posted on Twitter a video of his sit-down discussion with Modi. “I had an opportunity to explore with him how he thinks as well as what he thinks,” Dalio tweeted about his conversation with the prime minister on October 29. The hedge fund billionaire Dalio, who has talked about learning how to meditate after being influenced by the Beatles who studied it in India in the 1960s, quizzed the prime minister about his meditation practice, his thought process and how that pertained to looking at the world itself.

India aims to double defence exports in five years amid resource crunch India wants to double defence exports over the next five years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday, as the country seeks to cut its import bill amid a funding crunch that has forced successive governments to go slow on new orders. “For several years India has been a net importer of defence products.

We have taken measures to change it since 2014,” Modi said in the city of Lucknow, addressing the inaugural ceremony of India’s 11th defence expo. “Our aim is to increase exports of defence products to five billion

dollars in five years,” Modi said, adding India exports about 170 billion rupees ($2.4 billion) of defence products.India’s defence export ambitions are soaring as Asia’s third largest economy suffers its worst slowdown in decades with the country’s economic growth dropping to 4.5% in July-September quarter – its lowest quarterly growth in six years.

Between 2013 and 2017, India was the world’s top arms importer, accounting for 12% of total imports globally, with Russia, Israel and the United States among the top suppliers.

Kia in talks over moving $1.1 billion auto plant to Andhra Pradesh - sources South Korea’s Kia Motors is discussing with the Indian state of Tamil Nadu the possibility of moving a $1.1 billion plant out of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh only months after it fully opened, due to policy changes last year, sources close to the talks told Reuters.

Kia inaugurated the Andhra plant, its first in the world’s fifth-largest car market, in December after two years of construction. It has an annual capacity of some 300,000 units and created 12,000 direct and indirect jobs.

However, Kia is now in talks with the nearby state of Tamil Nadu, home to many major autoparts suppliers, about

potentially relocating the plant, a senior state government official and a second source familiar with the discussions said. “(Kia) are facing problems (in Andhra Pradesh), they have been in preliminary negotiations with us ... There is a secretary-level meeting next week, we might have more clarity then,” the official told Reuters on Wednesday. Kia said in a statement it has a long-term commitment to the Indian market and it aims to utilize the full capacity of its Andhra plant “before considering further expansion”.

India enter final after thrashing Pakistan by 10 wickets in U-19 World Cup Yashasvi Jaiswal batted like a man among boys while Kartik Tyagi reminded Pakistan of Waqar Younis’ toe-crushing yorkers as defending champions India walloped their arch-rivals by 10 wickets to enter their seventh ICC U-19 World Cup final here on Tuesday. The gulf in class between the two sides was evident as Indian bowlers collectively choked Pakistan to a paltry 172 in 43.1 overs. Left-handed opener Jaiswal then showed his class with an unbeaten knock of 105 off 113 balls, with an equally graceful Divyansh Saxena (59 not out off

99 balls) supporting him in an easy chase completed in only 35.2 overs.

“It’s a dream come true for me. To be able to do this for my country is a great feeling.

To score a hundred against Pakistan in a World Cup semi-final is something I can’t put into words,” Jaiswal, who hit eight fours and four sixes, said after winning the ‘Player of the Match’ award.

India thus maintained their supremacy over Pakistan at the age-group and senior level in ICC tournaments—both men and women.

As govt sets aside Rs 6,000 crore for BharatNet in the Union Budget, the industry rejoices Digital is the way forward and that is clear from the government’s attempt to boost the country’s digital infrastructure. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced that the government will set aside ₹6,000 crore for BharatNet, a step towards ensuring that the internet reaches every home. While the digital ecosystem has already been seeing an impressive growth in the country these past few years, this step will further bolster the growth, giving digitalbacked businesses a huge boost. Moreover, the government also intends to build data centre parks throughout the country to focus on new age technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT).

Digital stakeholders from the industry were quick to acknowledge the boost that the move will give the entire ecosystem and came out together to laud the government’s move. Here are some voices from the industry sharing their enthusiasm. Budget 2020 is a promising step towards establishing India’s future as an enduring digital economy. The increased focus on improving data connectivity under Bharat Net, steps to boost the smartphone manufacturing industry and the Rs 8,000Cr allocation for the National Mission on Quantum Computing & Technology will help build better digital infrastructure to support this sector’s rapid growth.

India guards against virus at car show dominated by Chinese firms India will press ahead with its biennial auto show this week with local staff replacing representatives of Chinese automakers that will showcase cutting-edge electric vehicles and connected cars despite travel disruption from the caronavirus outbreak. With the death toll from the virus outbreak in China nearing 500 and cases of the disease spreading across the globe, organisers of the show are reassuring visitors that officials arriving from

China will not be in attendance. “There will be no visitors or delegations from China at the Motor Show 2020,” Rajan Wadhera, president of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the show organiser, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Chinese companies have confirmed their booths would be staffed by Indian representatives or employees, he said.

Saturday, February 8, 2020

37

PAKISTAN

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Saturday, February 8, 2020

PM Khan promises to buy palm oil from Malaysia after India cuts import over Kashmir comment Prime Minister Khan thanked Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad for “speaking up” on the Kashmir issue and promised to do his best to buy more Malaysian palm oil to “compensate” it after India restricted the import of the commodity from the country amid a diplomatic row. “You have spoken for the justice for Kashmiris, for which we are thankful,” Khan said during a joint press conference with his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir. “We noticed that India threatened Malaysia for supporting the

Kashmir cause by cutting their palm oil import, Pakistan will do its best to compensate for that,” he was quoted as saying by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan. Indonesia and Malaysia are the two countries which supply palm oil. Malaysia produces 19 million tonnes of palm oil in a year, while Indonesia produces 43 million tonnes, according to trade data. India, the world’s largest importer of vegetable oils, buys nearly 15 million tonnes annually. Pakistan bought 1.08 million tonnes of palm oil from Malaysia in 2019, while India bought 4.4 million

Judge strips terrorist of US citizenship at govt request highest-profile terrorism cases after the Sept.

11 attacks. Faris met with Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and worked with Sept. 11 architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, although some critics questioned how realistic the plot was, given post-Sept. 11 security in New York.

The government argued that Faris lied on immigration papers before becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1999 and that his terrorist affiliations demonstrated a lack of commitment to the U.S. Constitution.

A federal judge has stripped a terrorist of his naturalized U.S. citizenship, siding with the government in the case of a Pakistan-born man convicted more than 15 years ago of plotting to destroy New York’s Brooklyn Bridge.

Defendant Iyman Faris, once a truck driver in Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced in 2003 for aiding and abetting al-Qaida by scoping out the bridge as part of a plot to cut through cables that support it. His case was among the first and

Woman cuts off rapist’s penis as he tries to attack her A woman cut off man’s penis as he allegedly tried to rape her. The woman told police she was alone in her house in District Faisalabad, Punjab when the alleged attacker entered inher house. The 25-year-old claims the man began attempting to rape her, prompting her to run to the kitchen and grab knife in self-defense. She

then proceeded to cut off the alleged rapist’s penis, police official Ilyas said. The man, 28, was rushed to the Civil Hospital Faisalabad where he received medical treatment for his injuries.

It is understood he has since been released.

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FIJI

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Two Fijians in isolation showing no symptoms of Coronavirus Health Minister, Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete says the two Fijian citizens who have been placed in isolation at the Nadi Hospital after their arrival into Fiji from Guangdong in China, are recovering well and

showing no symptoms of Novel Coronavirus now. Doctor Waqainabete confirms that the test results for the two will be received tomorrow evening. He says they are isolating people to make sure there is no threat.

Chinese Embassy says no reason to close Fijian borders while Fiji stresses it is mitigating the risk of an outbreak The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Suva has said in a statement there was no reason for the Fijian government to close its borders to travellers who have been in China however Fiji says it has decided on this measure of extreme precaution to mitigate the risk of an outbreak in our country.

As part of the preventative measures in place to contain the Novel Coronavirus, Fiji has banned foreign nationals, who have been in Mainland China within 14 days of their intended travel to Fiji. A Chinese Embassy spokesperson says they hope that the Fijian

Government should minimize the negative impact on the movement of people as much as possible. They stress that the Chinese Government and people are making every effort to fight the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The spokesperson says they have taken the most comprehensive and rigorous containment and mitigation measures, and many of them go well beyond the requirements of the International Health Regulations. The Chinese Embassy says by doing so, China is not only protecting the health of its people, but also that of people around the world, including Fiji.

Indian national seeks review of her 11 and half year jail snetnece An Indian National who was sentenced to 11 and half years jail for attempting to export illicit drugs and unlawful possession of cocaine in Fiji is seeking review of Supreme Court’s judgment delivered in November, 2016.

The Supreme Court had upheld the judgments of the Fiji Court of Appeal and the High Court regarding Balaggan’s conviction and sentencing.

The matter was called before Acting Chief

Justice, Kamal Kumar.

Justice Kumar has granted leave for amended petition to be filed for the review of the Supreme Court judgment.

Muskan Balaggann (pictured) was represented by Suva lawyer, Pravesh Sharma.

Justice Kumar has given the two parties time till 3rd April this year to file submissions and responses and thereafter a judgment will be delivered on notice.

Roy Krishna’s double for ATK sinks Jamshedpur 3-0 Fiji soccer star, Roy Krishna scored twice as his ATK team beat Jamshedpur 3-0 in the Indian Super League this morning. Krishna scored his first goal

in the 2nd minute and then struck again in the 75th minute. Since moving to India, Krishna has scored 10 goals and is the third highest goal scorer.

The win also sees Krishna’s ATK team move to 1st in the Indian Super League.

Man jailed for more than 8 years for raping coworker A 43-year-old man has been jailed for 8 years and 10 months for raping and sexually assaulting a fellow employee in March last year. The man was a supervisor in a security company and on the day of the incident, the woman who is also a security guard was on night shift at a building in Suva.

The man took advantage of the situation and raped the woman when he visited the building for a routine check at around 2

o’clock in the morning.

The woman reported the matter to Police at the first available opportunity.

In his sentence, Justice Aruna Aluthge said the woman was new to her job and to that building and the man exploited her vulnerability to satisfy his lustful demands.

A non-parole period of 6 years has been set.

FICAC & Auditor General’s Office make opposing statements on 2010 audit of Rewa Dairy consultancy contract The Office of the Auditor General will not make any further comments about the 2010 Auditor General’s report on the Rewa Dairy consultancy contract for now. However it continues to stand by it’s statement that FICAC’s statement that Auditor General’s Report of 2010 “was not reliable as the report lacked a detailed inquiry and was based on a single person’s vague response” is factually incorrect. The Auditor General’s Office is referring to the news report where FICAC has determined that “the complaint lodged by the Opposition Leader Sitiveni Rabuka against Rewa Dairy Cooperative Limited

has no merit and warrants no further action or proceedings by the Commission.”They have also stated that the Auditor General is also responsible for the audit of the financial statements of FICAC. The office also says the Petition and Affidavit for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court were filed by the petitioners, Aliz Pacific & Nur Bano Ali v Auditor General and Attorney General with the Supreme Court on 9th January this year and served on the solicitors of the Office of the Auditor General on 10th January.The office says fresh instructions have been issued to their solicitors to represent

SOUTH ASIA

Saturday, February 8, 2020

NRI DOJ sues US telecom providers for connecting Indian robocall scammers The US Department of Justice has filed lawsuits (PDF and PDF) against two small telecommunications providers that have allegedly connected hundreds of millions of fraudulent robocalls from Indian call centers to US residents. The feds want a New York federal judge to cut off the companiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; access to the US telephone network. The government says a judge has already issued a restraining order against one of the defendants. Fraudulent robocalls are a serious problem in the United Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the Justice Department says two US companies contributed significantly to the problem. Over a 23-day period in May and June of last year, for example, defendant TollFreeDeals connected 720 million calls

to US numbers. According to the Justice Department, 425 million of the calls lasted for one second or lessâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;suggesting that many were unwanted. The feds say that during those two months, TollFreeDeals connected 182 million calls from a single India-based call center. Of these calls, more than 90 percent appeared to come from one of 1,000 source numbers. And of those numbers, more than 80 percent have been associated with fraudulent robocalls.

Foreigners seeking to scam American consumers need access to the US telephone network. The two US companies sued by the Justice Department served as VOIPbased gateways between foreign call centers and US telephone network.

Modi govt all set to tax NRIs who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pay income tax in other countries Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has moved a proposal in the Union Budget aimed at taxing non-resident Indians (NRIs) who do not pay income tax in other countries, a move that will potentially affect those Indians residing in countries such as United Arab Emirates and Bahrain where no income tax is payable. The Modi government has also sought to tighten the definition of who will be considered an NRI to bring more such individuals under the tax net. The move is likely to generate widespread opposition from the diaspora, which the government has so far aggressively wooed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;An Indian citizen who is not liable to

tax in any other country or territory shall be deemed to be resident of India,â&#x20AC;? read the budget documents, effectively making these citizens liable to be taxed in India while reducing the number of days a person can stay in India in a year and still be considered an NRI. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is entirely possible for an individual to arrange his affairs in such a fashion that he is not liable to tax in any country or jurisdiction during a year.

This arrangement is typically employed by high net worth individuals (HNWI) to avoid paying taxes to any country/ jurisdiction on income they earn,â&#x20AC;? the memorandum that is part of the budget documents said defending the move.

Prime Minister of Nepal plans 2nd kidney transplant Nepalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday said he was planning to undergo a second kidney transplant as it was a better option than undergoing regular dialysis. Oli, 67, underwent kidney transplant in India in 2007 after both his kidneys failed. He

Shah was one of the highest-profile credit traders in Europe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was a well-liked and successful trader,â&#x20AC;? his two former colleagues were quoted as saying by the daily. Paras Shah had joined Citigroup in 2017 after working for seven years with HSBC. His suspension came weeks before Citigroup was due to pay bonuses to their senior staff.

There is no clarity on how many times Shah stole food from the canteen.

Shah, when contacted by the media, directed all questions to Citigroup. The group, meanwhile, declined to comment on the matter.

has been visiting hospitals abroad for health check-up ever since. Interacting with editors of major dailies of Nepal, Oli said that he was planning to have another kidney transplant. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After that I would be strong enough to run the government for remaining three years of my tenure,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Sri Lanka drops Tamil version of national anthem from Independence Day celebrations Sri Lanka on Tuesday dropped the rendering of the Tamil-version of the national anthem from its Independence Day ceremony for the first time since 2016, raising concerns over the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policy for national reconciliation after the end of the brutal civil war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

In his first address to the nation on the occasion of the 72nd National Day here,

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa however vowed there would be no discrimination. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As the president today, I represent the entire Sri Lankan nation irrespective of ethnicity, religion, party affiliation or other differences,â&#x20AC;? he said. He said he would ensure civil freedoms like free press and the right to expression. At on Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ceremony, the national anthem was only sung in the Sinhala language. This was the first time since 2016 that there was no Tamil national anthem

Half of Malaysiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s banking assets to be Islamic in next decade Malaysia can expect half of its banking assets to be Islamic by 2030 as the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth outpaces conventional banking, according to a lendersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; association.

Loans that comply with the religionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ban on interest is set to increase by 10% to 15% annually over the next five years, outpacing the 5% to 7% growth seen for non-Islamic loans, said Adissadikin Ali, president of the Association of Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions Malaysia, or Aibim. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The name of the game in Islamic finance is differentiation,â&#x20AC;? he said in an interview in Kuala Lumpur. Consumers are becoming more familiar with Shariah-compliant products, he added. Moreover, the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus on values-based financing, which calls for protecting people and the planet, will help spur demand amid growing interest in ethical

High-paid Indian banker in London fired for stealing food from office canteen A high-profile Indian banker in London was suspended by Citigroup after he was accused of stealing food from the office canteen.

Paras Shah, who was apparently earning a handsome seven-digit salary (in British pounds), was suspended after he stole food from the canteen at Citibankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s European headquarters in Canary Wharf, London. In Indian currency, Shah took home almost Rs 9.2 crore per year.

According to Financial Times, 31-yearold Shah abruptly left his post last month as Citiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head of high-yield bond trading for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, after being accused of food theft.

41

investing, he said. Malaysia, which pioneered Islamic finance in the 1980s, set a target for Islamic banking assets to reach 40% of the total industry by 2020. That proportion has only reached 31% as of 2018, equivalent to 916.7 billion ringgit ($224 billion), according to the central bank.

Adissadikin, who is also Chief Executive Officer at RHB Islamic Bank Bhd., said heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s confident of his 50% forecast for 2030 even if Malaysia falls short of its 2020 goal. The signs can be seen in the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest banks, he said, with Malayan Banking Bhd.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Islamic loans accounting for 61% of the total and RHB Bank Bhd.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ratio rising to 38%, from 26% in 2017. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Islamic banks are already on par with the conventional in Malaysia,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What you see in conventional, you can see in Islamic.â&#x20AC;?

NRI Reasons the Indian CEO keeps coming to the rescue IBM tapped Arvind Krishna as its next CEO last week. And this week WeWork confirmed it hired Sandeep Mathrani as its new chief executive. They join a growing number of global CEOs of Indian origin, according to social media, news reports and online searching (incidentally, Google is run by an Indian). Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s who I came VQ XJUI t 4IBOUBOV /BSBZFO "EPCF t SundarPichai, Alphabet, the parent company PG (PPHMF t 4BUZB /BSBZBOB /BEFMMB .JDSPTPÄ&#x2122; t 3BKFFW 4VSJ /PLJB t 1VOJU 3FOKFO %FMPJUUF t 7BTBOU i7BTw /BSBTJNIBO /PWBSUJT t"KBZQBM i"KBZw 4JOHI #BOHB .BTUFSDBSE

t *WBO .BOVFM .FOF[FT %JBHFP t /JSBK 4 4IBI 8BZGBJS t 4BOKBZ .FISPUSB .JDSPO t (FPSHF ,VSJBO /FU"QQ t/JLFTI "SPSB 1BMP "MUP /FUXPSLT t %JOFTI $ Paliwal, Harman International Industries.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve broken down some of these factors with the intention that the lessons within might apply to all of us.

Among them: 1. An acceptance of change and uncertainty.

Every company is grappling with some form of disruption.

Now picture India, a country of more than 1 billion people, dozens of languages, uneven infrastructure.

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Saturday, February 8, 2020