www.theasianstar.com
Vol 19 - Issue 52
Saturday, January 25, 2020
USA stops ‘birth tourism’
What about Canada? A new Trump administration regulation that will make it harder for some pregnant women to receive tourist visas, first reported by Axios, is now in the Federal Register and will go into effect on Friday. Why it matters: It is one of the first efforts by the Trump administration to chip away at the ability of foreigners to take advantage of birthright citizenship. The regulation officially disallows the use of visitor visas for birth tourism, although it leaves the enforcement of the change up to the discretion of a consular officer. “The most troubling effect of this regulation is likely to be on women coming to the United States to give birth because of a medical need,” wrote Migration Policy Institute’s Sarah Pierce on Twitter.
Canada ranks 12th, India 14th in the list of most powerful countries on Earth The US, Russia, and China remain the planet’s most powerful countries even as other countries have seen their positions fall, according to this year’s global power rankings. The rankings, published by US News and World Report, look at how the influence of a nation, as well as its political, economic, and military power. The rankings are part of its annual “Best Countries” study, which evaluates 80 countries based on responses from 21,000 people. These are the world’s 25 most powerful nations, according to the 2020 rankings: 1. USA - The US retains its position as the world’s most-powerful country. US News calls it “the world’s most dominant economic and military power” and notes now its “cultural imprint spans the world” thanks to its production of movies, TV, and music. It also noted that President Donald Trump’s positions on immigration and trade “have raised questions around the world, including from the country’s closest allies, about the nation’s future course on the global stage.” 2. Russia warships and aircraft that launched missiles at practice
Continued on page 6
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BC prepares for outbreak of coronavirus, as Chinese authorities shut down travel out of Wuhan As Chinese authorities restrict travel out of Wuhan, the epicentre of a new coronavirus that has caused the deaths of at least 17 people and spread to other countries, health officials say they wouldn’t be surprised to see a small number of cases turn up in B.C. However, they do believe the province’s health system is wellequipped to identify and contain any instances of the virus, which causes respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia, that do appear. “I think we’re very sensitive to coronaviruses in Canada, having lived through the experience that we did with SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), and I think our health-care system and our public health system has come a long way since then,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer. “We’ve been highly vigilant for the last little while, we’re increasing awareness. I am confident that our health-care systems can deal with importation of a few cases of this.” Continued on page 7
First case of coronavirus in North America is in nearby Everett A resident of Washington state who returned from a trip to China last week has been diagnosed with the new coronavirus that has sickened hundreds in China, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Tuesday. The man returned to the Seattle area in the middle of last week after travelling to Wuhan in central China, where the outbreak began. The Snohomish County resident is in his 30s and was in
good condition Tuesday at a hospital in Everett, outside Seattle. He’s not considered a threat to medical staff or the public, health officials told reporters on a conference call. “This is certainly not a moment of panic or high anxiety,” Gov. Jay Inslee said later at a news conference. Officials are now tracing the man’s movements and contacts in China and the U.S.
Lyft, Uber waste little time launching in Vancouver Ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft launched in Vancouver Friday morning. At a news conference, Lyft general manager Peter Lukomskyj said his company’s initial operating area will be restricted to the core of Vancouver, bounded by Dunbar Street to the west, Victoria Drive to the east and 41 Avenue to the south. It will also service the Pacific National Exhibition and Vancouver International Airport. Lukomskyj said the area would expand as the company attracted more drivers. Uber’s operating
area includes a much bigger swath of Metro Vancouver, including Coquitlam, Surrey, Delta, West and North Vancouver. In a news release, Uber said it would expand its operating area “as soon as more drivers complete the permit requirements. The launch of both companies comes less than 24 hours after the Passenger Transportation Board (PTB) announced it had approved ridehailing. Taxi association fighting back Continued on page 6
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www.theasianstar.com
Vol 18 - Issue 52
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Police seize nearly 50 kilos of drugs in Surrey The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C. says it has made one of its largest drug busts in recent years, here in Surrey, seizing roughly 50 kilograms of “combined suspected drugs” including 38 kilograms of heroin, 10 kilograms of imitation Percocet – both believed to contain fentanyl – as well as 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine. Police say this has taken perhaps millions of deadly doses of fentanyl and other drugs off the streets. Sergeant Brenda Winpenny said Monday B.C.’s integrated anti-gang unit observed on Jan. 8 what they believed “was a significant drug transaction taking place.” She said officers tried to stop a vehicle near Highway 10 and 130th Street in Newton. Unsuccessful, they called the Surrey RCMP, Air One and the Lower Mainland District Police Dog Services for help. Winpenny said the vehicle was then found in South Surrey, near 130th Street
and 34th Avenue, along with another vehicle. “With numerous specialized units now engaged, officers observed a drug transaction take place and were able to intercept the drugs while these individuals attempted to evade being caught,” she said. “The vehicle was stopped a ahort distance away. Despite attempting to avoid detection, the two individuals in the vehicle were arrested.” Winpenny said six other search warrants were executed in the Lower Mainland. “In addition to the almost 50 kilograms of drugs, also seized is approximately $20,000 in cash and three firearms.” She said the two men who were arrested have been released without charges as the CFSEU-BC’s investigation continues. Meantime, Paul Dadwal, CFSEU-BC’s acting chief officer, said that while police “have a lot” of investigative work ahead of them, “We have been able to, at the very least, take tens of thousands, if not millions, of potentially deadly doses of fentanyl and other drugs off the streets.”
Tel:604-591-5423
Uber says it’s been servicing North Surrey since 8:00 am, last Friday There’s uber confusion over Uber operating in parts of Surrey Friday, despite Mayor McCallum vowing to deny such ride-hailing companies business licences here. Uber launched its operation in Metro Vancouver on Jan. 24, with North Surrey included in its service map. Matt MacInnis, vice president of corporate communications for Uber, said that
pick-ups and drop-offs were available in parts of Surrey. “That’s as of 8 a.m. this morning,” he said Friday. “Pick-up can happen anywhere within the shaded area of the map.” “The app was live as of 8 a.m. this morning, if you look at the service map, we are servicing parts of Surrey right now,” she told the NowLeader on Friday morning. Continued on page 10
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OPINION
By Sylvain Charlebois Professor in Food Distribution and Policy Dalhousie University
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Feds ‘Buy Canadian’ food campaign could be a disaster
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is going into marketing. It wants you to buy Canadian. The federal government intends to spend $25 million over five years starting this summer to promote Canadian food products and instill pride in what our country can bring to our tables. This is a great idea. But promoting Canadian products may not be quite so simple. The idea is to tell the story of our food sector and highlight the advantages of Canadianmade food products. The initiative also intends to provide transparency so Canadians can understand how our products are made. The focus is to build public trust in our food sector and promote Canada’s brand, if it can be defined. The government is looking for a marketing firm to promote Canadian food products and honour the mandate put forward by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. To deliver on such an important task, the firm will need to rely on how we see Canada’s brand in food. But other than among a few bureaucrats, it’s unclear if there’s consensus on
the matter. It will require some clarification. It’s also unclear if the Buy Canadian initiative will support “Products of Canada” or products “Made in Canada” – there are subtle but important differences. “Products of Canada” means that all the noteworthy ingredients of a food product are Canadian and that nonCanadian material is insignificant. A “Made in Canada” product suggests the last step of processing occurred in Canada, regardless of where its ingredients came from. These two labels have Canadians confused about what food products are truly Canadian. The Buy Canadian campaign could support one, the other or both of these labels. Canadians could end up wondering what the campaign is actually supporting. Naturally, this could be about “Products of Canada.” But given our climate and the fact we can’t grow everything year round, some “Made in Canada” products are worthy of support since the processing required generates important manufacturing jobs here. But consumers need to know the difference.
But the “buy local” movement built by many provinces could further complicate things. Many provinces have been at it for years and, in some cases, decades. Foodland Ontario, Canada’s Food Island in Prince Edward Island and Aliments du Québec have all successfully promoted local products to their constituents. Because of these programs, buying local for many Canadians is about buying within a province or close to the city where they live. Adding a federal layer of marketing would only add more noise. And promoting Buy Canadian in some parts of the country, like Quebec, may not be the greatest idea. Just ask Walmart. Its Buy Canadian campaign was a disaster in la belle province. Perceived protectionism can also become an issue. As a trading nation, Canada can’t be seen as a country that gives an unfair advantage to domestically grown and produced food products. The Americans lost their case at the World Trade Organization when country of origin labelling was implemented a few years ago. Canadian cattle and hog producers will certainly remember. And then we have Canadian cuisine. It’s highly unlikely that poutine, shepherd’s pie, Nanaimo bars, donair, Hawaiian pizza and butter tarts – all intrinsically Canadian – would be part of this initiative. These Canadian recipes have endured the test of time. Perhaps it’s high time we promote Canadian cuisine and inspire our food industry to do more. Innovation takes many forms; it’s not just about carrots, tomatoes, Canadian beef or wheat. Promoting Canadian food should be about consumers and not just about farm gate issues. Farmers feed cities, but so do processors, distributors, grocers and the food service industry. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada doesn’t have the greatest reputation when it comes to serving the food industry. Farmers are often critical of our food systems. But other elements of the supply chain shouldn’t be forgotten. If this initiative is about promoting the industry and providing transparency, then processing, distribution and service need to be in scope.
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Saturday, December Saturday, January 28, 25, 2019 2020
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Saturday, January 25, 2020 From page 1
practice targets) Russia was also ranked 2nd last year.The scale of Russia is difficult to imagine,” US News said.”It is the world’s largest country by land mass – nearly twice as big as Canada, the world’s second-largest nation – and covers all of northern Asia and much of Eastern Europe. It shares land borders with more than a dozen countries, and shares sea borders with Japan and the United States.” 3. China China’s position has not changed since last year.US News says it is “home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations” and says it is “the world’s most populous” and is one of the world’s largest countries. 4. Germany Germany was also ranked 4th in 2019 “Germany, he most populous nation in the European Union, possesses one of the largest economies in the world and has seen its role
Canada ranks 12th, India 14th in the list of most powerful countries on Earth in the international community grow steadily since reunification,” US News said. 5. United Kingdom The UK was also ranked 5th last year.US News calls it “a highly developed nation that exerts considerable international economic, political, scientific and cultural influence.”It also noted the country’s vote to leave the European Union, and said this “ushered in anxiety about the country’s role on the global stage.” 6. France France’s position is unchanged compared to last year. US News said: “It is difficult to overstate the influence France has on the world, both in the past and today.”Located in Western Europe, France is one of the world’s oldest countries, and its reach extends around the globe through science, politics, economics and perhaps above
all, culture. Starting in the Middle Ages, France evolved through kingdom, empire and finally, into a republic. It was one of the first nations to champion the rights of the individual.” 7. Japan Japan was also ranked 7th last year.US News calls it “one of the world’s most literate and technically advanced nations.” 8. Israel Israel was also ranked 8th last year.”For its relatively small size, the country has played a large role in global affairs. The country has a strong economy, landmarks of significance to several religions and strained relationships with many of its Arab neighbors,” US News said. 9. South Korea South Korea was ranked 10th, one place lower, last year. US News noted the ongoing conflict with North Korea. 10. Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia fell one place compared to
last year, when it was ranked 9th. US News calls it the “giant of the Middle East” because of its landmass, and notes its importance for Muslims. “Millions of devout Muslims from around the world participate in a pilgrimage to Mecca each year.” 11. United Arab Emirates The UAE’s position is the same as it was in 2019.”While conservative at heart, the UAE is one of the Gulf ’s most liberal countries, with a constitution that allows for freedom of religion.” 12. Canada is in the same position it was last year.Canada is the second-largest country in the world by landmass, and US News says its “expansive wilderness to the north plays a large role in Canadian identity, as does the country’s reputation of welcoming immigrants.” 13. Switzerland rose one place compared to last year, when it was 14th.US News notes: “It’s one of the world’s wealthiest countries, and has been well-known for centuries for its neutrality.” 14. India rose three places compared to last year, when it was ranked 17th.Home to 1.4 billion people, India “is the world’s second most-populous nation after China, and has roughly one-sixth of the world’s population.”
Uber in Vancouver Carolyn Bauer, spokesperson for the Vancouver Taxi Association and general manager of Yellow Cab, said association members are extremely upset with the decision. “This is going to be financially devastating for the taxi industry and the families that have built their lives around this industry,” Bauer said Friday on The Early Edition. Uber operating area in Metro Vancouver. (Uber) Bauer said the association is pursuing a judicial review and requesting the PTB put a brief stay on the decision until the injunction application can be heard. She is calling on the board to regulate the amount of ride-hailing vehicles in the same way it restricts the size of taxi fleets.
Saturday, January 25, 2020 From page 1
BC prepares for outbreak of coronavirus
While the virus has been found in parts of China outside of Wuhan, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea and the U.S., there have been no confirmed cases of the virus in Canada and the risk to Canadians is low. There are people who have been investigated and ruled out as having the new coronavirus, including a handful in B.C., according to Dr. Danuta Skowronski, who leads the B.C. Centre for Disease Control’s influenza and emerging respiratory pathogens team “It is a test of our surveillance protocol that we should have cases under investigation,” said Skowronski. “It shows that the surveillance system is working.” Three airports in Canada, including Vancouver’s, have added messaging to arrivals screens reminding travellers from Wuhan to tell a border service officer if they have flu-like symptoms. A health question was also added to electronic kiosks, and those who have visited Wuhan will be subject to closer screening by border-services officers. Those with flu-
like symptoms will be referred to a quarantine officer and then taken to Richmond Hospital for assessment, while others will receive information packages. Henry said she hasn’t been notified about anyone from Vancouver’s airport who has been sent for further assessment. There are no plans at the moment to step up security, such as using thermal screening, although there is the ability to do so if necessary. “It’s questionable the value of thermal imaging at the airport. People may or may not have a fever at the time they come to the airport, so in some ways it’s false security,” said Henry. In local hospitals and clinics, doctors are asking people who show signs of respiratory illnesses about their travel history. If there is a suspicion that someone might be infected, a new diagnostic test — a nasal swab — was introduced this week, and was developed based on the genetic sequence of the virus. A person can be ruled out as having a coronavirus within a few hours.
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Here’s what we know so far about criminal money laundering during the BC Liberals’ 16 years in power British Columbia is getting ready to launch a public inquiry into billions of dollars in dirty money laundered throughout the
province for decades. Opening statements are scheduled to begin next month following multiple reports since 2018 revealing the old
BC Liberal government turned a blind eye to warnings about the far-reaching scope of criminal money laundering in the province. Here’s what we know about dirty money during the BC Liberals’ 16 years in power: Dirty money in BC casinos According to a 2018 report by former RCMP investigator Peter German, gangs used the proceeds of criminal activities, such as drug dealing, to loan cash to gamblers or low-level gang members. Those surrogates then paid for casino chips with twenty-dollar bills, before quickly cashing out the chips — making the money appear as though it came from a legitimate source. German said that, in 2015, investigators discovered cash buy-ins at one casino totalled $13.5 million, almost entirely paid for in twenty-dollar bills: “the preferred currency of drug traffickers.” However, despite receiving warnings about money laundering and its links to horrific criminal activities in a 2009 RCMP report,
the BC Liberals defunded a police unit tasked with fighting illegal gaming activities. According to German, the BC Liberals received further warnings about money laundering in BC’s casinos in: A 2011 internal provincial report. A 2012 document prepared by the province’s gambling watchdog, Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch (GPEB), which warned of “suspicious cash increasing at an alarming rate” in casinos. A 2015 internal report warning about the suspicious $13.5 million cash buy-in at Richmond’s River Rock Casino. In fact, in late 2013 former BC Liberal finance minister Mike de Jong increased betting limits betting limits in BC Lottery Corp casinos, despite warnings about money laundering from the province’s gambling regulator. Last year, BC’s Attorney General David Eby estimated a total of up to $1 billion was laundered per year through BC’s legal and illegal casinos. Incidentally, the BC Liberals received more than $300,000 in political donations from two “dirty money” casino operators named in German’s report ahead of the 2017 provincial election. Dirty money in BC’s real estate market Last year, the BC government’s Expert Panel on Money Laundering in BC Real Estate report found $5 billion is laundered through BC’s real estate sector every year, increasing average property prices in the province by 5%. As previously reported, before the current BC government introduced legislation forcing property buyers to disclose their true identities, buyers could purchase real estate anonymously. That loophole allowed criminals to funnel their money through shell companies, often set up in tax havens like the Seychelles or the British Virgin Islands. The report noted criminals favour real estate because it typically doesn’t depreciate much in value. And, because criminals are typically seeking to quickly launder large sums of cash, they can easily outbid other would-be buyers by offering to pay hugely inflated prices for real estate. This factor drove up average property prices, worsening BC’s housing affordability crisis. Dirty money in BC’s luxury car dealerships. Criminal gangs also laundered money through BC’s luxury car market. According to German’s third moneylaundering report, published last year, criminals hired “straw buyers” using cash or unidentifiable bank drafts to buy expensive cars, which were typically resold abroad. German’s report noted salespeople are not required to report suspicious transactions to the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC). To add insult to injury, a loophole in BC’s tax code in BC’s tax code meant gangsters could apply for Provincial Sales Tax (PST) rebates after exporting the vehicles. German said applications for PST rebates on luxury vehicles jumped from fewer than 100 per year prior to 2014, to 700 in 2015, and then to 3,674 in 2016 and 4,452 in 2018. Despite the suspiciously large increases in PST rebate applications, the old BC Liberal government failed to take action.
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Police identify woman killed inside apartment in Gastown Tonya Hyer, 45, was killed inside her apartment on Water Street on Sunday
Vancouver police have identified a woman who was found dead inside her apartment in the city’s Gastown neighbourhood on Sunday. Tonya Hyer, 45, was found badly injured inside her suite at the Atira Women’s Resource Society on Water Street. Paramedics phoned 911 around 1:30 a.m. PT after trying to resuscitate her. Police identified Hyer in a statement Friday. Her death is considered a homicide.
Atira, a non-profit society, confirmed Hyer was a tenant and had been in her unit at the time. It did not have further comment. Police said no arrests have been made in Hyer’s death. The statement said investigators believe there are people in the community who knew her and might have information about her death. Anyone with information is asked to contact homicide detectives at 604-717-2500 or Crime Stoppers to remain anonymous.
New Delta police canine unit aims to catch commuting criminals Delta police rolled out a new dog unit this month aimed at sniffing out drugs, guns and illicit cash being moved on local roads. The new Traffic Specialty Dog Unit (TSDU) will focus on vehicles and goods travelling through Delta in area DPD Chief Neil Dubord describes as “the horseshoe” in a video produced by the department. “It goes from the Boundary Bay airport, through to the Point Roberts border, to the BC Ferries, and to the Deltaport,” Dubord says in the video. “We know that criminals use these highways to transport their illegal goods and services.” “By having these dogs here, I hope we’re putting criminals on notice. And that notice is: don’t do your business here in Delta. These roads are our jurisdiction and with these dogs you’ll see enhanced policing,” Dubord said in an accompanying press release. As well as helping catch commuting criminals, the TSDU will also focus on traffic safety and enforcement, as well as education and crime prevention initiatives.
The unit is comprised of Const. Catherine Fiddick and two-year-old Ziva, as well as Const. Sunny Gahunia with 15-month-old Remi. Both dogs are Labrador retrievers, and the dogs and their handlers completed a thorough training course last fall to prepare for their new positions. “The dogs are part of our daily lives now. They’re with us 24-7,” Fiddick said in a press release, adding it’s been quite an adjustment as both the dogs are very high energy and high drive. “I’m so impressed by their abilities — their noses are so sensitive. They use their noses like we use our eyes.” The TSDU has been about a year in the making, and Dubord, who attended the unit’s training in Victoria last fall to check on their progress, thanked the Victoria Police Department for their role in providing the training and assisting with the certification. “I had no idea how complex this training would be. I didn’t expect that level of nuance required to handle these dogs,” he said, noting regular training will
Man arrested in Surrey on-line sales robberies
Surrey Mounties say a 20-year-old man is facing robbery charges related to on-line sales. Joseph Peake, of no fixed address, is charged with two counts of robbery and three counts of breaching court orders. Corporal Elenore Sturko said this is related to two incidents, one day apart. On Jan. 18, just after 5 p.m. near the Surrey Public Library, she said, the alleged victim arranged to meet with a potential buyer for a cell phone advertised for sale on social media. “While the meeting took place the victim was allegedly assaulted, and their phone was stolen.” Sturko said the following day, just before noon, “a similar incident took place outside a Surrey shopping centre, but the victim was able to run away and their phone was not stolen.”
Peake was arrested that same day. Sturko noted people face a “heightened risk” to their personal safety when meeting strangers, “even in a public place. “We have seen a number of similar robberies over the past few months and want the public to be aware that there are risks involved in these buy and sell transactions.” She advises buyers and sellers to meet in “heavily populated” public places that are well lit, do not arrange to meet at your home, and to take a friend with you. “If your are verbally threatened or physically assaulted, avoid confrontation by giving the perpetrator the property,” she said. “Call police as soon as possible.”
LOCAL
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LOCAL / NATIONAL
Saturday, January 25, 2020
NRI’s real estate company becomes top-performer in Canada A Non-Resident Indian (NRI) has carved his niche in the real estate sector in Canada as his company has registered a 92% increase in its share price in the last one year. Mainstreet Equity, owned by an NRI Bob Dhillon, is a publicly traded company which has seen its share price grow from $41 to over $79 in 2019, a gain of 92%. Mainstreet is one of the top-performing real estate companies in Canada, which has shown consistency in growth. At the conclusion of 2019, the company posted 20 years of annual compounded double-digit growth. It has become a disruptor as it continues to outperform the competition. Currently, Mainstreet owns and operates over 13,000 apartments throughout Western Canada and continues to acquire assets and grow the portfolio. Dhillon has
roots in Punjab. His family originates from Tallewal in the Barnala district of Punjab. After being born in Japan, he attended the Bishop Cotton School in Shimla before immigrating to Canada. Bob Dhillon is the president, CEO and majority shareholder in Mainstreet Equity. Founded in 2000, Mainstreet has created a business model around investing in mid-market rental properties. After acquiring distressed properties Mainstreet repositions the asset, fine-tunes operational efficiencies and then provides
comfortable and well-managed rental housing to residents, a process Dhillon coins “The Mainstreet Value Chain”. “Over the company’s 20-year lifespan, the
add-value business model has stayed fairly consistent. Mainstreet’s approach to the mid-market multi-family rental business has been the driver of the company’s success. We see opportunity which other businesses overlook, finding ‘diamonds in the rough’ and overhauling assets below replacement cost. As the business continues to move the needle, our position in the real estate sector has room for growth as the company continues to disrupt the marketplace,” said a company official. As the organisation looks to the future, it plans to continue its opportunistic acquisition strategy. Bob Dhillon continues to be bullish on Western Canada as he sees the opportunity in the market and the influx of immigration to the region as a key driver of the company’s future success.
Uber says it’s been servicing North Surrey since 8:00 am, Friday
Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum has voiced vehement opposition to ride hailing in Surrey, claiming it’s unfair to local taxi drivers. City Hall issued this statement Friday, after the Now-Leader sought his response to the latest developments. “The approval of ride hailing companies in Metro Vancouver by the Passenger Transportation Board does not change my position on this issue,” McCallum stated in the press release. “What continues to be my chief concern is the unfair advantage that has been created without any regard as to how it will impact those who are employed in the taxi industry. It is no secret that a large percentage of cab drivers live in Surrey and the modest wages they earn go to support their families. As residents and as my constituents, it
is my duty to do what I can to ensure that these jobs are not lost due to an unfair advantage that has been arbitrarily put in place.” McCallum argues that the taxi industry “meets the needs of all its passengers by having vehicles for hire that can accommodate people of all abilities. “Until I am assured that a level playing field is established, I will not be supporting the issuing of ride hailing business licenses and, if there is a need, I will be asking for an increase in taxi licenses for operation in Surrey,” he said. “I
look forward to hearing about how the region will work with the province to ensure there is fair competition in the marketplace between ride hailing companies and the taxi industry.”
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Saturday, January 25, 2020
Khalsa Business Centre
128th Street, 84th Ave., Surrey, BC
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LOCAL / NATIONAL
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Delta police arrest four men in suspected paving scheme Four men are in custody after police were alerted to an alleged paving scheme in Delta. The scam, whereby homeowners were convinced to pay cash upfront to have their driveways repaved, was reported to the Delta Police Department on Jan. 19 by a resident who had been approached by a man claiming to own an asphalt company and offering him a deal. The resident became suspicious when he googled the company — Top Style Asphalt Contractors — and found it had no online presence, despite claims of a 25-year history. As police were conducting their investigation, another resident reported having paid $1,500 earlier in the month to have her driveway repaved, only for the work to not be done on the agreed upon date and the contractor not answer her calls. “One of our officers realized that the two files might be related,” DPD public affairs manager Cris Leykauf said in a press release. “Based on that suspicion,
she took conduct of both investigations.” DPD officers embarked on a comprehensive search of the streets of North Delta on Sunday, Jan. 19 for the van the alleged fraudsters drove, and located it that same afternoon on 119A Street. Four men were arrested, and police determined they were in Canada on visitor visas. The men are now in the custody of the Canada Border Services Agency as part of an Immigration and Refugee Protection Act investigation, and may be subject to a removal order. “We’d now like put out the message that anyone in Delta who paid upfront to have their driveway repaved by Top Style Asphalt Contractors, to please contact Delta police at 604-946-4411,” Leykauf said. Police say it’s unknown whether Top Style Asphalt Contractors was operating in any other communities, however anyone outside of Delta who thinks they may have been a victim of the paving scheme is encouraged to contact their local police department and reference DPD file 2020-1376.
Mud slide prompts evacuation in Burnaby as rain saturates southern BC
Relentless rain has set off a mudslide, swelled rivers and shut roads in southern British Columbia. The slide near Burnaby Mountain forced the evacuation of six homes after a retaining wall failed. Chris Bryan with the City of Burnaby says about 20 metres of a five to six-metre high wall gave way, damaging a garage on the adjacent property below. He says a geotechnical engineer has been called in to determine if there is any further risk to the nearby homes. The River Forecast Centre issued high streamflow advisories for rivers and streams on much of the west coast, including the North Shore, Fraser Valley
and the southern end of Vancouver Island. The warning means river levels are rising or are expected to rise rapidly and minor flooding may occur in low-lying areas. Total rain or snowfall in Metro Vancouver for January so far comes to 155.6 millimetres, compared with 164.2 millimetres for all of December. Environment Canada said an intense frontal system moving through the south coast on Wednesday and Thursday brought heavy rain that caused flash floods and pooling water. Numerous streets in Metro Vancouver were closed off Thursday as water rose when storm drains were overwhelmed.
Downtown Victoria businesses hire private security firm, due to slow police response Those who want city police for Surrey should take note Many Victoria business owners voicing concerns about safety in the downtown core, a number of stores have banded together to hire private security for the area. In a news release, Themis Security said that it would be expanding its patrol service to the Lower Johnson Street and Yates Street areas. “Due to a rise in crime and vandalism, Themis Security has begun patrolling these sections of downtown at the request of local merchants,” said the company. Themis Security adds that both businesses and residents have expressed concern about theft, vandalism and safety downtown, and that “nuisance” activity has negatively impacted quality of life and commerce in the area. Last week, Lili Butterfield, owner of boutique clothing store “Dancing with Lily”, said that thieves have become increasingly brazen and
that criminal activity has her concerned for the safety of her employees. “As a boss, I want to protect my staff and I think having security would do that,” Butterfield said last Wednesday. Meanwhile, Il Terrazzo restaurant owner Shelly Gudgeon says that the eatery has already hired a private security team, and that she understands why other businesses have turned to the same idea. Gudgeon says that police response times can be slow if calls for help are not considered emergencies, and she believes that the city is partly to blame for not providing enough police funding. “We’ve heard council say small business is the heart and soul of the economy in the city, but we don’t – I don’t, personally – feel that is being respected by city council,” she said.
MLA Jinny Sims says she’s still in the dark about RCMP investigation Surrey-Panorama NDP MLA Jinny Sims says she still doesn’t have a clue why the RCMP is investigating her and looks forward to it all being “over.” “I just hope it’s soon.” More than three months have passed since she resigned from cabinet, as minister of citizens’ service, on Oct. 4 after a special prosecutor was appointed in relation to an RCMP investigation, the nature of which has not been publicly disclosed. “My life is an open book,” Sims said.. “I have nothing to hide.” calls Liberal flyer about RCMP investigating her ‘unfortunate’
Jinny Sims tsaid on Wednesday she’s heard “not a word” why she’s being investigated. And she’s perturbed about it. “Of course it’s going to bother anybody who’s in my position,” she said. “It’s very slow, but I’m told this is normal. Everybody tells me I’ve looked at some of the past cases where they were unsubstantiated, everything, or whichever way it goes, it just seems to take them a long, long time. “When you’re in the position, you don’t know anything,” she said. “Nobody has heard, as John Horgan said. He hasn’t heard. I haven’t heard. Nobody has heard.” After Sims resigned her cabinet post,
LOCAL
Saturday, January 25, 2020
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Borrow $8 billion for Fraser Valley rail link, Abbotsford mayor urges province All Abbotsford’s mayor wants from the provincial government is up to $8 billion for transportation in the Fraser Valley. That sum sounds like a lot of money because, again, it’s $8 billion. But Mayor Henry Braun told council Monday that he thinks a rapid transit link to Abbotsford is (relatively) affordable and can be done if the province is as ambitious as a pair of
legendary British Columbia politicians. “WAC Bennett and Phil Gaglardi were some people who made some bold moves. I think the present provincial government needs to make some bold moves and one of them would be commuter rail,” Braun said after a council discussion on feedback that Abbotsford will send to TransLink as that body shapes its plans for the next 30 years.
“I do think the day has come for lots of reasons … that it’s perhaps time that the province needs to look at borrowing $7 (billion) to $8 billion – with a B,” he said. “It should come out to Abbotsford and eventually to Chilliwack as well because there are 300,000 people that live east of the Langley border.” Braun has regularly and repeatedly
called for the widening of Highway 1 between Langley and Abbotsford, and the city has listed that project as its top transportation priority. But the province has focused more on rapid transit projects, and in December the premier’s chief of staff, Geoff Meggs, promised to meet with Braun soon to discuss the subject.
Funeral announcement
Closures planned for Pattullo Bridge to test early warning systems for earthquakes The Pattullo Bridge will be temporarily closed overnight Friday, Jan. 31 and Saturday, Feb. 1. The closures, which will run from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night, are for TransLink to test the recently installed early seismic warning and wind monitoring system, according to a release Wednesday (Jan. 22). TransLink says the system’s sensors are “designed to detect early warning signs of a significant high wind or seismic event.” If either is detected, traffic control gates, “similar to those at railway crossings,” will block bridge entrances. “The system will also initiate advanced
warning lights and digital bridge closure signs alerting bridge users of the closure.” TransLink says the system will be ready to use “upon successful testing.” Tr a n s L i n k previously said it expected the system to go live in December. Drivers should use either the Port Mann or Alex Fraser bridges as alternatives. TransLink says the N19 bus will be rerouted over the Queensborough Bridge during the closures. It says to plan for an additional 30 minutes of travel time. However, emergency vehicles will be able to cross the Pattullo in both directions at all times.
Youth hit with gun butt during fight at Langley mall A youth was hit in the head with the butt of a rifle or shotgun during a brawl that broke out Tuesday at the Willowbrook Shopping Centre in Langley, RCMP say. The fight broke out between two groups at around 4:30 p.m., said Sgt. Rebecca Parslow, a spokesperson for the RCMP detachment. During the fight, one youth pulled what looked like a long gun from inside a coat and struck another youth in the back of the head. A copy of surveillance video – apparently a cellphone video of a screen showing mall surveillance – is circulating on Facebook. It does not show the attack, but it does show a young man pulling what looks like a rifle out from under a winter coat and running
across the mall hallway. Other shoppers continue to walk past without noticing. There was no gunfire during the fight, said Parslow. It is unknown if it was a real or a replica firearm. The youth who was struck was not seriously hurt. There have been no arrests yet, but police said they believe the fight was not related to the ongoing Lower Mainland gang wars, and that it was an isolated incident. The investigation into the brawl is ongoing, said Parslow. Police are asking witnesses to call the Langley RCMP at 604-532-3200, or to leave an anonymous tip with CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
It is with deep regret and profound sadness that we announce the passing away of a beloved wife, mother and grand mother Bimla Banga on Janaury 19th, 2020 at 3:50 am who lost her long battle with cancer.
Funeral on Sunday, Jannuary 26th at 10 am at Riverside Funearal home followed by Antim Ardaas and Bhog at Akali Singh Sikh Society Gurudwara 1890 Skeena St Vancouve. Contact: Tarsem Singh Banga 604-583-0725
Teen gunmen arrested after holdup at illegal cannabis shop in Abbotsford Two 18-year-old males have been arrested for sticking up an unlicensed dispensary and taking off with cash and marijuana. Around 8 p.m., Jan. 22, the two suspects concealing their faces entered the business, pulled guns, demanded weed and money and took off on foot. Abbotsford police officers were able to quickly locate and arrest and the two young men without further incident. They remain in custody. Last night, police executed a search warrant on at least one house, where two firearms and stolen property were recovered.
Two 18-year-old males have been arrested for sticking up an unlicensed dispensary and taking off with cash and marijuana. Around 8 p.m., Jan. 22, the two suspects concealing their faces entered the business, pulled guns, demanded weed and money and took off on foot. Abbotsford police officers were able to quickly locate and arrest and the two young men without further incident. They remain in custody. Last night, police executed a search warrant on at least one house, where two firearms and stolen property were
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LOCAL
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Five accused in killing of Bhavkiran Dhesi ordered back to court on Feb. 10
The five people accused in the death of Surrey teen Bhavkiran Dhesi made brief appearances in Surrey Provincial Court Monday morning. Harjot Singh Deo, Gurvinder Singh Deo, Inderdeep Kaur Deo, Manjit Kaur Deo and Talwinder Singh Khun Khun were represented by agents for lawyers Vincent Michaels, Marvin Stern, Gloria Ing and J. Narwal, respectively (Ing is representing both Inderdeep and Manjit Deo). The matter was adjourned until Feb. 10, after Crown cited ongoing efforts to provide defence counsels with disclosure. Harjot Deo is charged with seconddegree murder and ‘indecently interfere with or offer an indignity to human remains’ in connection with Dhesi’s death. He was arrested at Vancouver International Airport on May 10, 2019 and police have said he was in a romantic relationship with Dhesi.
Nineteen-year-old Dhesi’s body was found around 12:20 a.m. Aug. 2, 2017, after emergency crews responded to a burned SUV in the 18700-block of 24 Avenue in South Surrey. In the months following Harjot Deo’s arrest, four others were charged in connection with Dhesi’s killing: his mother, brother, sister and cousin. His mother, Manjit, and older sister, Inderdeep, are both charged with ‘accessory after the fact to murder.’ Both Gurvinder Deo and Talwinder Khun Khun are charged with ‘accessory after the fact to murder, and indecently interfere with or offer an indignity to human remains’ in connection with Dhesi’s death. All five accused were released on bail following hearings last summer in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster.
ICBC had 32,412 Dial-a-Claim calls from Lower Mainland Motorists made 46,095 Dial-a-Claim calls to ICBC between Jan. 3 and Jan. 19 inclusive, province-wide. And of those, 32,412 calls came from the Lower Mainland. “Unfortunately, we’re not able to break it down by city,” ICBC spokeswoman Lindsay Wilkins told the Now-Leader on Monday. Still, you can bet more than a few of those claim calls were made in Surrey. Each call does not necessarily represent a new claim, ICBC notes.
In that 17-day stretch, the highest number of Dial-a-Claim calls lodged in one day in B.C. was 5,075 on Monday, Jan. 13, followed by 4,087 on Jan. 6 and 3,908 on Jan. 14. The lowest number was 852 on Jan. 5. Comparatively, the highest number of claims lodged on one day in the Lower Mainland, during those 17 days, was 3,539 (again, on Jan. 13), followed by 2,894 on Jan. 6 and 2,773 on Jan. 14. The lowest number was 561, in the Lower Mainland, on Jan. 5.
RCMP say man suspected of impaired driving, assault has been arrested Surrey RCMP say Cory Ulmer Brown has been arrested for his outstanding warrants, according to a news release Thursday (Jan. 23). He was arrested on Jan. 22. The Surrey RCMP was looking for Cory Ulmer Brown, 23, who was wanted on multiple charges including assault causing bodily harm and impaired driving. There are also outstanding arrest
warrants against him for dangerous driving and driving while prohibited. Brown is white, six feet two inches tall, 196 pounds and has brown eyes and brown hair. Police ask anyone who may know where he is to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
13-year-old boy arrested following alleged assault of 14-year-old girl outside Port Coquitlam school A 13-year-old Maple Ridge boy has been arrested after allegedly using “an inappropriate level of force” on a 14-yearold girl on the grounds of Citadel Middle School in Port Coquitlam, RCMP said. Police say they received a call around 3:15 p.m. Jan. 10 and officers determined a verbal confrontation had occurred between four boys and a girl, which turned physical. The girl used a low-level of force to push one of the boys, RCMP said in a statement. Police say the boy is alleged to have responded with an inappropriate level of force, injuring the girl. Theboywasarrestedatthescene. He is accused of assault causing bodily harm and uttering threats. The boy does not have a history with the police and was released on conditions, according to the police statement. He will appear in court at a later date. The Coquitlam School District said in a statement that it is cooperating with RCMP over its investigation, but offered no other details. The school district takes this matter very seriously and is addressing the situation,” it said. McLaughlin is asking the public to stay calm and avoid making immediate judgments on the case, as it is still being investigated. He also points to opposing accounts of what took place being shared over social media. “There are allegations appearing on social
media that directly contradict the video evidence, witness statements and established facts of this investigation,” said McLaughlin. “It’s completely understandable that people are reacting emotionally to this file, especially since children are involved, But it’s important that we conduct an impartial investigation. We ask that people do not make judgments based on social media posts.” McLaughlin says the boy hasn’t been in school since the arrest.
names are being released the incident involves youth. Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West said on Twitter that he learned about the incident over social media and was “deeply upset and disappointed that this happened in our community.” He said he reached out to the family to offer assistance and support as
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Uber, Lyft approved to operate in BC’s Lower Mainland Uber and Lyft are finally on their way to Metro Vancouver. The Passenger Transportation Board announced Thursday that it has approved ride hail companies Uber and Lyft to operate in B.C.’s Lower Mainland
and Whistler. At the same time, the PTB declined approval for ReRyde Technologies Inc. and Kater Technologies Inc. for several B.C. regions.“British Columbians have been asking for new ride hailing services since 2012, but the old government failed to get it done. Our government did the hard work and delivered,” Claire Trevena, B.C.’s transportation minister, said in a statement after the approvals were announced Thursday. “Over the last two years, our government has been diligent in developing a framework that puts passenger safety first, and we remained steadfast against pressures to abandon the safety measures we put in place. Road users can now be confident that B.C.’s ride-hailing services will comply with some of the highest safety standards in North America.” Those eager to start using ride hailing shouldn’t open their apps just yet. Uber said that there are still “administrative approvals” it needs before it can start operating. “The PTB’s approval is one of the final steps before Uber is able to start providing reliable, safe, affordable rides in Metro Vancouver,” Michael van Hemmen, Uber’s head of Western Canada said in a news release. “We hope to launch very soon, once we have obtained a business licence from the City of Vancouver and purchased insurance from ICBC.” “Once those are approved, we plan to announce our initial operating area, give our inaugural ride, and launch our service,” Lyft’s general manager for B.C. said in a news release. “We can’t wait to see the new ways in which Vancouverites explore their city once they have a Lyft ride at their fingertips.”
LOCAL
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Paid protesters support Meng Wanzhou at her hearing
An actor who was part of a group of young people protesting outside of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou’s extradition hearing on Monday says she thought she was performing as an extra in a film shoot, not attending a real protest.
“This reporter … she started asking us questions,” said Julia Hackstaff. “I don’t know how much time it was, it felt like forever, it was probably just 20 or 30 seconds, but then I realized no: this is a real reporter.” Amidst the media circus surrounding the extradition trial of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, the group of young protesters stood out. On Monday, reporters noticed a group of young people standing with hastily-made signs that read “Bring Michael home,” “Trump stop bullying us” and “Free Ms. Meng – Equal Justice.”
The protesters wouldn’t tell reporters their names or what group they represented, but some are now coming forward after footage of the awkward encounters between real reporters and pretend protesters spread widely on social media. Hackstaff said she genuinely believed she was showing up for a film shoot – and thought it was odd that the group of young performers weren’t givenanydirectionsbeforecamerasstartedrolling. As first reported by Bob Mackin and theBreaker.news, one young man told an independent filmmaker he’d been told he’d be paid $100 to be in a music video shoot. The man refused to give his name or appear on camera, according to the filmmaker, Ina Mitchell (@inamitchellfilm). But in an audio recording she made, he can be heard saying that when he showed up at the courthouse and saw a lot of cameras, he assumed it was for the music video shoot he’d been told about. “When there were all these cameras and stuff, for a long time I believed it was filming a scene where someone was coming out of a car and I was like OK, I’m genuinely OK to do this,” he said. “Then the reporters started showing up and I was like, I don’t really feel great about this anymore.” The man said he decided to stick around and hold a sign in hopes of getting the payment he was promised. But when he
South Asian teen recalls ‘scary experience’ of falling down Oregon mountain Gurbaz Singh is thankful he’s alive to tell his story about falling down a mountain. On Dec. 30, the Surrey teen was scaling Oregon’s Mount Hood with friends when he fell nearly 150 metres and broke his left thigh bone. Surgically repaired the following day, the fractured femur is a reminder of the moment Gurbaz traversed an ice step that suddenly gave way, in an area known as the Pearly Gates. “I was scouting it out and as I was going there, it was just so fast – everything broke and I was falling all of a sudden,” Gurbaz said Saturday during an interview at his family’s Boundary Park-area home. “I had an axe and was checking it out, and then took a big step and that’s when I fell.” He tumbled a few times before he instinctively tried to slow his fall, by creating friction with the snow below him. “I don’t remember much, but I remember getting my hands out and managed to slow myself down, and I think that helped because I did end up stopping eventually. “All I was thinking was, ‘I have to stop
Woman struck by vehicle dies in hospital Woman and her husband, both in their 70s, were hit by delivery van Sunday A woman has died in hospital after she was struck by a vehicle in Vancouver’s Yaletown neighbourhood on Sunday afternoon, police say. The woman and her husband, both in their 70s, were walking on a marked crosswalk at Pacific Street and Richards Street when they were both struck by a delivery van at around 5:20 p.m. PT. Both were taken to hospital, where the husband remains with serious injuries. The driver of the van, a 37-year-old from Surrey, B.C., remained on scene and is cooperating with the police investigation. Police are asking anyone who witnessed the collision, or anyone who might have dashcam footage, to contact them. The death marks Vancouver’s first pedestrian fatality of the year.
myself, I have to stop myself,’ and that’s what I learned in my training. If I kept going, eventually I would have went over a cliff, but I’m not certain about that,” he added. “I was lucky to have survived. It could have been a lot worse.”
started to ask about getting the $100, “there was a merry-go-round of non-answers.” Hackstaff ’s story is similar: she said she heard from an acquaintance she knows on Facebook of a Monday morning job to be a background actor at the courthouse. The pay would be $100, which she never received, she said. When Mackin approached the protesters to
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ask who they were and why they were protesting, one immediately said “I’m leaving,” and walked away, according to video of the encounter (that person was Hackstaff, she confirmed). Another said the group was at court to call for “equal justice,” then admitted he didn’t know the details of the case, or that it was about the United States attempting to extradite Meng to face fraud charges.
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Saturday, January 25, 2020
Man who accidentally poured 16,680 litres of wine down the drain fails to get job back A former employee of a B.C. winery won’t be getting his job back after thousands of litres of wine were accidentally flushed down a drain. The former Mission Hill employee – who was fired with cause – filed a grievance that was heard before a labour arbitrator in December. The incident which led to his dismissal happened a little over a year earlier, in November 2018. According to the labour arbitrator’s decision, Brent Crozier had worked for the Kelowna-based winery for over a decade. Crozier had worked as a cellarman for several years and his main responsibility
Premier John Horgan has made three major changes to his cabinet BC Premier John Horgan unveiled three changes in a cabinet shuffle. Bruce Ralston, MLA for SurreyWhalley, has been appointed as Energy Minister, swapping ministerial roles with Michelle Mungall who will take over as Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness. Bruce Ralston’s focus will be to implement CleanBC initiatives, as well as overseeing BC Hydro. He will continue to serve as
was blending wines and transferring them between tanks. As part of the process, Crozier was expected to run a test to make sure lines were properly connected between the tanks. He was also expected to check the lines every 15 minutes during the transfer. The decision states that on Nov. 19, 2018, one of the valves was left open during a transfer. As a result, 5,680 litres of sauvignon blanc spilled onto the floor and down a drain. Mission Hill estimates the value of the wine at nearly $162,500. The decision states Crozier checked the tank 20 minutes after starting the transfer, which is when he realized wine was spilling onto the floor.
“I was freaking out. I could not believe I forgot to change over the valve,” Crozier said in the arbitrator’s ruling. The arbitrator’s decision states Crozier “felt horrible about the whole thing,” and that “he would be more attentive and more careful in the future.” About a month after the spill, Crozier was hand-delivered a letter that said he was being “terminated with cause,” citing “negligence in seller duties culminating with (him) pumping 6,000 litres of estate sauvignon blanc down the drain.” But that wasn’t the only time Crozier accidentally spilled wine down a drain.
About 18 months earlier – in 2017 – the arbitrator’s decision said Crozier “made the same mistake and flushed 11,000 litres of wine down the drain.” After that incident, Crozier apologized to management and promised to be more careful in the future. “He agreed he had failed to live up to expectations in that regard,” the arbitrator’s decision states. “Earlier efforts by the employer to impress upon (Crozier) the seriousness of an error of this magnitude failed to achieve the desired result and, in spite of them, he committed the same disastrous error in 2018.”
Premier Horgan adds Anne Kang to BC cabinet, swaps energy & jobs ministers lead minister for consular affairs, as well. Mungall, who represents the NelsonCreston riding, will be responsible for trade with a focus on BC’s tech sector. Anne Kang, MLA for Burnaby-Deer Lake, will take on the role of Minister of Citizen’s Services, freeing up Selina Robinson to continue solely as Housing Minister. Robinson took on the position after Surrey-Panorama MLA Jinny Sims resigned from cabinet in October due to an ongoing RCMP investigation into accusations that have not been publicly disclosed.
Kang’s focus will include connecting rural, remote and Indigenous communities with highspeed internet and modernizing government procurement to better allow smaller companies to do business with the province. “These ministers will work hard every day to deliver sustainable economic growth that provides good jobs, a better quality of life and a stronger province for people in every region,” Horgan said in a statement. “I am confident they
will put their knowledge and energy to work for people, as we focus on building an economy that works for everyone.”
Missing person to locate – Nikita Joseph Surrey RCMP is requesting the public’s assistance in locating a missing female. Nikita JOSEPH was last seen at 03:00 PM on January 22, 2020 in the 6400 block of 121 Street in Surrey. She has not been seen or heard from since. Nikita JOSEPH is described as a 13 year old aboriginal female who is 5’1 tall, weigh approximately 100 lbs and has dark maroon hair and brown eyes. (Please see attached photo). She was last seen wearing a grey sweater and grey sweat pants.
Police and family are concerned for her health and wellbeing. She is known to frequent transit stations and bus loops Anyone with information about the whereabouts of this person is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-5990502, or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca, quoting file number: 2020-11419.
Fatal pedestrian involved collision in South Surrey Surrey RCMP is currently on scene investigating a fatal pedestrian involved collision in South Surrey. Surrey RCMP responded to a report of a motor vehicle collision involving a 55-yearold male pedestrian in the 2400-block of 188 Street. Emergency Health Services were provided, however, despite all attempts to revive the man, he succumbed to his injuries. The driver of the vehicle remained on scene. Surrey RCMP Criminal Collision Investigation Team (CCIT) has conduct of the file. Integrated Collision Analysis Reconstruction Services (ICARS) has been called out to the scene. The incident is still under investigation. Public is advised to stay away from the area during this time. Anyone with information or dash cam footage is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or, if you wish to make an anonymous report, please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.solvecrime.ca
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Priyanka Priyanka Chopra Jonas says she was attracted to now-husband Nick Jonas after seeing his music video for the song “Close.” Chopra Jonas says her life has always been pretty musical, and now with Nick it’s completely musical. Chopra says she decided to date Nick Jonas after seeing the video for ‘Close,’ where his shirt comes off. Jonas released the track with Tove Lo in
Akshay Kumar to be the HIGHEST PAID actor in Bollywood after charging Rs 120 crore for Aanand L Rai’s next? · Akshay Kumar, who was last seen in Good Newwz starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Diljit Dosanjh and Kiara Advani had featured in the fourth spot in the Forbes World’s Highest-Paid Actors 2019 list. But now, it looks like Akki will soon be the Highest-Paid actor in Bollywood. As per India Today, according to a report, Akshay will be charging a whopping amount of Rs 120 crore for his next which
will be directed by Zero director Aanand L Rai. The movie might also star Dhanush and Sara Ali Khan. According to a source, “Akshay Kumar is known to charge upfront fees and in today’s time, his name attracts the audience not just in the cinema hall but also gets lucrative offers from digital and satellite networks. Akshay and his team believe that the actor deserves 100 crore plus as acting fees for the goodwill that he brings to the project.” Akshay has proved that he is a bankable actor in Bollywood. The majority of his films like Kesari, Mission Mangal, Good Newwz and much more have made a good amount of collection.
tank top and his underwear as he kissed Lo. Jonas and Chopra Jonas started communicating via text in September 2016, thanks to a mutual friend and the “Quantico” star said that the singer made the first move by sending her a text saying: ”I think we should connect.” They met in real life in February 2017 at a Vanity Fair Oscars party. Months later, they attended the Met Gala together wearing outfits
Chopra Jonas reveals what attracted her to now-husband Nick Jonas 2016, while he was pursuing his career as a solo artist in the years after the Jonas Brothers split. Jonas and Lo starred in the music video for “Close,” which accumulated more than 250 million views on YouTube. In the video, the two singers sat in chairs facing each other and were repeatedly pushed
together and pulled apart. Eventually, both of their jackets and pants were shredded off their bodies. Jonas wasn’t shirtless in the video, though. By the video’s end, he was left in a
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Bollywood 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.”
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Movie Review: Chhichhore “Chhichhore” opens with a group of men running to playfully douse each other with water in what is supposed to be an initiation ritual of sorts. The men look too old to be college students, and the scene, set in a run-down college hostel, is not pretty to look at – but director Nitesh Tiwari manages to capture their camaraderie. The trouble begins when Tiwari’s characters grow older. The film’s energy dips palpably in the next scene, set 20 years later. We meet Annirudh, or Anni, a balding Sushant Singh Rajput, as he talks to his teenage son about the pressure of academics. When his son attempts suicide, Anni questions everything about life. As his son lies bruised and unconscious in his hospital bed, Anni tries to regale him with tales about his college days. His friends fly in from different parts of the world, hoping their reunion will help give the boy the strength to live. In flashbacks, we meet the film’s funniest character – “Sexa” (Varun Thakur), named after his porn obsession. Anni’s other friends have equally interesting nicknames (we never
find out their real ones). The mollycoddled friend who calls his mother every day is named “Mummy”, while a foul-mouthed friend is christened “Acid” (Varun Polishetty). At 146 minutes, “Chhichhore” is too long and patchy. It has moments of brilliance – especially in the irreverent dialogue and bawdy college scenes, but that isn’t enough. To complicate matters, the makers throw in a sports competition, a romance between Anni and the college hottie
Maya (Shraddha Kapoor), and a mean rival in the form of Raggie (Pratiek Babbar). Sharma and Rajput are wonderful, and have some of the best lines in the film, while Kapoor gets little to work with. Nostalgia is the best thing about “Chhichhore”. Director Nitesh Tiwari and cowriters Piyush Gupta and Nikhil Malhotra seem to have genuine affection for the film’s flashback scenes, infusing them with enough detail, conversational dialogue and humor for them to shine. When the film cuts to the present, the characters who seemed likeable a few scenes ago turn insipid and boring.
Akshay Kumar shares video of himself with his mother during her birthday week Bollywood Actor, Akshay Kumar has shared a video of himself, with his mother, during her birthday week. The video shows Akshay wheeling his mom towards a casino. Sharing the short video on Twitter, Akshay wrote, “Do more of what you love doing and that’s exactly what the birthday girl did. Spent the past week in Singapore taking mom to her favorite place in the whole world : the casino.” The 30-second video, taken from behind the actor, shows him and his mother at
Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands casino. Akshay often shares posts about his mother. In August 2019, he took to social media to share a similar video from London. He captioned it, “Juggled shoot to spend a few days with mom in London. No matter how busy you are with life and growing up, don’t forget they are also growing old...so spend time with them while you still can.” The actor is coming off four successive blockbusters, with the action thriller Sooryavanshi all set to continue his winning streak at the box office and among fans when it releases in March this year.
Saturday, January 25, 2020 The trailer of “Saaho” 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, “Saaho” 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
Movie Review: Saaho is languid and awkward and would rather make moves on his colleague A m r i t h a (Shraddha Kapoor) than fight crime. She feebly resists his
Playwright and theatre veteran Girish Karnad dead at 81 Girish Karnad, a playwright, writer, actor, activist and one of India’s most versatile theatre personalities, died in his home city of Bengaluru on Monday at the age of 81. The cause of death was multiple organ failure, according to several news outlets. A recipient of the Jnanpith Award – India’s highest literary honour – and a Rhodes scholar, Karnad wrote his first play, “Yayati” while studying at Oxford. At the age of 26, he wrote “Tughlaq”, considered to be a seminal work in Indian theatre. He also wrote notable plays in Kannada, the primary language of the state of Karnataka. A fierce advocate of freedom of expression,
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Bollywood
he lent his voice to the protests against the 2017 murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru. In 2014, he campaigned for Nandan Nilekani when the former Infosys chairman contested the Lok Sabha election on a Congress ticket. PM Modi & President Ram Nath Kovind were among those who expressed their grief at his passing. Karnataka declared a one-day holiday and a three-day mourning period in his honour. Karnad wanted a simple funeral, his son and journalist Raghu Karnad, said. His last wish was that no VIPs visit him, no funeral procession be held, and that no flowers be placed on his body, the newspaper quoted the younger Karnad as saying.
rather demeaning attempts to woo her, but succumbs quickly – giving the film a chance to cut to exotic locations where the two can dance to mediocre music. At 179 minutes, “Saaho” 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, “I’ve concocted so many false stories, you think I can’t come up with one more” – it is as if he is talking about the script. Sujeeth borrows scenes and tonality from several Hollywood films, including “Mission Impossible” and “Mad Max”, but neither he nor his leading man match their quality. Prabhas, fresh off the success of the “Baahubali” franchise, fails to re-create his brooding action hero persona.
Horoscope Aries
March 21 - April 20 As the sun moves into Aquarius and your social zone on Monday for a four-week stay, it encourages you to enjoy mixing and mingling. Although there is still a powerful focus on your sector of career, and you may be still in the process of working through key issues, it’s time to give yourself a break. Besides, the people you connect with on the social scene could be extremely helpful in furthering your goals and ambitions.
Taurus
April 21 - May 20 t’s your turn in the spotlight with the sun moving into your sector of career and ambition on Monday for a four-week stay. This is a chance to take stock and set your priorities. What do you want to accomplish? Having clear goals can be half the battle, and persevering despite obstacles can see you doing very well. If you’re ready for a new beginning, this week’s new moon can help. This week can also have a romantic quality, because lovely Venus links with jovial Jupiter on Thursday and angles toward feisty Mars on Sunday.
Gemini
May 20 - June 21 With the sun moving into your sector of far horizons on Monday, this week could see you ready for travel adventures. The coming four weeks are a chance to enjoy a short trip or even an early vacation. But this is also a time when you may be reaching out for more in terms of opportunities and experiences. You might also feel restless and eager to ditch your regular routines and do something different. Resist the urge to act on impulse, though.
Cancer
June 22 - July 23
The emphasis on your sector of shared resources could encourage you to take stock of financial matters and think about how you might improve on them. And with a new moon this week, this can be the ideal time for a fresh start, whether you want to consolidate debts or get your money working harder for you in general. Even so, it might be tempting to splurge when you’re with friends, especially midweek. Give yourself a limit if you can.
Leo
June 24 - August 23 The sun glides into your relationship sector on Monday to light up this area and bring more opportunities for socializing and generally enjoying life. While you may still be busy getting out and about, this influence can help you relax and be just the tonic you need. And with the new moon in this same zone on Friday, this is a perfect opportunity to kick-start a romantic bond. Are you ready to break the ice? If so, this is the time to go for it.
Virgo
August 24 - Sept 24 After an intense focus on your sector of creativity, things could feel a little easier in this sector. And while you may be continuing to process through a key issue, there could be signs of progress that give you confidence and spur you on. Lifestyle issues may be more emphasized this week as the radiant sun enters this zone for four weeks. It joins Mercury, which could inspire you to take a closer look at your routines and consider which ones are working and which aren’t.
Libra
Sept. 24 - Oct 22 If past weeks have been a little intense, the focus on your leisure zone could be just the tonic. You really deserve to get out and enjoy life and indulge in those things that recharge you. Even so, midweek could be a tad disruptive as a restless sun-Uranus angle suggests an event may not go ahead as planned. Be flexible and you’ll find something else to take its place. Luscious Venus angles toward jovial Jupiter on Thursday, so you may be in the mood to entertain at your place. If so, this could be quite the occasion.
Scorpio
Oct 23 - Nov 22
You’ve likely had a hectic few weeks, and with the sun moving into your domestic sector, it’s time to step back from life. This can give you a chance to reflect on all that’s happened and come to some conclusions. It’s also a chance to enjoy some self-care and nurturing and spend time with your nearest and dearest. If you’ve felt misunderstood for any reason, particularly after the intense Saturn-Pluto transit, this homey energy can soothe and heal.
Sagitarius Nov 23 - Dec 22
While financial issues may still be on your mind, the presence of upbeat Jupiter can assist by connecting you with the right people and advice. However, there is a positive focus on your sector of communication with the sun moving in on Monday and joining chatty Mercury. This can be helpful for negotiating and sorting out issues and finding a compromise. Still, it helps to be careful midweek because there could be some disruption to your plans. With a little flexibility, you can work around this.
Capricorn Dec 23 - Jan 20
You enjoy a few treats, and with the sun and thoughtful Mercury in your money zone, this is the time to go in search of a bargain. The sun’s presence in your financial sector as of Monday can shine the light of awareness on money matters. This can be a call to take stock and sort out anything that’s bothering you. If you’re ready to commit to a budget or new financial habits, the new moon on Friday is the perfect time to do so.
Aquarius
Jan 21 - Feb 19 With the sun easing into your sign on Monday after spending some time in a more private zone, you could feel back in control. Your vitality and confidence can increase, and this can leave you more upbeat, especially if events have left you a tad drained over recent weeks. This is your opportunity to indulge in those things that have personal meaning for you. And if others accuse you of being selfish, don’t listen to them. Focus on those people, projects, and situations that bring you the most happiness and you won’t go wrong.
Pisces
Feb 20 - March 20 You are entering a phase this week when the cosmos encourages you to slow down and make time for reflection. This is an opportunity to clear away emotional baggage, tie up loose ends, and find closure on situations that have been dragging on for too long. And if you need a chance to rest, this is the ideal time to do so. There’s a new moon in this same sector on Friday, making this a chance to take up a spiritual practice such as meditation, yoga, or anything else that can help bring you peace of mind.
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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 Hindilanguage 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 more people know who I am. I am stopped at airports, other public places, and people tell me how much they loved the film. They praise the work I am doing. That gives me great satisfaction. Q: Will this film have an impact on the future of the Super 30 program? A: Yes, I hope so. At least five state governments have made the film tax free in their respective states, and I am hopeful that more will follow suit. The Delhi government has asked me to come and run a teaching program in their schools. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also invited me to his state. I met the Chief Minister of Rajasthan yesterday and he asked if we could open a branch of Super 30 there. So there are many positive things happening. The bigger change is in the youth, who are convinced more than ever that they have to work hard.
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Bigg Boss 13: Did Akanksha Puri call it quits with Paras Chhabra post his statement during Weekend Ka Vaar? Days after Paras Chhabra claimed to have parted way with Akanksha Puri before entering Bigg Boss 13, the actress has reportedly broken all ties with him. Bigg Boss 13 contestant Paras Chhabra’s love life with Akanksha Puri has been talk of the town since the day the actor participated in the popular reality show. The couple has been dating each other for around three years now. However, their relationship took a toll post Paras and Mahira Sharma’s growing proximity. In fact, Paras and Mahira’s equation grabbed a lot of
eyeballs and the duo has been touted as the new couple of the town. Even host Salman Khan pointed out this proximity during the Weekend Ka Vaar episode. W h i l e Akanksha has been ignoring Paras and Mahira’s mushy moments, she cont inue d supporting her beau. However, things have changed for her lately after Paras confirmed that he had called it quits with Akanksha before entering Bigg Boss 13 and doesn’t want to be with her anymore. According to media reports, Akanksha has
Missing, MP Sunny Deol’ posters appear in Punjab, the actor reacts on Facebook, blames opposition A day after his ‘missing’ posters surfaced in parts of Gurdaspur constituency, actorpolitician Sunny Deol on Monday took to social media to take a dig at his opponents and listed the works he had carried out in his constituency. Posters declaring Deol “missing” have surfaced at a few public places in Pathankot. “Gumshuda ki talash” (search for missing), MP Sunny Deol,” read the posters that could be seen at parks and the railway station. In a video message posted on Facebook, the Gurdaspur MP while wishing people on Lohri said he was
being unfairly targeted by his political opponents. “I have heard that my detractors are coming up with nonsensical things against me,” the actor said in the video on the posters. “Opposition leaders should work for the welfare of people. I am also working to resolve the traffic congestion in the city and also on the Pathankot highway. Wish you all a happy Lohri,” Deol said. Sixty-three-year old actor, who debuted in politics last year, won his first Lok Sabha election as a BJP candidate from Gurdaspur. He defeated Congress MP Sunil Jakhar in a triangular contest that also featured the Aam Aadmi Party.
Saturday, January 25, 2020 There is wide spread resentment against the Citizenship Amendment Act in different parts of India expressed in the form of demonstrations, rallies and dharnas, at some places it was violent .Before outlining its details let us know about its need, why Home Minister Amit Shah , tabled the bill in the Lok Sabha and after its was passed with majority, it was also passed with majority in Rajya Sabha (125 in favour and 105 against). As an act it was implemented on January 10, 2020. In 1947,India was divided entirely on religious basis, into India and Pakistan ,its eastern wing called: East Pakistan. Muslims were to live in Pakistan and the other multireligious communities were to live in India. At the time of partition there was a great bloodshed which was a very unfortunate change-over in the form of exodus of people running for life. In spite of partition some Hindus, Sikhs, Bodhis, Jainis, Christians and Parsies were left in Pakistan and bulk of Muslim population remained in India. Later
Press release
Citizenship Amendment Act : A relief to the horror-stricken minorities on a war broke in 1971 between West and East Pakistan as a result East Pakistan emerged as a separate country known as Bangla Desh. Geographically speaking India shares land border with Bangla Desh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.These three are Islamic countries. To make sure that minorities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Bodhis, Jainis, Christians and Parsies could live peacefully, exercising their religious beliefs and cultural practices Nehru- Liyakat pact was signed in 1955. It was an undertaking that the respective minorities would live in peace and enjoy due respect. But in due course of time the outcome was entirely different .India gave full opportunities to Muslims who could develop their potentials to the fullest. Among them India had Presidents ,Judges, cricket and hockey captains,
police officers but in Pakistan,Hindu and other minorities, as written, faced all sorts of inhuman treatments such as forced conversions, killings and their religious places demolished. This is evident from the figures; in 1947 Hindu population was 23% in Pakistan which have came down to 2% now. Ms.Saroj Pandey an M.P.form Chhatisgarh sarcastically remarked, “Where have they gone, has the earth swallowed them or the sky split and they disappeared in the space?”The people of these minorities crossed over to India so that they may live safely. Since they are in India as illegal immigrants, they don’t enjoy the rights as citizens have. The CAA is to give citizenship rights to these minorities who have been facing prosecution in Pakistan,Bangla Desh and Afghanistan.Shah has emphetically said it
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intends to give citizenship and not take it. Kapil Sibal a member of the parliament termed it discriminatory by quoting Article 14 of the Indian constitution. In reply to that Home Minister made it clear that it makes no infringement on that Article ,as it was thoroughlystudied before framing this bill. Article 14 ,provides for ‘Resonable Classification.’ It seems those who are demonstrating have not properly studies the humanitarian intent of the CAA. In the words of Sadguru, ‘the compassion came too late.’ How nice it would be if we could learn the wisdom of ‘hatred towards none’; the world would become a veritable heaven! See how different communities are living peacefully in Canada. In this multicultual country,we witness an ideal unity in diversity. In the end in invoke , ‘O.Good God bless us with the wisdom to treat every one as the creation of God, who never wishes His children to be separate entities, always at war. Krishan Bector
Sitar legend Pandit Ravi Shankar dies at 92 Legendary sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, who spearheaded the worldwide spread of Indian music and had a major influence on Western musicians like The Beatles, died today in San Diego at the age of 92. Ravi Shankar, whose health had been fragile for the past several years, underwent a surgery on Thursday at the Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California where he breathed his last. The music icon was admitted to the hospital last week when he complained of breathlessness. “It is with heavy hearts we write to inform you that Pandit Ravi Shankar, husband, father,
and musical soul, passed away today,” his wife and daughter, Sukanya and Anoushka Shankar, said in a joint statement. A recipient of Bharat Ratna in 1996, Shankar maintained residences in both India and the United States. He is survived by his wife Sukanya; daughter Norah Jones; daughter Anoushka Shankar Wright and husband Joe Wright; three grandchildren,
and four great-grandchildren. “As you all know, his health has been fragile for the past several years and on Thursday he underwent a surgery that could have potentially given him a new lease of life. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the surgeons and doctors taking care of him, his body was not able to withstand the strain of the surgery. We were at his side when
he passed away,” the joint statement said. “We know that you all feel our loss with us, and we thank you for all of your prayers and good wishes through this difficult time. Although it is a time for sorrow and sadness, it is also a time for all of us to give thanks and to be grateful that we were able to have him as a part of our lives. His spirit and his legacy will live on forever in our hearts and in his music,” they said in their joint statement. A three-time Grammy award winner, Mr Shankar last performed in California on November 4 along with his daughter Anoushka Shankar.
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Press release
Saturday, January 25, 2020 NDP out of ideas and avoiding solutions on housing affordability After years of increased taxes and total avoidance of real solutions to address the housing affordability crisis, Housing Minister Selina Robinson has been forced to turn to outside help, appointing current ICBC chair and NDP insider Joy Macphail, to lead an ‘expert panel’ on housing affordability. “After almost three years of having this file, Selina Robison now deciding that the solution to sky-high rents and lack of supply is an ‘expert panel’, is ridiculous” said BC Housing Critic Todd Stone. “This is basically an admission of failure from Robinson, whose housing plan has hit a dead-end and
failed to do a single thing when it comes to actually improving affordability.” The announcement of this panel comes the day after a new report revealed that Vancouver is still the second most unaffordable housing market in the world. The average person in Metro Vancouver is paying $2,064 more in rent per year under the NDP, and it’s not getting better. “The NDP promised British Columbians that they would make life more affordable, but instead we have seen the cost of living grow faster in B.C. than the rest of Canada,” added Stone. “We need to see real solutions to improve housing affordability.
Statement from Andrew Wilkinson on Lunar New Year Leader of the Official Opposition, Andrew Wilkinson, released the following statement
today for the Lunar New Year: “Tomorrow marks the Lunar New Year when we say farewell to the Year of the Golden Pig and welcome the Year of the Rat. “As various communities throughout British Columbia and the world come together to celebrate with fireworks, lion dances, and visits to flower markets, I want to send my warmest wishes to everyone observing the Lunar New Year. “The Lunar New Year is an exciting time to look forward to the opportunities a new
year will bring. “We encourage everyone to take this opportunity to participate in Lunar New Year festivities across the province and learn about the rich culture and traditions of the various communities in British Columbia celebrating today. “On behalf of the entire BC Liberal Caucus, we wish you and your family happiness, prosperity, and good health. “Xin Nian Kuai Le! Kung Hei Fat Choi!”
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Saturday, January 25, 2020
Vol. 10 No. 52
Saturday - January 25, 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
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Saturday, January 25, 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
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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
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, January 25, 2020
The mortgage stress test is making housing supply issues worse — and making homes even more unaffordable
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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.
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Classifieds / Jobs
Saturday, January 25, 2020
South Asian Seniors - Bingo On The House January 19th 2020 ( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm. Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members and nonmembers also to come and play Bingo for the sake of entertainment and make some new friends, on January 19th 2020( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall 8321 - 140th street Surrey B.C. Please bring only two dollars with you to play 2 games, do not worry if you do not know how to play, members will explain you the game just for the sake of fun. Tea & light snacks will be served after the game is over. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further information.
Matrimonial Seeking match for a Canadian Citizen,BSC Nursing, good family value, 31 years old girl from a reputed family, Boy must be well educated & Vegetarian. Call 1-236-332-9415
Group birthday celebrations
Saturday, February 1st, Vedic Seniors Parivar Center will be celebrating group birthday of 16 members born between 25th October to 1st. February. Their names are as follows, 1. Mr. Satish Kumar Goyal, 2. Mr. Suresh Bhayana, 3. Mr. Gurmit Singh Bhatti, 4. Surendra Handa, 5. Mrs. Rita Moudgill, 6. Mrs. Nirmala Jobanputra, 7. Mrs. Surinder Kaur Dial, 8. Mrs. Nirmal Dardi, 9. Mrs. Surinder Kaur Nager, 10. Mrs. Harbahs Kaur Grewal, 11. Mrs. Seneha Malhotra, 12. Mrs. Sarabjit Kaur Kambo, 13. Mrs. Indu Kaushal, 14. Mrs. Rajinder Kaur Kainth, 15. Mrs. Reema Sreedhar, 16. Mrs. Baljit Kaur Virk. The celebration will be held at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Temple 8321 - 140th street Surrey BC from 11.00 am to 3.00 pm. The prominent Musicians of the South Asian Community Mrs. Tejaswita Mohan, Mr. Raj Toora and Mr. Swaran Dhaliwal have kindly accepted our request to entertain us all with Melodious old Bollywood Hindi songs. Dr. Birendra Kumar Sahu a member of Vedic Seniors Parivar will also entertain with old Hindi songs. Please don’t miss and register your name for attending this special event. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for registration.
Child care provider required at a private home Location Surrey, BC - Salary $14.50 to $14.75 / Hour (To be negotiated) Permanent, Full time 40 Hours / Week Start date As soon as possible Job requirements Languages English Education College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma from a program of 1 year to 2 years Experience 1 year to less than 2 years Additional Skills Assume full responsibility for household in absence of parents, Perform light housekeeping and cleaning duties, Shop for food and household supplies, Travel with family on trips and assist with child supervision and housekeeping duties, Wash, iron and press clothing and household linens Children’s Ages School age (6 - 12 years), and 2 - 3 years Specific Skills Bathe,
dress and feed infants and children, Discipline children according to the methods requested by the parents, Prepare infants and children for rest periods, Keep records of daily activities and health information regarding children, Sterilize bottles, prepare formulas and change diapers for infants, Maintain a safe and healthy environment in the home, Take children to and from school and to appointments, Tend to emotional well-being of children, Instruct children in personal hygiene and social development, Organize, activities such as games and outings for children, Prepare and serve nutritious meals, Supervise and care for children, Help children with homework Work Setting Employer’s home How to apply By email: umendrasingh@hotmail.com By phone: 604-537-3551
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Bollywood
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Saturday, January 25, 2020
Vancouver ranked world’s second-least affordable housing market—again For the second year in a row, Vancouver has ranked as the secondmost unaffordable housing market in the world. That’s according to the 16th annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey, which looks at middleincome housing affordability. Hong Kong topped the list for the tenth year, and Sydney came in third. What do the numbers
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means? Demographia rates middleincome housing affordability using what it calls, the “median multiple,” which is the median house price divided by the median household income. For 2020, Vancouver was given a score of 11.9, indicating the median house price is almost 12 times more than the median household income. Hong Kong, Vancouver and Sydney are all accustomed to being the top three cities on the list. The last four years have looked like this: 2020 Hong Kong 20.8 Vancouver 11.9 Sydney 11 2019 Hong Kong 20.9 Vancouver 12.6 Sydney 11.7 2018 Hong Kong 19.4 Sydney 12.9 Vancouver 12.6 2017 Hong Kong 18.1 Sydney 12.2 Vancouver 11.8 ‘“It reflects, really, the ongoing challenges when it comes to affordable housing in metropolitan Vancouver whether it be rental or home ownership,” he said. He said it also comes down to incomes and wage growth. “They’ve grown a little bit but nowhere close to the kind of gains you seen in terms of housing values and increases in rents,” he said. The provincial government has made legislative changes in an effort to ease the inflated market with the introduction of the foreign buyers’ tax and the empty homes tax. “They’ve certainly had an effect,” Yan said. “It probably will still take another two or three years more before we’ll see the kind of final effect of these kinds of policies.” Angie Coppersmith has lived in Vancouver since the 1990s. “I came here in 1997 from Montreal, originally from London, and I found it expensive then,” she told CTV News. “You’re paying for paradise, I guess. One week of winter and look at the rest of the country. I guess it’s a sacrifice.” That sentiment was echoed by Annabelle Stiven, who’s lived in Vancouver for seven years. “It makes economic sense to move somewhere like Calgary where the housing’s cheaper,” she said. “If I didn’t enjoy living in Vancouver, I would live somewhere else.”
Saturday, January 28, 25, 2019 2020 Saturday, December
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LOCAL / NATIONAL
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Former Mountie, sports coach convicted of sex abuse in BC granted day parole
A former Mountie and sports coach convicted of sexually abusing young boys in B.C. and Saskatchewan has been granted day parole. The Parole Board of Canada denied Alan Davidson full parole but ruled the 64-year-old likely won’t present a risk under day release with special conditions. Davidson was sentenced to almost six years for abusing seven boys in the
late 1970s and early 1990s. Court heard that Davidson’s offences began in B.C., where he abused boys he met through coaching hockey and baseball. Davidson was later hired as an RCMP officer and worked in Saskatchewan, where the court heard he targeted two other
A former Canadian army reservist’s right to express his views, however repugnant, doesn’t trump the risk he might try to escape justice, a U.S. District Court judge declared Wednesday as he ordered accused white supremacist Patrik Mathews to remain behind bars. Judge Timothy Sullivan said Mathews,
Former soldier, alleged neo-Nazi Patrik Mathews denied bail in USA 27, is in the country illegally, has no ties to the United States and is facing serious charges that stem from his role in an alleged plot to sow violence, death and racial unrest, including at a massive pro-gun rally earlier this week in Virginia -- a plot
boys, and he was working as a deputy sheriff in Calgary when he was arrested in 2014. The board says the Correctional Service of Canada has recommended he be released to a facility on Vancouver Island. “The Board does not lose
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom described in court as domestic terrorism. “You can’t get more serious than murder,” Windom told Sullivan as he argued the government’s case to keep Mathews in custody.
sight of the fact that your offences spanned several years and caused serious harm to your victims,” said the parole board’s decision. “The Board also weighs that your offences are quite dated — committed between 43 and 28 years ago … release on day parole will contribute to the protection of society by facilitating your reintegration into the community as a law-abiding citizen.”
“You can’t get more serious than inciting civil disobedience. That’s exactly what Mr. Mathews was planning to do. Sullivan -- who sounded disinclined throughout Wednesday’s brief hearing to free the accused, given that he’s in the country illegally as it is -- agreed. He ordered Mathews held until a preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 30. “I don’t need to go any further than he’s a serious risk of flight,” Sullivan said. “This is a very dangerous person, he espouses very dangerous beliefs -- I don’t think I have to say much more.” Mathews and two other men were arrested last week after the former reservist disappeared from his residence in Manitoba amid allegations he was a recruiter for a white-supremacist group called The Base. At the time, Mathews was a combat engineer with the 38 Canadian Brigade Group in Winnipeg, though the military said then it was investigating those allegations and fasttracking his request to be released from the Canadian Armed Forces. He is facing one count of transporting a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony and one charge of being an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Man arrested after appearing to tamper with parking meter A man was arrested in Vancouver after appearing to tamper with a parking meter downtown. In a video posted to Twitter by Const. Jason Doucette Tuesday morning, a man wearing a dark hoodie appears to be using a thin, metal object to poke the coin slot in a parking meter. “This guy is not repairing meters,” according to media reports the
man had been arrested and that police “are considering (their) options based on the situation.” Last November, the Vancouver Police Department said that parking meter vandalism and thefts were growing issues. In fact, the city had seen a 10 per cent increase in outof-order meters over previous year,
Saturday, January 25, 2020 Not enough kids being vaccinated in Canada: Public Health Agency New data suggests vaccination rates among Canadian children are falling short. The Public Health Agency of Canada says none of the country’s national vaccination goals were met in any of the age groups surveyed in 2017. Dr. Theresa Tam says that means more kids need their shots if we’re going to reach sufficient community immunity to prevent disease and outbreaks. While at least 95 per cent of two-year-olds should ideally be covered, researchers found just 75.8 per cent received the multidose vaccine for diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus. Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island were the only provinces to cover more than 80 per cent, while Manitoba and Nunavut were below 70 per cent. The study says 2.4 per cent of two-yearolds are estimated to be unvaccinated, with Atlantic Canada having the lowest unvaccinated rate at 1.3 per cent, while British Columbia had the highest at 3.9 per cent. Among seven-year-olds, only girls vaccinated for rubella met the 95-per cent coverage goal at 95.8 per cent, versus 93.8 per cent for boys. That vaccine only requires one dose, compared to two doses for measles
and mumps where the national rate was 87 per cent and 86.4 per cent, respectively. Meanwhile, none of the three routine vaccines for adolescents met the national coverage goal of 90 per cent, although the Tdap booster came close at 89.3 per cent. Kids aged 14 and 17 get up to three routine vaccinations in school-based programs, depending on the jurisdiction, including for hepatitis B and human papillomavirus (HPV). Adolescents between the ages of 14 and 17 get up to three routine vaccinations in school-based programs including for hepatitis B and HPV. The Public Health Agency of Canada routinely monitors childhood vaccination rates through the childhood National Immunization Coverage Survey, which began in 1994 and has been conducted approximately every two years. Experts set vaccination goals in 2017, with the aim of reaching them by 2025. Although the numbers fall short of ideal, Tuesday’s study said vaccination coverage among two- and seven-year-olds have not changed much in recent years.
BC human rights commissioner defends her support of hereditary chiefs who oppose LNG pipeline British Columbia’s human rights commissioner is defending herself against accusations by Indigenous supporters of the liquefied natural gas industry that she didn’t do her research before wading into a pipeline dispute. Karasi Govender says in a statement that she “unreservedly’’ recognizes that some band councils along the Coastal GasLink pipeline route in northern B.C. have consented to the project. But she says just as those bands have the right to give their consent, other Indigenous rights holders affected by the project have the right to withhold it. From a human rights perspective, Govender says it’s not a numbers game and each person’s rights should be protected even if their position is unpopular. 12 arrested in Victoria during occupation of provincial government offices over Coastal GasLink pipeline Coastal GasLink has signed agreements with all 20 elected First Nations councils along the 670-kilometre pipeline path, but the hereditary clan chiefs of the
Wet’suwet’en Nation say the project has no authority without their consent. The First Nations LNG Alliance issued an open letter this week to Govender saying she never consulted Indigenous groups that support the pipeline when she called for the free, prior and informed consent of all impacted Indigenous groups before any project impacts the land. CEO Karen Ogen-Toews says in the letter that it was disheartening to see that the Indigenous support, achieved through five years of consultation, was “so easily dismissed.’’ “Human rights do not exist for the majority, they exist for each individual and in the case of free, prior, and informed consent for each Indigenous rights holding group,’’ Govender says in her response. “Indeed, human rights are the hardest to guarantee for those who find themselves in an unpopular minority, but this is when our commitment to human rights principles are truly tested.’’
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Government postpones deportation of pregnant woman almost forced onto flight despite health risk The federal government is postponing the deportation of a pregnant woman suffering from cardiac issues after she was scheduled to be on a flight to Bangladesh earlier this month despite doctors warning it’s unsafe for her to travel. Earlier this month, the Canada Border Services Agency scheduled a flight for Scarborough, Ont. woman Farhana Sultana to leave the country on Jan. 10 after her permanent residency application on humanitarian and compassionate grounds was rejected in November. Sultana said that her previous pregnancies were affected by her heart condition, and was simply begging the government to let her stay until the baby is born to ensure no harm is caused to her child or herself. The day of the flight earlier this month, Sultana, who is living in Scarborough
with her husband and three children, was taken to hospital by ambulance after she complained of chest pain, and severe heart palpitations, and was unable to board the flight. The CBSA scheduled a meeting with her husband, Firoj Shah, at Toronto Pearson International Airport for Monday to determine the next steps for the family after the flight was missed. Just after the meeting, Shah said that officers told him the deportation is delayed due to Sultana’s health condition. He said he is assuming that means until after the baby is born. Her due date is March 1. “It’s a relief to just know that they will wait,” he said. “I was crying the whole time; I didn’t want to ask too many questions because I was scared.”
23-year-old Indian student stabbed in Toronto A 23-year-old Indian student was stabbed by an unidentified man near York University’s campus in Toronto, Canada, the police said. The student was walking along pathway near the university’s campus, when an Asian man in his mid-20s attacked her on Wednesday night, knocked her to the ground, and dragged her a short distance, they said. The victim sustained stab wounds to her neck during the assault, Toronto’s local news channel CP24 quoted police as saying. The student was rushed to a hospital where she underwent surgery overnight, the channel said, adding that her condition remains critical. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
on Friday directed the MEA officials to arrange visa for the victim’s family. “Deeply shocked to learn of the serious attack on Rachel Albert, an Indian student in Toronto, Canada. Am asking MEA officials to help with her family’s visa. Family members may immediately contact us on +91 9873983884,” Jaishankar tweeted. Toronto police have described the attacker as an Asian male in his mid-20s. The suspect has black hair, and was wearing “stylish” glasses and a black puffy jacket at the time of the attack, police said. “We have information that he had fled the scene on foot,” police officer Alex Li said. “Our officers continue to search for the suspect.”
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National / Finance
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Bank of Canada holds interest rates steady, but sees weak fourth quarter spilling into early 2020
The Bank of Canada expects weaker fourth quarter growth to spill over into early 2020, before the Canadian economy picks up later this year thanks in part to the easing of global trade tensions. As expected, the central bank kept its key policy rate at 1.75 per cent, where it has stayed for the past 16 months. In addition to the rate announcement, the bank also released its quarterly monetary policy report, which provides an in-depth analysis of global and domestic economic trends. Wednesday’s report is the bank’s first detailed forecast since two major trade developments: The initial agreement between the United States and China to ease tariffs and the fact that the new trade deal between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico has moved into the final stages of ratification. The two developments lifted some of the global trade uncertainty hovering over
the Canadian economic outlook in recent years. Citing temporary factors such as last year’s CN Rail strike and poor weather, the bank revised its estimate for fourth quarter growth to 0.3 per cent annualized growth, down from 1.3 per cent. It now expects 1.3 per cent growth in the first quarter of 2020, down from an earlier forecast of 1.7 per cent. “The weaker data could also signal that global economic conditions have been affecting Canada’s economy to a greater extent than was predicted,” the bank said. The bank made slight adjustments to its projections for annual gross domestic product growth. It now says the economy grew by 1.6 per cent in 2019, up from its previous forecast
of 1.5 per cent. The projection for 2020 is now 1.6 per cent, down from 1.7 per cent, while the 2021 forecast is 2 per cent, up from 1.8 per cent. Inflation is projected to stay around the bank’s target of 2 per cent. CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld described the bank’s latest comments as “more dovish” than expected by markets and predicted a rate cut will come in April. “We’ll hold to our view that a climb in unemployment in the coming months will test the bank’s confidence about consumption, leading to a quarter point cut in April,” he said in a statement. The bank is no longer using the word “appropriate” to describe its policy rate, which
some economists view as a sign the bank may be leaning toward a future rate cut. RBC senior economist Josh Nye noted that markets are pricing in the odds of a rate cut by mid-year at just above 50 per cent. “Today’s statement makes us more comfortable with our call for a rate cut in April,” he said in a note. National Bank Financial Markets economists agreed in a research note that the bank’s tone Wednesday was more dovish than expected. However, they said they are not predicting a rate cut before Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz’s term expires in June. “Market expectations aside, Governor Poloz may well have reason enough to spend the remainder of his sevenyear term in cruise control,” they wrote. The bank noted there is some uncertainty as to how long the current slowdown will last.
Canada’s inflation rate holds steady at 2.2% in December Canada’s annual inflation rate held steady at 2.2 per cent in December, Statistics Canada said on Wednesday, supported by higher energy prices and balanced out by slower cost gains in food and cars. The number is in line with a Reuters analysts’ poll. Energy prices were 5.5 per cent higher in December compared with the same month last year, and were up 1.5 per cent over the previous month. In 2019, consumer inflation averaged 1.9 per cent, down from 2.3 per cent in 2018, Statscan said. Higher mortgage interest costs drove 2019 inflation, gaining 7.6 per cent, while gasoline prices helped offset that by declining 6.1 per cent. Fresh vegetable prices
jumped 12.7 per cent last year, Statscan said. Wednesday’s data comes the same day the Bank of Canada is due to announce its next overnight rate decision, which it has held steady since October 2018 even as several of its international counterparts have eased. The central bank aims to keep inflation at 2 per cent. Money markets expect the central bank to hold rates unchanged again on Wednesday. CPI common, which the central bank says is the best gauge of the economy’s underperformance, was at 2.0 per cent, while CPI median, which shows the median inflation rate across CPI components, was at 2.2 per cent. CPI trim, which excludes upside and downside outliers, was at 2.1 per cent.
Wealthsimple Inc. launching no-fee saving account Wealthsimple Inc. is launching a hybrid spending and savings account with no fees that appears to put the online financial advisory platform one step closer to competing with Canada’s big banks. The new account, Wealthsimple Cash, comes with no account minimum, a metal debit card and a “non-promotional” 2.4 per cent interest rate, among other perks. In an interview with the Financial Post, Wealthsimple chief executive Michael Katchen said the company’s goal was to make the process of opening such an account “simple and accessible.” “One of the things that are most frustrating about the industry is the number of ‘gotchas’,” he said. “You know you open up a typical chequing account at the bank and then you
find out there’s a minimum account balance. You start getting hit with the fees for not maintaining it. Every time you take out money, you get hit by ATM withdrawal fees.” Although Wealthsimple does not have a banking licence, it is working with two major Canadian banks to deliver the new account. It declined to name the banks with which it is partnering. While Katchen highlighted the security benefits that come with working with a bank, he was also quick to differentiate Wealthsimple’s product, which can can be opened in five minutes through the Wealthsimple app and involves no paperwork or branch visit. “There is no credit check done. So it’s important to distinguish that this isn’t a
Vancouver ranked world’s second-least affordable housing market—again For the second year in a row, Vancouver has ranked as the second-most unaffordable housing market in the world. T h a t ’ s according to the 16th annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey, which looks at middle-income housing affordability. Hong Kong topped the list for the tenth year, and Sydney came in third. What do the numbers means?
Demographia rates middleincome housing affordability using what it calls, the “ m e d i a n m u l t i p l e ,” which is the median house price divided by the median household income. For 2020, Vancouver was given a score of 11.9, indicating the median house price is almost 12 times more than the median household income. Hong Kong, Vancouver and Sydney
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Canada to unveil legislation to ratify USMCA deal on January 29: Trudeau The Canadian government will unveil legislation to ratify the United States-MexicoCanada trade deal on Jan. 29, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters ahead of parliament’s return on Monday, Trudeau said Canada would immediately move forward on ratifying the trilateral trade pact, known as USMCA, with the United States and Mexico. “Passing the new NAFTA in parliament is our priority,” Trudeau said while flanked by members of his cabinet following a three-day retreat. He noted millions of Canadians depend on stable, reliable trade. Canada is the last country to ratify the revamp of the 26-year-old North American
Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that includes tougher rules on labor and automotive content. The deal cannot take effect until it has been ratified by all three member nations. Last week, the United States Senate overwhelmingly approved the legislation to implement the USMCA on a 89-10 bipartisan vote, sending the measure to U.S. President Donald Trump for him to sign into law. Trump made the renegotiation of NAFTA a key element of his 2016 presidential election campaign, calling it the “worst trade deal ever made,” while blaming it for the loss of thousands of American factory jobs to lowwage Mexico.
Rona Ambrose announces she won’t run for Conservative leadership
Rona Ambrose, widely seen as the presumptive front-runner if she ran for the Conservative leadership, has decided she’s not entering the race. “I have really struggled with the decision to return to political life,” she said in a video released Wednesday afternoon. “I loved my 13 years in public service as an MP, minister and especially as leader of this great party. But right now, I am focused on making a difference through the private sector. Creating policy and advocating for our energy sector to create jobs. And my work continues to ensure all judges in Canada receive sexual assault law training. And the truth is, I love being back in Alberta.” A source with knowledge of
the decision said Ambrose had wrestled with the choice right up until Wednesday afternoon. The source said Ambrose isn’t closing the door on a return to politics at some point down the road, but felt this wasn’t the right time. In a written statement alongside the video, Ambrose urged the party to “choose a strong, compassionate person to lead us – who supports ALL families; a leader who unleashes the potential of the private sector and Canadian ingenuity through low taxes and less regulation; who defends universal human rights and principled foreign policy.”
Canada, Iran at odds over who should analyse downed plane’s black boxes Iran said it had asked the U.S. and French authorities for equipment to download information from black boxes on a downed Ukrainian airliner, potentially angering countries which want the recorders analysed abroad. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, which lost 57 of the 176 people killed in the crash, said Iran did not have the ability to read the data and he demanded the cockpit and flight recorders should be sent to France. Kiev wants the recorders sent to Ukraine. The U.S.-built Boeing 737 flown by Ukraine International Airlines was shot down in error by Iranian forces on Jan. 8 during a period of tit-for-tat military strikes that included the killing by the United States of a senior Iranian
general on Jan. 3. Tehran, already embroiled in a longrunning standoff with the United States over its nuclear programme, has given mixed signals about whether it would hand over the recorders. An Iranian aviation official had said on Saturday the black boxes would be sent to Ukraine, only to backtrack in comments reported a day later, saying they would be analysed at home. A further delay in sending them abroad is likely to increase international pressure on Iran, whose military has said it shot the plane down by mistake while on high alert in the tense hours after Iran fired missiles at U.S. targets in Iraq.
Trudeau rejects ‘prisoner exchange’ of two Canadians in China for Meng Wanzhou Prime Minister Trudeau is rejecting a potential “prisoner exchange” to obtain the freedom of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, despite his inability to use recent China-U.S. trade talks as leverage to secure the release of the two Canadians detained in China. During a cabinet retreat in Winnipeg, Mr. Trudeau shot down the possibility of intervening in the case of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. executive Meng Wanzhou, who is currently fighting her proposed extradition to the United States, even if it can lead to the freeing of Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor. The proposal for a “prisoner exchange” has been pitched on a number of occasions by members of Canada’s business community as a way to ease tensions with China, most recently by Eddie Goldenberg, a lawyer who was a senior aide to former prime minister Jean Chrétien. “We are a country of the rule of law and we will abide by the rule of law,” Mr. Trudeau said at news conference Tuesday morning.
Last December, Mr. Trudeau said in a television interview that the United States should not sign a final and complete trade deal with China that does not settle the question of Ms. Meng and the two Canadians. There is now a deal in place between China and the United States, but there has been no visible progress in the case of the two detained Canadians. “We have been engaged, as a priority measure, in securing the return of the two Michaels and clemency for Robert Schellenberg [who is facing the death penalty in China],” Mr. Trudeau said. “We have engaged very closely with the United States on many different paths in terms of resolving this situation.” On Canada’s efforts to obtain a full investigation into the downing of Flight 752 earlier this month, Mr. Trudeau urged Iran to speed up the process under which flight recorders recovered from the crash site are analyzed by experts.
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INDIA
Saturday, January 25, 2020
New Indian law to protect foreign investors to exclude tax demands - documents New legislation will improve protection for foreign investors in India by offering relief from possible policy changes but will uphold the state’s right to tax them, according to its draft and government documents seen by Reuters. The bill also attempts to upgrade India’s investment climate and boost foreign investment by setting up new adjudicating authorities to swiftly resolve disputes. It is part of India’s efforts to become a $5 trillion economy by 2024, from around $2.7 trillion currently, the documents said. But the draft text of the new law dated Nov. 15 does not cover demands related to enforcement of tax obligations, a critical area of concern for foreign investors. Several firms including IBM (IBM.N), Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) and Vodafone (VOD.L) have collectively faced billions of
dollars in tax claims from India’s government in recent years, leading to arbitration cases and protracted legal battles in courts. A separate internal government document which analyses the draft law noted that taxation issues were of “great interest” to investors and excluding it from the law’s purview could reduce the proposal’s intent to boost their comfort level. Nevertheless, the document defended the exclusion, saying “the power to tax is an integral part of the state’s police powers even recognized in international law”. The Finance Ministry, which drafted the law, did not respond to a request for comment. Two sources familiar with deliberations on the law said it could still undergo several changes before it is finalised. The bill is likely to be presented for passage in the upcoming parliament session that starts Jan. 31, they said.
Born in Pakistan, Nita Kanwar becomes sarpanch in Rajasthan Who knew that the Rajasthan Government’s decision to grant Indian citizenship to a woman born in Pakistan would take her a step closer to her dream of contesting the panchayat elections. Nita Kanwar (36) was elected sarpanch of Natwada gram panchayat in Tonk district. She defeated her rival Sonu Devi by 362 votes. Eighteen years ago in 2001 when she migrated with her mother and relatives from Pakistan’s Sindh to Jodhpur in Rajasthan, Nita had a volley of questions on her mind — whether she would be able to get good education, a nice husband and realise her dream. Settled in Natwada gram panchayat for nine
years, Nita said: “I graduated from Ajmer’s Sophia College in 2005 and married a Rajput boy in Rajasthan. Nobody in the family is into politics.” “As a sarpanch, I desire to empower the panchayat women, open a new hospital and a school in the area,” she said. The new sarpanch also runs a boutique. “It was not easy to get citizenship as the file was rejected many times, but finally we were able to meet all requirements in September 2019. In Pakistan, my family faced a great difficulty in finding a suitable match for me, so we migrated to Jodhpur,” said the mother of two.
CAA is world’s most important human rights law: Roopa Ganguly Accusing the opposition parties of trying to mislead people, BJP MP Roopa Ganguly said the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) should be regarded as the world’s most important human rights law. Winding up her two-day Odisha visit, the actor-turned-politician said the CAA would not take away anyone’s citizenship. “In no way, the CAA will have any adverse impact on Indian citizens. Opposition parties are spreading lies and misleading people for narrow political purpose,” she said.
Ganguly, who met refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan settled in Malkangiri and neighbouring Nabarangpur districts during her visit, was addressing a meeting organised by the BJP in support of the CAA on Wednesday. “Despite all hue and cry over the issue, the fact remains that the CAA symbolises humanism. It can be described as the most important human rights law in the world. It aims at giving citizenship to people who come here after being tortured and harassed,” the Rajya Sabha member from West Bengal said.
Court gives govt more time to explain divisive citizenship law Supreme Court declined calls to suspend the implementation of a new citizenship law, deciding that a constitutional bench of five judges was needed to hear all the challenges to legislation that critics say discriminates against Muslims. The court gave PM Modi’s govt four weeks to respond to 144 petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the law which has ignited protests across the country. The law, which came into effect on Jan.10 after being passed by parliament in December, lays out a path for citizenship for six religious minorities in neighbouring mostly-Muslim countries - Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Critics say that the omission of Muslims is discriminatory, and that basing the right to citizenship on religion violates the secular principles of India’s constitution. Opposition leaders, Muslim organisations and student groups had petitioned the court
to hold off implementation of the law until the challenges to the legislation were settled. But Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde heading a three-bench panel told a packed courtroom that only a constitutional bench of five judges could rule on the matter and in the meantime gave the government more time to explain its stance. “We will give you four weeks to file reply to all petitions,” Bobde told the government’s top lawyer, indicating that the next hearing will be held in late February. The government says the law is for the benefit of religious minorities such as Hindus, Sikhs and Christians who face persecution in India’s Muslim majority neighbours. The biggest student organisation in Assam, where some of the worst violence was seen last month during widespread protests against the law, said it would keep up its opposition.
Uber cuts losses from Eats business in India with sale to Zomato Uber has sold its loss-making online food-ordering business in India to local rival Zomato in exchange for a 9.99% stake in the startup backed by China’s Ant Financial. Zomato, valued at around $3 billion after raising money from Ant this month, will take over Uber Eats’ operations from Tuesday. Since launching in India in 2017, Uber Eats has struggled to gain market share and is a distant third to Tencent Holdings-backed Swiggy and Zomato. All three have spent heavily on deals and discounts to attract customers
in
a highly competitive market. Uber chief financial officer Nelson Chai said the move was another demonstration, following its decision to exit Uber Eats South Korea in October 2019, “of our commitment to take a hard look at Eats markets where we do not have a path to leadership”. The San Francisco-based firm, which has promised to be profitable at an operational level by the end of 2021, has been trying to sell the India Eats business for a year, three sources familiar with the talks told Reuters.
Committed to NRC, will send back 1 cr illegal Bangladeshis: Bengal BJP chief BJP’s West Bengal unit chief Dilip Ghosh said on Sunday that the government is committed to implementing the proposed nationwide NRC and will send back 1 crore Bangladeshi Muslims living in the state illegally. Addressing a series of rallies in the North 24 Parganas district, Ghosh said those opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) are anti-Bengalis and against the idea of India. He said 1 crore illegal Muslims in the state are “thriving” on the government’s Rs 2 per kg subsidised rice. “We will send them back,” he announced. “Why you are behaving in such a way, why are you trying to stop the CAA and the NRC?” he said, hitting out at those opposing
the move. “We are committed to NRC. We will also ensure that the CAA is implemented in West Bengal,” he added. Coming down heavily on the Trinamool Congress and the other opposition parties, Ghosh said that when “lungi-clad Rohingyas” were setting railway stations and other public properties on fire for three days, they did not speak out. “Such incidents of arson caused a loss of Rs 500-600 crore,” the BJP MP said, referring to the violent protests that broke out in the state after Parliament cleared the CAA in December last year. He said he has no qualms in being branded communal for supporting the cause of Hindu refugees, who had to run for their lives after being religiously persecuted.
Malaysia to buy more Indian sugar to resolve palm oil spat - sources Malaysia’s top sugar refiner said it will increase purchases of the commodity from India, which according to two sources is part of efforts to placate New Delhi amid an ongoing spat over palm oil imports. MSM Malaysia Holdings Berhad will buy 130,000 tonnes of raw sugar from India worth 200 million ringgit ($49.20 million) in the first
quarter, the company told Reuters. It bought around 88,000 tonnes of raw sugar from India in 2019. MSM is the sugar refining arm of the world’s largest palm oil producer, FGV Holdings, which is an unit of Malaysian stateowned Federal Land Development Authority or Felda. The company did not cite the palm oil dispute as a reason for the increase in purchases.
PUNJAB
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Another Sikh leader flees Pakistan for India
The Sikh leader, who deactivated his Twitter account and moved to Lahore from Peshawar after he was assaulted by “unidentified” armed men a few weeks ago, has fled from Pakistan, fearing threats to his life. Sources in Islamabad said Radesh Singh Tony, a minority rights activist and Sikh leader, along with his family from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa left Pakistan due to threats and is likely to take asylum in India. Tony has been target of Islamist extremists and has received threats several times. He has also been critical of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and
complaining about the deteriorating law and order situation in Pakistan. The Sikh community, a miniscule minority in Pakistan, has been facing severe insecurities since the recent attack on their holy shrine at Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak. One Sikh youth was also killed by unidentified men following the attack. Tony was the only minority politician from Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to have contested last year’s election as an independent candidate. He had earlier contested local government elections for a minority general councillor seat and was elected with a majority.
Woman, daughter & son found murdered in Chandigarh A woman and her two children were found murdered at their house at Modern Housing Complex in Chandigarh, in the wee hours of Thursday. They are suspected to have been murdered by Sanjay Arora, the victim’s husband and father of the children, who later tried to commit suicide. Sanjay runs Krishna Bakery in Sector 9 of Panchkula. The deceased were identified as Sarita (45), daughter Sanchi (20), a law student, and son Arjun (15). They had multiple injury marks on their bodies. Sources alleged that Sanjay after murdering his family went to the railway track in Panchkula and tried to commit suicide by jumping before a train. He was seriously injured and rushed to Civil Hospital, Panchkula, from where he was referred to the PGI. Sources said the police informed Sanjay’s worker Karamveer who reached the PGI. Karamveer called up Sanjay’s wife who didn’t answer the phone following which
29-year-old Indian man charged with killing 3 Punjab men in London A 29-year-old Indian-origin man has been charged by Scotland Yard in connection with the killing of three compatriots originally from Punjab in a street fight in east London over the weekend. Gurjeet Singh was charged on Tuesday evening with possessing an offensive weapon in a public place to appear before Redbridge Magistrates’ Court in London on Wednesday. He remains under investigation in connection with the murders, while a second man aged 39 remains in police custody. “Enquiries around motive for this incident continue, however we do not believe it to be gang related. Officers at this stage are not seeking to make any further arrests for murder,” the Metropolitan Police said in its update. The three murdered men, originally from Punjab, are yet to be formally identified by police but have been locally named as builders Narinder a.k.a. Nik Singh, Harinder a.k.a. Honey Kumar, and Baljit Singh. Earlier, the Met Police had said that their investigation revealed that the attack was the result of an “ongoing dispute” involving men from the local Sikh and Hindu communities who were known to each other. An altercation at a wedding reception a day before is believed to be linked to the fatal incident on Sunday night when three men, aged in their late 20s and 30s, were found with serious stab wounds by emergency services and pronounced dead at the scene in Seven Kings area of Redbridge. Scotland Yard’s Specialist Crime Command launched a murder investigation and arrested two men on suspicion of the murders.
Karamveer reached Sanjay’s house but found the house locked. Karamveer peeped inside and found blood lying there, following which the police were sounded. Police broke open the door and found the three lying in a pool of blood. A suicide note was found in the house.
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100 cases, 20 years in jail, but bootlegger won’t call it quits Paro Bai, 75, a resident of Sukhera Bodla village, allegedly entered liquor and drug trade after her marriage to Bara Singh, a bootlegger, 52 years ago. She has been booked in 100 cases under the NDPS and Excise Acts and has served jail sentences for 20 years, the fear of law clearly failing to be any deterrent. Arrested two months ago with 8 kg of poppy husk, she was let out two days ago. Talking to The Tribune, she insisted
she had quit the trade several years ago. But Fazilka SSP Bhupinder Singh said the police were determined to prepare a watertight case against Paro Bai and her family. Lekh Raj Batti, Jalalabad SHO, who has been investigating various cases involving Paro Bai’s family, said Bara Singh and Paro Bai had eloped to get married. “They continued with the illegal trade even while raising their son Chan Singh and daughter Surjit Kaur, alias Channo.”
Centre should not allow transfer of Punjab’s waters to non-basin areas Expressing grave concern over the state’s critical water situation, an all-party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday demanded reassessment of the state’s water availability and unanimously resolved that the Centre should ensure that Punjab river waters are not in any way transferred from basin to non-basin areas of the state’s three rivers. All parties also unanimously demanded suitable amendments to the proposed Inter-State River Water Disputes Act
to set up a new tribunal to ensure that Punjab got adequate water “in a just and equitable manner in keeping with its total demand and securing livelihood of the future generations”. The resolution read: “Punjab does not have surplus water and is facing a threat of desertification with declining availability of its river water and fast depleting groundwater. The state’s groundwater that meets 73 per cent of its irrigation requirements has declined to alarming levels, threatening the livelihood of farmers and other poor people.
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INDIA
Saturday, January 25, 2020
BJP picks JP Nadda as president amid mounting challenges India’s Hindu nationalist ruling party on Monday elevated a veteran lawmaker and long-time associate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to become its president ahead of a string of state elections. Jagat Prakash Nadda, who rose through the ranks after cutting his teeth as a student leader in the 1970s, will become the new president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), replacing Amit Shah, currently India’s Home Minister.Nadda was elected unopposed, the party said. Led by Modi and Shah, the BJP returned to power, winning in a general election in 2019 by a landslide majority, but the party
has failed to keep its hold on a number of key Indian states amid growing criticism over some of its recent moves. Since late 2018, the BJP has lost control of the western states of Rajasthan and Maharashtra, Jharkhand in the east and Chhattisgarh in central India - shrinking its national footprint, even though Modi’s popularity seems largely undiminished. A wave of countrywide protests over a new citizenship law that has continued for more than four weeks has also caught the party on the wrong foot, adding to concerns about a flagging economy and rising inflation.
Tallest statue of Hanuman ji installed in Temple in USA A Delaware temple and worshiped is now home to a in the form of a statue of a Hindu god towering statue and said to be the tallest we are proud to bring in the country. A that tradition to Delaware temple is Delaware,” Patibanda now home to a statue Sarma, president of of a Hindu god said the Hindu Temple to be the tallest in the Association, said. Hockessin Hindu Temple welcomes country’s country. Hundreds of Organizers of the tallest Hanuman statue people celebrated the effort to bring the arrival of the 25-foot statue to Delaware said it will be the the tallest granite statue of the Hindu god Hanuman on statue of a Hindu God carved out of a single Saturday morning at a temple in Hockessin. piece of stone in USA. Sculptors in India A welcome ceremony was held after a truck spent about a year carving it. delivered the 60,000-pound statue. Across India, Lord Hanuman is often enshrined
RBI to hold rates on inflation concerns, fiscal boost likely: Reuters poll Rising inflation is expected to keep the Reserve Bank of India from cutting rates again until late this year, while an expansionary federal budget due next month attempts to put a floor under rapidly-slowing growth, a Reuters poll found. Last month a rate cut at the Feb. 4-6 meeting was a close call but with the latest inflation print showing a sharp increase - accelerating to its highest in more than five years and above the upper band of the RBI’s target range - the central bank will be forced to stay on the sidelines. That is despite the Indian economy expanding at its weakest pace in over six years in the JulySeptember quarter and the Jan. 17-22 poll of nearly 65 economists showing a sharp cut to the growth outlook for this fiscal year. “Our expectation is that there might be higher inflation prints at least until April beyond which you could see some moderation,” said Sakshi Gupta, senior India economist at HDFC Bank.
“Given this trajectory, it would reach a stage where inflation prints are going to become more comfortable for the RBI, we expect them to seize that opportunity and cut to support growth.” Still, in response to additional questions, all 42 economists said growth would gradually pick up in the next six months and a majority said inflation would moderate. “A sharp pullback in credit caused growth to slow dramatically in 2019. But fiscal and monetary policy have been loosened, this should lead to a gradual recovery in investment and household spending,” said Shilan Shah, senior India economist at Capital Economics. While the RBI was the most aggressively dovish major central bank in Asia, slashing rates by a cumulative 135 basis points last year, it paused unexpectedly in December on inflation concerns. The latest poll projected the central bank to extend that pause - keeping its repo rate on hold at 5.15% at its February meeting and until at least October.
India moves to tap new sources to hedge geopolitical risks: Report State refiners are close to signing their first annual deals to buy Russian oil, three sources privy to the development said, as the nation moves to tap new sources to hedge against geopolitical risks. India, the world’s thirdbiggest oil consumer and importer, which ships in over 80% of its needs, usually relies on the Middle East for the majority of its supply. However, its imports from that region slid to a four-year low last year. Its acquisitions from Russia had typically been low, as transportation costs for its crude tend to be higher than those for Middle Eastern grades, and were made through the spot market rather than under contract. However state refiners—Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd—are now moving towards signing deals for Russian oil.
The country’s top refiner IOC has already told Russia’s Rosneft that it intends to buy as much as 40,000 bpd of Russian crude, one of the sources said, some 2.5 percent.% of its total refining capacity. “It is almost certain to sign a contract, a proposal has been sent to Rosneft,” the source said. “These are optional volumes. (IOC) will see the pricing then will decide when to draw the volumes.” “IOC will take Russian oil whenever it is economical.” State refiners may sign annual deals to buy Russian oil; India moves to tap new sources to hedge geopolitical risks: Report Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) are also planning smaller deals, sources said. “We have the capabilities to process Russian oil. We are evaluating procuring Russian crude directly from the producers,” said R Ramachandran.
India’s lower than expected GDP numbers ‘biggest drag’ on global growth forecast for two years, says IMF’s Gita Gopinath “The slowdown is receiving attention at the highest levels, lot of consultation is going on and certain issues relating to the economy need to be sorted out. Once that happens, maybe there is a time lag. It is always there. But there is a huge potential in Indian economy. Outside investors or FDI..there’s a still lot of interest in Indian economy,” Kumar said. Kumar’s comments come at a time when India-born IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath said that the downward revision of global growth forecast was largely due to the economic slowdown in India. “We’ve had a significant downward revision for India, over
a 100 basis point for each of these years. It’s probably the most important factor for the overall global downgrade of 0.1 percent,” she said in a conversation with BloomergQuint in Davos. IMF on Monday lowered growth estimate for India to 4.8 percent for 2019, citing stress in the non-bank financial sector and weak rural income growth as the major factors for the downward revision. “If we look at the numbers, these two quarters, December and March... in terms of resolution they are going to be the best quarters. We already had one big case resolved, which is the Essar steel,” Kumar said.
Saturday, December 28, 2019 Saturday, January 25, 2020
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SOUTH ASIA
Saturday, January 25, 2020
India’s new citizenship law unnecessary, but its not our business Bangladesh PM Hasina Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has termed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) “internal matters” of India, but at the same time said the Act was “not necessary”. According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, following religious
persecution there will get Indian citizenship. Protests are being held across India against the controversial law. “We don’t understand why (the Indian government) did it. It was not necessary,” Hasina told the Gulf News in an interview, referring to India’s new citizenship law. Her comments came weeks after Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen said that the CAA and the NRC are India’s “internal issues”.
National security advisor Ajit Doval meets Sri Lankan president, pledges $50-mn security assistance India has pledged a USD 50-million security assistance to Sri Lanka as National Security Adviser Ajit Doval called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and discussed a range of bilateral issues, including strengthening cooperation in defence, intelligence sharing and maritime security. Doval arrived in Colombo on Saturday on a previously unannounced visit during which
he also met several foreign diplomats and discussed important issues of mutual interest. “A very cordial discussion was held with National Security Advisor of India, Ajit Doval today. Strengthening of bilateral cooperation on national security, intelligence sharing, maritime security & fostering of regional collaboration, were some of the key points of discussion,” President Rajapaksa tweeted.
Hong Kong homes remain world’s least affordable for 10th year Hong Kong has racked up a 10th year as the world’s least-affordable housing market, highlighting the inequality that has helped fuel months of protests. The city topped Vancouver and Sydney as the most unaffordable housing market in 2019, according to a report Monday by urban planning policy consultancy Demographia. Hong Kong’s median property price declined slightly to 20.8 times median household income last year, compared to 20.9 times the year before. The median multiple
dropped in all of the 10 cities except Toronto, meaning housing has become somewhat more accessible for most people. Melbourne remained the fourth-most unaffordable housing market, while Toronto and Auckland climbed to sixth place. Hong Kong’s sky-high property prices have long been a source of contention in the city, where about one-in-five residents live below the poverty line. Some have resorted to living illegally in steel boxes or industrial estates because they can’t afford a home.
Trump says US ready to ‘help’ India-Pakistan over Kashmir dispute President Trump said the United States was watching developments between India and Pakistan over Kashmir “very closely” and was prepared to help if necessary, but did not say how. Speaking ahead of talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Trump said trade and borders were both critical points for discussion, while Khan said that for him Afghanistan was the top priority. “Trade is going to be of very, very paramount importance ... and we’re working together on some borders, and we’re talking about Kashmir in relation to what is going on with Pakistan and India. And if we can help we certainly will be helping,” he said. “We’ve been watching that and following it very, very closely,” he added.
Kashmir, which sits high in the Himalayas between India and Pakistan, has been in dispute between the nuclear-armed neighbors since they gained independence in 1947. Tensions between the two have flared since August last year, when India sent troops to its side of Kashmir to quell unrest after it revoked the area’s special autonomous status. Because India and Pakistan have fought two of three wars over Kashmir, any stand-off in the region is fraught with risk. Prime Minister Khan, said that while relations with India were important, the most pressing concern was Afghanistan. “The main issue, of course, is Afghanistan because it concerns the U.S. and Pakistan,” he said. “Both of us are interested in peace there and an orderly transition in Afghanistan.
India says no meeting with Malaysia at World Economic Forum as palm oil row simmers India’s trade minister will not meet with his Malaysian counterpart in Davos next week because of his tight schedule, a trade ministry official said, as a spat simmers between the top buyer of palm oil and its biggest supplier. Hindu-majority India has repeatedly objected to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaking out against a new citizenship law which critics say discriminate
against Muslims. Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation, is the second biggest producer and exporter of palm oil and India’s restrictions on the refined variety of the commodity imposed last week have been seen as a retaliation for Mahathir’s criticism of New Delhi. A Malaysian government spokesman said on Friday that trade ministers from India and Malaysia could meet on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos.
Chinese court jails former Interpol chief for 13-1/2 years over corruption charges A court in China on Tuesday jailed former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei for 13-1/2 years and fined him 2 million yuan ($290,000) for receiving bribes and abuse of official positions. Interpol, the global police coordination
agency based in France, said late in 2018 that Meng had resigned as its president, days after his wife reported him missing following a trip to his home country of China.
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FIJI
Saturday, January 25, 2020
NFP believes AG opening Hindi conference is hypocritical and an insult National Federation Party President Pio Tikoduadua believes it is hypocritical for the Attorney General to open a regional international Hindi conference this Saturday when the 2013 Constitution seriously erodes formal Hindi and i-taukei languages. “Here one of the main promoters of Fiji Hindi will open a conference aimed at promoting and enforcing formal Hindi”, said Mr Tikoduadua “We consider this as being hypocritical of the highest order and an insult to the formal Hindi language”. “We believe that formal Hindi is not an area of strength for the AG. If our perception is correct, why is the AG imposing his weakness upon the Hindi speaking population of Fiji, in particular the descendants of the Girmitiya who practiced their culture and religion on the basis of formal Hindi at all times?” “Section 31(3) of the Constitution prescribes the compulsory teaching of conversation and contemporary i-taukei and Fiji Hindi languages in all primary schools”.
“Fiji Hindi is not a language. Fiji Hindi is a dialect. Similarly, conversational i-taukei is not the official language of our indigenous community”. Worse, the State owned national broadcaster, Fiji broadcasting Corporation has started promoting Fiji Hindi on the airwaves of one of its Hindi radio stations from the beginning of this year with announcers talking in Fiji Hindi”. “This is appalling and despicable. Throughout its history FBC had reputable announcers who were fluent in the Hindi language”. While we welcome Fiji hosting the first ever regional international Hindi conference this weekend, we believe it provides a platform to local participants to reinforce the importance of the Hindi language and not conversational Hindi as prescribed in the 2013 Constitution. “We therefore urge local Hindi scholars, religious and cultural organisations who participate in the event , strongly raise concerns on how the 2013 Constitution would undermine Hindi language”.
Police classify case of Hasneel Sharma’s death as murder Police have classified the case of Hasneel Sharma’s death as murder. Sharma’s body was found at the old service station in Natokowaqa, Lautoka on Sunday morning. Chief of Intelligence and
Investigations, ACP Biu Matavou has confirmed that Sharma had sustained a head injury that resulted in his death. He says there are no suspects at the moment as investigations continue.
Ministry of Health introduces health screening measures for passengers disembarking from flights The Ministry of Health and Medical Services says they are introducing additional health screening measures for passengers disembarking from flights that originate in Hong Kong and Singapore as cases of coronavirus continue to rise in different parts of the world. Coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China has killed 17 people and infected more than 540.
The Ministry of Health says there are no direct flights from Wuhan to Fiji, however, they do have flights from Hong Kong and Singapore that may serve as connections for passengers from Wuhan. It says passengers on these flights will be met upon arrival by their officers, who will review the health declaration on immigration cards and request information on recent travel to Wuhan.
Isoof who murdered five people in the Nausori Highlands further remanded in custody Mohammed Raheesh Isoof, who allegedly murdered five people in the Nausori Highlands in August last year has been further remanded in custody. Defence lawyer, Iqbal Khan has requested clear CCTV footage and he was informed to write to the DPP’s Office detailing which CCTV footage was not clear. The 62-year-old is facing five counts of murder and one count
of attempted murder. He holds permanent residency in New Zealand. The bodies were of a 63-year-old carpenter, Nirmal Kumar, his 54-year-old wife, Usha Devi, their 34-yearold daughter, Nileshni Kajal and Kajal’s two daughters aged 11 and 8 years. A 1-year-old child was also found crawling nearby. The case has been adjourned to the 5th of next month for mention.
Fiji Embassy in Beijing confirms Fijians living in China are safe
Fijians currently living in China are confirmed to be safe as the Fiji Embassy in Beijing monitors the situation after a massive outbreak of the Coronavirus in China. The Fiji Embassy in Beijing confirms that as of now Fijian citizens including the students in Wuhan and other provinces have been contacted and there have been no reports of any Fijian affected by the Coronavirus. According to a government statement, the Embassy continues to work with the relevant authorities in Beijing in ensuring the wellbeing of Fijians. The Embassy has reached out to all the Fijians on a regular basis in providing them with information and updates on the
current situation of the Coronavirus virus outbreak including all preventative measures that need to be taken such as limiting mobility and staying indoors in high-risk provinces such as Wuhan. The Embassy says that at this stage no official confirmation has been released by the National Health Commission in China for the evacuation of people from Wuhan and any affected provinces. The Fiji Embassy in Beijing is urging Fijians in China to take heed of the current precautionary measures as advised. The Fijian government says contingency measures are also mapped out by the Fiji Embassy in Beijing should there be a need for evacuation.
Former govt emplyee & a company Director plead not guilty to corruption-related charges A former staff of the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Natural Disaster and a company Director have pleaded not guilty to corruption-related charges in the Labasa Magistrates Court. FICAC have charged Dinesh Dayal and Rajeshwar Prasad with a count each of Conspiracy to Defraud – Causing a Loss and a count each of Obtaining a Financial Advantage. Both are alleged to
have caused a loss of $6,000 to the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Natural Disaster Management in 2015 by causing a false payment of that amount to be made to Northern Timber and Hardware Limited for the supply of materials for the Naseva Water Project without the materials being delivered. The case has been adjourned to the 4th of next month.
PAKISTAN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 Prime Minister Imran Khan called for the UN to help mediate between India & Pakistan over the disputed territory of Kashmir. “This is a potential flashpoint,” Khan said during media briefing at World Economic Forum in Switzerland, adding that it was time for the “international institutions ... specifically set up to stop this” to “come into action”. The Indian govt in August revoked the constitutional autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir, India’s only Muslim-majority state,
Prime Minister Khan calls for UN action on Kashmir dispute splitting it into two federal territories in a bid to integrate it fully with India and to rein in militancy. Kashmir is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan. The two countries have gone to war twice over it,
and both rule parts of it. India’s portion has been plagued by separatist violence since the late 1980s. Khan said his biggest fear was how New Delhi would respond to ongoing protests in India over a citizenship law that many feel
Peace with India important for Pakistan’s economic growth: Imran Khan
Prime Minister Imran Khan said the world will realise the true strategic economic potential of his country when the relationship with India becomes normal. He said his vision is to make Pakistan a welfare state and asserted that economic growth is not possible without peace and
stability. In a special address at the WEF 2020, Khan also said Pakistan has decided to partner any other country only for peace and named the partnership with US as the one.
Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard defeated a man in a pushup challenge after he asked the Hindu Congresswoman if she could beat fellow party contender Joe Biden in such a contest, media reports said. The incident took place on the night of January 16 while she was addressing a crowd at a town hall in New Hampshire, New England, according to The Hill news
Pakistan has urged the US to support its bid to exit from the FATF’s grey list ahead of a meeting of the international terror financing watchdog in which it will scrutinise Islamabad’s efforts to adopt stricter laws against terror financing and money laundering. A Pakistani delegation , led by Minister for Economic Affairs Division Hammad Azhar, arrived in Beijing on Sunday for the three-day talks with the Financial Action Task Force that would start on January 21. The briefing will go
NRI
magazine. The man asked her: “Former Vice President Biden has randomly challenged people in the audience to a push-up contest even if they’re in walkers... Do you think you could take him?” “My educated and informed guess would be yes,” Gabbard replied. “However, Joe Biden may have some superhuman push-up ability that nobody knows about. But I would take most people to a pushup challenge.”
Australian Sikhs and Muslims no longer have to wear helmet Police in Canberra will no longer issue fines to riders who wear a headdress for religious reasons caught riding without a helmet. The new road safety regulations, which quietly came into effect in December, won’t apply to other riders who will still be fined if they’re caught
As president Trump hailed the growing ties between the US and Pakistan after their meet on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum at Davos, the Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was greeted with protest by human rights activists from Pakistan and abroad to highlight the atrocities by country’s
army in Sindh and Balochistan region. The protest at Davos city centre were led by human rights activist Arif Aajakia, was to urge international policy makers in Davos to make Pakistan respect the human rights of people of Balochistan and Sindh.
Pakistan seeks US help to exit FATF list
in recent years, meaning that Islamabad likely must rely primarily on diplomacy. CRS is the independent research wing of the US Congress which prepares periodic reports on issues of interest for US lawmakers so that they can take informed decisions inside the Congress. Currently, two resolutions are pending in the House of Representatives, one of which is being sponsored by Indian-American Congresswoman
Tulsi Gabbard defeats man in push-up challenge
targets Muslims. “We’re not close to a conflict right now ... What if the protests get worse in India, and to distract attention from that, what if ...” The prime minister said he had discussed the prospect of war between his country and India in a Tuesday meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump later said he had offered to help mediate between the two countries.
Protest against atrocities in Balochistan and Sindh greet PM Khan in Davos
Pakistan has ‘limited options’ to respond to India’s decision on J-K: US report Pakistan’s leadership has “limited options” to respond to India’s decision on Jammu and Kashmir as many analysts view that Islamabad has “little credibility” on the issue given its long history of covertly supporting militant groups there, according to a US Congressional report. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) in its second report on Kashmir in less than six months said Pakistan’s ability to alter the status quo through military action had been reduced
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riding a bike or personal mobility device without a helmet in the nation’s capital. ACT roads minister Shane Rattenbury spruiked the new laws as particularly important to Sikhs, whose headwear makes it difficult to wear a helmet while cycling.
over whether Pakistan has complied with an earlier agenda presented to it by the Paris-based financial task force, The News reported. The FATF in October decided to keep Pakistan on its grey list for failure to curb funnelling of funds to terror groups LeT, JeM and others. If not removed off the list by April, Pakistan may move to blacklist of the countries that face severe economic sanctions, such as Iran. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Pakistan hoped the US would
NRI Sikh becomes first turban-wearing Deputy Constable in Texas Amrit Singh, an Indian-American law enforcement officer, has scripted history by becoming the first-ever turbanwearing Sikh to be sworn in as Deputy Constable in Harris County in the US state of Texas. Singh, 21, will be the first in his profession to wear his articles of faith—a turban, beard, and uncut hair in the line of duty.
It was a historic day on Tuesday as Singh’s swearing-in coincided with the adoption of a new policy that allows law enforcement officers in nearly every single Harris County Constable’s Office to wear articles of their faith while in uniform. For Sikhs, that means being able to wear a turban and beard while on duty.
Female NRI student’s autopsy report inconclusive An autopsy has failed to determine the cause of death of a missing IndianAmerican woman whose body was later found in the trunk of her car in Chicago, authorities said. Sureel Dabawala, a 34-year-old, young
MBA from Loyola University in Chicago reported went missing on December 30. Her body was found on January 13 wrapped in a blanket in the trunk of her own car.
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