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
Tel:604-591-5423
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
THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING YOUR HOME ???
RAJDEEP SINGH SEKHON B.A. (Hons.), MA., LLB
778 320 5359 SRS Panorama Realty
Suite #103 - 12030, 80 Ave, Surrey, BC