The Asian Star October 19 2019 by The Asian Star Newspaper

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Vol 19 - Issue 38

Saturday, October 19, 2019

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Election 2019 ‘There could be a Conservative government,’ admits Trudeau, agreeing with polls Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is trying to head off the prospect of a Conservative government after Monday’s election with warnings of the consequences if Andrew Scheer becomes prime minister. During a campaign stop in Whitby, Ontario, on Friday, Trudeau said a government led by Scheer could be in cards once the ballots are counted. “There is a chance that there could be a Conservative government,” Trudeau said. “Between now and Monday, here’s what people in Ontario need to ask themselves — are you ready for even more harmful Conservative cuts, cuts that would four times larger than Doug Ford’s?” Trudeau said, citing $53 billion in spending reductions Continued on page 7

Poll shows NDP ‘surge’ & major bump in approval for Jagmeet Singh, causing trouble for Trudeau’s Liberals The New Democratic Party and its leader Jagmeet Singh are making big gains in popular support and favourability in the final days of the campaign, a new poll suggests. The latest telephone survey from Forum Research shows a significant boost in voting intentions for the NDP from a similar poll the firm conducted nine days earlier — a jump from 12 per cent to 20 per cent among decided voters. At the same time, support for the Conservatives dropped from 35 per cent to 29 per cent, placing Andrew Scheer’s party in a virtual tie with the Liberals, who rose Continued on page 7

3 arrested in Punjab for duping US customers by impersonating Microsoft officials Three men were arrested for allegedly duping US-based customers through a call centre in the Chandigarh’s Topsia area by impersonating officials of tech giant Microsoft, police said on Friday. Sidharth Banthia, Ishfaque Ahmed and Rizwaen Ali were arrested during a raid at the call centre on Thursday evening, a senior official of the Cyber Crime Cell of Kolkata Police said.

Following a complaint by a New Delhi resident that several people from Kolkata were allegedly duping people in the name of providing them with technical support from

Microsoft, a probe was launched and the arrests made, he said. Six hard disks, a pen drive and several incriminating documents were seized from the accused and the call centre, he said. “A case has been registered under the IT Act. We are interrogating the accused to find out if more people are involved,” he added.

Indian Abhijit Banerjee, his wife Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer win Nobel prize in Economics Indian-American Abhijit Banerjee, who won the 2019 Nobel Prize for Economics jointly with his wife Esther Duflo and another economist Michael Kremer, is currently the Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at the US-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Banerjee bagged the award for his “experimental approach to alleviating global poverty”. The 58-year-old economist received his PhD in 1988 from Harvard University. He also studied at the University of Calcutta and Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University. In 2003, he founded the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty

Action Lab a Research (J-PAL), along Associate of the with his FrenchNBER, a CEPR American wife research fellow, Duflo, who is also International a MIT professor, Research Fellow and Sendhil of the Kiel Mullainathan. Institute, a fellow He remains Indian Abhijit Banerjee (right), his wife Esther Duflo of the American (middle) and Michael Kremer (left) . one of the Academy of Arts lab’s directors, and Sciences and the Econometric according to the MIT website. Banerjee is a Society, and has been a Guggenheim past president of the Bureau for the Research Fellow and an Alfred P Sloan Fellow in the Economic Analysis of Development, and a winner of the Infosys prize.

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Vol 18 - Issue 38

Saturday, October 19, 2019

South Asian youth charged in girl friend’s killing granted bail

he man charged with second-degree murder in the August 2017 death of Surrey teen Bhavkiran Dhesi (pictured) was granted bail last week in B.C. Supreme Court. B.C. Prosecution Service spokesman Dan McLaughlin confirmed that Justice Laura Gerow made the decision regarding Harjot Singh Deo on October 11 in New Westminster. He “was granted $750,000 surety bail with a deposit of $50,000,” McLaughlin told Peace Arch News Wednesday. “The conditions (of release) amount to house arrest.” Dhesi’s body was found in the early morning hours of Aug. 2, 2017, after

emergency c r e w s re sp ond e d to a burned SUV in the 18700-block of 24 Avenue in South Surrey. Deo was arrested last May and is one of five people – all related – facing charges in connection with the killing. His mother (Manjit Kaur Deo), brother (Gurvinder Singh Deo), sister

(Inderdeep Kaur Deo) and cousin (Talwinder Khun Khun) are also charged. Harjot Deo – who is also charged with ‘indecently interfere with or offer an indignity to human remains’ – is the last of the five to be released from custody. Police have said that he and the 19-year-old Dhesi had been in a romantic relationship. A publication ban prevents disclosure of the evidence presented at the two-day bail hearing.

VHP rejects reports of ‘settlement’ of Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute After Muslim parties, RSS affiliate Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has also rejected reports of purported “settlement” by the Supreme Court-appointed mediation panel to resolve the Ayodhya land dispute. It has termed it an attempt to create “mischief and cause confusion” at the fag-end of the hearing of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute. “The VHP is of the considered view that it would be in the interest of the country and all concerned parties to await the judgment of the Supreme Court,” a key member of the Sangh parivaar said.

“The VHP and the other Hindu litigants have sincerely participated in several attempts earlier held for an amicable settlement. They were not successful. “The Supreme Court has finally heard the matter and the hearings continued for 40 working days and more than 200 hours. Reviving the mediation bogey at the fag-end of the hearing appears to be a mischief and an effort to cause confusion,” VHP working president Alok Kumar said. “We have seen some press reports about a settlement on Ram Janmabhoomi issue by the Sunni Wakf Board. The VHP wishes to make it clear that the Hindu side in appeals have not been approached for and

has not participated in any mediation effort after the hearing of appeals commenced in the Supreme Court. “We have not even been intimated of any proposal for settlement,” he added. As per Kumar, the VHP in an application in the first week of July had requested the Supreme Court to declare mediation as concluded and to fix a date for final hearing. “This was also subsequently mentioned before the CJI. The Supreme Court had declared that the mediation had failed on August 2.

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OPINION

By Bryn Robertson Founding member Canada Powered by Women

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Millennials like me will be on the hook for election promises

As a 22 year old, I’ve not been very actively politically – until now. The federal election has definitely made me more engaged. Once I join the workforce, over time, I’ll likely be investing over half of my income not into a home or family needs, but into governments through taxes. That realization has motivated me to track political issues, and has given me a sense of ownership over the decisions that our governments make. According to mytaxburden.ca, I’ll pay nearly $1.25 million in taxes in my lifetime – three times what my parents paid. I’ll get just over $1 million in transfers back. The difference between what I will pay and get back represents a tax burden of around $230,000 – over seven times higher than my parents. That’s why the issue of growing debt is so important for young people like me. Big promises by big governments cost a lot. Just like when you don’t pay off a credit card bill, the interest payments go up, interest

payments on our national debt are also going up. That debt burden translates into either even more borrowing or higher taxes. Once again, those debt costs are going to fall on our shoulders. This question of debt has got me thinking: how should we prioritize the promises of the government so we can actually afford them? The first priority should be support for small business. I’m a business student at University of Toronto and many of us are excited to run our own companies someday. Achieving those entrepreneurial dreams will depend on attracting foreign capital that will seed our start-ups and help us grow. Making sure tax policies are competitive – especially with the US – will have a direct effect on our ability to compete for both great investors and great people. As job creators, putting Canadian businesses first, and reducing the barriers for business growth should be a priority of the next government. Unfortunately, Canada is losing its

reputation as a good place to invest. That’s partly due to deep divisions on energy development that have scared investors away. And it’s also due to the SNC Lavalin bribery scandal. For young people with entrepreneurial dreams, this kind of damage to Canada’s global reputation can have a direct impact on our futures as business leaders. Helping Canada regain its position on the world stage should be another priority of the next government. As a finance major, I’ve been paying attention to what’s happening around Brexit. The city of London – which used to be a magnet for global investment – is now too high risky for investors due to political uncertainty. Political uncertainty also impacts Canada’s investment climate. When there are strong divisions on issues, especially between the east and the west, the political instability threatens the well-being of all of Canadians. It puts our economic security at risk. And it puts our social security at risk. Instead, let’s take advantage of what we have—from natural resources to highly skilled talent and a world-class education system—so that we can maximize opportunities for young people. For most of my life I’ve avoided talking politics with friends because I worried that the conversations would be divisive. But since I’ve become involved in an initiative called Canada Powered by Women. We wanted a different kind of political conversation in Canada. So we’re leading one. I’ve pushed myself to start asking my friends what they care about politically. And they’ve opened up. As an Albertan going to school in Ontario, I can say that we do think differently about some things. But we also shared a lot of important similarities. At the core, we’re more alike than we are different. We’re one Canada, but sometimes we don’t act like it. The more we can connect and understand one another, the better we will be able to look out for each other. I hope that’s something we can all vote for. Bryn Robertson is a finance major at the University of Toronto and a founding member of Canada Powered by Women.

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Saturday, October 19, 2019

Saturday, October 19, 2019 Poll shows NDP ‘surge’ & major bump in approval for Jagmeet Singh, causing trouble for Trudeau’s Liberals From page 1 cent to 30 per cent support in the latest poll. The Green Party, meanwhile, was the choice of 8 per cent of the poll’s respondents, down from 12 per cent the last time Forum was in the field on Oct. 8. Forum Research president Lorne Bozinoff said the numbers show the NDP is enjoying a late campaign “surge” as its popularity appears to be rising significantly from the early days of the federal election campaign. “The other thing to look at are Singh’s approval ratings. They’ve just gone through the roof,” Bozinoff told the Star on Thursday. “No one knew him like three weeks ago, right? And he’s handled himself so well in the media, just in terms of connecting with people and staying on top of things … and now he’s got a huge approval rating.” Fifty-two per cent of respondents to this week’s poll said they approve of the job Singh is doing as NDP leader, up from 35 per cent in a similar survey on Oct. 2. That compares with 46 per cent approval for Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, 39 per cent for the Liberal’s Justin Trudeau, and 27 per cent for Scheer.

‘There could be a ‘Conservative government’ From page 1 pledged by the Conservatives that he said would result in “massive cuts to programs and services.” “Ontario families can’t afford any more Conservatives cuts. You need a government that will invest in you and give you the support you need to succeed,” he said. With the campaign now its final stages, the majority hopes of both the Conservatives and the Liberals have been put in doubt by the surprise surges in popularity for the Bloc Québécois and the New Democrats, both of which are better than expected. Trudeau, who now rarely strays from his scripted lines, declined Friday to muse on the reasons for the stronger-than-expected showings of those two parties, saying only that “you can’t take any votes for granted.” “I think in a campaign Canadians look at all sorts of different paths forward, look at different ways of making a choice,” he said. But as he has done all week, Trudeau tried to rally progressive voters to the Liberal side with dire warnings about the perils of the Conservative agenda. “We see that it boils down, just days before the election, between a choice between Conservative cuts and a Liberal government that would continue to make life more affordable for Canadians, fight climate change and get guns off our streets,” he said. It’s a message that Trudeau will deliver across the Greater Toronto Area over the next two days, signalling how important the seats in the region are to the party’s re-election hopes. He started Friday in Whitby, where he gave a boost Liberal candidate Ryan Turnbull. Celina CaesarChavannes won the riding for the Liberals in 2015 by defeating a Conservative incumbent. She quit the Liberal caucus earlier this year after what she called a “hostile exchange” with Trudeau when she told him she didn’t intend to seek re-election. Trudeau praised Caesar-Chavannes as an “excellent” MP. “I thank her deeply for her service and wish her the very best in the coming years,” he said.

The Forum results also show Singh with the widest “net approval rating” — the difference in percentage points between those who approve and disapprove of his job performance — which sits at +25 in the most recent survey. That, too, is a major jump from Oct. 2, when his net approval rating was just +1. Following Singh, May had an approval rating of +17, while Trudeau and Scheer were in negative territory, with more respondents disapproving than approving of their job performances. Trudeau’s rating in the latest poll was -14, while Scheer came in with -

Balwant Kaur Bajwa passes away peacefully Bajwa family sadly announces the passing away of their matriarch BALWANT Kaur Bajwa on Friday in Surrey, surrounded by family members. She was 92 years old and was widow of Pashaura Singh Bajwa and mother of Sarbi Bajwa, well known real estate entrepreneur, and five daughters. She was originally from village Kauli, district Patiala in Punjab. She leaves behind five children, more than twenty grand children and great children, daughter in law, and sons in law. Funeral services will take place on Wednesday October 23 at 10.30 am at Valley View Funeral Home in Surrey, followed by Sehaj Path and Antim Ardas at Gurdwara Brookside at 140th and 84 th Avenue in Surrey. For more information and condolences please call: 604-240-9416

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Scheer says he expects the leader with most seats will form government

onservative Leader Andrew Scheer says he expects that all parties “will respect the fact” that whoever wins the most seats on Oct. 21 will be the one to form government. Scheer said “we would expect that other parties would respect the fact that whichever party wins the most seats gets to form the government and that they will understand that if Canadians — when

Canadians endorse our platform, we will have the right to implement it.” With the Conservatives and the Liberals locked in the polls this week, a minority government is looking like the most likely scenario. While the last three federal minority

governments have seen the party that won the most seats on election night go on to form government, that’s not exactly how Canada’s parliamentary system

works. Trudeau acknowledges Tories could win, accuses them of running ‘dirtiest’ campaign ever Scheer has spent the past week talking about the need for the Conservatives to win a majority government to stave off a Liberal-NDP coalition. But Scheer has fewer options in a minority than his Liberal counterparts, having firmly rejected the notion of negotiating with the Bloc Québécois — something he re-iterated in his interview. “We’re not going to ask other parties for support,” Scheer told LaFlamme. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who is currently experiencing a surge in the polls, has said he is open to working with every party except Scheer’s Conservatives. Scheer touts ‘100 Day Action Plan’ as he asks voters for a Conservative majority Singh distances himself from coalition talk as campaign enters final week Under Canada’s parliamentary system, the incumbent prime minister remains prime minister until he or she formally resigns or is dismissed by the Governor General. If no party wins a majority of seats on Monday and the Liberals come in second to the Conservatives, Justin Trudeau could continue to govern by trying to gain the confidence of a majority of MPs in the House of Commons. If he decided to do so, Trudeau would have until mid-January to recall the House. He could also enter a coalition or informal power-sharing agreement with other parties. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has already opened the door to such a deal.

Saturday, October 19, 2019 Two suspects arrested in Vancouver after Campbell River man found dead Campbell River RCMP say two suspects wanted in connection with the shooting death of a man in Campbell River Wednesday were arrested in Vancouver. The deceased man was found near a truck on Vermont Place at around 2:30 a.m. after police responded to reports of shots fired. On Thursday, police confirmed information received during the initial investigation into the homicide led to the identification of two suspects believed to be involved in the incident. Campbell River RCMP said the suspects were found in the Lower Mainland and at approximately 5 p.m. on Oct. 16, the two suspects

were arrested with the assistance of the Vancouver Police Department. According to police, there was a violent struggle during one of the arrests and one of the suspects was injured. No Vancouver police officers were injured. The two men are still in custody but have no been charged. Their names have not been released by police. The name of the deceased man has also not been made public. ” It is believed that the homicide was targeted and there is an extremely low risk to public safety,” Const. Maury Tyre, media relations officer for Campbell River RCMP, wrote in a release.

Principal suspended over mishandling student claim about teacher’s inappropriate touching The principal of a high school in British Columbia has been suspended after doubting an allegation between a student and another teacher. According to a discipline outcome from the Ministry of Education, the initial incident took place in 2017. A student had approached the principal to report inappropriate physical contact from a teacher but was doubted — and still had to attend a class with said teacher. “(The student) disclosed to (the principal) that one of their teachers at the school had touched them inappropriately,” reads the summary. “(The student) indicated that they did not want to remain in (the teacher’s) class and also that they wanted (the principal) to tell their parent what occurred.” The document continues to explain that the student also had a class with the teacher in question later that day. The principal, however, didn’t remove

the student because he “doubted the credibility” of their report. Thus, the student attended the teacher’s class later that day. The principal also didn’t contact the student’s guardian until school had ended that day, despite having received the report at 8:30 am. “As the mother was on her way to the school to pick up her children, she missed the call,” reads the outcome. “Consequently, the mother was not prepared to properly support Student A at the end of the school day.” Ultimately, the principal agreed that his actions constituted professional misconduct. The British Columbia Commissioner for Teacher Regulation issued a three-day suspension, deeming that the Principal failed to “adequately protect (the student) from emotional and physical harm” and that he “made an assumption about (the student’s) credibility.”

Beef recalls a sign of success, experts say A wide-ranging recall of hundreds of beef and veal products from restaurants, grocery stores and hotels due to possible E. coli contamination is the latest in a slew of highprofile food recalls in Canada. Despite appearances, experts say a recent rise in major recalls is not a sign of food supply problems, but the result of a more active investigative body and better testing tools — though they add more can be done. “This is proof that the system is working well,” said Lawrence Goodridge, a professor focusing on food safety at The University of Guelph, speaking about the recent meat recall. Yet, he believes that “in Canada, we have to get to a place where we can actually stop the food from going to retail in the first place.”

Since Sept. 20, a investigation by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency into possible E. coli 0157:H7 contamination in some beef and veal products sold by RydingRegency Meat Packers Ltd. and St. Ann’s Foods Inc. has led to the recall of nearly 700 products. The CFIA suspended the Canadian food safety license for St. Ann’s meatprocessing plant, as well as Ryding-Regency’s slaughter and processing plant, both in Toronto, in late September. No illnesses have been reported in association with the products, according to the CFIA, but symptoms of sickness can include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and bloody diarrhoea. Severe cases can be fatal.

LOCAL

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Statistics Canada reports manufacturing sales up 0.8 per cent in August Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales rose 0.8 per cent to $57.6 billion in August, following two consecutive monthly declines, boosted by gains in the transportation equipment and fabricated metal industries.

Economists on average had expected a gain of 0.6 per cent, according to financial markets data firm Refinitiv. Statistics Canada says sales were up in 11 of 21 industries representing 62.9 per cent of the total manufacturing sector.

The transportation equipment industry saw sales rise 2.8 per cent in August, while sales of fabricated metal products climbed 3.6 per cent. Sales of petroleum and coal products fell 1.7 per cent due to lower average prices,

maintenance issues at a major petroleum refinery in Quebec, and lower sales in B.C. In constant dollars, manufacturing sales increased 0.6 per cent in August, indicating a higher volumes of goods sold.

‘Filthy’ candidates in elections support Zionism, homosexuality, Canadian imam says Sheikh Younus Kathrada warns Muslims they will be judged if they vote for Jews or Christians next week: ‘They are all evil’. An imam in Victoria, BC called candidates in the country’s upcoming elections “evil and filthy” supporters of Zionism who approve of homosexuality, warning Muslims they would be judged for their votes. “This

voting is a testimony and will be recorded,” Sheikh Younus Kathrada of Victoria, British Columbia, said in a sermon on October 11. “On Judgment Day, you will stand before Allah and be asked about it. If you plan on voting, ask yourself prepare the answer first — what am I going to tell Allah when Allah asks me: ‘You voted for that filthy

non-Muslin, why?’” continued Kathrada. “He or she approves of homosexuality, which Allah declared forbidden from above the seven heavens.” n a video of the sermon from the Middle East Media Research Institute, Kathrada said the political candidates in the elections “oppose” Muslims and are all supporters of Zionism. “You think that they want good for you? I already told you what Allah said: ‘Never will they [the Jews and the Christians] be pleased with you.’ They will continue to oppose you. You are fighting a losing battle. They are all evil. Every single one of them,” Kathrada said. “They are all evil and filthy. Do you know that every one of them, without exception, supports the Zionists against Islam and the Muslims,” he added. Kathrada has previously said Muslims should not wish Christians “Merry

Christmas,” saying doing so is worse than murder. Canada’s elections will be held on October 21. The latest opinion polls show Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals neck-and-neck with the Conservative Party of Andrew Scheer, with each tallying around 32 or 33 percent, leaving both leaders far from an absolute majority. The left-leaning New Democratic Party has been a surprise in the campaign. With polls giving it close to 20 percent, it could leave Trudeau with little alternative but to seek an alliance should the Liberals fall short of 50 percent.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

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Saturday, October 19, 2019

Scheer promising carbon tax will be history by January if he gets majority Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer gave a glimpse of Thursday of what kind of prime minister he might seek to be: one not tethered to conventions. He promised to do whatever it takes to turn his marquee pledge to repeal the carbon tax into reality within his first 100 days in office, the first time he’s attached a deadline to the commitment. “There is no time to lose,” he said during an event in the Ontario city of Brampton, west of Toronto. “We will use every available legislative tool to overcome any obstruction and delay so that we pass this legislation on time. Trudeau’s carbon tax will be history by Jan. 1, 2020.” Sign up for our Election Dispatch newsletter for a daily update on the campaign As a former Speaker of the House of Commons, Scheer is familiar with the tricks and strategies that governments can use to speed legislation into law. As Speaker, he was also called upon at times to rule against or in favour of those efforts, many of which have previously proven controversial, including cutting off how much time MPs have to debate bills. His promise on the carbon tax law came as opinion polls continue to suggest Monday’s vote will result in a minority Liberal or Conservative government. Scheer has continually dodged questions about how he’d proceed with his platform if he governed without a Conservative majority in the House of Commons; all the other parties, for example, do not agree with his plan to cancel the carbon tax and would most likely not vote in favour of the legislation he promised Thursday. There’s also the question of whether Liberal

Leader Justin Trudeau could continue on as prime minister even if his party wins fewer seats than the Tories in a minority government. Parliamentary convention leaves room for that to happen -- as the incumbent prime minister, Trudeau could still form a government and face the House of Commons if he can cobble together a coalition or less formal arrangement with other parties to support him on confidence votes. Scheer said Thursday he takes a different view. “Obviously, what we are asking Canadians for is a strong Conservative majority mandate,” he said. “It is the case that the party that wins the most seats in modern Canadian history has been the party that forms the government.” Though he might be dancing around minority government convention, there is another political precedent he appears to believe in. “The other convention in modern Canadian politics is that the prime minister who enters into an election and comes out of that election with fewer seats than another party resigns.” Scheer also suggested that under a Conservative government, he wouldn’t necessarily follow in Justin Trudeau’s footsteps and put together a gender-balanced cabinet. “We will have a cabinet made up of highly qualified candidates,” he said. “We will put the best people in the best jobs. We might even end up with more women in our cabinet depending on the results of Monday’s election.” Scheer told Toronto radio host John Moore Thursday morning that his party’s internal polling numbers are showing a majority, as the party polls exclusively in seats that can help determine who holds the balance of power.

LOCAL

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Overdose deaths ratio down in Surrey, but more than two people still dying a week New data from B.C.’s coroner reveals that more than two people have died every week of overdose in Surrey so far this year, which is a marked decrease when compared to the deaths in 2018. A total of 86 people have died of overdose in Surrey as of the end of August of this year, according to a data released Wednesday by BC Coroners Service. That’s a 64 per cent decrease when compared to the same point in the year in 2018, when 141 people had died. This year, Surrey continues to be second in its death toll only to Vancouver, which has seen 182 deaths so far in 2019 compared to Surrey’s 86. While overdose deaths have declined significantly in the past year, the number of overdose calls Surrey Fire Service has responded to remains consistent. “We’re seeing an average of four overdose calls a day that we go to,” said Surrey Fire Chief Larry Thomas. “That’s been consistent

since B.C. ambulance changed their notification protocols back in June of 2018.” That change, he explained, means fire is only called if ambulance is unable to attend within a 10-minute window. Before, firefighters were called to all overdoses. “Wenoticed our call volume drop when they implemented that change. It’s been holding s t e a d y since then,” he said. So far this year, Thomas said Surrey firefighters have been c a l l e d to 1,160 overdoses. “ B u t the good news is the deaths are down,” said Thomas. “There’s been a considerable drop.” In 2018, a total of 214 people died of overdose in Surrey in all, compared to 181 in 2017, 117 in 2016, 76 in 2015, 44 in 2014 and 36 in 2013

Beef recall expands as federal food agency investigation into Toronto slaughterhouse continues A large recall of raw beef and veal products continued to expand this week with food safety watchdogs in Canada and the United States issuing safety warnings about meat linked to an Ontario company. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Wednesday its investigation continues into the Toronto-based slaughterhouse Ryding-Regency Meat Packers Ltd., which had its licence suspended Sept. 17 due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. At the time, the CFIA said the facility “failed to implement effective control measures.” In Canada, the latest warning is about dozens of items sold at restaurants and retail outlets including Walmart and the gourmet food chain Pusateri’s. On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a public health alert for some raw beef products imported from Canada that are linked to the growing beef and veal product recall. The products were distributed to institutions and retailers in Connecticut,

Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, the USDA said. A spokesman for the processing facility described the safety concerns solely as “a deficiency in paperwork” and not a matter of improper food handling. “As CFIA reviewed the paperwork they noticed some gaps in recording of daily procedures and so in an abundance of caution, the company is voluntarily recalling meat products that have been sent out,” said Neil Brodie, vicepresident of the Ottawa-based public affairs firm Bluesky Strategy Group. “It looks like some of the employees were not fully trained on what to do.” A series of CFIA recall warnings over the past several weeks has grown to involve 665 meat products sold on grocery store shelves, as well as 625 items sent to hotels, restaurants, institutions, manufacturers and retailers — products that include variable sizes of steaks, roasts, burgers, bones and organ meats.

Pedestrian injuries double this time of year, ICBC says ICBC is urging drivers to be cautious of pedestrians amid slippery road conditions and fewer daylight hours. Pedestrian injury rates nearly double between October and January, according to ICBC. About 1,200 walkers are injured each year during the fall months, compared to about 670 people between May and August. According to ICBC road safety co-ordinator Joanne Bergman, most crashes — about 75 per cent — occur in the afternoon rush hour. “Most likely, it’s people that are trying to get home. They’re not paying attention. They maybe had a busy day at work — whether they’re in their car or as a pedestrian,” Bergman said. “It’s a busy time for them. “The weather tends to get a little bit worse as the day goes on,” she added.

The Crown corporation has launched an awareness campaign, encouraging both drivers and pedestrians to be mindful of road conditions — and watch out for hazards. On average, more than 50 pedestrians in B.C. are killed in motor vehicle crashes each year. The issue has prompted some advocates to call for slower speed limits in residential areas. Bergman says distracted driving is among the major factors contributing to the annual spike. Drivers are being urged to put the phone down, particularly in dark, damp weather. Most collisions occur at intersections, when pedestrians are crossing the street — often when they have the right of way. Those crossing the street are advised to refrain from looking at their phone

Surrey RCMP say thieves using garage door openers in spike of overnight break-ins Surrey RCMP are warning residents of a recent spike in overnight break-ins in which crooks are using garage door openers from vehicles in order to gain access to homes. Police say reported incidents rose from 13 in July to 26 and 24 incidents in August and September, respectively. Many occurred while residents were home, between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. “The majority of the break and enters occurred after suspects accessed a garage door opener stored in a vehicle parked on the driveway of residence,” according to a Surrey RCMP release. “Once inside the garage, suspects were able to gain access the home through unlocked doors or using spare keys stored within the garage. Some incidents

involved suspects gaining access to residences through windows that had been left open.” Sergeant Rob Dalphond, who leads the Surrey RCMP’s Property Crime Target Team, said “having your home broken into is a very upsetting and personal event.” “We want to equip residents with tips and prevention strategies, while we continue to target individuals who commit break and enters in the community,” he added. Police provide these home security tips: Ensure your garage door closes tightly and keep it locked at all times. Do not leave your garage door opener inside your vehicle. Choose a garage door opener with a rolling code system.

LOCAL

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Officer in charge of Surrey RCMP leaving the local force The officer in charge of the Surrey RCMP is leaving his job with the local force. Mounties confirmed Assistant Commissioner Dwayne McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision on Wednesday, saying he was chosen to become the RCMPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s criminal operations officer in charge of federal and organized crime investigations for the province of B.C. McDonald said itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a decision he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take lightly. The move comes at a challenging time for the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest RCMP detachment, as Surrey is transitioning to a municipal police force. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have to admit this was not an easy decision for me. I love policing in this city,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very mindful that some may view my departure as a harbinger of policing transition, I want to ensure you this is unequivocally not the case.â&#x20AC;? The city aims to complete the switch by 2021. Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum successfully campaigned in 2018 on a promise to replace the RCMP with an independent force, though the issue has created discord within city council and residents since.

While McDonald has been known to openly disagree with the mayorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan, he said his views on the transition played no role in his decision to leave and he is confident the police force is in good hands. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have no issues with the mayor,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes we have differences of opinion, like I do with many people.â&#x20AC;? Majority of Surrey residents donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t support transitioning to municipal police force, according to new poll RCMP Deputy Commissioner Jennifer Strachan said in a statement the City of Surrey and local RCMP â&#x20AC;&#x153;are fully engagedâ&#x20AC;? in finding a replacement for McDonald â&#x20AC;&#x153;as soon as possible, to ensure the least amount of disruption to members, staff and the community.â&#x20AC;? McDonald has been an RCMP officer for more than 30 years and stepped into the police chief role with Surrey RCMP in 2016. He has worked with the Gang Task Force, Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit B.C. (CFSEU-BC) and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team. He is expected to stay in his current role in the city until a successor is chosen.

One year on, Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legal cannabis market is down but not out Canadian cannabis companies should be celebrating the first anniversary of legalized marijuana on Thursday, but the party atmosphere has been tainted by a sharp three-month selloff that has seen many companies surrender half their value or more. Concerns about a lack of profit in the sector have sparked a massive re-rating of risk that appeared to peak last week after a revenue warning from Hexo Corp. HEXO, +18.02% HEXO, +15.69% that reminded investors that the much-hoped for returns that sent stocks to record levels earlier this year were not materializing. The Canadian market is still grappling with a severe shortage of retail outlets that has

hampered the development of the legal pot market and allowed the black market to remain dominant, according to analysts and investors. Just last week, Statistics Canada released crowdsourced price data for the black and legal markets and found an average legal price in the third quarter of C$10.23 a gram, almost double the black market average price of C$5.59 a gram. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What the government has done is instituted a lot of red tape, in particular at the retail level, which is making It extremely challenging for licensed producers to roll out product efficiently,â&#x20AC;? said Greg McLeish, analyst at Mackie Research Capital.

Earthquake warning system installed

Pattullo Bridge overnight lane closures begin for three weeks A variety of overnight closures are planned for the Pattullo Bridge through to Nov. 4 as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;seismic activity and wind warning systemâ&#x20AC;? is installed. The closures, which will only effect the northbound lanes, are to â&#x20AC;&#x153;support bridge safetyâ&#x20AC;? through the continued installation of the earthquake warning system. The installation includes warning sensors, bridge closure devices, fibre-optic cables as well as advanced warning lights and signs. TransLink says once complete, the system will be able to block entry to the bridge in the event of a seismic of high wind event. It will monitor wind speeds and detect earthquakes to

â&#x20AC;&#x153;provide alerts up to one minute prior to damaging ground waves reaching the bridge,â&#x20AC;? according to a report considered at a Sept. 25 meeting of the Mayorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Council on Regional Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n . TransLink said, that the system will involve the installation of ground sensors that detect seismic activity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once the system is activated, gates, similar to railway gates, come down to prevent traffic from crossing the bridge. In addition to the gates, the system also consists of advance warning flashers and signage for vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians,â&#x20AC;? the statement explained.

31 arrested, 300 charges in multi-provincial sextrafficking operation based in Ontario Thirty-one people, including a central â&#x20AC;&#x153;kingpin,â&#x20AC;? have been arrested and more than 300 charges laid in a major investigation into a human trafficking and organized crime ring that operated around Canada. At a news conference on Wednesday in Aurora, Ont., York Regional Police said they uncovered a network of criminals who used fraud to help fund a widespread trafficking operation. The year-long investigation, called Project Convalesce, involved extensive time and effort by four police services from Ontario and one from Quebec, reporters were told.

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York Regional Police Insp. Thai Truong said the project began when two female victims of trafficking contacted them last year about a suspected pimp, Jonathan Nyangwila. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Onekilometreatatimeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;:CyclingfromWindsor to Ottawa for human trafficking awareness Liberals announce new human trafficking strategy and name special advisor Truong said the women, who were from Quebec but based in Ontario, had tried to escape from Nyangwila. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know they were extremely terrified to call police.â&#x20AC;? In the subsequent investigation, police uncovered a â&#x20AC;&#x153;large criminal network,â&#x20AC;? said Truong, who described Nyangwila as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;kingpinâ&#x20AC;? at the top of a complicated hierarchy. The 28-year-old from Markham, Ont., is now facing more than 30 charges relating to human trafficking, firearms possession, harassment and fraud. Police said they discovered a criminal organization, which Truong said has no name police are aware of, that was involved in a variety of criminal activities, including fraud and drug trafficking. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Organized frauds are occurring across the country. The profit from the frauds that the organization is making is fuelling the human trafficking,â&#x20AC;? said Truong. Police said the organization was structured with Nyangwila at the top, delegating to several figureheads, including three of his brothers. Insp. Thai Truong told reporters at York police headquarters in Aurora, Ont.: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Organized frauds are occurring across the country. The profit from the frauds that the organization is making is fuelling the human trafficking.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; (CBC) Underneath the figureheads was a group of underbosses, followed by several strikers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; men paid to carry out high-risk frauds in banks and stores.

LOCAL

Saturday, October 19, 2019

BC Appeal Court overturns decision to return $2 million to Richmond money launderers A B.C. Appeal Court has overturned a lower court decision to return $2 million in cash to the accused in B.C.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest money-laundering case. In a decision released Tuesday, Justice Mary Newbury granted a stay of the return of the money seized four years ago by the RCMP in the E-Pirate investigation that uncovered an underground bank that allegedly laundered as much as $220 million a year. It means the money will continue to be held under a freeze order pending the outcome of a civil forfeiture case in B.C. Supreme

Court that seeks to have the cash and assets, such as money from the sale of a Vancouver home, casino chips and jewelry, forfeited permanently as the proceeds of crime. Last month, a B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled that an interim freeze of assets in the civil forfeiture case was done improperly, and ordered the release of the $2 million to the accused. The judge had concluded the Civil Forfeiture Office did not provide a fair and complete legal basis to consider the need for an urgent freeze of the cash and assets.

Providing a fair and complete legal basis was particularly important, according to the judgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ruling, given that the decision took place in an ex parte hearing, where the defence lawyer was not present. The judge noted that the lawyer for the Civil Forfeiture Office allowed no room for opposing views of law, made no apparent

effort to put forward the position the defendantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lawyer would have taken and also misstated the law on one foundation point that favoured the forfeiture officeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position. But Newbury, the Appeal Court judge, noted that while the lawyer had misstated the law, there was no finding this was intentional.

Kamloops woman convicted of setting her children on fire, killing one, granted full parole A Kamloops woman who set her two children on fire 22 years ago, killing one of them, has been granted full parole. However, the Parole Board of Canada says Donna Hysop is still not admitting responsibility for her crimes.

Hysop, now 52, was convicted of seconddegree murder and attempted murder for the March, 1997 incident that killed her fiveyear-old daughter and left her three-yearold son seriously injured and disfigured. According to a parole board decision dated

Sept. 27, 2019, Hysop initially told people she had tried to kill herself and her children, but later claimed the fire was accidental. Solvent and a lighter were found near the location of the fire. However, day parole was granted when the board concluded Hysop was at a low risk to reoffend. Her parole conditions mandated she return to her halfway house in the Lower Mainland every night, and stay 100 kilometres from her son. In granting full parole, the board noted Hysopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case management team (CMT) recommended expanding her freedoms. The board notes she continues to deny deliberately setting her children on fire, but tells Hysop, â&#x20AC;&#x153;you have in your own way taken responsibility by engaging in your correctional plan.â&#x20AC;? It says Hysop has enrolled in programs while incarcerated and has participated in counselling. The decision imposes several conditions, including staying away from children under 14 and staying outside a 100-kilometre radius of Salmon Arm, where her son lives.

About 4.7 million voted in advance polls, says Elections Canada There has been a 29 per cent increase in voting at advance polls, according to preliminary figures released by Elections Canada.

There were four advance polls in the federal election open from Friday to Monday for 12 hours each. According to preliminary numbers released by StĂŠphane Perrault, the chief electoral officer of Canada, about 4.7 million electors voted at the advance polls, a 29 per cent increase from the 3,657,415 electors who voted in advance in the 2015 general election. Not all polls may have reported yet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;More and more, Canadians are taking advantage of early voting opportunities to cast their ballots,â&#x20AC;? said Perrault in a statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having extended voting hours at advance polls gave Canadians more flexibility to use this option.â&#x20AC;? The estimated number of electors who voted at advance polls, broken down by

province, territory and electoral district for all 338 electoral districts is being calculated and is to be released shortly.

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Saturday, October 19, 2019

Burnaby charging landlords $570/year for licence replacing ‘stove tax’

The City of Burnaby is sending declaration forms to local homeowners to determine who needs to buy a $570 business licence to rent out their property. Starting next year, all landlords who rent out a detached home or duplex in Burnaby will have to purchase the annual house rental business licence. They will also have to pay a one-time $50 application fee. All owners will be required to fill out the declaration by Nov. 30 – or face a $1,000 fee. The new system replaces annual

sewer and water surcharges totalling $569 that were previously charged to homeowners with secondary suites, regardless of whether they rented it out. Mayor Mike Hurley has said the extra utility fees a “stove tax” (for the way it was applied) and said it was unfair to homeowners who have secondary suites but lack a rental income, particularly if those suites are occupied by family members. The city sent out similar declaration

forms earlier this year and later refunded the utility surcharge to more than 1,900 homeowners who said they did not charge rent on their secondary suites. The new business licence will be required for all homeowners who intend to rent out all or part of their home for any amount of time in 2020, whether or not the owner lives there. “Previously, homeowners who rented out their home when not living on the premises

avoided paying supplementary utility fees, while homeowners who rented out a suite were subject to an additional charge. This change now ensures equity in the treatment of these two groups,” states a City of Burnaby press release. If a homeowner declares she or he doesn’t intend to rent out their suite next year, but then changes plans, they will be required to tell the city and pay the $570 fee, according to a city staff report.

Students visit Richmond Gurdwara Multiculturalism as well as intercultural and interreligious harmony is crucial to mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence. Unfortunately, these days not only in North America but also around the globe these concepts seem to be under a lot of pressure and scrutiny. Here in Canada, so far we are fortunate that Canadians are more supportive and appreciative of developing and maintaining harmonious relationships with each other and between communities. Learning about other cultures and communities is extremely important in this regard. Furthermore, our young people can play an important role in promoting these values. In this context, India Cultural Centre of Canada Gurdwara Nanak Niwas has been doing its part for a number of years. Situated at the centre of #5 Road in Richmond, this Gurdwara is a

favourite visiting place for students and adults alike. They come here to learn about intercultural harmony, Sikhism and the South Asian community. Every week at least two or three groups visit the Gurdwara for this purpose. On Wednesday, October 9, twenty grade 8 students and their teachers from Island Pacific School on Bowen Island, not very far from the Horseshoe Ferry Terminal in West Vancouver, visited the Gurdwara. They were led by their teachers .This visit was part of their studies on World Religions. These learners were keen to learn about various religions. Richmond’s Highway to Heaven (aka #5 Road) is an excellent place to do this. As part of their visit they had planned to visit various other places of worship in addition to the Gurdwara. The group enjoyed a talk on Sikhism and the South Asian community. Their teacher, Adrian van Lidth de Jeude, put all of this in an excellent context in these words: “The grade 8 social

studies curriculum focuses partly on world religions. I also strongly believe that developing an understanding of various ways of understanding our world is a critical part of a healthy education.” The students and their teachers were very thankful to the Gurdwara Management Committee for a very warm welcome. Initiatives like this go a long way in helping our youth in becoming proud and productive citizens not only of Canada but also the world. Balwant Sanghera

(Balwant Sanghera is a retired School Psychologist and Community Activist. He is a member of the Gurdwara Nanak Niwas Management Committee)

Canada Post investigating whether some customer data was compromised in 2017 Canada Post says it has begun to reset passwords for all online customers as it investigates a report that some data may have been compromised in 2017. The national postal operator stressed in a news release that “there has not been a cyberattack or hack of the Canada Post network.” Instead, user data may have been accessed by using the same username-password combinations of hacked accounts in outside breaches. “This appears to be the result of credential stuffing, where login and password credentials stolen in external privacy breaches unrelated to Canada Post were paired and used to access some Canada Post accounts,” the Crown corporation said in

an emailed statement to CTVNews.ca. “This is possible when users reuse their credentials on several websites to avoid having to remember different passwords.” Beginning Wednesday, all passwords for online accounts were being reset and the service said it would directly

contact those whose data was compromised. In emails to customers, Canada Post suggested users create stronger passwords.

Surrey cold-case murder is Crime Stoppers’ ‘Crime of the week’ Crime Stoppers‘ “Crime of the Week” is a coldcase Surrey murder where police have surveillance footage of suspects – and believe they know who some of them are – but still have not made an arrest. Homicide investigators hope someone will recognize the suspects in Devon Allaire-Bell’s murder from images they released that were taken from a gas station near Frank Hurt secondary, where the 19-year-old Surrey man was stabbed to death on Easter Sunday on April 24, 2011 while playing soccer with a buddy behind the school. Police believe five young South Asian men jumped them. The photo shows the suspects cutting through an Esso gas station on 72nd Avenue on their way to the school. They also passed through a McDonalds restaurant on 72nd just west of King George Boulevard. Pound noted one of the suspects had a “unique marine-style haircut, with the sides and back shaved and only a small amount of hair on top.” Anyone recognizing the people in these photos is asked to contact the IHIT tip line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

‘Bigg Boss’ - The things turn intersting

iddharth Shukla and Rashami Desai certainly do not plan to end their fight inside the Bigg Boss 13 house any soon as Thursday’s episode only saw furthering of the fued. Here are the top highlights of tonight’s episode: The episode began with Paras Chhabra and Sidharth Shukla locking horns over household duties. Paras was asking everyone to wash their plates glass and mugs but Sidharth argued that people should carry out their duties properly. Devoleena asked Paras about Sidharth’s behaviour with Rashami

Deepika’s ‘chhapaak’ Deepika might be away from the celluloid after her stunning performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s periodic drama ‘Padmaavat’ but the diva is all set to return as an acid attack survivor in Meghna Gulzar’s film ‘Chhapaak’. Well, that’s not all as the ‘Piku’ star recently revealed about her next dark

project. Talking about the project at an event in Mumbai, Deepika said, “I have found a film which I am likely to do early next year but it’s not light, it’ll be quite dark but it’s still in the romance zone.” Deepika & Ranveer, one of the most loved couples. They have been giving us major relationship goals for a long time now. Their Instagram feed is proof that they are in love, truly madly deeply! The duo will be celebrating their first marriage anniversary in November this year. And during a recent interview, the actress opened up about her future kids. Talking about the same, Deepika said that she and her sister had working parents and they gave their angels every aspect of their lives, time and dignity.

Desai and he said he knew a lot of secrets about Siddharth and if he began speaking, it would expose Siddharth Shukla. He also told her that he will explain to her once they are out of the Bigg Boss house. Paras revealed that Siddharth’s driver is now his driver, therefore he knows everything about Siddharth. Rashami Desai entered the room and broke down once again. Pressing Rashami’s head,

Shehnaaz asked her if she dated SIddharth Shukla to which Rashami said, “To yaha aate? Ek saath? Uska nahi pata par mai to nahi aati. (Then would we have come together for the show? At least I wouldn’t have).” The jail task was then announced and Abu named Paras and Shehnaaz for the jail. Devoleena wanted Siddharth and Rashami to be sent, Rashami. Paras said Sidharth Shukla should be put in jail as

he does not take any responsibility of the house. An agitated Sidharth called Paras a weakling. Rashami also barged in the heated exchange and claimed that Sidharth has been targeting her. Bigg Boss asked Devoleena to declare the two names the housemates had decided and when Devoleena named Rashami and Shehnaaz, Rashami interrupted saying she doesn’t agree with the result.

Bollywood

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Habitate for Humanity Actress, talk-show host and columnist Pooja Bedi pledges to participate in Mahindra Open Drive to support the NGO Habitat for Humanity India’s vision of building a world where everyone has a decent place to live. As part of the initiative launched by the Mahindra Group, Pooja will drive with her fiancé Maneck Contractor from Mumbai to Goa to raise awareness about Habitat India’s work. She aims to raise INR 3 lakh towards this campaign that will help provide waterwheels to more than a hundred families in Maharashtra.

“Merely talking of change is not enough. We need to be change agents if we want to create an on-ground change in society. Creating a workable, social impact solution in the form of waterwheels will not only free women from the drudgery of transporting heavy utensils over long distances but will also ensure that women remain healthy and girls do not have to miss school,” said Bedi, Habitat for Humanity India brand ambassador, on the eve of The International Day of the Girl Child.

HELLO has arrived AT ART KNAPP SURREY! Now that summer’s over, Fall is in full force at Art Knapp Surrey. There’s tons of fun to be had around the store, and it is all kid-friendly! NEW FALL ARRIVALS Telus will be here on Saturday, Oct 19th between 12-4 Fall Mums, Winter Pansies, and Spring flowering bulbs! Want tulips in the

Spring? Plant now! Cozy sweaters and jackets in the ladies clothing section arriving daily!

Prizes will include:

TRAIN RIDES TO THE PUMPKIN PATCH! Under cover, mud-free pumpkin patch; great for toddlers! Let the train drop you off at the patch! $3.50 per person (plus tax.) Pumpkin sold separately.

FREE spooky forest maze - but not TOO scary for the little ones! Open during our regular business hours!

with their facepainters and the opportunity to Enter a contest which will end December 31 st.

1 55” 4K Smart TV 1 Philips Hue Smart Light Kit (contains 3 bulbs, 1 control bridge, 1 dimmer switch and 1 Google Home Mini) 2 Google Home Minis 2 $50 Amazon gift cards

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Saturday, October 19, 2019 Kriti Sanon & Varun Kriti appeared on Sophie Choudryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fitness show â&#x20AC;&#x153;Work It Upâ&#x20AC;? where she practiced her favourite exercises and conversed about her â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dilwaleâ&#x20AC;? costar Varun. It seems actors Kriti Sanon and Varun Dhawan share a crazy bond of friendship with each other. In a tete-a-tete with Kriti, Sophie told her that she called Varun to get some gup about her and he had said that Kriti did not do any work out while shooting â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dilwaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Main kya gup doon. Usne â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dilwaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mei workout hi nahi kiya). Reacting to it, Kriti called him a â&#x20AC;&#x153;liar.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kitna bada jhoota hai. I used to work out, I remember. Sometimes we used to even coordinate,â&#x20AC;? she added. Kriti also shared that Varun â&#x20AC;&#x153;is a freak to work out with.â&#x20AC;? Kriti

starred opposite Kartik Aaryan in Luka Chuppi, a romantic comedy about a couple in a live-in relationship. Devesh Sharma of Filmfare wrote, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sanon is spontaneous throughout and seems to be finding her feet in comedy, having a gala time of it all in the process.â&#x20AC;? Commercially, it proved to be a success. Her second release of 2019 was Arjun Patiala, co-starring Diljit Dosanjh, a romantic spoof comedy film directed by Rohit Jugraj. She has four upcoming films, a comedy Housefull 4, featuring an ensemble cast,Ashutosh Gowarikerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s period drama Panipat with Arjun Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt, Rahul Dholakiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as-yet untitled thriller, and Laxman Utekarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drama about surrogacy, named Mimi.

Bollywood HOROSCOPE Aries March 21 - April 20 If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to get the best out of a relationship, aspects of it might need to change. There could be an imbalance of power in its current format. Open the way for discussion on this topic and a much better connection can be yours. Relationships continue to be important, but so are the feelings concerning them that often lie just under the surface. With Mercury and Venus in an intense zone,

Taurus April 21 - May 20 Are your routines helping or hindering you? If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the latter, this is very much the time to get things sorted out. If your day-to-day tasks are preventing you from reaching for new and bigger opportunities and challenges, an edgy sun-Pluto tie on Monday could be a call to action. Give yourself room to maneuver and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll feel much better. With a focus on your sector of relating, you now have opportunities to improve a current bond, enjoy a sparkling social life, and make empowering business connections, too.

Gemini

May 20 - June 21 Should you take a budding romance further or be patient? With the sun angling toward Pluto at the start of the week, this question may be on your mind. This aspect could see you pushing to move things along, but this might not be wise. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have a much better chance of success if you can be patient and allow things to develop organically.Lively Mercury, your guide planet, continues its journey through Scorpio and your lifestyle zone along with sweet Venus.

Cancer

June 22 - July 23

With the radiant sun illuminating an awkward angle with potent Pluto on Monday, there could be a battle of wills. Issues on the home front might need careful handling, particularly if someone seems eager to override your thoughts or decisions. Be open to discussion and negotiation, but if it gets you nowhere, stand your ground.With a focus on your sector of recreation this week, you might enjoy some leisure activities. This can also be a very exciting time for romance,

Leo

June 24 - August 23 As warrior Mars continues its journey through your sector of talk and thought, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have the energy and dynamism to make a success of your plans. This is a great time to get organized, attend to administrative tasks, and network with others on your wavelength. Still, it helps to tread with care on Monday because someone could challenge your ideas. If you deal with them diplomatically, it will likely blow over in a few days. If you tackle them head-on, there could be a spat, which is best

Virgo August 24 - Sept 24 You now have an opportunity to consider your resources and how you might use them more

resolve issues that have been going on for some time. Aside from this, it might be wise to look at your skills and abilities and how you can make the most of them. Are there any that are underused? And how much are they worth on the market? The sun angles toward potent Pluto on Monday, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also possible that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve underestimated certain talents and that now is the time to realise their true

Libra Sept. 24 - Oct 22 You could make a decision early in the week that impacts the family or your home. Have you had enough of someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attitude? Now is the time to stand your ground and say what you really think. They might be surprised, but perhaps they had it coming. As the sun and dynamic Mars continue to to focus on those plans that are personal to you. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to do what you want regardless of what others might think.

Scorpio Oct 23 - Nov 22 You continue to be in a quieter phase, with the sun and warrior Mars currently journeying through your spiritual zone. On Monday, though, you might realize how a past experience is ! opportunity to talk things over with a trusted the issue. With articulate Mercury and luscious Venus in your sign, this is very much a time to reach out to others, expand your social circle, and share your ideas and opinions.

Sagitarius Nov 23 - Dec 22 Your social life seems to be on a roll, and you could be very proactive about mixing with people on your wavelength. But you might also need to make decisions about how much time you spend with friends and how much time you spend on important plans and "

# but because this is a time of opportunity for you, you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to miss out. Tuesday could bring creative and imaginative ideas into the mix, and $ or beautifying your place can be very positive.

Capricorn Dec 23 - Jan 20

You may feel someone in authority needs to change, but perhaps you are the one % & ' ( on a key issue, trying to force things to go your way could make matters worse. As the aspect on Monday is temporary, it might be wise not to rock the boat. See how you feel about things ) changes quite dramatically.

Aquarius Jan 21 - Feb 19 What is stopping you from embracing a new opportunity? Could it be past experiences? The sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edgy angle with volcanic Pluto on Monday could draw your attention to this matter. This can be a chance to discuss things with a life coach who can help you move Go easy with your money on Tuesday because you could have a tendency to splurge And rather than spend it on yourself, your generosity may be directed to others. You might have a very noble desire to make them happy, but it helps to be practical as well.

Pisces Feb 20 - March 20 With dynamic Mars and the sun moving through your sector of shared assets and business, the coming week could see you making some key decisions. You can go far this time if you avoid overthinking certain matters and just sort things * on what you should do, but only listen to them if you feel they have a valid point. You may yearn to visit a place that holds special memories for you, particularly on Tuesday. If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a beautiful place, going there might act as a restorative and help you relax. It could be a very healing experience.

Press release

owered by one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fastest networks, mobile health â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;clinics on wheelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; provide cutting-edge care to thousands of impoverished and disadvantaged people in cities across the country â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and more help is on the way. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just before 10 a.m. on a Tuesday morning when a large white van pulls into the gravel driveway outside the Rainbow Kitchen community foodbank in the Victoria suburb of Esquimalt. Behind the wheel, nurse Maude Blanchette Lamothe barely has time to put on the brakes before a bearded man approaches the passengerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side window, cupping his jaw with his hand. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got a terrible toothache and no money for Aspirin or Tylenol. He wants her to help make the pain go away. Now. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a familiar scene. Blanchette Lamothe

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Bringing the best of Canadian health care to those in need and the Street Nurse team with Vancouver Island Health Authority who help staff the mobile health clinic are acutely aware of the intense need for primary health care among the scores of people who, because of mental illness, addiction, poverty and a host of other circumstances, face barriers to Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medical system they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t overcome on their own. The clinic exists to break that cycle and ensure that help reaches all Canadians. With an estimated 30,000 Canadians homeless on any given night, and opioid use reaching epidemic levels across the country, the demand for this kind of service is only intensifying. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People need help and they need help right away,â&#x20AC;? she says. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the same story in Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary where similar high-tech â&#x20AC;&#x153;clinics

on wheelsâ&#x20AC;? have launched in marginalized urban neighbourhoods. This year, a total of 10 clinics are expected to be on the road in cities across Canada, including Edmonton, Ottawa, Waterloo and Halifax. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an undeniably ambitious project. To date, the clinics have collectively supported more than 12,000 patient visits â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and that number is rising fast as awareness grows in the communities they serve. The highly coordinated effort to make these mobile clinics a reality stems from a partnership between TELUS and the Canadian arm of global NGO Doctors of the World in Montreal where, since 2014, a state-of-the-art mobile health clinic has been in operation. In 2018, TELUS pledged another $5 million to support the planned national expansion, in partnership with Doctors of the World and various regional health authorities. Blanchette Lamothe says the technology onboard the vans is a game-changer in effectively treating patients before they get sick. In the past, outreach staff carried patient paper files with them. Now that information is securely captured using TELUS Health electronic medical record (EMR) technology, where it can be easily accessed and shared among health care providers to keep track of patient conditions, treatments and referrals. Onboard Wi-Fi connected to globally recognized and lightening fast wireless networks that enable staff to video conference live with doctors and other experts to get advice or prescriptions, which can then be printed immediately at the nursing station in the back of the van. In Ottawa, health officials are eagerly prepping for the launch of the mobile

health program. The city, like elsewhere in Canada, has been grappling with an opioid crisis, leaving local support services struggling to ensure those in need can access low-barrier, high-quality health care. The launch of the mobile clinic makes that vital connection possible, even enabling real-time video conferencing with infectious disease specialists. That means clients wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to go to hospital to get the best possible care and that infections can be treated early on, preventing the need for hospitalization and expensive surgeries like heart valve replacements.The van will also be used to provide mental health care and legal services through a partnership with the University of Ottawa law school and volunteer lawyers.â&#x20AC;&#x153;The resources this new service brings will address priority gaps in care for a population that desperately needs us to bring care to them,â&#x20AC;? says Dr. Jeff Turnbull, Medical Director at Ottawa Inner City Health.In Victoria, where the mobile clinic serves anyone who comes to the door, regardless of gender, outreach workers are starting to wind down from a deluge of illnesses, injuries and infections brought on by the inevitable rain that defines a West Coast winter and spring. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Street feetâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that is, foot injuries caused by prolonged exposure to moisture â&#x20AC;&#x201D; is a common concern for those living in a tent or under a tarp. Compounding the problems, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the threat of bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, hepatitis and various other serious health afflictions that can sweep through incredibly vulnerable homeless populations.The existence of the mobile clinic helped to ease the suffering. The access to and continuity of care is something many of these patients have never had before, which serves the clinicsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; core mission of creating social equality by connecting all Canadians to our medical system.Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the dream destination towards which Blanchette Lamothe is always heading each time she takes the van out on the road.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

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“Vote for the Surrey NDP team, and together we’ll make history!” Only the NDP team in Surrey is in it for you

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Saturday, October 19, 2019

Press release

It’s time to stand with Jagmeet Singh By Ravi Kahlon MLA, Delta North Two years ago, Jagmeet Singh made history when he became leader of the NDP. I don’t think people fully appreciated the significance of having the first racialized federal leader until the country saw him on stage at the leader’s debate. Since then, Jagmeet has won over the hearts of many Canadians – and attracted international attention. However, nowhere has he made a bigger impact than on racialized Canadians, who are seeing someone breaking that glass ceiling. Canada was a different place when I was a kid. As a child, everyone I knew was struggling to make ends meet. Never in my life did I imagine that I could one day represent C ana d a at the Olympics and or get elected in the legislature. It wasn’t in the realm of reality in our lives. We have made progress as a society but we have a ways to go. From elders getting knocked down to the ground for wearing a turban, to Masjids, Gurdwaras, and Mandirs being defaced, there seems to be a rise in fear and uneasiness amongst people of colour. While this election itself has resulted in many challenging conversations – about racism, identity and belonging – something positive has happened, too. When my son and I sit down to watch television, he sees Uncle Jagmeet on the news. He sees someone who looks like him. He sees possibilities that I never imagined. Things are far from easy for Jagmeet. We’ve witnessed some painful encounters on the campaign trail. However, I cannot help but feel invigorated and inspired seeing how gracefully Jagmeet is able to counter the hatred and racism he faces. Yes, it’s garnered him a lot of praise. But more importantly, it’s allowed the world to see a leader who doesn’t make these instances about himself. Instead, Jagmeet puts the focus back on everyday Canadians who have had these same experiences. That is precisely why there is so much momentum behind Jagmeet’s campaign. Those of us who know him are not surprised to hear the words “authentic” and “down to earth” and “in it for the right reasons”. This is not an act for votes. It is who he is and has always been. A fighter for those who do not have a voice. A fighter for everyday people. A fighter for a more fair and just society. I know he has inspired a new generation of young people. He has certainly inspired me.

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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

Tel: 604-591-5423

Housing market forecast through 2020 2019 than in 2018, sales will more than recover in 2020, according to a September 5 forecast by the 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

E-mail: ads@theasianstar.com in 2020, totalling a province-wide increase of nearly 11 per cent to 82,700 homes — which 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 normalizing around long-term averages.”

Vancouver approves more market rental housing after contentious public hearing

Several councillors have regularly said no to divisive rental projects — but they’re from different parties A model of the 35-unit rental building that Vancouver council approved on Grant Street between Woodland and Cotton Drive, which will displace seven rental units in four houses currently on the property. (City of Vancouver) Vancouver city council approved rezoning for a new rental apartment in the heart of the city’s eastside on Tuesday, but it didn’t come without considerable debate. By a 6-3 vote, council voted in favour of a proposed fivestorey, 35-unit apartment on Grant Street, just a block west of Commercial Drive. It will replace four homes that have been purchased by the developer, and the proposal met the guidelines for the Grandview-Woodland community plan passed earlier this decade. “The choice here is not to leave these homes. It’s either for a fourstorey condo building, or what’s in front of us,”

Saturday, October 19, 2019

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 all-time high of $8.3 billion in 2018. Apartments are traditionally viewed as stable and defensive assets to own, said CBRE Canada vicechairman 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. They can buy a condo, or they can rent. “As affordability has become more of an issue, and it’s an issue that I don’t believe is going to go away in (Vancouver and Toronto), that will continue to underpin strong rental growth — especially when we really don’t have a lot of supply in purpose-built housing coming on stream,” Morassutti said.

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

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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.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

S&P threatens credit downgrade for B.C. MLAs Shirley Bond and Stephanie Cadieux, BC Liberal Finance Co-critics, are sounding the alarm after ratings agency Standard and Poor’s (S&P) threatened to downgrade BC’s AAA credit rating amid concerns about rising debt to revenue rates. “After just two years in government, NDP policies are killing our economy.

The government continues to ignore significant economic risks for our province,” said Bond. “This should be a wake up call to John Horgan and the NDP that relying on new and increased taxes isn’t good enough and that having a credible economic strategy is critical.” According to S&P, British Columbia is not prepared to withstand any economic shocks or downturns should debt

MLA Jane Thornthwaite, BC Liberal Mental Health and Addictions Critic, is calling on John Horgan to take action to invest in a more complete spectrum of care

to curb the cycle of addiction in light of the updated Illicit Drug Toxicity Report released. “British Columbians continue to face significant challenges trying to get help to

levels continue to rise. The NDP’s fiscal plan is reversing a steady trend of declining debt that started under strong BC Liberal management in 2014. “The NDP have spent recklessly for two years, and hard-working British Columbians are on the hook for the bill,” added Cadieux. “Unless John Horgan can come up with a plan to grow the economy and reduce debt

then British Columbians better hold on to their wallets.” S&P’s August report, finally released by the NDP today, states that “if fiscal slippage or other policy decisions cause this ratio to rise notably above current expected levels, it could begin to erode B.C.’s resiliency to the next economic downturn. We could lower the rating by one notch as a result.”

Much more to be done to curb overdose rates in BC

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see the number of overdose deaths trending downwards this year, only halfway through 2019, the number of deaths has already surpassed the total number of deaths in 2016 when the crisis was first declared. With an entire government VOTED BEST HEARING ministry created to CLINIC IN SURREY address mental health Call or visit us to get your and addictions – and FREE HEARING SCREENING over two years into the Extended Health Care cards are accepted and the clinic is DVA, Indian Affairs and BlueCross approved NDP’s mandate – it’s simply unacceptable to continue to see overdose rates increasing.” The report found that 86% of deaths are occurring inside and that 56% of that occurring in private homes. Additionally, today’s report confirms that 12 youth have already died from overdoses this year and that overdose death rates continue to be strongly correlated to the days when welfare cheques are distributed. “Today’s report clearly outlines the positive impact the Safe Care Act and the Welfare Payment System Reflection Act, both bills we have introduced in the House, could have when it comes to helping save lives,” concluded Thornthwaite. “The NDP is doing little to help those suffering in silence and using alone in their homes. Investing in overdose prevention sites and the distribution of naloxone kits is helping to save lives, but it is not enough to break the cycle of addiction.” *With the purchase of 2 hearing aids. British Columbians Promotion valid until supply lasts. deserve action now – the one size fits all approach to addiction is not working. Only when John Horgan and the NDP invest in a seamless mental Surrey Hearing Guildford Surrey Hearing Delta health and addictions 105-15277-100 Avenue 102-8035-120 St. system province-wide Surrey, BC V3R 8X2 Delta, BC V4X 6P8 can we expect to see an Tel: 604-496-3338 Tel: 604-593-5284 improvement in health Fax: 604-496-3339 Fax: 778-438-2722 outcomes.

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1 in 5 homes bought by newcomers - survey One in every five homes in Canada is bought by newcomers to the country, according to a Royal LePage survey released on Wednesday. The Royal LePage Newcomer 2019 Survey, which was commissioned by the real estate company, found that newcomers spend about three years in Canada before buying a home and that 75 per cent of newcomers arrive with savings or cash to help buy a home. About 1,500 people, all of whom arrived in Canada within the last 10 years, were interviewed by public opinion polling and market research company Leger for the survey and it was conducted online in August.Phil Soper,

president and CEO of Royal LePage, said in an interview with CBC’s Radio-Canada that the survey found that newcomers represent about 21 per cent of all homebuyers in Canada. That number suggests people new to the country are contributing “significantly” to real estate demand, he said. “We know that Canada is a country of immigrants and we know that newcomers to Canada are an important part of our economic growth. What surprises us in the data is just how important they are to Canada’s real estate market,” Soper said on Tuesday.

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Vedic Seniors Parivar Center of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults, Senior members and nonmembers also to attend a very important presentation which was postponed, The Common Orthopedic Problems faced by Seniors ( Knees, Shoulders & Pelvic ) by Dr. Jiya Gill a Naturopathic Physician PGDYN from New Delhi India on 20th October 2019 (Sunday) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321 - 140th street Surrey BC V3W 5K9. There will be questions and answer session after the presentation, a unique approach to improve health and treating illness, Dr. Jiya Gill will answer all your questions about treating Orthopedic Problems through Naturopathy. Tea and light snacks will be served in the end. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further information.

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More than 30 people arrested in multi-province human-trafficking investigation More than 30 people were arrested and over 300 charges were laid in a multi-province, yearlong investigation that is one of the largest sex-trafficking busts in Canadian history. The investigation, called Project Convalesce, was undertaken by four police services from Ontario and one from Quebec, as well as the Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario. It was started in October, 2018, after two women who had been trafficked contacted police while attempting to escape. “They were coming to the end of their rope and they had called York Regional Police for assistance while they were at a hotel,” York Regional Police Insp. Thai Truong told reporters at a news conference in Aurora, Ont., on Wednesday morning. He says subsequent arrests have been made since the conference was held, but police are still searching for nine suspects. “It’s somewhat uncommon to have victims reach out to police,” says Barbara Gosse, chief executive officer of the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking. “Usually this is a very clandestine crime. Victims and survivors are coerced, abused and subjected to extreme violence so often that they are quite afraid to try to get help.” Threats, crippling debt and lives lost: Human trafficking leaves foreign workers suffering in silence From 2009 to 2016, there were 1,099 reported incidents involving a human-trafficking offence, with incidents rising steadily since 2010. According to the latest data from Statistics Canada, there is a rate of about one human-trafficking incident for every 100,000 Canadians. The vast majority of trafficking victims are women under 25. York Police say the trafficking was carried out by an unnamed organized crime group headed by a single “kingpin” presiding over his three brothers and several other individuals. Police say this is atypical for a sex-trafficking case, where often there is only one pimp controlling victims. This hierarchical structure is why, after the arrest of Jonathan Nyangwila, the alleged kingpin, in July, the organization was still able to function with other members assuming his role. Mr. Nyangwila, alias “Zoulou” and “Skulls,” faces at least 34 charges, police said. Insp. Truong alleges Mr. Nyangwila continued to run the organization from behind bars, a scenario he said is not uncommon. “He’s not confined 24 hours a day with no contact,” Insp. Truong said. “He has contact while in jail, and through those contacts and those opportunities he can still … give orders.” The group, which spanned several provinces, was funded in part through fraud, police allege. “They had a sophisticated operation,” said Insp. Truong, addin

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1 in 5 homes in Canada bought by newcomers, Royal LePage survey says 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 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-overyear 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 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 normalizing around long-term averages.” BCREA BC home sales forecast Sept 2019 Having seen the steepest annual sales

declines in 2018, and a forecast drop of 2.2 per cent in 2019, Greater Vancouver is expected to see the biggest recovery in 2020, said BCREA. Home resales in the Greater Vancouver region are predicted to rise 16.3 per cent to 28,500 units — still a far cry from 42,000 sales of 2015, but a marked improvement over both 2018 and 2019. The optimistic Metro Vancouver forecast follows a September 4 report by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver that the region’s home sales in August rose nearly 16 per cent year over year, following a 23.5 per cent annual jump in July. BCREA said the Fraser Valley is also expected to outperform the previous two years of home resales, with a forecast rise in

2020 of 12.4 per cent year over year. Victoria and Vancouver Island, having not seen declines as steep as the Lower Mainland, are expected to see 2020 sales improve by less than the provincial average, at 7.5 and 5.5 per cent respectively. Average home prices in 2020 are also expected to improve on those achieved in 2019, in every B.C. real estate board jurisdiction — albeit by modest amounts. The overall B.C. average sale price is forecast to rise by 3.3 per cent, with predicted rises ranging from 0.2 per cent in Victoria to four per cent in the B.C. Northern region. Greater Vancouver sale prices are predicted to be down 5.6 per cent in 2019 to $990K, but are forecast to increase two per cent in 2020 to an average of $1.01 million.

Former cop who blew whistle wants standing in BC money laundering inquiry A lawyer says an inquiry into money laundering in British Columbia would not exist without the “courage” of an ex-police officer who spoke out about alleged “interference” with his mandate to investigate organized crime in casinos. Paul Jaffe says the public will not view the inquiry as operating on a “level playing field” if the commission refuses to grant standing to Fred Pinnock, the former RCMP unit commander of the integrated illegal gaming enforcement team in B.C. He made the comments to commissioner Austin Cullen at a public hearing Friday to consider the applications for standing from Pinnock as well as B.C. Lottery Corp. executives James Lightbody and Brad Desmarais. ‘Rat’s nest of rot’: Up to $2B in dirty money laundered in B.C. casinos, real estate in 1 year, AG says Jaffe described Pinnock as a “whistleblower” who was so concerned about what he observed in his role at the RCMP that he took early retirement in 2008 after 29 years with the force and began speaking out publicly about money laundering. Lightbody is the president and CEO of the lottery corporation and his lawyer, Robin McFee, told Cullen that he has significant privacy, reputational and professional interests that could be affected by the commission’s proceedings. Cullen reserved his decision on the applications from Pinnock and Lightbody while granting a one-month adjournment to Desmarais to allow his lawyer to obtain and review additional documents. Ross Alderson, a former investigator in monitoring and policing B.C.’s gaming industry, withdrew his application for standing.

Chinese official defends Xinjiang detention camps for Muslims Standing at a podium in a large room with views of the woods, the Chinese government official took the question about mass internment camps for Muslims without hesitation. Muslim Uighur minorities in the Xinjiang region of China “lack social and economic opportunities,” explained Yu Jiantuo. So the Chinese leadership “chose the approach to provide vocational educational training to them.” Yu was answering the question from a Star Vancouver journalist as he spoke at the University of British Columbia’s Point Grey Campus on Thursday.

Saturday, October 19, 2019 Two Ontario men charged in 2007 Calgary cold case homicide Calgary police have made two arrests in connection to homicide that occurred over a decade ago in Calgary. Thirty-two-year-old Nader Nilianbousheri was shot and killed (pictured) at his residence in the 3900 block of 16 Street S.W. in November 2007. Police believe he was the victim of a home invasion and an altercation with the suspects led to his death. Almost twelve years later, the Calgary police, with assistance from the Ottawa and Toronto police services, have arrested two men in connection to the murder. “Unsolved homicide investigations remain open and our investigators continue to search for new evidence with the goal of holding people accountable for their crimes,” said Sgt. Colin Chisholm.

“We strive to find answers and finality in these cases, like all homicide investigations, and bring justice to victims of homicide.” Mahamed Mohamud Mussa 42, of Ottawa, and Mohamed Yousuf Mohamed, 43, of Toronto, have been charged with second-degree murder. Nilianbousheri, commonly known as Nick, moved to Canada from Iran in 1999. Following the homicide, investigators were unable to track down any family. Police are asking anyone with information about the homicide and home invasion to contact the Calgary police homicide tip line at 403-428-8877, the non-emergency line at 403-266-1234 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www. calgarycrimestoppers.org

Food with ‘mould-like substance’ and mice found at South Asian restaurant in Edmonton: AHS Alberta Health Services has issued a closure notice to a south Edmonton Indian bistro after an inspection found food with “mould-like substance” on it and 30 other health code violations. The nine-page report goes into detail about the conditions found at the Bukhara Indian Bistro, 9266 34 Ave. NW, the restaurant’s food storage and overall cleanliness. The inspection, which took place earlier this month, noted 30 instances of conditions that could or might become injurious or dangerous to the public health. Verbal confirmation of the closure order was issued to the owners on Oct. 3. The inspection noted that food with what appeared to be “mould-like substance” was found in the walk-in cooler, notable on tomatoes and other vegetables, as well as on paper towels where the ice cream scoop was stored. The same kind of mould, the report noted, was found near the dishwasher. The report says rodent droppings were found inside of the dough roller frame and there was evidence of an extensive mouse infestation within the whole building. Fecal and urine from a much larger rodent was also noted in the report, which could have been from something like a wood vole.

The inspector noted dead and live flies in the customer area and the report says the owners and staff admitted to “sabotaging the pest control company’s program by removing traps, relocating traps, discarding of evidence, removing pest information, and using their own ineffective methods for pest control.” Other highlights in the report include raw chicken left on the counter, raw meat and seafood left above and beside readyto-eat foods, vegetables and cooked foods, no soap was available at the kitchen or bar sinks for handwashing, mothballs or something that contained naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene was being used in the bathrooms, which are hazardous to breathe in, and dirty utensils were stored with clean ones. In total, the inspector found 10 breaches under the Public Health Act, Alberta’s food regulations and the food retail and food services code. The owners were given a list of 23 orders to get the restaurant back into shape before it could reopen. The owners may appeal the decision through the public health appeal board. View this document on Scribd

LOCAL / NATIONAL

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Crown asks Alberta’s top court to convict Stephans for treating dying boy with home remedies Alberta prosecutors want the province’s top court to find two parents guilty of criminal charges connected to the 2012 death of their toddler despite a judge acquitting the pair last month. David and Collet Stephan were tried this summer on charges of failing to provide the necessaries of life to their 19-month-old son Ezekiel, who was treated with natural remedies instead of being taken to a doctor. Now, the Crown has filed an appeal, alleging, among other grounds, that the trial judge displayed bias in his decision for comments made about the accent of an African-born doctor — who was a witness

for the prosecution — which prompted a complaint to the Canadian Judicial Council. David Stephan says he has no comment at this time but will be publishing a Facebook post later today to address the day’s development. In his decision last month, Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Terry Clackson sided with the defence’s medical experts in finding the boy had viral, not bacterial, meningitis and ultimately died of a lack of oxygen. Alberta parents David and Collet Stephan found not guilty in their toddler’s death after retrial Racism investigation urged for Alberta judge who ruled parents not guilty in son’s death

Immigrants support a healthy economy and vibrant real estate market: study A Royal LePage-commissioned survey found newcomers to Canada contribute significantly to real estate demand, and make up over a fifth of new home buyers. The real estate company’s survey found newcomers are projected to purchase 680,000 homes over the next five years, or one in every five homes sold. According to the study, the most popular reason for moving to Canada (54 per cent) was that newcomers see the country as a good place to live and work. Quebec, with 19 per cent, is second only to Ontario in attracting newcomers to live and work in the province; that is the same percentage of new arrivals to Quebec who buy a home in the province (representing 102,000 homes bought over five years). “Demand for real estate in the province

of Quebec, and the Greater Montreal Area, in particular, is healthy as newcomers settle here for our excellent academic institutions, great quality of life and relative affordability,” said Royal LePage vice president and GM for the Quebec region Dominic St-Pierre. Quebec, St-Pierre added, has a significant “out-migration rate” and the population is aging. “Newcomers provide a population boost that supports both a healthy economy and vibrant real estate market,” he said. Quebec, the study notes, has the lowest homeownership rate in the country at 25 per cent. According to Statistics Canada, the country’s population growth was the highest among G7 countries at 1.4 per cent. The growth is driven mostly by immigrants at 82.2 per cent of the total. The study also found that 82 per cent

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Canadian inflation holds steady at 1.9% in September as gas prices fall Canada’s annual inflation rate unexpectedly held steady at 1.9% in September, Statistics Canada said on Wednesday in its last major release of economic data before a national election, further reducing analysts’ expectations the Bank of Canada will cut rates later this month. Canada is in the midst of a tight national election campaign with polls showing the governing Liberals are in a statistical tie with the opposition Conservatives, who have focused their campaign on issues related to the cost of living. Canadians vote on Oct. 21. “The headline CPI inflation increase I think was a little softer than expected,” said Nathan Janzen, a senior economist with the Royal Bank of Canada. Analysts in a Reuters poll had forecast an annual inflation rate of 2.1%. The Canadian dollar weakened

C$1.3243, or 75.51 cents U.S. The Bank of Canada has held its overnight interest rate steady since October 2018, citing strong domestic economic data. The central bank’s next rate decision is set for Oct. 30. “This is perfect for the Bank of Canada, it doesn’t really show any need for them to change tack with their current stance,” said Simon Harvey, a FX market analyst for Monex Europe and Monex Canada. “I think we can pretty much disregard a Bank of Canada rate cut for this year,” he added. Statistics Canada said prices for goods rose 1.3% year-over-year in September while prices for services increased by 2.2%.

Meanwhile, consumer prices for gasoline fell 10.0% year-over-year in September following a 10.2% decrease in August. The agency said the decline was partially due to continued low global demand for oil as well as refineries switching from summer-blend gasoline to the less expensive winter blend. Meat prices rose 5.5% year-over-year last month, with fresh or frozen beef rising 4.7% compared to August, Statistics Canada said. Passenger vehicles were also up, jumping 3.4% in

September compared to a year earlier. CPI common, which the central bank says is the best gauge of the economy’s underperformance, was at 1.9%. CPI median, which shows the median inflation rate across CPI components, was at 2.2%, while CPI trim, which excludes upside and downside outliers, was at 2.1%. August’s CPI trim was revised down to 2.0% from 2.1% In a separate release, Statistics Canada said foreign investors bought a net C$4.99 billion ($3.78 billion) in Canadian securities in August, while Canadian investors sold a net C$4.71 billion worth of foreign securities, led by sales of foreign stocks.

CREA reports home sales in September up 15.5 per cent from year ago Home sales in Canada’s big cities continued a rebound in September with a 15.5 per cent increase in sales compared with a year ago, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. The association said Tuesday that sales compared with a year ago were up in Canada’s large urban markets, including B.C.’s Lower Mainland, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton-Burlington, Ottawa and Montreal, while data showed markets were still in balanced territory. “Home sales activity and prices are improving after having weakened significantly in a number of housing markets,” said CREA chief economist Gregory Klump in a statement. “How long the current rebound continues depends on economic growth, which is being subdued by trade and business investment uncertainties.” On a month-over-month basis, home sales through the Canadian Multiple Listing Service were up 0.6 per cent in September. Higher home sales in September was a continuation of a rebound from a six-year low hit in February. Sales started to pick up in March after mortgage rates started to fall, said BMO senior economist Robert Kavcic.

“The winning streak for Canadian existing home sales continued in September…that marks an impressive seventh consecutive monthly gain, leaving the level of activity comfortably above the 10-year average.” Thefive-yearfixedmortgageratehasdeclined by about one percentage point to slightly below 2.5 per cent, a drop Kavcic said was significant from an affordability perspective but not likely to drop much further for now. The increase in sales, combined with a small decline in new supply, pushed the salesto-new listings ratio to 61.3 per cent, well above the long-term average of 53.6 per cent to favour sellers, but still considered balanced. The home inventory, which shows how long it would take to liquidate inventories at current sales levels, also shifted to further favour sellers while still remaining in what’s considered a balanced market. The national average price for homes sold in September 2019 was about $515,500, up 5.3 per cent from the same month last year. Excluding the Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto regions, the average price was less than $397,000 and amounting to a year-over-year gain of 3.3 per cent The national benchmark home price index, designed to exclude homes on the high

CRA combating underground economy with Home Depot purchase records The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is trying to use information from Home Depot customers to crack down on the underground economy. The company sent out letters to customers who have a commercial credit card account, notifying them Home Depot would be handing over information like business names, addresses and purchases between 2013 and 2016 to the agency. One tax lawyer told Global News the additional information could help the CRA crackdown on contractors getting paid under the table. “Rather than having to contact individual taxpayers, they can go after one broad source and this will allow the CRA to detect who they think they should be auditing,” Cuelenaere LLP’s Lane Zabolotney said. The CRA can’t retrieve third-party information without a court order. The Home Depot fought the order over the summer but is complying with the judge’s decision. In an emailed statement the company said, “multiple home improvement retailers received requests for customer information from the CRA, and when The Home Depot Canada received

such a request for information, it not only disagreed with but pushed back on the CRA request for over three years. Following the ruling of the courts affirming the right of the CRA to require such information from retailers, The Home Depot Canada complied with the Federal Court order and the law.” Zabolotney added the CRA will look for patterns in suspect tax returns. “They will look at someone in a certain industry and they will look at their spending habits and they will say, ‘Hey. This person’s spending habit, it differs from what most people are doing. And their revenue and their expenses don’t line up.’ And they’re going to investigate it further and do an audit,” he said. A Statistics Canada report found the underground economy accounted for $51.6 billion in 2016 with 26.6 per cent of that coming from residential construction. The Saskatoon & Region Home Builders’ Association said a number of their members have raised concerns about contractors taking payment under the table. “How do you compete with that when you have a company who is just undercutting the price? Maybe not providing a lot of information on their quote.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Scheer promises $20,000 fines for politicians who violate ethics laws Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said today that a government led by him would introduce penalties for politicians found to have violated the Conflict of Interest Act. “For breaking the Conflict of Interest Act not only once, but twice, Justin Trudeau faced absolutely no consequences. That’s because there are no consequences attached under the law,” Scheer said at a campaign event in Essex, Ontario. Scheer said he would introduce penalties for politicians who violate the act that would be “proportional to the severity of the violation and the seniority of the offender.” “A new Conservative government will introduce legislation for stiff penalties of up to $20,000 for violating the Conflict of Interest Act,” he said. Facing a possible wipeout in Quebec, Singh evokes Jack Layton’s legacy The measure is one of several Scheer announced Wednesday that he said would increase transparency in government and do a better job of holding politicians to account, including:

Scheer also announced his intention to pass legislation that would prevent individuals and companies from lobbying for changes in laws that could affect the legal cases against them. “We will prohibit those charged with a criminal offence for lobbying for changes to laws that would impact their criminal proceeding,” Scheer said. SNC-Lavalin lobbied the federal government to create a deferred prosecution agreement regime that could have allowed the company to avoid a criminal trial by meeting a series of conditions. “It’s all part of our 100 day action plan to show Canadians exactly how a new Conservative majority government will get to work right away to help them get ahead,” Scheer said. Scheer also repeated his claim that the alternative to a majority Conservative government is a Liberal / NDP coalition. “Justin Trudeau’s now desperately trying to salvage his job by doing a coalition deal with the NDP, a coalition Canadians can’t afford — higher taxes, more deficits, fewer

Trudeau acknowledges Tories could win, accuses them of running ‘dirtiest’ campaign ever Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau today acknowledged the Conservatives could win Monday’s election — and accused the party of winning support by running one of the “dirtiest, nastiest” election campaigns in Canadian history. Surrounded by 29 Quebec candidates at an event at Montreal’s Botanical Garden Wednesday, Trudeau appealed to Quebecers to support his party and elect a progressive government rather than a “progressive opposition.” It’s a pitch he’s been making a lot lately — a bid to beat down surging support for the NDP and Bloc Québécois by arguing that voting for those parties could help elect a Conservative government. Asked about a report in The Globe and Mail about the Manning Centre refusing to disclose the source of donations to third parties for attack ads on the Liberals, Trudeau took the opportunity to take aim at Conservative tactics in the campaign. Where the party leaders are on Day 36 of the federal election campaign On the campaign

trail with the Bloc: How Yves-François Blanchet is captivating Quebecers “We know that the Conservative Party is running one of the dirtiest, nastiest campaigns based on disinformation that we’ve ever seen in this country,” he said.“And it’s no surprise that they don’t want to share whose deep pockets are funding their attacks on Canadians, on other parties and on the most important fight of our generation, the fight against climate change.” Trudeau says Conservatives running dirty, nasty campaignWhen asked if the Manning Centre should disclose where it is receiving funding to back a series of anti-Liberal Facebook pages, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau accuses the Conservatives of running a campaign based on disinformation. 0:51 Trudeau said a Conservative government would be “truly unfortunate” for the fight against climate change. Calling it a “pivotal moment,” Trudeau said the choice Canadians make on Monday could have consequences for generations to come.

Alberta takes second look at trucking changes after meeting Broncos families The Alberta government says it will take a second look at training requirements for truck drivers after meeting with Humboldt Broncos families. Sixteen people were killed and 13 were injured when an inexperienced Calgary truck driver ran a stop sign and barrelled into the path of the junior hockey team’s bus in Saskatchewan in April 2018.Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba implemented mandatory training for truck and bus drivers after the crash.Alberta Transportation Minister Ric McIver has said the United Conservative government was reviewing rules for school bus drivers and farmers. It’s also granted hundreds of exemptions for truck drivers since the party was elected earlier this year. The wreckage of the Humboldt Broncos hockey bus crash on Saturday, April, 7, 2018. During a debate in the legislature Wednesday, McIver said he met with some of the Broncos families to talk about the changes. “They are not happy about that — they made that very clear to me,” he said. “I am not sure what we are going to do. And I am not making a promise or an announcement right now, but I am telling the house what I told them: we are going to look at it.“I know they want a hard

promise today. I’m sorry, I can’t give them that ... but they’ve convinced me to take a second look.”Humboldt Broncos families upset by Alberta trucking regulation review The meeting came after four Broncos families joined Alberta NDP Opposition Leader Rachel Notley at a news conference asking the government to reverse those changes. A letter from a fifth family was read. “When we brought in the safety standards, we had support from both sides,” Notley said earlier Wednesday. “I am very sad that this has become a fight for these families all over again. “We can’t undo the Humboldt bus tragedy, but we can work together to prevent another from happening.” St. Albert NDP MLA Marie Renaud introduced a motion in the legislature urging the government to reverse McIver’s decision to exempt thousands of inexperienced truck and bus drivers from mandatory entrylevel training.It passed unanimously after the Broncos families listened to the debate. Five Alberta hockey players were killed in the crash, including Jaxon Joseph and Logan Hunter of St. Albert and Logan Boulet of Lethbridge. Four others were injured, including Derek Patter of Edmonton and Graysen Cameron from Olds.

NATIONAL

INDIA

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Public sector banks had ‘worst phase’ under Manmohan, & Rajan, says Sitharaman India’s public sector banks had the “worst phase” under the “combination” of former prime minister Manmohan Singh and ex-RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, and giving the ailing banks a “lifeline” was her primary duty now, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said. The public sector banks have been grappling with bad loans and the government has been taking measures to address the issue. In August, the government announced upfront capital infusion to the tune of Rs 70,000 crore into the public sector banks. Besides, 10 public sector banks are being consolidated into four. Delivering a lecture at the prestigious Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs here on Tuesday, Sitharaman said: “While economists can take a view of what prevails today or prevailed years ago, but

I will also want answers for the time when Rajan was in the Governor’s post speaking about the Indian banks, for which today to give a lifeline is the primary duty of the Finance Minister of India. And the lifeline-kind of an emergency has not come overnight”. “I do respect Raghuram Rajan as a great scholar who chose to be in the central bank in India at a time when the Indian economy was all buoyant,” she said during the lecture organised by the Deepak and Neera Raj Centre on Indian Economic Policies of the Columbia University. Asked about the ex-RBI governor’s comments during a recent lecture at Brown University in which he had apparently mentioned that in its first term, the Narendra Modi government had not done better on the economy because the government was extremely centralised and the

India to be rid of Pak infiltrators by 2024, says Amit Shah “India has suffered owing to infiltration but now with NRC, we will uproot it. I promise before the end of 2024, India will be rid of infiltrators and illegal residents. The NRC will be implemented with an iron fist,” declared Union Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah at a rally here today. He claimed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was jealous of PM Narendra Modi’s fame. Addressing him as Rahul ‘baba’ in his speech, he said, “He may not like it, but Modi has created a place in history and the name shall echo for ages to come, thanks to the firm step taken on Kashmir.” He challenged Hooda and ‘Rahul baba’ to publicly clarify their stand on abrogation of Article 370.

“It takes grit to protect one’s motherland. When Moni (Manmohan Singh) was PM, Pakistan would kill our soldiers and humiliate us, but Modi has given a befitting reply.” =Shah claimed the UPA government was all about 3 Ds — damaad (son-in- law), dalaal (middlemen) and darbari (courtiers ), “but for us its development, development and development”. Seeking support for candidate Sundhir Singla from Gurgaon and Manish Yadav from Badshahpur, he said: “Hooda was busy serving a family and not the state. Look around, assess development and vote Khattar government back to power.”

B SE EST RV IC E

Supreme Court verdict expected by Nov 15 after Ayodhya hearing ends After 40 days of marathon day-to-day hearing, the Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict in the Ram JanmabhoomiBabri Masjid land dispute. A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, hearing the matter since August 6, reserved the verdict and asked the parties to make written submissions within three days on ‘moulding of relief ’ or narrowing down of relief. The Bench, which also included Justice SA Bobde, Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice

Ashok Bhushan and Justice S Abdul Nazeer, is seized of 14 cross-appeals against the Allahabad High Court’s September 30, 2010, judgment equally dividing the 2.77-acre disputed land between Ram Lalla, Nirmohi Akhara and Muslims. While the appeals were filed in 2010 itself, the matter could not be taken up because of voluminous documents in six languages had to be translated into nglish, the official language of the Supreme Court. The court finally took up the matter after mediation to resolve the dispute failed.

We’ll soon know how 1993 bombers fled, PM Modi says In the backdrop of the ED issuing a notice to Sharad Pawar confidant Praful Patel for an alleged financial deal between a company promoted by his family and the kin of Dawood Ibrahim aide Iqbal Memon “Mirchi,” PM Modi said at a rally in Akola on Wednesday it would soon be clear who had helped the perpetrators of the 1993 Mumbai blasts flee and take shelter in “enemy territory”. Dawood, Tiger Memon and other key accused in the case fled to Pakistan soon

after the serial blasts. The opposition at the time had accused the then Pawar-led Maharashtra government of being hand-inglove with the underworld, a charge denied by Pawar and his associates. Without taking any names, Modi told the gathering, “Do you remember the blasts that took place in Maharashtra and especially in Mumbai in trains, in buses, and in buildings? The perpetrators of the massacre fled

Ministry of Defence issues orders for ad hoc bonus to troops The Ministry of Defence has issued orders for payment of non-productivity linked bonus to all armed forces personnel below officer rank for the 2018-19 fiscal, entitling them to receive close Rs7,000. According to the orders, issued on October 14, the entitled personnel will receive payment equivalent to 30 days emoluments and the ceiling for calculation has been fixed at Rs 7,000 per month. Under the formula adopted for calculation, the bonus payable works out to be Rs6,908.Only those personnel who were in service as on March 31, 2019, and have

rendered six months of continuous service during 2018-19 would be eligible to receive the bonus. Non-gazetted employees in Group-B not covered by any such bonus scheme would also be entitled to receive this amount. Employees appointed on ad hoc or temporary basis would also be entitled to the bonus provided they have six months continuous service, while p r o - r a t a calculations would be made for those retiring or resigning before March 31, 2019, subject to at least six months continuous service. —

PM Modi’s niece robbed of cash & cell phone in Delhi Several cases of snatching from various parts of Delhi have surfaced in recent times. This time, the victim is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s niece Damayanti Ben Modi. On Saturday, Damayanti Ben Modi filed a case of snatching with a police station in Civil Lines area in New Delhi after two bike-borne miscreants snatched her purse outside the gates of Gujarati Samaj Bhavan in Civil Lines. According to reports, Damayanti Ben Modi, daughter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s brother, returned to Delhi from Amritsar on Saturday morning. She had booked a room at Gujarati Samaj Bhavan in

Civil Lines area. When she reached the gates of the hotel, two bike-borne miscreants snatched her purse and fled from the spot. Damayanti Ben Modi said that she was carrying around Rs. 56,000 in cash, two mobile phones and important documents in her wallet. Damayanti Ben Modi said that she has a flight to catch in the evening, but all her documents are now missing. Delhi Police are investigating the matter. The crime spot is just a few kilometers away from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence.

Supreme Court to hear petition on PMC deposits As crisis-hit PMC bank depositors intensified their protests, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear on Friday an urgent plea seeking directions for interim measures to safeguard the money of customers blocked in the bank. The plea on Wednesday for the apex court to step in amid three deaths linked to the crisis in the Punjab & Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank came even as the

bank’s administrator met the RBI’s top brass, including Governor Shaktikanta Das and assured depositors that all efforts will be made to safeguard their interests. The RBI has imposed restrictions on the bank following the discovery of Rs 4,355-crore scam. The limit on deposit withdrawals that has now been capped at Rs 40,000 over a sixmonth period has caused panic and distress among the depositors.

PUNJAB

Saturday, October 19, 2019

SAD misusing Takht & SGPC, says former Jathedar Former Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh has accused the SAD of misusing Akal Takht and the SGPC for political gains. He claimed that following a rift with the BJP in Haryana, the SAD made the Jathedar to issue an anti-RSS statement.

He said during his tenure in 1999, he had directed to hold the Khalsa Sajna Diwas jointly, but the then SAD government, had differences with late SGPC president Gurcharan Singh Tohra and did not obey him. He also accused the SGPCof misusing funds.

High Court upholds conviction of 4 for Gikki’s murder More than eight years after Gurkirat Sekhon, aka Gikki, was shot dead in Jalandhar, the Punjab and Haryana High Court upheld the conviction and life term awarded to four convicts by the trial court. Gurkirat Sekhon was shot in front of his father on April 21, 2011. The case came as an embarrassment for the then SADled government as the young hotelier from Jalandhar, Gurkirat Sekhon, was allegedly targeted by former MLA Sarabjit Makkar’s nephew Ramsimran Singh Makkar, aka Prince Makkar, also an SAD councillor. The four, Prince Makkar, Amardeep Singh (alias Sunny), Jasdeep Singh Jassu and Amarpreet Singh Narula, had moved the HC after a Gurdaspur court sentenced them to life imprisonment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and common intention under Sections 304(1) and 34 of the IPC in August 2015. The case had been pending with the HC since then. But the Bench of Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Harinder Singh Sidhu decided the case after hearing the matter in one go for more than two hours. Pronouncing the verdict in the open court, Justice Sharma’s Bench dismissed the appeals. The prosecution had claimed that Rajbir Singh Sekhon saw his son Gikki standing near the main road, along with one Sukhdev Singh, after he reached Baba Rasoi Dhaba in Jalandhar’s Model Town around 12.45 am on the intervening night of April 20 and 21, 2011. At

ASI & police constable fight over car parking An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) and a constable entered into a scuffle over car parking in the Sangrur Police Lines. The ASI stays in quarter number 224 and constable in quarter number 133. The ASI, who got himself admitted to Civil Hospital, alleged that after performing his night duty, he parked his car in the Police Lines and constable Rajwinder Singh attacked him. “When I parked my car near the road, Rajwinder attacked me. I have lodged a complaint,” said ASI Ram Dass. However, Rajwinder alleged that the ASI was the one who attacked him. Sangrur Rural DSP Satpal Sharma said they had received the complaints. “Sangrur city-1 police station is conducting the probe. We will take a stern action on the basis of inquiry report,” he said.

Punjab trader killed in Kashmir A Punjab-based apple trader was killed and another injured in a militant attack in Shopian district this evening. Charanjeet Singh, 41, from Ferozepur and Sanjeev Kumar, 24, from Gurdaspur districts were shot at Trenz village by a group of militants around 7.30 pm, police said. They were taken to the district hospital, where Charanjeet succumbed. Sanjeev’s condition was stated to be critical. In Pulwama, SK Sagar, a 22-year-old labourer from Chhattisgarh, was shot at a brick kiln. Three militants were killed and a soldier injured in a gunfight in Pazalpora area of Bijbehara in Anantnag.

that time, accused Amarpreet Singh, along with Amardeep Singh, Ramsimran Singh Makkar and Jasdeep Singh, were also “present there and were angry with his son”. The prosecution claimed Amardeep Singh took out his revolver and started fighting with Gikki. As Amarpreet Singh and Jasdeep Singh instigated, Makkar took out his revolver and fired Gikki in the back. He did not live long to reach the hospital. Prince Makkar was Gikki’s closest friend since childhood and had only lately been out of touch as he got busy in his political career.

Alliance with BJP strong as ever, claims Sukhbir Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the SAD-BJP alliance was in the national as well as state’s interest. He claimed that their ties with the saffron party were permanent in Punjab. Addressing poll rallies at Phagwara and Mukerian in support of BJP candidates Rajesh Bagha and Jangi Lal Mahajan, respectively, the SAD president said the alliance was a symbol of peace and communal harmony in Punjab. He said some

parties were spreading rumours of a rift between the allies to take political mileage in the forthcoming bypolls. “But the people of Punjab understand that the SAD and the BJP offer unconditional support to each other”. Sukhbir highlighted how the NDA government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had resolved long pending issues of the Sikh community. He claimed that it was due to the affirmative action of the NDA

After Majha, increase in farm fires in Malwa region Already facing a spurt in farm fires in the border belt, the air quality in Punjab, and eventually Delhi, is sure to take a further hit with farmers starting to burn paddy stubble in the Malwa belt. Ferozepur and Patiala saw maximum cases of stubble-burning in the Malwa belt which recorded over 128 of the total 258 farm fires in the state. The Delhi Government shared an image from NASA, showing large-

scale stubble-burning in adjoining states and blamed Punjab and Haryana for it. The data from the Punjab Remote Sensing Authority showed that farmers were now resorting to farm fires in the fertile Malwa belt. Information gathered from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) and Agriculture Department officials confirmed that farm fires were fast spreading in the Malwa belt.

INDIA

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Ayodhya mediation panel ‘files’ settlement agreement Amid speculation over a possible amicable solution to the vexed dispute at Ayodhya, the UP Sunni Wakf Board is said to have agreed to give up its claim on the disputed site, if Muslims’ interests were protected. The board is understood to have demanded 22 dilapidated mosques be reconstructed, sources said. It has also demanded Muslims be allowed to offer namaz in mosques under the control of ASI. A settlement agreement to this effect is understood to have been filed in the top court by the mediation panel led by Justice FMI Kalifulla. A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by the CJI is likely to consider the mediation panel’s report at in-chamber hearing tomorrow. Sources said Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas and Ram Lalla had not signed the agreement, neither had some of the Muslim parties. A report from Lucknow too said UP Sunni Central Waqf Board chief ZA Farooqui had written to the mediation

panel, listing conditions. The contents of the letter were not shared. A mention of it was made at the October 10 meeting of ‘Indian Muslims For Peace’ in Lucknow. Retired IAS officer Anis Ansari had told the media that suggestions made by it had been endorsed by Farooqui. ‘Muslims For Peace’ had proposed t )BOEJOH PWFS UIF MBOE XJUI UIF .VTMJNT UP UIF $FOUSF t 4UBUVT RVP PG SFMJHJPVT QMBDFT TJODF BU PUIFS QMBDFT t +VNB 'SJEBZ prayers) namaz at various religious monuments under ASI. Counsel for Muslim parties Rajeev Dhavan tore up a pictorial map showing the exact birthplace of Lord Ram during the hearings in the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi-led Bench made it clear that it would conclude the hearing by Wednesday, saying : “This matter is going to be finished today by 5 pm. Enough is enough.”

Army veterans to be trained for IT sector jobs The Indian Army and the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) will come together in Bengaluru next week to orient veterans to the modern industrial needs in the IT sector in order to tap their expertise and potential by offering them jobs. The initiative has been planned as several multi-national firms, which have in the past, failed to hire Army veterans, despite their keenness, because of technological and cultural differences with the corporate world. The move, as per experts in the IT sector, will have far-reaching implications in the industry.

The initiative has been taken jointly by the Indian Army, the NASSCOM and US-based multinational financial services firm Wells Fargo which is also being supported by the multinational e-commerce firm Amazon India. “NASSCOM is looking for a single-point contact where it can get all details of Army veterans in the IT sector. We are organising a two-day conference in Bengaluru on 22 and 23 October where we can deliberate on how to take this forward,” said Major General Deepak Sapra, MD, Army Welfare Placement Organisation.

Newborn girl rescued after being found buried alive in cemetery A four-day-old baby girl has been rescued after she was found buried alive in a cemetery in northern India. The infant was pulled to safety by an unsuspecting couple in Uttar Pradesh state on October 10, as they were burying their own child who had died in hospital. “When they began digging the ground, they immediately heard noises of crying. As they dug up two to three feet of dirt, they found a baby girl who had been buried in an earthen pot,” Abhinandan Singh, Superintendent of Police for Bareilly district, told CNN.A cemetery security guard notified police and took the girl to a nearby hospital. “The baby had some infections and weighed only 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds),”

said Alka Sgarna, a medical superintendent who oversaw her treatment, said.The girl, who is currently receiving treatment in the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU), had various respiratory issues and requires a ventilator, Sgarna said. Singh said the area where the baby was buried was “quite isolated,” and believed she was buried for about four to six hours before she was rescued. An investigation has been launched to locate her parents, who could be charged with attempt to murder and abandoning a child, Singh added. Gender inequality is pervasive in India, where a preference for sons has given rise to the birth of millions of “unwanted” girls who often face discrimination in their communities.

Pakistan must end support to terror groups: US Senator Pakistan must end support to terrorist groups, a top US Senator has said, a day after meeting Prime Minister Imran Khan and the army chief, discussing with them what more can be done to preempt terror attacks and prevent the spread of radicalism. Senator Maggie Hassan also called for finding ways to de-escalate the tension between India and Pakistan that spiked after New Delhi revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August. She said Pakistan has an important role to play in stabilising Afghanistan, where the US has come under increasing criticism for

civilian causalities as a result of airstrikes in the recent months. Asserting that her top priority is to keep “Americans safe” and promoting stability and ongoing counterterrorism measures are critical to that effort, Hassan on Friday said, “It was particularly helpful to discuss with key Pakistani leaders what more can be done to preempt terrorist attacks and prevent the spread of terrorist ideology.” “Moreover, it was important for us to communicate directly to Pakistan’s senior leadership that they must end support to the Taliban and other terrorist groups.

Check out some of the ‘Sharpest images ever’ of the Moon taken ny India’s lunar orbiter India’s latest mission to the moon is doing some rather fantastic science right now. No, not the Vikram lander: lest we forget, that made a hard landing in the moon’s south polar region at the beginning of September; its remains cannot yet be located by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). No, I’m talking about the orbiter the Chandrayaan-2 mission successfully deployed before the lander and its rover made its doomed descent. According to a recent press release from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), all of the orbiter’s instruments are operating as planned, from the camera designed to create 3D maps of its surface to the X-ray sleuth that’s keeping an eye on the Sun’s outbursts and its ghostly corona. The orbiter is also equipped with a rather fancy camera. Conducting its astrodynamical

pirouette at a height of around 100 kilometres (62 miles), the Orbiter High Resolution Camera (OHRC) is able to see objects on the surface as small as 32 centimetres (12.6 inches) across when peering at a three-kilometre (1.9-mile) stretch of the dusty desolation below. This gives it a resolution better than that of NASA’s own LRO, itself at a lower orbit than the Chandrayaan-2 camera. With that in mind, the ISRO has been keen to show off what it calls the “sharpest images ever from a lunar orbiter platform,” sharing a series of small craters and boulders hiding inside the Boguslawsky E crater, a 14-kilometre (8.7-mile) scar near the moon’s south pole. This crater is part of a family of Bohuslawsky craters (named, if you were wondering, after a German astronomer), the largest of which is Boguslawsky B, a whopping 63 kilometres (39 miles) across.

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India, China leaders talk trade and not territorial dispute Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi avoided the topic of a territorial dispute and instead pushed forward on trade relations during their summit over the weekend. As the leaders of the world’s two most populous countries met in the coastal town of Mamallapuram in southern India, they sidestepped what could have been another quarrel over disputed territory. Ahead of the summit, Chinese state media reported Xi would support Pakistan in the dispute over Kashmir — a territory also claimed by India. But Reuters reported Xi did not discuss Kashmir with Modi on Saturday, and instead they mostly discussed issues of trade and investment. “It seems like

what the two leaders have done is try to set some of the thorny political issues to the side,” said Dhruva Jaishankar, director of the U.S. Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation. Indian leaders have made it very clear that the country is open to collaborating with China, Jaishankar said. But that cooperation will be on a case-by-case basis, as India has some of the same concerns in working with China as Washington has cited, he said. For example, the trade deficit between India and China stands at $53.57 billion in Beijing’s favor — the largest imbalance New Delhi has with any country. Still, that towering figure is down from $63.05 billion a year ago.

Indian scientists identify possible cause of Alzheimer’s disease Indian scientists have found a possible cause of Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive brain disorder that destroys memory and other important mental functions. Researchers from National Brain Research Centre (NBRC) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in a clinical study have found that a protective molecule in brain called Glutathione that neutralizes the effect of oxidative stress in brain, a contributor to Alzheimer’s disease, gets depleted. The study is also published in the Human Brain Mapping

Journal in its latest issue. The scientists have said that depletion of a form of Glutathione called as good Glutathione in some parts of the brain might be a possible cause of the Alzheimer’s disease. “Now it is shown by state-of-the-art imaging technique from the Alzheimer’s patients’ brain only one form of Glutathione (good Glutathione) is capable of protecting the brain from Oxidative stress and possibly prevent Alzheimer’s disease,” said Lead scientist Pravat Mandal at NBRC.

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No charges will be laid against PM - DPP Pryde The Director of Public Prosecutions, of powers doctrine applies to prevent the Christopher Pryde has decided that no courts and the executive from interfering charges will be laid against Prime Minister, with a decision made by Parliament in Voreqe Bainimarama in relation to allegations the exercise of its constitutional authority. that he assaulted a Member of Parliament, He says, therefore, as the matter has Pio Tikoduadua in the parliamentary now been dealt with by the Parliamentary precincts on 9th August this year. Privileges Committee and those findings Pryde says under section 73 of the and recommendations have been accepted Constitution, Parliament has the power to by Parliament, it would not be in the public discipline members of Parliament. He says interest for a second hearing to take place those powers are further particularised before the judiciary in the criminal courts. under the Parliamentary Powers Pryde says this would, and Privileges Act 1965 which in effect, be subjecting the provides for the prosecution Prime Minister to double of offences such as assault jeopardy contrary to section committed by one member 14 (1) (b) of the Constitution against another member. after his matter has already Pryde says under section been adjudicated on by 20 of that Act, a person found the Privileges Committee guilty by Parliament for the and a decision made by offence of assault is liable to a Parliament after hearing the fine of $400 or to imprisonment evidence from witnesses. not exceeding 2 years or both. The DPP says had the He says as the altercation PM Voreqe Bainimarama matter not been heard by the occurred within the precincts Privileges Committee and of Parliament, the Speaker exercised his dealt with by Parliament, there was sufficient authority and referred the matter to the evidence for the matter to proceed to court. Privileges Committee to hear evidence of the Pryde says for these reasons, there matter and to make findings on the allegation. will be no further action on this The DPP says those findings were file and the matter is now closed. accepted by Parliament which then The police docket has endorsed and implemented a penalty. been returned to the police. Pryde says the constitutional separation

Nasetava who allegedly murdered wife in Walu Bay further remanded in custody 34-year-old Luke Nasetava who allegedly murdered his 34-year-old wife in Walu Bay on the 31st of August this year, has been further remanded in custody. He was produced before High Court Judge, Justice Salesi Temo.

Police had earlier said that according to initial information gathered, the woman was allegedly stabbed after allegedly refusing to talk to the husband. The case has been adjourned to the 25th of November.

Narayan who allegedly murdered a 2-year-old girl has been further remanded in custody Christopher Narayan who allegedly murdered a 2-year-old girl in Nakasi in March this year has been further remanded in custody. The trial will be from March 30th to April 3rd next year. Narayan allegedly punched the girl during a heated argument with

his partner at the time. The victim was allegedly found lying unconscious in their Nakasi home by her 20-year-old mother. The 2-year-old girl had been rushed to the Valelevu Health Center where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Rabuka says Fijian economy is in crisis, while RBF says domestic sectoral performance to-date remains largely mixed SODELPA Leader, Sitiveni Rabuka claims that the Fijian economy is in crisis, and he does not believe what is being said by the Minister for Economy or the Reserve Bank of Fiji. Rabuka says it is so sad that independent institutions such as the RBF continue to support Government’s view that the economy is buoyant. He also says the latest announcement by the Minister for Education in the reduction of education grants to schools and the delay of its payment is what he claims a clear testimony that government has a cash flow problem.

Rabuka also says that the release of the Fiji Sugar Corporation Annual Report last week clearly indicate that it made a financial loss of $80 million in the 2019 financial year. He also says the total FSC debt is hovering around $300 million which will be very difficult to manage taking into account the current trading environment. The SODELPA Leader also says the rise in prices of basic food items and increased revenue measures and fees and charges, two months after the budget announcement which reduced expenditure by a whopping $809 million is a clear sign of desperation.

Fiji to further deepen its bilateral relations with Malaysia - Bainimarama Fiji intends to further deepen its bilateral relations with Malaysia. This was stated by Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama while meeting Malaysia’s Minister for Housing and Local Government Hajah Zuraida Kamaruddin along the margins of the seventh session of the Asia-Pacific Urban Forum in Penang, Malaysia. Bainimarama says that one such area Fiji aims to strengthen is local government. The Prime Minister says the local government in Fiji is currently undergoing a significant reform process including a review of the legislation’s governing local government, and town and country planning.

He says these reforms are aligned to the Pacific

Urban Agenda, the new Urban Agenda, and the 2030 Agenda, among others. The Prime Minister says as you know, local government are crucial to addressing climate change through sustainable urban development and Fiji hopes to also leverage the Penang Platform for Sustainable Urbanisation, through partnership and cooperation on key focus areas.

Cabinet approves establishment of new Ease of Doing Business taskforce Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says cabinet has approved the establishment of a new Ease of Doing Business taskforce under the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Tourism. He says the taskforce has his full backing to streamline procedures and processes, eliminate repetition and inconsistencies and bring business transparency to new heights to Fiji. Speaking at the 25th Australia-Fiji Business Council Forum at the Brisbane Marriott Hotel conference centre, Bainimarama says initial initiatives under Digital Fiji have already brought a number of company registration services online for the first time including e-payment for registration under the Biz Fiji portal. He told those at the forum that this new online business portal has given

users the ability to access a step by step guide and checklist to easily walk them through the registration process and allows them to download application forms to start a business or obtain a construction permit. Bainimarama went on to say that over the course of the next 18 months, Biz Fiji will evolve into a full online submission and approvals portal allowing business licenses and construction permits to be issued entirely online. The Prime Minister also told the forum that when they speak of this type of business efficiency in Fiji, there are always murmurings of the World Bank Group’s ease of doing business rankings and how Fiji has historically underperformed in its standing.

PAKISTAN

Saturday, October 19, 2019 The Financial Action Task Force was founded in 1989 on a G7 initiative to tackle money laundering Initially, the organisation was tasked with monitoring legislative, financial and law-enforcement activities at national and international levels. After much debate and speculation following the February Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary, the dust has finally settled: Pakistan will be placed on the

FATF grey-list in June. It is now worth exploring what this means for Pakistan, particularly its economy, and the potential of this event to cause a

Pakistan must prosecute Hafiz Saeed, other LeT operatives: US Pakistan must prevent militant groups from operating on its soil and prosecute top Lashkare-Taiba (Let) operatives along with its leader Hafiz Saeed, the Unites States has said ahead of the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) crucial decision on whether to blacklist the country. Alice Wells, head of the US state department’s South and Central Asian Bureau, also welcomed the arrest the top four leaders of Lashkar-eTaiba /Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) in Pakistan. Pakistan’s law enforcement agencies on Thursday arrested the “top four leaders” of the banned LeT/JuD on charges of terrorism financing. The top four arrested terrorists have been identified as Professor Zafar Iqbal, Yahya Aziz, Muhammad Ashraf and Abdul Salam. “As Prime Minister Imran Khan has said, Pakistan, for its own future, must prevent militant groups from operating on its soil,”

Wells tweeted. “We welcome news that Pakistan arrested 4 LeT leaders. The victims of LeT’s vicious attacks deserve to see these individuals prosecuted now, along with LeT leader Hafiz Saeed,” Wells said. Pakistan has a long history of catching and releasing terrorists operating from its soil. Wells’ remarks came as the FATF is set to give its decision on the country’s ‘grey list’ status. Pakistan was placed on the grey list by the Paris-based watchdog in June last year and was given a plan of action to complete it by October 2019, or face the risk of being placed on the black list with Iran and North Korea. The ongoing review of Pakistan’s performance will determine if it stays on the grey list or moved on the black list or given a clean chit. Wells last month also asked Pakistan to prosecute terrorists like Saeed and Masood Azhar, saying the reduction of the Indo-

China & Pakistan differ on Turkey’s military offensive against Syria Beijing asked Ankara to stop its offensive against Kurdish forces while Islamabad backed the assault. In a rare foreign policy shift, China and Pakistan ended up on opposite sides of Turkey’s military action in northern Syria as Turkey launched an assault last week against the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units, which it sees as a “terrorist” o f f s h o o t of Kurdish insurgents in its own territory. The Turkish government wants to create a “safe zone” in the area, where it can resettle up to two million Syrian refugees currently in Turkey. Dozens of civilians have been killed in the operation so far and at least 160,000 have fled the area, according to the United Nations. China on Tuesday called on Turkey to stop its military action, saying it could lead to escape of IS militants exacerbating international counter terrorism efforts. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang during a media briefing in Beijing said Turkey should

seek political and diplomatic settlement of the issues under the framework of UN charter and international law. “Syria’s sovereignty and independence, unity and territorial integrity should be respected and upheld. We urge Turkey stop the military action comeback to the right track of political settlement,” he said replying to a question. At the same time the counter terrorism situation in Syria remains grave and the relevant military action could lead to the terrorists fleeing the region and the Islamic State might take the opportunity to rally up,” he said. China urged the Turkish side to shoulder its responsibility and work with the international community to jointly fight terrorism. is concerned that the Turkish action could lead to the escape of a large number IS militants as many of them stated to be Uighurs from the restive Chinese province of Xinjiang where Beijing is conducting a massive crackdown on the members of the separatist East Turkistan Islamic Movement.

Ban will rid market of 55bn plastic bags, claims minister Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul on Wednesday said with the ban on singleuse plastic bags would go a long way in making Pakistan greener as it would rid the market of an estimated 55 billion bags each year. Speaking to participants of an event held at a local hotel she said: “We are seeing a massive rural-urban migration, coupled with rapid urbanisation.” But as our growing population occupies new spaces in urban areas, it lacks the understanding of

What is FATF ‘Grey List’ and how it impacts Pakistan?

living in harmony with nature; so we continue to damage our environment through uncontrolled and mismanaged waste disposal, she said. The project titled ‘Women Entrepreneurship Development’ launched by Oxfam Pakistan and Hashoo Foundation to address the country’s plastic bag pollution crisis and to explore sustainable solutions to counter its effects by engaging and empowering women entrepreneurs.

shift in the country’s security and strategic calculus. Some analysts have argued that the grey-listing will squeeze Pakistan’s economy and make it harder for the country to meet its mounting

foreign financing needs, including potential future borrowings from the International Monetary Fund. They have also argued that the grey-listing could lead to a downgrade in Pakistan’s debt ratings, making it more difficult to tap into the international bond markets.

Kate Middleton wore Shalwar Kameez suit for the first time while arriving in Pakistan It’s not a metaphor when we say that Kate Middleton wears the pants — and the dress. She wore both out of respect for Pakistan’s modest culture as she arrived in the capital, Islamabad, on Monday evening for her and Prince William’s five-day tour of the country. Kate wore a blue ombré shalwar kameez — the traditional ensemble consisting of both a dress and pants which is worn by women in South and Central Asia — by one of her go-to designers, Catherine Walker, who had once been a favorite of Princess Diana as

well. She paired the look with nude pumps and glittering tear drop earrings. The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Visit Islamabad. During her own visits to Pakistan in the ‘90s, Diana was photographed wearing the customary shalwar kameez, opting for radiant shades of green and purple. When Kate previously visited Malaysia in 2012 (where it is also customary to wear the garment), she did not wear the look — though she did dress modestly in pants and a headscarf.

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Film on Guru Nanak screened at LA festival Over 200 guests watched a documentary on Guru Nanak Dev at the Awareness Film Festival in Los Angeles on Sunday. The film received a thunderous applause at the Regal Theater. Many leaders of various religions joined in this celebratory moment for the Sikhs and they prayed at the conclusion. The weeklong Awareness Film festival, which brings films from all over the world on various

social and cultural causes, featured Guru Nanak documentary on the final day. Dr Rajwant Singh, co-founder and senior adviser of National Sikh Campaign (NSC), said, “The response of the audience assures us that this film will have an impact in educating Americans and the world about Guru Nanak and his contributions. There is total ignorance about him among masses and this gap will be filled by this initiative.”

Suprere Court seeks answers as to why no reply on NRI businessman wife’s plea against his detention The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration as to why it has not filed a reply on a plea by the wife of a Malaysia-based NRI businessman challenging his detention following abrogation of provisions of Article 370. A bench headed by Justice N V Ramana observed that the matter relates to “personal liberty” and the J-K administration should have filed its reply on the plea. “Why

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you (J-K administration) have not filed the reply?,” said the bench, also comprising justices R Subhash Reddy and B R Gavai, adding, “This is a matter regarding personal liberty. You should have filed the reply by yesterday”. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the J-K administration, said he would file a reply on the petition during the day itself.

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NRI man goes to cops with corpse & confesses to 4 murders in USA The officers on duty at a police station in northern California on Monday did not initially believe a man who walked into the lobby and declared that he had killed several people, one of whom was in his car outside. The man entered the Mount Shasta department around 12:10 p.m. and said he had committed murder at his home in Roseville, more than 200 miles south, police said. Officers confirmed a man’s body was in the car, and Roseville police

found another adult and two juveniles dead at an apartment on Junction Boulevard, police said. “He just came in and told our dispatcher that I want to confess to a murder, and then just gave it up,” Sgt. Robert Gibson of Mount Shasta told the New York Times. “I have never had someone come in with a body and turn themselves in here. This was unusual for us.”

Nijjar is NRI dept hony coordinator The state government has appointed vicepresident of the Guru Nanak Dev University Alumni Association Manjit Singh Nijjar, who is also the director of Gobbler Boats Ltd, UK, has been appointed as an honorary coordinator of the Department of NRI Affairs. Nijjar is involved in international humanitarian projects in developing countries. Besides, he has worked on

education, health and environment in Punjab. He facilitated many international MoUs and collaborations at Guru Nanak Dev University. Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Jaspal Singh Sandhu appreciated his efforts and contribution towards the university. and congratulated him on the appointment and wished him success in a new role with the Government for connecting Punjabi Diaspora with Punjab.

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