The Asian Star March 14 2020

www.theasianstar.com

Vol 19 - Issue 7

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Tel:604-591-5423

PM Trudeau’s wife Sophie diagnosed with COVID-19

Surrey Vaisakhi Parade cancelled amid COVID-19 outbreak

PM to remain in isolation Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, wife to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has tested positive for the new coronavirus. In a statement Thursday night, Trudeau’s office said: “Following medical recommendations, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau was tested for COVID-19 today. The test came back positive.” The statement says she will remain in isolation.

“She is feeling well, is taking all the recommended precautions and her symptoms remain mild,” it said, adding that health care workers will “reach out to those who have been in contact with Mrs. Grégoire Trudeau as they deem necessary.” The Prime Minister’s Office statement also included a message from Sophie herself, thanking everyone who has reached out to her with questions Continued on page 8

The annual Surrey Vaisakhi Parade has been cancelled.

The organizers of the event, which was scheduled for April 25, have made the “difficult decision” to cancel the 2020 event “until further notice or a significant change in the transmission of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.” The Surrey Vaisakhi Parade, which is the largest outside of India, attracts more than 500,000 people annually.

The parade is a celebration of the birth of the Sikh faith. Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar, the organizers, have been “closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 in our region,” according to a release on Thursday (March 12).

Continued on page 6

Fraser Health Mobile Health Clinic powered by TELUS launched in Surrey

NDP govt introduces new law to monitor gas prices in BC The BC govt has launched a new Fuel Price Transparency Act (FPTA) to help the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) monitor fuel prices in the province, which have been found to be inexplicably higher on average than other jurisdictions in Canada. According to the provincial government, a 2019 investigation undertaken by the BCUC found that British Columbians were paying 10 to 13 cents more per litre of gas than other provinces and neighbouring Washington state.

Continued on page 3

Juggy Sihota, Vice President of Consumer Health at TELUS

Harvinder Sandhu

The much anticipated Fraser Health Mobile Health Clinic was launched today in Surrey. Powered by TELUS, this mobile clinic is the tenth in the nation to be launched since last year. The Surrey mobile clinic’s focus is on providing easier access to immunizations for children, dental care and sexual health services. “Onboard there is always either a nurse or a physician, as well as other care workers often travelling with them,” states Liz Sauve, TELUS Public Relations, “the clinic is also all totally tech-ed out, it’s got our TELUS LTE Wi-Fi network technology in it that enables us to make electronic digital medical records.

Continued on page 22

South Asian businessman to pleads guilty in College admissions scandal A former Canadian Football League player pleaded guilty Friday to participating in a college admissions cheating scheme by hiring someone to take the SATs in place of his two sons. David Sidoo, a businessman from Vancouver, pleaded guilty to a mail fraud conspiracy charge in Boston federal court. The plea deal calls for Sidoo to serve 90 days in prison and pay a Continued on page 9

Bank of Canada cuts rate to 0.75% as Ottawa unleashes $10 billion in credit aid for business in coronavirus crisis

THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING YOUR HOME ???

Should Canada follow Italy & UK to suspend mortgage payments?

he Bank of Canada cut interest rates by half a percentage point in an emergency move to buffer the nation’s economy from the double hit from the coronavirus and tanking oil prices. The Ottawa-based central bank lowered its policy rate to 0.75 per cent and said it “stands ready” to move again if needed. Governor Stephen Poloz, in a joint press conference Friday afternoon with Finance Minister Bill Morneau, also announced a new facility to support funding markets for small- and medium-size businesses “at a time when they may have increased funding needs and credit conditions are tightening.” “It is clear that the spread of the coronavirus is having serious consequences for Canadian families, and for Canada’s economy,” the Bank of Canada said in a statement.

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With global stock markets tanking and coronavirus cases rising rapidly in Asia, Europe and North America, politicians around the world are racing to unveil emergency measures to B.A. (Hons.), MA., LLB help the economy weather the storm. In Italy, where the entire population of 65 million has been under lockdown since early this week, the country’s finance minister has announced a policy that has earned some attention: Mortgage payments as well as SRS Panorama other loan repayments for individuals and households will be Realty suspended during the crisis. Detail, such as how long the holiday Suite #103 12030, 80 Ave, will last, or how lenders will be Continued on page 20 Surrey, BC

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www.theasianstar.com

Vol 19 - Issue 7

Saturday, March 14, 2020

From page 1 NDP govt introduces new law to monitor gas prices in BC In August 2019, the BCUC said that the industry by examining data received directly price premium was “unexplained.” Now, the commission believes that a lack of competition is partly responsible for the province-wide markup.

“The rapid increase in gas prices in B.C. is alarming, increasingly out of line with the rest of Canada, and people in B.C. deserve answers,” said Horgan in a statement in May 2019. “Across the province, but particularly in Metro Vancouver and on Vancouver Island, people are alarmed at the rapid increase in the price at the pumps,” Horgan wrote in a letter to the commission in May. Now, the province says that the Fuel Price Transparency Act will help the government evaluate the fuel

from oil and gas companies. The new legislation will allow the BCUC to make special requests for information from companies, which could include data on fuel volumes at refineries and terminals, and wholesale and retail prices.

“This step gives the BCUC the power to collect information to hold oil and gas companies accountable,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.

“British Columbians are tired of feeling gouged at the pump,” he said. “It’s time to pull back the

curtain on fuel pricing.”

Tel:604-591-5423

Fraser Health Mobile Health Clinic powered by TELUS launched in Surrey

Juggy Sihota, along with Fraser Health Authority & Surrey Memorial Foundation representatives, and local dignitaries, at the launch of the TELUS Health for Good powered Mobile Health Clinic launch for Surrey.

Story on page 22

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Saturday, March 14, 2020

By John Horgan, Premier of British Columbia

Slamming the brakes on out of control ICBC costs

For families, every little cost adds up – from where we live, to how we get to work, and what we eat for dinner. That’s why there’s no silver bullet when it comes to making life more affordable, but rather a series of actions that government can take to help British Columbians reduce costs and get ahead.

One of the steps our government is taking is lowering the price of car insurance. For years, drivers’ rates have been climbing. For some people, these rising costs have forced them to choose between life’s necessities, like paying for car insurance or buying school supplies for their kids. The old government did nothing to help. In fact, they left ICBC in such a state of financial ruin, the best way Attorney General David Eby could describe it was a “dumpster fire.”

While people’s premiums went up, ICBC’s financial health went down. We made different choices.

Last month, our government announced major changes to B.C.’s public auto insurer.

By moving away from a litigation-based system to a care-based system, we’re making ICBC work for people again, not lawyers. Instead of people paying expensive lawyer and legal fees, the new system will make sure British Columbians get the care and benefits they’re entitled to – without the stress of hiring a lawyer.

This change will create approximately $1.5 billion in savings in the first year alone.

We’re passing these savings entirely on to drivers to lower their rates. And, we’re going to deliver better benefits and increased peace of mind for people who are hurt in a car accident.

For new mom Joyce Yan, who lives in Port Moody, these changes will add up to something big. Starting in May 2021, ICBC’s new system will bring car insurance rates down by an average of 20%, or about $400 a year, per driver.

This extra money will help Joyce’s family pay down debts sooner, buy more diapers for her baby and treat her parents to the occasional dinner for all the free babysitting they do.

In addition, there will be no basic rate increase this year. If our government hadn’t made these changes, British Columbians would have been on the hook for rate increases of up to 35% over the next five years. We’re working to make life more affordable for people, and that means slamming the brakes on out of control ICBC costs. While the previous government treated ICBC like their personal bank machine, we’ve introduced legislation to prevent that from happening again. That means no more raiding ICBC’s surplus for government’s benefit. Instead, when ICBC has surplus available, it will be used to keep rates affordable and provide better benefits for people.

We’re working hard every day to lower the cost of living in British Columbia.

Making life more affordable happens when a series of actions come together to make a real difference in people’s lives.

That includes lower car insurance rates, the end of MSP fees, affordable child care and more affordable housing. And, we’re just getting started. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made together, but I know there’s still more to do. Step by step, we’re building a brighter future for everyone.

www.theasianstar.com # 202 - 8388, 128 St., Surrey, BC V3W 4G2 Ph: 604-591-5423 Fax: 604-591-8615 E-mail: editor@theasianstar.com Editor: Umendra Singh Associate Editor: Chhavi Disawar Marketing and Sales: Ravi Cheema........604-715-3847 Shamir Doshi....................604-649-7827 Harminder Kaur...............778-708-0481 Parminder Dhillon..........604-902-2858 Pre-Press: Iftikhar Ahmed Design: Avee J Waseer Contributing writers: Jag Dhatt, Akash Sablok, Kamila Singh, Jay Bains

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Saturday, March 14, 2020

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Saturday, March 14, 2020

Surrey Vaisakhi Parade cancelled amid COVID-19 outbreak From page 1 “Today’s decision follows days of extensive consultation with health officials, regionally and provincially, including the Fraser Health Authority, the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), the BC Provincial Ministry of Health, and discussions with organizers of other Vaisakhi celebrations around the region. The executive of the Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar made the determination that the best and safest way to proceed under the circumstances, is to cancel the 2020 event.�

The release adds that the health and safety of the public is “the highest priority and consideration for the organization.�

The cancellation comes just two days after Health Minister Adrian Dix told the Now-

Leader that it was too early to determine whether the Surrey Vaisakhi Parade should be cancelled or not.

READ ALSO: Too early to decide on Surrey Vaisakhi Parade cancellation despite COVID-19 outbreak: Dix, March 11, 2020 “It’s a little distance away,� Dix said Tuesday. “But the same applies here that we have a risk-assessment model that can be applied to every event, and we’re hoping event organizers in circumstances like that engage with health authorities to make decisions in the best interest of all the people that might go and the whole community,� said Dix.

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8 This pandemic—the new disease Covid-19, the virus SARS-CoV-2—is not Singapore’s first epidemiological nightmare. In 2002 and 2003, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome,

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Singapore was ready for Covid-19—other countries, take note the original SARS, tore out of China and through Asia, killing 33 people in Singapore and sparking wholesale revisions to the city-

state’s public health system. “They realized they wanted to invest for the future, to reduce that economic cost if the same thing were to happen again,” says Martin Hibberd, an infectious disease researcher now at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who worked in Singapore on SARS. So Singapore instituted new travel controls and health infrastructure. Then, in 2009, it got hit again—with H1N1 influenza, the socalled swine flu. “Pandemic flu came from Mexico, an Americas event, and Singapore tried to put in place in 2009 what they learned with SARS,” Hibberd says. “But flu was much more difficult to contain than SARS was, and they realized what they thought they’d learned didn’t work. It was another lesson.”

When Covid-19 came around, Singapore was, it seems, ready. Along with Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, Singapore instituted strict travel controls and protocols for identifying sick individuals—to get them

help as well as to find the people they’d been in contact with. The Singaporean government posted detailed accounting for how many people had been tested for the virus, and the locations and natures of those people’s social contacts. All these governments instituted strict social distancing measures, like canceling events, closing schools, and telling people to stay home. As a result (at least in part), all have lower numbers of infected people and lower fatalities than China or Italy, proportionately. They “flattened the curve,” as public health experts now say—lowering a probable spike of infections, perhaps pushing that surge of seriously ill people further out in time so that health care systems don’t get overburdened.

PM Trudeau’s wife Sophie diagnosed with COVID-19 From page 1 about her health.

“Although I’m experiencing uncomfortable symptoms of the virus, I will be back on my feet soon,” she says in the message. “Being in quarantine at home is nothing compared to other Canadian families who might be going through this and for those facing more serious health concerns.”

Sophie’s message contained encouragement: “We will get through this situation together. Please share the facts and take your health seriously. I send you all my courage and warm thoughts (but only ‘get better’ hugs from afar!).”

Earlier Thursday, Trudeau also went into isolation as Sophie awaited test results. She was tested for the new coronavirus after she experienced symptoms upon her return from a trip to the U.K., where she had been carrying out speaking engagements.

The statement said he is in “good health with no symptoms.”

How to explain coronavirus pandemic to children “As a precautionary measure and following the advice of doctors, he will be in isolation for a planned period of 14 days,” the PMO said. “Also on the advice of doctors, he will not be tested at this stage since he has no symptoms. For the same reason, doctors say there is no risk to those who have been in contact with him recently.”

Trudeau is expected to address the country on Friday: “The Prime Minister will continue to fully assume his duties and will address Canadians tomorrow.”

According to his office, he spoke with several world leaders over the phone on Thursday, including Trump.

On Friday, he plans on speaking with leaders of National Indigenous Organizations as well as premiers of provinces and territories across Canada “to take stock of the COVID-19 situation and coordinate our actions.”

As of March 12, Canada has seen 150 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Globally, it has resulted in more than 125,000 infections and more than 4,600 deaths.

Health & Safety of public is top priority City of Vancouver Calling the health and safety of the public its “top priority,” the City of Vancouver said it is continuing to work with internal and external partners, including Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), on a “proactive approach” to deal with COVID-19.

In a release, the city noted that “VCH and the BC Centre for Disease Control has said the risk of transmission in Vancouver remains low.”

Saturday, March 14, 2020

COVID-19: Province bans large gatherings in BC The B.C. government has placed a ban on all events with more than 250 people amid growing concerns around the spread of COVID-19.

“We have to do our best to slow transmissions here in British Columbia,” provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said during a daily briefing about the coronavirus on Thursday.

The news comes as the province confirmed seven more people infected with the novel coronavirus in the province, bringing the total to 53 cases and one death.

“We are looking at event organizers — whether it’s community events, whether it’s large events — to look at alternatives they can use to keep that connectedness and social cohesiveness,” Henry said.

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak as a pandemic. Since then, major sports organizations, such as the NHL and NBA, have postponed games until further notice. Larger events, including the Vancouver Auto Show and Vancouver Sun Run have also been cancelled.

B.C. health officials are also recommending people don’t travel outside Canada.

Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said Thursday that B.C. residents have a choice whether they want to risk going to the U.S. or another country, but if they do they should expect to be in isolation for 14 days when they return.

“The situation is just too risky right now,” Henry told reporters.

Dump truck lands on vehicle with children inside, Surrey police say A dramatic crash that resulted in a dump truck landing on top of a vehicle with children inside has closed a portion of 64th Avenue in Surrey Thursday afternoon.

Surrey RCMP say it happened at 2:35 p.m. in the 14400-block of 64th Avenue. Police say a dump truck ended up on top of another vehicle, which had four people inside, including two children.

As of 3:30 p.m., police were still on scene. All parties remained at scene and are co-operating

with police.

There is no word of any injuries.

RCMP say 64th Avenue is closed between 144th Street and 146th Street in both directions.

Residents are asked to avoid the area, which may remain closed for an “extended period.”

Anyone with information about this crash is asked to call Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or, if you wish to make an anonymous report, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or solvecrime.ca.

Canadian company announces COVID-19 vaccine candidate A Canadian company says it has made a breakthrough in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak, claiming to have developed a COVID-19 vaccine candidate that could begin human testing as early as this summer. Quebec City-based Medicago said it has produced a virus-like particle of the novel coronavirus, a first step towards producing a vaccine, which will now undergo preclinical testing for safety and efficacy.Company CEO Bruce Clark told Global News that if the vaccine is successful it could be available to the wider public by November 2021. Other media reports erroneously said the vaccine could be ready by November of this year. “These timelines are heavily reliant on what will give the regulators enough comfort to say this product is ready to go into human testing and then, secondly, for use in the broader public,” he said. “Our best guess right now is 18 months.” Clark said Medicago researchers were able to produce a candidate vaccine within just 20 days of obtaining the gene

of the virus. If they are given the green light, they could produce as many as 10 million doses a month out of their plant in North Carolina, according to Clark. The company currently has the resources to create about two million doses a month out of its plant in Quebec. The biopharmaceutical company said it was able to create a vaccine candidate quickly as it used a plantbased platform, not chicken embryos, to help grow vaccine proteins. “We have a [seasonal flu vaccine] that is currently under review with Health Canada, and the [technology] we are using for this COVID vaccine is exactly the same, which has proven to be efficacious,” Clark said. Dawn Bowdish, Canada Research Chair in aging and immunity at McMaster University, said the company’s ability to grow virus-like particles in plants has helped it produce vaccines in the past against influenza, including a vaccine candidate against H1N1 in 2009.

South Asian businessman to pleads guilty in College admissions scandal

From page 1

$250,000 US fine. It must be approved by the judge. Sidoo was among 50 prominent parents, university athletic coaches and others charged last March in the scheme, which authorities say involved rigged entrance exams and bogus athletic credentials to make applicants look like star athletes for sports they didn’t play. The former athlete said he paid the admissions consultant at the centre of the scheme $200,000 to have someone pose as his sons using fake ID to secure higher scores on their SATs, prosecutors said.

Sidoo, 60, said little in court, except to answer questions from the judge about the plea agreement. His lawyer, Martin Weinberg, declined to comment after the hearing. Sidoo is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15.

He had been scheduled to go on trial in January alongside six other prominent parents still fighting charges in the case. Eight other parents, including Full House actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, are scheduled to stand

trial in October. Sidoo joins nearly two dozen parents, including Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman, who have already pleaded guilty. Huffman was sentenced to two weeks in prison. Sentences for other parents range from no prison time to nine months behind bars. The test taker, Mark Riddell, pleaded guilty last April and has been co-operating with investigators. He has not yet been sentenced. Sidoo played professional football for six years for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and BC Lions, according to his website. He was CEO of mining firm Advantage Lithium Corp. when he was arrested last year and was also a founding shareholder of an oil and gas company that was sold in 2010 for more than $600 million.

He graduated from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 1982, where he held a four-year football scholarship with the UBC Thunderbirds. After graduating, he was the first Indo-Canadian to play professionally in the CFL.

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Saturday, March 14, 2020

Vancouver area events postponed or cancelled because of spreading COVID-19 The Ministry of Health may not yet be advising people to cancel mass gatherings due to COVID-19, but the province’s top health officer has asked event organizers to at least think about it. “We need to be cognizant of what’s happening in our local community,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry. “Do a risk assessment for your event. Who is coming to your event?”

The organizers behind several upcoming Metro Vancouver events are doing exactly that. Here’s a look at what’s been cancelled or postponed so far.

The Surrey Vaisakhi Khalsa Parade, schedule for April 25, has been cancelled “until further notice or a significant change in the transmission of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

“Today’s decision follows days of extensive consultation with health officials, regionally and provincially, including the Fraser Health Authority, the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), the BC Provincial Ministry of Health, and discussions with organizers of other Vaisakhi celebrations around the region. The executive of the Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar made the determination that the best and safest way to proceed under the circumstances, is to cancel the 2020 event,”

Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar, the event organizer, said in a statement on March 12. This adver tisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Organizers says the Surrey Vaisakhi parade, the largest in the world, draws more than 500,000 people every year.

The 100th anniversary edition of the Vancouver International Auto Show has been postponed, the New Car Dealers Association announced on March 12. The event was scheduled to take place March 2529 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

“We are very grateful to all of our partners including the Vancouver Convention Centre, automakers, event sponsors and commercial exhibitors for their understanding and support for this decision,” says New Car Dealers Association President and CEO Blair Qualey.

Govt warns against all international travel, limits inbound flights to stop spread of COVID-19 The federal government is warning against all international travel and is limiting inbound flights in order to limit the spread of COVID-19. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau detailed the new measures during a news conference Friday. Trudeau is in selfisolation due to the confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis for his wife, Sophie.

Trudeau said that, aside from the sweeping travel advisory, the government is also taking steps to prevent infections.

“We are looking to reduce the number of airports that will accept travellers from overseas in order to be able give the proper resources on all arrivals to ensure we’re doing everything we can to keep Canadians and Canada safe,” he said.

We’re also, obviously, looking at countries of origin and further measures we can take.

We will make those decisions based on the best science, the best recommendations

of our health officials.” The airports that will take inbound flights have not been identified. During an interview with Radio-Canada’s Montreal morning show on Friday, Trudeau said the government is not closing the door to any ideas and is assessing the situation on a day-today basis. Asked if the government will close the Canadian border, Trudeau said, “We are in the midst of looking at this. We’re in the midst of evaluating day-to-day what to do. “As you’ve seen, there are recommendations not to travel outside of Canada. We’re in the midst of co-ordinating with the Americans, obviously, on our borders, on our actions.

We’ll continue to evaluate what we can do and how we can keep Canadians in security and we won’t close the door on any idea.”

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Khalsa Business Centre

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

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, March 14, 2020

RCMP issues dire warning about its ability to police terrorism, foreign interference and cybercrime The RCMP is sounding an alarm over what it calls “significant resourcing challenges” as demands on its terrorism-fighting and cybercrime investigators grow — and is warning that if it doesn’t get help soon, it might not be able to properly police those files.

The RCMP flagged potential problems in a pair of recent reports — its 2020-2021 departmental plan, tabled in the House of Commons Tuesday, and its most recent financial records.

“Without sufficient technology, tools and information systems, there is a risk that federal policing may not be able to meet critical operational requirements,” says the departmental plan, which outlines the RCMP’s plans for the year to come.

“Overall, there is a risk that without new funding, federal policing will be unable to deliver on its already narrowed and focused scope.”

The document says the RCMP’s federal policing unit will concentrate its efforts on high-priority investigations related to terrorist activities, foreign interference, organized crime, money laundering, serious and organized cyber-enabled criminal activities and foreign-influenced cybercrime.

The RCMP did not respond by publication time to CBC’s request for comment, or answer questions about whether the resource gap will lead to any cutbacks or cause the police service to drop or delay investigations.

“Federal policing is working to keep pace with a rapidly evolving criminal threat environment in which technology underpins contemporary criminal activity,” said the force.

“The risks to the safety and security of Canadians are no longer direct and obvious, but extend to more insidious and covert threats to our economic and social well-being.”

The RCMP’s warning comes as Ottawa prepares to deliver an update on the state of foreign espionage threats in Canada. The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians is tabling a 180-page report on the government’s response to foreign interference later this morning.

Leah West, a former federal lawyer who is now a lecturer on national security issues at Carleton University, said that while the risk of violent extremism inspired by radical interpretations of Islam persists, in recent years the most lethal attacks in Canada have come from those inspired by right-wing extremism and the so-called “incel” movement.

“Investigating and preventing crime associated with each of these movements is not one-size-fits-all, “ she said.

“Significant resources and expertise would need to be allocated to counter each of these unique and, by all accounts, growing threats to Canadian security, which would undoubtedly put a strain on the RCMP.”

Woman charged after body found in Coquitlam park A charge of indignity to a dead body has been laid in connection with a suspicious death investigation in Coquitlam, B.C. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says Pen Jung Tracy Chen was

arrested at a Minnekhada Regional Park on March 10 after emergency responders discovered a body while responding to a fire.

Chen has made her first appearance in court.

Members of IHIT are working with the coroners service to identify the body.

No Coronavirus case at Delta schools, despite online hoax There are no known cases or exposures of COVID-19 at Seaquam Secondary — or any other Delta school — despite what some might be seeing on social media.

That was the message from Seaquam principle Rick Mesich in letter to parents dated Wednesday, March 11.

Mesich wrote that the school is aware of a letter circulation on social media stating there is a report of COVID-19 at Seaquam, and that the medical health officer at Fraser Health has confirmed that the letter is not authentic. ”Fraser Health would notify the school district immediately if there was a risk

that someone had a confirmed case of the virus or if someone had been exposed to another person who was confirmed as having COVID-19.

In such a situation, we would be advised

by Fraser Health and we would follow their direction as to next steps,” Mesich wrote.

“As stated by the provincial government, the risk of spread of this virus in B.C. communities remains low at this time. In B.C., Canada and many other countries, we continue to be in active containment mode to detect cases and respond to prevent the virus from spreading in the community.”

Police ask for public’s help to identify South Asian suspect in Surrey assault Surrey RCMP is asking for the public’s help to identify the suspect in an alleged assault.

On Jan. 2, Surrey RCMP Frontline officers responded to a report from Emergency Health Services of an injured man in the 11700-block of 97A Avenue, according to a release from police Wednesday (March 11).

Surrey RCMP said that officers attended and found a 22-year-old man who was the victim of an alleged assault with a weapon. The victim, police said, was transported to hospital for “serious but not life-threatening injuries.”

The general investigation unit took over the case, and police said that officers “believe that this incident occurred between individuals associated to one another, and was not a random attack.”

The suspect, police said, is described as South Asian.

Surrey RCMP added that he “may go by the name ‘Raman.’”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Surrey RCMP at 604-5990502, or, if you wish to make an anonymous report, please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or solvecrime.ca.

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Saturday, March 14, 2020

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Few vacant ICU beds in Fraser Health region As concerns grow about the spread of novel coronavirus, British Columbia’s largest health authority, which serves 1.9 million people, currently has just 80 intensive care unit (ICU) beds, with only eight unoccupied as of Monday, The News has learned.

In an email, a Fraser Health spokesperson said the health authority’s 80 beds were 90 per cent full. That would leave just eight empty ICU beds. As of Tuesday, one COVID-19

patient was in intensive care in the region.

Fourteen people in the region had been confirmed to have had the new coronavirus.

The province’s top doctor, though, says the health care system has the ability to increase such beds – as it did in 2009 during the H1N1 pandemic.

The Fraser Health region stretches from White Rock to Hope, and includes the municipalities Delta, Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford and Chilliwack.

In Italy, one of the pandemic’s hot spots, officials have labeled a lack of hospital beds as a key concern there. Patients with COVID-19 are hospitalized much more frequently than those who get the flu, with many requiring ventilators. Italy has about 3.2 hospital beds per 1,000 people, according to the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development.

That’s double the Fraser Health rate. Canada had 2.5 beds per 1,000 people, as of 2018.

Health Minister Adrian Dix noted that

hospitals are generally more crowded during the winter flu season, and that officials hope to lessen the COVID-19 demands on the system while flu patients occupy many beds.

“This is a challenging time of year and this is a challenge for everybody and it’s why we’re acting so aggressively and have been, not just this week but the last seven weeks, to contain the virus in British Columbia – To push it back and push it as close to the end of flu season as we can and to contain it.”

Too early to decide on Surrey Vaisakhi Parade cancellation despite COVID-19 outbreak: Adrian Dix B.C.’s health minister hasn’t ruled out the Surrey Vaisakhi Parade going ahead this year, despite ongoing concerns with the COVID-19 outbreak.

Adrian Dix said there are three “significant” Vaisakhi events in the Lower Mainland, including Surrey. The other two are in Vancouver and Abbotsford, he said.

Provincial health officer Bonnie Henry said she’s received a lot of questions lately about small- and large-scale events. She

said there’s a risk-assessment process in place to determine if events are viable.

“It’s a guidance that helps us look at who’s coming, is it indoors, is it outdoors, what are the things that increase the risk, but also what are the things that organizers of mass gatherings can do to help reduce the risk of participants,” she said. “That can be anything from encouraging and supporting people not to come if they’re sick; things like refunds or

Attempt to extradite South Asian man accused of murdering sister-in-law 33 years ago stalled in appeal Narinder Singh Bogarh is accused of killing his sister-in-law in 1986 while her young son was present.

The Canadian Department of Justice is seeking to extradite a man from India to stand trial for the 1986 death of a Vernon, B.C., woman who was killed in her home, but it has become bogged down in an appeal process.

On Dec. 31, 1986, Saminder Kaur Bogarh, 26, was stabbed repeatedly in the neck and head with a knife in a vicious attack, allegedly by her brother-in-law Narinder Singh Bogarh, while her husband was away at work.

Details of the murder were heard in B.C. Supreme Court in Kelowna last week during a sentencing hearing for the victim’s husband, Paramjit Sing Bogarh, who is also Narinder’s brother.

Narinder is currently fighting Canada’s attempt to extradite him from India.

Former Vernon B.C., man extradited to face murder charge in his wife’s death 3 decades ago Guilty plea in case of young B.C. mother murdered 33 years ago Paramjit, who was extradited from the United States in 2018 on a first degree murder charge, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of accessory to murder after the fact and was sentenced to five years in prison.

The court heard Paramjit lied to RCMP investigators shortly after the murder by

telling them his son witnessed a white man attaching his wife, even though he knew Narinder was responsible and was still in the Okanagan.

N a r i n d e r fled to Vancouver and eventually back to India where he has remained.

U.S. extradition records from Paramjit’s file state RCMP officers travelled to India in 1997 and 2000 to interview Narinder with the help of Indian police.

The documents say Narinder confessed to killing Saminder during those interviews and had information only the killer would know.

Bail hearing delays extradition arrest “In February 2018, Canada sent a request to India for the provisional arrest of Narinder Singh Bogarh, which was followed by a full extradition request in August 2019,” said Meaghen McKenna with the Department of Justice Canada in an email.

“Before Mr. Bogarh could be arrested on an extradition warrant, he filed an application before the court in India for provisional bail, which was not granted. The court, however, ordered that his extradition arrest could not occur pending the appeal of its ruling on the bail matter,” Meaghen said.

Narinder has made several court appearances in relation to his bail hearing, McKenna said, adding he has another court appearance on the matter later this month.

deferring payment, encouraging people and giving them the ability to clean their hands regularly, to allow space if things are outdoors.

“For example, it’s much easier and much less risk than indoors.”

She also mentioned that not having “communal meals” would be helpful.

“There’s a whole host of things we can do to reduce risk and still allow these important gatherings to happen.”

Henry added that people should recognize “the transmission that we have right now is very low, and most of our risk is really around (international) travel.” She said that including Washington state as well.

The Surrey Vaisakhi Parade, which is the largest outside of India, is set for April 25.

The 21st-annual event is a daylong celebration of the birth of the Sikh faith, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

When asked if the Surrey event, which is expected to attract 500,000 people, should be cancelled, Dix said the event is “a little distance away.”

“But the same applies here that we have a risk-assessment model that can be applied to every event, and we’re hoping event organizers in circumstances like that engage with health authorities to make decisions in the best interest of all the people.

Vancouver man charged in connection with string of ‘high profile’ sexual offences A Vancouver man has been charged in connection to a string of sexual offences that took place in February 2019 on Vancouver’s west side.

According to a release on Wednesday, Vancouver police have charged Andrew

James Seangio, 35, with seven counts of indecent act, three counts of exposing himself to persons under the age of 16 and one count of voyeurism.

The release said Seangio was taken into custody on March 11 in Vancouver.

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Saturday, March 14, 2020

Surrey RCMP asking public for help tracking fugitive in 2019 kidnapping Surrey RCMP are asking the public to be on the lookout for a fugitive wanted for a 2019 kidnapping.

At a news conference Tuesday, RCMP Insp. Cliff Chastellaine said the search for Meaz Nour-Eldin was being boosted with the help of the Bolo Program, which works with police forces to leverage social media and technology to engage the public in tracking down suspects on the run.

A $50,000 reward is also being offered for anyone who can help lead police to Nour-Eldin.

Nour-Eldin is one of four people charged in a July 2019 kidnapping in Surrey that saw a man disappear for 24 hours before he was found and taken to hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Three others have already been arrested and are facing charges of kidnapping, unlawful confinement, aggravated assault, robbery and firearms offences.

Surrey RCMP have been working since July 2019 to find Nour-Eldin.

Nour-Eldin, however, remains at large and is the subject of a countrywide arrest warrant. He is also wanted on provincial warrants in B.C., Alberta and Ontario related to allegations of drug trafficking, human trafficking and sexual assault.

“This is a message for Meaz Nour-Eldin: There’s nowhere to go and we will apprehend you sooner or later,” said Chastellaine. “So just do the right thing: Call a lawyer and turn yourself in. To the relatives, friends and associates of Nour-Eldin, I want to remind that you may face charges for accessory after the fact if you assist Nour-Eldin in evading arrest.”

Chastellaine said police aren’t seeking witnesses or individuals to testify, as the case is already scheduled for trial, but they’re looking to arrest Nour-Eldin so he can face the charges in court.

Those who recognize or spot NourEldin are asked not to approach him but to call 911. Anyone with information about Nour-Eldin’s whereabouts is asked to contact investigators at 604-599-0502.

BC Mountie charged with exposing himself to underage girls at private school in Vancouver An RCMP officer has been charged in connection with a string of sexual offences on Vancouver’s West Side last year, including cases of indecent exposure at a private girls school.

Andrew James Seangio, 35, was arrested Wednesday and has been charged with seven counts of indecent acts, three counts of exposing himself to people under the age of 16 and one count of voyeurism.

Seangio is an officer with the Richmond detachment. The alleged crimes happened while he was off duty, and he is currently suspended with pay while an internal code of conduct investigation is underway.

“The allegations are concerning and are not in keeping with our expectations,” Richmond RCMP Supt. Will Ng said in a press release.

Mountie arrested in connection with indecent acts outside of York House school Seangio was first arrested in March 2019 after what was described as a series of indecent acts outside York House School in Shaughnessy. At the time, police said he was released without charges, but required to abide by certain conditions.

Seangio’s next appearance in court is scheduled for April 29. RCMP say his status is as a police officer is subject to continuous review.

Surrey RCMP investigate after shots fired into Guildford business Surrey RCMP says shots were fired into a Guildford business overnight.

Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, police received a report of shots fired in the area of 103rd Avenue and 152nd Street, according to a release from Surrey RCMP. Surrey RCMP said that patrols in the area during the initial response “did not yield any evidence.” However, around 11:20 a.m., employees of a business in the area reported that shots had been fired into their business overnight, police said. Surrey RCMP said that officers went to the business and found

evidence of shots fired.

Photos from the scene show multiple bullet holes in one of the windows of Fresh Fades Barbershop.

Police said they haven’t found evidence to indicate that anyone was injured in the shooting. The general investigation unit is investigating and is asking anyone with information about this incident call Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or, if you wish to make an anonymous report, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or solvecrime. ca. This is the fourth reported shooting in Surrey in 2020.

Delta police release sketch of indecent exposure suspect Delta police released a composite sketch Wednesday of a male suspect accused of exposing himself to a mother and her young daughter at a Delta park in late January.

According to the police, the mother was sitting with her daughter watching another child’s soccer practice at North Delta Community Park when a man approached them on the evening of Jan. 31.

A chain-link fence separated the man from the mother and daughter, but he proceeded to masturbate “close by her,” police said.

The woman yelled and the man ran off. The statement said she wasn’t carrying a cellphone and police were called about two hours later.

Responding officers searched the area but couldn’t find anyone matching the suspect’s description.

The police sketch shows a male, approximately 30 years old and described as South Asian, wearing a hoodie with short dark hair. The man reportedly has

a slim build and was wearing a red hoodie at the time of the incident.

After police released details of the event in February, a local teenage girl came forward and reported that something similar had recently happened to her.

The girl told police she’d come across a man with a similar description masturbating in the area of the park next to the George Mackie Public Library on the afternoon of Jan. 23. However, police cannot confirm whether the suspect in the sketch is linked to the Jan. 23 incident.

“Anyone who recognizes the individual based on this sketch, or who thinks they may have more information for police is asked to contact the Delta Police Department Sex Crimes Unit at 604946-4411 and cite file 20-5528,” said Cris Leykauf, a spokesperson for Delta police, in a news release.

Hit & run leaves man with ‘potentially lifealtering’ injuries AAA Police in West Vancouver are searching for the driver of a white Toyota Rav-4 after a hit-and-run collision left a 62-year-old pedestrian with “potentially life-altering injuries.”

The male pedestrian was walking on the sidewalk on the west side of the 700 block of 15th Street on Wednesday at 9:53 a.m. when he was struck from behind by a vehicle, according to a police press release.

The man was carried on the hood of the SUV for half a block before he landed on the ground. The driver drove away from the scene southbound without stopping, witnesses told police.

“This is a very serious incident that resulted in very significant and potentially life altering injuries,” Const.

Nicole Braithwaite said in a press release.

“We are urging the driver to do the right thing and contact the police.”

The suspect vehicle is described as a 2001-2003 model white Toyota Rav-4, and police say it will likely have significant damage to the front end and undercarriage.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has dash cam footage from the scene is asked to call West Vancouver police at 604-925-7300 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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Saturday, March 14, 2020

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Family says they had to step in after COVID-19 leaves BC care home under staffed Family members of seniors at a B.C. care home say they’ve had to help look after residents because a COVID-19 outbreak has left the facility short-staffed.

Deanna Harlow, whose father is resident of the Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver, says health officials haven’t delivered on promises to bring in additional staff and keep the facility clean during the outbreak.

“The care home hasn’t been handling it well at all,” Harlow told As It Happens guest host Dave Seglins.

“They haven’t maintained their staffing levels. The meals are being delivered late. ...

We’ve got people who are just lying in bed wet. A lot of residents are calling for help incessantly. But, of course, the people who are working are just being run right off their feet and they can’t get to everyone right away.”

There have been eight cases of COVID-19 linked to the facility, including two family members or close contacts of a

health-care worker. One elderly resident died on Sunday, marking Canada’s first and only coronavirus-related fatality.

Lynn Valley did not respond to multiple requests for comment from As It Happens. A statement on its website says it is “taking every action and precaution necessary to ensure the virus is contained.”

There are more than 200 residents at the Lynn Valley Care Centre. When Harlow visited the facility on Sunday, she says there were three staff members working in total.

She says she and other family members have beendeliveringfood,takingoutgarbageandmore.

Debra Drew, whose 96-year-old father is a resident at the Lynn Valley Care Centre, speaks to media in North Vancouver on Monday. (Ben Nelms/CBC) Health officials say most people who contract COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, will recover without complication, but it can be fatal for the elderly

Between 30 - 70% of Canadians could become infected with Coronavirus, Patty Hajdu says Between 30 per cent and 70 per cent of Canadians could become infected with the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19, federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu said Wednesday, but that number will depend on the scope and scale of the response to combat transmission.

The COVID-19 outbreak is a “national emergency and crisis,” Ms. Hajdu told the House of Commons health committee, but public health officials say they won’t prohibit mass gatherings

until the virus spreads more widely.

“There are a range of estimates, but I would say that it is safe to assume that it could be between 30 per cent of the population that acquire COVID-19 and 70 per cent of the population,” she said.

While most will recover, she said Canadians must work together to protect seniors, people with underlying conditions and other vulnerable groups.

BC faith leaders urged to limit physical contact, host smaller congregations The B.C. government is urging faith leaders to limit the size of congregations to less than 1,000 people and limit physical contact as much as possible amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in B.C. Premier John Horgan held a townhall with faith leaders across the province to discuss COVID-19 preparedness plans. The province avoided imposing any sweeping bans on gatherings, instead choosing to leave those decisions up to faith leaders — for now.

“The situation is grave in many parts of the world,” said Horgan while on a call with more than 100 leaders across the province.

The premier said large events, like the Vancouver Prayer Breakfast that had well over 1,000 guests, “may well not be the most appropriate way for people to share fellowship and discuss personal and faith issues at this time.”

As of Wednesday, 46 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in B.C., including one death.

Malkiat Singh Dhami, right, says his temple will have to make some difficult decisions when it comes to hosting weddings planned in the coming months. (CBC) Leaders to make decisions Faith leaders on the other end of the conference call told CBC News that it’s up to them to decide whether or not they will continue holding regular congregations, although the province underscored that large gatherings should be avoided.

Malkiat Singh Dhami, president of the Khalsa Diwan Society Vancouver, said he wasn’t entirely satisfied by the message delivered by the premier.

“I was expecting more clear directions from the province,” he told CBC News, noting that he’s unsure how his temple with deal with weddings planned in the coming months.

“What will we do? We’ll be vigilant and watch how the situation is developing, and we’ll make our decision accordingly, too,” he said.

7 new cases of coronavirus found in B.C. as

top doctor calls for increased social distancing Dhami said there’s another big question mark surrounding Vancouver’s Vaisakhi Street Festival, which is currently scheduled for April 18. Organizers are expecting upwards of 100,000 attendees, but aren’t ruling out cancelling the event.

Everybody’s worried what to do, how to contain the virus, how to

or anyone with a compromised immune system.

That’s why Harlow is risking infection to look after her father, who is 96 years old and has dementia.

“I just can’t imagine not being there,” she said.

“I can’t leave my father out there twisting in the wind, let alone the workers who do show up.”

She added, “Everybody’s being put in danger

right now because staffing levels are not there.”

“We were feeding the residents. We were reassuring the residents. We were helping the residents adjust to a very new routine,” Debra Drew, Harlow’s sister, told CTV. Health minister ‘confident we have the right resources’

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Saturday, March 14, 2020

Gurdwara Nanak Niwas promotes inter-faith & inter-cultural harmony

D

iversity is considered to be one of Canada’s greatest strengths. This diversity is very prominent in places like Richmond. In this context, Richmond’s Highway to Heaven is an excellent example of people of different faiths and cultures working to-gether in promoting inter-faith and intercultural harmony in the community. This is something unique to Richmond. People and places of worship of different religious denominations along this small stretch of #5 Road are proud to celebrate this community’s religious and cultural diversity. It is a great way of contributing to the promotion of peace, understanding and harmony.

On its part, India Cultural Centre of Canada Gurdwara Nanak Niwas, as one of the first places of worship to be built on # 5 Road, has been an active participant in this process. Nearly, every day, a large number of students, intellectuals and devotees visit this place of worship. A lot of them belonging to different religious denominations come here to learn about Sikhism. They come from all across Canada and abroad. In addition to that, the Gurdwara hosts a number of other programs and activities. For example, on February 24, the Gurdwara hosted a seminar on Wills and Estates in co-operation with Richmond Multicultural Community Services (RMCS).

Certified Executor Advisor (CEA) Rex Wong, a paralegal, did

an excellent job in covering all of the angles relating to wills and estates. He emphasized that it is important for each one of us to have a will in place. Wong stated that having a will is one of the most important things a person can

Resilience Community Safety Division, City of Richmond. Harpreet dealt with the issue of emergency preparedness in case of earthquakes or other natural disasters. Her topics included: Hazards to Prepare For,

one thanked her and the two volunteers who had accompanied her. Seminars/ workshops like these go a long way in getting our citizens involved in matters that mean the

do for himself/herself and their family. Not only can a will legally protect your spouse, children and assets, it can also spell out exactly how you would like things handled after you have passed on. The attendees, most of them active seniors, thoroughly enjoyed the presentation and thanked organizer Nina Suri of RMCS and Wong for this opportunity.

Then again on the following Monday, March 1, this group enjoyed a presentation by Harpreet Kaur Jaswal, Co-ordinator,Public

City of Richmond’s Approach to Emergency Management, Factors that Could Potentially Delay the City’s Response, How to Prepare Your Family and Loved Ones, What To Do After The Emergency. She dealt with each topic in detail and answered the attendees’ questions thoughtfully. Not only that, she handed out a kit as a guide to prepare for any emergency. Harpreet’s presentation was very well received. At the conclusion, every

most to them. Both of these seminars were appreciated by the participants. India Cultural Centre of Canada Gurdwara Nanak Niwas and RMCS are pleased to work to-gether in bringing such programs to the community.

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

Burnaby RCMP drug seizure disrupts ‘dial-a-dope’ operation Burnaby RCMP is crediting a recent drug seizure for disrupting a dial-a-dope drug trafficking operation in the city.

A member of the department’s drug section discovered the cache of drugs inside a vehicle on March 1 while conducting a patrol in the 6500-block of Burlington Avenue.

“The officer noted a suspicious occupied vehicle that was located in a business loading bay in the area. With businesses being closed, the officer approached the vehicle and observed drug paraphernalia in clear view,” the RCMP said in a press release.

Three of the vehicle’s occupants were detained and a subsequent search of one of the men produced 118 prepackaged baggies of drugs including crack

cocaine, powder cocaine and fentanyl.

Police say the quantity of drugs and

the method of associated with a-dope drug A replica bear spray The RCMP say

packaging are usually a street level dialtrafficking operation. toy firearm and were also seized. charges are still pending.

COVID-19 concerns ‘spike’ in B.C. leading to ‘significant’ behaviour changes: poll s COVID-19 gets upgraded to a pandemic, new polls show overall concern about the virus has spiked, leading to behaviour changes such as stockpiling and delaying travel plans.

According to results from a new Insights West poll, which surveyed 814 B.C. residents between March 3 and March 9, more than half (55 per cent) said they felt “very” or “somewhat” worried about the virus, up from 47 per cent in February.

In a news release on Wednesday, the marketing research firm said mounting concerns have been translating to “significant” behaviour changes over the past several weeks, with the majority of respondents reporting washing their hands more often (78 per cent), touching their face less often (61 per cent) and avoiding shaking hands or touching other people (55 per cent).

Around one-third of respondents also reported buying or using hand sanitizer (36 per cent) and stocking up on home necessities

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Tiger Shroff has crush on Shraddha Kapoor couple of days to get used to that! I practised the cusswords as my character is supposed to have been speaking like that for ever (Note: The

flown. Having said that, I have never done such a character before and I had a blast. The energy and rhythm was so different from “Chhichhore” or “Street Dancer” and she is such a fiery girl with some interesting traits like she uses foul language! It took a

censors have since snipped most of them).

Q: Tiger, how was it working again with Shraddha? TS: Oh, it was more fun that work. Our energies match and we even laugh at the stupidest things. SK: Both Tiger and Riteish (Deshmukh) talk and joke non-stop! I had a blast! Q: Shraddha, we heard that Ankita Lokhande (who plays Riteish’s wife), Riteish and you kept talking in Marathi and Tiger understands it but does not talk the language.

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The two are upbeat, childhood buddies who have now co-starred for the second time after “Baaghi” (2015), When we meet at the Hotel Sun’N’Sand, it is an endless wait as the two give a series of television interviews. Time is at a premium as always, and Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor, the “Baaghi 3” pair again, settle for a joint chat.

Q: “Baaghi 3” was announced at ‘Baaghi 2’’s trailer launch. Is this the same script or was it modified after the response to “Baaghi 2?”

Tiger Shroff: We had just announced “Baaghi 3” because we—(producer) Sajid (Nadiadwala)-bhai, (director) Ahmed (Khan)-sir and I were so happy and confident with the outcome of “Baaghi 2”—there was no script then. We had no idea what we will make at that time.

Q: So is the announcement of “Heropanti 2” with all three of you now a similar thing, maybe superstition at work?

TS (Grins): Yes, I guess you can say that. It was good luck then, so we hope it’s the same thing now!

Q: Shraddha, how does it feel to return to the franchise after a gap?

Shraddha Kapoor: It is so incredible that so much time has

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Bollywood SRK visits wife Gauri’s store

Shah Rukh Khan once again proved that he is the perfect husband in a video that is doing the rounds on social media. The actor was visiting his wife Gauri Khan’s store when his love and respect for her was captured on camera.

Shah Rukh Khan attends wife Gauri’s home decor event in Mumbai In the video that is going viral online, Shah Rukh is seen standing at a door, listening to Gauri intently before following her. Next, we see Gauri graciously leading him away from the door. The video also shows SRK posing with Gauri and several other women for the shutterbugs.

While Shah Rukh looks his coolest in a grey T-shirt, jeans and a brown half jacket, Gauri is wearing a gorgeous black dress with a slit.After breakup with Melvin Louis, Sana Khan breaks down at Special Ops trailer launch. Watch video Shah Rukh and Gauri have been married for 28 years. They have three kids--sons Aryan and AbRam and daughter Suhana-together. Shah Rukh has never shied away from displaying his love and care for Gauri.

Last year, he was seen holding the train of Gauri’s dress at a fashion event.Last year, SRK had shared a picture with wife Gauri

Khan on the occasion of World Theatre Day and wrote, “Being with you is like being on Stage.

There’s so much light, I can’t see anything else.

Curiosity to know New, Humility to accept u will never know if fully...makes u an actor.

#WorldTheaterDay.” Recently, SRK made an appearance at the La Trobe University to felicitate a PhD student. He presented the Shah Rukh Khan La Trobe University PhD Scholarship to Gopika Kottantharayil Bhasi, a female researcher from Thrissur, Kerala. “I am a big believer in education. I truly believe that the way forward for any country, any family, city, state is by educating itself more and more.

Sanjana Kapoor honoured Well-known theater personality Sanjna Kapoor has received the prestigious French honor of ‘Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) for her outstanding contribution to the field of theater.

French Minister of Culture Franck Riester, who’s currently on an official India visit, conferred the insignia of the distinction on Kapoor in a special investiture ceremony Jan. 28 at the French Embassy in New Delhi.

Kapoor was born in an illustrious family of Indian and English theater personalities – Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kendal. She debuted on screen with Aparna Sen’s “36 Chowringhee Lane” (1981) and played the leading actress in “Hero Hiralal” (1989). She also appeared in Mira Nair’s “Salaam Bombay” (1988).But she went on to dedicate herself fully to theater, acting in plays and reviving the Prithvi Theatre

in Mumbai, founded by her parents as a tribute to Prithviraj Kapoor, and run by her brother Kunal Kapoor since 2012.

In 2012, she co-founded Junoon, an organization dedicated to increasing the reach of theater and arts to a wider audience through

innovative initiatives.

L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is a French government distinction instituted in 1957 by the Ministry of Culture, and is conferred, regardless of nationality, on persons who have distinguished themselves by their creativity in the fields of art or literature, or for their contribution to promoting art and literature in France and throughout the world.

Nick Jonas Joins Priyanka Chopra in India for His First Holi

Oscar-anominated filmmaker Deepa Mehta impresses with ‘Little America’ Filmmaker Deepa Mehta, who has directed “The Manager,” an episode from “Little America,”an American anthology television series produced for Apple TV+, says she hopes young filmmakers will further break down the barriers that have been built up over the years. “Little America” is inspired by real immigrant stories featured in Epic Magazine and is an ode to humanity. And the story of real-life and young Kunal Sah forms the basis of the episode ‘The Manager.’

In an email to India-West, Mehta said her direction has affected her bicultural upbringing. “I was born in India and grew up partly in a large rambling joint family home and partly in the cinema hall owned by my father in Amritsar. Our family were proud

Saturday, March 14, 2020

citizens of India. My grandparents were followers of Gandhi and had fought and struggled hard for the Independence of India from the British.

India was home. When I moved to Canada, I had no intention of living here for any extended period of time. But now, Canada is home and if anything, my love for India notwithstanding, I now feel like an immigrant in my erstwhile homeland. “The story of Kunal, though significantly different, comes back to the same theme – the feeling of being ‘the other’. Having experienced this firsthand, I instantly related to his story and connected with his character. And of course, that in the long run helped me make it my own while directing it.” Mehta added, “I think I can safely guarantee laughter, tears and amazement. And that’s just the first season. Keep your eyes peeled for Season 2!”

American singer Nick Jonas celebrated his first Holi with his wife, Priyanka Chopra and her famous friends, including Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif, five days early “in his second home” India.

Jonas gave a peek into his celebrations on Instagram.

He posted photos and a video which prove that he thoroughly enjoyed playing with colors and getting drenched.

“My first Holi! (Five days early) So much fun celebrating with such incredible people here in my second home in India,” he wrote.

Kaif also reposted the photo featuring her, Chopra and Jonas, along with a yellow colored heart emoji.

Jonas also posted a photo of him and

his wife in traditional outfits. “She makes me smile a lot. #holi,” he captioned it.

These aren’t the only loved-up photos of the couple. Jonas recently took to Instagram to share a series of pictures from their beach vacation in California. The party was hosted by business magnate Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani’s daughter, Isha Ambani and her businessman husband Anand Piramal, at their residence in Mumbai March 6.

I am ‘devastated’ due to daughter’s divorce Neena Gupta Neena Gupta is on her second innings in Bollywood after being a distinctive face in cinema and TV in 1980s and 90s. Recently, the Badhai Ho actor opened up how she reacted to the news of her daughter Masaba Gupta getting a divorce. Neena Gupta is often portrayed as a strong, independent figure in the Hindi entertainment industry. She birthed Masaba with West Indies cricketer Vivian Richards out of wedlock and raised her single-handedly. But according to the Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan actor, this portrayal not

only brought forth negative roles her way, but also made several people sympathetic towards her. In an interview with Pinkvilla, Neena Gupta has also revealed what she thought when Masaba decided to get a divorce. Masaba, a renowned designer, was married to filmmaker Madhu Mantena in 2015 and filed for a divorce last year. Neena recalled that it was her daughter, who had helped her “come to terms” with the entire episode. “Initially, I couldn’t accept it at all and it affected me”, she added.

In August 2018, the designer announced her separation with Mantena through a joint statement.

Saturday, March 14, 2020 Holi is not just a festival, but a fashion affair where celebrities go out of the way with their outfits to make a statement. This year was no different. Monish Chandan, fashion blogger and influencer, takes note of the best-dressed stars this Holi. He says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Celebrities including Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Nick Jonas, Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal rocked in white at Isha Ambani and Anand Piramalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grand Holi bash.â&#x20AC;?

He goes on, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Isha Ambani in a beautiful ensemble by Picchika stole all the limelight.

She looked stunning in the floral suit.

Happy Holi Mr. and Mrs. Jonasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; co-ordinated shoes and outfits by designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla also caught a lot of attention at the party.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Katrina Kaif went a little quirky with Anamika Khannaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s white lehenga. The topography on it made her stand out of the crowd.â&#x20AC;? Kareena Kapoor Khan also took to her Instagram to share a photo and video of herself and son Taimur from their Holi celebration. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kareenaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personality and sense of styling can make even a basic white kurta looks designer,â&#x20AC;? says Monish. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With black sunglasses on

Malaika Arora about â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Chaiyya Chaiyyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Dancing diva Malaika Arora shot to fame with the song Chaiyya Chaiyya back in 1998. She feels that though there is a trend of remixes these days, the AR Rahman composition is one of those numbers that simply shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be touched.The song Chaiyya Chaiyya, sung by Sukhwinder Singh and Sapna Awasthi, for Mani Rathnamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s film Dil Se is an all-time favourite dance number of most people. Its video featured Malaika and actor Shah Rukh Khan matching steps atop a train, and continues to be popular.

Malaika recently danced to the number in an episode of the new dance reality show, Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Dancer. Asked about it, Malaika told IANS: â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you play that song, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but get up and dance. It is an iconic song.

When I shot the song, Geeta (Kapur)

19

Bollywood

was assisting Farah (Khan) at that time.

I used to study under Terence (Lewis), Geeta assisted me on that dance. It was nice. We felt that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just go for itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.â&#x20AC;? But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one thing she would like to point out about recreations. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day and age there is a constant trend of remixes.

There are a few songs that I think you should never touch. They are iconic. There must be five or 10 songs over the years that you can pull out. Chaiyya Chaiyya is one of them. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tamper with it, just let the original be and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how it should be,â&#x20AC;? she said. She doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have anything against recreations though. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think some of the remixes are fantastic and go with todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s age and kids but yeah, there are certain things you should not tamper with like The Godfather or Mother India are iconic films. You should just let them be,â&#x20AC;? she

and her trademark pout, Kareena looked stunning as always. Taimur, on the other hand, gave out major Nawabi vibes. With a chikankari kurta and color all over his face, he looked adorable.â&#x20AC;? Karisma Kapoor also posted a picture with her children. Aamir Khan shared an image of his wife and son all geared up to play Holi. Deepika Padukone went low-key with a basic tee and boyfriend jeans. She posted a video while dancing to the beats of her song â&#x20AC;&#x153;Balam Pichkari.â&#x20AC;?

Sunny Leone also shared a perfect family photo with a caption that read, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Happy Holi everyone! Such a nice day with my beautiful family!â&#x20AC;? on Instagram, wearing white salwar-kameez with a colorful duppata.

And Neha Kakkar was another celebrity who looked good in white. She completed the traditional look with a yellow â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;phulkariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dupatta. In a nutshell, one could say that the actors gave their fans a whole lot of ideas to revamp their wardrobes.

HOROSCOPE Aries March 21 - April 20

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20

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Bollywood Rani’s ‘Hichki’ will play in Indian Film Festival

Rani Mukerji, whose “Hichki” will play at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), says she is always happy about essaying roles of speciallyabled characters. Whether it was Rani’s portrayal as a deaf and blind girl in “Black” or her role as a woman with Tourette’s Syndrome — the

actress has proved her mettle as a performer with sensitive and impactful performances.

Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor Ranbir and Alia Bhatt made their relationship official at Sonam‘s wedding reception after months of speculation, many started assuming this time Ranbir will definitely reach the mandap. They looked very much in love, caring for each other. Then the many photos from the sets of Brahmastra in Bulgaria also started doing the rounds of the internet.

While people were speculating a wedding, there were also those who had this question in their head… will Alia Bhatt quit acting after getting married? There is no reason why she should but the thought persisted because bahus of Kapoor khandan don’t really work in films. But now we can feel relieved because the actress has addressed the question and made it clear, she has no intentions of quitting anything except for her status. (Also read: Ranbir Kapoor holds Alia Bhatt closer at a birthday.

Alia did ‘Ask me anything’ session on Instagram and graciously answered this question of one of her fans. We are glad she decided to address this question Alia, you have no idea how happy this answer made us. It will be a shame to lose you to marriage because you are the best that we have today. Every time you are on the big screen, you prove you are a rare talent.

We wouldn’t want anything or anyone to take you away from us. Alia has returned to the bay while Ranbir is still shooting.

‘I am not fan of horror genre’ - Vicky Kaushal He’s been not so much on a roll as on a rollercoaster since mid-2018. After consecutive super-hits in “Raazi,” “Sanju” and “URI:The Surgical Strike,” Vicky Kaushal’s forthcoming films add to his reputation as a totally versatile actor: his next release “Bhoot—Part 1: The Haunted Ship,” “Shaheed Udham Singh” with Shoojit Sircar, “The Legend Of Ashwathama,” a superhero mythological for his “URI…” producer

Ronnie Screwvala, and last but not the least, Karan Johar’s “Takht,” a historical, as Aurangazeb! When we meet before the release of “Bhoot…” he is full of beans and confesses that he is no horror film buff. He has watched the cream of Hollywood and Indian films in this genre, of course, loved the way the watchman’s head was turned a full 180 degrees in “Bhoot,” was terrified of the eyes in “Raat” that he managed to watch as a kid, before he became aware that lenses were used!

Stunning Sunny Leone

S

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

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

This time around, the

beauty headed over to Jaipur for a short break and surprised fans with a stunning photo to assure all that she is having a swell time there.

Posting a mirror selfie in a floral bikini, the star not only showed off her curves but also gave everyone a good look at her sculpted abs.

“Pulled this bikini after a long time!

Time for a swim

in my private villa pool here in Jaipur!

Gorgeous resort!” she captioned the photo.

While shooting for her TV show, Sunny also ventured South and starred in ‘Madhuraja’ featuring superstar Mammootty in the lead. known by the name Sunny Leone a Canadianborn IndianAmerican star and actress, model, currently in Indian film industry, Bollywood.

She has American citizenship. She has also used the stage name Karen Malhotra.

[8][9] She was named Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003, was a contract performer for Vivid Entertainment, and was named by Maxim as one of the 12 top porn stars in 2010. She has played roles in independent mainstream events, films and television series. Her first mainstream appearance was in 2005, when she worked as a red carpet reporter for the MTV Video Music Awards on MTV India. In 2011, she participated in the Indian reality television series Bigg Boss. She also has hosted the Indian reality show Splitsvilla.

In 2012, she made her Bollywood debut in Pooja Bhatt’s erotic thriller Jism 2 (2012) and shifted her focus to mainstream

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Saturday, March 14, 2020

Punjabi film, Ikko-Mikke starring Satinder Sartaaj premiere in Surrey

Ikko-Mikke premiere was held at Strawberry Hill Cinemas, Surrey BC on March 10, 2020. Many distinguished guests filled the theatre which included respected members of the community and the media.

Satinder Sartaaj himself graced the occasion and very courteously answered questions from the audience and media.

Ikko-Mikke stars Sufi King Satinder Sartaaj and Aditi Sharma

which will be releasing on March 13th, 2020 in cinemas worldwide.

Satinder Sartaaj has ruled the hearts and minds of many not only through music but also through his

versatility as an actor and as a poet. Sartaaj made his debut as an act as Maharaja Duleep Singh in The Black Prince in the year 2017.

(Photos, Mahi Photo Studio)

Jacqueline Fernandez is happy to tell amazing story “It’s an amazing story and I am happy to be part of the sequel of a film that catapulted my career,” says Jacqueline Fernandez on being part of “Kick 2.” Fernandez recently shared some information about her film says, “The film is taking time for the film to go on the floors. That’s because the director (Sajid Nadiadwala) really wanted it to be perfect. It is good to be working again with the team.”

Salman Khan stars in the film as in the 2014 movie that marked the debut of producer Sajid Nadiadwala as director. It made over Rs 200

crore at the box-office.

The actress is now venturing into the digital space with “Mrs. Serial Killer” and her film “Drive” starts streaming on Netflix from today. Fernandez featured in UK magazine Eastern Eye’s “World’s attractiv Asian Women” list, ranking twelfth. She was ranked third on The Times of India’s listing of the “Most Desirable Woman” in 2013 and 2014, after being ranked eighth, seventh and fourteenth, respectively,

in the preceding three years. In 2013, Rediff.com placed her on their list of “Bollywood’s Best Dressed Actresses”.

The following year, she held the sixty second position in the Indian edition of the Forbes’ Celebrity 100, a list based on the income and popularity of India’s celebrities. In early 2013, Fernandez became the ambassador for HTC One, which she endorses in India. She was the face of Indian Bridal Fashion Week—IBFW of 2013.[93] Later that

year, she became the spokesperson for Gareth Pugh’s designed Forevermark Diamonds in Mumbai,[94] and was at the inaugural opening of the Forever 21 store in Mumbai.[95] That year, she also launched Gillette Shaving System with Arbaaz Khan and Aditya Roy Kapur.

[96] While analysing Fernandez’s career, India TV noted: “Slowly and steadily Jacqueline Fernandez is climbing up the ladder of success [...] Jacqueline is comfortably grasping every aspect of the work, which an actress is required to do and is accordingly giving results.”

22

Saturday, March 14, 2020 From page 1

Fraser Health Mobile Health Clinic powered by TELUS launched in Surrey

So, for people who may not have medical records, we are setting one up for them which is really important when you think of people that may end up in emergency or in the hospital. Now that hospital can pull up an electronic medical record for them and know if they have allergies to medication, what medical advice they have been given for previous ailments, providing better continuity of care to patients who previously had undocumented medical histories.”

The mobile clinic is divided into two main areas: one for patient reception and mental health care and a second more spacious area with an examination table and a physician/ nursing workstation. The mobile clinic will provide, “health care to citizens experiencing work and social barriers in Surrey to get access to immediate and high quality compassionate care that will help address and identify gaps and enhance access to preventative services to those experiencing barriers of care.”

Surrey has identified three areas where health services are needed. First area identified is early childhood immunization.

The clinic is going to be traveling around different areas of the city educating people on immunization where it’s been identified there is a lower penetration rates of immunization of children.

The second specialty of the clinic is to be in areas where it’s identified there are sexually transmitted disease and or blood borne diseases, and lastly it’s going to provide dental hygiene. There are different pockets of the community, in different youth centers that have identified that oral health is an area of improvement, especially for youth. “The clinic will be offering oral health education, fluoride, especially to youth under the age of nineteen from a preventative oral health perspective,” Liz. This initiative is a partnership with

Fraser Health Authority, Surrey Memorial Foundation and TELUS Health.

“At TELUS, our social purpose is to bridge the digital, social and health divide enabling equal access to technology and empowering all Canadians in our all connected world. In order to do so, we have already introduced three key Connecting for Good programs; Internet for Good, Mobility for Good, and Health for Good,” Juggy Sihota, Vice-President, Consumer Health at TELUS, “in Health for Good is our mobile clinics staffed by medical professionals which drive around major cities across this country providing immediate and free health care to support disadvantaged and homeless communities.”

Juggy shares how the launch in Surrey holds a special place for her. “I have to tell you, as we were planning all the different communities to be in across the country, Surrey holds a really special place for me where so many

South Asian individuals are centered, and for me, I see the needs here in Surrey and we prioritized Surrey to be up in the list and worked together really well with Fraser Health Authority, Surrey Memorial Foundation to say let’s get this out into the street of Surrey as quickly as we can as the need is very defined in Surrey and that’s why we are here today.”

Juggy continued to share TELUS’s commitment to healthier Canadians, “Since 2008 TELUS has invested nearly three billion dollars to build TELUS Health business creating the best and largest IT company in this country. We have nearly 28,000 doctors who are using our EMR’s -Electronic Medical Records software and millions of Canadians are using our pharmacy, our prescription and our health benefit software. Through TELUS Health we are revolutionizing access to healthcare, we want to help create better health outcomes for Canadians and we believe the burden of that should not just be placed on government. We believe the private sector should be partnering with the public sector, and should be helping alleviate some of these challenges that our generations are facing.”

Asian Star asked Juggy if we will see the mobile clinic at the Vasaikhi Parade?

“When we launched Babylon by TELUS Health Services last March we had a booth at the Vasaikhi Parade to inform the citizens of this amazing service. The demand that we have seen for the Babylon service and the customer testimonials we have received from this service has been unlike any I have ever seen in my career at this organization.

It’s been fantastic.”

TELUS has already launched nine mobile clinics across Canada with Surrey being the latest to benefit from having one. Since 2014, TELUS Health for Good has been helping to remove many of the barriers Canadians living on the streets face in receiving medical care and reconnecting thousands of patients to the public healthcare system.

Mobile Health clinic, powered by TELUS, were originally inspired by the work being done by Doctors of The World. The Mobile Health Clinics provide essential primary medical care, including electronic medical records, generating over 20,000 patient visits since the program’s inception.

Today, through numerous partnerships, volunteers, and the power of technology, TELUS Health for GOOD is an efficient and innovative mobile healthcare delivery tool to reach communities in need by bringing healthcare directly to the people that need it most.

We leverage our global-leading technology to enable remarkable human outcomes. Our longstanding commitment to putting our customers first fuels every aspect of our business, making us a distinct leader in customer service excellence and loyalty. TELUS Health is Canada’s largest healthcare IT provider, and TELUS International delivers the most innovative business process solutions to some of the world’s most established brands. Driven by our passionate social purpose to connect all Canadians for good, our deeply meaningful and enduring philosophy to give where we live has inspired our team members and retirees to contribute more than $700 million and 1.3 million days of service since 2000. This unprecedented generosity and unparalleled volunteerism have made TELUS the most giving company in the world.

23

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Vol. 11 No. 7

Saturday - March 14, 2020

Tel: 604-591-5423

E-mail: ads@theasianstar.com

Greater Vancouver still seller’s market despite housing downturn Home sales in Metro Vancouver remain well below the 10-year average for the region but sellers continue to hold the upper hand as the real estate board says demand for properties is steady with buyers having little to choose from. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver says 2,150 homes sold in February, a nearly 37 per cent jump in one month and almost 45 per cent higher than sales in February 2019.

But the spectre of the recent housing market downtown remains with board data showing last month’s sales are 15.6 per cent below the 10-year sales average for February.

Demand high, listings falling Demand for properties remains healthy but the real estate board says listings have fallen almost 21 per cent compared with

the number of homes offered for sale last February, and only marginally increased between January and February of this year.

The ratio of sales to active listings is 17 per cent for detached homes and as high as 28 per cent for condos, well above the point where analysts say prices are likely to slip if the ratio falls below 12 per cent. The board lists the benchmark price for a detached home at just over $1.4 million, down less than one per cent since February of last year but up 1.9 per cent over the past six months.

The benchmark prices for townhomes and condos are $785,000 and $677,000 respectively. Condos showed the largest price gain over the last six months at 3.6 per cent, the real estate board says in its monthly

statement. Board president Ashley Smith said the condominium market was also the busiest across the region in February.

‘Now is a good time to act’ Agents

are reporting more people attending open houses and multiple offers being made in some sections of the market, she added in a statement. “If you’re considering listing

your home for sale, now is a good time to act with increased demand, reduced competition from other sellers, and some upward pressure on prices,’’ Smith said.

24

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Licences suspended, accounts frozen for realtor and 2 firms over ‘potential misuse’ of clients’ cash he Real Estate Council of B.C. has suspended the real estate licence of a Vancouver realtor and frozen the bank a c c o u n t s of two brokerages he runs because of suspected misconduct in his bookkeeping. The RECBC issued suspension

and freezing orders for Stephen Lam, Regent Park Pinnacle Realty of Vancouver and Coral Property Management of Richmond on Feb. 6. That comes after an investigation found “systemic books and records issues, shortages in the rental trust accounts and general trust

account ledgers, and potential misuse of client trust funds” in the accounts of Regent Park Pinnacle, according to a decision from the council’s discipline committee. “Mr. Lam’s history of his treatment of the pooled and trust accounts of both brokerages puts his clients in

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

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

The self-paced online course will “empower them (real estate pros) to actively contribute to preventing criminal activity in B.C. real

estate markets” and support them to “comply with their federal reporting o b l i g a t i o n s ,” spokesman Warren Mirko said in an emailed statement.

“Real estate professionals work closely with their clients, so they are well positioned to identify suspicious transactions,” he said.

T h e announcement of the course requirement comes two months after the provincial government unveiled plans

to create a new regulator for B.C.’s real estate sector by spring 2021. A single regulator for the sector was a key recommendation of recent reports aimed at cracking down on money laundering.

The three reports into money laundering since 2018 have revealed billions in proceeds-ofcrime, and other questionable sources of income have been laundered for years through the real estate

current and future financial risks that their monies will be wrongfully removed.”

Mandatory anti-money laundering course rolls out for B.C. realtors Lam and the two brokerages remain under investigation and allegations of misconduct have not been proven. industry, as well as through other luxury purchases and through casinos.

The latest report, by Maureen Maloney in May, estimated up to $5 billion was funnelled through the B.C. property market in 2018 alone, likely increasing housing prices that year by five per cent.

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

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

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

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

Reasons why Canada’s apartment building owners are happy

R

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Saturday, March 14, 2020

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

C

anada is experiencing sustained economic and population growth.

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

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

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

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

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

First, consider mortgage debt in the Canadian context.

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

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

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

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

spectrum, from millennials to baby boomers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

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

26

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Call 1-236-332-9415 South Asian Adults & Seniors - Protecting Diabetes with Healthy Eating, Moderate Exercise & Fewer Medications, Dr. Akshay Jain, MD, FACE, CCD, ECNU, DABOM, 15th March 2020 (Sunday) at Shanti Niketan hall 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm.

Vedic Seniors Parivar Center of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society of British Columbia invites South Asian Adults and Seniors to attend a Power Presentation on Protecting/ Managing Diabetes with Healthy Eating, Moderate Exercise and Fewer Medications by Dr. Akshay Jain, MD,FACE,CCD,ECNU,DABOM, of Fraser River Endocrinology & Metabolism, on 15th March 2020 (Sunday) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Temple 8321 - 140th street Surrey BC V3W 5K9. There will be questions and answers session after the Power Presentation and Dr. Akshay Jain will answer all the questions concerning Diabetes Professionally. Tea and light snacks will be served to all participants in the end. Please do not miss this very important Health Issue Presentation by Diabetes Specialist and please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further information.

South Asian Seniors - Filing Income Tax Returns Free for Year 2019.

From March 1st 2020 (Sunday) to April 30th 2020 (Thursday).

Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey informs South Asian Seniors that during the Tax filing period we can help you to file your Income Tax Returns for the year 2019, free of cost, through the community volunteer program of Canada Revenue Agency ( CVITP ), from March 1st. 2020 (Sunday) to April 30th 2020 (Thursday). If you are living in Surrey / Delta. The eligibility Criteria are as follows 1.Single individual with annual income limit up to $ 35,000. 2. Couples with annual income up to $ 45,000. 3. Three persons income $. 47,500, 4. Four persons income $. 50,000 , 5. Five persons or more, add $ 2500 for additional members. Interest income not over $ 1,000.00 and this income will be included as total eligibility. With no investment income, no rental income , no business or partnership income and no capital gain or loss. Sin# card and photo identity will be required to prove the documents. If you are eligible then please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further information.

27

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Province will ‘do what it can’ to address spiking condo insurance costs, Horgan says Premier John Horgan says his government is looking into the issue of soaring insurance premiums for condo buildings in the province and will “do what it can” to manage those costs.

Property managers and condo owners have been calling for the provincial government to intervene in the industry, which some say is on the verge of a crisis.

Some strata councils have been unable to get insurance for their buildings, while others have seen their premiums increase by as much as 400 per cent in the past year.

“This is an issue that’s just emerged in the past number of months,” Horgan told reporters Friday morning after addressing the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. “(Finance) Minister (Carole) James has a committee of cabinet that’s working on this,” the premier added. “We’re going to be speaking to the Insurance Bureau of Canada to try and find out what their rationale is for these unusually large spikes in costs and we’re going to do what we can to manage those down.”

Horgan described the sudden increases as the

product of “a bunch of variables,” and said they’re affecting condo owners across the country, not just in British Columbia.

Speaking media in Vancouver earlier this month, Insurance Brokers Association of BC executive director Chuck Byrne said the issue is “not rocket science.”

“Any insurance company should be able to see a return on investment,” Byrne said at the time.

“The bottom line is that they’re not obligated to insure anybody for anything.”That dynamic means that when insurers perceive an increase in risk in the market - as many currently do because

of climate change and other factors - their rates increase and certain properties become less attractive to insure.

This poses a problem for strata councils, however. “They have to have insurance for their mortgages, the strata property act says they have to have insurance, they won’t be able to sell or buy or really do anything without insurance,” said Chris Stepchuk, managing broker and co-owner of Fort Park Property Management and Real Estate.

What Vancouver’s housing market could hold in 2020 A funny thing happened in Vancouver’s housing market in 2019: for the first time in many years, not much happened.

“Condo prices have slowed down. The fear of missing out madness at open houses has gone away. So there’s been a pause in the market,” said Tom Davidoff, an associate professor at UBC’s Sauder School of Business. One way to measure the relative calm of the market is by looking at the average sale price for detached homes, townhouses and apartments in the area overseen by Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver.

Wild fluctuations were once common, as luxury properties were traded like hotcakes. But in 2019, the average value for any type of property never went up or down by more than 17 per cent compared to the previous year.

That might not seem significant — but it’s the first time that’s happened since 2014.

After a taxing year for real estate, housing

market expected to remain cool in 2019 In between, a massive surge in housing prices created both a windfall for existing homeowners and a backlash that contributed to the fall of provincial and local governments.

But with a host of taxation and antispeculation measures now in place, and new supply continuing to come on the market, prices for all types of housing stabilized in 2019, with small declines generally seen across the board.

“We wound up in a pretty balanced place,” said Davidoff.

“I think it’s a pretty good outcome in that way and I think you’ve probably seen ... a calming of the public discourse around housing.” Too soon to predict 2020 Whether a stable 2019 will continue into 2020 is another question. Multiple housing experts told CBC News it is difficult to predict what direction the housing market will go next year. Market

Metro Vancouver’s luxury home prices forecast to slip further The national brokerage issued a forecast in February, reporting that the median price of a luxury house in Metro Vancouver at the end of January 2020 was $5,394,594, which is 6.7% year-over-year decline. Luxury condos in the region dropped 4.4% to $2,411,773 over the same period, it added.

However, Royal LePage said that recent signs of recovery in the market will eventually trickle up to push up prices in the luxury sector, albeit at a slower pace than the lower end of the market.

The report said, “While luxury real estate in Greater Vancouver is showing year-overyear declines in median prices for both houses and condominiums over the twelve-month period, a significant boost in luxury unit sales since October 2019 is moving the market towards stabilization. From October 1, 2019 to January 31, 2020, the median price of a

luxury house in Greater Vancouver decreased 1.3% year-over-year, while the median price of a condominium was relatively flat, posting a 0.2% year-over-year increase.”

Jason Soprovich, a West Vancouver realtor with Royal LePage Sussex, said, “Metro Vancouver’s residential real estate market is shifting towards a balanced market and this trend has been moving upward through the luxury market. There is healthy demand for homes priced between $3 million and $5 million, and this segment is starting to stabilize. It will take more time for the upperend segment to move into a balanced market, but it is expected.”

The report added that luxury home prices in the region were expected to continue their decline, but with relatively “modest” drops, over the coming year.

adjustments to the new taxes are one factor, but so are trade war concerns, continued low interest rates, and the effect of new mortgage rules. “The big picture is actually watching how mortgages, and the availability of mortgages and cheap money, will or will not become available,” said Andy Yan, director of the City Program at Simon Fraser University.

Vancouver is still in a housing crisis. But when will we know if it’s over?

Yan said that with debates around the effect of speculation taxes largely settled, the most heated

policy arguments would likely be around rental housing, particularly whether proposed projects offered enough nonmarket and multi-bedroom units.

“There is this idea of less heat being generated in the [housing] debate, but then there is much light being generated towards the conversation of what kind of city are we becoming,” said Yan. “Who are we including, as well as who are we excluding?”

‘Not magically affordable’

28

Saturday, March 14, 2020

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Families surrender hundreds of pets every year in BC because of rules imposed by landlords and stratas, and one city is pushing for the “discrimination” to end.

Port Moody city councillors have passed a unanimous resolution calling for the provincial government to update both the Strata Act and Residential Tenancy Act to prevent pet owners from being denied housing. With Metro Vancouver

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Amy Lubik said “no pets” policies add a major barrier to families who are already struggling to find somewhere to live.

“Pet-friendly housing is considerably limited in B.C. Landlords and stratas can choose whether or not to permit pets, they can restrict the sizes or numbers,” Lubik said at last week’s council meeting.

“Some pet guardians agree to pay hundreds more a month to have a home with their pets in order to keep their families together.”

There are currently 157 Port Moody homes listed for rent on Craigslist, but only 38 that specify that they allow dogs and cats.

According to the SPCA, about 1,500 “companion animals” are surrendered across the province annually because owners can’t find pet-friendly housing.

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Public Safety minister says redacted Surrey police transition report is ‘very comprehensive’ Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth made good on his promise late Tuesday afternoon to release to the public the 455-page report – thick as a Victorian novel – of the Provincial Municipality Policing Transition Study Committee, minus more than just a few words.

“First off, we wanted as much information as possible and I said we would do

that,” Farnworth told the Now-Leader on Wednesday. “The second is for people to understand that this report is very comprehensive, that there has been a lot of work gone into it and it’s looked at every aspect of what a proper transition would look like and that people can have confidence that public safety is always the first priority.”

The release of this report, which deals with Surrey’s transition from the RCMP to its own police force, came with a notice that it has been redacted for “privacy, security and operational decisions.”

Examples of such can be found in the executive summary: “New recruits would compose no more than –left blank– when the Department is fully operational in one year and

the model projects that these recruits would be progressively integrated into the Department in – left blank –,” and, “The phased Integrated Transition Model envisions recruitment of – left blank – recruits without previous policing experience. This will enable the Department to come to fully funded strength by a projected timeline of – left blank –.”

First COVID-19 death recorded in BC, health officials say The first Canadian death in connection to COVID-19 has been recorded in B.C., health officials announced Monday. One of the residents of a care home in North Vancouver’s

Lynn Valley, whose case was announced Saturday, died on Sunday, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister

Adrian Dix announced during a news conference. The man was in his 80s and had a number of underlying health issues.

“This is obviously a very sad day for all of us, but especially for the family and loved ones of the man who passed away,” Dix said.

2 East Vancouver schools close amid Coronavirus concerns Two Catholic schools in East Vancouver have closed three days before Spring Break because of the new coronavirus outbreak.

In a message sent to parents of St. Francis of Assisi School, officials say the school will be closed this week after a parent tested positive for COVID-19.

4:07 Coronavirus: B.C. confirms 7 new cases of COVID-19, including 2 health care workers Coronavirus: B.C. confirms 7 new cases of COVID-19, including 2 health care workers St. Francis officials closed the school out of an abundance of caution, saying Vancouver Coastal Health told them the “school community was at low risk.”

St. Francis is a feeder school to Notre Dame Regional Secondary School, which announced it was closed Wednesday for “precautionary health reasons,” according to a message on the school’s Facebook page.

The closures come a day after Glenylyon Norfolk School on Vancouver Island closed both of its campuses on Tuesday.

Super full worm moon captured over Metro Vancouver

Did you notice the moon Monday night?

March’s full moon was a supermoon with a strange name, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

It’s called the worm moon, a name the almanac says comes from the earthworms and grubs that “emerge from their winter dormancy at this time of year.” It may not be the most pleasantly-named full moon – others include wolf, flower, strawberry and harvest – but the name is meant as a sign of spring.

According to the almanac, the March moon has also gone by other names: the full sap moon, crow moon and Lenten moon.

And, the almanac says, Monday’s was the first of three supermoons, or full moons that occur when the moon’s orbit is closest to Earth, this year. The others will be on April 7 and May 7.

The moon was also seen early Monday morning by the Vancouver International Airport.

Saturday, March 14, 2020

What falling oil prices mean for the Alberta budget Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says his government will not rewrite its budget in the wake of a global oil and gas price crash he called a “profound challenge for Alberta and for Canada.”

In a news conference Monday, the premier addressed the historic dip and how it will impact a province that just put forward a budget dependent on optimistic oil price projections.

“We are in uncharted territory,” Kenney said.

“We cannot predict how deeply or for how long this devastating price collapse will affect us.”

Oil prices plunged over the weekend after economic uncertainty around the coronavirus caused demand to drop, and a dispute with Russia prompted Saudi Arabia to flood the market with low-cost oil, cutting prices by the largest amount in decades. Standard prices for oil dropped by almost 50 per cent over the weekend.

“This could hardly come at a worse time,” Kenney said.

The crash comes less than two weeks after Kenney’s United Conservative government put forward a provincial budget projecting increased oil prices, and with them increased royalties

and revenue for the province on route to a balanced budget by 2022-23.

The oil price crash puts that goal in serious jeopardy.

Why is Alberta freaking out?

The province just staked a huge part of its economic future on optimistic projections for the price of oil and gas.

We cannot predict how deeply or for how long this devastating price collapse will affect us.Alberta Premier Jason Kenney No matter how you slice it, Alberta’s budget projections for the next four years were largely dependent on anticipated royalties from oil and gas. In fact, 15 per cent of the province’s revenue was projected to come from oil and gas royalties and other income streams, up 10 per cent from previous budgets.

Those anticipated royalties not only require the price of oil stay the same over the next four years, but actually increase.

The budget forecasted the oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate to average US$58 a barrel in the upcoming year. When the budget was released on Feb. 27, the price hovering at about $50. At the time, Finance Minister Travis Toews called those projections “credible but cautious.”

Woman accused of spying for Russia fighting in court for permission to come to Canada He was a Canadian consultant working on a humanitarian project to build homes for demobilized Russian soldiers in the ruins of the former Soviet Union.

She was his translator and girlfriend, and later his wife. Two decades later, the federal government is calling her something else: a spy.

A Federal Court justice in Ottawa heard arguments and reserved a decision Wednesday in the extraordinary case of Elena Crenna and her husband David.

She has been deemed inadmissible to Canada by an immigration adjudicator who sided with a border agency assessment that concluded she helped the Russian security service spy on the housing project in the mid-1990s.

“I can only laugh. I should think the Canadian government should have better things to do,” Elena Crenna said in a Skype interview Tuesday from Russia. “They have

nothing else on their plate than chasing me?”

A make-work project for ex-soldiers The story began in 1994 when David Crenna, a Canadian citizen, ex-civil servant and policy adviser to former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, worked on a demonstration housing program in Tver, a city located 182 kilometres northwest of Moscow.

Former Russian soldiers were taught to build wooden frame houses under a program, funded by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the World Bank, which aimed to give them skills to compete in the emerging market economy.

While doing translation and marketing for the course, Elena said, she was approached by an agent of SVR (formerly known as the KGB and later the FSB) who wanted

Customers complain of price gouging as handsanitizer sells out in stores The global spread of coronavirus has sparked panic buying of hand sanitizer and some customers are complaining retailers that still have it in stock are jacking up the price, taking advantage of people’s desperation.

Hand sanitizer is a hot commodity these days, and many stores across North America have run out. That’s because health experts say the best way to protect yourself is to keep your hands clean, either with soap and water or — if that’s not available — an alcohol-based sanitizer.

On Monday, CBC News visited several Shoppers Drug Marts in Toronto, all of which had run out of hand sanitizer and were running low on antiseptic cleaning wipes.

Frances Steciuk said she managed to find hand sanitizer at her local Shoppers

in Toronto last week, but didn’t buy it because she felt the price was inflated.

“I kind of hit the roof,” said Steciuk, recalling her reaction when she saw travel-size, 60-ml bottles of hand sanitizer selling for $3.99 each. Steciuk said she recalls paying half that price previously.

“While I can afford the $3.99 price, I didn’t buy on principle,” she said. “It struck me that those on tighter budgets might find the product unaffordable.”

Frances Steciuk of Toronto said she was surprised when she saw travel-sized hand sanitizer selling for $3.99 at her local Shoppers Drug Mart. (submitted by Frances Steciuk) Loblaws, which owns Shoppers Drug Mart, told CBC News the brand Steciuk’s local store was selling wasn’t one of its typical brands.

LOCAL / NATIONAL

31 19

Jason Kenney worried layoffs coming as oil & gas sector struggles with Coronavirus Alberta Premier Jason Kenney flew to Ottawa on Wednesday with a list of demands and a key message for the prime minister to focus on the economy.

Kenney and his fellow premiers are to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau amid growing concerns about the novel coronavirus pandemic, a stock market crash and plummeting oil prices.

“We need this government to get refocused on the economy.

Enough about dealing with every fashionable issue out there and the virtue signalling, the UN security council, all the rest of it,” Kenney told reporters before boarding a flight at the Calgary International Airport.

“We are facing an economic crisis in Canada and we need the national government to act accordingly with total focus on that issue.

“We need that more in Alberta, I believe, than any other part of the country.”

Alberta needs similar support to what the federal government gave the auto sector during the global financial crisis in 2008 and 2009, Kenney said.

“We’ve contributed $600 billion net to the rest of Canada over the past five decades.

It’s time for Canada to have Alberta’s back.”

Kenney said he’s been talking with energy leaders as well as Ed Sims, president of WestJet Airlines, about the downturn.

“Airlines are hemorrhaging cash right now.

And one thing I will take in as a very clear message to Ottawa is any benefit that Air Canada receives as the so-called flagship carrier must be equivalent to the assistance that WestJet receives.”

Kenney said it’s not a secret that the oil and gas sector is likely to see layoffs over the next few weeks, since many companies have announced plans to slash their 2020 capital budgets.

“A number of our energy companies saw their share valuation go down by as much as 90 per cent in the last 48 hours,” he said. “Many of them have basically no cash flow.

“A lot of those oilfield workers who are on rig sites will be laid off and probably won’t be going back to work.”

Kenney said energy companies have become more lean and efficient over the last five years, but some aren’t likely to survive.

“There are a range of companies that are not well prepared for this downturn. That’s part of the problem. This is after five years of fragility, when a number of companies have been leveraging themselves in debt,” he said.

“A lot of them cannot cut operating costs any further and they cannot raise equity.”

Kenney said he will be pressing the federal government for guarantees that the Trans Mountain and Coastal GasLink pipeline projects will be completed as a way of restoring confidence in investing in Canada.

He also wants Ottawa to provide the provinces

Quebec gov’t under fire for ignoring COVID-19 impact in new budget Premier François Legault defended his government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, one day after tabling a budget that is free of measures to deal with the outbreak and forecasts it will have no impact on Quebec’s economic growth.

The spending plan tabled Tuesday

by Finance Minister Eric Girard calls for a 5.1-per cent spending increase, and includes billions more for long-term infrastructure projects.

That should be sufficient, Legault said, to offset an economic slowdown, which economists say is a distinct possibility given the coronavirus outbreak is already disrupting economies in Asia and Europe.

Legault also said his finance minister has a struck a committee to ready a stimulus package, in case Quebec’s economy also starts to falter.

“If we need to do more, we already have acommittee that is looking at additional expenses and infrastructure [projects],” Legault said Tuesday in Quebec City.

“But right now we don’t think we need to add to yesterday’s budget.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the federal government announced a $1-billion aid package to help the country cope with the spread of COVID-19.

Legault said he expects Quebec to receive around $230 million of that money.

Too optimistic about growth, Opposition says Legault was responding to criticism from both the Liberals and the Parti Québécois, who are accusing the government of being overly optimistic about the financial consequences of the coronavirus outbreak, now considered a pandemic by the World Health Organization.

As part of its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Quebec government is setting up specialized testing centers across the

20 32 From page 1

National / Finance

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Should Canada follow Italy & UK to suspend mortgage payments?

compensated, haven’t been worked out yet.

Meanwhile, in the U.K. where policymakers hit the alarm on Wednesday, announcing

both emergency government spending and a sizeable cut to the key interest rate individual banks are announcing they will suspend loan repayments for people and businesses “affected by the outbreak.”

It’s not just random politicking that prompted these decisions. Over the past decade, with interest rates at historic lows, households in many developed countries took on record levels of debt, as a share of income. Which means that a shock to the system that stops people from paying their mortgages could have a much bigger impact on the economy than it would have in the past.

Nowhere is that a larger concern than in Canada, where for years the Bank

of Canada has been calling high household debt levels a key vulnerability to our financial stability.

So, in the event of a “coronavirus recession,” the Bank may be open to this sort of “bailout” of homeowners as might lenders.

“I absolutely think it’s the correct call,” said James Laird, CEO of mortgage broker Canwise Financial and co-founder of comparison site Ratehub. “If we get to the point where ... the income of Canadians is materially disrupted, then I think that all stakeholders involved from the homeowner to mortgage provider to regulators would be in favour of providing

temporary relief,” he told HuffPost Canada.

Canada’s banking sector is generally in better shape than Italy’s, but “even so, I would be surprised to not see Canada adopt similar measures in the event the outbreak hits the same scale,” said Stephen Punwasi, a data analyst who specializes in the housing market.

“Canadians view their homes as a savings vehicle, retirement plan, and payday lender. The government knows this, so they’ll pull out all the stops to prevent forced liquidations.” Delaying mortgage payments would put “great pressure” on lenders, Laird said. He expects that, in a situation like that, either the federal government or Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. would offer lenders financial aid, potentially in the form of low-interest loans or cash injections.

Without aid “the small lenders would go bankrupt,” Laird said. But “no one, including the lender, is interested in setting up a situation where there is an uptick in defaults,” he added. Punwasi notes a potential glitch in the plan: The rise of unregulated, private lenders.

“Almost 8 per cent of mortgages in

Ontario were from private lenders in 2018,” he wrote in an email to HuffPost.

“Most of that money is in major cities like Toronto. These largely unregulated lenders likely would not be subjected to the same kind of relief as regulated lenders.”

What about renters? While a “mortgage holiday” could help take some serious pressure off our financial system, it would be limited relief for households. Only 39 per cent of households in Canada are paying a mortgage, meaning this policy would do nothing to alleviate pressure on the 29 per cent of households who own their home outright, or the 32 per cent of households who rent.

Some cities in the U.S. notably Seattle and cities in California’s pricey Bay Area are moving to ban evictions and utility shutoffs during the outbreak, in an effort to take some pressure off renters. Under new rules passed by city councils in San Francisco and San Jose, anyone who can provide documentation showing their income was impacted by the coronavirus can fight eviction.

The core rationale behind these moves was summed up nicely by Dean Preston, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors: “Right now, being secure in one’s home is absolutely essential. And it’s one of the best ways that we can prevent spread of coronavirus.”

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Prime Minister’s message on Holi fetival The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the occasion of Holi: “Today, we join Hindu communities in Canada and around the world to celebrate Holi.

“Also known as the Festival of Colours, Holi marks the arrival of spring. It is a time to celebrate peace, renew and strengthen friendships, and look to the new season ahead with optimism and joy. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the traditional notions of good and evil and the triumph of light over darkness.

“On this occasion, family and friends will sing and dance, share seasonal delicacies, and paint each other with brightly

coloured powders and dyes.

“Holi is one of the most celebrated festivals in South Asia, and in many parts of the world. Here in Canada, these celebrations are a reminder that diversity and inclusion build stronger and more vibrant communities. They are also an opportunity to recognize the important contributions Canadians of Hindu faith make to our country every day.

“On behalf of the Government of Canada, Sophie and I wish a fun, colourful, and joyous festival to everyone celebrating.

“Holi Hai!”

Liberal MP in self-isolation over COVID-19 fears after attending Washington conference Several MPs attended conferences in USA with people who were later diagnosed with the virus.

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather is isolating himself at his home in Montreal as a precaution after attending a conference in Washington D.C. last week with people who later tested positive for the novel coronavirus, CBC News has learned. Organizers of two major political events — the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (or AIPAC) and the Conservative Political Action Conference (or CPAC) — have confirmed that several participants have tested positive for the virus.

Housefather told CBC News in an email that he attended AIPAC and is now self-isolating at home “out of an abundance of caution,” at least until he hears back from public health officials in Toronto who are working to trace someone who attended the conference and tested positive for the virus. “I feel absolutely fine and it has already been a week since I left the conference,” Housefather wrote. The leader of the Official Opposition’s office confirmed that Conservative MPs Kerry Diotte and Michael Cooper attended CPAC. Requests for comment from Diotte and Cooper about their trip to CPAC have not been answered. Office spokesperson Kelsie Chiasson did not answer the question directly,

saying instead that “neither MP Cooper nor MP Diotte were in contact or proximity to the individual in question. MPs will continue to follow the advice of the Public Health Agency of Canada.”\Diotte and Cooper were both on Parliament Hill today. Cooper attended a press conference on Parliament Hill Sunday with fellow Conservative MPs Pierre Poilievre and Marty Morantz. Cooper says he’s following health officials’ advice after U.S. conference Conservative MP Michael Cooper says he didn’t come into contact with the person at a U.S. conference who later tested positive for COVID-19. 1:32 At least two people who attended the AIPAC event, which ran March 1-3 in Washington D.C., have tested positive, while there is one positive case among attendees at CPAC, which ran Feb. 26-29 in the neighbouring state of Maryland. Former prime minister Stephen Harper also attended AIPAC, spending time with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. Requests for comment from Harper have not been returned. There are no plans right now for additional measures on Parliament Hill to prevent possible exposure to the novel coronavirus despite the MPs’ attendance at the AIPAC and CPAC conferences, said Heather Bradley, director of communications.

Feds have fiscal room to react to impacts of COVID-19, says Bill Morneau Finance Minister Bill Morneau says the Canadian economy is strong enough to weather the economic impacts of the novel coronavirus. “I recognize that there is a very large amount of uncertainty around the impacts of COVID-19, around the depth of the impact and the geographical spread and the potential duration,” Morneau said Monday on Parliament Hill. The message came on a day that saw oil prices decline sharply and stock markets take a hit. Morneau said the federal government has enough wiggle room in its finances to help individuals and businesses deal with the fallout. “We’re also making sure that we tell people that we have their backs — that we are thinking about impacts on individuals, employees, that we are focused on how we can support businesses to the extent that businesses need to be supported in a challenging time,” he said.

“We a very strong fiscal position,” he said.

ALSO READ: B.C. records first COVID-19 death in Canada as province hits 32 cases Morneau noted the federal debt as a

percentage of the national economy, known as the debt-to-GDP ratio, remains relatively low. “It provides us with fiscal capacity to deal with challenges, to help people today, to help our economy tomorrow,” he said.

But he was not sharing any details of those plans — or the date when the federal budget will be released. He also would not reveal whether he expects the deficit to be bigger than previously projected, given the sharp decline in oil prices and the hit the markets took Monday. The Trudeau Liberals are being urged to ease access to federal sick-leave benefits, along with tax credits and other breaks, to help workers who feel they can’t afford to stay home when sick, as well as to help small businesses that might not have the cash flow to manage the effects of the outbreak. The business and labour groups pushing for these measures say federal officials appear open to easing access and potentially waiving the waiting period for employment insurance benefits for workers who need to go under quarantine.

NATIONAL

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INDIA

Saturday, March 14, 2020

J-K High Court refuses to ban use of pellet guns in Kashmir In a relief to security forces operating in the union territories of J&K and Ladakh, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has refused to ban the use of pellet guns for crowd control during protests in the region. A division bench of Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur, while dismissing a PIL seeking a ban on pellet guns, said, “It is manifest that so long as there is violence by unruly mobs, the use of force is inevitable.” “What kind of force has to be used at a relevant point of time or in a given situation and place has to be decided by the persons in charge of the place where the attack is happening,” the bench said.

It added, “This court in the writ jurisdiction, without any finding rendered by a competent forum/authority, cannot decide whether the use of force in a particular incident is excessive or not.” “Having regard to the ground situation prevailing as of now, and the fact that the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, has already constituted a committee of experts through its memorandum dated July 26, 2016, for exploring an alternative to pellet guns; before filing of the report by the expert committee and a decision taken at the government level, we are not inclined to prohibit the use of pellet guns in rare and extreme situations,” the High Court said while dismissing the PIL.

India’s Yes Bank founder remanded in police custody on money-laundering charges An Indian court remanded the founder and former managing director of crisis-hit Yes Bank Ltd (YESB.NS) in police custody until March 11 after he was arrested on money-laundering charges.

Rana Kapoor arrives at the Enforcement Directorate office after leaving Sessions Court for money laundering charges in Mumbai.

India’s Enforcement Directorate, the country’s federal financial crime agency, arrested Rana Kapoor early on Sunday after hours of interrogation and searches at his and his daughters’ residences in Delhi

and Mumbai.

Kapoor was produced in a Mumbai court in western Maharashtra state and a case of money laundering has been registered against him. Sunil Gonsalves, representing the Enforcement Directorate, said at the hour-long hearing the total proceeds of the alleged crime amounted to 43 billion Indian rupees ($581.07 million), and that Kapoor had refused to cooperate with the investigation. “I want to cooperate with them,” he told the court through tears. “I’m willing to cooperate day and night despite the fact that I haven’t slept a wink.” Zain Shroff, Kapoor’s lawyer, told the court his client had been made “a scapegoat”

Karnataka man is the first Coronavirus fatality in India, as number of cases rose to 74 The number of novel coronavirus patients in the country on Wednesday rose to 60, with 10 more positive cases—eight from Kerala and one each from Delhi and Rajasthan, prompting the Central government to suspend all visas, except a few categories such as diplomatic and employment, till April 15 in a bid to contain the spread of novel coronavirus, according to an official statement. The suspension will come into effect from 1200 GMT on March 13 at the port of departure. The decision was taken at the meeting of group of ministers held here under

the chairmanship of Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. “All existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/International organisations, employment and project visas stand suspended till 15th April 2020. This will come into effect from 1200GMT on 13th March 2020 at the port of departure,” the statement said. Visafree travel facility granted to OCI card holders is also kept in abeyance till April 15.

Any foreign national who intends to travel to India for compelling reason may contact the nearest Indian Mission, the release said.

Indian stocks crash to worst day since 2008 as pandemic fuels growth fears The Nifty plunged 8.3% to 9,590.15, its lowest close in 2-1/2 years, while the Sensex also slid about 8% to a near two-year low of 32,778.14. The last time Indian stock indexes dropped as much was at the height of the global financial crisis in 2008. The virus outbreak heightened worries over the Indian economy, which was already slowing, with

the recent collapse of a large private-sector lender adding to concerns over the country’s financial sector. “India entered 2020 with a massive demand problem, and that has been worsened now. This is a wash-out year for markets,” said Yogesh Nagaonkar, chief executive of Mumbai-based Rowan Capital Advisors.

India cancels all tourist visas as Coronavirus COVID-19 cases rise India said on Wednesday it will suspend all tourist visas to the country in a wide-reaching attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as cases across the region continued to rise. The novel coronavirus has hit Europe and the United States far harder than China’s most immediate neighbours in South Asia, where no one has yet died. But as the number of cases in the region topped 80, experts fear that overstretched medical systems may not be able to handle the type of intensive care required.

India’s health ministry said in a statement that all existing visas will “stand suspended” until April 15. Individuals holding an Overseas

Citizenship of India (OCI) — an immigration status that confers visa-free travel to India — will also be barred entry into the country until April 15. The ban comes to effect at 12 p.m.

GMT on March 13 from the port of departure.

The statement said the ban does not apply to “diplomatic, official, U.N./international organizations, employment, project visas” and visas issued to diplomats. The order will come into effect March 13. It was not clear if the ban would include short-term business visas, though the advisory said anyone with a “compelling reason” to travel to the country could contact their nearest Indian mission.

India’s celebration of festival of colours muted amid Coronavirus fears India’s Hindu festival of Holi was subdued on Tuesday with fears of the coronavirus putting a damper on the usually boisterous celebration marked by the throwing of coloured powder and dousing with dyed water. The two-day spring festival is a rowdy explosion of colour, with people smearing each other’s faces with green, yellow and red powder. But the coronavirus, which has infected nearly 40 people in India, looks set

to spoil the fun this year.

“Avoid participating in large gatherings,” the Ministry of Health said in notice warning of the danger of the virus, while wishing everyone a “Happy and Safe Holi”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he would not celebrate Holi this year. Shopkeepers said rumours that the coloured powders and dyes revellers use in the festival were imported from China had hurt their sales.

RBI gears up for run on Yes Bank after end of moratorium

The Reserve Bank of India is gearing up for a major run on Yes Bank’s deposits after it lifts the moratorium on the troubled lender in the next few days. According to sources at the central bank, deposit holders, including individuals, corporate houses, trusts and other entities, could begin liquidating their holdings as soon as they are allowed to do so.

The RBI had imposed a moratorium last week under which cash withdrawal by every

account holder was restricted to just Rs 50,000.

According to publicly available information on Yes Bank, it had deposits in current and savings accounts to the tune of Rs 2,26,600 crores as on March 31, 2019.

The exact amount of deposits at present under current accounts and savings accounts is not available as Yes Bank has not yet declared its results for the December 2019 quarter.

Scindia joins BJP, launches scathing attack against Congress A day after Jyotiraditya Scindia ended his 18-year-old association with the Congress, he joined the BJP here on Wednesday.

Scindia joined the party in the presence of party president JP Nadda and senior leaders.

Welcoming him into the saffron fold, Nadda remembered founder member of the BJP and erstwhile Jana Sangh, Vijaya Raje Scindia, Jyotiraditya’s grandmother.

Recalling her contribution in establishing the ideology of the BJP, Nadda referred to Jyotiraditya as a “family member”.

He would get an opportunity to

participate in party activities and contribute to it, Nadda said, asking Jyotiraditya to express his views in a “free atmosphere”.

Thanking the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Nadda for including him in the BJP family, Jyotiraditya said the Congress party is not “what it used to be”.

Launching a scathing attack on the central and state leadership of the Congress, he said detachment from reality in the party and the new leadership not being given a chance were the main reasons for his disenchantment with the grand old party.

PUNJAB

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Punjab reports on Coronavirus cases A Hoshiarpur man tests positive in as Coronavirus counts goe 46 with the government confirming four other fresh infections through Monday taking the total Covid 19 count to 46. 3-yr-old among six fresh covid cases Six new Covid cases include a three-year-old in Kerala’s Ernakulum who returned from Italy and a woman from Jammu with travel history to Iran. Two persons from Pune test positive for Covid infection on Monday evening Active infections are 43 as three persons who earlier tested positive in Kerala are stable and infection-free. The Health Ministry in a late night update said the National Institute of Virology, Pune, had confirmed as positive the samples from a

person in Punjab, who recently came from Italy. Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu in a medical bulletin said the patient, who belongs to Hoshiarpur, was a resident of Italy and was tracked at Amritsar airport. He is currently isolated at Government Medical College and Hospital in Amritsar. India also reported a first Covid child case today — a three-year-old in Kerala’s Ernakulum who returned from Italy with his parents on March 7. The child’s parents have also been isolated at Ernakulum and are under review. The six new cases reported today include the Ernakulum child, two cases from Pune, one case from Delhi with travel history to Italy, one from Jammu with travel to Iran and one case from

5-year-old Gurdaspur boy suspected to be affected by Coronavirus A five-year-old boy, who arrived with his family from Italy last week, is suspected of having coronavirus.

He is a resident of Batala-Dera Baba Nanak road here.

“His parents are under observation. His samples have been sent to AIIMS, New

Singer Sippy Gill arrested for ‘promoting’ violence Moga police police registered a case against Punjabi singer & actor Sippy Gill for promoting violence through his song “Gundagardi”. SSP Harmanbir Singh Gill said the case had been registered under Sections 153A, 505, 117 and 149 of the IPC at Mehna police station. He was booked on a complaint filed by Chandigarh-based lecturer Pandit Rao Dharennavar. Last month, the police booked singers Shubhdeep Singh, alias Sidhu Moose Wala, and Mankirat Aulakh for allegedly promoting gun culture and violence through a song titled “Panj golian”. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has already asserted that the government would not allow any movie seeking to promote violence or gangsters.

Last month, he had ordered a ban on the movie “Shooter”, based on the life and crimes of notorious gangster Sukha Kahlwan. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the DGPs of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to ensure that no song glorifies liquor, drugs

5,964 with travel history under watch The state’s first Covid-19 (coronavirus) case was reported in the city today.

The patient is a Hoshiarpur resident and is based in Italy.

He was tracked along with another traveller at Amritsar airport earlier last week.

Both were admitted to Government Medical College here.

The patient is based in Italy. He was tracked along with another traveller at Amritsar airport earlier last week They tested positive in the preliminary test conducted by AIIMS, Delhi; their samples were sent to Pune Institute for confirmation Both patients were tested positive in the preliminary test conducted by AIIMS-Delhi after which their samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, for confirmation.

Delhi, for confirmation. He has been kept in the isolation ward of Gurdaspur civil hospital,” said civil surgeon Dr Kishan Chand.

35

SRB (sex ratio at birth) static in Haryana; declined in Punjab & Himachal Sex ratio at birth (SRB) in Haryana has been static at 914 for the last two financial years. It has declined from 907 to 900 in Punjab and from 931 to 927 in Himachal Pradesh. A total of 13 states and union territories have lower SRB than national average of 931, with Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh among these.

These facts have come to light in the Parliamentary Standing Committee Report to the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The child sex ratio was 918 in this decade and 927 in the previous decade. After launch of the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ (BBBP) in 2015, progress of the scheme was measured in terms of SRB collected by the health management information system of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Haryana’s SRB was

902 in 2016-17, rose to 914 in 2017-18 and remained static in 2018-19. Punjab’s SRB was 902 in 2016-17, rose to 907 in 2017-18 and dropped to 900 in 2018-19.

Chandigarh’s SRB was 921 in 2016-17, dipped to 897 in 201718 and rose to 910 in 2018-19. In Himachal Pradesh, it was 916 in 2016-17, rose to 931 in 2017-18 and dipped to 927 in 2018-19.

“Our SRB figures have further improved to 923 in 2019. We have saved 25,000 girls under the campaign. We have improved from 871 in 2014 to 923, a rise of 52 points,” said Dr Rakesh Gupta, CEO, BBBP. In Haryana, 60 cases were registered under PCPNDT Act in 2017 and 33 in 2018. The committee pointed out that the Centre had allocated Rs 200 crore to the BBBP for 201920, of which only Rs 57.9 crore (20.67 per cent) had been spent till January 31.

36

INDIA

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain arrested for money-laundering The Enforcement Directorate has booked suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain, Islamist group PFI and some others on charges of moneylaundering and alleged funding of the recent riots in Delhi, officials said on Wednesday.

They said a criminal case against Hussain, facing charges of killing an Intelligence Bureau official during the riots in northeast Delhi last month, had been filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the central probe agency. Similar charges have also been pressed against the Popular Front of India (PFI) which is already facing a separate PMLA probe. Hussain at present is in the custody of Delhi Police. The officials said the federal agency had taken cognisance of a clutch of

FIRs filed by Delhi Police’s Crime Branch to probe the alleged money laundering and routing of illegal funds by Hussain, PFI and others to purportedly sponsor the communal riots that killed 53 people and injured over 200.

Three associates of Tahir Hussain have been arrested in connection with the communal riots in northeast Delhi, the police said on Wednesday. Abid, a resident of Dayalpur, and Mohd Shahdab and Rashid Saifi, both from Nehru Vihar, were arrested by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police on Tuesday, they said. They were with Hussain on February 24 during the violence in the district, the police said. The Crime Branch on Monday arrested Hussain’s brother Shah Alam in connection with the riots. Three other people, who were sheltering Alam, were also arrested.

State Bank of India cuts interest rate on savings accounts to 3 pc; removes minimum balance requirement The country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) on Wednesday rationalised interest rate on all savings bank (SB) accounts to a flat 3 per cent, a move affecting 44.51 crore account holders. The bank also waived the requirement for maintaining minimum balance in SB accounts. Keeping in mind the ‘Customers First’ approach, the bank further said it has also waived SMS charges, which will bring significant relief to all the customers.

“Bank has also rationalised interest rate on SB Account to a flat 3 per cent p.a. for all

buckets,” it said. Currently, the interest rate on SB accounts is 3.25 per cent for deposits up to Rs 1 lakh in SB accounts, and 3 per cent for deposits above Rs 1 lakh. The State Bank of India (SBI) decided to waive maintenance of Average Monthly Balance (AMB) for all SB accounts. “The charges on maintaining AMB are now waived off on all 44.51 crore SBI savings bank accounts,” it said. Currently, SBI customers need to maintain AMB of Rs 3,000, Rs 2,000 and Rs 1,000 in metro, semi urban and rural areas, respectively.

India cancels all tourist visas, closes Myanmar border as Coronavirus cases rise in the region India said on Wednesday it will s The virus has hit Europe and the United States far harder than China’s most immediate neighbours in South Asia, where no one has yet died. But as the number of cases in the region topped 80, experts fear that its overstretched medical systems may not be able to handle the type of intensive care required. “All existing visas, except diplomatic, official, U.N./international organizations, employment, project visas, stand suspended till 15th April 2020,” India’s

Health Ministry said in a statement. The order will come into effect from 1200 GMT on March 13. It was not clear if the ban would include short-term business visas, though the advisory said anyone with a “compelling reason” to travel to the country could contact their nearest Indian mission. It also urged Indian nationals to avoid all non-essential travel abroad, in one of the most far-reaching advisories since the outbreak began in late December. uspend all tourist visas to the country in a wide-reaching attempt to prevent

Sugar mills contract to export 3.5 million tonnes of sugar Indian sugar mills have so far contracted to export 3.5 million tonnes of sugar the in 2019/20 marketing year, mainly to Iran, Malaysia, Somalia and Sri Lanka, a trade body said on Wednesday. The exports will help the world’s biggest sugar producer in bringing down stockpiles and supporting local prices of the sweetener, crucial in ensuring millions of farmers get government-mandated price.

Out of the 3.5 million tonnes sugar, mills have already dispatched 2.67 million

tonnes, according to data compiled by the All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA). “Iran, Malaysia, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan were key buyers of Indian sugar,” said Praful Vithalani, president of the AISTA. India, hoping to reduce its vast surplus stocks of sugar, in August approved an export subsidy of 10,448 rupees ($142) per tonne of the sweetener for the marketing year ending on Sept. 30.

Alcoholic man brings home chopped human hand and asks wife to cook it for dinner An alcoholic man has been arrested in Bijnor for cooking human flesh. The shocking incident which took place in Tikkopur village came into light after wife of the man, identified as Sanjay (32), saw him cooking human flesh.

According to the initial probe, Sanjay went to the cremation ground and brought flesh from there.

Sanjay’s wife was horrified after seeing a human hand and fingers in the pan. She ran out of the house, alerted the neighbors and called the police. She locked her husband into the house

till the police came. The police also found that the man had even attacked his father a few days ago. Station house officer (SHO) R.C. Sharma said, “We visited the house of the man and found the human flesh. Police have detained the accused.

Prima facie, he had brought it from the bank of Ganga where bodies are cremated.”

Meanwhile, Sanjay’s wife has refused to return home.

Police raid Madhav University Solan Police conducted a raid on Manav University’s sister concern, Madhav University in Mount Abu, Rajasthan in the wee hours of Wednesday and arrested an employee who is allegedly a key associate in the fake degree scam.

Police managed to seize fake degrees from Mount Abu and arrested Pramod Gounder, a data entry operator, who had been working with the university for the last six years.

A woman, Sarika, who was working as an assistant professor and was also a student of Madhav University, is also under the scanner as she is believed to be the kingpin of the scam.

She could not be arrested as she claimed to be pregnant and produced a medical certificate before the police on Tuesday. The duo was instrumental in shifting the record from here to Mount Abu on February 27 after the news about the fake degrees first broke. sManav Bharti University, near Solan, has come under the scanner after an SIT found that fake degrees were being awarded by the university. The team found as many as 10,000 blank degrees pertaining to professional courses that the university was not authorised to teach.

Saturday, March 14, 2020

37

PAKISTAN

38

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Prime Minister inaugurates 20,000 housing units project Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation. Under the Prime Minister’s vision, these projects would not only provide residential facilities to those people who do not own any but also boost the construction sector in the country and will create job opportunities.

Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan put foundation stone at the construction site of 20,000 housing project for poor people in the country, at the cost of 100 billion rupees. Among these projects, six pertain to Federal Govt Employees Housing Authority whereas one would be executed by the

5 killed as avalanche hits hill station near Abbottabad district Five people were killed and seven injured when an avalanche hit a hill station in Pakistan’s Abbottabad district. The avalanche hit on Tuesday night, reported the Xinhua news agency. The injured people have been shifted to a nearby hospital where several of them are

said to be in critical condition. Some media also reported that several vehicles were also hit and over two dozen remained missing in the avalanche, which also triggered landslide in Nathia Gali resort of the district. Rescue work was underway to recover the trapped people from the ice heaps, the reports said.

Coronavirus cases rise to 18 Pakistan witnessed a sudden increase in coronavirus cases as the number of patients rose to 18, officials said on Tuesday. All the new cases were reported from Sindh province — 10 in provincial capital Karachi and one in Hyderabad, officials said. Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza, in a morning update, said nine new cases were identified in Karachi, capital of Sindh province.

“I can confirm 9 new cases of #COVID19 in Karachi… This makes a total of 16 cases in Pakistan,” Mirza said.

He said that “all these cases are contacts of an already confirmed case” and authorities were testing more people who were in contact with the infected people.

In the evening, media coordinator to the Sindh Health Minister Meeran Yousuf updated the total number of cases by two more. “The first case is from Hyderabad and the patient arrived

from Syria via Doha. The second case is from Karachi and the patient arrived from Iran via Dubai,” she tweeted.Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah asked all hospitals to share the record of patients with the symptoms of pneumonia to further investigate them. The Sindh Health Department on Monday night said one new case surfaced in Karachi but Mirza announced after midnight that nine cases were identified.According to officials, five of the new patients came to Karachi from Syria via Doha while three persons came from London via Dubai during the past week.

Meeran Yousuf said authorities were trying to track down all their contacts for further testing in order to contain spread of the virus. The Pakistan government has decided to extend the partial closure of the border with Afghanistan by another seven days.

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FIJI

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Plan for COVID-19 is to act definitively & swiftly, contain and then isolate as quickly as possible - Health Minister The Health Ministryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan to deal with COVID-19 is to take all preventative measures, act definitively and swiftly, contain and then isolate as quickly as possible.

Following the historic announcement today that Fiji can now test for COVID-19 at the Fiji Centre for Disease Control in Tamavua, Health Minister, Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete has told Fijivillage that people that have clear symptoms of COVID-19 will be tested and the result will be available in 6 hours. He says this is a big step forward as the tests were previously being sent to Melbourne and one result was costing $4,000.

Doctor Waqainabete says the Fiji Centre for Disease Control aspires for excellence, and there has been a lot of investment from the government. He also says that they have a high caliber of staff and lab scientists based at the centre. Patients who go with flu-like symptoms, cough and respiratory problems are already being isolated to a separate outpatient room at all public hospitals. Doctor Waqainabete says they have a clear process to determine if the person needs to be tested, and they then decide to contain and isolate the person. The Health Minister also confirms that all immediate

contacts of the person will also be monitored and self-isolation at their homes will also be an option. He stresses that containment and isolation is absolutely necessary.

Banning mass gatherings is also part of the option if the number of cases become an issue. Although there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Fiji, Doctor Waqainabete is calling on people to start taking the necessary precautions. He says personal hygiene is very important as you have to keep washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and avoid touching your face especially your mouth, nose and eyes. Doctor Waqainabete says as the symptoms of coronavirus are very similar to many other respiratory illnesses, it is expected that with time the Ministry will investigate more persons with relevant travel history and symptoms related to coronavirus. He stresses that although there are no confirmed cases in Fiji, people should also start taking precautions and stop shaking hands with people. When asked on a lot of people having grog sessions in the country, people mixing the grog and sharing one bilo, Doctor Waqainabete says people should take the precautionary measures and be smart about things.

Man appears in court for murdering 2-year-old baby A 25-year-old man who allegedly murdered a two-year-old baby in January this year appeared in the Suva High Court today. It is alleged that Josaia Vuetimaibose who was the boyfriend of the victimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s older sister, punched the child twice in the stomach. State has sought time to file information and the matter has been adjourned to the 3rd of

next month. Vuetimaibose has been further remanded in custody.

A post mortem had revealed the child died of severe internal injuries.

The childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parents had taken the boy to the Valelevu Health Centre and was later transferred to the CWM Hospital where he passed away.

Bus accident claims life in Nadi A woman was killed in a bus accident in Carreras in Votualevu in Nadi last night while eight other injured passengers are hospitalised. She died at the scene of the accident. A man in his 20s is also admitted in the Lautoka Hospital in serious condition.

Seven other passengers are admitted at the

Nadi Hospital. Police say the driver allegedly lost control of the bus causing it to veer off the road. The bus driver is currently in custody at the Namaka Police Station as investigations continue.

The road death toll currently stands at 5 compared to 14 for the same period last year.

Sudhakar to face FijiFirst disciplinary hearing after refusing to resign from Parliament following allegations of sexual harassment A high ranking minister in the FijiFirst government has been asked to resign by his own party, over allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct. Lands Minister Ashneel Sudhakar was asked yesterday by the party General Secretary to resign amid allegations that are believed to have emanated from text messages that were sent by the Minister to a female member of

the law fraternity.

Tonight we can also reveal that apart from this female, there are a few others, who have raised the issue of such behavior by the MP. It was messages such as these that has got the Lands Minister in trouble and today his own party not holding back with FijiFirst General Secretary, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum confirming this.

Pharmacies throughout Fiji already facing shortages in hand sanitizers & face masks Pharmacies throughout the country are already facing shortages in hand sanitizers and face masks as COVID-19 continues to affect countries around the world.

Many of the pharmacies contacted by Fijivillage today say they have run out of face masks particularly the N95 surgical masks as people take measures to protect themselves.

The Managing Director of Medicine Chemist and Chemistwala Pharmacy, Alvick Maharaj says they are facing issues with Australia and New Zealand who have restricted the export of face masks and hand sanitizers. Maharaj says only a handful of hand sanitizers are available in their pharmacies.

Life Pharmacy confirms that face masks and hand sanitizers are out of stock in their branches due to high demand from people taking precautions as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in other countries.

Director Sandeep Kumar says there has been high demand, particularly from those travelling overseas. He says they have suppliers in India and China. He further says that their suppliers in India have informed them that they cannot supply any at the moment. The World Health Organisation has also called the industry and governments to increase manufacturing personal protective

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More than half a dozen Indian-Americans win congressional primaries Over half a dozen Indian-Americans, including incumbent Congressmen Ami Bera and Ro Khanna and two women, have won primaries for the House of Representatives elections in November.Ro Khanna: In California, incumbents Bera and Khanna registered an easy win in their respective

seventh and 17th congressional districts. Both are from the Democratic party. Bera, 55, the longest-serving Indian-American in the US House of Representatives, is seeking his fifth consecutive term. Khanna, 43, is seeking a third consecutive term. However, he would be challenged by Indian-American Ritesh Tandon from the Republican party.

No move to tax NRIs for income abroad, says govt Following widespread confusion and consternation over the proposed tax on NRIs, the government today said they won’t be taxed for income out of the country. On another proposal that classifies person as NRI if he has stayed abroad for 245 days instead of the present 183, officials seem to admit that individual cases in case of difficulty could be examined. However, they indicated that the policy is likely to stay because the government feels that

genuine NRIs tend to spend considerable time out of the country and will have no problems with the enhanced limit. On the tax on NRIs, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman explained, “What we are doing now is that the income of an NRI generated in India will be taxed here. If he’s earning something in a jurisdiction where there is no tax, why will I include that into mine that has been generated there?”

SOUTH ASIA Pakistan’s Women’s March: Shaking patriarchy ‘to its core’ Thousands of women have marched across Pakistan’s main urban centres to mark International Women’s Day. It is the third successive year that the Aurat March, women’s march, has been held in the country. The theme for this year’s march was “Mera Jism, Meri Marzi” (My body, my choice), which according to the organisers’ manifesto, is about demanding a society without exploitative patriarchal structures and control of economic resources, the right of women to make decisions about their own bodies, and ending harassment, forced religious conversions and the sexist portrayal of women in the media, among other things. The marches were organised by a collective that includes Women’s Action Forum, a women’s rights organisation, Women’s Democratic Front, a socialist-feminist organisation, and Hum Aurtein, a feminist group. “The women who are emerging are shattering all those [patriarchal] ideas. They are just not going to take it any more. This is very unsettling for a lot of people,” explained Ammar Rashid, president of the Punjab chapter of Awami Workers’ Party, a left-wing political party that supported the marches.

“The thought of a women’s march advocating women’s rights shakes patriarchy to the very core.”

Fatima Hassan is a student activist who attended the march in Karachi. “I’m

a young woman [and] I’m here today because I don’t feel comfortable walking alone at night,” she explained. “And I’m here for all those women who couldn’t be here today.”

In recent months, Pakistan has seen a wave of protests - by women demanding equality, students demanding the reinstatement of student unions and ethnic groups demanding their rights.

Tooba Syed is the political representative of the Women’s Democratic Front and one of the organisers of the Islamabad march.

She feels that all of the recent protest movements have one thing in common: they are being led by the country’s progressive youth. And among the youth, women are becoming particularly vocal, she says. “The space for women is growing.

I see many more women engaging today than I did perhaps five years ago. I remember being the only woman at some protests and sometimes I would be joined by maybe two or three more women but today that has changed.” But if more women are feeling empowered to come out and march, it has not come without a backlash. Some of the signs carried at last year’s marches attracted a lot of animosity.

Among them were posters addressing unwanted sexual advances, explicit photos women receive from men online and even the “correct way” for a woman to sit.

NRI

NRI leader calls on Minister Rana Sodhi

Karan Randhawa, general secretary, Indian Overseas Congress (IOC), Australia, (Punjab chapter), met NRI Affairs Minister Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi and shared with him a roadmap on employment opportunities for Punjabi youth in Australia. Randhawa said to encourage NRI investments in Punjab, the government must open a help desk here. The help desk would let them know regarding various facilities that are being provided by the Punjab government. There is indeed a

need to have offices which act as the nodal contacts for disseminating information, providing background details for prospective investors and businesses, reaching out to the diaspora. Hence, it is recommended to Punjab government to set up helpdesk offices overseas to promote foreign investment to Punjab, facilitating export opportunities from Punjab to the world, pave way for the NRIs’ contribution in the development of Punjab’s rural infrastructure.

Coronavirus scare casts shadow over NRI Sabha poll As elections for the post of president of the NRI Sabha, Punjab, are scheduled to be held tomorrow, less than 2 per cent of the members are expected to cast their votes owing to the Covid scare. No Ex-India leave for govt staff The state government on Friday announced no ex-India leave will be given to employees in the wake of Covid spread. Those returning

from abroad will have to stay at home for 14 days as part of the quarantine leave There are 23,500 members of the sabha.

Since there is no provision of proxy voting through nominees or mail, less than 450 NRIs will be able to vote. Owing to the spread of Covid in over 70 countries, there is a scare among the NRI community with regard to voting tomorrow.

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Saturday, March 14, 2020

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Saturday, March 14, 2020