The Asian Star August 4 2018 by The Asian Star Newspaper

www.theasianstar.com Vol 17 - Issue 27

Saturday, August 4, 2018

India, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fastestgrowing economy, has momentum The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fastest growing major economy is showing signs of a recovery in animal spirits, suggesting Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mid-term outlook can weather global trade tensions and emerging market strains. A cross section of forward-looking indicators compiled by Bloomberg News show largely positive signs. Sentiment in the manufacturing and services sectors -- both of which make up nearly 80 percent of the $2.6 trillion economy -- rebounded in June, with new orders picking up pace. Bank loan disbursals are growing while auto sales -- a barometer of overall demand Continued on page 6

PICS Mega Job Fair PICS held its annual mega job fair & business expo at North Surrey Recreation Centre. Pictured is Satbir Singh Cheema, PICS CEO (right) with participants.

Protest against illegal border crossers ends in voilence From the moment a protester grabbed a counter-protesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s megaphone and hurled it into the fountain of the Markham Civic Centre, Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s demonstration against illegal border crossings and their effect on suburban Toronto degenerated quickly into violence and anger. Police arrived to separate men who had thrown a few punches, and others who seemed about to, including one man who was Canadians protesting against illegal border crossers in Ontario pushing another as he held up a sign reading â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not In My Back Yard,â&#x20AC;? according to video captured by Ming Pao Daily News. It was a small rally of a few dozen mainly ChineseCanadian protesters in Markham, a city northeast of Toronto, Continued on page 6

Welfare â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cheque weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; brings a one-day spike in overdose calls Paramedics in British Columbia responded to 130 suspected overdose calls last Friday, matching a single-day record reached only once before and serving as a reminder that the provinceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overdose crisis remains largely uncontrolled more than five years after the arrival of illicit fentanyl. Premier John Horgan said the fact that not one of the 130 calls resulted in a fatality speaks to the professionalism of B.C.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first responders. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had the experience of going on the [ride-alongs] with the paramedics in Vancouver; Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also been at the safe-injection site â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Insite facility â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and actually watched calm, capable people bring someone back to life,â&#x20AC;? Mr. Horgan said in Victoria.â&#x20AC;&#x153;To think that that happened 130 times last week, on one day, Continued on page 7

Metro Vancouver housing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;in the dumpsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; as sales hit 18-year low The last time Vancouverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s housing market was this weak, Bill Clinton was in the White House and the Baha Men were singing â&#x20AC;&#x153;Who Let The Dogs Out.â&#x20AC;? Those hoping for a quick recovery in the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sputtering housing market had their hopes dashed by the latest data from the real estate industry. Home sales in the area fell to their lowest level since 2000, the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV)

Tel:604-591-5423

reported Thursday, with all housing types registering declines. That means sales are even lower today than they were during the 2008-09 financial crisis, when Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s housing markets were hit by a brief but sharp slowdown. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With fewer buyers active

in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re seeing less upward pressure on home prices across the region,â&#x20AC;? REBGV president Phil Moore said in a statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is most pronounced in the detached home market, but demand in the townhome and apartment markets is also relenting from the more frenetic pace experienced over the last few years.â&#x20AC;? Continued on page 7

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Firefighters battle barn fire in Abbotsford Abbotsford firefighters are battling a large barn fire along Vye Road near the Sumas border crossing.Abbotsford police have shutdown Vye Road to traffic between Sumas Way and Angus Campbell Road and it is expected that section of road will be closed for hours. Fire fighters were called to the scene at 9:51 a.m. Deputy fire chief Jeff Adams says the wooden barn, located on a chicken farm, was empty when the fire broke out. “There were no chickens in it,” he said. Adams said investigators are going to have to wait until the fire is fully extinguished and an excavator can pull apart what’s left of the structure to find out the cause of the blaze.

The NDP is so broke, Jagmeet Singh isn’t being paid The NDP received less than a million dollars in fundraising for the second quarter of this year, according to Elections Canada. That’s compared to over $3 million the Liberal party raised, and over $6 million the Conservative party fundraised in the same quarter, which ended in June. As of July, the party still had roughly $3-million in debt from the 2015 federal election. Singh’s press secretary said that the party’s leader has never taken a salary from the NDP and doesn’t plan to until the party’s financial state “significantly” improves, the Toronto Star reported in July.Since Singh has yet to be elected to the House of Commons, he is not currently on public payroll. Though the NDP’s fundraising this quarter fell short of a million

dollars, it’s better than what it raised in the same quarter last year. During the first quarter of this year, the NDP fundraised over $1.3 million. These trends, said Guillaume Francoeur, a spokesperson for the NDP, are “encouraging,” The Canadian Press reports. Singh became leader of the party in October 2017. “It’s also important to note that we have an internal policy of not fundraising in a province that is in the midst of an election period. It’s just one way we supported [Ontario NDP Leader] Andrea Horwath in her mission to take on Doug Ford,” Francoeur told CP. Unfortunately for Singh, the federal Liberals have yet to crack down on unpaid internships as promised.

Man arrested in Surrey after stealing, crashing car with dog inside, then pepper-spraying person A man is in custody following a string of crimes in Surrey, B.C., late Thursday RCMP say just before 9 p.m. PT they received a call that a vehicle had been stolen from around 104 Avenue and 144 Street. Police trying to ID suspects in year-old Surrey shooting that injured innocent woman The owner of the car, who had left his dog inside, witnessed the theft. He flagged down a passing car who helped him chase his stolen vehicle. They followed it to 102 Avenue and City Parkway near Surrey Central SkyTrain Station, where it had rear-ended another vehicle.

The suspect fled on foot and was followed by another citizen, who was then peppersprayed by the assailant. Shortly afterwards, police say they spotted the man and took him into custody without incident. The suspect was taken to jail in Surrey and is facing a number of charges, including motor vehicle theft and assault. Surrey needs its own independent police force, says SFU criminologist RCMP Staff Sgt. Duane Honeyman says the person who was pepper-sprayed was treated on scene by paramedics and is fine.

Violent crime in Surrey sees four per cent increase The number of reported crimes involving violence in Surrey increased by four per cent in the first half of 2018 compared to the same period last year. This is according to Surrey RCMP crime statistics released this week. In the first half of 2018, 2,882 violent crimes were reported, and 2,775 in the first half of 2017. All told, the number of homicides increased by 75 per cent (seven compared to four), attempted murder up 133 per cent to seven from three reports, robberies fell two per cent to 132 from 135, sex crimes dropped one per cent to 197 from 198, assaults rose by five per cent to 1,455 from 1,389, and abductions and kidnappings dropped by three

percent to 33 cases from 34. Property crimes, on the other hand, decreased by six per cent, to 13,740 in the first half of this year from 14,680 in 2017. That includes business breakins (down 14 per cent), residential break-ins (down 12 per cent), auto theft (down 18 per cent), theft from vehicles (down by nine per cent), theft over $5,000 (up by 24 per cent), and theft under $5,000 (down by 13 per cent). Shoplifting is up 13 per cent in the first half of 2018 compared to the first half of 2017, stolen property cases are down six per cent, fraud is up three per cent, arson is up three per cent and mischief, down 11 per cent.

2-alarm fire destroys building in Burnaby, forcing hotel evacuation A major fire destroyed a two-storey brick building in Burnaby early Friday morning, forcing the evacuation of a neighbouring hotel. A large cloud of smoke could be seen above the area of Kingsway and Royal Oak Avenue around 3 a.m. The two-alarm fire quickly tore through the warehouse-type building, enveloping it with large flames. City of Vancouver sues developer to force repair of damaged mansion Acting Fire Chief Dave Younger says the site appeared to be under construction and

wide open inside, which may have helped the fire spread quickly and caused increased danger to firefighters. “There was nothing inside to save, it was more than fully involved. A complete structure fire on all four sides is kind of unusual to be honest, and this one was really going. It burned up quickly,” said Younger. Eight fire trucks and their crew spent more than an hour trying to extinguish the blaze, which had swallowed up the roof and caused the collapse of exterior walls.

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Metro Vancouver residents blame foreign buyers, money laundering for housing crisis, poll shows Metro Vancouver residents believe the region is in a major housing crisis and blame foreign buyers, population growth, shadow flipping and money laundering as the primary causes, according to a poll released Thursday. Insights West found that 90 per cent of Metro Vancouverites believe the region is in a housing crisis. That conviction is even higher among renters (97 per cent) and people who make less than $40,000 a year (98 per cent). The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation recently released an analysis that showed the perception of foreign buyers influenced the buying and selling decisions of local homeowners, who believed prices would continue to rise because of the presence of wealthy overseas investors. Steve Moscrop, president of Insights West, believes that population growth and limited housing supply are the main factors in rising home prices. He said he was a bit surprised to see the strong belief in demand-side factors such as overseas investment. “We know that foreign buyers represent a small fraction, like less than five per cent of Metro Vancouver, a little bit higher in the city, a little bit higher with condos,” he said. “So to just pick that as the culprit maybe is a bit misguided.” Both the provincial government and Vancouver’s city council have put extra taxes in place designed to slow demand: B.C.’s foreign buyer tax has been in place since 2016 and was increased this year, while the NDP government has added an extra tax on homes worth over $3 million and second homes in some areas of the province. In 2017, Vancouver was the first city in Canada to introduce an empty homes tax. The province also tightened rules

around shadow flipping: a practice that allowed for a contract to buy a home to be flipped between several people before the final sale, driving up prices and allowing people to avoid B.C.’s property transfer tax. B.C. is now looking at collecting more data on presale condo buyers to ensure people who flip pre-sales are not evading taxes. And while a recent government report showed the extent of money laundering in B.C. casinos, there are indications real estate may have also been used to launder the proceeds of crime. Following the introduction of the foreign buyer tax, prices and sales for singlefamily homes in Vancouver declined, and realtors say a slowdown is now happening.

US attorney gets jail for marriage fraud of Indian with Pakistani assistant A US attorney, who got an Indian-origin naturalised American citizen ‘married’ to his Pakistani assistant so that she could obtain a Green Card, has been sentenced to six months in a federal prison. Bilal Ahmed Khaleeq, 48, who was an immigration attorney in Dallas, conspired with others to unlawfully facilitate a marriage between 38-year old Pakistani national Amna Cheema and the Indian-origin US citizen, identified only as ‘Person A’, to evade immigration laws, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said. Cheema had previously pleaded guilty to her role in the scheme and was sentenced to time served. According to the plea agreement, Cheema and the US citizen were married in Dallas County in June 2015 and subsequently filed permanent residence application with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in July 2015. In exchange for agreeing to marry Cheema, ‘Person A’ was paid US$ 745. Cheema also admitted to meeting

Khaleeq and ‘Person A’ at the attorney’s law office on more than one occasion to prepare for the USCIS interview and required documentary evidence, including joint bank accounts, tax returns, and bills concerning their joint residence. According to Cheema, Khaleeq also represented the couple at the USCIS interview in April 2016 and advised them on additional evidence to make the “marriage” appear legitimate. Khaleeq had also coached the Indian-origin man on how to address the questions that would be posed during the USCIS interview process and specifically instructed him to tell the USCIS adjudications officer that he cohabited with Cheema, even though that was a false statement, according to documents. Additionally, the parties discussed filing joint tax returns to provide additional evidence and discussed how long the individual and Cheema should remain “married” in order for her to obtain US permanent residence.

Number of BC overdose deaths dropped in June There were 105 illicit drug overdose deaths in June, a drop from 123 in the same month last year. About 80 per cent of the fatalities are male and 71 per cent are between the ages of 30 and 59 years old. “That’s unacceptably high. It’s absolutely a public health crisis and it needs to be met with appropriate policy responses,” said Dr. Ryan McNeil, a research scientist with the BC Centre on Substance Use and assistant professor at the University of British Columbia’s department of medicine. The overdose crisis in B.C. has led to a number of new programs aimed at reducing deaths. McNeil is part of a team of experts at both the centre and the university

recommending a new approach to dealing with overdoses in Vancouver’s single-roomoccupancy buildings amid positive results from a project where tenants and landlords were given overdose response training. While the statistics show 60 per cent of the fatal overdoses happened in private homes, it’s unknown what proportion of those occurred in the single-room buildings. The buildings were identified as high-risk places for overdoses by the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Coastal Health, said McNeil, who was the senior author of a report on the tenant-training project.

Surrey crack shack killer loses appeal of murder conviction A man convicted of murder in a 2006 baseball bat beating death at a Surrey crack shack has lost his appeal.

Khalid Damien Arnaout had argued on appeal that the jurors should have concluded that the late gangster Kevin LeClair was the

assailant who beat David Mitchell to death over a $400 drug debt. But a B.C. Appeal Court panel of three judges rejected Arnaout’s arguments and dismissed his appeal. Justice Daphne Smith said the jurors’ conclusion that Arnaout was guilty of second-degree murder was reasonable based on the evidence at the 2016 trial. “It was open to the jury to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the appellant committed the offence,” Smith said in written reasons released Thursday Arnaout’s lawyer also argued that the trial judge failed to give proper instructions to the jury. Smith also rejected that position. “The jury charge reviewed the evidence and theories of the Crown and the appellant such that the jury was able to fully appreciate the issues of identity and intent,” Smith said. Appeal Court Justices Mary Newbury and David Harris agreed. Mitchell, 25, was beaten in the drug house on Ravine Road on Oct. 26, 2006. He died two days later in hospital. Arnaout was charged with murder in the cold case in November 2014. Three others faced manslaughter counts. One co-accused was convicted. Two others were acquitted. A key Crown witness against Arnaout was Gerald Desjarlais, who was at the house when Mitchell was beaten and pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact. Desjarlais testified that on the day of the beating, he overheard a phone conversation between LeClair and one of the co-accused, “during which Mr. LeClair said that he wanted to have Mitchell found, beaten up and ‘taxed’ for a debt of $400,” Smith noted in her ruling. “Later that evening, Mr. Desjarlais drove himself and the three co-accused to the drug house. Mr. LeClair went in a separate vehicle, as did two others.”

OPINION

Alex Simakov

Saturday, August 4, 2018 likely suffer for it most is in the suburban, immigrant-rich, swing ridings the Liberals desperately need to retain to keep their majority. While earning him points with the Davos circuit, Mr. Trudeau’s attitude toward the concept of citizenship may prove a great political liability with established immigrants. Having shed years of blood, sweat and tears to earn their Canadian passports, many immigrant voters likely didn’t take kindly to their Prime Minister issuing, via Twitter, an open invitation to the rest of the world to collect theirs at the door. We could, and should, have an honest debate about the consequences of the PM’s grandstanding in encouraging migrants to cross over in the first place, and his seeming reluctance to defend the integrity of Canada’s borders publicly. What is irrefutable is that his words betrayed a lack of seriousness about the value of Canadian citizenship. Despite the Prime Minister’s claim to understand the immigrant experience (his grandfather immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1911), Mr. Trudeau likely has a lot to learn about new Canadians’ mindsets. Many of us come from developing countries where mass migration didn’t result in bureaucratic overflow, but in chaos, violence and political instability. Those factors are part of the reason my family found ourselves detained overnight at Pearson Airport in 2001, having arrived as “irregular” migrants. They are also why I and others want Canada to prioritize and welcome the most vulnerable refugees in greatest need of our sanctuary – not just the relatively resourced asylum seekers who can reach our physical borders. Many established immigrants proudly spent their first years in dusk-to-dawn jobs, scraping together barely enough to provide for their families. Some are understandably annoyed by anecdotes of new asylum seekers being arrested for illegally crossing the border, only to receive tens of thousands in benefits and be housed in four-star hotels. Isolated complaints from new arrivals about minor inconveniences are unrepresentative.

Trudeau’s gamble on immigrant voters

mmigrants can be an unpredictable bunch. Perhaps that’s to be expected from anyone willing to pack their lives into a suitcase and start anew halfway around the world. It’s an important attribute to survive and thrive, as most are fortunate to do in Canada. But it also leads to some unpleasant surprises for politicians, who, having welcomed them in, naively expect their undying electoral loyalty. Judging by his recent actions, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to learn this the hard way. The late Gérald Godin, first Immigration minister for the Parti Québécois in the 1980s, gladly welcomed francophone immigrants by the hundreds of thousands, envisioning a legion of new French Canadians that would gratefully and obediently vote for an independent Quebec. Instead, this “ethnic vote” dashed his dreams and voted en masse

for a unified Canada in 1995. Mr. Trudeau is about to walk into a similar pitfall. Despite his glaring inability to come up with a credible plan to address what’s being called a border-crossing crisis, the Prime Minister appears set to make the issue a key plank of his 2019 re-election campaign. In recent weeks, his team has picked fights with Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s newly elected PC government on the matter. Federal Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen called Ontario Minister Lisa MacLeod “un-Canadian” for her audacity to question the federal government’s fiscal responsibilities toward provinces caring for asylum seekers. Mr. Trudeau’s principal secretary, Gerald Butts, went one step further by declaring any criticism of his government’s handling of the file as “alt-right.” Positioning Mr. Trudeau as a saviour of the stateless and oppressed is a campaign strategy, and with many urbanite, centre-left voters, it could work. But where he’ll

Alex Simakov is a consultant at the Daisy Group and has been active in conservative politics.

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Saturday, August 4, 2018

India, the world’s fastest-growing economy, has momentum

Protest against illegal border crossers ends in voilence From page 1

From page 1

-- are expanding at double-digits. The RBI is optimistic about growth and a narrowing output gap. The six-member rate-setting committee sees the recovery pushing inflation higher in the coming months -- enough to convince analysts and markets that a back-to-back rate increase is due on Wednesday. Any tightening in monetary policy comes amid concerns that the government may ease purse strings and miss budget targets ahead of a federal election in early 2019. Abhishek Gupta, an economist with Bloomberg Economics in Mumbai who’s among a minority predicting the RBI won’t hike this week, said there’s reason for caution and cited favorable base effects for spurring the pick-up in bank credit. “That’s one reason we are less upbeat on the economic growth outlook than the central bank,” Gupta said. “We see GDP growth recovering to 7.2 percent in fiscal 2019 from 6.7 percent in fiscal 2018, below the Reserve Bank of India’s forecast of 7.4 percent, as of June.” Here are the full details of the dashboard: Business Activity Activity in India’s dominant services industry rebounded in June from a mild contraction the prior month, expanding at its quickest pace in a year. That pulled up the Nikkei India Composite Index to its highest since October 2016 with manufacturing activity also showing signs of growing at a faster clip. A sure-shot sign of growth in demand is the reading of Nikkei’s index for new orders in June, which also surged to its highest since October 2016. That should give confidence to businesses to produce more and in the longer run draw-down inventories and close

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the output gap. Output prices are still rising, although the pace has somewhat stagnated. Nevertheless, the RBI says that companies are increasingly finding their pricing power and transferring higher input costs to consumers. This is likely to stoke inflation and keep the central bank on a hawkish watch. Exports Growth The export industry is still recovering from the double blow of a cash ban in late 2016 and the chaotic implementation of a consumption tax introduced last year. It lagged the global economic recovery and now with trade war clouds gathering, the outlook isn’t too great. The only silver lining is a weaker rupee which is probably going to make software exports more competitive. Consumer Activity Data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers show that the industry produced nearly 17 percent more vehicles in the April-June period than a year ago. Passenger vehicle sales grew close to 20 percent during that period and makes for a handy indicator in a country which has no retail sales data to track consumer spending. The data also shows commercial vehicles sales rose more than 50 percent and two-wheelers more than 15 percent. Bank loans are one signal that the RBI believes holds promise. Credit to various sectors including agriculture has risen 12.3 percent year-on-year, data available as of July show. Not everyone agrees with the RBI’s assessment though. Bloomberg Economics’ Gupta says rising borrowing costs are crimping corporate bond issuances and this indicates that total credit flowing to the corporate sector is weak.

and hundreds of kilometres from any land border with the United States. Nevertheless, as the demonstration was met by a smaller group of pro-refugee protesters, it became a flashpoint in the North American refugee crisis, with Markham’s mayor, Frank Scarpitti, as the unlikely main target. At issue was a rumour that

Last week was Vancouver’s deadliest week of 2018 as opioid crisis growing serious “Last week’s death count is simply ghastly: 11 people died due to suspected overdoses. Tragically, this marks Vancouver’s worst week for overdose deaths so far this year,” Mayor Gregor Robertson said in a release. “While the latest report from the B.C. Coroners shows that the number of suspected overdose deaths across the province decreased slightly in June, we don’t see signs that we’ve turned a corner on this public health disaster in Vancouver. A poisoned supply of street drugs continues to kill our loved ones and devastate

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Markham was about to agree to house as many as 5,000 asylum seekers in unused buildings, after Toronto asked for help accommodating an overflow. “Say NO to Mayor Frank!” read several signs in identical red lettering. Others played off the recent shooting rampage in Toronto: “Do Not Let Tragedy Happen In Markham.”

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Saturday, August 4, 2018

From page 1

Metro Vancouver housing ‘in the dumps’ as sales hit 18-year low From page 1 Indeed, the condo market has slowed sharply in Vancouver in recent months. In January, 57 condos sold for every 100 active listings on the market; by July, that had come down to 27 condos sold. That’s still considered a “seller’s market,” but just barely. Among detached homes, only nine out 100 active listings sold in July — a clear sign of a “buyer’s market.” “To summarize, sales are in the dumps,” tweeted Steve Saretsky, the Vancouver realtor behind the VanCity Condo Guide blog. “Buyers are price sensitive and over the past few months prices have been moving lower across all property types, including condos.” No more housing shortage As sales slow, the supply of housing on the market is growing. There were 12,137 homes of all types on the Vancouver market in July, up 32 per cent from a year earlier. The average selling price for a condo in Vancouver has fallen by 2 per cent over the last year, though the benchmark price — which compares similar types of properties — is still 13.6 per cent higher than a year ago, at $700,500. But that number is also falling now, down 0.5 per cent from last month. The slowdown in the single-family home market worsened, with sales down by 32.9

per cent from a year earlier. The average price of a detached home was 16 per cent lower than a year ago, while the benchmark price declined 1.5 per cent, to $1.588 million. Vancouver Detached average sales price fell 16% year over year in July. But the sales slump has so far not been enough to improve Vancouver’s housing affordability situation. Recent research from Simon Fraser University adjunct professor Andy Yan found Vancouver is the least affordable housing market in North America. Royal Bank of Canada’s measure of affordability found that the cost of owning a home was at a record high in the city in the first quarter of this year. Like most others in the industry, Moore blamed the slowdown on rising mortgage rates and tough new stress tests for mortgage borrowers. “Buyers and sellers are opting to take a waitand-see approach for the time being,” he said.

Welfare ‘cheque week’ brings a one-day spike in overdose calls is staggering for the public and speaks to the amount of work we have to do to get this scourge out of our cities and out of our province.” There were no fatalities among the 130 calls, according to BC Emergency Health Services. The figure does not include overdoses tended to by front-line workers and ordinary civilians armed with naloxone kits. Some people in such circumstances are revived before 911 is called and choose not to go to hospital. The only other time B.C. recorded as many overdose calls in one day was in April, 2017.

The uptick comes on a “cheque week” – the days following the monthly distribution of welfare cheques, a time historically linked to an increase in overdoses. Overdose calls have climbed significantly in

recent years, with Vancouver recording the most in the province. In 2015, paramedics responded to 3,055 suspected overdose calls in the city; that climbed to 5,944 in 2016 and 7,939 in 2017, according to BC Emergency Health Services. In 2017, about 5,000 of those calls were in the Downtown Eastside. Vancouver averaged about 22 overdose calls a day to B.C. paramedics in 2017 and has averaged about 20 calls a day in 2018. There were 40 calls in the city on cheque day last Wednesday, 47 the day after and 45 on Friday. Insite, which once averaged a couple of overdoses a day but now sees closer to seven a day since the fentanyl crisis took hold, recorded 16 overdoses on cheque day and 11 the following day.

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Why Imran Khan is unlikely to break Indo-Pak stalemate

Imran Khan, the cricket icon-turned-star politician, will soon be Pakistan’s new prime minister. Given his close ties to the Pakistani army, and given his troubling approach to counterterrorism—Khan has repeatedly criticised his country for targeting Pakistani terrorists with force—one might reasonably expect New Delhi to be concerned. In reality, Khan’s arrival on the scene is unlikely to have a major impact on India, or on India-Pakistan relations. And that’s because the Pakistani army—not Khan, or any other civilian leader—calls the shots on policy toward India. Interestingly, some of Khan’s recent messaging has telegraphed a willingness to engage with India. In a speech on the day after the election, he called for better relations, including more

trade ties, with New Delhi. This is actually unsurprising; Khan has close ties to India from his cricket days, and he still has friends there. As he said in his July 26 speech (perhaps with a touch of hyperbole), “I am the Pakistani who has the most familiarity with India, I have been all over that country.” Indeed, he has been a cricket commentator on Indian television channels, and he speaks favourably of the Aam Aadmi Party. Like Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf party, the AAP has a singular focus on anti-corruption. Khan met AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal during a trip to India in 2016. Met Imran Khan and we shared our experiences in politics. Both challenging status quo in respective countries.

However, all this said, once he takes office, Khan will likely dial down the conciliatory rhetoric. Khan doesn’t like deferring to authority, but he won’t want to do anything that risks angering a military that isn’t enthusiastic about engaging with India. For Khan, who has badly wanted to be premier for two decades, the last thing he would want to do is imperil his hold on power by upsetting the army. When Nawaz Sharif tried to blaze an independent trail and take a more conciliatory position toward New Delhi soon after he began his term in 2013, the army was not pleased—and the stage was set for a long period of turbulence in civil-

military relations. PM Modi received by

then-Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, at Lahore, Pakistan on December 25, 2015. At any rate, aside from the recent public messaging about wanting better ties with India, Khan’s views on India align closely with the army’s. Khan, for example, has repeatedly expressed a strong desire to resolve the Kashmir dispute—an objective, incidentally, that undercuts his stated wish for better relations with India. New Delhi won’t be interested in a formal dialogue if there’s any chance of Kashmir being on the agenda. Khan won’t be that bold civilian leader who prods the army to cut off support to the India-focused terror groups in Pakistan. This is someone who was once keen to negotiate with the Pakistani Taliban even as it was wreaking havoc across the country, and who has praised the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan as a holy war justified by Islamic law. If he didn’t want to combat an organisation that terrorized Pakistan for a decade, and if he lavished praise on a brutal war in Afghanistan, then he certainly won’t urge the army to hunt down Hafiz Saeed. By contrast, consider the cases of China and the United States. Here, potential divergences in views between Khan and the army are discernable. Khan has called for contracts associated with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor to be more transparent, which the army has never proposed. And, he has expressed antiAmerican rhetoric that may be too harsh for an army that wants to maintain a workable relationship with Washington. With India, there’s little indication of such looming policy divides between Khan and the army. In effect, with Khan in power, the army will continue to manage India policy. This shouldn’t bother Khan, given that he and the army largely see eye to eye in their thinking on India. Ultimately, the IndiaPakistan relationship is likely to remain in a stalemate well into next year, and for reasons that have more to do with India than with Pakistan and whoever may be leading its government. India is less than a year from holding its own national elections. For the BJP, which has taken a harder line on Pakistan since its efforts to engage Islamabad early in its term failed to pay off, reaching out to Pakistan during election campaign season would be a political liability. For PM Modi, the optics of extending an olive branch to Islamabad, or accepting one extended to him by Khan, would be quite poor. In sum, the idea of a Prime Minister Imran Khan may be unnerving to some in India (because of his ties to Pakistan’s deep state) and heartening to others (because of his stated desire for better relations with New Delhi). But in the end, Khan will have minimal impact on a bilateral relationship destined to suffer regardless of Pakistan’s election outcome. Michael Kugelman is deputy director for the Asia Program and senior associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC. Historic Win for Imran Khan.

Saturday, August 4, 2018

How Canada can actually fix the migration mess on its borders Our federal government is clearly unwilling or unable to stop the flow of asylum seekers entering Canada illegally from the United States. Once on Canadian territory they can apply for refugee status, because unlike most countries we allow anyone who manages to get into Canada to submit a claim. Once they are in, whether found to be a refugee or not, it is unlikely they will be removed. It is difficult to estimate the enormous costs of processing and caring for the thousands of asylum seekers who enter Canada each year. Officials now estimate the costs range from $13,000 to $20,000 each. But this estimate doesn’t take into account the long-term costs of maintaining claimants who are awaiting their refugee hearings or who have been accepted but still require financial help. In 2008 Canada received 37,000 asylum seekers and 60 per cent of those were expected to be refused. At that time the government estimated the cost of each failed claimant to be $50,000. The Canadian taxpayer faced a bill of approximately $1.11 billion to deal with failed cases. This is what will force our government into making urgent reforms. The sooner, the better. Canada’s asylum system is dysfunctional and has been for 30 years. Reforms have been fiercely opposed by a powerful refugee lobby consisting of immigration lawyers, non-government organizations, church groups who sincerely believe that these people deserve help, and politicians, who choose not to recognize the problem. So what can be done to reform the mess we now find ourselves in? First, we must understand what our obligations under the UN Refugee Convention actually are. The Convention, established in 1951 as a follow up of to the mass displacement of people after the Second World War, was carefully worded to ensure that it would not in any way infringe upon the principle of national sovereignty and the sanctity of borders. Its definition of a refugee was narrow and specific: ”anyone who owing to a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it … ” The core principle is that a genuine refugee can not be returned to a country that presents a threat to his life or freedom. This is the heart of the Convention and it does not demand much beyond that fundamental obligation. It does not require any state to accept refugees. It does not tell states how to adjudicate claims. It does not include in its definition people fleeing war or natural disasters. It does not condone illegal entry unless the individual

enters the asylum country direct from the country of persecution. It does not include people who are internally displaced in their own country. Canada has chosen to enact laws and regulations that go above and beyond what is required by the Convention. Rethinking our own processes are just a first step to solving our problem. The next step is to stop the flow across the border. This means changing our rules to prevent anyone from submitting a refugee claim who is either a citizen of a “safe country” or is a non-citizen residing in or passing through a “safe country.” The government has the power to designate countries as “safe” for refugees. These are usually defined as countries that are signatories to the UN Convention, are democratic, follow the rule of law, and have a good human rights record. Canada has no obligation to accept asylum claims from people who are not in danger of persecution. People who enter illegally should be arrested and quickly returned to where they came from — the United States, primarily — after a removal order has been issued. Their right of appeal can be heard after their removal at a later date. Though it is technically possible that the U.S. would refuse to accept them back, that would be violating long-standing customs and common practice for shared borders (and we wouldn’t know until we tried). It is not necessary to have a quasi-judicial body such as the Immigration Refugee Board adjudicate refugee claims. These decisions should not be delegated to a board of politically appointed members responsible only to themselves, and who may, or may not, have the experience, training, or knowledge to render quality decisions about who is or is not a refugee. Furthermore, because it allows unlimited access to its deliberations, it has suffered with backlog problems from its inception and the current crisis is just another example. In most countries asylum decisions are made by professional refugee officers or judges. They have the background and expertise necessary to make quality decisions quickly. They can be located in various parts of the country thus improving and speeding up the asylum process. The asylum problem has preoccupied Western governments for more than 40 years. The true victims have been genuine refugees, mainly women and children, who desperately need help, but the enormous costs of dealing with asylum seekers who won’t meet that standard bog down this vital system. Canada now has the opportunity to reform its dysfunctional processes and get its own house in order. Now would be a good time. James Bissett is a former ambassador and was head of Canada’s Immigration Service from 1985 to 1990.

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WestJet’s Swoop to launch transborder service to five U.S. destinations and Wi-Fi that inflate travel Swoop will become costs depending on individual Canada’s first ultralowhowever it will The transborder cost airline to fly to the United States when it service offer 4,100 seats at passenger needs. will be Swoop currently receives about $36 a launches service this fall to five popular tourist launched to these U.S. low promotional destinations in Florida, Nevada and Arizona. fares of $99 and passenger, twice the level at WestJet. But more gateways as Swoop The subsidiary of WestJet Airlines Ltd. will receives delivery of its $119 for travel of these non-fare revenues are expected to be start Oct. 11 with flights to Las Vegas from fifth and sixth airplane, booked online generated as others services are added like car Abbotsford, B.C., and Edmonton, Alta., about said Swoop president until Feb. 13, 2019. rental, hotel, third-party travel insurance and four months after Swoop began to fly. The airline’s beefed up food and drink offerings. Steven Greenway. “As we mature, as we grow the airline, that’s Service will be added over the following model is based “They really blend couple of weeks between Hamilton, Ont., and well to the model that on passengers really where we start seeing some differences,” Las Vegas as well as to the Florida cities of Fort we provide in terms paying ancillary Mr. Greenway added, declining to forecast Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa Bay. Flights of low cost, high volume type of leisure profile fees for additions such as bags, premium seats, potential per passenger ancillary revenues. between Edmonton and Phoenix will start Oct. that we definitely are targeting,” he said in an 27. interview. Most destinations will be serviced a few Everyday one-way fares start as low as $149 Richmond mayor says planned development near Massey times per week but daily service will be flown including taxes and fees through April, 2019, Tunnel ‘not served by transit & could affect farmland’ between Edmonton and Las Vegas. The mayor of Richmond, B.C., has criticized without any real public transportation and plans for a new casino development just without any likely development around it across the Fraser River in the City of Delta. because it’s on agricultural land,” he said. Malcolm Brodie has raised concerns “If they do develop on it, then it will about the lack of transit infrastructure impact on the Agricultural Land Reserve.” and the potential impact on farming land Brodie is also concerned the new of the project, which is slated to be built casino will siphon gamblers from at the south end of the Massey Tunnel. the River Rock Casino in his city. Delta council has given final approval The final decision on whether the to the plans, which include a casino, project will proceed will be made a five-storey hotel and restaurants. by the B.C. Lottery Corporation. The company behind the proposal, Gateway Brodie says Richmond is sending a letter Casinos, says hundreds jobs will be created and that outlines his concerns to the BCLC, which the City of Delta will collect anywhere from could lead to a dispute resolution hearing. $1.5 million to $3 million in annual revenue. Peter German (right, with B.C. Delta Coun. Bruce McDonald says Attorney General David Eby) released the benefits are too good to pass up. his report into money laundering “They want to invest $75 million in in B.C. in July. (Yvette Brend/CBC) your community,” he said. “They want to Money-laundering report employ 700 people and they are prepared The majority of Delta city council to make modifications as we’ve requested.” supports the project, but councillors Jeannie ‘Car-oriented destination’ Kanakos and Heather King voted against it. But Brodie says the location of the Kanakos says most of the debate development, near the intersection of and public input came before Highway 99 and Highway 17A, is terrible. Peter German released his report. “It’s in a car-oriented destination

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Saturday, August 4, 2018 Lower housing sales in Vancouver housing market cools off, Vancouver have yet to translate per cent, even after factoring in into bargain buys at the entry level, despite headlines in recent months on the a pricing drop in the first half of city’s real estate market cooling down, industry 2018. It has been two years since experts say. Buying is no closer to being within the provincial government, then reach for millennials because the market led by the B.C. Liberals, slapped downturn has mostly hit detached houses while a 15-per-cent tax on foreign having only a relatively muted impact so far on buyers in the Vancouver region. pricing for entry-level condos and townhouses, In February, 2018, the B.C. NDP said demographer Andy Yan, director of Simon minority government raised Fraser University’s city program. To make that tax to 20 per cent and also starter homes in Vancouver affordable, wages expanded its reach to include would have to skyrocket and/or condo prices other urban areas in British would have to collapse, Mr. Yan said. “It could Columbia.The implementation be a mix, of course – some version of doubling of the foreign-buyers tax in August, 2016, incomes or halving prices so that the market helped end the boom in detached housing, but is realigned to local incomes,” he said in an prices for starter condos haven’t been deeply interview on Tuesday. Since mid-2014, condo discounted during the lingering crisis over prices in Vancouver have soared more than 50 affordability, said Steve Saretsky, a real estate

Richmond man gets $50,000 fine, house arrest for smuggling Tobacco seized from Mehboob Karim Alladina by the CBSA. (CBSA photo) A Richmond man was sentenced to house arrest and fined almost $50,000 for smuggling more than 10,000 kilograms of unstamped chewing tobacco. The Canadian Border Security Agency said Thursday that Mehboob Karim Alladina pleaded guilty on June 21 at provincial court in Richmond after smuggling $475,600 worth of tobacco from India between 2008 and 2016. The agency said it first became aware of the 71-year-old car salesman in 2009, when Alladina paid a traveller to smuggle 14 kilograms of tobacco through the border at Boundary Bay in Delta. Between July 2008 and November 2009, Alladina ordered unstamped tobacco from a U.S. company called Zarda King and shipped

it to a mailbox in Point Roberts, Wash. – the other side of the Boundary Bay crossing. In November 2009, border guards intercepted the traveller at Boundary Bay and seized $2,831 worth of tobacco. Starting in 2010, Alladina placed larger orders with Zarda King and split them with an Ontario-based associate named Raamkumar Raaman, paying him $85,490 for his portion of the tobacco. Alladina and Raaman ended up importing about 8,500 kg of tobacco, worth about $361,500, resulting in an estimated total of $704,365 of evaded federal duties and taxes. In June and July 2016, Alladina partnered with another Ontario man to bring 336 kilograms, valued at $23,300, into the country. He stored these at Surrey storage unit.

Two sports cars impounded for speeding along Lougheed Hwy A Lamborghini and a McLaren have been seized after their drivers were caught speeding on Lougheed Highway on Monday morning. Ridge Meadows RCMP were patrolling a stretch of highway between Maple Ridge and Mission when officers spotted the high-end sports cars — a blue 2017 Lamborghini Aventador and a black

2016 McLaren 675H — zoom eastbound at 138 km/h in an 80 km/h zone. The drivers, both 22 and Burnaby residents, were stopped. The driver of the McLaren is an “N” or novice driver, said police. Both have been ticketed in the past for speeding and have received fines. One of the vehicles was equipped with a radar detector. A 2017 Lamborghini Aventador has a base price of $450,000 (CAD). Ridge Meadows RCMP A Black 2016 McLaren 675H has a base price of $184,900 US, according to Car And Drive Magazine. Ridge Meadows RCMP The men were on their way to the Mission Raceway for a private event when they were stopped, said police.

The drivers were slapped with tickets that carry $368 fines and a three-point deduction on their driving records. An incident report will be sent to the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles for further review. The cars were impounded for at least seven days. “This stretch of Lougheed Highway is our No. 1 problem area when it comes

to excessive speed,” said RCMP Sgt. Bruce McCowan. “We have seen too many tragic outcomes where all the driver needed to do was just slow down.” If you’re on your way to the track, then save it for the track! Lougheed is our number one problem area. Be safe this long weekend. Read more here; https://t.co/WLrcIMm4yV pic.twitter. com/MhzDDBR1Gz— Ridge Meadows RCMP (@RidgeRCMP) August 2, 2018 Ridge Meadows RCMP have issued speeding tickets to 472 drivers this year, with 178 of those on Lougheed Highway between Maple Ridge and Mission.

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regulator has reduced the but buying still out of reach for some amount that borrowers qualify for and slowed demand for agent who also writes a housing real estate. Total sales of various housing types newsletter. Over the past two have tumbled to multiyear lows in Vancouver as years, Vancouver condo prices a result of the B.C. NDP government’s housing jumped 13.9 per cent on average policies and the federal stress test, which while townhouse prices rose 6.5 combined have made it tougher on borrowers per cent, according to his analysis. already coping with higher mortgage rates, The price for condos sold within Mr. Saretsky said. “It’s still pretty hard to afford Vancouver averaged $857,503 in to buy, especially when there is a clampdown June, compared with $753,065 in on mortgage financing,” he said. “If you have the same month in 2016, while an expensive two-bedroom condo for sale in the average price for townhouses Vancouver, it’s going to sit longer on the market climbed to $1,162,466 from than an entry-level one-bedroom condo.” Story $1,091,106 over the two-year continues below advertisement The city’s condo period. By contrast, the price for detached market peaked in January this year and the houses sold in Vancouver in June averaged townhouse segment hit new highs last August. $2,550,708, down 12 per cent from $2,899,698 The average price for attached properties sold in the same month in 2016. Federally, a stress in June was more than 15 per cent lower than test imposed this year by Canada’s banking the record highs.

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Saturday, August 4, 2018

Abbotsford anti-gang program to lose funding as kids head back to school An Abbotsford program that has helped steer more than 400 kids away from gangs will lose its government funding as school resumes, despite promises by both the federal and provincial governments to tackle gang violence in B.C. Federal funding for the In it Together program run by Abbotsford Community Services ends Sept. 30, and while the agency has applied for additional money, it’s been told federal dollars won’t be available until April 1, 2019, said coordinator Alison Gutrath. “Our current caseload is over 100 youth. If we don’t get funding, they’ll be starting the school year without support,” she explained. In a bid to bridge the six-month funding gap, Abbotsford Community Services has approached both Public Safety Canada, the source of the program’s original fiveyear grant, and the provincial Ministry of Public Safety, offering to scale back staffing to “essential-service levels” for six months at a cost of $423,000. The pleas have gone unanswered. “We know there is money earmarked for anti-gang initiatives in B.C., but the application process doesn’t line up with the end of the current program,” said Gutrath. Abbotsford has seen a surge in gang activity in recent years, logging the secondhighest murder rate in Canada in 2017, according to Statistics Canada. Police have linked seven of the 10 homicides in the Abbotsford-Mission region last year to gangs. The conflict is related to the ongoing gang war that has gripped Metro Vancouver, prompting pledges of financial

support from politicians at all levels. While not a new program, In it Together is very successful, said Gutrath. Twelve outreach workers, including some who speak both English and Punjabi, work with dozens of gang-affiliated youth. They’ve counselled kids who have had siblings and friends killed in gang conflict. “It starts with building a relationship,” said Gutrath, recalling a recent phone call from a youth who had been shot. “He was in his hospital bed, asking to see his youth worker.” Staff have also met with more than 1,000 parents and grandparents over the last five years. Referrals to the program have come not only from police and schools, but also from families seeking help. Harley Jones credits the program with setting him on the path to a better future. The 19-year-old musician recently returned from a B.C.-wide tour. Five years ago he was on probation when he met an outreach worker at a special class for kids who had been kicked out of school. “I was stealing cars (and) selling drugs. I was stabbed in my right wrist,” he said. The outreach worker took Jones out, rather than meeting with him in a stuffy office, and taught him to play lacrosse. “He helped me with anything I needed. He taught me to control my feelings. He taughtmelifeistoogoodtowaste,”Jonessaid. When Jones told the outreach worker about a song competition he was having with a few friends, he encouraged him to pursue his passion for music. The teen hasn’t looked back.

2 motorcyclists killed in separate incidents in Metro Vancouver

Two motorcyclists died in separate crashes in Metro Vancouver on Wednesday evening, according to RCMP. A 54-year-old man died after a collision between an SUV and a motorcycle at the intersection of Como Lake Avenue and Poirier Street in Coquitlam, B.C., at around 5 p.m. PT. Coquitlam RCMP and the Lower Mainland District’s Integrated Collision Analysis Reconstruction Services (ICARS) are investigating.

Surge in motorcycle accidents ignites debate about posting crash photos online The second rider died in a crash at approximately 6:30 p.m. PT near the corner of Griffiths Drive and 14th Avenue in Burnaby, B.C. According to RCMP, the motorcycle was headed northbound on Griffiths Drive and the rider lost control for unknown reasons.

Man who barricaded himself inside Denny’s restaurant arrested by police Kamloops RCMP have arrested a man who barricaded himself inside a Denny’s restaurant for nearly 11 hours on Thursday. A customer made a threat after receiving his bill at about 4 a.m., according to a release from Kamloops RCMP. The wait staff evacuated the building, leaving the man alone in the restaurant. “The suspect had closed the blinds to all of the windows and only exited the building once. He was brandishing a knife and when he saw police officers, he went back inside of the restaurant,” an RCMP press release reads. Officers shut off the natural gas to the restaurant as a precaution, closed nearby roads, and surrounded the restaurant. Man faces numerous charges after 15-hour Okanagan standoff

The 29-year-old suspect wasn’t taken into custody until about 2:45 p.m., after police say they made multiple attempts to communicate with him. A police emergency response team finally entered the restaurant to arrest him. Investigators say the man is a resident of Kamloops and is known to police. He’s being held in custody. After the arrest, police said roads around the restaurant would remain closed while they secured the scene.

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Saturday, August 4, 2018

Similkameen’s Snowy Mountain wild fires now largest in the province The Snowy Mountain wildfire visible from Keremeos and Cawston, BC is now the largest in the province at more than 6,600 hectares (66 square kilometres) in size. The BC Wildfire Service says the fire was active overnight, moving into steep terrain that is dangerous and inoperable for crews. A precautionary evacuation order has been recommended for five properties within the Lower Similkameen Indian Band jurisdiction. BC Wildfires 2018: Cathedral Lakes Lodge, provincial park ordered evacuated Cawston resident Guy Villecourt was worried about his cedar hedge catching fire from floating embers, but the situation improved overnight with winds from the north blowing the smoke and flames away from town. “We got lucky,” he said. “The winds shifted and pushed the fire to the south.” The Snowy Mountain fire is listed as zero per cent contained. Meanwhile, the Placer Mountain wildfire that forced the evacuation of Cathedral Lakes Lodge for a second straight year has grown to more than 2,300 hectares (23 square kilometres), but winds are starting to push the flames back toward areas that have already burned. Crews have built a “fuel free” line on the south flank of the fire to help contain the blaze, which is still classified as out of control. Slightly cooler temperatures and a chance of showers over the next few days are expected to help the situation. The Placer Mountain fire has forced the evacuation of the Catherdral Lakes Lodge for a second straight

years and is considered out of control. There are currently 11 wildfires of note burning in the province which either are highly visible or pose a threat to public safety. Wildfires in the Kootenays have closed Hwy. 93 between Radium Hot Springs, B.C. The B.C. Wildfire Service says there has been an uptick in wildfire activity and Environment Canada reported over 30,000 lightning strikes across the province last night.

In advance of the B.C. Day long weekend, the province is asking people to be extra vigilant in preventing new fires from igniting. “Be careful when you’re out in the back country,” said forest minister Doug Donaldson. “Follow the rules and avoid any activities that could start a wildfire.” The B.C. Wildfire Service estimates 27 per cent of the 1,260 wildfires in the province since April 1 have been human caused. Current evacuation alerts and orders: For the latest wildfire information, visit: B.C. Wildfire Service Emergency Info B.C.

Poll shows majority wants gov’t to do more to reduce poverty Canadians overwhelmingly see poverty in their communities as increasing, rather than decreasing, and they believe their federal and provincial governments aren’t doing enough to reverse this trend. Just what should be done, however, is the subject of considerable disagreement. Part Two of the Angus Reid Institute’s in-depth study of poverty in Canada finds Canadians largely agree wealth and poverty are more the result of circumstance than of personal character, that rising income inequality is unacceptable, and that a national infrastructure program would be a good idea for addressing these issues. The population is considerably more divided

on questions of government benefits for the poor, with wealthier individuals and political conservatives generally opposed to increasing spending on these programs and preferring to place greater emphasis on hard work. These findings also play out across the four segments of the spectrum of lived experience identified inChapter 1 of this report: The Struggling, the On the Edge, the Recently Comfortable, and the Always Comfortable. The four groups hold strikingly similar attitudes on many aspects of poverty in Canada, but there is significant disagreement between the two Comfortable segments and the two Struggling ones over the role of government in addressing poverty today.

Richmond mayor slams casino project approved by Delta council The mayor of Richmond, B.C., has criticized plans for a new casino development just across the Fraser River in the City of Delta. Malcolm Brodie has raised concerns about the lack of transit infrastructure and the potential impact on farming land of the project, which is slated to be built at the south end of the Massey Tunnel. Delta council has given final approval to the plans, which include a casino, a five-storey hotel and restaurants. The company behind the proposal, Gateway Casinos, says hundreds jobs will be created and the City of Delta will collect anywhere from $1.5 million to $3 million in annual revenue. Delta Coun. Bruce McDonald says the benefits are too good to pass up. “They want to invest $75 million in your community,” he said. “They want to employ 700 people and they are prepared to make modifications as we’ve requested.” But Brodie says the location of the development, near the intersection of Highway 99 and Highway 17A, is terrible.

“It’s in a car-oriented destination without any real public transportation and without any likely development around it because it’s on agricultural land,” he said. “If they do develop on it, then it will impact on the Agricultural Land Reserve.” Brodie is also concerned the new casino will siphon gamblers from the River Rock Casino in his city. The final decision on whether the project will proceed will be made by the B.C. Lottery Corporation. Brodie says Richmond is sending a letter that outlines his concerns to the BCLC, which could lead to a dispute resolution hearing. The majority of Delta city council supports the project, but councillors Jeannie Kanakos and Heather King voted against it.

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Saturday, August 4, 2018

Burnaby will require developers to install electric vehicle charging outlets Developers will soon be required to prepare their Burnaby apartment building parking spaces for electric vehicle charging. City council passed a bylaw on Monday that will require every parking space for a housing unit to be equipped with an energized outlet.

The developer has to supply the outlet, while it is the vehicle ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responsibility to provide and install the charging equipment specific to their car. Parking spaces for visitors, secondary suites and existing housing units will not be required to include outlets.

Snow and hail blanket southern Alberta highway in July Drivers near the Crowsnest Pass were met with some decidedly unseasonal conditions on Tuesday night. Highway 22 in southern Alberta was blanketed in what looked like snow but was probably hail, making roads slick and slow. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were driving and suddenly it just became a little bit foggy. Then we noticed just a little bit of snow on the side and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think much of it. Then all of a sudden we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see anything, not even the car in front of us,â&#x20AC;? said Sasha Selby, who drove through the aftermath of the storm. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was entirely filled with fog and there was snow everywhere and there was loads of cars in the ditch â&#x20AC;&#x201D; maybe three or four cars in the ditch â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and there was a massive tow truck that had no lights on that was blocking the highway as well and we almost hit that and managed to swerve around. It was quite frightening, actually.â&#x20AC;?

Selby said they drove, slowly, through the winter-like conditions for 20 to 30 minutes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a beautiful day and it was warm when we left Calgary â&#x20AC;Ś then all of a sudden this complete turn of events,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was six degrees by our car thermometer t h e r e . â&#x20AC;? John Paul Cragg, a w a r n i n g preparedness meteorologist w i t h Environment C a n a d a , said thunderstorms moved off the Foothills between 6 and 7 p.m. Tuesday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The hail was pretty small, but the accumulations were quite high and there was enough accumulation that the roadways were covered,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is something thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not completely uncommon through the summer months, but it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen very often.â&#x20AC;? Cragg said thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential for more severe weather across Alberta on Wednesday.

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City sues developer and Trudeau friend to force repair of damaged heritage house The City of Vancouver is headed to Supreme Court in a bid to force a prominent developer to repair a storied $14 million mansion ravaged by fire. According to court documents, the 1911 Shaughnessy home that once hosted Vancouverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wealthy and powerful is now at threat of rodent infestation and water damage. The city has filed a petition seeking to declare owners Miao Fei Pan and Wen Huan Yang in violation of its Heritage Standards ByLaw. The city also wants an order to force the couple to hire registered professionals to come up with a plan to repair the building and then retain a contractor within 15 days of the issuance of applicable permits. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;He felt he was deceivedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; The court filings are the latest move in a situation that began with what officials claimed was a suspicious fire on the grounds of the Angus Drive home on Oct. 22, 2017. According to an assessment report, Pan and Yang bought the property for $10.7 million in 2012. Pan made headlines in 2016 after he hosted a fundraiser with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at another mansion he owns in West Vancouver. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is seen here at a fundraiser held at the West Vancouver mansion of developer Miao Fei Pan. A fire incident report included in the petition claims fire officials called Pan and Yang on the night of the fire, but a language barrier prevented any questioning of the owners. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Neighbours in passing stated that house had been vacant for approximately five years,â&#x20AC;? the incident report says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The previous owner [unknown] was on scene and spoke with [Vancouver Police]. Stated that he sold the home several years ago. After the sale, he was notified by a lawyer that the new owner wanted to sue him. This was due to the fact he felt he was deceived by not being aware this house is protected by the city and is not able to be demolished and rebuilt as a new home.â&#x20AC;? The court documents say fire investigators took into evidence a cigarette package and a bottle of charcoal starter found in the house. No charges have ever been filed in association with the fire. Ordered to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;prevent further damageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; The blaze caused significant damage

to the roof and walls of the building. According to the petition, days after the fire, the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chief building inspector ordered Pan and Yang to repair and maintain the building so as to â&#x20AC;&#x153;reasonably prevent further damage caused by weather, infestation, rot or similar decay.â&#x20AC;? A deadline was issued for Nov. 15, 2017. The fire caused significant damage to the roof and walls of the building. The city has ordered the owners to repair and maintain the property. The deadline was twice extended, but the city says the couple never complied with the order. In June, they were charged under the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritage bylaw with failing to comply with an order and failing to prevent damage caused by weather or decay. Pan and Yang have not filed a response to the petition. A legal representative said they were not in a position to comment on the matter. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC; T e s t a m e n t to the lifestyle of wealthyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; The petition includes an affidavit from heritage consultant Elana Zysblat, describing the architectural and cultural significance of the home. The property is known as the Frank William Rounsefell residence for its association with the wealthy businessman and community leader who first owned it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The residence is an excellent, intact example of the Arts & Crafts Style ... with its irregular and asymmetric plan, its horizontal orientation and its mixed materials cladding featuring wood shingles, stucco and decorative half-timbering,â&#x20AC;? Zysblat wrote. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The house design with its generous grounds, broad multi-gabled roof, prominent verandas and chimneys and its extensive, wide bands of divided light windows stands testament to the lifestyle of wealthy Shaughnessy families.â&#x20AC;? After Rounsefellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death in 1938, his wife began renting out the coach house in 1945. In 1954, the property was bought by Don Cromie, described in an obituary as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;wealthy, generous, vindictive, creative, eclectic publisherâ&#x20AC;? of the Vancouver Sun. Cromie added a pool and cabana and was renowned for holding raucous parties. The property was later sold to a B.C. educational pioneer and the coach house rented out to an architect who ran the Classical Joint jazz club by night.

Grandma jailed for Trans Mountain protest A 70-year-old woman has been sentenced to seven days in jail after she and several other protesters blocked the gates to Kinder Morganâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s oil terminal in Burnaby, forcing a halt in construction. Laurie Embree, a resident of 108 Mile Ranch in the South Cariboo region of B.C., was among nine people arrested on Tuesday for their blockade, according to a press release from Protect the Inlet. In her statement to the court, Embree said it was her duty to protest unjust laws. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Your Honour, I have lived my 70 years abiding by the law. But, if we look back into our history, there have been many times when our laws have supported injustices,â&#x20AC;? Embree said. She proceeded to cite 18th century laws supporting child labour, 19th century laws permitting slavery and 20th century laws that called for Indigenous children to be taken away from parents to argue that laws that support injustices need to be challenged. Embree said the pipeline project

â&#x20AC;&#x153;supports an industry that is not just harming children, or black people, or women, or Indigenous peoples. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Your law, in fact, is supporting an industry that has been scientifically proven to be harming the whole world and every living thing on it.â&#x20AC;? Two more protesters were arrested on Wednesday, according to Protect the Inlet, and they could face seven to 14 days in jail. One of them, retired civil lawyer Ruth Campbell, told the group that she decided to join the protest after hearing about Embreeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arrest. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disgraceful that a provincial government that opposes Kinder Morgan is letting these arrests happen,â&#x20AC;? she said. Protect the Inlet said it anticipates more seniors and retirees to join the protests in the coming weeks, when construction on the contentious Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project is expected to ramp up.

Saturday, August 4, 2018 It’s been the topic Surrey RCMP hope to have Inadmissible Patron Program in place by year of discussion in operating in Vancouver, New Westminster Task Force on Gang Violence Prevention the community for more than a decade, and Abbotsford for years, but calls for recommended the city support the Surrey and now Surrey RCMP hope to have a Surrey to join in have been unanswered. RCMP in developing and implementing program that targets gang members and Inadmissible Patron Program. What finally prompted Surrey RCMP’s an associates who patronize local bars and Surrey RCMP’s gang enforcement team is gang enforcement team to begin developing restaurants in place by the end of this year. its own version of Bar Watch and Restaurant working on the program and hopes to have “We have always called for it,” said Anita Watch — an Inadmissible Patron Program — it in place by the end of the year, or sooner. Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board Because it is still being developed, there was the release of a report last year from the of Trade. “It’s a good program and we’re province’s Illegal Firearms Task Force, that are few details about how it will work, but pleased that it’s going to be implemented.” recommended expanding bar watch programs Bar Watch and Restaurant Watch and to communities where they are warranted. similar programs aimed at discouraging Last month’s report from the Mayors’ violence in licensed establishments have been

Independent panel to study Metro Vancouver board’s pay and benefits An independent panel will be set up this summer to recommend pay and benefit levels for elected officials who serve on Metro Vancouver’s board of directors. The panel was proposed after the board, reacting to a public outcry, reversed its decision to bring in a pay increase and a retirement benefit this spring. Metro staff were asked to prepare terms of reference. The panel will review the Metro board remuneration policy and best practices of paying elected officials across Canada. Members will meet at least three times and report their findings and recommendations in early 2019. Metro staff will provide research and administrative support.

The panel’s work will be done in private, although two board members suggested the public should be able to witness the panel’s activities. The panel will include three external representatives, one from the private sector, one from the public sector and one former elected official. Metro’s chief administrative officer and its head of human resources will provide advice. Panel members will not be paid, but there is money in the budget to cover expenses associated with meetings, including travel and catering. Metro chair Greg Moore will appoint three directors to a selection committee.

Peter Fassbender will run again for mayor of Langley A former Liberal MLA and cabinet minister, Peter Fassbender, has announced he is running for mayor in the City of Langley. Fassbender was a councillor there for one term before being elected as mayor for almost three terms. He didn’t finish his third term, entering provincial politics in May 2013. “After serious discussions with my family and others, we have determined that I still have the energy and commitment to make a solid contribution in the next four years,” Fassbender said in a statement. Soon after Mayor Ted Schaffer announced in December that he would not be seeking re-election, the rumours began that Fassbender was considering a run. Fassbender was defeated in the 2017 provincial election in Surrey-Fleetwood. As MLA, Fassbender served as minister of education, then minister of community, sport and cultural development, and also was minister responsible for TransLink, a position that put him at odds with many of the region’s mayors. Fassbender said he was approached by many people in the city and region to run for mayor again. He said his platform includes making sure that the City of Langley, which is just 10 square kilometres and home to about 25,000 people, has a strong voice in the region. “We are at a critical time in the province and region when it comes to issues of transportation, housing supply and affordability, homelessness and the opioid crisis, to name only a few,” said Fassbender. Fassbender also believes that with more than half of the region’s mayors not running for re-election, he will be able to provide experience in forums such as Metro Vancouver and TransLink’s Mayors’ Council. Fassbender is not the first provincial politician to express interest in the upcoming municipal election.

Longtime B.C. Liberal MLA Rich Coleman, who represents Langley East, had considered running for mayor in Surrey, but announced a couple of weeks ago that he would be sticking with provincial politics.

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the program will allow police to remove “inadmissible patrons” from participating licensed establishments. Surrey RCMP Cpl. Elenore Sturko said the program will give the businesses enrolled the ability to contact police if they see someone wearing gang colours or exhibiting certain behaviours and have trained gang enforcement team members attend.

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Saturday, August 4, 2018

Port Moody residents to be fined for leaving pets in vehicles in hot conditions The City of Port Moody has granted by-law officers the ability to hand out tickets to people leaving pets in a hot car. The change comes following Tuesday’s council meeting and mirrors Coquitlam’s own pet bylaws. Senior bylaw enforcement officer Patrick Colby said the first offence will result in a $100 fine. “Any subsequent occurrences under the same section of the animal control by-law will result in a $500 fine.” And if the fines don’t put an end to the offender, he said they can escalate enforcement. “[If] there is an extraordinary circumstance like that, we do have authority under the community charters to seize any animals that may seem in distress.” Colby added there has been an upward trend of people leaving dogs in cars this summer.

In a release, Port Moody’s mayor Mike Clay said By-law Enforcement staff received complaints about animals left in vehicles and a gap in the Animal Control Bylaw meant the city couldn’t do anything.

Clay hopes these amendments will encourage dog owners to make the right choice and keep their animals safe.

Vancouver seeks to appropriate decrepit Sahota-owned slum hotels The City of Vancouver has moved to wrest ownership of a pair of decrepit Downtown Eastside hotels from the Sahota family. City staff filed an expropriation notice last week that would shift ownership of the Regent and Balmoral single room occupancy hotels to the municipality. Jack Gates in front of the Regent Hotel in Vancouver on July 30, 2018. Gates used to live in the Regent, and now works as an advocate for tenants. Former residents like Jack Gates and community advocates, who for years had pressed the city to step in, called it a victory and a warning to other slum landlords. “I spent four-and-a-half years in the Regent hoping that the Sahotas would work on the building or something, but they never did, so we just kept pushing,” Gates said shortly after he learned of the notice. “It’s a little bit late, but you know what, at least now we’ve got something going.” Sahota family loses bid for controversial Vancouver cannabis d i s p e n s a r y Regent Hotel rooming house in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside now empty, tenants relocated Vancouver renters’ advocates fear city underestimates danger of Cobalt SRO hotel

More than 300 low-income tenants had to be moved after the city shut down the Regent last month and the Balmoral last year. Gates said that he was the last resident to leave the Regent, having stayed on to make sure all of the building’s other tenants received fair compensation and a new place to live. He said his new home is a “very nice place.” Decades of “underinvestment and mismanagement” by the owners had caused structural and safety concerns in the hotels, according to the city. Paul Mochrie, the deputy city manager, called the expropriation bid an extraordinary step. “I think what we’ve seen in the past year, since the closure of the Balmoral, is the lack of any real progress on remediation of that building, so that’s certainly a factor here. And then over the same year, dealing with the circumstances at the Regent,” he said. “We were hopeful that we would start to see some different behaviour on the part of the owners …” The Balmoral Hotel in Vancouver, BC, July 30, 2018. Arlen Redekop / PNG The Sahotas did not return a request for comment and the family’s lawyer, Michael Katzalay, said he hadn’t had an opportunity to discuss the matter with them. City staff had previously made an offer to buy the buildings from the Sahota family, but the family did not respond, Mochrie said. He declined to say how much the city had offered. The Balmoral, at 159 Hastings Street East, was assessed at being worth nearly $2.7 million as of July 1, 2017, and the Regent, at 160 Hastings St. E, was assessed at nearly $12.2 million.

Police release dash cam video of man pushing someone into traffic near PNE Vancouver Police Department (VPD) have now released dash cam video from an incident that took

place near the Pacific National Exhibition fairgrounds (PNE) in mid-July. They are hoping the release of the video will help them identify a suspect in a serious assault as the video appears to show a man pushing another man into traffic on East Hastings Street. Just before 10:30 p.m. on July 15, two men were leaving a concert at the PNE Amphitheatre and were walking on the north sidewalk of Hastings Street, near Windermere Street, when they stopped briefly to check on the well-being of a young woman who appeared to be intoxicated. The woman said she was OK so the two men continued walking. Police say, seconds later, they were confronted by an “agitated man” who had been walking behind the woman. The man then allegedly ran toward the men and deliberately pushed one of them into traffic. The victim was struck by a white SUV that was travelling west

The driver, unsure of what happened, pulled over and waited for police. VPD says in no way was the driver at fault. “We have obtained dash cam video from the SUV involved in the collision,” VPD Const. Jason Doucette said in a release. “We are asking the suspect to turn himself in, but if he doesn’t, we are confident that someone will come forward to identity him and his friend.

on East Hastings.

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A day after Calgary police found three people slain in two different locations, the force says the killings occurred almost a week apart. Dustin Duthie, 25, has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Taylor Toller, Shawn Boshuck and Alan Pennylegion. CBC News has confirmed that the dead are the accused’s girlfriend, his mother and stepfather. A duty counsel lawyer representing Duthie appeared before a justice of the peace Wednesday morning in Calgary. Taylor Toller was found dead on Tuesday at a residence in southeast Calgary. Her boyfriend, Dustin Duthie, is accused of killing her along with his mother and stepfather. (Taylor Toller’s Facebook page )

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Calgary man accused of killing girlfriend, mother & stepfather Police found a woman’s body at a condo complex in the 2000 block of Applevillage Court S.E. in Applewood Park, a neighbourhood on the city’s outskirts, after receiving a check-onwelfare call about two locations at around 11 a.m. MT Tuesday. Sources told CBC News that the call to police was made by Duthie. At a second location, in the 10100 block of Hidden Valley Drive N.W., more than 20 kilometres to the northwest, police found two more homicide victims — a man and a woman. City records list the owners of that residence as Boshuck and Pennylegion. Shawn Boshuck was found dead at a home in northwest Calgary on Tuesday. Her son, Dustin Duthie, is accused of killing her.

Police said Tuesday that Duthie was taken into custody at one of the two locations, but didn’t specify which one. A personal property registry search shows Duthie co-owns a car, a 2012 Hyundai Sonata, with Boshuck, and a car matching that description was seen parked in front of the home at Hidden Valley Drive. Neighbour Brian Ng said an older couple have lived at the Hidden Valley home for about two years, and a young man in his 20s was often seen driving the silver car. “That silver car is in and out almost

every hour of the day,” Ng said. Alan Pennylegion was found dead at the same residence as Boshuck on Tuesday. (Supplied) At Wednesday’s hearing, court heard that Duthie is accused of killing Toller on July 25 and Boshuck and Pennylegion on July 31. Police have not revealed how the three were killed. A friend of Pennylegion’s describes him as a “good guy” who was always positive. Dustin Duthile is being held at the Rockyview General Hospital and is under a suicide watch.

Brother of Toronto shooter was expected to plead guilty to Saskatoon drug charges The older brother of the man who went on a shooting spree in Toronto’s Greektown earlier this month was arrested on drug charges in Saskatoon three years ago. Court documents indicate Fahad Hussain, the 31-yearold brother of accused Toronto gunman Faisal Hussain, was arrested in Saskatoon on July 24, 2015 and charged with possessing cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and possession of proceeds of crime. Fahad was granted $3,000 cash bail and told he must reside at a Toronto address. He was not allowed to consume drugs or alcohol or possess weapons and was

Faisal Hussain, 29

Fahad Hussain, 31

not allowed to return to Saskatoon except for court appearances. He was later scheduled to stand trial in Saskatoon in February 2017, but a request was made to transfer his case to Ontario Superior Court. The trial never happened — the documents indicate he intended to plead guilty. In January 2018, a public prosecutor wrote to inform the people involved in the case that the charges would be waived because Fahad had suffered a “medical incident” in the summer of 2017 and remained “hospitalized in an unresponsive state.” Further court documents say Fahad had suffered an overdose and was in a “vegetative state.” Saskatoon lawyer Mike Nolin, who represents Fahad, said he could not comment on his client’s case because he has been left comatose and cannot give instructions. Fahad’s younger brother, 29-year-old Faisal Hussain, died after a shooting spree and shootout with police in Toronto on the evening of July 22. Police said the shooter fired several shots, killing two people and injuring 13 others.

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Saturday, August 4, 2018

Edmonton apartment building engulfed in fire An apartment building in the Blue Quill neighbourhood went up in flames early Sunday morning. Flames were shooting from the roof when the fire was reported at a four-storey apartment building at 27th Avenue and 115th Street shortly before 2 a.m., said Edmonton Fire Rescue spokeswoman Suzette Mellado. Up to 60 firefighters were sent to the scene. “This fire spread really quickly,” Charred remains of an apartment building said district fire chief Ed Pitman. didn’t really think about grabbing anything, “The primary concern was to get everyone out but you still have to control the we just left and hoped for the best.” His suite was decimated by the fire at the same time, so there’s a lot going on.” One resident of the apartment building flames, Gwilliam said. He was able was taken to hospital, Mellado said, despite to escape alongside his wife and dog. “It’s a little daunting but I think it’s just saying earlier no one was injured. Nothing else is known about the resident’s condition. taking one step at a time and moving forward. All other residents were able to get out safely. It stinks but the big thing is everyone’s safe Jason Gwilliam, whose suite is on the and everything else, it can be replaced.” ETS buses were brought in for residents third floor, described the evacuation as chaotic with several of his neighbours to take shelter, and some gathered inside questioning whether it was a false alarm. a nearby school. The Emergency Support “When I was walking out people were Response Team is arranging temporary opening their doors and I was telling housing for residents who need it. The fire was declared under them, ‘It’s a real fire, we need to go,’” at about 5:20 a.m. Gwilliam told reporters outside the control Edmonton Fire Rescue could apartment complex on Sunday morning. I was telling them, ‘It’s not confirm what caused the fire, a real fire, we need to go.’ how many suites were damaged, or Jason Gwilliam the estimated cost of the damage. Red Cross disaster management “Our suite was right under the starting point so it was pretty scary,” he said. “We coordinator Carmen Werbowetsky said there are 64 units in the apartment complex.

South Asian woman accused in 2015 Shoppers Drug Mart stabbing death found fit to stand trial The woman charged with first-degree murder in the 2015 stabbing death of a young woman in a downtown Toronto Shoppers Drug Mart has been found fit to stand trial this fall, the Ontario Review Board announced Monday. Rohinie Bisesar, 43, was ordered by a judge to undergo additional treatment at a mental health facility in the city earlier this year before a tribunal could assess her fitness for the legal proceeding. The ORB is responsible for reviewing cases of people found unfit to stand trial due to a mental disorder or not criminally responsible in criminal cases. The provincial watchdog has determined Bisesar’s mental state had improved enough to stand trial. She’s set to appear in a Toronto court on Oct. 29. The ORB’s decision came after the Crown and defence in the case filed a joint submission earlier this year. The details of that submission are subject to a publication ban. Bisesar has been in custody since being arrested following the December 2015 slaying of 28-year-old Rosemarie (Kim) Junor. During past court proceedings, Bisesar fired two lawyers and accused each of misrepresenting her. Police say attack was unprovoked Junor, a newlywed at the time, died in hospital days after being stabbed inside the Shoppers in the city’s underground PATH

system near Bay and Wellington streets. Police previously said the two women didn’t know each other and the attack was unprovoked. Rosemarie (Kim) Junor, 28, died less than six months after her wedding. She worked at the nearby Medcan Clinic in Toronto’s financial district. (Facebook) Bisesar was initially charged with attempted murder before the charge was upgraded to second-degree murder and then, first-degree murder after police uncovered new evidence that suggested she had carried a knife into the drug store and the stabbing might have been premeditated. Bisesar graduated from York University’s undergraduate and graduate business programs, and had held several jobs in the city’s financial district. She was hospitalized during the initial hearing and told the court she heard voices and claimed to have had a microchip implanted inside her. That led Superior Court Justice John McMahon to question her mental state and order two separate 60-day psychiatric assessments. The results of which, last year, concluded Bisesar was unfit to stand trial. Dr. Ian Swayze, a forensic psychiatrist, testified that Bisesar was schizophrenic and experienced delusions, auditory hallucinations, disordered thoughts and paranoia. Her condition prevented her from conducting her own defence or instructing a defence lawyer, Swayze said — a requirement for being fit to stand trial.

Family of victim and bystanders still suffering 10 years after Greyhound beheading Tucked in the shade of a roadside tree west of Portage la Prairie, Man., stands a white cross with Timothy Richard McLean’s name painted across it in capital letters. Scratched into the chipped white paint below is the message, “I think of you always son. Love Dad.” Next to it stands another cross draped in McLean’s blue button-up work shirt with a pair of his sporty sunglasses attached at the collar. This is where 10 years ago on July 30, 2008, a man known then as Vince Li who was sitting next to McLean on Greyhound bus No. 1170 travelling from Edmonton to Winnipeg on the TransCanada Highway pulled out a

knife and repeatedly stabbed his seatmate. Carol de Delley visits her son’s grave - and the site where Timothy McLean was killed by Vince Li regularly. (Justin Fraser, CBC News) The driver and passengers fled the bus but watched in horror as Li decapitated the 22-year-old Winnipeg man and mutilated and cannibalized his body. RCMP arrived with special negotiators and a heavily armed tactical unit. It took five hours before they arrested Li when he tried to escape from the bus by breaking through a window.

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Saturday, August 4, 2018

RBC error sees Montreal property owners slammed by fines Several Montreal homeowners were fined this month for failing to pay their property taxes on time, even though it appears the missed payments were due to a mistake by the Royal Bank of Canada. One of the property owners, Christina Tong, was fined more than $600 for missed payments on her three Montreal properties. Tong paid her fines, but she said that’s not the issue. She wonders how many people have paid up without realizing they aren’t to blame. Did this happen to you? Send us an email and let us know Tong said she had arranged to make her property tax payments through online banking back in February, shortly after municipal tax notices were issued.

But earlier this month, she received notices that her tax bills were unpaid. She promptly paid them, along with the fines. “I thought it was a personal error,” Tong said. “I’m not that kind of a person. I always pay my taxes on time, and I usually set it up with an automatic payment.” At a dinner party shortly after she received the notices, she discovered her friends and their neighbour were also fined for missing the payment deadline. Just like Christina Tong, homeowner Vincent Poirier received an overdue notice on his property tax balance along with interest and penalty incurred, despite having pre-arranged his payments online with RBC. (Submitted by Vincent Poirier)

Ottawa eases carbon tax thresholds to help Canada’s big industries compete Bowing to concerns about international competitiveness, the Trudeau government is scaling back carbon pricing requirements for some of the country’s heaviest energy users, and signalling that more easing could come before the plan takes effect in 2019. Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued new requirements that will increase the emissions threshold at which polluters will have to pay a carbon price. The system will only affect industries in provinces which don’t have their own federally-approved carbon pricing system. All provinces and territories have to submit their carbon pricing plans by September, and if they don’t meet federal requirements, consumers and industries in those provinces will be subject to part or all of the federal system. That includes a minimum carbon price of $20 per tonne of emissions for most fuels such as gasoline, diesel, propane and natural

gas. Larger industrial emitters whose annual emissions exceed 50,000 tonnes will be exempted from paying the carbon price on their fuel inputs, and instead pay it on what they emit over a certain amount. In January, the federal government suggested that threshold would be set at 70 per cent of the average emissions intensity for their industry. The carbon price would apply to any emissions exceeding the threshold, and companies that emit below the threshold will receive credits from the government they can trade to companies that exceed the limit, to create a market incentive for companies to find a way to reduce their greenhouse gas footprint. Oil refineries, such as this one in Strathcona County, Alberta, will have the threshold increased from 70 per cent to 80 per cent. Postmedia Network

Nothing free about Canada’s ‘free’ health-care : Fraser report A typical Canadian family of four will pay a staggering $12,935 for health care in 2018, a new Fraser Institute report suggests. And our health-care system is far from being a free ride. The eye-opening data was released Tuesday by the Fraser Institute. Among the findings: — Most Canadians are unaware of how much the medical services they use cost because they never see a bill and may only pay a small public health insurance premium. — Government revenues fund health care so it’s nearly impossible to determine how much of their taxes go towards medical care. The money comes from general government revenue. — Using data culled from Statistics Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the study shows a family of four

(two parents, two children) with a household income of $138,008 will pay a pocketbook painful $12,935 for public health care in 2018. — When adjusted for inflation, that’s 68.5% increase since 1997, the first year estimates could be calculated. — A couple earning roughly $57,000 each would pay $12,878 annually while a single parent with a child earning $60,000 would pay $4,357, according to Fraser. — For single Canadians earning less, the numbers are starker: Their health care costs doubled from $2,115 (in 2018 dollars) to $4,460 this year. — And disparity in incomes also plays a factor. The 10% of Canadian families with the lowest incomes ($14,885 for an average household) will pay $496 for health care this year. For Canadian households in the top 10% (earning $291,364 on average), their bill will be a bill of about $38,903.

Canada’s richest families own as much wealth as 3 provinces combined: report Fewer than 90 families in Canada hold roughly as much wealth as what everyone living in Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island collectively owns. That’s the finding of a new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), which compares the net worth of Canada’s 87 richest families to the wealth of average families since 1999. “Canada’s dynastic families have got it all — more wealth, more inheritance, and are as lightly taxed as they were the last time we looked in 2014,” study author and CCPA senior economist David Macdonald said in a statement. The country’s most affluent families are worth $3 billion on average, while the median net worth in Canada is just under $300,000, meaning that half of families own more and half less than that. And while wealth at the top grew by $800 million per family between 2012 and 2016, a rate of 37 per cent, Canada’s median net worth grew by only $37,000, an increase of 15 per cent. Net worth is the total value of a family’s assets minus any debts and other liabilities. Taken together, the country’s top 87 families hold $259 billion in wealth, just shy of the $269 billion in net assets collectively owned by everyone living in Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Prince

Edward Island, including “all houses, cottages and other properties, all cars, every savings account in the region, RRSPs, pensions, etc.,” Macdonald writes. The study analyzes wealth inequality using information on Canada’s richest dynasties as compiled by Canadian Business magazine and data on household net worth from Statistics Canada’s Survey of Financial Security. While much of the current debate about inequality has been focused on the growing gap between the top one per cent of earners and the rest, wealth disparities are just as concerning, Macdonald argues. Wealth inequality is, in part, a by-product of income inequality. After all, the more you make, the more you can save, and the faster your net worth grows. “And since returns on larger sums of invested money are naturally higher, we should expect the growth in the net worth of the wealthiest Canadians to outpace everyone else by a larger and larger factor with each passing year,” Macdonald writes. Wealth is also accumulating at an increasing rate across generations, according to the report. While in 1999 46 of Canada’s 87 wealthiest families were nouveau riche, by 2016 that number had gone down to 39, meaning that most of today’s top scions were born into wealth.

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Canada to join Mexico, Japan, South Korea, EU to talk auto tariffs Canada will join Mexico and other European and Asian auto-producing countries this week to plot strategy ahead of the potential imposition of tariffs on vehicles and auto parts exported to the United States. Japan and the European Union organized the meeting for Tuesday in Geneva, where vice and deputy ministers from Canada, the EU, Japan and South Korea will gather to talk about the punishing levies threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump. A Canadian government official told The Canadian Press on Sunday that deputy international trade minister Timothy Sargent would attend the meeting on Canada’s behalf. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs under Section 232 of the decades-old U.S. Trade Expansion Act. The legislation allows the president, under certain circumstances, to impose duties recommended by his commerce secretary under the notion that the goods being imported are a threat to national security. Just as it did after the U.S. imposed hefty

tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and other nations, the Trudeau government has said it would respond to auto tariffs with its own countermeasures. The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association has warned that “dollar-for-dollar” retaliatory levies would have a much more significant effect on Canada’s auto sector than counter-tariffs on aluminum and steel. Critics warn the potential tariffs of up to 25 per cent, plus retaliatory measures, could add thousands of dollars to the price of a vehicle, kill jobs and cause significant harm to the global auto industry. But auto parts makers have said Canada and other countries would have little choice but to respond in kind to any U.S. trade actions. Trump ordered the Section 232 investigation of auto imports on May 23. It’s not clear when the probe will be completed, although the one launched last year into steel and aluminum took several months to issue its conclusions.

Ontario’s cancellation of basic income pilot is seen as a setback by BC proponents The cancellation came as a surprise to David Green because it comes one year into its planned three-year term and defies a promise Ford made during last spring’s election campaign. Details about how the pilot will be wound down, including whether the approximately 4,000 people receiving funds through the program will lose their benefits, are yet to be revealed. Andrew Weaver’s Green party ran on a platform of launching a basic income pilot project. The leader slammed Ontario Premier Doug Ford Wednesday for cancelling the province’s pilot. Green, a UBC economist, was observing Ontario’s project closely, not least because he’s the chair of a three-person committee tasked with reporting to B.C.’s government about the feasibility of implementing some form of basic income. “It definitely would have been useful

— so it’s unfortunate for us that it’s not in place,” Green said in an interview Thursday. It also comes with a warning about what may happen to B.C.’s basic income pursuits in the event of a change of government. “We know the context we’re facing — the NDP plus the Greens have a razor-thin hold on power,” Green said. “We know that something like what happened in Ontario could happen here.” B.C.’s study on basic income is the result of the confident and supply agreement between the NDP and the Greens. Andrew Weaver, the leader of the Greens, is a longtime supporter of basic income and ran on a platform of running a pilot similar to Ontario’s. “It’s very unfortunate that Doug Ford would do this,” Weaver said in an interview with The Star, calling the cancellation a “backwards” approach to social security.

Jacques Corriveau, Liberal organizer and key figure in sponsorship scandal, dead at 85 Ex-federal Liberal party organizer Jacques Corriveau, who was eventually convicted after being described by a judge as a central figure in the sponsorship scandal, has died at the age of 85, his lawyer said Friday. The former close associate of ex-prime minister Jean Chretien died June 23 and his funeral was held July 14, lawyer Gerald Souliere said in an interview. Jacques Corriveau, a one-time close associate of former prime minister Jean Chrétien, was handed a four-year prison term in January 2017 and fined $1.4 million but was freed pending an appeal. Jacques Corriveau, a one-time close associate of former prime minister Jean Chrétien, was handed a four-year prison term in January 2017 and fined $1.4 million but was freed pending an appeal. A jury found Corriveau guilty in 2016 of fraud against the government, forgery and laundering the proceeds of crime in connection with the sponsorship scandal. He was handed a four-year prison term in January 2017 and fined $1.4 million but was freed pending an appeal.

The sponsorship program was created after the 1995 sovereignty referendum to boost the federal government’s presence in Quebec. A public inquiry into the scandal, however, revealed firms were winning contracts based on donations to the federal Liberals, with little work being done. A judge who headed the federal inquiry described Corriveau — who worked on Chretien’s leadership campaigns — as a “central figure” in the program. The Crown alleged Corriveau set up a kickback scheme on contracts awarded for the sponsorship program and used his design company to defraud the federal government between 1997 and 2003. Corriveau was only charged for the crimes in December 2013 following an 11-year investigation. In their appeal, Corriveau’s lawyers argued the trial judge erred by not invoking the lengthy delays to grant a stay of proceedings before the trial began. Souliere said the appeal is no longer applicable because of Corriveau’s death.

NATIONAL

INDIA

Saturday, August 4, 2018

US Congress waives sanctions for India United States Congress has passed the conference report on National Defense Authorization Act-2019 (NDAA-19), which paves the way for waiver to India from punitive Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act or CAATSA, under which sanctions kick off on countries that purchase significant military equipment from Russia. The Senate passed the John McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (NDAA) by an overwhelming, bipartisan vote of 87 to 10. Passed by the House last week, the bill, named after Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, would provide $716 billion support in funding for national defense for fiscal year 2019.

The bill, which now moves to the White House for President Donald Trump to sign it into law, among other things, provides a modified waiver to section 231 of CAATSA. Unlike the existing version of the act, the proposed modified waiver requires presidential certifications designed to protect US alliances, military operations and sensitive technology. “The CAATSA waiver that the Congress has made available to India in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act should provide ample flexibility for New Delhi to proceed with the purchase of the Russian S-400 system,” Joshua White, a former senior official of the National Security Council in the White House, told PTI.

Supreme Court orders freezing of all bank accounts of 40 companies related to Amrapali group Charging the real estate major Amrapali Group with “defrauding investors” and then playing “dirty games” with it, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered freezing of all bank accounts and attachment of movable properties of 40 companies relating to the embattled group. A Bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra directed the group to produce details of all its bank accounts from 2008 till date and ordered freezing of bank accounts of all directors of 40 companies relating to the real estate major. It summoned Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary and National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) India Limited Chairman

for proceeding with the Amrapali Group’s matters without its approval. Top court had on May 17 accorded nod to three co-developers to complete 12 stalled projects of Amrapali Group in six to 48 months. It had asked the group to deposit Rs 250 crore in four weeks in an escrow account to be paid to the codevelopers on the completion of projects. The completion of six projects was likely to benefit 27,000 to 28,000 homebuyers. The court had on May 10 spotted diversion of funds to the tune of over Rs 2,700 crore by the Amrapali Group and sought details of financial transactions made by the company and its statement of accounts.

White House confirms R-Day invite for Trump The White House has confirmed that an official invitation has been extended to US President Donald Trump to be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day parade in 2019. Days after it was first reported, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed the news and said the US response is yet to be finalised. “I know that the invitation has been extended, but I don’t believe a final decision has been made. I do know that both Secretary of Defence James Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be travelling to India next month and will begin the dialogue and process and potential discussion for a presidential visit later in the year,” said Sanders at a regular

press interaction. Mattis and Pompeo will be in New Delhi on September 6 for the twice-postponed inaugural 2+2 dialogue with their counterparts Nirmala Sitharaman and Sushma Swaraj. Discussions on a possible Trump visit are expected to take place among other pressing bilateral issues, including US sanctions on Iran as well as Russia. PM Narendra Modi had extended an invitation to Trump to visit India during his trip to DC last year in June for summit talks. Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama was the first US President to be bestowed the honour of a January 26 invitation by PM Modi in 2015 in a move that surprised all, including critics.

SC notice to Centre, state on Bihar rapes The Supreme Court on Thursday took suo motu cognisance of Muzaffarpur shelter home rapes and issued notices to the Bihar Government and the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development. A Bench of Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta also restrained the media from publishing images, including morphed ones, of victims or interviews with them. “They

(victims) cannot be compelled to relive the trauma again and again,” the Bench said. It directed the investigating agency (CBI) to take assistance of professional counsellors and qualified child psychiatrists for questioning the victims. While appointing advocate Aparna Bhat as amicus curiae to assist it in the matter, the court posted the case for further hearing on August 7.

RBI hikes rate For the second time in two months, the six-member Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Wednesday raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points (bps) on inflationary concerns, a move that will make home, auto and other loans expensive. The MPC, headed by RBI Governor Urjit Patel, at its third bi-monthly monetary

policy review meeting raised the repo rate (at which it lends to other banks) to 6.5 per cent, but kept its policy stance as “neutral”. Consequently, the reverse repo rate (at which it borrows from banks) stands adjusted to 6.25 per cent. The marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the bank rate stand at 6.75 per cent.

Keith Vaz ‘bullied Commons clerk who queried trip expenses’ The Labour MP Keith Vaz has been accused of bullying one of his clerks in parliament who sought to uphold the rules of the House of Commons. The MP for Leicester East is alleged to have told one woman she was poor at her job because “she was not a mother” after she questioned his conduct during taxpayer-funded trips abroad. Vaz has denied the allegations, which will be broadcast on BBC2’s Newsnight at 10pm on Wednesday night. Jenny McCullough, the former clerk to the home affairs select committee, which Vaz chaired, claimed she was bullied after attempting to control the MP’s behaviour on a trip to Russia and Ukraine. He stood down from the committee in 2016 following a newspaper sting which claimed that he had hired prostitutes and offered to buy cocaine. An investigation into those allegations is ongoing. Guardian Today: the headlines, the analysis, the debate - sent direct to you

McCullough claims that in 2008, after an “opulent” unscheduled dinner with mysterious Ukrainian politicians, she raised concerns over who was paying for the event and was subjected to a “tirade” from Vaz in a hotel lobby in Kiev. She said: “He told me that I wasn’t capable of serving the committee because I wasn’t a mother. All I knew was, it wasn’t normal to be harangued about my fertility status in the reception of a hotel room, at public expense, in front of my colleague on the team.” A representative for Vaz told Newsnight the hospitality did not need to be declared and that no rule was broken. McCullough alleged that Vaz subsequently subjected her to continued personal criticism and made jokes about whether she posed a security threat because of her Northern Irish background and accent.

Maha parties join chorus to ‘deport Bangladeshis’ Political parties in Maharashtra, including the BJP and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, are demanding that a National Register for Citizens (NRC) be implemented in the state on the lines of Assam so that illegal immigrants could be identified and deported. “There are many Bangladeshis living illegally in Mumbai and Colaba,” BJP MLA Raj Purohit said. He said he has written to the Mumbai District Collector demanding a NRC-like exercise to identify

and deport illegal immigrants. “Now, it has been proved that there are 40 lakh illegal immigrants in Assam. There are many more living illegally in every city,” he said. Raj Thackeray’s MNS also joined the chorus against Bangladeshi immigrants. “Illegal immigrants from Bangladesh are a danger to the law and order in Mumbai,” party leader Bala Nandgaonkar said in a statement, demanding the NRC in Maharashtra on the lines of Assam.

PUNJAB

Saturday, August 4, 2018

SAD demands citizenship rights for Afghan Sikhs The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday urged the Centre to grant full citizenship rights to the minority Hindu and Sikh immigrants from Afghanistan who have been forced to flee to India. Also, it sought Central intervention for granting minority status to Sikhs in Jammu and Kashmir. A delegation of SAD MPs, led by Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh pressing for citizenship rights to the immigrants from Afghanistan. The delegation comprised SS

Dhindsa, Naresh Gujral and Prem Singh Chandumajra. Former MP Tarlochan Singh, president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) Manjit Singh (GK), and representatives of Hindu and Sikh immigrants from Afghanistan accompanied the delegation. Making a distinction between the immigrants in Assam, the delegation said the Hindus and Sikhs were forced to flee Afghanistan on account of religious persecution by the Taliban.

Schoolgirl ‘gangraped’ in Amritsar A 14-year-old girl allegedly gang-raped by four youths after abducting her from school at Chamiari village here. The incident took place on July 27 and a complaint was lodged on Tuesday evening. Police said after the girl went missing on Friday, the family members did not lodge any report and said they kept searching her on their own. Victim’s father told the police that his daughter, a student of Class VIII of a government school, was found unconscious near a petrol pump along the road leading to Khanwal village. She later told them that the accused abducted her in an SUV saying that

Medical practioner mysteriously murdered Unidentified persons shot dead a 40-yearold registered medical practitioner at Badhni Kalan village in Nihalsinghwala subdivision of the district on Wednesday. Local police said the deceased identified as Mandip Singh, the village resident. A preliminary investigation revealed that some people came to his house, asking him to go along with them to examine a patient. Mandip accompanied them, but when they reached near Lopo village link road, he was shot with a revolver. He died on the spot. Informed by local residents, the police reached on the spot and sent the body to district hospital here for a post-mortem examination. It is learnt that the medical practitioner, who belonged to the Dalit community, was carrying his licensed revolver, but he could not use it in self-defence as he was empowered by the assailants. They also took away his revolver. Moga SSP Gurpreet Singh Toor, Nihalsinghwala DSP Subegh Singh and other police officials visited the spot. The SHO of Badhni Kalan police station, Surjit Singh, said a murder case had been registered.

Punjab Cultural Mission to promote state heritage The Punjab Kala Parishad announced the formation of Punjab Cultural Mission, which will be tasked with promoting the rich heritage of the state. The decision was taken during a meeting presided over by Surjit Patar, chairman of the parishad, at Punjab Kala Bhawan said an official press release here. Singer Pammi Bai has been made the director of the mission, which will work at the village level connecting the youth with the rich cultural heritage of the state. The mission has 14 members from the field of arts and culture. Apart from Surjit Patar, the mission members include secretary general of Punjab Kala Parishad Lakhwinder Singh Johal, noted choreographer Inderjit Singh, actor Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi and singer Sukhi Brar.

her mother was not well. She was taken to a secluded place where they took turns to rape her. Parampal Singh, Amritsar rural police chief, said they had registered a case, but were awaiting the medical report, which was expected by Monday. Those booked were Raman and his brother Rubi (both distant relatives of the victim).

Navjot Sidhu accepts invitation from Insaaf party for attending Imran’s oath-taking ceremony In Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party spokesperson Fawad Chaudhary said that former Indian cricketers, including Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Navjot Singh Sidhu as well as Bollywood star Aamir Khan have been invited to the oathtaking ceremony of Pakistan’s Prime Minister-designate Imran Khan. Sidhu in a statement indicated

his acceptance of the invitation. “It is great honour, I accept the invitation. Men of genious are admired, men of power are feared, but men of character are trusted. Khan Sahab is a man of character, He can be trusted. Sportsmen build bridges, break barriers, unite people,” Sidhu said.

AAP activists turn out in large numbers Not giving in to the AAP leadership’s diktat that participation in MLA Sukhpal Khaira’s convention would be considered as “antiparty”, volunteers turned up in large numbers from different parts of the state to support the dissident AAP MLAs and their demand for autonomy to the state unit. Talking to The Tribune, Tarlok Singh, an

AAP volunteer from Lalpura village in Tarn Taran, said: “Punjab is the only state that sent four AAP MPs to Parliament, but the AAP leadership in Delhi kept on imposing its decisions on the state unit. The party would have won the 2017 Assembly elections had there been no interference of Delhi leaders.

INDIA

Saturday, August 4, 2018 UPL Ltd. has said it will acquire Arysta LifeScience Inc. from Platform Specialty Products Corp. for about $4.2 billion in an all-cash deal, making it the largest outbound deal for the year so far. Hindalco Industries Ltd., controlled by billionaire owner Kumar Mangalam Birla, agreed last week to acquire U.S. aluminum producer Aleris Corp. for about $2.6 billion. Advice to clients looking at overseas bond sales? We are telling clients looking at debt issuance to keep on watching the market in case we find a sudden window. One should be in a constant state of readiness. Going by my experience, I have not seen the markets being illiquid or not open for a period of time. I am sure it will open up and, if not, people will make a call on whether it is wise to go ahead with 20-30 basis point wider margins. How will trade tensions impact Asia? We are reacting to the trade war based on some announcements made by the U.S., while the rest of the world has extreme and great interest in trying to sign unilateral or multilateral deals among themselves. For instance, Europe is not saying that they don’t want to deal with Asia. I don’t see this impacting our business. I see business picking up due to intra-Asia trade. With a relative cooling off of tensions in North Korea, if you look at APAC countries -- whether it is Japan, Korea, Indonesia, China, India, Vietnam -- there are plenty of opportunities for a two-way flow of trade.

India’s logged a record $98 billion in deals this year

Walmart Inc.’s $16 billion acquisition of a majority stake in Indian e-commerce company Flipkart Online Services Pvt. Ltd. -- a deal JPMorgan advised -- has been the biggest so far, pushing the total past a previous annual peak of $92.3 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. India’s bankruptcy process has also spurred activity with more than $26 billion in distressed steel assets coming on the block, while a price war in telecom forced consolidation. “This year, if there is one stand-out product it is really M&A,” said Kalpana Morparia, the chief executive officer for South and South East Asia at JPMorgan, which climbed the top spot in India for the first time in at least a decade. “We are seeing some great examples of inbound M&A and a fair amount of domestic consolidation, largely spurred by the bankruptcy process.” Overseas buyers from Walmart to France’s Schneider Electric SE have made multi-billion-dollar bets in India

to tap into the promise of rising consumption by an increasingly interconnected middle class. The nation’s focus on improving infrastructure and cleaning up $210 billion of soured loans in the banking system has also helped investors brush aside concerns about the economic fall out of a global trade war and rising crude-oil prices. Already there are more billion-dollar deals being weighed, as U.K. pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline Plc examines selling its stake in its local consumer health subsidiary, worth about $3.1 billion, and Kraft Heinz Co. considers the sale of its children’s milk drink brand Complan in India, which may fetch about $1 billion. Technology, media and telecom along with financial services will probably remain the most active sectors for inbound deal-making this year and next, JPMorgan’s Morparia said in an interview. “Both play on the core macro and micro themes around consumption and

digitization of India and we are still at early stages of evolution of these themes,” she said. “The power of data will play a critical role for India in the next two-to-five years.” JPMorgan headed the league table with a 42 percent share of deals struck, climbing from 10th place in 2017. It was followed by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Citigroup Inc, while Arpwood Capital Pvt. was the highestranked local banker in 10th position. The role played by financial sponsors such as private equity firms and pension funds in the Indian deal space is increasing -- both in terms of selling some investments as well as tying up with local companies to bid for assets on sale through the bankruptcy process. These are not just traditional private-equity funds, which have been in India for the last 20 years, but include longer-term pension funds, said Morparia, who is the senior-most woman banker in South Asia with more than 43 years of experience in the sector. Investments by private equity and venture capital funds rose by nearly 50 percent to $15.2 billion in the first half of this year, compared to $10.4 billion in same period last year, according to an EY report. The number of higher-value deals is also rising with 36 transactions above $100 million, against 20 deals in the year-ago period, the report showed. The two largest overseas acquisitions by Indian companies for the year were announced earlier this month. India’s

UK Parliamentary committee to enhance trade relations with India A British parliamentary committee is looking into relations between Britain and India — including the impact of Britain’s visa regime — as part of a wider examination of the future of “Global Britain”. The inquiry comes at a time when tensions between the two countries have heightened amid Indian concerns about the U.K.’s reluctance to ease visa norms for students and professionals. The committee will look at the issue of bilateral trade as well as the impact of Britain’s visa policy, and cooperation on regional security, counterterrorism, technology, innovation and multilateral institutions. ‘Global Britain’ strategy “How we work with India will be key to our place in the world in coming decades,” said Tom Tugendhat, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. The committee said the relationship is as an important “test case” for the government’s “Global Britain” strategy, and pointed to a number of questions. These include: how strong is the bilateral relationship; how should Britain balance political, strategic and trade issues in determining its relationship; and, does the U.K.’s visa regime facilitate the type of relationship the government seeks with India? Parliamentarians in both houses have sought to scrutinise the changing world in which Britain is seeking to strengthen relations outside the EU. In May, the House of Lords committee on International Relations held an evidence session on relations with India, as part of an inquiry into U.K. foreign policy in changed world conditions. Earlier this month, Britain’s former High Commissioner to India, Sir Richard Stagg, told a meeting of the Indo-British All Party

Parliamentary Group that a “lack of trust” permeated bilateral relations, warning that Britain did not have a strategy. He also said that London’s approach was based on “random” and “inevitably ineffective” interventions by members of the government. Alongside the visa issues, he pointed to Indian concerns around Britain’s Pakistan policy. He said there were also concerns that Britain was not doing enough to facilitate the return of those India sought to extradite, including high net worth individuals. Earlier this year, in a dig at British

authorities, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had said that Mr. Modi had told Prime Minister Theresa May, on the sidelines of the Commonwealth summit, that British courts shouldn’t lecture India on prison conditions. India also pulled out of signing an agreement on the return of illegal migrants because of the 15-day period that would have been stipulated in the agreement for documents to be verified, which India viewed as unrealistic. Britain’s Trade Secretary Liam Fox then linked the decision not to include Indian students in a relaxation of visa requirements to the nonsigning of the agreement and the issue of Indians overstaying their visa. While India acknowledged that there are overstayers, it contested the scale of the problem. “I am sure there are many [overstayers] but where did this figure of 1,00,000 come from?” asked High Commissioner Y.K. Sinha in June.

Saturday, August 4, 2018

SOUTH ASIA

Saturday, August 4, 2018

What is China’s Belt & Road initiative? Beijing’s multibillion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been called a Chinese Marshall Plan, a state-backed campaign for global dominance, a stimulus package for a slowing economy, and a massive marketing campaign for something that was already happening – Chinese investment around the world. Over the five years since President Xi Jinping announced his grand plan to connect Asia, Africa and Europe, the initiative has morphed into a broad catchphrase to describe almost all aspects of Chinese engagement abroad. Belt and Road, or yi dai yi lu, is a “21st century silk road,” confusingly made up of a “belt” of overland corridors and a maritime “road” of shipping lanes. From South-east Asia to Eastern Europe and Africa, Belt and Road includes 71 countries that account for half the world’s population and a quarter of global GDP. Everything from a Trump-affiliated theme park in Indonesia to a jazz camp in Chongqing have been branded Belt and Road. Countries from Panama to Madagascar, South Africa to New Zealand, have officially pledged support. How much money is being spent? The Belt and Road Initiative is expected to cost more than $1tn (£760bn), although there are differing estimates as to how much money has been spent to date. According to one analysis, China has invested more than $210bn, the majority in Asia. But China’s efforts abroad don’t stop there. Belt and Road also means that Chinese firms are engaging in construction work across the globe on an unparalleled scale.

bn20102011201220132014201520162017total investedby Chinatotal of contracts awardedto Chinese companies According to one estimate, China has invested more than $210 bn into Belt and Road projects abroad. To date, Chinese companies have secured more than $340bn in construction contracts along the Belt and Road. However, China’s dominance in the construction sector comes at the expense of local contractors in partner countries. The vast sums raked in by Chinese firms are at odds with the official rhetoric that Belt and Road is open to global participation and suggest that the initiative is also motivated by factors other than trade, such as China’s need to combat excess capacity at home. What are the risks for countries involved? More recently, governments from Malaysia to Pakistan are starting to rethink the costs of these projects. Sri Lanka, where the government leased a port to a Chinese company for 99 years after struggling to make repayments, is a cautionary tale.

Couple attack Sri Lanka customs over pet dog Sri Lankan police on Friday arrested a Kuwaiti couple accused of assaults which left five customs officers in hospital after they tried to stop the tourists smuggling a pet dog, officials said. A 32-year-old woman and her 29-yearold male partner turned violent when they were told of quarantine requirements and tried to flee Colombo airport with the animal, police and customs agents said.

“A woman customs guard was badly hurt after she was attacked by the Kuwaiti woman,” customs spokesman Vipula Minuvanpitiya told AFP. “Four other customs officers were also injured when they tried to stop the couple attacking people. All five have been hospitalised.” Airport police said they had never recorded such a case over a pet dog. Police said the Kuwaiti couple were being held at a police station near the airport and

Afghanistan sets April 20 as date for next presidential election Afghanistan on Wednesday announced April 20 next year as the date for its presidential election, amid concerns that growing insurgent violence could threaten the poll. The vote will take place six months after parliamentary elections, which have been scheduled for October 20 after repeated delays.

Current President Ashraf Ghani is widely expected to stand for another five-year term. The date was announced by Abdul Badi Sayad, chairman of the Independent Election Commission, who said security and other factors had been taken into account.

Bangladesh photographer sacked over viral kiss photo A renowned Bangladesh photographer said Sunday he has been the victim of “unwanted cruelty” after being sacked over an image of a couple kissing that raised a social media storm in the conservative Muslim-majority country. The Purboposhchimbd news portal said Jibon Ahmed was “not fit” to work for the company because of doubts about whether the kiss image was staged. Ahmed protested his innocence, insisted he has proof the image was spontaneous and said he has been roughed up by other

photographers because of the image. In a Facebook post, Ahmed said he had been “exposed to unwanted cruelty” due to the “powerful” photo. “I never ever believed that one click would create so many stories. Today due to this photo the social and mainstream media media are flooded with false and true stories about me,” he said of the divisions. The couple were snapped kissing in monsoon rain on the steps of the Dhaka University campus. He posted it -- with the

Nepal PM Oli pledges early implementation of transport, transit agreement with China

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Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has pledged to implement at the earliest the landmark transport and transit agreement signed with China, a move aimed at reducing landlocked country’s total dependence on India. The prime minister said this during his meetingwithChinesedeputyministerofexternal affairs Wang Yajun in Kathmandu yesterday. Oli said the agreement on transport and transit signed between Nepal and China in during his first stint as the premier in 2016 would be taken to a conclusion soon.

“As Nepal is a landlocked country, we want to increase our access to the sea through this agreement,” the prime minister said, according to officials. The transit and transportation treaty with China is likely to end New Delhi’s monopoly over the landlocked nation’s trade through Haldia port in Kolkata. It gives Nepal an option to use the next nearest Tianjin port in China that is 3,000 km from the Nepal border. Haldia port is 1,000 km away.

Saturday, August 4, 2018

FIJI

Saturday, August 4, 2018

631,895 voters registered by end of July As at July 31, 2018, the Fijian Elections Office has recorded a total of 631,895 registered voters. This was highlighted by the Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem during a press conference held at the FEO headquarters in Suva yesterday. In the Central Division, there are 261,603 registered voters. In the Eastern Division, we have recorded 25,941 registered voters. From the Western Division, the FEO has registered 242,171 voters and from the Northern Division, the number of registered voters stand at 94,200. There are 313,239 registered female voters and 318,656 registered male voters. Mr Saneem said there were 7980 voters who had

registered overseas and would be eligible to cast their vote via postal ballot. “We had a total of 3572 new registrations between June and the end of July,” he said. Supervisor of Elections also highlighted that currently the John Wesley Primary School was the polling venue with the highest number of voters with 5172 while Dogotuki Village FEO Tent has the smallest number of voters with 19. Mr Saneem also confirmed that a total of 7,684 have been removed from the voters list. “We have removed a total of 24,230 deceased voters from the roll including 14,696 in 2018. “Between the months of June and July, we removed a total of 7684 deceased voters,” Mr Saneem said.

2018 Hibiscus Festival to be held in Nasinu The 2018 Vodafone Hibiscus Festival which is confirmed to start on August 10th, will be held at the Valelevu Ground in Nasinu for the first time. This has been confirmed by the Chairman of the Hibiscus Events Group, Hirdesh Prasad who says that there was no other

choice available, as they could not secure any grounds in Suva. He adds that the contestants for this year’s Hibiscus pageant has been confirmed. There will be 12 Queen contestants and 12 King contestants.

Fiji Airways to get 5th A330-200 aircraft Fiji Airways will start flying direct to Tokyo, Japan from the 3rd of July next year and the airline company has also announced that it will get it’s fifth A330-200 wide-body aircraft to cater for this new service. While making the major announcement in Denarau today, Fiji Airways CEO and Managing Director, Andre Viljoen says they will fly three times a week from Nadi to Narita on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. The flights from Japan to Nadi will arrive at about 9am and is designed to ensure that the tourists from Japan can get connecting FijiLink flights from Nadi to

destinations like Savusavu and Taveuni, and boat transfers to the Mamanucas and Yasawa Islands. Viljoen says Tokyo will be the fifth long-haul destination for Fiji Airways after Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hong Kong and Singapore. He says this is an outstanding achievement for Fiji Airways. Viljoen says Fiji also wants to capitalise on the high interest in outbound travel from Japan, with an estimated 13.4 million Japanese residents travelling overseas so far this year, and the tourism industry is working on marketing plans for Japan.

Ashwin Ashis Ram elected as the new General Secretary of the Fiji Taxi Association The Fiji Taxi Association now has a new General Secretary after the results of the Fiji Taxi Association election was released by the Fijian Elections Office. Ashwin Ashis Ram is now the new General Secretary of the Association after he received a total of 100 votes and the former General Secretary, Rishi Ram fell short of 43 votes. The election was conducted between the 25th to the 31st of last month. The Association has voted Rabhen Singh as the President for which there were three candidates. Mahendra Singh and

Mohammed Faiyaz have been voted in as the two Vice Presidents. Both the President and the General Secretary will remain in office for the next two years where as the Vice President position is for a years term. The Fiji Taxi Association election was conducted by the Industrial Election team of the Fijian Elections Office. A total of 158 members out of the 276 registered members cast their ballot via postal vote. The association has a total of 276 members.

Police probes Korean doomsday cult at Grace Road Church The Fiji Police Force has now started preliminary investigations into the allegations levelled against the Grace Road Church and Group after the arrest of their founder in South Korea. When questioned by Fijivillage in the last hour, Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho confirmed that they have been contacted by South Korean authorities and the Fijian Police have started preliminary investigations while they await official notification. Grace Road Group Fiji are yet to comment on the continuing allegations levelled against the Grace Road founder as many news outlets overseas also continue with headlines like “South Korea cult leader arrested over violent rituals in Fiji.” Fijivillage is trying to get clarification on whether authorities here are looking into these serious allegations which are now being reported widely around the world. Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho The AFP is reporting that the leader of a South Korean doomsday cult has been

arrested for allegedly holding some 400 followers captive in Fiji by subjecting them to violence and barbaric rituals. Shin Ok-ju, founder of the Grace Road Church, and three other cult leaders were arrested when they arrived at Seoul’s International Airport last week. A South Korean police official has told the AFP that Pastor Shin and three others face charges of using violence in forcing followers to stay in Fiji. They report that Shin, a doomsday prophet, convinced her followers to move to Fiji in 2014, claiming they would be safe there from imminent natural disasters. The report alleges that once they arrived, their passports were confiscated and many were allegedly subjected to beatings and brutal rituals purportedly aimed at driving out evil spirits. The reports also say that some followers who escaped the farm told journalists that those who attempted to leave the church were subjected to severe public beatings known as “ground thrashings”.

Tebara Transport to bring electric buses to Fiji Tebara Transport Limited is in the process of introducing electric buses into the country and will convert some of their current buses to become electric buses. This has been confirmed by Tebara’s Transport CEO Arvind Maharaj who says that they have already secured a bus which will be brought in for trial and they are working with the Government in getting it in to the country. Maharaj says that the plan is to get the first 20 electric buses from China by next year and another 20

to be brought in afterwards. He also says that these Buses will be battery charged and they will be relying on the use of solar energy for charging rather than taking up a lot of electricity from Energy Fiji Limited’s Grids. Maharaj adds that transport is the biggest emitter of carbon emission in the world and the transport industry in Fiji has pledged to support the 53 member states of the Commonwealth to limit global warming to below 1.5 degree Celsius.

High Court orders $320,304.16 of proceeds of crime to be forfeited to the state The Lautoka High Court has granted a Forfeiture Order over approximately $320,304.16 after an application for civil forfeiture was sought by the Director of Public Prosecutions claiming that the money was proceeds of crime. The money was being held in a Westpac bank account of one Abinesh Ajeet Singh who is currently being prosecuted by the DPP on money laundering charges. The application was made in the Lautoka High Court in its civil jurisdiction under the Proceeds of Crime Act seeking a

forfeiture order on the basis that the money sum was the proceeds of a serious offence. Abinesh Ajeet Singh, whilst being employed by Sunflower Aviation Ltd, is alleged to have directed the clients of Sunflower Aviation Limited to pay a total of $320,304.16 into his personal account. High Court Judge, Justice Anare Tuilevuka was satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the money were proceeds of crime and therefore granted that the total sum be forfeited to the State.

PAKISTAN

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Pakistan says US concerns about IMF bailout and China ‘totally wrong’ Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the government how it allowed former army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif and ex-ISI boss Lt Gen Shuja Pasha to take up jobs abroad despite a law barring officers from accepting employment for two years post-retirement, according to media reports. Hearing a case of dual nationalities of Pakistan government employees, a three-judge bench,

headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, observed that former army chief General (retd) Sharif and director-general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General (retd) Pasha found employment abroad within two-years after retirement, the Express Tribune reported. After retirement in 2016, Gen Sharif left for Riyadh to head a military alliance of Muslim

Imran Khan could complicate US-Afghanistan peace talks The rise of Imran Khan, a former cricket star who is Pakistan’s likely next leader, could complicate new talks between American diplomats and the Taliban about ending the war in Afghanistan, officials said, fraying an already strained relationship between the nuclear-armed Islamic nation and the Trump administration. Tensions between Pakistan and the United States were exacerbated in January when the Trump administration suspended nearly all US security aid to Islamabad. But the relationship threatens to be further inflamed by Khan, who

has voiced past support for the Taliban’s fight in the 17-year conflict in Afghanistan, calling it “justified.” He also has accused the United States of recklessness in its use of drone strikes on suspected extremists in Pakistan, signaling he wants them to stop. Khan tempered his harsh anti-American language with an olive twig, if not a branch, in his victory speech last week. “With the US, we want to have a mutually beneficial relationship,” Khan said. “Up until now, that has been one-way — the US thinks it gives us aid to fight their war.”

Taking inspiration from India, top Pakistani Islamic council to push for punishing instant triple talaq After India’s Supreme Court last year outlawed the practice of instant triple talaq, the legal wing of Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) is now considering punishing the practice that some Muslim men resort to for divorce, reported The Express Tribune on Wednesday. At a Council meeting later this month, this issue is supposed to be at the top of the agenda. The CII is a constitutional body of the Islamic Republic

of Pakistan, which is responsible for giving legal advice on Islamic issues to the government and the Parliament. “This move came after the Indian Supreme Court last year in August imposed a ban on a practice that allowed Muslim men to give instant talaq to their wives. The issue also became a hot topic in Pakistan and was debated at various forms,” said Council chairman Qibla Ayaz, to the Tribune.

countries led by Saudi Arabia. According to Pakistani media reports, after retirement in 2012, the former ISI chief worked with a multinational firm based in the UAE. He now serves as group chief adviser to a Lahorebased firm owned by a Pakistani politician. “According to the law, government officers cannot sign an employment contract abroad for

two years after their retirement. Generals Pasha and Sharif, both, found employment abroad. Is the law not applicable to army officers?” chief justice Nisar asked. The powerful military -- which has ruled Pakistan for roughly half its 70 year history -remains the country’s most powerful institution.

Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev invited for Imran Khan’s oath-taking ceremony the ceremony. As per the report, Prime Cricketers Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Minister Narendra Modi, along with Bollywood celebrities have been invited other Saarc leaders, President of Turkey for Imran Khan’s oath-taking ceremony and China are expected to attend the scheduled to take ceremony. place on August On the 11, reported question Pakistan’s Dawn of inviting News. PM Modi, The names of the party the Indian guests has sought were announced a response Kapil Dev Sunil Gavaskar Imran Khan by Pakistan from the Tehreek-i-Insaf country’s Foreign Office. Senior leaders (PTI) spokesperson Fawad Chaudhary. in PTI are apprehensive of extending an Following Khan’s victory in the general invitation to PM Modi as it will have to elections last month, the administration face serious embarrassment in case the in Pakistan and PTI are busy compiling PM declines, the report said. a list of the guests who will be invited for

Supreme Court asks gov’t how 2 former generals were allowed to take up foreign employment Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the government how it allowed former army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif and ex-ISI boss Lt Gen Shuja Pasha to take up jobs abroad despite a law barring officers from accepting employment for two years post-retirement, according to media reports. Hearing a case of dual nationalities of Pakistan government employees, a three-judge bench,

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NRI

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Indian-origin entrepreneur develops algorithm to combat fake news An Indian-origin entrepreneur’s UK-based start-up that uses a machine-learning algorithm to sift fact from fiction is set to combat fake news around the world, including plans for a project specifically targeted at India. Lyric Jain, a Cambridge University engineering student originally from Mysore, set up Logically last year and has since developed the West Yorkshire-based start-up into a machine-learning platform to filter real from fiction. The platform, which is currently going through technology trials with partners and

advisors, will have its full public launch in September for the UK and the US, and hit India by October. The aim is for the service to work as a news aggregator as well as an indicator of factual accuracy. “The Logically platform gathers the biggest news stories from over 70,000 domains and determines the credibility of the claims across each article. It does this by using a machine learning algorithm that is designed to detect logical fallacy, political bias, and incorrect statistics,” the 21-year-old techie explains.

Kerala girl discovers rare beetle in the UK A 10-year-old girl, a native of Kerala, discovered a rare beetle in the UK which has now become part of the collections at Oxford University Museum of Natural History. It was Sarah Thomas, daughter of Thomas John and Betty Thomas who found the beetle while taking part in the insect initiative of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. The 5mm specimen was later placed under a microscope and identified as a False Darkling Beetle by Darren Mann, a professional entomologist and head of the Museum’s Life Collections. “It’s Anisoxya fuscula, which is rated as Nationally Scare in Great Britain,” says Darren Mann in a press note released by the Museum of Natural History of the University of Oxford. “We seldom see these outside old forest habitats and this is the first beetle of its kind to be added to the collections for around 70 years,” he adde Sarah Thomas from Abbey

Woods Academy found the rare False Darkling Beetle in her school grounds as part of the Museum’s Project Insect visit. The specimen of Anisoxya fuscula is now pinned and in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History collections, complete with label. Given its tiny size and the rarity outside of forest habitats, Sarah’s find is all the more impressive. “Before Project Insect I didn’t really like insects, but now I really do,” said Sarah, after her find was added to the Museum collections. Sarah is the third child of Thomas John, Muvattupuzha native, and Betty Thomas, Kottayam native, who are settled in the UK for the past 15 years. John is into business and Betty is a clinical lead nurse. The couple who resides in Oxford in the UK have two more children, elder one John Thomas who is doing Automotive Engineering and Ann Thomas doing her class 12.

Radio hosts suspended for calling state official “turban man” The hosts of a New Jersey radio show were suspended for 10 days on Thursday for calling the nation’s first Sikh attorney general “turban man” - the latest slur against a career prosecutor who says he faces countless “small indignities and humiliations” no matter how far he rises or how important his position. WKXW-FM hosts Dennis Malloy and Judi Franco issued a written apology to Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and the Sikh and East Asian communities, writing they were

Indian-American senatorial candidate attacked by ‘racist’ opponent A 10-year-old girl, a native of Kerala, discovered a rare beetle in the UK which has now become part of the collections at Oxford University Museum of Natural History. It was Sarah Thomas, daughter of Thomas John and Betty Thomas who found the beetle while taking part in the insect initiative of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. The 5mm specimen was later placed under a microscope and identified as a False Darkling Beetle by Darren Mann, a professional entomologist and head of the Museum’s Life Collections. “It’s Anisoxya fuscula, which is rated as Nationally Scare in Great Britain,” says Darren Mann. in a press note released by the Museum of Natural History of the University of Oxford. “We seldom see these outside old forest habitats and this is the first beetle of its kind to be added to the collections for around 70 years,” he added. Sarah Thomas from Abbey Woods Academy found the rare

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21 julweI - 4 Agsq Diwan’s Timings Amrit Vela:-Nitnaen & Simran: 4:00 AM to 6:00 AM

Evening:- Rehraas Sahib and Kirtan 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM

“deeply sorry” for the pain they caused. The station also apologized and suspended the pair without pay until Aug. 6. Grewal addressed the “indignity” in a pair of tweets shortly after it emerged, noting that it was not the first time he’d been subjected to racism and wouldn’t likely be the last. He thanked other officials from the state for having “my back - and the backs of all New Jerseyans,” and posted a clip of a speech he gave earlier in the year in which he specifically addressed the need to end “small-

Guru Granth Sahib Jee’s Gurbani Vichaar bu Baba Jee: 7:00 PM to 8:15 PM

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False Darkling Beetle in her school grounds as part of the Museum’s Project Insect visit. The specimen of Anisoxya fuscula is now pinned and in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History collections, complete with label. Given its tiny size and the rarity outside of forest habitats, Sarah’s find is all the more impressive.

NRI Seema Nanda becomes CEO of US Democrats Indian-American Seema Nanda, who took over as CEO of the opposition Democratic National Committee last week, has vowed to fight for the “soul of the country” and help elect Democrats in every corner of the US. “We are fighting now for the soul of our country - for our democracy and for opportunity,” Nanda, the first Indian-American ever to be CEO of either the DNC or the Republican National Committee took over reigns of the main opposition party last week on July 23. In this capacity, she is be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the powerful DNC. “Democrats are offering the positive solutions so desperately needed right now - solutions forged by the strength of our diversity, the rigour of our ideas, and the decency of our values. Since Trump took office, it’s been clear that the number one best way for us to set our country back on track is to elect Democrats in every corner of our country. That’s why I took this job,” Nanda said in her first message to Democratic supporters. Nanda said supporting the Democratic party is synonymous with building a future for the children that they can be proud of. “My promise to my two teenage boys is to do all I can to create an America that is bright, fair, and that works for everyone - where opportunity for all means something,” she said. “Our party is strong because it’s built on forging positive solutions that include everyone. I’m proud to be the first AsianAmerican in recent memory to lead the DNC. Democrats are leading with our values and empowering people from diverse backgrounds to speak up and make our voices heard,” Nanda said. The fight to take back the country for working families is one that all must fight together, she said, adding “At the DNC, we have committed to helping Democrats win back seats at all levels of government, because we need Democrats from the school board to the Senate to take back our country”. Noting that everything is at stake with this year’s midterms, Nanda said Democrats are investing in state parties, putting organizers on the ground in all 50 states.

Saturday, August 4, 2018

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Ajay & Kajol spotted with kids at the airport

Ajay Devgn and Kajol are one of the most famous couples in B-town. They are also doting parents to their two children Nysa and Yug. Often the family is spotted on outings together and recently the paparazzi captured the happy family yet again. In a series of pictures that have surfaced, the family of four was spotted at the airport. While Kajol and her daughter Nysa walked together, Ajay can be seen trailing behind them, with Yug smiling happily for the cameras. On the professional front, Ajay will be seen in ‘Total Dhamaal’ while Kajol will be seen in ‘Helicopter Eela’.

When Anil Kapoor’s wife went on honeymoon without him ‘Jhakaas’ actor Anil Kapoor has completed 45 years of marriage with wife Sunita Kapoor. The actor through a social media post as per spoken to Humans of Bombay, revealed that his love story began with a prank call. Anil Kapoor, through the post admitted on how he feels that they have just started dating, and how she motivates him to go to work every day. Talking about the motovation, he said, “She’s the perfect mother, perfect wife & the reason I wake up every morning, motivated. You know why? When I ask her, ‘Arrey, yesterday only gave you so much money’ she says, ‘Woh sab khatam ho gaya..it’s all finished!’ and I jump out of bed & run to work.” sIn the same note, he also quipped about how Sunita understands the unsaid by him and went on their honeymoon without him. “I went for shoot 3 days later & madam went abroad on our honeymoon..without me! Honestly, she knows me better than I know me. We’ve built our life; our home together. We’ve raised 3 kids & been through ups and downs. But I feel like we’re finally dating now–romantic walks & dinners have just begun! We’ve been together 45 years–45 years of friendship, love & companionship.

Saturday, August 4, 2018 PICS/ SNEHA KHARABE AND YOGEN SHAH

FOR BEST BOLLYWOOD NEWS ALWAYS READ THE ASIAN STAR

SRK, Rani on Sallu’s show Salman Khan’s 10 Ka Dum ends this month. The finale episode of the game show will have Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji as guests. Last weekend, the show got a boost when it was moved to a new time slot from its earlier weekday outing. Sallu was upset by the show’s dismal TRPs in its earlier timing. He has now been inviting industry pals as guests on the show. Just when it got a fresh lease of life, it’s going to end, but then, Sallu has another show to host on a rival channel besides shooting for Bharat.

This is how Kapil looks!

Scene stealer Salman Turns out that the celebrity millennial broods are at the centre of the fashion universe; magazine covers, social media posts, paparazzi photos and now, #frontrow faces. And it was interesting to see how Manish Malhotra celebrated the new Bollywood batch — Janhvi Kapoor, Khushi Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, Ishaan Khatter and Athiya Shetty, alongside his erstwhile favourites — Sangeeta Bijlani, Lara Dutta, Shabana Azmi and Madhuri Dixit. All seated squarely on row one. All dressed in threads from the Manish Malhotra world. Khatter really didn’t seem to mind being sandwiched between his Dhadak co-star and Ali Khan, the super-chatty young ladies turning to him to speak about fashion (!), we are guessing. It was all quite animated and overall a feast of bonhomie, especially when Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan closed the show. Kaif, with her stint in modelling, is properly familiar with the ways of the catwalk, but it was Sallu bhai who pretty much stole the limelight. His entrance on the elevated loft-style runway was dang perfect in an almost self-effacing way.

Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Manish Malhotra

Sangeeta Bijlani

Yesterday, one of Kapil Sharma’s fan groups shared a recent snapshot of the comedian with pet dog, Cheeku. Though the pooch managed to bring a smile on his face, Kapil is certainly looking unwell. Fans have been expressing concern about his health. Last month, his pictures from an Amsterdam supermart CCTV’S footage did the rounds. He appeared bulky in it. In June, Kapil had resurfaced on Twitter after a gap and told fans that he was trying to change his lifestyle and lose weight. He has been away from social media ever since.

Buddy talk

Sara Ali Khan Lara Dutta Athiya Shetty

Janhvi Kapoor Ishaan Khatter

TELLY TATTLE

Marriage in trouble

Hit on the head

Bade Achhe Lagte Hain actor Chahatt Khanna’s marriage is on the rocks. Chahatt wed businessman Farhan Mirza in 2013. The couple has two daughters. This was Chahatt’s second marriage.

Shakti Arora, who plays Kunal in Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka, hurt his head at his Malad home. The wooden ply hit him while he was trying to open a closet, resulting in a deep gnash. He will be shown injured on the show as well, because he cannot remove the bandage.

Satish Kaushik plays Anil Kapoor’s buddy in Fanney Khan. Director Atul Manjekar wanted to depict a strong bond between Anil’s character and that of his friend. To add authenticity to the scenes, he decided to have Anil’s longtime pal Satish on board. The two celebrated the silver jubilee of their friendship this year, so this film proved to be extra special to them.

How about doing it here? Rajpal Yadav is in London shooting for Time To Dance, which stars Sooraj Pancholi and Isabelle Kaif. Though he is enjoying the shoot, he is miffed that Indians follow traffic rules and hygiene standards abroad but not in their own country. The actor hopes we start doing likewise here.

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Amitabh Bachchan remembers ‘Coolie accident’

Amitabh Bachchan is till date grateful for everyone’s prayers, which brought him back to life after he sustained a near-fatal injury while shooting for the 1983 film ‘Coolie’. Fans across the globe are marking the day by wishing the 75-year-old ‘Happy Rebirth Day’. Big B took to social media to thank everyone who prayed for him when he was fighting for his life.

Aug

MULK

*ing: Rishi, Raj & Prateik Babbar

July

NAWABZAADE

*ing: Dharmesh Yelande, Raghav Juyal

“To them that have sent greetings for my 2nd birthday Aug 2, a recovery from my Coolie accident, I send my gracious thanks .. it shall be difficult for me to acknowledge and thank all .. but I do know that it was your prayers that saved my life,” tweeted the ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ star.

Shankar Ehsaan Loy & Farhan Akhtar to perform first time in Vancouver This SEPTEMBER 2nd, 2018 is going to be a musical treat for all Bollywood music lovers as the famed trio of SHANKAR EHSAAN LOY, also known as the AMAR AKBAR ANTHONY of Hindi film music, are coming to perform with well known Singer & Actor FARHAN AKHTAR for the first time at Vancouver’s iconic Queen Elizabeth Theatre for what promises to be an evening of foot tapping & heart pleasing music for all ages. During his 18 year film journey from 20012018 so far, Farhar Akhtar has produced, directed, acted & sang in many films and while Shankar Ehsaan Loy started their music journey together with Mukul Anand’s incomplete DUS, it was Farhan’s DIL CHAHTA HAI ( 2001 ) which brought them together and ever since, they’ve collaborated in films like DON, ROCK ON, ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA, BHAAG MILKHA BHAAG & DIL DHADAKNE DO etc. Shankar Mahadevan has won several individual awards as a singer and as composers with Ehsaan Noorani & Loy Mendonsa, the trio have won National , FilmFare, Star Screen, Zee, IIFA & many state awards for

New Released Bollywood Films July

SAHEB BIWI AUR GANGSTER 3

*ing: Sanjay Dutt, Mahie Gill

July

their compositions in films like BUNTY AUR BABLI, KAL HO NA HO , KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA, SALAAM-E-ISHQ, TAARE ZAMEEN PAR, MY NAME IS KHAN, LUCK BY CHANCE, HOUSEFULL, PATIALA HOUSE, DON 2, 2 STATES , MIRZYA, ROCK ON 2 & RAAZI. Acclaimed as pioneering music directors for their innovative music style which compliments all genres, they’ll be performing for the first time with Farhan Akhtar in North America and already the buzz is high amongst all music lovers. Carrying on the tradition of bringing quality artists especially after the sold out May 13th concert of ATIF ASLAM & NEHA KAKKAR, KVP Entertainers promises yet another musical entertainer on the Labour Day Long Weekend as all roads will lead to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Sunday, September 2nd, 2018 at 7 PM. Tickets at $35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 100, 125 & VIP are available at www.vtixonline.com and www.kvpentertainers.com or visit Kamal’s Video Palace (8268-120th St., Surrey) and call KAMAL SHARMA at (604)833-1977 / (604) 592-9777 for more information

GENIUS

*ing: Utkarsh Sharma, Ishita Chauhan

July

LAILA MAJNU

*ing: Navneet Dhillon, Robin Sohi

Saturday, August 4, 2018

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;New Home Is For My Parents and Sisterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Tiger Shroff Ladka jawaan ho gaya! Tiger Shroff has bought himself a posh eightbedroom apartment in the Khar locality of Mumbai with his hardearned money. The place is being done up for Tiger by Alan Abraham, John Abrahamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brother, who specializes in minimalist interior designing. Tigerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specification to Alan is to keep the rooms free of clutter. Confirming the above developments, Tiger says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yes, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve bought a new home for my family. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrong to say I bought it for myself. It is for my parents and sister. It is the best feeling in the world to give back to your

family what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve earned.â&#x20AC;? For Tiger it would be unthinkable to move into a new place without his family. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are the reason why I am earning. To not have them with me is not a thought Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to entertain ever.â&#x20AC;? Tiger, his parents Jackie and Ayesha Shroff and sister Krishna will move into their new home early next year. Varun Dhawan is the other new-generation star who bought himself a new home recently. But his parents preferred to stay in their old home with Varunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elder brother and his wife. Varun is a stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s throw away from his family. Similarly Alia Bhatt too has moved into a new home after her success at the movies.

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Saturday, August 4, 2018

Indian American actor Vandit Bhatt is emerging high

t a time when the diversity debate in Hollywood is getting bigger with every passing moment, the Apu controversy – that emerged from the world of “The Simpsons” – is not only alive but making headlines as well. But all is not lost. Indian American actor Vandit Bhatt says there were many misrepresentations about people of color, but they are being wiped out due to increasing conversations around

inclusion. The actor, who traces his roots to Hyderabad, is glad that he never had to play a stereotypical character. Asked about the impact of the diversity debate concerning the ongoing stir around a South Asian character called Apu from “The Simpsons”, Vandit Bhatt told IANS over the phone from New York: “I will be honest with you. I feel like things are changing for the

better and this is from my personal experience. “When I started acting, there were far more misrepresentations.” Apu had to grapple with the troubling stereotype of a convenience store clerk with an exaggerated, fake Indian accent since the show’s inception. So, has anything changed? “I have been acting professionally in the States for the last 10-15 years. In this time span, I feel like it has changed so much. I have had so many more opportunities. I am grateful that I never

had to kind of play someone stereotypical like that (Apu). I have always had an opportunity to play human being versus stereotype. I feel very lucky about that.” Bhatt moved to the US after his mother got a job in the country. He is known for his work on “The Michael J. Fox Show”, “Mercy”, “42 Seconds of Happiness” and “Ripped”. He will soon be seen with Indian actress Priyanka Chopra in the third season of “Quantico,” which airs in India on Star World.

Bollywood Suhana’s Vogue cover proves that neither Bollywood nor audiences care about nepotism

Social media is abuzz with outrage over Vogue India’s latest cover girl – Suhana Khan. The fashion bible picked Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan’s 18-year-old daughter for their August issue and in the interview Suhana expresses her wish to be an actress some day. So, obviously, the nepotism debate is back on. Suhana Khan on the cover of Vogue India. Image from Twitter/@iamsrk Bollywood discovered this N-word over a year ago, thanks to Kangana Ranaut and that infamous episode of Koffee With Karan. The word has cropped up in headlines, interviews and opinion pieces at least once every week since. And, it’s made no difference at all. During the same period, former couple Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh’s daughter Sara

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Salman & Katrina add grandeur to Manish Malhotra’s show

Ali Khan has signed her second big Bollywood film – Rohit Shetty’s Simmba, opposite Ranveer Singh. Sridevi and Boney Kapoor’s daughter Janhvi Kapoor’s debut film Dhadak has grossed Rs 100 crore worldwide. Student of the Year 2, another Dharma Productions film, will mark the launch of Chunky Panday’s daughter Ananya and has Jackie Shroff ’s son Tiger in the lead. Sunny Deol is directing and producing Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas to launch his son Karan. And, Salman Khan is producing Loveratri that launches his brother-in-law Aayush Sharma. Waiting in the wings are Shah Rukh’s son Aryan, Akshay Kumar’s son Aarav, Chunky’s nephew Ahaan, Pooja Bedi’s daughter Aalia Furniturewalla and Suniel Shetty’s son Ahan Shetty.

Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan turn ramp models: As Katrina Kaif, in a regal lehenga, walked down the staircase to

be joined by Salman Khan who donned an ethnic look, Manish Malhotra’s fashion show got majestic and every bit dreamy.

Priyanka Signs HUGE Hollywood film Much has been written about Priyanka Chopra’s exit from Salman Khan’s Bharat and her possible engagement to singer Nick Jonas who she has been allegedly dating for the last two months. While the world was going gaga over

worried about Salman’s reaction at all since she is apparently on to bigger and brighter things. Yes, Priyanka has signed a Hollywood film and this is a huge one – she is the female lead opposite Chris Pratt (YES!) in Universal Studio’s Cowboy Ninja Viking. Hollywood

engagement, there were reports of how her exit had caused some heartburn in Salman Khan’s camp. It was even said that Salman may not take it too kindly since their relationship had not been too great to begin with. As it turns out, Priyanka need not have

Reporter says that the Quantico star will play the love interest of Pratt in the big-budget film that is currently in pre-production stages. And wait, there’s more! The film is being directed by Michelle MacLaren, the famous producer and director known for Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones.

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Irrfan provides all the fun! KARWAAN U/A: Drama DIR: Akarsh Khurana CAST: Irrfan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar

Anup the saviour turns baddie

After reiterating importance of crime-free society on TV, Soni to play trafficking maﬁa in short MOHAR BASU mohar.basu@mid-day.com

FILM REVIEW

For, isn’t a road movie the perfectly compressed metaphor for life itself, where as you go along, people and circumstances change all that you are, and will ever be? This one, SOMETHING about this film tells me across sunny, stunning South India, it’s possibly much better written than however, tangentially deals with it’s turned out, although it’s impos- death, given that one coffin needs sible to tell such things, unless one to be delivered to an address, while has personally observed the process. the other one needs to be picked up Still, there’s absolutely nothing in return, since both got accidentally to fault in the underlying idea be- exchanged in airline cargo. Whether the gallows humour, rehind three disparate individuals — a young Millennial girl (Mith- volving around memories, grief, or ila Palkar); a single, urbane man, bereavement, cuts it or not, in the grappling with usual downs of a same way that we recently marveregimented, corporate life (Dulquer led at Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Mukti Salmaan); and an old, conservative Bhawan (2016) might be beside the Muslim with a Lucknowi/Hydera- point. The fact that you find poignbadi/Bhopali twang/swag (Irrfan) — ancy of that moment so sorely missgetting on a road-trip, that threatens ing (or even sloppily attempted toto change their world, in a way that wards the end) irks even more. As does the clichéd grouse that most road trips in movies inevitably do, making it such a fun, fine genre, a boy nurses against his dad, who didn’t let him pursue his creative to start with.

MAYANK SHEKHAR mayank.shekhar@mid-day.com

ambitions, which is what you know about Salmaan’s character (and thousands before him). His father is no more. Salmaan, incidentally, is a major Malayalam heart-throb making his Hindi debut with this film. His teenaged, female co-star Palkar, likewise, is a web-series sensation, crossing over to the big screen here. Both play characters who have only just met, and yet the hasty familiarity on display, or the speed with which their relationship goes from stranger to near soul-mate status, gives you a sense that the film, much like the big van they’re all in, doesn’t quite swerve as seamlessly as you’d like it to. Which is really what I’m talking about, referring to everything being in place (perhaps on paper) — quirky moments, sub-text, even the breeziness of it all (raising your hopes to Little Miss Sunshine levels) — but somehow all of it not coming togeth-

er in a manner that it doesn’t seem slightly forced, even mildly fake. None of the above applies to Irrfan though — playing the only part in the movie with hardly any back-story, whatsoever. So yeah, maybe it’s got nothing to do with writing then. Irrfan simply shows up, casually mumbles his lines, timed to absolute perfection, droopily looks up, and the audience is in splits, even as they’ve watched him in quite a few road trips, of late, already (Shoojit Sircar’s Piku, Tanuja Chandra’s Qarib Qarib Singlle, etc). For every sequence Irrfan is not on screen, you notice, the film suffers. Think you can say that for films in general — for all the time, for health reasons, he’s been compelled to stay away. This will make you want him back even more. +YUCK ++WHATEVER +++GOOD ++++SUPER +++++AWESOME

‘You see me as a young Tigmanshu’ Ali Fazal on how director Dhulia was his muse to play ﬁlmmaker in Milan Talkies MOHAR BASU mohar.basu@mid-day.com

and would hence need to do ers helm the entire show. My jugaad to have it his way.” experience on working on Having turned to various sets [web shows Dhulia for cues on SLIPPING into the role of a film- and films] helped me nabbing his act, Fazal maker in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Milan understand how to play said the response Talkies, Ali Fazal navigated his way my character, Annu. he got was simple. to many a editing tables of 2018’s But the real challenge “Watch and observe me films. “Three,” to be precise, he tells was understanding the on set,” Dhulia had told mid-day, adding that while “iconic”, mind of a small-town he cannot reveal their names, lest he filmmaker.” Tigmanshu Dhulia him. “So, much of what you see in me in the film is Fazal understands that “discredit the editors”. Fazal understood the importance financial constraints amend the a young Tigmanshu Dhulia at work. of editing in the filmmaking pro- way small-town filmmakers create His mannerisms are infectious; his cess early on in his career. “Actors movies. “Someone like him would style is cool. For an actor to have his act. Directors direct. But, filmmak- probably have no budget for his film, director as inspiration is educative.” Ali Fazal in Milan Talkies

WE saw him propagate the need minimise crimes in society durin his stint as host of Crime Patrol, b when backing a film on human tra ficking, Anup Soni has decided slip into the role of the antagoni instead. A source tells mid-day th Soni will be seen as the mastermin behind the trafficking nexus in th short, a brainchild of an assistant d rector on the crime show. “The film is a drama which se Anup play the antagonist. It’s inspire by a few real stories. Ankur Shah, a AD on Crime Patrol, came up with th idea a while ago and discussed it wi Anup. Since he had some time befo he commences work on his next wi Sanjay Dutt [Prassthanam], he deci ed to finish this one,” says the sourc adding that the film will be shot ov a 16-day schedule from next wee and is eyeing a year-end release. Soni says he gave his nod to th film because it holds relevance toda “It carries an important message an shows me in a way I’ve never bee seen before. I play a man who h been brought up in the city slum The character’s look is rustic, and h journey, emotional.” Soni met seve al people who reside in the slums understand nuances of his characte “I noticed their body language, th way they talk, and dress. I also rea up about cases based on this subjec

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Vol. 9 No. 27

Saturday - August 4, 2018

Tel: 604-591-5423

E-mail: ads@theasianstar.com getting close The convention centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s green roof helps prevent runoff from entering the city sewers. Carr said Toronto introduced a similar bylaw and found green roofs reduced the amount of rainwater hitting the streets by about 25 per cent because it gets absorbed by the roofs. That could have cost-saving measures for the City of Vancouver, according to Carr. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It would reduce our costs a lot, because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re having to replace pipes, and it increases the capacity because primarily we are getting more rain and we are expected, under climate-change predictions, to get even more rain in the future,â&#x20AC;? she said. But the Urban Development Institute, which represents 870 members in the development and planning industry, voiced concerns about the proposal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a key city stakeholder, we are extremely disappointed UDI was not consulted in the development of the Mandatory Green Roofs Motion, and that there does not appear to be any plans to engage the industry,â&#x20AC;? the institute said in a press release. Of particular concern were added construction costs and the potential for conflict with urban design policies for peaked roofs or green objectives like solar panels. The Vancouver Public Libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $15.5-million revitalization project includes plans for a rooftop garden. (VPL) Carr said she expected there would be some pushback from developers, but said in the long term, green roofs save on heating and cooling costs and therefore contribute to overall savings.

Developers concerned by councillorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motion to make green roofs mandatory in Vancouver Roofs with gardens and greenery on top could become a lot more common in Vancouver if a motion is successfully passed at city hall Tuesday â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but developers are concerned that they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t consulted first. Coun. Adriane Carr wants to make having a green roof mandatory for new large buildings, including commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-family residential developments. Single-family homes wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be impacted. Rain City: Vancouver puts new focus on rainwater management Carr said there are a host of reasons behind the motion, the most immediate being coping with excess rainfall in the city. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People probably around the city have seen the bubbling up of the water from our storm sewer, drains that come out and flood their streets. We have an excess of water and we need to deal with it and green roofs are a great way to do it,â&#x20AC;? she said. A study from BCITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s centre for architectural ecology found that a green roof reduced rainfall runoff by 28 per cent when averaged between the wet and dry seasons. The battle for greenest city: mayor says Vancouver

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Saturday, August 4, 2018

Vancouver home sales drop lowest since 2000 Vancouver realtors haven’t had this lousy a July in almost two decades. Sales were down 30 percent from a year ago to 2,070 units, the fewest transactions in the month since 2000, according to data released Thursday by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. Buyers are being deterred by rising mortgage rates and benchmark prices that remain over the one-million dollar mark. Vancouver home prices fell 0.6% in July, but are up 6.7% from a year earlier “It’s a new norm, a new market,” said Adil Dinani, a realtor with Royal LePage, a unit of Brookfield Real Estate Services Inc. “I have sellers stuck in the mindset of wanting what their neighbors got earlier this year -- it’s just not going to happen.” Homes are selling under the asking price and

33 percent from a year ago, and apartments are down 27 percent. Detached homes sold for an average of C$1.61 million ($1.24 million) and apartments averaged C$712,092. The overall composite benchmark price fell 0.6 percent in July to C$1.09 million, though it’s up 6.7 percent from a year earlier. The report signals buyers are still adjusting to tougher mortgage

buyers are including standard protection clauses in their offers -- something unheard of during the market frenzy of recent years in Canada’s most expensive city. Sales of detached properties declined by

Developers say Vancouvers housing density plan wont address the missing middle Overhauls to the City of Vancouver’s bylaws covering laneway homes are part of the municipality’s overall strategy to tackle housing affordability, and the changes were approved by Vancouver City Council meeting earlier today with only Green Party councillor Adrianne Carr opposed. Policy changes will significantly cut down the process time for applications, with an outright process for lager two-storey laneway homes. The process is streamlined and no longer requires an extra conditional design review by staff, and this is expected to reduce permit issuing times by 65% – down to 12 weeks. Laneway homes can also be built with a half-storey instead of a full second-storey to provide more flexibility to property owners. As well, the maximum height of a laneway home with a pitched roof is up by two feet, allowing 22 feet for a 1.5-storey structure and up to 17 feet for a single-storey structure. This eliminates the need to sink the laneway below grade, provides more

useable space on the upper floor, improves accessibility, reduces retaining walls, and reduces the use of concrete to cut down on construction costs. The new policies create minimum room sizes, with the main shared living space required to be at least 180 sq. ft. and at least one bedroom at least 91.5 sq. ft. According to the municipal government, ever since the laneway home program was approved in 2009, over 3,300 permits for such structures have been issued. The City’s statistics indicate 90% of laneway homes are are built in conjunction with a new house, 45% of all new single-family homes are built with a laneway home, only 10% of laneway homes are a single storey, and 60% of recent laneway homes have one parking space. Over 500 permits for laneway homes were approved annually in 2016 and 2017, and property owners report that it takes them under 1.5 years to develop such structures, which typically cost less than $300,000.

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qualification rules the federal government introduced Jan. 1, and to the four increases in the Bank of Canada’s trend-setting interest rate over the past year. Those rules were put in place after surging prices in both Toronto, which reports sales figures Friday, and the Pacific coast city led to warnings about excessive speculation. Other levels of government have also cracked down. British Columbia’s provincial government imposed a tax on foreign buyers, and Vancouver is trying to deter property speculators with a levy on vacant homes. “With increased mortgage rates and stricter lending requirements, buyers and sellers are opting to take a wait-and-see approach for the time being,” Phil Moore, president of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver said in the report.

Classifieds / Jobs 12: +,5,1* CNC Machine Operators in Surrey email resume to jobs@machining.ca Please mention AS subject line when applying

Saturday, August 4, 2018

12: +,5,1* Metro Standard Insulation Ltd is hiring experienced or inexperienced insulation installer, LMIA work permit available. Good pay, ride available. Please call: E-mail: info@metrostandardinsulation.com

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Community news Akhand Path at PICS Assisted Living Shri Akhand Path Sahib on Friday, August 10th, 2018 @ 10:00 AM Bhog Shri Akhand Path Sahib on Sunday, August 12th, 2018 @ 10:00 AM Followed by Kirtan & Langar. AT PICS Assisted Living, 12075, 75A Avenue, Surrey - 7hree days long Shri Akhand Path Sahib will be organized with full devotion, dedication and zeal under the leadership of all PICS ! " # the community to visit PICS Assisted Living facility to seek blessings for the

6RXWK $VLDQ 6HQLRUV 3DWDQMDOL <RJ 6DGKDQD E\ 6ZDPL 9LVKYDQJ -L $XJXVW WK )ULGD\ DP WR SP DW 6KDQWL 1LNHWDQ +DOO Vedic Seniors Parivar Center of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults, Senior members and nonmembers also to attend a rare and Yog Sadhana by Swami Vishvang Ji, a world class learned Vedic Scholar from Patanjali Baba Ram Devjiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ashram at Haridwar India, on August 10th 2018 (Friday) from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm at

upcoming PICS Multicultural Long Term Care Home for Seniors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Diversity Village project. The residents of PICS Assisted Living conceived the idea of organizaing an Akhand Path in 2015. They wanted to embellish their spirituality and serve the community. The residents were joined in " ! $ " Assisted Living who work day and night to make this an extremely successful event. )RU PHGLD LQWHUYLHZV RU IRU PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ SOHDVH FDOO 3,&6 &(2 6DWELU &KHHPD # H[W

Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321 - 140th street Surrey Yoga practice & Meditation for living long and healthy life. Swami Ji will answer all your questions concerning yoga and Meditation practices. Pure Vegetarian Lunch will be served in the dining hall of the Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple after the presentation is over. Project funded by Government of Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New Horizons for Seniors Program for Hindi speaking seniors. We are thankful to Shri Hari Varshney and Shrimati Madhu Varshney to help us for arranging Swami Jiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visit. Please call Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel.

Saturday, August 4, 2018

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