The Asian Star December 21 2019

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Vol 19 - Issue 47

Saturday, December 21, 2019

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Former Surrey mayors speak out against ‘disgraceful & undemocratic’ council meeting

Simon Fraser University ‘student’ arrested in exam cheating case

‘‘It’s just being run as a dictatorship.’

RCMP and Simon Fraser University are investigating an allegation of cheating during recently completed final exams.

The registrar of the university based in Burnaby sent an email to students Tuesday advising a woman was caught impersonating a student in order to write an exam in exchange for money. Rummana Khan Hemani says in the email that both the test writer and the student were arrested, and the university expects charges will be laid. Burnaby RCMP confirm a 26-year-old woman was arrested on Dec. 12 after reports a forged document had been used to take an exam for another student. Police are not identifying the woman and say in an email on Wednesday that no charges have been laid.

Continued on page 7

Former Surrey mayors are thunderstruck by the way Surrey’s infamous budget approval meeting played out this past Monday night in an overflowing council chambers, but what can be done about it after the fact? Mayor Doug McCallum has been taking brickbats for the chaos that erupted there. But it’s not known if he would have done anything differently, in retrospect. He did not return a request for comment by press time.

Continued on page 7

Navdeep Bains told to cut cellphone prices or boost competition Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signalled Friday that his government is ready to take aggressive action to force more competition for cellphone service in Canada. In his mandate letter to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains, Trudeau said that the government is committed to building more competition through mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). An MVNO is the cellphone equivalent of the small internet service providers who buy access to the big Continued on page 7

South Asian anti-racism adviser criticized Trudeau’s blackface & it cost her federal job Manjot Bains says she felt forced to quit a job she loved after being reprimanded for speaking about scandal. A Vancouver woman hired to work on a federal anti-racism program says she felt pushed out of her job after publicly criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for wearing blackface. Manjot Bains began working in May as a senior program adviser in the Department of Canadian Heritage, in the Community Support, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Initiatives program.

When the racist images emerged of Trudeau in September during the federal election campaign, Bains and her father were interviewed by HuffPost Canada on their reaction to the scandal. “I was really upset and disgusted by it,” she said. ‘Should you

speak up or should you stay silent?’: The impact of everyday racism In the article, Bains was not identified as a federal employee, but when she told her employer about her participation, she said she was verbally reprimanded.

Senior management told her she could not criticize the prime minister, and that the public could think she lacked neutrality or was biased if she spoke publicly about racism.

“You cannot critique the prime minister, is what I was told,” she said recalling an October meeting with senior managers. “I was told that I couldn’t be trusted, that I had lost their trust.”

Former Pakistan President and Army Chief Pervez Musharraf sentenced to death for treason Former Pakistan President and military ruler Pervez Musharraf has been sentenced to death in absentia for high treason following a six-year legal case. A three-member special court in Islamabad on Tuesday convicted Musharraf of violating the constitution by unlawfully declaring emergency rule while he was in power, in a case that had been pending since 2013. The 76-year-old former leader, who has lived in self-imposed exile in

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Vol 18 - Issue 47

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Amid cheers, jeers and a councillor walk-out, Surrey council approves divisive budget Mayor refuses to allow councillors to speak on budget due to ‘safety issues,’ drawing sharp criticism. Surrey’s budget was formally approved Monday night following a 5-4 vote — but the backdrop was a loud, chaotic meeting featuring competing protesters who packed into council chambers.

The crowds first gathered outside of Surrey City Hall, then filled the chambers, heckling and cheering throughout the meeting and making it difficult to hear what was being discussed.

At one point, members from the Safe Surrey Coalition left the room, leaving other councillors in their seats, and were met with boos from the crowd when they re-entered. Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum also said councillors were not allowed to speak on budget items because of “safety issues” and said anyone who interrupted the meeting would be escorted out by security The lack of discussion over the budget drew sharp criticism from some councillors. “Not a very good sign of democracy in the City of Surrey today,” said Coun. Brenda Locke. Coun. Jack Hundial wants the province to investigate

whether McCallum acted appropriately.

“You have a divisive issue such as this, you need to hear every side, regardless of whether you agree with it or not,” he said.

‘This is a zoo, this is a circus’ Surrey’s 2020 draft budget passed in early December. It includes an average 2.9 per cent property tax increase — approximately $59 for the average single-family home, according to a staff estimate — along with one-time capital costs to help pay for the transition to an independent police force while the RCMP is still in operation. The budget does not provide funding to hire more firefighters to prioritize funding the police force.

During the protest and the meeting, competing cheers of “Surrey police” and “RCMP” rang out.

Former councillor Mike Starchuk organized the rally opposing the budget.

He says the mayor’s decision to silence the council meeting shows he’s lost control.

“The is chamber is supposed to be respectful, its supposed to be civil,” said Starchuk. “This is a zoo, this is a circus.”

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OPINION

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Vancouver’s absurd housing market shuts out millennials

By Mike Robinson I want to describe Vancouver’s awful housing market as a metaphor for something else. I’ll reveal the ‘something else’ later in the column.

For now, let’s just stick with Vancouver, the city I grew up in.

When I was a little boy, our Dunbar neighbourhood had a broad cross-section of residents. Our family’s cleaning lady lived down the street with her husband, an accomplished house painter. My best friend Mark lived down the lane. His dad owned Bruce Transfer, a small trucking business. Our next-door neighbours owned a plumbing business that employed all their children. The family that lived just opposite us owned a small interior design business. My dad was a professor of medicine and my mom was a university student. All the neighbours had sufficient incomes to afford their own single family homes. All the kids knew one another and, although we were a diverse lot, our families constituted a real community. It was a place where

the children played baseball and street hockey together after school.Eventually I married and we moved to Calgary to build our careers. As it turned out, if we’d stayed in Vancouver, I could have watched our old place on Camosun Street appreciate to more than $3 million today from the $35,000 it cost my folks to build in 1954. By comparison, after working 30 years in Alberta, our Calgary house appreciated to almost half a million dollars, making it one of the key assets in our family investment portfolio.

When we returned to Vancouver to retire, we rented a 650-square-foot condo in Olympic Village for $2,500 a month. It has one bedroom, a closet, a bathroom and a multi-room (kitchen, living room and work space). If we chose to buy it, it would be about $700,000.

There are a few kids in our new neighbourhood but no one plays baseball on the street. We hardly know our neighbours and I suspect half the building is an Airbnb ruse.

What happened in the 30 years we were away from Vancouver?

It’s a 21st-century allegory of opioid money

laundering, hidden foreign investment by aspiring capitalists, and some enthusiastic and high-priced real estate investment by decent investors with a love for Vancouver.

Meanwhile, the downtown is morphing into a Range Rover, Tiffany and Gucci high-end retail zone. Gone are the small community movie theatres, family-run cafes, neighbourhood barber shops and walk-about shopping streets for the wage earners of my youth. In their place are condos and more condos, where rental opportunities start at $2,000 per month.

The situation has certainly benefited many of my contemporaries. Whereas my wife and I departed for Calgary and participated in the last great boom of the Canadian oil patch, many of my less adventurous pals stayed in Dunbar and made real estate fortunes.

Baby boomer-generation Calgarians had to rely much more on small business development, equity investments, and professional and consulting acumen for whatever success they achieved. Prairie real estate investments were problematic. Vancouver has proved extremely vexing for the next generation. Our kids have basically written it off. A neighbourhood like the one I grew up in doesn’t exist in Vancouver today.

In fact, there are thousands of well-maintained, beautifully groomed, vacant houses in the West Side where I used to live. And here’s the key issue: basically the municipal, provincial and federal governments aren’t doing anything to enable meaningful participation by Vancouver millennials in home ownership. While the fundamental inhibitors of home ownership are well understood, governments are extremely reluctant to intervene in the marketplace that has benefited so many boomer voters, who basically got rich by just being there as the market took off.

As a consequence, Vancouver millennials can choose to leave home as real estate refugees or make do as best they can in an absurd housing market. They’re paying the price for boomer real estate privilege.

Now, the metaphor explained: if we can’t solve Vancouver’s 30-year-old home affordability crisis, what’s the chance we can even contemplate a solution to the planetary climate crisis in the crucial next decade?

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Simon Fraser University ‘student’ arrested in exam cheating case The university is not identifying the subject of the exam and says its student conduct office will handle any further steps with the student when the RCMP investigation is complete.

Hemani says the university takes violations of the academic conduct policy and any related criminal offences very seriously.

“We work hard to uphold the academic integrity of SFU, and to make sure that your efforts are not diminished by the unethical and illegal actions of others,” she says in the email to students. “When we discover these types of activities, we take all actions available

Former Surrey mayors speak out against ‘disgraceful & council meeting

From page 1 undemocratic’ Dianne Watts, who served as Surrey’s mayor from 2005 to 2014, said Monday’s council meeting was a disgrace. “I’ve never seen anything like in all the time I’ve been in politics, it’s just so disgraceful,” she told the Now-Leader. She said there must be recourse, “without a doubt. “I mean, this

isn’t a dictatorship. When you look at how the meeting unfolded, I mean it’s an absolute affront on the democratic process, without a doubt. Ignoring councillors calling for points of order, denying councillors to speak, I’m just astonished. It’s just being run as a dictatorship.” Former Surrey mayor Dianne Watts “He just runs roughshod over the whole process,” she said of McCallum, “which is really unfortunate because the whole point of having the process and procedures in place is to allow the citizenry to express their views, to allow elected officials, who are duly elected, to put their views forward or make statements.

You can’t just shut them down, and especially on points or order. I’ve never seen the likes of this before.” Councillor Brenda Locke said she intends to speak with Selina Robinson, provincial minister of municipal affairs, to seek recourse. “Certainly we ‘re not going to just take it. “I called more than once on a point of order and was denied,” Locke said. “That’s just nothing I’ve ever seen happen before. I have never seen a mayor so dysfunctional in a meeting.” But Watts doesn’t think the provincial government will step in.

“No. He is duly elected. He has a responsibility to the residents, he has the responsibility to the conduct of the City, which is clearly being violated. People are just frustrated, and so they’re looking for every avenue to make their voices be heard. Under the Municipal Act, which is governed by the Province of British Columbia, certainly they’re not going to jump into this. People would have to go through a court process regarding the violations of procedures.”

Linda Hepner, who served as Surrey’s mayor from 2014 to 2018, said in more than three decade at City Hall as a staffer, councillor and then mayor, she never saw anything like what transpired Monday night.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Premeier Horgan & NDP MLAs at South Asian media roundtable

Premier John Horgan along with NDP MLAs addressed South Asian media at roundtable in Surrey last week. A number of important and historic investments the government made for the benefit of people including many achievements were discussed at the meeting.

Liberal minister told to cut cellphone prices or boost competition From page 1 telecom networks at wholesale rates and then sell internet service to customers. In February this year, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission announced a regulatory proceeding to look at the issue of MVNOs. “It is the Commission’s preliminary view that it would be appropriate to mandate that the national wireless carriers provide wholesale MVNO access as an outcome of this proceeding,” the CRTC said then. “The Commission considers that, on balance, it is likely that the benefits that a well-developed MVNO market would deliver to Canadians are now more likely to outweigh any negative impacts that a policy of mandated wholesale MVNO access might have on wireless carriers’ network investments, particularly given the extensive investments that have been made in recent years.” During the fall election campaign the Liberals promised to lower cell phone bills

by 25 per cent, and in the Throne Speech last week, the government doubled down on that promise. “If within two years this price target is not achieved, you can expand MVNO qualifying rules and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission mandate on affordable pricing,” Trudeau’s letter to Bains said. Bains would not answer questions from the Financial Post Friday. Already, independent ISPs are eager to become cellphone service providers, just as soon as the CRTC creates rules that will allow them to get in the game.

“About half of what Canadians spend on their telecommunications services is wireless, and we’d like to continue to bring the competitive services that we offer on the wire-line side to wireless,” said Matt Stein, CEO of Toronto-based Distributel. He said the signal the government is sending is optimistic.

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Saturday, December 21, 2019

Careful, Canada: What Ireland has learned about two-tier health care Be careful what you wish for, Canada.

One way or the other, Canadian courts are about to make some key decisions about the role of private financing and practice in the health care system; the Cambie case in British Columbia is just the latest attempt to overturn fundamental components of publicly funded medicare. Closing arguments were made last week and the decision in this legal case, which is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court, will have ramifications for decades and for millions of people.

So, what can international experience teach us? One particularly illuminating case is Ireland. It is striking that as Canada seems on the cusp of embracing two-tier health care, Ireland is struggling to limit it.

Dr. Brian Day launched a case against the British Columbia government based on a constitutional challenge saying patients have a right to pay for private care if the public system leaves them waiting too long. He says

the trial is about patients’ access to affordable treatment, while his opponents accuse him of trying to gut Canada’s medical system.

In 1957, the Irish Republic decided to set up a voluntary health insurer owned by the state to take the pressure off the public system, allowing health care to be bought by those who had the means.

It sounded reasonable, and 60 years later, private health insurance has taken off with almost half the population covered and plans offered by private companies. This allows faster access to public care subsidized by the state, and queue-jumping of the very long

waiting lists by those who are better off f i n a n c i a l l y.

Despite only accounting for 12 per cent of total health funds, however, p r i v a t e insurance in Ireland now drives access to hospital care – the tail that wags the dog.

Private health insurance occupies a unique role in the Irish setting, providing faster access to care in both public- and private-provider settings. However, it does not always cover hospital expenses and often covers a fraction or nothing at all for non-hospital care, such as outpatient

appointments with a specialist, GP visits, and care from allied health professionals.

It also does not cover drug costs (there is a government reimbursement threshold for households spending more than a fixed amount in a month). Moreover, the benefits of queue jumping only accrue to those who are able to afford private health insurance premiums — and there are concerns about that affordability. The cost of insurance varies hugely by product and there are more than 300 hospital plans, but for an adult with public and private hospital coverage, the cheapest is around $1,900 per year.A recent study showed that roughly 19 per cent of households experience unaffordable private health expenditures, which includes both private health insurance and co-payments. The latest household survey suggests that people are going without some GP services and dental care in order to afford health insurance plans.

China’s Vancouver consulate recruits volunteer corps, raising concerns of foreign interference in city A recent decision by the consulate-general of the People’s Republic of China to form a corps of citizen volunteers in this city is raising concerns about improper foreign interference in Canadian affairs.

The volunteer group, whose recruits include some prominent Chinese-Canadian community leaders, was ostensibly created to assist Chinese nationals who run into legal trouble or physical danger in Canada. Being a consular volunteer is an “honour and a responsibility” and in keeping with the “watchful solidarity of the Chinese people,” says a recent posting on the consulate’s website.

But some China watchers are suspicious of the initiative.

“I believe that there’s more to the consulate’s efforts than simply training consular volunteers, and that they may be looking to enlist Chinese citizens, and even Canadians, to promote the Communist Party’s political agenda,” said David Mulroney, Canada’s former ambassador to China and a senior fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs.

Continued on page 9

More than 7,000 without power as high winds hammer Vancouver Island More than 7,000 Vancouver Island homes and businesses were without power Thursday as high winds caused damage across the region.

Environment Canada issued a wind warning for residents on the South Island just before 3 p.m., saying strong southeast winds could gust as high as 90 km/h near Haro Strait.

The weather service said the winds were expected to ease in the evening as a frontal system moves through the area. “Loose objects may be tossed by the wind and cause injury or damage,” the weather service said. “High winds may toss loose objects or cause tree branches to break.” As of 5:30 p.m., nearly 5,200 residents on the South Island (including Salt Spring Island) and more than 30 people in the Nanaimo region and Qualicum Beach area were without power, according to BC Hydro. While some of the outages were still under investigation, many of the most significant outages, like one that was impacting more than 2,500 people in Metchosin, were due to trees that had fallen onto power lines. The wind warning comes one day after Environment Canada issued a rainfall warning for communities on the West Island.

Residents are urged to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada.

To report severe weather, send an email to BCstorm@canada.ca or tweet reports using the hashtag #BCStorm. For updates on power outages, visit BC Hydro’s website.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Too many in Surrey & White Rock still driving impaired: police Fewer than a dozen drivers have been caught driving under the influence in White Rock since the season’s CounterAttack effort got underway this month, while more than 40 have been logged in Surrey.

Surrey RCMP Const. Richard Wright said, as of Thursday, officers conducting checks in Surrey have so far launched five Criminal Code impaired investigations, and issued 28 Immediate Roadside Prohibitions as well as nine 24hour prohibitions. In White Rock, Const.

Chantal Sears said two 90-day driving prohibitions have been issued so far, along with three three-day driving prohibitions and two 24-hour prohibitions. One of the two 24-hour prohibitions was due to cannabis

use, Sears said. Sears said regardless of whether the number of impaired drivers is higher or lower than last year, “it’s still disappointing that people are still not choosing a safe ride home.” One alternative is to call Operation Red Nose, a by-donation safe-ride service in which teams of three volunteers pick up callers who have had one or a few too many and drives them in their own vehicles to their destination of choice.

This year, the service is operating in White Rock, Surrey and Langley. Rides are available between 9pm and 3am on Friday and Saturday through December 21, as well as on December 31, Call 604-539-9082

Richmond man sentenced to 12 years in prison for importing ‘staggering amount of fentanyl’ A Richmond man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for importing over 13 kilograms of fentanyl and other drugs into Canada from China. Jaroslaw Orzel, 38, pleaded guilty Nov. 25 in Richmond Provincial Court to two counts of possessing fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking.

He was also sentenced to three years on one count of possessing a restricted firearm with accessible ammunition, namely a semiautomatic rifle. Twenty-one other drug and weapons charges were stayed. Just 0.002 of a gram of fentanyl could be fatal and this seizure has potentially prevented an untold

number of overdoses,” said Supt. Keith Finn of the RCMP’s federal serious organized crime unit. Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) identified a suspicious importer in July 2017, who was importing fentanyl into Canada through international mail and courier systems. That importer, Orzel, was linked to seven previous CBSA seizures of fentanyl, totalling approximately 3.5 kg.

Once the importer was identified, the border agency alerted the RCMP’s federal serious organized crime unit, which continued the investigation under the name Project EPhiloxenia.

More than 7,000 without power as high winds hammer Vancouver Island

From page 8

The National Post invited Chinese consular officials to explain the role of the volunteer corps and to respond to critics’ concerns. In an email, they replied: “Please refer to our official website.”

On Dec. 11, the consulate posted on the Chineselanguage version of its homepage a link to an article about a training symposium that had been held earlier in the month for volunteer recruits.

The article is accompanied by a picture of more than two dozen people holding their certifications.

Defending the safety and legal rights of overseas Chinese citizens “is an important duty of the Vancouver consulate and a responsibility the consul general cannot shirk,” the article stated.

They could easily become foreign agents, and their given tasks may interfere with Canada’s internal matters, “Greater Vancouver has many Chinese emigrants, exchange students and tourists, and incidents of injury, illness, disappearance,

detention, fraud, and so forth involving Chinese citizens remain frequent. In order to adapt to a new era, and new higher expectations of excellence in overseas public service and effectiveness in overseas legal defence, it is necessary to innovate new approaches and elevate the effectiveness of consular protection.”

The article does not go into detail about how the citizen volunteers were chosen or what kinds of assistance they would provide, describing their roles vaguely as “creating a project of overseas people’s welfare“ and “constructing a system for overseas Chinese peace.”

“The volunteer mechanism is fully making use of the advantages of the emigrant community, developing working synergy, and helping the consulate to provide good consular services, giving overseas Chinese emigrants and Chinese citizens a feeling of safety and benefit,” the article states.

LOCAL

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, December 21, 2019

1,000-plus unit Surrey project gets green light A massive mixed-use development in Whalley is moving forward despite opposition from seniors, but others are saying the project is what’s needed for young people in the area.

The proposal to tear down a pair of aging Whalley apartments buildings and replace them with several towers, which concerned the residents currently living there, passed third reading Dec. 16. Only Councillor Steven Pettigrew opposed the proposal.

Final adoption is to come when all of the residents have been helped by the proponent.

There are currently 154 apartments between the two buildings at 10138 Whalley Boulevard & 10139 137A Street.

All told, the 154 apartments there now would be replaced by 1,126.

With the approval, developer Rize Alliance Properties plan to replace the current buildings with three highrise towers (23-storey,

32-storey and 39-storey), two 13-storey rental buildings, with 172 apartments, and another six-storey apartment.

Ground-level retail space and a daycare facility is also proposed.

Pettigrew said the proposal was a “good application” and the process is “quite wellthought-out except for the portion of the people that are currently living there.”

He said the developer is taking steps and looking at how to help the residents, but things are being done “too late in the game.”

“I don’t think it’s happened fast enough because I think if all these things were in place and all these things were happening, then we wouldn’t be having all these people coming to us with concerns and we wouldn’t be having the petition given to us.”

Pettigrew said he wouldn’t be supporting it because there’s too much opposition.

“It’s not enough. It’s not enough for the people living there and that is something I do not want to be responsible for any decisions that puts them at risk,” he said. “I’ve had too many seniors come to me over the last year with tears in their eyes and tell me that they’ve been forced out of their homes and they’re on the streets now and I don’t want to see that

happen anymore.” In planning documents, staff note concerns over displacement have been expressed to the city. City planners said Surrey does have a tenant assistance policy and that the applicant, “in accordance with that policy,” has a person working with each tenant individually “and negotiating with them on a case-by-case basis based on their unique needs.”

Meth and other items with a prison value of $82,000 seized at Abbotsford jail Correctional Service Canada reported today (Thursday) that a package containing contraband with an estimated institutional value of $82,000 was seized Dec. 6 at Pacific Institution in Abbotsford.Acting assistant warden Ronnie Gill said in a press release that the items seized included 56 grams of methamphetamine, a cellphone, two cellphone chargers, a small bottle of liquid meth, an SD card, an SD card reader and drug paraphernalia. Gill did not say how or where the items were found, only that it was

due to the “vigilance of staff members.”

Gill said the CSC uses a number of tools to prevent drugs from entering its prisons.

These tools include ion scanners and drugdetector dogs to search buildings, personal property, inmates and visitors. “CSC is heightening measures to prevent contraband from entering its institutions in order to help ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone,” Gill said.

CSC operates an anonymous tip line (1866-780-3784) for all federal prisons, to report drug use or trafficking.

Newton stabbing connected to drug trafficking Surrey RCMP Surrey Mounties believe a stabbing in Newton late Wednesday night that sent a man to hospital with potentially life-threatening wounds was “targeted” and connected to drug trafficking. While police cordoned off the Strawberry Hill Esso gas station at 76th Avenue and 128th Street with yellow barricade tape, Corporal Elenore Sturko said Thursday that investigators have not yet determined where the stabbing took place.

“It wasn’t necessarily at that location,” she

told the Now-Leader Police have deemed there to be “no risk to the public” as a result of the “targeted” nature of this crime, Sturko said. The victim was found shortly before 10 p.m. Sturko said he is in stable condition.

She declined to reveal if an arrest has been made. “We are making progress on this investigation,” she said.

Police are asking witnesses or anyone with information to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502.

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Saturday, December 21, 2019

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Vancouver school at end of Broadway SkyTrain extension worries about location of bus loop An elementary school located near where the Arbutus terminus station of the Broadway SkyTrain extension will be built is speaking up against plans for a busy bus loop that will be kitty-corner from its playground.

“It will be 25 metres from where the kids play in the playground,” said Michael Yaptinchay, principal of St. Augustine, an independent Catholic school run by the Vancouver ArchdioceseonArbutusStreetatWest7thAvenue.

The Arbutus station will be located at the northeast corner of Broadway and Arbutus, but the bus loop will back along Arbutus Street

from Broadway down to West 8th Avenue.

There is currently a building housing a Rogers store at the northeast corner of Arbutus and Broadway that is owned by the City of Vancouver. The lot at Arbutus and West 8th, where the bus loop is planned, is not occupied, although it is home to Christmas tree vendors at this time of year.

TransLink’s plan is for passengers getting off the SkyTrain at the new terminus station to transfer to 99 B-Line buses to the University of B.C. via the bus loop.

Fire victims’ valuables stolen despite ‘personnel on site 24/7’ Dozens of people who lost their homes to a devastating apartment fire last month are victims once again after their units were robbed, despite being monitored round the clock by a private security company.

The Pentagon apartment building near Heather Street and Southwest Marine Drive was severely damaged in an early morning fire last month, forcing residents out due to severe structural damage. Investigators believe the blaze may have been started by fireworks.

This week residents were finally able to

briefly access their units to get the belongings that weren’t damaged by fire, smoke or water and they discovered every suite had been ransacked with all their valuables stolen.

“We just trusted the property management people saying that everything was secure, everything will be controlled,” said Stalin Selvam, who lived in the building.

Hanz Bigcas and his parents had thousands of dollars’ worth of belongings swiped, including $10,000 in professional makeup.

Supreme Court overturns decision that allowed U.S. Super Bowl ads in Canadian broadcast The Supreme Court of Canada has blown the whistle on a federal regulatory decision that allowed Canadian viewers to watch keenly anticipated American commercials during the Super Bowl broadcast.

In its ruling Thursday, the high court said the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) strayed beyond the scope of its authority under the Broadcasting Act when it took action to ensure the U.S. ads could be seen.

For almost half a century, the practice known

as simultaneous substitution has been a central feature of the Canadian broadcasting system.

It permits a television station that purchases exclusive Canadian rights to a U.S. program to require that cable and satellite companies substitute incoming U.S. network signals showing the same program with the Canadian station’s own signal.

As a result, local viewers see only the Canadian station’s signal — including commercials — no matter which channel they watch.

Jody Wilson Raybould chosen newsmaker of the year The SNC-Lavalin affair cost Justin Trudeau two cabinet ministers, his most trusted aide, the top federal public servant and possibly a second majority mandate; and now the woman at the centre of it all, Jody Wilson-Raybould, is the 2019 Newsmaker of the Year.

The former justice minister was the runaway choice of news editors across the country surveyed by The Canadian Press.

Prime Minister Trudeau, whose Liberal government was reduced to a minority in the Oct. 21 election, polled a distant second.

“Jody Wilson-Raybould made us think about governance and fairness and loyalty and how all of those things play out every day behind the scenes on Parliament Hill,” said Toronto Star senior editor Janet Hurley.

“She lifted the curtain and let us see inside and, as the election results ultimately

revealed, not everyone liked what they saw.

Some called her courageous; others were less kind _ but in the face of all that she created a national dialogue unmatched this year.”

This time last year, Sun News editor-inchief Mark Towhey said, “The number of

Canadians who could tell you who Jody Wilson-Raybould was would fit in a mid-size restaurant.

“In 2019, she became a household name at the centre of the biggest political story of the year.”

It began with an anonymously sourced story in the Globe and Mail in early February, alleging that Trudeau and his staff had inappropriately pressured Wilson-Raybould to stop a criminal prosecution of SNCLavalin, the Montreal engineering giant facing corruption charges related to contracts in Libya.

Surrey school district sees highest enrolment growth in BC he Surrey school district has topped the province once again with student enrolment growth.

For the 2019-2020 school year, the district increased by 1,039 schoolage full-time equivalent students, according to a release from the Ministry of Education Wednesday (Dec. 18).

The next highest growth was the Burnaby school district with 441 new students (23,875 enrolled as of September), followed by Central Okanagan with 377 new students (23,056 enrolled), Langley with 336 new students (20,890 enrolled) and Sooke with 281 new students (11,114).

As of September, 72,522 students were enrolled in the Surrey school district. That’s up from the 71,483 enrolled in September 2018.

In August, the Surrey school district said it was expecting between 1,000 and 1,200 new

students to enrol for for 2019-2020 school year.

The projected enrolment total was 74,700.

For the past three years, at least, the Surrey school district has topped the province in growth, with roughly 1,000 new students each year. There were 1,152 new students enrolled in September 2018, 959 new students enrolled in September 2017 and 993 new students enrolled in September 2016.

“More and more families and students are coming to B.C., and we are ensuring they can access our world-class public education system with increased funding and support,” said Minister of Education Rob Fleming in the release. “This year, B.C.’s public school districts are receiving significantly more funding than ever before, including more funding for Indigenous education and increased support for students with special needs.”

LOCAL

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Appeal court reduces Surrey judge’s sentence of teenaged robber A higher court has reduced the sentence a Surrey provincial court judge gave a teenaged boy who pleaded guilty to three home invasion-related crimes, finding the sentence exceeded the maximum allowable under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The boy, whose identity is shielded by the YCJA, was given the maximum three-year custody and supervision order followed by

12 months’ probation as well as a $7,500 restitution order, to remain in effect for five years. He pleaded guilty to robbery, breakingand-entering and using an imitation firearm when committing the robbery.

The Court of Appeal for

High school student found guilty of sexual assault A Surrey teenager who was accused of groping five girls he attended high school with has been acquitted on nine charges against him but found guilty of three that involved two of the girls.

The boy, who was under 18 at the time, was charged on a 12-count indictment with sexual assault and touching for a sexual purpose girls under age 16. In one of the two girls’ cases he was found not guilty of sexual assault but guilty of the included offence of common assault.

His identity is shielded by the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The name of

the school has not been disclosed.

Judge Mark Jetté noted in his reasons for decision that the girls described the boy as being a popular student and “something of a jokester and class clown.”

Four of the complainants were in Grade 8 at the time, and the fifth had been in Grade 9.

The complaints involved unwanted grabbing or groping of their buttocks or chest, either on top or underneath clothing, and in some cases physically restrained was alleged.

Delta police bust impaired driver in school zone A driver was slapped with a 90-day driving prohibition and sent away in a taxi after being caught driving while impaired through a school zone in Delta on Tuesday.

The driver was stopped by police conducting an impaired driving check shortly after 9 a.m. outside of a local school, police said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. The driver was given a breathalyzer check with an Approved Screening Device and blew over the limit.

Police across the country kicked off its seasonal CounterAttack impaired driving campaign earlier this month. Roughly 70 people are killed each year in the province in crashes that involve impaired driving, according to ICBC.

Delta police are reminding wouldbe impaired drivers to plan ahead and be safe this holiday season.

“One of the most selfish things someone can do is get behind the wheel of a vehicle when they are impaired. By not taking the steps to ensure that you have an alternative ride home after a night (or morning) of drinking, you are putting someone else’s life in danger,” the Facebook post reads.

“Because of your selfishness, a child, parent or friend may not be home for the holidays. Do not get behind the wheel of a vehicle if you have consumed alcohol – call a taxi, a friend, or take the bus.”

Crown says former SNC-Lavalin exec Bebawi should be sentenced to 9 years Former SNC-Lavalin executive Sami Bebawi tarnished Canada’s reputation and helped perpetuate the corrupt dictatorial regime of Moammar Gadhafi in Libya, federal prosecutor Anne-Marie Manoukian said Thursday as she asked that he be sentenced to nine years in prison.

Bebawi, 73, was convicted by a jury Sunday on five charges including fraud, corruption of foreignofficialsandlaunderingproceedsofcrime.

During his time running the company’s operations in Libya, beginning in the late 1990s, Bebawi set up a “complex fraud scheme” to secure SNC-Lavalin lucrative contracts and pocketed millions of dollars, Manoukian said in sentencing arguments before Quebec Superior

Court Justice Guy Cournoyer. “Consider the vulnerability of the victims,” Manoukian told the judge, referring to the citizens of the Libyan dictatorship. “They are foreigners, but that doesn’t make it any less serious. It not only tarnished the image of Canada but also served to perpetuate the regime in place.

“This is a very serious crime.”

Manoukian recommended he be sentenced to nine years for fraud, 4.5 years for corruption of foreign officials and 45 months for laundering the proceeds of crime, with the sentences being served concurrently.

The only attenuating factor that could lessen his sentence, she said, is Bebawi’s age.

British Columbia also found the provincial court judge erred by failing to take into account the boy’s ability to pay the restitution. The teen had just turned 16 at the time the crimes were committed. The Crown did not seek an adult sentence.

The provincial court judge gave him a year’s credit for the

13

451 days he’d already been in custody and ordered a 24-month custody and supervision order.

Appeal Court Justice Bruce Butler struck the probation and restitution orders and set the community supervision part of the sentence at 12 months, to be served after 24 months in custody. Justices John Hunter and Peter Willcock concurred.

Car share company ‘Car2Go’ closing down business in Vancouver Car share service Share Now, the company operating the Car2Go fleet, is closing down operations in North America.

In a statement posted Wednesday on Share Now’s website, the company said service will end on Feb. 29. An e-mail sent to customers said accounts will remain active until this date, and customers are encouraged to use any credits on their account.

“Please note that you may find fewer vehicles available as we approach that date,” Share Now’s e-mail said. “We are saddened by this decision and deeply apologize for the inconvenience this will cause you.”

Share Now’s statement said “rising infrastructure complexities,” including increased competition, was part of the reason operations in North America are closing. Car2Go has been operating in Vancouver since 2011.

Vancouver resident Glen Murray said he uses Car2Go to travel around the city three to four times each week.

“I got rid of a car because there was car share,” Mr. Murray said.

Mr. Murray said he might use Evo, another car share service, or public transit after Car2Go becomes unavailable, but he may also consider getting a car again.

Sandra Phillips, who was the regional director for Car2Go when the company first launched in Canada, said Vancouver has always been a profitable market for car sharing. She is now the CEO and founder of Vancouver-based Movmi, a consultancy that helps launch car and bike sharing services.

Ms. Phillips said Car2Go’s free-floating model, where cars can be picked up and dropped off in different locations as opposed to specific lots, introduced “complexity and cost.”

“Car sharing in general, and shared mobility in general, is a tough business. It’s single-digit margins, even for the best in the market,” Ms. Phillips said. “While I may understand some of the logic in the news rele

14

LOCAL

Saturday, December 21, 2019 After year of political turmoil, SNC-Lavalin gets most of what it wanted in plea deal

Facial recognition ‘confirmed’ Ajax developer was wanted crime boss, but CBSA couldn’t prove it Canadian immigration officers alleged in 2015 that an Ajax, Ont., developer had entered the country using a false identity and was actually a crime leader wanted in Bangladesh, according to documents obtained by the media.

But despite writing in a report that they had “confirmed, through facial recognition� that Md. Tarekh Rana was a fugitive, the officers at the Toronto immigration enforcement centre did not proceed with a case against him.

The matter was eventually dropped after Rana refuted the allegations and the officers, unable to corroborate he was the wanted man, decided there were insufficient grounds to take enforcement action, the documents indicate.

Rana was subsequently allowed to enter Canada repeatedly to run his property development business east of Toronto.

He was also photographed alongside a gallery of Canadian politicians — some of whom wrote letters supporting him.

Documents detailing Rana’s immigration history were obtained from a confidential source after Global News reported the similarities between the Ajax businessman and crime leader Khandekar Tanvir Islam

“Joy,� who is wanted for multiple murders.

Story continues below advertisement Rana has declined to be interviewed.

But in emails, he told Global News he may have been the victim of identity theft, and he and his lawyer said he had been cleared by the RCMP. The documents show that two years after Rana founded his business in Ajax in 2013, Canadian immigration officers began the process of reporting him for allegedly misrepresenting his identity, which could have resulted in his deportation. “He acquired his visa without disclosing his true identity of Tanveer Islam Khandakar, who is one of the Bangladesh Police’s most wanted criminals,� the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) wrote. “Tarekh Rana has been confirmed, through facial recognition, as being one and the same as Tanveer Islam Khandakar.�

4:06 Ajax property entrepreneur Tarekh Rana haunted by Bangladesh fugitive crime boss doppelganger Ajax property entrepreneur Tarekh Rana haunted by Bangladesh fugitive crime boss doppelganger

After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s failed efforts to see SNC-Lavalin avoid prosecution led to him losing two key ministers, his edge in the polls and (almost) his party’s hold on government, the Quebec engineering firm at the centre of the controversy walked away today with a plea deal that looks a lot like what it asked the government for in the first place.

A judge on Thursday accepted the plea deal that a division of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. struck with the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Under the agreement, the company pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud over $5,000 in relation to the company’s activities in Libya.. “We are happy. The company is happy,â€? said SNC-Lavalin lawyer François Fontaine. “The fact that the charges are no longer pending over the head of the company is good. The uncertainty around that kind of proceeding is bad for business, is bad for the company. “So we’re very happy that it’s now over. We are free to bid as normal. This guilty plea does not prevent construction, or any other entity of the group, to bid on public contracts.â€?

SNC-Lavalin pleads guilty to fraud for past work in Libya, will pay $280M fine After SNC-Lavalin was hit with fraud and corruption charges over its actions in Libya between 2001 and 2011, officials from the Prime Minister’s Office spoke with then justice

minister and attorney general Jody WilsonRaybould, asking her to reconsider offering the firm a deferred prosecution agreement.

Under newly passed legislation, a deferred prosecution agreement would allow the company to avoid trial providing it paid hefty fines and continued to adhere to a number of conditions for a period of time.

Had the company been convicted in court of bribing Libyan officials — including Saadi Gadhafi, son of the late dictator Moammar Gadhafi — to get lucrative government contracts, it could have been blocked from competing for federal government contracts in Canada for a decade. “I have long believed in the essential necessity of our judicial system operating as it should — based on the rule of law and prosecutorial independence, and without political interference or pressure,�

Wilson-Raybould said today on Twitter. “Ultimately, that system was able to do its work — as democracy and good governance requires — and an outcome was reached today. Accountability was achieved. The justice system did its work.�

Former health minister Jane Philpott and former attorney general of Canada Jody Wilson-Raybould both resigned from cabinet over the SNC-Lavalin affair.

Man arrested after waving knife in downtown Vancouver Vancouver police say they’re recommending a charge of possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose after they were called to a downtown apartment building Wednesday morning.

Multiple police vehicles and one ambulance were blocked a lane of traffic on Nelson Street between Richards and Homer streets after 8:30 a.m. outside the apartment building at 1010 Richards Street.

Police were called to the scene around that time for reports of a man holding a knife and waving it around dangerously.

When officers approached the suspect, he refused to drop the knife, police said. Officers then shot the man with a bean bag shotgun to prevent him from causing any harm to them or anyone else in the area, according to police.

Residents in the building reported hearing gun-like shots—likely the police bean bag guns.

After spending time with paramedics in the ambulance, the man was taken into custody. Police said they are recommending he be charged with possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose.

Privacy breach at medical lab could affect millions in BC & Ontario The private information of millions of Canadians could be at risk after a cyberattack was conducted against the computer systems of LifeLabs, a laboratory testing company.

The privacy commissioners’ offices in both British Columbia and Ontario are co-ordinating an investigation into the attack, which has affected systems containing information belonging to about 15 million customers – including up to 5 million in B.C. The information systems contain client data including names, addresses, emails, customer

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logins and passwords, health card numbers and lab tests, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia said in a statement. The OIPC said LifeLabs reported a potential cyberattack on Nov. 1 and soon after, confirmed that cyber criminals penetrated the company’s systems, took data and demanded a ransom. LifeLabs said in a statement that it’s making a payment in the hopes of retrieving the data, which is being done in collaboration with cyber-attack experts.

In response to the breach, LifeLabs president and CEO Charles Brown offered an apology to customers Tuesday. “I think it’s a wake up call for all of us,� Brown said. “These cyber criminals are upping their game as far as their capabilities, and we all need to up our game to protect our customer data.�

While the breach was apparently detected through proactive surveillance, the company didn’t notify the public for six weeks. B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said the company asked for time make sure its system was secure and not vulnerable to secondary attacks. “There was a delay to ensure that information that hadn’t been compromised wouldn’t be compromised and information that could be protected was protected,� Dix said.

LifeLabs says it will contact 85,000 customers who went to a lab in Ontario in 2016 or earlier because their lab test results may have been impacted.

A dedicated phone line (1-888-918-0467) has also been set up where people can inquire about further information and the company is offering 12 months of “protection that includes dark web monitoring and identity theft insurance� through TransUnion.

Toaccessthatservice,customerswillneedtocallthe dedicated phone line and ask for an activation code.

Moving forward, LifeLabs says it has asked outside cybersecurity consultants to investigate and help with restoring security of the data.

LifeLabs also says it’s fixed the affected systems and that the majority of the information on the relevant computer belongs to B.C. and Ontario customers with “relatively few� customers impacted in other areas. “I want to emphasize that at this time, our cyber security firms have advised that the risk to our customers in connection with this cyberattack is low and that they have not seen any public disclosure of customer data as part of their investigations, including monitoring of the dark web and other online locations,� Brown’s statement says.

LOCAL

Saturday, December 21, 2019

15

Elite private school failed to stop student bullying, says BC Supreme Court claim Vancouver restaurateurs Natalie and Uwe Boll have filed a civil claim against an exclusive private girls schools alleging the bullying their 13-yearold daughter endured at Crofton House drove her to develop suicidal and self harming behaviour.

Natalie Boll said, her daughter is no longer at the school. “She went from this little girl who loves Harry Potter and who’s kind of quirky to absolutely broken and lost,� said Boll.

In a statement, Ena Harrop, head of Crofton House, said the school “does not agree with the characterizations of the events as portrayed in the lawsuit and will provide a robust legal defence of the allegations.�

The documents filed in B.C. Supreme Court allege a student at the school — identified as the

“Crofton Student� — started making disparaging and racist remarks to the daughter when the girls were both in Grade 6, telling her things like she should get plastic surgery to look more white.

According to the claim, the Crofton Student had gained direct admission to the school without having to undergo entrance interviews.

She often bragged that her mother was friends with the school’s board of directors and attended exclusive donor events reserved for “rich� families.

The claim says the Crofton Student’s bullying escalated the next school year with the spreading of malicious gossip about the daughter, to the point that “a great proportion of the Grade 7 class became involved in propagating disparaging rumours...�

Port Coquitlam man wins $1000 a week in lottery for 25 years Christmas came early for a Port Coquitlam man this week after he won $1,000 per week for 25 years in the Set for Life draw.

Kevin Bradley bought and verified the ticket at a Save-On-Foods in Port Coquitlam.

But because he works graveyard shifts for the city of Vancouver maintaining pools and ice rinks, Bradley said he waited four days to tell his wife over dinner at IHOP. “She works dayshifts as a teacher,� he said. “I thought, OK, I’ll wait.

We went out for supper, I said, ‘I won.’ She said, ‘You’re kidding!’�

A spokesperson for BCLC said it’s rare that a winner opts for the weekly prize — most choose to take the lump sum of $675,000.

Bradley said he spoke to his financial advisor and, having already considered retirement in the next six months, decided it would make more sense to take the quarter-century of weekly payments. “We’re just taking it in stride. We’re not high, fancy spenders. It will help a lot,� said Bradley, adding he plans to let the money build up while he works out what to do with it.

According the claim, Natalie Boll approached the school a number of times to express concern about her daughter’s treatment. On one occasion, a director allegedly said that her daughter was socially awkward and was, herself, to blame for the bullying and alienation she was experiencing at Crofton House.

Still, there are a few things on his list Bradley is looking forward to ticking off sooner than later: a trip to Japan to see some old friends and another to Ireland to visit

# $ + ' * - . '* % 3 4 '(

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Before that, said Bradley, he’ll keep buying his twice-weekly tickets, and looks forward to spending Christmas with his two daughters — one of whom is flying in from Toronto over the next few days. “She doesn’t even know yet,� he said.

Vancouver passes 7% property tax increase for 2020 Vancouver homeowners will see increases to utility fees will cost an extra $143 their highest property tax increase in at for the median single-family homeowner. least a decade — but it will be smaller than what was originally considered.

Council passed its 2020 budget Tuesday with an average seven per cent property tax increase for next year, down from the 8.2 per cent proposed last month. “It is funding ‌ council priorities that align with public priorities,â€? said Coun.

Adriane Carr, who brought forward

the main amendments to the budget. “[But] in every department there’s work around belt-tightening, around finding efficiencies, around delaying hiring, delaying some projects.�

Most sections of the budget passed with the four NPA councillors and independent Rebecca Bligh — who recently left the NPA — in opposition. “It’s still far higher than what residents said they were comfortable with,� said Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung.

City staff said the median single-family homeowner would see a $183 increase in their property taxes next year, to $2,480. In addition,

“In addition to racist remarks about [the daughter’s] mixed race heritage, Crofton House students spread homophobic rumours and hateful gossip about [her] sexuality,� reads the claim. “Crofton House did not intervene sufficiently, or at all, to cease the spiraling racism, bullying and homophobia...� ‘I felt constantly attacked’: Bullied Montreal teen recounts the toll high school years took on her

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Saturday, December 21, 2019

22 years jail for man who killed his two daughters on Christmas day A father who killed his four- and six-year-old daughters on Christmas Day in 2017 will have to serve 22 years before he’s eligible for parole.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Miriam Gropper told Andrew Berry that he committed heinous crimes against his daughters as she sentenced him today in Victoria.

“The girls were killed in their own beds, in their own home, where they had every expectation to be safe,” Gropper said. A jury convicted Berry of second-degree murder in September in the violent deaths of his daughters, Aubrey and Chloe Berry.

Second-degree murder brings an

automatic life sentence, but Gropper had to determine Berry’s parole eligibility. Gropper says Berry will serve the sentences concurrently.

The trial heard each girl had been stabbed dozens of times and Berry was found naked and unconscious in the bathtub of his Oak Bay apartment suffering from stab wounds to his neck and throat.

The girls’ mother, Sarah Cotton, released a statement after the sentencing saying she respected the judge’ decision.

“Chloe and Aubrey lost their lives in the most brutal way at the hands of their father,

Kelowna father staying at park site for homeless dies after being found unconscious The City of Kelowna has confirmed that a man died early Monday morning after he was found unconscious at the park the city opened a few weeks ago to provide overnight shelter for the homeless. Officials didn’t identify the man, but his ex-girlfriend told CBC News his name was Shane Bourdin. The couple had two children together “Despite his struggles, he was an amazing person,” said Anita Anderson about 39-year-old Bourdin. “Hands down an amazing dad! He was so caring and loved to fish, hike and camp. He was a very emotional, loving man who would give his shirt off his back for anyone even when he didn’t have

much.” “I now have a young son and daughter who do not have a father just nine days away from Christmas ... it’s the worst case thing for our family,” she said. “He was fighting so hard and had made many good steps to get his life on track. He has a brother, sister and a mom and many others who loved this man beyond words.” ‘Despite his struggles, he was an amazing person,’ said Anderson, pictured with Bourdin and their two kids a few years ago.

(Submitted by Anita Anderson) The B.C. Emergency Health Services said a 911 call was received at 2:43 a.m. PT Monday “for an unconscious person at the Recreation

I have lost the life that I loved and knew, and I do not believe that Andrew, who has shown no remorse and a complete disregard for the lives of our daughters, should ever get a second chance.” Cotton also thanked police, the Crown prosecutors, the community of Oak Bay and first responders for their “strength, bravery, courage and sensitivity throughout this horrific tragedy.”

She criticized the legal system and

the Ministry of Children and Family Development, accusing them of failing her family leading up to the girls’ deaths by not acting on concerns she raised about Berry when her children were in his care.

“I did everything in my power to keep my children safe,” she said.

“I can only hope that changes will be made throughout the family law system so that tragedies such as ours do not happen again.”

Berry claimed at his trial that he and the girls were attacked because he owed money to a loan shark.

The Crown told jurors the motive was anger towards Berry’s ex-partner, who he thought was going to end their joint custody agreement.

His lawyer told the sentencing hearing that Berry maintains he did not kill the girls.

Surrey pedestrian struck by vehicle On December 16th at 7:30 am, police responded to a collision at 188th Street and 56B Avenue, where a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle. The female pedestrian has been taken to hospital in serious condition. The driver of the vehicle remained on scene and is cooperating with police.

The area around 188th Street and 56B

Avenue will be closed for an extended period of time to allow police to investigate the cause of the collision. We are asking motorists to use an alternate route on their morning commute.

Anyone with further information who has not already spoken to police is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502.

Up to 60 cm of snow, wind expected on southern BC highways Southern B.C. is expected to be blanketed in heavy snow through the weekend – just as the winter season officially begins – sparking a number of weather warnings from Environment Canada. “An approaching frontal system will track inland today and stall across the southern Interior tonight,” the weather bulletin reads, adding that wind and snow will make for hazardous winter conditions along major highways.

On Thursday afternoon, the weather office issued a wind warning for Victoria, forecasting gusts of 70 kilometres per hour to 90 kilometres

per hour near Haro Strait. Those winds are anticipated to ease by the end of the day.

The Kootenays are expected to be hit the hardest, according to the national weather agency, with forecasters calling for 30 centimetres to as much as 60 centimetres of snow by Friday afternoon in elevated areas such as the Kootenay Pass on Highway 3, Eagle Pass to Rogers Pass along Highway 1 and the Allison Pass along Highway 3.

Meanwhile, the Okanagan Connector and Coquihalla Highway is expected to see 15 to 25 centimetres of snow by late Friday

Abd’l Malik Loubissi-Morris charged in 2017 shooting Surrey RCMP is pleased to announce an arrest and charges against a man in connection with a 2017 shooting which injured an innocent bystander. On July 9, 2017, just after 3:30 pm, Surrey RCMP responded to a shooting in the 7600 block of 147a Street in the Newton area of Surrey.

The Surrey RCMP Serious Crime Unit took conduct of the investigation and has continued to gather evidence over the past

two years.

Inve st igators believe that this was a targeted incident related to the Lower Mainland Gang conflict, and the victim in this shooting was not the intended target. The victim was an innocent bystander, a 62-year-old woman, who was visiting Surrey from Ontario. This was a complex investigation which drew upon our partnerships with a number of policing agencies. The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, and the Kelowna and Vernon RCMP, worked in a coordinated effort with the Surrey RCMP to advance the investigation.

Shortly after 1:00 pm, on December 11, 2019, 22-year-old Abd’l Malik Loubissi-Morris of Vancouver, was arrested in Richmond, BC. Abd’l Malik LoubissiMorris has been charged with: Attempted Murder, Use Firearm in the Commission of an Offence, Aggravated Assault, and Discharging a Firearm with Intent. He is currently remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on December 19, 2019.

“To have an innocent person injured in our city as a result of gang violence is completely unacceptable,” said Investigative Services Officer, Superintended Elija Rain. “The Surrey RCMP remain committed to gang prevention and strategic enforcement targeting gang activity in collaboration with our law enforcement and community partners.”

Although Mr. Loubissi-Morris has been charged in relation to this shooting, the investigation remains active with the

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Forbes India has released its annual Celebrity 100 list which reveals the estimated earnings of the celebrities. Taking the top spot this year with Indian Cricket Team’s Captain Virat Kohli. After bagging the second place last year, Virat is back on the top and has had an unforgetful 2019 with estimated earnings about Rs. 253 crore with multiple brand endorsements and a prolific career.

Amongst the entertainment industry, Akshay Kumar grabs the top spot and overall second position in the celebrity earning list. He was the only Indian in the US list of Forbes – World’s Highest-

Sunny Leone rules!

S

unny Leone rules the net with whatever she performs, be it her motivational gym routine, or her fashionable outings, her Instagram profile is testimony to the fact. The diva has been hitting the gym regularly, giving us all inspiration to drag our lazy bodies on to the healthy road. Recently, taking to her Instagram, Sunny posted a

picture of her doing multiple stretching exercises and she pretty much nailed the whole routine. She posted her goal-worthy pictures saying, “When @ rahulsuryavanshi27 decided it was a good idea to try this and by the look on my face I’m just as amazed at seeing my foot above my head!”

In July 2017, Leone and her husband Daniel Weber adopted their first child from Latur, a village in Maharashtra.

The baby girl, whom they named Nisha Kaur Weber, was 21 months old at the time of adoption. Actress Sherlyn Chopra first confirmed the news by writing a congratulatory message on social media on 20 July 2017. “Never in my life did I think that I want to adopt a child. People doing such amazing work at the orphanage changed my mind,” said Daniel.

Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt earned huge in 2019 Paid Celebrities of 2019. With multiple releases a year and endorsing 20 brands, Akshay Kumar has a worldwide gross collection of Rs. 278.78 crore.

Following him is Salman Khan, who has had Bharat and Bigg Boss this year before Dabangg 3 release, takes the third spot with an estimated Rs. 229.25 crore earnings. Megastar

Amitabh Bachchan takes fourth place with estimated earnings of Rs. 239.25 due to movies, TV, and endorsements. MS Dhoni, former Indian Captain, takes the fifth position on the list with Rs. 135.93 earnings.

Virat Kohli – Rs. 253 crore Akshay Kumar -Rs. 293.25 crore Salman Khan – Rs.

229.25 crore Amitabh Bachchan – Rs. 239.25 MS Dhoni – Rs. 135.93 Shah Rukh Khan – Rs. 124.38 crore Ranveer Singh – Rs. 118.2 crore Alia Bhatt – Rs. 59.21 crore Sachin Tendulkar – Rs. 76.96 Deepika Padukone – Rs 48 crore Rohit Sharma – Rs. 54. 29 crore Ajay Devgn – Rs. 94 crore Rajinikanth – Rs. 100 crore Priyanka Chopra Jonas – Rs. 23.4 crore Aamir Khan -Rs. 85 crore AR Rahman – Rs. 94.8 crore Pritam – Rs 97.78 crore Hrithik Roshan – Rs. 58.73 crore

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Bollywood

Saturday, December 21, 2019

SRK, Mukesh Ambani & Aamir Khan top Variety Magazine’s ‘Most Important People list Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani & Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan among top 10 Indians who feature in Variety magazine’s list of the ‘500 Most Important People in Global Media.’

Producers Aditya Chopra, Ekta Kapoor, Ronnie Screwala, and Siddharth Roy Kapur have also made it to the list, as have Kishore Lulla, executive chairman

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of Eros International, and Uday Shankar, president of The Walt Disney Company, APAC. The leading magazine described Shah Rukh as “one of Indian cinema’s great global romantic stars, winning most popular actor three times at the Central European Bollywood Awards.”

Variety also explained how SRK’s production company Red Chillies Entertainment has carved a niche in the business showbiz.

“A thriving actor-producer, he co-produced ‘Zero’, in 2018 through his VFX house Red Chillies Entertainment, but it underwhelmed.

Undeterred, Red Chillies hit big with thriller ‘Badla’ in 2019, and the company has its eight-episode political espionage series ‘Bard of Blood’ currently running on Netflix.

Inducted into AMPAS in 2018, Khan has been making his mark for decades: His romance ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ has been playing nonstop for 24 years, and ‘Dil Se’ was the first Indian film to break into the U.K. top 10. He also co-owns cricket teams Kolkata Knight Riders and Trinbago Knight Riders,” the description added.

Neeru Bajwa’s pregnancy glow is sure to take away your mid-week blues

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Neeru Bajwa has safely entered into the third trimester of her second pregnancy, and the glow that the mommy to be has on her face is simply too infectious too miss.

We are not saying this just like that, her latest picture on Instagram is a proof of the same.

Taking to her social media handle, Neeru Bajwa has shared a picture of her.

Dressed in a knee length black flare dress, Neeru is flaunting her million dollar smile.

Since it is a flare dress, the baby bump is not making a prominent appearance, but a cute curve is visible indeed. Further, more than the bump, it is the natural glow on Neeru’s face which is making her look all the more beautiful and charming. Seems like the twins are casting their charm.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

HOROSCOPE

‘Women need to channelize the inner Durga within them’ Rani began with a humble film, “Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat,� in 1996. At the preview of her first film and a screening of some songs, no one gave her more than a second glance as Rani Mukerji stood outside the preview theatre in a simple salwar-kameez.

After watching the songs and scenes, this reporter went to meet her and said, very honestly, that she would make it big. She was shaken and smiled and thanked me. Twenty three years later, when her contemporaries and even some juniors have called it a day or have stopped connecting with the audience, Rani Mukerji has, despite marriage (to Aditya Chopra) and motherhood, remained someone who can pull in audiences even without the

top heroes she usually worked with, the Khans downwards. What’s more, she is the only heroine who has a solo and titular franchise to her name—after “Mardaani� in 2016, she is now set to release “Mardaani 2� with her now popular cop act as Shivani Shivaji Roy. Last year, “Hichki� was a hit and made Rs. 250 crore worldwide. I consciously try and choose films and roles of varied kinds, so that people are not bored of watching me on screen. There should always be something new from me and I have worked towards that. At every stage the way I have reacted to characters is because of my headspace at the time. So “Mardaani� came soon after marriage and “Hichki� soon after I became a mother. With the former, it was my response as an actor, and that of the team’s— writer Gopi Puthran, who has also directed “Mardaani 2,� my husband and producer Aditya Chopra and director Pradeep Sarkar— to the Nirbhaya rape case. We felt severe rage, and we wanted to channelize that in the way we knew best—through a film. In “Mardaani 2� as well, we tackle criminals who are juveniles

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Bollywood

Aries March 21 - April 20 With travel and adventure options showing

from it all and enjoying new faces and places.

Even a short break can be enough to boost your spirits. Check the details regarding your plans, though, especially around Friday, because there could be disappointment if something doesn’t work out as hoped. But you may also have a deeper purpose to attend to, and this could see you busy making plans and decisions that will help shape and mold

Taurus April 21 - May 20 The desire to get involved in something new or perhaps something bigger than yourself could inspire you to reach for new opportunities. And over this week, as the sun moves into Capricorn, you might be ready to explore the possibilities that are out there for you. This is an exciting time when, with some application, you can succeed beyond

working alongside others is a big help in accomplishing your goals. You could have a life coach, business partner, romantic partner,

Gemini

May 20 - June 21 Your sector of shared assets and deepseated emotions dominates your chart at this time, and it could be the reason that the idea of change seems so important. Perhaps the only thing holding you back is fear of the unknown, and this is something you can work on by moving out of your comfort zone little by little. \As the sun moves into this same zone for a four-week stay, it can shed light on key issues, enabling you to set your priorities for the coming weeks and months.

Cancer

June 22 - July 23

The sun moves into Capricorn on Saturday to add emphasis to your relationship sector. The sun here can give you a fresh perspective on what is going on and what you should do next. Getting your priorities organized in this respect can be very helpful. One relationship might be particularly intense and very focused, and this could be because this is a budding romance or because you’re working together on a project or idea. If you can keep the momentum going, you could make great headway this week.

Leo

June 24 - August 23 You might begin to feel you’re getting a handle on your current workload and responsibilities, especially as upbeat Jupiter in Capricorn can help you feel more optimistic. With the sun moving into Capricorn on Saturday, you’ll be able to locate those key areas that need further attention. This can be crucial to seeing the bigger picture and organizing a more suitable plan. You’ll also be eager to revolutionize your lifestyle, and this can include the way you work, as well as health and wellness issues.

Virgo August 24 - Sept 24 If you have creative projects going, you could be especially busy this week and over the coming weeks. With key planets in Capricorn and the sun moving in on Saturday, your focus may be on getting organized and moving ahead with your plans so you can see positive progress.

There is a side of you that may be very determined to get ahead, and as feisty Mars aligns with sobering Saturn and powerful Pluto over the coming days, you may be very single-minded about this. This could lead to a breakthrough, too.

Libra Sept. 24 - Oct 22 As the focus on a more personal zone increases this week, home and family matters could take priority. With upbeat Jupiter now in this sector, you may feel a renewed sense of optimism that can build over the coming weeks and months. The sun’s move into this sector on Saturday can be a call to take stock and consider your current situation. If you’re having friends or family over for the holiday week, it could prove very uplifting because everyone will be eager to pitch in.

Scorpio Oct 23 - Nov 22 You may be doing a lot of plotting, planning, organizing, and arranging, and this could all come to a head this week and next. A powerful focus on your sector of talk and thought could encourage discussions, brainstorming, and a chance to take key plans to the next level. You and those you’re connected to may be passionate about a project, and this week could see you making great strides. As lovely Venus moves into your home zone later in the week, you’ll be ready to enjoy a few very sparkling holiday weeks. Her presence here can see you enjoying gatherings of

Sagitarius Nov 23 - Dec 22 Issues around resources,

skills and abilities could be very much in focus.

Despite this being a time of celebration, your attention may be on more material or mundane plans. And this is as it should be, because preparing now could see you launching some of your biggest ideas over the coming weeks. With dynamic Mars angling toward cautious Saturn and powerbroker Pluto in your money zone, you might feel an inner push to get things moving.

This can encourage decisions and actions that

Capricorn Dec 23 - Jan 20

The focus on your sign is enhanced further this week as the radiant sun moves in on Saturday. Until then, you still have a full house and plenty of motivation to get things done. With upbeat Jupiter newly in your sign, this is a great opportunity to aim high knowing that you have the skills, ability, and drive to succeed. This along with jovial Jupiter can boost your vitality and leave you much more upbeat. If you’ve soldiered away at key plans, you’ll now begin to

Aquarius Jan 21 - Feb 19 You may have various activities going on,

With feisty Mars in your sector of goals and career, you could be eager to forge ahead with key plans. But as dynamic Mars links with prudent Saturn and radical Pluto over the days ahead, it also helps to listen to your instincts when making key moves. Doing so can ensure that you make the right decisions and swift progress. Your social life sparkles with opportunity, even more so when sweet Venus moves into your sign late in the week.

This can certainly boost your mood and bring sparkling occasions for fun & romance,

Pisces Feb 20 - March 20 You could be heavily involved with group dynamics, whether this links to your social life or an organization. However, since last week, you may have a more optimistic view on life, and

! thinking about making a few changes, this could happen sooner rather than later You might be spurred on by a vision of fresh possibilities and what these could mean for you. With feisty Mars giving a push in this regard, this week can see you making plans and decisions and perhaps restructuring certain activities to make way for

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Saturday, December 21, 2019

Bollywood

Jacqueline Fernandez is happy to tell amazing story “It’s an amazing story and I am happy to be part of the sequel of a film that catapulted my career,� says Jacqueline Fernandez on being part of “Kick 2.� Fernandez recently shared some information about her film says, “The film is taking time for the film to go on the floors. That’s because the director (Sajid Nadiadwala) really wanted it to be perfect. It is good to be working again with the team.� Salman Khan stars in the film as in the 2014 movie that marked the debut of producer Sajid Nadiadwala

as director. It made over Rs 200 crore at the box-office. The actress is now venturing into the digital space with “Mrs. Serial Killer� and her film “Drive� starts streaming on Netflix from today. Fernandez featured in UK magazine Eastern Eye’s “World’s attractiv Asian Women� list, ranking twelfth. She was ranked third on The Times of India’s listing of the “Most Desirable Woman� in 2013 and 2014, after being ranked eighth, seventh and fourteenth, respectively, in the preceding three years. In 2013, Rediff.com placed her on their list of “Bollywood’s Best Dressed Actresses�.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

The South Asian Business Association (SABA) annual dinner & get together

The South Asian Business Association (SABA) members celebrated their annual dinner along with their families in Surrey last Weekend.

SABA had fantastic year by their standards as they raised money by organizing health seminar & annual golf tournament. SABA made generous donations to Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Royal Columbian Hospital & Surrey Food Bank.

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Saturday, December 21, 2019

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NDP MLA Harry Bains organized holiday open house at his offices in Surrey-Newton on Friday, December 13.

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The BC gov’t is giving the province’s gambling regulator greater independence to set and enforce regulatory policy in the fight against money laundering. The government says it is transitioning the gaming control and enforcement branch to a new independent gambling control office, which will focus exclusively on regulatory policy related to gambling, horse racing and responsible-gambling programs.

Until this change, the branch has set and enforced policy while also providing advice to the province on business matters involving the B.C. Lottery Corp. Attorney General David Eby says the change addresses concerns raised by former RCMP officer Peter German in a report done for the provincial government. He warned that dual responsibility could create conflicts of interest and impede anti-money laundering measures.

Eby says he expects the change to be effective.

“The IGCO will have the mandate, authority and independence to ensure the overall integrity of gambling in B.C.,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

“This change will make it far easier to keep dirty money out of our province.”

Saturday, December 21, 2019

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Vol. 10 No.47

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Saturday - December 21, 2019

Home sales in every BC region to recover in 2020 - a forecast. Total home transactions across province expected to rise 11 per cent versus 2019, with average sale prices also predicted to increase in every area.Although every region in B.C. is expected to see lower home sales in 2019 than in 2018, sales will more than recover in

Tel: 604-591-5423

Housing market forecast through 2020 2020, according to a September 5 forecast by the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA).Overall in 2019, residential transactions across the province are predicted to be five per cent lower, at about 75,000 units, than the 78,505 sales of 2018.

Every one of B.C.’s 12 boards is expected to

report a year-over-year decline in total sales across 2019, with drops ranging from one to 14 per cent. However, BCREA forecasted that every board will see considerable sales jumps in 2020, totalling a province-wide increase of nearly 11 per cent to 82,700 homes — which the association said would be just below the

E-mail: ads@theasianstar.com 10-year annual average. “B.C. markets are showing signs of recovery after nearly a year and a half of policy-induced declines,”

said Brendon Ogmundson, BCREA’s deputy chief economist. “We expect that recovery to continue into next year, with home sales normalizing around long-term averages.”

BCREA BC home sales forecast Sept 2019 Having seen the steepest annual sales declines in 2018, and a forecast drop of

housing market to see modest price growth in 2020 and 2021, predicts CMHC

The Metro Vancouver housing market will remain “balanced” over the next two years with home prices expected to increase in line with population growth, according to the latest housing market outlook report from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Housing sales and prices have dipped recently as a result of multiple factors — including rising mortgage rates and new taxes — but the CMHC predicts that starting in 2020 and through 2021, there will be a modest increase both in prices and sales volume.

Attached homes, condos and apartments priced under $700,000 are expected to generate the strongest demand because “homes in this price range can be accessible to buyers making a purchase based on their income compared with properties requiring substantial equity for a down payment,” says the report. The report says housing starts are expected to remain high, especially multi-family homes, which currently account for 88 per cent of unit starts.

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Saturday, December 21, 2019

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

C

anada is experiencing sustained economic and population growth.

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

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

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

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

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

First, consider mortgage debt in the Canadian context.

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

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

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

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

spectrum, from millennials to baby boomers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Over 11% of Vancouver condos have a non-resident owner, says new CMHC report

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Over 11 percent of Vancouver condos have at least one non-resident as an owner, a number that jumps to more than 19 per cent when it comes to newer built condos.

The information is contained in a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation housing market insight report which also found that non-residents — defined as someone who

doesn’t have their principal residence in Canada — tend to own more expensive properties than residents, especially in Vancouver.

Some of the other findings: 7.2 per cent of all Vancouver properties have at least one non-resident owner.

Non-resident ownership is highest in

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

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Saturday, December 21, 2019

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Matrimonial Parents are seeking suitable match for for their British born son of 31 year age, holding Master degree in Marketing and he is in Canada on work permit.

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Vedic Seniors Parivar Center of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey is going to celebrate the Christmas with Bollywood Music- A social get together on December 28th 2019 (Saturday) at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Temple 8321 - 140th street Surrey BC from 11.00 am to 3.00 pm. There will be live entertainment program with hilarious jokes and Bollywood music. Appetizers will be served in the beginning, Vegetarian Pizza and dessert will be served for lunch. We have invited well known Musician of South Asian community, Dr. Sunil Bhatt, who has kindly accepted our request to entertain all of us with his melodious old Bollywood Hindi songs. Please be an important guest of the celebration, Your presence will be very much appreciated by all seniors. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator / Organizer Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further information.

Child care provider required at a private home Location Surrey, BC - Salary $14.50 to $14.75 / Hour (To be negotiated) Permanent, Full time 40 Hours / Week Start date As soon as possible Job requirements Languages English Education College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma from a program of 1 year to 2 years Experience 1 year to less than 2 years Additional Skills Assume full responsibility for household in absence of parents, Perform light housekeeping and cleaning duties, Shop for food and household supplies, Travel with family on trips and assist with child supervision and housekeeping duties, Wash, iron and press clothing and household linens Children’s Ages School age (6 - 12 years), and 2 - 3 years Specific Skills Bathe,

dress and feed infants and children, Discipline children according to the methods requested by the parents, Prepare infants and children for rest periods, Keep records of daily activities and health information regarding children, Sterilize bottles, prepare formulas and change diapers for infants, Maintain a safe and healthy environment in the home, Take children to and from school and to appointments, Tend to emotional well-being of children, Instruct children in personal hygiene and social development, Organize, activities such as games and outings for children, Prepare and serve nutritious meals, Supervise and care for children, Help children with homework Work Setting Employer’s home How to apply By email: umendrasingh@hotmail.com By phone: 604-537-3551

Saturday, December 21, 2019

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Press release

Building affordable housing, so people can create strong communities

By John Horgan, Premier of B.C.

When I first heard the story, I thought it was the plot for a TV show. A young, working mother living with her kids in an apartment in Vancouver. Her downstairs neighbour is an elderly woman who comes over weekly to help with child care and house cleaning. Over the months of living in the same building and being a regular part of each other’s lives, the two women become friends. But, it’s not a TV show, it’s the real-life story of a family living in the Belcourt Residence, an affordable housing complex in downtown Vancouver. The complex was built in July 2018 and is home to 70 low- to middleincome families and individuals. This year, I heard a lot of stories about affordable housing projects bringing people together from

different economic and cultural backgrounds to create real, caring communities.

For seniors who are on a fixed income, like the elderly woman at Belcourt Residence, being part of a community keeps her active and less isolated, while also helping her with monthly expenses. The support she offers to the family in return, helps give the single mother a chance to run errands or have some down time. For too long, the previous government let housing costs rise and rise, while people struggled to find homes. We now have an out-of-control

housing market that doesn’t discriminate – people of all income levels are having a hard time finding a place they can afford.

Our government is making different choices and working hard every day to tackle the housing crisis in different ways, depending on community needs. We are making the largest investment in affordable housing in B.C.’s history - $7 billion over 10 years. This includes helping both private and public sector organizations increase housing supply in every corner of the province.

We are working with partners to build 114,000 affordable homes, and more than 22,000 of those are already complete or underway in just two years. This includes homes for a range of people in need – seniors on fixed-incomes, middle-income families, students and Indigenous peoples.

Last week, our government celebrated the opening of Cedar Valley Suites, an affordable housing complex in Mission.

68 new homes are now available to people in that community, with monthly rents ranging from $375 to $1,323. Like many communities in B.C., Mission is facing an extremely low vacancy rate, and this new housing project will go a long way in helping families of all sizes.

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Saturday, December 21, 2019

Press release

BC Liberal MLAs raise questions about government security and accountability in the wake of the LifeLabs cyberattack BC Liberal MLAs Ben Stewart and Norm Letnick are calling on John Horgan and the NDP to answer questions about government accountability and the protection of private information after health information provider LifeLabs fell victim to a cyberattack, exposing the personal information of nearly 15 million Canadians, including almost 4 million British Columbians. “This is one of British Columbia’s largest data breaches in recent history and it is raising serious questions about how private companies and this government handle our personal information,” said Norm Letnick, BC Liberal Critic for Health. “We have learned that the government was aware of this attack over six weeks ago and withheld it from the public. British Columbians deserve to know what advice was John Horgan given and what actions he has taken since he found out.”

LifeLabs, Canada’s largest private diagnostic testing provider, handles 34 per cent of all diagnostic tests for the province’s health care system. Health Minister Adrian Dix admitted that LifeLabs contacted his government about the breach as early

as October 28th, which included people’s names, addresses, email addresses, customer logins, passwords, and health numbers. “We can’t stress enough the importance of the B.C. government’s responsibility to protect British Columbians’ privacy,” said Ben Stewart, BC Liberal Co-Critic for Citizens’ Services. “A wide array of British Columbians’ personal information, including health records, is now digital and cyberattacks are becoming more frequent than ever.

How can we be sure that private and public institutions are doing enough to protect our personal information?”

The BC Liberal MLAs are demanding that John Horgan and the NDP outline what measures they will take to ensure the government is not vulnerable to future data breaches and extortion attempts. “At a time when cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, a better system must be put in place to better preserve the confidentiality of personal info held by both private and public institutions,” concluded Letnick. “The NDP government must act now and give British Columbians the answers and confidence they deserve.”

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Saturday, December 21, 2019

Petro-Canada announces completion of coast-to-coast network of EV fast chargers Petro-Canada (PCZ), a Suncor business, announced the completion of its coastto-coast network of electric vehicle (EV) fast chargers. With locations from Nova Scotia to British Columbia, EV drivers will now be able to travel across the country with access to a fast charge network.

Petro-Canada celebrate the opening of the most western electric vehicle fast-charger in its coast-tocoast network on December 17, 2019.

“With more than 100,000 electric vehicles on the road in Canada and an average of 4,000 EVs added each month, we know that this is an important step in meeting the current and future driving needs of Canadians,” said Mark Little, president and chief executive

officer, Suncor. “We want to be part of the total solution to meet energy demand and reduce the carbon footprint of the transportation system. Canada’s Electric Highway is one of the ways we are able to support the total solution.”

From Victoria, B.C. to Stewiacke, N.S., EV drivers can now charge up at locations along the Trans-Canada highway. With more than 50 sites located in small towns and big cities from the Rockies to the Maritimes, each site features DC fast chargers with both CHAdeMO and CCS/SAE connectors, which support a broad selection of vehicles. The chargers can provide up to a 200 kilowatt charge – enough to provide an 80 per cent charge to most EVs in less than 30 minutes. The units are also capable of 350 kilowatt charging with future upgrades.

The landscape of fuelling is changing – consumers are looking for choices for low carbon fuel alternatives. Suncor and Petro-Canada will continue to work with governments at all levels to support the transition to a low carbon economy and to provide Canadians with choices for fuel. The completion of Canada’s Electric Highway is supported in part through $4.6 million in funding from the Government of Canada’s Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative.

“Zero emission vehicles are critical to our clean energy future and to combatting climate change. Our government is supporting initiatives like Petro-Canada’s coast-to-coast network of EV fast chargers;

putting more electric vehicles on our roads, reducing pollution and creating stronger and more sustainable communities,” said the Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources.

The completion of the EV fast charging network is an exciting step forward in PetroCanada’s services, expanding what it means to help Canadians get to what matters most to them.

Suncor Energy (SU) is Canada’s leading integrated energy company. Suncor’s operations include oil sands development and upgrading, offshore oil, gas production, petroleum refining, & product marketing

Fake $100 bills could be circulating in BC Delta police warns Police say they’re recommending charges after a raid of a Delta, B.C., home uncovered counterfeit cash.

The Delta Police Department said in a statement Monday that it was granted a search warrant as part of an investigation dubbed “Fictus Denarios,” which is Latin for “false coins.”

Officers said they believed counterfeit money was being produced inside a home in North Delta, which was searched on Dec. 5.

Trev Miller, an organizer with the group Cranbrook Friends of Animal Society, said the group was anonymously sent this photo of a male deer dead in a clover trap. (Cranbrook Friends of Animal Society) Cranbrook deer died painfully when trap collapsed: animal welfare group

Surrey Board of Trade disappointed by City of Surrey budget approval The final approval of the City of Surrey 2020 Budget and shortterm financial plan on December 16 is very disappointing to the Surrey Board of Trade, Surrey’s city-building organization.

“The role of Canadian cities are to provide services such as policing, firefighting, sanitation and recreation that are vital to our quality of life,” said Anita Huberman, CEO Surrey Board of Trade. “To do these things, cities raise and spend large amounts of money. Taxes affect decisions about where to live and invest.”

This budget needed to be about making Surrey an opportunity city.

Raising business property taxes by 5.5% with no consultation in this economic climate will lead to further tax burdens to business.

“This unexpected increase will impact our manufacturing community, our industrial base – all of our businesses.”

“The City of Surrey must commit to transformational change that will secure a better economic future for all of us.”

The Surrey Board of Trade in their original city budget presentation said that the 2020 City of Surrey budget needed to have an economic development focus.

The Surrey Board of Trade asked all of Mayor and Council to cancel the RCMP transition, improve development approvals, focus on economic development assets, art & culture investments,

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Liberal MP denies claims that he’s worked with Iran A Liberal MP is denying allegations, broadcast on an Iranian-language television network, that he has worked with and accepted money from Iran’s government.

“These accusations are absolutely false and unfounded,” Majid Jowhari said. “I strongly deny any accusations.”

The allegations against the member of Parliament for Richmond Hill were made by freelance journalist Alireza Sassani on the program Window on the Homeland on the Iran-e-Farda network.

Sassani is described as a close collaborator

of Masoud Molavi, an Iranian intelligence agent who defected and revealed details of Iranian influence operations overseas.

Molavi was shot dead on the streets of Istanbul on November 14. He had been granted asylum in Turkey after fleeing Iran and had set up a digital channel, BlackBox, which he used to broadcast revelations about corruption and wrongdoing within the Iranian regime.

US gove’t blamed his assassination on Iran’s intelligence services

Family upset over sentencing of driver involved in accident killing South Asian student Family members of a nursing student fatally struck by a Canada Post truck in Vancouver two years ago say they’re outraged by the sentence given to the driver involved.

Esthersita Achari was just metres from her home in Richmond, and was crossing on green light the afternoon of December 27, 2017.

The 27-year-old from India was hit by a large semi-truck as the driver turned left at Garden City Road and Sea Island Way. “We thought it would be criminal offence,” said her brother, William David Achari, who was working on his medical degree in China at the time.

“For two years we’ve been waiting each and every day for a justice. We’ve been praying for justice. We wake up and sleep hoping that the Canadian government and the justice system of Canada will really give us justice.” Achari says his family was shocked when they learned the driver, Rajwinder Goraya, would face no criminal charges.

Rajwinder Goraya was charged under the provincial Motor Vehicle Act for driving without due care and attention.

He pleaded guilty, and last month was handed

a $1,300 fine and a three-month driving prohibition. “The punishment makes us feel like she was a worthless person; she had no value,” said Achari, who came to Canada with his grieving father to find out why the Crown didn’t pursue tougher charges or push for harsher sentencing. They are also suing the driver and Canada Post in civil court.

“I can’t believe the justice system can just let someone walk away with this,” said Achari’s cousin, Shathesh Kuhendrarajah, who calls the judgment a slap on the wrist.

Kuhendrarajah said he fondly remembers Christmas dinner with his cousin at his family’s Surrey home, just two days before she was killed. “When I was dropping her home she was talking about how her life is finally becoming brighter, she’s graduating to become a nurse,” Kuhendrarajah said. Achari became a doctor, something he said his late sister wanted for him. He said her memory is the only thing that keeps him going. “(Her death) has broken our family into pieces,” he said.

Nova Scotia sees biggest population bump in 30 years: RBC Nova Scotia is seeing its biggest population increase in more than 30 years, bolstering labour demand and pushing up wages, according to the Royal Bank of Canada in its provincial outlook released on Friday.

The province’s housing market is benefitting from the population growth, with strong demand and limited inventory pushing Halifax housing prices to record levels.

RBC highlighted Nova Scotia’s increasing exports to China, which soared 26 per cent

amid trade tensions between the Asian superpower and the United States. The rise in exports coupled with strong consumer spending has kept Nova Scotia’s economy afloat, as lower capital investment offshore and the end of natural gas production weighed on the economy, the report said.

The province’s capital plan will also stimulate the economy, with the report saying major highway projects and health care facilities will help underpin economic activity in the coming years.

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SNC-Lavalin pleads guilty to fraud, will pay $280-million fine for company’s past work in Libya SNC-Lavalin has pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud over $5,000 and will pay a $280-million fine, federal prosecutors announced in court Wednesday in Montreal.

The construction division of the company will have five years to pay the fine and will be on probation for three years.

In return, prosecutors will withdraw other corruption-related charges against SNCLavalin Group Inc. and its international marketing arm, SNC-Lavalin International Inc. “We came to an agreement which allowsa settlement of this file in the interests of

justice and which imposes -- as I said in the courtroom -- a punishment that is effective, proportionate and dissuasive in its obligation to Canada… for such serious offences that concern us here,” Presecutor Richard Roy told reporters outside the courtroom.

Quebec Superior Court Judge Claude Leblanc accepted the guilty plea after prosecutors and lawyers for the Montrealbased engineering firm presented their joint sentencing argument Wednesday.

SNC-Lavalin will have to engage an independent monitor

LifeLabs pays ransom after massive data breach affecting up to 15 million Canadians LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services, Canada’s largest lab testing company, has paid a ransom after a major cyberattack led to the theft of lab results for 85,000 Ontarians and potentially the personal information of 15 million customers.

The personal information stolen from the lab test provider could include a customer’s name, address, e-mail, login, passwords, date of birth and health card number, all of which were on the computer systems the hackers accessed.

LifeLabs paid an undisclosed sum to retrieve the data, the company said on Tuesday, and also

hired cybersecurity experts to asses the damage.

The hired firms “have advised that the risk

to our customers in connection with this cyberattack is low and that they have not seen any public disclosure of customer data as part of their investigations, including monitoring of the dark web and other online locations.”

LifeLabs is owned by the investment arm of Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System. The company was originally founded by five entrepreneurs

Toronto approves multiyear property-tax hikes to fund transit, housing Toronto city council approved a multiyear series of hikes to property taxes on Tuesday, money that is to be dedicated to funding transit and affordable housing.

The increases will continue through 2025, by which time the average homeowner will be paying an additional $326 annually.

The money raised will be leveraged by the city to allow billions in new spending.

The higher tax drew support from both the left and right sides of the political spectrum during Tuesday’s debate, with many councillors praising Mayor John Tory for moving past his long-standing position that the property-tax base couldn’t be expected to fund major capital projects.

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Federal deficit soars to $27Billion, with another $35Billion in deficit on the way The federal deficit under Finance Minister Bill Morneau will balloon over the next fiscal year, leaving the minority Liberal government in a worse fiscal position than expected early in its second mandate.

In its fall economic update on Monday, Finance Canada said the deficit would rise to $26.6 billion in 2019-20, up from an earlier projection of $19.8 billion. Between 2019 and 2024, deficits are expected to outpace projections by roughly $35 billion.

Ottawa also saw a slight rise in its federal debt-to-GDP ratio, often cited as a crucial fiscal anchor by Morneau, from 30.8 per cent in 2018 up to 31 per cent.

A weaker balance sheet comes amid ongoing worries over a trade dispute between the U.S. and China, which has already slowed Canadian exports and business investment. Economic growth over the five years between 2019 and 2023 is expected to average 1.8 per cent, a level considered

entirely healthy but still below the Bank of Canada’s target rate of two per cent inflation.

Those lower levels of growth would carve out a very different economic picture for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his second session as leader, after enjoying growth rates that have at times exceeded three per cent.

Slower growth would add additional strain on a Liberal government that is expected to face pressure from smaller parties to boost funding on various social programs, including

pharmacare and expanded social housing.

The widening deficit is partly the result of an accounting practice that links the perceived future value of public pensions to interest rates. When interest rates decline, the amount owing on pensions and disability liabilities effectively rises, in turn increasing the amount of money Ottawa needs to set aside every year to cover personnel expenses.

The

cost

against

Ottawa

will

total

Canada’s mortgage market headed for historic slump, Fitch Predicts Government policies and historically high house prices will push Canada’s mortgage market to its weakest growth levels in four decadesin2020,creditratingagencyFitchsays.

House prices nationwide will grow at a tepid one per cent in the next two years, but

adjusted for inflation, prices will actually fall, analysts said in a forecast issued Tuesday.

The mortgage market, which has grown strongly through good times and bad for decades in Canada, will slow to just oneper-cent growth, the forecast predicted.

That’s the slowest annual pace since a 1982 slump in the mortgage market, when interest rates were at all-time highs.

This chart shows the percentage change in the value of mortgage debt in Canada. The only period on record...

Bank of Canada/HuffPost Canada This chart shows the percentage change in the value of mortgage debt in Canada. The only period on record when it has shrunk was in 1982. Fitch predicts mortgages will grow just 1 per cent in 2020, the slowest pace since the 1982 slump.

This time, Fitch predicts it won’t take

anything near record-high mortgage rates to push the market into a slump.

A perfect storm of new government regulations and house prices that have reached their “affordability limit” will keep Canada’s housing markets in check, said Susan Hosterman, a senior director for North American securitized mortgages at Fitch.

The mortgage stress test which requires homebuyers to qualify for a mortgage at a rate two percentage points higher than the one being offered means “people have to save longer for a down payment. Meanwhile, prices just keep going up and up,” Hosterman said.

Canadian home prices fall in biggest November drop outside of a recession Canadian home prices fell again in November, the third straight monthly decline and the largest November drop outside of a recession, as Toronto prices fell for the fourth month and Vancouver prices were flat, data showed on Wednesday.

The Teranet-National Bank Composite House Price Index, which measures changes for repeat sales of single-family homes, showed national prices declined 0.5 per cent in November from the month before as four of the 11 cities surveyed weakened.

The index was up 9.2 per cent from a year earlier, a fourth straight deceleration from record gains seen earlier in the year, as government measures to rein in the housing market continued to dampen demand.

In Toronto, prices fell 1.4 per cent on the month. Prices have retreated since the Ontario government levied a foreign buyers tax in April in a bid to cool the market and douse speculation in Toronto and the surrounding area.

Teranet said there were some signs buyers may have increased activity in November in an attempt to complete purchases before new mortgage stress tests are required in January.

It also said Toronto’s condo market appears to have regained some strength even as the more expensive detached market remains weak.

In Vancouver, where the British Columbia government implemented its own tax on foreign buyers more than a year ago, prices were flat after six consecutive months of record highs, Teranet said. Vancouver’s condo subindex has shown the most strength, notching 10 consecutive monthly gains for a total rise of 19.0 per cent.

Although Vancouver initially slowed after the tax was imposed in August 2016, prices have since regained ground and some economists think the slowdown in Toronto will be similarly short lived.

The Montreal and Halifax indexes were also at record highs, the report showed.

Health care industry is a prized target, experts say in wake of LifeLabs hack Cyber security experts say that the recent data hack at LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services, one of Canada’s largest medical services companies, is part of a broader problem faced by the health care industry.

LifeLabs revealed Tuesday that hackers gained access to the personal information of up to 15 million customers, almost all in Ontario and B.C., forcing the company to pay a ransom to retrieve and secure the data.

Raheel Quereshi, co-founder of Toronto-based consulting firm iSecurity, said Wednesday that the health care industry is a prized hacker target in recent years because victims often will pay a ransom to avoid an operational disruption. iSecurity’s experience has been that the health care industry accounts for about the 48 per cent of the cases it has handled — although it wouldn’t reveal the identity of any of its 300 to 400 clients in Ontario.

“We completed, I think, more than 10 different cyber security responses this

year, in health care. Some of them you’ve seen on the news and some of them didn’t make it to the news,” Quereshi said.

“So health care has been a big interest for the external threat agents and the hacker community.”

From the hacker’s point of view, he said, the health sector promises a good return on investment.

“The attackers are targeting health care sector more for financial gain than, really, trying to extract the information and sell it elsewhere. At the end of the day, they just want to get paid once they get in.”

Rob Martin, a vice-president for Waterloo, Ont.-based cyber security firm eSentire, agrees that criminals may move on to other victims after they’re paid — but that’s not necessarily the case.

“If someone is complacent, and doesn’t remediate or resolve the problem that caused things to happen in the first place, that threat will often times recur … and hold people hostage again.”

Saturday, December 21, 2019

PM Trudeau claims he might have done things differently if he knew outcome of SNC-Lavalin case Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government might have acted differently had it known the criminal case against SNC-Lavalin would be resolved without crippling the company or throwing thousands of its employees out of work. “Obviously, as we look back over the past year and this issue, there are things we could have, should have, would have done differently had we known, had we known all sorts of different aspects of it,” he said Wednesday in a year-end interview with The Canadian Press, just hours after the Montreal engineering giant pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud.“But you don’t get do-overs

in politics. You only do the best you can to protect jobs, to respect the independence of the judiciary and that’s exactly what we did every step of the way.” Throughout the year-long saga that shook Trudeau’s government and likely contributed to the Liberals being reduced to a minority in the Oct. 21 election, the prime minister argued his only preoccupation was protecting the 9,000 innocent Canadian employees, as well as pensioners, shareholders and suppliers, who stood to be harmed if SNC was convicted on corruption charges related to contracts in Libya.

Jagmeet Singh’s Christmas cards misused voters’ information, party says NDP officials misused voters list information supplied by Elections Canada to mail out Christmas cards, leader Jagmeet Singh’s office says.

Singh’s office sent Christmas cards to an unspecified number of people including parliamentary reporters, several of which arrived at personal home addresses which had not been given to the party. The Star asked questions of Singh’s office on the weekend, and senior officials expressed surprise at the use of private personal addresses. On Tuesday, Singh’s chief of staff Jennifer Howard wrote to the Star to confirm the addresses used were drawn from Elections Canada information and apologized, saying “we would never want anyone to be worried about the security of their home address information.” Singh’s spokesman George Soule said Tuesday that the leader’s office gave a list of card recipients — many of which would have come from previous lists —

to a “junior staffer” to update, and to take care of the mail-out. In the transfer, Soule said, some work addresses inexplicably “dropped off the list.” The staffer in Singh’s office then contacted a friend who works at the party’s headquarter office and asked if they had any addresses to fill in the blanks, according to Soule. The second NDP employee, whom Soule described also as a junior staffer, then gave out information supplied to the party by Elections Canada

Trudeau accused of breaking promise to stand by Israel, following vote on UN resolution Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was accused of reneging on a commitment to stand with Israel after Canada voted Wednesday for an anti-Israel resolution at the United Nations. Canada faced an angry backlash in November when it first voted in support of a controversial UN resolution co-sponsored by North Korea, Zimbabwe and others. It condemned Israel as the “occupying power in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem” and said Israel’s actions impede the right of the “Palestinian people to self-determination.”

Last week, Trudeau responded to concerns from the Jewish community, the former U.S. ambassador to the UN, as well as from within his own caucus, when he said, “Canada remains a steadfast supporter of Israel and Canada will always defend

Israel’s right to live in security.” Speaking at a menorah lighting on Parliament Hill, he said, “I understand that many of you were alarmed by this decision. The government felt that it was important to reiterate its commitment to a twostates-for-two-peoples solution at a time when its prospects appear increasingly under threat.”

“This vote reflects poorly on Canada’s record as a defender of democracy and justice. It stains Canada’s reputation,” said Michael Mostyn, the chief executive officer of B’nai Brith Canada.

“Just last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assured the Jewish community that Canada would ‘always defend Israel’s right to live in security.’ Voting for this resolution is not in line with that commitment.” UN Watch, an organization that monitors the United Nations,

Court reserves decision on challenge to Canada oil pipeline The challenge to the Federal Court of Appeal is the latest obstacle to tripling capacity on the Alberta-to-British Columbia Trans Mountain pipeline, which the Canadian oil industry says is badly needed. “It feels like an acrimonious divorce. Obviously there’s a lot of tension here,” Chief Justice Marc Noël said, before saying the judges needed time to make a decision after a three-day hearing. The operator of Canada’s state-owned oil pipeline had asked the court to dismiss the legal challenge by four indigenous groups. The indigenous groups “did not negotiate in good faith, or at all,” Trans Mountain Corp lawyer Maureen Killoran said. Effectively, the groups are attempting to hold a veto over the C$10 billion project despite the government’s best attempts to address their concerns, she said.

Coldwater Indian Band, one of the four groups, refused to allow drilling for a hydro-geological study to determine risks to its aquifer, she said.

The band said earlier this week that protecting its drinking water was its main concern.

The indigenous groups alleged that the Canadian government shared key reports on the project’s impact late, or even after the consultation period, and that it revised documents. Their concerns include possible oil spills and threats to endangered southern resident killer whales.

Ottawa bought the pipeline last year to ensure expansion proceeded, offering a lifeline to Alberta’s struggling oil patch. Congested pipelines have forced the Alberta provincial government to curtail production.

A court ruled in August 2018 that Ottawa had failed to properly consult indigenous people, prompting the government to redo the consultation process before reapproving the expansion in June. But in September, the Court of Appeal agreed to hear fresh concerns that the government fell short again.

NATIONAL

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INDIA

Saturday, December 21, 2019

India ‘3rd largest’ producer of scientific articles With over 1.35 lakh scientific papers published, India has become the world’s third largest publisher of science and engineering articles, according to a US government agency data, topped by China. As per the statistics compiled by the US National Science Foundation (NSF), the number of scientific papers published worldwide increased from 1,755,850 in 2008 to 2,555,959 in 2018. The global research output, as measured by peer-reviewed science and engineering journal articles and conference

papers, grew about four per cent annually over the past 10 years. The data, which was released on Tuesday, stated that in 2008, India published 48,998 science and engineering articles. This increased to 1,35,788 articles in 2018 at an average annual growth rate of 10.73 per cent and the country now accounts for 5.31 per cent of the total world publications in science and engineering. China, which accounts for 20.67 per cent of all global publications in scientific

India home to 6 non-Muslim faiths - BJP working president BJP working president JP Nadda said on Wednesday “India is home” now to people of six non-Muslim faiths who fled religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

He also attacked the Congress for opposing the new Citizenship Act. “Should not they be given Indian citizenship? Where will they go?

For them India is home now,” Nadda said.

Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who fled to India from the three

countries because of religious persecution are eligible for citizenship under the new law. Nadda was addressing an election meeting at Sarath in Deoghar district.

“Why are Congress leaders having a stomach ache over the CAA?” the BJP leader said. “Youth from Jharkhand are guarding the borders in Kashmir....after the abrogation of Article 370, altogether 106 central laws have come into force in Kashmir.

I dare the Congress to declare publicly that it will bring back Article 370,” he asserted.

Elect govt that listens to students: Priyank urges Jharkhand voters Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi hit out at the BJP over police action at university campuses and urged voters of Jharkhand to elect a government that would listen to students. Claiming that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise had failed in Assam, she said the government had now brought the amended Citizenship Act that was facing the ire of students. “Students have hit the roads in the country and are facing police batons,”

she said while addressing a poll rally here. The Congress general secretary also appealed to voters to elect a government that would “listen to students, waive farm loans, provide security to women and protect your (tribal) culture and tradition”.

She alleged that the Jharkhand government is creating a land bank to give it to the rich.

Mentioning that the Congress has always protected tribal culture and tradition, Priyanka Gandhi said women were being assaulted in the country.

B SE EST RV IC E

Supreme Court rejects stay order of Citizenship Amendment Act The Supreme Court today refused to stay the operation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, being opposed by many Opposition parties across the country even as it agreed to examine its constitutional validity. A threejudge Bench headed by CJI SA Bobde issued notice to the Centre asking it to respond to 59 petitions and posted the matter for hearing on January 22 next year.

The Bench, which also included Justice BR Gavai and Justice Surya Kant, acceded to advocate Ashwini K Upadhyay’s suggestion that people should be made aware about CAA’s aims and objectives. The Centre should consider using audio-visual media to make citizens aware of the amendment, the Bench told Attorney General KK Venugopal, who said the government would do the needful.

Indians struggling for jobs, how will new citizens be employed, asks Kejriwal on CAA Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday raised the issue of providing jobs to immigrants from neighbouring nations, who will be given citizenship under the newly amended law, when there is not enough employment for Indians in the country. Speaking at the News18 India Chaupal, Kejriwal criticised the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and questioned the legislation’s timing, saying the country was “reeling” under economic slowdown and price rise. “Those who come from outside the country will be provided documents by our government but India’s citizens who do not have

documents will have to go away from the country. Why was this kind of law needed? There are so many other issues that need attention,” Kejriwal said at the event. The AAP chief asked who would give jobs to the “crores of people” who will come from neighbouring countries at a time when Indians themselves are struggling for employment.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, facing opposition from various quarters, offers citizenship to those members of non-Muslim “persecuted minorities” from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who came to India by December 31, 2014.

Good ties with Bangladesh: Ministry of External Affairs The Foreign Office sought to soft-pedal the cancellation of visits by Bangladesh ministers and postponement of a meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC).

Raveesh Kumar, MEA spokesperson, said there were over 75 dialogue mechanisms with Bangladesh and a relationship that close should not be defined by a few postponements.

What is happening in India is an internal matter. We enjoy excellent ties with Bangladesh.

Not much should be read into isolated incidents of rescheduling of meetings —Raveesh Kumar, MEA spokesperson Bangladesh Foreign

Minister AK Abdul Momin put off his preplanned visit to Delhi, while Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan decided not to go to Shillong due to protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. “Bangladesh has explained the reasons. The meeting was postponed because Bangladesh side did not have the water flow data for six rivers,” said the MEA spokesperson. Bangladesh has said Momin could not go to India as he had to attend national day celebrations back home. Khan had cancelled his visit to Shillong after he was advised not to travel by road.

Man gets death penalty for rape & murder of minor A court in Odisha’s Keonjhar district today sentenced a man to death for rape and murder of a three-year-old girl.

Additional District Court-cum-Special Court Judge Lokanath Sahu pronounced capital punishment to 20-yearold Sunil Kumar Naik after convicting him for rape and murder of the minor girl on January 13, 2017.

The medical examination report stated that the girl died due to shock and haemorrhage by forceful penetration, said public prosecutor.

Police said Nayak of Sasang village under the Champua police station area was a relative of the girl and, therefore, visited the victim’s house frequently.

On January 13, 2017, he took the girl to a secluded place and raped her. Later, he killed her by throttling in order to conceal the crime. After his conviction, Naik claimed he was innocent and said he would move higher court to review the judgment.

Situation along LoC can escalate any time: Army Chief Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said that the situation along the Line of Control can escalate any time and the country had to be prepared.

General Rawat, who ends his three-year tenure on December 31, did not specify what the Army response would have been had there been another Pulwama-style terror attack or if Pakistan Air Force jets attacked the ammunition dump on February 27 during the air-duel postBalakot.

Pakistani missiles were dropped close to the ammunition dump. When he had taken over as Chief of the 1.3 million-strong Army at the end of 2016, General Rawat had set himself three targets: restoring the image of the Army; remaining prepared for operations and

addressing rumblings within the force. During his tenure, the Army has moved the concept of integrated battle groups (IBG’s), which would start off with the area around Pathankot and Jammu. Another IBG would be in the area under the 33 Corps in Sikkim. The Mountain Strike Corps could also get an IBG. The IBG’s roll-out would be completed over the next five years and will actually reduce troops. In these three years, the Army is also considering using technology to keep an eye on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The first attempt is expected in Sikkim, which is a settled border. The Army’s proposal is to use technology to monitor and not use troops on each peak, especially in areas where there is no presence of China opposite.

This can bring down the cost of logistics.

PUNJAB

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Senior Akali leaders support Sukhbir Badal With rebel Akali leader Sukhdev Dhindsa openly challenging the leadership of Sukhbir Badal, a number of party leaders expressed faith in the latter and urged Dhindsa not to “sabotage” his parent party with unfounded allegations.

Drawing battle lines, senior leaders Balwinder Singh Bhundur, Jathedar Tota Singh and Prem Singh Chandumajra said Dhindsa was part of all decision-making in the party both under the Parkash Singh Badal as well as Sukhbir. “We all know how much importance the Badals have given to all of us. No decision has been taken without our concurrence. In the light of this it ill behove a senior leader like you to make such allegations, which will only weaken the party,” they said.The

leaders said it was time when the senior leaders should work together to make the party strong. “Instead of doing this, you are trying to sow seeds of discord among Akali workers in league with disgruntled former SAD leaders. The party workers will not appreciate this.

They will never let any conspiracy to weaken the SAD at any cost,” they added.

The senior leaders also said that Sukhbir had been elected president through a democratic process for the third time in a row. They said earlier also elections to the top post had been held in a similar fashion and Dhindsa had supported it.

Martyr cremated with state honours Last rites of Rifleman Sukhwinder Singh (21), who was killed during shelling in Rajouri district, on Monday, were performed at his native Fatehpur village of Mukerian tehsil here.Several youths gathered to bid him adieu holding flags in their hands. Some of them also carried banners with his photos.

His widowed mother Rani Devi, who was informed about his martyrdom this morning, collapsed several times on seeing her son’s body. A contingent of the Indian Army gave

Charges laid against Batala blast accused After the Gurdaspur district administration suspended three of its employees in the Batala firecracker blast incident, which claimed 24 lives and maimed several others, the police on Wednesday filed a chargesheet in a local court against accused Raman Kumar, alias Romi.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Opinderjit Singh Ghuman said the chargesheet had been submitted after an inquiry was conducted by DSP Prem Kumar. “A 127-page chargesheet has been submitted in the court. I had initiated a probe, which was conducted

by Prem Kumar,” the SSP added.

The Batala police district forms a part of Gurdaspur revenue district.

Punjab gov’t to revise hefty traffic fines The state government is all set to revise the fines, with certain relaxation, for most of the traffic rule violations within a few days. Three and a half months after the Centre implemented the amended Motor Vehicles Act, 2019, the Punjab Government on Wednesday held a meeting to discuss the draft notification for implementing it in the state in the next few days. The meeting also approved the purchase of Innova cars for 17 MLAs of the Congress government. Talking to mediapersons, Transport Minister Razia Sultan said in the past three months, efforts were made to look for provisions to relax some of the high fines imposed by the amended Act. She said the state couldn’t change most of the fine structure but could impose lower penalty wherever there was a range limit. In all, 63 provisions of the new Motor Vehicles Act deal with penalties, licences, registration and the National Transport Policy. It has hiked fines for various traffic violations.

For instance, a violator will have to pay Rs 5,000 instead of Rs 500 for driving without licence; the penalty for drunken driving is imprisonment up to 6 months and/or fine up to Rs 10,000 for the first offence and jail term up to 2 years.

him the Guard of Honour.

Several bureaucrats, political and social leaders attended the cremation of the solider.

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Sukhbir Badal ruined SAD, must quit: says Dhindsa Hardening his stand against the party to get himself elected”. He Badals, rebel SAD Rajya Sabha MP alleged that Sukhbir was the only Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa announced president of the SAD, who did not that even if Sukhbir Badal resigned resign even after losing elections. and Parkash Singh Badal took “In future, even if Sukhbir quits charge of the party, the chances of SAD president post and Parkash rapprochement with them were Singh Badal takes charge, I do not dim. Despite opposition from SAD see any possibility of compromising leaders, a huge number of Dhindsa’s with them. Earlier, I was alone in supporters thronged his Sangrur SAD MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa raising my voice against the residence and supported him.

Badals, but now we are a group of like-minded During the meeting, Dhindsa repeatedly people and all decisions of any rapprochement targeted Sukhbir and sought his resignation would be taken by all group members,” said for “destroying the democratic set-up of the Dhindsa.

Sikh bodies to file plea over stay on Bhullar’s release Several Sikh organisations have decided to submit an appeal in the Supreme Court seeking review of the status quo decision on releasing TADA convict Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, who is serving life term in 1993 Delhi bomb blast on the then Youth Congress president Maninderjeet Singh Bitta’s convoy.

SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal

said legal opinion would be sought on the matter. “We will take a legal course urging the SC to review its decision. Taking into account his ill health, he should not be harassed anymore. We will also approach the Ministry to intervene as he was among the eight political prisoners who were to be released on the occasion of 550th Parkash Purb,” he said.

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INDIA

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Supreme Court rejects Nirbhaya convict’s review plea The Supreme Court today rejected Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case convict Akshay Kumar’s petition seeking review of its 2017 verdict upholding the death penalty given to him and three other convicts. “We do not find any error apparent on the face of the record in the appreciation of evidence or the findings of the judgment dated May 5, 2017. None of the grounds raised in the review petition call for a review,” a threeJudge Bench headed by Justice R Banumathi said, dismissing his review petition. A Patiala House Court in Delhi, meanwhile, directed Tihar Jail authorities to seek within a week response from the four death row convicts as to whether they were filing mercy pleas with the President. Additional Sessions Judge Satish Kumar Arora posted for January 7, 2020, the hearing on Delhi Government’s plea seeking issuance of death warrants for

executing the convicts just after the apex court verdict, and said that it will wait for the copy of the judgment. The Bench, which included Justices Ashok Bhushan and AS Bopanna, also rejected his plea against death penalty. “In light of the aggravating circumstances and considering that the case falls within the category of ‘rarest of rare cases’, the death penalty is confirmed,” said the Bench. After dismissal of his review petition, Akshay, who was cleaner of the bus in which the incident took place on December 16, 2012, has the option of filing a curative petition, which is the last legal recourse available to a person. However, it was not clear if he would file a curative petition as his counsel AP Singh sought three-week time from the top court to file a mercy petition before the President.

Pakistani Hindus’ hopes soar after new citizenship act Amid the debate and protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, a large number of Hindus who migrated from Pakistan over the past three decades and are settled in the district have a reason to cheer. After having suffered “religious persecution” for decades after the Partition, these Hindu migrants now hope to acquire Indian citizenship at the earliest.

Having little connect with Pakistan now, these migrants settled in several residential areas of the city consider themselves to be Indians already. They, however, still possess Pakistani citizenship. They reportedly started entering India 1990 onwards on visitor’s visa and continue to live here by extending

their visas. There are more than 600 Pakistani Hindus in Jalandhar who are keen to get Indian citizenship. They recently celebrated the passing of the Bill by getting together and cutting a cake. Falak Raj Bhagat (44) was 22 years old when he left Pakistan and entered India with 50 family members and friends. After doing a few odd jobs for a couple of years, he finally considers himself settled here. He manufactures surgery equipment and sells them in local hospitals.

“During the Partition, some of our community members managed to escape Pakistan and enter India while many of us remained in Pakistan. Subsequently, we were being pressurised by other community members to get converted. We lived in

Two BJP MPs arrested in Bengal BJP MPs Nishith Pramanik and Khagen Murmu were arrested on Wednesday, as the police stopped two delegations led by senior party leaders which were on their way to visit violence-hit areas of Malda and

Murshidabad districts, officials said. The two BJP lawmakers were arrested when they tried to visit the violence-hit areas of Malda district, police sources said. The delegation was not allowed as it might further worsen the situation in areas.

Don’t set country on fire, says Mamta West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attacked Union Home Minister Amit Shah over violent protests against the new citizenship law, saying his job is not to set the country on fire but to put it out. Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas” slogan, she said the BJP government had brought “satyanaash” (disaster) for everyone in the country.

Banerjee also wondered whether the BJP has become a “washing machine” for legitimising citizenship. “I urge Home Minister Amit Shah to ensure that the nation does not burn. Your job is not to set the country on fire, but to douse it,” she said after leading a protest march against the new citizenship law from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade in Kolkata.

Violent protests against the amended

Citizenship Act have erupted in several states of the country, including West Bengal.

Appealing to Shah to take care of the country and “control” BJP cadres, the Trinamool Congress supremo iterated her stand of not implementing the NRC and the amended Citizenship Act saying they were “two sides of the same coin”. “You (Shah) said none will lose citizenship. But now you are (also) saying neither PAN, nor Aadhaar will prove citizenship. Then what will work? An amulet from the BJP? The BJP has become a washing machine,” Banerjee said. She asked if Aadhaar is not a proof of citizenship, why was it linked to welfare schemes and the banking system?

The TMC supremo has conducted two protest marches across the city on Monday and Tuesday. She is scheduled to lead two more marches in the next two days.

Cops keeping tabs on social media handles to curb rumour-mongering Noting that several miscreants involved in yesterday’s violence in Seelampur have been identified, officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the police had been closely monitoring a few social media handles to check spread of rumours, as protest against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) near Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) campus continued for third consecutive day.

They said the police extensively used drone cameras during the protest in the northeast district of the city, including Seelampur and Jaffrabad areas, yesterday and a number of miscreants had been identified. Action will be initiated against them after a fare assessment of the video footages, they said.

Today two more persons were arrested on

charges of being allegedly involved in rioting and violence during the protest, the officials said. So far, in total eight persons have been arrested in connection with the Seelampur and Jaffrabad violence yesterday with three FIRs, they added.

Officials said, in both the cases —Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) and Seelampur - the trouble makers were outsiders. “We are monitoring some social media accounts to check spread of misinformation. Appropriate action will be taken if anyone is found violating the laws,” a senior MHA official said, but went on to add that the situation in Delhi is peaceful by and large, except for prohibitory orders under CrPC section 144 in some localities in North-East Delhi.

India donates solar lamps to Palestinian kids India has donated solar powered study lamps to Palestinian elementary school children from a marginalised Bedouin community to spread the principles of selfsufficiency and raise awareness towards

the adverse effects of climate change. The solar powered study lamps supplied by IITBombay as part of the initiative on Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary to promote renewable sources of energy.

NRI

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Indian-American to run for Congress Indian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist Krishna Bansal will run for the US House of Representatives in 2020.

Bansal, who will enter the race from 11th Congressional District of Illinois from the

NR Sikh cab driver brutally assaulted in USA

Republican Party, launched his campaign over the weekend, which among others was attended by more than 20 elected officials, eminent Indian-American leaders and community members of his constituency.

One of India’s youngest billionaires, Ola’s Bhavish Aggarwal, is talented— but he was also in the right place at the right time Ola was born in what was a young e-commerce industry in India. Much like his peers Sachin andBinny Bansal, who started Flipkart, and many other … Ola was born in what was a young e-commerce industry in India. Much like his peers Sachin and Binny Bansal, who started Flipkart, and many other internet startups that mushroomed in the country around that time — Bhavish Aggarwal and his friends from IIT started Olatrips.com that lets people rent cars for trips. Ten years on, Flipkart has already been bought over by Walmart for a whopping $16 billion, and Aggarwal is sitting on the throne of a $10 billion Ola — one of the most valuable startups which has plans to go public.

While Aggarwal deserves the credit for Ola’s success, there were also other factors that aided his growth. In a nutshell, he was a brilliant entrepreneur who was in the right business at the right time.

This is similar to the example cited by Malcolm Gladwell in his 2008 bestseller ‘Outliers’. It is not a matter of chance that legends of global technology industry Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Apple’s Steve Ballmer, Google’s Eric Schmidt and many others were born between 1953 and 1956.

They were just at the right age, with the necessary qualifications, as the world was ripe for the revolution they were about to unleash.

US-India business groups plan to lobby for dilution of India’s privacy bill: sources Trade groups representing some of the world’s biggest firms plan to lobby U.S. officials and Indian lawmakers in a bid to dilute parts of an Indian privacy bill which could hurt businesses, three sources familiar with the plans told Reuters. The Personal Data Protection Bill, which India’s government argues is necessary to protect user privacy, will require companies such as Alphabet Inc’s Google (O:GOOGL) and Facebook (O:FB) to change how they store and process Indian users’ data. Industry executives say some provisions will raise costs and compliance requirements. One provision empowers the government to ask a company to

37

provide anonymised user data to help formulate policies - data companies are loathe to share as it is crucial to fuel business growth. Submitted by the government last week, the bill will be reviewed by a 30-member parliamentary panel.

The U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, plans to lobby Indian parliamentarians who will review the bill and will hold meetings with key U.S. government officials, said one source. The council may also lead a delegation to India early next year to meet the parliamentary panel, the source added.

A 57-year-old Indian-origin Sikh taxi driver was brutally assaulted and hit with a barbeque grill cover on the head in front of his house in California, media reports said.

It was the second such attack in less than a fortnight. Baljeet Singh Sidhu, who works as a mail carrier and a Uber driver, was

attacked on Sunday while he was parking his car outside his home near Hilltop Mall, Richmond, California, after finishing his work. A man came up to his cab and asked him for a lighter. Sidhu said he didn’t have one and the man left, but then he returned with another request.

Indian-origin academic to chair Islamophobia review Britain’s ruling Conservative Party, led

by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has appointed an Indian-origin academic to conduct an independent review into dealing with allegations of anti-Muslim prejudice as well as other issues of discrimination within the Tory party ranks. Swaran Singh, professor, Social and Community Psychiatry at the University of Warwick, will lead the inquiry aimed at improving the Conservative Party’s handling of complaints of all forms

of discrimination and prejudice, including Islamophobia. The issue had played out heavily in the run-up to the general elections earlier this month, with British Muslims accusing the Conservatives of anti-Muslim bias and calling for an independent inquiry.

“I am privileged to have been appointed to chair the independent review into improving handling of complaints of prejudice and discrimination in the Conservative Party,” said Singh, who has been a Commissioner of the UK’s Equality and Human Rights

Hong Kong appoints first Sikh woman prison officer Sukhdeep Kaur, hailing from a nondescript village in Tarn Taran, is the first ‘amritdhari’ Sikh woman to be appointed as a prison officer in Hong Kong.

Sporting a blue turban matching her navy blue uniform, Sukhdeep is quite noticeable among the prison squad while marching on the premises of Lo Wu Correctional Institution.

In a telephonic conversation with The

Tribune, Sukhdeep (24), said it was for the first time that a baptised Sikh woman was given recognition to be placed with the Correctional Services Department (CSD) in Hong Kong.

Sukhdeep said due to communication gap, as majority of people of Hong Kong origin speak Cantonese (a form of Chinese language), initially it was difficult for me to apprise the people about Sikhism.

NRI’s body found in UAE, kin allege murder A pall of gloom descended on Sargundhi village near Goraya when the news of 24-year-old Gagandeep Bagga’s death broke out here late Tuesday evening.

Villagers in large numbers gathered at the house of the deceased and offered condolences to his father Des Raj and grandfather Harbhghan Lal. Talking to The Tribune, Des Raj, who was in a state of shock, said his son was murdered in the UAE. He said he sent his son to the UAE on April 17 to earn livelihood through

a Nasrala-based travel agent, who assuredthem of providing a suitable job to settle him there.

Des Raj alleged that the UAE company where his son was employed as a plumber did not pay him as per the commitment made.

He said his son talked to him over the phone on August 21 and told him that he had left the job as he was being harassed by the employers. Des Raj said after that the family could not contact him and even his daughter, who is also residing in the UAE.

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Saturday, December 21, 2019

SOUTH ASIA

‘Counter-terror efforts boosted by growing consensus’: S Jaishankar after 2+2 meeting India and the United States on Wednesday announced the conclusion of a key defence agreement to further enhance

the interoperability of their militaries and discussed the threat of cross-border terrorism India faces from Pakistan at the second 2+2

ministerial meeting of their foreign and defence ministers.The two sides also discussed a whole range of issues, including trade, the United States joining the Coalition for Disaster-

Resilient Infrastructure - a key global initiative launched by India at the last UNGA; the need for free and open Indo-Pacific and China; and the drawdown of US troops in Afghanistan. The conclusion of the Industrial Security Annex (ISA) would allow American manufacturers of defence equipment to strike deals with Indian private sector companie.

Musharraf - a dictator who pretended to be a liberal A retired four-star general of the Pakistan Army, Pervez Musharraf ruled the country through a tumultuous period for nine years after he assumed power in a military coup against then PM Sharif in 1999. His legacy remains as mixed bag of both economic transformation and constitutional erosion. Musharraf was born on August 11, 1943 in Delhi.

He was ppointed by Sharif as head of Armed Forces, General Musharraf led the infiltration in India’s Kargil region of the then Jammu and Kashmir state and now a part of the Ladakh Union Territory. The 1999 Kargil War, which Pakistan lost, turned out to be a major embarrassment for Sharif when he was asked by the US to retreat. Sharif unsuccessfully attempted to remove Musharraf, who overthrew the democratically elected government and imposed military rule in the country.

Two years after he came to power, the global Islamist terror group Al Qaida headed by Osama bin Laden launched the September 11 attacks against the US. The attacks propelled Musharraf into greater significance when he decided to join America’s war against terror in Afghanistan. After a decade-long manhunt, bin Laden was found and killed by American Navy SEALS in a private residential compound in Abbattobad, Pakistan, leading many to believe that he had been sheltered and protected by Pakistan under Musharraf all along. However, the war helped Musharraf to strengthen his position in Pakistan. He remained Pakistan’s army chief and appointed himself initially chief executive. In 2001, he became the President of Pakistan and held talks with India at the Agra summit to resolve Kashmir issue.

14 dead, many injured as bus plunges off highway in Nepal A passenger bus veered off the road and fell some 100 metres along the Araniko Highway in Nepal’s Sindhupalchok on Sunday, killing at least 14 people and injuring 18 others.

The bus was heading towards Bhaktapur from a Hindu temple in Kalinchok in Dolakha district when it skidded off the highway and plunged down from Chha Kilo area, police said. Three children and 11 adults were killed in the accident, the Kathmandu Post reported, quoting police.“Of them, 12 people died on the spot,” police said. The injured have been rushed to nearby hospitals, Police Inspector Nawaraj Neupane said, adding that six of them are in critical condition. The bus was ferrying pilgrims back from Kalinchowk Temple to Bhaktapur. The police are yet to ascertain the identity of the victims, the paper said. Meanwhile, a search is underway for the driver of the bus who is on the run following the accident.

The police have suspected overspeeding and rash driving on the under-construction road section as the reasons behind the accident.

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FIJI

Saturday, December 21, 2019

10 students to receive scholarships to pursue studies in Australia 10 Fijian students will be awarded the Pacific Secondary Scholarship Programme to pursue their Year 12 and Year 13 studies in Australia.

Minister for Education Rosy Akbar and Acting Australian High Commissioner to Fiji Anna Dorney signed the Memorandum of Understanding this afternoon at Senikau House.

Students selected will begin their studies in July next year. This scholarship is the first of it’s kind for Fiji and will have a duration of two and a half years. The first half-year is to allow students to integrate as well as to complete the second half of their Australian standard Year 10 academic year in Australia in preparing for Year 12 and Year 13 studies. The ten will be selected based on merit, academic performance as well as personal leadership qualities.

It will be awarded evenly between male and female students, taking into account both gender and disability.

Akbar says the scholarships will present a unique opportunity for the students to take advantage of and experience Australia’s education system and to challenge their own academic experience.

Dorney says the program is part of their joint commitment with the Fijian Government to providing more opportunities for quality education to Fijians and that child protection, student education and welfare are primary considerations for the scholarship program.

Eight Pacific Island countries are part of the Scholarship program which is worth AUD$66 million.

Ministry of Health urges all parents to get young children vaccinated against measles The Ministry of Health is urging parents to ensure their children between the age of 6 months to 5 years should get vaccinated for measles as soon as possible.

Head of Health Protection, Dr. Aalisha Sahukhan says preliminary data from Central Division shows that less children between the ages of 6 months to 5 years are getting their vaccination when compared to adults in the target group.

She also highlighted that the normal immunization schedule starts at 12 months so most children 6 to 12 months have not even received one dose of vaccination.

She adds that getting more people vaccinated for measles would also keep

those who are vulnerable safe such as people who have cancer and cannot get vaccinated.

Dr. Sahukhan says that some of the outreach posts in the Central Division have been closed so that more teams are mobilized to go house to house to find children who are not getting vaccinated.

The Ministry continues to advise people against mass gathering to prevent themselves from getting the disease.

Dr. Sahukhan adds that since it is the holiday period and people may intend to travel, they are still being advised against non-essential travel to the Serua/Namosi area.

There are 23 confirmed measles cases

Air New Zealand issues more travel bans & warnings Air New Zealand issued a record number of warning letters and travel bans to its customers this year. More of the airline’s passengers had behaved badly towards each other or staff this year. Air NZ said the behaviour included verbal and physical abuse and over-indulging in alcohol. The airline issued 15 percent more warning letters and issued 60 percent more travel bans for between one and five years.

“We want all our customers to have an enjoyable experience and won’t tolerate poor behaviour toward each other or our staff, who try to go the extra mile to deliver a world-class uniquely Kiwi experience,” David Morgan, chief operational integrity and standards officer, said.

The airline is heading towards its busiest day

of the year tomorrow, with more than 60,000 passengers heading away for the holiday break on 600 flights across its network. This is 20,000 more customers than last year’s busiest day on the airline’s network.

The busiest route will be AucklandChristchurch, according to the airline.

The airline is calling on customers to show respect to each other and airline staff over the busy summer season.

Air NZ Auckland airports manager Todd Grace is advising travellers to allow extra time to get to and through the airport, and encourages all passengers to take out travel insurance and sign up to the Air NZ Travel Alerts service for information on any disruption.

Two firefighters killed in crash while battling fierce bushfires Two volunteer firefighters have been killed in the battle to contain a fierce blaze that ripped through villages southwest of Sydney, Australia.

The Fire Service volunteers were in a truck believed to have been travelling in convoy near the town of Buxton late yesterday when it hit a tree and rolled off the road. The driver and front passenger died at the scene, police said, while three other firefighters were injured.

The fatal accident occurred at the end of

an exhausting day for firefighters.

Earlier yesterday, three firefighters were treated for burns after their truck was enveloped by the bushfire. Fire and Rescue NSW duty commander Inspector Kernin Lambert had described the conditions as deadly, even for firefighters. A week-long state of emergency has been declared in NSW and a statewide total fire ban remains in place.

New LPG price now in effect The new prices for LPG gas products come into effect. The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission determined the new prices following a review. The price of a 4.5 kg cylinder of gas has increased from $11.84 to $12.97; a 12kg cylinder will now cost $34.58 and a 13kg cylinder will cost $37.46.

The Commission says bulk price has increased from $2.21 per kg to $2.43 per kg while auto gas per litre will now cost $1.63.

FCCC says Fiji is directly impacted by the world market prices for both refined oils and LPG and fluctuations will reflect prices in Fiji.

Power outage affecting people in Raiwaqa area Energy Fiji Limited says there was an unplanned power outage at 11:30am this morning, due to a vehicle colliding against an EFL power pole at Grantham Road, near Milverton Road junction in Raiwaqa.

EFL says this caused a power disruption in the Raiwaqa area.

CEO Hasmukh Patel says their teams have already isolated the power lines at the locality of the broken pole and made safe the affected area for the general public. Areas affected due to this unplanned power outage are: from junction of Browning Street and Grantham Road to junction of Falvey Street, Raiwaqa Police Post, whole of Falvey Street, Aidney

Road, Udit Narayan Road and Browning Street. Patel says repair work on the broken power pole is expected to be completed by this evening before power supply is fully restored.

They are requesting drivers and machine operators to exercise caution while driving and maneuvering vehicles to avoid causing damages to EFL assets resulting in power outages. Patel adds EFL would also like to advise the public that EFL will take appropriate action to recover repair costs associated with damages to EFL assets, as well as report the same to relevant authorities for them to investigate and take appropriate action.

Plastic bags used for packing goods at supermarkets will be banned from the 1st of next month Plastic bags which are used for packing goods at supermarkets will be banned from the 1st of next month.

Consumer Council of Fiji has welcomed the ban in high-density plastic bags and the increase in the price of low-density polythene plastic bags from 20 cents to 50 cents which they say is encouraging.

Under the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service Standard Interpretation Guideline in relation to the 2019/2020 budget amendments applicable to the Environment and Climate Adaptation Levy Act 2015, the plastic bag levy does not apply to all plastic bags but those which contain polyethylene in whole or part, has a handle, is provided by the business for carrying or transportation of goods, and is not an integral part of a product’s packaging.

Minister for Economy, Aiyaz SayedKhaiyum had already stated in the 2019-2020 Budget Address that plastic bags which will be banned are those with a thickness of less than 50 microns.

A micron is a unit of measurement with 1,000 microns in a millimetre.

The Minister also highlighted that as of the 1st of next month, duty on plastic bags with a thickness of more than 50 microns will increase to 50 cents.As an alternative, Sayed-Khaiyum says the Government has been steadily promoting the usage of locallyproduced, reusable bags.

The Government also aims to completely phase-out Styrofoam containers by 1st Jan 2021.

PAKISTAN

Saturday, December 21, 2019

41

Musharraf’s verdict is an attempt to create anarchy & unrest: says Prime Minister Prime Minister Imran Khan said that special court’s verdict in former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf treason case is an attempt to create “anarchy” and “unrest” in the country.

The special court convicted Musharraf of high treason and sentenced him to death on Tuesday in an unprecedented trial delayed by the absence of the septuagenarian former

military ruler, who has been out of the country since 2016.

“The government will not allow any situation, which creates instability in the country or a clash between institutions, to arise,” said the

Uncontrolled power is dangerous: Supreme Court on General Bajwa’s extension Supreme Court judge cautioned the military against the judiciary. Prime Minister government that “unbridled power or position, Khan had extended Bajwa’s tenure through a notification in August, but the like unstructured discretion, is dangerous” before a Bench headed Supreme Court suspended it on by him gave a six-month conditional November 26 due to irregularities in the manner of extension. extension to the powerful Army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa last month, After three days of heightened according to the detailed verdict uncertainty, Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who headed a threein the case published on Monday.

On November 28, Bajwa got a sixmember Bench, through a short month conditional extension from order, announced that Bajwa would remain the Chief of the the Supreme Court, ending an unprecedented legal wrangle that General Bajwa Army Staff (COAS) for another six shook the government of Prime months during which the country’s Minister Imran Khan and pitted the powerful Parliament would legislate on the Pakistan Army chief ’s extension/reappointment.

Govt to back former General Musharraf during appeal against his sentence: Attorney General With powerful Army publicly backing former dictator Pervez Musharraf after he was sentenced to death for treason.

Prime Minister Imran Khan discussed the issue with his top party aides on Wednesday even as his government decided to support the retired General’s appeal against the “unfair” verdict.

Former Pakistan President and military ruler Musharraf was sentenced to death in absentia on Tuesday for high treason following a six-year legal case. He has been living in Dubai since 2016 after Pakistan’s Supreme Court lifted a travel ban allowing him to leave the country to seek medical treatment. A three-member special court here

convicted 76-year-old Musharraf of violating the Constitution by unlawfully declaring emergency rule while he was in power, in a case that had been pending since 2013. Prime Minister Khan, who returned from Geneva, convened an emergency meeting of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ’s core committee to discuss the sentencing of Musharraf, Geo News reported. Following Musharraf ’s sentencing, the Pakistan Army said its former chief Gen (retd) Musharraf can “never be a traitor” and the verdict against him has been received with “lot of pain and anguish” by Pakistan Armed Forces personnel.

Musharraf says verdict against him based on some one’s ‘animosity’ case against him had been Former president General (retd) taken up and concluded based Pervez Musharraf, who has been on some people’s “personal sentenced to death for treason by animosity” towards him. “Some a special court, has raised serious people in high offices misused questions on his trial and said that the verdict was based on some people’s their authority to target one individual,” he said, in an “personal animosity” towards him.

A three-member special court apparent reference to Chief Musharraf Bench sentenced 76-year-old Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Musharraf to death in absentia on Tuesday for Khosa. Khosa, who is retiring on Friday, last high treason following a six-year legal case. month said that the post-2009 judiciary had He has been living in Dubai since 2016 convicted one prime minster (Yousuf Raza after Pakistan’s Supreme Court lifted a travel Gilani); disqualified another (Nawaz Sharif); ban allowing him to leave the country to and was soon going to decide the treason case seek medical treatment. “I call it (verdict) a against a former army chief (Musharraf). suspicious judgment because it disregarded “Targeting an individual based on selective the principle of supremacy of law from the events reveals the intentions of these people,” beginning. I’d rather say that if going by the the former president said. “There is no Constitution, this case should not have been example of such a decision in which neither heard,” Musharraf, who sounded weak and the defendant and nor his lawyer was given seriously ill, said in a video message recorded permission to say something in his defense,” from his hospital bed in Dubai. He said the Musharraf said.

prime minister while addressing a meeting of the Media Strategy Committee on Thursday. It was decided in the meeting that the government would file a reference

in the Supreme Judicial Council against special court judge Waqar Seth. The legal team informed the meeting that the sentence – hanging him (Musharraf) on D-Chowk – penned by Justice Seth crossed all legal boundaries. The legal team termed “unconstitutional”, “illegal” and “inhumane” the detailed verdict of the special court.

Musharraf can never be a traitor: Pak army Pakistan’s powerful army said on Tuesday that its former chief Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf can “never be a traitor” and a special court verdict against him in the high treason case has been received with “lot of pain and anguish by rank and file of Pakistan Armed Forces”.

A three-member bench of the special court, headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, on Tuesday found the ailing 76-year-old former Army chief, now living in Dubai on self-exile, guilty of high treason and handed him the death sentence.

“An ex-Army Chief, Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee and President of Pakistan, who has served the country for over 40 years, fought wars for the defense of the country can surely

never be a traitor,” Army spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said in a brief statement.

“The due legal process seems to have been ignored including constitution of special court, denial of fundamental right of self defence, undertaking individual specific proceedings and concluding the case in haste,” he said.

“Armed Forces of Pakistan expect that justice will be dispensed in line with Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” Ghafoor said.

Musharraf ’s indictment for treason was a highly significant moment in a country where the powerful military has held sway for much of its independent history. Musharraf, the then army chief, seized power by ousting then-prime

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YES! WITH NISSAN STD FINANCING!

NEW SENTRA MONTHS

FULL TANK OF GAS & FLOOR MATS

ON EVERY NEW OR USED PURCHASE ON THE HOUR!

OR AUTO, AIR COND + MORE

16,988

$

B3803A

ON THE HOUR

52,888

20,000

‘01 PATHFINDER ‘02 PATHFINDER 4X4 4X4

#218516

12 Month/20,000 KM ALL DAY

NO CHARGE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY ON THE HOUR!

FOR FIRST 100 PRE-OWNED BOXING DAYS SHOPPERS!

NEED SOME EXTRA XMAS CASH??

KKINGGEORGE NISSAN HHourlyspecialsarenetofallincentivesandcannotbecombined. Limit1percustomer.Limitonebillperpurchase.Mustbeusedbeforedelivery.FinanceO.A.C.WKLYx96MO@5.9%

32 Ave. & King George Blvd.

604-536-3644

DL#8933

$5000 ADD $14 • $10,000 ADD $28 • $15,000 ADD $42

43

Saturday, December 21, 2019

OVER 250 NEW MAZDAS IN STOCK FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY % PURCHASE +

0

WOLFE’S LANGLEY MAZDA YEAR UP TO

END

$4,000

2019

CASH PRICE from LEASE from

Mazda cx-5

39 MPG

$27,870 $176

BI-WEEKLY BI-WEEKL PAYMENT P

Gurtej Dhillon

35 M

49

PG

2019

Mazda cx-9

CASH PRICE from LEASE from

$1,500

YEAR END EVENT BONUS ON SELECT NEW MODELS

EVENT

IN CASH DISCOUNTS

FINANCING

UP TO

$34,720 $199

2019

Mazda3 SPORT

BI-WEEKLY BI-WEEKL PA AYMENT

CASH PRICE from LEASE from

PG

MP

49 M

G

$22,120 $139

BI-WEEKLY BI-WEEKL PA AYMENT

2019

Mazda3

CASH PRICE from LEASE from

$19,820 $119

BI-WEEKLY BI-WEEKL PA AYMENT

Monie Tutt

https://www.langleymazda.com/

SHOP 24 HOURS AT

604-534-0181 19265 LANGLEY BYPASS, SURREY/LANGLEY UNLIMITED

▼Year End Bonus offer is available to qualifying retail customers who cash purchase/finance/lease a select new and previously unregistered, in-stock 2019 Mazda model before January 2, 2020. Amounts vary by model – Some exceptions apply. Bonus applied before taxes and cannot be combined with Winter Tire Credit offer - See dealer for complete details. †Offer available on retail leases of new 2019 Mazda3 GX/2019 Mazda 3 Sport with a lease APR of 2.7% and 130 bi-weekly payments of $119/$139 for 60 months, the total lease obligation is $16,220/$19,020, including down payment (or equivalent trade-in) of $750/$900. New 2019 Mazda CX-5/CX-9 with a lease APR of 3.3/1.95% and 130 bi-weekly payments of $176/$199 for 60 months, the total lease obligation is $22,800/$26,260, including down payment (or equivalent trade-in) of $0/$0. All rebates, lease bonuses and current incentive applied. First monthly payment is due at lease inception. 20,000 km per year mileage allowance applies; All prices include environmental taxes, freight & PDI. They do not include licence, insurance or taxes. Lease and Finance on approved credit for qualified customers only. Prices and rates subject to change without notice. Visit mazda.ca or see your dealer for complete details.

DL#8451

Does your SUV drive 2,000 kms on 43 litres of gas?

Many Wolfe Mitsubishi PHEV owners report they regularly exceed this on just one tank!

CASH $ PRICE from

No need to sacrifice driving range or performance PLUS until Jan 2 get 10 years peace of mind with a NO-CHARGE Extended Warranty valued at up to $2,600

$1,50

42,023 023

PROV 0 .E REBAT V E

$2,500

FED. EV REBATE

www.wolfemitsubishi.ca *Prices include freight and PDI, taxes, insurance and dealer fees are extra – $3,500 manufacturer rebate has been applied. 2019 O Outlander PHEV SE-AWC lease is based on 84 month term finance (182 payments) of $268.05 plus tax @ 1.99%. Total paid $48,785 ccost of borrowing $3,262. – Offer subject to credit approval, $0 due on delivery. **10 Year/160 km warranty, whichever comes first.

R Regular maintenance not included. See dealer or mitsubishi-motors.ca for warranty terms, restrictions and details - Some conditions www.mitsubishi-motors.ca apply. Offers apply to vehicles delivered between Dec 2, 2019 to Jan 2, 2020 and are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

EL

19

20

2019 FORESTER

E NOS K A M ENT PAYMSPRING!

D MO

E SAV TO

$

00E 5H,0 R E B AT

CA$

2019 CROSSTREK $

$

‘TIL

UP

BLOWOUT FROM

BLOWOUT FROM

WOLFE

29,240

FINANCE & LEASE From

0.5%

O.A.C.

2019 IMPREZA (SEDAN AND HATCHBACK)

BLOWOUT FROM

$

2019 LEGACY

BLOWOUT FROM

$

24,995

19,640

25,420

www.LangleySubaru.com

SHOP 24 HOURS AT

604-534-2660 19372 LANGLEY BYPASS, SURREY/LANGLEY Prices do not include taxes, license, insurance or doc fee of $395. Vehicles may not be exactly as illustrated - Offers valid while supplies last. Finance and Lease offered on approved credit status – Offer acceptance conditions apply (OAC). $5,000 rebate applies to 2019 Outback. 0.5% Lease & finance available for 24 months on certain models. www.Subaru.ca See Subaru.ca for details of ALG and IIHS awards. Offers end January 2, 2020

2019 OUTBACK

BLOWOUT FROM

$

27,540

2019 ASCENT

2019 WRX

BLOWOUT FROM

BLOWOUT FROM

$

29,995

$

37,795

OFFER BONUSEIVE REC LIDAY

$

500

HO CASH

44

Saturday, December 21, 2019