The Asian Star November 25 2017 by The Asian Star Newspaper

Vol 16 - Issue 43

Saturday, November 25, 2017

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Vol 16 - Issue 43

New BC propertytransfer tax forms to indicate seller’s residency

The BC government will soon require sellers to disclose their residency during a real-estate transaction so that information can be shared with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Observers say it’s a much-needed change that replaces an honour system that was open to abuse by speculators seeking to avoid paying capital-gains tax on properties they don’t live in. But some worry that because the province is placing the onus for confirming that Continued on page 6

Saturday, November 25, 2017

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Canada has 15,000 on deportation list but can’t remove them

ore than 15,000 foreign nationals are on Canada’s deportation list, but some can’t be removed because their home country won’t take them back. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) confirms some countries either delay or refuse to repatriate their citizens who are here illegally, but will not divulge which ones as it might “impact diplomatic negotiations.” “If a country won’t take back their foreign nationals, CBSA does not give up; it continues to work with other government partners to put pressure on the country to accept their citizens back,” spokesperson Barre Campbell told CBC News in an email. “The CBSA also works

with domestic and international partners to share best practices and develop engagement strategies to address uncooperative countries that fail to repatriate their citizens in a timely matter.” Deportation order overturned America’s loss could be Canada’s gain The removal list includes rejected refugee claimants and those deemed inadmissible because of criminal background, potential threat to public health or safety, or risk to national security. Canada’s nonaming approach is in stark contrast to the U.S., which publicly identifies, and in some cases, sanctions, countries that delay or refuse to repatriate their citizens. Continued on page 6

BJP leader offers $1.5M bounty for beheading Padmavati star Deepika and director Bhansali

Hunt for gunman after shooting near Surrey school

would not be allowed to release A member of India’s Hindu nationalist ruling party has offered at all. Padmavati is based on a 16th century Sufi epic poem, a 100 million rupee ($1.5 million US) reward to anyone who beheads Padmavat, a fictional account of a brave and beautiful Rajput the lead actress and the director of the yet-to-be released Bollywood queen who chose to kill herself rather than be captured by the film Padmavati over its alleged Muslim sultan of Delhi, Allaudin handling of the relationship Khilji. Over centuries of its between a Hindu queen and a Muslim ruler. Suraj Pal Amu, a retelling, the epic has come to Padmavati Bharatiya Janata Party leader from be seen as history, even though the northern state of Haryana, offered the there is little historical evidence. Padukone bounty against actress Deepika Padukone plays the role of Padmini, the legendary and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali on queen who committed “jauhar,” the medieval Sunday. The film’s producers postponed the Rajput practice in which women of royal release of the film, which was set to be in households walked into funeral fires to theatres Dec. 1, the same day. Speaking at a embrace death over the dishonour of being public rally that was reported by several local taken captive. Continued on page 7 news outlets, Amu also added that the film

olice are looking for a suspect after a man was shot near Surrey’s Royal Heights Elementary school Thursday morning. Surrey RCMP say a call came in about a shooting near the Surrey/Delta border at 96th Avenue and 116th Street at about 8:40 a.m. Police say the victim is a 33-year-old man from Surrey. He was taken to hospital and the extent of his injuries is not yet known. Police say it is too early to say if the shooting is related to drugs or other shootings. Nearby Royal Heights Elementary school in Surrey was in lockout for 20 minutes, the Surrey School District told the NowLeader. “A lockout means the exterior doors are locked,” said Surrey school

Continued on page 6

OPINION

Saturday, November 25, 2017

It’s reefer madness to think marijuana will pay the bills By Lee Harding Research Associate Frontier Centre for Public Policy Click image to download Legalize and tax marijuana and the budget will balance itself. Marijuana advocates from stoners to recreational users to the prime minister have tried to convince us of this for years. But they’re all wrong. It makes some sense that a product so commonly used should be regulated rather than criminalized, sending its newly-enabled taxation revenues to the public coffers. Unfortunately, recent federal announcements and the examples of two American states tell us that a fiscal boon from legal pot is nothing more than reefer madness. Marijuana legalization opponents say that the long-term health and social costs will create a burden on our health-care system through drug-induced car accidents, brain damage, lung damage and the like. No need to wait - the bill is already more than three-quarters of a billion dollars and counting.

Last spring’s federal budget called for $9.6 million over five years for awareness, education and “surveillance activities,” with another $36.4 million announced in the fiscal update. In September, Public Safety Canada announced $274 million of marijuana-related spending. As October ended, the federal government announced a further $548 million would be spent to implement the Cannabis Act. Of this, a whopping $432 million is headed to Health Canada, $68 million to the RCMP, $40 million to border security, and $6 million to Public Safety Canada. Put down your illegal reefer for a moment, long enough to understand that nothing the government does is cheap or efficient. Health Canada’s millions are apparently for “a new regulatory approach, including licensing and inspection, compliance and enforcement, monitoring and research, as well as a national public education and awareness campaign, tracking systems and program support.” Never mind that this will all have to be done in conjunction with the provinces, which will

have their own untold costs. At least some of this health spending seems superfluous, especially regarding marijuana awareness. Anyone who wanted to know the effects already does and everyone else is in ignorant bliss. Besides, if the packaging is forced to look anything like that for cigarettes, it will basically say, “This will kill you,” aided by grotesque illustrations, and people will maintain happy denial anyway. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has suggested a 10 per cent pot tax. But Finance Department officials refuse to suggest that this will even provide cost recovery for legalization. It’s far from certain. Colorado, with one-seventh the population of Canada, received $76 million from marijuana taxes and fees in 2014 and that ballooned to $200 million last year. That said, Colorado’s excise and sales taxes on pot add up to 27.9 per cent. The tax-free status of Canada’s Indigenous reservations will also undermine federal and provincial marijuana revenues. Tobacco tax exemptions amount to an estimated $686 million annually. In Quebec and Ontario, the Akwesasne, Kahnawake, Tyendinaga and Ohsweken reserves, with their own factories, produce a very high percentage of contraband tobacco. Nearly one-third of Ontario cigarettes are contraband. The Macdonald-Laurier Institute estimates the cost to public coffers is $1.6 billion to $3.1 billion in Ontario alone. If tobacco, forever legal and widely available, can have up to a third of its sales illegal, imagine what the proportion will be for marijuana, widely available yet illegal in Canada since 1923. As Canada prepares to become the second nation in the world to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, it must hold fast to at least one sober thought: pot consumption and taxation will not relieve our governments’ fiscal headaches. Lee Harding is a research associate with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

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Saturday, November 25, 2017

SIMPSON, THOMAS & ASSOCIATES

LOCAL

Saturday, November 25, 2017

New BC property-transfer tax forms to indicate seller’s residency information on the buyer, it exposes them to potential fines or even jail time if they get it wrong. A buyer who doesn’t properly certify a seller’s residency status could also be on the hook for unpaid capital-gains tax. The government has changed a tax form used to collect the property-transfer tax to include whether the sellers in real estate transactions are Canadian residents under the Income Tax Act. Canadian resident homeowners do not pay tax on the increased value – or capital gains – of a property designated as a principal residence. Non-residents must pay capitalgains tax at the time of a sale. The province plans to provide that information to the CRA “to assist with auditing and enforcement of income tax laws,” a provincial Finance Ministry spokesperson said in an e-mail.

The changes are a “systemic game-changer,” said Richard Kurland, a Vancouver-based immigration lawyer and policy analyst. “What was missing [before the changes] was the ability to simply check off a box, yes or no, that says, ‘I am a tax resident of Canada’ – that was the real battle,” Mr. Kurland said. There is such a box on some other privatesector standard real estate forms, but that information was not typically shared with the CRA and amounted to an honour system that was vulnerable to abuse, Mr. Kurland maintains. The changes affect B.C.’s Property Transfer Tax Return (PTTR) and take effect Nov. 27. The PTTR form has been tweaked before – this is version 29 – including last year, when the Ministry of Finance introduced questions

Canada has 15,000 on deportation list but can’t remove them

From page 1 Global migration trend It is one of several countries taking a harder line against resistant countries as the global migration trend continues. Brian Lee Crowley, managing director of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, believes Canada should be pushing back hard against nations which aren’t “playing by the rules.” He said transparency is key to retaining integrity and public confidence in the immigration system. “If there are specific countries that are refusing to take back their nationals when the government of Canada has determined they’re not entitled to stay in Canada, I think the public is entitled to know this and I think the government should be under some public pressure to negotiate with these countries to resolve this problem,” he said.

The U.S. had publicly identified 23 countries which either delayed or refused repatriation of their own citizens, but announced earlier this year the list has been shortened to 12 due to public pressure tactics that began under former president Barack Obama and were ramped up under President Donald Trump. It announced that four “recalcitrant” countries, Cambodia, Eritrea, Guinea and Sierra Leone, would face visa restrictions for not accepting, or for delaying, repatriation of their own citizens after the U.S. has tried to deport them. Others that remain on the U.S. list of unco-operative countries are China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, Iran, Myanmar, Morocco, Hong Kong and South Sudan.

Hunt for gunman after shooting near Surrey school From page 1 district spokesperson Doug Strachan. Delta Police said Delview Secondary and Gibson Elementary were on a “brief lockdown as a precaution” but that has since been removed. Surrey RCMP Serious Crime Unit (SCU) is leading the investigation and is receiving help from Delta Police. Investigators say they believe the shooting was targeted and say there was no risk to the public or staff and students at Royal Heights Elementary. “There was one person taken away in a ambulance,” she posted

on the North Delta Community Corner Facebook page. “They are reported to have non life threatening injuries. 96th from 120th down is Surrey on the right and Delta on the left (coming down that is). You can stand on the yellow line and be in two cities at once.” Meanwhile A portion of Harvie Road was closed early this morning as Surrey RCMP responded to a ‘shots fired’ call in Port Kells. Police say the road was closed from 80th to 88th Avenue after the call came in at 4:05 a.m. RCMP say “some evidence was retrieved” and the road was reopened. RCMP said there were no victims and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502. If you would like to provide information anonymously, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or solvecrime.ca.

Saturday, November 25, 2017

‘Padmavati’ From page 1 Padmavati has been in trouble since the beginning of the year, with fringe groups in the western state of Rajasthan attacking the film’s set, threatening to burn down theatres that show it and even physically attacking Bhansali in January. Most of the anger at the film appears to stem from allegations that Bhansali has distorted history by filming a romantic dream sequence between the main protagonists of the film. Bhansali has denied the allegations. Earlier this month, the head of the Rajput Karni Sena in Rajasthan said Padukone should have her nose cut — a symbol of public humiliation — for being part of a film that allegedly insulted the famed queen. India’s 1.3 billion-strong democracy is the largest in the world, but despite significant economic progress over the last few decades its politics are held hostage by a complex mix of religion and caste. Books Padmavati and movies have found themselves at the receiving end of threats of violence and bans because they either offend one religious or caste group, or are deemed offensive to Indian culture in general. In the past, India’s film censor board rejected the erotic drama Fifty Shades of Grey, and Hollywood movies that appear on Indian screens are routinely scrubbed of sex scenes. The Da Vinci Code was banned in the Indian state of Goa, which has a large Christian population, because religious groups objected. In 2014, the publishing house Penguin India pulled from shelves and destroyed all copies of American historian Wendy Doniger’s The Hindus: An Alternative History after protests and a lawsuit from a Hindu right-wing group. The group’s main objection was that the book described Hindu mythological texts as fictional. Indian-born writer Salman Rushdie’s book The Satanic Verses has been banned here since 1998, since many Muslims consider it blasphemous. Rushdie was forced to cancel a 2012 appearance at the Jaipur Literary Festival amid protests and threats by prominent Muslim clerics.

LOCAL

Saturday, November 25, 2017

Trio charged with stealing ‘large amount’ of mail in Surrey Three men have been arrested and charged with stealing a “large amount” of mail in Surrey, B.C. RCMP were called about someone allegedly stealing mail in the Morgan Creek area at 3:45 a.m. PT on Wednesday, according to a statement.

Responding officers found a minivan parked near Rosemary Heights Crescent and Rosemary Heights Drive. Three men were inside, along with the mail. The suspects, who are all Surrey residents known to police, were arrested. Craig

Davies, 35, Jordan Wardstrom, 22, and Jamie Timbs, 41, have all been charged with theft of mail. Wardstrom is facing an additional charge of possession of stolen property over $5,000. RCMP said mail theft usually leads to more serious crimes. “Mail

theft is usually the start of identity theft which leads to impersonation,” Cpl. Scotty Schumann said in a statement, adding that mail theft usually spikes in the winter. Davies, Wardstrom and Timbs remain in custody.

14-year-old girl grabbed by stranger on her way to school in Delta

Nov 30,

Police are looking for witnesses after a stranger allegedly grabbed a 14-year-old girl as she was walking to school in Delta on Thursday morning. The student was in the 11600 block of 82 Avenue when the suspect came up behind her and grabbed her around the waist around 8 a.m. PT, according to a statement. She was able to get away and

run to school, where she told staff what had happened. Police said she wasn’t hurt. The suspect is described as a slim white man in his 60s, of average height. He was wearing a black jacket, white T-shirt with jeans and flip-flops. Police said he was holding a paper bag with alcohol inside when the alleged assault happened.

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Saturday, November 25, 2017

Liberals detail $40B for 10-year national housing strategy, introduce Canada Housing Benefit The federal government has announced the details of its ten-year national housing strategy, which includes the introduction of a housing benefit for families that won’t kick in until after the next federal election. “[This is a] new, innovative plan that re-establishes the role the federal government must play in housing,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in announcing the plan in Toronto. “Housing rights are human rights, everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home.” The ambitious plan promises to tackle everything from homelessness, the shortage of new housing

April 2020 and concluding in 2028. Half of the $4 billion that will be spent by 2028 will come from the provinces and territories with the other half coming from the federal government. The government says the benefit will help support 300,000 households by 2028. The strategy was developed with a gender-based analysis and promises to provide affordable housing for senior women and women fleeing domestic abuse. Some 25 per cent of investments under the strategy will be targeted towards women and girls. The strategy also includes a promise to introduce new legislation that “will require the federal government to maintain a National Housing Strategy and report to Parliament on housing targets and outcomes.” A new federal housing advocate will be tasked with advising the federal government and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) of possible solutions to the affordable housing shortage. The PM Trudeau announces the Liberal government’s National federal government has Housing Strategy in Toronto on Wednesday. revealed the details of its units and repairs to existing units over the ten-year, multibillion-dollar national housing next decade, including: Building 100,000 new strategy6:52 The strategy also promises to create a national housing council to help the affordable housing units. Protecting 385,000 households from government keep the national housing strategy losing an affordable home. Providing 300,000 on the rails. There will also be a national households with financial assistance through communications campaign that over a “multithe Canada Housing Benefit. Removing 530,000 year” period would help better inform “public households from housing need. Most of the views on different housing types and tenures.” National housing co-investment fund The funding for the plan was already announced in the 2017 budget and will therefore not have any strategy includes $15.9 billion for a national housing co-investment fund that will provide impact on the federal government’s fiscal plan. The exception is the $4 billion Canada $4.7 billion in financial contributions and $11.2 Housing Benefit, which the federal government billion in low interest loans to developers that says will help families by providing an average meet certain. rent subsidy of $2,500 annually beginning in

LOCAL

Saturday, November 25, 2017

Vancouver’s housing strategy aims for “transformation” of residential neighbourhoods Vancouver’s new 10-year housing strategy, a plan more than 14 months in the making, covers a lot of ground. The Housing Vancouver Strategy, unveiled Thursday less than a year out from a civic election in which housing is expected to be the top issue, touches on everything from creating affordable housing and taming speculation, to expediting the approval process and combating homelessness. Of particular interest to observers is the city’s proposal for the “transformation of low-density n e i g h b o u r h o o d s ,” which would see parts of the city zoned for single-family houses — almost 80 per cent of Vancouver’s residential land — opened up to other housing options such as townhouses and row-houses. Gil Kelley, the city’s general manager of planning, said the new housing strategy includes “big moves” that haven’t been done before in Vancouver. Among them is the idea of setting home production goals based on local income levels, Kelley said, “So we’re actually meeting the needs of Vancouverites, and not only for investors. That’s a big shift.” “The underpinning here, philosophically, is to make sure that Vancouver remains a place for all people, all incomes,” Kelley told reporters Thursday at city hall. “That’s why we have this fairly ambitious number of 72,000 new units over 10 years.” To compare that “fairly ambitious number”

of 72,000 new Vancouver homes over 10 years, just the day before the federal government unveiled its own national housing strategy, with dual events in Vancouver and Toronto, setting a goal of 100,000 new housing units over 10 years across Canada. Vancouver’s target of 72,000 new homes over 10 years represents a 50 per cent increase in supply over current trends, according to the city’s numbers, and that number is almost a quarter of the roughly 284,000 total dwellings in the city as of 2016. Of the 72,000 new units, Vancouver aims to add 10,000 ground-level homes such as townhouses into single-family neighbourhoods over the next decade. “That’s a good chunk over the next 10 years,” said Nathan Lauster, an associate professor at UBC whose recent book The Death and Life of the SingleFamily House examines Vancouver’s changing neighbourhoods. “This is more ambitious than we’ve seen them do before in terms of densifying (single-family neighbourhoods).” For context, last year the city had 109,260 ground-oriented dwellings, according to city statistics. That means the 10,000 new groundlevel homes proposed by the city Thursday would represent a 10 per cent increase over the current number. “I’m encouraged by this, opening up what is a lot of city land for more diverse sorts of housing that will also hopefully become much more affordable to a much wider range of people,” Lauster said

Police hunt man charged with two attempted murders in Victoria VICTORIA — A man charged with two counts of attempted murder after allegedly driving a car at his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend in Victoria has jumped bail and fled the country. A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for the arrest of Sebastien Normandin. He is charged with breaching bail conditions by failing to report from Oct. 23 to Nov. 6. A source told the Victoria Times Colonist that on Nov. 6, the victim services office phoned Normandin’s ex-girlfriend and told her that Normandin had flown from Toronto to London, England, on Oct. 25. The woman, whose identity is protected by a court order, has been living in fear since she learned Normandin jumped bail, said the source. Normandin, 47, was charged last year with two counts of attempted murder after police

were called to a two-vehicle crash on Gillespie Place in the Rockland neighbourhood of Victoria on Dec. 27. In addition to attempted murder, Normandin is charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and recklessly harassing the woman, causing her to fear for her safety. He is also charged with assault causing bodily harm to the woman in May 2015. Normandin remained in custody until May 30 when Victoria provincial court Judge Jennifer Barrett agreed to release him on $5,000 bail and the condition that he leave Victoria and fly to Montreal to live there. The reason for the Montreal condition was not explained in court bail documents that were publicly available. Another condition was that Normandin’s mother drive him directly from jail to the Victoria airport

Canadians are the most indebted in the world, OECD says, as it warns on rising debt risk The OECD warned that rising private debt loads in both advanced and developing economies pose a risk to growth as Canada, South Korea and the U.K. lead the world in household borrowing. “Household and corporate debt in many advanced and emerging market economies is high,” the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Thursday in a pre-released section of a report to be presented next week. “While higher indebtedness does not necessarily imply that problems are just around the corner, it does increase vulnerability to shocks.” Indebtedness has continued to rise from high levels in the Scandinavian countries, Australia and Canada, the OECD said. Meditate your

debt away: A mindful approach to money Hoping to turbocharge your returns by borrowing to invest? Read this first With the global economy showing its most even expansion since the financial crisis, debt levels and credit quality are among the risks that could trigger a downturn. Consumer debt tops 100 per cent of gross domestic product in Canada, with South Korea and Britain both above 80 per cent. In some countries, like Australia, Canada and the United States, debt servicing ratios have started to rise, possibly reflecting expectations of future financial tightening, the OECD said. On corporate borrowing, the OECD warned about a shift in risk from banks to the bond market.

Saturday, November 25, 2017

BC’s upcoming referendum on electoral reform will stand, Attorney-General says The 2018 provincial referendum on electoral reform will be the last word on whether voters want to change how they select their elected officials in British Columbia, AttorneyGeneral David Eby said Monday. Mr. Eby will launch public consultations later this week to shape the referendum question, providing both experts and average British Columbians with the opportunity to design what the question – or questions – will be, and to shape rules on spending limits

and any public funding for proponents. “The goal is to provide British Columbians with a very clear opportunity to state their preference about where they want to go,” Mr. Eby said in an interview. “I just have a hard time imagining, coming out of a process like that, that

Premier John Horgan

there could be any further discussion to be had.” British Columbians have already been asked twice in the past 12 years if they want to change the existing first-past-the-post voting system, and Mr. Eby says, if the

measure fails again, “that would settle the question.” The NDP minority government, in its agreement with the BC Green caucus, has promised a mail-in ballot next year that will ask if voters want to change to some form of proportional representation – a voting system where the number of seats each party gets in the legislature is based on their percentage of the popular vote. B.C.’s previous attempts at electoral reform Both referendums required 60 per cent support to pass

NDP say universal child care won’t come until after February budget announcement Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction Shane Simpson says universal affordable childcare is coming to British Columbia, but parents will have to wait for February’s provincial budget announcement to see what it will look like. “We’re taking the time to do it right. It will be a major investment of resources ... The

crisis needs to be addressed and we’re working on how to do that, and it’s not easy.” Simpson’s comments come after First Call, a coalition of child and youth advocates, released a report Tuesday showing one in five children in British Columbia live in poverty. The report shows many of the children come from single-parent households, from

families that continue to have the highest poverty rate at nearly 48 per cent. Since taking power, the B.C. NDP has created an advisory group to develop a poverty reduction plan. The province has also suggested raising the minimum wage in B.C., but has stayed largely silent on their campaign promise of $10-a-day child care. “The plan was a ten year plan. The

plan was put forward by childcare advocates. It was their plan for $10-a-day child care that we’ve largely adopted,” said Simpson. “I believe that by the time we get it all filled out, you’re going to see that kind of child care. Whether it’s $10[a day], I’m not 100 per cent certain about that, but that’s absolutely what we’re gunning for.” Simpson said

Federal government not tracking interventions with returning ISIS fighters Turning radicalized individuals away from director, told CBC News that his work does extreme ideologies and helping them rejoin relate to jihadi-inspired terrorism. Canadian society is a key goal of the federal “What we’re doing with the analysis that government, but it has little data on how well we’ve conducted is, in fact, build a series of that fight is going. The new Canada Centre podcasts and counter-narratives through for Community Engagement and Prevention art-based pedagogy and poetry to empower of Violence is supposed to be on the front line the broader population in understanding of this fight. It funds research and programs how [ISIS] is using and abusing religious that “aim to prevent and counter radicalization interpretations.” Head of Quebec City to violence at the individual level.” mosque supports deradicalization centre But the government doesn’t know how expansion despite opposition from mayor many radicalized people are actually being But Venkatesh has an unconventional spoken to, or who they are. Public Safety outlook on the problem of terrorism, telling Canada says it can’t provide statistics because media that jihadi terrorism is not the main the centre does not directly intervene with terrorist threat facing the West — although he radicalized individuals. didn’t say which groups or ideologies are. Moreover, the groups the centre funds tend “Go to the Global Terrorism Index and to focus on research over action. “My fear is that look through the major terrorist organizations we’re almost researching this thing to death,” and which countries are affected by terrorism said former CSIS officer Phil Gurski, author of in the worst ways and whether jihadism, as the book Western Foreign Fighters. ‘Canada you’re calling it, is in fact the biggest plague does not engage in death that the western squads,’ while allies actively world is perceiving hunt down their own foreign right now.” The fighters Deradicalization GTI, based on must be tailored to Canadian data collected at cities, says expert Toronto the University of man who disappeared 3 years Maryland, lists ago surfaces on Interpol list of 19 of the world’s feared ISIS suicide bombers 20 most deadly Six projects are paid for by a global terror acts public safety fund through in 2016 as having the Canada Centre under been carried the heading “action-oriented out by groups research.” None carry out inspired by Islamic interventions with radicalized Kurdish soldiers escort a man suspected f undament a list individuals. Four more of ISIS membership at a security centre, in ideologies, and the projects fall under the heading four groups it lists Kobani, Syria of “direct intervention/ as the deadliest prevention programming,” but it remains in the world are all jihadi groups (ISIS, Boko unclear why they are categorized as such. Haram, al-Qaeda and the Taliban). It says Two offer training programs for the Ontario three-quarters of all western terrorism victims Provincial Police; a third backs a series of since 2014 were killed by people directed or expert roundtables on the use of social media, inspired by just one jihadi group: Islamic State and a fourth, Project SOMEONE at Montreal’s in Iraq and Syria. Quebec approach more Concordia University, “promotes the use effective? of social media and art in schools to build Unlike the federal government, Quebec awareness and resilience, combat online hate does collect statistics on the interventions it speech and create space for dialogue.” finances, through its Centre for the Prevention Gurski said he is troubled by the mixing of of Radicalization Leading to Violence. counter-terrorism and deradicalization with In its 2016 report, Quebec’s Centre listed efforts to fight discrimination and hate speech. 119 interventions in cases of “politico“The vast majority of hateful people — and religious radicalization” — typically Islamist there’s lots of hateful people online and lots of — as opposed to 11 in cases of extreme righthateful people in Canada — are not terrorists. wing indoctrination. But far-right radicals are I think it’s wrong to treat those things as the increasing in number according to research same even for research purposes.” director Benjamin Ducol, who wrote his thesis Vivek Venkatesh, Project SOMEONE’s on the paths to radicalization taken by jihadis

in Canada, France and Belgium. ‘Open your eyes’ to far-right threat, Quebec City mayor says Ducol says that, while his centre has dealt with people arrested at the airport on their way to Syria, it hasn’t been involved with returnees and, as far as he knows, no-one else is either. Research suggests extremists have lower rates of recidivism than common criminals, if counselled effectively, he says, but reaching the most dangerous ones remains an issue. “All the interventions that we do are on a voluntary basis,” he told CBC News. “If they don’t want to engage with us, we have no means to constrain them to have any contact with us.” How many are here?

Complicating the problem is an ongoing disagreement over how many jihadi returnees are in Canada. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale told the House this week that “the number of returnees is in the order of 60.” Others question why that number has remained the same for 18 months, rather than increasing as ISIS sinks and its foreign recruits jump ship. There are two things most experts can agree on however: There are too many people involved in jihadi ideology for all of them to be surveilled round the clock; and the government has been unable to piece together evidence for prosecutions in more than a fraction of cases

LOCAL

Saturday, November 25, 2017

RCMP take ‘disturbed’ man into custody after dramatic incident on Scott Road A police negotiator was called to a home in the 6900 block of Scott Road on Tuesday afternoon in Surrey to get what police described as a “disturbed man” to stand down. P o l i c e Emergency Response Team police responded to report involving a“disturbed” man suspected he had Health Act, bringing a safe end to a two-hour a gun, which resulted in a heavy police presence in the ordeal that began at 1:15 p.m. and saw Delta area during the start of afternoon rush hour Police, Surrey Mounties and a heavily armed traffic. No weapon was seized, though, and no Emergency Response Team respond. Police one else was in the home. Surrey RCMP say had cleared the scene by 3:45 p.m. he was taken into custody under the Mental

Shoppers should think twice before clicking an invoice like this during the holiday season Keep a close eye on your inbox if you plan to shop this holiday season: the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning the public about fake email invoices. “It’s off the charts,” said the BBB’s Evan Kelly. What’s worse, the scams are becoming more sophisticated. Amazon, for example, has warned customers about fake emails from fraudsters trying to collect personal information; the online retail giant is asking customers not to open any suspicious attachments or links. The scam usually begins with a fake invoice sent via email using an official logo from a trusted company. You may be asked to confirm your address or other personal

information relating to your account. Other fake invoices might say your order or delivery is stuck in transit, urging the recipient to click on a link and input their personal information.

Scams and fake emailed invoices surge during the holidays’ season

Saturday, November 25, 2017

Kamloops man convicted of trafficking in bear parts, handed stiff fine An undercover sting by the B.C.’s conser vation service has ended with a conviction and fine for a man charged with trafficking in bear parts. C a c h e Creek resident Hong Hui Xie appeared in provincial court in Kamloops on Monday and was fined a total of $18,000 for purchasing bear paws and gall bladders. Court documents show the undercover operation targeting the 48-year-old man began in October 2015 and resulted in nine charges. Three of the counts were later stayed. Det. Sgt. Darcy MacPhee with the conservation officer service says poaching for

animal parts is a global problem but abundant wildlife in B.C. makes the province especially vulnerable. He says if the trafficking continues it could harm the provincial bear population. “These (poachers) are harvesting wildlife specifically for commercial use for their parts. It’s a for-profit venture,” he says.

Finance Minister instructs securities commission to improve collection of fines, and soon The provincial government has ordered the B.C. Securities Commission to improve its poor record of collecting the fines it has imposed — more than half a billion dollars unpaid by fraudsters in the past decade. “I am certainly not happy,” Finance Minister Carole James said Wednesday at the B.C. Legislature. James said she told the commission to look at tools and options to improve collection and get back to her “soon”. She said the province is also looking at ways it could help improve collection. The directives were revealed in her first public comments after a Postmedia investigation reported last Saturday that more than 80 fraudsters who have harmed thousands of investors — in B.C., other parts of Canada,

the United States and as far away as Switzerland — have escaped paying the largest penalties issued by the commission. Those include fines meant to punish and provide deterrence and orders to pay back proceeds of fraudulent activities, that are issued by commission panels following judicial hearings. From fiscal 2007-08 to 2016-17, the B.C. Securities Commission collected less than two per cent of the $510 million in fines it had issued, the investigation found. James had issued a written statement on Monday denouncing the dismal collection record and “encouraging” proposals from the commission, but her comments Wednesday were stronger and unequivocal.

One person injured in police shooting in Mission A 33-year-old man was injured Wednesday in what is believed to be police-involved shooting in Mission. According to a statement attributed to Cpl. Frank Jang of the B.C. RCMP, police received a call early Wednesday morning about a man who allegedly stole a knife and some merchandise from a grocery store in the 32000-block Lougheed Highway. The man was seen heading toward a CP Railway track behind the store where it is believed, said Jang, that

a CP Police officer confronted the man and shots were fired before the suspect fled. The man was arrested nearby by Mission RCMP and transported to hospital with what are believed to be non-life threatening injuries, said police. No one else was injured in the incident. The Integrated Homicide Investigative Team, an independent unit, has taken over the investigation due to the unusual circumstance.

LOCAL

Saturday, November 25, 2017 Waves of Haitians crossed into Canada from the United States this summer, prompted by a decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to terminate temporary protected status that has allowed 60,000 Haitians to live and work in the U.S. Most of them crossed into Canada at Lacolle, Que. The Homeland Security Department said conditions in Haiti have improved significantly after the 2010 earthquake, so they have until July 2019 to apply for citizenship or face deportation. Canada’s own program granting Haitian nationals temporary refuge — which suspended removals after the earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people — expired on Aug. 4, 2016. That meant the 3,200 Haitians who were in Canada without status had to apply for residency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds in order to stay or they would be subject to removal.

Nearly half of illegal border-crossers into Canada are from Haiti There were 14,467 refugee claims made by people who crossed into Canada outside legal border points in a nine-month period this year, and nearly half of them were from Haiti. Data released by the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) on Wednesday shows that 6,304 citizens of Haiti claimed refugee status after crossing illegally into Canada between February and October, about 44 per cent of the total number. Only 298 have had their claims finalized so far, and just 29 of them, or 10 per cent, have been accepted. Another 139 claims from Haitians were rejected, 68 were abandoned and 62 were withdrawn or terminated, according to the data. The fact that the number of successful Haitian claims is “very low” should serve as a cautionary tale for those still contemplating crossing into Canada illegally from the U.S. to seek asylum, said Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen. “Coming to Canada first of all has to be done through regular channels, and secondly the asylum system is only for people who are in genuine need of protection,” Hussen said. “It’s not for everyone.” Haiti was the top country of origin for

irregular border-crossers in the nine-month period, followed by Nigeria, from which 1,911 people crossed into Canada. So far, 79 Nigerians have had their protection claims accepted, 74 were turned down and another 18 either abandoned or withdrew their claim. Other countries of origin, and the number of people who crossed the border, were: Turkey.............................................. 631 Syria..................................................539 Eritrea............................................... 456 Yemen............................................... 412 U.S.................................................... 366 Sudan............................................... 307 Dijibouti......................................... 296 Pakistan............................................233 Of the total 14,467 referrals to the IRB, 1,572

cases have been finalized and 941 have been accepted. It can take several months for a case to be finalized, and failed claimants can appeal the decision. Data for February and March is considered partial, as it preceded a new tracking system for irregular border-crossers.

Delta cannabis producer secures $40m supply agreement with New Brunswick A BC.-based, licensed producer of cannabis Atholville, N.B. The company has reached a deal with the New is also working to Brunswick government to grow secure a licence for a 4,000 kilograms of marijuana 380,000 sq. ft. facility annually for recreational users in in Nova Scotia. This that province. would make it “the Zenabis, a Delta only coast-to-coast pharmaceutical-grade cannabis licensed producer firm with a 30,000 sq. ft. growing in the country,” and processing plant on Annacis according to a media Island and two more facilities release. Locally, on the East Coast, signed a it will bring about memorandum of understanding New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant with the province to provide (right) with René Arseneault, Liberal MP for 60 new jobs to the Island cannabis and derivative products Madawaska-Restigouche, announcing the loan Annacis agreement with Zenabis. facility, according with a retail value of about $40 to Delta councillor million and up to $50 million a Sylvia Bishop, who in an e-mail congratulated year. New Brunswick officials say the Zenabis Zenabis on the “significant contract” it had deal and earlier agreements with Organigram secured. Last year, the New Brunswick government and Canopy Growth Corp. make it the first province to secure a supply for all of its cannabis announced it would lend $4 million to Zenabis consumers. The federal government intends for the construction of its Atholville facility. to legalize marijuana possession for personal Shortly after, the Listuguj First Nation invested use next July. The contract will eventually $3 million in the facility. Zenabis business manager Mai Nazair said create 450 new jobs at a 393,000 sq. ft. plant in the supply agreement with New Brunswick is a “huge” deal for the firm. She believes the province is leading the way in legalization planning, and anticipates other governments will seek sch arrangements with licensed producers so they’ll have enough cannabis on hand by July. “Definitely, there is a shortage of supply to meet the demand once the recreational market becomes legal,” Nazair said. “However, the New Brunswick government was very proactive in making sure that they are able to meet that demand.” Derek Ogden, president of the publicly traded National Access Cannabis and former director general of drugs and organized crime with the RCMP, is also certain demand will outstrip supply. He predicts a scramble by provincial governments in the next seven months to enter supply agreements, and for licensed producers to build and expand facilities, meet Health Canada regulations, and cultivate healthy crops. By June this year, about 200,000 patients had been registered to receive medical cannabis, consuming about 50,000 kilograms of dried cannabis and oils annually, according to Health Canada data. Recent estimates predict that between 655,000 and 795,00 kilograms will be required to supply the recreational market, but Ogden said production capacity is expected to reach only 100,000 kilograms by the end of 2017. “That’s if everything goes really well,” he said. “There’s no doubt that as soon as they open up adult recreational, the supplies will be drawn in an instant.”

LOCAL

Saturday, November 25, 2017

First responders grieve Abbotsford police officer killed on duty An Abbotsford police officer shot to death us.” Constable Davidson grew up in Scotland, two weeks ago was remembered on Sunday as joined the Royal Air Force for a brief stint and a loving family man and a driven competitor attended teacher’s college before getting his start whose biting sense of humour won over in policing in Northumbria in northeastern superiors and even those he found on the wrong Britain in 1993. side of the law. His three siblings, who flew in for the service, Constable John Davidson’s 24-year policing said they had planned on sharing many funny career in Britain and Abbotsford, B.C., east of stories about their brother, who was always Vancouver, came to an abrupt end when the driven to be the first at everything, but they were traffic officer responded to a too devastated by the death of an report of a stolen car Nov. 6 athletic 53-year-old man who told that ended in a deadly daylight everyone he planned on living to shootout. 100. “Underneath it all, you were Family members and coan incredibly sensitive man and the workers at the Abbotsford thought that you had to leave your Police Department were joined family under these circumstances at the local hockey arena would have broken your heart,” his Sunday afternoon by around sister, Isabelle, told the teary-eyed 8,000 fellow police officers and crowd. first responders from across The chief of Constable Davidson’s Constable British Columbia and parts former department in Britain also John Davidson further afield to both grieve and attended the service. celebrate a life they say was cut Abbotsford Police Chief Bob short decades too soon. Rich told the crowd that the support they Before the ceremony, thousands of those showed on Sunday mirrored the help his officers marched with a police pipe band, department received from neighbouring forces motorcycles and a riderless horse along the the day Constable Davidson was killed. procession route with the hearse carrying “When that shot rang out, blackness fell on a Constable Davidson’s remains. sunny day in Abbotsford,” he said. “I think we His eldest daughter, Dina Davidson, told the have [now] overwhelmed the darkness that this crowd that she was surprised by all the stories single man has brought upon our city.” of his heroism and kindness on and off duty Oscar Arfmann, a 65-year-old Albertan with because her father was too modest to ever an expired gun licence and a history of mental mention any of his accomplishments around his illness, has been charged with first-degree wife or three children. murder in the incident. “Our dad would be incredibly annoyed to see Karen Frost, a retired RCMP constable who how upset we all are blubbering over him,” said served two decades across Western Canada and Ms. Davidson, who, along with the rest of her in Kosovo, said seeing Constable Davidson’s family, wore the Davidson clan’s Scottish tartan. road bike trailing the hearse is when she became “He’d probably cry for a second, then tell us to overcome with emotion. That beloved item get on with it in a not-so-subtle way.” reminded her of the first funeral for a fellow His youngest daughter, Fay Davidson, said: officer she attended in northern Alberta 30 years “It’s agonizing to picture a future without his ago – where a dog-handler’s body was followed guidance and support, but we will always be able by the canine co-worker he left behind. to imagine his harsh Scottish accent cheering

Over 150 charges laid against prolific property crime pair A pair of prolific property crime offenders have been arrested by Surrey RCMP and charged with over 150 criminal charges in relation to a series of break and enters, thefts, and frauds. Between August 15th and October 11th, Surrey RCMP’s Property Crime Target Team (PCTT) began an investigation into several apartment complex break and enters where the suspects were targeting communal mailboxes and underground parking garages. Two suspects were identified through video surveillance footage and, on October 24th, Surrey RCMP arrested them at a hotel room in the Surrey area. Search warrants were executed at two locations and a number of stolen IDs, banking documents, and credit card data were located. Currently charged with a total of 157 property crime related offences is Selena GOTH, 43 years old from Surrey, and Calvin CRANMORE, 36 years old from Surrey. The charges include Break and Enter, Fraud, Possession of Stolen Property, Possession of ID and Credit Card Data, Theft, and Personation. The two remain in custody pending a bail hearing set for this week. “Surrey RCMP is committed to reducing property crime and targeting those individuals who commit a large percentage of crimes in our communities,” says Inspector Shawna Baher, Proactive Enforcement Officer. “Our Priority Target Offender program identifies offenders who are active in our community and, through

targeted analysis and enforcement, we are able to apprehend those individuals and bring them before the courts.”

Premier Horgan warns against overtaxing burgeoning cannabis industry B.C.’s Premier is warning cities they can’t gouge cannabis businesses with licensing fees if the province wants to squeeze out the sizable black market once the drug becomes legal next summer. John Horgan said Wednesday that all levels of government must be careful not to

tax the drug too heavily if the legal supply is to compete with prices in the underground market. For municipalities, that means not “piling tax upon tax” by charging high fees for legal cannabis firms to operate in their communities, he told reporters during his weekly news conference.

LOCAL

Saturday, November 25, 2017

Security guard stabbed while confronting a shoplifter at Walmart A security guard at a Delta Walmart was stabbed by a suspected shoplifter when the guard tried to confront the person Saturday. The incident happened at around 12:25 p.m. at the Walmart at 72nd Avenue and Scott Road (120th Street). “The individual had been approached by a loss prevention officer initially and they were trying to attempt an arrest for shoplifting and the suspect then stabbed the loss prevention officer and fled on foot,” Sharlene Brooks, media relations officer

for the Delta Police, told media. Police were on scene after a security guard was stabbed while confronting a suspected shoplifter at a Walmart in Delta, B.C. on Nov. 18, 2017. The suspect fled the scene, but police apprehended him after containing the area and deploying a canine unit. Brooks said the suspect is a man in his 20s with no fixed address. The security guard was taken to hospital with serious injuries, but he is expected to survive.

A man who used to work as a loss prevention officer at Safeway says apprehending a suspect is always inherently risky. “The part that I always dreaded was the apprehension. Because so many things can go wrong,” said Chris Brideaux. “It can go from bad to worse in, like, a second.” He said security guards often don’t have much protection on the job or means of detaining a suspect. The Walmart where the stabbing in Delta took place was quite

busy with holiday shoppers at that time, but Brooks said no one else was hurt.

2 charged with manslaughter in homicide at Burnaby Starbucks Two people have been charged in the Burnaby homicide of 22-year-old Michael Page-Vincelli this past summer. Lawrence Alvin Sharpe, 40, and his girlfriend Oldouz Pournouruz, 35, are each facing one count of manslaughter. According to witnesses, a woman tossed a cigarette butt out her car window on July 12 while near the Starbucks in the 6500 block of Hastings Street. Page-Vincelli picked it up and threw it back at her.

According to a witness, the fight started when a woman tossed a cigarette butt out of the window of her car and Page-Vincelli Michael Page-Vincelli threw it back at her. The woman went into a nearby bank and came out with a man and the pair followed Page-Vincelli into the According to witnesses inside the coffee

The Starbucks at Kensington Square in the 6500 block of East Hastings St. in Burnaby.

shop, Page-Vincelli was punched and fell, hitting his head on the counter. He was taken to hospital but died three days later from his injuries. Sharpe and Pournouruz were arrested in Burnaby without incident on Saturday according to the Integrated Homicide Investigation team. They are appearing in BC Provincial Court in Vancouver. “While this investigation in now before the courts, I can confirm that it was not a random act,” said Cpl. Frank Jang of IHIT.

Queen of Nanaimo becomes third BC Ferries ship given new life in Fiji B.C. Ferries’ recently retired Queen of Nanaimo is on an epic trans-Pacific journey

to her new posting in Fiji as the third of the ferry corporation’s vessels to find service

with a company owned by a former senior employee. The corporation confirmed that it sold the aging Queen of Nanaimo to Goundar Shipping Ltd. of Fiji, a firm founded in 2011 by former longtime B.C. Ferries senior engineer George Goundar, earlier this year after a “transparent and wide-re aching bid process,” said B.C. Ferries vice-president Mark Wilson. Wilson, who is in charge of strategic planning, wouldn’t disclose a final price on the 53-year-old vessel for competitive reasons, but Goundar, in Fijian news coverage, has characterized the acquisition as a $2.5-million US investment for the

company. “Under commercial terms, we don’t release (prices) because I’m going to have more ships on the market and I want to maintain c o n f i d e n t i a l i t y,” Wilson said. However, he said the sale involved an extensive request for expressions of interest, which was widely advertised on the West Coast, through an international ship broker and other websites that advertise government liquidation sales. “For the most part, vessels, when they come due for retirement, their value isn’t significant in the scheme of things,” Wilson said. The Queen of Nanaimo had a value of zero on the corporation’s books, he said, having been fully depreciated as an asset. Capable of carrying 164 cars and 1,005 passengers and crew, the Queen of Nanaimo served the Tsawwassen and Southern Gulf Islands route for three decades, but suffered maintenance problems with a propeller that kept it out of service and prompted an earlier-thanexpected retirement of the vessel. Wilson wouldn’t comment on whether the new owner will have the same maintenance issues, but Goundar, in the Fiji Sun, said the ship’s regular service, expected to start Dec. 11, should deliver an economic boost to the island country’s northern and eastern regions. The ship is expected to pass Hawaii by Friday before arriving in Fiji on Nov. 27, according to the Fiji Sun. BC Ferries has spent about $6 million on the Queen of Nanaimo over two maintenance refits, one in 2010 and another in 2015, Wilson said, but those were necessary repairs to maintain its classification under Transport Canada regulations. The ship, he said, hasn’t had any significant capital upgrades in the last 10 years.

Saturday, November 25, 2017

DREAM CARPET

LOCAL

Saturday, November 25, 2017

Missing dog walker found alive after two days lost in Coquitlam back country In treacherous conditions, deep in the wilderness and far from well-trodden trails off Burke Mountain, a soft mutter and chorus of barking dogs let search teams know they’d succeeded in a remarkable task. Around 11:15am on Wednesday, two days after Annette Poitras had gone missing with three dogs she’d been walking, a search-andrescue team radioed colleagues to say their sound sweeps had worked and they’d made voice contact with the 56-year-old mother. The canine trio — a border collie named Chloe, a Puggle named Bubba and a boxer named Roxy – appeared to be in good spirits. “I know from the field guys, when they radioed in, they had faint voice contact with her but the dogs were going crazy,” said incident

commander Al Hurley of Coquitlam Search and Rescue. Poitras was found in a marshy basin in the Coquitlam Watershed area off Burke Mountain, north of where she’d been reported missing Monday afternoon. She was conscious and speaking, but had suffered minor injuries following a slip that prevented her from hiking to safety on her own. Her rescuers changed her into some dry clothes and administered first aid. Around noon, a few dozen search-andrescue team members, well-wishers and media gathered on a putting green at Westwood Plateau Golf and Country Club in Coquitlam to watch as teams prepared for a longline rescue to extract her. Heavy rain and wind arrived

just as their helicopter took off but, 20 minutes later and on schedule, Poitras and her rescuers returned, dangling from the cable below. Poitras’ husband, Marcel, had came to watch the harrowing operation with his brothers, Gerry and Andre. He was thrilled at the outcome. Marcel Poitras thanked search and rescue teams for their work, and the public for its prayer and support. He said he never lost faith that his wife Missing dog walker Annette Poitras found ‘alive would be found alive. ““She’s a tough after a massive search cookie,” he said. “I knew. There was was taken to hospital and is expected to make no question in my mind.” Following four longline rescues, Poitras and all three dogs a full recovery. On Tuesday, rescue teams from were safely returned to their loved ones. Poitras the North Shore, Ridge Meadows and Sunshine Coast among other areas had covered about 1015 square kilometres of forest. Their exhaustive efforts in severe weather conditions turned up no trace of Poitras by the afternoon, 24 hours after she vanished. By that time every known and newlydiscovered trail in the area had been searched, spotters had scanned the area from the sky and a thermal imaging camera on the Air One police helicopter had failed to detect heat sources from Poitras or the three dogs. As the sky darkened into the late afternoon, rescuers scaled back the search overnight due to the severe weather and treacherous terrain. Wednesday, Hurley told media that Poitras’ friends and fellow dog walkers had described to searchers the areas she frequented. Mounties ran a trace of her cellphone and found that on Monday it had connected to a cell tower on Burke Mountain, which lead to teams focusing their efforts around the basin. Coquitlam RCMP spokesman Cpl. Michael McLaughlin was thrilled to deliver the good news Wednesday. “We’re really, really happy when we can go to the family and bring news like this,” he said. McLaughlin said Poitras had hiked “well beyond” the trail system people normally use. Rough conditions meant only expert searchers were advised to participate. A Pineapple Express sweeping through B.C. brought a flash of warmer weather, melting snow at 400 metres and contributing to “raging” creeks that could have hampered search and rescue efforts. Hurley said that over the course of three days, about 300 search-and-rescue team members had come from as far as Kamloops to help. Roughly 100 were involved in Wednesday’s operation. He declined to speculate how Poitras managed to survived two nights in the basin. “All I can say is that when people get cold, they tend to hunker down under a log or something,” he said. “She had three warm dogs with her, so that could have assisted.” Hurley and McLaughlin stressed the importance of being adequately prepared when heading into the wilderness and of bringing the “Ten Essentials” listed on Coquitlam SAR’s website. Janet Kilberg, whose lively boxer Roxy was one of the three dogs brought home, said she was grateful for the crews who travelled from across the province to assist in rescuing her dog and her good friend. “I wish her well, and I hope that she can get out walking really soon because all the dogs love her,” she said. Bubba is reunited with owner Tina Presley after dog walker Annette Poitras was located by SAR volunteers and police on late Wednesday morning. Search and rescue volunteers and police were at the scene as dog walker Annette Poitras found, who was lost with several dogs on the Westwood Plateau area of Coquitlam. Dog walker Annette Poitras, who was lost with several dogs on the Westwood Plateau area of Coquitlam for several days, was located. SAR volunteers and police on late Wednesday morning,

Saturday, November 25, 2017

$16.7 million Lotto 6/49 ticket sold in Kelowna Someone in the Okanagan is $16.7 million richer today. The single winning ticket in Wednesday’s Lotto 6/49 draw for the $16.7 million jackpot was sold to somebody in Kelowna. The winning numbers are: 26 – 28 – 31 – 36 – 38 – 45 – bonus 18. All lottery prize winners have 52 weeks from the draw date printed on their ticket to come forward to

claim their prize. The British Columbia Lottery Corporations says the specific retail location where the winning lottery ticket was purchased, along with the winner’s name, will be announced after the prized is claimed.

BC judge orders homebuyer who balked at foreign buyer tax to give up $180,000 deposit A judge has found that a woman who had agreed to purchase a home in North Vancouver but failed to complete the sale after the foreign buyer tax went into effect had breached her contract. B.C. Supreme Court Justice Lisa Warren also ordered Kyeonga Jeong, who is from Korea but has been living in Canada for a number of years, to give up her $180,000 deposit on the home at 515 Alpine Court. In June 2016, Jeong entered into a $2.6-million sales contract with Sandra Wilkie, the owner of the home, and paid the deposit, which was held in trust by her real estate agent. The completion date of the sale was set for October 2016. But about two months after the sale, in August 2016, the then-Liberal government imposed the 15-per-cent tax on foreign nationals purchasing property in Metro Vancouver in a bid to cool skyrocketing home prices. The tax applied to purchases completing on or after the date the tax went into effect, even if the underlying contract was entered into prior to August. The tax increased the property transfer tax payable by Jeong by nearly $400,000, representing a 15-per-cent increase in the total cost of completing the transaction. Neither Jeong nor Wilkie were aware that the tax was about to be imposed at the time of the sale. Jeong did not complete the sale in October. Jeong, who lives at another residence in North Vancouver, claimed that it was impossible for her to complete the sale because she didn’t have the resources. She also claimed at one point that the tax was a “targeted discriminatory” tax. Wilkie filed a lawsuit claiming that Jeong had breached the contract by failing to complete the sale. She sought a declaration

that the contract was binding and an order that Jeong direct her agent to pay the deposit to Wilkie. Jeong, in turn, claimed that the new tax was unforeseen and had frustrated the contract and that she should be entitled to keep her deposit. In her ruling, the judge said that the tax made performance of the contract by Jeong more onerous than she expected, but noted that it was well-established that increased expense or hardship alone does not frustrate a contract. The new tax was not the fault of either party, but it did not destroy the basis for the contract, said the judge. “It did not radically change the nature of the parties’ contractual obligations and performance of the contract would not result in something different from that which was undertaken by the parties,” said Warren. “To the contrary, the fundamental purpose of the contract, namely the transfer of title of the property in exchange for the purchase price, was entirely unaffected. … For these reasons, the contract was not frustrated.” Regarding the issue of the deposit, the judge said that there was nothing to suggest that Wilkie’s conduct was anything but entirely proper and nothing to suggest that Jeong had suffered under any disability or disadvantage. “There was no inequality of bargaining power between the parties that resulted in an unfair bargain,” said the judge. “The amount of the deposit was reasonable and well within the normal range for residential real estate sales.” The judge declared that Jeong had breached the contract and ordered her to direct her agent to pay the $180,000 deposit to Wilkie.

Bruce Ralston met with three KPU (Kwantlen Polytechnic University) students who are doing a policy paper on issues affecting small businesses. The paper focuses on housing and various issues that impact small business in BC. The meeting was held at the KPU campus in Surrey on November 17.

Man in hospital following morning shooting in Surrey Halton police say they have charged a teacher for allegedly sexually assaulting female students at a Milton scTeaching at the University of Toronto this year. Those with information on the alleged assaults are asked to contact Halton police’s Child Abuse

and Sexual Assault Unit at 905-825-4747 ext. 8976 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.crimestoppers.ca or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).

Langley teen arrested after school lockdown Police in Langley have arrested a youth believed to be the “suspicious male” connected with a lockdown at a Langley school Wednesday. Langley RCMP Corp. Holly Largy says the 17-year-old Langley teen has been released from custody on a number of conditions. Brookswood Secondary School was locked down Wednesday afternoon. The incident began in the morning following

a confrontation between a Brookswood student and the suspect involving pepper spray. Police believe the suspect returned to the school grounds later in the day and may have been in possession of a firearm. The firearm has not been recovered and investigators say there are multiple witnesses still to be interviewed. Largy says the possibility the firearm was a replica is under investigation.

NATIONAL

Saturday, November 25, 2017

Australian publisher drops book on Chinese influence; author warns Canada is also at risk Alarmed by creeping Chinese influence on Australian political life, Clive Hamilton set out to investigate. Businesses and people connected to China had already become the biggest foreign financial contributors to the country’s political parties. But “it seemed to me there was much more going on” said Prof. Hamilton, a scholar at Charles Sturt University. He found much to write about – only to become, himself, the subject of China’s efforts to promote its agenda around the world, after fears of retaliation by Beijing caused his publisher to back away from a book containing his findings.

Now, he is warning about the risks of China’s rising power – including in Canada, which has become an important target for a Beijing-led campaign that relies on shadowy governmentfunded agencies to spread influence among Chinese people living overseas. Such “united front” work has been called a “magic weapon” by President Xi Jinping, who echoed a formulation that dates all the way back to Mao Zedong. But Mr. Xi has overseen an effort to enhance China’s international standing unparalleled in recent history, either in China or among countries such as Russia or Turkey,

Ontario has passed sweeping labour reform legislation, which includes increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Currently at $11.60 an hour, the minimum wage will rise under the legislation to $14 an hour on Jan. 1, 2018,

whose foreign-influence campaigns Beijing has eclipsed in scale and ambition. China has cast its united front efforts both as a necessary corrective to negative images of the country and a bid to invite participation in its domestic development by the worldwide community of ethnic Chinese. “We have expanded to the maximum extent the boundaries of unity and called on Chinese people from every corner of the world to secure the core interests of our country, and to contribute to our reform and development,” Zhang Yijiong, administrative vice-minister of the United Front Work

Ontario passes $15 minimum wage with the increase to $15 coming in 2019. PCs would slow $15 minimum wage hike til 2022, if elected Not so long ago, Wynne Liberals were against $15 minimum wage The plan has proved largely popular in government polling and with labour advocates, though it is controversial with businesses, who say the increase is too fast and will lead to job losses. The government and some economists argue that the hike will have some positive impact on the economy, as minimum wage earners get more spending power. How a $15 minimum wage would affect Ontario Liberals offer small business tax cut, but go full-speed ahead on minimum wage The Liberal government recently

Department of the Communist Party Central Committee, said in a rare public appearance in late October. Critics, however, accuse Beijing of threatening the sovereignty of foreign political systems. It was that risk Prof. Hamilton sought to document. He tracked the rivers of money flowing into the Australian education system that “have made the universities beholden to China and extremely reluctant to do anything that might upset Beijing.” He dug into work by Chinese emissaries “to turn the Chinese diaspora in Australia into a highly effective weapon for Beijing’s diplomacy.

announced the provincial corporate tax rate for small businesses will be cut from 4.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent to help support businesses

through the minimum wage transition, though Premier Kathleen Wynne said it was never intended to fully offset the impact. The legislation also mandates equal pay for part-time workers, increases vacation entitlements and expands personal emergency leave.

Saturday, Novemver 25, 2017

CRA blocks more than half of calls to meet service targets, regularly provides wrong information to taxpayers: Auditor General The Canada Revenue Agency blocked more than half of the calls it received from Canadian taxpayers in order to obscure the performance results of its customer services division, and also accidentally provided incorrect information to a high number of callers, according to the auditor general. CRA call centres blocked 54 per cent of the 53.5 million calls it received from taxpayers between March 2016 and March 2017, according to a report released by the Auditor General of Canada Tuesday. The agency’s call centres are responsible for taking questions from Canadian taxpayers and businesses about their taxes, credits and benefits. “The Agency blocked calls so that it could meet its service standard for agent wait times,” the report said, noting that its mandates is to answer calls within two minutes or less 75 to 80 per cent of the time. “By blocking and redirecting calls, the Agency was able to report that it had met its targets for telephone lines,” the report said. “However, when blocked calls are factored in, the Agency’s overall success rate was 36 per cent.” The study comes after a Financial Post report in October found widespread delays in taxpayer-requested income tax reassessments and other forms, largely due to Ottawa’s ongoing consolidation of the agency into fewer offices. Opposition parties in recent months have latched onto some of the issues surrounding the CRA, including claims that some people have had more difficulty accessing the disability tax credit. ‘The delays are tremendous’: Widespread backlogs hamper CRA streamlining, frustrate taxpayers What you need to know about coming clean with the taxman Over the 12 months ended March 2017, CRA agents responded to just 32 per cent of calls. Another 14 per cent of calls were answered by an automated self-service option. Blocked callers, which made up the remaining 54 per cent of calls, received either a busy signal or an automated message asking them to visit the website or call back later. People typically attempted to call the CRA

three or four times per week, according to the report. “Even after several attempts, some callers did not always reach an agent or the automated self-service system,” the report said. The auditor general also made 255 calls to the CRA between February and April of 2017 to determine the accuracy of information provided by agents. Even when an agency could be reached, they responded with incorrect information almost 30 per cent of the time — “significantly higher than the Canada Revenue Agency’s own test results.” To some specific questions, incorrect information was provided well over 50 per cent of the time. To the question, “When will the interest begin to be charged on my 2015 initial assessment?” CRA agents responded incorrectly to 84 per cent of questions. A question about how long taxpayers are expected to keep receipts for their rental properties, agents responded with incorrect information 66 per cent of the time. The backlogs come despite the agency increasing its average number of call centre agents by 23 per cent in recent years, from 2,022 in the fiscal year 2012-13 to 2,482 in fiscal year 2016-17. Over that period, the volume calls into CRA centres increased 27 per cent, according to the report. But individual CRA call centre agents were rarely to blame for the delays, the auditor general report said, as they were not provided with the information needed to answer questions with accuracy. It also found that “call centre technology does not allow it to automatically route incoming calls to the next available agent across its national network, nor is it capable of providing callers with the estimated wait time to be served by an agent.” The CRA is updating its telephone system to provide more accurate wait time estimates to callers, expected to be installed in early 2018. Some tax professionals say intensified efforts in the CRA’s auditing division has led to a higher level of income tax reassessments and objections, which has in turn increased the volume of calls into call centres.

NATO head says Canadian troops in Latvia smeared by Russia-backed online propaganda The head of NATO is urging Canada to be vigilant about the threat of Russian cyberwarfare both on the battlefield and at home. NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said Canadian troops in Latvia are being smeared by Russia-backed online propaganda aimed at undermining the alliance, and it may not be long before Canada sees similar tactics being waged within its borders. Canada has sent hundreds of soldiers to Latvia to lead a NATO battle group as part of an effort to curb Russian aggression in the Baltic states, and Stoltenberg said Russia seems to be pushing back against the alliance with a digital disinformation campaign. Russian-linked social media accounts have been spreading false or misleading stories about Canadian soldiers, according to Stoltenberg, such as posts accusing them of bad behaviour or living “We don’t believe that the way to respond to propaganda is by countering propaganda with propaganda,” Stoltenberg said in an interview on Saturday at the Halifax International Security Forum. “It is by providing facts, because we believe the truth will prevail.” Canadian military officials could not

immediately be reached for comment on the matter. Stoltenberg said Russia’s apparent efforts to foster anti-NATO sentiment in Latvia have been unsuccessful, with polls suggesting that regional support for the alliance remains strong. But in an increasingly interconnected world, Stoltenberg said, countries must defend against foreign attempts to sway public opinion not only abroad but amongst their own citizens. “There is no military operation today without a cyber element,” he said. “We see that cyber is an area where there are constant attacks from states but also non-state actors.” Canada’s electronic spy agency released a report in June looking at threats posed by cyberactivity in Canada and around the world in recent years. The Communications Security Establishment found that cyberthreats to democratic processes are on the rise globally, and Canada will face the risk of cyberattacks during the next federal election in 2019. Russia has been accused of making online attempts to influence elections in the U.S., France and Germany. President Donald Trump has said Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied any meddling.

FINANCE

SOUTH ASIA

Saturday, Novemver 25, 2017

Nepal-India border to be sealed for 72 hours ahead of polls Nepal will shut its border crossings with India from Friday for 72 hours ahead of the first phase of parliamentary and provincial assembly elections on November 26 for security reasons. Nepal is holding provincial and parliamentary elections in two phases on November 26 and December 7. The elections are seen as the final step in Nepal’s transition to a federal democracy following a decade-long civil war till 2006 that claimed more than 16,000 lives. According to officials, the crossing points

with India will be sealed from Friday morning till the evening of Sunday, November 26. India needs to learn from Nepal. There are many Nepalese who vote in our elections !Ghoda Murshatpur Local administration has declared Baitadi as an alcohol- free zone from today till the completion of vote counting, said Chief District Officer at Baitadi Siddharaj Joshi. Baitadi falls into the farthest western regional district of Nepal bordering India.

US military opens new front in Afghan air war As the US military opens a new front in its air war in Afghanistan, targeting the Taliban’s poppy-processing factories and dropping thousands of more bombs, experts are warning of the risk of alienating the local population. The quickening tempo comes after President Donald Trump in August approved broad new powers for General John Nicholson, who commands US and NATO forces in Afghanistan. Numbers reveal a massive uptick in airstrikes already, with the US military on course to triple the number of bombs it has dropped this year. As of October 31, the US had released 3,554 weapons in Afghanistan, compared to 1,337 for all of 2016, when the war was overseen by then President Barack Obama. Trump’s new rules mean America can now proactively bomb the Taliban, where before strikes were restricted to backing up Afghan partners on the ground.

Nicholson on Monday announced a series of strikes on at least 10 labs used to process opium into heroin, dealing a blow to a key source of Taliban funding. Huge B-52 bombers and F-22 Raptor stealth fighters destroyed the facilities in rural Helmand, marking the first time F-22s had been used in Afghanistan. The Air Force has a growing stash of high-tech planes and drones at its disposal as operations against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq wind down. America often boasts that its bomb-dropping technologies are the most precise in history. But Andrea Prasow, deputy Washington Director at Human Rights Watch, said an increase in air strikes would likely lead to more civilian deaths and that, in turn, risks alienating the Afghans. “The Trump administration has been clear it doesn’t want to do

‘Nepal, China working on cross-border rail, dry port’ Nepal and China are working on several key areas including cross-border railway connectivity, highways and construction of a dry port, China’s envoy in Kathmandu Yu Hong said on Saturday. Hong’s statement comes within days of Nepal cancelling a $2.5 billion hydropower project that was to be built by a Chinese state-owned firm. “China has taken the request of the Nepal government for constructing crossborder railway line seriously,” Hong said, adding a team has already begun preliminary feasibility study for the project. Nepal is a sovereign country and it has 2 neighborhood India and Tibet(occupied by China). so it has to keep good relationship with China too. those commenting bad

about this small country should understand this.Ilyana SehegalSimilarly, the expansion of Rasuwagadhi-Syafrubeshi road link, resumption of Araniko Highway and construction of dry ports in Tatopani, Rasuwa and Yaritoo are also on Beijing’s priority list,the Chinese envoy pointed outduring a press meet organised on the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China and Sino-Nepal relations by the Embassy of China in Kathmandu. “Nepal could benefit from China’s prosperity in various sectors including trade, investment and connectivity as Kathmandu has already joined the China-proposed One Belt and One Road (OBOR) initiative,” she said.

UN committee urges Myanmar to give citizenship to Rohingya refugees A key UN committee overwhelmingly approved a resolution on Thursday calling on Myanmar’s authorities to end military operations against Rohingya Muslims, ensure their voluntary return from Bangladesh and grant them “full citizenship rights.” The General Assembly’s human rights committee approved the resolution sponsored by the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation by a vote of 135-10, with 26 abstentions. Those voting “no” included Myanmar’s close neighbor China as well as Russia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Laos. The resolution now goes to the 193-member General Assembly for a final vote in December where its approval is virtually certain. Saudi Arabia’s UN ambassador, Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, speaking on

behalf of the OIC, said “another inhumane scene” of religious hatred is unfolding in Myanmar, forcing nearly 620,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. He said the OIC is deeply concerned at escalating violence against the Rohingya, who have been called “insects” and “roaches” in Myanmar. The resolution said there has been a “disproportionate and sustained use of force” by Myanmar’s security forces against the Rohingya community and others in northern Rakhine State. It said nearly 60 percent of the Muslims who have been forced to flee are children. The resolution expresses “grave concern” at the reports of human rights violations and abuses, particularly in Rakhine, and calls on Myanmar to grant unhindered humanitarian access to aid those in need as well as access for a UN fact-finding mission.

Time to ‘rescind’ Pak’s major non-NATO ally status, says top US expert Top American counter-terrorism and South Asian experts have expressed outrage over the release of 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed, who is also a UNdesignated terrorist, with one of them asking to “rescind” Pakistan’s status as a major nonNATO-ally (MNNA). “Nine years after 26/11, its mastermind still eludes justice. It is time to rescind Pakistan’s status as a major non-NATO ally,” Bruce Riedel, a top US expert on security, South Asia, and counter-

terrorism told PTI. “In a word, the release is an outrage,” Alyssa Ayres, a former State Department official and currently with the Council on Foreign Relations told PTI after Lahore High Court ordered that Saeed be set free. “Before long we will read news reports of Hafiz Saeed leading more rallies with thousands of people,” she said. Saeed is a UN-sanctioned individual terrorist who leads a UN-sanctioned terrorist organisation, Ayres said alleging that Pakistan

does not see fit to follow through on its obligations to uphold UN Security Council (UNSC) terrorist designations. “Pakistan cannot credibly claim to be fighting terrorism while failing its most basic security obligation to UNSC designations,” Ayres said. Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s former Ambassador to the US, attributed this to the mixed messaging coming from the Trump administration in the last few weeks.

US officials were trying to signal to Pakistan that if it takes action against Haqqani network, that could be seen as a positive move and “may thwart” tougher actions against Islamabad, as promised by President Donald Trump in his new South Asia policy, he said. “In the process they (the US) may have inadvertently made the Pakistani think that the US only wants action against the Haqqani network and not against groups like LeT that are acting against India,” he said.

PUNJAB

Saturday, Novemver 25, 2017

Pak Punjab Chief Minister requests Capt Amrinder Singh to work together The Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province Shehbaz Sharif has written to his Indian counterpart Capt Amarinder Singh and invited him to strike a “regional cooperation agreement” to tackle smog and pollution that has affected people on both sides, media reports said on Tuesday. In a letter dated November 19, Shehbaz, 66, the younger brother of ousted PM Nawaz Sharif,

Capt. Amarinder Singh

explained some of the causes of smog, including stubbleburning. “I would like to invite you for entering into a regional cooperation arrangement to tackle the issue of smog as well as environmental pollution. Let us join hands for securing a prosperous future for the people of our two provinces,” Shehbaz said.

1 held for sheltering Hindu leader’s killers Tarn Taran: The district police have arrested Daljit Singh of Guru Nanakpura locality of Amritsar for allegedly harbouring Saraj Singh Pintoo, the prime accused in the killing of Hindu Sangharsh Sena leader Vipin Sharma. Besides Saraj, Shubham Singh and Dharminder Daljit Singh have also been named in the case. All of them are absconding. Daljit is a cousin of Saraj Singh. Darshan Singh Mann, SSP, said Daljit had been arrested by the Khalra police from Bhandal village late last evening. He said a case under Sections 212 and 216 IPC had been registered. The SSP said Daljit Singh’s native village was Kalsian Khurd (Khalra), while he was residing at Guru Nanakpura in Amritsar. He claimed that after killing Vipin, the accused had taken shelter at Daljit’s

Upset over adjournment, woman hurls file at judge A woman allegedly threw file towards a judicial officer at a court in Sunam because she was Irked over the adjournment of their case. She and her father also reportedly misbehaved with the staff. Both were later arrested on a

complaint by the judge. As per the FIR registered at Sunam city police station, Gagandeep Kaur from Mehla village has been contesting a case of matrimonial dispute. On Tuesday, the Judicial Magistrate adjourned her case to December 14 due to lawyers’ strike. As per the complaint, Gagandeep and her father Balwinder Singh first started arguing with copyist Navita. When the judge asked them to maintain court decorum, Balwinder started shouting at the court. The judge then asked them to call their counsel or his proxy, but none appeared due to a strike. Upset over the matter, Gagandeep picked up a court file and allegedly hurled it towards the judge. The judicial officer’s guard intervened and called the police. Bharpur Singh, SHO, said: “We have registered a case against Balwinder Singh and his daughter under Sections 353, 186, 228, 34 IPC and arrested them.”

house in Guru Nanakpura. Later, they also visited his residence at Kalsian Khurd. Saraj owned agricultural land in the village and Daljit used to collect its lease money on his behalf, he added.

Suicide triggers protest by farmers Hundreds of BKU (Ekta Sidhupur) activists blocked the Rampura-Talwandi Sabo road. They were seeking registration of a case against a sub-inspector and another person who allegedly forced a farmer, Bhupinder Singh, to commit suicide a couple of days ago. The kin of the deceased have refused to cremate the body till the “erring policeman” is booked. The body is still in the mortuary of civil hospital, Rampura Phul. In his suicide note, Bhupinder of Mandi Kalan has accused a policeman and another individual of harassing him in connection with a case registered under the NDPS Act. The Bathinda police deployed a large number of policemen near the protest site. Commuters heading to Takht Shri Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo and Maur faced a lot of inconvenience due to the road blockade. Baldev Singh Sandhu, district BKU

president, and other farmer leaders said the protest would continue till the police initiate action against the subinspector. They warned that they would block the Bathinda-Chandigarh highway if action was not taken by tomorrow. Bhupinder Singh had committed suicide on Monday after accusing an SI and another individual of demanding money. The subinspector was the investigating officer in the case in which Bhupinder was arrested under the NDPS Act in March last year.

PUNJAB

Saturday, Novemver 25, 2017

Capt Amrinder unveils startup policy Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today unveiled the draft Punjab Startup and Entrepreneurship Development Policy 2017, underlining the government’s commitment to promote women entrepreneurs. In his inaugural address at the “Road to GES” programme ahead of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017, slated to be held in Hyderabad later this month, the CM said women were more committed and dedicated towards industrial entrepreneurship and his government was doing everything possible to facilitate them. The policy would go a long way in boosting the state’s efforts to promote entrepreneurial culture, especially among

women, he added. The “Road to GES” was organised by NITI Aayog in partnership with FICCI and the ISB. Inviting suggestions and feedback to the draft policy, Amarinder said his government was focused on making the state competitive for industrialists. Blaming the previous government for not doing enough for the technology-driven industry, the CM said his government was committed to getting the state back on the track of progress. He lamented the lack of thrust on industry in Punjab over the years, causing the state to lag behind on important fronts. The CM honoured six entrepreneurs, five of them women.

Anti-Badal front to show its mettle in SGPC polls Ahead of the SGPC’s office-bearers’ election scheduled on November 29, an anti-Badal front has emerged under the leadership of former SGPC general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, which is all set to challenge the influence of the existing body. Citing the SGPC’s failure in curbing sacrilege incidents, propagation of dera culture in recent times, flip-flop over pardon to Sirsa dera head and Nanakshahi calendar row, Bhaur, who will head the Panthic Front, today released a letter to all SGPC members asking them to show unity and speak up against politically influenced decisions to bring to an end “further denigration and deterioration of the Sikh institutions”. “We are responsible for this crisis. The Badals’ influence on the SGPC has resulted in the deterioration of

SGPC and Akal Takht’s authority. Both these bodies have failed to deliver their duties independently,” he said. The Panthic Front claimed to have the support of 22 incumbent SGPC members, seven former members, besides several Sikh organisations. While Bhaur has been appointed as convener of this front, Gurpreet Singh (Fatehgarh Sahib) and Jathedar Jaswant Singh are spokespersons. A sevenmember team was also formed to chalk out the agenda relating to electing new SGPC president and keeping a vigil on the SGPC’s moves. Late SGPC president Gurcharan Singh Tohra’s daughter Kuldeep Kaur is also part of the front. Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said though they have just one vote, they would support the front.

9 jailed for life in advocate’s murder Nine accused in the murder case of local advocate Amarpreet Singh, aka Lucky, were convicted today and awarded life sentence by the court of the District and Sessions Judge here. The accused — Dharminder Singh, Rajat Sharma, Jaswinder Singh Khattu, Sunil Bhanot, Sunvir Singh, his uncle Onkar Singh, Kevin Sushant, Deepak Kaushal and Vishal Sharawat — were awarded life sentence by District and Sessions Judge Archana Puri here today. Lucky (33) was shot dead at 8.10 pm on February 27, 2013, in full public view by the miscreants in front of his residence at Phase 3A over a petty issue of parking in the locality. Lucky, whose heart and lungs were ruptured after receiving two bullets, died on the spot while his cousin

Gaganjot Singh and the latter’s friend, Simarjit Singh, sustained bullet injuries in indiscriminate firing by the miscreants. Lucky was a nephew of Mohali’s current Deputy Mayor Manjit Singh Sethi and Gaganjot Singh is his (Sethi’s) son. Today, the court pronounced life sentence on all nine accused under Sections 302 (murder) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC along with fine of Rs 50,000 each. In case of non-payment of the fine, the term will be extended by four months. All accused have also been convicted under Sections 506 and 148 for which the court has awarded them a jail term for five years and two years, respectively. Dharminder Singh, who had shot the victim, has been convicted under Section 302 while the rest eight accused have been

Owner faces culpable homicide charges in building collapse Two days after the collapse of multistorey owned them. polybag manufacturing factory at Mustak Factory record summoned Ganj chowk which claimed the lives of 13 VK Meena, Divisional Commissioner, persons, the police today arrested factory Patiala, who is heading the probe committee, owner Inderjeet Singh Gola. on Wednesday visited the site and met the Stringent IPC section has also been added injured at hospital. He asked the MC to to the already registered FIR. Earlier, the provide the record of property tax, building police had booked the p l a n , factoru owner under sewerage Section 304 A IPC and water (causing death due to s u p p l y negligence), a bailable documents offence. Now, they have pertaining to converted it to Section the factory. 304 IPC (culpable He has also homicide not amounting sought its to murder), which is a allotment non-bailable offence. and Rescue workers at the scene as a factory building letter Police Commissioner NOCs, if collapse in Ludhiana RN Dhoke said the taken from earlier case was registered on the basis of the PPCB and the Fire Department. Meena preliminary reports, but after the probe team said samples of the collapsed building would found illegalities in the construction of the be sent to forensic lab to know about the multistorey building, a stringent section had cause of the blast and the presence of any been imposed. illegal chemicals. Meanwhile, the rescue operation has Funds for firemen uniforms slowed down due to the presence of heavy Chandigarh: Perturbed at the sight of iron bars and cemented blocks. Three firefighters using wet sacks and scarves firemen are yet to be traced. An official said: on their heads in the rescue operation, “So far only 30 per cent rubble has been Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on cleared. The iron bars and cemented blocks Wednesday ordered immediate release of are being broken manually by the rescue funds for new uniforms. He also asked Local team to allow the JCB machines to clear Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu to assess debris.” Two mobile phones were recovered if the personnel could be covered under fire from the debris today. It is not yet clear who insurance schemes.

INDIA

Saturday, Novemver 25, 2017

First woman pilot, 3 woman officers pass out from Naval Academy Thus they created history in Indian Navy, by becoming the first woman pilot and the first batch of female officers at the

Naval Armament Inspection (NAI) branch, which were considered a male bastion so far. They were inducted in the force on Wednesday, at an impressive passing out

Parliament’s inter session to be held from December 15 MPs may have to attend Parliament on New Year’s day as the schedule planned for the winter session will see proceedings begin on December 15 and continue into the first week of 2018 till January 5. The dates are rather different from the usual winter sessions that end ahead of Christmas. The session is expected to have around 14 sittings and will be one of the shortest in the last 10 years. The winter ses-

sion of 2013 was the shortest at 11 sittings. Parliament will meet a day after polling in Gujarat ends and while the opposition has accused the government of delaying the session in order to escape being questioned on thorny issues like demonetisation and the rollout of the goods and services tax, finance minister Arun Jaitley said normally, elections and Parliament sessions don’t overlap. The schedule will almost certainly upset the vacation plans of several MPs, who had planned a year-end break after the session concluded. There will be four-day break for Christmas that ends on December 26, which is preceded by the weekend (December 23 and 24). But there is only the weekend break on December 30 and 31. As a result, MPs will reassemble in Parliament on January 1. Congress and other opposition parties have been critical of the government for delaying the winter session, triggering a political duel with BJP. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has accused the government of “sabotaging” the session

ceremony in the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, in Kannur, in which as many as 328 cadets of the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and two overseas cadets, one each from Tanzania and Maldives, passed out on successful completion of their courses.

“I know, this is not just an exciting opportunity but a great responsibility also,” said Shubhangi Swaroop, the girl from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, who became the first woman pilot in the Indian Navy. Now, she will undergo the pilot training at Dundigal Air Force Academy in Hyderabad.

Their appointment as officers in Naval Armament Inspection (NAI) branch, which is also for the first time in the history of Indian Navy, is a great recognition for the women in India, said Aastha Segal, Roopa A and Sakthimaya S, who have been inducted in the NAI branch.

Saturday, Novemver 25, 2017

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FIJI

Saturday, Novemver 25, 2017

FSC ‘technically insolvent’, says NFP leader The National Federation Party claims the mammoth losses by the Fiji Sugar Corporation in the past two financial years portrays the corporation as “technically insolvent”. Prof Prasad claimed he had sighted FSC’s annual report for the years 2016 and 2017 and it was evident the State’s plans to steer the corporation to profitability were failing. “FSC’s 2016 annual report for the financial year ended May 31, 2015 shows an operating loss of $53.4 million, compared to $31.7 million loss for the previous financial year,” he said. “The 2017 annual report for the financial year ended May 31, 2016, shows an operating loss of $45 million. “The 2016 report values FSC’s assets at $254 million while its total borrowing stood at about $380 million. The 2017 report reduces the value of FSC’s assets to around $199.5 million while total borrowing increased to over $421 million. “This proves FSC is technically insolvent.” Prof Prasad said in the past two years Parliament approved a $322 million guarantee for an FSC credit facility with ANZ Bank. He said guarantees and loans were necessary because the sugar industry supported the livelihoods of about 200,000 people. “It is an exercise in futility to pump money into an organisation without knowing what happened to the previous

injections of millions of dollars. “Furthermore, nothing has been heard for a year about the supposed investigation of the operations of the FSC and that of the former executive chairman following his resignation last October.” Prof Prasad said the FSC board should be acutely aware of the new requirements of their accountability in accordance with the Companies Act. He said discussions in FSC’s AGM in Lautoka this Thursday would only be about “rhetorical solutions and pie-in-the-sky theories”. He said unless and until Fiji could produce four million tonnes of cane and manufacture 400,000 tonnes of sugar, the industry would not be viable and FSC would remain a burden to the taxpayers of Fiji. “We must, as a matter of priority, provide incentives to growers to produce more cane. And the best way to do this is to provide them a minimum guaranteed price of $100 per tonne of cane.” FSC CEO Graham Clarke said he was not in a position to discuss the corporation’s financial position with the public. “What I can say is the reports will be tabled at the meeting next week to our shareholders and they will be the ones discussing the company’s position,” he said on Saturday.

ATM fraud investigation start Police are investigating the discovery of a skimming device at an ATM in the Western Division. Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro confirmed the find but c ould not comment any further. Last year, the banking industry had indicated it was under concerted attack from fraudsters based in Asia and Eastern Europe. The Association of Banks of Fiji had indicated fraudsters were gaining access to customer bank card details through ATM skimming devices, hand-held skimming devices and through online shopping sites.

Areas where skimming devices could be placed include the light diffuser area, speaker area, the ATM side fascia, card reader entry slot and the ATM keyboard area. ATM skimming is a method used by fraudsters to capture data from the magnetic stripe on the back of an ATM card. Pin capturing is when fraudsters strategically attach imaging devices to ATMs to capture PIN numbers. Once captured the electronic data is put onto a card and the captured PIN is used to withdraw money from accounts.

Rabuka criticizes $35k for COP23 celebrations Former prime minister and Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) leader Sitiveni Rabuka has described the planned celebration by the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs to welcome the COP23 president and delegates as “premature and waste of public funds”. In a press conference on Monday, the permanent secretary for the ministry, Naipote Katonitabua, said about $35,000 was set aside for the celebrations. “The expenditure of $35,000 from the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs is uncalled for and premature given there is much more work to be done by the presidency of COP23 over the next year until the handover to the next presidency at COP24, in November 2018,” Mr Rabuka said in a statement. Mr Rabuka said the COP23 presidency had just begun its 12-month term and a lot of work was yet to be done. “There is

a lot of work to be undertaken, more negotiations and numerous meetings and consultations to be conducted during the president’s one-year term before he hands over the baton to his successor next November.” “The splurge of $35,000 just to welcome back the COP23 delegation is excessive and a slap in the face of poverty. “I call on the cancellation of this extravagant spending and the Government to reshift its focus to taking care of the majority of our people who live under the poverty line,” Ms Tabuya said. She also raised the question as to who would benefit from this celebration. “Please for the sake of humanity, decency and respect, let us be more thoughtful to our people suffering in silence and cancel the party, and focus on the real everyday bread and butter issues that affect our people,” Ms Tabuya said.

Flood-hit families brace for more rain Some families living at Shrinagar in Navua because of the floodgate nearby,” described moved their belongings to neighbours living Hari Prasad, a resident.n People living in three on higher ground yesterday in anticipation of villages in Navua were unable to access the more heavy rain in the next few days. main road after their feeder road was flooded Kiran Wati since Monday. and her husband nbNabukavesi Parmend Chand v i l l a g e r were seen moving Kusitino their furniture from Waqanisanini their corrugated said people iron and timber living at Mau house as flood and Qilai waters seeped villages were through their tiny stranded after home yesterday. the heavy “We won’t take Children play in floodwaters at Nabukavesi Village in Namosi downpour. A any chances,” said Ms Wati. trough of low pressure with associated cloud “Our house is already leaking from the roof and rain remained slow moving over Fiji and the water has reached up to the floor of our yesterday. The Fiji Meteorological Service home.” said a flood warning was in force for low-lying The water level in compounds of three areas and areas adjacent to and downstream of houses in the area reached up to the waists Waimanu River. of residents as they manoeuvred their way to Meanwhile, the Fiji Roads Authority said all higher ground. roads in the Western, Northern and Eastern “Every time it rains, it gets flooded up here divisions were open yesterday.

Radrodro calls for the sacking of the LTA Chairman and the whole LTA board Sodelpa MP Aseri Radrodro (pictured) has called for the sacking of the Land Transport Authority Chairman Vijay Maharaj and the whole LTA board. Radrodro has made the call after LTA fined 13 people for travelling in buses without valid E-ticketing receipts and failure to pay fares. Radrodro says it is not indicated on the card that passengers must keep their bus tickets. He says people are barely used to the new system and are being fined for not having tickets with them. Radrodro says it is leaders like Maharaj who give institutions a bad name and he is calling

on the government to review and change the board of the LTA as soon as possible to avoid further senseless victimization of the general public by illogical and irresponsible policy implementation. LTA Chairman Vijay Maharaj says Radrodro being a former Acting CEO of LTA must appreciate that the Authority is carrying out its regulatory functions. Maharaj says the comments from Radrodro is calling for the LTA Board to deviate from and negate from its defined statutory and regulatory roles. He says if such views of Radrodro were allowed to translate into practice, then he can

confidently say that this is the level the current LTA Board and its members are trying to move away from and avoid the old habits that were common past practice. Maharaj says if the e-ticketing machines are working in buses and passengers can use their e-ticketing cards, then it’s unfair given that some

bus passengers are not complying with the e-ticketing laws. He says the transport sector is making progress in Fiji for the bus industry and the efforts to modernize its services, starting from e-ticketing as a means from cash to cashless system, but its sad that Radrodro being previously involved in the transport industry with LTA in a senior position does not share a similar vision for the betterment of all Fijians.

PAKISTAN

Saturday, Novemver 25, 2017

Embattled finance minister Ishaq Dar granted leave for 3 months by Abbasi gov’t LONDON: Wanted in money laundering Khaqan Abbasi, Ishaq Dar said that he wishes cases and corrouption frauds, Pakistan’s to seek “relief for now from looking after the embattled finance minister Ishaq Dar has three divisions” that he has been heading for been granted medical leave by the gov’t nearly four years. The government issued two notifications after the ailing politician was declared a on Wednesday after PM Abbasi proclaimed absconder by a court approved Dar’s leave application, in notorious Panama money media reported. “The prime laundering case. Ishaq Dar 67, a minister has been pleased to close relative of former disqualified allow leave of absence to Ishaq prime minister Nawaz Sharif had Dar... with immediate effect,” said arrived in London almost a month one of the notifications issued ago and has been seeking ‘medical by the Cabinet Secretariat. The treatment at a Harley Street hospital second communique announced in UK. the decision to withdraw the Ishaq Dar sent a three-page letter portfolios of Finance and to the Prime Minister of Pakistan’s Office on Monday seeking a leave of Finance Minister Economic Affairs Division from Dar. PM Abbasi will look after absence. In it, he narrated his health Ishaq Dar the finance minister’s duties until condition, saying that his surgeon a replacement is found. In his letter, Dar said had asked him to avoid international travel. He said his medical tests in UK showed that he had been running the affairs of the “diffuse coronary heart disease and possible ministry via email, WhatsApp etc since ischemic heart disease”, media reported. In October 27. his letter to the new Prime Minister Shahid

US Senate’s pass to LeT may’ve emboldened Pakistan to release Hafiz Saeed Pakistan’s release of 26/11 massacre immediate and lucrative “Kashmir masla” principal Hafiz Saeed+ , almost on the (issue). Kashmir issue constitutes the Pakistani anniversary of the carnage in Mumbai, follows military’s bread and butter and allows it to put the United States taking the heat off Islamabad its hand in the national treasury and budget insofar as action against the Lashkar-e-Taiba at will. “The new version has confined this requirement to the Haqqani network only, was concerned. In a significant development earlier indicating a desire in Washington this month, the US Congress changed a to focus entirely on Afghanistan as long as it takes to subdue the provision in a defence bill+ that would Taliban insurgency there,’’ the have required Islamabad to take steps Dawn newspaper said after the to “significantly disrupt’’ the activities relatively unnoticed change in the of both LeT and the Haqqani network. It restricted the requirement only to NDAA 2018, which has had huge the Haqqani group. National Defence consequences in the sub-continent, Hafiz Saeed including possibly emboldening Authorisation Act 2018, which would have required the US Secretary of Defence Pakistan to release Saeed. “While the United to certify that Pakistan is acting against both States considers LeT a terrorist organisation, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Haqqani it also realises that the group’s main focus network, was changed at the conference to is Kashmir, not Afghanistan. Linking LeT reconcile the House and Senate versions of to the Haqqani network, however, creates the bill, and LeT was removed. Delinking an impression that the US not only wants LeT from the Haqqani group gave Pakistan Pakistan to help it win the war against the the wiggle room to meet the more urgent Taliban but also wants it to change Islamabad’s American demand of throwing the Haqqani position on Kashmir,’’ Dawn said at that time. group under the bus while protecting its more

Islamic schools in Pakistan plagued by sex abuse of children Kausar Parveen struggles through tears as she remembers the blood-soaked pants of her 9-yearold son, raped by a religious cleric. Each time she begins to speak, she stops, swallows hard, wipes her tears and begins again. The boy had studied for a year at a nearby Islamic school in the town of Kehrore Pakka. In the blistering heat of late April, in the grimy two-room Islamic madrassa, he awoke one night to find his teacher lying beside him.n “I didn’t move. I was afraid,” he says. The cleric lifted the boy’s long tunic-style shirt over his head, and then pulled down his baggy pants. “I was crying. He was hurting me. He shoved my shirt in my mouth,” the boy says, using his scarf to show how

the cleric tried to stifle his cries. He looks over at his mother. “Did he touch you?”’ He nods. “Did he hurt you when he touched you?” “Yes,” he whispers. “Did he rape you?” He buries his face in his scarf and nods yes. Parveen reaches over and grabs her son, pulling him toward her, cradling his head in her lap. “Infested” with sexual abus Sexual abuse is a pervasive and longstanding problem at madrassas in Pakistan, an AP investigation has found, from the sunbaked mud villages deep in its rural areas to the heart of its teeming cities. But in a culture where clerics are powerful and sexual abuse is a taboo subject, it is seldom discussed or even acknowledged in public.

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It is even more seldom prosecuted. Police are often paid off not to pursue justice against clerics, victims’ families say. And cases rarely make it past the courts, because Pakistan’s legal system allows the victim’s family to “forgive” the offender and accept what is often referred to as “blood money.” The AP found hundreds of cases of sexual abuse by clerics reported in the past decade, and officials suspect there are many more within a far-reaching system that teaches at least 2 million children in Pakistan. The investigation was based on police documents and dozens of interviews with victims, relatives, former and current ministers, aid groups and religious officials. The fear of clerics and the

militant religious organizations that sometimes support them came through clearly. One senior official in a ministry tasked with registering these cases says many madrassas are “infested” with sexual abuse. The official asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution; he has been a target of suicide attacks because of his hard position against militant groups. He compares the situation to the abuse of children by priests in the Catholic Church. “There are thousands of incidences of sexual abuse in the madrassas,” he says. “This thing is very common, that this is happening.” Pakistan’s clerics close ranks when the madrassa system is too closely scrutinized, he says.

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NRI

Saturday, Novemver 25, 2017

NRI offers Rs 32L to settle dowry case A US-based NRI, who faces a lookout notice in a dowry harassment case lodged by his wife in Pune, has made a peace offering in the Bombay high court in order to settle the case—Rs 31.6 lakh and returning her personal belongings, including silver utensils, that was left back in her matrimonial home in America. A division bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, extended the interim relief granted to the man-a direction to stay the lookout notices issued to airports across the country and restraining the investigation officer from taking any coercive steps. “Since the parties are exploring possibility of settlement, he is permitted to deposit the said settlement amount in the registry. This amount, however, shall not be withdrawn by the wife until disposal of present petitions as

well as proceedings before the family court for divorce,” said the bench, adding, “It is made clear that, in the event settlement does not go through, the man is at liberty to apply for withdrawal of the said amount. The woman had lodged the FIR against her husband and mother-in-law earlier this year at Dattawadi police station under various provisions of the IPC for offences including dowry harassment (section 498A) and assault (section 323). Her mother-in-law was based in Muscat and husband in the USA. Based on the FIR, lookout notice were issued against the duo by deputy director, Bureau of Immigration. Apprehending arrest if they returned to India, the two approached the HC seeking relief. In court, their lawyer said that the couple were exploring a settlement.

NRI clerk links small UP town to Paradise Papers A 59-year-old NRI clerk working in a money exchange company in Dubai has a modest two-storey house at a nondescript town in Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh, but “has made it” to the list of the 714 Indians mentioned in the Paradise Papers. Javed Ali Khan, a resident of 42, Najju Khan Khair in Rampur, a constituency represented by Samajwadi Party’s Azam Khan, figures in the list along with business magnates, politicians and Bollywood celebrities linked to tax havens. According to the list, Khan had become director and shareholder of a firm, Siam Capital and Investments Ltd, on November 10, 2003. The firm, which has its registered

address at Portellius Trustnet Chambers, PO Box - 3444, Road Town, Tortola British Virgin Islands (BVI), had investments from 18 companies, including Muchiri Catherine Nyambura and Zetland Corporate Services Ltd, based in the Caribbean Islands. The Paradise Papers, however, don’t have any mention of Khan’s remuneration during this tenure as shareholder-director of SIAM. Khan quit the Siam board on August 22, 2006. Khan told TOI over phone from Dubai that his BVI offshore account was opened on the instruction of the then owner of the money exchange. “I have been working in Wall Street Exchange, Dubai, as a clerk since 2000.

HC seeks report on all MBBS seats under NRI quota Madhya Pradesh high court on Tuesday granted seven days’ time to the director of medical education to submit the report regarding the admissions done during the ‘mop-up round’ of MBBS counselling and those under the NRI quota in private and government-run medical colleges of the state. The court’s move came after the officials of the medical education department submitted a reply stating that records of all the students

who were given admissions in the ‘mop-up round’ of the MBBS counselling and those given admission under the NRI quota have been seized. The records are being examined and a report would be submittedbefore thehigh court after examination, the officials informed the court. After this, the high court granted seven days’ time to the officials for submitting their report.

Gov’t of Punjab to pay Rs 5 lakh for false accusations against London NRI The Punjab government will have to pay Rs 5 lakh compensation to an NRI for wrongly identifying him as an accused in the Rs 1,000-crore irrigation scam and forcing him to disembark a flight to the UK. Ludhiana resident Gurdev Singh’s only crime was that one of the accused in the scam has the same name - Gurdev Singh Syan. When the case reached the Punjab and Haryana high court, it directed the chief secretary to tender an unconditional apology to the NRI, along with the demand draft of Rs 5 lakh and the

air fare from Delhi to the UK. The court also directed the government to recover the amount from the vigilance bureau officials responsible for such a goof-up and to take action against them for “damaging the image of Punjab”. “The record clearly shows the cavalier manner in which the government servants have performed their work; namely lack of sincerity, casual attitude and having no regard for the image of the state of Punjab and also for the country,” the judge observed.

Indian jailed for robbing compatriot jeweller in Singapore A 53-year-old Indian in Singapore has been jailed for over three years for robbing a compatriot jeweller of cash and valuables to the tune of US$ 31,910, media reports said. Yelchur Sreenivas, 51, was robbed by Srinath Bari Ramdeo Bari and his two accomplices near Towner Road as he was returning home on May 25 last year. Srinath along with his two accomplices repeatedly hit Sreenivas with a wooden pole and robbed him of cash and valuables worth about 43,000 Singapore dollars

(US$ 31,910), The Straits Times reported. Srinath also pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to report for a urine test (for drug checks) and was given a six month jail term on each charge, the report said. A fourth charge of failing to report for his test was considered during his sentencing, it said. In lieu of the mandatory 12 strokes of the cane, Srinath, who is above 50 and cannot be caned, was given an additional jail term of 20 weeks, the report said.

Saturday, Novemver 25, 2017

FRUITICANA

Saturday, Novemver 25, 2017

Deepika Padukone: Quintessential desi girl

Salmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s upcoming sequels

uperstar Salman Khan has already created immense buzz and excitement with his latest film â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Race 3â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and looks. The actor treated his fans by donning his Race 3 look on his tv show â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Bigg Boss 11â&#x20AC;&#x2122;. He was seen in a clean shaven look, dressed in ablue blazer jacket similar to his â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Race 3â&#x20AC;&#x2122; look. Recently Salman Khanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first look from â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Race 3â&#x20AC;&#x2122; was unveiled in which he is seen wearing a blue uniform jacket, the look also sees him pointing a gun. His look from the film grabbed a lot of eye balls when it was unveiled as the actor was seen in a high octane action avatar. Salman Khan has started shooting for Race 3 in Mumbai few days back.

Salman Khan- a household name that has the power to melt hearts for many across the planet. And if we are not wrong, men arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too far behind in terms of fanboying over this s u p e r s t a r. Time and again, the man Salman has proven that his success is unparalleled and even at the age of 51, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no stopping for him. Much to the delight of his fans, Salman Khan has a number of movies lined up in the upcoming years. And that even isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the best part. The fact

eepika Padukone was born on January 5 1986, she is an actress one of the highestpaid in India, Deepika is the recipient of several awards, including three Filmfare Awards. She features in listings of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular and attractive personalities. Deepika, the daughter

character of the Kannada film Aishwarya. Padukone then played a dual role in her first Bollywood releaseâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the 2007 blockbuster Om Shanti Omâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and won a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Padukone received praise for portraying the lead roles in the romance Love Aaj Kal (2009) and the drama Lafangey

of the badminton player Prakash Padukone, was born in Copenhagen and raised in Bangalore. As a teenager, she played badminton in national level championships but left her career in the sport to become a fashion model. She soon received offers for film roles and made her acting debut in 2006 as the title

Parindey (2010), but her performances in the romance Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008) and the comedy Housefull (2010) were met with negative reviews. The 2012 box office hit Cocktail marked a turning point in Padukoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career, earning her praise and Best Actress nominations at several award ceremonies.

Continued on page 5

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Bollywood

Saturday, November 25, 2017

HOROSCOPE Aries March 21 - April 20 New adventures beckon as the cheery sun enters the sign of the Archer, encouraging you to step out of your comfort zone and explore new terrain. This week is more mellow than last, although there could be some intense moments and opportunities for passion, especially early in the week. Nebulous Neptune turns direct midweek, and this can help clarify issues that have been mired in confusion. The weekend could see you pursuing fresh opportunities that are very

Taurus April 21 - May 20 Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an intense focus on your sector of change and transformation, especially once the sun moves in on Tuesday. This emphasis could see you exploring issues that may have been holding you back for some time. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an opportunity to dig deep and release negative feelings from the past that are getting in the way of progress. Expect a surprise toward the end of the week, when an unexpected guest could show up or a lovely invite come your way.

Gemini

Libra Sept. 24 - Oct 22 As feisty Mars continues to power through your sign, you may feel a lot more courageous about sharing your feelings. And this could be a good thing if it seems like others are being too persuasive or even a bit controlling. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re strong, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Venus and potent Pluto on Tuesday could see feelings intensifying. This aspect

Scorpio Oct 23 - Nov 22 As the cheery sun enters your budget for the coming weeks. Another, deeper transit between convivial Venus and fervent Pluto hints that an encounter with someone who shares your values and ideas could seem almost fated. Watch this space, as a potential romance may be about to blossom. Money could come in and go out quickly this week, and this might be something to keep an eye on.

Sagitarius Nov 23 - Dec 22

May 20 - June 21 As the sun eases into your sector of relating, it can encourage you to take stock of your relationships and how you might improve them. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also an opportunity to discuss issues that have been pushed to one side because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been too busy. But those indepth conversations might need to wait until after Thanksgiving, as you could be having too much fun. A positive aspect between interactive Mercury and innovative Uranus on Saturday suggests that one get-together could

Cancer

Tuesday brings a new dawn as the illuminating sun glides into your sign for a ! " begins to perk up and you now can enjoy being completely yourself. The coming weeks can be an opportunity to kick-start projects that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been dreaming up recently. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a # $ yourself can feel really good. The weekend could bring a surprise visit or an invite thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too good to miss.

Dec 23 - Jan 20

Your lifestyle sector is in focus, particularly as the cheery sun enters Sagittarius on Tuesday. Bearing this in mind, you might want and get organized in general. Overall, the coming four weeks can be a chance to design you through the holiday season. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to put on too many pounds, give this some thought. It can help you stay on track. On a social note, romance could sizzle.

From Tuesday, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be entering a yearly phase in which the cosmos encourages you to relax and unwind. You will likely be busy, too, so it is prudent to take time out so you can % emotional baggage. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a sizzle in the air, as an intense link between Venus and Pluto brings the potential for romance or perhaps an intimate friendship. Your social life continues buoyant, so thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly plenty of fun to be had.

June 24 - August 23 You could be hosting the Thanksgiving event this week, and if so, the planetary picture suggests it should be a positive, upbeat experience. However, with the illuminating sun entering your leisure sector, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to spend time doing things you enjoy. The coming weeks look quite dynamic, encouraging you to showcase your skills in a variety of ways. Putting items in a crafts market or making gifts for friends can let others see how talented you are. It will

Virgo August 24 - Sept 24 Home and family events are very much in focus this week as the glowing sun enters your domestic sector for a four-week stay. You may be welcoming people from far and wide, or you might decide to travel and enjoy homey comforts somewhere else on the globe. With adventurous Jupiter in your sector of everyday travel, you might feel the world is at your feet and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an easy hop from one destination to the next. Expect the unexpected over the weekend,

he teaser of Arbaaz Khan and Sunny Leone starrer Tera Intezaar has released. A Raajeev Walia directorial, the film is touted to be a musical romantic thriller and shows Khan and Leone as star-crossed lovers. The film also stars Arya Babbar, Salil Ankola and Sudha Chandran. The lead actors began shooting for the thriller in Kutch and had shared pictures on their Twitter, too. The film also shot across some

international locations, a glimpse of which can be seen in the teaser. The teaser shows Abrbaaz Khan and Leone in a relationship as they spend time at the picturesque beaches of Mauritius, together. However, things take an ugly turn when Veer (the name of Khanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s c haracter in the film) suddenly vanishes from Raunakâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (played by Leone) life. Babbar, plays the antagonist which is made clear with the slap he delivers on Leoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face in the teaser.

Capricorn

June 22 - July 23

Leo

Arbaaz and Sunny Leonneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tera Intezaar

SRK at Farhan Akhtarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rock concert

Aquarius Jan 21 - Feb 19 Your social life will be enhanced by the presence of the sun in this sector on Tuesday, increasing your options for fun and getting into the holiday spirit. There is also a more focused aspect encouraging you to listen to your intuitive nudges and pay attention to signs and coincidences that could help you with your career and ambitions. Following such guidance could help you take advantage of an opportunity that you might otherwise have missed.

Pisces Feb 20 - March 20 " of Tuesday, when the sun moves into your sector of goals and ambitions. The coming four weeks could see you aiming high and eager to make progress with your plans. As this is also Thanksgiving week, you might choose to travel this year and enjoy this time with friends and family who are some distance away. This should be something youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll relish. As ethereal Neptune turns direct midweek, one situation could gain in clarity.

Shah Rukh khan, SRK (left) doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really need to work hard to impress anyone. Just his sight is enough to drive us crazy and also make us go weak in the knees. And what

that million dollar smile? Well, then we wish time would just freeze, and let us stare at him. Similar was our reaction when we snapped him at Farhan Akhtarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rock concert last night in the city.

Bollywood Personalitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Birthdays

BAPPI LAHIRI NOVEMBER 27

ARJUN RAMPAL NOVEMBER 26

RAKHI SAWANT NOVEMBER 25

ZEENAT AMAAN NOVEMBER 19

Saturday, November 25, 2017 Tumhari Sulu: A happy-go-lucky Mumbai suburban housewife Sulochana, fondly known as Sulu, lands the role of a night radio RJ, resulting in drastic changes to her routine life.

Bollywood

Film review: Tumhari Sulu

Review: There’s a been a recent spate of Bollywood movies devoid of its typical glamorous sheen with a focus on the lives of middle-class suburban Indian households. Ad director turned filmmaker Suresh Triveni takes this into consideration in his big screen debut while writing the story around Vidya Balan as Sulochana or ‘Sulu’, a housewife whose achievements aren’t typically noteworthy, but that doesn’t stop her from dreaming big. When presented with a rare opportunity, her subsequent decisions & actions affect her husband, son and immediate family. As a testament to Triveni’s ability as a writer, Sulu doesn’t lose her identity as she begins to experience the corporate media life as an RJ, walking the tightrope between her overnight fame and managing her domestic demands. Vidya Balan is completely in her element,

infusing Sulu with an abundance of infectious optimism without being aggravating. She makes Sulu appealing by bringing out the various shades of a woman who has put her personal ambitions on hold because of her family. It also helps that she is surrounded by strong performances all around, in those playing her colleagues and loved ones. Manav Kaul, in particular, is perfectly cast as Sulu’s husband Ashok - a man trying his best to make his wife happy, but also faces work pressure that gets deflected into anger. Also, her family isn’t too thrilled about her sweettalking potential creeps on a nighttime show which fuels the drama around Sulu’s new career. The sudden shift from being lighthearted to a serious drama is largely where the film falters. Until then, there are entire sequences, especially with her colleagues which are thoroughly entertaining but don’t eventually add up to much. We spend a lot of time looking through Sulu’s lens, and while there’s a lot to fun stuff to savour there, thanks to Vidya - this crucial conflict emerges well into the film’s runtime, at a point where her voice is just starting to be heard in the world. Fortunately, the tonal shifts are not too jarring to disconnect from the story which is easily accessible. A majority of the urban populace will relate to the challenges faced by Sulu

Nov

TERA INTEZAAR *ing: Sunny Leonne, Arbaz

Nov

New Released Bollywood Films Nov

Nov

FIRANGI *ing: Kapil Sharma, Ishita Dutta

Nov

JULIE

KADWI HAWA

Panchlait

*ing: Rati Agnihotri, Raai Lakshmi

*ing: Sanjay Mishra, Tillotama Shome

*ing: Amitosh Nagpal Anuradha Mukherjee

Saturday, November 25, 2017

If not ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, then why ‘Padmavati’? asks Rahul Rawail

ilm director Rahul Rawail expressed solidarity with the makers of the movie ‘Padmavati’ . Rahul Rawail, film director and Panaroma Jury Head of the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Comparing the movie with the yesteryear classic, ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, which was also a variation of history, Rawail reasoned that ‘Padmavati’ did not warrant protestation. Amol Palekar didn’t want Court to be selected as Oscars entry: Rahul Rawail “Anarkali is a completely fictitious character. Anarkali does not exist in history. If today Mughal-e-Azam is released, will they ban it? They will not,” Rawail told reporters here. “Bhansali

has made Padmavati with a lot of conviction and hard work. He is not going to play around with history, but as a filmmaker, he will have his own take without disturbing history,” he added. Rawail said that the issue should have been tackled in a better way, adding, “I admire Bhansali for agreeing to postpone the release, because in these circumstances, it could have created a lot of violence.” Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama, starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, has been mired in a slew of controversies for allegedly tampering with historical facts. The producers voluntarily postponed its release date in the face of absence of

Sanju baba lands in legal row over ‘Jaadu Ki Jhappi’ remark for Mayawati

anjay Dutt has found himself in the middle of yet another legal soup for his remarks in 2009 while campaigning for the Samajwadi Party in Barabanki. The actor allegedly said that he would like to give BSP chief Mayawati a ‘Jaadu Ki Jhappi’. According to

the latest reports, chief judicial magistrate Sanjay Yadav summoned the actor to appear in court on November 16. A case was filed against Dutt for “insulting the modesty of a woman” and for using “obscene words” in public.

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Saturday, November 25, 2017

Zareen Khan in a tension with producer of Aksar 2’

areen Khan was recently seen in ‘Aksar 2’ and the actress has found herself into a tussle with the producer, Narendra Bajaj for calling the film ‘vulgar’. Zareen said that she was assured that it would be a clean film but was asked to wear minimal clothes in each frame. The producer is highly upset with

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Zareen’s defamatory remarks and wants to drag her to the court. According to Bajaj, the script was discussed with the actress well in advance and she never raised any issues then. This is not the first time that the actress was seen wearing skimpy and tantalizing outfits onscreen. She flaunted curvy shots in ‘Hate Story 3’ too.

Salman’s upcoming sequels

that he is going to star in the sequels of some of the best movies that Bollywood has seen so far, is just the cherry on top of the cake. Here are 5 upcoming sequels with our very own Sallu in the lead: 1: ‘Race 3’ In the past few days, a lot has been said and done about ‘Race 3’ and for all the right reasons. When Salman tweeted, what essentially can be termed as a confirmation about the star cast of the film, the whole country sat up and took notice. ‘‘Baki sab toh Theek Hai but look at how hot, cool, sweet, charming & sexy is rameshji looking in this Race 3 ke team pic mein’’ . Salman would be seen opposite J a c q u e l i n e Fernandez and we’d also get to see Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah and Saqib Saleem in pivotal roles. Although there isn’t a release date just yet, but his fans can rejoice as Salman himself has officially stated that the shooting has now begun. 2: ‘Dabangg 3’ It’s safe to say that when ‘Dabangg’ released in 2010, Salman’s career was catapulted to further heights. The crazy amount of success and love that the film was able to garner from fans across the world resulted in the sequel of the movie ‘Dabangg 2’ and now, there’s a third installment in the works and there is confirmation about the same. Sonakshi Sinha, who starred opposite Salman in the first two installments, will be in the third part as well. On being asked about the schedule in an interview she said, “The shoot begins probably early next year. They are

currently scripting. It is in a very early stage. I am busy with my film and Salman will begin shooting for ‘Race 3’. So after that, till then, the process is on.” 3: ‘Kick 2’ Upcoming sequels starring Salman Khan Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment Salman’s avatar of the ‘Devil’ in the movie ‘Kick’ left the audience in awe. The movie was a blockbuster and so it totally made sense to go ahead and come up with a sequel. Although there isn’t an official confirmation about the same, according to some reports, director Sajid Nadiadwala was secretly busy working on the script for some time. And apparently, the film has finally got a green signal from Salman. The sequel will kick off in 2019. 4: ‘Wanted 2’ U p c o m i n g sequels starring Salman Khan© Eros International When Prabhu Deva and Salman Khan team up, a blockbuster is bound to hit the theatres. Since quite some time now, the ‘Wanted’ sequel was stuck amid a legal issue due to copyright infringement issues. However, according to reports, the courts have now ruled in the producer’s favour and Salman and Prabhu have already had a meeting about the project. 5: ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ Upcoming sequels starring Salman Khan© Yash Raj Films You saw this coming, didn’t you? How can we not talk about this one? ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ is the sequel to ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ that released back in 2012. The film was a major success and starred Katrina Kaif opposite Salman. And now, fans of the power pair will get another opportunity to see the duo together on screen in this action-packed film. The trailer sure looks promising.

Bollywood

Hotstar

Saturday, November 25, 2017

Hotstar, your ticket to the Best of Indian Entertainment is now available in Canada Toronto, November 14, 2017: Hotstar, India’s largest premium streaming platform synonymous for changing the landscape of digital content consumption in India, is now available in Canada. Hotstar will treat users in Canada to a highly evolved video

streaming experience and attention to quality while they enjoy the best of Indian entertainment from everyone’s favourite Star TV channels. Hotstar is your ticket to India’s leading TV shows, movies and sports

available in 8 languages. In line with its offering to watch your favourite content on demand anywhere, anytime, Hotstar is available across a variety of devices and on platforms like the Apple Store, Google play store, Roku and Amazon fire stick. A p a r t f r o m showcasing the content from Star’s leading channels like Star Plus, Star Bharat, Star Gold in Hindi and Star Jalsha, Star Maa, Star Vijay and Asianet amongst the regional languages, t h e streaming platform also has a line-up of original shows like Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, AIB and Tan haiyan amongst others. What is perhaps the biggest draw for all sporting enthusiasts is the upcoming Indian Premier League. With Star India’s winning bid for the IPL, Hotstar will be home to the world’s greatest cricket spectacle come April with fans

having the benefit of watching cricket across multiple languages. With all its content in High Definition, Hotstar is for the Indian who is seeking premium Indian entertainment at world class quality. Taking pride in your identity and recognizing the diversity that enriches your individuality is the message that Hotstar is giving through its brand positioning- For who you are. ABOUT HOTSTAR: Hotstar, India’s leading video streaming platform for Indian TV shows, movies and live sports, is now in the US and Canada. Hotstar membership offers full and unlimited access to more than 2000 movies and TV shows across 8 languages with over 60,000 hours of content, from popular Star channels, all ad-free in High Definition. Hotstar also features live sporting events such as Cricket, Pro Badminton League, Hockey India League and the new sports sensation sweeping India, Pro Kabaddi League. Now no matter where you are from or what language you speak, Hotstar ensures you are never too far from your favourite entertainment. Watch your favorite entertainment from the following channels: Star Plus, Star Bharat, Asianet, Asianet plus, Star Maa, Star Jalsha, Star Pravah, Star Utsav, Star Vijay, Star Sports and NGC. Movie buffs get the latest movies on offer such as Judwaa 2 and Jolly LLB as well as blockbusters such as Pink, Bajrangi Bhaijan, Phillauri, Housefull 3, Prem Rattan Dhan Payo and Zindigi Na Milegi Dobara. Hotstar also has the latest and most popular movies in Tamil, Telugu,

Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali and Marathi languages. Catch content that you won’t see anywhere on television, Hotstar Originals includes a variety of exclusive content for Hotstar. It ranges from the most talked about stand up group AIB to your favorite characters from Sarabhai vs Sarabhai 2, cinematic renditions of leading plays and much more. Hotstar can be accessed through ca.hotstar.com and via iOS AppStore, Android Google Play and Roku etc. Concurrent viewing across two screens

is allowed to the subscribers, making it an attractive option for family members with different entertainment needs. Top content on Hotstar: Shows: Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, Ye Hai Mohabbatein, Dance Champions, Ishqbaaaz, Tu Sooraj Main Saanjh, Piyaji and Naamkarann Movies: A Gentleman, Jolly LLB 2, Golmaal 3, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion and 2 States Sports: Cricket – India vs Sri Lanka series, Indian Premier League (Upcoming) and Pro Kabaddi League

Bollywood plans 15-minute ‘blackout’ in support of ‘Padmavati’

mid protests against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming film ‘Padmavati’, the Indian Films and TV Directors’ Association (IFTDA), along with 20 other bodies of the film and television industry, is planning a 15-minute blackout in support of the film and “to protect the right to freedom of expression of creative individuals”. Confirming the plan, Ashoke Pandit said: “We will keep showing our support for ‘Padmavati’ and SLB (Sanjay Leela

Bhansali) because it is the basic right of a creative person to tell a story in his own way. “Sanjay is a responsible filmmaker, and making a film on history is not something easy for him but a big responsibility. To express our solidarity (with the film), we are gathering on Sunday for a 15-minute blackout where all shooting

units in Mumbai will put off lights and no shootings will take place.” Pandit said: “We strongly protest against the non-institutional bodies who every now and then protest against movies and threaten actors and makers of films. We will keep condemning their actions in a democratic manner.

We have faith in our Prime Minister...for justice to ‘Padmavati’”. Earlier this month, IFTDA, along with several other cine bodies, came together in support of ‘Padmavati’.“We as film industry feel hurt every time such groups target our films and try to control our freedom of expression. Unfortunately, we do not get support from any other industry, not even from the government as if we are orphans as a community,” Pandit added.

Saturday, November 25, 2017

Every time I tried something new, films didn’t work - says Vidya Balan ‘Tumhari Sulu’, an aspirational drama about a housewife, has ended Vidya Balan’s dry run at the box office and the actor believes the film clicked with the audiences because its story is rooted in middle class ethos. Vidya said it is not that she was not taking risks as an actor but somehow her experiments did not work until now. ‘Tumhari Sulu’ box-office collection week 1: Vidya Balan starrer rakes in Rs 17.50 crore “Every time I tried something new, the films didn’t work. It is the unfortunate truth,” she said in an interview. “When the films don’t do well, it means not many people have seen it. But at the same time, whenever I have attempted to do something different, I have given my best. Thankfully, my work was appreciated always.” The film, directed by Suresh Triveni, features Vidya as a housewife, who is full of business plans and one day lands herself the job of a Radio Jockey. The actor said the movie is a celebration of every day woman and her indomitable spirit.” A woman is balancing everything in life. Most of the time, women are not appreciated, unless they are achievers. You do not have to be Indra Nooyi (to be appreciated). Women should be appreciated for everything they do as they do it with commitment and dedication. This script does that.” The film has been appreciated for its witty one-liners and Vidya’s chemistry with Manav Kaul, who plays her husband. The actor credits

Triveni for putting together a great story and successfully capturing the real-life emotions. “There were some impromptu elements that we added during the shooting. I can’t take the credit, I just followed what was in the script. Suresh sees humour in real life situations, in the mundanity of every life. This is one of the best scripts that I read and it just got better when we started shooting.” The national-award-winning actor said the love that is pouring in for the film is primarily because the sensibilities between her and the director matched. “It is difficult to say where an actor’s job has ended and the director’s had started. If I get credit for making the character look relatable it is also to the director’s credit.” The actor recently visited a theatre to gauge the audience reaction and found it heart-warming to see that people engaged with the story. “I do think rooted stories are doing well. Most of India lives in middle class, people tell me I capture little things of middle class life. I am like, I have grown up in a middle class family. I am grateful for life, for everything,” Vidya said. The 38-year-old actor said ‘Tumhari Sulu’ once again proves that a good story will resonate with the viewers. “Good content always works. When a certain film resonates with the audience, they love it. Today no one type of film is working. The story has to connect with people.”

Have your say on fair wages in BC B.C. is moving toward a $15 minimum wage and the Fair Wages Commission wants to know how this affects you. The commission would like to hear the experiences of people earning less than $15 an hour and from employers on why the minimum wage is important to them. The commission would also like to hear from employers and workers who can speak to details of minimum wage rates for farm Fair Wages Commission members, from left to right workers, liquor servers, live-in are Ken Peacock, chair Marjorie Griffin Cohen, caregivers, resident caretakers, and and Ivan Limpright. live-in camp leaders. People are invited to email their “I’d like to encourage anyone who earns views on getting to a $15 minimum wage to less than $15-an-hour and employers who FWC@gov.bc.ca by December 7. will be affected by the new minimum wages As well, the public is invited to attend a to share your views with the Fair Wages public hearing in Surrey on November 30 at Commission by email,” says Marjorie Griffin Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel from 1 Cohen, chair of the Fair Wages Commission. to 6 p.m. The audience will be able to watch Find out how to participate: as people present their views and learn more engage.gov.bc.ca/fairwagescommission about this important topic.

Govind Nihalani pays homage to Om Puri Filmmaker Govind Nihalani, who has worked with Om Puri in films like ‘Aakrosh’ and ‘Tamas’, on Friday paid homage to the late actor at the on going film festival in Panaji. Their film ‘Ardh Satya’ was screened here. Commenting on Om Puri’s rise, Nihalani said: “I would actually like to correct the

misconception. It is not me or anyone else that made Om what he is today. In fact, it was Om who made me a person of interest with other filmmakers. On this note, I would like to pay homage to Om because this was a vision we brought forward together.” Om Puri’s son Ishaan Puri was also present at the event.

Saturday, November 25, 2017

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Saturday, November 25, 2017

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Saturday, November 25, 2017

Community news WORLD RELIGIONS CONFERENCE Dedicated to 150th anniversary of Canada: Presented by: Multifaith Action Society & Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Theme: The Contribution of Faith to Cultivating Peace in Canada, November 25,

2017 2.00pm Baitur Rahman Mosue 9570 River Road,Delta. Free Event: All Are Welcome For more information contact: Acharya Dwivedi: 604 507 3099, ahmadiyya.bc.outreach@gmail.com or www.multifaithaction.org

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Saturday, November 25, 2017

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Vol. 8 No. 43 - Saturday - November 25, 2017

Vancouver unveils new housing strategy for the next decade

he City of Vancouver has unveiled its full 10-year strategy for housing, with an emphasis on building and preserving rental units. The strategy, which can be found in full here, comes after a year of studies and consultation — during which time Vancouver continued to be ranked as one of the most unaffordable cities in the world, and vacancy rates for rental units continued to be under one per cent. The new plan calls for 72,000 new units of housing in the next decade, two-thirds of which would be rental. “It’s what we feel is needed to correct that bias in the market ... so we remain a diverse city. That’s the philosophy ... make sure Vancouver remains a place for all people, all incomes. That’s why we’ve set this ambitious target,” said Gil Kelley, Vancouver’s chief planner. The creation of 20,000 new purpose-built rentals in the city and business models to support 12,000 new units of “social and supportive housing.” New rental programs along the Broadway corridor and rapid transit stations at the Nanaimo, 29th Avenue and Olympic Village stations Creating a dedicated renters protection manager to help renters explore their rights when landlords want to renovate or redevelop properties A Moderate Income Rental Housing Pilot Program to create dedicated rental housing through density bonuses Creating new policies to allow townhouses and low-rise apartments in areas currently zoned for singlefamily homes, in areas “near parks, schools, public amenities and main streets.” Working with the provincial government to allow rental-only zones “That’s one tool we need from the province that could be a game changer,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson, in reference to rental-only zones that have controls on price. “The city does have the power with rental projects at the beginning Continued on page 13

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Real Estate

Saturday, November 25, 2017

Vancouver unveils new housing strategy for the next decade

From page 13

problem is, as soon as there’s a turnover in the building, the rents can get jacked up. If we have support from the province, we may be able to have a way to entrench more rent control in these projects we build, so they can’t be bumped up into the stratosphere.” The housing report comes the day after the federal government announced $40 billion for its own 10-year national housing strategy. The report will be presented to council on Nov. 28, with implementation beginning in February 2018. The strategy outlined by the city relies on a number of specific policies taking place concurrently, including the rental pilot program, a “social purpose real estate incentive program” and a new tactical response team to look at rezoning parts of single-family neighbourhoods to allow row homes. It also dramatically increases the city’s targets for new supply: the previous housing strategy called for 38,900 new housing units over a decade, 54 per cent of the new target. The president of the Urban Development Institute, Anne McMullin, says she’s broadly supportive of the strategy, but warns, in

order to be meaningfully implemented,it will require a lot of work by the city. “It’s complex and complicated, but when the city recognizes that you need to increase the supply of rental and affordable homes, it’s a good signal that we’re moving

forward,” she said. “There’s a lot of policy. There’s a lot of detail, and it can take five to six years to get things approved. We need to see expedited processing times ... we can’t wait four years.” Karen Sawatsky, the chair of Vancouver’s renters advisory committee, also endorsed the plan. “There’s a lot of great stuff ... but implementation is going to be the tricky thing,” she said. “[But] there needs to be a lot more rental housing. We said to the city it needed to amp up its rental targets, and I think it has.”

Real Estate

Saturday, November 25, 2017

How to sell a home when you have pets

hile some homeowners have strict outside-only pet rules, most allow their animals inside their homes and their pets are considered as part of the family. If you are selling a home with pets, it is very likely that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need to do some serious housecleaning and possibly some repair work before you list your home. Love is blind, and that cat fur embedded in the carpets, the litterbox, the hole in the wall chewed by your dog are all things that can easily be overlooked when your pet is your best friend. However, just because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re able to turn a blind eye, it does not mean every home-buyer will be as forgiving. Home sellers who adore their pets (me included) can have a hard time imagining the negative attitudes that others have towards their pets. Nevertheless, if you truly want to receive top dollar for your house, make sure to follow these top tips and notes for selling a home

with pets by reading this article. Why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t home buyers like pet? Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take it personally â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not you, To make sure that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re fully on board with our tips, here are some reasons why home buyers may not like your pet: Nervousness: Pets make some people uncomfortable because pets are not always predictable. Keep in mind that a lot of people may have not grown up with a family pet and are inexperienced being around animals. Fear (both real and irrational): If someone has had a bad experience with a pet in the past then his or her first reaction to seeing a pet will be fear. Regardless of whether the home buyer has a rational or irrational fear, you never want them to feel afraid when they come to your houseâ&#x20AC;Ś itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just not good for a top-dollar sale. Your pets arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t their pets: Most pet owners, including potential buyers who have their own pets, thinks their pets are perfect but have a false

illusion that yours will bark, scratch, snap, bite and so on. Like we said, love is blind! Allergies: A number of people are allergic to dogs and cats, and having them around â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or even just their residual fur â&#x20AC;&#x201C; may set off the sneezing and coughing in a potential buyer. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be out of the showing before they can fall in love with your home. Overcoming the Problem So, how do you overcome all those negatives associated with your pets and ensure that buyers will focus only on the great things about your home? Minimize the objections and nuisance factors, real or otherwise, by paying attention to the following tips and tricks: Temporarily relocate your pets: The best way to ensure that you receive the highest price for your home is to relocate your pet while you are on the market. If your pet can only be relocated for a short period of time, try to have them away from the time that you first list the property until you have

#106 - 7565 132 St. Surrey, BC 604.572.3005

an accepted offer that is firm. For the best results, consider one of the following options for your best CVE T t 4FOE UIFN PO B WBDBUJPO UP IBOH PVU XJUI ZPVS GSJFOE PS SFMBUJWF t #PBSE UIFN BU B LFOOFM t #SJOH UIFN UP XPSL XJUI ZPV JG QPTTJCMF t .PWF out first, and take your pets with you. In the case that your pet cannot be relocated for an extended period of time, then at the very least it is best to make sure that they are not present at the showings and open houses. Repair any damage: Where there are pets, there is typically house damage. If your pet has stained a carpet, chewed through your wall, scratched your doors, or damaged the home in any way, it is extremely important that the damage is repaired prior to showing your home. If buyers see something thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s damaged and related to a pet, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll start looking for or assume there are other issues somewhere else in the home.

Garry Grewal

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