The Asian Star December 5 2015 by The Asian Star Newspaper

www.theasianstar.com Vol 14

Issue 45 Saturday, December 5, 2015

Tel: 604-591-5423

What’s even better than Toyota’s best-selling crossover?

Volkswagen sales dive, while Canadian auto sales at record high

Page

Syrian refugees turn down Canada Only 5% want to come here

Harjit S. Sajjan Minister of National Defence (second from right), John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship,(second from left) and Jane Philpott, Minister of Health and Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Refugees (left) meeting Jordan’s King Abdullah.

A senior United Nations refugee official is urging Canadians not to draw any hasty conclusions after new government numbers suggested that thousands of Syrian refugees had turned down the opportunity to come to Canada. “This doesn’t mean people don’t like Canada or the Canadian op-

5 million paralyzed as worst rain in a century hammers Chennai

tion is not valid,” said Furio de Angelis, the UN High Commission for Refugees’ representative in Canada. “And I would be cautious to infer from this initial reaction that there’s no need.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised during the election campaign to resettle 25,000 Continued on page 6

he worst deluge in a century in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu paralyzed Chennai, closing offices, automobile factories and the airport in a city with about as many people as Singapore. Television pictures showed families wading through sometimes neck-deep water, planes stranded at the shuttered airfield and office complexes flooded up to the first floor. Some factories curbed output a second straight day, including those of Ford and BMW. Tata Consultancy Services and Cognizant Technology Solutions declared holidays for staff. Many low-lying neighbourhoods of the city and surrou n d i n g areas were submerged due to the i n c e s s ant downpour, with power outages adding to Train tracks submerged in Chennai the misery. The army and navy deployed personnel to help rescuers trying to evacuate the stranded. Chennai’s airport will stay shut for at least a week and some 25 jets are stranded, Deepak Shastri, the airfield’s director, said by telephone from the city. “No one should venture out of their homes,” Shastri said. Continued on page 6

Two men found guilty of manslaughter in 2013 samurai sword beheading of Manraj Akalirai

man accused of using a samurai sword to nearly decapitate a Vancouver teen has been found guilty of manslaughter. After five days of deliberations, the jury found Amritpal Dhillon, who pleaded not guilty to the January 2013 slayAmrit Rakhra(left) and Amrit Dhillon (middle) were found ing of Manraj Akalirai, 19, not guilty of manslaughter in the beheading guilty of second-degree murdeath of Manraj Akalirai (right) in Vancouver. der, but guilty of manslaughter. a golf club to beat up Akalirai following a conAmritpaul Rakhra, a co-accused of Dhillon, frontation between two groups of young men in was also found guilty of manslaughter in the a residential neighbourhood in East Vancouver. gruesome death. He was alleged to have used

Continued on page 7

Trudeau Ministers visit refugee camps in Jordan

arjit S. Sajjan Minister of National Defence and his colleagues John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and Jane Philpott, Minister of Health and Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Refugees, visited Jordan last week to visit refugee camps. The Ministers made this trip to experience firsthand the situation on the ground, as the Government of Canada implements its Continued on page 6

2 i Saturday, December 5, 2015

Pakistani woman in San Bernardino shooting pledged allegiance to ISIL

pipe bombs, tools to make more explosives and well over 4,500 rounds of ammunition at home. Police Lt. Mike Madden, one of the first officers to reach the room, said the carnage was unspeakable, the scene overwhelming: the smell of gunpowder, the wails of the injured, the blood, fire sprinklers pumping and fire alarms blaring. All in a room with a Christmas tree and decorations on every table. The dead ranged in age from 26 to 60. Among the 21 injured were two police officers hurt during the manhunt, authorities said. Two of the wounded remained in critical condition Thursday. Nearly all the dead and wounded were county employees. They were remembered Thursday night as several thousand mourners gathered at a local ballpark for a candlelight and prayer vigil with leaders of several religions paying them tribute. Mayor Carey Davis urged people to “dedicate and commit ourselves to strengthen our families to overcome.” The names of the dead were read and participants sang “God Bless America.” Syed Rizwan Farook was born in Chicago on June 14, 1987, to parents born in Pakistan. He was raised in Southern California. In July 2010, he was hired as a seasonal public employee and served until DeTELUS STORES cember of that year, according to a Abbotsford work history supplied by the county. Highstreet Shopping Centre In January 2012, he was rehired as Sevenoaks Shopping Centre a trainee environmental health spe2140 Sumas Way cialist before being promoted two 32915 South Fraser Way Aldergrove years later. Among his job duties was 26310 Fraser Hwy. inspecting restaurants. Burnaby The soft-spoken Farook was Brentwood Town Centre known to pray every day at San BerCrystal Mall nardino’s Dar Al Uloom Al IslamiLougheed Town Centre Metropolis at Metrotown yah mosque. That is where Nizaam 3855 Henning Dr. Ali and his brother Rahemaan Ali 4501 North Rd. ™ met Farook. The last time Rahe. Coquitlam maan Ali saw his friend was three Coquitlam Centre weeks ago, when Farook abruptly Westwood Mall stopped coming to pray. Rahemaan 1071 Austin Ave. Delta Ali said Farook seemed happy and Scottsdale Centre his usual self. Both brothers said 1517 56th St. they never saw anything to make 4841 Delta St. them think Farook was violent. Langley They remember when Farook Willowbrook Mall 8700 200th St. announced that he would be get19638 Fraser Hwy. ting married, saying he had met his 20159 88th Ave. future wife online and that she was 20202 66th Ave. Pakistani. Farook told the brothers Maple Ridge that he traveled to Mecca in Saudi Haney Place Mall 22661 Lougheed Hwy. Arabia last summer. They said he Mission was gone about a month before reMission Smartcentre turning to the U.S. with his wife. Ma32670 Lougheed Hwy. lik arrived on a K-1 visa for fiancées New Westminster and with a Pakistani passport in July Royal City Centre North Vancouver 2014, authorities said. The two were Capilano Mall married on Aug. 16, 2014, in nearby Lynn Valley Centre Riverside County, according to their 1295 Marine Dr. marriage license. Both listed their 1801 Lonsdale Ave. religion as Muslim. The couple had Pitt Meadows 19800 Lougheed Hwy. a 6-month-old daughter who they Port Coquitlam dropped with relatives Wednesday 2020 Oxford Connector morning before the shooting. Richmond Farhan Khan, Farook’s brotherLansdowne Centre in-law, told NBC News that he had Richmond Centre started the legal process to adopt the 11686 Steveston Hwy. Surrey girl. He described Farook as a “bad Central City Shopping Centre ™ person,” but said he was not radical. Cloverdale Crossing Patrick Baccari, who sat at the Guildford Town Centre same table as Farook at the employee Semiahmoo Shopping Centre party, recalled he was short on words 3189 King George Blvd. 7380 King George Blvd. and inclined to talk about cars, not 13734 104th Ave. religion. However, a friend of a man Plus, get a FREE 40" Samsung Smart TV Vancouver killed in the rampage said Farook Oakridge Centre had a heated conversation about IsPacific Centre when you sign up for Optik TV & Internet for 3 years†. lam two weeks before the attack. 220 East 1st Ave. 991 Denman St. Kuuleme Stephens said she hap1095 West Pender St. pened to call Nicholas Thalasinos 1143 Robson St. while her friend was talking with Fa1855 Burrard St. rook at work. She said Thalasinos, a 2338 Cambie St. Messianic Jew who was passionately 2372 West 4th Ave. 2706 Granville St. pro-Israel, told her Farook “doesn’t 2748 Rupert St. Call 310-MYTV (6988), go to telus.com/freetv agree that Islam is not a peaceful re3121 West Broadway or visit your TELUS Store. ligion.” Stephens said Farook replied West Vancouver that Americans don’t understand Park Royal South Islam. Offer available until December 31, 2015, to residential customers who have not subscribed to TELUS TV or Internet in the past 90 days. Minimum system requirements apply. Final eligibility for the services will be determined by a TELUS representative. TELUS reserves the right to modify channel lineups and packaging, Stephens added that Thalasinos and regular pricing without notice. Cannot be combined with other offers. The Essentials is required for all Optik TV subscriptions. Offer not available with TELUS Internet 6. HDTV-input-equipped television required to watch HD. †A retail value of $689, based on the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, plus a 2 year extended warranty, provincial government eco fees and shipping. TELUS reserves the right to substitute an equivalent or better product without notice. A cancellation fee applies for early termination of the service agreement and will be the value of the promotional gift received in return for your term commitment, did not think their conversations multiplied by the number of months remaining in the term (with a partial month counting as a full month), divided by the total number of months in the term, plus applicable taxes. TELUS, the TELUS logo, Optik, Optik TV, the future is friendly and telus.com are trademarks of TELUS Corporation, used under licence. Samsung and the Samsung logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Samsung Canada. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2015 TELUS. would turn violent.

AN BERNARDINO, Calif. — The wom- communicated back with an who helped her husband kill 14 peo- her and no signs of any ple at a holiday banquet for his county operational instructions co-workers pledged allegiance to ISIL and its being conveyed to her. leader on Facebook, a U.S. law enforcement offi- This official also spoke on cial said Friday, providing the strongest evidence condition of anonymity to date that the rampage may have been a ter- because this person was rorist attack. not authorized to discuss The official said Tashfeen Malik made her case details by name. posts with an alias and deleted the messages The FBI has been inbefore carrying out the nation’s deadliest mass vestigating the shooting shooting since the Newtown, Connecticut, at a Southern California social service center school massacre three years ago that left 26 peo- as a potential act of terrorism but had reached ple dead. Specific details about her postings were no firm conclusions Thursday. Separately, a U.S. not disclosed by the official, who spoke on con- intelligence official said Farook had been in dition of anonymity because the person was not contact with known Islamic extremists on social allowed to discuss an ongoing investigation. media. The official spoke on condition of anoMalik was a Pakistani woman who came to nymity because the person was not authorized the U.S. in 2014 on a fiancee visa and married to discuss the investigation publicly. Syed Farook in California. They had a 6-monthAt the same time, local police to Attorney General Loretta Lynch cautioned that it could old daughter. Another U.S. official said Malik expressed have been work-related rage or a twisted hybrid “admiration” for the extremist group’s leader of religion and personal vendetta. on Facebook under the alias account and said Farook, 28, had no criminal record and was not under scrutiny by 1local or federal law enthere was no sign that anyone affiliated with ISIL TEL20150805_Q3_Asian Star_JrPg:Layout 1 15-11-02 4:23 PM Page forcement before the attack. Friends knew him

by his quick smile, his devotion to Islam and his talk about restoring cars. They didn’t know the man authorities say was busy with his wife building homemade bombs and stockpiling thousands of rounds of ammunition for the commando-style assault Wednesday on a gathering of Farook’s colleagues from San Bernardino County’s public health department. “This was a person who was successful, who had a good job, a good income, a wife and a family. What was he missing in his life?” asked Nizaam Ali, who worshipped with Farook at a mosque in San Bernardino – the city east of Los Angeles where Farook killed and died. Authorities say that the couple sprayed as many as 75 rounds into the room before fleeing. They died four hours later and 2 miles away during a furious gunbattle with police. The pair had more than 1,600 bullets when they were killed. Police said they also had 12

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LOCAL

Saturday, December 5, 2015 i 3

Short throne speech launches Trudeau era in Parliament

rime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government has promised to deliver “real change” to the country as part of a mandate to improve the lives of middle-class Canadians. The pledge came Friday as the government launched its parliamentary agenda with a throne speech with no surprises that zeroed in on some of the main planks from the Liberals’ election platform. The throne speech was read by Gov. Gen. David Johnston in the Senate, as MPs and senators crowded into the chamber, accompanied by dozens of guests ranging from citizens and diplomats to former prime ministers Jean Chrétien, John Turner and Joe Clark. “Canadians have been clear and unambiguous in their desire for real change,” Johnston read from the speech, as Trudeau sat beside him. “Canadians want their government to do different things, and to do things differently. “They want to be able to trust their government.  And they want leadership that is focused on the things that matter most to them.” “Things like growing the economy; creating jobs; strengthening the middle class, and helping those working hard to join it. “Through careful consideration and respectful conduct, the government can meet these challenges, and all others brought before it.” The speech served as a strippeddown version of the party’s campaign platform. Among the issues the Liberals chose to highlight in the speech: lowering taxes for the middle class; fighting climate change; providing more open government; enhancing the Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance; forging a new relationship with Indigenous people; accepting Syrian refugees in Canada; continuing the fight against terrorism amid a new review of Canada’s defence capabilities. “By focusing on growing our middle class, on delivering open and transparent government, on ensuring a clean environment and a strong economy, on building a stronger Canada, and on providing greater security and opportunity, the Government will make real change happen,” the government promised in the speech. The speech came nearly 50 days after the Liberals won a strong majority government, ending a decade of Conservative rule under Stephen Harper. “The government will, as an immediate priority, deliver a tax cut for the middle class,” according to the speech. “This is the fair thing to do, and the smart thing to do for Canada’s economy.” Under the plan, to be introduced in the Commons next week through a ways and means motion, the middle-class tax bracket will drop to 20.5 per cent from 22 per cent. The Liberals say Canadians with taxable annual income between $44,700 and $89,401 will see their federal income-tax rate de-

crease. To offset those tax cuts, a new tax bracket of 33 per cent will be introduced for earnings of more than $200,000 annually. In the throne speech, the government re-

iterated that it will make “significant new investments in public transit, green infrastructure, and social infrastructure.” On pensions, the government says it will “work with the provinces and territories to enhance the Can-

ada Pension Plan.” “The Employment Insurance system will be strengthened to make sure that it best serves both the Canadian economy and all Canadians who need it.”

EDITORIAL

4 i Saturday, December 5, 2015

Trudeau Liberals plan to “keep and nurture’ the Senate

By Umendra Singh

he Trudeau government’s plan for the Senate is ridiculous beyond belief. A large majority of Canadians want the Senate abolished – not nurtured with appointments from a Liberal appointed board. The Senators will still NOT be elected; they will still not be representative and they definitely will NOT be the choice of the pubic they claim to represent. Trudeau and his Minister of Democratic Institutions Maryam Monsef and Liberal House leader Dominic LeBlanc told Canadians this week that they will end the moratorium on Senate appointments put in place by the pervious Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, and instead start appointing Senators to this dishonored chamber again. But, instead of the Prime Minister directly appointing the Senators, Trudeau will appoint an “independent” committee which will select new Senators. How is this different from previous appoint-

ment? One step and a multi=-layered bureaucracy has been added to the Senate appointment process. Now there will be a board between Trudeau and Senate appointments. How independent will be a board that is itself appointed by Trudeau? Not much. Both the Conservatives and the NDP have blasted this plan. As has the Canadian Taxpayers Federation! EvenBCPremierChristyClarkhasgotintotheact She was one of the first to criticize and said that BC will not participate in this process. ““Today’s changes don’t address our concerns — Senate has never represented B.C.’s interests at the national level,” she tweeted. This truly is nothing more than the proverbial lipstick on the pig,” said Canadian Taxpayers Federation director Aaron Wudrick in a news release. Wudrick, whose group is calling for a referendum on abolishing the Senate, suggested the new process could actually make the Senate even less accountable because it

weakens the link to the appointing prime minister. He also questioned how a panel would be better-placed to weed out problematic senators. Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall was even more emphatic. Using a line from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Wall repeated his long-standing criticism of the Senate, saying he was opposed to an unelected, unaccountable Senate, “Because it is 2015.” “The senators will still be appointed,” Wall said, and he repeated his criticism that, in his view, the unelected Senate does not provide equal representation of all parts of Canada. “People may ask, ‘Why is your position still abolition?’ My answer to that, today, would be: its 2015,” he said. “And in 2015 I don’t think any Western democracy should be relying on an appointed body to have real decision-making authority.” Wall said he understood that abolishing the Senate would not be easy, but insisted the money spent on the Red Chamber, $100 million per year by his estimation, could be used in other ways.

News

Canada’s big banks earn $35B in profits for 2015

his was supposed to be the year that the bottom line of Canada’s big banks would feel the pain of a weak economy, the slumping oilpatch, cautious consumers and low interest rates. It didn’t quite work out that way. Fast forward to this week and the big six reported fourth-quarter earnings that in most cases topped last year’s. Three banks even managed to boost their stock dividends. For the fiscal year as a whole, the six banks reported total earnings of almost $35 billion, with Royal Bank’s record $10-billion profit leading a very healthy pack. That eye-popping total represents a jump of almost five per cent from last year. How did the banks manage that? Expense management is the current mantra among bank executives these days. Staff numbers are being trimmed as the banks move to restructure their operations to make them more efficient. At TD, for instance, the bank cut 1,594 jobs in the past year, while Scotiabank has dropped 1,140 staff since the end of July. Royal Bank reduced its full-time ranks

by 528, mostly by not replacing workers who left. But the black ink isn’t simply due to cost controls. Banks with large U.S. banking operations have benefited, as Canada’s lower dollar meant their U.S. earnings were worth even more. TD, for example, now has more branches in the U.S. than in Canada. And most banks reported that their retail and business banking arms performed well as loan volumes rose and deposits grew. Wealth management and capital markets operations flourished, in most cases. Banks also saved some money when they decided not to pass along all of the half-percentage-point cut the Bank of Canada made earlier this year in its key lending rate. Banks dropped their prime lending rates by a total of just 0.30 per cent. And then there’s everyone’s favourite banking complaint — service fees. Most banks increased fees this year. The exact effect of those increases on profits, however, isn’t clear. Bumpy road ahead? All of this is not to suggest that the banks face nothing but rosy

profit pictures in the future. In the West, commercial loans to oil and gas companies in Alberta will be watched closely in the wake of near record low oil prices and tens of thousands of layoffs in the industry. At the Royal Bank, eight new companies in the energy sector have been added to its watch list. Chief risk officer Mark Hughes also says he’s noticed a “slight upward trend” in delinquencies in auto loans and credit card accounts. A report this week from the credit monitoring agency Equifax Canada found consumer loan delinquencies were rising in every province that has a large energy industry. Questions abound about whether changes are coming to the mortgage world. There have been suggestions that Canada should consider requiring that banks cover a portion of the losses on insured mortgages (needed when home buyers have less than 20 per cent down). Currently, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and a few private insurers cover those claims, with Ottawa ultimately backing all mortgage default insurance.

Saturday, December 5, 2015 i 5

Local

6 i Saturday, December 5, 2015 From page 1

5 million paralyzed as worst rain in a century hammers Chennai

“I don’t think any flight is possible for at least a week. There’s a forecast for more rains, and we will need to clean up the debris in the entire field after that.” TVS Motor Co., which makes motorcycles and scooters and is based in Chennai, fell as much 6.3 per cent — the most since Sept. 1 — after saying the rains in the past three weeks adversely affected production and sales. Drug maker Natco Pharma said it shut down a plant temporarily due to flooding. Chennai is a hub for many manufacturers, including Hyundai Motor Co., Ashok Leyland and Renault. Daimler’s truck unit closed its plant. The Indian Meteorological Department forecasts rain and thunderstorms in some parts of the city until Dec. 7. Chennai has a population of almost 5 million, rising to about 9 million if its sprawling suburbs are included Three of Chennai’s four reservoirs are near full capac-

From page 1

ity, the local water department’s data show as of Wednesday. Some 600 personnel will be arriving by the end of Wednesday with rescue boats, diving equipment and medical response gear, said S. S. Guleria, a deputy inspector general at India’s National Disaster Response Force. AP PhotoTrains stand stranded at a railway station near flooded tracks in Chennai Wednesday. “It’s the first time Chennai has seen anything like this,” he said, adding so far there didn’t appear to be major causalities from the inundation. The city suffered a record 1,218.6 millimetres of precipitation in November, according to forecaster Skymet. The northeast monsoon that typically sets in between October and December over India’s east coast, where Chennai is located, is usually accompanied by cyclones and depressions.

Syrian refugees turn down Canada

ian refugees by the end of the year. The promise was made at a time when the Conservative government was being criticized for the slow rate at which Syrians were arriving in Canada. Things looked distinctly less urgent Wednesday, as federal immigration officials provided the first of what the government

says will be weekly off-the-record briefings designed to ensure Canadians are up-to-date on the Syrian refugee plan. A key part of the plan involves the UN identifying 15,000 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees to come to Canada by the end of February. Private sponsors, such as family members and church groups, will be responsible for the other 10,000.

Trudeau Ministers visit refugee camps in Jordan From page 1 its commitment to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada. To provide a sense of the daily lives of refugees, Ministers visited Za’atari refugee camp, located outside of Amman, Jordan, which is home to approximately 80,000 refugees. The Ministers toured the camp and had the opportunity to speak with a number of Syrian refugees who have been displaced for many months and in some cases years. The Ministers attended the opening of the new Syrian refugee processing centre in Amman. Here, they met with both refugees and Canadian officials responsible for processing refugees, and reviewed the interview and screening process. Discussing the pressures faced by Jordan in hosting so many refugees, Ministers met with King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein and Prime Minister Dr. Abdullah Ensour. They committed to working collaboratively to address the humanitarian crisis facing Syrian refugees as a result of the ongoing conflict in Syria and Iraq. “I want to thank the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which has shown great leadership in helping millions of Syrians who have been displaced due to conflict in their home country. Cana-

da recognizes that helping people in need is a shared responsibility, which is why we are working with our partners to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees safely to Canada as soon as possible.” said Minister Sajjan. The Government of Canada is working with the governments of Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey on this complex initiative. These countries have been home to hundreds of thousands of refugees since the conflict in Syria began. Sajjan also visited Kuwait the following day where he met with Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel currently deployed in the region as part of Canada’s contribution to the multinational Coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Minister Sajjan used the occasion to pay tribute to the troops, thanking them for their dedication and service. While in Kuwait, Sajjan also met with his counterpart, Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah, and other senior officials. During their discussions, the Minister underscored Canada’s ongoing commitment to working with allies and partners to counter global terrorism, and expressed his appreciation to Kuwait for hosting Canadian Armed Forces personnel engaged in the campaign. This support is vital to the mission.

Trudeau gov’t is leaving Surrey out of the mix, says Watts Surrey’s lone Tory MP Dianne Watts says the city is being “left out of the mix” by the new federal Liberal government. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shut out Surrey’s four Liberal MPs in his selection of 35 parliamentary secretaries, which are like junior cabinet members. Watts said it was “wrong-headed” for Trudeau to pass over his Surrey MPs given the city has more than half a million residents. “I think that Surrey deserves better than that,” she said. “I think that speaks volumes.”

aman@ewfinancial.ca

The four local Liberal MPs who have been overlooked are Ken Hardie (Fleetwood-Port Kells), Sukh Dhaliwal (Surrey Newton), Randeep Sarai (Surrey Centre) and John Aldag (Cloverdale-Langley City). Meanwhile Watts (South Surrey-White Rock) is one of five B.C. Conservative MPs with a shadow cabinet position. She is her party’s infrastructure and community critic. Parliamentary secretaries earn $16,600 on top of a regular MPs’ salary of $167,400.

LOCAL

Saturday, December 5, 2015 i 7

Two men found guilty of manslaughter in 2013 samurai sword beheading of Manraj Akalirai From page 1 According to one witness, the fight was sparked by a â€œhood beef â€? â€” a neighbourhood dispute between the two groups. A man who can only be identified as Witness X claimed that there was a â€œback and forthâ€? dispute involving the breaking of car windows and slashing of vehicle tires. Witness X, the Crownâ€™s key witness, testified that on the night of the slaying, he and Akalirai had been preparing to go out to eat. When Akalirai reported that someone was circling the neighbourhood, Witness X decided to arm himself with the samurai sword and a machete. As the two men were pulling out to go get something to eat, two vehicles suddenly blocked their path, he testified. Witness X got out of their vehicle with the sword and confronted a man wielding a golf club. During the ensuing battle, Witness X used the sword to cut off the thumb of the other man. When the golf club clashed with the sword, Witness X said he dropped the sword and ran. Akalirai followed him to a nearby front yard on Elgin Street, with the two accused chasing them. Witness X told the jury that Rakhra struck his friend first with the golf club, knocking him to the

ground. He said Dhillon, who had picked up the sword, followed up with a swing of the weapon that took off most of the top of Akaliraiâ€™s head. Dhillon took the stand and told a very different version of events. He told the jury that following the confrontation, he had picked up a sheath from the sword that had been discarded by Witness X. He said Witness X, still armed with the samurai sword, followed him into a nearby yard and swung the sword at his neck. He said he was able to deflect the blow with the sheath, the blow knocking the sword from Witness Xâ€™s hands. Shortly thereafter, Dhillon said he picked up the swordandwasconfrontedbyAkaliraiinthefrontyard. When Akalirai lunged at him, Dhillon said he swung the sword once, fearing for his life. In his closing submissions, Crown counsel Brendan McCabe argued that the single blow that nearly cut off Akaliraiâ€™s head was evidence of the intention of the accused to commit murder. The trial, heard in one of B.C.â€™s biggest courtrooms, most days was packed with family and friends of the victim and the accused. The case returns to court on Dec. 9 to set a date for the sentencing hearing.

More wind and rain warnings issued for Metro Vancouver, South Coast

eather warnings have been issued for the South Coast of B.C. as a series of fall storms bear down on the region. Winds of up to 80 km/h are forecast to hit coastal areas of Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast on Friday before easing on Saturday. Rainfall warnings have also been issued for much of the South Coast, including Vancouver Island, Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, with between 40 and 80 millimetres expected on both Friday and Saturday.

Showers will start to taper off for a cloudy end to Friday before the next storm system arrives early Saturday morning. This system will once again tap into sub-tropical moisture for a wet, windy and mild weekend. Temperatures in Metro Vancouver will remain steady at around 8 C, quite the cool-down after the pineapple express that hit the region on Thursday, breaking high temperature records, including: Vancouver Harbour 15.2 C (2007).

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LOCAL

Guests at the 2015 Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival Awards ceremony held at SFU’s Goldcorp Centre of Arts in Vancouver on November 27th to 29th and was organized by Jessie Lehail and Mannu Sandhu .

Mis Fiji Canada Royalty Team Girls collected items for Treasure House Christian Children’s Home in Fiji and , together with the money raised at the Miss Fiji Canada pageant, the donated items were sent to the Treasure House Christian Children’s Home in Fiji. Photo: Chandra Bodalia

Teen shooting in Whalley part of planned fight: Police says

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Police say the shooting of a 17-year-old this week was the result of a pre-arranged fight between two groups. On Tuesday (Dec. 1) at about 8:40 p.m., police were called to a shooting at Prince Charles Elementary, in the 12400-block of 100 Avenue. When Mounties arrived, they found a 17-year-old suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg. He was taken to hospital with nonlife threatening injuries. Surrey RCMP say the shooting was the result of two groups who gathered at the school for a fight. They also say they have received minimal cooperation from the victim or anyone else associated with the altercation. RCMP describe the investigation as being in the early stages, but police do not believe it is connected with the city’s ongoing turf war over dial-a-dope drug operations. “Our officers will be working with the school district and parents of those who we believe are involved in this altercation to try to prevent these young persons from being involved in further incidents of this kind,” said Surrey RCMP Cpl. Scotty Schumann. “This is also an opportunity for all parents and guardians to talk with their children about personal safety and being cautious of whom they associate with and the activities they are involved in.” Anyone with further information about this incident who has not already spoken to police is asked to contact Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or, if they wish to remain anonymous, Crime Stoppers at 1-800222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca

Saturday, December 5, 2015 i 9

Liberal plan to pick ‘non-partisan’ Senators criticized by friends and foes

he Liberal government is overhauling the Senate appointment process in a bid to end bitter partisanship and restore public confidence in the scandal-plagued Senate, but the plan is already under fire. Minister of Democratic Institutions Maryam Monsef and House leader Dominic LeBlanc today announced a five-member independent advisory board will be struck to make recommendations for “merit-based” candidates to sit in the Senate. During a news conference on Parliament Hill, Monsef said the changes will not require any constitutional revisions and will ensure regional, gender and ethnic representation in the Senate. The advisory board will be formed this month and will consult with provinces, community and indigenous groups, business and labour organizations, arts councils and others. “It brings real change to the Senate for the first time in decades,” she said. British Columbia Premier Christy Clark was one of the first to criticize the proposed changes, announcing on Twitter that her province won’t participate in the process. “Today’s changes don’t address our concerns — Senate has never represented B.C.’s interests at the national level,” she tweeted. A taxpayers’ watchdog group also slammed the plan as “totally inadequate” for fixing a broken system. “This truly is nothing more than the proverbial lipstick on the pig,” said Canadian Taxpayers Federation director Aaron Wudrick in a news release. Wudrick, whose group is calling for a referendum on abolishing the Senate, suggested the new process could actually make the Senate even less accountable because it weakens the link to the appointing prime minister. He also questioned how a panel would be better-placed to weed out problematic senators. Candidates for Senate appointments must meet several criteria, including: • Demonstrated a record of achievement and leadership in community service or professional expertise. • Proven record of “outstanding” ethics and integrity. • Bring perspective that Senate is an independent, non-partisan institution. • Understand the Senate’s role in Canada’s constitutional framework. Individual Canadians will also be able to apply to be considered for a seat

in the Senate through the “independent and open application” process. All Canadians can apply for a seat The advisory panel will provide a non-binding short list of five nominees for each vacancy. One of the new appointments will serve as the government representative in the Senate. Conservative Senator Claude Carignan called it “very weird” that the government would have a representative in the Senate who is supposed to be independent. “A leader of the government by definition is partisan and non-independent,” he said. “So if he wants to do that, he will break his first engagement to have a non-partisan and independent appointment.” The process will unfold in two phases, with the first “transitional” phase moving quickly to fill five vacancies early in the new year; two in Ontario, two in Manitoba and one in Quebec. The permanent process will see all 22 vacancies in the Senate filled by the end of 2016. LeBlanc said the new appointees will “revitalize” the Senate and set a new, less-partisan tone as the chamber fulfils its role providing attentive, sober second thought on legislation passed in the House of Commons. “Today marks an important new chapter in our country’s democratic and parliamentary life,” he said. The NDP, which wants to abolish the Senate, said the proposed changes serve only to “paper over” the undemocratic nature of the upper chamber. “The institution remains what it is: undemocratic, unaccountable and still under investigation,” said NDP democratic reform critic Nathan Cullen. “This is an inadequate fix and it is non-binding on the prime minister. The whole process is undone if the prime minister simply changes his mind.” LeBlanc also announced that Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal-appointed Senator George Furey will serve as Speaker in the Senate, replacing Conservative Leo Housakos. In an open letter to Canadians released Thursday, Housakos defended the Senate as a valuable, independent institution. “Despite what is often reported, the Senate is an autonomous and independent body. Senators understand their role in the national Parliament and strive to contribute to the country’s well-being while respecting the trust invested in them,” he wrote. “What some consider most controversial

Premier Christy Clark vows not to partipate in new Senate process, says it should be ‘fixed or folded’

ritish Columbia’s Liberal gov’t is not impressed with federal Liberal plans to overhaul the Senate appointment process. In a terse statement, Premier Christy Clark says B.C. will not participate in the newly announced process to appoint members to the upper chamber. Clark says the changes don’t resolve the Senate’s failure to represent British Columbians or address provincial concerns at the national level. She calls for the Senate to be “fixed or folded,” but says B.C. should not be distracted by it. Federal Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef announced Thursday that five board members, three from the federal level and two ad-hoc members from the provinces, will select Senate candidates based on public criteria. She says a transition advisory board will begin selecting five senators immediately: two from Ontario, two from Manitoba and one from Quebec, in order to improve regional balance in the Senate. The Trudeau government’s plan calls for an independent, non-partisan chamber — the first major reform to the scandal-plagued upper house in 50 years and arguably the biggest change since its inception in 1867. Monsef said the government’s arm’s-length advisory board would consult widely and recommend to the prime minister a short list of five merit-based nominees to fill each vacancy

in the Senate. She also released the criteria the advisory board will use to assess potential candidates. Among other things, they will need to have a record of achievement and public service, show integrity, understand the role of the Senate and demonstrate an ability to contribute to the work of the Senate in an independent and non-partisan manner. However, past partisan activities will not automatically disqualify someone from being nominated. “I believe this new process will immediately begin to restore the confidence of Canadians in an institution that plays a vital role in our democracy,” Monsef said. After the initial five appointments, another 17 vacancies are to be filled by the end of 2016.All the rules governing the Senate are geared to having a governing party caucus and an opposition party caucus. It will be up to the Senate itself to eventually rewrite its rules to reflect the more non-partisan nature of the chamber envisioned by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said Government House leader Dominic LeBlanc. In the meantime, however, Trudeau has appointed Sen. George Furey, a Liberal, to be the new speaker. Furey replaces Conservative Leo Housakos.

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall still wants Senate abolished

sing a line from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall repeated his long-standing criticism of the Senate, saying he was opposed to an unelected, unaccountable Senate, “Because it is 2015.” In November, Trudeau gave the same answer when he was asked why he adopted gender equality for his new cabinet. Wall’s comment came Thursday, after he was asked about Trudeau’s plan to fill 22 vacancies in the Senate. The Liberal government’s Minister of Democratic Institutions Maryam Monsef and House leader Dominic LeBlanc said a five-member independent advisory board will be struck to make recommendations for “merit-based” candidates to sit in the Senate. The board will consult with provinces, community and indigenous groups, business and labour organizations, arts councils and others. Wall said he was not impressed. “The senators will still be appointed,” Wall said, and he repeated his criticism that, in his

view, the unelected Senate does not provide equal representation of all parts of Canada. “People may ask, ‘Why is your position still abolition?’ My answer to that, today, would be: It’s 2015,” he said. “And in 2015 I don’t think any Western democracy should be relying on an appointed body to have real decision-making authority.” Wall said he understood that abolishing the Senate would not be easy, but insisted the money spent on the Red Chamber, $100 million per year by his estimation, could be used in other ways. He said he would be willing to look at the new selection process announced Thursday that would involve consultations with the provinces. “It’s the system we have right now, so I’ll want to check with our own elected members, our caucus and we’ll have a discussion about what role Saskatchewan might want to play in that,” he said. “I’m not sure you can go on forever just not appointing senators.”

Local

10 i Saturday, December 5, 2015

iberal MLA for Surrey-Fleetwood and minister responsible for TransLink Peter Fassbender spoke about Surrey transportation projects at a Surrey Board of Trade luncheon at Eaglequest Golf course on Thursday and vowed to fight for Surrey transportation projects. “If there was one good outcome of the plebiscite, it was a clear message to the

Fassbender vows to ‘fight for Surrey’ transportation projects management of TransLink, to the board of TransLink and to us in government and to the local mayors, that the confidence level of the people of this region needs to be the first priority,” Fass-

changed but my tax pocket hasn’t.” Today (Thursday) was the first day of the new federal government’s first parliamentary session in Ottawa. During the federal election campaign, the Trudeau Liberals committed to bringing light rail to Surrey and campaigned on a promise to quadruple federal investment in public over the next decade, investing nearly $20 billion in transit infrastructure. Fassbender told the luncheon audience that the provincial Liberal government will lobby the federal government hard on B.C.’s behalf to get the biggest slice possible of that funding pie. “We are going to fight for the city of Surrey,” Fassbender said. Surrey NDP MLA Bruce Ralston (Surrey-Whalley) said Fassbender’s speech revealed nothing new. Ralston noted that while the federal Liberals have said they are wiling to run deficits to build infrastructure, and Fassbender spoke of opportunities to get a share of that federal cash, “What the minister, Fassbender, didn’t say is that there’s a corresponding commitment from the provincial government to provide the provincial share. So the federal government is in, the provincial government, no commitment.”

bender told the business audience. He was asked a single question from the public microphone. Would he commit to not increasing taxes without first holding another transportation referendum? “The current legislation now says that if we need a new source there would be a plebiscite or referendum. We had the one, as you know,” Fassbender replied. “But you know what? It’s a different day today, with a new federal government, with new opportunities, so we’re going to find out exactly what the federal government wants to do, and we need to assess that once we know exactly where they are, so I’m not going to make an unequivocal statement that no matter what, we need to get our get our place in Ottawa to make sure we understand what they are going to do, then it’ll make the decisions, along with the mayors of the region as well, because we’re not going to do this in isolation and that was my commitment to make sure that we make the decisions and if we need to move quickly we need to be prepared to move quickly.” To which, the fellow who asked the question, remarked, “Ottawa may have

Calgary man charged with barbershop killing

algary police have charged a man with murder in connection with the fatal shooting at a Forest Lawn barbershop last month. Redear Kadir-Shahwan faces a first-degree murder charge from that incident as well as a number of charges including attempted murder from a near-fatal shooting on Jan. 24. He made a brief court appearance today and will be back in front of a judge on Dec. 18. On Nov. 14, Khaled El-Ajami, 30, was a customer in the shop in the 5100 block of 20th Avenue S.E. when a man came in, engaged him in a short conversation, then pulled out a gun and shot him.

El-Ajami, who was known to police, was declared dead at the scene. Investigators believe it was a targeted attack linked to an ongoing dispute among gangs involved in the drug trade. On Jan. 24, police responded to reports of gunfire around the 5300 block of Rundlehorn Drive N.E., near a Rundle liquor store. A 30-year-old was taken to hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries. At the time, police said they believed it was a targeted shooting connected to organized crime and drugs. Two others have also been charged for their alleged roles in connection with the fatal shooting.

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LOCAL

B.C. liquor stores press for right to sell legal pot

ne of British Columbia’s largest unions has joined forces with private liquor stores to press for permission to sell non-medical marijuana in provincial liquor stores once that becomes legal. The province’s liquor store network has a solid track record for selling alcohol in a socially responsible manner, especially when it comes to checking that buyers are of age, the two groups told a news conference Wednesday. That network would dovetail well with the sale of non-medical marijuana, they said. “We believe this is an incredible opportunity for British Columbia,” said Stephanie Smith, president of the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union. “We have an excellent track record for distributing and retailing alcohol.”

Smith was joined by Damian Kettlewell, representing B.C.’s private liquor stores. There are nearly 900 private and public liquor stores in B.C. During the federal election campaign, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau promised to legalize and regulate the sale of marijuana, but would not commit to a timeline for legalization. The BCGEU and

B.C. marijuana shops illegal say feds, as RCMP crackdown

CMP continue to issue warnings and shut down shops selling medical marijuana across B.C,, and it appears the federal government has no plans to intervene, despite plans to legalize the drug. According to Jeff Gaudette, the co-owner of MMJ Total Health Care in downtown Vernon, last week officers issued verbal warnings to five shops selling medical marijuana. Police made it clear the shops will be shut down if they continue to sell marijuana products, he said. Gaudette said he’s taking precautions by reducing the amount of stock in his store, but will continue to supply customers with medical cannabis. “Our doors are open and our patients are going to be our voice. And if our doors get closed, I can assure you our patients will take to the streets and be heard.” Raids follow warnings A spokesperson with the North Okanagan RCMP said the detachment is not giving interviews about the crackdown. But in a written statement, police say they expect the businesses to comply with Canada’s Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The warning in Vernon appears to follow a pattern in other jurisdictions, with police following the letter of the law and issuing warnings before moving in with search warrants to seize products and make arrests. Earlier this week, RCMP raided shops in Nanaimo, Sechelt and Mission. In all three cases, police said the raids followed complaints from the public about the shops. But according to Staff Sgt. Rob Vermeulen, at the RCMP E-division headquarters Surrey, the raids were all initiatives of the local detachments, and not part of a regional strategy. “Each detachment sets their own priorities based on local circumstances in their communities and public safety need,” said Vermeulen in an email to the CBC News. Not legal yet, Ottawa says In recent years,

Saturday, December 5, 2015 i

guing that marijuana advocates and retailers have earned the right to step into the cannabis industry, once legalized. “People have put 20, 30 years in this industry and they’ve worked hard and they’ve suffered hard.” A Colorado-based policy analyst, Andrew Livingston, agreed that Canadian legislators will have to balance demands from longtime cannabis players and newer retailers — such as liquor store owners — who want in on the business. At first glance, Livingston noted, it appears B.C. liquor stores have a solid infrastructure to sell cannabis products. “You already have these brick and mortar establishments and they have already tight regulations and systems of distribution,” Livingston said in an interview from Denver. “But you also don’t want to necessarily sideline those medical marijuana dispensaries that have been operating legitimately within their communities, in some cases, for decades.”

private liquor store partnership said the network could be ready to sell marijuana by Christmas 2016. Smith argued that permitting the sale of marijuana in liquor stores would be less costly and bureaucratic than setting up a separate system. The tax revenue from marijuana sales could fund education and addiction programs, she said. Wednesday’s announcement drew criticism from longtime B.C. pot seller Don Briere, owner of Weeds, Glass & Gifts Ltd., a chain of stores that sells cannabis products. “If these guys want to push us out, that’s totally wrong,” Briere said, ar-

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LOCAL 12 i Saturday, December 5, 2015

4 charged after cabbies stormed Ottawa area dispatch in November

our southern Ontario men have been charged with assault and breaking and entering after a protest organized by the union that represents taxi drivers in Ottawa escalated to the violent storming of the Coventry Connections dispatch centre in November. The men from Woodstock, Meaford, Brantford and Whitby have also been charged with mischief. Three people working inside the call centre required medical attention after protesting cabbies charged into the building on the morning of Nov. 13 as a labour dispute between Ottawa airport taxi drivers and their dispatcher entered its third month. Coventry Connections said some of the protesters covered security cameras with garbage bags and ripped out computer cords, but some of the takeover was still

117 Street and 80th Ave., (near Scott Road).

captured on camera. The dispatcher estimated the protesters caused $75,000 in damage. The national president of Unifor, the union that represents the airport taxi drivers, later apologized “if people felt threatened in any form” but emphasized that drivers are suffering financially as the dispute drags on. Unifor bused in taxi drivers from across Ontario and Quebec for the protest. Airport taxi drivers were locked out by Coventry Connections in August after refusing to accept an increase in fees for exclusive access to the airport’s taxi stand. Drivers have previously marched through downtown Ottawa and held protests on the Airport Parkway over the fees — protests that have at times turned violent.

LOCAL

‘Go to BC’ says Alberta Minister to unemployed in the oil patch

ALGARY — Alberta’s energy minister is apologizing, saying she misspoke during an address when she suggested skilled journeymen with the right credentials could move to British Columbia to find work until energy prices bounce back. Marg McCuaig-Boyd told a meeting of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Land Administration on Thursday that where she lives in northwestern Alberta, skilled workers can move back and forth to B.C. on jobs if they have the right credentials. Later Thursday evening, she issued a statement to radio station CFFR saying that is not the position of either herself or the government on jobs. She said the government wants to help “create opportunities to keep Albertans in Alberta.” McCuaig-Boyd insisted the government doesn’t see B.C. as a safety valve for laid-off Alberta workers and there is potentially more Alberta could do to keep skilled workers in the province. “We all know the (oil) price is going to go back up, so how can we

keep people in Alberta? That’s a challenge for everybody,” she said. Earlier, McCuaig-Boyd told the association the government hopes people who have lost their jobs in the oilpatch will use the downturn to upgrade their skills and take advantage of apprenticeship programs. She said pipelines must be built to get Alberta’s oil to the coast and to overseas markets. “It’s a tough time for everybody, not just oil and gas. There’s lots of jobs being lost in the services sector ... This oil price is hurting a lot of Albertans, so you just have to hunker down and get through it.” In her statement, McCuaig-Boyd said the government is working with the energy industry, businesses of all sizes and entrepreneurs to diversify the economy, develop new opportunities and create good jobs. “We are increasing investment in infrastructure, supporting trade development, and improving access to capital for smalland medium-sized businesses,” she said. “By taking real action on climate change, we can change the conversation on pipe-

Family of man accused of stabbing at Emily Carr University, claims he is “sick”

he family of a man accused of stabbing a fellow student in the face at Emily Carr University on Wednesday evening says he suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, and needs help. Amirreza Sepehr has been charged with two counts of assault with a weapon, said Vancouver police. The 24-year-old man turned himself in on Thursday morning. Police said the assault was the result of a continuing dispute between Sepehr and the 26-year-old victim, whose name has not been released. he has done,” said Zahra Hassanpour, Amirreza Sepehr’s aunt. “We just want everyone to know that he’s sick, and he needs help.” Hassanpour said she was stunned to find out that Sepehr has been charged with assault. “He was doing great,” she said. “For me it was so shocking.” Sepehr was diagnosed with Asperg-

er’s syndrome five years ago and had been taking medication — but she said he stopped taking it because of the side effects, which made him feel like a “vegetable.” She said although he had previously acted out by punching walls and breaking doors, he had never been violent towards anyone. “He just hurt himself, he never hurt anybody,” she said. Classroom provocation, witness says Sepehr has had brushes with the law in the past, including convictions for weapons possession, uttering threats and assault with a weapon. Sgt. Randy Fincham said the investigation will likely turn to the nature of the feud. “For something like this to escalate to the point where it results in a stabbing is very serious, so a lot of the investigation will stem around … what the dispute was between these two men.” At the time of the altercation, about 60 students were in a lecture hall at

Saturday, December 5, 2015 i

Cut to police DNA testing triggers feud between province and municipalites

dispute between cities and the British Columbia government over funding of police DNA testing has erupted into a nasty public sparring match. The head of the Union of B.C. Municipalities said Attorney General Suzanne Anton is wrongly blaming the federal government for her decision to dump higher police DNA testing costs onto cash-strapped communities. Al Richmond said Anton must clarify the province’s authority to transfer the extra costs to municipalities and explain to taxpayers why B.C. is the only province in Canada to download DNA testing costs. He said Anton has advised the UBCM to talk to the federal government, but that’s not fair. “Our contract is with the provincial government, not with the federal government. We’re not going to be contacting the federal government and saying, ‘What’s going on?’ If I contacted Telus about a Bell contract, they’d tell me to talk to Bell.” Funding model changes Anton was not available Thursday but

said in a statement Wednesday that the former Conservative government revised the DNA funding model, requiring the province and municipalities to pay more. “Unfortunately, this means the costs fall to both levels of government and we recognize the burden this federal decision places on municipalities.” Richmond disagreed, saying changes in the federal funding model do not mean costs should be passed on to local governments. Anton said in the statement that the UBCM was aware for more than a year that funding changes were coming. “I encourage them to raise these directly with the Government of Canada,” she said, adding B.C. will continue to subsidize DNA testing and help municipalities by contributing $1.3 million annually. The province paid an extra $1.2 million last year and will pay an additional $1.7 million this year for the testing, which police and others use to identify individuals by the unique characteristics of their DNA, Anton said.

14 i Saturday, December 5, 2015

LOCAL

Chinese student sentenced to life for killing his mother

Tony Singh, owner of Fruiticana (second from left) and his family have offered free groceries to Syrian refugees for three months. Photo: Chandra Bodalia

Tang was originally charged he son of a Chinese with first-degree murder, but woman whose body pleaded guilty to second-dewas found stuffed in a gree murder. An outstanding suitcase in 2012 on a remote charge of conspiring with unWest Coast island has been dercover officers to kill his sentenced to life in jail with no father was stayed on Tuesday. chance of parole for 17 years. “My opinion of that charge Yuan Xi Tang, 28, was found Lianjie Guo was that it was quite weak givguilty of second-degree muren that the conversation reder earlier this month, after the discovery lating to the father arose within the conof Lianjie Guo, 47, in a suitcase on Hartext of the undercover operation,” said wood Island, north of Powell River, B.C. Anderson. Facing eventual deportation The conviction carries an automatic life When Tang is eventually released, Andersentence, but the judge had to decide son said he’ll be sent to an immigration when he would be eligible for parole. Tang’s lawyer Troy Anderson welcomed detention centre and likely face deportatoday’s sentence, even though he had tion. Tang’s family from China was not in asked the court for a more lenient pa- court today. His mother Guo was declared role eligibility in the 12 to 15 year range. missing on June 7, 2012, the day she was “He’s relieved that he’s been properly con- scheduled to fly back to China after she and victed of second-degree murder and that’s her husband visited their son in Vancouver. the offence he admitted to,” said Anderson. Police said Yuan Xi Tang came to Canada on a student visa in 2006.

Surrey’s Muslim Food Bank sees refugee settlement demand triple

he Muslim Food Bank in Surrey, B.C. says demand for its services has almost tripled in the five years since it opened its doors. Director Azim Dahya says the organization began as a short-term intervention for refugees and immigrants needing kosher, halal and vegan foods, but has since expanded to provide settlement services for 450 families. That includes helping them get jobs, learn English and integrate into the community, he says. With the planned arrival of hundreds of refugees from Syria, she now expects demand will increase even more. I wish it could be the other way around. We were actually expecting to get people more out of the requirement, get them sustainable and all that. Continued on next page

Canada’s Fanshawe College enters into an MoU with India’s NSDC for skill training

community college of Canada entered into a MoU with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to train one lakh youth over the next 10 years. The tie-up with Fanshawe College, which was initiated during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Canada early this year, was operationalized in New Delhi. The MoU states that the collaboration will help build training capacity in areas of automotive and apparels along with sectors like hospitality, construction and aviation. The college’s role will include developing expertise in areas of curriculum development, teaching and learning resources development, occupational standards, testing and certification, labor market information system, providing expertise in teacher training and setting up centres of excellence in developing and delivering these programs. Initially, the area of focus will be welding, robot-

LOCAL

Saturday, December 5, 2015 i

MLA Manmeet Bhullar’s deep commitment celebrated at memorial

housands packed Calgary’s Jubilee Auditorium and overflow seating last Sunday to say goodbye to “peaceful warrior” Manmeet Bhullar. The Progressive Conservative member of the legislature for Calgary-Greenway was only 35 when he was killed by a semi-truck on a snowy Queen Elizabeth II Highway north of Red Deer on Monday. Fittingly for a man with a reputation for helping others, Bhullar was out of his car coming to the aid of a stranded motorist. The crowd at his service included federal and provincial cabinet ministers, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and over 40 MLAs, as well as family and regular citizens who were touched by Bhullar’s generosity. The master of ceremonies was former premier Jim Prentice, who had known Bhullar since he was age 10.

Flights to Canada for Syrian refugees to start Dec. 10

he first planes carrying Syrian refugees from camps overseas are expected to arrive at two of Canada’s busiest airports late next week. A federal solicitation document posted Monday names Dec. 10 as the date when the first flights are planned to carry refugees from camps in Jordan and Turkey to Canadian soil. The document says those flights could continue until the end of March. The federal government plans on bringing 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by the end of February, with 10,000 of them arriving by the end of this month. The first group will be made up largely of privately sponsored refugees, many of whose files have been in the works for months as churches and other community groups moved to assist some of the most vulnerable people fleeing the Syrian civil war. The plan is bring those refugees into Canada on commercial flights, with military airplanes available every 48 hours if necessary in case commercial jets aren’t available. Seeking Canadian air carriers to offer ‘discounts’

“In a world where there is much darkness, he showed us all, seemingly effortlessly and always with that broad smile, that it is always the best in humanity that wins out,” said Prentice. ‘An exemplary man’ With over 2,000 people packed into the Jubilee and over 400 watching in the nearby SAIT gymnasium, Prentice said Bhullar would have had a chuckle and a smile over the turnout. Following the singing of the Canadian and Sikh national anthems, Prentice read a statement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “Today we remember an exemplary man who devoted his life, publicly and privately, to helping others,” said the statement. Prentice praised Bhullar’s generosity and optimism and his “shining belief in the ability of young people to change the world.”

The India Cultural Centre of Canada and the Gurdwara Nank Niwas of Richmond honored former Conservative Parliamentary Speaker, John Fraser (second from right), on November 29 for his community service. Photo: Chandra Bodalia

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Surrey’s Muslim Food Bank From previous page “But the thing is, we have refugees coming in all the time, so of course growth is inevitable.” The Muslim Food Bank recently found a bigger warehouse. It’s also looking to add up to 200 case workers to the 80 it already has. The food bank runs on private donations from individuals and businesses. Dahya says those will have to double or even triple to to keep up with the growing demand.

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LOCAL

B.C.’s Environment Minister insists province is a leader in fight against climate change

Environment Minister Mary Polak insists province still a leader, despite refusing to raise Carbon tax rate

he B.C. government insists its plans on LNG and carbon tax make it a world leader when it comes to the fight against climate change, but critics say Premier Christy Clark is not doing enough. Clark appointed members from B.C. businesses, First Nations, local governments, academia, and environmental groups to a climate leadership team, and last week they came back with a list of 32 recommendations to help guide the province in the fight against climate change. But this week, Clark told reporters she would not commit to the recommendations without more consultation. B.C. Environment Minister Mary Polak is at the UN Climate Change conference in Paris. She joined Rick Cluff on CBC Radio

One’s The Early Edition from Paris. What are you and the B.C. delegation hoping to achieve at these talks? Carbon pricing is our most significant effort. We’ve been working to advance that in other jurisdictions in Canada, but also in other places in the world. That is one of our biggest challenges in B.C. We’ve made significant progress. We still have one of the highest cost and broadest carbon taxes anywhere in the world. When you get to $30 a tonne, that starts to pose a risk to your industries and your economy, when you’re not competitive with other jurisdictions. Premier Christy Clark froze increases on the carbon tax in 2012. Will your government take the advice of your own climate leadership team and resume those increases?

Canadian mother locates missing kids in Kurdish region after months-long search More than 100 days after her four kids (pictured) were allegedly abducted by their father and taken to Northern Iraq, a Canadian mother has discovered her children’s location and she’s counting on the Canadian government to get them out of the volatile Kurdish Region, her family says. After an unsuccessful trip to search for her missing kids in Iraqi Kurdistan in September, former Calgarian Alison Azer traveled back to the middle east a month ago, in an effort to meet with officials and reunite with her children — girls Sharvahn, 11, and Rojevahn, 9, and boys Dersim, 7, and three-year-old Meitan. For months, policing agency INTERPOL has listed the kids as missing on its website and a Canada-wide warrant for the children’s well-known Kurdish Canadian father was issued on Aug. 24, 2015. Azer has finally discovered where in the Kurdish Region her children are living, her family confirmed on Tuesday, stating efforts are now underway between the Canadian government and the Kurdish government to reunite Azer with her kids and return the children safely and quickly to their home in B.C.’s Comox Valley.

“After three months we’ve found them and that’s huge, but we’ve got work ahead,” said Kate Jeffrey, Azer’s niece, on Tuesday. Jeffrey said the children’s father is allegedly refusing to release them. While the family is not revealing exactly

where in the region the children are, Jeffrey credited social media efforts, a Canadian media report about the missing kids that was recently translated and broadcast in the Kurdish Region, and tips from the public with the discovery of the children’s location after months of searching “For Alison, the news was obviously incredible,” Jeffrey said. “She’s been incredibly strong through what’s been a really intolerable situation and she’s optimistic, but she’s cautious. She knows that this is going to be a challenge to get them back but not a challenge she can’t face.”

Vancouver commuter assaulted after asking women to stop shouting racist slurs

olice are asking the public for help identifying two young women suspected of beating up a bystander who asked them to stop shouting racist slurs at a SkyTrain station earlier this fall. The two suspects were allegedly harassing non-white passengers on the lower concourse level of the Granville SkyTrain station on Sept. 19 at 12:25 a.m., according to a Transit Police press release. Vancouver Transit Police handout Both women are described as Vancouver Transit Police handoutThe two suspects white and in their mid-20s, with long, were seen boarding a westbound train heading for straight brown hair and brown eyes. Waterfront Station shortly after the attack. When another woman politely asked tify the women, and now they’re distribthem to stop, they allegedly punched her, knocked her to the ground, kicked uting surveillance photos of the pair in her and grabbed her by the hair. She broke the hope someone knows who they are. free and managed to call police, but had to Both women are described as white and in be taken to hospital for treatment of cuts their mid-20s, with long, straight brown hair and bruises, a black eye and arm injuries. and brown eyes. They were wearing short black The two suspects were seen boarding a dresses with high heels at the time of the attack. westbound train heading for Waterfront One of the suspects is described as having a Station shortly after the attack. To date, full-figured build and was wearing a short, investigators have been unable to iden- light-coloured denim jacket and carrying a black and white clutch.

LOCAL

$50M Lotto Max mystery sparked ‘ need-to-know’ warning

he mystery surrounding a winning $50 million Lotto Max ticket led the B.C. Lottery Corporation’s president to warn employees earlier this year not to speculate about the case in public. According to a memo released under a freedom of information request, Jim Lightbody issued an all-staff reminder to employees last March to keep quiet during the verification process, which is still going on. “Be mindful of where conversations are occurring (stay away from discussing this matter in public locations such as the parkade or local coffee shops),” Lightbody wrote. “Share information only on a ‘need-toknow’ basis. While we are all curious as to the outcome, we need to keep the information secure until it can be shared more widely; stay away from speculation.” The memos are part of an otherwise almost completely unsuccessful bid to pry information out of BCLC about the Lotto Max mystery. The draw for the prize took place March 14, 2014, and the winner had a year to claim the prize, but stepped forward on March 9, 2015, just days before the deadline. BCLC said at the time that they needed to verify the winner. But the corporation has said nothing since. Clearly, though, a lot has been going on behind the scenes. In response to a request for copies of reports or investigations into the win, the lottery corporation withheld 275 pages of records. They argue the disclosure would reveal policy advice or recommendations; reveal legal advice; harm the effectiveness of investigative techniques; harm intergovernmental relations; and harm personal privacy. The response also says that BCLC won’t provide any more information about the claim

Variable speed limit signs coming for 3 B.C. routes

Saturday, December 5, 2015 i

he B.C. government is moving ahead with a $12.5 million plan to install variable speed signs on three major highway routes, but it will still be a few months before they enter operation. Nearly 50 of the electronic signs will warn drivers to slow down in bad weather along three of the province’s busiest routes: The speed limits will be set by a system of traffic, pavement and visibility sensors that will monitor conditions on the routes and recommend speed limits to operations staff. Overhead message signs at the entrance of each corridor will inform drivers that they are entering a variable speed zone, and to be aware of changing weather conditions. “The electronic signs will adjust the speed limit to let drivers know what speed they should be travelling during winter weather conditions, to help them reach their destination safe and sound,” said Transportation Minister Todd Stone in a statement on Wednesday. After two or three months of testing the signs are expect to go live in early 2016. The pilot project was first announced by Stone in 2014 as part of a review of provincial speed limits which included raising speed limits to 120 km/h on a limited number of highway sections.

until the verification process is concluded. All prize winners have to establish a rightful claim, either by themselves or as part of the group. That includes proving or providing a record of ownership for the ticket. But by any estimation, the wait is a long one. Last February, Gregory Nikolopoulos won a $50 million Lotto Max draw in Ontario on Friday, Feb. 6. He was presented with a ceremonial cheque the following Monday. And in October, a group of 12 co-workers in Markham were publicly announced as the winners of a $60 million Lotto Max prize within a week of the numbers being drawn. The issue is a sensitive one for BCLC, which was criticized by the province’s ombudsman in 2007 in a report undertaken to address concerns about lottery retailers claiming too many prizes. At that time, the report suggested the corporation’s questions for people claiming prizes of $500,000 or more mostly related to where and when the ticket was bought.

Dilbag and Jagdish Gujral and their family members donated $2,500 worth of warm clothing to the homeless in Surrey on November 27 with the assistance of Janta Sewak Society. Photo: Chandra Bodalia

18 i Saturday, December 5, 2015

TYLE

Saturday - December 5, 2015

Did Kat give Tamasha success party a miss because of Deepika?

Katrina Kaif

Krishna Shroff

Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff’s sister Krishna Shroff shares topless pictures on her Instagram account. Tiger’s sister is seen posing the hair and tattoo

anbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone‘s Tamasha has been performing well at the box office. It has nearly crossed the 50 crore mark at the domestic box office and has earned well at the overseas market too. The audience has loved both the star’s performances and so a success party was obvious to follow. The actors hosted a sudden party in Mumbai a few days back and last minute invites were sent to all. One special invite even went to Ranbir Kapoor’s alleged girlfriend, Katrina Kaif. But the actress was not seen at the party. Why? Sources say that it was the presence of Ranbir’s ex- girlfriend, Deepika Padukone that kept her away from the event.

“Dilwale’ promo in London

Shah Rukh Khan along with other ‘Dilwale’ - Kajol, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon in London for the promotions of upcoming movie ‘Dilwale’

Five Ashutosh Gowariker films preserved at New York’s George Eastman Museum The world’s oldest museum dedicated to photography as well as housing one of the world’s oldest film archives, The George Eastman Museum, has acquired five films directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, to add to their impressive collection of 28,000 titles from across the globe. Lagaan, which found its place among films like Caddyshack, Field of Dreams,

Million Dollar Baby, Raging Bull, Rocky and other such classics in Time Magazine’s list of 25 All-Time Best Sports Films, is one of the films in the Museum’s recently acquired contemporary Indian cinema collection. Jodhaa Akbar, the epic romance which won awards at both the Golden Minbar International Film Festival and the Sao Paulo International Film

Sunny Leone’s ‘Mastizaade’ delayed

espite its risque content and double entendre dialogues, Sunny Leone-starrer Mastizaade had a smooth sailing with the censors where it got an adult certificate. The film is still delayed and will come out on January 29 due to certain distribution issues, actor Tusshar Kapoor explained recently. Asked if issues with the censor board was the reason behind the delay, Tusshar clarified: “We got our censor certificate long back, we got delayed as some distribution issues were there, we didn’t want Hate Story 3 and Mastizaade to come on the same day.

Star & Style

2 i Saturday, December 5, 2015

Hrithik Roshan fulfilled the last wish of his fan

Kareena not interested in working with Hrithik?

ou how Kareena Kapoor Khan and Hrithik Roshan might be reuniting for Sanjay Gupta’s next. The film, to be produced by Rakesh Roshan, would have gone on floors from next year and that would mean that the ex-couple would reunite for a film after 13 years. And as this news spread like wild fire, the film’s director took to Twitter to clarify this news. He said, ““It would be any director’s dream come true to get Hrithik and Kareena together for a film. But we have not finalised our heroine yet.” Kareena has mentioned on various occasions that she wouldn’t mind working with Hrithik, but trade sources indicate that the truth lies in between all these versions. As a source reveals, “Kareena was reportedly approached for the role and she even liked the script, but she declined the offer at the end.” Well, we wonder why! In the past the jodi has been seen together in several films like Yaadein, Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham, Mujhse Dosti Karoge! and Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon. The two superstars were supposed to pair up in Shhuddhi too, however things fell out and the film

Hrithik Roshan met a 15-year-old cancer patient Nikita Shukla, who was a big fan of the actor. Hrithik, who was shooting in Jabalpur for Ashutosh Gowariker‘s Mohenjo Daro was informed about his adorable fan while filming there. and expressed her wish to meet him.

Digangana to go???

Kolaveri Di : 1st Indian video to cross 100 million views on YouTube went to Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt. The makers, reportedly, are on the look out for another actress now and they shall make the announcement very soon. The film will start from February and the shoot will go on till May. Will Kareena still change her mind? Or will someone else be cast opposite Hrithik? What do you think? Tell us in the comments section below!

Sridevi, Jaya Prada friends again Kolaveri Di, the song that made Dhanusha household name has now become the first Indian video to cross 100 million views. The video was released by Sony Music on 16, November 2011, which instantly went viral

Bigg Boss 9_ Priya Malik nominates Suyyash and Digangana for evictions.

Of course marriage is on the cards: Upen and Karishma

hey fell in love during the last season of reality show Bigg Boss, and got engaged on the sets of another reality show, Nach Baliye, a few months later. We talk to the much-in-love couple about their ¬marriage plans and more. You have been dating for a year now. What is it that you love about each other, and what would you like to change? Karishma: I love that he is a thorough gentleman and takes care of me

Jaya Prada and Sridevi seemed to have ended their alleged rift as both exchanged warm greetings at the reception of Jaya Prada's son.

Manoj Kumar out of hospital, doing ‘fine’ now “Manoj Kumar was hospitalised 15 days back and he got discharged last night. He is fine now,” the source close to the actor told The actor reportedly had a back problem for which he underwent treatment at the hospital. The 78-year-old is renowned for acting and direct-

ing films with patriotic themes. Some of his popular films include ‘Upkar’, ‘Roti Kapda Aur Makaan’, ‘Hariyali Aur Raasta’, ‘Do Badan’, ‘Himalaya Ki God Mein’ and ‘Patthar Ke Sanam’, besides others. He was honoured with the Padma Shri award in 1992.

and my family. I dislike the fact that he thinks too much. Upen: I love everything about her and I don’t think there is anything that I would like to change. I think it’s important to -accept each other the way we are and grow with it. Watch Upen and Karishma discuss their relationship here Is marriage on the cards? Karishma: Marriage is on the cards, but we are busy with our careers.

Sarangi maestro Ustad Sabri Khan passes away at 88 The renowned sarangi player passed away due to breathing problems. Award-winning sarangi player Ustad Sabri Khan died of breathing problems at the age of 88

Bollywood personalities’ birthdays this week Shekhar Kapoor 6 December

Dharmendra 8 December

Dia Mirza 9 December

Dilip Kumar 11 December

Rajni Kant 12 December

Star & Style

Saturday, December 5, 2015 i 3

MOVIES RELEASED THIS WEEK - December 4, 2015

SAME-SAME

Angry Indian Goddesses Angry Indian Goddesses is a 2015 Hindi drama film, directed by Pan Nalin with Sandhya Mridul, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Sarah-Jane Dias, Anushka Manchanda, Amrit Maghera, Rajshri Deshpande and Pavleen Gujral playing lead roles with Adil Hussain.

Hate Story 3

Deepika Padukone was spotted in a Dolce & Gabbana dress at the success party of her film, Tamasha, - Incidentally, Kangana Ranaut wore a similar rose print dress at a promotional event for her film, Katti Batti, in September this year., Deepika’s stylist might have some answering to do.

‘Drunk’ Kapil Sharma misbehaves with actress

apil Sharma is an Indian stand-up comedian, actor, TV host, producer and singer. Kapil Sharma is quite popular with the ladies who seem to love the man’s charming sense of humour. However, his usually endearing antics apparently got a bit out of hand when he was drunk at an after-party of an Award function. According to a report on Bollywoodlife.com, the stand-up comedian, in an inebriated state, got too close for comfort with the girls at the party. He had reportedly also made indecent advances towards a Marathi film actress, Deepali Sayyad. An onlooker was quoted in the report as saying that Kapil tried to dance with Deepali, who, understanding his advances, excused herself. Deepali has confirmed the reports by saying that Kapil wanted to dance with her but she dances only with

the people she knows and hence she danced with Gutthi and Palak from Kapil’s TV show. Apparently, TV actor, Sharad Kelkar had to sit Kapil down and explain him the situation. As a apology of sorts, Kapil tweeted, “I fall, I rise, I make mistakes, I live, I learn, I’ve been hurt but I am alive.i am human, I am not perfect but I am thankful

Hate Story 3 is an upcoming 2015 Indian thriller film directed by Vishal Pandya. Produced by TSeries, it stars Sharman Joshi, Zarine Khan, Daisy Shah, Karan Singh Grover, in lead roles, and Priyanshu Chatterjee in a pivotal role

Kajarya Kajarya kills unwanted girl infants under the guise of religious sacrifice in her village. When a reporter discovers the town’s dark secret, the villagers turn on Kajarya and portray her as a monster.

Sultan: Salman’s wrestling coach to be played by Randeep Hooda Salman Khan likes to work with people he’s comfortable with. He shared an equation with Randeep Hooda during Kick and became quite fond of the actor. While it is not sure whether Randeep will be part of the Kick sequel, he has just signed on for Sultan.

Says a source, “Director Ali Abbas Zafar was searching for someone to play Salman’s wrestling coach. The role needed someone tall with a good physique and persona. It’s a meaty role. Salman felt that Randeep fit the bill, so he recommended his name.

Bigg Boss 9: Rimi Sen admits she got paid a lot to stay on Rimi Sen has accepted that she was given a lot of incentive to enter Bigg Boss 9. reports ¬surfaced that the actor had charged a whooping Rs 2 crore for the show, and that was why she was not being evicted. Now that Rimi has exited Bigg Boss, she tells us that money was a major factor that ¬motivated her to come on board. “I cannot breach my contract and tell you how much it was (the fee), because that would not be right. But it is true that they gave me a lot of incentive to enter the show. These are their convincing tactics, which they use to get people. Although my nature is very different, I also got convinced,” she says

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Star & Style

Veeran’s first happy birthday was celebrated by proud parents Rocky and Mandy Mangat and sister Jiya Mangat in Vancouver last week. Photo: Chnadra Bodalia

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Deflation, or falling prices, here is a risk of a col- House prices could fall 26% if oil hits $35 and stays for 5 years: CMHC could stall business investment lapse in housing prices if Monday, saying house prices could decline West Texas Intermediate oil, the bench- and push unemployment to 16 per cent. oil falls to $35 US a barrel and reJoblessness could hurt house prices by 26 per cent if that happened. Siddall said mark North American contract, is currently mains there for five years, triggering unemHigh unemployment tends to be a greater he doesn’t expect that scenario to play out, just below $45 US a barrel and unemployployment of 12.5 per cent in Canada, acbut it’s one of several that the federal housing ment is at seven per cent in Canada. A more risk to housing markets than rising interest cording to Canada Mortgage and Housing agency considered in trying to assess what extreme scenario CMHC considered was rates, as joblessness can lead people to try Corporation. CMHC chief executive Evan kinds of risks might be faced by the Canawidespread global deflation which could to sell quickly or to default on payments. Siddall presented that scenario to a Cana4 i housing Saturday, July 25, 2015 drive down housing prices by 44 per cent. Canadian households’ current high level of dian market. dian Association of New York luncheon on

Is the Calgary housing dam about to burst?

n what should be a surprise to almost no one, the Calgary Real Estate Board says resale housing market conditions favour buyers. Supplies continue to build in the oilpatch but prices in Calgary have yet to collapse in a way that would constitute a crash. Corinne Lyall, president of CREB, noted that despite the rise in listings, inventory levels are still 27 per cent below the high recorded in November, 2008. “Furthermore, price declines have not been as steep as those recorded during the last downturn,” she said in a release.

The average sale price of a home in November was $460,859, a 5.08 per cent decline from a year ago. The benchmark price, which the board says better represents changes for similar-type homes and minimizes impact caused by the distribution of housing sales, was down two per cent from a year ago at $450,700. “It’s not a surprise that the average price has recorded a steeper decline than the benchmark price,” said Lyall, noting a year ago detached homes constituted a larger chunk of sales and drove average prices up. Detached homes values in the city are under pressure with the average sale price $523,430, a 7.24 per cent decline from a year ago. Year-to-date, the average detached home has sold for $537,165, a 3.65 per cent decline compared to a year earlier

6 i Saturday, December 5, 2015 From page 5

House prices could fall 26% if oil hits $35 and stays for 5 years: CMHC indebtedness make them more vulnerable, Siddall said. Currently CMHC experiences a low level of arrears on its insured mort-

gages – 0.35 per cent as of September. The agency has a mandate to contribute to the stability of the housing market and financial system. As part of that process, it tries to predict the impact on Canadian housing of various economic scenarios, some of which Siddall described as “wild.” Among them are a magnitude 9.0 earthquake in Vancouver that also resulted in the failure of a major lender and a U.S.-style housing price collapse of 30 per cent. Siddall said in a speech earlier this month that the scenario of five years of $35 oil is CMHC’s “bedrock scenario...used to set the capital levels for our mortgage loan insurance business.” CMHC concludes it has sufficient capital to weather such a shock without turning to taxpayers for money, though the amount of funding it contributes to the federal government would be reduced. Current outlook points to oil risk In its current housing market outlook, it says the “future path of oil prices remains the most significant domestic risk” in the Canadian economy. Oil prices are down 50 per cent from a year ago, forcing Canadian oil firms to trim investment and jobs and hurt the economies of oil-producing regions. Most analysts forecast oil will rise in 2016, but some say it could fall further.

But in its current outlook, CMHC points out that the downturn in Alberta has been offset by growth in exports from B.C. and Ontario.“While the prolonged decline in oil prices triggered two consecutive quarters of real GDP contraction in 2015, employment gains and low interest rates have supported housing activity,” it says. Housing prices rose six per cent in the year to October in Canada, according to

the Canadian Real Estate Association. For next year, CMHC presents a range of outlooks – from a four per cent drop to 6.5 per cent rise in housing prices, pointing out that housing markets across Canada are very uneven. House price inflation is expected to moderate in hot markets such as Toronto and Vancouver because of higher mortgage rates, but there also could be a decline in housing starts, it says. It points to considerable uncertainty over the negative impact of low oil prices and the downturn in China,

but said there is also potential for a strongerthan-expected growth in the U.S. Its base case scenario over five years for Canada’s housing market is price increases of 9.1 per cent and joblessness at about 6.6 per cent.

Saturday, December 5, 2015 i 7

CMHC finds foreign ownership of condos low but growing In central Vancouver it’s 5.4%, central Toronto 5.8%, though CMHC admits more data needed

anada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has crunched the 2015 numbers on foreign ownership of condos in Canadian cities and again concluded that it is low but growing. In Vancouver, about 3.5 per cent of condominiums were owned by foreign buyers in 2015, up from 2.3 per cent a year earlier. The percentage jumped in the Burrard Peninsula, Vancouver Westside and Eastside to 5.4 per cent. In central Toronto, foreign ownership of condos was 5.8 per cent, versus 4.3 per cent a year earlier, while in greater Toronto it was 3.3 per cent, up from 2.4 per cent. CMHC president Evan Siddall called it a significant change from year to year. “No surprise: these are Canada’s largest and most international cities,” Siddall said in a speech in Montreal Thursday. The other municipalities showing an increase in foreign buying were Winnipeg, where foreign ownership was 2.7 per cent in 2015 and London, Ont., where it was 2.2 per cent. Foreign ownership of Canadian real estate has become a hot topic this year with the rapid rise of housing prices in Vancouver and Toronto. There is anecdotal evidence and studies from real estate brokers that

Canadian-born people who are non-resident, unlike some realtor surveys, which are based on the names of the owners. In his speech in Montreal, he also acknowledged there is a risk to Canadian housing markets from too much foreign ownership. “A lack of accurate and reliable data makes it difficult to determine if or how foreign ownership may be affecting the market,” he said. “Foreign investment may be more mobile and sub-

buyers from mainland China are driving the market for luxury properties. But a similar CMHC study last year on the condo sector failed to turn up any data that showed high foreign ownership. Might not have full picture Siddall acknowledged Thursday that CMHC lacks accurate and reliable data on foreign ownership, as landlords may not be honest in reporting to the federal agency. The CMHC study is done by speaking to property managers and condo boards for every condo building in each of 15 census metropolitan areas

Coconut Curry Soup Ingredients

Recipe

2 cans (14-ounce/400 mL each) of premium coconut milk 1 heaping tablespoon (20 mL) of Thai curry paste the tender stems of 1 bunch of cilantro, rinsed well2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced, 2 cups (500 mL0 of chicken broth, 1 carrot, shredded, 4 or 5 lime leaves, 2 stalks of lemon grass, halved lengthwise, woody leaves removed2 tablespoons (30 mL) of fish sauce the zest and juice of 2 limes a small knob frozen ginger, a handful bean sproutsa 8 ounce (225 g) package rice noodles 1 bunch of cilantro leaves, rinsed well 2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced a sprinkle or two salt or soy sauce Methord: Scoop coconut cream from the top of just one of the cans into a large stockpot set over a medium-high heat. Melt the cream, add the curry paste and stir for a few minutes until they begin to sizzle. Add the cilantro roots and chicken and sauté until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the coconut juice from the

first can and all the contents of the second can along with the chicken broth, carrot, lime leaves, lemon grass, fish sauce and lime zest and juice. Grate the frozen ginger into the broth with a Microplane grater or standard box grater. Simmer for 20 minutes or so. Stir in the bean sprouts. Add the rice noodles, gently pushing them beneath the surface of the broth. Turn off the heat and let stand until the noodles soften, about 5 minutes. Rice noodles don’t need to simmer like pasta to

cook; they simply need to rehydrate in the hot liquid. Stir in most of the cilantro leaves. Remove the lemon grass stalks. Taste and season with a touch more salt (or soy sauce) as needed. Ladle into large bowls and garnish with the green onions and remaining cilantro leaves.

in September and October this year. Its definition of a foreign owner is one who lives outside of Canada, including

ject to capital flight, which could increase volatility in domestic housing markets.” The federal housing agency now believes that 11 Canadian cities are experiencing overvalued housing, relative to people’s incomes. Siddall said CMHC is seeking more information on foreign ownership of single family homes and on use of Canadian real estate for investment and may have to survey realtors, builders and lenders to get a more complete picture.

8 i Saturday, December 5, 2015

AUTO

Saturday, December 5, 2015 i

What’s even better than Toyota’s best-selling crossover? A hybrid version, of course

verybody wants to buy a crossover these days, and everybody wants to save a bit of money at the pumps. So, who wouldn’t want to buy a crossover hybrid? At least, that’s the assumption Toyota is making with its new 2016 RAV4 Hybrid. First seen at last spring’s New York Auto Show, over six months later the refreshed-for-2016 RAV4compact crossover family is being rolled out by Toyota. $24,990See what your neighbours are paying GOWhile the gas-only RAV4 lineup of front- or all-wheel-drive, five-passenger crossovers gets the typical exterior, interior and engineering midlife upgrades (mainly to keep up with mainstream rivals like the Honda CR-V and heavily updated 2017 Ford Escape), the big news is the addition of the RAV4 Hybrid, a new model that immediately becomes the most fuel-efficient non-plug-in compact crossover you

can buy. While Toyota has tried to pitch its Prius Vas a hybrid crossover, the tall wagon’s lack of traction at all four wheels and unconventional styling has kept its sales limited. And after flirting with low-volume, all-electric versions of the RAV4 between 1997–2003 and 2012–2014 in the U.S., a more practical and accessible hybrid version based on proven Toyota hardware makes a lot of sense. In truth, the new all-wheel-drive 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (initially available as highend $34,465 XLE and $38,265 Limited versions, base MSRP) has already been on sale since last year. You may know it as the $59,450 Lexus NX 300h AWD, which shares the Toyota’s platform and Atkinson-cycle 2.5-litre gas-four with a second rear-mounted axle motor for traction at all four wheels, and a continuously variable automatic transmission.

Volkswagen sales dive, while Canadian auto sales at record high

olkswagen’s emissions-cheating scan-

dal carved a swath out of the company’s North American sales in November. In Canada, its sales declined by 5.5 per cent, even as overall vehicles sales rose 4.7 per cent compared with a year earlier in November. Volkswagen Canada sold 4,575 vehicles in the month, after seeing sales rise in October, according to figures from DesRosiers Automotive Consultants. In the U.S., its vehicle sales dropped 25 per cent compared with a year ago, to 24,000 vehicles. Volkswagen has admitted its diesel vehicles contain software that turns on pollution controls during government testing and turns them off during real-world driving. It halted sales of most of its new diesel models in September, shortly after U.S. regulators began a probe of its emissions of nitrogen oxide. The scandal initially seemed to involve only two-litre engines, but has since spread to three-litre engines and

even to gasoline-powered engines, which may emit more carbon dioxide than regulators allow. Vehicle sales in Canada are poised to set a record. November sales of cars and light trucks were up 4.7 per cent to 145,426. Consumers were embracing slightly lower gasoline prices and an improved economy this fall. GM Canada said it sold 13.2 per cent more vehicles through its Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealers in November 2015, delivering 21,812 vehicles. Ford Canada saw sales rise by 3.1 per cent to 20,685 vehicles. FCA Canada, formerly Chrysler, said its November sales rose 0.6 per cent to 21,038 vehicles, driven largely by demand for its Jeep brand. Toyota sales rose 3.4 per cent to 14,016 vehicles, including 10,147 trucks, a 33 per cent increase. Sales of the RAV4, made in Cam-

bridge, Ont., are at 39,297 year to date.

Metro Vancouver car sales booming thanks to weak loonie

uto dealers in Metro Vancouver say the weak loonie is driving cross-border vehicle sales to the U.S. — a benefit not only for them, but also for Canadians selling their used cars. With the Canadian dollar sinking to an 11-year low this year, car dealers say the export business is booming. Vehicle sales — new and used — are up at many dealerships. Graham Robins says business at his company A and A Customs Brokers, which transports goods between Canada and the U.S., is up nearly 40 per cent. “Now that [the exchange rate] is getting to 20 to

More money for 30 per cent ... people your used car start thinking seriously Used vehicles about saving major don’t have a long dollars on exporting shelf life at GN to the U.S.,” he said. Motors in Surrey, He says some of his B.C., these days. exporters have doubled Owner Joe Khaitheir volume in the last ra says within few months. The more GN Motors owner Joe Khaira says most of his stock 72 hours, 80 per expensive the vehicle, is going to the U.S. these days cent of his lot the greater the savings will get shipped south. for Americans looking for a bargain — “We’ve grown our business from 20 cars and the greater the profit for dealers in a month to 80 cars a month,” said Khaira. Canada.

“It’s great for us.” And it’s not just a win for Americans. Khaira said now is the time to cash in for Canadians trying to sell their car. “If you’re trading your car in, let’s say it’s worth $10,000 two years ago, we can now give you $12,000,” said Khaira. While business is booming for Robins and Khaira, not everyone is happy. The Globe and Mail reported last month that Nissan Canada was warning dealers that their franchises could be closed down if they exported their cars out of the country.

20 i Saturday, December 5, 2015

NATIONAL

Ontario’s auditor general slams Liberal gov’t over financial of problems

A litany of problems is laid bare in a report released Wednesday by Ontario’s auditor general, from the growing frequency of Hydro One’s power outages to a startling $140 million worth of mistakes in welfare payments. Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk also raises concerns that inspections of school buses and nursing homes aren’t being done on time, that Children’s Aid Societies are failing to conduct basic background checks on potential child abusers, and that people are waiting too long for home care Lysyk released her annual report Wednesday morning at Queen’s Park. ‘Benefit calculation errors’ The auditor finds the province’s new computer system for welfare payments is still riddled with problems and making millions in payment errors. Lysyk said the Social Assistance Management System (SAMS) has now made a total of $140 million in “benefit calculation errors,” including $89 million in what she

calls “potential overpayments” and $51 million in “potential underpayments.” Both figures are far more than previously admitted by the government. It was revealed a year ago that SAMS sent out some $19 million in welfare payments it shouldn’t have, while sending some recipients too little money, or nothing at all. Lysyk said the system still has 771 “serious defects” that are not yet fixed. “Until most of the serious defects are identified and fixed, SAMS will continue to generate errors.” She criticizes the government for rushing the system into operation last fall despite knowing it had problems. The government has so far spent $290 million on SAMS, $90 million over budget. Hydro One: less reliable but costing more The report also includes the last report the office will do on Hydro One, now that it’s no longer a Crown corporation.

Lysyk found Hydro One’s service is getting less reliable yet costing more. The auditor general noted the frequency of power outages is on the rise and ranks Hydro One as the worst of all of Ontario’s power companies for how long those outages last. Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli called Lysyk’s report “a helpful roadmap as Hydro One moves forward.” The findings, he said, show what Ontarians already knew: “That Hydro One can be a better-run, better-managed company” that delivers better value. His ministry has already taken action consistent with most of the report’s recommendations, he said. CAS is too slow Lysyk said Ontario’s 47 Children’s Aid Societies are too slow at investigating allegations of abuse. Not one of the child-protection investigations her office reviewed was done within the required 30 days. Instead, the cases took an average of more than seven months. Lysyk also chastises the government for failing to make sure every CAS acts on the recommendations of probes into children’s deaths. She said they far too often fail to perform basic background checks on the people involved

with vulnerable children. Nursing home residents at risk The auditor said the 78,000 people in Ontario’s nursing homes may be “at risk” because crucial inspections are behind schedule and orders to fix problems aren’t being followed. “Much more needs to be done to keep residents safe,” said Lysyk. She said the backlog of ministry inspections of long-term care homes in response to complaints of neglect or incidents of abuse more than doubled in just 15 months. The backlog rose to 2,800 in March 2015, from 1,300 in December 2013. When inspections are done and problems found, inspectors issue “compliance orders” to fix the problems. But Lysyk said the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care fails to check the orders have been carried out within its 30-day target about two-thirds of the time. Little oversight over school bus companies The safety of the 830,000 children who ride school buses in Ontario is another of Lysyk’s concerns She criticizes the Ministry of Transportation for failing to ensure school bus safety inspections are always done on time, and for failing to ensure that all defects are fixed.

Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan to donate 99% of Facebook shares to charity

acebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and years. The greatest challenges require very his wife said they’ll devote nearly all long time horizons and cannot be solved by their wealth — roughly $45 billion short term thinking.” Zuckerberg promised — to good works in celebration of their new to release more details in the future. But he baby daughter, Max. Zuckerberg’s wife, Pris- said the couple will transfer most of their cilla Chan, gave birth to a healthy daughter wealth to the initiative “during our lives.” In last week. But the couple didn’t put out the a statement, Facebook described the initianews until Tuesday, when Zuckerberg post- tive as not a foundation but “a limited liabiled it on — of course ity company controlled by — Facebook. In the Mark and Priscilla.” same post, which The Facebook co-foundwas written as a letter er and chief executive is one to Max, Zuckerberg of the world’s wealthiest said he and Chan will men. He and Chan, a pecommit 99 per cent of diatrician, have previously their Facebook stock donated large sums to pubto such causes as fightlic schools in Newark, New ing disease, improving Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan Jersey and the San Franciseducation and “build- posted a letter to their newborn daughter Max co Bay Area, along with the ing strong communi- on Facebook saying they will donate 99 per Zuckerberg San Francisco cent of their fortune in stocks to their new ties.” They are forming General Hospital, where charity initiative. a new organization, Chan did her medical traincalled the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, that ing. But Zuckerberg told the Associated Press will pursue those goals through a combina- in an interview last month that he has no tion of charitable donations, private invest- plans to step down as CEO of Facebook. In a ment and promotion of government-policy statement, the company also said the couple’s reform. “Like all parents, we want you to plan to transfer their shares over time won’t grow up in a world better than ours today,” affect his status as controlling shareholder of the social media mogul and his wife wrote. the company. In addition, Zuckerberg has In the letter, they described their goals as committed to dispose of no more than $1 bil“advancing human potential and promoting lion of Facebook stock every year for the next equality” and added: “We must make long three years, the company said. term investments over 25, 50 or even 100

POLITICS

‘Rich’ Justin Trudeau should pay for own nannies, Rona Ambrose says

nterim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a rich man who should pay for his own nannies and not saddle taxpayers with the cost of raising his three young children. “Mr. Trudeau repeatedly, repeatedly said, ‘I am wealthy,’ Mr. Trudeau said, ‘My family is rich, we don’t need to use taxpayer dollars for our child care.’ And now he is,” Ambrose told reporters Wednesday after her party’s caucus meeting. The hirings were approved late last

week, with cabinet authorizing the appointment of the two women under the Official Residences Act as “special assistants” at the prime minister’s residence. The women will earn between $15 and $20 an hour for work during the day and a lower amount when working at night. The sticking point for the Tory leader is that Trudeau campaigned on cancelling child-care benefits for wealthy families — like his own — who he said didn’t need the extra money to pay for child care.

Immigration minister wary of possible “backlash” against refugees Canada’s immigration minister says he is wary of a possible “backlash” against Syrian refugees by Canadians if the newcomers are seen to be given privileged treatment. “Canadians are struggling for jobs themselves. Canadians have been waiting, in some cases, years for social housing,” John McCallum, the minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, said Tuesday. “There’s a possibility of a backlash against refugees if Canadians see them as being pampered.” McCallum was addressing a forum on welcoming Syrian refugees at Rideau Hall, hosted by Gov. Gen. David Johnston. The government plans to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada over the next three months, including 10,000 in the next month alone. It’s an ambitious logistical exercise. But McCallum said Tuesday his single biggest challenge is communicating effectively

with Canadians and keeping them onside with the project. That means keeping the public posted on developments, and reassuring them on the security front. But perhaps the most challenging aspect, he said, is keeping a high percentage of the population on board. “We don’t want Canadians to think we’re giving refugees everything and not accommodating the needs of our own people,” he said. “My biggest challenge as minister of immigration and refugees is to communicate these things effectively with Canadians.” McCallum said the government plans to hold briefings at least once a week to update Canadians on its progress. The first will be held Wednesday morning, when more details about how many refugees are going where should be revealed.

Canadians divided on Trudeau’s deficit plans: poll

hile Prime Minister Jus- year four,” the pollster. “Not surprisingly, potin Trudeau is still enjoying litical preference has a significant impact on post-election support from this question,” the pollster added. most Canadians, others are not so happy about the Liberal leader’s plan to run a string of budget deficits to support infrastructure projects as a way to stimulate the economy, according to a poll released Tuesday. Less than six weeks after the Oct. 19 federal election — and just a month since the new government was sworn in — we’re getting our first glimpse of public opinion on how the new team on Parliament Hill is faring. So far, the Trudeau government appears to be holding onto the political support it garnered during the election campaign, according to a public opinion poll conducted in late November by the Angus Reid Institute. But that support “doesn’t necessarily extend to the Liberal agenda,” the group said, following the release of the institute’s most recent survey. “In fact, this new research finds Canadians are divided on a key element of the Trudeau economic plan to run budget deficits to pay for infrastructure investment and stimulate the economy.” Just over half of those surveyed, or 53 per cent, believe the Liberal campaign promise to spend billion of dollars over the next few years on stimulus programs — pulling the federal budget back in to a deficit in the process — is a good fiscal policy during a time of uncertain economic growth. The other 47 per cent, however, said it is not such a good idea. “With the economy once again top of mind for Canadians, it is of note that their approval of Trudeau’s job performance doesn’t extend as fully to one of the key policies on which he and the Liberal Party of Canada ran and won — namely, to table multi-billion-dollar deficit budgets over the next three years, and balance the books in

Saturday, December 5, 2015

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Trudeau children’s nannies being paid for by taxpayers

anadian taxpayers are paying the wages of two nannies hired to care for the children of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau, according to cabinet orders posted online. The hirings were approved late last week, with cabinet authorizing the appointment of the two women under the Official Residences Act as “special assistants at the prime minister’s residence.” They will be paid between $15 and $20 an hour during the day and $11 to $13 an hour for night shifts effective Nov. 4 — the day Trudeau and his cabinet were sworn in. The disclosure comes after an election campaign where Trudeau repeatedly attacked the Conservatives’ enhanced universal child care benefit, or UCCB, and income splitting for families, arguing rich families like his and former prime minister Stephen Harper’s didn’t need taxpayers’ help. “In these times, Mr. Harper’s top priority is to give wealthy families like his and mine $2,000,” Trudeau said in reference to the Conservatives’ income-splitting tax credit. “Let me tell you something: We don’t need it. And Canada can’t afford it.” Trudeau is also entitled to collect annual UCCB payments of about $3,400 for his three children. He promised to give the money to charity. One of the women hired was with the Trudeaus this past week on the prime minister’s foreign trip that wrapped up Monday at the UN climate change conference in Paris. She posted photos online of the couple’s two children who came on the trip. There were also shots of her with the Trudeaus’ youngest child on Facebook visiting museums and at the hotel where they stayed in Paris. The prime minister’s director of communications, Kate Purchase, said in an email that the two women who have been hired are doing more than childcare. “Like all families of prime ministers, a

small number of staff provide assistance. Given the nature of the prime minister’s responsibilities and his young family, the Trudeaus employ two household employees who, in addition to performing other duties around the house, act as secondary caregivers to the three children,” Purchase said. Section 7.1 of the Official Residence Act says cabinet may appoint “a steward or housekeeper and such other employees” deemed necessary for the management of the prime minister’s residence. This isn’t the first time questions have been raised about whether taxpayers were footing the bill for child care. The issue arose in May 1984 when then Conservative leader Brian Mulroney was asked by a television interviewer if taxpayers would pay for ‘’nannies’’ for his three children as they did for Trudeau’s father, Pierre Trudeau, when he was prime minister. “No, no,” Mulroney replied. The Canadian Press reported again in November of that year that Mulroney’s chief of staff, Fred Doucet, denied the family employed a government-paid nanny while Mulroney was opposition leader, saying the woman was actually a maid who “interfaces with the children in a habitual way.”

22 i

CLASSIFIEDS

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Matrimonial

JOBS

Parents looking match for their Canadian 27 year old very handsome, jat sikh boy, 5’9”, graduate , well establisehd businessman. Girl must be well cultured, educated, Canadian citizen or permanent resident . Contact after 6pm 604-598-1987 - 778-387-1672

using woodworking machines, power tools and hand tools; Build exterior doors, interior doors, custom doors with jams; Install hardware such as hinges, handles, catches using hand tools and power tools; Repair doors & replace panels of doors. Job requirement: High school with 2-3 years of experience. Trade certificate will be considered as an asset. If interested send resumes by email at westerndoormanufacturing@gmail. com ------------- September 5, 2015

JOBS Vacancy for In-home Caregiver Balwinder Singh Singhmaar, resident of 15095 92Ave, Surrey, BC V3R 5V8 has a vacancy for Inhome Child caregiver for infant child and 9 years old son. Full Time, $11 / hour, 40 hrs/week. Applicant must have high school with minimum of one year of related experience within last three years or six months of full time training in caregiving. Job Duties includes Supervise and care for children, prepare formulas and change diaper of infant, feeding, bathing, dressing, prepare children for rest period, escort child to school, prepare and serve nutritious meal and snacks, accompany to and from activities & appointments, light housekeeping, laundry, maintain safe environment at home, keep record of day-to-day activities, health and progress of children. Send resumes by email at balwinderssinghmaar@gmail.com -------------- Oct 31 2015

Western door manufacturing Ltd. located at #109-8250 124Street, Surrey BC V3W 3X9, has an immediate vacancy of Carpenter. We design and manufacture high end solid wood exterior doors, solid wood interior doors and custom doors. Full time permanent job position with wages of $25per hour. 35 to 40 hours per week. Job Duties includes Read & interpret drawings & sketches to determine specifications; Estimate height, width, length, & other proportions; Measure, cut, shape, & assemble materials

Jun13_155 Long Haul Truck Drivers Reqd. Sal:$23.00/hr, 40hr/wk, +1yr exp. & Class A 0r 1 license reqd., FT/PT Duties: Operate, drive straight or articulated trucks to transport goods & materials on local routes or over long distances.Plan trip logistics & obtain required documentation to transport goods. Perform pre-trip & post-trip inspection of vehicle systems. Record cargo information, hours of service, distance travelled & fuel consumption.May perform emergency roadside repairs. Lang: English. Work at various location in Canada & USA. Contact: Balwinder from Metro Transport ltd.12772 82nd Ave, Surrey, V3W 3G1 E-mail your resume at metro_transport@yahoo.ca. ------------------------------Jun13_15

1 Optical Frame Fitter Reqd. Sal: $22.00/hr, 40hr/wk, +1yrs exp. or certification reqd., FT/ PT Duties: Obtain specifications for eyeglasses or contact lenses from a prescription. Assist clients in selecting eyeglasses. Grinding & polishing of lenses. Cut & edge lenses & fit lenses into frames. May supervise or manage activities of other opticians. Lang: English. Location: 12841 96 Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3V 6V9 Contact: Imran from Eye See 2020 Optical at opt_eyesee@yahoo.ca. ------------------------------Jun 06_15 Dosa Corner Restaurant

JOBS

Ltd in Vancouver Looking to hire an authentic south indian chef . This is a full time permanent position. $18.50/hr. 40hrs/week. Must have at least 3-5yrs experience in south indian cuisine & specialized knowledge in Dosas. Duties include Prepare & cook meals.kitchen management. Plan menus & quality. Orders food supplies. Mail your resume to selvamm164@ gmail.com or apply by person at DosaCorner Vancouver. 110-8248 Fraser Street. Vancouver. B.C.. V5X 3X6 Ph: 604-324-3672. -----------------------------------Seamstress required Seamstress (Tailor) needed Foam & Décor is looking for Full Time or Part Time Seamstress ( tailor) for drapery in Surrey. Salary will be provided @ 12 per hour. Please call 604-594-1882 Mayuri Indian foods inc is looking to hire an Ethnic Food Cook in Surrey BC. F/T & Perm.$17/hr. Must have at least 2-3 yrs experience in South Indian cuisine & specialized knowledge in Indian spicing. Duties: Prepare & Cook meals; Supervise Kitchen helpers; Plan menus; Ensure quality & determine food proportions; Monitor & order food supplies; Set up & oversee buffets; Manage kitchen operation. Mail resume or apply by person Mayuri indian cuisine , Unit 102A,12677 80th Ave., Surrey BC V3W 3A6 Fax: 604-572-3281 ------------------------------------English Classes for Adults Register for classes September 2-8 For more information,Visit: www. victoryesl.com Call: 604.755.7976 E-mail: victoryesl1@gmail.com ---------------------------Cook Require Curry junction Restaurant in White Rock need cook immediately, This is a full time permanent position for a experienced person, Depending on experience salary will be upto $21 per hr. with other benefits. Call:604-729-6741 or

E JOBS

604-385-1558 ---------------------------Transworld Security located at 2nd Floor, 5050, Kingsway, Burnaby BC V5H 4H2 is looking for a Static Guard, Static Guard Supervisor, Mobile Supervisor and Field Manager. These are permanent full-time positions. Static Guard pay rate is $13.00 per hour plus vacation pay. You would be required to patrol industrial and commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows and gates. Answer alarms and investigate disturbances. Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors and guests. Call police or fire departments in cases of emergency. Circulate among visitors, patrons and employees to preserve order and protect property. Static Guard Supervisor pay rate is $14.00 per hour plus vacation pay. You would be required to oversee and supervise Static Guards. You will need to ensure the duties of the Static Guards you supervise are being completed and the client’s needs are being met. Field Manager pay rate is $18.00 per hour plus vacation pay. You would be required to report to the Director of Operations and you are responsible for supporting, mentoring and supervising the security officers in the field. You will be required to manage the company’s field operations and resources after business hours. Mobile Supervisor pay rate is $18.00 per hour. You would be required to provide ongoing leadership, direction and training. You need to ensure all standing orders and scheduled daily activities are carried out for each shift. You will be required to discipline staff when necessary and ensure proper documentation is passed onto head office. You will have to investigate alarm responses and respond in a timely manner. You will

S need to communicate any concerns/issues with Site Supervisor/ Coordinator. The above opportunities suit candidates willing to travel all over the lower mainland and from Squamish to Hope. We also have opportunities in Edmonton, Alberta. Minimum qualification for these positions are completion of secondary school and BST Justice Training of BC. Past experience is preferred but we are willing to train candidates who show eagerness to learn. For more information please visit our website at www.transworldsecurity.ca. Please email you resume to hr@ transworldsecurity.ca. ------------------------------------Retail Sales Supervisor (6211); Saim’s Communication Inc.,Surrey, British Columbia, (6211); Salary: $17:50/Hourly; Positions Available: 2; Type: FullTime; Minimum Education: High School; ,Description : Assign sales workers to duties and prepare work schedules, Authorize payments by cheque and the return ofmerchandise , Sell merchandise to customers, Resolve problems that arise, such as customercomplaints and supply shortages, • Maintain specified inventory and ordermerchandise, Prepare reports regarding sales volumes, merchandising and personnel matters, Hire and train or arrange for the training of new sales staff, Ensure proper tagging, packing and displaying of products, Travel upto four different sites daily and/or weekly as required, Resolve disputes related to customers and employees, Get daily reports from employees and submit report to head office, Meeting with

To PLACE YOUR AD IN THE ASIAN STAR CLASSIFIEDS Section Please

Call: 604-591-5423

COMMUNITY ------------------------------------------------------Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members and non members also to come and play Bingo for the sake of fun and make some new friends, on November 22nd 2015( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall 8321 - 140th street Surrey B.C. Please bring only two dollars with you to play 2 games, do not worry if you do not know how to play, members will explain you the game just for the sake of fun. Tea & light snacks will be served after the game is over. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator at 604 - 507 - 9945 for further details. -----------------------------------LCA of BC Celebrates Jalaram Jayanti in Burnaby and Surrey 1. Keshyapbhai Ruparel & Family (Bharat Jewellers) cordially invites all to 216th Jalaram Jayanti celebrations with bhajans and kirtans on Saturday November 21, 2015 at VHP Temple, 3885 Albert Street, Burnaby. Priti Bhojan 5.30pm Bhajan\Satang program 7.00pm For Further Information Please Contact: Kaushikaben Pabari: 604 945 5640 VHP Temple: 604 299 5922 -----------------------------------------------------------Hetsi and Keshvi Vithlani & FAMILY cordially invites all to 216th Jalaram Jayanti Celebrations with Bhajans and Kirtan on Sunday November 22, 2015 at 10.30 am at Laxminarayan Temple, 8321 140th Street, Surrey. Bhajan Program will be Presented by Highly Talented Local Group. Priti Bhojan After Arti. For Further Information Please Contact: Mansukhbhai Thanki (604) 518-1557. ----------------------------------------------------------Secret Asian Super Singer to Support S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Seniors Service S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Multi-Level Care Society Goodwill Ambassador Charity Night will be held at 6:00 pm , Monday, November 2, 2015 at the River Rock Show Theatre, Richmond. The event aims to raise $ 110,000 to support the S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Seniors Care Home expansion and maintenance project. The festivities include a VIP reception, an exclusive dinner, entertainment and fundraising karaoke. The night will feature an acclaimed popular artist from Hong Kong as a secret guest performer. A group of artists from AM1320 will present a mini concert and a Beijing Opera from Sunshine Troupe Association will perform as well. The Honourable Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia and other elected officials will join the event. The Goodwill Ambassador Council is a group of passionate volunteers of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Multi-Level Care Society. Established in 2006, the Council hosts fundraising events every 2 years to support the Society to improve the quality of life for the seniors. Incorporated in 1995, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Multi-Level Care Society was established to provide linguistically and culturally appropriate care for seniors in our community. ------------------------------------------------------South Asian Seniors - Iron Deficiency & Dipression Dr. Pargat Bhurji - Nov. 15th 2015 - 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm. Vedic Senior Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members and also non members

to attend a presentation on - Iron Deficiency & Dipression - by Dr. Pargat Bhurji a Pediatrician and a well known Person in the South Asian Community, on November 15th 2015 ( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321 140th Street Surrey BC. Dr. Pargat Bhurji will answer your health related questions, tea and light snacks will be served after the presentation. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further details. -----------------------------------The Global Hindu Foundation with support of SMH will celebrate Diwali -the Festival of Lightson November 9,2015 at Main Cafeteria from 1.00-2.30 PM. The guests will be served with sweets and snacks. This celebration is in the true spirit of multiculturalism and interfaith of Canada. ALL ARE WELCOME. For further information call to Acharya Dwivedi-604 507 3099 or Deepa Sharma 778 388 9024 ------------------------------South Asian Seniors - Clinical Prevention Workshop, 8th Nov. 2015, 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm. Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults/ Senior members as well as non members to attend Clinical Prevention Workshop presented by Dr. Virendra Sharma MD, MPH, Project Coordinator with Fraser Health Authority on November 8th 2015 ( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple 8321 - 140th street Surrey BC. There will be questions & Answers session after the workshop and you can ask questions about Clinical Prevention. Tea and light snacks will be served after the workshop is over. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further information. -------------------------------

Public Notice

All foreign governments may deny visa or entry into country on Non-machine readable passports’ with effect from 24.11.2015 because of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s(ICAO) decision to entirely phase out all ‘Non-machine readable passports’ by 24.11.2015. Accordingly, Indian citizens residing in India and abroad with handwritten passports as well as 20 year validity passports, valid beyond 24.11.2015 are advised to apply for re-issue of passports in order to obtain ‘Machine readable passports (MRPs) before 24.11.2015 to avoid any inconveniences in obtaining foreign visa or immigration problem. Schedule of Consular Camps ------------------------------Surrey - 1st November 2015 Col. Darshan Singh Sidhu, Indian Ex-Servicemen Society, Surrey, 201-8212-128 Street, indianexcervicemen@yahoo.com darshansidhu08@gmail.com 6045963327 -----------------------------------Vancouver - 1st November 2015 Mr.Kuldip Thandi, President, Ross St. Gurdwara 6047196800 kdsross@live.com ----------------------------------------Kamloops - 25th October 2015 Mr. Kulwinder Singh Kular, President, Sikh Cultural Society, kal@topdriver.ca Cell:2503768285 ------------------------------------Abbotsford - 8th November 2015

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Mr. Jatinder Singh Gill Recording Secretary, Heritage Gurudwara, Abbotsford Bhajan Singh Toor 6048647700 kds@canadiansikhheritage.ca -------------------------------------------------------------Free English for the Workplace Classes at PICS PICS’ new Project Based Language Training Program (PBLT) is now offering free English classes for the Labour Market. It helps immigrants overcome language barriers that hinder new immigrants’ path to employment. The priority for this project is to attach clients to Labour Market and help them actively seek employment or prepare them to enroll in a training course or move to an enhanced Labour market program. Students will learn and develop soft skills, job search, resume writing, interview skills, networking and much more. To avoid disappointment, please register for classes by calling 604-5967722 ext 138 ASAP. Free Childminding on site. ----------------------------------------------------------Free Community Workshops & Activities November 2–8 Free Drop-In English Conversation Circle for Temporary Foreign Workers Meet new people and give support to your fellow TFW’s. Ask questions about housing, health, and employment concerns. Mondays, 6:30–8:30pm until December 14 MOSAIC Vancouver Community Room, 1720 Grant St 604 254 9626 ext 487 -----------------------------------------Public Speaking Without Panic: Learn Effective Strategies to Communicate with Confidence Learn strategies and techniques for building self-confidence to communicate your ideas and opinions in a group setting. Tuesdays, 6–8pm until November 10 1522 Commercial Drive, Vancouver 604 254 9626 -----------------------------------------------English Conversation Circle for New Westminster Newcomers Wednesdays, 10–11:30am until December 2 Fraserside Community Services Society, 2nd floor, 519–7th St, New Westminster 778 558 9011 Let’s Talk! Support Group for Newcomer Parents Learn about Canadian culture, multicultural parenting, financial literacy, leadership skills and mor Thursdays, 1–2:45pm, until December 3 Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School, 1714 8th Ave, New Westminster Yumi 604 345 7737 ---------------------------------------------------Seniors Club: Taichi Class Fridays, 9:30–11:30am Brentwood Community Resource Centre, 2055 Rosser Ave, Burnaby 604 292 3908 Crossing the US/Canadian Border November 4, 10am–12pm New Westminster Public Library, 716 6th Ave 604 438 8214 ext 114 ----------------------------------------------Ways to Improve Job Search Skills for \ Work Permit Holders November 7: Creating effective résumés November 28: Different styles of cover letters December 5: Interview skills December 19: Stress management Saturdays, 10:30am–12pm MOSAIC Vancouver Community Room, 1720 Grant St ‘ Lam 604 254 9626 ext 258 ------------------------------------Legal Information Workshop: Employment Standards Learn about your rights in the workplace! The workshop will provide an overview on employee and employer rights and responsibilities, including: the minimum wage, parental leave, work-

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ing hours, filing complaints, holiday pay and more. November 8, 1–3pm MOSAIC Burnaby Centre for Immigrants, 5902 Kingsway 604 438 8214 ext 211 ---------------------------------------------Do You Have a Child with Autism? Free evening presentations in Punjabi Siblings, Parents, Grandparents and Neighbours — all are welcomed to these community events aimed at increasing awareness of the potential of children and adults with autism and the needs of their families for information and support. October 13, 2015 The Individualised Education Plan (IEP)— what the school is supposed to do and how the parent can support the IEP process Speaker: Raminder Kaur, Behaviour Consultant, posAbilities November 17, 2015 Advocacy Tools for Parents— how to help your child get the services they need Speaker: Deborah Pugh, Executive Director, ACT December 1, 2015 One Parent’s Journey in Autism— the important role that family plays in supporting their child with autism Speaker: Sunita Braich, Integration Support Teacher, Surrey School District Details: www.actcommunity.ca/events Organized by ACT’s South Asian Autism Awareness Committee ( ASAAP ) --------------------------------------Want To Be Self Employed? Register with PICS Self- Employment Program PICS is calling all potential entrepreneurs in Delta, Surrey and Burnaby to join their next info session of Self Employment Program on October 14, 2015 at 2:30 PM at PICS Head office in Surrey. Through this program you will learn to develop self-employment skills, business plans, marketing plans. You will also learn how to arrange start-up funding and the best possible ways to manage your cash. What – PICS self-employment program info session When – Wednesday, October 14, 2015, 2:30 PM Where - PICS Head office - #205-1272580th Avenue, Surrey How - Pre-register at deshpal.grewal@pics.bc.ca or sunil.rawat@pics.bc.ca . Or call Mr. Deshpal Grewal at 604-596-7722, Ext 126, or Mr. Sunil Rawat at 604-596-7722, Ext 128. Eligibility –BC Job seekers who are unemployed/underemployed and who have received EI in the past 3 years or Maternity Benefits in the past 5 years. Selected clients may be eligible to receive up to $300 per week for 48 weeks. Hurry seating is limited ! -------------------------------UBC celebrates its centennial anniversary Advanced Education Minister Andrew Wilkinson made the following statement in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the University of British Columbia.“This year marks the 100th anniversary of the University of British Columbia. Government established UBC with the passage of the University Act in 1908, and the university first opened its doors to students in 1915. UBC is the oldest post-secondary institution in British Columbia.“The university welcomed 379 students in its first year. A century later, approximately 60,000 students are enrolled at UBC at its campuses in Vancouver and the Okanagan, with more than 10,000 students graduating in 2014-15. The university is a significant contributor to the B.C. economy with an economic impact of $12.5 billion annually. “UBC has developed a reputation for excellence over the years. It is consistently ranked among the top universities in Cana-

24 i

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Bank of Canada leaves key interest rate unchanged

he Bank of Canada left its key overnight lending rate at 0.50 per cent on Wednesday, saying the domestic economy was adjusting largely as expected to the effects of low oil prices and other pressures. Most economists had expected the central bank to stand pat on its trend-setting rate. In a statement, the Bank of Canada said exports in non-resource areas were being helped by the ongoing U.S. recovery, a lower Canadian dollar, and the central bank’s two interest rate cuts earlier this year. But it noted that the resource sector was still struggling with low prices and major job losses. Total inflation as measured by the consumer price index remains near the bottom of its one- to three-per-cent target range, thanks to low energy prices, the bank said. But it not-

ed that business investment continues to be weighed down by spending cuts at resource companies. The bank also said U.S. consumer spending “has proven slightly less robust” than it expected. In this country, the bank remains concerned about consumer debt levels. “Vulnerabilities in the household sector continue to edge higher,” the bank said. The interest rate announcement came one day after news that Canada’s real gross domestic product grew at an annualized rate of 2.3 per cent in the three-month period ended in September, following two quarters of contraction. But that turnaround may be shortlived. The data also showed that the economy shrank in September by 0.5 per cent from the previous month, providing a weak hand-off to the fourth quarter.

Business / Finance

Canadian economy returns to quarterly growth amid signs of weakness

anada’s economy resumed growing in the third quarter, Statistics Canada reported today, officially ending the mild recession that hit the country in the first two quarters of 2015. But there are already signs that the rebound may not be very robust. The economy expanded at an annual pace of 2.3 per cent in the three months that ended in September, slightly below economists’ expectations of 2.4 per cent growth. Increases in exports and household spending drove growth in the third quarter, the federal agency said. Helped by a low Canadian dollar that makes Canadian products more attractive in foreign markets, exports of goods rose 2.7 per cent in the quarter, led by strong increases in cross-border shipments of motor vehicles and parts. But the gross domestic product report showed warning signs that the economic rebound may be faltering. For September, GDP contracted by a bigger than expected 0.5 per cent month-overmonth, following three consecutive months of growth. ‘Momentum appears weaker’ The contraction had many economists predicting that the recovery will likely be muted at best.

“There is good reason to believe that the relatively strong growth of the third quarter will not be repeated,” wrote TD Bank economist Brian DePratto in a morning commentary. “Momentum appears weaker heading into the fourth quarter (even abstracting from the noise in the oil and gas sector), “ he wrote. Economists said the resource industry is so lacking in strength that it’s just a matter of time before the damage spreads. “Business investment is tumbling and will likely fall further in response to the worsening oil price slump,” said David Madani of Capital Economics, adding that he thinks more stimulus will eventually be needed. The economy fell into recession in the first two quarters of 2015 as it contracted by a revised annual pace of 0.7 per cent over the first three months of 2015 and by a further 0.3 per cent in the second quarter. Growth forecasts downgraded Canada’s growth forecasts have been downgraded several times in recent months as the negative impact of a near record low oil price has made itself felt throughout the economy.

Scotiabank and BMO report higher Q4 results

2 banks’ 2015 profits total $11.7B

espite a slew of warnings that oilpatch woes and the sluggish economy could weigh on Canadian banks’ earnings results, Scotiabank and the Bank of Montreal both saw their fourth-quarter profits grow from a year ago. Scotiabank reported Tuesday that it grew its fourth-quarter net income by 28 per cent to $1.843 billion, bringing the total for the 2015 financial year to nearly $7.3 billion. On a per-share basis, Scotiabank’s profit for the three months ended Oct. 31 amounted to $1.45, up from $1.10 per share a year earlier and ahead of the consensus analyst estimate compiled by Thomson Reuters. Revenue for the quarter rose to $6.125 billion, compared with $5.747 billion during the same period last year. For the year, revenue totalled $24.049 billion. However, Edward Jones analyst Jim Shanahan said he remains concerned about the outlook for the bank’s growth and profitability, and noted that impaired loans to the oil and gas sector — while manageable — continued to grow. Scotiabank said loans to the oilpatch that are unlikely to be repaid in full totalled $165 million, up from $96 million in the previous

quarter and $44 million a year ago when oil prices were more than double current levels. “Credit costs were somewhat elevated but investors may be more concerned about the continued increases in exposure to oil and gas loans,” Shanahan said in a note to clients, pointing out that outstanding loans to clients in the oil and gas sector grew to $16.5 billion, up $700 million from the previous quarter and $3.6 billion higher compared to a year ago. The energy sector represented 10 per cent of Scotiabank’s total lending to business and government, Shanahan said. Meanwhile, the bank has trimmed its ranks by 1,140 staff since the end of July. At the end of the fourth quarter, Scotiabank had 89,214 employees, down from 90,354 at the end of the previous quarter. Most of the slimming down —1,014 positions — took place in its Canadian operations. Scotiabank announced plans in October to shutter certain Canadian offices over the next two years as it digitizes certain document processing functions. The lender did not say at the time how many roles would be effected.

Business / Finance Federal Government’s fiscal outlook may be too optimistic, budget watchdog warns

he parliamentary budget officer says the government’s numbers are “similar” to its forecast in the short-term, but as time goes on — the two views of the economy start to differ. “In the PBO’s judgment, the government’s status quo for the economy and federal budget over the medium term is optimistic,” a report written by PBO staff released early Tuesday says. When it comes to the federal budget’s bottom line, the differences between the PBO’s view and the outlook Finance Minister Bill Morneau revealed last month amounts to less than $1 billion next year, but grows to nearly $11 billion in 2020-21. In 2016-17, budget officer Jean-Denis Fréchette’s staff forecasts a deficit of $3 billion, compared to Morneau’s $3.9-billion deficit prediction. In 2020-21, when the Finance Department is planning on a $6.6-billion surplus, the PBO sees the slump continuing and the budget being $4.2-billion in the hole. These are “status quo” forecasts in that they do not include any policy, tax, or pro-

Corporate Canada is pumping money out of the country at a record rate

orporate Canada’s love affair with foreign shores has reached unprecedented heights. Facing a commodities crash and anemic growth at home, Canadian companies and funds have added $83.4 billion of investment assets outside the country in the first nine months of the year, according to data from Statistics Canada. That’s more than double year-ago levels and on pace for a record year. The nine-month figures, released Monday, include a record $48.7 billion in foreign mergers and acquisitions. Easy credit, strong balance sheets, and lack of investing opportunities at home are the main factors driving Canadian money managers and companies on a shopping spree that has included Royal Bank of Canada’s $5 billion takeover of Los Angeles-based City National Corp. and Canada Pension Plan’s $12 billion acquisition of GE Antares Capital Corp. “As Canadian companies adjust to the new market conditions in Canada, they will need to get more creative and outward looking for growth opportunities,” said Dany Assaf, co-chairman of the competition and foreign-investment group at law firm Torys LLP. “There is little overall demand growth in Canada so, if you need access to new markets and customers or need to invest large amounts of capital,

gram changes the government may bring in between now and when these years come to pass — but they do serve as a baseline for future spending planning. Both parties agree the effects of the oil price slump that started a year ago continue to be felt and are largely responsible for lacklustre economic growth, but differences emerge in how that affects the future. In crunching the numbers, the PBO said the deficit versus surplus debate pivots almost entirely on tax revenues down the road — and suggests this is where Finance Canada’s view may be too rosy. The report notes that while the government has revised down its GDP growth in 2019-20 by 1.8 per cent, it assumes that will only shave 0.1 per cent off of its tax revenues that year. Finance Canada justifies this discrepancy in its November update by pointing to the higher than expected tax revenues the government has brought in in the last two years and suggesting that trend will continue.

you’re going to have to increasingly look abroad. In that sense, it’s just math.” Financial companies are leading the flow out of Canada, with $34 billion in foreign direct investment abroad in the first nine months of the year. Bank of Montreal, Canada’s fourth-largest lender, agreed in September to buy General Electric Co.’s transportation finance business in the U.S. and Canada for an undisclosed amount. Global Packager Canada’s pension funds are also big players. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has been the biggest buyer of purchases abroad, scooping up about $67 billion of assets in the year through Monday, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board and Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec have also been active this year. “It’s a diversification play,” said Mark Chandler, head of fixed-income research at RBC Capital Markets in Toronto. “If anything, the events over the last year have struck home that the Canadian equity-market play is concentrated, and if you wanted to diversify by industry and certainly geography, you have to go abroad.” CCL Industries Inc. is one such company pushing abroad. The Willow-

Financial crisis damage still being felt by pension systems worldwide

ension systems remain under strain in many countries amid slow economic growth and moves by governments to shore up financial stability in the wake of the global financial crisis, a new report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development suggests. “The economic recovery remains sluggish in most OECD countries and, as a consequence, pension contributions remain low while fiscal pressure adds urgency to reforming public pension systems,” the report said. “Going forward, the likely protracted uncertainty in financial markets, low returns and record-low interest rates cast doubts on the ability of defined-con-

tribution systems and annuity schemes to deliver adequate pensions.” The report suggests the average retirement age in OECD countries will increase to 65.5 years from 64 by 2060 based on current legislation. “The main objective of recent reforms was to delay retirement by raising the statutory retirement age, tightening early retirement provisions and increasing incentives to work longer,” the report said. The OECD also said governments around the world have moved to contain future spending by making indexation or future increases in pension benefits less generous, although almost no countries have made direct cuts to benefits.

Saturday, December 5, 2015

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26 i

PUNJAB

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Don’t fall prey to Sukhbir’s designs, warns PPP chief

Amarinder rebuts Swiss Bank account charges

ongress leader Amarinder Singh has rubbished rumours that his wife and son have Swiss bank accounts. He also attacked the Narendra Modi government for “seeking selective information” even as Punjab’s ruling Akali Dal demanded he quit politics for allegedly amassing undisclosed wealth abroad. Swiss bank authorities have allegedly asked Amarinder’s wife and former union minister Preneet Kaur and their son, Raninder Singh, to exercise their “right to be heard” before sharing information on bank accounts in Switzerland, which has been sought by Indian tax authorities. Amarinder Singh, the Congress’ deputy leader

in Lok Sabha and former Punjab chief minister, in a statement, questioned the timing and the motive of the central government in “seeking selective information from the Swiss authorities about the purported account details” of his wife and son. “Despite my wife and son having already furnished all the details and answers, to all questions raised by the Income Tax department...the government of India, with an obvious questionable motive, wanted to highlight this particular case,” he said in a release. Amarinder denied Swiss authorities ever said that Preneet Kaur and Raninder Singh have Swiss bank accounts. Still, Akali Dal leaders demanded Amarinder quit politics and face the law.

eople’s Party of Punjab (PPP) chief Manpreet Badal said he wanted to caution people in the state against the alleged designs of deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to raise political heat and passions by adopting policy of confrontation, not only against political adversaries, but also people. “The arrogance with which Sukhbir is repeatedly throwing challenge to the people, the language being used by him and

Mohali mayor wants hygienic street food

ohali mayor Kulwant Singh has written to the health department seeking a check on the sale of food being sold by street vendors. However, the letter may come to nothing, as the health department is short-staffed and faces a hard time in managing to keep a check on

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his political posturing are manifestation of his desperation that has the potential to raise socio-political tension which is not in the interest of anybody. “The passion of people should not be raised for political gains as Punjab has already paid a very heavy price for such politics,” he added. Manpreet was finance minister in the SAD-BJP government in Punjab from 2007 to 2010 until he quit. He formed the PP P in 2011.

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such vendors. In his communique to chief medical officer Neelam Bhardwaj, Kulwant Singh said “unhygienic food items” were being sold openly from vends at markets and by the roadside. “There is no check on that. Even some leading restaurants are going unchecked,” he said in the letter. In the letter, the mayor said that being a local resident, he had witnessed this trend for years now. “In these years, I have never seen any official of the health department collecting samples of unhygienic food from the street vendors, hotels or restaurants,” he said.

NGO wants better infrastructure for bicycling

utting its weight behind the Smart City Project, city-based non-government organization Yuvsatta has written to the UT adviser in which it has sought proper cycle stands and tracks for proomoting a culture of cycling in the city. Giving the example of foreign countries, the NGO has said that all developed countries are fast embracing the culture of bicycling and such infrastructure would be a significant step towards promoting it. In the letter, Yuvsatta coordinator Pramod Sharma has written: “You’ll agree with us that everyone who rides a bicycle or walks is doing the city an enormous favour. Every cyclist is one vehicle less, one parking space less, less noise, a few less lungs full of fumes. You yourself had experienced many times that a ride on bicycle is healthy, enjoyable, and economical. Cycling reduces air and noise pollution and also traffic congestion.”

Crorepati’s servant arrested for theft The servant-turned-crorepati who had allegedly duped his 92-year-old employer of Rs 1.7 crore was remanded in three-day judicial custody by a court here on Wednesday. Earlier, during his 11-day police custody, Badmajra resident Deepak had reportedly told the police that he had made fake identities for opening bank accounts. During the remand, police had recovered Rs 1 lakh in cash from Deepak’s house, and had also located documents of the house bought by him using the money he conned from his employer, said assistant sub-inspector Narinder Sood, investigating officer of the case. Police also claimed that Deepak owned 20 acres under his name and a chunk of land under the name of his wife and other family members. It was also found that he owns three acres in parts of Tricity which is yet to be identified. During his remand, Deepak also confessed that he was lending money to friends and other people, and was extracting heavy interest on the same amount.

fOOD INDIA

6 i Saturday - April 4, 2015

Saturday, December 5, 2015

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Chennai struggles to stay afloat as historic rains lash Tamil Nadu

he Army, Navy and the Air Force today came to the rescue of thousands of people, including hospital patients, severely hit by heavy rain in Chennai that has left several parts of the city submerged. The Chennai airport has been shut till December 6. The city resembled an island as unprecedented rain in the city broke a 100-year record. Crucial road and rail links have been snapped, the airport shut and thousands rendered homeless in Chennai and its suburbs Issuing a red alert for the next 48 hours, the India Meteorological Department said Tamil Nadu would not get any respite for the next seven days. Flood water reached up to the second floor of various housing board colonies on the banks of the Adyar as people climbed to the rooftops, waiting for rescue

and relief in several parts of the city and its suburbs. Officials said the death toll due to the unprecedented rain had gone up to 197. Besides rushing in with rescue teams, the armed forces have also launched UAVs to assess the situation. Four columns of the Army, including troops from the Garrison Infantry Battalion located at Chennai and one column requisitioned from Bangalore, continue to carry out extensive rescue and relief operations at Tambaram, Mudichur, Manipakam, Guduvancheri and Urapakkam areas. With civil communication non-functional in several areas of Chennai, the Army is resorting to radio communication for coordinating rescue operations. Mobile telephony largely remained crippled because of failure of telephone towers and the landline phones in several areas went still because of the flood.

Indian troops battle deadly flooding in Chennai

Ingredients • 250g boneless chicken • 2tbsp rapeseed oil • 1 medium red onion • 3 large tomatoes • ½ cup cashew nuts • 100g tomato puree • 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves • 100ml low fat cream • 1tsp garam masala • 1tsp red chilli powder • 1tbsp ginger- garlic paste • 2tbsp thick low fat yoghurt • salt to taste

resh rains in the southern Indian city of been cancelled. More than a dozen trains have Chennai (Madras) have caused serious also been cancelled after flood waters inundated flooding, with flights and trains suspended the tracks. The army and the National Disaster and hundreds of people without power. The Response Force have been deployed in the city’s army has been deployed to rescue thousands worst-affected southern suburbs to rescue peoof stranded people after two days of heavy ple stranded in their flooded properties. rain. At least 188 people are now known At least 10,000 policemen and swimmers to have died in floods in Tamil Nadu state have also been employed in the rescue effort, since last month. A depression in the Bay of Chennai police chief JK Tripathy told the AFP Bengal has triggered rains in coastal areas. news agency. “The police want to help but there Last Procedure: month, non-stop rain for nearly a week are no boats. We are trying not to panic,” Rabrought the citythe to chicken a standstill. of garlic mana Goda, who refugefor at a20 police Marinate withTwo the days ginger paste and thetook yoghurt min.station, soak the cashew in warm water for 15 minutes.chop the onions and tomatoes. Heat 1 tbsp freshoil rains have again led to massive flooding, told Reuters. Reports say that power to a pan. sear the chicken pieces in the hot oil for 1 minute on each side tosupply a golden colour. remove the chicken pieces. in the same pan, add 1tbsp oil and the chopped so much so that flights from the city’s airport has been suspended in nearly 60% of the city’s onions. saute till a translucent pink. Add the tomatoes, red chili powder, garam masala powder and cook on medium flame till the tomatoes are tender (approx. 4-5 have been indefinitely suspended after flood neighbourhoods. Most of the main streets are minutes). remove from flame and run in a blender with the soaked cashews to make a smooth paste. return to the pan and add the tomato puree. Bring to a boil and add waters entered the runway and tarmac areas waterlogged and schools were closed for the the chicken pieces. simmer for 4-5 minutes till the chicken is cooked. Add the low fat cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Broil the fenugreek leaves on a pan. crush the on Tuesday evening. 17th day since November, reports say. Schools fenugreek curry and from fire. serve hot. Reports say leaves some over 400 the passengers areremove and colleges have been shut in six districts due stranded at the airport, and all flights have to the rains.

chicken (no butter) Masala Your favourite butter chicken but without the butter and added calories!

28 2015 28 i i Saturday, Saturday, September December 26, 5, 2015

Saturday, December 5, 2015

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30 i

Saturday, December 5, 2015

INDIA

Congress tears apart PM Modi’s invincibility myth in Gujarat

Chennai floods: India’s oldest newspaper ‘The Hindu’ not published for first time since 1878

ne of India’s oldest newspapers has not been printed for the first time in 137 years due to rains and floods in the southern city of Chennai (Madras). The Hindu, published daily since 1878, did not come out on Wednesday as workers could not access the press. The paper’s publisher N Murali said that it was the first time this had happened.b The rains have suspended flights and trains and hundreds of people are without power. The Hindu, which is headquartered in Chennai, is also published in 17 other cities. “Our Maraimalainagar township was not accessible for the people who run the plant. So, none of our staff could reach the plant. It is located about 30km (18 miles) from the city in Maraimalainagar,” Mr Murali said. “The printing press plant is large so we put it

up outside the city. Even if we had printed the paper, I doubt if it could have been distributed in the city,” he added. Other city newspapers like the Times of India, the Deccan Chronicle and the New Indian Express were printed, although it is unclear if they had reached readers in the city. The army has been deployed to rescue thousands of stranded people after two days of heavy rains. Flights from the city’s airport have been indefinitely suspended after flood waters entered the runway and tarmac areas on Tuesday evening. Most of the main streets are waterlogged and schools have been shut for the 17th day since November, reports say. Schools and colleges have been shut in six districts due to the rains.

fter sweeping rural local bodies in the crucial civic elections in Gujarat this week, the Congress predicted the exit of BJP government from the state in the next assembly elections of 2017. “Today’s results are a stepping stone for a Congress’ victory in 2017. These results indicate that the BJP government is on its way out in Gujarat,” Ahmed Patel, senior Congress leader and party president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary said. Patel, a Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat, who had been camping in the state for a while, said the “BJP had paid a heavy price for their vindictive attitude and witch hunt towards the Patidar campaign agitators. “Thank you Gujarat,” Patel tweeted

after leads started translating into wins for the Congress in rural Gujarat, where the BJP had for all these years maintained an iron grip. Even as the BJP chose to blame its poor show in rural Gujarat on the Patidar agitation led by Hardik Patel, the Congress described the changing trends as part of an overall pattern reflecting the decline of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The myth of Narendra Modi’s invincibility stands busted. What has happened in Gujarat is a continuation of the anti BJP and anti Modi momentum earlier witnessed in Delhi and Bihar,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said commenting on the Gujarat civic election results which were widely seen as the acid test of Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.

Justice TS Thakur sworn in as 43rd Chief Justice of India Justice Tirath Singh Thakur was today sworn in as 43rd Chief Justice of India by President Pranab Mukherjee at an elegant function in Rashtrapati Bhavan. The senior-most judge of the apex court, 63-year old Justice Thakur took over from incumbent Justice H L Dattu who retired yesterday. As a Supreme Court judge, he headed the bench which had delivered the verdict to reform

cricket controlling body BCCI in the wake of allegations of betting and spot-fixing scandal in the Indian Premier League. Justice Thakur also headed the bench which ordered probe into the multi-crore chit fund scam in eastern India, also known as Saradha scam. He has also heard the multi-crore rupee NRHM scam, in which ex-UP minister Babu Singh Kushwaha is also an accused, besides other politicians and bureaucrats.

COP21: India willing to reduce coal use in exchange for cash

senior Indian negotiator says his country will cut back its use of coal, if sufficient cash for renewables emerges from a Paris deal. Dr Ajay Mathur said coal would be restricted if there was help to pay for “more expensive” green energy. India is expected to become the world’s biggest importer of coal by 2020 as it seeks to expand electrification. Other nations welcomed the statement, saying that it enhanced the chances of a new agreement. India’s na-

tional climate plan, submitted ahead of this meeting, suggests a significant role for coal going forward. According to the document, coal “will continue to dominate power generation in future”. The country is planning on expanding its production of coal to 1.5 billion tonnes of the fuel by 2020. That would require the equivalent of opening one new coal mine every month until the end of this decade. India’s need for coal is driven by the huge numbers who do not have electricity, estimated to be around 300 million people.

Taj Mahal is ‘not a Hindu temple’ - Indian gov’t tells court

9687 - 120 St., (Scott Rd.), BC

India’s government has rejected claims by a group of lawyers that the Taj Mahal monument was a Hindu temple. Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said the government had not found any evidence to support the claim. The lawyers filed a petition in a court last year saying that the monument should be handed over to Hindus. The Taj Mahal, a 17th Century mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, a Muslim, after his wife’s death, attracts about 12,000 visitors a

day. Six lawyers belonging to the city of Agra, where the monument is located, had told a court there was “substantial evidence” to prove that the famous monument was originally a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. They had urged the court to declare the monument a Hindu temple. The Taj Mahal was completed by Shah Jahan in 1653 as a mausoleum for his third and favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child.

FIJI

Death threats made against Opposition MPs Opposition Leader Ro Teimumu Kepa has called for a special meeting regarding the safety of Opposition members who were subject of death threats made through social media. The threats by a local man on a prominent social networking site stated that he could act as a “suicide bomber” and even “make a bomb” to destroy “some evil people who create political unrest in Fiji”, referring to the Opposition. Ro Teimumu said she was aware of the threats posted on the social networking site. “I think it is a very serious matter that the police should look into. To me the posts are very concerning and has wild allegations concerning the safety of every-

one,” she said. Responding to the “open threat” posted at 5.26pm on Saturday, which went viral, Acting Commissioner of Police Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho appealed to members of the public to control their emotions because it could create unnecessary fear. “The least we need is for people to be throwing threats at each other and causing unnecessary fear that could have ripple effects on many things, including the economy,” Brig-Gen Qiliho said. He said he would wait for the Opposition Leader to lodge an official complaint for it to be investigated. “We will have to get a report from someone to investigate.

Bribery case in court

he second phase of disclosures was yesterday served to a former acting manager border control with the Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority (FRCA) and an Afghani businessman who are facing bribery charges. Afghanistan national Abdul Shekeb, who is charged with bribery of a public servant and bribery, and Josefa Marawa, who is facing charges of accepting a bribe, appeared in the Suva Magistrates Court yesterday. Mr Shekeb, who was represented by

Ravi Singh, is alleged to have offered a gift in the form of a vehicle to Mr Marawa, who is alleged to have accepted it between April 1 and 30 in Suva this year. The owner of Ariana Used Cars and Spare Parts is also alleged to have offered a loan of $4000 to Mr Marawa on or about July 19 this year. The alleged dealings occurred when Mr Marawa was the acting national manager border control at FRCA. Mr Marawa is represented by Jone Bale. The matter has been adjourned to February 8 next year for mention.

Police hunt for rape suspect A team of special investigators tasked with solving the alleged rape case of a sixyear-old girl in Lautoka is working to locate the primary suspect who remains at large. It is alleged the suspect is a close relative of the victim. olice spokeswoman Ana Naisoro said investigations were continuing. “The victim is still admitted in hospital but the team of investigators are trying to locate the suspect at this stage,” she said.

Members of the public who have any knowledge of the alleged incident are also requested to contact the nearest police station. Yesterday, Acting Police Commissioner Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho condemned the incident, calling for the public to stand up against crimes against children. Brig-Gen Qiliho said the Fiji Police Force condemned such behaviour

Three drown

ith the school holidays just starting, two students have been reported dead. They are among the three people who police say drowned over the weekend in separate incidents. In the first incident on Saturday afternoon, a 13-year-old student of Kalekana in Lami drowned while participating in a routine training session at the National Sailing Centre at Suva Point. The Fiji Yachting Association said in a

statement that the sailing community, in particular members of the Hobie Racing Fleet 252, were deeply saddened by the accident. “FYA standards for training and competency are maintained to the highest level and comply with national and international standards, however we know that safety is about constant vigilance and evolving with technology and new practices, and we will continue to work hard to maintain our high safety standards,” said FYA president Shayne Brodie.

Saturday, December 5, 2015 i 31

Islamic terror attack survey ranks Fiji 11th out of 21 With the growing fear of terror attacks worldwide, a new report has ranked Fiji 11th among 21 countries that face greater threat from Islamic extremism. The report titled 2015 Terrorism and Political Violence Risk Map released recently by Aon Risk Solutions, the global risk management business that produces the risk report for their customers, said terrorism activities were no longer “unthinkable”. While the report ranked Fiji 11th, it said the risk of the country being attacked was reduced. “Almost 75 per cent of countries are low or negligible (skewed by eight Pacific Island states, that figure falls to just over 60 per cent if these states are discounted),” the report said. “The prevailing security trends in the Asia Pacific region remain broadly unchanged from last year, with geopolitical issues remaining the most significant driver of risk. But it also remains a region of marked polarity in the risk scores.” The report found there had been a reduction on country risk ratings globally, but the

dangers getting worse in a smaller number of countries. According to the report, terrorism and political violence present unique challenges to any company with a global footprint. Defence Minister Timoci Natuva said he needed to find out how reliable the review was. Aon and Risk Advisory Group delivers analysis regarding the evolving threat posed by terrorism and political violence, with this year’s map informed by work on TerrorismTracker throughout the past year, as well as insights from previous years. The map and its analysis draw on empirical data from Risk Advisory Group and Aon and provide clients with telling insights into their risk exposures. The other countries that could face greater threats from Islamic extremism, according to the report, are: Albana; Bangladesh; Barbados; Bhutan; Brazil; Costa Rica; Croatia; Cuba; Czech Republic; Egypt; Guyana; Honduras; Kyrgyzstan; Mauritaina; Mongolia; Morocco; Mozambique; Panama; Tunisia and Uzbekistan.

Another controversy for Education Minister Minister for Education Dr Mahendra Reddy has clarified the purpose for exams amid public outcry. He said there were two purpose for exams which was first, to help a student adopt a lifestyle of perseverance from primary to tertiary schools. “The purpose of exams is in twofolds and one is to get them focused to achieve that particular desired outcome or goals they have set academically,” Dr Reddy said. “I saw a picture in the newspaper where a student was doing his exams and when I

saw that I only thought of how students have been working hard since February and they have finally reached the big day to do exams. “That particular child has been looking forward to the exams and they were waiting to sit for their papers so we want every child to have that attitude to work hard from primary schools until tertiary level.” The second purpose, he said, was to see the true status of students and their abilities. “So it is a stocktake for us to relook at strategies and find out where the weak areas are,” he said.

Traffic law offenders will not get PSV licence

ny Public Service Vehicle licence applicant with previous traffic infringement records will not be considered, says Land Transport Authority CEO Naisa Tuinaceva. The move has been taken in the hope of reminding drivers that LTA is serious about saving lives on our roads. “The applicants for PSV licence must have a clean driving record if they want the authority to process their PSV licence.” “Applicants may meet all other criteria and requirements such as police clearance, medically declared fit and certified with the defensive driving course or DDC but if they have violated traffic laws previously, their ap-

plication will be deemed invalid. “The PSV and licencing unit of the authority have been instructed to be vigilant and watchful on all PSV applications it receives and processes.” Mr Tuinaceva says the authority receives PSV applications almost every day but the driving record of applicants is always checked. “It does not matter if they have paid their fines because that does not guarantee us that they will change,” he says. “Some are applying to become PSV drivers when they have 10, 20 or 30 traffic infringement notices on their driving record so how can the authority accept their applications when they are unfit to get behind the wheels?

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32 i Saturday, December 5, 2015

Afghan Taliban leader ‘wounded in gunfight’

akistan army chief Gen Raheel Sharif spent a day with Strategic Plans Division commandos, guarding the country’s nukes, before flying to the US for a five-day trip on November 15. The optics reaffirmed - if at all there was any doubt — who really matters in Pakistan by addressing the key nuclear security concerns. Gen Sharif ’s visit followed that of

Several other Taliban sources told the BBC that ilitants in Pakistan, Taliban sources say. Mullah Mansour and his bodyguards had been at Four Taliban gunmen were killed in the the house of another militant, Abdullah Sarhadi, gunfight after an argument on the outskirts of when fighting broke out. Sarhadi is a Taliban Quetta, a source said. Another report said Mullah figure with symbolic importance Mansour died but this is unconfirmed. after spending years in US detenA Taliban spokesman denied the guntion in Guantanamo Bay, reports fight happened. the BBC’s Dawood Azami. ComMullah Mansour’s appointment pared to Mullah Omar, his secreprompted splits in the Taliban aftive predecessor, Mullah Mansour ter its founder Mullah Omar’s death has adopted an open approach and emerged in July. A number of sehas met Taliban commanders regnior Taliban commanders refused to Mullah Mansour ularly to discuss their policy conpledge allegiance to him and a faction cerns, our correspondent says. What prompted opposed to him was set up last month under the shooting in Quetta is unclear. “During the Mullah Mohammad Rasool. The Taliban source discussion, some senior people developed differsaid the firing seemed to be spontaneous rather ences and they opened fire at each other,” said a than planned. senior Taliban commander, Reuters reports.

Punjab province issues ISIS alert

Lahore: Punjab province has issued a security alert over possible attacks by the Islamic State militants on sensitive civil and military installations, a media report said on Saturday. Citing intelligence, the Punjab home department alerted police and other agencies in the province that the ISIS has planned attacks on civil and military targets, Dawn reported. Quoting its sources, the paper said, in view of the threat level, divisional police chiefs and the counter-terrorism department have been directed to undertake “foolproof security measures”. “Police patrols, military vehicles and private establishments are supposedly on the hit list of militants affiliated with IS, also known as ISIS or Daesh,” it said. These intelligence-based directions contradict the assertions made by the federal government that ISIS has no presence in Pakistan. Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah, however, described the “threat alert” as being “a routine matter”. “There is no existence of Daesh in Pakistan, especially in Punjab,” the paper quoted Sanaullah as saying.

General Sharif is Pakistan’s real Sharif

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ’s US trip a month earlier during which nuke safety was among the points stressed in a joint statement. The army had stamped its authority days before PM Sharif ’s visit with Lt Gen Naseer Khan Janjua’s elevation as the national security advisor in place of his loyalist, Sartaj Aziz. Gen Sharif had riled PM Sharif four days before his US by reminding him about the need for good governance after

a corps commander meeting. The army chief ’s muscle-flexing underlines his rising stock since he brushed aside PM Sharif ’s reluctance and

launched an all-out operation against the Taliban in June 2014. The operation showed immediate results with civilian casualties going down to 159 in 2014 against 1,116 when the Taliban insurgency peaked in 2008. The casualties have gone down further substantially in 2015 and created a sense of euphoria that prompted The New York Times to call Gen Sharif “the most popular man in public office’’. Gen Sharif ’s popularity, underlined by the use of his pictures in electioneering, has legitimised the army’s stranglehold over foreign, security affairs and altered PM Sharif ’s zealously conciliatory India policy.

Court orders re-investigation of treason case against former President Musharraf

ourt holding the treason trial of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf for allegedly subverting the Constitution in 2007 ordered re-investigation into the case. The court also tasked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to complete the investigation by December 17 and report it. It also rejected a plea by Musharraf ’s lawyer, Farogh Nasim,

to include investigators from army-run intelligence agencies in the team tasked to carry out the fresh probe. After sweeping to power in 2013, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) constituted a three-member special court to try Musharraf for allegedly subverting the Constitution in November 2007.

Four men hung for killing 134 children in Peshwar school

he hangings were the first executions of civilians convicted by Pakistan’s military courts, which were set up after the massacre through a constitutional amendment. The executions were confirmed by three security sources, two of whom are based in Kohat, where the men were hanged early in the morning at the city’s civilian-run central jail Mujeeb ur Rehman, Sabeel, Abdus Salam and Hazrat Ali, had been convicted on August 13, according to a military statement sent on that date. All were identified as members of the Toheedwal Jihad Group (TWG), a previously unheard of faction of the Pakistani Taliban. Three others were also sentenced to death for involvement in the attack, according to the same military statement, but death warrants have not yet been issued for them. Nine attackers were killed in the siege on Peshawar’s school, which killed 151 including 134 children in December 2014.

A three-member special court started trial on the case in December 2013 on behalf of the federal government when he was president of the country. Under the 1973 constitution, abrogation of the constitution will be an act of high treason, liable to death under Pakistan’s treason laws. State prosecutor Akram Sheikh opposed the reinvestigation and said that nothing changed materially as the same government was in the office which launched the treason case. He said that Musharraf failed to cooperate with the FIA during the process of investigation, despite several notices given to him. “The federal government will file a review petition against Islamabad high court’s verdict in this case,” Sheikh said. Musharraf, 72, was indicted in April 2014 but since then no progress has been made in the case for various reasons.

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Reverse remittance: When Indians support NRIs

he success of NRIs is often judged by the amount of money they send back home as remittances. But perhaps for the first time an out-migration survey of 10,000 households in Punjab has found that a surprising 9% send money from Punjab to their relatives in different parts of the world. As expected, 71% of the respondents having a family member abroad confirmed regular receipts. But the fact that a substantial number of people send money from Punjab to outside India - what is known as reverse remittance - indicates that the foreign dream may not always be as rosy as it is made out to be. The study ‘Dynamics of International Out-Migration from Punjab’ sponsored by Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID), Chandigarh and Institute National d’Etudes Demographiques, INED, Paris points out that among those do-

ing reverse remittance, the highest rates were recorded among households with large landholding (21%). Prof Aswini Kumar Nanda of CRRID, who conducted the study with Jacques Veron (INED) explains, “Reverse remittance is a relatively untouched aspect of the migration story and even the central government often doesn’t have figures on it. There are households in Punjab that are obsessed with the idea of settling their child abroad and would sell off property to realise this dream.” Households with highest standard of living (14%), households in south Punjab’s Malwa region (13%) and general caste (non-SC/non-OBC) households (12%) also have reverse remittance. “Such a pattern of reverse remittance among the households with out-migration experience points to presence of a section of wealthy or highly networked emigrants-with capacity to raise

Racial attack on Indian family in Northern Ireland

n Indian family faced racial attack in Northern Ireland as their car was torched in the premises of their house, a media report said. Subi Philip and her two children, aged ten and eight, were forced to run from their house in Antrim county on Friday morning as their car was completely destroyed in a fire, BBC reported on Friday. Philip’s husband was not at home as he had gone to India for his father’s funeral. The police were treating the attack as a hate crime. “We believe the attack was motivated by racial hatred,” police officer John Allen said. “Any attack on property is unacceptable, however, I totally condemn the racial hate crime element of this attack, which

makes it particularly repugnant,” Allen added. A cardiac nurse, Subi Philip said the attack had left her family “distraught”. She said that they were alerted by a noise outside their house. “I heard a bang and saw a big fire. When I came downstairs, I started screaming,” she told BBC. “My girls did not know why I was screaming and they were screaming too. I got panicked,” she added. After the loud noise, her neighbours came to help and asked her to come out of the home, however, fearing that they were the arsonists, she refused to leave. “I was scared. I was not sure if they were there to attack me and my girls or not,” she said. Members of the local Indian community gathered at the house to offer support to the family.

NRI

Saturday, December 5, 2015 i 33

Billionaire NRI Manoj Bhargava unveils electricity-generating cycle Indian-American billionaire philanthropist Manoj Bhargava, on Friday, unveiled a stationary bicycle that can generate electricity and help rural households meet their energy needs. \“The stationary bicycle generates power. The pedalling turns a flywheel, which spins a generator that charges the attached battery,” Bhargava said while unveiling the product. He further said the cycle is estimated to be priced between Rs 12,000-15,000 and will be available by March next year. One hour of pedalling can meet a rural household’s electricity needs for 24 hours, including running lights, a small fan and charging a cell phone --- all without electricity bills, fuel costs or pollution, a statement issued by him said. Bhargava said he had a discussion about the product with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I had a discussion with Modiji about a year ago,” he said. Bhargava was also not very enthusiastic about collaborating with government de-

partments. “...if I go to a government department...they are not bad people but efficiency is zero. Besides, it will take six months to decide which department of the government should help me out,” he said. Bhargava said he will first start selling the product in Uttarakhand and later target rest of the domestic market. He also said that Uttarakhand is a power surplus state but households face electricity shortages and this product can help them meet their basic requirements.

Indian origin professor at US university awarded $1.55 million grant for research on bird flu vaccine Suresh Mittal, professor of Indian origin at Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine, US, has been awarded a grant of $1.55 million by the National Institutes of Health (USA) for research on a rare Bird Flu Vaccine. Mittal is working to create a vaccine that offers broad protection against multiple strains and mutations of the virus. His method uses a harmless adenovirus as a vector to deliver avian influenza virus genes into the body where they produce influenza proteins that prime the immune system to fight an infection.

Mittal said that these viruses begin in wild birds and as they evolve, they expand to poultry and then to humans. There is a real risk that we will face an avian influenza pandemic at some point in the future and we need to be prepared, he added. Avian flu symptoms in humans have ranged from typical human flu-like symptoms to eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases (such as acute respiratory distress syndrome), and other severe complications.

34 i Saturday, December 5, 2015

SOUTH ASIA

Executions polarize Bangladesh along liberal & radical lines

ast week’s executions of two war criminals, convicted of genocide during the 1971liberation war that led to Bangladesh’s creation, have polarised the country along liberal and radical lines. Liberals say Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) functionary Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury and Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed’s hangings were necessary to defeat forces opposed to secular and progressive ideals the country was founded on. The radicals see the executions ruling Awami League’s political vengeance and have vowed counter-attacks. The fresh executions followed those of two other war criminals — Abdul Quader Molla in 2013 and Muhammad Kamaruzzaman on April 11. Both belonged to the Jamaat-e-Islami. “These executions are necessary to end the culture of

impunity that had been prevailing in Bangladesh since 1975 after the assassination of (the country’s founder) Sheikh Mujib,’’ Bangladesh information minister Hasanul Haq Inu told TOI. “They are necessary to bring the perpetrators of those horrendous atrocities and genocide in 1971 to book and provide justice to the families of the millions who were raped, killed and maimed.” Institute for Environment & Development executive director Numan Ahmed Khan said they were awaiting executions of two more war criminals, Motiur Rahman Nizami and Mir Qasem Ali, whom International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has sentenced to death. “These two executions are critical.” The liberals believe execution of Nizami, who was supreme commander of Pakistan-backed al-Badr militia that killed Hindus and Muslim intellectuals in 1971and is now Jamaat-e-Islami chief, will deal a body blow to the organisation.

Madhesi leaders submit 11-point demand to PM Oli to end blockade

epal’s Indian-origin Madhesi leaders on Monday submitted their 11-point demand to the goverment during their first meeting with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to end the political logjam, but no breakthrough emerged from the tripartite talks attended by Opposition Nepali Congress. After the talks, the government and the Madhesis said there was no agreement but the talks were headed in positive direction and they have agreed to meet again on Wednesday. The government and opposition parties will sit for talks again ahead of the Wednesday meeting to forge a common stance on the demands presented by the Madhesi parties. During the meeting today “both the sides agreed to resolve the issues relating to the Madhesi parties through bilateral and trilateral dialogue,” said Oli’s press advisor Pramod Dahal. This was the

first meeting between Oli and representatives of agitating Madhesi parties. Oli drew the attention of Madhesi leaders to the serious crisis facing the country due to the nearly three-month-long agitation by them near the border trading points with India. The government also drew attention to the increasing incidents of violence during the agitation. But Madhesi leaders sought government’s attention to use of excessive force by security forces to supress their stir. Madhiesis, who share strong cultural and family bonds with Indians, have imposed a general strike in much of southern Nepal, causing a shortage of fuel and other essential goods. The Madhesi leaders submitted their 11-point demand to the government and both sides held discussion in this regard. Their demands included re-demarcation of the provinces, fixing of electoral constituencies on the basis of population and proportional representation.

Bangladesh’s former PM gets bail in graft cas Bangladesh’s former premier and opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia was on Monday granted bail after she surrendered before a court here over a nearly USD 2 billion corruption case in 2007 involving a Canadian company. “The judge (Mohammad Aminul Islam) granted her bail as she surrendered but asked her to appear on December 28, setting the date for indictment hearing,” prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol told PTI.

He said 70-year-old Khaleda was forced to surrender in line with a Supreme Court decision which had rejected her plea to quash the corruption case over contracting out a major gas field to Canada’s Niko Resources allegedly in exchange of kickbacks during her 2001-2006 tenure, causing a loss of Taka 137 billion (USD 1.78 billion) to the state exchequer. Witnesses said several contingents of elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion joined the armed police to enforce an extra security measure around the court complex in Old Dhaka as Khaleda appeared on the dock escorted by a large number of pro-BNP

lawyers who stood in her defence.

Nepal shortages put millions of kids at risk: Unicef Severe shortages of food and vaccines due to border protests have left millions of children in quake-hit Nepal at risk of disease or death this winter, Unicef said today. The landlocked Himalayan nation has been struggling to cope with a sharp drop in vital supplies after protesters on September 24 began blockading a key border crossing to demand changes to a new constitution. Nepal’s government accuses neighbouring India of orchestrating the blockade, a charge it denies. The disruption has caused crippling shortages of fuel and medicine, leaving aid organisations scrambling to deliver relief to homeless quake victims seven months after the April 25 disaster killed nearly 9,000 people. “More than three million children under the age of five in Nepal are at risk of death or disease during the harsh winter months due to a severe shortage of fuel, food, medicines and vaccines,” UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund, said in a statement. More than 200,000 families are still living in temporary shelters at an altitude above 1,500 metres, it said. “The risks of hypothermia and malnutrition, and the shortfall in life-saving medicines and vaccines, could be a potentially deadly combination for

children this winter,” said Anthony Lake, UNICEF’s executive director.

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36 i Saturday, December 5, 2015