Arrest warrants in US against Adani for bribery
A New York court has issued arrest warrants against Gautam Adani, founder and chairman of Adani Group, and his nephew, Sagar Adani, following their indictment in the US along with six others on charges of bribery of $265 million (around Rs 2,238 crore).
US prosecutors alleged that Adani, Sagar and the six others paid bribes to Indian government officials to secure solar energy supply contracts yielding $2 billion in profits over 20 years.
$265 mn ‘bribery’ case: NY court indicts Adani Group chief, 7 others Indian officials ‘paid off’ to bag solar energy supply contracts
Deals yield $2 bn in profits to conglomerate
over 20 years
The US District Court has issued a five-count criminal indictment of Adani and seven others.
Continued on Page 15...
Canadians react as Trudeau admits to "mistakes" in immigration, outlines new plan
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada will soon see a significant decline in immigration as the government attempts to fix its “mistakes.”
In a six-minute video shared on Sunday,
Trudeau stated that since Canada’s population has grown “baby-boomer fast,” the government plans to temper growth by reducing the number of immigrants in the next three years. “I’m going to let you in on what happened, where we made some mistakes, and why we’re taking this big turn,” he said. “Looking back, as the postpandemic boom cooled and business no longer needed the additional labour help, as a federal team, we could have acted quicker and turned off the taps faster.” Trudeau said bad actors and fake colleges have used the immigration system to obtain cheap foreign labour.
Continued on Page 7...
New immigrants less happy than longer-term Canadians, poll finds
Continued on Page 7...
A new poll from Angus Reid finds a majority of Canadians still consider themselves to be happy, but that number has been decreasing in recent years. What’s more, non-white and new Canadians seem to be faring the worst in the growing trend of unhappiness.
Air pollution nightmare engulfs northern India and Pakistan
The total or partial reproduction of an article, witA thick, gray haze, a permanent smell of burning, completely stale air, assaulting the eyes, throat and lungs: Extreme winter pollution has tightened its grip on the inhabitants of northern India and Pakistan. In both neighboring regions, human health is under threat. Continued on Page 14...
Warrant issued for South Asian Brampton man involved in Pearson gold heist after failed court appearance
Peel Regional Police have issued a bench warrant for a man connected to the Toronto Pearson Airport gold heist after he failed to appear in court. Prasath Paramalingam, 35, of Brampton, was charged with accessory after the fact for aiding 25-year-old Durante King-McLean during the airport heist, which saw King-McLean allegedly drive off with millions worth of gold bars in April 2023. On Thursday, a police spokesperson confirmed with CityNews that a bench warrant has been in place since August after
Paramalingam failed to show up for his court appearance. A bench warrant stems from the judge’s authority. PRP investigators confirmed in April that KingMcLean and Paramalingam were indicted in the U.S. for a conspiracy to engage in international firearms trafficking.
U.S. officials became involved in Sept. 2023, a few months after the gold heist at Pearson airport, when one of the suspects, identified as King-McLean, was pulled over for suspected motor vehicle violations in Pennsylvania.
Canadians set for a snowy winter, but how much depends on location
Canadians hoping for a more snowy winter this year may be in luck — but where you live may influence how much and how long it will last.
Chief meteorologist Anthony Farnell says part of what will drive winter conditions is La Nina.
That flow of warmer water in the Pacific Ocean typically brings lower temperatures and higher precipitation, an opposite to the El Nino weather pattern we saw last winter, which caused higher temperatures from coast to coast.
Farnell cautioned though that while La Nina is expected to play a “big role” globally, its impact may still not be drastic for Canada.
“La Nina hasn’t fully materialized and in fact there are signs that it may never come,” he said Wednesday. “But still, even neutral conditions in
the Pacific can lead to a lot colder air for much of Canada, and that generally means more snow.”
According to Farnell, much of British Columbia and Alberta and part of southwestern Saskatchewan and southern Yukon will see below-normal temperatures. The rest of Saskatchewan, most of the Northwest Territories, all of Manitoba and northwestern Ontario are expected to experience near-normal temperatures.
The rest of the country, including nearly all of Nunavut, is expected to see above-normal temperatures.
However, Farnell said Canadians who aren’t already experiencing the cold, like those in the Prairies, should anticipate the thermometer showing colder conditions at the end of this month with a “chilly” December ahead.
Vancouver council has unanimously supported the need to build a cultural centre in the city that aims to recognize, celebrate and showcase the significant contributions of the South Asian community. The commitment, however, did not include a budget, timeline or location for such a centre. A future staff report is expected to answer those questions, although Coun. Lenny Zhou’s desire is that the city contribute one-third of capital costs to what he described as a South Asian Centre of Cultural Excellence.
City land would also be considered.
“I also talked to a few South Asian politicians, including MPs and MLAs — they are also very keen to explore this idea and will help Vancouver to advocate and bring this centre to Vancouver,” Zhou said in introducing his motion Nov. 13 in the council chamber. While cost is a concern, council’s push to establish such a centre in Vancouver also faces competition from Surrey, which continues to campaign for the facility to be located in the municipality. Surrey has one of
the largest South Asian populations in Canada. “Surrey stands as the heart of the South Asian community in British Columbia,” said Jasroop Gosal, interim spokesperson for the Surrey Board
of Trade in a Sept. 4 “It’s the natural home for this landmark institution, which will not only celebrate South Asian heritage but also serve as a cultural hub for the entire province.” The board of trade release was issued after the B.C. government released a mid-term report that detailed the feedback it had received in consultations across the province about the location for such a centre.
A countrywide arrest warrant has been issued for a 25-year-old Ontario man accused of driving a semi-trailer truck through a stop sign before a crash that killed a Manitoba mother and daughter.
RCMP charged Navjeet Singh with two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and one count of obstructing a police officer on Wednesday, police said in a news release.
Efforts to find the 25-yearold from Brampton, Ont., in Winnipeg were unsuccessful, and police say they've issued a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest.
Police allege Singh drove a semi through a stop sign on Highway 201 on Friday evening, crashing into an SUV at the intersection of highways 201 and 306, about 13 kilometres west of the town of Altona, Man.
RCMP previously said Singh was taken to hospital, where he was treated for injuries and
The Surrey RCMP drug unit has reported one of its largest drug seizures, as the detachment gets ready to hand control of policing to the Surrey Police Service at the end of this month.
On Wednesday, the officer in charge of the Surrey RCMP detachment, Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards, said the drug investigation began in June 2023 focusing on a criminal group which he alleged was “involved in high potency drugs and illicit firearms trafficking in the Lower Mainland.”
Edwards said the drug unit made seven searches, in Surrey, Coquitlam, New Westminster, Vancouver and Richmond.
“Officers seized large quantities of cocaine, MDMA, methamphetamine, fentanyl, prescription and counterfeit prescription pills, firearms, cash and vehicles,” he said.
Three man aged between 24 and 47 were arrested but no charges have yet been laid by prosecutors.
The seizures included 36 kilograms of fentanyl, 22 kilograms of MDMA,
released. Anyone with information on Singh's whereabouts is asked to contact their local police detachment, the Pembina Valley RCMP at 204822-5469, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or on their website.
The crash killed Sara Unger, 35, and her daughter Alexa Unger, 8. They were heading home from the grocery store, family members previously told CBC News. The two were from the rural municipality of Rhineland, which surrounds Altona, about 90 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg. Sara was pronounced dead at the scene. Alexa, who was a passenger in the SUV, was airlifted to Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre, where she died from her injuries. A witness to the crash who had been travelling behind the SUV told RCMP she slowed down because she saw the semi approaching the intersection at high speed, Manitoba RCMP Sgt. Paul Manaigre previously said.
20 kilograms of cocaine, 22 kilograms of methamphetamine, six prohibited firearms, body armour and three vehicles.
“The Surrey RCMP drug unit remains focused on pursuing those who aim to profit from illicit drug trade and illegal firearms trafficking,” Edwards said. “The totality of drugs seized in this investigation was significant and will disrupt the drug trade in Surrey.”
Surrey Police Service will assume responsibility for policing in Surrey on Nov. 29.
Trudeau government to send $250 cheques to most people, slash GST on some goods
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday a suite of new measures meant to alleviate some of the affordability pressures people have been experiencing in the postCOVID era — including a two-month GST holiday on some goods and services.
The Liberal government will also send $250 cheques to the 18.7 million people in Canada who worked in 2023 and earned $150,000 or less.
Those cheques, which the government is calling the "Working Canadians Rebate," will arrive sometime in "early spring 2025,"
Trudeau said.
The GST/HST holiday will start on Dec. 14 and run through Feb. 15, 2025.
People will be able to buy the following goods GST-free:
Prepared foods, including vegetable trays, pre-made meals and salads, and sandwiches.
Restaurant meals, whether dine-in, takeout or delivery.
Snacks, including chips, candy and granola bars.
Beer, wine, cider and pre-mixed alcoholic beverages below 7 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV).
Children's clothing and footwear, car seats and diapers.
Children's toys, such as board games, dolls and video game consoles.
Books, print newspapers and puzzles for all ages.
Christmas trees.
With these exemptions, all food in Canada will be essentially tax-free.
Power restored to thousands of BC Hydro customers after bomb cyclone
More than 225,000 BC Hydro customers were without power Tuesday night as a massive windstorm caused damage across BC’s South Coast. The high winds, blamed on a bomb cyclone, left trees toppled and downed power lines across Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. The storm was slated to arrive on Tuesday but would
not make landfall; instead, it would build about 400 km off the coast of Vancouver Island.
Experts have explained that BC has experienced a bomb cyclone a few times in recent years. It is categorized as a rapidly deepening low pressure system. While it can bring rain, the winds are the primary concern.
Surrey aims to cut building permit processing time by at least 30%
The City of Surrey aims to slash its timelines for issuing building permits by a minimum of 30 per cent, according to a corporate report from the planning and development department that came before council tonight (Monday, Nov. 18).
Council directed city staff to set development and permit approval targets and provide council "with an overview of the land development approval process key improvement areas, including the impact of deficiencies on these target timelines," in accordance with the report by Ron Gill, Surrey's acting management of planning and development.
Gill noted that last December, under the Housing Accelerator Fund Action Plan, a goal was set to expand the guaranteed permitting timeline program with a focus on the processing time for simple rezonings as well as rezonings with development permits, single-family building permits and tenant improvement building permits within the City of Surrey's control.
These timelines are updated weekly and can be found on the City's website at www.surrey. ca/permittimelines.
Surrey determined to increase housing starts by 27 per cent by way of issuing building permits.
"To date, the City has exceeded this goal, with building permit data showing 84 per cent above target, and with 2024 expecting to set a new record for housing starts, surpassing the prior record set in 2019," Gill noted.
He added that while housing start have significantly increased, "concerns remain around development and permit approval times, highlighting the need for a more
comprehensive approach to further streamline processes."
Earlier this month, council received an update on the city's financial activity during the first nine months of this year in which Kam Grewal, Surrey's general manager of finance, said that while Surrey saw a 40 per cent increase in residential dwelling unit permits issued compared to the first three quarters of 2023, it also recorded a 22 per cent decrease in construction of new single-family homes during that time.
Meantime, Ron Gill told council in the report that came before it on Nov. 18 that "the impact of deficiencies on applications cannot be understated" and that "this problem has led to added pressures on staff to perform multiple reviews on the same applications which, in turn, limits staff’s ability to commence reviews on new applications, thereby delaying the overall application review process for multiple applications in the queue."
He said city staff has shifted its focus on improving "the applicant experience in its entirety" to ensure "meaningful, effective, and sustained reduction to the development and permitting processes." and expects to provide council with semi-annual progress reports that track performance and trends related to the targets.
David
Eby unveils new cabinet with significant changes in key portfolios
Premier David Eby has chosen a cabinet that accounts for public concerns around health care and public safety by moving long-serving ministers Adrian Dix and Mike Farnworth in an attempt to bring in some new blood. There will be 23 ministers and four ministers of state around the cabinet table in the coming years, including 17 women. Demonstrating the challenges the NDP faced outside the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, only three members of the cabinet are from the Interior and the North of the province. They are Kootenay Central MLA Brittny Anderson, Tamara Davidson of North Coast-Haida Gwaii and Randene Neill of Powell River-Sunshine Coast.
There will also be 14 parliamentary secretaries, meaning that 41 out of 47 NDP MLAs have been given some type of portfolio that comes with a pay raise. That doesn’t take into account the need to appoint a caucus whip, caucus chair, Speaker and deputy whip, which all come with a pay top up. The former energy, mines and low carbon innovation minister, Josie Osborne, has been tapped for health. Garry Begg, the SurreyGuildford MLA whose 22-vote victory gave the NDP their majority, will be minister of public safety and solicitor general. Dix, meanwhile, will take over energy from Osborne, while Farnworth will take over infrastructure and transit.
The new provincial cabinet is as follows
• Premier: David Eby
• Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities: Brittny Anderson
• Agriculture and Food: Lana Popham
• Attorney General and Deputy Premier: Niki Sharma
Federal
Monday-Friday - 12:00pm - 9:30pm & Saturday-Sunday - 12:00pm -
• Children and Family Development: Grace Lore
• Citizens’ Services: George Chow
• Education and Child Care: Lisa Beare
• Minister of State for Child Care and Children and Youth with Support Needs: Jodie Wickens
• Emergency Management and Climate Readiness: Kelly Greene
• Energy and Climate Solutions: Adrian Dix Environment and Parks: Tamara Davidson
• Finance: Brenda Bailey Forests: Ravi Parmar
• Health: Josie Osborne
• Housing and Municipal Affairs: Ravi Kahlon
• Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation: Christine Boyle
• Infrastructure: Bowinn Ma
• Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation: Diana Gibson
• Minister of State for Trade: Rick Glumac
• Labour: Jennifer Whiteside
• Mining and Critical Minerals: Jagrup Brar
• Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills: Anne Kang
• Public Safety and Solicitor General: Garry Begg
• Minister of State for Community Safety and Integrated Services: Terry Yung
• Social Development and Poverty Reduction: Sheila Malcolmson
• Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport: Spencer Chandra Herbert
• Transportation and Transit and House Leader: Mike Farnworth
• Water, Land and Resource Stewardship: Randene Neill
Indigenous spending almost tripled to projected $32
billion—but modest improvement in Indigenous living standards due to unrelated federal child benefit
While federal spending on Indigenous affairs has almost tripled since 2015, the uptick in Indigenous living standards is due primarily to the Canada Child Benefit, an unrelated federal program for families with children, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“Because Indigenous people generally have lower incomes and more children than other Canadians, they gain more from Ottawa’s Canada Child Benefit program,” said Tom Flanagan, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and author of An Avalanche of Money: The Federal Government’s Policies Toward First Nations.
From 2015 to 2025, the federal government will almost triple spending on Indigenous affairs, from $11 billion to a projected $32 billion (in nominal dollars). Moreover, the federal government has been negotiating (rather than litigating) class actions, leading to settlements worth tens of billions of dollars to Indigenous claimants. It’s also been settling specific claims, based on alleged violation of treaties or the
Indian Act, at a rate four times faster than the previous norm, resulting in at least an additional $10 billion for First Nation governments.
Has all this increased Indigenous spending and transfers helped increase living standards for Indigenous people? The gap in Statistics Canada’s Community Well-Being Index (i.e. broad measure of living standards) between First Nations and other Canadian communities shrunk from 19 to 16 points from 2016 to 2021, but this was likely due to the federal Canada Child Benefit—which sends up to $7,787 per child to eligible families—introduced in 2016. In other words, the improvement in Indigenous living standards relative to other Canadians is likely due to a federal program available to all Canadians (although eligibility is based on several factors including income) and not due to the massive increases of direct federal spending on Indigenous affairs. “If policymakers in Ottawa want to help Indigenous people, they should look closely at what types of spending produce the most tangible benefits,” Flanagan said.
Ph: 604-591-5423
Fax: 604-591-8615
editor@theasianstar.com
Editor: Umendra Singh
Associate Editor: Harvinder Sandhu
Marketing and Sales: Ravi Cheema 604-715-3847
Shamir Doshi 604-649-7827
Harminder Kaur 778-708-0481
Parminder Dhillon 604-902-2858
Pre-Press: Avee Waseer
Production: Ozmo Media www.theasianstar.com
Publication Mail Agreement No 428336012
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Dept. # 202 - 8388, 128 St., Surrey, BC V3W 4G2
Canada needs to become Trump proof, not Trump worthy
Blind alignment with Trump’s policies will cost Canada dearly. We must chart a course to withstand U.S. political instability
By Stuart Trew - Since Nov. 6, when it became clear that Donald Trump had won the U.S. presidency for a second time, Canadians have been swamped by hot takes about what it could mean for us. The speculation has been near constant, to the point of feeding panic.
Will Trump raise tariffs on Canadian exports? Will we see hundreds of people fleeing north to avoid a crackdown on migrants in the U.S.? What will Trump say or do about Canadian defence spending, the digital services tax, or dairy supply management? Etc., etc. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland reassured us that “Canada will be absolutely fine.” Canada is more than a neighbour; we’re a “strategic partner” of the U.S., claimed Industry Minister François-Phillippe Champagne, who boasted that Trump’s people are responding to his texts, “So, this is good.”
“Canada is aligned with the U.S. already, and we’re going to be able to do good things together,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Let’s be clear. In no universe will Canada –or anyone else – be “absolutely fine” after Trump is officially installed in January. Freeland doesn’t seem to believe this herself. If she did, she wouldn’t be throwing President Claudia Sheinbaum under the bus by claiming Mexico is not as enthusiastic as Canada about shutting Chinese investment out of North America.
Freeland’s comments, which parroted Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s electioneering call to remove Mexico from the renegotiated Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), make Canada look panicked and defenceless, desperate for a “Great Work!” sticker from Trump. We would be far better off adopting a position of strategic differentiation rather than knee-jerk alignment with Trump’s agenda. This is not what Canada’s business elite would like to see, but it’s the soundest long-term strategy for dealing with political instability in Washington. Differentiation is a business term that feels right under the circumstances, what with one CEO in the White House and another, Elon Musk, tasked with downsizing government spending by trillions of dollars. It means capitalizing on the uniqueness of your product or brand against those of the competition.
Rejected ballots spark argument in BC riding
Two rejected ballots that didn’t clearly indicate a candidate were the subject of debate during the judicial recount of a hotly contested riding in Surrey.
BC held a provincial election on October 19, but NDP leader David Eby wasn’t asked to form government until October 28 because the race was so tight. Some ridings were so close that less than a couple dozen votes made the difference between winner and loser.
One of those ridings was Surrey-Guildford, where Garry Begg of the NDP beat BC Conservative candidate Honveer Singh Randhawa by just 22 votes.
That riding was so close it triggered a judicial recount. Now, a decision by BC Supreme Court judge Kevin Loo posted online this week reveals some of the arguments that took place amid the recount.
The political parties argued over two rejected ballots from the final count. The ballots did not clearly indicate a single candidate.
The voter for the first disputed ballot coloured in dark circles next to all candidates except Conservative candidate Randhawa — leaving that one white.
The BC Conservatives argued that ballots should be counted in their favour since the voter left Randhawa’s circle differently than the others. They argued the voter had intended to vote for Randhawa. They pointed to a previous case where a ballot was marked with Xs next to all candidates except for one with a check mark. In that case, the judge could clearly tell who the voter planned to vote for and admitted the ballot.
But the blank circle next to Randhawa’s name wasn’t so clear, and Justice Loo rejected
the ballot. The second disputed ballot contained marks for both Randhawa and NDP candidate Begg. The NDP argued the nature of the mark next to the Conservative candidate was that of hesitation.
The judge decided the ballot did not clearly indicate the voter’s intention and rejected it. On Election Day, voters in BC are instructed to mark the circle next to only one candidate.
“Although I did so in person at the recount, I will take the further opportunity
in these reasons to thank the candidates, counsel, Elections BC officials and staff, and representatives of the two contesting political parties for their participation in this very important part of our province’s democratic process,” Loo wrote in the decision.
Eliminating Vancouver’s elected park board could save the city around $7 million per year, according to a report heading to council next week.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim unveiled the Parks and Recreation Transition Group’s final report Thursday, which suggested the savings would come from efficiencies, streamlined processes and reduced duplication.
The report also argued that the integration of parks and recreation under council authority could help ensure 36 hectares of parkland currently designated as “temporary” were reclassified as permanent.
“This transition isn’t just about governance,” Sim said.
“It’s about unlocking opportunities to save, to improve and to invest. Now, by streamlining services, cutting duplication,
eliminating unnecessary red tape, we’re going to save Vancouverites $70 million over the next decade.” The report states that delays related to duplication in authority between the two elected bodies added about $15 million in added costs to city projects over the last four years, particularly related to construction.
“Right now, getting permits for events like festivals or filming can be a frustrating, multistep process, and we’re going to change that,” Sim said.
The transition group’s report recommends replacing the oversight duties of elected park board members with a city council subcommittee on parks and recreation, made up of five councillors. The committee would advise the full council and represent the city in talks with other government bodies on parks and recreation issues.
The owner of an Abbotsford, B.C., auto dealership is offering a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of a repeat vandal. “We’re up to $100,000 in damages,” said Brendon Hall, owner and general manager of the Honda Way dealership at the Fraser Valley Auto Mall.
Hall said that since April, someone has targeted his business at least seven times, hurling rocks at vehicles parked on the lot.
Each incident has resulted in between $7,000 and $12,000 in damage, according to Hall. “They will hit one to four vehicles in each incident,” he said.
“They are typically throwing rocks from offsite … every time there is at least one windshield damaged, I think that is their goal in the attack
is to smash a windshield. In the process of doing that, there’s hoods, fenders, pillars, roofs, dented in the process.”
Worse, he said the business is paying out of pocket, because of its high insurance deductibles. Hall said the vandal or vandals appear to be specifically targeting Hondas. In one case, the attackers ignored a Porsche parked on the lot while pelting nearby Hondas with rocks.
“I feel like it is in my hands to find a solution. I’ve stayed here late at night countless nights to two, three in the morning,” he said.
“I feel helpless. Our security company can’t catch them, the police can’t catch them.”
Abbotsford police Sgt. Paul Walker said investigators were working with the dealership to try and address the problem.
Surrey Memorial only hospital in BC recognized internationally for surgical care
Surrey Memorial Hospital has been recognized internationally for its surgical care.
Surrey Memorial Hospital has participated in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) since 2006. The hospitals in the program must track the outcomes of surgeries, which are then analyzed by the American College of Surgeons, with their reports sent back to the hospitals.
"The program focuses on reducing surgical complications and enhancing patient outcomes through a data-driven, evidencebased approach," reads a Fraser Health release.
The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program recognized Surrey Memorial Hospital for achieving a meritorious composite score in the "all cases" and "high-risk" categories.
Dr. Chuck Wen, a thoracic surgeon at Surrey Memorial and its NSQIP surgeon champion, said in a Fraser Health news release that, "Being part of the surgical team, whose work has gotten our site recognized as a meritorious hospital, is an unexplainable feeling and reminder that every piece of data we collect represents a life we've touched.
"By our collective commitment to quality and patient safety, we're not just improving numbers but honouring our patients' trust," he said.
Surrey Memorial Hospital was one of 77 recognized, out of 609 eligible hospitals, and the only hospital in B.C.
"The NSQIP Meritorious Award is a testament to the outstanding teamwork at Surrey Memorial Hospital, where surgeons, nurses, allied health professionals, and support staff collaborate to drive continuous improvement in surgical care," says Lesli
New immigrants less happy than longer-term Canadians, poll finds
Continued from Page 1...
The survey questioned more than 1,600 adult Canadians last summer, resulting in a margin of error of plus or minus two per cent, 19 times of out 20. It found that 61 per cent of Canadians identified themselves as “very happy” or “pretty happy” in their lives, with the over-55s leading the pack at 68 per cent. However, that still left more than a third of Canadians in the “not too happy” or “not happy at all” camps, and that group has grown in size compared to a similar poll taken almost a decade ago. In the category of “your outlook on life,” 79 per cent of Canadians in 2015 described themselves as satisfied or very satisfied, with just 21 per cent calling themselves
unsatisfied or very unsatisfied. But in the new poll, the satisfied group fell to 70 per cent, with the unsatisfied taking up the other 30 per cent. There also appears to be a correlation between one’s time in Canada and one’s levels of satisfaction, and another between happiness and ethnicity.
The survey found that people born in Canada were most likely to be very or pretty happy (64 per cent) versus not too happy or not happy at all (35 per cent) compared to immigrants who have been here for 20 years or less. That group was more likely to report being unhappy (48 per cent) than happy (45 per cent), with 7 per cent saying they weren’t sure.
Canadians react as Trudeau admits to "mistakes" in immigration, outlines new plan
Continued from Page 1...
He also pointed out that rental prices in major cities have dropped since the government capped the number of international students entering the country. He explained that the government will prioritize permanent residents with skills, such as healthcare workers and construction workers. Trudeau also addressed temporary foreign workers who will apply for asylum, adding that if their claim fails, “they’ll be sent home.”“We’re making the system work for Canadians and for newcomers rather than for big box stores, chain restaurants, immigration consultants, and sham colleges that exploit it,” he said.
Reducing immigration levels would put
Canada back on track to the same population growth pre-pandemic and allow the government to build more homes. “Immigration is primarily a federal job,” said Trudeau. “We have the leverage to rein it in. So we are.”
However, some Canadians stated that these changes are coming “far too late.”
Matheson Jennings, executive director for clinical quality and strategic priorities. "We are incredibly proud of our teams advancing surgical care at Surrey Memorial Hospital, which is dedicated to improving patient outcomes and enriching the patient experience."
Dr. Clifford Y. Ko, director of the ACS division of research and optimal patient care, commended all the hospitals for participating.
“They have committed to using high-quality data to improve the surgical care of their patients," he said. "The Meritorious hospitals go a step further — not only do they use the data effectively, they also have the results
APPLIANCES REPAIR SERVICE
Investigation led to huge drug bust, which will disrupt Surrey drug trade, says RCMP
Mounties in Surrey, say a year-long investigation has led to one of the largest drug seizures in the detachment's history and will "disrupt" the drug trade in the city.
RCMP say they launched an investigation in June 2023 into a criminal group alleged to be involved in trafficking "high-potency" drugs and illicit firearms in the Lower Mainland.
Police used warrants to search properties in Surrey, Vancouver, New Westminster, Richmond and Coquitlam, and say officers seized large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl and other drugs, along with cash, guns, ammunition and body armour. Three suspects between the ages of 24 and 47 have been arrested.
RCMP Cpl. Sarbjit Sangha says a report has been sent to the Public Prosecution Services of Canada for recommendation of charges
against the three. Mounties say the amount of drugs seized in this investigation, including 36 kilograms of fentanyl, 23 kilograms of MDMA, and 20 kilograms of cocaine, are significant enough to disrupt the drug trade in Surrey.
BC real estate agent seeks $800K in commissions for units sold in financially troubled condo project
A Surrey, B.C., real estate agent is suing a financially troubled developer for $800,000 in allegedly unpaid commissions on sales of dozens of units in one of three major Metro Vancouver highrise condo projects now facing receivership.
The lawsuit — filed in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster this week — is the latest in a series of civil claims relating to projects conceived by Thind Properties in Burnaby, Surrey and Richmond.
Gurmail Singh claims he entered into an agreement in September that would have seen him collect two per cent of the purchase price on 44 units in Burnaby's 327-home
Highline Project — known in the lawsuit as 6511 Sussex Heights Development Ltd.
The real estate agent claims the units were sold the same month and that it was "solely with" his efforts "that the lands were sold."
Singh's lawsuit is part of a web of litigation which has sprung up in recent months around a number of Thind projects.
Last week, a judge placed the developer's District Northwest project — a two-tower, 1,023-unit yet-to-be-built complex billed as "Surrey's new growth centre" — into receivership after Thind allegedly defaulted on an $80 million mortgage. The court has yet to rule on those two applications.
What to expect as RCMP rolls out bodycams to 3,000 BC police officers
Forty-four Mission RCMP officers will receive body cameras next week as the national police force begins providing the recording devices to all its uniformed police officers in B.C.
By early 2026, about 3,000 B.C. Mounties who work on the streets will be equipped with cameras that they’re required to activate before arriving at a call or initiating contact with someone as part of an investigation.
“Once the cameras are in use across the province, the video will provide us with an unbiased, first-person account of incidents involving the police and members of the public,” Dwayne McDonald, commanding officer of the B.C. RCMP, said at a news conference Thursday.
Will bodycams be recording at all times? In order to begin recording, an RCMP officer must activate the camera, which is worn on the front of his or her vest. Before this, the camera is in standby mode, capturing 30 seconds of images without audio. This 30-second buffer is consistently being recorded over until the officer hits the camera’s record button, at which point the 30 seconds of muted video is attached to the recording to show the moments leading up to the camera’s activation. The cameras will not be used in surveillance or 24-hour recording. Aside from urgent circumstances, they won’t be turned on in places where there is an expectation of privacy, such as private homes, hospitals and religious places.
City of Vancouver to crack down on DTES illegal street market
The City of Vancouver says it is cracking down on illegal street vending in the Downtown Eastside. In an announcement issued on Wednesday, the city said it will now take a “firmer approach” to enforcement of the street and traffic bylaws on Hastings Street.
“The street vending scene on Hastings St has also become a primary destination for stolen goods, both locally and across the region,” the city said in a statement.
Enforcement will start with vendors being asked to clear the sidewalks and if vendors do not comply, staff may impound their items and issue penalties for unpermitted vending. “Our first priority is the safety and well-being of all Vancouverites, especially those in our vulnerable communities,” Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said in a statement.
“Increased enforcement of illegal vending demonstrates our continued commitment to ensuring the Downtown Eastside streets are safe and accessible for everyone.”
Vancouver police said the illicit market on East Hastings Street has led to a violent shoplifting epidemic that continues to impact business owners, staff and shoppers.
“Thousands of dollars in merchandise is stolen every day – often with violence by repeat offenders – and resold for pennies on the dollar by criminal networks in the Downtown Eastside".
The city said staff are exploring ways for vulnerable people in the Downtown Eastside to supplement their income that do not include stolen goods or illegal activities. Property owners who see vending in front of their business should call 311 to report the address, the city said.
Lenders file court case against Metro Vancouver real estate developer Thind Properties
A major Metro Vancouver real estate developer has been accused in court by a mortgage lender of having “misappropriated” millions of dollars, including tax money that allegedly should have gone to the Canada Revenue Agency.
KingSett Mortgage Corp. has filed two recent petitions in B.C. Supreme Court demanding Burnaby-based Thind Properties pay more than $300 million owed on major condo developments in Surrey, Richmond and Burnaby, totalling almost 1,800 homes pluss office and retail space.
With the first petition, launched last month, KingSett successfully obtained a court order placing a Surrey condo project owned by Thind under receivership.
In the second petition, filed earlier this month, KingSett asked the court to also appoint a receiver for Thind’s condo projects in Richmond and Burnaby to oversee the sale of their assets and distribution of proceeds. The lender claims a receivership is “necessary to ensure that the
borrowers do not abscond with funds due and owing to KingSett,” alleging the borrowers had “already misappropriated funds in various contexts.”
The allegations in KingSett’s second petition have not been tested in court.
Thind filed a response to the first petition opposing the Surrey receivership, but soon after, the court appointed KSV Restructuring as receiver. Thind has not responded in court to the second petition.
Conservative leader names shadow cabinet, includes controversial Surrey MLA
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad has assigned jobs to 41 of his 44-member caucus, including giving a critic’s position to MLA Brent Chapman, who faced calls to step down during the campaign over controversial social media remarks.
Several groups called on Rustad during last month’s election to remove Chapman as his party’s candidate over the posts, including one in which he called Palestinian children “inbred walking, talking, breathing time bombs.”
Rustad said during the campaign that it would be up to voters to judge his party’s candidates and Chapman, who apologized for the remarks, was elected in Surrey South.
and the Insurance Corporation of B.C. Other members of Rustad’s shadow cabinet include former members of the Opposition B.C. United, which suspended its campaign in an effort not to split the right-ofcentre vote.
Elenore Sturko is the critic for public safety and solicitor general, Teresa Wat takes on tourism, antiracism and trade, Peter Milobar will shadow the Finance Ministry, while Ian Paton is the critic for agriculture and fisheries.
Chapman has been named critic for transit
Rustad says in a statement that with the talent and dedication of his caucus they will hold Premier David Eby to account for the government’s “outof-control spending and ongoing failures in health care, public safety and addictions.”
BC won't step in to help municipalities cover costs of RCMP dispatch
There will be no good news for North Cowichan, as well as nine other communities in south Vancouver Island including Duncan and Ladysmith, in regards to taking on the costs of the E-comm 911 service that are planned to be downloaded to the municipalities in 2025.
In a letter to North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas, Douglas S. Scott, the province’s Deputy Solicitor General, said the 10 municipalities will be responsible for taking over 100 per cent of the costs of the E-comm
911 service as of April 1, 2025, as planned.
“It is a condition of the transition funding [from the province for the service] that respective municipalities and E-Comm make every effort to negotiate and sign agreements for the provision of dispatch services by April 1, 2025,” Scott said in the letter to Douglas on behalf of Mike Farnworth, minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
E-Comm 911 is a multi-municipality agency that provides emergency communications operations for British Columbia.
Bench warrant issued against suspended schoolteacher
A bench warrant has been issued against suspended schoolteacher Kishore Kumar, who is accused of claiming to have explicit content of Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Lenora Qereqeretabua.
Mr Kumar this morning failed to appear before Suva magistrate Jeremaia Savou to face charges of unauthorised access to computer systems and causing harm by posting an electronic communication.
It is alleged that between May 1 and May 23 last year, Mr Kumar had intentionally secured access to a Facebook account belonging to another user and posted on the social media app vulgarities aimed at MS Qereqeretabua.
The bench warrant returnable date is February 6 next year.
New gold deposits found at Tuvatu Gold Mine
Lion One Metals Limited, operators of the Tuvatu Gold Mine in Nadi have reported a new significantly mineralized structure with gold deposits.
The company states this structure has consistently returned very high-grade gold since it was first identified in September.
“The structure is associated with abundant roscoelite, a feature which is characteristic of several large alkaline gold deposits,” said the company.
Lion One has also announced the appointment of Ivan Maldonado and Alexander Valencia as the new Mine Geology Manager and Senior Mine Geologist respectively at the Company’s Tuvatu Gold Mine in Fiji.
“We are delighted to welcome Ivan and Alexander to Fiji where their expertise will
be
Police await PM’s directions
Acting Police Commissioner Juki Fong Chew says he has directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police Crime Mesake Waqa to conduct a preliminary investigation to further determine whether the Police Force or the Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption will lead the investigation into the Grace Road issue.
This is in relation to Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Pio Tikoduadua’s offer to step aside amidst the ongoing investigation into the unauthorized issuance of passports linked to the Grace Road Group.
Fong Chew adds they will await further directions from Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka in relation to the announcement by Tikoduadua.
Tikoduadua had directed an immediate and thorough investigation into the unauthorized issuance of a passport to determine how the lapse occurred and to hold accountable those responsible.
Chief Justice Temo denies Shah’s bid to be a lawyer
Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo has denied an application by disbarred lawyer Haroon Ali Shah to be re-admitted as a legal practitioner.
Mr Shah was charged with nine counts of professional misconduct and unprofessional conduct in 2011 and 2012, and was found guilty of the charges by the Commissioner for Independent Legal Services Commission.
The Chief Registrar was then ordered to strike his name off the Roll of Legal Practitioners.
In August 2020, he petitioned the Chief Justice to be readmitted as a legal
practitioner.
In a decision delivered on January 14, 2020, the then Chief Justice Kamal Kumar struck out Mr Shah’s petition for restoration to the roll. The decision prompted Mr Shah to file an appeal to have the Chief Justice’s decision set aside.
Last year, Mr Shah turned to the Fiji Court of Appeal, however, the court ruled it had no jurisdiction to hear his appeal.
Yesterday, Justice Temo told the parties he was denying Mr Shah’s application. He will deliver a written judgment on December 11.
The Fiji National Provident Fund will be implementing key changes to its penalty system for late contribution payments, from 1st January next year.
In addition, the penalties paid will be allocated directly to the affected member’s account.
These changes to the FNPF Act 2011, were approved by Parliament in July. The current penalty regime of $100 per employee per month, has been in place since November 2011.
FNPF Chief Executive Viliame Vodonaivalu says from 1st January 2025, a 10 percent monthly penalty will be applied to outstanding contributions, including December 2024 contributions. He says the penalty will be calculated on the balance of unpaid contributions and will be applied each month until the debt is settled.
Vodonaivalu says the revised penalty regime was practical as it was a fair and equitable approach, transitioning from a one-rule-for-all
penalty regime.
He says the existing penalty system has remained unchanged despite the significant development in the business landscape, especially with emerging segments and industries.
The FNPF CEO says while it has served its purpose, they believe that this new system will be more manageable for employers. He says this new penalty structure will undoubtedly reduce the burden on micro, small and medium enterprises, while maintaining greater accountability for larger organizations.
Vodonaivalu says moving forward all penalties collected will be directly allocated to members’ accounts, helping to strengthen their retirement savings. In addition to the new penalty system, all Contribution Schedule will have to be submitted by the 14th of each month.
This change is also effective from 1st January 2025.
invaluable to our team at the Tuvatu Gold Mine,” said Lion One Chairman and CEO Walter Berukoff.
Militants kill 50, mostly Shiites, in Pakistan’s KP
At least 50 people were killed and 20 others injured when several vehicles carrying passengers were targeted by militants in northwest Pakistan on Thursday, officials said.
The militants ambushed the vehicles in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.
The vehicles were travelling in a convoy from Parachinar to Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when gunmen opened fire, the officials said.
Rescue authorities said 50 people, including eight women and five children, and 20 others were killed in the attack.
Most of the victims belonged to the Shia community, they said. The vehicles were ambushed in areas dominated by the Taliban,
a local journalist said.
According to local media, there were over 200 vehicles in the convoy.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur strongly condemned the attack and directed a delegation comprising the provincial law minister, lawmakers from the region, and the chief secretary to immediately visit Kurram to assess the situation and submit a comprehensive report.
He also instructed relevant authorities to work on establishing a Provincial Highways Police unit to secure all roads in the volatile province.
Gandapur extended condolences to the bereaved families and announced financial assistance for the families of the victims.
Pakistan bans gatherings over Imran Khan party’s protest threat
Pakistan federal authorities have outlawed all sorts of public gatherings in the capital region for two months ahead of a planned protest by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) last week announced to protest in Islamabad on November 24 to force the government to release its jailed founding leader, incarcerated for more than a year.
The federal government retaliated by imposing Section 144 in Islamabad, a colonial era law that prohibits public assemblies.
Meanwhile, according to Khan’s party, the Punjab police have started raiding the houses of party legislators, leaders, office-bearers and workers and misbehaving with their families besides ransacking their household items.
“So far, the police have detained over 200
supporters during raids in Lahore and other parts of Punjab,” a senior leader of Khan's party from Punjab said on Tuesday. The PTI says the fascist government will not be able to stop people from marching on the federal capital.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Khan said: “Death is better than a life of slavery. I ...only called on people associated with PTI to protest.”
Hours after bail, Pak court sends Imran to 5-day police remand
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on Thursday granted a five-day police remand of former prime minister Imran Khan, who was arrested formally by police hours after his bail in a corruption case was accepted.
Khan, 72, was arrested by Rawalpindi police in the New Town police station case on Wednesday night after securing bail in the second Toshakhana case and was produced before the Anti-Terrorism Court in Adiala Jail.
The police prosecution team sought a 15day police remand but the court granted the five-day remand and ordered to continue the investigation inside the jail.
Align code of conduct in South China Sea with International law: Rajnath at ASEAN
India has reiterated that the upcoming code of conduct for the regulation of maritime activity in the South China Sea needs to be consistent with the international law and should not prejudice legitimate rights and interests of nations not party to the ongoing discussions on framing the code.
Addressing the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus Forum at Vientiane, Laos, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said, “India would like to see a code that is fully consistent with the international law, in particular the UN Convention Law of Sea 1982.”
He said, “India has always advocated and practised dialogue for resolving complex international issues. This commitment to open communication and peaceful negotiation is evident in India’s approach to a wide range of international challenges, from border disputes to trade agreements.
“India believes that genuine, long-term solutions to global problems can only be achieved when nations engage constructively, respecting each other’s perspectives,” he added.
Rajnath Singh drew attention to the global commons — the shared natural resources and
ecosystems essential to sustaining life and bringing prosperity on the planet – saying there was a need to safeguard these global commons. Earlier in July this year, External Affairs Minster S Jaishankar while speaking at the 14th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at Laos had mentioned the need to align the code of conduct with the international laws.
A code of conduct is being discussed among six countries — the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei — that are party to the maritime boundary dispute in the South China Sea. These countries have been discussing a code of conduct forced upon the claimants by China that did not accept a UN verdict on the demarcation of the maritime boundary.
Helpless in curbing pollution: Haryana minister on toxic NCR air SC to hear after 8 weeks plea to ban jokes on Sikhs
Haryana Environment Minister Rao Narbir Singh on Thursday said his government was aware of rising air pollution in districts adjoining national capital, but was currently helpless and would seek the Centre’s help in working out a long-term solution. He said he would soon meet Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav in this regard.
Narbir said, “Given the air pollution levels in Gurugram, the city will see an exodus of people and corporate houses. We are taking steps to provide immediate relief to the city residents, but there is a need for a permanent solution. We have no roadmap or experts for the same.”
He said he had already issued orders for zero tolerance towards GRAP violations.
“While short-term measures like enforcing curbs, deploying smog guns and initiating enforcement drives are in place, the NCR needs much more than that, including a blanket ban on stubble burning,” he said.
“Stubble burning in other states and even in some parts of Haryana contributes majorly to smog, which the NCR districts have to battle every winter. We are not blaming anyone and believe rather than politicising the issue, we need to find effective solutions collectively. Stubble burning will have to stop completely. We are giving subsidies to farmers and creating awareness to curb it and expect Punjab to do the same,” Narbir said, adding he would urge the Centre form a panel of climate experts and urban planners to work out a solution.
Bathinda farmers oppose acquisition of land for highway
Tension escalated at Dunewala, Bhagwangarh and Shergarh villages today as farmers voiced strong opposition to the acquisition of their land by the district administration for the JamnagarAmritsar national highway under the Bharatmala project.
According to information, the administration began the land acquisition process today when a team, including three SDMs, along with heavy machinery and police force, reached the villages to take possession of the land. Irked over not being allegedly provided adequate compensation, farmers staged a protest. Later, the police detained around a dozen farmers. The farmers have announced a protest against the administration and police action tomorrow at Dunewala.
Now, they are taking it from us without even giving us adequate compensation,” said Ram Singh, a farm union leader.
According to the information, the administration had given Rs 48 lakh per acre compensation whereas the farmers were demanding Rs 70 lakh per acre. The Bharatmala Project, which is part of the government’s larger highway and infrastructure development initiative, aims to create a robust national network of roads and highways to enhance connectivity.
Defending its action, the administration said the project was crucial for the region’s growth and would bring long-term benefits. “We are following the legal procedure and have provided compensation as per the norms,” said DC Shaukat
The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would hear after eight weeks a petition seeking directions to ban websites that display jokes projecting members of the Sikh community in poor light.
“It is an important matter,” a Bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan said after petitioner-in-person Harvinder Chowdhury said she would consolidate her own suggestions as also those made by other parties and file a compilation.
“You prepare a small compilation so that it becomes easier to go through it…. You have already got the suggestions. You can consolidate them,” the Bench told her and posted the petition for hearing after eight weeks.
Chowdhury highlighted the grievances of
Sikh women—allegedly ridiculed for their attire—and complained that Sikh children were also bullied in schools. Citing an incident wherein a Sikh boy allegedly died by suicide owing to bullying in school, she also raised the issue of virtual bullying.
In October 2015, the top court agreed to hear the matter. Alleging that around 5,000 websites displayed jokes on Sikhs projecting them in poor light, the petitioner had demanded a ban on such websites, saying the jokes violated the fundamental right to live with dignity. Earlier, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had also urged the top court to include “racial slurs” and “racial profiling” in the definition of ragging—which has been banned in educational institutions— to prevent victimisation of Sikh students.
Punjab Govt to auction land reserved for EWS housing in private projects
In a breather for private realtors, the government has proposed to auction the land reserved for the economically weaker section (EWS) housing in around 40 mega projects across the state. The government will use the proceeds to construct EWS housing near urban conglomerates like Mohali, Ludhiana and Jalandhar. The Department of Housing and Urban Development would auction nearly 500 acres for around Rs 2,000 crore and use the sale proceeds to raise the EWS housing on chunks of land to be bought for the purpose. The policy would
government functionary. By auctioning the land, the policy would keep the door open for the builder to buy back the same chunk of land that was earlier reserved for EWS houses.
The EWS housing scheme has remained a non-starter so far. Reluctance of the private builder lobby to allow EWS housing next to their high-end flats also delayed the implementation of the scheme. Under the policy, a private realtor has to reserve 5% of the gross area of the project for EWS housing. For group housing, 10% of the total number of flats have to be reserved
Kenya cancels airport and energy deals with Adani Group after US indictments
Kenya’s President said on Thursday he has cancelled multimillion-dollar airport expansion and energy deals with Indian tycoon Gautam Adani after US bribery and fraud indictments against one of Asia’s richest men.
President William Ruto in a state of the nation address said the decision was made “based on new information provided by our investigative agencies and partner nations.” He didn’t specify the United States.
The Adani Group had been in the process of signing an agreement that would modernise Kenya’s main airport in the capital, Nairobi, with an additional runway and terminal constructed, in exchange for the group running the airport for 30 years.
The widely criticised deal had sparked anti-Adani protests in Kenya and a strike by airport workers, who said it would lead to degraded working conditions and job losses in some cases.
East Africa’s business hub.
Also on Thursday, Energy Minister Opiyo Wandayi told a parliamentary committee there had been no bribery or corruption involved on Kenya’s part in signing that deal. US prosecutors indicted Adani this week on
The Adani Group had also been awarded a deal to construct power transmission lines in Kenya,
charges he duped investors in a massive solar energy project in India by concealing that it was facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme. He was charged with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud.
The circumstances surrounding the murder of Harshita Brella, whose body was discovered in the boot of a car in east London, were described as “horrifying” and “barbaric” in the UK Parliament in London as an inquest opened into the 24-year-old Indian-origin victim’s death.
It has since emerged that Brella was the subject of a 28-day domestic violence order against husband Pankaj Lamba – the prime suspect in the murder, which had not been renewed at the time of her killing earlier this month at her home in Corby, Northamptonshire.
The local MP of the constituency, Lee Barron, raised the issue in the House of Commons on Wednesday and asked Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner if in certain circumstances domestic violence protection orders (DVPOs) should last longer than 28 days. DVPOs are court orders that ban a domestic violence perpetrator from returning to their home or having contact with the victim.
“This tragic murder left a community shocked and scared, and it is being investigated by the police. Harshita was protected by a domestic violence protection order that lasted 28 days. It was not renewed,” said Barron.
In her response, Rayner said the government is committed to halving violence against women and
girls. “My thoughts are with Harshita’s family in this horrifying set of circumstances, where Harshita should have been protected and felt protected... We continue to do our work, hopefully across the House, to make sure that we can end the circumstances Harshita faced and we can stop this kind of barbaric action,” she said.
over the
“The media’s sensationalist focus on where Harshita Brella’s body was found dehumanises her and diverts attention from the suspect search. We must instead ask how authorities failed someone recently under a domestic violence protection order, and how we end endemic male violence,” she said.
UK Deputy PM describes Harshita Brella’s murder as ‘horrifying, barbaric’ AirpollutionnightmareengulfsnorthernIndia and Pakistan
Continued from Page 1... Sunday, November 17, turned into a nightmare in the Indian capital, New Delhi.
The atmosphere steadily deteriorated throughout the day, nearing an air quality index of 1,500 at around 8:30 pm. On Monday, the 1,800 threshold was crossed. At this level, any prolonged outdoor activity is risky, as air quality is considered poor above index 50, and extremely poor above index 300.
Yet the streets were crowded and hardly any of the locals wore protective masks, unaware of the danger. "What do you want me to do? Stay at home and stop feeding my family?" raged Rajesh, who was selling the Himalayan ravioli specialty called momos from his cart parked on the outskirts of the Chhatarpur district.
The extreme deterioration in air quality was partly due to the deliberate burning of stubble in Punjab's fields, set alight by farmers
to remove residues from the rice harvest and enable them to move on to the next crop more quickly. North-westerly winds blew the smoke back into the capital, where the difference between daytime and night-time temperatures created a kind of lid, preventing the pollutants from dissipating. On clear days, the atmosphere improved a little with the appearance of the sun, but on Sunday it remained obscured by mist. The authorities, unable to put an end to these harmful farming practices, launched an emergency plan on Sunday, halting construction sites and banning trucks from entering the capital. Schools had already been closed earlier in the week. No one was expecting miracles.
The apathy of the public authorities and the inability of the Supreme Court to force the authorities to act against pollution has led to a repetition of this scenario every winter.
Earlier, Indian-origin Labour MP Nadia Whittome took to social media to express her concerns
domestic violence suffered by the victim.
Russian
Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit India soon, the Kremlin said today.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “We are looking forward to the visit. The dates will be mutually worked out soon.”
The visit, which is likely to be early next year, will be part of a laid down structure between the two countries for reciprocal annual visits by their leaders. The announcement of Vladimir Putin’s visit to India came on the day Russia updated its nuclear doctrine for the second time, allowing Moscow to target non-nuclear states should the need arise.
President Vladimir Putin will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi during his visit. The two leaders had last met during PM Modi’s visit to Kazan in Russia for the BRICS Summit in late October.
At that meeting, Modi had reiterated that India supports “dialogue and diplomacy” and not war. Though Modi had not named the ongoing conflicts like Russia-Ukraine or the one in West Asia, he said “we support dialogue and diplomacy, not war”.
The BRICS, he said, was fully capable of creating new opportunities for a safe, strong and prosperous future for the coming generation.
Rahul wants tycoon arrested; issue set to rock Parliament session
A US court indictment of Gautam Adani and others for allegedly bribing Indian officials to secure lucrative contracts while raising funds from American investors triggered a political slugfest between the Congress and the ruling BJP on Thursday with the rivals accusing each other of protecting the corrupt.
Armed with fresh fodder on the issue ahead of the winter session of Parliament, which begins on Monday, the Congress sought Adani’s arrest, besides renewing its call for a joint parliamentary
panel probe into alleged financial irregularities by the Adani conglomerate.
Adani denied all charges even as the Opposition vowed a joint strategy to corner the government on the issue in the upcoming Parliament session.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi led the offensive today, seeking Adani’s arrest and accusing PM Narendra Modi of protecting the businessman. The BJP hit back, dismissing all allegations as “part of a familiar Congress pattern of using lies and invectives to malign PM Modi’s reputation”.
Arrest warrants in US against Adani for bribery
Continued from Page 1...
The charges include promising $265 million in bribes to Indian government officials to secure solar energy contracts, conspiracies to commit securities and wire fraud and orchestrating “a multi-billion dollar scheme” to defraud US investors and global financial institutions by giving “false and misleading statements”. Adani and the others have been indicted by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in New York for allegedly violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). A complaint was filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
“As alleged in the indictment, between 2020 and 2024, the defendants agreed to pay $265 million in bribes to Indian government officials to obtain lucrative solar energy supply contracts with the Indian Government, which were projected to generate more than $2 billion in profits after tax over an approximately 20-year period (the bribery scheme),” said an official release.
The release issued by the US Attorney Office, Eastern District of New York, stated that on several occasions, Adani personally met an Indian government official to advance the bribery scheme, and the defendants held in-person meetings with each other to discuss aspects of its execution.
“Adani and the other defendants also defrauded investors by raising capital on the basis of false statements about bribery and corruption, while still other defendants allegedly attempted to conceal the bribery conspiracy by obstructing the government’s investigation,” stated FBI Assistant Director in-charge James E Dennehy.
The Adani Group has rejected the allegations made by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the US Department of Justice following charges of fraud and bribery involving several key figures from the conglomerate. In a statement, the group described the allegations as “baseless.”
“The allegations are baseless and denied,” a spokesperson for the Adani Group said. “As stated by the US Department of Justice itself, “the charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.” The spokesperson said all possible legal recourse would be sought.
Fresh charges against India’s second-richest man
Eight who’ve been charged
Gautam Adani; his nephew and Adani Green executive director Sagar Adani, its CEO Vneet S Jaain; Azure Power’s ex-CEO Ranjit Gupta, exchief strategy and commercial officer Rupesh Agarwal, ex-member of the Board of Directors Cyril Cabanes; and Canadian firm CDPQ’s ex-employees Saurabh Agarwal and Deepak Malhotra (both linked to Cabanes).
Defrauded US investors
Adani and the others have been indicted for raising money for a “bribery scheme” from US investors. The group raised $2 billion in loans and bonds, including from US firms, based on false and misleading statements.
How ‘kickbacks’ paid for PSU contracts powered Adani firms
• Dec 2019-July 2020 PSU Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) contracted to buy 12 GW solar power from Adani Green & Azure Power; SECI looks for discoms in states to buy power
• 2020 Project is jeopardised as SECI struggles to find buyers due to high pricing; Adani, Sagar & others devise scheme to pay bribes to Indian government officials in quid pro quo for buyers
• Aug to Nov 2021 Adani meets an Andhra official, who is later offered $207 mn after which state discoms agree to buy 7 GW power; officials in other states offered $33 mn bribe for similar pacts; Suraj tracks bribe details via mobile
• 2021 to Feb 2022 Discoms in Odisha, J&K, TN, Chhattisgarh & Andhra sign pacts with SECI for power, which it is to buy from Azure & Adani Green
• April to June 2022 Azure CEO Ranjit Gupta is asked to quit; mechanism on how Azure will repay Adani Green $83 mn for its share of bribes is worked out — 2.3 GW pact with SECI to be returned, further awarded to Adani Green
• March 2023 FBI agents approach Sagar in US with search warrant, seize gadgets, serve him with a subpoena; details of offences, entities being probed shared with Adani
• March 2024 SECI allows reallocation of purchase deals for 2.3 GW power from Azure to Adani Green
