Four people, two of them teenagers, have been charged after a violent home invasion and kidnapping that began as a staged car crash in the GTA on Monday morning.
One of the accused is a 16-year-old Caledon boy on a previous release order, while another, 21-year-old Shakir Bhatti from Ajax, has already been released on bail. York Regional Police officers were called to a home near McCowan Road and 14th Avenue on reports of multiple men forcing their way inside and informing the occupants that a family member had been kidnapped.
One of the residents, a 54-year-old man, was shot during the home invasion.
Continued on Page 10...
A court in India has given the death penalty to a man for burning alive his wife over her skin colour. In her statements before her death, Lakshmi had said that her husband Kishandas "routinely taunted her for being dark skinned".
District Judge Rahul Choudhary in the northern city of Udaipur explained the death penalty saying the murder fell in the category of "rarest of the rare" and it was "a crime against humanity".
Kishandas's lawyer told that his client was innocent and that they would appeal against the order.
Lakshmi's murder eight years back and the judgement, delivered at the weekend, have made headlines in a country where public obsession with colourism is well documented.
Continued on Page 15...
Surrey First City Councillor Linda Annis has announced that she will run for Mayor of Surrey and she wants to improve bother the governance at the City of Surrey as well as Metro Vancouver. While announcing her intention late Tuesday at Civic Hotel, next to Surrey City Hall, Councillor Annis said current
& heat records topple
Air quality warnings spread across BC as wildfire smoke lingers
Air quality advisories are in effect across British Columbia as wildfire smoke continues to blanket the province.
Metro Vancouver issued a new air quality warning Wednesday for the region, as well as the Fraser Valley, due to elevated fine particulate matter from wildfire smoke. In a statement, the regional district said the haze is expected to persist for several days, with smoke drifting in from fires east of Hope, near Whistler, in the Cariboo region and from south of the border. Continued on Page 10...
Mayor Brenda Locke and her city council majority wasted time and taxpayers’ money fighting over the police force that could have been better spent elsewhere.
“The mayor and her councillors have wasted this four-year term focusing on just one single issue: the police transition.
Continued on Page 7...
Trump chills US-India ties while Indian PM Modi warms to China and Russia
Images this week of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding hands with Russian
President Vladimir Putin at a summit hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping seemed to confirm what many experts have already concluded - the U.S. has stumbled in its effort to draw India into its diplomatic orbit.
Successive U.S. presidential administrations have sought to cultivate the historically nonaligned India as a strategic counterweight to China and Russia.
But as the images of Modi in Tianjin underlined, U.S. President Donald Trump appears for now to have undercut that goal with a series of actions.
Continued on Page 5...
Poilievre calls for temporary foreign worker program to be scrapped
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre wants the federal government to axe the temporary foreign worker program, saying it has flooded the market with cheap labour and made it harder for young Canadians to find work.
"The Liberals have to answer, 'Why is it that they are shutting our own youth out of jobs and replacing them with low-wage, temporary foreign workers from poor countries who are ultimately being exploited,'" Poilievre said in Mississauga, Ont., on Wednesday.
The Conservatives say that while they want the temporary foreign worker (TFW) program scrapped, they will create a separate, standalone program for legitimately difficult-tofill agricultural labour.
themselves.
"Not long ago, young Canadians could gain vital skills in entry-level jobs, earn enough to pay for school and build a future," said Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner in a statement. "In return, employers built a skilled domestic workforce. But the Liberals broke that deal."
Canada already has a separate immigration stream for farm workers called the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) that allows employers to bring in workers from Mexico and other participating Caribbean countries.
Poilievre stressed that he doesn't blame the temporary foreign workers themselves but the Liberal government and "liberal corporate elites" who he says are exploiting these workers to enrich
Poilievre said that while the Liberals promised a cap of 82,000 TFWs in 2025, the federal government has already handed out 105,000 permits.
"If they do the same number of permits for temporary foreign workers in the next six months that they did in the last, they will break the record again," Poilievre said. The Liberal government issued a statement saying the Conservative leader's numbers "include inaccurate or incomplete information."
Immigration Minister Lena Diab's office says that between January and June, only 33,722 TFWs entered the country, which represents about 40 per cent of the total number of TFWs expected this year. The 105,000 permits that have been issued so far this year include permit extensions for people who are already in the country.
Carney says to expect both an austerity and investmentfocused budget, criticizes Trudeau-era spending
The federal government will present both an austerity and investment-focused budget this fall, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday, as he criticized the sharp rise in spending under his predecessor’s watch.
Mr. Carney set expectations for the spending plan, which the government plans to release in October, at the start of a two-day cabinet meeting in Toronto.
“It’s an austerity and investment budget at the same time. And that is possible if we’re disciplined,” he said in French, responding to a question on whether the government’s spending review means it’s planning an austerity budget.
“The rate of federal government spending over the last decade is more than seven per cent year over year. It’s faster than the rate of growth of our economy,” he added.
The Prime Minister said that style of fiscal management at the federal level needs to stop.
“On the one hand, it’s going to look like austerity, because we’re going to see the first tranche of spending-review cuts, I suspect, in the budget,” Mr. Page said. “And on the other hand, the Prime Minister ... is committed to these new spending priorities and they’re enormous.”
He added that Ottawa’s planned cuts wouldn’t be austerity in the traditional sense because they wouldn’t reduce the overall size of the government.
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne requested this summer that ministers submit plans by the end of August to reduce program spending by 7.5 per cent in the fiscal year that begins April 1, 2026, followed by 10 per cent in savings the next year, and 15 per cent in the 2028-29 fiscal year. The spending review is part of Mr. Carney’s promise to balance the operational budget – which he said would reflect the government’s day-to-day spending – in three years.
Mr. Carney‘s comments stand in sharp contrast with the former Liberal government’s approach to fiscal policy. Former prime minister Justin Trudeau won the 2015 election on an anti-austerity platform and largely brushed off calls to rein in spending, resulting in a sharp increase in the size of the federal government.
Kevin Page, the president of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy at the University of Ottawa and a former parliamentary budget officer, said Mr. Carney is signalling that a significant reallocation of government spending is on the way.
Ottawa would continue to run deficits to finance what Mr. Carney has described as investments, such as military and infrastructure spending.
BC Speaker Raj Chouhan Featured by CBC Punjabi for Labour Day
In recognition of his decades-long commitment to labour rights, the Honourable Raj Chouhan, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, was recently featured in a special Labour Day story by CBC Punjabi.
Serving as Speaker since December 7, 2020, Chouhan is the first South Asian to hold this position in British Columbia’s history.
The feature was published on Labour Day morning, following an interview scheduled a few weeks earlier. It highlights Chouhan’s early activism in the Canadian
labour movement, particularly during the 1970s.
The story also includes a segment on the acclaimed documentary film, A Time To Rise, which chronicles the formation of the Canadian Farmworkers Union and showcases Chouhan’s pivotal role as one of its founding voices. This recognition not only honours Speaker Chouhan’s long-standing advocacy for farmworkers and marginalized communities, but also serves as a powerful reminder of the roots and resilience of British Columbia’s labour movement.
This is
how much the average Canadian earns in every province and Quebec is way, way behind
In today's economic climate, where the cost of living continues to put pressure on Canadian wallets, it's normal to wonder whether your income is enough to keep pace.With everything from rent and groceries to fuel putting pressure on household budgets, understanding how your salary compares to the average can provide some much-needed perspective.
According to the latest data from Statistics Canada, average weekly earnings across the country rose to $1,302 in June 2025, representing a 3.7% yearover-year increase. That marks a continuation of the upward trend seen in May, when earnings grew by 3.3%. On a month-over-month basis, Canadians saw a 0.7% increase in average weekly pay.According to Statistics Canada, this gain reflects a combination of factors, including rising wages, changes in employment types, and relatively stable working hours. However, while wages are rising across the country, regional disparities remain — and Quebec continues to trail the national average.
As of June 2025, workers in Quebec earned an average of $1,258.30 per week, reflecting a 5.1%
increase over the previous year. That works out to approximately $65,432 annually.
The national average in June 2025 was $1,302.00 per week, or about $67,704 per year, which means Quebecers are earning approximately $43.70 less per week, or around $2,272 less annually.
While Quebec isn't the lowest-earning province, it does fall below the national midpoint. In neighbouring Ontario, workers earned $1,334.55 per week, or $69,397 per year, which is about $76.25 more per week than in Quebec — a difference of roughly $3,965 annually.
In Alberta, where wages are buoyed by the province's strong resource sector, the average weekly income reached $1,369.72, which is $111.42 more per week than in Quebec — or nearly $5,793 more per year.
On the other hand, Quebec continues to earn more than several eastern provinces. For example, workers in New Brunswick made $1,194.63 per week, or $62,121 per year, which is $63.67 less per week than Quebecers — a difference of $3,311 annually.
Canada will thank Trump in 20 years, former Quebec premier Jean Charest says
Jean Charest says Canada will eventually thank U.S. President Donald Trump for providing the country with a much-needed economic shakeup.
The Quebec premier between 2003 and 2012 told business leaders in Quebec City on Tuesday that Trump is pulling Canada out of its “lethargy” and forcing its leaders to rethink the economy.
Charest is now a member of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s council on Canada-U.S. relations.
He says Trump and his tariff war are forcing Canada to review its tax system, economy and the way it carries out major projects.
The ex-premier adds that Canada needs to reduce its dependence on the United States and expand into new markets.
Charest suggested the country under Carney’s leadership will accelerate big projects, rethink federalism, and redefine the country’s role in the world.
“I’m from the school of thought that we’ll thank Donald Trump in 20 years for shaking us up in Canada and bringing us out of our lethargy,” he said Tuesday in a speech at a Quebec City hotel. “It’s high time we rethink our economy.”
BC approves shorter gas pipeline route despite lack of consensus
B.C. has approved an amendment to the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) pipeline project, greenlighting a new, shorter route that will impact a different part of the province’s landscape.
The decision, made Aug. 28 by chief executive assessment officer Alex MacLennan, concluded a nine-month review process by the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO).
The newly approved "Eastern Route Alternative" is a 172-kilometre section of pipeline that will replace a 223-kilometre portion of the previously certified route, making the overall project 51 kilometres shorter. The new route begins 37 kilometres west of Chetwynd, B.C., and will follow the Pine River valley and Highway 97 before rejoining the original route near Mackenzie.
Roughly 900 kilometres long, the PRGT project is meant to transport natural gas from Hudson’s Hope in northeastern B.C. to either Lelu Island, near Prince Rupert, or to the proposed Ksi Lisims liquefied natural gas export terminal 82 kilometres north of the coastal city. From there, gas would be super-cooled into a liquid and exported overseas to Asian markets.
The province's latest decision comes amid a Canada-wide push from industry to boost fossil fuel infrastructure as a remedy to U.S. tariffs. Opponents of such projects say it would pull public dollars away from long-term renewable energy projects and risk investing in assets that could soon be stranded as the world moves away from fossil fuels.
In its decision, the EAO classified the amendment as "complex" due to its significant deviation from the original plan. The review process included a public comment period, a review from a technical advisory committee, and extensive consultation with eight First Nations. The assessment decision details seven key issues raised during the review: caribou, grizzly bear, freshwater resources, air quality, vegetation, cumulative effects on the landscape and wildlife, and potential impacts on First Nations' rights. Public engagement also sought to address concerns around greenhouse gas emissions and impacts on climate.
Saulteau First Nations expressed support for the alternative route, stating it avoids culturally significant areas and has a smaller impact on sensitive caribou habitat. It remained concerned about infringement of treaty rights — including upstream impacts and cumulative impacts related to the project — and how specific stretched of the pipeline might impact caribou and grizzly bear, water quality and fish habitat, old-growth forest, and key plant species.
Canadians want transparency of First Nations’ finances: poll
Most Canadians want the federal government to enforce laws requiring First Nations to publish their financial statements, a recent poll says.
According to polling firm Angus Reid Institute, 82 per cent of Canadians think Ottawa should require First Nation governments to report on how they spend public money — and that this requirement should be enforced. Among Indigenous survey respondents, 72 per cent said the same.
A federal law requiring First Nations to publish their financial statements — including chief and council salaries — was passed in 2013. Under the law, Ottawa could withhold money from First Nations that did not comply.
The federal government has not enforced the law since 2015.
But the law remains controversial. Some say it is crucial for keeping First Nations’ leadership accountable to members. Others say it reinforces stereotypes about First Nations being financially irresponsible.
Parliament passed the First Nations Financial Transparency Act in 2013, under then prime minister Stephen Harper.
In December 2015, shortly after Justin Trudeau was first elected prime minister, the federal government stopped enforcing the law. Carolyn Bennett, then minister of Indigenous and northern affairs, said the federal government would reinstate funding to First Nations whose funding had been
suspended for not obeying the law and that court actions initiated under the law would be suspended. This was “in keeping with [the federal government’s] commitment to a renewed, nationto-nation relationship,” Bennett said at the time.
The law has not been repealed.
In a statement to Canadian Affairs, a spokesperson for Indigenous Services Canada said that many Indigenous groups have told the government they want the law repealed.
Many First Nations also continue to publish their financial statements, which are available on a federal database.
The financial transparency act was “one of the best news for band members in Canada,” said Robert Louie, founder of the Band Members Alliance and Advocacy Association of Canada. The nonprofit helps First Nation members who are seeking accountability from their chief and council.
Louie, a member of the Lower Kootenay First Nation in B.C., says he “was not surprised at all” that most First Nation members supported enforcing the law.
The law required First Nations to make their financial statements available to members upon request. First Nation members often struggle to get financial information from their governments, he says, including information about how federal money intended to help First Nations children is spent.
Two women are dead, with a third person presumed dead, after going over the Meachen Creek Falls in East Kootenay on Labour Day weekend, according RCMP in Kimberley, B.C.
Police were notified about the incident by a GPS SOS on Monday and responded to the call at the falls, which are located about 320 kilometres east of Kelowna.
There, they found the body of a 68-year-old woman halfway down the 85-metre falls, while the
other two hikers could not immediately be found.
Kimberley Search and Rescue, a drone, police dogs, and Big Horn helicopters were involved in the search. Crews were later able to find the body of a second hiker, identified as a 35-year-old woman.
The third person, a 35-year-old man, is presumed dead, police say, as the search for his body continues.
Police say none of the deaths are believed to be suspicious.
Ph: 604-591-5423
Fax: 604-591-8615
editor@theasianstar.com
Editor: Umendra Singh
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
Trump chills US-India ties while Indian PM Modi warms to China and Russia
Continued from Page 1...
These have included piling 50% tariffs on Indian goods and publicly browbeating New Delhi over what his administration sees as its opportunistic purchases of cheap Russian oil. The souring of the India relationship comes even as U.S. adversaries China, Russia and North Korea have tightened their ties, despite Trump's desire to reset relations with each of them. On Wednesday, the leaders of the three countries appeared together in public for the first time at an event to mark the end of World War Two.
And Modi, in a signal to Trump, is showing a willingness to boost rather than reduce ties with Moscow - and to look past his suspicions of Beijing.
"I fear we are locked into a long downward spiral because neither leader is willing to pursue the personal outreach necessary to repair the relationship," said Ashley Tellis, who served in the White House of Republican President George W. Bush and is now at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank.
"The problem now is Trump's deepening grievances against India," Tellis said. "He may change his mind down the road, but presently the imperative of securing a trade deal with China trumps all other geopolitical considerations." Indian officials have been rankled by having their trade proposals rejected and their arch-rival Pakistan honored by Trump, slights compounded by the U.S. president claiming credit for resolving decades-long tensions between the South Asian neighbors, which India regards as a bilateral affair.
"That criticism and pressure on India isn't going to sway India from seeking strategic autonomy; it is going to reinforce that instinct," she said.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said Trump's foreign policy record "is unparalleled because of his uncanny ability to look anyone in the eye and deliver better deals for the American people," including brokering an IndiaPakistan ceasefire.
"President Trump and Prime Minister Modi have a respectful relationship, and teams from both the United States and India remain in close communication on the full range of diplomatic, defense and commercial priorities in our strategic partnership," she said.
Home sales in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) rose 2.3% in August from a year earlier, according to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB).
However, the average sale price of a home in the Toronto region fell 5.2% in August from last year to $1.02 million.
The real estate board added that new listings were up 9.4% from a year earlier to 14,038 and active listings were up 22.4% from last year with 27,495 homes on the market.
TRREB said that further interest rate cuts from the Bank of Canada could help offset tariff-related impacts and that increased home sales could help boost the Toronto economy.
Vancouver Sales Rise
A new trucking firm in B.C. has links to Chohan Freight Forwarders Ltd., a company the province shut down after it was involved in multiple overpass crashes, a Postmedia News examination has found.
It’s unclear whether Legacy Pathways Ltd.’s links to the former company violate B.C. Motor Vehicle Act regulations, but the Transportation Ministry said its commercial vehicle safety enforcement branch “is aware of concerns regarding Legacy Pathways Ltd. and is investigating.”
The province’s rules stipulate that when a trucking firm’s National Safety Code certificate, which allows it to operate, has been cancelled for cause, the company and its directors and officers will be refused a new safety certificate. Companies can apply for reinstatement after three years.
The ministry said Legacy Pathways holds a valid National Safety Code safety certificate and is currently rated as “satisfactory — unaudited.”
“As this is part of an active investigation, the ministry is unable to provide further comment at this time,” said the Transportation Ministry in an
Across the country, Vancouver home sales rose 2.9% in August compared with last year as the city's real estate board says the market appears to be gradually recovering from a slump.
Greater Vancouver Realtors says home sales in the region totalled 1,959 in August, up from the 1,904 sales recorded in August 2024, but still 19.2% below the 10-year seasonal average. Sales of detached and attached homes are up by more than 10% from last year, which suggests buyers shopping for more expensive real estate is improving.
The average price of a home sold in Vancouver during August was $1.15 million, down 3.8% from a year earlier and 1.3% lower than in July of this year as sellers continue to outpace the number of buyers in the current market.
To get in to see the province's premier display of historical artifacts and memorabilia at the Royal B.C. Museum in downtown Victoria on Wednesday, tourists had to be willing to cross a picket line.
Striking government workers had set up on the front steps of the museum and were stopping potential visitors to ask them not to cross.
The museum remained open, except for the IMAX theatre, but inside the building, only a handful of people milled about. Tickets were only available through an electronic kiosk, and the only staff available were at an information booth set up at the entrance.
Staff refused to comment on the number of visitors, and the museum did not respond to a request for comment via phone and email.
walk off the job were from the Liquor Distribution Branch. A new deal means a much broader group of ministries can be targeted.
On Wednesday, this included staff from the Royal B.C. Museum — which BCGEU president Paul Finch called "an incredibly toxic workplace" — as well as select ministries such as Citizens' Service and Finance. Finch said striking workers come from a variety of occupations and include administrative and information technology professionals. Finch said the union and the government are not currently engaged in talks to resolve the dispute.
email sent by public affairs officer Murray Sinclair. The Transportation Ministry didn’t respond to questions on whether Legacy Pathways was using trucks that had operated under Chohan Freight Forwarders or had the same staff, or what was Legacy’s physical address.
The ministry told Postmedia that further information about the company would need to be obtained through the province’s Freedom of Information Act. Email, phone and text messages made in the past two weeks to Legacy Pathways, the Chohan Group of Companies and Suneet (Sunny) Chohan, who heads many Chohan companies, have gone unanswered.
B.C. corporate registry documents show Legacy Pathways Ltd. was created in fall 2024 after a company, D-Man Holding Inc., changed its name and appointed a new director. The new director was Prabhjot Parmar, whose listed address — a residence in Langley — was the same as the one listed for Sunny Chohan, the former president of Chohan Freight Forwarders, according to B.C. corporate and personal property registry records.
The B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) and the Professional Employees' Association (PEA) began the job action on Tuesday, Sept. 2. An agreement between the government and unions allows only select workers to go on strike, ensuring essential government services can continue.
This still allowed for than 2,500 workers to strike as of Wednesday, with nine separate picket lines set up in three cities.
The BCGEU represents roughly 34,000 government workers, ranging from B.C Liquor store employees to wildland firefighters, while the PEA represents approximately 1,800 government employees, working in roles such as geoscientists, foresters, engineers and psychologists.
The last time the public service workers voted to strike was in 2022. At that time, to maintain essential service levels, the only workers able to
"There have been no negotiations," he said. "There was a brief discussion with the employer following the strike vote announcement; the employer indicated that they were not coming back to the table with an enhanced wage offer."
The BCGEU and PEA are asking for a four-percent raise this year, followed by another 4.25-percent next year. The government's initial offer was for 3.5 per cent over two years. A B.C. government spokesperson did not answer whether the government has put forward a counteroffer.
ICBC warns about text scam impersonating company
On Tuesday, Shauna Jimmie received a text claiming to be from ICBC, outlining that she had an unresolved traffic fine. She was initially taken aback.
“It looks very professional,” said Jimmie. She told she wracked her brain wondering if she had accidentally run a red light.
However, Jimmie said she looked at the text more closely, and that’s when she saw the red flags. The hyperlink to ICBC’s website wasn’t highlighted, among other parts of the message that rang some internal alarm bells. She realized it was a scam text.
“There’s so many people out there that would fall for that,” Jimmie said.
Greg Harper, a spokesperson for ICBC, says the insurer is aware of these fraudulent texts.
“We would never text our customers asking for
their identity or seeking payment via links in a text,” he said.
Harper emphasized that those who receive the messages should immediately delete them. He added ICBC is also working with a cybersecurity team to report and remove fraudulent websites. Mike Agerbo, a tech expert, said even he received a text claiming to be ICBC on Thursday. Agerbo explained that bad actors have become more sophisticated, and the dead giveaways like poor grammar or misspellings in scam messages from the past aren’t there anymore.
“With AI now, they are perfect, and they can also craft and specialize them for each individual,” said Agerbo. Agerbo says the best course of action with these types of messages is not to click on any links and to delete them immediately.
Surrey launches simplified online portal for Cultural, Community, and Policing grants
The City of Surrey is launching a new simplified online application portal for its Cultural, Community and Policing (Event) Grants, making it easier for non-profit and community organizations to apply for funding.
Each year, the City offers grants to support programs, events and services that enrich the community. User-friendly webforms will now replace PDFs, making the process smoother and more accessible.
“We’re proud to support individuals and nonprofit organizations in planning events and services that make a real difference in our neighbourhoods,” said Mayor Brenda Locke. “Whether it’s a cultural event or community gathering, these experiences bring people together and showcase our city’s rich diversity. By investing in these initiatives, we help
enhance the quality of life in Surrey and build a stronger, more connected community for everyone.”
Since it began in 2013, the Cultural Grants program has encouraged partnerships and collaborations in activities, programs, and initiatives that reflect Surrey’s diverse communities. They are awarded once a year in three categories – cultural celebration, project and operating – for potential funding for music, dance, theatre, literature, visual arts, media arts, interdisciplinary arts, heritage events, Indigenous celebrations and more. In 2025, the City awarded over $617,000 to 94 arts, culture, and heritage groups. Starting Sept. 3, the City is offering pre-registered information sessions to help non-profits with their application process. The application period for Cultural Grants opens Sept. 15 and closes Nov. 10, 2025.
Garry Begg and Jessie Sunner host Community BBQs in Surrey
MLA Garry Begg welcomed hundreds of constituents to Erma Stephenson Park on August 16 for his well-loved community BBQ. The event was highlighted by a special moment, as the Surrey Police Service honoured MLA Begg for his lifelong commitment to community service, recognizing his decades of dedication to public safety and civic engagement.
Canada ranks among
the world’s smartest countries — while the U.S. doesn’t even make the list
The world's smartest countries in 2025 have been revealed, and Canada placed in the top 10. Being a smart country is about how well nations learn, innovate, and apply knowledge.
This recent ranking from TradingPlatforms combined OECD PISA 2022 scores in math, science, and reading with scientific publication output and average IQ scores to create a global smartness ranking.
The analysis focuses on three key factors: student performance on the OECD’s 2022 PISA exams in math, reading, and science; the volume of scientific research papers published in 2024;
and each country’s average IQ score. These elements combine to form a comprehensive “Smartness Score,” which measures education, research output, and overall cognitive ability. What are the top 10 smartest countries?
1. Hong Kong 2. Singapore
3. Switzerland 4. Taiwan
5. Japan
6. South Korea
7. Iceland
8. Denmark
9. Australia 10. Canada
Continued from Page 1...
They have wasted time and millions of dollars, and they have put every other important issue on the backburner,” she said to a group of supporters at the announcement.
They can’t deal with more than one issue at a time. This has frustrated me every single day,” Annis said.
She said she will always be available to represent and work for Surrey, and she will be reaching out to people in decision making roles, especially provincial government representatives to talk about Surrey.
Annis said that Surrey has more than 10 MLAs and Sas Surrey Mayor she will be constantly talking to them to get more benefits for Surrey. She said Mayor Locke and her team were just interested in fighting with the provincial
government.
“Instead of picking fights with the provincial government or the police board or Surrey Police Service, city council should be picking fights with gangs, extortionists and drug dealers,” Annis said. She also said that there is no way that the chair of Metro Vancouver should be making more money in a year than the BC Premier. Metro Vancouver and its style of governing and representation needs to change, Annis said, and she said she will be working towards that.
She also promised more action to battle extortionists and gangs that are currently plaguing the Annis says she is starting her campaign immediately to speak to residents and learn how best to meet their needs.
“I know we can build a better Surrey for all of us and our families,” she said.
Man asks BC court to vary will after partner leaves $500,000 estate to charities
A Richmond man is asking the courts to vary his partner’s will after she left nothing of her $500,000 estate to him, instead leaving the bulk of it to a Christian children’s charity.
Dale Cheney is asking a B.C. Supreme Court judge to find that he’s entitled to half the estate of Sandra Abah, according to the notice of civil
claim. Citing a 2016 B.C. case, his claim says B.C.’s Family Law Act entitles a long-standing spouse to 50 per cent of the total family property, “even where the estate is large and the spouse has no need.”
Cheney said in the claim he continues to live in the condo and pays the mortgage, which has about $60,000 owing, as well as strata fees, utilities and property insurance premiums, and that he contributed to those household expenses before Abah died.
The will named as beneficiaries two charities, World Vision Canada and the Night Owl Bird Hospital, and two religious organizations, Chabad of Richmond and the Centre of Judaism, with all but World Vision getting $1,000 each, and Abah’s parents, whom were given $5,000.
World Vision was to get what was remaining
of the estate, which would include her condo or the proceeds from its sale.
Abah’s assets before her death were $573,905 and liabilities were the $60,000 remaining on the mortgage, it said.
But Cheney renounced the trustee title and “any execution duties of the will” through the signing of a legal document in March, it said.
The administrator and the beneficiaries are all named as defendants in the lawsuit.
“The plaintiff is entitled to a greater share of the residue of the deceased’s estate than provided under the will,” the claim said.
It said Abah “gave no reason” in the will or in communications to Cheney outside the will as to “why she was disinheriting him.”
It said variance of the will is provided for under Sec. 60 of B.C.’s Wills, Estate and Succession Act for Cheney’s “proper maintenance and support.”
“The deceased owed legal and moral duties to make adequate provisions in her will for the plaintiff,” it said. “There are no other persons to whom the deceased owed any such duty.”
A leading case relied upon for will variances is Tataryn v Tataryn, in which the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that before varying a will “the court must ask itself whether the will makes adequate provision for the claimant and, if not, what is adequate, just and equitable in the circumstances” viewed in light of current society norms, the claim says.
It claims the defendants would be unjustly enriched and Cheney correspondingly deprived without a legal reason if the variance were not allowed.
Messages left with Cheney’s lawyer and with World Vision Canada weren’t returned before the end of Tuesday.
None of the claims have been proven in court.
Former
Langley developer faces hearing after 6 years in US jail
A Langley condo developer who was extradited to California over fraud charges almost six years ago is now facing a hearing and possible sanctions from the BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA).
A hearing about the activities of Mark Chandler related to a local condo project have been scheduled for Monday, Sept. 15 to Friday, Sept. 26 in Vancouver.
The BCFSA regulates realtors and property developers, and in 2017 it issued an order that Chandler cease marketing activities for Murrayville House, a four-storey condo project near Langley Memorial Hospital.
The project was behind schedule and deeply in debt, and pre-sale buyers were worried about their investments. By 2017, the project owed $62 million to various creditors, more than double the estimated value of the completed building.
The project was put into receivership and a court-appointed trustee found that the 91 units had been "sold" 149 times. A total of 31 units were sold
twice, 12 three times, and one unit was sold four times.
At the time, lawyers for Chandler characterized these pre-sales as loans. None of the allegations in the BCFSA Notice of Hearing has been proven.
The BCFSA reported Chandler's activities to the police, but no criminal charges were ever laid in Canada. The BCFSA also issued a notice of hearing to Chandler, but that hearing never happened, because Chandler was jailed in California for the last several years, due to an unrelated fraud he committed there.
Between 2009 and 2011, Chandler was involved in a purported effort to develop a property on Hill Street in Los Angeles into condos, which led to an FBI investigation and charges. After his attempts to appeal his extradition from Canada ran out in 2019, Chandler was sent to the United States, where he pleaded guilty to a single charge of wire fraud and was sentenced to six years behind bars and $1.7 million in restitution to his victims.
Self-proclaimed ‘Queen of Canada,’ Romana Didulo, arrested by RCMP
The woman who has declared herself the “Queen of Canada” has been arrested, according to RCMP in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan RCMP Insp. Ashley St. Germaine said it had executed a search warrant after receiving a report on Aug. 25 that someone inside a privately owned, decommissioned school in Richmound, Sask., was in possession of a gun.
Police said during the execution of the warrant, 16 people were arrested: 11 women and five men. Of those taken into custody, 10 were inside a privatelyowned, decommissioned school while six were arrested from RVs that were on the property and one person taken into custody outside a residence
in the village. According to St. Germaine, they found and seized four replica handguns.
She also confirmed that Romana Didulo, who has declared herself the “Queen of Canada,” was among those arrested. The 50-year-old and an unknown number of her followers moved into the Saskatchewan school in September 2023.
“So what I can say is that one of the individuals that was inside the building identified herself as Romana Didulo, which was as I understand livestreamed as it happened,” St. Germaine said. RCMP say no one has been charged at this time, but all 17 remain in custody.
Air quality warnings spread across BC as wildfire smoke lingers & heat records topple
Continued from Page 1...
Residents are being urged to limit outdoor activity, monitor symptoms and check on family members and neighbours.
Dr. Sarah Henderson, the scientific director of environmental health services with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, told a news conference that gases and fine particles from wildfire smoke would linger in Metro Vancouver for a few days.
"Although we have much more to learn about these longer-lasting health impacts, it's important to understand that if you take measures to protect yourself from wildfire smoke when it's smoky outside, you'll also be protecting your health in the longer term," she said.
Henderson added that forecasts show that it might get smokier in the Fraser Valley over the coming days, and that wildfire smoke was highly dynamic. However, Henderson cautioned that
excess heat could be more dangerous than smoke in some situations.
"If you do not have access to air conditioning, closing the doors and windows might lead to overheating in your home. For most people, that's a bigger risk factor than inhaling the smoke," she said.
"So we encourage people to prioritize staying cool and then prioritize reducing their smoke exposure."
In its latest update, the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says smoke is persisting across the central regions, including the Cariboo Fire Centre and southern portions of the Prince George Fire Centre, while haze is expected to remain widespread across southern B.C. According to the BCWS, the smoke acts like a blanket or cloud cover and might reduce fire behaviour in some regions by limiting daytime heating. As of Wednesday morning, 155 wildfires are burning across the province, including 11 new starts in the past 24 hours.
Cloverdale Hockey Club removed from PJHL website
There may be no joy in Cloverdale Sept. 11. That’s the day the new PJHL franchise was set to make its home debut at The Barn on the Cloverdale Fairgrounds.
The new Cloverdale hockey club is set to play its season opener away at the Surrey Knights Sept. 4, but even that is now in question. And both Cloverdale and their scheduled games have been removed from the PJHL website.
A source close to the situation said the PJHL may be removing Cloverdale from the league.
“This is a massive fight among owners over this Tier 1 and Tier 2 stuff,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “And they’ve put the kids in the middle.”
This comes on the heels of the failure of the PJHL to move into two leagues—both Junior A Tier 1 and Junior A Tier 2—something that was announced earlier this year.
The vote to approve the change failed at summer league meetings. The news of that vote seems to have been swept under the rug by the PJHL, no announcements, no release, nothing on their website about the failure of such a big vote.
(Apparently that vote failed to achieve a leaguemandated, two-thirds majority and came out 8-7.)
On one side there are the owners that wanted the Tier 1/ Tier 2 split trying to take out their frustration with the vote on the owners that wanted to prevent the split, the source indicated.
“By the governors threatening to cancel the team, they're trying to get back at certain owners that prevented that split.”
The source confirmed the league is now set in two divisions. They did not know how that would work over the course of the season.
White Rock Whalers principal owner Chris McNally is speaking for the 7 owners who voted against the tiering split. He confirmed Cloverdale had been scrubbed from the PJHL website, but wouldn’t say anything about what was going on behind the scenes.
McNally noted his sole effort is keeping Cloverdale in the league. He’s optimistic he can work through it with the PJHL.
“My focus is making sure the Cloverdale franchise has a chance to play in our league,” he said. “I need to do everything I can to make that happen and that's really the only story I want to tell.” He said there are several teams supporting the Cloverdale franchise. “There are several teams in the PJHL that believe this is wrong.”
Woman 'kidnapped,' family member shot during yet another Ontario home invasion
Continued from Page 1...
Police later determined that, about an hour earlier, suspects intentionally rammed the vehicle of a 29-year-old woman from the same residence as she was driving near McCowan and Highway 407. According to police, when the woman exited her vehicle to assess the damage, a second vehicle — described as an older model grey Dodge Caravan — rolled up and people within forced her inside, where she was restrained before departing the scene.
Responding officers intercepted the suspects as they tried to flee the house, arresting four people and seizing a loaded firearm. A fifth male suspect, estimated to be between 18 to 25 years old, evaded arrest. A stolen vehicle was also found at the home invasion scene and police say they have reason to believe additional suspects connected to both crimes “remain outstanding.”
Officers were quick to arrive at the residence as the suspects attempted to flee. Four of the suspects were arrested while a fifth suspect remains outstanding. He is described as male, 18 to 25 years of age, wearing dark clothing, a mask
and gloves. A loaded firearm was recovered. Also arrested were Parkaran Panglia, 20, of Brampton and a 17-year-old from Toronto. The four suspects have been charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, robbery with a firearm, disguise with intent, and other possession charges. The kidnapped woman was located in Toronto, having suffered minor injuries, and her vehicle was recovered nearby. The incident is the latest violent crime to make headlines in the GTA, following two fatal shootings and an arson last weekend. “Four have been arrested … All enjoying the Liberal free ride for criminals. What has Carney done?” Poilievre wrote.
Man charged for allegedly obtaining over $1.3M by deception
A 53-year-old man who allegedly obtained more than $1.3 million from a foreign national has been charged and will appear in the Sigatoka Magistrates Court today.
It is alleged that in 2018, while working at a resort, the accused met the victim where discussions were held to establish a business in Sigatoka and to procure a property in Savusavu.
Police say that between August 2021 and February 2023, the man dishonestly obtained the money through various bank and money transfers, claiming it would be used for the business dealings, but it was later discovered that the funds were for his personal use.
He has been charged with one count of obtaining financial advantage by deception.
Court nullifies $1 land transfer, awards $150K to widow in Lawaqa Park fraud case
The High Court in Suva has ruled in favour of Chellammal, the widow of the late Venkat Naidu, in a civil dispute over a Sigatoka property fraud that dates back nearly three decades.
Justice Vishwa Datt Sharma found on August 20 that Venkat Naidu was a victim of fraud and declared that the land he and his family had occupied since 1981, now part of Lawaqa Park, was unlawfully transferred away from him.
The Court ruled that Mr Naidu had a legal right to one residential lot under a 1984 sale agreement with the Sigatoka Town Council, which the Council failed to honour.
to the Fiji Sports Council for just $1, without his knowledge.
Fiji Sports Council later attempted to evict Mr Naidu, prompting him to file a case in 2020. After his death in 2021, his wife Chellammal, as executrix of his estate, continued the legal battle.
Mr Naidu had agreed to sell his 7-acre property to the Council for $22,150, with the condition that he be allowed to retain one residential lot for himself and his family.
However, in 1997, the Council transferred the entire land, including Naidu’s residential portion,
Justice Sharma declared the 1997 land transfer fraudulent and void, ruled that Chellammal and her family are entitled to remain on the land, and awarded them over $150,000 in damages, including for stress, fraud, and breach of contract. The Court also issued permanent injunctions preventing the Fiji Sports Council from interfering with their occupation or attempting to transfer the land.
“The Plaintiff (Chellammal) is not only entitled to reside on the land but also enjoys the protection of the Court from any interference, eviction, or further fraudulent dealings,” Justice Sharma stated.
Three dead following road accident near Seaqaqa
Three people died this morning in a road accident at Lomaloma Road in Seaqaqa.
Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro said the deceased includes the driver of the carrier, adding six others were medically examined and have been discharged from Seaqaqa Hospital.
Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimone Vosarogo stopped at the fatal road accident site this morning while travelling through the hills of Lomaloma Village en route to Savusavu.
“This morning, while travelling through the
hills of Lomaloma Village on the way to Savusavu, I came across a horrific accident,” he said on social media.
“Speaking with Police on site, it was sadly confirmed that a few lives have been lost.”
“What was even more heartbreaking was stepping out and finding that the deceased were my own kinsmen from Buca Bay,” he said.
“This tragedy has struck very close to home and has brought before me the painful realities of how quickly life can be taken away.”
Police investigate alleged murder of a social media influencer, Leighley Leli Darling
The Fiji Times can confirm Police are investigating the alleged murder of Nadi doctor and social media personality, Dr Isireli Biumaitotoya. He was known on social media by the name Leighley Leli Darling
Police have confirmed its Criminal Scene Investigation (CSI) team is at a house in Nadi where the body of a doctor was found this afternoon. The person is a known social media personality and a Tik Tok influencer.
Supermarket
thief
12 months imprisonment is the sentence meted out to a man convicted of stealing 15 packets of Panadol from a supermarket in Suva.
Kepeli Kasa Kolinisau was jailed by Magistrate Yogesh Prasad on Wednesday after pleading guilty to a count of theft committed on July 14 this year.
Kolinisau stole 12 packets of Panadol valued at $83.40 and three packets of Panadol mini caps 20s valued at $32.25 from Extra Supermarket in Suva.
He was spotted committing the act on CCTV and
“We are at this point not confirming the identity of the victim as investigators will have to ensure processes are followed,” said Police spokesperson, Ana Naisoro.
“We can only confirm that CSI are at a scene where the victim was found covered with blood.” The person was reported missing by a close friend after he failed to turn up to work. Police found him in a pool of blood inside his house this afternoon.
in jail for 12 months
was promptly arrested when he made his way out of the supermarket without paying.
Mr Prasad decided not to suspend his sentence after noting that Kolinisau had five previous convictions of similar nature.
“Court takes judicial notice of the fact that lots of supermarket theft cases are filed in court nowadays,” he said. “Therefore, it is imperative that immediate custodial sentences are now warranted for deterrence purposes on supermarket thefts in Fiji.”
SOUTH ASIA
Nepal bans Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, other social media platforms
Nepal on Thursday banned social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube among others for failing to register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology within the given deadline.
According to the notice issued by the ministry, the social media companies were given seven days from August 28 to register.
Even when the deadline expired on Wednesday night, none of the large social media platforms — including Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), Alphabet (YouTube), X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and LinkedIn —submitted applications.
However, TikTok, Viber, Witk, Nimbuzz, and Popo Live have been listed, while Telegram and Global Diary have applied and are in the process of approval, according to the ministry.
Facebook and other social media companies have not yet made any comments on the Nepal government’s decision.
The decision to ban social media platforms that do not comply with the registration process mandated under the directives for Managing the Use of Social Networks, 2023, was taken at a meeting chaired by Minister of Communications and IT Prithvi Subba Gurung, as per the sources in the ministry.
The ministry also directed the Nepal Telecommunications Authority to disable unregistered social sites.
The ban will come into effect from Thursday midnight, the ministry sources added.
“Except for the five listed platforms and two in the process, all others will be deactivated within Nepal,” said ministry spokesperson Gajendra Kumar Thakur, adding that if any platform completes registration, it will be reopened the same day. The decision will certainly affect millions of Nepalese living abroad, earning or learning, as
most of them use social media platforms such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp every day for communication, pointed out observers. Pralhad Rijal, senior journalist and editor of Arthik Dainik, a business daily, said: “More than seven million youth are staying outside Nepal for higher studies or for employment. This will directly affect their communication with their family and friends at home.”
Another way the ban on Facebook will impact here is that the platform had recently included Nepal in its list of countries eligible for content monetisation, allowing users to earn directly from videos, reels or stories. Meanwhile, Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) raised objection to the government decision to ban these social media sites and demanded immediate withdrawal of the decision.
“The government’s move to ban social media sites without giving alternatives not only restricts freedom of expression and press freedom but it also affects the right to information guaranteed by the constitution,” a statement by Ram Prasad Dahal, general secretary of FNJ, said.
The federation demanded immediate withdrawal of the restriction by respecting the right to information, freedom of expression and press freedom, the statement added.
US firm to launch "revolutionary" portable AI ultrasound device in Bangladesh
A US-based company has announced plans to introduce a "revolutionary" portable AI-powered ultrasound device in Bangladesh, marking a significant step forward in the country's healthcare landscape.
Officials from the company, Exo Imaging, led by its co-founders Yusuf Haque and Sandeep Akkaraju, met with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Thursday at the state guest house Jamuna to discuss the groundbreaking technology and its potential impact.
Yusuf Haque, a Bangladeshi-origin US medical technology expert and Exo's Chief Technology Officer, said the company plans to roll out the device initially in leading hospitals across Bangladesh, with a long-term vision to expand access to rural and community healthcare centres.
"It will revolutionise healthcare across the globe,
especially in places like rural Bangladesh. Doctors and nurses will soon use it like a stethoscope," Haque said. Sandeep Akkaraju, Chief Executive Officer of Exo, stated that Bangladesh is the first country in Asia to adopt the technology, which is currently only available in the United States under approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
"We are also planning to launch it in Mexico and several Latin American countries soon," Akkaraju added.The AI-powered portable ultrasound device can assist in the early detection of a wide range of conditions, including heart disease, tuberculosis, breast cancer, lung disease, thyroid issues, and pregnancy-related complications.
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus welcomed the initiative, calling it a major step toward achieving universal healthcare access.
Afghanistan earthquake toll jumps to 2,205: Taliban
Hundreds of bodies have been recovered from houses destroyed by a major earthquake in Afghanistan last week, pushing the death toll to over 2,200, a Taliban government spokesman said Thursday.
A 6.0 magnitude quake struck several provinces of the mountainous and remote east on Sunday night, levelling villages and trapping people under rubble.
The majority of casualties have been in Kunar, where many live in steep river valleys separated by high mountains.
Taliban spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat, who provided the updated casualty figures, said rescue and search efforts were continuing. “Tents have been set up for people, and the delivery of first aid and emergency supplies is ongoing.”
Rough terrain and funding cuts are hindering rescue and relief efforts, with aid agencies urging the international community to come forward with more support.
‘Water
calamity’: Chouhan tours Punjab’s ravaged fields, vows Centre’s help
Even as the flood situation in Punjab remained grim with increased inflows into the Bhakra, Pong, Ranjit Sagar and Shahpur Kandi dams necessitating additional releases, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday visited affected areas to assess the extensive crop damage. He described the devastation as a “jal pralay” (water calamity).
Chand Kataria, who briefed him on the situation after visiting Ferozepur, Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Pathankot in recent days.
Later, Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal met Chouhan and submitted a memorandum seeking Rs 2,000 crore in immediate financial aid for flood losses in Ajnala constituency, besides release of “pending” Rs 60,000 crore for Punjab.
Chouhan toured Ajnala, Dera Baba Nanak, the Kartarpur Sahib corridor, Dinanagar, Behrampur and Sultanpur Lodhi, interacting with residents hit by the floods. He was accompanied by Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar and BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh. Chouhan is the first Union Minister to visit Punjab since the floods began.
To reach submerged areas, Chouhan rode a tractor into Dharamkot Randhawa village in Gurdaspur and waded through waterlogged paddy fields. “The loss is visible. The crop is completely damaged. Fields are inundated… It is ‘jal pralay’,” he said, assuring farmers that “in this hour of crisis, we are with you and will make every effort to bail you out.”
“I have been sent by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to assess the situation. Punjab has always risen to the challenge when the country needed it. I am here to assure you that the government stands with everyone, be it farmers or the poor,” he added.
Meanwhile, outflows from the Bhakra and Pong dams rose by nearly 10,000 cusecs each, with smaller increases from other dams, triggering further displacement in Ropar, Anandpur Sahib, Patiala and Sangrur. So far, 20,972 people have been evacuated from 1,902 villages across all 23 districts.
A six-member central team, led by Home Affairs Joint Secretary Rajesh Gupta, surveyed flood-hit areas in Amritsar and Gurdaspur, while a four-member team headed by Santosh Kumar Tiwari inspected inundated zones along the Sutlej in Fazilka. Both teams will remain in Punjab till Saturday to evaluate the damage. “Officials from various departments accompanied the teams to assess both individual and public infrastructure losses,” said Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Sakhshi Sawhney.
At least 43 people have died in flood-related incidents so far, including four in the past 24 hours, while over 4.30 lakh acres of standing crops lie submerged.
According to the Irrigation Department, water levels in the Sutlej and Ghaggar remained elevated on Thursday morning but began receding by evening. At Harike, where the Sutlej and Beas converge, the flow dropped from 3.30 lakh cusecs to 2.99 lakh cusecs. The Ghaggar, however, continued to flow above danger mark at Sarala (Patiala),
In flood-hit Punjab, Kejriwal promises ‘maximum’ relief
AAP national convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday visited floodhit areas of Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala.
Kejriwal said, “Maximum relief will be provided to the flood victims and no one will be left without assistance.”
Terming the 2025 Punjab floods the state’s biggest in the past 37 years, Kejriwal said, “The Centre, which is assisting earthquake victims in Afghanistan, must step in with aid as Punjab is our own.”
He highlighted the resilient spirit of Punjab, saying Punjabis had risen to the occasion and were actively helping those affected by the floods.
A couple of days ago, former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had visited Sultanpur Lodhi to take stock of the flood situation. Kejriwal said as many as 1,400 villages and three lakh people had been affected by the floods. He said crops on 4.5 lakh hectares had suffered extensive damage.
He said senior officers had been appointed in each village to ensure that the needy received immediate
help. Speaking to the media, Kejriwal said, “We just saw the Centre extending help to earthquake victims in Afghanistan, which is a very good thing. Everyone across the world must be helped during difficult times. But Punjab is our own. I hope the Centre extends help to Punjabis as well.”
He said, “From Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to ministers and MP Balbir Singh Seechewal, everyone is assisting in the relief work.”
Kejriwal said, “It is heartening to see people standing up for their neighbours. Whenever there has been an attack on India or the country has faced a food crisis, Punjab has risen to the occasion. The same is visible today.”
On Mann, Kejriwal said, “The CM has been visiting flood-affected areas daily and is unwell. However, even in sickness, his thoughts are with the people of Punjab.”
Kejriwal was accompanied by Cabinet ministers Aman Arora and Mohinder Bhagat, MP Seechewal and DC Amit Kumar Panchal, among others.
Floodwaters devour Radcliffe Line, border fencing in Ferozepur
The Sutlej floodwaters have submerged manmade markings, such as border pillars and barbed wire fencing along the Zero Line that divides India and Pakistan in the Ferozepur sector, completely transforming the landscape.
The river waters have also inundated the joint India-Pakistan checkpost at Hussainiwala, because of which the Beating the Retreat ceremony has also been indefinitely cancelled.
Even the road leading to the checkpost has been severely damaged at various sources, BSF officials have told. The submergence of the border fencing has forced the border force to deploy its water wing,
drones. “The sheer volume of water has transformed the landscape,” a BSF official said. The BSF has been able to thwart several attempts by cross-border drug smugglers to take advantage of the flood situation and has seized a huge quantity of heroin in the last 10 days, sources said. The BSF also captured a person belonging to Hazarasingh Wala who was trying to swim across to Pakistan near the Pachharian outpost. BSF men are reaching out to the affected people in this hour of distress despite their own border outposts being inundated.
A BSF official said the troops were not only maintaining vigil but had also launched extensive
INDIA
PM
Modi,
EU leaders reaffirm commitment for early conclusion of free trade deal, discuss Ukraine conflict
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a joint telephone conversation with European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, with the three leaders reviewing the progress in bilateral relations and reiterating commitment to deepen cooperation across strategic sectors.
The leaders welcomed advancements in trade, technology, investment, innovation, sustainability, defence, security, and supply chain resilience, while stressing the importance of an early conclusion of negotiations for the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the implementation of the IMEEC corridor.
built on trust, shared values, and a common vision for the future,” the leaders said, underlining the role of the India-EU Strategic Partnership in addressing global challenges, fostering stability, and promoting a rules-based order.
“As the world’s largest democratic forces, India and the EU share a strong and close relationship
The discussions also touched upon regional and global developments. Modi and the EU leaders exchanged views on efforts to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine, with the Prime Minister Modi reiterating India’s consistent position in support of a peaceful resolution and early restoration of stability.
Building on the visit of the EU College of Commissioners to India in February, the leaders agreed to convene the next India-EU Summit at the earliest mutual convenience.
"We rely on India's authoritative voice in peace efforts...": Ukraine FM Andrii Sybiha
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held a conversation with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Thursday and highlighted that India supports an early end to the conflict. He also discussed the bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Ukraine FM Sybiha said that they rely on India's "authoritative voice" and active support in broader international peace efforts.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that the talks also mentioned strengthening the Ukraine-India partnership and the further implementation of agreements reached by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"I informed my Indian colleague about the current battlefield situation and Ukraine's efforts to achieve a just peace. We rely on India's authoritative
voice and active role in supporting the full cessation of hostilities and broader international peace efforts. We agreed to meet during the UNGA highlevel week in New York and continue the tangible development of our bilateral relations, including in political dialogue, upcoming high-evel contacts, economic cooperation, technology, and other areas," Sybiha posted on X.
The series of engagements comes shortly after PM Modi had spoken to Russian President Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and prior to his visit to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.
With President Putin, the leaders exchanged views on regional and global developments, including the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine.
Centre moves SC for transfer of petitions against online gaming law from HCs
Citing multiplicity of litigation, the Centre on Thursday moved the Supreme Court seeking transfer of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, pending before various high courts to the top court.
The counsel for the Union mentioned before the bench of CJI BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran, urging that the present transfer petition be listed on coming Monday.
"The Union has filed a transfer plea...The Online Gaming Regulation Act has been challenged before three high courts. If it can be listed on Monday because it's listed for interim orders before the Karnataka High Court," a counsel, representing the
Centre, told a Bench led by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai which agreed to list it next week.
Passed by Parliament in the recently concluded Monsoon Session on August 21, the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, received the Presidential Assent on August 22.
It is the first central legislation imposing a nationwide ban on real-money online gaming, including popular formats such as fantasy sports. It prohibits offering or playing online money games, regardless of whether they are games of skill or chance, and categorises violations as cognisable and non-bailable offences. The Act has been challenged before the high courts of Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
PM discusses early FTA,
Ukraine conflict with top EU leaders
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a joint telephone call with European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, with the three leaders reaffirming commitment to fast-track the long-pending India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and deepen cooperation in strategic sectors.
Welcoming progress in areas, including trade, technology, investment, innovation, sustainability, defence, security and supply chain resilience, the leaders emphasised that an early conclusion of the FTA negotiations and the implementation of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) remain key priorities for both sides.
Notably, as the world’s largest democratic forces, India and the EU share a strong and close relationship built on trust, shared values and a
common vision for the future. The leaders, during their conversation, underlined the role of the IndiaEU strategic partnership in jointly addressing global issues, fostering stability and promoting a rulesbased order for mutual prosperity.
The conversation also touched on key geopolitical issues. Modi and EU leaders discussed ongoing efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine, with the Prime Minister reiterating India’s consistent stance in favour of dialogue and diplomacy, and calling for a peaceful resolution that ensures early restoration of stability. Building on the visit of the EU College of Commissioners to India earlier this year, the three leaders agreed to convene the next India-EU summit at the earliest possible date. Modi also extended an invitation to Costa and von der Leyen to visit India for the summit.
India tariffs vital to end Ukraine war: Trump admn
The Trump administration has told the US Supreme Court that it imposed tariffs against India for purchasing Russian energy products “to deal with a preexisting national emergency regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine” and as a “crucial aspect” of the President’s push for peace in the country.
Trump has imposed 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs on India and an additional 25 per cent levies for Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, bringing the total duties imposed on India to 50 per cent, with effect from August 27.
On Wednesday, Trump again reiterated that he put secondary sanctions on India for its purchases of Russian oil, “the largest purchaser outside of China”, and indicated that he hasn’t done “phase two yet or phase three” yet.
Meanwhile, in a 251-page appeal to the Supreme Court, submitted on Wednesday, the Trump administration said the President recently authorised IEEPA (International Emergency
Economic Powers Act) tariffs against India for purchasing Russian energy products, to deal with a preexisting national emergency regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine, as a crucial aspect of his push for peace in that war-torn country.”
The appeal further states that the “stakes in this case could not be higher. The President and his Cabinet officials have determined that the tariffs are promoting peace and unprecedented economic prosperity, and that the denial of tariff authority would expose our nation to trade retaliation without effective defences and thrust America back to the brink of economic catastrophe.”
It said due to IEEPA tariffs, six major trading partners and the 27-nation European Union have already entered into framework deals with the United States, accepting tariff arrangements heavily recalibrated in America’s favour and agreeing to make approximately $2 trillion of purchases and investment in the US’ economy.
SC puts Centre, states on notice over floating logs
Taking note of videos of timber logs floating in floodwaters, the Supreme Court on Thursday issued notices to the Centre, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Uttarakhand and others over “illegal felling of trees” in the Himalayan region.
“We have seen unprecedented landslides and floods in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. From media reports, it has also been noticed that in the floods, a large number of wooden logs were flowing along. Prima facie, it appears that there has been illegal felling of trees, which has been going on…,” a Bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran said.
The Bench was hearing a PIL filed by environmentalist and Panchkula resident Anamika Rana highlighting environmental degradation in the Himalayan region.
“We have seen pictures of Punjab...entire fields and crops are inundated. Development has to be balanced with mitigating measures,” the CJI said, posting the matter for hearing after two weeks.
Anamika sought a direction to the authorities to award compensation to farmers, agriculturalists, orchard owners, peasants, small landholders or any other person whose farmland, groves, orchards, houses or shops have been damaged in the floods. She has also demanded rehabilitation, resettlement and award of compensation to those whose houses have developed cracks/ fissures or whose land has subsided/submerged in the floods. Terming it “a very serious matter”, the CJI requested Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to ask the Union Environment Secretary to talk to the chief secretaries of the states concerned to find out the truth.
India makes ACs, tea, school supplies cheaper to mitigate shock of US tariffs
India has cut taxes on hundreds of goods to boost consumption and mitigate the potential impact of steep US tariffs. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) panel had simplified the consumption tax into two slabs - 5% and 18% - doing away with an earlier four-slab structure. There will be a separate 40% tax on sin goods like cigarettes. Goods set to become cheaper include food items, school supplies and insurance while imported liquor and premium cars would become costlier. Stock markets rallied on the announcement. But
analysts say the slashed taxes could lead to revenue losses of up to $6bn for the government.
The new rates will come into effect on 22 September, which is around the time India's festive season is set to begin. It's a time when sales of electronic goods such as ACs, TVs and other household appliances shoot up in the country and cheaper prices are expected to boost them further.
The cuts come on the back of a $12bn income tax giveaway announced in the budget earlier this year, and as India's central bank has begun cutting the cost of borrowing.
Death penalty for Indian man who burnt alive wife
Continued from Page 1...
The attack on Lakshmi took place on the night of 24 June 2017, according to the court order.
The judgement quotes from the statements she gave before her death to the police, the doctors and an executive magistrate. Lakshmi said her husband often called her "kali" or dark skinned and body shamed her since their marriage in 2016.
On the night she died, Kishandas had brought a plastic bottle with a brown liquid - he said it was a medicine to make her skin fairer.
According to the statements, he applied the liquid to her body and when she complained that it smelled like acid, he set her on fire with an incense stick. When her body started burning, he poured the rest of the liquid on her and ran away.
Kishandas's parents and sister took her to hospital where she later died.
"It will not be an exaggeration to say that this heart-
rending brutal crime was not just against Lakshmi, but it's a crime against humanity," Judge Choudhary said in his order.
Kishandas, he said, "broke her trust" and displayed "excessive cruelty in throwing the remaining liquid on her" while she burned.
"It's a crime that shocks the conscience of humanity which cannot even be imagined in a healthy and civilised society," the order added.
Public prosecutor Dinesh Paliwal described the order as "historic" and told the BBC he hoped it would act as "a lesson for others in society".
"A young woman in her early 20s was murdered brutally. She was someone's sister, someone's daughter, there were people who loved her. If we don't save our daughters, then who would?" he said.
Mr Paliwal said he had forwarded the order to the high court for confirmation of the death sentence, but added that the convict had 30 days to appeal.
