The Asian Star August 6 2022

www.theasianstar.com Vol 21 - Issue 27

Oil price falls to lowest level in six months — less than $88 a barrel The price of a barrel of oil fell to its lowest level since February on Thursday, as investors respond to growing fears that a looming recession will drastically reduce demand for energy. A barrel of West Texas Intermediate was changing hands at less than $88 a barrel at one point on Thursday, a level it has not traded at since early February That was before Russia’s Continued on page 7

Saturday, August 6, 2022

Tel:604-591-5423

9 out of 11 men in Canada police most violent gangsters’ list are of Punjab origin The agency tasked with investigating organized crime and gang conflict in B.C., along with its affiliated policing partners, is issuing a public warning about 11 men with alleged gang connections it says pose a safety risk to the public.

The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia (CFSEU-BC) says the men are known to police and have connections to high levels of gang and organized crimerelated violence.

Out of the 11

men, nine are of Punjab origin. “Police believe that anyone with, or in the proximity to these individuals, may be putting themselves at risk,” the agency said in a statement. “CFSEU-BC, in

Continued on page 8

collaboration with its partners, is issuing a public warning and identifying them in order for family, friends, associates, and the public to take measures to increase their own personal safety.”It says the warning applies to the following men:Shakiel Basra, 28 Jagdeep Cheema, 30Barinder Dhaliwal, 39, Gurpreet Dhaliwal, 35 Samroop Gill, 29 Sumdish Gill, 28 Sukhdeep Pansal, 33Amarpreet Samra, 28 Ravinder Samra, 35 Andy St Pierre, 40 Richard Joseph Whitlock, 40

Home sales down 43 % from July last year Home sales down 43 % from July last year, according to Greater Vancouver real estate board. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver says last month’s home sales were down a whopping 43 per cent from last July and 23 per cent from this past June.

Sales in the region totalled 1,887 last month and were 35.2 per cent below the 10-year July sales average.

The board says these figures signal a new market cycle characterized by lessening demand for homes is here. The board says that part of that cycle includes a gradual rise in the number of homes for sale, but last Continued on page 6

South Asian man granted day parole 16 years after killing his pregnant wife Sixteen years after Mukhtiar Panghali strangled his pregnant wife and burned her body, the Parole Board of Canada has granted him six months of conditional day parole to be served in a community correctional centre.

The board says a May assessment of Panghali’s correctional plan determined he has shown increased accountability and attitude improvements, Continued on page 7

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Saturday, August 6, 2022

Surrey crime up 3% in first half 2022 The Surrey RCMP’s year-to-date statistics for this year compared to the first half of 2021 indicate a three per cent increase in Criminal Code offences overall but for the second quarter of 2022, offences are down by two per cent compared to the same period last year.

In April through June Surrey Mounties received 48,143 calls for service, responded to 1,838 files mental health-related calls, 862 missing persons reports and 1,240 bylaw-related complaints. The first half of 2022 saw 3,359 violent crimes and 10,960 property crimes compared to 3,555 and 10,397 for the same period in 2021.

Moreover, in the first half of 2022 the Surrey RCMP recorded 19,320 Criminal Code offences compared to 18,786 in the first half of 2021.

Meantime, the total number of Criminal Code offences in Surrey increased by seven per cent in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same time period last year.

There were 9,593 offences recorded in the first quarter of 2022 compared to 9,000 in the first quarter of 2021 and violent crime dropped by five per cent, to 1,618 offences from 1,712 but property crimes increased by six per cent, to 5,436 recorded offences from 5,106.

Central Okanagan’s crime rate up 10% in 2021 A Kelowna RCMP A and the city’s A mayor said they are taking a variety of actions to stem rising crime rates.

Officials defended their response after new figures from Statistics Canada showed crime was trending in the wrong direction last year.

The data shows that last year, Kelowna had the worst crime rate and second-worst crime severity among major Canadian metropolitan areas.

The Kelowna crime report is criticized by the Attorney General of British Columbia The Kelowna-area data covers the entire Central Okanagan region and shows that crime severity has increased 6 percent over the past year, while the per

capita crime rate has increased 10 percent.

Either way, by any measure, policereported crime in the region in 2021 was well above national levels.

“I’m not here to tell you that we don’t have an issue that needs to be addressed. I’m here to tell you that we are actively working on these worrying statistics,” said Supt.

Kara Triance, the officer in charge of the Kelowna RCMP unit, at a news conference to respond to the figures.

Triance said the police’s work to tackle crime rates is to target repeat offenders, get more officers onto the streets and, earlier this year, assembled a dedicated team to tackle images of child sex abuse and child exploitation .

Gas shortages reported in Metro Vancouver You’re not alone if you’ve been driving around Metro Vancouver lately and trying to find a gas station that actually has fuel.

Many gas stations in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Langley and Surrey even in the Interior have been blocked off by yellow caution tape or a sign letting people know there’s nothing available.

Paul Pasco, principal consultant with Kalibrate, says the BP Cherry Point refinery in Washington state’s Whatcom County went offline last week for scheduled maintenance.

A Chevron gas station sign shows zeros in the place of a price for a litre of regular in the nightSome gas stations across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, like this one pictured in Langley City, have had to close temporarily due to a supply issue in recent days. And while supply and prices were down, demand was up for the B.C. Day long weekend.

“With that loss of capacity, the recent price

drop, and the long weekend, the supply chain could not keep up. We saw the perfect storm of prices falling into a long weekend with the inability to generate new supply immediately coming out of Washington [state] and potentially the BP refinery may have had some additional length to their shutdown compared to previous [closures]. They’re just in the midst of a three-year re-tooling to increase their biofuel capacity,” Pasco said.

He thinks things should be back to normal by this weekend — if not, in a week’s time.

“The refinery is already back up and running and now it’s just a matter of everyone running out of fuel working its way out of the system,” Pasco explained.

The analyst thinks gas prices will continue dropping during the month of August and predicts the Metro Vancouver region will hit about $1.80 for a litre of regular as kids head back to school next month.

Member of Parliament, Honourable Ken Hardie visited Gobind Sarvar School in Surrey and met with summer job employees, staff, Principal Jasbir Singh Bhatia, Director of education and Principal of the school, Dr. Rishi Singh.

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, August 6, 2022 Man charged with murder after body found in water near bridge in West Kelowna Prosecutors have charged a man with murder after a body was found in shallow water near the bridge connecting Kelowna and West Kelowna, B.C., last week.

RCMP were called to the West Kelowna end of the William R. Bennett Bridge on July 29, after someone discovered a man’s body near the base of the bridge around 1 p.m. PT. On Tuesday, police confirmed a suspect had been charged with first-degree murder in connection to the victim’s death. A statement said Wyne Zablan, 25, will be held in custody until his next court appearance on Aug. 29.

The victim has been identified, but police said his name is not being released until his family has been notified of his death. A statement last week described the victim as an Asian man between 20 and 40 years old.

Police believe the men knew each other, but did not say how.

“It is evident that Mr. Zablan and the victim knew each other and we feel that there is no risk to the public,” wrote Insp. Brent Novakoski, the senior investigating officer with the RCMP’s southeast district major crime unit.

Anyone who was in the area on July 29 and saw a man matching the victim’s description is asked to contact police.

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Vancouver’s mayor says feds and BC need to step up funding for homeless The deadline to dismantle an encampment along Vancouver’s Hastings Street has passed with little change, but the city’s mayor says he’s reached out to the federal and B.C. governments for urgent funding and other supports. Vancouver fire Chief Karen Fry issued a safety order last month to remove the tents and structures on the street’s sidewalk in the Downtown Eastside, and the street was supposed to be cleared on Wednesday.

Mayor Kennedy Stewart says in a statement that since the order, the city has increased resources for those living on the street, including creating space to store personal belongings, street cleaning, washroom access and peer support services.

However, Stewart says while the city is assembling these supports, the operations require significant investments from senior levels of government.

He says he spoke this week with new B.C. Housing Minister Murray Rankin about how the city and province can coordinate their approaches to connecting unsheltered residents to housing.

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Saturday, August 6, 2022

OPINION

Canada imposes new levy on luxury cars, yachts and private jets The Canadian government has announced it will soon be imposing a ‘luxury vehicle’ tax on cars and private jets costing over CA$100,000 and yachts costing over CA$250,000.

The high-tax levy comes as part of the country’s 2022 tax budget with hopes that it will have a positive impact on the environment.

The Select Luxury Items Tax Act will apply from September 1st and will equate to 10 per cent of the full value of the item, however it will also apply to any ‘written sales agreements’ made after January 1st 2022. The purpose is to encourage the superrich to think twice before splurging on such

luxury vehicles with retailers, importers, and manufacturers being made to register with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on the first day of sale or importation. It’s just one of several new corporate tax measures introduced in the country’s new Bill C-19 law, with another measure including tax reductions for profits made using zeroemission technology manufacturing.

Essentially, Canada is cracking down on some of the leading contributors to carbon emissions - something other countries should perhaps take note of.

According to the T&E clean transport campaign group, aviation’s climate impact is growing fast despite being caused by just 1% of people. This tiny proportion of the population is responsible for 50% of global aviation emissions thanks to the wealthy frequently hopping on private jets for short distances. What’s more, earlier this year the Guardian reported that a surge in superyacht sales prompted renewed calls for curbs on their emissions, with campaigners arguing that a superyacht can produce 1,500 times more carbon than a typical family car. So it’s fair to say Canada’s new tax on luxury vehicles has been backed by climate campaigners and scientists who are urging other nations to follow in its footsteps.

Anthony Norejko, President and CEO of the Canadian Business Aviation Association, said in a statement: “The economic impact of the luxury tax will be significant and have not been studied with a comprehensive understanding of our industry.

“Issues remain and crucially, we have lost faith in the constructive dialogue with government on decisions of vital importance to our members.

“We urge this government to return to the table and, at the very least, consult with our sector on reasonable timelines for tax policy changes that should not be punitive but indeed supportive for all Canadians.”

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, August 6, 2022

Dozens of firefighters douse three-alarm blaze in south Vancouver Fire officials are investigating the cause of a south Vancouver blaze Wednesday evening that damaged three residential buildings, created a giant plume of black smoke visible from as far away as the North Shore, and forced the evacuation of more than 10 people.

The three-alarm fire started sometime around 5 p.m., the city’s fire department said, near 64th Avenue and Columbia Street.

The fire started in a garage attached to a house in the residential area, which soon spread to a second residence, said the acting assistant chief of Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services. The garage was “fully engulfed” in flame when firefighters arrived, and had spread to nearby residences. Public safety minister orders coroner’s inquest into Vancouver hotel fire deaths “When the crews came on scene, they had essentially two fires going,” Walter Pereira said in a phone interview Wednesday

night.

Forty-eight members of the fire department responded, he said, and helped evacuate nine people in the house where the fire started, in addition to two seniors from a neighbouring house. A nearby apartment building saw minor damage, Pereira added.

A fire in seen burning near an apartment building on Tuesday around 5 p.m.. It started in a garage on a residential property near 64th Ave and Columbia in south Vancouver.

The three-alarm blaze drew dozens of firefighters and forced three buildings’ residents to evacuate.

“Extensive damage to the first house, and a fair amount of damage to the other house,” he said.

Witnesses reported on social media they heard sharp sounds from the blaze.

Fire rips through Downtown Eastside Street Church, latest blaze on East Hastings Street

Missing woman from Coquitlam found dead in Downtown Eastside area A missing woman from Coquitlam found dead on Downtown Eastside.

Kwem ManuelGottfriedson was found dead on July 30 inside a building near East Hastings Street and Hawks Avenue.

Vancouver police confirmed Tuesday that Manuel-Gottfriedson’s death is now being investigated by the Vancouver police major crime section.

The BC Coroners Service is also investigating, police said.

Manuel-Gottfriedson’s family told Global

News on Sunday that her disappearance is completely out of character and she was not somebody who frequented the Downtown Eastside.

ManuelGottfriedson’s body was found just one block away from where the remains of teenager Noelle O’Soup and another woman in her 30s were discovered in May. Yet another body, a man, was found on Feb. 23 at the same unit as O’Soup and the woman.

There is nothing to suggest any of these cases are linked.

Police-reported hate crimes up 21% in BC during 2nd year of pandemic Hate crimes as reported by police forces in B.C.’s metropolitan areas are up for the second straight year of the pandemic, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada released Tuesday.

Vancouver, Victoria, Abbotsford-Mission and Kelowna — the four municipalities in B.C. the federal agency chooses to represent in its data — saw an overall 21 per cent increase in police-reported hate crimes in 2021 (from 421 to 509 incidents), following a 58 per cent jump in 2020.

The agency says the pandemic has exacerbated discrimination across Canada, from 2,646 reported incidents in 2020 to

3,360 in 2021, an increase of 27 per cent following a 36 per cent increase in 2020.

Each summer, Statistics Canada releases raw data on hate crimes reported by RCMP and municipal police forces from 35 metropolitan census areas nationwide, along with a detailed report on police-reported crimes of all sorts.

Statistics Canada notes that race and ethnicity were the main motivators of hate crimes across the country last year, but the increase, six per cent, was much smaller than those in hate-related incidents stemming from religion,67 per cent, and sexual orientation, 64 per cent.

Mischief and assault remained the two major types of Criminal Code violations

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Removal of tents in Downtown Eastside postponed The City of Vancouver is postponing the removal of a growing tent city in the Downtown Eastside as it attempts to find places for affected residents to store their belongings.

Vancouver Fire Chief Karen Fry ordered the immediate removal of the temporary shelters on several blocks of East Hastings Street last week, citing a “significant fire safety risk” in the area.

“The City has heard from those sheltering outdoors that having a place

to potentially store their belongings is important,” wrote Krystyna Domes, a communications official with the municipality.

“The City is finalizing storage options to secure people’s personal belongings before we begin structures removal.”

The municipality said it hopes to procure storage space by the beginning of next week and tent removal will begin at that time with city staff support. It has also committed to offering bathrooms, washing stations, and drinking fountains for those impacted by the shelter teardown.

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Home sales down 43 % from July last year last month’s listings totalled 3,960 homes, down almost 10 per cent from July 2021 and 25 per cent from June 2022.

Meanwhile, the composite benchmark price for the region sat at more than $1.2 million last month, a roughly 10 per cent increase from July 2021 and a two per cent drop from June 2022.

“Homebuyers are exercising more caution in today’s market in response to rising interest rates and inflationary concerns,” Daniel

John, the board’s chair, said in a release.

“This allowed the selection of homes for sale to increase and prices to edge down in the region over the last three months.”

Read the full July 2022 Stats Package This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2022.

Calgary home sales fall 3% in July as interest rates rise: real estate board GTA home sales down 47% from last year, 24% from June: Toronto real estate board

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A man has died from self-inflicted stab wounds after waiting half an hour for an ambulance to arrive at his home in Surrey last week. The man stabbed himself while suffering from a mental health crisis at his residence near 158th Street and 86th Avenue on July 27, according to media reports.

Surrey RCMP and firefighters responded to the 911 call and tried to stop the bleeding while paramedics were dispatched. In an emailed statement, B.C. Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) confirmed it received a 911 call at 6 p.m. last Wednesday in the 8600-block of 158th Street in the Fleetwood neighbourhood.

“Two paramedic ground crews were assigned at 6:22 p.m., with the first ambulance arriving at 6:27 p.m. and the second at 6:28 p.m.,” it wrote. “Paramedics cared for and transported

one patient to hospital in critical condition.”

In an interview, Troy Clifford, head of the Ambulance Paramedics of B.C., called the man’s death a “tragic situation.” He credited the Surrey RCMP for handling it “as best they could.” “When we start hearing of these delays that we’ve consistently heard of, that’s very disturbing,” the union president said.

“Particularly, it sounds like it was an extended delay that would be not normal in these high acuity calls such as a serious call like a stabbing or bleeding, or any of the highest of calls that require immediate interventions.”

On calls like this one, Leanne Heppell, chief ambulance officer for BCEHS, said paramedics work in partnership with police, who have to secure the scene and any weapons before paramedics enter.

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Saturday, August 6, 2022

9 out of 11 men in Canada police most violent From page 1 gangsters’ list are of Punjab origin The British Columbia police said that they were linked to a slew of killings and shootings in the province. It asked the public to avoid being near them.

“It is highly likely a rival gangster will target them with violence,” said CFSEU Asst. Cmdr. Manny Mann, saying the men listed are a risk to their friends and family as well as Sanders. It added: “Warnings to stay away from specific alleged criminals were once almost unheard-of, but they have been slowly increasing in recent years. This is the

second one from the CFSEU in a little more than a year; the last one was prescient.” Meninder Dhaliwal, who was on last year’s 11-man list, was gunned down in Whistler late last month in a shooting that had tourists and visitors screaming and running from the violence. Police said his brother, Harpreet, was the man shot dead in Vancouver’s Coal Harbour neighbourhood last year. Another brother, 35-year-old Gurpreet Dhaliwal, is on this year’s list.

Concerns raised over string of temporary ER closures at rural B.C. hospitals Once again, Interior Health has announced that the emergency department at a hospital in Clearwater, B.C., is on diversion because of low staffing. The Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital will be temporarily closed overnight from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. from Aug. 3 to Aug. 7. It will remain open on these days from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Interior Health said the diversion is due to “limited staffing availability.” People are being asked to go to the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops or the 100 Mile House District General Hospital.

The BC Rural Health Network has voiced concern surrounding the many diversions at hospital ERs in recent weeks.

In a news release on Thursday, the organization said health care in rural B.C. has become a “significant public safety concern.”

Oil price falls to lowest level in six months — less than $88 a barrel From page 1 invasion of Ukraine, which pushed oil prices to their highest level in years on fears of a wider war, and sending countries scrambling to replace sanctioned Russian crude.

After peaking at nearly $140 a barrel in March, oil has been sliding steadily lower ever since, but Thursday’s sell-off was sparked by new data out of the U.S. showing Americans are driving less this summer than they were even two years ago, during 2020 pandemic lockdowns.

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LOCAL / NATIONAL From page 1

Saturday, August 6, 2022

South Asian man granted day parole 16 years after killing his pregnant wife and has been downgraded from a high to medium risk of requiring intervention.

Panghali, a former high school teacher in Surrey, B.C., reported his wife Manjit Panghali was missing in October 2006. Police discovered her badly burned body five days later.

An investigation eventually determined that Panghali had strangled his wife in their home and then took her body to neighbouring Delta, B.C., to try to cover up the crime.

He was arrested in 2007 and charged with second-degree murder. In 2011, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 15 years.

Panghali has been in a minimum-security prison since 2016. The parole board said in its decision that he appears to have accepted responsibility for his actions and made noticeable efforts to change, despite initially pleading not guilty and unsuccessfully appealing his sentence in 2012.

“Reports indicated that you expressed deep regret for your ‘regressive and rather archaic attitudes and beliefs about marriage and intimate relationships,’” the board said in its statement, adding that Panghali completed a number of courses on anger management, non-violent communication and community integration while in prison. “[Correctional Services Canada] has reported that there is little more you can do within an institutional setting to address your risk factors as you have exhausted available programming,” they said.

The parole board noted that Panghali had participated in 50 escorted temporary absences as well as a few unescorted leaves to visit family, all “without issue.”

According to the report granting his conditional release, Panghali is respecting his daughter’s wishes to not have any contact.

She is being raised by Manjit Panghali’s sister.

Ninu Kang, executive director of the Ending Violence Association of British Columbia, says hearing that Panghali has been granted day parole brought her back to when he killed his wife.

“Frankly, I’m sickened by it,” she told CBC, adding that she remembers she considered leaving her profession at the time.

“This particular crime, followed by a number of other South Asian women killed in the community ... it was too much for me,” she said.

Ninu Kang, with End Violence Association of B.C., says the news of Mukhtiar Pangali being granted day parole could make other victims of gender-based violence feel like there’s “no justice.” (Tina Lovgreen/CBC) Kang says she instantly thought of the lives of a young woman and her unborn child being taken away, as well as the impact the “gruesome” killing had on Manjit Panghali’s daughter, family and loved ones.

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, August 6, 2022

BC crews expecting more wildfires in August Cooler weather is giving wildfire crews a bit of a breather as they battle a number of fires around B.C., but officials warn August could see more fire activity with drier, warmer conditions expected over the next month.

Officials said they expect more new fires in the coming weeks due to “seasonal and above-average” temperatures in the forecast.

The hot weather follows a prolonged hot spell that raised the fire risk across southern B.C. in the last two weeks of July.

“Elevated fire danger is expected to shift from the northern portion of the province down to the south,” said Neal McLoughlin, superintendent of predictive services with the B.C. Wildfire Service. “Large fires that started in July will remain active into August, and additional growth can be

expected on these fires.”

McLoughlin said northern parts of the province have seen significant amounts of rain, but the southern half will only see smaller, isolated showers in the coming days.

“All it will take is a couple of days of hot, dry weather to bring us back up to extreme or high [fire risk],” he said, speaking at a provincial briefing on Thursday.

Homeowner who spent years building off-grid cabin loses ‘everything’ in Keremeos Creek wildfire The B.C. Wildfire Service said there was little overnight growth on most of the six fires of note in the province that are either highly visible or a potential threat to homes and properties.

More evacuation orders issued as Keremeos Creek wildfire grows More residents of homes near the Keremeos Creek Wildfire were ordered to evacuate, as the fire surged in size on Monday.

As of Monday night, the BC Wildfire Service estimated the fire at 2,790 hectares in size, almost seven times the size of Stanley Park.

The fire was measured at just 437 hectares in size Sunday evening.

Early Monday morning, residents of more than 200 homes in Apex Mountain Village were ordered to evacuate by the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen.

By noon, 54 homes on Sheep Creek Road South, north of Olalla and Highway 3A were added to the list.

The evacuation orders are in place “to

protect the health, safety or welfare of a person or to limit damage to property,” the regional district said in its order.

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen issued an evacuation order for Apex Mountain Village just after 8 a.m. Monday.

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen issued an evacuation order for Apex Mountain Village just after 8 a.m. Monday. Courtesy: RDOS Already, the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen had issued multiple evacuation alerts and an evacuation order for properties in the vicinity of the wildfire. Included in this was one property located on the Lower Similkameen Indian Band lands on Keremeos Forks 12 and 12A Indian Reserve.

Charges urged for 2021 traffic stop arrest in Ladysmith: Police investigator

Surrey man charged after reports of guns being fired outside Abbotsford store A Surrey man has been charged following an incident in Abbotsford in which two men were reported to be firing guns.

Sgt. Paul Walker, media officer with the Abbotsford Police Department, said the incident began at about 5 p.m. Monday (Aug. 1) in the parking lot of the Cabela’s store in McCallum Junction at 1818 McCallum Rd. Walker said a citizen saw two men firing guns and attempted to have them stop.

“During this altercation, the citizen had the firearm pointed toward them,” he said.

Patrol officers who arrived on scene located the men. They did not have the guns on them, but the weapons were found in the trunk of a vehicle, Walker said.

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He said the firearms were seized by police and were determined to be airsoft pistols.

Walker said witness statements, CCTV footage from the area and video from witnesses led police to the arrest of 19-year-old Rahan Jaspal of Surrey.

Jaspal has since been charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and assault with a weapon.

“The decision to actively discharge a firearm within a busy shopping complex with numerous residential buildings in the background is entirely unacceptable. This decision put the citizens of Abbotsford at risk,” Walker said.

B.C.’s independent investigator is recommending charges against an officer who used a police vehicle to force a van to a halt after the driver didn’t comply with a traffic stop, then used a police dog during the arrest, leaving the man with a serious injury. The RCMP reported to the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. that shortly after midnight on April 17, 2021, police tried to stop a white minivan in the 100-block of Highway 1 near Ladysmith on Vancouver Island. The man behind the

wheel reportedly didn’t stop. “Police vehicles were used to bring the van to a stop and the man was removed from the vehicle,” said the IIO in a statement. A police service dog was used to help take him into custody, and he “sustained a serious dog bite injury and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.”

The IIO’s chief civilian director, Ronald J. MacDonald, looked over the evidence and has filed a report with the B.C. Prosecution Service to consider charges related to how the officer used their vehicle and the decision to use a police dog.

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, August 6, 2022

Surrey family pleads for living kidney donor to help mother A family in Surrey, B.C., is calling out to their community and beyond for anyone willing to commit one of the most selfless acts possible — donating an organ.

Dialysis patient Poonam Hamal has rare blood type.

Poonam Hamal, a 52-year-old mother of three, is undergoing dialysis due to an autoimmune disease that is shutting down her kidneys.

Her family is putting up posters around the streets of Surrey directing people to an online campaign in their bid to find someone with a compatible blood type who would be willing to donate one of their kidneys.

Hamal has B+ blood, meaning the

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most suitable donors would have blood of types B+, B-, O+ or O-.

No one in her family or social circles is a match.

“I hope someone helps me,” said Poonam. “My life will extend and then I’ll continue to be a good person in the world.”

During kidney dialysis, Poonam Hamal has to attach her body to a machine every night for nine hours. (Submitted by Shaurab Hamal) In 2011, Hamal was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy, which deteriorates the kidneys to the point where they can no longer support the body. in 2019 she began dialysis, where she has to hook her body to a machine every night for nine hours straight.

Advocates say Vancouver park board blocked access to shade during heat wave A

A

Standing behind a fence on top of the southwestern hill looking over CRAB Park, hl’uunguuly’aq laa‘ygaa Amos, a park resident, noted how much cooler it was under the trees compared to standing among the dozens of tents in the park’s less-shaded northwest corner.

The Vancouver park board blocked access to shaded areas of the park at CRAB Park in April. Officials have since refused to remove the fences to allow access to the

Gas prices in Canada could “catapult far ahead of anything that we’re taking into consideration today,” warns a leading fuel analyst casting doubt on U.S. data linked to Wednesday’s double-digit decline in gasoline futures and tumbling prices at the pumps.

largest block of trees in the park, despite last week’s daytime temperatures of 30-35 C. A significant section in the southwest corner of CRAB park — much of the park’s shady, treed area — has been fenced off since the spring. The park board blocked off the area to regrow grass and other vegetation that had been reduced to mud after the area had become the site of a tent city earlier in the year.

Taxi operator closure has ‘left a gap’ in local transportation services, says northern BC mayor Some businesses in a northern B.C. town are being impacted by the closure of the only local taxi service provider three months ago.

In May, Paddy Hirshfield and Patrick Hibbitts said they would close Bulkley Valley Taxi as the market in Smithers — roughly halfway between Prince George and Prince Rupert, and home to a little over 5,300 people — isn’t robust enough for them to continue operating.

That has left residents and visitors without taxis to and from the local airport, about 5.4 kilometres from downtown, a route that isn’t covered by B.C. Transit buses.

Targeted Kelowna shooting victim not expected to survive his injuries ThevictimofatargetedshootinginKelowna Tuesday night is not expected to survive.

Police were called at about 10 p.m. after a man with a gunshot wound was dropped off at Kelowna General Hospital.

“The Lower Mainland resident was seriously wounded,” said RCMP spokesman Mike Della-Paolera in a news release. “The male was transported to hospital by an unidentified associate and is not expected to survive.”

Investigators have determined the man was shot at a business in the 1800-block of K.L.O. oad in Kelowna.

Gas prices could ‘snap back violently’, warns analyst The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s latest gasoline consumption figures suggest demand slipped more than one million barrels per day below preCOVID seasonal norms. According to the

Daniela Bork, general manager of Prestige Hudson Bay Lodge in the downtown area, says she has received cancellation requests from corporate customers who had booked business conferences for the fall. “[They] cancelled their entire events due to the lack of transportation being able to get to and from the airport, but also transportation within the town,” Bork said, adding that many of them have decided to relocate their events to hotels in Terrace, about 200 kilometres west of Smithers.

‘Dark side’ of Smithers drives only local taxi service out of business, says operator

report, the four-week running average for the week ending July 31, 2020, during widespread COVID-19 lockdowns, was 8.656 million barrels per day. The average for the week

“Early indications are that this is connected to people who are wellknown to police,” said Della-Paolera.

The Kelowna RCMP serious crime unit is working with partners to find a motive.

“Incidents of this nature are concerning to say the least,” said Insp. Beth McAndie of Kelowna RCMP investigative services.

“It is our belief that this was a targeted incident. The police would like to assure the public that there is a team of dedicated resources assigned to this investigation and want to ensure the public that the safety of the citizens of Kelowna remains our primary focus.”

ending July 29 this year was 8.592 million.

Dan McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy, is among several industry observers questioning the accuracy of the latest data. “There’s no way demand has dropped as the indication was

Saturday, August 6, 2022

Supreme Court won’t hear case involving estate of dismembered multimillionaire When Chinese-born, West Vancouverbased multimillionaire Gang Yuan was beaten with a hammer, shot twice, and his body chopped into 108 pieces in 2015, the simplest part of the story ended with a manslaughter conviction, but the fate of Yuan’s fortune remained very unclear.

Now the Supreme Court of Canada has refused to hear an appeal from the woman whose identity is protected by a ban but who is described as Mother 1, the first of five women who had a child with Yuan and who claims to be his spouse.

Thursday’s dismissal of the leave to appeal application ends Mother 1’s lengthy legal battle to be declared his spouse, which, because Yuan died without a will, would

have entitled her to half of his $7 to $21 million estate while Canadian law would have split the rest among his five children.

The B.C. Court of Appeal upheld a lower-court ruling and dismissed Mother 1’s spousal claim last December, finding no “marriage-like relationship’’ between her and Yuan, even though the two met before Yuan came to Canada and he supported her in China, where she lived with and cared for his parents.

As is customary, Canada’s highest court did not give reasons for its decision on Mother 1’s application.

Woman loses appeal to prove she was wife of ‘playboy’ millionaire killed and dismembered in West Vancouver

BC teacher gets 15-year ban for intimate relationships with students after graduation A teacher at a Surrey secondary school has been banned from teaching for 15 years after pursuing inappropriate relationships with three students.

Between 2005 and 2008, the teacher developed inappropriate personal relationships with the students that he continued to pursue after the students graduated, according to a consent resolution agreement released by the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation Aug. 2.

The agreement states the teacher provided personal, unnecessary transportation to two students after a school event and sent

personal messages to two of his students, some of which were sexually explicit.

Using his position of trust, the teacher elicited sensitive personal information from two students to use to his personal advantage, the decision states.

The documents also state he told another student what to say and do in order to “protect” him after other school staff expressed concern about their teacher-student relationship.

In 2015, the teacher commenced a leave and has not taught in the K-12 education system since then. In December 2020, the teacher resigned.

Pope has called residential schools ‘genocide,’ House of Commons should too: Winnipeg MP A New Democrat member of Parliament said Tuesday she hopes all of her colleagues will now recognize the residential schools system as genocide, now that Pope Francis has used the term.

Leah Gazan, who represents Winnipeg Centre, tried last year to get unanimous consent from MPs in the House of Commons to press the Canadian government to call what unfolded inside residential schools a genocide.

Her motion referred to the United Nations convention on genocide adopted in 1948, which defines genocide as killing members of a group, causing them serious physical or mental harm, placing them

under conditions to destroy them, imposing measures to prevent births or forcibly transferring children to another group.

Gazan said at the time that Canada’s residential schools policy met all five criteria, but some voices in the House of Commons said “no,” so her motion requiring unanimous consent failed.

“Having the experience of residential school survivors continually up for debate is another act of violence,” Gazan said in an interview Tuesday. “We need to be mindful of that.” The 2015 final report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada labelled what happened inside residential schools a “cultural genocide,”

Sexual assault rate in 2021 highest since 1996, violent crimes up: Stats Can The rate of police-reported sexual assault in Canada has reached its highest level since 1996, according to Statistics Canada data released Tuesday.

There were more than 34,200 reports of sexual assault countrywide in 2021, an 18 per cent increase from 2020, according to the newly released numbers.

While reports decreased in 2020, the rate of sexual assault has otherwise steadily increased for five years.

Despite an increase in public discussion of issues around sexual violence, Statistics Canada said the number of sexual assaults reported to police is still likely to be a significant underestimate.

The agency cited data that showed in 2019, only six per cent of sexual assault

incidents experienced by Canadians 15 and older in the previous year had been reported to police. The sexual assaults account for a third of an overall five per cent increase in reports of violent crime, with homicides, criminal harassment, hate crimes and firearm offences also on the rise In 2021, police reported 788 homicides, 29 more than in 2020, representing a three per cent increase across the country.

Ontario and British Columbia both saw more homicides than last year, while there were fewer in Alberta and Nova Scotia, where a mass shooting took place in 2020. Provincial homicide rates were highest in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

LOCAL / NATIONAL

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Environmental activist group claims tires deflated on 34 SUVs in Victoria and Oak Bay areas A new environmental activist group claims to have deflated the tires on 34 SUVs in Victoria and Oak Bay this week.

The group, called “Tyre Extinguishers,” describes itself as “a worldwide direct action environmentalist group with the goal of eliminating SUVs from urban areas.”

It says the vehicles it “disarmed” Thursday night represent the first Tyre Extinguishers action in Western Canada.

“We are taking action because, like so many British Columbians, we have felt angry, powerless, afraid, and overwhelmed at the global scale of the climate crisis and the glacial pace of action, and we have asked ourselves: what direct action can we do that makes a difference?” the group said in a statement on its website.

Tyre Extinguishers claims that other places in the world where the group is active have seen reduced sales of SUVs. The group says the vehicles are “more detrimental to our climate than people might realize,” and “serve no purpose.”

“We know some people will be frustrated,

upset, and/or angry at us,” the group said.

“Unfortunately, we do not have any time to waste in reducing our emissions. The people whose tires we have deflated will be inconvenienced, but ultimately, will be able to get around by using public transit, walking, or cycling like so many other residents of Victoria and Oak Bay do.”

Oak Bay police said, a total of nine vehicles with deflated tires had been reported in the district so far.

All of them were on residential streets near the intersection of Beach Drive and King George Terrace, police said, adding that they had not identified any suspects in any of the cases.

If the perpetrators are caught, they will likely face charges of mischief under $5,000, police said. That offence carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison, according to the Criminal Code.

Oak Bay police asked anyone with information or dash cam or surveillance video from the area where the incidents occurred to contact them or call Crime Stoppers.

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12

Saturday, August 6, 2022 Why has twitterati decided to boycott Alia Bhatt and her upcoming movie ‘Darlings’?

If Aamir Khan’s ‘Laal Singh Chaddha,’ boycotting wasn’t enough, netizens are now ‘boycotting’ Alia Bhatt and her upcoming movie Darlings for ‘promoting’ d o m e s t i c violence against men.

‘Darlings’ will release on August 5 on Netflix.

It stars Alia Bhatt, Shefali Shah, Vijay Verma and Roshan Matthew in the lead roles.

The film is also Alia B h a t t ’ s

maiden production project.

Darlings is co-produced by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment.

There are scenes in the trailer that show Alia B h at t’s character torturing her onscreen husband Vijay Verma in Darlings, when has led to the online furore.

Dadasaheb Phalke - founder of Indian cinema April 30 , 1870 – February 16, 1944

Dadasaheb Phalke was born as Dhundiraj Govind Phalke (also known as Dadasaheb Phalke on April 30 , 1870. He was producer - director-screenwriter, of Hindi cimema known as “the Father of Indian cinema”.

His debut film was Raja Harishchandra, It was the first Indian movie released in 1913, It is known as India’s first full-length feature film.

He made 95 feature-length films and

27 short films in his career, spanning 19 years, until 1937, including his most noted works: Mohini Bhasmasur (1913), Satyavan Savitri (1914), Lanka Dahan (1917), Shri Krishna Janma (1918) and Kaliya Mardan (1919).

In his honour Dadasaheb Phalke Award is given to the acotrs for lifetime contributions to Hindi cinema by the Government of India.

Community news Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society of BC invites South Asian Adults and Senior members to join and play Bingo on the House on 7th August 2022 (Sunday) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shant Niketan hall.

Please bring only 2 dollars with you for 2 games, don’t worry if you do not know how to play, members seating next to you will explain the game to you just for the sake of fun. Please use facemask and keep the social distance while seating for personal & other’s safety. Tea and light snacks will be served after the two games are over. In Person Yoga classes will continue by Mr. Ashwini Bansal

expert Yoga Instructor on 8th August 2022 (Monday) & 11th August 2022 (Thursday) both days from 10.00 am to 11.15 am. Members already vaccinated at least Two doses against COVID - 19 should join for Bingo & yoga classes, please use Facemask for safety. Project funded by Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program for Hindi speaking seniors. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator , Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre, Lakshmi Narayan Temple, 8321 - 140th street Surrey V3W5K9, BC Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for registration & for further information.

Durgabai Kamat Durgabai Kamat was Marathi actress, She was the first female actor, actress in Indian cinema.

In early 1900s, that times for females acting in films or theatre was considered to be taboo, so much so Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian cinema, had to use male actors for female roles even in first Indian film, Raja Harishchandra.

However with its success, female actresses were encouraged. Thus he introduced Durgabai in his 1913 second film Mohini

Bhasmasur as leading lady Parvati, while her daughter Kamlabai Gokhale, played the role of Mohini, thus becoming the first female child actress of Indian cinema. After Durgabai Kamat, other actresses started working in Hindi cinema.

Durgabai was also the maternal grandmother of veteran Marathi actor Chandrakant Gokhale, and the great-grandmother of actors Vikram Gokhale and Mohan Gokhale.

She died on May 17, 1997, in Pune, at the age of 98.

Sunny Leone’s sizzling Bengali dance Remember Sunny Leone’s Bengali item song ‘Dushtu Polapain’? The music video, released from a Bangladeshi record level, created a frenzy among Sunny’s fans earlier this year. No one can beat her when it comes to sizzling moves and hook steps and that’s

power to grab maximum attention. The tantalizing song, directed by Bollywood choreographer Adil Shaikh, also captures the Bollywood diva’s grace and elegance aptly.

Viewers have showered love on Sunny Leone for not only her command over dance numbers

exactly what happened with this grooving number, sung by popular Bangladeshi singer Fatima Tuz Zahra Oyshee.

And now, the sizzling video has crossed a massive social media milestone. ‘Dushtu Polapain’ now has more than ten million views on YouTube and it continues to grow in number. It seems Sunny’s jawdropping dance moves still have the

but also for how she effortlessly managed to master the Bangladeshi song like her own language. One fan even complimented Sunny’s dance moves saying, ‘Wow super se uper’.

Meanwhile, on the filmy front, the diva has a Malayalam film ‘Shero’ and Tamil film ‘Oh my Ghost’ in the pipeline next.

She is also playing a key role in an IndoBangladesh action entertainer ‘Soldiers’.

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Saturday, August 6, 2022

Sunny Loenne expresses her thanks to Bollywood It has been a 10-year-long journey in Bollywood for Sunny Leone, who feels grateful that Bollywood has accepted her with open arms and that career in cinema reiterates her faith in the fact that hard work always yields result.

The actress began her career with “Jism 2” after a stint in “Bigg Boss” season 5. She then starred in the popular number “Laila” alongside Shah Rukh Khan in “Raees”.

She was also seen in the web-series “Anamika” among many other projects.

Talking about her journey, the actress said: “When my husband Daniel Weber and I first started working, we borrowed money from the banks to start our first company and we turned that into a successful venture.

“When Bollywood happened to us, it was the next chapter in my entertainment career.

It’s been an amazing journey ever since. I am humbled. The amazing love and support that my fans have showered on me has helped me scale new heights. I wouldn’t have been

able to do it without their appreciation.

“My journey in cinema reiterates my faith in the fact that hard work always yields results. I love my life and I love my job.

“I have a wonderful family, a great partner in Daniel, three beautiful children, a lovely home and a career that I have worked hard to put together.

“I work every day, sometimes without any offs and I have never been satisfied with where I am. I am grateful that Bollywood accepted me with open arms and I have been able to create for myself a space in an industry that happens only to chosen ones.”

‘We fell in love and married, blessed to have him’ Evergreen beauty and legendary jodi (couple) of Hema Malini and Dharmendra is unforgettable.

From Dream Girl to Sholay, most of their films remain popular to this day. But their off-screen romance is also one for the books. The couple, who got married in 1980 speaking the actor-turnedpolitician reminisced the films that starred her with Dharmendra.

She said they worked hard back in the day and Dharmendra ‘is still working hard’.

She added, “DharamHema ki jodi hamesha yaad rahegi.”

Hema Malini continued that the actor is currently resting as he has to soon resume shooting.

Dharmendra, who’s shooting for Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani.

Yami Gautam says her performance in A Thursday left her house help ‘terrified’ Yami Gautam’s performance in A Thursday left many very impressed. The thriller, directed by Behzad Khambata and also stars Atul Kulkarni, Neha Dhupia, Dimple Kapadia and Karanvir Sharma.

Yami’s role in the film earned her a lot of praise from critics and audience alike. In a recent interview, Yami revealed her house help was left terrified after she watched it.

In A Thursday, Yami plays a preschool teacher who holds sixteen kids hostage in the school. In the process, her character also holds her own house help and a driver captive.

Yami said in a recent interview that this particular episode frightened

her domestic help.

Yami said that her directorhusband Aditya Dhar jokingly warned her help that Yami may keep her hostage the same way she had done in the movie. Out of fear, the woman walked up to Yami and told her she broke a glass in the house by mistake a few days back and said she hoped Yami would not treat her like she treated the domestic help in the film. She also added that she was terrified when she watched the movie while she was traveling. Yami said she took it as a compliment and was happy

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Katrina to be the guest of ‘Koffee With Karan’ Katrina Kaif is known for her casual yet stylish appearances. She always stands out for making fashion statement with her chic, casual approach to her style.

Katrina will soon be making an appearance on tv show, ‘Koffee With Karan’ with her ‘Phone Bhoot’ co-stars Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ishaan Khatter.

She confirmed the news by posting a photo of herself with the caption “Anyone for Koffee??”

While her fans are excited to see her on the show, her outfit is however, the

talk of the town. In the photos posted by Katrina, she is seen wearing a black and white striped shirt dress.

The price of the dress has shocked everyone and has netizens talking!

The dress Katrina is wearing from the label Monse and is priced around 1,390 USD which converts to Rs 1,10,000 INR. Known for keeping it simple, Katrina kept her make-up minimal. For accessories, she went with classic pair of hoops and shiny, glittery pair of heels.

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Saturday, August 6, 2022

Home sales continue to slump in Metro Vancouver Home sales continued to slump last month in Metro Vancouver, as potential buyers back off because of rising interest rates, according to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver.

The board reported Wednesday that only 1,887 were sold in July, a 43.3 per cent decrease from the 3,326 homes sold in July 2021. That number also represents a 22.8 per cent drop from the 2,444 homes sold in June.

Last month’s sales were 35.2 per cent below the 10-year July sales average, according to the report.

REBGV chair Daniel John said homebuyers are exercising more caution because of rising interest rates and inflationary concerns.

“This allowed the selection of homes for sale to increase and prices to edge down in the region over the last three months,” he said, in a statement Wednesday.

The total number of homes currently listed for sale on the MLS in Metro Vancouver is 10,288, which according to the report is a 4.4 per cent increase compared to July 2021 and a 1.3 per cent decrease compared to June. After two years of market conditions that favoured home sellers, homebuyers now have more selection to choose from and more time to make their decision,” said John, in the statement.

“In today’s changing housing market, both homebuyers and sellers should invest the time to understand what these changes mean for their personal circumstances.”

As for prices, they are still higher than last year at the same time, but down slightly from the month previous. The reports says the composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $1,207,400, which is a 10.3 per cent increase over July 2021 and a 2.3 per cent decrease compared with June.

The benchmark price for a detached home in Metro Vancouver is $2,000,600. This represents an 11 per cent increase from last July but a 2.8 per cent decrease from June.

The cost of a condo fared similarly at $755,000 — an 11.4 per cent increase from July 2021 but a 1.5 per cent drop from the month before.

The benchmark cost of a townhome, meantime, was $1,096,500, a 15.8 per cent increase from last July and a 1.7 per cent decrease compared with June.

Areas covered by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver include: Burnaby, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond,

RBC forecasts historic real estate market correction, including cottages The Royal Bank of Canada is forecasting a “historic correction” to Canada’s real estate market after two frenzied years of buying, and cottage country will feel the impact.

In its latest housing report, RBC assistant chief economist Robert Hogue says that the bank expects home sales to fall 23 per cent this year and 15 per cent next year, eventually culminating in a 42 per cent drop from the start of 2021.

That’s a larger decline than any of the past four national downturns (-33 per cent in 1981–1982, -33 per cent in 1989–1990, -38 per cent in 2008–2009, and -20 per cent in 2016–2018). Along with the drop in sales, the national benchmark price will fall 12 per cent by the second quarter of 2023.

The drop in sales and prices is a result of rising inflation caused by COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In May, Canada’s inflation rate reached 7.7 per cent, the largest yearly increase in almost four decades.

To combat rising inflation, the Bank of Canada is raising interest rates, making it more expensive to take out loans, such as mortgages. In July, the Bank of Canada raised its interest rate an entire percentage point to 2.5 per cent. In the RBC report, Hogue says he expects the interest rate to continue rising, reaching 3.25 per cent by October.

Ontario and B.C.’s real estate markets are expected to be hit the hardest, specifically high-priced areas sensitive to interest rates, such as Toronto, Vancouver, and Victoria.

Over the next year, RBC predicts that property sales in Ontario and B.C. will fall 38 per cent and 45 per cent respectively, with prices dropping 14 per cent.

The average property price in Ontario has already fallen 7.6 per cent this year, and 4.9 per cent in B.C. Within these markets, some of the first properties impacted will be cottages.

“With consumer spend, what we expect is the consumers to stop purchasing things that are discretionary and keep buying the necessities. That same logic applies to the housing market. If [people] don’t need a cottage, this is probably not really the best time to go out and look for one,” says Claire Fan, an RBC economist.

Out of Canada’s cottage country areas, it’s the markets around Toronto and Vancouver that will experience the greatest changes, Fan says.

“Those markets saw the most uprising in both prices and retail volumes over the course of the pandemic because people were looking for more space,” she says. “But a lot of these markets that saw the biggest price appreciation over the course of the pandemic are the ones that are getting hit the hardest at the moment because larger

Fraser Valley and Chilliwack housing markets crater as sales drop more than 50 percent Early numbers indicate that home sales in the Fraser Valley and Chilliwack markets fell sharper compared to Greater Vancouver.

Preliminary statistics suggest that while deals in Greater Vancouver dropped by 43 percent on an annual basis in July 2022, transactions in the suburbs declined deeper.

In the Fraser Valley, sales last month dropped 50.5 percent compared to July 2021. The Fraser Valley market covers North Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Abbotsford, and Mission.

The region’s real-estate board is expected to release official statistics in the coming days.

Meanwhile, in Chilliwack and surrounding towns, deals declined 57 percent on an annual basis.

The numbers were compiled by Zealty.ca, a real-estate platform operated by Holywell Properties, a brokerage based in the Sunshine Coast.

Zealty.ca data show that the Fraser

Valley market posted 946 sales in July 2022, marking a 22.4 percent decline compared to June this year.

Out of the 946 sales, 23.4 percent or 222 were sold at either full or over asking prices.

In the Chilliwack region, a total of 132 home sales were made in July 2022, representing a monthly decline of 28.3 percent.

Out of the 132 deals, 11.3 percent or 15 sold at either full or higher prices.

The Canadian housing market is undergoing a market correction due to higher interest rates.

The Bank of Canada is anticipated to continue increasing interest rates through 2022 in a bid to contain the raging inflation in the country.

Going back to Zealty.ca numbers, median sold prices tell another story.

The median sold price in the Fraser Valley was up 3.8 percent on an annual basis in July 2022.

In Chillwack, the measure posted an annual increase of 5.6 percent.

Developers expected to delay 10,000 units as slowdown hits condo presales Toronto developers are expected to delay the launch of 10,000 condo units this year, as preconstruction condo sales plunge amid higher borrowing costs.

This is a sign that the broader real estate slowdown has spread to the preconstruction market, where purchases are seen as bets on future housing because buyers wait years for their properties to be built.

At the beginning of the year, when resale home prices were spiking, developers had planned to launch 35,000 new condo units in the Toronto region, according to data from condo research group Urbanation Inc. But after a tumultuous five months where the Bank of Canada raised interest rates to 2.5 per cent from 0.25 per cent in an effort to rein in inflation, developers have scaled back plans.

Urbanation estimates that fewer than 10,000 units are now expected to launch over the next six months. In the first half of the year, about 16,000 units were brought to market. That means about 10,000 units have been shelved.

Preconstruction buyers, the majority

of whom are investors, have been spooked by the jump in interest rates even though they do not immediately need mortgages when they buy preconstruction condos.

Typically, a 20-per-cent down payment is required to secure a preconstruction unit. The buyer pays the remainder after the condo is built.

“The expectation of future rate increases and their impact on prices has a profound effect on presale buyer confidence,” Urbanation said in a report.

During the second quarter, there were 6,792 preconstruction sales.

That was down 18 per cent from the first quarter, when the housing market was soaring. Over the same period, developers increased the number of new launches by 63 per cent to 9,924 new condo units, flooding the market with product just as buyers were starting to waver.

Demand is expected to soften further as high prices and increased borrowing expenses cause investors to lose the ability to use revenue from renting out their condos to

Saturday, August 6, 2022

Home sales in Greater Vancouver plunge 43 percent Home sales in Greater Vancouver plunge 43 percent, with less than a third getting full or higher prices . Preliminary statistics show a deep slide in home sales in Greater Vancouver.

Numbers compiled by real-estate site Zealty.ca show that a total of 1,901 properties sold in July 2022.

The figure represents a 43 percent plunge compared to the same month in 2021.

Compared to sales in June 2022, transactions in July decreased 22.7 percent. Of the 1,901 properties sold in July 2022, less than a third or 29.1 percent were purchased either at full price or over the listed price.

This percentage translates to 555 properties that were sold in the advantage of sellers.

On an annual basis or compared to July 2021, this level marks a 59.4 percent drop.

Zealty.ca is a real-estate online platform operated

by Holywell Properties, a company based in the Sunshine Coast.

The Greater Vancouver real-estate board is expected to release official market figures for July 2022 in the coming days.

The real-estate board covers Burnaby, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Pitt Meadows, Port

Real Estate

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Lumber prices fall to a new low this year as reality sets in that the housing market is ‘going back to normal’ Lumber prices continued their descent on Wednesday, falling as much as 5% to a new 2022 low of $495 per thousand board feet.

The essential building commodity has seen a wild ride since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with prices peaking at a record high of $1,733 per thousand board feet as demand for homes picked up and supply chain woes plagued saw mills across Canada.

But since lumber’s May 2021 peak, it’s been nothing but downhill for the commodity, with a peak-to-trough decline of 71%. The weakness accelerated in 2022 as higher mortgage rates helped cool down the booming housing market, which fueled demand for lumber as homebuilders sought to cash in on the demand spike.

“For the last couple of years it’s just been an unbelievable market where all the

builders are taking orders, everybody is having phenomenal success, everybody is having phenomenal margins,” LGI Homes CEO Eric Lipar said in the company’s earnings conference call on Tuesday.

LGI Homes is a builder of single family homes across Western and Southeastern states and has benefited from the higher margins amid the COVID-19 induced housing demand boom. But those margins aren’t sustainable as demand for homes cools down and prices show signs of falling in some markets.

“We will normalize our pricing. Yes, we will probably be selling the same floor plans in the future for less money than we were over the last 24 months. But it’s going to be similar to what it was two years and three years ago, because the last couple years are just going to be an outlier as far as [home] pricing goes,” Lipar said.

Housing market has entered a ‘new cycle’ Vancouver’s housing market has entered a “new cycle characterized by quieter demand from homebuyers,” according to the local housing authority.

In its monthly report, the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver said it was seeing slower demand coupled with a gradual increase in supply.

The report released on Wednesday said 1,887 homes were sold last month.

That’s down 43.3 percent from what the board saw last July and down 22.8 percent from June this year.

Compared to what is typically seen in the region in July, the number of sales is down 35.2 percent, the board said.

“Homebuyers are more cautious about rising interest rates and concerns about inflation in today’s market,” said CEO Daniel John.

The chairman said in a statement that this meant buyers had seen a “fall” in prices over the past three months. Additionally, buyers will get more choices as they enter the market now.

The board said 3,960 homes of all types were up for sale last month. That means about 2,073 weren’t sold within the month.

The number of entries is slightly down from new entries published last July, down 24.7 percent from June. Shoppers entering

the market now can browse approximately 10,300 deals currently available in Metro Vancouver, which is approximately 440 more than last year, although fewer deals than were active at the end of June.

That means buyers have some advantages over sellers.

After two years of market conditions that favored home sellers, home buyers now have more choice and more time

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to make their decisions,” John said.

But those buyers still shouldn’t expect much from a deal. The MLS Home Price Index Composite, a benchmark for what’s available, is still $1,207,400 in Metro Vancouver.

It’s slightly lower than last month, but still more than 10 percent higher than July 2021.

All tenure benchmarks are up year-on-year, with townhome buyers seeing the biggest increase.

The attached home equity benchmark is $1,096,500 — nearly 16 percent up from July of last year. Detached houses and condominiums are being sold for around 11 percent more than in the previous year.

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Saturday, August 6, 2022

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Saturday, August 6, 2022

Rs 85 lakh found at MP govt clerk’s house

Why no tricolour in RSS ‘ghar’ to mark PM Modi’s ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ initiative, asks Opposition Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s endeavor to flood social media profiles with the national flag has not moved his party ideologue the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Opposition has pointed out.

Modi urged social media users this week to change their display profiles to the tricolour to mark the 75th year of Independence. The party’s official Twitter handle as well as multiple leaders followed suit to mark the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ initiative.

But the RSS has not obeyed the Prime Minister’s request — neither the organisation’s official Twitter handle nor a number of senior Sangh leaders, including chief Mohan Bhagwat and Dattatreya Hosabale, have switched to the flag. The RSS’ Facebook page is also not displaying it.

A senior functionary said: “We don’t take any decision under anyone’s pressure. If the display pic of our official

Twitter handle has to be changed, it will be in due course of time.”

He, however, pointed out that some leaders have already changed their display photos. Among them were joint general secretaries Manmohan Vaidya, Arun Kumar and prachar pramukh Sunil Ambekar.

Speaking to ThePrint, Ambekar said, “The Sangh has already announced its support to the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav campaign and appealed to all Swayamsevaks to support programmes by both the central and state governments as well as by other organisations. No one should do politics over this and concentrate on celebrating the mahotsav.”

Congress leader Pawan Khera took to Twitter and shared the screenshots of the RSS and its chief Mohan Bhagwat’s profile photos, with a cryptic message: “Sangh walon, ab toh tiranga

The Madhya Pradesh police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW), probing a disproportionate assets complaint, recovered more than Rs 85 lakh in cash from the Bhopal home of a state government clerk who consumed some liquid that was suspected to be poisonous during a search on Wednesday, an official said.

During the search at the residence of upper division clerk Hero Keswani, currently drawing a salary of around Rs 50,000 per month, an EOW team also recovered documents pertaining to several properties worth crores of rupees, he said. The search operation continued till late on Wednesday night and a note counting machine was brought to compute the exact value of the pile of cash found at his home located in the Bairagarh area, the official said.

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The upper division clerk, attached to the state Medical Education Department, claimed to have consumed bathroom cleaner when the EOW team reached his house, Superintendent of Police (EOW) Rajesh Mishra said.

Keswani also tried to stop officials from searching his home and pushed them, he said.

“He was rushed to the state-run Hamidia Hospital. His condition is stable and he is undergoing treatment for blood pressure-related problems,” the SP said.

By the evening, more than Rs 85 lakh in cash had been found besides the documents related to immovable properties and other assets worth crores of rupees at Keswani’s residence, said Mishra.

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INDIA

Saturday, August 6, 2022

Why a UK court passed ‘worldwide freezing order’ against Indian merchant Gold, diamond jewellery, a web of shell companies and round tripping — the Winsome Diamonds case involving diamond merchant Jatin Mehta, who allegedly defrauded a consortium of banks to the tune of Rs 7,000 crore, first came into the limelight in 2014, is back in the news.

This time, however, the story has shifted to the UK, with a London court issuing a “worldwide freezing order” in May against the fugitive and his family.

The investigation against the Mehtas and their companies — Gujaratbased Winsome Diamonds and

Forever Precious — that defaulted on loan payments, started in India in 2014 with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) registering cases against the companies, their directors and public servants.

But before any action could be taken against Mehta, he left India in 2016 with his family.

The absconding businessman is believed to have gone to St Kitts & Nevis, a Caribbean island country that does not have an extradition treaty with India.

While the cases against the Mehtas are ongoing in India along with an insolvency proceeding, the high court in London has issued a worldwide freezing order against him,

Mephedrone worth Rs 1,400 crore seized near Mumbai The main accused is a 52-year-old man, who holds a post-graduate degree in organic chemistry. After experimenting with various chemicals, he found out the formula of producing mephedrone, police said. Mumbai police on Thursday seized over 700kg of mephedrone worth Rs 1,400 crore after a raid at a drug manufacturing unit at Nalasopara in Palghar district, and arrested five persons, news agency PTI reported. According to the report, the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai crime branch conducted a raid at the drug unit in Nalasopara (west) and recovered the contraband that was to be supplied to drug peddlers in Mumbai and its neighbouring areas.

According to the report, the main accused in the case is a post-graduate in organic chemistry, who got the formula of producing mephedrone through experiments, and one of the other four arrested accused is a woman.

“The raid was carried out based on specific inputs, which the ANC’s Worli team had received after the arrest of a drug peddler from Govandi, a suburb in Mumbai, in March this year. Mephedrone weighing 250 grams had been recovered from him at that time,” PTI quoted an official as saying.

“The ANC team recovered 701.740 kg mephedrone valued at Rs 1,403 crore from the accused,” said Datta Nalawade, Deputy Commissioner of Police (ANC), in a press conference.

Saturday, August 6, 2022

Go First airline flight suffers bird hit, returns backe to Ahmedabad An aircraft of Go First airline returned to Ahmedabad after it suffered a bird strike within a few minutes of take-off on Thursday afternoon.

The directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

A senior DGCA official confirmed that Go First flight G8911 which was operating on Thursday from Ahmedabad to Chandigarh was diverted to Ahmedabad after a bird-hit incident.

On June 20, a Delhi-bound aircraft of the SpiceJet airlines carrying 185 passengers caught fire soon after taking off from the Patna airport and made an

emergency landing minutes later due to a bird hit. On the same day, another Delhibound IndiGo flight from Guwahati returned to Guwahati airport due to a suspected bird hit after the takeoff.

A senior DGCA official confirmed that Go First flight G8911 which was operating on Thursday from Ahmedabad to Chandigarh was diverted to Ahmedabad after a bird-hit incident.

On June 20, a Delhi-bound aircraft of the SpiceJet airlines carrying 185 passengers caught fire soon after taking off from the Patna airport and made an emergency landing minutes later due to a bird hit.

INDIA

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INDIA

Saturday, August 6, 2022

Justice UU Lalit’s name recommended for next Chief Justice of India Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Thursday recommended to the Centre to appoint Justice Uday Umesh Lalit -- the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court -- as his successor and the next CJI. “Hon’ble the Chief Justice of India Shri Justice N V Ramana today recommended the name of Hon’ble Shri Justice Uday Umesh Lalit as his successor to the Hon’ble Minister for Law and Justice,” a Supreme Court official said.

CJI Ramana personally handed over a copy of his letter of recommendation dated August 3 to Justice Lalit on Thursday morning, the official added.

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday

evening had formally written to CJI Ramana requesting him to recommend the name of his successor.

Justice Ramana – who took over as the 48th CJI on April 24, 2021 – is due to retire on August 26.

Appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court on August 13, 2014 directly from the Bar, Justice Lalit would take over as the 49th CJI on August 27, 2022. He would retire on November 8, 2022 and would have a tenure of less than two-and-a-half-months.

Generally, the Centre writes to the CJI requesting him to recommend his successor a month before his retirement. However, this time around the process was delayed.

Sudhir wins historic gold in para powerlifting men’s heavyweight event India’s Sudhir claimed the gold medal in men’s heavyweight para powerlifting event at the Commonwealth Games on Thursday.

Sudhir, an Asian Para Games bronze medallist, lifted 208kg in his first attempt before increasing it to 212kg in his second effort to gather 134.5 points and break the Games record. The 27-year-old Sudhir, who has an impairment due to the effects of polio, thus opened India’s para sports medal account in the ongoing CWG.

Ikechukwu Christian Obichukwu won the silver with 133.6 points, while Micky Yule bagged the bronze with 130.9 points.

Sudhir had won a bronze in men’s upto 88kg with a best lift of 214kg at the World Para Powerlifting AsiaOceania Open Championship in South Korea in June.

Sudhir, who had started powerlifting in 2013 in Sonipat, has also qualified for Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games, which was postponed to next year.

Rishi Sunak pledges crackdown on Islamist extremism UK PM candidate Rishi Sunak pledged a crackdown on Islamist extremism, the UK’s most “significant terror threat”, with a widened government definition of extremism and strengthening existing terrorism legislation.

Sunak, who is seen closing the gap with opponent Foreign Secretary Liz Truss in

the race, vowed to weed out organisations that promote extremism and refocus the “failing” Prevent programme, a government tool intended to tackle Islamist extremism.

The Ready4Rishi team released details of what has been dubbed as “ambitious plans” to tackle Islamist extremism.

Labourer killed, two others injured in militant attack in J-K A labourer was killed and two others injured in a grenade attack by militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday, police said. “Terrorists hurled grenade on outside labourers at Gadoora area of #Pulwama. In this terror incident, one labourer died and two others

were injured. Area cordoned off. Further details shall follow,” the Kashmir Zone Police tweeted. Militants had stepped up attacks on non-local labourers earlier this year but there was a halt in such targeted killings for the past nearly two months.

Govt ditches another data law in aftermath of VPN exodus The Indian government has withdrawn a hotly anticipated data protection bill, just weeks after postponing other tech-related legislation that saw VPN providers leave the country in droves.

The law, which has been debated and amended significantly since its introduction into India’s parliamentary system in 2019, was billed as a way to give Indians more control over their data.

Along with the widely-criticized antiVPN laws and the 2021 IT rules that irked social media firms, the withdrawal paints a picture of a government struggling to assert itself confidently on tech issues.

The proposed 2019 Personal Data Protection Bill was purportedly designed to give Indian citizens – who comprise the world’s second-largest internet market – more control over their personal data.

The law would have established a so-called data protection authority and increased compliance obligations for Big Tech companies such as Meta, Amazon, and other companies that deal in personal information.

The bill would have granted Narendra Modi’s government sweeping new powers, including the ability to demand user data from tech companies.

Government agencies were due to be exempt from the law “in the interest of the sovereignty” of the country, a stipulation that led privacy advocates to raise the alarm back in 2019.

The law was revised in 2021 and renamed the “Data Protection Bill”, as the parliamentary committee also wanted it to cover non-personal data, which doesn’t contain information that can be used to identify a person but is critical for businesses.

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Saturday, August 6, 2022

Punjab Special Task Force recovers IED packed with RDX in Haryana The Special Task Force of the Haryana Police on Thursday recovered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) packed with around 1.3 kg RDX near Shahabad in Kurukshetra district, an official said.

A person hailing from Punjab’s Tarn Taran

has been arrested in this connection, he said.

The recovery was made from near the service lane on the Ambala-Delhi national highway, about 70 km away from capital Chandigarh, Kurukshetra Superintendent of Police Surinder Singh Bhoria said.

Blast like sound triggers panic in Ludhiana The residents of Ludhiana got panic stricken on Thursday at around 3pm when sounds similar to a bomb blast were heard in the city.

Some assumed the sounds to be of a cloud burst while others felt it might be of sonic boom but none could clearly confirm.

As soon as the sound was heard, inquisitive

residents right away started circulating messages on WhatsApp to make sure if all had heard the sound. Many wanted to confirm the source of the sound.

Ludhiana Commissioner of Police Kaustubh Sharma confirmed that the sound was of sonic booms and there was no explosion.

Dentist treated gynaecological problem at hospital CBI to start inquiry This bizarre incident took place at a private hospital in Gurugram, resulting in the death of an airhostess from Nagaland on June 24 last year, prompting the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to launch an inquiry.

The CBI, on the directions of the Union Home Ministry, registered a case against doctors—Managing Director of Alfa Health Care Dr Anuj Bisnoi and dentist Anjali Ashk.

According to the CBI FIR, the two have been arrested under Section 304 (death due to negligence) of the Indian Penal Code.

Samuel Sangma, a relative of deceased Rosy Sangma, had an altercation with doctors and other hospital staff suspecting medical negligence, a Home Ministry statement had said.

Punjab University not to be converted into Central varsity There is no move to alter the status of Panjab University, Chandigarh, from state to a Central university, the government said in Parliament. Answering a question

by Vikramjit Singh Sahney, RS member, MoS for Education Subhas Sarkar said with

regard to conversion of state universities and colleges into Central universities, the ministry had taken a policy decision against it for the reasons of legacy issues, adjustment of existing staff and the affiliation of colleges.

Pakistan 1,200-year-old Hindu temple in Lahore opened to public A federal govt body on Thursday said that 1,200-year-old Hindu temple in Lahore has been formally opened after it was reclaimed by Christian family following an extended legal battle. Last month, ETPB reclaimed the Valmiki Temple, located near the famous Anarkali Bazaar in Lahore, from the “illegal occupants”

that had seized it over two decades ago.

Other than Krishna Temple, Valmiki Temple is the only Hindu temple in Lahore that is functional. For the last two decades, the Christian family, which claims to have converted to Hinduism, had been allowing only the Valmiki caste Hindus to worship at the temple.

Election Commision rules former PM Imran Khan’s party received illegal funds from abroad Election Commission of Pakistan ruled on Tuesday that former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s political party received millions of dollars in illegal funds from foreign countries, including US, UAE, UK, and Australia.

The decision could lead to ban on Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which rose to prominence on an anti-corruption drive.

Imran Khan, was not immediately available for the comment. A spokesman for his PTI party denied any wrongdoing.

The commission’s ruling is major setback for the former cricket star who has been leading a campaign against the new government.

The case, filed in 2014

“The commission is satisfied that the contributions and donations have been received by the respondent party from prohibited sources,” the ruling, which has been seen by Reuters, said.

The commission said the party also hid 13 accounts, adding that the declaration submitted to the commission about the party finances by Khan as its chairman from 2008 to 2013 were “found to be grossly inaccurate.”

It said the PTI received funds from different people and companies abroad, including business tycoon Arif Naqvi, owner of a Dubai-based equity group, who is among several people charged by U.S. prosecutors with being part of an international scheme to defraud investors, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Insurgents claim downing the army helicopter Separatists in Balochistan province said they shot down a military helicopter that went down during flood relief and secue operation, killing all six on board including a top military commander.

A senior military official dismissed the insurgents’ claim as propaganda

and fake news. The military said the helicopter crashed during bad weather.

The Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), an umbrella group of Baloch insurgent groups, said in a statement sent to Reuters late on Tuesday that its fighters shot down the “low flying helicopter” with an anti-aircraft weapon.

FIJI Association of South Pacific Airlines CEO say A-G ‘confused’ Association of South Pacific Airlines (ASPA) CEO George Faktaufon called on Attorney-General Aiyaz SayedKhaiyum to name the countries where the national airline provides airport services.

He said this in response to a recent comment by the A-G that “a lot of countries in the world have the national carrier actually managing the airport when you have the bulk of the throughput of the airport being supplied by one airline”.

Mr Faktaufon said Mr Sayed-Khaiyum

seemed to be “confused” about the services that Fiji Airports offered, such as ground handling.

“In addition, the A-G should name the countries that the national airline provides the airport services, other than ground handling operations, which the A-G seems to be confused with.

“It is to be noted that Fiji Airports does not provide ground handling such as cargo, which the A-G gave as an example. “A-G seems to be mixing ground handling and airport operations.

Fiji Ports Corporation PTE Limited staff to share bonus of more than $240,000 There is good news for the 132 staff of Fiji Ports Corporation PTE Limited as they will share from a bonus payout of more than $240,000.

While announcing the bonus, FPCL Board Chair, Shaheen Ali thanked the staff for their

hard work and told them that with their support, the Company has recorded a strong performance for the 2021 financial year.

He adds due to this, they will pay the shareholders $13.4 million.

Fiji ranked 17th at Commonwealth Games Fiji is now ranked 17th on the Commonwealth Games medal tally.

Team Fiji was in 14th place as of yesterday with two silver medals but after last night’s matches, the contingent has moved three places down.

Bermuda, Uganda and Northern Ireland with a gold each are now ahead of Fiji.

Still in first place is 2018 Games champion Australia with 31 gold, 20 silver and 20 bronze.

England is in second with 21 gold, 22 silver and 11 bronze medals.

Pope Francis welcomes President of Fiji Pope Francis received in audience at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace the President of the Republic of Fiji, Mr. Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere.

The President met afterwards with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin,

accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.

According to the Holy See Press Office, the “cordial” discussion “focused on various themes of a regional nature,

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Saturday, August 6, 2022

Punjabi Language Education Association PLEA’s directors had a meeting with NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. The meeting took plae at his Burnaby office on July 22.

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