The Asian Star August 8 2020

www.theasianstar.com

Vol 19 - Issue 27 Huge digital billboard of Ram temple shines in Times Square

Indian-Americans across the US celebrated the foundation stone laying ceremony of the historic Ram Temple in the holy city of Ayodhya by lighting diyas and taking around a tableau truck displaying digital images of the Ram Temple around the US Capitol Hill. The groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the temple took place on Wednesday in Ayodhya with Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing the ‘bhoomi pujan’ of the temple, bringing to fruition the BJP’s ‘mandir’ movement that defined its politics for three decades and took it to the heights of power.

BC’s active COVID-19 cases double in the last month Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced 47 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours to bring the total number of cases in the province to 3,881.

For the sixth day in a row, there have been no new deaths. The number of people who have died of COVID-19 in B.C. remains at 195. “Obviously [the number] is higher than I’d like to say,” she said, but added each case was able to be traced, and transmission remains low because of the measures British Columbians have taken collectively. There are now 371 active cases, and 11 people are in hospital. Five of those in hospital are in critical care. On July 6, B.C. had only 166 active cases.

There are two new health-care facility outbreaks: at the Richmond Lions Manor and the Joseph and Rosalie Segal Family Health Centre in Vancouver. There have also been a number of public exposures, including a warning issued for anyone who visited Lions Bay Beach Park between July 26 and 31.

Saturday, August 8, 2020

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Wait of centuries is over, Modi says, as Ayodhya temple construction begins The Supreme Court ruled last year that Hindus, who believe the site in Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Ram, a physical incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, be allowed to build a temple there, ending years of litigation.. Modi, whose Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) campaigned for more than three decades for the temple, unveiled a plaque at the site in an elaborate Continued on page 6

Canadian company urges human trials after COVID-19 vaccine in mice blocked virus A Canadian company is telling the Providence has told the government it government on Wednesday that its trials of could deliver five million doses of its new a potential COVID-19 vaccine by mid-2021 vaccine on animals for use in Canada Feds sign agreements with completely blocked the if it were able to Pfizer, Moderna for millions of virus, but it must conduct successfully complete doses of COVID-19 vaccines human trials to know human testing, but whether it has found The federal government has it has heard nothing. a possible cure for the entered into two agreements to Eric Marcusson, pandemic. And a leading secure millions of doses of potential the San Franciscohealth-care expert says COVID-19 vaccines.

Public based co-founder of the findings are promising Services and Procurement Minister Providence and its even though they haven’t Anita Anand announced that the chief science officer, been peer-reviewed. Government of Canada has deals says the company has Providence Therapeutics with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and concluded testing on says it needs federal mice that showed its biotechnology firm Moderna. funding to move forward, vaccine was able to but it has not heard back block the entry of the from the Trudeau government since May, the novel coronavirus into their cells. Successful month after submitting a $35-million proposal tests in animals can provide proof of the to conduct first-stage human trials.

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OPINION

Saturday, August 8, 2020 Trudeau govt should rethink EI as CERB winds down, labour group warns

A workers-rights group is calling on the federal government to rethink the employment insurance program as an emergency benefit for workers is set to run out.

The government estimates four million people will be moved onto EI when the Canada Emergency Response Benefit starts winding down, and is promising a parallel benefit for gig and contract workers who don’t qualify for payments

through the decades-old system.

The Workers Action Centre says many of the people it works with would get between $600 and $1,000 a month if they’re pushed onto EI next month, with the way the safety program is currently structured.

That would be less than the $500 per week paid out through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, or CERB, to workers whose incomes crashed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Story continues below advertisement 5:52 Coronavirus: ‘CERB has served its purpose’ says Employment Minister Qualtrough in explanation of planned move to EI Coronavirus: ‘CERB has served its purpose’ says Employment Minister Qualtrough in explanation of planned move to EI Deena Ladd, the group’s executive director, says an overhaul of EI itself is necessary to provide adequate benefits to stabilize an economy with sectors that won’t fully open for months or may have to shut down in response to outbreaks.

A few of the workers involved with the centre shared their stories and concerns for the coming months during a virtual press conference this morning.

Trump to impose 10 per cent tarrif on Canadian aluminum The administration of US President Donald Trump has implemented a tariff of 10 per cent on aluminum imported from Canada. Trump made the announcement of an executive order imposing the tariffs on Thursday in a campaign speech at a Whirlpool factory in Ohio. The United States slapped import tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum in 2018 citing national security concerns, before removing them last year as part of a broad free trade deal now in force. “My administration agreed to lift those tariffs in return for a promise from the Canadian government that its aluminum industry would not flood our country with exports and kill all our aluminum jobs, which is exactly what they did,” Trump said.“Canada was taking advantage of us, as usual.”‘A step in the wrong direction’ Business groups largely oppose the plan, since it will raise costs of the metal for U.S. manufacturers, who will have little option but to pay the tariff and import the metal anyway because the U.S. does not produce enough of the metal to satisfy domestic demand.

Canada supplied about three-quarters of all the aluminum imported into the U.S. between January and May of 2020, said the executive order implementing the tariff on “non-alloyed unwrought aluminum.” “The administration’s move to reimpose tariffs on aluminum from Canada is a step in the wrong direction,” said Myron Brilliant, head of international affairs

www.theasianstar.com # 202 - 8388, 128 St., Surrey, BC V3W 4G2 Ph: 604-591-5423 Fax: 604-591-8615 E-mail: editor@theasianstar.com Editor: Umendra Singh Associate Editor: Chhavi Disawar 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: Iftikhar Ahmed Design: Avee J Waseer Contributing writers: Jag Dhatt, Akash Sablok, Kamila Singh, Jay Bains

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Saturday, August 8, 2020

Vancouver Coastal Health warns of possible COVID-19 exposure at Lions Bay Beach Park Vancouver Coastal Health is warning people who visited Lions Bay Beach Park in late July could have been exposed to COVID-19.

The exposure advisory is for those who visited the park on July 26, 27, 29, 30 and 31 during daytime hours. Those visitors are advised to self-monitor for coronavirus symptoms for 14 days. The health authority has a list of all current public exposure alerts on its website.

“The possible exposures listed on this site are believed to be low risk, but, out of an abundance of caution, public health asks that anyone who may have visited any of the locations listed on the specified dates and times to monitor themselves for symptoms,” a statement on VCH’s website says.

The two other exposure alerts currently listed

are for the Sandman Suites on Davie Street and the No5 Orange strip club on Main Street.

VCH says there is no known risk to anyone who visited any of the listed locations outside of the specified dates and times.

“If people remain healthy and do not develop symptoms, there is no need to self-isolate and people can continue with their usual daily activities,” the health authority says.

But anyone who develops symptoms, even if they’re mild, should call 811 or their family doctor, get tested for COVID-19 and self-isolate, VCH says.

Symptoms can include fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, runny nose, loss of smell, diarrhea or loss of appetite.

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Wait of centuries is over, Modi says, as Ayodhya temple construction begins From page 1

ceremony to inaugurate construction. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The whole country is thrilled, the wait of centuries is ending,â&#x20AC;? Modi said in a speech, after taking off a white mask that he wore as a novel coronavirus precaution. â&#x20AC;&#x153;See the amazing power of Lord Ram. Buildings were destroyed, there was a lot of effort to eradicate his existence, but Ram remains in our mind even today.â&#x20AC;? Hindus say the site was holy for them long before the Muslim Mughals, Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most prominent Islamic rulers, built the Babri Mosque there in 1528.

Hindu protesters demolished the mosque in 1992, triggering riots in which about 2,000 people, most of them Muslim, were killed.

Many Muslims in Ayodhya have welcomed construction of the temple in the hope that it would end years of acrimony with Hindus and help bring economic growth but an influential Muslim group spoke out against it.â&#x20AC;&#x153;Usurpation of the land by an unjust, oppressive, shameful and majority-appeasing judgment

canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change its status,â&#x20AC;? the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board said on Twitter.â&#x20AC;&#x153;No need to be heartbroken. Situations donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t last forever.â&#x20AC;? Many members of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Muslim minority saw last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s court ruling awarding the site to Hindus as part of a pattern by the Hindu-nationalist government aimed at sidelining Muslims. Wednesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s launch of construction came on the first anniversary of the scrapping by Modiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s government of special privileges for Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir, another highly contentious issue for Muslims.The BJP had long called for disputed Kashmirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special autonomy to be revoked. The government said the change was necessary to develop the strife-torn region and integrate it with the rest of India.Before the launch of construction of the temple, Modi took part in Hindu rituals that included the chanting of Vedic mantras by saffron-clad priests to bless the site.

Security was tight in Ayodhya, 687 km (427 miles) southeast of the capital Delhi.

Canadian company urges human trials after COVID-19 vaccine in mice blocked virus of the concept behind a potential new medicine or vaccine before trials in everlarger groups of human subjects determine how well the drug works in the body and whether it has harmful side-effects.

Trials in humans are expensive and usually time-consuming. Mario Ostrowski, the University of Toronto professor of medicine and immunology whose laboratory performed the animal trials, said he supports the results and says they are on par with tests of vaccine candidates from

the American pharmaceutical firm Moderna and Germanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BioNTech. All three companies use the same new mRNA vaccine technology and last week, Moderna began a 30,000-person human trial after receiving hundreds of millions of dollars from the U.S. government.

Story continues below advertisement The U.S. has also committed to pay Germanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BioNTech and its American partner Pfizer $1.95 billion to produce 100 million doses if their vaccine candidate proves safe and effective in humans.

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India’s impressive new education policy could create opportunities for Australian universities and young people In recent days, the Indian government approved a new education policy — the first for 34 years.

The policy comes after an expert group produced a draft report last year. What’s in the policy?

The National Education Policy (NEP) is an impressive document. It would help deliver a school curricula that’s more flexible and multidisciplinary, and less exam-focused.

In recent days, the Indian government approved a new education policy — the first for 34 years. The policy comes after an expert group produced a draft report last year.

The National Education Policy (NEP) is an impressive document. It would help deliver a school curricula that’s more flexible and multidisciplinary, and less exam-focused.

It is also ambitious: the Indian government plans to have 50% of 18-21 year olds enrolled in university by 2030, an almost doubling of enrolment in ten years.

Among many notable features, the report focuses on universities as sites for holistic student development; calls for multidisciplinary approaches that combine physical, emotional, moral, social, intellectual and aesthetic learning; and seeks to break down the distinction between “curricular” and “extra-curricular” activities, for example via internships and community-related work.

“Service” is a key theme running through the document. Drawing on historical examples of India’s contributions to university development, the report calls for a new focus on universities as sites in which faculty and students serve their local and regional communities to help fulfil the public mission of universities. As the National Education Policy notes on page 33: The purpose of quality higher education is, therefore, more than the creation of greater opportunities for individual employment. It represents the key to more vibrant, socially engaged, cooperative communities and a happier, cohesive, cultured, productive, innovative, progressive, and prosperous nation.

Building on this vision, the National Education Policy sets out a series of sweeping changes to university education in the country. These include: - establishing a single national regulatory body to oversee all aspects of university functioning - setting up a National Research Foundation -introducing four-year multidisciplinary degrees with multiple exit options (after one, two, three or four years) -encouraging internationalisation, for example through allowing foreign universities to operate in India - developing a set of elite multidisciplinary universities geared towards achieving the standing of Ivy League institutions in the US. The National Education Policy sees India as becoming a “world teacher” (vishwa guru).

Saturday, August 8, 2020

Canada ‘profoundly concerned’ over Chinese death sentence for citizen in drug case Canada is “profoundly concerned” about a Canadian citizen sentenced to death on drug charges in China Thursday, a federal spokesperson says.The Guangzhou Municipal Intermediate Court announced Xu Weihong’s penalty on Thursday and said an alleged accomplice, Wen Guanxiong, had been given a life sentence.

The brief court statement gave no details but local media in the southern Chinese city at the heart of the country’s manufacturing industry

said Xu and Wen had gathered ingredients and tools and began making the drug ketamine in October 2016, then stored the final product in Xu’s home in Guangzhou’s Haizhu district.

Police later confiscated more than 120 kilograms of the drug from Xu’s home and another address, the reports said. Ketamine is a powerful painkiller that has become popular among clubgoers in China and elsewhere.

WE controversy takes bite out of Trudeau, Liberal popularity: Poll Nearly half of Canadians would support an election being called if the federal watchdog finds Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to have violated the Conflict of Interest Act again over the WE charity affair, a new poll suggests. The survey

by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies also suggests the WE controversy has taken a bite

out of Trudeau’s popularity, as well as that of the federal Liberal party, putting the Conservatives within striking distance of victory. “To me these are numbers that will certainly worry or concern the Liberals at this moment because even though it’s in the summer, this is raising a lot of eyebrows,” said Leger executive vice-president Christian Bourque.

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Parking facility for 100 trucks coming to North Surrey at cost of $30M A new commercial truck parking facility will be built in North Surrey, on provincial land located on the north side of Highway 17, near Port Mann Bridge.

The facility, to include washrooms, fencing, lighting and other security measures, is designed to provide a “safe, convenient place for commercial truck drivers to pull over and rest” in the Lower Mainland.

Work on the facility will begin this month – close to three years later than the

original start date announced in March 2017.

At the time, the $30-million parking site was said to include space for 150 trucks, not 100 as noted in a provincial government news release on Tuesday (Aug. 4).

The federal government is contributing $13 million to the project, with the remaining $17 million funded by the province.

A $4.97-million contract for the first phase of work has been awarded to Surrey-based Jacob Bros. Construction.

3 Vancouver airport screening officers test positive for COVID-19 Three screening officers have tested positive for COVID-19 at Vancouver International Airport, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority has confirmed.

CATSA did not say when the employees tested positive, but said there are more than 700 screening officers working at the airport.

“CATSA’s priority is the well-being of screening officers and those working in and travelling through Canadian airports while offering the highest levels of security to the travelling public,” CATSA media spokesperson said .

“There has been no impact on our screening operations.”

CATSA says the screening officers are employed by a third-party company, G4S Secure Solutions.

In an emailed statement, G4S Canada confirmed three of its officers tested positive.

“In accordance with guidance from local health authorities, G4S also confirms that the proper quarantine and reporting policies have been followed. G4S management is in constant contact with the three employees to monitor their health,” a spokesperson said.

Gangster Jarrod Bacon must live in a halfway house: Parole Board Notorious gangster Jarrod Bacon must reside in a community correctional facility when he leaves prison on statutory release for a third time, the Parole Board of Canada has ruled.

Bacon, a member of the Red Scorpion gang with close ties to the Hells Angels, has breached previous conditions after being released, Ontario board member Suzanne Poirier noted in a July 31 decision.

Poirier said that making Bacon live in

a designated halfway house or community correctional facility “will give you the opportunity to demonstrate your motivation to adopt a lifestyle away from previous affiliations.”

She imposed the special residency requirement on the now-37-year-old Bacon for six months. Bacon, who was convicted in 2012 of conspiracy to traffic 100 kilograms of cocaine, got statutory release in 2018 after serving twothirds of his net nine-year, two-month sentence.

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Mandatory masks to be required on all Metro Vancouver public transit All customers will soon be required to wear nonmedical masks or face coverings while on board both BC Transit and TransLink transit vehicles.

For TransLink, customers who are unable to wear face coverings due to an underlying medical condition or disability will be exempt from this policy and won’t be asked to wear a mask or face covering. These customers will have the option to request a TransLink branded card which notes they are exempt from wearing a face covering.

“Physical distancing is not always going to be possible on transit, particularly once more riders return to the system,” TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond said.

“Customer confidence is key to rebuilding ridership in the context of this pandemic and we believe this step is important to bring many of our riders back. We’ve listened to transit users who want to see face coverings made mandatory on transit vehicles.” The change comes into effect August 24.

The cards for exempt riders will be made available at Compass Customer Service Centres at Stadium-Chinatown and Waterfront Stations.

Transit Police will be able to enforce the face coverings rule on transit but the initial focus of this policy will be on awareness and education.

Desmond says bus drivers and SkyTrain operators will not be responsible enforcing the rule. Drivers can remind passengers to wear a mask but are not to deny entry for those not following the policy.

In Montreal and Toronto, where mask use is mandatory, Desmond says there is 90 per cent compliance without any enforcement.

TransLinks says currently about 40 per cent of riders are wearing masks in Metro Vancouver.

“We have heard repeatedly that are customers are in favour of this policy. This policy is very much in line with other Canadian transit agencies,” Desmond said.

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13

Saturday, August 8, 2020 Home sales jump in July while prices rise amid lower supply The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver says home sales and prices rose in July as more homebuyers took advantage of low interest rates to boost activity.

Buyers purchased 3,128 homes in the Vancouver metro area last month, up from 2,443 in June and up from the 2,557 sold in July 2019. The 28-per-cent sales bump from June came as the market adjusted to virtual sales and safety precautions amid the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown.

Home prices also rose, hitting a benchmark of $1,031,400, 4.5 per cent higher on a year-over-year basis.

Colette Gerber, the real estate board’s chairwoman, said that low interest rates and limited supply have increased competition

in the Vancouver real estate market over the past month. While more homes hit the market in July compared with June, the total 12,083 homes listed for sale is down from 14,240 listed a year ago.

Detached homes — opposed to apartments or townhomes — were the fastest-growing segment in terms of climbing prices and sales volumes. The benchmark price is now $1,477,800 for detached homes in Vancouver, up five per cent year-over-year, after sales volume increased 33.3 per cent to 1,121 detached homes.

“We’re seeing the results today of pent-up activity, from both homebuyers and sellers, that had been accumulating in our market throughout the year,” Gerber said in a statement.

South Okanagan sees increase in real estate activity Sales of single family residential homes in the South Okanagan increased considerably in July compared with the same period a year ago.

According to the latest statistics from the South Okanagan Real Estate Board, there were 134 units sold in July, a 30 per cent increase from the 103 units sold in the July, 2019.

However, the number of active listings, at 1,870, is down from last July’s 2,119 active listings.

The average sale price for a single family home in July 2as $636,745, a six per cent increase from the average sale price of $598,972 in July, 2019.

On average, it took 75 days for a single family house to sell.

“We are seeing an increase in sales likely influenced by consumers re-assessing their needs post- quarantine,” said Lyndi Cruickshank, president of the real estate board.

“Supply is yet to catch up to the demand as we work to support not only those looking

to purchase but also people looking to safely place their homes on the market for sale.”

Prices varied around the South Okanagan and Similkameen.

In Kaleden and Okanagan Falls, where 10 homes were sold, the average selling price was $1,325,860.

Osoyoos saw 15 sales, with an average price of $738,003 and Summerland, with 18 sales, had an average price of $684,856.

In Penticton, there were 48 sales, with an average price of $547.090.

Princeton had the lowest average selling prices in the region. There were 15 sales, with an average selling price of $304,267 in that community.

“With many people making lifestyle and work changes, living in the Okanagan has become an even more attractive draw for many looking at moving from other communities,” Cruickshank said.

7832 120 132 ST St. #106 - 7565 SURREY BC Surrey, BC BUS: 604-572-3005 604.572.3005

26964 28 AVE., LANGLEY

#125 32850 GEORGE FERGUSON WAY, ABBOTSFORD

W NE ING T LIS

Truly delightful fully renovated 6 bedroom basement entry home sits on rectangular 7920 sf flat lot in most demanding area Aldergrove Langley.Main floor features 3 bed ,2 bath with new kitchen /island ,new flooring,new tiles , new woodwork,new fixtures,splash back,granite counters,new tiles,new cabinet, new windows,new zebra drapes,4 new washrooms & much more .Newly built 3 bedroom unauthorized basement suite with rear separate entry.Excellent renovated covered 333 sf Patio & deck.Landscape front & fully fenced back yard.Storage shed.Walking distance to both schools,shopping,community center with pools,water Park,ice arena,playing fields& to all major routes.A must see to appreciate.

Hot deal! First Time Buyers or Investors, great investment property with reliable tenants, centrally located in a great neighbourhood. 2 bedroom and 1 bath spacious ground level apartment. Well maintained complex, with many updates on the complex over the last couple of years including, roof, windows, balconies, boilers, security cameras, fob access systems and landscaping. There is shared laundry on every floor. Wheelchair access, elevators secure underground parking. Close to Bus stop, walking distance to shopping, restaurants, banks and much more.

$920,000

$210,000

9444 126A STREET, SURREY

11372 87A AVE., N.DELTA

SOLD WITH IN SIX DAYS FOR

Truly delightful & renovated 2698 sf. bsmt. entryPRICE home sits on huge rectangular LUC ASKING 8165 sf. flat lot. in most demanding Queen Mary Park area in Surrey.House features main floor 3 bedrooms ,living room, family room,kitchen,dining room with 2 full bath.Basement has spacious 1 bedroom suite with full bath.Renovated kitchen,new bathrooms,new flooring,new paint,new electric fireplace.Roof is approx. 2 years old.Double garage & huge fully fenced flat back yard.Walking distance to Senator Reid Elementary & LA Matheson Secondary schools .All meas. are approximate

$998,000

Truly delightful 2616 sf basement entry home sits on huge 10382 sf rectangular lot in most demanding Annieville area in N. Delta.Main floor features spacious living room,family room,kitchen,& 3 bedroom with 2 full bath.House has spacious 2 bedroom basement suite with separate rear entry.Close to all amenities & major routes .plse check virtual tour.Easy to show.Call now.

$898,000

14

LOCAL

Saturday, August 8, 2020

Fraser Health warns of COVID-19 exposure at Metro Vancouver hookah lounge Fraser Health is notifying people who visited a Metro Vancouver hookah lounge about a possible exposure to COVID-19.

In a release, the health authority states that people who visited the Hookah Lounge located at 10609 King George Hwy in Surrey may have been exposed to the virus.

If you visited the lounge during the times of possible exposure, it does not mean you will develop COVID-19. The possible exposures are believed to be low risk but, out of an abundance of caution, Public Health asks anyone who may have visited the location listed on the specified dates

and times to monitor themselves for symptoms: July 31 - Aug. 1: from 11:59 p.m. on July 31 to 4 a.m. on Aug. 1 Aug. 1 Aug. 2: from 11:59 p.m. on Aug.1 to 5 a.m. on Aug. 2 There is no known risk to anyone who attended any listed locations outside of the specified dates and times. If people remain healthy and do not develop symptoms, there is no need to self-isolate and people can continue with their usual daily activities.

If you develop any symptoms of COVID-19, please seek testing and then self-isolate. Please call ahead and wear a mask when seeking testing.

Overdose calls in July reached new record, BC paramedics report July saw paramedics in British Columbia respond to the highest number of overdose calls in a month since the overdose emergency was declared four years ago.

Across the province, paramedics responded to 2,706 overdose calls in July, well above the usual monthly average of around 2,000 calls, B.C. Emergency Health Services said in an email.

That works out to about 87 calls per day.

The ambulance service did not report death numbers, which are tracked by the BC Coroners Service. It did say that when paramedics respond to a potential overdose, the survival rate of patients is over 95 per cent.

“We’re very proud of our paramedics’ and our emergency call-takers’ professionalism and dedication to overdose patient care,” a spokesperson with B.C. Emergency Health Services wrote in an email.

‘I am in my home with my kids’: Asia Bibi speaks out about her new life in Canada After nearly 10 years in a Pakistani prison, Asia Bibi says she’s enjoying a quiet life with her family in Canada.

The Christian farm worker brought international attention to Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws after she was convicted of insulting the prophet Mohammed and sentenced to death in 2009.

Pakistan’s supreme court overturned her conviction in 2018 and in early 2019, Bibi was granted asylum with her family in Canada.

“I am feeling really good here because I am in my home and with my kids,” Bibi said in Urdu during her first interview with Canadian media since moving. Global News has agreed to keep her location secret as she believes there are still many people who wish to see her dead.

“When people are watching or listening to media, then you become vulnerable. You need to secure yourself and need safety.”

Read more: Pakistani woman Asia Bibi, acquitted of blasphemy, arrives in Canada Bibi’s two youngest daughters, Esham and Esha Masih were just eight and nine years old when their mother was arrested in June of 2009.

“I will never forget the time when my daughters came from school, hugging me while a cried. A crowd was taking me away from them. That time, I will never forget.

“I cannot forget how my daughters were shouting, crying and their fear.”

Bibi’s arrest followed an argument with some of her Muslim co-workers. She was eventually convicted of blasphemy after the women alleged Bibi made derogatory comments about Islam which, under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, carry a punishment of death.

1:42 A brief history of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws as it faces new wave of criticism A brief history of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws as it faces new wave of criticism In November 2010, Asia Bibi became the first Pakistani woman to receive this fate.

Amnesty International has called for the laws to be repealed. In a 2016 report, the international human rights organization said, “the accused are often presumed to be guilty, on the basis of little or no evidence.”

LOCAL

Saturday, August 8, 2020

15

Health Canada recalls more than 50 hand sanitizers in evolving list Health Canada is recalling more than 50 hand sanitizers that contain ingredients “not acceptable for use” that may pose health risks.

The organization says hand sanitizers with “unacceptable types” of ethanol or denaturants have not been approved for use in sanitizers in Canada, and their safety and efficacy have not been established.

Denaturants are ingredients added

to ethanol to make it unfit for human consumption to avoid unintentional ingestion of hand sanitizers particularly by children.

Health Canada said possible reactions to the ingredients include skin irritation, eye irritation, upper respiratory system irritation and headaches.

Health Canada has an evolving list on its website of 51 hand sanitizers that are currently being recalled and says Canadians should

BC announces creation of first-ever ‘navigation centre’ to help homeless BC govt and the city of Vancouver are trying new way to help get homeless people off the streets with the country’s first-ever navigation centre.

The Vancouver centre would have 60 beds, support and services to help people with addictions and other health issues to find more permanent housing.

The provincial government allocated $1.5 million in funding a year for the next three years to create two centres,

with the second centre expected to be announced for Vancouver Island.

Housing Minister Selina Robinson says they continue to build more supportive homes for people who are homeless but there’s also a need to support those who have complex challenges while being homeless.

Residents referred to the navigation centre will be able to stay until longer-term housing is available.

COVID Alert app could result in some people being ID’d The federal government’s new COVID Alert app doesn’t offer 100 per cent privacy and could allow some who test positive for the coronavirus to be identified, particularly those who live in small communities or who don’t interact with many people.

When the government unveiled the app on Friday, it stressed that users’ privacy is protected because it “has no way of knowing your location, your name or address,” among other details.

Those who download the app and later test positive enter a special code to notify people who have been near them for at least 15 minutes sometime over the previous two weeks. The notification doesn’t identify who tested positive and maintains their privacy, the government said.

The government employees who developed it say, in a blog, that they wanted to describe the app’s handling of information as “anonymous.”

But Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien’s office disagreed.

“Anonymous’ implies that there is no risk whatsoever that a person could be identified,” they wrote. “However, and although we all agreed that while there’s a very, very low risk that someone could be re-identified through the app, it isn’t necessarily zero.

Privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien warned that some third parties could try to compel employees or customers to give them

Canada’s trade gap widens sharply on surge in auto imports Canadian trade with the rest of the world surged in June as the global economy rebounded from COVID-19 lockdowns.

Total imports jumped 22 per cent, while exports gained 17 per cent, Statistics Canada said Wednesday in Ottawa. That caused the country’s trade deficit to rise to $3.2 billion from a revised $1.3 billion in May, blowing past economist expectations for a $900 million gap.

The data reflect a rebound in global commerce following COVID-19 lockdowns, returning trade back to more normal levels. That included a sharp pick up in purchases from abroad by Canadian companies and consumers.

The trend is particularly evident in the auto sector, which largely shutdown in April but has come back strongly. Auto imports rose 216 per cent, while exports of motor vehicles and parts also jumped 218 per cent.

access to information in the app. (Adrian Wyld/ The Canadian Press) “Someone living in a remote area and only interacting with one or two other people could theoretically be identified by their neighbours if they received exposure notification alerts, for example.”

Vito Pilieci, spokesman for Therrien, confirms that the privacy commissioner’s office had concerns about the claims the government wanted to make.

“True anonymity, technically speaking, would require the complete and permanent impossibility of reversing the data processes at play, which could reveal sources of personal information and so re-identify individuals,” he said.

“Our understanding of the situation is that while the identification of users would be highly improbable, it would not be impossible.”

consult the list regularly. The organization says to stop using products listed, and to consult a health-care professional “if you have used these products and have health concerns.”

Health Canada says use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer should be used if soap and water is not available for proper hand washing.

Separately in the U.S. on Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention published a report warning of serious adverse events, including death, associated with ingesting alcohol-based hand sanitizers containing methanol.

From May 1 through June 30, 15 cases of methanol poisoning were reported in Arizona and New Mexico, associated with swallowing alcoholbased hand sanitizers. Four patients died, and three were discharged with visual impairment.

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INDIA

Saturday, August 8, 2020

India’s Bharti Airtel partners with Amazon to grow cloud business Bharti Airtel Ltd and Amazon Web Services (AWS) will join forces to develop the Indian telecoms firm’s cloud business, allowing it to offer a wider range of products to its enterprise clients, the two companies said on Wednesday.

Airtel Cloud currently provides data centre and cloud services to companies and governments via different partnerships. “AWS with the depth and breadth of our platform, and Airtel with its deep reach and expertise and focus, I think together we can build a set of really differentiated cloud products and go

serve customers at scale in India,” Puneet Chandok, President, India and South Asia at Amazon Internet Services told a virtual news conference.

New products could include data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and security services among others, the two companies said. The public cloud services market in India is expected to be worth $7.1 billion in 2024, up from $3.4 billion this year, according to tech researcher International Data Corp.

COVID-19 toll crosses 40,000 India saw a single-day increase of 56,282 COVID-19 cases taking the country’s virus tally to 19,64,536, while the recoveries have surged to 13,28,336, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The death toll due to COVID-19 climbed to 40,699 with 904 new fatalities being reported in 24-hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

There are 5,95,501 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country presently which contribute to 30.31 per cent of the total cases.

The fatality rate has further dropped to 2.07 per cent, the data stated.

This is the eighth consecutive

day that COVID-19 cases have increased by more than 50,000.

According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 2,21,49,351 samples have been tested up to August 5 with 6,64,949 samples being tested on Wednesday. Of the 904 fresh deaths reported, 334 are from Maharashtra, 112 from Tamil Nadu, 100 from Karnataka, 77 from Andhra Pradesh, 61 from West Bengal, 40 from Uttar Pradesh, 29 from Punjab, 23 from Gujarat, 17 from Madhya Pradesh, 13 each from Rajasthan and Telangana, 11 from Delhi and Nine each from Jammu and Kashmir and Odisha.

Three cranes collapse at India’s biggest container port near Mumbai Three cranes collapsed at India’s largest container port on the outskirts of Mumbai due to strong winds on Wednesday, police and port officials said.

Heavy rainfall has hit India’s west coast since Monday night, flooding parts of the financial capital. Wind speeds picked up on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

Fiji Labasa Airport receives first flight The Labasa Airport has received its first flight this morning following the opening of the newly renovated runway.

This is part of the $3.2million Fiji Airports upgrade of outer island assets.

“There was a need for the upgrade it was more so for the apron because there was a little separation that was missing for a long time between the centre of the runway or the edge of the runway to the ATRs.

Two arrested in land sale scam Two people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a land sale scam in Makoi that was discovered by FICAC with the help of the Ministry of Housing and Community Development.

FICAC says they have discovered a scam involving the illegal sale of land in Makoi worth over $150,000.

It says this is in relation to the relocation

project to move squatters in the Nanuku Settlement to Makoi with investigations revealing that more than 80 people were tricked into paying money thinking they were purchasing land in Makoi from the Minister, when no such deal existed.

The two people arrested allegedly issued fake receipts to interested buyers with a stamp carrying the supposed endorsement of the Minister.

About 10,000 people’s welfare payments suspended The Director of Social Welfare says welfare payments of about 10,000 people who were previously receiving the allowances, has been suspended as they have not filled in their re-certification forms to show that they are still eligible for the assistance.

77,512 people were previously getting social welfare payments, and some people were waiting for the whole day outside their banks yesterday only to find out nothing was deposited in their accounts.

The Director, Rupeni Fatiaki says

the number has reduced by about 10,000 people as the re-certification forms have not been submitted on time.

He says based on this, those people did not get any payments in their bank accounts yesterday.

The Director says those that have submitted their forms by the 10th of July have received their payments after midday yesterday.

Those people that have not filled in their re-certification form by the 10th of July, are to return their filled forms, and if they do qualify then a payment will be made mid this month.

Pakistan Prime Minister appoints new health minister

No one was injured when the cranes collapsed at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar said in a Tweet.

The port is still assessing the impact of the collapse on the operations, its chairman, Sanjay Sethi, told Reuters.

Prime Minister Imran Khan with the status of a federal on Monday appointed his minister. He is the chief focal person on COVID-19 executive officer of Shaukat as new health minister, the Khanum Cancer Hospital, third in less than two years, Khan’s charity hospital. amidst the ongoing fight “The prime minister has against the coronavirus that been pleased to appoint Dr has claimed nearly 6,000 lives Faisal Sultan as SAPM on and infected over 280,000 National Health Services, people in the country.

Regulation & Coordination with immediate Dr Faisal Sultan has been appointed as effect. Dr Faisal Sultan shall hold status of federal Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) minister,” according to an official statement.

Pakistan International Airlines sacks 63 for fake degrees he Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) last month sacked 63 of its employees, including five pilots, on charges of fake degrees, embezzlement and absence from duty.

All five of the sacked pilots were holding fake licences, said PIA spokesperson

Abdullah Khan, adding that all the employees were dismissed in accordance to the law.

Last month, the airline had sacked 17 pilots, including 12 captains after they were found to be having ‘dubious’ flying licences.

Pakistan approves most expensive China-aided project to date Pakistan’s top economic body on Wednesday approved its costliest project to date as part of the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) agreement, giving the go-ahead for a $6.8 billion project to upgrade its railway lines, the government said.

CPEC has seen Beijing pledge over $60 billion for infrastructure projects in

Pakistan, central to China’s wider Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to develop land and sea trade routes in Asia and beyond.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the railway project, known as Mainline-1 (ML-1), on a cost-sharing basis between Islamabad and Beijing, Pakistan’s

Saturday, August 8, 2020 CM Amarinder directs police to arrest those involved in moonshine liquor case In an important development, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today directed the DGP to book those directly involved in the spurious liquor case for murder under Section 302 of the IPC. Promising justice to the victims, the Chief Minister also mooted enhancement of punishment for spurious liquor manufacturing and smuggling under the Excise Act to ensure that repeat offenders remained behind bars and were not able to come out easily to indulge again in the crime. On a suggestion of Advocate General Atul Nanda that a strict law like PCOCA was needed to combat organised crime like illicit liquor smuggling, the Chief Minister asked the sub-committee, headed by Brahm Mohindra to examine the provisions of the proposed law, to finalise and submit its report at the earliest.

68 new cases of COVID-19 in Mohali district Meanwhile, 36 patients have recovered and discharged from the hospital on Thursday.

Most of the cases have surfaced from Kharar, Derabassi, Zirakpur, Nayagaon, Mohali and Lalru city.

Civil Surgeon Dr Manjit Singh said that all the patients have been admitted to the Covid care centre in Gian Sagar Hospital in Banur. He said all the patients were responding well to the treatment.

As of now there are 1,119 positive cases and out of these 625 patients have been cured and discharged from the hospital while there are 477 active cases with 17 deaths in the district.

Acotr Sonu Sood helps kids who list the parents Sonu Sood, who won accolades for helping migrants reach back safely to their native places during the lockdown, has come to the rescue of four children who lost their father, a rickshaw-puller, in the Tarn Taran spurious liquor tragedy, and their mother, who couldn’t bear the shock of losing her husband.

The four — Karanbir (13), Gurpreet (11), Arshpreet (9) and Sandeep (5) — were accommodated temporarily by their uncle Sarwan Singh (deceased Sukhdev’s brother).

He too felt helpless due to hismeagreearnings.

“Due to financial constraints, I am unable to take care of my brother’s children. I am an auto-rickshaw driver. My wife, three daughters and a son are dependent on me,” he said.

The actor came across their plight through one of his friends in Punjab. Extending a helping hand, he tweeted: “I assure these little kids from Punjab will have a good home.

PUNJAB

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