The Asian Star December 11 2021

www.theasianstar.com Vol 20 - Issue 43 Microsoft’s Nadella, Google’s Pichai, and now Twitter’s Agrawal:

Why Indian-born leaders dominate American tech’s top ranks When Satya Nadella took over as CEO of Microsoft in February 2014, he inherited a toxic culture in a company considered a tech dinosaur. Bill Gates, its founder, had been known for berating employees, and Steve Ballmer, who succeeded Gates, continued the hardball business tactics that partners loathed. Microsoft had lost the battle for smartphones, and the technology platform its technologies were built for, the Continued on page 8

Katrina Kaif And Vicky Kaushal’s Wedding

100 Crore Rupees offer from OTT platform for footage rights - report Much like Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal’s relationship, their wedding is also a hush-hush affair.

The stars, who got married at Six Senses Fort in Sawai Madhopur today, were reportedly offered a whopping sum of ₹ 100 crore by an OTT platform to get their exclusive wedding footage for streaming purposes, reported Pinkvilla. A source Continued on page 8

Saturday, December 11, 2021

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Three NDP MPs sign petition criticizing BC NDP govt over pipeline protests Three federal NDP MPs have signed petition denouncing British Columbia’s NDP government for its handling of an Indigenous protest at a pipeline work site and voicing “distress” at the federal NDP’s response. The B.C. RCMP arrested several people, including a photojournalist and a documentary filmmaker, last month

when officers moved to enforce an injunction barring protesters from blocking an access road used by Coastal GasLink workers.

The office of B.C. Premier John Horgan said in a statement that “elected officials in B.C.

do not direct police operations.” Lori Idlout, the Nunavut MP and party spokesperson on Crown-Indigenous relations, joined MPs Matthew Green and Leah Gazan, in signing the petition. The NDP MPs joined 15 former federal candidates and 1,000 NDP activists saying they are “angered” by actions toward Indigenous protesters who oppose the pipeline Continued on page 6

General Bipin Rawat: A decorated military career ends in tragedy of the crash, Group Captain Varun Singh, is under medical treatment at the Military Hospital in Wellington, Tamil Nadu. General Rawat, 63, the country’s most senior military officer and longest serving four-star general, had

India’s first chief of defence staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Raje Singh Rawat, and 11 others were killed when an Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper crashed near Cooonor in Tamil Nadu in an air tragedy that shocked the three services and came as a huge setback to the country’s biggest military reforms since Independence The only survivor

Liberals raise doubts of high number of vaccine exemptions among Conservatives ranks Government House leader Mark Holland is questioning the relatively high number of medical exemptions among the Conservative ranks preventing them from being vaccinated against COVID-19. On Monday, The Canadian Press reported that four Conservative MPs have not set

foot in the House of Commons for more than a week, since the adoption of a motion to crosscheck medical exemptions so they are compatible with those of Ontario public health. Ontario Conservative MPs Dean Allison and Colin Carrie had previously said publicly that they were not Continued on page 6

survived a chopper crash in February 2015 in Nagaland. “With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident,” IAF said in a statement on Twitter. The dead include Rawat’s defence assistant Brigadier LS Continued on page 7

Indian mother chases down the leopard & saves her son A mother whose son was snatched by a leopard chased the animal down until it let go of the child, local authorities said in India.

The child was sitting in a hut with his family in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh when the leopard ran in and grabbed the unnamed boy on Nov. 30, authorities said. Y P Singh, field director of the Sanjay-Dubri National Park and Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh told CNN the mother’s name is Kiran Baiga and she quickly chased down the leopard while screaming. Sanjay-Dubri has a open area where people live amongst freeroaming animals and Baiga and her family lives in the village of Badi Jhiriya, Continued on page 6

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Saturday, December 11, 2021 Conversion therapy ban receives royal assent, now law in Canada

Canada opens door to immigrants, adding fuel to housing market Canada hopes more immigration can boost economic growth and allay a worsening post-pandemic labour shortage, but new migrants could pour gasoline on that redhot housing market that the central bank has warned was stoked by “a sudden influx of investors.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration is on track to meet this year’s goal of 401,000 new permanent residents and is set to revise up next year’s target of 411,000, a government source said. 75% of Gen Z eager to get into housing market. Canada’s successive governments have relied on immigration to drive economic growth in the face of a declining fertility rate, which hit a record low last year. With the pandemic triggering early retirements among aging Canadians, attracting immigrants has grown more important. Also, the country targets highskilled immigrants who tend bring in money

and earn enough to compete for desirable housing. “Canada needs immigration to create jobs and drive our economic recovery,” Immigration Minister Sean Fraser told Reuters. “It’s not just that one in three Canadian businesses are owned by an immigrant, but also that newcomers are helping to tackle labour shortages.”

Housing costs have surged due largely to low interest rates and a supply shortage. Migration was another factor, especially pre-pandemic.

Now that most borders are open again, more newcomers are likely. Housing prices have helped stoked inflation to its highest in 18 years . Government plans to mitigate housing costs will take time to put in place, and some measures may further strengthen demand, economists say. “It is a conundrum,” said Stephen Brown, senior Canada economist at Capital Economics, said of the effect of immigration on housing costs.

The

bill banning conversion therapy in Canada received royal assent on Wednesday, making it into law.

Bill C-4 makes providing, promoting or advertising conversion therapy a criminal offence.

The bill defines conversion therapy as the “practice, treatment or service designed to change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual, or to change a person’s gender identity to cisgender.”

It has been discredited by the American Psychological Association and the Canadian Psychological Association, among others.

In a tweet, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called conversion therapy “despicable and degrading.”

“LGBTQ2 Canadians, we’ll always stand up for you and your rights,” he said.

The Conservatives fast-tracked the bill

through the House of Commons last week and the Senate did the same on Tuesday.

It is the first royal assent Canada’s new Governor General, Mary Simon, has given.

It is the third time the Liberals have made an attempt to ban the practice. The last shot died when Trudeau called an election in August.

Bill C-4 was introduced after Parliament returned and included tougher measures, such as expanding the ban to consenting adults in addition to children and non-consenting adults.

The new law creates four new Criminal Code offences: causing a person to undergo conversion therapy, subjecting a minor to conversion therapy abroad, profiting from the provision of conversion therapy and advertising or promoting the practice, with penalties of two to five years in prison.

Surrey Board of Trade slams city for budget delay The Surrey Board of Trade is taking aim at city hall for delaying Surrey’s 2022 budget, calling it “unacceptable.”

Anita Huberman, CEO of the board, says unexpected property tax increases for businesses in 2021, with more expected in the coming year, has resulted in the board receiving numerous complaints.

“It is the second week of December and never before has the City of Surrey budget release been so late,” Huberman said. “Businesses bear the weight of the tax burden and need to be able to plan ahead for tax payments. Further, businesses need the advanced ability to review the budget documents to provide input, as is their right as taxpayers.”

Huberman noted that governments at all levels have put significant tax burdens on business.

“This is a critical issue and one which we, as the voice of business in Surrey, will continue to draw attention to. The City needs to be accountable to the taxpayers by providing a reason why there is an unprecedented delay in the release of the budget,” she said.

B.C. forests minister injured after being knocked to the ground, police and premier’s office say BC’s forests minister injured in an incident Tuesday night, according to police and the premier’s office, and officers are investigating.

The premier’s office said Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Katrine Conroy was knocked to the ground and suffered minor injuries while walking home from the Legislature in Victoria on Tuesday between 8 and 8:30 p.m.

Premier John Horgan’s office said a police report has been filed and Conroy is recovering.

“Premier Horgan, the cabinet, and the entire B.C. NDP caucus are supporting Minister Conroy in any way that she needs,” the statement read, and Horgan’s Twitter account also sent a message of support. The Victoria Police Department (VicPD), in a statement of its own, confirmed they are investigating the incident, which was reported to them Wednesday afternoon.

According to police, Conroy went to hospital to be treated for her injuries.

The police have not given any further details about what happened, or the nature of Conroy’s injuries, except to say a Good Samaritan might have assisted the minister during or after the incident.

“We are asking for that person to contact police,” a VicPD spokesperson wrote in an email. “We are in the early stages of the investigation.”

CBC contacted Conroy’s spokesperson and VicPD for further details. The government spokesperson said police will handle all further questions. Police have not confirmed if there is evidence to suggest the incident happened because of Conroy’s role in government.

3

Saturday, December 11, 2021

New weather alerts issued with more heavy rain headed to BC’s South Coast After a brief reprieve, British Columbia’s South Coast is once again bracing for heavy rain.

Environment Canada has issued special weather statements for Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Howe Sound and Whistler, Greater Victoria and the Southern Gulf Islands, with a new storm forecast to arrive on Friday.

The national weather and climate agency is forecasting between 40 and 60 mm of rain, with up to 80 mm possible near the North Shore and Howe Sound.

Snowfall of between 15 and 20 cm is forecast near Whistler, the Coquihalla Summit and Allison Pass on Highway 3.

The weather system is also forecast to deliver winds of up to 60 km/h, gusting to 80.

“Freezing levels will range between 500 and 1000 metres with this system. Whistler and the high elevation mountain passes, particularly Highways 3, 5, and the Sea to Sky, can expect heavy snow,” Environment Canada said.

“Strong southeast winds will accompany the front. The strongest winds are expected for areas along the Strait of Georgia overnight Friday into early Saturday morning.”

The heavy precipitation and strong winds are forecast to ease off late Saturday.

Teen dies after being struck in crosswalk less than 30 metres from his home Kaydence Bourque, a 16-year-old student at Reynolds Secondary in Greater Victoria, had just gotten off the bus Monday night when he was struck by a vehicle while in a crosswalk.

He was less than 100 feet from his home near the intersection of Cedar Hill Cross Road and Merriman Drive when he was struck, according

to a Facebook post from his mother, Crystal Bourque.

Bourque wrote that her son never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead Tuesday (Dec. 7) at 4:20 p.m. “His body is being kept alive until Thursday at 5:30 a.m., when his organs will be used to save up to eight people.”

In a separate post, Bourque said Kaydence was a straight-A student and that he played the saxophone in the school band.

“I can’t believe this is the last time I will ever be able to hold his hand or kiss his head. Our hearts are broken into a million pieces. He was so incredibly kind and loving,” she wrote.

A GoFundMe campaign created by Heather Del Villano has been started to support the family.

“This campaign is intended to support the Bourque family while they take time to grieve this terrible loss. It is hoped any funds raised will allow some time off work for Kaydence’s parents, Crystal and Doug, and help with other expenses encountered at this awful time,” Del Villano wrote on the fundraiser page.

As of Wednesday afternoon the fundraiser had garnered over $2,500 – half of its $5,000 goal – within a couple of hours of its creation. To donate visit gofundme.com and search Support for the Bourque Family.

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Man shot in Cloverdale A man was shot in Cloverdale early morning on December 9.

Sarbjit K. Sangha, RCMP media relations officer, said Surrey Mounties were notified of shots fired on the 17700-block of 60 Avenue shortly after 1 a.m. The 17700-block of 60 Avenue is across from Fraser Downs and Elements Casino and contains several apartment buildings.

“Attending officers located one man who had been shot inside a residence,” Sangha said in a press release issued also on Dec. 9.

“The 26-year-old man was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries and has since been released.”

Sangha said the Surrey RCMP General Investigation Unit had taken over and is now

doing the investigation. Police are also going to door to door in the area in an effort to gather information. Police are also seeking a search warrant for one of the residences on the block.

“The victim is known to police and is not cooperating with the investigation,” added Sangha. “Based on the information gathered so far no links have been identified to the Lower Mainland Gang Conflict.”

Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the shooting to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or, if they wish to remain anonymous, to please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222TIPS or www.solvecrime.ca.

4

OPINION

By Miguel Ouellette, Director of Operations and Economics Montreal Economic Institute

Saturday, December 11, 2021 million in 2020.

But the aberration here is not just in the explosive form of Suzuki’s words; it’s also in its underlying assumptions.

Considering pipelines as an enemy instead of an ally in the fight against climate change speaks to a serious misunderstanding of the issue. After all, this method of transport is the safest and greenest one there is for moving our Canadian oil from place to place. The bogeyman of oil spills is always brought up, of course, but is simply at odds with the facts on the ground. In reality, more than 99.99 per cent of the oil transported in federally regulated pipelines in Canada arrives at its destination safely. Each year, it’s the equivalent of just two rail tank cars that are spilled in this country. What’s more, pipeline transport emits between 61 per cent and 71 per cent less greenhouse gas than moving it by rail.

Not a single fatal accident directly related to the operation of a pipeline system has been recorded in more than 30 years. The pipeline transport process that’s in place in Canada rigorously enforces the highest safety standards. Canada has abundant hydrocarbon resources, and we need them. We shouldn’t shun the safest and greenest method of transporting them. That method, whatever Mr. Suzuki may think, is pipelines.

To say governments have to take note because pipelines are going to explode is proof of a lack of understanding of emerging technologies, such as carbon capture and sequestration, and testifies to a very limited geographical vision. We have hydrocarbons in Canada, and we should responsibly produce and use them. Canadian expertise in this area of economic activity is world-renowned, and the anticipated nine per cent increase in global demand for oil between 2019 and 2045 is a golden opportunity for the Canadian economy. With the expertise we’ve developed in the pipeline sector, we have a clear path to reducing our GHG emissions.

This expertise could also be used to transport CO2 from carbon capture operations to where it can be used or sequestered – a real climate change victory for Canadians, though a purely ideological defeat for some. Simply put, pipelines are a friend in the fight against climate change. Our politicians need to realize this, even if certain ecologists have it in for the resource itself rather than merely seeking to mitigate its environmental impact.

The more he makes the kinds of radical comments he made a few weeks ago, the more Suzuki risks hurting the very cause he champions.

Pipelines are safe and green despite Suzuki’s extremist rhetoric

In mid-November, prominent environmental activist David Suzuki made some remarks that any impartial observer would consider radical. This was during an event hosted by an organization that is not known for its measured responses: Extinction Rebellion. Suzuki’s message was

clear: “there are going to be pipelines blown up if our leaders don’t pay attention to what’s going on.” Without any room for doubt, this comment is the mark of an extremist and suggests how little importance is accorded to human safety, not to mention simple property rights by the ecologist at the head of a foundation that’s flush with cash.

The Suzuki Foundation took in no less than $13

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LOCAL

Saturday, December 11, 2021

Kal Penn to play Raptors Superfan Nav Bhatia in new biopic BC has just debuted a documentary detailing the life of Raptors Superfan and Canadian businessman Nav Bhatia. Mr Bhatia was the first fan to ever receive an official NBA Championship ring and was also the first fan to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Just before the CBC’s release, it was announced that actor Kal Penn, who’s best known for his role in Harold & Kumar, will be producing and starring in Stampede Ventures’ new biopic dubbed Superfan, yet another commemorative film starring Bhatia. Bhatia first immigrated to Canada to escape the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi back in 1984. Though trained as an engineer, he struggled to find employment and started off as

a car salesman before working his way up to take over the dealership.

Since 1995, the Superfan attended every Toronto Raptors home game in the franchise’s 25-year history before the COVID-19 pandemic forced teams into the bubble. Bhatia now runs the SuperFan Foundation which aims to unite people in the city through the love of sports.

“He’s been just as important as any player the Toronto Raptors has ever had,” said NBA Hall of Famer and former Raptors GM Isiah Thomas in the trailer for Superfan: The Nav Bhatia Story.

A release date for Penn’s new film has yet to be announced. Stay tuned for more details.

BC records deadliest month due to illicit drug overdoses in province’s history The BC Coroners Service has found 201 people died from suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths in October, the province’s deadliest month on record. The 1,782 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths between January and October this year are also the highest ever recorded in a calendar year, the service revealed on Thursday.

Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe is scheduled to speak to reporters at 9 a.m. PT. Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Sheila Malcolmson is scheduled to speak at 10 a.m. PT. B.C. chief coroner addresses deadliest month for drug overdoses in province’s history “Today is a heart-rending milestone for our

province,” Lapointe said in an early statement.

“The deaths of more than 200 of our community members in one month due to toxic drugs is a devastating loss.” The previous high was 1,765 deaths for all of 2020. The number of illicit drug toxicity deaths in October 2021 works out to about 6.5 deaths per day. In November, the province asked the federal government for an exemption from criminal penalties for people who possess small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use. After an announcement last April, the province officially became the first to ask Ottawa for the exemption from Health Canada under Section 56(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Blackhawks’ Jujhar Khaira released from hospital after big hit Chicago Blackhawks forward Jujhar Khaira was released from Northwestern Hospital in Chicago early Wednesday morning “after extensive testing,” the team announced. Khaira left Tuesday’s 6-2 loss on a stretcher after a violent hit from New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba.

“Despite the significant injury, his prognosis is excellent, and we expect a full recovery,” Blackhawks head team physician Dr. Michael Terry said in a statement. “At this point, it is too early to put a timeline on return to play.”

Midway through the second period, Trouba’s shoulder made contact with Khaira’s head before Khaira fell to the ice and appeared motionless. Paramedics rushed out to attend to Khaira, who was then taken off the ice on a stretcher. Khaira was taken by ambulance to the hospital for further testing.

“At first I was pretty shaken, I’m not going to lie to you,” Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews

said. “I’m just glad to hear he’s doing OK.” Khaira was still at the hospital undergoing more tests as Blackhawks interim head coach Derek King conducted Tuesday’s postgame news conference.

“It’s never something you ever want to see with any player. It doesn’t matter who it is, the other team or your team,” King said. “But he’s up, he’s talking. He’s very responsive. I think he wants to get back on the ice. He’s done some tests already, as far as what the doc told me, but he has some more tests to be done.

“So we won’t know the extent of the injury until after these tests. He’s still at the hospital right now. But he’s talking, he’s coherent, I guess. It’s scary. It’s a scary situation to see.”

Trouba did not receive a penalty following the hit. Blackhawks’ Riley Stillman fought Trouba a little over five minutes after the hit on Khaira.

Khaira, 27, has two goals in 17 games this season after signing a two-year deal with the Blackhawks this past July.

5

Coquihalla Highway could reopen earlier than expected, though another winter storm brews B.C.’s Coquihalla Highway could reopen to commercial traffic by early instead of late January after November’s disastrous flooding and landslides, Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said Thursday.

More than 100 pieces of heavy equipment are staged along the major route, Fleming said, and crews are making “tremendous progress.”

As long as the weather cooperates, he said, the highway would reopen earlier than previously forecast.

“It’s remarkable given the scale of the damage,” he added.

The highway suffered catastrophic damage during the first atmospheric river that hit southern B.C. on Nov. 14 and 15. More than 100 kilometres of highway needs to be repaired.

However, another strong winter storm is forecast to hit parts of the South Coast from Friday to Sunday.

The province is urging commercial and essential drivers along Highway 3 to be diligent with significant snowfall and reduced visibility

expected, as well as potential avalanche activity and increased water flow along that route.

“The storm is expected to affect a section of Highway 3 near Manning Provincial Park, between Hope and Princeton,” the government said in a release Thursday. “The corridor is currently the main commercial trucking connection between the Lower Mainland and the Interior and is under a non-essential travel order. Commercial and essential vehicle drivers should be aware and prepared for strong winter storm conditions.”

Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon is still closed, Fleming said, but on track to open in mid-January.

Travel along Highway 99 between Pemberton and Lillooet remains restricted, accommodating vehicles up to the size of a cube van.

For people wanting to travel between the Lower Mainland and the Interior for the holiday season, Fleming said more flight options will become available

6

Saturday, December 11, 2021

Liberals raise doubts of high number of vaccine exemptions among Conservatives ranks

From page 1

they had a medical exemption that prevents them getting the shot.

Saskatchewan Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall hinted on Monday that her medical exemption was still under consideration by the House of Commons.

Ted Falk, a Conservative MP from Manitoba, has refused to discuss his vaccination status and has also been absent for several days.

Holland told reporters on Tuesday that it’s very unlikely, if not impossible, that four elected Conservatives out of 119 benefit from a legitimate medical exemption.

He called on the Conservatives to be transparent about the real number of unvaccinated elected officials.

“I said from the beginning that I believe there were more than one,” Holland said. “It certainly

appears that is the case, and it stretches all credibility to believe that those are legitimate medical exemptions.” But Holland would not go further, adding: “I deliberately am not going to entertain whether or not a member is or is not honest.”

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore estimates that provincially recognized medical exemptions — either severe allergy to a vaccine component or myocarditis — affects between one and five in 100,000 people.

“This doesn’t add up, and it doesn’t send a good message to the country,” Holland said of the Conservative numbers. “We all have to get vaccinated; we (have) got to get this pandemic over.”

The Liberals and New Democrats voted on Nov. 26 in favour of a motion to bring back

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the hybrid Parliament. All elected officials who decide to participate in person must be vaccinated and those who are not must have a medical exemption recognized by the Ontario public health.

The Bloc Québécois voted against the motion, but agreed with compulsory vaccination for all elected officials who wish to participate in the proceedings in person.

On Monday, Wagantall challenged the wording of the Nov. 26 motion, which she said goes too far.

The Saskatchewan MP argued the motion “sets a dangerous precedent.”

“It allows political interference in what should be objective decision-making by the health professionals who serve us parliamentarians,” she said.

Dash cam video showsa drunk driver’s journey from Richmond to Burnaby In an effort to warn drivers against drinking and driving this holiday season, Burnaby RCMP is releasing a video from the dash cam of a recently-convicted drunk driver. The video was taken on Jan. 8, 2021 and captured the impaired driver’s journey as he travelled from Richmond to Vancouver and into Burnaby, police said Thursday. It shows the driver crossing the centre line towards oncoming traffic multiple times, narrowly missing other vehicles. The video also shows the driver blowing through a stop sign and a red light. Eventually, the driver hits cars parked along the side of the road and slams into a fire hydrant.

“We urge everyone to watch this video.

This is what impaired driving looks like,” said

Cpl. Michael Kalanj in a news release. “There is no excuse for being impaired behind the wheel.”

The Mounties said they were alerted to the situation around 11:57 p.m. that night, as several callers to 911 reported a Cadillac Escalade had crashed near Royal Oak Avenue and Marine Drive.

The damage to the fire hydrant caused water to rush onto the street and into nearby homes, but the driver decided to keep going.

The dash cam video shows the driver continuing along the road in an oncoming lane before crashing into a stop sign near Gilley Avenue and Marine Drive around 12:03 a.m.

When police arrived, the SUV was badly damaged and missing a tire, RCMP said.

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From page 1

Three NDP MPs sign petition criticizing BC NDP govt over pipeline protests in their traditional territories in northern B.C. Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh stopped short of criticizing Horgan’s government at a news conference in Ottawa today but he expressed concern about the RCMP arrests, saying the NDP supported

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On Tuesday, Speaker Anthony Rota delivered his ruling on the points raised by Wagantall, noting the House has the authority to make decisions on access to the chamber.

“Given the clear decision of the House, I cannot find that the member’s privilege has been breached … In the view of the chair, the matter has been decided by the House and accordingly, I find that there is no prima facie question of privilege,” Rota ruled.

Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole has not confirmed the number of medical exemptions among its ranks.

However, he assured reporters that his MPs would abide by the rules of the House of Commons.

Indigenous communities.

The petition, signed by a number of local NDP riding associations, says many young NDP activists are “tearing up” their party memberships over the issue.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2021.

7

Saturday, December 11, 2021 General Bipin Rawat: A decorated military career ends in tragedy From page 1 staff officer Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh, it is learnt. Fourteen people, including the chopper’s crew, were on board the Russianorigin Mi-17V5, a modern and reliable military helicopter that was being flown by Wing Commander PS Chauhan, the commanding officer of 109 Helicopter Unit, and his co-pilot Squadron Leader K Singh. The other two IAF personnel on board were junior warrant officers Rana Pratap Das and Pradeep A. The army identified the others killed as Havildar Satpal Rai, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitender Kumar, Lance Naik Vivek Kumar and Lance Naik BS Teja.

“Gen Bipin Rawat was an outstanding soldier. A true patriot, he greatly contributed to modernising our armed forces and security apparatus. His insights and perspectives on strategic matters were exceptional. His passing away has saddened me deeply. Om Shanti,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter. The PM added that, as India’s first CDS, Rawat worked on diverse aspects relating to the armed forces including higher defence reforms and brought with him rich experience of serving in the army. “India will never forget his exceptional service.” IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari rushed to the crash site to take stock of the situation. An inquiry has been ordered into the crash, the air force said. An eyewitness said he heard a loud explosion when the helicopter hit the ground.

“I’ve never heard a blast like that,” said K Raja, who lives among the 100-odd families in the hilly village in Nanjappa Chatram, 4km from Coonoor.

His daughter, Sangeeta, said that while the air was “misty” when the crash happened, there was no rain in the area. Defence minister Rajnath Singh, who visited Rawat’s residence shortly after news of the crash broke, later tweeted: “General Rawat had served the country with exceptional courage and diligence. As the first Chief of Defence Staff he had prepared plans for jointness of our Armed Forces... His untimely death is an irreparable loss to our Armed Forces and the country.” Rawat was on a visit to the prestigious Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) at Wellington to address the faculty and student officers there, officials said. Singh, the sole survivor of the crash and a decorated fighter pilot, is directing staff at DSSC. The chopper was on its way from the Sulur air base to DSSC when it went down near Coonoor.

The CDS, his wife and seven others had flown to Sulur from New Delhi in an Embraer jet of the IAF’s VVIP communication squadron.The helicopter’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, if undamaged, will give clues to what went wrong during the last moments before the crash, said Air Vice Marshal Manmohan (retd), former additional director general, Centre for Air Power Studies. “Any aircraft accident is shocking. The Mi-17V5 has a good flight safety record, it’s a reliable machine and pilots swear by it,” Bahadur added. The Mi17V5 can carry a load of around four tonnes in a cargo role. It can fly at extremely low altitudes and insert troops behind the enemy lines.The CDS’s shocking demise will have implications for the ongoing military reforms, including theaterisation, and the government will have

to move swiftly to announce a succession plan.

Rawat survived a Cheetah crash in Dimapur in February 3, 2015. He was a lieutenant general at that time. Rawat was spearheading the military’s theaterisation drive to enhance the effectiveness of the armed forces and reshape the conduct of future operations. Rawat took over as CDS on December 31, 2019, after serving as army chief for a full three-year term. He held the fourstar rank for almost five years.“General Rawat epitomised military professionalism like no one else. He was driven by his own convictions.

He took strong decisions even if they were not popular. The organisation’s interest was topmost for him and he didn’t really care about his own popularity,” said Lieutenant General BS Sandhu (retd), who knew Rawat for more than 45 years and was his course mate at the Khadakwaslabased National Defence Academy.

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Saturday, December 11, 2021 Microsoft’s Nadella, Google’s Pichai, and now Twitter’s Agrawal:

Why Indian-born leaders dominate American tech’s top ranks was giving way to the cloud. As I explained in my book From Incremental to Exponential, Nadella chose to focus first on changing Microsoft’s culture. Indian by birth, and with Buddhist beliefs, he was determined to transform the company into one that embraced what he called “learn-it-all” curiosity, in contrast to its then “know-it-all” worldview.

And he made clear that the old, aggressive behaviors were no longer welcome.

Refusing to tolerate anger or yelling in executive meetings, never raising his own voice or showing overt anger toward employees or executives, never writing angry emails, he constantly worked to create a more comfortable environment.

As a result of the cultural shift and the strategy changes it enabled, Microsoft’s market capitalization increased from roughly $300 billion at Nadella’s ascension to

$2.5 trillion today, making it one of the two most valuable companies in the world.

Sundar Pichai, too, inherited a company with cultural problems. Google was known for having a permissive workplace culture, where sexual relationships between top executives and employees generated internal tensions. In his gentle, humble Indian manner, Pichai navigated the company into calmer waters. He attained extraordinary success—as did Indian tech CEOs such as Shantanu Narayen of Adobe and Jayshree Ullal of Arista Networks. Beyond the tech sector, other Indianborn CEOs too have left their mark, including Indra Nooyi at PepsiCo and Ajay Banga at Mastercard.

But how do Indians come to be even considered for such senior positions? What accounts for their success as tech-company founders?

Katrina Kaif And Vicky Kaushal’s Wedding 100 Crore Rupees offer from OTT platform for footage rights - report From page 1 told Pinkvilla, “It’s a common trend in the west for celebrities to sell off their wedding footage and images to magazines and at times even channels, as there are a lot of fans who wish to witness all that happened in the life changing event of their idol. The streaming giant is planning to bring in the same trend in India too and to kick off their wedding franchise, they have offered ₹ 100 crore to Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal.”

“It’s upto Katrina and Vicky to decide on the future course of action. There is a possibility of them letting go of the offer and there is also a possibility of them collaborating with this giant as they want their fans to witness all that happened in the palace,” the source added.

Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal managed to keep their dating life a secret for the longest time. They reportedly started dating back in 2019 and were spotted at a Mumbai eatery together.

They also made an entrance together at a Bollywood Diwali party the same year.

Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal’s wedding is a private affair. Their wedding has a no-phone policy. Guests at the wedding festivities include Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi, Kabir Khan and Mini Mathur, and actresses Sharvari Wagh and Radhika Madan.

Vicky and Katrina shared the first pictures of their wedding at Rajasthan fort on Thursday. “Only love and gratitude in our hearts for everything that brought us to this moment. Seeking all your love and blessings as we begin this new journey together,” they wrote in their posts. Taking to Instagram, Vicky and Katrina shared candid pictures from the wedding, including the jaimala ritual and pheras. They were also captured gazing lovingly at each other during the ceremony.

Congratulatory messages poured in from many of their colleagues in Bollywood.

Saturday, December 11, 2021 Missing North Delta man found dead The coroner has confirmed that remains found in North Delta on Monday, Dec. 1 are those of missing 21-year-old Anmol Jagat.

Anmol Jagat was last seen leaving his home at 12:45 a.m. on Sunday, October 24.

Missing North Delta man Anmol Jagat has been found deceased. In an update Tuesday morning, DPD public affairs manager Cris Leykauf said the coroner had confirmed remains found in North Delta on Wednesday, Dec. 1 to be those of the missing 21-year-old.

Police have notified Jagat’s family, who an earlier press release noted had only moved to North Delta about four months ago from outside B.C. His death is not considered to be suspicious.

Jagat was last seen leaving his North Delta residence near 114th Street and 80th Avenue at in the early hours of Sunday, Oct. 24. He was last captured on video at 12:42 a.m. walking northbound in the 8100-block of 112A Street.

Police at the time said they did not believe foul play was a factor in his disappearance.

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Saturday, December 11, 2021

Sky-high food prices to go higher in 2022 Sky-high food prices were one of many negative impacts that Canadians felt during the pandemic-plagued year of 2021. And a new report suggests that problem is only going to get worse next year.

Canada’s Food Price Report, released today, is an annual report published by Dalhousie University and the University of Guelph that’s the most comprehensive set of data currently

available about a subject that all Canadians are impacted by: food. As with everything else, supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on food prices and availability. Weather events such as the heat dome also didn’t help put food on the table.

“The meat counter was a big deal this year,” said Sylvain Charlebois, the chief researcher Continued on page 23

BC reports 9 more deaths, 341 new cases BC is reporting 341 new cases of COVID-19 along with nine additional deaths on Thursday.

The update decreased B.C.’s seven-day average for new cases down to 342 and left the province with 2,915 active cases.

379 new cases in B.C. as hospitalizations fall again.

Of the new cases, 83 were in the Fraser Health region, 61 were in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 70 were in the Interior Health region, 29 were in the Northern Health region and 98 were in the Island Health region.

There were 220 active cases in hospital, an overnight drop of four, including 73 patients in critical or intensive care.

B.C. COVID rapid test kit distribution Millions of unused rapid COVID-19 tests prompt calls for greater access to free swabs

across Canada More than 4.28 million British Columbians, accounting for 85.9 per cent of those eligible and 83.1 per cent of B.C.’s population, have had one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Of them, more than 4.09 million people, 82.1 per cent of those eligible and 79.5 per cent of B.C.’s population, have had two doses.

The province says the 20.5 per cent of people who weren’t fully vaccinated accounted for 57.7 per cent of new cases over the past week and 63.5 per cent of hospitalizations over the past week.

Since the start of the pandemic, B.C. has reported 221,576 total cases, while 2,378 people have died.

Indian-origin gas station owner shot in USA A 45-year-old Indian-origin gas station owner was shot dead during a daylight robbery near a police station in the US state of Georgia, according to media reports, some three weeks after another Indian-American was shot dead in

Dallas.

Amitkumar Patel was killed on Monday around 10 am at Synovus Bank on Buena Vista Road in east Columbus, Georgia.

US Customs agents use face recognition tech to stop unvaccinated woman at Canadian border with sister’s passport Face recognition technology spotted a woman crossing the Canadian border into the U.S. with her sister’s American passport and vaccination.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said a border agent processing passengers on a bus was using Simplified Arrival facial scanning technology on Nov. 26 when it found the ‘facial mismatch,’ according to the release.

The woman, whose country of origin was not specified, was crossing at the Pacific Highway Port of Entry in Blaine, Washington.

“Upon further investigation, the woman admitted to using her sister’s U.S. passport and COVID-19 vaccination card because she had not been vaccinated,” the release said.

According to U.S. Customs, Simplified Arrival automates document checks with 98 per cent accuracy and lets foreign nationals who have already been to the U.S. skip fingerprint scanning.

Simplified Arrival is only used when entering the U.S. through clearances where travelers are already required to provide travel documents and identification, adds the release. CBP takes measures to reduce the number of personal identifying information used in the process, it continues.

Photos taken of U.S. citizens are deleted within 12 hours while photos of foreign nationals will be stored in a secure Homeland Security system, CBP says. “U.S. travelers and foreign nationals who are not required to provide biometrics and

wish to opt out of the new biometric process may notify a CBP officer as they approach the primary inspection point,” the release adds.

“These travelers will be required to present a valid travel document for inspection by a CBP officer and will be processed consistent with long established processes for admission into the United States.”

Since September 2018, U.S. Customs says it has employed facial biometrics to prevent more than 1,100 impostors from entering the states with genuine travel documents that were issued to other people and has processed up to 113 million travelers through face biometrics.

Last month , in a Senate meeting with Homeland Security, Diane Sabatino, the deputy executive assistant commissioner with the CBP Office of Field Operations, said facial recognition technology caught about 950 imposters at land, air and seaports of entry. Close to 600 of those were caught at the southern border with Mexico, one of the busiest ports of entry in the world.

Sabatino estimated that about 500 imposters last year were approved for prosecution.

Earlier this year, U.S. Customs said it caught a Canadian woman trying to use her sister’s passport to enter the U.S. at a Toronto airport and turned her over to Canadian authorities.

It also turned away an asylum seeker who was previously deported by the U.S. from an airport in Vancouver.

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Saturday, December 11, 2021 British Columbia’s health minister says there’s been a lot of attention paid to the new Omicron COVID-19 variant, but the focus should remain on the Delta variant because it continues to have a “profound impact” on people who are not vaccinated in the province. Adrian Dix said the Delta variant is disproportionately affecting those who haven’t been vaccinated, including most of the more than 150 people who have been moved from the Northern Health authority to southern hospitals. The transfers are weighing down the health-care system because many of those

Delta variant more of a concern in BC than Omicron: Health Minister Adrian Dix people are in critical condition and require teams of health-care workers at every stage of their transport,Dix said during a separate news conference announcing the opening of a new urgent primary care centre in Cranbrook.

“We don’t need Omicron to tell us to be cautious over Christmas. We just need to look at the Delta variant, which is here now and has a profound effect on all of us,” he said Monday.

“This is a time when you should be concerned

BC floods caused estimated $450 million in insured damage, industry group says The recent record-breaking flooding in southern British Columbia is estimated to have caused $450 million in insured damage, according to preliminary data released by the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

The disaster will be the most costly weather event in the province’s history, the industry organization said in a news release Thursday, and the overall economic losses are expected to be much higher.

“While the insurance damage stemming from these flood events is significant, the sad reality is that many residents impacted were located in high-risk flood areas and floodplains where flood insurance coverage is not available,” vice-president Aaron Sutherland said.

“As a result, the overwhelming majority of costs for this disaster will be borne by government and taxpayers. As we continue to see the increasing impacts of our changing climate, it’s clear much more must be done to create a culture of preparedness

LOCAL / NATIONAL

and to build our resilience to the risks we face.”

A series of atmospheric rivers in the last two weeks of November caused severe flooding and mudslides between Pemberton and Lillooet, Merritt, Princeton, the Fraser Canyon and into the Fraser Valley. Five people were killed, one is still missing, thousands of livestock died, sections of key bridges and roads were destroyed, and homes, businesses and farms were ruined.

One of the hardest hit areas was the Sumas Prairie region in Abbotsford in the valley, in part because of the equally flooded Nooksack River across the border in Washington state.

Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun said earlier this week that water levels in the Sumas area had dropped almost two metres over the past few days, but “it will still be some time before that area becomes accessible again.”

Flood insurance was not available for residents in the Sumas Prairie due to the risk of flooding.

with the vaccination status of those around you and ensure that you stay safe right now.”

More than 50 per cent of people over 70 have received their booster shots, which equates to about 500,000 doses, the minister said.

Nearly 40 per cent of children aged five to 11 have been registered for their first vaccine and about 84 per cent of those who have registered have received an invitation to book a shot.

“We’re pleased with how it’s going. We’re

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immunizing a lot of children and there’s going to be a lot more as we go forward,” Dix said.

“I want to encourage all parents to register their children because that’s important.”

He said about 216 pharmacies across B.C. are currently administering COVID-19 immunizations, and that number will increase to about 1,000 by January. “That’s going to obviously increase our capacity and the number of immunizations we’re going to have to give based on our strategy,” he said. “When you add 1,000 locations, that presents supply chain challenges and we’re dealing with those.

Canadian banks report mixed results, boost dividends, resumes buyback Major Canadian banks reported mixed earnings last week with three banks beating estimates, while two banks missed estimates.

Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS), TD Bank (NYSE:TD) and Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) exceeded EPS consensus, Canadian Imperial Bank (NYSE:CM) and Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE:RY) missed EPS consensus. BMO, CM and BNS missed revenue estimates, RY and TD exceed revenue consensus.

Two lenders announced sharp decline in provision in credit losses (PCL) Y/Y, while three banks announced recovery in provision for credit losses (PCL). BMO, TD, and RY reported recovery in PCL, while BNS and CM announced sharp decline in PCL. RY cited recovery in PCL to lower provisions in personal & commercial banking, capital markets and wealth management.

All banks reported an increase in dividend after Canadian regulators allowed banks to increase dividends and resume buybacks. BMO raised dividends by 26% to

C$1.33, the highest among banks, rest banks boosted dividends in the range of 10-13%.

Five major lenders announced buybacks totaling 151.5M common shares, with TD announcing the highest buyback of up to 50M shares and CM announcing 10M shares.

Outlook: BNS CEO expects to deliver strong growth across all business lines, with optionality and multiple avenues to grow.

BMO CEO expects 2022 revenues to benefit from increasing consumer and corporate activity as economic environment to remain robust. He further added that the company will monitor the impact of supply and labor shortages and energy prices in both countries, which may continue to lead to higher inflation and higher interest rates. Average loan growth in P&C businesses, excluding the PPP loans in the U.S. is expected to continue to accelerate and reach high single digits on a Y/Y, total bank NIM, ex trading, to remain relatively stable with upside if rates trend higher and if short rates rise faster during the year.

According to quant rating system, BMO, TD and RY tops profitability, RY and BNS have growth concerns.

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Star & Style

Saturday, December 11, 2021

‘Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’ Filmmakers of Ayushmann Khurrana & Vaani Kapoor’s Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui have recently shared the film’s new quirky song, Attraction.

The song comes four days ahead of the film’s release and it can be seen raising the temperature as it features the lead actors’ exciting romance.

Crooned

by Sachin-Jigar, the peppy song also features the voices of Mika Singh and Priya Saraiya.

The film is helmed by Abhishek Kapoor and

it also stars Leena Sharma, Ssumier Pasricha, Col. Ravi Sharma, Anav Dua, and Aarav Dua in supporting roles. The peppy track also showcases the lead actors’ e x c i t i n g romance where the duo can be seen getting intimate often.

It also gives a sneak-peek into Ayushmann and Vaani sharing glances in the gym as Vaani does warm-up as she gears up for her Zumba classes and Ayushmann is trained by his trainer.

Sunny Leone says she ‘can’t wait for Christmas’ be the couple’s first Christmas in their new home. Back in July, Sunny revealed that she and Daniel had moved into their new home with their three kids - Nisha, Noah and Asher. She shared a couple of photos of her new home and with her family by her side.

“Here we go baby love @ dirrty99 !! A new chapter in our life here in India begins!! I love the home and life we have built here and this beautiful home is truly icing on the cake with our 3 beautiful children!!

‘This is the season to be, jolly and Sunny Leone is revelling the festive spirit.

With Christmas just weeks away, the actress and her husband, Daniel Weber took out the Christmas tree and baubles and got busy decorating their home. Taking to her handle, Sunny shared a gorgeous photo of her doting hubby giving her a boost as she placed a star on top of their tree.

“The holiday season begins in the Weber home!! Can’t wait for Christmas,” she captioned the photo. This will

Mouni Roy looks alluring Mouni Roy’s social media feed is always full of glamour. But this time she is hoarding attention from her fans for her no makeup look. On Tuesday, Mouni Roy took to social media to share a series of pictures which will make your heart skip a beat. She is seen wearing a crinkled peach bodycon dress with striped criss-cross back which is a fashion trend that needs to be bookmarked.

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Mouni has left her hair open which is giving us warm breezy vibes.

Roy chose a bold red shade lipstick which completely enhanced her overall look. She captioned the post as “Red lipstick *optional*.”

She is looking simple yet elegant yet bold, all in ONE. She is definitely an epitome of elegance and style. In terms of work, Mouni Roy will be seen next in Brahmastra which is set to release next year, in September 2022.

Star & Style

Saturday, December 11, 2021 Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal get best wedding wishes Deepika wishes Katrina-Vicky ‘love, laughter, loyalty’, Alia says ‘beautiful’.

Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal got best wedding wishes from their Bollywood colleagues as they shared photos from their wedding.

Vicky and Katrina shared the first pictures of their wedding at Rajasthan fort on Thursday. “Only love and gratitude in our hearts for everything that brought us to this moment. Seeking all your love and blessings as we begin this new journey together,” they wrote in their posts. Taking to Instagram, Vicky and Katrina shared candid pictures from the wedding, including the jaimala ritual and pheras. They were also captured gazing lovingly at each other during the ceremony.

Congratulatory messages poured in from many of their colleagues in Bollywood.

“Oh my god you guys look so so so so beautiful,” Alia Bhatt wrote.

Priyanka wrote, “So happy for you! Mere yaar ki shaadi hai (It’s my friend’s wedding)!

Congratulations, both of you!

You are perfect t o g e t h e r .”

“Wishing you both a lifetime of love, laughter, loyalty, respect and companionship!”

Deepika wrote.

Kareena seemed to be welcoming Katrina into the married actors’ club. “You diddddd ittttt, God bless youuuuuu both,” she wrote.

“KATYYYYY - only love and more happiness to youuuuu!” Parineeti Chopra said.

Hrithik sent Vicky and Katrina his love.

“So amazing. Sending you both all my love! Have to dance together soon!” he wrote. Janhvi Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan reacted with heart emojis, while Tiger Shroff wrote, “Congratulationsss.” Vikrant Massey commented on Vicky’s post, “Bahut bahut shubhkamnaein mere Bhai (Many congratulations, my brother). Wishing you both years of happiness and togetherness!

Rab Rakha (May God bless you).”

Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Varun Dhawan, Ananya Panday, Kartik Aaryan and others ‘liked’ Katrina’s post.

Vicky and Katrina had kept their relationship under wraps until now. The

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two have been rumoured to be dating since 2019. after pictures of them exiting a Diwali party together surfaced online.

Last month, during an episode of Into The Wild With Bear Grylls, Vicky described the kind of woman he would like to marry. “Whoever makes you feel at home all the time, you just know that connect.

Also, where there is that understanding, where you love each other for your pluses and minuses both, and we make each other a better version of each other,” he had said.

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Juhi reveals hilarious stories about SRK Juhi Chawla shares what happens when they attend an Indian Premier League (IPL) match and the team does not play well. She made the revelation in an ‘uncensored’ video from Kapil Sharma Show.

Who is the co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team along with actor Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi said that she begins praying fervently if things are not going in their favour. “Shuru ho jaati hoon bhagwan ko yaad karna, mantra padna. Sabke pair pad leti hoon main, Hanuman ji ko tak nahi chhodti.

Gayatri mantra shuru ho jaate hai. Sab karti

hoon main (I start praying to every god there is and begin chanting mantras),” she said. Idhar se Shah Rukh mujhe daantne lag gaye.

‘Bowling kaise kar raha hai, bowling should be according to the fielding.

This is not right.

I must call a team meeting.’

Mereko daant rahe hai. Main toh wahaan khadi hoon, mereko pata nahi kya karoon (Shah Rukh starts scolding me about the performance of our players. ‘How is he bowling, bowling should be according to the fielding. This is not right.

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LOCAL / NATIONAL Burnaby city council approves new 10-year housing strategy

Burnaby council is moving forward with a massive, 10-year housing strategy that will touch all corners of the city and address everything from housing affordability and housing stock to those without homes altogether.

Council voted Dec. 6 to implement the new HOME Strategy. The strategy represents twoplus years’ worth of work from city planners, a mayor’s task force and a community consultation process that reached hundreds of Burnaby residents. Though Monday’s vote was simply to endorse implementing the strategy beginning next year, the discussion also highlighted the scope and scale of the ambitious plan. The high-level planning document is guided by five overarching principles: building inclusive, livable

neighbourhoods; creating options for secure housing tenure; supporting a renter-friendly community; fostering a healthy supply of nonmarket housing; and making homelessness in the city a “rare, brief and one-time” event in a person’s life. The plans to achieve each of those five tenets include a host of things the city can do on its own, while also partnering with other levels of government and the non-profit sector: creating more housing in mixed-use, transitfriendly areas; supporting co-operatives, cohousing and other secure, collaborative housing options; protecting and growing rental stock and facilitating redevelopment of low-density sites for affordable housing, among other issues.

“It’s a 10-year plan of action and broadened scope,” said Lee-Ann Garnett, Burnaby’s deputy

Protecting Prince Harry cost Canadians more than $334,000 Protecting Prince Harry and his family during visits to Canada cost Canadian taxpayers more than $334,000 over a period of less than four years, CBC News has learned.

Records obtained by CBC News from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police under the Access to Information Act show that security related to Harry’s visits between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018 cost taxpayers $182,430.

That sum covered things like overtime and

travel costs but not the salaries of police officers.

In January 2020 — as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex publicly contemplated living in Canada part of the year — the RCMP estimated that protecting them and their son while in this country could cost taxpayers nearly $33,000 a month. According to the Court Circular, which outlines the public activities of members of the Royal Family, Prince Harry had one public visit to Canada during 2017 and 2018 — a

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Saturday, December 11, 2021 Severe impact of recent rains and floodings in BC The atmospheric river that passed through BC’s south coast and Fraser valley, recently, which caused severe flooding that destroyed homes and highways, was only one factor that led to such significant damage throughout the province.A perfect storm of circumstances led to the devastation, and according to climate scientists, it’s a combination we are likely to see more frequently, and more severely, in the future. “The return period on this past event was over 100 years for many of these locations,” said Armel Castellan, a warning preparedness meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada. “It’s more than generational.

It’s like a lifetime event and then some, and I think that puts the perspective on what we are going to be facing going forward in the coming years and decades.” A study from Environment and Climate Change Canada published in 2020

found that climate change has made rainfall more extreme, and storms with extreme rainfall more frequent. Castellan says that on average, B.C. can have up to 30 atmospheric rivers in a year, though smaller ones are actually beneficial to the ecosystem. But when they’re more intense, releasing more water and over longer periods of time, those systems become dangerous.

Add in the drought B.C. saw over the summer, wildfire activity shifting the soil this year and other recent years, and a thin snowpack melting on mountains, and you’ve got the right scenario for major flooding and landslides.

Other extreme weather has hit the province this year, including a heat dome that killed hundreds of people and led to an intense wildfire season, and a tornado that swirled near the University of British Columbia earlier this month.

Trans Mountain pipeline to restart Sunday after precautionary shutdown in wake of BC floods, mudslides Trans Mountain pipeline to restart Sunday after precautionary shutdown in wake of B.C. floods, mudslides After a detailed investigation of the pipeline’s integrity, Trans Mountain says it determined operations are safe to resume.

The pipeline was shut down as a precaution following record-breaking rainfall in B.C. The Trans Mountain pipeline is set to restart Sunday, following a three-week shutdown to ensure the record-breaking rainfall, devastating floods and landslides did not damage the pipeline that traverses British Columbia.The pipeline owned

by the Canadian government said it completed detailed investigations into the integrity of the 1,150-kilometre pipeline, which carries up to 300,000 barrels a day of crude oil and refined products from Alberta to a terminal in Burnaby.

Trans Mountain, the only pipeline in North America that carries both oil and refined products, said in a statement posted to its website that throughout the shutdown, the pipeline was safe and there was no indication of any spills or “serious damage to the pipe.”

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, December 11, 2021

Canada joins USA, UK in diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics Canada will not be sending diplomats to the Beijing Olympics in early February, effectively joining a diplomatic boycott with the United States, United Kingdom and Australia denouncing China’s alleged human rights violations. As many partners around the world, we are extremely concerned by the repeated human rights violations by the Chinese government,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Wednesday, flanked

by Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly and Minister

of Sport Pascale St-Onge, as well as MP and former Olympian Adam Van Koeverden.

As the boycott only involves diplomatic staff and government officials, Canadian athletes will still compete at the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympic games beginning next February. The foreign minister argued that Canada’s decision sends a “strong signal” to China without unfairly affecting athletes working to compete in Beijing.

Ottawa isn’t properly monitoring or tracking its COVID-19 border rules, Auditor-General says Auditor General Karen Hogan at a news conference in Ottawa in February, 2021.

Canada’s Public Health Agency does not have the information necessary to ensure that its travel rules are being followed and therefore does not know to what extent testing and quarantine at the border will actually limit the spread of COVID-19. is doing, the Auditor General said. Auditor General Karen Hogan released her latest series of reports on Thursday studying the

federal government’s pandemic response.

“Without verifying travelers’ compliance with mandatory quarantine orders, the Public Health Agency of Canada cannot know whether its approach to enforcing the orders is effective or to what extent its approach is to limit the spread of COVID-19.” Works for,” concludes a report. Implementation of quarantine and COVID-19 testing orders.

Man pleads guilty to manslaughter in hit-and-run that dragged Calgary officer 437 metres It was an emotional day in court on Wednesday when one of two men charged in the death of a Calgary Police Service (CPS) officer pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Amir Abdulrahman was the passenger in an SUV that Sgt. Andrew Harnett had stopped in the community of Falconridge on Dec. 31,

2020 after noticing its licence plate didn’t match its registration. The vehicle took off, dragging 37-year-old Harnett 437 metres before he was thrown from it and into the path of an oncoming car. Two other officers on scene tried to revive Harnett, but he died about an hour later.

Police say the vehicle was found abandoned and the two accused were arrested shortly after.

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3 more Indian-origin MPs appointed to key posts in federal govt Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed over 40 Parliamentary Secretaries and functionaries including three more IndoCanadians in his new government.

Maninder Sidhu and Arif Virani have been made Parliamentary Secretaries to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly and Minister of International Trade, Mary Ng respectively.

The third MP, Ruby Sahota will serve as the Deputy Government Whip.

Joining among the ranks of the parliamentary secretaries are Ruby Sahota, who represents Brampton North, and is the former chair of the House of Commons standing committee on procedure and House affairs, will serve as deputy government whip. Interestingly, all three newly-appointed Parliamentary secretaries are from GTA (the Greater Toronto Area).

“This team will be an important link between ministers and Parliament, working

closely with their colleagues to find real solutions to the challenges that Canadians face, as we finish the fight against Covid-19 and build a better future for everyone,” a statement from the PMO said, announcing the new roster of parliamentary secretaries.

Arif Virani, who represents the ParkdaleHigh Park riding in Toronto. Virani has roots in Gujarat, India appointed as parliamentary secretary to the minister of international trade, export promotion, small business and economic development Mary Ng. He had earlier held similar positions, most recently as parliamentary secretary to minister of justice and the Attorney General in the previous Government.

Prime Minister Trudeau named another South Asain Maninder Sidhu, a first-term Parliament member, as a parliamentary secretary to international development minister Karina Gould

Federal govt to turn over thousands of residential school record files Canada’s Crown-Indigenous Relations minister says the federal government will soon release a volume of the residential school records it’s been criticized for withholding to a national archives centre.

Marc Miller also says there’s no evidence the Liberal cabinet, including former justice minister Jody WilsonRaybould, was told of a 2015 decision to drop a court case that freed the Catholic Church from compensating survivors.

“Knowing what we know today — it doesn’t seem right,” he told The Canadian Press in a recent interview.

In October, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation said Ottawa had yet to provide key documents detailing

the specific histories of each governmentfunded, church-run institution that made up the residential school system.

The statement came in response to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau telling Indigenous leaders in Kamloops, B.C., that the federal government had turned over all of the records in its possession, a claim the Winnipeg-based centre said wasn’t accurate.

Among the missing records, it said, were what’s known as school narratives — reports compiled by Ottawa outlining an individual institution’s history, including its administration, statistics on the number of Indigenous children forced to attend, as well as key events such as reports of abuse.

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Upstairs has 3 generously sized bedrooms that include a Master ensuite with mountain views, walk in closet. Fenced yard, double garage and extra parking space. Excellent location on a quiet street, easily walkable to shopping, recreation, parks, schools and quick HWY access. Down the street Sunnyside Elementary, New Grandview Heights Secondary school catchment.

A TRUE STUNNER! Rarely offered, this spectacularly landscaped home offers tons of privacy & tranquility. Located in the coveted subdivision of Chimney Hills, this 3 bed / 2.5 bath home is located on a HUGE 13,982 sq. foot lot. Highlights include NEWLY painted exterior, HARDWOOD floor & carpet on main, lots of NATURAL LIGHT, traditional layout with sunken living & family room, renovated kitchen with granite countertops & a nook overlooking the backyard, ONE YEAR OLD FURNACE & A/C plus Hotwater On Demand. Upstairs offers 3 bedrooms including a large master with a WI closet & ensuite fitted with a soaker tub. The beauty of this home is ac

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Truly delightful huge basement entry app. 7200 sqft. home sits on rectangular 9965 sqft. lot. House features 11 bedrooms & 10 washrooms build by good reputation builders. Main floor has 5 bedrooms & 4 bath with huge family room,living room,kitchen,& spice kitchen.Ground level basement has 27'x15' media room with bar & washroom for upstairs use.House has 3 spacious ground level basement suites (3 bed.+3 bed & bachelor suite).Total rent of the suites is $3500/month.Very nice tenants.Easy access to Pattulo bridge, Port Mann bridge & shopping center.Motivated sellers.Easy to show.

$1,779,000

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.

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This 4 bed / 4 bath executive style home on the bluff has outstanding 2nd floor views all the way to the North Shore. Above garage reno added in 2001 and larger reno in 2014 including solarium, upstairs bathroom, master bedroom with spa like ensuite. No expense spared with 2 way see through fireplace with jetted Chromotherapy/ Aromatherapy tub. Large walk in shower with rain head and body sprays. Enjoy the outdoor view in a private back yard with mature Palm and bamboo trees while you lounge around the concrete pool with attached hot tub. Pool is solar heated as well as gas and the yard is

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Solid family home on almost 10,000 square foot rectangular lot in Cloverdale with loads of potential. Large open lot offers plenty of space for a pool, playground & trampoline; or use the extra space to build your dream home. Great central location close to shopping, transit & schools. Same owners since 1987. Three bedrooms up, one down in partially finished basement (just needs a closet). Walkout basement with its own entrance offers potential for two bedroom suite. Large covered patio off the living area overlooks the private, sunny backyard. Transform it into a modern, functional family home

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This well-maintained family home w/3-beds up, suite-potential down and a detached workshop/garage has everything you and your family needs, all located centrally. It's a 5 -10min drive to Guildford Town Centre & Hwy 1; only a 3min drive to Gateway Skytrain Station. The 2level home has a brand-new furnace, dishwasher & washing machine +plenty of other extras including a mobile accessible alarm system and a cozy living room gas fireplace for winter nights. The back deck located off the dining room is perfect for summer barbecues! In addition to the carport and the driveway that fits up to 4-5 vehicles, the 10,200sf lot (60x170) has a massive 1100sf detached workshop that will hold 3 cars, an RV or boat, and meet all of your storage needs.

16

Saturday, December 11, 2021

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, December 11, 2021

17

Public Health Agency of Canada failed to keep tabs on most quarantine hotel stays, says AG The Public Health Agency of Canada struggled to keep track of whether travellers ordered to stay in quarantine hotels actually did so, according to a new report from the auditor general.

Auditor General Karen Hogan tabled four reports this afternoon in the House of Commons looking at COVID-19 measures. One of the reports examines enforcement of quarantine hotel stays and testing requirements from July 1, 2020 to the end of June 2021.

At the start of the year — in addition to the already required 14-day quarantine period — the government introduced new rules for incoming travellers meant to limit the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.

Travellers crossing by both land and air were required to show a negative COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours before their scheduled flights to Canada.

Air and land travellers were also required to undergo both on-arrival and post-arrival COVID-19 tests. In addition, incoming air

travellers were required to pre-book and pre-pay for a three-day stay at a government-authorized hotel, where they were to remain in quarantine while waiting for their on-arrival test results.

In scathing report, auditor general says feds failed to protect foreign farm workers from the pandemic Hogan’s audit found that the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) didn’t have an automated system to track whether travellers ordered to quarantine at authorized hotels actually did so.

It discovered PHAC only had records to verify hotel stays for about a quarter of air travellers for the February to June 2021 period. “Because the agency did not have records of stay for 75 per cent of travellers who flew into Canada, it did not know whether those who were required to quarantine at government authorized hotels had complied,” said Hogan.

“In addition, the agency did not reliably track whether air travellers who had been notified of positive COVID-19 tests had stayed at a

government-authorized hotel as required.”

Although they’re not required to do so, some hotels told PHAC by email that 326 people who

had booked quarantine stays never checked in.

About 74 per cent of these travellers were then referred to law enforcement as a priority for follow-up action — but no tickets had been issued at the time the audit was tabled.

PHAC agreed with the audit’s recommendation that it improve its tracking and said in response that it initiated an assessment of its information technology systems and data requirements for

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The government dropped the hotel quarantine requirement this summer but has reinstated some measures as part of its attempt to contain the emerging omicron variant. Foreign travellers from 10 nations — all of them in Africa — are barred from entering Canada, while Canadian citizens and permanent residents returning from affected countries must quarantine. Air travellers from all countries except the United States are also required to take COVID-19 tests when arriving in Canada.

These policy measures have attracted criticism — both over the quality of the hotel stays and over the way these measures single out African countries when the omicron variant has been detected in other countries as well. “That is not only discriminatory, it is ridiculous,” said Dr. Christian Happi, a professor of molecular biology and genomics, during a briefing with the World Health Organization’s regional office in Africa Thursday morning.

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Saturday, December 11, 2021

LOCAL / NATIONAL Safe Surrey Coalition says it ‘inspired’ Walmart Canada to ban plastic bags Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum’s Safe Surrey Coalition says it inspired Walmart Canada’s decision to eliminate single-use plastic bags from more than 400 retail stores across the country.

In a news release issued Tuesday, (Dec. 7), Walmart said the move will prevent nearly 750 million plastic bags from entering circulation each year. The changes apply to in-store purchases along with online grocery pickup and delivery orders. The policy is to take effect next April, which coincides with Earth Day. Walmart locations in Surrey are already operating without plastic bags after the city became the first in Metro Vancouver to ban them in October. The city started

work on the plastic bag bylaw last year.

Shortly after Walmart’s announcement, the Safe Surrey Coalition issued a news release saying McCallum’s leadership prompted Walmart to make the Canada-wide change.

“The Mayor’s office has now received word that the initiative has inspired nationwide change in corporate Canada,” the SSC wrote in the release.

“A December 7, 2021 letter received from Bryan MacLeod, Senior Manager of Public Affairs for Walmart Canada, confirms that ‘following the leadership in your municipality,’ the chain ‘will be eliminating single-use plastic shopping bags at all 400+ of our Canadian locations by Earth Day 2022.’”

Ontario to announce new COVID-19 measures for proof of vaccination Friday Ontario is dropping its tentative plan to end the provincial vaccine passport program in mid-January and will require all proof of vaccination certificates to include QR codes, CBC News has learned.

The measures are to be announced Friday but a senior government official provided the details in advance.

The official also said there are no plans to shut down the province’s schools before the winter holidays one week from tomorrow.

The anticipated move comes as the province reported 1,290 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, the most on a single day since May 24, nearly six and a half months ago.

Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, was scheduled to hold a briefing on the COVID-19 situation on Thursday, which was postponed until

2 p.m. on Friday, when he is expected to make the formal announcement.

The province had previously indicated that requiring proof of vaccines in settings such as restaurants, bars and cinemas would no longer be required after Jan. 17.

Ontario sees 1,290 new COVID-19 cases as science table recommends weekly rapid tests in schools But a senior official said the government is taking that end date off the table and is making the proof-of-vaccine system end date indefinite.

The reason for only accepting vaccine certificates with QR codes is to crack down on fraudulent vaccine certificates, the source says.

Officials say the two measures will enhance Ontario’s efforts to get as much of the province’s population vaccinated against COVID-19.

INDIA

Saturday, December 11, 2021

19

‘Massive’ third wave expected if Omicron is allowed to spread - Indian Medical Association warned The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has issued warning about the third wave of Covid-19 hitting the country if necessary precautions are not taken amid the surge in Omicron cases. The Omicron variant of Coronavirus has infected 23 people in India till now. Indian Medical Association demanded that the government expedite the proposal of vaccinating individuals aged 12 to 18 years.

The new variant of the Sars-CoV-2 virus has so far infected 23 people across the country.

vaccinating individuals aged 12 to 18 years.

“At this juncture, IMA also appeals to the government to officially announce additional dose (of vaccine) be given to healthcare, frontline workers and immunocompromised individuals to augment the immunity,” the IMA officials said.

The Omicron strain was first detected in southern African countries late last month, and categorised as ‘variant of concern’ by the World Health Organization (WHO). The rapidly-spreading variant is believed to be more resistant to vaccines.

With the scientific evidence available and the experience noted in countries of origin, it is evident that the Omicron variant will have high penetrability and will affect more people, the IMA claimed at a press conference on Monday.

“At a time when India is limping back to normalcy, this is a great setback. If we do not take adequate measures, we may have a massive third wave,” it said.

The doctors’ body also demanded that the government expedite the proposal of

Students barely escape as right-wing mob attacks School in Madhya Pradesh Vidisha: Workers of the right-wing group Bajrang Dal, along with hundreds of locals, were seen barging into a school in Madhya Pradesh and throwing stones at the building on Monday, claiming religious conversion of students by the Christian Missionary institution. The violence took place while the students of Class 12 were sitting for a mathematics exam. The St Joseph School in Ganj Basoda town of Vidisha district

was targeted after allegations on social media that as many as eight students were converted by the administration. Cellphone footage showed a huge crowd outside the building, raising slogans against the school administration. The police were seen trying to disperse the crowd. The students and the school staff present had a narrow escape. Recounting the panic as the mob threw stones at the glass windows, a student said, “Our

concentration was broken, we want the exam to be held again”. The manager of the school, Brother Antony, has claimed that he received the information of the attack a day earlier through local media, after which he alerted the police and the state administration. He accused the police of not making proper security arrangements.

He also denied the claims of religious

conversion, claiming that none of the names mentioned in the complaint matches with any of the students. The leader of the local Bajrang Dal unit, Nilesh Agrawal, demanded a thorough probe into the alleged religious conversion. “If the school’s involvement is found, it should be bulldozed,” he said. Security arrangements were made at other missionary schools in the area after the incident.

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INDIA

Saturday, December 11, 2021

Nation has lost one of its bravest sons: President President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, PM Narendra Modi and leaders across the political spectrum condoled the demise of General Bipin Rawat. President Kovind tweeted: “The nation has lost one of its bravest sons. His four decades of selfless service to the motherland was marked by exceptional gallantry and heroism.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was deeply anguished by the helicopter crash in which “we

have lost General Bipin Rawat, his wife and other personnel of the armed forces. They served India with utmost diligence.” He hailed the General as an “outstanding soldier” and a “true patriot.” Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi called the crash “an unprecedented tragedy.” Home Minister Amit Shah said Gen Rawat’s “exemplary contribution & commitment cannot be put into words.”

Sonia Gandhi demands discussion on border issues, agri sector Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday saluted the tenacity of farmers for the repeal of three farm laws and backed their pending demands for a legally guaranteed MSP and compensation to the families of deceased protesters. Addressing a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary party today, Sonia demanded a discussion in the ongoing winter session on the border issue and challenges confronting the agriculture sector. “It is extraordinary that the Parliament has been given no opportunity whatsoever so far to have a discussion on the challenges we continue to face on our borders. Such a discussion would have also been an opportunity to demonstrate a collective will and resolve.

PM Modi pays tribute to General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 others killed in IAF chopper crash Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the country’s top military brass on Thursday paid homage to India’s first Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika, Brig LS Lidder and 10 more defence personnel at the Palam air base after their bodies were brought to Delhi in a military aircraft.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, NSA Ajit Doval, Army Chief MM Naravane, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, Air Chief Marshal AVR Chaudhari, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar were among those who paid homage to the deceased at a sombre ceremony. Heartwrenching scenes were seen at the Palam airport as 13 caskets were lined up inside a hangar in presence of their family members.

The 13 people were killed when their helicopter crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu in an air tragedy that triggered grief across the country.

An Indian Air Force C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft carrying the bodies from the Sulur airbase touched down at the Palam technical airport around 7:35 pm. Only three of the 13 bodies have been identified so far—Gen Rawat and his wife, Madhulika Rawat and Brigadier LS Lidder.

Army officials said the bodies of those identified will be released to the families for last rites.

The other bodies will be kept at the mortuary at the Army Base Hospital till they are identified. The bodies of Gen Rawat and his wife will be kept at their 3 Kamaraj Marg residence for the general public to pay their final respects from 11 am to 12:30 pm Friday.

Former Chairman of Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board converts to Hinduism The former chairman of Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board, Wasim Rizvi, converted to Hinduism (also known as Sanatan Dharma). The ceremony took place in the presence of the chief priest of Dasna Devi temple Narsinghanand Saraswati, Livehindustan said.He will be associated with the Tyagi community. His new

name will be Jitendra Narayan Singh Tyagi.

After the ceremony, Rizvi called the Sanatan Dharma as world’s purest religion. He added that he chose the holy day of December 6 to convert to Hinduism as on this day, the Babari mosque was demolished in 1992.

India announces new rules for int’l arrivals amid Omicron fear Last month, India announced that it would resume scheduled international flights from Dec. 15, an indication that the country was opening up fully amid COVID-19. However, less than a week after the announcement, the government said the date of resumption was being kept “in abeyance” and a new date would be notified in due course.

The change in the decision was made in wake of the rising concerns over the new

COVID-19 variant Omicron (B.1.1.529).

“In view of the evolving global scenario with the emergence of new variants of concern, the situation is being watched closely in consultation with all stakeholders and an appropriate decision indicating the effective date of resumption of scheduled commercial international passenger services shall be notified in due course,” reads the circular issued by the Directorate

Indian-origin USAF doctor among 10 chosen by NASA for astronauts future missions Indian-origin physician Anil Menon, a lieutenant colonel at the US Air Force, has been selected by NASA along with nine others to be astronauts for future missions, the American space agency has announced.

Menon, 45, was born and raised in Minneapolis,

Minnesota, to Ukrainian and Indian immigrants.

He was SpaceX’s first flight surgeon, helping to launch the company’s first humans to space during NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission and building a medical organisation to support the human system during future missions.

Priyanka promises 40% of 20 lakh new jobs for women in Uttar Pradesh election manifesto Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday released manifesto for women ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, promising that 40 per cent of the 20 lakh new jobs her party aims to create in the state will be allotted to women.

In the six-point manifesto titled “Shakti Vidhan”,

she said if the Congress formed government, it would ensure 50 per cent of ration shops in the state were managed and run by women, reserve 25 per cent of all jobs in the police force for women and ensure free medical treatment, up to Rs 10 lakh, for women for any disease.

21

Saturday, December 11, 2021 .

FIJI

Punjab Five more Covid-19 cases in Chandigarh

Five new Covid cases were detected in the district on Wednesday. Three patients recovered from the virus in the past 24 hours. Among the new cases, three were reported from Gharuan and two from

Kharar. Of the 69,003 positive cases reported from the district so far, 67,873 patients have recovered. There are now 57 active cases in the district. The toll stands at 1,073.

Parkash Singh Badal turns 94 Former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal turned 94 on Wednesday.

SAD leaders from neighbouring districts have arrived at his Badal village residence in this district to greet him.

The family has not planned any special celebrations.

PM Modi tweeted his wishes, “Birthday greetings to one of India’s most respected statesmen, Shri Parkash Singh Badal Ji. He has worked very hard for the progress of Punjab, particularly the weaker sections of society. I pray that he is blessed with a long and healthy life.”

PM Bainimarama says must continue to pressure large global polluters Fiji will continue to have a strong presence at the Conference of Parties (COP) Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama stressed this while responding to the address

by President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere during the opening of the Fijian Parliament last month.

Mr Bainimarama said countries must continue to pressure large global polluters to reduce their carbon emissions, increase their financial support for climate-vulnerable countries, and transfer technology for the solutions needed to build greater resilience and develop renewable energy sector.

New Zealand quietly deploys navy ship to Solomon Islands New Zealand has deployed a navy ship to the Solomon Islands to help peacekeeping efforts after political unrest in the capital, Honiara.

The decision to deploy the HMNZS Wellington to the mission was not formally announced by the Government or the Defence Force.

The armed offshore patrol vessel left the

Devonport Naval Base in Auckland just before 7.30pm on Monday with a crew of 80 and a Seasprite helicopter on board. A Defence Force spokesman said it would arrive in the waters of the Solomons later in the week, where it would take over patrolling from an Australian ship.

It would conduct maritime security patrols

Fiji turning climate vulnerability into motivation Woman accuses father-in-law of raping her for 5 months A case has been registered against a man after his daughter-in-law accused him of raping her for the past five months in Ludhiana, police said. The woman claimed the accused warned her against telling anyone and threatened to kill her mother, but later she approached her motherin-law who encouraged her to go to the police.

The woman, who also claimed that she was threatened by her father-in-law, later shared her ordeal with her mother-in-law, who encouraged her to approach the Ludhiana

police. The woman accused her father-in-law of raping her for the last five months, police said.

On the basis of the woman’s complaint, Jamalpur police have registered a first information report (FIR) against the accused.

The victim, a resident of Bhamian Kalan, mentioned in her statement to police that she had married in December 2017 and had a three-year-old son.

Her husband is auto-rickshaw driver, who used to stay out of the house during the daytime, she added.

Farmers call off agitation The Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Thursday announced the end of farmers’ agitation with the Centre making a final and decisive outreach to the agitating farmers promising to take back all criminal cases registered against them during the course of the agitation along with a purposeful discussion on ways to guarantee the MSP through representation in the committee Prime Minister

Narendra Modi announced on Gurpurab Day. In the letter dated December 9 to Samyukt Kisan Morcha, Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal has promised the unions that the Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh governments had already committed to retracting all criminal cases against farmers.

Pakistan Pakistan’s top military brass express condolences over General Rawat’s demise Pakistan’s top military brass expressed condolences over the “tragic death” of India’s Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 others who died in helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu.

Army spokesman in a statement on Twitter said, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Nadeem Raza and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa expressed condolences.

“General Nadeem Raza, CJCSC & General

Qamar Javed Bajwa, COAS express condolences on tragic death of #CDS General #BipinRawat, his wife and loss of precious lives in a helicopter crash in India,” Pakistan Armed Forces Spokesperson Major General Babar Iftikhar tweeted.

Chief of the Air Staff Pakistan Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber, also “expressed his condolences on the tragic death of Indian CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, his spouse, and 11 other passengers/crew members in the helicopter crash”, according to a statement.

Two get life in prison for acid attack on woman Anti terrorism court on Wednesday handed down life imprisonment to two culprits who threw acid at 24-year-old woman who survived later on.

Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Ijaz Ahmed Buttar announced the verdict and also slapped a fine of PKR 4.2 million on each of the two

accused Mohd Ahmed and Shah Nawaz to be paid as compensation to the victim.

In her statement, victim Maryam said that Mohd Ahmed, who lived near Lahore had sent a marriage proposal, which was turned down by her family.

First Omicron Covid variant found in Sindh First suspected case of Omicron variant found in Sindh. Provincial minister for health said on Thursday. “A genomic study is being conducted which will confirm the exact variant but for now getting both doses of the vaccine is the best precaution,”

she said in a video statement issued by the provincial health ministry. “We have not yet conducted a genomic study but the way the virus is behaving, it seems likely that it is the Omicron variant,” she said.

Driver, assistant suspended for halting train to buy yogurt A train driver in Lahore and his assistant have been suspended after they stopped the train to purchase yogurt near by a railway station according to media reports.

Minister for Railways ordered the suspension of driver and his assistant after news went viral on social media showing the driver stopping the train near Kahna

Kacha railway station in suburb of Lahore.

After t video clip invited criticism of the railways department, which has been in trouble of late due to various issues like accidents, passenger safety and declining revenue, the minister took action and ordered the Railways administration to suspend driver.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has briefed the Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Fiji’s progress in the fight against climate change.

While commemorating Fiji’s National Day at

the Dubai Expo, Bainimarama highlighted Fiji is turning its climate vulnerability into motivation.

The Expo provides dedicated pavilions for all countries to offer their own cultural experiences for visitors.

Two Fijians test positive for Omicron variant Two Fijian citizens who had travelled back into Fiji from Nigeria on November 25, 2021 have tested positive of the Omicron variant.

This was confirmed by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services permanent secretary, Dr

James Fong who says last week travelers who had arrived from an African state and were undergoing quarantine in a border quarantine facility had tested positive for COVID-19.

University of Fiji appoints Shaista Shameem as new VC Professor Shaista Shameem has been appointed as the new Vice- Chancellor of the University of Fiji.

University Pro-Chancellor, Kamlesh Arya says Professor Shameem was selected by the Joint Committee of the Council and the Senate out of 77 applicants from local and international academia.

He says Professor Shameem holds double PhD’s and has a wide-ranging experience in a variety of professional engagements in Fiji including that of the Ombudsman and Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission from 2007 to 2009

22

Saturday, December 11, 2021 BC NDP elects first-ever Indigenous President, Aaron Sumexheltza Press release

Voting virtually at the BC NDP’s biennial convention, delegates from across the province have overwhelmingly selected Aaron Sumexheltza to serve as the party’s next President. Aaron is the first-ever Indigenous person to hold the role, and is, to our knowledge, the first Indigenous person to ever serve as the president of a political party in BC. “I’m thrilled to welcome Aaron Sumexheltza as the next President of our great party,” says Premier John Horgan, leader of the BC NDP. “Aaron’s experience and his perspectives will make our party better, and I know how deeply committed he is to building a stronger and more fair province for all British Columbians. I look forward to working closely with him.”

Aaron Sumexheltza is a practising criminal defence lawyer and the former elected chief

of the Lower Nicola Indian Band. A member of the BC NDP since 2013, he ran for the party as the candidate for Fraser-Nicola in the 2020 provincial election. Aaron lives in Merritt with his wife and two young children.

“I love seeing all the progress our party has made, particularly in the last election when we elected our largest-ever caucus of BC NDP MLAs. Ensuring we protect the gains we made in the last election will be important going forward, but there’s much more for us to do,” said Sumexheltza.

“I know we can keep building, growing and thriving when we all work together.”

The BC NDP virtual convention concludes this weekend with resolutions debates and speeches from Premier John Horgan and Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canada’s NDP.

Press release

Nice words from the NDP not helping in addiction fight

With the number of overdose deaths climbing to an all-time high, the Official Opposition is calling on the NDP to stop tinkering around the edges.

“Every month we get the same formulaic response from the NDP and it’s just not good enough for the families who continue to lose loved ones,” says Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford, Opposition Critic for Mental Health and Addictions. “The minister will say what a tragedy it is, express sadness and hope things get better. Nice words aren’t enough.

We need action, concerted and focused action, that attacks the problem — not empty words.”

The report from the coroner’s office shows an appalling trend: October had the highest number of deaths ever in one month. The 1,782 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths between January and October 2021 are the highest ever recorded in a calendar

year, and the number of deaths in October equates to about 6.5 lives lost per day.

Halford notes the Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction has a budget smaller than the Premier’s Office, with most of it going to staffing and not programs, which explains the lack of substantive progress. Furthermore, for months the BC Liberal Caucus has been calling for the Select Standing Committee on Health to be activated so that all parties can work together on immediate actions to prevent further tragedy, but the Premier has yet to respond directly to the request.

“This is a second-term government that so far, has only managed to write a stronglyworded letter to Ottawa as it continues to apply bandages onto gaping wounds,” says Halford. “This government’s commitment to rhetoric is unsurpassed, but its commitment to any tangible steps is dreadful.

23

Saturday, December 11, 2021 on the report and a professor studying food distribution and security at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

“It really pushed food inflation much higher.”

Why the price of chicken wings has taken flight How this summer’s drought could have you paying high beef prices again next year This time last year, the report was forecasting an increase of between three and five per cent for food prices, with a theoretical family of four consisting of one man, one woman, one boy, and one girl, on track to pay about $13,907 to feed themselves in 2021.

As it turns out, they were only over by $106.

The report tabulates that theoretical family ended up spending $13,801 to feed themselves this year.

Grocery bills set to rise even more.

In the coming year, Charlebois says food price inflation is on track to be higher with a likely increase of between five and seven per cent — or an extra $966 a year for the typical family grocery bill.

“It’s the highest increase that we’re predicting in 12 years, both in terms of dollars and percentage,” Charlebois said. “It’s not going to be easy.”

As usual, different types of food are expected to go up in price at different rates, with dairy and baked goods expected to be comparatively much more pricey, while past culprits like meat and seafood will look comparatively flat.

The report says dairy is set to get more expensive because of higher input costs for things like feed, energy and fertilizer, along with higher transportation and labour costs.

The Canadian Dairy Commission warned as much in a report last month, saying retail milk prices are set to rise by 8.4 per cent next year to account for those added costs on the production side.

Baked goods, meanwhile, are in for sharp price increases largely because the hot summer on the prairies was devastating to wheat and other crops, the report says.

The other reasons for the uptick are varied, but an increasingly large factor is the growing cost of food waste. More than half of all the food produced in Canada gets thrown out, research suggests, and that inefficiency is finally starting to show up at the cash register at a time when Canadians are counting their pennies more than ever.

Which is why some Canadians are trying to do something about it.

Jagger Gordon is the founder of Feed It Forward, a non-profit program that has set up nearly a dozen pay-what-you-can grocery stores across Canada to give people access to nutritious and affordable food.

Cost of dairy products could spike in Canada next year.

New ‘pay what you feel’ grocery store aims to combat food insecurity in Vancouver Gordon, a chef, says he was inspired to develop the idea when he did catered events and was horrified by the amount of food that went to waste.

“I wanted to showcase how we can eliminate that food waste, be socially responsible and give dignity back to people by utilizing it and putting it back into meals and onto their tables,” Jagger said in an interview at his location on Dundas St. in downtown Toronto.

At Jagger Gordon’s pay-what-you-can grocery store in Toronto, shoppers get nutritious and delicious food for a fraction of the price.

The food on the shelves at the store comes from various grocery stores, bakeries, processing plants, restaurants and other agencies in and around the city. Shoppers can come in and browse the selection of food on offer to cook themselves, or get recipes and a pre-made selections of meals on site, without having to necessarily worry if they can afford it when it comes time to leave the

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Sky-high food prices to go higher in 2022

store. For every $5 a customer chooses to pay, they can get about $20 worth of food, Gordon says.

Bulk buying, couponing and urban farming: 3 ways of fighting high food prices.

The system works in large part because it takes advantage of food that other food businesses can’t sell but is otherwise perfectly fine — food that’s about to expire, for example, or fresh vegetables that aren’t the right shape.

“A lot of grocery stores also, if there’s one grape that’s gone fuzzy in a package, they’ll destroy the whole package rather than taking

the time just to pull it out,” Gordon said.

“What shocks me is the resources that are put into all that production for that plant or product to be developed to [then] be destroyed so easily.”

Charlebois says there’s a growing trend from some stores and consumers to try to bring down that waste by finding ways to sell it to those who want it. “Grocers are empowering consumers to rescue food more [by] showcasing products that are about to expire at a discount 25 to 50 per cent off,” he said. “People are starting to realize that the aesthetics that we see in the grocery store is costing us money.”

Baked goods are expected to increase in price by more than most other types of food next year.

While many consumers have embraced a new trend for organic food, Gordon says it’s made food waste even worse in some ways. “They blemish fast,” he said. “They’ll be just discarded or destroyed sooner.”

It’s not hard to find Canadians who are changing their habits and making different choices in their grocery cart or restaurant menus to try to offset rising costs.

Browsing the aisles of the grocery store in St. John’s, Myrtle Mitchell says she’s had to change how she shops because of higher costs. “Prices are almost double,” she said in an interview, which puts stress on her fixed income.