The Asian Star May 22 2021

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Vol 20 - Issue 16 Nav Bhatia becomes first fan to be inducted into the ‘Basketball Hall of Fame’ It was a strange 202021 NBA season for Toronto Raptors fans who were forced to watch their team from afar, but there was at least some good news for one Raptors fan, arguably the biggest Raptors fan of all. Raptors superfan Nav Bhatia was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this past weekend, becoming the first fan ever to join the Hall. Bhatia has attended every Raptors game since the team Continued on page 7

Arjan Bhullar crowned MMA world champion He’s wrestled for Canada in the Olympic, Commonwealth and Pan American Games, but Richmond’s Arjan Bhullar is celebrating his biggest win yet. The BC born fighter was crowned One Championship Mixed Martial Arts Champion after defeating reigning heavyweight king Brandon Vera with a second-round TKO. “You visualize it, you plan for it, you train for it, but when it happens there’s no feeling like it.

Champ. That’s for life, that stays baby,” Bhullar said. “All of those (wrestling) milestones were significant, huge moments in my life, but every single one led to this. It was really a lifetime of work, The goal has always been to be a world champion and that’s what this means. It’s a great feeling for my family, for my self, for community.

Saturday, May 22, 2021 Urogynaecologist Dr Aparna Hegde has ranked 15 in Fortune magazine’s list of World’s 50 Greatest Leaders, featuring alongside New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and US politician Stacey Abrams. The maternal and child health champion discusses her journey so far and the need for investments in primary healthcare When urogynaecologist Dr Aparna Hedge was a resident at a Mumbai government hospital, she had witnessed too

many morbid scenarios at the time of delivering babies. Sometimes, these tragedies could have been prevented but mortality persisted due to a lack of resources. This became a motivation for her to start ARMMAN in 2008. The maternal and child NGO is focused on improving health through the use of lowcost technology—like reaching pregnant women and new mothers with information Continued on page 7

Quebec can alter Canadian Constitution to say it’s a nation and French is its official language: Trudeau Quebec can unilaterally modify part of the Canadian Constitution, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.

The province’s proposed language law reform, introduced last week, seeks to change part of the Constitution to affirm that Quebec is a nation and that its official language is French.Matt Gurney: The government has lost the peopleTrudeau said that the federal government’s initial

analysis has concluded Quebec can make the changes.“It is perfectly legitimate for a province to modify the section of the Constitution that applies specifically to them and that is something they can do while ensuring, of course, that the rest of the Constitution, including the sections that protect linguistic minorities, like anglophones in Quebec, continue to be Continued on page 7

Kevin Falcon seeks BC Liberal party leadership A former BC govt cabinet minister who left politics almost a decade ago to work in the private sector says he’s entering the Liberal party’s leadership contest.

Kevin Falcon announced his leadership bid this week, saying he wants to rebuild, renew and rename B.C.’s Liberal Party, which has lost its

Modi’s gamble, and the million Indian lives it will cost Modi did not want only to prevent a second wave; he wanted all the credit for stopping COVID-19 in its tracks to go to him and him alone. In her heart-rending description of her desperate search for oxygen to save her father’s life, the celebrated TV news anchor Barkha Dutt ascribed his death to three features of governance that have defined Modi’s India: complacency, callousness and incompetence. She could have added a fourth – an insatiable, almost suicidal appetite for risk born of a compulsion to keep reinforcing

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an already swollen image of himself.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has displayed this penchant half a dozen times in the last seven years: his personal announcement of demonetisation before the new currency notes had even been printed; his imposition of the Goods and Services Tax with immediate effect, denying India’s 71 million small manufacturers time to set up the required accounting systems; his Continued on page 4

way since the 2017 election.

Falcon is the third candidate to enter the Feb. 5, 2022 leadership race, joining Ellis Ross, the Liberal member of the legislature for Skeena, and Gavin Dew, a Vancouver entrepreneur and former Liberal byelection candidate.

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Saturday, May 22, 2021

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Saturday, May 15, 2021

Gautam Adani becomes Asia’s second richest person, surges past China’s Zong Shanshan Indian business magnate Gautam Adani has surged past Chinese billionaire Zong Shanshan to emerge as Asia’s second richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The Adani Group chief ’s net worth, as per the index, stood at $66.5 billion against Zhong Shanshan’s $63.6 billion. Adani now stands only behind his Indian competitor and head of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Mukesh Ambani, in terms of most wealth owned by an

individual in Asia.

In February this year, Ambani has surged ahead of Shanshan to become Asia’s richest person. The RIL chairman also tops the chart of richest individuals in India.

In the global billionaires’ list of Bloomberg, Ambani and Adani are placed on the 13th and 14th

position, respectively.

While Adani’s net worth has climbed by $32.7 billion in the past year, Ambani’s wealth has marginally decreased by $175.5 million, as per the index. The net worth of Ambani stood at $76.5 billion.

The increase in Adani’s wealth, despite the onset of Covid-19

pandemic, is largely attributed to the surge in share prices of Adani Green, Adani Enterprises, Adani Gas and Adani Transmission.

The stocks of Adani Transmission and Adani Enterprises have climbed by 617 percent and 827 percent in last one year, respectively, whereas, Adani Total Gas rallied 1,145 percent in the same period, the Live Mint reported.

Fire at Surrey blueberry farm guts barn,outbuildings; no injuries reported No one was hurt in a large fire at a blueberry farm in Surrey Thursday, but four buildings are “total losses.”

AssistantFireChiefBenDirksensayscrews were called to the farm just off Colebrook Road, east of 152nd Street, around 2 a.m.

“When our first arriving crews arrived on scene they were met with heavy fire from a large barn on the property,” he told NEWS 1130. “The fire quickly spread

to three other outbuildings.” He says crews focused on protecting a house on the property from surrounding flames.

All told, Dirksen says the home was protected, but a barn and three outbuildings were destroyed.

“In the end we had 30 firefighters on scene,” he added.

The fire sent thick smoke throughout the surrounding

South Asian charged in slashing of a teenager More than a year after the violent slashing of a teenager in Ambleside Park, one man has been charged.

During the evening of May 9, 2020, multiple first responders were called to the park after an altercation between two groups of young men escalated into an assault with a knife just east of the skate park.

The 17-year-old victim was taken to hospital with injuries to his face. After a long investigation involving multiple witnesses, applying for warrants and awaiting for lab results, the Crown has now sworn two charges against Akash

Avin Ram, a 19-year-old Surrey resident.

Akash Avin Ram is charged with one count of assault with a weapon and one count of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

“Detectives from our major investigations team did an excellent job of gathering key evidence after this violent incident,” says Const. Kevin Goodmurphy, West Vancouver police spokesman. “The victim in this suffered life-altering injuries, and we are pleased to see that charges have been approved.”

Ram is due back in court in June.

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OPINION

From page 1 systems; his sudden confrontation of the Chinese at Doklam in Bhutan without consulting Thimpu, and his equally sudden removal of price and marketing protection from farmers without even a rudimentary examination of how it would affect them.

His appetite for risk surfaced yet again, within days of being told that the first wave of India’s COVID-19 epidemic had peaked in

Saturday, May 22, 2021

Modi’s gamble, and the Million lives it will cost September last year. Of the 50 lakh Indians who had been infected until then, 81% had recovered. Some 10 lakh patients remained under medical care, most of them at home. A little over 84,000 people had died. The mortality rate of 1.68 % was about the lowest in the world and the envy of other nations (notwithstanding fatality undercounting and underreporting).

But everyone involved in the actual fight until then knew that it was too good to last. Scientists always knew of the danger that the ‘original’ virus could mutate into more dangerous forms. Second ‘waves’ of COVID-19 had already developed in the summer and autumn of 2020, spreading through parts of Belgium, Iran, South Korea, Germany, the Czech Republic, Spain and the US. When researchers in the UK reported the B.1.1.7 variant in December 2020, the country’s government immediately extended its existing lockdown. The variant was found to be more infectious but no more dangerous than the original. Within weeks, scientists reported two more ‘variants of concern’, from Brazil (P.1) and South Africa (B.1.351), in addition to numerous other strains and mutations. P.1 and B.1.351 have been found to be able to partially evade the human immune system, endangering prospects of vaccines being developed at the time.

Therefore, every government took the risk of a second outbreak seriously from the start.

By early January 2021, the B.1.1.7 strain had been detected in samples in Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore. All of these countries took quick precautions, imposed lockdowns and/or stepped up their vaccination schedules.

There were only three exceptions – all in large democracies with insecure but ruthless leaders in power: Brazil, the US and India.

India’s scientific and medical establishment, and its health minister Harsh Vardhan in particular, were fully aware of the threat that later strains of the virus could pose.

Vardhan had overseen the last phase of the polio eradication campaign during Prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s tenure, so he had an experience of disease control that no one else in the government did.

But from the very first days of the pandemic, the Modi government developed two conflicting aims. While the administration wanted to chart a course of action that would minimise the risk of a second wave, the political establishment – headed by Modi himself – was concerned only with extracting every ounce of political advantage from the crisis.

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Saturday, May 22, 2021 South Asian Professor calls UBC awarding Dr. Bonnie Henry an honorary degree ‘problematic’ in open letter In early May, UBC prof Dr. Sumeet Gulati came out against Dr. Bonnie Henry receiving an honorary degree, arguing that Henry holds significant oversight power over the university and that the timing of the award is “problematic.” Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC’s provincial health officer, is set to be one of 18 people to receive honorary degrees from UBC this year. UBC said it chose Henry to receive an honorary degree for serving as a leading voice in the midst of the global pandemic.

“The calm, assured face of the Covid-19 pandemic response in B.C., she has led the government initiative from a rational, scientific perspective, garnering accolades from across Canada and internationally,” a UBC press release read. On May 1, Gulati, a professor in environmental and resource economics, published an open letter in response to the announcement. In the letter, Gulati wrote that by nominating Dr. Henry, the Vancouver Senate made exceptions for two guidelines as outlined in the criteria section for honorary degrees. Under the criteria, honorary degrees are not typically awarded to current or former UBC faculty — but Dr. Henry is a clinical associate professor at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health. Additionally, the criteria states that honorary degrees are not awarded to those holding political office. Gulati argued in the letter that while

Dr. Henry is not a politician, “She holds significant oversight over the functioning of our university (especially during the ongoing public health emergency).”

Gulati also expressed concern over public health’s plans for the fall term. He wrote that the return of thousands of students to campus could be an issue, as many students will be unvaccinated, making crowded classrooms hazardous. To Gulati, Henry and public health’s instructions to postsecondary institutions are creating “stress and uncertainty” on campus.

“Significantly, they are making it difficult for those in the University [to determine] what is safe and appropriate for its employees and students,” he wrote in the letter. The professor saw significant support in response to his Twitter thread on the open letter.

Gulati said he hopes for change in the nomination process for honorary degrees and the inclusion of faculty and staff in these decisions. He hopes the Senate will rethink the decision to award Henry this degree.

“I hope they will then come to a mutual agreement to defer this award for the time being, with the understanding that Dr. Henry’s nomination will be considered anew by the Senate once the current health emergency is over.”

UBC and Stephen May, senior public affairs officer at BC Public Service, declined to comment on the issue.

RCMP still looking for gang member wanted on multiple warrants Surrey RCMP is reissuing its Mohammed had “illegally request to the public for help in entered the United States,” locating Naseem Mohammed, but his current whereabouts who they say is a member of are unknown.

Police the Brother’s Keepers gang. describe Mohammed as Mohammed, 22, is wanted on Somalian, about five-footmultiple warrants of arrest, five, with a slender build, including being unlawfully black hair and brown eyes. at large, resisting/obstructing Surrey RCMP say people police, breach of release order should call 911 immediately and driving while prohibited, if they see Mohammed, according to a release from adding to not approach or Surrey RCMP Corporal Vanessa apprehend him as “he is Munn Wednesday (May 19).

Naseem Mohammed, 22 considered to be armed and She said Mohammed is dangerous.” associated to the ongoing Lower Mainland Anyone with more information is asked to gang conflict and “has a history of involvement contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502. If with drug trafficking in the Lower Mainland.” you wish to make an anonymous report please Munn added he has been a target of violence contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or in the past, and “as such, the public should be solvecrime.ca. This isn’t the first time police aware that they may be at risk if associating with have issued a public request looking for Naseem this individual. In January, according to the Mohammed. release, Surrey RCMP received information that

PBO report finds that NDP plan to right off student debt will cost taxpayers $4 billion Parliament’s budget watchdog says the NDP plan to cut student debt would cost about $4 billion.

The New Democrats’ campaign-style pledge this spring promised to cancel up to $20,000 in tuition, freeze loan payments through July 2022 and scrap interest payments, among other measures.

In a report released today, parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux says the proposal would amount to $3.95 billion over five years, with the reduction of as much as $20,000 per student borrower by far the priciest plank.

Giroux also calculates that the plan’s

extension of the nonrepayment period from six months after graduation to five years would actually cut more than $400 million in upfront government costs.

The announcement of the NDP plan in March came ahead of a possible election this year as federal parties prepare to battle it out for the hearts and ballots of young voters.

Statistics Canada found last fall that more than 60 per cent of post-secondary students were concerned about using up their savings and taking on more debt.

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Saturday, May 22, 2021

Kevin Falcon seeks BC Liberal party leadership

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Liberal transportation critic Michael Lee signalled Monday he is also preparing a leadership bid with a social media post declaring he was “ready to run.”

Falcon, a former B.C. finance, health and transportation minister, says he left politics in 2013 to spend more time with his young family, but he’s now seeking the leadership to protect both his family’s and the province’s future from what he says is NDP mismanagement.

Falcon, first elected in SurreyCloverdale in 2001, is making his second

bid for party leader after being defeated by former leader Christy Clark in 2011.

“My belief is if you share our principles of a private sector driven economy, generating sufficient revenues to support first-class public services, then you ought to be part of our party regardless of your sexual orientation, regardless of your gender, regardless of your ethnic or socioeconomic background,” says Falcon.

“I’m just genuinely really concerned about the direction the NDP is going in,” he says in an interview. “They’re just essentially reprising their playbook from the 1990s and I know where that’s going to lead and I’m very concerned about it.”

Arjan Bhullar crowned MMA world champion From page 1 , for Richmondborn and raised — ah, man, it’s awesome.”

Bhullar has represented the maple leaf many times, in the ONE Championship he made the decision to highlight his Indian heritage. With his victory, he became the first MMA champion of Indian descent, and he said he’s hoping to inspire more champions from the country he feels a close family relationship to.

“When it came to the fight game, look, we had our GSP (Georges St-Pierre), we had our Carlos Newton UFC champs,” he said. “Back home (in India) this is going to be huge, this gives hope that this is possible, that’s what this really means. There’s going to be so many more champions coming down the pipe, once they see this is possible.” Bhullar said the win was particularly important now, as India is being ravaged by COVID-19. “I think the timing couldn’t have been better in terms of giving that hope and giving that positivity and giving a good distraction from the harsh reality on the ground.”

So what’s next for the world champion, now that he’s hit the pinnacle? Don’t be surprised if you see Bhullar in the pro wrestling ring, either with WWE or AEW — both of whom he said he’s in talks with. Wherever his career takes him from here, Bhullar said Saturday’s win can never be taken from him — and from the youth he hopes to inspire. “I never had this, growing up where I could say hey, ‘that guy’s a world champion, he looks like me, talks like me, he’s grown up with the same values,” he said. “If I can do that now for someone else it will just multiply and multiply in terms of success and positivity in this world. And what else is life about except living crazy experiences and leaving it a little better than when you got here?”

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Saturday, May 22, 2021

Quebec can alter Canadian Constitution to say it’s a nation and French is its official From page 1 respected.” He said Quebec can alter the Constitution to emphasize that it is a nation and that its official language is French — adding that both have already been recognized by the federal government.

Trudeau said he’s concerned about protecting French in Quebec and in the rest of Canada.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault said he was pleased by Trudeau’s comments. “I’m happy because he confirmed that we were right when we said that we can unilaterally amend the constitution,” he told reporters in Quebec City. “Of course we’re happy to see that the prime minister of Canada recognized that we had the right to do so.” Quebec’s language law reform also includes tougher sign laws and stronger language requirements for schools, governments and businesses, including those in federally regulated industries.

Mumbai doctor named among world’s 50 greatest leaders cellphones, especially in rural areas, via programs like ‘mMitra’ and ‘Kilkari’.

That effort to give back has also recently placed her among Fortune magazine’s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders. The list includes names such as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, US voting rights activist and politician Stacey Abrams, and Serum Institute of India head Adar Poonawalla. Hegde had no idea that she was going to make it to the top 20 (her rank is 15). “I knew I was among the finalists. My team informed me,” she says, adding that she feels surprised and humbled because her work has been recognised on an international platform.

Nav Bhatia becomes 1st fan to be inducted into the ‘Basketball Hall of Fame’ first opened its doors at the Skydome in 1995. He’s become an icon off the court for Toronto, always sitting in his courtside seats just under one of the nets. In a March 2020 Instagram Live Giannis Antetokounmpo jokingly called Bhatia the most annoying Raptors fan when Drake popped on the stream to ask a question.

Now, after Toronto awarded Bhatia with a 2019 championship ring, the Raptors superfan has a beautiful Basketball Hall of Fame ring to add to his collection.

Hopefully the next time the Raptors take the court it can be in front of a packed Scotiabank Arena with Bhatia sitting in his usual spot.

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Saturday, May 22, 2021 Infectious-disease scientists at Canada’s high-security lab collaborated with China Scientists working in Canada’s highestsecurity infectious-disease laboratory are studying and experimenting with deadly pathogens in collaboration with Chinese military researchers. Seven scientists and Chinese military researchers at the Special Pathogens Unit at the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) in Winnipeg have conducted experiments and co-authored six studies on infectious diseases such as Ebola, Lassa fever and Rift Valley fever. The publication dates of the studies range from early 2016 to early 2020.

It has also been revealed that Pheu Yan, one of the Chinese researchers at the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Academy of Military Medical Sciences, worked for a while at the Winnipeg Lab, equipped to handle some of the world’s deadliest level 4 levels. Convenience.

Disease. This researcher is credited as a coauthor on all six papers. However, on two of them, they are listed as being affiliated with both the Winnipeg Lab and the Academy of Military Medicine. Two of the Winnipeg lab scientists, Jiangguo Qiu and her biologist husband, Kading Cheng, were fired after the Canadian Security Intelligence Service in January this year, as The Granthshala reported last week, recommended that the National Security Department Their security clearance should be removed on the grounds. . CSIS was also concerned about the nature of the information that Dr. Qiu could pass to the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. Dr. Qiu, former head of the Vaccine Development and Antiviral Therapies section in the Special Pathogens Program of Winnipeg Lab, co-authored five studies. Dr. Cheng participated in a study on Ebola.

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Saturday, May 22, 2021

Opposition questions BC’s ‘people-planet-profit’ investment fund Despite a deficit of nearly $10 billion this year, the B.C. government has devoted a half billion dollars over three years to an Crown corporation investment fund with a broad range of goals: homegrown technology companies, high-paying jobs, a cleaner environment, promoting diversity and advancing Indigenous reconciliation.

B.C. Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon calls InBC a “people-planet-profit” investment fund, offering “patient capital” to help startups expand rather than be bought up by international players. The investment fund was promised in Premier John Horgan’s “StrongerBC” economic recovery plan, launched last fall days before a surprise election call. B.C. Liberal jobs critic Todd Stone, who founded a Kamloops software company before he was elected as an MLA, questioned Kahlon this week about B.C.’s competitiveness for attracting and retaining entrepreneurs and skilled workers, including

tax rates on high earners. “When the facts are that a software developer earns $27,000 less in British Columbia than they do in Ontario to start with, when we’re staring down lower income tax rates next door in Alberta — when we’re staring down no income tax in the state of Washington….

These are all our competitors,” Stone told the B.C. legislature May 18. B.C. Green MLA Adam Olsen questioned Kahlon on the need for “strategic capital” that isn’t looking for a quick return. Olsen agreed with Stone that the COVID-19 pandemic put investment on hold around the world, and asked if now is the time for “putting $500 million of public money into a space that has billions and billions of dollars of private capital looking to be spent.” Kahlon said the fund is to assist companies to grow without being taken over and leaving B.C. to expand. “We’ve heard the most amount of excitement from the clean tech sector, which

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Saturday, May 22, 2021

Six Metro Vancouver gangsters identified as posing ‘significant risk’ to public safety: police The names, ages and photos of six Metro Vancouver men were released to the public on Monday as they pose a “significant risk” to public safety amid the region’s ongoing gang conflict, according to police. Following a number of recent shootings in public places, police said they are expecting the violence to escalate. “Our police intelligence leads us to believe that the individuals we have identified today may be targeted by rival gang members,” Vancouver Chief Const. Adam Palmer said in a release. “My greatest concern right now, related to the ongoing gang violence, is that an

innocent bystander will be hurt or killed during a shooting targeting a gangster.” An innocent bystander was hit by a stray bullet during a shooting in Burnaby on May 8.

Bullets also hit the intended target, Toni Dalipi, who later died in hospital. Police said there have been 20 gang-related homicides in the region this

year and 20 attempted murders.

“Gang violence continues to be a prominent public safety issue in Metro Vancouver.

There have been numerous reckless, brazen acts of violence that threaten the safety of innocent bystanders,” Palmer said.

The six men identified are: Garinder Deo, 35 - Harjit Deo, 38 - Barinder Dhaliwal, 38 - Meninder Dhaliwal, 28 - Ekene Anigbo, 22 - Damion Ryan, 41

Vancouver police have also launched a new task force. Taskforce Threshold was launched on May 12 and consolidates resources and expertise from the VPD’s investigation and operations divisions to help prevent gang violence and investigate incidents if they occur. It will provide all frontline patrol officers with regular briefings on the gang conflict as it evolves and about any gangsters believed to be living in or visiting Vancouver, police said. “Every single patrol officer will know every single player in this conflict,” Palmer added. “They will step up patrols in the city – specifically near the restaurants and businesses the gangsters frequent.”

More names and photos of gangsters released by anti-gang squad The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit said the 11 people on its list pose a risk to anyone near them throughout Metro Vancouver.

A day after Vancouver police issued a rare public warning related to six “targeted” gangsters, B.C.’s anti-gang agency has released a poster featuring the names and photos of more men who could be marked for violence.

The poster features three men identified by the Vancouver Police Department, as well as eight others from various gangs involved in the violent Lower Mainland conflict that has left 41 dead or injured so far this year.“CFSEU-BC is

advising the public to avoid any interaction with these 11 individuals, as police believe these individuals may be targets for future violence,” Sgt. Brenda Winpenny said in a news release.

CFSEU’s chief officer Manny Mann said the “release of names and photos of individuals who currently pose a significant risk to public safety due to their nexus to ongoing gang violence is another step in our collective and coordinated efforts.” RCMP Asst. Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said police throughout the province “will continue to use every lawful tool at our disposal to prevent, suppress and disrupt gang-related activity.”

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Saturday, May 22, 2021

Canadian-made vaccine could be ready for use this summer Canada’s first homegrown vaccine for Covid-19 is showing promising antibody results in hundreds of participants in a Phase 2 trial and could be ready for a final authorization request this summer.

Nathalie Landry, the executive vicepresident for scientific and medical affairs for Medicago, said the vaccine appears to produce 10 times the antibodies as are seen in people who have had Covid-19. *“So based on these results, let’s say we’re quietly confident that we will be in a position to demonstrate good efficacy of the vaccine.”

The results are not yet peer-reviewed but Landry said other vaccines in use showed a direct correlation between the level of antibodies produced and their effectiveness against Covid-19.

A Phase 3 trial for Medicago with 30,000 volunteers is already underway in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, and will expand to Brazil this week.

The Phase 3 trial is the final step before Health Canada can decide whether to approve the vaccine or not, something Landry hopes can happen this summer.

If approved, the Medicago vaccine is likely to be the first Covid-19 shot produced in Canada in any way. The bulk material will mainly be manufactured at Medicago’s North Carolina facility, but the vials are filled and finished with the GlaxoSmithKline pandemic adjuvant in Canada.

A new manufacturing plant in Quebec that could make most of the bulk material in Canada is still under construction. Landry said the initial in-service date of 2024 has been tentatively moved up a year to 2023.

Canada signed a deal in October to buy 20 million doses of Medicago’s vaccine, with an option for 56 million more. But most Canadians will be vaccinated before Medicago is approved, leaving its role in Canada unclear.

“We have been discussing that situation with the Canadian government,” said Landry.

She said the most likely scenario is for booster shots.

Canada could also donate the 20 million doses it purchased to the global COVAX vaccine-sharing alliance.

Canada-USA border closure extended into June The Canada-U.S. land border will remain closed for at least another month in order to curb the spread of Covid-19, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday.

Prime Minister Trudeau took to Twitter to announce that the closure has been extended until June 21.

“To protect your health and limit the spread of COVID-19, we’re extending the measures currently in place by another 30 days. Nonessential travel between our two countries remains restricted until June 21st,” the prime

minister tweeted. The joint restrictions have been in place since March 2020 and were mutually agreed upon by both countries. The ban has been rolled over several times since.

However, the border remains open for essential travel throughout the pandemic in a bid to avoid disrupting the flow of food, medical supplies and other crucial goods between the two countries.

The U.S. State Department also announced the extension on Twitter, adding that it’s working closely with Canada to safely ease restrictions as conditions improve.

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Saturday, May 22, 2021

Covid-19 outbreak reported at complex care centre in North Surrey Fraser Health has declared a Covid-19 outbreak at Cherington Place, a long-term care facility in North Surrey.

“One resident and one staff member have tested positive for COVID-19,” the health authority announced Tuesday afternoon (May 18).

“The resident and staff member are currently in selfisolation at their homes.”

Fraser Health says it has worked with the site

“to support the implementation of enhanced control measures. Fraser Health is also working with the site to identify anyone who may have been exposed, and is taking steps to protect the health of all staff, residents and families.”

To book a COVID-19 testing appointment, complete a COVID-19 test booking form on https://fraserhealth. secureform.ca/index.php.

For more information about COVID-19, please visit fraserhealth.ca/covid19.

LOCAL / NATIONAL

13

14

LOCAL

Saturday, May 22, 2021

BC RCMP Traffic Services rebrands as BC Highway Patrol B.C. drivers can expect to see newly rebranded RCMP vehicles out on public highways this month as the provincial traffic police force changes its name in a bid to clarify its role on the roads.

What for 20 years has been known as the E Division Traffic Services or B.C. RCMP Traffic Services, will now simply go by B.C. Highway Patrol, or BCHP for short.

The provincial RCMP announced the name change in a press release, saying that it hopes the rebrand will help solidify the faction’s identity and purpose in the public eye.

“We believe this new name more clearly

distinguishes our role and service delivery from the municipal and detachment traffic services,” the release reads.

“Our goal is to change driver behaviour so they make better, safer choices. We want to make our roads safer for all road users – drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians.”

The B.C. Highway Patrol’s 455 employees are spread out across 8 units, each dedicated to a different facet of road safety ranging from highway patrol to collision investigation to impaired driving education.

MLA Lee makes statement on the Komagata Maru incident Press release

Michael Lee, MLA for VancouverLangara, delivered a statement in the Legislature on the Komagata Maru, reflecting on the racist attitudes and laws that led to the incident and the lessons it has for us today. When the 376 passengers on the Komagata Maru arrived in Vancouver in 1914, they were met with skepticism and racism. While attitudes have changed in the last 107 years, there is

still much more work that needs to be done to make B.C. a more inclusive community.

Lee noted that incidents like the Komagata Maru, while all too common in our province and country’s history, hold a mirror up to our current society. They force us to reflect, to evaluate, and hopefully, encourage us to work together for a better, fairer, future for all British Columbians.

BC Liberal Statement on International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia Press release

Stephanie Cadieux, Critic for Gender Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility, marked International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia in the Legislature.

She acknowledged the history of bigotry in British Columbia and committed to continuing

to support inclusion and acceptance regardless of gender, age or ability. On behalf of the BC Liberal Caucus, Cadieux remarked that everyone has a role to play to ensure all members of the LGBTQ2S+ community feel safe to be who they are and express themselves.

BC kids 12-17 can now register for Covid-19 vaccine as Canada nears milestone Children as young as 12 in B.C. are one step closer to getting vaccinated against Covid-19, with registration officially open across the province.

“This is exciting news for a lot of families, news that people have been waiting for for a long time,” Health Minister Adrian Dix said on Wednesday.

“Just like every other group in British Columbia, I’m encouraging everyone to

get registered on our Get Vaccinated website, or by telephone across British Columbia.” =When asked why children 12-17 won’t be vaccinated at schools, Dix said there’s already an “extraordinary system of clinics” in place across B.C. He noted some areas will have different plans for vaccine distribution, depending on their own individual needs.

Two teenagers found guilty of second-degree murder after stabbing Surrey man 42 times in 26 seconds Two teens have been found guilty of second-degree murder in the brutal and violent killing of a Surrey man.

Delphin Paul Prestbakmo’s grieving family is now hoping the two will be sentenced as adults, an avenue which the Crown does intend to pursue in the case. Cheers and embraces followed the guilty verdicts outside provincial court in Surrey on Tuesday. Prestbakmo’s brother, Stephen, said the victim was a “unique person” and always loved to help others, often working late at his job as a mechanic in order to do so.

“My brother was a good person,” he said.

“That wasn’t how he should have died.”

In August 2019, 45 year-old Prestbakmo was found fatally stabbed in a parking lot near the Semiahmoo Shopping Centre.

Investigators believed Prestbakmo had gone outside for a smoke and to take out the garbage, and that the attack was unprovoked.

“It’s gruesome,” Prestbakmo’s brother said.

“It was disgusting. It was without reason.”

A 15- and 16-year-old were arrested the next month, and charged with second-degree murder.

Due to their ages, their names are under a publication ban and cannot be released.

Provincial Court Judge Robert Hamilton told the court Prestbakmo was stabbed 42 times in 26 seconds.

In his verdict, he found the teens “had the necessary specific intent to kill Mr. Prestbakmo”.

“The sheer number of stab wounds inflicted on Mr. Prestbakmo...shows a lethal intent to kill,” Hamilton said. “By arming themselves with knives prior to leaving on their second walk that night (they) showed a certain level of premeditation.”

The judge added witnesses testified the two teens were angry or upset that night.

Prestbakmo’s brother said he stood up and left the courtroom when details of the attack were shared.

“It was hard on me,” he said.

The teens were also acquitted of an aggravated assault charge related to an attack on another person that night, as the judge found there was insufficient evidence to show they acted together.

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, May 22, 2021 USA, Canada to extend border closure until conditions ‘change very substantively’ The closure of the U.S.-Canada border to nonessential travel due to Covid-19 will be extended once again, according to a report by CTV News.

The closure was set to expire Friday, May 21, but has been extended another month and is now set to last until June 21, according to CTV. It would mark the 14th such extension, since the two countries originally agreed to close the border March 21, 2020, in an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19.

Canadian Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had not yet tweeted about the extension as of Tuesday afternoon, as they have with previous extensions of the border closure.

“Minister Blair is in regular contact with his American counterparts about issues relating to our shared border,” James Cudmore, the director of communications for the minister of public safety, in a statement to CTVNews. ca when asked about the status of the situation

on. “Until the conditions on both sides of the border change very substantively, the measures at our borders will remain intact.”

The news comes despite reports last week that Canadian officials were beginning to talk about what it would take to reopen the border.

According to a Bloomberg story Friday, May 14, the Canadian government had internal discussions about reopening the border with the U.S., even though Canada remains well behind American vaccination efforts. Citing three unnamed sources, the story said Canadian senior officials began to talk about options of how to open the border.

“In the end, it’s a political decision, and at what point does the Canadian side — and it’s the Canadian side at this point that’s the slowpoke — decide that they’re ready to receive and what categories of people that they’ll open up to,” Michael Kergin, a former Canadian ambassador to the U.S., told Bloomberg.

Housing market slowed down in April, but average price still rising at record pace Canada’s red-hot housing market showed small signs of cooling down in April, even as the average selling price is up by nearly half from the lows it hit in the early days of the pandemic.

The Canadian Real Estate Association said Monday the number of homes sold in April fell by 12.5 per cent compared to the previous month’s level, which was the busiest month ever for Realtors. The group that represents Canadian Realtors says sales were down in 85 per cent of all markets across the country, including just about everywhere in Ontario and British

Columbia. “While housing markets across Canada remain very active, there is growing evidence that some of the extreme imbalances of the last year are beginning to unwind, which is what everyone wants to see happen,” CREA chair Cliff Stevenson said.

Real estate has been on fire for the past year as the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed interest rates to record lows. That, coupled with Canadians being cooped up for months on end, has had the effect of making some buyers willing to pay whatever it takes to get the home they want.

15

Canadians have to quarantine when going to USA for vaccine Canadians looking to drive across the border to the United States for the sole purpose of getting a COVID-19 vaccine are not exempt from mandatory quarantine upon their return.

In a statement late Wednesday, the Public Health Agency of Canada said quarantine exemptions now in place are not intended for those travelling abroad to get vaccinated against the coronavirus disease.

“Testing and quarantine exemptions for travellers returning to Canada after receiving essential medical services in a foreign country was not intended to be used for those seeking to receive a COVID-19 vaccination,” a PHAC spokesperson said in an email.

“This provision is in place to allow Canadians who are seeking life-saving medical treatment outside of Canada.”

The statement attempts to clarify reports earlier this week that the vaccine may be considered an essential medical service

and Canadians crossing the border could be exempt from the 14-day quarantine when they return.

The Canada-U.S. border has been closed in light of the pandemic to non-essential travel for purposes such as tourism and recreation since March 2020. Non-essential travellers entering Canada through the land border need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test before arrival, in addition to the mandatory 14-day quarantine period for returning non-essential travellers.

But since February, patients undergoing essential medical treatment can skip those requirements only if they have a written statement from a licensed health care practitioner in Canada — and from a practitioner in the country where they are receiving the treatment.

Some U.S. states have been offering free vaccines to Canadian truck drivers

Covid-19 death toll reaches 25,000 in Canada Covid-19 death toll reached 25,000 in Canada. Ontario is reporting 17 new fatalities related to the virus today, taking the national total to 25,000.

The grim milestone means six in every 10,000 Canadians died of Covid-19 since March 9, 2020, when the country’s first Covid-19 death was reported.

Canada surpassed 20,000 deaths at the end of January.

The pandemic’s toll has been most profound on Canada’s oldest citizens.

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Four in five people who died were over the age of 70 and almost three in five were residents of a long-term care home.

The death rate ranks Canada 64th in the world according to the daily statistics published by the Our World in Data project.

Hungary, with 30 deaths for every 10,000 people, has the highest death toll. The United Kingdom has recorded 18 deaths for every 10,000 people, while the United States recorded 17.

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Saturday, May 22, 2021

17

Saturday, May 22, 2021

India’s crematorium workers bear the burden of Covid-19 crisis India’s coronavirus death toll is staggering, and those responsible for cremating the bodies of victims face hazardous working conditions and increased risks of infection at cremation sites.

It’s 9 a.m. and crematorium workers Arvind Gaekwad and Gautam Ingle are relaxing ahead of a hectic shift.

“One body is on its way, and more are supposed to come today,” they tell DW. Gautam and Arvind work at a Hindu crematorium in Turbhe, a locality outside of Mumbai in India’s western Maharashtra state.

The relatives of the deceased informed Arvind and Gautam that the body on its way is a non-Covid-19 death.

The death report, however, states that the person died from septic shock caused by acute respiratory distress syndrome, a common cause of death among Covid-19 patients.

The relatives didn’t conduct an RT-PCR test to detect the presence of the virus after death. They simply informed the crematorium workers that the patient tested negative six days before his death. The crematorium workers start preparing the pyre for the body. It arrives 30 minutes later in an ambulance. There is a clear breach of Covid-19 protocol, with at least 30 people assembling for the funeral.

According to the government of Maharashtra, only 20 people can attend a funeral. The crematorium workers tell the patient’s family that they should follow the government guidelines, but they are pushed away by the deceased’s family.

“We try our best to follow all government guidelines. But if the patient’s family hits us or threatens us, there’s not much that we can do. We are just five people up against 20 to 30 people,” says one worker, who didn’t want to be named.

Arvind says that there have been many instances when they have cremated the body, and several days later, they are informed that the deceased had Covid-19.

“It’s like we are literally playing with our lives and there is no one to shield us. If we display Covid-19 symptoms and try to get admitted in a hospital, we are turned away as we are ‘dirty.’”

Arvind is cleaning the pyres wearing a handkerchief around his face, instead of an N95 mask. Other crematorium workers attend to dead bodies without wearing a PPE kit.

“We aren’t seen as frontline workers, so our health is not a priority,” he says. Their pay would not be sufficient to take care of their healthcare needs if they fall ill.

“For the amount of work these workers do, they are paid just 15,000 rupees (€168) a month. There is no process in place to protect them — both physically and mentally,” Deepak Gaikwad, a local social worker, told DW. “Their jobs are precarious and they can easily be fired as they are contractual labor. They can’t even take up employment elsewhere as they haven’t gained any considerable skills from this job,” he added.

Gaikwad said that last week the workers had received a notice from their contractor that they could be fined or fired if they continued to take “bribes” from the families of the deceased for disposing of the bones of dead relatives.

In Hindu culture, it’s a custom to collect the bones and immerse them in a holy river.

“Many people don’t want to directly touch the bones of the deceased,” Gaikwad said. “They pay these workers to collect the bones on their behalf.

They also sometimes pay them a token amount out of sheer gratitude for the immense risk they undertake to cremate the bodies,” he added.

After people complained to the local

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INDIA

Saturday, May 22, 2021

India unlikely to resume sizable Covid-19 vaccine exports until October - sources India is unlikely to resume major exports of Covid-19 vaccines until at least October as it diverts shots for domestic use, three government sources said, a longerthan-expected delay set to worsen supply shortages from the global COVAX initiative.

The Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s biggest vaccine maker producing the AstraZeneca vaccine, responded by saying that it hoped to restart deliveries to COVAX and other countries by the end of this year.

“We would like to reiterate that we have never exported vaccines at the cost of the people of

Indian navy ships recovered 26 bodies of people who were aboard a barge that sank off Mumbai as the most powerful storm to hit the region in more than two decades blew ashore this week, officials said on Wednesday. The search is continuing for 49 more people who are missing after the cyclone hit Monday, navy spokesman Mehul Karnik said.

He said five ships, a surveillance aircraft and three helicopters involved in the search had rescued 186 people in rough seas with waves of up to 7 meters (25 feet).

A navy statement said 125 survivors and two bodies have arrived in Mumbai

and others are expected to get there late Wednesday.

Cyclone Tauktae packed sustained winds of up to 210 kilometers (130 miles) per hour when it came ashore in Gujarat state. It left more than 50 dead in Gujarat and Maharashtra states. The weather has improved, and the search operation for those who are missing has intensified, navy Cmdr. Alok Anand said, adding that some of the survivors had received minor injuries.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi saw the damage caused by the cyclone by flying over the worst-hit areas and later

India and remain committed to do everything we can in the support of the vaccination drive in the country,” SII said in a statement.

Battling the world’s biggest jump in coronavirus infections, India halted vaccine exports a month ago after donating or selling more than 66 million doses.

The move has left countries including Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and many in Africa scrambling for alternate supplies.

The World Health Organization, which co-leads COVAX, on Monday called on vaccine makers outside India to advance supplies to the program given the shortfall from the South Asian country.

26 bodies from barge that sank in storm off Mumbai met with state officials in Ahmedabad, a key city in western Gujarat state.

“Government is working closely with all the states affected by the cyclone,” he tweeted.

More than 16,000 houses were damaged in Gujarat state, while thousands of trees and electric poles were uprooted by the force of the wind.

In another operation, a navy helicopter rescued 35 crew members of another barge, which ran aground north of Mumbai, a government statement said.

Both barges were working for Oil and Natural Gas Corp., the largest crude oil and natural gas company in India.

The company said the barges were carrying personnel deployed for offshore drilling and their anchors gave away during the storm. India’s biggest offshore oil rigs are located off Mumbai.

Navy helicopters also provided food and water to nearly 300 crew members of a support station and drilling ship that were being towed back to Mumbai by the company’s support vessels, the statement said.

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Saturday, May 22, 2021

UP state minister Vijay Kashyap dies of Covid-19 Uttar Pradesh Minister of State Vijay Kashyap died from Coronavirus at Gurgaon hospital.

Kashyap (56), who was an MLA from Muzaffarnagar’s Charthawal Assembly seat, died at Gurgaon’s Medanta Hospital.

He is the third U.P. minister who has succumbed to the virus.

Last year, Uttar Pradesh ministers Kamal Rani Varun and Chetan Chauhan had died from the infection.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the passing away of the BJP leader and said he was devoted to public interest works.

“The death of BJP leader and minister in the Uttar Pradesh government Vijay

Kashyap ji is very saddening. He was a leader connected to the grassroots and was always devoted to public interest works. My condolences to his family and supporters in this moment of grief. Om Shanti!” PM Modi tweeted in Hindi. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and state BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh too expressed grief over his demise.

“Kashyap, an MLA from Charthawal, was a popular leader who discharged his duties diligently as a minister. In his death, people have lost their true wellwisher,” Mr. Adityanath said in a release.

According to a BJP release, party’s national vice-president Radha Mohan Singh and other

Prepare for third wave, keep stocks of Covid-19 drugs ready, Govt tells pharma firms The Narendra Modi government has told top pharmaceutical companies to begin preparations for the third Covid-19 wave and keep stock of key drugs ready in the next two to three months. In a meeting held Tuesday, the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) — the apex regulator for drug makers in India under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers — asked pharma companies and lobbies to prepare stock of key Covid drugs, anticipating the third wave of the novel coronavirus.

The DoP also told companies to boost the production of liposomal amphotericin,

the drug which is being used to treat black fungus infections, apart from boosting the production of antiviral drug remdesivir.

It also gave an option to “expedite the approvals” if any pharma firm wanted to start manufacturing amphotericin.

“We have been asked to create a stock of medicines, keeping the third wave of Covid in mind. The list includes all the medicines that have played a key role in the treatment of Covid patients,” said an industry source who was part of the meeting.

India sets global record for daily Covid-19 deaths India reported more deaths in a single day than any other country at any time by Covid-19. In India the infections continued to spread through vast rural areas with weak medical and health systems.

The Health Ministry reported a record 4,529 deaths in the past 24 hours, driving India’s confirmed fatalities to 283,248. It also reported 267,334 new infections, as daily cases remained below 300,000 for the third consecutive day. The numbers are almost certainly undercounts.

The previous record for most daily deaths from the coronavirus was set on Jan. 12 in the United States, when 4,475 people

died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

With over 25 million cases since the pandemic began, India’s confirmed infections are second only to the U.S. Experts say new infections in India, which had been rising steeply, may finally be slowing. But deaths have continued to rise and hospitals are still crowded with patients. Over the last month, India’s COVID-19 fatalities have jumped six-fold.

While megacities such as Mumbai and New Delhi have seen signs of improvement in recent days, there is concern that the virus is spreading through the vast areas

Black fungus declared an epidemic in Rajasthan Mucormycosis (black fungus), which is primarily affecting people recovering from Covid-19, has been declared an epidemic in Rajasthan, officials said on Wednesday.

Currently, the state has around 100 black fungus patients and a separate ward has been made at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur for their treatment. Mucormycosis has been notified as an epidemic and a notifiable

disease in the state under the Rajasthan Epidemic Act 2020, according to a notification issued by state’s Principal Health Secretary Akhil Arora.

He said the step was taken to ensure integrated and coordinated treatment of black fungus and the coronavirus.

According to experts, people with diabetes are more prone to getting the black fungus infection.

Rajasthan MLA Gotam Lal Meena dies of Covid-19 BJP MLA Gotam Lal Meena died of Covid -19 at a hospital in Udaipur.

The 56-year-old MLA from Dhariawad constituency in Rajasthan’’s Pratapgarh district is survived by wife and four sons.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Assembly Speaker C P Joshi and BJP state president Satish Poonia condoled the three-time MLA’’s death.

Leader of Opposition Gulabchand Kataria said, Meena was admitted to the MB government hospital in Udaipur for the last few days. His condition deteriorated following

which he was put on ventilator support.

Meena is the fourth MLA in Rajasthan to succumb to coronavirus.

Earlier, Congress MLAs Kailash Trivedi and Gajendra Shaktawat and BJP MLA Kiran Maheshwari died due to the infection.

With the demise of Meena, the number of MLAs in the house of 200 has dropped to 198 in Rajasthan.

Vallabhnagar constituency is already vacant after the death of Congress MLA.

21

Saturday, May 22, 2021

FIJI

Punjab Govt announce Rs1,500 per month pension for children orphaned in Covid-19 The Punjab govet decided to provide ₹ 1,500 per month as social security pension and free education up to graduation to all those children orphaned in the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as families that have lost their breadwinning member, beginning July 1. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said his govt will ensure free education in government institutions for such children

as well as kids belonging to families that have lost their breadwinner to Covid-19 , according to an official statement.

He dubbed it as the “state’s duty to become the foster parents of the children” who have lost both their parents in the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr Singh said affected persons would also be eligible for ₹ 51,000 under the Ashirwad Scheme with effect from July 1

Covid-19 battle rages on in Fiji Fiji is amongst nine countries in the world, which have the B 1.617x sub-lineage variant of COVID-19 affecting them.

This is emanating from the B1.617 variant that was first found in India last October and has been tagged as a variant of concern.

The World Health Organization’s latest epidemiological report released today, has Fiji, Algeria, Botswana, Finland, Iran, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco and Turkey who are battling this sublineage.

The report further says globally, in the past week, the number of new cases and deaths continued to decrease with just over 4.8 million new cases and just under 86,000 new deaths reported.

All regions around the world reported a decline in new cases apart from the Western Pacific Region, which includes Fiji.

Fiji’s Covid-19 strain remains a variant of concern and its cases has been classed as sporadic.

Riding on direct payment, Punjab wheat procurement hits new high In the midst of the second coronavirus surge and the agitation by farmers against agricultural laws that has been now on for five months, Punjab has surpassed all previous records in wheat procurement for the rabi season.

Government agencies have procured

132.08 lakh metric tonnes of wheat, 2 lakh metric tonnes more than the target set by the state, with more than 9 lakh farmers receiving over Rs 23,000 crore directly into their bank accounts. It was the first time in Punjab that farmers were paid directly instead of through arhtiyas or middlemen.

Entire rural population of Punjab will undergo rapid test The entire rural population of Punjab will undergo Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) as Covid-19 positivity rate in the state’s villages is rising at an alarming rate, Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said on Wednesday.

The drive will be conducted under ‘Mission Fateh 2 as part of efforts to break the chain of transmission of the coronavirus, according to an official statement.

Covid-19 cases drop, but fatality rate highest

The fatality rate of the state still remains highest in the country, which has the average rate of 1.1 per cent. Punjab is the only state with over 2 per cent rate. It is followed by Sikkim (1.8), Uttarakhand (1.7), Delhi and Goa (1.6 each); and Maharashtra and Manipur 1.5 (each).

According to experts, the high rate can either

be due to underreporting of cases or handling of critical patients. Among the neighbouring states, Himachal has the CFR of 1.4 per cent, followed by Jammu & Kashmir (1.3), UT Chandigarh (1.1) and Haryana (1 per cent).

Still, the situation remains better as compared to the first wave peak. In September last year, the state’s CFR stood at 3.3 per cent.

Pakistan Prime Minister appoints Moeed Yusuf as National Security adviser Prime Minister Imran Khan appoints Moeed Yusuf as new National Security Adviser (NSA).

A notification dated May 17 issued by the Cabinet Division to appoint Mr Yusuf as NSA. “The Prime Minister has been pleased to approve that Dr Moeed Yusuf, Special

Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Security and Strategic Policy Planning, shall function as National Security Adviser with the status of Federal Minister, with immediate effect,” the notification said.

2 arrested in British-Belgian woman’s murder case Two youths, including a female, were arrested here on Wednesday for their alleged involvement in the murder of a 25-year-old British-Belgian woman of Pakistani origin, police said.

The victim, identified as Mahira Zulfiqar, was found dead in her rented house in Lahore on May 3. ‘’Mahria’s friends, Saad Ameer Butt and Iqra Hamdani arrested following the cancellation of their bail on Wednesday,’’ a senior officer of the Punjab Police said Mahira, a British-Belgian dual national,

arrived in Pakistan from Belgium some three months ago and was sharing her rented house with her female friend Iqra.

The officer said that about three weeks before here murder, Mahira had filed a police complaint against Butt for giving death threats to her and trying to sexually assault her. ‘’Butt is politically well-connected. He has denied his involvement in Mahira’s murder and pointed finger to her another friend, Zahid Jadoon, who is also on a protective bail,’’ he said.

Why Pakistan is changing its tune on the Taliban In a strategic shift, Pakistan’s security establishment appears to see more geopolitical upside to an inclusive rather than Talibandominated Afghan govt in Kabul when US troops fully withdraw by September 11.

That marks a distinct flip of Pakistan’s previous position in favor of a Taliban total win over Kabul, one that violently ousts President Ashraf Ghani’s government and establishes a new Islamic emirate to the exclusion of non-Taliban and non-Pashtun groups.

Like the Taliban, Pakistan authorities are known to view dimly Ghani’s elected government, both as a US-backed puppet regime and one that is dangerously close to rival India.

Islamabad’s shift became apparent a fortnight ago when the security establishment renewed its efforts to push the Taliban to rejoin peace talks

with Ghani’s government. Informed sources say the Taliban was told in clear terms that not doing so could invite “tough action” from Pakistan.

In a meeting between Pakistan’s top security officials and Afghan Taliban representatives on April 28 in Istanbul, Turkey, the latter was reportedly given an “enough is enough” message, with Pakistan emphasizing that the Taliban’s seizure of power through the sheer use of force and violence would not be viable.

The meeting and its messaging were reported widely in Pakistani media and subsequently not denied by either side. The Taliban has ramped up attacks as the US begins its withdrawal from government installations in the country, raising fears it plans to rout national forces and ignore any settlement reached via multi-party talks.

Four new Covid-19 cases in Fiji as major lockdown about to lift Four new community cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed by health authorities in Fiji.

They all are from a cluster in the Nadali area of Nausori, near Fiji’s capital Suva, a region of the country where a four day lockdown is due to end tomorrow morning.

The new cases bring the

number of active cases of Covid-19 in the country to 55. Of these, only four are classified as border cases.

The Health Secretary James Fong announced the new cases tonight, saying that over 2,500 tests for the virus had been conducted in the past day.

Man charged for impersonating police office Police have confirmed that a man who pretended he was a “stranded” cop and worked out of a police station in Suva for three weeks has been charged.

Acting Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu told this newspaper the case was a “breach of our practices”.

He said police were carrying out an internal investigation into how a man impersonated a cop and “worked” out of the Raiwaqa Police Station for three weeks.

The man is alleged to have claimed that he was an officer based at the Sigatoka Police Station and was stuck in Suva.

He walked into the Raiwaqa Police Station in uniform and worked for three weeks before being caught.

“During the lockdown police officers were not allowed to move and were supposed to stay within their containment areas,” Mr Tudravu said.

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Saturday, May 22, 2021 India Meteorological Department says cyclone may hit Bengal, Odisha coasts next week Top state officials Wednesday met district administrations along the coastal belt, alerting them on a cyclonic storm developing over gangetic West Bengal and likely to make landfall over the next two to three days.

Officials at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday afternoon said that a low-pressure system could take birth within the next 48 hours and it holds the potential to intensify into a cyclone.

This system will develop close to the north Andaman Sea around May 22 and reach either Odisha or West Bengal by the evening of May 26. If realised, this storm will be the second to form in 2021 and the first over the Bay of Bengal this year. Once the

cyclone forms, it will acquire the name Yaas, given by Oman. The state meteorological department has already put an alert saying, “A low pressure area is very likely to form over (the) North Andaman Sea and adjoining East Central Bay of Bengal around 22nd May, 2021. It is very likely to intensify gradually into a Cyclonic Storm during the subsequent 72 hours. It is very likely to move northwestwards and reach West Bengal – Odisha coasts around 26th May, 2021 evening.”

The Met office further said, “Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy falls at isolated places very likely to commence in the coastal districts of West Bengal.

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Occupan limit:

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Employers, make COVID-19 safety a priority in your workplace as conditions change •

Address the risks in all areas of your workplace including breakrooms and hallways

•

Ensure workers who aren’t feeling well don’t come to work

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Communicate and supervise changes to the plan to ensure they’re followed

Find updated resources and info at worksafebc.com #LetsDoOurPartBC

Saturday, May 22, 2021

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