www.theasianstar.com Vol 20 - Issue 36 BC records 580 new cases of COVID-19 and 9 more deaths British Columbia announced 580 new cases of COVID-19 and nine more deaths on Thursday. In a written statement, the provincial government said there are currently 5,348 active cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus in B.C. A total of 378 people are in hospital, with 153 in intensive care. Continued on page 2
Senior Indo-Canadian bureaucrat Harpeet Kochhar appointed chief of Canada’s Public Health Agency A senior Indo-Canadian scientist has been appointed as the next President of the Public Health Agency of Canada or PHAC replacing an incumbent who has had a controversial tenure which included being censured by the Speaker of the House of Commons. Dr Harpreet S Kochhar, currently a senior bureaucrat with Health Canada, the country’s health ministry, with the designation of associate deputy minister of health, will assume charge later this month, replacing Iain Stewart. Making the announcement on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thanked Stewart for his service to the PHAC and “recognized his leadership in successfully implementing the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.” Kochhar, who formed part of the senior management of Health Canada, will now take over at a time when Covid-19 cases in the country are declining but the country remains in the midst of a fourth wave. Kochhar received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in veterinary science from Punjab Agricultural University before moving to Canada and completing his doctorate in animal biotechnology at the University of Guelph in the province of Ontario.
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Canada’s wireless costs ‘continue to be the highest or among the highest in the world’ A new report by a Finnish telecom analyst has become the latest piece of evidence to show that Canadians pay more for cellphone service than anyone else. “Prices in the Canadian wireless market … continue to be the highest or among the highest in the world,” reads the latest international comparison of mobile data rates by Rewheel, a Helsinki-based telecom research firm. The report tracked more than 40 countries to find the minimum cost needed to acquire a 4G cellphone plan with at least 100 gigabytes of mobile data per month. Canada was by far the most expensive at around $144. The next most-expensive country was South Africa, at around $127. (Prices have been
adjusted to Canadian dollars.) On the other side of the spectrum was Israel. There, a 4G cellphone plan with unlimited minutes and 100 gigabytes of monthly data costs only about C$10 per month. Rewheel also noted that owning a Canadian cellphone is roughly 13 times more expensive than owning a French one. Canada cellphone bills have been topping Rewheel rankings for years. In a dedicated 2019 analysis of the Canadian cellphone market, the group put the blame squarely on the country’s lack of telecom competition. “Significant structural … remedies are required,” it concluded, calling the Canadian system a “de-facto Continued on page 8
Canadian national jailed for 20 years in Fiji for importing $31 million worth of cocaine Canadian national, Joshua Aziz Rahman who was found in possession of 39.5kg of cocaine worth $31 million in Caubati in February 2019 has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Police found 39 bars of cocaine at the house Rahman and his father were renting. While sentencing Rahman, Justice Daniel Goundar said Rahman had the
option to live a good and decent life but he chose a life of crime. He said rehabilitation is of little value when the offender does not take responsibility for his crime. Rahman was not present in court. He appeared via a zoom link from the Remand Centre. A nonparole period of 14 years has been set. Continued on page 7
South Asian man jailed for 21 months in hit & run that killed 19-year-old Vancouver Whitecaps prospect A man has been sentenced to 21 months in jail in connection with a hit-and-run collision that took the life of a Vancouver Whitecaps prospect more than two years ago. Dilpreet Sandhu, who was 18 at the time of the crash and is now 20, received 18 months for his role in Brandon Bassi‘s death, along with three months for leaving the scene of the incident. He also received 15 months for causing bodily harm to other people who were in the vehicle with Bassi, to be served concurrently. Sandhu will also be prohibited from driving for three years. The judge said Tuesday that a jail sentence, in this case, is
“necessary” and Sandhu was taken into custody immediately. Bassi, who was also 19 at the time, died when the Jeep he was a passenger in crashed at 78 Avenue and 122 Street in Surrey around 12:30 a.m. on May 18, 2019. Six people had been in the Jeep. Three other people were taken to hospital, with two of them in serious condition. At the time of the crash, police said two people fled the scene, but they were later identified. Sandhu was initially charged with eight offences, including dangerous driving causing death and failure to remain at the scene of a fatal crash. Continued on page 7