The Asian Star June 15 2019

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Vol 19 - Issue 20

Calgary producer of paneer, desi ghee & lassi has his licence suspended by CFIA The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has suspended the licence of a Calgary milk producer.

The Safe Food for Canadians licence of Mother Dairy, located on 47th Street N.E., was suspended May 21 for failing to identify hazards, having a lack of

Saturday, June 15, 2019

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Recruitment could be ‘a massive challenge’ for new Surrey police force The city is relying on its ability to hire hundreds of experienced officers before a proposed new police force launches in April 2021. The highly competitive police recruiting environment in Canada could make it difficult for Surrey to fill the ranks of its proposed municipal police force over the next two years, a policing expert says. “It’s going to be a massive challenge.

Policing in Canada, from what I have seen, the pool of interested candidates continues to get smaller,” said Sgt. Brian Sauvé, a B.C. RCMP officer who is currently on leave to help establish the National Police Federation.

“Everybody’s chasing after that pool of eligible candidates.” The new police force, which the city proposes to have up and running by April

21, 2021, will have 805 officers, which is close to what the city has now under the RCMP. Although not all officers are expected to be hired by the transition date — the plan is to have 461 sworn officers, with another 344 officers to be phased in over the following three months — a transition report recognizes that hiring so many officers within a relatively short period of time will be “a significant undertaking.”

Surrey’s plan relies on the assumption that the majority of the officers it hires initially will be experienced, which could mean RCMP members or Continued on page 30

Canada turns into a giant street party after Raptors’ win appropriate equipment and failing to implement a preventive control plan and document a food complaint process, according to a release.

There is no food recall associated with the suspension. According to its website, some of the products the company produces include paneer (Indian cottage cheese), desi ghee (clarified butter), whipped butter, plain yogurt (Punjabi dahi), and lassi (sweet and salted). The suspension can be lifted if CFIA believes corrective measures have been taken. If corrective measures are not taken within 90 days, the licence can be cancelled.

The Toronto Raptors, a team whose magical playoff run sparked civic pride and raucous enthusiasm across Canada, sent fans into fits of unbridled joy on Thursday as they beat the reigning champ Golden State Warriors (The Golden State Warriors are American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California) in a see-saw thriller to win the NBA championship.

Thousands of spectators who jammed Jurassic Park, the fan zone outside the team’s empty downtown arena, to watch Game 6 of the finals on big screens erupted in gleeful pandemonium as the final buzzer sounded.

“This is the best day of my life!” said John Cooke, 35, of Toronto.

Continued on page 7

Canadian broadcasters call NBA Finals in Punjabi for first time in history arminder Singh and Preet Randhawa broadcast Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Punjabi for the first time in the league’s history.

While all eyes were watching the Raptors make team history on the court, a different kind of history was being made in one of the broadcast booths at the Oracle Arena.

Parminder Singh and Preet Randhawa broadcast the NBA Finals in Punjabi for the first time in the league’s history, breaking barriers and accomplishing a life-long goal.

“This is incredible, I can’t even put into words the emotions,” said Singh.

Singh’s and Randhawa’s voices were heard around the world as they called Game 4 in Oakland between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors.

Singh said the pair were approached by the NBA to call the games as part of the league’s internal global broadcast network.

Their culturally diverse calls, with phrases like “masala!” were offered up to the millions of viewers around the world through the league’s television network, called NBA League Pass. It also aired on NBA digital Continued on page 6

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Vol 18 - Issue 20

Saturday, June 15, 2019

South Asian woman in ‘shock’ after sex abuse convictions tossed over court delay It took Jeeti Pooni more than a decade to get justice for her and her sisters, and now she says all her efforts have been undone.

The women — whose stories are at the heart of the 2019 documentary Because We Are Girls — have spent the last 12 years pursuing criminal charges against an older cousin who sexually abused them throughout their childhood in Williams Lake, B.C. They thought that chapter of their life was finally over when Manjit Singh Virk was convicted on April 6, 2018, of sexually abusing Pooni, sister Salakshana (Surjit) Pooni and their cousin Rajinder Rana.

But on Monday, a B.C. Supreme Court Judge stayed those convictions, arguing that excessive court delays prevented the accused from getting a fair trial.

“It was a complete shock,” Pooni told As It Happens host Carol Off. “After all these years, and after a guilty verdict, this is not what one would expect from the system.”

Her sister, she said, described it as “writing a big test and you fail at the end.”

The Crown has 30 days to appeal the stay.

Virk’s lawyer, Tony Zipp, said he cannot comment on the case until the appeal period has expired.

The case is one of hundreds that have been thrown out since the Supreme Court of

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Canada issued the so-called Jordan decision on July 8, 2016.

In a 5-4 ruling, the high court cast aside drug convictions against Barrett Richard Jordan, citing unreasonable delays. The decision set deadlines of 18 months for provincial court trials and 30 months in superior court.But Pooni says that if anyone was subjected to unreasonable delays in this case, it was her.

“I can’t even tell you how many times my sisters and I flew up or drove up to Williams Lake only to hear, ‘Oh, adjourned,’ only to hear, ‘Oh, now they filed another application.

Oh, now we have to hear this one,’” Pooni said.

“Somebody has to be responsible in moving the case forward in a timely manner and I don’t understand all these delays.”

Pooni was 11 years old in 1980 when she says she was sexually assaulted for the first time. It’s a horror she would live through again and again.

But shame and fear caused her to keep it a secret for her entire childhood. At 22, she finally told sisters what happened to her, and she learned they’d all had similar experiences.

Sisters Salakshana, Jeeti and Kira with their mother growing up in Williams Lake, a small resource based town in British Columbia.

First, they went to their parents, hoping to address the issue within the family.

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Alleged gang kingpin may have used Liberal MP’s law firm to launder money through BC condo deal The law firm of Richmond Liberal MP Joe Peschisolido facilitated a secretive financial transaction that might have helped an alleged Chinese cartel “drug boss” launder his unexplained wealth through a Metro Vancouver condo development, a media investigation reveals.

The service that Peschisolido’s firm completed is a so-called “bare trust” joint venture.

This type of deal is legal, but a client involved in this case who is a convicted drug-trafficker should have raised “huge red flags” for the Canadian politician’s firm, according to financial crime experts that reviewed documents obtained by Global News.

Bare trust deals have become extremely controversial in the midst of B.C.’s money

laundering scandal because the transactions allow investors to hide their ownership of land in documents only accessible to lawyers.

Critics, including B.C. Attorney General David Eby and Finance Minister Carole James, have called bare trusts a loophole that helped drive home prices higher and turned B.C. real estate into a secrecy haven ideal for international criminals seeking to hide dirty money and evade taxes.

The land deal facilitated by a lawyer at Peschisolido’s firm in 2011 involves a company directed by Kwok Chung Tam, an alleged “heavyweight” in the Big Circle Boys, a powerful Mainland China-based drug cartel.

UNICEF to honor Priyanka Chopra with humanitarian award Unicef will honor Indian actress Priyanka Chopra with the Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award at the Unicef Snowflake Ball in December. Chopra, a global Unicef Goodwill Ambassador for Child Rights, took to Twitter and wrote: “So humbled. Thank you Unicef for honouring me with the Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award at the Unicef Snowflake Ball in December.” The event will be held on Dec. 3 in New

York. The 36-year-old says her work for Unicef means everything to her. “My work with Unicef on behalf of all the world’s children means everything to me. Here’s to peace, freedom and the right to education,” she added. Priyanka Chopra has worked with Unicef since 2006 and was appointed the national and global Unicef Goodwill Ambassador for Child Rights in 2010 and 2016.

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OPINION

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Uncontrolled gov’t spending must be a federal election issue

By Jake Fuss, Tegan Hill and Jason Clemens The Fraser Institute

As the fall federal election approaches, political commentators will bombard Canadians with sometimes misleading rhetoric. But Canadians need facts, not fiction, to make well-informed decisions.

Such rhetoric undermines the public’s understanding of good policy and on one key issue, creates confusion around the size and role of Canada’s federal government in recent history. Appropriate size of government is critical, as it shares a close relationship with economic growth. Two measures can properly determine the size of the federal government: spending (as a share of the economy) or per person spending (adjusted for inflation). Immediately after taking office, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau increased program spending. As a share of the economy, federal program spending increased from 13

per cent in 2014 to 13.9 per cent in 2015.

At the end of this government’s term in October, this year’s federal budget projects program expenses will reach 14.3 per cent of gross domestic product. So the share of government spending has increased (relative to economic growth) since the last federal election.

Similarly, per-person spending (inflation adjusted) immediately jumped from $7,740 in 2014 to $8,282 by the end of 2015. In 2018, per-person program spending (inflation adjusted) reached $8,869, the highest point in Canadian history, including the Great Depression, the 2009 recession and both world wars. Clearly, under the Trudeau Liberals, the size of the federal government has increased.

Yet the size of government can’t be branded by political party. Prime Minister Stephen Harper also increased the size of the government. According to data from the federal Department of Finance, the Harper Conservatives increased per-person

spending (inflation adjusted) from $6,992 in 2005 to $7,740 in 2014 – an increase of 10.7 per cent. Prior to Harper taking office in 2006, federal government spending as a share of the economy was 12.5 per cent. By the end of his tenure, Harper had increased spending (as a share of GDP) to 13.0 per cent.

No matter how you slice it, the Harper Tories increased the size of the federal government.

The expansion of government under both Harper and Trudeau stands in stark contrast to the reform period led by Liberal Jean Chretien. By the end of his tenure as prime minster, Chretien had reduced the size of government (as a share of GDP) from 17.1 per cent in 1992-93 to 12.5 per cent in 2003.

Moreover, in 1999-00 and 2000-01, federal program spending as a share of the economy was reduced to 11.8 per cent – a level not seen in decades.

Per-person spending tells a similar story.

Before Chretien took office in 1993, perperson program spending was $6,995. At its lowest point, Chretien reduced this number to $5,806. Although per-person spending inched up to $6,670 near the end of his tenure, the amount was still lower than when he took office.

Some political commentators may suggest a Liberal government means more spending and larger government, but that’s not necessarily the case. Chretien reduced the size of government during his time in office.

As Canadians prepare to vote in the fall, it’s crucial to remember both the importance of sound fiscal policies – balanced budgets, smart and prioritized government spending, and competitive taxes – and the history of previous governments.

The resounding economic success of the Chretien government can serve as an ideal model for future governments, regardless of the party.

Jason Clemens, Jake Fuss and Tegan Hill are analysts with the Fraser Institute.

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Canadian broadcasters call NBA Finals in Punjabi for first time in history streaming platforms, which reached India and other south Asian countries.

Raptors’ Fred VanVleet shows off ‘hockey’ smile after chipped tooth, stitches But it took the duo a long time and a lot of hard work to get to what they believe may be the pinnacle of their careers. “So this is 10 years in the making,� said Singh. “The first time we called a game in Punjabi, it was called in 2009 when the Raptors broadcast was actually covered by CBC. “CBC had Sunday afternoon games. But since then, CBC had not had any games. We hadn’t called any games in Punjabi.�

Thousands celebrate Toronto Raptors win, including one dinosaur costumewearing fan Singh put his dream to call basketball aside and chased his passion for another sport by being one of the first on-air contributors to Hockey Night in Punjabi on CBC. NHL game to be broadcast in Plains Cree language later this month That sparked a lot of success and gained traction with the thousands of Canadian viewers who enjoyed watching the NHL in

Punjabi.

And then in 2019, out of the blue, the dream was alive again. “We got a call from the league and the NBA said: ‘Listen, so we want you to be a part of our global outreach for us,’� said Singh. “That includes India, so they’re going to India early next season for a couple of games there which is the first time that’s going to happen.�: ‘We the North’ Raptors fans celebrate at Oracle Arena following Game 4 win The duo called their first game of the 2019 playoffs during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Singh said it was enough of a success that they were asked to come back for the rest of the series and then call the NBA Finals. “The amount of excitement that any sports fan would have and get the call to be able to call the games, it’s incredible,� said an excited Singh.

With the NBA’s growing international reach, Singh hopes the view he gets of the NBA Finals from the broadcast booth becomes a regular one for years to come.

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Press release

BC Liberal statement on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day BC Liberal Seniors Care Critic Linda Reid has released the following statement in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: “Saturday, June 15th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, a day marked by the United Nations as an annual international day of observance. With a growing global population of elderly people, elder abuse is sadly a serious and increasing problem. It is vital to raise awareness of what elder abuse is and how to prevent it whenever and wherever possible. “Elder abuse can take many forms, including physical, emotional, sexual, institutional, financial, and neglect.

This Saturday is an opportunity to reach out to parents and grandparents and take a moment to ensure that they feel safe and

supported. “As the Opposition Critic for Seniors Care, I have had the pleasure of working alongside seniors across c o m mu n i t i e s in British Columbia. Seniors built our province, they raised our families and built the communities that allow us to enjoy our quality of life here in British Columbia. It is our job to ensure that they get to continue to enjoy that same quality of life. “If you suspect you or a loved one have been subject to elder abuse, please reach out to the proper resources. A directory of supports is available here.�

Press release

BC Liberals call on John Horgan to reduce stumpage fees and forest sector carbon tax With the B.C. forest sector in crisis across the province, BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson and his rural caucus have issued a letter to John Horgan calling on his government to take meaningful and immediate action to help the sector. “To date, the John Horgan government has thrown up its hands and told forest-dependent communities there is nothing it can do to help them,� said Official Opposition Leader Andrew Wilkinson. “This is failed leadership on the part of John Horgan– plain and simple. Hard-working B.C. families need help and they need it now.�

Today, Andrew Wilkinson and his rural caucus released a letter sent to John Horgan that outlines actions the NDP government should take to address the forestry sector crisis facing British Columbia. The BC Liberals are calling on John Horgan to: Immediately

engage the federal government to look at multi-level supports for communities and impacted workers, including employment assistance for those workers who don’t currently qualify;Establish a forestry competitiveness committee. , including opposition MLAs, focused on how we can ensure a healthy sector in the short and long term; Re-engage the U.S. to get B.C. the softwood deal it deserves – John Horgan promised this over two years ago; Immediately reduce stumpage fees and the carbon tax on the forestry sector, including contractors and others dependent on the sector, until market conditions stabilize; and Create a fund that impacted communities can access to hire contractors and out-ofwork forestry workers on wildfire mitigation projects.

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Saturday, June 15, 2019 From page 1

Canada turns into a giant street party after Raptors’ win

The crowd sang Queen’s “We Are the Champions” as they streamed into clogged streets. Some climbed poles and waved shirts, car horns blared in a triumphant cacophony.

“I’ve never been a part of something like this,” said Jocelyn Campbell, 23, of Toronto.

“It’s magical.”

“And that’s how we do it in the North,” Prime Minister Trudeau tweeted above a photo of him, two of his children and a dog watching the game. Fans had gathered both indoors and at dozens of outdoor venues across the country to cheer on a team from a city many Canadians love to hate, their enthusiasm measured by unusually jammed bars.

“It’s difficult to put into words what this means to me, but my love for my son — and the Raptors — is off the charts,” said John Drzazga, 41, of Grimsby, Ont., whose 10-yearold Dustin roamed the zone in an inflatable

Alleged gang kingpin may have used Liberal MP’s law firm to launder money through B.C. condo deal The law firm of Richmond Liberal MP Joe Peschisolido facilitated a secretive financial transaction that might have helped an alleged Chinese cartel “drug boss” launder his unexplained wealth through a Metro Vancouver condo development, a Global News investigation reveals.

The service that Peschisolido’s firm completed is a so-called “bare trust” joint venture.

This type of deal is legal, but a client involved in this case who is a convicted drug-trafficker should have raised “huge red flags” for the Canadian politician’s firm, according to financial crime experts that reviewed documents obtained by Global News.

WATCH: NDP Leader grills Trudeau over ‘bare trust’ real estate deal facilitated

by Richmond MP’s law firm Bare trust deals have become extremely controversial in the midst of B.C.’s money laundering scandal because the transactions allow investors to hide their ownership of land in documents only accessible to lawyers.

Critics, including B.C. Attorney General David Eby and Finance Minister Carole James, have called bare trusts a loophole that helped drive home prices higher and turned B.C. real estate into a secrecy haven ideal for international criminals seeking to hide dirty money and evade taxes.

The land deal facilitated by a lawyer at Peschisolido’s firm in 2011 involves a company directed by Kwok Chung Tam, an alleged “heavyweight” in the Big Circle Boys, a powerful Mainland China-based

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dinosaur suit with a two-metre tail.

Renowned Toronto rapper and Raptor global ambassador Drake said the team played with heart. “We did this off of love,” Drake said after the game. “We willed this into existence.”

While most of the massive crowds in Toronto were boisterous but well behaved, some damaged two police cruisers trapped on one street and a transit bus on another. There were no immediate reports of any injuries or arrests. The Toronto Raptors are NBA champions for the first time ever, which means it’s time to plan the celebrations. The Raptors said the parade will begin Monday at 10 a.m.

ET. at the Princes’ Gates at Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto. It will continue eastward on Lakeshore Boulevard to York Street, where it will then turn left to head north on University before entering Nathan Phillips Square on Queen Street, which is where city hall and the Toronto sign are located.

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Saturday, June 15, 2019

The swan song of a secular India?

In May 2019, nearly one billion people in the world’s largest democracy cast their votes to give the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi a landslide victory. The Indian National Congress — India’s stalwart of secularism, now led by the inheritor of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty Rahul Gandhi — was not even able to win enough seats within the Lok Sabha (India’s Parliament) to form an official opposition. This election became a contest of personalities — Modi versus Gandhi. Gandhi’s economic agenda and push to highlight the BJP’s poor economic policies failed to resonant among an electorate enthralled by Modi’s muscular nationalism

and personal popularity. Adulations from abroad quickly began, praising Modi’s strong leadership and highlighting his economic initiatives and promises. Steven Rattner, a former economic advisor in the Obama administration, argued in The New York Times that “India Needs Modi,” lauding the leader for his economic policies over the previous five years. Political scientist and Eurasia Group president Ian Bremmer earlier called Modi “India’s best hope for economic reform.” And countless world leaders, including Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and US President Donald Trump, offered congratulations for the BJP’s electoral successes. Securing an even stronger majority and without an official

opposition, Modi declared, “Elections divide and create a gulf but 2019 polls broke down the walls and connected hearts. They united the society. The people have started a new era and all of us are a witness to it.”

While Modi may have spoken of a “united” India in the wake of his victory, his path to power rested upon sowing fear and division within Indian society, a consistent theme in his party’s electoral rhetoric. Though Modi won praise for economic policies, the BJP sidelined economic issues in its campaigns and prioritized nationalism and Islamophobia, goaded on by the recent tension with Pakistan over the Pulwama attack in Kashmir.

Child marriage ‘legal and ongoing’ in Canada, researcher finds Since 2017, Canada’s government under Justin Trudeau’s Liberals has conducted foreign policy with an explicitly “feminist” approach, especially as it relates to sexual and reproductive health rights. Part of that has involved trying to eradicate child marriage overseas. Canada is a leader and key funder of United Nations efforts to end child marriage, which is regarded as a revealing measure of a country’s development.

But there is a curious blind spot.

“There’s been absolutely no reflection on the fact that it remains legal in Canada,” said

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Alissa Koski, who researches child marriage in Canada as an assistant professor at McGill University’s Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health.

The bizarre result is that Canada legally permits the very practices it condemns and combats in the developing world.

Child marriage in Canada “is legal and ongoing,” Koski concludes, and not as a rare legal quirk in niche communities of religious extremists, as media coverage often suggests.

There’s been absolutely no reflection on the fact that it remains legal in Canada Alissa Koski, McGill University Provinces have, in fact, issued marriage licences for 3,382 children over the last 18 years, according to Koski’s presentation to the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences in Vancouver.

In absolute numbers, Ontario sanctioned the most child marriages with 1,353 since 2000, then Alberta with 791, Quebec with 590 and British Columbia with 429. She adds that her results likely “underestimate the true extent of the practice.”

It has happened in every region, Koski said. The vast majority are girls; and compared to boys, girls marry at younger ages and to substantially older spouses.

The rate is highest in Alberta, at 5 girls per 10,000, and one boy as measured by data from the year 2016, or 3 children total per 10,000. Child marriage is associated with poor health and economic outcomes, particularly for girls, Her discovery that Canada has approved at least 3,382 child marriages since 2000 is based on data from vital statistics offices, which indicates the marriage happened in Canada, but otherwise offers limited information. Further work with census data might offer a clearer picture of demographics, although with the added caveat that it will include marriages that happened in other countries before the person came to Canada.

In the United States, the rate of child marriage is about 6.2 children per 1000, higher in girls than boys (6.8 vs 5.7), lower among white people, higher among Indigenous and Chinese, and ranging from less than 4 children per 1,000 in Maine, Rhode Island and Wyoming, to as much as 10 per 1,000 in West Virginia, Hawaii and North Dakota, according to Koski’s previous studies of child marriage in America.

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Driver of semi-truck in fatal hit-and-run identified The driver of a semi-truck involved in a fatal hit-and-run last week in Burnaby has been identified by police. Burnaby RCMP said in a news release Friday that the driver has spoken with police and is cooperating with the investigation. The collision happened midday on June 6, when a man was walking in

the area of Marine Way and Boundary Road.

He was struck by a semi-truck while crossing a street, and was not in a marked crosswalk, police said. The driver stopped briefly after the crash, before driving away. The man died at the scene.

No charges have been laid at this time.

One man dead in fiery semi-truck crash on Deltaport Way One man is dead after a fiery crash between two transport trucks on Deltaport Way. The road to Metro Vancouver’s busy Roberts Bank Superport, which includes the GCT Deltaport container terminal and the Westshore Terminal coalloading facility, is closed in both directions and port operations are on hold. B.C. coroner spokesman Andy Watson confirmed that they’re investigating the death of a man as a result of that crash but had no other information. Delta police spokeswoman Cris Leykauf said the collision happened at around 9:45 a.m. in the 3500-block of Deltaport Way. One of the semis caught fire and was engulfed in flames. Police haven’t

released any details about the fatality or injuries. Leykauf said Deltaport Way will be closed for several hours Thursday as police investigate and clear the road. The port is closed to all traffic except emergency vehicles. GCT Deltaport said the truck gates will be closed for the rest of the day because of the crash on the causeway. The company said operations will resume Friday

Canada-wide warrant issued for Surrey teen A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for an 18-year-old Surrey man in connection with a drugtrafficking investigation.

James Daniel is wanted on three charges. The charges are linked to a probe that began last fall, looking into drug trafficking in Surrey and Delta linked to a group associated with the continuing Lower Mainland gang conflict.

A warrant has been issued for Daniel’s arrest.

Daniel is a black man, about 6-foot-1, weighing 141 pounds with a slender build. He has short black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone who recognizes Daniel, or has information about his location, is asked to contact Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502

Hot weather records smashed It was a record-breaking hot day in BC on Wednesday.

Environment and Climate Change Canada says several records were smashed around the province, including in Metro Vancouver.

Chilliwack hit 33 C, breaking the record 32.2 C set in 1932. Abbotsford hit 31.9 C, breaking the record 28.5 C in 1999.

Squamish was 31.4 C, smashing the 1999 record of 27 C. Vancouver hit 29.1 C, up from 27.4 C set in 1999. Pitt Meadows was 31.7 C and White Rock was 30.9 C.

Vancouver Island, record hot temperatures were recorded in Nanaimo (32 C,) Campbell River (30 C,) Victoria (29.6 C,) and Tofino (27 C.) Hope residents sizzled in 32.5 C, Princeton soared to 33 C and Merritt tied its 1982 record of 32 C. Powell River on the Sunshine Coast set a record of 29 C beating 28.3 C set in 1932. The federal weather agency says the hot weather was caused by a very strong ridge of high pressure.

LOCAL

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Only 32% of Canadians think Trudeau With four months left until the federal election, the Liberals Scheer would get 37 per cent of the decided are again trailing behind the Conservatives in popular vote. decided voter support.

Trudeau, meanwhile, would get 31 per And they are running out of time to make cent, while the NDP would get 18 per cent. up the difference, suggests a new Ipsos poll Roughly 10 per cent of Canadians said they conducted exclusively for Global News. are open to voting for “some other party” Trudeau now has a lower approval rating while just five per cent nationally said they than Trump, with Tories way ahead, suggests would vote for the Bloc Quebecois, compared Ipsos poll to 22 per cent in Quebec who would say the According to the new poll, Prime Minister same for the Bloc.

Justin Trudeau‘s approval rating is at its lowest The poll did not specifically prompt point since he was elected in 2015. Just 32 respondents who said they would vote for per cent of respondents said they believe the “some other party” on whether they would Trudeau government has done a good job and vote for the Greens. deserves re-election, compared to 68 per cent “We have found that, historically, who think it’s time for another party to take prompting the Green Party as a response power. option in online polls tends to exaggerate As well, the Conservatives are leading in their level of support,” said Sean Simpson, public support in all provinces except for vice president of Ipsos Public Affairs.

Quebec, with the Liberal lead in Ontario and “This is because the Green Party will often British Columbia now vanished. be chosen by poll respondents who either The poll suggests that if an election were don’t like any of the other options and are held tomorrow, Conservative Leader Andrew

Saturday, June 15, 2019

deserves re-election as Tories hold lead: Ipsos poll looking for a protest response and/or won’t actually vote on election day. We recognize that the dynamics appear to be different in this election campaign, and we continue to evaluate our approach to ensure that it will produce the most accurate popular-vote estimates.” Still, those numbers may signal trouble for the Liberals with the clock now ticking towards the next federal election.

“They’re running out of time,” said Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs.

“They’ve run out of time to do anything new, and where they find themselves is what you see in our new poll which is trailing the Tories quite considerably, which is becoming a trend. It’s been consistent since the whole SNC-Lavalin affair took place.”

With SNC-Lavalin in the past, gap between Liberals and Conservatives tightens, says Ipsos poll

In Ontario, the Conservatives are polling at 38 per cent support while the Liberals are at 32 per cent and the NDP are at 22 per cent.

That comes despite recent provincial polls suggesting the policies of Premier Doug Ford are negatively impacting the support for the federal Conservatives in that province, and as the Liberals trail in Atlantic Canada, a region they swept in the 2015 campaign.

The Conservatives hold 44 per cent of decided voters in Atlantic Canada compared to the Liberals at 28 per cent.

In Quebec, where the Liberals will need to capitalize on a plummeting NDP in order to make up for lost votes elsewhere, the party is holding a lead with 37 per cent of decided voter support. The Conservatives are at 24 per cent in the province, though, and the Bloc Quebecois at 22 per cent.

Explosions, big guns, handcuffs and unanswered questions in Surrey neighbourhood Surrey resident Kris Duncan was watching tv on Wednesday night when a police bust down the street became so much more interesting. Duncan, 63, saw the red and blue lights flashing, got up to look out his window, and sat down again. “About 10 or 15 minutes I heard two huge explosions,” he told the Now-Leader. “It sounded like a huge wall falling down.” “There was two of them, about 10 seconds apart.” This was in the 11300-block of Lansdowne Drive, in Bolivar Heights, at about 10 o’clock. Duncan went out to investigate. Neighbours did the same.

“There was a great big white truck, it looked like a bomb disposal unit for the RCMP, and I noticed there was a couple of cops walking around with military fatigues

on, like a military helmet on,” he said. “They all carried M-16s or M-18s or whatever. This guy seemed to be pretty prepped for a small war, but he was talking to some of the RCMP and I’d seen them come down with a guy in a white T-Shirt, kind of like a muscle shirt, wifebeater shirt whatever, in handcuffs.”

Duncan said he asked a cop what what was going on. “He just said, ‘We’re arresting people.’” He asked another officer about the explosions, he said, and was told everything was okay, to go back into his house and enjoy the rest of his night. “It’s kind of hard to enjoy the night when there’s two large explosions going on,” he said. “I was pretty shocked when I heard these two large explosions. I thought ‘Wow.’ It woke the whole neighbourhood.”

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Khalsa Business Centre

128th Street, 84th Ave., Surrey, BC

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Defence Minister taken to task about white supremacists in the Canadian Forces – military says it’s dealing with the issue

Congratulations TO THE CLASS OF We know how hard you worked to reach graduation day, and now it’s time to celebrate your accomplishments.

We wish you a happy and successful future. iStock

A message from your teachers, members of the Surrey Teachers’ Association

The head of Canada’s anti-hate network is questioning why the Canadian Forces is dragging its heels when it comes to dealing with white supremacists and neo-Nazis in its ranks even though it was warned about the problem by military police last year.

Canadian Anti-Hate Network Chair Bernie Farber, speaking at a panel discussion in Toronto about white supremacy, questioned why Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and the Canadian Forces leadership haven’t taken significant action even though a November 2018 report warned about the presence of such extremists.

A Military Police Criminal Intelligence Section report, only made public recently through an access to information request, says that between 2013 and 2018 there were 16 identified members of extreme hate groups in the Canadian military. It also noted that members of hate groups go to significant lengths to hide their associations, meaning the number is likely much higher, Farber’s organization noted.

Another 37 engaged in racist or hateful behaviour. The report went on to state that as of November 2018, at least thirty of these individuals were still active in the CAF. “All of the groups identified fall under the far-right spectrum of political discourse

and beliefs, specifically anti-Islam and/ or white supremacy,” the Nov. 29, 2018 document, obtained by Global News and the Montreal radio station 98.5 FM, pointed out.

The report noted that many hate groups emphasis firearms training and other military skills. As such, Canadian Force members are seen as important recruits for the extreme right. “Drawing on their training and deployment experience, current and former military members find that their skills are valued by these groups,” the military police report pointed out.

“Further, they provide structure to these organizations, therefore, affording them the ability to gain positions of leadership.”

Even one member of an extreme hate group in the ranks of the Canadian Forces is too many, said Farber. “Imagine thirty white supremacist extremists from groups including Atomwaffen, a group responsible for murders and stopped while planning a terrorist attack?” Farber said. “Had the report identified thirty ISIS members how long do you think they would still be in active service?”

“As a result of a detailed review, there are very few in the CAF and all whom we know have been or are being dealt with appropriately,” the Department of National Defence said in a statement

Two rushed to hospital after dirt bike crash in Maple Ridge Two men were seriously injured in a dirt bike collision in Maple Ridge on Wednesday.

The crash took place at approximately 4:30 p.m. on the Sandman Trail about 1.5 km from the north end of 256 Street.

Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue was called and had to hike in to the victims

because the trail was too narrow for an ATV, according to spokesman Rick Laing.

The crew hiked in for approximately half an hour,andbroughtthevictimsoutonastretcher.

One man was taken to hospital by air ambulance, and the other went by ground ambulance.

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Music teacher suspended after telling student to kill himself A Delta music teacher is facing a threeday suspension after telling a Grade 9 band student a comment to the effect of “go kill yourself, it won’t matter anyway.”

Boris Pekarsky was teaching Grade 9 band class at an independent school in Delta at the time of the incident Boris Pekarsky was heard uttering these words in front of a band class in November 2016, according to a May 28 ruling by the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation.

The board found that Pekarsky first yelled at the student who was not on task. As the student moved to sit down he tripped over a percussion instrument, causing a loud noise.

Pekarsky then asked the student and his peer to leave the class. As they were walking away, Pekarsky told the student words to the effect of “go kill yourself, it won’t matter anyway.”

A few months later, in January 2017, Pekarsky met with a small group of students

from the same band class and asked them what to do about the behaviour of a few other students in the class who had been “acting out.” According to the decision, Pekarsky used specific students’ names.

In March 2017, the school suspended Pekarsky from work without pay for 10 days.

It appears that Pekarsky taught at Southpointe Academy in 2016, according to the school’s social media.

Black Press Media has reached out to the school for confirmation.

Regulation branch commissioner Howard Kushner said in his decision that Pekarsky failed to treat all students with respect and dignity and showed a lack of insight when he inappropriately discussed specific students with their fellow classmates.

He went on to say that those discussions “created an unhealthy dynamic in the classroom and undermined a respectful and inclusive learning environment.”

Two dead, three in hospital after boats collide in Osoyoos lake The bodies of two men have been recovered from Osoyoos Lake in British Columbia’s southern Okanagan, following a high-speed collision between two power boats.

Osoyoos RCMP Sgt. Jason Bayda says a specialized police dive team located the bodies of a 35-year-old Kamloops man and a 36-year-old Maple Ridge man on Sunday evening.

The men were aboard a boat that witnesses say flew into the air and immediately sank after T-boning another boat on the lake just south of Osoyoos.

Three men in the second vessel managed to cling to a portion of its hull and were rescued by other boaters who rushed to assist.

Bayda says two of the survivors were

taken to hospital in critical condition while a third was listed in stable condition.

Bayda says RCMP crews remain on the lake attempting to raise what’s left of both boats from the bottom, and an investigation into a cause of the crash continues.

Pedestrian killed in multi-vehicle crash in Burnaby Burnaby RCMP say they believe speed was a factor in a multi-vehicle crash Friday evening that claimed the life of a pedestrian.

The collision happened on Lougheed Highway between Madison Avenue and Gilmore Avenue just before 9 p.m.

Police say the pedestrian died at the

scene and that two other people were hospitalized with unspecified injuries.

No other information was immediately released.

Investigators are urging anyone who witnessed the crash or has in car video of the scene to contact them.

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Demolition of Whalley Legion building begins $312-million Surrey Legion Veterans Village project is to be built in its place Demolition of the historic Whalley Legion began on Tuesday to make way for the $312-million Veterans Village project to be built in its place.

“Goodbye legion 229,” Whalley legion president Tony Moore wrote in an email to the Now-Leader, also sharing a photo of the partially torn down building at 13525 106th Ave., where the legion has operated since 1948.

As of Tuesday afternoon, about half of the main building was still standing.

“This will be taken down tomorrow if all goes well,” project superintendent Kelly Richter told the Now-Leader. “The demo team will be on site for the rest of the week.”

Last month, a ground-breaking ceremony for the Legion Veterans Village project was held. Once built, the site will feature two towers that emulate the Canadian N a t i o n a l Vimy Memorial in France.

Veterans and Legion members, local MPs, members of Surrey city council, MLAs and other dignitaries were on hand for the May 23 groundbreaking ceremony and to celebrate with a parade march by veterans and community groups, and speeches.

At the time, Moore described the

Two rushed to hospital after dirt bike crash in Maple Ridge Two men were seriously injured in a dirt bike collision in Maple Ridge on Wednesday.

The crash took place at approximately 4:30 p.m. on the Sandman Trail about 1.5 km from the north end of 256 Street.

Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue was called and had to hike in to the victims

because the trail was too narrow for an ATV, according to spokesman Rick Laing.

The crew hiked in for approximately half an hour,andbroughtthevictimsoutonastretcher.

One man was taken to hospital by air ambulance, and the other went by ground ambulance.

Punjabi singer pulled from Surrey 5X Festival lineup due to safety concerns Musician’s previous concerts marred by stabbing, shooting in recent months Punjabi signer Sidhu Moose Wala will no longer be performing at the 5X Festival in Surrey this Saturday (June 15) due to safety concerns from the Surrey RCMP. An Instagram post from 5X Fest says that “due to circumstances outside of our control,” Sidhu Moose Wala has been pulled from the 5X Block Party at Central City Plaza.

The Instagram post says Surrey RCMP “have deemed him (Sidhu Moose Wala) a security risk.”

“Although we disagree, we have removed him from the lineup in order to proceed with the festival,” the post reads.

Surrey RCMP said they did not deem Sidhu Moose Wala a security risk.

Sergeant Chad Greig said Surrey

RCMP have noticed a “number of violent activities that have surrounded Mr. Sidhu Moose Wala’s past performances.”

Back in February, a man was stabbed during a Sidhu Moose Wala and Elly Mangat concert at a Surrey banquet hall.

Then in Calgary on May 5, Global News reported that Calgary police were investigating after an alleged shooting at a Sidhu Moose Wala concert.

Greig said the Surrey RCMP “advised” the City of Surrey that it “does not believe” that future performances by Sidhu Moose Wala “are of the best interest for the safety of the city.”

5X Block Party, the posts reads, will still include performances from Mickey Singh, Raja Kumari, Jaz Dhami, Intense and Decibel Entertainment.

RCMP reveal top-10 worst intersections for crashes in Surrey Surrey Mounties say 290 pedestrians were struck in Surrey last year, 19 were killed in traffic crashes and 20 more were seriously injured.

This past month, there was a traffic death or serious injury every week.

“Police enforcement alone cannot make Surrey’s roadways safer,” said Sergeant Ian MacLellan, of Surrey RCMP Traffic Services.

“We urge our roadway users to follow the rules of the road and to understand that by doing so, they will prevent motor vehicle collision deaths and serious injuries in Surrey.”

The worst is 128th Street and 96th Avenue, with 24 crashes, followed by 96th Avenue and King George Boulevard and 104th Avenue and King George (18 crashes each), 64th Avenue and King George (17), 176th Street and Fraser Highway and 128th Street and 72nd Avenue (16 crashes

each), 72nd Avenue and King George (15), 68th Avenue and King George and 128th Street and 80th Avenue ( 14 each), and 88th Avenue and King George with 13 crashes.

Corporal Elenore Sturko noted that these numbers only include crashes that were investigated by the Surrey RCMP and happened right at the intersections.

“In reality the number of collisions is much greater,” she said. “It could have been a block ahead and not included by us.”

That 290 pedestrian crashes figure, sadly, is not atypical.

“It’s on par with what we’ve seen over the past couple of years,” Sturko said.

Not all were serious injuries, nor with drivers to blame. Some crashes involved “inattentive pedestrian behaviour” like jaywalking.

Fraser Health denies it committed to setting up overdose prevention site in Maple Ridge Hours after Maple Ridge activists successful protest Tuesday where celebrated what they said was a they believed Fraser Health agreed to set up an overdose prevention site in the near future, the health authority denied it had made that commitment to the protesters.

“There were no firm commitments made in (Tuesday’s) meeting but we will continue to keep the lines of communication open with all our stakeholders.”

As Star Vancouver previously reported, a group of nine protesters forced their way into the health authority’s head office in Surrey Tuesday morning and refused to leave until they got a meeting with an executive.

Immediately after that meeting, Ivan Drury, one of the protest organizers, recounted to activists and reporters what had transpired in the discussion he participated in. He said three Fraser Health executives told them they would work on setting up a pop-up overdose prevention site in Maple Ridge. The two groups would meet again on Monday, June 24, he said.

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Surrey Police ‘consultation’ event planned for Saturday in South Surrey The City of Surrey is to host a “consultation session� for the proposed Surrey Police Force at the South Surrey Recreation and Arts Centre on Saturday.

The event is the only consultation session planned for South Surrey, however, several other smaller events have been scheduled.

Thursday, a “survey station� event is planned near the Beecher Street and O’Hara Lane intersection in Crescent Beach

from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on June 17, a “popup kiosk� event is planned for the Ocean Park Library from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

South Surrey resident Ivan Scott contacted Peace Arch News this week, and said that he will be attending all 14 information events with a petition in tow.

Scott, who is a supporter of the Surrey RCMP, said he’s collected more than 1,200 signatures from people who are in support of keeping the RCMP in Surrey.

Earlier this month, the 189page Surrey Policing Transition Report was released to the public.

The proposed transition plan to convert from RCMP states the force will “go live� on April 1, 2021 and its operating costs will be $192.5 million that year.

Father of murdered South Surrey girl wants her mother ‘behind bars for life’ South Surrey mother Lisa Batstone – found guilty in March of seconddegree murder in her daughter Teagan’s December 2014 death – should have to wait 16 to 18 years before she can apply for parole, Crown counsel said Wednesday.

The facts of the case, prosecutor Christopher McPherson argued during a hearing in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster, “lie squarely within the highest range of parole ineligibility.� “The enormity of this crime is almost impossible to comprehend,� McPherson said.

Defence counsel Rebecca McConchie agreed the offence was “one of the worst crimes,� but submitted an ineligibility term of 10 years was appropriate, noting “unless Miss Batstone is able to establish that she is fit for release, she will remain in jail for the rest of her life.�

The conviction comes with an automatic life sentence. Lawyers Wednesday made submissions on just how long Batstone – who smothered Teagan with a plastic bag – should remain ineligible for parole.

Justice Catherine Murray heard victimimpact statements from Teagan’s dad and stepmom, Gabe and Stephanie Batstone.

Gabe Batstone told Murray he is haunted every day by all the little things he can no longer share with his daughter: trips to the grocery store and the park, and comforting her among them. “I miss everything, and that never goes away,� he told Murray.

He said he is angered at the impact Teagan’s murder has had on his two young sons, describing the boys’ sadness, confusion, survivor’s guilt and more.

One person airlifted following head-on collision in Abbotsford One person has been airlifted following a head-on collision Friday morning in Abbotsford. The crash involving an SUV and a sedan took place at about 9:30 a.m. on Clearbrook Road just south of King Road.

Abbotsford Police Sgt. Judy Bird said one person was airlifted and two others were taken by ground ambulance for treatment of serious injuries.

She said Clearbrook Road will be closed

in both directions between King and Huntingdon roads until further notice.

No further details are available at this time.

This was the second crash on Clearbrook Road in less than 14 hours. On Thursday at about 8 p.m., a motorcylist crashed into a light standard in the area of Clearbrook and Sherwood Crescent.

The 42-year-old rider remains in hospital in critical condition.

Impeccable timing turns the fall election into a referendum on pharmacare EricHoskinssaysthetimeisrightforCanada to create a universal pharmacare system.

The timing of his report calling on the federal government to finally do that might not be so bad, either. “We know (pharmacare) is going to be part of the fall election campaign,� the former Ontario health minister said in an interview Wednesday on the podcast edition of The House. “So for me, there is no better time to have this discussion than with all Canadians in the context of politicians asking for their support. This is such a profound and important part of our conversation that it deserves that attention.�

The Liberals appointed Hoskins last year to lead an advisory council tasked with coming up with a plan to implement a national pharmacare system, knowing his report would land now.

What they didn’t know (but probably guessed) is that the report would come back as it did — with a recommendation to establish a universal, single-payer public system that would mirror medicare.

Canada’s costly drugs Canada is the only country with a universal health care system that doesn’t also cover prescription drugs. Hoskins said that’s one of the reasons Canadians pay the

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Physiotherapist charged with 2 counts of sexual assault Vernon North Okanagan RCMP have charged a physiotherapist with two counts of sexual assault, in incidents that are alleged to have occurred between 2015 and 2016.

Stephen Witvoet, 47, of Vernon, was arrested on June 10. He has been released with conditions and is due in court on June 13.

Police said in a written statement they encourage anyone who may have been a victim to come forward.

“Witvoet has been employed as a physiotherapist in Vernon for 14 years,

beginning in 2005. We believe given the length of time he has been practising, there may be potential victims who have not already reported to the police.

We are asking those people to come forward now,” Const. Kelly Brett wrote in the statement.

Anyone with information about the alleged offences is asked to call the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP non-emergency line at 250-545-7171 and ask for Cpl. Canning-Lue of the Special Victims Unit (file #2019-11058).

Vancouver homeless count rises to highest number The number of homeless people in Vancouver continues to rise, in spite of the city’s new modular housing complexes.

The city released its 2019 homelessness count in a staff report on Wednesday, which showed 2,223 people who identified as homeless.

That figure is up two per cent from 2018, when 2,181 people were counted. This is the fourth straight year the number has gone up.

“We are seeing a slower growth in the numbers.… The actions taken by the city and senior levels of government are having an impact,” said Celine Mauboules, Vancouver’s director of homelessness services.

“But homelessness in Vancouver is at its highest number since the count began.”

BC coroner’s report shows 140% increase in homeless deaths in 1 year Vancouver conducted its annual count over the course of two days in March, with 400 volunteers surveying people sleeping on the streets and staying in emergency shelters.

A voluntary and anonymous questionnaire asked people in shelters how long they had been without a home, as well as their age, gender, ethnicity and health concerns.

The full report can be read here.

N o conclusion why numbers went up A r o u n d half of those identified through the count filled out a survey, giving the city d e m o g r ap h i c a n d geographic information about its homeless population. Of the survey’s respondents: 39 per cent said they were Indigenous (compared to two per cent of the city’s overall population) 44 per cent said they had a mental health condition or illness 38 per cent said they had a physical disability 81 per cent said they lived in the City of Vancouver before they became homeless.

The City of Vancouver’s homeless count has taken place every year since 2010.

But the report didn’t examine the reasons why the number of homeless people increased, despite more than 600 modular housing units being built since September 2017.

“I think the reason it hasn’t [gone down] is there’s so many shelter rate units that have closed,” said Coun. Jean Swanson, referencing the closure of the Balmoral and Regent hotels, along with other shuttered Single Resident Occupancy units that housed people at shelter rates.

Victoria police chief hands out hefty fine to driver who flicked lit butt out car window When the chief asked the driver why he did it, the ‘driver’ pointed to the cup holder saying he didn’t want his car burned.

A “lit”terbug was issued a hefty fine after Victoria’s police chief caught him flicking a cigarette butt out his car window.

Chief Const. Del Manak said he was travelling on a highway in his unmarked police car when he noticed the driver of a Ford Mustang ahead of him toss the lit butt.

“I am driving in the curb lane, traffic was fairly light on Saturday evening and I noticed that the driver had a cigarette in his hand. He had put the ashes out the window as he’s driving and I saw that he took the last drag of the cigarette and he flicked it out his driver’s window,” he said.

“It went in the air and landed in front on the road.”

That action cost the 21-year-old driver $575 under the province’s Wildfire Act. When the police chief asked him why he did it, the driver pointed to his cup holder saying he didn’t want his car burned, Manak said.

The drive was displaying irresponsible behaviour but responded reasonably when confronted, he said.

“I said to him, ‘You can’t flick the lit

cigarette out the window. What if you start a fire, especially with some of the dry weather that we are having?’ And he said, ‘I didn’t think about that.’ ” Human activities like dropping cigarettes, open burning and the use of engines or vehicles are responsible for about 40 per cent of wildfires in the province, the BC Wildfire Service’s website says.

Manak told the driver that many forest fires are preventable and he needs to be “far more careful,” he said.

This is not the first time Manak gave out a fine for a lit cigarette butt being thrown out of a car window. Last September the police chief handed out a $81 fine for littering.

Manak said there are “a thousand other ways” that people can properly dispose their cigarette butts, and he hoped this fine would be a “lesson” for people to be more careful.

Long-anticipated RCMP civilian advisory board named The Royal Canadian Mounted Police finally have their long-awaited civilian watchdog body — at least for the time being.

Following years of mounting calls for civilian oversight, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale announced plans earlier this year to set up an external board of advisers to strengthen oversight of RCMP management and improve how the force handles harassment and bullying.

Today, his office announced the names of the 13 members who will sit on the interim board: Chairperson Richard Dicerni, a former federal and provincial deputy minister who served in a number of social and economic

portfolios. He is currently a board member at Alberta Health Services and an executive in residence at the Richard Ivey School of Business.

He was awarded the Order of Canada in 2017.

Vice-Chairperson Leanne Fitch, the soon-tobe retired chief of police for the Fredericton Police Force. Fitch, named officer of the year by the Atlantic Women in Law Enforcement and the International Association of Women, will join the board after June 10.

Randy Ambrosie, a former professional football player and the current commissioner of the Canadian Football League.

Elaine Bernard, a senior research associate and former executive director of the Labour and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School.

She is also a facilitator for the Canadian Police Association Executive Leadership Program with the Telfer School of Management.

Angela Campbell, the associate provost (policies, procedures and equity) for McGill University.

John Domm, former chief of police for the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service and former chief of police for the Rama Police Service.

Domm has also been an active member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, and the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association.

Dr. Ghayda Hassan, a clinical psychologist and professor of clinical psychology at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). Hassan is also the cochair of the National Expert Committee on Countering Radicalization to Violence.

Maureen Kempston Darkes, a lawyer and business executive. Kempston Darkes was formly the president and general manager of General Motors of Canada.

Douglas Moen, is the executive director of the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy. He is also a former deputy minister of justice and deputy attorney general in Saskatchewan.

‘I’m scared when critics praise my work’ - Salman Khan Superstar Salman Khan, whose “Bharat” has minted over Rs 150 crore at the Indian box office, says he gets scared when film critics praise his work as most of the time he gets validation of his work only from his fans who contribute to his movies’ collections.

In an interaction with the media here, Salman Khan said: “I get scared when critics praise my work because usually, their thinking does not match with mine or that of my audience. So I wonder why are they giving stars to my film and writing good things about my work?” “Having said that, in recent times, the kind of films that I have done, I did those because I loved those stories.

Also, when I do a film, I have a few parameters. I want people to come to the theatre, forget their worries and when they leave the theatre,

become happy, with a sense of heroism, or become a better human being… at least (have) the thought of (being) a better human being.” “Even if I want to give a message

through a film, it should come between the lines, and not like a preachy long lecture...then that is going to be so boring.

There’s no fun and entertainment there,” added the actor, who had earlier received praise from critics for his performance in films like “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” and “Sultan.”

Who is his biggest critic?

“My father is the greatest critic of my

work. So he said, ‘Ab bhul jao, so jao... picture bahut badi hit hai (Now forget about it, go to sleep... the film is a hit)’ but that is it, he will not come and praise my performance in front of me.

I never get a chance to hear any compliment from him. Very rarely, he says, ‘Achha kaam kia (you’ve done well).’

Nothing more than that,” shared the son of iconic screenplay writer Salim Khan, who co-wrote several successful films including “Sholay” and “Deewar” with Javed Akhtar.

After experiencing highs and lows in a career spanning over 25 years, Khan says scoring success continues to be of importance to him.

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Katrina feels blessed

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604-566-3111

7233 - Fraser St., Vancouver, BC

atrina did well with Salman Khan in “Bharat,” in which she replaced Priyanka. Katrina says in ‘Bharat’ bagging the role is a blessing as the script was written with someone else in mind. She’s lucky that people remember her for her massive hits in the past (even as late as “Tiger Zinda Hai” in 2017) and do not care for the other flops that have inundated Katrina Kaif ’s career in the last three years, including last year’s biggies “Thugs Of Hindostan” and “Zero.” Her scene-stealing performance in “Zero” and the magnificent essay she did in “Jagga Jasoos” have also got due recognition, and in her 17th year in cinema, Kaif is not at all down. With Rohit Shetty’s “Sooryavanshi” with Akshay Kumar in hand, she is also the likeliest candidate as of now for Hema Malini’s role in Shetty’s other production directed by Farah Khan, the “Satte Pe Satta” remake. We interacted for “Bharat,” for which Salman Khan has

predicted that she will win a National award.

And we started on that note, and happily, Kaif was in an extraordinarily ebullient mood. Q: Salman is confident that you will win a National award for “Bharat.”

A (Laughs): For me, it’s nice to know that he appreciates what I am doing!. He saw that I had gone in deep into my character. Actors, sometimes, can see costars better. Salman says most things in jest, but usually, there is also some truth in them. It is nice to know that he thinks this way.”

Q: Does it signify a shift in the kind of roles you are taking up?

A: Yes, I now want to do something I haven’t done before, a character I have never seen. I want to do what challenges me, which I have not done before. If something very nice comes but is repetitious, I would be bored.

Q: You replaced Priyanka Chopra at the last moment?

A: Yes, and that was the best thing because writer-director Ali Abbas Zafar wrote the script with someone else in his mind. When a script is written, someone is always at the back of any writer’s mind, and to an extent, he does feed in the star’s persona into it. That is why I feel this role is a blessing.

Saturday, June 15, 2019

‘I could never believe that I am going to work with Salman Khan’Sunil Grover He’s not the typical funnyman, because he’s not just a funnyman. In the movies, he’s played radically different roles – the focused havaldar (cop) in “Gabbar‌Is Back,â€? the gray parent in “Baaghi,â€? and now “Bharat.â€?

However, Sunil Grover’s prime identity is of the comic who played both Dr. Gulati and the woman Gutthi in “Comedy Nights With Kapil.� And Grover’s supercomfortable in all his avatars. “I feel I am lucky that I have been able to experience everything, for such experience enriches you both as a human being and actor,� he told India-West. “If you do not experience all this, how can you be fulfilled, and how can you see maturity in my work?� His latest release, “Bharat,� in which he plays a lifelong companion to hero Salman Khan, was a new kind of journey, and like all

of Grover’s life, totally unplanned. As he put it, “When I came to Mumbai after doing my Masters in Drama from Chandigarh, I only wanted to see myself on screen. I had no clue where I was going, and what would happen, but I never lacked in confidence.�

Obviously, Grover would love to do different roles, even something he has not imagined or thought of until now. Said the actor, “I could never believe that I am going to work with Salman Khan in ‘Bharat,’ whose big fan I have been. And he made me so comfortable because I was so nervous for the first two or three days.

Atul Agnihotri, the producer and Ali Abbas Zafar, the director, and Salman, in fact, made me feel like a family member. And Salman has a big family! I have enjoyed doing this film so much.�

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Bollywood HOROSCOPE Aries

March 21 - April 20 You could be in an optimistic mood at the start of the week, which could set the scene for you to make a move on a plan or project that has been on your mind for some time.

moving through your home zone, you might be busy with various domestic projects. Ties to dreamy Neptune can bring imaginative and creative ideas into the mix, perhaps encouraging you to beautify your home by adding a few special touches.

Taurus

April 21 - May 20 You could be trying hard not to splurge as lovely Venus continues her journey through your money zone. However, with the sun in

Jupiter, the desire to splurge might be hard to resist, especially early on. You have a knack

little research, you could get lucky. Energies over this week could be dreamy at times and frustrating at others. On the one hand, you might be eager to help at charity events or

Gemini

May 20 - June 21 The start of the week could see you in a buoyant mood, which might enhance your charisma and see you eager to attend various social events. However, it would be just as well !

and ambitions. Swirling energies suggest that you may be happy to help others for nothing, yet you could sabotage your own plans because of a lack of motivation. This probably isn’t the best time to ask for a loan or raise credit.

Cancer

June 22 - July 23

With the sun continuing to move through a secluded sector and opposing expansive Jupiter in your lifestyle zone, start the week as you mean to carry on by enjoying a little pampering. This can energize you and help recharge your batteries in preparation for the days ahead when you might need to summon extra vitality. There are times when you could feel like you’re being pressured by others and that they don’t have your best interests at heart.

Leo

June 24 - August 23 You could be in party mode at the start of the week when a lively aspect encourages you to accept an invitation or take part in a celebration

you haven’t seen in a while, you’ll have a wonderful opportunity to catch up.

At the same time, there’s quite a focus on your spiritual sector that is encouraging you to "

#

dreams and desires?

Virgo With lovely Venus and the sun moving through the topmost sector of your chart, the coming weeks are excellent for making your mark on the world. And with a positive aspect at the start of the week, you have the support of your family as you push ahead with your goals and ambitions.

There’s a lot going on in your social life this week, with some activities bringing pleasure

" #

potential for romance, you may not see eye to eye with others, and this could bring an idea or project

Libra

Sept. 24 - Oct 22 The week begins with a positive alignment that might encourage you to see the bigger picture. An idea or opportunity may seem too good to miss. However, if you do take it up, be patient because results could come further down the line. You might need to navigate with more care than usual regarding your work/life balance. There could be clashes with family members concerning your plans, and this could present an obstacle to your progress.

Scorpio

Oct 23 - Nov 22 You may have grand ideas that you’re eager to implement, yet you could sabotage your chances of success if you have to move too far out of your comfort zone. The week ahead could see you faced with limits that may be of your own making. Past experience could cause you to doubt yourself just when you’re about to make a leap forward into the unknown. At the same time,

$ Friday could leave you feeling less energized than usual, and this could take its toll unless you

Sagitarius Nov 23 - Dec 22

% ! & sun-Jupiter link could coincide with a fun social event or a positive decision regarding a close relationship. Whatever occurs might expand the opportunities for you and another. At the same time, you could experience delays regarding

Saturn and powerful Pluto rewinding in your money zone. You might want to take advantage

unable to do so at this point.

Capricorn Dec 23 - Jan 20

With a focus on communication and relationships over this week, you might need to choose between being too stubborn and too optimistic. With both sobering Saturn and powerful Pluto rewinding in your sign, there could be a tendency to live in the past. This could prevent you from giving space to others to change and grow. Giving those in your life the chance to move forward—even if they make mistakes—can be positive.

Aquarius

Jan 21 - Feb 19 A social event at the start of the week could be a lot of fun and an opportunity for you to connect with those you may not have

to catch up as well as explore the potential for working together in the future. At the same

"

zone encourage you to talk through issues that may have been holding you back for some while. These could come to the fore this week, especially if they’ve prevented you from moving ahead with projects or ideas.

Pisces

Feb 20 - March 20 '

such as a commission or perks, could lead to positive developments on the home front. An upbeat aspect suggests it may give you more

for the family. But there could be friction on the social scene as certain friends or groups seem to block your ideas. You might come up with some creative and imaginative solutions to a

( )

20

Bollywood

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Saturday, June 15, 2019

21

Bollywood

‘Intense performance takes a toll on me’ - Taapsee Pannu Taapsee Pannu, who has been performing intense characters in films including “Mulk,” “Badla” and the latest “Game Over,” says such roles take a toll on her mind and change her mental fabric a little bit. “I really had to psyche myself out to understand the character who has gone through a dark incident and how her body and mind reacts after one year.

She is traumatized. It was quite exhausting emotionally and playing such roles surely

takes a toll on me,” Taapsee Pannu said here.

Directed by Ashwin Saravanan and produced by Reliance Entertainment, the film was released in three languages – Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. This is the first time Pannu has played a character in which she is wheelchair-bound for a substantial part of the story.

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It all begins when a little bundle of joy weighing merely under ten pounds is placed in a man’s arm. Everything changes from that day as a father is born!! Father - the word carries a lot of weight.

Father - an unsung hero in our lives Father - a provider, a protector, a preacher, a protocol in himself Father- a silent, still, profound ocean of love Whose water may not directly and instantly quench you but whose water would take that scorching heat, and turn into a roaring thundering clouds to pour out the love and fill all the rivers and lakes so you can quench your thirst with, play with, store it for later, and lead a fuller life.

Without a doubt mother is another name of unconditional love and sacrifice and no words

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Happy fathers’ day are enough to gratify her, but while mother’s loving and caring lap is an absolute heaven, father’s shoulders are equally fundamental and critical in one’s life. While mother is immensely emotional, and want to see the child fly high, father starts worrying and working towards the means that will make that child fly. Priority changes, family first, all his passion aside, all he sees is future of this bundle of joy and puts a limit to all his personal desires and dreams to make sure he saves every penny he can for their future. Unfortunately his quiet actions are misunderstood as insensitive disciplinarian especially in south Asian cultures where fatherly love is not

expressed in words.

For children, their father is their hero, their inspiration and kids observe their parents and grow up to be not just looking like them but even think and behave like them, more so like father as they idealise and in a way are greatly influenced.

Hence a day dedicated to a super hero of our lives.

Different countries around the world celebrate Father’s Day on different dates but by and large Follow USA and mark third Sunday of June to recognize significance of father and fatherhood and thus gives an opportunity for people from all walks of life to thank and appreciate all that lies in the foundation of one’s life.

It is always a subject of debate in south

Asian culture that all year round parents need to be respected, what is the point of assigning one day and showing all your love via gifts and what have you. Western culture need that as they don’t live with their parents but our culture is not this shallow. Having said that, I would counter that by saying that it is not about east or west, it is about expressing emotions and feelings which otherwise go silent and come out only when they are not there to physically witness that. So why not take this golden opportunity and at least once a year be vocal and enjoy the moment. If you do, so will your kids learn to respect and appreciate what life has to offer.

With the advent of technology, younger generation seems smarter as they can adapt this technology much faster. Also formal education has given means to earn more and live a much comfortable life than ever before. But technology and education should not replace love and affection and warmth of family values and traditions imparted by this one man whose unsung contributions in making of one’s life cannot be undermined. He will never say what he has sacrificed nor will he complain nor will he ever let his eye tear in regret, but when kids go above and beyond and lead a successful life, his eyes may have a tear or two of joy and content. So it is for the children to read in between those compassionate eyes and just be there for him when he really needs them.

It is possible that in trying to meet ends he might not have given you enough time to play with you, take you out on big vacation trips, in trying to provide you the best he can he might not have been the best groomed father, and even then he might not have been able to fulfill all your wishes, he might not have patted your back at every little success you got as a child as he only was encouraging you to achieve more, he might have made scolded you and sometimes even spanked you in frustration, but it was his way of telling he cares and he wants the best for you. just remember that silent fatherly love is a precious gift of god to us. This is the reason Cherish every moments with him with respect and be grateful that he brought you in this world, he sustained you until you were capable of doing so yourself.

When you took that first step it was father who was beside you to hold you if you fell, and ran with you when those support wheels of bicycle were taken off, or kept up all night when you had fever, ate from lunch boxes all his life so you can have decent meals, sweat out at work, rain or shine so family can have comfortable home. And yet as we grow older we tend to have most complains for father, and the lack of support from him. We have to remember that he is not an ATM, and it is his responsibility that he doesn’t over protect you or spoon feed you, he has to let you grow and find yourself. At the same time fathers have to remember that kids are not your possessions and are not there to live your life, give them wings to fly but let them live their own dreams.

Hope we all find that sweet equilibrium and let love flow both ways.

Happy Father’s Day

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Tips on how to budget Managing your expenses while settling in can be challenging. Creating a budget is a great way to help keep track of your money and understand where your money goes. A budget can also help you identify ways to save some money each month.

Below are some tips to keep in mind: Track your monthly expenses.

This includes small items such as snacks and coffee. Doing this helps you evaluate the reality of your spending when creating a budget.

Divide expenses into fixed and variable. Fixed costs are things like rent and utilities — necessities that occur every month. Flexible costs are things that you spend money on – like clothing and entertainment – which may vary each month. Take a look at whether the money you’re spending is more than the money you have coming in.

Rein in your non-essential spending.

There are creative ways to cut down on flexible expenses while still enjoying your leisure time.

For example, if you like going to the movies, there are certain nights when tickets are cheaper. If you enjoy going out and getting to know your new city, check out local websites that offer a calendar of free events throughout the week.

Local libraries sometimes offer free passes to museums and galleries within the city, another great way to save on costs.

Need a little help? There are some handy and easy-to-use online tools available that can help you get started, like the Expenses Calculator(https://ic.gc.ca/app/scr/ oca-bc/ssc/expense.html?lang=eng) or RBC’s NOMI (https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/mobile/ feature/nomi/index.html) Budgets app. Or even better, speak with a financial advisor about tips and helping to create a plan to keep your finances in order.

Find more ideas on how to save more and settle in faster at rbc.com/starttoday.

Surrey Board of Trade announces winners for the 3rd Surrey Arts & Business Awards The Surrey Board of Trade announced the winners of the 3rd Surrey Arts & Business Awards on June 14, 2019. The event drew Surrey’s business community, artists and BC’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Lisa Beare, to celebrate Surrey’s creative industry.

“Celebrating arts and culture in Surrey enhances the Surrey Board of Trade’s ability to support and attract business,” said Anita Huberman, CEO, Surrey Board of Trade. “We need arts & culture to be a priority because it enhances the city’s livability – making it a part of the economic development paradigm.”

The Surrey Board of Trade proudly presented the following awards: Arts and Innovation Award Category

Press release

Winner: Brotherhood Dance Crew Arts and Innovation Award Category Winner: Brotherhood Dance Crew Cultural Ambassador Award Category Winner: Renée Sarojini Saklikar Philanthropy Award Category Winner: Charan Sethi Legacy Award Category Winner: Chris Thornley Music Award Category Winner: Richard Tichelman Evaluation of the nominees was based on: The degree to which they had a positive impact on Surrey The number of people they served Their history and involvement in performances, exhibits, commissions and fellowships, And, their artistic and professional affiliations.

BC Liberal Statement on Public Service Week

BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson released the following statement today for B.C. Public Service Week: “This week I’d like to recognize the important work done by public service employees here in British Columbia. “Public Service Week is celebrated every year across Canada and provides an opportunity to recognize and thank all public servants for their service and dedication. “Our province’s public servants work hard for the people of British Columbia in a wide range of fields.

There are over 200 different occupational fields represented in our public service.

“As someone who spent many years working as a public servant in B.C., I have had the pleasure of getting to know and work alongside countless public service employees. Their work ethic and commitment to the job never ceases to amaze me. “On behalf of the entire BC Liberal Caucus, I want to thank all public servants for their important contributions to our province, and encourage all British Columbians to do the same.”

BC’s agri-tourism industry under attack John Horgan and the NDP are making it harder for B.C. farmers to succeed, and quashing summer fun for British Columbians in the process.

A number of agri-tourism events around the province are being cancelled thanks to the NDP’s insistence on overburdening farmers with red tape and government interference.

“The popular B.C. Hop Fest in Abbotsford is the latest summer event to be cancelled thanks to a more stringent interpretation of the rules by the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC),” says Ian Paton, BC Liberal Co-Critic for Agriculture and MLA for Delta South. “The event organizers have specifically cited provincial government policy as an issue, but the NDP refuses to support this struggling industry.”

Meanwhile, Bird’s Eye Cove Farm in the Cowichan Valley has been forced to cancel its Market/Pizza family farm evenings for the summer, as the ALC regards these as ‘events’ even though their own farm-raised meats are used in the goods served. The farm calls these restrictions ‘crippling.”

In Nanoose Bay, Rusted Rake Farm’s on-

site eatery is being threatened by government regulations that don’t allow restaurants on the Agricultural Land Reserve unless they are connected to a brewery or winery.

Organizers of the Glow Christmas festival had to move out of Darvonda Gardens in Langley, and into two new locations in Abbotsford and Vancouver, after the ALC ruled the event isn’t a permitted farm use.

Having to apply for ‘non-farm use’ means additional paperwork and a $1,500 expense for farmers.

“These are the types of concerns the Official Opposition was in the midst of raising during the spring Legislative session, but John Horgan and the NDP abruptly cut off debate so they could ram through their flawed legislation,” says Linda Larson, BC Liberal Co-Critic for Agriculture and MLA for Boundary-Similkameen. “These measures are taking away an important stream of revenue for farmers and the opportunity for residents and visitors to enjoy fun community events.”

Paton and Larson say Agriculture Minister Lana Popham is stifling the business of farming because of her insistence on protecting the land and not the farmer. They note there is no farm without the farmer, and say government should be encouraging these activities rather than regulating them to oblivion.

Press release

23

24

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Vol. 10 No. 20 Saturday - June 15, 2019

Tel: 604-591-5423

Home prices in Vancouver are quadruple what average millennial can afford: report Housing affordability is still far out of reach for millennials across the country, a new report says, with the average price of a house in Vancouver perched a particularly unattainable four times higher than what those prospective buyers could safely afford to pay.

The study, called Straddling the Gap, looked at the state of housing affordability in every Canadian province and their major cities.

It found millennial Canadians — those between the age of 25 and 34 — are stuck in a place where earnings aren’t rising enough to keep pace with housing prices.

Gabriel Del Cid Castro, 29, and his wife bought a house in Surrey a couple years ago.

They both now work three jobs each to make ends meet.

“We both work for municipal and provincial governments but the price influx we have in the province is astronomical,” Castro said.

“It’s a crisis and I don’t see a proper way how

The latest Canadian house price forecast from Moody’s Analytics really has no good news for anyone. If you’re a homeowner hoping to make big equity gains, forget it. And if you’re an aspiring homebuyer hoping for a reprieve from astronomical urban house prices, forget

to resolve it.” On average, Canadian millennials would need to nearly double their average income in order to bridge the gap, according to the study. Either that, or the average price for a house would need to come down by half. “These are massive numbers,” said the report’s lead author, Paul Kershaw, who described the numbers as a “troubling portrait.”

When it comes to Vancouver real estate, millennials don’t appreciate comparisons to the 90s The report said the chasm between money made and money needed is widest in B.C. and Ontario,

particularly in Vancouver and Toronto. The price of a house in the West Coast city is quadruple what any millennial could “safely” afford, and triple their budgets in the Six. In Vancouver, millennials would need to make $200,400 every year in order to afford the average home.

Torontonians would need an annual salary of $150,000.

“I don’t want to sound pathetic or anything but [I feel] a little bit helpless — there is nothing that I can do,” said Jeremy Hildred, 27.

He lives in Kelowna, where he was born and raised and rents a basement suite with his wife from a family member. The couple has a combined income close to $150,000, Hildred said, but home ownership seems out of the question.

E-mail: ads@theasianstar.com “It just doesn’t look possible for us,” he said.

The report said millennials in Vancouver would need to save for 29 years — around the amount of time they’ve been alive — to build up a 20 per cent down payment in the current market. The authors said it would take 21 years in Toronto. Hoping to buy a home in B.C.?

Sorry, it’s not likely to get much cheaper The average time to save a down payment across Canada is 13 years, which is still eight years longer than it would have taken in 1976.

The problem is also pronounced in Victoria and Kelowna in B.C., and in Hamilton and Kitchener in Ontario. The report also noted Edmonton, Calgary, Halifax and Montreal as tight markets. “Sometimes I think we think it’s only Vancouver or only Toronto and this report is showcasing for both provincial and especially federal policymakers, we see unaffordability going [far wider],” Kershaw said. In Vancouver, millennials would need to make $200,400 every year in order to afford the average home.

Canadian House Price Forecast: What The Next 5 Years Will Look Like In 33 Cities that too. The forecast calls for house prices nationwide to grow by an average of 2.2 per cent per year over the next five years. Given that the Bank of Canada is predicting inflation at 2 per cent in the coming years, this means that inflation-adjusted house prices will likely

see no net growth. With Canada’s economy bouncing back from a slowdown at the start of the year, Moody’s expects mortgage rates to rise by a full percentage point over the next two years. That increase in monthly housing costs, combined with high prices and high debt levels,

will keep prices in check, the research firm predicts.

“House price appreciation will slow down in 2020, turn briefly negative in 2021, and only recover in the following years,” wrote Andres Carbacho-Burgos, a director and head housing economist at Moody’s Analytics.

25

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Over 11% of Vancouver condos have a non-resident owner, says new CMHC report

#106 - 7565 132 St. Surrey, BC 604.572.3005

Over 11 percent of Vancouver condos have at least one non-resident as an owner, a number that jumps to more than 19 per cent when it comes to newer built condos.

The information is contained in a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation housing market insight report which also found that non-residents — defined as someone who

doesn’t have their principal residence in Canada — tend to own more expensive properties than residents, especially in Vancouver.

Some of the other findings: 7.2 per cent of all Vancouver properties have at least one non-resident owner.

Non-resident ownership is highest in

26

Classifieds / Jobs Looking for work?

Cleaning company wanted workers for clean up job in Coquitlam For more details please call 604-902-2858

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Matrimonial Punjabi Bansal family seeking a suitable mach for their 31 year old,” son, Height 5’.11, Handsome,Sober, soft spoken, vegetarian currently in Patiala Punjab India. He has done studies in BTech Computer Science and working in Judicial Department as IT Analyst in Patiala. Girl should be well educated and family oriented freferably Canadian citizen or Canadian Permanent resident. For more details please call 604-617-0615 or email Kushal.20776@gmail.com

Child care provider required at a private home Location Surrey, BC - Salary $14.50 to $14.75 / Hour (To be negotiated) Permanent, Full time 40 Hours / Week Start date As soon as possible Job requirements Languages English Education College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma from a program of 1 year to 2 years Experience 1 year to less than 2 years Additional Skills Assume full responsibility for household in absence of parents, Perform light housekeeping and cleaning duties, Shop for food and household supplies, Travel with family on trips and assist with child supervision and housekeeping duties, Wash, iron and press clothing and household linens Children’s Ages School age (6 - 12 years), and 2 - 3 years Specific Skills Bathe,

dress and feed infants and children, Discipline children according to the methods requested by the parents, Prepare infants and children for rest periods, Keep records of daily activities and health information regarding children, Sterilize bottles, prepare formulas and change diapers for infants, Maintain a safe and healthy environment in the home, Take children to and from school and to appointments, Tend to emotional well-being of children, Instruct children in personal hygiene and social development, Organize, activities such as games and outings for children, Prepare and serve nutritious meals, Supervise and care for children, Help children with homework Work Setting Employer’s home How to apply By email: umendrasingh@hotmail.com By phone: 604-537-3551

Saturday, June 15, 2019

27

Press release

Homelessness in Vancouver continues to rise, despite NDP promises The latest numbers from Vancouver’s annual homeless count show a 2 per cent increase in homelessness, despite John Horgan and the NDP’s numerous promises to turn the situation around.

During the 2017 provincial election campaign, the NDP vowed to combat homelessness in British Columbia and build more affordable housing. Despite NDP promises to provide an ‘immediate homeless

action plan’ more than two years ago, homelessness in Vancouver continues to rise.

“Since the NDP has been in office, Vancouver has seen a 20 per cent increase in its homeless population,” notes BC Liberal Housing Critic and Vancouver-False Creek MLA Sam Sullivan. “This is unacceptable.

Instead of creating new units to house vulnerable people as promised, the NDP is failing to meet its commitments and leaving

them in the cold.” John Horgan and the NDP’s affordable housing plan promised to work closely with all levels of government to build 114,000 new affordable housing units over 10 years. While the NDP claim to have 20,000 units underway, the Premier admitted that only 2,300 units are open today– and this number includes some units that were initiated by the BC Liberals.

Sullivan says new NDP taxes are causing developers to abandon rental projects, leading to

a lack in housing supply. “It’s a very serious situation. People are struggling, and we need a lot more supply to address their needs. It’s just not happening under this government.” Despite promises to make life more affordable for British Columbians, John Horgan and the NDP continue to break them and provide little hope or relief to people.

Louisiana Pacific announces indefinite shutdown of Peace Valley mill, John Horgan and the NDP continue to do nothing for forest industry in crisis As troubles continue to mount for British Columbia’s forestry industry with three mill shutdowns announced in as many days, John Horgan and the NDP are still refusing to do anything to help the struggling sector.

Today, Louisiana Pacific announced an indefinite shutdown of its oriented strand board (OSB) mill in Fort St. John as of August 9. This follows similar news on Tuesday, when Norbord announced the indefinite curtailment of its OSB mill in 100 Mile House. On Monday, Canfor announced it is curtailing operations at all but one of its B.C. sawmills “This is the third major closure announcement in rural B.C. this week,” said Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Critic and Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad. “The industry is facing a complete meltdown and the BC Liberals will be offering immediate solutions on how to best help the troubled sector.”

So far in 2019, forestry companies have announced at least 83 weeks of operational downtime, an additional two permanent mill closures, significant shift reductions and hundreds of millions of board feet curtailed in British Columbia.

“This latest shutdown will put at least 190 workers out of work and will affect hundreds of additional indirect jobs.

My community simply can’t afford this loss,” said Peace River North MLA Dan Davies.

“For months my fellow MLAs and I have raised concerns about the mounting crisis in the forest industry and for months our concerns have been ignored. It’s time for John Horgan and the NDP to step up, take action.

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Recruitment could be ‘a massive challenge’ for new Surrey police force

or municipal officers of various ranks and seniority levels. “For a new organization, the skills of these members will be paramount not only in establishing specialty sections, but also for providing a strong operational base upon which the reputation of the Surrey PD will be built,” the report states. The multistep application process for a municipal force can take anywhere from several weeks to 18 months, depending on a number of factors.

“There’s so many variables,” said Vancouver police spokesman Sgt. Jason Robillard.

Mayor Doug McCallum with a prototype of a new Surrey Police vehicle after presenting his state of the city address on May 6, 2019.

A new recruit must then go to the Justice Institute of B.C. for nine months of training.

Experienced officers can take significantly

less time to be job ready if they pass an exam exempting them from going through the police academy. The report suggests that in order to make the department more attractive for exempt applicants, the city could expedite the application process, make RCMP pensions portable to a single pension plan, and offer to hire officers who hold a rank above constable at their existing rank or above. For Surrey RCMP members only, it could offer an extra 40 hours of leave. Sauvé said on a local or provincial level it could be difficult to recruit police officers, but if Surrey casts its net nationally, which it plans to do, it may find enough applicants to fill its vacancies.

However, he said, the issue then becomes training — whether it’s the need to create more spaces at the Justice Institute, or

finding locations for firearms and use-offorce training. The Justice Institute trains an average of 108 recruits per year, with the most recruits (210) graduating in 2009, before the Olympics. The institute is mandated to train municipal officers, and receives funding and

direction from the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. It is in discussions with the province to develop a training strategy should the Surrey policing transition plan be approved.

Seven arrested after shooting at an Abbotsford home twice in two days Shots rang out at a rural southeast Abbotsford residence twice within two days.

On Saturday at about 3 a.m., Abbotsford Police responded to the 2700 block of Interprovincial Road, where officers found an unoccupied vehicle and home that had been shot at.

Authorities believe a pickup

truck was seen fleeing the area.

The night before, at about 10:30 p.m., officers responded to another report of shots fired at an unoccupied vehicle that was parked at the same Interprovincial Road property.

Police said after the gunfire, three suspect vehicles fled the area and were located travelling westbound on the Trans-Canada Highway.

The RCMP Air 1 Police helicopter followed the three vehicles to Langley, where they were found in a parking lot on 72 Avenue.

Seven men from those vehicles were arrested. Their identities have not been released but police said their ages range from 17 to 21 years old.

Officers found a firearm, cell phones, suspected drugs and drug trafficking paraphernalia.

Authorities have no idea why the home was targeted twice in a row.

Abbotsford Police have installed security cameras in the area in an attempt to learn more the activities in the neighbourhood.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Abbotsford Police at 604-859-5225 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Hundreds in Vancouver protest Hong Kong’s extradition law Hundreds rallied in front of Vancouver’s Chinese Consulate in solidarity with those opposed to controversial legislation proposed in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong lawmakers plan to bring a bill forward that would allow people to be extradited to mainland China, where they could face “unfair” trials.

“We are not in Hong Kong, but we still really support them,” protester Agnes Wong said. Wong said she fears the new reality if the law passes. She referred to China’s arrest of two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, and how they have been unjustly detained for six months.

Kovrig and Spavor’s detention has largely been seen as a form of retaliation for Canada’s arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at the Vancouver International Airport in December.

“We are really, really worried about them because their family cannot visit them; they cannot have lawyers, it is not fair. This is why Hong Kong people are scared of Chinese policies,” she said.

When Hong Kong was handed over from British to Chinese rule in 1997, it was guaranteed the right to retain its own social, legal and political systems under the socalled “one country, two systems” framework.

Protesters are concerned the system is being eroded, and they want to protect their freedoms and judicial system.

“Under the law, anyone in Hong Kong, not just Hong Kong residents, can be extradited,” said Stephan Chan, a Hong Kong resident visiting Vancouver.

“Without the sense of security and protection, I think the international city that Hong Kong has always been will be completely changed down the line.”

In a statement, the Hong Kong government said it respects the protest.

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Calgary fishermen catch massive 11-foot sturgeon from Fraser river A trio of fishermen have some big bragging rights after snagging an 11-foot sturgeon in the Fraser River near Chilliwack.

Three Calgary fishermen are coming back from their fishing trip to BC with some humongous bragging rights.

The trio snagged an 11-foot sturgeon from the Fraser River near Chilliwack while on an expedition led by the company Stu rge on Hu nte r T u e s d a y .

The fish, which was measured at 62 inches, or one-anda-half metres in girth, is estimated to be 800 pounds in weight and 100 years old.

“We couldn’t believe it,” Tom Kirk said the next day. “This fish came out of the water probably three times about 10, 15 feet in the air.

It looked like a shark coming out of the water.”

Kirk’s fellow fisherman Terry Jacobson agreed.

“Like a Great White,” he marveled. “It was pretty incredible.”

The third member of the group, Alex Kirk, said the hardest part of making the catch was simply keeping up with the massive fish, which took

the boat down the river for several kilometres and into a pile of logs before finally relenting.

“It’s like hooking up to a truck and just letting it go,” he said. “Wherever that sturgeon wanted to go, we went and we had to follow it.

“It was just hooking on and holding on for that ride. The ride of a lifetime.”

The sturgeon won’t be travelling back home with its captors, however.

After snapping some photos, the group released the fish back to the river.

SturgeonHunter regularly leads catchand-release expeditions on the Fraser River.

Owner and guide Steve Kaye, who was on the water with the fishermen, has been leading tours since 1998 and says this fish may be one for the record books.

“This is the second longest fish I’ve caught, and it’s the second thickest fish I’ve caught,” he said.

Canada Revenue Agency raids 15 locations in Ontario & Quebec in alleged $8.3M tax-evasion case Canada Revenue Agency investigators and RCMP officers raided 15 locations across Ontario and Quebec today as part of a criminal probe into international tax evasion, the CRA said in a statement.

About 128 revenue agents, assisted by Mounties, searched locations in Windsor, London, the Toronto area, Ottawa, Gatineau, Laval and Montreal.

The ongoing investigation is into roughly $8.3 million in tax evaded, the CRA said.

The CRA said information from the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (Fintrac), Canada’s antimoney-laundering watchdog agency, has played a “significant” role in the investigation.

Fintrac gathers information on financial transactions, such as all transfers of $10,000 or more into and out of Canada.

“These search warrants show that our investments are paying off and we are starting to see results. Fighting tax evasion is a priority for our government,” Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier said in a statement.

This is the third time in 16 months that the

CRA has publicized raids by its agents as part of international tax-evasion investigations.

The tax agency used to be cagey about divulging information on ongoing probes, but that changed amid criticism of the CRA’s effectiveness at pursuing offshore tax cheats.

The CRA says it now has more than 55 criminal investigations underway into tax evasion “with an international component” — though even that terminology can be murky. It doesn’t necessarily mean sophisticated international schemes. In the past, the agency counted any tax-evasion case where any money came from, or ended up, outside Canada as “offshore.” That included an instance where someone obtained a fraudulent GST rebate in Canada and then transferred the funds to a bank account in the United States.

Five of the CRA’s ongoing “international” criminal investigations, it says, are linked to the Panama Papers, the huge 2016 leak of tax-haven financial records that exposed the offshore bank accounts and shell companies of tens of thousands of people around the

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Canada lags behind USA in natural gas exports to lucrative Asian markets, industry leaders say Oil and gas industry leaders say selling Canada’s liquified natural gas to Asia and Europe could be a boon for the country, but bemoaned a lack of investment and export facilities compared to the United States.

During a panel discussion at the Global Petroleum Show — billed as North America’s leading energy industry event — speakers praised LNG as a clean, efficient fuel that emits about half as much CO2 compared to coal when used to produce electricity.

More and more, they said countries such as China and Bangladesh are using LNG as an alternative, and even the international maritime shipping industry is fuelling cargo ships with it.

Alberta has an estimated 31 trillion cubic feet of conventional natural gas reserves, according to Natural Resources Canada. The recently approved LNG Canada export facility in Kitimat, B.C. — due to open in 2023 — will move natural gas to Asian markets.

Canada is in a position to keep its own market well-supplied and satisfy global demand, said panellist Alfred Sorensen, CEO of Calgary-based Pieridae Energy Limited. It will process natural gas into LNG and ship it to Germany and other European countries

through its Goldboro facility, currently under construction in Nova Scotia.

“We can be really happy selling to our four million people, or we can probably be more happy selling to four or five billion people,” Sorensen told the audience. Stefan Vos de Wael, general manager commercial for Shell Canada Integrated Gas, said Europe’s domestic production of natural gas is declining.

Traditionally, the continent has received most of it through pipelines from Russia and North Africa, but said Canada could help satisfy the growing demand for natural gas.

“We see an increasing theme of Europe taking a lot more LNG gas, from an energy perspective, than we’ve seen in the past, and that creates an opportunity for Canada,” he told the audience.

But panellists complained governments in Canada aren’t doing enough to support the LNG industry, and said the United States has pulled ahead in the race to supply global markets.

“We should have been already exporting LNG,” said Darren Gee, president and CEO of Peyto Exploration & Development Corp.

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Trudeau names Canada’s first-ever ambassador for women, peace and security Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appointed Canada’s first-ever ambassador for women, peace and security.

Jacqueline O’Neill, an Albertan and former president of the Institute for Inclusive Security, has been picked for the role. She has previously advised the federal government on its women, peace, and security policy.

“Ms. O’Neill will lead our country’s efforts to support women, help prevent and end conflict, and build a better and fairer world,” said Trudeau in a statement announcing her appointment.

Her mandate includes advising on implementing Canada’s plan on women, peace and security; consult with stakeholders that advocate for relevant causes; host events that encourage women’s participation in building peace; and representing

Canada at international initiatives related to women, peace and security.

O’Neill will be advising several ministers in this new role: the foreign affairs minister, the minster for immigration, refugees and citizenship; the minister of justice, the minister for international development, the national defence minister, the minister for public safety, and the minister for women and gender equality.

This is a full-time appointment for the next three years. CTVNews.ca has asked the PMO to confirm what the salary will be for this new ambassadorship.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland called her “a world-leader in this field and a champion of gender equality in Canada and internationally,” in the statement.

Saturday, June 15, 2019 Canada Border Services Agency launches investigation after licence plate reader linked to USA hacked The Canada Border Services Agency launched an investigation after the licence plate reader system it uses was targeted recently in a malicious cyberattack in the U.S. Earlier this week, news surfaced that photos of travellers and licence plates collected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection were compromised in a privacy breach last month.

The CBSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection use the same plate reader technology.

“We are currently reviewing and assessing what impacts, if any, this breach has on our operations and Canadians,” said CBSA spokesman Nicholas Dorion in an email to CBC. Traveller photos and licence plates exposed in cyberattack, U.S. Customs and Border Protection says Bias at the border? CBSA study finds travellers from some countries face more delays “While the CBSA awaits the completion of the forensic investigation, our information at this time is that this incident does not pose systems or security vulnerabilities.”

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, whose portfolio includes the border agency, said he’s concerned about the breach. “(CBSA is) investigating that whole situation from top to bottom. To this point,

there have not been serious implications for CBSA’s information, but obviously CBSA is concerned about the quality of the services that are provided to it and they are investigating all the ramifications,” he said.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says no serious implication of CBSA’s data after the licence plate reader system it uses was targeted by a cyberattack in the U.S. 0:31 U.S. Customs and Border Protection said they learned of the data breach, which affected fewer than 100,000 people, at the end of May. A subcontractor transferred copies of images to its company network without the agency’s authorization, violating U.S. government policy, said the American officials.

U.S. customs won’t release the name of the subcontractor whose computer network was hacked, but the Washington Post reported that a Microsoft Word document of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection public statement, sent Monday to reporters, included the name “Perceptics” in the title (“CBP Perceptics Public Statement”).

The U.K. computer security website The Register also reported that the hacker responsible alerted it to the breach in late May, identifying the company involved as Perceptics.

Trudeau gov’t moves heavy-icebreaker job out of Vancouver to Quebec The federal government has decided to move construction of Canada’s new heavy icebreaker out of Vancouver’s Seaspan Shipyards, fuelling speculation construction of Canada’s polar icebreaker will be moved to Quebec’s Davie shipyard.

Public Services and Procurement Canada said construction of a “large, one-off polar icebreaker compounded” challenges at Seaspan, which is building non-combat vessels under the national shipbuilding strategy.

“Therefore, Canada made the decision to substitute the one polar icebreaker with a long run of 16 multipurpose vessels (MPVs),” spokesperson Marc-Andre Charbonneau said.

“Given the importance of icebreaking

capacity, the government is exploring options to ensure the polar is built in the most efficient manner, but no decisions have been [made] yet.”

Public Services and Procurement Canada said Seaspan will start building the multipurpose coast guard vessels, which will do icebreaking and buoy tending, after the yard completes two Royal Canadian Navy supply ships.

Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards in North Vancouver.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the decision to build multipurpose coast guard vessels in Vancouver last month.

Toronto sees largest increase in non-mortgage debt: Report The average non-mortgage debt carried

by Torontonians rose 5 per cent this year to $23,047, the largest increase of all the major cities surveyed, according to Equifax Canada’s latest report on the health of the credit market.

The report also found that the 90-day delinquency rate on payments rose 3.6 per cent.

Torontonians with credit card balances carried an average of about $4,000, with the value of new mortgages in the first three months of the year at just over $401,830 — down 1 per cent from the comparable 2018 period, said Bill Johnston, vicepresident of data and analytics with Equifax.

He said debt delinquency rates have been rising from “really low levels” with Ontario and Toronto boasting among the country’s most moderate delinquency levels as consumers manage mounting debt loads.

The number of consumers failing to make debt payments climbed to the highest level in two years in the first quarter as credit card balances ticked up and auto loan payment plans were extended over longer terms.

The 90 day-plus debt delinquency rate across Canada rose 3.5 per cent year over year to 1.12 per cent with delinquencies up the most among those 65 years old and over. British Columbia and Ontario saw the first significant increase in arrears in half a

decade while the proportion of Canadians posting higher credit card balances was up 33.9 per cent from the 2018 first quarter.

The national delinquency rate was 1.15 per cent in the first quarter of 2017.

“People don’t think that there is any sort of disaster looming,” but rising credit usage is a cautionary note, Johnston said.

“It’s not that people can’t cope, it’s just that we’ve been seeing more strain than we’d been seeing for the last couple of years.”

The report noted that the credit card utilization rate — a measure of total balances relative to total available limits — rose to 23.8 per cent in the first three months, the highest first-quarter level since 2011 and comparable to rates seen in 2007.

Johnston said balance growth on credit cards outstripped spending growth for the first time in several quarters with people “starting to hold a little bit more in the way of credit card balances. Utilization has been rising. It’s not a red alert yet, but a warning sign,” he said, adding it sometimes indicates “tighter cash flows.”

The report says the average debt nationally, including mortgages, reached $71,300 in the first quarter, up 2.6 per cent over the first quarter of 2018.

Jason Heath, managing director of Objective Financial Partners in Toronto,

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Canada’s deceptively low unemployment rate The Canadian economy added 27,700 jobs in May, bringing the year-over-year job gains to 453,100, and pushing the unemployment rate to 5.4%, the lowest level since 1976.

But, but, but: Canada’s economy grew at an annualized pace of just 0.4% in the first quarter, following 0.3% growth in the fourth quarter of 2018, giving the country its weakest back-toback quarters of growth since 2015.

Canada’s household savings rate fell to 1.1% in the first quarter. That’s 5.6% below the U.S. savings rate, the widest the disparity has been since the 1970s.

Canada’s ratio of debt to income reached 176% in the fourth quarter, among the highest in the developed world, and 24 percentage points higher than the U.S. rate. On the bright side: The Bank of Canada forecasts a rebound

in the second half of the year with Canada’s GDP expected to grow by 1.2% this year, wages are rising and consumers are growing less pessimistic about the economy.

President Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn has hired Sidney Powell, a former federal prosecutor, as his new counsel, Powell confirmed in a statement to Axios. The Hill first reported Powell was joining Flynn’s legal team. The backdrop: A court filing released last week revealed that Flynn had fired his attorneys, Robert Kelner and Stephen Anthony, who cut Flynn’s plea deal with Robert Mueller in 2017. A source familiar with the matter told Axios Flynn fired them because he felt they had not pushed aggressively enough to get exculpatory evidence during the plea negotiations.

Trump to meet Trudeau on June 20th Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is heading to Washington, DC next week to meet President Trump in advance of the G20 summit in Japan, to discuss relations with China and the ratification of the new NAFTA. On June 20, the pair will discuss a range of outstanding issues between the two countries, including “outstanding trade issues,” the detention of Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in China, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. Sign up for our Capital Dispatch newsletter, delivered twice weekly to your inbox and every day during the election As well, Trudeau plans to discuss the detention of Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in China. The two Canadian men were detained last December after a senior executive with Chinese telecom giant Huawei was arrested in Vancouver on Dec. 1 at the request of U.S. authorities. “The two leaders will discuss key global challenges, including China’s wrongful detention of two Canadian citizens,” according to Trudeau’s office. U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence has said that Trump will raise the plights of Kovrig and Spavor as part of his broader trade discussion with Chinese President Xi Jinping at this

month’s G20 leaders’ summit happening June 28-29 in Osaka. “I look forward to meeting with President Trump to discuss the ratification of the new NAFTA, and how we can continue to strengthen our vital trade and economic partnership,” Trudeau said in the statement announcing the visit. Trudeau’s visit falls on the second last scheduled day of the House of Commons sitting. MPs are set to adjourn for the summer on June 21 and pending a push to ratify NAFTA that would force a recall of Parliament.The two Canadian men were detained last December after a senior executive with Chinese telecom giant Huawei was arrested in Vancouver on Dec. 1 at the request of a U.S. extradition warrant. China has implored Canada to release Meng and have warned of “consequences,” for siding with the U.S. Canada has condemned the detention of the two men and has maintained that it has followed the rule of law, free from political interference. Though, the diplomatic tensions have expanded into the agriculture sector, with China blocking Canadian exports of pork and Canola.

Provincial energy ministers say ‘cherry-picking’ 99 changes to Bill C-69 isn’t enough The federal government has accepted a record number of Senate changes to its environmental assessment overhaul bill, but provincial energy ministers from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario say the bill shouldn’t be passed unless every single amendment goes through.

“You start cherry-picking … and it fails,” said Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage, who said the rejected amendments addressed both constitutional issues and technical aspects of the bill.

“The only way that bill should be passed is with each and every one of those amendments.”

Savage, Saskatchewan Energy Minister Bronwyn Eyre and Ontario Energy Minister Greg Rickford held a joint press conference in Calgary Wednesday afternoon to react to the passing of Bill C-69 by the Liberal-controlled House of Commons.

Last week, the Senate passed an unprecedented 188 amendments to the bill after months of study and a cross-country committee tour to regions most affected by changes to the natural resources and energy regulatory regime.

The federal Liberal government accepted 99 of those amendments — 62 verbatim and 37

others with substantial tweaks — but rejected many that one industry association called “critical” for getting pipelines built.

The Canadian Energy Pipeline Association said the chosen amendments don’t address timelines, ministerial discretion and public participation. “If Bill C-69 passes in its current form, it is difficult to imagine that any major new pipeline projects will be proposed or built in the future,” said CEPA president and CEO Chris Bloomer in an emailed statement. “This bill falls short and is simply the wrong move for Canada.” Savage said if the bill passes in its current form, Alberta’s next step will be a constitutional challenge.

Both Eyre and Rickford said their governments stand with Alberta but didn’t go so far as to confirm they’d join that fight.

“Ontario believes that a good part of its prosperity, particularly as it comes to dynamic energy supply, includes Alberta. So the stakes are very high,” said Rickford.

“We share Alberta’s concerns and we’re certainly in a position to support any steps they might take,” Rickford said, but added that Alberta’s legal stance will be “nuanced and different” from Ontario’s.

NATIONAL

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INDIA

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Case registered against 3 after UP Bar Council chief shot dead The nephew of slain U.P. Bar Council president Darwesh Yadav (pictured) names a person Manish Sharma, his wife & another lawyer Vineet Gulecha as accused in the murder of a lawyer, chief of the council, who was shot dead in a lawyer’s chamber. A lawyer, Manish Sharma, who fired three shots Darwesh Yadav, later shot himself in the head, and has been shifted to hospital in Gurugram.

Lawyers across the state have decided not to work on Friday as a mark of respect to the Bar Council chief. Meanwhile, a festering relationship between Darwesh Yadav & Manish Sharma is now believed to be the motive behind

the killing. Both started practising law in 2004 and the two even shared the same chamber in the court. According to Sunny Yadav who lodged the FIR, Darwesh Yadav often helped Sharma with his career and gave him money, car and jewellery. “A few months ago, when Darwesh asked Sharma to return the money he owed her, his wife Vandana threatened Darwesh with dire consequences. Manish Sharma had taken over Darwesh’s chamber and she had to start working form other lawyers’ chambers,� Sunny has said in the FIR (First Information Report).

Indian man who planted fake hijacking letter to keep flight attendant girlfriend close ends up in jail A 32-year-old man was arrested near Hyderabad for hoax email about a possible hijack of flights four days ago, apparently cooking up the story to dodge his girlfriend’s demand for a holiday in Mumbai and Goa. Police said Motaparthi Vamsi Krishna, a commerce graduate who works as a travel agent, was picked up from his home at Miyapur on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The man is originally from Denduluru village in West Godavari

district. “Investigations revealed that Vamsi had sent the email to Mumbai police from a fake account in the name of a woman, raising a false alarm with an intention to delay flights in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai airports,�

Hyderabad deputy commissioner of police (Task Force) B Limba Reddy said.

Married man sends hoax plane hijack mail to avoid Goa holiday with girlfriend

Chandrayaan-2 to take Nasa-Isro ties to new level the 14 payloads which Chandrayaan-2 will be carrying to the Moon, 13 are indigenous and one “passive payload� of Nasa. Talking to TOI, Isro chairman K Sivan said, “Nasa’s passive payload Laser Retroreflector (LRA), integrated within Vikram lander, will be “carried for free� and help calculate the distance.

The country’s second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2, which Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) announced on Wednesday is to be launched on July 15, will not only unravel the deep mysteries of the Moon but will also take Indian space agency’s relations with US counterpart Nasa to a new height. Of

Zakir Naik to get fair trial A week before a Mumbai court decides whether to issue non-bailable arrest warrants against Muslim evangelist Zakir Naik, India sought to dispel doubts in Malaysia where he is currently sheltered. “India has extradition arrangements with many nations. In the past, there are numerous cases of successful extradition to India. The fairness of the Indian justice system has never been in question. The government has made a formal request for the extradition of Zaik Naik. We would continue to pursue the

matter with Malaysia,� said MEA spokesperson Ravish Kumar. The MEA was responding to resistance in Malaysia towards extraditing the preacher because he is not confident of a fair trial in India. The ED is aiming for an arrest warrant against the preacher in a trial under the PMLA. In case the ED is successful, it will request for an Interpol red notice and his extradition. Malaysia has an extradition treaty with India. The ED alleges Naik has invested in Dubai and his organisation, Islamic Research Foundation, has received funds from suspicious or unknown sources.

Modi hai toh mumkin hai, says Mike Pompeo in his speech ahead of India visit Citing the popular election slogan “Modi hai to mumkin hai�, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has sought to take the bilateral relationship with India to the next level and said the Trump and Modi Administrations have a “unique opportunity� to make it happen. “As Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi said in his latest campaign, ‘Modi hai to mumkin hai,’ or ‘Modi makes it possible’, I’m looking forward to exploring what’s possible between our people,� Pompeo said in his major India policy speech at the India Ideas Summit of US-

India Business Council on Wednesday. Very much looking forward to his trip to New Delhi later this month, and meeting Modi, and his new counterpart, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Pompeo listed out some of the “big ideas and big opportunities� that can take the bilateral relationship to a new level. Giving a sneak preview of his India mission, he said he truly believes the two nations have a unique opportunity to move forward together for the good of their peoples, the Indo-Pacific region, and the world.

Congress workers want Priyanka as party chief in UP Congress workers are now demanding that the party should project Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the partys chief ministerial candidate for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

While party leaders, who held day-long deliberations with the Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern part of the state, said that the party’s revival was sure if Gandhi was projected as Chief Minister in 2022.

Talking to reporters after the thanksgiving dinner hosted by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli on Wednesday night, former Varanasi MP Rajesh Misra said: “We are requesting Priyanka Gandhi to strengthen the party for the upcoming bypolls and state elections. We have also conveyed to her that she should become the chief ministerial face to challenge the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).�

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PUNJAB

Saturday, June 15, 2019

No MSP on maize, can’t diversify: Farmers Even as the state is promoting maize as an alternative crop to paddy, farmers in the region have been complaining that the crop diversification plan will not been successful till the time they are paid an MSP of Rs 1,700 per quintal as announced by the Centre.

Farmers said they had been selling maize (without drying) for Rs 600 to 900 per quintal in the open market and for Rs 1,200-1,300 after drying. They pointed out the fact that to encourage maize cultivation, the Haryana government had recently announced an incentive of Rs 10,000 per hectare for farmers in seven dark-zone blocks of the state.

They said maize had a high potential to become an alternative crop since it remained in high demand and could be used for making as many as 100 products, including cornflour, starch, glucose, popcorns and a variety of snacks. But if the government did

not pay a remunerative price, the farmers, who were diversifying towards maize, might again switch back to water-guzzling paddy and wheat. As per the data available from the Agriculture Department, an area of 1.08 lakh hectares was under maize production in the state last year and the department has a target of getting maize sown on 1.6 lakh hectares this year. Sutantar Airi, Director, Agriculture, claims, “We have done a lot of planning to ensure that we cross our target and get maize sown in 2 lakh hectares. We are expecting area under maize to increase in 14 of 22 districts of Punjab. We are encouraging farmers by providing Rs 9,000 per quintal subsidy on seed if they pick from any of the 16 varieties approved by the PAU. These are all high-yielding varieties that produce 25 quintals of maize per acre.”

UK Sikhs offer £500m to Pak, intel groups on alert The Sikh community in London along with the Peter Virdee Foundation has committed an investment of up to £500 million for the Kartarpur corridor in Pakistan in a meeting with Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari, Chairman of the Pakistan Tourism Board and Special Assistant to Prime MinisterImran Khan, in London on June 10. As per a press release of the Sikh Federation and news reports besides inputs gathered by intelligence agencies, India is keenly watching the developments amid concerns of money landing in ‘wrong’ hands. No group or foundation outside the country has so far offered investment in the project in the Indian territory. Indian security agencies have been on tenterhooks on developments regarding the project and people or organisations taking part in it.

Sikh Federation press secretary Gurjeet Singh said the Sikhs based in the UK along with the Peter Virdee Foundation organised a meeting at a hotel in London on June 10 to discuss religious tourism projects in Pakistan following the historic laying of foundation stones for the corridor on either side of the border in November 2018.

He said the Central Gurdwara (Khalsa Jatha), London, supported by the Peter Virdee Foundation organised the event where several significant announcements were made by Sayed Bukhari.

Singer among two arrested with 1-kg heroin Two cross-border drug peddlers, including a Punjabi singer, were arrested with 1-kg heroin by sleuths of the Counter Intelligence and State Security Operations Cell (SSOC), Fazilka, along the Ferozepur-Fazilka highway here last night. Ajay Maluja, AIG (Counter Intelligence), today said on a tip-off, the CI sleuths intercepted a car on the Ferozepur-Fazilka highway in which three persons were travelling, following which the accused tried to escape by taking a detour. However, the CI team followed them and again intercepted them. Maluja said while two persons identified as Harjinder Singh, alias Kalakar, of Alfuke village and Lakhbir Singh of Gandhu Khilcha village were arrested, their third accomplice managed to flee after attacking a policeman.

The third accused, later identified as Harjinder Singh, hit constable Amardeep Singh on his head with a brick when the latter was trying to overpower him and escaped. The AIG said during the search of the two arrested, four packets of heroin, weighing 250 gm each.

35

Life of Shillong Sikhs turns into a saga of trouble following threat Carbine-wielding CRPF personnel guard the entry and exit points of Shillong’s Punjabi Lane from the Police Bazaar side. The CRPF has been deployed there recently after the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), a banned terrorist outfit claiming to represent the interests of the Khasis and Jaintia people of Meghalaya, threatened the Punjabi Lane Sikhs of dire consequences if they tried to resist the government attempt to evict them. This is one of the rare occasions when a terror outfit has stepped in to ensure the implementation of a government initiative.

“The Meghalaya government and terrorists are on the same page as far as we are concerned,” says Bharat Singh, a resident of the colony.

Bharat Singh’s TV repairing shop has been shut for a year now like many other shops of the neighbourhood that downed their shutters after

last June’s riots in the area. While the residents of Punjabi Lane are far from rich, the area, being close to Shillong’s commercial hub Police Bazaar, may be worth a fortune. “Eviction notices were given in 1987, a mob had attacked the colony in 1992, we were asked to prove ownership in 1994, Lal Singh was murdered in 1995…,” Gurjit Singh, secretary of the Harijan Colony Panchayat, loses count as he tries to recall the unending series of ordeals that have made the lives of the Sikh residents of Punjabi Lane an unending saga of trouble.

According to Gurjit Singh, the settlement of Sikhs in Shillong dates back to the period before 1863. The local tribal chief gave the land to the Sikhs who came with British colonialists.

“Originally our forefathers were given 2.5 acres of land. But we are left with only 1.75 acres of land now.

36

CIRCKET / SPORTS

Saturday, June 15, 2019

‘Ruthless’ India beat Australia in World Cup clash This was the first blockbuster World Cup fixture between two of the fancied teams. But it was all India, on the field and off it, where their fans packed into The Oval in the strongest voice. They did not leave disappointed: India ruthlessly exposed the shortcomings in Australia’s attack to make 352, then suffocated the chase to win by 36 runs, bowling Australia out off the match’s final ball for 316. The scoreline did not reflect quite what a statement showing this was. Australia may yet retain the World Cup because, well, they are Australia and it is the World Cup. But India have provided a blueprint for Australia’s six remaining opponents about how to win their meeting.

India targeted the weaker bowlers, then simply did not allow swift enough scoring from batting which was passive until Glenn

Maxwell came in – far too late.

But just as he was getting going, Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Steve Smith and Marcus Stoinis in three deliveries. Four balls later, Maxwell was gone, and with him went the game, despite the last-ditch efforts of Alex Carey.

Weaknesses in their bowling were exploited, too. The third seamer is Nathan Coulter-Nile, not Josh Hazlewood or James Pattinson. 10 overs have to come from Stoinis and Maxwell, all-rounders who strike fear with the bat, not the ball. So India sat in against the new ball.

There was little full stuff, and thus little to tempt them into errors. When Coulter-Nile (who had dropped a very tough chance off Rohit Sharma at square-leg) appeared, Shikhar Dhawan took three boundaries from his first over.

Shikhar Dhawan suffers a hairline fracture Indian cricket fans suffered a great blow yesterday after cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, a leading run-scorer for the team was ruled out of the ongoing 2019 World Cup for the next three weeks because of an injury he sustained in the thumb. He suffered the injury while playing a match against Australia last Sunday.

Even though he went on playing the match and scored big runs, the batsmen was in excruciating pain. Post the match, he was taken for scans where it was revealed that he had suffered a hairline fracture.

The cricketer is under observation and BCCI and the team management will be keeping Shikhar under observation for a week. If he shows signs of improvement, he will be eased back into the team when he is fully fit. Sports injuries are fairly common but require extensive rehabilitation and care. The most common types affecting players are strains, sprains, fractures, and open wounds. A hairline fracture usually happens when a part of the wrist suffers direct stress, usually from an external force like a ball or a bat. The thumb might get pulled back or get bent down, hurting the hand.

Battle of giants ends in washout

India vs New Zealand match abandoned in rain The frustrating English weather finally caught up with the Indian team as their third World Cup 2019 game against New Zealand was abandoned without a ball being bowled at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Thursday. New Zealand have seven points from four games while India now have five from three with the next game against Pakistan at Old Trafford in Manchester on Sunday. Incidentally, the

forecasts are not good for Sunday with some rain expected in Manchester. On Thursday, the toss between India vs New Zealand was delayed due to inclement weather and in the end it never took place. An inspection was to happen at 3 pm IST, the scheduled start time, but was put off after it started raining again.

The outfield was wet after heavy rains for past two days.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 schedule Cricket World Cup 2019 fixtures May 30th, Thursday - England vs South Africa, at The Oval (10:30 BST) England won by 104 runs.

May 31 Friday - West Indies vs Pakistan, Trent Bridge (10:30 BST) West Indies won by 7 wickets.

June 1st - Saturday - New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, Cardiff (10:30 BST) New Zealand won by 10 wickets.

Saturday 1st - Afghanistan vs Australia, Bristol (DN) (13:30 BST) Australia won by 7 wickets.

Sunday 2nd - South Africa vs Bangladesh, The Oval (10:30 BST) Bangladesh won by 21 runs.

Monday 3rd - England vs Pakistan, Trent Bridge (10:30 BST) Pakistan won by 13 runs.

Tuesday 4th - Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka, Cardiff (10:30 BST) Sri Lanka won by 34 runs.

Wednesday 5th - South Africa vs India, Southampton (10:30 BST) India won by 6 wickets.

Wednesday 5th - Bangladesh vs New Zealand, The Oval (DN) (13:30 BST) New Zealand won by 2 wickets Thursday 6th - Australia vs West Indies, Trent Bridge (10:30 BST) Australia won by 15 runs.

Friday 7th - Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, Bristol (10:30 BST) Match abandoned in rain draw.

Saturday 8th - England vs Bangladesh, Cardiff (10:30 BST) England beat Bangladesh by 106 runs.

Saturday 8th - Afghanistan vs New Zealand, Taunton (DN) (13:30 BST) N.Z won by 7 wickets Sunday 9th - India vs Australia, The Oval (10:30 BST) India won by 36 runs Monday 10th - South Africa vs West Indies, Southampton (10:30 BST) Match abandoned in rain draw. Tuesday 11th - Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Bristol (10:30 BST) Match abandoned in rain draw.

Wednesday 12th - Australia vs Pakistan, Taunton (10:30 BST) Australia won by 40 runs.

Thursday 13th - India vs New Zealand, Trent Bridge (10:30 BST) Match abandoned in rain draw.

Friday 14th - England vs West Indies, Southampton (10:30 BST) England won by 8 wickets Saturday 15th - Sri Lanka vs Australia, The Oval (10:30 BST) Saturday 15th - South Africa vs Afghanistan, Cardiff (DN) (13:30 BST) Sunday 16th - India vs Pakistan, Old Trafford (10:30 BST) Monday 17th - West Indies vs Bangladesh, Taunton (10:30 BST) Tuesday 18th - England vs Afghanistan, Old

Trafford (10:30 BST) Wednesday 19th - New Zealand vs South Africa, Edgbaston (10:30 BST) Thursday 20th Australia vs Bangladesh, Trent Bridge (10:30 BST) Friday 21st England vs Sri Lanka, Headingley (10:30 BST) Saturday 22nd - India vs Afghanistan, Southampton (10:30 BST) Saturday 22nd - West Indies vs New Zealand, Old Trafford (DN) (13:30 BST) Sunday 23rd - Pakistan vs South Africa, Lord’s (10:30 BST) Monday 24th - Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, Southampton (10:30 BST) Tuesday 25th - England vs Australia, Lord’s (10:30 BST) Wednesday 26th - New Zealand vs Pakistan, Edgbaston (10:30 BST) Thursday 27th - West Indies vs India, Old Trafford (10:30 BST) Friday 28th - Sri Lanka vs South Africa, Chester-leStreet (10:30 BST) Saturday 29th - Pakistan vs Afghanistan, Headingley (10:30 BST) Saturday 29th - New Zealand vs Australia, Lord’s (DN) (13:30 BST) Sunday 30th - England vs India, Edgbaston (10:30 BST July 1st, Monday - Sri Lanka vs West Indies, Chester-le-Street (10:30 BST) Tuesday 2nd - Bangladesh vs India, Edgbaston (10:30 BST) Wednesday 3rd - England vs New Zealand, Chester-le-Street (10:30 BST) Thursday 4th - Afghanistan vs West Indies, Headingley (10:30 BST) Friday 5th - Pakistan vs Bangladesh, Lord’s (10:30 BST) Saturday 6th - Sri Lanka vs India, Headingley (10:30 BST) Saturday 6th - Australia vs South Africa, Old Trafford (DN) (13:30 BST) Tuesday 9th - First semi-final: 1st team vs 4th team, at Old Trafford (10:30 BST) Thursday 11th - Second semi-final: 2nd team vs 3rd team, Edgbaston (10:30 BST) July 14th, Sunday - Final at the Lord’s (10:30) BST)

Yuvraj Singh retires from cricket All-rounder Yuvraj Singh, who was voted player of the tournament at the 2011 World Cup, has retired from cricket. “A very difficult and at the same time a very beautiful moment for me,” Yuvraj told a news conference in Mumbai on Monday. Yuvraj played 40 test matches, 304 one-day internationals and 58 Twenty20 internationals for India in a career that was interrupted by illness.

His highlight was the 2011 World Cup on home soil, where he scored 362 runs including a centuries and four half centuries and took 15 wickets with his left-arm spin to help India win the title. He was the first player to score more than 300 runs and take 15 wickets in one edition of the quadrennial tournament.

Saturday, June 15, 2019

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38

SOUTH ASIA

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Sri Lankan president warns against emergence of a ‘Muslim Prabhakaran’ after Easter Sunday attacks Warning against the emergence of a “Muslim Prabhakaran”, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has called for unity among all communities in the country which saw the worst terror attack on Easter Sunday.

Acknowledging that the country has now been divided, Sirisena, who spoke in Mullaitivu, a former bastion of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said on Saturday that religious leaders and politicians in the country were divided today.

The President urged the public “not to leave room for a Muslim Prabhakaran to be born,” Colombo Gazette reported.

Velupillai Prabhakaran was the founder and leader of the LTTE or the Tamil Tigers, a militant organisation that sought to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka.

The civil war in Sri Lanka that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people ended with the killing of Prabhakaran by Sri Lankan army in 2009.

“If we divide and fall apart the whole country will stand to lose. Another war will break out,” he warned. Following the Easter Sunday terror attacks on three Catholic churches and three luxury hotels by a local Islamist outfit with possible links to the Islamic State terror group, there were widespread attacks on the Muslim community.

Sirisena lamented that most politicians are focused on the elections later this year and not the country. He said that the division is preventing the country from moving forward.

The President said that he understands the issues faced by the Tamils and will address some of them, the report said.

New China-Nepal friendship bridge comes into operation A new Sino-Nepal “friendship bridge” that links the Himalayan nation with Tibet has been formally opened to traffic, four years after the old bridge was damaged in the massive 2015 earthquake. The NepalChina Friendship Bridge (Miteri bridge) was constructed with Chinese aid at the Rasuwagadhi border point in Rasuwa district after the old bridge was damaged in the earthquake. The new bridge was constructed just five metres north-east from the damaged bridge.The newly-constructed 110-metre bridge came into operation on Thursday with cargo trucks crossing the border point,

Rasuwa Customs Office chief Punya Bikram Khadka told the Kathmandu Post. Although the bridge is now open, the Chinese side is planning to officially handover the bridge to Nepal next week. The new bridge was built by a Chinese company after dismantling the old bridge, which sustained massive damage in the middle section due to a landslide triggered by the earthquake.

The successful operation of the bridge also spurred the completion of the 150-metre double lane road section on the Nepali side, the report said.

Sri Lanka defies Sirisena to resume probe into Easter blasts The Sri Lankan government on Tuesday began the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) investigation into the security lapses surrounding the Easter Sunday suicide attacks that killed 258 people including 11 Indians, despite strong objection by President Maithripala Sirisena.

President Sirisena, who is the head of the Cabinet, warned last week that he would not attend the Cabinet unless the government took immediate action to halt the parliamentary investigation.

The PSC began hearing testimony from Muslim leaders who said they repeatedly warned the authorities to dangerous radicalisation. The committee summoned former governor of the Western province Azath Sally to testify before it.

The cabinet meeting which is usually held on Tuesday mornings was not called by Sirisena, officials said.

President Sirisena last week asked the Cabinet to halt the hearings, citing national security concerns.

Sirisena said that it was uncalled for and a serious threat to national security as the top intelligence personnel are identified through the media. He said he would not allow any serving defense official to testify before the PSC.

Bangladesh attacks Myanmar over Rohingya deadlock Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has slammed Myanmar for delays in the repatriation of Rohingya refugees who fled violence in the neighboring country. Some 740,000 Rohingya took shelter in fetid, overcrowded camps in Bangladesh after Myanmar’s military drove them over the border in a 2017 crackdown.

Many still fear for their safety if they return to Myanmar, where the Muslim minority has faced decades of repression and erosion of rights.

But the Bangladeshi prime minister’s comments late Sunday are a sign that the country’s patience is wearing thin.

The two governments signed a repatriation deal in November 2017, yet so far virtually no Rohingya have volunteered to return.

“The problem lies with Myanmar as they don’t want to take back the Rohingyas by any means,” Hasina told a press conference.

She also criticized international aid agencies working in the refugee camps in the border district of Cox’s Bazar who object to any forced relocations saying they are not interested in ending the crisis. “The problem that I now see is that different international agencies that are providing voluntary services or working at Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar never want any refugee to go back,” she said. “The principal problem lies here.”

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Saturday, June 15, 2019

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FIJI

Saturday, June 15, 2019

If you decide to bring drugs to Fiji, be prepared to stay here indefinitely - PM Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has strongly stated that anyone who decides to bring drugs into Fiji will end up in prison.

He made this comment while commissioning the latest non-intrusive inspection x-ray technology at the Suva Wharf this morning.

Bainimarama says

they are also adding an x-ray machine for mobile containers and vehicles, a pallet x-ray machine and four sets of CT x-rays along with spare parts and seven technicians to help run this equipment all donated by the Chinese Government.

Fiji Revenue and Customes Service confirms all 2nd hand imported vehicles should be 5 years old or less The Fiji Revenue and Customs Service confirms that all second hand vehicles to be imported into the country should now be 5 years old or less.

CEO Visvanath Das says this has come into

effect after Budget Night.

Das confirms that the age limitation for imported cars is for hybrid and non-hybrid vehicles.

PM tours new cruise passenger lounge at Suva port Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has commended the facilities that will be available at the Port of Suva for passengers of cruise liners.This comes after he took a tour of the port’s cruise passenger lounge yesterday.

Fiji Ports Corporation Limited Chair, Shaheen Ali says on average 30 cruise liners visit the port every year.

Article continues after advertisement Ali adds the new lounge has lifted the standard of the Port and provides a good first experience for visitors.

The lounge is the first for FPCL with plans to have a similar one built in Lautoka.

Meanwhile, the tourism industry is the largest contributor to the Fijian economy, amounting to more than 30% to the GDP.

Cruise tourism has been increasing over the last 5 years, at an average rate of 15%.

In 2018, a total of 187,890 cruise visitors came to Fiji and the earnings from the segment was a record of $11.3 million.

Neglect of elderly people alarming In the last four years, there have been 128 cases of applications for placement of older persons into stateadministered homes.

This was confirmed by the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation as today marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. However, what is more, alarming is that many cases are based on either neglect or abandonment of elderly people.

The Ministry says an average 32 applications are made yearly to place elderly people in various state homes.

Projections by the United N a t i o n s Population Fund reveals that presently Fiji’s older population is growing by 3,000 people per year and the oldest population category, 80 years and above, is expected to increase rapidly to 28,500 by 2050.

Father calls for US probe of daughter, son-in-law’s mysterious deaths in Fiji The father of a Texas woman who died along with her husband from a mysterious illness while on a dream vacation in Fiji says he wants the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct an independent investigation of the deaths to determine if his loved ones perished from an infectious disease. Michelle and David Paul died last month just days after arriving in Fiji and being afflicted with an illness that caused them to experience vomiting, diarrhea, extreme weakness and eventually led to their demise, Michelle Paul’s father, Marc Calanog of Las Vegas, told ABC News. Calanog said he has been in contact with the U.S. Embassy in Fiji and learned the autopsies on his daughter and sonin-law have been completed, but he has yet to be informed of the results. David and Michelle Paul died of a mysterious illness while vacationing in Fiji, their family said. Handout via WFAA David

and Michelle Paul died of a mysterious illness while vacationing in Fiji, their family said. The Fiji Department of Health has agreed to send specimens from the autopsies to the CDC headquarters in Atlanta to analyze, he said. “I gave them instruction not to do any cremation until I’m satisfied ... because I would like the whole world to know if they died of infectious diseases,” Calanog told ABC News.

“The CDC can confirm that and tell Americans and other people that these are the issues you’re going to face if you have to travel to Fiji.

59 bus passengers issued $150 fines for giving cash to drivers Fifty-nine bus passengers have each been fined $150 by the Land Transport Authority for giving cash to drivers and misusing e-transport cards. There have been concerns about some parents abusing their children’s bus cards.

They were fined between 23rd May to Tuesday this week

by LTA’s Western Enforcement Unit.

LTA conducted checks in 685 buses in the Western Division during these 13 days. 23 bus drivers were also fined $150 each for accepting cash from passengers during this period.

The bus drivers are from eight different bus companies that operate in the Western Division. LTA CEO, Samuel Simpson says

they expect the bus companies to follow up and take disciplinary action in respect of drivers taking cash from passengers. He says there is an on-going monitoring process in order to ensure that e-transport revenue protection

activity continues. The traffic infringement notices were issued during the e-transport awareness campaign in Ba, Lautoka, Nadi, Sigatoka, Tavua, and Rakiraki.

Concerns raised after items snatched from cars while stuck in traffic Concerns are being raised as people’s personal items such as mobile phones are being snatched while stuck in traffic or at red lights. A video footage from a concerned listener who witnessed an incident while stuck in traffic at around 5.30pm yesterday in Caubati.

Zohid Khan says he was aware of this type of incident happening near that location so

when he saw some people acting suspiciously, he started taking a video. In the video some people are seen walking past the vehicles stuck in traffic when suddenly they walk towards a vehicle and then make a run for it through a nearby short cut.

Two former police officers charged with murder to stand trial The trial of two former Police Officers Kelepi Kolinisau and Selema Tikoenaburevere who are charged with murder will be held in October. It is alleged they killed 26-year-old Josua Lalauvaki on 2nd September last year

following an altercation outside a nightclub.

Lalauvaki died at the CWM Hospital on 11th October last year as a result of injuries sustained after the alleged assault.

Their Bail has been extended.

PAKISTAN

Saturday, June 15, 2019

41

Despite talks on spending cuts Pakistan hikes defense budget deficit by 4.5% Pakistan’s national development budget will undergo a steep cut of Rs402 billion or 27% of the total annual allocation for the current fiscal year to keep overall budget deficit within the mutually binding limits agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Against the National Economic Council (NEC) approved budget of Rs1.513 trillion for this fiscal year 2015-16, the development expenditures have been shown at Rs1.111 trillion in a report that the IMF released

on Tuesday. The report was prepared after holding discussions with Pakistani authorities in November last year. The NEC meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with all provincial chief ministers in attendance, approved the development spending budget equivalent to 5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). After applying the cut, development spending would come down to the same level as that of the last financial year in terms of total size of the economy. In fiscal year

PIA passenger opens emergency exit door in search of washroom A woman passenger aboard PIA (Pakistan International Airlines flight accidentally opened the emergency exit door looking for washroom, causing seven-hour delay in UK. The plane was sitting on the runway waiting to embark when the incident took place. The woman got up from her seat defying the seat belt signs, which were on and she opened the emergency exit mistaking it for the bathroom door. As she opened it, an evacuation slide deployed from under the door. The ‘woman passenger remains unidentified.

“The PIA flight, PK 702, from Manchester -Islamabad, was delayed by seven hours,” said a PIA spokesperson. “The departure was delayed when a passenger erroneously opened the

emergency exit causing the emergency chute to activate.” “As per standard operating procedure, the PIA had to offload nearly 40 passengers and their luggage,” the spokesperson clarified.

The flight eventually left many hours later with a much lighter passenger load. Thirtyeight people were pushed to another, even later flight because, with the slide gone, the plane’s evacuation capacity was lowered. Passengers were placated with food and others received an overnight hotel stay and transportation.

The delay of the flight also led to a domino effect on later departures, for which the airline apologized on Twitter. “We regret the delay of PK771, which is an unfortunate consequence of the delay of PK702,” PIA tweet.

Court rejects Musharraf’s plea to adjourn treason case A special court in Islamabad on Wednesday rejected former military dictator Pervez Musharraf ’s plea for adjournment of the hearing of a high treason case against him.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Tahira Safdar also cancelled retired Gen Musharraf ’s right of defence due to his repeated non-appearance before the court.

Musharraf is facing a treason trial under Article 6 of the Constitution as well as Section 2 of the High Treason Act on a complaint

moved by the federal government. During the proceedings, Musharraf ’s lawyer Salman Safdar said that the former military dictator was “fighting for his life”, adding that he was not physically or mentally capable of returning the country. Musharraf ’s counsel said that he was embarrassed by repeatedly submitting requests to adjourn the case’s hearing. He said that his client was rapidly losing weight, adding that he was unable to walk and used a wheelchair.

Gov’t grants Rs 100 crore for Kartarpur corridor project Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government has earmarked Rs 100 crore in the federal budget 2019-20 for the development of the much-awaited Kartarpur corridor.

The corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India’s Gurdaspur district and facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, which was established in 1522 by Guru Nanak Dev. The funds will be used for land acquisition and development of infrastructure of Kartarpur under Public Sector Development

Programme (PSDP) for the next financial year 2019-20. According to the data released by Planning Commission, Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms, the estimated cost of the project is Rs 300 crore for the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.

Pakistan will build the corridor from the Indian border to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur while the other part from Dera Baba Nanak in Indian Punjab’s Gurdaspur district up to the border will be constructed

by India. According to officials, some 50 per cent of the development work on the fourkilometer stretch being built by Pakistan has been completed.

2014-15, total development spending stood at 3.7% of GDP; the IMF expects it to remain at the same level this year as well.

The IMF has projected the cut on development expenditures in order to achieve the overall budget deficit target of 4.3% of the total size of national economy or Rs1.292 trillion. The lower public sector investment will also carry implications for current year’s national output, which remains subdued due to a variety of reasons. The IMF has said that the government will miss its economic growth rate target of 5.5%, projecting the current fiscal year’s growth at 4.5%; marginally higher than last year’s 4.2%.

The bulk of the cuts will be borne by the provincial development budgets, which will collectively see a cut of Rs313 billion, or 38.5% of their budgeted Rs813 billion. The federal development budget, by comparison, will be slashed by 12.7%, or Rs89 billion, of its budgeted Rs700 billion, the IMF projects.

The Rs700 billion includes Rs100 billion spending on military and Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDPs) affected by operation Zarb-e-Azb, which is technically not development spending. The Rs700 billion also included Rs20 billion of Prime Minister’s Youth programme.

Effectively, the development spending is Rs580 billion and out of that Rs89 billion will be cut, bringing it to fiscal year 2014-15 level of Rs489 billion.

NRI

42

Saturday, June 15, 2019

UK Foreign Office Board gets first NRI member Kumar Iyer has been appointed by the UK government as the Chief Economist of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), making him the first Indian-origin member of the department’s management board. Iyer, who was born in London and spent his early years in India, has previously been based in Mumbai as Britain’s Deputy High Commissioner. In this new role as the Chief Economist, which commences in July,

he will lead the FCO’s Economics Unit which provides in-house economic analysis input into foreign policy formulation, and also develops economics capability within the FCO through the Economics and Prosperity Faculty of the Diplomatic Academy. “He brings insight of global economics and international finance, and experience of working on economic diplomacy and prosperity abroad,” said Sir Simon McDonald.

NRI faces jail in UK as ‘world’s most prolific’ steroid smuggler The 65-year-old from Southall in west London faces years in jail after he was found guilty of conspiring to import a Class C drug following a six-week trial at the Old Bailey court in London on Wednesday. He, alongside Mumbai-based Danish national Jacob SporonFiedler who has earlier pleaded guilty, are due to be sentenced on July 15. The NCA

investigation began in 2014, following a seizure of around 300 kilos of the Class C regulated drug by Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport. An Indian-origin man in the UK has been found guilty of being part of a criminal gang believed to be one of the world’s most prolific smugglers of anabolic steroids.

Gurjaipal Dhillon acted as a fixer for

Indian-American held for brandishing gun, setting off panic at gay pride parade in USA An Indian-American was arrested in the US for threatening a person with a BB gun and causing a stampede during an LGBTQ pride parade here, leaving several people injured as hundreds of participants fled in panic fearing a mass shooter. Aftabjit Singh, 38, pulled out the gun after another person allegedly

threatened his “significant other”, police said.

The police arrested him and his BB gun — a type of air gun designed to shoot metallic ball projectiles — was captured from his brown bag. Singh has been charged with the illegal possession of a BB gun, carrying a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct.

Indian national stabbed to death in Israel A fifty-year-old Indian national was stabbed to death and another injured when a quarrel broke out among tenants living in an apartment in Israel’s Tel Aviv city, according to police. Jerome Arthar Philip from Kerala was stabbed on Saturday night in his apartment in the Neve Sha’anan Street. He succumbed to his injuries at Tel Aviv’s Ichilov hospital.

Other victim, Peter Xavier, 60, also from

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Police suspect that the man was murdered, and have arrested two suspects — who are also Indian citizens. They lived with the victim in the apartment. An initial investigation by police revealed that a quarrel broke out among the tenants during which two of them were stabbed in their upper bodies, sustaining severe and moderate injuries.

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Saturday, June 15, 2019