The Asian Star March 31 2018

Vol 17 - Issue 9

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Masala Masti Chole Boil channa with salt.

Stir in the masti - have bhaiyya “test” the mirchis.

(After, cool him down with chaas.)

To add love, ask dadi to saute the masalas in ghee.

Garnish with dhania leaves. Serve warm with hugs.

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It’s the perfect recipe. You supply the love. We’ll supply the rest. Like spices at prices so low, you’ll come back for a second helping. To save on 100s of faves this Vaisakhi, start at Walmart. Visit Walmart.ca/VaisakhiBeginsHere

Tel:604-591-5423

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Saturday, March 31, 2018

Jagmeet Singh flip flops & backs down on punishing veteran MP who supported Tories’ Canada Summer Jobs motion After facing criticism from within his caucus, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has backed down on his decision to punish a veteran NDP MP for voting against the party line on a Conservative motion that condemned the Liberal government’s controversial new requirement for its Canada Summer Jobs grants. Hamilton MP David Christopherson will return to his role as vice-chair of the parliamentary procedure and House affairs committee, Singh confirmed in a statement on Tuesday evening.

“Lively and democratic debate is a hallmark of our party. I will always keep an open line for dialogue within our caucus. My approach is to encourage feedback and constantly seek to improve our decision-making processes, rather than simply disregard voices with varying

viewpoints,” he said, adding that New Democrats “remain united.”

On Friday, the Post reported that Christopherson had been removed from his position on the committee, seemingly for his decision to vote his conscience on a recent Conservative motion that opposed the Liberals’ changes to Canada Summer Jobs funding criteria. The motion protested a new requirement that groups sign an attestation that their core mandate respects rights and freedoms, including reproductive rights. The change was an attempt to prevent anti-abortion groups from accessing summer jobs funding,

but many religious groups have spoken out against it, saying they cannot sign the attestation in good conscience.

Christopherson was the lone NDP MP to break ranks and vote with the Conservatives.

He told the Post last week that he has always been pro-choice, but that he was defending the public’s right to dissent. On Tuesday, he issued a statement saying that he and Singh have had “in-depth conversations addressing all aspects of this issue” over the last several days.

“Through this process, I believe Jagmeet has shown himself to be a strong leader, willing

to listen to all viewpoints and come to a fair resolution,” he said. “I have complete trust in his leadership.” Singh’s about-face comes after several members of the NDP caucus spoke out against the decision to punish Christopherson.

On Tuesday, Ontario MP Charlie Angus was quoted as saying people were “stunned” by the decision. “It’s not how you treat someone who’s given so much of their life to the party and to building solidarity in the caucus. It shows a lack of respect,” he told the Globe and Mail.

Quebec MP Romeo Saganash also said Christopherson should “absolutely” be reinstated to his committee position. He said he has taken positions that run counter to the party line in the past and has not faced the same consequences.

South Asian mom arrested after abducted BC boy found in Arizona A nine-year-old Vancouver boy who went missing over two weeks ago has been located safe near Phoenix, Arizona. Neighbours shaken after East Vancouver woman’s suspicious disappearance His mother, Shawana Puja Chaudhary, is expected to be extradited to Canada to face charges stemming from his alleged abduction.. Custody of the boy is shared between his parents. When he went missing March 9, police alleged he was taken by Chaudhary in defiance of a court-ordered parenting schedule. VPD detectives and the United States Department of Homeland Security were able to locate Chaudhary, the boy and his younger sister in the Phoenix area on March 27. Authorities are working to return the boy and his sister to Canada.

Police watchdog investigates death following alleged parental abduction in Chilliwack, B.C. The B.C. Crown has approved a charge against Chaudhary, and Vancouver police say she will be arrested upon her return to the country.

12 year old female youth missing On March 28th, 2018 H l e e m a YAQUB was reported missing to the Surrey Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Hleema YAQUB was last seen in the 13800 block of 92A Ave., Surrey, B.C. on March 28th, 2018 at just before 2:00 P.M. Hleema YAQUB is described as a 12 year old Female, 5’01”, 150 lbs, brown eyes, Black long hair and wearing a black sweater and grey pyjama style pants. The Surrey Royal Canadian Mounted Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating Hleema YAQUB. Anyone who may have seen Hleema YAQUB or know of her whereabouts are asked to call the Surrey R.C.M.P. at 604-599-0502 or to call Crime Stoppers in reference to Surrey File # 2018-042805.

www.theasianstar.com Vol 17 - Issue 9

Saturday, March 31, 2018

South Asian couple wanted in assault on elderly woman in a Surrey bus

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n argument over a bus seat turned into a violent assault on a 61-year-old woman, who suffered a broken arm and cracked sternum, transit police say.

Metro Vancouver Transit Police are searching for a man and woman who they say are suspects in the March 20 assault, which spokesperson Anne Drennan described as “particularly vicious.”

At about 6:30 p.m. that day, police say the victim boarded the 96B bus at Surrey Central SkyTrain Station.

She sat in the aisle seat beside the female suspect. The suspect told her she was saving the seat for her husband and an altercation ensued, Drennan said. The female allegedly used her hip and shoulder to force the woman Continued on page 6

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Tel:604-591-5423

Developers helped bankroll Surrey mayor’s $58K trip to Cannes

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urrey mayor Linda Hepner and the City of Surrey are facing tough questions after tens of thousands of dollars were spent to send her and three staffers to a real estate conference in Cannes, France, the city made famous for its film festival.

Developers helped to foot the bill for the trip to the conference, which took place from March 13 to 16 — and at a time when home prices are soaring in the growing city.

Hepner was to speak on a panel at Mipim, a conference that advertises itself as an event that “gathers the most influential international property players from the office, residential, retail, health care, sport, logistics and industrial sectors for four days of networking, learning and transaction.”

The panel, titled “City As a Service, Continued on page 6

Conservatives join NDP in asking ethics commissioner to investigate Liberal MP Raj Grewal over India trip

onservatives have joined the NDP in asking the federal ethics commissioner to investigate Liberal MP Raj Grewal after revelations he helped a business affiliate gain access to senior government officials in India last month.

It was first reported on Tuesday that Grewal’s office invited Yusuf Yenilmez, the CEO of a company from which Grewal profits, to receptions in India attended

by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his delegation.

Senior NDP MP Charlie Angus sent a letter about the matter to Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion on Wednesday, arguing that Grewal’s conduct “failed the test of

Federal Liberals increase govt’s total ‘market debt’ to over $1 trillion, documents show The federal government’s market debt — the debt on which Ottawa pays interest — has topped $1 trillion for the first time, Department of Finance documents show.

It is a milestone, says former parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page.

The threshold, he said, highlights the urgent need for the Liberal government to have a strategy to both balance the federal books and manage the debt in an era of rising interest rates.

“It’s important for Parliament to wrap its head around borrowing,” Continued on page 6

principles” laid out in the Conflict of Interest Code, which applies to all MPs. “To me this represents a very egregious abuse of the Conflict of Interest Code,” Angus said in an interview. “I think this is an issue that must be investigated.He was not the only one calling for a formal inquiry.

On Thursday, Conservative MP Stephanie Kusie joined Angus in contacting Dion Continued on page 7

Former MP charged in $1.1M international investment fraud Former Mississauga-Streetsville MP Wajid Ali Khan has been charged by the RCMP in a $1.1 million international investment fraud.

Khan, 71, was charged along with Nadeem Imtiaz Ahmed, 48, both of Mississauga, and both accused of borrowing more than $1.1 million from

Continued on page 7

Former MP Wajid Ali Khan

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OPINION

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Clear and present danger to Canada’s prosperity

By Jason Clemens, Milagros Palacios and Niels Veldhuis The Fraser Institute The idiom “the straw that broke the camel’s back” describes a minor or routine action that causes a large and sudden reaction because of the cumulative effects of many other small actions. This might well describe the state of business investment and entrepreneurship in Canada. After years of mounting tax and increased regulation, coupled with a decidedly anti-business rhetoric from many capitals across the country, it seems the back of business investment and entrepreneurship in Canada has been broken. The question is whether governments in Canada are interested in repairing it. The list of policy changes that have made Canada a less attractive place to do business is significant.

In recent years, the federal and many provincial governments increased already uncompetitive personal income tax rates to the point where the top combined rate now exceeds 50 per cent in seven provinces, with the remaining provinces just below 50 per cent. And because Canada’s capital gains tax is linked to personal income taxes, these rate changes have also increased capital gains taxes. The federal and several provincial governments have also added more complex and burdensome regulations on labour, energy, infrastructure projects, environment, health and safety, and finance, to name just a few. In addition, Ottawa continues to push forward with national carbon-pricing despite the United States and other competitors such as Australia reversing course. Even advocates for carbon-pricing have criticized Canada for an overly complex approach.

Importantly, most of these policy changes

were enacted before the recent sweeping tax reforms in the U.S., which for the first time in over two decades mean Canada’s business taxes are no longer competitive with the U.S. U.S. reforms will lower the effective tax rates on new investments from 34.6 per cent to 18.8 per cent. Canada’s comparable rate on new investments is 21.2 per cent, and both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Finance Minister Bill Morneau have flatly stated Canada will not respond until there’s clear evidence of the need to do so.

Given Canada’s dismal business investment and entrepreneurship performance, it’s not clear what additional information they require. Since peaking at the end of 2014, total business investment - excluding residential housing and adjusted for inflation - is down almost 17 per cent. Private-sector investment in factories and other structures is down 23.3 per cent and investment in machinery and equipment is down 6.6 per cent.

Federal government tax plans still unfairly penalize small business owners Despite the federal government’s partial adjustments to its small business tax changes, business groups are still troubled about the potential negative effects the revised proposals will have on small and medium-sized firms.

The concerns are spelled-out in a new letter to Finance Minister Bill Morneau by the Coalition for Small Business Tax Fairness, a unified voice of now almost 80 organizations representing hundreds of thousands of business owners across the country. “It’s been one month since the government provided any details regarding its revised proposals.

And, in just a few weeks, some of the new tax provisions are supposed to come into effect,” said Dan Kelly, President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. “We Continued on page 8

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Saturday, March 31, 2018

SIMPSON, THOMAS & ASSOCIATES

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Saturday, March 31, 2018 From page 1

South Asian couple wanted in assault on elderly woman in a Surrey bus

off the seat and onto the floor. The husband sat down and the victim sat behind them. When the victim tried to take a photo of the couple, Drennan said, the female suspect then allegedly snatched the victim’s cellphone and threw it to the ground. The suspect then grabbed the victim by her hair and struck her head and chest repeatedly on the metal handrail, police said. “As she was doing this, she was screaming at her, threatening to kill her, saying if she had a gun she would shoot her,” Drennan said. The ‘bystander effect’: responding to racist, violent incidents in public

The husband separated the women and allegedly grabbed the victim’s phone.

The bus driver caught wind of the assault and pulled over to the next stop at King George Boulevard and 88 Avenue.

The two suspects disembarked. The victim, who was badly hurt, followed them to retrieve her phone, which had photos of the couple.

The man threw her phone to the ground, smashing it to pieces, Drennan said.

Police say that the victim was taken to the hospital, where she was treated for a broken

arm, a cracked sternum and minor head trauma.

“She’s extremely traumatized,” Drennan said, noting that the woman was a regular bus user.

“She’s very stressed.

She’s very frightened. She’s afraid to use the bus again.”

Drennan said police have spoken to several witnesses, but they’re hoping for more people to come forward.

Police describe the two suspects as: A South Asian female, 30 to 35 years old, five

feet six inches, medium build, with long black hair in a ponytail. She wore a purple/maroon jacket with fur-trimmed hood, patterned leggings, purple socks and black shoes.

A South Asian male, 30 to 35 years old, five feet ten inches, with short dark hair and a beard. He wore an olive-green hoodie with a light circle-shaped logo on the chest and a brightly-coloured hood lining, plus black shorts and black shoes. He carried a red Good Life fitness duffel bag.

Anyone with information is asked to contact transit police at 604-516-7419 and refer to file #18-5346 or text police at 87 77 77.

Developers helped bankroll Surrey mayor’s $58K trip to Cannes From page 1 Service, the New Urban Experience,” had Hepner slated to speak on what cities need to do to remain attractive and competitive.

But the cost of the trip, and who paid for it, have garnered attention back home.

The trip to Cannes cost $58,000 in total, according to city documents.

The city spent $11,000 of its own money, but about $47,000 was “offset by sponsorship.”

Money came from companies including Concord Pacific, Century Group, Blackwood Partners, Fraser Surrey Docks and the cityowned Surrey Development Group.

The arrangement looks like a conflict of interest to Douglas Elford with Surrey Community Alliance, which is challenging Hepner’s Surrey First party in the fall municipal election.

“It appears to be a conflict of interest if we have developers supporting politicians’ trips abroad, particularly when these developers are looking for approvals from those very same politicians on their projects in this city,” he said.

Donna Jones, the City of Surrey’s general manager of investment and intergovernmental relations, did not see a conflict.

“The economic development division is the division that managed this project completely,” she said.

“We always try to think of creative ways of being fiscally prudent. This was an international gathering of investors that are able to help accelerate the transformation of a city through the investments that they make.”

The conference, and the developers’ contributions, also came at a time that has been very fruitful for Surrey real estate.

The following chart shows how prices for apartments across Surrey grew year-over-year between September 2017 and February 2018, according to the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board: Home prices are growing right across Surrey, especially when it comes to apartments.

Data gathered from the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board showed the benchmark price of an apartment in the Cloverdale area alone growing by 53.4 per cent year over year in February, to reach $488,100.

In Surrey Central, they grew by 52 per cent year over year, to reach $427,400.

But Hepner and her staffers’ attendance at Mipim has also proven fruitful, according to the city.

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Saturday, March 31, 2018

Feds increase govt’s total ‘market debt’ to over $1 trillion From page 1 Market debt is different from the federal debt and deficit figures, which are regularly presented to and debated by Canadians and reflect the federal government’s estimated total liabilities, or cash needs, and what must be borrowed from the markets.

Think of market debt as something like a mortgage — or the balance on a line of credit.

“It’s debt that generates interest,” Page said. “And Canadians will be surprised at how fast interest on the public debt is going to grow over the next five years.”

The market debt figure for 2017-18 does not reflect the cash, land or other assets the federal government has on hand.

“When I think of of my Ukrainian mother in Thunder Bay, [Ont.], she understands debt is going up,” he said. “Most Canadians understand that. And it’s going up by a lot.”

Buried in the recent federal budget is a passing reference to both the market debt and the limits of the federal government’s ability to borrow.

Conservatives join NDP in asking ethics commissioner to investigate Liberal MP to seek From an page 1 investigation.

In a letter sent to Dion, Kusie said Grewal’s conduct was “improper” and “certainly flies in the face of the principles of the Conflict of Interest Code.”

Liberal MP included his own business affiliate in list of guests to invite to India receptions John Ivison: Trudeau’s blunderfilled India trip sinks Liberals in the polls Gatecrashers and a run on the Crown Royal: The other screw-ups on Trudeau’s India trip Conservative leader Andrew Scheer had led question period Wednesday by calling Grewal’s actions “completely unethical,” and asking Trudeau to refer the matter to Dion.

The prime minister, whose office refused to provide an on-the-record comment for the Post’s initial story, dodged the question.

During a later exchange with deputy Conservative leader Lisa Raitt, Trudeau said, without addressing specific questions about Grewal, “the members opposite are stuck in the politics of innuendo and insinuation.”

Yenilmez told the Post he registered to attend events in India through the CanadaIndia Business Council, and although he called Grewal’s office to make sure he was “on the list” for receptions — an account that Grewal confirmed — the council would also have offered him access.

He said his purpose was to grow construction company Zgemi Inc.’s business ties with India.

Scheer argued during question period that “more business for the company means more money on the side for the Liberal MP.” And in a question to Trudeau, Angus said, “the reason we have a Conflict of Interest Code is so that backbenchers don’t start selling access to the highest office in the land.”

Speaking with the Post later in the afternoon, Angus despaired at the prime minister’s reaction. “They should be taking this very seriously, and the prime minister’s response was to read ridiculous talking points that could’ve applied to anything else. Anything under the sun. But not the issue at hand, which is, does he establish a credible standard of ethics that he expects all of his caucus to stand by?”

Grewal confirmed to the Post that when he began providing legal services to Zgemi Inc. in April 2017, he disclosed the activity to the ethics commissioner.

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Former MP charged in $1.1M international investment fraud contacts” in Canada, according to an RCMP news release announcing the charges. The lenders were told the money would be used to buy investment properties for them in Pakistan.

Khan faces seven charges – three counts of fraud, three counts of false pretense and one count of uttering a forged document.

Ahmed faces five similar charges.

The RCMP’s National Division RCMP Sensitive and International Investigative Section received complaints in January 2015 and began an investigation. The charges were just recently laid. The Sensitive and International Investigative Section focuses on “criminal activity that poses a threat to Canada’s government institutions, public officials, the integrity of the Crown, or that imperils Canada’s political, economic and social integrity,” according to the RCMP.

From page 1 Khan made headlines in 2007 when he left the Liberal Party and crossed the floor to join the Conservatives, then left politics for good in 2009.

He crossed the floor so he could continue acting as a special adviser to then-prime minister Stephen Harper on the Middle East and Central Asia.

He was a prominent voice in the GTA’s Pakistani and Muslim communities.

Khan was first elected to the House of Commons in 2004 and again in 2006 as a Liberal.

The new Alex van der Zwaan (pictured) filing doesn’t shed a whole bunch of new light on that, but it does suggest that special counsel Robert Mueller views Konstantin Kilimnik, named in the filing, as a possible link between the Trump campaign and Russia, and believes Kilimnik hasn’t been forthcoming

about his ties to Russian intelligence.

Robert Mueller just drew his most direct line to date between the Trump campaign and Russia When the Jays entered into the partnership with StubHub a year ago, public messaging focused on enhancing the fan experience by making it easier to upload tickets for sale. Nowhere did the club say it got a cut.

Jays getting a cut from online scalpers Milky Way Lactation Services said the Alberta mom allowed it to share the photo to show that mothers can breastfeed anywhere, anytime.

Photo of breastfeeding hockey mom goes viral, drawing praise, criticism When Khan retired from politics, he said he would spend his time promoting Canadian businesses worldwide, and managing his assets in the GTA, Edmonton and Pakistan.

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Saturday, March 31, 2018

India PM Modi app sparks social media furore

PM Narendra Modi’s official mobile application has been criticised for sending personal user data to a third party without their consent. A security researcher had tweeted that the app was sending personal user data to a third-party domain that was traced to a US company. Mr Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has denied the allegation. The party said the data was being used only for analytics to offer all users the “most contextual content”. The researcher, who tweets under the pseudonym Elliot Alderson, posted a series of tweets on Saturday stating Mr Modi’s app was sending personal user data to a third party. he BJP responded swiftly, saying Mr Gandhi was trying to divert attention.

Last week India’s law and IT minister Ravi

Shankar Prasad said there were “numerous reports” of the Congress party’s connections with controversial data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica. He asked Mr Gandhi to “explain” the company’s role in his social media outreach.

The opposition party has denied the charges. The party said the data from Mr Modi’s app was being used for analytics: The security researcher later posted a new tweet on Sunday saying Mr Modi’s app had been “quietly” updated its privacy policy. Mr Modi launched his official app in 2015, adding another platform to his massive social media presence.

He is among the five most popular politicians on Twitter with 41.4 million followers.

Federal government tax plans still unfairly penalize small business owners From page 4 continue to urge the government to slow down and allow time for genuine stakeholder input to help minimize any unintended consequences. The fight against these proposals is not over.”

“For our businesses to succeed, we need to reform our complex, cumbersome and uncompetitive tax system, and we need to do it right,” said the Hon. Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. “There has been some improvement, but business owners are still alarmed since much still remains to be defined. Businesses from across the country are prepared to work with the government to find ways to make our tax system simpler, less burdensome and fairer.”

In the letter, coalition members praise the government for reinstating its promise to reduce the small business corporate tax rate to nine per cent by 2019. They are also pleased that the government has stepped back from measures relating to the conversion of income into capital gains and that they have recognized the importance of passive income to a business. The Coalition for Small Business Tax Fairness, however, is still concerned about the tax changes in their current form: While the government has offered to simplify the proposed “reasonableness test” for business owners paying dividends to adult family members, they have not provided any further details. The coalition recommends that the government postpone the implementation of this

change, by one year, to January 1, 2019 to provide small businesses with sufficient time to implement required changes to existing business structures.

The revised proposal allowing incorporated businesses a passive investment income threshold of $50,000 is insufficient for those who are saving to grow and create more business opportunities. The coalition therefore recommends that the government drop the passive investment rules until a full economic impact assessment has been completed.Owners of family businesses are pleased that the government has expressed an openness to making it easier and less costly to transfer a business to the next generation.

Moving forward, the coalition recommends that the government make amendments to a section of the Income Tax Act that currently make it easier to sell a business to a third party than to a family member.

Given the complexity of these proposals, more analysis and consultation is needed to ensure that these changes do not harm small businesses, the backbone of the Canadian economy. The coalition stands ready to work with the government to find solutions that won’t adversely affect small business’ ability to grow, innovate and create jobs.

The Coalition for Small Business Tax Fairness is encouraging business owners and other concerned Canadians to contact their Members of Parliament and use the hashtags #unfairtaxchanges #taxesinéquitables on social media. For the full list of Coalition members, please visit smallbiztaxfairness.ca.

Saturday, March 31, 2018

South Asian brothers wanted in kidnapping give themselves to Police A week after reaching out to the public to determine the whereabouts of two men wanted in a kidnapping, police say the Uppal brothers have turned themselves in.

Pavandeep Uppal, 22, and Jasondeep Uppal, 19, were being sought in connection with an alleged kidnapping in which the victim was confined, violently assaulted, then released, suffering injuries that weren’t life-threatening.

On March 22 police appealed to the public for information regarding the whereabouts of

the Uppals, warning anyone who recognized them to call police rather than approaching.

But the search is over, as both men turned themselves in at Surrey provincial court Monday, police said. The pair was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.

The Uppal brothers are charged with forcible confinement, kidnapping, assault causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon. Jasondeep Uppal is also charged with one count of robbery.

Man missing on ferry travelling from Victoria to Vancouver An 80-year-old man is missing after travelling on a BC Ferries vessel last night.

A vehicle had been left on the car deck of a 9 p.m. sailing Thursday from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen and ferry staff were unable to locate the owner on board, once the ship docked at Tsawwassen.

B.C. Ferries Executive Director of Public Affairs, Deborah Marshall, said B.C. Ferries then contacted Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) and Delta Police to begin a search for the man.

Marshall said they were able to confirm from reviewing the CCTV footage that the man purchased a ticket at the vehicle booth in Swartz Bay, but were unable to identify him in any other footage on board the ferry.

Marshall said there have been no reports that anyone on the sailing saw someone go overboard. JRCC Captain, Stu Irvine, said they conducted a search in the water alongside

the Coast Guard and Air Force. He said they used two planes in the search, a helicopter and a Buffalo search plane from 442 squadron in Comox, but did not find anything as of Friday morning. The case has now been turned over to the Delta Police Force. There have been instances in the past where passengers walk off the ferry and forget they drove on with a vehicle, Irvine said. Police will be investigating this further. Marshall said Delta Police identified the man, who is believed to be from Victoria.

Delta Police released in a statement the characteristics of the missing man, he is Caucasian, has a heavy build, 5 feet 9 inches tall and 225 pounds, brown eyes, brown hair and he was wearing a grey sweater and dark grey/black pants. Delta Police are asking ferry passengers or anyone who may have seen the man to contact them at 604-946-4411.

152 Street overpass repairs expected to cost $1.2 million The provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure expects the cost to repair the 152 Street overpass, which was struck by an over-height commercial vehicle in December, to be approximately $1.2 million. ”The ministry is still finalizing costs for repairs to the 152nd St. underpass. It anticipates repairs to cost in the neighbourhood of $1.2 million. The ministry expects to be able to recover some of the costs through ICBC,” the ministry emailed Peace

Classes starting from May 14, 2018

Arch News Thursday.

The overpass fully reopened earlier this month after traffic was restricted to southbound traffic only for the past three months – causing frustration for commuters and area businesses alike; Highway 99 traffic has also been limited northbound, while repairs were being done. Repair work got underway in February, and had initially been anticipated to finish in April.

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Saturday, March 31, 2018

Cancer leading cause of death for firefighters, BC study finds Cancer is the leading cause of death for Canadian firefighters, compared to any other fatal illness or injury, a new B.C.-based study has revealed. According to a study by the University of the Fraser Valley released this week, firefighters are 86 per cent more likely to die from cancer than of illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, traumatic injury and mental health issues. That equates to about 50 firefighters out of 100,000, which makes those who battle blazes two to three times more likely to die from cancer than the general population.

Led by university adjunct professor and Surrey fire chief Len Garis, in partnership with the B.C. Injury Research and Prevention Unit, 10 years of firefighter health and injury data was reviewed. “As with all prevention activities, it will be many years before we realize the fruits of our work,” Garis said. “However, the work we do now will mean that after a long career

of serving the public, more firefighters will live longer and healthier lives.” So what’s behind the smoke? Firefighters are regularly exposed to concentrated carcinogens in the air, soot and tar at a fire ground – a likely cause leading to fire members aged 55 to 59 seeing the brunt of cancer symptoms, and being forced to take time off through time-loss claims. Meanwhile, when responding to emergencies, firefighters are often exposed to extreme temperatures, strenuous physical labour, falling objects, diseases, toxic substances and violence or other traumatic events, the study suggests. Last year the B.C gov’t added three more cancers to the list of Firefighter’s Occupational Disease Regulation. Through the amended legislation, firefighters are eligible to receive workers compensation after a certain amount of time without having to prove that their cancer is specifically from firefighting.

Richmond woman’s petition calls for end of birth tourism in Canada A petition by a group of Metro Vancouver residents is demanding Ottawa crack down on birth tourism in Canada.

Richmond resident Kerry Starchuk started the electronic petition. She has been campaigning on this issue for the last two years since discovering a neighbouring house was a so-called “birth house,” which caters to pregnant women who come to Canada to give birth so their child is automatically granted Canadian citizenship. “It’s wrong. It’s jumping the queue,” said Starchuk of the practice, an increasing trend in Richmond where the majority of birth tourists hail from China.

In 2016-2017, 384 babies were born to non-residents at Richmond Hospital, said Vancouver Coastal Health — a significant jump from 18 cases in 2010. Between 2014 and 2017, 1,020 newborns were born to non-residents.

The rise in birth tourism has spawned an underground economy with unregulated agencies and brokers offering services to pregnant clients, including airport pickups, room and board, and assistance with obtaining documents such as a Canadian passport for the infant. For Starchuk, birth tourism undermines the value of Canadian citizenship by essentially buying a lifetime’s privilege for the price of a hospital procedure, housing costs, and a return plane ticket. “It’s not truthful, it’s deceitful and it’s short-sighted,” she said. “We don’t know what the consequences are going to be in 18 years. Are we prepared for it?”

The petition, identified as E-1527 in the House of Commons, is sponsored by Liberal Richmond MP Joe Peschisolido. It calls on the federal government to denounce birth tourism; determine the extent of the practice in Canada; and implement measures to reduce

and eliminate it. It has received more than 620 signatures as of Tuesday. Gary Liu, whose family immigrated to Taiwan when he was a teen, said most immigrants are also against birth tourism. “Almost all of them despise this kind of practice,” said Liu, a Burnaby resident.

“This is a very unfair practice to all immigrants.”

The petition is Starchuk’s second attempt to get the federal government to take action.

Her first petition in 2016, sponsored by Conservative MP Alice Wong, urged the government to end jus soli, or automatic birthright citizenship. It received more than 8,800 signatures and was presented to the House of Commons, but went nowhere because the government felt revoking birthright citizenship would require a major overhaul of how Canadian citizenship is granted.

Liu said the rejection of that petition in 2016 was seen by some as an endorsement by the federal government of birth tourism. He hopes this second petition will gain more traction.

Starchuk said birth tourism is occurring across Canada but is most prevalent in Richmond and in Toronto. In the latter case, most pregnant women are from Russia or Nigeria.

In 2016, the B.C. government said it was aware of 26 birth houses in the province.

Starchuk said more data is needed to get a grip on the extent of the practice in Canada.

“We’re hoping to have Canada-wide statistics,” she said. “We don’t know if it could be happening in West Vancouver or Langley.”

Vancouver Coastal Health spokeswoman Carrie Stefanson said figures for babies born to non-residents in other hospitals in the region are not immediately available, but said those numbers would be small.

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Premier Horgan predicts ‘crisis’ from anti-pipeline protests Premier John Horgan is predicting a “crisis” over protests against the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline, but says it’s up the federal government and the National Energy Board to deal with the situation. “It’s going to be a long, hot summer,” said Mr. Horgan, asked on Wednesday about the situation at an unrelated news conference.

Operations of project driver Kinder Morgan in Burnaby, B.C., have been targeted by protesters concerned about the prospect of a tripling of the amount of diluted bitumen that would flow from the Edmonton area to a port in Burnaby. Mr. Horgan declined to comment on a decision by Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan not to cover policing costs linked to dealing with protests in the city against Kinder Morgan operations. As with many other B.C. communities, Burnaby is policed by the RCMP, which operates in agreement with the municipality. “What I do know is that there is a crisis in British Columbia

right now with respect to the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline,” said Mr. Horgan, whose party’s platform in last year’s provincial election included opposition to the proposed pipeline expansion. “This is not a threat by me.

This is self-evident by the number of people who are collecting on Burnaby Mountain every day to express their disappointment over the federal government’s decision to proceed.” He said the federal government is to blame as well as the NEB. “I believe the federal government should be accountable for the circumstances we find ourselves in at this time.” In a statement, a spokesperson for the Trans Mountain project said the initiative is under federal jurisdiction and has approvals from the NEB and federal government. But Ali Hounsell also noted that the courts have ruled in Trans Mountain’s favour in 14 of 14 cases related to the project.

Vancouver mayor calls for drug decriminalization after record year for opioid overdoses Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson is calling for the decriminalization of personal drug use and possession following the release of new numbers that show more than 4,000 Canadians are believed to have died of opioid overdoses last year – with nearly 10 per cent of them in the city. The mayor said Vancouver has long committed to treating drug use as a health issue, but that his recent and explicit calls to decriminalize are a direct response to an overdose crisis that has killed an average of one person every day in the city. “Vancouver’s been in a free fall for 17 months with fentanylrelated deaths spiking,” he said in an interview on Wednesday. “We’ve heard our key health experts provincially talk about decriminalizing and ensuring there’s access to clean drugs.

I’ve agreed all along at the necessity for drugpolicy reform and decriminalizing possession.

This is not getting better and it’s time for more disruptive and more innovative action to save lives.” However, Mr. Robertson stopped short of saying Vancouver police should cease arrests for petty drug crimes, saying it’s up to Police Chief Adam Palmer to make operational decisions. “I’m certainly discussing this matter with [Chief Palmer],” Mr. Robertson said.

“His officers are dealing with chaos and dead

people every day from drug overdoses. He’s well aware of the problem and we’ve stood together many times talking about the need for a health-based approach.” The Global Commission on Drug Policy, a panel of world leaders and intellectuals, has called for drug decriminalization and regulation since its creation in 2011. In a position paper released last fall, it also recommended a “sanctuary city” initiative under which cities that wish to do so can de facto decriminalize petty drug use and possession. Donald MacPherson, executive director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, has recommended the same. “Cities could tell their police, ‘Look: Your job is not to arrest anyone for possession of drugs, your job is to help people get to services,’” Mr. MacPherson said. “Especially in B.C., an emergency has been declared. So let’s use some emergency powers and immediately de facto decriminalize possession of drugs and put the focus on getting people help.” Chief Palmer was not available for an interview on Wednesday, but Vancouver Police Department spokesman Sergeant Jason Robillard said the department has a progressive drug policy that does not target individual drug users unless that drug use interferes with public safety.

BC gov’t is cracking down on people who pay cash to buy expensive cars A money laundering crackdown sparked by lavish bets at Vancouver gambling tables has a new target in sight: The Canadian city’s gleaming luxury dealerships where buyers can pay cash for $300,000 supercars.

“Going after money laundering is very much like whack-a-mole,” British Columbia Attorney General David Eby said in a phone interview Tuesday from Ottawa, where he’d traveled to plead for federal help in battling dirty money. “We can take the cash out of the casino, but it’s going somewhere else and we need to identify where and take action to address it.” Eby has been spearheading an anti-money laundering drive by Premier John Horgan, who became leader of the Canadian province eight months ago. A 2016 report that the previous government hadn’t disclosed indicated large amounts of suspicious cash had been flowing through British Columbian casinos. British Columbia Premier John Horgan. Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press file

photo Eby said Tuesday that it’s likely illicit money has been fueling sales of luxury vehicles and boats, as well as Vancouver’s notoriously expensive property market. “Vancouver has been described as the No. 1 supercar city in North America,” Eby told a finance committee in Ottawa earlier Tuesday. He defined a supercar as any vehicle costing more than $150,000. “I would love for us to be tracking people buying supercars with cash.”

In December, the province imposed new rules on casinos requiring them to complete sourceof-funds declarations for deposits of C$10,000 or more in cash. They were also prohibited from accepting cash from customers involved in two consecutive cash transactions until it was determined the source wasn’t suspicious or illegal. On average, roughly $5 million a month in suspicious cash was being flagged at B.C. casinos. “The money was walking in the front door,” Eby said.

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Saturday, March 31, 2018

Some in Vancouver will pay double tax Some homeowners in the City of Vancouver will end up paying two taxes aimed at discouraging the use of homes as investments rather than places to live. It’s not clear yet how many will be on the hook for both the city’s empty homes tax of one per cent of a home’s assessed value and the province’s speculation tax, which starts at 0.5 per cent of assessed value, minus $2,000. For owners of an empty or lightly used $800,000 Vancouver condo, for example, it’ll mean paying $8,000 for the empty homes tax and another $2,000 for the speculation tax.

In early March, the City of Vancouver said there were 8, 481 residential properties that were unoccupied or under-utilized for more than 180 days in 2017, but that included 2,132 properties for which a status had not yet been declared. It also included two categories of unoccupied or under-utilized properties that

will qualify for an exemption from the empty homes tax because the homes were being renovated, redeveloped or transferred, or the owner was in a hospital or care facility. At the time, the city said it would, by mid-March, issue a bill for the empty homes tax to declared and deemed vacant properties with payments due April 16. It anticipates making public the number of owners who have to pay the empty homes tax in late April, declining to give even a ballpark figure of the number of households it has presumably invoiced by now or an estimate of the dollar amount the tax will raise. The province’s definition of a long-term rental property that is exempt from the speculation tax is one rented for at least six months out of the calendar year in increments of at least 30 days. The city’s definition is similar at 180 days.

Double-decker buses coming to Metro Vancouver TransLink says after a successful pilot program, it will add double-decker buses to its fleet beginning in mid 2019. The transit authority has issued a request for proposals for the delivery of 32 new double-decker buses after “overwhelmingly positive feedback” from the four-month pilot. The two double-decker test buses, provided free by Scottish bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis, served seven long-haul bus routes in Vancouver, Langley, Surrey, White Rock and Delta during the test.

TransLink says feedback from more than 600 customers indicates that the double-deckers will be valuable additions to the bus fleet.

Haydn Acheson, president and general manager of Coast Mountain Bus Company, said most praised the “smooth ride,” the larger capacity — the buses can hold 50 per cent more

passengers than the existing highway coaches — and the view from the top deck. Complaints were about the low ceiling on the upper deck and the lack of luggage racks.

TransLink estimates that 75 per cent of customers would be more likely to take transit if riding a doubledecker. Acheson said the buses also won over skeptical maintenance staff. “It was just a terrific bus for us during our trials,” Acheson said. The buses feature double the capacity of a conventional bus, panoramic views from the top deck, and a wide staircase with handrails to maximize safety. Funding for the new double-deckers will be provided through the federal gas tax.

Man rescued from hoarder house fire in Burnaby A man is in hospital with burns after being rescued from a two-alarm house fire in Burnaby early Friday morning. Crews were called to the home in the 6100-block of Sumas Street just after 2 a.m. When they arrived, they found the house fully engulfed in flames.

Firefighters had to rush in and brave the heat to rescue the occupant of the building, an elderly man. “He collapsed in the doorway ... which is where our crews found him, with fire coming out of the doorway,” said Assistant Chief John Titley with Burnaby Fire.

The man was taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and burns. Some of the

firefighters who rushed to help the man also suffered some injuries. “They took some heat in the doorway, but their injuries are very minor,” said Titley. Titley said the building was a hoarder house with a large amount of debris inside, creating challenges for his crews fighting the fire. “It was ... quite messy inside for crews to perform a proper search,” he said.

The fire caused extensive damage to the entire house, rendering it uninhabitable, Titley added. Investigators will be at the scene later today to try and figure out what sparked the fire.

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BC gov’t to spend $11-million to increase number of MRI exams done by 2019 British Columbia is increasing the number of MRI exams that will be done across the province. Health Minister Adrian Dix says 37,000 more MRIs will be done by this time next year in the public health-care system.

The province says 188,000 of the exams – which use magnets and radio waves to make a detailed picture of specific parts of the body – are slated to be performed this year at hospitals and clinics in the public system.

Dix says $11-million is being made available to add resources and capacity, allowing for the completion of 225,000 MRIs in 2018-19.

He says that is nearly a 20 per cent increase, which he describes as a “bold step” towards delivery of an NDP promise to restore health services and cut waiting lists. The Health Ministry says overall wait times for the exams exceed 41 days for half of all patients, with 10 per cent waiting more than 199 days.“Wait times are simply too long in B.C., in part due to volumes that are 35 to 40 per cent less than other provinces,” Dix says.

Ministry data shows that by the end of last year, B.C.’s per capita rate for a scan was 37 for every 1,000 of the population, far below the national average of 55.5 per 1,000. The increased targets will be achieved by operating existing machines longer to accommodate more patients, installing already planned

machines, and by adding more of them to the public health-care system, the ministry says in a news release. Centralized regional registries will also be created to weed out duplicate referrals and appointments, prevent wasted operating time and offer patients the earliest appointment available.

Magnetic resonance imaging is one of the tools used to diagnose a number of medical conditions, including abnormalities of the brain, as well as tumours, cysts and soft-tissue injuries, the ministry says.

The government’s announcement marks a shift in its approach, said the BC Health Coalition, a network of individuals and organizations that campaigns for improvements to public health care. “For too long B.C. has allowed public MRI wait times to grow while allowing a market for private MRI clinics to flourish,” Edith MacHattie, the coalition’s co-chair, said in a news release. MacHattie said more money spent to increase the number of MRIs that can be done in the public health system will also help reduce waits for surgery.

“An accurate diagnosis is the first step to ensure patients receive the care they need to get well,” says MacHattie. “Increasing the province’s ability to provide timely public MRI scans will play an important role in driving down surgical wait times.”

‘Suspicious’ casino-cash transactions plummeted in February: David Eby “Suspicious” casino-cash transactions plummeted in British Columbia after the provincial government tightened oversight, says Attorney General David Eby. In a presentation Tuesday to the House of Commons standing committee on finance, which is receiving input on amendments to the Proceeds of Crime and Terrorist Financing Act, Eby said that suspicious transactions to B.C. casinos had fallen to $200,000 in February from a high of $20 million in July 2015.

“We have reduced it by a factor of 100,” said Eby. Following the peak in 2015, about $5 million a month in suspicious transactions were recorded, amounting to hundreds of millions of suspicious cash flowing through casinos, he said. Not all of the money in the suspicious transactions was necessarily

the proceeds of crime, noted Eby. The drop occurred following changes introduced in January that put tighter restrictions on cash flowing into casinos and beefed up regulatory oversight around the clock at the biggest casinos.Eby told the federal committee, however, that he didn’t believe the initial changes had solved the problem. “I believe that money has moved elsewhere, and I also believe we have a concern that needs to be dealt with bank drafts,” he said.

As part of its rolling investigation into money laundering in casinos, Postmedia earlier reported that B.C.’s gaming enforcement branch is concerned that many bank drafts, which can be used to fund patron gaming accounts for high-stakes gamblers, could have suspicious origins.

Pakistan Canada Association celebrating 78th Republic Day of Paksitan in Surrey last week. Pictured above are participants of the event, PCA directors and members with MLA Hary Bain (third from left).

Metro Vancouver board chair defends retirement allowance Metro Vancouver Chair Greg Moore has defended the regional board’s decision to boost their own benefits with a retirement allowance when they leave municipal politics.

The move — estimated to cost $498,000 in retroactive retirement earnings and $62,500 per year going forward — has prompted criticism from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and the public. Moore acknowledged the backlash, saying he has received emails and feedback from social media. It’s an issue that flares up whenever elected officials have to decide on their own remuneration, he said: “I understand some people are upset about this. This is probably the worst part of our job because we know this isn’t a popular decision.” But Moore said the board voted in favour of the retirement allowance in order to be attract top talent and compensate directors who serve on the regional table. “We want to make it attractive for good quality individuals to step up and serve their

community,” said Moore, the Port Coquitlam mayor who was elected Metro Vancouver chair in 2011. “Part of that is the compensation. If we want to encourage young people or midcareer people to bring their talent and skills to the municipal council table, we need to make it attractive to do that.” The majority of B.C. municipalities does not offer a pension or similar benefits to elected officials, unlike MLAs or MPs. In Metro Vancouver, only Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond, Burnaby, New Westminster, Anmore and Belcarra provide retirement benefits. Moore said the issue has been discussed in local government for many years. The board decided to tackle it this year, including it in the 2018 work plan. Initially, it had asked the B.C. Municipal Pension Association, which looks after municipal employees’ pensions, if elected officials can participate, but was told they were not eligible.

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Central 1 predicts BC economy to remain strong through 2020 British Columbia is predicted to have solid economic growth through 2020 by a trade association of credit unions.

Central 1 Credit Union says 2017 was a year of “stellar growth” and the positive momentum will continue in B.C. for the next 24 months, despite a slower housing market.

The new forecast calls for a three per cent growth in the province’s real gross domestic product, which is the inflation-adjusted value of all goods and services produced in B.C. Growth is expected to slow to just over two per cent next year, but Central 1 economists are calling for a rebound to 3.3 per cent by 2020, marking what they say has been “more than a decade of uninterrupted annual growth.”

Federal lending restrictions, provincial government policies and stepped up home construction will combine to keep a lid on B.C.’s housing market, but Central 1 does not foresee a price correction.

Bryan Yu, deputy chief economist at

Central 1, says warning flags include trade disruptions due to trade wars or disputes over renewal of the North American Free Trade Agreement, but he says B.C.’s exports are spread across the province, limiting some of the risk.

Yu also forecasts faster wage growth for B.C. workers, as average unemployment moves toward four per cent over the next two years.

“Employers will face increasing challenges in finding workers to support operations as employment is constrained by growth in the labour force due to an aging population,” he says in a news release.

Overall, Yu predicts a surge in investment by the end of the decade as major private and public works projects get underway.

“B.C.’s economy remains in a strong position with consumer demand underpinned by high employment and income growth, rising exports and government spending,” he says.

Attorney General Eby slams ‘colossal failure’ of moneylaundering law enforcement during Ottawa appearance The lack of concrete action on money laundering makes Canada’s financial watchdog look like a “sheep’s mask on a wolf ’s face,” B.C.’s attorney general told a federal parliamentary committee Tuesday. David Eby made the comparison as he alleged the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre’s (FINTRAC) focus on reporting suspicious transactions rather than enforcing the law leaves the public with the false impression that something is being done.

“I believe the current reporting system actually reduces the probability of action,” Eby told the House of Commons finance committee.

The attorney general was in Ottawa to discuss B.C.’s experiences with money laundering as part of a public consultation on amendments to the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act. Hockey bags full of cash Eby slammed the “colossal failure” of the current regulatory scheme enforced by all levels of government, a failure that he believes is responsible for large amounts of money being laundered through B.C.’s casinos. “The only real evidence of the problem is a guy lugging a hockey bag full of $20 bills into the casino,” Eby told the committee. Last year, he appointed lawyer Peter German to lead an investigation into money laundering in this province after reading a report that claimed the River Rock Casino in Richmond, B.C., accepted $13.5 million in $20 bills in July 2015.

Those bills, police said, could be the proceeds of crime. Crackdown on large cash transactions at casinos could cost province, says report

On Tuesday, Eby shared some of the interim recommendations from that investigation, saying that British Columbians have an “increasing lack of confidence” in government enforcement of laws against money laundering.

German has recommended that FINTRAC share information with police, and that police have more resources to pursue those leads. He’s also suggested better monitoring of the horseracing sector and tracking of luxury car purchases.

Eby told the committee that money laundering in B.C. isn’t limited to casinos — there’s also strong evidence that illicit funds are being used to purchase real estate, helping to drive up housing prices. As German writes in his interim recommendations, “It has been said that, ‘everything in B.C. comes back to real estate.’” He’s pushing for a new requirement that lawyers submit reports to FINTRAC on money held in trust accounts, explaining that the current lack of reporting makes it difficult for police to track illicit funds as they move through the real estate sector. Eby told the committee Tuesday that his NDP government has already taken action on some major concerns he’s raised, including forcing casinos to provide a “source of funds declaration” when receiving more than $10,000 in cash deposits or bearer bonds. David says B.C. residents have an ‘increasing lack of confidence’ in government enforcement of laws against money laundering. B.C. is also planning a beneficial ownership database that would require public disclosure of the people behind numbered companies that own property.

If cities won’t accommodate B-Line buses, they shouldn’t get them: Mayors’ Council chair Mayors’ Council chair Derek Corrigan wants the TransLink board to play hardball with municipalities that he believes are

shirking their responsibilities to make B-Line buses run as efficiently as possible.

Corrigan says some cities have refused to make concessions that would make their transit networks run better.

He says certain mayors and councils have been reluctant to provide off-street parking to free up lanes for transit use and coordinate lights at intersections to make traffic flow better.

“I won’t mention any names but there are cities where I know they’ve failed to do what’s required,” he told the board at Thursday’s meeting.

“If municipalities are not prepared to make the necessary concessions to allow the B-Line to move throughout the city, then I don’t think the city should get the B-Line.”

Corrigan is urging the board to take a hard stance with cities as Tr a n s L i n k prepares to add the following four new B-Lines to the regional bus network: TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond says he’s asking municipalities for their help as the transportation authority prepares to roll out the routes.

“They’ve got to manage off street parking, they’ve got to manage general purpose traffic, they’ve got to manage how their signals work to keep their grids operational.

We’re very mindful of that,” he said.

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As the birthplace Fort Langley development standoff leads to not-so-quaint boarded-up buildings guidelines, there’s of B.C., Fort Langley height guidelines,” “Currently, there’s no development offers thousands of said Froese. “It allows council that applications pending for any of our sites in visitors who flock there each opportunity to ensure that what is planned is Fort Langley. They’ve all been withdrawn.” year a quaint trip back in time. consistent with our vision for Fort Langley.”

Mayor Jack Froese admits the But now a dispute between the Woodward’s original plans included buildings have become an eyesore, but Township of Fort Langley and a building a boutique hotel, new shops says heritage preservation development local developer means a distinct and residences that would have required guidelines are in place to preserve the very feel of decline is threatening numerous variances from the township. thing that makes Fort Langley special. the heritage charm of the area.

“There’s facade guidelines, design A number of buildings on the main drag were boarded up last month. The buildings’ owner, withdrawn all development applications Eric Woodward, says “onerous” requirements imposed by the township in Fort Langley. (Jon Hernandez/CBC) “There’s no economics basis to proceed have forced him to sideline development plans that have been in the works for years. based upon the conditions they’ve Developer Eric Woodward said he has been putting upon us,” said Woodward.

Landlord sexually assaulted female tenant, jailed 2 years less a day A man who sexually assaulted a woman in an apartment in downtown Vancouver that he had rented to her has been sentenced to two years less a day in jail. Jorge Alim Vega Ramirez, 35, rented the one-bedroom apartment on West Georgia Street out to the victim, an ESL student from Japan, in February 2013.

In the early morning hours of May 5, 2013, the victim, who cannot be identified due to a publication ban, was in her bedroom after an evening out socializing and drinking.

As she lay asleep in bed, Vega Ramirez entered her room and had non-consensual sexual intercourse with her.

When she realized what was occurring, she told him to stop and he did stop and left the room. Later, as she left the apartment, the accused spoke to her at the door, telling her he liked her “too much” and that he was sorry for what had happened.

Vega Ramirez testified at trial and claimed that the sex was consensual and that she was

fully awake. He claimed that at a minimum, he had an honest but mistaken belief that she had consented and that he had taken reasonable steps to ascertain that she was a willing participant. But in June 2017, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Jim Williams rejected his claims and convicted Vega Ramirez of sexual assault.

“The moral blameworthiness of the offender in this matter is high,” the judge said as he imposed sentence Tuesday.

“He was sober and aware of his actions. It was a deliberate act and profoundly violated the victim.” Richmond man found guilty of using axe to murder his mother Former convicted killer now jailed indefinitely for sexually assaulting 13-year-old girl Slovakian woman gets three years for smuggling opium through YVR The judge found that as a landlord, the accused had breached the trust of a vulnerable individual.

83 units of temporary modular housing coming to Abbotsford For years, homeless advocates in Abbotsford have said there aren’t enough resources to get people off the street and into homes.

They’re hoping an announcement Tuesday will make the situation a little better.

Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun says 83 new units of temporary modular housing are coming to the city. Modular housing in the works for Maple Ridge tent city residents, province says “I expect that construction will get underway fairly quickly. We should start to see something underway here in the summer,” he said.

39 of the units will be just for women at a site at 31399 Livingstone Ave. The Elizabeth Fry Society owns the land and will operate the shelter, according to the ministry of housing.

The remaining 44 units will open near an existing shelter at 1640 Riverside Dr. Lookout Housing and Health Society will run the housing and the shelter. The province says the goal is for people currently using the shelter to transition into the modular housing.

Both facilities will provide meals, roundthe-clock support and skills training.

According to the ministry, the total cost of both projects will be $12 million.

Jesse Wegenast of the 5 and 2 Ministries, a faith group that helps the homeless, says what’s needed now is more rental housing.

“You can’t outreach your way out of a housing crisis. You need housing to work your way out of a housing crisis,” he said.

The hope is the new housing will be ready later this year for people to move in.

The province says before the housing is

opened, the public will have a chance to provide feedback.

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Ridge Meadows RCMP are again reminding drivers that speeding will result in significant fines and consequences.

This latest reminder comes after the Ridge Meadows Traffic Unit was performing routine patrols in the area of Golden Ears Way and 113B when they noted a driver travelling at more than 90 km/p/hr over the posted speed limit of 70 km/p/hr on Sunday, March 25th. The vehicle was stopped and the driver was served a violation ticket of $483 for excessive speeding.

The vehicle was immediately impounded for a minimum of 7 days and the driver may be subject to a Driver Risk Premium of $320 per

Saturday, March 31, 2018 year for 3 years.

Additionally, the driver was warned about the possibility of a Criminal Code “Dangerous Driving” charge. This incident is the highest speed caught on this stretch of road this year.

“Some drivers still feel that they can get away with operating a vehicle at these dangerous speeds,” states Inspector Aaron Paradis. “The decision to drive in this manner is inexcusable and can result in significant consequences, either to the driver themselves or, tragically, to others.” Backgrounde · Dec 14, 2017, RoadSafetyBC’s 15 day Prohibition Program is replaced with new legislation

Driver caught going at highest speed recorded this year

Dashcam video shows car going wrong way before head-on accident near Massey Tunnel Dashcam footage recorded Sunday afternoon captured a Volkswagen Golf travelling down the wrong side of Highway 99 before a multi-vehicle accident that sent three people to hospital. RCMP traffic investigators say a 26-year-old Vancouver man suffered life-threatening injuries after his southbound Volkswagen Golf collided head-on with a

Toyota RAV4 in the northbound lane on Highway 99, just south of the Highway 17 overpass in Delta. Police say the 19-yearold passenger in the Toyota suffered serious injuries in the crash, while the 48-year-old driver suffered “unknown injuries.” Both were taken to hospital.

BC gov’t gives broad exemptions to controversial speculation tax The B.C. government has made a number of changes to its proposed speculation tax which will reduce both the number of British Columbians paying the tax and the amount they’ll pay. The tax, first announced during February’s budget, was to be assessed at 0.5 per cent of a vacant property’s assessed value this year and two per cent in 2019. On Tuesday, B.C. Finance Minister Carole James announced the tax would remain at 0.5 per cent for properties owned by B.C. residents but would now only rise to one per cent for out-ofprovince Canadian residents and still remain at two per cent for foreign investors. The NDP government also said the tax would no longer apply to properties in the Gulf Islands, Parksville, Qualicum Beach or rural Fraser Valley. The tax will still apply in the following areas: The government said a tax credit would make homes worth less than $400,000 exempt for British Columbians only, along with those rented for more than six months of the year.

A number of municipalities had spoken out against the tax in recent weeks, concerned it would affect people who had owned seasonal

or vacation properties for years. In response to repeated questions, the finance minister said the government was listening to British Columbians and would be providing more details about exemptions before the tax was passed into law this fall. She also acknowledged the feedback when announcing the changes.

“There is no question that I have heard form a range of people organizations and businesses,” she said, adding that some “raised constructive suggestions.”

James said the government is still forecasting $200 million in revenue from the tax, because the original numbers from the finance department were conservative. Official Opposition and B.C. Liberal Party Leader Andrew Wilkinson criticized both the changes to the tax, and the estimates about the revenue it would generate. “We’re very concerned the NDP are making up taxes by trial and error… there’s no clear pictures of where the money’s going to come from,” he said, adding that he believed the government should have increased the capital gains tax if they wanted to deter speculation. ‘It’s a tax on savings, period’: Hundreds pack Kelowna forum on provincial speculation tax

Alberta to allow turbanwearing Sikhs right to ride motorcycles without helmets Turban-wearing Sikhs in Alberta will be allowed to ride motorcycles without a helmet starting April 12. The exemption to the vehicle equipment regulation in the Traffic Safety Act was amended by an order from Transportation Minister Brian Mason, the provincial government announced Thursday.

Mason said the exemption was granted at the request of the Sikh community as recognition of their civil and religious rights. “We think that the number of people who will be wearing a turban and not a helmet is going to be very small,” Mason said. “So we decided on the balance that this was the right thing to do.” Mason said the province’s Sikh community has requested the exemption for the past 30 years. It applies to drivers and passengers over the age of 18 who are members of the Sikh religion. Gurpeet Pandher from the Sikh Motorcycle Club of Edmonton said in a statement on Facebook that the law change announcement is a “milestone and memorable day” in Alberta history. “This change will bring some new opportunities/ businesses to bike repair shops/ after market accessories shops and Motorcycle Dealerships etc.,” he wrote.

The Edmonton man obtained his motorcycle licence two years ago but didn’t ride because he would have to remove his turban to wear a helmet. “It really means a whole lot more than I can even explain with words how it feels to be accepted wholeheartedly as you are, as opposed to thinking, ‘Hey, it’s just a turban why can’t you put it off to the side?” he said.

Emergency room physician Dr. Louis Francescutti said he remains concerned about the dangers of riding without a helmet. “The reality is this is going to put people’s lives at risk and it’s something that unfortunately didn’t get debated publicly,” he said. Francescutti, who rides motorcycles, said he couldn’t imagine riding without a helmet. “It’s beyond my comprehension in 2018 that we’re even having this discussion,” he said. The Sikh Motorcycle Club of Edmonton credited Rod Loyola, the NDP MLA for EdmontonEllerslie, for taking the lead on the issue.

Saturday, March 31, 2018

DREAM CARPET

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Saturday, March 31, 2018

Senior municipal official in Nanaimo subject of peace bond application A special prosecutor in British Columbia has approved the application to have a senior municipal official in Nanaimo bound by the terms of a peace bond, the province’s prosecution service said Thursday.

The service says in a statement the application was approved by special prosecutor Michael Klein, who was assigned to the case of Tracy Samra following her arrest by the RCMP after allegations that threats were uttered at or near Nanaimo City Hall on Jan. 31. The application was sworn on Wednesday and Samra – the city’s chief administrative officer – is scheduled to make a first appearance in provincial court next

Tuesday. Her lawyer, Robert Mulligan, says if the court orders a peace bond, the decision would not be recorded as a conviction but could instead require Samra to abide by certain restrictions. Mulligan says the case will likely be adjourned on Tuesday while he reviews police reports and speaks Klein.

Nanaimo Mayor Bill McKay has said he was contacted on Jan. 31 by the RCMP about alleged verbal threats made against him and another councillor.

McKay said he was not present for the alleged threat. He said the RCMP told him a witness contacted them about threats that allegedly occurred at city hall earlier that day.

Burnaby won’t cover policing costs related to Trans Mountain protests The City of Burnaby, where protests and arrests have been taking place over work under way to expand the Trans Mountain pipeline, has ruled out paying policing costs related to managing the activism, says its mayor. Like many B.C. communities, Burnaby is policed by the RCMP, and is normally on the hook for expenses, but Mayor Derek Corrigan – a vocal critic of the pipeline project – says he is drawing the line at overtime and other RCMP costs related to Trans Mountain as a project the city opposes. “We’re not paying for the additional policing costs that are being accumulated as a result of the protests at the Trans Mountain project,” Mr. Corrigan said in

an interview. “I don’t think there is anybody in the Western world who doesn’t know now that Burnaby is not paying.” He casts the position as a reflection of Burnaby’s opposition to the project as well as the view that the Trudeau government, which approved the project, should be picking up the costs to deal with protests against it. This isn’t the first time the issue has come up. The B.C. government says there is an outstanding $800,000 bill for policing 2014 protests related to the project that “remains in dispute,” according to a statement from the provincial Ministry of Public Safety and the Solicitor-General.

Stepfather of dead boy, 7 wanted for first-degree murder The Niagara Regional Police Service say a 43-year-old man is wanted for first-degree murder in the death of his stepson. The man also is wanted in connection with a stabbing at a St Catharines, Ont., bank earlier this week that left an employee in serious condition. Nathan Dumas, 7, died Saturday after being discovered in medical distress in St. Catharines on Friday. Police say he was transferred to hospital in critical condition on Friday from his home on Queenston Street.

His exact cause of death is not being released at this time. Police are looking for Justin Kuijer, of St. Catharines, and describe him as armed and dangerous. Police plan to issue a Canada-wide warrant for Kuijer on Monday. “We do believe the victims were targeted,” Const. Phil Gavin said.

Liberals propose major criminal justice changes to unclog Canada’s courts Federal government tabled a major bill to modernize Canada’s criminal justice system and speed up court proceedings by, among other things, eliminating preliminary inquiries except in the case of crimes that carry a life sentence. The changes also include an end to peremptory challenges in jury selection, something which became a flashpoint during the trial of Gerald Stanley, who was found not guilty of second-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Indigenous man Colten Boushie. Some observers said the jury process in Stanley’s trial was biased because the defence team excluded five potential jurors who appeared to be Indigenous. CBC News has not independently determined the reason for their exclusion. The bill also takes steps to address the over-representation of Indigenous persons in the criminal justice system and addresses domestic, or “intimate partner” violence.

It would impose a reverse onus on bail applications by people who have a history of abuse, which would require them to justify their release following a charge. The bill also makes strangulation an elevated form of assault and allows for a higher maximum penalty in cases of repeated partner violence.

Calling the bill, which weighs in at more than 300 pages, a “bold reform,” Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said the changes it makes will render the system more fair, modern and efficient. While crime rates have gone down, criminal cases have become more complex and trials are taking longer, she said.

NATIONAL

Saturday, March 31, 2018

2 possibly ‘hate-motivated’ incidents at Mississauga Islamic centres investigated by police Peel regional police say they are investigating two incidents as possibly “hatemotivated” after a woman went to two Islamic centres in Mississauga last week and placed pages torn from a Qur’an on car windshields while making Islamophobic statements.

Police said a man filmed the woman while she distributed inflammatory flyers and freely provided her name to passersby, according to Const. Harinder Sohi, spokesperson for Peel

image without his knowledge Sohi said Peel police’s criminal investigation bureau at 12 Division is investigating. “We got complaints coming in late last week that on various locations in Mississauga on March 22 that a female was attending Islamic religious centres in the city of Mississauga, and she was tearing pages out of a Qur’an, leaving these pages on windshields and trying to give some of these pages to the people entering the mosques,” Sohi said.

Peel police say they would like to speak to this woman. (Facebook) “We have listened to the complaints.

Now we are trying to investigate what actually occurred here.” Sohi said the first incident occurred at the Sayeda Khadiji Centre, 7150 Edwards Blvd., at 4:30 p.m., while the second incident occurred at Safa and Marwa Islamic School, which is part of the Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre, at 5550 McAdam Rd., at Police say they would like to speak to this woman 5:19 p.m. In the second instance, Regional Police Service. Investigators want to she entered the building that contains the speak to the woman involved in the incidents. school and a mosque and tried to distribute No arrests have been made and no charges pamphlets to people inside, Sohi said. Police have been laid. ‘It’s inflaming emotions’: said the incidents are being investigated as Toronto imam on ‘false’ story featuring his possible mischief with a hate bias.

2 Moncton real estate agents lose licences after ‘outrageous’ abuse of senior Two Moncton real estate agents have lost their licences for at least a year for taking advantage of a vulnerable senior and homeowner.

Tanya Hannah and Maurice Poirier were found unsuitable to be licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act by the Financial and Consumer Services Commission, which regulates agents in the province. The commission said Hannah and Poirier, who at the time owned Century 21 Absolute Realty Inc. in Moncton, committed financial abuse of a senior.

Alaina Nicholson, the acting director of consumer affairs for the commission, reviewed the pair’s professional conduct and found they took “outrageous and egregious advantage” of the senior, the commission said in a news release Wednesday. Hannah and Poirier entered into a listing agreement with the senior in early 2013 to sell the man’s home, according to Nicholson. The property stayed on the market for months without being sold, so Hannah entered into

an agreement with the senior to purchase his home for about three-quarters of its listed price of $324,900. The deal also required the senior to give Hannah an interest-free loan and “substantial” renovation credit in return for Hannah paying for the collateral mortgage against the property, as well as a monthly stipend to partially cover his rent. Nicholson found the senior received less than $17,000 in rent payments for the sale of his property.

The senior had also named Hannah and Poirier a power of attorney and had appointed Poirier the executor, trustee and sole beneficiary under his will and Hannah as alternate executor, trustee and beneficiary in December 2013, Nicholson noted in her decision. “It is clear that they gained substantially from the transaction, to (the senior’s) detriment,” Nicholson said. “He lost his home, his only asset, and was provided with nothing more than a year-and-a-half ’s rent.” The plight of the senior came to the attention of the commission after he wound up in hospital.

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Manitoba government cuts medicare coverage for international students The Manitoba government is eliminating medicare coverage for international students.

A regulatory change approved by the Progressive Conservative cabinet means international students will now have to buy private health insurance while studying in Manitoba.

Finance Minister Cameron Friesen said earlier this month the government was considering the move, and added that some other provinces also don’t cover international students. The health coverage was instituted by the former

NDP government in 2012 and it costs the province about $3 million a year.

The Canadian Federation of Students said the cut will put students’ health at risk.

The group also says international students already pay a lot to attend schools in Manitoba.

“International students pay three to four times in tuition compared to a domestic student,” the federation said in a written statement.

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NATIONAL

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Canada would lose 85,000 jobs within a year if NAFTA dies, study finds The Conference Board of Canada is predicting a 0.5 per cent decline in the country’s economy resulting in the loss of about 85,000 jobs within a year if the North American Free Trade Agreement is terminated.

As talks to renegotiate the trade deal enter an expected eighth round in the coming weeks, the think tank says in a new report that would be the best-case scenario in a post-NAFTA world.

The 0.5 percentage point reduction in real gross domestic product growth in the first year

would be followed by a recovery the year after on “a lower exchange rate and an easing in monetary policy,” the Ottawa-based research group said Friday in a report.

While the board says its analysis suggests a modest impact on the Canadian economy, it adds several possible reactions are not considered such as further U.S. trade actions including non-tariff barriers and a stronger

reaction from businesses.

Its analysis says real merchandise exports would fall by $8.9 billion or 1.8 per cent in the year following a NAFTA collapse, with the largest impact on motor vehicle and parts exports which would plunge by about $6 billion.

Tariffs and a depreciating loonie would also boost the price of U.S. imports into Canada, leading real merchandise imports to fall

by a similar $8.8 billion or 1.8 per cent.

Higher import prices, the resulting decline in domestic consumption, and the loss of export competitiveness would lead to a $3.3-billion drop in real business investment spending in Canada in the first year following a NAFTA collapse, the report says.

Investment could decline further in the long term, as the collapse of NAFTA would hurt Canada’s ability to attract investment based on secured access to the U.S. market, further affecting long-term economic growth, the analysis adds.

CRTC calls for cheaper data-only wireless plans, but doesn’t open up networks to smaller players Canada’s telecommunications regulator won’t require the Big Three wireless carriers to open up their wireless networks to smaller players yet, but it will make them come up with cheaper, data-only cell phone plans.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission issued a decision Thursday on wholesale wireless services after the federal government asked it to reconsider its rules in the name of affordability.

At stake was whether the regulator would force incumbents to open up their networks to smaller players that offered service over Wi-Fi first, but relied on the incumbents’ infrastructure when customers lost Wi-Fi connections. These providers don’t build complete facilities-based networks. As it stands, the Big Three may enter into agreements to provide such services, but it is not mandatory. The CRTC did not change its existing rules. Instead, it promised to launch a review of the entire wholesale mobile wireless

framework within a year. It said this is necessary given upcoming deployment of 5G networks and limited resale competition since the rules were first announced in 2015. It also lowered mobile wholesale roaming rates by between 44 and 99 per cent, and will retroactively decrease prices paid since 2015. (Incumbents are required to provide roaming services to other wireless carriers.) To address calls for affordability before its review of the entire wholesale system, the CRTC launched a consultation on lower-cost,

Quebec City mosque shooter says he’s ashamed of his ‘senseless act’ Alexandre Bissonnette, the man who stormed a Quebec City mosque in January 2017, killing six and critically injuring five, changed his plea to guilty Wednesday saying he is deeply sorry for the pain he caused and is ashamed of his actions. Reading from a written statement, the 28-year-old addressed a Quebec City courtroom filled with the victim’s families, survivors and their supporters on Wednesday. Before reading his statement, he confirmed to Judge François Huot he was ready to plead guilty to six counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder. “I’d like to ask for your forgiveness for all the harm I caused you, even though I know what I did is unforgivable,” he said. “In spite of everything that was said, I am not a terrorist, nor Islamophobic … [I

am] more a person who was carried away by fear and a horrible form of despair.” He did not offer any further insight into his motivation for the mass shooting, adding, “I don’t know why I committed such a senseless act.” He stared straight out at the courtroom as he approached the witness box clutching the piece of paper Wednesday morning.

One of the attempted murder charges collectively represented the 35 people, including four children, who witnessed the Jan. 29, 2017, shooting at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec. The plea change was a dramatic turn of events from Monday, when Bissonnette began the pretrial proceedings by entering a not guilty plea. Five hours later, he told the court he wanted to reverse that plea.

BC loses Trans Mountain appeal in federal court in ‘definitive’ victory Alberta Premier Rachel Notley cheered a court victory for the $7.4-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion Monday, which upholds the project’s ability to sidestep local permitting processes in cities opposed to the pipeline.

The Federal Court of Appeal declined late on Friday to hear an appeal by the government of B.C. and a handful of opposed municipalities of a ruling by the National Energy Board, which allowed Kinder Morgan Canada to seek construction permits for the pipeline directly from Canada’s pipeline regulator.

“It wasn’t that we won the decision, it was the court wouldn’t even hear it. So it was a pretty definitive victory for the pipeline and for the people of Alberta and Canada,” Notley said Monday.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley has aggressively pushed for the Trans Mountain pipeline. Shaughn Butts/ Postmedia Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd. had been granted permission to get permits directly from the NEB because Burnaby hadn’t cooperated in granting local construction permits for the project.

The company’s shares rose 1 per cent on the Toronto Stock Exchange in midafternoon trading.

Trans Mountain granted injunction against B.C. pipeline protesters, but activist camp allowed to

remain B.C. Trans Mountain protesters bent on stopping project, lawyer seeking injunction says “It absolutely puts to rest the question of whether or not the somewhat intransigent behaviour by the city of Burnaby around issuing certificates was something the courts and the NEB would allow to continue,” Notely said.

Notley has aggressively pushed for the pipeline, which would allow oil companies in her province to diversify away from their main market in the United States – the biggest customer of Canadian crude.

B.C. Environment Minister George Heyman said his government is disappointed by the court’s decision and he suggests it undermines the local permitting process.

“Our government will continue to explore other legal ways to defend the interests of British Columbians against this unnecessary project,” he said in a statement Monday.

Kinder Morgan has announced it is focused on obtaining permits along the pipeline route to the West Coast before ramping up to full construction on the project as it continues to fight another court challenge, which is aimed at the original NEB approval for the pipeline.

Saturday, March 31, 2018

‘We are truly sorry’: Trudeau exonerates Tsilhqot’in chiefs hung in 1864 After more than 150 years when six First Nations chiefs were hanged by colonial authorities in BC, Prime Minister Trudeau has apologized and absolved the Tsilhqot’in leaders of any wrongdoing. “Today, we come together in the presence of the Tsilhqot’in chiefs, to fully acknowledge the actions of past governments, committed against the Tsilhqot’in people, Prime Minister Trudeau hugs a member of Tsilhqot’in Nation. and to express the government Chilcotin War. of Canada’s profound regret for those actions,” Instead, they were accused of murdering 14 Trudeau said. “We honour and recognize six members of a road-building party. They were Tsilhqot’in chiefs — men who were treated then tried, convicted and hanged. Five of the and tried as criminals in an era where both chiefs were executed, under Crown authority, the colonial government and the legal process near the settlement of Quesnel, B.C., in the did not respect the inherent rights of the province’s interior. A sixth chief was later Tsilhqot’in people.” In 1864, five Tsilhqot’in hanged near New Westminster, B.C., after chiefs were called to what they thought were trying to offer reparations. peace talks to end what became known as the

Canada to expel 4 Russian diplomats, reject credentials of 3 others Canada is expelling four Russian diplomats over the poisoning of an ex-spy in Salisbury, U.K., prompting harsh condemnation and the threat of retaliation from Russia. Canada’s action will cover seven Russian personnel in all, including four members of Russia’s diplomatic staff posted at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Ottawa or the consulate in Montreal. “The four have been identified as intelligence officers or individuals who have used their diplomatic status to undermine Canada’s security or interfere in our democracy,” Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement.

U.S., EU stand ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with Britain with spy-related Russia sanctions As well, three applications by the Russian government for additional diplomatic staff in Canada will now be denied. Freeland called the March 4 nerve agent attack on a close ally and partner of Canada “a despicable, heinous and reckless act” that potentially endangered the lives of hundreds. The steps have been taken pursuant to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, she said.

“We are taking these measures in solidarity with the United Kingdom,” Freeland said in the release. “These measures are not aimed at the Russian people, with whom Canadians have long and fruitful ties. Canada remains committed to dialogue and co-operation with Russia on issues where we face common challenges. “The nerve agent attack represents

a clear threat to the rules-based international order and to the rules that were established by the international community to ensure chemical weapons would never again destroy human lives.” The Russian embassy in Ottawa issued a statement on Twitter calling Canada’s decision “highly deplorable and outrageous.”

“By taking for granted the totally baseless British accusations, in stark violation of due process ahead of ongoing investigation, if any, of the Skripal case, Canada obediently follows the US/UK designed dangerous confrontational policy,” it reads.

“This unfriendly move under false and biased pretext delivers yet another serious blow to RussianCanadian relations and will be met with resolve and reciprocity.”

Canada’s move comes as the U.S. and several EU nations take diplomatic action. The U.S. administration said Monday it is expelling 60 Russian diplomats, and ordering the closure of Russia’s consulate in Seattle, to send a message to Russia’s leaders about the “unacceptably high” number of Russian intelligence operatives in the U.S and to respond to the attack that left Sergei Skripal and his daughter in critical condition in Britain. PM Trudeau and President Trump spoke on the phone about “measures taken by Canada and the United States to support our common ally against Russia in response to the egregious nerve agent attack in Salisbury,” the Canadian government said in a statement.

WorkSafe investigating after MLA injured in concrete workplace incident WorkSafeBC is investigating after one of its employees — who is also a Liberal MLA — was injured in a “serious” incident at a concrete manufacturer in Fort St. John, B.C. Peace River North MLA Dan Davies was struck by a loader at Inland Concrete at about 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Lehigh Hanson owns the concrete manufacturer. A company statement said the employee was treated for injuries locally before being flown to Vancouver for medical treatment. On Wednesday, the B.C. Liberals said Davies is “now alert and in recovery.”

“Dan and his family appreciate the hard work of first responders and medical staff who have provided him with excellent care,” said a statement. Davies has been working

for Inland Concrete “on and off ” since 1995, according to his LinkedIn profile. He tweeted a photo of himself at work in 2016 to mark his 21st anniversary with the company.

WorkSafe confirmed on Wednesday that an investigation has been launched.Christy Clark made a campaign stop at Inland Concrete during her run for re-election last spring.

Davies stood alongside Clark as she reiterated the Liberals’ commitment to the Site C dam project, which was already fuelling the Peace River economy at that time.

Lehigh Hanson said it has launched an investigation into what happened.

“Our thoughts are with our employee’s family and friends during this time,” the statement said.

NATIONAL

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INDIA

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Senior SC judge red flags Centre’s interference Senior-most Supreme Court judge, Justice J Chelameswar, has shot off a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) asking him to consider convening a full court to take up the issue of alleged executive interference in judiciary.

Justice Chelameswar, in his letter written on March 21, cautioned that “the bonhomie between the judiciary and the government in any State sounds the death knell to democracy”.

The letter, copies of which were also sent to 22 other apex court judges, has questioned the probe initiated by Karnataka high court Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari against district and sessions judge Krishna Bhat at the instance of Union ministry of law and justice, despite his name being recommended for elevation twice by the Collegium.

“Someone from Bangalore has already beaten us in the race to the bottom. The Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court is more than willing to do the Executive bidding, behind our back,” Justice

Chelameswar wrote in his six-page letter.

Raising the issue of judicial independence, he said, “We, the judges of the Supreme Court of India, are being accused of ceding our independence and our institutional integrity to the Executive’s incremental encroachment.

“The executive is always impatient, and brooks no disobedience even of the judiciary if it can. Attempts were always made to treat the Chief Justices as the Departmental Heads in the Secretariat.

So much for our ‘independence and preeminence’ as a distinct State organ”.

Justice Chelameswar, who had held the unprecedented January 12 press conference along with three other senior judges questioning the allocation of cases by the CJI, referred to the “unhappy experience” where the government sat tight over the files even after the Collegium recommended names for appointment in the higher judiciary.

In a rare moment of concurrence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress came together to bid farewell to retiring Rajya Sabha MPs today.

“We bid farewell to some of our MP colleagues in the Rajya Sabha. They have contributed significantly to Parliament and we have all gained from their experience and insight,” said PM Modi, speaking in the Upper House.

He credited the House with playing a “vital role in our democracy.”

The PM, however, lamented that these members would not “be a part of Parliament when the long due decision on triple talaq is taken.”

However, he assured them that he would remain receptive to their ideas for the betterment of the country.

“The doors of Parliament and my own office are always open for you all. Please feel free to share your thoughts on vital issues,” PM Modi said.

Congress leader and leader of Opposition Ghulab Nabi Azad, in his address, emphasised that “political leaders never retire.”

“This is a farewell, not a separation.

That too, a temporary one,” he remarked about the outgoing MPs. He also sought to clarify that the disruption of proceedings in Parliament may look bad when viewed on television screens, but “if someone has kept democracy alive in this country, it is parliamentarians.”

Yogi govt adds ‘Ramji’ to Ambedkar’s name

With ‘Vikas’ engine, Isro launches GSAT-6A, reaches out for the Moon When GSLV Mk-II ejected the satellite GSAT-6A into the orbit on Thursday, for many it was a boost for communications in the country, for some it was a step forward for military strength but for Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) it was a dress rehearsal for its second mission to the Moon.

The space agency tested certain improved critical systems in the launch vehicle that may eventually be used in its future missions. It was also to attract foreign satellites that could

PM Modi, Congress unite to bid farewell to retiring Rajya Sabha MPs

use the rocket for launches. “The launch vehicle demonstrated the capability of GSLV as an operational launcher. It has evolved as a workhorse,” said P Kunhikrishnan, director at Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

At 4.56pm, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle took off for its twelfth flight with an indigenous cryogenic upper stage from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

The Yogi Adityanath government has decided to introduce ‘Ramji’ as the middle name of the Father of the Constitution B R Ambedkar in all official correspondence and records, an order that has raised Opposition hackles ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

A government order to this effect was issued on Wednesday night by Principal Secretary (Admin) Jitendra Kumar, an official spokesman said here on Thursday.

The order soon got mired in political controversy with the opposition Samajwadi Party crying hoarse that the move smacked of politics ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

“The BJP government is playing politics with the name of the Dalit icon,” SP leader Anurag Bhadoria said hours after the state government issued the order.

He charged the state government with politicising Ambedkar’s name for attracting Dalit vote bank.

UP Cabinet Minister Swami Prasad Maurya, however, said there was no politics in the decision and no ulterior motive should be seen in it.

The campaign to write Ambedkar’s name in the correct way was initiated by Governor Ram Naik in December 2017,

Prasad sasys he will take action after receiving FB, Analytica The government has shot off notices to Facebook and Cambridge Analytica on the data breach issue and will decide on action to be taken after receiving their responses, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Thursday.

“We are very tough when it comes to data protection in India. Notice has gone from the Indian government to the two companies.

We should wait for their reply. We will take action after their reply,” Prasad told reporters.

Following up on its earlier warning, the IT Ministry on Wednesday issued a notice to social networking giant Facebook seeking its response over the user data breach and details

of the measures it has put in place to ensure safety and prevent misuse of personal data.

The ministry raised five questions for Facebook, including whether the personal data of Indian voters and users has been compromised by Cambridge Analytica or any other downstream entity in any manner, and gave the networking giant a deadline of April 7 to send detailed response.

It questioned whether the company or its related or downstream agencies utilising the data on the social media platform have previously been engaged by any entity “to manipulate the Indian electoral process”.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad admitted to AIIMS RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, who has been serving a jail term in connection with the fodder scam, was on Thursday admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi for specialised treatment.

Prasad, who was serving his jail term in Ranchi, was referred to AIIMS by the Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) in Ranchi.

“His condition is stable. He was brought in at noon. His sugar levels are a little bit high and he has some infection in the kidney,” an AIIMS doctor said.

He also said that Prasad has been admitted under the medicine department.

The RJD chief had been admitted to RIMS in Ranchi on March 17 over complaints of uneasiness while he was lodged at the Birsa Munda Jail. Prasad has been serving a jail term since December 23.

He left for New Delhi yesterday by train after a special CBI court allowed him to seek treatment at Delhi AIIMS. Senior advocate Chittaranjan Sinha, who has been handling Prasad’s fodder scam cases from the very beginning, said the 69-year-old leader is suffering from diabetes, high creatinine levels and blood pressure.

59 Naxalites surrender in Sukma district Fifty-nine Naxalites, including 16 women, surrendered in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh today, a senior police official said.

Sukma district superintendent of police Abhishek Meena said that 59 rebels including 16 women cadres

laid down the arms before police at Errarbor village.Arrest warrants were pending against nine of them, he said.

All of them were residents of villages under the Errabor police station limits, Meena said.

PUNJAB

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Patiala MP floats ‘Punjab Manch’, says it will take shape of political party Suspended AAP MP from Patiala, Dharamvira Gandhi launched ‘Punjab Manch’ which, he said, will take the shape of a political party in coming months and contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Batting for more powers to the states, Gandhi said the Congress, BJP and Patiala MP Dharmavira Gandhi addressing a press conference in Shiromani Akali Chandigarh on Thursday.

Dal (SAD) had failed to safeguard guard its interests. We will be touring Punjab the interests of Punjab while the AAP had over the next few weeks and months and take sidelined leaders from the state and was in feedback from people. grip of a “high-command culture”.

“The ultimate aim of this manch is to evolve into a strong regional political outfit. There is a need for such an outfit in Punjab which can

Lookout circular for Capt’s son-in-law The CBI has issued a lookout circular against Gurpal Singh, son-in-law of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, and three others accused in the Simbhaoli Sugar Mills scam of Rs 97.85 crore, sources said.

The three others against whom the CBI has issued a lookout circular are mill chief executive officer GSE Rao, chief finance officer Sanjay Thaparia and executive director Gursimran Kaur. The CBI registered a case against the accused on February 25 for the alleged bank loan of Rs 97.85 crore and default of Rs 110 crore. According to the FIR, there were two loans, both from the Oriental Bank of Commerce, under probe — a Rs 97.85 crore loan which was declared fraud in 2015, and a corporate loan of Rs 110 crore used to repay the previous loan. The second loan was declared NPA (non-performing asset) on November 29, 2016. The bank complained to the CBI on November 17, 2017, but the agency registered the case only on February 22. Among the 12 accused booked in the case, Simbhaoli Sugar Mills Limited chairman

Cost of living soars in Punjab With the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday passing the Punjab Social Security Bill, 2018, and the Punjab State Development Tax Bill, 2018, the Capt Amarinder Singh-led government has imposed fresh taxes on Punjab residents, generating an additional revenue of Rs 1,500 crore.

It plans to use this money not only to fund social welfare schemes, but to also give unemployment allowance to the state’s jobless youth, as promised by the Congress in its election manifesto.

Petrol and diesel, registration of vehicles, motor vehicle tax, electricity bills and liquor will become dearer in the state by way of the Social Welfare Security Bill.

Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, tabling the Bill in the House, said it would allow the state to set up a social security fund outside the Consolidated Fund to finance social welfare schemes.“

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Pakistan displays all records of Bhagat Singh’s case file Eighty-seven years after Bhagat Singh was hanged for the murder of a British police officer, Pakistan today displayed all records of the legendary freedom fighter’s case file and his comrades, a step appreciated by the civil society and rights activists.

Early this week in Lahore, Punjab government had displayed some of the records of the case file of Bhagat Singh’s trial, which is called the Lahore Conspiracy Case, at the historic Tomb of Anarkali in Lahore.

“We have displayed all the record related to Bhagat Singh and his comrades trial case in the exhibition,” Punjab Archives Department Director Abbas Chughtai said.

Pakistan’s Punjab government had displayed some of the records of the case file of Bhagat Singh’s trial, which is called the Lahore Conspiracy Case, at the historic Tomb of Anarkali in Lahore.he said, adding a total 50 or so documents related to the Lahore Conspiracy case and newspaper clippings has been put on display. “This is

all the record we have with us,” he added.

Bhagat Singh was 23 when he was hanged by British rulers on March 23, 1931 in Lahore, after being tried under charges for hatching a conspiracy against the colonial government.

The case was filed against Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru for allegedly killing British police officer John P Saunders. Their bodies were cremated and the ashes were thrown in the River Sutlej the same day in extreme secrecy to avoid any public reaction.

The world came to know about the hangings through Maulana Zafar Ali Khan’s newspaer ‘Zamindar’ two days later. The Archives department displayed request of Bhagat Singh for providing order of court dated August 27, 1930, petition of Bhagat Singh dated May 31, 1929 for interview of his father, petition of Sardar Kishan Singh, father of Bhagat Singh, against the death sentence of his son and the certificate/execution of death of Bhagat Singh in Lahore district jail by the superintendent of jail dated March 23, 1931.

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INDIA

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Mehul Choksi’s Gitanjali Gems defrauds Karnataka Bank Ltd of Rs 86.5 cr Karnataka Bank Ltd has informed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that Gitanjali Gems of scam-hit Mehul Choksi had committed a Rs 86.5 crore fraud in the fundbased working capital. “We have reported a fraud to the RBI amounting to Rs 86.47 crore in the fund-based working capital facilities extended to Gitanjali Gems Ltd on account of nonrealisation of export bills and diversion of funds,” said the Mangaluru-based bank in a regulatory filing on the BSE late on Wednesday night.

The scheduled commercial bank, however, clarified it does not have any Letter of Understanding (LoU) exposure in Choksi’s company. “The working capital facilities were extended by the bank under consortium arrangement and provisions will be made as per the RBI guidelines,” the bank’s Company Secretary Prasanna Patil said in the filing. Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are already facing investigation in the Rs 13,540-crore fraud they committed on the state-run Punjab National Bank’s Mumbai branch, which came to light after they left the country in early January.

Anna Hazare ends his hunger strike after meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Anna Hazare ended his six-day fast at ka kaam hai janta ki bhalai, desh ki bhalai...

Ramlila Maidan here, saying he has been aese andolan ki naubat nahi aani chahiye (the assured by the government that appointments government and the public are not separate. of Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas The government’s job is to do what is good in the states would be made soon. Delhi: for the people and the country. Things should Anna Hazare ends hunger strike after talks not come to such a pass that protests are with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra needed),” he said. Hazare had earlier asked the Fadnavis and Union Ministers Hazare said that government to provide the details of how the he was giving the government six months time execution would happen along with a timeline. till August to come good on its assurance and warned that his protest will again begin in September if the demands were not met.

The 80-year-old anti-corruption activist’s demands include appointment of Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the states, and giving better prices to the farmers for their yield.

“They (government) have assured us that Anna Hazare drinking water as he ends his hunger strike after meeting with they will make the Maharashtra Chief Minister appointments as soon as possible. I will see till August and we will begin again in On Monday, the Centre reached out to September. It should be done within a time Hazare, with its emissary and Maharashtra frame. ((Though Maharashtra) Chief Minister minister Girish Mahajana, assuring the social(Devendra) Fadnavis has said that it will not activist that most of his “demands will be taken even take six months, we will see,” Hazare care of ”. said. “Sarkar aur janta alag nahi hoti...sarkar

‘Facebook committed to stopping interference in Indian elections’ Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg apologised on Thursday for mistakes his company made in how it handled data belonging to 50 million of its users and promised tougher steps to restrict developers’ access to such information.

The world’s largest social media network is facing growing government scrutiny in Europe and the United States about a whistleblower’s allegations that Londonbased political consultancy Cambridge Analytica improperly accessed user information to build profiles on American voters that were later used to help elect US President Donald Trump in 2016.

“This was a major breach of trust. I’m really sorry this happened. We have a basic responsibility to protect people’s data,” Zuckerberg said in an interview with CNN, breaking a public silence since the scandal erupted at the weekend.

Zuckerberg said in a post on Facebook the company “made mistakes, there’s more to do, and we need to step up and do it.”

He said the social network planned to conduct an investigation of thousands of apps that have used Facebook’s platform, restrict developer access to data, and give members a tool that lets them to disable access to their Facebook data more easily.

His plans did not represent a big reduction of advertisers’ ability to use Facebook data, which is the company’s lifeblood.

Zuckerberg said he was open to additional government regulation and happy to testify before the US Congress if he was the right person.

“I’m not sure we shouldn’t be regulated,” he told CNN. “I actually think the question

is more what is the right regulation rather than yes or no, should it be regulated? ...

People should know who is buying the ads that they see on Facebook.” Zuckerberg said Facebook was committed to stopping interference in the U.S. midterm election in November and elections in India and Brazil. Facebook shares pared gains on Thursday after Zuckerberg’s post, closing up 0.7 per cent. The company has lost more than $45 billion of its stock market value over the past three days on investor fears that any failure by big tech firms to protect personal data could deter advertisers and users and invite tougher regulation.

Zuckerberg told the New York Times in an interview published on Thursday he had not seen a “meaningful number of people” deleting their accounts over the scandal. Facebook representatives, including Deputy Chief Privacy Officer Rob Sherman, met US congressional staff for nearly two hours on Thursday and planned to continue meetings on Capitol Hill on Friday. Facebook was unable to answer many questions, two aides who attended the briefing said.

Zuckerberg told the website Recode that fixes to protect users’ data would cost “many millions of dollars.” The whistleblower who launched the scandal, Christopher Wylie, formerly of Cambridge Analytica, said on Twitter he had accepted invitations to testify before US and UK lawmakers. The German government said Facebook must explain whether the personal data of the country’s 30 million users were protected from unlawful use by third parties, according to a report in the Funke group of German regional newspapers.

Saturday, March 31, 2018

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26

SOUTH ASIA

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Russia denies aiding Afghan Taliban in wake of US general’s comments Russia has rejected comments by NATO’s top commander in Afghanistan that it has been supporting and even supplying weapons to the Taliban, in a clash of words that underlines growing tension over Moscow’s involvement in the conflict.

In an interview with the BBC last week, General John Nicholson said that Russia had been acting to undermine US efforts in Afghanistan despite shared interests in fighting terrorism and narcotics, with indications that Moscow was providing financial support and even arms.

“We’ve had weapons brought to this headquarters and given to us by Afghan leaders and said this was given by the Russians to the Taliban,” he said.

A statement from the Russian embassy in Kabul dismissed the comments as “idle gossip”, repeating previous denials by Russian officials.

“Once again, we insist that such statements are absolutely baseless and appeal to officials not to talk nonsense,” the embassy said.

U.S. commanders, including Nicholson, have said on several occasions over the past year that Russia may be supplying arms to the Taliban although no confirmed evidence has so far been made public.

However, Nicholson’s comments were unusually blunt and came in a context of growing tensions between NATO members and Moscow over the case of Sergei Skripal, a former intelligence agent found poisoned with a rare nerve agent in Britain.

Russian officials have said that their limited contacts with the Taliban were aimed at encouraging peace talks and ensuring the safety of Russian citizens. Moscow has offered to help coordinate peace talks in Afghanistan.

Sri Lanka PM seeks India and Japan investment to balance China Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka is seeking foreign investment from India, Japan and others amid criticism over his country’s reliance on Chinese loans for infrastructure projects.

In an interview in Colombo, Wickremesinghe defended a deal last year that gave a joint venture led by state-owned China Merchants Port Holdings Co Ltd a 99-year lease to the southern port of Hambantota. The agreement gave Sri Lanka $1.1 billion in revenue at a time when it’s spending 80 percent of government revenues on servicing outstanding debts.

“On Hambantota, the burden is off us, because China Merchants and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority have taken it over,” Wickremesinghe said on the sidelines of a business conference on Monday.

“We’ve been looking at inviting a broad range of foreign investors,” he said. “Initially the investors will come from China, Japan, India. Then the others will follow. We’d like to see them coming in from Europe.”

Since Wickremesinghe took power in 2015, he’s been under pressure to improve Sri Lanka’s finances. A previous administration secured billions of dollars worth of Chinese loans after the South Asian nation emerged battered from three decades of civil war in 2009, contributing to a debt burden that threatens to impede economic growth.

Even with the sale of Hambantota and other concessionary measures, Sri Lanka has been forced to pursue other revenue-raising measures, including a recent tax reform.

Pakistani Prime Minister upset after being put through security check at USA airport Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had to undergo a routine security check at a US airport during a recent visit, an ‘indignity’ that has enraged the Pakistani media amid reports that the Trump administration is considering imposing visa bans and other sanctions on individuals in the Pakistani government.

Washington also announced sanctions on Monday on seven Pakistani companies over suspicion they have links to the nuclear trade, signaling a further downturn in ties.

Footage aired on Pakistani TV channels over the past two days shows Abbasi picking up his bag and coat and walking out from a security check at what they said was an American airport. Abbasi was in the US last week on a private trip to visit his ailing sister but he also met vice-president Mike Pence in an unscheduled engagement at which he was bluntly told Pakistani has to do more to address concerns about its nurturing of terrorist groups.

But it was the sight of the country’s prime minister being subjected to a security check that drove Pakistani TV anchors apoplectic.

“He should be ashamed for saying he went on a private visit. He is the prime minister… he has a

diplomatic passport …there is no such thing as a private visit. He is representing the country… there are certain protocols when you are representing 22 crore people,” roared one talking head, saying Pakistan had been humiliated and Abbasi had brought shame on the country.

The US smackdown came even as Foreign Policy magazine reported that the Trump administration is ‘weighing unprecedented political penalties’ on Islamabad for harbouring Afghan militants waging war on the US-backed government in Afghanistan.

“The options under consideration include revoking Pakistan’s status as a major nonNATO ally, permanently cutting off the US military aid that was suspended two months ago, and even imposing visa bans or other sanctions on individuals in the Pakistani government deemed responsible for providing support to the militants,” the journal said.

The magazine reported that the Trump White House is now engaged in an internal debate about the tempo and scale of possible punitive steps against Pakistan, echoing arguments under previous US presidents.

Radical Lankan Buddhist group to float party A hardline Sinhala-Buddhist group in Sri Lanka, which was allegedly involved in attacks on Muslims during the recent communal riots in the country, has decided to float a political party.

Mahason Balakaya or the Devil Mahasona’s Force, which had allegedly published videos of hate speech against

Muslims, said it has forwarded papers to the authorities for the party’s registration.

“Sinhalese have no political party while every race has one. We have decided to form a political party with Mahason Balakaya and other Sinhala organisations,” a spokesman for the group said in the town of Anuradhapura.

SOUTH ASIA

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Maldives’ engagement with China & Pakistan ‘too secretive’ for India While the Abdulla under India’s nose.

Yameen government has “As usual, the current lifted Emergency in the Maldivian regime Maldives, India remains remains secretive upset with Male for the about the dealings opaque manner in which with the Chinese and it is carrying out not just Pakistanis unlike its China policy but also previous governments its overtures to Pakistan. which took us into Maldives President Abdulla Yameen meeting The latest issue niggling with Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2016. confidence in advance India is Male’s decision on such issues,’’ said a to discuss with Islamabad a visit by Pakistan top Indian official on condition of anonymity army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa without first when asked about Bajwa’s visit to Pakistan. He bringing it to the notice of South Block. added that India was closely following reports Despite its stated India First policy, the that Bajwa was going to visit Male on March 31.

Yameen government has not bothered, unlike As TOI had first reported on February all other previous governments in Male, to 26, China is looking to build what the take India into confidence on major issues Maldives officially describes as a Joint Ocean in the spirit of mutual trust whether it’s the Observation Station on the westernmost Chinese investments in the Maldives or the atoll of Makunudhoo in northern ocean observatory Beijing wants to build right Maldives, not far from Lakshadweep.

27

Major European airlines may suspend flights to Maldives this summer Major European airlines may suspend flights to the Maldives this summer, as the international community piles on pressure on the island country for president Abdulla Yameen’s increasingly authoritarian ways.

Joern Rohde, German ambassador to Sri Lanka, concurrently accredited to the Maldives, tweeted on Friday, “we hear big airline carriers from Europe will suspend their Maldives flight for the summer season.” The reason for this, he continued, was that despite the apparent lifting of emergency by the Yameen government, “democratic rights remain curtailed as MPs remain jailed on politically motivated prosecutions. The economy and thus the people suffer since tourists continue to stay away.” Cautioning the Yameen government, Rohde concluded his tweet by saying “Solution: Only a return to Democracy will bring back stability and the positive image of the wonderful Maldives now tarnished by the ongoing undermining of democratic rights.”

While Europe remains the biggest source of tourists to Maldives, number of Indian tourists visiting the island country has been rising steadily with India accounting for over 6 per cent of the total figure. However, after Yameen announced the emergency in early February, tour and resort operators reported that China and India recorded the highest number of cancellations. The German ambassador’s tweet would indicate that European countries’ travel advisories to their citizens may be resulting in tourists going elsewhere.

The latest action is part of the international pressure on Yameen to release political prisoners including a couple of judges and hold democratic elections. A fortnight ago, Yameen trotted out his senior ministers in a press conference to answer questions on his actions and plans. The tourism minister admitted at the press conference that the economy had been impacted due to tourist cancellations.

Afghan women launch protest for peace in Taliban stronghold Dozens of peace activists, including women, have set up tents in the Afghan province of Helmand, after a car bomb killed more than a dozen people outside a sports stadium last week.

In a rare development, women from the ethnic Pashtun-dominated region began protesting alongside men in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah on Tuesday, saying that they would later march to a Talibancontrolled district to demand an end to the war.

“I lost my son in one of these explosions and his family are without any support. I am asking the Taliban to accept our demand for peace,” said Khial Bibi, one of the participants at the women’s tent.

The protest did not involve government officials or politicians and was a “pure people’s movement”, said Qais Hashemi, a male protester.

The car bomb exploded on Friday as a wrestling match ended in Lashkar Gah, killing at least 14 people and wounding at least 47. No group has claimed responsibility.

The attack underlined the continued threat of violence across much of Afghanistan with the approach of spring, when fighting tends to pick up.

The Taliban, seeking to restore strict Islamic rule after their 2001 defeat by U.S.-led troops, on Wednesday issued a statement directing the protesters to march toward U.S. military bases instead and demand that they cease fighting.

Protesters against the Taliban were being exploited

by U.S. forces, spokesman Qari Muhammad Yousuf Ahmadi said in the statement on a Taliban website.

Islamic Emirate is seriously concerned that the enemy circles will misuse your name,” the statement said. “Allah forbid, if something were to happen then responsibility will be placed squarely on your shoulders because you understand that we are at war, are facing various enemy

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FIJI

Saturday, March 31, 2018

‘Need for visionary leadership in Fiji’ Veteran politician Adi Sivia Qoro believes there is a need for visionary leadership in Fiji.

Adi Sivia had contested the 2014 election under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but this year she will be contesting the polls on a Unity Fiji party ticket.

As the president of the party, Adi Sivia said there was a need to engage everyone in nation building, but at the same time to preserve and strengthen the differences that exist as pillars of a bigger vision.

Her political career began in 2006 where she served as the Minister for Commerce and the Minister for Industry in the multiparty cabinet of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase.

Adi Sivia, who is an independent consultant and a monitoring and evaluation specialist in the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific region, said she was going to advocate on a number of issues for the 2018 election.

“Priorities include the rights to ensure access to appropriate, adequate and affordable healthcare of satisfactory quality and the

allocation of maximum available resources to reach these goals. “The right to education, including a responsibility to provide basic education for individuals who have not completed primary education,” Adi Sivia said.

As a gender and development specialist with more than 19 years of experience, she said she would also be focusing on the protection and promotion of gender equality in all levels of decision-making and the protection of women and children from all forms of gender-based violence.

Adi Sivia is a board member for Rise Beyond The Reef, a nongovernment organisation (NGO) that works with remote communities in Fiji to create a sustainable and better world for women and children. She is also a board member for Homes of Hope, a Fiji-based charity working with young women and children who are victims of sexual exploitation.

SODELPA MP Bulitavo loses seat Mosese Bulitavo loses his seat in Parliament immediately after he was convicted on sedition charges.

The SODELPA MP along with businessman and Fiji United Freedom Party leader Jagath Karunaratne were charged for graffiti, which was spray painted on billboards in August 2011.

Suva Magistrate Deepika Prakash convicted the duo today and will deliver sentencing on April 19.

Lautoka-based lawyer Aman Ravindra-Singh represented Mr Karunaratne while Suva lawyer Barbara Malimali acted for Mr Bulitavo.

Fiji Canada Business Association networking event

Fiji Canada Business Association held a very successful networking event last Thursday night at Khanna Hall in Surrey, attended by its members and supporters. Pictured above at the event are Kamini Prasad (Secretary),Ganesh Murty (Treasurer), Arvind Prasad (Vice Chairperson), Kamilla Singh (Chairperson), Chandra Sharma (President), Kavin Chand (Vice President), Honorary Fijian Consul Bobby Naicker (Chief Guest), Sam Thiara (Keynote Speaker), Anish Dwivedi (Master of Ceremony).

Concern over pharmacies increasing price of meningococcal vaccine Serious concerns are being raised regarding some pharmacies in Suva raising the prices of the vaccine for meningococcal disease immediately after the Health Ministry announced that there is an outbreak in Fiji.

Fijivillage has received confirmation that one pharmacy which was selling the vaccine for around $170 to $200 before the announcement on the outbreak, is now selling the same vaccine for $325. This is just the price of the vaccine without the cost of administering the vaccine.

We have asked the Health Ministry what is being done about this as the pharmacies are clearly further profiting from this after the announcement and many citizens will not be able to afford the vaccine if they want to get one. The Ministry has assured us that a statement is coming out today on this issue.

The Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization and other stakeholders were discussing the procurement of the vaccines of the meningococcal disease earlier this week.

This was confirmed to Fijivillage by the Assistant Health Minister, Alex O’Connor.

When asked if concessions will be given on the vaccinations, O’Connor says the outcome of the meeting will be made known later.

The Ministry of Health has already stated that it is a priority to make meningococcal C vaccines available to the public. The ministry declared an outbreak of meningococcal disease in Fiji after three deaths this year.

There have been 12 deaths recorded from 2016 to now. The Health Ministry has stressed that these conditions are very serious and can be deadly but can be treated if detected early.

Heavy rain warning remains in force for most parts of Fiji

SODELPA MP Mosese Bulitavo loses his seat in Parliament after he was convicted on sedition charges.

Man sentenced jailed for raping his 7yr-old niece A 42-year-old man has been sentenced to 14 years 5 months imprisonment for raping his 7-year-old niece.

The incident happened last year.

Delivering the sentence today, High Court Judge Justice Vinsent Perera told the man that he became a predator when he was supposed to be a protector.

He also told the man “you have brought discredit to all Talevus out there”.

Justice Perera said the man exploited the victim’s vulnerability and there was a serious breach of trust. He said the only mitigating factor he considered was that the man was a first offender. The man has been given a non-parole period of 12 years 5 months imprisonment.

Expect continuous heavy rain and thunderstorms during most of the Easter weekend as the trough of low pressure continues to affect Fiji.

This is expected to result in flash flooding and even river flooding in Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. A heavy rain warning remains in force for Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Taveuni and nearby smaller islands, Northern Lau Group, Lomaiviti, Yasawa and Mamanuca Group. A heavy rain alert remains in force for the rest of Fiji.

A flood alert remains in place for the low

lying areas, downstream and adjacent to Waimanu River.The Nadi Weather Office says a trough of low pressure with associated cloud and rain remains slow moving over the Northern parts of the Country.

It is expected to intensify and affect most parts of the group from later today.

Meanwhile, the Fiji Roads Authority says Savusavu and Burelevu crossings in Rakiraki are currently underwater and this has cut off access for people there.

PAKISTAN

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Malala meets PM Abbasi on her first trip since being shot

US officials reach understanding on terrorists, Foreign ministery says Foreign Ministry says that Pakistan and USA have resolved to act against all terrorist groups that target Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan.

In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said the understanding was reached during a meeting between visiting US acting Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells and Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua.

The visit came days after Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi traveled to the US on an unannounced visit, which was later termed a private one, and during which he met with US officials in an effort to improve ties with Washington.US officials have long accused Pakistan of harboring militant groups that carry out attacks in Afghanistan.

Nobel prize winner Malala Yousafzai (4th from left) and her family meeting with PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in prime minister house in Islamabad.

Malala Yousafzai, Nobel laureate has returned to her native homeland Pakistan on Thursday, six years after she was shot by Taliban for advocating ducation of women. Malala and her family met Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the capital, Islamabad, on her first visit to her homeland since she was airlifted for medical treatment in Britain in 2012.

Clad in a traditional shalwar khameez with her head covered with duppata, Malala also met several female ministers in the prime minister’s office. But she is unlikely to travel to her home region of Swat in northwestern Pakistan due to security threats against her, a relative and security sources told Reuters. “It’s been longheld desire of Malala Yousafzai and her parents to visit Swat and see her relatives and friends.

But she was not given permission due to security concerns,” said one relative, who declined to be identified. At the age of 17, Yousafzai became

the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her education advocacy. In October 2012, masked gunmen stopped a bus taking Malala and some friends home from school and shot her. Two of her friends were also wounded.

Last week, on Twitter, Yousafzai, who is now 20, expressed a longing for her homeland.

She now lives in Britain and is studying at Oxford University. “On this day, I cherish fond memories of home, of playing cricket on rooftops and singing the national anthem in school. Happy Pakistan Day!” she wrote on March 23. After surviving the attack, Yousafzai was airlifted abroad and underwent surgery.

The Pakistani Taliban, who seized control of her hometown in Pakistan’s Swat Valley before being pushed out by the army in 2009, claimed the attack in response to her blog for the BBC Urdu service advocating girls’ education.

Pakistan voices concern over growing influence of ISIS in the region Pakistan today expressed concern over the growing influence of the Islamic State in Afghanistan and its concentration on the borders with the Afghan neighbours.

Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said at the weekly media briefing that ISIS (also known as Da’esh) had been involved in crossborder raids at Pakistani military posts.

“We have been consistently raising serious

concerns about the rising footprint of Da’esh in Afghanistan. Concentration of Da’esh along the borders with Pakistan, Central Asian Republics, Iran and China further alarms us of its negative implications for Afghanistan, Pakistan and regional security,” he said. He said the evidence of Da’esh’s cross-border raids at Pakistani military posts had been shared on several occasions with Afghanistan.

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US acting Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells (right) meeting with Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua.

Pakistan denies the charge, saying it targets militants without discrimination.

Bajwa doctrine’s scope limited to security measures, Pakistan army Pakistan army said that Army chief General Bajwa was not against the 18th amendment but simply wants to ensure the provinces are capable of making the decisions as it clarified that if a ‘Bajwa doctrine’ exists its scope is limited to security measures only.

The landmark 18th amendment that has lent greater autonomy to the provinces was passed unanimously by parliament with all major political parties on board. “Every army chief has their own perspective and General Bajwa’s is to promote peace which existed in the past.

That is what the Bajwa doctrine is,” Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said while addressing a press conference. Gen Bajwa recently met a group of journalists and explained his doctrine which was being seen

as a template for bringing peace and security to Pakistan and the region. Ghafoor said the army chief ’s views in his informal meeting with journalists may have been misrepresented by some. “There was a lot of talk about the 18th Amendment,” he said. “The army chief never said that as a whole 18th Amendment is not good; amendments are brought because the Constitution remained incomplete in certain aspects.” Major General Asif Ghafoor also said that the army supports empowerment of provinces and rejected the idea that Gen Bajwa expressed desire to undo delegation of powers to province by the previous government. He also said that Pakistan was committed to complete multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

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NRI

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Memphis Indians bask in Holi spirit

NRI crowned Mrs Asia UK United Nations India-born Sribhavani Rakesh won the Mrs Asia UK United Nations (South) and Mrs Congeniality titles at the Mrs Asia UK pageant held in London earlier this year. Rakesh will now represent UK internationally in Jamaica this July. An aspiring entrepreneur and freelance medical writer, Rakesh is a pharmacy teacher by profession and has played an active role over the years in creating awareness about breast cancer and women hygiene. The 33-year-old mother was also honoured with Women Appreciating

Women (WAW) Hall of Fame award on International Women’s Day for her positive contributions to the society as well as visionary leadership.

Born to doctor parents in Karnataka, Rakesh completed her education in Bangalore and married Rakesh Maheswaran, a Manchester-based Business Analyst, in 2012. Apart from her active work in society, Rakesh is a trained classical violinist and has an eclectic range of interests.

Indian-origin boy died of allergy after consuming sweets An inquest into the death of an 11-yearold Indian-origin boy in England concluded this week that he died of a nut allergy after consuming ‘mithai’ from a gift box which was contaminated with nuts. Aaron O’Farrell, from the village of Doe Lea in Derbyshire in the East Midlands region, died in September 2014 after his mother gave him the Indian sweet from a gift box of ‘prasad’ handed out at a Navratri festival event.

Jaywantee O’Farrell said she did not see any allergy warnings on the box before feeding the sweet to her son. The Assistant Coroner for Derbyshire, James Newman, recorded a verdict of “misadventure� and offered his condolences to the family. “The evidence has at times been unclear and at times contradictory,� he noted at the end of the inquest on Monday.

The O’Farrells had travelled to Birmingham for a family meal with her aunt Neela Ramchurn and brought back the gift box with them to their home in Derbyshire. Aaron

spat out the sweet the moment his mother fed it to him and soon after complained to his dad, James O’Farrell, that he was struggling to breathe, the Derbyshire Times reported.

Paramedics arrived after an emergency call and Aaron was given adrenaline and it initially appeared to work. However, his health deteriorated when he was in the ambulance and he passed away at Chesterfield Royal Hospital on September 28, 2014. The cause of death was given as anaphylactic shock due to peanut allergy. Aaron had suffered from a severe peanut allergy since he was two and the inquest was told that even a bowl of peanuts on a table would cause a reaction. The gift boxes bought for the Navratri festival from Suraj Sweet Centre in Birmingham had no allergy warning signs because they were sample boxes. According to witnesses, the organisers of the festival had tried to cut costs by asking for sweet and savoury snacks to be placed in one single box.

All of India basked in the spirit of Holi on March 02, to welcome the spring season.

For Indians sitting a few thousand miles away in Memphis, USA, the distance certainly was no factor. As if to empathize with the community, the weather gods too smiled warmly, the biting cold giving way to a pleasant weekend, with temperatures hitting 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

So the morning of March 03 saw people flocking to WC Johnson Park in Collierville, dressed in white and ready to soak in the festive spirit. The colours and gulals were out, and before long, rangolis in all hues and shades started adorning the whites that people wore to the occasion. Certain adjustments had to be made in keeping with the law of the land- no

bonfire and no cow dung fuel. But no one was complaining. The spirit mattered most, and it drew in people from other communities as well.

Age was no bar, as the young and the old, boys and girls, men and women sprayed each other in colours, and grooved to peppy Bollywood numbers. And no Indian festival is complete without some mouth-watering delicacies. Samosas, chicken tandoori and biryani- whether home cooked or ordered from outside- just to name a few in the elaborate menu laid out.

In the end, it was the feeling of love and bonding that triumphed. Memphis Indians showed, India was very much alive in their hearts.

Indian artist captures lives of Dubai’s migrant workers When 28-year-old Poonam Jain arrived in Dubai from Mumbai a month ago, she imagined herself as one of the millions of anonymous migrant workers. Jain, an artistin-residence at Art Dubai, set to work daily in a uniform, collecting and counting concrete blocks that she then cleaned, numbered by weight, and presented as a coded puzzle. “Many workers asked me, ‘kaunsa company se’ (which company do you work for)?� Jain says. “The code symbolises a worker’s songs. To know its meaning, you need to talk to them,� she says. Over the next few weeks, she distilled the experiences of Indian labourers through evocative works such as Labour Card, which comprises two stacks of forms used to mark attendance and working hours. Her show, Burden of Proof, is one of the highlights of the 12th edition of Art Dubai, which ran from March 21 to 24 and featured 105 galleries from 42 countries. Jain

is one of the 11 international artists chosen for Art Dubai’s new non-profit Residents’ Programme. In many works, she channelled the emphasis on counting and numbering, especially in prayers, as a metaphor for the mundane and repetitive nature of manual work in an industrialised economy. “I believe there is room for greater dialogue between art from South Asia and the Middle East.

Both reflect similar issues and given the geographic proximity, I feel there is much that can be achieved on curatorial levels,� said Myrna Ayad, director of Art Dubai.This dialogue between the Indian subcontinent and the Gulf was also evident in the textile installations of Swiss-Egyptian artist Karim Noureldin, a regular visitor to India. His two abstract pieces were made in collaboration with weavers in Jaipur and Panipat.

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Saturday, March 31, 2018

Meet your ‘Da-Bangg’ suprestar Salman Khan, Katrina, Sonakshi, Jacqueline at biggest Bollywood show in town

“There Is Nothing More Precious than ‘Hichki,’ Rani Mukerji

Salman Khan, Katrina to perform in Vancouver on Canada Day!

S

alman Khan fans hold your breath and get ready to meet your ‘Da Bang’ hero, superstar Salman Khan in Vancouver, also those of you who love Bollywood beauties Katrina and Jacqueline Fernandez, all these stars are coming to Vancouver for a show on July 1st, Canada Day at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. “We planned the performance on Canada Day because we thought that was the best day to give something back to Canada and Vancouver,� said Henna Juneja, partner at Gold Spade Entertainment, which is promoting DaBangg The Tour. The show promises to be “one of the biggest Bollywood

concerts in the history of Vancouver.� It will give fans an opportunity to witness spectacular performances by Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Fernandez, Sonakshi Sinha, Manish Paul, Daisy Shah, actor and choreographer Prabhu Deva and singer Guru Randhawa.

Rani Mukerji, who has made a comeback on the silver screen with “Hichki,� says the love and blessings she has got for the film are very precious for her. In six days, “Hichki� has collected Rs. 22.70 crore net at the box-office, read a statement.

Overwhelmed with the response, Rani Mukerji told IANS over phone from Mumbai: “It feels lovely, just the fact that there are so many people who make me feel so belonged to their family. For me, there is nothing more precious than this. The love of my audiences and the blessings of all the elders.�

In “Hichki,� the 40-year-old actress plays the character of Naina Mathur who is having Tourette Syndrome, a nervous system disorder that forces an individual to make involuntary, repetitive movements or sounds. Mukerji finds it heart-warming to see such overwhelming reactions by the elderly audience.

“Also the young fans who have probably not seen my work in the last four years, just for them to go to the

cinema halls and watch it, I think it’s a really nice thing,� she added.

Yash Raj Films’ “Hichki,� which is directed by Siddharth P. Malhotra and produced by Maneesh Sharma, focuses on turning disadvantages into opportunities and staring down at challenges that life throws at one and ultimately winning over them.

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Saturday, March 31, 2018

‘Disha Has Amazing Screen Presence!’ Tiger Shroff

HOROSCOPE Aries . K + * 2 You could be more rebellious than ever now that the sun is in your sign and Venus is linking to Uranus. The desire to throw caution to the wind and take a risk may be very pronounced. However, there is something

can do what you want to do. Once you’ve done this, things will go much more quickly.

Be especially careful not to annoy anyone in authority on Thursday.

Taurus * K + . - 2 Although everything in your world seems quite stable right now, you can’t help but feel a bit antsy. You’re restless without really knowing why. There may be an idea, vision, or dream within you just waiting to be born. Amid the busyness of your daily life, try

idea or heartfelt desire a chance to reveal itself.

Then you’ll know what to do. On Thursday, don’t be too hasty. Think things through.

Gemini . - 2 + B K With Mercury now retrograde in your social zone, you might want to do some background research before you get involved in a community project or team plan. Taking time to get your thoughts in coherent form will give you a much better chance of success. Friends may be encouraging you to go wild, break out of the mold, and take a risk. Be especially careful on Thursday, however. Do yourself a favor and refuse to be drawn into any dubious schemes, especially if they promise instant

Cancer

B + B - L You could be forgiven for wondering what is going on with your career. New work may come out of the blue without you doing anything much to chase it, while jobs that have been ongoing could be subject to change. Think carefully on Thursday, when one situation may come to a head. You might need to make an important decision. The full moon in your wellness zone on Saturday can be a call to indulge in some self-care and make it a regular habit.

Libra N " + O A sparkling attraction could get the week

can if you nurture it. However, it’s often the small things that go wrong that frustrate us when Mercury is retrograde, as it is now. In your case, it could be an issue with a lover or friend that you can’t seem to resolve. As lovely Venus enters a more intense sector

Scorpio O L + P ' While work relationships

the most of them. There is ample opportunity to go far, especially if you decide to become a partner in a creative team or pair up with another person to accomplish something special. Don’t stop now, because you have so much to gain. !

aches and pains that are largely due to stress.

Stay relaxed and consider learning to meditate.

Sagitarius P ' L + G

You are eager to have fun and more willing to take a risk, whether by initiating a romance or going on an adventure. While cost could be an issue, you might be willing to pay the extra money if the experience is worth it. With bubbly Venus entering your lifestyle sector on Friday, a soothing massage could be just perfect. A full moon in your social sector over the weekend can be excellent for a celebration or other gettogether, and it could be a lot of fun.

Capricorn G L + B 2 With communicator Mercury currently retrograde, it would help to keep a grip on your household expenses. It might be wise to plan for the coming week, month, and even year and make a list of what you spend every day.

The more you can keep track of everything, the easier it will be to keep your home happy and in good order. When lovely Venus enters your romance zone on Friday, your love life could sparkle with sensual delights.

Leo

Aquarius

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Concerning home and family matters, you appear to be attracting good things your way.

Lucky Jupiter in this sector can be perfect for thinking outside the box and researching options that could bring a new beginning.

However, you do need to be careful of Mercury retrograde. This isn’t the best time to take a risk.

You can prepare for when this phase is over.

With a lovely full moon in your communication zone on Saturday, you could feel especially attracted to a wonderful person.

Virgo * $ + N You love learning and teaching, which is why the current planetary setup is so good for you.

If you have knowledge that no one else has, you could make a lot of money by selling your skills.

This is also a good time to plan and perhaps earn a fortune. Even though upbeat Jupiter in your communication zone is retrograde, don’t worry.

It’s better to start than not to bother at all. At the time of the full moon on Saturday, try to avoid spending too much.

You could get a message from a former lover or college pal inviting you to get back in touch. Don’t turn down this invitation, because it might work out better than you think. The chance to catch up and perhaps renew the relationship is a real possibility. On another note, be careful that you don’t give out mixed signals, because someone may think you feel something for them when you’re just being nice. From Friday, your home can be a haven of peace and nurturing.

Pisces ( 2 + . 2 With Mercury retrograde in your personal

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statements and take extra care when purchasing anything online. Keep your credit cards safe, too, as this is one time when they are more likely to get lost. Life at home seems especially blessed from Friday. This can be a great time to invest in your property by enhancing it in whatever way seems appropriate. You might even want to splurge on giving your place a whole new look.

Point to be noted: rarely does an actor reach a stature where all five of his releases and the only three titled ones among his four forthcoming films are directly named after his character. “Heropanti,� Tiger Shroff ’s 2014 debut and hit, referred to him as the ‘Hero.’ “Baaghi� (his second film and even bigger hit) and “Baaghi 2� now, and his two flops to date, “A Flying Jatt� and “Munna Michael,� as well as the forthcoming “Student Of The Year 2,� “Rambo� (Sylvester Stallone has wished Shroff and the movie well, as it is a licensed remake) and “Baaghi 3,� all denote the characters Shroff played or plays in them.

Only Yash Raj Films’ action drama, toplined by Shroff ’s idol Hrithik Roshan, as yet, is untitled. And it is rarer to have a sequel within just five releases in as many years and have the third installment (“Baaghi 3�) announced on the eve of the second film’s release. Right now, “Baaghi 2� sees him in a new look with hair cropped very short – he is playing an Army officer and looks amazingly like his father, Jackie Shroff. Here, then, is a rapid-fire with the

actor.

Interview: Q: “Baaghi 3� announced before knowing the fate of “Baaghi 2� – this is an industry first. How does it feel?

A (Smiles): I am grateful to Sajid Nadiadwala-sir for having so much confidence in our team! I am also happy that the trailer has been so well received.

This time, we have a great story and a great cast to back the great action. Expectations are already high after “Baaghi,� and I hope we fulfill them in “Baaghi 2� before moving to “Baaghi 3.� Q: “Baaghi 2� demanded a transformation in looks, beginning with your hair. How easy was that?

A: I was very reluctant about cutting my hair short, and those who have watched the video of that know it. Sajid-sir and Ahmedsir (director Ahmed Khan) convinced me, but I felt very emotional and even very scared. Afterward, I felt naked! I did not want to go out and even wore a cap for some time! But people liked my look, and now I have the confidence to experiment and take risks with my looks.

EMRAAN HASHMI mraan Anwar Hashmi

March 1979) is an Indian

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AYESHA TAKIA APRIL 1

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Bollywood

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Film: ‘Baghi 2’

Baaghi 2 Story: Neha (Disha Patani) calls for her exboyfriend and army man Ranveer (Tiger Shroff ) to find her 3-year-old daughter Rhea, who’s been kidnapped 2 months ago. Ranveer aka Ronny has to solve the mystery of the missing child.

Review: Baaghi 2 is an all-out action film with suspense and thriller elements. The first half is all about the setup. A distraught mother reaches out to her ex-boyfriend Ronny for help. But once Ronny starts investigating the case, he finds out that no one has a clue about Neha’s daughter. The build up is slow but steady and by interval time the film manages to pique the viewer’s interest. It takes a while to establish the story, the suspense and it’s characters. There are a few action sequences in the first half, but the main focus remains on Neha’s and Ronny’s relationship and the way their past affects their present. The second half though is a completely different tale.

The slow pace of suspense and the romantic track give way to twists, turns and an action-

packed finale. Ronny goes from the slightly confused soldier to an absolute blood-thirsty nutter with nothing but revenge on his mind.

It gives Tiger Shroff the chance to exhibit his martial arts skills in full glory. He turns into a desi-version of Rambo as he annihilates an entire army with blazing guns and high flying kicks. It is here, that director Ahmed Khan’s movie trades style for substance. The focus is all on belting out slick action sequences that look cool. It’s disappointing that the story suffers in this attempt to impress with the action choreography and stunts. There are quite a few plot reveals and character twists during the latter part of Baaghi 2, but they’re not done convincingly. The direction falters as the film’s initial pace which is a setup for the thrills, doesn’t fit in with the high on action and adrenaline second half. If you have grown up on Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, the sight of Tiger Shroff wreaking havoc as a one man army can be exhilarating. Tiger pulls off his trademark kicks and punches with effortless ease. He looks good as a ripped and intense soldier waging war against the bad guys. For most parts, the movie sticks to its leading man’s strengths and that’s a smart decision.

In the many flashbacks in the first half, Disha plays the charming college girl too, but it’s the beaten and bruised mother part that where she’s most likeable. The film also features supporting performances by Randeep Hooda, Deepak Dobriyal and Manoj Bajpayee. But these powerhouse performers have weak

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Shaadi Teri Bajayenge Hum Band

New Released Bollywood Films Mar

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PRESHAN PRINDA *ing: Meeraj Shah, Sakshi Singh

Mar

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Shaadi Teri Bajayenge Hum Band *ing: Rajpal Yadav, Mushtaq Khan

Mar

23

Baa Baaa Black Sheep *ing: Anupam Kher, Manjari Fadnis, Kay

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Bollywood

Twinkle is confident about Bollywood’s new generation’s abilities to handle spotlight Actress-turned-author Twinkle Khanna, who is married to actor Akshay Kumar and is a mother of two children, says that the current generation of Bollywood is more equipped to handle the glare of the spotlight thanks to social media.

“It has become increasingly more difficult to keep our children shielded within our fishbowl existence but I also console myself with the fact that this generation growing up with social media at the forefront is probably more equipped to handle the glare of the spotlight than we were,” Twinkle Khanna told IANS when asked how she maintains her kids’ privacy keeping in mind that so much of scrutiny nowadays is related to star children. Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna tied the knot in 2001, and together they have son Aarav and daughter Nitara. She is also a producer, and her last venture was “Padman” that

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Bajrangi Bhaijaan crosses the Rs 250 crore mark in China

B

stars Kumar along with Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte. The film is based on a short story from Khanna’s book “The Legend Of Lakshmi Prasad.” The book has already sold 100,000 copies. Is she open to writing an autobiography in the near future?

ajrangi Bhaijaan has been making waves ever since its release in China.

According to the latest tweet by trade analyst Taran Adarsh, the movie has crossed the Rs 250 crore mark.

Taran had tweeted, “#BajrangiBhaijaan manages to sustain on weekdays in China, despite stiff competition… Crosses ₹ 250 cr mark… [Week 3] Fri $ 0.93 mn Sat $ 2.03 mn Sun $ 1.87 mn Mon $ 0.72 mn Tue $ 0.71 mn Wed $ 0.69 mn Thu $ 0.66 mn Total: $ 39.99 million [₹ 260.14 cr]” The movie’s main plotline revolves around a devotee of Hindu god Hanuman played by Salman Khan, who helps a lost six-year-old

reach her country, Pakistan, safely. Bajrangi Bhaijaan is directed by Kabir Khan and stars Salman, Kareena Kapoor and Harshali Malhotra in significant roles.

Bajrangi Bhaijaan had a stellar opening at the Chinese box office, minting Rs 55.22 crore.

Looks like the movie lovers of the country are all about the Khans right now. Mr. Pe r f e c t i o n i s t Aamir Khan’s movies Dangal and Secret Superstar had had a successful run at the box office earlier.

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Amitabh wants viewers to ‘Hatch’ his ‘102 Not Out’ trailer After creating curiosity with their cool and quirky posters, Team “102 Not Out” has yet another surprise in store. Taking a cue from the first poster, the makers have planned an activity that gives audiences an opportunity to ‘hatch’ the muchawaited trailer of the Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor film.

The idea behind the activity is that you crack the egg first and see the trailer before anyone else!

Bachchan announced the activity by launching a video on his Twitter

handle asking people to participate.

Billed as the most unusual father and son love story, the movie is based on playwright Saumya Joshi’s well known Gujarati play by the same name.

A Sony Pictures Releasing International presentation and worldwide distribution, “102 Not Out” is coproduced by Umesh Shukla’s Benchmark Pictures. Shukla also directs the May 4 release.

Hrithik tells children to be fearless Hrithik Roshan in a motivational video on his social media account urged children to be fearless and try something different.

On the occasion of his elder son Hrehaan’s birthday, Roshan posted the message on Twitter that reads, “To all our sons and daughters and to the child within us, ‘Darr se mat Darr’ usse age bad, kuch alaag kar.”

He also gave an example of a fear he faced earlier in life because of being a guy with six

fingers.

Hrithik Roshan is currently in the midst of the shoot of his next film, “Super 30” where he is playing a math teacher.

Roshan was born on 10 January 1974 in Mumbai His father, film director Rakesh Roshan, is the son of music director Roshanlal Nagrath; his mother, Pinky, is the daughter of producer and director J. Om Prakash. His uncle, Rajesh, is a music composer.

Wednesday.........................CLOSED

Bollywood

5

‘I believe I am made for better and bigger things!’ says Kriti Kharbanda She says she relates to both her characters in the last two Hindi films she has done – “Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana,” her last release in November and “Veerey Ki Wedding,” which releases on Mar. 2 on Holi this year.

Voluble, extroverted and delightfully crazy, Kriti Kharbanda declares, “Geet in “Veerey…” is lovable, flawed, has an attitude and is almost arrogant. She is loving, demanding, puts pressure on those dear to her, but she is just being genuine, a child who has not matured,” she says and laughs. “I gave her too much of me. Geet is just like me. She talks without thinking, and she is possessive and crazy because she is the only child. Her general stand is, ‘How can you forbid me?’” And like Aarti in “Shaadi…,” Kharbanda also admits that she is “stubborn, a realist, and I believe I am made for better and bigger things, and that hard work will get me where I want.” For those who came in late, Kharbanda is now in the 10th year of her career, with 26 films to her credit, including 10 in Kannada. Her Hindi innings began only with the 2016 “Raaz Reboot,” followed by the 2017 “Guest Iin London” and her first success, “Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana,” which also established her here

as an actress of substance. “With 100 screens added in week three, I knew that I had got my first hit in Hindi!” she trilled when India-West met her at the Hotel Sun’N’Sand. Interview: Q: The trailer shows you and Pulkit Samrat, your hero, always fighting with each other in “Veerey Ki Wedding?”

A: Actually, we are fighting for one another, and not for ourselves. Now that is selfless and pure love. As a pair, we are far from perfect and have our problems, but we are still in love. When a couple is having a row, you know how it is, they pick up a fight so that baat to ho jaayegi (they will at least get to talk to each other)! Q: Has there been a change in your career after “Shaadi…?” A: The offers have increased, I won’t lie. But I have now become choosy, strict with myself. I will NOT do a film now just for the heck of it or for the money. I have become finicky. “Shaadi…” has made me greedy!

Q: Care to tell us the films you have done for the heck of it?

A: No! I am not telling you! And how would you know I did not do “Shaadi…” also for the heck of it? Tell me!

6

Saturday, March 31, 2018 Dr. David McLauren

Celebrate Easter

E

aster Sunday is one of the most festive events among Christians worldwide.

Many Christians celebrate Easter Sunday as the day of Jesus Christ’s resurrection, which is documented in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. According to the Gospel of John in the New Testament, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb where Jesus was buried and found it empty. An angel told her that Jesus had risen. It is a day of joy and celebration to commemorate that Jesus Christ is risen, according to Christian belief.

It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ which occurred on the third day after he was crucified on the cross. 40 days prior to Easter, Christians follow Lent, which is supposed to be 40 days of prayer, penance and fasting.

The first Easter occurred on the first day of the week after the Passover Sabbath. The first day of the week became the Christian’s “Sabbath rest” (Heb. 4:1-11), the time of weekly Christian celebration of the resurrection. Annually, the Lord’s Day immediately subsequent to the Jewish Passover was a day of special resurrection celebration.

Today Easter is celebrated all over the world.Many people use flowers to signify resurrection life, the lily being the most popular because of its long association with spring and the white of salvation. (Confidence in the

resurrection is also the historical significance of flowers, especially lilies, at funerals.) Some churches conclude their Easter services with a congregational feast, commemorating the marriage feast of God with His people made possible through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Most churches repeat the proclamation taken from the gospels and standard from the early second century of the church:

Leave us alone Welcome home

Ali’s Insta hacked

Pakistani actor Mahira Khan took to social media to welcome Nobel Peace Prize laureate and social activist Malala Yousafzai for returning to Pakistan six years after she was attacked. “Welcome home baby girl Malala,” the Raees (2017) actor tweeted.

Ali Abbas Zafar’s Instagram account has been hacked. He took to Twitter to warn his fans. He said that he doesn’t have a Snapchat account.

“Hack alert, someone hacked my Instagram account, sorting it out. Also, I am not on Snapchat, so if someone uses Snapchat under my name is the hacker (sic),” he tweeted.

Duggu ka gyaan On his son, Hrehaan’s birthday, Hrithik Roshan shared a video on social media, urging children to be fearless. He said, “To all our sons and daughters, and to the child within us, darr se mat darr, usse aagey badh, kuch alag kar.” He confessed that he was a timid child because he suffered from hexadactyly (the presence of an extra finger).

Digital way forward for directors

Online streaming app Netflix announced a new original, Lust Stories, a combination of four short stories directed by Zoya Akhtar, Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap and Dibaker Banerjee. Initially, Lust Stories was speculated to be a sequel to Bombay Talkies (2013), but it will now release on Netflix in June across 190 countries. “A theme of lust, a dynamic platform and the company of prolific filmmakers, the vision of Ashi Dua and Ronnie Screwvala made this experience satisfying,” says Johar

He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

The resurrection gives your life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what your circumstances.

Experience and celebrate Easter!

David McLauren, he can be reached by dmclauren@gmail.com

I am loving it

She has always kept her guard up when it comes to personal life. Ileana D’Cruz, who is dating photographer Andrew Kneebone and even referred to him as “hubby” in a social media post, says she does not want her private space to be a part of “rubbish gossip columns”. She said, “It [my personal life] is sacred for me. I don’t want it to be served on a platter in a gossip column. I don’t want it to be part of such sections in a newspaper. It’s an important part of my life, and means a lot to me.”

Ileana D’Cruz; (below) with Andrew Kneebone

Shah Rukh Khan says he is enjoying the making of Zero. He took to Twitter to thank the film’s director, Aanand L Rai. “I am loving and living making Zero. Thanks Aanand L Rai and the whole team for this.

Only way to describe it is, ‘I am growing up fast into a child... very fast’ (sic),” wrote the actor, who plays a dwarf in the movie.

That’s so sad

Farhan Akhtar and Vivek Oberoi are disappointed over the leak of the maths and economics question papers of the CBSE board, and that the students of classes 10 and 12 will have to rewrite the exam. “Feel terrible for all students who have to re-sit their exams for no fault of their own. So unfair and unfortunate. Wish them strength to get through this time (sic),” Akhtar tweeted. Oberoi called the leak “unacceptable and unfair”. “So disappointing to hear about the CBSE leak.

This is completely unacceptable and unfair to the students who have put in so much hard work.

I appeal to all the students to not let this affect their preparation and to think of it as a second chance to do even better (sic).”

Be healthy, says Kat Katrina Kaif has been roped in for a juice brand’s campaign, My Health My Way, which aims to celebrate time-pressed millennials who find their own health and nutrition hacks to suit their lifestyle. “As an actor, I understand how chock-a-block a day can get, but I believe more and more young people are realising how important it is to pay attention to health. With the kind of busy lives that young people lead today, I believe we have to find what works for us,” says Kaif.

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Saturday, March 31, 2018

Huawei Unveils the HUAWEI P20 and HUAWEI P20 Pro Introducing the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First Triple-Lens Leica Camera innovation including object recognition and â&#x20AC;&#x201C; At an exclusive launch event held today at the iconic Grand Palais, Huawei Consumer Business Group unveiled the muchanticipated HUAWEI P20 and HUAWEI P20 Pro. The HUAWEI P20 Pro features the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first Leica triple camera and both devices include unprecedented AI advances, combining technology and art to bring to life a groundbreaking smartphone experience.

Huawei set new expectations for smartphone photography with the launch of the HUAWEI P9, the first Leica dual camera.

With the debut of the HUAWEI P20 Series, Huawei makes capturing professional quality images a truly effortless experience for everyone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We look for inspiration from artists to continuously evolve our approach to design and innovation,â&#x20AC;? said Richard Yu, Chief Executive Officer, Huawei Consumer Business Group. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The HUAWEI P20 Series builds on the legacy of our collaboration with Leica. With a breakthrough triple camera on the HUAWEI P20 Pro, an advanced dual camera on the HUAWEI P20, and powerful artificial intelligence on both, todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most vibrant consumers can capture and share the brilliance of the world around them.â&#x20AC;?

Achieving DxOMarkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest overall scores , the HUAWEI P20 Series includes advanced, intelligent camera systems that bring consumers features that ultimately enhance every part of the smartphone photography experience.

Key features of the HUAWEI P20 Series include: t "O BEWBODFE DBNFSB TZTUFN UP capture more light, more details and more beauty, featuring a revolutionary Leica triple camera and 5x Hybrid Zoom on the HUAWEI P20 Pro, and a Leica dual camera on the HUAWEI P20; t *OOPWBUJWF QIPUPHSBQIZ GFBUVSFT including Master AI with AI-driven professional photography and HUAWEI AIS (AI Image Stabilization), a powerful AI stabilization technology; t " UJNFMFTT EFTJHO XJUI CBSFMZ UIFSF bezels and all-new gradient colours; t 6MUJNBUF QFSGPSNBODF GFBUVSJOH the NPU on Kirin 970 and EMUI 8.1 based on Androidâ&#x201E;˘ 8.1 for a premium and smooth user experience.

An Exquisite Combination of Art and Technology for the Fashion Forward The HUAWEI P20 Series features a striking, fashion-forward aesthetic. Most notably, the HUAWEI P20 and HUAWEI P20 Pro come in all-new, exclusive, fashionable colours, Twilight and Pink Gold, achieved by applying several layers of NCVM* optical coatings underneath the glass back, so light hitting the surface refracts and creates a vivid, yet gradual change of hue.

The 5.8-inch screen HUAWEI P20 and 6.1-inch screen HUAWEI P20 Pro feature ultra-thin bezels and impressive screen-to-

body ratios for better viewing experiences with more on-screen information, whether reading or gaming. The HUAWEI FullView Display seamlessly blends with rounded edges, making the device comfortable to hold.

Inspired by Light and Technology, a Stunning Device Designed for Every Photography Fan The HUAWEI P20 Series reflects the art of light, with camera features that enhance the smartphone photography experience.

The HUAWEI P20 Pro features a Leica triple camera with the highest total pixel count on a smartphone available in the market â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the camera configuration is comprised of a 40MP

HUAWEI AIS steadies handheld night shots for incredible long exposure images without a tripod. Brand new to Huaweiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advanced camera system is 4D predictive focus. In this mode, the camera predicts moving objects and focuses on them with extreme efficiency to capture minute details of objects in motion. In addition, the HUAWEI P20 Series features AIAssisted Composition, providing intelligent suggestions to frame group shots and landscapes.

The HUAWEI P20 and HUAWEI P20 Pro feature a 24MP selfie camera** with

RGB sensor, a 20MP monochrome sensor and an 8MP sensor with telephoto lens. It also features a colour temperature sensor for better colour reproduction. With f/1.8, f/1.6 and f/2.4 wide aperture to capture crisp, clear details, the HUAWEI P20 Pro also includes a brand new Leica 3x telephoto (VARIO-SUMMILUX-H 1:1.6-2.4/27-80ASPH) lens for long-range photography of up to 5x Hybrid Zoom. The HUAWEI P20 Proâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highly sensitive image sensor captures low light photos with up to ISO 102400.

The HUAWEI P20 builds on its predecessorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foundation with a Leica dual camera featuring a 12MP lens with a pixel size as high as 1.55 Îźm, and a 20MP monochrome lens, enhancing the HUAWEI P20â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to capture photos in low-light settings.

The HUAWEI P20 Series devices support six-axis stabilization and 960fps super slow motion, which is 4x higher than the standard 240fps and captures details that cannot be seen with the naked eye. With Ultra Snapshot mode, the devices can capture an image in as little as 0.3 seconds by just double clicking the down volume button, even from an off screen.

Master AI Photography Experience for Everyone, Everywhere With the Kirin 970 processor, the HUAWEI P20 Series automatically identifies more than 500 scenarios in 19 categories and selects photography modes and camera settings to deliver incredible, professional-looking images â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even for novice photographers. In addition,

AI beautification and 3D portrait lighting â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the result is beautiful selfies with healthylooking skin tone adjustments, delicately outlined facial details and realistic 3D feature enhancements.

Additionally, the HUAWEI HiAI Ecosystem enhances a variety of app experiences. For instance, the HUAWEI P20 Series includes on-device Prisma processing, which supports real-time filter recommendations based on scene and object recognition â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the calculation speed is three to four times that of the cloud version.

In partnership with Google, the HUAWEI P20 Series supports Google ARCore delivering advanced AR capabilities.

Technology and creativity combine: Huawei and Helena Christensen The beautiful portrait collection shot

by Christensen, and titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;See Moreâ&#x20AC;?, focuses on the stories of three talented professionals, and demonstrates how HUAWEI P20 Pro allows photographers and viewers alike to see more of subjects, thanks to the perfect balance of light and detail in each portrait. The series demonstrates Helenaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skill and dexterity as a photographer, effortlessly complemented by the incredible HUAWEI P20 Pro â&#x20AC;&#x201C; bringing technology and creativity together in one perfect art form.

The expertly-crafted Huawei Leica triplelens combines with powerful proprietary

super slow-motion to deliver a professional photography experience.

Recognized for iconic campaigns with fashion houses including Chanel, Versace and Prada, Helena Christensen is one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most famous supermodels. Having long held a passion for photography, she has stepped back behind the camera lens in recent years to focus on her work as a photographer, and has been credited with exhibitions in galleries across the globe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For this shoot, it was important to me that I captured the spirit and dedication of my subjects, and that my portraits faithfully convey what kind of person they are without the need for words,â&#x20AC;? says Helena Christensen. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shooting with the HUAWEI P20 Pro smartphone not only made this process a lot easier, but it also meant I could get a lot closer to these amazing women, as it removed the need for any additional equipment, effectively breaking down the physical barriers that previously stood between me and my subjects.â&#x20AC;?

Christensenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three subjects were specially chosen for the passion for perfection in their craft. Their portraits, taken by Helena Christensen using the HUAWEI P20 Pro allow us to â&#x20AC;&#x153;See Moreâ&#x20AC;? of their dedication and commitment within their everyday lives. Helena captures the dedicated concentration of jewelry designer Adeline Rapon as she evolves and develops her designs; she captures the grace of ballerina Melissa Chapski as she perfects the perfect pirouette; and she photographs the enigmatic Maria FagerstrĂśm, an international pilot who has travelled almost every corner of the world.

Pricing and Availability The new HUAWEI P Series will be available for purchase in Canada through the following carriers: Bell, Rogers, TELUS, Videotron, Fido and Koodo.

For more information please visit: https://consumer.huawei.com/ca About Huawei Consumer BG and Huawei Canada Huawei is the 3rd largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, with operations in over 170 countries. The Consumer Business Group is one of Huaweiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three business units, offering smartphones, PCs, tablets, wearables and other services. Huawei has been operating in Canada since 2008, and currently employs over 700 people. Huaweiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Canada Research Centre employs over 400 engineers and researchers, and is now ranked 29th in Canada for R&D investment. Huawei is committed to providing leading-edge technology to Canadian operators, customers and consumers.

For regular updates on Huawei Canada, follow us on: -Twitter https://twitter.com/HuaweiMobileCAN -Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ huaweimobilecan/ -Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ HuaweimobileCAN/ Huawei Canada PR Contact

Lauren Mugford, Account Manager Pomp & Circumstance PR lauren@pomppr.com, 647-987-8887

8

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Balan the new gangster in town?

‘Comparisons with Vidya don’t matter to me’ Ready to play adult star Shakeela, Richa says being pitted against Balan’s Silk act inevitable SONIL DEDHIA sonil.dedhia@mid-day.com EVER since news of Richa Chadha slipping into the role of adult star Shakeela hit headlines, parallels were inevitably drawn between her and Vidya Balan. The latter’s portrayal of adult actor Silk Smitha in The Dirty Picture (2011) had won her several accolades, and Chadha says comparisons with Balan are only welcome.

“Comparisons with Vidya do not matter to me. We are different individuals, and follow our own trajectory. The Dirty Picture was a successful film, and it changed the life of Vidya and those associated with it. If people are comparing my film with hers, it is good.” mid-day was the first to report that the actor would feature in the biopic, helmed by Indrajit Lankesh. It will trace the journey of Shakeela’s growth to fame from her teenage years. She forayed into the industry at 16 and went on to act in several adult films across languages. Even though Chadha is unable to reveal details about the project since she has signed a non-disclosure agreement, she says, “I have read the script and it is certainly interesting.”

The actor has reportedly hired a Malayalam tutor to help her learn the language, and will work on gaining weight to fit the character.

Currently prepping for Indira Gandhi biopic, Vidya apparently approached to play crime overlord in drama MOHAR BASU mohar.basu@mid-day.com KNOWN to throw a curveball with her choice of roles, Vidya Balan is set to explore uncharted territory once again with her next. According to sources, the actor has been approached to play a gangster in a yet-untitled project to be helmed by Jyoti Kapur Das. The director had previously handled the reins of the award-winning short film, Chutney (2016).

A source in the know told mid-day, “Set in the murky world of crime, the drama sees the leading lady as a grey character. The role is that of a strong-minded woman who is almost a crime overlord. After Jyoti finished penning the script, Vidya was the first name that came to her mind.

Given the kind of authorbacked roles that she has done, the actress would be a perfect fit for the character.”

We hear, the actor has already been given a narration and has expressed her inter-

also has the Indira Gandhi biopic in the pipeline. It all depends on when she starts the biopic. She is also in talks for another project. But if all goes as planned, the crime drama will go on floors later this year.”

Das, on her part, remained tight-lipped. When contacted, she said, “It would be an absolute dream to work with her, nothing like that is happening just yet.”

Balan remained unavailable till the time of going to press.

‘The film’s schedule depends on Vidya’s Indira Gandhi biopic. If all goes as planned, the crime drama will go on floors later this year’ A source

mid-day broke the news of Richa Chadha’s Shakeela biopic in its March 7 edition

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Saturday, March 31, 2018

Sushmita Sen, mother of two adopted daughters, happy about changing scenarios of adoption

S

ushmita Sen, who raises two adopted daughters, is happy that people are now more open to the idea of adoption. She says it is high time people get over the thinking that blood and bones create a family. The “Main Hoon Na” star expressed her views when she became a part of TV show “Vh1 Inside Access,” read a statement from the channel. She said: “I think people need to get out of this zone which is really just a zone where they believe that blood and bones create a family. That we are truly not marrying an absolute stranger and it has nothing to do with your bloodline and suddenly become your everything that you will even take his last name. “Do you know 45 percent of children are no longer in the orphanages anymore? If not in India, then globally people are adopting. “I cannot tell you how amazing that makes me feel to know that this world, despite all its social media distractions, has a heart as large as that.

That’s awesome,” added the actress, who has two daughters named Renee and Alisah.

She has some advice for her daughters.

“There is a difference between reputation and being honorable.

Reputation is what others think of you or know of you.

Being honorable is what you know of yourself. It’s okay if you have bad reputation, always be honorable. That’s really important,” she said.

The former Miss Universe has featured in films like “No Problem,” “Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya” and “Bewafaa.” She is also seen in the fashion world as a showstopper quite often.

Sushmita Sen has tips for budding models. “Be sure you want to do it. Don’t do it because everyone else is doing it. Find your own expression of your body type. Don’t become too skinny and starve; you have got to live your life in that body. So respect that. No profession should tell you otherwise,” she said.

Sanya Malhotra’s ‘Badhaai Ho’ Junglee Pictures’ “Badhaai Ho,” starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sanya Malhotra, wrapped up the shoot Mar. 21. This is Junglee Pictures’ next outing with Ayushmann Khurrana after the 2017 sleeper success, “Bareilly Ki Barfi.” The team celebrated the wrap by indulging in a small celebration, with lead actors Khurrana and Malhotra having a gala time by dancing their heart out. “Badhaai Ho” is a coming-of-age story of a family as it grapples with some unexpected news. The film is directed by Amit Sharma, who has helmed over a 1000 ad films, including one on Google Reunion and a short film for Kashmir Tourism, and made his feature film debut in 2015 with “Tevar,” starring Arjun Kapoor.

Ayushmann Khurrana was born 14 September 1984) is an Indian film actor, singer and anchor. He is the recipient of two Filmfare Awards. In

2012, Khurrana made his film debut in Shoojit Sircar’s romantic comedy Vicky Donor, which touched on the topic of sperm donation in India, and received Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut.[2] [3] He rose to prominence with romantic comedies Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) and Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017), and comedy-drama Shubh Mangal Savdhaan (2017), all of which received critical and commercial success. He hosted 63rd Filmfare Awards with Shah Rukh Khan, Parineeti Chopra and Karan Johar. In Chandigarh born to Poonam and P. Khurrana, He studied at St. John’s High School and DAV College in Chandigarh. Then Panjab University, in Chandigarh.] He did work theatre for five years. He was also the founding member of DAV College’s “Aaghaaz” and “Manchtantra”,

10

Classifieds / Jobs

Saturday, March 31, 2018

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Saturday, March 31, 2018

Community news Dr. M.R. Rajagopal visit to Victoria and Vancouver April 9-10, 2018 See and hear 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee LIVE BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW! The event is expected to sell out!

A 2018 Nobel Peace Prize nominee from Kerala, India is coming to BC April 9-10, 2018.The BC Centre for Palliative Care and Victoria Hospice are honoured to be co-presenting the BC premiere of % + $ - & Hippocratic: 18 Experiments in Gently Shaking the World, based on the extraordinary life and work of Dr M.R. Rajagopal. The movie will be followed by a Q&A with Dr. Rajagopal, who will be in attendance. This is a mustsee event for anyone interested in the power of the human spirit, human rights and social justice, and essential viewing for anyone working in health care.Dr. Rajagopal is a: 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee. 2018 recipient of the Government of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Padma Shri Award â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one of the highest civilian honours. Often called the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gandhi of Modern Medicineâ&#x20AC;? and the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Father of Palliative Care in India.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The inspirerâ&#x20AC;? for the internationally recognized model for Compassionate Communities in Kerala, India. Founding Chairman of Pallium India Palliative Care physician VICTORIA EVENT DETAILS DateMonday, April 9, 2018 Time6:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8:30pm Location Cineplex SilverCity Victoria, 3130 Tillicum Road Tickets $16 per person, available at: CÂ&#x2021;Â&#x2021; 0 "

" Â&#x2021; ' Â&#x2021;L@K2 VANCOUVER EVENT DETAILS

Date Tuesday, April 10, 2018 Time 6:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8:30pm Location Park Theatre, 3440 Cambie St Tickets $16 per person, available at: CÂ&#x2021;Â&#x2021; 0 "

" Â&#x2021; ' Â&#x2021;L?F Media Contact: Ariela Friedmann Manager of Communications BC Centre for Palliative Care afriedmann@bc-cpc.ca 605-553-4866 ext 225 Please note that Interviews with Dr. Rajagopal can be organized ahead of his travel to British Columbia, either for radio, print or TV (via skype or other means).

------------------------------------------------------

South Asian Seniors Bingo On The House March 25th 2018 ( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm.

Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian Adults / Senior members and non members also to come and play Bingo for the sake of entertainment and make some new friends, on March 25th 2018( Sunday ) from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm at Shanti Niketan hall 8321 - 140th street Surrey B.C. Please bring only two dollars with you to play 2 games, do not worry if you do not know how to play, members will explain you the game just for the sake of fun. Tea & light snacks will be served after the game is over. Please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator >2 + ;2? + FF ; % % " Project funded by Government of Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New Horizons for Seniors Program for Hindi speaking Seniors.

11

12

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Jeep Wrangler

We invite you to

An Evening Filled with Hope & Inspiration

5,000 Years of Civilization Reborn

Shen Yun’s unique artistic vision expands theatrical experience

J

eep has taken the sport utility vehicle market by storm in the last 10 years.

Now, I realize I just offended 90% of Jeep owners everywhere by not calling the Wrangler a truck, but just bear with me here. The Jeep Wrangler is the iconic go anything, do anywhere vehicle. Jeep really prides itself on its off-road capability and overall ruggedness. And for good reason, the short wheelbase, low overhangs and excellent ground clearance really do excel on the trails. But is it a good day to day driver?

And does it really live up to its hype?

The Jeep Wrangler is one of the most recognizable vehicles on the road today. Jeep has taken the “if it aint broke, don’t fix it” approach for the last 75 years and it’s more popular now than ever. Take that Mini and VW Beetle. The 75th Anniversary Edition Wrangler comes in Sarge Green and I have to say it looks fantastic. It’s a great throwback to the original dark green of the classic army Jeeps of the day. The bronze wheels, bumper and trim contrast the relatively dark green paint and really stand out. The top is still removable and on the four-door model, there’s a smaller piece above the front seats that I absolutely love. It’s like having a targa top or a really big sun roof. In fact, the twopiece roof, all four doors and the upper tailgate are all still removable. You better have a spare spot in the garage because all of the extra parts take up the space of another car. Not to mention trying to remove the roof on your own can end with scratched paint, swearing, a sprained back and lots more swearing. It’s a two-person job on the best of days. Once the roof is off, it’s pretty easy to

can’t always have your music blasting all of the time. The window controls drove me absolutely bonkers. Jeep placed them right in the middle of the dash between the vents and the buttons are hooked over on a very odd angle. I understand the need to not keep them in the doors in case you remove them, but what was wrong with the classic toggle style switches? Now about that SUV comment, not only does Jeep call the wrangler an SUV on their website, but a truck has an open compartment in the rear for external storage. Case closed, get over it. Yell at me in the comments.

Jeep switched over to the 3.6L Pentastar V6 in 2012 to replace the 3.8L in the previous model years. To be honest, I really miss the 4.0L inline HO 6-cylinder engine from the earlier models. The 3.6 liter has plenty of torque but really lacks horsepower. It really shows when passing or merging on the highway. Anything over 4,000 rpm and the engine seems to fall on its face. Available in both a 5-speed automatic and a 6-speed manual, I much prefer the manual. The clutch is fantastic, as there’s lots of feel through the pedal; first gear is a great low gear for climbing. However, I think the transmission is mounted directly to the suspension because if I drove over any bumps or sewer covers the shifter was shaken out of my hand. So violently in fact that I actually crawled underneath to make sure the transmission mounts

see what all the fuss is about. There’s nothing like cruising around on sunny days with no roof and half doors. If you haven’t tried it yet I highly recommend it.

I’m not sure how I feel about the interior to be honest. Jeep made a huge effort to really class it up with the 75th anniversary model but there’s still a very utilitarian feel to it. There’s a blend of gorgeous leather, big 6.5” touchscreen display and bronze trim contrasting with the plastic panels, dash and roof. The seats are a soft brown leather and extremely comfortable in the front and the rear. The steering wheel is great and the controls are very easy to use.

That being said, in my opinion if you are going to go luxury don’t stop half way. The dash and center console is still made of plastic, so is half of the door panels and trim. There isn’t really much of a roof liner and the interior noise is still quite loud. Granted, Jeep did install an epic sound system to make up for it, but you

hadn’t sheared off. The ride was exactly what I expected from Jeep; soft and supple with lots of travel. And just as expected, the body roll was pretty substantial. Emergency lane changes or animal avoidance may result in an upside-down Jeep and a very unhappy Aman.

Overall, the 2017 Jeep Wrangler 75th Anniversary is pretty much exactly what I expected. An unreal off roader that compromised luxury for function.

Now, I do realize that this may be coming off as a negative review, it’s anything but. I just wanted to clear the air that the Jeep is an amazing SUV with lots of great features. But if you’re looking for a comfortable vehicle that’s going to spend 95% of its life on the road because it looks cool, maybe drive

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Featuring one of the world’s oldest art forms—classical Chinese dance—along with patented scenographical effects and all-original orchestral works, Shen Yun opens a portal to a civilization of profound wisdom and divine beauty.

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Vol. 9 No. 9

Saturday - March 31, 2018

B.C. speculation tax: Royal LePage report says new real estate levies could hurt consumer confidence A survey of 535 real estate professionals suggests that moves by the B.C. government to crack down on housing speculators will lead to a broader decrease in consumer confidence.

The survey, released by real estate agency Royal LePage, found that 85 per cent of the professionals polled believe “the new tax policies have hurt consumer confidence in residential real estate across the province.”

Additionally, 78 per cent of respondents think home sales will decrease within the next three months (57.3 per cent say prices

will also go down in that time period).

Asked if the new regulation will cool interest from overseas buyers, 77 per cent said it would, but only 11.3 per cent believe those buyers will feel the biggest impact of the new policies; 44.8 per cent of advisers believe B.C. residents will be most affected, while 43.5 per cent think the new taxes will most hurt Canadians from outside B.C. who own or are looking to buy property in the province.

“The expected impact of the proposed housing taxes announced in British Columbia should not be taken lightly,” Royal LePage CEO Phil Soper said in a statement.

“Canadian homebuyers from coast-tocoast were already struggling with new federal restrictions on access to mortgage financing. We expect the impact of (B.C.’s) new government’s housing tax policies to be even more pronounced as they will force Canadians, Americans and potential buyers from elsewhere in the world out of the market.”

Interest in property in the province from Canadians outside of B.C. has already gone down, Continued on next pages

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14

Real Estate

Vancouver West End condo assembly can be sold off From page 13

81.5 per cent of respondents said, while 73.8 per cent believe those from outside B.C. who already own property in the province will look to sell.

This trend is pinned on the speculation tax, where 90.8 of the survey respondents said the new tax, which was modified from its original proposed orientation by the government earlier this week, will have an impact on buyers from other provinces like Alberta.

“There are further unintended consequences from these kinds of policy changes,” Soper said. “If property values decline, property tax revenues decline. Local municipalities will have to deal with this added burden.”

The provincial government’s

2018 budget will put in place a speculation tax in certain areas of the province on properties which are determined to be secondary

Saturday, March 31, 2018

$105-million real estate deal reveals hot Vancouver market’s inner workings Two leading Vancouver developers are selling several adjacent buildings in the city’s downtown for $105-million to a Hong Kong-based buyer, one of the biggest land deals in the region in the past two years.

In 2015 and 2016, Westbank Corp. and Bosa Properties Ltd. had independently set out to buy up units in a seven-storey condo building at 1075 Barclay and four adjacent townhomes in the city’s West End, a largely residential neighbourhood on the downtown peninsula that has seen a recent push for increased density. Together, the land at and beside 1075 Barclay could be rezoned for a tower of some 50 storeys under the City of Vancouver’s new West End Community Plan, which allows for major redevelopment on the area’s main streets.

homes. It also increased the foreign buyers tax in hopes of decreasing the influence of overseas money in driving prices beyond levels that locals can afford; and added a new school tax on properties valued over $3 million, which can be deferred until the property is sold or the owner passes away.

But the rival developers couldn’t work together, or agree on a deal with each other, and instead decided to sell. The buyer is Grand World Holding Ltd. Corporate records show the entity was incorporated in the fall of 2016 and is registered at the offices of Richmond’s largest law firm, Pryke Lambert Leathley Russell LLP. Grand World has one listed director, Hong Qing Zhang, based in Hong Kong.

Details of the Westbank-Bosa sale to Grand World were outlined in a B.C. Supreme Court decision released earlier this month. Two holdout condo owners had argued the sale price was too low. The court ruled the $105-million deal could proceed.

The court decision – as well as the array of property records connected to the sale – provide a rare look into the hidden inner workings of land assembly in Vancouver’s hot real estate market, where buyers purchase properties to lay the groundwork for larger redevelopments, aided by recent changes in the law that make it easier for owners of existing condo buildings to sell.

A number of the proposed new buildings are luxury condo towers.

Firms such as Westbank and Bosa usually buy land to build on themselves.

But in this case, in a market in which the price of land has jumped to extreme levels, Westbank and Bosa join a list of prominent local names such as the Toigo and Wall families, who have chosen to sell to overseas buyers in deals at more than $100-million. They all have made major gains on their investments.

In the Westbank-Bosa court decision, Justice Warren Milman noted the developers’ aim was to “reap the significant redevelopment potential of the land.”

The story of the sale of 1075 Barclay, a 36-unit condo building completed in the early 1990s, starts with the West End Community Plan, which Vancouver City Council approved in 2013 after several years of consultations. In general, the new plan allows for taller buildings on several main streets while keeping the neighbourhood’s mix of older low-rise apartment buildings relatively intact.

Real Estate

Saturday, March 31, 2018

15

Calgary’s luxury home market may be poised to grow faster than Toronto, Vancouver Million-dollar-plus home sales in Calgary and Montreal have been picking up over the past year, and may even surpass the highend markets in Toronto and Vancouver in the months ahead in terms of fastest growth, according to a new report about the luxury home market from Sotheby’s International Realty.

Sotheby’s Calgary Managing Broker MaryAnn Mears said sales of Calgary homes priced over a million dollars in January and February are up 45 per cent from the same time last year.

Most of those sales involved detached homes between one and two million dollars.

Mary-Ann Mears The increase was driven, Sotheby’s said, by a buyer’s market as some luxury home prices have edged downward.

“Now we’re in the new normal, and with that there is value in these homes and with that we are seeing the buyers are re-engaged and have confidence in the Calgary market,” Mears said.

“Due to the fact we are seeing more inventory, the buyers again can be very selective in getting exactly or close to what they want.”

This $6-million home in Calgary’s Upper Mount Royal neighbourhood is 6,900 square

feet, and connects to a spa through a tunnel.

The luxury real estate brand said job gains and provincial GDP growth are also likely helping.

Local realtor Doug Hayden of eXp Realty said while sales may be down overall in Calgary, and especially in some housing sectors like the condo market, luxury homes have bounced back since the downturn.

“That market definitely got hit, so you’re seeing big price adjustments in some of those homes, not so big in others and you’re seeing builders come into that space as well, so there’s a lot of people building new in that price range,” Hayden said. “It’s a market that’s holding for sure.”

Calgary luxury homes Sales of luxury homes in Calgary have been driven by a buyer’s market, say realtors. (Dave Gilson/CBC)

“Honestly, it’s one of the oddest things I’ve seen in real estate in over 20 years.”

Hayden said people who can afford luxury homes — “there was no downturn for them” — will notice that the value is there for the price.

“I think this is the new realty. You go to a lot of other cities and a million dollars doesn’t even buy you an average home in those cities,” he said. He said the trend also shows economic health, at least for people at the top of the market. “The market that really needs a boost is that mid-range, that was hurt the most by the economy,” he said, describing the range that took the biggest hit as homes between $500,000 and $1 million.

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