punjab cm urges centre for strategy to tackle...

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PUNJAB CM URGES CENTRE FORSTRATEGY TO TACKLE TERROR

NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH, (IANS)Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday met UnionHome Minister Rajnath Singh and sought a comprehensivestrategy to tackle what he called "re-emergence of extremism."

Amarinder Singh said that terrorism could again disturb peaceand stability in Punjab, which witnessed Khalistani separatistviolence for a decade until 1993. He suggested strengtheningthe intelligence network, besides action against terrorists'handlers based in Canada, the UK, the US, Italy and Germanywho he said were actively engaged in effor ts to revive terror-ism in Punjab.The Chief Minister also underlined the need for counteringsocial media activities aimed at disturbing peace and stabilityin Punjab, an official spokesperson said. Citing securityconcerns, Amarinder Singh reiterated the demand for centralassistance in Punjab Police modernisation. The Home Ministeragreed to look into the demand under the Modernisation ofPolice Forces Scheme. The Chief Minister said that Punjabshould be designated as Category A state under the scheme toensure 90 per cent central funding on the pattern of Jammu andKashmir and eight nor theastern states.

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TORONTO VAN ATTACK SUSPECT ALEK MINASSIAN (LEFT) HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH 10 COUNTS OF 1ST-DEGREE MURDER AND 13COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED MURDER. SEEN ALSO IS ANNE MARIE D'AMICO (RIGHT) WHO IS ONE OF THE 10 VICTIMS KILLED IN TUESDAY'SATTACK. Y MEDIA'S STUNNING COVERAGE OF THE EVENT WAS ADMIRED BY COMMUNITY AND EVEN MAINSTREAM MEDIA.

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WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUTTHE UNIVERSITY COMING IN

BRAMPTON, MILTON?

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Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor turned showstoppers forManish Malhotra at Mijwan Fashion in Mumbai.

DESI GIRL FOREVER, SAYS PRIYANKA ASSALMAN WELCOMES HER TO 'BHARAT'

MUMBAI, (IANS) Actress Priyanka Chopra, who has beenbusy with international projects, reminded Salman Khanthat she is a "desi girl forever" after he welcomed her onboard for the Bollywood project "Bharat" with a quirkymessage. "'Bharat' welcomes you back home Priyanka.See you soon. By the way humari film Hindi hai(our film is in Hindi)," Salman tweeted on Wednesday witha wink emoji.Priyanka, who is teaming up with Salman on the bigscreen after a gap of 10 years, responded: "UP Bareilly kihun janaab… Desi girl forever. Very happy to be a par t of'Bharat' and see all of you on set." The actress, who shot tointernational fame with her role in American TV show"Quantico", got the epithet of "Desi girl" with the epony-mous song from her film "Dostana". Priyanka is doing aBollywood project after a while, and so the excitementabout her "homecoming" is at its peak. "Bharat" will bedirected by Ali Abbas Zafar, with whom she has earlierworked in "Gunday"."Swagat hai aapka Priyanka. 'Bharat' ki mitti aur hawa koapka intezaar hai. (We welcome you Priyanka. The soil andair of 'Bharat' is waiting for you)," Zafar tweeted. The film,produced by Atul Agnihotri's Reel Life Production Pvt Ltdand Bhushan Kumar's T-Series, will release on Eid 2019.

MUMBAI, (IANS) Karan Johar-pro-duced "Kalank" will see an en-semble cast including MadhuriDixit Nene, Sanjay Dutt, VarunDhawan, Al ia Bhat t , SonakshiSinha and Adita Roy Kapur shar-ing screen space. AbhishekVarman wi l l d i rect the "epicdrama", which will hit screens onApril 19, 2019. "Proud and excitedto announce our epic drama'Kalank'.Releasing on April 19, 2019, di-rected by Abhishek Varman star -ring Madhuri Dixit, Sonakshi Sinha,Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, AdityaRoy Kapur and Sanjay Dutt," Karantweeted. The film will be produced by Karan Johar, Sajid Nadiadwala, Hiroo Yash Johar and Apoorva Mehta. It has been co-producedby Fox Star Studios. Sonakshi and Varun are equally excited for the project.Varun tweeted: "Next year.. here we come… Good Friday 2019," he tweeted. "Proud to announce my next 'Kalank' - an epic drama withan epic team directed by the very capable Abhishek Varman," tweeted Sonakshi. Alia said she is "so excited to be working with these phenomenalbeautiful actors". According to film analyst Taran Adarsh, "Kalank" was planned 15 years ago by Karan and his father Yash Johar.

KARAN JOHAR'S 'KALANK' ANNOUNCED WITH STAR ENSEMBLE

OMG! Neha Dhupia tells NikhilChinapa to mind his mannersMUMBAI, (IANS) Actress Neha Dhupia is miffed with "RoadiesXtreme" gang leader Nikhil Chinapa, and has asked him tomind his manners. In an upcoming episode, Neha and Nikhilwill be seen getting into a heated conversation over contes-tants, read a statement to IANS. They will fight over the con-testants performing the task. Nishkash was not par t of thetask, but he is required to eatchilly on behalf of Preeti tosave her. While Nikhil wasagainst the decision ofNishkash performing the taskto save Preeti, Neha had a dif-ference of opinion. Neha said:"Keep your manners in place,that 's what you stand forman." To this, Nikhil said: "Iam keeping my mannersNeha, I am not talking to you."


TUESDAY, APRIL 24 2018s p e c i a l r e p o r t

9 NEW PUNJAB MINISTERS SWORN IN

CHANDIGARH (PTI) Nine new Cabinet ministers were sworn in at theRaj Bhavan here on Saturday as three Congress MLAs quit their par typosts after being ignored in the first expansion of the year-old AmarinderSingh-led Punjab government. Ministers of State Aruna Chaudharyand Razia Sultana were also elevated as Cabinet ministers.Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore administered the oath of office tothe new ministers. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, however,denied that any MLA was upset over not being included in the expan-sion. He said already Dalits have got 25 per cent representation in thecabinet. Three legislators -- Sangat Singh Gilzian from Urmur assem-bly segment, Nathu Ram from Balluana and Surjit Singh Dhiman fromAmargarh -- have resigned from their posts in the Punjab PradeshCongress Committee.Gilzian resigned yesterday when the names of the nine new ministerswere announced after a meeting between Amarinder Singh and Con-gress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. The two other resignationscame in today, just hours before the swearing-in ceremony. ChiefMinister Amarinder Singh, his cabinet colleagues and other seniorpar ty leaders, including Asha Kumari and Harish Chaudhary, were

present during the ceremony. Five-time MLA from Amritsar Central OP Soni was the first among the ministers to be sworn in.Four-time MLA Rana Gurmit Sodhi (Guru Har Sahai constituency)and three-time legislators Sukhjinder Randhawa (Dera Baba Nanak),Gurpreet Kangar (Rampura Phul), Sukhbinder Sarkaria (Raja Sansi)and Balbir Sidhu (Mohali) are among the other new ministers. Youthleader and Sangrur MLA Vijay Inder Singla, two-time MLA SunderSham Arora from Hoshiarpur and two-time MLA from Ludhiana WestBharat Bhushan Ashu, too, were administered oath.The new ministers and the two MoS who were elevated to the cabinetrank took oath in Punjabi.Among the new ministers, four are prominent Hindu faces while fiveothers belong to the Sikh community. Most of them are consideredclose to the Chief Minister. Amarinder Singh had earlier said senioritywas a key criterion in the selection of the new ministers, and that theywere chosen keeping in view regional representation and their capa-bilities.Among the new ministers, the politically crucial region of Malwa inPunjab has been rewarded with maximum ber ths with five slots while

Majha got three and Doaba one. O P Soni, Sukhjinder Randhawa,Sukhbinder Sarkaria are MLAs from the Majha region. Ashu, Singla,Sodhi, Sidhu and Kangar are from Malwa. Arora belongs to the Doabaregion. Including the Chief Minister, the Punjab Cabinet now has 18members, which is the maximum 15 per cent of a state assemblyallowed.The exercise has led to resentment among some Congress MLAs,who accused the party of ignoring them. Opposition Aam Aadmi Par tytoo lashed at the Congress after the expansion, accusing it of ignoringthe representation of Scheduled Caste and backward classes amongthe newly sworn-in ministers. OP Soni, MLA from Amritsar, first totake oath, followed by Rana Gurmeet Sodhi and Aruna Chaudhary.Aruna Chaudhary and Razia Sultana sworn in as Cabinet ministers.Both were earlier Ministers of State.Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa next to take oath. OP Soni and RanaGurmeet Sodhi placed above Aruna Chaudhary and Razia Sultana inseniority. Others to take oath in the following order are: SukhjinderRandhawa, Gurpreet Kangar, Sukhbinder Sarkaria, Balbir Sidhu, VijayInder Singla, Sunder Sham Arora and Bharat Bhushan Ashu.

BATTLEGROUND KARNATAKA: POLLS SHOW A PHOTO-FINISHNEW DELHI: The Times Now-VMR survey in poll-bound Karnataka shows that the state is heading for aphoto-finish, and the way it looks now, JDS chief HD Kumaraswamy could well play the role of kingmaker.In the 224 member assembly, incumbent Congress is likely to get 91 seats, while BJP is just two seatsbehind with 89 seats, JDS gets 40, according to the survey.If polls were held now neither Chief Minister Siddaramaiah nor Yeddyurappa are in a position to form agovernment as they are both well shor t of the majority mark of 112 seats.MUMBAI KARNATAKASiddaramaiah's move of giving separate religion status to Lingayat doesn't seem to be have changed themood completely, as in Mumbai Karnataka region, which is the hotbed of Lingayat politics, Congress hasbeen given 21 seats while BJP gets 23.

The Congress's decision to give separate religion status to Lingayat's seems to have queered BJP'sLingayat pitch. Close to 40 percent of the people surveyed believe that Congress's "Lingayat Card" hasinfluenced their vote.COASTAL KARNATAKAIn Coastal Karnataka where religious polarisation is a determinant, BJP has made a small increase in itsseat share with the par ty winning 8 of the 21 seats.BJP had used Uttar P radesh chief minister Adityanath as its star campaigner in the region. For ty percentof the surveyed people believe that BJP using the head priest of Gorakhnath Mutt as its star campaignerhas helped the saffron par ty.GREATER BENGALURUThe region is electrolly impor tant because it is has the densest concentration of urban seats in the state.If BJP wins two-third of the 32 seats in the region, it can cross the 100 seat mark.Greater Bengaluru region seems to be endorsing chief minister Siddaramaiah. Here Congress with 17seats is well ahead of BJP, which has managed only 13 seats.CENTRAL KARNATAKAIn Central Karnataka, BJP has made massive inroads winning 22 of the 35 seats. In 2013 assemblyelections, BJP could get only 4 seats.Congress's numbers have gone down from 19 in last elections to 10 now, JDS settles for 3 seats.HYDERABAD KARNATAKAThe region has a sizeable minority population. This is the only region where BJP looks to replicate its 2014per formance.Yeddyurappa is expected to play crucial role in consolidating the votes in favour of BJP.BJP has taken a beating winning just 8 seats, while Congress retains a respectable 20 seats. The pres-ence of JDS in the region seems to be hur ting Congress more than the BJP.TAKEAWAYSiddaramaiah's popularity exceeds that of the congress.



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MODI, XI TO MEET IN CHINAON APRIL 27,28

BY GAURAV SHARMABEIJING, (IANS) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ChinesePresident Xi Jinping will hold an informal summit meeting in China'scentral city of Wuhan, a meet which may well be a historic one and adefining moment in the history of Sino-Indian ties. The announcement bythe Indian and Chinese Foreign Ministers Sushma Swaraj and Wang Yirespectively indicates a revival in ties between India and China, whichfaced a rough patch after the Doklam stand-off last year.Modi's April 27-28 visit can be compared to the 1988 visit by then PrimeMinister Rajeev Gandhi who met then China's paramount leader DengXiaoping and reset the bilateral ties after the 1962 war. "As agreed betweenthe two sides, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi willhave an informal summit meeting from April 27 to 28 in Wuhan, Hubeiprovince," Wang said. "We see socialism with Chinese characteristics isentering a new era and India is at a crucial stage of the development andrevitalisation. It is against this backdrop that President Xi and Prime Minis-ter Modi have decided to hold an informal summit," Wang announced withSushma Swaraj standing by his side.

INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI MET WITH BRITISH PRIME MINISTER THERESA MAY AND TALKED ABOUT ISSUESOF MUTUAL INTEREST.

MODI SPEAKS ON RAPE, TERRORISM, POVERTY AT'BHARAT KI BAAT SABKE SAATH' EVENT IN LONDONLONDON - Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in the UnitedKingdom, as par t of his five-day three-nation tour, interactedwith par t icipants in the 'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Sath' programme onWednesday at Westminister's Central Hall in London. Earlier during theday, Modi and UK Prime Minister Theresa May discussed a new UK-India Tech Par tnership, which will create thousands of jobs andgenerate significant investment in both the economies.Modi held a bilateral meeting with his British counterpar tTheresa May on Wednesday morning and discussed varioustopics, including defence cooperation, chemical weaponsattacks in Salisbury and Syria, legal matters, Chennai six.Commencing his interaction with the world during his much-talked-about diaspora event, "Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath"(India in discussion with the world), Modi said, "People areequivalent to Gods in a democracy and if they wish even a tea-seller can become their representative and shake hands at theRoyal Palace." During his discussion in the Bharat ki Baat,Sabke Sath programme, Modi outlined three objectives of hisgovernment - Children must be educated, youths must havejobs and the elderly must have access to medicine."People have more expectations from us because they knowthat we can deliver. People know that when they say something,the government will listen and do it. Days of incrementalchange are over. Can do justice to the nation when I forget

myself," he said. Prime Minister Modi is ending the first day ofhis London visit by interacting with Indian diaspora at an eventtitled 'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath'. Along with live questionsfrom the audience present there, questions are also beingsourced from Facebook, Twitter and the NaMo app. The discus-sion is considered as the most impor tant highlight of the "LivingBridge" theme of the India-UK bilateral visit. Modi also called on Queen Elizabeth II at the BuckinghamPalace in London and discussed issues of mutual interests. The91 year-old monarch is the Head of the Commonwealth. A "flashmob" of saree-clad women from Indian women in UK, accompa-nied by dhols, had gathered outside Downing Street to welcomethe Indian PM with banners such as "In India, peace is alwaysin fashion". Af ter his meeting with the British Prime Minister,Modi visited the Science Museum to explore the '5000 Years ofScience and Innovation' exhibition and interact with Indian-origin and other scientists and innovators based in the UK. Theevent, hosted by Prince Charles, included the launch of a newAyurvedic Centre of Excellence, aimed at creating a first-of-its-kind global network for evidence-based research on yoga andAyurveda. The executive session of day-long CHOGM delibera-tions between the 53 heads of government in London willculminate in a gala dinner hosted by the Queen at BuckinghamPalace in the evening.

What we know about Toronto vanattack suspect Alek Minassian?

DESK REPORTToronto Alek Minassian, 25, who killed yesterday 10 people andinjured 15 others on Yonge St, appeared in court today. He has beencharged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of attemptedmurder. He ploughed his van on pedestrians along Yonge Street and wasdriving sometime on sidewalks. Minassian is resident of Richmond Hill,and studied at Thornlea Secondary School in north of Toronto. Though thereal motive of this act is not known, but it has been seen that he wasunhappy with the fact that women were not attracted towards him. A fellowstudent said he was not very social.On the day of the attack Minassian tried to show that he had gun and kepton shouting: Shoot me, shoot me. But Constable Ken Lam kept his cool.Bravery of this police officer from Toronto police is being appreciated.People are suggesting this officer should be given a medal for tackling theissue the way he was trained. Police mean while has revealed the id ofone of the 10 victims killed in yesterday's attack. Her name is Anne MarieD'Amico. Her colleagues described her as a warm woman. She workedin a financial firm. Police is still investigating the matter.Commenting on the matter, prime minister Justin Trudeau has said he issad about and will come to Toronto soon. PC par ty leader Andrew Scheeralso condoled innocent deaths. Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne whiletalking to media said she is extremely sad. NDP leader Andrea Horwathvisited the site and talked to media. Tributes were paid to the deceasedsouls at Toronto City Hall in presence of Toronto Mayor John Tory and theCouncillors. Y Media team talked to several people and gave detailedupdates. They informed people who were interviewed felt sad. One mantold Y Media he brought his car behind the van and kept on honking todistract him. He was with his wife. Later he talked to police also.


TUESDAY, APRIL 24 2018c o m m u n i t y

Ontario Delivering New Postsecondary Campus in BramptonOntario will invest $90 million for the construction of a new postsecondary site in Brampton

namic, innovative people with the tal-ent and ambition to do great things,"Premier Wynne says. "Governmentneeds to do more to support people -from new roads, and transit, to betterhospitals and schools. The new post-secondary site in Brampton will un-lock exciting new oppor tunities forpeople across Peel Region."Students enrolled at the new site willalso have access to experiential learn-ing opportunities - such as co-opera-tive education, internship programs andcase studies - to help them develop theskills they need to find and keep goodjobs in the province's changingeconomy. Ontario's plan to suppor tcare, create opportunity and makelife more affordable during this pe-riod of rapid economic change in-cludes a higher minimum wage andbetter working conditions, free tuitionfor hundreds of thousands of students,easier access to affordable childcare, and free prescription drugsfor everyone under 25, and 65 orover, through the biggest expansionof medicare in a generation.Meanwhile, Ontario will invest$90 million to create a WilfridLaur ier Universi ty/ConestogaCollege par tnership campus inMilton also. Minister of AdvancedEducation and Skills Develop-ment Mitzie Hunter and HaltonMPP/Minister of Education IndiraNaidoo-Harr is made the longawaited announcement during anews conference held at theMilton Education Village (MEV)Innovation Centre on Wednesday,April 18. The campus will be lo-cated on 150 acres of land setaside by the Town of Milton.

ONTARIO - Ontario will provide stu-dents with greater access to high-quality postsecondary educationwith a new postsecondary site inthe growing Region of Peel. MitzieHunter, Minister of Advanced Educa-tion and Skills Development, andHarinder Malhi, Minister of the Status ofWomen, announced today a newpostsecondary site in Brampton to im-prove access to postsecondary edu-cation in one of the fastest growingcommunities in Canada. Focusingon science, technology, engineer-ing, ar ts and mathematics(STEAM), programming will be de-livered in partnership by Ryerson Uni-versity and Sheridan College of AppliedArts and Technology. The new site willprovide up to 2,000 new undergraduatespaces within five to 10 years. The sitefor the new campus will be at the south-east corner of Church Street West andMill Street North in Brampton. Ontarioknows that Peel is one of the fastestgrowing communities in Canada andis located along Ontario'sSuperCorridor, home to dense pock-ets of star t-ups, research institu-tions and world class talent."As one of the fastest growing com-munities, Brampton is home to dy-

BY MP SONIA SIDHUBRAMPTON - In 1921, it was a Canadian who discoveredinsulin, but a century later, it is Canadians who cannot affordthe insulin they need. Before being elected to representBrampton South, I worked in health care for a long time,and I worked as a diabetes educator for 13 years. Assomeone who has been engaged wi th the Canadianhealthcare system in the past, I know too well the impor-tance, and lifesaving capabilities, of prescription drugs.Unfor tunately, 23% of Canadians repor ted in a 2015 AngusReid Survey that someone in their household failed to taketheir prescription medications as prescribed in the last twelvemonths, because of the cost.Ten per cent of uninsured Canadians do not fill their drugprescriptions because they cannot afford them. The LiberalPar ty of Canada is even talking about it on a national policylevel. Just last weekend it was rated the number one priori-tized resolution at their 2018 National Liberal Convention. Isit on the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health,and we have recently concluded and presented 2 years' wor thof consultations, witnesses, and written submissions on thetopic of a national Pharmacare plan - a single payer systemof public insurance coverage for prescription drugs. It isimpor tant to me that we make necessary drugs more afford-able, and I believe that the solution we found, to expand theCanadian Health Act (CHA) to also require coverage of out ofhospital drugs, is the best way to do it.I am very proud of this repor t, and believe that it is compre-hensive, and can provide a permanent solution to many prob-lems in Canada's current healthcare system. This actionwould not be unprecedented, given that although the CHAdoes not currently require provinces and territories tocover drugs provided out-of-hospital, the provinces andterritories do provide some degree of public drug cover-age, usually targeted to those with the highest ratio of drugcosts to income.Despite the many benefits to Canada's healthcare system,there are some ways in which we fall behind; drug prices inCanada are amongst the highest in the world. According tothe Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), the ex-pected expenditures on all drugs dispensed outside of hos-pitals in 2017 is $39.8 billion. That means that on average,Canadians spend about $1,086 per year on drugs that theyneed to live their life to the fullest.I also Chair the All Par ty Diabetes Caucus, where we workon suppor ting Canadians who live with diabetes with con-crete action on Parliament Hill. Last year, I went on a na-tional tour and held consultations on healthy eating and dia-betes. I heard from Canadians living with diabetes from coastto coast who overwhelmingly expressed the need for moreaccessible treatments. A national Pharmacare program wouldprovide that suppor t, and our report is the first step for thenational framework.In the past, we have seen incremental and incomplete solu-tions to the issue of Pharmacare. Currently, 43% of out-of-hospital drug expenses are payed for by public insurance,though 22% is still out of pocket. This spending comes fromvarious places, but includes many targeted programs, suchas those for First Nations, Inuit, veterans, and federal in-mates, as well as provincial programs such as catastrophicprescription drug coverage, which protects residents fromdrug expenses that would threaten their financial security.These targeted programs, despite providing needed services,are inefficient, and fail to provide coverage for many whoneed it, as well as being unable to effectively control drugcosts for Canadians.No Canadian should ever be without the medication theyneed to ensure the standard of life that we expect from thiscountry. Despite the health care we currently enjoy, too manyCanadians have to suffer without the prescription drugs theyneed simply because they cannot afford them. The Parlia-mentary Budget Office (PBO) estimated that establishing anational Pharmacare program would increase drug consump-tion by 12.5%. Our recommendations will ensure that Cana-dians are able to access the health care that they deserve,and that reflects the values of our country.Sonia Sidhu is the Member of Parliament for Brampton South.She was elected on October 19, 2015 in a wave of hope,inclusivity, and positivity across the country. She sits on theHouse of Commons' Standing Committee on Health, and alsowas appointed to sit as a member of the Special Committeeon Pay Equity. She has a passion for diabetes awarenessand prevention which she champions as the Chair of the All-Par ty Diabetes Caucus. MP Sidhu is also the General-Sec-retary of the Canada-India Parliamentary Friendship Groupand an executive member of both the Canada-Poland andCanada-Por tugal Parliamentary Friendship Groups. She fur-ther sits as a member of the Canada-Europe ParliamentaryAssociation, the Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group, andthe Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

THE CASE FOR ANATIONAL PHARMACARE

PROGRAM IN CANADA

INDIAN AMERICANTEEN SHOT DEAD FORFIRING ON POLICE

WASHINGTON, (IANS) AnIndian American teenagerwanted on a felony firearmspossession warrant was killedin police firing after he usedfirearms on them in California,officials said. NathanielPrasad, 18, was shot dead onApril 5, according to aninvestigation report released bythe Freemont Police Depar tmenton Thursday. According to police,Prasad was sought on felonyprobation and firearmspossessions warrants, as wellas a misdemeanor evadingwarrant for fleeing a Fremontschool resource officer onMarch 22, East Bay Timesrepor ted on Friday. On April 5,members of the FremontPolice Depar tment's streetcrimes unit saw Prasad ridingin a car nor th on FremontBoulevard near Central Avenue.He was a co-passenger in the cardriven by a female and it wassoon intercepted.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, APRIL 24 2018 c o m m u n i t y

POSITIVE PARENTING SEMINAR:ONE SESSION. TWO EXPERTS

How Multi-lingual Skill Can Boost Your Child's Brain DevelopmentManaging His Tantrums Like A ProBrampton - Anna Wong, Doctor in Education and Speech-LanguagePathology, and Della Tam, (MSc, BCBA) Senior Therapist specializesin Intensive Behavioral Intervent ion, wi l l be speaking at aParentConnect's Wellness Seminar, sharing techniques with parentson how to raise a multilingual child, how to handle a child's problem-atic behavior and tantrums, and how to detect early communicationand behavioral s igns of specia l educat ion needs. Vis i twww.ParentConnect.ca for more details. The event is being hosted byParentConnect with Chinese Family Services of Ontario in Englishlanguage on Saturday, April 28 from 9:30am to 12 noon in Room 238,CFS Ontario, 3330 Midland Avenue, Suite 229, Scarborough.ParentConnect is a not-for-profit initiative and one-stop online parentingplatform founded by a passionate immigrant parent to promote posi-tive parenting and a better future society. Results from a focus group

study by ParentConnect shows that there is a huge information gapfor new and immigrant parents to access the knowledge and re-sources they need to raise a family in an unfamiliar and time-stressed environment. Chinese Family Services of Ontario (CFSO)is a non-profit, accredited professional counselling, family ser-vices and settlement agency that offers both linguistically andculturally sensitive services to individuals and families in need ofcounsell ing and settlement services. For pre-registration, call647.568-8226 or email [email protected]. Seats are limited,therefore pre-registration is required.

FAIR WAGES TO PROTECT WORKERS

ONTARIO - Ontario introduces a legislation that would ensure that peopleworking in construction, building cleaning or security jobs under contracts with thegovernment will be paid the fair, prevailing wage in those sectors.Premier Kathleen Wynne was at the United Association of Plumbers andSteamfitters, Local 46, in Toronto today to announce that the province istaking action to ensure fair wages are paid for work on governmentcontracts in those sectors. The proposed Government Contract WagesAct, 2018, would, if passed, allow Ontario to establish minimum rates ofpay for workers in construction, building cleaning and security serviceswork, requiring contractors and subcontractors to pay according to thoserates. This fair wage policy would be become law."Every worker deserves to be paid a fair wage. And every businessbidding for a government contract deserves a fair shot. We're takingaction so that employers won't be able to win a competition by unfairlylowering workers' wages. It's just one of the ways we are standing up forworkers in a rapidly changing economy. We know that a $15 minimumwage, compensation ranges on job postings and equal pay for equalwork is the right thing to do for everyone in Ontario. All workers deserveto be compensated and treated well," said Premier Wynne.The legislation would build on historic actions Ontario has already takento create more oppor tunity and security for workers and help them getahead in a rapidly changing economy. The Fair Workplaces, Better JobsAct, passed last fall, takes action to protect workers by:" Raising the minimum wage to $14 this year and again to $15 next year" Ensuring equal pay for equal work for par t-time, casual and

seasonal workers performing substantially the same duties as full-timeworkers, as of April 1" Creating up to five days of paid leave and up to 17 weeks ofunpaid leave for survivors of gender-based violence" Mandating 10 days of emergency leave for all workers, includ-ing two paid days, because no one's job should be at risk if they need todeal with a serious family or personal emergency.Ontario is also increasing oppor tunity and fairness for workers throughits Women's Economic Empowerment Strategy. That strategy is the firstof its kind in Canada and aims to make workplaces fairer for all women.It also includes landmark pay transparency legislation that would:" Require cer tain employers to repor t on differences in compen-sation among their workforce based on gender and other prescribedcharacteristics" Mandate that publicly adver tised job postings in Ontario in-clude a compensation range" Bar employers from asking a job applicant about past compen-sation or seeking that information through other means.Protecting wages and ensuring workers can earn a fair wage is part ofthe government's plan to suppor t care, create oppor tunity and make lifemore affordable during this period of rapid economic change. The planincludes free prescription drugs for everyone under 25, and 65 or over,through the biggest expansion of medicine in a generation, free tuition forhundreds of thousands of students, a higher minimum wage and betterworking conditions, and easier access to affordable child care.

LOWERING WAIT TIMES IN ONTARIO HOSPITALSOntario Premier Kathleen Wynne was at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre today to explain how the government's investment of nearly$19 billion in health care will help reduce wait times at Ontario hospitals. Premier Wynne highlighted the government's commitment,which represents an increase of $822 million, or 4.6 per cent, in funding for day-to-day operations. This will allow hospitals to invest withmore precision in the care and suppor ts that fur ther reduce wait times and address the specific needs of their patients and community.Patients will benefit from these increased investments through reduced wait times for hip, knee, cataract, shoulder, cornea and spine surgery. This will alsogive hospitals the resources to expand essential services such as cardiac care, critical care, chemotherapy and treatment for strokes. Premier Wynne alsoexplained how the government is tackling wait times at hospitals by expanding Ontario's Bundled Care Program, which will help patients return home sooner aftersurgery and reduce emergency room visits and hospital readmissions.This innovative approach will play an impor tant role in freeing up space in health care facilities by helping patients transition fromhospital to home faster and with the right supports. Bundled care coordinates services and integrates funding for a patient's full spectrumof care for a specific health issue -- from the hospital right through to follow-up home care. Ontario tested the bundled care model througha successful pilot program. Based on the success of an initial six sites, the program will now expand to 24 health care teams providingcare of hip and knee surgery patients. In 2018-19, this expansion is expected to help more than 20,000 patients, increasing overallefficiency and freeing up hospital beds for more patients.Reducing hospital wait times for patients is par t of the government's plan to suppor t care, create oppor tunity and make life moreaffordable during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes free prescription drugs for everyone under 25, and 65 or over,through the biggest expansion of medicine in a generation, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, a higher minimum wage andbetter working conditions, and easier access to affordable child care.

Academia accolades forbillionaire behind Canada'snewest international tech schoolCALGARY - Navjeet (Bob)Dhillon, President and CEO ofMainstreet Equity Corp., is beinghonoured for his commitment tothe future of hi-tech learning.Alber ta's academic leaders arerecognizing the Calgary-basedbillionaire with a honoraryscholarship for suppor ting a newpathway to education. Dhillonrecently pledged a $10-million gift to the University of Lethbridge,transforming the Faculty of Management to the Dhillon School ofBusiness."The future of Canada depends on education," says Dhillon, a first-generation Sikh immigrant who holds an MBA from the Ivey Schoolof Business at Western University. "I wouldn't have achieved thesuccess I've had if it wasn't for education. Suppor ting innovativeeducation is key to launching Canadian talent in today's connectedworld." Dhillon, an innovative and transformational entrepreneur,created a real-estate empire by identifying an underserved niche inthe market, suppor ting it with resources and nur turing its massivegrowth. He sees the same oppor tunity and potential in the Universityof Lethbridge."It has been a tremendous year for us and going forward, we couldnot be more excited about the direction we are headed and theoppor tunities Dhillon's gift have created," says Dr Bob Boudreau,dean of the Dhillon School of Business. "We have a history of beingat the leading edge of finance and business education and with hisadditional support, we will continue to push ahead and offer aneducational experience like no other." Dhillon will be honoured at aScholarship Dinner to be held at the University of Lethbridge'sDhillon School of Business, Friday, Apr. 13 at 6 p.m. at the CoastHotel and Conference Centre.Over the first 30 years of the Scholarship Dinner, more than $1.5million has been raised in support of student scholarships. Friday'sevent will celebrate the contributions of Dhillon, raise further fundsfor student scholarships and highlight the transformation of theDhillon School of Business, the future of finance and businesseducation at the University of Lethbridge.

ONTARIO PREMIER KATHLEEN WYNNE AND THE ONTARIO LIBERAL CAUCUS CELEBRATED VAISAKHI AND SIKH HERITAGEMONTH IN BRAMPTON.

Vigil for van attack victims onMay 2 in Brampton

DESK REPORTBRAMPTON - The residents of Brampton are organising a vigil onWednesday, May 2 in Ken Whillans Park, right besides City Hall between6:30pm to 7:30pm. Sandeep Sangha, a community activist saysBramptonians wish to spread the message of peace and stand withtheir brethren in this difficult time. Everyone is welcome to join it.

Unfortunate tragedy on the streetsof TorontoTORONTO - An unfortunate incident occur red in the North end ofToronto in the afternoon on Monday April 23. 10 people are killed inthis incident and 15 are injured. Gobinder S Randhawa, Chairmanof OSGC in a statement has said: "Our thoughts and prayers arewith those souls and their families who are affected by this incident.Something like this should not be happening in this country becauseCanada is a country where everyone is welcome and respected. MayGod bless the souls of those who lost their lives. Our thoughts are alsowith the first responders who braved such tragic circumstances andhelped out the victims. Special thanks to the quick thinking of theofficer from Toronto police for apprehending the culprit of such aheinous crime right on the spot. God bless the people of Toronto."

Forum Research Poll: If electionwere held today, PC will get 46%support, NDP 27%, Liberals 21%,Green party 4%TORONTO, APRIL 19TH - In a random sampling of public opiniontaken by The Forum Poll™ among 1126 Ontario voters, the gap betweenthe Progressive Conservatives and their provincial challengers haswidened once again, with almost half (46%) saying they would vote PC ifan election were held today. One-quarter (27%) say they would suppor tthe NDP, while one-fifth (21%) say they would support the Liberals. Few(4%) would suppor t the Green Party or another party (2%).Respondents most likely to say they are supporting the PCs includethose aged 45-54 (52%) or 55-64 (50%), male (59%), and anyoneearning more than $40,000 including: $40,000-$60,000 (47%), $60,000-$80,000 (47%), $80,000-$100,000 (49%), and the most wealthy (50%),parents (51%), the least educated (56%), living in Eastern (50%) orSouthwestern Ontario (48%), or the 905 (49%). Respondents most likely tosay they are supporting the NDP include those aged 34 and younger(33%), females (33%), earning $20,000-$40,000 (29%) or $40,000-$60,000(32%), with a college/university degree (30%) or post-graduate degree(29%), and living in Toronto (30%), Southwestern Ontario (28%), or NorthernOntario (29%). Respondents most likely to say they are supporting theLiberals include those aged 55-64 (24%) or 65+ (27%), female (26%),the least wealthy (29%), with a post-graduate degree (30%), andliving in Toronto (28%).If an election were held today, we project a PC majority governmentwith 94 seats. The NDP would serve as official opposition with 23seats, while the Liberals would secure only 7 seats, one too few forpar ty status in Ontario's legislature. More than half (54%) say that thePCs will win the p rovincial election. One-fifth (19%), about the same ascurrent Liberal suppor t, say it will be the Liberals. 1 in 10 (10%) say it willbe the NDP. A hopeful few (1%) say it will be the Green Party, while one-sixth (16%) don't know who will win. Almost 9 in 10 (87%) of PC suppor tersthink the PCs will win. Contrast that suppor t with (54%) of Liberal suppor terswho think the Liberals will win, and the quar ter (27%) of NDP supporterswho say they NDP will win.Source: forumresearch.com


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Chinese investment risks Pakistan running into debttrap: Ex Pakistani ambassador Husain Haqqani

BY SARWAR KASHANI

TRUTH, TORTURE, TRUMP AND MORE:JAMES COMEY'S EVENTFUL CAREER

BY VIKAS DATTA

E-mail : For [email protected]

Pakistan runs the risk of falling into a debt trap with China's multi-billion dollar infrastructure investment, especially as a volatile secu-rity situation and tensions with neighbours threatens the economicviability of such projects, says Husain Haqqani, Islamabad's formerenvoy to the US. In an interview with IANS, he said Pakistan, whichhas been using religion as an instrument of foreign policy, needed toshift its focus more to geo-economics rather than geo-politics andmend its ties with its neighbours, including India and Afghanistan, forthe betterment of its own people.He said Pakistan's love for conflict had cost its "somewhat a myopicforeign policy" dearly and now "ran the risk of greater internationalisolation unless Islamabad changes its outlook. Has it really broughtany benefit to Pakistan? Economically, the China-Pakistan EconomicCor ridor (CPEC) has thrown up some opportunities -- but again, theyare infrastructure projects. A por t is useful when ships come there. Aroad is useful when trucks move on it," said Haqqani, one of thesharp-witted veterans of Pakistani politics who served as its ambas-sador in Washington from 2008 to 2011 when the ties between the twocountries star ted souring amid tension and mistrust.He said economic activities on these projects would only be possiblewhen the security situation turns peaceful and "if these projects donot become economically viable, then Pakistan will face a debt trap".Haqqani, 61, an author of four books including the latest, "ReimaginingPakistan", is better known for a controversial memo he as the Am-bassador in Washington allegedly wrote, roughly a week after OsamaBin Laden was killed in a US raid, to the then US military chief AdmiralMike Mullen.The memo, seeking US help to rein in the power ful Pakistani military,created a political storm in Islamabad and forced Haqqani to quit. Hereturned to Pakistan in 2011, only to leave the country a year later andhas never been there again. His latest book, published by Harper

Collins, calls for "a bold re-conceptualisation" of Pakistan and dis-sects its origins and current failings, with suggestions for reconsid-ering its ideology, and identifies a new national purpose greater thanthe rivalry with India."Pakistan limited its foreign policy options by wanting parity withIndia, resolution of the Kashmir dispute. Even with the US, Pakistan'sinteraction has been always about getting economic aid and militaryassistance -- and leverage in relation to India," Haqqani told IANS.Haqqani suggested that Pakistan needed to focus on the economymore than what its political and military leadership describes as anunfinished business of the subcontinent's par tition."Pakistan has to stop thinking only in terms of geo-strategic interests.It should star t also thinking in terms of geo-economics... so that it is(not) seen by the rest of world as a problem. Right now, the Pakistaniview of Pakistan and the rest of the world's view of Pakistan are... toofar apar t." He said Kashmir is a dipute, but both Pakistan and Indianeeded to work together to give an oppor tunity to people of the stateon both sides to have a more normal life than they have had."Pakistan's role has not benefitted people of Kashmir, even thoughPakistan champions the cause of its self-determination. I think, from

Pakistan's point of view, it would make sense to star t saying that wewant better relations with India before we can resolve any disputesand then give an opportunity to the people of Kashmir to have a betterlife irrespective of who is administrating their territory right now."Indian needs to make sure that its attitude towards Kashmiris is notpunitive but rather one of respect and accommodation. Instead oftrying to impose the will of the central government on Kashmir, therepresentatives of people of Jammu and Kashmir should be allowedto work towards improvement of life in Kashmir. It should be genuinerepresentation." He said religion as an instrument of foreign policyhas had some usefulness for Pakistan until a few years ago."But now (even Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia and Iran)look at their own interest and say it is all good to be brothers in Islam,but it is even better to have strong economic ties and economic rela-tions. "Pakistan must reimagine the foundation of its national identityand stop seeing itself as an ideological nation. Pakistan must star t thinking ofitself as a functional state. Some 95 per cent of Pakistan's population comprisespeople who are born af ter the par tition. We are Pakistanis by bir th --and people who are born with a cer tain citizenship and nationality donot need an ideology to have that citizenship and nationality."

As an Assistant US Attorney in New York in the early 1990s, JamesComey was par t of the anti-mafia campaign and became well versedabout how its top bosses perceived themselves, the people who workedfor them and the world. As FBI chief a quar ter of century later, he sawthe same worldview -- in newly-elected President Donald Trump.Recounting a meeting where he seemed to have angered Trump bycontradicting him, Comey tells us that the encounter had left him"shaken" for he had "never seen anything like it in the Oval Office"under the previous two presidents he had served."As I found myself thrust into the Trump orbit, I once again was havingflashbacks to my earlier career as a prosecutor against the Mob. Thesilent circle of assent. The boss in complete control. The loyalty oaths.The us-versus-them worldview. The lying about all things, large andsmall, in service to some code of loyalty that put the organisationabove morality and above the truth," he writes in his autobiography.And as we go on to find out in the book, this is another aspect of thesignificant role that Comey would play in the 2016 US PresidentialElection, apar t from his decisions on "the matter" (the word is signifi-cant, as we learn) of Hillary Clinton's email server being perceivedas having damaged her campaign.These interactions with Trump, where Comey's "loyalty" was soughtin the wake of the probe into Russian suppor t/links against his cam-paign team and he was even purpor tedly told to drop the case againsta recently-resigned aide (National Security Adviser Michael Flynn),could have far-reaching consequences -- for the new President.While Comey was unceremoniously fired, his claims would lead to aSpecial Counsel investigation that has reached uncomfor tably closeto Tr ump -- Luke Harding's "Collusion -- How Russia Helped TrumpWin the White House" shows how.But while around half of Comey's book is devoted to his decisions andexperiences in the Clinton and Tr ump episodes, it has much more

than these two major issues, and is cer tainly not an explosive, tell-allaccount -- he is too principled and conscientious a lawyer and publicservant to reveal what is the cour t's domain to the public.But it does clarify his position in the Clinton matter, where he seeks toexplain what the issue was all about, and what lay behind him tellingCongress in October 2016 -- a few days prior to the election -- that theprobe was being reopened.As he reveals, the decision hinged on whether to inform Congress --which could influence the election -- or conceal it -- which could havebeen as problematic for the FBI if evidence of prosecutable criminalactivity emerged later. "Put that way, the choice between a 'really badoption' and a 'catastrophic option' was not that hard a call," he argues.This is Comey's memoir with the par ts on Clinton and Trump thehighlights, but the good lawyer he is, he builds up to them, showingwhy he acted the way he did by detailing his formative influences andhis career. These include the childhood experience when a criminalburst into his home and threatened him and his brother, a wise boss atthe depar tment store where he worked part-time, bullies at school,and encounters with the Mafia bosses and killers as US Attorney.Then, as Deputy Attorney General in the George W. Bush Presidency,there was the "Stellar Wind" surveillance -- where he had to forestalltwo senior administration officials trying to obtain a hospitalised At-torney General's concurrence -- and tor ture of terrorists and ter roristsuspects by the CIA, and being appointed FBI chief by Barack Obamain 2013.While the comparison of the three Presidents -- and their cabinetcolleagues -- is well brought out and extensive (say, their politicalstyles to sense of humour -- or lack thereof), the main point is their attitude tojustice, or rather to those tasked with ensuring it. As we learn from history, andincreasingly from the news, there is no doubt what the rankings willbe. This, along with Comey's observations on the ethics of leadershipand the pursuit of justice free from any political considerations, iswhat makes this book more than a political memoir.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, APRIL 24 2018 c a n a d a

General Accounting & Bookkeeping

JUSTIN TRUDEAU MET WITH THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER THERESA MAY AT DOWNING STREET.

Ontario Supporting Tourism, Job Growth in the NorthOntario is helping communities create jobs and boost economic growthby suppor ting projects that will revitalize, expand and increase ac-cessibility in the province's Nor thern tourism sector. Bill Mauro, MPPfor Thunder Bay-Atikokan, was in Thunder Bay today on behalf ofMichael Gravelle, Minister of Nor thern Development and Mines, toannounce new provincial funding for tourism projects across theNor th. These investments are being delivered through the Nor thernOntario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC).The Wilderness Discovery Handi-Capable Centre is receiving fundsfor much needed upgrades to electrical, plumbing and other systemsand for construction of new facilities to accommodate staff and otherupgrades such as a new gazebo and playground. The centre is theonly resor t of its kind in Nor thern Ontario, offering a fully accessiblewilderness experience to individuals with a physical disability andtheir families. This project is one of 14 across the Nor th receivingfunding to revitalize, expand and increase accessibility in the tourismsector. Other projects include upgrades to Mississagi Park in ElliottLake, suppor t for a new wilderness outfitter on Sesekinika Lake andfunding to implement a traditional hunting and fishing guide trainingprogram in Eabametoong First Nation.These investments allow for improvements to be made ahead of thebusy summer tourist season and will help bring more visitors toNor thern Ontario while creating jobs. Strengthening the Nor th's tour-

ism sector is par t of the government's plan to suppor t care, createoppor tunity and make life more affordable during this period of rapideconomic change. The plan includes free prescription drugs for ev-eryone under 25, and 65 or over, through the biggest expansion ofmedicare in a generation, free tuition for hundreds of thousands ofstudents, a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, andeasier access to affordable child care."I am extremely proud of all that our Government has done to makethe reopening of the Wilderness Discovery Camp for the disabled areality. With today's announcement of NOHFC funding of $400,000 forrenovations the camp will be able to make the necessary upgrades tobe ready for Campers in 2019. We can all be proud that this model ofaccessibility and inclusiveness is located here in Northwestern Ontario. Con-gratulations, and thank you, to the service clubs from our community who recog-nized not only a real need, but also a wonderful opportunity for everyone living inour region." - Bill Mauro, MPP Thunder Bay-Atikokan"Our government understands that revitalizing and expanding our lo-cal tourist destinations is vital to the long term economic prosperityof communities across Nor thern Ontario. By providing suppor t tothese projects, we are in turn creating good jobs right here in ThunderBay and across the Nor th." - Michael Gravelle, Minister of Nor thernDevelopment and Mines, MPP Thunder Bay-Superior Nor th and Chairof the NOHFC.

30,000 MORE LONG-TERMCARE BEDS FOR SENIORSONTARIO - Premier Kathleen Wynne was at KensingtonGardens in Toronto recently to announce that Ontario hasallocated 5,000 new long-term care (LTC) beds in commu-nities across the province. This is par t of the province'scommitment to build 5,000 new beds by 2022 and morethan 30,000 new beds over the next decade. These 5,000new beds will include nearly 500 new beds for Indig-enous communities and over 1,500 new beds for spe-cific cultures, including Francophone communities.The new beds are in addition to the 30,000 existing bedsthat are being redeveloped. Premier Wynne spoke abouthow these investments will give seniors better accessto high-quality, culturally appropriate professional careand help them continue to live happy and healthy lives.Ontario is also investing more than $300 million overthe next three years to hire an additional registerednurse at every LTC home, and to increase the provin-cial average to four hours of daily care per resident by2022. This will ensure that every home will have staffwith specialized training in behavioural suppor ts, andin palliative and end-of-life care.These investments, as well as a substantial 4.6 percent increase in funding for the hospital sector and moresuppor t for home care, will improve access to careand reduce wait times in the health system to bettermeet the needs of a growing and aging population.The government is also improving life for more seniorsby:" Expanding OHIP+ in 2019 to make prescrip-tion drugs free for everyone 65 and over" Investing $650 mil l ion in new funding overthree years to improve home and community care ser-v i ces" Creating the Seniors' Healthy Home Programto help those over 75 offset the costs of living indepen-dently with a $750 annual credit.Making long-term care better and more accessible ispar t of the government's plan to suppor t care, createoppor tunity and make life more affordable during thisperiod of rapid economic change. The plan includesfree prescription drugs for everyone under 25, and 65or over, through the biggest expansion of medicare in ageneration, free tuition for hundreds of thousands ofstudents, a higher minimum wage and better workingconditions, and free preschool child care from 2 ½ tokindergar ten."Ontario's seniors have worked hard to build our prov-ince into the thriving and successful place we call home.We have to make sure that they have access to high-quality care as they age. Seniors and their famil iesdeserve to feel confident that, no matter where they ortheir loved ones are living, they are happy, safe andreceiving good care. That's why our government is cre-ating more long-term care beds for those who needthem, enhancing services in long-term care homes andproviding more home care so seniors get the care theyneed and deserve, no matter where they live in Ontario."- Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario"Our government is committed to suppor ting Ontarioresidents who rely on long-term care homes for theirongoing health and personal care needs. We have allo-cated 5,000 new long-term care beds, and are deliver-ing on our commitment to increase long-term care capac-ity by 2022 as par t of Aging with Confidence: Ontario'sAction Plan for Seniors. This is the first step to createmore than 30,000 new long-term care beds over the nextdecade and helping more seniors access the care theyneed in their community, close to family and friends." - DrHelena Jaczek, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

ONTARIO EXPANDING YOUTH OPPORTUNITIESONTARIO - Ontario is suppor ting 32 projects to help encourage youth across the province to become active citizens by volunteering intheir communities. The Change the World program supports unique projects that engage youth by promoting active volunteerism andfostering a sense of community responsibility. This year, Loving Spoonful is receiving suppor t to provide volunteering opportunities for50 youth in school gardens, on local farms and at farmers markets in the Kingston area.Change the World promotes civic engagement and volunteerism for youth aged 12 to 18. The program suppor ts not-for-profit commu-nity organizations to star t programs that focus on helping youth par ticipate, gain skills, give back and get involved. Youth whopar ticipate in Change the World can use their volunteer hours to meet the 40 hour community involvement requirement for the OntarioSecondary School Diploma.Ontario's plan to suppor t care, create oppor tunity and make life more affordable during this period of rapid economic change includesa higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordablechild care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25, and 65 or over, through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation."Volunteerism fosters a sense of community responsibility through personal growth and career preparation. By making ChangetheWorlda year -long program, we are encouraging youth to continue volunteering in their communities and use these oppor tunities to grow theirskills and become active and engaged citizens." - Laura Albanese, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU TAKES A SELFIE WITH MAYOR OF LONDON SADIQ KHAN AND NEW ZEALAND PRIMEMINISTER JACINDA ARDERN AT CITY HALL IN LONDON, DURING THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, APRIL 24 2018 i n d i a

President okays death to rapistsof children, seizure of property

NEW DELHI, (IANS) President RamNath Kovind has approved an ordi-nance to provide death penalty forthose convicted of raping girlsyounger than 12 years besides clear-ing another ordinance to confiscateproperty of fugitive economic offend-ers. The president promulgated TheCriminal Law (Amendment) Ordi-nance, 2018, approved by the Cabi-net on Saturday that seeks to provideeffective deterrence against rape andinstil a sense of security amongwomen, par ticularly young girls.The ordinance amends the IndianPenal Code, the Indian Evidence Act,the Code of Criminal Procedure andthe Protection of Children from SexualOffences Act. The ordinance comesagainst the backdrop of the rape andmurder of an eight-year-old girl inKathua in Jammu and Kashmir, therape of a teenager in Unnao in UttarPradesh and similar crimes in otherpar ts of the country.The development puts in place anumber of measures for speedy in-vestigation and trial of rape casesincluding a two-month time limit forinvestigation, two months forcompletion of trial and six months for

disposal of appeals. It provides thatpunishment for rape of a girl youngerthan 12 will be a minimum 20 yearsimprisonment or imprisonment forlife or with death. Punishment for gangrape of a girl under 16 years of agewill invariably be imprisonment forrest of life. In case of gang rape of agirl below 12 years, punishment willbe jail for life or death sentence. Theminimum punishment in case of rapeof women has been increased fromrigorous imprisonment of sevenyears to 10 years, extendable to lifeimprisonment. In case of rape of agirl aged below 16, minimum pun-ishment has been increased from 10to 20 years, extendable to imprison-ment for rest of life -- meaning im-prisonment till that person's naturallife. The ordinance also provides thatthe court has to give notice of 15 daysto the Public Prosecutor and the rep-resentative of the victim before de-ciding bail applications in case of rapeof a girl under 16 years of age. Therewill be no provision for anticipatorybail for a person accused of rape organg rape of a girl under 16 years. Italso aims at strengthening investi-gation and prosecution including set-

ting up fast track cour ts and specialforensic labs in each state besidesmaintaining a national database ofsexual offenders. Kovind also promul-gated The Fugitive Economic Offend-ers Ordinance, 2018, which followedthe Punjab National Bank fraud case,in which the main accused, diamondtrader Nirav Modi and his uncle MehulChoksi, fled the country after dupingbanks to the tune of over Rs 30,000crore. The ordinance lays down themeasures to empower Indian au-thorities to attach and confiscate pro-ceeds of crime associated with eco-nomic offenders and the proper tiesof the economic offenders andthereby deter economic offendersfrom evading the process of Indianlaw by remaining outside the juris-diction of Indian courts.The Bill is expected to re-establishthe Rule Of Law as economic offend-ers would be forced to return to Indiato face trial for scheduled offences.This would also help the banks andother financial institutions to achievehigher recovery from financial de-faults committed by such offendersand improve the financial health ofsuch institutions.

TCS FIRST INDIAN COMPANY TO TOUCH$100 BN IN MARKET CAP

MUMBAI (IANS) Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has become the first Indian $100 billion- dollarcompany in terms of market capitalisation (market-cap) in the IT pack, after the stock hit a new highon Monday in intra-day trade. The counter hit a new high of Rs 3,557, up 4.4% in intra-day trade,extending its F riday's 6.7% surge, as the company repor ted better-than-expected March quar terearnings in post market hours on Thursday. TCS also announced 1:1 bonus shares i.e. one bonusshares of Rs 1 face value each for every share held in the company to its investors.The 11% rise in the company's scrip in past two trading days helped it cross Rs 6.81 trillion ($103billion) in market-cap at around 10:33 am, the BSE data shows. The rupee was trading at 66.21against the US dollar. However, at the end of Monday's trade, the market-cap dipped below $100billion level (Rs 6.54 trillion) to $ 98.44 billion as the stock erased its entire morning gains to endflat at Rs 3,415. TCS currently accounts for 11% of the total market-cap of the S&P BSE Sensex of Rs60.81 trillion. In terms of market capitalisation, TCS raks ahead of Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank,ITC, Hindustan Unilever, HDFC, Maruti Suzuki and Infosys. In its recent repor t, analysts at Nomura,however, have maintained a reduce rating on the stock with a target price of Rs 2,750.

Gujarat Police arrests SP in extor tion, loot caseGANDINAGAR (IANS) Amreli district Superintendent of Police (SP) Jagdish Patel has been arrested in acase of extor tion and loot, following the questioning of an Inspector earlier arrested in the case, the GujaratPolice said on Monday. "We picked up the Amreli SP after interrogating ar rested Crime Branch InspectorAnant Patel," Director General of Police (CID-Crime) Ashish Bhatia told the media here.Police sources said that SP Jagdish Patel had stayed away from office after the arrest of Inspector Patel.The CID-Crime summoned Jagdish Patel for questioning two days ago but picked him from his residencein Amreli late Sunday night after he did not respond. Surat builder Sailesh Bhatt had alleged that he wasabducted by the Amreli Local Crime Branch (LCB) Inspector Anant Patel, who forcibly made him transfer200 Bitcoin currency of Rs 12 crore from his account and pay up Rs 32 crore in cash.Bhatt said there were other policemen from the Amreli LCB who helped Patel and kept him confined at afarmhouse near Gandhinagar. He was then forced to share his passwords and code for the transfer ofBitcoins. Amreli LCB Constables Babu Der and Vijay and Surat-based advocate Ketan Patel were also arrestedin the case earlier. Anant Patel, on the run since a police complaint filed earlier this month, was arrested by theCrime branch last week. Anant Patel is said to have named the SP during his interrogation, and claimed that heacted on the Amreli SP's orders. The CID-Crime has constituted an SIT to probe the case.

Modi for social movement against sexualcrimes, launches Gram Swaraj Abhiyan

MEMBERS OF STUDENTS' FEDERATION OF INDIA (SFI) STAGE A DEMONSTRATION AGAINSTKATHUA AND UNNAO RAPE INCIDENTS, IN KOLKATA.

MANDALA (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a social movement for protecting girls in thewake of increasing rapes repor ted from different par ts of the country and said families have to teach their sonsto become responsible. Addressing a gathering here to mark the National Panchayati Raj Day, he also said thatmuseums will be set up in states where tribals have played a role in the freedom struggle and called for aresolve for transformation of villages in the next four years.He launched the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, unveiled a road map for overall development of tribals duringthe next five years and laid the foundation stone of an LPG bottling plant of Indian Oil Corporation at Maneri in thisMadhya Pradesh district. With almost a year left for the next Lok Sabha polls, the programme in this predomi-nantly tribal district is seen as an effor t by the BJP-led government to reach out to rural masses. MadhyaPradesh will face assembly polls later this year.In his nearly 45-minute speech, Modi suggested steps to boost farmers income, improve soil health and boostground water recharge. He laid stress on the use of technology, including mobile phones, to bring transparencyand efficiency in implementing welfare initiatives. Citing the ordinance brought by his government last weekthat provides for death sentence to those convicted of raping a child below 12 years of age and life term to thoseraping a child below 16, he also mentioned the applause that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan receivedwhen he mentioned of the ordinance during his speech.The Prime Minister called for steps to give more respect to the daughters in the families. "The government inDelhi listens to your heart. We should learn to give respect to daughters in the family, we should increase the importanceof daughters in the family and star t teaching sons about responsibility. It will never be difficult to protect daughters if we star tteaching sons about responsibility. The one who acts devilishly will face the gallows. We have to build a socialmovement and we can all together bring out the country from this problem," he said.Modi's remarks came in the wake of nationwide outrage over the rape and murder of a minor in Jammu and Kashmir'sKathua district and other similar incidents including a case in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh where the main accused is a BJP MLA.He also said that some of the real heroes of the freedom struggle have not got the attention they deserved, and he did not know"what problem came." Referring to the sacrifice by leaders from the tribal community in the struggle for freedom, speciallyafter 1857, he said they fought many big fights for the country's honour.Modi said apar t from Birsa Munda and Rani Avantibai, sacrifices have been made by a lot of people. "It is my dream that inevery state where tribals have fought for freedom struggle, a modern museum will be made," he said. Modi also said that thePanchayati Raj Day was an impor tant opportunity to fulfill the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi. "By 2022, we should transformour villages in accordance with the dream of Mahatma Gandhi. I want to make you persons of strong resolve."He suggested bee-keeping and planting bamboo on edges of fields as steps which can boost income offarmers. Bamboo has been classified as "grass" by the government to enable its better commercial use, he added. Modisaid the concern these days was not about lack of funds and the given tasks should be carried out honestly and withtransparency. "Not a single child should stay illiterate. If a life is transformed due to a pradhan, India moves in the rightdirection," he said, adding he was talking of small things as these bring about a change.


TUESDAY, APRIL 24 2018i n d i a

SC TO BE MOVED AGAINST REJECTIONOF IMPEACHMENT MOTION

FEMALE STUDENTS IN JALANDHAR PROTESTING AGAINST RAPE AND MURDER OF YOUNG GIRLS IN KASHMIR AND UP.

Targeting PM in Unnao, Kathuarape cases is concerted slur:Tripura GovernorKOLKATA, (IANS) Ter ming the Unnao and Kathua rapeincidents as "despicable, regrettable and condemnable",Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy on Friday said targeting PrimeMinister Narendra Modi with regard to the two cases was a "concertedslur" and he cannot be held responsible for such incidents. "What hasthe Prime Minister got to do with the rape cases that took place inKathua and Unnao? Law and order is a state subject. What extent canthe Prime Minister be responsible?"In my personal view, there is a cabal consisting of ISI, a numberof Lutyens Delhi Journalists and the so-called secular group,who have joined to lay the blame for these rape and murdersat the door of the Prime Minister. Is this the first rape-murder case that is taking place in the country? It is aconcer ted slur and vilification campaign with the electionsnot very far away," Roy said.

By sacking adviser, you tried to destroychildren's future, Sisodia to ModiNEW DELHI, (IANS) Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia on Fridaywrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that sacking of AtishiMarlena as his adviser was an attempt at destroying the future of thechildren of Delhi. Marlena was among nine advisers and consultantsto Delhi Ministers who were removed after a Home Ministry orderrecently. In his letter to Modi, Sisodia said: "Due to political enmity,removing people working for the betterment of children's education -what kind of patriotism is this?""What is the message you (Modi) want to send out bydismissing such a patriotic, educated, and talented womanwho was working for the education of the children of Delhi?"Sisodia said that Marlena was drawing a salary of only Re1. "In our country, the Education minister or EducationSecretary or Education Director doesn't have to be educationexperts. My opinion is that this is the major reason for thebad state of education in our country," the Minister, a seniorAam Aadmi Par ty leader, said.

NEW DELHI, (IANS) Opposition members will move the Supreme Cour tagainst the rejection by Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu of theimpeachment motion against the Chief Justice of India, Congress leaderKapil Sibal said on Monday.The former Union Law Minister told the media: "The order by the Chairman isunprecedented, illegal, wrong and unconstitutional." He said it was the firsttime an impeachment motion was rejected at the admission stage. "It isillegal because the Chairman has passed the order which is required to bepassed after conducting an enquiry," he added. "We will move the SupremeCourt to challenge the order," he said. Earlier dealing a blow to the opposition,Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected an impeach-ment motion against Chief Justice Dipak Misra on the ground that there waslack of "credible and verifiable" information on charges of "misbehaviour"which, he said, undermined judiciary's independence. The Chairman's deci-sion on the petition filed by 64 MPs belonging to seven parties led by theCongress on Friday was met with strong criticism from former Law Ministerand eminent lawyer Kapil Sibal, who termed it as illegal and unconstitutionaldone in a "tearing hurry". He said the order will be challenged in the SupremeCourt. However, BJP President Amit Shah attacked the Congress saying the

opposition move was par t of a larger trend to demonise and weaken everyinstitution which seeks to maintain its individual identity and not kowtow tothe dynasty. The Chairman's ruling came before proceedings opened in theSupreme Cour t on Monday apparently to enable the Chief Justice to continuehis work uninterrupted.

Don't blame media, we provide them 'masala', Modi tells party lawmakersNEW DELHI, (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday advised BJP leaders not to give "masala" to the media by getting into everyissue as soon as they saw camerapersons, saying such "mistakes" affect the country, par ty and the individual's image."Of ten, our workers say that the media is doing this, the media is doing that. Sometimes, they also claim that cer tain news is given moreair time. But have we ever thought that it is our mistakes that sometimes provide them 'masala' (fodder)," the Prime Minister said duringan interaction with Bharatiya Janata Par ty (BJP) MPs and MLAs through the Narendra Modi mobile app. He also suggested to the par tyleaders not to blame the media for repor ting their statements as due to their own mistakes the real issue gets diver ted."We rush to do an analysis of any big topic as soon as we see the cameras. It is not the media's fault -- we have to control ourselves. Onlythose who have a responsibility to speak should speak to the media. If everyone star ts speaking, then the issue gets diver ted and itaffects the country, the par ty and our individual image," said Modi. The Prime Minister said that the ruling par ty leaders should onlyspeak about the issues they are expected to and they should not get into every issue.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, APRIL 24 2018 i n d i a

CONGRESS WORKERS PARTICIPATING IN THE CANDLE LIGHT MARCH AGAINST TWO RAPES IN THE COUNTRY (PTI).

Punjabi Sikh woman pilgrim converts to Islam, remarries in PakistanCHANDIGARH, (IANS) A Sikhwoman pilgrim from Hoshiarpur dis-trict has repor tedly converted to Is-lam and married a Lahore-basedPakistan national, reports reachingher family in Punjab have indicated.Her old father-in-law, Tarsem Singh,alleged on Thursday that his daugh-ter-in-law could have fallen into thehands of Pakistan's Inter-Services In-telligence (ISI), and may have beenforced to convert and remarry there.The woman, Kiran Bala, who left for

Pakistan on a pilgrimage as part ofthe Shiromani Gurdwara ParbandhakCommittee (SGPC) delegation onApril 12, repor tedly went missing onApril 16. She went to Pakistan on herIndian passpor t with Pakistan visavalid till April 21. As per Pakistanimedia repor ts, the woman embracedIslam from Darul-Aloom JamiaNaeemia in Lahore on April 16 andlater per formed 'nikah' (mar riage)with Muhammed Azam, a residentof Hanjarwal Multan Road in Lahore.

However, what is curious is that inher application for extension of thePakistan visa, her name is typed asAmna Bibi while the signature hasbeen done as Amina. She has ap-plied for extension of visa, citing"threats of assassination" to her lifein India, before Pakistan's Ministry ofForeign Affairs in Islamabad, a repor tin Daily Times said. The News alsoposted pictures of the woman and hervisa extension application on itswebsite.

Around 1,700 Indian pilgrims hadgone to Pakistan to visit Sikh shrines,including Panja Sahib Gurdwara nearLahore and Nankana Sahib - the birthplace of Sikhism founder Guru NanakDev, on the occasion of Baisakhi onApril 13. Kiran Bala, 31, a widow, isthe mother of three. She was livingwith her in-laws at their village housein Garhshankar sub-division ofPunjab, around 90 km fromChandigarh. The children are withtheir aged grandparents. Their fatherhad passed away in 2013."I had dropped my daughter-in-lawwith SGPC officials in Amritsar onApril 10 for the pilgrimage in Paki-stan. The 'jatha' is expected to returnon April 21. I cannot believe what hashappened. No one has contacted usofficially from the SGPC and the for-eign ministry. I want my daughter-in-law to be returned safely," TarsemSingh, a Sikh religious preacher inhis village, told the media. TarsemSingh alleged that Kiran Bala couldbe in touch with the Pakistani man(whom she has repor tedly married)through social media, par ticularlyFacebook. He alleged that she wasusing social media frequently on hermobile phone in the past one month.The visit of the Indian pilgrims to Pa-kistan has been mired in controver-sies in the past one week with Paki-stani agenebers. Posters of Khalistan,a separate Sikh homeland, have alsobeen put up at the places where theIndian delegation is visiting.

400 kg charas, Rs 17lakh seized in PunjabCHANDIGARH, (IANS) As muchas 400 kg 'charas' (cannabis de-rivative) and around Rs 17 lakhin cash were seized from two drugsuppl iers who have been ar-rested, Punjab Pol ice said.Sangrur Senior Superintendent ofPolice Mandeep Singh Sidhu toldthe media that 250 tablets of in-toxicants were also seized fromthe possession of Pritpal Singhof Tohana in Haryana and ShamLal of Sangrur. The seizure wasmade from a mini truck on the out-skirts of Maanwala village near Dhuritown on Monday following a tip-off, Sidhusaid. He said that the accused broughtthe drugs from neighbour ingHaryana. Police is conductingraids to nab others involved in thedrug trade.

PUNJAB ORDERS SPECIALSURVEY FOR CROP LOSSESCHANDIGARH, (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singhon Tuesday ordered a special 'girdawari' (revenue survey) toassess crop losses due to rain and hailstorm in the state.The Chief Minister has directed all Deputy Commissionersto get the evaluation done of crop damage due to fires causedby shor t circuits in overhead high-tension wires. An officialspokesperson said the DCs were ordered to get assessmentsdone by the respective Sub-Divisional Magistrates and PunjabState Power Corporation Limited officers to identify suchcases and submit a detailed repor t for fur ther action by thestate government. Expressing concern over the crop losses,the Chief Minister has directed the depar tments and officersconcerned to under take the assessment on a priority basis.

Judge Loya case: PrashantBhushan attempted tomisrepresent facts, says SCNEW DELHI, (IANS) The Supreme Cour t on Thursdayexpressed concern over the manner in which advocatePrashant Bhushan has acted with a "lack of objectivity" andhis asser tions have bordered on an attempt to "misrepresent thefacts and mislead the cour t." The observation of a bench of ChiefJustice Dipak Misra, Justice A .M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y.Chandrachud came while dismissing PIL seeking a SIT probe intothe death of Judge B.H. Loya in 2014 at Nagpur. Loya was headingthe trial cour t that was holding a trial in the Sohrabuddin Sheikhshootout. The bench took note of the expert opinion from UpendraKaul, a former Professor of Cardiology at AIIMS, submitted byBhushan, who had sought the doctor's professional opinion oncer tain queries relating to the medical evidence available on record.The bench said that in their practice before this cour t, counsel are"expected to assist the cour t with a sense of objectivity inaid of just ice. "But what has happened here is thatBhushan has adopted a dua l mant le , assuming thecharacter of a counsel for the intervenor as well as anind i v idua l pe rsona l l y i n t e res ted on beha l f o f t heintervening organisation (NGO CPIL) of which he is amember. He has gone to the length of personally collectingevidence to somehow bolster the case. "The manner in which theopinion of Dr Kaul was obtained on the basis of a laconicquestionnaire leaves much to be desired and is a singular reflectionon the lack of objectivity which is to be expected from counselappearing before this cour t. This has bordered on an attempt tomisrepresent the facts and mislead the cour t," the benchadded on its judgement.

From key conspirator inNaroda Patiya massacre,Kodnani now walks freeAHMEDABAD, (IANS) Six years after a trial cour t punishedher for 28 years in jail calling her the key instigator in Gujarat'sworst communal massacre that left 97 Muslims dead in 2002in Ahmedabad's Naroda Patiya, the Gujarat High Cour t onFriday acquitted former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnanisaying there was no evidence to nail her.A Division Bench of the High Cour t comprising Justice HarshaDevani and Just ice A .S. Supehia acquitted her, stating therewas absence of sufficient proof of her presence at thecrime scene where huge armed crowds went about on akilling spree for hours. A SIT Cour t had in 2012 found it"beyond reasonable doubt" that Kodnani, a doctor byprofession, was present at the spot of the crime, instigatedmobs to attack Muslims and abetted the crime."In the record of this case, the witnesses have stated thatall the disturbances were star ted and in fact reached itspeak after the arrival of Kodnani. It stands proved beyondall reasonable doubt that she was present and par ticipatedin the crime on that day," the cour t had ruled in August 2012,sentencing Kodnani to 28 years in imprisonment.Friday's acquittal of Kodnani, who was made a Minister afterthe riots, came in the backdrop of witnesses turning hostile,six judges recusing themselves from the hearing and the SITdeciding not to seek enhancement of her sentence statingthat it did not have the Gujarat government's sanction for it.BJP President Amit Shah's testimony in the case in September2017 was the last one and could have proved to be the muchneeded alibi for Kodnani.

Rajnath blames Congress for political violence in poll-bound KarnatakaMANGALURU (IANS) Accusing the ruling Congress in Karnataka of followingthe Kerala "model" in fuelling political violence, Union Home Minister RajnathSingh on Monday vowed to end the menace if the BJP came to power after theMay 12 state assembly elections."It appears the Congress government in Karnataka is following the Left Demo-cratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala in allegedly killing political workersof rival par ties. We will put an end to it when we come to power," said Singhat a campaign for the par ty's candidates in the state's coastal region. Theopposition Bharatiya Janata Par ty (BJP) is contesting from all the 224 as-sembly segments across the state in a bid to return to power after it lost to theCongress in the May 2013 elections following a split in it.The BJP has been holding the Congress responsible for the death of its 24cadres and workers of right-wing RSS in the state's coastal region during itsrule over the last five years. "Many of our political workers were allegedlykilled under the Congress rule. We will end the culture of political violence

when we return to power in the state," reiterated Singh at the party's rallies atKarkala, Belthangady and Udupi in Dakshina Kannada district.Alarmed over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, the HomeMinister asked the public who was responsible for a police officer's death inthe area and who humiliated former Mysuru Deputy Commissioner C. Shikha."The law and order situation is so bad in Karnataka that even its Lokayukta(anti-graft ombudsman) was stabbed in his office in Bengaluru, allegedly bya trader over a month ago," lamented Singh.The BJP veteran leader was referring to the alleged suicide of MangaluruDeputy Superintendent of Police M.K. Ganapathi at Madikeri in Kodagudistrict on July 7, 2016, hours after he accused in a television interviewstate's cabinet minister K.J. George of harassing him during his tenure ashome minister earlier. Shikha, a IAS woman officer, was allegedly threat-ened by a ruling party's leader, repor tedly close to state Chief MinisterSiddaramaiah at Mysuru.


TUESDAY, APRIL 24 2018w o r l d

NEPAL IN TALKS WITH INDIA,PAKISTAN TO REVITALISE SAARC

BRIGITTE MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON, US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND MELANIA TRUMP TOOKA WALK ON THE WHITE HOUSE'S SOUTH LAWN IN WASHINGTON DC.

IRAN VOWS TO RETALIATE IF USWITHDRAWS NUKE DEALTEHRAN, (IANS) Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif saidon Friday that Tehran has a variety of countermeasures if Washingtondecides to pull out of the 2015 landmark nuclear deal. "Iran has a widerange of options both inside and outside of the JCPOA (the nucleardeal) and surely the reaction from Tehran and the international com-munity will be unpleasant for the Americans," Zarif told reporters uponarrival in New York. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is aninternational agreement reached on July 14, 2015 between Iran andsix world powers - China, France, Russia, Britain, the US and Ger-many, plus the European Union. Zarif travelled to New York to attend aUN General Assembly meeting over peacekeeping, Xinhua newsagency reported. "If the European countries want to preserve the deal,they have to make it sustainable for Iran. They (the Europeans) need toimpose pressure on the US … and encourage it to implement what itundertook under the deal," Zarif said. The effor ts to renegotiate thenuke deal "will not get a positive answer" from Iran which wouldmake no "concessions", the Iranian minister added. US PresidentDonald Trump has repeatedly lashed out at the nuclear pact in whichthe West promised to relieve sanctions on Tehran in exchange for ahalt in Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear weapon.

CHINA DEFENDS PAKISTANAGAINST MODI'S 'TERROR EX-PORT FACTORY' REMARKBEIJING, (IANS) China on Friday backed Pakistan and calledon the international community to support its counterter rorism ef-forts after Prime Minister Narendra Modi described it as a "ter rorexport factory". "Terrorism is the enemy faced by all. The internationalcommunity should work together to fight against it," Foreign Ministry spokes-person Hua Chunying said, when asked about China's response to MrModi's remarks. Hua's comments came ahead of the meeting of theForeign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) here,to be held early next week. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj isarriving on Saturday take part in the meeting to be held on April 24.She is due to meet her Chinese counterpar t Wang Yi on Sunday.Separately, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will attendthe SCO Defence Ministers meeting on the same day.

Prince Charles to succeed Queenas Commonwealth headLONDON, (IANS) Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has asked Com-monwealth leaders gathered at Buckingham Palace for the openingof a major summit to appoint her son Prince Charles to succeed her astheir head. She said it was her "sincere wish" that Prince Charlestakes over "one day", as she opened the Commonwealth Heads ofGovernment Meeting (CHOGM) attended by 53 member countries inLondon on Thursday, the BBC reported. The Queen said that her sonshould follow her and lead the organisation which her father,King George VI, founded after the end of the British Empire.The role is not hereditary and will not pass automatically toCharles, the Prince of Wales, on the Queen's death. TheCommonwealth leaders will make a decision on the succes-sion on Friday, No 10 Downing Street said. "It is my sincere wish thatthe Commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity forfuture generations, and will decide that one day the Prince of Walesshould carry on the impor tant work started by my father in 1949,"she told the leaders.

TWIN BOMBINGS KILL 58 INAFGHANISTANKABUL, (IANS) At least 58 people were killed in twin blasts inAfghanistan on Sunday while another 117 were injured, mediarepor ts said. The first blast took place around 10 a.m. when asuicide bomber blew himself up among a crowd lining up to getaccess to an election-related registration site in Kabul, killing52 and injuring 112, Xinhua news agency repor ted. Around twohours later, a bomb went off close to a voter registration centrein Baghlan, killing six persons and injuring five others. All vic-tims were members of the same family, Tolo News repor ted.The family was driving past the centre in Pul-e-Khumri citywhen the IED detonated, health officials said. The dead includedwomen and children while several wounded in Kabul remainedin critical condition. Ter ror group Islamic State (IS) has claimedresponsibility for the Kabul attack while police said the attack-ers in Baghlan were Taliban.

KATHMANDU, (IANS) Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Olion Sunday said Nepal has been holding negotiations with Indiaand Pakistan to revitalise the South Asian Association forRegional Cooperation (Saarc). The Prime Minister said Nepal,as the current chair of Saarc, has been making sincere effor tsto remove misunderstandings between India and Pakistanthrough dialogue with regard to Saarc, Xinhua news agencyrepor ted. "I have requested Indian Prime Minister NarendraModi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi toremove their misunderstandings regarding Saarc," Oli said. Hesaid the Saarc process should not be derailed due to misunder-standings on bilateral issues between Saarc member states."Nepal believes that Saarc plays an effective role in this region.In the capacity of the ongoing chair of Saarc, it is Nepal's

responsibility to take initiatives to make Saarc dynamic," hesaid. Nepal has been asking Saarc member states to organisethe Saarc summit as early as possible, which has not been heldsince Nepal held the 18th Saarc summit in 2014 in Kathmandu.The 19th Saarc summit, scheduled to be held in Islamabad onNovember 9-10 in 2016, was cancelled after India, Afghanistan,Bhutan and Bangladesh decided to skip the summit blamingPakistan for not cooperating in combating cross-border terror-ism in South Asia.However, Pakistan vehemently denied the charges, saying itwas sincerely working to curb cross-border terrorism. Saarc isa regional body founded in 1985 in South Asia, comprisingAfghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal,Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Pakistan court directs Interior Ministry to decide Indian Sikh woman's fateISLAMABAD, (IANS) The Lahore High Cour t directed Pakistan'sInterior Ministry on Saturday to decide within 30 days the fateof Indian Sikh woman pilgrim who conver ted to Islam, marrieda Lahore-based man and moved the cour t for citizenship andvisa extension. Kiran Bala, a mother of three children fromPunjab's Hoshiarpur district, had also sent an application toPakistan's Foreign Ministry. The High Cour t, while extending

her visa by 30 days, directed the Interior Ministry to decidewhether she was eligible for the six-month extension, theExpress Tribune reported. Kiran Bala went to Pakistan on apilgrimage as par t of the Shiromani Gurdwara ParbandhakCommittee (SGPC) delegation on April 12 and repor tedly wentmissing on April 16. She went to Pakistan on her Indian pass-por t with a visa valid till April 21.

36 IS militants killed inIraqi airstrikes in SyriaBAGHDAD, (IANS) At least 36 Is-lamic State (IS) militants were killedin airstrikes by the Iraqi air force target-ing IS positions inside neighbouringSyria, the Iraqi military said on Sunday.Acting on intelligence repor ts, the IraqiF-16 fighter jets pounded the terrorist ISpositions, including a meeting site forsome IS leaders, leaving 36 terroristsdead, Xinhua news agency said quot-ing a statement by the Iraqi Joint Opera-tions Command (JOC). JOC spokesmanYahya Abdul-Rasoul told Xinhua that theattacks were carried out on Thursday,and that intelligence repor ts con-firmed that 36 IS militants werekilled and five IS leaders at themeeting site were among thekilled and a sixth was wounded.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, APRIL 24 2018 w o r l d

PAKISTAN CALLS INDIA'S CLAIMSON SURGICAL STRIKE 'BASELESS'

ARMENIAN SPECIAL POLICE FORCES DETAIN OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS DURING AN ANTI-GOVERNMENT RALLY IN CAPITAL YEREVAN.

ExpiresAPRIL 2018

ISLAMABAD, (IANS) Pakistan on Thursday rejected as "false" and "baseless" Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi's claims of having launched a surgical strike on terrorist camps in Pakistani territory. Atan interactive session at the Central Hall Westminster in London, Modi said on Wednesday thatIslamabad was informed about the 2016 surgical strike before this was made known to the media.Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal told the media that the claims about thesurgical strike by the Indian military was a "lie" and "repeating it doesn't turn it into the truth". Indiasaid its special forces conducted the surgical strike across the Line of Control (LoC), which dividesJammu and Kashmir between the two countries, on September 29 and inflicted heavy casualties onterrorists preparing to infiltrate into Indian Kashmir.

Pakistan's anti-graft body to probe MusharrafISLAMABAD, (IANS) Pakistan's anti-corr uption body, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), on Fridayapproved an investigation into allegations against former President Pervez Musharraf for "holding assetsbeyond means" and "wrongful use of authority." The former military ruler, who is cur rently living in exilein Dubai, also faces high treason charges in Pakistan.He was declared an absconder by an anti-terrorism cour t in the assassination of former Prime MinisterBenazir Bhutto and had postponed his return to the country in March over security concerns, Geo Newsrepor ted. On February 9, the Islamabad High Cour t (IHC) had redefined NAB's powers allowing the bureauto investigate ex-military men, especially retired generals, and directed it to investigate Musharraf for hisalleged corruption while in office. Lt. Col. Inamur Rahim (retired) in 2014 approached the IHC seeking aprobe into the alleged corruption by Musharraf.

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