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VOL 25 - ISSUE 43
Your grocery bill in Canada will jump by nearly $1,000 in 2026
Canada’s food experts predict the average family of four in Ontario will spend close to $1,000 more on groceries next year, thanks to food inflation. And according to Canada’s Food Price Report 2026, price increases are just one of the changes shoppers can expect to see in the store aisles next year. “Prices are going up faster than inflation,” Evan Fraser, Guelph University’s Arrell Food Institute director, told Metroland Media. “Prices are going up faster than wages. And in the context of unbelievably high rent, skipping on food, skimping on food, going to food banks — these sort of strategies are one of the few ways open to a family to address household budgets.” Inflation raises prices In the report, researchers with Dalhousie Agri-food Analytics Lab said overall food prices are likely to increase by four to six per cent in 2026. For a family of four, it means they are expected to spend $17,571.79 on groceries next year — which includes $994.63 more than what they spent this year on the same goods. Continued on Page 10...
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Indian couple trolled over skin colour after wedding video goes viral
Rishabh Rajput and Sonali Chouksey met in college 11 years ago, fell in love and married last month. Photos and videos from their colourful wedding showed the happy couple from the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh performing rituals and posing in their finery. But when they shared their happiest moment on social media, the congratulatory messages came peppered with "jokes and memes" with trolls comparing and criticising the couple over the groom's skin colour. In India, where obsession with fair skin colour is well documented and can sometimes even have tragic consequences, the groom faced intense online shaming and was called names for his "darker skin colour". The trolls did not spare the bride either, with many suggesting she had married him "for his money". Continued on Page 14...
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Sikh groups host extortion town hall in Brampton
A coalition of Sikh organizations is demanding action on what they’re calling an unprecedented wave of extortion crime targeting Sikh families and businesses in Brampton and beyond. The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO), the Sikh Federation, the B.C. Gurdwaras Council and the Ontario Gurdwaras Committee hosted a town hall meeting Dec. 7 with police, politicians and community members in Brampton to confront the threat and bring attention to the issue. A second town hall is scheduled to be held in Calgary on Dec. 13, while a third is slated for Surrey, B.C., the following day. The Brampton town hall, titled “Confronting the Threat: Continued on Page 10...
SABA celebrates Christmas at Northview Golf Club
Why Putin's visit is a masterclass in India's foreign policy
South Asian Business Association members and directors celebrated Christmas with their family and friends at the beautiful Northview Golf Club. The evening was filled with holiday cheer, laughter, and togetherness, as the group enjoyed a night of good company and seasonal spirit. The event was marked by elegant decorations, a warm atmosphere, and joyful moments shared among loved ones. It was a memorable celebration that brought the SABA family closer together during this special time of year.
The visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit is more than a routine diplomatic engagement; it is a powerful signal of continuity in a fracturing world. Continued on Page 15...
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Surrey mayor ‘appalled’ by extortion suspects’ New evacuation orders issued as flood warnings refugee claims as police investigate another shooting expanded in B.C.'s Fraser Valley B.C. officials have expanded flood warnings and issued fresh evacuation alerts in the southern part of the province as river levels remain high — and continue to rise in some places — after an atmospheric river hit the region. Much of the Fraser Valley remains under a flood warning on Thursday, but new warnings have been issued for Princeton and other areas along the upper Similkameen and Tulameen rivers and their tributaries. Environment and Climate Change Canada lifted heavy rainfall alerts on Thursday — after areas of the Fraser Valley, including Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Hope, were hammered by an intense downpour for 24 hours. But flooding risk remains for local rivers, including those flowing across the Canada-U.S.
border — such as the Nooksack — that continue to swell from the influx of water. Floodwaters in Sumas Prairie and Huntingdon Village are expected to peak within the next 12 hours, according to the City of Abbotsford. The City of Abbotsford has issued new evacuation orders for seven properties north of Highway 1, including the Clarion Hotel and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food building, as rising floodwaters continue to spill onto the highway. City officials say the flooding has forced the closure of Highway 1 in both directions between Sumas Road and Whatcom Road. Drivers are being asked to avoid the area and check DriveBC for updates as conditions continue to change. The Clayburn Village evacuation alert has since been lifted.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke says she is “appalled” that suspects identified by B.C.’s Extortion Task Force “are claiming refugee status to evade deportation.” Locke issued a statement condemning the practice and calling on the federal government to “immediately fix Canada’s immigration and deportation laws” Thursday, as police in her city dealt with another suspected extortion-related shooting. The latest incident occurred around 3:30 a.m. at a business near 82 Avenue and 124 Street, according to a statement from the Surrey Police Service. “A suspect fired multiple shots at the business and then fled the area in a dark-coloured vehicle,” the SPS said. “Nobody was in the business at the time of the shooting and there were no injuries as a result. This is the second time that the business has been targeted in a shooting.” Police said they were notified of the shooting around 7:45 a.m., when an employee arrived and saw the damage. The SPS Organized Crime Unit has taken over the investigation, and the shooting is believed to be related to the ongoing extortion problem. Police asked anyone with information about
the latest incident—including video evidence or knowledge about the identities of the suspects— to call them at 604-599-0502. Information can also be provided by calling the Surrey Extortion Tip Line at 236-485-5149 or by contacting Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-222-8477. The file number for this case is 25-109899 (SP). “Surrey has been disproportionately impacted by these extortion attempts, and those responsible must face swift justice,” Locke said Thursday. “Law-abiding Canadians and foreign nationals in our city deserve better than to see our legal and immigration systems abused by criminals to extend their stay in Canada.” Late last month, the task force said the border agents had launched investigations into 96 foreign nationals in connection with the extortion issue because they “may be inadmissible” to Canada. Five of those individuals had already been deported, the task force said at the time. It did not mention any refugee claims. CTV News has reached out to the Canada Border Services Agency for more information and updated numbers on extortion investigations and suspects’ refugee claims. This story will be updated if a response is received.
Another Conservative MP crosses floor to Liberals, brings party closer to majority
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Conservative MP Michael Ma, who represents the Ontario riding of Markham-Unionville, is crossing the floor to the Liberal Party, according to a statement released Thursday night. Ma, who was first elected in this year’s federal election, now brings the Liberals one seat shy of a majority with 171 seats. “After listening carefully to the people of Markham–Unionville in recent weeks and reflecting with my family on the direction of our country, I have informed the Speaker and the Leader of the Opposition that I will be joining Prime Minister Mark Carney in the government caucus. This is a time for unity and decisive action for Canada’s future,” he writes. In his statement, Ma also says Carney is “offering the steady, practical approach” needed “to deliver on the priorities I hear every day,” which he says includes affordability and the economy. According to a post by Conservative MP Todd Doherty, Ma attended the Conservative Party Christmas party on Wednesday night and posed in a photo with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. Ma, meanwhile, received a raucous welcome Thursday night at the annual Liberal Party of Canada holiday party in Ottawa. Ahead of Carney taking the stage, the party faithful cheered when one of the emcees, Liberal MP Mona Fortier declared: “171” – a reference to the number of seats the Liberals now hold, and her colleague and Liberal caucus chair James Maloney suggested they’ll get to 172. Then, soon into the prime minister’s address, Carney spoke about how the Liberal tent is growing, noting some in the room had been Liberals their whole lives, while others “may have just joined our party.” “Like literally, just joined our party,” he said, smiling. “So lets give a warm welcome to our newest member of the Liberal party, Michael Ma.”
As the prime minister said this, Ma came on stage, and said a few brief words, including wishing “a great 2026 coming to all of you, thank you.” Carney then grabbed his arm, linked hands, and raised their arms overhead, in a seeming show of victory, before the prime minister carried on with his speech. Ma is the third MP since November to leave Conservatve ranks. Hours after the federal budget on Nov. 4, Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont defected to the
Liberals, saying he no longer “aligned with the ideals of what the leader of the Opposition had been talking about.” That same week, Alberta MP Matt Jeneroux was rumoured to be crossing the floor until he announced he would be resigning from the Conservative Party next spring. At te time, two sources told CTV News that Jeneroux had conversations with senior staffers from Carney’s office in early November and following that meeting, the impression among all those involved was that Jeneroux would be crossing the floor. Amid that speculation, a source close to Jeneroux told CTV News that Conservative Party officials made it known to him that there would be consequences if he did floor cross, which ultimately led to his decision to resign.
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BC property company says it lost lender, tenant for new development after Cowichan ruling A B.C. property company says a lender has pulled out of financing a new building because of the recent Cowichan Tribes ruling that granted Aboriginal title to more than three square kilometres in Richmond. Montrose Property Holdings, which develops industrial warehouses on land it owns, some of it in the Aboriginal claims area, said it had been in “advanced discussions” with the lender which it had successfully dealt with several times before, and a prospective tenant. But talks ended because of “uncertainties and risk allocation issues” raised by the B.C. Supreme Court ruling in August, the company says in an application to reopen the court case that will be filed soon. Montrose said it spent about $7.5 million advancing the project and expected to borrow another $35 million to complete construction. The company said discussions have also ceased for the same reason with companies such as Fortis and Enbridge to develop a facility to capture landfill gas, rather than flare it. Those discussions had been underway for six years. The 31-page application to reopen the case and a 1,200-page supporting affidavit, which have been sent to the parties involved in the case, were shared with Postmedia. The business effects Montrose says it is experiencing from the Cowichan decision are among the first specific examples to be aired publicly. The Cowichan had not sought to displace private land owners or invalidate their titles. However, the court did not rule that private lands were off limits. The judge ruled that Aboriginal title and feesimple title can coexist. And Young noted that while the Cowichan are not pursuing exclusive use and occupation of privately owned lands, they might choose to do so in the future through
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2 more arrests at Vancouver Island forestry blockade
negotiation or legal action. Montrose outlines in its application that this creates numerous problems, including uncertainty around the fee-simple private-land holding system in B.C. “Montrose’s fee-simple land interests are directly affected by any finding or declaration of Aboriginal title on the Montrose lands, even if the court is not asked to go so far as to declare Montrose fee-simple titles defective and invalid,” said the company in its application. “The fact that the plaintiff is not (at present) seeking a declaration that Montrose fee-simple titles are defective and invalid is irrelevant and in fact a distraction from the relevant issue,” it added. Montrose noted the essence of its business relies on its ability to borrow against its real estate and provide security interests to lenders, including financial institutions and pensions funds. The company said tenants likewise make significant long-term improvements to their buildings based on the assurance their investments “rest on stable and reliable title.” Montrose says the uncertainty created by the Cowichan ruling not only includes the use of the land as security for financing, but its ability to sell the land, the potential imposition of new restrictions, and the effect on federal, provincial and municipal permitting. Montrose said the idea of co-ownership raises myriad questions, including whether the Aboriginal titleholder could undertake physical presence on the land, store materials, construct structures, alter that land, or permit third parties to access the land. That in turn raises health and safety liability issues, it said. Montrose purchased land in south Richmond between 18 and more than 40 years ago. It developed huge warehouses that are home to CocaCola, Canadian Tire and furniture and homegoods company Wayfair.
Mounties enforcing an injunction against antilogging protesters on Vancouver Island say they made two more arrests Thursday. The latest arrests at the protesters’ Walbran Forest Service Road blockade bring the total to 13 since enforcement began on Nov. 25, police said in a news release. The arrests were made after officers patrolling the injunction area “located some individuals perched on top of tree structures that blocked the roadway.” Two people were arrested for breaching the injunction, Mounties said. One of them was released at the scene with conditions. The other was held in custody for breaching the conditions of their release after a previous arrest at the blockade last month. “The police will remain in the area in the coming days, patrolling the Walbran Forest Service Road to ensure unimpeded access,” the RCMP release reads. Of the 13 arrests made since enforcement began,
two have involved individuals who had already been arrested at the site previously. Nine of the arrests have been for breaching the injunction, one each for criminal mischief and obstruction of police “for resisting arrest” and two for breaching release conditions. The B.C. Supreme Court granted the injunction to Tsawakqin Forestry on Sept. 12. The company is co-owned by Western Forest Products and the Huu-ay-aht First Nations. “We had hoped the blockaders would comply with the court’s order and leave peacefully,” the company said in a statement when enforcement of the injunction began. “The blockaders were asked on multiple occasions to leave the blockade, including by the Pacheedaht First Nation, but refused to do so.” Pacheedaht has previously denounced the blockade on its territory, saying it’s obstructing approved forestry activities.
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2025
Canadian Armed Forces member charged in foreign interference investigation A senior non-commissioned member of the Canadian Armed Forces’ intelligence-gathering unit has been arrested and charged as part of an ongoing investigation into foreign interference. Master Warrant Officer Matthew Robar of the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command is facing multiple charges under Canada’s foreign interference law, as well as under the National Defence Act and the Criminal Code, the military announced Thursday. Robar was arrested Wednesday following a joint operation by the Canadian Forces Military Police, the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service and the RCMP’s national security enforcement team. The Department of National Defence says Robar is charged with eight offences, including: • One count of Communicating Special Operational Information under section s. 17(1) of the Foreign Interference and Security of Information Act (FISOIA), pursuant to s. 130 of
the NDA; • One count of Breach of Trust in Respect of Safeguarded Information under s. 18(1) of the FISOIA, pursuant to s. 130 of the NDA; • Two counts of Contravention of Storage Regulations under s. 86 Criminal Code of Canada (CC) contrary to s. 117 Firearms Act, pursuant to s. 130 of the NDA; • Three counts of Conduct to the Prejudice of Good Order and Discipline, pursuant to s. 129 of the NDA; and • One count of Feigning Disease, pursuant to s. 98 of the NDA. The investigation began in 2024 and focused on what the Department of National Defence described as “the unauthorized disclosure of safeguarded information to a foreign entity.” The statement did not identify the foreign entity. The agency says that if any of the charges proceed to trial, they will be tried in the military justice system through a court martial hearing.
Cowichan case blamed for sinking B.C. property deals, including luxury hotel purchase An Ontario company that put down a deposit to buy a luxury hotel in Richmond, B.C., pulled out of the deal worth tens of millions of dollars weeks later because of “uncertainty” caused by the landmark Cowichan Tribes Aboriginal title ruling, according to the marketers of the property. Court documents show that the 14-storey Versante Hotel, close to Vancouver International Airport, was instead bought by a Hong Kong purchaser in October for the lower price of $51.5 million. The exact value of the withdrawn offer isn’t disclosed in documents related to the courtordered sale, which was compelled by lenders to
the project who said they were owed $113 million as of August. Commercial real estate firm Colliers says in a letter to the hotel’s receiver, Deloitte, that it had received the previous offer from “an established hotel operator” from Ontario on July 29, and it was accepted on the basis of price and terms. But nine days later, on Aug. 7, the B.C. Supreme Court confirmed that the Cowichan Tribes hold Aboriginal title over about 300 hectares of land on the Fraser River. On Aug. 18, the Ontario hotel firm pulled its offer for the Versante and asked for its deposit to be returned.
For 1st time since trade war, Canada exported more than it imported The Canadian economy achieved a trade surplus for the first time since the U.S. trade war began, as exports rebounded and imports fell in September, according to Statistics Canada. The agency adds that export to countries other than the United States rose sharply by 11 per cent in the same month — and that while exports to the U.S. increased, imports from there dropped. “Exports to the United States were up 4.6 per cent in September, partly due to higher exports of aircraft, light trucks and unwrought gold,” Statistics Canada noted. “Meanwhile, imports from the United States declined 1.7 per cent in September, a third consecutive monthly decrease.” Canada saw its total exports climb 6.3 per cent in September compared with August as imports fell 4.1 per cent. Compared with a year ago, September saw total exports climb 0.3 per cent, while total imports fell 1.9 per cent. Statistics Canada says the economy saw a “slight” trade surplus of $153 million in September, following August’s $6.4-billion deficit, and a $3.8-billion deficit in July. A tradesurplus happens when the value of goods and services exported is greater than the value of those imported — similar to when a company makes a profit on what it produces. When the opposite occurs, and an economy imports more than it exports, it’s considered a trade deficit. “Overall story is really positive,” said Prince Owusu, senior economist with Export Development Canada, to Reuters. “It seems to suggest that the trade flow with the United States is beginning to stabilize,” he said, adding that the trend of diversification from the U.S. is also continuing. Prime Minister Mark Carney has been working
to steer Canada’s economy away from the United States as its number one trading partner in order to reduce the impact of tariffs and the uncertainty of the trade war. This has meant finding alternative trading partners and investing in new projects while expanding various resource sectors to meet the demand. An Ipsos poll released during the summer, and conducted exclusively for Global News, found that 72 per cent of Canadian respondents were actively avoiding U.S.-made goods, and a separate poll released in September found six in 10 said they could never trust the U.S. the same way again. Statistics Canada says August’s increase in exports was the largest since February 2024, with gains seen in nine out of 11 sectors. The largest exports were seen in metal and non-metallic mineral products, particularly from raw gold, as well as silver and platinum group metals and alloys.
Most of these raw metals were shipped to customers in Switzerland, the United States and the United Kingdom. Still, Canada’s aluminum industry managed to increase its exports to other countries, like the Netherlands and Italy. Crude or raw oil exports were up 5.8 per cent in September, which was the fifth straight monthly gain in export value for the sector.
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The US has made it clear that tourist visa applications will be denied if consular officers believe the primary purpose of travel is to give birth in America to secure US citizenship for the child in what is seen as further tightening of the visa vetting procedures. “US consular officers will deny tourist visa applications if they believe the primary purpose of travel is to give birth in the United States to obtain US citizenship for the child. This is not permitted," a spokesperson for the US Embassy in New Delhi said. The clarification comes amid a broader recalibration of the US government’s visa screening system. The embassy has also confirmed a significant expansion of social media and online presence reviews across additional visa categories. Beginning December 15, the State Department will also extend online presence vetting to all H-1B specialty occupation worker applicants and their dependents applying under the H-4 category. The review protocol is already in place for F, M and J student and exchange visitor visas. "The Department of State conducts thorough vetting of all visa applicants, including an online presence review of all student and exchange visitor applicants. Beginning December 15, we are expanding the online presence review to all specialty occupation temporary worker (H-1B) visa applicants and their dependents," the spokesperson said. Officials underscored that every case will undergo the time and scrutiny required to ensure the applicant poses no security risk and intends to undertake only those activities permitted under the visa class being sought. Routine appointment schedules may shift to accommodate resource constraints, with applicants to be notified directly of any changes.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2025
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Another Ludhiana youth behind firing incidents in Kapil Sharma’s cafe in Canada The name of another youth from Brahampur village in Raikot has surfaced as the alleged mastermind behind the three firing incidents at comedian Kapil Sharma’s Kap’s Café in Canada. According toCanadian police and central agencies, Sukhwinder Seepu of Brahampur, along with two other Punjabi youths, Sharry and Diljot, has been linked to the attacks. Their names emerged a fortnight after the Crime Branch of Delhi Police arrested Bandhu Maan Singh Sekhon, an operator of the Goldy Dhillon gang, from Jawaddi village on the outskirts of Ludhiana on November 28. Though Ludhiana (Rural) police are tight-lipped about the development, senior Raikot police personnel have been advised to keep a close watch on Seepu’s associates, if any.
Investigations revealed that Seepu was already booked in a case at Ahmedgarh City police station in Malerkotla district over six months ago. In that case, he had allegedly threatened a man with dire consequences for insisting on filing a complaint against his brother-inlaw. The Malerkotla police were in the process of reinvestigating the case when Seepu’s name surfaced in the Kap’s Café case, prompting senior officials to return the file to Ahmedgarh police. Probes have revealed that while Seepu and Sekhon were not directly involved in the firing incidents, both played important roles in planning the crime. Seepu is believed to have drafted and monitored the execution of the plans, while Sekhon allegedly provided weapons and vehicles to carry out the firing incidents.
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2025
New Pattullo Bridge replacement given First Nation's name Staləwasəm The new Fraser River bridge connecting Surrey and New Westminster has finally received a name, given by First Nations. The Kwantlen First Nation and the Musqueam Indian Band unveiled the name Monday morning at the Surrey side of the new crossing, which is nearing completion and will replace the aging Pattullo Bridge. The structure will be called is stalwasm (pronounced stoll-O-osum) Bridge, meaning “a space where you can view the river.” It translates into English as Riverview. The bridge’s name is from the Coast Salish language. Mike Farnworth, B.C.’s transportation minister, said Monday the Bridge is “more than just a name.” Chief Marilyn Gabriel of the Kwantlen First Nation said a traditional name is “not bestowed lightly” and “carries reminders and responsibilities.” “The name reminds us that with many connections shared in this area, we all are responsible to honour and uphold its well-being and generosity it has provided for countless generations.” The $1.6 billion replacement project’s bridge deck is now connected and the final paving is underway, Farnworth said, adding the bridge is expected to open partly on Dec. 24. The northbound lane to Columbia Street in New Westminster will be the first to open. The new bridge will continue to open in phases, with a planned closure of the new and existing bridge for one week in late January, Farnworth said. The new bridge won’t be fully open until February. Because the new bridge will have to tie into the existing road network — King George Boulevard on the Surrey side and McBride Boulevard on the New West side — additional work is needed to manage traffic on both sides to complete the switchover. A 2016 report that found the current bridge, built in the 1930s and named after Thomas
Dufferin Pattullo, the 22nd premier of B.C., no longer meets safety standards. In 2018, the province approved the construction of a new bridge. Farnworth was asked by reporters Monday about the controversy surrounding the choice to source steel and fabrication services from China, and claims it has led to job losses, but the minister said, “People who say that don’t know what they’re talking about. It’s really that simple.” Farnworth acknowledged that some materials
were sourced overseas, but they were all inspected in B.C. by skilled workers. He did not directly answer if the reliance on Chinese materials contributed to a loss in work for local residents, but said the people who built the bridge are “nearly all British Columbians.” The new bridge includes four wider lanes than the existing structure, and features a centre median and barrier-separated walking and cycling lanes on both sides. According to the ministry, stalwasm Bridge is double the width of the Pattullo Bridge. It is designed to potentially be six lanes in the future. The new bridge was originally scheduled to open in 2023, then it was pushed to 2024 and again to this fall, with the target now set for Christmas. Costs for the new bridge increased as the timeline for completion kept extending. While a government sign near the site still states its cost at $1.377 billion, the project has a total price of $1.637 billion.
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Your grocery bill in Canada will jump by nearly $1,000 in 2026
Continued from Page 1... Researchers noted the cost of food today is already up 27 per cent more than what it cost to put food on the table five years ago. “Prices are only one piece of Canada’s complex food industry story,” Fraser said in a press release. “Prices increase year over year but reports like this one help us understand that our food sits in the middle of shifting disputes, behaviours, and policies.” Fraser added continued collaboration across Canada is critical to track new trends, because affordable access to food is a matter of security. What foods will cost the most in 2026 One noticeable factor in rising grocery costs is meat prices. The price of beef soared in 2025, with a 19 per cent increase in the first quarter alone. “Nearly a decade of drought in the leading beef producing area of Canada has resulted in the smallest number of cattle since the late 1980s,” University of Saskatchewan campus lead Stuart Smyth said in a press release. “Reduced supply and consistent demand creates upward pressure. Canadian beef is high quality and consumers intending to keep buying it will need to be increasingly conscious of optimum purchasing opportunities.” Chicken prices are also set to rise substantially in 2026, the food report noted. “Customer demand for chicken has increased due to the higher cost of beef,” Dalhousie said in a press release. “Canada has strengthened beef import partnerships with Mexico and Australia. This should help stabilize prices, but the squeeze is expected to continue until at least 2027.” Fraser noted the recent spread of Avian influenza has also hit the poultry industry hard, which also reduced supply. Canada limits how much chicken can be imported and the Chicken Farmers of Canada produce no more and no less than what’s needed to meet demand, Sylvain Charlebois, a senior director for the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, told Metroland Media in a previous interview. Every eight weeks, Canada’s chicken farmers decide how much to produce based on demand. “I don’t think we’re going to have a severe shortage; things are just going to be much tighter over the next little while,” Charlebois said. He anticipates prices to stabilize once production catches up to demand. While the price of groceries has expanded, the
amount of what Canadians are buying has not. According to the food report, the volume of food sold in Canada has reduced considerably. But production costs have risen, leading to a small decrease in food manufacturing growth. Companies like Kraft-Heinz, Dr Pepper and Kellogg restructured and downsized, laying off thousands of workers. And some companies have also resorted to shrinkflation — decreasing the size of packaging but not decreasing the price. Food insecurity crisis According to Fraser, knowing many families are cutting back on food in order to afford rent is a sign society is becoming food insecure. “Food’s going up faster than inflation. Food’s going up faster than wages. Rent is unbelievably expensive. Therefore, we have a food security insecurity crisis in this country that is most visible,” Fraser said. “Millions of people are going to food banks that never used to go to food banks.” He said traditionally, energy costs were low, climate change wasn’t impacting crops as much, and international trade was easy — which kept grocery prices stable. “We built this incredibly complicated set of industrial food systems using a very efficient, just enough, just in time kind of mindset,” Fraser said. “And now, energy prices aren’t as cheap as they used to be. The environment isn’t as productive as it used to be. Trade isn’t as easy as it used to be.” Those cascading factors have added to the high prices at the grocery store, he added. And he is concerned this will be the new normal going forward, since as budgets are squeezed, food is one of the first things people cut back on. “I don’t see a pathway where significant low prices will return in grocery aisles. I think the way we address this as a society is through social programming around wages and wage support and guaranteed basic income.” New regulations in 2026 As experts watch food prices in 2026, a few new changes are also coming in the new year. Extra labels A new law comes into effect in Canada on Jan. 1, to add extra labels to the front of packaging. “It will be mandatory for all food that surpasses a predetermined threshold for sodium, sugar, and saturated fat to include front-of-pack labelling,” the food report said. “This will help consumers make better choices and could encourage product innovation.”
Man arrested after 6 robberies in 3 days in Maple Ridge and Langley, RCMP say A 24-year-old man is in custody after allegedly engaging in a three-day crime spree across Maple Ridge and Langley. Officers from both the Ridge Meadows and Langley RCMP detachments responded to six separate reports of robbery between Dec. 5 and 7, all believed to have been committed by the same suspect. Four of the incidents occurred in Maple Ridge and the other two occurred in Langley, Ridge Meadows RCMP said in a news release Thursday. “In each instance, the suspect’s description and methods were very similar,” the release reads. “This included multiple businesses and their staff and customers being targeted and a firearm being present. None of the victims involved sustained any physical injuries.” The Ridge Meadows detachment’s Street Enforcement Unit led the investigation and arrested the suspect in Langley on Tuesday morning, police said. Langley RCMP, B.C. RCMP Air Services and the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team assisted with the arrest and the execution
of a search warrant at the suspect’s residence, according to Mounties. Ridge Meadows RCMP provided four file numbers with their news release. Online court records show charges have so far been laid in only one of the four cases. Cole Houston Charles Mercer has been charged with one count of robbery and one count of using an imitation firearm to commit an indictable offence. The alleged offences occurred on Dec. 6, and the charges were laid Thursday. Mercer remains in custody. His next court appearance is scheduled for Friday in Port Coquitlam.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2025
Extortion suspects have all claimed refugee status, Canada’s border agency says Canada’s plan to expel those behind B.C.’s extortion epidemic has hit a roadblock after every single suspect sent for a deportation hearing claimed refugee status. The foreign nationals were identified by B.C.’s Extortion Task Force, but once the Canada Border Services Agency began investigating them, all claimed to be refugees.
As a result, deportations of the 14 suspects have been put on hold until the Immigration and Refugee Board decides whether they have legitimate cases for asylum. “The 14 individuals made a refugee claim after the CBSA initiated immigration investigations against them for alleged inadmissibility,” the border agency told Global News. The immigration enforcement agency spokesperson said he would not comment further on the matter, and did not respond when asked if all were citizens of India. The vice-chair of immigration at the Canadian Bar Association’s B.C. branch said the suspects’
alleged involvement in crime could still be raised during their refugee hearings. The refugee board could reject their claims for asylum on the grounds they are inadmissible to Canada for criminality, Amandeep Hayer said. But by making refugee claims, the suspects may have delayed their deportations for years, said Vancouver immigration lawyer Richard Kurland. Deportations are key to Canada’s effort to tackle the extortions that have been targeting members of the South Asian community, particularly in B.C.’s Lower Mainland and Brampton, Ont. The exortions of South Asian business owners, in particular home builders, also in the Alberta capital of Edmonton has led to several arrests and charges. Indian crime groups such as the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which Canada listed as a terrorist group on Sept. 29, have been demanding exorbitant payoffs from business owners and others. After threatening victims by phone, gang leaders in India will then send local foot soldiers to conduct arsons and shootings to pressure them to pay up. Because the Indian government has allegedly used the Bishnoi gang to attack its political opponents in Canada, the issue has become intertwined with foreign interference and repression. In September, the B.C. government formed an extortion task force to tackle “organized-crime activity involved in extortion-related threats.” It is led by the RCMP and composed of police and immigration officers.
Metro Vancouver mayors urge BC to roll back housing density laws, but province ‘not going backwards’ A coalition of Metro Vancouver mayors is calling on the B.C. government to repeal housing legislation designed to increase supply through higher density, but the housing minister says there's no going "backward." The mayors representing 16 municipalities including Surrey, Burnaby, Richmond, Delta, West Vancouver and the Township of Langley say the measures overlook local realities and pile infrastructure costs onto municipalities. At a joint press conference Thursday, local officials said they are urging the province to roll back legislation that requires communities to add density around transit hubs, allow multiplexes on traditional single-family lots and meet provincially imposed housing targets. “One size fits all doesn’t work and it will never work,” said Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley. “Six units on a single-family lot under 7,000 square feet doesn’t work especially if we add into that no parking [space requirement]. How is that going to work? These are just not thought through,” he said. Since May 2023, the province
has had the authority to set binding housing targets for municipalities facing high population growth and increasing housing needs. Delta Mayor George Harvie said the province’s housing targets have not helped spur construction in his city. Delta and West Vancouver were among 10 municipalities on the province’s so-called “naughty list” in 2023. Now, Harvie says the City of Delta has met provincial housing targets but it’s only on paper. “None of those have been built,” he said. “We have approximately 1,200 approved units and we get letters from the province saying, ‘Congratulations, here’s the next target you have,’” he said. “But nothing is happening, stop sending us new targets.” .C. Housing Minister Christine Boyle says these policies are "making a real difference" and that the government has no plans to make further changes to them. “We’re not going backwards when we see these policies are making a real difference,” she said. “B.C. is leading the country in declines in asking rents.”
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Fernie warns of 'catastrophic system failure' as wastewater threatens to flood homes, businesses The city of Fernie, in B.C.'s East Kootenay region, is urging residents to avoid non-essential water use in order to avoid a "catastrophic system failure" of their wastewater system. "We are asking all residents and businesses to immediately conserve water—please limit laundry, dishwashing, showers, and all non-essential water use," a city news release says. The community of roughly 6,300 has been experiencing intense rain and snowfall followed by rapid melting, overwhelming its wastewater discharge system. To try and respond to the problem, the city has been releasing untreated wastewater directly into the Elk River at multiple
locations, as well as using vacuum trucks to transport waste to other locations, closing parks and trails where the operation is underway. The city says it is working directly with the province in order to monitor and track its work but says the release of untreated wastewater is necessary in order to prevent long-term damage to prevent even larger problems." Additionally, severe rainfall has resulted in several road washouts and localized flooding in some homes. Across B.C.'s Kootenay region, southern Interior and Fraser Valley, thousands of people are under alert after an atmospheric river hit the region on Wednesday, leading to rapidly rising river levels.
Whitecaps, City of Vancouver sign agreement on pursuing new stadium The Vancouver Whitecaps are moving forward with plans to build a new stadium on the eastern edge of the city. The Major League Soccer club and the City of Vancouver announced Thursday that they have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore a new stadium and entertainment district at Hastings Park. The deal isn't approval for a new project, said Vancouver mayor Ken Sim, but a framework for negotiations. “It’s really up to the Whitecaps and if they have future partners to come up with a plan that makes sense," he said. "And then they’ll present that to council and there’ll be a lot of opportunities to go through a public hearing and make sure it works in the context of our city and the region.” Over the
next year, the city and the Whitecaps will attempt to negotiate a long-term lease that would see the city maintain ownership of the land. A design for the stadium will also be put forward, along with the financial terms and community benefits of the project. It will be up to the Whitecaps and their partners to finance the plan, Sim said. The size of the stadium and what else will be included in the entertainment district remains to be seen, said Whitecaps chief executive officer and sporting director Axel Schuster. Now that an agreement has been signed, the team will look for partners and try to determine how much space they need, what they want to do with any additional space, and how to make the project financially sustainable, he said.
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2025
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2025
BC seeks forfeiture of condo, BMW, $1 million in cash following fentanyl bust The province is seeking forfeiture of a Richmond condo, a BMW sedan and cash worth more than $1 million, allegedly linked to drug labs in the Lower Mainland. A special federal RCMP unit raided the Richmond condo and a Surrey property in September where they found nearly $86,000 in cash, more than five kilograms of fentanyl, cocaine and firearms, including automatic assault rifles. The mortgaged condo, valued at $937,000 by the B.C. Assessment Authority, is located in the 12300-block of McNeely Drive in Richmond. That is where the cash and about 200 grams of cocaine were found on Sep. 4, along with various bags of unknown powdered substances believed to be illicit drugs or precursor chemicals, according to the forfeiture claim. The RCMP’s clandestine laboratory enforcement and response team, known as CLEAR, also found records of sales, collections and debts, a money counter, five cellphones and two laptops at the condo. The condo is owned by Tan Ping Ben Ng, who is named in the forfeiture suit along with Yuen Mai Alice Li and Marco Lok Tin Ng. The 2022 BMW is owned by F&J Management, but the forfeiture claim alleges that Marco Ng is the “beneficial owner”. During the RCMP investigation, at all times Marco Ng drove the BMW that was observed at the Richmond condo and the Surrey property, said the province in its court filing. “Marco Ng attended various stores to purchase items necessary for the production of controlled substances, and used the vehicle to do so,” according to the claim. The civil claim says 13 firearms including a
.50-calibre long gun, semi-automatic assault rifles and handguns were found Sep. 4 at the Surrey property, although address was not detailed. In addition to the fentanyl, police found items similar to those purchased by Marco Ng necessary for the production of illicit drugs, says the claim. On Wednesday, the RCMP announced details of
A family of six who had just left a refugee camp before arriving in Surrey, B.C., is mourning the death of Shomima Khan, after she was fatally struck by a cube van while leaving school on Dec. 5. Khan, 9, was crossing the road with her father, Ayub Khan, around 2:35 p.m. PT in the 13400-block of 81 Avenue near Newton Elementary School when she was hit, according to her family. While police say the driver remained on scene and is co-operating with investigators, Khan's death has taken a heavy toll on the family who had only just arrived in Canada on Nov. 6. The Khans had spent years in a Bangladesh refugee camp, having fled Myanmar after facing genocide as Rohingya Muslims, before they were sponsored by Ayub's brother Nasir Khan bin Noor Ali. Ali told CBC News that after Shomima was born in Myanmar in 2016, the large-scale persecution of Rohingya Muslims began in that
country. The campaign of violence, which Canada has recognized as genocide, has seen millions flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. "That's why I give them better life. I sponsored them," the Surrey resident said. "We don't have a citizenship. Our home country, we cannot go back." Ajis Khan bin Nasir Khan, Shomima's cousin, translated for Ayub who spoke to CBC News in the Rohingya language. "He was just bringing them home from school like any other day," Ajis said. Shomima has two brothers and a sister, and Ajis described her as a shy girl who always listened. "You know how kids sometimes, like, rebel when you tell them something? She would always listen," he recalled. "And then boom, this happened, this specific day. He never saw something like this happen anywhere else."
Man pleads guilty to manslaughter in 2022 stabbing death of Coquitlam senior B.C.’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says a man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the fatal stabbing of a Coquitlam senior nearly four years ago. Terry Miller, 66, was stabbed near 228 Schoolhouse St. in Coquitlam on Feb. 10, 2022 and police say he died of his injuries in hospital nearly two weeks later. Almost a year later in January 2023, police arrested Jeffrey Stevens in Surrey, who was later charged by the B.C. Prosecution Service in connection with Miller’s death. He was also charged with aggravated assault related to a second victim who
Man charged with assault of 73-year-old neighbour of Universal Ostrich farm Mounties in British Columbia say mischief and assault charges have been approved against a 60-year-old man connected to a protest at Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood, B.C., where the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) culled more than 300 birds last month. Police say that on Sept. 22, officers arrived at the farm and were made aware of an altercation at a neighbouring property. They say the suspect was arrested at the scene and a 73-year-old woman received medical care from officers. The RCMP say the suspect, who is from Ontario, has been charged with assault, assault with a weapon and mischief, and is scheduled to appear in court next month. At the time, RCMP told CBC News the man was arrested without incident and released on conditions which included not returning to the
property. Universal Ostrich spokesperson Katie Pasitney condemned the attack. The alleged assault took place around the same time that RCMP officers were dispatched to Universal Ostrich to accompany CFIA workers after the agency was granted a warrant to search the property. The RCMP say they were asked to join them in an effort to "keep the peace and enforce the law."
a September raid in Surrey and Richmond, saying they had dismantled a major drug lab in Surrey. t the property in the 12900-block of 54A Avenue in Surrey, the RCMP found 14 kgs of suspected fentanyl, 13 firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and additional magazines, as well as 206 litres of gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), a chemical precursor. RCMP said one person was arrested at the McNeely Drive site in Richmond, who has been released without charges while the investigation continues. In the civil claim, the province alleges the defendants’ unlawful activities include the production, possession and trafficking of illicit drugs, possession of the proceeds of crime, money laundering, and failure to disclose taxable income. None of the defendants have responded in court to the civil claim.
Refugee family mourns 9-year-old child killed in Surrey crash
survived, according to earlier statements from police. IHIT says Stevens, now 24, entered the guilty plea on Wednesday for his involvement in the death of Miller and a sentencing hearing has been scheduled for March 12, 2026. At the time, investigators said the stabbing was targeted. Sgt. Freda Fong of IHIT said the plea marks a major development in the case. “As we await sentencing, our thoughts are with Mr. Miller’s family and those who were impacted by this tragic incident,” Fond said in a statement Thursday.
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2025
Politicians debate reflooding Sumas Prairie A new report by a team of UBC scientists has B.C. politicians and First Nations weighing in after it proposed relocating some residents and farms in Abbotsford, B.C.'s Sumas Prairie, to allow the area to be turned back into a lake. The report's lead author says that a "managed retreat" is necessary because climate modelling shows the area will continue to experience further catastrophic flooding, akin to the devastation the Fraser Valley experienced in 2021.
"The lake wants to come back, so bringing the lake back is fairly simple," Tara Martin told CBC Radio's The Current. "The harder thing is moving infrastructure and people out of the way," she said. Much of the Sumas Prairie was once a shallow, freshwater lake until the B.C. government drained it in the 1920s, converting it into agricultural land for settlers and displacing the Sumas First Nation. Martin, with UBC's Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, says with further flooding on the horizon, it makes better economic sense to reflood the plain rather than rebuild dikes to manage water flows. The report says buying back the estimated 1,375 properties on the lakebed is a solution that is projected to cost around $1 billion, less than half of the estimated $2.4 billion cost of repairing dikes and installing a new pump station. "I think long term, this is probably the most costeffective, this managed retreat," B.C. Conservative
Party president Aisha Estey told CBC's Stephen Quinn on Monday. "The insurance implications of fighting ongoing flooding would be astronomical, so we definitely need to start making some different decisions there and pulling buildings back and getting buildings out of the way of destruction," she said. On Friday, B.C. Premier David Eby said he was "flabbergasted" by the suggestion to turn the prairie back into a lake. "I think it's a very bad decision. It will impact food prices for British Columbians. It will hurt farmers with dramatically higher costs, and they won't be able to farm anymore if it's underwater, obviously," Eby said. Abbotsford, B.C., dairy farmer Rudi Meire says he can't imagine selling his home and business in an effort to reclaim Sumas Lake. "It would be devastating to the Fraser Valley … moving one of the largest producing agricultural regions not only in B.C. but in Canada," he said. "We have to grow. We all have sons and daughters who also like to dairy farm." During the 2021 floods, Sumas First Nation Chief Dalton Silver told CBC News that the First Nation had had several villages along the lake, with up to 10,000 people living in that part of the valley before European contact. He said about 85 per cent of their diet came from the lake, including salmon and freshwater mussels. "The idea of removing people from their homes is one of the furthest things from my mind. That is what happened to us in the past, so we would not wish that on anyone," Chief Silver told CBC Radio's The Current on Friday. Martin says that 100 years ago, the lake supported five salmon species and was a breeding ground for sturgeon and migratory birds. "It will return," she said. "The question is not if but when it will return."
Man dies in motorhome fire after BC fire chief warns against full-time RV living A Nanaimo, B.C., man died after the motorhome he was apparently living in caught fire, RCMP say. Const. Gary O'Brien says it happened around 5 p.m. on Dec. 10 in a residential area and the man seems to have been living in the vehicle and using a propane heater to keep warm. The fire likely started after the heater was knocked over, he said, and the incident is being treated as accidental in nature. The death comes just one day after a man was airlifted to hospital with burns after his camper van caught fire south of Nanaimo, B.C., and as fire officials further north on Vancouver Island issued a warning about living full-time in recreational vehicles. At the scene, Capt. Dan Kershaw said a recreational vehicle was already engulfed in flames by time they arrived, and paramedics were tending to the victim. "He appeared to have burns to the majority of his body," Kershaw said. It took additional crews to help put out the flames, Kershaw said, in part because of propane tanks on the vehicle. The RV was parked in a remote area on Nanaimo Lakes Road. RVs not safe to live in: fire chief That same morning, fire officials with the Comox Valley Regional District issued a warning to the growing number of people who live full-time in recreational vehicles, with tips on how to stay safe. Rural Fire Chief Bruce Green says since 2023 there have been 30 RV fires in the Comox Valley and Campbell River — three of them resulted in a fatality. "I understand there's the housing crisis, but RVs are .... not safe for people to live in them for a variety of reasons, and our stats are starting to
show that," Green told CBC News. Green, who is also the fire chief at Oyster River Fire Rescue, says he's especially concerned about the increasing number of RVs that are being used while parked near a home. He says earlier this year, a fire in his district that started in an RV spread to the house on the property it was on, and then nearly spread to the neighbouring home as well. The district's safety tips for people who live fulltime in an RV include: • Installing smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. • Staying in the kitchen while you cook, and removing combustibles from the stovetop. • Plugging major appliances directly into an outlet, instead of using an extension cord. • Turning off camping heaters and lanterns while you sleep. 'Unofficial buddy system' Exact numbers are hard to come by, but many regional districts have noted a growing number of people living in RVs full-time in the last few years. Throughout B.C., municipalities have struggled with how to handle the issue. Some have banning RVs outright for full-time use, while others push to legalize them. Provincewide building codes restrict the use of RVs as a full-time residence.
Sikh groups host extortion town hall in Brampton Continued from Page 1... India-Linked Extortion and Sikh Community Safety,” was held at Brampton’s Canadian Convention Centre on Bramsteele Road. “This event is about confronting transnational oppression that comes from India that’s targeting members of the Sikh community, the Punjabi community here,” Balpreet Singh, WSO’s legal counsel and spokesperson, said in an interview. “We have a national crisis where hundreds of members of my community have been targeted with extortions, shootings, threats (and) intimidation, and the source of these threats are all Indian-based.” Singh said the community isn’t seeing supports from the federal government. “What we’re seeing on the ground here is escalating violence and extortion, so business people are getting calls and people are telling them, ‘Pay this much or we’re going to shoot you and shoot your family and shoot your business,’” Singh said. “And people don’t have trust in the police or in our government, so we’re seeing people actually pay.” Singh said the problem is getting worse “because the response from our government officials is zero,” adding “it looks like it’s open season on members of my community.” He stressed extortions are a problem coast to coast — “And the problem that makes it even worse is that people don’t want to talk about it,” Singh said. “They’re afraid.” According to Peel Regional Police, there were 319 reported extortions, including 50 targeting businesses, in Brampton and Mississauga in 2023. The number of total extortions jumped to 490 in 2024, which saw 153 extortions targeting businesses. There has been a total of 436 extortions, including 172 business-related
extortions, so far this year. Peel police said they’ve laid 267 extortion-related charges since 2023. Peel police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said police saw a reduction in extortion cases earlier this year, but now they’re seeing a spike. The chief said police are “laser-focused on eliminating any element of the extortions” in Peel, adding victims should come forward to police and not comply with extorters. He said police are “fully resourced” to respond, noting the service had at one point 30 officers assigned to a dedicated extortion task force. That task force was formed in 2023 and was disbanded earlier this year; however, a new task force of 20 officers was formed several weeks ago in response to recent trends. “Not only are we investigating (and) arresting those that are involved with our full commitment to support the community, but we’re also advocating at the federal level for attention … and resourcing,” the chief told reporters at the town hall. The town hall also heard from Gurlin Dhadda, whose father, Harjeet Singh Dhadda, was fatally shot earlier this year after reportedly refusing to pay extortionists. “In my father’s case, we still do not have an answer about who gave the orders for the shooting,” she said. “Arresting the people on the surface level is not enough, and we want every person involved — the ones who planned it, instructed it and enabled it — to be found and brought to justice.” Dhadda said no community should have to live in fear. “We’re not asking for anything extraordinary. We’re asking for justice, transparency and protection. We’re asking for a system that truly keeps its citizens safe,” she said. “Today I stand here not only as a daughter who lost her father, but as a voice for countless families who have been affected by these rising crimes.”
FIJI
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2025
8 police officers implicated in drug trade collusion An ongoing investigation into police officers allegedly involved in colluding with a drug trade network has expanded as eight officers are now under scrutiny. The investigation, which has attracted the attention of both the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and New Zealand Police (NZP), is centered around a series of communications allegedly initiated by an overseas individual through the messaging platform Viber. Fiji’s Commissioner of Police, Rusiate Tudravu, confirmed that the eight officers have been implicated. “This is a serious matter,” Commissioner Tudravu said in a statement. “Our Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has analyzed the posts, and the evidence has led us to believe that eight officers are involved. As a result, we have seized all their phones to conduct digital forensic analysis.” The involvement of foreign law enforcement agencies is a critical part of the investigation. Commissioner Tudravu explained that the individual believed to be behind the Viber
communications is residing overseas, and both the AFP and NZP have swiftly come on board to assist in gathering additional evidence and intelligence. As part of the investigation, authorities have also made contact with the individual who posted the screenshots that brought the case to light. Plans are in place to obtain a formal statement from her, which could provide further clarity on the extent of the officers’ involvement in criminal activities. The Commissioner also assured the public that the investigation would be expedited and that updates would be provided regularly. He reiterated that the seriousness of the situation could not be overstated, and the police force was determined to restore public trust and ensure that any officers found guilty of misconduct would face appropriate consequences. “These officers are entrusted with the responsibility of upholding the law, and if these allegations are proven true, they will be held accountable,” Tudravu stated firmly.
Foreign police called in over drug scandal Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu has sought assistance from the Australian Federal Police and New Zealand Police to investigate recent drug allegations against senior officers. Mr Tudravu made the statement yesterday during the 27th Attorney-General’s Conference at the Sheraton Fiji Golf Resort and Spa in Nadi. Addressing the allegations and viral social media screenshots of Viber exchanges, Mr Tudravu said he had been asked if he was serious about removing officers involved in the drug trade. ”The answer, as always, is an affirmative yes and we are doing that, regarding the specific claims against senior officers,”he said. “In fact, regarding the latest allegations against senior officers, we
have sought assistance from the Australian Federal Police and the New Zealand Police.” Mr Tudravu indicated that the source of the information is from overseas. “Just to let you know that the source of this information is coming from overseas and that we are going there. We want to know the truth about this. Mr Tudravu confirmed that the investigation is active and being handled by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and Police Headquarters. M r Tudravu said the officers named in the Viber messages have had their mobile phones seized and they are currently under analysis.
Government to close non-essential offices over festive period, PSC confirms The Public Service Commission has approved the temporary closure of all non-essential government offices during the Christmas and New Year period, from 29 December 2025 to 2 January 2026. In a circular issued by Acting Permanent Secretary for Civil Service Pita Tagicakirewa, ministries and departments were notified of the annual shutdown, which is intended to support staff wellbeing while ensuring essential services remain unaffected. “The Public Service Commission has approved the temporary closure of non-essential Government offices over the Christmas and New Year period,” Tagicakirewa said. He added that critical services would continue as usual. “All essential services are to remain fully operational, with appropriate staffing arrangements in place to ensure continuity of
critical public services.” Permanent Secretaries have been advised to encourage staff to use their annual leave or TimeOff-In-Lieu entitlements during the closure. Tagicakirewa said ministries would have flexibility to determine staffing needs. “Permanent Secretaries will retain discretion to determine whether skeleton staff are required to maintain specific services and, where necessary, put in place suitable rosters and coverage arrangements,” he said. He emphasised that the short shutdown would benefit public servants after a demanding year. “This period provides an opportunity for staff to rest and spend quality time with their families and loved ones over the festive season, contributing positively to staff wellbeing and morale,” Tagicakirewa said.
25,000 infections projected Fiji faces a looming HIV crisis among people who inject drugs, with the number of infections projected to reach 25,000 by 2029 if urgent action is not taken, according to a new WHO rapid assessment. The report highlights highrisk injecting practices, limited access to sterile equipment, low awareness of HIV and hepatitis risks, and stigma as key drivers of the epidemic. Crystal methamphetamine use is increasing, with many users injecting soon after first use or transitioning rapidly from smoking to injecting “Without immediate intervention, HIV prevalence in Fiji could escalate dramatically, and given the high mobility within the Pacific region, similar outbreaks could occur in neighbouring
island nations,” the report stated. Stakeholders, including health workers, religious leaders, and people who inject drugs, called for urgent, evidence-based, and culturally appropriate responses. WHO experts stressed the need to expand harm reduction programs, HIV testing, and treatment services to curb the epidemic and protect both national and regional public health. “Given the high mobility within the region, no island nation is secure unless all islands proactively strengthen their HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance systems.” “A regional approach ensures not only the health security of individual nations but collective resilience against public health threats.”
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Two men arrested after explosives found in their vehicle
Police officers conducting a routine vehicle search yesterday afternoon in Karavi, Ba discovered multiple explosive items, The Fiji Times sources say. Two occupants, the driver and a passenger were arrested. Found in the car were 20 plus sticks of explosives believed to be dynamites, our sources state. Also found in the car were fuses that are used to blast the dynamite. We are seeking additional information from Fiji Police.
Crystal meth users risk lives with ‘koda’ Drug users in Fiji are indulging in a risky practice of preparing crystal methamphetamine with blood, a method known locally as ‘koda’. A new World Health Organization report states the ‘koda’ method is considered by users to provide a stronger high although it carries signifiant health risks. The process involves using blood instead of water to dissolve crystal meth for injection. WHO researchers noted that whether prepared with water or blood, injecting crystal meth carried serious risks of HIV, hepatitis and other bloodborne infections. The report stated the assessment provided critical insight into high-risk practices such as ‘koda’ and the urgent need for interventions to protect vulnerable communities from HIV and other health harms. “Koda is like raw or as it is,” explained a 23-yearold meth user in the report, describing the process of using blood instead of water to dissolve crystal MA for injection.
“People just say we go have some koda, like raw fish, but in drug terms, we use it dry.” Participants described the method as timecritical, warning that the blood-drug mixture can clot if not injected quickly. “I never used water, just my blood for melting it up. I started to inject myself with it. I like to do it three or four times to suck the blood out to melt the meth,” said a 29-year-old female sex worker in the report. Another participant, Josefa, 22, explained the perceived benefit: “Dry because it’s mixed manually. If we mix it with blood, it will be for you to wake up for a longer time.” WHO researchers noted that whether prepared with water or blood, injecting crystal MA carries serious risks of HIV, hepatitis, and other blood-borne infections. “This assessment provides critical insight into high-risk practices such as koda and the urgent need for interventions to protect vulnerable communities from HIV and other health harms,” the report states.
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2025
Bangladesh’s ex-PM Khaleda Zia placed on ventilator support: Doctors Former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia's health condition has deteriorated and she was placed on ventilator support, doctors said. “Her breathing difficulties increased, her oxygen level fell, and carbon dioxide levels rose,” according to a statement on Thursday by the chief of the medical board cardiologist Shahabuddin Talukdar. It said the 80-year-old former premier was previously being treated with “High Flow Nasal Cannula and BiPAP support, but as there was no improvement, she was placed on elective ventilator support to give rest to her lungs and other vital organs”.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson has been undergoing treatment at Dhaka's Evercare Hospital since November 23 for multiple health complications. The statement said the three-time premier was kept under round-the-clock medical watch by a team of local and foreign specialists, as several of her vital organs continue to be under severe stress. “Her kidney function has stopped completely, and she is undergoing regular dialysis,” the board said, adding she currently needed blood transfusions. The board detected problems in her “aortic valve” as well.
Bangladesh blocks Pakistani singer's Atif Aslam's concert during Victory Month Pakistani singer Atif Aslam has cancelled his concert in Dhaka after failing to obtain permission from the interim government of Bangladesh in the victory month of December. The celebration marks the surrender of the Pakistan Army after a bloody 9-month war in December 1971. Pakistani singer Atif Aslam had earlier announced that he would perform in a concert in Dhaka on December 13. However, there appeared to be security concerns after the Pakistani singer's concert in the month of Bangladesh's victory faced criticism. "We are sad to announce that we are not performing
in the concert in Dhaka which was scheduled for 13th Dec 2025. It is because the promoters & management of the concert could not sort the required local permissions, security clearances and logistics", Atif Aslam wrote on a facebook post. Bangladesh is preparing to celebrate the great Victory Day on December 16 with detailed programs. The world will witness the largest flag parachuting event to celebrate Bangladesh's 54th anniversary of independence. On Victory Day, the Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force will conduct separate fly-past exercises at the old airport in Tejgaon, Dhaka, from 11 am, Chief Adviser Press Wing said.
SOUTH ASIA
Pakistan ex-ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (retd) gets 14-year jail A Field General Court Martial has sentenced former ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (retd) to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment, signalling an unprecedented crackdown by Pakistan Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir on a once-powerful rival faction within the force. Hameed was considered close to the then Army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa.The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement issued from Rawalpindi, said the court martial proceedings began on August 12, 2024, and stretched over 15 months.Hameed, once considered among the most influential generals and a key player in Pakistan’s politics, was tried on four counts: engaging in political activity, violating the Official Secrets Act in a manner deemed detrimental to state security, misuse of authority and
government resources, and causing wrongful loss to individuals. The ISPR said the former general was found guilty on all charges after “lengthy and laborious” proceedings. It said the military court had “complied with all legal provisions” and allowed Hameed full legal representation. The sentence was promulgated on December 11. He retains the right to appeal. The statement also noted that Hameed’s alleged role in “fomenting vested political agitation and instability” in coordination with political actors is being examined separately, hinting at possible additional action. Pakistani commentators have speculated that this refers to his purported links to political unrest following former PM Imran Khan’s arrest in May 2023.
BNM slams US loan, calls it boost to Pakistan's oppression in Balochistan The Baloch National Movement (BNM) has strongly denounced the US Export-Import (EXIM) Bank's decision to provide $1.25 billion in financing for the Reko Diq mining project, warning that the funding will tighten Pakistan's control over Balochistan and intensify state-led repression in the province, as reported by The Balochistan Post. According to The Balochistan Post, the BNM in its statement expressed "deep concern" over the US move, calling it a violation of global ethical standards and an endorsement of Pakistan's exploitation of Baloch resources. The group stated that such partnerships directly contribute to what it described as "genocide, enforced disappearances, and plunder of the Baloch nation's natural wealth."
The BNM said the financing package portrayed as a development initiative would instead pave the way for more military operations, forced population displacement, and increased surveillance in resource-rich areas of Balochistan. The spokesperson warned that the United States, through its financial involvement, is "aiding Pakistan's occupation" rather than promoting regional stability. The organisation further argued that Washington, having once fought colonial domination, should recognise the historical consequences of supporting oppressive regimes. "This decision undermines the Baloch struggle for self-determination and strengthens Pakistan's repressive apparatus," the spokesperson noted.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2025
PUNJAB
Dead, retired teachers put on Punjab local bodies poll duties, union protests In a glaring administrative lapse, the Education Department has assigned duties for the forthcoming zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections to retired and even dead teachers. Without updating its list of serving teachers, the department put one dead and four retired teachers on election duty in the Ludhiana zone. In the Patiala zone, a teacher who had passed away and another who had retired were assigned the task. Both were
even issued show-cause notices for skipping the mandatory election rehearsal, with warning of a possible police action. Teacher unions have condemned the department’s faux pas, calling it an “irresponsible act”. In Ludhiana, the District Education Officer maintained that it was the responsibility of school heads and principals to inform the department about teachers who were no longer in service. Displaying their anger, teachers staged a protest outside the office of the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) in Patiala. A representative of the teacher union said, “Gurdarshan Kaur, who passed away while she was posted at Government School Sangowal, was
assigned election duty along with retired teachers Ashok Kumari, Makhan Singh, Harjit Singh and Amrjit Singh from the Haibowal and Machhiwara areas”. In the Patiala zone, teachers Neetu Kaushal and Gurmeet Kaur were assigned election duty in the latest list issued by the authorities. However, Neetu passed away on January 9 this year, while Gurmeet Kaur retired in April. Gurmeet Kaur said she was shocked to receive a letter directing her to attend a duty rehearsal at Government ITI, Nabha Road, on December 8. When she did not attend, another stern letter was issued, summoning her to appear before the Election Officer to explain her absence and warning of legal and police action. “I have been retired for eight months, yet I am being issued these warning letters, which are causing me mental distress,” she said. Devinder Singh Sidhu, vice-president of the Democratic Teachers’ Front, said the department’s actions had become the talk of the town. “The officials concerned must check and update records of retired and deceased teachers. Their pension and retirement data is maintained by the department. This shows they did not bother to update records and retired teachers were still asked to report,” said Sidhu. Ludhiana DEO Dimple Madan said, “This is the fault of school heads or in-charges who didn’t update their staff data despite reminders. Neither the Education Department nor the DC office is responsible for the mess. Only the schools are responsible.” Officials from the ADC office (Patiala) met protesters and assured them that their concerns would be addressed and that technical errors in duty allocation would be rectified soon.
Warring Akali groups field joint face in Nagoke Warring Akali factions gave a joint candidate for the rural bodies’ poll from the Nagoke zone in Tarn Taran, a move being seen as a shift in the Panthic politics. In a four-way block samiti contest, Dalbir Singh has got the backing of Sukhbir Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) and the Akali Dal (Punar Surjit). While the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) is headed by Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha MP Amritpal Singh — who is currently lodged in an Assam jail — Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) is a breakaway faction of the SAD led by former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh. The breakaway SAD group includes the rebels who had spearheaded a campaign seeking the the leadership change in the party.
The zone, comprising nearly 5,000 votes, includes panchayats of Nagoke and Nagoke Morh, both currently aligned with ruling AAP. Ruling AAP has fielded Surjit Singh for the block samiti poll from the zone while the BJP has place the bet on Harkamaljit Singh Fauji. The Congress has fielded Jaskaran Singh, making it a four-way contest. Ram Singh, a leader of the Amritpal-led party, said he firmly supported the idea of coming together of all Akali groups across Punjab. Hardev Singh Nagoke, a local SAD leader, too endorsed the move, saying it aimed at giving Akali politics a new direction and hoped such unity would continue in future. Leaders of the SAD breakaway too extended support to Dalbir Singh, strengthening his position in the race.
Only 40% appear for PCS prelims Barely 33,000 of the 85,192 registered candidates — just about 40% — appeared for the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) PCS (preliminary) examination conducted on Sunday. According to the PPSC, the exam was held for 331 posts in the state civil services, including DSP, tehsildar, excise and taxation officer, food and civil supplies officer and labour-cum-conciliation officer. The test was conducted across 165 centres in Patiala, SAS Nagar (Mohali), Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur and Chandigarh, further divided into 222 blocks. Ludhiana recorded the highest attendance with 18,424 candidates. The examination has once again run into controversy after Misal Satluj, a student organisation advocating Punjabi language and culture, submitted
a memorandum to the PPSC. adavinder Singh Yadu, a representative of the group, alleged that Punjabi had been “deliberately and excessively reduced” in this year’s PCS (preliminary) examination. He said that in the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) (Paper II), where earlier 15–20 or even 25 questions were asked in Punjabi, only eight were included this time. They also alleged that portions related to Punjab’s history, geography, economy, Guru Sahibs and Maharaja Ranjit Singh were largely missing from the General Studies paper, making Punjabspecific content “alm ost negligible”. Meanwhile, PPSC secretary Charanjit Singh said the exam was conducted as per the norms. He added that no delegation met him.
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AAP getting fake ballot papers printed: Punjab ex-CM Charanjit Channi Congress leaders on Thursday expressed apprehensions of poll rigging, with former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi alleging that ruling AAP was “getting fake ballot papers printed” for rural body elections scheduled for December 14.
Reacting to it, the ruling party rejected the charge, terming it “baseless”.
Channi alleged that AAP leaders got “fake ballot papers printed from Ambala”, which might be handed over to booth-level officers. “The BLOs may get these stamped in advance and put in ballot boxes at the time of polling,” he alleged. Channi, who campaigned with Adampur MLA Sukhwinder Kotli here, alleged, “The ruling party has been involved in foul play from the beginning. They tore or even snatched nomination papers of candidates. They got papers of Opposition candidates rejected.” Kotli too said, “We too suspect that the ruling party may unfair means on the voting day,” Reacting to it, ruling AAP general secretary Deepak Bali said, “The Congress leaders are perhaps nurturing such apprehensions as they could have been doing so themselves during their rule. Channi’s allegations are completely baseless.”
Power tariff hike unlikely ahead of 2027 poll Despite power subsidy, theft and government department’s pending bills running into crores, consumers can heave a sigh of relief as no major power hike is expected ahead of the 2027 Assembly poll. According to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), the total power subsidy would touch Rs 22,250 crore for the year 2026-27. The PSPCL filed their petitions with the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) for Annual Revenue Requirement (ARR) for the next fiscal. A senior official attached with the process said they had demanded around 4 per cent
hike, but the chances of it being approved remain very low “given the adjustments and the power regulator curtailing some expenses”. As per submissions, during 2026-27 there will be a token deficit of Rs 1,713 crore after accounting for the previous years’ deficit. “As the PSERC curtails some expenditure from the ARR, there may not be any or a bare minimal tariff increase in the next financial year. Hardly any chance for any power rates going up, especially when the Assembly poll will be round the corner,” claimed a senior PSPCL engineer. In the ARR, the PSPCL expects revenue requirement of Rs 52,385 crore, with the existing tariff income of Rs 53,850 crore.
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2025
INDIA
How India's largest airline lost control and threw air travel into chaos Last week, Manjuri carried her husband's coffin from one town to another in India's northeast region, hoping to catch a flight that would take her hundreds of miles away - to Kolkata city - for his final farewell. But the difficult journey turned unbearable when delays by IndiGo, the country's largest airline, left her stranded for hours before the flight was finally cancelled. Manjuri was one of hundreds of thousands of passengers whose plans were upended as IndiGo's sudden wave of cancellations pushed India's aviation sector into one of its worst crises in years. A trickle of delays suddenly became more than 1,000 cancellations on 5 December, stranding families and causing people to miss weddings, funerals and vital exams. Once the poster child of India's low-cost aviation boom - commanding a
60% market share and 2,000 daily flights - IndiGo now risks losing its hard-won reputation as the country's reliable, no-frills carrier, experts say. "IndiGo could face significant financial damage from loss of revenue because of flight cancellations, refunds and other compensation to affected customers, along with potential penalties imposed by DGCA [the aviation regulator]" Moody's, a ratings agency said. At the heart of the crisis are new crew-rostering rules that give pilots and cabin crew more rest changes IndiGo is accused of failing to plan for, leaving it short of legally rested staff and forcing it to ground more than half its fleet. The rules include longer weekly rest for pilots (48 hours instead of 36) and tighter limits on night landings (two instead of six) after years of fatigue complaints to the regulator.
EC extends roll revision deadline for 5 states, 1 UT Days after the Election Commission (EC) extended the deadline for the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala by one week following a Supreme Court directive, the panel on Thursday announced a revised schedule for five states and the union territory of Andaman & Nicobar, based on requests from their chief electoral officers (CEOs). The five states where the SIR timelines have been relaxed are poll-bound Tamil Nadu, as well as Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh. These states were earlier required to complete the extensive exercise by December 16 with the publication of their draft electoral rolls, while the enumeration process was scheduled to end on December 11. According to the latest EC notification,
enumeration will now conclude on December 14 in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, giving these states a threeday extension. Their draft rolls will now be published on December 19. In Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Andaman & Nicobar, the enumeration period has been extended till December 18, a week beyond the previous deadline, with the draft electoral rolls to be released on December 23.
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CEA Nageswaran sees India-US trade agreement by 2026 Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran on Thursday expressed confidence that India and the US could finalise a longpending bilateral trade agreement by the end of the current financial year, even as geopolitical variables continue to slow the process. In an interview to Bloomberg TV, Nageswaran said most trade-specific negotiations had already been settled, but the final breakthrough now depended as much on broader strategic developments as on bilateral issues. “Right now it is difficult to put a timeline to it. We know through multiple rounds of conversations that most of the trade-related issues have been sorted out. This is as much a matter of geopolitical development as it is of trade,” he said. Pressed on whether missing a year-end deadline would have economic implications, the CEA acknowledged a drag on market sentiment. “We have two and a half weeks to go. I’d be surprised if the deal isn’t sealed by the end of the financial year. I was hoping it would be wrapped up by November-end, but it has proved elusive. I agree it has affected investor sentiment,” he said.
His comments came on a day the government informed Parliament that India and the US were in talks to conclude a “mutually beneficial, multisector” bilateral trade agreement. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said the two countries share a comprehensive strategic partnership spanning trade, energy, defence and technology, but Washington’s recent executive orders on migration, reciprocal tariffs and visas have created new operational challenges.
Indian couple trolled over skin colour after wedding video goes viral Continued from Page 1... "She must have had some compulsion," one wrote. Another suggested she couldn't be happy with a husband like that. Some labelled her a "golddigger," claiming she married him for wealth or a secure government job with perks. One comment suggested that Mr Rajput's father must be "a government minister". The couple, who married on 23 November, have since gone viral because of the trolling - and their response, as they addressed the criticism head-on. They have been sought out by local media and given scores of interviews in the past two weeks. "People were making jokes and memes and it felt very wrong," Mr Rajput told BBC Hindi from his home in Jabalpur. "It was our moment and we had waited for it so many years. It was supposed to be a happy moment, but when I saw people's reactions, I was really shocked," he said. "In so many years that we have been together, no-one had ever told us that we were a mismatch because I have dark complexion while she is fairer," he added. The nasty comments left the couple who both work in private companies - reeling. Ms Chouksey admitted that such comments "bothered" her. "You think - is this is how people are perceiving us? When they say nasty things about him or call me a gold-digger, it irritates me." In a post on Instagram, Mr Rajput addressed
the trolls: "Sorry to disappoint you. I'm not a government employee, but I work hard for my family and want to give them a good, dignified life." He added that Sonali fell in love with him when he had nothing. "From college till today, she has stood with me through every good and bad moment. People's negative opinions mean nothing to me," he wrote. Mr Rajput also addressed the issue of colourism in the comments, saying he had faced colour discrimination his whole life. "I know very well that I have a dark complexion. But in my wife's eyes, I am trying to be the best husband I can be, and that is what matters the most. There is no need to speak wrongly about my family." Mr Rajput said he pushed back when the trolls began commenting on one of the photos that also had his mother and his and his wife's sisters. "I did not like the fact that they targeted my family. I want to tell them, you are a nobody. And you have no right to target - or troll - anyone's family," he said. The couple, together since meeting in a 2014 college zoology class, say outsiders shouldn't judge their lives. "Our relationship began a year later and we knew from then that one day we would be married. Those who are commenting on our relationship by looking at a 30-second video don't know that it captures 11 years of hard work that we have put into it," says Mr Rajput.
Not Alto, Congress will return to power in 52-seater Volvo: Himachal CM hits back at BJP The Himachal Pradesh Government marked the completion of three years in power with an impressive show of strength in Mandi today, where Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the Congress would return to power with more seats in 2027 despite enduring economic, political and natural calamities in the past three years. “We will return to power in a 52-seater Volvo,” Sukhu said in response to Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur’s jibe that Sukhu’s Alto car would be enough to accommodate the Congress MLAs in 2027.AICC in-charge for Himachal Rajni Patil, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, ministers and senior party leaders were present at the event.Addressing a large gathering at the Jan Sankalp Sammelan, Sukhu accused the Centre of not providing adequate help to the state to cope with the crippling natural calamities that struck the state twice in the past three years. “As per the assessment of the Centre’s team, the state suffered a loss of Rs 9,300 crore. The Centre, however, announced just Rs 2,000 crore under the Post
Disaster Need Assessment after two years. Of this too, we’ve received just Rs 451 crore so far. The Centre has been trying to tie our hands,” said Sukhu.He said his government arranged a Rs 4,500-crore relief package from its own resources and significantly enhanced compensation norms.Sukhu accused the previous BJP government of pushing the state into a severe financial crisis, claiming it left behind a debt burden of Rs 75,000 crore. He said the present government had been forced to borrow further just to service this debt. The Chief Minister accused the BJP of buying Congress MLAs to precipitate the crisis for his government. “People have given a befitting reply to the BJP by shoring up our numbers back to 40,” the Chief Minister said. Highlighting the welfare initiatives taken by his government, Sukhu said the Mukhyamantri Sukh Ashray Yojana, under which orphaned children were legally adopted as “children of the state”, reflected the compassionate face of his government.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2025
INDIA
Man found guilty of Australian beach murder after hiding in India for years A former nurse has been found guilty of the high-profile murder of Toyah Cordingley, whose body was found on a popular tropical beach in Australia seven years ago. Toyah Cordingley was stabbed at least 26 times while out on a Sunday afternoon walk with her dog in October 2018. The 24-year-old's body was discovered by her father, half-buried in sand dunes on Wangetti beach between the popular tourist hotspots of Cairns and Port Douglas. Rajwinder Singh, 41, fled to India the day after Ms Cordingley's body was found and spent four years on the run. After a month-long trial, he was found guilty by a jury on Monday, eliciting cheers and tears from members of the public gathered in court. It is the second trial for Singh, after a trial in March ended in a hung jury. A health store worker and animal shelter volunteer, Ms Cordingley was well known, and well loved, by the local community and her death caused an outpouring of grief across the state of Queensland.
Ms Cordingley was "repeatedly" stabbed with a sharp object and put in a shallow sandy grave with "little or no hope of surviving", the Cairns Supreme Court heard. Singh - originally from the Indian state of Punjab - had been living in Innisfail at the time of the killing, a town about two hours south of the crime scene. Detectives had quickly zeroed in on him as a suspect, but he had already flown out of the country, leaving his wife, three children and parents behind, the trial heard.
Why Putin's visit is a masterclass in India's foreign policy Continued from Page 1... Amidst intense geopolitical headwinds, this meeting underscored the fundamental, mutually beneficial nature of the 'Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership' between the two countries and highlights India's unwavering commitment to strategic autonomy. The summit produced a wide-ranging set of outcomes: a Vision 2030 roadmap for trade and technology, new energy and nuclear cooperation pledges, a landmark RELOS defence logistics agreement, and agreements on labour mobility, healthcare, food safety, and maritime training. But what was not apparent on the surface was arguably even more significant. When Washington imposed sweeping tariffs and sanctions on Russia, the intent was clear: isolate Moscow, weaken its economy, and force compliance with Western demands. Yet, the global economy rarely behaves as policymakers intend. Instead of crippling Russia, these measures have accelerated its pivot eastward, with India emerging as one of its most vital partners. The unintended consequence is striking: US tariffs have not only failed to sever Russia's lifelines, they have strengthened India's leverage in global geopolitics. The most visible impact has been in energy. Cut off from Western buyers, Russia began offering crude oil at discounted rates. India, with our vast and growing energy needs, seized the opportunity. Imports of Russian oil surged, helping India contain inflation and secure affordable energy supplies. For Russia, India became a crucial market; for India, Russia became a pragmatic partner. What was meant to punish Moscow instead created a mutually beneficial trade corridor. True, US
sanctions on major Russian oil companies have finally led Indian importers to scale down their orders, but the trade corridor, once reinforced, can be used for other goods too. This is not merely about barrels of oil. It reflects a deeper strategic option. Russia, excluded from Western finance and technology, needs partners to import from, who can also absorb its exports and provide legitimacy. India, with its large economy and geopolitical weight, fits the bill. For New Delhi, the relationship reinforces its autonomy: sanctions have elevated India's importance to Moscow and accelerated its integration with Asia. India's foreign policy has long been defined by balancing acts. During the Cold War, it championed non-alignment while maintaining ties with both superpowers. Today, it deepens cooperation with the US and its allies while preserving historic links with Russia. The Ukraine war has made this balancing act more delicate, but also more visible. India abstains from UN resolutions condemning Russia, expands energy imports, and simultaneously strengthens defence and technology ties with Washington. This duality is not hypocrisy; it is strategic autonomy in action, "multi-alignment" in practice. India's engagement with Russia is not without risks. Deepening ties with Moscow could strain relations with the US and Europe, particularly if the current peace efforts do not succeed and the war drags on. There is also the danger of being seen as enabling Russia's resilience, which could invite diplomatic pressure. Navigating these risks requires careful diplomacy, clear communication, and a willingness to adjust as circumstances evolve.
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Putin says Russia ready to supply 'uninterrupted' fuel to India Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow is ready to provide "uninterrupted shipments" of fuel to India, as Delhi faces pressure from the US to stop buying Russian oil. Putin, speaking alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, questioned earlier why India should be punished for buying oil when the US itself buys nuclear fuel from Moscow. President Donald Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on most Indian products, arguing that Delhi's continued purchases of Russian oil helped fund the war in Ukraine - an accusation India denies. Putin's visit comes as the US holds a series of talks with Russia and Ukraine in an attempt to broker a peace deal to end the war. On Thursday, Putin told India Today that Russia was working on a "peaceful solution" to ending the war - warning that Ukraine must withdraw from the Donbas or Russia would seize it. "Either we liberate these territories by force, or Ukrainian troops will leave these territories," he said. Modi repeated India's stance that it was not neutral on the war in Ukraine and stood on "the side of peace", welcoming efforts to find a "lasting" solution to end the war. He highlighted that increasing the "connectivity" of Russia and India was a "major priority" for India. In recent months, India-US ties have hit an all-time low as the two countries have failed to resolve the tariff deadlock. Trump initially imposed a 25% tariff on India, but announced an additional 25% later as a penalty for Delhi's purchase of Russian oil - a move the Indian government called "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable" at the time. In his interview with India Today, Putin
commented on the US tariffs on India for buying Russian oil, and said that India should have the same opportunities available as the US. "The United States itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants. If the US has the right to buy our fuel, why shouldn't India have the same privilege?," he asked. Russia remained the US' top supplier of nuclear reactor fuel last year, Bloomberg reported in September - citing data from the Department of Energy. A ban on enriched uranium imports from the country was enshrined into law in May. The two leaders exchanged memorandums during Friday's briefing, outlining mutual objectives in areas including trade and agriculture. Modi announced two new 30-day visa schemes for Russian tourists visiting India, and said that two new Indian consulates had opened in Russia. Russia Today, a Kremlin-funded, statecontrolled TV network, would also be launched in India, the prime minister said. No major defence deals were announced, but the two men said there were agreements signed on shipbuilding, investments in civil nuclear energy and critical minerals. India and Russia also agreed on an economic programme valid until 2030, the leaders said, spanning jobs, shipping and the health industry. Putin said he was confident about increasing current bilateral trade from $60bn to $100bn in the coming years. Modi said that "energy security has been a strong and important pillar of the India-Russia partnership", but made no specific reference to oil. India - the world's third largest consumer of crude oil - has been buying large volumes from Russia since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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Goa nightclub fire case: Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra detained in Thailand, to be deported
Brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, wanted in connection with the fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa that resulted in the death of 25 people on Saturday night, were detained in Thailand, officials said on Thursday.The nightclub co-owners, against whom an Interpol blue corner notice had been issued earlier, were detained on the request of the Indian Government, they said. According to sources, a team of the Goa Police and the CBI will travel to Thailand to take custody of the brothers and bring them back for trial.Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the Luthra brothers would be brought back to India from Thailand at the earliest. Meanwhile, a Delhi court on Thursday dismissed the transit anticipatory bail
pleas of the Luthras. On Wednesday, the accused had sought four weeks of transit anticipatory bail so that they were not immediately arrested on their return to Delhi from Thailand. However, the pleas were dismissed by Additional Sessions Judge Vandana. During the proceedings, counsel for Goa opposed the pleas, saying, “They left, they concealed, and they are now seeking leniency”. Hours after the fire tragedy unfolded, the duo had fled to Phuket by an IndiGo flight on December 7. Their departure on an IndiGo flight, at a time when the airline was experiencing a nationwide meltdown due to widespread cancellations and delays, had initially raised suspicion.
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2025