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VOL 25 - ISSUE 46
SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026
Police investigating three separate drive-by shootings at same house in Surrey
India overtakes Japan as 4th-largest economy in the world
Police say there were three drive-by shootings at the same house in Surrey in December. The RCMP Surrey provincial operations support unit responded to shots-fired calls at the same residence in the 11000-block of 140A Street on Dec. 7 at about 8:20 a.m., on Dec. 27 at about 7:45 a.m., and on Dec. 28 just after 3 a.m. The Surrey Police Service said in a news release Wednesday that it’s believed a resident of the home was the intended target but that the shootings were not linked to extortion or the gang conflict. Police say the shots were fired from a vehicle, with bullets striking various parts of the residence. There have been no reports of injuries to residents or neighbours. The single-level home sits in a residential area in Surrey’s Guildford neighbourhood and is a short distance away from an elementary school. Some damage appearing to be bullet holes could be seen on the exterior of the home. Continued on Page 10...
India has surpassed Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy, according to calculations in the Indian government's endof-year economic review. On current trends, India is expected to overtake Germany to become the world's third-largest economy within the next three years, the review said. The review said India's gross domestic product has already reached about $4.18 trillion (€3.55 trillion), and is projected to reach $7.3 trillion by 2030. On current trends, it said, India would trail only the United States and China in economic heft. India's real GDP grew 8.2% in the second quarter of the 2025–26 financial year, up from 7.8% in the previous quarter and marking a sixquarter high. Continued on Page 14...
Lights, camera, algorithm: Why Indian cinema is awash with AI The world's biggest film industry has a new breakout star – artificial intelligence. While Indian cinema is embracing AI far more readily than Hollywood, the use of the technology isn't pleasing everyone. When screenwriter-director Vivek Anchalia set out to pitch his next movie, producers weren't biting. However, he brought in a new kind of collaborator, and his project began to gain traction. With the help of AI tools such as ChatGPT and Midjourney, Anchalia found a way to make a film
on his own. Midjourney rendered the visuals. ChatGPT was a sounding board. It took little more than one year but he found he was able to fine-tune the AI-enhanced pipeline – one shot at a time. "I think Midjourney knows me pretty intimately by now," he jokes. Anchalia, who is also a lyricist, had been sitting on a collection of unreleased romantic songs. They were begging for a Bollywood-style canvas. "Soon, a story started to emerge," he says. The result was Naisha, a romantic film. Continued on Page 15...
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CRA says it's owed $10 billion in COVIDrelated benefits sent to ineligible recipients
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Edmonton-based country singer Patrick Masse, like millions of other Canadians, applied for relief benefits. All the gigs he'd lined up were abruptly cancelled. "I had really good projected earnings for that year, right? But then everything bottomed out when the world dropped," said Masse. From April 2020 to June 2022, Masse received more than $41,000 in government benefits — only to later get a letter from the Canada Revenue Agency saying he wasn't eligible for the money, and that he had to pay it back. Continued on Page 10...
The tech CEO richer than Microsoft's Nadella and Google's Pichai
For a long time, Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai have dominated discussions around the richest Indian-origin leaders in global technology, given their roles at some of the world’s most powerful companies. Continued on Page 10...
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SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026
Multi-vehicle crash critically injures 2 in Surrey Paramedics transported three people to hospital, including two in critical condition, following a multi-vehicle collision Thursday in Surrey, B.C.
First responders were called to the scene near the intersection of 32 Avenue and 194 Street at 5:20 p.m. after a transport truck and two passenger vehicles collided. Police say the driver of the truck was not injured, and the cause of the crash is still under investigation. The area was closed to traffic for much of the evening as investigators collected evidence from the scene. The Surrey Police Service is asking anyone who witnessed the collision or who has dash-camera video from the scene to contact the department’s non-emergency line at non-emergency line at 604-5990502.
Areas of Practice ICBC/Personal Injury Immigration Law Corporate / Commercial Real Estate / Property Development
New year, new tax measures: What to expect in 2026 The coming year will see some changes to existing tax measures, the abandonment of others and some help for personal support workers. But overall changes to the taxes individuals pay will be minor in 2026. Daniel Rogozynski, an accountant and professor at the University of Waterloo, says the changes impacting individuals in 2026 could best be described as "a snoozefest." "We were waiting for months for something that was going to be; 'wow, that's a big change, that really changes, you know, the game for Canadians versus Americans and the rest of the world in terms of competitiveness," Rojozyski said. He says the change Canadians are most likely to notice is the one percentage point reduction to the lowest marginal tax rate — taking it from 15 per cent to 14 per cent. That measure was promised during the election campaign and first came into effect July 1, 2025, when taxes on the first $57,375 earned were only taxed at 14.5 per cent. (tax measures introduced in the middle of a tax year start at half the rate and then bump up to the full cut the following year). Each year tax brackets increase to account for inflation, which means that beginning Jan. 1 the rate drops to 14 per cent on the first $58,523 someone earns in 2026. When the measure was rolled out, Finance Canada projected maximum tax savings of $840 per couple with two incomes. In June Yves Giroux, the previous parliamentary budget officer, said a twoincome couple with a child would only get about $750 in average savings in 2026. The budget also implements a new refundable tax credit for personal support workers worth five per cent of eligible earnings to a maximum of $1,100, which means anyone earning at least $22,000 annually qualifies for the full amount. The credit is temporary and, for now at least, will only be available for the 2026 to 2030 tax years. To be eligible for the credit, a personal support worker has to be employed by an eligible healthcare establishment, which the budget defines as: "hospitals, nursing care facilities, residential care facilities, community care facilities for the elderly, home health-care establishments and other similar regulated health-care establishments." To qualify as a peronal support worker, the budget says the individual must provide one-onone care in order to "maintain another individual’s health, well-being, safety, autonomy and comfort." The credit does not apply to people in British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador and the Northwest Territories because those provinces have deals with the federal government to increase wages for those workers. Over the past two years there have been proposals to change capital gains
inclusion rates and exemptions in a way that created confusion over what did and did not apply, but those measures were cleared up and simplified in the 2025 federal budget. Carney's first budget increases the lifetime capital gains exemption when selling eligible small business shares, a farm or fishing property from just over $1 million to $1.25 million, making it retroactive to June 25, 2024. A capital gain is the difference between the cost of an asset — an investment property, a stock or a mutual fund — and its total sale price. "So if you have a plumbing company or you have a distribution company and you sell it for $1.25 million more than what you paid for it, you have no tax to pay," Rogozynski said. "That's a big incentive for people to go out and start businesses." Rogozynski says that to make up for this measure, which is good for small businesses but cuts into federal revenues, the Liberal government announced in budget 2025 that it was eliminating a measure announced in the 2024 budget that never became law: the Canadian Entrepreneurs' Incentive. The incentive would have reduced the inclusion rate from the proposed two-thirds to one-third on a lifetime maximum of $2 million in capital gains for business owners that were set up as Canadiancontrolled private corporations (CCPC). In the 2024 budget, the federal government also had announced increases to the capital gains tax inclusion rate for businesses and some individuals. But a couple of days before the start of the 2025 federal election, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the proposed capital gains hikes would be scrapped. The new year will be the third implementing the enhanced Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contribution requirements. Under those rules, two ceilings are used to determine the maximum CPP contributions individuals have to pay. The first ceiling for 2026 is now $74,600, up from $71,300 in 2025. To work out the maximum contribution for an employee, the contribution rate of 5.95 per cent is applied to the maximum of the first ceiling, once the $3,500 basic exemption is factored in. That means that in 2026, the first ceiling maximum contribution for an employee is $4,230.45. The employer pays a matching amount for a total maximum contribution per employee of $8,460.90. The second ceiling in 2026 is $85,000, up from $81,200 in 2025. To work out the maximum CPP contribution under the second ceiling, employees have to take the difference between $74,600 and $85,000, which is $10,400, and multiply that amount by the lower contribution rate of four per cent to get $416. Employers make a matching contribution of this same amount.
Police investigate shootings that injured 1, damaged homes, vehicles in Surrey
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Police are investigating a pair of separate overnight shootings that sent one person to hospital and damaged homes and vehicles in Surrey, B.C. Officers responded to the first report of shots fired inside a home in the city’s Newton neighbourhood just before midnight Thursday. The Surrey Police Service says an injured male was found suffering from a gunshot wound at the scene near 140B Street and 59 Avenue. The victim is believed to be in stable condition, while another male was arrested at the scene, police said in a statement. Officers were called to a second shooting approximately 45 minutes later in the North Surrey area. A witness who heard the gunshots told investigators there was a “distraught male” outside their door in the area of 111 Avenue and
160 Street, police said. Officers with the RCMP’s Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit responded, quickly locating a suspect and arresting him. Investigators found bullet casings at the scene and identified two homes and two vehicles that were damaged, though no injuries were reported. The Surrey Police Service’s serious crimes unit is investigating the first shooting, while the Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit’s general investigation unit is investigating the second. Neither shooting appears to be linked to ongoing incidents of extortion-related violence in the community, according to police. Anone with information related to the incidents is asked to contact the Surrey Police Service’s non-emergency line at 604-599-0502.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026
Canada's grocery code of conduct kicked in Jan. 1, with buy-in from 5 major grocers The voluntary grocery code of conduct for grocers, suppliers, wholesalers and primary producers in Canada is set to fully roll out on Thursday. The grocery code is intended to promote fair dealings between grocers and their suppliers, including in the application of penalties and fees. It was set up in an effort to bring more transparency, fairness and predictability to the industry as a whole. The code, governed by the Office of the Grocery
Sector Code of Conduct, includes trade rule provisions, a governance model and an adjudication and dispute resolution process. Canada's five largest grocers — Empire, Loblaw, Metro, Walmart Canada and Costco Canada — have now formally registered. Starting Jan. 1, the code — which was being rolled out in stages — will be fully operational, including the dispute resolution mechanism governing how complaints are addressed by the office and consequences for violations of the code. Grocers, suppliers and other members will now be able to submit formal complaints. The office of the Canada Grocery Code will also start collecting annual membership dues and releasing annual reports highlighting industry trends, systemic challenges and proposed improvements, according to the Canada Grocery Code website. However, experts who spoke to CBC News had mixed opinions on whether the code — which aims to improve relations between industry players, not bring down food prices — will have a
meaningful impact on consumers. The industry committee tasked with creating the code was established in response to contentious fees being charged to suppliers by large grocery retailers, an issue that came to a head in 2020. Years of high food inflation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic stoked public frustration with the grocery industry. Although the code's purpose wasn't to lower costs, its adoption nonetheless became a political issue. Some grocers were hesitant to sign on. Loblaw, for example, took issue with an early version of the code that it claimed would lead to higher prices for shoppers. But the federal government warned it could make the code mandatory if all major players didn't get on board. The code lays out specific rules and guidelines for grocers and suppliers. For example, it includes detailed rules about fees and under what circumstances retailers can charge them. Another section sets out a process for resolving disputes if parties can't come to an agreement themselves. While the code is a first for Canada, other countries, notably the U.K. and Australia, have their own grocery codes. Former Empire CEO Michael Medline was the first major grocery executive to call for a grocery code of conduct to level the playing field for Canadian grocers and suppliers. He had cautioned it wouldn't be a silver bullet for solving problems in the industry, but that it could lead to lower prices, shorter supply chains and more choice for Canadians. "It would be great if we had a [silver bullet] that could fix food inflation. It's really not the purpose of the code," said Karen Proud, the president and adjudicator of the Office of the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct, in an interview with CBC Montreal earlier this month.
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Thousands of public, private sector workers will be working from the office again in 2026 The new year will bring some big changes to the rules on in-office work for many employees across the country — including tens of thousands of provincial government staff in Ontario and Alberta, who will soon be required back in the office full time. As of Jan. 5, Ontario provincial government employees will be expected to work in the office five days per week. Alberta's public service is also returning to fulltime, in-office work in February to "strengthen collaboration, accountability and service delivery for Albertans," a spokesperson for the Alberta government said. While several provinces, including Manitoba, British Columbia and New Brunswick, retain more flexible hybrid work rules, others are reviewing
their policies. A spokesperson for the government of Newfoundland and Labrador said the province is looking at its remote work policy. The government of the Northwest Territories is also reviewing its remote work policy, though a spokesperson said there are no plans to require employees to return to the workplace on-site five days a week. It's still not clear when federal public servants will have to increase their office presence, or by how much. Prime Minister Mark Carney promised last month that a plan would soon come into "sharper view." Carney said his government will be "engaging with the public sector unions on the modalities" of the back-to-office policy, with details about the plan to be made public "over the course of the next several weeks."
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Real estate licence cancelled for B.C. man who assaulted 2 in ‘drug-induced psychosis’ during open house B.C.’s real estate regulator has cancelled the licence of a man who assaulted two people while experiencing what a doctor described as “druginduced psychosis” during an open house in June 2023. Christopher James Simpson was assisting a fellow licensee with the open showing of a property in Vancouver when the incident occurred, according to a consent order between Simpson and the B.C. Financial Services Authority that was published online Wednesday. In the agreement, Simpson admits he committed misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a licensee and consents to the cancellation of his licence. He also agrees to pay the BCFSA $2,500 in “enforcement expenses” within two months. Accordingto the document, Simpson volunteered to help his colleague—anonymized as RS—with her client’s open house. Though they worked for the same brokerage, Simpson and RS had not met before the open house. “During the open house, while RS and Mr. Simpson were showing the property to potential buyer BL, Mr. Simpson collapsed, appeared to have a seizure and lose consciousness, then regained consciousness and became violent, assaulting both RS and BL,” the consent order reads. Both RS and BL were injured in the incident, and police were called, according to the consent order. Both RS and BL were injured in the incident, and police were called, according to the consent order. A portion of the police report reproduced in the consent order indicates that police arrived to find Simpson “lying on the ground in a state of anxiety.” He told officers he had consumed “12 or more” alcoholic beverages and taken drugs. The specific drug or drugs he took are redacted in the document.
Canada can no longer ignore its violent jihadist extremism problem By Ches W. Parsons, Sophie Milman and Sheryl Saperia: Recent arrests in the Greater Toronto Area of Waleed Khan, Osman Azizov, and Fahad Sadaat lay bare a disturbing truth that Canadians can no longer ignore: violent jihadist extremism is being cultivated and operationalized here. What began as two armed attempts to abduct women from public streets in Toronto and Mississauga escalated into one of the most serious terrorism and hate-crime cases in recent memory. The three men now face dozens of charges involving firearms offences, hostage-taking conspiracies and sexual assault with weapons. Police said that the alleged criminals targeted women and members of the Jewish community and that the alleged crimes were motivated by antisemitism. In a parallel national-security investigation, the RCMP laid terrorism charges against Waleed Khan, explicitly naming ISIS — also known as the Islamic State or ISIL — as the terrorist entity involved. The allegations include participating in the activities of a terrorist group, facilitating terrorist activity, terrorist financing and conspiracy to commit murder in association with ISIS. The ideology animating this plot is imported, but the threat is homegrown: the planning and activation occurred in Canada. Waleed Khan stands accused of providing funds and property to a terrorist entity that continues to orchestrate global atrocities, as demonstrated by the Bondi Beach massacre in Australia just days before the public announcement of these arrests. This case is part of a troubling pattern — Canada has disrupted numerous ISIS-linked plots in recent years, many involving radicalized youths or family groupings. These interdictions deserve recognition. Project Neapolitan intercepted what police describe as a dangerous escalation — firearms were seized and tragedy was likely prevented. But disruption is only half the battle, and arguably the easier half. What Canada has not done, at least not consistently or
seriously, is confront the ideological ecosystem that produces radicalization in the first place. Here, Canada has been dangerously complacent. ISIS is almost universally condemned. Governments, Muslim organizations, scholars, and civil society leaders rightly denounce it as barbaric and murderous. Yet these same voices rarely acknowledge that ISIS targets are disproportionately Jewish. Nor will they name the Islamist ideology that animates the violence — a supremacist,
antisemitic and eliminationist worldview for which Hamas serves as the preferred ideological avatar among western political and cultural elites. While ISIS itself is reviled, the ideological pathways leading to it are routinely tolerated, rationalized, or defended by western apologists who reframe extremism as political expression, and by those who police language while harbouring, enabling, and often even encouraging antisemitic and exterminationist incitement. Since October 7, Canadians have been immersed in rhetoric that dehumanizes Jews, reframes terrorism as “resistance,” and accuses the world’s only Jewish state of genocide — often stripped of evidence or moral proportion. Calls to target Jews “globally,” blood-libel tropes recycled as political critique, and the portrayal of Jewish selfdetermination as uniquely illegitimate, have been
allowed to metastasize across public life in Canada, largely unchallenged by institutions that should know better. This environment, with its chants, rallies, encampments, “sit-ins,” protests, flag desecrations, social-media messaging, and biased mainstream coverage of world events — normalizes extreme views, erodes moral boundaries and pushes vulnerable individuals toward full-blown ISIS activation. The post-October 7 surge in antisemitic incidents — arson at synagogues, shootings at Jewish schools, rampant vandalism — flows directly from this amplification. ISIS exploits precisely this atmosphere to recruit, inspire and mobilize lone actors and small cells. ]Radicalization does not happen overnight. It unfolds in stages. It begins with moral inversion where evil is recast as justice; then, it moves to normalization, where eliminationist rhetoric enters mainstream discourse; and finally — activation — where ideology tips into violence. The Toronto arrests demonstrate the inevitable endpoint when this pathway goes unchallenged. ]Disrupting plots addresses symptoms. Dismantling the ideological infrastructure that creates them addresses the disease. ]Canada needs urgent reforms to immigration and security screening, stringent oversight of online extremist ecosystems, and effective deradicalization capacity. ]Above all, Canada needs intellectual honesty from our political leaders, civil society and cultural gatekeepers. Antisemitic and genocidal ideologies are not magically rendered benign when repackaged as activism or shielded from scrutiny by the language of grievance. It must be made clear that they will not be tolerated — least of all when they masquerade as political discourse. Not on our streets, not in our classrooms, not in our humanitarian organizations, not in our law enforcement agencies and not in our halls of government.
OPINION
SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026
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India emerges as world’s third-largest military power
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By Veeramalla Anjaiah: India, a nation of 1.47 billion people, has overtaken most nations to become the third-largest military power in 2025, behind only the United States and China. Operation Sindoor demonstrated indigenous weapons and anti-drone capabilities, while the government eyes a 20-25 percent increase in the defence budget for 2026 and aims to take defence exports to Rs 30,000 crore, the Zee News website reported. Emphasis on self-reliance and modern technology is turning India into a formidable player in the global defence market. The outgoing year 2025 proved to be a milestone for India’s defence sector. During changing global security challenges, the country displayed its military strength, strategic readiness and self-reliance. Australia-based Lowy Institute’s Asia Power Index 2025 ranks India as the world’s third-largest defence power after the United States and China. According to the Global Fire Power website, India was still ranked as the world’s fourth largest military power in 2025, behind the U.S., China and Russia. India is a nuclear power. It has spent US$75 billion on defence in 2025. It has 2.19 million army with 2 aircraft carriers, 513 fighter jets, 45 warships and 18 submarines. Experts attribute a major portion of this achievement to Operation Sindoor, where India deployed indigenous weapon systems and carried out record anti-drone operations, sending a message about its combat preparedness. Along with operational achievements, international defence deals have accelerated India’s transition from an importer to an exporter of defence technology. Analysts say 2026 is poised to be an even more ambitious year for Indian defence. With instability n neighbouring countries and a changing regional security landscape, India is expected to increase its defence budget by 20-25 percent. According to the Zee News, the Ministry of Defence had declared 2025 as the year of reforms. Under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India) initiative, the country made strides in defence manufacturing and exports. Indigenous weapons systems, advanced drones, defence industrial corridors and record export deals have strengthened the nation’s position in the
global defence market. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said during a recent programme that defence exports have increased nearly 35 times over the past decade. India’s target for March 2026 is approximately Rs 30,000 crore in defence exports, with a longer-term goal of Rs 50,000 crore by 2029. Last year (1924-2025), defence exports stood at around Rs 24,000 crore. Today, India exports defence products to over 100 countries. Operation Sindoor reflected India’s commitment to self-reliance and demonstrated the country’s strategic capabilities to the world. This has encouraged many nations to consider Indian-made defence equipment. Experts suggest that the 202627 budget could see an increase of over 25 percent in defence allocations to support these strategic requirements. Operation Sindoor and global military trends highlight the importance of drones and advanced technology in future combat. AI-driven surveillance and autonomous systems are expected to
become key focus areas for India in 2026. With tensions along India’s borders, modern aircraft and advanced weapon systems will be essential, and deals involving Russia’s fifth-generation fighter SU57 or defence procurements from the United States are possible. The Indian Navy is also set to expand its presence in the Indian Ocean with modern ships and weapons platforms. To boost defence production and exports, India is developing dedicated infrastructure across the country. Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, with investments exceeding Rs 91,450 crore, are expected to create over 52,000 jobs and attract private investments. India also approved its first autonomous maritime shipyard dedicated to naval platforms. According to the Indian Defence Research Wing website, the Indian Army has achieved a major milestone in defence self-reliance by indigenising 159 out of the 175 ammunition variants in its inventory, reaching an indigenisation level of nearly 91 percent.
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SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026
What will cost more and what won’t for British Columbians in 2026 After a year of trade tensions and high food prices, many British Columbians are heading into 2026 closely watching their household budgets. U.S. tariffs dominated headlines throughout 2025, hitting key B.C. industries like lumber, as well as aluminum, steel and vehicles. To help boost economic activity, the Bank of Canada cut interest rates several times in 2025 and held its benchmark lending rate steady at 2.25 per cent in its last monetary policy update, but the central bank has stressed it cannot restore the economy “to its pre-tariff path.” Inflation has cooled since the pandemic and is hovering just above two per cent, but everyday costs for many families remain high, especially for food. Grocery prices Food prices were given a brief reprieve earlier this year due to a temporary tax break. From mid-December 2024 to mid-February 2025, the federal government removed GST and HST on most food and beverages, which, according to a latest food price report, brought food inflation down to -0.6 per cent in January, the first negative reading in more than eight years. Utilities Several utility rate increases are set to take effect in 2026. FortisBC electricity customers will see a 3.63 per cent rate increase starting Jan. 1, amounting to about $5.35 more per month for the average household. The utility says higher electricity-purchase costs are a key driver. Natural gas customers will see a steeper jump
with an about 11 per cent increase to their bills — roughly $10.95 more per month. FortisBC says the increase will fund system upgrades and expanded energy-efficiency programs. Housing and rent The B.C. Ministry of Housing says it's capping the annual rent increase at 2.3 per cent in 2026, down from three per cent in 2025. The province said the maximum allowable increase is tied to inflation, in particular the Consumer Price Index, which represents changes in goods and services, such as food, shelter and transportation by comparing them over time. Transportation In 2026, transit fares in Metro Vancouver will jump another five per cent, after which there will be a two per cent yearly increase. It’s part of a 10-year investment plan, which, according to TransLink, will keep them fiscally sustainable until the end of 2027. The transportation authority says the funding will allow service expansions across dozens of routes. B.C. Ferries will implement an average fare increase of 3.2 per cent on April 1, though more discounted “saver fares” will be available during off-peak sailing hours. A standard vehicle fare between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island will increase by $5, to $110. ICBC says it will not increase the rates for basic auto insurance this year. This marks the seventh consecutive year that the Crown corporation has not increased the rates.
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Carney will participate in Ukraine peace talks in France next week Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to France to represent Canada in the peace negotiations on Russia’s war in Ukraine, his office said in a statement Monday. Carney will be in France on Monday and Tuesday, where leaders of the bloc known as the Coalition of the Willing will gather to “accelerate efforts toward a negotiated peace for Ukraine, supported by strong security guarantees.” The group’s 35 member states, including Canada, have pledged their support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion. “Canada is working relentlessly with our allies to secure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. We must deter and fortify – with robust security guarantees and by ensuring Ukraine can rebuild, recover, and create the foundations of true prosperity,” Carney said in a statement Friday. The talks in France were announced on Tuesday by Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy. Leaders from Europe and Canada held talks Tuesday on U.S.-led peace efforts to end the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine, as Moscow and Kyiv sparred over Russian claims, denied by Ukraine, of a mass drone attack on a lakeside residence used by President Vladimir Putin. The virtual meeting included European leaders as well as Carney, heads of European institutions and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, according to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
‘Border runner’ arrested on New Year’s Eve in Abbotsford, police say
bbotsford police say they arrested a “border runner” on an otherwise mostly uneventful New Year’s Eve Wednesday night. In a post on social media Thursday, the Abbotsford Police Department said it responded to a call near McKenzie and Farmer roads “involving a person who crossed illegally into Canada.” “The individual was arrested and turned over to (the Canada Border Services Agency) for further processing,” the post reads.
Walker was unsure of the man’s nationality, but said the incident “appears to be immigrationrelated only,” with no indication of smuggling or other criminality. The border crossing case was one of 67 files Abbotsford officers dealt with on New Year’s Eve, according to the department. There were also calls for “noisy parties, alarms, thefts” and “assist requests,” and officers stopped eight impaired drivers in the city, police said.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026
Officials stress Calgarians must save water after Bearspaw main break sees no drop in usage Repair work continues in Calgary, where Mayor Jeromy Farkas said the city is committed to fixing a problematic water main that has burst twice now in a year and a half. At the same time, officials are urging residents in the region to save water — something city data shows hasn’t happened since the break happened two days ago. On Thursday afternoon, the City of Calgary held a technical briefing on the Bearspaw water main break, providing an overview of the infrastructure and engineering considerations. Farkas said the Bearspaw South Feeder Main remains “very much in the red zone” after a major failure in critical infrastructure led to a rupture on Dec. 30, and the city is using more water than it can produce and store. “We’re requiring the help of every single Calgarian and as well as our outlying regional customers to assist us,” Farkas said. Typically, Calgary has 600 million litres of water stored underground on a
daily basis. After the feeder main broke, the city lost about 80 million litres of water and the reserve dropped down to 459 million litres. In the two days since, the level has come back up slightly to 468 million liters — but city officials say that isn’t enough. Chris Huston, Calgary’s manager for drinking water distribution, said the city of 1.6 million people needs to use below 485 million litres of water every day for several weeks. “We need to increase the volume of storage in our system in case we have another issue come up, and so that we have water for firefighting and life safety,” Huston said. Nicole Newton, director of climate and environment, says the city hasn’t seen a “measurable reduction” in water use since the rupture. “People seem to be continuing their day-today patterns,” Newton said, noting there was an Alberta Emergency Alert issued but it hasn’t appeared to have made an impact.
Winter weather warnings in place across Canada Canadians are starting the new year under a slew of weather warnings, as snow squalls, fog and freezing temperatures plunge parts of the country into deep winter conditions. Environment Canada issued a number of yellow weather warnings on Friday, ranging from dense fog in British Columbia to lake-effect snow in parts of Ontario. Concerns about “near-zero visibility” fog were raised for parts of both British Columbia and Alberta. An area around Prince Rupert had a yellow warning, as did a stretch of
Alberta from Edmonton south to the United States border. “Areas of dense fog continue,” the Alberta alert warned. “Visibility will intermittently improve, but foggy conditions are generally expected to persist through Saturday. Visibility will be suddenly reduced at times.” The same part of Alberta was also under a freezing drizzle yellow warning, with concerns about slippery roads and sidewalks. To the east, Ontario and Quebec also had winterrelated warnings.
Victoria police arrest man after driving him to headquarters in back of U-Haul Police in Victoria arrested a suspect Wednesday after first driving him to police headquarters in the back of a U-Haul moving truck. The unusual incident began at 2:20 p.m., when officers were called to the 1100 block of Government Street in the city’s downtown core. Police were responding to a complaint that a man had entered the back of the rental truck and “was actively damaging its contents with a stick,” according to a statement Thursday from the police department. The officers tried to negotiate with the suspect, the department said, but his “behaviour continued to escalate” as a large crowd gathered at the scene. Authorities decided to commandeer the truck, driving it to the Victoria Police Department headquarters on Caledonia Avenue, where
“containment and resources were more readily available” to conduct the arrest, according to department spokesperson Tiffany Parton. The suspect was identified as 35-year-old Travis Bradley, who investigators say will be held in police custody pending a court appearance on Jan. 6. Bradley has been charged with five offences, including two counts of assaulting a peace officer, and one count each of causing a disturbance, mischief and willfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer. “The scene drew significant attention in the downtown core, and we appreciate the understanding and support shown as officers worked to safely resolve the situation,” the police statement said.
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A 9.0 magnitude earthquake could eclipse all past B.C. disasters combined: provincial report Minutes after a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Vancouver Island one summer's day, thousands of British Columbians are dead or injured in the wreckage — then comes the tsunami, aftershocks and chaos. Distraught survivors overwhelm hospitals as they search for loved ones. Road and rail links are damaged by the quake, then inundated by tsunami flooding. Food and medical shortages follow. The scenario of a "megathrust" earthquake is described in a B.C. government risk analysis that foresees more than 3,400 fatalities and more than 10,000 injuries on the day of the main shock. "After the earthquake, thousands more are killed or injured by triggered hazards, such as the tsunami, aftershocks and fires," it reads. The scenario also describes costs of $128 billion, the destruction of 18,000 buildings and extensive damage to 10,000 more, while economic growth is halved and GDP and job losses stretch over the next decade. The report says the losses would exceed the combined impacts from all disasters experienced in B.C. over the past 200 years. It says the heaviest damage could occur on Vancouver Island and a roughly 20-kilometre band along coastal sections of the lower mainland including Vancouver, stretching from the U.S. border to the Sunshine Coast. The analysis is part of the B.C. disaster and climate risk assessment, dated October 2025, which also outlines several other "extreme event" scenarios — severe flooding in the Fraser Valley, high-tide flooding on the southwest coast following a winter storm, an urban interface fire, and a drought that last years. Edwin Nissen, professor of earth and ocean sciences at the University of Victoria, said the report's estimates of fatalities and destroyed
buildings rest on simulations. "You can sort of run a simulation of what the earthquake would look like, and then how much ground-shaking it will cause," said Nissen, who was not involved in the report. He added that these simulations would then consider the structural integrity of homes based on their physical location, material and building code. "On a purely personal level, wood-frame homes are generally relatively safe from shaking," he said. "If it's brick, that's bad. If you are on bedrock, if you are close to bedrock, that is good. If you are not on bedrock, that is less good."
Nissen said the figures in the report come with a "huge amount of uncertainty" because of factors such as the time of day and year when a quake strikes. He said earthquakes in the winter can be more deadly, because the ground has absorbed more water, making landslides and the liquification of soil more likely. But he said such reports were needed on a regular basis. "I think it's good that they update these emergency reports every few years, because I think the science moves quite quickly. The engineering moves quite quickly." The report says the last comparable earthquake in the region happened in 1700. Nissen said researchers know of that quake
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SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026
SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026
Migrants found hiding in frigid woods after walking to Quebec from U.S. Nineteen undocumented migrants were arrested in southern Quebec Thursday evening after they illegally entered Canada from the United States on foot, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Police said they began searching for the migrants after they received a report from the United States
Border Patrol shortly before 6 p.m. Around an hour later, officers found 15 people hiding in the woods near Havelock, Que., around 53 kilometres south of Montreal, the RCMP said. “The search continued until about 10:30 p.m., in extreme cold, to find the remaining individuals,”
the RCMP said in an emailed statement. The migrants are of Haitian origin and range in age from one to 60, police said, adding that they have all requested asylum. Eight of the migrants were transported to a hospital. Six of those people required treatment for frostbite, police said, adding that two young children who were with the group were taken to a hospital as a precaution. Another man was arrested under the Customs Act, police said, “as officers had reason to believe he was near the area to pick up several of these migrants with his vehicle.” That vehicle was seized, the RCMP said, and the investigation is ongoing. Crossing the border illegally is extremely dangerous for migrants and for police, the RCMP said, especially in the winter. “People who cross illegally are often poorly equipped and inadequately dressed for the weather. The terrain is also very difficult to access in certain areas,” the police said.
Canada-wide warrant issued for sex offender who didn't return to Vancouver halfway house Police say a Canada-wide warrant has been issued for a convicted sex offender who did not return to his halfway house in Vancouver on Wednesday. The Vancouver Police Department said in a news release that Dean Robert Merrick , 58, left the halfway house in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside just before 9:30 a.m. PT on Dec. 31 for an appointment on Commercial Drive. He did not return. Merrick served an 18-year sentence for sexual offences, the department said.
Police say he is bald with brown hair that is greying on the sides and has blue eyes. He has multiple tattoos, including a flag and a cowboy on his left arm. He is six-foot-two and weighs around 200 pounds, according to police. Investigators believe he may be wearing a black jacket, white T-shirt, green cargo pants, a black ball cap and grey-and-black running shoes. Anyone who sees Merrick or knows of his whereabouts is asked to call 911.
Canada stepped up efforts to deal with illicit drug production in 2025 Canadian officials made pains to show they were cracking down on illicit drug production in the country in 2025. Much of that was driven by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff war — which was justified, in part, by Trump’s assertions that Canada wasn’t doing enough to stop the illicit opioid fentanyl from flowing south of the border. A “fentanyl czar” was appointed to co-ordinate agencies’ response to drug enforcement. Drug seizures were regularly trumpeted, and the Liberal government’s border security bill includes provisions about cracking down on drug precursor chemicals and more surveillance powers for police. A criminologist says the appointment of the fentanyl czar, in particular, shows an acknowledgement of the transnational nature of drug production in Canada. “There are a lot of connections in Canada that were pointed out by Mr. [Kevin] Brosseau, the fentanyl czar, between Southeast Asia, China and Canada,” said Neil Boyd, a professor emeritus at Simon Fraser University’s criminology school. “Organized crime groups in all of these countries work together, and precursor chemicals come in regularly to Canada.” Boyd said that Trump’s claims around fentanyl flowing south of the border in significant numbers aren’t rooted in fact — but have allowed for a focus on cartels and transnational
organizations that are contributing to domestic drug production. “I think one of the benefits of Trump's claims … is that it has allowed for more insight into what some of the real problems are,” Boyd said. Brosseau said in a statement to CBC News that, going into 2026, officials would push forward with a mission of reducing drug supply, curbing demand and securing borders. "We are starting to see demonstrable, measurable improvements through our strategic and [co– ordinated] efforts, with a suite of complementary measures coming together," he said. During a recent media availability announcing a massive fentanyl seizure, intelligence officials said they believe that Canada isn’t a major exporter of the drug. Rather, they say that Canada has a “domestic issue” with the opioid, which has been blamed for a majority of deaths from toxic drugs in B.C. Boyd says that whether Canada is an exporter of drugs largely depends on the drug in question, and that methamphetamine remains one that is exported in large quantities. “The reason that precursor chemicals come from China into Canada is because there's a production network in Canada that caters not only to Canadians — but goes to the Pacific, goes to countries, you know, beyond Australia,” he said.
Credit card fraudster targets Whistler, with fake QR parking codes Fraudulent QR codes imitating parking payment instructions were discovered in Whistler, B.C., and the municipality is warning the public that they might have fallen victim to credit card fraud. The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) said the fraudulent QR codes were imitating pay-by-phone payment signs. The stickers were discovered on pay parking terminals in Whistler Day Lots one to five, and also on signs along Main Street and Lorimer Road. Staff believe the stickers were only up for 12 hours before the parking contractor notified the bylaw team. A total of 24 stickers were discovered on Dec. 27, and all of them were removed by the next day. “Nobody has come forward yet to say they were a victim,” said RMOW spokesperson Penny Buswell
Lafrance. Certified cybersecurity expert Claudiu Popa said people should be wary of sticker QR codes. “If a QR code looks like a sticker, ignore it,” Popa said. “If it looks like you can peel it off yourself, then chances are it's not legitimate.” He does not believe this type of scam will go away anytime soon due to the ease fraudsters have in setting one up. “It's a very, very low barrier to entry. It's basically free to get into it, and really, it's the cost of a sticker that allows any fraudster to enter this lucrative business,” Popa said. RMOW said the QR codes have been reported to the RCMP, but Popa said tracking down the culprits of the stickers can be difficult.
9
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1 The Canada Education Savings Grant matches 20% of the first $2,500 you contribute to your child’s RESP each year up to a lifetime maximum of $7,200. BC Training and Education Savings Grant (BCTESG) is a one-time $1,200 grant available to BC resident children born on or after January 1st, 2006. Children are eligible for the BCTESG on their sixth birthday. You have until the day before your child’s ninth birthday to apply for the BCTESG. Conditions apply. ™ The Canadian Scholarship Trust Plan is a registered trademark of the Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation. The CST Plan is only sold by Prospectus. You can get copies of the prospectus from www.cst.org or by calling 1.877.333.RESP(7377). MH1100(2017-04)
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SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026
The tech CEO richer than Microsoft's Nadella and Google's Pichai Continued from Page 1... However, the Hurun India Rich List 2025 reveals a shift at the top, naming Arista Networks President and CEO Jayshree Ullal as the wealthiest Indian-origin tech executive, overtaking the more familiar Silicon Valley heavyweights. Jayshree Ullal has emerged as the richest Indian professional manager globally, with a net worth of ₹50,170 crore, according to the report. This places her well ahead of several high-profile Indian-origin tech leaders in Silicon Valley, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who has a net worth of ₹9,770 crore, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who ranks seventh with ₹5,810 crore. Ullal has been at the helm of Arista Networks since 2008, guiding the computer networking firm through a period of rapid growth. Under her leadership, Arista reported revenues of $7 billion in 2024, marking nearly a 20 per cent increase year-on-year, according to Forbes. She owns about 3 per cent of the company’s stock, part of which has
been allocated to her children, niece, and nephew. Born in London in 1961 to a Hindu family of Indian origin, Ullal spent part of her childhood in India after moving there at the age of five. Her father, a physicist, worked with India’s Ministry of Education and played a role in the development of the Indian Institutes of Technology. She later moved to San Francisco, where she continued her education and career. Ullal holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from San Francisco State University and a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from Santa Clara University. After early stints at AMD and Fairchild Semiconductor, she rose through the ranks at Crescendo Communications before joining Cisco, where she built its switching business into a major vertical. She left Cisco in 2008 to join Arista Networks, then a tiny startup, and helped transform it into a leading cloud networking company, where she is now based in San Francisco.
Police investigating three separate drive-by shootings at same house in Surrey Continued from Page 1... No police officers were on scene Wednesday afternoon but an RCMP vehicle was stationed in front of the home. No arrests have been made. The RCMP has taken over the investigation. Police are asking residents in the area to remain mindful of any suspicious activities and vehicles. Meanwhile, another home was shot at in Surrey early Wednesday morning in what is believed to be related to extortion. The RCMP Surrey provincial operations
support unit responded to reports of shots fired at a home in the area of 187 Street and 54 Avenue at around 4:25 a.m. It is unclear if this shooting is related to any other extortion-related shooting in the city. Anyone with information, home surveillance video or dash camera footage can call the SPS nonemergency number at 604-599-0502. As of two weeks ago, police in Surrey were investigating 106 extortion cases this year alone, with 45 of them involving shootings. Some of the 76 victims have been targeted several times.
How the Canada-U.S. relationship changed in 2025 The people anxiously sipping hot chocolate in the Canadian Embassy in Washington on a cold night in January almost a year ago couldn’t have predicted the roller-coaster of trade provocations and bilateral blow-ups the next 12 months would bring. In hindsight, that unusually chilly Washington evening foreshadowed how the Canada-U.S. relationship would soon freeze over. Trump’s tariff threats and his talk of annexing Canada had already rattled Canadian politics over the preceding weeks. A rushed trip to Mar-a-Lago in early November 2024 failed to mend former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s already rocky relationship with the incoming U.S. president. On Jan. 20, the day of his second inauguration, Trump returned to the Oval Office to announce his “America First” trade policy. Just weeks later, he announced sweeping tariffs on Canadian imports. By early February, it was obvious to everyone the relationship Canadians thought they had with their closest neighbour was over. Former foreign affairs minister Mélanie Joly called on “every single political leader across the board, across the country, to stand united because, now more than ever, we need to make sure that we put country first.” It was all happening amid a swift domestic political upheaval that saw Trudeau, weakened by poor polling and internal Liberal party dissent, announce on Jan. 6 he would resign as prime minister as soon as a new Liberal leader was chosen. Mark Carney became party leader in March, and almost immediately launched an election, forming a minority government following a campaign that centred on Trump. Trump’s tariffs — which don’t apply to goods compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, known as CUSMA — hit Canada in March. They were boosted to 35 per cent in August as Trump complained about Canada’s retaliatory tariffs and supply management in the dairy sector, and claimed Ottawa hadn’t done enough to stop the very modest cross-border flow of fentanyl. The president’s separate Section 232 tariffs on specific industries, such as steel, aluminum, automobiles, copper and lumber, have also hit
Canada hard. Trump took his trade war global in April with his so-called “reciprocal” tariffs on nearly every nation. World leaders raced to respond. Some signed frameworks of trade agreements that promised massive investments in the United States in exchange for slightly lower tariff rates. The speed and scale of Trump’s trade war with the world caught everyone off guard, said Fen Osler Hampson, a professor of international affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa and co-chair of the Expert Group on Canada-U.S. Relations. While the president toned down his annexation talk after Carney’s election, every deadline for a trade deal since then has come and gone, with no clear progress. Talks remain stalled. “That’s ... I would hasten to add, no fault of (Carney’s),” Hampson said. Carney suspended Canada’s digital sales tax, tightened border security, dropped most retaliatory tariffs and boosted defence spending in an unsuccessful effort to get Trump to drop his tariffs. Until recently, however, a swift breakthrough on tariffs seemed possible. Carney and Trump complemented each other and bantered for the news crews during two cordial meetings at the White House. Media reports suggested in mid-October some sort of framework for a deal easing tariffs was in the works. It all went sideways in October when Trump, offended by an Ontario-sponsored TV ad quoting former U.S. president Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs, shut down trade talks. Canada and the United States have had disagreements throughout their shared history, Hampson said, but in the decades after the introduction of the North American Free Trade Agreement, most observers expected the continent to grow more integrated. “That’s no longer true,” he said. “We increasingly look like three countries going our own separate ways.” For many Canadians, the past year has felt like an existential crisis — an extended, numbing assault on this country’s sovereignty and stability. In the United States, the shattered relationship with Canada has had less of an impact.
CRA says it's owed $10 billion in COVID-related benefits sent to ineligible recipients Continued from Page 1... According to the CRA, Masse did not meet the minimum net earnings of $5,000. "I was stunned. I couldn't believe it," said Masse. "I would have never applied for anything that I did not qualify for." In early 2024, after months of back and forth, the CRA agreed he was entitled to some of the money. But he remains on the hook for about $27,000. "I don't have the money; I have no money. I live in poverty ... I can't afford to lose $27,000," said Masse. He's far from alone. According to data the CRA provided to CBC News, about $14 billion in COVID-related benefits was given to individuals that the agency says, upon review, didn't qualify because they didn't meet the income requirements. Most of that money was given under the Canadian emergency response benefit (CERB) or Canada recovery benefit (CRB), the latter a $2,000/month payment for those forced to stop working during the pandemic and couldn't get EI. In 2022, the CRA began informing people that a repayment was due. Since then, it's recouped about $4 billion. But $10 billion is still outstanding. Blair Mantin, a licensed insolvency trustee in Vancouver, says he sees clients every week trying to resolve their pandemic repayments. Mantin
said the CRA's approach was initially lenient but "in the last few months, I've seen that approach change pretty significantly." "So we're certainly seeing bank account freezes, now we're seeing garnishes [of pay] ... that's the most painful thing, because that's when the government's going directly to your employer and saying, 'Hey, before the person gets their wages, take 30 per cent off the top,'" said Mantin. Short of declaring bankruptcy, Mantin said there's no way of getting around this debt. "If you owe money to the government, there's no statute of limitations," said Mantin. "You can't wait out this type of debt." The CRA says it gave out approximately $84 billion in COVID-19 benefits to individuals during the pandemic. Franco Terrazzano with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says that from the get-go, he worried money would go to individuals who didn't qualify. Terrazzano says while the government should show compassion to people who have to repay the money, when it comes to those who administered the program, heads should roll. "I'm talking about the bureaucrats within the government who made these mistakes. Yes, they have to be held accountable," said Terrazzano. "Look, when you make a multibillion-dollar mess-up, you should be prepared to polish off your resumé."
FIJI
SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026
Rainy start to 2026 – Wet New Year’s Day forecast for Fiji An active trough of low pressure is moving toward Fiji from the west and is expected to affect the country from Tuesday through the weekend, bringing widespread cloud, rain and thunderstorms. According to the latest forecast, periods of heavy rain and isolated thunderstorms are likely over the interior and northern parts of Viti Levu — including Naitasiri, Ra, Nausori, Tailevu, Ba, Lautoka, Nadi and Sigatoka — as well as across Vanua Levu, Taveuni, the Yasawa and Mamanuca groups, and the Lau and Lomaiviti
groups. Elsewhere, partly cloudy conditions are expected, with afternoon or evening showers and possible thunderstorms. Authorities warn that localised heavy downpours may lead to flash flooding in low-lying and flood-prone areas. Motorists are urged to drive with caution, avoid flooded roads, and stay updated with weather advisories. Communities living near rivers and drainage systems are also encouraged to remain vigilant and prepare for potential rising waters.
‘Parliament decides’ – Acting FICAC Commissioner responds to calls for closure PEOPLE are entitled to their views but only Parliament decides the future operations of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption. FICAC Acting Commissioner Lavi Rokoika made this comment following public commentary for FICAC to close because it has been used as a political weapon. “Again, those are public commentary. People are entitled to their views,” she said. “But the organisation itself is an organ created by law. In order for it to dissolve this organisation or dismantle it, there is a local process that needs to be followed. “That’s outside of the Office of the Commissioner and this organisation itself.
“Parliament has to deal with it, not the commissioner.” Like any institution, Ms Rokoika said, there were challenges including their investigations. “The officers take it on a case-by-case basis. And I believe that the challenges are some of the causes of why some cases have been delayed over a longer period of time. “There are challenges. We acknowledge that. “But because of our statutory mandate, we need to proceed. But if there is no evidentiary basis for us to continue, that’s why we close the files that we have closed.”
TLTB CEO had no role in processing Grace Road leases – TLTB The iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB) has rejected allegations surrounding the issuance of leases linked to the Grace Road group of companies — emphasising that CEO Solomone Nata was not involved in the processing of the leases. Ratu Aca Rayawa, Chairman of the TLTB Board Governance, Audit, and Risk Committee, said all Grace Road leases were handled through standard procedures and strict legal requirements. “As a foreign investor, the Grace Road group of companies is required to operate in Fiji in strict compliance with Fiji’s laws,” he said. “In the same way, leases to the Grace Road companies must be processed and issued in
accordance with TLTB’s policies and procedures.” He stressed that TLTB, as statutory trustee, must consult iTaukei landowners before any lease is approved, as required under the iTaukei Land Trust Act 1940. “These statutory checks and balances safeguard the interests of iTaukei landowners,” Ratu Aca said. He added that leases are granted only after applicants meet eligibility criteria including valid documentation, proof of income, development plans and the capacity to meet financial obligations. Responding to claims that Mr Nata facilitated a lease for Grace Road in Yadua, Ratu Aca dismissed the accusations.
Minister defends housing lot prices MINISTER for Housing Maciu Nalumisa says they are prioritising affordable housing lots on their developing sites. He was responding to public concerns claiming that housing lot prices were expensive and that Housing Authority developments were not intended for low-income earners. “The thing about housing, not all the lots are the same,” Mr Nalumisa said. “Some lots are worth $30,000 below, some are $40,000, $50,000, depending on the size of the lot. “So, to say that the lots are expensive, it is not really fair because not all lots have the same price.” He said the cost of housing lots varied depending on the size of the lot and the development costs of the specific subdivision. “So, people need to understand that if there is a development happening, it comes with a lot of costs. “Agencies
like Housing Authority, they need to source their own funding for those developments on site. “But what we are going to do now is to work with Housing Authority to make these lots more affordable. “So when I say that, it’s in terms of how much it would be sold at to the low-income earners. So for low-income earners, that is also a priority right now.” He added hat the Housing Authority was working on their model home concept aimed at supporting low-income earners. “They are coming up with the model homes that are very cheap but in terms of the quality, they have to meet the standards with something that is affordable. “A two-bedroom house that some contractors are building, is much lower than what our local contractors can offer.
Police investigate discovery of body in Nadi Police are investigating the discovery of a body in Nadi this afternoon. The body is that of a woman. Police spokesperson Wame Boutolu confirmed the discovery and said officers are still at the scene
gathering information. “Officers are still trying to gather facts. We will release further details later,” Mr Boutolu said. The woman has yet to be identified.
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Four Fiji cabinet ministers are linked to so-called Mafia Queen Cabinet ministers in two former Fiji governments have been linked to an Asian immigration racket. Fiji TV reports that despite warnings from intellegence agencies, the leading player in the Fiji Asian underworld has been allowed to stay in the country. It says when the woman known as the Mafia Queen of Fiji was ordered deported, no less than four ministers rushed to protect her and wrote to the immigration department supporting her fight to stay. The ministers were from the former Rabuka and Chaudhry governments. The Mafia Queen has been in Fiji since 1990
despite not having a residency or work permit, and has been linked to prostitution, gambling, money laundering and people smuggling rackets. At one time she married an asian to avoid deportation but filed for divorce the next day. Fiji police claim they have no reports on her activities but several months ago Fiji newspapers reported that her police files had gone missing. Fiji TV says intellegence services are now working together to remove her from the country. It says they have obtained witness statements which they have locked up well away from the police.
Families found begging provided food rations by Ministry The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection says a joint team with the Fiji Police Force has been carrying out random sweeps in hotspot areas across major urban centres to address the growing number of beggars and children seen
selling or staying on the streets during the festive season. The operations, which began two weeks ago, will continue through the holidays. According to the Ministry, families found
begging with children have been provided food rations and safely returned to their homes. A senior citizen found living on the streets was also offered care and accommodation at the Golden Age Home. The Ministry reminded parents and guardians that it is their responsibility to ensure children are safe and supervised, particularly during the school break. Children found loitering in public places without supervision will be taken to a safe location, while parents or guardians will be counselled on their duty of care. Government, the statement said, remains committed to protecting children, supporting vulnerable people, and keeping communities safe throughout the festive period. The Ministry is urging members of the public to work together to protect children, the elderly, women and girls, and to continue showing care and responsibility for one another.
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SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026
Pakistan archaeologists find rare coins, decorative stones from UNESCO-listed site near Taxila Pakistan archaeologists found rare decorative stones and coins while excavating a UNESCOlisted site near the historic city of Taxila, providing a rare view of the earliest urban settlement of the extensive ancient civilisation. The discoveries were made at the ancient Bhir Mound, where experts unearthed decorative stones dating to the 6th century BC and coins from the 2nd century AD. Dawn reported that officials hailed the discovery as the most significant at the site in a decade. It reported that experts uncovered fragments of metamorphic decorative stone identified as lapis lazuli, alongside the rare bronze coins attributed to
the Kushan dynasty, dramatically pushing forward the material narrative of ancient Gandhara. Aasim Dogar, the deputy director of the Punjab Department of Archaeology who serves as head of the excavation team, confirmed the preliminary analysis of the artefacts. The excavation team relied on specialised forensic assistance to date the metal artefacts. Dogar noted that detailed numismatic analysis conducted by specialists from the University of Peshawar confirmed that the coins bear the image of Emperor Vasudeva. Vasudeva is recognised by historians as the last of the ‘great Kushan rulers’ who presided over the region.
214 FIA officers punished in four months amid entrenched corruption, human trafficking concerns Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has taken disciplinary action against 214 of its officials over the past four months in connection with cases of human trafficking, corruption, indiscipline and inefficiency, according to senior agency officials, Dawn reported on Friday. The actions were taken amid a surge in complaints related to human smuggling and graft within the agency. A senior FIA official said the crackdown followed the introduction of internal reforms, including the establishment of the Directorate of Internal Accountability (DIA) at FIA Headquarters in August 2025, as reported by Dawn. Similar accountability units were also set up at the zonal level under the supervision of zonal directors. The official stated that a strict accountability mechanism was introduced in the aftermath of deadly boat incidents in Europe and Africa, where a large number of Pakistani nationals lost their
lives, adding that high-level enquiries later revealed the involvement of some FIA personnel in human smuggling networks, Dawn reported. The official also cited a November 2025 International Monetary Fund report titled "Pakistan: Governance and Corruption Diagnostic", which highlighted corruption in public-sector institutions as a major cause of inefficiency. To strengthen oversight, FIA Director General Riffat Mukhtar Raja delegated accountability powers to Additional Director Generals of the North and South Zones and to zonal directors, enabling them to take disciplinary action against officers up to Grade 16, as reported by Dawn. In addition, the FIA developed an online accountability module to monitor the progress of enquiries from the complaint stage through disposal and appeal. The official noted that the system allows senior officers to track investigations internally and ensure transparency.
SOUTH ASIA
Blood And Silence: The long, never-ending persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh
Written By : Chandni Sengupta The brutal lynching and killing of a Hindu garment factory worker, Dipu Chandra Das, on 18 December 2025 in Bhaluka, a sub-district of the Mymensingh Division in Bangladesh, has unsurprisingly, and as is evident, not drawn any significant criticism from the media and human rights quarters. Das, a Dalit Hindu, was set ablaze by a frenzied mob chanting Allahu Akbar for purportedly making derogatory remarks against Islam and the Prophet, thereby indulging in what is popularly known as “blasphemy" across the Islamic world—an allegation that almost always turns out to be unsubstantiated. The mob violence which ended the life of a man in his mid-20s is symptomatic of a malaise that has been at the core of the historical trajectory of East Bengal, as it was referred to after the Partition of Bengal in 1905, or what came to be known as Bangladesh in 1971, following India’s military intervention and the complete rout of Pakistan. What needs to be underscored is the fact that the visceral hatred towards the Hindu minority in present-day Bangladesh is not a recent development; it has a long and chequered history. Contemporary Bangladesh was part of the greater Vanga kingdom, references to which can be found in the Mahabharata, the Arthashastra, and several other texts. This region was later politically integrated into the Mauryan Empire under King Ashoka the Great, followed by the rule of the Guptas, during which strong trade links were established and significant advances made in the fields of language, literature, art, and architecture. The post-Gupta period witnessed the emergence of two powerful empires in Bengal—the Pala and Sena dynasties. Under the Buddhist Pala dynasty, Bengal became a centre of trans-Asian knowledge transmission, while under the Hindu Sena dynasty, there was remarkable progress in the sphere of
culture, including the development of Sanskrit and the Bengali language and literature. It was during this time that Jayadeva composed the famous Gita Govinda, a Sanskrit lyrical poem celebrating the divine love between Shri Krishna and his chief consort, Radha. The Senas were great patrons of temple architecture, one of the finest examples being the Dhakeshwari Temple, constructed during the reign of Ballal Sen, from where the capital of present-day Bangladesh, Dhaka, gets its name. A thriving, prosperous Bengal, often referred to as “Sonar Bangla", plunged into what can, with all certainty, be called a Dark Age following Islamic invasions, the first led by the infamous Turko-Afghan general of the Ghurid Empire, Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji, at the beginning of the 13th century. Interestingly, Islam in Bengal was introduced almost a century and a half prior to its territorial takeover by Bakhtiyar Khalji, and this was the handiwork of the Sufis—often misinterpreted as men of piety—who came to settle in the region. The first Sufi to arrive in Bengal was Shah Sultan Qamar ad-Din Rumi, who established his khanqah (hospice) in the Netrakona region of Mymensingh—the district currently in the proverbial eye of the storm—in the second half of the 11th century, 1053 CE to be precise. A man on a mission to convert Hindus to Islam, Rumi is considered to be a “pioneer" of conversions in Bengal. While mass conversions were affected by Rumi in what is now Bangladesh, Abu al-Qasim Jalāl ad-Dīn Tabrizi—a 12th-century Sufi of the Suhrawardiyya (popularly known as Suhrawardi) silsilah—demolished a temple at Pandua in the present-day Malda district of West Bengal and built his khanqah on its ruins. Apart from Tabrizi, well known for his missionary zeal, there were several other Sufis such as the Chishti mystic Uthmān Sirāj ad-Dīn al-Bangālī, popularly known as Akhi Siraj, interred at Sadullapur in the Malda district.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026
PUNJAB
2 terror groups claim responsibility for blast in Himachal’s Nalagarh
Babbar Khalsa International and Punjab Sovereignty Alliance (PSA) have claimed responsibility for the Nalagarh blast, which was carried out using an improvised explosive device (IED) near the police station on Thursday morning. In a social media post dated January 1 and accessed by The Tribune, the duo claimed: “The attack was carried out by our brave soldiers because synthetic drugs are being manufactured in Himachal and sent to Punjab. Despite the police administration being aware of it, no action is being taken, and our youth are dying after consuming them.” According to the post, “The planning and execution of the mission was carried out by Gopi Nawanshahria and Kabal Singh.” They warned: “If the administration still does not wake up or no action is taken, then IEDs will be planted in the vehicles and headquarters of the police administration, and a response will be given that will be beyond their comprehension,” while adding, “Our fight is not against any innocent person, it is against the dirty system.”
Officials from the National Investigation Agency have also stepped in to probe the role of the terror outfits. They visited the crime scene, which has been cordoned off. Officials from the forensic science department also visited the spot, where a two-anda-half-foot-deep crater had been created at the blast site, hinting at the use of an IED. Police officials at Baddi remained tightlipped when contacted. PSA had earlier claimed responsibility for the attacks in Punjab. DIG Anjum Ara said they were awaiting the forensic reports to ascertain the type of the explosive. The police have been directed to stay alert to any eventuality after BKI claimed responsibility for the incident.
4 Punjab IPS officers promoted to inspector-general rank The Punjab government has promoted four IPS officers to the rank of Inspector General of Police.
Those promoted are Jagadale Vijay Nilambari, Rahul S, Bikram Pal Singh Bhatti and Rajpal Singh.
CBI court rejects suspended Punjab DIG Bhullar’s bail plea The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Chandigarh on Friday dismissed the bail application filed by suspended Punjab Police DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar, who was arrested in a corruption case. Bhullar and his alleged aide Kirishanu Sharda were arrested by the CBI on October 16, 2025, for allegedly seeking bribe from the complainant. The complainant, Akash Batta, a resident of Mandi Gobindgarh, had filed a written complaint on October 11, alleging that Bhullar had demanded illegal gratification through his middleman to settle an FIR registered in 2023 at Sirhind police station and to ensure no further coercive or adverse action was taken against Batta’s scrap business. After verification, a trap was laid and both accused were arrested along
with the bribe money. Bhullar’s counsel SPS Bhullar argued that the challan in the case had already been filed and the investigation was complete. He said there was no possibility of the accused influencing witnesses. However, Narender Singh, the public prosecutor, opposed the bail application, arguing that granting bail would allow the accused to influence witnesses. After hearing both sides, the court dismissed the bail plea. Earlier, the CBI court had also dismissed Bhullar’s default bail application in a disproportionate assets case. He had also moved the Supreme Court for interim bail and sought a stay on the CBI’s proceedings, but the top court refused to grant any relief. He is currently in Burail Jail in Chandigarh.
Woman shot dead in Kapurthala, had recently returned from abroad A woman was shot dead in a targeted attack in Kapurthala on Friday afternoon, triggering panic in the area. The incident occurred around 3.30 pm when two assailants arrived on motorcycles and opened fire, discharging approximately four rounds before fleeing the scene. Hempreet Kaur, a resident of Seenpura locality, sustained critical gunshot injuries and died on the spot. Locals alerted the police. A forensic team was called to the spot to collect evidence. Preliminary findings suggest the attack was deliberate, though the exact motive is yet to be ascertained. According to police sources, Hempreet had returned from abroad about a month ago, while her husband
and son continue to live overseas. Investigators are examining her recent movements, personal connections, and any possible disputes. SSP Gaurav Tura said special teams had been constituted to identify the accused. “All possible angles are being examined to determine the motive," he said. Police are reviewing CCTV footage and questioning locals.
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INDIA
India overtakes Japan as 4th-largest economy Continued from Page 1... Export performance has also strengthened, the review noted. Merchandise exports rose to $38.13 billion in November, up from $36.43 billion in January, supported by engineering goods, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and petroleum products. Official confirmation however depends on data due in 2026 when final annual GDP figures are released. The International Monetary Fund suggests India will surpass Japan next year. The Reserve Bank of India has revised its growth forecast for the 2025–26 financial year upward to 7.3%. Growth was said to have been driven primarily by domestic demand, with particularly strong private consumption, despite continued global trade and policy uncertainty. The government described the current phase as a rare "Goldilocks" period of high growth and low inflation, saying strong corporate balance sheets, steady credit flows, and ongoing reforms have positioned India for sustained expansion. "India is among the world's fastest-growing major economies and is well-positioned to sustain this momentum." "With the ambition of attaining high middleincome status by 2047 — the centenary year of its independence — the country is building on strong foundations of economic growth, structural reforms, and social progress." In income terms, the gap with advanced economies remains wide. India's GDP per capita
stood at $2,694 in 2024, according to the latest World Bank data—about 12 times lower than Japan's $32,487 and roughly 20 times below Germany's $56,103. By population, India overtook neighboring China in 2023 to become the world's most populous country. Government figures show that more than a quarter of India's 1.4 billion people are aged between 10 and 26. Creating enough well-paid jobs for millions of young graduates is an upcoming hurdle, but the report offered a rosy outlook. "As one of the world's youngest nations, India's growth story is being shaped by its ability to generate quality employment that productively absorbs its expanding workforce and delivers inclusive, sustainable growth," a note in the review said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi this year unveiled sweeping consumption tax cuts and pushed through labor law reforms after growth slowed to a four-year low in the 12 months ending March 31. Currency pressures have also mounted. The rupee hit a record low against the dollar in early December, after falling about 5% in 2025. That came amid concerns over the lack of a trade deal with Washington and the impact of higher levies on Indian goods. India became the world's fifth-largest economy in 2022, when its GDP overtook that of former colonial ruler Britain, according to IMF figures.
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'Chase rulers on streets': Ajay Chautala’s remark leads to controversy Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) president Ajay Singh Chautala has stirred a controversy with his provocative remarks asking youths to “pull rulers from chairs, chase them down on streets, beat them and force them to flee the country like in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal”. Chautala, who is the father of former Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, was addressing a gathering in Mahendragarh on December 28. In his address, he gave a call for a change. “Elders and young friends, now there is a time for a change. And you will bring this change. You and we all together will bring a change, then it will come.” For this, he said, the time has come for them to organise and unite. “When that opportunity comes, just like in our neighbouring countries, in Sri Lanka the way youths overthrew the government there and forced them to flee overnight; just like youths in Bangladesh overthrew the government there and forced their rulers to flee the country; just like in Nepal, youths mobilised and not only thrashed them on streets but also forced them to leave the country overnight,” Chautala said. He said similar treatment needs to be meted out
to the “rulers” here. “The same way these rulers will have to be dragged from their chairs, chased down on streets, beaten and forced to leave the country and then we will be able to get rid of the misgovernance,” Chautala said. Haryana Transport Minister Anil Vij slammed Chautala for his alleged remarks and said it suggests that he has no faith in the country’s democracy. “He has lost confidence in his own political party and that is why he is trying to incite the youth. He has raised his hands in surrender, saying nothing is in his control anymore and is now provoking others,” said Vij while reacting to Chautala’s remarks. He also lashed out at the Congress, alleging it is working as a B team of the “rulers”. “The responsibility of the main opposition party, which you gave to the Congress, is now being treated as its B‑team. I’m not saying this. Every single person in Haryana is saying this.” Chautala said. He said the same people who gave maximum power to former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the Congress in Rohtak are today saying that if anyone destroyed things the most, it is the father-son duo, alleged Chautala.
Mamdani's note for Khalid: India won't tolerate interference in internal matter, says BJP
The BJP on Friday accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of "interfering" in India's internal matter by writing a note on jailed activist Umar Khalid and asserted that India will not tolerate any such effort. Questioning Mamdani's locus standi of commenting on India's internal matters, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia also cautioned the New York City Mayor against such efforts, asserting, "If India's sovereignty is challenged, 140-crore Indians will stand united under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership." People of India have "complete faith" in the country's judiciary, he added. This came after Mamdani wrote a note for Khalid, recalling his words on "bitterness" and the importance of not letting it consume one's self. The note was posted on X by Khalid's partner Banojyotsna Lahiri. "When prisons try to isolate, words travel. Zohran Mamdani writes to Umar Khalid," the caption accompanying the note said. "Dear Umar, I think of your words on bitterness
often, and the importance of not letting it consume one's self. It was a pleasure to meet your parents. We are all thinking of you," the handwritten note signed by Mamdani said. Reacting sharply, Bhatia said, "If anybody comes out in support of any accused and interferes in India's internal matters, the country will not tolerate it." "Who is this outsider to raise questions on our democracy and judiciary, and that too coming in support of a person who wants to break India? This is not fair," the BJP spokesperson said at a press conference at the party headquarters here, when asked about Mamdani's note. Khalid and a few others have been booked under the stringent anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, (UAPA) 1967, and provisions of the IPC for allegedly being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 Delhi riots, which left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured. Getting bail under the UAPA is difficult for those booked under this law as the onus to show that the case is false lies on the accused.
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The government on Friday issued a stern notice to Elon Musk-led social media platform X to immediately remove all vulgar, obscene and unlawful content, especially generated by AI app Grok, or face action under the law. The Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) has issued a notice to the Chief Compliance Officer for India operations of X for failure to observe statutory due diligence obligations under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and IT Rules, 2021. “...X is hereby directed to...remove or disable access, without delay, to all content already generated or disseminated in violation of applicable laws, in strict compliance with the timelines prescribed under the IT Rules, 2021, without vitiating the evidence in any manner,” the order dated January 2 said. Meity has also directed X to take action against offending content, users and accounts. The ministry has directed the US-based social media firm to submit a detailed action taken report (ATR) within 72 hours of the date when the
order was issued. The government has received from time to time, including through public discourse and representations from various parliamentary stakeholders, that certain categories of content circulating on X may not be in compliance with applicable laws relating to decency and obscenity, the order said. Earlier in the day, Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi had written a letter to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, seeking urgent intervention on increasing incidents of the AI app Grok being misused to create vulgar photos of women and post them on social media. The order said that “Grok AI” service, developed by X, is being misused by users to create fake accounts to host, generate, publish or share obscene images or videos of women in a derogatory or vulgar manner to indecently denigrate them. “Importantly, this is not limited to the creation of fake accounts but also targets women who host or publish their images or videos, through prompts, image manipulation and synthetic outputs.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026
INDIA
India top court orders ex-lawmaker to stay in jail over rape India's Supreme Court has put on hold a controversial order that had suspended the life sentence of a former lawmaker convicted of raping a teenager. Kuldeep Singh Sengar, formerly of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was found guilty in 2019 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. But last week, the Delhi high court suspended his sentence and granted him conditional bail - although Sengar remained in jail in a separate case related to the death of the survivor's father. The high court order sparked outrage and protests, including from the survivor and her mother. The crime against the 17-year-old in Uttar Pradesh state's Unnao district was one of the most horrific in India in recent years. The survivor, who can't be named under Indian laws, alleged that she had approached Sengar for a job in June 2017 and was kidnapped and raped for more than a week by him and others. Her ordeal first came to national attention in 2018 - a year after the assault - when she tried to set herself on fire, alleging police inaction. At the time, Sengar was an influential politician from the BJP, which was in power in the state as well as at the national level. The party later expelled him.
Months before Sengar's conviction in December 2019, the woman survived a suspicious car crash that killed two of her aunts and seriously injured her lawyer. The family also accused Sengar and his men of assaulting the woman's father in April 2018. Police charged five men over the attack but also arrested her father for illegal firearms possession. He later died in prison. In March 2020, Sengar was found guilty of culpable homicide and given a 10-year-jail sentence. The high court's decision last week to free Sengar in the rape case was based on whether the assault could be considered "aggravated" or not. According to the Pocso Act, an assault becomes aggravated and attracts more stringent punishment if it is committed by someone in a "position of trust or authority" - such as a public servant or a police officer inside a police station, members of the security forces or a hospital or jail staff. Sengar's lawyers had argued that he was a legislator which was not included in the list of public servants under this law. The Delhi High Court accepted their argument, noting that without aggravated assault, the law mandates a minimum seven-year sentence which Sengar had already served. It suspended his sentence and granted bail, sparking nationwide outrage.
Hindu, Sikh groups caution against UK’s ‘flawed’ anti-Muslim hostility definition
British Hindu and Sikh groups have sounded a note of caution as a proposed draft definition of anti-Muslim hostility being considered by the UK government was leaked to sections of the media recently. Hindu Council UK has written to Communities Secretary Steve Reed this week to claim that the draft is not only “deeply flawed” but risks serious unintended consequences if it were to be formally adopted. The BBC last month reported that the Working Group on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia, set up by the government in February last year, had submitted a draft for adoption that excluded the term “Islamophobia”. “A central concern shared by Hindu, Sikh, Christian, secular, and free-speech organisations is that the definition fails to clearly distinguish between hostility towards Muslims as people and criticism of Islam as a belief system,” reads the Hindu Council UK letter to the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). “The Hindu Council and many organisations have highlighted that definitions of this nature tend to be enforced not through courts but
through institutional policies in universities, local councils, NHS, employers, and regulators where the threshold for sanction is often far lower than the law requires. “For minority communities such as Hindus and other Dharmic traditions, this presents a serious risk,” it states. According to the draft proposal, the Working Group wants to define “anti-Muslim hostility” as engaging in or encouraging “criminal acts, including acts of violence, vandalism of property, and harassment and intimidation whether physical, verbal, written or electronically communicated, which is directed at Muslims or those perceived to be Muslims because of their religion, ethnicity or appearance.” The draft adds: “It is also the prejudicial stereotyping and racialisation of Muslims, as part of a collective group with set characteristics, to stir up hatred against them, irrespective of their actual opinions, beliefs or actions as individuals. “It is engaging in prohibited discrimination where the relevant conduct – including the creation or use of practices and biases within institutions – is intended to disadvantage Muslims in public and economic life.”
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Why Indian cinema is awash with AI Continued from Page 1... "Why wait for a studio's approval if AI can allow me to make the movie on my own terms?" says Anchalia. Across India's diverse movie industry, AI is not just a curiosity harnessed by emerging filmmakers. It has penetrated the daily workflow of big budget film production. From de-ageing veteran actors to voice cloning and visualising scenes before they are shot, AI is seeping into every pore of filmmaking in India. Some studios have quickly fallen in love with the technology – but it brings with it new risks and ethical quandaries. The way Indian cinema has embraced AI in the creative and production process of filmmaking couldn't be more at odds with the situation unfolding at its American cousin in Hollywood. There actors and writers have staunchly resisted the use of AI, launching widespread strikes two years ago that brought TV shows and big name productions to a standstill. (Read more about how dead film stars are being brought back from the dead by AI companies that own rights to their images.) For Anchalia, however, AI was an enabler. His film's budget was less than 15% of a traditional Bollywood production, with 95% of the 75-minute long movie generated by AI. After the trailer dropped, the computergenerated titular heroine Naisha even landed an endorsement deal with a Hyderabad-based jewellery brand. Anchalia says that while it may have taken a thousand iterations to find the desired visuals, it was still less stressful than mounting a big production: "AI has democratised filmmaking," he says. "Today, any young, aspiring filmmaker with no resources whatsoever can make a movie using AI." Established directors have also adopted AI.
Jithin Laal used it during the early creative stages of Malayalam blockbuster Ajayante Randam Moshanam (ARM) to visualise a complex lock system he struggled to explain to his visual effects team. AI-driven pre-visualisation is now embedded into Laal's storytelling process. "For my next film, we are testing scenes before committing financial resources to full-scale production," he says. And filmmaker Arun Chandu made a scifi satire on a shoestring budget of 20 million Indian rupees (around $240,000). "That's less than the cost of an Indian wedding," Chandu laughs. He used Photoshop, graphics programs and a deep learning tool called Stable Diffusion to create a military sequence in his postapocalyptic Malayalam film, Gaganachari. Meanwhile, sound designers Sankaran AS and KC Sidharthan have turned to AI-powered tools including Soundly (a cloud-hosted sound library), and Krotos Studio's Reformer, an AIpowered sound design tool that allows artists to playfully edit sound effects using cues including their own voice. "Back in the day, if a filmmaker had a radical, last-minute idea, we would have to book a studio. Today, our approach is: 'we can do it ASAP'," says Sankaran. However, while Indian cinema has largely embraced AI without restriction, one question looms large: are Indian filmmakers damaging human creativity and introducing unnecessary risk to their projects? Filmmakers such as Laal argue that, unlike human artists, AI lacks the emotional depth, cultural nuances, and human intuition that are key to great screenwriting. A Tamil-language version of the 2013 film Raanjhanaa was rereleased in August 2025 – with its tragic ending rewritten as a happy one by AI. The new version was made by the film's production company without the consent of the original director.
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SRK courts controversy after KKR signs Bangla player Shah Rukh Khan finds himself at the centre of an escalating controversy over the decision of his IPL team KKR signing Bangladeshi player Mustafizur Rahman with multiple parties speaking out — either slamming him or saying he was being targeted for his Muslim identity. Leaders of the BJP and the Shiv Sena said they would not tolerate Rahman being part of the IPL given the atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh. The opposition Congress’ Bhai Jagtap backed the star and said the controversy is evidence of the “BJPRSS’ double-faced policy” as India still plays cricket with Pakistan. “In Bangladesh, Hindus are being tortured, killed, they are being thrown out of their homes, naked and beaten... Buying players from there is treason against the country. People like Shah Rukh Khan are traitors,” BJP’s
Sangeet Som said. Shiv Sena leader Krishna Hegde said the party’s stand has always been to not allow anyone who has committed atrocities against Hindus or is involved in a terrorist attack in India to play in India. “We would request the IPL governing body and the BCCI to ban these players... they cannot commit atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh and then enjoy the hospitality and the benefits and the money from India,” he said. Spiritual leader Rambhadracharya also criticised Shah Rukh Khan. “It is unfortunate but he will do so because he is considered a hero. Shah Rukh Khan’s stance has consistently been at odds with the nation. His character has always been questionable and anti-national,” he claimed.
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SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026