The Asian Star - July 18, 2026

The Fiji U19 team’s 1-0 Youth Nations Cup final victory against England should be more than just another tournament.

It is an event to celebrate success and build towards an even brighter future. For the first time in the tournament’s six- year history, Fiji has reached the championship stage and lifted the trophy. Continued on Page 8...

Japan and India join Forces against China

Asia is the region with the world’s most dynamic international relations. This is hardly surprising given the number and importance of Asian countries. If Taiwan is included, Asia is home to 50 internationally recognized states, including the superpowers Russia and China. In addition, the world’s largest continent is home to powerful regional powers with global influence. One of the most significant geopolitical developments currently underway is the growing partnership between India and Japan. The two Asian giants are strengthening and deepening their cooperation in ways that will have both direct and indirect consequences not only for the Indo-Pacific region but also for the wider world.

Japanese Prime Minister’s First Visit to India

From July 1 to 3, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi paid her first official visit to the Republic of India, where she attended the 16th India-Japan Summit. Continued on Page 4...

The B.C. government wants to seize two properties of alleged drug-trafficking boss Ravinder Singh Dhanda, who was one of the lead targets of an international crackdown on three India-linked organized crime groups earlier this month.

The Director of Civil Forfeiture is going after Dhanda and his spouse Manjit Kaur Dhanda's White Rock and Surrey homes, according to a notice of claim in B.C. Supreme Court.

The claim said the defendants "did not have sufficient lawful employment, income and/or legitimate business income to acquire, finance, improve, maintain, or preserve" the properties. The director alleged Dhanda and his associates "coordinated the storage, transport, smuggling and distribution of bulk quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine and other controlled substances over international borders, primarily between the United States and Canada, on a weekly basis." Continued on Page 10...

For the first time in nearly three decades, the Seattle Seahawks are about to change ownership.

The Paul G. Allen estate announced Saturday that it reached an agreement to sell the Seahawks to a group led by the Khosla family, with the selling price reportedly an NFL-record $9.612 billion. The deal is expected to be approved by NFL owners in late August, according to ESPN.

The group is spearheaded by tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, along with his wife Neeru Khosla and their son Neal Khosla.

Continued on Page 10...

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he will change provincial regulations if needed after learning that an immigrant living illegally in Canada for decades has been ruled eligible for social assistance benefits from Ontario.

Ford’s comments came in the form of a social media post on a case reported by National Post involving a man who said he came to Canada in 1997 on a temporary work permit. Although his permit expired after four years, he has been living here ever since. In a post to X on Sunday morning, Ford wrote: “Our government will always be there to support people on hard times — but that doesn’t include people living in Canada illegally.”

The man was able to support himself by working cash jobs until 2023, when he entered the homeless shelter system, he told the Ontario Social Benefits Tribunal, which heard and ruled on his case in May. Continued on Page 7...

One airlifted to hospital after Langley crash involving commercial truck

One person was airlifted to hospital after a collision between an SUV and a commercial truck in Langley Thursday afternoon.

Langley RCMP said first responders were called to the intersection of 208 Street and 16 Avenue just before 1 p.m.

“One individual was airlifted to a local area hospital in critical condition,” Sgt. Zynal Sharoom said in a statement. “The Lower Mainland Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service (ICARS) has been deployed to assist with the investigation.”

Road closures remained in effect late Thursday afternoon, and officials said they are expected to last for several hours as the investigation continues.

Drives are being asked to avoid the area and plan alternate routes.

Mounties are asking any witnesses to call Langley RCMP at 604-532-3200 and quote file number 2026-22350.

Canada fights to keep accused murderer and Bishnoi gangster in jail

Lawyers for Canada's Minister of Public Safety will be in Federal Court Friday trying to keep an alleged Bishnoi gang member who faces a murder charge in India in custody while he fights the government's efforts to deport him.

According to documents obtained by CBC News, FBI reports claim gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi personally tasked Karamveer Singh with "the responsibility to care for his brother Anmol" in California before Singh fled to Canada in 2025 after being denied immigration status in the United States. Photographs included in the Federal Court file place Singh — who absconded from India in 2019 while on bail in relation to a 2012 murder — alongside Anmol Bishnoi and Lakhvinder "Lakha" Kumar, another senior member of the gang, at a residence northeast of San Francisco in 2024.

Both Anmol Bishnoi and Kumar have since been deported to India where they face multiple criminal charges related to extortion, shootings and targeted killings.

The documents claim Singh — who has been in Canadian immigration custody since April — is also suspected of ordering a shooting and arson attack at the Victoria-area home of Punjabi singer AP Dhillon in 2024.

"Given his past criminality and documented links to the Bishnoi group, a designated terrorist entity, [Singh]'s danger to the public needs to be offset by reasonable conditions of release," the government said in a last-minute application filed last week to halt Singh's release.

"In the absence of proper consideration of the risk he presents if released under the current conditions, release would pose a danger to the Canadian public."

In the latest court filings, Ottawa cited Singh's "recent and significant associations with members of the Bishnoi gang" as well as what it claims are "errors in findings the bondspeople suitable" in asking for an emergency hearing to stay the release order.

The Minister of Public Safety claims a jewelry store owned by the husband of one of Singh's sisters was financed by Karamveer Singh and pointed to approximately $240,000 in electronic money transfers the couple "were not accurately disclosing."

The documents claim Singh's other sister's immigration and travel history "was inconsistent with her income sources. In addition there were several deposits in her accounts where there was no reasonable explanation for the sources."

According to the court filings, Singh was charged with murder in 2012 in relation to the shooting of a political figure in Punjab. He remained in custody for years as the case ground through the courts, but was released on bail in 2019 after the death of his father.

"The prosecution proceeded against his coaccused, who were tried, convicted and sentenced for murder," the government's application reads.

"The Indian court preserved the evidentiary record to permit [Singh] to be tried if and when he is returned to India."

Singh obtained a Mexican visa and then entered the United States illegally, making a failed refugee claim which resulted in an exclusion order.

He then entered Canada in January 2025 "between ports of entry." Singh was caught by the RCMP and made a refugee claim but was found ineligible — resulting in another deportation order.

The Minister of Public Safety wants to overturn an Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) order issued July 7 that would have seen Singh released on electronic monitoring, under virtual house arrest, after his two sisters posted bonds worth a combined $110,000.

A federal court judge put a short term pause on the order after the government filed an "urgent" request for a special sitting the day after IRB member Madona Mokbel signed the release order. The proceedings coincided with last week's bombshell announcement of Operation Hard Ball — a joint investigation between law enforcement agencies in Canada, the U.S. and Europe targeting transnational crime syndicates with links to India, including the Bishnoi gang.

Lawrence Bishnoi and his associates face a sweeping indictment in the U.S., accusing them of conspiring to commit extortion, drug trafficking and the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., in June 2023.

A former university student leader, Lawrence Bishnoi has been in a jail cell in India since 2015.

The federal government listed his transnational criminal syndicate as a terrorist entity last year, claiming "specific communities have been targeted for terror, violence and intimidation."

The documents filed in Karamveer Singh's case reflect the depth of coordination between the FBI and the RCMP in relation to the Bishnoi gang's role in the extortion crisis plaguing South Asian communities on both sides of the border.

He currently has multiple Canadian immigration proceedings underway — including an application for permanent residency through his wife.

'I did not kill anyone'

Singh's lawyers would not comment in advance of the hearing but said they are contesting the Minister of Public Safety's application.

In a letter to the judge, they called the release decision "thoroughly reasoned, highly restrictive" and based on on "extensive and microscopic crossexaminations of both bondspersons." The court file includes a statutory declaration Singh wrote from Toronto's Immigration Holding Centre, claiming he is a victim of "corrupt" Indian justice and politics that left him no choice but to flee the country because he felt his life and liberty were at risk.

"What the court says happened is like a Bollywood movie and is not what happened at all," he says.

"I did not kill anyone. I was falsely implicated in this case."

Singh claims he has never been been charged with a crime, "other than the false charges in India," though he does acknowledge a peace bond that resulted in a no-contact order with his wife last January. He claims he was introduced to Anmol Bishnoi by a friend.

"I regret meeting Anmol Bishnoi and spending time with him. He has a 'big name' and maybe there was some kind of fascination by me of hanging out with him. This was very foolish," Singh writes, calling his decision to spend time with the gangster "a grave error in judgment."

Mayor George Harvie and Delta Council announce first-ever Ash Scattering Site

Families looking for a place to scatter their loved one's ashes in water will soon have a dedicated place to do it in Delta, B.C.

The city and provincial government announced plans Thursday for what they say will be a first-of-its-kind site along the Fraser River.

The City of Delta is upgrading parts of the Fraser Viewpoint on Tilbury Island with a new public park and a dedicated area for families to gather and disperse cremated remains. “It means a lot to us, having a designated facility, place that you can come to scatter," Parashar Malla, general secretary of the HinduBuddhist Foundation of Canada, told CBC News.

Dispersing remains in running water is a key tenet of several faiths. While it is not illegal in B.C. to scatter ashes in a body of water or on Crown land, individual municipalities may have their own bylaws restricting the practice, according to Consumer Protection B.C.

Attorney General Niki Sharma said there has been confusion about regulations and the need for a dedicated, safe, legal place was clear.

“Community leaders have been saying for some time that they need to have a good spot to do that," she said.

"I would hear stories about people that would go in the dead of the night because they thought it wasn’t allowed, and you can imagine when you are saying goodbye to your loved one how undignified that is.” The park is already home to a reflective garden and seating area, and the City of Delta is funding up to $225,000 to improve safe access to the river's foreshore.

Mayor George Harvie said Delta has been working on making the site a reality since last year.

“This was actually something that was

happening all the time anyway, but now we’ve made it secure, safe and more respectful place for people to pay their last respects to their loved ones," he said.

Community members told CBC that the new site will help families avoid the expense of renting a boat, or even flying their loved one's remains to their country of origin to scatter their ashes.

“It’s important that we have a sacred place to actually scatter ashes, until now, we don’t know where it is," Malla said.

"Some people actually take it back to India or Nepal to scatter in holy rivers."

Having a site in the Lower Mainland is important to Punjabi Sikhs for another reason, added Gagan Singh, spokesperson for the United Truckers Association. “People have accepted the Fraser as our second home, so they have full belief and full faith that yes, they can say a final goodbye to their loved ones in this place," he said.

In 2024, the City of Surrey announced plans for its own ash scattering pier on the Fraser River.

Sharma said the province has also released guidelines for other municipalities who are interested in creating a similar site.

B.C.’s first dedicated ash-scattering site is coming to Delta

The province and the City of Delta have announced plans for B.C’s first dedicated ashscattering site along the Fraser River, which officials say will create a culturally and spiritually appropriate space for families to honour their loved ones.

“For years, people south of the Fraser, including many members of the South Asian community, have had to travel abroad to transport a loved one’s ashes overseas to carry out important funeral rites,”

B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma said in a news release Thursday.

“This much-needed culturally respectful space will provide families with a meaningful place close to home where they can gather, reflect and honour their loved ones according to their traditions.”

The province said the City of Delta will upgrade

portions of the Fraser Viewpoint on Tilbury Island to support the new site, including a designated gathering space for the dispersal of cremated remains in the Fraser River.

The city is contributing up to $225,000 to improve access to the foreshore at the park, which officials say already features a reflective garden and seating area. The province added that it worked with Delta city officials to identify Fraser Viewpoint as a suitable location before issuing the tenure needed for the park.

“This initiative responds to the needs of our community through the formal designation of a space for gathering and reflection along our waterfront, honouring the diverse cultural and faith traditions of our residents,” said Delta Mayor George Harvie in the release.

B.C. company defrauded investors, used proceeds to pay for luxury goods, regulator alleges

B.C.’s financial markets regulator is alleging fraud by a man and a company based in the province.

George Henry Tyrer, the owner of For the People FX Inc., allegedly raised roughly $2.6 million from investors with the promise that the funds would be used for foreign exchange trading, according to the B.C. Securities Commission.

Instead, the commission alleges, Tyrer and the company diverted almost three-quarters of the money to non-trading purposes, including distributing more than $660,000 to other investors “on the false premise that they were returns from

company is also accused of distributing securities to 48 investors without filing a prospectus or being exempt from the prospectus requirement.

The BCSC alleges Tyrer is responsible for the company’s misconduct because he controlled For the People FX and authorized, permitted or acquiesced to its fraud and illegal distributions.

According to the BCSC’s document, For the People FX did engage in some foreign exchange trading during the relevant period, but the company’s communications to investors “grossly overstated” the extent and success of its trading activity.

trading profit” and using more than $175,000 to pay off Tyrer’s personal credit cards and other credit cards.

Charges on the cards allegedly involved travel, restaurants and retail, with some notable expenses including $69,245 for a Rolex watch, $31,750 in rent on Tyrer’s home, $9,345 on personal training and yoga, and $3,000 on a tattoo.

The BCSC’s allegations against Tyrer and For the People FX have not been proven.

The fraud allegedly occurred between January 2022 and May 2024, according to the BCSC’s notice on the matter.

The $2.6 million was raised from 85 investors. The

Those communications included guarantees and asserting “up to 100 per cent return on investment,” the BCSC alleges.

“Between mid to late 2023 and March 2025, the respondents communicated false, inaccurate, or misleading information to investors about the security or availability of their investment funds,” the BCSC’s notice reads.

These communications included claiming that funds could not be paid out as requested because For the People FX’s bank account had been frozen; claiming that the BCSC had frozen the company’s funds, but those funds “existed or were safe”; and providing an investor with a statement that didn’t accurately reflect the actual funds present in the investor’s account, according to the notice.

Tyrer and his company—or a lawyer representing them—must appear at the commission’s offices on Aug. 18 if they wish to respond to the allegations before a hearing is scheduled on the matter.

Regulator issues temporary orders against Metro Vancouver financial advisor

The B.C. Securities Commission has issued a temporary order against a well-known Metro Vancouver financial advisor and two companies associated with him.

The regulator alleges it has evidence that Peter Cishecki, Everything Financial Group and Everything Financial Consultants Inc. have been “making principal and interest payments to investors using other investors’ money.”

A second individual, Shannon Knapp, allegedly “contributed to their conduct.”

CTV News Vancouver reached out to Everything Financial for comment early Thursday afternoon. This story will be updated if a response is received.

In an email to clients Thursday evening, Everything Financial stressed that it is cooperating with the regulator’s investigation.

determined that the amount of time it could take to conduct a hearing into the alleged misconduct “could be prejudicial to the public interest.”

The order bans the trading and purchasing of any securities issued by the two companies. It also prohibits the companies, Cishecki and Knapp from engaging in promotional activities on behalf of the companies.

“We will continue to fully co-operate with the BCSC and clear our name and reputation that we have worked over 30 years to achieve,” the email said.

The BCSC issued the temporary order on Wednesday.

According to the regulator, the order is necessary because the BCSC’s executive director

It is scheduled to remain in place until July 30, at which point the executive director can apply to a panel of the commission to extend it.

For many years, Cishecki and other advisors from Everything Financial Group have appeared regularly in paid segments on CTV News Vancouver’s local broadcasts to discuss financial planning strategies. Everything Financial has also been a regular advertiser, running commercials for financial services.

In a statement, Bell Media Communications said CTV News Vancouver “is no longer associated with Everything Financial Group.”

The regulator’s allegations against Cishecki, Knapp and the two companies have not been proven. A hearing on the matter has not yet been scheduled.

Japan and India join Forces against China

Continued from Page 1...

The summit is held annually, and this year she was hosted by her long-serving Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi. This was far more than a ceremonial meeting—it was a summit of considerable strategic importance. The significance of the visit was reflected in the large Japanese delegation, which included leading business executives and senior diplomats.

The joint statement issued after the summit carried the ambitious title: “Strengthening the Partnership Based on Strategic Convergence and Mutual Trust for Shared Growth, Prosperity and Resilience.” The title accurately captures the essence of Japan-India relations, which are being strengthened across virtually every sector.

Takaichi and Modi agreed that Japan and India are “natural and indispensable partners” and that bilateral relations will be built around three priority areas: defense and security cooperation, economic partnership, and people-to-people exchanges.

The two leaders also emphasized once again that their countries—among the world’s largest democracies (India being the largest and Japan the fifth largest) and among the world’s largest economies (Japan ranking fourth and India sixth)—”have a responsibility to shape and uphold a free, open, and rules-based international order.”

The leaders also agreed to strengthen cooperation in key strategic sectors, including artificial intelligence, critical minerals, energy, and defense, while preparing a joint strategy to enhance economic security. Separate agreements were signed for each of these areas.

Particularly significant was the signing of an agreement on the first joint defense technology development project between the two countries. Japan and India, together with Australia and the United States, are members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), a multilateral security partnership designed to strengthen defense cooperation among its members.

The primary purpose of the QUAD is to counter China’s growing expansionism in the Indo-Pacific region. Although comparisons are often made, the QUAD is not an Asian version of NATO. Its

members share military expertise and technology and conduct joint military exercises, but they do not have a mutual defense treaty obligating collective military action in the event of Chinese— or any other—aggression. Nevertheless, such an arrangement could be established relatively quickly if one of the member states were attacked by China.

The two prime ministers expressed deep concern over China’s territorial expansion, including its claims over islands, islets, reefs, and rocks, as well as its attempts to restrict freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. The perceived challenge posed by China is the primary factor bringing New Delhi and Tokyo closer together.

Both countries view the United States as the principal guarantor of stability in the Indo-Pacific. For both India and Japan, America is important not only as a pillar of peace and security in Asia but also as a key supplier of advanced technologies, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity solutions, and cutting-edge industrial innovations.

From a geopolitical perspective, both seek to balance China’s growing influence in Asia. Cooperation with Washington remains an important element of that strategy. The growing partnership between Japan and India is highly beneficial because the two nations are exceptionally complementary. Japan contributes the strength of its powerful financial sector, advanced manufacturing, world-class engineering expertise, and next-generation technologies. India, on the other hand, offers enormous manufacturing capacity, a rapidly expanding technology and IT sector, a vast pool of highly educated professionals, one of the world’s largest consumer markets, and an exceptionally important geostrategic position at the crossroads of maritime routes connecting the western Pacific with the Indian Ocean.

Japanese capital and technology, combined with India’s demographic strength and industrial capabilities, provide a solid foundation for the continued deepening of the strategic partnership between Tokyo and New Delhi.

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How India is rewriting geopolitics of the Malacca Strait

The prolonged disruption of the Strait of Hormuz has fundamentally altered the global maritime order. For decades, Hormuz was regarded as the world’s most critical energy chokepoint, carrying a significant share of global oil exports. However, the recent conflict in West Asia has demonstrated the vulnerabilities associated with overdependence on a single maritime passage. As the Gulf region continues to experience instability the strategic attention has rapidly shifted eastward to another narrow waterway whose importance now exceeds that of Hormuz in several respects that is the Strait of Malacca.

Stretching nearly 900 kilometres between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, the Malacca Strait today carries nearly 24 per cent of global seaborne trade, 45 per cent of seaborne oil shipments and almost 23 per cent of global cargo traffic. It serves as the primary maritime bridge between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, making it indispensable for global commerce. Unlike Hormuz, which is vulnerable to unilateral coercion, the Malacca Strait is collectively managed by regional states committed to maintaining freedom of navigation. Yet its immense strategic value has transformed it into the principal arena of great-power competition in the Indo-Pacific.

For China, the Malacca Strait represents both an economic lifeline and a strategic vulnerability. Nearly 80 per cent of China’s crude oil imports, 70 per cent of its natural gas imports and close to US$1.5 trillion worth of exports transit through this narrow waterway. Former Chinese President Hu Jintao famously described this dependence as China’s ‘Malacca Dilemma’, acknowledging that any disruption to maritime traffic through the strait could severely undermine China’s economy and military logistics. Beijing has since invested billions of dollars in alternate corridors through Pakistan, Myanmar, Central Asia and Russia. However, geographical constraints, political instability and higher transportation costs have prevented these alternatives from replacing Malacca’s centrality.

It is against this evolving geopolitical backdrop that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit

to Indonesia assumes historic significance. While much of the international attention focused on the broad strategic partnership between the two countries, one of the most consequential outcomes was the decision to deepen maritime cooperation through a comprehensive Framework on Maritime Safety and Security Cooperation and the joint development of Sabang Port.

The new maritime framework institutionalises cooperation between India and Indonesia across multiple strategic domains. It strengthens coast guard collaboration to enhance maritime safety and security throughout the Indian Ocean while expanding joint initiatives in the blue economy, port development and maritime trade. More importantly, it establishes a long-term institutional mechanism between two of the Indo-Pacific’s most important maritime democracies for safeguarding one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors.

The centrepiece of this partnership is the joint development of Sabang Port, located at the northern

tip of Indonesia’s Aceh province at the entrance to the Strait of Malacca. Few ports in the world occupy a location of greater strategic consequence. Sabang overlooks the western gateway into the Malacca Strait and lies barely 100 miles from India’s ambitious Great Nicobar port project. Together, these two facilities have the potential to reshape the maritime balance of power across the eastern Indian Ocean.

India’s Great Nicobar project has already emerged as one of the country’s most strategically significant infrastructure initiatives. Designed around a deepwater international transshipment port at Galathea Bay, complemented by upgraded air and naval infrastructure, the project seeks to transform the Andaman and Nicobar Islands into India’s principal maritime hub overlooking Southeast Asia. Until now, Great Nicobar represented India’s independent effort to strengthen its eastern maritime presence. With Sabang becoming a complementary strategic node, however, India is no longer acting alone.

Federal government refers Port of Vancouver strategy to Major Projects Office

Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon has announced the Port of Vancouver Gateway Strategy is being referred to the Major Projects Office.

MacKinnon said Thursday that the strategy supports Canada's goal of doubling exports to non-U.S. markets by 2035.

The strategy's first key pillar is around Roberts Bank Terminal 2 in Delta, B.C., which will be referred to the Major Projects Office for "potential listing as a project of national interest," according to a federal government news release.

The second pillar of the Gateway Strategy includes launching a selection process for an operator for

the 16-hectare Fraser Wharves terminal site in Richmond — which the federal government said is the first major terminal opportunity at the port in a decade — and reviewing Alberta's West Coast oil pipeline proposal located in the Delta area.

The Robert Bank Terminal 2 project, led by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, is a proposed three-berth container terminal that is expected to "increase the Port's container capacity by 50 per cent enabling $100 billion of new container trade capacity annually."

MacKinnon said the Roberts Bank project is a "potential listing" subject to further consultations with First Nations partners.

"It's a time-defined process and ... that process starts today," he said.

The larger Gateway Strategy will mean more modern port facilities and expanded capacity for throughput for prairie producers and miners, MacKinnon said. Chief Laura Cassidy of Tsawwassen First Nation said the impacts of the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project, located in the nation's traditional and treaty territory, will be felt most directly by the nation.

Ford wants changes after man living illegally in Canada found eligible for Ontario welfare

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The man was not named in the decision, as is the tribunal’s practice.

When the man applied for welfare benefits last fall, the administrator of the province’s social assistance program, Ontario Works, denied his application because of his lack of immigration status in Canada, the tribunal heard.

An Ontario Works case officer had not conducted an immigration search to determine the man’s eligibility, the tribunal found, “to avoid possibly jeopardizing the appellant’s situation in Canada.” Tribunal adjudicator Eric Brown ruled that the man was not a tourist or visitor, “given the sheer length of time and the roots the appellant had established while in Canada,” nor was there a deportation or removal order against him.

Brown then agreed with the man that legal immigration status in Canada is not a prerequisite for welfare under Ontario’s act, provided applicants didn’t fall under one of those three criteria.

Thus, he ruled the man’s denial of benefits to be “incorrect and rescinded,” and declared him eligible to receive them.

In a post to X on Sunday morning, Ford suggested illegal residents shouldn’t get the same support as other Ontarians, and added, along with a link to the National Post story: “If provincial regulations need to be changed to make that crystal clear, we’ll change them.” On Monday, Michelle Rempel Garner, Conservative Shadow Minister

for Immigration and Citizenship, also weighed in with a statement on the recent decision, calling it “yet another government action that undermines core principles of our immigration system: those who come to Canada should do so legally and with a clear commitment to becoming self-sufficient as quickly as possible.”

“This ruling should offend anyone who values an immigration system grounded in fairness and public trust,” her statement added. “The Conservative Party of Canada agrees with Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s statement on the issue.” Her statement also called on the federal Liberal government “to take the same stance, and to back Premier Ford’s government on any measures it takes to ensure this ruling does not stand.”

According to the Ontario Works website, people are eligible for financial assistance and benefits provided they are at least 16 years old and an Ontario resident, have assets no greater than the limits set out in the program, be in financial need, and agree to participate in employment activities.

The site suggests having “identification and tax documents ready” before applying, noting that such information could include social insurance numbers and immigration papers. “You could receive up to $733 a month for basic needs and shelter if you are single,” the site notes, adding that recipients might be eligible for additional benefits, such as to cover costs for transportation to medical appointments.

B.C. government may have no choice but to spend more to settle with nurses, experts say

The B.C. Nurses’ Union hasn’t been on strike since 1989 and labour relations experts say it’s going to take the provincial government opening the purse strings to come up with a lasting solution to the current job action.

Currently in mediation under the direction of veteran mediators Vince Ready and Amanda Rogers, the B.C. Nurses’ Union and the Health Employers Association of B.C. appear to still be far apart on everything from benefits to the implementation of nurse-to-patient ratios promised by the province in 2022.

Farinaz Havaei, an associate professor at the University of B.C.’s School of Nursing, said the issue of understaffing and burnout among nurses stems from the early 2000s when there were cuts to provincial funding, and COVID-19 exacerbated those problems.

would get the same amount and costs would balloon further.

“It was made very clear that they cannot go

She said that as much as the government feels like it can’t spend more money on public sector unions, the costs of not addressing the crisis facing the health-care system could be even higher.

“The stakes here … extend beyond this round of bargaining. They’re also about the long-term stability of our workforce and ultimately the sustainability of the health system,” said Havaei.

BCNU president Adriane Gear has said the province is pleading that it has no more money for the union, amid a $13.3 billion deficit and following a 12 per cent over four years settlement with the B.C. General Employees’ Union that cost the government more than it originally intended to spend.

If the nurses were to get mediators or the government to agree to a collective agreement with higher wage increases, then all other unions

beyond mandate, and so here we are. So read into that how you will,” said Gear last week before the start of mediation. “There’s substantive challenges that we weren’t able to overcome, and the government has maintained that they cannot manoeuvre.”

In a 2023 study, Havaei and her colleagues found that 32.8 per cent of nurses planned to leave their jobs for a different profession post-pandemic, while a further 12.4 per cent planned on leaving in four years. This study was a followup from research in 2015, before the pandemic and other strains on the health-care system. Even then, 50 per cent of nurses said they were likely to leave their jobs over the next year. Of those nurses, 75 per cent cited workload as a key factor, while up to 67 per cent also reported the physical demands of nursing.

Barry Eidlin, an associate sociology professor at McGill University in Montreal, says nurses across the country have been voicing their displeasure with understaffing and poor working conditions.

Fiji wins U19 Nations Cup

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Unlike previous campaigns, this was anything but a dream.

Out with the old saying of carrying a “sack load”, a label often reserved for chronic losers, can be finally put to rest.

This group of players have shown grit and determination to compete, and believe that they belong among the best.

Great technical vision

Fiji U19’s win is the work of a dedicated coaching panel, who are committed to youth development.

Coaches Rigg Kumar, Salesh Narayan and Faiyaz Ali, alongside Neil Adrakar, Aydin Ali and the mentorship of president Neville Kumar, has built a team that reflects everything youth football should aspire to be.

Never short on talent

Soccer: For decades, Fiji has produced talented young footballers.

While some play simply for the love of the game, others dream of making football their career.

The challenge has never been identifying talent— it has been creating opportunities that allow those players to fulfil their potential.

The success of the historic win should not be viewed as a one off success.

These youngster’s are the future of Fijian football on the lower-mainland and the prospect of them winning the men’s Nations Cup is within reach.

MLAs Jessie Sunner and Jagrup Brar celebrate at the Annual West Coast Kings Canada Cup

MLA Jessie Sunner (Surrey-Newton) and MLA Jagrup Brar (Surrey-Fleetwood) attended the annual West Coast Kings Canada Cup at the Tamanawis Turf Fields in Surrey. Hosted by Surrey's own West Coast Kings Field Hockey Society, the tournament is one of North America's premier field hockey competitions.

Bringing together more than 45 teams from across Canada and the United States, the tournament transformed Surrey into a hub for high-level competition while welcoming families, volunteers, and spectators to enjoy a free community event celebrating one of the world's most popular sports. Beyond the action on the field, attendees enjoyed cultural performances and langar provided by Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar.

Founded by a dedicated board with decades of experience in the sport, the West Coast Kings Field Hockey Society has become a driving force behind the growth of field hockey in the Lower Mainland.

The organization's commitment extends far beyond hosting the Canada Cup. Through youth leagues, player development programs beginning at the secondary school level, mentorship opportunities, and scholarship initiatives, the society continues to inspire the next generation of athletes. Their work focuses on building more than athletic ability. By promoting wellness, teamwork, leadership, fair play, and citizenship, the West Coast Kings provide young people between the ages of eight and eighteen with opportunities to develop confidence, lifelong friendships, and valuable life skills.

hours of dedication that make an event of this scale possible. They applauded the West Coast Kings Field Hockey Society for creating opportunities that strengthen community connections while encouraging healthy, active lifestyles for young people.

"The West Coast Kings have built something

can compete at a high level while inspiring young people to see what is possible through dedication and hard work. Congratulations to everyone who helped make this tournament such a tremendous success."

As one of North America's leading field hockey clubs, the West Coast Kings have earned

truly special for Surrey and the entire field hockey community," said MLA Jessie Sunner. "As a former field hockey player who practiced on these very fields years ago, seeing the Canada Cup hosted here in the riding I now serve as MLA is incredibly meaningful. I want to thank the organizers, community volunteers, families, and sports enthusiasts who came out today to support these incredible athletes."

MLAs Sunner and MLA Brar met with organizers, volunteers, athletes, and families throughout the day, recognizing the countless

MLA Jagrup Brar added, "Events like the Canada Cup demonstrate the power of community sport to bring people together. The West Coast Kings have created a welcoming environment where athletes

a reputation for excellence through their success in tournaments across the continent. Their continued investment in youth development and community engagement ensures that Surrey remains an important centre for field hockey while fostering a culture of inclusion, sportsmanship, and opportunity.

The Canada Cup once again demonstrated how community-led organizations can create a lasting impact by bringing together athletes, families, and volunteers to celebrate sport, inspire young people, and strengthen the bonds that make Surrey such a vibrant and welcoming community.

B.C. government forgives $340K in legal debts of staffer convicted in 'quick wins' scandal

The British Columbia government says it's forgiving $340,000 in legal debts owed by a former aide who pleaded guilty to breach of trust in 2017 for his part in a political scandal involving the use of public office for partisan purposes.

Brian Bonney was a former B.C. Liberal insider hired in 2011 as a communications director assigned to the government's multiculturalism communications office.

Bonney pleaded guilty to breach of trust in B.C. provincial court after being found to have used his time as a public servant for partisan purposes to gain votes from ethnic communities for the Liberals under Christy Clark in the 2013 election, in what became known as the "quick wins" scandal.

He was given a nine-month conditional sentence for a crime the judge said caused "insidious damage" and emboldened "cynics who disbelieve that government actually works for the benefit of the people."

An order-in-council dated July 10 says cabinet approved forgiveness of most of Bonney's debt under a government employee indemnity regulation for legal proceedings.

The regulation stipulates that the B.C. government "provides coverage for an employee who is an accused in a prosecution" by paying

for their defence lawyer, but if the employee is convicted, the employee must reimburse the funds. NDP house leader Mike Farnworth says Bonney owed a total of $460,000, including interest, and the government has settled with him to pay back $120,000.

Farnworth said he couldn't reveal details of the settlement or why Bonney wasn't required to pay back the full amount of his legal costs covered by the province before his conviction.

"I think it brings closure to what happened," Farnworth said. "I think it brings closure in terms of the province and I think it brings closure for Mr. Bonney." Bonney's defence lawyer, Ian Donaldson, was not immediately available for comment. Bonney's LinkedIn profile says he worked for the government until February 2013, going on to work for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation as a district manager later that year.

The federation's B.C. spokesman, Carson Binda, said Bonney hadn't worked for the organization in a "number of years" and was employed as a contractor.

The federation, which advocates for "lower taxes, less waste and accountable government" did not immediately respond to questions about the B.C. government settling Bonney's legal debt for less than half of what was owed.

The affair that entangled Bonney came to be known as the "quick wins" scandal, in which he and others were found to have used their time on the public dime to work for the party on a plan to win over ethnic voters. Then-premier Christy Clark appointed her deputy minister to conduct a review, finding public officials misused government resources. Clark later apologized and the party returned $70,000 of taxpayers' money.

Ladner father, daughter are FIFA Unsung Heroes

Volunteering in Vancouver for the FIFA World Cup has been a memory of a lifetime for Ladner’s Christina Basi and her father Andy. But the experience was made even more memorable and special when they were presented with a major award by Soccer Canada and FIFA - Vancouver’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Unsung Heroes Award.

Christina is truly an inspiration who over the years refused to let not one, but two lifethreatening tragedies stop her. A brain injury at 16 had life altering repercussions. It left her a hemiplegic; she was completely paralyzed on the left side of her body. As part of her condition, she also lost left peripheral vision in both eyes.

Thanks to her hard work, her rehabilitation and her undefeated determination, she was able to walk again and use her left arm and hand.

After graduating from high school, she was admitted into the nursing program at the University of British Columbia. However, she was only four weeks away from completing her first year when she suffered a second bleed in the brain. She was back to “square one,” being completely paralyzed again on her entire left side. Day by day, she fought her way back with remarkable courage.

Davies, who is Christina’s favourite player, presented both of them with replica FIFA World Cup trophies, spoke with them and posed for pictures.

“From the first instance I met them and I had the ability to speak to them, I just knew how inspiring Christina’s story is and how encouraging her father, Andy, was. It was just a beautiful story to me,” said Genie Sithamparanathan, Host City Volunteer Deputy Manager.

“Christina and Andy are always the first ones there. They’re always the first ones there with a smile, no matter how early that is or how late the shift might be and their positivity it’s just, ‘Let’s go get this, let’s get this done’.”

The Basi’s say volunteering has been a way to remain connected to the sport they loved while playing was no longer possible for Christina.

“I played football for seven years and then once my injury happened I started volunteering so I could still be included in the sport in whatever way possible,” she said.

“I’ve volunteered for many, many years, and it’s just a sense of community.”

Volunteering at MLS games for the Vancouver Whitecaps set the stage for their volunteering efforts at the World Cup games in Vancouver.

Day parole granted for former Vancouver police officer who killed two

A former Vancouver police officer who murdered a girlfriend in 1993 before killing his common-law wife three years later has been granted day parole.

Now 66, Brock Graham will have to live in a halfway house, report any relationships with women and stay off dating sites.

The Parole Board of Canada decided last month that Graham should be released into the community for a six-month trial period, despite two separate murder convictions, because of the progress made in his rehabilitation.

Graham pleaded guilty in 2005 to seconddegree murder for killing and dismembering Lynn Duggan in her North Vancouver apartment in

women

June 1993. At the time, he was already serving a life sentence for the March 1996 slaying of Patti Ducharme, a mother of four found dead in the bathtub of a Campbell River townhouse where she had been living with Graham.

Ducharme’s son Christopher said Wednesday that his family is “profoundly disappointed, shocked and heartbroken by the Parole Board of Canada’s decision.”

“After 30 years of living with the devastating consequences of Brock Graham’s actions in our mother’s wrongful death, our greatest fear is that public safety has not been given the weight it deserves to protect unsuspecting future victims,” Ducharme said in a statement.

After undergoing multiple surgeries, she has regained the ability to walk—an incredible milestone on a long road to recovery. Her arm remains slower to respond, but she continues to work toward progress. Recovering from one brain injury is a monumental challenge; doing it twice, while still holding on to her dreams and showing unwavering determination, resilience, and hope, is nothing short of extraordinary.

On June 24, after training, Canada’s soccer team met with the Basi’s.

“It’s an amazing experience and it makes me happy just to be able to be a part of the game. Volunteering is just amazing and being able to be included, even as a person with a disability,” she added. “Being awarded this alongside my dad just makes this whole experience even better, because my dad’s the one that got me into football when I was a kid and he still plays himself. So being able to volunteer together and both being a part of the same amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience is just the best.”

A charge has been approved two weeks after the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) shared footage of a woman randomly being elbowed on Commercial Drive by a man she didn’t know.

Today, VPD shared that an assault charge has been approved against 29-year-old Dylan Gaita in connection with an incident that took place on June 28.

Prior to the Commercial Drive incident, which took place on June 29, Gaita had been linked to four prior strange assaults against women, and the VPD pointed out that they believed there was the potential for there to be more victims who hadn’t come forward. VPD shared a video of what transpired on Commercial Drive. Police issued a statement in a public appeal on June 30

“Incidents like this are serious and frightening for victims and witnesses,” said Constable Megan

Lui at the time. “Some people may feel too upset to talk to us. We encourage anyone with information to come forward and speak with investigators as they work on this case.”

Following the appeal for public information, VPD discovered another alleged attack that occurred on June 28 against a Vancouver man.

Police say that in that incident, a pedestrian was walking on Commercial Drive at Charles Street when Gaita allegedly shoulder-checked him. Police say this caused the pedestrian to lose his balance.

“The pedestrian reported the incident on July 4 after seeing the VPD news release issued on June 30,” VPD said.

Others responded to VPD’s post on X about the incident, claiming they’d also been attacked by Gaita. Gaita remains in custody.

Continued from Page 1... Who are the Khoslas?

Vinod Khosla, 71, is the co-founder of Sun Microsystems and the founder of the venture capital firm Khosla Ventures. He’s worth an estimated $13.5 billion and was ranked earlier this year at No. 10 on Forbes’ list of America’s greatest living innovators.

Born in India, Khosla earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology before moving to the United States in his early 20s. He earned a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Carnegie Mellon and a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford.

After college, Khosla co-founded Daisy Systems, a computer-aided design platform for electrical engineers. In 1982, he co-founded and served as the CEO of Sun Microsystems, which “was an early pioneer in network computing,” according to Forbes.

Khosla then became a partner with venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins in 1986 before launching Khosla Ventures in 2004. According to Forbes, Khosla Ventures invests in experimental technologies such as biomedicine and robotics, and was the first venture firm to invest in OpenAI.

Khosla landed at No. 1 on Forbes’ 2026 Midas List, which ranks the world’s best venture capital investors. Forbes described him as a “legendary venture capitalist” who made “early bets on risky, complicated tech that produced giants such as Square, DoorDash and OpenAI.”

GeekWire described Khosla in a similar manner, stating “he’s one of the most respected and influential investors in Silicon Valley, with a track record of big bets and a habit of not backing down.”

Neeru Khosla

Neeru and Vinod Khosla have been married since 1980 and have four children. Neeru is slated to serve as the Seahawks’ controlling owner, according to a memo the NFL reportedly sent to its teams.

Neeru has a master’s degree in molecular biology from San Jose State. She also briefly worked as a cancer researcher at Stanford Medical School and later earned a master’s degree in education at Stanford, according to Forbes.

In 2007, Neeru launched the nonprofit CK-12

Foundation, which “uses open-source software to give students around the world access to free educational resources,” according to Forbes.

A 2025 Q&A published by Stanford stated that CK-12 removes barriers to educational access by providing free learning tools to over 700,000 students per month, ranging across more than 60 countries.

Neal Khosla

Neal is the CEO of the AI healthcare company Curai Health and was named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list for healthcare in 2022.

“Curai Health is using AI to help improve the scale and efficiency of virtual care delivery,” Forbes wrote. “The goal is to make primary care accessible to the uninsured, gig and minimum-wage workers by cutting costs for both in-person and telehealth businesses.”

The NFL’s memo stated that Neal is expected to have “a significant leadership role” in the ownership group.

Neal, who has a master’s degree in from Stanford in computer science, has some notable background in sports.

Growing up in the Bay Area, Neal and his father were longtime San Francisco 49ers season ticket holders.

In the spring of 2011, Neal was a football operations intern for the 49ers, according to his LinkedIn account. Neal wrote that he worked on “developing objective ways to measure the success or failure of draft picks and using that to find a way to determine the value of individual draft slots.”

As an undergrad at Stanford, Neal co-authored a paper titled, “Determinants of Regional Sport Network Television Ratings in MLB, NBA, and NHL” that was published by the Journal of Sport Management.

While working as data science intern at the software company Ayasdi, Neal did consulting work with the NBA’s Miami Heat in scouting and player evaluation, according to his LinkedIn profile.

And in May 2025, Neal and Vinod purchased a 3.1% stake in the 49ers, which he will have to relinquish, per NFL rules. According to Sportico, it’s become common for new NFL owners to first buy stake in other NFL franchises, which gives them and the league familiarity with each other.

B.C. wants to seize 2 Metro Vancouver homes of alleged drug-smuggling gang boss

Continued from Page 1...

According to the claim, Dhanda also coordinated the smuggling of bulk quantities of controlled substances to various organized crime groups throughout Canada and directed and conspired with others within his drug trafficking organization to assist.

"R. Dhanda directly or indirectly engaged in, facilitated, benefited from, conspired in, or was associated with unlawful activity, including but not limited to trafficking of controlled substances," said the claim.

It alleged that Ravinder Dhanda's spouse Manjit Dhanda "knew or ought to have known" how the properties were being used or "was willfully blind" to how they were used.

The claim said the properties are "proceeds and instruments of unlawful activity."

Dhanda and his spouse became the owners of the Surrey property in 2003, then became the owners of the White Rock property in 2021, according to the claim. Mortgages and liens are registered on both properties, the claim said. The White Rock property is assessed at almost $3.7 million and the Surrey property is assessed at nearly $2.7 million.

The claim said the properties were used by the defendants "to engage in unlawful activities" that

allegedly included laundering the proceeds of unlawful activity, providing or collecting property for terrorist activities and failing to declare taxable income.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the RCMP's federal policing Pacific region started a crackdown on "criminal activity, international drug trafficking, extortion, racketeering and violence" in 2023, according to the claim.

Company denies claims of frauds

Vodafone Fiji has rejected allegations that it quietly increased mobile data prices and allowed unauthorised withdrawals from customers’ M-PAiSA accounts.

It said the claims were based on a misunderstanding of existing plans and a recently introduced auto-renewal feature.

The response followed a complaint by customer Ratu Tevita Rokobau, who had called

on the Consumer Council of Fiji and the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) to investigate what he described as “predatory business practices”.

In his complaint, Mr Rokobau claimed Vodafone had “significantly altered its data bundle structures and pricing without any prior notification, public announcements, or social media disclosures”, citing data plans costing $9 for five days, $12 for seven days and $14 for 10 days.

He also alleged that Vodafone’s M-PAiSA

app was automatically transferring money from customers’ wallets to phone balances without their consent, describing it as “a blatant breach of transparency and financial security”.

“The people of Fiji deserve immediate answers and protection from these predatory business practices,” Mr Rokobau said.

Responding to the allegations, Vodafone Fiji’s head of communications Lavenia Raisole said the prepaid data plans referred to by Mr Rokobau “were introduced in 2025 and have not been recently introduced or revised”.

She said the only recent change was the conclusion of two promotional data offers on June 30. Ms Raisole also rejected claims of unauthorised M-PAiSA withdrawals, saying the auto-renewal feature introduced on June 10 applied only to customers who voluntarily subscribed to eligible data plans through M-PAiSA.

“The feature requires customer consent during the subscription process, including PIN authentication.”

She said customers were notified during the purchase process, received confirmation and reminder SMS messages, and could also disable auto-renewal at any time by managing their plans through the M-PAiSA menu.

Ms Raisole said Vodafone had informed customers of the changes through SMS notifications, newspaper notices, its website and information displayed during the subscription process.

Squatters issued eviction notices

More than 50 families of Nanuku Settlement in Vatuwaqa have been given 30 days from June 23 to vacate the area.

Speaking to the families yesterday, Minister for Housing and Local Government Maciu Nalumisa gave the assurance that Government would assist in any way possible, following concerns from the residents they could be forced to leave the settlement. “They were really concerned because they didn’t know where they stood, whether the owner of the land would actually evacuate them by the 23 of this month,” Mr Nalumisa said.

He said the ministry was in discussions with the Bhindhi Brothers, requesting additional time to identify and develop suitable land before residents were relocated.

Mr Nalumisa said the ministry would conduct a survey over the next two weeks to determine how many residents had received eviction notices and assess their housing needs. He said some families may qualify for housing assistance through revised

first-home ownership grants to assist with moving the families.

Mr Nalumisa said the Government was also working with other landowners overeviction notices issued to residents on land owned by the Fiji Muslim League and other informal settlements.

Mr Nalumisa clarified that the documents served on Nanuku residents were notices to vacate issued by solicitors and were not court orders.

Dalo exporter suffers loss

A WEEK-LONG wait for shipping services to resume has left harvested dalo for export from Taveuni damaged, adding to growing losses faced by businesses affected by supply disruptions on the island.

Krirup Investments PTE Ltd manager Raveena Chand said the company’s dalo export operations were hit after produce remained loaded in trucks while waiting for transportation to mainland markets. “Some of the harvested dalo was damaged because of the long wait, resulting in losses for the business,” she said.

Ms Chand said the shipping disruption had also affected the company’s hardware operations, leaving customers waiting for supplies and businesses unable to restock essential items.

She said the company

had not received new supplies since the last shipment arrived on June 24, which included cement, logs, farming chemicals and timber products. “Our trucks are loaded with Goundar, however, since the day Goundar stopped working, before suspending their services, that was the time our stock came.”

She said the company, one of four hardware shops on the island, had customers who had already paid for goods but were still waiting for deliveries. “We have so many customers and they have already paid for the hardware items while still waiting for their items to arrive.”

She said the disruption had affected not only businesses but also farmers and residents who depended on regular shipping links for goods, fuel and essential supplies.

Suspended director back at work

Immigration Minister Viliame Naupoto has confirmed that suspended Director of Immigration Amelia Komaisavai has resumed work. This after an investigation into the alleged unauthorised issuance of Fijian passports to the children of two members of the Grace Road Church took longer than expected. “I’ve asked her to come back to work because it has taken too long,” Mr Naupoto said.

“They (police) have done all the investigations. She’s getting full pay, and we’ll go from there.” In February, police

spokesperson Ana Naisoro said investigators had received the complete case files back from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The ODPP had initially received the files in December, conducted a review and analysis of the evidence against Ms Komaisavai and “a few others”, before returning the docket to police with a summary of legal recommendations. Since then, no further information has been released on the progress or outcome of the investigation.

The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption has closed a complaint involving Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Nancy Tikoisuva, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions

John Rabuku and Chief Justice Salesi Temo, finding there is insufficient evidence to warrant a formal corruption investigation. In a statement, FICAC said it had completed a preliminary assessment to determine whether the complaint disclosed a sufficient basis to commence a criminal corruption investigation under its statutory mandate.

As part of the assessment, the Commission confirmed that a signed legal opinion by King’s Counsel Ian Lloyd exists within the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

However, FICAC stressed that its verification was limited to confirming the existence of the legal opinion and that it could not disclose or comment on its contents. After reviewing the material available, the Commission concluded there was no sufficient evidential basis to open a formal

corruption investigation against any of the three individuals. As a result, the complaint file has been closed.

FICAC emphasised that its decision is a threshold determination relating only to its criminal corruption jurisdiction and should not be interpreted as a finding on the complainant’s wider allegations, motives or visa status.

The Commission also stated that it would make no further comment on either the complaint or the legal opinion.

SOUTH ASIA

Hope India responds to communication on Hasina return: Bangladesh

Bangladesh on Thursday expressed hope that India will respond to its communications seeking the extradition of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and others, who have either been convicted or are facing trial in the country.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam also told reporters that Hasina had no legal scope to surrender and she would be arrested immediately upon her return to Bangladesh.

PTI announces nationwide rallies on August 5 to mark Imran Khan's arrest anniversary

Islamabad [Pakistan], July 16 (ANI): Pakistan's Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has decided to hold nationwide rallies on August 5, marking the day when its founder and former Pakistan PM Imran Khan was arrested in 2023, GeoT reported on Thursday.

According to Geo TV, the announcement was made by party chief Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Wednesday. "Our meeting had one agenda, but the entire national situation came under discussion," he said during a press conference after the meeting.

As per GeoTV, Barrister Gohar said that the parliamentary party had resolved to organise rallies across the country on August 5, the day PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested in 2023 after a court sentenced him to three years in prison for selling state gifts.

founder's imprisonment is unjust," he said, adding that the party had approached the courts but decisions on its appeals had yet to be announced.

As per Barrister Gohar, the PTI political committee and the opposition alliance will jointly announce the future course of action. While speaking about the nature of the planned rallies, he said the upcoming protest would be of a different nature this time.

"Every PTI member of the assembly believes the

Geo TV further reported that Barrister Gohar's announcement came after PTI founder's sister, Aleema Khan, called on workers to intensify efforts for Khan's release. As per the outlet, Aleema Khan made the remarks while addressing party workers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Lower Dir on July 12, and said that the time had come for PTI to seek justice and accountability. She called on the party workers to remain organised and continue their efforts in accordance with the party leadership's directions for Khan's release.

Kashmiri diaspora held anti-Pakistan protest outside Pakistan Consulate in Bradford

Bradford [UK], July 16 (ANI): Members of the Kashmiri diaspora staged an anti-Pakistan protest outside the Pakistani Consulate in Bradford, United Kingdom, on July 15, alleging human rights violations in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

The protest was organised on the call of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), with participants urging the international community to take note of what they described as state repression in PoJK. Protesters carried placards and raised slogans against Pakistan, accusing its security forces of human rights abuses in the region. The demonstrators alleged that Pakistani security forces had carried out killings, enforced abductions, raids on homes, and violence against

civilians, including women and children. They also demanded that the rights and demands of the people of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir be respected and addressed.

During the protest, participants also called for a boycott of travel and tourism to Pakistan, urged people to avoid flying with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), and appealed to the Kashmiri diaspora to stop remittances to Pakistan until their demands were met.

The demonstration formed part of a wider campaign by sections of the Kashmiri diaspora across the United Kingdom to draw international attention to the situation in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and press for greater accountability over alleged human rights violations. (ANI)

Fugitive in Ziaur Rahman assassination case arrested by Bangladesh detectives

The Detective Branch (DB) of Bangladesh police has arrested a suspect in connection with the assassination of Bangladesh's former president Ziaur Rahman.

In May 1981, Zia was assassinated by gunfire at the Circuit House in Chattogram.

Due to the connection with the assassination, Major Mojafor Hossain was accused at that time, and he has remained a fugitive since then. The Bangladesh government announced a reward for his capture.

After more than 45 years after the assassination,

the detective branch announced that they have arrested Major Mojafor.

"Based on intelligence from our investigation, we have arrested a suspect connected to the Ziaur Rahman assassination, named Major Mojafor Hossain. We will provide further details to the press shortly", a DB official told ANI over the phone. He did not elaborate. The former president Ziaur Rahman was the father of the current prime minister of Bangladesh, Tarique Rahman.

President Zia was the husband of Bangladesh's former Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia.

Nowak killer's first recorded confession revealed

Within 36 hours of murdering Henry Nowak, Vickrum Digwa was recorded in the back of a police van admitting to his brother, Gurpreet, that he had stabbed the teenager multiple times.

The pair had been speaking in Punjabi as they were driven between a police station and a court for a custody extension hearing on 5 December 2025.

Digwa had previously lied to his family and police at the scene of the murder in Southampton, insisting he had been "racially attacked" and had only "pushed" and "punched" the student in selfdefence. Now, a transcript obtained by the BBC of the brothers' exchanges reveals details of Digwa's confession and shows they prayed to God to "save" them and their parents after all four were arrested.

The transcript is a Punjabi-to-English translation

of the brothers' conversation and was referred to during Digwa's murder trial.

The extracts included in this report are drawn from that document, which the BBC requested from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). When Gurpreet Digwa asked his brother, Vickrum, "What did you do? Did you even do anything?", the transcript shows he pointed to his shoulder and said: "One here, towards the face and one on the chest." Gurpreet, 27, told him: "You should not have done it." Digwa, 23, replied that it was his fault.

At various points, Gurpreet told his brother he should have "just pushed" [Henry Nowak] or "hit him or beaten him up" instead.

"Why did you use the kirpan?" he asked.

Digwa replied: "I am a fool."

The use of the word "kirpan" to describe the 8in (21cm) murder weapon is disputed by many Sikhs, who say a kirpan is a small, usually curved ceremonial blade worn as an article of faith, symbolising a duty to uphold justice and protect others.

While practising Sikhs are legally permitted to carry a blade for religious reasons, any blade used in violence is treated as an offensive weapon.

Digwa had been wearing a small kirpan concealed around his neck, but used a second, much larger dagger to stab Henry Nowak.

He carried it in a cross-body sheath worn over his clothing, in keeping with a tradition associated with the Nihang warrior order, to which he belongs.

Sikh leaders have strongly condemned Digwa's actions and say his "false characterisation" of the murder weapon has contributed to a backlash against the community.

SIT summons Sukhbir Badal in Behbal Kalan, Kotkapura firing cases

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura sacrilege-related firing cases has summoned Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to appear before the inquiry officials on Monday.

Government sources said the development came after BJP leader Vijay Sampla, in his statement to the SIT, denied having signed the representation submitted to the Punjab Governor along with Sukhbir Badal in connection with the sacrilege incidents.

Sampla's statement is understood to have prompted the SIT to summon Sukhbir Badal for further questioning to clarify the circumstances surrounding the representation.

Sampla, however, told the media after his questioning last week that he had asked the police to show him the original copy of the memorandum so that he could confirm or deny his signature. Sources privy to the probe said the SIT has also been examining the sequence of events preceding

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has recommended an independent probe into the functioning of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, citing suspected misuse of official influence and irregularities. The recommendation was made in the chargesheet filed in an alleged Rs 20lakh bribery case involving Om Parkash Singh Rana, reader to the DGP, Vigilance Bureau, and four others—Vikas Goyal, Raghav Goyal, Ankit Wadhwa and Mohit Devgan.

The case began with a complaint by Amit Kumar, State Tax Officer, Malout. The CBI disclosed that a fake complaint against him was prepared using ChatGPT by accused Raghav Goyal. Investigators said seized electronic devices, digital records

NEET (UG) result declared; Punjab and Haryana candidates score highest marks

The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Thursday declared the result of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), NEET (UG) 2026.

The highest score of 715 out of 720 was obtained jointly by Aryan Gupta (Punjab) and Panshul Bansal (Haryana).

The 138 top rankers come from 66 cities across the country. The top 17 rankers who scored more than 705 marks span eight states, namely Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, as per NTA.

Of 20 lakh candidates who appeared in NEET (UG) 2026 at 5,440 centres in 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad, 11.21 lakh candidates have qualified for admission to undergraduate medical, dental, AYUSH and allied programmes.

More than 58 per cent of the qualified candidates are women. Women also qualified at a higher rate than men: 56.8 per cent of women who appeared qualified, as against 55.1 per cent of men. The majority of the top-performing candidates are between 17 and 19 years of age; 138 candidates scored above 690 marks out of 720. Of these over 93 per cent appeared for NEET (UG) for the first time.

690,” the NTA said.

The examination was conducted in 13 languages: Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and English.

The result was declared within time through reengineering of the process, with stages designed to run in parallel rather than in sequence, and with the de-linking of OMR sheet challenge from answer key release. Each stage was completed in full and made available for candidate view:

Candidates appeared from every state and Union Territory of the country, in 13 languages.

“Qualified candidates have emerged from every one of the 36 states and Union Territories, ranging from over 1.7 lakh in Uttar Pradesh to 43 in Lakshadweep. State toppers include Jigmet Yangchan Lamo (Ladakh, 530 marks), Dhruv Tripathi (Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 606 marks) and Fahmida Anees (Lakshadweep, 573 marks), and cover every north-eastern state; 17 state toppers scored 700 or above; 26 scored above

The provisional answer key was published on June 25 and the challenge window was opened from June 25 to 28. Scanned OMR answer sheets and recorded responses were displayed to the candidates from July 13 to 15. The final answer key was published on July 16 and the result was declared the same day.

Score distribution and highest scorers 19 candidates scored above 700 out of 720 1,492 candidates scored 650 and above 10,160 candidates scored 600 and above 90,780 candidates scored 500 and above

the police action against protesters in October 2015. Former Akali Dal MLA Mantar Singh Brar had earlier told the SIT that he had spoken to the then Chief Minister, Home Minister and the Director General of Police before the crackdown on protesters was carried out, sources said.

Adding another layer to the probe, the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has also confirmed to the SIT that the order to remove the protesters was given during the night, sources said. The detail is significant for investigators piecing together who authorised the use of force and when the decision was actually taken.

The Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura firing incidents took place in October 2015 amid protests over incidents of sacrilege against the Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot district. Two protesters were killed in the police firing at Behbal Kalan, while several others were injured.

and witness statements revealed issues beyond the bribery allegations, warranting separate examination.

According to the chargesheet, concerns include suspected misuse of influence in police postings and transfers, interference in vigilance proceedings, use of fictitious complaints against public servants, recovery of confidential records from unauthorised persons, questionable financial transactions linked to vigilance matters and irregularities in granting security cover to private individuals. The conduct of certain senior officers also raised questions of propriety and conflict of interest. The CBI noted systemic deficiencies in visitor record management and access control at the Vigilance Bureau.

Piyush Goyal leads high-level delegation to Finland for strengthening trade and investment ties

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Thursday commenced his official visit to Finland by leading a high-level Indian delegation comprising senior business leaders and government officials to strengthen bilateral trade, investment and industry cooperation.

The visit witnessed the signing of two istitutional Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs), ministerial-level discussions, and extensive engagements between Indian and Finnish industry across key sectors.

The visit builds on the elevation of India-Finland relations to a Strategic Partnership in Digitalisation and Sustainability during the State Visit of President Alexander Stubb to India in March 2026 and follows the conclusion of the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement on 27 January 2026.

On the first day of the visit, Goyal held bilateral discussions with Dr Sakari Puisto, Minister of

Economic Affairs of Finland. The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in financial markets, innovation, enterprise financing, and expanding bilateral trade and investment.

Goyal also addressed the India-Finland Business Forum held at the House of the Estates in Helsinki.

The Forum featured keynote addresses by Puisto and Goyal, followed by interventions by Narayan Sethuramon, Chairman, CII Trade Policy Council, and Lassi Noponen, Director General, Business Finland. On the sidelines of the Business Forum, two MoUs were signed between the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Business Finland, and between CII and the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), creating new institutional mechanisms to promote industry collaboration and facilitate greater business engagement between the two countries.

Indian and Finnish companies also participated

in sector-specific interactions covering digital and frontier technologies, space, clean energy, bio economy, circular economy, infrastructure and advanced manufacturing, exploring opportunities for collaboration, investment and technology partnerships.

In his address, Goyal highlighted the shared ambition of India and Finland to double bilateral trade by 2030 and emphasised the opportunities created by the India–EU Free Trade Agreement to expand trade, investment, manufacturing and innovation partnerships.

The day’s engagements concluded with a networking reception hosted by the Embassy of India in Helsinki, providing an opportunity for business leaders, policymakers and stakeholders from both countries to further strengthen institutional

and commercial ties.

The engagements on the first day of the visit reflect the growing momentum in India-Finland economic relations and reaffirm the commitment of both countries to building a resilient, innovationdriven and future-oriented partnership.

India-Nepal discuss deepening ties, advancing agenda in priority sectors

India and Nepal held discussions on further deepening the longstanding ties and advancing the shared agenda in priority areas during a meeting between the Ministry of External Affairs' Additional Secretary Munu Mahawar and Nepal's Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai.

Sharing the details of the meeting in a post on X, Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the leaders reviewed the progress of ongoing bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on advancing the shared agenda in priority sectors.

"Reaffirming the longstanding friendship and multifaceted partnership between Nepal and India, they also discussed ways to further deepen institutional collaboration and maintain the momentum of high-level engagement," the post

further noted.

As New Delhi and Kathmandu continue to expand their longstanding cooperation across all avenues, on Wednesday, the two partner countries held the 13th meeting of the Joint Steering Committee on Power Sector Cooperation (JSC) in Pokhra which focused on reviewing the bilateral power sector cooperation.

The meetings comprehensively reviewed the bilateral power sector cooperation between India and Nepal, including the development of hydropower projects, power trade and transmission infrastructure. Both sides appreciated progress on the development of new transmission lines, including the 400 kV Gorakhpur-New Butwal line.

PM Modi, Qatar Amir reaffirm to strengthen Strategic Partnership during condolence call over Father Amir's passing

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani have reaffirmed their resolve to carry forward the legacy of Qatar's Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani by further strengthening the India-Qatar Strategic Partnership and people-to-people ties.

The two leaders held a telephone conversation on Thursday during which Prime Minister Modi conveyed his heartfelt condolences on the passing of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir of Qatar.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Prime Minister Modi recalled the Father Amir's significant contributions as the chief architect of modern Qatar and paid tribute to his visionary leadership.

"Prime Minister paid tribute to his visionary leadership and recalled his pivotal role in strengthening India-Qatar relations over the years as well as his deep affection for India and the Indian community in Qatar," the MEA statement said.

The Amir of Qatar thanked Prime Minister Modi for his call and conveyed his appreciation for the words of support during the difficult hour. In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said, "Spoke with H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar and conveyed heartfelt condolences on the passing of H.H. the Father Amir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Recalled his deep affection for India, his warmth towards the Indian community in Qatar and his steadfast commitment to IndiaQatar relations. His enduring legacy will continue to guide our two countries as we further strengthen our Strategic Partnership."

The two leaders reaffirmed their resolve to carry forward Father Amir's legacy and further strengthen bilateral ties. They also agreed to remain in close touch. The call follows a period of national mourning in India, during which the government declared July 13 as a day of state mourning as a mark of respect for the late leader.

Prime Minister Modi had previously described the Father Amir as a "visionary leader who led Qatar to great levels of development and prosperity" and a "true friend" of India, whom he had the honour of meeting during his visit to Doha in February 2024. The father of Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, died at the age of 74.

Sheikh Hamad, who ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013, was a key architect of the energy-rich country's stunning development. During his reign, the country saw economic, social and cultural development that bolstered its status in the international community, Al Jazeera reported. Sheikh Hamad's tenure also saw the promulgation of Qatar's first permanent constitution in 2004 and the introduction of municipal elections, in which women were allowed to vote and stand as candidates, as per Al Jazeera.

IAF ranked world's third-most powerful air force, stays ahead of China for fifth straight year

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has retained its position as the world’s third-most powerful air arm in the latest global airpower rankings published by the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA), remaining ahead of China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) for the fifth consecutive assessment since 2022.

According to the WDMMA’s 2026 rankings, only the United States and Russia rank above the IAF, underscoring India’s continued standing among the world’s leading military aviation powers.

The annual assessment evaluates 129 air services across 103 countries and analyses more than 48,000 military aircraft worldwide. Rankings are based on WDMMA’s proprietary True Value Rating (TVR) system, which measures not only fleet size but also aircraft mix, technological sophistication, logistical support, modernisation levels and overall operational capability. IAF retains global No. 3 spot

The ranking system also factors in future acquisitions and the strength of a country’s indigenous aerospace manufacturing sector.

Fleet strength

According to the assessment, the IAF currently operates a fleet of 1,716 aircraft.

This includes 542 fighter aircraft across seven different types, a figure that still reflects the presence of the MiG-21 fleet despite the aircraft’s retirement in September 2025.

The Indian Air Force’s inventory also comprises 498 helicopters, including 222 Mi-17 helicopters and 111 indigenously developed HAL Dhruv and Rudra platforms.

The latest ranking marks another year in which the IAF has outperformed China’s air force in the WDMMA assessment. Reports noted that this is the sixth overall occasion on which the Indian Air Force has been placed behind only the United States and Russia in the global rankings.

Unlike conventional rankings that focus heavily on fighter aircraft numbers, the WDMMA methodology places significant emphasis on the composition and versatility of an air force’s fleet.

Specialised platforms such as aerial refuelling aircraft, airborne early-warning systems, transport aircraft, trainers, intelligence-gathering platforms and close-air-support assets carry substantial weight in the evaluation.

In addition, the service operates 282 transport aircraft and 374 trainer aircraft, of which 325 are dedicated training platforms.

The IAF also maintains 20 special mission aircraft, including airborne early-warning systems, intelligence-gathering platforms and aerial refuelling assets that enhance operational reach and situational awareness.

Comparison with US Air Force

The report also examined the composition of the United States Air Force (USAF), which remains the world’s most powerful air arm.

According to the assessment, fighter aircraft account for 32 per cent of the USAF inventory. When bombers and close-air-support aircraft are included, combat aircraft make up around 41 per cent of the fleet.

Helicopters constitute about 4 per cent of the USAF’s inventory, while transport aircraft account for 14 per cent. Special mission platforms represent another 14 per cent of the fleet.

Child’s rape and murder in India sparks mob and police killings

The shocking rape and murder of a girl in eastern India has sparked widespread unrest, the mobkilling of an innocent man, and police killing their main suspect in custody.

The grim chain of events lays bare the nation’s problems not only with sexual violence, but also with attempts to bring perpetrators to justice.

On Sunday, the child’s body was pulled from a pond in the city of Baruipur in West Bengal state, according to local media reports. She was believed to be either 11 or 12, according to news reports.

Her family had reported her missing the day before, the reports said. Indian media have widely reported she was raped, citing authorities. Video footage of the body’s recovery spread widely on social media, sparking far-flung anger and a political blame game in the large state. In the aftermath, an angry mob took to the streets, vandalizing shops and railway lines. A man, reportedly believed to be the perpetrator, was beaten to death by a crowd, according to authorities. West Bengal’s Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari later told reporters that the man was innocent. “He too will get justice,” he

Make all efforts to save Wangchuk, HC tells Centre, Delhi Govt

The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Centre and the Delhi Government to ensure that activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, undergoes a daily medical examination by government doctors and that all necessary medical intervention is undertaken, if required, to safeguard his life.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia passed the direction after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Delhi Government, informed the court that Wangchuk's health would be monitored daily by government doctors and that appropriate medical treatment would be provided depending on their assessment.

Recording the submission, the Bench observed that every citizen’s life was of paramount importance and that the authorities were duty-bound to make every possible effort to preserve it. Appreciating the stand taken by the Solicitor General, the court directed that Wangchuk’s medical condition, both clinical and otherwise, be monitored regularly on a daily basis. The order came on a public interest litigation filed by advocate Rakesh Kumar Saini, who sought urgent judicial intervention to save Wangchuk’s life. The petitioner urged the court to direct the authorities to shift the activist to a government hospital and administer medical treatment, including force-feeding if necessary.

The petition claimed that Wangchuk’s health had deteriorated significantly during the fast, alleging that he had lost around 8.5 kg and warning that his life could be at serious risk if the hunger strike continued. It argued that any loss of life would bring disrepute to the country and urged immediate medical intervention. The plea further alleged that the government was treating Wangchuk like “a hardcore criminal, terrorist or traitor” instead of ensuring adequate medical care. It contended that, at the very least, the authorities should provide medical attention even without his

According to the petition, Wangchuk has been on an indefinite fast since June 28 after joining protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been demonstrating at Jantar Mantar since June 20, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged question paper leaks and irregularities in the education system.

consent if that was necessary to save his life. The petitioner also argued that Wangchuk should be shifted to a government hospital where he could be administered essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals through a liquid diet. During the hearing, the Bench asked the Solicitor General whether Wangchuk was undergoing regular medical examinations and whether reports of such examinations were available.

Mehta submitted that Wangchuk’s health was being checked every day whenever he permitted government doctors to examine him. He said private doctors also occasionally examined the activist and assured the court that medical reports could be prepared and placed on record.

said. “Around 200 people responsible for damaging police vehicles and vandalizing railway lines have been identified.” CNN contacted the police in Baruipur, but the person who answered the phone said they had no knowledge of the matter. CNN also reached out to the Inspector General of the Presidency range, a senior official within the West Bengal police who oversees the district where the crime took place, but did not receive a response.

Adhikari told reporters that the “government and police are doing everything possible” to bring the girl’s family justice. Several people have been arrested in connection with the girl’s death, authorities said.

Early Wednesday, the primary suspect arrested in the rape and murder case was killed during a shootout in police custody, according to state-run broadcaster News on Air. While the crime scene was being reconstructed as part of the investigation, the man allegedly snatched a service firearm from an officer and shot one round before trying to flee the scene, News on Air reported. A shootout ensued, after which the suspect was severely injured and later declared dead, the state broadcaster said.