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"I don't know why this happened," he said from his hospital room. "I don't know why they attack[ed] me." Early Sunday morning, on his way to Pennsylvania, Singh said he parked at a rest area in south Wyoming to use the bathroom. He added that he had visited the rest stop many times in the past without any problems. As he walked inside, Singh said he sensed another man following behind him. Continued on Page 10...
Fiji declares HIV emergency 1 in 60 people now have the virus as drug crisis fuels outbreak
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A Sikh truck driver is stabbed amid a rise in anti-South Asian rhetoric A Punjabi Sikh truck driver in Wyoming said he was followed into a bathroom and stabbed repeatedly in an attack that has stoked fear across the greater South Asian community. In an interview, the driver Singh said he was shaken by the violent encounter from earlier this week, which he described as unprovoked. Singh asked to only be identified by his last name due to fear for his safety.
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$4.4 billion worth of new condos sitting unsold across Metro Vancouver
Canada wants to become associate member of EU
Thousands of new condos are sitting unsold across Metro Vancouver, leaving developers with about $4.4 billion worth of finished-but-vacant real estate, new research shows. And they aren’t all tiny condos often geared at investors. The unsold inventory includes a range of sizes, with larger, two- and three-bedroom units making up a significant share of what’s still on the market. Continued on Page 4...
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Sunday the nation was not seeking to join the European Union following a report by the Wall Street Journal that it was exploring becoming an "associate member" of the bloc. Carney told reporters at the Toronto International Film Festival that Canada was instead looking to establish a "unique alliance" with the EU. "We're not looking to become a member of the European Union. What we are looking for and will begin discussion for, is a unique alliance with the European Union, between Canada and hte European Union," Carney said. "We share the same values. We have the same priorities and we have very complementary strengths," Careney added. Continued on Page 7...
Indian origin man jailed 11 years in US for Ponzi scheme involving sports star Travis Kelce has found himself in the middle of a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme. On Tuesday, September 15, Siddharth Jawahar was sentenced to 11 years in prison, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, and the NFL star, 36, has been named as a victim. Jawahar, 38, pleaded guilty in January to three wire fraud charges stemming from the Ponzi scheme and was subsequently ordered to pay his victims more than $31 million in restitution. Continued on Page 10...
The small Pacific nation of Fiji has declared a national HIV emergency as it grapples with surging case numbers, partly driven by a growing methamphetamine problem. One in every 60 adults in the archipelago of less than a million people are now estimated to have Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) –– bucking a global trend of falling rates of the incurable, but treatable, virus. A tourism hotspot famed for its friendly culture, white-sand beaches and teeming coral reefs, Fiji first declared an outbreak of the virus in January 2025 and ramped up testing, revealing the scale of the spiraling public health crisis. Continued on Page 11...
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Carney pitches Canada to global investors as Trump tries to pull investment South
U.S. President Donald Trump wants factories and investment moving south to the United States. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is betting he can make billions flow north. About 300 CEOs and senior executives from some of the world’s biggest investment firms are gathering at the Four Seasons in Yorkville, a tony Toronto enclave of high-end restaurants and designer boutiques, for Carney’s Canada Investment Summit this week. The guest list includes BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Blackstone President Jon Gray, Apollo CEO Marc Rowan and KKR co-CEO Joseph Bae, along with top executives from sovereign wealth funds in Norway, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore.
The investors collectively manage more than $120 trillion in assets, underscoring the scale of capital Carney hopes to tap as Canada tries to attract billions in new investment and reduce its economic dependence on the United States. “Canada is about so much more than being next to the United States,” Carney said at a news conference last week in Banff, Alberta. “We have what the world wants.” Carney pointed to Canada’s vast energy and critical-mineral resources, its highly educated workforce and trade agreements that give businesses based in Canada access to roughly 1.5 billion consumers around the world. Few people know this crowd better than Carney. He ran the central banks of Canada and England, spent 13 years at Goldman Sachs and later chaired
the boards of Bloomberg L.P. and Brookfield Asset Management, putting him very much in his element among the global investors and money managers gathering at the Four Seasons. Carney courted that capital Monday in separate meetings with the CEOs of Sydney-based Macquarie Group, whose asset-management arm is the world’s largest infrastructure investment manager, and Singapore state-owned Temasek Holdings, a major global investment company. But the summit comes at a critical moment for Canada. Trade talks collapsed Aug. 21, and then Trump imposed 50% tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian goods and Canada retaliated. Washington then raised the stakes again, announcing bans on some Canadian imports and moving to shut Canadian products
out of large, long-term U.S. government contracts. Trump’s tariffs and efforts to shift manufacturing south of the border are undermining what was long one of the country’s biggest attractions to foreign investors: reliable access to the enormous U.S. market under continental free trade. Carney is urging global investors to look past the trade war and bet on Canada, while pointedly contrasting its rule of law and reliability with an increasingly unpredictable United States under Trump. Investors will find “a country that respects rule of law and a country that is reliable,” Carney said. Carney also heads to Europe on Tuesday, where he will address the European Parliament later in the week as Canada seeks a broader strategic partnership with the EU.
EU chief von der Leyen says she wants Canada to become bloc's first 'associate member'
You can share an article by clicking on the share icons at the top right of it. The total or partial reproduction of an article, without the prior written authorization of Le Monde, is strictly forbidden. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday, September 16, that she wants to open the door for Canada to become the European Union’s first associate member. The overture comes as Trump's tariffs and repeated talk of making Canada the 51st state have pushed Ottawa to seek closer economic and security ties with Europe. Carney has called for a "unique alliance" with the EU as Canada seeks to reduce its heavy dependence on US trade. "I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada being the first associate member of the EU," von der Leyen told Carney during her annual State of the European Union address. Carney received a standing ovation from European lawmakers. He is due to address the European Parliament on Thursday. Von der Leyen said Canada and the EU would build on their existing free trade agreement, known as CETA, with a broader "Alliance for the Future" aimed at creating "a common prosperity and economic security space." She cast that closer relationship as rooted not just in trade but in shared democratic values. "Above all, dear Mark, Europe and Canada believe in democracy," von der Leyen said.
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"We believe that power does not belong to the strongest, the richest or the loudest, but to all of us. That democracies have the freedom to choose with whom to work."
Von der Leyen said the expanded partnership would cover advanced manufacturing, technology, defense production, the Arctic, energy, critical minerals, batteries, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cybersecurity and economic security. "This is a partnership not against anyone else, but for our common strength," she said. "In short, we want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible." Canada joining the EU as an associate member would be a first, there is no rulebook on how that would work or what it would mean in practice. It is unclear who would need to approve membership, and how long that could take. Currently, all steps toward EU membership must be approved unanimously by the 27 member countries. The idea of associate membership has been floated in the past for Ukraine , or for post-Brexit Britain, but no concrete steps have been taken.
Abbotsford police looking for owners of $20,000 in stolen tools Two men are now facing break-and-enter charges after thousands of dollars in stolen goods were recovered at an Abbotsford home. The Abbotsford Police Department said this recent investigation stems from an Aug. 27 incident, where officers were called to a reported break-and-enter at a business in the 1800 block of Forge Place. Police arrived on site just before 4 a.m., but the suspects had already departed the area, with some furniture and merchandise missing from the business. On Sept. 11, a search warrant was executed at a home in the 33700 block of Marshall Road, where police found the suspect vehicle and a bunch of stolen property. Mario Jovic, 44, and Richard White, 49, were taken into custody and later charged with break-and-
enter. In addition to the property taken from the local business, police also found approximately $20,000 worth of stolen tools at the home. Police are asking for the public’s help in reuniting them with their rightful owners. Anyone with information regarding the stolen tools is encouraged to contact the Abbotsford Police Department at communications@ abbypd.ca.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026
B.C.'s fiscal path unsustainable, economists say, with few easy options to get back on track Premier David Eby said Wednesday that money is required to build the infrastructure that the province needs, but economists and two former finance ministers from both sides of the aisle say the government’s fiscal situation is unsustainable. Speaking at the site of Simon Fraser University’s new medical school in Surrey, the premier argued that his NDP government is doing what is necessary to provide British Columbians with the services they need and alleged that the B.C. Conservatives would make large scale cuts to supports if elected. “Do you think that the Conservative government or whatever constellation of rightwing parties forms in British Columbia will actually build the new medical school, will actually train the doctors? Because the history is that they announced balanced budgets, but they were not balanced because they starved British Columbians of the services they needed,” said Eby. Those comments come at a time when the province is projected to run a $13.8-billion operating deficit this fiscal year and at least one former NDP premier and finance minister feels the government has strayed from any sense of responsible economic management. Ujjal Dosanjh, who served as premier from 2000 until the party was wiped out by the B.C. Liberals in the 2001 election, says the NDP risk being swept out of power if it doesn’t engage in a fundamental shift of its spending. He said he’s especially concerned about the growth in the size of the public sector under Eby, with much of the growth in operational spending coming from wages for workers. When Eby
took over as premier in November 2022, the late John Horgan had left him a projected operating surplus of $5.7 billion. “The engine of growth can’t be the public sector jobs, because it seems to me that in the last few years, the public sector has grown disproportionately, and of course the deficit has just ballooned after Horgan,” said Dosanjh. “You can’t continue piling deficit upon deficit, and this has been done after Horgan, and it’s in a very short span of time, and Horgan took us through COVID essentially, and so you can’t blame it on COVID.” Former B.C. Liberal finance minister Mike de Jong, who served in the role under Premier Christy Clark from 2012 to 2017, said that the whole point of surpluses is to pay down the debt and put the province in a strong position to weather storms like COVID-19 or U.S. tariffs. Instead, the province has gone through five straight credit downgrades and is on pace to more than double the provincial debt in under four years from $89.4 billion to $180.886 billion. Of that debt, over $45.4 billion of it is from operating expenses such as salaries and the day-to-day operations of government. All of that debt has been added under Eby. “The government went into COVID having inherited the strongest set of books in the country. B.C. was better positioned than any other jurisdiction, arguably in North America, to assist people and provide the supports necessary during those very difficult days of COVID, the problem was in the aftermath,” said de Jong. B.C. Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay said at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention on Thursday that she will not resign.
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RCMP thought she died of a cardiac arrest Now, they say her death was suspicious RCMP say the death of 30-year-old in Fort St. James, B.C. they originally attributed to cardiac arrest is now being investigated as "suspicious." Dayna Monk died May 31 after first responders were called to what was reported as a cardiac arrest inside a home. Police say life-saving efforts were made, but were unsuccessful. "Based on the information initially available to investigators, criminality was not believed to be a factor in the death," RCMP Sgt. Vanessa Munn said in a release published Wednesday. "However, following the results of an autopsy, the death was determined to be suspicious." Munn says the RCMP's major crimes unit
assumed conduct of the investigation on June 10 and they've decided to go public with details about the death in an effort to get more information. "Investigators are working to establish the circumstances surrounding Dayna's death and are asking anyone who may have information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward," Insp. Robert Kurtz said in
the release. This is the second suspicious death investigation announced in Fort St. James this week, following the death of a 77-year-old man on Monday. Fort St. James is home to about 1,500 people, roughly 114 kilometres west of Prince George.
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Carney's new love-in with EU has everything to do with Trump "Wouldn't it be lovely if Canada was the 28th state of the European Union rather than the 51st state of the United States?" asked Finland's President Alexander Stubb this summer. The question was rather tongue-in-cheek. US President Donald Trump, who is currently locked in an escalating tariff tussle with Ottawa, has, on a number of occasions, declared his ambition to make Canada the 51st American state - causing deep offence amongst many Canadians. Finland is one of the EU's 27 member states and a close ally of Canada as a fellow Arctic nation. Teasing tones aside, President Stubb put his finger squarely on the pulse of deepening EU-Canadian relations. "Canada is more Europe-minded than most Europeans!" is a smiling retort you often hear
in Brussels at the moment. The catalyst for this very public, ardent new love-in is Donald Trump. Just the other day, the US president posted a map of North America on his Truth Social site, including Canada and Greenland - a territory that's part of EU country Denmark - all overlaid with the US flag. Trade negotiations between the US and Canada broke down late last month. European countries, which have been hit by their own Trump tariffs, have privately watched the spat play out with a mixture of interest and, for many, admiration. While the EU, led by the European Commission, simply accepted new blanket Trump tariffs without fighting back, Carney has prominently stood up to the US president, swiftly imposing counter-tariffs on the United States.
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BC NDP preparing for Snap election There is a lot of speculation that B.C. Premier David Eby will call a snap provincial election this fall. B.C. is already holding municipal elections on Oct. 17. “We call on the premier to respect the law and respect the integrity of the local election process that only happens once every four years,” Cori Ramsay, president of the Union of B.C. Municipalities said on Thursday. “It’s time to hit pause and put British Columbians first.” Two weeks ago, Eby said he was busy preparing for the fall session, but on Wednesday he raised speculation about a fall election. “We have a one-vote majority, so we’re electionready as the NDP,” Eby said. “Elections BC should be election-ready.” Eby did not face any questions on Thursday, but Health Minister Ravi Kahlon said, “We’re dealing with an administration that wants to squeeze us economically so that we’re vulnerable and so what we need to do is make sure we have a stable government addressing the biggest issues.” Part of what’s driving the premier’s calculations is not just problems plaguing the BC Conservatives, but also polling showing his
popularity rebounding and his party in the lead; but dig a little deeper and you find a volatile and disgruntled electorate. New data from Angus Reid shows the NDP at 41 per cent, which is four points ahead of the BC Conservatives, with the BC Greens sitting at 13 per cent. However, 47 per cent say the NDP is doing a bad or very bad job, while 39 per cent disagree. Half of the people polled believe it’s time for a change of government, but 51 per cent are not enthusiastic about any of the choices on offer. “One of the best ways to sum it up is, it’s a mess,” Shachi Kurl with the Angus Reid Institute said. Eby is set to deliver his annual address to the Union of B.C. Municipalities on Friday morning.
$4.4 billion worth of new condos sitting unsold across Metro Vancouver Continued from Page 1... “It’s actually not as weighted heavily towards the smaller units, as one may think,” said Darcy Rai, president of the Vancouver-based real estate analytics firm Real Property Data. For years, condo buildings started selling units before they were finished, and the smaller homes sold first, Rai said. “For the last decade, presales have cleared from the bottom of the price sheet up. What’s left standing today is the larger, higher-priced end of each project, where fewer buyers were willing to commit years ahead based on a floor plan.” Some have been sitting empty for years. More than 1,300 of the empty homes are in buildings that were completed at least two years ago, according to a report the firm released this month. Rai said that, in general, units that are priced at a premium are the ones that are left finished
but unsold as buyers shift to more-affordable neighbourhoods where they can get more space at a lower price. “So, the stuff that’s left is the more expensive units,” he said, That dovetails with what Andy Yan, director of the City program at Simon Fraser University, has found, which is that more than 80 per cent of the unsold units are priced over $1 million. Zonda Urban, another Vancouver-based real estate analytics firm, counted just over 5,300 finished-but-unsold condos and townhomes across Metro as of Monday, including 1,200 in Burnaby, 958 in Vancouver, 816 in Richmond, 559 in Surrey and 543 in the Coquitlam-Port Moody region. Hamidreza Etebarian is the president of Zealty. He is seeing rising levels of court-ordered property sales hitting expensive areas of Metro Vancouver, such as Vancouver's west side.
Surrey MLAs join community in honouring First Responders at Dwivedi Foundation Gala On September 12th 2026, Surrey MLAs Amna Shah and Garry Begg joined first responders, community leaders and local families at the Dwivedi Foundation’s annual First Responders Gala and Awards Night, celebrating the courage, dedication and service of frontline professionals from across British Columbia. Held at the Reflections Banquet & Convention Centre in Surrey, the gala brought together members of police, fire, ambulance and emergency services for an evening dedicated to recognizing the individuals who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe. MLA Shah for Surrey City Centre, and MLA Begg for Surrey-Guildford, participated in the evening’s award presentations, honouring first responders whose commitment and contributions have made a significant impact on public safety and community well-being. The event has become an important annual tradition, providing an opportunity to acknowledge those who routinely work in demanding and often dangerous circumstances to protect and assist others. Through its awards program, the Dwivedi Foundation recognizes
individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership, professionalism, and service beyond the normal scope of duty. Recipients and nominees are evaluated on qualities including integrity, dedication to public service, leadership in their field and positive contributions to the people and communities they serve. For MLA Shah and MLA Begg, participating in the awards presentations offered a chance to
publicly thank first responders for their service and highlight the vital role they play not only in Surrey but throughout British Columbia. Their presence underscored the strong relationship between elected officials and the frontline professionals who are often the first to respond during emergencies and times of need.
OPINION
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026
Canada is eyeing a ‘unique alliance’ with the European Union Ph: 604-591-5423 Fax: 604-591-8615 editor@theasianstar.com Editor: Umendra Singh Marketing and Sales: Ravi Cheema 604-715-3847 Shamir Doshi 604-649-7827 Harminder Kaur 778-708-0481 Parminder Dhillon 604-902-2858 Pre-Press: Avee Waseer Production: Ozmo Media
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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has seized Europe’s political spotlight this week with his clearest overtures yet towards the European Union (EU), days before he is set to join senior EU officials at a European Parliament plenary in Strasbourg. Carney said overnight that he’s seeking a “unique alliance” between Canada and the European Union but not full membership of the bloc, after the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Ottawa was seeking formal talks with Brussels on “associate” EU membership. The reports come just ahead of Carney’s visit to Strasbourg, where European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to flesh out the EU’s vision for a deeper relationship with Canada during her annual State of the Union speech on Wednesday, according to EU officials. It’s the latest in a series of public signs of rapprochement. Carney became the first nonEuropean leader to attend a European Political Community (EPC) summit in May, and Canadian ministers have recently stepped up their participation in EU ministerial meetings. The shift comes as Canada faces growing economic and political pressure from its southern neighbour. US President Donald Trump’s tariff war has hit $20 billion worth of Canadian products with 50% tariffs, while his repeated threats to make Canada the 51st US state have prompted Ottawa to rethink its security and defence alliances. European nations have emerged as natural partners as Carney seeks to build what he describes as a coalition of “middle powers” that can spearhead a new rules-based order. With Carney ruling out full EU membership — despite polling showing broad support for the idea among Canadians — Brussels sees an opportunity to seize on a rare political opening. But what exactly a special EU-Canada “alliance” could look like remains unclear, with no obvious legal or political precedent for such an arrangement. A European Commission spokesperson confirmed on Monday that the EU’s level of ambition for its strategic partnership with Canada is “even higher” this year ahead of an EU-Canada summit
in Montreal in October, describing Canada as a “strategically important partner” and “close friend”. The head of the European Parliament’s Liberal group has meanwhile called on the Commission to “match Canada’s ambition” by further strengthening trade, economic and security ties. He expects Brussels to dismiss talk of “associate membership” and instead “spin it as an agenda which sees even closer trans-Atlantic cooperation with Canada”. Reports of Ottawa seeking “associate membership” echo a similar plan floated by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for Ukraine in May, which was quickly dismissed by most EU countries and Ukraine as a non-starter. It pitched a seat for Ukraine at the table in summits and ministerial meetings without voting rights, coverage under the bloc's mutual assistance clause, and eligibility for funding under EU programmes. Ideas of “levels” of EU membership in a preaccession phase have been gaining traction, but associate membership for a country that is not
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seeking to become a full member is not likely to gain traction. “This is a notion that makes no legal sense,” Blockmans explained, but added that it is still possible for Canada to “strengthen its trade relations with the EU in different domains”. Greater access to the EU’s €18 trillion single market is considered a major driver of Ottawa’s agenda, and potentially the biggest prize Brussels could offer Canada in the age of Trump’s tariff war. Talks between Ottawa and Washington broke down last month, with Trump vowing to impose 50% tariffs on cars and steel from 2027, in a move that has dented hopes of an easing of tensions. The EU-Canada trade deal, known as CETA, was signed over a decade ago but is yet to be fully ratified across the EU. More privileged access to the single market — potentially moving Canada closer to arrangements enjoyed by countries such as Norway or Switzerland — could help Ottawa diversify away from its traditional reliance on the US.
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026
BC NDP promised 50% royalty rate, settle for 14% Following the Finance Minister’s admission that B.C.’s natural gas royalties are $531 million less than forecasted, and reports that the new Oil and Gas Royalty Framework will bring in only about a third of the royalties the BC NDP promised, the BC Greens are calling to immediately halt the Framework’s implementation. “The new Oil and Gas Royalty Framework is based on projections that the government has since admitted were grossly inaccurate. I have asked the Auditor-General to investigate. At a minimum, the BC NDP must re-do their math and explain how they intend to change the provincial royalty system,” said Rob Botterell, BC Greens Finance
Critic and MLA for Saanich North and the Islands. “The new Framework is a terrible deal for British Columbians — the BC NDP promised us 50% of profits as royalties, the BC Liberals got us 19%, and now it’s reported we’ll get 14% at the most.” Under a 50% royalty rate, BC’s revenue for 2027/28 should be $4.086 billion. Instead, Monday’s Quarterly Fiscal Report projected $1.144 billion — a gap of nearly $3 billion.
“If the new Oil and Gas Royalty Framework is implemented on 1 January 2027, British Columbians will lose out on nearly $3 billion that could be spent on social services we desperately need. For $3 billion we could restore all of the funding that the BC NDP cut from the Community Housing Fund in 2026, and still have $1.5 billion left for healthcare, transit, education, and affordability measures,” said Jeremy Valeriote, BC Greens MLA for West Vancouver - Sea to Sky. The Province has been tight-lipped about the selection process and details of the new Framework, but the BC Greens understand that Cabinet had three options, and have selected the one that is best for industry — and worst for British Columbians. We have reason to believe that this includes deeply unfair provisions, including a generous guaranteed return on certain investments, a reduced royalty rate until companies earn 150% of their capital costs, and uncapped deductions for operating costs. “The gap between what we were promised and what the BC NDP government has delivered for our resources is deeply troubling. The Province must stop the secrecy, and be transparent with British Columbians about their planned fire sale of our natural resources,” said Botterell. “The sales pitch for resource extraction has always been that we trade climate stability for financial wealth. Instead, we’re contributing to the climate crisis more than ever before, and not even getting a fair return,” said BC Greens Leader Emily Lowan. “British Columbians deserve a better deal, and they need to be included directly in the decision making.”
Mark Carney says Canada not looking to join EU after report Continued from Page 1... "We're stronger together. And this is a time when the world's more dangerous and divided, and friends need to stick together at these times." Citing anonymous officials from both Canada and the EU, the Journal reported the two sides are exploring the unprecedented option as Carney prepares to address the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Thursday. At that appearance he is expected to lay out how he sees the future of Canada-EU relations at a time when Trump is engaged in trade wars with the United States' closest allies, including Canada, and has questioned his northern neighbor's sovereignty by suggesting it become the "51st state." The sources said Canada and Brussels are sorting out what an "associate" membership in the EU would look like, but the aim would be to
accomplish a historic reorientation of Canada's trade away from the United States, which now consumes about 72% of its exports. A potential deal could see fertilizer exported to Europe via the Arctic and the construction of new natural gas pipelines that could ease its dependence on Russian fossil fuels, the Journal reported. The European Commission did not issue a response to the Journal story, while Canadian broadcaster CTV cited an unnamed government source who claimed Canada is not seeking EU membership in any capacity and insisted the WSJ report "overstates" what is actually happening. Rather, the source said, Ottawa is merely seeking to build on strides made at a joint Canadian-EU summit in June in which the two sides established a strategic partnership in key areas and agreed to cooperate in the ReArm Europe defense project.
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OpenAI asks California court to dismiss lawsuits over Tumbler Ridge shooting OpenAI wants a U.S. judge to dismiss more than three dozen lawsuits filed in California by survivors and families of victims of the Tumbler Ridge school shooting who claim the tech giant and its chief executive officer could have prevented the tragedy. In motions to dismiss some of the 37 U.S. district court actions, lawyers for OpenAI claim any legal action related to the deaths and injuries should take place in British Columbia. The company says it will ultimately defend itself against what it calls "baseless accusations" but insists both private and public interests would be best served by putting the case in front of a B.C. judge. "California is not the most appropriate forum for claims by British Columbians attacked by a British Columbian in British Columbia," the motion to dismiss reads. "British Columbia plainly is an available and adequate alternative forum, so the key questions ... are where the parties can access evidence and which forum has the greater interest. The answer to both is British Columbia." On Feb. 10, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed eight people — including six children — before taking her own life. Questions about the shooter's interactions with the health care system and police arose in the wake of the tragedy — turning to OpenAI after news reports about Van Rootselaar's use of ChatGPT. The first lawsuits filed against OpenAI and CEO Altman were filed last spring in California, where the company is headquartered, with another wave of claims following earlier this month. The claims alleged "ChatGPT played a role in the mass shooting and OpenAI could have, and should have, prevented it."
The victims claim the company flagged the shooter's ChatGPT account for "gun violence and planning" eight months before the attack, but "after a contentious internal debate, made the conscious decision not to warn authorities."
They claim to be suing both Altman and his company "for designing a dangerous product, ignoring the warnings of their own safety team, refusing to notify authorities when they knew the shooter was planning a mass attack, inviting them back onto the platform after deactivating their account, and choosing profit over the lives of the children of Tumbler Ridge." OpenAI has filed identical motions to dismiss a number of the suits over the past two weeks, citing a legal concept called "forum non conveniens" to argue that British Columbia is the logical place to bring any legal action related to the Tumbler Ridge shooting. The company says most of the evidence in the case is in British Columbia as are most of the people likely to serve as witnesses. The motion to dismiss claims the court actions will require an examination of the role of "Canadian law enforcement, firearms regulations and British Columbia institutions in the events that preceded the shooting." OpenAI says the actions would overlap "with Canada’s ongoing examination of its own institutions and policy choices."
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026
Carney recruits Chrétien, Harper to kick off investment summit
Three prime ministers were on hand in Toronto to mark one of the largest private sector investments in Canadian history on Monday -- the opening salvo in Mark Carney's two-day summit aimed at attracting billions of dollars in capital to Canada. The deal in question was a massive data centre expansion planned by Bell in Saskatchewan, a
move that the Montreal-based telecom giant's CEO Mirko Bibic said will require $50 billion in capital investment to complete. In the room for the announcement was Carney and bipartisan pair of former prime ministers -- Liberal Jean Chrétien and Conservative Stephen Harper -- the latter of whom will deliver closing remarks at the inaugural investment summit on Tuesday. The event is part of Carney's bid to improve Canada's reputation in the eyes of investors after years of stagnant business investment. The prime minister is trying to court the world's investors as part of his lofty goal to attract $1 trillion in investments over the next five years. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe on Monday hailed Carney for his "renewed ... sharp focus" on expanding Canada's trading relationships and promoting the country's international credibility.
Carney held up Bell's investment as the kind of investment Canada needs to pivot the economy to growth. He didn't directly mention headwinds from U.S. tariffs or other geopolitical shifts in his comments. "The tone of Canadians is, let's get on with it. Let's build. Let's control our future. Let's be positive. Let's come together. This is a fantastic example of that," Carney told the room at the Fairmont Royal York in downtown Toronto. Toronto is playing host to executives at some of the world's largest asset managers this week as Carney, his cabinet ministers and premiers pitch the investors on major infrastructure projects. Major Canadian banks and pension funds are also taking the opportunity to promote their domestic investment plans on the sidelines of the summit. Tuesday marks the main programming of the summit, with sector-specific panels and an opening keynote by Carney. Attendees were welcomed with a private dinner at the Art Gallery of Ontario on Monday night. The Prime Minister's Office says the menu including smoked Arctic char, bison short rib and roasted pear was all Canadian-sourced. The summit has attracted the heads of some of the world's largest asset managers, including BlackRock CEO and chairman Larry Fink and Blackstone president Jon Gray. Other attendees hail from Australia, Singapore, Denmark, Qatar, Indonesia and more. Police equipped with high-visibility green vests, batons and helmets shut down traffic in the blocks surrounding the gallery in downtown Toronto in the late afternoon as large black SUVs dropped off VIPs. Armoured vehicles, police buses and horsemounted officers were also on hand around the art gallery.
Ex-B.C. Conservative MLAs and party president say a private investigator was hired to look into them The former B.C. Conservative Party president says she was one of about a dozen people, including 4 MLAs, who were targeted by a private investigator allegedly hired by the party’s former executive director. TheB.C. Conservative Party president Mauro Francis has been reaching out to people on the list to let them know they were being looked into by a private investigator. They were told former executive director Elaine Allan, acting without authorization, hired an investigator using party funds to look into their activities. CBC News has seen a copy of the email being sent by Francis about the existence of the private investigator. "I just find it to be absolutely shocking behaviour," said Aisha Estey, who was party president until Aug. 20. "I don't know if I was literally followed or if it was an internetbased investigation." Estey said the timeline of when the private investigator was operating would have been while she was still sitting as the party's president. The list includes MLAs Claire Rattée, Rosalyn Bird, Brennan Day, Áalíya Warbus, Amelia Boultbee, former party executive director Angelo Isidorou, the party’s former managing director Philip Dippenaar, NDP staffer Matt Hannah, Mandeep Dhaliwal and Jonathan Ross. Bird told CBC News she was contacted by the party Wednesday. "I was told that Elaine Allan had hired a private investigator and that she had investigated myself and 11 other people. And that the investigator had submitted a bill to the party for payment when he realized that Elaine wasn't working there anymore." Bird, who left the caucus on Aug. 25, said it appears the investigator was looking into MLAs before they left to sit as Independents. "I am disappointed on a level that I can't even
explain," she said. "I don't even have words." CBC News has not been able to reach Allan and ask her about the allegations. Rattée, the MLA for Skeena, said in a statement posted to social media that she had been contacted by the Conservatives. "I can confirm that yesterday afternoon I was formally informed by the Conservative Party of British Columbia that a senior party official allegedly hired a private investigator, which may concern violation of my privacy and possibly other harms." Day, the MLA for Courtenay-Comox, told CBC News he’s looking at his legal options.
At a news conference following her speech at the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference, Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay said the party is looking into the allegations. "I had no knowledge of it. I wasn’t aware of it. So I can’t really respond and they are just allegations at the moment," Findlay said in response to questions from CBC News. A B.C. Conservative party source with direct knowledge of the matter told CBC News the private investigator was hired to look into who is behind a social media account on X called The Findlay Files. The account has been publishing damaging allegations against Findlay and other senior B.C. Conservative staffers, some of whom were fired or resigned in light of the allegations. Continued on Page 10...
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026
Two high-risk offenders released in Surrey A second high-risk offender has been released into Surrey in just two days. According to public warnings issued by the Surrey Police Service, both Jonathon Anders Muzychka and Skylar Wayne Pelletier, designated high-risk offenders with histories of serious violent offences, will be residing in our community. The fact that both individuals are subject to extensive court-ordered conditions, electronic monitoring, curfews and ongoing police oversight underscores the risk authorities believe they pose. This is completely unacceptable and we need to do better. Surrey is home to more than 700,000 people, including families, children and seniors. Yet once again, our city is being forced to accommodate individuals who present a significant risk to public safety.
While I support rehabilitation and recognize that successful reintegration must be part of our justice system, communities should not be expected to bear an unfair burden when it comes to housing offenders who pose a significant risk to the public. Muzychka and Pelletier are not welcome in Surrey. Residents have every right to question why Surrey continues to be selected for these placements. Responsibility for managing high-risk offenders must be shared fairly across jurisdictions, rather than concentrated in a single community. I am calling on the federal Minister of Justice to deliver concrete action to strengthen public protections and ensure communities like Surrey do not bear an undue burden in managing high-risk offenders. Surrey residents deserve accountability and results. Their safety must be the overriding priority.
Woman convicted of disfiguring victim in biting attack given reduced sentence because she's Haitian immigrant A Haitian woman who disfigured a stranger in a Montreal-area biting attack has been given a reduced sentence by a Quebec judge on the grounds that a harsher prison term would endanger her “precarious immigration status.” Just two days after Christmas in 2022, Macdala Monfiston spent eight minutes viciously attacking a woman outside a bar in Laval, Que., leaving the victim with bite marks all over her arms and face. Court records described one of the facial wounds as being “several centimetres long, necessitating repeated treatments and leaving a prominent scar.”
Video of the assault obtained by The Journal de Montreal shows Monfiston pulling the victim’s hair, kicking her motionless form on the ground and straddling her body while biting at her face. “When I tell people I was bit, they ask me what kind of animal, if it was by a pit bull. They can’t believe it’s a person who did this to me,” the victim told the paper in a French-language interview. Although good Samaritans attempted to intervene, they were held back by Monfiston’s boyfriend. After Monfiston pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in early 2025, a Court of Quebec judge sentenced her to four years in prison – the sentence already a fraction of the maximum 14-year sentence
set for the crime under the Criminal Code. But in a decision released this week, the Quebec Court of Appeal ruled that four years was too harsh, in part because it could possibly get her deported. Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, anyone jailed for longer than two years is deemed guilty of “serious criminality,” and loses their appeal rights in the case of a removal order. “The prison sentence has a much greater impact on the defendant than on other offenders who might have committed similar acts,” reads the French-language decision, rendered on Sept. 14 by appeals court judges Suzanne Gagné, Christine Baudouin and Geneviève Marcotte. The three judges instead handed down a sentence of two years minus one day of parole, thus shielding Monfiston from any loss of her immigration appeal rights, and freeing her from any time in prison. It’s an established Canadian legal precedent that judges are required to consider the “collateral immigration consequences” of a criminal sentence. If a criminal conviction risks getting a foreign national removed from the country, judges must weigh this as a form of punishment, and then reduce the offender’s actual punishment accordingly. It all stems from the 2013 Supreme Court decision R. v. Pham. The case involved a non-citizen, Hoang Pham, who was convicted of drug offences and initially sentenced to two years in prison. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that lower courts had failed to consider how the sentence would render Pham unable to appeal a removal order. And so, the top court instead handed down a sentence of two years less a day. As with Monfiston, the sentence allowed Pham to dodge the loss of his appeal rights under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
Municipal leaders call on B.C. government to regulate electric kick scooters A new issue has recently rolled to the forefront when New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone talks to voters in his city: scooters. “I’m not exaggerating at all when I say when I go to have a meeting in a senior’s centre in New Westminster and talk to seniors about their No. 1 issue, it’s not affordable housing right now, it’s not crime on the streets. It is fear of scooters on sidewalks,” Johnstone said Tuesday. “It is a real, novel threat.” New West is introducing a resolution about scooters for consideration at this week’s Union of B.C. Municipalities, the annual local government conference. If approved by a majority of the delegates present, the resolution will call on the provincial government to establish provincewide regulations for kick scooters. Road safety has emerged as a significant theme at this year’s convention, with at least five resolutions related to the subject. The B.C. government has had ample time to figure out how to regulate electric scooters, Johnstone said at a news conference Tuesday at the UBCM convention. The province initially launched a pilot project in 2021 testing electric scooters in certain B.C. communities, and launched a new four-year pilot project in 2024. Currently, the rules around electric scooters differ from one municipality to another, Johnstone said, which doesn’t work in a province with more than 160 municipalities. Not all municipalities welcome e-scooters. Here's what you need to know about e-scooters in Metro Vancouver. Where are e-scooters allowed in Metro Vancouver? What you should know about electric kick scooters A woman has died and another was sent to hospital with serious injuries following two separate electric kick scooter accidents in Vancouver this month,
Shadow, finding four individuals aboard, who were arrested. After the boat was towed to a secure location, a warrant was obtained to search it. Police then found a chrome handgun, multiple gun parts — including a large, extended magazine — as well as several suppressors. Suppressors are devices fitted to the barrel of a gun to reduce the noise and muzzle blast when guns are fired. They’re prohibited in Canada. Also found were several small bags of what police suspect to be crystal meth and fentanyl, along with the chemicals, dyes, scales and utensils used for cooking drugs. Charges have not been laid. The investigation continues.
prompting police to issue a safety warning about e-scooters. This file photo shows an individual wearing a helmet while riding an e-scooter. City of Langley Mayor Nathan Pachal said scooters and other electric-powered “e-mobility devices” are an issue in big cities and small towns alike. Pachal said he has heard from the officer in charge of the local RCMP detachment that “the top issue they talk about when they meet with the Lower Mainland district is e-mobility devices.”
B.C. Children’s Hospital recorded 81 e-scooterrelated emergency room visits in 2025-26, more than double the number the year before. Most incidents involved children ages 13 to 15, below B.C.’s legal riding age of 16. In July, the Vancouver police issued a public safety warning about helmets and e-scooters, after one woman died and another was taken to hospital with serious injuries after separate scooter accidents within days of each other. The City of Vancouver entered into an agreement in 2024 with Lime to operate a shared e-scooter system. The system has been popular with riders, but also generated some public backlash. Vancouver Coun. Lucy Maloney said she has heard from several residents complaining about the noise at the scooter docking stations, both from the sound of parking the vehicles and from loud groups of scooter-riders, especially at night.
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Shots-fired reports lead Vancouver police to seize guns, drugs from False Creek boat
The Vancouver police marine unit boarded and searched a boat moored in False Creek after receiving reports of someone firing a gun with a suppressor into the water on Sunday evening. At around 6 p.m. on Sunday, the marine unit and emergency response team boarded the vessel Night
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026
Indian origin man jailed 11 years in US for Ponzi scheme involving sports star Continued from Page 1... According to local outlet KMOV, prosecutors did not go into detail about the Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s involvement in the case, and only briefly mentioned him in court. A 2021 article published by Forbes notes that Kelce was an investor in the Swiftarc Venture Labs Fund, created by Swiftarc Capital LLC, the investment company co-founded by Jawahar and named in the press release as one of several entities he used in his scheme. Kelce was just one of the athletes said to have invested in the firm, with Dallas Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr., Detroit Pistons center Mason Plumlee and Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris all serving as investors, per Forbes’ report. According to the release, Jawahar, who ran the investment firm, began putting clients’ money into a single
investment, Philip Morris Pakistan, in 2015. When the investment lost value, however, he allegedly kept the losses from investors and continued telling them their money was generating profits. From July 2016 through December 2023, Jawahar took in more than $35 million from investors but invested only about $10 million, the release states. He allegedly used money from Swiftarc Capital LLC’s new investors to repay earlier ones while also funding an “extravagant” lifestyle. That lifestyle, the release notes, reportedly included “travel on private jets, stays at luxury hotels, a luxury apartment in Austin and New York City, memberships at multiple private clubs across the country, spending sprees at clothing stores and expensive outings at fancy restaurants.”
A Sikh truck driver is stabbed amid a rise in anti-South Asian rhetoric Continued from Page 1... Moments later, Singh said the man began to beat him before pulling out a knife and stabbing him multiple times around his body, including his neck. The attacker then fled and Singh stepped outside before collapsing onto the pavement, he recalled. Singh said his life was saved by a Hispanic family, who just so happened to be at the rest area. He said the family tried to attend to his wounds and seek medical help. "They [gave] me the second life," he said. As of Wednesday night, Singh remained in the hospital, with multiple lacerations and injuries to his chest and rib, he added. Local law enforcement have since arrested Andrew Kris Bzdak, 45, and charged him with attempted first-degree murder, according to charging documents obtained by NPR. The documents did not state a motive. The Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office and the local prosecutor did not immediately respond to requests for additional information.
The attack in Wyoming comes amid a significant national rise in hateful rhetoric targeting South Asians, according to Stop AAPI Hate, a group that tracks hate acts against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. A recent example came last week when the Department of Homeland Security posted an image on social media depicting an Indian man with the words "Get off our roads, you don't know how to drive Mr. Singh." In a statement, the DHS told NPR that the image depicted Harjinder Singh, an Indian immigrant and truck driver who was accused of making an illegal U-turn and causing a fatal crash in Florida last year. "Harjinder Singh is an illegal alien from India who should never have been in our country," DHS said in its statement. The post was removed from social media the next day, following swift backlash from political leaders and advocacy groups that criticized the image as racist and dehumanizing to an entire community of people with the last name Singh, which is common among people practicing the Sikh religion.
Quebec prayer restrictions reshape rules at transit agency, universities
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Quebec’s new restrictions on prayer are changing the rules at public workplaces and university campuses, with employees and students facing new limits on where they can pray. New rules under Quebec’s secularism law took effect Sept. 1, including a ban on prayer rooms in public institutions such as universities, colleges and transit agencies. The law, adopted by the Quebec legislature in April, also prohibits collective religious practices on public roads and in public parks unless a municipality grants an exception on a case-bycase basis. The measures have drawn opposition from religious and civil-liberties groups, which have raised concerns about freedom of religion and assembly. The National Council of Canadian Muslims has said the law undermines religious freedom and sows division in Quebec, while Catholic leaders have warned it could affect religious traditions such as Good Friday processions. At Montreal’s public transit agency, the STM, employees can no longer pray anywhere on the agency’s property — including in four wellness rooms where prayer had previously been permitted alongside meditation, relaxation and yoga. The rooms remain open, but only for
permitted activities such as meditation, relaxation and yoga. The new rules have been posted at their entrances and inside. But the STM says it can only monitor what is visible, such as religious rituals, prayers involving gestures or prayers spoken aloud.
Amélie Régis, a spokesperson for the transit agency, said managers who witness a religious practice in the workplace are being asked to approach employees “in a humane way” to remind them of the rules and determine how the STM can help them adjust to the change. “It is still important for us to act with care toward our employees who are facing this change and to support them,” Régis said. Employees can leave STM property during unpaid personal time, such as breaks or lunch periods, if they want to pray, as long as doing so does not interfere with their work, she said.
Ex-B.C. Conservative MLAs and party president say a private investigator was hired to look into them
Continued from Page 8... CBC News has not been able to independently verify why the private investigator was hired or that Allan was the only one with knowledge of the private investigator. The existence of the private investigator was revealed earlier this week when the person contacted the party looking for payment for their work. Estey said Allan is a close political ally of Findlay’s, and was tapped to take over as executive director in early August after Angelo Isidorou stepped down. Allan was suspended from the role at the end of August. "Pleading ignorance and not having any idea what's going on with the people in your closest circle who you've appointed to leadership positions, that's not an excuse," Estey said. Isidorou said on social media Thursday that he has been told "the
investigation was initiated by the former executive director who succeeded me, without authorization of the board of directors of the party, and that the party has only now learned of this illicit action." "I spent years building this party. I am deeply disappointed by these inappropriate actions. The privacy and safety of my family is the most important thing in the world to me," he said. The hiring of the private investigator was raised at a tense caucus meeting in Vancouver Wednesday night. Two MLAs called on Findlay to resign. On Wednesday, Rattée published an open letter, saying the caucus is "deeply divided" under Findlay who has skipped caucus meetings and did not try and mend fences with existing MLAs after nine MLAs left the party. "I’m not going anywhere," Findlay said. She said the party must be focused on the prosect that Premier David Eby will call a snap fall election.
FIJI
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026
Nadi resort death now a murder case The death of an Australian national, who died from knife wounds sustained at his home at a Nadi resort in 2024, is being treated as an alleged murder. Assistant Commissioner of Police Crime Loraini Seru confirmed Jason Rigby, who was a manager at Crowne Plaza Hotel, was allegedly murdered following a reassessment of the case files. “The investigation file is with the ODPP (Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions) and the
matter was classified as murder following a review of the investigation findings,” said ACP Seru. Mr Rigby was reportedly found by his partner at his staff accommodation located near the resort in December 2024. A chef’s knife covered with Mr Rigby’s blood was also found in the property. Despite concerns by Mr Rigby’s close family members about the nature of his death, the case was initially classified as a suicide.
Employment Minister Agni Deo Singh passes away in Brisbane Minister for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations Agni Deo Singh has died in Brisbane. The Office of the Prime Minister confirmed Mr Singh’s passing in a statement this evening, saying he died today. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has expressed his condolences to Mr Singh’s family, loved ones, colleagues and friends. Mr Rabuka paid tribute to the late minister’s contribution to Fiji, particularly his service to workers. “Prime Minister Rabuka acknowledges the late Honourable Singh’s dedicated
service to the workers and people of Fiji and his invaluable contribution to the Government and the nation,” the statement said. Mr Singh served as Minister for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations in the Coalition Government. The Government said further details regarding funeral arrangements and other official matters would be announced in due course. It has also asked members of the public and the media to respect the privacy of Mr Singh’s family during their period of mourning.
Van driver dies in Rakiraki crash A van driver died following a collision involving a bus and a van in Rakiraki this afternoon. The accident occurred at around 4pm at the Naqoro flats, just outside Rakiraki Town. The van driver is believed to have died at the scene. National Fire Authority officers attended the accident and had to extricate the deceased from the badly damaged vehicle. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident and the cause of the collision.
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www.TheAsianStar.com One in 60 people now have the virus as drug crisis fuels outbreak in Fiji Continued from Page 1... Declaring the emergency on Tuesday, Health Minister Dr. Atonio Lalabalavu said the country had 2,016 new diagnoses of HIV in 2025, calling it a sign of the “seriousness of the epidemic and the urgent, coordinated response our country now needs.” The epidemic has reached the country’s newborns, with a two-month-old baby becoming the youngest identified patient living with both HIV and tuberculosis (TB), Save the Children Fiji said this week. HIV attacks the immune system and makes it easier to contract TB. Last year, 59 babies acquired HIV from their mother, the organization said. Five years ago, one in 167 Fijians were estimated to be living with HIV. But in recent years, Fiji has seen a surge in intravenous drug use as the islands have emerged as a crucial transit point for narcotics being trafficked from the Americas to lucrative markets in Australia,
New Zealand, and parts of Asia. This, along with persistent sexual transmission spurred by low condom use and stigma, has made the outbreak difficult to tackle. Only around 39% of people living with HIV in Fiji know their status, and less than a quarter (22%) are on treatment, Ram said. When left untreated, the virus can progress to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), making the body highly susceptible to fatal illnesses and cancers. Fiji reported 117 HIV-related deaths in 2025, up from 25 in 2021, according to national health statistics.
Joyous reunion turns tragic A family’s joyous reunion turned into heartbreak when Suilesh Kumari, 73, and Hail Ram, 85, lost their son and breadwinner, Amit Kumar, a day after returning from New Zealand. Amit was killed in a road accident in Rakiraki on Monday afternoon. The 43-year-old was driving along Naqoro, Rakiraki when a bus driven by a 51-year-old man allegedly veered onto his lane, resulting in a headon collision. His brother, Rakesh, said the family was still struggling to come to terms with their loss. Their cousin, Divendra, said he saw him moments before the crash. “I was just on my way to town, and he (Amit) passed my vehicle and we waved at each other and made a gesture that we would meet in town,” he said. “A few minutes later I received a phone call from my friend that Amit was involved in an accident.”
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Divendra said he later called Amit’s sister in Auckland, New Zealand, to relay the news because he did not have the courage to break it to Amit’s parents. Mr Kumar described Amit as a responsible man who worked hard to support his parents while his two siblings lived in Suva and New Zealand. Police investigations continue.
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India tells Pakistan, China 'no boundary exists,' rejects joint commission
India on Wednesday rejected the 'so-called' Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission, saying it has no legal basis and that no boundary exists between Pakistan and China. The Ministry of External Affairs also challenged Pakistan's authority to make agreements involving territory claimed by India and told Islamabad to immediately vacate areas that New Delhi says remain under its illegal occupation.
The sharp response came after Pakistan and China operationalised their Boundary Joint Commission. Islamabad said the mechanism would cover matters including border management and joint surveys. India rejected the premise of the commission itself. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi's position had not changed. The statement puts the territorial dispute at the centre of the new Pakistan-China mechanism. India's position is that Pakistan cannot enter into such arrangements over territory that New Delhi claims as its own. Jaiswal said the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of India and rejected Pakistan's authority to enter into agreements concerning territory held by it. "The entire Union Territories of Jammu and
Kashmir and Ladakh have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India. Pakistan has no locus standi to enter into arrangements concerning Indian territory under its illegal and forcible occupation," Jaiswal stated. Pakistan diputes India's position on Kashmir. China also has territorial disputes with India in the region. New Delhi's latest statement was directed at the legal basis claimed for bilateral Pakistan-China boundary arrangements involving territory India claims. The MEA also returned to the 1963 ChinaPakistan Boundary Agreement, which has long been rejected by New Delhi. The agreement dealt with territory in the Kashmir region. India's position is that Pakistan had no authority to conclude such an agreement because New Delhi claims the territory concerned. New Delhi said a new commission or other bilateral arrangement would not change India's territorial claims. "We resolutely oppose and reject any attempts to alter the status of these occupied territories or legitimise illegal occupation, impinging on India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Any so-called boundary cooperation between China and Pakistan concerning Indian territories would be completely unacceptable and would have no bearing whatsoever on India's sovereignty over these territories," Jaiswal stressed. On the Pakistan-China commission, however, the MEA ended its response with a direct demand aimed at Islamabad. The statement leaves India's position clear, i.e., New Delhi rejects the legal basis of the PakistanChina Boundary Joint Commission and says any arrangement involving territory claimed by India will not affect its sovereignty claims.
SOUTH ASIA
India’s power supply to see flood-hit Nepal through the winter The flash flood that tore down the Lhende Khola, the Bhotekoshi and the Trishuli rivers on August 26 has damaged hydropower plants in Nepal, forcing the Himalayan country, which was an exporter of electricity, to become dependent on India to stave off the acute power crisis, according to a new report. India’s Ministry of Power has now approved the export of up to 654 megawatts to the Nepal Electricity Authority from September 13 through December 31, for 18 hours a day, from midnight to six in the evening. This will help Nepal to keep hospitals, cold stores, water pumps and the evening peak from becoming a second disaster, according to an article in India Narrative. With several power plants damaged or isolated, Nepal’s request to India was an operational one, and it was granted earlier than the usual October window for winter imports. India approved the flow while its own September demand was unusually high — peak load near 269 GW, non-solar hours still short — and while El Nino and a patchy monsoon were squeezing its own hydro and wind, states the article. The government’s rapid assessment put energysector physical damage due to the flash floods at Rs 134.69 billion (Nepalese rupee) and the bill for restoring generation and the grid far higher. Hundreds of hydropower workers remain among the missing. The rivers that were supposed to underwrite Nepal’s export earnings became, for a morning, a wall of ice, rock and water, the article laments. Devighat and the original Trishuli station are not just any power plants. They were built with Indian grant assistance — Trishuli under the 1958 agreement, commissioned in the late 1960s: Devighat as its cascade in the mid-1980s, along
with smaller gifts such as Phewa and the Kataiya house on the Koshi canal. When Nepal first stepped onto the Indian Energy Exchange as a seller in November 2021, the first blocks approved for export were 39 MW from those same two stations. The current that once arrived as aid left, decades later, as a traded commodity. This month the current is coming the other way again, over the same family of lines, because the river that fed those machines has been brutal to them. The days after August 26 were not only about megawatts. The first Indian Air Force flight left Hindon the same evening the flood struck, after a call between the two prime ministers, with about ten tonnes of shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, lamps and medicines. Further sorties and consignments followed — tens of tonnes in all — along with tunnel-rescue specialists to work with the Nepali Army at blocked hydropower audits, forensic teams for identification, and equipment for modular and Bailey bridges where the road had simply ceased to exist, the article states. After Jajarkot in 2023 and the September 2024 rains, the pattern was smaller but the same: material on the ground before the condolence statements had cooled. None of these erases the harder chapters of the relationship. It does describe what happens when the ground moves,” the article further states.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026
PUNJAB
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‘No freebies, just freedom from drugs’: Families of victims demand action at BJP press conference “I do not want free atta-dal, free travel or free electricity. We work hard to support our families. We do not want free schemes; we want freedom from ‘chitta’ (heroin).” These were the words of the mother of a young man from Abohar who lost his life to drugs. She was among nearly 50 families from across Punjab brought before the media by Punjab BJP state president Kewal Singh Dhillon and former state president Sunil Jakhar at a press conference held under the banner “Mavan Mangdian Jawab” (Mothers Demand Answers). The families demanded concrete action against drugs instead of free government schemes, as well as justice in cases involving the deaths of their family members. Dhillon said several times more innocent people had fallen victim to drugs in Punjab than had been killed in 1984, and claimed that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government had no
moral right to remain in power. He appealed to the people of Punjab to remove the government immediately and demanded Mann’s resignation. He announced four “Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatras” (Drug-Free Punjab Marches), beginning September 18, citing the BJP’s record of eliminating Naxalism and gang violence in Uttar Pradesh and Kashmir. “On the basis of this record, we promise the people of Punjab that we will eliminate drugs
from Punjab within two years of forming the government,” he said. Pointing towards the empty chairs kept at the press conference to represent those who had died, Jakhar said the pain of the families could not be expressed in words. He said their objective was to ensure that “no other mother loses her son.” Taking a jibe at the government’s “Yudh Nasheyan Virudh” campaign, launched in March 2025, he noted that DGP Gaurav Yadav had claimed 8,344 FIRs and over 13,000 arrests within three months—a figure Yadav now puts at 79,000. “Who will take responsibility for what has happened to these people?” Jakhar asked. He also recalled Yadav’s May 2025 pledge to fix accountability on officers in cases where drugs were recovered and demanded that he disclose how many officers had actually faced consequences. He alleged that prisons had become safe havens
for smugglers and that Mann was inducting gangsters into the party. A woman from Abohar said that after she reported her brother’s drug use to the police, she was told: “You buy the drugs and we will reach the spot and catch them.” She said this left her, as a woman, unsure how she was expected to do so herself. Her mother said of her son’s death: “He was my only son. He was beaten and thrown away. The police officers said they could not pick up the body for four hours because they did not have a vehicle.” Another woman said both her sons had died of addiction and that she now cleans houses to survive. A man from Morinda said his son was battling for his life in hospital. A young man from Gharuan admitted to his own addiction and appealed for help. A family from Nawanshahr said the police told them: “Buy the drugs in front of us, and then we will catch them.”
Govt reopens talks with protesting staff unions The Punjab government has reopened dialogue with protesting employee unions, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann scheduled to meet representatives of various employee organisations on Friday morning, nearly three weeks after talks broke down following the cancellation of an earlier meeting. Highly placed government sources told The Tribune that if both sides reach a compromise on the employees’ demands, which carry significant financial implications for the cash-strapped state, employees could receive some additional fiscal benefits as part of their October salary. The government conveyed the meeting decision to unions on Wednesday, following which the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of employee organisations postponed a press conference scheduled for Thursday to announce its next course of action. The Chief Minister’s Office has asked unions to submit the names of leaders who will attend the meeting. JAC leaders also met on Wednesday evening to finalise the issues to be raised before
Mann. Late at night, a 12 member delegation of employees was finalised to hold talks with the CM Mann- led delegation. The release of long-pending Dearness Allowance (DA) dues is expected to top the agenda. Unions are seeking payment of 18 per cent DA arrears, implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and resolution of several long-standing servicerelated issues. More than 100 employee and pensioner organisations have participated in the agitation. Unions are also likely to seek withdrawal of the July 17, 2020 order, under which employees recruited thereafter were placed on lower Central pay scales instead of Punjab pay scales. They are expected to demand restoration of a uniform pay structure. Another demand concerns withdrawal of the January 15, 2015 order, under which employees were paid only basic pay during probation, a period later extended to three years. Restoration of the Assured Career Progression (ACP) scheme and other service-related benefits are also expected to figure in the talks.
Cricket craze reaches new high in Ludhiana as night grounds buzz with enthusiasts Cricket is no longer merely a sport in India. It has become an emotion that transcends age, profession and social status. Revered as the country’s most celebrated game, cricket enjoys a following unmatched by any other sport. Star cricketers are idolised like demigods, while every Team India match turns into a national celebration, with fans packing stadiums and millions following the action on television and digital platforms. The cricketfever is equally evident in Ludhiana, where the game’s popularity has witnessed an unprecedented surge over the past few years. The district has seen a remarkable increase in the number of cricket academies, private coaching centres and professionally maintained grounds, reflecting the growing passion for the sport among youngsters and adults alike. With dreams of emulating icons such as Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni and Jasprit Bumrah, hundreds of aspiring cricketers begin rigorous training at an early age.
Coaches believe that the success of Indian cricket on the international stage has inspired an entire generation to take up the game with renewed enthusiasm. Interestingly, cricket is no longer confined to aspiring professional. It has evolved into a popular recreational activity for businessmen, professionals, government employees, students and fitness enthusiasts. Private organisers have developed state-of-the-art cricket facilities equipped with lush outfields, quality pitches, floodlights and modern amenities. Despite paying substantial charges — Rs 350-400 per player per match for booking these venues, cricket lovers willingly spend on the experience, considering it a worthwhile investment in recreation and fitness. Perhaps the most visible symbol of this revolution is the phenomenal rise of night cricket. As the sun sets, floodlights grounds across Ludhiana come alive with activity. Office-goers and students, unable to play during the day, gather in the evenings to participate in friendly matches, corporate leagues and community tournaments. The atmosphere at these venues resembles a carnival. Families accompany players, children cheer from sidelines, fiends gather to support their teams, while food and refreshments add to the festive spirit. What was once a simple evening game has transformed into a vibrant social gathering that strengthens community bonds.
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026
India denies claims leaders fell ill after BRICS summit
India's Ministry of External Affairs has rejected social media claims that several world leaders fell ill after attending the BRICS Summit held in New Delhi on September 12-13, calling the reports "fake" and warning against "malicious" posts.
The MEA's fact-checking unit posted on X: "Fake Alert!!! We caution against such malicious posts on social media platforms!" This included a
social media post by Polymarket, one of the world's largest prediction market platforms. The clarification followed genuine confirmation from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's office that he had withdrawn from public engagements after returning from the summit, having been advised to rest due to ill health. Separately, unverified posts claimed Chinese President Xi Jinping fainted and left the summit early for medical treatment. The claim originated from Wanjun Xie, chair of the China Democracy Party, and was not confirmed by Chinese or Indian officials. Beijing has banned the party. Xi is confirmed to have attended the summit and met bilaterally with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
CCTVs mooted to track prescription drug sale A trip to the neighbourhood chemist for a prescription medicine could soon be recorded on camera. The Centre has proposed making CCTV surveillance mandatory at retail medical stores for the sale of prescription medicines covered under Schedules H, H1 and X of the Drugs Rules, 1945. The proposal targets a a persistent gap in India's drug-control system: medicines that legally require a doctor's prescription but remain available over the counter at some pharmacies. The Union Health Ministry has suggested the change through Draft Gazette Notification GSR 791(E), issued on September 8. Under the draft, the supply of prescription drugs other than through wholesale dealing would have to take place under a CCTV system installed and maintained on the licensed premises. The recordings would have to be preserved for at least three months.
An important distinction in the proposal is that wholesale transactions are excluded. The CCTV requirement is directed at the retail sale of prescription medicines, where the final transaction takes place between a pharmacy and a patient. The CCTV system is intended to create a verifiable record of transactions if regulators investigate compliance with prescription-sale requirements. The move covers medicines ranging from prescription antibiotics and anti-tuberculosis drugs to other medicines placed under the three schedules because of their potential risks and regulatory requirements. Schedule H1 already carries tighter controls, including restrictions on retail sale without a prescription. The proposal is not yet law. The Union Health Ministry has invited objections and suggestions for 30 days before taking the draft forward.
INDIA
How India managed energy crisis amid Middle East tensions The Indian basket crude oil price, which largely remained around $60-70 per barrel through 2025, has climbed sharply in 2026, crossing $110 per barrel in March and April before crossing $130 per barrel in September 16, 2026. As tensions in Middle East continue to push crude oil prices higher, concerns over India's energy security have once again come into focus. The Indian basket crude oil price, which largely remained around $60-70 per barrel through 2025, has climbed sharply in 2026, crossing $110 per barrel in March and April before crossing $130 per barrel in September 16, 2026. For a country that imports lion's share of its crude requirement, such a spike would normally raise fears of an energy crisis. But data on oil imports, fuel demand and natural gas consumption show how India managed rising energy costs amid escalating tensions in Middle East. A key reason India has been able to navigate the latest oil shock lies in the way it has reshaped its crude import basket. As geopolitical tensions disrupted global energy markets, India increased purchases from a wider set of suppliers. Russia remained the country's largest source of crude, with its share rising from 33.7 per cent in AprilJune 2025 to 40.9 per cent a year later. Higher imports from the UAE, Venezuela, Oman and Brazil also added to the supply cushion. At the same time, the share of imports from countries such as Iraq and the US declined sharply. The shift highlights India's ability to rebalance supplies and tap multiple sources at a time when oil markets were facing renewed uncertainty. India's response was not simply about securing crude supplies. The consumption data from PPAC suggest a balancing act at home as well. Petrol and diesel demand continued to grow despite higher crude prices, indicating that mobility and goods movement remained largely unaffected. Meanwhile, consumption of LPG, kerosene and naphtha declined during the period. The pattern suggests that the impact of higher energy costs was not uniform across fuels, allowing overall energy demand to remain manageable despite the oil price shock.
Natural gas data reveal another important aspect of India's response. Rather than allowing the burden of higher energy costs to fall equally across all sectors, consumption patterns indicate that household and city consumers were largely protected. City Gas Distribution, which supplies piped gas to households and compressed natural gas for vehicles, recorded a strong 26 per cent increase in consumption during April-June 2026. Fertiliser consumption also remained largely stable. In contrast, several industrial sectors reported declines in gas usage. Consumption fell by nearly 48 per cent in the petrochemical sector, 31 per cent in industrial applications and 21 per cent in the power sector. The data suggest that industries absorbed a larger share of the adjustment while supplies to homes and essential segments continued to remain available. Taken together, the numbers point to a broader story. India's response to the latest oil
shock has not been driven by lower energy demand. Instead, it has been built around securing crude supplies from a wider range of countries while ensuring that household energy needs and transport fuel consumption remain largely unaffected. With crude oil prices once again above $130 per barrel amid escalating tensions in Middle East, the challenge is far from over. Yet the data show that diversified imports, stable fuel demand and targeted energy management have so far helped India avoid the kind of widespread energy stress that often accompanies major global oil disruptions.
PM Modi opens Semicon 2026, says India's semiconductor ecosystem is on the rise rime Minister Narendra Modi opened Semicon India 2026 in New Delhi on Thursday, bringing together semiconductor companies, policymakers, investors, researchers and start-ups as India seeks to expand its presence across an increasingly important technology supply chain. The fifth edition of the industry gathering is being held at Yashobhoomi and runs through September 19. Organised jointly by the India Semiconductor Mission, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and SEMI, the global industry association for the semiconductor and electronics sector, the event is centred on the theme “Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem”. Addressing the event, PM Modi states, "India's semiconductor ecosystem is expanding rapidly. It is opening new opportunities for innovation, investment and growth. It is opening new opportunities for innovation, investment and growth." To put in number, he said that the nation has achieved 7.8 per cent growth, even in challenging times. During the event, he said, "Due to the AI development, the semiconductor industry is facing new questions. In the last 2 decades, global semiconductor's market growth has been recorded over 20 per cent. And AI demand plays a huge role in this growth." He added that the challenge is not just to know what is happening inside the processors, but
also around it. "India is preparing to solve these challenges," PM Modi said. He also spoke about the AI security and how India is coping up with it. "For this, in last 10 years, India's installed solar capacity has increased from 2GW to above 160GW. The country is also progressing in the nuclear energy sector and is working on the small modular reactor." India is stepping up to take all the chances that will make the country a preferred semiconductor destination, he concludes. For the Semicon 2026, over 600 exhibitors, including about 300 international companies are participants. The conference agenda covers artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing, advanced packaging, chip design, materials and equipment, supply-chain resilience, research and development and workforce development. Discussions come as governments and companies worldwide seek more diversified sources of semiconductor production and technology.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026
INDIA
Omar Abdullah praises Centre over Pahalgam condemnation at Brics Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday heaped praise on the foreign policy of PM Narendra Modi-led Centre and recently held Brics Summit in Delhi. Omar Abdullah said the Brics declaration condemning Pakistan-backed Pahalgam terror attack was a major diplomatic win. J&K CM remarks came after India hosted the 18th Brics Summit in New Delhi, bringing together several world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The National Conference leader particularly highlighted the inclusion of the Pahalgam terror attack in the Brics New Delhi Declaration, pointing out that the statement came in the presence of countries that share close ties with Pakistan. "That is something for the Government of India, and particularly for the foreign ministry, to talk about. The fact that Pahalgam itself was condemned is a big thing. Please see how many allies of Pakistan were in that room. Therefore, for even Pahalgam to be mentioned by name, that in itself is a success of our foreign policy," Omar Abdullah said. J&K CM Omar also welcomed steps aimed at easing tensions along India’s fronts with Pakistan and China. Reacting to the ministry of defence’s report on the operational situation along the Northern Front, he said any move to reduce troop deployments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) or Line of Control (LoC) would be a positive development, particularly for people living in border areas. "Anything that reduces tension along the Line of Control or the Line of Actual Control is a good step, particularly for those people who live close
to it. We know that living near the LoC or LAC is extremely difficult for people. If there is any step that reduces deployments along the Line of Actual Control, that is a good step. Similarly, we hope that, over time, things will also get better along the Line of Control," he added. The comments came days after the Brics Summit concluded in the national capital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the New Delhi Declaration had been unanimously adopted and called the gathering as a huge summit. Days ago, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor backed the Brics Summit as an important diplomatic opportunity for India, appearing to differ with party colleague P Chidambaram, who questioned whether recent Brics meetings have produced tangible benefits. Tharoor highlighted the diplomatic value of India hosting leaders from across the Brics grouping and its partner countries, stressing the importance of such engagements for New Delhi. Chidambaram, however, had questioned the outcomes of recent Brics summits. “I don't think the last two or three Brics summits have resulted in tangible benefits or tangible results.” “In fact, we are part of Brics, we are part of SCO, we are part of G20, and we are part of Quad. What benefits are we getting out of that? I can't see. In the last two or three summits, I didn't see any benefits. Earlier, the Brics Summits resulted in some tangible benefits,” he added. Chidambaram’s remarks triggered a political response from the BJP, which accused the Congress of questioning an event that, it said, reflected India’s growing standing on the global stage.
NZ parliament passes trade deal with India New Delhi, Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon on Wednesday said the country's parliament has passed the "landmark" free trade agreement with India. On April 27, India and New Zealand inked the trade pact, giving duty-free access to 100 per cent of India's exports, including textiles, leather footwear, and gems and jewellery, to the island nation.
"People told me a Free Trade Agreement with India wasn't possible. Well, today that deal passed its final vote in Parliament. It's happening...This landmark deal means more jobs, higher incomes for Kiwis. It means more New Zealand products being sold in India by opening the door to 1.4 billion Indian consumers," Luxon said in a social media post. The pact is expected to be implemented next month. In India, the Union Cabinet approves FTAs that New Delhi signs with other countries or blocs. For the second time in a trade deal, India has received FDI (foreign direct investment) commitment, with New Zealand committing USD 20 billion in over 15 years. A similar commitment of USD 100 billion, over a period of 15 years, was made by four-European nation bloc EFTAin its pact with India. The trade agreement, negotiations for which were concluded in December 2025, provides dutyfree access for 100 per cent of India's exports to
New Zealand, covering all tariff lines or product categories such as textiles, apparel, leather, footwear, gems and jewellery, engineering goods, and processed foods. At present, New Zealand maintained peak tariffs of up to 10 per cent on key Indian exports, including ceramics, carpets, automobiles, and auto components. On the other hand, India has offered tariff liberalisation on 70 per cent of tariff lines of New Zealand covering 95 per cent of bilateral trade value, while keeping 29.97 per cent of product categories outside the purview of the pact. Te products that are outside the pact include dairy (milk, cream, whey, yoghurt, cheese), animal products (other than sheep meat), agri goods (onions, chana, peas, corn, almonds), sugar, artificial honey, animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils, arms and ammunition, gems and jewellery, copper and articles (cathodes, cartridges, rods, bars, coils), aluminium and articles (ingots, billets, wire bars). India will provide duty-free access to a number of goods from New Zealand and that includes wooden logs, coking coal, waste and scraps of metals, wood, sheep meat, and leather-raw hides. Similarly, on goods such as petroleum oil, malt extract, vegetable oils, select electrical and mechanical machinery, and peptones, India will reduce levies in a phased manner over 3, 5, 7, and 10 years. New Zealand products which enjoy tariff reductions include wine, pharmaceutical drugs, polymers, aluminium, iron and steel articles. On certain products such as Manuka honey, apples, kiwi fruit, and albumins, including milk albumin, New Delhi has offered quota-based duty concessions with Minimum Import Price and other safeguards, ensuring quality imports and consumer choice while protecting domestic farmers.
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IIT graduate, bank manager among 6 held for taking Rs 1.12 cr from senior citizen after ‘digital arrest’ An Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) graduate and a bank manager were among six people apprehended by the Mumbai Cyber Police for allegedly duping a senior citizen of Rs 1.12 crore through a "digital arrest" scam, an official said. The accused were identified as Tarik Momin, Rakesh Jain, Chintan Desai, Shakar Tyagi, G Gohel and Ajay Sharma, the official said on Thursday. Gohel is a web developer with a BE degree from IIT Delhi and was previously booked in a 2021 cheating case, while Tyagi works as an operations manager with a private bank, he said. "The victim, a 68-year-old retired businessman from Dahisar, was kept under digital arrest at his house for nearly two weeks between July and August," the official said. The fraudsters initially contacted the victim posing as officials from the Department of Telecommunications, alleging that his Aadhaar details were misused in a money-laundering case registered in Delhi, he said. Subsequently, an impersonator named 'Vijay Khanna' placed him under "digital arrest" through WhatsApp video calls wearing police uniforms and displaying fake documents bearing official logos and references to the Supreme Court, the official said. "Coerced under threat of family arrest and forced to report his location every two hours, the victim liquidated his fixed deposits and transferred Rs 1.12 crore into multiple bank accounts controlled by the gang. The crime
came to light after the victim's daughter discovered the fraud and approached the cyber police," he said. A probe by the North Cyber Police traced the money trail to a gold trading firm's bank account, the official said. "Momin managed mule bank accounts, while firm director Rakesh Jain's registered SIM card was routed through Tyagi and Gohel to handle OTPs. Accused Chintan Desai then travelled with the linked device to Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh, where the stolen funds were withdrawn and siphoned off," he said. Further probe into the syndicate's financial transactions and other operations is being
led by senior inspector Pramod Kamble and inspector Sunil Lokhande under the supervision of DCP Bajrang Bansode, he added.
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