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Saturday, January 13, 2024
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Extreme cold, Arctic outflow warnings cover most of BC British Columbians are being warned that a large Arctic outflow and extreme cold is going to be hitting most of the province on Thursday. Temperatures are expected to plummet into the negatives, spurring officials to warn of waning driving conditions and home warming issues and to announce the opening of cold shelters. In Northeast B.C.,
temperatures are expected to feel like -50 C with the wind chill. In the B.C. South Coast, it is expected to feel like -20 C to -30 C with the wind chill Thursday night. In
Canada issues warning as Florida plan to import drugs raises fears
Health Canada emphasized its The warning comes days after the U.S. commitment to taking swift action to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “safeguard” the country’s prescription agreed to allow Florida to import bulk drug supply after a U.S. ruling that pharmaceuticals, including medication could see certain drugs imported for asthma, diabetes, and HIV, from south of the border from Canada. Canadian wholesalers as a way to avoid the high cost of drugs in that country.
Govt was warned two years ago high immigration could affect housing costs Documents reveal federal public servants were well aware of the pressures high population growth would have on housing and services. Federal public
servants warned the government two years ago that large increases to immigration could affect housing affordability and services, internal documents show.
the Prince George region, it is expected to feel like -35 C to -40 C. In the North Coast region, it will feel like -20 C to -30 C and in the Okanagan region it will be feeling between -25 C and -35 C. In B.C.’s South Coast, the wind has been whipping up, leading to some concerns about flooding as well.
Indian tech company’s CEO arrested after murdering her 4-year-old son The CEO of an Indian AI startup has been arrested for alleged murder of her 4-year-old son after the child’s remains were found inside her luggage, reports say. Suchana Seth, who leads The Mindful AI Lab, was taken into custody in the southern Karnataka state after authorities got in contact with
a taxi driver transporting her and asked him to bring her to the nearest police station, Reuters reports, citing Goa police official Paresh Naik. Naik said Seth checked into a hotel in the Goa state on Saturday, but the boy was missing when she checked out of the property Monday night, according to Reuters. Continued on page 6
Public opinion poll finds majority of residents want to keep RCMP A new poll commissioned by the City of Surrey shows almost half of those surveyed want to stick with the Surrey RCMP, while less than a third want to continue the transition to a municipal police service. However, after respondents were asked questions were shaped by Surrey city
staff — and which some say were skewed in favour of retaining the RCMP — support for the Mounties rose to 64 per cent. Surrey councillor Linda Annis called the poll “politically motivated” and the only way to really know how Surrey residents feel about the future of policing is through a
referendum, something she’s long called for. “I think the questions are manipulated in such a way to take you to the conclusion that the RCMP is what the choice should be,” said Annis, who opposes Mayor Brenda Locke’s attempts to stop the transition to the Surrey Police Service.
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Saturday, January 13, 2024
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Man plunges down 12-storey hole dug in after thinking about gold buried in the kitchen A man who was tunneling for gold underneath his floor in kitchen, chasing a literal dream he had that there was precious ore waiting for him, has died after falling into the hole. João Pimenta da Silva, a 71-yearold Brazilian resident, plunged down the 130-foot shaft he had been excavating for the past year on Jan. 5. Neighbours told local media João was prompted to begin digging after a
“spirit” visited him in a prophetic dream and told him there was a bounty of buried treasure situated under his house. Arnaldo da Silva (no relation) told O GLobo: “João had spent more than a year digging the hole and hired many people to do the excavating work. “He began by paying 70 Brazilian Reais (about CA$19) a day when the hole was still shallow but the deeper he went the more the costs went up.
RCMP working to dispel myths of gang life with video for students A wave of recent shootings in the Lower Mainland has communities and law enforcement on high alert. In a timely fashion, Surrey RCMP unveiled its latest anti-gang video, which has been months in the making, aimed at educating and preventing students, and youths, from participating in the gang lifestyle. The video, which is named Shattering
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UK Government on Wednesday unveiled plans to deploy Royal Navy warships to the Indian Ocean region later this year to operate and train with Indian forces, signalling what it described as the growing importance of the strategic relationship between the two countries. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the Littoral Response Group (LRG) will be deployed this year and the Carrier Strike Group (CRG) in 2025 for joint India-UK training. The deployment of the
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UK’s “most advanced naval capabilities” has been flagged by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) as a “decisive step” in bolstering UK-India security ties. “There is absolutely no question that the world is becoming increasingly contested, so it’s vital that we continue to build on our strategic relationships with key partners like India,” said Shapps, underlining Britain’s commitment to maintaining a free and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
10 Acre, 140+ Cow Capacity Dairy Operation Selling February 8, 2024, 8 AM to 10 AM PST. With over 26,000 sq ft of modern, metal clad buildings that are ready for the new buyer’s needs, ‘Greendale Prime’ has two main milking parlors and 140+ cow capacity. The Parcel also boasts a hip roof barn, covered manure storage, and numerous other outbuildings. The flush-flume barns include sand lanes, alley scrapers, a maternity pen, and a Double 6 Herringbone milking parlor, to mention a few of the property highlights. This Parcel is well elevated and offers excellent access. There are currently 7 acres in crop production and the mature yard site has an historic 4-bedroom farmhouse that offers authentic, old-world charm; make the existing iconic home your own or build your dream estate on the edge of the city. Selling February 8, 2024 on CLHbid.com, a leading edge online tender platform to market and sell farm and ranch land in Western Canada.
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Saturday, January 13, 2024 What’s behind the dramatic shift in Canadian public opinion about immigration levels? Canada’s housing shortage was fuelled for decades by myriad factors, including municipal zoning laws, developers’ special interests and public policy on housing. In June 2023, Canada’s population reached 40 million. For the first time in history, the
population grew by more than a million (2.7 per cent) in a single year. Temporary and permanent migration accounted for 96 per cent of this population growth. Over the past few decades, Canadians have been more positive than negative in their attitudestowardimmigrantsandimmigration.
Eritrean man’s TikTok video walking in Canadian snow goes viral A TikToker from Eritrea gone viral after he shared his hilarious experience walking home in a Canadian snowstorm. User @vroom514, who is based in Ontario, documented himself trudging through a snowstorm in a video that has amassed over one million views on TikTok since it was
posted on Tuesday. “Please guys, someone come take me back home,” he jokingly pleads in the video as snow flies in his face. He shows the street ahead of him completely blanketed in snow. “I can’t even see the street. I can’t even see where’s my house,” he says.
RCMP investigate vehicle theft at gunpoint Mounties in Surrey say they are investigating reports of the theft of a vehicle at gunpoint Sunday afternoon which resulted in one officer being taken to hospital. Just before 3:30 p.m., police say they responded to the report of the incident on 192 Street near 75 Avenue. Mounties say police agencies in surrounding areas were notified and a member of
the Langley RCMP found the vehicle, which was still driving. Shortly after, police say, the stolen car collided with the police cruiser. “The occupants of the stolen vehicle all fled on foot but with the assistance of police officers as well as a police dog handler, we were able to locate all and take them into custody,” police said.
Heavy snow, winds & rain sweep south coast of BC Nearly 20,000 without power in B.C. as wintry winds lash south coast BC Hydro website shows dozens of the Gulf Islands until this afternoon, bringing outages, with most in the Lower Mainland, gusts up to 90 or 100 kilometres an hour. on the Sunshine Coast and on Vancouver Meanwhile, snowfall warnings cover Island, including parts of Victoria. Whistler and swaths of the Interior, extending A warning from Environment Canada south from Dawson Creek to Prince says very strong winds are expected to persist George, Revelstoke, Nelson and Fernie. over western Vancouver Island, Victoria and
BC hospital admissions break record Hospitals in British Columbia are treating a record number of patients as the province’s respiratory illness season nears its peak, with the health minister saying the situation is challenging but being managed. Health Minister Adrian Dix told a briefing Wednesday that 10,435 people were in hospital as of Tuesday night, the most the province has “ever seen”, and many have respiratory illnesses. He said it was a “time
able to contain the fire to the top floor. “There is smoke damage, but we contained it to the area of origin,” he explained. Crews confirm one person was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, while a firefighter sustained a lower-body injury and was also transported for treatment. Crews shut a portion of East Cordova Street as they wrapped up.
of challenge” for the heath care system, but it could “absolutely” handle the surge. Dix said that while influenza cases have been filling up wards, hospitals are also “setting records for surgeries.” Hospitals across the province are implementing capacity and treatment initiatives to handle the numbers, Dix said. “All health authorities are and continue to be prepared for increases in pediatric respiratory illness,” he said.
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2 people taken to hospital after fire in Downton Vancouver fire crews say two people were taken to the hospital after a blaze in the Downtown Eastside Wednesday. Capt. Matthew Trudeau tells CityNews firefighters were called to a residential building in the area of Cordova Street between Columbia and Carrall streets and “encountered heavy smoke.” He says firefighters quickly made their way up the four-storey building and were
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Canada’s combined federal-provincial debt will approach $2.2 trillion in 2023 / 24 Combined federal and provincial debt in Canada has nearly doubled from $1.18 trillion in 2007/08 (the year before the last recession) to a projected $2.18 trillion this year, finds a new study released by
the Fraser Institute, an independent, nonpartisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “Government debt—federally and in most provinces—has grown substantially over the past 16 years, creating serious fiscal challenges for Ottawa and provincial governments in the
years ahead,” said Jake Fuss, director of fiscal studies at the Fraser Institute and co-author of The Growing Debt Burden for Canadians: 2024 Edition. The study specifically measures net debt, which is a measure of the total debt of the federal and provincial governments minus financial assets held by the governments. It is a common measure of indebtedness. The study finds that not only has Canada’s projected combined government debt (the federal debt and the provincial debt of all 10 provinces) nearly doubled since 2007/08, the year before the 2008 financial crisis, but the combined debt now equals 76.2 per cent of the Canadian economy. Newfoundland and Labrador has the highest debt-to-GDP ratio among the provinces at 41.6 per cent in 2023/24, while Alberta recorded the most substantial increase in its debtto-GDP ratio between 2007/08 (-13.4 per cent) and 2023/24 (9.0 per cent)—a hike of 22.4 percentage points. Consider that Alberta’s provincial debt-to-GDP in 2023/24 remains the lowest in the country, while Quebec, which was the longstanding most indebted province, now has a debt-to-GDP ratio of 39.2 per cent. Crucially, on a per person basis, the combined debt (including provincial debt plus a portion of the federal debt) this year ranges from a low of $42,293 in Alberta to a high of $67,471 in Newfoundland & Labrador. Ontarians have the second-highest combined debt per person ($60,609) in 2023/24. “It’s important for Canadians to understand the magnitude of the country’s combined government debt because deficits and debt today result in higher taxes in the future,” said Fuss
www.theasianstar.com # 202 - 8388, 128 St., Surrey, BC V3W 4G2 Ph: 604-591-5423 Fax: 604-591-8615 E-mail: editor@theasianstar.com Editor: Umendra Singh Associate Editor: Chhavi Disawar 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: Iftikhar Ahmed
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Saturday, January 13, 2024
From page 1
Indian tech company’s CEO arrested after murdering her 4-year-old son
Naik told the news agency that hotel cleaning staff found blood stains inside Seth’s room and notified police. 39-year-old chief executive officer of an IT company is accused of murdering her 4-yearold son and stuffing his body into her luggage before setting off a series of red flags that led
Arshdeep Bains is ready to help Canucks’ bottom six sooner than later
to her arrest, Indian police said on Tuesday. Suchana Seth, whose LinkedIn page indicates she studied at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, was arrested Monday night for the grisly crime, which allegedly occurred in southwest India.
The Vancouver Canucks could just have a diamond in the rough in their farm system. Arshdeep Bains has taken yet another jump in his progression and looks ready to contribute at the NHL level perhaps as soon as this season. The Surrey native was signed by the Canucks
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Saturday, January 13, 2024 Press release TransLink is preparing all transit services for winter weather, with freezing temperatures in the forecast for Metro Vancouver this week. Preparations and actions to keep buses operating include: · Coordinating with municipalities on snow-clearing if priority routes are impacted. · Spreading anti-icing solution on overhead trolley wires with anti-icing trucks. · Using brass cutters on some trolley buses to cut through ice on trolley wires. ·Equipping buses with tire socks
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TransLink preparing for winter weather on portions of steeper routes with heavy snowfall and utilizing snow shuttles. ·Replacing articulated buses with conventional 40-foot buses on some routes, as they are more agile in steep, slippery areas. ·Salting and sanding bus exchanges. Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC) is also trialling new winter-rated tires featuring a different tread pattern on one third of the fleet, which is approximately 500 buses. · As with CMBC’s existing tires, these tires carry the Three-Peak Mountain
Snowflake rating — the highest winter rating available for bus tires. Preparations and actions to keep SkyTrain operating include: ·Using de-icing trains to keep the power rail free from ice buildup. ·Running trains overnight to prevent snow buildup in the guideway. ·Connecting Millennium Line trains in four-car configurations to increase capacity. ·Deploying SkyTrain Attendants at the front of trains to limit emergency braking triggered by heavy snowfall.
· Preventing ice buildup on SkyTrain doors with platform teams. · Salting and sanding walkways at SkyTrain and West Coast Express stations. Customers are encouraged to build extra travel time in their commute, dress for the weather, and use proper footwear to avoid slips and falls. Customers can plan their commute using Trip Planner and stay up to date by signing up for Transit Alerts, following TransLink on X (Twitter) @TransLink, or calling Customer Service at 604.953.3333.
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Saturday, January 13, 2024
LOCAL / NATIONAL
Saturday, January 13, 2024
Three charged, weapons seized after stolen vehicle crash with RCMP in Surrey Three men are facing a slew of charges after crashing into an RCMP vehicle in Surrey, B.C., in a stolen car that had guns in it. Mounties received a report of a vehicle theft at gunpoint on Sunday near 82nd Avenue and 150th Street
around 3:20 p.m., and quickly found the suspect vehicle — a Dodge Charger. When one officer tried to pull the vehicle over, police said it fled and then crashed with the RCMP cruiser before coming to a stop on 192 Street near 76th Avenue.
Syrian refugee injured by Vancouver police dog, launches lawsuit - BC A Vancouver man has filed a civil lawsuit after he was allegedly mauled by a Vancouver police service dog. Thirty-three-year-old Sam Saltah alleges he was attacked outside his East Vancouver home in August 2023 as he was having a cigarette.
“Something grabbed me off the chair onto the ground and started shaking its head left and right and biting my leg,” Saltah said. Saltah said he then heard two people approaching. I saw them, and they start telling me, one of them starts telling me to stop attacking the dog,” he said.
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Saturday, January 13, 2024
Natural resource minister’s wife traded in oil, gas stocks: Report
Driver caught doing 169 km/h in a 50 km zone: RCMP
The wife of the federal energy and natural resources minister traded in oil and gas stocks last year while her husband pledged to lead the “fight against climate change.” Tara Wilkinson traded stock in Enbridge Inc. and Shell PLC, according to ethics filings under the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House Of Commons, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson has repeatedly cited worries
about the future for Canadian children, including his own family, in justifying federal climate programs. “Today was an important day,” the minister told the House of Commons on Dec. 7, when the federal government announced a cap on oil and gas emissions. “Canada became the first oil and gas producer in the world to put a cap on oil and gas emissions. We are on a trajectory to reducing to net zero by 2050. It is important in our fight against climate change.”
Surrey is getting a $95 million share of the federal Housing Accelerator Fund to fasttrack the construction of 2,800 housing units over the next three years, with a promise of thousands more over the coming decade. Federal and civic politicians announced the initiative Wednesday (Jan. 10) on land slated for a mixed-use development at
10420 City Parkway, a stone’s throw from Surrey City Hall. The corner site is where Bosa Properties plans to build Parkway homes, both strata and rental. Launched last March and managed by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the
A 27-year-old driver on a restricted licence has been temporarily taken off the road and hit with fines and demerit points after being clocked doing more than three times the speed limit on a Richmond road. On Dec. 29 shortly after 7:30 p.m., a Richmond RCMP traffic cop registered a sports car on radar doing 169 kilometres an hour in a 50 km/h zone on Westminster Highway near No. 9 Road. Richmond RCMP Cpl. Dennis Hwang said the vehicle
was immediately impounded for seven days. The driver was hit with a $483 fine for excessive speed, another $109 for driving contrary to restrictions for failing to display the ‘N’ sign, plus six demerit points. The Superintendent of Motor Vehicles can extend the impoundment at its discretion. As for the ‘N’ licence, the superintendent can review and revoke it if any time a driver receives two or more demerit points.
Surrey to fast-track 2,800 homes with $95M $4-billion Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) aims to “eliminate barriers to building the housing we need, faster,” focused on affordable housing with higher density, near transit and for students.
The feds promise to work with lower levels of government to “get more homes built for Canadians at prices they can afford,” according to Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
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Saturday, January 13, 2024 Vibhooti Vaishnav
Vishwa Hindi Diwas celebrations by Consulate General of India
by one language. The evening Preserving the started with language in this lighting of the day and age is lamp by leading crucial as English organization is dominating presidents. in the field of Highlights of education and the evening technology and Vishwa Hindi Diwas celebrations were various many more. at Fraserview hall p er for mances Creating a sense of by children. kala evam sahitya parishad was started to mark the pride in speaking Vishwa Hindi Diwas celebrations by Consulate Mohini attam were very well received. anniversary of this historic day. own CGI Mr. Manish talked about some witty proverbs your General of India at Fraserview hall dance performance and sayings that make sense only in Hindi. The purpose of this day is to Dr. Ajay Garg gave a very language is of prime was novel and interestingdiscourseonhowscienceandspirituality create awareness about Hindi importance. It is outstanding. Two books were launched, are connected and its roots in Indian scriptures. language and promote it as a global language through language that culture and sanskaars one by Dr Dwivediji of Hindi literary For the first time Hindi was spoken in the around the world since 2006. Indian diaspora (set of value system)is preserved and more society and other by Mrs Shikha Porwal. United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) outside India can be connected to their roots importantly passed on to the next generation. Poetry recitation by members of Bharatiya on 10th January, 1949. Vishwa Hindi Diwas through the rich literature, culture and heritage
Community news South Asian Adults & Seniors In Person Legal Seminar - Wills & Estate Planning, Fraud Impacting Seniors & Importance of Insurance, By Faley Law Corporation on January 14th 2024 (Sunday), from 2.00 pm to 3.30pm at Shanti Niketan hall. In Person Yoga classes for members only, Every Monday & Every Thursday from 10.00 am to 11.15 am. Pure Vegetarian Lunch on Thursdays after the Yoga session. Everybody is welcome to attend the Legal Seminar on January 14th 2024 at 2.00 pm. --------------------------
Special Event For Members :- January 18th 2024 (Thursday) - Honouring Vedic Senior Parivar Members for Exceptional Volunteer Services to all Senior Members during 2023. Honouring 1.Mr. Mohan Lal Moudgill, 2. Mr. Ashwani Bansal, 3. Mr. Girja Shankar Sharma, 4. Mrs. Saroj Kohli, Event starting at 11.00 am, after Yoga Session -------------------------Lakshmi Narayan Temple, 8321 140th street Surrey V3W5K9, BC Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945
Truck hauling over height load scrapes Massey Tunnel in Richmond It has been zero days since an overheight vehicle crashed into a highway structure in Metro Vancouver.. The RCMP is investigating a crash in the Massey Tunnel on Wednesday evening involving a truck hauling an overheight load. Mounties said the crash happened shortly after 8:30 p.m., and that more details would be released later Thursday. It’s the latest in a rash of collisions involving overheight vehicles that last month prompted the province
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to unveil harsher penalties against the drivers and companies involved. B.C. Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said Thursday that it’s frustrating to see another incident like this involving a commercial vehicle. “There is no excuse for this. It has never been easier to follow a route to guide the load to travel safely through our highway system and avoid the potential for impact with infrastructure,” he said in an emailed statement.
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Saturday, January 13, 2024
INDIA Maldives tourism group criticizes anit Modi remarks by their deputy ministers
The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) spoke out strongly against some deputy ministers who made derogatory comments on social media targeting India and PM Modi.
MATI, recognizing India’s historical role as a “first responder” during crises, expressed deep appreciation for India’s unwavering support, particularly in the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
PM Modi reaches out to global firms, lists 10 key areas Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called upon global companies to invest in India as the world sees it as a “pillar of stability” in an increasingly uncertain world. Describing India as a friend “who can be trusted as a partner, a voice that believes in global good”, PM Modi told a large number of global and domestic industry CEOs and foreign dignitaries at the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Summit
in Ahmedabad on Wednesday that in a world surrounded by uncertainties, India’s priorities were clear. Listing 10 key areas, the PM said India was focusing on sustainable industry, infrastructure and manufacturing. Its other priorities were new-age skills, futuristic technology, AI and innovation. India was also keen on green hydrogen, renewable energy and the full ecosystem of the semiconductor sector.
Mumbai’s $30 Billion makeover gives it a global edge This year, Mumbai will begin to close a two decade-long gap in its infrastructure development as a key bridge, road and metro line become operational. The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, India’s longest bridge, will open to traffic on Jan.
12, followed by the coastal road south in February and the north phase of the island city metro line by mid-year. These three projects account for a third of the close to $30 billion in rail and road projects that will become
India travel boycott of Maldives grows amid Modi ‘clown’ row Maldives is facing a boycott from one of its biggest sources of tourism income after three of its officials mocked India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sparking calls from Indian citizens and celebrities to shun the sunkissed getaway for domestic beaches instead.
The controversy erupted after Modi posted images to social platform X of himself snorkeling and walking along a beach in Lakshadweep, a southern Indian island chain in the Laccadive Sea, off the coast of Kerala.
Massive fire broke-out at factory in Delhi Massive fire broke out at factory in Delhi’s industrial area morning. Soon after getting information about the incident, over 25 fire tenders rushed to the spot to bring the flame under control. No casualties or injuries to anyone were reported so far, according to preliminary reports. Fire department officials said a call about
the fire incident was received at around 1.40 AM and it was reported at a factory in Sector-3 near Sai Dharam Kaanta in the Bawana industrial area. After receiving information, a total of 25 fire tenders rushed to the spot and started an operation, they said. In visuals doing rounds on social media, a huge black cloud of smoke was seen at the spot with
Rich Indians lap up $865 Million luxury homes in three days India’s biggest real estate developer sold all the luxury apartments on offer in a $865 million project near Delhi, even before starting construction. DLF Ltd. sold 1,113 luxury residences in Gurugram in just three days, with a quarter bought by non-resident Indians. All fourbedroom and penthouse units were sold out across seven towers in the DLF Privana South
project, the developer said in an exchange filing. The apartment complex is spread over 116 acres in the satellite city that’s home to multinationals including Google and American Express. DLF shares have more than doubled in the past year, to the highest level since 2008, outpacing an 18% rise in the benchmark BSE Sensex index.
NIA raids 32 locations against Lawrence Bishnoi gang National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday seized several illegal arms and ammunition, along with incriminating
documents, digital devices and cash, in a massive multi-state crackdown in three cases relating to conspiracies and
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Saturday, January 13, 2024
Madhya Pradesh CM starts his election campaign CM Mohan Yadav’s first decisions include a ban on loudspeakers violating decibel norms, banning unlicensed buying and selling of meat, establishing a ‘PM Excellence College’ in each district, uploading certificates on DigiLocker, and increasing tendu patta payout. The noise-cancellation order enforces prescribed limits for sound amplifiers at religious institutions and public venues. Flying squads will inspect for violations, with action taken within three days. PM Excellence Colleges will have modern facilities and follow the New Education Policy. Government colleges will be upgraded and degrees/marksheets
will be uploaded on DigiLocker. The first decisions taken by chief minister Mohan Yadav give an insight into the priorities of the new government, spanning from law and order to education, e-governance and tribal welfare. “These decisions have been taken with foresight and will benefit the state and all citizens,” CM Yadav said at a press conference after the first cabinet meeting in the evening. All 16 government and 53 private universities under the high higher education department will mandatorily upload degrees
Court allows AAP leader to collect Rajya Sabha member certificate Special judge MK Nagpal allowed his application issuing directions to the jail superintendent to take him to the office of the returning officer on January 12. Singh had approached the court seeking directions for the jail authorities to take him to the returning officer to receive his membership certificate as January 12 is the date fixed as the last date for withdrawal of nominations. Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here It was submitted by Singh’s counsels that since there are only three seats and three people have filed nominations and there is nobody contesting against him, he will become a member of the Rajya Sabha.
Special judge MK Nagpal allowed his application issuing directions to the jail superintendent to take him to the office of the returning officer on January 12 by 2pm under adequate security Singh, who is currently under judicial custody, had filed a nomination form for one of the three seats in Rajya Sabha along with Swati Maliwal and ND Gupta. Earlier on January 4, the court had granted him permission to sign his nomination forms along with other related documents and on January 6, the court granted him permission to visit the returning officer on January 8 and January 10.
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FIJI Change in lease policy to be effective from January 1
The iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB) has modifiedtheequaldistributionoflandleaseincome. Permanent secretary for iTaukei Affairs Pita Tagicakirewa said the decision was made by Cabinet at its meeting in December last year. In response to queries, Mr Tagicakirewa said the
Great Council of Chiefs and provincial councils were consulted before changes were made. “The Cabinet decision has not removed the equal distribution, it has only modified it,” he said. Under the old lease distribution before equal lease distribution was introduced, Mr Tagicakirewa
Local govt election process remains unaffected despite announcement of new Special Administrators – Nalumisa Minister for Local Government, Maciu Nalumisa says despite the recent announcement of Special Administrators, the local government election process
remains unaffected, ensuring continuity in the planned electoral schedule. Nalumisa says the appointment of new Special Administrators marks a
PAKISTAN Supreme Court upholds Musharraf’s death sentence “The impugned passed on January 13, 2020, by the Lahore High Court (LHC) […] is not sustainable and accordingly set aside,” Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa said while announcing the short verdict.
The order comes as a four-judge SC bench — headed by the CJP and comprising Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah — took up a set of appeals.
Unidentified gunmen kill cleric Masood Usmani in Islamabad The funeral of Masoodur Rehman Usmani was held a day after unidentified gunmen shot and killed him and wounded his driver in the neighbourhood of Ghauri town, according to a statement issued by the Islamabad police. No one claimed responsibility for the attack,
which is a rare occurrence near Islamabad. Police said they were using closedcircuit TV footage to track down the attackers, and vowed that they would be arrested and brought to justice.
Ministry considering cash for elderly & disabled Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection is considering giving cash instead of topping up the e-transport cards of those under the busfare scheme as the Minister, Lynda Tabuya says a
good number of pensioners and people with disabilities cannot access buses. Tabuya says the Poverty Monitoring Unit following a review of the bus fare program has recommended that they
in Pool A alongside South Africa, Canada and Spain while Pool B will see Australia battling Ireland, Great Britain and USA. In the women’s division, the Fijiana are in Pool B alongside Brazil, Spain and France.
Interest rate hike won’t crush Canadians as they can cope up with loan-renewals - bank says With about 14% of Canadian mortgage holders set to renew their loans this year, the CEOs of the country’s big banks say they’re confident the resulting interest-rate hikes won’t crush customers or lead to a wave of defaults. Several bank chief executive officers suggested Tuesday that customers can expect to pay somewhere in the range of C$5,000 ($3,700) more per year on average,
Supporters of Imran Khan’s Tehreeke-Insaf party gathered at Islamabad streets to celebrate the court orders
reinstating the election symbol of PTI party for ready for federal elections to be held on February , 8 , 2024. .
Former PM Sharif gets relief from one more curruption case
Tough pool games for Fiji in Perth 7s The Fiji Airways Fiji 7s side has been drawn in a pool of death in the Perth 7s. Fiji has been grouped with New Zealand, France and Samoa in Pool C. HSBC World Sevens Series points leaders Argentina are
Court orders former PM Khan’s election symbol to be reinstated
After securing relief from court in different corruption cases since his return from self-exile, former PM Sharif got another as national anti-graft body closed a corruption investigation against him
and his daughter. The investigation was launched way back in 2000 over allegations of receiving millions of rupees in funds in the Sharif Trust through illegal means.
Real Estate Fraser Valley home sales drop 10-year low
but said Canadians are sitting on savings, earning higher wages and ready to slash their discretionary spending to avoid giving up their homes. The executives, speaking at a conference in Toronto hosted by RBC Capital Markets, continued to strike a cautious tone on the Canadian economy and its prospects for a soft landing. But they also projected a decline in interest
Fraser Valley region ended the year with 14,713 sales recorded on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), a decline of four per cent over 2022 and 23 per cent below the 10year average. New listings in the Fraser Valley were also at a 10-year low, at 29,610, eight per cent below the 10-year average. The composite Benchmark home price in the Fraser Valley closed the year at $988,900, down six per cent from its 2023
peak in July, but up on the year by five per cent. “Back-to-back mid-year interest rate hikes slowed the market despite strong sales and new listings in the spring,” said Narinder Bains, Chair of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. “This left the market in overall balance for the latter half of the year, albeit at low levels of activity. We anticipate 2024 will bring increased
Saturday, January 13, 2024
Lure of foreign shores, scores of Punjab villages losing youth Hit by the high speed of migration, it is almost difficult to find young men in the age group of 19 to 35 years, especially among Jat families of Naushera Pannuan, a historically and politically significant village, about 20 km from here, as majority of them have moved to ‘greener pastures’ in foreign lands. With a population of nearly 14,000 residents (8,000 registered voters), this village has nearly 2,000 migrants, majority of whom have moved out in the last 10 years. “All those who could afford moving abroad have already gone. Migration is more among Jats as they have to sell just an acre or two to fund their foreign dream,” said Gurwinder Singh, a 32-year-old successful entrepreneur from the village, adding that the families from other communities who could afford have also sent their children abroad.
Investigation agency raids houses of murder accused gangsters Fauji & Ankit The agency raided the house of gangster Priyavart Fouji at Garhi Sisana village and that of gangster Ankit Sersa at Sersa Jati village. Both Fauji and Ankit were allegedly involved in Sidhu Moosewala murder case. The National Investigation Agency conducted raids at two places in Sonepat district on Thursday morning.
CM Mann skips Gadkari’s event - stones for Rs 4K-cr highways laid As Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari laid stones for 29 national highways in Punjab at a cost of Rs 4,000 crore today, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann chose to give the event a miss. Several leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party, including Rajya Sabha MPs Balbir Singh Seechewal and Ashok Mittal, and Sham Chaurasi MLA Dr Ravjot Singh had already reached the venue. Chairs had been laid down on the stage for all leaders, including the CM and Punjab PWD Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO. His public relations team too had arrived from Chandigarh, but just on the brink of time, a message was received that the CM was not coming. All stones that Gadkari laid digitally had the name of CM Mann, besides his own name.
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