amarjeet sohi, canadian minister of infrastructure...

CIRCULATED THROUGH : TORONTO, MARKHAM, SCARBOROUGH, RICHMOND HILL, VAUGHAN, WOODBRIDGE, ETOBICOKE, NORTH YORK, MALTON, REXDALE, BRAMPTON, MISSISSAUGA, OAKVILLE, HAMILTON, MILTON, STONEY CREEK, BURLINGTON

Federal Cabinet Shuffle: Freelandpromoted; Dion, McCallum out

AMARJEET SOHI, CANADIAN MINISTER OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITIES WITH WIFE SARBJEET WERE HONOURED ATGUDWHARA BANGLA SAHIB IN NEW DEHLI. THE MINISTER IS IN INDIA THESE DAYS TO ATTEND THE VIBRANT GUJARAT SUMMIT.

ACTORS ARJUN RAMPAL, JACKIESHROFF TO CAMPAIGN FOR BJP

Arvind Kejriwal AAP's CM forPunjab, Sisodia fuels speculationsBRAMPTON - Watch detailed Punjab cover-age on Channel Y and discussion on the fol-lowing issues:Kejriwal won't be Punjab CM, says AAPCapt Amarinder calls Kejriwal a liar out tograb CM's postAAP conspiracy to foist Kejriwal on Punjabexposed: Sukhbir BadalBhagwant Mann says he is not in race for chiefminister's postOnce elected will end Punjab's drug menace in four weeks: Punjab CongressCapt Amarinder has forgotten that Punjab is already providing power toindustry at lowest tariff: Akali DalWhatever Capt is promising to Punjab, it is exactly opposite of what hedid as CM from 2002-2007: AAPCong poll freebies to cost Rs10,000 crore a yearBhagwant Mann rally: We have huge support in Doaba and Majha alsoBJP to pit celebrity against Sidhu

NEW DELHI, (PTI) Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal has met senior BJPleaders at the par ty headquarters here and is expected to campaign for it inassembly elections in five states. Actor Jackie Shroff is also likely to campaign forthe party. Rampal, a model turned actor, met the party general secretary KailashVijayvargiya and later heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying hewas impressed with the work of his government and wanted to work for the party.Vijayvargiya said Rampal can campaign in assembly elections. Asked if he willjoin the party, the BJP leader said it could be possible. Par ty sources saidShroff may also campaign for them.

PUNJAB ELECTIONS BEING KEENLY FOLLOWED IN CANADA: SOHI

BENGALURU (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressedthe Pravasi Bharatiya Divas In Bengaluru today. The 14thedition of the three-day event began in the country's IT hubyesterday with the spotlight on the role of youth in transformingthe society and India's potential to play the role of a 'VishwaGuru' again. Por tugal Prime Minister Antonio Costa was thechief guest of the meet. The session was also attended bySuriname Vice President Michael Ashwin Adhin, Minister ofYouth Affairs and Spor ts Vijay Goel and Minister of State forExternal Affairs V K Singh.Some highlights of PM Modi's speech:* Pravasi divas a tribute to a great pravasi, Mahatma Gandhi* There are over 30 million overseas Indians living abroad.They are not just respected for their numbers, but for thecontributions they make* NRIs and PIOs have made outstanding contributions to theirchosen fields* Remittance of close to sixty nine billion dollars annually byoverseas Indians makes an invaluable contribution to the Indian

economy.* When people spoke of brain drain, it was believed that thebrighter people went abroad seeking employment oppor tuni-ties… but we are conver ting that brain drain to brain gain* We don't see the colour of passpor ts, but the relationswritten by blood. (Hum Passpor t ka rang nahi dekhte hain,khoon ka rishta dekhte hain)* Will launch skill development programme, Pravasi KaushalVikas Yojna for Indian youth who seek employment overseas* I urge PIO card holders to conver t their PIO cards into OCIcards* Star ting with Mauritius, we are working to put in placeprocedures so that descendants of Girmitiyas could becomeeligible for OCI Cards* We remain committed to addressing similar difficulties ofPIOs in Fiji, Reunion Islands, Suriname, Guyana and otherCaribbean States.* For me FDI has two definitions. One is 'Foreign DirectInvestment' and the other is 'First Develop India'

CONVERT PIO CARDS TO OCI CARDS BY JUNE 30: PM

WANT TO TURN BRAIN-DRAININTO BRAIN-GAIN: MODI

ICCC's Mukund Purohit honored with2017 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman AwardBRAMPTON - Pranab Mukherjee, Indian Presi-dent recently conferred the Pravasi BharatiyaSamman Award 2017 (PBSA), the highest honourbestowed on non-resident Indians, by the Gov-ernment of India on Mukund Bhikhubhai Purohitat a grand ceremony held at Bangalore Interna-tional Exhibition Centre in Bengaluru, Karnataka.Purohit said: "The award is a great honor for meand it is recognition of my work for promotingCanada India bilateral commercial ties and phil-anthropic contribution in the Canada-India corridor." He further said that he willcontinue his work for the promotion of business relations between the two coun-tries. Arun Srivastava, President, Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC), inhis congratulatory message, said, "Our Chamber was awarded the PBSA in 2012.On the heels of the ICCC's uniquely global recognition by the Government of Indiafor its role amongst the Diaspora, we are extremely pleased that our Chamber'snominee and a prominent member, Purohit, has been recognized for hisoutstanding accomplishments as a serial entrepreneur and philanthropist."

DESK REPORT/OTTAWA - PrimeMinister Justin Trudeau has re-shuffled his cabinet. Now ChrystiaFreeland has been appointedCanada's new minister of ForeignAffairs in a Liberal cabinet reshuffleand replace Stéphane Dion. Immi-gration Minister John McCallum is also leaving politics and will be the country’sambassador to China. Other changes include François-Philippe Champagne willbecome minister of International Trade; Patty Hajdu to move from Status of Womento Labour; Maryam Monsef moved from Democratic Institutions to Status of Women;Karina Gould named minister of Democratic Institutions and Ahmed Hussen isnamed as minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. According to reportsthe reshuffle has taken place ahead of next week’s swearing-in of Donald Trump sthe US President to handle US-Canada ties affectively.

DINESH BHATIA, INDIAN CONSUL GENERAL WITH MP RUBY SAHOTA CELEBRATING PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIWAS AT THECONSULATE PREMISES IN TORONTO. I DETAILS ON PAGE 10

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2017

MidWeek 3MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

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JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ, SIDHARTH MALHOTRA AND KARAN JOHAR ON THE SET OF KOFFEE WITH KARAN SEASON 5.

p a g e 3

SRK TO PROMOTE RAEES ATSALMAN'S BIGG BOSS 10 ON JAN 20

MUMBAI, (IANS) Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who is gearing up for therelease of "Raees", will be seen promoting the action crime thriller film on popularreality show "Bigg Boss 10", which is hosted by Salman Khan. Shah Rukh andSalman recreated the "Karan Arjun" moment when they appeared together onan episode in the ninth season of "Bigg Boss", when Shah Rukh promoted"Dilwale".They will shoot together again for the semi-finale episode of"Bigg Boss 10" on January 20 on the show's set here, read astatement from channel Colors. They will be seen having a lotof fun over interesting tasks and games. Shah Rukh andSalman's onscreen chemistry was loved by all in the recentlyaired 23rd annual Star Screen Awards 2016, which they co-hosted.Set against the backdrop of the prohibition in Gujarat, "Raees"touches upon the way alcohol industry crumbled and several illegalactivities followed. In the film, Shah Rukh essays the title role ofRaees, a bootlegger. Directed by Rahul Dholakia, Raees also starsNawazzuddin Siddiqui and Pakistani actress Mahira Khan. It is slatedto release on January 25, 2017.

Akshay Kumar's video onBangalore molestation goes viralMUMBAI, (PTI) Bollywood starAkshay Kumar has slammedthe molestation incident thattook place on New Year's evein Bangalore, calling it "trulyshameful." The actor posted avideo on Twitter, which he cap-tioned as, "The Bangalore inci-dent makes me feel we areevolving backwards, from hu-mans to animals, rather beastsbecause even animals arebetter! Truly shameful." Akshay said he found it disgusting that somepeople would justify it by blaming women for their choice of clothes. "I amashamed to be a human being today. I was returning from my New Year'svacation with my four-year-old daughter in my arms when I learnt aboutthe molestation incident in Banglore. I don't know how did you all feel aboutit, but my blood started boiling. I am a daughter's father but even if I was notone, I feel if a society cannot respect its women, it doesn't deserve to becalled a humane society. What's most disgusting is that people have theguts to justify such shameful acts by criticising women for their choice ofclothes," Akshay said. The actor is the latest Bollywood celebrity to ex-press his concern over the incident, that has snowballed into a hugecontroversy. The star, who is the father of two children, also said, "Womenshould not consider themselves inferior to men... Just be fearless, be alertand learn self-defence." Several women were allegedly molested de-spite huge police presence at a large gathering in Bangalore duringNew Year's Eve revelry.

Aamir Khan's Dangal becomes biggest grosser everMUMBAI, (PTI) Superstar Aamir Khan's latest release has managed to break all the box officerecords to become the biggest grosser of Indian cinema. "Dangal," based on the life of Haryanviwrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and his daughters Geeta and Babita, beat lifetime collection of "PK,""Bajrangi Bhaijaan" and "Sultan." "I am absolutely overwhelmed with all the love that 'Dangal' has got.It is one of the most passionate responses I have ever received. I want to thank everyone for owning thefilm as their own. It's the biggest compliment a creative person can receive. Thank you from the bottomof my heart. And thank you Nitesh sir," Aamir said in a statement. The movie has collected Rs 345.3crore till Sunday (net India box office). The film collected an astounding Rs 14.33 cr on Sundaywhich is also the biggest 17th Day collection for any film.

PRIYANKA CHOPRA SIZZLED AT THE RED CARPET OF THERECENTLY HELD GOLDEN GLOBES AWARDS.


TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2017s p e c i a l r e p o r t

KHAZANA RESTAURANT IN BRAMPTONHOSTED A STUNNING NEW YEAR'S PARTY

PC LEADER PATRICK BROWN AT AN EVENT ORGANISED BY JASWINDER DHADDA.ALSO SEEN IN THE IMAGE IS FORMER SPORTS MINISTER BAL GOSAL.

NAVDEEP BAINS, MINISTER OF INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT-ING INNOVATION AND SECURING 4,000 JOBS IN THE AUTO SECTOR WITH $41.8 MILLION INVEST-MENT IN HONDA CANADA TO HELP INDUSTRY STAY COMPETITIVE.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY




MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2017 c o m m u n i t y

Justin Trudeau, MP Gary Anandasangar and MP Salma Zahid celebrating Tamil Heritage Month in Scarborough.

Conservative party leader Patrick Brown at Sri Ayyappan Temple in Scarborough to celebrate Tamil Heritage Month.

DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR CANADA SUMMER JOBS FUNDING

MP SONIA SIDHU URGES LOCAL BUSINESSESTO APPLY BEFORE JANUARY 20

BRAMPTON - The deadline is fast approaching for Bramptonbusiness owners and not-for-profit groups to apply for federalfunding to hire a student this summer. Canada Student Jobs, thefederal program which provides up to 100% of hourly wages forsummer students, is accepting applications untilJanuary 20.The goal is to allow for students to begin employment as earlyas May 2017. Brampton South MP Sonia Sidhu is encouragingthose eligible in Brampton to apply soon and help create jobsfor local youth in the community. "Canada Summer Jobs is agreat oppor tunity for small business owners and not-for-profitorganizations in Brampton to hire students over the summermonths," MP Sidhu said. "Small businesses will receive up to

50% of the hourly wages paid to students, and not-for-profitswill receive up to 100% of the cost of hourly wages. Hiringstudents gives them excellent work experience, helps ourbusinesses and grows the local economy."Last year, Brampton South businesses created 167 jobs foryoung people in the riding, and MP Sidhu said she hopes to seeeven more oppor tunities opened for Brampton youth this year.More information about Canada Summer Jobs, including theeligibility criteria and application guide, is available on theService Canada website (Canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/youth-summer-job) or at thenearest Service Canada Office.

MP SONIA SIDHU: APPLY NOW FOR PARENT ANDGRANDPARENT SPONSORSHIP

BRAMPTON - As family reunification is a key commitment forthe Government of Canada, Brampton South MP Sonia Sidhu isreminding community members that the revised onlineapplication process opens today. Through this process,residents will be able to complete an application to bringparents and grandparents to Canada through more streamlinedprocess.Through the new system, 10,000 applicants will be selectedfrom the online system to par ticipate in a complete applicationprocess, making the system fairer and responding to com-ments from par t applicants. "Through this system, everyapplicant has an equal chance at moving their application tothe next step, rather than the rush for submissions we haveseen in years past," MP Sidhu said. "Now, Canadians and

permanent residents will have 30 days to submit their applica-tions to par ticipate in this new intake process."Applications will be accepted between today, January 3 andFebruary 2. Upon selection to apply, par ticipants will have aperiod of 90 days to complete their application. This year'sapplication kit and guide will be available online on January 9.Those who are not selected to apply this year will have theoption indicate their interest to apply again in 2018. In additionto the parent and grandparent sponsorship application, theGovernment of Canada announced a new reduction in process-ing times for spousal reunification applications. "Our Govern-ment is working hard to deliver the results Canadians haveasked for," MP Sidhu said. "We know Canada is stronger whenwe bring families together."

May hails British Sikhs' exceptional contribution in UKLONDON (PTI) British Prime Minister Theresa May hailed the"exceptional" contribution of British Sikhs in the UK's economy,charity and armed forces as the community marked the 350thbir th anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh. Describing the occa-sion of Prakash Parv as a "very special anniversary", theBritish Prime Minister said the occasion highlighted the valuesof equality, respect and fairness, and helping those lessfor tunate. She said in her message: "Time and again I haveseen these values put into practice, from visiting gurdwaras toattending the Sikh war memorial in Derby. Indeed, when wecelebrate Baisakhi soon, we will be reminded once again how

the teachings of Guru Gobind Singh Ji enrich our wider society.This anniversary is also a chance to remember that BritishSikhs have made - and continue to make - an exceptionalcontribution to business, professions, charity and our armedforces. "So may I take this oppor tunity to wish all thosecelebrating a very blessed and happy Gurpurab." The newIndian High Commissioner to the UK, YK Sinha, Deputy highcommissioner Dinesh K Patnaik and other senior officers of theIndian High Commission in the UK also joined Sikh devotees inthe UK on Thursday in prayers at the historic Shepherd's BushGurdwara Sahib, the oldest gurdwara in Europe.

Canada adds 54,000 jobs in De-cember 2016OTTAWA - Employment rose by 54,000 (+0.3%) in December, theresult of gains in full-time work. The unemployment rate increased0.1 percentage points to 6.9%, as more people participated in thelabour market. In the fourth quarter of 2016, employment increasedby 108,000 (+0.6%), the largest increase since the second quar-ter of 2010. This followed a gain of 62,000 (+0.3%) in the thirdquarter. In the 12 months to December, employment gains totalled214,000 or 1.2%, compared with a growth rate of 0.9% observedover the same period one year earlier. A year-end review is pre-sented in a separate section below. In December, employmentincreased among women aged 25 to 54. There was little overallemployment change among the other demographic groups.Quebec and British Columbia recorded increases in employment,while there was little change in the other provinces. More peoplewere employed in professional, scientific and technical services,and in health care and social assistance. At the same time, em-ployment declined in agriculture. The number of employees in-creased in both the public and private sectors in December, whileself-employment was little changed.In December, employment for women aged 25 to 54 rose by 31,000.As more women in this age group searched for work, their unem-ployment rate increased 0.2 percentage points to 5.4%. Employ-ment was little changed for men aged 25 to 54, and their unem-ployment rate was virtually unchanged at 6.2%.Despite little employment change among people aged 55 and older,their unemployment rate increased 0.5 percentage points to 6.2%as more people in this age group searched for work. Employmentamong youths aged 15 to 24 was little changed in December, andtheir unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 12.6%.

Toronto removes over 20venomous snakes from a homeTORONTO - Toronto's Municipal Licensing & Standards (ML&S)executed a search warrant and seized 20 live and 18 dead snakesfrom a home in North York on Tuesday, January 3. The snakesseized are extremely dangerous and venomous, and are prohib-ited in Toronto. The City received information from the CanadaBorder Services Agency that a quantity of venomous snakes hadbeen imported from Asia and were destined for a Toronto address.This information was used to obtain and execute the search war-rant. The warrant was executed under the direction of ML&S, withassistance from the Toronto Police Service, the Toronto Zoo andToronto Public Health.The snakes, which include a variety of vipers, puff adders, hun-dred pacers (a type of viper), cobras and rattlesnakes, are in thecustody of Toronto Animal Services. The person in possession ofthe snakes has been charged with 20 counts of keeping prohibitedanimals, contrary to the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 349,Animals, and is scheduled for a first appearance on January 27 at2700 Eglinton Ave. W. Each of these offences carry a maximumfine of $5,000. The final disposition of the animals will be decidedthrough the judicial process.There are currently no federal or provincial laws or regulationsthat prohibit entry and/or require a permit for the importation ofthese snakes into Canada. In Toronto, all venomous and poisonoussnakes, as well as all snakes that reach an adult length larger than threemetres are prohibited. The City is seeking the public's assistance in iden-tifying locations where prohibited animals are kept. Should anyresident of Toronto suspect that there are prohibited animals intheir community, they are encouraged to report it by calling 311.

MAYOR CROMBIE'S NEW YEAR'SLEVEE ON JAN 15Mississauga - Mayor Bonnie Crombie and Members of Councilare inviting members of community to their New Year's Levee.The Levee is an annual event in Mississauga, and an opportunityfor the community to meet the Mayor and members of council.Enjoy local enter tainment, a free skate on the Mississauga Cel-ebration Square ice rink, an information fair, tasty treats and more.

US-BASED SIKH BODY GIFTSDIAMOND-STUDDED SABREAT PATNA GURDWARAPATNA (IANS) A US-based Sikh body gifted a diamond-studdedsabre with a silver hilt at Takht Sri Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib, thebir thplace of Guru Gobind Singh, during the celebrations of the350th 'Prakash Utsav' or bir th anniversary of the 10th Sikh master,one of the group's leaders said. The 'Khalsa Raj' sword presentedby the Sikh Dharma International (SDI) is plated in 24-carat goldand cost more than Rs 1 crore. Hymns from the Sikh scriptures,both in English and Gurmukhi, have been engraved on both sidesof the sabre. The sabre was crafted especially for the celebrationsheld at the gurdwara near here from January 3 to 5, Bibi InderjitKaur, one of the leaders of the SDI delegation, said. The AmericanSikhs associated with the religious body showcased their skills with'gatka' (Sikh martial art) during the celebrations, she said. A delegation ofmore than 125 American men, women and children associated with theSikh Dharma International visited gurdwaras in Patna and nearby Takht SriHarimandir Ji Patna Sahib to pay obeisance.

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AAP won't be allowed to win in Punjab - at any costBY M.R. NARAYAN SWAMY

Elections 2017: To revive Congress needs togive greater autonomy to regional leaders

BY SIDHARTHA DUTTA In Rajasthan, Congress is in the opposition butSachin Pilot as party chief seems to be doing agood job," Malik noted. Apart from Punjab, theElection Commission announed that electionswould be held In Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipurand Uttarakhand between February 4 and March8. The results will be announed on March 11."As far as 2017 is concerned, it is going to bedifficult for Congress except for Punjab. It willbe difficult without an alliance in Uttar Pradeshin the short term," said Adnan Farooqui, Assis-tant Professor, Department of Political Science,Jamia Millia Islamia. "Punjab is a different ballgame. They have very strong regional leader inAmarinder Singh.

Only a miracle can prevent the Aam Aadmi Par ty (AAP) from finishingon top in the Punjab assembly election, irrespective of how manyseats it ultimately bags. But miracles do happen. For a par ty bornonly some four years ago, the AAP -- India's youngest political outfit -- now exists in every nook and corner of the largely rural state. Thisitself is no mean achievement.Even those not sympathetic to the AAP admit that Punjabwill see aserious three-way contest for the first time -- even if Deputy ChiefMinister Sukhbir Baldal keeps joking that AAP will get no more than10 seats. The Punjab election is crucial for the AAP and its leader andmagnet Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister. A possible loss willmake many say that the sweeping Delhi victory in February 2015 wasa fluke and perhaps an isolated urban phenomenon. But if the AAPtakes over Punjab, it will mean much more.A Punjab win will add to the AAP's stature as a growing par ty, onecapable of expanding its wings against great odds, evident by the wayit has been boxed in by the central government in Delhi. A Punjabvictory would not only boost the AAP's confidence in the other statesit is eyeing but also increase its stake in a larger number of LokSabha seats in 2019.Precisely for this reason, the Modi administration will want the AAPto lose Punjab -- and badly. A Congress win will also be problematicbut will be a lesser evil in the given circumstances. Journalists fromDelhi who visit Punjab are returning with more or less a unanimousview that anAAP defeat is very difficult if not impossible.But many are also coming with an ominous message delivered off therecord by BJP's Punjableaders: AAP won't be allowed to win -- at anycost. On its par t, the Congress keeps parroting that an aggressivelyanti-Modi Kejriwal -- as AAP chief -- is no good news for Punjab. Thepoint doesn't have too many takers, in par t because of Kejriwal'spersonal popularity. So how can the AAP be tripped? Some signs areevident.Already Kejriwal has become a persona non grata in many televisionchannels -- unless he can be shown in bad light. This could not havebeen possible without someone directing it all. When Kejriwal hurlsaccusations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he gets vir tually

no publicity in the electronic media. But the same channels are gen-erous if Rahul Gandhi makes the very same charges.Recent developments in Delhi leading to the abrupt resignation of LtGovernor Najeeb Jung indicate that the Modi government may beplanning to arrest one or two AAP ministers. This could happen aheadof February 4 -- when Punjab votes along with Goa, the only otherstate where the AAP is contesting. Irrespective of what finally hap-pens to the arrested ministers, the corruption charges will be used toundermine the AAP's appeal as an outfit different from the establishedpar ties. The argument will be: if the AAP is no different, why not tryknown devil Congress if the Akalis are indeed bad? By arresting AAP

ministers, the Modi government will also attempt to cripple the move-ments outside Delhi of Kejriwal, who is a key -- although not thepar ty's sole -- vote catcher. Can Kejriwal himself be arrested -- onsome spurious charge?Some months back Sukhbir Badal said he had forwarded to the UnionHome Ministry "evidence" that the AAP had links with Khalistani ter-rorists and that Khalistanis were backing the AAP. When I wrote inJuly 2015 (just five months after Kejriwal took office) that an opinionin Delhi favoured toppling the Kejriwal government, most peoplethought it was preposterous. But if this happens now, not many will besurprised. Keep your fingers crossed till Punjab and Goa vote.

NEW DELHI, (IANS) With assembly elections having been announcedin five states - including politically crucial Uttar Pradesh - and havinglost Assam and Kerala last year, 2017 will be crucial for the Congressas it attempts to regain lost ground. Exper ts feel the only way outwould be for the par ty to give greater autonomy to its regional leadersinstead of centralising all powers in the hands of the High Command.It's quite a different matter that this is easier said than done."They need to give autonomy to strong regional leaders. The Con-gress traditionally was a par ty of very strong regional leaders. Overthe years, the central control of state units and central leadershipchanging state chief ministers at will without taking into account or-ganic strength of the leaders in states has haunted the Congress,"noted political analyst Ashok Malik told IANS."The Congress' best chance is in Punjab, where they have a strongregional leader in Amarinder Singh. They seem to have a good chancethere. Essentially, where they have strong state leaders, Congresstends to do well or stands to have a better chance," he said."For example in Karnataka the last t ime they won because ofSiddaramaiah, in Himachal Pradesh they won under Veerbhadra Singh,in Delhi years ago they won under Sheila Dikshit. In Rajasthan, Con-gress is in the opposition but Sachin Pilot as par ty chief seems to bedoing a good job," Malik noted. Apar t from Punjab, the Election Com-mission announed that elections would be held In Uttar Pradesh, Goa,Manipur and Uttarakhand between February 4 and March 8. The re-sults will be announed on March 11."As far as 2017 is concerned, it is going to be difficult for Congress

except for Punjab. It will be difficult without an alliance in Uttar Pradeshin the shor t term," said Adnan Farooqui, Assistant Professor, Depar t-ment of Political Science, Jamia Millia Islamia. "Punjab is a differentball game. They have very strong regional leader in Amarinder Singh.This could be the gamechanger. But, unless and untill they give moreautonomy to the regional or state leaders, I don't think there is anyway out," said Farooqui.Political analyst and chief editor of CVoter Yashwant Deshmukh saidCongress was losing in all the states because of the par ty's centralleadership. "Barring Karnataka they are not holding any major state.They kept losing the states because the Congress High Commandwas unable to give due credit to the local strong leaders in the par ty.Due to the phenomenon of centralised leadership of the Congress,they have not allowed the real powerful Congress leaders to becomea face in the states," said Deshmukh.He gave the example of YSR Reddy of Andhra Pradesh being a verypopular and strong regional leader. "Enough leverage is needed to begiven to the state leaders. Congress have some wonderful leaders inthe states and they have bigger profile than the central leadership.The High Command must concede that they are not more popular thantheir state leaders," Deshmukh added.Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see whether Congress Vice Presi-dent Rahul Gandhi evolves into a more relevant and decisive leaderin national politics in the coming year. Amid pressure on him to takeover the reins of the par ty, he has been quite active towards the end of2016 calling the shots at most times.He has been quite vocal in launching attacks on Prime MinisterNarendra Modi - star ting from levelling corruption charges againsthim quoting the Sahara and Birla entries to lashing out at him for thedemonetisation policy. He along with West Bengal Chief MinisterMamata Banerjee led the charge in a joint press conference of eightpolitical par ties on demonetisation and corruption charges againstthe Prime Minister. His mother Sonia Gandhi had said she was notthe right person to "decide or reply" on his elevation."Rahul is still young by the standards of politics in India. When BJPlost in 2004, lot of people wrote them off. But you can see where theyare now. You cannot write off anyone in politics," Farooqui said. "How-ever, Congress should revive the tradition of holding an election toelect its president. Internal election has now become a facade. Torevive the organisation, you need to hold elections so that if Rahul iselected the president he can claim cer tain representativeness. Butthey can't hold on to this decision for long," he added.



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416-907-4420Life, Critical illness, Disability & Travel Insurance, RRSP, RESP & TFSA

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Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development at Toronto's InterAxon brainwave sensing technology at CES 2017.

Majority of companies expect higher salesgrowth in 2017: Bank of Canada survey

DESK REPORTONTARIO - More Canadian companies are expecting they willbenefit from a stronger economic growth in the US this year, theBank of Canada repor ted in a quar terly survey. The survey hasfound many companies are concerned about uncer tainty relatedto the possibility of new protectionist measures in the US. Butthe bank says businesses have an optimistic outlook aboutTrump policies such as boosted infrastructure and military

spending, and a government with less difficult regulations onthe energy sector.Overall, companies are expecting faster sales growth in thenext 12 months in sectors such as services industry, housing-related activities and tourism. The survey also found moreinvestment coming during this year especially in Central andEastern Canada, that will also help in hiring more people. This inturn will reduce the unemployment rate.

RECOGNIZING 70 YEARS OF CANADIAN CITIZENSHIPOTTAWA - Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) hosted a special citizenship ceremony today at the Supreme Cour tof Canada with 26 individuals invited to kick off Canada 150 celebrations and commemorate the 70th anniversary of the CanadianCitizenship Act. The event resembled the first Canadian citizenship ceremony held 70 years ago, on January 3, 1947, at the SupremeCour t chamber. On that day, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King received the first Canadian citizenship certificate, num-bered 0001. "Throughout history, Canada's identity has been largely shaped by the significant cultural and economic contributions ofimmigrants. The 70th anniversary of Canadian citizenship is an oppor tunity to reflect on what it means to be Canadian - the rights weenjoy, the responsibilities we share, and the diversity that makes us strong. During Canada 150 and beyond, I encourage allCanadians to celebrate their citizenship." John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipSome highlights:" The Canadian Citizenship Act was introduced by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King and became law on January1, 1947, marking the beginning of Canadian citizenship as a legal status. It also made Canada the first Commonwealth country tocreate its own class of citizenship, separate from Great Britain." In the past 10 years, Canada has welcomed more than 1 500 000 proud new Canadians.

Tolling Set to Begin on Highway 407 and Highway 412ONTARIO - On February 1, 2017, tolling will begin on the province's new Highway 407 and Highway 412. Highway 407, which runseastward from Brock Rd. in Pickering to Harmony Rd. in Oshawa, and Highway 412, which connects Highway 407 and Highway 401,opened this past June. While the tolling infrastructure was being installed and calibrated, customers were able to travel free ofcharge.Revenue generated from the tolls will be used to help fund new infrastructure and transit projects across the province. Toll rates forHighways 407 and 412 are lower than tolls on Highway 407 ETR. The province's rates are, on average, approximately 15 per centlower during off-peak periods, and approximately 30 per cent lower during peak periods, as compared to Highway 407 ETR. Motoristswho drive on the privately operated Highway 407 ETR, and Ontario's Highway 407 and Highway 412 will use one transponder andreceive one invoice making the tolling process straightforward and seamless.Ontario is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, public transit, roads and bridges in the province'shistory. To learn more about what's happening in your community, go to Ontario.ca/BuildON. Investing in infrastructure is par t ofOntario's plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives. "Our government knows how impor tant Highway 407 and Highway 412 are to communities in the Durham, Peterborough andKawar tha Lakes regions. These new, publicly owned highways will provide an efficient alternate route for both commuters andtravellers alike. Revenue generated from tolls will be used towards Ontario's transpor tation infrastructure, which will help ensurethat we can deliver critical projects exactly like these for years to come." - Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transpor tation "Highways 407 and 412 are creating oppor tunities for economic growth and development in the region. The highways are alsoproviding another option for commuters, helping them get to where they need to be faster. The funds generated from these tolls willused to fund new transit and infrastructure projects, in the region and across the province." - Jeff Leal, MPP for Peterborough

One in 3 Canadians SayImproving PersonalFitness, Nutrition TopPriority This YearTORONTO - As Canadians prepare to ring in the New Year,many are aiming to make improvements to their personalhealth and wellness, according to a new Ipsos surveyconducted on behalf of GoodLife Fitness. Presented withseven potential New Year's resolutions, one in threeCanadians (33%) say they would choose improving theirpersonal fitness and nutrition as their top pick, which couldmean investing more time exercising, losing weight orincreasing muscle tone.Personal fitness and nutrition was followed by two in ten(21%) people saying they would star t 2017 by focusing onfinancial goals (paying down debt, spending less, savingmore, etc.). A fur ther 13% of Canadians would choose todedicate more time to travel and leisure, one in ten (11%)would prioritize quitting bad habits like smoking or drinking,and 10% would spend more time with family and friends.Others would want to use 2017 as a time to expand theirhorizons, with 6% opting for learning new things like a newlanguage or musical instrument.Women (38%) are significantly more likely than men (28%)to choose improving personal fitness and nutrition as theirtop resolution. While differences by age are less significant,older Canadians appear somewhat more l ikely thanyounger ones to prioritize personal fitness and nutrition:36% of those aged 55 and over would make it their top NewYear's resolution, compared to 33% of those aged 35-54and 30% of Millennials aged 18-34. Conversely, Millennials(27%) are more likely to want to focus on financial goals astheir top resolution for 2017, compared to 24% of Gen X'ersand just 13% of Baby Boomers.Pursuing a health and wellness resolution can be a dauntingchoice, with some fundamental changes in how weapproach day-to-day life. That said, Canadians drawmotivation from a variety of sources to reach their healthand fitness goals. More than half (53%) of Canadians saythat improving their overall quality of life would be a topmotivator in pursuing a health and wellness resolution.Only 6% of Canadians say that none of these reasons wouldmotivate them to pursue a health and wellness resolutionin 2017.

BRAMPTON ENTREPRENEURCENTRE NOW OPEN LATEBRAMPTON - Beginning January 10, the BramptonEntrepreneur Centre (BEC) - Brampton's key resource forexisting and aspiring business owners - will be open until 8pm every Tuesday. To enhance client services, BEC'sBusiness Advisors will be offering consultations and extraprogramming after traditional work hours to accommodatemore aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners."The Brampton Entrepreneur Centre has been instrumentalin helping many businesses in Brampton star t or expand,"said Counci l lor Jeff Bowman, Chair of EconomicDevelopment. " I t 's now even more convenient forentrepreneurs to check out seminars and programs, or justmeet some of our exper ts." The Brampton EntrepreneurCentre r uns events throughout the year to suppor tbusinesses and connect entrepreneurs. It also offersindividual consultations and advice, and is the access pointfor funding and programs to suppor t star t-up and establishedbusinesses. Go to www.brampton.ca/becfor moreinformation. The Brampton Entrepreneur Centre is locatedin the Atrium at City Hall. Parking at City Hall is free for thefirst hour and free after 6 pm on weekdays.

CENTRAL LIONS CLUB TODISTRIBUTE CHEQUESVALUED AT OVER $70,000MISSISSAUGA - The Mississauga Central Lions Club willdistribute cheques valued at over $70,000 to over 40organizations at its annual Cheque Night on January 17 atthe Auditorium of the Older Adult Centre. The recipientsinclude local charities, specialty children's camps, andcommunity service agencies and many others. The club isproud to continue its support for the building of the new EmergencyDepartment at the Credit Valley Hospital. The Mississauga CentralLions Club raises its funds through the operation of Lions FarmersMarkets the club has run for 43 years in downtown Mississauga;through Bingos and other fundraising activities. Lions Clubs by policyreturn to the public all funds raised from the public. Past President LionJeffrey Friedman of the club said "The impact of the funds wehave raised and donated as a result of our Farmers Marketand other fundraising effor ts has helped many thousandsof people in our community over the years. Our fundinghelps address needs in our community unfulfilled by variouslevels of government."


TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2017c a n a d a

PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIWAS CELEBRATED AT THE INDIAN CONSULATE TORONTO

Distinguished members of Indian Associations, members of MediaFriends and my Indian brothers and sisters.It is a great pleasure for me to welcome all for the Toronto edition of 14thPravasi Bharatiya Diwas which concluded at Bengaluru earlier today.As you all might be aware, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on9th January every year to mark the contribution of Overseas Indian commu-nity in the development of India. January 9 was chosen as the day to cel-ebrate this occasion since it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi,the greatest Pravasi, returned to India from South Africa, led India's freedomstruggle and changed the lives of Indians forever.Friends, we gather here today to recalibrate and reaffirm our roots even aswe take pride in and gain sustenance from our adopted countries - in yourcase Canada. We are here today to celebrate your successes and achieve-ments. You have been the frontline envoys of Indian culture since long and Ihope that you will remain the foremost emissaries of the unfolding Indianstory. As a people exposed to the best of western technology and yet havingtheir civilizational moorings in the ageless and eternal ethos of India, you aredoubly blessed. The synergy of the west and the east that you represent,provides you with a unique position and opportunity that involves sharingknowledge between your home land and your adopted countries. While youshowcase India to your host countries, you also bring along the culturalheritage of your adopted lands to India. Nothing could exemplify our belief of'Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam'more than this.PBD conventions are being held since 2003. These conventions provide aplatform to the overseas Indian community to engage with the governmentand people of the land of their ancestors for mutually beneficial activities.These conventions are also very useful in networking among the overseasIndian community residing in various parts of the world and enable them toshare their experiences in various fields.NRIs and PIOs present in Canada have made outstanding contributions intheir chosen fields. Amongst them, there are politicians of stature, scientistsof repute, outstanding doctors, brilliant educationists, IT professionals, econo-mists, musicians, famous philanthropists, journalists, bankers, engineersand lawyers.While official representation is done by diplomats, people like me, in foreigncountries, each Indian living abroad is an Ambassador in his or her own way,representing India in one form or the other. We also have the advantage ofsupport by the local Community Organizations. I am glad to inform you that,after my arrival in Toronto in March 2016, we took the initiative of connectinga vast number of Indian associations in Ontario. Today we have over 50 such

associations registered with the Consulate. I am happy to inform you that themuch-awaited email group of these community organizations has been inplace for last more than couple of months. One click and we are able to shareinformation with thousands of Indians and Indo-Canadians through this mailgroup. Some of the Indian Community Organizations abroad have been rec-ognized today at PBD and awarded the prestigious Pravasi Bhartiya Samman

Award by the Government of India for complimenting the government's ef-forts by working in tandem. I may recall that Indo Canada Chamber of Com-merce ICCC, Toronto was conferred this prestigious award in 2012.I am happy to inform you all that Mr. Mukund Bhikhubhai Purohit from Torontois also one of the 30 awardees who has been honoured todaywith PBSA. Myheartiest congratulations to him for the award and for his achievements.

ADDRESS OF DINESH BHATIA, INDIAN CONSUL GENERAL IN TORONTO



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CENTRE CONSPIRING TO ARRESTKEJRIWAL, JAIN, ME: SISODIA

WEST BENGAL CHIEF MINISTER MAMATA BANERJEE AT THE 350TH PRAKASH UTSAV OF GURU GOBIND SINGH JI IN KOLKATA.

NEW DELHI, (PTI) Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia todayalleged that the Centre was "hatching a conspiracy" to arrest ChiefMinister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain andhim by "misusing" the probe agencies, a day after Kejriwal's formerprincipal secretary Rajendra Kumar accused the CBI of "putting pres-sure" on him to "implicate" the chief minister.He also alleged that the BJP-led central government was "hell-bent ondestroying" the elected Delhi government and added that the peopleof the five poll-bound states -- Punjab, Goa, Manipur, Uttar Pradeshand Uttarakhand -- will "teach the saffron par ty a lesson". Referring to

Kumar's letter, Sisodia claimed that his case was an indication thatPrime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah were "afraid"of the AAP government in Delhi."Do not compete with us with conspiracies, instead of policies. You(Centre) and us should go for a constructive competition and let'ssee, who wins," he told a press conference at his residence. In aletter to the Delhi Chief Secretary yesterday, Kumar sought voluntaryretirement from service and accused the CBI of "putting pressure" onhim to implicate Kejriwal and beating up dozens of people during itsprobe into a graft case, charges rejected by the probe agency.

Delhi minister dismisses money launderingcharge, BJP keeps up attack

NEW DELHI, (IANS) Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Fridaydismissed allegations of money laundering against him as rumoursto malign his image ahead of the Punjab elections even as the BJP onFriday dubbed the Arvind Kejriwal-led government as corrupt andnon-per forming. The Bharatiya Janata Par ty (BJP) also demandedKejriwal speak on the issue.The issue arose amid repor ts that the Income Tax Depar tment issueda fresh notice to Jain in a money laundering case. In September lastyear, the depar tment had issued him notice regarding his alleged rolein three companies which were allegedly used for money laundering."There is no substance to these allegations. In 2013 when I joinedpolitics, I resigned from all three companies in which I was the direc-tor," Jain told repor ters here.

"From 2007 to 2012, my family and I invested around Rs 52 lakh in afew companies. I was a minor shareholder. In my income tax returns,I gave account of every single penny," he said, adding he declared allhis investments to the Election Commission in his affidavits for 2013and 2015 assembly elections. "I can give account of only my moneyand not all the money (invested in those companies)," he said."When I appeared before the Income Tax depar tment three monthsago, I answered all their questions. The issue is being raised againnow because of Punjab elections where the par ty has made me thestar campaigner," Jain said, adding that the Aam Aadmi Par ty will notbe intimidated by these tactics of the central government. But the BJPdid not buy the arguments. "It now seems that this government iscorrupt and non-performing.

Trinamool launches nationwideprotest to seek Modi's ousterNew Delhi (IANS) Upping the ante against BJP-led central government overdemonetisation and "vendetta politics", the Mamata Banerjee-led TrinamoolCongress on Monday launched a three-day countrywide protest demandingremoval of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Trinamool staged demon-strations in Odisha, Punjab, Bihar, Manipur, Tripura, Assam and Jharkhand,besides West Bengal and the national capital, denouncing Modi's November8 decision of spiking Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes."Trinamool is organising nationwide protest against Modi Babu's shame-less flop-show (demonetisation)," Banerjee, the West Bengal ChiefMinister said in Kolkata. While her MPs in Delhi demonstratedsloganeering "Modi Hatao Desh Bachao" (remove Modi, save the coun-try), Banerjee, addressing an event in Bengal, said the situation in the countrywas "worse than Emergency" under Modi. Besides the note ban, she took onModi over the arrests of two Trinamool MPs and dubbed the CBI as the"Conspiracy Bureau of Investigation. I haven't seen such a vengeful govern-ment in my life. They have started a Conspiracy Bureau of Investigation,"said Banerjee in Bengal's Burdwan district.

Modi discusses strategic partnershipwith Russian Deputy PMGANDHINAGAR (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has discussedbilateral issues, especially the strategic partnership nwith RussianDeputy Prime Minister Dimitry Rogozin, said informed sources. Modimet Rogozin, who is leading a strong Russian contingent to 'VibrantGujarat' on the eve of the summit's start."Both leaders discussed various areas of the India-Russia strategicpartnership including Rosneft's investment in the Vadinar refinery, co-operation in the automobile sector, discussions on cooperation be-tween Astrakhan region and its sister State of Gujarat, and the proposedvisit of the Russian Industry Minister to Delhi in March," said a source.The two sides also discussed continuing progress in the civil nuclearenergy sector.Modi offered condolences on the dastardly killing of the Russian Am-bassador to Turkey and loss of lives in the recent air crash of a Russianplane. Rogozin reiterated President Valdimir Putin's invitation for Modito visit Russia in 2017, which Modi accepted with pleasure, the sourceadded. He observed that the bilateral India-Russia Summit and theBRICS meeting in Goa were very successful and the Russian leader-ship was fully committed to further strengthening the strategic partner-ship with India. According to the source, Modi observed that the 70-year-old bilateral relationship was on an upward trajectory, aided by hisfrequent meetings with President Putin. He welcomed increasing Rus-sian investment in various states of India.

LUCKNOW, (PTI) UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today methis father and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav here, sendingsignals of a rapprochement between the bickering factions inthe ruling par ty.The 90-minute one-to-one meeting at Mulayam's residence tookplace against the backdrop of the SP patriarch yesterday de-claring his son as the chief ministerial candidate of the par ty.In signs of reconciliation, Akhilesh walked down to his father'sbungalow next door - the houses are interconnected - for thecrucial meeting, the outcome of which will definitely have abearing on SP's electoral prospects in the poll-bound state.Par ty insiders said Akhilesh's warring uncle Shivpal Yadav andRajya Sabha member Amar Singh, often described as an out-sider in the Yadav clan, were not present at today's father-sonmeeting.After the meeting, Akhilesh proceeded to the Chief Minister'sresidence without responding to media questions.Today's meeting was held after a significant climbdown byMulayam, who had last night said, "Akhilesh will be the ChiefMinister after the election, there is no confusion about it.

AKHILESH MEETS MULAYAM,SENDS RECONCILIATION SIGNALS

AAP accuses BJPof playing 'politicsof garbage'AAP's Delhi unit convener DilipPandey said that the BJP ledMCDs were doing contempt ofcour t by not abiding to Delhi HighCour t's order of paying salary tosanitation workers on time de-spite the increase in funds byDelhi government to these bod-ies, twice over the last two years.He said as per the High Cour t or-der, the MCDs have to get their sala-ries by seventh of the month and it is theresponsibility of the civic bodies to en-sure that the sanitation workers arepaid every month. "Isn't this acontempt of cour t? The BJP lead-ers should answer this question.



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TMC's first list of candidates for Punjab pollsCHANDIGARH, (PTI) Punjab TMC president Jagmeet Singh Brar today announced the first list with five candidates to contest the stateAssembly elections on February 4. Former state minister Harbans Lal will contest from Fatehgarh Saheb, Begum Parveen Nusratfrom Malerkotla, former MLA Vijay Sathi from Moga, Manpreet Kaur Brar Rajeana from Baghapurana and Giriraj Rajora fromBalluana (SC) constituencies, he said while announcing the candidates. However, Brar did not confirm how many seats the TMCwould contest. There are 117 Assembly seats in Punjab. "In the coming days we will announce more names," he said. He said thatTMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will campaign for the party candidates in the coming days in thestate. Aam Aadmi Par ty (AAP) convener Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has backed out of the pre-poll alliance talks with the TMC, headded. Termed this development as "an immature self goal" by AAP, Brar said, "we patiently tried till the last minute for the allianceto happen, but it is unfor tunate that Kejriwal has deser ted Mamata Banerjee and clearly buckled under the pressure of Prime MinisterNarendra Modi's vindictive attacks on Trinamool. AAP has abandoned a common platform for shor t term gain," he said.

Contest from anywhere, I will fight you: Amarinder dares KejriwalCHANDIGARH (IANS) With elections to the 117-member Punjab Assembly set to be held on February 4, Congress state unit presidentAmarinder Singh on Friday dared Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for an electoral face-off from any of the 117 seats. The formerchief minister also said that the final Congress list of candidates for the polls will likely be announced on January 9."I dare (Aam Aadmi Par ty convener) Kejriwal to contest from any Punjab Assembly seat. I will contest against him. He is a hypocrite.He wishes to become the Punjab Chief Minister in case his par ty wins. If he has chief ministerial ambitions, he should declare itopenly and contest," Amarinder told the media here.

Congress, AAP have no right toseek votes in Punjab: SamplaJALANDHAR, (PTI) Punjab BJP chief Vijay Sampla said the Con-gress and Aam Aadmi Par ty (AAP) have no right to seek votesfor state Assembly elections. The Union minister said that theopposition par ties are playing cheap politics by defaming Punjabon "drug menace" issue which will not be tolerated by the peoplehere. Sharpening his attack on AAP and Congress ahead of nextmonth Assembly polls, Sampla alleged, "On the one hand whereCongress is flawed and not serious about its working, AAP wantsto loot the state by indulging in false promises. Punjab Congresschief Captain Amarinder Singh, who is contesting his last elec-tions is not even present in the state," he said. Sampla claimedthat BJP-SAD government has the right to ask for votes frompeople in Punjab as the alliance has worked towards progressin the state. He termed as invalid AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal'sclaim of 40 lakh youth in Punjab being drug addicts. "Separateliquor shops are being opened for women in the Delhi", he al-leged, while holding the AAP government resposible for prolif-eration of liquor vends in every Mohalla in Delhi.

REALTOR RANJIT GILL IS SADCHOICE FOR KHARARCHANDIGARH (PTI) A leading realtor, Ranjit Singh Gill, of thefamous Gillco Valley Group is the candidate of the rulingShiromani Akali Dal (SAD) from Kharar for the coming PunjabAssembly poll.Soon after SAD president and Deputy Chief Minister SukhbirSingh Badal put a stamp on Gill's name this evening, party's oldwarhorse and former MLA Ujjagar Singh Badali felt "offended"and called a workers' meeting to discuss the "future course ofaction. "I have called a meeting of par ty workers in the area todiscuss the matter," the sexagenarian Akali leader told over thephone. Neither denying nor admitting that he would raise a ban-ner of revolt against the par ty candidate, Badali said, "It will alldepend on the workers…whatever they say, I will do accord-ingly."Badali, who had for the first time become MLA on the SAD ticketfrom Morinda (now scrapped) in 2007 by defeating the then two-time Congress minister and sitting MLA Jagmohan Singh Kangafter biting the dust twice in 2002 and 1997, was lobbying hardfor nominating his daughter Paramjit Kaur from Kharar this time.

AMRIT KAUR JOINS TMCCHANDIGARH (PTI) AAP youth leader Amrit Kaur Gill has joinedTrinamool Congress adding AAP has no respect for seniors andintellectuals. Jagmeet Singh Brar announced her appointmentas the Convenor of Campaign Committee of the TMC for thePunjab elections. Speaking to the media, Amrit Gill said "I joinedAAP because I thought it stood for strong principles and for thebenefit the common man in the society. But lately, I have foundthings changing and the par ty has lost its objectives and goals.It had shed the CCC (crime, corruption and character)."

FORMER PM MANMOHAN SINGH RELEASES PUNJAB CONGRESS MANIFESTO FOR UPCOMING POLLS.


TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2017w o r l d

Pak fully geared to respond to anyIndian aggression: Gen Bajwa

FROM SAJJAD HUSSAINISLAMABAD, (PTI) In a fresh rhetoric, Pakistan Army Chief GenQamar Javed Bajwa today said his forces are fully geared to re-spond to "any aggression" by India as he rejected claims that Indiacarried out "surgical strikes" on Pakistan. "Pakistan's armed forcesare fully geared to respond to any aggression by India," the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) spokesperson Major Gen AsifGhafoor quoted Gen Bajwa as saying.Maj Gen Ghafoor tweeted that Gen Bajwa rejected the "self defeat-ing claims" of Indian Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat about 'so calledsurgical strikes' and its possible recurrence. India maintains that

its forces last year conducted surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupiedKashmir, targetting terrorists and destroying their training camps.Gen Rawat, who took over as the 27th chief of Indian army on Decem-ber 31, has said India will give a calibrated "hard" response to terroractivities that will compel Pakistan to completely rethink its strategyon suppor ting insurgency and terrorism."We will calibrate the response in a manner it hits them hard andcompels them to think in the long run whether they need to completely rethinktheir strategy on suppor ting insurgency and terrorism in our state," saidGen Rawat, who as the Vice Chief was actively involved in the surgi-cal strikes on terror camps across the LoC.

Stop India from interfering in Pakistan, UN toldISLAMABAD, (IANS) Pakistan on Friday asked the UN to restrain Indiafrom interfering in Pakistan's internal affairs and from activities aimedat destabilizing the country. Pakistan's Permanent Representative tothe UN, Maleeha Lodhi, delivered a dossier on what she said wasIndia's promotion of terrorism in Pakistan to new UN Secretary-Gen-eral Antonio Guterres, the Foreign Office said.The dossier, according to the ministry statement, contains addi-tional information and "proof of RAW inter ference in Pakistan andinvolvement in terrorism par ticularly in Balochistan, FATA andKarachi". In a covering letter sent with the dossier, Prime Minis-ter Nawaz Sharif's foreign policy chief Sar taj Aziz noted that the

arrest of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav from Balochistanand his confession proved that New Delhi wanted to destabilizePakistan.Aziz urged the UN chief and UN bodies to seriously consider thematter in the light of information shared by Pakistan and play arole in restraining India from these activities. "India was carryingout these activities in clear contravention of the UN Char ter andthe resolutions of the UN Security Council on counter-terrorismand international conventions on terrorism," the letter stated. At thesame time, the letter said Pakistan continued to desire peace with allits neighbours including India.

THERESA MAY DISMISSESIDEA OF 'HARD' BREXITFROM ADITI KHANNALONDON, (PTI) Prime Minister Theresa May today dismissedthe notion of a "hard Brexit" and highlighted her plans for a "newrelationship" with the European Union (EU) as Britain preparesto leave the 28-member bloc. At the end of a major speech atthe UK's Charity Commission today where she laid out hergovernment's measures to tackle the stigma around mentalhealth, she was asked if the stock markets were reacting to aflawed interpretation of Brexit.The value of the pound has fallen to a two-month low againstmajor currencies after media reports suggested May signalledthe UK would pursue a "hard Brexit" from the EU. Sterling fellabout 1 per cent across the board, the BBC reported. May said,"Well, I'm tempted to say the people who are getting it wrongare those who print things saying I'm talking about a 'hard'Brexit, 'it's absolutely inevitable it's a hard Brexit'. I don't acceptthe terms 'hard' or 'soft' Brexit. "What we are doing is going toget an ambitious, good, the best possible deal for the UnitedKingdom in terms of trading with, and operating within, thesingle European market."But it will be a new relationship because we won't be mem-bers of the EU any longer. We will be outside the EuropeanUnion, and therefore we will be negotiating a new relationship,across not just trading but other areas, with the European Union,"she added. May's speech came as she had outlined her plansto use the state to create a "shared society."

Russia denies involvement inhacker attacks against USMOSCOW, (IANS) Russia on Monday refuted accusations ofMoscow's involvement in hacker attacks during the 2016 USpresidential election, saying that it was a "tiresome witch-hunt.We continue to categorically rule out any involvement of Mos-cow and... Russian officials and agencies in any hacker at-tacks," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.Earlier this month, the US intelligence community publishedthe declassified par t of a repor t "assessing Russian Activi-ties and Intentions in Recent US Elections," claiming that"Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence cam-paign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election."The repor t said Moscow's action aimed to "undermine pub-lic faith in the US democratic process", via Russian govern-ment agencies, state-funded media, paid social media us-ers as well as hackers, in order to secure Donald Trump'svictory in the presidential election. Peskov said that theallegations in the US intelligence community publication hadno proof and had been prepared at an "amateur, emotionallevel", which is hardly applicable to the highly professionalwork of high-quality security services.On Sunday, the Trump team said Trump has accepted the USintelligence community's findings that Russia was behind the cyberattacks targeting the presidential election, accusations that Trump hasearlier repeatedly rebuffed. But Trump has said that the alleged hackingactivities had no impact on the election results and he did not directlyacknowledge Moscow's responsibility.

PAKISTAN TESTS FIRST N-CAPABLESUB-LAUNCHED CRUISE MISSILE

ISLAMABAD, (IANS) Pakistan on Monday fired its first submarine-launched nuclear-capable cruise missile with a 450 km range in anapparent show of force vis-a-vis nuclear neighbour India. "Pakistaneyes this hallmark development as a step towards reinforcing policyof credible minimum deterrence," said General Mahmood Hayat, Chair-man of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.Terming it a major scientific milestone, Gen Hayat said: "It is mani-festation of the strategy of measured response to nuclear strategiesand postures being adopted in Pakistan's neighbourhood." The Armysaid in a statement: "Babur-III Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile in

land-attack mode, is capable of delivering various types of payloadsand will provide Pakistan with a credible second strike capability,augmenting deterrence."The latest test, in the Indian Ocean, came days after India tested itsindigenously developed intercontinental sur face-to-surface nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni V. Babur-III is a sea-based variant ofGround Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) Babur-II, which was suc-cessfully tested in December 2016.

Ready to negotiate presidency forpeace in Syria: AssadDAMASCUS, (IANS) Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said hewas ready to hold a referendum in the war-ravaged country over hispresidency, which the rebels have insisted upon throughout the al-most six-year-old conflict, it was repor ted on Monday.The Russia- and Iran-backed President said his government was readyto discuss "everything" in the proposed peace talks with rebels, sched-uled to take place in Kazakhstan later this month. In an interview witha French media outlet published by Sana news agency on Monday,Assad, when asked if he would be willing to step down as President,said: "Yes, but my position is related to the Constitution.""So, if they want to discuss thispoint, they have to discuss theConstitution, and it is not ownedby the government or the Presi-dent or by the opposition." TheSyrian President said any consti-tutional matter must be put to areferendum, and it was up to the Syr-ian people to elect the President. Thetalks, brokered by Russia and Turkey,hit a roadblock last week after opposi-tion groups said they had frozen the pro-cess in light of continued governmentstrikes across the country.The Syrian President accused the rebelsof violating nationwide truce severaltimes. Assad also defended theArmy's push to recapture a rebel-held valley nea r Damascuswhere the main water supply tothe capital had been turned off.Assad , i n r e fe rence to thebombing of east Aleppo, called "ev-ery war bad. Every war is about thekilling and destruction.

Gen Sharif's appointment asSaudi-led alliance chief questionedISLAMABAD (IANS) Pakistan's Senate Chairman on Mondayasked the Defence Minister under what rules was former armychief Raheel Sharif was appointed as head of a Saudi-led 39-nation Islamic military alliance to fight terrorism.Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed on Friday the formerarmy chief's appointment to head the 39-nation coalition force,and said the decision was taken with the consent of both theArmy's General Headquar ters and the government of Pakistan.General Sharif had spearheaded a campaign against militantsat home. Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani asked the DefenceMinister to inform the upper house of Parliament under whichrules a retired officer of Pakistan had taken up such a job. Hesought a briefing on the matter from the Defence Minister onTuesday. "Whether Gen. Sharif sought permission prior to tak-ing up the job or was an NoC issued to him?" Rabbani asked."And, if an NOC was issued, then who issued it?" He enquiredif the government was taken into confidence on the appoint-ment of the former army chief.The Senate Chairman also demanded the advisor on foreignaffairs to brief the house on the possible implications of theappointment. The alliance's formation was first repor ted inDecember 2015, with Middle Eastern, African and Asian states-- including Saudi Arabia, Gulf states, Pakistan, Egypt -- beingpar t of the then 34-nation coalition.

PANAMAGATE SCANDALWILL NAWAZ SHARIF REMAIN PAKISTAN'S PRIME MINISTER?

PTI Chairman Imran Khan says Panama leaks case will decide future of Pakistan adding his struggle is not to become the country'sPrime Minister. Imran claimed that both the British Prime Minister and the Brazil President resigned because they had lied. Lying to thecountry is not a small matter. He maintained that the corrupt should be punished to cleanse the country.



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