trudeau defends budget 2017, immigration policy but does...

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

SUNSHINE LIST 2017: ONTARIOPOWER GENERATION CEO TOPS

Malala Yousafzai to receivehonorary Canadian citizenship

Peel Police arrests three Punjabis instolen vehicles, drug possession casePEEL- Officers from the 21 Division Criminal Investigation Bureauhave charged three males in relation to stolen vehicles and drugpossession. On Saturday, April 1, 2017, officers from the 21 DivisionCriminal Investigation Bureau attended a location on Dixon Road nearCarlingview Drive, in the City of Toronto, for an investigation. At thistime, three male suspects were found in possession of two vehicles which hadbeen stolen from the region of Peel. A stolen license plate was also located with themen, as well as quantities of methamphetamine and heroin. A 25-year-old malefrom Toronto, Lakhwinder Singh, was arrested and charged with Possession ofProperty Obtained by Crime x 3, Possession of a Controlled Substance - Heroinand Possession of a Controlled Substance - Methamphetamines. A 38-year-oldmale from Brampton, Maninderjit Singh Dhindsa, was arrested and charged withPossession of Property Obtained by Crime x 3, Possession of a ControlledSubstance - Heroin and Possession of a Controlled Substance - Meth-amphetamines, and Breach of Probation Order.

MURDERED ANDHRA TECHIE'SHUSBAND ALLOWED BY US TO

ATTEND FUNERAL IN INDIA

Trudeau defends budget 2017, immigration policybut does not answer how to balance the budget

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BY SHAZIA MALIKBRAMPTON - In election campaign we made commitment to grow theeconomy and raise the benefit to the middle class and those work-ing hard to join in. This was the reply of Prime Minister JustinTrudeau when asked how he intends to balance the budget as thedeficit has risen to $23 billion for 2016-17, and go up by $28.5billion in 2017-18.Trudeau continued by saying "that was a promise to invest in ourcommunities, to invest putting money in people's pockets, to investi n a reas l i ke pub l i c t r ans i t , r esea rch , t r a in ing , and o the rinfrastructure like social housing to help people succeed becausefor 10 years under the Conservative government, the growthtrajectory was just too low. There wasn't enough economic growthto benefit the middle class and those working hard to join in."Trudeau said so "we made the decision to invest. The first thingswe did was, to lower taxes for the middle class and raise them onthe wealthiest one per cent. Then we brought in the Canada ChildBenefit plan to put more money in the pockets of nine out of 10Canadians and the families, families who need it because westopped sending cheques to children of millionaire families unlikewhat the Conservatives did.

"That actually had an effect on 800,000 children in the GreaterToronto Area. So the parents have more money to spend ongroceries, for school supplies, for clothes, and the kind of thingsthat make a significant difference in people's lives. We have alsomoved in budget 2017 with investments on childcare which weknow is going to have a massive impact on low and modestincome families because these are the kinds of things that createoppor tunities for parents to go back to work, to be able to contributemore, to succeed in the economy."Our national housing strategy, $11 billion for the coming decadeis going to making housing more affordable and accessible formany people. This is the choice we make to invest in the kinds ofthings that will help Canadians now and grow the economy in thecoming years. And in just the last one and half week we can seeits impact on growth - more jobs, decrease in the unemploymentrate showing a positive trajectory on growth that we are very,very pleased with. But we know there's a lot more work we haveto do but we are keeping our commitments to Canadians to investin the kind of things they need right now so that we can achievebetter growth in the coming years."

FEDERAL BYELECTION RESULTSLiberals win in Ottawa, Montreal, Markham; Conservatives both Calgary seats

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From L to R: Mary Ng won for the Liberals in Markham-Thornhill; Liberal candidate Emmanuella Lambropoulos won from Saint Laurentwhile Conservative Stephanie Kusie won the federal byelection riding of Calgary-Midnapore in Calgary. Conservative candidate BobBenzen won from Calgary Heritage while Liberal candidate Mona Fortier won from Ottawa-Vanier.

OTTAWA - Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau has announced that MalalaYousafzai will visit Canada on April 12 to address the Canadian Par-liament and to officially receive the honorary Canadian citizenshipbestowed upon her in 2014. At 15 years old, Ms. Yousafzai was thetarget of Taliban assassins after she became an outspoken advocatefor the right of girls to learn and to attend school.She has since become an international spokesperson for girls' edu-cation and the rights of women and girls. In recognition of this work, she wasnamed a co-recipient of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. Trudeau will take this oppor-tunity to meet with Yousafzai to discuss girls' empowerment through educationand how they can actively contribute to the sustainable developmentof their communities and countries.

OTTAWA - The annual Sunshine List of the top-earning employees inOntario's public sector has gone up by seven per cent, with over123,000 people paid more than $100,000 last year. The provincialgovernment published the 2016 list last week. At the top of the list isOntario Power Generation CEO Jeffrey Lyash who was paid $1,155,899last year.Other in this list include:* William Moriar ty, president and CEO of the University of TorontoAsset Management Corporation: $1,045,582* Jill Pepall, executive VP, Ontario Pension Board: $835,389* Glenn Jager, chief nuclear officer, Ontario Power Generation:$832,750* Peter Pisters, president and CEO, University Health Network:$753,992* Joseph Mapa, president and CEO, Sinai Health System: $719,724* William Reichman, president and CEO, Baycrest Centre for Geriat-ric Care: $718,475* Kumar Gupta, coroner, Ministry of Community Safety: $494,894

NEW YORK (IANS) The husband of the Indian-ori-gin woman from Andhra Pradesh killed along withher son last week in New Jersey is being allowedto go to India for the funeral, according to an official.N Sasikala, 38, and her 7-year-old son were founddead in their home in New Jersey last Thursday.Hanumantha Rao's "movements are not restricted inany way by the criminal justice system," according toJoel Bewley, the Burlington County Prosecutor's spokes-person, quoted by a local channel in the US. "He hasnot been charged with a crime." Rao had reportedly told the police that he discov-ered their bodies when he returned home from work at night. He had a strong alibi,according to reports. The channel said that the husband is expected to attend thefuneral in India of his wife, Sasikala,38, and son Anish,6, who were found stabbedto death on March 23 in their Maple Shade home. Post-mortems were done onthe bodies of the victims and the remains were sent to a funeral home. Thespokesperson told the channel he would not comment on whether Rao is asuspect because his office does not comment on past, present, or future suspects.The source reportedly confirmed that Hanumantha Rao "was involved in a rela-tionship with another woman as of last week". The woman was not identified.

FROM L TO R: DINESH BHATIA, INDIAN CONSUL GENERAL IN TORONTO, NEW HIGH COMMISSIONER OF INDIA TO CANADA VIKASSWARUP TO TORONTO AND HIS WIFE ALONG WITH ARUN SRIVASTAVA, PRESIDENT ICCC WHO WELCOMED THE HIGHCOMMISSIONER IN THE CITY. ICCC CELEBRATES THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR.

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY


AKSHAY KUMAR HOSTED A SPECIAL SCREENING OF MOVIE NAAM SHABANA FOR MUMBAI'S FEMALE COPS.

p a g e 3

I will run: Karan Johar onhearing Kangana's nameMUMBAI, (PTI) "I am going to runout of here" is how filmmakerKaran Johar reacted when heheard actress Kangana Ranaut'sname being mentioned at an eventhere. The f i lmmaker 's war ofwords with Kangana has led to ahuge debate on nepotism in thefilm industry and Johar, who waspresent at the launch of Ustad

Amjad Ali Khan's book 'Master onMasters,' shared a funny momentwith Suhel Seth on the same.When Seth complimented Joharthat he did not look his age, 44,the filmmaker quipped that hewas "honoured" to listen some-thing "polite" from him. To which,Seth replied, "I don't believe inpolitics of hatred. I believe affec-tion has a much more charmingvir tue." Johar added, "I havethree words to ask- who are you?" Seth just said "Kangana" as thefilmmaker laughed and added,"Really ? Then I am going to runout of here." Kangana kickstar tedthe debate on nepot ism inBollywood by calling Johar the"flag bearer of nepotism" on hisTV chat show.Before the panel discussion be-gan, the filmmaker took a dig atKangana's statement by callinghimself " the nepotist ic man".Johar, who recently became asingle parent to twins Yash andRoohi, says he is making surethat they grow up listening to goodmusic. "My introduction to Hindicinema was through Indian filmmusic. When I made nursery formy kids, I made sure that I havemusic playing in that room all thetime. I want them to grow up withmusic. "Someone told me thatthere is Coldplay version of nurs-ery rhymes. But I said no. Theyshould learn and live with themusic I grew up on. Because theyare my children and they have tolove the music I love becausethey have to love me.

Being bad is somuch more fun:Priyanka Chopra

Los Angeles, (PTI) PriyankaChopra will be seen in the roleof antagonist Victoria Leeds inher Hollywood debut"Baywatch" and the actresssays playing a baddie is"much more fun". The 34-year-old star, who attendedthe Cinema Con 2017 withcast of the movie adaptationof popular TV series of 90s,took to social media to sharefun pictures from the event."Being bad is so much morefun! #Baywatch cast at#cinemacon2017#victorialeeds #BeBaywatch@therock @zacefron@alexannadaddario@kellyrohrbach@thejonbass," she captioneda group photo featuringDwayne Johnson, Zac Efron,Kelly Rohrbach and others."Always fun with these boys!,"she wrote along side anotherphoto of her, Johnson andEfron sharing a laugh. Joinedby a group of models clad inthe iconic red swimsuit, thecomplete star-cast cametogether for the first time topresent a clip from theirupcoming action-comedy. Thegroup introduced themselvesas the 'Avengers of theBeach'. Priyanka and her co-stars Alexandra Daddario andRohrbach also got together foran impromptu gig backstage,singing Britney Spears' hittrack "I'm not that innocent."


TUESDAY, APRIL 04, 2017s p e c i a l r e p o r t

Vikas Swarup, High Commissioner of India welcomed in Toronto

TORONTO - In an event that will be remembered equally for its spon-taneity and vivre as well as relevance and meaning, the ConsulateGeneral of India in Toronto and the Indo-Canada Chamber of Com-merce came together yet again to welcome the new High Commis-sioner of India to Canada Vikas Swarup to Toronto Monday March 27.A who's who of the Indo-Canadian community including leading en-trepreneurs, professionals, academicians, diplomats, community lead-ers, and senior corporate leaders were present in strength to wel-come the new High Commissioner, who is a globally renowned nov-elist, in addition, of course, to being a career diplomat with illustriousstints both in India and abroad.His erudition encapsulated the past, present and the potentially glori-ous future of the bilateral relations between Canada and India. Over amillion plus Indian Diaspora are the real ambassadors of India who

are working hard to brand India in Canada, High Commissioner saidamid applause. The High Commissioner applauded the tremendousrole that the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) has playedover the last four decades in nur turing economic relations betweenCanada and India.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Canada in 2015 addednew depth to relationship which has the potential to develop into oneof 21st centuries strongest economic and strategic par tnerships.Canada's rich natural resources and sophisticated technologicaland educational base gives us great promise to deepen our en-gagement in all spheres of life. Canada will be a true par tner inIndia's infrastructure development, food security, energy secu-rity, science & technology, higher education and clean energy.Dinesh Bhatia, Consul General of India in Toronto appreciated

Chamber for promoting the Canada India bilateral trade and com-mercial economic relations. He, too, emphasized the role of whathe described as FED - Films, Economy and Diaspora in the globalbranding of India. Speaking on the occasion Arun Srivastava, Presi-dent, ICCC said that ICCC is celebrating its 40th anniversary thisyear. The chamber is representing the Indo-Canadian businessescommunity.Chamber was conferred Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in 2012for its effor t to promote Canada India ties. He fur ther said that thesigning of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and For-eign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) will pave the way formore business to achieve the $15 billion trade target in next couple of years.Srivastava thanked Consul General Dinesh Bhatia for collaborationand continue suppor t to the chamber.

Premiers' Performance: Wynne's approvalrating sinks to 12 per cent - an all-time low

ONTARIO - Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne's slide towards single digit job approval continues.After another four-point drop in quar terly job performance approval analysis by the Angus ReidInstitute, the provincial Liberal leader now holds the endorsement of just 12 per cent of people inher province.An additional analysis by ARI, sheds light upon some of the frustrations Ontarians are voicingregarding the provincial government's decision to sell shares in Hydro One to private investors.Indeed, more than eight-in-ten Ontarians oppose the deal, and three-quar ters say they will bekeeping electricity-related issues front of mind in the coming provincial election. This, and theimpending September trials of Ontario Liberal members in Sudbury and Toronto, are among theissues that are likely to set a difficult path ahead for the embattled Wynne. Though the trendlinecharting Wynne's four-point decline in job approval to just 12 per cent is the most stark amongprovincial premiers, she is far from the only provincial leader to experience a decline thisquar ter. Indeed, most share the same consequence.Experiencing the largest quar terly decline when it comes to the job he's doing is SaskatchewanPremier Brad Wall. While he remains unchallenged as Canada's most popular provincial leader,Wall's grip on majority backing softens fur ther, down six points to 52 per cent. This represents thelowest approval rating in seven years of available tracking. Wall's Saskatchewan Par ty govern-ment is facing an increasing projected deficit - one that has grown from an initial estimate ofaround $400 million last June a projected $1.3 billion for fiscal year 2016/17. A PST increasefrom 5 to 6 per cent took effect on March 23, and potential cuts in the public-sector loom.

TORONTO - In a random sampling of public opinion taken by The Forum Poll among 884 Ontariovoters, amongst those decided and leaning, the PCs (43%) hold a 15-point lead over their nearestrival - the NDP (28%). The Liberals (19%) are 24 points back of the leading Progressive Conser-vatives. The Green Par ty sits at (8%).The PCs are close to their February suppor t level, down one point (44%: Feb 16), while the NDPis up three points (25%: Feb 16), and the Liberals have dropped 5 points (24%: Feb 16). Region-ally, the Progressive Conservatives have commanding leads over their nearest rival in four of sixregions, Toronto (PC 47% - NDP 24%), Eastern Ontario (PC 43% - Lib/NDP 24%), 905 (PC 47% -NDP 31%), and Southwestern Ontario (PC 42% - NDP 29%). The PCs are statistically tied with theNDP in Nor th Eastern Ontario (PC 34% - NDP 31%). The Liberals who hold the most seats inToronto and the 905, but are, at present, displaying low levels of suppor t: (19%) in Toronto and(12%) in the 905.PC majority, NDP opposition, Liberals third party, without party statusIf an election were held today the PCs would win a majority government with 86 seats. The NDPwould win 29, and the Liberals just 7, not enough for official par ty status within the Legislature.This projection sees an increase of 2 seats for the PCs (84: Feb 16) and the NDP (27: Feb 16), atthe expense of the governing Liberals who are down 4 (11: Feb 16).Andrea Horwath currently the most approved leaderKathleen Wynne sees has an approval of (12%) and disapproval (79%), and her net favourablescore (approve minus disapprove) worsens to -67 (-66: Feb 16). The plurality of voters "do notknow" what they think of Patrick Brown (44%). (27%) approve and (29%) disapprove, whichincreases his net favourable score to -2. (-3: Feb 16). Andrea Horwath sees the highest approvalamongst the three leaders, with (36%) approving, and (30%) disapproving. Over a third (34%) ofrespondents do not offer an opinion on her leadership of the NDP.No leader seen as best choice to be premierA plurality of respondents, almost a third, selected none of these (30%) when asked who wouldmake the best premier. Brown (23%) and Horwath (22%) were tied behind none, with KathleenWynne at just (9%), below "do not know" at (15%).

WYNNE LIBERALS ON TRACK TOLOSE PARTY STATUS IN 2018

HERITAGE MINISTER MÉLANIEJOLY ANNOYED WITH RUSSELL

PETERS' JUNOS JOKESDESK REPORT

OTTAWA - It was Sunday evening when Comedian Russell Peters made a comment about HeritageMinister Mélanie Joly while hosting the Juno Awards. He called her "hot" before inviting her tothe stage because he said later he was not aware why she was there and so his comments:"But she's hot, so who cares!"Minister Joly of course did not enjoy the sexist comment and called it inappropriate. MinisterJoly said: "We need to make sure that all our role models are suppor ting the impor tance ofgender parity. I really hope that he takes that into consideration and understands … theimpor tance of what he said."



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, APRIL 04, 2017 s p e c i a l r e p o r t

Arvind Kejriwal Wants Delhi GovernmentTo Pay His IRs3.8 Crore Legal Bill

NEW DELHI (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wants thetaxpayer to foot his legal bills of IRs3.8 crore for defamation casesfiled against him by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Kejriwal engageda battery of lawyers to represent him, including Ram Jethmalani, oneof the most expensive lawyers in the country. Kejriwal's deputy,Manish Sisodia, has signed off on the bills and sent them for clear-ance to Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, who has sought theopinion of exper ts on how to proceed.Jethmalani, who is defending Kejriwal in both a criminal and a civildefamation case filed by Jaitley, has repor tedly sent bills for IRs1crore in retainership and IRs22 lakh for each appearance in cour t tothe Delhi Chief Minister. Arun Jaitley has sued Kejriwal and other AAPleaders for allegedly making "false and defamatory" statements ac-cusing him of financial irregularities when he was president of the

Delhi and District Cricket Association or DDCA. The finance minister,a famous lawyer too, has sought IRs10 crore in damages in the casesfiled in 2015. Senior AAP leaders, asking not to be named, confirmedthat Sisodia has sent the IRs3.8 crore bills to the Delhi LG. "A raidhappened at the Chief Minister's office and his statements (againstMr Jaitley) followed. It was an attack on the CM of Delhi," said oneAAP leader, explaining why Kejriwal expects the Delhi Government topay the bills. AAP leaders also claimed that Ram Jethmalani hadinitially offered to represent Kejriwal pro bono or free of cost againstJaitley, but about nine months after taking the case, he star ted send-ing the chief minister bills. Last week, the Lieutenant Governor askedthe Aam Aadmi Par ty to pay IRs97 crore to the Delhi government forads that were allegedly in violation of Supreme Cour t guidelines andpromoted Kejriwal and his party.

Singapore Deports Indian Imam For Hate CrimeSINGAPORE: An Indian Imam living in Singapore will be repatriated for hisremarks against Jews and Christians. Nalla Mohamed Abdul Jameel, 47,had pleaded guilty to a charge of promoting enmity between different reli-gious groups and was fined Sg $4,000 ($2,860). The Singapore governmentsaid there was no room for such remarks in a multi-religious society and heshould be sent home. "Nalla has paid the fine. He will be repatriated,"Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement. The imam, anIslamic religious teacher, had recited a supplication in Arabic during a prayer

session at a mosque in January, which translated as "Grant us help againstthe Jews and Christians," court documents showed. A video of his remarks-- uploaded on Facebook in February by another person - triggered legalaction. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore said in a statement thatMr Nalla's supplication "is not from the Quran and does not constitute part ofthe divine message. "Recent events abroad have highlighted how the build-up of anger and resentment among different religious groups can lead tosocial friction and violence," the interior ministry of Singapore said. "The

government has the responsibility toact quickly and firmly to repudiatedivisive speech, even if the courseof action is sometimes difficult."Singapore is a mainly an ethnic Chi-nese society, with large Malay Mus-lim and Indian populations.

Pakistan shrine custodian, 2others in custody for killing 20LAHORE (IANS) A cour t in Pakistan's Punjab province onMonday sent in custody three persons accused of murder-ing shrine devotes, including "faith healer" Abdul Waheed,the media repor ted. Abdul Waheed and two others werearrested outside the Ali Muhammad Gujjar shrine nearSargodha area of the province late on Saturday after theydrugged the devotees and assaulted them with batons andstabbed 20 people to death on Sunday.Officials said the custodian gave the worshippers intoxi-cants before killing them with knives and batons. Some ofthe victims were repor ted to have been found naked. Theworshippers, followers of a local Sufi leader MohammadAli Gujjar who died two years ago, were accustomed toseeking spiritual cleansing by removing their clothes. Anumber of possible motives have been suggested for theattack. The regional police chief, Zulfiqar Hameed, said:"The 50-year-old shrine custodian, Abdul Waheed, has con-fessed that he killed these people because he feared thatthey had come to kill him."A case against Waheed and his accomplices has beenfiled by police who claimed that no one from the bereavedfamilies came forward to complain. According to the po-lice, the bereaved families hold Waheed in high regarddespite him confessing to the murder of their loved ones.Waheed told Geo News that he had found his spiritual leader'sson Asif adding poison to his food. "I caught him and probed further,upon which I got to know a woman was also involved with him in theplan (of killing me)," he said. Visits to shrines and offers ofalms for the poor - and cash to custodians - remains a verypopular custom in Pakistan. Many believe this will helpget their prayers answered.

Support for CaregiversMaking a Difference forFamilies in Mississauga

ONTARIO - This year, Ontario increased suppor ts forpeople caring for their loved ones at home inMississauga, by increasing access to respiteservices for over 400 local families.On the National Family Caregiver Day, MPP Damerlais thanking people in Mississauga for the work theydo every day to care for their loved ones. A caregiveris someone who takes on the unpaid role of helping afamily member or loved one with their physical orcognitive condition, injury or chronic life-limitingi l lness.Investments from the province have allowed theMississauga Halton Community Care Access Centre(CCAC) to expand their in-home respite services tofamilies in Mississauga. These much-neededsuppor ts enable carers to temporarily step awayfrom their caregiving responsibilities to focus ontheir own health and wellbeing. Carers return fromrespite breaks with refreshed strength and focus,helping them to continue safely caring for a lovedone at home.Ontario’s suppor t has allowed for approximately600,000 additional hours of respite services forcaregivers across the province this year.Suppor ting patients and their caregivers is par t ofthe government's plan to build a better Ontariothrough its Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care.This plan is providing patients with faster access tothe right care, better home and community care, theinformation they need to stay healthy and a healthcare system that’s sustainable for generations tocome.“Improving home and community care is one of ourgovernment’s most impor tant health care priorities.Informal caregivers, like family members andfriends, contribute to more than seventy per cent oftheir loved ones’ caregiving needs, and we knowhow stressful that can be. We want to ensurecaregivers are suppor ted and able to take rests fromproviding care to their loved ones.”— Dr Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-TermCare“Care for the caregiver is often forgotten. I ampleased that we are increasing respite services forcaregivers here in Mississauga.”— Dipika Damerla, MPP, Mississauga East-Cooksvi l le"Suppor ting 400 more local families with respite carewill ensure that unpaid caregivers can focus on theirown health and well-being even while they take careof their loved ones during infirmity and seriousillness. It's another way our government is helping tobuild a more fair and compassionate Ontario."- MPP Amrit Mangat, Mississauga--Brampton South

FEDERALBYELECTION

RESULTS:Liberals win in

Ottawa, Montreal &Markham,

Conservatives winboth Calgary seats

DESK REPORTMISSISSAUGA - The Liberals areholding on to their seats in Montreal,Ottawa and north of Toronto inMarkham while the Conservativeskept both of their seats in Calgaryafter results were announced onMonday of the federal byelections.Liberal candidate EmmanuellaLambropoulos won in thebyelection in Saint Laurent,securing 59 per cent of thevotes. Conservat ive candi-date Jimmy Yu was a distantsecond at 19.5 per cent. Lib-e ra l Mary Ng won inMarkham-Thornhill, by cap-turing 51 per cent of the voteswhile her nearest competi-tor, Conservative candidateRagavan Paranchothy, had 39 percent of the vote. Stephanie Kusie wonfrom Calgary Midnapore after tak-ing over 77 per cent of the voteswith Liberal Haley Brown farbehind at 17 per cent with allpolls repor ting. Conservativecandidate Bob Benzen won the ridingof Calgary Heritage, taking 72 percent of the votes. Liberal candidateScott Forsyth finished second withnearly 22 per cent. While Liberalcandidate Mona Fortier celebratedher victory after winning fromthe Ottawa-Vanier riding.

Spurned lover stabs BJP MLA's daughter in PunePUNE (PTI) A 22-year-old daughter of a BJP MLA fromYavatmal district of Maharashtra was attacked allegedlyby a spurned man with a sharp weapon in Wakad areahere, police said. The girl suffered injuries on her handsin the incident. According to the police, the suspect is a25-year-old native of Haryana, and it could be the case ofunrequited love.He was studying MBA along with the woman at hercollege in Wakad, police said, adding the attack tookplace outside the college premises. He has been arrestedfor allegedly attempting murder, they said. According tothe police, the suspect was pursuing the young womannamed as Ashwini Reddy Bodkurwar, for the last fewmonths and it seemed to be one-sided love interest. "Thismorning she was attacked by the man with a sharpweapon outside the college premises. However, somepeople overpowered him and handed him to police," said apolice inspector from Wakad police station.The woman's finger was badly wounded in the attack, hesaid, adding she was being treated at a private hospitalhere. It is learnt that the woman had had complained tothe college authorities on Sunday and subsequently, theyouth had given in writing that he would not harass her.

While Talking to PTI, A Balasubramanian, president ofthe SRI Balaji Society, which runs the college, said thegirl had approached them on Sunday afternoon andcomplained that the accused was harassing her andsought action against him.


TUESDAY, APRIL 04, 2017c o m m u n i t y

Sikhs in US 'intimidated,harassed' at alarming rateWASHINGTON (IANS) Sikhs in the US are repor ting anincrease in violent threats and harassment against thecommunity amid rising incidents of hate crimes againstIndian-Americans in the country.Chairman of the Sikhs Political Action Committee(SikhsPAC), Gurinder Singh Khalsa, said so far there havebeen two death threats and two repor ts of vandalismagainst Sikhs in the state of Indiana, TheIndyChannel.com,an ABC Television Network affiliate, repor ted on Thursday.One incident included a direct threat against a Sikh from a mancarrying a handgun in Fishers city, according to the report."Somebody showed him the gun and asked him: 'Who areyou? What country do you belong to?'" Khalsa said therehave been other incidents too where Sikhs were threat-ened. Sikh-American physician Amandeep Singh said hewas directly threatened last week with a text message anddoesn't understand why this is happening to Sikhs aroundthe nation. Singh said he felt a range of emotions after thethreats, including fear for his family and his patients."Fear, especially if you have family, kids, the safety ofyour family and kids, that comes to mind first," saidAmandeep. "Then you try to make sense of it." "I believeI've been living here 14 years and never experiencedanything like that specifically," Singh said. "My job isserving the people you know, everyday I'm there for thepeople and taking a stand with them and serving thecommunity. It was hard for me to comprehend evensomething like that coming to somebody's mind."SikhsPAC has contacted the US Attorney General's Officeand is working with law enforcement. The threats wereunder investigation. Indiana is one of only five states inthe US without a hate crime law, said the repor t.

CONTD. FROM PAGE 1Talking about welcoming immigrants in the country thatis putting burden on taxpayers, Trudeau commented: "Onthe issue of immigration Canadians understand thatwelcoming people from every corner of the world is notjust a nice and compassionate thing to do, it's a driver ofsuccess for our communities, for our country." Herepeated his earlier statement that "those fleeingpersecution, terror and war, Canadians welcomed them,regardless of your faith" adding "diversity is Canada'sstrength. When the rest of the world was closing doorson Syrian refugees, Canada opened its doors on them"as Canadians believe every family and child has theright to live a good life.On the issue of national security, Trudeau said theGovernment of Canada believes that it is impor tant forCanadians to be informed and engaged on Canada'snational security framework and that the government isvery much committed to provide a safe environment toall to thrive in a safe environment. There is nothing moreimpor tant for his government to ensure that Canadiansfeel secure so national security is of utmost impor tancefor the Liberal government, so keeping people safe is ofparamount impor tance to them.

CONTD. FROM PAGE 1* Christopher Whitaker, president, Humber College:$469,839* Bonnie Lysyk, auditor general: $310,174* Steve Paikin, host/producer, TVO: $302,622* Donna Quan, special adviser, ministry of education:$270,957* Patricia Sorbara, deputy chief of staff, Office of thePremier: $156,290* Wayne Glover, plumber, Toronto Community HousingCorp. $107,453* Michael Osso, janitor, Ontario Power Generation:$104,498* Corey Rooney. solid waste collection operator, City ofToronto: $100,206It is mandatory that all agencies receiving public fundingfrom the province must disclose the names, positionsand salaries of each employee paid $100,000 or more ina calendar year. The $100,000 figure represents total pay- salary plus any bonuses or over time - but not benefits.Taxable benefits are repor ted on a separate line.Though taxpayers in the province of Ontario were stillpaying for the 2015 Pan Am Games in 2016, sevenstaffers from the Toronto Organizing Committee are onthe new Sunshine List, paid over $100,000 each lastyear. Mayo Schmidt, CEO of Hydro One af ter beingprivatized by the Liberal government in 2015 earned $4.5million last year.The former CEO of Ontario Power Generation, TomMitchell, who retired in 2015, got a payout of $563,000last year on top of the $1.59 million he received in 2015.The 2015 Pan Am Games' senior vice-president, Rober tO'Doher ty earned $358,500. The Sunshine List about 20years ago published by the PC government of MikeHarris had 4,576 names. There are 22,311 individuals onthis year's list. Premier Kathleen Wynne's salary was$208,974 last year. Premier Wynne said: "I'm not surethat that accomplishes the transparency that the Sun-shine List is intended to engender. You know $100,000 isstill a lot of money so we're going to keep it at that level.People have the right to know where those salaries sitat. Is $100,000 a lot of money? I think it is. The $100,000is still a lot of money."

Sunshine List 2017: OntarioPower Generation CEO tops

Trudeau defends budget 2017,immigration policy but does notanswer how to balance the budget

Over $30.1 Million transferred to the federal Gas Tax FundOTTAWA - Investing in infrastructure is vital to strengthening the middle class and growing the economy. Modern, efficient publicinfrastructure contributes to a high quality of life by helping connect people to jobs, improve water systems, provide access to bettercommunity services, and suppor t new business oppor tunities.In Budget 2016, the Government of Canada asked provinces and territories to prioritize the remaining $837 million in uncommittedlegacy infrastructure funding towards projects by March 31, 2016 and committed to transfer any remaining funding to municipalitiesthrough the Gas Tax Fund. Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, authorized the transfer of over $30.1 million infunding from a number of previously established funding programs to the federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF) this month.The funding was allocated to provinces and territories as a one-time top-up to the $2.1 billion already made available to communitiesannually through the ongoing transfer program. By transferring the funds to the federal GTF, the Government of Canada is providingprovincial, territorial and municipal par tners with greater flexibility on how they can direct federal infrastructure dollars to their diversepriorities and needs. "Working with our par tners, some $800 million has been committed to projects across the country under these older programs. Thistransfer of remaining funds responds directly to what we heard from our provincial, territorial and municipal par tners during ourinfrastructure consultations - that they needed increased flexibility to meet their diverse needs. This will allow communities to directfunding to their local infrastructure priorities in the near term. That means that whether a community needs to expand their recreationalcentre, repair roads, enhance a wastewater treatment system or make energy-saving upgrades to municipal buildings, the projects cango ahead sooner." Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities.

Indian Consul General Dinesh Bhatia enjoying the colourful Gangaur celebrations organized by Indian Community in Brampton.

NAVDEEP BAINS, MINISTER OF SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT CANADA-US AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLY CHAINTHAT CREATES JOBS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER.

MINISTERS ANNOUNCE EMPLOYMENTSTRATEGY FOR NEWCOMERS IN BRAMPTON

BRAMPTON- The federal minis-ters were in Downtown Bramptonrecently to highlight a key mea-sure from their recent ly an-nounced federal Budget. MinisterAhmed Hussen, Minister of Im-migration, Refugees and Citizen-ship, as well as Minister PattyHajdu, Minister of Employment,Workforce Development andLabour, were at Brampton South'sSkills For Change to highlight theTargeted Employment Strategy forNewcomers."The Targeted Employment Strat-egy for Newcomers was an ex-citing development from Budget2017 that will reduce barriers andsuppor t newcomers as they puttheir skills to work in the Cana-dian economy," remarked MP forBrampton South, Sonia Sidhu. "Iam par ticularly proud of this in-vestment as I often hear aboutwel l- t ra ined newcomers whoface challenges getting to usetheir credentials, skills, and train-ing." This announcement of theGovernment's new Targeted Em-ployment Strategy for Newcom-ers will help find jobs that matchwith newcomers' skills and ex-perience. The government will be

investing $27.5 million over fiveyears, star ting in 2017-18, and$5.5 million per year thereafter,to give newcomers better pre-ar-rival suppor ts; a loan program tohelp them with the costs of get-ting their foreign credentials rec-ognized; and help getting Cana-dian work experience in their pro-fessions.Minister Hajdu noted that themoney may involve pilot pro-grams, mentorship oppor tunities,and awareness campaigns foremployers to see the benefits ofhiring newcomers for their busi-ness. Minister Hussen talkedabout the benefits of pre-arrivalservices that help prepare new-comers to enter the labour mar-ket more effectively. MP Sidhusaid: "Budget 2017 is the next stepin the Government's ambitiousplan to make smart investmentsthat will create jobs, grow oureconomy, and provide more op-por tunities for the middle classand those working hard to join it.I look forward to getting back toBrampton to talk more about thisinvestment in the people and skillsin Brampton South that will ben-efit our local economy if - through

measures like this one - simplyharnessed and supported."As there were crucial votes onBudget 2017 and C-22, a NationalSecurity Bill, in the House of Com-mons - MP Sidhu was unable tojoin the event in-person. HerBrampton office attended, andshe reached out to local stake-holders to let them know that shewould be in contact to suppor ttheir work in accessing the ben-efits of this investment. MinisterHussen noted in his speech at theevent, "I just want to acknowl-edge my colleague, Sonia Sidhu,a strong voice on newcomers inCanada. She had responsibilities

in Ottawa today… but she wantedto make you aware she reallywanted to be here."When immigrants succeed, weall succeed," said Hussen in hisspeech at the event. MP Sidhusaid following the event, "Thisstrategy will help immigrants andtheir families in my riding and acrossCanada to connect their skills with rel-evant work so that they can contributeto a better Canada. Helping people, in-cluding trained newcomers, findand keep good, well paying jobs,is par t of our government's planto grow our economy by strength-ening the middle class, and help-ing those working hard to join it."



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, APRIL 04, 2017 c o m m u n i t y

Mississauga to Receive $58 Million inPublic Transit Infrastructure Funding

NAVDEEP BAINS, MINISTER OF INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, MP SVEN SPENGEMANN, MP KAMAL KHERA,MP RAMESH SANGHA, AND MP IQRA KHALID AT A BUDGET DISCUSSION MEETING.

BRAMPTON MAYOR LINDA JEFFREY, COUNCILLORS GURPREET DHILLON AND MARTIN MEDEIROS, MP RAMESH SANGHA, ANDTODD LETTS, BBOT CEO CELEBRATING 130 YEARS OF THE COMPANY'S SUCCESS.

Budget 2017: The Right Planfor Seniors in BramptonBRAMPTON- After their years of working hard and building up theCanada we cherish today, it is our collective obligation to help Cana-dians achieve a safe, secure, and dignified retirement. This themeis at the heart of the federal government's commitment to Canada'sseniors. In Budget 2017-announced last week-the Liberal govern-ment in Ottawa is building upon the work of Budget 2016.The new Budget features significant measures targeted for seniors,including home care, improved caregiver supports, affordable hous-ing investment, and other moves that will improve seniors' qualityof life. Liberal Member of Parliament for Brampton South, SoniaSidhu, commented: "Budget 2017 is making smart investments inthe things that seniors and their families need. Our plan has a num-ber of key measures that will help constituents of my riding ofBrampton South, and I look forward to sharing the good news withthem over the weeks to come."Sidhu added: "With a strong focus on the dignity, wellness, andsupports available, Budget 2017 takes the next steps in improvingquality of life for all seniors. This builds upon measures in Budget2016 to increase the GIS and OAS, and the negotiation of increasesin the CPP in cooperation with the provinces. Budget 2017 alsocommits to increasing access to prescription drugs, lowering drugprices, supporting health innovations, and continuing to respond tothe ongoing opioid crisis."Canadians take great pride in our public pension programs, and thefact that we value our seniors as core parts of the fabric of ourcommunities. After lives of contributing to Canada, our Governmentwill always be committed to improving outcomes and quality of lifefor Canadian seniors for today and tomorrow. It's the least we can dofor all they have done for us. By taking action today - investing in thethings that build a stable, dignified system for our cherished seniors- Budget 2017 will help deliver a Canada that present and futureCanadians can take pride in."

Band-Aid solutions wrongcourse to take: ObhraiOTTAWA - Canada is a democracy based on responsible useof law and other instruments that have served us well. Band-Aid solutions have serious potential to do harm than do good.Some Band-Aid solutions proposed more recently by othercandidates include:* The use of the military against unarmed civilians, includingwomen and children* Misuse of military, not a Canadian way;* The use of the notwithstanding clause* Undermining our judicial system and its independence - itwas meant for issues of extreme national impor tance;* Immigrants have built this country through hard work andthis is visible through the past positive impact of immigration* Now one candidate wants to question them if they will workhard - a so-called Canadian value arbitrarily defined;* Immediately depor ting those entering illegally* Our laws permit fair hearings for all refugee claims;* Creating a special force to confront protesters* Protesting is a right given to Canadians under the Charter, which canbe easily addressed by our law enforcement agencies;

Obhrai proposes setting upspecial tribunals to addressunchecked flow of refugeesthrough borderOTTAWA - All refugees are entitled to a hearing under ourlaws. At the current time, due to inadequate resources, it takes along time to process these claims. For those coming through ourundefended border with the United States, we need to provide moreresources: specifically set up special tribunals, or courts, that can,in a very short time (e.g. two months), hear the claims and deter-mine if these applicants meet the refugee criteria in place. If unsuc-cessful, immediately start the deportation process. This will send aclear message to human smugglers that breaking our laws doesnot pay. Asylum seekers will also be notified to come through theproper channels. Breaking the law will not result in favorable deci-sions. Furthermore, this would maintain the integrity of our lawsand borders, and show compassion and a firm resolve that thosebreaking in through the backdoor entry will not be tolerated.

Ontario IntroducesAnti-Racism LegislationONTARIO - Michael Coteau, Minister Responsible for Anti-Racism, introduced new legislation that would, if passed,embed Ontario's Anti-Racism Directorate in law, creating aframework for continued work to promote equity for racializedgroups across the province.During public consultations held last year, the province's Anti-Racism Directorate heard from community members that leg-islation was needed to ensure the long-term sustainability ofthe government's anti-racism effor ts. This proposed Anti-Racism Act responds to that request and would allow gov-ernment and public sector organizations to identify and com-bat systemic racism in policies, programs and services andeffectively work toward advancing racial equity for all.If passed, the proposed Anti-Racism Act would:* Establish the Anti-Racism Directorate in legislationto ensure its long-term sustainability* Ensure the sustainability and accountability of the government'santi-racism work by developing and maintaining a multi-year anti-rac-ism strategy. The strategy's initiatives, targets and indicators would bereported upon annually to measure the strategy's effectiveness* Require a review of the anti-racism strategy at least every fiveyears, in consultation with the public" Enable the government to mandate race data collection andan anti-racism impact assessment framework, to apply an anti-racismperspective to public sector policies and programs.

MISSISSAUGA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced$58 million in Government of Canada funding for transit ser-vices in Mississauga through the Public Transit InfrastructureFund (PTIF). City projects approved through PTIF include theacquisition of up to 80 new 40 and 60-foot buses, the rehabilita-tion and replacement of more than 200 buses, improvedpedestrian and cyclist access to Mississauga's Transitway andGO stations, improved and enhanced MiWay stations andsystems as well as trails and sidewalks."On behalf of the City of Mississauga and Members of Council,we welcome today's news that the Federal Government hasallocated unprecedented funding to help Canada's cities, likeMississauga, press ahead with impor tant city-building priori-ties like breaking gridlock and building transit," Mayor Crombiesaid. "Mississauga's Council-approved pre-budget submissionsto the Federal Government repeatedly advocated for increasedfunding to build transit and infrastructure and we are seeing thepriorities of Canada's sixth-largest city reflected in today'sannouncement." The PTIF program is an equal cost-sharefunding program that will see the Government of Canada and theCity of Mississauga each contributing $58 million to completethe 51 approved Mississauga projects."I am pleased about the funding Mississauga has received

through PTIF. This substantial infusion of funds enables us todeliver projects that maintain and enhance the City's transitinfrastructure, assets and systems; helping deliver on ourStrategic Plan by having transit influence and shape the form ofthe city," said Janice Baker, City Manager and Chief Administra-tive Officer. "Mississauga, like many cities across Canada, islooking to the federal and provincial levels of government toprovide predictable and sustainable funding."The PTIF program is par t of the first phase of Investing inCanada, the Government of Canada's $120 billion plan tosuppor t public infrastructure across Canada over the next 10years. Under the program, the Government of Canada willcontribute more than $200 million for the 312 projects approvedin Ontario, representing 50 per cent of the total eligible costs."The City is pleased to receive this news. In anticipation of thisannouncement, we've carefully planned and built this fundinginto the 2017 Business Plan and Budget," said Gary Kent,Commissioner, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer."The timelines for the program are tight so with Council ap-proval, we've already begun many of the projects on our list.We will be working closely with the Federal Government whohas indicated there is some flexibility on the completion datesfor the projects."

MISSISSAUGA SAYS NO TO ADDING MORE COUNCILORSMISSISSAUGA - We are not going to spend taxpayers hard-earned money on more politicians, Mayor Bonnie Crombie said, followingPeel Council's decision not to add more politicians to Regional Council. There are currently 24 Peel Councillors. The defeatedproposal would have increased the number of Councillors to 32, not including the Regional Chair. By some estimates, the additional4 Mississauga councillors would result in nearly $3 million in upfront costs, followed by an additional $1.4 million annually in newexpenditures. "Mississauga brought forward a responsible and democratic solution," Mayor Crombie said, adding that "our proposalwould have ensured representation by population of all councillors, from each of the three lower-tier municipalities." Under thealternative plan, long championed by Mississauga Council, the existing number of Councillors would remain the same at 24 bykeeping Mississauga at 12; reducing Caledon to 3 and increasing Brampton to 9. Mayor Crombie concluded "we need to ensure thatPeel works fairly and democratically for its largest municipality and tax base, Mississauga."

Transit Investment Across GTA Benefits Brampton: MP SidhuBRAMPTON- A modern and efficient public transit system leads to shor ter commute times, less air pollution, more time with familyand friends, and stronger economic growth. Member of Parliament for Brampton South, Sonia Sidhu commenting on the issue hassaid: "I have been outspoken from the star t about gridlock. The gridlock that results from traffic congestion costs Canada's economybillions of dollars in lost productivity every year. While it's the city who may build the roads, it's the federal and provincial governmentfunding it - and better transit should be a big par t of the solution. That's why I am so happy today to see this major investment in theGO system, par ticularly along the Kitchener-Brampton corridor. This is great news that will make our trains go faster and moreregularly, while also connecting us to more economic oppor tunities as a city and an innovation hub. I look forward to the realdifference this will make for families in Brampton South."


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UP'S ANTI-ABATTOIR DRIVE COULD CRIPPLEREVENUE, JOB-GENERATING SECTORS

BY JEET SINGH

How to tackle the issue of Triple Talaq?BY SYED UBAIDUR RAHMAN

The closure of Uttar Pradesh's slaughterhouses could leave acouple of million people jobless in the state, affect its alliedindustries and choke small but impor tant revenue streams forits poor farmers, especially in drought-prone areas, accordingto an IndiaSpend analysis of available data on India's meat,leather and livestock industries. Half of Uttar Pradesh'slicensed slaughterhouses and scores of illegal ones have beenclosed after an order from new Chief Minister Aditya Nath Yogiagainst those that do not follow the law.The drive against slaughterhouses could impact three criticalindustries: Meat packaging, livestock and leather. With someof the worst development indicators, stagnant agriculture andindustry, India's most populous state is also one of its poorestwith the second-highest unemployment rate -- after Jharkhand-- among eight most socio-economically backward states.With a population of 200 million people, equivalent to thepopulation of Brazil, the state's economy is the size of the tinymiddle-eastern country of Qatar, which has 2.4 million people,the same as the town of Bijnore. In 2015-16, more people per1,000 were unemployed in Uttar Pradesh (58), compared to theIndian average (37), and youth unemployment was especiallyhigh, with 148 for every 1,000 people between the ages of 18and 29 years unemployed, compared to the Indian average of102.Meat-packing and leather industries make up the major shareof India's expor t earnings, with Uttar Pradesh contributingsignificantly. It accounted for nearly 43 per cent of buffalo-meat expor ts in 2015-16, the highest among all states,according to data published by the Agriculture and ProcessedFood Expor t Development Authority (APEDA). Leather rankseighth among India's top expor t earners, with about 46 per centof what is produced being expor ted, according to the Council

for Leather Expor ts (CLE). A third of these expor ts go fromKanpur in UP, a city where the leather industry is already incrisis.The BJP's election manifesto for the assembly election hadpromised to shut all illegal slaughterhouses in the state. But"over-enthusiastic" officials -- who appeared to be actingindiscriminately, shutting down even abattoirs with licenses -- are now being reined in by the government, according tosome media repor ts. IndiaSpend research shows that theslaughterhouse ecology is complex and suppor ts diverse,rural and urban economic and social systems not just in UttarPradesh, but nationwide. Here is a look at the three industriesthat will be most affected by the campaign.1. Meat: UP accounts for 43% of India's buffalo-meatexpor tsIllegal slaughterhouses being targeted by the governmentdominate the meat market in India: 4,000 are registered andmore than 25,000 are not, among units that cater to thedomestic market, according to APEDA. Even in the expor tmarket, registered and unregistered slaughterhouses bothproduce meat, APEDA acknowledges.Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer of meat in India, accord-ing to the Agriculture Statistics Repor t, 2015. In 2014-15, itcontributed 21 per cent of the meat produced in India. Of the75 slaughterhouses registered with the APEDA for meatexpor t, as many as 49 are in Uttar Pradesh. This means thestate is likely to have the large number of slaughterhouses,many illegal. Buffalo meat is a major expor t from India, goingto more than 40 countries. In the 2015-16, Uttar Pradeshrecorded the highest buffalo meat expor t, followed byMaharashtra. In 2015-16, India expor ted 13.14 lakh metrictonnes (MT) buffalo meat of wor th Rs 26,685.42 crore.There is no reliable estimate of people employed in UttarPradesh's slaughterhouses and meat shops, but it is likely tobe in tens of thousands. Around 6.7 million are employed inthe country's food-processing industry, which includesslaughterhouses and meat processing units, according to theAgriculture Statistics, 2015.The issue of illegal abattoirs in Uttar Pradesh is not new. Theerstwhile Samajwadi Par ty government had also issued agovernment order in June 2014 to probe their operations. InMay 2015, the National Green Tribunal ordered the stategovernment to act against illegal slaughterhouses to curb the

pollution caused by them. The BJP government's move goes astep fur ther, banning not only illegal slaughtering but alsolicensed mechanical operations, which are mostly legal andfocused on expor ts. Previous governments, acknowledgingthe advantage of mechanised slaughter technology overtraditional methods in increasing and improving output for theexpor t market, had offered financial assistance for upgrades.2. Livestock: UP recorded 14% growth, indicatingeconomic dependenceMeat production is entirely dependent on livestock, a sectorthat contributed nearly 4.11 per cent to India's GDP at currentprices in 2012-13. It also contributes nearly 25.6 per cent ofoutput, by value, at current prices in the agriculture, fishingand forestry sectors, according to the Livestock CensusRepor t, 2012.India houses a significant percentage of the world's livestock.A comparison of the last two livestock censuses reveals a3.33 per cent decrease in livestock in 2012 compared to 2007.But Uttar Pradesh, along with Gujarat and Assam, registeredgrowth (14 per cent), indicating the economy's dependence onlivestock and allied businesses.Livestock are an impor tant economic resource, especially inrural areas. Cattle, buffalo, goat and sheep are maintained byagricultural families, mostly those with small land holdings,and by landless labourers who use them primarily for milkand also meat. Cattle are also loaned for agriculture andtranspor tation. Poor families sell stray cattle to butchers. Indrought-affected areas, such as par ts of Maharashtra,Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, cattle areoften sold to tide over economic crises.3. Leather: Majority of employees from disadvantagedcommunit iesIn 2014-15, India leather expor ts were valued at $6.4 billion(Rs 39,097 crore) and in 2015-16, at $5.8 billion (Rs 38,396crore), according to Council for Leather Expor ts data. TheIndian leather industry provides formal and informal employ-ment to 2.5 million people, mostly from disadvantagedcommunities: A third of leather workers are women and afour th are scheduled castes and tribes. Leather workers whoare not from traditional tanning communities or are notMuslims come from poor agricultural families, according to astudy by the Centre for Education and Communication (CEC),an advocacy.

The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has told the Su-preme Cour t that Triple Talaq in a single sitting is not just Islamic butit has been sanctioned by the Quran and Hadith. While serious dis-cussions have been held on the issue around the world and these arewell-documented, the AIMPLB is not ready to take a cue from devel-opments, including in the Arab world. The Board, whose stand onmany issues seems arbitrary and illogical, has failed to realise thatits opaque reading of Islamic jurisprudence will be counter-produc-tive and give ammunition to anti-Islamic forces to target Islam andMuslim personal law.Read the entire Quran and you wouldn't find a mention of Triple Talaq,a mindless action on the par t of the husband. Triple Talaq is mostlyuttered by people in extreme rage, when the person loses the capabil-ity to take a sane decision. To give it a legal teeth is illogical and anti-Islamic. Wherever Quran talks of talaq or divorce, it mentions a ratherlong mechanism and doesn't give total control over it to the husband.It does not allow the husband to take the decision on his whims anddestroy a family he and his wife and the larger family had built overthe years.While the AIMPLB said Triple Talaq is sanctioned by Quran and Hadith,this is not so. In Surah Talaq, Quran mentions how the mechanism ofdivorce works. Quran talks about talaq being a long process withfixed period and forbids the wife to leave the house in the entire periodto allow the couple to reconcile. In the same surah, Quran says that atthe end of the period the couple needs to decide if they want to livetogether or separate.At another place, Quran talks about the divorce being twice and thenthe couple should decide if they have to live together. If they decide toseparate, it orders them to separate amicably and not allow the hus-band to usurp the lawful rights a woman has in such circumstances.At another place, Quran asks the family to arbiter if the differencesbetween husband and wife have become irreconcilable.Quran nowhere allows the mindless act of Triple Talaq in a singlesitting. On the contrary, there are clear evidences from the life of theProphet, when he asked Abdullah bin Abbas, an aide, to take back hiswife, whom he had divorced in a way that was not proper.Quran says: "A divorce is only permissible twice: after that, the par-ties should either hold together on equitable terms, or separate withkindness. It is not lawful for you (Men), to take back any of your gifts,except when both par ties fear that they would be unable to keep the

limits ordained by Allah. If ye (judges) do indeed fear that they wouldbe unable to keep the limits ordained by Allah, there is no blame oneither of them if she gives something for her freedom. These are thelimits ordained by Allah. So do not transgress them, if any does trans-gress the limits ordained by Allah, such persons wrong (themselvesas well as others)."The Muslim Personal Law Board's stand is arbitrary and illogical notjust regarding Triple Talaq in a single sitting, but also when it comesto the compensation at the time of talaq. When a wife of decades isdivorced at the spur of the moment, they claim the husband will giveonly Mehr (bride money) to her committed at the time of marriage. Inthe Shah Bano case, the elderly woman was given a paltry Rs 3,000by her husband - more than three decades after the marriage andthrown out of the house.Quran asks people who have been forced by circumstances to sepa-rate to pay to the wife who is being divorced. It adds the moneypaid will depend on the financial condition of the husband. In thegiven circumstances, the Personal Law Board would have donewell to come up with a correct reading of the Quran and shariahand not be bogged down by what it has been following without anyQuranic sanction.



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TRUDEAU ANNOUNCES $102.4M FOR FORDCANADA TO MAINTAIN ALMOST 800 JOBS

WINDSOR - The Government of Canada is committed to making Canada aworld-leading centre for innovation and a top destination for businesses toinvest, to help create good, well-paying jobs, and strengthen the middleclass. That is why the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has announced aninvestment of $102.4 million to Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd.The Government of Ontario will contribute an additional $102.4 million insupport of this project. These investments will attract an additional $1 billionin research and development spending from Ford of Canada, and lead to thecreation and maintenance of almost 800 good, middle class jobs for Cana-dian workers. The announcement will help Ford of Canada transform itsWindsor Operations into a world-class engine facility, which will result in anall-new global engine program that will support good, middle class jobs, andensure the facility's long-term future.These investments will also strengthen Ford of Canada's research and devel-opment capacity at existing facilities, including the Powertrain EngineeringResearch and Development Centre in Windsor. The funding will also helpestablish the new Research and Engineering Centre in Ottawa, with addi-tional locations in Waterloo and Oakville, which will focus on connectivity

research and development across infotainment, in-vehicle modems, gate-way modules, driver-assist features, and self-driving cars. The Centre willsupport good, middle class jobs and equip Canadians working in this sectorwith the skills they need for the jobs of the future.Together, these effor ts will help keep Canada's automotive manu-facturing sector globally competitive and innovative, and ensureFord of Canada keep its manufacturing facilities in Canada foryears to come. "Today's investments will help create and main-tain almost 800 great jobs for Canadians in Windsor and acrossOntario, while equipping Canadians with the skills they need todesign and build the cars of the future. This is about positioning Canada asa global centre for automotive innovation, creating better opportunities forCanadians, and keeping Canada's automotive manufacturing sector com-petitive." - Justin Trudeau"This investment demonstrates how Ford is transforming to be both an autoand mobility company. With strategic partnerships, Canada can competeand win in the global auto industry." - Mark Buzzell, president and CEO, FordMotor Company of Canada, Ltd.

Changes to OntarioBuilding Code ImproveEnergy EfficiencyONTARIO - Will you need a build-ing permit this spring? The Cityof Mississauga is not i fy inghomeowners, designers and con-tractors of changes to the OntarioBuilding Code (OBC) in advanceof star ting a renovation project.The changes relate to energy ef-ficiency requirements that cameinto effect on January 1 this year."We want to ensure everyone isaware and understands thechanges to the Ontario BuildingCode before applying for a build-ing permit," said Ezio Savini, Di-rector, Building Division. "Thesechanges help make bui ldingsmore energy efficient and willreduce operat ing costs." Thechanges affect how a homeowneror contractor sets out to meetenergy efficiency requirements ofthe OBC.

Government to invest $125-million in artificial intelligenceBRAMPTON - Justin Trudeau recently toured the high-techtheme during a visit to auto par ts pioneer Magna InternationalInc. (TSX:MG) recently, where he highlighted Ottawa's five-year, $125-million investments in ar tificial intelligence - whathe called a "platform" technology."In the same way that electricity revolutionized manufactur-ing, and the microprocessor reinvented how we gather, ana-lyze and communicate information, ar tificial intelligence willcut across nearly every industry in Canada," Trudeau said inBrampton, Ont."It will shape the world that our kids and grandkids grow up in,and we can either be a par t of that, help steer its direction andtake advantage of the good, middle-class jobs it will create, orwe can watch other countries step in."Critics, however, denounced the auto-sector money as an ar-chaic, horse-and-buggy approach to fostering economic growththat does nothing but drain government coffers and line corpo-rate pockets. "It is ludicrous to suggest that Ford 'needed' a$200-million handout from Ontario and Canadian taxpayers,as the company earned a global pre-tax profit of more thanUS$10 billion in 2015," the Canadian Taxpayers Federationsaid in a statement."Corporate welfare is an unsustainable, wasteful and unfairapproach to economic development that creates perverse in-centives and teaches businesses that the key to success is tocosy up to governments for free taxpayer money." The $125million in AI funding, announced in last week's federal budget,is aimed at suppor ting existing AI institutes in Toronto,Edmonton and Montreal, establishing so-called "deep learn-ing" research chairs at universities across the country, set-ting up a national training program and fostering collabora-tions with industry, he added.

Ontario Opens World-LeadingArtificial Intelligence Institute - VectorONTARIO - Ontario is ensuring businesses in the provincecontinue to stay ahead in the innovation economy, and attractinvestment and top talent, by suppor ting a new institute forar tificial intelligence (AI) with a specific focus on deep learn-ing and machine learning. Ontario's highly skilled workforce,competitive business climate and recognized culture of innovationmake the province an ideal home for the Vector Institute for artificialintelligence. The institute will work to produce, retain and attract top talentin the field and generate further investment from companies looking tohire experts and expand their AI divisions.Collaborating with established businesses, start-ups and academic insti-tutions, the institute's work holds great promise for solving some of thebiggest health, social and economic challenges of our time. Artificialintelligence can deliver improvements as diverse as accurately diagnos-ing an illness earlier, to protecting people against consumer fraud.Ontario's investment in the Vector Institute will help:* Encourage more investment, research and development, andcreate jobs* Retain, train and attract talent, with the aim of producing themost masters, applied masters, PhDs and post-doctoral gradu-ates in deep learning and machine learning AI* Provide businesses with made-in-Ontario AI tools, talent andresearch* Promote exports of homegrown products and services enabledthrough AI.Staying on the cutting edge of technology and leading globalinnovation is par t of Ontario's plan to create jobs, grow oureconomy and help people in their everyday lives. "Artificial intel-ligence and deep learning are, in fact, all about people. We will harnessthese cutting-edge technologies to improve everyday life in Ontario, whilealso attracting the world's best talent to our province. These investmentsstrengthen our position as a global leader in the innovation economy,which is critical to creating more well-paying jobs and shared prosperityfor the people of Ontario." - Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario.


TUESDAY, APRIL 04, 2017c a n a d aGreater Employment Opportunities for Adults with

Developmental Disabilities in York RegionONTARIO - Ontario is suppor ting adults with developmental disabilities in York Region as par t of aprovince wide program that will help promote community-based employment and improve employment services andsupports. Dr Helena Jaczek, Minister of Community and Social Services was at Community Living York South recently toannounce that the centre is receiving funding for its Outcome Employment Project, which will help adults with developmentaldisabilities to improve their job search skills so that they can find competitive employment in York Region. The project willspecifically help people whose first language is not English. This is one of 38 projects that is receiving support through thesecond phase of Ontario'sEmployment and Modernization Fund (EMF), which promotes greater inclusion and independencefor people with developmental disabilities in their communities. Supporting agencies and helping adults with developmentaldisabilities live as independently as possible is part of Ontario's plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in theireveryday lives. "As I visit agencies across the province, I see the continued expansion of strong par tner-ships that are driving more inclusivity for people with developmental disabilities in our communities. Wehave already begun to see the progress that the Employment and Modernization funding has had onagencies being able to deliver programs that are giving individuals with developmental disabilities greateroppor tunities for employment." - Dr Helena Jaczek, Minister of Community and Social Services.

ONTARIO BUILDING AND REPAIRING KEYINFRASTRUCTURE IN 19 COMMUNITIES

ONTARIO - Ontario is helping 19 municipalities across the province make the roads and bridges that runthrough their communities and connect to provincial highways safer, while fostering economic growthand job creation. Transpor tation Minister Steven Del Duca was at the Sault Ste. Marie Civic Centrerecently to announce that the City of Sault Ste. Marie will receive suppor t through the Connecting Linksprogram to resurface two sections of Second Line along Highway 550/17. Connecting links are municipal roads orbridges that connect two ends of a provincial highway through a community, or to a border crossing. Ontario is making thelargest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, public transit, roads and bridges in the province's history. To learn moreabout what's happening in your community, go to Ontario.ca/BuildON. Investing in safe, well-maintained connections toprovincial highways is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives."Our Connecting Links program is one way we show our long-term commitment to Ontario's rural and northern communitiesand to the families who live there. These highways are essential links in many communities, connecting people to jobs andimproving the economy and residents' quality of life." - Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transpor tation.

CANADIAN GDP GREW 0.6% IN JANUARYOTTAWA - Gross domestic product grew 0.6% in January on the strength of widespread growth acrossboth goods- and service-producing industries. With the exception of October, gross domestic product hasrisen every month since June 2016. Goods-producing industries grew for the seventh time in eightmonths, increasing by 1.1% in January. Service-producing industries rose 0.4%, their highest monthlygrowth rate since June 2015. The manufacturing sector was the largest contributor to the increase in grossdomestic product, expanding 1.9% in January. With the exception of October, the manufacturing sector has grown everymonth since June 2016. Durable manufacturing rose 2.0% in January, led by growth in fabricated metal, non-metallic mineraland wood product manufacturing. Transportation equipment was up 0.6%, as growth in motor vehicle, motor vehicle body andtrailer, aerospace product and parts and railroad rolling stock manufacturing was partly offset by declines in manufactur-ing of motor vehicle par ts and other transpor tation equipment.

FEDERAL INVESTMENT OF $21.3 BILLION TO HELPTRANSFORM ONTARIO'S GO NETWORKONTARIO - Premier Kathleen Wynne released this statement today following an announcement about Ontario'sGO Regional Express Rail (GO RER): "When it comes to a person's everyday commute, every minute counts.That is why Ontario is undertaking the largest commuter rail transformation in the country. GO RER will providenew travel options for millions of commuters, build 12 new stations, drastically increase the frequency ofservice, cut travel times and help manage congestion in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and surround-ing communities. It will increase the number of weekly trips across the GO train network from 1,500 today toroughly 6,000 by 2025. And with more people taking transit, we can also reduce greenhouse gas emissionsand fight climate change. "Ontario's allocation of $13.5 billion to implement GO Regional Express Rail adds tothe $7.8 billion investment for GO network upgrades and the extension of regular train service to Niagara andBowmanville. This total $21.3 billion transformation of the GO network is creating thousands of jobs, bolsteringOntario's economy, and improving people's quality of life. The GO capital program is the largest commuter railprogram in Canada. It is also part of the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario's history -- morethan $160 billion over 12 years for roads, bridges, transit systems, schools and hospitals. We are building athriving region that will continue to be a great place to live, work and raise a family."As I have always said, people are best served when their governments work together. Today, Ontariowelcomes the federal government's investment of roughly $1.9 billion in our GO RER project. This federalcontribution will help us build new track, upgrade stations and create grade separations along theKitchener, Barrie and Lakeshore corridors.



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Tamil Nadu farmers agitating against water scarcity at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Protest has entered the fourth week.

ED ATTACHES PROPERTIES OF EX-AKALIMINISTER, FORMER MLA, 11 OTHERS

Conspiracy being hatched toincrease power, water rates: KejriwalNEW DELHI, (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal onFriday claimed that with a view to hike electricity and waterrates, a conspiracy was being hatched to transfer the powerand water departments to the municipal corporations if theBJP or the Congress came to power in the civic bodies.Kejriwal appealed to the people to give the Aam Aadmi Par ty(AAP) a 2015 Delhi assembly election-like mandate in thecivic polls too, so that the rates of electricity and water arenot increased."A senior BJP leader told me that if Congress or BJP comesto power in municipal corporations, then the power and wa-ter departments of the Delhi government will be transferredto the corporations as was before 1998. This was being doneto increase the rates of electricity and water in Delhi," hesaid while addressing a public meeting in Burari area ofnor th Delhi. He appealed to the people to vote for the AAP inthe municipal polls and give it a huge mandate so that "cor-ruption in municipal corporations could be abolished andDelhi could be cleaned". Elections for 272 municipal wardsin Delhi will be conducted on April 23 and the results will bedeclared on April 26.

EC bans exit polls for LokSabha bypolls in KashmirJAMMU, (PTI) The Election Commission of India (ECI) hasbanned exit pol ls between Apri l 9 and Apri l 16 whenbyelections are held for two Lok Sabha seats of Srinagar andAnantnag in Kashmir. "In connection with the bye-electionsto Srinagar and Anantnag Parliamentary constituencies inJammu and Kashmir, the ECI has prohibited exit polls be-tween 7 AM on April 9 and 6.30 PM on April 12, a notificationissued by the commission said."In exercise of the powers under Sub-Section (1) of Section126 A of the Representation of People s Act 1951, ECI hasnotified the period between 7 AM on April 9 and 6.30 PM onApril 12 during which conducting any exit poll and publishingor publicising by means of the print or electronic media ordissemination in any other manner whatsoever, the result ofany exit poll shall be prohibited," the notification stated.Displaying any election matter including results of any opin-ion poll or any other poll survey, in any electronic media,would be prohibited during the period of 48 hours ending withthe hours fixed for conclusion of poll for bye-elections, thenotification added.

Prime Minister apathetic tofarmers: Rahul GandhiNEW DELHI, (IANS) Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhion Friday said the BJP government is "Kisan Virodhi" (anti-farmer) and asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi can givedebt relief to the rich, then why not to farmers. Accusing thePrime Minister of being disrespectful to farmers, RahulGandhi, who met Tamil Nadu farmers agitating in the capitalfor drought relief funds, said the plight of the drought-strickenfarmers and their families did not affect the government."I don't understand why this discrimination. If PM has givendebt relief to the richest people in the country, why is he notready to give debt relief to those who build this country - thefarmers. He has no concern for the farmers," Gandhi said. "BJPgovernment works only for a few super rich families," he added. TheCongress leader also said it was the responsibility of the Prime Ministerto listen to the farmers and solve their problems.

CHANDIGARH (PTI): The ED has attached proper ties worth Rs 61.62crore belonging to 13 people, including former Punjab minister andformer Akali Chief Parliamentary Secretary, in the multi-crore drugracket case. Proper ties of 13 persons wor th Rs 61.62 crore has beenattached which include showrooms, agricultural land, residentialhouses, assets of businesses, firms, fixed deposit receipts (FDR)and seven luxury cars, the agency said. The Enforcement Directorate orderedprovisional attachment of immovable property worth Rs 14.75 lakh of former Akaliminister Sarwan Singh Phillaur. He was a Jail minister in the erstwhile Akali-BJPgovernment. Immovable property of his son Damanvir Singh Phillaur,worth Rs 4.72 crore, was also attached by the ED. Apart from them, theagency attached the property of former Akali MLA and Chief Parliamen-tary Secretary (CPS) Avinash Chander to the tune of Rs 55.45 lakh. "EDJalandhar zone is investigating drug racket case of Jagdish Bhola andothers under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002.Investigation revealed that proceeds of crime derived from cash-rich drug busi-ness has been laundered in movable and immovable properties. The ED hasissued provisional attachment order on March 31 for attaching movable/immovable properties worth Rs 61,61,88,590," it said. The order alsoincluded the attached property of Amritsar -based businessmen JagjitSingh Chahal, Paramjit Singh Chahal and Inderjit Kaur (business con-cerns and immovable properties worth Rs 54.59 crore). Besides, the propertiesof Una-based businessman Devinder Kant Sharma (worth Rs 5.64 lakh), Cana-dian NRIs Sukhraj Singh and Jaswinder Singh (Rs 16.65 lakh), Canadian NRI AvtarSingh and his family (Rs 51.10 lakh), Delhi-based businessman Sachin Sardana(Rs 74.65 lakh), Patiala resident Harpreet Singh (Rs 42.45 lakh) and Goraya-based

businessman Chunni Lal Gaba and his family (Rs 17.12 lakh) have been attached.The ED has earlier attached the assets worth over Rs 34 crore and prosecutioncomplaints have already been filed against 48 people and companies.The ED has been probing an international drug racket, which wasunear thed with the arrest of an NRI, Anoop Singh Kahlon, by theFatehgarh Sahib Police in March 2013. Fur ther probe in the casehad led to the arrest of alleged kingpin Jagdish Bhola, a dismissedDSP of Punjab Police.

Kejriwal wants MCD polls deferred,repeats ballot paper demandNEW DELHI, (PTI) The municipal election in Delhi should be "post-poned" so that it can be held using ballot papers, Chief Minister ArvindKejriwal today said, three weeks before the polls. Kejriwal had made thedemand right after the Punjab state polls results were announced, ques-tioning the reliability of electronic voting machines. But it was rejected byLt Governor Anil Baijal who cited "time constraints" to effect any changein mode of polling. On the Election Commission asking the AAP to "intro-spect" on the reasons behind its performance in Punjab, Kejriwal's caus-tic response was that he was considering including the EC in his party'sdecision-making body, the Political Affairs Committee (PAC). Addressing a pressconference at his residence, Kejriwal alleged "widepsread tampering" of EVMsand claimed VVPAT machines from Uttar Pradesh were being brought to conductthe Rajouri Garden bypoll in Delhi.

"MCD polls should be held usingpaper ballots. It should be post-poned if time is required to dothat," he told repor ters.



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SC bans hotels, restaurants alonghighways from serving liquor

CONGRESS WORKERS PROTEST AGAINST NARADA SCAM AND GAS PRICE HIKE IN WEST BENGAL.

BJP SAYS NO TALKS WITHPAK, SEPARATISTSJAMMU, (PTI) The BJP today ruled out any talks with Paki-stan and separatists and said that those advocating suchdemands are befooling people. "No talks can be held eitherwith Pakistan or internal stakeholders (separatists and stone-pelters) in the present circumstances and those advocatingnegotiations to reach a political solution for the Kashmirproblem are doing so to fool people," state spokespersonVirender Gupta said in a statement.He alleged that NC leaders were responsible for the currentstate of affairs in the state but were blaming the PDP-BJPalliance for it. He also criticised those condemning the re-cent action of security forces in which three stone pelterswere killed. Gupta asked Kashmiri leaders to use their influ-ence in keeping youths away from areas where securityforces and terrorists engage in encounters.He said the state government should take serious note of thepro-Azadi, pro-Pakistan and anti-India posters and flags be-ing displayed in different par ts of the Valley. He also ex-pressed anguish over repor ts of a poster which said "Wel-come to Chota Pakistan" on a main road in the hear t ofSrinagar. He said the government's indifference to theseincidents sent the wrong signals and showed its helpless-ness or weakness. Gupta said the government's authorityhas to prevail if the situation is to be brought to normalcyand to win the confidence of the majority of population thatdoes not endorse acts of terrorism and secession. The needof the hour is also to impose restrictions on social mediathat is being used by Pakistan and secessionist forces toinstigate people against the government and to fur ther tightenthe security in the Valley, he claimed.

No political vendetta in caseagainst Virbhadra: HCNEW DELHI, (PTI) Delhi High Cour t today refused to quashthe dispropor tionate assets case fi led by CBI againstHimachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and hiswife, saying there is no basis to claim that the FIR is theresult of any "political vendetta". It also vacated the HimachalPradesh High Cour t's October 1, 2015 interim order restrain-ing CBI from arresting, interrogating or filing a charge sheetin the case without the cour t's permission."There is no factual basis brought on record to claim that theregistration of the FIR against the petitioners (Singh and hiswife) is actuated or legally or factually mala fide or that theregistration of the FIR/ RC is a result of political vendetta,"Justice Vipin Sanghi said.Following the prder, the agency later in the day filed a charge sheetbefore the special court here against nine people including the 82-year-old Congress leader for alleged offences punishable under section 109(abetment) of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.

NEW DELHI, (IANS) The Supreme Cour t on Friday said hotels andrestaurants falling within 500 metres on either side of the national andstate highways cannot serve liquor. The top cour t by its December15, 2016 order had banned the liquor shops within 500 metres on theeither side of the national and state highways.Refusing to issue a clarification that the December 15 judgment ap-plied only to liquor shops and not to hotels and restaurants, the benchof Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice D. Y. Chandrachud andJustice L. Nageswara Rao, said no such relaxation could be madethat would defeat the object of preventing drunken driving. "Sincethe object of the (December 15) direction is to prevent drunkendriving, no such relaxation can be made which would defeat theobject which is sought to be achieved. Consequently, the direc-tions issued by this cour t cannot be read down, as suggested.The d i rec t ions sha l l be read as they s tand , " sa id Jus t iceChandrachud pronouncing the order.However, the cour t relaxed the ban on the location of liquor shopsby reducing it to 220 metres in respect of municipal/local bodieswith 20,000 or less population falling along the highways. "In thecase of areas comprised in local bodies with a population of 20,000people or less, the distance of 500 metres shall stand reduced to220 metres," the cour t said in its order. Besides, the top cour texempted Sikkim and Meghalaya from the ban order altogether.Noting the 82 per cent forest cover in Sikkim and the peculiar

hilly terrain in Meghalaya, the cour t said, "We are of the view thatinsofar as the states of Meghalaya and Sikkim are concerned, itwould suffice if the two states are exempted only from the appli-cation of the 500 metre distance…" However, Himachal Pradeshhas been brought in the ban limit of 220 metres as applicable tolocal bodies adjoining the highways with 20,000 or less popula-tion."We are of the view that the exemption which has been grantedearlier in respect of areas falling under local bodies with a popu-lation of 20,000 will sufficiently protect the interests" of HimachalPradesh and "no fur ther relaxation is granted over and above whathas already been stated in that regard," the order said. The cour tdeclined to provide any relief to Tamil Nadu which had soughtmore time to implement the December 15, 2016 order.Rejecting the request for the extension of time by Tamil Nadu, theorder said that in the state (Tamil Nadu) the liquor vends are operatedby state-owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC)and the April 1, 2017, deadline was fixed on its request only. Re-ferring to the varying excise years in different states including inAndhra Pradesh and Telangana, the cour t said that in the case oflicenses which were renewed prior to its December 15 order andthey expire on or after April 1, 2017, "the existing licence shallcontinue until the term of the licence expires but in any event not laterthan 30 September 2017."


TUESDAY, APRIL 04, 2017w o r l d

At least 250 dead in Colombia mudslide: Official

BOGOTA, (IANS) Forensic authorities in Colombia has said that atleast 248 people have died in the Mocoa mudslide after heavy rainscaused rivers to overflow in Colombia's Putumayo province. "At themoment we have 248 dead bodies registered," Efe news quotedCarlos Eduardo Valdes, director of the National Institute of ForensicMedicine and Forensic Science on Sunday.Hundreds were repor ted dead and several hundreds missing aftertorrential rains on Friday night caused three rivers surrounding

Mocoa to overflow - sending a torrent of mud surging through thecity, CNN reported. Reports of the exact number of those killed inthe rugged, remote area varied. The Colombian military on Saturdayhad said at least 254 were dead and around 400 more injured.While the Red Cross repor ted 234 deaths and said that 158 peoplewere missing. A police officer was among the victims, federalofficials said. President Juan Manuel Santos has declared a state ofemergency.

10 killed in Russia Metro blast, UN chief slams attackUnited Nations, April 3 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday condemned the bombing in St. Petersburg Metro,which killed at least 10 people, and said that those responsible for the attack should be held accountable. "The Secretary-Generalcondemns today's (Monday) bombing in the St. Petersburg Metro," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here."He extends his deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and the people of the RussianFederation," Dujarric said. "Those responsible for this appalling act must be held accountable." The blast took place on a subway trainin the Russian city of St. Petersburg Monday afternoon, killing at least 10 people and injuring about 50 others, a report said. The bomb,a homemade device filled with shrapnel, exploded in the third car just after the front of the train had entered the tunnel, the repor t said.

Trump may revisit his policiesin future: US representativesNEW DELHI, (IANS) US President Donald Trump may softenhis position on some of his controversial policies with time,two visiting US politicians said on Monday. "When you gov-ern, you have to deal with people with different opinion. Iam hopeful that this President will learn… ultimately, someof those positions may be softened," Pamela J. Althoff,member of Illinois State Senate, said.While speaking at a town hall on 'Political Process in theUS' here, a question was put to Pamela Althoff on the re-cent shift in the US policies related to climate change andglobal and regional trade regimes. On the controversialH-1B visa policy of the Trump administration, New Jer-sey state assembly man Raj Mukherji said: "A par t ofthe problem with being elected on a campaign that spewxenophobia, whether or not that is the reason you areelected… if xenophobia was par t of your platform, nowyou are stuck with having to do things that are consistentwith that philosophy." Pamela Althoff and Raj Mukherji re-sponded to questions from a mix of students, academicsand journalists at the event. Talking about the job lossesin the US, Mukherji said: "In America, one-tenth of those(jobs) were lost to overseas workers. Most of them youcan attribute to technology or automation. I guess youcan blame Indians for that because they are from tech-nologically progressive country.

Europe 'hub' for child sexualabuse content: ReportLONDON, (IANS) Europe is becoming a global hub for thehosting of child sexual abuse images and videos, suggestsa repor t. The annual report by the UK-based Internet WatchFoundation (IWF) released on Sunday found that 60 percent of worldwide abuse material was now in Europe - anincrease of 19 per cent, the BBC repor ted. The Netherlandstopped the list of European nations hosting the illegal con-tent, said the IWF repor t. Improved repor ting and policingby internet service providers (ISP) in Nor th America arebelieved to have driven the shift. "The situation is reversedfrom previous years," said Susie Hargreaves, chief execu-tive of the IWF. "Europe is now the biggest host of childsexual abuse imagery, rather than Nor th America." In 2015,about 57 per cent of the web pages containing abuse con-tent could be found in Nor th America, according to the IWFfigures. In 2016, this had dropped to 37 per cent with themajority now in Europe. The IWF repor t said about 34,212web pages were found to be displaying abuse content inEurope - which also includes Russia and Turkey.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, APRIL 04, 2017 w o r l d

Tillerson at Nato Summit: Urges onincreasing defence expenditure plan

ANTI BREXIT CAMPAIGNERS CARRY BANNERS AS THEY MARCH TOWARDS BRITAIN'S PARLIAMENT IN LONDON.

US gives Cessna aircraft to Pakfor counter-terrorismFROM SAJJAD HUSSAINISLAMABAD, (PTI) The US today made a fresh delivery ofCessna aircraft to Pakistan's army to enhance its counter-terrorism capabilities and air mobility. "The Office of De-fence Representative Pakistan made another delivery ofCessna aircraft to the Pakistan Army," the US embassy in Paki-stan said. It was not known precisely how many aircraft weredelivered. The embassy, however, said that since November 2016,the Pakistan Army had received six Cessna planes, two Cessna208 Caravans and four Cessna 206H aircraft. "These aircraft willassist the Pakistan Army with their air mobility capability by en-hancing the Army's ability to conduct medical evacuations, as wellas provide limited troop and equipment transpor t," it said. Ameri-can security assistance continues to build the counter-ter-rorism capabilities of Pakistan's security forces, the em-bassy statement said. "The United States and Pakistan arestronger when we work together to combat terrorism," it said.Cessna Aircraft company is an American general aviationaircraft manufacturing corporation.

Xi-Trump meeting to set courseof bilateral ties: ChinaFROM K J M VARMABEIJING, (PTI) China has said the first meeting between itspresident Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump nextweek will char t out the course of bilateral ties amidst "pro-found and complicated" international situation.Trump is scheduled to meet Xi at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Floridaon April 6 and 7, which has attracted global attention since Trump hadvowed to unleash a trade war with China for what he said was unfairChinese trade practices. He even went on to call Beijing a "currencymanipulator", but has toned down his rhetoric after becoming the presi-dent in January. Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang told reporters thatChina hopes the Xi-Trump meeting will set the direction of the bilateralties. "It will be the first meeting between the heads of state of China andthe US since the new US administration took office." Zheng said as theinternational situation continues undergoing "profound and complicatedchanges", the meeting will be of great significance to charting China-USties in a new era, advancing the development of bilateral ties in a"healthy and stable way from a new starting point, and promoting peace,stability and prosperity in Asia and the Pacific and the world at large."Zheng said Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan will attend a welcome banquethosted by Trump and his wife Melania. The presidents will exchange"in-depth views" on China-US ties and major international and regionalaffairs of common concern with a view to enhance understand-ing and cooperation. Trump is expected to press Xi on takingaction against Beijing's ally Nor th Korea to halt its nuclearand missile programme.

BRUSSELS, (IANS) US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson onFriday attended his first NATO foreign ministers meeting inBrussels where he urged the alliance to boost spending andincrease its presence in the Middle East. Tillerson arrivedat the gathering of top diplomats for the one-day event thathad originally been scheduled for April 5, but was broughtforward to ensure Washington's representative could attend.Efe news repor ted. Tillerson said it was impor tant to ensurethat the trans-Atlantic alliance "has all of the resources,financial and otherwise, that are necessary for NATO tofulfil its mission".NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday said hewas confident the alliance's leadership would adopt adecision on plans to increase military expenditure at asummit in Brussels in May. NATO foreign ministers willmeet for the first time at the organisation's headquar ters onFriday with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who wouldstress the need for Canada and its European par tners toincrease their defence expenditure, Efe news repor ted.

Stoltenberg said an increase in defence spending had nothing todo with "pleasing the US", but was a commitment assumed in2014 when the allies sat around the same table and decided to"stop the cuts in defence spending, gradual increase and raisethe expenditure up to 2 per cent of the GNP within a decade."I expect national plans to be an impor tant topic to be dis-cussed," Stoltenberg said, adding that "the idea of developingnational plans for all NATO allies is something we have star tedto look into." He said the plan was to make decisions "when theheads of state and leaders meet in May". Stoltenberg said theplans were about capabilities and how NATO was going to "fillin the capability gaps", and how allies could commit resourcesto NATO missions and operations.He said it was "impor tant" to have a document on how to applythese commitments. "This is about more funding, but it is notjust about cash. It is also about investing in the capabilities weneed and committing forces to NATO deployments," he said.Stoltenberg added that the US was investing additional re-sources in deploying more US forces in Europe.

trudeau defends budget 2017, immigration policy but does...

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