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2 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, MAY 09, 2017

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

Truth will triumph: Kejriwal in wake ofcorruption charges levelled against him

AAP CANADA DIVIDED: BHAGWANT MANN APPOINTED AS PARTY PRESIDENT IN PUNJAB. SOME AAP CANADA MEMBERS AND NRIS WEREAGAINST BHAGWANT MANN'S APPOINTMENT. ABOUT 26 PEOPLE WROTE A LETTER TO KEJRIWAL SAYING HE SHOULD NOT BE MADE PUNJABCONVENOR. BUT CANADA CONVENER JASKIRAT MANN (SEEN HERE) SAID THIS COULD BE THE OPINION OF FEW INDIVIDUALS OR COUPLE OFCITY CONVENERS, BUT DEFINITELY DOES NOT REPRESENT AAP CANADA PARTY`S OR NRIS` DECISION IN GENERAL.

INDORE CLEANEST INDIAN CITY,GONDA THE DIRTIEST

International Court Of Justice stayshanging of Kulbhushan Jadhav

Punjab CM raises Sikh attacks acrossglobe, Sushma assures of help

NEW DELHI: International Court of Justice has stayed the death sentencegiven to Kulbhushan Jadhav by Pakistan military court on charges of 'spying'.The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed his executionfollowing India's submission that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where hewas involved in business after retiring from the Navy.India, in its appeal to the ICJ, accused Pakistan of "egregious" violations of theVienna Convention on Consular Relations and asserted that Jadhav waskidnapped from Iran where he was involved in business activities after retir-ing from the Indian Navy but Pakistan claimed to have arrested him fromBalochistan on March 3, 2016. Following India's appeal, the ICJ stayedJadhav's execution. India, in its appeal, contended that it was not informed ofJadhav's detention until long after his arrest and that Pakistan failed to informthe accused of his rights. It further asserted that, in violation of the ViennaConvention, the Pakistani authorities were denying India its right of consularaccess to Jadhav, despite repeated requests. "Referring to 'the extreme grav-ity and immediacy of the threat that authorities in Pakistan will execute anIndian citizen in violation of obligations Pakistan owes to India', India urgesthe Court to deliver an order indicating provisional measures immediately,'without waiting for an oral hearing'," India's appeal said. External affairsminister Sushma Swaraj also tweeted on the matter saying she had con-veyed the news to Jadhav's mother and apprised her of the situation.

NEW DELHI - Indore in Madhya Pardesh tops the cleanest cities list in India whileUP`s city Gonda is the dirtiest. A survey conducted in 434 cities, showed Gujarathas maximum of 12 cities among the top 50 cleanest, followed by Madhya Pradeshwith 11 and Andhra Pradesh with eight. Four of the dirtiest cities are in UP and 50of the state's towns are ranked 305 and below except for Varanasi - Prime MinisterModi's constituency - which is in the list of India's cleanest cities. It has ranked 32.The worst cities are from Bihar, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra. In Bihar, 19of 27 cities and towns are beyond 300 and 15 are in the bottom 100. In Rajasthan,18 of 29 cities are ranked beyond 300 and 13 are among the bottom 100. Bhusawalin Maharashtra has been ranked as the second dirtiest city, while Bihar's Bagahaplaces third and Uttar Pradesh's Hardoi is fourth. The other unclean Uttar Pradeshtowns and cities are Bahraich at sixth, Shahjahanpur ninth and Khurja at 10thposition. Bihar's Katihar is the fifth dirtiest city. Two places in Punjab, Muktsar onseventh and Abohar on eighth are also in the 10 most unclean cities.

NEW DELHI (PTI) Concerned over the recent spurt in attacks on Indians, includingSikhs, abroad, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has urged the Centre toensure their protection and take up such issues in “right earnest."Singh had raised concern over the killing of yet another Sikh in a sus-pected hate crime case in the US on Sunday, drawing attention of the UnionExternal Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who had assured him of the Centre’scommitment to help and protect all Indian citizens abroad. In response to Singh’stweet, Swaraj said she had spoken to the Indian ambassador in Washington,Navtej S Sarna, on the issue. Raveen Thukral, Media Advisor to Punjab CM saidSingh was seriously concerned over the recent spurt in hate crimes againstIndians, particularly Sikhs, settled in the US and other parts of the world. Thegrowing “intolerance” against Indians, especially against the Sikh community,needed to be nipped, the chief minister has conveyed to Swaraj, Thukral said.

ICCC ORGANISED A FABULOUS EVENING FELICITATING TECH MAHINDRA CEO CP GURNANI. ALSO SEEN IN THE IMAGE ARE INDIANCONSUL GENERAL IN TORONTO DINESH BHATIA AND ICCC PRESIDENT ARUN SHRIVASTAVA.

KAPIL MISHRA, FORMER AAP CABINET MINISTER HASALLEGED THAT ARVIND KEJRIWAL ACCEPTED IRS2 CROREFROM SATYENDRA JAINMISHRA: KEJRIWAL GAVE IRS50 CRORE FOR HISBROTHER-IN-LAWSACKED AAP MINISTER KAPIL MISHRA SEEKS LIE-DETECTOR TEST

AMID CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS BJP DEMANDSRESIGNATION FROM KEJRIWALMANISH SISODIA: KAPIL MISHRA'S CORRUPTIONALLEGATIONS AGAINST KEJRIWAL ARE NOT EVEN WORTHRESPONDINGSUNITA KEJRIWAL RUBBISHES ALL THOSE ALLEGATIONSADDING HER BROTHER-IN-LAW IS NOT EVEN ALIVECONGRESS WANTS CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS AGAINSTKEJRIWAL TO BE PROBEDANNA HAZARE: CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS AGAINSTARVIND KEJRIWAL ARE SADDENINGKUMAR VISHWAS: NEITHER I NOR AAP'S ENEMIES CANBELIEVE KEJRIWAL ACCEPTED BRIBE

BJP LEADER SHAZIA ILMI: KEJRIWAL IS GREEDY FORPOWER AND MONEYPUNJAB CHIEF MINISTER CAPT AMARINDER: KEJRIWAL'SCORRUPT FACE HAS BEEN EXPOSED. HE SHOULD QUIT AS DELHICHIEF MINISTERFORMER AAP MEMBER YOGENDRA YADAV: EVIDENCEMUST BE PRESENTED BEFORE LEVELLING SUCH SERIOUSALLEGATIONS AGAINST KEJRIWALFORMER MINISTER AZIM KHAN: KEJRIWAL ASKED FORIRS5 CRORE FROM ME AS WELLAAP LEADER HS PHOOLKA: ALLEGATIONS AGAINSTKEJRIWAL ARE TOTALLY ABSURD. WHY IS MEDIA GIVINGSO MUCH IMPORTANCE TO ITSUSPENDED AAP MP DHARAVIRA GANDHI: CHARGES OFCORRUPTION AGAINST MR KEJRIWAL, DREAM OF INDIAOF HONEST ALTERNATIVE POLITICS STANDS ABORTEDFORMER AAP LEADER SUCHA SINGH CHOTEPUR: NOWTHE TRUTH IS COMING OUTBJP CONSPIRING TO CRUSH AAP: SANJAY SINGH

Bhagwant Mann as Punjabpresident; Sukhpal Khaira quits,

Gurpreet Ghuggi annoyedCHANDIGARH (IANS)The Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) on Monday announcedSangrur MP Bhagwant Mann would be its new Punjab unit president and AAPlegislator and millionaire businessman Aman Arora the co-president.The announcement had an immediate reaction with state AAP legislatorSukhpal Singh Khaira announcing his resignation from the posts of partychief whip and spokesman. Khaira, who had left the Congress last year to jointhe AAP and had remained one of its most vocal voices, was clearly upset byMann's elevation as Punjab unit president. "Friends, to set at rest different kind ofrumors doing the round in media, I confirm that I have asked Mr. Kejriwal to relieveme from the posts of Chief Whip and the Spokesperson of the party with immediateeffect. I requested that these positions be given to leaders who are moredeserving than me in the party. I am very happy to serve party as an ordinaryvolunteer and elected representative of the people," Khaira said in a state-ment here. Meanwhile, Gurpreet Ghuggi said he is very upset abouit it.

I DETAILS ON PAGE 12

IN N. INDIA CHANDIGARH CLEANEST,MUKHSAR DIRTIEST


TUESDAY, MAY 09, 2017s p e c i a l r e p o r t

THOUSANDS JOINED KHALSA DAY PARADE FROM MALTON TO REXDALEYMEDIA TEAM COVERED THE EVENT ON CHANNEL Y

MidWeek 5MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY



TUESDAY, MAY 09, 2017c o m m u n i t y

ONTARIO INVESTING $9 BILLION MORE INHEALTH CARE CONSTRUCTION

ONTARIO - As part of the 2017 Budget, Ontario is proposing to spend an additional $9 billion tosuppor t the construction of new hospital projects across the province. This would bring Ontario'stotal planned investment in hospital infrastructure to more than $20 billion over the next 10 years.Premier Kathleen Wynne was joined by Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care,and Charles Sousa, Minister of Finance, at Trillium Health Par tners in Mississauga to announce thenew funding. These new investments will allow hospitals to renovate existing facilities and buildnew ones, addressing a growing demand for health care services and a need for innovative modelsof care.Newly approved major hospital projects include:Trillium Health Par tners -- Broader Redevelopment ProjectNiagara Health System -- New South Niagara Capital ProjectWindsor Regional Health Centre -- New Greenfield Hospital ProjectHamilton Health Sciences -- Hamilton Redevelopment ProjectWeeneebayko Area Health Authority -- Replacement Hospital ProjectInvesting in hospital construction is par t of Ontario's Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care,which is increasing access to the right care, reducing wait times and improving the patient experi-ence -- protecting health care for today and the future. " We're working to put patients first in Ontarioand to give people better, more timely access to the right care. I am committed to making sure thatour province's hospitals have the suppor t required to meet the growing needs of their communities.These investments will mean shor ter wait times and a better hospital environment for both patientsand hospital staff." - Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario" With this commitment to hospital infrastructure, we are addressing future health care needs incommunities across the province. This will allow us to plan for sustainable development in thehospital sector so they can continue to deliver high-quality care for generations to come. It will alsofoster investments in new and innovative models of care, ensuring patients receive the best carebased on the best evidence and advances in technology." - Dr Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health andLong-Term Care.

BRAMPTON REMAINS ONE OF CANADA'SYOUNGEST LARGE CITIES

BRAMPTON - StatisticsCanada's census releasedemonstrates thatBrampton continues torank among the youngestlarge cities in Canada.According to censusnumbers, Brampton hasan average age of 36.5,compared to an averageage of 39.7 for the GTA,41.0 for the Province, anda nationwide average ageof 41.0."Our youth are a keystrength in bringingvitality, energy andinnovation to our city,"said Mayor Linda Jeffrey."It's a driver for some ofthe City's key initiatives,par ticularly around auniversity in Brampton,and also informs the Cityof Brampton's overallplanning vision." Recog-nizing its young andgrowing population, theProvince of Ontario hascommitted to suppor tinga new university in

Brampton, bringinginnovative approaches toskills development neededto build the workforce oftomorrow.Understanding demo-graphic trends helps theCity plan investments anddevelopment to competeon a global stage.Brampton recentlylaunched a process tocreate a planning vision,leveraging internationalbest practices to helpposition Brampton as aNor th American leader inurban planning and designand build a connected,inclusive, innovative andbold city. This latest 2016census data release alsoprovided information aboutgender composition anddwelling types inBrampton. The city'spopulation is still roughlysplit evenly by genderacross all age categories, andtotal private dwellings grew12.6 per cent since 2011.

INDIAN CONSUL GENERAL IN TORONTO DINESH BHATIA RELEASED TELUGU TRANSLATION OF BOOK ON FORMER PRIME MINISTERATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE, HAAR NAHI MANUNGA, BY DR LAXMI PRASAD YARLAGADDA.

INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY TO BECELEBRATED ON JUNE 25

BRAMPTON - The 2017 International Yoga Day celebrations in Toronto is expected to be attended by nearly 10,000people. The International Yoga Day Canada (IYDC), a Canadian NGO, is organizing the celebrations at the Interna-tional Centre in Mississauga on Sunday, June 25. The program will be televised live globally through broadcast andsocial media and is expected to reach an audience of millions across North America and India. "International YogaDay aims to raise awareness of the many benefits of practicing yoga," said Indian Consul General in Toronto, DineshBhatia, Chief Honorary Patron and Head of the Advisory Board of the IYDC on an event held recently prior to the June25 celebrations. "The draft resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India at the UnitedNations and was endorsed by a record 177 member states. The proposal was first introduced by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi in his address during the opening of the 69th session of the General Assembly," he said, adding that"Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.''Baba Ramdev, Indian yoga guru with a global following, will be leading the yoga practice in the morning. SisterShivani, an Indian spiritual teacher, with a significant global following, will lead a RajYoga meditation session in theevening. IYDC was founded in 2015 to propagate and popularise the practice of yoga in Canada. "The 2017 Interna-tional Yoga Day celebrations are coinciding with Canada's 150th birthday. Through our program we want to take thebenefits of yoga to all Canadians to promote wellness and build a healthier and happier Canadian society," said SatishThakkar, Chair of the Board of Directors, IYDC. "IYDC's 2017 celebration of the International Yoga Day will herald anew beginning in broadening the acceptance of yoga in Canada."According to organizers, alternate approaches to health care include techniques such as yoga that occupy a primeplace as one of the most effective and popular disciplines. "It is widely acknowledged that yoga has a positive impacton health and therefore health care. Yoga enhances productivity and contributes positively to the economy. It can alsodirectly contribute to the nation's happiness and creativity," said Thakkar.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, MAY 09, 2017 c o m m u n i t y

NAVDEEP BAINS, MINISTER OF INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MADE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE 57NEW PUBLIC TRANSIT PROJECTS IN MISSISSAUGA. SEEN IN THE IMAGE ARE MISSISSAUGA MAYOR BONNIE CROMBIE, MPIQRA KHALID, MP PETER FONSECA AND MP OMAR ALGHABRA.

SUCCESSFUL SEMINAR HELD ON ELDERLY ABUSE

BRAMPTON MAYOR LINDA JEFFREY AND MISSISSAUGA MAYOR BONNIE CROMBIE WERE AWARDE ON THE RECOGNITION AWARDSNIGHT ORGANISED BY CDN COUNCIL OF IMAMS.

BRAMPTON - Pak Pioneers Community Organization organized a suc-cessful seminar on the Awareness and Prevention of Elder Abuserecently. the event was attended by a large number of seniors from the SouthAsian community. Among the speakers were Roohina Gilani of Victim Services of

Peel, Constable Vic Silvestre of Peel region Police and Professor Dr Amin A.Muhammad who provided very useful information on the topic. MP Peter Fonseca,Dr Mumtaz Hassan, Bashir Khan, Moazzam Alvi and many other promi-nent community members attended the programme.

ONTARIO - As par t of the 2017 Budget, Ontario is proposingto spend an additional $9 billion to suppor t the constructionof new hospital projects across the province. This wouldbring Ontario's total planned investment in hospital infra-structure to more than $20 billion over the next 10 years.Premier Kathleen Wynne was joined today by Dr. EricHoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, and CharlesSousa, Minister of Finance, at Trillium Health Par tners inMississauga to announce the new funding. These newinvestments will allow hospitals to renovate existing facili-ties and build new ones, addressing a growing demand forhealth care services and a need for innovative models ofcare. Essential improvements and expansions would includeemergency rooms, surgical facilities and patient spacesacross the province, from big cities to remote communities.The province is committing to several new priority majorhospital projects that will give patients access to the rightcare, in the right place, at the right time. They will alsoensure that Ontario's health system remains sustainable intothe future.Newly approved major hospital projects include:" Trillium Health Par tners -- Broader RedevelopmentProject" Niagara Health System -- New South Niagara CapitalProject" Windsor Regional Health Centre -- New GreenfieldHospital Project

" Hamilton Health Sciences -- Hamilton Redevelop-ment Project" Weeneebayko Area Health Authority -- ReplacementHospital Project" We're working to put patients first in Ontario and to givepeople better, more timely access to the right care. I amcommitted to making sure that our province's hospitals havethe suppor t required to meet the growing needs of theircommunities. These investments will mean shor ter waittimes and a better hospital environment for both patients andhospital staff." - Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario" With this commitment to hospital infrastructure, we areaddressing future health care needs in communities acrossthe province. This will allow us to plan for sustainabledevelopment in the hospital sector so they can continue todeliver high-quality care for generations to come. It will alsofoster investments in new and innovative models of care,ensuring patients receive the best care based on the bestevidence and advances in technology." - Dr Eric Hoskins,Minister of Health and Long-Term Care" This new $9 billion capital investment in health careinfrastructure reflects our government's commitment toimproving patient access, care and comfor t. By buildinghospital projects in communities like Mississauga, Windsor,Hamilton and James Bay, we can ensure people get the rightcare, where and when they need it." - Charles Sousa,Minister of Finance.

Ontario Investing $9 Billion More In Healthcare Construction

UNEMPLOYMENT DECLINESTO 6.5% IN APRILOTTAWA - Employment was little changed in April, whilethe unemployment rate declined 0.2 percentage points to6.5%, the lowest rate since October 2008. The decreasewas mostly the result of fewer youth searching for work.Compared with 12 months earlier, there were 276,000(+1.5%) more people employed and the unemploymentrate was 0.6 percentage points lower. Over the sameperiod, the total number of hours worked rose 1.1%. InApril, employment increased among people 55 and older,while it declined among men aged 25 to 54. Employmentwas little changed among women aged 25 to 54 andyouths aged 15 to 24. Employment rose in British Colum-bia and Prince Edward Island, while it was vir tuallyunchanged in the other provinces.More people were employed in educational services,health care and social assistance, and transpor tation andwarehousing in April. At the same time, employmentdeclined in business, building and other suppor t services,as well as in accommodation and food services. Publicsector employment increased in April, while the number ofprivate sector employees fell. Self-employment was littlechanged. In British Columbia, employment increased by11,000 in April and the unemployment rate was littlechanged at 5.5%. Employment in the province has been onan upward trend with notable increases in four of the pastfive months. Compared with 12 months earlier, employ-ment in British Columbia increased by 80,000 (+3.4%),mostly in full-time work. There were an estimated 800more people working in Prince Edward Island in April andthe unemployment rate for the province was little changedat 10.3%. Prince Edward Island has had relatively strongemployment growth since the autumn of 2016. On a year-over-year basis, employment in the province was up2,500 (+3.5%). In Ontario, employment held steady inApril. The unemployment rate fell 0.6 percentage points to5.8%, mostly due to a decline in the number of youthsearching for work. This is the lowest unemployment ratefor the province since January 2001. Compared with 12months earlier, employment in Ontario was up 87,000(+1.2%). In Quebec, both the employment level and theunemployment rate were little changed in the month. In the12 months to April, employment in the province rose by88,000 or 2.1%, mostly in the second half of 2016. On ayear-over-year basis, the unemployment rate in Quebecdeclined 0.8 percentage points to 6.6%. Employment inAlber ta held steady in April after a period of growth thatbegan in autumn 2016. The unemployment rate in theprovince was 7.9% in April, down 0.5 percentage pointsfrom the previous month as fewer people searched forwork.

HOT Lanes Permit Applicationsand Renewals Now OpenONTARIO - Ontario has opened the next round of permitapplications and renewals for Canada's first HighOccupancy Toll (HOT) lanes, which provide anothercommuter option and help manage congestion. TheHOT lanes are on 16.5 kilometres of the QEW in bothdirections, from Trafalgar Rd. in Oakville to GuelphLine in Burlington. Vehicles with two or more occu-pants, or green licence plates, can travel in the lanesfor free, while drivers of single-occupant vehicles canapply to purchase a permit. Applications to purchase orrenew permits valid from July 1 to September 30 arenow open until May 31, 2017. Permit holders wishingto renew who have already renewed twice will have tore-enter the application draw this time. Ontario ismaking the largest infrastructure investment in hospi-tals, schools, public transit, roads and bridges in theprovince's history. To learn more about what's happen-ing in your community, go to Ontario.ca/BuildON.Providing more commuting options is par t of our planto create jobs, grow our economy and help people intheir everyday lives. "Research shows our QEW HOTlanes pilot is saving drivers' time and that well-managed lanes can benefit all drivers on a highwayand improve travel times for everyone. Our goal is tolearn from this pilot and build a network of HOV andHOT lanes across the region, when and where it makessense to do so. Ontario is taking action to help keepthe region moving." - Steven Del Duca, Minister ofTranspor tation

POLICE SEARCHING FORMISSING BALWANT GREWALMISSISSAUGA - Officers fromthe 21 Division CriminalInvestigation Bureau areseeking the public's assis-tance in locating a missing 40year-old male fromMississauga. Balwant Grewalwas last seen at approximately5:00 a.m., on Friday April 21,2017 in the area of York Streetand Airpor t Road in the City ofMississauga. Balwant Grewal is described as male,South Asian, 5'8" feet inches tall, 160 pounds, thin build,black facial hair, and black shor t straight hair. Both earsare pierced and scars on both his hands. Grewal was lastseen wearing a black cotton jacket and black dress shoes.Family and police are concerned for Balwant Grewal'swell-being as this is out of the ordinary for him. Anyonewith information on the whereabouts of Balwant Grewal isasked to call investigators at the 21 Division CriminalInvestigation Bureau at (905) 453-2121, ext. 2133.


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CHINA MUST PAY ATTENTION TOINDIA'S CPEC CONCERN

BY GAURAV SHARMA

BAPPADITYA CHATTERJEE

After note ban, dodgy money convertedinto gold, stored in shell companies

China must pay attention to India's concerns over the China-PakistanEconomic Corridor (CPEC), a top Chinese scholar said on Thursday,adding that Beijing could not do much because of Pakistan's unwill-ingness to sor t out the issue. Wang Yiwei, Professor in the School ofInternational Studies at the Renmin University of China, however,said it was "first and foremost" for China to help its "iron friend"Pakistan.Wang also lamented that India was among the countries, which at-tacked China's Belt and Road Project. "We must pay attention to India'sconcerns about the CPEC. We are inviting India to take par t in it,"Wang said in an interaction with journalists. "We are ready to discussit, but Pakistan is not willing to do that. The CPEC project goes throughPakistan's region. This is what Pakistan tells us."However, Wang made clear China's strong resolve to build the $46billion CPEC, which goes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. NewDelhi claims the region as its own. Calling it a great project with astrategic impor tance, Wang said: "China and Pakistan are iron friends.So first and foremost, we need to the help our iron friend."Wang said India need not worry and be suspicious over the multi-billion dollar project, which links China's Kashgar with Pakistan'sGwadar por t. CPEC is one of the six key corridors of the Chinese Beltand Road project, which envisages linking Asia with Europe. India isopposed to the CPEC because the planned route passes through dis-puted Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.It's because of this that India is unlikely to attend China's Belt andRoad conference in Beijing later this month. China said heads of 28states have confirmed their par ticipation at the event. CPEC hasemerged as one of the sore points between India and China, who havea long-standing border dispute. Last year at G-20 in China, PrimeMinister Narendra Modi had spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping

about India's concerns about the corridor.Incidentally, this is the third name China has given to the plan inEnglish from Silk Road and Maritime Silk Road to One Belt, One Roadto Belt and Road Initiative. But Beijing continues to describe it as OneBelt, One Road when the name in written in Chinese. But Zhang'scomments indicate Beijing's academics are examining the concernsvoiced by many countries on cer tain aspects of OBOR, and are sug-gesting that cer tain elements of projects be revisited if required. Indiaisn't opposed to the entire plan, but to par ts of CPEC that run throughIndian territory in PoK.India hasn't accepted an invitation to send a representative to the firstBelt and Road Forum on May 14. Zhang noted that the "Indian govern-ment has been quite prudent or cautious in expressing its attitude

towards the Belt and Road Initiative, but par ticipates in the AsianInfrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)" where India is the second-largest shareholder. China also refers to the One Belt, One Road asthe BRI initiative in English.Zhang admitted there were a lot of concerns about the Chinese con-struction program in different countries including Myanmar, whichhas blocked the $3 billion Chinese financed Myitsone dam project.There have been protests against Chinese built Hambantota por t projectin Sri Lanka, and a high-speed railway line proposed by China inThailand. "There is a lot of suspicions," acknowledged Zhang withregard to the maritime silk road plan, "but it will take time for peopleto overcome their misgivings". "We need the consent of all par ties,"he said. "We need joint discussion."

The massive hunt for undeclared cash launched across the countrypost demonetisation has revealed that these was either conver tedinto gold or routed through shell companies to make it legal tender, ITsleuths have told IANS. Income Tax officials said black money hold-ers avoided the bank-deposit route because they wanted to concealtheir identities and somehow had "managed to get many jewellers" toconver t their unaudited cash into gold."They bought gold and jewellery from jewellers across the cities onNovember 8 (the night Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced thedemonetisation of IRs500 and IRs1,000 currency notes from mid-night) and, thereafter. Jewellers camouflaged the identities of the ac-tual buyers and offered split bills," an Income Tax official, who waspar t of the investigations, told IANS on condition of anonymity.According to him, jewellers saw in demonetisation an opportunity toramp up their sales and thought "they could get away" by showingthese amounts as sales. "Jewellers offered a platform to conver tunrepor ted cash into gold," the official said, adding that split billswere below the value of IRs2 lakh, the threshold above which buyershave to provide the permanent account number (PAN) issued by theincome tax depar tment."The buyers' lists provided by the jewellers were false. After verifica-tion, it emerged that many of the buyers were financially weak andnot in a position to spend such huge amounts shown in the invoices,"the official said. Taxmen tried to find an answer to a common ques-tion: How did jewellers meet the huge spur t in demand following theannouncement of demonetisation, par ticularly after the festival sea-son? "We found many of these sales were booked as advance collec-tion for future sales. Due to preceding sales during Dhanteras andDiwali, jewellers had a stock crunch and they delivered gold later,"another IT official told IANS, asking not to be identified. Taxmen saidthey have stumbled upon records which suggested many shops -- asmany as 90 per cent across cities -- were closed at the time of thedemonetisation announcement and sales at the day's closing hadbeen repor ted."Still, we found sales were registered in the accounting system eitheron November 8 or a date prior to that after the closing sales wererepor ted. These sales were manipulated," another IT official said,also requesting anonymity. Sankar Sen, Chairman and MD, SencoGold Ltd, which was one of the jewellery houses under the I-T depar t-ment scanner, told IANS: "We keep records of all buyers on the basisof the names and contacts provided by the customers. We cooperatedwith officials and provided all the documents, including the CCTVfootage that we had.""It is difficult for jewellers to verify whether the customers have pro-vided a legitimate identity or not, par ticularly when the sale value isless than IRs2 lakh," he said. The hunt for black money by the ITofficials picked up after November 29 as they waited for some time tocollect information from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) orother agencies about the movement of funds.Asked how taxmen identified jewellers, an official told IANS: "Thefirst set of information showed that jewellers deposited huge amountsof money into banks. Then, we went after jewellers." The IT sleuthswere able to identify legitimate transactions, easily. "We also hadgiven options to the jewellers to disclose the name of actual buyersor declare that the amount is your money," the official said, pointing

out that such moves proved successful. Many actual buyers and jew-ellers contributed to the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY),an amnesty scheme to declare unreported wealth. Had a robust andquick information-sharing system among state and central agenciesbeen in place, the hunt for black money would have been more effec-tive, the officials lamented."A compilation of unique features found in transactions post-demonetisation across states is expected soon," an IT official said.According to the Union Finance Ministry, the CBDT has detected un-disclosed income of over IRs9,334 crore between November 9, 2016,and February 28 this year.Under Operation Clean Money (OCM), more than 60,000 persons,including 1,300 high-risk persons, have been identified for investiga-tion into claims of excessive cash sales after demonetisation wasannounced. According to officials, shell companies provided a strongsupport system for black money after demonetisation.The officials found dummy directors of these companies included acancer patient who signed documents for a IRs10,000 monthly fee orcharges of IRs200 for every signature. The officials said reporting of cashseizures was relatively less in Kolkata because of the existence of the shellcompanies as an established channel to stash ill-gotten money.



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

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NAVDEEP BAINS, MINISTER OF INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITH US COMMERCE GOVERNOR SECRETARYWILBUR ROSS TO DISCUSS INTEGRATED ECONOMIES.

Trudeau meets with Youth Council to discussreconciliation with Indigenous Peoples

MONTREAL - Listening to the diverse voices of young Canadians willhelp us build a stronger, more prosperous Canada, where everyonehas a real and fair chance at success. That is why Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau will meet with the Prime Minister's Youth Council overthe coming days to discuss the role of youth in reconciliation withIndigenous Peoples. This will be the third in-person meeting of theYouth Council since its inaugural meeting in September 2016.The Youth Council will meet with several Cabinet ministers, the Par-liamentary Secretary for Youth, and Indigenous leaders. They willalso meet with Indigenous youth in the Montréal area, and visit theKahnawà:ke Mohawk Territory, where they will meet with local youth

from the community. As Minister of Youth, the Prime Minister wantsto hear directly from young people about reconciliation with Indig-enous Peoples, and the Youth Council is one way to suppor t thisdialogue. Trudeau said: "I believe in the unlimited potential of Canadaand young Canadians. I am pleased to once again meet with the YouthCouncil to get their important views on how we can build a better and strongerCanada where everyone has a chance to succeed. Young Canadians can make -and are already making - significant contributions to advancing reconciliation withIndigenous Peoples. Our meeting over the next few days continues this importantconversation and will help raise awareness of reconciliation among youngCanadians from coast to coast to coast."

TRUDEAU ANNOUNCES NEWROLES FOR STÉPHANE DIONOTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced theappointment of Stéphane Dion as Canada's Ambassador toGermany and his Special Envoy to the European Union (EU)and Europe. The Prime Minister has exchanged letters withEuropean Council President Donald Tusk and European Com-mission President Jean-Claude Juncker, his two counterpar tsin Canada-EU Leaders' Summits, on the purpose of Dion'srole as Special Envoy to the EU and Europe. Dion will depar tto take up his assignments in early May.

CANADA'S AGING POPULATIONOUTPACES YOUNGSTERSOTTAWA - From 2011 to 2016, Canada registered the largestincrease in the propor tion of seniors since Confederation.This acceleration of population aging is the result of thefirst baby boomers reaching the age of 65. Statist icsCanada released a second series of data from the 2016Census on age and sex, and type of dwelling. The datashows as a result of the rapid increase in the number ofpeople 65 years of age and older since 2011, 2016 markedthe first time that the census enumerated more seniors(5.9 million) than children 14 years of age and younger(5.8 million).For the first time, the share of seniors (16.9%)-the sharethey represent of the total Canadian population-exceededthe share of children (16.6%). The increase in thepropor tion of seniors from 2011 to 2016 was the largestobserved since 1871-a clear sign that Canada's popula-tion is aging at a faster pace. The 2016 Census enumer-ated 23.4 million 15 to 64 year olds, or 66.5% of the totalpopulation. This was down from 68.5% in 2011. In 1871,four years after Confederation, more than two in fiveCanadians were 14 years of age and younger and 3.6%of the population was 65 years of age and older. The lifeexpectancy of Canadians at the time was 40 years andonly one in three people reached the age of 65. Today,life expectancy is over 82 years, and 9 in 10 people canexpect to reach 65 years of age. According to populationprojections, the difference between the number ofseniors and children is expected to increase. By 2061,there could be 12 million seniors and fewer than 8million children. By 2031, close to one in four Canadians(23%) could be 65 years of age or older, while thepropor tion of children 14 years of age and younger couldremain similar to the 2016 level (16%). The share ofpeople aged 15 to 64 will likely continue to decrease.

Sajjan mourns lack oflong-term defencefunding by previousgovernmentsOTTAWA - Defence MinisterHarjit S. Sajjan issued the follow-ing statement after addressing theConference of Defence Associa-tions Institute on the state ofCanada's defence: "Over the lastyear and a half, the Governmentof Canada has worked hard toaddress the comp lex cha l -l enges f ac ing the Canad ianArmed Forces (CAF). Our com-prehensive review of Canada'sdefence policy has shown thatsuccessive governments havenot del ivered the stabi l i ty ofpredictable, sustainable, long-term funding for Defence."Years of inadequate fundinghave left the CAF lacking the re-sources they need.

Trudeau welcomes Clerk's reporton Canada's Public ServiceOTTAWA - Ottawa - Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau haswelcomed the Twenty-Four th Annual Repor t on the PublicService of Canada from the Clerk of the Privy Counciland Head of the Public Service, Michael Wernick. TheClerk's repor t outlines how the Public Service hasper formed over the last twelve months in providingservices to Canadians and suppor ting the Government.It also sets out expectations and priorities goingforward. As we mark the 150th anniversary of Confed-eration, the repor t also recounts how the Public Servicehas evolved and served Canadians through our history.Trudeau said: "Canada's professional and non-par tisanPublic Service is one of the great strengths of ourcountry. I know first-hand how hard our public servantswork on behalf of the people of Canada. Together, theClerk and I will continue our work to strengthen thepublic service and make sure it is ready to meet thechallenges and oppor tunities that lie ahead."



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AAP LEADERS SANJAY SINGH, ASHUTOSH AND DILIP PANDEY ADDRESS A PRESS CONFERENCE IN NEW DELHI AGAINST KAPILMISHRA'S ALLEGATIONS SAYING DELHI CHIEF MINISTER ARVIND KEJRIWAL WILL NOT RESIGN.

BHAGWANT MANN APPOINTEDAAP'S PUNJAB UNIT CHIEF

AAP govt neglecting healthfacilities in Delhi: Manoj TiwariNEW DELHI, (PTI) Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari today accusedthe Delhi government of "neglecting" health services and asked it tocome out with a 'white paper' on its spending on developing medicalfacilities in the national capital. He alleged that the Delhi government'spreparations to tackle dengue and chikungunya were "incomplete" andurged it to come out with an audit on its Health department."Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal scared people with dengue andchikungunya during recent MCD polls while his government'spreparations to tackle the diseases are incomplete," Tiwari said in apress conference. He said the AAP government should bring out a "whitepaper" on how much funds it has received from the Centre and expenditureincurred on providing health services in Delhi. "We also demand a Healthaudit as well as a social audit in the next one month, for determining towhat extent health services have developed under the Kejriwalgovernment," he said. Citing the Modi government's Jan Aushadhi Yojna,he also sought to know from the Delhi government whether such medicinestores were opened by it. "We want to know why basic facilities areabsent in hospitals run by the Delhi government," he said.

SC says all four to hang forNirbhaya gang-rapeNEW DELHI, (IANS) The Supreme Cour t on Friday upheld thedeath sentence on all four convicts in the December 2012Delhi gang-rape. Mukesh, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and AkshayThakur were convicted on charges of brutally raping andassaulting a 23-year-old paramedical student inside a busthat led to her death. The Delhi High Cour t earlier upheld theirconviction and death sentence.

Punjab, Uttarakhand Congressunits get new PCC chiefsNEW DELHI, (IANS) The Congress on Thursday announcednew chiefs for Punjab and Uttarakhand units of the par ty andappointed Avinash Pande incharge of party affairs in Rajasthan whereassembly election is due for next year. Party's CommunicationsDepartment incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala told reporters that thechanges are part of an organisational revamp being gradually effected byCongress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice President Rahul Gandhias part of preparations for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Former Punjabminister Sunil Jakhar has been appointed the state Congress chief inplace of Amarinder Singh, who became the Chief Minister after the partyromped to power in the state after 10 years. In Uttarakhand, where theCongress lost the February 15 assembly elections, former stateminister Pritam Singh has replaced Kishore Upadhyaya asPradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief.

India successfully launchesSouth Asia SatelliteCHENNAI (IANS) India successfully launched, in copy bookstyle, the South Asia Satellite, intended to serve "economicand developmental priorities" of South Asian nations, usingits heavy rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle(GSLV-F09). Precisely at 4.57pm, the GSLV-F09 rose into thesky from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan SpaceCentre at the Sriharikota spacepor t in Andhra Pradesh,carrying the satellite, intended as an Indian Gift for its fellowSaarc nations except for Pakistan which had opted out. The49-metre, 415 tonne rocket slung the 2,230 kg satellite intogeosynchronous transfer orbit, from where it would be takenup to its final geostationary orbit.

CHANDIGARH, (PTI) Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann was today appointedas the chief of Aam Aadmi par ty's Punjab unit. The par ty also decidedto constitute a separate Political Affairs Committee (PAC) for Punjabso that the state unit may take independent decisions. At a meeting ofthe AAP Political Affairs Committee (PAC) in New Delhi, a roadmap torevamp the Punjab unit of the par ty was also approved. While Mannwas appointed as the convener, AAP's MLA from Sunam, Aman Arorawas chosen as the co-convener.Sarabjit Kaur Manuke, MLA from Jagraon was appointed Deputy Leaderof the Legislature par ty in Vidhan Sabha. The PAC headed by nationalconvener Arvind Kejriwal at New Delhi approved the new appoint-ments after a marathon meeting with MLAs, those in-charge of zonesand heads of frontal organisations of the par ty, a spokesman saidhere. The par ty's national leadership held one to one as well as col-

lective meetings with MLAs and other office bearers before takingfinal decisions in the PAC. The committee also decided to appoint fourvice- presidents in Punjab. Two of these would be from Malwa regionand one each from Doaba and Majha region. The par ty spokesmansaid that Bhagwant Mann in his capacity as state convener would beresponsible for all par ty affairs and Aman Arora would specially workto build structure of the party in state.The par ty would take holistic approach towards all issues to refur-bish the par ty base in Punjab. The spokesman said that AAP wouldlaunch a fresh offensive against the Capt Amarinder Singh led Con-gress government and will counter the Government on various prom-ises it had made with the people during elections. The PAC has di-rected the state unit to go back to people of state and make the Con-gress government accountable on every promise.

TIME TO UNITE AGAINST FEW PEOPLE RAISINGKASHMIR ISSUE: MOS PMO

NEW DELHI, (PTI) Union minister Jitendra Singh today asked all nationalist forcesto unite against mischievous designs of a few who keep raising the bogey of "so-called Kashmir issue" only to promote their vested agenda. During his meetingwith a delegation of Jammu and Kashmir bar association, he emphasised on theneed of educating youths of the state about various developmental measuresbeing taken by the Centre for them. Singh said, the lawyer community, beingopinion makers in the society, have a significant responsibility to play as a part oftheir duty and obligation to Mother India. He said time has come for all the nation-alist forces to unite and defeat the mischievous designs of a handful few who keepraising the bogey of so-called Kashmir issue only to promote their vested agenda,

at the cost of the common man and the common youth, according to an officialrelease. Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, is a Lok Sabhamember from Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur constituency. Referring to thecommitment and conviction of the Narendra Modi government, he said, in the lastthree years, several new vistas of growth and progress have opened up across thecountry, particularly for the youth. It is, therefore, for the literate and representativebodies like the bar association to make the common people understand theirstakes and not allow the state of Jammu & Kashmir to lag behind in seeking the richbenefits and dividends available to the other states of India, Singh said. The delega-tion was led by its newly-elected President, Advocate B S Salathia and comprised

Vice President Sachin Gupta, GeneralSecretary Prem Sadotra, Joint Secre-tary Himanshu Sharma, and TreasurerChetan Misri.



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PUNJAB CHIEF MINISTER CAPT AMARINDER SINGH WAS HONOURED WITH SIROPA AT THE GOLDEN TEMPLE.

RAHUL HAS POTENTIAL TOBECOME PM: AMARINDERCHANDIGARH, (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister CaptainAmarinder Singh said today that Congress vice presidentRahul Gandhi has the potential to become the Prime Minis-ter of the country adding that the time was also right for a gen-erational change in the party. The Punjab chief minister said hehad always found the AICC vice president "extremely perceptiveand decisive". There was a "deliberate" attempt to undermineRahul's image by calling him names and he has potential to be-come the Prime Minister of the country, Amarinder said. The timewas right for a generational change in the Congress to cater to theaspirations of the over 70 per cent youth population of the country,he said. Referring to incidents along the LoC, the chief ministersaid while killings and skirmishes had been going on for long, thekind of brutality we see now was not there earlier. Incidents likethe recent mutilation of the bodies of two Indian jawans wereunderstandably provoking the wrath of the people and the IndianArmy needed to counter such acts effectively, he asserted.However, striking a note of caution, he said that in the long term, bothIndia and Pakistan needed to think about peace and the future of thecoming generations. The chief minister exuded confidence over theresponse by investors and industry to the change in dispensation in thestate, saying his government had, in just six weeks, been able to buildtheir confidence. He endorsed his claim by adding that the Bathindarefinery was all set for a Rs 20,000 crore expansion. Amarinder said hisgovernment had succeeded in creating the right enabling environmentfor the elimination of drugs, which were now becoming increasinglyless available, as was evidenced in the spike in their prices.

India asks UK to ensure earlyextradition of MallyaNEW DELHI, (PTI) India today asked Britain to ensure earlyextradition of all wanted persons, including fugitive busi-nessman Vijay Mallya who is an accused in a bank loandefault case of over Rs 9000 crore involving his defunctKingfisher Airlines. Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi,who met his British counterpar t here, assured the UK of allassistance in extradition matters including that Mallya toallow the Crown Prosecution Services (CPS) to presentwater-tight cases before the cour ts there.The issue was raised by Mehrishi during talks with his UKcounterpar t Patsy Wilkinson, the second permanent secre-tary in the British Home Office. "We have discussed how toremove the bottlenecks in processing extradition requests.The process involved in matters of extradition and the needto fur ther improve it were also discussed," Home MinistryAdviser Ashok Prasad said. Though Prasad maintained thatno specific case was discussed at the meeting, officialsources said Mallya's case was "alluded to" by the Indianside. Prasad just said the extradition case is subjudice. Hesaid all specific extradition matters will be discussed ex-tensively between agencies concerned of the two countries.

Sukhbir Badal dissolves SAD's organisational structureCHANDIGARH, (PTI) Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal today dissolved the par ty's current organisational structure, a moveaimed to strengthen the leadership after facing defeat in the Punjab Assembly polls. The decision has been taken to strengthen and thewing, giving more responsibilities to hard working leaders and workers, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) secretary Daljit Singh Cheema saidhere. He said that after the Punjab Assembly elections, Sukhbir held discussions with the par ty's leaders at different levels and felt thatin order to strengthen the par ty, it's organisational structure needed to be reconstituted. He said the par ty's hard working workers willnow be given due respect and the youth leaders, women and workers of different wings who had par ticipated in the election campaignwholeheartedly will be given due representation.Cheema said that the par ty has deputed some senior leaders according to zones who within a month will hold meetings in districts oftheir zones and submit lists of hardworking and dedicated leaders. These leaders will also look into complaints of some leaders whoworked against the par ty candidates during the assembly elections in earlier year, he said. The SAD secretary said that those foundguilty of indulging in anti-party activities will not be given any representation in the re-organisation and will face strong action.

Punjab to emerge as tourism hub: Navjot SidhuCHANDIGARH, (PTI) A comprehensive plan is being chalked out to make Punjab a tourism hub, State Tourism and Cultural AffairsMinister Navjot Singh Sidhu said. Chairing a meeting here, the minister said there are ample places of cultural impor tance whichdeserve to be included among the 'World Heritage Sites', besides some other landmarks which fall under the Archaeological Survey ofIndia (ASI). He said that UNESCO would be approached after co-ordinating with ASI to get such places included among World HeritageSites. The minister also said Punjab has glorious cultural heritage and scores of devotees from all par ts of the globe come to have aglimpse of religious and spiritual places. He said Punjab has the potential to emerge as the front line destination on world tourism mapand based on this, the state will be developed to realise its tremendous potential which will ultimately lead to the boosting of itseconomy. Sidhu, who is MLA from Amritsar East, also directed the officials of the depar tment to maintain the original look of the culturallandmarks and warned that anybody tampering with these places would not be spared. The minister also batted for connecting the youthwith rich cultural heritage of Punjab through WEB TV "as this is the internet age and present day youth is hooked to it". Sidhu said everyday 1,25,000 tourists visit Amritsar who return the same day after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple. He said Amritsar alone hasmarvelous places like- Durgiana Mandir, Jallianwala Bagh, War Memorial, Wagah-Attari Border, Gobindgarh For t and Bhagwan ValmikiTirath Sthal,all having great tourism potential.



PEOPLE IN CHICAGO PROTESTING AGAINST TRUMP'S POLICIES FOR IMMIGRANTS IN THE USA.

PAKISTAN COURT REFUSES TO HEAR'ABSCONDING' MUSHARRAF'S LAWYER

LUXURY VEHICLES: AUDI, BMW, MERCEDES, SPORTS CARS ANDCONVERTIBLE CARS. WE ALSO HAVE 7, 8, AND 9 PASSENGERS VEHICLES

w o r l d

ISLAMABAD, (IANS) A special Pakistani cour t hearing a treason caseagainst former President General Pervez Musharraf (Retd) restrainedhis counsel on Friday from presenting his arguments, noting that itcould not hear the lawyer of an "absconder". On March 18, 2016, theformer President flew to Dubai for medical treatment shor tly after hisname was removed from the exit control list (ECL) on the SupremeCour t's directives. Akhtar Shah, the counsel for the ex-army chief,who is facing multiple charges including treason and involvement inthe assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, had saidhis client needed urgent medical treatment which was unavailable in

Pakistan. A three-judge bench of the special cour t refused to hearShah's arguments, reminding him that the former President had beendeclared an absconder in the case.Musharraf was the army chief when he seized power in a coup in1999. He was the President till 2008 when a democratically electedgovernment came into power and ousted him. He left the country tolive in self-imposed exile in Dubai and London. The charges relate tothe former general's imposition of a state of emergency in November2007 and the assassination of Bhutto the same year. Musharraf, 72,denies all the charges and has termed them "politically motivated."

Indian woman says she was forced to marry PakistaniISLAMABAD (IANS) An Indian woman who has taken refuge in theIndian High Commission here says she was forced to marry at gun-point a Pakistani man she fell in love with, a media repor t said onMonday. Uzma has also told Indian diplomats that she was not awarethat Pakistani Tahir Ali was already married and a father of four.The Foreign Office said the Indian High Commission had told Paki-stani authorities that 20-year-old Uzma did not wish to live with Ali.Ali told Geo News that Uzma was aware of his earlier marriage but ifshe "does not wish to live with him, it is her right to do so." According

to Ali, he met Uzma, who is from New Delhi, in Malaysia. She trav-elled to Pakistan on May 1 via the Wagha-Attari border and got mar-ried to him at Buner on May 3.Two days later, Ali and Uzma visited the Indian mission to obtain anIndian visa. But his wife never stepped out of the building and staffersat the High Commission denied she was there. Uzma claimed herimmigration documents were snatched after she reached Pakistanand she was harassed and tor tured regularly while living with herPakistani husband. She filed a case under the Pakistan Penal Code

and recorded her statement infront of a magistrate on Monday,saying she did not want to leavethe Indian mission in Islamabadtill she could safely travel backto India. According to officials,Uzma's immigration documentsstate she travelled to Pakistan ona visit visa. They said the Indianwoman did not disclose her plansto marry in Pakistan when sheapplied for visa and instead ex-pressed her intent to meet herrelatives in Pakistan.

Obama in Italy to give climatechange speechMILAN (ITALY), (IANS) Former United States PresidentBarack Obama arrived in Milan on Monday for a two-dayvisit during which he gave a talk on climate change andreceived the freedom of the city. Italian Air Force repre-sentatives were on hand at Linate military airpor t Mondaymorning to welcome the former American President, whoarrived looking relaxed and stylish in an open-necked whiteskir t and natty black jacket.A 14-car convoy escor ted Obama into the nor thern busi-ness capital, to the Park Hyatt Hotel where he is staying.A crowd of several hundred people turned out to catchsight of the former US President when he arrived. Obamalater stepped out to do some sightseeing, visiting Milan'scathedral and the 17th-century Pinacoteca Ambrosiana,which houses masterpieces including The Musician byLeonardo, The Basket of Fruit by Caravaggio and Titian'sAdoration of the Magi. He held a private meeting on Mon-day at his hotel with Matteo Renzi, Italy's ex-Premier andleader of Italy's centre-left Democratic Par ty and wentwith Renzi to a dinner hosted by the Institute for Interna-tional Political Studies. "The two leaders were close par t-ners and became good friends while in office," his spokes-man said in a statement. Milan's centre-left MayorGiuseppe Sala handed Obama keys to the city during hisstay. His climate speech comes as US President DonaldTrump is mulling whether to pull his country out of theParis climate change agreement, a landmark accord whichwas championed by Obama. Trump has already signedexecutive orders rolling back Obama's climate regulationssince taking office in January.

NEPAL TO SIGN OBORPACT WITH CHINAKATHMANDU (IANS) Nepal has decided to be par t of theChina-initiated Belt and Road Initiative and is going to signframework agreement on One Belt One Road this week,its government decided on Monday. A Cabinet meeting onMonday decided to sign the framework agreement onOBOR ahead of OBOR Conference slated to take place inChina next week.Nepal has decided to sign an agreement on OBOR thatwill link Nepal to India and Europe, said Information andCommunication Minister Surendra Karki after the meet-ing. He said a high-level delegation led by Deputy PrimeMinister and Finance Minister Krishna Bahadur Maharawill par ticipate in the OBOR Conference in China, withMahara accompanied by two other ministers and othersenior officials.Ahead of the conference, Foreign Secretary Shankar DasBairagi and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Yu Hong willsign the framework agreement on OBOR in the presenceof Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat here this week.Then the Nepali delegation led by Mahara will sign anMoU during the OBOR Conference in China.During his recent China visit, Prime Minister Pushpa KamalDahal 'Prachanda' had assured the Chinese leadership thatNepal will be the par t of belt and road initiative ahead ofOBOR Conference. The pact was only possible after se-ries of negotiations between Nepali and Chinese officialsincluding free trade, currency arrangement, financial in-stitutions, investment and others.After the framework agreement, Nepal will negotiate withChina on various intricacies of OBOR including connec-tivity, trade regime, investment and others. A signatureinitiative of President Xi Jinping himself, OBOR aims toenhance connectivity and cooperation among countries,primarily between China and the rest of Asia and Europethrough land as well as maritime routes.

Russian ForeignMinister to meet TillersonMOSCOW, (IANS) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrovwill visit the US on May 9 and meet US Secretary of StateRex Tillerson, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Mon-day. "On May 10, talks are scheduled in Washington withUS Secretary of State R Tillerson, during which it is planned(for the two sides) to exchange views on key internationalissues and current issues of bilateral relations," Xinhuaquoted a ministry statement as saying. The visit was ar-ranged in accordance with an earlier agreement, the docu-ment said. According to the statement, Lavrov will alsotake part in the ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council inFairbanks, the second largest city in the Alaska State.

Fresh rebel evacuationbegins in SyriaDAMASCUS, (IANS) As many as 60buses arrived on the outskirts of Dam-ascus on Monday to transport Syrianrebels and their families to the provinceof Idlib, officials said. This is the latestevacuation from the Barzehneighbourhood in a string of rebel de-partures from the vicinity of the capitaltoward rebel-held areas in northernSyria, Xinhua news agency reported.Barzeh witnessed a "reconciliation" dealwith the government in 2014, and it re-mained largely calm. But as the de-escalation zones' deal went into ef-fect last week, with Idlib beingincluded as a safe zone, morerebels are opting to leave to thatrebel-held area.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, MAY 09, 2017 w o r l d

THOUSANDS OF WORKERS IN JAKARTA, INDONESIA, MARCHING TO URGE GOVERNMENT TO RAISE MINIMUM WAGES ANDBAN OUTSOURCING PRACTICES.

Former warlord Hekmatyarreturns to Kabul after 20 yrs,gathers supportersKABUL, (IANS) Former warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyarreturned to the Afghan capital on Thursday after signing apeace agreement with the government in September lastyear. Hekmatyar, the leader of Hizb-e-Islami, is due tomeet President Ashraf Ghani and hold a mass gather-ing, Tolo news repor ted. His convoy to the capital,comprising of several hundred vehicles, mainly pick-up trucks equipped with machine guns, was greeted byhundreds of onlookers.Hekmatyar is believed to be responsible for killing tensof thousands of civilians in Kabul during the 1990s civilwar and was nicknamed the "Butcher of Kabul". In hisfirst public appearance after 20 years, Hekmatyar lastweek addressed suppor ters in the eastern province ofLaghman and called on all insurgent groups to join thepeace process. The Prime Minister from 1992 to 1996,Hekmatyar's peace deal was welcomed by the US andthe UN. But the deal met heavy criticism in cer tainsections of Afghan society due to Hekmatyar's notori-ous past and the proposed amnesty for his insurgentgroup's activities of the past 14 years.The agreement also provided for "sustainable anddignified repatriation" of families of Hizb-e-Islamimembers and the release of rebels who are in prisonbut have been not charged with any crime. In return,the Hizb-e-Islami signed the National Constitution ofAfghanistan, agreed to disband all its armed formationsand pledged to cut ties with all terrorist and extremistgroups. Hekmatyar arrived here after dozens of Hizb-e-Islami prisoners were released from Pul-e-Charkhi prisonin Kabul. Officials said more prisoners will be released inthe coming days.

CLINTON TO LAUNCHANTI-TRUMP RESISTANCEWASHINGTON, (IANS) Former US Secretary of StateHillary Clinton will soon launch a political organisationaimed at funding "resistance" groups that will stand upto President Donald Trump, the media repor ted. Clintonis currently working with former aides and donors tobuild the organisation - Onward Together, an homage toher campaign slogan - that will look to fund and investin groups that have impressed her since her 2016presidential election defeat, officials with knowledge ofthe plans told CNN on Thursday. Clinton will act as theconnector bringing donors to these groups and helpingraise money for them, the officials said. The formerpresidential candidate has been watching groups standup to Trump from afar and is "par ticularly fired up", anofficial said, to fund these groups and broaden their reach.

UN chief following India-Pakistandevelopments: OfficialUNITED NATIONS, (IANS) Secretary-General AntonioGuterres is following the recent developments betweenIndia and Pakistan and reiterates his call for for dialogueby the nuclear-armed neighbours, Spokesperson StephaneDujarric said. He was asked at his daily briefing onThursday about recent media stories on the risk of anuclear war between the two countries and if Guterresthought it impor tant to deal with it. Dujarric did notdirectly mention the nuclear risk, but said, "Weobviously are following the situation closely, the recentdevelopments included. We reiterate our call for thepar ties to find a peaceful solution through engagementand dialogue." Tensions have escalated followingMonday's attack on an Indian patrol on the Indian sideof the Line of Control in the Krishna Ghati sector ofKashmir. The Pakistani Army killed two Indian personneland mutilated their bodies, India has said. One of therecent stories that attempts to draw focus away from theNor th Korean threat that has become a high priority for theTrump administration to the risk of nuclear war on thesubcontinent was published by HuffPost, a popular webpublication owned by the telecom multinational, Verizon.

9 PAKISTANI CIVILIANSKILLED IN AFGHAN FIRINGISLAMABAD, (IANS) At least nine Pakistani civilians werekilled and 17 others injured as Afghan border forcesopened fire on security personnel guarding a census teamin Balochistan on Friday, police said. The incident tookplace in Chaman area near the Afghan border, Dawnonline repor ted. The Inter-Services Public Relations(ISPR) issued a statement that said Afghan BorderPolice opened fire on Frontier Corps (FC) personnel.Four FC Balochistan men are among those injured. TheISPR said Friday's firing comes despite the fact thatAfghan authorities were informed in advance about thecensus exercise in the area and coordination wascarried out through diplomatic and military channels.The Chaman border crossing has been sealed asPakistani and Afghan troops continue to exchange fire,the ISPR press release said. Pakistan had closed itsborders with Afghanistan at Chaman and Torkham onFebruary 18 after a series of terrorist attacks in thecountry killed over 100 people, Dawn online repor ted.Militants having sanctuaries in Afghanistan wereblamed for the attacks. After over a month of closure,Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered reopening of theborders as a goodwill gesture.

PROTESTERS WEARING MASKS OF FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES EMMANUEL MACRON AND MARINE LE PEN IN PARIS.

France gets youngest President in Macron, EU elated

IRAN WARNS WILL HIT MILITANT'SAFE HAVENS' INSIDE PAKISTANTEHRAN (REUTERS): The head of the Iranian armed forces warned Islamabad on Monday that Tehran would hit bases inside Pakistan ifthe government does not confront Sunni militants who carry out cross-border attacks. Ten Iranian border guards were killed by militantslast month.Iran said Jaish al Adl, a Sunni militant group, had shot the guards with long-range guns, fired from inside Pakistan. The border area haslong been plagued by unrest from both drug smuggling gangs and separatist militants. "We cannot accept the continuation of thissituation," Major General Mohammad Baqeri, the head of the Iranian armed forces was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA."We expect the Pakistani officials to control the borders, arrest the terrorists and shut down their bases. If the terrorist attacks continue,we will hit their safe havens and cells, wherever they are," he said. Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Pakistan lastweek and asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to improve the border security. Pakistan assured Iran it would deploy additional troopsalong its border.In 2014 Iran warned it would send troops to Pakistan to retrieve five Iranian border guards kidnapped by Jaish al Adl. Pakistan said at thetime that such action would be violation of the international law and warned Iranian forces not to cross the border. Iran refrained fromsending the troops when a local Sunni cleric stepped in and resolved the situation.Four of the guards were released a few months later, but one was killed by the militants. Jaish al Adl is a Sunni militant group that hascarried out several attacks against Iranian security forces with the aim of highlighting what they say is discrimination against minoritySunni Muslims in Iran, where the majority are Shi'ites.

PARIS (IANS) World leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi,congratulated pro-EU centrist Emmanuel Macron after he surged tovictory against far-right's Marine Le Pen in Sunday's French Presi-dential election runoff. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is-sued a statement on the result of France's presidential election: "Onbehalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to congratulateEmmanuel Macron on his election as the next President of France."Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Macron af-ter he was declared winner. "I look forward to working closely withPresident-elect @EmmanuelMacron to fur ther strengthen India-Franceties," Modi tweeted. "Congratulations to @EmmanuelMacron for anemphat ic v ictory in the French President ia l e lect ion.#Presidentielle2017," he added.British Prime Minister Theresa May and US President Donald Trumpwere among the first of the global leaders to congratulate Macron onhis victory. "The Prime Minister warmly congratulates President-electMacron on his election success," Downing Street said in a statement."France is one of our closest allies and we look forward to workingwith the new President on a wide range of shared priorities".Trump, similarly wasted little time in extending his congratulations,despite earlier having backed Le Pen. "Congratulations to EmmanuelMacron on his big win today as the next President of France. I lookvery much forward to working with him!" Trump tweeted. RussianPresident Vladimir Putin urged Macron to bridge deep rifts in a con-gratulatory telegram released by the Kremlin. "The growing threat ofterrorism and violent extremism is accompanied by an escalation of

local conflicts and the destabilisation of entire regions … it is espe-cially impor tant to overcome mutual distrust and join forces to en-sure international stability and security."Chinese President Xi Jinping also congratulated the victor, sayingChina and France shared a "responsibility towards peace and devel-opment in the world. China stands ready to work with France to movethe strategic Sino-French par tnership to a higher level," Xi was quotedas saying by Xinhua news agency. German Chancellor Angela Merkeltweeted her congratulations saying that Macron's win was "a victoryfor a strong, united Europe."Outgoing French President Francois Hollande also wished Macron onTwitter: "All my wishes of success for our country." Hollande, whohad backed Macron in the second round, later called his former Eco-nomic Adviser and Economy Minister to congratulate him on his win."His large victory confirms that a very great majority of our fellowcitizens wanted to rally to the values of the Republic and mark theirattachment to the European Union as well as to France's open attitudeto the world," Hollande was quoted as saying.Democrat Hillary Clinton also congratulated Macron and tweeted:"Victory for Macron, for France, the EU, & the world. Defeat tothose interfering w/democracy. (But the media says I can't talk aboutthat)." European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker extendedhis congratulations on Macron's election victory, saying he was happythat "the French have chosen European future". European Council Presi-dent Donald Tusk also congratulated Macron, saying the French havechosen "liber ty, equality, and fraternity."

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