MidWeek 1MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLYTUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

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

NOON DROWNS JUNOON HOUSEHOLDSURVEY ANSWERSYOUR QUESTIONS

WHY DID IMRANKHAN FAIL ?

DETAILS ON PAGE 11

AZAADI FOR IRAN

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Pakistan Tehree-i-Insaf(PTI) chief Imran Khan'sfirst message from ahospital bed since the electionsconcluded in Pakistancomplained of vote rigging."There were irregularities and weare going to produce a whitepaper on how the elections wererigged in different ways throughthe administration," he said, abandage on his head clearlyvisible after he suffered severeinjuries following a fall from aforklift at a Lahore rally last week.The election result, in whichPML-N chief Nawaz Sharif got aclear mandate, came as a surprisefor Imran who was running high

on surveys that predicted him tobe in a neck-and-neck fight withSharif. Analysts feel that themain cause for Imran's failure wasthat his popularity remainedlimited to the urban elite.Also, his lack of experience ingovernance played against him.The PTI lacked organisationalstructure on the ground. Theparty put up candidates only foraround 200 seats out of 272.Dissatisfied with the results,Imran's supporters took to thestreets, alleging foul play. "Khansahib (Imran Khan) was about towin in his constituency 122.

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DETAILS ON PAGE 9

IS NAWAZ SHARIF GOOD FOR INDIA? NEW DATA FROM THE NATIONAL HOUSEHOLDSURVEY (NHS) SHOW THAT CANADA WAS HOMETO ABOUT 6,775,800 FOREIGN-BORNINDIVIDUALS IN 2011. THEY REPRESENTED20.6% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION, COMPAREDWITH 19.8% IN THE 2006 CENSUS. THECOUNTRY'S IMMIGRANT POPULATION, THEETHNIC BACKGROUNDS OF ITS PEOPLE, ITSVISIBLE MINORITY POPULATION, AND ITSLINGUISTIC AND RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY SHOWEDTHAT CANADA IS AN ETHNOCULTURAL MOSAIC.

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Nazanin Afshin-Jam, Iranian-Canadian human rights activistand wife of Defence Minister Peter MacKay President andcofounder of Stop Child Executions, former Miss World Canada

Canada stands with you.We stand with thecourageous activistsinside Iran…with the dedicatedCanadian d iaspora ou t s ideI ran …and wi th f reedom-lov ing people everywherewho want a brighter future foryour country.

We know Iranians have adeep yearning for freedom. InFarsi , i t ' s cal led Azaadi . Asimple, but powerful word.AsSimin Behbani , the g rea tPersian poet said, "...it takesa thousand years before a word,among the thousands of words,dies away in a language orchanges its meaning."

Our job then, is to make surethat Azaadi never dies from theFarsi language, or from the hearts

of Iranians. For those of youinside Iran right now, listeningfrom somewhere safe…where theregime cannot suppress yourcuriosity…where it cannotcontrol your conscience, orprofit from your oppression…Iwant you to know that Canadastands with you.

I know this seemscounterintuitive coming from agovernment that suspendedrelations with the regime lastyear.

But our decision to closethe Canadian embassy in Tehranwas not directed at the people ofIran. It was not an attack on ShiaIslam and its rich contribution toglobal civilization.

By - John Baird (Minister of Foreign Affairs)at the Global Dialogue on the Future of Iran

I AM THE BOSS AND YOU COULD BE NEXT IN LINE

The "two heads" power arrangement between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh iscoming apar t. And we're in thrall of it, largely because it wasobvious to anyone who wasn't so blind that they would not see thatthis colossal crash-bang was inevitable. The power dyarchy ar-rangement between Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh was likethe pushmi-pullyu character from the Doctor Dolittle series, withtwo heads that steer it in opposite directions. That imagery is ametaphor for a dysfunctional arrangement that renders any move-ment impossible, which describes the UPA government rather well.The 'two heads' power arrangement. On Monday evening, CNN-IBN repor ted, Delhi was abuzz with the whisper campaign of Con-gress leaders suggesting that Manmohan Singh's time as the front-office manager for the UPA was up, and that he ought to be replaced- by either Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi. CONTD. ON PAGE 5

?HOW MANY SOUTHASIANS INCANADA?MORE MUSLIMS, SIKHS ORHINDUS IN CANADA?MOST IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA,INDIA OR PAKISTAN?

2 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLYTUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

MidWeek 3MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLYTUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

page 3 KATIE PRICE TOLAUNCHONLINECHANNELSalman Khan supportedwhen I was battling cancer:Prem Soni

DHARMENDRA IN LEGAL TROUBLE

Filmmaker Prem Soni, who has re-covered from cancer of gallblad-der, says his friend and Bollywoodstar Salman Khan stood by himduring his trying times. Prem Soniis the director of Preity Zinta's de-but production venture Ishk InPar is. "Salman was very con-cerned when he got to know about my health issues. He got intouch with me and was very suppor tive when I was battlingwith cancer. Salman bhai is just a call away and his call makesa huge difference to me," said Soni."He must be a huge star, but he is a far better human being.However, now I am healthy and fine and thanks for all the sup-por t," he added. After Soni was diagnosed with cancer, Ishkq InParis, which was supposed to release in November 2012, waspushed to May 2013. Soni has added a song with Salman in thefilm and says he considers him as his mentor. "Salman is be-yond work for me...I look up to him. He is my mentor and thesong was written keeping him in mind right from the beginning,"said Soni. Ishkq In Paris features Preity, Rhehan Malliek andIsabelle Adjani.

A LEGAL NOTICE HAS BEEN APPARENTLY SENTTO DHARMENDRA OVER THE FILM'S MUSIC

Dharmendra seems to have apparently run into trouble withhis upcoming comic caper. A case has been filed against theveteran actor as well as his film's music composer duo ofToshi and Sharib under the copyrights infringement act. YashRajwho hold the music rights of the film has also been slapped with alegal notice. A source close to YashRaj Films says, "We have heardthat a case has been filed but there is no clarity on the issue. Wehave got in touch with the legal team to give us details about it."The source adds, "Immediately after the music release of the film onTuesday, a case was filed for copyrights violation of the music."Says Toshi, "I was out of town and returned yesterday . I am noteven aware of any legal case." Dharmendra and YashRaj'srepresentative remained unavailabe for comment.

Katie Price to launchONLINE CHANNELModel Katie Price saysshe will soon launch herown YouTube channel.The 34-year-old looksimpressed by the newtechnique and calls it agood business idea."Google are about tolaunch paidsubscription channelsYouTube. I'm notsurprised, because itmakes business sense.And I'm going to get inon the action,"c o n t a c t m u s i c . c o mquoted Price as saying."I've enjoyed doing reality TV over the years, but the beautyof YouTube is that you get in the editing suite," she added.She is due to give birth to her first child with third husband,Kieran Hayler in July.

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The 23rd Annual MISS INDIA-CANADA Event will be held onSaturday, August 17, 2013 at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotelin Toronto. The Miss India-Canada event has become verypopular and a well-known event in Canada. With the continuoussupport from the business community and the positive feedbackfrom contestants and their parents, the Miss India-Canada eventcontinues to grow by leaps and bounds each year. The show isproudly supported by several corporate and community business.

The prestigious title carries with it numerous prizes courtesy ofshow sponsors. Included are a CASH SCHOLARSHIP OF $1,000;ROUND TRIP TICKET TO INDIA; HOTEL ACCOMMODATION;CELL PHONE; LAPTOP, JEWELLERY SET; and many more prizes.Several prizes will also be presented to runners-up.

The Miss India-Canada Event is unique in many ways.Contestants are judged on their Indian Costume, Evening Gown,Talent, and their ability to speak in public. The show is focused onIndian arts and culture and at the same time blending into theCanadian mosaic.

Some of the past winners-Kamal Sidhu, Ruby Bhatia, Gita Bali,Rishma Malik, Poonam Chhibber, Melissa Bhagat, and Komila (Kim)Jagtiani-have appeared on the covers of many leading magazinesand newspapers in Canada, India, and other countries. The winnerof the first Miss India-Canada pageant, Kamal Sidhu, starred in thelead role with Jackie Shroff in "Aar Ya Paar". Moreover, Miss India-Canada 2001, Neelam Verma, was crowned Miss Canadian Universe.She represented Canada in the Miss Universe pageant in PuertoRico and was selected amongst the Top 10 in the world. Also, RishmaMalik, Miss India-Canada 1996 starred in Deepa Mehta's "BollywoodHollywood" movie. Furthermore, Sangeeta Virmani, Miss India-Canada 2003 met the Honourable Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Presidentof India at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. Last year, ParulSharma, Miss India-Canada 2004 sang the Canadian and US nationalanthems before a sold out Toronto Raptors NBA basketball game.The reigning Miss India-Canada, Mallika Kapur recently took a trip

to India and was interviewed by various print and television media.Entries for the Miss India-Canada Event will be accepted until

Friday, June 28, 2013.For an application form or further information, please contact:

(905) 851-0990 or visit www.MissIndiaCanada.com

MISS INDIA-CANADA 2013 TO BE CROWNED AUGUST 17

BRAMPTON, ON: Coinciding withthe light rail transit (LRT) PublicInformation Centre on May 15, adisplay LRT vehicle f romMetrolinx will be showcased indowntown Brampton.Residents have the opportunity toget a close-up look at the type ofvehicle that could be used on theproposed Hurontario-Main corri-dor.The vehicle will be on display atGage Park (area a long MainStreet) from May 15 to 22 (exclud-ing the weekend), and open forpublic viewing on:* May 15, 3 ¡V 8 pm* May 16, 10 am ¡V 2 pm* May 17, 10 am ¡V 2 pm* May 21, 10 am ¡V 2 pm* May 22, 10 am ¡V 2 pmDuring these days, City staff willbe available to answer questionsabout the LRT project.Residents are also encouraged toattend the LRT Public InformationCentre on May 15, 3 ¡V 8 pm, atPeel Ar t Gallery Museum andArchives (PAMA) at 9 WellingtonSt. E, to learn about the projectand provide input.Hurontario-Main LRT ProjectThe City of Mississauga and theCity of Brampton have a visionfor a vibrant Hurontario-Main cor-ridor from the Lakeshore in Por tCredit to downtown Brampton. In2011, the cities¡¦ Master Planconcluded that Light Rail Transit(LRT) is the preferred form of tran-sit along the Hurontario-Main

corridor. An LRT system, provid-ing key transpor tation connec-tions to the cities, both nor th/south and with the GO Transitsystem, has been identified as acatalyst for sustainable, well-managed growth.The Hurontario-Main LRT Projectis now in the Preliminary De-s ign and Transi t Pro ject As-sessment (TPAP) Phase, whichincludes design and technicalstudies suppor ted by extensive

stakeholder and public consul-tations.About Brampton: The 9th largestcity in Canada, Brampton has asuccess fu l , we l l -d i ve rs i f i edeconomy and is home to morethan 8,000 businesses. The Citycon t i nues to r e ta in a Tr ip l e¡¥A¡¦ credit rating by Standard& Poor¡¦s, reflecting its suc-cessful economy and debt-freeposition. Brampton celebratesits diverse population that repre-

sents people from more than 175distinct ethnic backgrounds whospeak more than 70 differentlanguages. Offering more than6 ,000 ac res o f pa rk l and ,Brampton takes pride in beingknown as the F lower Ci ty ofCanada. Brampton has beendesignated since 2007 as an In-ternational Safe Community bythe World Health Organization.For more informat ion v is i twww.brampton.ca

HOP ON¡KLRT DISPLAYVEHICLE AT GAGE PARK

Ace photographer, JagdishMali passes away

Jagdish passed away at the Nanavati hospital in Mumbai. Hewas in his 60s. Sources from the hospital confirmed the news and said, "Yes.Jagdish Mali passed away today morning."The reason behind his death is unknown and his relatives aresaid to be not keen on disclosing it.Filmmaker Ashok Pandit expressed condolence on micro-blogging site Twitter, "Ace photographer Jagdish Mali passedaway at 11.20 am today (Monday) at Nanawati Hospital. Willmiss you Jaggi. RIP."Jagdish was recently in news when he was said to be foundroaming disoriented and dishevelled on the streets of Mumbai.Bollywood expressed their sorrow over his demise on Twitter.Here's what they said:Shweta Pandit: This is shocking news. Was supposed to meethim. Will miss you Jaggi!Bhagyashree: Jagdish Mali, an ace photographer, a fantasticfriend and lovely human being. RIP. We all will miss you.Payal Rohatgi: RIP Jagdish Mali ji.. Shocked to hear about hisdemise. I just remember meeting him like yesterday when I hadcome to Mumbai for the first.

EMINENT PHOTO-JOURNALIST JAGDISHMALI, FATHER OF ACTRESS ANTARAMALI, PASSED AWAY MONDAY MORNING‘

4 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLYTUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

page 4 MEET THEFUTURE OFPAKISTANMeet the FUTURE OF PAKISTAN

Maryam Nawaz Sharif doesn't like to admit it, but she's herfather's favorite. When she speaks about him, she turns girly."His legacy is beautiful," says the 38-year-old. "Who wouldnot want to step into those shoes?" Finally stepping into politics somemonths ago, it is Maryam, not her cousin Hamza or either of herbrothers (who live abroad), who is now the presumed future leader ofher father's par ty, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), the second larg-est bloc in the National Assembly and which governs the Punjab. "Hegives us all equal attention," she says about her father, Nawaz Sharif,and the former prime minister's relationships with his four children."But, I suppose I am the closest to him."Maryam has been preparing for a political role all her life. She'scompleting her Ph.D. on post-9/11 radicalization in Pakistan, she'sfluent in four languages (including Arabic).Four teen months after her father's government was ousted by Gen.Pervez Musharraf on Oct. 12, 1999, Maryam and 22 members of herfamily were packed off to Saudi Arabia. Exile lasted seven years.Musharraf wrote in his autobiography, In the Line of Fire, that themilitary cour ts only spared Nawaz Sharif's life because of pressurefrom the Saudi monarch.

THE MAN WHO ONCE SAID NAWAZ SHARIF AND HISPARTY WERE HISTORY, AND WOULD NEVER BEALLOWED TO RETURN, HIMSELF HAD TO LEAVE THECOUNTRY. LET'S CALL IT DIVINE RETRIBUTION.‘

"It was a tough time," says Maryam of life in Saudi Arabia. "I foundsome solace when I visited holy places, but the yearning for thehomeland never abated." She says she did not allow exile to embitterher and used that time to pick up strength from adversity. "Only thesufferer knows what the suffering means," she says. "All theseexperiences have shaped a new Maryam, I call it my rebir th."She takes some pleasure in the fact that Musharraf has beenunable to end his own four-year-long self-exile from Pakistan,cancelling his January arrival af ter the Army refused him suppor tin managing par ties (the PMLN, the judiciary, media) looking tosettle scores with him. "What goes around comes around," shesays. "The man who once said Nawaz Sharif and his par ty werehistory, and would never be allowed to return, himself had toleave the country. Let's call it divine retribution."Musharraf's coup had thrust Maryam and especially her mother,Kalsoom, into the spotlight. With almost all the Sharif men in jail,the former first lady took over the reins of the PMLN, leadingdef iant, lonely protests against the Musharraf regime. Soonenough, both mother and daughter were placed under house ar-rest. When they gained their freedom four months later, they wererunning from prison to prison, hearing haplessly the charges ofcorruption, terrorism, and tax evasion against Nawaz Sharif. "Shedauntlessly challenged the usurper when a lot of men backedout," says Maryam of her mother. "She's contributed famously tomy father's life and to democracy in Pakistan."The PMLN came back as a political force in the 2008 electionsand has been roundly criticized for appearing to be soft on terror-ists and sectarian groups and for failing to revive the Punjab'seconomy. But Maryam champions minorities' rights, disapprovesof politicians fraternizing with banned militant organizations ("Ido not endorse this at all"), and she wants any organization thatviolates the law to be "strictly dealt with." She says: "There is noplace for extremism and militancy in Islam."Like her father, Maryam speaks passionately about the sins ofmilitary dictators. And she resents President Asif Ali Zardari 'scriticism that her father is a legatee of Gen. Zia-ul-Haq. "If some-one aspiring to venture into politics waited for despotic rules tobe over, he would have never made it," she says. She points outthat Zardar i 's la te father- in- law and Pakistan Peoples Par tyfounder, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was mentored by Gen. Ayub Khan."Every politician was at one time or the other a protégé of thosewho have been calling the shots in Pakistan." The PMLN is no

"establishment par ty," she says. "We not only learnt our lesson thehard way, but paid a very heavy price for it."

She is also angry with Musharraf for drafting Pakistan in the U.S.-ledwar on terror. "Since General Musharraf enjoyed no legitimacy athome and no credibility abroad, he was desperate to make up forthese shor tcomings by handing over the country to the Americans,"she says. "In the process he gained a lot, but where did it leave thecountry? Thousands of Pakistanis have lost their lives, entire vil-lages have been laid to waste, and the scourge of militancy and ter-rorism are deeply afflicting the country." Maryam states emphaticallythat the war on terror is not Pakistan's war. She is also skepticalabout some U.S. claims: "Do you think Osama bin Laden is dead? Iam not so sure." Her par ty's views on the war on terror are similar tothose ar ticulated by Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf,but Maryam does not like the comparison: "I don't think it's fair tocompare the PMLN with a par ty whose past, present and future allare murky," she says. Pakistancannot afford a leader who willtrain on the job, she says, sochoosing Khan at the polls wouldbe a "childish adventure." She issuspicious about the PTI's "over-night fame" and bel ieves thepar ty's rise is being facilitated by"the people who call the shots."She asks: "Where is the moneycoming from? Where is this allbeing designed?"She's equally unimpressed by thenumbers turning out to see Khanat rallies and the politicians de-fecting to his side. "He has thescum of the ear th along with him,"she says, "all the turncoats, allthe notorious people." PMLN lostone of its vice presidents, JavedHashmi, to the PTI. "Mr. Khan sawhim as a potential and gullibleprey," she says of Hashmi, "but Ihad still expected Javed Hashmito have exer ted better politicalacumen and discernment." TheHashmi betrayal has hit a nerve.She's studied Khan's latest book, Pa-kistan: a Personal History, to betterknow the enemy. "He is a man with-out substance, and I don't think hemeans well," she says, coolly."In a country like Pakistan, howcan he suppor t sher i f f e lec-t ions?" Maryam is conf identKhan has peaked : "The PT Ibubble is bursting now." She at-tributes this alleged stemmingof the PTI tide to media and so-cial-media scrutiny of candidateKhan. "People are getting very savvyand aware, no subject is taboo any-more," she says, adding that an alli-ance between the "security establish-ment" and any political par ty willonly backfire.

MUSHARRAF WAS 'DESPERATE,' SAYS MARYAM, ANDCOMPENSATED FOR HIS ILLEGITIMACY 'BY HANDINGOVER THE COUNTRY TO THE AMERICANS.‘

HE IS A MAN WITHOUT SUBSTANCE, AND IDON'T THINK HE MEANS WELL,' MARYAMSAYS OF IMRAN KHAN‘

The possible dawning that Khan may not be able to wipe out main-stream par ties like the PMLN in the next elections is leading his fanson social media to resort to desperate means, feels Maryam. "Peoplecan differ. Look at you and me, we don't have similar views, but oneshould differ with grace," she says. Of Khan's followers on Twitter,she says: "It's very bad, just look at their language. His followersmake personal attacks. But I always say, 'like leader, like follower.' Ifthis is the change he will bring then we are better off without it."

Maryam's foray into politics comes at a par ticularly unique time forwomen in Pakistan. The speaker of the National Assembly, the for-eign minister, the information minister, the ambassador to the U.S.,and the acting defense secretary are all women. Maryam recognizesthe fact that right now is a bit of a renaissance for women in power.She says she likes Speaker Fehmida Mirza, information ministerFirdous Ashiq Awan ("I like her, I like her crudeness!"), and the for-eign minister. "I walked up to her because I admired her," says Maryamof Hina Rabbani Khar. "This was after the Birkin-gate campaign. Ithink we need well-dressed people." She says Khar got a raw deal forcarrying expensive accessories. "I like wearing good clothes andjewelry, I don't see it as a negative point."In many ways, Sharif's PMLN is far behind the ruling PPP and its allyMuttahida Qaumi Movement in wooing women voters, who constituteat least 43 percent of Pakistan's 83.28 million registered voters. TheMQM's women's empowerment rally last month in Karachi was theworld's largest all-women gathering, according to the BBC. And thefederal government has passed a raft of new laws to protect womenfrom acid crimes, harassment at the workplace, honor killings, forcedmarriage.Maryam Nawaz Sharif could be a signal of the PMLN's renewed com-mitment to women's rights and causes. On March 8, her uncleShahbaz, Punjab's chief minister, introduced the Punjab Women Em-powerment Package 2012 as a response to keep up with the PPP-ledgovernment in Islamabad. The PMLN-led Punjab government wantsto see more women in public service through affirmative action,daycare facilities for working mothers, low-interest loans for womenentrepreneurs, more schools. Maryam worked with other PMLN of-ficers on the package as well as on the women-only Pink Bus schemerecently launched in the Punjab.

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MidWeek 5MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLYTUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013 breaking news

I THINK YOU DID NOT COME THERE TO HELP SIKHS GET JUSTICE BUT TO SHOW TO THE (UNION)GOVERNMENT THAT YOU WERE WITH THEM," NIRPREET ALLEGED IN THE LETTER.

I AM THE BOSS AND YOUCOULD BE NEXT IN LINE

CONTD. FROM PAGE 1These repor ts gained such reso-nance that the par ty had to stepin and issue an uncharacteristicdenial, and offer a bizarrre cer ti-fication that Manmohan Singhwould remain as Prime Ministeruntil 2014, when the next generalelection is due.Just how did this conspiratorialwhisper campaign gain so muchtraction? Knowing what we knowof power dynamics in the Con-gress, it seems clear that two fac-tors are at play here. Congressleaders increasingly seeManmohan Singh as a "non-pro-duct ive asset" , as journal istPrabhu Chawla observed. First,the teflon coating of ManmohanSingh's personal probity has wornoff very badly, par ticularly afterthe succession of scams thathappened under his watch - and,in par ticular, after the inept cover-up initiated by former Law Minis-ter Ashwani Kumar of the CBI in-vest igat ion into the Coalgatescandal invited searing observa-t ions by the Supreme Cour t .There's a growing fear amongsecond-rung Congress leadersthat going into an election in 2014with Manmohan Singh as theirmascot would be politically ruin-ous.Second, it appears that middle-rung Congress leaders are takingtheir cues from the dark hints,thrown out by the par ty itself, thatSonia Gandhi is less than pleasedwith Manmohan Singh's handling

of the episode involving AshwaniKumar and former Railway Min-ister Pawan Kumar Bansal. Andbeing more fa i thful than theQueen, so to speak, they are tak-ing it as a licence to push the en-velope with their criticism of him,and even giving voice to opencalls for his replacement.As "party sources" planted newsstories in the media claiming thatthe resignation of the two Minis-ters had to extracted by SoniaGandhi f rom a re luctantManmohan Singh, the word hasgone out that the Prime Ministeris a bali ka bakra, who can - andperhaps will - be sacrificed at theappropriate time in the cause ofring-fencing Sonia Gandhi fromthe taint of corruption that hasoverrun the UPA government.Evidently, all through the week-end, Manmohan Singh nursed asense of grievous hurt that suchplanted media repor ts had tar-nished what was left of his im-age, and made it known to his in-timate circle of acquaintancesthat the impression that such re-por ts conveyed - that he as PrimeMinister had no say over thechoice of his Ministry - wouldweigh him down even more frommaking policy decisions.In response to his sentiments, thepar ty then did an about-turn andput out the spin that the decisionto seek the resignations of the twoMinisters had been taken jointlyby Sonia Gandhi and ManmohanSingh. But the spin didn't work

even on Congress leaders, andeven subsequently, some of themwere publicly channelling the ear-lier line that the credit for secur-ing the resignations went entirelyto Sonia Gandhi.It was then that the calls for re-placing Manmohan Singh gainedresonance. Evidently, at least asection of the Congress believesthat while Manmohan Singh mayhave served as a useful foil fornine years, he has outlived hisutility; more seriously, they be-lieve that this is in fact SoniaGandhi's wish as well.It's entirely possible that SoniaGandhi too shares that perspec-t ive, but realpol i t ik consider-ations constrain her from actingon that conviction. Even thoughManmohan Singh is a liability tothe par ty today, she doesn't havea back-up plan. The names thatare being thrown up as potentialreplacements - AK Antony, PChidambaram - come with theirown political limitations. And, ofcourse, the person for whomManmohan Singh was keepingthe chair warm for nine years -Rahul Gandhi - too is acutelywary of sitting in the hot seat forfear of validating public percep-tions about his limitations as apolitician.Which is why the hideouspushmi-pullyu power arrange-ment between Sonia Gandhi andManmohan Singh isn't about tochange anytime soon. Only, thistime, the two heads of the hid-

eous beast have been implantedwith mutual distrust about theother's intentions.It's entirely possible of course thatManmohan Singh may yet clingon to power despite the humilia-tions he has been forced to suf-fer. Sonia Gandhi too knows thateven though Manmohan Singh isincreasingly a political liability,she is low on replacement op-tions. And so, the dysfunctionalpower arrangement may hobbleon for a few more months beforeelections are forced on it. Butthere's a slow train wreck coming -and we are all the potential casual-ties.Manmohan Singh should take heedof the smoke signals that are beingput out by Sonia Gandhi's loyal sup-porters, even to the extent of insinu-ating that it was he - and he alone -who wanted to shield Bansal andAshwani Kumar.The message is this: when it comesto ring-fencing Sonia Gandhi from thetaint of corruption that overruns theUPA government, everyone - eventhe Prime Minister - is expend-able. In propitiating the MotherGoddess, there are no 'holycows', and everyone is potentiallya sacrificial lamb that is ripe forslaughter.So, watch your back, DrManmohan Singh. The word is outthat you too are a bali ka bakra,who can be sacrificed at the ap-propriate time. Can you alreadyhear the swish of the executioner'sknife?

WHY DID IMRAN KHAN FAIL?CONTD. FROM PAGE 1He was defeated all of a sudden there. We slept in the nightand we learned in the morning that he and others were defeated.How can it be possible?" said one.Nonetheless, Imran can be credited for electrifying the youthby his powerful campaigning. Experts point out that Khan'sprojected 30 seats is a remarkable breakthrough for a party thathas only won one seat in Parliament before.We certainly saw people come out in large numbers and thevoter turnout could be as much as 60 per cent, say ElectionCommission officials but it seems Nawaz Sharif, not Imran Khan,turned out to be the true beneficiary of that huge turnout.

A crucial witness against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the1984 anti-Sikh riots, NirpreetKaur, who remained on a fast atJantarMantar in Delhi for six days to protest against hisacquittal by a Delhi court, has written a letter to Akal Takht jathedarGurbachan Singh, criticizing him for forcing her to end her fast.

While the jathedar had claimed that Sikh maryada did notsanction fasts, Nirpreet has recalled hunger strikes by senior Akalileaders, including Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee(DSGMC) president Manjit Singh GK's father late Jathedar SantokhSingh. She said the jathedar had forced her to end the fast withoutany results and thereby helped the Union government.

Nirpreet, who lost her father in the massacre, has asked thejathedar to reveal who else was involved in the conspiracy to makeher end the fast without achieving any results that too when theUnion government was facing pressure and desperate to get thestrike ended. She alleged that neither she nor any other activistsinvolved in the strike were consulted by the jathedar and told aboutit. "The jathedar suddenly announced that the fast was against Sikhmaryada and directed me to end it before offering me a glass ofjuice," she said.

In the letter written in Punjabi, Nirpreet, who lost her father inthe massacre and has been most active and vocal among the victimsto seek justice, has even asked the Jathedar to reveal that who elsewas involved in the conspiracy to end her fast without achievingany results that too when union government was facing pressure

and was desperate for getting the hunger strike ended.She alleged that neither she nor any other activists who were

instrumental in organizing the hunger strike were consulted by theJathedar and none was even hinted about it. "Jathedar suddenlyannounced that fast was against Sikh maryada and directed her toend it and offered her a glass of juice.

Notably when all this happened Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badaland Dy CM Sukhbir badal were also present apart from other seniorAkali leaders and DSGMC leadership.

Nirpreet has clarified in the letter that while it was Aam AdmiParty founder Arvind Kejriwal who joined her on the first day of thefast DSGMC later supported and then other organizations also startedextending support and what started as a small effort soon became abig movement with Sikhs in other parts of the country also holdingprotesting much to the uncomfort of the union government.

She has asked the Jathedar that if he could not be part of thestruggle by the Sikhs to get justice he should not sabotage suchstruggles by invoking the authority of his post.

"I think you did not come there to help Sikhs to get justicebut to show to the (union) government that you were withthem while leaving the victims in the lurch," Nirpreet allegedin the letter.

"I think you did not come there to help Sikhs get justicebut to show to the (Union) government that you were with them,"Nirpreet alleged in the letter.

DELHI RIOTS WITNESS NIRPREET KAURCRITICIZES AKAL TAKHT JATHEDAR

BOSTON BRUINS BEATTORONTO MAPLE LEAFSThousands of Maple Leafs fans gathered in downtown Torontoon Monday night in hopes of celebrating a victory together,but they ended up going home with playoff dreams shattered.Fans at Maple Leaf Square watched as Boston scored the firstgoal of Game 7 and also as the Bruins then fell behind theLeafs by a score of 4-1.But the Bruins scored three goals in the third period and forcedthe game into over time.One more goal from Boston sealed the deal and the Leafs'season ended in a 5-4 loss.The Bruins will head to the second round of NHL playoffs,while the Leafs head home for the season.Fans in Toronto were stunned by the loss that seemed unfath-omable earlier in the evening when the Leafs had run up athree-goal lead over the Bruins.

SANJAY DUTT URGESCOURT TO ALLOW HIM TOSURRENDER AT YERWADAJAIL IN PUNE

MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, convicted in 1993bomb blasts case, urged a designated TADA cour t here onTuesday to allow him to surrender before Yerwada jail in Puneinstead of giving himself up before the special cour t.Judge GA Sanap, hearing the actor's application, asked CBI tofile a reply and posted the hearing on Dutt's plea on Wednes-day. Public prosecutor Deepak Salvi appeared for the govern-ment and CBI.Dutt filed the application in the TADA cour t, hours after theSupreme Cour t refused to grant Dutt additional time to sur-render for undergoing the remaining 42 months jail term inthe 1993 Mumbai blasts case.The apex cour t was hearing a petition filed by a film producer,who sought time for Dutt to complete his under-productionfilms. Dutt, convicted under the Arms Act and sentenced tofive-year jail term, is supposed to surrender on May 16 be-fore the authorities.On May 10, the apex cour t had dismissed Dutt's plea seekingreview of its judgement on his conviction and five-year jailterm. 53-year-old Dutt was earlier granted four weeks moretime to surrender to undergo the remaining jail term.The Supreme Cour t, on March 21, had upheld his convictionin the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, which it said was engi-neered by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and others withthe involvement of Pakistan's ISI.However, the apex cour t had reduced to five years the six-year jail term awarded to Dutt by a designated TADA cour t in2006 while ruling out his release on probation, saying the"nature" of his offence was "serious". Dutt was convicted bythe TADA cour t for illegally possessing a 9 mm pistol and anAK-56 rifle, which were par t of a consignment of weaponsand explosives brought to India for coordinated serial blaststhat killed 257 people and injured over 700 in 1993.

Mystery substance sent to USconsulate in ChinaBEIJING: US officials say an envelope containing an unidenti-fied substance was sent to the US consulate general in thesouthern Chinese city of Guangzhou, disrupting operations atthe diplomatic building.Deputy spokesman Justin Higgins at the US embassy inBeijing says the envelope was opened on Monday in an officewhere visa interviews are conducted. Higgins says interviewsscheduled for Tuesday have been cancelled while an investi-gation is carried out.He says no one was injured and that precautionary measureshave been taken for employees present when the substancewas discovered. He would not describe the substance, whichhe says has yet to be identified.The website of Guangzhou's Yangcheng Evening News re-por ted that the substance was a powder and that it hadsprinkled onto an employee's clothes.

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AZAADI FOR IRAN

By - John Baird (Minister of Foreign Affairs)at the Global Dialogue on the Future of Iran

CONTD. FROM PAGE 1It was about the protection of our courageous men and women

who were serving their country in peace.We saw what the IRGC and Basij were doing to Iranians. We

saw the strengthening of a regressive clerical, military dictatorship.As we condemned this regime's actions, our diplomats' lives wereincreasingly at risk. We simply lost, what little faith we had, in thisregime. But we have never lost faith in the people of Iran. In fact, wewant to expand our relations with Iranians, free from the regime'sfilters.

We gather to demonstrate that the bonds between peoples ofdistant places can grow stronger and more resolute…Bonds thattear down walls…Bonds that as we've seen before, pierce through

the regime's most elaborate firewalls.Four years ago, the people of Iran showed tremendous courage

and resolve. Outraged by a stolen election that mocked their right tochoose…frustrated by a broken economy that robbed them of theircreativity and enterprise…millions of Iranians took to the streets.

They stood up to decades of brutal repression. They demandedthe right to determine their own future. For weeks the world watchedin awe, inspired by their bravery. Watching from afar our peopleheld their breath...wondering if tyranny would fall again - as iteventually does.

As I look back, I confess that freedom-loving nations like Canadashould have been more vocal in supporting this movement. Wecould have done more.

From our desktops, we did modest things to stand with you.But at the end of the day, while we may have changed the face ofTwitter avatars, you changed the face of freedom.

Yes, the Green Movement had its first beat in Iran. But its pulsewas felt the world over. It provided hope for those who sufferedunder oppressive regimes. It gave them a model to follow. And follow,they did. Now, they're changing the face of places that havesuffocated at the hands of dictators and strongmen.

The kind of strongmen that took the life of Neda Agha-Soltan -an innocent, defenseless young woman, brutally shot dead by theBasij. As her last moments were uploaded to YouTube, the worldwatched in horror.

It was disgusting. Abhorrent. And it revealed what the regimefears most: not the West. Not liberal democracies. No. The regimefears the courageous people of Iran. Under the burden of escalatingrepression, the regime is forcing activists to leave. As they do, otherstake their place, subjected to the full force of this regime's anger.

They can take solace, knowing that Iranian democratic voicesexist outside of Iran. They can take comfort, knowing that Iran'sdemocratic voices have begun the hard, patient work of bringingabout a free and open society in Iran. On this, we all agree: thepeople of Iran deserve free and fair elections.

Not another version of the Ayatollah Khamenei's never-endingshell game of presidential puppets.

Not the rise of a regressive clerical military dictatorship.But robust elections which take power out of the hands of puppet

masters and place it in your hands, the hands of the people. And so,I say to the Supreme Leader: rather than waste your preciousresources trying to scramble this video feed…or trying to shut downthe people's websites…or trying to subject your people to theoppressive veil of tyranny…open up.

Listen to the Iranian people. Roll back the apparatus of fear.Allow dissenting voices. Embrace freedom of expression. Expandthe pursuit of knowledge. Unshackle the people. End your tyranny.Imagine an Iran with a political culture based on inclusiveness andfreedom. Imagine an Iran where people are free to advocate a pointof view and have the courage to test them against opposing views.Imagine an Iran that affords the strongest protections for freedomof expression, freedom of conscience, freedom of assembly, the ruleof law. Imagine an Iran that has rigorous checks and balances againstabuse of power and corruption...where the rules are the same forevery person. Imagine an Iran where government protects people'slives…where government does not silence, imprison and murderethnic, religious and cultural minorities for their beliefs. Imaginedemocracy. Just imagine it.

The people of Iran have. And they have imagined it becausethey want what the world wants: prosperity and freedom. And weknow the historical truth about democracies: they are far less likelyto go to war with one another. And when a country is not at war, itprospers. This is the test against which Iranians will measure theregime.

To get there, I call on the international community and fellowforeign ministers to join me in taking a stronger stand in support ofthe Iranian people.

We can do so in three ways.The first is by calling on the regime to address the demands and

hopes of the Iranian people ahead of next month's elections. To theregime listening to us now, here's how you can respond to whatyour own people have asked for:

" Lift censorship of the Internet and other media." Release political prisoners." Allow election observers." Let candidates connect with the people freely.The second way the international community can take a stronger

stand in support of the Iranian people is to reach out to Iranianactivists, as we're doing today:

" Engage these activists directly, even as we isolate theregime.

" Give them the attention and dignity they deserve as thedemocratic voices of a great country with a long and proud history.

" Protect and encourage activists inside Iran." Find ways to protect dissenting voices…and those who

have the courage to tell the truth about the Basij…about IRGCassets…and about the regressive clerical tyranny that rules Irantoday.

" Demonstrate, with political support, that these views arelegitimate.

And the third way we can stand with the people of Iran is tosupport human rights defenders who take such tremendous personalrisks in trying to protect others.

" We should invest in them…" Make sure the regime knows that we're in regular contact

with them…" Make them famous…" And wedge this regime against its own rhetoric.I recognize that those of you seeking to expand democratic

space inside Iran are running the greatest risk.

I am committing to you - to all of Iran's democratic voices - thatyou have a friend in Canada.

And know that the tensions that exist between the IslamicRepublic and the International Community will cease once Iranembraces human rights and democracy.

Until that day comes, the international community will do whatit must to protect itself from the current regime.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and I are absolutely resolute inthis view: the Ayatollah Khamenei regime remains the greatest threatto international peace and security in the world today.

That's why we listed the Iranian regime as a state sponsor ofterrorism...

Why we made the IRGC Qods Force and Hezbollah terroristentities in Canadian law…

And why we have implemented tough economic sanctions.The world must target the IRGC's assets, and expose the wealth

they've been amassing at the expense of the people.We are taking every effort to halt the reckless pursuit of nuclear

weapons capabilities while maintaining exemptions that reduce theimpact on the Iranian people.

The regime claims that international alarm over its nuclearprogram is a"cover for sanctions." I can promise you that our graveconcern with the regime's nuclear program is absolutely sincere.And so are the efforts of the international community.

President Obama has extended his hand, using every diplomatictool at his disposal to get the regime to reverse course.

Catherine Ashton and the P5+1 have patiently worked with Iranin good faith.

We all want a peaceful resolution to this crisis.And yet for each new offer of compromise, the regime responds

with escalation and provocation…with false promises and emptygestures.

I refuse to believe that the clerical military dictatorship ofAyatollah Khamenei, his enforcers in the IRGC and Basij, or hisagents in Hezbollah, represents the future of Iran.

The regime is hollow. It does not have the depth, the intellect,the humanity, or the humility to bring about a better future for itspeople.

Let me be clear: we understand the vast system of domesticrepression and human rights abuses of Ayatollah Khamenei's regime.We bear witness to the brutal tyranny run by the Basij and the IRGC,who rape and torture the Iranian people.

I believe the Iranian people want change. Whether changecomes quickly or gradually, the Iranian people will not forever toleratethe hypocrisy and corruption of the regime; the wanton waste of itsresources; and the transformation of a proud nation into a pariah.

Today is not about Canada, or Canadian policy. You may agreewith our policies. You may take issue with them. That's quite alright.This is a democracy after all.

But this Global Dialogue is about you, the people of Iran, andthe future that should await you in a free and open society.

You will hear from a wide range of voices today and tomorrow -sharply differing views on the future of Iranand the choices thatconfront it.

Some of these will be heated debates. Others might get testy.Don't let that discourage you. You should watch Question Period inthe Canadian Parliament!

Heated debate is healthy. Democracy would be useless if wedidn't have our disagreements.

What you'll hear in the next two days is what should be openlyspoken in Iran.

We know this happens in the courtyards of mosques and atmarkets…in farmers' homes and beauty salons… in the kitchens ofIranian families and at their offices.

These conversations are happening on the street just as readilyas they are happening in the cloud…in Google Hangouts…onTwitter…and on Facebook.

The people mock "Halal" Internet for the ridiculous propositionthat it is.

I'll conclude with this message to Iranians - on the street and inthe cloud- and especially to those who suffer in dark prison cellsunder the lashings of the Basij:

One day, Iran will have the institutions that allow its citizens todebate and to determine their future in freedom.

One day, the Iranian people will enjoy full access to freedomand opportunity.

One day, full integration into the global trading system willreplace economic sanctions.

One day, Iran will take its rightful place in international affairsas a leading and respected regional power.

From the ashes of tyranny, Iranand Iranians will rise as aprosperous and free society.

Iranians are working each and every day to bring that futureever closer.

The courage shown by Iranians who choose human dignityover the regime's cynical propaganda brings that future ever closer.

Every free and open contact - online or in person - that pushesback the walls of a closed society, brings that bright future closer.

Today, tomorrow and in the road ahead, I wish you all greatsuccess in your pursuit of freedom, for azaadi.

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MidWeek 7MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLYTUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

communityPeel Police

SEARCH WARRANT RESULTS IN

DRUG SEIZURE IN MISSISSAUGABrampton – The Peel Regional Police Street Crime Gang Unitconducted an investigation which led them to the seizure ofseveral kilograms of cocaine.On Thursday, May 9, 2013 investigators observed a drugpurchase and shor t l y the rea f te r s topped a veh ic le inBrampton, where a half a kilogram of cocaine was located.Police subsequently arrested Mahesh BEDI, a 35 year-oldBrampton resident. He is charged with Possession for thePurpose of Trafficking (Cocaine) and appeared Friday, May10, 2013, before the Ontario Cour t of Justice in Brampton.On Friday, May 10, 2013 fur ther investigation led to the ex-ecution of a search warrant at a Mississauga residence onBala Drive. This culminated in seizure of an additional 2.6kilograms of cocaine.Police arrested Jamie GIRALDO, a52 year-old, Mississaugaresident. He was charged with Trafficking a Controlled Sub-stance (Cocaine), and Possession for the Purpose of Traf-ficking (Cocaine). He was held in custody and appeared atthe Ontario Cour t of Justice in Brampton.GIRALDO’s wife, Janeth GONZALEZ, 51 years of age, also ofMississauga was arrested and charged with Possession forthe Purpose of Trafficking (Cocaine). She was held in cus-tody and appeared at the Ontario Cour t of Justice in Brampton.The total amount of Cocaine seized is 3.1 kilograms with anestimated street value of $150,000.In addition, currency in the amount of $9,570 (CAN) and $337(USD) was seized as Proceeds of Crime.Anyone with information related to illegal firearms can con-tact the Street Crime Gang Unit at (905) 453-2121, ext. 7704.Individuals can also anonymously leave information, or tips,by calling Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), orthrough their website, www.peelcrimestoppers.ca.The Peel Regional Police Street Crime Gang Unit has a Twitteraccount, where investigators and the public can interact. TheirTwitter account is @Peelgunsandgang

Without lifestyle changes now, South Asians faceup to three times higher rates of living with or dyingfrom coronary artery disease and at an earlier age

community AMERICAN SIKH CAUCUSWILL FOCUS ON DOMESTICCIVIL RIGHTS: BERA I P8

CANADA ROAD SAFETY WEEKPeel– Peel – Peel Regional Police will be joining our policingpar tners across the country for Canada Road Safety Week whichwill run for 8 consecutive days, star ting May 13, 2013.Canada Road Safety Week is an initiative of the Canadian Coun-cil of Motor Transpor t Administrators (CCMTA), and par t ofTranspor t Canada’s Road Safety Strategy 2015. Road SafetyStrategy 2015 has as its goal; to make Canada’s roads thesafest in the world.Canada Road Safety Week will run from May 13, 2013, toMay 20, 2013. This enforcement initiative will target all rulesof the road and driving laws.This year the emphasis of the Canada Road Safety Week willbe on the “Big 4”, impaired operation by alcohol or drug,failure or improper use of seatbelts, aggressive driving anddistracted driving.The ultimate objective of the initiative is to reduce fatalitiesand injuries on Canadian roadways.Canada Road Safety Week will also include an educationalcomponent to raise public awareness regarding the impor-tance of defensive, safe driving behaviours.For more information regarding Canada’s Road Safety Strat-egy, please go to the Canadian Council of Motor Transpor tAdministrators website at: http://www.ccmta.ca/crss-2015/strategy.php

May is South Asian Heritage Month and the Heart and StrokeFoundation is now aiming its national campaign "Make HealthLast" at the South Asian community urging people to take action toimprove their health.

Like other Canadian baby boomers (48 to 65 years old), SouthAsian Canadians have big aspirations for their golden years, buttheir current lifestyle could keep them from making these dreams areality. The Heart and Stroke Foundation's 2013 Report on the Healthof Canadians titled Reality Check warns that without immediateaction, baby boomers may spend their last years in sickness, disabilityand immobility.

Although Canadians are living longer,according to Statistics Canada, on average,there's a 10-year gap between how long theylive, and how long they live in health. Thisgap is mainly due to heart disease, strokeand other chronic conditions.

A Heart and Stroke Foundation poll*found that while almost 80 per cent of Canadian boomers think theirdoctors would rate them as healthy, their self-reported lifestylechoices show otherwise.

A huge majority of boomers reported not eating enoughvegetables and fruit (85 per cent), more than 40 per cent are notgetting enough physical activity each week, one in five (21 per cent)smoke, and one in ten (11 per cent) are heavy drinkers. While thelarge majority of boomers said they feel stressed at least sometimes,almost 30 per cent flag they are often or always stressed.

Despite their lifestyle, more than a quarter of Canadian babyboomers don't feel concerned about how healthy they will be later inlife. And a shocking three quarters (74 per cent) don't know thatthey can reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke by up to 80 percent with lifestyle changes.

What is even more frightening is that the risks are far greater forSouth Asian Canadians.

"It has been shown that more South Asians, compared toCanadians of European descent, suffer from increased diabetes andheart disease. Also, they show these signs even when they do notappear to be overweight. It is important to develop effective healthpromotion messages and strategies for South Asians to help reducetheir risk of developing heart disease," says Dr. Sonia Anand,Professor of Medicine, McMaster University and Chair in PopulationHealth, Michael G. DeGroote Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

Facts and statistics specific to Canadian South AsiansSouth Asian men and women have the highest rate of heart

disease and stroke compared to other ethnic groups.While women of all races are at risk of developing heart disease,

the risk is higher for South Asian women, and stroke can occur at anearlier age.

Heart disease" South Asians, including those in Canada, have up to three

times higher rates of living with or dying from coronary arterydisease; when compared with Europeans, Americans and otherAsians.

Diabetes" South Asian Canadians are three times more likely to have

diabetes compared to Caucasian Canadians.Hypertension" People of South Asian background were three times more

likely than Caucasian to have hypertension.Obesity" Compared to European populations, South Asians have

greater abdominal fat and insulin resistance at similar BMI levels(Body Mass Index based on individuals Weight and Height) .

" Physical inactivity levels are lower among South Asians;70 per cent of South Asian men and 75 per cent of South Asianwomen in Ontario do not participate in at least 15 minutes of dailyphysical activity.

Ashok Verma a father of two young children knows first-handwhat it feels like to have a close call. "At 38 years old I was shocked tolearn that I had heart disease and that I would need a triple bypass. Iwas young, fairly active and not particularly overweight. I had onlyheard stories of other people having a heart attack, until it happened tome. Doctors said that it is my South Asian genetic make-up that hasgreatly increased my risk of heart disease and stroke," said Verma.

"This campaign highlights how Canadians of South Asian descentare disproportionally impacted by heart disease and stroke. With higherprevalence and earlier onset of cardiovascular diseases in ourcommunities, it's time that we start increasing our understanding of riskfactors and taking proactive steps towards a healthier 'us.' The campaigncompels us to let go of our unhealthy lifestyles and start thinking abouthealthy hearts," says Firdaus Ali, Health Promotion Specialist, SouthAsian Communities. "In the case of South Asians, genetics set thestage, but environment pulls the trigger. The South Asian communityneeds to realize that they have a vulnerability to diabetes and heartdisease, and that this risk starts very early in life. The good news isthat if lifestyle changes are made now, one can considerably reducethe risk of diabetes and heart disease, including stroke. It is possible

for us to take charge of our heart health, reduce hospitalizations andimmobility, significantly improving the quality of our lives." addsDr. Milan Gupta, Associate Clinical Professor, Department ofMedicine, McMaster University.

"In order to take full advantage of life and "Make Health Last",South Asian Canadians need to take action - it's their time to decideif they'll grow old with vitality, or get old with disease," says BillThomas, Treasurer, Canada, Heart and Stroke Foundation, and ChiefFinancial Officer, Ontario. "The Heart and Stroke Foundation willcontinue to work with governments and health organizations toensure that as a country, we enable access to healthy food, healthy

activities and informed healthy decisions.We are also thankful for the support wehave received from South Asian ethnicmedia in helping us get our messageacross, and we are very grateful to thePunjabi Film Festival for their support."added Thomas.

Lifestyle Changes to Make Health LastThe Heart and Stroke Foundation is launching a version of the

Make Health Last campaign specifically created for South AsianCanadians to help motivate and support them to live the lives theywant, now and in their later years. Tips and tools on how to MakeHealth Last can be found at makehealthlast.ca.

According to the Foundation, Canadians have the power toMake Health Last and shrink the ten-year gap between how longthey live and how long they live with health by addressing fivecontrollable behaviors that can affect heart disease and stroke risk:physical inactivity, smoking, stress, poor diet and excessive alcoholconsumption. By making lifestyle changes in these areas, Canadianscan change their future and gain health and quality of life in theirlater years.

" Physical inactivity results in nearly four years of qualitylife lost

o Everything counts, even gardening, housework or playingwith your kids or grandkids, getting off the bus or subway a stopearly, taking the stairs. The recommended amount is 150 minutes ofmoderate- to-vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, and itcan take place in bouts of 10 minutes or more. Moderate intensityactivities include brisk walking or bike riding. Vigorous intensitymay mean jogging or cross-country skiing.

" Eating a poor diet equals nearly three years of quality lifelost

o By following the recommendations in Canada's Food Guideyou can be sure that you'll meet your daily requirements for vitamins,minerals and other nutrients, which will reduce the risk of heartdisease and stroke

o Here are some healthy eating recommendations: http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3483951/k.38BC/Healthy_living__Healthy_Eating.htm

o Keep a food diary, eat out less, eat smaller portions, eatmore vegetables and fruit, and cut back on sugar-sweetened drinks.

o Read nutrition labels" Excessive stress can cost nearly two years or more of

quality lifeo Identify the source of your stress and what is bothering

you. Share your feelings, talk to friends, family or professionals.Be physically active, take time for yourself and take breaks to getaway from it all. Laugh more and try relaxation techniques. Checkout the Heart and Stroke Foundation's brochure Coping withStress. http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3484039/k.3548/Heart_disease__Reduce_your_stress.htm

" Quitting smoking canadd two and a half more yearsof quality life

o Within one year ofquitting, the risk of dying fromsmoking-related heart disease iscut in half; within ten years, therisk of dying from lung canceris cut in half, and after fifteenyears, the risk of dying will benearly that of a non-smoker.

o Tips to quit includeconsidering why you smoke,list your reasons to quit, putmore t ime be tween yourc igare t tes , se t a qui t da te ,designate smoke-free areasor seek he lp f rom yourphys ic ian . Suppor t iveresources can be found on theHeart and Stroke Foundation'sw e b s i t e . h t t p : / /www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3484037/k.52E5/Heart_disease__Smoking.htm

8 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLYTUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013c o m m u n i t y

Indians lobby hard for aslice of immigration pieWASHINGTON: Fromcorporate America toIndian techies to Indian-Americans with familyties to their native land -all are lobbying hard toinfluence changes in theproposed immigration lawthat has started movingthrough the US legislativelabyrinthine. Concernedthat some "aggressivelyprotectionist" provisions in the bipartisan legislationproposed by the so-called Senate gang of eight wouldadversely affect US-India trade ties, a leadingassociation of over 300 US firms doing business withIndia is engaging a lobbying firm as it once did to pushthe landmark India-US nuclear deal. The US-IndiaBusiness Council (USIBC) argues that the proposed banand restrictions on client site placement of H1B and L1workers respectively and a limit on their total percentagein a company's workforce in the US woulddisproportionally affect Indian-born, highly-skilledworkers.The proposed caps on H1B visas will instead put a capon economic growth in both the US and India, USIBCofficials argue, and place the US at a relativedisadvantage in the global marketplace driving awayskilled workers elsewhere, including to Canada andEurope. Noting that US-India two-way trade has crossed$100 billion, they suggest that the bill would drive awedge between the two countries with "irrevocablyintertwined economies" undermining economic growthfor both nations.The bill proposes raising the current base cap for H-1 Bvisas from 65,000 to 110,000 and eventually to 180,000based on a formula that includes whether the cap is meteach year and the number of unemployed high-skilledworkers. But it also imposes a hard limit of 50 percent onH-1B and L-1 workers that could make up a company'sworkforce in the US from October 2016 onwards andincreases the visa application fee from the current $2,000to up to $10,000 for employers with more than 50 percentand less than 75 percent such workers. Both USIBC andthe Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), both arguethat thus essentially targeting Indian firms operating inthe US with restrictions or fees is contrary to the spiritof the US- India strategic partnership. Concerned aboutthe potential to apply new rules in a discriminatorymanner against Indian companies, the NationalAssociation of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) too is planning to engage a lobbying firm tomake its case on the Capitol Hill, the seat of the USCongress. But in a dog bite dog business world, top UStech firms are waging a sophisticated lobbying campaignto make it harder for Indian consulting companies toprovide temporary workers and instead "allow them tofill thousands of vacant jobs with foreign engineers,"according to a report in the New York Times. With anadvertising blitz bankrolled by senior executives fromSilicon Valley, like Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook andReid Hoffman of LinkedIn, "they have managed to securemuch of what they want in the landmark immigration billnow pending in Congress," the influential US daily said."Facebook's lobbying budget swelled from $351,000 in2010 to $2.45 million in the first three months of thisyear, while Google spent a record $18 million last year," itnoted. But as the pool of high-skilled workers is stilllikely to come from India, the North AmericanAssociation of Indian IT Professionals (NAAIIP) ispleased with new stipulations to increase the number oftemporary high-skill H1B visas as it provides themgreater employment flexibility. Indian and Asiancommunity organisations have their own concerns thatthe proposed legislation veers away from family-basedimmigration toward merit-based immigration. For example,it would eliminate the ability for US citizens to sponsorforeign siblings for green cards. In a meeting last weekwith President Barack Obama, the National Council ofAsian Pacific Americans including the South AsianAmericans Leading Together (SAALT), an umbrella bodyof 41 South Asian organisation bodies, focused onfamily reunification as critical to immigrant communities.

HSBC fears 'significant' penaltyin NRI tax evasion probeLONDON: Global banking major HSBC hassaid it may face "significant" penalties fromthe US authorities with regard to an ongoingprobe into suspected tax evasion by the US-based clients of its Indian unit, among othercases. The US tax department is investigatingpossible evasion of federal income taxes bythe American residents of Indian originthrough use of their accounts with HSBCIndia. HSBC said in a regulatory filing lastnight that it is cooperating with the USDepartment of Justice and the InternalRevenue System (IRS) in their probes into whether certain HSBCcompanies and employees acted appropriately in relation to certaincustomers with US tax reporting requirements. The disclosure wasmade by UK-based HSBC as part of an update of the ongoing"regulatory and law enforcement investigations", along with thebank's first quarter results. About the case involving its Indian unit,the banking giant said that HSBC Bank USA in April 2011 had receiveda 'John Doe' summons from the IRS, directing it to produce recordswith respect to US-based clients of an HSBC Group company inIndia. "We have cooperated fully by providing responsivedocuments in our possession in the US to the IRS," it added. In theUS tax parlance, the 'John Doe' summons is one issued by the InternalRevenue Service to a third party to provide information on anunnamed, unknown taxpayer with potential tax liability. The unnamed

person is addressed as 'Jon Doe' in suchsummons. About another case, HSBCsaid it had also received in April 2011 asubpoena from the US markets regulatorSEC, directing HSBC Bank USA toproduce records related to HSBC PrivateBank Suisse SA's cross-border policiesand procedures and adherence to USbroker-dealer and investment adviserrules and regulations when dealing withUS resident clients. "HSBC Bank USAcontinues to cooperate with SEC," it

said. HSBC said that "based on the facts currently known in respectof each of these investigations, it is not practicable at this time forus to determine the terms on which these ongoing investigationswill be resolved or the timing of such resolution or for us to estimatereliably the amounts, or range of possible amounts, of any finesand/or penalties. "As matters progress, it is possible that any finesand/or penalties could be significant," HSBC added. Way back in2011, the US Justice Department had said that the IRS was demandingfrom HSBC Bank USA about the US residents who may be usingaccounts at HSBC India "to evade federal income taxes". Throughthe John Doe summons, IRS had asked HSBC USA to producerecords identifying US taxpayers with accounts at HSBC India, manyof whom were believed by the government to have hidden theiraccounts from the IRS.

American Sikh Caucus will focuson domestic civil rights: BeraWASHINGTON: Ami Bera, the only Indian-American Congressmanin the US House of Representatives, has said that the newly-constituted 'American Sikh Congressional Caucus' will deal onlywith domestic civil rights issue. Bera's revised statement, three daysafter he publicly announced to join the Caucus, is considered toallay concerns of the Indian Government that the newly-made Caucusin the United States carries some individuals and groups, who in thepast had indulged in anti-India activities including the separatistKhalistan movement. "I'm a proud member of the CongressionalCaucus on India, and any matters involving India, or US-Indiarelations should and will be handled by that group. The AmericanSikh Caucus' work will deal with domestic civil rights issues," Berasaid in a revised statement yesterday. The announcement for theformation of the Caucus was made on April 24 at the Capitol Hill inthe office of the Congresswoman Judy Chu.She is the Co-Chair of Caucus, along with Congressman DavidValadao. So far, more than 30 Congressmen have joined the Caucus.Chu too had said at the time of the announcement that this wouldfocus on domestic issues, despite which there remains concernsamong some section of the Indian-American community and alsothe Indian Government, which had expressed its concerns to thelawmakers about the presence of pro-Khalistan elements among thesupporters of the group.Bera's statement is seen as a move by the lawmakers to addressthose concerns. "The memory of the tragedy at Oak Creek is stillfresh, and in my own community of Elk Grove, two Sikh men weremurdered in 2011 in a suspected hate crime. Violence anddiscrimination against the Sikh American community is a real andimportant civil rights issue in the US," Bera said."That's why I co-sponsored strong anti-hate crimes legislation earlierthis year, and that's why I joined the 'American Sikh CongressionalCaucus', to work on civil rights issues here in America," he said."Sadly, just this week there was another reminder of the importanceof these issues in America, when a Sikh man was brutally attacked inFresno, not far from my district. We must work together as a countryof diverse cultures, faiths, and beliefs to end these senseless acts ofviolence and find understanding and peace. These are the issuesthe American Sikh Congressional Caucus will work on," Bera saidjustifying his reason to join the Caucus.The Indian Embassy here has maintained that it is aware of theissues that the Sikh community faces in the US and has said that itlooks forward to work with the new Congressional Caucus."The Sikhs are prominent personalities in all walks of Indian life andcontribute significantly to India's progress and well being. Our friendsand interlocutors in the US Congress are aware of this approachwhich was demonstrated in full measure when the Oak Creek killings

took place in August of 2012," M Sridharan, spokesperson of theIndian Embassy, said earlier."The Embassy looks forward to work closely with the members ofthe newly constituted Congressional Caucus in consonance withthe intended objective of the Caucus and to further strengthen theIndia-US strategic partnership," Sridharan said.

The announcement for the formation of theCaucus was made on April 24 at the Capitol Hillin the office of the Congresswoman Judy Chu.

3 Sikhs go on 11-day hunger strike inParis demanding justice for BhullarAMRITSAR: Amid various protests by Sikhs in the UK, Franceand India against the death sentence of Delhi bomb blast accusedDevinderpal Singh Bhullar, three Sikhs of France have been sittingon hunger strike since May 8 at a Paris gurdwara. After NirpreetKaur, 1984-riot victim, ended her fast on May 8 in New Delhi, the threeSikhs started their 11-day hunger strike in Paris. The three Sikhs who areon hunger strike in Paris are - Rajbir Singh Tung, Iqbal Singh Patti andKaramjit Singh Pedro. Nirpreet Kaur broke her fast in New Delhi afterchief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Jathedar of Akal Takht GianiGurbachan Singh assured that they will support her in fighting her justice.While talking to TOI over phone from Paris on Monday, Rajbir SinghTung said: "Badal and Jathedar of Akal Takht should have not intervenedand convinced Nirpreet Kaur to end her fast, her health was deteriorating,the government was under immense pressure, the Central governmentcould have sent its representatives pleading her to end the fast.

MidWeek 9MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLYTUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013

canadaPM PARTICIPATESIN ROUNDTABLEONCYBERBULLYINGIN WINNIPEG IP10

UNEMPLOYMENT LOWIN ALBERTA, NO JOB

GROWTH IN ONTARIO &QUEBEC

Prime Minister Stephen Harper poses for a photo with his Mother on Mother's Day. May 12, 2013. (Photo by Deb Ransom)

New Parent and Grandparent Immigrationprogram re-opens January 2, 2014

CONTD. FROM PAGE 1Citizenship and ImmigrationCanada will re-open the Parent andGrandparent (PGP) program fornew applications on January 2,2014, by which time the backlogand wait times in the program areexpected to have been cut in half.

"The Action Plan for FasterFamily Reunification is on track tomeet the goals of cutting in halfthe backlog and wait times in theParent and Grandparent program,"said Citizenship, Immigration andMulticulturalism Minister JasonKenney. "It is very important thatwe continue to make progress andnot return to the old broken systemwith wait times as long as adecade-that would be unfair tofamilies." Phase II of the ActionPlan for Faster FamilyReunification will provide evenfaster processing times, reduce thebacklog further, prevent futurebacklogs, ensure that familieshave the financial means tosupport those they sponsor, andprotect the interests of taxpayers.First - In 2012 and 2013, Canadawill admit 50,000 parents and

grandparents as permanentresidents. This represents thehighest level of parents andgrandparents admitted in 20 years.In 2014, Canada will maintain highlevels of admissions for parentsand grandparents.

Second - The Super Visa willbecome permanent and willcontinue to provide flexibility forfamilies who access the 10-yearmultiple-entry visa, allowing visaholders to remain in Canada up totwo years at a time. Over 15,000Super Visas have been issuedsince the program's launch inDecember 2011 with approval ratesaveraging 86 percent.

Third - New qualifying criteriafor permanent residencysponsorship of parents andgrandparents will increase thefinancial responsibility ofsponsors to ensure they have themeans to support those theysponsor, while limiting theprogram's cost to taxpayers andCanada's strained health and socialprograms. Fourth - 5,000 newsponsorship applications will beaccepted in the program in 2014.

By accepting 5,000 applications in2014 while maintaining high levels,the government will be able tofurther reduce the remainingbacklog so that families can bereunited more quickly.

"These new criteria ensuresponsored family members arewell supported by their sponsorsthroughout their time in Canada,"said Minister Kenney. "Theredesigned Parent andGrandparent program reunitesfamilies faster while respectingCanadian taxpayers and the limitedresources for health and socialprograms."

Canada has one of the mostgenerous family reunificationprograms in the world. The UnitedStates, United Kingdom, Australiaand New Zealand do not allowgrandparents to be sponsored atall or only in very limitedcircumstances, and they havevery restrictive criteria for thesponsorship of parents.

The amendments to theImmigration and RefugeeProtection Regulations that arebeing proposed will be pre-published in the Canada Gazette(Part I) and the public will be ableto comment for a 30-day period.

Following a decline the previous month, employment was littlechanged in April and the unemployment rate remained at 7.2%.Compared with 12 months earlier, employment increased 0.9%or 163,000, all in full time. The total number of hours workedrose by 1.5% over the same period.Provincially, employment grew in Alber ta, while it fell inManitoba, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.In April, there were employment gains in manufacturing andpublic administration. These gains were offset by losses intranspor tation and warehousing; "other services"; and busi-ness, building and other suppor t services.There were 34,000 more people working in the public sectorin April, while there was little change in the number of privatesector employees and the self-employed.Over the previous 12 months, public sector employment in-creased 2.6% or 94,000, while growth in self-employment was2.2% (+59,000), the bulk of which was in the first quar ter of2013. The number of private sector employees was littlechanged compared with 12 months earlier, as gains in thesecond half of 2012 were offset by losses in 2013.Employment in April increased among people aged 25 to 54and declined among youths. For people aged 55 and over,employment was little changed.Employment up in Alber taEmployment in Alberta increased by 15,000 in April, offsettingthe loss in the previous month and pushing the unemploymentrate down 0.4 percentage points to 4.4%. Compared with 12months earlier, employment in Alber ta grew by 1.9%.In Manitoba, employment declined by 11,000 in April, pushingthe unemployment rate up 0.8 percentage points to 5.8%. Withthis decline, employment returned to a level similar to that of12 months earlier.Employment in New Brunswick fell by 3,200 and the unem-ployment rate was 10.9%. Compared with 12 months earlier,employment in the province was little changed.Following three months of little change, employment in New-foundland and Labrador declined by 3,000 in April and theunemployment rate was 12.4%. This decline brought employ-ment back to its level of 12 months earlier.Employment in Ontario was little changed in April, and theunemployment rate remained at 7.7%. On a year-over-yearbasis, employment growth in this province was 1.0%, with thebulk of the gains in the fall of 2012.Following a decline in March, employment in Quebec waslittle changed in April and the unemployment rate was 7.8%.Compared with 12 months earlier, employment in the prov-ince rose 1.1%, with most of the growth from August to No-vember 2012.Industry perspectiveEmployment in manufacturing increased by 21,000 in April,the first monthly gain following a downward trend that beganin June 2012. Employment in this industry was down 2.9% or52,000 from 12 months earlier.In April, the number of employees in public administrationgrew by 13,000. Compared with 12 months earlier, employ-ment in this industry was up 2.6% or 25,000, all in provincialand local public administration.There were 21,000 fewer people working in transpor tationand warehousing, bringing employment in this industry backto its level of 12 months earlier.Employment in "other services", such as repair and mainte-nance or personal and household services, continued its year-long downward trend, declining by 19,000 in April. On a year-over-year basis, total employment has fallen by 7.3% in thisindustry.The number of workers in business, building and other sup-por t services decreased by 16,000 in April, bringing employ-ment back to a level similar to that of 12 months earlier.Employment increases among people aged 25 to 54In April, there were 31,000 more people aged 25 to 54 work-ing, mostly men. With this gain, the unemployment rate forthis age group fell 0.3 percentage points to 5.8%. On a year-over-year basis, total employment gains were 69,000 (+0.6%).Among youths aged 15 to 24, employment declined by 19,000in April, and the unemployment rate was 14.5%. Comparedwith 12 months earlier, youth employment was little changed.Employment among people aged 55 and over was little changedin April. However, with more people in this age group searching forwork, the unemployment rate rose 0.3 percentage points to 6.1%. Overthe 12 months to April, employment for this group was up 111,000(+3.5%), primarily a result of population ageing.

Reducing Auto Insurance Costs for Ontario Drivers

Premier Kathleen Wynnewas in Brampton today,where she highlighted thegovernment's strategy to helppeople lower their householdexpenses by reducing auto

insurance premiums by anaverage of 15 per cent.

This strategy was outlinedin the 2013 Budget, which wasreleased last week. To achievethis reduction, the strategy

would reward safe drivers andcrack down on fraud. If theBudget bill is passed andproclaimed, Ontario driverscould save on average up to $225per insured vehicle each year.

This, along with other elementsof the government's strategy,would benefit more than ninemillion drivers across Ontario.

This strategy is part of thegovernment's plan to create jobsand help people in their everydaylives. The government alsowants to support small business,invest in roads and transit, andhelp build strong communities,where people receive the healthcare they need when they needit. "The people of this provincework hard for each dollar theyearn. Finding ways to reducetheir household expenses is partof our plan to make people'severyday lives more affordable."

- Kathleen Wynne, Premierof Ontario

"Reducing auto insuranceclaim costs is part of thegovernment's plan to lowerpremiums for Ontario drivers. Wewill crack down on fraud, makeroads safer and ensure peopleenjoy good benefits, securityand proper care."- Charles Sousa, Minister of Finance

10 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLYTUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013c a n a d a

CIBC Brings Industry-LeadingMobile Payments App toAndroid Smart phonesCIBC credit card holders can now paywith their Samsung Galaxy S3 fromRogers; poll shows strong growth po-tential for mobile payments in CanadaTORONTO, May 9, 2013 /CNW/ - CIBC(TSX: CM) (NYSE: CM) today an-nounced an expansion of the CIBCMobile Payments App to Android smar tphones from Rogers.This means that hundreds of thousands of Canadians will nowhave the oppor tunity to star t paying for everyday purchasesusing their phone.The CIBC Mobile Payments App is now available for the SamsungGalaxy S3 smar tphone and will expand to additional Androiddevices in the coming weeks. The App can be downloaded fromGoogle Play. Contactless Visa or MasterCard credit card pay-ments using the App are already accepted at thousands of re-tailers in Canada for purchases under $50. The CIBC MobilePayments App offers a number of safeguards for clients makingit as secure as the credit card they use today, including provenbank chip technology, optional user passwords, and encryptionto store credit card information in a secure component of thephone's SIM card."We are excited that more of our clients can now make every-day purchases at their favourite retailer simply by holding theirAndroid device up to a contactless payment terminal," said DavidWilliamson, Senior Executive Vice President and Group Head,Retail and Business Banking for CIBC. "Since launching mobilepayments in 2012, the number one question from our clientshas been about when they can use the App on their Androidphones, which speaks to the impor tance of today's announce-ment."In November 2012, CIBC became the first bank in Canada tocomplete a mobile credit card transaction using an NFC en-abled smar tphone.SOURCE: CIBC

Prime Minister Stephen Harper participates in a roundtable with the parents of victims, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection,Kids Help Phone, PREVNet and Respect Group Inc.

PM PARTICIPATES IN ROUNDTABLE ONCYBERBULLYING IN WINNIPEG

Prime Minister StephenHarper today participatedin a roundtable inWinnipeg to discuss practicalsolutions on how to protectyouth from cyberbullying. ThePrime Minister also toured theCanadian Centre for ChildProtection, an organization thatprovides programs and servicesaimed at reducing childvictimization.

"Recently a number oftragic events have highlightedthe serious effects cyberbullyingis having on our youth," saidPrime Minister Harper. "We havean obligation to help put an endto harmful online harassment andexploitation in all its forms, and

today's roundtable with victims'families and experts will helpinform what further actions needto be taken to combatcyberbullying."

The Prime Minister wasjoined at the roundtable by VicToews, Minister of Public Safety;Joyce Bateman, Member ofParliament for Winnipeg SouthCentre; Lianna McDonald,Executive Director of theCanadian Centre for ChildProtection; Carol Todd, motherof Amanda Todd; Leah Parsons(spouse Jason Barnes alsopresent) and Glen Canning(spouse Krista Canning alsopresent), parents of RehtaehParsons; Pam Murchison,

mother of Jenna Bowers-Bryanton; Jo-Anne Landolt,aunt of Kimberly Proctor; SharonWood, President and CEO ofKids Help Phone; SheldonKennedy, Co-Founder ofRespect Group Inc.; and, Dr.Wendy Craig, Professor ofPsychology at Queen'sUniversity and Scientific Co-Director of PREVNet.

The Harper Governmentsupports a range of education,awareness, prevention andenforcement activities to combatbullying, includingcyberbullying, to help keep ouryoung people safe online. Theseinclude: working with provincialand territorial partners to identify

best practices; reviewing theCriminal Code to address anygaps related to cyberbullying;and informing Canadians aboutonline safety throughGetCyberSafe.gc.ca.

The Canadian Centre forChild Protection is a leader inhelping youth addresscyberbullying. The organizationrecently launched a new onlineresource NeedHelpNow.ca,designed to help Canadianyouth deal with the negativeconsequences of the creationand distribution of sexualcontent online. The site offerstips on removing content,strategies for dealing with peersand guidance moving forward.

Majority of Canadians 45 and under own a smartphone, many interested in mobile payments

A recent CIBC pollconducted by Harris/Decimafound 68 per cent of Canadiansbetween ages 18-44 say theyown a smartphone and 46 per

cent of these owners say theyare interested in paying foreveryday purchases using theirsmartphone.

"To understand the

potential for mobile payments,you just have to look around atthe number of Canadians whotake their smartphone with themeverywhere they go," noted Mr.

Williamson. "Whether it'swalking by the coffee shop onthe way to work, or picking up afew items at the grocery store,Canadians always have theirsmartphone within reach, makingit a convenient way to pay foreveryday purchases.

"Giving Canadians thecapability to bank on the go andmake payments wi th the i rphone is rapidly becoming animpor tan t pa r t o f the i rrelationship with their bank,and we will continue to investin these se rv ices go ingforward."

Mr. Wi l l i amson no tedthat CIBC expected to roll outthe CIBC Mobile PaymentsApp to addi t ional Androiddevices in the coming weeks,and announce fu r therexpans ion p lans in themonths ahead.

*Each week , Har r i s /Decima interviews just over1000 Canadians through teleVox,the company's nationaltelephone omnibus survey.These data were gathered in asample of 2,004 Canadiansbetween March 21- April 2 2013.A sample of this size has aNational margin of error of +/-2.2%, 19 times out of 20

CIBC is a leading NorthAmerican financial institutionwi th near ly 11 mi l l ionpersona l bank ing andbusiness clients. CIBC offersa full range of products andserv ices th rough i t scomprehens ive e lec tronicbanking network, branches andoffices across Canada, and hasoffices in the United States andaround the world.