The Canadian PressThe best friend of a woman who was shot dead during a botched robbery sang a mourning song and called for an end to the killing of Indigenous women before a judge sentenced one of the men convicted in the crime to 15 years.Jeanenne Chantel Fontaine, 29, was shot in March 2017 before the house she was in was set on fire.A jury on Saturday found Christopher Brass and Jason Meilleur guilty of manslaughter.During the sentencing hearing for Brass on Wednesday, Melissa Onndinook Stevenson said in her victim impact statement that her friend was like a butterfly _ beautiful, small and strong.But she was also in tremendous pain after her 15-year-old cousin Tina Fontaine’s body was pulled from the Red River in August 2014, Stevenson said.“She told me the death of her cousin Tina hit her hard, really hard,” Stevenson said.Jeanenne Fontaine’s brother testified that his sister started taking methamphetamine after their cousin’s body was found. The man accused in the teen’s death, Raymond Cormier, was acquitted last year.The girl had also spiralled downward after a family tragedy. Her father, Eugene Fontaine, was beaten to death in 2011. Two men pleaded guilty to manslaughter and victim impact statements at their trial described how Tina had a happy childhood but was unable to cope with her father’s death and drifted away from the people closest to her.Tina’s death sparked national outrage and renewed calls for an inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.The trial heard how three men showed up at Jeanenne Fontaine’s house to collect a drug debt from her boyfriend. When he wasn’t there, the situation turned into a botched robbery in which she was shot in the head and the house set on fire.One of the men, Malcolm Mitchell, pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life. Meilleur is to be sentenced at a later date.The Crown argued that Brass and Meilleur should have known the situation would turn violent and that Brass had handed the loaded gun to Mitchell.Defence lawyers did not present evidence, but said during closing arguments that the Crown had failed to prove that a robbery was committed because a cellphone and other valuables were left untouched.They also pointed to witness testimony that Mitchell was alone with Fontaine in the bedroom when he shot her.Brass is already serving life sentences for the first-degree murder of Daniel Dipaolo, who was found dead in a Regina home in 2017, and for second-degree murder in the shooting of Bryer Prysianzniuk-Settee in Winnipeg in February of that same year. He will not be eligible for parole for 40 years.Justice Gerald Chartier accepted a joint submission from lawyers for the 15-year sentence, which will be served at the same time as his other convictions.Chartier said Brass instigated “generalized mayhem” throughout 2017 and Fontaine was one of many victims.“A young woman, innocent of any wrong-doing, was killed ? for a $45 drug debt,” Chartier said.Outside court, Stevenson said it has been hard for family and friends to go to court for another trial of a slain loved one. But she hopes it sends a message that “the lives of our Indigenous girls matter.”“She was important, she was loved and we are happy with the sentencing today,” Stevenson said.“She’s not held back in any way. Her spirit is free and resting.” read more
AMC Grand Chief Arlen Dumas (centre) at a news conference. (APTN file)Kathleen MartensAPTN NewsThe Women’s Council of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs is conducting its own investigation into a texting scandal involving Grand Chief Arlen Dumas.“We want the opportunity to review the background of these allegations and get more information,” Francine Meeches, chief of Swan Lake First Nation who chairs the committee, told APTN News.The council held a conference call after APTN first reported the story Wednesday.Read More: Indigenous woman asks AMC to investigate grand chief’s behaviour: chief denies claimIt plans to hear from 22-year-old Bethany Maytwayashing next week.She’s the woman who alleges Dumas sent her unwanted and inappropriate messages and texts.Dumas has denied the allegations and claims someone impersonated him on Facebook Messenger and in cellphone texts.In an emailed statement, he confirmed the texts appeared to come from a phone number that belonged to him.But he said they were from a phony Facebook account and “spoof” texts – mobile phone texts that “make a message appear to come from one cell phone number when, in fact, they originate from another.”Dumas said AMC reported the fake account to Facebook and was in the process of validating email addresses and social media accounts.“I have also sought legal advice on the defamatory nature of the posts and how such comments and dissemination of them continue to attack my reputation,” he added in the statement.Dumas refused another interview request Thursday after instructing his lawyer to send a letter to APTN Wednesday threatening legal action.APTN broadcast and published its stories, and sent a response from its lawyer.Maytwayashing still believes Dumas was messaging for “your number” and to “meet up” – something she never wanted or encouraged.“Arlen Dumas, is playing victim here, calling it all fake even the texts from his number,” she said on her Facebook page.“So he’s somewhat Implying that someone knew we met at Feast and had a photo taken, watched us hug upon meeting and used that to create a fake fb to mess with me? Annnnd knew his personal cell number then made a fake text also, ughhhh. Like really?”Bethany Maytwayashing in an interview with APTN News July 9 (Holly Moore/APTN).It is still not clear how the texter knew Dumas met Maytwayashing at Winnipeg restaurant Feast, that she was a student at the time and other details described in the texts.Maytwayashing suggested AMC seize the grand chief’s phone and ask his service provider to print out “any and all messages that he has sent in the past year.”She said an internet provider could also track the Facebook account to the phone or computer that created it.Her boyfriend, Matthew Shorting, agreed.“Show us the proof, check IP addresses, prove your innocence,” he said in an interview.“There is still gaslighting going on after #MeToo and (the) MMIWG (missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls) inquiry.”READ MORE: #Metoo movment in Indian country is out there but it’s under coverShorting has created the hashtag ‘#ibelievebethany’ to support his partner amid “this crisis and drama.”He views the lawyer’s letter from Dumas as intimidation. “That letter is trying to silence us,” he said.Meanwhile, APTN producer Beverly Andrews was ordered to leave a press conference in Winnipeg Wednesday after seeking comment on the texting scandal.Dwayne Bird, director of communications for Peguis First Nation, twice swatted her microphone as she asked Peguis Chief Glenn Hudson if AMC would investigate the allegations.“No comment on that question,” Hudson said while Bird is seen grabbing the mic.“We’re here to celebrate Peguis,” Bird added.Hudson, a former member of the AMC executive, said he’d answer Andrews’ questions later.He never did.Instead, Andrews was told to leave the event establishing the band’s first urban reserve attended by Carolyn Bennett, federal minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations kmartens@aptn.ca@katmarteWith files from Beverly Andrews and Melissa Ridgen read more
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – BC Liberal leadership hopefuls touted their ideas for bolstering the resource sector and tackling the province’s opioid overdose crisis in an appeal to northern voters during Saturday’s debate in Prince George, B.C.Mike de Jong, Dianne Watts, Michael Lee and Andrew Wilkinson were critical of the current NDP government consideration to cancel the controversial Site C dam project that is already under construction.A recent utilities commission report found the project will likely be behind schedule and over budget, but candidates said cancelling it would result in job losses in rural communities and discourage the development of future infrastructure projects.Watts said Premier John Horgan “is sending a message globally that we do not want business in British Columbia and even if you have a project that is approved, you’re not going to get it through anyway so why would anyone come here and want to invest.”Former transportation minister Todd Stone said rural communities are worried about the effects of new U.S. tariffs on the softwood lumber industry and encouraging the tech sector to set up in rural areas would bring jobs that support resource industries.Stone and former Liberal cabinet ministers Wilkinson and de Jong said they would invest in an engineering program at the University of Northern B.C. and expand other education and health services in rural communities — promises made ahead of the last election.“We have to acknowledge that a tremendous amount of the wealth that is generated in this province is generated up here in the north, and so we need to make sure some of that wealth is coming back in the form of services people need,” Stone said.De Jong said he’d move the forest ministry to Prince George from Victoria where officials can be closer to the people they directly affect.Sam Sullivan, a former Vancouver mayor, said the opioid overdose crisis is no longer only an urban issue and health care services need to be flexible to adapt to the needs of rural and remote communities.Wilkinson promised to establish a prescription monitoring program for the government to track legal narcotics use and have interventions in place for when patients are on addictive substances for too long.“Somebody has got to step in and say you’re on the wrong path because we cannot allow our young men to continue to die from fentanyl overdoses in their own homes,” he said.Candidates also warned the party’s next leader must deliver a campaign strong enough to defeat the NDP’s proposed referendum on proportional representation, a model that Watts says would prevent the Liberals from ever holding another majority government.She said party members need to have two questions for the future Liberal leader: “Can you win the next election and can you defeat the referendum on proportional representation? If we do not defeat this referendum, there will be no majority, there will be forever a minority of BC Liberals.”There are four more debates scheduled across the province before members elect a new leader in February.—By Linda Givetash in Vancouver.Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version misspelled Mike de Jong. read more
WASHINGTON, United States of America – NAFTA negotiators parted ways for the weekend with multiple issues still unresolved and mere days left before what’s being described as an unofficial deadline for getting a deal this year.The lead ministers went home Friday, saying little about the prospects of completing a deal next week in time to meet deadlines before a pause is forced by national elections this year in Mexico and the U.S.Mexico’s minister Ildefonso Guajardo said his country is getting closer to solving its central sticking point with the U.S.: automobile rules. Yet that matter remains unresolved, and other issues remain, he said.Two other issues he listed involve American plans designed to remove some of the certainty from the agreement. The Trump administration wants to water down the dispute-resolution system, and create a so-called sunset clause that could end the pact after five years.”There is a big variety of items,” Guajardo said as he left for the weekend.”We are aware of (political) calendars. We know uncertainty is not good for markets. But, again, (the final deal) has to be a very good and balanced package.”American officials estimate any deal beyond next Thursday would miss the procedural deadlines to vote on a final deal under the current Congress, which, depending on the midterm results, could be replaced by a very different-looking legislature in 2019.The main rift at this stage pits the U.S. against Mexico. It centres on the Trump administration’s attempt to create rules that encourage auto production in the higher-wage northern countries.With Canada’s hot-button issues with the U.S. not quite on the front burner this past week, Canada’s lead minister attended fewer and shorter meetings at the negotiating site.Canadian officials walked out of the U.S. trade representative’s office Friday smiling and hailing a productive encounter, before they left for the airport and headed home.”Sometimes a long meeting is a good meeting, sometimes a short meeting is a good meeting. And vice versa,” Freeland said.”The atmosphere is good. There is a lot of good will, at the political level, at the level of officials… There’s a commitment to doing, really, what it takes to get it done…”Ministers came together to agree on what is the process, what is the path, for going forward.”Negotiating teams intend to consult with stakeholders back home, regroup again over the coming few days, and call their political bosses back in should the talks reach a key moment over the coming days.Freeland also had a first meeting planned late Friday with her new U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.At the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump again called NAFTA a terrible deal Friday, saying he wants better deals for his country. He made the remarks during a meeting with auto executives.”We have some bad deals in this country. Between the Iran deal, NAFTA — we could look at any deal,” Trump said.”Bad deals. But now we’re going to good deals… We’ll see what happens.”Trump suggested he doesn’t blame the other countries for resisting U.S. demands: ”Mexico, and Canada, look, they don’t like to lose the golden goose. But I’m representing the United States. I’m not representing Mexico, and I’m not representing Canada… We’ll see if we can make it reasonable.”But some American lawmakers are also worried.Many Republicans dislike provisions the administration is pursuing, on rules for automakers and on weakening investor-state dispute protections. Some Democrats are also worried that the administration is doing too little to open up Canada’s dairy market.Lawmakers have heard the administration might threaten them to pass a new NAFTA quickly. What they fear is that Trump might start the six-month process of cancelling the old agreement in order to force them into a quick vote on the new one.One influential Republican senator wrote in the Wall Street Journal that he would refuse that pressure tactic, in a piece titled, ”Don’t try to blackmail us on NAFTA, Mr. President.””To pressure us into voting for an agreement that diminishes free trade, some in the administration suggest offering a grim choice: either approve a diminished NAFTA, or the president will unilaterally withdraw the U.S. from the existing NAFTA, leaving no NAFTA at all,” said Pat Toomey, who sits on the Senate committee that handles trade bills.”If presented with this ultimatum, I will vote No (on the new NAFTA), urge my colleagues to do likewise, and oppose any effort by the administration to withdraw unilaterally. Pulling out of NAFTA by executive fiat would be economically harmful and unconstitutional.”Under the U.S. Constitution, the Congress controls international commerce. But for practical reasons, and in keeping with the president’s constitutional power over foreign affairs, lawmakers have historically granted the power to the White House — as long as they’re consulted on negotiations throughout the process. read more
TORONTO – A J.D. Power survey says passenger satisfaction has improved in two years at Canada’s three largest airports.Vancouver International’s score rose five points to 781 on a 1,000-point scale that measured satisfaction with check-in; food, beverage and retail; accessibility; terminal facilities and baggage claim.Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport scored 774, up from 760 in 2016.Toronto’s Pearson International Airport received 761 points, up from 745 two years ago. Calgary’s score was unchanged at 756.Overall airport satisfaction at North America’s 64 largest airports reached a record high of 761 points, 12 points higher than in 2017 and 30 points above 2016 when Canadian airports were last measured.Increased scores are primarily driven by higher satisfaction with food, beverage, retail and security checks. read more
No data was breached during a malware outbreak about a month ago that caused some Recipe Unlimited Corp. restaurants to temporarily close, chief executive Frank Hennessey said Friday.“We have no evidence that any data was compromised,” Hennessey told a conference call with investors to discuss the company’s third-quarter results.The company experienced a network outage on Sept. 28 because of a malware virus. In response, Recipe disconnected restaurants from its network and internet, which disrupted operations at some locations and prompted some restaurants to close for a short time.The company brought the restaurants back online without any data loss, he said, and by Oct. 2 all locations had re-opened and all were operating normally by Oct. 4.Recipe anticipates the incident impacted its overall same restaurant sales by 0.3 per cent in the third quarter, which ended Sept. 30, Hennessey said.It reported same restaurant sales for the quarter were up 1.8 per cent compared to the same time the previous year for its fifth consecutive quarter of positive growth.The company is working with an forensic IT firm to analyze the malware infection and source, he said, and will not disclose any additional information about the incident for security reasons.The update came as Recipe, formerly known as Cara Operations, reported its most recent quarterly earnings.The company earned $23.8 million in its third quarter, up from $21.2 million a year ago. Its profit amounted to 37 cents per diluted share for the three-month period, up from 34 cents per share a year ago.System sales totalled $879.8 million, up from $684.7 million in the same quarter last year.On an adjusted basis, Recipe Unlimited says it earned 50 cents per diluted share, up from 46 cents per diluted share a year ago.Analysts on average had expected a profit of 47 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters Eikon.Recipe Unlimited had 1,370 restaurants at Sept. 30, including 1,311 in Canada and 59 located internationally. Its brands includes Swiss Chalet, Harvey’s, St-Hubert, the Keg, Milestones, Montana’s, Kelsey’s, East Side Mario’s, New York Fries and others.The company opened 39 new restaurants in the 39 weeks up to Sept. 30, but closed 46 — excluding Casey’s closures as the company is in the process of winding down its operations.Follow @AleksSagan on Twitter.Companies in this story: (TSX:RECP) read more
HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam’s National Assembly on Monday ratified a Pacific Rim trade deal abandoned by U.S. President Donald Trump, but still being pushed forward by 11 other members.The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership or CPTPP will take effect at the year’s end after Australia became the sixth nation to ratify it last month.Trump pulled out of the pact just days after taking office last year, saying multilateral trade agreements cost American jobs and that he would prefer bilateral trade agreements.The remaining 11-members account for more than 13 per cent of the world’s GDP.Vietnam is expected to be one of the members that would most benefit from it with its strong base of exports of cellphones, garments, shoes, seafood and agricultural products. A government study says the pact will boost Vietnam’s GDP by 1.3 percentage points, while exports will also increase by 4 percentage points by 2035.State-run online newspaper VnExpress reported the legislators unanimously approved a resolution to ratify the pact Monday.It said the resolution asked government to prepare to take advantage of the trade pact while minimizing the negative impact it poses.“The government should pay attention to training of human resources to take advantage and sustain opportunities and benefits created by CPTPP and build measures to prevent and handle negative impacts which could occur while implementing it,” the paper quoted the resolution as saying.New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, Australia and Vietnam have ratified the pact. Malaysia, Brunei, Peru and Chile have yet to ratify it.The Associated Press read more
HONOLULU — A budget airline based in Singapore will discontinue flights to Honolulu in June, citing low demand for the service.The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports Singapore Airlines announced this week that its low-cost arm Scoot will end the Hawaii route.The change comes as Scoot takes over several SilkAir routes over the next two years. The regional airline SilkAir is merging into Singapore Airlines.Scoot launched service to Honolulu in early December 2017, flying the route four times a week with a 329-seat Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.Scoot said last year that one-way fares from Honolulu to Singapore would start at about $400. Its one-way fares to Osaka, Japan would start at $240.The flights to Honolulu were the airline’s first service to the U.S.___Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.comThe Associated Press read more
NEW YORK — Sears received another possible lifeline Tuesday when the company’s chairman and largest shareholder promised to line up the necessary financing to keep the struggling department store chain afloat.The reprieve came after what Sears lawyers described to a bankruptcy judge in New York as “round-the-clock” negotiations following the company board’s initial rejection of Eddie Lampert’s proposal, which sought to preserve 425 stores and 50,000 workers.According to lawyers close to the matter, one of the main sticking points was that the bid didn’t include cash. The revised version now requires Lampert to deposit $120 million by 4 p.m. Wednesday through his ESL hedge fund.The fate of Sears remains to be determined. Lampert’s bid will go to an auction set for Jan. 14 and will compete with other bids from liquidators looking to shut down the company. A committee of unsecured creditors has been pushing for straight liquidation and believes there are litigation claims against ESL for prior transactions.In a statement emailed to The Associated Press, ESL said it “appreciates the encouragement from the court and the constructive engagement of the debtors as we work to formalize our going concern proposal so that it can be evaluated at the upcoming auction.”“We believe in Sears and will continue to do everything we can to ensure that it has a profitable future,” ESL added.It’s unclear who will be the winner of the auction process, which could take a few days. A bankruptcy judge will then weigh different scenarios including the value of retaining 50,000 jobs, according to David Wander, an attorney at Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, which represents two of Sears vendors.“You always want a competitive bidding process. You never get the best value if you have only one party,” Wander said.The 11th hour negotiation is yet another twist in the rocky journey of Sears whose fate has been hanging in the wind, particularly since it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Oct. 15. As of the filing, the company had just under 700 stores and 68,000 workers.Sears, which began as mail order watch business 132 years ago and grew to be the largest retailer in the world, has been in a slow death spiral, hobbled by the Great Recession and outmatched by competitors like Amazon and WalmartUnder Lampert, Sears has bought time over the years by spinning off stores and putting on the block the brands that had grown synonymous with the company, such as Craftsman. Lampert loaned out his own money and put together deals to keep the company going, turning whatever profit he could for his hedge fund.______Follow Anne D’Innocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzioAnne D’Innocenzio, The Associated Press read more
The Canadian Press TORONTO — Spin Master Corp. has settled its lawsuit against Chinese company Alpha Group Co. Ltd. over its Bakugan toys in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.The Canadian toymaker had alleged the magnetic transformation feature in Alpha Group’s Screechers Wild! toys infringed on its patents covering its Bakugan toys.Under terms of the deal, Alpha Group has agreed to stop selling its Screechers Wild! toys in the three countries at the end of the month.Spin Master’s Bakugan toys were launched in 2007 in conjunction with a Japanese-Canadian anime series called Bakugan Battle Brawlers.The company still has outstanding lawsuits filed against Mattel in Canada, the United States and Mexico.They allege Mattel’s Mecard toys infringe on patents related to the Bakugan toys. Companies in this story: (TSX:TOY) read more
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – The swimming and running communities in Northeast B.C. are in mourning after the passing of a longtime local swim coach and marathon runner over the weekend.Steve Sadownik, a former head coach of the Inconnu Swim Club, died suddenly of natural causes on Saturday, aged 46. Sadownik was predeceased by his wife Nicole, who lost her battle with cancer on May 8, 2017, and leaves behind two children, Steven and Victoria.Sadownik was involving in coaching swimmers for over 25 years, and Inconnu president Annette Lang explained he often went above and beyond when it came to working with the kids. “He always expected more then he thought he could give.” Lang said, “He was such an amazing coach and such an amazing friend. The things that he did for Inconnu went above and beyond.”She added that Sadownik would always put the children first, often sacrificing his own time to ensure the kids had better chances to succeed.Sadownik got into competitive running when the North Peace Leisure Pool closed in 2010, quickly becoming a large part of the running community. He competed in multiple regional races including The Emperor’s Challenge in Tumbler Ridge, as well as the Canadian Death Race in Grand Cache.In September 2015 Sadownik competed in the 160-kilometre Lost Soul Ultra Marathon in Lethbridge. Sadownik finished with a time of 20 hours, 13 minutes, and 30 seconds, setting a record that stands to this day.Sadownik’s running group has organized a 24-hour run to honour him at the Fish Creek Community Forest this Saturday. Running partner Joshua Slykhuis explained the idea came to fruition because the group always joked about how Fish Creek would be the worst place for a 24-hour run since they’d all run it together countless times.“There were a few of us talking about it, saying how should we honour Steve?” said Slykhuis, “That’s when we came up with this. We remembered when he said that would be the worst thing to do, a 24-hour race there. So we thought that’s what we should do.” The entire Inconnu Swim Club is expected to participate in the run wearing their signature green shirts in his honour.The event starts at 11:45 p.m. Saturday with a moment of silence before runners tackle the forest trails for 24 hours, ending with another moment of silence right before midnight Sunday. The event is by donation with the proceeds going to the Sadownik family.A GoFundMe campaign has been set up in their memory with proceeds going to the family. The link to the GoFundMe can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/victoria-and-steven read more
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – The Fort St. John Public Library is hosting Magician Leif David tonight for a free magic show.Magician Leif David has come up to Northeast BC to do a tour of the northern libraries.His show is celebrating the Summer Reading Club’s theme, “Imagine the Possibilities.” The show is free and does not require registration, shares the Library The show takes place Wednesday, July 17th at 6:30 pm in the Children’s Area of the Library.Magician Leif David from Kelowna, B.C. has been performing across Western Canada for the past 24 years.
Kolkata: Officials of the State Criminal Investigation Department and state Forest department conducted a joint raid to arrest two persons with eight Golden Geckos (takshak) at Habra in North 24-Parganas on Friday.A source from the Criminal Investigation department said recently the officials got a tip-off that a few persons were going to make some deals involving animals, which is illegal as per the Wildlife Protection Act. Working on the information, the Criminal Investigation Department sleuths came to know about the smugglers and immediately, the Forest department was intimated. Another source from the forest department came to know that Golden Geckos would be smuggled. Also Read – Centuries-old Durga Pujas continue to be hit among revellersBased on the information, sleuths kept a close watch at Arbelia area in Guma, Habra, on Friday afternoon. Sleuths found two persons, identified as Abbas Sahaji and Sourav Hazra, were behaving in a suspicious way. When Criminal Investigation Department officials went close to them, Sahaji and Hazra allegedly tried to flee the spot. They were immediately detained. During the search, sleuths found eight Golden Geckos from their possession. They were arrested immediately by the Forest department. Later, sleuths came to know that Sahaji was a local resident and Hazra was a resident of Titagarh area. According to the State Criminal Investigation department and the Forest department officials, a Golden Gecko is approximately worth 2 lakh in the black market. The reptiles weigh between 250 grams to 400 grams. Later, the case was handed over to the Barasat range officer of the Forest department. According to the Wildlife Protection Act, Golden Gecko is an endangered species. Trading or killing these animals is punishable under law. read more
New Delhi: A day after launching the “Main Bhi Chowkidar (I am a watchman too)” campaign on social media, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday changed the title of his Twitter account to “Chowkidar Narendra Modi”. BJP President Amit Shah followed with “Chowkidar Amit Shah”, and tweeted: “The one who made cleanliness a moral value… he is called Chowkidar #MainBhiChowkidar. Say with all your heart #ChowkidarPhirSe (watchman again).” Shah’s remarks came after senior BJP leaders and Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, J.P. Nadda, Harsh Vardhan and Dharmendra Pradhan followed suit, changing their names similarly on Twitter accounts. Also Read – Squadrons which participated in Balakot air strike awarded citations on IAF Day On Saturday after Modi launched his party’s “Main Bhi Chowkidar (I am a watchman too)” campaign ahead of the general election that begins in April. He posted a video with the same title on Twitter, saying: “Your Chowkidar is standing firm and serving the nation”. The campaign counters Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s repeated attacks on Modi and his government over various alleged malhandling of economic and defence deals and situations, with the slogan, “Chowkidar Chor Hai (watchman is a thief)”. Also Read – Don’t use ‘lynching’ to defame India: Bhagwat “Five years ago, chowkidar said he wanted to fight corruption. He said he wanted to make it a ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’. Today, the slogan of ‘Acche Din Aayenge’ has changed to ‘Chowkidar chor hai’,” Gandhi has been repeating at rallies. Gandhi latched on to the word “chowkidar” as Modi during the 2014 Lok Sabha campaigning promised to work as a “chowkidar” to guard people’s money and their trust once elected. read more
London: British MPs have inflicted a fresh humiliating defeat on Prime Minister Theresa May, after voting to temporarily seize control of the Brexit process, allowing back-benchers to hold a series of votes on alternatives to her deal. An amendment tabled by former Conservative Minister Oliver Letwin was passed by 329 votes to 302 on Monday as MPs expressed exasperation at the government’s failure to set out a fresh approach for the UK to exit the European Union (EU), reports the Guardian. Also Read – Saudi Crown Prince ‘snubbed’ Pak PM, recalled jet from US After the amendment, the government in a statement warned that it “upends the balance between our democratic institutions and sets a dangerous, unpredictable precedent for the future”. Three ministers — Foreign Affairs Minister Alistair Burt, Health Minister Steve Brine and Business Minister Richard Harrington — resigned to back the Letwin amendment. Thirty Conservative MPs rebelled to vote for the amendment. Harrington accused the government of “playing roulette with the lives and livelihoods of the vast majority of people in this country” in his resignation letter. Also Read – Record number of 35 candidates in fray for SL Presidential polls In a series of so-called indicative votes, MPs will be able to vote on a number of options — likely to include a “softer Brexit”, a Customs union with the EU and another referendum — designed to test the will of Parliament to see what, if anything, commands a majority, the BBC said. But the precise format of votes and how they will work was not set out in the amendment. Parliament is also expected to pass a law this week postponing the Brexit date from March 29. Speaking after Monday’s votes, opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn congratulated Parliament for “taking control” of the Brexit process, CNN reported. “The government’s approach has been an abject failure and this House must now find a solution,” Corbyn said. May, still hoping of getting her twice-rejected Brexit deal passed, told the House of Commons earlier in the day there was not enough support for her deal to bring it back for a third meaningful vote. The Prime Minister also said she could not “commit the government to delivering the outcome of any votes held by this House. But I do commit to engaging constructively with this process”. Britain is scheduled to crash out of the EU on April 12 if May’s withdrawal deal is not passed and the UK government fails to provide new proposals for a way out of the impasse. In response to the development, the European Commission said it has prepared for an “increasingly likely” no-deal scenario. read more
1(842 Words) Download Download PrintPrint 4/4/2019 4:33:00 PM (Eds: Combining related stories ) Kalpetta (Ker), Apr 4 (PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is fighting the Lok Sabha elections from his traditional bastion Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, Thursday filed nomination from Wayanad–a Congress stronghold in South India. Gandhi, accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi and senior Congress leaders K C Venugopal and Mukul Wasnik, submitted the papers before district collector A R Ajayakumar at Wayanad district headquarters here. Also Read – India gets first tranche of Swiss bank a/c details Hundreds of workers of the Congress-led UDF assembled outside the district collectorate in Wayanad, a scenic hill area in the Western Ghats of Kerala, as Gandhi filed the nomination. Braving the scorching heat, thousands of party workers, including men, women and youth gathered in Kalpetta town and its suburbs to see the Congress’ prime ministerial candidate, who landed here to file his nomination from the constituency which has the presence of various ethnic tribal groups. Also Read – Tourists to be allowed in J&K from Thursday After completing the nomination procedures at the collectorate here, Rahul Gandhi along with Priyanka Gandhi and senior leaders of the Congress-led UDF in Kerala undertook a roadshow to greet the voters of this constituency. The narrow lanes of Kalpetta town were packed with excited onlookers waiting in anticipation for the Congress chief and other party leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi. Talking to reporters after filing his nomination, Rahul Gandhi said he was fighting the polls from down south to send a message that India was one. “I have come to Kerala to send a message that India is one. South, north, east, west, centre… all are one… There is an assault taking place across the country by the RSS and BJP. I just want to send a message and I will stand from south India and north India. My aim was to give a message,” he said. “There is a feeling in south India that the way the Narendra Modi government is functioning, their (south) culture, language, history all are being attacked. “So I wanted to give a message that I will fight from north and south,” the Congress chief said, in response to his main opponent in Amethi, Union minister Smriti Irani alleging that his decision to fight from Wayanad was an insult to the people of Amethi. Priyanka Gandhi appealed to the people of Wayanad to take care of her brother and assured that he would not let him down. “My brother, my truest friend, and by far the most courageous man I know. Take care of him Wayanad, he wont let you down,” she tweeted after the roadshow. Party workers shouted that they would ensure a thumping victory for Gandhi. “We all are excited. All sections of people gathered here to greet our prime ministerial candidate. We will ensure a thumping victory for Rahul ji from the soil of Pazhassi Raja,” Ashraf, a UDF worker, who came from Vandoor assembly constituency said. Gandhi said he would “absorb all the criticisms” of the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF in Kerala, which is miffed over his Wayanad candidature, and made it clear that he will not speak against the Left parties during his campaign. The CPI(M) and Congress have been locked in a fight in Kerala and it will go on, he told reporters, adding he wanted to send a message of unity. “The CPI(M) and Congress have been locked in a fight in Kerala. This will go on. I understand that the CPI(M) has to fight me. But I am not going to say a word against them. “I am here to send a message of unity that south India is important and I fully understand that the CPI(M) has to attack me. So I will absorb all their attacks with happiness, but from me you will not hear a word against them in my campaign,” Gandhi told reporters. He also said there were two main issues faced by the country–lack of jobs and agrarian crisis. “Farmers are unaware of what the future holds for them. Youngsters are running from state to state searching for jobs and (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi has failed on both the fronts,” he said while attacking the PM. Attacking Modi on the issue of corruption, the Congress leader said, “The country had faith on the prime minister when he said he would be the Chowkidar. But the Chowkidar himself has given Anil Ambani Rs 30,000 crore of Air Force money. “He (Modi) has stolen money and given it to Anil Ambani who has no experience. Anil Ambani is in Rs 45,000 crore debt,” Gandhi alleged, once again attacking the NDA government over the Rafale deal. As the massive crowd of supporters gathered on both sides of the narrow roads of Kalpetta, security personnel had a tough time controlling the people to clear the way for vehicles. Priyanka Gandhi wearing a mustard and red border saree and Rahul Gandhi waved to the crowd. As the vehicle inched forward, the Congress president was seen shaking hands with many elated supporters. People were seen clicking photos with their mobile phones and waving flags of Congress and its ally Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). Heavy security was in place in and around the collectorate ahead of the high profile visit of the Congress chief. read more
New Delhi: The Indian Air Force Friday asserted that it had shot down an F-16 aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force on February 27 during aerial combat. “During the aerial engagement, one MiG 21 Bison of the IAF shot down an F-16 in Nowshera sector,” the IAF said in a statement. The assertion came after the Foreign Policy magazine reported Thursday that the US count of the F-16s with Pakistan has found that none of them are missing, contradicting India’s claim that one of its fighter jets shot down a Pakistani F-16 during an aerial dogfight on February 27.
New Delhi: The government’s initiatives such as relaxed norms for company incorporation, and removing requirement of a bank account for GST registration will help India further improve its ease of doing business ranking of the World Bank this year, a senior official has said. “Several steps have been initiated by the government this year on all the ten parameters. It will significantly help improve India’s ranking this year,” the official said. Also Read – Commercial vehicle sales to remain subdued in current fiscal: IcraIn its annual ‘Doing Business’ report, the World Bank ranks nations based on 10 parameters relating to starting and doing business in a country. These parameters include ease of starting a business, construction permits, getting electricity, getting credit, paying taxes, trade across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency. The next report is expected to be released in October 2019. India improved its ranking by 23 places to the 77th position in the 2018 report. Also Read – Ashok Leyland stock tanks over 5 pc as co plans to suspend production for up to 15 daysOther steps, which the government has taken, include clubbing of several forms into one; elimination of fee for incorporation of companies where authorised capital is up to Rs 15 lakh; removal of company seal or rubber stamp; and combined registration for EPFO and ESIC. The government official added that several reforms have been implemented to improve the trade experience of companies. These reforms include introduction of a single window for all import and export transactions, integration of all stakeholders such as port and terminal operators at a common platform and fast tracking clearances of consignments at ports. The government has launched ‘PCS1x’, an upgraded version of the e-commerce portal for Port Community System (PCS), which intends to integrate 27 maritime stakeholders at a common platform. Further, India has reduced the time and cost of exports and imports through various initiatives, including the implementation of electronic sealing of containers, upgrading of port infrastructure and allowing electronic submission of supporting documents with digital signatures. India is aiming to improve its ranking within top 50th in the coming years. Improving ranking helps a country to provide a better investment climate for investors. read more
Begusarai (Bihar): CPI candidate Kanhaiya Kumar on Monday exuded confidence he will come up trumps in his much-talked about electoral debut against nominees of the mightier BJP and the RJD, asserting that people of Begusarai would vote from “dil” (hearts) and not go by dal (party).Waiting for his turn to cast his vote at a polling station inside a government secondary school that he had attended, the former JNU students’ union president said he was excited to be at his alma mater in a new role. The 32-year-old, who shot to fame three years ago when he was booked in a sedition case lodged in Delhi, is engaged in a three-cornered contest with Union minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh and RJD veteran Tanveer Hassan. Also Read – 2019 most peaceful festive season for J&K: Jitendra Singh”In Begusarai, voting will be dil se, not dal se I have received enormous support from the people of the constituency The ruling dispensation here stands for the rich and powerful, while I stand for the common citizenry, of which I am also a part,” the Left debutant said. Dismissing allegations from his rivals that he represented a “B Team” working to help a more formidable candidate, Kumar quipped, “There is an old Bollywood number – kuchh to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna. People may say all sorts of things. All rumours will be put paid to when the results are out”. read more
TRIPOLI- At least 15 people were killed and 95 hurt in Tripoli after a peaceful demonstration calling on unruly militias to leave the Libyan capital turned violent on Friday, an official said.The militias are holdovers from the 2011 uprising that ousted dictator Moamer Kadhafi and are a powerful force in the increasingly lawless North African country.“Fifteen dead and 95 wounded, several of them seriously, have been admitted to Tripoli hospitals,” a health ministry spokesman said. He was unable to give a breakdown between those killed in the demonstration and those who died in a subsequent assault on the militia headquarters.“It’s total confusion,” he said.Violence erupted when gunmen fired at hundreds of demonstrators carrying white flags from inside villas in the southern Tripoli district of Gharghour where the Misrata militia has its headquarters.The shooting sparked a violent response in which armed men assaulted the villas and set them on fire.A witness, who identified himself only as Ibrahim, said “most of the members of the militia barricaded themselves inside one single villa.”He later said the militiamen had evacuated the final villa and fled, adding that some militiamen had been wounded and others arrested.Other witnesses said heavy gunfire could be heard in Gharghour and that smoke was rising from the district.Sadat al-Badri, president of Tripoli’s city council, which called for the protest, told AFP the shots fired at demonstrators came from inside the headquarters.“Tensions are on the rise in Tripoli. We’re going to announce a general strike and launch a civil disobedience campaign until these militias leave,” he said.In sermons at weekly Muslim prayers earlier in the day, imams backed the call to protest against militias issued by the town hall as well as Libya’s mufti, the highest religious authority.‘No to militias’Hundreds of people carrying white flags in a sign of peace, as well as the national flag, and singing the national anthem had assembled in the capital’s Meliana Square.“No to militias,” their banners read. “Yes to the police and army.” The protesters, among them children, then marched to the Misrata militia headquarters in Gharghour to press their demands when gunmen inside fired into the air to scare them off.When the crowd continued to approach the building, the gunmen started firing at them, said an AFP correspondent who saw two wounded, including one hit in the stomach.A rocket also crashed into the main road near the demonstrators, without causing casualties, the correspondent said.A leader of the militia from Misrata, east of the capital, told private television channel Al-Naba the demonstrators had opened fire first.Before the villas were attacked, pick-ups loaded with anti-aircraft guns were seen headed for the area of the militia headquarters later Friday, witnesses said.Regular security forces were not sighted, apart from the air force making low passes over the capital.The mufti, Sadok al-Ghariani, appealed to residents to go home to avoid further bloodshed, while the health ministry called for blood donations to Tripoli hospitals.The march was sparked by violence on November 7 in which the Misrata militia also played a central role and which terrorised Tripoli residents and illustrated again growing instability in Libya.A Misrata militia chief, Nuri Friwan, had been fatally wounded in fighting at a checkpoint manned by other ex-rebels, and two people were killed in subsequent fighting.Residents of Tripoli frequently demonstrate against the militias, who have rejected calls from a weak central government to leave the capital.Last year, around 30 demonstrators were killed as anti-militia protests turned into violent clashes in the eastern city of Benghazi.The rebels who overthrew Kadhafi were hailed as heroes for bringing an end to more than four decades of dictatorship.But many have rejected government demands to turn in their weapons or join the national security forces, posing a constant threat to the stability of post-Kadhafi Libya. read more
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