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MSG SupportS Fiji priMe MiniSter

The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Summit ended in triumph for Fiji and Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama. As the leaders of the region’s biggest countries and economies gathered in Suva, they: -Effectively endorsed Commodore Bainimarama having a two-year term as chairperson, until a summit in New Caledonia in 2013; -Backed Commodore Bainimarama’s Government’s People’s Charter for Change, the Roadmap for Democracy and Sustainable Socio-Economic Development and the accompanying reform agendas. They said these are a credible home-grown development agenda for Fiji. Commodore Bainimarama responded by saying: “I assure you that in my capacity as chair my focus will be on strengthening our young organisation and enhancing its ability to respond to our development needs and aspirations.” He said while the meeting has laid the foundation, their task remains in steering the MSG with its new organizational structure, through these challenging economic times. This needs to be done in a manner that reflects their unique Melanesian identity and values and through this strengthens and raises the profile of the MSG. OPENING CALL During the opening of the summit at the Vale ni Bose complex, Commodore Bainimarama had said the onus is on the Melanesian leaders to provide new visionary leadership for the Pacific Islands.

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Fiji News

tax identiFication reGiStration extended

Fiji cannot be overlooked - kilMan

MSG SupportS Fiji priMe MiniSter

Members of the public who have not yet registered for Tax Identification Numbers can rest as the deadline for registration has been extended until further notice.Registration for TIN was to have ended on March 31.Those who have bank accounts with no TIN can also register without incurring any penalty.Chief Executive Officer of the Fiji Revenue

and Customs Authority Jitoko Tikolevu said that registration for the TIN would continue as usual.“There is no penalty, no fees; registration for TIN purposes is free beyond March 31. The banks will not freeze accounts of those who do not register with us beyond March 31st.”“There has been a lot of misunderstanding among the public at large,” said Tikolevu.Five mobile Teams have been working in

rural areas and outer islands to assist those that have been unable to get to the Fiji Islands Customs and Revenue office to register.The whole registration cost FRCA around $6000 when started in August last year and another $6000 for this year.266,319 taxpayers have registered for the TIN as of March 11 this year. This includes 263,056 individuals, 516 companies, and 695 nonprofit organizations.

The Front de Libération National Kanak Socialist (FLNKS) party will host the 19th Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) in New Caledonia in 2013.This was confirmed by the MSG Secretariat.The MSG leaders also agreed to support the people of Kanaky origin in regards to the revival, preservation, protection and promotion of ownership of their cultural identity, traditional knowledge and expressions of culture, values and customs.They also expressed their gratitude to the FLNKS for their successful hosting of the 4th Melanesian Arts Festival in New Caledonia last year.Meanwhile, the MSG leaders also conveyed their sincere condolences to the governments of Japan, Australia and New Zealand for the tragedies that have been caused by natural disasters.

Fiji is one of the most influential places in the Pacific region and cannot be overlooked because of its geographical location and more importantly its advancement economically. Those were the words of Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Sato Kilman while opening the new Vanuatu Mission in Suva.“Because of Fiji’s strategic locations and economic links between Asia and the Pacific region and the fact

that it is home to major regional and international organizations, the Vanuatu Government like other Melanesian Spearhead Group and pacific countries recognises the importance of maintaining a diplomatic representation in Fiji,” he said. “We cannot go alone. We need Fiji.” He added that Vanuatu considered Fiji a major trading and economic development partner and the advantage

of having Fiji in regional talks. “Fiji is an important partner not only for Vanuatu but all pacific countries in terms of trade and investment, economic cooperation, promotion of traditions, security partnerships and a stronger regional cooperation with Melanesia and the Pacific,” Mr Kilman said. “Thus the Vanuatu Government reconfirms the significance of this important relation with Fiji.”

THE Japanese government has provided a Fiji national and a Tuvalu national scholarship awards.They visited the Japanese Embassy to collect documents and finalise arrangements with embassy officials and convey their appreciation to Ambassador Yutaka Yoshizawa.Krishneel Chand Chaudhary will enter the Graduate School of Engineering to study robotics at the University of Tokyo, while Satoa Pakoa Sailusi from Tuvalu will study business administration and law at the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.Both Mr Chaudhary and Mr Sailusi will further their post graduate studies under the Research Student Scholarship Program.The government of Japan scholarship was introduced in Fiji in 1982 to promote human resources development and international exchange.Since its inception, about 150 students from Fiji,

Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu and Nauru have been awarded scholarships.This year, one Fiji citizen, one Kiribati citizen and two Tuvaluan citizens have been the recipients.Despite the cultural differences and the language barrier, Mr Chaudhary says he is looking forward to begin his studies.The 22-year-old graduated from the University of the South Pacific with a Bachelor of Science in engineering technology and computer science in 2010 and worked at USP for a year prior to his receiving the scholarship.The Buca Bay resident said his family was overjoyed with his achievement but saddened he would have to travel so far; they were also weary of his safety especially after the recent natural disasters in Japan.“I have always been receptive to other cultures and am ready to embrace Japan and everything in it,” he said.

... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1He said since Melanesia has the bulk of the region’s population, trade and natural resources, it has a bigger responsibility to its island neighbours to provide that leadership. Fiji will direct all assistance possible to ensure greater trade and economic cohesion between the MSG countries. This includes facilitating free movement of goods, services, capital and labor across their borders. The leaders signed the MSG Leaders’

Declaration Statement on the implementation of the United Nation Millennium Development. The leaders noted an update on the situation in Fiji and recognised that Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama stressed the need to focus on development needs. Commodore Bainimarama thanked all the leaders for the constructive manner in which the deliberations were conducted. This allowed them to focus on

concrete, achievable and result-oriented programmes that are core to the Melanesian Spearhead Group, he said. He said: “Our meeting today, short and pleasant as it has been, has dealt with complex issues affecting the future of our Melanesian people.” With leaders and Government representatives signing a declaratory statement on the Millennium Development Goals this will help governments work collectively to achieve them.

Japanese government scholarship recipients Krishneel Chand Chaudhary and Katoa Sailusi with their travel document at the

Japanese Embassy in Suva.

ScholarShip StudentS oFF to japan

Vanuatu Prime Minister, Sato Kilman receives a bowl of kava after the opening of

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Friday April 1, 2011Fiji Times Canada • V5 No17 5Fiji News

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Villagers of Wavuwavu in Vanua Levu were advised by a group of dentists from Canada to decrease their sugar intake. This was after the dentists from Vancouver treated more than 200 dental cases in the village last week. Apart from the Wavuwavu villagers, those from nearby villages also took advantage of the free dental service for the five and a half days the dental team was in the area. The villagers were grateful to the team as most of them could not make it to the local dental unit because of transportation problems. Most of those when approached by the media about their views on this free service said they were grateful to have the service come to them. Vasiti Drekulu of Wavuwavu Village said the modern technology used by the dentists when extracting teeth made it a painless experience. “I did not feel any pain and it just took a few minutes for the dentists to remove my decayed tooth,” Mrs. Drekulu said. The

mother of three said the group, apart from conducting dental treatment, educated them on how to take good care of their teeth and gums. Canadian dental group representative and dental assistant Johanne MacDonald said the group consisted of four dentists who accompanied a group of students from Richmond Secondary School in Vancouver. The students were on a tour of Labasa and surrounding areas and they also helped build the Wavuwavu community hall. The dental team was made up of Ken Stones, brothers Peter and Bill Brymer and Mrs. MacDonald. “We all volunteered to provide free dental services because we have heard of how much difficulties the people faced to seek treatment from the hospital in town,” Mrs. MacDonald said. She said considering the need for dental treatment the team decided to reach out and help. “During our service, we have found out that adults and children have so many tooth problems due to excessive sugar consumption,” Mrs. MacDonald said. She said people needed to control their sugar intakes to prevent cavities. “It is always best for people to take sugar in the diet as a special treat once a week,” Mrs. MacDonald said. She said people needed to form a habit of brushing their teeth daily with fluoride toothpaste.

AIR Pacific has doubled the “sold” passengers in March for direct services between Hong Kong and Nadi, compared to the same period last year. A statement from the company said that since December 2010, the airline had been operating a direct flight three times per week between Asia and the South Pacific. “Given this success to date, Air Pacific is optimistic of further growth in the Hong Kong and China markets through its marketing investment with Tourism Fiji and collaboration with other airlines,” the statement said. “Given Hong Kong’s importance as an important regional hub, Air Pacific is also partnering with other airlines in the region to strengthen and expand its network.”Air Pacific already code-shares with Cathay Pacific on the return flight between Hong Kong and Fiji and it has now entered into fare agreements with Dragon Air, Hong Kong Airlines, Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and other airlines in the region

to ensure maximum opportunities for passengers wanting to fly to the Fiji Islands and the South Pacific. Apart from new airline partners, Air Pacific also plans to continue working closely with Tourism Fiji to further increase traffic, jointly working towards double-digit growth in visitor numbers from China, India and other countries in the region. This year, Air Pacific and Tourism Fiji plan to increase their joint advertising and media promotions budget in order to draw more attention to the Fiji Islands as a holiday destination. From now until April 30, Air Pacific is offering a special fare for Hong Kong-Nadi direct flights for passengers wanting to experience the extraordinary Fiji Islands.

Fiji Military band in hong Kong on a promotional tour.

PRIME Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has been busy in Hong Kong for further discussions on the global bonds, in his capacity as Finance Minister.Foreign Affairs Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola said Commodore Bainimarama would also attend the Hong Kong leg of Tourism Fiji’s Road show.“This is indicative of the significance the Government places on new emerging Asian markets,” Ratu Inoke said.Commodore Bainimarama is accompanied by Tourism Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and Tourism Fiji officials. “Tourism’s role in our economy is widely publicized and Tourism Road show

is another marketing strategy in non-traditional markets such as Hong Kong, China and the Asia region as a whole,” said Ratu Inoke.According to the World Travel and Tourism Council’s projections for Fiji in 2011, tourism provides employment directly and indirectly for approximately 63 thousand of Fiji’s people - or 25 per cent of total employment. It involves an investment of approximately $233million and will have a total contribution to GDP of 28 per cent this year. In 10 years, tourism’s contribution to Fiji’s GDP is expected to approach 40 per cent.Last year, Fiji hit a new record with 631, 868 visitor arrivals, a 16.5 per cent increase over the total arrivals achieved in 2009 and an eight per cent increase over the year before. Ratu Inoke said it was evident that tourism would remain a key driver of our economy and a major provider of employment and investment for Fiji well into the future.The prime minister’s trip coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong Sevens tournament.

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Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ratu Inoke Kubuabola says the Fijian government is committed to holding General Elections in 2014. This statement by Ratu Inoke comes in the wake of New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister McCully’s comments that they will only lift travel bans on Fiji once the Fiji government gives a firm commitment for return to elections.Earlier this month the Indonesian electoral commission visited Fiji and briefed government on their voting system.“This is indicative of the steps taken by the Fijian Government towards elections,” said Ratu Inoke.“Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has time and again emphasized his commitment to elections timeline in 2014.“That timeline remains and nothing has changed as far as government is concerned.“Government is committed to ensuring that good and fair election is conducted”.“New Zealand just doesn’t want to recognize nor understand that Fiji needs to give its people a fair and just election system that makes up the multiracial country of Fiji.” said Ratu Inoke.He said these things cannot be achieved overnight, and the government has set the time to 2014.“What more cast-iron assurance can this be for New Zealand or any other country for that matter.”Ratu Inoke said New Zealand have some real issues to address first before it can, make such a swipe at Fiji, and question the commitment towards elections in 2014.

The recent Sony regional business partners conference in Singapore recognised the Motibhai Group for their sales growth and market expansion initiatives in making Sony Bravia TVs and home entertainment systems the number one electronics brand in Fiji.Manu P Patel, the deputy chief executive of the group, received the SSEA FY10 Project Up Achievement Award trophy from Narihiko Uemura, the managing director of Sony Electronics Asia Pacific.

Fiji News

Manu P Patel, right, receives the SSEa FY10 Project Up achievement award

Friday April 1, 2011Fiji Times Canada • V5 No17 7Fiji News

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Two days before the Melanesian Leaders come together for their plenary session of the 18th Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) meeting at the Vale ni Bose in Suva; foreign leaders have begun appreciating the good work done by Fiji in hosting the event. Papua New Guinea Foreign Affairs Minister, Don Poyle thanked Fiji saying it has already been a very successful meeting. “We would like to thank Fiji for their input in the MSG. we have always seen Fiji as a very important component of Melanesians,” he said.

“This has been a very successful meeting and we are happy to be here. We salute Fiji for hosting this wonderful meeting at this wonderful place,” he said while touring the Vale ni Bose complex. He also gave credit to Fiji’s leaders for bringing all the five countries together and looking after them well. “We thank the leadership of Ratu Inoke Kubuabola as the chair of the Foreign Minister’s Meeting (FMM),” Mr Poyle said. “We also give thanks to the Prime Minister, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama for his vision and leadership.” He said Melanesians are the friendliest people in the world and hope that Fiji continues to shine bright with the world famous hospitality by the locals. “The Fijian hospitality is known all over and this is something Fiji should be proud of. We are enjoying our stay here in Suva,” he said.

CUSTOMERS of Pacific Broadcasting Services can now pay for the use of the company’s 24-hour 12 digital television channels through Vodafone Fiji’s M-PAiSA service.It follows a signing ceremony between the two parties that enable PBS’s customers to pay rental fees through the simple use of Vodafone services.M-PAiSA offers an instant means of sending money through transfer services anywhere in Fiji with the use of Vodafone or Inkk mobile phone services.PBS TV managing director Simon Fong said their customers, particularly in rural areas, would benefit from the agreement.He said customers in rural and remote areas were covered through Vodafone Fiji’s M-PAiSA

service.Vodafone Fiji marketing manager Shailendra Prasad said the benefits of M-PAiSA included a decline in administration costs, less paper work, less cheques to sign, no more queues or waiting time and greater productivity.However, the challenge was changing the mindset in the electronic age, Mr Prasad said.Vodafone Fiji’s M-PAiSA service was launched in June last year with 325,000 registered customers and 260 agents around the country. PBS TV brings to three the number of companies that have registered with Vodafone Fiji’s M-PAiSA service as a number of other companies pilot the service, Mr Prasad said. Vodafone Fiji has a customer base of more than 600,000.

“People don’t move. The money moves. For PBS customers in the rural areas, paying monthly subscription was a challenge because they had to travel far. There was also the additional work

of reconnection for the company. It was a lot of work for both sides.“Now you can pay from your phone while you’re watching the television,” Mr Prasad said.

ANNIE Lundin, Rathbone Wine Group Asia manager, in Hong Kong, is in Fiji and is expected to call on the hospitality industry to conduct training sessions.Ms Lundin is expected to hold discussions with executives of Motibhai Group which are agents for Rathbone Wine Group and is set to discuss the marketing of Rathbone Wines.Rathbone Wines represents some of the best Australian wines such as Yering Station Wines from Yarra Valley (Victoria), Mount Langi Ghiran from Grampians Mountains (Victoria) and Parker Coonawarra Estate

Wines from Coonawarra Estate (South Australia). These premium wines are featured in Qantas First Class Lounge, and also in the Starwood Group’s Wines of the World.The Motibhai Group says it is delighted to have the representation of wines from the Rathbone Wine Group and looks forward to a long and mutually profitable business.“We are delighted to support the activity of our agents in Fiji and we have a long term commitment to the Fiji market,” Aaron Drummond, the global marketing director of the wine group, said on Ms Lundin’s visit.

A new established New Zealand Company in Fiji, Turners and Growers is planning to bring in fresh gala apples into the country direct from the United States.Company’s Fiji Director, Bobby Sharma said they have brought a few boxes as samples and will bring in more if demand for it increases.He said as far as the vegetables and fruits are

concerned they are getting more of it to fulfill the demand.Sharma said at the moment they are trying to cater for wholesalers and retailers mainly and their main aim is to provide fresh fruit and vegetables directly to people instead of getting a middleman involved to save time and money.

A JOINT operation between the Australian Federal Police, Australian Customs and Border Protection Services and the Fiji Police led to the arrest of three men and the seizure of cocaine “marinated” clothing from a Victoria laboratory last Thursday.An AFP spokeswoman confirmed that Australian authorities and the Fiji Police had been working closely on a joint operation into an Australian-based syndicate suspected of conducting importations of cocaine into Australia from Fiji.“The men face charges of manufacturing, trafficking and possession of a commercial quantity of cocaine,” she said.An official of the Melbourne Magistrates Court said the three accused - Sajmir Beqiri, of Lower Templestowe, Dritan Mehmeti, of Brunswick and Adem Hiseni, a US citizen, all 39, had been remanded in custody until July 7. None of the men applied for bail.Australian media reported Commonwealth prosecutor Krista Breckweg told the court the clothes had been impregnated with cocaine

before being imported to Australia.Ms Breckweg told Magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg police found clothing and towels soaking in 40-60 litres of chemicals in six tubs. “After a couple of days the product evaporates and produces a salt-like product,” she said.“So it was clothing marinated in cocaine?” Mr Rozencwajg asked.“Yes,” Ms Breckweg said.The tubs were to be analysed by forensic experts. In a statement the AFP said AFP Federal agents, with the assistance of officers from Victoria Police, executed five search warrants on residential and commercial premises in Truganina, Lower Templestowe, Brunswick and Dandenong, Victoria.During the search of the Truganina property, approximately 50 litres of liquid allegedly containing cocaine was seized. Additionally, receipts, mobile phones, a small amount of foreign currency and computers were seized at various locations.The maximum penalty for these offences is life imprisonment and or $825,000 fine.


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Fiji News

PoliCE aCadEMY For FUtUrE ChanGE

PriCE oF SUGar GoES UP

FiJi GinGEr tarGEtS US MarKEt

A new Melanesian Spearhead Group regional Police Academy will have enormous benefits for the region in areas of training, employment exposure and marketability. The proposal was discussed at the MSG Foreign Ministers meeting in Suva.“This is building on the need for cooperation in security, law and order situation where challenges we face are similar,” meeting chairman and Fiji’s Foreign Affairs Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola said. “The proposed Police Academy can also be utilized to train our police officers for UN Peacekeeping duties, and thus creating (as is evident in Fiji’s case) employment, exposure

and marketability of our people. “There needs to be clarity of vision, focusing on our collective comparative advantage in the area of trade, sustainable resource harvest, manufacturing, training of expertise and education.” The minister’s meeting also heard that collaborative efforts and resources need to be allocated to key sectors where the return to our nationals can be realized effectively and timely. This will have a huge bearing to the region as the interest of development partners can only be sustained if we can demonstrate our political and socio- economic relevance in the Pacific Island region.

SUPERMARKETS nationwide have increased the price of sugar because wholesalers are buying imported sugar at a higher price from the Fiji Sugar Corporation.Supermarket owners and managers said they were forced to increase the price to avoid losses.Sigatoka Town’s Shop 2 Save Supermarket manager Aziz Abdul said they were buying 50-kilogram bags at $73.52, compared to the $43.93 they were paying previously.“We were shocked when they came with the new prices and we were not prepared for it,” he said.“FSC normally lets us know when there is an increase but this time they did not inform anyone and we were all taken by surprise,”

Mr Prasad.“But since sugar was in short supply and we had no choice but to pay the increased price.”Mr Abdul said he paid the new price last Thursday when they received the sugar and started selling sugar at the new price by Saturday.“This new price is ridiculous and customers cannot afford it.“Due to this increase, we have seen a decrease in the sale of other goods because they forego them for the sugar.”Two other major supermarket managers who did not want to be named said the sugar price had increased by 65 per cent.“We have no choice but to increase the prices or else we would be at a loss,” he said.

Ginger farmers in Fiji may soon have a new outlet for their produce.Satish Kumar, the Senior Marketing manager of Frespac Ginger Fiji Ltd has targeted America as new market to export to and hoped to have their operations to America running this year.Singh said that their exports are mainly 80 per cent to Europe with the surplus going to New Zealand.“We are looking at targeting new markets for export,” he said.“We export a minimum of 5 containers of processed ginger a month and we contract about 300 farmers some of whom have been with us for around 15 to 20 years.“Frespac Ginger processes about 1600 tonnes of raw ginger to get 100 tonnes of processed material and we also contract Kaiming Agro to process a lesser 500 tonnes for us.”Australia Ginger processing giant Buderim Ginger bought Frespac in 1999 and Frespac has subsequently become the second largest processor of ginger confectionery in the Southern hemisphere, behind Buderim.

Chief executive officer Ron O’Grady said Frespac sourced all their ginger from Fiji Farmers.“The Industry in Fiji is comprised of a few larger growers but also a substantially large number of small Fijian farmers who each bring in small quantities.”O’Grady also said that a seed support programme introduced by the Fiji government as part of its rural assistance package had been very successful in increasing the volume of ginger produced by Fijian farmers.“The volume increase this year will be probably about 20 per cent attributable to the successful government programme.”“In addition this year the climatic conditions have been favorable so the tonnage is up approximately 40 per cent overall including extra growers.”“Our sales and marketing contacts in Europe, United Kingdom, North America, Australia and New Zealand will carefully build the Fijian image using this excess to ensure long term growth for the Fijian image using this excess to ensure long term growth for the Fijian industry,” added O’Grady.

Friday April 1, 2011 Fiji Times Canada • V5 No1710 Fiji News

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Fiji oFFered World Cup ‘Carrot’ For demoCraCy Fiji’s supreme Court

appoints neW judges

Fiji shaken by 5.9 earthquake poses no threat

sunCourt sold For $3m

New Zealand has offered to ease travel bans on Fijians wishing to attend this year’s Rugby World Cup if the Pacific nation commits to holding elections in 2014, local media reported.Foreign minister Murray McCully hoped access to the tournament, to be held in New Zealand in September and October, would act as a “carrot” to entice Fiji’s military regime to guarantee elections, the media reported.“The NZ government has never really wanted to exclude Fijian people coming to New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup, but the sad fact is members of their administration and military are on the banned list,” Mr McCully said.“Unless something happens to allow

changes to occur on the sanctions front, then these people aren’t going to be able to come.”New Zealand imposed travel bans on members of Fiji’s military regime, which seized power in a 2006 coup, after Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama reneged on a promise to hold elections in 2009.Mr Bainimarama is known as an avid rugby fan and delayed his coup to attend an annual rugby match between Fiji’s police and military.Mr McCully said Fiji was yet to provide solid evidence that it would honor its commitment to elections in 2014, but if that was forthcoming, New Zealand would consider easing bans to allow recruitment of people to help organize the vote.

His Excellency the President, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau has sworn in new judges for the Supreme Court of Fiji. Sri Lankan Justice Saleem Marsoof took oath of office on March 28. Justice Marsoof’s appointment is for three years. He will also serve as Justice of Appeal at the Supreme Court until April 8, 2011.Present also at the ceremony was fellow Sri Lankan Justice Sathya

Kada Hettige, who has been in Fiji since last year. Justice Hettige is on a three year contract with the Fiji Government.Both judges are in Fiji without their families and will be based at the Supreme Court in Suva.Also present at the swearing-in ceremony was Chief Justice Anthony Gates and Chief Registrar Ganga Wakishta Arachchi.

Fiji public can be reassured that the 5.9 magnitude earthquake that struck at 10:49 Sunday morning did not have any detrimental effect to the country.The 5.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the Fiji region did not trigger any tsunami warning to be issued.The undersea quake struck 139 kilometers West of Labasa and 341 kilometers West of Suva, at a depth of 13.4 kilometers – which is too

shallow to generate any tsunami or cause any damage.The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, which monitors the region and issues bulletins in the event of a tsunami being generated, had no warning in force.The region lies in the “Pacific ring of fire”, a highly active earthquake and volcanic zone that regularly experiences quakes.

Fiji’s largest hardware company Vinod Patel has bought Suncourt Hardware for about $3 million.The deal includes the 3 branches Suncourt had in Fiji.The deal was announced by Commerce Commission chairman Mahendra Reddy after the deal was referred to the commission for approval.It took the commission three weeks to

see how the purchase would affect the economy and society.“The commission’s job is to administer and see that everything transcends well across the board taking into account the economy and making consumers a priority,” Reddy said.Vinod Patel has nine branches in Fiji. Suncourt was set up in 1979 and owned by the Bhika brothers.


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Friday April 1, 2011 Fiji Times Canada • V5 No1714 Fiji News

sonam prasad showcasing a range of locally-produced pearls at the msg expo in

suvaFOR companies such as Pearls of Paradise, exhibiting at the Melanesian Spearhead Group meeting may just open doors to export for the first time.Based in Ra, the company largely sell their

pearl products to local hotels and retailers.“Our target is largely the local market,” owner Raghu Chowdhary said.“Locals hardly buy pearls because they are expensive so we have tried to make it more affordable.”Mr Chowdhry’s interests are not restricted to pearl farming. He has another company that focuses on energy saving.Paradise Technologies was exhibiting an energy saving tube light as well as an energy efficient air conditioner.The tube light lasts up to four years and uses 50 per cent lesser energy than a conventional one. It is also much brighter. The tube light is imported from Hong Kong.

The wholesale and retail price of ghee is expected to increase by 10 percent from April 4.The Attorney General and Minister for Industry and Trade Mr Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum in a statement said the approval for change in prices has been based on a submission by the Commerce Commission. According to Sayed-Khaiyum, the

documentary evidence showed that raw material cost for ghee has increased significantly when compared with the cost adopted in the last price review in October 2010.“Based on this fact, government has agreed to grant an increase in ghee prices ranging from 10% to 11%,” added Sayed-Khaiyum.

Fiji’s Reserve Bank transferred $38.9 million to government yesterday.In a statement the RBF said this amount comprises the Bank’s entire profits of $21.5m for the financial year ended December 31, 2010 and $17.4m which represents one fifth of the balance of the Revaluation Reserve Account. The RBF Board decided not to set aside any profit to General Reserves but instead transfer the full amount to Government. The transfer to government in 2010 for the 2009 financial year was $39.2m (profit was $16.6m and one-fifth of the Revaluation Reserve was $22.6m).The acting Governor and Chairman of the Reserve Bank of Fiji Board, Barry Whiteside said the Bank’s financial performance in 2010 was achieved in a

challenging global environment as interest rates were still relatively low. He said the financial outcome in 2010 was significantly better than what was originally budgeted. This, he said was due mainly to the higher than expected level of foreign reserves, which was $1.3 billion at the end of 2010 compared with $1.1 billion a year ago.According to Whiteside, the audited accounts and operations report of the Bank for the 2010 fiscal year were submitted to the Minister for Finance on March 31, in accordance with the Reserve Bank of Fiji Act.The Board thanked the staff of the Bank for this achievement and also extended its appreciation to the Bank’s stakeholders and counterparts in assisting the Bank meet its objectives in 2010.

permanent secretary for health dr sala saketa, indian high Commissioner Vinod kumar and

health minister dr neil sharma during the presentation of the new ambulances

THE delivery of health services in rural areas has been boosted with the

presentation of five ambulances to the Health Ministry.The gifts from the government of India will lift the standard of ambulance services in the rural areas, Health Minister Doctor Neil Sharma said.The ambulances were handed over in Suva by Indian High Commissioner Vinod Kumar. They will be used in Ba, Tukavesi, Nanukuloa and Taveuni.Collectively, the ambulances cost $345,490. Dr Sharma expressed gratitude to the government of India for the gift which would “help the people”.“I thank the government of India for their help and I know God will bless the government and the people of India,” he said.

Purpose: The way people greet each other is seen in every place, whether it’s a village, town, city, or country. Greetings are universal, some being very unique. Some people wave, others shake hands, bow, or hug each other. Some have no distinctions between a friend or someone they meet for business - they say the same greeting. Others make that distinction and have different wordings for different “levels” of people. Sometimes, not knowing the etiquette in one culture may be bad manners in another. The intent of this lesson is to use the greetings as a way to introduce students to a variety of cultures.BELIZE - Press fists together. (Make a fist. Look for another person with the same. When you see someone doing the same thing, press your fists together.)JAPAN

Bow from the waist. Look for another person that is doing the same.RUSSIA - Kiss three times, on alternate cheeks...left, right, left. This is an old tradition. (Just kiss in the air and look for someone who is doing the same.)NEW ZEALAND

(Maori) when the Maori people greet each other, they press their noses together. This custom is called hongi. (Find your partner by pressing your nose in the air...figure out a way to do this.)MEXICO - One kiss on the cheek. (Kiss in the air to the left or right)U.S. - Businessmen (women) usually shake hands when meeting each other. (do a hand shake with your right hand to find your partner.)FIJI - Men are expected to say “oooo” when greeting their chief. (To find your chief say, “oooo.”)

April Fools Day today and you’ll more than likely either be pranking someone, or being pranked. Either way, you should probably know why. How did April Fools Day start? Well you can thank a mishap that happened centuries ago.

It is commonly believed that April Fools Day originated back in the 1500s in France when Charles IX changed the calendar by introducing the Gregorian Calendar. New Year’s Day was changed from April 1 to January 1.But some people didn’t pay attention, didn’t care, or just didn’t realize the change had taken place, so they kept celebrating the new year on April 1, and were subsequently called by many “fools.”The “fools” would be pranked by others who would send them to New Year’s Day events that didn’t exist, and would end up being the butt of jokes.Eventually bullying and harassment became a tradition that many of us still hold close to our hearts today.Happy April Fools!

loCal pearls shoWCased

ghee priCes to inCrease From april 4

$38.9m transFerred to goVernment

ambulanCe to help improVe health serViCes in rural areas

GREETINGS!

APRIL FOOLS DAy


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Fiji News

Stakeholders of the Fiji’s garment industry are now looking ahead to the Australian authorities’ response regarding extension of the garment trade agreement between Fiji and Australia, which is nearing expiration.

The SPARTECA TCF agreement, which allows the Forum island countries like Fiji to export textiles, footwear and clothing items to Australia duty-free, was last extended in 2009 for two years, and is due for expiry on December 31, 2011.

Australia in 2009, allowed a reduction in the Minimum Local Area Content to Fiji’s Textile and Clothing industry from 35 to 25 percent, and thereby raised the number and the varieties of garments eligible to enjoy the benefit of duty-free exports to

Australia.Owing to the varying export needs, the garment industry of Fiji, which employs around 4,000 workers, majority of them women, is experiencing a downturn over the last few years.

epeli deyama, left, of labasa,singing a bhajan number during the

hindi essay awards at theindian Cultural Centre in suva

A PRIZE giving ceremony for the national Hindi essay competition was held at the Indian Cultural Centre.The competition was organised by the centre, in association with the University of the South Pacific’s School of Language, Arts and Media.Indian High Commissioner Vinod Kumar said it was heartening that young people were continuing to maintain fluency in the language.

The essay competition was conducted in two categories - a general category and one for schools and colleges.“Hindi is spoken in Fiji and we’re happy that educational institutions have been making efforts to enhance levels of education in Hindi,” said Mr Kumar.Mr Kumar said the centre had started Hindi classes. The Indian government will also provide scholarships for Hindi courses in India.Cultural centre director Dr Kamal Kishor Mishra said he was happy with the essays received.“We are trying to promote Hindi and encourage good writing skills in Hindi,” he said.The winner of the secondary school category was Pooja Payal Singh of Nadroga Arya College and the winner of the open category was Subhashni Kumar of Lautoka.

A squatter settlement at Jittu Estate in RaiwaqaPRIME land owned by the State should not only be set aside for commercial purposes but should be primarily for the use of the people and their housing needs first.People’s Community Network consultant Father Kevin Barr made the comments at the discussion session of the National Housing Policy in Suva.His comments were made in reaction to a statement by the deputy Director of Lands who said the State owned only four per cent of prime land which was set aside for commercial purpose mainly.Mr Nonu said 88 per cent of the land in the country was under the i-taukei Land Trust Board.He said the National Housing Policy was a good step towards ensuring a better use for land.“Our department has the directive from the Prime Minister’s Office on the need

to find a way forward for land use and this policy will help us with that,” he said.Meanwhile at the discussion session questions were raised by the stakeholders on the options for informal settlements.National Housing Policy consultant Maraia Ubitau said relocation of people to other settlements was an option that would be considered.However Ms Ubitau said relocation of informal settlement dwellers would be an option only when the people lived in tiri (swampy) areas, areas that were prone to landslides and flooding.Ms Ubitau said PCN worked with the government to get informal settlements upgraded which would enable them to have better access to services provided by the towns and city councils.She said after the upgrade of the informal settlements they would be part of the formal sector and they would also pay town and city rates as the rest of the settlements.

Fiji garment industry ContraCt expiry

Writers reWarded neW ideas For better utiliZation oF land


WelFare ministry Cautions Food Vendors ameriCan Woman Cheated

oVerThe Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation has cautioned authorised vendors of the Government’s food voucher programme that recipients who fail to submit their social welfare Identification Cards (ID) should not be served. The permanent secretary, Mr Govind Sami made these comments while signing a contract with J. Santa Ram as the new authorised vendor along with the three existing vendors (New World Supermarket, MH’s and Waimaro Cooperatives).The four vendors have been advised to be cautious of recipients who fail to show their ID’s yet asked for third party encashment.“I must make very clear to all the authorised vendors that they must insist on the Social Welfare ID cards that have been given to recipients and without these ID cards they should not provide service,” Mr Sami said.“And in cases where it is to be cashed by a third party, the ministry will give specific directives, otherwise there should not be any third party encashment.” He said the ministry had come across cases of people trying to cash the voucher and getting it redeemed by the third party.“This is not allowed. And if that happens then the Ministry will not be in a position

to honor that voucher,” Mr Sami said. The four vendors have gone through an open competitive selection process through the major tender board and won the bid.New World, MH and Waimaro Cooperative along with new vendor J. Santa Ram will be serving the social welfare recipients throughout the country. While signing the food vendor contract, Mr Vishal Shalvindra from J. Santa Ram said this was a good opportunity for the company to partner with the Government in terms of providing services to the needy. “We are happy that we can now service the people in Fiji. Our shop is located at 40 Robertson Road, Suva,” Mr Shalvindra said. New World Supermarket administration manager Mr Raj Gopal Achariya said the company had served the social welfare recipients for over one year.“We are happy to work with the Ministry of Social Welfare in serving the recipients. Last month about 13,000 plus recipients were served and we have opened two new shops, one here in Nina Street and one in Votualevu, Nadi,” Mr Achariya said.Waimaro Cooperative has confirmed that about 600 recipients in Korovou were being served under the food voucher programme.

A WOMAN claims she was cheated by a man who overcharged her for cementing her father’s grave.Ashika Joseph of the United States of America said the man represented himself as someone working for a company organizing funerals and cementing of graves.Ms Joseph said she contacted the man via electronic mail on April 5 last year enquiring about the charges to cement her father’s grave at the Nasinu Cemetery.“He told me it would cost $1000 but when I arrived in Fiji and visited his office in Suva, he told me that it would cost $2000 to cement the whole grave,” she said.“I paid $1000 as deposit but he wanted the entire amount paid up front. I told him I would pay the balance the next day at the grave site.”Ms Joseph said the man then told her to see him in his office and she later took a taxi there to pay the $1000 balance.“I was furious and I just paid him $970 because of the inconvenience he caused us and I kept the $30 to

pay the taxi fare,” she said.“The construction was supposed to be done in a week but he failed to do it and it was only done a month after I had returned to America.“When I emailed him, he demanded an additional $150 from me for painting works but I told my family in Fiji to hire another painter.”Ms Joseph said the man also sent her an explicit email when she told him the work was not worth it.“I came to Fiji last month and lodged a complaint with the Consumer Council of Fiji and also a report with police on March 2,” she said.“The man conned me. I thought that if the church used them to buy the casket and hire the hearse for my dad’s funeral, then it must be a good company but I was wrong.”Ms Joseph urged police to take action against the man and the company he represented.Assistant police spokesman Jone Kalouniviti said police was looking into Ms Joseph’s complaint and she would be notified of the progress.

Fiji News


Positive vibes were generated in talks between stakeholders and Malaysian investors at a meeting to set up a palm oil industry in Fiji. The meeting took place at the Ministry of Industry and Trade office.Fiji’s Acting High Commissioner to Malaysia Mr Suliasi Lutubula brought investors for discussions on palm oil with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Fiji Trade and Investments Bureau. Palm oil is something that has never been

planted in Fiji on a large scale. Ministry of Industry and Trade permanent secretary Saipora Mataikabara said the meeting was fruitful because investors had shown positive interest to help the people of Fiji generate income through palm plantation. The core land area investors are looking at this to begin their business and achieve economies of scale is 30,000 hectares of land. “I don’t see any problem with that given

that we have land bank with the department of land,” Ms Mataikabara said. “They are not only looking at bio-fuel, they are also looking at other downstream processes, to use the product from palm oil for other things.” “This is an opportunity for Fiji to generate income and of course with the incentives we have, we will attract more investments in Fiji.”She added investors had already identified some land in Lomaivuna for this particular

project. Mr Lutubula said this project would create employment opportunities for locals, especially in rural areas. Plans are also underway to train local engineers in Malaysia. One of Malaysia’s leading construction group IJM Corporation, chief executive officer, Velayuthan Tan said he was confident that things would work out. The ministry is looking forward to facilitating the requirements of investors.

Exhibitors at the Fiji Trade Expo had a unique chance to market themselves to the delegates at the Melanesian Spearhead Group Summit said Fiji Trade and Investment Board officer Zoher Janif.The Expo was organised by the Fiji Trade and Investment Board and the Ministry of Trade and industry.The delegates of the MSG went through the expo and the exhibitors were able to open themselves up to regional markets.

Also Shirley Chandra, a food service representative with local company Goodman Fielder said that the expo would help local companies to generate publicity.“The expo has provided a chance for the private sector to be exhibited and so hats off to the government and FTIB for making an effort to bring in the private sector” she said.Lahaina Luna, a call centre consultant with the Bank of the South Pacific said that the main aim for the bank was to raise regional

awareness.“Basically we want to reach out to other Micronesian countries to bank and invest with BSP,” added Luna.“We also want to educate the local market on the advantages of banking with BSP.”Tagimoucia Kirikiti a media officer with Fiji National University went further to say that the expo provided the University with a chance to market themselves to local and regional delegates.

“We normally market our programmes to local students but this is an opportunity to show regional leaders what we have to offer,” said Kirikiti.Other participants at the expo included Fiji Hardwood, Standard Concrete Industries, Paradise Technologies, Broadway Mufflers and Telecom Fiji Limited.The expo was sponsored by Telecom Fiji Limited, Westpac, Goodman Fielder and Compas Corporate Solutions.

MORE Japanese volunteers have arrived to take up work in Fiji.Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) and Senior Volunteers (SV), one of Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) grassroots assistance scheme, has dispatched seven new volunteers who arrived in the country.

The volunteers will undergo in-country service training for three weeks.This will include, learning Fijian and Hindi languages and a home-stay program with a local family to better prepare them for the local lifestyle before they resume their duties at respective ministries and ministerial departments.

Each year, JICA sends volunteers eager to make use of their skills and experience acquired in Japan to developing countries to work together with local people.Like other JICA projects, the JOCV and SV program is designed to help developing countries’ economic and social development at grassroots level.

To date, JICA has 40 volunteers working in Fiji in the areas of education, environment, health and rural development.The three JOCV and four SV specialty includes automobile maintenance, baseball coaching, fisheries resource management, environmental education, medical instruments education, physical therapy and computer technology.

malaysian inVestors shoWs interest For palm oil industry

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Fiji News


loCal therapist gets China trip goVernment borroWs money to liFt standard oF liVing

suVa student graduates in banglorejaZZ Fest at denarau

Fiji pays more For imported sugar For loCal Consumption

Medical therapist Tevita Susu, who has poor eyesight, travels to China to learn massaging.This follows an invite from the Chinese Embassy to the United Blind Persons of Fiji to study massaging in China.Mr Susu, 44, will be part of the Asia-Pacific regional massage instructors’ international training program.He will spend two months in China and later share his knowledge and skills on massaging in Fiji.

This is the first time a Fiji citizen will participate in the massage course.The invitation had been successful with the support from former Fiji ambassador to China Jim Ah Koy.The Chinese Embassay consular economics, Cai Shuizeng, presented a cheque to the association on behalf of the ambassador.The United Blind Persons of Fiji are thankful to the Chinese Embassy for their generosity.

The government has to borrow money from abroad to better its services in the country and to lift the standard of living.That was a point stressed by Permanent Secretary for Finance, Filimone Waqabaca during a Penal discussion on the recent successful international bond issue of $US250 million to the Fiji government. Waqabaca said government funds alone are not enough to run the country.However, in response USP’s Professor

Wadan Narsey said government should focus on reducing its costs rather than borrowing more.Waqabaca said most importantly this bond will help reduce the government debt level.The government successfully raised FJ$500 million in foreign bonds to pay off $300 million on a foreign bond raised in 2006, with the remaining FJ$200 million being set aside for capital projects.

A 26-YEAR-OLD has been the first student to graduate with a masters in business administration from the M P Birla Institute of Management in Bangalore.Rajeet Nand of Nadi left for India in 2007.Mr Nand said it had been “a wonderful opportunity for me to study in India”.He is thankful to the government of India for providing him with the scholarship.Indian Cultural Centre director Dr Kamal Kishore Mishra said they were proud of students who went to India and successfully completed their education.“If you have talent and you are motivated then results are bound to come,” he said.This is a classic example for the students in Fiji, he said.Mr Nand works in one of the chartered accountant firms in Suva.rajeet nand, right

TOURISM Fiji and Air Pacific’s inaugural Fiji 2011 International Jazz and Blues Festival has received mention in one the world’s leading daily tabloids - The New York Times.A recent article cited Port Denarau as the “unlikely host of a celebration of jazz, blues and soul”.Jazz fests, usually the domain of New Orleans, New York, Montreal in Canada

or Montreux in Switzerland, are becoming hugely popular in the Pacific islands.The inaugural Fiji event is scheduled for May 12-15 at Port Denarau in Nadi and will feature more than 100 artists from Australia, American Samoa, Canada, England, New Zealand and the United States.Air Pacific is offering a 10 per cent discount for travelers to Fiji for the jazz fest.

Fiji has imported 10,000 tonnes of sugar from Thailand this year to meet our local demand before the crushing season.FSC Chairman, Abdul Khan said we had to pay a significant price for the import due to the high price for sugar in the world market.

The price that Fiji paid for the import was around $2000 per tonne.Khan said based on current calculation, Fiji currently get the price of less than a thousand dollars per tonne when it exports sugar.

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VodaFone Fiji donates to ChristChurCh

‘real Fiji island’ to be explored

Vodafone Fiji Red Alert handed a cheque of $59,000 to assist New Zealand with the relief operations in Christchurch. While accepting the cheque, New Zealand’s acting head of mission, Phillip

Taula thanked Vodafone for the generous assistance. “The earthquake has affected all the people in New Zealand and the impact is immense. “We’re grateful for the message of sympathy sent from around the world and from Fiji too which is much appreciated,” he said. The handover was held at Vodafone’s head office in Tamavua, Suva.

Vodafone’s managing director Aslam Khan said, “We know that no insurance payout or monetary assistance is going to fill the void left behind by this disaster. However it can help provide some basic necessities and make things a little more comfortable for some, as winter sets in.” He said the donation came from Vodafone’s Red Alert Programme, a partnership between Vodafone Foundation and Vodafone operating companies, which

uses SMS fundraising to generate support amongst employees and customers in the immediate aftermath of emergencies and disasters. The Red Alert Programme was launched in March of this year, and so far they have given $90,000 to five charity organisations to respond to Cyclone Tomas victims in the North, Lomaiviti and the outer islands, assisted 40 destitute and senior citizens, 400 school children and 150 farmers.

Rural areas in the country will now be receiving more benefits from tourism as Captain Cook Cruises will be offering Australians a chance to defrost and explore the “Real Fiji Islands” with its new seven nights Discovery Cultural Cruise, launched in Sydney earlier this month.The recently refurbished MV Reef Endeavour, which was built in Fiji, will take passengers on a journey to discover the three different cultures in the country as well as the natural wonders of the Vanua Levu region.Managing Director, Commander Semi

Koroilavesu said the launch in Sydney was to coincide with the launch held in Nadi and to showcase the refurbished cruise and to introduce the new cabins and products to the wholesalers in Australia.Commander Koroilavesu said they are aiming to attract more tourists to areas in the country that have little share of tourism adding that they would like to contribute to the developments in the North.Bookings for the MV Reef Endeavour cruise are available online.

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Former Post Fiji Limited Chairman Mahendra Motibhai Patel has denied having knowledge of the purchase of the Seiko clock – which was installed on the Post Fiji building during renovations in 2002.Taking the stand at the Suva High Court,

Patel was shown various letters, emails and invoices regarding the discussions prior to the purchase of the clock from Prouds – the retail arm of the Motibhai Group of Companies. Patel states he did not know where the clock was to be purchased from and never suggested a place where it was to be brought.

He also denied authorising anyone to issue an order for the clock – worth $75, 000. Patel says he never had any knowledge of the discussions on the clock – between the leading architect Adish Naidu and Bhupendra Patel – the Marketing Manager for Motibhai.

Patel said – as the Chairman of the board – he only looked into policies and new initiatives of the company and not the day-to-day operations – which is the role of management. Patel is charged with one count of abuse of office. The trial continues.

A Chinese company will soon commence work on a $60 m project in Fiji. Quantum Fiji Ltd will undertake investments in properties and property development, timber logging and processing, hotel operations and commercial farming. Corporate Advisor – Zarin Khan says the new operation is expected to boost investment and provide employment to locals.

“Most of this work will start within this year but obviously the sales and marketing will take about 5 to 10 years. The land size is about 6000 acres just behind Taunovo Resort.” The 1st phase of development involves the purchase of land, development of infrastructure, construction, and planning and promotional activities for a hotel operation.

mahendra patel denies knoWledge oF CloCk purChase

Chinese Company starts $60m projeCt in Fiji

Friday April 1, 2011 Fiji Times Canada • V5 No1720 World News

Now, a cream made of sNail slime that promises

to baNish wriNkles!

JapaN lifts tsuNami warNiNg after quake

willow smith to perform at kids’ choice awards

germaN girl fiNds boa coNstrictor iN

haNNover toilet

police pup dies oNe day before retiremeNt

pregNaNt womaN charged after wal-mart

greeter, 71, choked

hooligaNs take dead body to soccer match

u.k. to issue royal weddiNg stamps

A new face cream made of snail slime could nourish skin and iron out wrinkles.Tipped to go on sale in Britain, the Capibell Cream was developed by Laboratorios Lissia in Colombia - where snails are bred for use in aquariums - after people who handle them discovered their hands were left plump and silky soft, reports the media.

The cream, worth 10 pounds is the latest in a string of unusual treatments, including a skin serum made of snake venom and spas that use fish to nibble away rough skin on feet.The snail slime will be showcased next week at a cosmetics exhibition in Milan, Italy.

JAPAN has lifted a tsunami warning after a 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit off its northeast coast on Monday, the weather agency says. The Japan Meteorological Agency had

earlier issued a 50-centimetre tsunami warning for the Pacific coast of Miyagi prefecture, which was devastated by the huge earthquake and tsunami that hit on March 11.The US Geological Survey had earlier alerted a 6.5-magnitude earthquake but then downgraded its strength. The epicenter was at a depth of 17 kilometers, it added.Japan’s weather agency said that the quake was likely an aftershock of the massive tremor more than two weeks ago, and warned of more to come.

Will Smith’s daughter, Willow might be only 10-years-old, but she is set to perform at the Nickelodeon 2011 Kids’ Choice Awards, Saturday.“I’m so excited to be performing at the Kids’ Choice Awards. Really, hoping I don’t get slimed,” media quoted her as saying.

Willow will join the likes of the Black Eyed Peas and Big Time Rush at the ceremony. She will perform a medley of her hits, including “Whip My Hair” and “21st Century Girl”.She will join her 12-year-old brother Jaden, who is due to present an award at the event. He is himself nominated for an award.

A GIRL got more than she bargained for when she opened the toilet seat to find an escaped boa constrictor staring back at her, police say. The seven-year-old girl ran to her mother after her discovery at their home in Hanover, northern Germany.

The 39-year-old called the police, who took photos and alerted the animal rescue department of the fire brigade.“But before the snake could be captured, it disappeared down the sewage pipe. A search proved fruitless,” police said, adding that the reptile was likely an escaped pet.

A BRITISH police dog fell off a rooftop while chasing burglars and died the day before he was due to retire. The six-year-old Alsatian joined Northumbria Police when he was a 10-week-old puppy.After five years of loyal service, the veteran police pooch - described as “fearless and faithful” - was set to retire from the force, based in northeastern England, on March 18.

But one day before he was finally due to put his paws up, Baz slipped and fell from a rooftop as he searched for intruders on a rooftop in Gateshead, also in northeast England.Baz’s handler, police constable Gary Saunders, said he was devastated to lose his canine crime fighter colleague.“It has been one of the worst things I’ve encountered in 26 years of policing,” he said.

ELYRIA, OHIO—Police say a pregnant woman and her mother were arrested after the older woman choked a 71-year-old Wal-Mart greeter while leaving the store.Police say 49-year-old Toni Duncan, of Elyria, was asked to show a receipt and responded by pushing a cart into the greeter, grabbing his throat and choking

him. She was charged with assault.Her daughter, 21-year-old Ashley Jackson, of Elyria, was charged with aggravated menacing and inducing panic. The media reports that she’s accused of saying she would blow up the store and that the greeter would be dead when her boyfriend learned of the incident.

Hooligans supporting Colombian top-flight club Cucuta Deportivo smuggled a dead gang member in a coffin into a match.Cristopher Jacome, 17, had been shot by hitmen overnight on Sunday, but still made it to the match later in the day at the 45,000-capacity General Santander Stadium in the north-eastern city of Cucuta, which finished in a 1-1 draw with Envigado.

“This regrettable incident happened on Sunday when a group of hooligans managed to hoodwink stadium security and get the body of young Cristopher Jacome into the stadium,” local police colonel Alvaro Pico told the reporter.According to police, the teenager had been targeted by gunmen while playing in a friendly park kick-around in a poor district in the southern outskirts of Cucuta.

Britain’s Royal Mail announced on Tuesday it planned to issue two official stamps to commemorate the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton.The stamps will feature photographs taken by Mario Testino to mark the couple’s engagement and will be available at post office branches from April 21, eight days before the ceremony.“We are honored to be celebrating this very special and historic occasion,” said Stephen Agar of the Royal Mail.“We believe that that this set of stamps will

be very popular with people both in the UK and around the world.”The postal service said Queen Elizabeth gave the final approval for the issue of the stamps.It is the third time Prince William has appeared on a Royal Mail stamp — he featured on a sheet of stamps to celebrate Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s 100th birthday in 2000 and in 2003 became the first member of the royal family to have a set of stamps produced to celebrate their 21st birthday.He is also the first of the queen’s grandchildren to have their wedding commemorated on a set of stamps.The commemorative stamp sheet consists of two first class stamps and two 1.10 pound stamps, which capture the couple in both formal and informal poses.The formal image was taken in the Council Chamber of St James’s Palace in London while the informal image shows the couple in the Palace’s Cornwall room.

Fiji Times Canada • V5 No17 21Friday April 1, 2011World News

tsuNami flatteNs towNiN miNutes

passeNgers told to‘call your loved oNes’ aboard

chartair cessNa 210 flight

dutch girl, 12, gives birth oN school trip

the New christchurch safest city iN world

george clooNey listed as defeNse witNess iN silvio berluscoNi sex case

THE RAGING Japanese Tsunami flattens an entire town in five minutes in a shocking new video. The horrific film of the wave hitting Kesennuma Port in Miyagi on March 11 shows buildings collapsing into the wave and cars being thrown around like toys. One unidentified driver desperately honks their horn before the car is smashed into a building by the water.

As the black wave smothers the roads the cameraman points at the raging torrent shouting “hito, hito”, meaning “person, person” - but the tiny shape is immediately swallowed up by the flood.Over 1,000 people have been confirmed dead in the fishing port- which was the centre of the Japanese Tuna fishing trade - and hundreds more are still missing. The factories along the edge of the water would have been filled with workers processing the daily catch when the wave hit. Ships from the other side of the bay have been left embedded in buildings, and entire city blocks have gone. The wave left just a handful of buildings standing, and turned streets and offices into watery morgues.

PLANE passengers were told to call their loved ones on their mobiles as a pilot frantically tried to deal with a mid-air emergency on Monday. Louise Patel, who was on the plane during the emergency, said passengers started calling their families as they prepared for the worst, the media reported.“My brother Anthony down in Sydney, he took the message and said, ‘Right, I’ll say a prayer for you’,” she said. “So I was happy I contacted them.”Ms Patel said the passengers feared for their lives when the pilot informed them the landing gear would not come down.Air Company ChartAir confirmed the Cessna 210 experienced trouble in mid air.

Chief executive Adrian Leach said the six-seater was returning to Tindal, about 300km south of Darwin, when the pilot was forced to delay the landing because of “an ambiguous indication”.“The pilot carried out all company procedures and landed safely without incident,” Mr Leach said.“It was subsequently investigated and found to be a false indication in the cockpit.”It is understood the plane had just returned from Ngukurr when it experienced trouble.Ms Patel said the pilot was forced to circle the plane for 45 minutes during which time the passengers phoned their loved ones.She said she was relieved when the plane finally landed safely.

A 12-YEAR-OLD Dutch girl gave birth while on a school trip, sparking a police search for the father of the child. The girl, from Groningen, 114 miles northeast of Amsterdam, complained of stomach pains during a day out with classmates.Teachers realized the girl was in labor and called an ambulance. Medics rushed to the scene, and the 12 year old delivered a healthy

baby girl in a nearby building. The young mother was then taken to the hospital but has refused to name the father.Family members said that the schoolgirl’s father previously sexually abused another older daughter and served two years in jail for the sex crime, according to the Dutch newspaper.The girl was living with her father and brother

after he won custody following a divorce from their mother, who was originally from Suriname, a former Dutch colony in South America.The girl’s stepsister, 30, told the newspaper, “I warned him. I am shocked about what happened.”Dutch police said in a statement: “The girl got pregnant when she was 11, which in itself

means there has been a criminal offense. Article 244 of the Penal Code, sex with a minor under 12, is punishable. In addition, there are now circumstances reported by the Child Protection Board. Taking these two circumstances, the police are now investigating who the father of this baby is.”The girl was due to go into foster care once she was released from the hospital.

CHRISTCHURCH’S picturesque town centre crumbled in a violent February quake but the CBD that replaces it will be the most shake-proof in the world, its mayor says.Bob Parker made the promise as the New Zealand government unveiled a massive recovery project to restore the historic South Island centre to its former glory.The five-year operation has a huge job ahead. The 6.3-magnitude quake struck at lunchtime on February 22, killing an unconfirmed 182 people and virtually flattening the CBD.Dozens of delicate historic buildings, many in the gothic style celebrated by tourists and locals alike, were destroyed in the disaster. The most famous of them, the Cathedral,

lost its spire and will likely take years to restore.The city’s 380,000 residents have suffered blow after blow since the disaster.Beyond the death toll, New Zealand’s highest from a natural disaster in 80 years, there has been a constant stream of job losses as hard-hit businesses struggle to stay afloat.An estimated 10,000 homes will need to be rebuilt and up to 100,000 more require wide-ranging repairs.Ongoing issues with sewerage and water are the cause of great expense and inconvenience.The local economy has been described as a “dead horse” and the country looks set to be dragged into a second recession as the

government forks out to pay for the city’s recovery.Residents had hoped that opportunity to help host this year’s Rugby World Cup would provide a much-needed financial and emotional boost for the town.But it wasn’t to be. The rights were stripped when a report on the city’s stadium showed major damage that could not be repaired in the tight time frame.The tournament, due to kick off in September, will now be played primarily in Auckland and Wellington, with some games in regional centers.The announcement of a single stand-alone body, the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, to lead the recovery effort has

buoyed many who were frustrated with the lack of progress so far.But Mr Parker warned that a transformation of the devastated CBD would be far from immediate.“We need to be upfront and say it is unlikely that the significant rebuild of the central city could start before the end of the year,” he told journalists in Christchurch.He said the delay was justified as planners were focused on rebuilding the city to become the safest ever seen.“Our ultimate goal is to build the most earthquake-safe city in the world,’ Mr Parker said.A finalized plan for a new CBD will be unveiled within nine months.

GEORGE Clooney has been listed among potential defense witnesses in Italian Prime Minister’s Silvio Berlusconi’s upcoming sex trial, a development the Hollywood heartthrob described as “odd”. The actor was surprised to find himself among 78 people the leader wants to testify when he faces charges of sleeping with an underage prostitute.“It seems odd since I’ve only met (Mr) Berlusconi once and that was in an attempt to get aid into Darfur,” Clooney said.

Mr Berlusconi, 74, is accused of having sex with Moroccan nightclub dancer Karima el Mahroug, known by her stage name Ruby, when she was 17.In the trial, which begins April 6, prosecutors will say Mr Berlusconi had sex with a “significant number” of prostitutes during parties held at his private villa near Milan.He is also accused of abusing his office to have Ruby released from police custody when she was accused of theft.Ruby told prosecutors during questioning that the Ocean’s 11 actor and his girlfriend,

the Italian model and actress Elisabetta Canalis, were among the guests at one of Mr Berlusconi’s parties.This claim was denied by Canalis.Clooney and Canalis are among an illustrious list of trial witnesses featuring Real Madrid and Portugal soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.Well-known Italian television presenters, actors, journalists and politicians are also on the list.Mr Berlusconi has denied ever paying for sex.

george clooney is to give evidence in the trial of italian prime minister silvio berlusconi.


Writer Karam Chand Ramrakha in Sydney, AustraliaMOTI SPELLBINdS MELANESIA

In this rare and exclusive interview with Julian Moti QC, veteran Fiji lawyer and politician Karam Ramrakha chronicles the background of the Fiji-born former Attorney General of Solomon Islands and interrogates him on his perspectives on law and politics in Melanesia. Pearl of the PacificMost Melanesians probably won’t know that “Moti” is the Hindi and Urdu word for pearl. The Brits certainly did. “You must be the other pearl of the Pacific” is how retired appellate judge and former Fiji Ombudsman Sir Moti Tikaram was greeted by a distinguished Law Lord at a London diplomatic cocktail party two decades ago. Julian Moti had already left his footprints there. Those who know Julian Moti appreciate his trademark wit. Self-mockingly, he delights in telling me: “my surname is a four-letter word.” Perhaps so it is for those who have sought to abuse, demonize and crucify Moti since 2006 when he was appointed Attorney General of Solomon Islands. His continuing spell there in that role obviously spelt trouble for Australia’s reign in Solomon Islands.Early FameOutside Fiji (where he was born and grew up before migrating to Australia), not much is known of Moti’s fame and family. He is surprised that I still remember him making front page news in the late 1970s and retorts: “Yesterday’s poster boy from Lautoka has become today’s whipping boy for Australia!” As right as he is, he does have a way with words. The fact that he could also spell faultlessly was why he initially rose to prominence in his first year as a student at Natabua High School in Lautoka. Moti was undefeated as Fiji’s National Spelling Champion. At Natabua, he was also an orator, debater, quiz kid, prefect, and school magazine editor. He feels quite shy talking about all his scholastic achievements: “Guruji, let’s focus on something else, shall we?” He has always addressed me as “Guruji” – a privilege I share with his mentor, Professor Upendra Baxi (whom Moti considers “the star of India’s legal galaxy”). Pioneer FamilyTracing his ancestry allows us to acknowledge the old ties that still bind us. Moti’s grandfather was a friend of my father, Odin Ramrakha. After completing his ‘indenture’ on the sugarcane fields of Fiji, Moti “Mahajan” chose to settle down with his family in Lautoka in the 1890s instead of returning to India. His estate then comprised most of the land situated in the heart of today’s sprawling metropolis. When he died in 1927, the “gift” of a substantial tract of prime land to the Catholic mission enabled all of Moti Mahajan’s children to be educated. The residue of that estate is the old family house where Moti also grew up, opposite today’s “urban village” of Namoli. He knows where he comes from. “The Motis are kai-Namoli. Our kinship with Namoli’s chiefs has spanned three generations,” he says, trying to recall the names and faces of all his childhood friends

who descended from Nasoki, Bouwalu, Baravi and Satala with whom he used to play and go fishing on weekends in his father’s boat.I try to steer him back from nostalgia to more topical issues:So how does an Indo-Fijian boy from Lautoka who becomes a lawyer in Australia end up making waves in Melanesia?“We Indians are like tuna – a highly migratory species. No wonder some see value in having us captured and canned! My fascination with Melanesia and its unique legal traditions began as a child overhearing conversations between Ratu Jone Bouwalu, Baravi and my father. It was rekindled by Professor Peter Lawrence (the renowned expert on Melanesian cargo cults) who taught me legal anthropology at the University of Sydney. With his encouragement and the guidance of Professors Ron Crocombe, Alice Tay, Peter Sack and others, I chose “Law, State and Custom in Oceania” as the focus of my honours thesis.Ratu Mara pointed me in the right direction. He saw a “bright future” for me in law and politics in Fiji. What happened there in 1987 caused me to reconsider my career path. A fateful meeting with Christopher Abe and Solomon Mamaloni landed me in Solomon Islands. My loyalty to both of them was tested when they lost office in the 1993 general elections. I didn’t see eye to eye with those who held the balance of power in Billy Hilly’s coalition government. I returned to Australia to engineer its constitutional demise while teaching law at Bond University. When Mamaloni was re-elected Prime Minister after the constitutional crisis in late 1994, he offered me the Attorney General’s job. I refused. I was too young. I nominated Reginald Teutao instead and spent the next decade shuttling between the Port Vila and Honiara offices of Motis Pacific Lawyers – the regional law firm I had established with my Melanesian partners. With Willie Jimmy, Maxime Korman, Serge Vohor, Father Walter Lini and others as clients, my firm couldn’t also avoid getting involved in Vanuatu’s politico-litigious battles. My attempt to take a break from Melanesia was short-lived. I was a Visiting Professorial Fellow at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Centre for the Study of Law and Governance in New Delhi when I was again offered the Attorney General’s post. Twice in fact. Once by Sir Allan Kemakeza in 2004. Then by Manasseh Sogavare in 2006. What followed, as they say, is history.”Based on your close involvement with the legal and political affairs of the region for more than two decades, what can you say about the controversy over Fiji’s turn to host the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) meeting? “This week’s MSG summit in Fiji is the triumph of sense over sensibility. A basic grasp of elementary principles of international law is all that is needed to question what the fuss was all about. The Agreement establishing the MSG as a ‘sub-regional organisation’ is a treaty entered into between international legal persons. The signatory parties to MSG’s constituent instrument are not governments but nation states and a national liberation movement. That ‘innovation’ was based on my advice

and sponsored by Prime Ministers Sogavare and Somare to overcome delays and legal complications in concluding a draft ‘inter-governmental’ compact which included the Government of Fiji and Front de Liberation National Kanak et Socialist (FLNKS) as members. We were able to rally support for the adoption of a collective approach to the recognition of both Fiji and FLNKS. Acknowledging the permanent and unalterable feature of our geographical proximity and neighbourhood as well as our cultural unity and solidarity, we pressed for the entry of both the Republic of Fiji (as a state in its sovereign capacity) and FLNKS (as a national liberation movement) as founding members of MSG. My argument held sway: an entity is not a state or international legal person because it is recognized; it is recognized because it is a state or international legal person. Instead of recognizing regimes on the basis of who habitually obeys them, I argued, we should recognize regimes on the basis of those to whom they are accountable. The draft MSG Agreement was promptly modified for execution by the parties’ signatories in Port Vila on March 23, 2007. With tongue-in-cheek, I’d like to say my contribution to the change of the MSG Agreement’s architectural design was an exercise in instant ‘capacity building’ which was effected without the assistance of any AusAID-deployed personnel. Now, Frank Bainimarama was Prime Minister when the Republic of Fiji became a signatory party to the MSG Agreement. Vanuatu’s Parliament legislated to ratify that Agreement with effect from May 15, 2008. Sooner or later, hypocrisy had to be jettisoned to salvage Vanuatu’s integrity. Prime Minister Sato Kilman wasted no time in doing what was right and just.” You are obviously monitoring the progress of the MSG meetings in Suva. Do you have any ideas to float for its future? “Yes, I’m observing from a distance and quite pleased with the news I’m receiving from there. Future modifications to MSG’s compact could capitalize on the region’s linguistic base and adopt its lingua franca, Melanesian Pidgin, as one of its official languages. At a practical level, Fiji’s diplomatic cadre would be well-advised to learn Pidgin to bolster their Melanesian credentials. I mean that quite sincerely.I’d like to see concrete and meaningful steps being taken to embrace not only West Papuans but also indigenous Australians (be they Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander) within the fold of the different categories of membership created under Articles 1.3 and 1.4 of the MSG Agreement. I’m being equally sincere in that quest.”You’re no fan of the Pacific Islands Forum. Any reasons for your reservations?“Now is not the time to delve into all the reasons why I contend that the Forum should either be completely overhauled, dissolved or have its Secretariat relocated to the Canberra headquarters of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.My criticisms of the Forum have nothing

whatsoever to do with Tuiloma Neroni Slade, his predecessors or successors. It is not them but the nature of their outfit’s mission which has created an anti-nation industry in the Pacific. Surprisingly for those who don’t know any better, the revised Agreement establishing the Pacific Islands Forum which was adopted in 2005 has not been ratified by all of its signatory members and remains inoperative. That Agreement and its precursors designate Fiji as the depositary government. With Fiji’s suspension from the Forum and the unenlightened position adopted by one or two of its fringe-dwelling constituents and principal financiers, the organization remains beset with major constitutional problems affecting its legitimacy and future.”Do you think the Forum is being used by Australia and New Zealand to advance their own strategic interests?“Most definitely, and that was why there was initial resistance to their inclusion by the Forum’s founders. Back then, Australia predicated its desire to become involved in our affairs with ‘due sensitivity for Island susceptibilities.’ That concern has been long forgotten. The text of paragraph 76 of the Cairns Communique and paragraph 80 of the Port Vila Communique answers your question rather poignantly. It is stipulated there that the ‘Leaders reaffirmed their strong and unanimous support for Australia’s candidature for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the two year term 2013-2014 and New Zealand’s candidature for the two year term 2015-2016.’ It is the case of the pot calling the kettle black when Australia condemns the practice of corruption in the Pacific yet resorts to buying votes to secure a seat for itself in the UNSC by dispensing billions of dollars to Africa and the Pacific in aid funds. As noble as it might otherwise appear, one cannot de-link Australia’s practice of sovereign charity from its national aspirations nor Kevin Rudd’s personal ambition to sit where H V Evatt once did.”Australia’s ‘Last Blackbird from Melanesia’Moti does not want to dwell on his unlawful capture, kidnapping and rendition to Australia from Honiara on DHe declares: “I am Australia’s last blackbird from Melanesia – hopefully its final and not most recent one!”He has given the opportunity to Australia’s High Court to vindicate that (and him) when its full bench sits to decide the fate of his appeal on April 8, 2011.

By Thakur Ranjit Singh

Fiji Times Canada • V5 No17 23Friday April 1, 2011Canada News

Priszm Income Fund, which owns more than 231 KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell restaurants in B.C. and Ontario, is under bankruptcy protection following an order from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.Priszm said in a news release issued yesterday morning that the court filing was made to further its delayed deal to

sell its B.C. and Ontario restaurants to a European franchisee of parent comany Yum! Brands.Prizm said the restaurants continue to operate as usual.The release said Prizm has received a number of expressions of interest for its remaining restaurants. Prizm owns about 400 outlets in Canada.

A Liberal government would get cash to the provinces for new daycare spaces as early as this summer, Michael Ignatieff said Thursday.The Liberal leader announced a plan to give the provinces $500 million a year for early childhood learning, ramping up to $1 billion a year by its fourth year.Ignatieff went to a preschool in Winnipeg to announce his plan. He says there wouldn’t be any delay in starting the money because the party worked with the provinces to develop it.“These programs very consciously and deliberately have been constructed with pre-consultation with provincial

authorities and provincial experts because the key thing here is to act. To get it done for Canadian families,” Ignatieff said.“We’ll have a flexible fund and we can get this thing moving. We don’t need to have another three or four years of argument and negotiation.”Provincial governments could apply to the fund to pay for extra spaces in daycare and early childhood learning programs or train daycare workers. The Liberals would roll back a corporate tax cut that came into force in January in order to pay for the plan, Ignatieff said.The Liberals have been focusing on social programs to paint themselves as a more compassionate choice than the Conservatives, who cancelled a Liberal daycare plan when they won the 2006 election.In its place, the Conservatives brought in a taxable $100-a-month payment to parents. The Conservatives also provided tax credits to employers who created childcare spaces.

A majority of Canadians say Prime Minister Stephen Harper should interrupt his election campaign to attend Prince William’s wedding in London, according to poll results released Tuesday.The Abacus Data poll showed 59 per cent of Canadians want the conservative leader to attend Britain’s biggest royal wedding for 30 years, even if it’s just days before the May 2 election.Prince William, second-in-line to the throne, marries Kate Middleton on April

29 at Westminster Abbey in front of 1,900 guests.Harper and his wife Laureen had accepted the wedding invitation but later cancelled after the collapse of his minority government last Friday.Opposition parties backed a vote of no-confidence in Harper’s government, triggering Canada’s fourth election in seven years.“Unfortunately, due to the election campaign Prime Minister Stephen Harper

and his wife Laureen are unable to attend the royal wedding,” Harper spokeswoman Nina Chiarelli said in a statement to AFP.“Both the Prime Minister and Mrs. Harper send their best wishes to the future newlyweds,” the statement added.Sixty-four per cent of women surveyed said Harper should attend the wedding, compared to 55 per cent of men.Among voters under 30 years old, 67 per cent support Harper attending.Seventy-two per cent of fellow

conservatives said Harper should witness the historic event in London.Canada will be represented at the wedding by Governor General David Johnston, Queen Elizabeth II’s representative in Canada, and his wife Sharon.The royal wedding is Britain’s biggest since William’s parents Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana married in 1981.William and Kate are to visit Canada from June 30 to July 8 on their first official trip outside Britain as newlyweds.

Despite two-thirds of the advance polling dates being held at Easter, there are no alternative dates for anyone seeking to vote before May 2, the GTA’s top Conservative MP says.“People spoke to me about it,” incumbent

Burlington MP Mike Wallace, 47, said Friday.With the election being held on the first Monday in May, federal regulations for early voting required advance polls for April 22, 23 and 25.

The first opportunity to cast a ballot is on Good Friday, the last is Easter Monday — both days when many Christians go to church and are busy with family. One is a statutory holiday, the other a religious holiday.

“I checked the legislation, but that’s the requirement ... they have to be held within so many days,” Wallace said in an interview.“It’s too bad,” said the former Burlington city councilor, who was elected to Parliament in 2006 and heads his party’s regional caucus.

priszm iNcome - caNadiaN owNer ofkfc, pizza hut aNd taco bell

restauraNts files for baNkruptcy protectioN

michael igNatieff pitches $500 millioN a year for childcare

decisioN 2011

caNadiaNs say pm should atteNd royal weddiNg

advaNce poll dates fall oN easter weekeNd

liberal leader michael ignatieff hands out hot dogs for lunch at kelekis restaurant

in winnipeg.

prime minister stephen harper pours a beer during a campaign stop at the red

stag tavern in halifax.canadians will head to the polls in a federal election may 2.

Ndp leader Jack layton is seen through a tele-prompter as he speaks to supporters at the first NDP rally of the campaign in Ottawa.

Ndp leader Jack layton shares a laugh with webco sports owner cindy weber after finding a soccer shoe with NDP orange during a campaign stop at her store in

kitchener, ont. earlier in the day layton announced his plan to limit credit card fees

for consumers and small businesses.

conservative leader stephen harper demonstrated his skills with a cricket bat

while watching the cricket world cup semi-final with a family in their Brampton home.

liberal leader michael ignatieff gives a child a high five at Lord Roberts Preschool

after making crafts in winnipeg.


ICBC Cases

“After my accident I had constant neck and back pains. I felt sad most of the time and became very anxious about the future. ICBC said I was overreacting and offered $17,000. My case settled for $400,000 at mediation.” – MR. S.

“The damage to my car was only $700. ICBC said I could not have been injured; but I was. My lawyer finalized my claim for $28,000 plus expenses.” – MISS M.

“ICBC offered me $32,000 to finish my case. I was off work for 6 months and saw a specialist because of my jaw injury. I couldn’t mop the floor or clean our bathroom without help from my children. I received $200,000 through my lawyer’s efforts.” – MRS. S.

“The damage to my vehicle was about $1,700. ICBC said this was a Low Velocity Impact (LVI) and refused to pay me for my injuries and physio costs. My lawyer obtained more than $45,000 for me.” – MRS. B.

“A car hit me as I walked across the street. ICBC blamed me because of the colour of my clothing. My lawyer worked hard and obtained necessary evidence. My case settled for over $300,000.” – MRS.

*Past cases are not necessarily indicative of future results and amounts recovered may vary according to the facts in each case.

www.slglawyers.com

Puneet P.K. Sandhar B.A. (Hons.), LL.B.

Barinder S. Sanghera B.Comm., LL.B.

Simi K. Saini B.A., LL.B.

Amandeep S. Sanghera B.A., LL.B.

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Fiji Times Canada • V5 No17 25Friday April 1, 2011

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Recipes

Chicken Breast Sandwich with Herb Mayonnaise on Flax Bread

Spicy coconut chicken

Mayonnaise • 4 tbsp (60ml) soybean or canolaoil mayonnaise • Squirt fresh lemonjuice• 1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh basil or

1tsp (5 ml) dried basil• 1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh dill or1 tsp (5 ml) dried dill• 1 tsp (5 ml) dry hot mustard• 4 tbsp (60 ml) ground walnutsWhisk all ingredients together in asmall bowl until mayonnaise is evenlymixed. (If tightly sealed, mayonnaisewill keep in refrigerator for up to 2weeks.) Sandwiches • 8 slices flaxseed bread• 4 4-oz (125 g) cooked skinless,boneless chicken breasts, sliced

diagonally• 2 water-packed roasted red peppers, deseeded, dried with paper towels and cut in half to make 4 flat pieces• 1⁄2 small English cucumber, sliced• Spread 1⁄2 tbsp (7 ml) mayonnaise on each bread slice. • Place 1 sliced chicken breast on mayonnaise side of each of 4 slices. • Top each breast with half a roasted red pepper and a few cucumber slices. • Top each sandwich with secondpiece of bread, mayonnaise side down. • Cut into halves or quarters and serve with celery and carrot sticks.Makes 4 servings[Per serving 360 calories, 11g fat,1.5g saturated fat, 70mg cholestero l,9g fibre, 33g protein, 31g carbohydrates, 400mg sodium. Excellent source of fibre and omega-3 fatty acids (3g); good source of calcium]

Ingredients:•1 small sugar pumpkin, about 2 lb (1 kg) •1 large jalapeno •400- ml can regular coconut milk •8 to 10 skinless, boneless chicken thighs •1 red onion, sliced •1 large tomato, sliced into wedges •8- oz (227- ml) can sliced bamboo shoots, well drained (optional) •1 tsp (5 ml) each garlic powder and salt

•3/4 tsp (4 ml) ground nutmeg •1 cup (250 ml) coarsely chopped fresh cilantro directions:Cut pumpkin into quarters.(Microwaving on high 2 min makes this easier.) Scoop out stringy pulp and seeds, then discard. Peel, then chop pumpkin into bite-size chunks. If you like it spicy, leave seeds in jalapeno. If not, discard them. Mince jalapeno. Pour coconut milk into a large saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Whisk, then add pumpkin and jalapeno. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Stir into milk along with remaining ingredients except cilantro. Once boiling, reduce to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered and stirring often, until chicken is cooked through and pumpkin is fork-tender, 15 to 18 min. Stir in cilantro. Delightful over jasmine rice.

Fiji Times Canada • V5 No17 27Friday April 1, 2011Chai Time

Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19) You will start doing initial paper work for some creative and ambitious project that is very dear to your heart. You will receive whole-hearted support from close friend and relatives. You will find yourself at your best in public relations and will be able to muster enough support for your work even from financial institutions. If working towards starting a co-operative venture, it is advisable to have one single institution, or financier, to back your project and then distribute some shares to others rather than having a loose-knit group. Those seeking elections to board of directors or to important committees will emerge successful. Youngsters will plan a holiday-cum-study tour to a forested or mountainous region. It will be a fruitful trip. Some of you are likely to get emotionally involved with a colleague of the opposite sex. A new romance is in the air and assures a happy and lasting association. Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20) You will get involved in some social or cultural work or community development schemes. It seems your close friends or associate will urge you to participate more in such social activities that will benefit you in the long run. The pressure of new work that comes along suddenly will thwart your plan for taking a leave or withdrawing from routine work. The employed may be facing some problems at home. Perhaps heavy entertaining has increased expenses and you are now finding it difficult to cater to the needs of the family. You will have a grand get together at home inviting most of your relatives and close friends. Love life is fine. There is a word of caution for those involved in love for long, but not married. Someone may now try to create a rift between you and your beloved by speaking lies and spreading unpleasant rumors. Gemini (May 21 - Jun 20) You will succeed in every endeavor and achieve excellent results in your work and career. An improvement in financial position spurs you on to take risks in new ventures that prove immensely profitable. Businesspersons will sign new deals that will assure them of long-term benefits. Those in artistic or creative fields will do extremely well. Youngsters trying to achieve a breakthrough in the field of cinema or television will get an opportunity to work with a person of renown. Those desirous of setting up a small-scale industry will be able to do so. Benefits accrue to you through state and governmental agency, hence if seeking any sanctions or financial assistance through such organisations you are certain to get these soon. Personal affairs run smoothly. You will

enjoy the delights of intimate romance in the company of your beloved. Cancer (Jun 21 - Jul 22) The current period is extremely beneficial one and monetary returns from your investments will be substantial. If you do not need cash this week you should wait for a while longer to make further profit in your investments. Security at work will give the confidence that you need to explore new areas and move from one success to another. However, do not be in rush to make large commitments in fresh ventures, for there will be other, and more beneficial offers coming your way soon. The employed will be assigned a special task that gives them an opportunity to display their talents. Your tendency to flirt could now land you in an embarrassing situation. Try not to push your luck, especially if you are already in love. You will find your sweetheart seeking commitment from you regarding your future plans. You have to decide now else your relationship or your association will end. Leo (Jul 23 - Aug 22) A sudden travel plan may take you towards south or southeast. Some of you may travel overseas of a special assignment. Some of you may travel abroad to scan opportunities for job or business. It will be a fruitful journey. Some of you will start a new work or open a branch office in another city. Those seeking employment overseas will get favorable offers this week. Students will join training classes in a preparation for a competitive exam. A study or training programme is on the curriculum for most of you. Students preparing for tests for the enrolment to a foreign university will succeed in their exams. A younger relative who lives away from you will visit you for a few days. Those of you, who have married recently, will get the good news of a new arrival. Love life is quite exciting. Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22) Married women looking for buying a new house will receive an enticing offer that suits their requirement perfectly. You will have the resources to purchase this property and will soon move your residence. Those of you who are keen to bring about a major change in their career will be determined to go ahead with their plans at any cost. This is particularly for those in age group 45 - 50. The employed are given additional responsibilities at work that entails working until late hours. You may have to cancel your social engagement or other extra curricular activities due to heavy workload. However, your employer will suitably compensate you. Love life is returning to normal, especially for those who have been

having constant tiffs with their mate.Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22) You need to concentrate on routine work activities. The present environment at your work place may not be conducive and you could feel frustrated at times. Do not harbor thoughts of changing your job or work for this could result in a setback. Business people will do better and will be able to successfully conclude their current assignment. Your past arrears will be cleared this week and you will be able to pay off a debt or a loan. At home matters are much better especially since you have started to spend more time with your family. Married women desirous of progeny are likely to conceive this week. Those already in an advanced stage of pregnancy are advised to seek constant medical advice to avoid any complications at the time of child’s delivery. Seniors may require seeking medical attention.Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21) This is a fortunate period for taking up some of the pending and unfinished work, which has been put off for some reason. This will help you to take up work on your new venture on which you have set your heart and have already sounded a few friends. The pressure of work at your work place may be less giving you an opportunity to get closely acquainted with a couple of colleagues who are more experienced and have been sympathetic and understanding. This may help you in getting certain ideas to build up your career not necessarily in the same set up. Domestic matters will also occupy your time as a misunderstanding over money matters will need a lot of convincing to remove seeds of doubt created by some outside sources and may require all your ingenuity. If you are fancy-free a romantic interlude is indicated. Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21) It is a favorable week for the employed in that they will be given an important task to handle. All facilities will be made available to you for this project. Those in the field of mass communication and media may become the recipients of award. Business people will get news of a large contract from the government or state agency. Some of you may decide to set up ancillary units for a large organisation that will underwrite all your production. Workingwomen may decide to go into their own business in partnership with close friends. Those in the field of dress designing, jewellery, advertising or exports will succeed in setting up a lucrative enterprise. Love life remains happy with your giving complete attention to the needs of your mate or beloved. Capricorn (dec 22 - Jan 19) This is the time to renew your contacts

or devote attention to public relations. It is quite likely that some domestic issues and responsibilities act as a constraint in your working. Do not waste any time on such affairs because by doing this you could be ruining your chances of success in your work. Working women, especially those in the field of advertising, marketing, or public relations, will get sudden promotion and additional facilities at work. The married will hardly get any time for romance. It could be due to your busy schedule or your mate could be wary of a friend of your own sex, who may be trying to keep you away from your beloved. Listen to the advice of your sweetheart who has an uncanny instinct to recognize unsavory elements.Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18) In business you will be able to carry out your activities without any hitch. Do not waste your time in recoveries but rather follow up with vigor your new project that needs all your attention and efforts. At your work place carry out your assignment with all the speed sincerity and attention as there are some elements that are waiting for a lapse on your part. Fortunately your seniors know you and your work and you will not be affected at all. If you are given some extra assignment you should not refuse it though you may have been burdened with work. This may affect promises you made to the family, as you will not be able to fulfill them. If you have been planning to buy a house or a shop you have bright chances of finding and finalizing one now which will almost be a dream come true. Youngsters will be successful in competition or contest bringing a reward, which make them happy and proud.Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20) Your business plans hit a snag stalling most proceedings. Do not worry for the delays, as these may eventually prove to your advantage. In fact, if you can withdraw some of your money from incomplete or loss making ventures you should get the amount and call it quits. You will be in mood to socialize and attend several functions and prove that age is no bar for enjoying life and getting along with people. Keep away from some bores or those who are known to indulge in scandals. At home while reviewing your finances you may come across an unpleasant fact about the amount you have and the sum you are committed. This may require you to take up some extra assignment and sacrifice a part of your luxurious living. But by any chance do not go in for speculation or gambling, which will entail loss. Do not give credence to some people who have something to tell you about your mate or beloved that may be an exaggerated version of a minor happening.


This page contains basic information. If you are concerned about your health, you should consult a doctor.

... CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEKHere are a few Simple Portion Control TipsFavorite FoodsYou can still eat your favorite foods, but cut the servings in half. Take your time eating, at least 20 minutes to allow your brain to register with your stomach that it’s full.No BagsYou have to have those potato chips! If you’re going to indulge, don’t eat from the bag. Instead put a few chips in a dish, put the bag away and enjoy.Trigger FoodsBuy foods you know you can’t resist in small packages or single servings. Snacking!When you really want a snack, choose a nice piece of fruit or some veggies with low calorie dip.Plan Your Menu!If you can get in the habit of planning your meals, you’ll have everything available you need to make them. By doing that, you can stick to your menu and still have portion control.Eating out?Ask for half or smaller portions. If that’s not available, ask for a doggie bag. Split your food in half, put half in your doggie bag, and enjoy your meal!Taking SecondsChoose salads or vegetables for seconds instead of higher-fat, higher-calorie parts of a meal such as desserts or meats.Cooking Large Batches of FoodWhen you cook a large batch of food, freeze what you won’t use right away. Be proactive by preventing the temptation to use up the leftovers so they don’t spoil.Skipping MealsDon’t skip a meal. Chances are you’ll overeat or snack on the wrong foods. Avoid “Large”Order a small diet drink to reduce calories instead of a larger drink. Even better, order water with a lemon wedge!Start Cleaning UpWhen you’re finished eating, clear the table immediately. If the food is out of your sight, you won’t help yourself to “seconds” that you’re probably not hungry enough to eat anyway.

Diet Myths...Know the Facts

Learn the difference between diet myths and the facts about nutrition.Following the wrong information can impact your weight loss and possibly damage your health.Choosing better health through good nutrition and fitness is one of the best gifts we give ourselves. Most people don’t come close to eating a healthy diet.They think they are, but a lot of times they are victims of misleading fad diets. diet MythsCravings are in your head!When you’re really craving something, you should go ahead and have a small portion. Denying yourself usually only leads to binging on it later and a lot more calories.Cut More Calories, You’ll Lose Weight FasterCut your calories too far (under 1,200 a day), and your metabolism will quickly decrease. Choose the right foods and keep your caloric intake where it should be, you’ll actually lose the weight quicker. This diet myth is very unhealthy! Eliminate Fat From Your DietYour body needs 50 grams of fat each day. You don’t want to eliminate fat completely from your diet. Instead choose healthy fats such as nuts, olive oil, and avocados.Eggs Cause High Blood CholesterolThe wrong fats consumed regularly are responsible for blood cholesterol. Research shows saturated and trans-fats increase the risks for certain diseases such as heart disease. Good fats and omega-3 fatty acids lower the risk.Exercise Makes You Lose Weight, diets aren’t NeededExercise is an essential part of a healthy weight loss, but it’s not completely sufficient on its own. Healthy eating, calorie reduction and portion control with exercise helps you lose the weight and keep it off.

Grapefruit, Celery, and Cabbage Burn FatNo foods burn fat. Some may speed up your metabolism, but they do not cause weight loss. Healthy eating, calorie reduction and exercise helps you lose the weight.Skipping Meals Helps You Lose WeightSkipping meals can actually make you heavier then people that eat less but more often. When you get hungry, you’re more tempted to binge.Eliminating Food Groups to Lose WeightSome diets emphasize eliminating some foods or food groups. This isn’t healthy eating, as the body needs all of the nutrients from the food pyramid groups.You Can’t Get Protein Without Meat Our body requires thirty grams of protein daily. Dairy products and meat contain too much fat and sodium. Vegetables and fruits are inadequate providers of protein. Nuts, grains, legumes and oils have complete proteins. Eating Late At Night Causes Food to Turn To FatOur body processes calories the same all the time. The problem with eating late at night is the type of food we choose to eat such as popcorn, ice cream, and brownies etc. An after dinner snack is healthy, choose fruits, vegetables or low-fat yogurt, and enjoy.Vegetarian diets are Healthier and You Lose Weight FasterPeople who choose a vegetarian diet usually consume less calories and fat. Selecting a vegetarian diet that is low fat may assist in weight loss, but vegetarians can choose foods that add to weight gain. The diet needs to be balanced and the nutrients lost from not eating animal products will need to be supplemented. These nutrients are iron, calcium, Vitamins D and B12, and zinc.You Shouldn’t Eat Between MealsSnacking on healthy choices is good for you. It prevents you from getting over-hungry, it can boost your metabolism, and it keeps you from binging or over eating.If You Eat Fat-free Foods, You can Eat as Much as You wantFat-free food is usually lower in calories, but many have just as many calories. Check the Nutrition Facts Label on the product. A little fat is healthy, it helps you eat less and gives you that full feeling longer. Eliminate dairy ProductsCheese, nonfat and low-fat milk, and yogurt are nutritious, and have many nutrients our body needs. Calcium, protein and Vitamin D are important nutrients that we get from dairy products.Be aware of diet myths from unknown sources. They can be very common in fad diets. Always check the nutritional facts from a trusted source.

dieting Tips That Are Simple and doabledieting tips aren’t just for dieters! They’re a good reminder to help us maintain a healthy weight and stay fit! dieting TipsBe RealisticMake small changes to start with. Changing what you eat and your physical activity will take some adjustment. Strive each day to make a change... but don’t get anxious and try to do it all at once.HealthHealth is your priority, not your appearance. That will come as you lose weight. Focus on a healthy weight.dietingA healthy diet is a lifestyle change. Don’t look at this as a “diet,” but as a habit you’re changing for a lifetime. Enjoy all foods, control your portions and don’t overdo it.Get Active and FitThe more active you are, the less you have to worry about calories and weight. No matter what age you are or what shape you’re in, you can still walk. Even if you can only walk 10 minutes at a time, that’s moving. Just start doing it and keep going. Before you know it you’ll be walking 30 minutes a day….and be on your way to other activities you’ll enjoy!Choose Healthy FoodsStart eating your fruits and veggies! They help keep you full and are very healthy. Use whole wheat products, and drink a lot of water. You may want to eat more often and smaller portions to help you get past the hunger cravings. If you’re used to eating three meals a day, start eating smaller portions, and add good snacks in between meals and after dinner.Emotional EatingWe tend to overeat and eat when we’re not hungry. Most of this comes from stress, boredom, anger or frustration to name a few. When you’re feeling emotional... go do something physical. The urge to eat will pass as you get your mind off of it. Very important dieting tip, for physical and emotional health.Eat SlowerWe live in a fast paced world. Too often we’re use to short lunch breaks and wolfing our food down! Try to take 20 minutes to eat your meals. It takes your brain that long to register with your stomach that you’re full. Also, put your fork down in between bites, take the time to chew and savor your food before considering the next bite.Eat in the Kitchen or dining RoomAvoid eating in front of the TV or while you’re busy with other activities. Eating in the kitchen helps you start a new habit that will help you stop focusing on food everywhere in the house. It also helps you pay attention to what you are eating so you fully enjoy the smell and taste of your foods.

... CONTINUED NEXT WEEK

Fiji Times Canada • V5 No17 29Friday April 1, 2011

Former residents of Saudi Arabia, or Canadians who spent more than six months in Saudi Arabia during the 1980s or early ‘90s, will no longer be allowed to donate blood because of fears of mad cow disease. Health Canada, in consultation with the Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec, announced the protective measure on Tuesday. The ban comes after the discovery of a “probable case” of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which is a rare but fatal degenerative brain disease. The patient had lived in Saudi Arabia between 1980 and 1996 and is believed to have contracted the disease while living there. This case, along with two others, brings the total number of vCJD cases tied to current or former residents of Saudi Arabia to three. Health Canada says Saudi Arabia imported a large amount of beef from the U.K. between

1980 and 1996, which is likely how the man picked up the disease. The man doesn’t appear to have acquired it from eating beef in Canada, since he was already displaying symptoms prior to his arrival here. Canadian Blood Services already does not accept blood donations from donors who have spent three months or more in the United Kingdom or France between 1980 and 1996. They also don’t take donations from those who’ve spent more than five years in Western Europe outside the U.K. or France since 1980. In addition, people are not eligible to donate blood or plasma if they received medical treatment with a product made from blood in the U.K., France or Western Europe since 1980. Health Canada says that starting in June; a new question will be added to the information forms potential donors fill out, asking donors if they’ve lived in more in Saudi Arabia. “This precautionary measure will not significantly impact the supply of blood in Canada for residents needing blood transfusions,” Health Canada said in a statement. It added that there have been no reported cases of transmission of vCJD by blood transfusion in Canada and none of the three patients have ever donated blood in Canada.

RCMP and local police forces searched two dozen businesses in the Montreal area Tuesday as part of a 10-month-long investigation into counterfeit and re-used postage stamps.Two people were arrested.Postal inspectors from Canada Post and the RCMP in Montreal and Toronto have been probing a possible network of stamp counterfeiters for almost a year.Since last May, authorities have seized 40,000 fake stamps and 10,000 re-used stamps. The re-used stamps were sold online. The counterfeits were sold in convenience stores individually or in booklets of 10, the RCMP said in a

release.A Canada Post franchise is apparently one of the businesses being investigated.“It appears that the stamps seized originated from the same source of distribution,” the RCMP said.The stamps feature the same series of images — a portrait of the Queen, images of the Vancouver Olympics, and photos of Canadian lighthouses. Five people have been arrested so far. Charges were filed Tuesday against two suspects in Toronto. The other arrests were in Montreal. The investigation continues. Police say more charges could be filed.

Canada’s 41st federal election campaign began Saturday morning after Prime Minister Stephen Harper emerged from a meeting with the Governor General, who agreed to dissolve Parliament and send Canadians to the polls on May 2.Referring to the “disappointing” events of a day earlier, when his government was defeated by a motion of non-confidence, Harper thanked Canadians “for the confidence and trust” they have given him for the last five years.

“It has been a privilege and an honour to serve as prime minister, especially prime minister of the best country in the world, as together we have faced the most difficult days of the global economic recession,” he said.He went on to say that the global economic recovery remains fragile and that armed conflicts, political chaos, humanitarian disasters and other threats are posing risks to that recovery, and now, so is an election.

Visa, MasterCard and the country’s biggest banks are accused in a lawsuit of being part of a price fixing conspiracy that has forced merchants to pay billions of dollars in credit card transaction fees.A proposed class action in B.C. Supreme Court names the big credit card companies and 10 banks as defendants. The suit alleges merchants are forced to accept every Visa or MasterCard presented

by customers — including premium cards — even though merchants are charged much higher fees for premium cards.At the same time, merchants are not allowed to charge more for accepting premium cards.“The lawsuit alleges that merchants are forced to raise prices for all customers to cover the cost of transactions with premium cards,” Ward Branch, a partner at law firm Branch MacMaster says in a statement.“Our research suggests that these fees cost Canadian merchants $5 billion in 2009 alone. The system is bad for Canadian merchants, Canadian consumers and for the Canadian economy as a whole.”Lawsuit follows competition bureau caseThe lead plaintiff in the proposed class action is Mary Watson, a merchant who has owned a furniture store in Vancouver since 1990.The suit seeks to recover the fees that the

credit card companies and banks “are alleged to have collected illegally from merchants.”To proceed as a class action, it has to be certified. None of the allegations has been proved in court.The card companies charge a fee of 1.5 to three per cent of the total amount of the transaction each time a credit card is used. That can mean $15 in fees paid by the merchant when a customer charges a $500 purchase. The fee paid by a merchant for a debit transaction, on the other hand, is about 12 cents.MasterCard Canada said it “intends to vigorously defend this action.”The Canadian Bankers Association said it’s the credit card companies — not the banks — that make up the rules that force merchants to honour all cards. “The banks have no control over these rules,” the

association said.This lawsuit echoes arguments made by the Competition Bureau of Canada late last year, when it moved to strike down the rules companies impose on merchants that accept their credit cards.The bureau said it was concerned with the current prohibition on merchants from encouraging lower-cost forms of payment, such as debit and cash.Under the current agreement, merchants cannot offer lower prices for non-credit card transactions.“Without changes to the rules, merchants will continue to face high costs for credit card acceptance while consumers, even those who use lower-cost methods of payment like debit or cash, will continue to pay higher prices,” competition bureau commissioner Melanie Aitken said when she launched the case in December.

Canada News

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Mailing Address43076 RPO CascadesBurnaby, B.C.V5G 4S2

Specializing in1. Repossessions2. Collections3. Skip Tracing4. Process Serving5. Document Filing6. Commercial Rent Distress

Memberships1. Better Business Bureau2. ACA International3. Surrey Board of Trade4. Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce

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caNada restricts blood doNorsfrom saudi arabia

couNterfeit stamps

electioN day set for may 2

credit card lawsuit alleges price fixiNg iN fees


Sri Rama Navami

... CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK3)Kindness: This is one of Rama’s major attribute. He taught mankind how to be kind aswell as brave. Ravan was brave but had a cruel heart. This eventually corrupted him and made him a villain. Bravery should be tempered by a kind and gentle heart, so that the God given powers of strength are not misused. Power, success, wealth and popularity can easily go to one’s head and soon corrupt the good intentions one begins with. Rama never let this

happen as his prowess was always tempered by a kind and gentle soul.4)Justice: Kindness and generosity of heart should not border on to being gullible. Rama’s kindness was tempered by his love for justice. He was always just and fair. Seeing where kindness or punishment is due, Rama delivered it accordingly. In his kingdom, every one had the constitutional right to approach the King with their grievance. Always in keeping with the spirit of justice, Rama installed Vali’s son on the throne of Kishkindh and Ravan’s brother on the throne of Lanka. He never coveted anything that belonged to others and inspired love for justice in his people with his own actions.5)Obedience: Most famous attribute of Rama was his obedience and loyalty to his parents, guru and the subjects. Rama sought to keep his father’s promise and willingly accepted fourteen years of exile. If Rama himself disregarded his King and father’s wish, what sort of example would that set for the future generations? To teach obedience, one should practice obedience.

6)Intelligence: Obedience should always be tempered by intellect. Obedience should not be slavish. Dasharath ordered Rama to take the kingdom by force, imprison him and if necessary call on the army to support him. But Rama refused such suggestions. To break an oath / promise is a sin but to suggest covert ways of escaping the oath would be a greater sin. He always obeyed by considering what would be right, proper and good for his people. Rama asked his father, “If a drunk parent or guru should order the child or disciple to cremate them, should such an order be carried out? Of course not. Orders given by a clouded mind cannot and should not be obeyed. Sometimes it is far better to obey the spirit of the order than the order itself. “7)Patience: Intelligent people should be patient in order to earn people’s love. Often the intellectuals become impatient with the dull witted. Rama had a great virtue of being gentle and understanding even with the uneducated jungle dwellers. Often the intelligent become angry with people who can’t see

as far ahead as they can. Rama endured his exile with legendary patience. When he came to the Southern tip of India, he was patient with the ocean. Rama knew that a single arrow from his bow could achieve his purpose, but he decided to show respect for the Heavenly Gods and waited for their answer. Though capable of building a bridge of arrows, he let the monkeys build a bridge so they too could be satisfied with their war efforts.8)Universal Love: Rama’s love for all creatures great and small helped him win over the hearts of rich and poor, strong and weak, scholars and villagers alike. Rama’s love was universal and boundless. Even Ravan, his mortal enemy, received Rama’s grace. Vali was also convinced of Rama’s love and was liberated from the eternal cycle of birth and rebirth. Rama’s gentleness was legendary and so even the uncivilised jungle dwellers came to him without any apprehensions. Rama’s love and compassion make him an ideal for all time.


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Just for KidsParenting

Color easter egg

Cat Counting By 5s

... CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEKHow Do I Know if I Have a Learning Disability?Even if you feel a little shy about it, tell them what kinds of problems you’re having in school. Maybe you read a chapter for homework and then can’t remember anything you read. Or in class, maybe everyone else seems to follow along easily, but you get stuck and don’t know what page everyone is on. You might open your book to do an assignment and have no idea where to start.Kids with a learning disability might also answer “yes” to many of these questions:•Do you struggle in school? •Do you think you should be doing better than you are in school? •Is reading harder for you than it should be? •Does your head think one thing but your hand writes something else? •Is writing slow and really hard for you? •Do you make spelling and other errors when you write? •Are you having difficulty with math? •Is it hard for you to keep your notebooks and papers organized? Do you end up losing or forgetting them?But even if you say “yes” to some of these questions, you won’t know for sure until you visit a school psychologist or a learning specialist. They can give you some tests to spot any learning problems you might have. They’ll also be able to identify what your strengths are — in other words, what you’re good at! Once a psychologist or learning specialist figures out what your learning problem is, you both can start working on solutions.A kid might work with a tutor or specialist or even go to a special class. But often, kids

with learning disabilities can continue in their regular classrooms and there’s no reason they can’t do normal stuff, like participate in school activities and sports.Though some kids might feel shy about having a learning disability, it can be a relief to finally know what the problem is. Then, the kid doesn’t have to feel as worried and upset about school — because he or she is learning how to learn in new ways. The psychologist or learning specialist might even give you a learning plan — then you can see what the strategy is for helping you learn. They can even offer help with organizational skills. If you’re not organized, it’s hard to get any schoolwork done.What You Can Do About Learning DisabilitiesFinding out you have a learning disability can be upsetting. You might feel different from everyone else. But the truth is that learning disabilities are pretty common. And if your learning specialist or psychologist has figured out which one you’re facing, you’re on the right track. Now, you can start getting the help you need to do better in school.But for this special help to really work, you’ll need to practice the new skills you’re learning. It may take a lot of effort every day. That can be a challenge, but you can do it. Soon, you’ll enjoy the results of all your hard work: more fun and success at school!It worked for Paige. Read what she had to say:

Newborn Parenting TipsHow can I ... prevent SIDS?

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the “sudden death of an infant under one year of age that remains unexplained after a complete investigation, which includes an autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the symptoms or illnesses the infant had prior to dying and any other pertinent medical history.” Unfortunately, there is no 100% way to prevent SIDS, but there are steps you can take to reduce your infant’s risk of SIDS.It most commonly occurs between the ages of 1 and 4 months. Fortunately, the incidence

of SIDS has decreased dramatically in recent years. This has been thought to be secondary to the Back to Sleep campaign that instructs parents to put their infants to sleep on their backs and not their side or stomachs.The most important thing that you can do to reduce the risk of SIDS is to put your baby to sleep on his back (sleeping on his side is not as safe, especially if he can roll over onto his stomach) and never put him down alone on a waterbed, bean bag, or soft blanket that can cover his face and cause choking. Also make sure that daycare personal or baby-sitters also know to put your baby to sleep on his back.Another risk factor for SIDS may be thermal stress or getting overheated. To avoid this you should provide your infant with a comfortable room temperature that isn’t too warm or hot and avoid excessive bedclothes, covering the head and too much bundling.


The playful cat wants to play with the ball of yarn. Draw the path to the yarn starting at 5 and counting by 5's up to 500.


WEEKLY SPORT By: Asuad AliSr. Sports Writer

Soccer’s back

It’s not in the name

The Fiji Times - the most trusted name in news and sports

The Fijian Soccer League’s 2011 season gets underway a week Sunday.While the association is mum on its preparation for the official opening, the teams have sounded fitness ready and look forward to the games.And so the phenomenal Fijian soccer fans will once again make the much-anticipated pilgrimage to designated Surrey Parks.Without much fanfare, a soft opening is planned for Thursday, April 7, at Hjorth Road Park in Surrey, with two biggest names in Fijian sports going head to head.2010, Presidents Cup premier champions Flagstaff F.C and 2009 League champions Surrey Eagles F.C will meet in the battle of the titans. Minnows United F.C and Civic F.C. play the other game.On Sunday, April 10, all 28 teams will be in action.The all too familiar sights and sounds will come full circle, cheers on every goal scored, jeers on missed opportunities and the usual

odor of mouth savoring tucked away meals at the parks to hungry hearts. The stage is set, but without the many sacrifices of the hard working club members in the off-season the teams would find it hard to survive in the ever-demanding league.These officials juggle their daily chores; consume unimaginable hours to incur manageable resources through various means, dinner and dance tops chart.They are the forgotten patriots of the FSLGV organization. Pity they go unnoticed despite making their presence felt to the high and mighty at the top office. Yet these men keep soldiering on for the love of the game year after year.Minus them there’s no FSLGV, their coordinated process is entailed in the final product the public enjoys every weekend.A frenzy of sorts, since quality’s scarcely low, deals are quickly brokered with either kickbacks or a token, whatever fits one’s pocket. There for, player acquisitions how big or small

strengthen the chances of any team make that podium run.And rightly so, as with any sports, the hopes and the hypes always rest on the shoulders of the players. In the new soccer season, a well over 700 players have a task before them to outperform, outplay and outwit the best on any given weekend for all the right reasons, glory awaits the best.In the premier division with the introduction of 4 new import player signings, the stakes had never been so high, a huge sigh to some and a big relief for the Masters who welcomed the redundancy. This change had its fair share irate proponents, though many hailed the outcome.It couldn’t have been a better decision. Let’s all embrace the season with solemn assurance of equality, no harm, injury or vulgar and play within the confines of the rule of law. Every pilgrimage, another promise, this one’s about ‘Fair Play’. And be known there will always be only one winner.

The Digicel Fiji 7’s side can’t sit on its laurels and hope victory will be handed to them says local Rugby coach Solomon Auger. The top academic rugby coach in Surrey-Delta area made his feeling known after Fiji’s 24-19 semi final loss to a resurgent New Zealand in Hong Kong last Sunday. Auger said he was least impressed with Fiji’s performance added both the Coach Iliesa Tanivalu and the players should soak in the blame.“I am not happy with what I saw,” Auger said.

“It’s more of the same. They go there expecting miracles to happen that aren’t happening in any sports. If you don’t give it all, count out winning,” a disappointed Auger said after the Fijians were knocked out from the Cup finals.He says Fiji needs to reevaluate all its options, from coaches to strategy plan before stepping foot in the Adelaide Sevens in Australia.The former Scottish national winger said the Fiji 7’s side gasped for momentum against South Africa in the quarterfinals after riding high with easy pool wins.

“Sudden death play bailed them earlier elimination. Thanks to the hail Mary try.”Auger recalls the Fijians were pushovers as New Zealand’s jarring tactical play put them on the retreat.He said it’s no exaggeration; Fiji 7’s players have what it takes to win at Happy Valley, Hong Kong and other International Rugby Board (IRB) sanctioned 7’s tournaments. “I feel coaching is one area the head honchos at the Fiji Rugby house should consider making amends to”.

“If you want my fair opinion, which I know holds no merit in most part; a new coach may be an alternative”.“There are some capable men out there who could redirect a new avenue than the one they headed now.” said Auger.He said it’s the breath of fresh hope that is needed to energize the Fiji 7’s side for future tournaments. Auger will be closely watching the Adelaide 7’s this weekend and hope the Fijians win the Adelaide leg of the IRB 7’s and win the series.

By Edwin Chand

This coming Tuesday and Wednesday, April 5th and 6th will hold the 1st leg of the UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals as only the 8 best teams (3 of which are from England) throughout Europe remain. The matchups are as follows: Real Madrid vs. Tottenham and Inter Milan vs. Schalke on the 5th of April and Chelsea vs. Manchester United and

Barcelona vs. Shakhtar Donetsk playing on the 6th. The marquee matchup of the week is the all English affair taking place at Stamford Bridge featuring Chelsea and Manchester United. This Quarterfinal matchup is a rematch of the 2008 final in which Manchester won. In the Tottenham and Real Madrid match, Tottenham is looking to continue their magnificent run, after beating a formidable AC Milan team in the Round of 16, in this their 1st season of this

UEFA Champions League era. The only problem is to continue their run they must first get past 9 time winners Real Madrid. Real Madrid though, may be without their star player Cristiano Ronaldo as he is recovering from a hamstring injury. In other action, Inter Milan looks to continue their defending of the championship to the finals, and become the first team to reach that stage back to back times since AC Milan did

it in 89-90, as they face Schalke. Schalke on the other hand is looking to avenge their 1997 finals defeat at the hands of Inter Milan. In the final matchup 2006 and 2009 champions Barcelona lead by all-star Lionel Messi face Shakhtar Donetsk in a rematch of the 2009 UEFA Super Cup in which Barcelona won. Shakhtar Donetsk must produce another remarkable performance at the Nou Camp as they host Barcelona a week later.

Champions league quarter final preview

Friday April 1, 2011Fiji Times Canada • V5 No17 33Sports

Suva struggled to beat a determined Southern Under-23s outfit 1-0 in the lone Fiji Sun/Weet-Bix National Football League match at Ratu Cakobau Park.Joseph Nimariau slotted in the only goal of the match in the 14th minute of the first half. The capital city side had other opportunities to score but a slippery underfoot and poor finishing kept them at bay.Apisai Smith’s sending off in the 33rd minute (for tackling from behind) compounded their misery with the score line remaining at 1-0 when the full-time whistle sounded.Smith picked up his first red in their home match against Labasa on March 6 at the TFL Stadium - the game ending with a 1-0 score line to the Lions.Suva association president Mahen Prasad

praised his players for a gallant effort saying a win is a win.“We had some problems with the slippery condition at Ratu Cakobau Park. We missed a lot of other opportunities. Nevertheless it was a good run against a team which had some Rewa and Navua reps playing for them.“With ten-man playing, this is an achievement,” Prasad said.But Southern U23s coach Intiaz Khan had dismissed Prasad’s comments saying only three well-known district reps featured for them.“We only had Archie Watkins, Penaia Drova and Sedrick Dutt playing for us today. The other players were relatively unknown. So this is a remarkable improvement for our team compared to our previous game.”The U23s were thumped 6-0 by a strong Rewa outfit in their opening match earlier this month.“Just three sessions a week shows development and improvement. Morale in camp is very high after this close match. I know the players’ will take this as a motivation to keep striving for more.”On a personal note, Khan is relishing the next national league match – keen to stamp his first win in the national soccer league arena.“I have to admit I am looking forward to it.”

Former Sri Lankan World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga feels that the high voltage World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka will be a fifty-fifty clash with either of the South Asian cricketing giants having equal chances of lifting the trophy.“The two best sides are in the final, the conditions are very similar to the Asian countries. All Asian teams played to their potentials with their spinners and they have won lots of matches with spinners,” Ranatunga said at an event in New Delhi on Thursday.“I do not know how far the Bombay (Mumbai) wicket will play. The three spinners in Sri Lankan side have played well; especially many players could not read Ajanta Mendis in quarters and semis. India plays spin well (but) they did

not play spin well yesterday, so I feel it is a fifty fifty game for India and Sri Lanka both,” he commented.Both Imran Khan and Kapil Dev feel that both the sides will feel the pressure of playing the final match and the players will have to play exceptional cricket to lift the trophy.“Both teams came to the final and Sri Lanka have played extraordinary cricket. I hope India and Sri Lanka play best cricket,” Kapil Dev said.“Sri Lanka is a dangerous side and they are playing like a team,” the only World Cup-winning-captain of India said.“When you come to final you get pressure, it will happen both to Dhoni and rest and Kumar Sangakkara and rest, but I hope that the two teams will play good hundred overs cricket,” the

former Sri Lankan World Cup-winning-skipper, Ranatunga, said.Imran Khan said that India will go into the match with tremendous ‘self belief’ and Sri Lanka will be a good competitor against the ‘Men in Blue’ in the crucial match.He also suggested that if he was the captain of Indian team then he would have suggested his players to enjoy the final.“If I was Indian captain I would have said them to enjoy the final,” he said.Speaking on Sri Lankan chances at the final match in Mumbai, Ranatunga said: “I am worried about the middle order, the fifth to seventh batsmen have not performed.”He also voiced his concern over Mahela Jayawardene’s form which has hasn’t flared

exceptionally well in the World Cup after the match against Canada.He appreciated Dilshan’s performance in the World Cup both with the ball as well as with the willow.Meanwhile, Australian legendary spinner Shane Warne tweeted to B-town actress Shilpa Shetty: “have you got any nails left after the semi? Ready for Saturday final and IPL 4 Shilpa? All very exciting hey.”Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi tweeted: “Started as a high pressured Match. But it was India all the way. Congrats to the Team. Looking forward to the Finals in Mumbai.”The high-voltage World Cup final will played between India and Sri Lanka in Mumbai on April 2.

Rupeni Caucau is back in the hunt for a place in the Flying Fijians squad for the September-October Rugby World Cup after he was included in Toulouse’s Heineken Cup quarter-final squad to face Biarritz next week.The match is set for a 3.30am (Fiji time) kick-off on April 11 at the Estadio Anoeta stadium in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.The Bua flyer cum centre is the notable inclusion to the current top 14 leaders and Heineken Cup defending champions’ squad - when not less than a year ago he was out of contract after he was fired by Agen when he failed to return to the club on time after a short break in Fiji.In what was a shock move, the European Champions overlooked his shortcomings and took him in last October.

Less than two months after his recruitment, Caucau made his first start for Toulouse in the Top 14 but it was marred after he copped a yellow for a high tackle as they went down 25-32 to Clermont.But Toulouse kept the faith. Before long, Caucau was back to his try-scoring best – scoring his first in a narrow 22-19 win over La Rochelle last month.Not to mention his wonder try against Brive in their 23-22 win earlier this month which saw him power over five Brive defenders and earn accolades from the media.The sportspost.com website rated him as ‘without a doubt one of the most exciting backs to play the game in the last ten years’ following the try.It looks as though he still has the magic touch too, as he somehow managed to get through a few defenders, holding the ball up in the air with one hand (in wet conditions) to score an important try for the French league leaders, the website said.Caucau last played for Fiji in the June 5 Test against the Wallabies that was played at Canberra Stadium last year. Fiji lost 3-49 with fullback Taniela Rawaqa adding the match points from a penalty.

Members of the national sevens team take in instructions from Coach Iliesa Tanivula in

AdelaideTHE Fiji team management has written to the IRB referees manager to air their concerns over some decisions against the team at last weekend’s Credit Suisse Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sevens.Comments have been aired by rugby fans in Fiji and in Hong Kong about some of the referee Andrew Lees’ decisions in Fiji’s semi-final loss to New Zealand.

Team manager Talemo Waqa said he had lodged a complaint after viewing the DVD of Fiji’s games last weekend and picked out several incidents where the referee’s interpretations of the rules were questioned.Waqa said while they respected the referee’s decision as final, they needed to write a formal letter of concern because they felt their side of the story needed to be known by the tournament organisers.“The letter is with them and I just hope they will also view the DVD and make their decision. We’re happy that we have a process in place where we can air our concerns regarding issues like this,” Waqa said. “But we will respect their decision.”Waqa is on his first assignment on the IRB series and is a Level Three referee. In the Cup semi-final between Fiji and New Zealand, Lees twice failed to penalize New Zealand players for late hits.

India vanquished Pakistan to storm into the final of the cricket World Cup in a high-voltage match watched by the Prime Ministers of the two countries and millions of passionate fans across the sub-continent.The 29-run victory, which enabled India to maintain its unbeaten record against the arch rivals in 36 years of World Cup history, was the result of some brilliant bowling and fielding show by the home side after its much-vaunted batting line-up had posted a modest 260 for nine to which man-of-the match Sachin Tendulkar made a lucky 85-run contribution.India now meet Sri Lanka in the final in Mumbai on Saturday in a bid to win the coveted Cup for the second time since it first stunned the cricketing world by beating West Indies in 1983 at the Lords.

Suva beats U23s

India and Sri Lanka have fifty fiftychances: Ranatunga

Rupeni Caucau in Heineken Cup quarterfinal squad

IRB referee upsets Fiji

India beat Pakistan to set up final with Sri Lanka

India's players, from front left, captainMahendra Singh Dhoni, Zaheer Khan,

Piyush Chawla, Munaf Patel, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh celebrate after winning the World Cup semifinal match

against Pakistan

Friday April 1, 2011 Fiji Times Canada • V5 No1734 Sports

I’ll admit it. Thirteen seasons into the UFC’s reality show on Spike, and I’m feeling a little bit of “The Ultimate Fighter” fatigue. The show has been on since 2005, and it’s hard to keep any TV show fresh for six years. (Except “Law and Order.” How dare they take Jack McCoy off the air?)But then I thought about the specifics of this season, and realizing that the fatigue I’m feeling can be easily squashed by the time the show debuts at 9 p.m. ET on Spike Wednesday night. Why should you tune in?5. New start time: Just in time for the UFC to change the start time of the pay-per-view events, TUF is bumping its start time up an hour. The change may seem small, but now you’ll have that much more time to return to Cagewriter and

discuss the show before heading to bed.4. A closer look at some of the best coaches in MMA: No, I’m not talking about Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos. Their assistant coaches are some of the best in the business, but relatively unknown by fight fans. Erik Paulson, Marty Morgan, Luiz Dorea and Billy Scheibe will all get a chance to show how they helped Lesnar and dos Santos reach elite levels of MMA.3. Guest coach potential is off the charts: With dos Santos and Lesnar’s connections and training partners, there is good reason to hope for fun cameos throughout the season. Jose Aldo, Anderson Silva, Pat Barry and the Nogueira brothers could all stop in. I really want Lesnar to pull in his buddies from the

WWE days to teach his team about the fine art of selling a fight.2. Watch dos Santos figure out how to be a star: Dos Santos has said that he just followed Lesnar’s lead in dealing with the cameras. An interesting storyline throughout the season will be seeing if dos Santos is comfortable as not just a fighter, but a star in MMA.1. Lesnar’s response to a loss will be televised: With his out-of-the-way training camp and surly attitude, outsiders don’t often get a close look at the former champ. When they do, it’s quite often posturing. But with cameras following Lesnar for several weeks, it’s likely they will capture his true response to losing his championship belt to Cain Velasquez. That will be riveting television.

When Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos arrived in Las Vegas to begin their stints as coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter,” many questioned how they would connect with the cast of 14 UFC hopefuls.Lesnar, the former UFC heavyweight champion and WWE personality, is notoriously standoffish when it comes to relationships, keeping more feuds than friends. Although Dos Santos — the Brazilian top heavyweight contender — is known as a pleasant guy, he barely knew any English when he showed up on the set in January.But both Lesnar and Dos Santos spoke positively of the experience and their welterweight trainees three months later.“Looking back to the beginning of the show, I

was very hesitant because I didn’t want to get out of my comfort zone too much,” Lesnar said on a conference call this week. “But we had a great group of guys. It was a great opportunity for me.”The 13th season of “TUF” debuts started on Wednesday on Spike and runs through June 4, when a new champion will be crowned and awarded a six-figure UFC contract at the finale fight card at the Palms.According to Lesnar and Dos Santos, whoever wins will have navigated their way through a talented field.“They all knew what they were doing,” Dos Santos said through a translator. “It was good to be able to pass on my experience and work with them every day.”

Todd Bertuzzi won’t be suspended or fined for his elbow to the head of Chicago Blackhawks centre Ryan Johnson.The Detroit Red Wings have been told Bertuzzi won’t be further disciplined by the league for the hit on Johnson during the first period of Monday’s game at Joe Louis Arena. Bertuzzi was given a major elbowing penalty and game misconduct, his first ejection in more than seven years, and Johnson returned to the game after passing a concussion test and having his ear stitched.

According to Johnson, Bertuzzi apologized to him during the first intermission of the game.“I know it wasn’t anything malicious, and he was very apologetic,” Johnson said after the game. “He came in here and said, ‘sorry.’”Bertuzzi gained notoriety in 2004 when he sucker-punched Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Moore during a game in Vancouver. He is still facing a $20 million lawsuit filed by Moore, who hasn’t played since, as a result of the incident.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will return to Vancouver on June 11.Tom Wright, the UFC’s director of Canadian operations, says an official announcement will be made next week.

The main event on the card, to be held at Rogers Arena, has Brazilian heavyweight Junior Dos Santos facing former champion Brock Lesnar.The first UFC event in Vancouver last year drew a sold-out crowd of 17,000.

Vancouver Canucks centre Manny Malhotra had surgery on his badly damaged left eye Tuesday in New York.Dr. Stanley Chang performed the surgery in an effort to restore vision in Malhotra’s eye, which was damaged by a deflected puck during a March 16 game against the Colorado Avalanche.The Canucks issued a brief statement confirming the surgery had taken place.“After further consultation with specialists

and team doctors, Vancouver Canucks forward Manny Malhotra underwent a second successful eye procedure,” the statement said. “Manny Malhotra’s health continues to be the primary concern of the hockey club. Progress updates will be made available at the appropriate time. No further comment is planned at this time.”Chang is the same surgeon who operated on ex-Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Bryan Berard in 2000. Berard had several procedures done but eventually returned to the NHL.

Fourteen welterweights battle to becomeThe Ultimate Fighter champion

Five reasons to tune into ‘The Ultimate Fighter’

Getting to know the cast of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ 13

No extra discipline for Bertuzzi UFC’s Lesnar to fight in Vancouver

Malhotra has successful surgery

The Ultimate Fighter Season 13 coach Brock Lesnar


Spring/Summer 2011 season is not so far away so we better get ready to change our beauty routing a bit in order to adapt to the seasonal change. These Spring/Summer beauty tips will help you keep your looks fresh, make the right beauty decisions in this hot time of the year.Cleansing tips

Cleansing is important during hot summer days as we sweat and all the dust in dry climate sits on our skin. So choose a very mild cleanser that will absorb oil excess but on the other hand won’t dry your skin. After washing your face with cleanser apply lightweight moisturizer.Exfoliation is good once a week. Also opt for mild exfoliator and don’t forget to moisturize your skin. Many people think that in summer their skin doesn’t need additional hydration but they are wrong. We sweat to protect our skin from dehydration

so drink plenty of water as in summer we tend to loose it faster and hydrate your skin from the outside. Again don’t use heavy moisturizing creams. Let your skin breathe.Want healthy useful skin? Use SPF protection. Sun encourages premature aging, fact. If you want natural tan use special tanner creams with protection. They will allow tan as well as protect your skin from dangerous UV-rays.Use SPF protection daily even if you aren’t at the beach. Make sure your foundation or moisturizer has minimum SPF 15 protection. Also use lip balms with SPF to protect your lips from dryness.Sunglasses

We’ve told you before and we’ll repeat it once more, wear sunglasses. Especially when the weather is sunny and light is there to sting your eyes so in order to protect your eyes you squint. And here you go, crow feet, wrinkles. Sunglasses not only protect your skin but also your eyes from getting burned and blind.

•When drilling on a slippery surface, place on a strip of tape, such as masking tape, on the surface to prevent the bit from slipping.•A strip of masking tape along the cut line will prevent plywood from splitting.•Dip the tip of screws and nails into a bar of soap. They go in easier, prevent splitting and make screws easier to remove should you need to.•Pencil stubs make good plugs for plaster walls. The lead makes it easy to screw into.•A bit of Talcum powder stops squeaky floorboards and stair treads.•If your paint brush has dried hard, try boiling it in vinegar.•Before buying a stove check out the classified ads. Good used stoves can be bought for a fraction of the new price.•Sanded floors look good; they are hard wearing, and can be decorated with rugs to add a dash of vibrant color.•Dry rot in timber can be treated by bruising with petrol. Hint: don’t do this

while smoking!•Saws will not jam so often if you rub both sides of the blade with candle wax. House paint•Double to the life-span of paintwork on weatherboards by washing it once a year. Washing takes away the grime that degrades the paintwork. Paint•After partially using a pale of paint, paint a stripe on the outside of the pale. That will show you how much paint in left in the tin, and also the color! Repairs•Learn how to do basic repairs. First step – read the manual! It is amazing how much money the do-it-yourself-dunce wastes by not knowing how to do some of the basic stuff. Jobs like repairing a broken window, fixing a toilet cistern, replacing a light fitting, and so on. If you still find you are just not up to even the task, ask a friend to have a quick look at the problem for you.

Choose your tax preparation service carefully, advises BBBThe last day to file your taxes isn’t until April 30, but many people are thinking about hiring a tax professional. However, Better Business Bureau warns that consumers can run into serious problems if they don’t do their research to find a reputable tax preparer.“Most tax professionals are qualified, reliable and honest,” says BBB President and CEO Lynda Pasacreta, “But it is well worth the time to look for a qualified, dependable and trustworthy service to avoid problems during and after consumers hand over their documents.”Your BBB has some tips for selecting a reputable tax preparer and avoiding those who may be problematic:Check on qualifications. Ask about their training, experience and knowledge of current tax law, and whether they are members of a professional organization with continuing education requirements and a code of ethics.Learn about their service terms in advance. Find out whether they guarantee the accuracy of their work and amend the return if there’s a mistake. And find out if they can be reached year round?if there is a mistake or are required to undergo an audit, you want to make sure you can reach them after the tax season is complete.Ask for references. Get referrals from satisfied clients.Check with BBB. Visit www.mbc.bbb.org to determine if the tax preparer has a reputation for reliability and trustworthiness.Request a quote. Ask for an estimate of the preparation fee before authorizing the work.BBB advises consumers to steer clear of tax

preparers who sound too good to be true. Beware if they:•Boast they can obtain larger refunds than their competitors. •Pressure you to sign up for immediate payment of your refund. This involves a loan that typically carriers a high interest rate. •Base their fee on a percentage of the refund amount, rather than the complexity of the tax return, or •Don’t ask to review your records and receipts, or discuss whether you qualify for expenses and deductions. Once your income tax return is prepared, make certain the preparer has signed it and get a copy and payment receipt for your records. Also review the return before signing it and ask for clarification of any entry you don’t understand.Be on the watch for tax-related scamsEach year new scams surface online, promising tax refunds and other incentives to get you to part with your personal information. Be on the watch for the following scams:Phishing Scams. Never open or download attachments included with messages claiming to be from the Canada Revenue Agency. Typically, these messages advise the recipient that they have qualified for a tax refund and need to click on a link to enter their information. The link takes the person to a bogus website and requires the visitor to enter personal identification. CRA will not contact you via email.Identity Theft. If you’re doing your taxes on your own online, don’t use a public wireless connection. Even using the latest wireless security encryption standards such as WPA2 can be risky, so use a wired connection when dealing with sensitive financial and personal information.Malware. Refrain from opening any unsolicited tax-related email message, as some messages can exploit weaknesses in your browser and initiate a drive-by download of spyware or malware without your knowledge.

MEDICAL TIPS FOR PETS

SPRING/SUMMER BEAUTY TIPSHANDIMAN HINTS

... CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEKWhat Are Common Symptoms of Flea Infestation? If your cat exhibits the following symptoms, she may have fleas and should promptly be taken to the vet: •Itchy/irritated skin •Persistent scratching •Chewing and licking •Hair loss •Tapeworms (small, white, rice-shaped objects in your pet’s feces or in the hair around her anus) •Pale lips and gums How Did My Cat Get Fleas in The First Place? It’s easy for people and animals to bring fleas in from the outdoors. All it takes is one flea to begin a cycle of infestation. Adult fleas spend most of their lives on one animal, laying eggs in the fur. These eggs drop out onto rugs, upholstery, bedding and furniture; the new adult fleas will, in turn, find their living host, either human or animal.

How Can I Get Rid of My Cat’s Fleas? The best way to tackle the problem is to consult your veterinarian for a flea control program designed specifically for your pet and your pet’s environment—one that treats fleas in all stages of life. There are increasingly effective flea control products available both as prescription and over-the-counter formulas. These formulas often require just one monthly application to the skin to effectively kill adult fleas and prevent egg development. Some of these products are Frontline®, Advantage® or Revolution®. How Can I Get Rid of Fleas In My House? •Thoroughly vacuum rugs, upholstery, your cat’s bedding and her favorite places to sleep and eat—and throw out the vacuum bag right away. Vacuum daily in high traffic areas, weekly in other areas. This will help eliminate flea eggs, pupae and young fleas. •Wash your pet’s bedding weekly. •Apply a safe area spray, fogger or powder directly to your pet’s sleeping area, rugs, chairs and other areas she frequents. •If using a fogger, keep in mind that some brands may not kill flea eggs. You also may need to re-fog two weeks later when eggs have hatched. During each application, everyone—humans and all animals—may need to clear out of the house for the amount of time recommended on the label.



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Most people in the film industry have always known about the famed Rajshri Productions’ work ethics and values. But it is only when actors begin working with them that they realize what it really means. This was precisely the case with Tusshar Kapoor, the latest to join the galaxy of stars who have worked with the banner.On the first day of the shooting of their forthcoming film ‘Love U Mr. Kalakaar’, Tusshar walked in 15 minutes late. Seeing both producers

Sooraj Barjatya and director Manasvi already present on the set with everybody else, Tusshar was a bit too conscious of his late arrival. But Sooraj calmly walked up to him and said, “Whenever you are late for a shoot, it is better to apologise to everybody immediately. That helps you relax and you can concentrate better on your work. Otherwise your tension hampers your performance.”To Tusshar’s credit, he followed his producer’s advice and soon realized its benefit too. “I was a bit tense as I was late on the very first day of the shoot. But the manner in which Soorajji advised me was so graceful that my respect for him grew even more after that. And I instantly realized the significance of that advice to an actor’s performance. Many times, we carry these little tensions within us which do affect our adversely.”Well, now we know at least one reason behind the bonhomie on a Rajshri set.In ‘Love U Mr. Kalakaar’, Tusshar plays the romantic lead opposite Amrita Rao. The film is slated to release on May 13, 2011.

It is Salman Khan who is responsible for the break-up between his ex flame Katrina Kaif and her now ex flame Ranbir Kapoor.According to reports, the reason for Ranbir and Katrina’s break-up is: Katrina’s secret and friendly visit to Salman Khan when he was shooting for his upcoming film Bodyguard in Pune. Ranbir

came to know about a secret visit and called off the so called “love affair”. Kats travelled in an ordinary car so as to avoid the paparazzi. However, Salman Khan himself made sure that the news of Katrina’s hush-hush visit reached Ranbir’s ears. The young actor was obviously furious to know that his gal was still making secret visits to her ex. What followed next was a fight between Ranbir and Katrina and their subsequent break-up.Now, Ranbir is rumored to have moved closer to his co-star in Rockstar, Nargis Fakhri and Salman too is rumored to have moved back to his ex flame Somy Ali leaving Katrina all alone.

Composer Lalit Pandit, who composed the smash hit item number “Munni badnam hui...” for “Dabangg”, is ecstatic that it has entered the Guinness World Records, but feels his name should have also appeared along with the song.“I think they should, but this is how the producers put it, you know. I’m happy that the song has gone (into the Guinness World Records). At least in India people know that I have composed the song. But I would have liked my name there. It would have been really nice,” Lalit said.The song entered the Guinness World Records when 1,200 people

danced non-stop to it at Melbourne Park in Australia.However, he is happy that his creation has been honoured.“It feels out of the world. I didn’t imagine that the song will go to the Guinness World Records. This is a wonderful surprise and something very, very big that has happened (to my song),” said Lalit.The song was picturised on Malaika Arora Khan. Salman Khan and Sonu Sood also feature in it.Released last year, “Dabangg”, the biggest box office grosser, was Arbaaz Khan’s first film as a producer. It also marked actress Sonakshi Sinha and director Anhinav Kashyap debut in Bollywood.

My respect for soorajji has grown even More

says tusshar

salMan is the reason for ranbir-Katrina’s

breaK up….

My naMe should have coMe with ‘Munni...’ in guinness...: lalit pandit

EntertainmentFriday April 1, 2011 Fiji Times Canada • V5 No1740

eKta Kapoor plans Midnight preMiere for ragini MMs

is Karan johar gettingMarried?

Diary of a Wimpy Kid:Rodrick Rules

Brotherly Love!

By ROBERT WALLDMAN

Family turmoil rules the roost in Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the latest comedy now staking its claim to your funny bone at the Empire Oakridge Cinemas, Empire Studio 12, Colossus and Silver City Theatres around B.C.Boy, 20th Century Fox sure got it right by making Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules. Based on the best-selling books Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules follows in the footsteps of it’s predecessor Diary of a Wimpy Kid. All the familiar gang are reunited for more mischievous mayhem.School age kids may well sympathize with one Greg Heffley. Sad sack extraordinaire Zachary Gordon (The Brothers Bloom) has the character of Greg down pat. Constant harassment at school continues to get this kid down. Even at home the poor kid is not above being ridiculed as his older brother Rodrick so wickedly displays. Bad boy Devon Bostick (Saw VI) hits all the right high, or is that low, notes as the raucous brother out to torpedo his little bro at every turn.

Friends for Greg are few and far between. Fellow nerd Rowley Jefferson is equally inept and wonderfully depicted in a jovial way by Robert Capron (Bride Wars). Together these two make a very odd couple and get into loads of hot water. Out to somehow reign in this crazy clan are parents Frank and Susan. Future PTA members Steve Zahn (Sahara) and Rachael Harris (The Hangover) do what they can to maintain a normal household but it’s not easy.Rules are made to be broken and director David Bowers (Flushed Away) absolutely “milks” the angst and difficulties awkwardly looking adolescents face. Stereotypes of many varieties spring to life here and are all handled effectively. And when the subject of girls is broached the hilarity ramps up further in this well acted and cleverly written tale of the trials and tribulations growing up in the modern world.

Much can be learned from taking in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules. Sight gags abound here and there are the usual tasteless jokes. Still there is a degree of warmth that resonates and numerous tender scenes that bring all the shenanigans here back down to earth. Shot on location in British Columbia with countless local landmarks in plain view, such as the PNE’s Agrodome, Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is a faithful reminder of the problems kids face from a variety of different perspectives. Perfect fare for the whole family, this 96 minute tale is charming and breezy and offers a fun time for kids and parents at the movies.

FRAMES Excellence Awards 2011 held at Hotel Renaissance in Powai, Mumbai. She accessorized with stand out Amrapali jewels – chandelier earrings and a matching ring on her right hand middle finger. Her hair was styled in a shoulder draping sleek ponytail with a swept back top. The 23-year-old Dabangg star received The Best Newcomer Award for her debut film.

Horror and ghost stories have always held the audience captivated. Ekta Kapoor’s next Ragini MMS is based on a couple going out for a holiday and how they get sucked into a paranormal world in the bungalow where they’re living. Apparently, the film is based on a real life incident. Kapoor admits that the film is 30 per cent fact and 70 per cent fiction. But what’s interesting to know is that Ekta is

planning a very unique premiere for the film. The said premiere will happen at dot midnight as that’s the best time for spooks, “Friday the 13th is the day astrologers’ research past life and Tarot experts like Sunita Menon do paranormal stories related readings. It was too good an opportunity to pass over,” says Kapoor, who is planning spine-chilling promotional activities leading up to a midnight premiere. “Since I don’t have big names to draw in the crowds, I have to build on the hype.” As for the story being based on real life incidents, Ekta says, “I’ve purchased the rights from the lady it happened to. She will see the film this week, and depending on her reaction and ability to handle media attention, we will decide whether to reveal her identity or not.” Ragini MMS, Ekta Kapoor’s paranormal thriller that was wrapped up in just 17 days, is readying for a May release. Both the Hindi and Telugu versions will open on May 13.

The lady in question seems to be 31-year-old Vandana Melwani, a

gorgeous New York-based girl, the daughter of a family friend.Does this mean that those long disappearances from Bollywood to New York and London, ostensibly to “write scripts” – were all to meet his lady-love that started almost a year ago.Let’s keep a watch if this happens to be true or just one of those rumours!!

sonakshi sinha looked like a million dollar in a white anita dongre layered

dress at the ficci


A hugely popular vacation destination, Fiji today has the distinction of being one of the friendliest places on earth. The natives here are known for their warm smiles and cheerful mannerisms, making this tiny island nation a great place to relax, and enjoy the pristine natural beauty found both above and below the sea. Formed as a result of volcanic activity that occurred over 150 million years ago, Fiji has a fascinating and intriguing history that is worth looking into while you tour these gorgeous

islands. Known as Viti before the arrival of the Europeans, Fiji was inhabited by a blend of Melanesian, Polynesian and Micronesian people who settled here over 3500 years ago. Around 1500 BC, the Lapita people also settled on Viti and brought with them their own culture and traditions. Fijians lived in relative harmony for a long period of time till around 2500 years ago when the population began to expand and tribal feuding broke out resulting in many intertribal wars and even cannibalism.During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Europeans began to explore much of the South Pacific and in 1643 Abel Tasman, who had set sail for Indonesia was the first to spot Fiji.

Although he did not visit the mainland, he described his journey past the treacherous reefs of Vanua Levu and Taveuni, which resulted in many sailors avoiding this region altogether. For the next 130 years no Europeans visited Fiji till Captain James Cook came here in 1774, stopping at the island of Vatoa in the Lau Group. In 1789, Captain William Bligh also set foot on Fiji after the famous ‘mutiny on the Bounty’. Soon the Europeans began to trade in this region with many merchants coming here to buy fragrant sandalwood and beche-de-mer or sea cucumbers. This trade had a significant impact on the indigenous population, especially with the introduction of firearms and gun powder to the locals. In 1871 King Cakabau tried to form

a western style of government in Fiji, but upon failing to do so, he along with 12 other tribal chiefs ceded Fiji to the British in 1874. With the advent of colonialism in Fiji, Indian laborers from the Asian Subcontinent were brought to work in the many sugar plantations on the islands. Today, these Indians form an integral part of the population, with around 44% of Fijians having Indian ancestry. Controlled by the British until 1969, Fiji became an independent nation on October 10, 1970, after 96 years of colonial rule. An independent republic, Fiji currently is facing some political strife; however, do not let this deter you from coming here and enjoying a truly memorable vacation.

Basic rates went down despite pressure from bodily injury claimsUndoubtedly, the biggest highlight of 2010 for ICBC was being able to reduce both basic and optional insurance rates for combined savings to our customers of more than $80 million.The optional insurance rate reduction of three per cent means that ICBC’s optional insurance premiums have gone down by approximately 20 per cent over the past six years. The basic insurance rate reduction of 2.4 per cent was perhaps even more significant as it was the first time in more than a decade that we were able to reduce our basic rates.“We live in an age where the price of almost everything is going up so it was great that we were able to reward our customers with these rate reductions,” said Jon Schubert, ICBC’s president and CEO.The rate reductions were achieved while ensuring ICBC remains in a healthy financial position. Net income, supported by a strong performance from our investment portfolio, was $361 million for the year, down from $563 million in 2009.The $200 million drop in net income was due in large part to a continued increase in claims costs, which were up more than $100 million over last year. Net income was also impacted by the rate reductions in 2010, which resulted in flat premium revenues.The increase in bodily injury claims in 2010 is a particular area of concern. We saw an increase last year in both the number of bodily injury claims as well as the costs associated with those claims. The increase in the number of bodily injury claims was a reversal of the previous few years which saw the numbers declining steadily. An increase of only one bodily injury claim per 1,000 vehicles insured translates into approximately $100 million in additional claims costs.Despite these pressures, ICBC continues to be well-capitalized to levels similar to the rest of the Canadian insurance industry. This means we are well placed to meet our financial obligations as well as to withstand unforeseen events.Our operating costs continue to remain low compared to the industry average, with approximately five cents of every premium dollar used for our core administrative costs.More details on ICBC’s 2010 financial report

can be found in our Statement of Operations.ICBC’s other 2010 highlights include:Consulting with our customers •We took some important first steps in 2010 on a multi-year business renewal program focused on improving our customers’ experience and upgrading our technology systems to meet their needs. •Customers tell us again and again that safer drivers should pay less and that we must simplify and streamline our processes to make them more customer friendly, and we agree with them. We are working on improving our claims process, introducing a new pricing model, and looking at ways to make rates more reflective of risk. •Our strong financial standing means we are well positioned to make these investments while maintaining our stable auto insurance rates.Claims service improvements•In the summer of 2010, we introduced an on-demand, over-the-telephone translation service for customers who need language assistance during the handling of their claim. Customers can now converse freely with ICBC in more than 170 languages through an interpreter. It has helped to make what can be a complicated process understandable, helping to improve our customers’ experience. •Another highlight was our pilot partnership with Kirmac Collision to provide repair services to our customers if they are unfortunately involved in a crash in Washington State. We know that getting in a crash is stressful, especially when you’re far away from home and this partnership will help alleviate some of that stress by providing our customers with an efficient, hassle-free claims experience, helping them get back on the road faster.Winter Games•We were extremely proud to be a sponsor of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games – the most significant event to take place in B.C.’s recent history. •We helped make the Winter Games successful by providing insurance for VANOC’s fleet of vehicles and by giving every driver in the province a chance to show their support through our 2010 Winter Games licence plate program – more than 196,000 British Columbians chose to do so.

Commitment to safer roads•We supported new government legislation focused on distracted and impaired driving with resource and educational support. We partnered with government to launch drivecellsafe.ca on using any handheld electronic device while driving. •Over the past 21 years, we’ve invested more than $100 million as part of our Road Improvement Program in communities across B.C. and this commitment continued last year. In 2010, we completed more than 290 road improvement projects for approximately $9 million. •Our commitment to youth in B.C. was never more evident than last year with a number of programs to help them make smart choices. One of these is our RoadSense Speakers Tour, with 195 presentations across the province last year, reaching more than 53,000 students. We also engaged young people to think more creatively about road safety with our 180 Short-Film and Your Ad Here contests, which received hundreds of entries. We also completed a massive update

of our grade 10 road safety education materials.Road test improvements•We introduced a streamlined class 5 road test in 2010 that reduced the length of the test time from 60 to 45 minutes. This ensured there was enough time for our driver examiners to assess the driving skill level while leading to a subsequent decrease in the length of time customers had to wait to book a road exam.Caring for communities•Our annual campaign for United Way is ICBC’s most significant philanthropic effort and for the first time, we raised more than $1 million for United Way and other registered charities, making 2010 our most generous campaign ever. •We rolled up our sleeves for the second time in 2010 to partner with Canadian Blood Services on a Summer Blood Donor Challenge.“These achievements came about thanks to a lot of effort and teamwork from our customers, employees, brokers and business partners,” said Schubert. “With the same commitment, we’re confident that 2011 will be another great year.”

History of Fiji

ICBC’s 2010 highlighted by lower rates for customers

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS911 POLICE FIRE AMBULANCE

NON-EMERGENCY NUMBERSALL CITIES AMBULANCE 604.872.5151

ALDERGROVE 604.532.7500 604.532.3200 BURNABY 604.294.7190 604.294.7922COQUITLAM 604.927.6400 604.945.1550DELTA 604.946.8541 604.946.4411LANGLEY CITY 604.514.2880 604.532.3200LANGLEY TWP 604.532.7500 604.532.3200MAPLE RIDGE 604.463.5880 604.463.6251NEW WEST 604.519.1000 604.525.5411N VAN CITY 604.980.5021 604.985.1311N VAN DIST 604.980.7575 604.985.1311PITT MEADOWS 604.465.240 604.463.6251 PORT COQUITLAM 604.927.5466 604.945.1550PORT MOODY 604.469.7795 604.461.3456RICHMOND 604.278.5131 604.278.1212SURREY 604.543.6700 604.599.0502VANCOUVER 604.665.6000 604.717.3321W VANCOUVER 604.925.7370 604.925.7300WHITE ROCK 604.541.2121 604.531.5527

FIRE POLICE

Information you need to know from the paper you trust


GOVERNMENT CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS

PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1989

FLEETWOOD BRAKE & MUFFLER LTD.-- Complete Automotive Repairs - Cars & Light Trucks --

We Repair ALL Makes & Models of Vehicles

Across from Fleetwood Islamic Center

#107-8468 162 Street, Surrey, BC604-597-9466

Suspension Repair • Tune Ups • Brakes • Air ConditioningElectrical • Transmission Service • Oil Change

Wheel Balancing • Tires • Air Care RepairsNew Vehicle Maintenance • Mufflers • Clutches

Towing Available

... CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEKDuring the earthquake

-If you’re inside your home, stay there. Get out of the kitchen... safer places are inside halls, in corners, in archways. Take cover under a heavy table, desk or any solid furniture that you can get under and hold onto. Protect your head and face. Doors may slam on your fingers if you’re in a doorway. Avoid areas near windows.-If you’re in a yard outside your home, stay there and get clear of buildings and wires that could fall on you.-Don’t go outside where you may be hit by falling debris... sidewalks next to tall buildings are particularly dangerous.-Avoid elevators... if you’re in an elevator when an earthquake happens, hit all floor buttons and get out when you can. High rise residents will hear fire alarms go off and

electricity may fail.-If you’re in a vehicle, pull over to the side (leave the road clear), away from bridges, overpasses and buildings. Stay in your vehicle.-If you’re in a crowded public place, take cover and watch that you don’t get trampled. In shopping centers, take cover in the nearest store and keep away from windows, skylights and display shelves of heavy objects.-Remain in a protected place until the shaking stops. Anticipate aftershocks... they may occur soon after the first quake.-Try to remain calm and help others. After the earthquakePreparations for an earthquake also include knowing what to do, and not to do, after the shaking stops... when there is danger from aftershocks, fires, falling building materials, debris, etc. Remain calm. You may have to take charge of others. Take care of life-threatening situations first. Remember, you may be on your own for 72 hours or more.-Check your home for structural damage and other hazards.-Check yourself and others nearby for injuries... administer first aid quickly and carefully.-If you are evacuating, locate and take your pack of emergency supplies with you.-Use a flashlight to check utilities and do not shut them off unless damaged. Leaking gas will smell. Don’t light matches or turn on light switches... until you are sure there are no gas leaks or flammable liquids.


Our upcoming Programs for the month of April 2011

*Friday Apr 22nd, 9:00 am “Maha Satyanarayana Katha”Once a year on Good Friday, Shree Mahalakshmi Temple organizes a Samuhika (Group) Satyanarayana Katha. Anybody wishing to perform the puja for the welfare of their family may kindly

contact the temple for further information.You along with family and friends are all cordially invited to attend these programs and get the blessings of Divine mother Mahalakshmi. Preeti Bhojan will be served after Aarati after all the programs.With prayers,Pandit Prameya ChaitanyaSri Mahalakshmi Temple

Some of the biggest challenges in relationships come from the fact that most people enter a relationship in order to get something. They’re trying to find someone who’s going to make

them feel good. In reality, the only way a relationship will last is if you see your relationship as a place that you go to give, and not a place that you go to take.

for further info…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vittal_Ramamurthywww.violinvittal.com

http://www.musicianspage.com/musicians/4757/http://neyvelinarayanan.com/

Violin RecitalBy

Disciples of violin maestro, Padmabhushan Sri Lalgudi G. Jayaraman

Sri Vittal Ramamurthy&

Smt. Padma Shankar with

Sri Neyveli R Narayanan (Mrudangam)Sri A P Sukumar (Morsing)

onSunday April 3rd, 2011 at 11.15 am

All are cordially welcome

Shree Mahalakshmi Temple467 E 11 Avenue Vancouver BC V5T 2C8

Phone [email protected]

date day time program3 Sun 11:15 am Violin concert by Sri Vittal

Ramamurthy(Have a look at attached file)

4 - 13 Mon-Wed 6:30 pm Chaitri Navaratri

11 Mon 6:30 pm Kanya Puja

12 Tue 6:30 pm Shree Rama Navami

13 Wed 6:30 pm Kanya Bhojan

18 Mon 6:30 pm Shree Hanuman Jayanti + Shree Mahalakshmi Japa

17 Sun 11:00 am Ramayan Katha by renownedChandra Bhushan Swamiji,

Brindavan, India

19, 20 Tue & Wed 7:00 – 9:00 pm Ramayan Katha by renownedChandra Bhushan Swamiji,

Brindavan, India

22 Fri 9 am “Maha Satyanarayana Katha” *

30 Sat 6:00 pm Shree Hanuman Japa

SOCIAL GATHERINGS @ 1PM - LAST SUNDAY OF THE MONTHAT CROSS ROAD UNITED CHURCH

7655 - 120th Street, Delta BC

fiji senior’s society of canadasocial gatherings at 1pm - last sunday of the Month

at cross road united church7655-120th street, delta bc

bhan Mati raj: 604.581.9859 • James Kumar: 604.599.9518 Kapil vilas: 604.590.1918 • Satya Nand: 604.590.5303

thakur Kuar singh: 604.587.5439 • Bhan Pratap: 604.839.5106

Quote of the day

This information is provided for knowledge and education purposes only. Individuals should visit their physicians for more information on their health.


... CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEKGoing to the DentistYour first consultation with a dentist will probably consist of three main parts: a dental and medical history (where the dentist or dental hygienist asks you questions about your tooth care and reviews any dental records), a dental examination, and a professional cleaning.The dentist will examine your teeth, gums, and other mouth tissues. He or she may also examine the joints of your jaws. The dentist will use a mirror and probe (a metal pick-like instrument) to check the crown (visible part) of each tooth for plaque and evidence of looseness or decay. The dentist also will check your bite and the way your teeth fit together (called occlusion).Your dentist will examine the general condition of your gums, which should be firm and pink, not soft, swollen, or inflamed. He or she (or an assistant) will use the probe to check the depth of the sulcus, the slight depression where each tooth meets the gum. Deep depressions, called pockets, are evidence of gum disease.After examining the visible parts of your teeth and mouth, your dentist will take X-rays that might reveal tooth decay, abscesses (collections of pus surrounded by swollen tissue), or impacted wisdom teeth.Professional cleaning is usually performed by a dental hygienist, a specially trained and licensed dental professional. Cleaning consists mainly of removing hard deposits using a scaler (a scraping instrument) or an ultrasonic machine, which uses high-frequency

sound waves to loosen plaque deposits. The particles are then rinsed off with water.After cleaning, the dental hygienist will polish your teeth. The process cleans and smoothes the surfaces of the teeth, removing stains and making it harder for plaque to stick to the teeth. Finally, the hygienist may treat your teeth with a fluoride compound or a sealant to help prevent decay.At the end of your visit, the dentist will let you know if you need to return to fill a cavity. Your dentist also may refer you to an orthodontist if he or she thinks you may need braces or have other issues.More Dental ProblemsDental caries (tooth decay) can attack the teeth at any age. In fact, 84% of 17-year-olds have the disease. Left untreated, caries can cause severe pain and result in tooth loss. Losing teeth affects how you look and feel about yourself as well as your ability to chew and speak. Treating caries is also expensive. So prevention and early treatment are important.It may surprise you to know that 60% of 15-year-olds experience gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease. Gingivitis, which involves the gums but not the underlying bone and ligament, is almost always caused by an accumulation of plaque. As with caries, treatment can be expensive.If you remove plaque regularly and follow good oral hygiene habits, your gums usually will return to their healthy state. However, more serious gum disease can cause gums to swell, turn red, and bleed, and sometimes causes discomfort. How dentists treat gum disease depends on the extent of the disease.

First-born children are more likely to suffer from allergies than their younger brothers and sisters, Japanese scientists have found.The researchers discovered that multiple births build up the immune system in the womb which is transferred to babies.It means second and third children are less likely to suffer from hay fever or develop Scientists surveyed the parents of 13,000 school children aged seven to 15, and asked them the order of their children and what allergies they had.The findings showed four per cent of first-born children had rhinitis, conjunctivitis and food allergies

compared with 3.5 per cent of second-born children.Meanwhile, just 2.6 per cent of third-born children suffered from allergies.“It has been established that individuals with increased birth order have a smaller risk of allergy,” the reporter quoted Dr Takashi Kusunoki, who led the study for the Shiga Medical Center for Children and Kyoto University in Japan, as saying.“However, the significance of the effect may differ by allergic diseases.“Further evaluation should shed light on the role of pre and post-natal circumstances on the development of childhood allergy,” Kusunoki added.

A new study has suggested that walnuts have a combination of more healthful antioxidants and higher quality antioxidants than any other nut.It positioned walnuts in the No. 1 slot among a family of foods that lay claim to being among Mother Nature’s most nearly perfect packaged foods: Tree and ground nuts.“Walnuts rank above peanuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios and other nuts,” said Joe Vinson, who did the analysis.“A handful of walnuts contain almost twice as much antioxidant as an equivalent amount of any other commonly consumed nut. But unfortunately, people don’t eat a lot of them. This study suggests that consumers should eat more walnuts as

part of a healthy diet,” he added.Vinson found that the quality, or potency, of antioxidants present in walnuts was highest among the nuts.Antioxidants in walnuts were 2-15 times as potent as vitamin E, renowned for its powerful antioxidant effects that protect the body against damaging natural chemicals involved in causing disease.“There’s another advantage in choosing walnuts as a source of antioxidants,” said Vinson, who is with the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania.“The heat from roasting nuts generally reduces the quality of the antioxidants. People usually eat walnuts raw or unroasted, and get the full effectiveness of those antioxidants,” he added.

Previous research has shown that tea contains high levels of compounds that combat the absorption of fat.However, a new research led by an Indian scientist has found that this fat-fighting ability will be neutralized if milk is added to it.The compounds, called theaflavins and thearubigins, stopped the pounds from piling on when given to rats on a high-fat diet.But proteins in cows’’ milk neutralise this fat-fighting ability.Devajit Borthakur, of the Tea Research Association in India, told the reporter that the chemistry between the milk proteins

and the fat-fighting compounds means “we don’t get the health benefit from these compounds.”The finding is bad news for Britons, who add milk to 98 percent of the 165million cups of tea they make a day.“From a public health perspective, tea is rich in antioxidants and may be an important contributor to an individual’s overall antioxidant status,” said researcher Lisa Ryan of Oxford Brookes University.“The addition of milk, however, may lower the total antioxidant capacity of tea; however this effect is much greater with skimmed milk compared to whole milk,” she added.

A new study has found that drinking four to six mugs l of tea daily is as good as a liter of water for keeping yourself hydrated.The finding disproves the idea that regular tea drinking can dehydrate the body because of its caffeine content.The research also found no negative health effects from drinking that amount of tea.In the high quality UK clinical trial, 21 volunteers drank either four 240ml mugs of tea over a 12-hour period - equivalent to just under one liter of tea in total - or a similar amount of plain, boiled water served warm. The tea included 20ml of semi-skimmed milk

but no sugar.The test was also repeated using six cups of tea or plain water, equivalent to nearly 1.5 liters of fluid, to investigate the effect of intakes.Blood samples were taken before consumption and at regular intervals to check hydration levels. Analysis found no significant differences between drinking tea and water.“Tea is an excellent way to maintain healthy fluid levels. In addition, tea is a rich source of flavonoids, which have been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke,” Carrie Ruxton, nutritional advisor to the panel, as saying.

First-born kids 'more likely to suffer from allergies'

Eating ‘handful’ of walnuts best bet for healthy heart

Drink tea without milk to lose flabDrinking tea daily ‘as good as water in

keeping you hydrated’


SUBRAMANIYA SWAMY TEMPLE OF BC8840 NO. 5 ROAD, RICHMOND, BC 604 274 7906

NAYA JEEWAN CHURCH38868 - 128TH STREET, SURREY, BC

SERVICE TIME - 2:00PM SUNDAYSBIBLE STUDY - EVERY WEDNESDAY - 7:30PM

(HINDI & ENGLISH)

PRAYER, COUNSELLING AND VISITATION IS AVAILABLEPASTOR EILEEN REDDY 604-842-2189

prayer

hindi christian fellowship#4-6468 King george blvd

uplifting worshipprayer for healingMusic (cd) available

sunday service

@ 2:00pMshailendra (shal) singh

e-mail: [email protected], 604-323-6506

service tiMe: 1.00pM sunday’s(hindi & english)

location: 7655 - 120th st delta b.c.Affliliated with Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada

CROSS ROAD UNITED CHURCH jaMes KuMar(res) 604-581-3191

(worK) 604-599-9518cecil labon

(ph) 604-572-4854

GOOD NEWS ASSEMBLY FOR JESUS

ASIAN CHRIST CHURCH OF CANADA(Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi & English)Sunday Service @ 5.30 p.m.15964 88th Ave. Surrey, B.C. V4N IH5We pray for sickness, Demon possessed & Family problems.

Contact Rev. Emmanuel Cheema @ [email protected] are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. (Matthew 5: 11)

We have testimonies, come and see God’s great work.

Shree MahalakShMi TeMplecontact: anantha Krishna bhat604-874-0175

467 e 11th avenue, vancouver, v5t 2c8


Phone: 604.592.9001 • Cell: 778.938.2734

GLOBAL FIJIAN ASSEMBLIESpastor: isimeli lesi Korobasaga

every sunday 2-5pM @ people’s full gospel

14455 - 104th Ave., Surrey, BC


Phone: 604.592.9001 • Cell: 778.938.2734Affiliated with Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada

abhishek pentecostal assembly11601-82nd Ave, Delta BC • Tel: (604) 590-8836

SUNDAY SCHOOL/SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE: 1PMIf you’re looking for a place to belong or have been searching for answers to life’s questions or healing, come to our services

or contact us. Allow us to introduce you to Jesus Christ and help you come into a full relationship with him.

Services are in Hindi and English • Senior Pastor - Rev. Samuel Krishnawww.abhiskhekassembly.com • [email protected]

VANCOUVER SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE: 1:45PM 6075 Inverness St 45th Ave/Pilgrim Baptist Ch Bldg • Contact Pastor Silas Naidu • 604-517-4490

Ramayan KathaEvery Tuesday at 7 PM

FOR POOJA BOOKING CONTACTAiyaar Shivachariyar Sada Shiva

Ph: 604-274-7906

SUBRAMANIYA SWAMY TEMPLE OF BC

8840 NO.5 Road, Richmond, BC 604-274-7906

TemPle HOuRsSunday 10am to 3pm Monday 10am to 1pm, 5pm to 8pmTuesday 10am to 1pm 5pm to 9pmWednesday 1pm to 7pmThursday 10am to 1pm 5pm to 8pmFriday 10am to 1pm 5pm to 9pmSaturday 10am to 1pm

Place of Worship

ARYA SAMAJ SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIAEVERY SUNDAY AT

6884 jubliee avenue,burnaby, b.c

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

ALL WELCOME GYANENDRA SUNDAR (President): 604-968-9344KUSH KANT SINGH (Treasurer): 604-322-1513

VINOD SEKHERI (Secretary): 604-732-1038

INVITES YOU FORhawan, pravachan and

satsangh

For information, call

WE ALSO OFFERyoga & Meditation, bharat natyaMand hindi classesFOR INFORMATION ON YOGA & MEDITATION CLASSES CALL pundita shobha rae at 604-874-9856

FOR INFORMATION ON BHARAT NATYAM CLASSES CALLshivani Kaintura at 604-587-3083FOR INFORMATION ON HINDI CLASSES CALLMadhu varshney at 604-222-1444

SHRI VENKATESHWARA MAHA VISHNU TEMPLE9326 - 116th Street, Delta, BC

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND HALL/TEMPLE BOOKING CONTACTSubarmani Naidu: 778 708 3047

Pt. Shiu Madri: 604-582-4899

Monday to Sunday

Aarthi-EverydayShiu PuranSukhsagar RecitalMeditationRamayan Katha

MorningEveningEveningMondayTuesdayWednesdayFriday

8:30am - 10am6:30pm - 9pm7:00pm - 7:30pm7:30pm - 8:30pm7:30pm - 8:30pm7:30pm - 8:30pm7:30pm - 8:30pm

RAM NAVAMI INVITATION

JOIN US IN CELEBRATING RAM NAVAMI FROMAPRIL 4TH TO APRIL 12TH, 2011

DAILY RAMAYAN, RAM CHALISA, HAWAN AT 6:30PMFOLLOWED BY AARTI

APRIL 12 – 10:00 AM TO MIDDAY

All Welcome

Ram Navami is celebrated with immense joy and fervor by all the Ram devotees throughout the world. Despite being one of the most ancient festivals in the world, Ram Navami does not involve extreme intricate rituals and traditions. Though, it is made a highly vibrant and gusto affair by the Ram devotees, traditionally Ram Navami does not call for any special preparation. It is simply about remembering Ram and following the path of dharma (religion) that he showed us. People on this day observe fast, chant Ram’s name and sing Ram

bhajan entire Ramnavami day. Hey RamHey Ram, hey Ram, hey Ram, hey Ram, Jag Mein Sacho Tero Naam. Hey Ram...Tu Hi Mata, Tu Hi Pita Hai;Tu hi hai Radha ka Shyam.Tu antaryami, saba ka Swami;Tere charno me charo dham.Tu hi bigare, tu hi savare,Es jag ke sare kaam.Tu Hi Jagdatta, Vishava Vidhata;Tu Hi Subah Ho, Tu Hi ShamHey Ram, Hey Ram, Hey Ram, Hey Ram,Jag Me Sacho Tero Naam

Ram Navami Bhajan


SIX boys cowered in the dark as a knife-wielding man threatened to kill them during a suburban sleepover from hell. The group of mostly 12-year-olds told how their neighbor went on a rampage, screaming they “were going to die” and trying to batter down the door to their townhouse in the Brisbane suburb of Capalaba.The three-hour ordeal ended only when Brett Hayes, 50, was shot in the groin by a policewoman after he allegedly lunged at her with six 30cm knives.An investigation has been launched into the shooting as police defended their response to several frantic calls for help.Deputy Commissioner Ross Barnett said police had visited the unit block “on a couple of occasions” earlier in the night, but were unable to find the source of a reported disturbance.He brushed aside reports that police took more than an hour to respond to calls for assistance.“On a busy Friday night, resources are stretched and priority is given to various jobs as they come in,” he said.The sleepover was being held at the townhouse of a 14-year-old boy, who had invited school friends aged 12 to 14 over for the night.Just before midnight, the boy said Hayes had knocked on the door and asked whether the boys wanted to take a walk with him.Their refusal sparked a three-hour rampage, during which they cowered in

the dark while Hayes threatened to break the door down.The boy said Hayes returned many times during the three hours, smashing against the lower-floor glass door, pounding on windows and fences and screaming threats.One boy said the scariest moment was sitting in the house with the lights off as Hayes scratched at the door and shouted to the boys that they “were going to die”.As well as three calls to police, the boy also made a desperate phone call to his mother, who was working a late shift. She arrived shortly before the shooting.Eyewitnesses say two female police officers ordered Hayes to return to his townhouse, a few doors down from the boy’s home. But onlookers watched in horror as Hayes allegedly rushed out of his home armed with knives, lashing at the officers.One said he was just meters from one of the officers who shot Hayes in the leg just before 3am after he allegedly ignored three warnings, lunging at the officer with a blade within centimeters of her face.The mother of one of the boys at the sleepover said her son was still trying to deal with the terrifying ordeal.“They will have nightmares for ages,” she said. “You don’t want your 12-year-old around guns, knives and shootings.”The mother said she was disappointed with the police response time.No charges had been laid against Hayes, who spent the night in hospital.

A WOMAN and her 13-month-old daughter have been allegedly kicked off a bus because the young girl was making too much noise. Toni Hay and her baby, Heather, got on the Darwin Bus Service bus at Casuarina to get home to Coconut Grove at 11.55am on Monday.Ms Hay said her daughter was loud because she was excited.She said she was told by the bus driver that if she could not quieten her daughter down she would have to get off the bus.“She’s 13 months old, what can I do.”Little Heather was strapped in her pram and Ms Hay said she was making “happy squealing noises.”About eight minutes into the journey she said the bus driver yelled out that if she couldn’t keep her daughter quiet then they would have to get off the bus.“Heather was squealing because she was happy and the driver threatened to throw us off,” Ms Hay said.

Distressed and embarrassed Ms Hay said she apologized to other passengers and gave her daughter a biscuit and a drink and tried playing with her.“She wasn’t screaming or carrying on or anything, she was smiling and happy,” she said.The driver threatened to throw her off the bus two more times and Ms Hay said after that she kicked them off.“The woman was like ‘Right, that’s it. I’ve been telling you since Casuarina that you’re going to have to get off the bus if you can’t keep your baby quiet,’” she said.By this time Ms Hay said the next stop was theirs and they disembarked any way.Before getting off the bus Ms Hay said she asked for the driver’s name but the woman refused to tell her.Humiliated and belittled she said once inside she contacted Darwin Bus Services and unsuccessfully voiced her complaint to management.“They said their managers were away all week and the man was very vague and didn’t want to know about the complaint,” Ms Hay said.She told the employee: “I don’t think she (driver) should be in charge of a pig, let alone a bus.”the media, spokesman for the Department of Lands and Planning Martin Bennett said it was investigating the complaint.“The Department takes its role of providing fair and equitable public bus services seriously,” he said.

Australians spend USD 636 million a year in fees for withdrawing money from ATMs that do not belong to their bank, the government said.Nearly 40 percent of all cash withdrawals a month are from other ATMs, meaning people shell out a whopping USD 53 million a month on fees.The Reserve Bank of Australia report said banks make more on transaction fees than any other product.In 2009, banks earned a combined USD

1.64 billion from transaction fees, compared to USD 1.24 billion from home loans.Damian Smith, chief executive of financial comparison site RateCity, said Australians pay the banks “more than necessary” to access their own money.“Accessing your own money from a transaction account should be free and all banks have a network of ATMs you can use that generally won’t cost you anything for at least a certain number of transactions per month,” he said.

GEMMA Anderson has applied for more than 200 full-time jobs on the Gold Coast in six months and after constant rejection, fears she may have to leave the city to pursue her career. The 22-year-old has five years’ administration experience in local government and has worked in retail and

hospitality, but she like hundreds of other Gold Coast women is becoming the face of the Coast’s crippling unemployment crisis.While the unemployment rate in the greater Gold Coast region dropped slightly to 6.7 per cent last month, it doesn’t represent the 1500 women who lost their jobs.

alicia gali had her drink spiked and was raped by up to four co-workers in june 2008.

A Brisbane woman is suing a five-star hotel in the United Arab Emirates after she was drugged and raped by co-workers and jailed for eight months.In a landmark case, Alicia Gali, 29, is seeking compensation from her former employer, Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, for breaching its workplace duty of care.In June 2008 Ms Gali had her drink spiked and was raped by up to four co-workers while working as a beauty salon manager at the international resort.When she reported the assault to authorities she was jailed on an adultery charge and spent eight months in prison because it is illegal in the UAE to have sex outside marriage.Australian embassy staff advised Ms Gali and her family not to go to the media during her time in custody, when she was locked in a cell with 30 other women.She was pardoned and released in March 2009.Ms Gali alleges the hotel failed to protect staff against assault and its legal

consequences.She says the resort encouraged workers to drink illegally at its staff bar despite strict laws and the requirement of drinking permits.“I thought I would be safe and protected in an international hotel group,” she said in a statement.“They didn’t give me the correct advice and didn’t help me when I was charged and imprisoned.”Ms Gali says the harrowing ordeal should be a warning to others.“I still feel angry and upset. It’s distressing because I was a victim in all this and I was punished,” she said.“The UAE is being promoted hugely here as a tourism destination - they sponsor things here.“They are not complying with human rights, women’s rights and migrant workers’ rights.”Nightmare continuesMs Gali’s lawyer Melissa Payne says her client suffers severe post traumatic stress disorder, nightmares, flash backs, depression and claustrophobia.Ms Payne says the incident could have been avoided.“Alicia is very concerned there are other women who might find themselves in similar situations.”She says it is likely the legal suit will happen in Queensland courts, but there is a possibility it could be heard in the UAE.“This is a complex area of law, but we are exploring all options,” she said.She says the compensation amount has not yet been determined.

Australia News

brisbane boy’s sleepover turns into real life horror Movie

laughing baby KicKed off bus

australians pay over usd 600M a year for using other atMs

still jobless after 200 applications in six Months on

gold coast

brisbane rape victiM sues uae luxury hotel


new translinK pass to be naMed coMpass

yvr named best airport in north america

fairmont vancouver also tops category

newton man surrenders to police

after a standoff FRAUD SCAM OFFERS

MULTI- DESTINATION VACATION

AJIT JOKES

Metro Vancouver’s new transit pass will be called the Compass when it is rolled out in 2013, the regional transit authority announced on Thursday morning.The name was suggested by a Burnaby man and beat out two other names — TPass and Starfish — in an on-line poll conducted by TransLink, the regional transit authority.Commuters will be able to use the pass like a debit card to pay for transit fares on both SkyTrain and buses after turnstiles are

installed at SkyTrain rapid transit stations.TransLink says the Compass card will make the fare system more convenient and efficient, while the turnstiles will provide extra security at stations and reduce fare evasion.Work will begin this spring to install turnstiles at the SkyTrain stations and the project will cost $171 million, with the federal and provincial governments providing $70 million.

YVR has gone up against some of North America’s top airports and soared to the top. The airport was named best in North America for 2011 by survey group Skytrax on Wednesday.

A 32-year-old Surrey man surrenders to police in Newton. The man is facing numerous charges following a five-hour standoff. Mounties armed with machine guns surrounded a townhouse in the 12100-block of 66th. The man eventually surrendered.

The Delta Police received information of yet another fraudulent scam being used to relieve you of your money and compromise your credit card(s).Scam: Caller makes phone contact and indicates you have won a vacation trip to multiple destinations. Locations named include Cancun, Disneyland and Daytona Beach. All the “winner” pays is a registration fee of $194. This is where the caller transfers the phone to an associate who appears to be the “closer” and pressures you into participating and providing your visa number and security code. Locations

and amounts of money indicated in this scam will possibly vary with every call but the elements of the scam may stay the same in this particular fraud scenario.These scammers can come across as very legitimate but remember, if it sounds too good to be true is usually is.The Delta Police remind citizens that it is never advisable to give your credit card or any personal or financial information over the phone or internet.In this case, the complainant was astute and did not buy-in to the scam.

Scene: Raabert and Ajeet go for shikar...Raabert spots a peacock...Raabert: Boss....more.. more...Ajit picks up the peacock, shoots it and says...Ajit: No more !

Robert: Bass is gaddar ka kya karen ?Ajit: Ise sui chubho chubho kar mar daalo... pulees samjhegi sui-cide hua hai.

--------------Ajit: Mona, tum Toni se shaadi mat karnaa, bahut mona-toni ho jaegi.

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April 1st 2011

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