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Canada lends helping hand to India

Medical supplies from Canada(Twitter)

The Canadian armed forces will provide airlifting support to transport these supplies to India….reports Asian Lite News

Canada has announced that it is sending up to 25,000 vials of Remdesivir and up to 350 ventilators from its National Emergency Strategic Stockpile to help respond to the critical situation across India.

This support, announced on Wednesday, complements Canada’s work with its international partners to respond to the needs caused by the pandemic and to help save lives.

The Canada government is also providing support through UNICEF’s response to the pandemic in India with the urgent provisioning of 1,450 oxygen concentrators. The funds for these operations come partly from the $230 million contribution to the therapeutics pillar of the Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, announced in December 2020.

Medical supplies from Canada(Twitter)

This support is in addition to Canada’s $10 million support to the Canadian Red Cross Society, which is supporting the Indian Red Cross Society’s procurement of essential supplies and medicines.

The supplies identified for this donation will not compromise the continued efforts of the Covid-19 response at home in Canada.

The Canadian armed forces will provide airlifting support to transport these supplies to India.

Also read:Canada busts int’l drug racket with links to India, US

“Canada continues to stand in solidarity with the people of India. We must all unite in this hour of need and work together in the global fight against this virus that is devastating lives across the globe,” said an official statement quoting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marc Garneau.

“The Covid-19 pandemic is a global challenge and has reminded countries around the world that we are better off with each other’s help. That’s why the Canadian armed forces will support and transfer supplies to our friends in India to help defeat Covid-19. Throughout this pandemic and into the future, Canada will continue to be there for its allies in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Canada’s Indian-origin Minister of National Defence, Harjit S. Sajjan.

Medical supplies from Canada(Twitter)

Minister of International Development, Karina Gould, added, “If there was ever a time for countries to support one another, it is right now. Canadians have always showed solidarity in times of crisis, and by sending these supplies, we will be helping the frontline workers carry out their life-saving work.”

The Canadian armed forces deployed a CC-150 Polaris aircraft from 8 Wing, Canadian Forces Base Trenton, on May 5 to deliver the vials of Remdesivir (brand name Veklury) and 50 ventilators that are ready for shipment to India.

Remdesivir is used in the treatment of patients with severe symptoms of Covid-19. Twenty-five thousand vials are equivalent to more than 4,000 courses of treatment.

Also read:Canada bans flights from India

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-Top News Canada

Trudeau gets first dose of AstraZeneca jab

The Canadian leader arrived at an Ottawa pharmacy with his wife Sophie, took off his shirt in front of cameras, and told the masked woman giving out jabs that he was eager to receive it…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau received a first dose of the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, seeking to reassure Canadians it is safe despite very rare but serious blood clots in a handful of cases among millions vaccinated.

The Canadian leader arrived at an Ottawa pharmacy with his wife Sophie, took off his shirt in front of cameras, and told the masked woman giving out jabs that he was eager to receive it.

Each of Canada’s 10 provinces is responsible for rollouts of vaccines procured by the federal government. Most recommend the AstraZeneca vaccine for people aged 40-45 years, but on Friday a government health advisory board said people as young as 30 could safely take it.

“As Ontario has invited people 40 and over to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine in pharmacies, it is now our turn,” Trudeau, 49, earlier told a news conference.

Justin Trudeau takes jab(Twitter)
Also read:Canada busts int’l drug racket with links to India, US

His wife Sophie contracted the novel coronavirus in March 2020, forcing the prime minister to self-isolate at the time in his Ottawa residence.

“It is a relief to know that this simple gesture helps to protect oneself, but especially to protect those we love around us,” Trudeau said.

“So, if it is also your turn, I invite you to make an appointment as soon as possible,” he added.

The Canadian leader also reiterated Thursday evening on Twitter: “The best vaccine for you is the first one offered to you.”

Just over 1.1 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, one of four approved for use in Canada, have been administered in this country.

Only four cases of blood clots associated with low platelets have been reported in Canada in people who received it, but all have recovered, according to Health Canada.

Distrust of the AstraZeneca vaccine has led many countries to set age limits for its use, or even to suspend its use.

Also read:Canada bans flights from India

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-Top News Canada India News

Canada bans flights from India

The ban which takes effect at 11.30 p.m. (0330 GMT Friday), does not affect cargo flights…reports Asian Lite News

Canada’s government said that it would temporarily bar passenger flights from India and Pakistan for 30 days starting on Thursday as part of stricter measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

The center-left Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acted after prominent right-leaning politicians complained Ottawa had not done enough to combat the third wave of infections ripping through Canada, the Geo TV reported.

Also read:Covid surge: India on UK’s red list

The ban, which takes effect at 11.30 p.m. (0330 GMT Friday), does not affect cargo flights.

India on Thursday recorded the world’s highest daily tally of 314,835 Covid-19 infections amid fears about the ability of crumbling health services to cope.

Canadian Health Minister Patty Hajdu said that while Indian citizens accounted for 20 per cent of all international arrivals, they represented over 50 per cent of the positive tests conducted by Canadian airport officials.

“By eliminating direct travel from these countries, public health experts will have the time to evaluate the ongoing epidemiology of that region and to reassess the situation,” she told a news conference.

The conservative premiers of Ontario and Quebec – the most populous of Canada’s 10 provinces – wrote to Trudeau earlier on Thursday urging him to crack down on international travel.

Health worker collect swab sample testing for Covid-19 at CP in new Delhi on Monday March 22, 2021.(Photo:Wasim Sarvar/IANS)

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said that Canada would not hesitate to bar flights from other nations if needed.

Britain said earlier that India would be added to its “red-list” of locations from which most travel is banned due to a high number of Covid-19 cases.

In addition, France is imposing a 10-day quarantine for travelers from Brazil, Chile, Argentina, South Africa and India, while the UAE has suspended all flights from India.

Also read:More travel miseries as UAE suspends flights from India

Categories
-Top News Canada

Canada busts int’l drug racket with links to India, US

Twenty-five of those arrested are Punjabi men from the Indian-dominated city of Brampton on the outskirts of Toronto…reports Asian Lite News.

An Indo-Canadian drug racket with links to the US and India has been busted with the arrest of 33 persons, who were charged with over 130 criminal offences, officials said.

Ten kg of cocaine, 8 kg of ketamine, 3 kg of heroin, 2.5 kg of opium, 48 firearms and $730,000 in Canadian currency have been seized under the ‘Operation Cheetah’.

Among the 33, 27 were arrested and charged in the Greater Toronto Area, with 19 of them hailing from the town of Brampton. Of these, 23 are of Punjabi origin. One suspect, Gurbinder Sooch, remains at large.

The arrests and drug seizure come after the year-long ‘Operation Cheetah’ culminated in raids last week, which were carried out by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the US Drug Enforcement Administration and regional police forces in Ontario, British Columbia and California, resulting in the arrest of 33 people.

Twenty-five of those arrested are Punjabi men from the Indian-dominated city of Brampton on the outskirts of Toronto.

They have been identified as Parshotem Malhi, 54, Rupinder Dhillion, 37, Sanveer Singh, 25, Haripal Nagra, 45, Pritpal Singh, 56, Harkiran Singh, 33, Lakhpreet Brar, 29, Balwinder Dhaliwal, 60, Sukhmanpreet Singh, 23, Khushal Bhinder, 36, Prabhjeet Mundian, 34, Vansh Arora, 24, Simranjeet Narang, 28, Gaganpreet Gill, 28, Sukjit Dhaliwal, 47, Harjot Singh, 31, and Sukhjit Dhugga, 35.

Gurbinder Sooch, 41, with no fixed address, has also been arrested.

These men smuggled cocaine, ketamine, heroin and opium into Canada and distributed them through their underground network.

They face various criminal offences, including conspiracies to import banned substances, drug smuggling, and possession of property obtained by crime.

The York Regional Police said that some of the drugs were found at “kids indoor playground”.

Officers seized drugs valued at approximately $2.3 million and including 10 kg of cocaine, 8 kg of ketamine, 3 kg of heroin and 2.5 kg of opium. Investigators also seized 48 firearms and $730,000 in Canadian currency. Most of the weapons were seized from Caledon. Police say the guns were lawfully possessed by a person who now faces charges.

Cocaine and other drugs smuggled into Canada come from California and are brought in by the truckers. A few months back, a Punjabi trucker named Amanpreet Sandhu from Calgary was arrested while smuggling drugs worth over $28 million – a record in Canada.
India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had shared vital inputs with Canada and the US in the last two years over the racket being run from Canadian soil. The Indian agencies had, in different operations in the last three years, found drugs were transported to Canada from Punjab in vessels, electronic machines and even in holy books.

In one case, the NCB had traced smuggling of cocaine to Punjab from Canada for local use as well as further trafficking to Delhi and Goa. Sources said that the follow-up probe would lead to the arrest of a number of international smugglers based out of Canada, Italy and Australia who were wanted by security agencies in India.

Also Read-Covid variants drive new surge in Canada

Read More-Lockdown only the last resort: Modi

Categories
-Top News Canada

Covid variants drive new surge in Canada

As of Saturday afternoon, Canada reported 5,986 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the cumulative total to 1,051,246, including 23,282 deaths…reports Asian Lite News

The rapid spread of more contagious Covid-19 variants is believed to have driven a devastating third wave in Canada.

As of Saturday afternoon, a total of 30,108 variant of concern cases have been reported across Canada, including 28,624 B.1.1.7 variants, 1,133 P.1 variants and 351 B.1.351 variants, according to CTV.

As of Saturday afternoon, Canada reported 5,986 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the cumulative total to 1,051,246, including 23,282 deaths, according to CTV.

“Although B.1.1.7, which is now confirmed in all provinces and two territories, continues to account for the majority of variants of concern in Canada and has likely replaced the original virus in some areas, there has been a concerning rise in P.1 cases in recent weeks,” Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said in a statement on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Early evidence suggests that the P.1 variant may reduce the effectiveness of vaccines, making it even more important to control its spread,” Tam added in the statement.

The number of confirmed variant cases in Canada has skyrocketed in recent weeks, rising from about 2,000 a month ago to over 30,000 as of Saturday afternoon and counting, with more than 90 per cent of those being the B.1.1.7 variant first identified in Britain.

The P1 variant first discovered in Brazil is also on the rise in Canada, with cases increasing to more than 1,100 as of Saturday afternoon, mostly in the populous provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta.

Also read:Canada becomes first to approve four vaccines

Meanwhile, the B.1.351 variant first found in South Africa is also picking up steam, with more than 350 cases identified in the country.

“The race between the vaccine and the variants is at a critical point,” Tam said. “It is clear that we need stronger control to combat variants of concern that are driving rapid epidemic growth in many areas of the country.”

Younger Canadians are being impacted harder in the third wave, Tam said, with infection rates highest among those aged 20 to 39 and a rise in the number of hospitalizations and ICU admissions in those under 60.

The fact is Canada’s third wave of Covid-19 is showing no signs of slowing down as the vaccine rollout gradually ramps up, meaning Canadians need to buckle down until more of us get a shot, Canadian experts said.

They added that Canada’s slower vaccine rollout means our third wave could last into June.

Altogether, 7,569,321 vaccine doses have been administered as of Friday, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Also read:US, Canada condemn China’s retaliatory sanctions

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-Top News Asia News USA

US, Canada condemn China’s retaliatory sanctions

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

The Chinese government on Saturday imposed sanctions on US officials in retaliation…reports Asian Lite News

The US and Canada have criticized China for retaliatory sanctions imposed by Beijing in an ongoing row over human rights.

In a coordinated move, the US, the EM, Britain and Canada on March 22 slapped sanctions on Chinese officials and entities for abuses against the mostly Muslim Uighur people, reports dpa news agency.

In a retaliatory move on Saturday, Beijing sanctioned Chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Gayle Manchin; Vice Chair of the USCIRF Tony Perkins; Canadian MP Michael Chong; and the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development of the House of Commons of Canada, citing Washington and Ottawa’s sanctions that it said were “based on rumours and misinformation”.

The individuals will not be able to travel to China’s mainland, Hong Kong or Macao and Chinese businesses and institutions are barred from doing business with them or holding exchanges with the Canadian committee.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the move.

“Beijing’s attempts to intimidate and silence those speaking out for human rights and fundamental freedoms only contribute to the growing international scrutiny of the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang,” Blinken said in a statement.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the sanctions were “unacceptable actions”.

Also read:Biden invites 40 world leaders to climate summit

“China’s sanctions are an attack on transparency and freedom of expression – values at the heart of our democracy,” Trudeau tweeted late Saturday night.

China had already retaliated against the UK and the EU with tit-for-tat sanctions last week.

Canada prime minister Justin Trudeau.

In the last few years, hundreds of Uighurs, Kazakhs and Huis have testified that they were held in internment camps in Xinjiang as part of what observers say is a government campaign to forcibly assimilate the minorities.

There have been reports of torture and sexual abuse.

The Chinese government says the camps – estimated to have held more than 1 million people since 2017 – are “vocational education centres” to eradicate extremism and terrorism.

Also read:Morrison not okay with China’s new wine tariffs