The Indian American community offers $25k reward in Dhami killing

SACRAMENTO: The Indian American community here (comprised primarily of Sikh Americans), along with the Dhami family, has put together a new $25,000 reward for any information involving the murder of Balbir Singh Dhami, who was fatally shot at his Sacramento, Calif., home on May 19.

According to reports from the SacramentoPolice Department, Dhami and his wife Kuldip Kaur Dhami were shot by an unknown suspect who came in through the Dhami's front door. Kuldip Kaur Dhami was shot with a single bullet to her stomach was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. An update on her health was unavailable at press time.

The suspect is described as a short, African American man with a thin build. He was seen driving a 4-door gold Mazda Protege featuring a black hood, black front and black rear bumpers. Witnesses failed to note a license plate number.

In a press release, Jasmeet Singh, a spokesperson for the family, said, "The family prays each day that justice is served. They ask you not to turn your head and pretend you didn't just hear or see that, but instead report it."

"It's a tragedy that two daughters have to grow up without their father. One of the hardest things a family can go through is not knowing the reason this happened to their loved one," said Singh. "Someone somewhere knows something. Cops just need to find that person or persons responsible for Dhami's death."

Dhami was the father of Amandeep Singh Dhami, a fugitive from justice who is wanted for the Aug. 31, 2008 killing of Parmjit Pamma Singh at the Sacramento Sikh Society Gurdwara.

Dhami - the owner of Dhami Trucking Plaza - was arrested in 2008 in San Bernadino, Calif., and charged with attempting to move five kilos of cocaine - worth about $1 million - from Southern California into Canada. He was convicted of the charge in April 2010, but had not been sentenced at the time of his death, 14 months later.

A source who knows the family but asked to remain anonymous told India-West in an earlier story that Dhami had allegedly turned into a state informant post-conviction, and had given authorities information on several of his employees and other drivers who were also involved in drug trafficking. The source said Dhami had also provided federal agents with the names of several of his suppliers.

The FBI has been looking for Amandeep Dhami, who allegedly fled Sacramento after Parmjit Singh's shooting during a sporting event at the Sikh Gurdwara. 

US Sikh group express concern over SGPC elections

WASHINGTON: A United States-based Sikh group has expressed its concern over the manner in which the Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee elections were held.

The American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has appealed to the Akal Takht Jathedar to bring to "book all those instrumental in rigging the poll".

"The Chief Commissioner has failed to take note of the large-scale rigging and violence...Justice Brar acted as a puppet in the hands of the ruling SAD led by the Badals," claimed AGPC chief Jaswant Singh Hothi and coordinator Pritpal Singh in a statement. Justice (Retd.) H S Brar is the chief Gurudwara Election Commissioner.

They requested Jathedar Gurbachan Singh to summon Justice Brar and others to the Takht. 

Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster is the surprise package this week

An adaptation of the Guru Dutt classic Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam, the film re-works the story against a backdrop of decaying royalty and underworld duplicity. The Sahib (Jimmy Sheirgill), an erstwhile prince of a fading estate and the Biwi (Mahie Gill), the high strung, edgy wife, may not have the perfect marriage but they choose to stick together, any which way. The Sahib spends his nights with his mistress, while the Biwi finds succour in the arms of the driver (Randeep Hooda), who is actually a small time gangster, working for the Sahib's rival and deadly foe. It doesn't take long for the crumbling mansion to become a hotbed of crime and passion where shifting loyalties and unchecked emotions unleash a treacherous storm that threatens to consume the trio. 

Movie Review: The film is a must-watch for two reasons. First, because it is heavily imbued with atmospherics and mood which creates a whole new world that's somewhat familiar yet totally intriguing. The Sahib's world is a sepia-stained picture you may have seen so many times, while visiting museums and empty palaces. There, in the midst of nowhere lives the still arrogant royal scion with his tempestuous wife who too hasn't lost her haughty airs, despite the fact there's little to cheer her in her desolate life. The walls may be crumbling, the ancestral portraits fading and the pomp and wealth vanishing, nevertheless, the Sahib desperately tries to hang on to his shrinking empire, by grabbing all the major government contracts in the developing province and eyeing the votebank in the forthcoming elections. Of course, he doesn't mind killing off anyone who stands in his way or stooping to lowly means to achieve his end, so long as the facade can be maintained. Tragedy and irony is plastered all over the walls of the ill-fated mansion, but is anybody reading the signs of the times?

The second high point of the film are its alluring performances. Jimmy Sheirgill, Mahie Gill andRandeep Hooda create a fascinating threesome that never fails to excite with the unpredictabilty of their volatile moves. Director Tigmanshu Dhulia has a discerning eye for detail and meticulously builds their character graph, so that the trio virtually evolves before your eyes. Sheirgill is picture perfect and poignant as the power centre that's on the verge of being toppled any moment. Mahie Gill is the quintessential enigmatic woman who has polished the art of subterfuge and masquerade. And Randeep Hooda is the icing on the cake: absolutely mesmerising as the small time opportunist who wants to climb the social ladder and steal the good life for himself, scruples be damned. Winners, all three, as they weave a venomous web that could entrap god knows which player in this dangerous game.

The film may be a finely crafted drama, yet it unfolds with thriller pace, keeping you on the edge of the seat till the very end. Enjoy the experience of a revised and re-mixed story, well told. 

U.S. client tax indictment raises pressure on HSBC

NEW YORK: U.S. authorities charged anIndian-American client of HSBC Holdings on Wednesday with evading U.S. taxes through the global bank's India operations, increasing pressure on Europe's second largest bank over its offshore private banking services.

Federal prosecutors in Milwaukee filed a superseding indictment against Arvind Ahuja, a neurosurgeon in Greendale, Wisconsin, that fleshed out details of HSBC's work with Americans born in India and highlighted the role of two unnamed HSBC bankers in New York.

Ahuja was indicted in June for tax fraud involving more than $8.7 million hidden in an Indian branch of HSBC. Court papers say that over 2006 through 2009, Ahuja failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service more than $1.2 million in interest income he earned from the account, as well as to disclose the account's existence to the IRS, as required by U.S. law.

The superseding indictment signals a ramping up of pressure on HSBC and could lead to charges against two unnamed bankers listed in the new filing, based on past procedures.

Neil Brazil, a spokesman for HSBC, declined to comment, citing the bank's policy of not speaking about ongoing investigations.


WIDENING PROBE The indictment is part of a broadening U.S. investigation into Swiss and Swiss-style banks that sell offshore private banking services that enable American clients to hide income offshore and evade U.S. taxes.

The probe has widened to include Israel and India. In 2010, the Justice Department mailed "target" letters to around 50 Indian-Americans with offshore bank accounts, telling them they were under scrutiny for suspected offshore tax evasion through accounts in India.

In April, the U.S. Justice Department asked a federal court for permission to force the bank to turn over the names of wealthy Indian-American clients suspected of evading taxes through offshore accounts at the bank's operations in India.

HSBC is based in London but has Swiss-style private banking services around the world.


The superseding indictment pinpoints two HSBC bankers as Banker No. 1 and Banker No. 2.

Banker No. 1 was identified as vice president of NRI Services, North America. NRI Services - which stands for Non Resident Indian - is a unit of HSBC India that operates in New York and Fremont, Calif., according to court papers.

The unit targets wealthy Indian-Americans for offshore private banking services, and serves over 160,000 people of Indian origin living outside of India.

Banker No. 2 was identified as an assistant vice president of NRI. Both bankers worked in New York, according to court papers, which cited email correspondence in which Banker No. 2 called Ahuja "one of our largest NRI client."

NRI OPERATIONS The existence of HSBC's NRI operations emerged in January, when prosecutors indicted Vaibhav Dahake, an India-born naturalized U.S. citizen, on similar charges of evading taxes through HSBC's India operations. The bank was not named in his indictment. It was identified by sources briefed on the matter as HSBC.

The superseding indictment details what it says was HSBC's use of methods to allow Ahuja to escape detection by U.S. tax authorities. The HSBC bankers procured credit and debit cards for Ahuja to use via HSBC affiliates in India and the British tax haven of Jersey. The cards allowed Ahuja to use his funds without disclosing their existence to U.S. authorities, in part to invest in real estate in India.

The bankers also mailed account correspondence to an address in New Delhi, rather than to his Wisconsin address. Ahuja was provided an HSBC checkbook that did not have the NRI name on it.

An action similar to the Justice Department's April summons on HSBC was filed against Swiss bank giant UBS in 2009, after the bank entered into a deferred-prosecution agreement with U.S. authorities and paid a $780 million fine over its private banking operations that fueled tax evasion by wealthy American clients.

The action, a broad summons known as a John Doe summons, sought to force UBS to disclose the identities of 52,000 American clients but was later dropped after UBS agreed to turn over 4,450 client names.

Gurgaon to be Appu’s new ghar

NOIDA: Appu Ghar will soon be back. The founders of Appu Ghar are all set to revive the amusement hub which used to be one of the most popular amusement destinations in Delhi till before it shut down in 2008. The promoter is planning to set up amusement parks in Gurgaon, and this time they will be bigger and better.

Gian Vijeshwar, chairperson of International Amusement Limited (IAL), announced on Friday that the two new Appu Ghar parks would come up in sectors 29 and 52 in Gurgaon. The foundation stone laying ceremony is scheduled for October 2.

The park in Sector-29 will come up in a 25-acre plot while the other at Sector 52 will be spread on a 17-acre plot. Appu Ghar in its new avatars will be in tune with the current times and will be developed as entertainment hubs complete with a shopping mall, family centre, health center, themed go-karting, water sports, stunt shows and various rides that will be imported from Sweden and Italy.

The Sector 29 park will be opened first, with the management expecting to throw it open to the public in March next year. The other park in Sector 52 will be completed only in 2013.

IAL has roped in international consultants to make the parks world class. The company has worked out a revenue-sharing model, which the state government and the Haryana Urban Development Authority have shown an interest. The entire cost of operation, building and maintenance will be borne by the firm.

Delhi unsafe for women: 100 areas mapped

Women beware, Nelson Mandela Rd, CP among most unsafe places

NEW DELHI: That Nelson Mandela Road made it to the list of unsafe places is no surprise; Soumya Vishwanathan was shot dead on the road in 2008. Three years on, Delhiites still find that stretch connecting Outer Ring Road with Vasant Kunj one of the most dangerous places in the city. The outer circle of Connaught Place, several metro stations and a few sectors of Noida have found a place in a list of 100 Most Unsafe Places in Delhi and NCR for women.
Drawn up by Delhi-based NGO, WhyPoll Trust, the list - mapped on a Google map accessible online from the website - is based on inputs from over 50,000 citizens approached at malls, through resident welfare associations and online over three months. Places featured on the list are areas where the respondents experienced harassment, felt insecure or unsafe. "We got the respondents to give very specific inputs," says Hindol Sengupta of WhyPoll. The list names several metro stations - Dwarka Sector 8 and 9, Sultanpur, Shadipur and Rithala - the crossing at Dhaula Kuan and even a parking lot (Priya cinema).
Whypoll.org also serves as a harassment-reporting site. As new data is gathered from reports, it is used to update or modify the map. "We never get proper data. We wanted to create a platform which tells you how harassment happens, where it's likely to happen," says Sengupta. He hopes that this will "push authorities to constantly focus on the issue." "Also this is a public portal," he continues, "It'll warn tourists. And when tourists are affected, governments are forced to act." There aren't many tourist places on the map but, on the other hand, it has entire regions - Sarita Vihar, Lakshmi Nagar, Jahangirpuri, Karol Bagh, Seelampur, Trilokpuri, Vikaspuri. Old Delhi is not in it.
Whypoll has also collaborated with a company to develop a mobile application for women which they can use when in distress. Called "Fight Back" or [fB], the application once downloaded onto a handset can be used to send an SOS distress signal to friends and family through text messages on phone and social networking sites (Facebook, mainly). The developers had a particular profile in mind while creating the application, set to launch in the next quarter. It's mainly for women with smart phones - a prerequisite for applications - who are active on social networks. Fight Back can be used to track movements of users. The data is stored in a server and is viewable only when the user hits the panic button on her mobile. When a user switches on the application, a pre-determined list of friends and family members will receive alerts and also the route she took. The company is now working out security issues. "The idea is to empower each individual to take care of her safety but privacy issues are now being addressed. We don't want any stalkers using this," says a company source. There will be a nominal fee for the service and a registration fee.
Sengupta hopes that the application will not just benefit women but also help in generating data that'll allow more accurate mapping of problem areas. For now, there are a 100: Nelson Mandela Marg, Dhaula Kuan, Benito Juarez Marg, Paharganj, Mehrauli - Gurgaon Road, Ghitorni Metro Station, Sarita Vihar, Karol Bagh, Lado Sarai, Mathura Road and bypass leading to Surajkund, Jasola Vihar, Kalyanpuri, Bhogal, Mehrauli Badarpur Road, Noida Sector 53, Vinod Nagar, Vasant Kunj Marg, Trilokpuri, Vikaspuri, Karawal Nagar, Priya cinema parking lot, Vasundhara (Ghaziabad), Vaishali (Ghaziabad), Sultanpur, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, Africa Avenue, Vasant Kunj
Noida sectors 5, 12, 27, 32, 34, 37, 50, 71, Kalindi Kunj Road, Palam Vihar (Gurgaon), Naraina, Sarita Vihar, Badarpur border, Mithapur (Faridabad), Chattarpur, Ignou Road, Neb Sarai, Priyadarshini Vihar, Tughlakabad, Seelampur, Kamla Nehru Ridge Forest Area, Nithari Village (Noida), Khandsa Road (Gurgaon), Muhammadpur (Gurgaon), Narsinghpur (Gurgaon), Vande Mataram Marg, Badhshahpur (Gurgaon), Pandav Nagar, Farukhnagar (Gurgaon), Peeragarhi (sometimes spelt as Pira Garhi), Jheel Park, Sector 14 metro station (Dwarka), Sector 11, 12 (Dwarka)
Jungle Area (Kikar), National Park - Amar Colony, Jisop Broz Tito Marg, AIT Chowk - Sector 55 (Gurgaon), Sikandarpur Metro Station, Sikandarpur, Lakshmi Nagar, Jahangirpuri, Sector 2, 16 (Faridabad), Raghubir Nagar,Adarsh Nagar, Shahadara, Rithala Metro Station, Mangolpuri, Gwal Pahari (Gurgaon), Arjangarh, Katwarai Sarai, Aya Nagar (Gurgaon), Ratiya Marg
Dwarka Sector 8, 9 metro stations, Manglapuri, Kapashera Najafgarh Road, 100 foot road, Sultanpur Metro Station, Keshopur Road, Shadipur Metro station, National Park (Amar Colony), Asola village, Jagatpur, Madangiri, Govindpuri, Subhash Nagar, Deoli Road, Outer Circle Connaught Place, Govind Town, Raj Nagar (Ghaziabad)

Karnataka Industries minister in US to attract NRI investment

BANGALORE: Karnataka Industries Minister Murugesh R Nirani was in United States from September 18-27 to attract non-resident Indians from the state and American investors to makeinvestment in Karnataka.

Led by a high-level delegation, Nirani held interactions with business leaders and entrepreneurs from Chicago, New York and San Francisco, whereby he made them know about the various dynamics of trade. The delegation also visited the Chicago Board of Trade to study the auctioning and trading of agricultural products in the global market.

It also visited the Chicago International Produce Market to get a grasp of the know-hows of agricultural trade, from procurement to preservation to sale.

Nirani invited Arcelor Mittal to develop a global research and development facility in the state after his visit to such a similar one in US.

Nirani also met Ron Somers, President of the United States India Business Council and highlighted the business opportunities in Karnataka and extended an invitation to the council to attend the Global Investors Meet, 2012. 

Facebook changes inadvertently allow users to see who defriended them

Assuming that a user has already enabled the new Timeline profile page on Facebook, there’s a feature built into the Timeline that allows to users to view how many friends were added each year. Go to the Timeline page and choose a year on the right side of the page. Scroll through the posts and locate the “Friends” box. Within the Timeline, Facebook groups actions that occurred over the course of the year including new friendships, photos uploaded, events attended and new likes. On the “Friends” box, click the “Made X New Friends” link and this should load a pop-up window that lists all friendships created during that year.
Scroll through the list and anyone that terminated the friendship will appear with an “Add Friend” button rather than a “Friends” button. However, the “Add Friend” could also mean that the user terminated the friendship. Users that deleted their profiles at some point over the years won’t appear on this list and users that have been blocked won’t appear here as well. For instance, an ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend won’t appear within this list if the blocking feature was enabled to completely cut out that person from a user’s social network.
The Timeline change to the profile page represents a massive alteration to the original Facebook design. The new design allows users to select both a banner picture to go across the front of the profile as well as the identical profile picture. Users can scroll through the profile timeline by month or by year. Information that was listed on the info link of the profile page is now within the Timeline design as well. For instance, users can scroll through the years and view previous jobs. Users can also assign photos to previous jobs, both on the start and the end dates. Timeline should be available to all Facebook users within the next two weeks.

Orders of the Day - Third time lucky?

In what has become a legislative tradition, the government will once again bring forward a bill to reform Canada's copyright regime today, a perennial effort that may at last come to fruition now that it holds a majority in the House of Commons. To celebrate the occasion -- and, most  likely, privately hoping that this is the last time he'll have to introduce this particular piece of legislation -- Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore will join cabinet colleague Christian Paradis at Cinema Paradisio to make a "brief statement" and take questions.

Also making an announcement outside the precinct today: Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, who will do so at the Life Sciences Centre at the University of Ottawa.

Meanwhile, back on the Hill, the Ethics committee will kick off what is ostensibly, at least, a fact-finding mission into the relationship between the New Democratic Party and the labour movement -- specifically, the former's sale of advertising space/sponsorship rights to the latter at its most recent convention, an arrangement that will almost certainly be portrayed by the Conservative contingent as worryingly cosy, at best, and at worst a possible circumvention of laws banning unions from direct donations to political parties. 

Hit the jump for the full post. 

In what has become a legislative tradition, the government will once again bring forward a bill to reform Canada's copyright regime today, a perennial effort that may at last come to fruition now that it holds a majority in the House of Commons. To celebrate the occasion -- and, most likely, privately hoping that this is the last time he'll have to introduce this particular piece of legislation -- Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore will join cabinet colleague Christian Paradis at Cinema Paradisio to make a "brief statement" and take questions.

Also making an announcement outside the precinct today: Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, who will do so at the Life Sciences Centre at the University of Ottawa.

Meanwhile, back on the Hill, the Ethics committee will kick off what is ostensibly, at least, a fact-finding mission into the relationship between the New Democratic Party and the labour movement -- specifically, the former's sale of advertising space/sponsorship rights to the latter at its most recent convention, an arrangement that will almost certainly be portrayed by the Conservative contingent as worryingly cosy, at best, and at worst a possible circumvention of laws banning unions from direct donations to political parties.

Which, to be clear, is an entirely legitimate line of inquiry. The problem, in this case, is the choice of forum: matters related to election law fall directly under the mandate of Procedure and House Affairs, a committee that the Conservatives also control by virtue of majority vote, and at which they could have easily passed the identical motion while staying comfortably within its mandate. Why they instead chose to force the matter at Ethics, where it was initially -- and, as far as I can tell, entirely correctly -- determined to be out of order by the chair, is, and may remain a mystery. Perhaps they simply forgot that PROC exists. 

In any case, one can only feel preemptively sympathetic towards the first witness set to be heard this morning: Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson, who, as it stands, now faces an awkward morning of explaining, over and over, that the loaded questions that will be pointed in her direction by members on the government side of the table fall outside her jurisdiction, which covers public office holders, not political parties. 

Elsewhere on the committee front:

• Procurement Ombudsman Frank Brunetta goes before Government Operations to discuss his most recent annual report.
• Finance works its way through the list of witnesses invited to take part in the traditional fall pre-budget consultations
• International Trade members get an update on the status of Canada's international and free trade negotiations from departmental officials and consider a motion from Liberal MP Wayne Easter
• Public Safety investigates the use of drugs and alcohol in prisons with the help of Corrections Service of Canada Commissioner Don Head and representatives from the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers
• Aboriginal Affairs deals with unspecified committee business
• Introductory briefing sessions continue at Veterans Affairs, Citizenship and Immigration, and Human Resources.

In the Chamber today, the first Opposition Day of the fall semester gives the NDP the opportunity to bring forward one of the party's signature kitchen-sinkers, which stands in the name of party finance critic Peggy Nash, and reads as follows:

That, in the opinion of this House, the government should: (a) take immediate action to promote job creation and address the persistently high unemployment rate among Canadian workers, particularly high among young Canadians, in the context of the International Monetary Fund prediction of yet higher unemployment rates in the future unless swift action is taken; (b) take immediate action to ensure all Canadians can rely on a stable and guaranteed pension as they plan their retirement in a period of record household debt and declining stock markets; (c) take immediate action to fix the crumbling infrastructure essential to our economy and the security of Canadians; and (d) maintain the full public sector contribution to the Canadian economy so as to take advantage of low interest rates, undertake strategic public investments, increase Canada's competitiveness, avert another serious recession and create jobs in Canada.

Believe it or not, by NDP standards, that's downright terse. 

 For up to the minute dispatches from the precinct and beyond, keep your eye on the Parliament Hill Ticker below -- or, alternatively, bookmark it and check back throughout the day. 

Brands Who's the most attractive Canadian employer? -

RIM picked as most attractive employer in Canada, according to Randstad survey

TORONTO - BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion has taken a beating on stock markets, but the Waterloo, Ont.-based technology firm is a winner with job seekers, according to a new survey.

Recruitment firm Randstad Canada has given the smartphone company its inaugural award for most attractive employer. RIM topped six of the 10 "attractiveness categories," including pleasant work atmosphere, career progression and quality training, Randstad said.

The consumer technology maker also led the categories of strong management, best salary and interesting job opportunities.

Canadian respondents gave RIM their vote of confidence even as the company endures bouts of turbulence at its operations. In July, RIM announced it was cutting 2,000 jobs to streamline its business and lower costs, and sales of its PlayBook tablet sputtered out of the gate, hindered by dominant competitor Apple and its iPad.

Earlier this week, RIM denied reports which suggested that it was planning to scrap the PlayBook all together.

The company has also been considered by some analysts as a prime takeover target by one of its competitors.

"It's exciting to see Canadians recognize companies that focus on the future," said Randstad Canada president Jan Hein Bax in a release.

"Creativity, innovation, and social responsibility are all qualities that resonate with the values of Canadians."

Other companies that made Randstad Canada's Top 5 list were IBM Canada Ltd., McGill University, Air Canada (TSX:AC.B) and Bombardier Inc. (TSX:BBD.B).

What Ottawa’s new copyright laws will mean for Canadians.

How new copyright laws will affect you

Introduction of Bill C-32 will affect how we record TV shows, copy music and even use YouTube.
The Harper government reintroduced its copyright bill in the House of Commons Thursday indicating it hopes to enshrine it into law by Christmas.

Bill C-32, the Copyright Modernization Act, seeks to put more teeth in copyright laws for those who make software, movies and other creative works, while at the same relaxing some of the more outdated provisions.

"Canadians will soon have modern copyright laws that protect and help create jobs, promote innovation, and attract new investment to Canada," Industry Minister Christian Paradis said in a statement.

"We are confident that this bill will make Canada's copyright laws forward-looking and responsive in this fast-paced digital world."

Here's what the bill will mean for consumers:

The law will legalize everyday consumer practices, such as using a personal video recorder to record a TV show for later viewing or copying music from a purchased CD to an MP3 player. These are not allowed under the current law.

Bill C-32 would make it legal for consumers to make a back-up copy of content to protect against loss or damage.

The law includes a YouTube  provision where users can take content and "remix" it for non-commercial purposes.

Libraries will no longer be required to deliver interlibrary loan material in paper form. Electronic desktop delivery of materials such as scholarly or scientific journal articles will be permitted.

The legislation will include provisions that make it possible for copyright enforcers/holders to demand ISP (your address) information from Internet providers, like Rogers or Shaw, when they suspect a customer may be involved with illegal downloading.

Under the law, Canadians will not be allowed to break digital locks, even if it's for personal use. This includes picking a lock on a DVD purchased overseas to watch at home or to transfer a purchased e-book to read on another personal device.

Individuals found violating copyright law could be liable for penalties between $100 and $5,000, which is below the current $20,000 maximum.

Aging Canada will boost budget pain, watchdog says

Canada's aging population and other factors mean the country's finances are not sustainable over the long term, according to a report released Thursday by Parliament's budget watchdog.

Government debt can't grow faster than the economy in order for a country to be considered fiscally sustainable, and in his report, Kevin Page estimates the amount of fiscal action required to achieve sustainability.

He says that to fill the gap between debt and gross domestic product (GDP) and to restore sustainability to the public finances, it would require policy actions worth 2.7 per cent of Canada's GDP. To do this, the government either has to raise taxes, reduce overall program spending, or deliver a combination of the two.

Page's estimate of the fiscal gap would mean $46 billion worth of fiscal action this fiscal year alone, and that amount could increase over time in accordance with GDP.

The parliamentary budget officer's report looks at the sustainability of the federal and provincial and territorial governments over a period of 75 years, based on assumptions about program spending, demographics and the tax base.

Page's report cautions that the projections are not necessarily the most likely scenarios, but they attempt to capture what would happen if governments do nothing different over the coming years.

The report highlights the effects of a shrinking and aging population on the economy. Slower labour force growth because of those factors could mean annual average real GDP growth will drop from 2.6 per cent during the period of 1977-2010 to 1.8 per cent over 2011-86.

The aging population will drive down economic activity and the size of the tax base, while increasing demand on social programs, it says. The end result will be vanishing budget surpluses over the medium term (the federal government is aiming to be back in a surplus position after 2015) and instead, "sizable deficits" over the long term.

Page's report says governments can wait until the economy is fully recovered to take action, but that they shouldn't delay too long or the fiscal gap will grow even larger. Delaying fiscal action by five years, for example, would expand the gap from 2.7 to 3.0 per cent, according to the report's projections.

(This survey is not scientific. Results are based on readers' responses.)

Courtesy: CBC.CA

Best and worst cooking oils for health

Nutritionist Joy Bauer, RD, shares all the information you need to know about fats and oils, including learning how hydrogenated fat is hidden on labels and the difference between virgin and extra-virgin olive oil. Armed with these essential tips, you'll be ready for any situation in the kitchen.


Q: Are there any oils I should avoid totally?
Yes: The worst type of oil is an ingredient in packaged foods including some stick margarines, baked goods, chips, crackers and candy. I’m talking about partially hydrogenated oils—or trans fats, which is how they’re listed on Nutrition Facts panels on labels. Partially hydrogenated oil is vegetable oil that has been chemically altered so it’s less likely to spoil. Food manufacturers often add it to their products because it can help foods stay fresh longer.

But even in very small amounts, partially hydrogenated oil can wreak havoc on your heart health. It lowers levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol and raises LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and it even increases your risk for diabetes. The American Heart Association recommends that no more than 1% of your total daily calories come from trans fat. This translates to less than 2 grams for women, who typically need fewer than 2,000 calories per day. If a food contains trans fat, it’ll be listed below Saturated Fat in the “Total Fat” column.

Q: For the record, which is better: butter or olive oil?
From a health standpoint, olive oil is the better choice. But butter still has its place. All oils are a mixture of fats including monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and saturated fatty acids (SFA)—but in each
oil (and in butter, too, which is basically a solidified oil), one type of fat dominates.

Olive oil is predominantly rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, which decreases your risk for cardiovascular disease by lowering LDL cholesterol and increasing HDL cholesterol. On the other hand, butter is mostly saturated fat, which increases LDL cholesterol and causes inflammation in your body. So generally, it’s best to use olive oil.

However, the distinctive smell, flavor and consistency of butter works best in certain baked goods—including cakes, cookies and pastries—so it’s OK to make these occasionally and enjoy the butter. Another butter-vs.-oil difference: Because butter is solid at room temperature, you have more control over how much (or how little) of it you spread on bread; with olive oil, it’s difficult to gauge how much oil is absorbed. So dip lightly!

Q: What’s the difference between regular olive oil, virgin and extra-virgin?
Simply put, olive oil is made by crushing olives to make a paste that’s then put under a press. If the oil that comes out has a low acidity and a good taste and smell, it’s labeled extra-virgin or virgin. (Virgin is slightly lower quality than extra-virgin.) These types are ideal to use for bread dunking, drizzling on veggies and other foods, and making salad dressings, since their delicate flavor and aroma will be lost when heated (some chefs still prefer to use extra-virgin for cooking). The deeper the color, the more intense the olive flavor.

If the oil is highly acidic or not great quality, it’s refined and mixed with virgin or extra-virgin oil to make “regular” olive oil; this all-purpose oil is good for cooking.

The heart-health benefits of all types of olive oil are pretty much the same, although the virgin and extra-virgin ones have extra antioxidants.

Q: How can oils be healthy if they’re so fattening?
Oils may be “fattening” in the sense that they’re pretty high in calories compared with other foods. All oils have around 120 calories per Tbsp, so you can easily gain weight if you use too much. Even butter has fewer calories than oil (100 per Tbsp of butter) because of its water content. What’s more, “whipped” butter sold in a tub has even fewer calories—about 60 to 70 per Tbsp, thanks to the air that’s been incorporated into the mix. And tub “light” margarine spreads have only 30 to 50 calories per Tbsp.

But since oils contain fats that are good for you, you’re better off getting that 120 calories from a healthy oil rather than stick or tub butter. By the way, if you’re inclined to cut out fats entirely, don’t: We do need some fat to be healthy. Without it, our bodies can’t absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K, and we miss out on fatty acids that are essential for the health of your skin, hair, heart and brain—and just about every other part of your body.

Q: How should I store oils?
Heat, light and oxygen degrade oils, which makes them turn rancid more quickly and actually promotes the formation of cancer-causing compounds called free radicals. The more polyunsaturated fats an oil contains, the more susceptible to rancidity it becomes.

Oils rich in PUFAs, such as walnut and flaxseed, are best stored in the fridge in tightly capped containers. MUFAs, such as those found in olive oil, are a bit more hardy, but you should still protect oils that contain them by keeping the lid on tightly and storing them in a dark place far from the stove or other heat source. Saturated fats, such as butter, can withstand more heat, light and oxygen, but you should still refrigerate sat-fat–rich butter, because it contains milk solids, which can go rancid. If you store oils correctly, most will last about six months to one year.

When you’re shopping for oils, reach for bottles at the back of the shelf, since that’s where they are more protected from harsh lighting that can make them go bad. Check the bottle for an expiration date (most oils have one), and every time you open a bottle, give it a whiff to make sure it doesn’t smell rancid. 

Canadian Loonie touches 12-month low

The Canadian dollar fell below 96 cents US and touched a 12-month low Friday, as traders moved into more widely traded U.S. dollar denominated securities.

The loonie was trading at 96.32 cents US, down 0.15 of a cent, by midday. Earlier, it dropped as much as 0.93 of a cent to 95.54 cents US. It hasn't been that low since Sept. 8, 2010.

It has lost 1.35 cents this week.

Markets are concerned that a slowing global economy will hurt exporting countries such as Canada.

The drop came even as Statistics Canada reported the economy registered a modest gain in July, with gross domestic product rising 0.3 per cent, which met economists' expectations.

The GDP rise followed a 0.2 per cent increase in June and translated into annualized growth of 2.3 per cent.

The U.S. dollar strengthened amid another round of doubt that European officials can find a solution to the government debt crisis.

Canada’s dollar has also fallen against other major currencies.

In two months, the loonie has fallen by 6.8 per cent against the Bank of Canada’s index of six currencies used by the country’s biggest trading partners.

"It is impossible to ignore the accelerating weakness in theCanadian dollar; our base case remains that as long as risk aversion remains high, it is likely that the Canadian dollar will struggle,"Camilla Sutton, chief currency strategist at Scotia Capital, wrote in a report.

"In order for risk aversion to drop significantly, markets will need a better solution for Europe (one that includes a framework for an orderly default for Greece, bank recapitalization and a plan to ring-fence contagion)," Sutton said.

"We expect this before year end and accordingly, believe we will see the Canadian dollar retrace some of its losses into year end; however, for now the near-term outlook continues to darken."

On Wednesday, the Bank of Montreal predicted Canada’s currency will fall to 93 cents over the next three months amid slowing global growth, the increasing market nervousness over Europe’s debt crisis and as commodity prices continue to decline.

Hugo Chavez in hospital 'for kidney failure'

Hugo Chavez, who has been fighting cancer, was rushed to a military hospital for emergency care following kidney failure, according to reports.

The leftist, staunchly anti-US stalwart Chavez went into the Military Hospital in Caracas on Tuesday morning, the report on the newspaper's website said, citing anonymous sources with knowledge of the case.

"He was in fairly serious overall condition," a source told the Miami-based Spanish-language daily. "When he arrived, he was in quite serious shape and that is why he was brought in for emergency care."

Venezuela's Information Minister Andres Izarra appeared to deny the report in a posting on the micro-blogging website Twitter.

"Those who should be admitted are the journalists of the Nuevo Herald, except into a madhouse (instead of a hospital)," Izarra tweeted, without providing further details.

On Sunday, Chavez sought to assure Venezuelans he was healthy, telling them that cancer-fighting chemotherapy treatment has not left him with any debilitating side effects.

Chavez returned to Venezuela late last Thursday following what he described as a fourth and hopefully final round of chemotherapy in Cuba.

Chavez, 57, had a cancerous tumor removed on June 20 in Havana, but officials have provided little information about the nature of the disease.

Officials have said the tumor was removed from his "pelvic area," but have given no indication of the severity of his condition.

After returning to Caracas and giving a brief statement early Friday, he stayed uncharacteristically out of the media spotlight and sent no messages on his Twitter feed, which has more than two million followers.

Official handout photos from Cuban state media showed a hairless Chavez bidding farewell to Cuban leader Raul Castro after completing the latest round of treatment.

But the silence of a leader who has been omnipresent in Venezuelan public life revived the mystery surrounding his health, which only increased on Friday when a meeting between Chavez and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad set for this weekend in Caracas was postponed indefinitely.

Chavez has been in power since 1999 and has said he would recover in time to win re-election by a "knock-out" in 2012.

Latvia country profile

Situated in north-eastern Europe with a coastline along the Baltic Sea, Latvia is geographically the middle of the three former Soviet Baltic republics.
It has language links with Lithuania to the south and historical and ecumenical ties with Estonia to the north.

Not much more than a decade after it declared independence following the collapse of the USSR, Latvia was welcomed as an EU member in May 2004. The move came just weeks after it joined Nato. These developments would have been extremely hard to imagine in not-so-distant Soviet times.

For centuries Latvia was primarily an agricultural country, with seafaring, fishing and forestry as other important factors in its economy.
Latvia was under foreign dominion from the 13th until the 20th century. After the first world war it declared independence which Russia recognised in 1920.
Two decades later, following a pact between Stalin and Hitler, Soviet troops invaded in 1940 and Latvia was absorbed into the Soviet Union. Nazi forces pushed the Soviets back in 1941 but the Red Army returned in 1944 and remained for half a century.
During the Soviet period, which ended in 1991, Latvia underwent heavy industrialisation, and experienced a big influx of immigrants from other parts of the USSR, mainly Russia.
About a quarter of the population is Russian-speaking and the rights of this section of society have been a thorny issue since independence. Government reforms introduced in 2004 to restrict the use of the Russian language in schools remain controversial.
Legislation on citizenship was toughened up in 2006. Candidates who fail a Latvian language test three times will be denied citizenship. People without citizenship are entitled neither to vote nor to obtain an EU passport.
Like its Baltic neighbours, in the decade after independence Latvia made a rapid transformation to embrace the free market.
Latvia's economy grew by 50% between 2004 and 2007 but the global financial crisis of 2008-9 hit the country hard, and the former Baltic tiger endured one of the worst recessions in the EU.
The social turmoil triggered by the financial crisis led to the fall of the Godmanis government in February 2009. By January 2010, unemployment had soared to 20%, prompting fears of further political instability.

• Full name: Republic of Latvia
• Population: 2.2 million (UN, 2010)
• Capital: Riga
• Area: 64,589 sq km (24,938 sq miles)
• Major languages: Latvian, Russian
• Major religion: Christianity
• Life expectancy: 69 years (men), 78 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 lats = 100 santims
• Main exports: Timber and wood products, fish and fish products
• GNI per capita: US $12,390 (World Bank, 2009)
• Internet domain: .lv
• International dialling code: + 371

President-elect : Andris Berzins
Andris Berzins was voted into office by parliament in June 2011 amid a controversy over corruption.

The outgoing president Valdis Zatlers lost his bid for a second term just days after he demanded a snap general election to root out corruption. He attacked the influence of three politicians who are also businessmen, calling them oligarchs.
The presidential vote exposed strains in the ruling coalition.
Berzins, a wealthy businessman and former head of one Latvia's biggest banks, won the backing of 53 lawmakers in the 100-seat parliament.
He was elected to parliament in 2010.
Outgoing president: Valdis Zatlers

An orthopedic surgeon who took part in clearing up the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986, Valdis Zatlers became active in the pro-independence Popular Front under Soviet rule in 1988.
He later scaled down his political activity to concentrate on medical work. Parliament elected him president on the nomination of the centre-right governing coalition in 2007.
• Mr Zatlers' term expires on 7 July.
Prime minister: Valdis Dombrovskis
Valdis Dombrovskis became prime minister in March 2009 after the previous coalition government of Ivars Godmanis collapsed amid widespread discontent at its handling of the economic crisis.

Mr Dombrovskis' centre-right coalition was re-elected comfortably in elections in October 2010, regaining the parliamentary majority it had lost in March when the then largest party in his cabinet quit over a dispute about austerity measures.
A month after the elections, Mr Dombrovskis formed a government with the second-largest coalition partner, the Union of Farmers and Greens.
The prime minister's initial five-party coalition had included some parties from the Godmanis government plus a smaller centre-right party, the Civic Union.
During his first term in office, Mr Dombrovskis pushed through some of the toughest austerity measures in Europe in an effort to rescue the state from bankruptcy and prepare Latvia to join the euro by 2014.
The deep public spending cuts gave rise to widespread anger at home, but the government's policies impressed international lenders - especially the IMF and the EU, which in 2009 agreed a 7.5bn euro ($10bn) bailout for the country.
Investors see Mr Dombrovskis as the main guarantor of the rescue loans agreed, and the outcome of the October 2010 election suggests that he has has also succeeded in convincing the Latvian people that his policies represent the best chance for financial stability.
Born in 1971 and a physicist by training, he was an MP and finance minister in 2002-2004. From 2004 to 2009 he was a member of the European Parliament.

Latvia's TV market is dominated by the commercial LNT, two networks operated by the national public broadcaster, commercial TV3 Latvia and the Baltic variants of the main Russian networks. Public radio and TV are financed by state subsidies and advertising.
Around 140 newspaper titles reflect a variety of political views.
The media operate freely, with few legal restrictions. A law provides prison terms for libel and incitement of racial hatred.
However, there have been serious press freedom violations in recent years, according to Reporters Without Borders. It cited the murder of a media owner in April 2010, and said journalists have been stabbed or beaten in the past decade.
By mid-2010, around 1.5 million Latvians were online (Internetworldstats).
The press

• Diena - daily
• Neatkariga Rita Avize (NRA) - broadsheet, in Latvian
• Dienas Bizness - business tabloid in Latvian, affiliated to Diena
• Telegraf - main Russian-language daily
• Latvijas Avize - tabloid, daily
• Chas - Russian-language daily
• Biznes & Baltiya - business broadsheet in Russian
• Vesti Segodnya - Russian-language daily
• Vakara Avize Vakara Zinas - evening tabloid, in Latvian

Television

• Latvian Television (LTV) - public, operates LTV1 and LTV7
• Latvian Independent Television (LNT) - main terrestrial commercial TV
• TV3 Latvia - commercial
• TV6 - commercial

Radio

• Latvian Radio - public; four national networks
• Radio SWH - commercial
• Star FM - commercial
• Radio NABA - public/university
• Radio Skonto - commercial

News agencies

• LETA - English-language pages
• BNS (Baltic News Service)
• Delfi - news portal, in Latvian and Russian

Source:- BBC

German parliament approves expanded EU bailout fund

Germany's parliament has voted by a large majority in favour of supporting a more powerful fund to bail-out troubled Eurozone economies.

Chancellor Angela Merkel received strong support despite criticism of the plan from some of her ruling coalition.

Many Germans are against committing more money to prop up struggling eurozone members such as Greece.

There are protests in Athens where international inspectors have held talks on further bailout funds.

The measure is expected to pass in Germany's upper house of parliament, where it will be put to a vote on Friday.

In the Bundestag, 523 deputies approved the bill to support the expansion of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) - 85 voted against and three abstained in the 620-seat chamber. Nine members were not present.

Dissidents

Some members of Mrs Merkel's coalition had vowed to vote against the bill.

But in the end, 315 deputies voted in favour, meaning that Mrs Merkel did not have to rely on opposition support to get the measure passed.

The outcome of the vote was not in question, however, as the main opposition parties, the SPD and the Greens, indicated they would support the expansion of the fund.

Before the vote, there was intense lobbying by Mrs Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and their coalition allies to pressure the handful of dissidents to get in line.

A reliance on this support would have cast into doubt her ability to get forthcoming votes on both a further bailout for Greece and a permanent successor to the EFSF through the Bundestag.

"The broad majority in parliament clearly shows Germany is committed to the euro and to protecting our currency," said Hermann Groehe, the number two in Ms Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) party.

But Frank Schaeffler of the Free Democrats party - a junior coalition member - argued that bailout measures have made Greece's economic situation deteriorate.

"Despite all arguments, the first bailout did not make the situation for Greece better, but worse," Mr Schaeffler said, according to the AP news agency.

"Expanding the fund will make the situation even worse."

Athens blockade

All 17 countries that use the euro must ratify the commitment made in July to expand the powers of the EFSF and boost its bailout guarantees from 440bn euros (£383bn) to 780bn euros.

So far, 10 have approved the measure.

As Europe's largest economy, Germany's commitment to the fund would rise from 123bn euros to 211bn.

That bigger fund is already being dismissed as inadequate in the light of the worsening Greek crisis and the threat of it spreading to other economies.

Inspectors from the "troika" of international creditors supporting Greece - the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - returned to Athens on Thursday to decide if the government has done enough to warrant another 8bn euros (£6.9bn) of loans.

"The climate was positive and creative after the tough measures that were decided," Greece's finance ministry said in a statement.

Public workers blocked entrances to a number of ministries in Athens, protesting against the deep austerity measures the government has imposed as a condition of the bailout.

"Take your bailout and leave," shouted protesters outside the finance ministry, Reuters news agency reported. They said they wanted to prevent Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos from meeting the troika officials.

Taxi drivers, hospital workers and other public sector staff were also due to strike on Thursday, angered by the announcement of new austerity measures including pension cuts and a new property tax.

Without the new loans - laid out under the terms of a bailout agreed last year - Greece will soon run out of money.

New taxes have been approved and deeper spending cuts have been promised, but some decisions have been delayed and privatisation is running behind schedule says the BBC's Chris Morris in Athens.

Many people believe that austerity measures are pushing Greece's crippled economy deeper into recession and strangling any chance of growth.