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November 26, 2011

‘Strengthen consumer Act’

Activists favour timely grievance redress, lower fee, decentralised fora
Chandigarh, November 26
The Centre should initiate steps to strengthen the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, to ensure timely redress of consumer grievances and the fee for filing a case should be reduced to Rs 10, on pattern of the RTI Act.
These were the views of consumer activists on the concluding day of the two-day convention. They also demanded the decentralisation of consumer fora to reach the grassroots by establishing headquarters at the subdivisional level.
Welcoming the government’s move to enact the Bill to regulate the real estate sector, which they termed as the need of the hour, the delegates called upon the Centre to withdraw the notification to allow non-standard packages, which caused unfair trade practices.
The convention also focused on consumer empowerment in relation to energy and fuel efficiency, an alternative complaint dispute redress system, public service quality and a citizens’ charter.
The convention resolved to support a strong Lokpal to curb corruption. Another resolution was passed, in which the government was called upon to create an administrative and legal mechanism to ensure the quality of public service.
The convention also resolved that the draft Citizens’ Right to Grievance Redressal Bill, 2011, which is in circulation for discussion, was grossly inadequate.
The convention noted the attempts by the governments of Punjab and Delhi to pass legislations on this subject without adequate consultation with user groups.
A consumer charter of demands for the telecom sector was also passed, in which consumers, both individually and collectively, called upon the government and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to take immediate and concrete steps to remove consumer detriment before the next International Consumer Rights Day, which was March 15 next.
It was resolved that the Consumer Coordination Council undertake projects on good governance and a citizens’ charter in coordination with member organisations, civil society groups and the government.
On alternative dispute redress, it was resolved that the core-centre and toll-free projects of the council be continued and ongoing projects and awareness programmes be organised at the block level and rural areas in the country.

MUMBAI ATTACKS

Still waiting for strong action, India tells Pak

New Delhi, November 26
Observing the third anniversary of the Mumbai attack, India today reminded Islamabad that it was still waiting for a decisive action against the perpetrators of the ‘mindless violence’’ unleashed by terrorists from Pakistan.
“I once again call on our neighbour to bring to justice the perpetrators of the crime to speedy justice,’’ External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said while underlining that New Delhi had provided ‘enough evidence’ to Pakistan to prosecute the guilty.
With the Indian establishment convinced about the involvement of the Pakistan military in the carnage that left 166 persons dead, Krishna said it must be realised that the use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy has no place in today’s world and was self destructive.
On the latest statement by Islamabad asking New Delhi to provide credible evidence, the minister said “I think the evidence given by the Ministry of Home Affairs would be sufficient for any normal civilian court to prosecute the people involved in the conspiracy and the perpetrators of the crime.’’
Asked about the visit of a team of the Pakistan judicial commission to India to meet officials connected with the Mumbai attack probe, he said the two countries were working out the modalities for its visit. “It has been agreed in principle…let us wait for the dates.’’
He reminded Pakistan that no cause could justify the use of terrorism for attainment of goals, whosoever they might be. There also could not be a selective fight against terror. The scourge has to be fought comprehensively and eradicated in all its forms and manifestations.
Krishna said issues must be resolved through a peaceful dialogue in an atmosphere free from terror and violence. India was committed to having a peaceful, friendly and cooperative relationship with all its neighbours for progress and prosperity of the region.
Meanwhile, Indian officials were shocked over Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s statement that India had not provided sufficient evidence against Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Mohammed Hafiz Saeed for his involvement in the 26/11 conspiracy. One source said the dossiers given by India to Pakistan over the past three years contain ‘irrefutable evidence’ that Saeed masterminded the carnage and was in constant touch with the terrorists who unleashed mayhem in Mumbai.
New Delhi is also surprised that various ‘jehadi’ groups had again started a vicious campaign against India in Pakistan and nothing was done by Islamabad to check their activities. In this connection, they drew attention to the anti-India rallies staged by the JuD in Lahore and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) over the past two days.

KRISHNA SPEAKs
  • S M KrishnaThe use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy has no place in today’s world
  • No cause could justify the use of terrorism for attainment of goals, whosoever they might be
  • There could not be a selective fight against terror.
  • The scourge has to be fought comprehensively and eradicated in all its forms and manifestations.
  • Issues must be resolved through a peaceful dialogue in an atmosphere free from terror and violence.

Visa fraud: 6 persons arrested


Chandigarh, November 26
The Chandigarh Police today arrested six persons for submitting fake documents with the visa office while applying for tourist visa to the UK.
A special investigation team set up on immigration, student and tourist visa fraud, headed by DSP Anil Joshi, arrested Vikram Sharma, alias Vicky, and Viney Chadha, operators of the Atlantic Overseas Consultancy at Sector 32 here, on November 18.
The police today arrested Amandeep Singh of Yamunanagar, Sukhdev Singh of Karnal, Manjit Singh of Khalsa Basna village in Kurukshetra district, Kashmir Singh of Paherkalan village in Patiala district, Amrik Singh of Patiala and Kulwinder Singh of Jalandhar.
The police said these six applicants had gone to the visa office of the UK in Chandigarh and submitted documents with addresses, bank statements, income tax returns and mobile numbers, which were fake, intentionally in connivance with the main accused for getting tourist visa to the UK illegally.
Joshi said the Chandigarh Police was taking action not only against immigration companies, but also against applicants who were intentionally instigating these companies to prepare fake documents.

Mixed response to HC stay order


Conversion of council into a corporation

Mohali, November 26
There is a mixed response from former municipal councillors to the stay orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued in connection with the government notifications converting the Mohali municipal council into a corporation.

While some of the former councillors have welcomed the orders
saying that the upgraded body had not played any major role in the development of the town, others said they were neither happy nor sad regarding the orders as these were only a part of the legal process and the final verdict was still awaited.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court yesterday stayed the notifications through which the local civic body was upgraded to the level of a corporation. The court had also issued a notice of motion to the department of local government, Mohali Deputy Commissioner and municipal corporation for January 9.
Rajinder Sharma, who owes allegiance to SAD, said he was happy with the orders of the court as the upgraded civic body had done nothing for the development of Mohali. He said NK Sharma, chairman of the district planning committee, had got several development works initiated in the town at his own level, but officials of the corporation had failed to show any results.
Parkash Wati said she was happy to learn about the orders of the court.
She said elected representatives had sacrificed eight months of their term hoping that Mohali would witness major development activities, but only faced disappointment. Moreover, former councillors were promised that they would be nominated to the upgraded civic body, but nothing happened, she added.
Another former municipal councillor Amteshwar Kaur said orders of the high court made no difference to her as she was only interested in the development and was not bothered whether this was carried out by the corporation or the council.
Sukhminder Singh Barnala, however, claimed that the corporation had carried out development works in the town and the government had spent a lot of money in this regard. Had the Congress-headed civic body not been dissolved, the government would have not spent so much here.

Pak trader arrested with live cartridges at airport


Amritsar, November 26
A Pakistani trader was arrested today after seven live cartridges were found in his luggage while he was about to board a flight to Delhi.
Identified as Sheikh Arif Mahmood from Sialkot, the trader was on 15-day visit to India for participating in a trade fair at Delhi. He was handed over to the airport police where a case under Section 25 of the Arms Act has been registered against him.
According to information, the trader had arrived India through Attari-Wagah land route yesterday evening on a transit visa. The incident has raised a question mark on the security arrangements at the border.
Deputy Commissioner of Police SP Joshi confirmed the incident. He said the accused had been sent to judicial remand.
"The airport authorities spotted seven live cartridges of .32 bore while his luggage was being scanned," said Joshi.

Congress MLA from Bholath Sukhpal files criminal complaint against Sukhbir, Bibi Jagir Kaur


Kapurthala, November 26
Congress MLA from Bholath Sukhpal Khaira today filed a criminal complaint against Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, Rajpura SP Manmohan Sharma, PTC Channel and some others on the charge of defaming him by dragging his name in a case of hawala money a few days ago.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Kiran Bala recorded the statements of Khaira and three witnesses and fixed the case for consideration on January 9.
In the 11-page complaint filed under Sections 499, 500, 501 B and 120 B of the IPC, Khaira alleged that to defame him, Sukhbir and others made a false propaganda on November 11 through PTC channel and other media that hawala money of Rs 3.64 crore recovered from Shambu Barrier was to be delivered to him.
In his complaint through his advocate NK Banka, the MLA further stated that Sukhbir Badal and Bibi Jagir Kaur left no opportunity to implicate the complainant and his supporters in one or other controversy and tried their best to tarnish his image in the eyes of the public.
Citing an earlier case, Khaira said earlier also he had been harassed by Sukhbir Badal who had planted a false case of theft against him at Subhanpur police station in 2007 which was later quashed by the Punjab and Haryana High court.
Khaira also made Rajpura SHO Manjit Singh, PTC partner Rabinder Narain and Editor of Jai Jagat newspaper published from Bholath, Kulwinder Singh Sehgal, respondents in his complaint.

Air India cancels Nov 30 New Delhi-London flights


Foreseeing a strike by the public sector employees in London, national carrier Air India Saturday said it is cancelling its flights from New Delhi to the British capital that day.
"In anticipation of strike by the public sector employees at London on Nov 30, Air India flights stand cancelled," the flag carrier said in a statement.
According to the airline, these flights are AI-115operating from Amritsar to Delhi to London and AI-111from Delhi to London.
"Passengers of the cancelled flights may re-book on flights on Dec 1, without any charges," the airline said.

Why organised retail benefits farmers in Punjab & Himachal


Chandigarh, November 26
With Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail opened up in 53 cities in the country ( which have a population of above 10 lakhs), Himachal Pradesh is unlikely to be affected directly, although vegetable and fruit growers in HP will possibly be able to bargain better with big retail chains. But with the BJP opposing FDI in retail nationally, the Himachal unit of the BJP too has succumbed to the political compulsion of opposing it.
In any case, since the retailers will have to register and obtain licenses, the state governments will be responsible for granting or rejecting the applications.
But to its enormous embarrassment, staunch ally Shiromani Akali Dal has been effusive in welcoming the move. Punjab deputy chief minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal, was quick to write a letter to Commerce Minister, Anand Sharma, endorsing the decision. Entry of foreign players, he said yesterday at Anandpur Sahib, would create a more competitive market for agriculture produce.
His optimism is based on Punjab’s successful experience with agri corporates. The entry of agri corporates like Bharti Wal-mart, Pepsi Co, Tata Khet Se and Metro Cash and Carry, has actually helped in strengthening the retail supply chain. Farmers in Haider Nagar locality of Malerkotla, who supply vegetables to Bharti Wal-Mart, have not just been able to improve the quality of the vegetables they produce, but they are also getting better prices. Potato growers in the Doaba region have also benefitted by selling their produce to Pepsi Co.
“Most of the agri businesses are sourcing 30- 40 per cent of their requirement from farmers within the state. As a result, farmers are assured of a buy back arrangement with these corporates and of higher returns.
“These farmers also learn better agricultural practices from the experts appointed by these companies, thus leading to a better quality of produce,” said a senior official in the state Agriculture department.
The entry of corpoartes in the poultry sector in Punjab, too, has made the small poultry farmer in the state viable. Big poultry corporates like Suguna and Venkateshwara Hatcheries have “integrated” with many small poultry farmers in Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Rajpura. These corporates supply their own seed, feed for birds and medicines, while the farmers nurse and attend to the birds before selling them to the firms.
Ironically, even in Himachal Pradesh, the entry of agri corporates like Adani Agrilogistics, Dev Bhoomi, Reliance Retail and Mother Dairy procuring apples, other fruits and exotic vegetables, has helped raise the economic condition of growers.
But talking to The Tribune, the chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said, “ The small shopkeepers will lose their business and it wll add to unemployment. With the withdrawal of the industrial package, our state is already facing a lot of unemployment. Agreed that some agri corporates have been buying select fruits and vegetables from Himachal, but the majority purchase is still being done by the state government,” he said.
Several farmers’ organisations, too, are sceptical about the move. Balbir Singh Rajewal, President of Bharatiya Kisan Union, said the move would benefit just those farmers who have large land holdings. Almost 70 per cent of the farmers in Punjab have less than five acres of land holding and will not be able to make enough investments in improving their farming operations, as desired by foreign agri corporates, he said.

Court orders FIR against Kiran Bedi

Kiran BediNew Delhi, November 26
A Delhi court today ordered registration of an FIR against former IPS officer Kiran Bedi for allegedly cheating and misappropriating funds in collusion with foreign companies and other foundations.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Amit Bansal directed the crime branch of the Delhi Police to register a case against the key Team Anna member on a complaint by Delhi-based lawyer Devinder Singh Chauhan.
The complainant has alleged that Bedi has “looted” various paramilitary forces and state police organisations in the name of imparting free computer training through ‘Meri Police’ under the banner of her trust ‘India Vision Foundation’.
Chauhan has alleged that Bedi got a donation of more than Rs 50 lakh from Microsoft in the name of free computer training to the kids and families of the personnel of the BSF, the CISF, the ITBP, the CRPF and other state police organisations.
The complainant alleged that Bedi’s trust was to impart free computer training to the kids and families of the cops. “Instead of imparting free training or distributing free computers, Kiran Bedi in collusion with some unknown persons cheated Vedanta Foundation and made a plan to cheat the kids of cops and various paramilitary forces and civil polices and for the purpose Kiran Bedi planned to collect Rs 20,000 per month per training centre,” the complaint said.
“For the purpose of siphoning off money, Bedi entered into a donation agreement with Vedanta according to which Rs 6,000 out of the total money of Rs 20,000 was to be paid by Vedanta to her two trusts (India Vision Foundation and Navjyoti Foundation) on the false ground that she (Bedi) had arranged for the land and electricity for the training centre,” the complainant claimed.
He alleged that the facility of land and electricity were arranged by the police organisation and Bedi had nothing to do with these arrangements. Chauhan claimed that Bedi is getting huge money from abroad as donation to her two trusts and it needs to be probed by the Enforcement Directorate.

‘CHEATING’ CASE
  • The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate directed the crime branch of the Delhi Police to register a case against the key Team Anna member on a complaint by a Delhi-based lawyer.
  • The complainant has alleged that Bedi has “looted” paramilitary forces and state police bodies in the name of imparting free computer training to kids and families of its personnel under the banner of her trust ‘India Vision Foundation’.
  • He has alleged that Bedi got a donation of more than Rs 50 lakh from Microsoft for the purpose. But the training was never imparted.

NATO raid kills 28 soldiers in Pak


At least 28 Pakistani soldiers were killed on Saturday when NATO helicopters and combat jets fired on two border posts in the country’s northwest, prompting army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to direct his troops to prepare for “an effective response” even as authorities cut off all supplies for US forces in Afghanistan.
The attack, the worst single incident of its kind in one decade, looked set to plunge US-Pak relations, already deeply frayed, further into crisis.
A major and a captain of the Pakistan Army were among those killed when NATO aircraft fired at the borders posts in Baizai area of Mohmand tribal region at 2 am.
Fifteen more personnel were wounded and the death toll could rise as some of the injured were in a serious condition, several officials said.
A military statement said the NATO aircraft “carried out unprovoked firing” on the border posts. Pakistani troops “effectively responded immediately in self-defence to NATO/ISAF’s aggression with all available weapons”.
General Kayani strongly condemned “NATO/ISAF’s blatant and unacceptable act”. While lauding the effective response by Pakistani soldiers, he issued orders for taking all necessary steps for “an effective response to this irresponsible act”.
Within hours of the attack, Pakistani authorities sealed off the country’s border stopping all container trucks and tankers carrying supplies for US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir called in US Ambassador Cameron Munter to lodge a “strong protest on the unprovoked NATO/ISAF attack”, the Foreign Office said in a statement.
Bashir told the US envoy that the attack had “deeply incensed the government and the people of Pakistan”. Top national leaders in the country denounced the deadly assault as deliberate violation of Pakistan sovereignty. A Pakistani military spokesman confirmed the pre-dawn cross-border attack on a military check post killing and wounding troops.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, PTI chief Imran Khan and several others condemned the attack. President Asif Ali Zardari, Army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and the foreign secretary held an urgent meeting at the Presidency to discuss the implications of the attack. The Prime Minister also cut short his three-day visit to Multan and returned to the capital.
The attack comes at a time when US-Pak relations have plunged to a new low since early this year over the Raymond Davis episode and the unilateral raid by US that killed Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad on May 2.
US Ambassador Munter expressed regret at the incident and offered assistance in probing it.
In a statement issued by the US Embassy, Munter said: “I regret the loss of life of any Pakistani servicemen, and pledge that the United States will work closely with Pakistan to investigate this incident”.
Security forces blocked all entry points to Mohmand Agency after the incident and began checking all vehicles.
Several crossings on the Afghanistan frontier, including Landikotal and Takhtbai, were closed and over 150 NATO supply vehicles were turned back to Peshawar. The Pakistan Embassy in the US lodged a verbal protest over the attack.
Pak asks US to vacate airbase
Pakistan on Saturday asked the US to vacate an airbase that has reportedly been used by American drones and closed NATO supply routes in response to a cross-border air strike by the coalition aircraft. The Pakistan government framed its response to the NATO air strike during an emergency meeting of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet. The cabinet committee decided to "close with immediate effect the NATO supply lines" and asked the "US to vacate the Shamsi airbase within 15 days", said a statement issued by the PM's House.

NGO Umeed foundation organised job fair at Sangrur

Sangrur: NGO Umeed foundation organised job fair at the small place Sangrur where 200 applicants were selected by various industrial houses and school organisations. A total of 1500 had appeared for the placements. Foundation chairman Arvind Khanna claimed the foundation has ensured jobs to about 500 youths in few months.   

Alberta cracks down on drivers who drink


The Redford government introduced tough new changes to Alberta’s impaired driving legislation on Nov. 21, 2011.

The Redford government introduced tough new changes to

 Alberta’s impaired driving legislation on Nov. 21, 2011.


What is it?
Traffic Safety Amendment Act
Why are they doing it?
The law will dramatically increase sanctions for Albertans who drive after drinking.
Those caught drinking and driving can already be charged under the Criminal Code of Canada if they have a blood-alcohol content over 0.08. Under the proposed new provincial law, people criminally charged with drunk driving will immediately lose their licences until the charges are resolved.
Albertans caught driving with a blood-alcohol content between .05 and .08 – below the criminal limit – will be subject to a three-day license suspension and a three-day vehicle seizure for a first offence. A second offence will bring a 15-day suspension and a seven-day seizure. A third offence will bring a 30-day suspension and a seven-day seizure. Drivers will pay impound costs.
Finally, under the proposed law, young drivers in Alberta will face stricter rules. The zero-tolerance for alcohol will continue, but those caught drinking and driving will face an immediate 30-day suspension. Also, for the first six months that new drivers are allowed to drive alone, the new driver cannot have more than one teen passenger in the vehicle. They are also restricted from driving between midnight and 5 a.m.
What are critics saying?
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business says the law will do little to prevent or punish drunk driving, but will have a severe impact on small business. The group says similar laws in B.C. created public confusion about whether it is permissible to even have a glass of wine before driving, leading to losses of between 10 and 50 per cent at some establishments.

Alberta Justice minister wants Ottawa to lower drunk-driving threshold


EDMONTON - As the province pushes ahead with legislation to increase sanctions on suspected drunk drivers, Alberta’s justice minister says he wants to talk to Ottawa about potentially toughening federal laws.
Specifically, Verlyn Olson said he is interested in the possibility of lowering the current .08 blood-alcohol threshold for laying a criminal charge on a driver.
Olson said he needs to do more research on the issue, but suggested .05 might be a more appropriate standard.
“Right now, .08 is the criminal standard and that’s something I’d be interested in talking to the feds about,” he said. “There is discussion that goes on about what is the right number, but I think it’s accepted that .05 is the beginning of impairment. It’s not there as an arbitrary number.”
Olson noted that most western European countries and Australian provinces use a .05 limit, Japan has a standard of .03, Sweden is .02. Hungary and the Czech Republic have a zero-alcohol policy.
Leila Moulder, president of the Edmonton chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said she would support reviewing the .08 standard in Canada.
“I don’t see why that would be a bad thing,” she said. “At the .05 level, people are impaired. There is reaction time impairment, you are slower, you aren’t quite as co-ordinated, your fine motor skills aren’t working at a top-notch level.”
Moulder’s organization is also supporting the province’s proposed legislation, Bill 26, which would impose some of the strictest administrative penalties in the country.
For drivers who record a blood-alcohol level between .05 and .08, which is not a Criminal Code violation, the province currently allows police to impose a 24-hour licence suspension. The new legislation would increase that to an automatic three-day suspension and a three-day vehicle seizure for a first offence. A seven-day vehicle seizure along with a 15-day suspension or 30-day suspension would be triggered for a second and third offence, respectively.
For drivers who blow over .08, they will get a criminal charge, and lose their licence until the charge is resolved by the courts. Those convicted will be required to equip their car with an interlock device, which measures a person’s breath before starting the ignition.
The bill also targets new drivers, imposing a seven-day seizure and 30-day suspension if they are found with any alcohol in their system.
“It’s a definite step forward,” Moulder said. “We think this will serve as a better deterrent because from what we had seen, the 24-hour suspension wasn’t enough.”
However, some civil liberties advocates suggest the legislation may create more problems than it solves, since the current bill sidesteps due process and will wind up punishing innocent people.
“This is a very significant inroad into the panoply of rights we have in the criminal justice system and under the charter,” said D’Arcy Depoe of the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association. “No one has sympathy for the 90 per cent who are probably factually guilty, but what about the rest?”
Depoe said the proposed lengthy suspensions and seizures essentially allow police to impose punishment on people before any charge is laid or a case is heard in court. That will wind up hurting people who need their cars for work, or must transport their children to school or daycare.
“The presumption of innocence is gone and your ability to defend yourself is gone,” he said.
“When you have police making the decision at roadside, all the issues that would ordinarily arise at a criminal trial are effectively pre-determined. Was the person actually driving? Was the (breathalyzer) machine operating properly? Did the person have a reasonable excuse? Some people can’t blow because of medical issues or an injury.
“And you are not entitled to disclosure of Crown’s case, and not entitled to cross-examine the police officer.”
Depoe also took issue with the idea that people who blow over .08 should lose their licence until the criminal charge is resolved by the courts. He said it can currently take between six months to a year to receive a trial date in provincial court, and then there is the danger of further adjournments if the lawyers, the accused or judge is sick.
The province estimates impaired driving charges take up 40-per-cent of all trial time among its Crown prosecutors. Depoe said he believes the legislation is designed as a way to reduce that figure, by trying to force people to plead guilty so they can get their licence back sooner.
Hal Joffe of the Rocky Mountain Civil Liberties Association said the legislation also has a jurisdictional issue, since drunk driving legislation typically comes under the purview of the federal government, which has set the standard at .08.
“The province is essentially saying there is a lesser impairment at .05, that we’re going to have a different standard. They are trying to get around the jurisdictional issue by saying there are imposing only administrative penalties.”
Joffe said this issue may explain why Olson is interested in talking to Ottawa about lowering the Criminal Code threshold.
“That, in my mind, would be a more proper way to go.”
This is the second time in recent years the Alberta government and Premier Alison Redford have been accused of pushing legislation that attempts to get around due process. In 2009, then-justice minister Redford pressed into service “civil forfeiture” legislation that permits authorities to seize and sell property suspected of being used in the commission of a crime. Such seizures can occur without a criminal charge, let alone a conviction.
“The premier is a lawyer and the attorney general is lawyer, and this legislation has been devised by senior people in the justice department who are lawyers,” Depoe said. “I don’t know what they are thinking.
“In my mind, it is pandering to loud interest groups like MADD and relying on the great mass of the population not really looking at this in any detail.”
Olson said the province is prepared for any legal challenges.
Redford has said she would like to see the drunk driving penalties in place by Christmas, though Transportation Minister Ray Danyluk has suggested next summer might be more likely.

'New step' for Canada in space

Ralf Gellert can be excused if he is looking at this week's planned launch of an Atlas rocket to carry a high-tech device he designed to Mars as somewhat routine.

That's because the University of Guelph physicist knows that it will be the landing — in 8½ months — that will be the risky bit.
Once Curiosity does land on the Red Planet, however, the APXS (alpha particle X-ray spectrometer) Gellert designed is expected to play a significant role in the mission to determine if Mars has ever been able to support life.
APXS, which was built by Richmond, B.C.-based MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., will be used to identify chemical elements in Martian rock and soil. It marks another milestone for Canadian involvement in international space exploration.
"It’s a new step of having Canadian scientists being involved in this high-level, surface exploration on a different planet," Gellert said. "I think it’s a very interesting thing."

The cost of building APXS, from concept through development and support of the first phase of operation, was $17.8 million.
"For a small investment on this mission, we’re getting access to the major science mission on Mars, so Canadian scientists will have access to data and the whole mission," says Stephane Desjardins, space exploration projects portfolio manager at the Canadian Space Agency.
The agency is investing much of the stimulus money it received from the federal government in the development of new technologies that would be needed on international missions such as the one sending Curiosity to Mars.
APXS, says Desjardins, is a "powerful" instrument that is "absolutely necessary" for the Curiosity mission, and a perfect project for the agency.
"This is exactly the way we want to fit into space exploration."
APXS isn't Canada’s first involvement in Martian missions. For the Phoenix Mars lander, which arrived on the Red Planet in 2008, Canada provided the metereological station.
But APXS "will be even more important because we’re going to be able to contact the surface of Mars" directly, says Desjardins.
"It’s one of the first instruments that the rover will be using when approaching a new area or new rock. It's an instrument that is very easy to use that can give results fairly quickly."
When those results come back to Earth, Gellert and his team won't be the only scientists from a Canadian university who are taking a close look at the data.
Mariek Schmidt, a volcanologist and geologist at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., was thrilled this week when she received an email from NASA telling her that she would be part of the team interpreting the data and helping guide the rover from Earth.
"I will live on Mars time," the assistant professor says of the three months she will spend at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. after the rover's expected landing in August.
After that, it will be teleconferences, email and web-based communication to try to understand the information gathered by Curiosity.
"I'm hoping we can learn about how climate affects the alteration of rocks," she said. "If we understand alteration of rocks, then we can understand how that's linked into climate and whether or not [Mars] could potentially have supported life."
The APSX on Curiosity is a more advanced version of instruments on the two older Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. Gellert was part of the team behind the earlier devices, which were built in Germany.
Schmidt also was involved with the earlier APSX and helped analyze its data when she was a post-doctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
She relishes her opportunity to be part of the latest project, so much so that she ran around her department at Brock looking for someone to share her good news with after getting the email from NASA on Wednesday.
"It's exciting that Canada can become involved in this. The goal is eventually for Canada to play a more active role in the exploration of Mars and maybe eventually even send up our own mission. So getting scientists involved and building instruments is just all part of that end goal."
In 2004, Gellert’s team was selected by NASA to develop the improved device. It was delivered to NASA in late 2008, but a 2009 launch date for the mission was pushed to fall 2011.
In August, Gellert went to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to assemble and install the device's radioactive source, which will shoot alpha particles at rock samples on Mars.
While it has been a long wait for Gellert and his team at Guelph, he says everyone is now very excited.
Once Curiosity arrives on Mars, the rover will be operated from Pasadena. Gellert and his team will be there for the landing. After 90 days, APXS operations will be gradually transferred back to Guelph.
Gellert's interest in space research started with watching TV shows like Star Trek, which helped prompt a desire to know more about the reality behind spaceships and where they might explore.
"It's simply the coming together of engineering, science in different branches like physics, like geology, like astonomy," he says. "Exploring is in every human. You always want to know what is behind the next mountain and going from Earth to the moon, to Mars, beyond."

NASA rover on its way to Mars


An Atlas 5 rocket lifts off from the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida November 26, 2011 .

An Atlas 5 rocket lifts off from the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida November 26, 2011 .


NASA successfully propelled a $2.5-billion probe carrying a minivan-sized rover into space on Saturday, the first leg of an eight-month journey to Mars.
The probe, dubbed “Curiosity,” which will use a Canadian-made sensor to search for signs of life on the red planet, launched at precisely 10:02 a.m. ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida, where weather conditions were favourable, the U.S. space agency said.
As the rocket blasted into the Florida skies, a booming sound echoed through the air followed by a bright flash of light.
“Everything is looking good,” said flight co-ordinator Rob Gagnon on more than one occasion as the probe left Earth’s orbit. “Engine continues to operate smoothly.”
The rover is now on a lengthy journey — almost 570 million kilometres — before its scheduled landing on Mars on Aug. 6, 2012.
NASA’s newest mission is its most ambitious yet, and space enthusiasts around the world are on the edge of their seats to see if the trip will be successful.
“If you look at the history of missions to Mars, most have failed,” said Alain Berinstain, director of planetary exploration at the Canadian Space Agency, in a previous interview with Postmedia News. “We are pushing the limits of technology every time we fly to Mars.
The one-ton rover— the largest piece of equipment ever to land on Mars— will act as “the hands and feet and eyes and nose and ears of scientists here on earth,” Berinstain said.
The result of a collaboration between scientists from around the world, the Canadian Space Agency provided the Mars Science Laboratory Mission with a locally made geology instrument, called an Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer, allowing Curiosity to examine the chemical composition of rocks and soil on Mars.
Described as the size and shape of a Rubik’s cube, the sensor sits on the end of Curiosity’s two-metre robotic arm. The instrument can complete a rock or soil analysis in as little as 10 minutes, according to the Canadian Space Agency.
Upon landing, the “motorized field geologist and geochemist” will travel along the planet’s surface, taking soil samples and pictures in search of evidence that, at least at some point in Mars’ history, life could have existed, said Berinstain.
The source of any life on Mars, as on Earth, would be water, Berinstain said.
“We know that water exists on Mars because, during the Phoenix (rover) mission, we reached down and touched water ice,” he explained. “Everything we know about life says that we need liquid water, we need some minerals and we need some source of energy — like the sun — for life to exist.”
That’s where Curiosity’s geology sensor comes into play. It will measure the exact chemical composition of certain rocks and soil samples to “find out if that rock has been exposed to water in the past,” said Berinstain.
While the movement of the rover will be controlled from California, the geology instrument will be controlled from a lab in Guelph, Ont., the first time Canadian-made technology on Mars will be controlled from its home base, said Berinstain.
The mission will last one Martian year, said NASA, the equivalent of 687 Earth days.

Police move in to evict Occupy Edmonton protesters


Canada's Occupy movement suffered two additional blows on Friday morning as police started dismantling camps in Montreal and Edmonton.
Occupy protesters in Edmonton received an early wake-up call courtesy of police who moved in on the Melcor Park encampment at about 4 a.m. local time.
Despite the eviction, some defiant Occupy Edmonton protesters have promised to bounce back and occupy once again.
Bill Thomas, an Occupy Edmonton spokesperson, said demonstrators are holding a meeting on Friday evening to discuss setting up camp at another location.
In the meantime, police have cleared Melcor Park and erected a wire-mesh fence around the privately-owned area to prevent it from being reoccupied.
According to a statement from Occupy Edmonton, the eviction occurred early Friday morning when about 40 police officers "swarmed" the encampment and started dismantling makeshift shelters and tents.
CTV Edmonton reported that three people were arrested for trespassing after refusing to leave the park, a charge that can carry a fine of more than 280 dollars.
Amie Bursey, a spokesperson for Occupy Edmonton, said demonstrators have built a community over their 42-day occupation and "pushed for changes that will work for and not against the 99 per cent of us."
"I hope one day we have a system that listens and supports those peacefully pushing for change rather than criminalizing and silencing them. Today Edmonton lost something very special," Bursey said in a statement.
Hours later, protesters in Montreal were confronted with a similar fate when police swept into Victoria Park shortly after 9 a.m. local time.
Up to 12 demonstrators barricaded themselves in a tent as police marched into the park and asked demonstrators to pack up.
Police were forced to negotiate with the protesters who had tied themselves together in the designated kitchen tent with rope.
Nearby, about 300 officers tore down tents and removed garbage from the encampment, which was set up in mid-October.
The Montreal eviction struck an odd note when a man wearing a Batman was detained by police after rushing back towards the camp. One of his fellow protesters said he simply wanted to hug a police officer.
The man was released without charges, as were all 16 of the people detained in Montreal.
Police are acting on a city eviction notice that was handed out earlier this week.
This week has proven to be critical for the Canadian Occupy movement, with municipal officials shutting down large camps in Toronto, Ottawa and Edmonton.
The eviction has been met with a split reaction from the demonstrators; some packing up and others refusing to leave.
During the eviction, a Montreal police spokesperson posted a message to Twitter indicating that police appreciate respect and co-operation from the protesters.
Police have not reported any arrests so far.
The dismantling of the Montreal encampment is the latest in a chain of Canadian Occupy evictions. Protesters have been forced to leave camps in Toronto, Calgary, Quebec City and Victoria as local authorities have lost patience with the movement.
The Occupy movement began in September when demonstrators staged a protest on Wall Street, inspired by the Canadian anti-corporate publication Adbusters.
The demonstration quickly gained momentum with protesters of all ages, political stripes and backgrounds -- even celebrities such as Kanye West -- taking part in protests or camping out at Zucotti Park in New York, which became a base camp of sorts for the movement.
Occupy Wall Street eventually spawned similar demonstration in hundreds of cities across the U.S., Canada and in some parts of Europe.
With files from Canadian Press 

Lady Gaga sends video to Toronto school for assembly against bullies, homophobia


TORONTO - Lady Gaga delivered a personalized video message to some of her "little monsters" at a west-end Toronto high school Friday supporting an assembly against bullying and homophobia.
"I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you for being such a strong advocate for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community in your school," the pop superstar said in the clip played for students at the Etobicoke School of the Arts.
"There should be more little monsters like you."
School principal Rob MacKinnon said Lady Gaga recorded the video message after student council president Jacques St. Pierre wrote a letter to her several months ago, asking for a word of support for the equality assembly.
"It's an arts school, it's a very inclusive school, we have a lot of gay and lesbian students," MacKinnon said in a telephone interview, noting Pierre was further driven to hold the assembly after last month's suicide of openly gay Ottawa teenager Jamie Hubley, who was bullied by his peers.
"When (Jacques) got the video he came to my office very, very excited with the teacher adviser and showed me the video and my jaw kind of dropped."
In the video, the usually outlandishly dressed Lady Gaga looks relatively demure in a teal pillbox hat topped with a giant bow, and a teal suit jacket.
Seated in front of a draped window, she says she received St. Pierre's fan letter and wanted to send the video on behalf of not only her team but also "little monsters around the world."
"It is important that we push the boundaries of love and acceptance, it is important that we spread tolerance and equality for all students in light of the recent suicide of Jamey Rodemeyer," says the singer, referring to the bullied, gay New York teen who committed suicide in September.
"Because of the bullying that he experienced in school, I am going to be working as hard as I can to make bullying a hate crime."
The chart-topper — whose song "Born this Way" carries a strong message against homophobia — closes out the clip to the school by blowing a kiss to the camera and telling them: "Love each other, treat each other with kindness because we're all we've got."
MacKinnon said school officials kept the video a secret from the student body until Friday morning, when they played it in the auditorium in two assemblies.
"It's a very powerful, powerful, powerful experience for the kids and for all of us," he said.
"Everyone was weepy throughout it. It was really lovely."
The assembly also featured a personalized video message from openly gay comedian Rick Mercer. Students also got to see one of his recent rants from his CBC-TV program "The Rick Mercer Report" in which he calls for an end to bullying in school.
Some students also danced and sang a Lady Gaga song as part of the assembly.
"It's just such a wonderful, feel-good story," said MacKinnon.
"There's lots of great support all around, but I think this is pretty exceptional for Jacques and for the students, and for all of us."

Three more foreigners abducted, one killed in Mali


An armed gang of kidnappers abducted three foreigners and killed a fourth in the centre of the ancient tourist city of Timbuktu in northern Mali Friday, security sources said.
The victim who was shot dead after trying to resist his abduction was German, according to a local government official in Timbuktu.
Of the three people abducted, one is Swedish, one Dutch and one of dual British-South African nationality, said the official.
The kidnappers struck as the four were in a restaurant on the central square of Timbuktu, the sources said.
Mali's government described the spate of kidnappings as an "an attack on the country's security and stability" which "reaffirms (our) determination and unfailing commitment to any action needed to guarantee peace, security and stability".
The latest kidnapping came after two French nationals described as geologists were abducted by an armed gang from their hotel in the eastern village of Hombori near the border with Niger early Thursday.
At least a dozen French soldiers on a training mission in the region have now joined Mali's army in the hunt for the pair, according to an AFP journalist in the Hombori region.
Although there has been no immediate claim of responsibility, the incidents are the latest in a series of abductions of foreigners believed to be the work of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
AQIM has bases in the northern Mali desert from which it organises raids and kidnappings and deals in the trafficking of weapons and drugs.
Friday's incident brings the total of foreigners held in the vast Sahel region to nine.
The 1:00 am (0100 GMT) raid at the Dombia hotel in Hombori bore all the hallmarks of AQIM, which also operates in Niger, Mauritania and Algeria.
The captives, named in documents seen by AFP as Philippe Verdon and Serge Lazarevic, had arrived on Tuesday night.
They had been sent by the company Mande Construction Immobiliere to take soil samples in the Hombori region where it plans to build a cement factory.
Lazarevic, described by a witness as a large man while Verdon was said to be "more frail", had just completed their first day's work on the ground when they were kidnapped.
The watchman at the hotel said that "the kidnappers were armed to the teeth (...) I was tied up and told to point out the rooms of the Frenchmen, whom they brutally took away."
The kidnapping was "well organised", said a source in the security forces at Hombori. "We think that these people came from one of Mali's neighbouring countries to take part in the operation."
Police said five people had been arrested including the Frenchmen's guide, named as Ibrahim Ould Bah.
Northern Mali is classified as a "red zone" by the French authorities, which is a recommendation that travel there be avoided. Hombori is in the "orange zone" to the south, deemed less dangerous.
The kidnappings were the first in this region situated to the south of the vast Malian desert and close to Dogon territory, which is popular with tourists because of the famed masks, architecture and dances of the Dogon people whose land lies close to the border with Burkina Faso.
A security source in Hombori said a search was under way for "two Sahrawis, two Algerians and a Malian known for drug trafficking between the camps in Tindouf (housing Sahrawi refugees from Western Sahara) in west Algeria and the Sahel.
AQIM is still holding four French nationals abducted in Niger in September 2010.
The four were among seven people kidnapped at Arlit, the main uranium mining town in Niger. They included an executive of the French nuclear giant Areva and his wife, both French, with five employees of a sub-contractor of Areva, who were identified as three French men, a Togolese and a Madagascan.
The French woman and the two African men were freed on February 24, but the others are still being held.