Already reeling under a plethora of negative events involving domestic violence against women and girls over the past few years, the South Asian community was rocked by two more this week, including the murder of a baby girl allegedly by her father on Friday morning. Indeed, that was the last thing the community needed.

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HUSBAND CHARGED WITH FIRST DEGREE MURDER IN DEATH OF REALTOR
"The home was subsequently secured and examined by forensic investigators. The residence became the subject of a thorough examination and once completed, members from the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team accessed the home." [Full Story]

HOMICIDE TEAM INVESTIGATING SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF LANDSCAPER
The suspicious death of Surrey fence maker and landscaper Gurnam Singh Johal, 41, who reportedly died of arsenic poisoning at Surrey memorial Hospital on January 10, is now being investigated by the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT). [Full Story]

MUNDEY KURI DEE LOHRI FORGED NEW RELATIONSHIPS AND PROVIDED POSITIVE ROLE MODELS FOR YOUTH
Last Sunday Trinjan's fourth Mundey Kuri Dee Lohri was celebrated on Lohri day with hundreds of people in attendance at the sold out event. Lohri is a harvest festival in Punjab where farmers celebrate the golden harvest with family and friends around a bonfire singing traditional folk songs praising Dulha Bhatti and making offerings to Agni in the form of food items which are thrown into the bonfire. It is also an occasion to celebrate new brides or newborns. [Full Story]

INDO-CANADIAN JOURNALIST REFUSED ENTRY INTO INDIA - AND NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW WHY!
And that is what the Indian Consulate General in Vancouver is now trying to figure out as Canadian citizen and senior Punjabi journalist Harkirat Singh Kular of the Punjabi Guardian, a Punjabi language newspaper of Surrey, is demanding to know why he was suddenly refused entry into India at Delhi's international airport on January 6. [Full Story]

FIRST VISIT BY A CANADIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO INDIA IN FIVE YEARS CALLED 'VERY SUCCESSFUL'
Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier said that his three-day visit to India last week during which he explored ways of deepening relations between Canada and India was very successful. Parliamentary Secretary Deepak Obhrai accompanied Bernier on the visit. [Full Story]

WHY RIPUDAMAN SINGH MALIK SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO SHELL OUT FOR HIS DEFENCE
It is no joke to stand up against the full might of the state - financially or otherwise. And if the state cannot prove its case against you, then you must have every right in all fairness to be fully compensated. Not only should the state cough up the big bucks for your defence lawyers and other related expenses, but it should also pay for damaging your career and personal life. [Full Story]

RANJIT CHEEMA TO BE FINALLY EXTRADITED TO THE U.S.
Just a month ago, Cheema was back in the news when the media found out that B.C. Court of Appeal Justice Jo-Ann Prowse had ruled in November that Cheema, who was then seeking leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, could be released on a $4-million bail. [Full Story]

RCMP TO SURREY SUSPECT: YOU CAN HIT AND RUN, BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE
Hull died crossing Capilano Road near Canyon Boulevard on foot on a rainy, windy night. The red 1999 Toyota Corolla never stopped after the collision. Hull lay semi-conscious on the road for between 20 and 45 minutes before help was called, and by the time paramedics arrived they could not save him. [Full Story]

BASI-VIRK CASE : DISCLOSURE ISSUES REMAIN UNSOLVED
Disclosure issues have yet to be fully resolved in the December 28, 2003 B.C. Legislature Raid case involving former ministerial aides Dave Basi and Bob Virk and a determined B.C. Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Bennett said this Monday that she was prepared to sit as long as is needed to resolve this on January 28 and 29 before the trial begins on March 17. [Full Story]

NDP MP, WSO DENOUNCE KIRPAN BAN IN CALGARY COURTHOUSE
NDP Human Rights Critic Wayne Marston (Hamilton East-Stoney Creek) says the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects religious expression and a Calgary courthouse should have allowed a Sikh man to enter with his kirpan, or very small ceremonial sword. [Full Story]

YOUR TURN
#1. VOTING RIGHTS TO NRI'S A MUST
#2. TRANSIT PLAN: SWEEPING CHANGE OR SWEEPING POCKETS?
#3. WE NEED A NEW NAME FOR OUR PROVINCE [Full Story]

CAMPBELL'S TRANSIT PLAN NO MORE THAN AN UNFUNDED WISH LIST
On Monday, Gordon Campbell laid out his flashy $14 billion transit wish list. But he refused to explain how exactly the plan would be funded. It's clear that Campbell's plan can't be implemented without imposing a variety of new taxes on ordinary working people. [Full Story]