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Babar Tahirakhelli

Learn more about Omni AB's entire South Asian news team [Read More]

Bollywood Freetime Movie

1:00AM | Sunday | February 5

Bollywood and Chinese Super Cinema Movies - Bollywood, Chinese & Japanese movies on Omni BC Vancouver

Aladin (2009) (PG)

Amitabh Bachchan stars as the genie who pops out of a lamp to grant college student Aladin (Ritesh Deshmukh) three wishes in this contemporary take on The Arabian Nights.... [Read More]

Community Events

Black History Month Event Calendar
February 1 - 25, 2012

BESA Exhibit
Now until February 11, 2012

CRIEC Free Mentorship Services for Immigrants
February 9, 2012 (Thursday)

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Top Stories: South Asian

Alberta, Ottawa announce Oilsands monitoring plan (2012-02-03)

The federal and the Alberta governments have announced a joint 50 million dollar a year monitoring strategy for Alberta’s oilsands. Both governments say the plan will increase the area and amount of testing of land, air and water as well as the substances tested. Babar Tahirkheli reports. (babar.tahirkheli@omnitv.rogers.com)

More Stories: (Click title to view story)

+CIBC tightens mortgage lending rules (2012-02-02)

Getting a mortgage for new immigrants and self-employed persons may get harder. This after a CIBC’s wholesale mortgage arm, FirstLine, announces some changes to its lending regulations. Babar.Tahirkheli reports. (babar.tahirkheli@omnitv.rogers.com)

+Pakistani-Canadian wins Tory nomination from Edmonton-Mill Woods riding (2012-02-01)

Election buzz is in the air in Tory blue Alberta. One race that drew quite a bit of heat was in the south Edmonton riding of Mill Woods -- one of the most diverse neighbourhoods in the city. The candidate to win the Tory nomination -- a Pakistani-Canadian businessman. Sohail Quadri out seated a controversial incumbent, Carl Benito. Babar Tahirkheli has more. (babar.tahirkheli@omnitv.rogers.com)

+Shafia family hears guilty verdict from jury (2012-01-30)

The Shafia case may have been the talk of the town in Kingston, Ont. It may have many communities speaking out in such culturally diverse cities like Toronto. But the case has many talking thousands of miles away --in cities like Edmonton and Calgary whose faces are changing day by day. Babar Tahirkheli looks at the court of public opinion in Alberta. (babar.tahirkheli@omnitv.rogers.com)

+FarmTech 2012 conference wraps up in Edmonton (2012-01-27)

FarmTech is one of western Canada's leading agricultural conferences, jointly hosted by local agricultural organizations. This year’s conference wrapped in Edmonton with government assuring its full support to help farmers grow and introduce their products to the leading world markets. Babar Tahirkheli reports. (babar.tahirkheli@omnitv.rogers.com)

+Edmonton ready to issue 100 new taxi licences (2012-01-26)

The city of Edmonton is going ahead with issuing 100 more cab licences -- despite opposition from the commission in charge of hiring. All this is raising questions about whether the industry in a growing city needs an overhaul. Babar Tahirkheli explains. (babar.tahirkheli@omnitv.rogers.com)

+Gateway pipeline hearings come to Edmonton (2012-01-24)

Public hearings into the controversial Northern Gateway Pipeline are now being held in Edmonton. The proposed multibillion dollar pipeline will take thousands of barrels of crude oil from Alberta’s oilsands to B.C. - from where it will be shipped to markets in Asia. A number of aboriginal and environmental groups are opposing the project. Babar Tahirkheli brings the story. (babar.tahirkheli@omnitv.rogers.com)

+Edmonton Multicultural Society in dispute with public library (2012-01-23)

The Edmonton Multicultural Society helps immigrants and other newcomers find a place to live. But nowadays they themselves are in need of one. City’s public library which rents a space to the multicultural society on one of its floors is now refusing to renew a rental lease agreement. Babar Tahirkheli reports. (babar.tahirkheli@omnitv.rogers.com

+Massive fire destroys a condominium complex in Edmonton (2012-01-20)

In Edmonton, a massive fire ripped through a condominium building complex in a predominantly South Asian area badly destroying most of the complex Thursday afternoon. More than 100 firefighters battled the blaze for 15 hours. The fire, which is said to cause a damage of $7 million, was declared under control Friday morning. Babar Tahirkheli reports. (babar.tahirkheli@omnitv.rogers.com)

+Edmonton shelters struggle in extreme cold weather (2012-01-17)

Extreme cold weather is showing its wrath to the western Canada and especially homeless shelters across Alberta are now struggling to meet the influx of people who are seeking a warm place to sleep and eat. Babar Tahirkheli brings us the story from frosty Edmonton. (babar.tahirkheli@omnitv.rogers.com)

Today's Headlines: February 4, 2012

National:
Prime Minister to juggle key issues during China visit

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has a tricky balancing act during his second official trip to China. He has to at the same time promote trade and press China on human rights issues. Harper will meet a variety of political and business leaders next week, and officials insist human rights will also be part of the discussion. Ottawa has been criticized for softening its hard line on human rights in China in the wake of increased trade relations.

International:
Death toll rises in European cold snap

The death toll from Europe’s worst cold snap in decades climbed to at least 175 on Friday, with temperatures plummeting to minus 30 degrees celcius and below in many eastern countries. Russia, Ukraine, and other nations have taken precautions to protect homeless people, many of whom have frozen to death. Ukraine has been the hardest hit, with that nation's death toll alone at more than 100.

Health:
Tanning bed ban urged for kids under 18

The Canadian Paediatric Society is recommending that kids under the age of 18 be banned from using commercial indoor tanning facilities. The society wants laws to keep kids of tanning facilities, saying the beds present a significant cancer risk. Currently, Nova Scotia and southern Vancouver Island are the only Canadian jurisdictions with such legislation.

Sports:
Armstrong doping inquiry closes with no charges

Federal prosecutors have closed their investigation of U.S. cyclist Lance Armstrong without charging him over allegations he used performance-enhancing drugs. The move ends a nearly two-year effort aimed at examining whether a doping program was created to keep the seven-time Tour de France winner and his teammates running at the head of the pack. Armstrong has always denied he doped during his career.

Oddity:
Meteorite-infused wine out of this world!

Wine enthusiasts are about to experience a bold new red wine that is truly out of this world. Scottish Winemaker and astronomer Ian Hutcheon has revealed his 2010 Meteorito, a robust Cabernet infused with a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite. It’s the first wine infused with celestial elements. The meteorite chunks come from a larger meteor that crashed into Chile's Atacama desert some 6,000 years ago.

Business:
Canadian job market stalled in January

January was an unkind month for Canadians looking for work, as the economy added only 2,300 jobs last month, about one-tenth of projections. As such, Canada's unemployment rate was pushed up 0.01 percentage points to 7.6 per cent. Meanwhile, south of the border, the U.S. economy created 243,000 jobs last month, which was far higher than the 150,000 jobs that economists had expected.