According to a new poll released Thursday, Canada has the best reputation in the world for the third year in a row.

As explained by Forbes magazine, the Reputation Institute’s annual 2013 Country RepTrak Study, asked 27,000 people in all the G8 countries to give their opinions about 50 countries. Respondents were asked four questions on a country’s overall reputation, about whether respondents had a good feeling about said country, about how much they admired the country and about how much they trusted the country.

They were then asked 16 questions under three comprehensive categories: effective government, appealing environment and advanced economy.

Canada finished with a score of 76.6 out of 100 and was followed by Sweden (76.5), Switzerland (76.3), Australia (76.1), and Norway (74.1).

At the other end of the spectrum was are Russia (36.7), Nigeria (34.0), Pakistan (28.8), Iran (22.6), and Iraq (21.2). The United States finished 22nd.

“Canada’s results confirm that it is only possible to maintain a strong reputation in the long-term when a country has the ability to transmit its leadership globally in each of the three key criteria,” Fernando Prado, Managing Partner of Reputation Institute, said in a press release.

The Reputation Institute poll confirms the findings of a BBC- commissioned poll released last month. Canada finished second to only Germany in that report which indicated our reputation abroad was improving.

Those beliefs, however, differ from the opposition parties’ who say our reputation is diminishing because of the Tories’ policies on international affairs, the environment and the First Nations.
On Thursday, for example, the NDP’s Paul Dewar chided the Conservative government for its dealings in the international sphere.

“Dewar also blamed [Foreign Affairs Minister John] Baird for embarrassing Canada and souring relations with the United Nations by pulling out of various treaties or failing to honour others,” the Canadian Press reported.

But as the poll reveals, when you step back and see the forest for the trees — we’re still in pretty good shape. We’ve got a relatively strong economy, well-respected social policies and a strong stable government.

A specialized team of rescue workers from Vancouver is headed to Calgary to help that city recover from unprecedented flooding.

Mayor Gregor Robertson has confirmed 30 members of the Heavy Urban Search and Rescue –or HUSAR– Team have been deployed to help six City of Vancouver workers already in Calgary.

If needed, 20 more HUSAR members are prepared for departure.

The team includes emergency operations command staff, task force leaders, engineers, firefighters and paramedics who could spend up to two weeks in Alberta.

Robertson says Vancouver’s thoughts and prayers remain with the citizens of Calgary and all the others affected by the widespread devastation of last week’s flooding.

Fortis BC says stronger than normal smelling gas – all the way from Abbotsford to downtown Vancouver – is safe but still take precautions.

Since Thursday afternoon, hundreds of Fortis customers have called the company complaining of very smelly gas.

Michael Allison with Fortis says a stronger scent doesn’t make it more dangerous.

“we’re probably looking at our system right now and were going to be determining how long this is going to last because we definitely don’t want people to have undue concern.”

Allison says technicians will make site visits to anyone who has called to ensure there is no leak.

He says if you smell gas don’t take any chances — call Fortis BC, open windows and doors and get out until the company confirms it is safe.

The “surgical mask bandit” is off the streets.

Mounties say a suspect had hit up bank machines 12 times in the space of about a month – most of them in Surrey and White Rock.

He would approach his victims at various ATMs all after closing time and swipe their cash.

He was described as white, 6 feet tall, with short brown hair, but most notable was the surgical mask he wore to cover the lower half of his face.

Travis Jensen-Pickford, a 23-year-old from White Rock, was arrested 10 days ago.

He now faces a total of 36 charges, including robbery with a weapon, using an imitation firearm and disguise with intent.

DEHRADUN: Rescue and relief operations were intensified on a massive scale in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand as multiple agencies evacuated the worst-affected Kedarnath town and other areas even as the death toll is feared to be in several hundreds.

50,000 people were still said to be stranded in various parts of the state that was hit by cloudburst and floods in the upper reaches that left several hundreds of homes, rest houses and buildings in ruins and thousands of people missing.

The official death toll still stood at 150 but chief minister Vijay Bahuguna said the casualties could run into several hundreds which will be known only when areas become accessible and water recedes.

The state government’s disaster mitigation and management centre had in the morning said that the causalities could run into thousands with about 90 dharamshalas (resthouses for pilgrims) swept away in the flash floods.

In the wake of poor connectivity and communication, relatives of several pilgrims who came from outside the state were struggling to find the whereabouts of their dear ones.

The upper reaches of the state lay mute witness to the death and devastation caused by nature’s fury due to Saturday’s cloudburst and landslides and a complete estimate of which was still not available.

Uttarakhand principal secretary (home) Om Prakash told reporters here that 1,000 people have been evacuated from different places. There are still around 200 people in and around Kedarnath valley and tomorrow their evacuation will be done.

TBP chief Ajay Chadha, whose 1,000 men are involved in relief work in Uttarakhand, told reporters in Delhi that the worst affected Kedarnath temple area has been evacuated of people and there could still be about 400-500 people in the upper reaches.

He said Army will launch operations tomorrow to bring these people down. The Rambada area around the famous Kedarnath temple was still in slush and debris and there could bodies submerged in it, he said.

Chadha also said they were not in a position to give the complete death toll in the disaster unless bodies are recovered. There could be a lot of people who could have been washed away but in such situations eyewitness accounts could sometimes be exaggerated, Chadha said.

22 helicopters have been deployed to rescue and evacuate over 22,000 stranded people to safer locations through hundreds of sorties. Food, medicines and other essentials were also carried to the needy by the defence forces.

The ITBP DG, who is also in-charge of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), said 17 bodies were recovered by the troops of the specialised force from the Kedarnath area. The state government has been informed.

Gaurikund, the base camp for those going to Kedarnath temple, also witnessed rescue of 250 people today by small helicopters.

ITBP chief Chadha said a number of tracks are being opened up and he hoped that the Joshimath axis would be open for access by foot by tomorrow.

He also said the Badrinath area is “not as critical” as other areas and the situation was more or less similar in Yamunotri and Gangotri.

The DG said a number of people who were rescued were “traumatised” by the nature’s fury as he said that fear of disease outbreak could not be ruled out.

Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna termed the calamity as unprecedented adding that the casualties caused by the tragedy would run into several hundreds. “The tragedy is huge and damage tremendous with vast tracts of land still submerged under tonnes of debris. The causalities must run into several hundreds,” Bahuguna told reporters at the secretariat here.

Principal secretary Rakesh Sharma said 11,000 people stranded in Gangotri and Yamunotri routes in Uttarkashi district were evacuated through air and road routes. “Our focus right now is to vacate Kedarnath valley completely where 250 people are still stranded. Once we are through with this process we will move on to Badrinath where 9,000 people are stuck,” Sharma said.

When asked exactly how many people had been killed in the calamity, Sharma said it was difficult to arrive at a number but the figures can be “shockingly huge”.

Apart from the people rescued from Gangotri and Yamunotri, six foreign tourists have been evacuated from Harshil in Uttarkashi district and seven more from Milam and Burfu in Pithoragarh district. Sharma said about 1,500 yatris are stuck in Harshil who are being evacuated from helicopters. 516 people were also evacuated to Joshimath from Ghangharia, Pandukeshwar, Badrinath, Govindghat and Dudhar, he said. The official said efforts are on to make temporary helipads in the affected areas so that big MI-17 helicopters could be landed there to speed up the evacuation process.

New Delhi – A 20-year-old newly-married woman was gang-raped by four men here, police said Wednesday. Two of the accused have been arrested.

The incident happened at Gokalpuri area in east Delhi Saturday.

“The victim, a native of Bihar came to Delhi with her husband a few days ago. Two men, Digambar and Ravi assured her husband that they will get him employed in a factory,” said a police officer.

On Saturday, the duo called the couple to a house in Gokalpuri area, where two other men were already present, and kept them hostage. They raped the woman and threatened the couple of dire consequences if they told anybody about the assault, the victim told police in her complaint.

The couple later approached the police and Digambar and Ravi were arrested Wednesday, the officer added.—IANS

Cricketer Harbhajan Singh, who was stranded in Joshimath took the role of a counsellor alongside ITBP personnel as he met a number of pilgrims hit by incessant rains and floods. He was subsequently rescued and brought to safety

India cricketer Harbhajan Singh, who was stranded in Joshimath due to incessant rains while on a pilgrimage, was today rescued and taken to safety by the aviation wing of the Indian Army.
“Rescued by 205 army aviation squadron based at mamoon pathankot.thank u.sweet memories with the air crew.god bless,” a relieved Harbhajan wrote on his twitter page.

The cricketer who was staying at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) camp at Joshimath since the last four days after he too could not reach Hemkund Sahib gurudwara due to the inclement weather.
The off-spinner accompanied ITBP officials to the forces’ barracks and campuses on Tuesday where stranded pilgrims are being provided food and medicines and talked to them.

Harbhajan took the role of a counsellor alongside ITBP personnel as he met a number of pilgrims hit by incessant rains and floods.

“He counselled them (pilgrims and tourists) that all would be well soon and that force personnel and others are trying to bring as much succour as they can. He gave them food and water and spent with them,” a senior ITBP official said.

Flash floods, cloudbursts and landslides have claimed over a hundred lives in Uttarakhand and left thousands of pilgrims stranded.