myanmar authorities: A Myanmar government statement said an initial group of 2,251 would be sent back from mid-November at a rate of 150 per day, according to CTV. Noting that the actual date depended upon Bangladesh taking action, Win Myat Aye said, Whether it will happen on the day or not, we have to be ready on our side and we try our best to do that. Minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Win Myat Aye announced at a news conference that Bangladesh had informed Myanmar authorities that repatriation, agreed upon in principle months ago, would begin on Thursday. The Rohingya exodus began after Myanmar security forces launched a brutal crackdown following co-ordinated insurgent attacks in August 2017. Myanmar's government has denied this. The scale, organization and ferocity of the operation led to accusations from the international community, including the United Nations, of ethnic cleansing and genocide. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

recycling woes: City of Toronto employee Paolo Trulli, centre, talks to Mabel Ernest, left, and Michael Fagan, right, during a forum seeking residents' input on Toronto's recycling system, according to Toronto Star. David Rider The design sprint Friday, co-hosted by the city and a non-profit at Civic Hall Toronto, was a first attempt to tackle Toronto's vexing, expensive recycling woes through the eyes of the residents who actually use and sometimes abuse the resident-funded garbage, blue-box and green-bin system. Over the next four and a half hours, he guides the multicultural mix of volunteers of all ages and genders as they work through their feelings about recycling, obstacles to doing it right and possible solutions to the complex system's acknowledged problems. We normally deal with the waste management industry or packaging companies or the manufacturers, to fight problems including contamination of blue bins via food waste that stains paper or addition of non-recyclables, such as old clothes, says the city's Vincent Sferrazza. Article Continued Below His solid waste division last spring warned city councillors of a potential 2018 budget shortfall now forecast at about 10 million triggered by factors including Chinese recyclers turning away non-pristine paper fibre and, at home, increased bin contamination that boosts processing costs. This is a great opportunity for us now to engage with residents, community groups, social groups and others to ask, What are we doing and not doing right ', he says, with recycling as well as a multi-pronged public education campaign to tell people what needs to go in which bin. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jordan thomas: The last time the Tigers played on Investors Group Field in Winnipeg was in 2016 when Jordan Thomas was the quarterback, according to Vancouver Courier. The team fell short in that championship game, losing 35-32 to Kildonan East Rivers.article continues below Trending Stories Vision Vancouver will not run a mayoral candidate for first time in party's history Vancouver company set to dive into the biggest underwater sinkhole in the world Thomson Reuters to flatten organization as it seeks 'fewer, larger' acquisitions Amanda Tapping on coping with miscarriage It was Thomas' last game. John's Tigers fought off the opposition to win a high school football championship and keep a promise for a former quarterback who was murdered. The 18-year-old football player was stabbed to death in a schoolyard the next year as he walked home with his brother. So, at the start of this season, his teammates made a promise They would do their best to bring the championship home for Thomas. Another teenager was convicted for the murder. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

european union: Though the article oddly never mentions what that small part is, it's the controversial investment court system ICS a version of the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism still found in the NAFTA 2.0 agreement against Mexico and in the so-called Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, according to Rabble. The Canadian Press adds, Former Quebec premier Jean Charest, who now specializes in international business as a partner with law firm McCarthy Tetrault, said if enough countries approve the remaining portions, the deal becomes irreversible. But a small part of the deal still needs to be ratified by each member of the European Union. A large European player such as France, Germany or Italy would likely seal the deal. The European Commission's website states, EU governments, supported by the European Commission, have agreed that they will only put the Investment Court System into practice once all EU countries have finished their national ratification procedures. That's not entirely true. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

arts centre: Theatre Upstairs, 26 Berkeley St. canadianstage and 416-368-3110 and from Nov. 16-18 at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, 440 Locust St., Burlington burlingtonpac.ca and 905-681-6000 . Carole Fr chette wrote this play in 2000 during a residency of Francophone writers in Beirut, according to Toronto Star. The title character searches a conflict-ravaged Middle Eastern city for a lost necklace, encountering locals who put her experiences into perspective. Until Nov. 11 at the Berkeley St. A female actor usually plays Helen, and a male actor the taxi driver Nabil and other people Helen meets. Ken Gass offers a new approach in this staging for his own Canadian Rep Theatre Three female actors of varied cultural and ethnic backgrounds Akosua Amo-Adem, Zorana Sadiq, Helen Taylor play all the roles, which Gass hopes will come closer to recognizing the universality of Helen's journey. John Murrell's English translation has received high-profile productions at Tarragon 2004 and Shaw 2012 amongst other locations. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee crisis: Refugees wait to board a bus to the port of Mytilene, where they plan to board a ferry to Athens, at Moria Refugee Camp in September in Moria, Greece, according to Toronto Star. The World Refugee Council, established by a Canadian think-tank, is proposing using funds from dictators' frozen bank accounts to assist with the global refugee crisis. The proposal will be one of the main recommendations of the World Refugee Council, a self-appointed body of two dozen global political figures, academics and civil-society representatives led by former Canadian foreign minister Lloyd Axworthy. Milos Bicanski / GETTY IMAGES We've put forward a proposition that where there are frozen assets they should be unfrozen through a proper legal process and reallocated to help the victims of the crime and corruption and instability that the bad guys create, said Axworthy. The bad guys have to pay to help their victims. It's a morality play. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

treatment facility: Prosper Niyonzima came to Canada in 1995 from Burundi at age 13 after his parents were killed in war there, according to Toronto Star. He was adopted by an aunt in Toronto. Prosper Niyonzima, whose family was slaughtered in the Rwandan genocide, became a permanent resident of Canada in 1995 before criminal activity landed him in and out of jail, and resulted in the revocation of his immigrant status. Carlos Osorio / Toronto Star file photo In 2012, he was placed in detention to await deportation. He claims that when authorities finally transferred him to a secure treatment facility under a court order, he was forced to undergo painful electroconvulsive therapy, which was unsuccessful in addressing his condition. In a statement of claim filed Friday with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Niyonzima said that period of incarceration, which included more than 760 days in solitary, led him to experience a mental breakdown and rendered him catatonic for more than two years. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

victims: It's a morality play, according to Vancouver Courier. The bad guys have to pay to help their victims. The proposal will be one of the main recommendations of the World Refugee Council, a self-appointed body of two dozen global political figures, academics and civil-society representatives led by former Canadian foreign minister Lloyd Axworthy.article continues below Trending Stories Vision Vancouver will not run a mayoral candidate for first time in party's history Greater Vancouver home prices to drop 21 per cent by 2019 analysis Cloud 9 Revolving Restaurant to close in September Judges call for stiffer sentences for fentanyl dealers We've put forward a proposition that where there are frozen assets they should be unfrozen through a proper legal process and reallocated to help the victims of the crime and corruption and instability that the bad guys create, said Axworthy. The World Bank estimates the pool of cash to be worth 10 billion to 20 billion per year, Axworthy said in an interview. The United Nations will turn its attention to solving the problem at a special session later this fall, and the council plans to offer its input, using the weight of the last Canadian foreign minister to chair a Security Council meeting. The council was established last year by a Canadian think-tank, the Centre for International Governance Innovation, to find new ways to deal with the 21st century's record-setting migration crisis the 68.5 million displaced people driven from their homes by war, famine and disaster. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

something: The greatest tragedy in this mass killing is that one of the victims survived the Las Vegas massacre, only to die in this one, according to Rabble. We need to do something about guns. Their deaths should be mourned by all, are mourned by all here as far as I can see, and are mourned as deeply as the victims of any other mass killing anywhere. We need to do something, as well, about whatever the hell has gone wrong in the minds of a hell of a lot of people. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

media attention: But, How's the economy doing should've been question one, according to Rabble. The followup should've been How're YOU doing The economy has long since become a character in its own right, whose fortunes rise and fall separately from actual human beings who don't get the same media attention. Exit polls for the midterm election on November 6 showed most voters think the economy is doing well, so why -- they asked -- would anyone vote against Trump. Their fortunes rise and fall but mostly, during 40 years of neoliberal policies, they fall. Trump hasn't changed that. At best they stagnate. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

san francisco: Maybe more, according to CTV. It's very, very rare to find a Japanese-born female athlete who appeals to an international audience, said Bob Dorfman, a sports marketing expert and creative director at Baker Street Advertising in San Francisco, California. Off the court -- on the marketing front -- she has the same potential. Serena Williams topped the Forbes list of the highest-earning female athletes this year at 18 million, almost all endorsements. What's more, tennis, especially women's tennis, is a sport that lends itself to a broad variety of sponsors sporting goods, health and beauty, fashion, lifestyle, travel, personal care, you name it, Dorfman said. Osaka appears to be the right woman in the right sport at the right time with the draw to overtake Williams. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

thursday afp: A group of Central American migrants heading in a caravan to the U.S., and who are staying at a shelter set up at the Sports City in the Mexican capital, during a stop in their journey, march towards the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR hadquarters in Mexico City on Thursday, according to Toronto Star. ALFREDO ESTRELLA / AFP/GETTY IMAGES The office was closed when the migrants arrived, but a dozen were received by U.N. representatives at a nearby location, said Ilberto Sosa Montes, a 45-year-old Honduran who is one of caravan's co-ordinators. About 200 migrants, representing the roughly 5,000 staying in a stadium in the south of Mexico's capital, marched to the United Nations office in Mexico City to make the demand for transportation. We need buses to continue travelling, said Milton Benitez, a caravan co-ordinator. This is a humanitarian crisis and they are ignoring it, Benitez said as the group arrived at the U.N. office. Benitez noted that it would be colder in northern Mexico and it wasn't safe for the migrants to continue along highways, where drug cartels frequently operate. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

travel ban: They are intended to circumvent laws stating that anyone is eligible for asylum no matter how he or she enters the country, according to CTV. About 70,000 people per year who enter the country illegally claim asylum, officials said. Trump invoked the same powers he used last year to impose a travel ban that was upheld by the Supreme Court, and the new regulations were likely to draw a legal challenge. We need people in our country but they have to come in legally, Trump said Friday as he departed for Paris. But those efforts have been largely thwarted by legal challenges and, in the case of family separations this year, stymied by a global outcry that prompted Trump to retreat. Trump's announcement was the latest push to enforce a hardline stance on immigration through regulatory changes and presidential orders, bypassing Congress which has not passed any immigration law reform. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

birther: She also reflects on early struggles in her marriage to Barack Obama as he began his political career and was often away, according to Vancouver Courier. She writes that they met with a counsellor a handful of times, and she came to realize that she was more in charge of her happiness than she had realized. She also denounces Trump's birther campaign questioning her husband's citizenship, calling it bigoted and dangerous, deliberately meant to stir up the wingnuts and kooks. article continues below Trending Stories On This Spot Step into Vancouver's history with this free walking tour app Gangs of Vancouver Where to mark Remembrance Day in Vancouver How to become a Trans Link busker in Vancouver In her memoir Becoming, set to come out Tuesday, Obama writes openly about everything from growing up in Chicago to confronting racism in public life to her amazement at becoming the country's first black first lady. This was my pivot point, Obama explains. Obama writes that she assumed Trump was grandstanding when he announced his presidential run in 2015. My moment of self-arrest. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

people: He said in an interview that Canada's recent spike in irregular migrants is nothing compared to the millions of refugees who pour every year into much poorer countries. ; Likewise, the migrant caravan making its way through Mexico toward the United States, numbering in the low thousands of people, is small compared to the vast migrations borne in recent years by countries like Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, which have taken in over five million Syrian refugees, according to National Observer. A lot of the media debate that we often see is that there are hordes of people coming to the industrialized world that's absolutely not true, Turk said. Volker Turk, an Austrian in charge of refugee protection for the UN, was in Ottawa this week to meet with Canadian border officials. North America has largely been shielded from the true global crisis of 68.5 million displaced persons in the world fleeing war and conflict, he said. Political rhetoric whipping up public concern over the asylum-seekers has been rising in recent weeks, led by politicians in both Canada and the United States. I think it's important to put everything in perspective and to bear in mind that when people talk about a 'crisis' these days, these crises are far away from North America or from Europe, they are taking place often in the poorest countries in the world who need our support, need our solidarity and who need also our humanity. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

core supporters: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, or AOC to her core supporters, is the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, according to Rabble. This Bronx-born, 29-year-old millennial of Puerto Rican descent is a proud member of the Democratic Socialists of America. That's exactly what this is, not a campaign or an election day, but a movement, a larger movement for social, economic and racial justice in the United States of America. She marks a critical inflection point in American electoral politics. While Republicans increased their majority in the U.S. Senate, the Democrats took control of the House of Representatives. Amidst the backdrop of white nationalist violence linked to the presidency of Donald Trump, the 2018 midterm elections are ushering in a slate of elected officials representing the country's diversity more than ever before. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

elections: Without the excitement of a presidential campaign, midterm elections are usually sleepy affairs where the incumbents regularly win, according to Rabble. For example, brothel owner Dennis Hof was elected to Nevada District 36 Assembly on Tuesday, despite the fact he died on October 16. So why are the U.S. Democrats so happy In such a huge election -- involving 46 state elections as well as the federal House of Representatives and one-third of the federal Senate -- it's hard to get the big picture. In Trump Country, 70 per cent of the voters decided they would rather vote for a dead pimp than a live Democrat. Rather, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, they organized locally within their own party and won at the party primary level, with unexpected challenges to unwary incumbents. So calcified are midterms that many of the new Democratic stars had no opponent from the other party in the actual election. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

everything right: That will now be optional, so workers can choose to sue in court and present their case in front of a jury, according to CTV. It mirrors a change made by ride-hailing service Uber after complaints from its female employees prompted an internal investigation. Google bowed to one of the protesters' main demands by dropping mandatory arbitration of all sexual misconduct cases. The probe concluded that its rank had been poisoned by rampant sexual harassment. We recognize that we have not always gotten everything right in the past and we are sincerely sorry for that. Google's leaders and I have heard your feedback and have been moved by the stories you've shared, CEO Sundar Pichai said in an email to Google employees. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pittsburgh synagogue: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walks with Ana Maria Gordon, who was four-years-old when she travelled on the MS St, according to Toronto Star. Louis, after their remarks at a reception following the formal apology for the fate of the ship carrying Jewish refugees in 1939, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Nov. 7. Trudeau said Holocaust deniers still exist and anti-Semitism remains a problem in Canada, noting the latest numbers from Statistics Canada show Jews are the most frequent targets of religiously motivated hate crimes. Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS The prevalence of anti-Semitism in contemporary society showed itself almost two weeks ago when a gunman killed 11 worshippers inside a Pittsburgh synagogue simply because they were Jewish, Trudeau said. I pledge to you all now we will do more, Trudeau said, without providing more details. The ensuing days have seen countrywide vigils and calls for the government to do more through a federal program that funds security improvements at places at risk of hate-motivated crimes, such as synagogues. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

grinch: Opens Friday at theatres everywhere. 90 minutes, according to Toronto Star. GThe three words that best describe The Grinch are as follows, and I quote Who woulda thunk Who woulda thunk that Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier, the latest filmmakers to big-screen Dr. Directed by Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier. Seuss's Yuletide classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, would find equal if unspoken inspiration from another holiday perennial, A Charlie Brown Christmas Article Continued Below This curious incarnation of the Grinch, enthusiastically voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, reveals the seasonal meanie to be more Charlie Brown lonely boy than Christmas-hating misanthrope. Sound like a certain round-headed kid you know Other Peanuts comparisons can be made Cindy Lou Who Cameron Seely who is a lot more than two, comes across as Peppermint Patty, the can-do kid, while her pal Groopert Tristan O'Hare is just a thumb and blanket shy of being deep-thinker Linus. He's green with envy, yearning for Christmas fellowship he never really knew and struggling to understand the joy of others. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

helmut oberlander: In addition, Judge Michael Phelan sharply limited any possibility that Oberlander, 94, could take the case to the Federal Court of Appeal, according to CTV. Phelan said he was mindful his decision determines rights of appeal. In a ruling this week, a Federal Court judge lifted a stay on his earlier decision that the government had been reasonable in stripping citizenship from Helmut Oberlander. One of Oberlander's lawyers said on Thursday that next steps were uncertain. The Ukraine-born Oberlander, who came to Canada in 1954 and became a citizen six years later, has steadfastly maintained he was just 17 when he was forced on pain of execution to join the Nazi death squad Einsatzkommando 10a, known as Ek 10a. We don't have instructions at the moment about what he's going to do, Barb Jackman said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fort: On the eve of the U.S. midterm elections earlier this week, Norman Snowshoe of Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories, a Gwich'in community north of the Arctic Circle, posted the following on Facebook I'm Canadian, according to Rabble. Why am I so interested in U.S. politics Oh yeah, the fate of Porcupine Caribou lies in the hands of the biggest idiot to ever hit the planet!! Fort McPherson lies on the east bank of the lower Peel River, just east of the N.W.T.-Yukon border. And Norman Snowshoe of Fort McPherson dreads what could be coming. At an equivalent degree of latitude in eastern Canada it would be on tree-less tundra. There are two stores in the town of fewer than a 1,000 people, where you can buy high-priced canned and packaged goods and freezer-burnt fruit and vegetables. In McPherson, however, you look out to dense forests of spruce, pine, willow and birch. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wednesday afternoon: The amount of women that are now in these great positions is phenomenal, according to Toronto Star. Robin Vargas, pictured in Halifax outside his workplace on Wednesday, says he's hopeful a blue wave will come over the U.S. and bring real political change. I'm ecstatic, Robin Vargas, 34, said Wednesday afternoon during a break from his insurance job in Halifax. Fadila Chater / For Star Metro Halifax On Tuesday, Americans went to the polls to vote in the country's midterm elections. I really liked how we had some key figures in the Senate run who really opened minds and opened eyes to what the possibilities could be, Vargas said. And it proved to be a pivotal moment in the country's political landscape, Vargas said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

historica canada: She says it's important people understand that thousands of Indigenous people fought in the two world wars but, when they returned home, they were not treated like their non-Indigenous comrades, according to Vancouver Courier. POLL FINDS BUMP IN REMEMBRANCE DAY INTERESTA new survey suggests Canadians of all generations are more likely to honour military veterans by attending a Remembrance Day ceremony this year. It was started in 1993 in Winnipeg when organizer and Indigenous veteran Randi Gage says they faced racism and resistance. A poll commissioned by Historica Canada found a 10-per-cent spike in the number of respondents who planned to take part in a ceremony in 2018 compared to 2017. CANADA NOT FACING ASYLUM- UNHCRNeither Canada nor the U.S. is experiencing a crisis in asylum claims, says the United Nations' assistant high commissioner for refugees. The online poll, conducted by Ipsos, found plans were relatively consistent across demographics but millennial respondents expressed the most consistent enthusiasm for attending Remembrance Day events. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

indian immigrant: RIP My Mentions, according to NOW Magazine. Kondabolu is a comic navigating current U.S. politics from an Indian-American lens, as seen on his Netflix stand-up special Warn Your Relatives. Comedian Hari Kondabolu immediately tweeted his condolences RIP Apu. He's also the man behind The Problem With Apu, a documentary taking The Simpsons to task for its stereotypical depiction of an Indian immigrant with an exaggerated accent, voiced by Hank Azaria. The Simpsons struggled with how to respond to the conversation Kondabolu stirred. In an appearance on Totally Biased, Kondabolu described Azaria's voice work as a white guy doing an impression of a white guy making fun of my father. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

stories arby: In addition, Judge Michael Phelan sharply limited any possibility that Oberlander, 94, could take the case to the Federal Court of Appeal.article continues below Trending Stories Arby's is opening in Metro Vancouver soon Vision Vancouver will not run a mayoral candidate for first time in party's history'Bella Dolls' Is Vancouver ready for a sex doll brothel Eight Vancouver daycares part of B.C.'s low-cost childcare program Phelan said he was mindful his decision determines rights of appeal, according to Vancouver Courier. One of Oberlander's lawyers said on Thursday that next steps were uncertain. In a ruling this week, a Federal Court judge lifted a stay on his earlier decision that the government had been reasonable in stripping citizenship from Helmut Oberlander. We don't have instructions at the moment about what he's going to do, Barb Jackman said. The squad was responsible for killing close to 100,000 people, mostly Jewish. The Ukraine-born Oberlander, who came to Canada in 1954 and became a citizen six years later, has steadfastly maintained he was just 17 when he was forced on pain of execution to join the Nazi death squad Einsatzkommando 10a, known as Ek 10a. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.