border security: After a private meeting with border officials Wednesday, Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike emerged with that faintest tinge of optimism that had all but evaporated from the Capitol last month during a 35-day shutdown, according to Rabble. Aides and members point to progress Democrats and Republicans are trading proposals back and forth, negotiating in good faith and trying to find a commonsense middle ground that includes a three-pronged approach to border security a mix of barriers, personnel and technology that both sides can agree on. The signs are promising that a 17-person conference committee is making progress. What we are hearing right now is that they are talking. Thom Tillis of North Carolina told CNN. I know that they are consulting with the White House but I don't know what level of depth they've gotten into. It's not like some of these negotiations where they all come together 24 hours before a deadline and say 'we've reached an impasse' when in fact they haven't even had any meaningful discussions, Republican Sen. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kind word: The CBC president was musing, at an industry conference in Ottawa last week, about the heyday of the British and French Empires, when if you were the viceroy of India you would feel that you were doing only good for the people of India, according to CBC. Or, if you were in French Africa, you would think I'm educating them, I'm bringing their resources to the world, and I'm helping them.' The comments have since come back to bite her, not because many people have a kind word for imperialism these days but because she was comparing those colonial empires, which invaded and conquered territory by force of arms, to the new empire of Netflix. Patrick Semansky/AP Andrew Coyne February 6, 20199 59 PM ESTFiled under Full Share this story Andrew Coyne Cultural imperialism isn't threatening Canadian identity and cultural nationalism can't save it Tumblr Pinterest Google Linked In There was a time, Catherine Tait was saying, when cultural imperialism was absolutely accepted. As more than one commentator has objected, none of the six million Canadians who subscribe to Netflix was made to do so at the point of a gun. It was, in short, an altogether silly line of argument. Neither is it evident what comparable damage is done by a service that gives willing viewers in this country access to well-made television programs from around the world. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

documentary nominees: This year, TIFF has secured all five nominees in each of the three categories animation, live action and documentary, each screening in a separate program, according to NOW Magazine. There are some interesting trends, like the fact that three of the animated nominees are centred on Asian characters and two of those are set in an undisguised Toronto! or that two of the live-action nominees hail from Quebec, or that all five of the documentary nominees are rooted in the notion that we really need to be more understanding of one another. Rating NNNNIt's become a tradition that TIFF screens as many Oscar-nominated short subjects as possible in advance of the Academy Awards, to demonstrate the range of cinema being celebrated and, perhaps, so people can fill out their pool entries with as much information as possible. You might also notice that two of the live-action nominees are really quite bad. Take notes. Anyway, read on. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

elections canada: Stephane Perrault says if the fake information appears in an advertisement, there are some minimal rules that cover impersonation of parties, candidates or Elections Canada officials and some elements of disinformation, according to Vancouver Courier. Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS The Canadian Press Joan Bryden February 7, 20195 41 PM ESTFiled underPMN Share this story Not much Elections Canada can do about fake news spread about candidates Tumblr Pinterest Google Linked InOTTAWA Canada's chief electoral officer says there's not much his independent agency can do to counter fake news circulated about a candidate in the midst of an election. Canada's chief electoral watchdog says there's not much his independent agency can do to counter fake news circulated about a candidate in the midst of an election. Stephane Perrault told a House of Commons committee Thursday there are some minimal rules that cover impersonation of parties, candidates or Elections Canada officials and some limited forms of disinformation. In an appearance Thursday before a House of Commons committee, Perrault refused to comment specifically on an ad that falsely suggests NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who is in the midst of a byelection contest in British Columbia's Burnaby South, owns an opulent mansion. But lies spread through social media can't be regulated by Elections Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian stage: This sort of mythic play in our canon, according to Toronto Star. And that ability, race and gender were a huge part of that exploration. Jain explained to Ho that casting a male actor in this traditionally female role was part of his particular approach to Shakespeare's iconic play We talked about how it's an examination of who gets to tell the story, says Ho. Actor Jeff Ho will reprise his role as Ophelia in Why Not Theatre's Prince Hamlet. After great reviews and a sellout Jain's company Why Not Theatre has remounted Prince Hamlet for a nationwide tour that opens at Canadian Stage this week, after playing in Banff and Vancouver and en route to Ottawa . So it's true that his joining Prince Hamlet was to some extent, as Ho puts it, the greatest fluke ever. NICK KOZAK FOR THE TORONTO STAR Ho got on board, joining a cast that included a female Hamlet Christine Horne Black female actors playing Gertrude Karen Robinson and Laertes Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah and the deaf female actor Dawn Jani Birley playing Horatio. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ed broadbent: So it was startling when Dewar revealed in June 2018 that, as he was recovering from brain surgery several months before, he saw news of the high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that killed 17 people -- and that he abandoned any hope and was ready to give up, according to CTV. Except giving up was never really in Dewar's vocabulary. Despite struggling with dyslexia as a child, getting trounced by Ed Broadbent during his initial foray into politics, losing his seat in the House of Commons in the Liberal wave of 2015 and being diagnosed with a terminal illness, the 56-year-old was infused with a positive, hopeful attitude and belief that the world could be made a better place. Inspired as Parkland students channelled their loss and pain into a rallying cry against gun violence in the U.S., Dewar decided to launch a new initiative to try to empower a new generation of leaders who would work for the greater good. Hopefully, it will help unleash the power of the young people in our community to make a real difference. In a farewell message posted to Facebook after his death, Dewar wrote that true change can only come when power is transferred to young people unburdened by cynicism -- which is why he used what little energy he had left to create Youth Action Now. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government shutdown: Train derailment The Transportation Safety Board says a Canadian Pacific freight train started moving on its own before it derailed near the Alberta-B.C. border and killed three workers. 2, according to CTV. Trump address U.S. President Donald Trump called for bipartisanship in his State of the Union address, but refused to give up on the hard-line immigration policies that forced the recent government shutdown. 3. Here's what else you need to know to start your day. 1. Statutory holiday The federal government wants to make Sept. 30 a new statutory holiday, focused on reconciliation with Indigenous Canadians. 4. Safer internet There is no shortage of online threats facing Canadians each day, but experts say internet users aren't doing enough to protect themselves. Arrow death Police in London, Ont. are investigating after a man was struck and killed with an arrow, but say there is no threat to public safety. 5. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

gta residents: In one, police say a 17-year-old schoolgirl was taken to a series of GTA motels by a man with a gun and forced to sell her body to strangers, according to Toronto Star. Ads for female escorts on the classifieds site Leo List. Toronto police have charged eight GTA residents with dozens of charges in four separate cases this year involving the website Leo List. So far this year, Toronto police have charged eight GTA residents in four separate cases of alleged human trafficking, each involving sex ads on the site. Steve Russell / Toronto Star The latest bust was announced last week, after police say a man physically assaulted a 28-year-old woman several times, including one attack that left her with broken ribs. Sex workers say internet advertising helps them vet their clients and stay off the streets. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

housing emergency: Over 1,000 people are living in what can only be compared to refugee camp conditions respite sites including a disaster dome, overnight drop-ins, and basements of churches and synagogues, according to Rabble. The housing emergency affects close to 200,000 people 181,000 people are on the social housing wait list and another 16,000 await supportive housing. The homelessness emergency affects over 8,000 people. Essentially neither is being built. Equally dispassionate were the General Manager of Shelter, Support and Housing and the Medical Officer of Health. In a debate over whether to declare Toronto's housing and homelessness crisis an emergency, the directors of Toronto's emergency management and legal services offices dispassionately addressed language in the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, including what entails an emergency. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

woman governor: She was the first black woman to deliver such an address and used the high-wattage event to blister Trump on everything from education and school safety to being out of touch with the middle class, according to CTV. But she was especially stinging when it came to Trump's role in the 35-day partial government shutdown over his demands for a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. Just months after narrowly losing her bid to become America's first black woman governor, the Georgia Democrat stepped onto the biggest stage of her political career to deliver her party's rebuttal to Trump's State of the Union address. The shutdown was a stunt engineered by the president of the United States, one that defied every tenet of fairness and abandoned not just our people, but our values, Abrams said. And she largely avoided the pitfalls of others who delivered similar responses, including Florida Sen. Her speech was much shorter than the president's hour-plus address. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

law enforcement: One slide quotes the head of the FBI and a White House cybersecurity and cyberterrorism advisor saying China has been responsible for most attacks, according to Vancouver Courier. More than 170 people with no security vetting attended the presentation, sections of which were redacted as harmful to law enforcement when requested under access to information laws. Recently released but partially redacted documents show Gary Perkins, provincial chief information security officer and executive director of B.C.'s Information Security Branch, gave a presentation entitled Information Security and Privacy' to the summit.article continues below Trending Stories Metro Vancouver weather prepare for more snow, arctic winds Museum of Vancouver exhibit looks to the future Vancouver Police Department welcomes new recruits, including third generation police officer Vancouver mayor's private life goes public Most of Perkin's presentation slides were about media reports, cybercrime costs, alleged Russian interference in U.S. 2016 elections, activist hackers and critical infrastructure susceptible to cyberattacks. In a statement to Glacier Media, the Ministry of Citizens' Services said information redacted included a list of internet protocol addresses, numbers assigned to each device connected to a computer network, and a list of global jurisdictions frequently the source of cyberattack attempts. Global cyber attacks on the day of the conference. While a list of attack sources was removed, what remained were references to interactive websites such as Norse or Digital Attack Map, which clearly show such sources. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

court sketch: From left, defence lawyer James Miglin, Justice John McMahon, court registrar, serial killer Bruce McArthur, Crown Attorney Michael Cantlon, Insp, according to Toronto Star. Hank Idsinga, and friends and family of victims, back right, are shown in this court sketch in Toronto on Tuesday. McArthur, 67, who pleaded guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder, faces an automatic sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for a minimum of 25 years. Alexandra Newbould / THE CANADIAN PRESS At McArthur's sentencing hearing Tuesday the Crown asked for a parole ineligibility period of 50 years by which time McArthur would be 116. McArthur's defence lawyer, James Miglin, said a period of 25 years parole ineligibility is appropriate given the killer's age and guilty pleas, which Miglin said indicate his public acceptance of responsibility for his horrible crimes. That sentence would effectively keep the families of his victims from ever having to face him at a parole hearing. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

isis-led genocide: Timeline of the Yazidi genocide and Canada's resettlement efforts Five women and one 14-year-old girl have filed reports with York Regional Police, according to CTV. The victims are all Yazidis who survived an ISIS-led genocide in Iraq in 2014. Former ISIS sex slaves, who were given sanctuary in Canada, are again living in fear after being bombarded by voicemails and texts threatening rape and murder. They have handed over to police recordings of the phone calls and screen grabs of the texts, which reference the Islamic State and include pictures of beheadings and armed Jihadis. In one, a man laughs as he says in Arabic I am the man who f d you. W5 has listened to the phone calls. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nomination fight: It's a chance for Trump to set his agenda for the year and beyond to frame the story of his presidency so far as he gears up for another campaign, according to Rabble. He'll do that at a moment that seems to call for some presidential spin. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.SUBSCRIBE Feb. 5, 2019, 9 28 AM GMT / Updated Feb. 5, 2019, 2 47 PM GMT By Jonathan Allen WASHINGTON Halfway through his term, and with Democrats clambering into the nomination fight for the right to try to oust him in 2020, President Donald Trump will address Congress and the nation in his annual State of the Union address Tuesday. Trump is coming off a five-week partial government shutdown that he once promised he would be proud to force, in what turned out to be an ill-fated attempt to gain leverage over congressional Democrats in his quest to build a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico. With all of that as a backdrop, he will, for the first time, address a joint session of Congress in which one of the two chambers the House is under the control of rival Democrats. Despite continued economic growth, his approval ratings have cratered in recent weeks, dropping under 40 percent in many surveys. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

security threats: Border Security Minister Bill Blair says officials screen all asylum-seekers at the border and that there is no security problem, according to Toronto Star. Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS file photo All those in the queue had already been screened once at the border to see whether they posed clear security threats. Internal government documents obtained by lawyer Richard Kurland under the federal access-to-information law show that as of Feb. 28, 2018, there were 11,745 asylum-seekers waiting for second security screenings, up from 1,683 just two years earlier an increase of about 700 per cent. Overall, 41 per cent of the backlog cases were refugee claimants who are already in Canada but who have not been security screened, Canada Border Services Agency officials wrote in a presentation outlining why things were so backed up, and who was stuck in it. Article Continued Below Border Security Minister Bill Blair said officials check all asylum-seekers at the border and stressed there is no security threat to Canadians. The Toronto Star first reported the details, which lit a political fire in the House of Commons' daily question period. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

seekers: Migrants from Somalia cross into Canada illegally from the United States in February 2017 by walking along train tracks into the town of Emerson, Man., where they sought asylum, according to Toronto Star. JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILE PHOTO Lawyer Richard Kurland said the fact so many asylum seekers have not yet had security screening is troubling. The internal government report showed the number of asylum seekers awaiting clearance had exploded sevenfold between 2016 and 2018. SUPPLIED PHOTO As of last February, Canada Border Services Agency had 11,745 asylum seekers in the queue for security assessment, up from just 1,683 two years earlier. Lawyer Richard Kurland, who obtained the border agency report under an access to information request, said all so-called irregular migrants who crossed the border for asylum from the U.S. would have undergone an initial identity check with the CIA and FBI based on biometrics information, such as fingerprints and travel documents, before being released for further screening by border agents, which may include personal records from a refugee claimant's home country. Refugee claimants accounted for 41 per cent of the overall security backlog, which also included screenings required for those applying for permanent residence, international students, foreign workers and visitors. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

crown prince: There is no alternative we will either build the future together or there will not be a future, Francis told Abu Dhabi's powerful crown prince and hundreds of imams, muftis, ministers, rabbis and swamis gathered in the Emirati capital at a time when the UAE-backed Saudi war in Yemen has driven the Arab world's poorest country to the brink of famine, according to CTV. God is with those who seek peace, Francis added. In a keynote speech to an interfaith gathering in the United Arab Emirates, Francis warned that the future of humanity was at stake unless religions come together to resist the logic of armed power ... the arming of borders, the raising of walls. Francis' speech, delivered at the Emirates' Founders' Memorial, capped a historic day that began when he arrived at the presidential palace for a welcome ceremony in a tiny Kia hatchback -- only to be greeted by an artillery salute and military flyover by a country at war. It featured horse-mounted guards escorting the pontiff's motorcade through the palace gardens while the flyover trailed the yellow and white smoke of the Vatican flag. Even for a nation known for excess, the Emiratis' red-carpet welcome was remarkable, especially for a pope who prides himself on simplicity. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

politics news: Sign up for our Capital Dispatch newsletter, for all the latest politics news The Lima Group's meeting comes amid massive protests in Venezuela pressing Maduro to go, according to CTV. The group built on that backing in its final communique by calling upon the National Armed Forces of Venezuela to demonstrate their loyalty to the Interim President in his constitutional functions as their Commander in Chief. The declaration in the final Lima Group communique from Monday's emergency meeting in Ottawa came two days after the defection of a top air-force general, once loyal to socialist president Nicolas Maduro. They also called on the armed forces not to impede entry and transit of humanitarian assistance to Venezuelans. We have a huge relationship with different people in the army force. Guaido's representative to Monday's Ottawa meeting, Orlando Viera-Blanco, said the decision was a key step in freeing his country from its economic and political crisis and putting in on a road toward democracy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

presidency canada: Their meeting comes amid massive protests in Venezuela aimed at pressing Maduro, the country's socialist leader, to vacate the presidency, according to Vancouver Courier. Canada and the Lima Group are backing Juan Guaido, the opposition leader who's the head of Venezuela's legislature, as Maduro's replacement. Trudeau made the comments Monday ahead of an emergency meeting of like-minded countries in Ottawa to discuss the political, economic and humanitarian crises in Venezuela, which has spilled over into its neighbours.article continues below Trending StoriesNPA fails to meet deadline to file election documentsBC pioneers residential care for eating disorders Cultural Society connects local Tamils with their heritage More money, more greenspace, according to UBC study The so-called Lima Group includes more than a dozen Western Hemisphere nations. Trudeau also announced 53 million worth of humanitarian assistance Monday for the most-pressing needs of Venezuelans, including the almost 3 million refugees. This is a pivotal moment for the people of Venezuela we are observing a widespread rejection of the Maduro regime's illegitimate claim to power following fraudulent elections last May, Trudeau said in his opening remarks before the meeting. The funds will go to trusted partners and neighbouring countries, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

asylum-seeker children: Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the last four asylum-seeker children on Nauru would soon be resettled with their families in the United States under a deal struck in the final months of President Barack Obama's administration, according to CTV. Every asylum seeker child has now been removed from Nauru or has had their claim processed and has a clear path off the island, Morrison said in a statement. The psychiatric and physical suffering of children has been the major criticism of the government's policy since 2013 to send asylum seekers who attempt to reach Australia by boat to an immigration camp on Nauru or men-only facilities on Papua New Guinea. The United States agreed in 2016 to accept up to 1,250 refugees. Law firm Maurice Blackburn said it would continue its legal fight until all asylum seekers were removed from the island camps. More than 1,000 others remain on the islands and face uncertain futures. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

court filing: He said the government should focus on reuniting children currently in its custody, not those who have already been released to sponsors, according to CTV. It would destabilize the permanency of their existing home environment, and could be traumatic to the children, White said in a court filing late Friday, citing his years of experience working with unaccompanied migrant children and background as a social worker. Jonathan White, who leads the Health and Human Services Department's efforts to reunite migrant children with their parents, said removing children from sponsor homes to rejoin their parents would present grave child welfare concerns. The administration outlined its position in a court-ordered response to a government watchdog report last month that found many more migrant children may have been split from their families than previously reported. It is unknown how many families were split under a longstanding policy that allows separation under certain circumstances, such as serious criminal charges against a parent, concerns over the health and welfare of a child or medical concerns. The government didn't adequately track separated children before a federal judge in San Diego ruled in June that children in its custody be reunited with their parents. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

english vocabulary: To meet the English-language requirement, individuals must reach Level 4 of the Canadian language benchmarks, meaning they can understand simple sentences and use basic grammar, according to Toronto Star. Scott Gardner / The Hamilton Spectator file photo Three years ago, a day shy of Valentine's Day, 36-year old Ibrahim and seven family members landed in Surrey, B.C., as part of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's signature Syrian Refugee Initiative. Nose, she proudly pronounces, eager to demonstrate her expanding English vocabulary. She didn't know a word of English, nor could she read or write in her native Arabic. While her mom, dad, grandmother and two school-age brothers are eligible to become citizens this year, she and two other adult siblings, who also never learned to read or write, will not be. Despite taking language classes four days a week, she has a long way to go to meet the English-language requirement for Canadian citizenship. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

eritrean backlog: From left, Debretsion amd Senait Abbe and their children, Merken, 9, Merhawi, 10, and Mesuna, 5, according to Toronto Star. They spent three years in a Sudanese refugee camp before arriving in Canada, sponsored by family and friends. Unlike the media frenzy that marked the arrival of the first of 60,000 Syrian refugees to Canada, federal officials have quietly achieved another immigration feat that has largely gone unnoticed They eliminated one of the country's worst refugee resettlement backlogs and ushered in 12,000 Eritreans to begin new lives in Canada. RICK MADONIK / TORONTO STAR Ottawa began tackling the Eritrean backlog in 2015 at the same time world attention was focused on the desperate plight of Syrian refugees. But thanks to an inspired collaboration between frontline visa officers on two continents, most of the Eritrean refugees were resettled in Canada by December. The Eritreans, who fled President Isaias Afwerki's oppressive military regime, had been languishing for years in refugee camps in Sudan, where they, again, were often subjected to violence. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

theatre department: A lot of inside jokes came from that and I kind of became the butt of the joke, being the only Black person in the theatre department and I'm playing the slave, Cheesman said, according to Toronto Star. Keshia Cheesman is one of many Calgarians in the local arts scene looking to push aside barriers created by discrimination in the industry. She played Tituba, the slave, and she didn't even want to audition in the first place. Supplied That was nearly 10 years ago, and at the time, she used to laugh along with the jokes to fit in. Before high school, when Cheesman was a dancer, she recalled being regularly cast as male characters. Now I'm realizing how harmful all of that was because there were so many other roles that I just knew I wouldn't be considered for because of my colour or my size. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

office sunday: Ralph Northam clung to office Sunday amid nearly unanimous calls from his own party to resign over a racist photo in his 1984 medical school yearbook, going silent after a bizarre 24 hours in which he first admitted he was in the picture, then denied it, according to Vancouver Courier. The Democrat's stunning about-face at a weekend news conference where he also acknowledged putting on blackface for a dance contest decades ago and appeared to briefly entertain the notion of doing the Michael Jackson moonwalk for reporters only seemed to make things worse.article continues below Trending Stories More than 40 men arrested in underage Vancouver sex sting Vancouver Park Board commissioner doesn't want 4/20 event at Sunset Beach Report reveals chaotic scene at police shooting outside Vancouver Canadian Tire Amanda Tapping on coping with miscarriage The chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus declared that Northam still does not understand the seriousness of his actions. Gov. The photo shows someone in blackface and another person in a Ku Klux Klan hood and robe. Karen Bass, D-California, said on NBC's Meet the Press. ''He knew this picture was there, and he could've come clean and talked to African-Americans that he's close to decades ago. I think he's been completely dishonest and disingenuous, Rep. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kaepernick: The Grammy-nominated rapper told The Associated Press on Friday evening that she had mixed feelings after she declined to take the stage at Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta, according to Toronto Star. She said it was a hard decision since her husband, rapper Offset, loves to watch football, but she felt obligated to stand behind Kaepernick because he stood up for minorities. The Associated Press Sat., Feb. 2, 2019 ATLANTA Cardi B said she received an offer to perform at the Super Bowl, but struggled with the decision to turn down the lucrative opportunity in support of ex-NFL player Colin Kaepernick. Last year, Cardi B, above, said she wouldn't take the Super Bowl stage until ex-NFL player Colin Kaepernick gets a job. His kids play football. Matt Sayles / Matt Sayles/Invision/AP My husband, he loves football. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.