immigrantscanada.com

Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

madison: The visit of Kirsten Madison, the State Department's assistant secretary for international narcotics and law enforcement affairs, would be the first tangible step forward in the new joint Canada-U.S. effort that hatched out of the June 20 White House meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Donald Trump. ; Stamping out opioid overdose deaths, especially in the Rust Belt states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania, has been a declared priority for Trump, whose path to victory in 2016 depended on voters in those states, according to National Observer. Trudeau announced the new initiative after his meeting with Trump, saying the two countries will work together and in multilateral organizations to find solutions to the crisis while deepening law-enforcement co-operation to combat trafficking.A senior government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the high-level initiative, said Madison's July visit will start the discussion by reviewing existing co-operation and mapping out new strategies. That includes a renewed focus on stemming the flow of fentanyl into the two countries from China, The Canadian Press has learned. Only a small amount of illegal opioids enter the U.S .from Canada, which the U.S. readily acknowledges. Jim Carroll, the director of White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, has also expressed interest in coming to Ottawa to discuss opioids, said the official. The biggest source of the deadly drug for both countries is mail and courier packages from China, said the official. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

el salvador: Visibly shaken, she did not comment, according to CTV. Officials say she has asked the media to respect her mourning and leave her alone. Tania Vanessa Avalos arrived in El Salvador with a family friend who had gone with them on their ill-fated journey to the United States. Authorities decided for logistical reasons to transport by land the bodies of husband scar Alberto Martinez Ramirez, 25, and Valeria, 23 months, and they were expected to arrive Sunday. Martinez and Valeria were swept away by the border river between Matamoros, Mexico, and Brownsville, Texas, on Sunday, and their bodies were found the next morning. Deputy Foreign Minister Mauricio Cabrera said the tragedy has dismayed the national and global public opinion. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration concerns: More important than jobs, more important than health care, more important than immigration, according to CTV. Concerns about the environment have been rising in the public consciousness ever since a landmark UN report was put out last fall, which laid out a grim picture of the future if world leaders across the globe can't slow down human-caused warming of the planet. For the first time in 15 years, the last four weeks have had the environment as the top national issue of concern, Nanos told CTV News. In the political sphere, the issue of how best to tackle climate change has been a source of contention, with federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer and several premiers opposing the Liberal government's federal carbon tax. This ruling means the the battle lines have been drawn, Nanos said. An Ontario court ruled Friday that the federal government's carbon tax is important to the fight against climate change and is constitutionally sound. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

road network: The federal agency has crunched the numbers and has compiled a list of reasons to be proud of Canada. 1, according to CTV. Approximately 9,976,182 square kilometres make up our vast nation, affectionately known as the Great White North, the second-largest country in the world. Sure, they may prompt a cheap laugh or two, but when it comes to over-generalized beliefs about Canadians, many of them appear to hold true, according to Statistics Canada. Russia is the largest, with 17.1 million square kilometres of land. 2. Road trip anyone 3. Canada's road network is so long it could circle the Earth's equator more than 19 times. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

russian distributor: John says in a statement released Friday that he disagrees with Putin's view that pursuing policies that embrace multicultural and sexual diversity are obsolete in our societies, according to CTV. Putin also said Russia has no problem with LGBT persons in the interview. In a story published by the Financial Times newspaper Putin says the liberal idea has become obsolete and conflicts with the overwhelming majority of the population. But John called Putin's words hypocritical since a Russian distributor censored LGBTQ-related scenes from Rocketman, the film based on John's life and career. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

amina chaudhary: Though she continues to assert her innocence, the Parole Board of Canada last week found Chaudhary has worked hard since then to address her issues and acquire skills to facilitate her reintegration into society, according to CTV. It noted she has become more transparent with her parole officer and navigated several major life stressors, including reuniting with a son she had given up for adoption decades ago as well as with one of her children with her current spouse. Amina Chaudhary, 57, has been on day parole since 2016 and was denied full parole the following year because authorities felt she was blaming others for her fate. Chaudhary was found guilty in 1984 of killing her former lover's nephew -- a conviction she has challenged repeatedly, eventually exhausting her legal options. Those children are now adults, having been raised by friends or family members. She met her husband, also a convicted murderer, while in pre-trial custody, and had three children with him while in prison. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

protectionism: We consider counter-productive any attempts to destroy WTO or to lower its role, according to Rabble. The current situation in the global economy was worrying, he added, as global trade was feeling the effect of protectionism, and politically motivated restrictions. This is clear that it global trade needs to be adapted to the present-day developments, Putin told a meeting of leaders from BRICS nations on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Japan's western city of Osaka. Reporting by Katya Golubkova in OSAKA and Maria Vasilyeva in MOSCOW Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Clarence Fernandez (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

way i: Whether I play the 1 point guard or the 5 centre I don't care, Antetokounmpo said, according to CTV. I'm a basketball player. The Milwaukee Bucks player and NBA MVP said he hasn't talked to the coach about which position I'll be playing ... the important thing is to play. I want to help the team any way I can. Antetokounmpo did not play for Greece at the 2017 Eurobasket. The World Cup takes place from Aug. 31-Sept. 15 and Greece is one of 32 qualifiers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian citizenship: And, I think the Mandarin is opening themselves up to quite a bit of liability with this sort of a move, according to Vancouver Courier. Diners with a Canadian passport, birth certificate or citizenship card will receive their buffet meal free of charge on a first-come, first-serve basis on July 1 between 12 p.m. and 8 30 p.m., the Mandarin Restaurant Franchise Corp. announced earlier this week. Brampton, Ont.-based Mandarin Restaurant is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a free meal for patrons who can prove their Canadian citizenship.article continues below Trending Stories Missing Vancouver man recovering from a stroke found safe Police warn public about high-risk sex offender moving into Vancouver'Bella Dolls' sex doll brothel has opened in Vancouver Vision Vancouver will not run a mayoral candidate for first time in party's history It seems a case of putting dim sum before dignity, said Ted Flett, an employment and human rights lawyer with Toronto-based Zubas Associates. The company operates 29 restaurants in Ontario. Previously, diners redeemed the freebie in 1996, 2004, 2009 and 2014. This is the fifth year Mandarin has offered the free buffet linked to citizenship, wrote James Chiu, president and co-founder, in an email. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian officials: Canadian officials indicated they were unconvinced she would return to her home country at the end of her visit because she has no children, owns no property in her home country and has limited employment, according to CTV. She said friends and colleagues warned her not to bother applying at all, as she was told single women without children are often rejected for these reasons. Marina Dubova was all set for a conference on cognitive science and artificial intelligence in Montreal next month, but was recently informed her application for a visa was rejected. But as a student of cognitive science, this conference is the biggest in her field and important for networking and seeing the latest research being explored by her international colleagues. I think it's just lottery of birth and some additional conditions -- that I'm not married and I don't have kids and I'm young. Dubova believes the fact she's coming from Russia -- a country with a number of diplomatic tensions with Western nations -- is a major reason why her application was rejected. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

climate hero: The whole exercise has both exhausted and galvanized opponents, and few minds will be changed by any commentary.'For many Canadians, blocking TMX became synonymous with winning the climate war, according to National Observer. If you support the pipeline, you're a sellout. Nor could many Indigenous communities applaud so many of those that signed agreements with the project felt enormous pressure to salvage at least some benefit, skinny as it might be. If you don't, you're a climate hero. There's an extraordinarily compelling case to be made for Trudeau's climate plan, and how the TMX pipeline fits into the bigger picture. If only things were that simple,' writes garossino opinion And yet. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

washington canada: Some economists have questioned Trudeau's claims that expanding the Trans Mountain pipeline would help Canada reach new oil markets in Asia, instead of simply expanding into existing U.S. markets in California and Washington, according to National Observer. Canada already has the ability to ship oilsands crude to Asia via the existing pipeline. ; At the same time, the world is swimming in lighter crude oil that's easier to refine. We see the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion as critically important in ensuring that we have access to international markets. According to a 2018 Greenpeace report, over the last five years, two-thirds of tankers loaded with crude oil from the existing Trans Mountain pipeline went to California. But U.S. opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline is heating up, with legislation on oil spill prevention and oil spill cleanup regulations for heavy crude oil either already on the books in Washington, or proposed in California. And a spur of the existing Trans Mountain pipeline called the Puget Sound Pipeline splits into two destinations in Washington state, supplying U.S. refineries. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

briefing notes: The bill faced heavy criticism during the two years it took to wend its way through Parliament, according to CTV. One of the beefs was that the Liberals did not fulfil their promise to expand the act to include ministers' offices. The bill updates Ottawa's oft-criticized access-to-information regime, which the Liberals had promised during the last election to strengthen. The government said it needed to balance transparency with parliamentary privilege. It also requires the disclosure of certain briefing notes for ministers and deputy ministers. Largely overlooked was a section of the bill ordering the regular release of information about expenses incurred and contracts signed by senior government officials, members of Parliament, senators, ministers and federal judges. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

blood pressure: Michael's Hospital in Toronto and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences gathered rates of diabetes and hypertension high blood pressure by neighbourhood using the Ontario Diabetes Database and the Cardiovascular Health in Ambulatory Care Research Team's database, according to CTV. The scientists controlled for variables including age, sex, ethnicity, immigration history, neighbourhood median household income, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease an indication of smoking and then looked at whether walkability was associated with diabetes and hypertension. The study led by researchers at St. Walkability was measured using data such as population density and the number of banks, grocery stores and restaurants within 800 metres. This study was no different in that regard, with lower walkability significantly correlated with higher rates of hypertension and diabetes. Past research has shown that less walkable neighbhourhoods are associated with worse health outcomes, most likely because people in walkable neighbourhoods get more exercise. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

collins dictionary: Fake news was even named 2017's word of the year, according to CTV. Defined by Collins dictionary as false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting, fake news is a part of our vocabulary for better or worse. But today U.S. President Donald Trump routinely uses the phrase to knock down media reports he claims to be untrue and media outlets dedicate entire teams to disseminating falsehoods online. But as Canadians are faced with an increasing amount of disinformation online, it's increasingly important to understand what exactly fake news is and how to spot it. It's been used as a political defence, Padraic Ryan, head of news intelligence with social media intelligence agency Storyful, explained to CTVNews.ca by phone. Fake news, disinformation, and misinformation what's the difference Fake news may be the most common way to refer to disinformation, but the term has become increasingly politicized, especially south of the border. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

adult supervision: Most of the children were moved out of the facility over the weekend, but Binford says they have been left traumatized, according to CTV. In an interview with CTV News Washington Correspondent Richard Madan, Binford said the children she met were dirty, smelled bad and were in many cases obviously sick. Warren Binford spoke last week with dozens of children detained at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection patrol station in Clint, Texas. There were not nearly enough beds and some of the children described spending weeks sleeping on concrete blocks with up to 100 other kids in a single room, she said. Children looking after children' Even more concerning to Binford was the lack of adult supervision. The toilets in the facility were out in the open as they would be in jails, which meant the children were forced to urinate and defecate in front of dozens of strangers around them, according to Binford. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mexican newspaper: MEXICO CITY -- The man and his 23-month-old daughter lay face down in shallow water along the bank of the Rio Grande, his black shirt hiked up to his chest with the girl tucked inside, according to CTV. Her arm was draped around his neck suggesting she clung to him in her final moments. The image is lower down in the story. The searing photograph of the sad discovery of their bodies on Monday, captured by journalist Julia Le Duc and published by Mexican newspaper La Jornada, highlights the perils faced by mostly Central American migrants fleeing violence and poverty and hoping for asylum in the United States. He set her on the U.S. bank of the river and started back for his wife, Tania Vanessa Avalos, but seeing him move away the girl threw herself into the waters. According to Le Duc's reporting for La Jornada, scar Alberto Martinez Ramirez, frustrated because the family from El Salvador was unable to present themselves to U.S. authorities and request asylum, swam across the river on Sunday with his daughter, Valeria. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

defence plan: Freeland has rejected Chretien's view, which was reported in the Globe and Mail based on anonymous sources, saying heeding to external pressure in a single case would set a dangerous precedent that could make Canadians less safe around the world. ; In the statement released Monday, Meng's lawyers say Canada is at a crossroads regarding the United States' request to extradite Meng to face a fraud trial for alleged conduct that would not be an offence in Canada, according to National Observer. Meng was arrested at Vancouver's airport last December and a B.C. Supreme Court judge has accepted her defence team's plan for the start of an extradition hearing in January, which would conclude in about 16 months. Meng Wanzhou's lawyers say in a statement they decided to deliver written submissions to Chrystia Freeland following former prime minister Jean Chretien's comments that withdrawing extradition proceedings would improve relations with China and win the release of two Canadians being held there. The U.S. Department of Justice laid charges of conspiracy, fraud and obstruction of justice against Meng and Huawei, alleging they misled a bank about Huawei's ownership of a subsidiary called Skycom in an effort to circumvent U.S. sanctions against Iran. Her defence team says the extradition proceedings are unprecedented. Both Meng and Huawei have denied any wrongdoing. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

chrystia freeland: Freeland has rejected Chretien's view, which was reported in the Globe and Mail based on anonymous sources, saying heeding to external pressure in a single case would set a dangerous precedent that could make Canadians less safe around the world, according to CTV. In the statement released Monday, Meng's lawyers say Canada is at a crossroads regarding the United States' request to extradite Meng to face a fraud trial for alleged conduct that would not be an offence in Canada. Meng Wanzhou's lawyers say in a statement they decided to deliver written submissions to Chrystia Freeland following former prime minister Jean Chretien's comments that withdrawing extradition proceedings would improve relations with China and win the release of two Canadians being held there. Meng was arrested at Vancouver's airport last December and a B.C. Supreme Court judge has accepted her defence team's plan for the start of an extradition hearing in January, which would conclude in about 16 months. Both Meng and Huawei have denied any wrongdoing. The U.S. Department of Justice laid charges of conspiracy, fraud and obstruction of justice against Meng and Huawei, alleging they misled a bank about Huawei's ownership of a subsidiary called Skycom in an effort to circumvent U.S. sanctions against Iran. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

drinking water: Budget expedition companies charge as little as US 30,000 per climber, cutting costs including waste removal, according to CTV. Everest has so much garbage -- depleted oxygen cylinders, food packaging, rope -- that climbers use the trash as a kind of signpost. The record number of climbers crowding the world's highest mountain this season has left a government cleanup crew grappling with how to clear away everything from abandoned tents to human waste that threatens drinking water. But this year's haul from an estimated 700 climbers, guides and porters on the mountain has been a shock to the ethnic Sherpas who worked on the government's cleanup drive this spring. The high winds at that elevation have scattered the tents and trash everywhere. Moreover, the tents are littering South Col, or Camp 4, which, at 8,000 metres 26,240 feet is the highest campsite on Everest, just below the summit. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

eric logan: Ryan O'Neill, according to CTV. The 37-year-old mayor said he would send a letter to the federal Department of Justice's civil rights division and notify the local prosecutor that he'd like an independent investigator appointed. Buttigieg said he would call for an outside investigation of the shooting of 54-year-old Eric Logan by Sgt. He conceded that his administration had failed on two key initiatives. Prosecutors investigating said that the shooting was not recorded by O'Neill's body camera. The effort to recruit more minority officers to the police department and the effort to introduce body cameras have not succeeded and I accept responsibility for that, Buttigieg said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

stock quebecers: If the holiday expressed any degree of nationalism, it was of an insular and defensive sort, according to Rabble. Then, starting in the 1960s, the day became at once more secular and more overtly political and nationalistic. Originally, la F te promoted Quebec's notional Roman Catholic identity. Celebrations, which almost always included many of Quebec's leading musical stars, often spoke openly to the aspiration for an independent Quebec state. Its definition of Qu b cois has expanded to include not only Qu b cois de vieille souche old stock Quebecers but everyone who is part of Quebec's diverse society, regardless of religion or ethnic origin. Since the 1960s the holiday has become more and more inclusive. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

candidate: Opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu's win Sunday in a repeat vote for mayor broke the lock the president's Islamist-rooted party long held on Istanbul's top public office, according to CTV. On Monday, Turks speculated whether Erdogan's opponents finally have the ability to challenge his rule. But the party's rare defeat in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, was a political and personal setback for the country's leader. Imamoglu's supporters partied long into the night after he trounced Erdogan's hand-picked candidate, a former prime minister, 54% to 45% in a rerun of the city's March 31 mayoral election. The streets of Istanbul, where Erdogan's rise in Turkish politics started with his own election as mayor 25 years ago, became an impromptu caravan of cars honking horns with overjoyed passengers leaning out the windows as they cheered and waved Turkish flags. The Islamic-leaning ruling party challenged the first vote over alleged irregularities, and Turkey's electoral board nullified the results. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

life: In a Facebook post, Winterburn's brother, Brian, wrote that Peter's death was devastating news for both our family, his wife and his two daughters, according to CTV. RIP Peter my younger brother, his life tragically taken too soon by those who feel the only way forward in life is to steal, he wrote. The school confirmed that Peter Winterburn, a former researcher in the school's Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, was the victim in Friday's fatal stabbing. Local reports said the incident took place in the Cerro Alegre neighbourhood of Valparaiso, Chile, where Winterburn was walking with his family. Valparaiso Mayor Jorge Sharp told local reporters incidents like this are rare, and said the city would use all available resources to find the perpetrators. These reports say two people demanded his belongings, there was a commotion, and he was stabbed. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dominican republic: He said five of the autopsies are complete, and three are undergoing further toxicological analysis with the help from the FBI because of the circumstances of the deaths, according to CTV. With some 3.2 million U.S. tourists visiting the Dominican Republic last year, he said, it's not unusual for eight people to die while on vacation over any six-month period. Autopsies show the tourists died of natural causes, Tourism Minister Francisco Javier Garcia told reporters. Dominican officials say they are confident the three deaths still under investigation were also from natural causes. There is nothing to hide here. We want the truth to prevail, Garcia said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration cases: But three administration officials said scrapping the operation was not just about politics, according to CTV. They said Immigration and Customs Enforcement leaders had expressed serious concerns that officers' safety would be in jeopardy because too many details about the raids had been made public. The move came after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Trump on Friday asking him to call off the raids. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to speak about private discussions. If not, Deportations start! The operation, which sparked outrage and concern among immigrant advocates, had been expected to begin Sunday and would target people with final orders of removal, including families whose immigration cases had been fast-tracked by judges. At the request of Democrats, I have delayed the Illegal Immigration Removal Process Deportation for two weeks to see if the Democrats and Republicans can get together and work out a solution to the Asylum and Loophole problems at the Southern Border, Trump wrote on Twitter. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.