President Barack Obama Dept: TORONTO - Lin-Manuel Miranda's life resembles an episode of "Glee.", according to Winnipeg Free Press. And it seems to rub off on others. When Miranda co-hosted a recent fundraiser, U.S. President Barack Obama spontaneously crooned a bar from Al Green's "Let's Stay Together." The "In The Heights" North American tour cast is shown in a handout photo. As composer Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical In the Heights - opening next week in Toronto - shows, spontaneous song was a part of his upbringing in New York City's Latino neighborhood of Washington Heights. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-John Daughtry The lauded lyricist, composer, rapper and actor has been known to burst into impressive freestyle rhymes with his friends, in his public addresses check out his Tony Award acceptance speech on YouTube , and at high-profile events like the White House Poetry Jam. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Philippe Falardeau Dept: Monsieur Lazhar, currently in the running for a best foreign-language film Oscar and a favourite at the Genie Awards , racked up the most nominations with nine, including for best picture and best director for Philippe Falardeau. The story of an Algerian immigrant who steps in to help a middle-school class deal with the death of their teacher also earned best actor kudos for Fellag, a best supporting actress nomination for Sophie Nelisse and best supporting actor nod for milien Neron, according to CBC. The big surprise was the poor showing for Cafe de Flore , which failed to make the list of best picture finalists. Jean-Marc Vallee s romance has been a hit among English-language critics , but not as popular in Quebec. Vallee is in the running for best director, while Vanessa Paradis is up for best actress, but the movie received just seven nominations in total, compared to the 13 trophies it will vie for at the Genie Awards and monsieur Lazhar, Coteau Rouge and Cafe du Flore are the lead contenders in the race for the Prix Jutra, Quebec's film awards. Coteau Rouge , a funny slice of magical realism from director Andre Forcier, received eight nominations, including for best film and best screenplay. Forcier said he and producer Linda Pinet invested their own money in the $1.4 million film. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Retirement Income System Dept: On Monday, Harper revisited the issue and said the government would not cut the OAS, but would examine challenges facing the country's retirement income system, according to CBC. "The reality is that we aren t cutting programs for seniors." SPECIAL REPORT RRSP season: How to make the most of your investments What you need to know to start, build and protect your retirement nest egg The federal government has sought to assure Canadians that their pensions are secure after Prime Minister Stephen Harper suggested last week that there could be changes coming to Old Age Security benefits. "We will ensure our vital programs are sustainable in the long-term and for future generations," Harper said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Local Society Dept: The 16-point values guide was released by the city on Nov. 28 and aimed to help newcomers integrate into local society and learn how to interact in a new environment, according to CBC. Officials decided last week to take the guide off the shelves and review some of the wording. The online version however remained on the city's website Wednesday evening. P.O.V. Is Gatineau's 'statement of values' guide useful or offensive? Have your say and city officials in Gatineau, Que., have pulled a controversial immigrant values guide after backlash from local community organizations and a human rights complaint from a local resident. A Gatineau, Que., immigrant values guide was pulled by city officials after complaints from community groups and a human rights complaint. It spelled out basic information, but also suggested immigrants should try to limit cooking "smelly foods" and refrain from bribing city officials. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Quebec Pension Plan Dept: In Canada, the foundation of almost everybody's pension is what the Canada Pension Plan or its twin, the Quebec Pension Plan, and Old Age Security will provide. But not everybody is sure that these pillars of late-in-life financial security are themselves secure, according to Montreal Gazette. Canada's population is growing older, increasing the fraction of those over 60, the earliest start dates to draw on CPP and QPP and 65, the start date for OAS. The elderly live longer as well. Meanwhile, the proportion of younger people in the labour force who pay the bills for those over 60 or 65 is shrinking and we have to consider if, when we retire, CPP and OAS will be around for us,'' says Len Kiropolis, a Georgetown, Ont. businessman. We really doubt that CPP and OAS will take care of us.'' The perception is understandable. Underlying the perceived problems of both pension systems, which are pay as you go structures rather than trusts fully funded with previous contributions, is a set of unsettling facts. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

National Arts Centre Dept: Next week, he'll return as an Oscar-nominated film director, according to Winnipeg Free Press. Falardeau is set to attend, along with two of the child actors in the film: Sophie N lisse and milien N ron and oTTAWA - As a teen, Philippe Falardeau worked as an usher at the National Arts Centre. Lazhar's "Monsieur Lazhar" is scheduled to screen at the NAC on Monday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Belhassen Trabelsi Dept: According to the IRB, the reason for the hearing is the appeal of an order revoking his status as a Canadian permanent resident, according to CTV. The billionaire fled here with his family after a revolution toppled his brother-in-law, former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. He used his status to get across the border and the Immigration and Refugee Board says Belhassen Trabelsi is due before its appeal division in April to fight a decision to boot him out of the country. Trabelsi is thought to be quietly living in Montreal with his family since last year, when the Tunisian regime collapsed. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Mexico Dept: A statement released by Mexican authorities on Wednesday said the attorney general's office had shut down the group's efforts to bring al-Saadi Gadhafi and his family into Mexico, according to CTV. An arrest warrant has been issued for a fifth suspect and police in Mexico say they have filed charges against a group of four people, including a Canadian woman, who allegedly plotted to smuggle Moammar Gadhafi's son into the country. Members of the group, which also includes a Dane and two Mexicans, have been charged with attempted smuggling, falsifying documents and participating in organized crime. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Ru Dept: "I use the image of the American debt: It is so big you can't understand or conceptualize it," she said. "It is beyond my imagination. What has happened to this book is, for me, the American debt.", according to Montreal Gazette. Ru is a lyrical, evocative book about love and survival, about Th y's birthplace, Vietnam, and her adopted country, Canada. Quietly, beautifully, it weaves fiction and memoir. "It is very close to what I know," Th y said of the narrative of her family's flight from a country that held no future for them - the rickety boat and the fear, the refugee camp, where they ate rations of rotting fish, the filth - to their arrival in the town of Granby, "the warm belly that sheltered us during our first year in Canada" and the ways they reinvented themselves to make a life here and when the call came from the Canada Council to tell Montreal writer Kim Th y that her debut novel, Ru, had won the Governor General's Award for French-language fiction, she thought it was one of those prank radio programs calling. She started to laugh. Ru became an instant sensation when it was published in Quebec in 2009. It won the GG's award and the Grand Prix at the Salon du Livre de Paris in 2010, several more awards in 2011 and rights have been sold to 20 countries. An English-language version, by award-winning translator Sheila Fischman, was published this month by Random House of Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Disney Cruise Line Dept: We expect 2012 to be a great year, said Betty MacMillan, chairwoman of the Atlantic Canada Cruise Association. We re expecting more than 800,000 passengers and crew. , according to The Chronicle Herald. For the very first time, Disney Cruise Line has scheduled stops in Atlantic Canada this year. They re offering nine five-day cruises departing from New York that are calling on Halifax and Saint John, N.B and sAINT JOHN, N.B. When you think of cruise ship destinations, Atlantic Canada might not immediately come to mind, but a growing number of Americans and Europeans are eyeing Atlantic Canada as a choice destination for a summer or fall cruise getaway. The region is visited by the big names in the cruise industry, including Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.