Beijing Dept: More recently, pandas have been used as part of an effort to court Taiwan, the island Beijing considers a breakaway province. The symbolism of being sent two pandas in 2008 was confusing for some Taiwanese since the bears while wildly popular with tourists are not known for being especially affectionate toward each other. Pandas are considered an endangered species in large part because they re chronically uninterested in mating , according to Globe and Mail. It s a prospect that the Chinese leadership welcomes, one that has made it easy to forget the acrimony of Mr. Harper s early days in office, when he aggravated Beijing by awarding honorary citizenship to the Dalai Lama and boycotting the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games. Panda diplomacy has been used to symbolize China s desire for better ties with foreign powers since the seventh century, when the Tang Dynasty sent a pair of the bamboo-munching bears to Japan. The warm-and-fuzzy tactic was revived by the Communist Party leadership in recent decades, most famously when Mao Zedong gifted Richard Nixon with a pair of pandas for the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., after the U.S. President s breakthrough trip to China in 1972. The expected decision to send pandas to Canada comes as ties between Ottawa and Beijing warm rapidly, particularly on the trade front, where Mr. Harper is expected to embrace China as an alternative market for Canadian energy following U.S. President Barack Obama s decision to delay approval for the Keystone XL pipeline that would have shipped Alberta bitumen south. Now it may go west instead via the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline to the West Coast. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney Dept: The bureaucrats smiled and held Canadian flags as the TV hosts referred to a group of 10 people as "new Canadians" that had "finally" received their citizenship, according to Winnipeg Free Press. Bureaucrats scrambled to work out the logistics, suggesting to the minister's office that Sun News could cover one of the 13 scheduled ceremonies in Ontario four of them in Toronto, including one at the Air Canada Centre and oTTAWA - Six federal bureaucrats were drafted to pose as new Canadians for a citizenship reaffirmation ceremony broadcast on the Sun News network, an event requested by Immigration Minister Jason Kenney's office. Documents released under Access to Information legislation show that just a few weeks before Canada's Citizenship Week last October, Kenney's staff directed departmental officials to add a last-minute citizenship ceremony at the network to their list of scheduled events. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Saadi Gadhafi Dept: Mexican officials confirmed Wednesday Cynthia Vanier, 52, and four others were charged with attempted immigrant trafficking, falsifying documents and participation in organized crime, according to Winnipeg Free Press. The suspects were formally charged last week. They have not entered pleas and cHARGES have been formally laid against a Canadian woman who has been in a Mexican prison for more than 80 days over allegations she led a plot to smuggle a son of former Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi into Mexico. The plan to sneak out Saadi Gadhafi involved stolen passports, white-knuckle flights with pilots who refused to land in war-torn Libya and luxury homes bought under false names, assistant attorney general Jose Cuitlahuac Salinas said. Authorities allege Vanier was the ringleader and had a false Mexican passport and birth certificate in her name when she was arrested. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Casino Nova Scotia Dept: Gracie will be joined by his swing band for CD giveaways, dancing, and music and gracie brings swing band to Harbourfront Lounge John Gracie has just inked a contract that will bring the music from his new CD, Live from the Flamingo A Bennett/Sinatra Salute, to the Harbourfront Lounge at Casino Nova Scotia, Halifax, starting tonight. The show will run from 7 to 8:30 p.m. weekly on Thursdays till March 8. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Pipeline Dept: My message to the people of Canada is don t cut a deal with the Chinese, Mr. Gingrich said, referring to the stalled construction of the Keystone XL pipeline to Texas. Help is on the way. By January, you re going to build the right pipeline to the right place. , according to Globe and Mail. By Wednesday morning, Intrade, the online betting market, had Mr. Gingrich s probability of becoming the Republican presidential nominee at 4.2 per cent. His chances of becoming President were set at 1.2 per cent and there was even a shout-out to Canadians and a promise of pipeline paradise. Not to put a damper on the pro-pipeline party, but Mr. Gingrich s odds of actually making it to the Oval Office are sinking faster than the bids on a Tampa bungalow. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Diba Masoomi Dept: She was drowned in her early 50s at the Kingston Mills locks along with three teen-aged Shafia sisters, according to Globe and Mail. But this had to be kept secret, she testified, because the family honour would be in danger, and her own life would have been in danger. While Rona was unable to have children herself, she helped raise the Shafia children, prosecutor Laurie Lacelle told the trial in her opening address. She loved them all. At the murder trial, Ms. Mohammad's younger sister, Diba Masoomi, who lives in France, recounted that Ms. Mohammad told her during phone calls that the other adults in the family had ostracized her. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Missing Persons Families Association Dept: After his 2009 appointment to the Senate by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the media-savvy Mr. Boisvenu became a government spokesman on law-and-order issues, lashing out repeatedly at other parties as soft on crime and as siding with criminals instead of victims, according to Globe and Mail. I share the pain he has felt as a father, said Liberal MP Denis Coderre. But he s a senator and he can t be inciting suicide, that goes against the Criminal Code. Mr. Boisvenu is well-known in Quebec for launching a group of victims of crime the Murdered or Missing Persons Families Association after his daughter was abducted, raped and murdered by a repeat offender in 2002. He lost another daughter to a car accident in 2005. Now, however, his political opponents say Mr. Boisvenu has crossed the line and is letting his emotions over his lost daughters overtake his political judgment. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

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.