Elections Manitoba: Elections Manitoba recently published a 50-page report about how to adopt a permanent voters list. There are likely long-term cost-savings, voter information would be more secure, the voters list would be up to date on an ongoing basis making it easier for political parties to contact electors. Voters wouldn't have to worry about missing the enumerator. Voters could update their own information online. What are the disadvantages? There would be more reliance on secondary sources ie. MPI and Elections Canada in maintaining the voters list. There would be less face-to-face contact with voters by Elections Manitoba. And there would be up-front costs of up to $1 million to launch the new system. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. "I think there's some real serious merit" to it, Premier Greg Selinger said. MANITOBA appears ready to adopt a permanent electoral roll in a bid to reverse falling voter turnout. The governing NDP and the Opposition Conservatives -- rarely on the same wavelength these days -- indicated this week they are receptive to the idea. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canadian Jewish Congress: Most of those being discouraged from applying for refugee status are Hungarian, Slovak and Czech nationals of Roma heritage, many of whom say they fear persecution from neo-Nazi skinheads, according to Huffington Post. Farber, a founding member of JRAN and former CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress, told The Canada that the Jewish community has a deeply ingrained sense of the need to protect refugees and to speak out on their behalf. There are parallels to be drawn between the way the Roma are being treated today and how Canada discouraged Jews hoping to immigrate during the early part of the 20th century, Farber said and OTTAWA The federal government has found itself at odds with an unlikely adversary: a Jewish group. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has courted the Jewish community and considers it an important ally on his foreign policy agenda, but a new Jewish group is questioning the governments commitment to human rights one year after the passage of controversial legislation on refugees. The bill made it much more difficult for refugee claimants from certain designated countries those in which the immigration minister believes there are few bona fide cases of persecution to seek asylum in Canada. The two-week-old Jewish Refugee Action Network JRAN whose notable members include Stephen Lewis, Michele Landsberg and Bernie Farber believes the legislation is draconian and heartless and must be opposed. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Edward Snowden: REYKJAVIK - A bid by Edward Snowden for Icelandic citizenship failed when the country's parliament voted not to debate it before the summer recess, lawmakers said on Friday, with options for the U.S. fugitive narrowing by the day. , according to Reuters. Following the news in Iceland, WikiLeaks announced that Snowden had applied to another six countries for asylum, adding to a list of more than a dozen countries which he has already asked for protection. By Robert Robertsson The vote leaves Snowden - believed to be staying in a transit area at a Moscow airport - with one option fewer as he seeks a country to shelter him from U.S. espionage charges. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews: Toews decidedly right-wing views on criminal justice issues, and his often caustic attacks on political opponents, have made him one of the most controversial and divisive members of the Harper cabinet, according to CBC. Either way, Toews appears destined to join a growing line of Conservative ministers expected to be demoted or dropped from cabinet altogether. Interactive: Try your hand at shuffling the cabinet As Stephen Harper prepares for what is shaping up to be a major remake of the federal cabinet, sources tell News they expect Public Safety Minister Vic Toews will announce Friday that he is retiring from politics. It has long been rumoured that Toews is after a federal judicial appointment, but as yet there is no indication whether the Manitoba MP will leave politics immediately for another job elsewhere, or simply announce that he wont be running for re-election in 2015. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Obama: But in addition to a tour of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Mr. Obama met with seven groups of inventors whose products exemplify the best of Israeli innovation, according to Globe and Mail. London a bustling hub for digital startups, but later stage ventures face hurdles When U.S. President Barack Obama visited Israel in March, he stopped at the Israel Museum. As part of the demonstration, a paraplegic, strapped into ReWalk, a battery-operated exoskeleton suit created by Argo Medical Technologies, walked confidently around the room. Students from the Technion, Israels Institute of Technology, operated the Robotic Snake, a miniaturized camera-equipped robot that can slither into hard-to-access disaster sites. And scientists from Mobileye showed how their collision-prevention system can help drivers navigate more safely. More Related to this Story (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Michel Brule: Staunch Quebec independentiste Michel Brule announced Thursday his long-shot candidacy for the November election. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. He has written extensively in the past about English, which he says is not a nice language. For example, he points to the capitalized first-person singular in English "I" as a sign of individualism. MONTREAL - Here's some Fourth of July news for our U.S. neighbours: a man running for mayor of Montreal considers Americans dumb, obese, imbecilic, classless ignoramuses. The book publisher, writer, and ex-bar owner says he doesn't expect English-speaking Montrealers to vote for him and says he isn't working to get their support, anyway. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Senate: The proposed legislation appeared poised to pass the Senate but did not make it to a final vote before the summer recess began last week, according to The Star. The Senate should have passed this, and its disappointing that the transgender community is going to have to wait months again now unnecessarily for them to do this, but I still expect them to pass the bill, said the bills sponsor, New Democrat MP Randall Garrison and OTTAWA An eight-year bid to include transgender rights in Canadian anti-discrimination and hate laws is likely to suffer another legislative setback, despite support from a majority in both chambers of Parliament. If Prime Minister Stephen Harper prorogues Parliament to deliver a new Speech from the Throne as expected in the fall, the bill will get rolled back to first-reading in the Senate again. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Societe Generale trader Jerome Kerviel: PARIS - A Paris employment tribunal on Thursday rejected former Societe Generale trader Jerome Kerviel's plea for a new expert inquiry to help overturn his dismissal in France's biggest-ever trading scandal in 2008. , according to Reuters. The 36-year-old ex-trader, who was ordered to repay the huge sum in its entirety, has never denied masking the 50 billion euros in market positions that went wrong as the financial crisis unfolded in early 2008. He has, however, always said his bosses knew what he was doing, an accusation SocGen denies. By Lionel Laurent In a separate criminal case, Kerviel is running out of options to escape conviction and a jail sentence upheld by an appeals court in October over 4.9 billion euros $6.4 billion in losses that French bank SocGen said were the result of unauthorized trades by Kerviel. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Mohamed Morsi: Here are five key reasons why we should care whats going on in Cairo, according to The Star. Egyptian tourism is big business in Canada. With the upheaval going on, many people will either cancel or postpone trips to see the pyramids and other landmarks. Some operators have cancelled flights to Luxor and Cairo and rerouted cruises. In Canada, Foreign Affairs is advising against non-essential travel to Egypt and The ouster of Mohamed Morsi , Egypts first democratically-elected president, has repercussions in the Middle East, but why should people in this country care about the revolution there? 1. Travel (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Mennonite Disaster Service: Janet Plenert is the leader of Mennonite Disaster Service, a national faith-based organization headquartered in Winnipeg that responds to disasters in both Canada and the United States. Related Items Columns Strong leaders act before disaster strikes , according to Winnipeg Free Press. Plenert has travelled to Alberta communities such as Calgary, Medicine Hat and Black Diamond to see where the organization can take its tool kits. FLOOD-STRICKEN downtown Calgary has reopened its doors, but there's still a long road ahead and Manitobans are ready to help. "We rebuild the homes and then give the keys back. We delight in helping," she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.