KEN GIGLIOTTI: Syrian refugee stats soar, according to Winnipeg Free Press. 398,753 in Turkey and Dima Al-Sayad wants Canada to open the door for those fleeing the war in her homeland. KEN GIGLIOTTI / Photo Store 1.7 million Syrian refugees in total. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

happy anniversary: Re: St. Petersburg Pride parade met with violence, June 30, according to The Star. If you look up Canadian in the dictionary, it is defined as a person born, raised or living in Canada. To me that means that you are Canadian regardless of the colour of your skin, the language that you speak, the holidays you celebrate, or the religious venue you attend and Re: Its happy anniversary, not happy birthday, Opinion July 1 I grew up in a time where Canadians took pride in being the cultural mosaic in counterpart to the United States cultural melting pot. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Edward Snowden: MOSCOW - Edward Snowden has found supporters in Latin America, including three countries who have offered him asylum. But many obstacles stand in the way of the fugitive NSA leaker from leaving a Russian airport chief among them the power and influence of the United States. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. The former NSA systems analyst, who is charged with violating U.S. espionage laws, is believed to be stuck in the transit area of Moscow's main international airport after arriving June 23 from Hong Kong. FILE - This June 23, 2013 file photo shows a TV screen shows a news report of Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, at a shopping mall in Hong Kong. The saga of Edward Snowden and the NSA makes one thing clear: The United States' central role in developing the Internet and hosting its most powerful players has made it the global leader in the surveillance game . Other countries, from dictatorships to democracies, are also avid snoopers, tapping into the high-capacity fiber optic cables to intercept Internet traffic, scooping their citizens' data off domestic servers, and even launching cyberattacks to win access to foreign networks. AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File Because Snowden's U.S. passport has been revoked, the logistics of him departing are complicated. Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia have made asylum offers over the past two days, but the three countries haven't indicated they would help Snowden by issuing a travel document, which he would need to leave Russia. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Harper government: Some 1,300 diplomats have been on strike since April, demanding higher pay and better benefits. However, the Harper government is refusing to meet their demands as it focuses on reining in public-sector spending, according to CTV. While it appeared at first that the dispute would only impact Canadas tourism industry, it is now threatening other sectors. The diplomats have ramped up their job action by delaying visas for seasonal workers as well as other long-term visitors, such as students and A bitter labour dispute between the federal government and striking foreign service workers has Canadian food producers worried that their summer harvest will be ruined, as visas for the seasonal workers they rely on are delayed by the job action. We d like to see the labour issues resolved, Government House Leader Peter Van Loan said Friday. But we continue to offer services and hope to meet their needs. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

waking hours: If you wake up feeling grumpy just at the thought of going to work, chances are it's time to move on. Your work life can make up the better part of how you spend your waking hours, and if that time is spent doing something you don't enjoy, or actually despise, that's a whole lot of wasted time in your life. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. Review this list of signs and symptoms, and if you can relate to one or more of these points, then you may want to begin your new job search today. Just make sure you have your new job lined up before you hand in your resignation. KRT Sometimes people will say they can't leave a job for one reason or another. I would suggest they probably can leave; they may just have to make some sacrifices to accomplish a change in employment. It could be a matter of your good health and happiness that ultimately forces you to change jobs -- better to do it before you retire, miserable you didn't do it sooner. More so, make the change before the stress of an undesirable job takes its toll on your positive mental health. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

MARGARET WENTE: Sarah, lucky girl, lives and works in Paris. Her mom and I went to visit her for a few days last month to make sure she wasnt lonely. She spent much of the time saving us from ourselves. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. MARGARET WENTE Legalize prostitution? Are we nuts and The French are different from you and me. To start with, they have better manners. Its acceptable to order a hamburger, my friend Sarah explained. But you must always eat it with a knife and fork. French people believe that touching your food is disgusting. MARGARET WENTE There ll always be weirdos in the basement (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Video Tahrir Square: How nine places feel about the Egyptian coup, according to Globe and Mail. World leaders weigh in on Egyptian presidents removal Video Tahrir Square is packed with people hugging each other, waving Egyptian flags, weeping in joy at their success. Their pharoah has fallen, and they can claim credit. This scene is from two years ago, at the start of the Arab uprisings a string of mass protests that shook the region and, in some cases, led to new governments in Tunisia, Libya and Yemen as well as Egypt. More Related to this Story Isolated and defiant: Morsi #039;s last days in power (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Nuriya Shamsuddin: EDITOR S NOTE: The entirety of our 26-part series, Nova Scotia: A to Z will be published in The Novascotian every Saturday until we reach the letter Z. Todays feature is on Nuriya Shamsuddin, who is from Afghanistan. Next week, we ll meet Bhutan native Kul Prasad Humagain and learn about the political refugees journey to Nova Scotia, according to The Chronicle Herald. Tissue paper flowers twist up from a vase on her fireplace mantel and (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Paul Haslip: This was his first trip into the Third World, seen face-to-face, not through the window of an air-conditioned van en route to an exclusive resort, according to The Star. I brought Paul because for more than three years, hes been helping Lovelys family. He is one of the hundreds of readers who sent me money after I wrote about the 2-year-old miracle child who emerged without a scratch six days after the earthquake from the rubble of her familys one-room apartment and FERMATHE, HAITI I took a Star reader with me to Haiti. His name is Paul Haslip. He is a 60-year-old married stockbroker from the small village of Pain Court, 45 minutes east of Windsor. His friends predicted it would change his life forever. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Alison Redford: The photo, posted to Alberta Premier Alison Redford's Facebook page , shows Hadfield posing with a kid wearing a full astronaut costume, along with Redford, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and other children, according to Huffington Post and It has been said that Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has inspired a generation of future space pioneers, and a photo taken at Calgary Stampede breakfast adds fuel to the claim. "The world's cutest astronaut," says part of the caption of the photo. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.