Steve Grand: But after events of the last week, Steve Grand said I would die a happy man today, and not for the reasons hes suddenly getting attention, according to The Chronicle Herald. The video cost just $7,000, a fraction of the major-names going rate, but it was a fortune to Grand, who came up with the entire budget himself by maxing out his only plastic to tell the videos story and LOS ANGELES Hes a musician without a record label, a card holder without any remaining credit. And the gig that supplies what he calls food money may now be in jeopardy. Grands first music video, for his country-tinged rock ballad All-American Boy, was posted on YouTube last Tuesday. By last night, it had exploded, attracting more than 400,000 total views nothing for top-charting videos from big-name recording artists, but an impressive figure for one from a complete unknown whose only promotion has been Internet buzz. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Statistics Canada: From 2010 to 2011, the number of low-income Nova Scotians decreased by about 7,000 people, according to Statistics Canada, according to The Chronicle Herald. We dont measure poverty, we measure low income, Murphy said and Nova Scotia is seeing a decline in the number of residents with low income. Brian Murphy, a special adviser at Statistics Canada, says it is important to recognize that this measure of low income is not an indication of poverty. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

the Federal Reserve: Increased borrowing typically means that consumers are feeling more confident, according to Times Colonist. Total borrowing reached a record $2.84 trillion and WASHINGTON - Americans increased their borrowing in May at the fastest pace in a year. Borrowing in the category that includes credit cards reached its highest point since the fall of 2010. Americans stepped up their borrowing by $19.6 billion in May compared with April, the Federal Reserve said Monday in its monthly report on consumer credit. That was the biggest jump since a $19.9 billion rise in May 2012. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Thomson Reuters: A company spokeswoman said Monday that Thomson Reuters will simultaneously distribute survey data at 9:55 a.m. starting Friday from the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers after the New York State attorney general requested the suspension, according to CBC. That twice-monthly survey is separate from the consumer confidence index produced by the private research group the Conference Board and Thomson Reuters will suspend its practice of distributing results from consumer surveys a couple of seconds early to clients who pay the news and business information provider for advance access. The attorney general's office is investigating the early data access, and Thomson Reuters said it is co-operating with that review. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

unemployment rate: Economists had expected payback from May's purported growth of 95,000 jobs and they got it with Friday morning's flat reading actually a statistically meaningless loss of 400 jobs in June, according to Huffington Post. That left the unemployment rate at 7.1 per cent, where it was in May and at the start of the year and OTTAWA - Job creation in Canada returned to earth last month as employers pulled back following an apparent hiring binge in May that proved too good to be sustained. More meaningful was the decline of 32,400 jobs among full-time workers, offset by similar-sized gains in part-time jobs. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Pope Francis: The tiny Sicilian island of Lampedusa, a treeless, strip of rock nine kilometres long, is closer to Africa than the Italian mainland and is the main port of entry into Europe for African migrants smuggled by boat from Libya or Tunisia, according to The Chronicle Herald. Francis greeted newly arrived Africans and during an open-air Mass on the islands soccer field, thanked the residents for welcoming so many men and women over the years and Pope Francis on Monday denounced the globalization of indifference that greets migrants who risk their lives trying to reach Europe, as he travelled to the farthest reaches of Italy to draw attention to their plight and to mourn those who never made it. Francis decided last week to make Lampedusa his first pastoral trip outside of Rome, compelled by a particularly deadly crossing in which a dozen migrants lost their lives. Despite the spur-of-the-moment decision, the island came through, building a makeshift lectern, pastoral staff and chalice out of recycled wood from shipwrecked migrant boats. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport: With the new ruling, the city will move ahead with the Airport Employment Growth District AEGD , otherwise known as Aerotropolis. The plan calls for a net of 555 hectares of industrial and commercial growth around the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport by 2031, according to CBC. The expansion is necessary for employment opportunities, said OMB vice-chair J. V. Zuidema in the decision and The largest urban boundary expansion in Hamilton's history is going ahead, as the Ontario Municipal Board OMB has ruled in the city's favour on a massive expansion around the airport. In its ruling, the board dismissed appeals from both Environment Hamilton and Hamiltonians for Progressive Development and accepted the city's argument that 555 hectares of employment lands are needed. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Raul Castro: But Castro made no reference as to whether Cuba itself would offer him refuge or safe passage, a key issue since Snowden's simplest route to Latin America might be one of five direct flights that Russian carrier Aeroflot operates to Havana each week. From there Snowden could fly to Venezuela, Bolivia or Nicaragua, all possible destinations for him. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. Snowden had been booked on an Aeroflot flight to Havana two weeks ago, but did not board the plane. The flights normally pass through U.S. airspace, raising the possibility they could be intercepted. HAVANA - Cuban President Raul Castro threw his support behind other leftist Latin American governments willing to give asylum to NSA leaker Edward Snowden, calling him a man persecuted for his ideals. It is not clear whether, despite Castro's speech on Sunday, the communist-run country wants to risk torpedoing mildly improved relations with the United States by letting Snowden transit through the island. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Suleiman Abu Ghaith: NEW YORK - A federal judge on Monday declined to temporarily block U.S. government agencies from conducting special surveillance on lawyers representing Osama bin Laden's son-in-law, which those lawyers view as illegal spying, according to Reuters. "There's just no reason to think that this occurred or that it will occur," Kaplan said and By Bernard Vaughan Even if the agencies monitor the communications of lawyers for Suleiman Abu Ghaith, "there isn't a shred of evidence" that prosecutors are privy to that information and using it to Abu Ghaith's disadvantage, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan said at a hearing. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Evo Morales: LA PAZ - Bolivia demanded on Monday that France, Portugal, Spain and Italy reveal who told them that former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden was on board President Evo Morales' flight from Moscow last week, according to Reuters. Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca summoned and met with the ambassadors from France, Spain, Italy and a representative of Portugal, which has no ambassador in the country, a source in the foreign ministry said. No details from the meetings were immediately available and By Daniel Ramos Bolivia said it was an act of "state terrorism" by the United States and its European allies that the four countries banned Morales' plane from their airspace on suspicions it was carrying the U.S. fugitive to Bolivia in defiance of Washington. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.