Edward Snowden: It was not possible to immediately reach Alexei Pushkov, the head of the Russian parliaments foreign affairs committee who has acted as an unofficial point-man for the Kremlin on the Snowden affair. But soon after the posting on his Twitter account disappeared, he sent another message saying his claim was based on a report from the state all-news television channel Vesti, according to The Star. The Kremlin declined comment on Tuesdays developments and MOSCOW The net of rumours and uncertainties over NSA leaker Edward Snowden deepened Tuesday when a prominent Russian lawmaker tweeted that Snowden had accepted Venezuelas offer of political asylum, then deleted the posting a few minutes later. However, no such information could be found on Vestis website and no Russian news agency reported that Vesti had reported it. The TV channel could not immediately be reached for comment. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Martin Jetter: TOKYO - When 27-year IBM veteran Martin Jetter came to Tokyo last year, the new president of the technology giant's Japanese arm had a radical idea: hold workers accountable for performance, according to Reuters. International Business Machines is now being sued for wrongful termination in what is shaping up as a legal test case in one of the most divisive and politically charged issues facing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe - whether to make it easier for companies operating in Japan to fire workers and By Nathan Layne Within months of Jetter's arrival, IBM Japan fired a group of workers deemed to be underperforming in the kind of restructuring common in many Western countries but rare in Japan, where the most sought-after jobs have carried a promise of lifetime employment. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Equitable Group Inc.: It serves markets that are largely neglected by the Big Five banks: new immigrants, small business owners and customers who are establishing credit for the first time. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. Decoding the mortgage market Ever heard of mortgage cancellation fees? You soon might Shares of Equitable Group Inc. have performed much better than the market over the past year, but this Toronto-based mortgage lender may still not be getting the respect it deserves. Rising mortgage rates bullish for housing stocks (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Edward Snowden: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has offered asylum to Snowden and says his country received a request from the former NSA systems analyst. But Snowden, who is believed to be in a Moscow airport's transit zone, has applied for asylum in other countries as well, and it is not clear how easy it would be for him to travel to the Latin American country, according to Times Colonist. It was not possible to immediately reach Alexei Pushkov, the head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee who has acted as an unofficial point man for the Kremlin on the Snowden affair and MOSCOW - The WikiLeaks secret-spilling site on Tuesday said NSA leaker Edward Snowden has not yet formally accepted asylum in Venezuela, trying to put to rest growing confusion over whether he had taken up the country's offer. On Tuesday, a prominent Russian lawmaker tweeted that Snowden had accepted Venezuela's offer, then deleted the posting a few minutes later. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Edward Snowden: MOSCOW - Former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden has not yet formally accepted asylum in Venezuela, the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks said on Tuesday after a Russian lawmaker posted a statement to that effect on Twitter and then deleted it, according to Reuters. On its Twitter feed, Wikileaks later said: "Tomorrow the first phase of Edward Snowden's 'Flight of Liberty' campaign will be launched. Follow for further details." By Steve Gutterman WikiLeaks, on its own Twitter feed, said that states involved in deciding an asylum destination for Snowden, who fled the United States last month, "will make the announcement if and when the appropriate time comes". (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose: British Columbia Tory MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay wrote to Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose last year encouraging her to get her department to enter into talks to renew its lease on a building owned by a constituent. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. Ontario to audit school board over financial management concerns One of Prime Minister Stephen Harpers parliamentary secretaries looks to have run afoul of conflict-of-interest rules by lobbying on behalf of a man in her riding. Top court to weigh in on lawyer conflicts (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper: JEFFREY SIMPSON The government sets tone with a script and a scowl, according to Globe and Mail. Environment Minister Peter Kent says he #039;s ready to leave Harper #039;s cabinet Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper attends a news conference after a G8 summit at the Lough Erne golf resort in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland June 18, 2013. REUTERS/Ben Stansall/Pool Video As Prime Minister Stephen Harper contemplates a major cabinet shuffle, he is no doubt reminding himself of what our first prime minister is said to have declaimed: Give me better timber and I will make you a better cabinet. The same dilemma has bedevilled all other prime ministers since. In Sir John A.s tradition, they are all cabinet makers. More Related to this Story A cabinet devoid of senators could prove to be a problem for Tories (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

President Vladimir Putin: Snowden has apparently now withdrawn his request, but not before Russia's President Vladimir Putin hastily assured the outside world that Snowden is not a Russian spy, and the Kremlin will not support the fugitive's "anti-American activity.", according to CBC. However, Putin's gesture to the U.S belies a steadily deteriorating relationship between the two countries over the four years since President Barack Obama launched his putative "reset policy," aiming to put the relationship on a new course and Edward Snowden, the American intelligence leaker and fugitive, helped to make U.S.-Russia relations all the more uncomfortable this past week, when he surfaced unexpectedly in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, looking for asylum. Regarding Snowden, Putin said. "If he wants to stay here, there is one condition: he must stop his activities aimed at inflicting damage to our American partners, no matter how strange it may sound on my lips." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys: We ran to our cars, guards in front, guards behind, and raced through Mogadishus sandy streets in the heat of an October afternoon, according to The Star. Ask me anything, Aweys began our interview, although after an hour of talking through a Somali translator it was clear he would dodge as many questions as he would answer and The call for the interview came just minutes before we were to meet. Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys will see you. Now, an intermediary told us by phone. Aweys home was somewhere off Ballad Rd., although all I can remember clearly is a little boy cradling a dusty blender and waving furiously at us as we turned onto his street. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

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.