Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago: BANGKOK - Asian stock markets fell Wednesday on expectations the U.S. central bank will begin to phase out its monetary stimulus next month. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. Charles Evans, who votes on the Fed's policy as president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, told reporters Tuesday the Fed was "quite likely" to start reducing purchases this year and didn't rule out a decision being made at the Fed's next meeting in September. That is a sign that Fed officials believes the U.S. economy is strengthening. A woman walks past a bank electronic board showing the Hong Kong share index outside a Hong Kong local bank Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013. Asian stock markets were mostly lower Tuesday despite an upbeat report on U.S. service industries that are the main driver of growth in the world's No. 1 economy. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1.6 percent to 21,872.03, dragged down by HSBC Holdings, which plunged 4.7 percent a day after the bank reported weaker-than-expected revenue for the first half of the year. AP Photo/Vincent Yu Positive U.S. trade data and comments by a Federal Reserve bank regional president increased speculation that the Fed could begin reducing its monthly $85 billion in asset purchases in September. The program has helped keep interest rates super-low in order to spur growth. But it also had the unintended effect of pushing up stock markets, where investors have fled in search of returns that outpace bonds. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

postpartum depression: Looking at the experiences of over 6,000 women who lived in rural, semi-rural, semi-urban or urban areas from the 2006 Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey, the study suggests that women in urban areas were at higher risk, with almost 10 per cent reporting postpartum depression compared with six per cent of women in rural areas, almost seven per cent of women in semirural areas and about five per cent in semiurban areas, according to CBC. "We found that Canadian women who lived in large urban areas were at higher risk of postpartum depression than women living in other areas," said Dr. Simone Vigod, psychiatrist at Women's College Hospital and scientist at Women's College Research Institute in Toronto and Women living in urban centres in Canada with more than 500,000 inhabitants are at higher risk of postpartum depression than women in other areas, suggests a new study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Urban areas were found to have higher numbers of immigrant populations, and more women in these areas reported lower levels of social support during and after pregnancy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Eliana Cuevas: A lot of Espejo feels that way. For a CD thats so obviously heartfelt Melancol a might be about immigration while Antito is about her sweet girl daughter the 10-tune collection nevertheless feels contrived to dazzle more than move you, despite the efforts of its crackerjack band led by Jeremy Ledbetter, her partner, producer, arranger and pianist. But maybe thats where you find Cuevass real genius, in creating an impressive album for her fans and to equally serve as a calling card for the music industry to recognize a major international talent thats on its way, according to The Star and About halfway through Espejo Mirror , Eliana Cuevas s fourth CD since her 2002 debut Cohesi n , the Venezuela-born Toronto singer hits warp-drive speed with El Tucusito, a dazzling bit of Latin scat bopping that showcases her remarkable range of talents as a singer and composer. The problem is, the performance feels as if its mostly about making an impression, which it does. Had El Tucusito been slightly slower and less showy, its inner structure and dramatic ending would be more apparent as would the true depth of talent involved. Cuevas has won just about every indie award in Canada over the years for a reason, including a 2009 National Jazz Award for Latin Jazz Artist of the Year. Eliana Cuevas is appearing at Hughs Room as part of Jazz FM91s World Music Festival on Wednesday, Aug. 7. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Jackie Scott: VANCOUVER - Canadian citizenship laws may need to be overhauled if a so-called "lost Canadian" wins her legal battle. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. Documents filed Friday in Federal Court in Vancouver show Scott is petitioning for "declarations" from the court that could have serious ramifications for Canadian citizenship, including whether Parliament has total control over who is considered Canadian. Jackie Scott, left, who was born out of wedlock in England in 1945 to an English mother and a Canadian soldier and is seeking a judicial review of her exclusion from citizenship based on the 1946 Canadian Citizenship Act, listens to her lawyer Jay Straith as he speaks to reporters outside Federal Court in Vancouver, B.C., on July 22, 2013. Canadian citizenship laws may need to be overhauled if a so-called "lost Canadian" wins her legal battle. Jackie Scott, 68, was refused citizenship even though she came to Canada with her British mother and Canadian father at the age of two. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck Jackie Scott, 68, was refused citizenship even though she came to Canada with her British mother and Canadian father at the age of two. A judicial review of that refusal was scheduled for July, but Scott put it on hold so she and her lawyers could broaden the court action. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Israel: The West Bank and Gaza lie on either side of Israel. Citing security reasons, Israel has severely restricted movement between the two territories for more than a decade, according to Times Colonist. Assaf, 23, from the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza is one such case and JERUSALEM - Fame has opened a door for a former Gaza wedding singer that remains closed for others in the blockaded territory: Mohammed Assaf, winner of the popular TV talent contest Arab Idol, gets to move to the West Bank. And though in the past two years Israel retroactively granted West Bank residency to more than 4,000 Gazans and their offspring who had already been living in the West Bank for years, cases of Gazans being permitted to move to the West Bank are extremely rare. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Marwa Tayara: So when the ring of a Skype call echoes through the Tayara household, the 28-year-old Syrian-Canadian quickly excuses herself from the dining room to grab her iPad. 'Yesterday, a bullet came right through her garden, and she went out to see what went on. She touched the bullet and it was so hot, she could not even pick it up.' Marwa Tayara, translating the experience of her aunt in Homs, Syria, according to CBC. Yesterday, a bullet came right through her garden, and she went out to see what went on. She touched the bullet and it was so hot, she could not even pick it up, Tayara translates and Its been over a week since Mississauga, Ont. resident Marwa Tayara has spoken with family in Homs, Syria, one of the cities hardest hit by the two-year-old revolution. She calls her father, Fariz, over and sets the tablet up on the coffee table in the living room. They both lean in closer to the iPad as her aunt begins to speak on the other end of the crackling line. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Mohammed Assaf: JERUSALEM - Fame has opened a door for a former Gaza wedding singer that remains closed for others in the blockaded territory: Mohammed Assaf, winner of the popular TV talent contest Arab Idol, gets to move to the West Bank. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. And though in the past two years Israel retroactively granted West Bank residency to more than 4,000 Gazans and their offspring who had already been living in the West Bank for years, cases of Gazans being permitted to move to the West Bank are extremely rare. File - In this July 1, 2013 file photo, Mohammed Assaf, the 23-year-old from the Gaza Strip who won the popular pan-Arab song contest "Arab Idol" last month performs in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Fame has opened a door for a former Gaza wedding singer that remains closed for others in the blockaded territory: Mohammed Assaf, winner of the popular TV talent contest Arab Idol, gets to move to the West Bank. The West Bank and Gaza lie on either side of Israel. Citing security reasons, Israel has severely restricted movement between the two territories for more than a decade. AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed, File The West Bank and Gaza lie on either side of Israel. Citing security reasons, Israel has severely restricted movement between the two territories for more than a decade. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Immigration and Customs Union: While that sounds like music to the ears of the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who regularly seek bargains south of the border, it sounds like trouble for Canadian businesses and taxpayers groups, according to Huffington Post. " During periods of peak traffic, I ve seen the federal duty exemptions raised anywhere from $150 to $200 and more per person in order to alleviate the traffic strains ," Jason McMichael, a spokesperson for the Immigration and Customs Union, told CTV News and Border guards are being told to wave through cross-border shoppers as quickly as possible during peak traffic hours, by either ignoring potential shoppers or unofficially raising the duty-free limit, according to documents obtained by several news organizations. The rule was put in place because of skyrocketing overtime costs at the Canada Border Services Agency CBSA , according to the National Post the apparent result of the Harper governments cuts to staffing levels at the border agency. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Coral Rapids Power: The New Post Creek Hydroelectric Project is a partnership between Ontario Power Generation and Coral Rapids Power, a company owned by the Taykwa Tagamou Nation near Cochrane. Ontario Power Generation and its partner Coral Rapids Power, a wholly owned company of Taykwa Tagamou Nation, plan to develop about 25 megawatts of renewable hydroelectric power through the construction of a generating station on New Post Creek near its outlet to the Abitibi River. newpostcreek.com, according to CBC. The province said the New Post Creek project builds on the expertise and capacity being developed with other new northern Ontario hydroelectric projects, such as the Lower Mattagami project, and will include construction of a generating station, a dam and powerhouse. There will also be improvements to existing access roads, the establishment of a construction site and the installation of a transmission line and A new hydroelectric project in northeastern Ontario is expected to create 100 new construction jobs, according to the province. The venture aims to develop about 25 megawatts of renewable hydroelectric power through the construction of a generating station on New Post Creek near its outlet to the Abitibi River. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Israel: The West Bank and Gaza lie on either side of Israel. Citing security reasons, Israel has severely restricted movement between the two territories for more than a decade, according to 660 News. Assaf, 23, from the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza is one such case and JERUSALEM Fame has opened a door for a former Gaza wedding singer that remains closed for others in the blockaded territory: Mohammed Assaf, winner of the popular TV talent contest Arab Idol, gets to move to the West Bank. And though in the past two years Israel retroactively granted West Bank residency to more than 4,000 Gazans and their offspring who had already been living in the West Bank for years, cases of Gazans being permitted to move to the West Bank are extremely rare. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.