free lunch: At first, you get silence and suspicion. We all know there is no such thing as a free lunch. What is the catch?, according to CBC. "OK, fine. There is a catch. You will have to work hard. You will have to put in a lot of time, attend a lot of meetings, do a lot of research and writing, and stay on top of things. But if you do, then you will feel connected to other people like you never have before - you will realize that you can make a difference." What happens when you have power and ask others, "Would you like to have some?" "There is no catch", you say. And now you are really trying their credulity. This must be a trap. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

General Motors: NASHVILLE, Tenn. - General Motors plans to spend another $167 million at its Tennessee factory so it can build two new midsize vehicles. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. The company also wouldn't identify the new vehicles. They could be new versions of the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain crossover SUVs. In this Aug. 1, 2013 photo provided by General Motors, cars are assembled at the General Motors Spring Hill Manufacturing Plant in Spring Hill, Tenn. General Motors announced Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013, that it is spending another $167 million at the factory so it can build two new midsize vehicles. AP Photo/General Motors The investment disclosed Tuesday is on top of a previously announced $183 million investment. The spending is expected to create or keep 1,800 jobs, but GM wouldn't say how many new people would be hired. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada: The abrupt move, which took effect in July, has left Canadian adoptive parents heartsick and religious leaders baffled, according to The Star. At issue, according to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, is the Islamic practice of kafala, or guardianship, which is common in most of the worlds 49 Muslim-majority countries like Pakistan and Canada has stopped adoptions from Pakistan, citing a conflict with the Islamic law over adoption and guardianship. I was shocked, upset and depressed, says GTA resident Shafiq Rehman, who had been hoping with his wife to adopt a child from Pakistan. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

minimum wage: The minimum wage puts a floor under poverty among the working poor. It would surprise many people to learn that most poor people work, according to The Star. And in times of anaemic GDP growth like these, increases in the minimum wage boost economic activity to the advantage of all and Properly understood, the minimum wage is a stimulus benefiting the entire economy. It enables entry-level employees, notably youth working their way through college and university and immigrants intent on self-sufficiency, to get a solid start as dynamic contributors to a more prosperous Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Jackie Scott: Jackie Scott, 68, was refused citizenship even though she came to Canada with her British mother and Canadian father at the age of 2. 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, according to The Star. Scott said even though she would have loved to settle her own citizenship dispute back in July, her fight has become about much more than herself and VANCOUVER Canadian citizenship laws may need to be overhauled if a so-called lost Canadian wins her legal battle. 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. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

John Fraser: It has given them an air of triumph. You could almost feel sorry for the beleaguered ranks of Canadian republications, writes journalist John Fraser, Canadas nicest monarchist. After all, werent the republicans on a winning streak a decade or so ago? Wasnt Queen Elizabeth aging? Wasnt her family dysfunctional? Wasnt Ottawa shunning royal symbols? We were ready to jettison the institution. , according to Times Colonist. The Prince of Wales, whom Fraser calls the most maligned public figure of our time, is now the oracle in a double-breasted suit. Why, gushes Fraser, hes been right all along on ecological degradation, youth alienation and mindless urban expansion! Sure, he may have stepped out on Diana but, hell, thats old news. And now, his wife and former mistress, Camilla Parker Bowles, is no longer frumpy and catty. The monarchists of Canada are on the march. Delirious over the marriage of William and Kate, they are now ecstatic over the birth of their son. The survival of the British monarchy in Canada is assured. Alas, no longer. Now the Queen isnt getting old. Having celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, she is set to become the countrys longest serving monarch. After that, she has agreed to reign forever. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Marc Kielburger: Calling another kid fat or some cruelly creative facsimile is one of the oldest insults in the schoolyard playbook. Like other forms of bullying, its mean no matter how its intended, it hurts no matter how the recipient responds and it can leave emotional scars no matter how many years have passed. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. How I lost 55 pounds: Fear of dementia Craig and Marc Kielburger founded Free The Children and Me to We. Their biweekly Brain Storm column taps experts and readers for solutions to social issues. Why being asked to take the stairs is better for your health (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Postpartum depression: Postpartum depression can occur after a woman has given birth and is a serious health risk for both women and their babies. The symptoms are more intense and longer lasting than the typical baby blues and may eventually interfere with a mother's ability to care for her child, according to Times Colonist. That compares with six per cent of new moms in rural areas, almost seven per cent in semi-rural, or small-town areas, and about five per cent in semi-urban areas, the latter defined as having a population of 50,000 to 500,000 and TORONTO - New mothers living in big cities in Canada have a higher risk of postpartum depression than women in less populated areas of the country, a study has found. The study, published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, is based on a 2006 national survey of almost 6,500 new mothers. It found that almost 10 per cent of the women living in cities with a population of at least 500,000 reported experiencing postpartum depression. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

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.