Federal Reserve: Traders are refraining from big moves as they await the release of the minutes from the Federal Reserve's July policy meeting for hints of whether and when the bank will begin cutting back on its monthly bond purchases. The focus will remain on the Fed on Thursday, when it starts its annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, according to Times Colonist. Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.5 per cent to 13,684.60. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 0.3 per cent to 22,389.06. Australia's S P/ASX 200 lost 0.5 per cent to 5,085. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.2 per cent to 1,919.96 and BANGKOK - Asian stock markets fell Monday as investors braced for the possible phaseout of a U.S. central bank stimulus program that has boosted stock prices worldwide. "The volatility these two events could cause to markets could see bond yields overshooting fair value, and equity markets logging five and six day losing streaks," said Evan Lucas of IG in Melbourne, Australia. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

desperate conditions: The sudden exodus of around 30,000 Syrians amid the summer heat has created desperate conditions and left aid agencies and the regional government struggling to accommodate them, illustrating the huge strain the 2 1/2-year-old Syrian conflict has put on neighbouring countries. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. Syrian Kurds battle al-Qaeda-linked Islamists for control of oil fields Tens of thousands of Syrian Kurds swarmed across a bridge into neighbouring Iraqs northern self-ruled Kurdish region over the past few days in one of the biggest waves of refugees since the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad began, UN officials said Monday. Syrian rebels launch offensive in attempt to extend advances (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canadian development: Foreign aid as a tool for Canadian development, according to Globe and Mail. It was several months before worldwide TV broadcasts alerted stunned viewers to the scope of the human tragedy. As portrayed on the news that October, the main heroes were the humanitarian workers battling to save lives in Ethiopia, despite lack of interest from the outside world and Monday marks World Humanitarian Day, a day set aside to honour those who work for relief and emergency response agencies around the world. For me, this day brings back memories of the summer of 1984. While North Americans enjoyed the warmth and sunshine, tens of thousands of Ethiopian children died of starvation in one of the worst famines in recent history. More Related to this Story Tamara Alrifai Syrias humanitarian blackmail is a war crime, and its victims need our help (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canadian Forces: Harper announces centre to train northern Canadians to work in Yukon mines, according to Globe and Mail. Canadian Forces test Loki, a stealth snowmobile for covert Arctic ops Federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau speaks to the media at English Bay in Vancouver on July 25, 2013. FOR THE Video Summer is in full swing, meaning Stephen Harper is in the North as part of his annual Arctic tour. We can expect more of the same: a photo-op with visiting fighter jets and coast guard, handshakes with Canadian Rangers, a community tour on an ATV, and maybe a hasty stop to one of our national parks. The messaging too will be the same: the Conservative government is committed to the North and Northerners. A quick trip in and out. Just enough time to give the appearance of being present and interested. More Related to this Story Jeff Rubin Canadas race to build pipelines won #039;t spell relief at the pumps (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canadian employees: The Hay Group survey found Canadian employees can expect a salary boost of 2.6 per cent in 2014, down from this years projection of 2.9 per cent, according to Globe and Mail. Hot Jobs There #039;s heavy demand in all sectors for lean specialists A new survey of employers suggests Canadian salaries will be going up next year, but perhaps not by as much as this year. As has been the case recently, the clear divide in salary growth expectations is location, with resource-rich provinces coming in at between 3.2 and 4.0 per cent, while the rest range from 2.1 to 2.6 per cent. More Related to this Story (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Ivie Okaro: So Ivies father told the elder he could have Ivie. Aside from marriage to this old man, which Ivie didnt want, she would also have to be publicly circumcised, a painful and sometimes fatal procedure. Ivies father had already thrown her mother out of the home so, in desperation, Ivie ran away. Her mother and an aunt knew she couldnt hide from her father and the elder forever so they managed to raise enough money for her to escape, according to The Star. She looked confused and unsure where to go, so soon a pair of immigration officers, a man and a woman, demanded to see her passport and took the terrified girl away to a small room. After questioning her for most of the afternoon, she was sent to the Immigration Holding Centre on Rexdale Blvd., where she was detained for two weeks and When Ivie Okaro was 16 and still lived in a rural area 240 kilometres northwest of Lagos, Nigeria, she dreamed of going to university, of becoming a doctor or a nurse. But she had to drop out of school because her father, a farmer who sold palm oil, fell into financial trouble and couldnt afford the fees. He borrowed from a tribal elder and when he was unable to repay the loan, the elder demanded, as compensation, one of the mans daughters as a wife. On May 5, 2006, her aunt took her to Lagos. A man she only saw once provided forged documents and a few days later, a second man, who Ivie knew only as Jerry, got on a plane with her, although he sat in a seat far away. When the flight arrived at Pearson airport, Ivie disembarked and realized Jerry had disappeared. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Ruthi Gladstones: This benign kingdom is in Canadas most populous city, near Yonge St. and Sheppard Ave., a 10-minute walk from a subway station through which 48,000 people pass every day, according to The Star. MORE ON THESTAR.COM A fox sleeps in the sun, cosy on the threshold of Ruthi Gladstones front door. Deer in the backyard nibble on herbs. Rabbits idle and stretch in her garden. Gladstone thinks its only fair she puts out a welcome mat for urban wildlife. We are taking over their habitats, she says. They will stay and we have to learn to live with them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Stephen Harper: Although, the prime minister's staff insisted it was not a fundraiser, according to CBC. The policy followed later, as it will this year, with an announcement Monday morning expected to focus on skills training to support employment in the North's vast natural resources sector. Stephen Harper rips opposition in Whitehorse speech Ottawa testing $620,000 stealth snowmobile for Arctic Stephen Harper began his eighth Northern summer tour Sunday with a stump-style speech to Conservative supporters at a reception in Whitehorse. It was roughly the same model in place as last year , when Harper's first event after arriving in Yukon and taking an ATV ride across the Carcross desert was a dinner speech to another roomful of Conservatives. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Quebec student protests: The beat of helicopter propellers, the wail of sirens and the banging of pots and pans were familiar sounds during Montreal nights just over a year ago. With the noise of the Quebec student protests and the masses in the streets now a fading memory, some question whether the movement was a great show of democracy with lasting effect or simply a mass disruption, according to CBC. As the summer wore on, people of all ages and professions joined in. But there were also many Qu beckers who felt the social order was threatened, and they wanted the protests to stop and Listen to the full discussion of the legacy of the Quebec student protests in the audio player to the left of this page, or visit The Sunday Edition's website . In the spring of 2012, tens of thousands of young people took to the streets, objecting to a planned 75 per cent hike in university tuitions fees. Clashes between police and students became regular news. Special Report: Quebec student protests (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

unemployment rate: Leaders in the Socialist administration, who are under criticism for the struggling economy and rising joblessness, met Monday to discuss the way forward. Grappling with an 11 per cent unemployment rate, high taxes, and a declining industrial sector, they looked to better times in the future the distant future, according to Times Colonist. There were skeptics and PARIS - Full employment, plenty of cheap housing, a new Industrial Revolution and Police 3.0. Those are the French government's predictions for the year 2025. "The countries that succeed are those that look ahead," said Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. "France has been lagging in a globalized world and at times has doubted its future." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.