Vladimir Putin: The government is preparing to introduce long-awaited, controversial legislation that would restrict religious symbols in numerous places, according to Times Colonist. The particulars drew swift condemnation from political adversaries and from a well-known philosopher, who likened the plan to the human-rights abuses of Vladimir Putin's Russia and MONTREAL - Quebec has launched its next debate on minority accommodation and this one could make the erstwhile soccer-turban ban look like a leisurely stroll down the pitch. A media report Tuesday with leaked details of the Parti Quebecois government's "Charter of Quebec Values" said the proposed policy will prohibit public employees from donning Sikh, Jewish and Muslim headwear or visible crucifixes in the workplace. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Jumbe Omari Jumbe: About 30,000 refugees, believed to be mainly Syrian Kurds, have poured into Iraq since Thursday, and up to 3,000 are lined up to cross on Tuesday, the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said. , according to Reuters. Asked about the reasons for the exodus, Jumbe said: "There is a perception that violence will increase against Syrian Kurds by various armed groups including al-Nusra." GENEVA - Syrian refugees continue to stream over the border into northern Iraq, where the Kurdistan regional government has put in place a daily quota of 3,000, aid agencies said on Tuesday. "The Kurdistan regional government authorities have put a daily quota for those refugees who will be allowed in. Today they will allow 3,000 persons in, but yesterday a similar quota of 3,000 was set but at the end of the day, 5,000 refugees were allowed to cross," Jumbe Omari Jumbe of the International Organization for Migration IOM told a news briefing in Geneva. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Art Mantell: Obituary B-movie vixen Haji was known for role in Russ Meyer cult classics, according to Globe and Mail. Obituary Journalist Art Mantell loved to cover human drama Anthony Pawson. HANDOUT Obituary Penelope Casass career writing influential books on Spanish cooking began in 1982 with The Foods and Wines of Spain , which The New York Times restaurant critic Mimi Sheraton called one of the best works on Spanish food ever presented to the American public. Considered a classic, the book is in its 12th printing. More Related to this Story Obituary Thomas Alexander T. Alec Rigby was first and foremost a showman (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Trinity Western: Not surprisingly, there has been vociferous comment on both sides of the issue. On one hand, some have argued that allowing Trinity Western to have a law school would sanction discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and would, in effect, put a quota on the number of gay lawyers. On the other side of the debate, many have cited freedom of religion and the fact that the Supreme Court of Canada has already settled this issue from a legal perspective, according to The Star. The Supreme Court of Canada ultimately acknowledged the potential conflict between religious freedoms and equality rights, confirming that neither right is absolute. Without compelling evidence that training teachers or in this case, lawyers through a Christian world view fosters discrimination in the larger public environment, the freedom of individuals at Trinity Western to adhere to certain religious beliefs should be respected and Trinity Western University in Langley, B.C., which wants to create an accredited law school, is not your run-of-the-mill university. It is a private, non-publically-funded, Christian evangelical institution. The universitys community standards require all students to agree to refrain from sexual intimacy that violates the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman. The upshot: homosexuals need not apply. In 2001, the Supreme Court rendered a decision in connection with Trinity Westerns application to the B.C. College of Teachers for a teachers education program. Similar to the universitys current requirements, students, faculty and staff were compelled to sign a document in which they agreed to refrain from sexual sins including . . . homosexual behaviour. The College of Teachers found that this requirement discriminated against homosexual students and, therefore, refused to approve the universitys application. The university took the college to court. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Myanmar: BANGKOK - A group of Muslim Rohingya asylum-seekers in southern Thailand escaped from an immigration detention center on Tuesday, highlighting the growing desperation of a stateless minority fleeing sectarian violence in Myanmar, according to Reuters. The 87 escapees used blades to cut through iron bars and hacked at cement walls before disappearing into nearby rubber plantations, prompting a large search operation, said Suwit Chernsiri, police commander of the southern province of Songkla and By Amy Sawitta Lefevre Rights activists are critical of Thailand's response to the influx of Rohingya and have urged the authorities not to deport the refugees back to Myanmar, where they face pervasive discrimination. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

BMO Capital Markets: Statistics Canada reported Tuesday that wholesale trade plunged a massive 2.8 per cent in June to $48.8 billion, reversing the gains posted the previous two months. Wholesale trade also fell 2.9 per cent in volumes, according to CTV. "Maybe this partly explains why employment was so weak in July," said Doug Porter, chief economist with BMO Capital Markets, pointing to the surprising loss of 39,400 jobs last month and OTTAWA -- The Canadian economy seems to have fallen into a hole in June, but not for the reasons many had expected. On top of a 1.3 per cent pull-back in manufacturing volumes, June's economic data is shaping up to be one of the weakest months since the 2008-09 recession. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Iraq: GENEVA - The government of Iraqi Kurdistan has set an entry quota of 3,000 refugees a day to cope with an influx of Kurds fleeing the civil war in Syria, but there are signs many more are still coming in, aid agencies said on Tuesday, according to Reuters. UNHCR officials told an internal U.N. meeting in Baghdad on Monday that up to 100,000 Syrian refugees could be expected to flee to Iraq within the next month, if the current pace continued, U.N. sources said and By Stephanie Nebehay About 35,000 refugees, believed to be mainly Syrian Kurds, have entered Iraq since last Thursday, including an estimated 5,100, well over the cap, on Tuesday, the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Vancouver Police Service: Delegates to the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police annual meeting have passed a resolution that says officers need more enforcement options to deal with people caught with pot, according to The Star. Chu, who is chief constable of the Vancouver Police Service, also points out that a conviction results in a criminal record that places barriers on future travel, employment and citizenship and WINNIPEG Police chiefs meeting in Winnipeg say handing out tickets for illegal possession of marijuana may be more efficient than laying criminal charges. Association president Jim Chu says in a release that criminal charges place a significant burden on police and court resources. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Foreign Affairs Lynne Yelich: John Greyson, originally from Nelson, B.C., is an award-winning filmmaker and a York University professor lauded as an icon of Canadas queer community, according to The Star. In a written statement, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Lynne Yelich called for an explanation for their arrest. We strongly believe that this is a case of two people being in the wrong place at the wrong time, she said and Tarek Loubani fled the ravages of the Gulf War, a young refugee who landed in Canada and went on to become an emergency doctor in London, Ont. On Monday, both Canadians remained in an Egyptian prison days after they were arrested for reasons that remain unclear amidst ongoing strife in the politically fractious country. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

federal governments: Mr. Moore, who is on a speaking tour to defend the federal governments wireless policy, said large provinces such as Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia would do well to have aggressive competition spurred by a strong fourth player. He said that consumers living in other regions, including the Prairies, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, are already benefiting from robust market rivalry. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. TELECOMS With Verizon looming in background, wireless prices decline Industry Minister James Moore is challenging arguments by the Big Three wireless carriers that Canadas large geography and relatively sparse population make it too small a market to support four competitors in every region. Rogers CEO warns spectrum auction could result in slower wireless speeds (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.