Edward Snowden: The government's forensic investigation is wrestling with Snowden's apparent ability to defeat safeguards established to monitor and deter people looking at information without proper permission, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the sensitive developments publicly, according to Times Colonist. The disclosure undermines the Obama administration's assurances to Congress and the public that the NSA surveillance programs can't be abused because its spying systems are so aggressively monitored and audited for oversight purposes: If Snowden could defeat the NSA's own tripwires and internal burglar alarms, how many other employees or contractors could do the same and WASHINGTON - The U.S. government's efforts to determine which highly classified materials leaker Edward Snowden took from the National Security Agency have been frustrated by Snowden's sophisticated efforts to cover his digital trail by deleting or bypassing electronic logs, government officials told The Associated Press. Such logs would have showed what information Snowden viewed or downloaded. In July, nearly two months after Snowden's earliest disclosures, NSA Director Keith Alexander declined to say whether he had a good idea of what Snowden had downloaded or how many NSA files Snowden had taken with him, noting an ongoing criminal investigation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Martin Luther King: Yet the inconvenient truth half a century later is that Martin Luther King Jr.s mesmerizing call for racial harmony from the steps of Washingtons Lincoln Memorial crowned an unlikely day that placed employment foremost on the agenda, according to The Star. On a scale of 1 to 10, Americans as a whole have gone from 1 in 1963 to minus-3 in terms of economic well-being. And African-Americans today are now at minus-5, said longtime labour activist, academic and author Stanley Aronowitz, 79, who spent months behind the scenes 50 years ago helping build the unlikely coalition that descended on the capital and WASHINGTON It is easy to forget, looking through a lens 50 years long, that what is now widely regarded as Americas most cherished speech wasnt just about freedom. America is still debating how much of Kings dream has taken hold in the ensuing decades. But for many who helped organize the historic March on Washington For Jobs and Freedom of Aug. 28, 1963, modern economic reality remains the bitterest pill to swallow. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

McDonalds restaurant: Hai Xia Hazel Sun says she was discriminated against and ordered out of the McDonalds restaurant on No. 3 Road and Granville Avenue last Thursday, according to CTV. Sun says she was ordering a hot chocolate at the McDonalds, but was given a Mocha coffee instead. There was a long lineup and she complained, trying to correct the mistake and A Richmond woman is looking for an apology from one of the biggest fast food chains in the world after she says she was refused service because an employee said she couldnt speak English. They said, Oh you cant speak English, no service to you. I cant believe it! Sun told News. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Casey Mecija: In a post on Tumblr published on Friday, lead singer Casey Mecija said that she felt the media ascribed a selective narrative of otherness for her and the Toronto septet's music because of her race, gender and sexuality, according to Times Colonist. "I can't help but feel tired by the ways that my brown, performing body comes into contact with the multicultural sensibilities of Canadian audiences. I am frustrated by the ways that my Asian-ness and my sexuality have been at times hidden and at times showcased to support notions of an 'inclusive' Canadian multiculturalism." TORONTO - The Toronto-based indie pop band Ohbijou is going on indefinite hiatus, with its frontwoman challenging how Canadians engage with multiculturalism and critics' perception of the group. "I can't help but feel sadness for the ways my body has been inscribed as a performer," Mecija wrote. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Syrian government officials: For its part, the government of President Bashar al-Assad has been steadfast in its denial of these allegations, putting the blame instead on those same rebels who launched their assault in March 2011. Syrian government officials also say these latest accusations against the regime are illogical, with the supposed attack coming only days after UN inspectors were allowed into the country. , according to Huffington Post. The conflict now labelled a civil war by the International Red Cross had at its heart the desire to depose one of the Mideast's most repressive regimes. But the continued unrest has served to magnify many other issues at play in the conflict, both within Syria's borders and the international community. Syrian rebels have long accused the government they are fighting of using chemical weapons, and this week the claims intensified, as pictures of lifeless children, purported victims of another deadly attack, were spread around the world. Since the conflict began more than two years ago, it has taken a devastating human toll, with the UN estimating that more than 100,000 people have been killed. Refugees are streaming out of Syria, with estimates suggesting that at least 1.9 million have fled. Another 4.25 million are displaced within the country's borders. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Meminger: New York City police said staff at the Hamilton Heights Hotel found Meminger unconscious and unresponsive inside a room and emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead. Police said there were no signs of trauma and that the cause of death hadn't been determined. They said an investigation is ongoing, according to CTV. Meminger averaged 6.1 points in six seasons with the Knicks and Atlanta Hawks. A former New York City prep star at Rice High School, Meminger led Marquette to a 78-9 mark in three varsity seasons, averaging 18.8 points. He averaged 21.2 points as a senior in 1970-71 and was drafted 16th overall by the Knicks and NEW YORK -- Dean Meminger, the former Marquette guard who played a reserve role on the New York Knicks' 1973 NBA championship team, was found dead Friday in a Manhattan hotel room. He was 65. "We want to thank everyone for their prayers and condolences during this difficult time for our family," Meminger's family said in a statement. "Dean 'The Dream' Meminger touched the hearts of so many on and off the basketball court. Through basketball and education, he helped countless people around the country receive scholarships, high school and college admissions, and even employment." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper: Harper had separate phone conversations Saturday with British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande, according to Huffington Post. The Syrian government has denied using chemical weapons and has pointed the finger at rebel forces and TORONTO - Reports of chemical weapons being used in Syria have been a major topic of discussion between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the leaders of France and Britain. Officials in the Prime Minister's Office say the three leaders shared their concern about the accusations that the government of President Bashar Assad used chemical weapons on civilians. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Conference Board of Canada: There is a myth that growing inequality is inevitable, or the result of some natural market forces, according to Times Colonist. Other countries have chosen a different path without damage to their economies. Canada now has greater inequality than most of its economic peers, according to a 2011 Conference Board of Canada report and Canadians need to decide how much inequality is acceptable in our society. A recent Broadbent Institute report called inequality a defining issue of our time. It's hard to dispute that claim, especially given the serious damage that could result from rising inequality. That's simply false. Governments in some countries - including Canada - have made policy choices that increased inequality, ensuring the richest citizens claim the largest share of economic gains, and the rest of the population benefits much less. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Paula Deen: A document filed in U.S. District Court in Savannah said both sides agreed to drop the lawsuit "without any award of costs or fees to any party." No other details of the agreement were released. The judge in the case had not signed an order to finalize the dismissal, according to CTV. The dismissal deal came less than two weeks after Judge William T. Moore threw out the race discrimination claims, ruling Jackson, who is white, had no standing to sue over what she said was poor treatment of black workers. He let Jackson's claims of sexual harassment stand, but the deal drops those also and SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Lawyers signed a deal Friday to drop a discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit against celebrity cook Paula Deen, who was dumped by the Food Network and other business partners after she said under oath that she had used racial slurs in the past. Former employee Lisa Jackson last year sued Deen and her brother, Bubba Hiers, saying she suffered from sexual harassment and racially offensive talk and employment practices that were unfair to black workers during her five years as a manager of Uncle Bubba's Seafood and Oyster House. Deen is co-owner of the restaurant, which is primarily run by her brother. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Egypt: The answer to blood is blood, Opinion Aug. 20, according to The Star. By all accounts the military coup in Egypt was well planned and orchestrated. The massive shedding of blood on the streets of Egypt intended to create a state of fear by eradicating the Muslim Brotherhood, but more importantly ending the Egyptian peoples revolutionary resolve and reinstating the Mubarak-style military dictatorship and Re: The answer to blood is blood, Opinion Aug. 20 Richard Gwyn says the coup in Egypt was illegal but valid. This is like saying somebodys reasoning is logical but it is baseless; lets not confuse ourselves because we just want to justify the actions of the military. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.