Montreal International Film Festival: The two have recently come out with a provocative film Langue a Terre , which debuts at the Montreal International Film Festival on August 29 and explores the scenario of the decline of French, according to CTV. They point to the right to attend university and CEGEP in French and English signage as facilitators of the decline and A pair of filmmakers have painted a bleak portrait of the future of French in Quebec, which they argue will fall into decline and eventually disuse if current practices continue. It's a movie about resistance, resistance of the Quebecois to survive 400 years on this continent, said co-director Michel Breton. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird: MONTREAL - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and other western leaders applied more pressure on Syria on Sunday, with a call for Syrian authorities to allow the United Nations immediate and unfettered access to the site of last week's alleged chemical attack. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. The ministers "shared their outrage" about recent events in Syria, especially the purported use of chemical weapons, said an foreign affairs official in an email. George Sabra, acting head of the Western-backed Syrian National Coalition, meets with Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs Villy Soevndal, not seen, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Copenhagen, Denmark, Friday June 7, 2013. Sabra is planning to press Canada for more help when he meets this week with Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Polfoto/Carsten Snejbjerg DENMARK OUT Officials in Baird's office said he had separate phone conversations on Sunday with US Secretary of State John Kerry and the Foreign Minister of the French Republic, Laurent Fabius. He spoke with British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Friday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Rita Dionne-Marsolais: Regional tourism chief Olivier Nolleau criticized the timing of the tour, as the tourism season is still going strong, according to CTV. Commission co-chairs, former Bloc Quebec leader Gilles Duceppe and former PQ minister Rita Dionne-Marsolais are traveling throughout the province until October 10 to hear from individuals and groups and MONTREAL - The PQ governments traveling Employment Insurance review board has hit the Gaspe, but not without some criticism. He said he won't participate because it will be several months before the impact of the most recent federal reforms of the EI system are known. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Stephen Kimbers: A CONFUSING structure, not to mention an obvious political bias, mars this otherwise useful look at a recent chapter in Cuban-American relations. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. What Lies Across the Water A couple walks past a billboard displaying images of the five Cuban intelligence agents imprisoned in the U.S., popularly known as the Cuban Five, in Havana. What Lies Across the Water is Canadian journalism professor Stephen Kimbers account of the "Cuban Five," spies arrested in 1998 and convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage against the United States, conspiracy to commit murder and acting as agents of a foreign government. Enlarge Image Book Review (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Csom Latorovsk: Immigrants who arrive on Nova Scotias shores come with varying goals; many just want to escape poverty or strife or discrimination, according to The Chronicle Herald. Latorovski was a 35-year-old assistant paddling coach in his native Hungary when, in 1991, an invitation arrived. How d he like to move to Waverley and EDITOR S NOTE: The entirety of our 26-part series, Nova Scotia: A to Z, will be published in The Novascotian every Saturday until we reach the letter Z. Todays feature is on Csom Latorovsk, who is from Hungary. To see other stories in our series, click here . Csom Latorovski has been to the Olympics. Four times. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Richmond County fish plant: Two days after fire ravaged a Richmond County fish plant, the areas MLA said Sunday people remain in shock, according to The Chronicle Herald. No injuries were reported and A fire broke out at Premium Seafoods Groups groundfish processing plant in Arichat at about 12:30 a.m. Friday. Despite the efforts of firefighters from Isle Madame, Louisdale, Port Hawkesbury and St. Peters, the building, including a retail market, was a total loss. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Syrian National Council: George Sabra, president of the Western-backed Syrian National Council, said he wants Canada to be a stronger international voice against Syrian President Bashar Assad, according to CTV. "We need to see real movement now to protect Syrian people --not only statements, we need action," Sabra said Saturday, prior to a town-hall style meeting in Montreal and MONTREAL -- The head of Syria's main opposition group is planning to press Canada for more help when he meets this week with Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird. The Syrian government's purported use of chemical weapons in recent days should give the international community an even greater sense of urgency, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper: Officials in Baird's office said he had separate phone conversations on Sunday with US Secretary of State John Kerry and the Foreign Minister of the French Republic, Laurent Fabius. He spoke with British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Friday, according to Times Colonist. Prime Minister Stephen Harper also was pulling the diplomatic levers over the weekend, discussing the situation in Syria by phone on Saturday in separate conversations with British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande and MONTREAL - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and other western leaders applied more pressure on Syria on Sunday, with a call for Syrian authorities to allow the United Nations immediate and unfettered access to the site of last week's alleged chemical attack. The ministers "shared their outrage" about recent events in Syria, especially the purported use of chemical weapons, said an foreign affairs official in an email. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Barack Obama: In some cases, the current climate has been driven by factors outside the White House's control. But missteps by the president also are to blame, say foreign policy analysts, including some who worked for the Obama administration, according to Times Colonist. Rosa Brooks, a former Defence Department official who left the administration in 2011, said that while the shrinking U.S. leverage overseas predates the current president, "Obama has sometimes equated 'we have no leverage' with 'there's no point to really doing anything'." WASHINGTON - Nearly five years into his presidency, Barack Obama confronts a world far different from what he envisioned when he first took office. U.S. influence is declining in the Middle East as violence and instability rock Arab countries. An ambitious attempt to reset U.S. relations with Russia faltered and failed. Even in Obama-friendly Europe, there's deep skepticism about Washington's government surveillance programs. Among them: miscalculating the fallout from the Arab Spring uprisings, publicly setting unrealistic expectations for improved ties with Russia and a reactive decision-making process that can leave the White House appearing to veer from crisis to crisis without a broader strategy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Syrian National Council: George Sabra, president of the Syrian National Council, says the Syrian government's purported use of chemical weapons in recent days is another sign that a political solution isn't possible, according to Huffington Post. "When we think about Canada, we think about human rights," Sabra said Saturday before a town-hall style meeting in Montreal and MONTREAL - The head of Syrias main Western-backed opposition group is pressing the Canadian government to do more to end the conflict in his home country. He wants Canada to offer more humanitarian aid and be a stronger international voice against Syrian President Bashar Assad. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.