immigrantscanada.com

Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: NEW YORK - A federal judge threw out a lawsuit accusing Bloomberg LP of discriminating against dozens of pregnant employees, saying the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's mishandling of the case effectively cost the plaintiffs their day in court, according to Reuters. In August 2011, Preska said the EEOC, which enforces federal laws against workplace discrimination, could not pursue a class action. She said there was a lack of evidence that discrimination was Bloomberg's standard operating practice, even if there were "several isolated instances" of individual bias and By Jonathan Stempel and Jennifer Saba Monday's decision in the six-year-old case, by Chief Judge Loretta Preska of the U.S. district court in Manhattan, is the latest win for the financial news and information company, whose majority owner is New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Quebec. Quebec Premier Pauline Marois: After more than a year of speculation and increasingly heated debate, the Quebec government will release its proposals Tuesday for a "values charter" that would restrict religious clothing. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. The debate has intensified in recent days since purported details were leaked to various media, prompting warnings from critics of potential lawsuits and the departure of some minorities from Quebec. Quebec Premier Pauline Marois speaks at a plenary session on climate change at the 37th annual conference of the New England Governors and Eastern Premiers Monday, September 9, 2013 in La Malbaie Que. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot The Parti Quebecois government will roll out its suggestions at a morning news conference in the provincial legislature, 13 months after making an election pledge to introduce such a plan. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Rick Dykstra: AS of July 1, Canada joined several other countries and added computer chips to all new passports -- they carry the passport information and a digital photo. An airport reader scans the passport and accesses the information on the chip in order to verify the identity of the pass-holder, said Rick Dykstra, parliamentary secretary to Citizenship Minister Chris Alexander, according to Winnipeg Free Press. It is also the same technology that some smartphones have, using near field communication NFC , which lets smartphones communicate by bumping, or lets people pay for parking using their smartphones and New passports have a security chip in the cover that is not secure after all. MELISSA TAIT / Photo Store Getting your data as easy as 1-2-3 The chips in the new passports work on radio-frequency identification, the same technology used in security ID cards and door readers, Dykstra said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

estimate: The first preliminary estimate had put the rate of growth for the world's third-largest economy at 2.6 per cent, according to Times Colonist. The stronger data make it more likely the government will go ahead with a planned sales tax increase that some economists worry could slow the recovery, but which is needed to help curb the country's massive national debt and TOKYO - Japan's economy expanded faster in April-June than earlier reported, according to a revised estimate showing a real annualized growth rate of 3.8 per cent, thanks to higher spending on private and public investment. The Cabinet Office also said Monday that the economy expanded 0.9 per cent from the previous quarter, compared with an earlier estimate of a 0.6 per cent increase. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Parti Qu b cois: She made the comments in an exclusive interview with the French-language newspaper Le Devoir about the Parti Qu b cois proposed charter of values, according to Huffington Post. The statements were made in defence of the partys recent firm stance on promoting secularism in the province and Quebec Premier Pauline Marois said a policy of multiculturalism in England has led to people "beating each other up and setting off bombs" because the society has no clear sense of identity. In the interview, she said women working in daycares who wear hijabs are in a position to influence children to practice religion. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

CUPE: Talks between the university and CUPE Local 1393 broke off about an hour after a midnight strike deadline. CUPE Local 1393 represents almost 300 professional, trade and technical workers at the University of Windsor. Gino Conte/, according to CBC. "The big issues are job security and the pay-equity system," Roy said and A strike is underway at the University of Windsor on Sunday morning, which involves nearly 300 professional, trade and technical employees. CUPE Local 1393 president Dean Roy said the two sides remain far apart on a pair of key issues. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Cyrille Simard: The mayor of Edmundston says he wants the company to guarantee the west-to-east pipeline, which could traverse his city of 16,000, won't harm the area's watershed, according to CTV. "We're still waiting for that, and we'll see." FREDERICTON -- When it comes to people like Cyrille Simard, TransCanada has a challenge in selling the Energy East Pipeline project in New Brunswick. "They gave us the assurance that it was understood that it is a very important issue and that they would take care of that by bringing some new scenarios of a route," Simard says. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Quebec Premier Pauline Marois: In an exclusive interview with Le Devoir , Marois said multiculturalism in Britain has led to "people beating each other up and setting off bombs," because British society has no clear sense of identity. 'Charter of Quebec Values' will unite province: Marois Que. Liberals call for "open secularism", according to CBC. Opposition politicians including Liberal leader Philippe Couillard slammed Marois for her statement and Quebec Premier Pauline Marois says she didnt intend to offend anyone with comments she made about multiculturalism in England earlier this week. Her comments come as the province grapples with the Parti Qu b cois proposed secular charter, which would see religious symbols like crucifixes and yarmulkes banned for public-sector employees. 'The comments she made were, in no way, meant to be offensive' Parti Qu b cois, on Premier Pauline Marois' comments (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

humanitarian aid: Throughout this prolonged bloodshed and suffering, the Western powers have offered the rebels moral support, humanitarian aid and even limited amounts of weaponry but no direct military intervention, according to The Chronicle Herald. To simplify the conflict into a Hollywood good versus evil plot line, the media portrayed the Syrian rebels as pro-democracy freedom-lovers, while the government of President Bashar al-Assad was painted as evil freedom-haters and It has been 30 months since the armed conflict erupted in Syria. It has resulted in more than 100,000 killed and more than two million registering as refugees, according to the UNs refugee agency. What had seemed so simple at first became a much murkier and very complicated equation upon closer examination and over the course of time. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Saint Marys University: And now that shes speaking out, shes worried about reprisals from the Saint Marys University Students Association, according to The Chronicle Herald. She was in tears, Bennett said. I asked her, Have you ever been in that situation? and she just nodded her head. And I said, Dont worry. I m going to take care of it and A Saint Marys University student who served as a frosh leader last year says she complained to the student union at the time about the offensive nature of orientation week cheers and frosh activities, but nothing was ever done. Alexandria Bennett said after a frosh week event last year known as Turfburn, a first-year student approached her saying she was bothered by a cheer about rape. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.