John Macdonald: Macdonald, a retired building supplies retailer, and Wanke, a therapist, will be taking part in Share Thanksgiving a grassroots, national program to pair up families, new to Canada, with Canadian families who have spots at their tables. , according to Times Colonist. When people come to a new country its always a challenge, she said. When Victoria couple John Macdonald and Dagmar Wanke sit down for Thanksgiving supper, their table will be graced with something new people they have never met. This just sounded like a nice idea to share our culture, said Wanke, 53. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

LONDON - British Prime Minister David Cameron: LONDON - British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday rejected calls to boycott a Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka next month because of concerns over the country's human rights record, but said he would raise difficult issues at the talks. , according to Reuters. In particular, campaigners want the Sri Lankan government to allow an independent investigation into allegations that government forces committed war crimes towards the end of a civil war that ended in 2009 after almost three decades. By Peter Griffiths Rights groups have urged world leaders to stay away from the meeting in Colombo to protest against what they have described as a "human rights crisis" in the former British colony, suggesting attendance could help legitimize the situation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Tea Party: U.S. shutdown really about Tea Party survival, Oct. 5, according to The Star. In the pre-Constitution U.S., the states were primary, as they are for most Republican House members. The United States was not defined by the Articles as a country or nation but rather a lose union of states, each of which retained its sovereignty and independence. The Congress, made up of one representative appointed by each state, had very little power. If the Republicans today were given the choice between the Articles and the Constitution, many might well chose the Articles of Confederation and Re: U.S. shutdown really about Tea Party survival, Oct. 5 For the majority of Republican members of the House of Representatives, with their Tea Party ideology, the real constitution of the U.S. is in effect the Articles of Confederation, ratified by the original 13 states in 1781. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government shutdown: TRAVEL, according to Times Colonist. BENEFIT PAYMENTS A government shutdown is having far-reaching consequences for some, but minimal impact on others. Mail is being delivered. Social Security and Medicare benefits continue to flow. But vacationers are being turned away from national parks and Smithsonian museums, and that's having a ripple effect on those businesses and communities that rely on tourism. Borrowers applying for a mortgage can expect delays, particularly many low-to-moderate income borrowers and first-time homebuyers. A look at how services have been affected, and sometimes not, by Congress failing to reach an agreement averting a partial government shutdown: Federal air traffic controllers remain on the job and airport screeners continue to funnel passengers through security checkpoints. Furloughs of safety inspectors had put inspections of planes, pilots and aircraft repair stations on hold, but the Federal Aviation Administration says it is asking 800 employees including some safety inspectors to return to work this week. More than 2,900 inspectors had been furloughed. The FAA has also closed down its aircraft registry, preventing the makers of private planes, helicopters and business jets from buying and selling aircraft and aircraft parts. Industry officials estimate that by midmonth the registry closure will hold up the delivery of 130 aircraft valued at almost $1.5 billion. The State Department continues processing foreign applications for visas and U.S. applications for passports, since fees are collected to finance those services. Embassies and consulates overseas remain open and are providing services for U.S. citizens abroad. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Xstrata Nickel: The former vice-president of corporate affairs at Xstrata Nickel will be listed in the Canadian Board Diversity Council's database, a tool to help directors find qualified women and visible minorities to fill board seats, according to Times Colonist. "There are a lot of board members at the top 500 companies that will be retiring in the next five years, and I think it's a great opportunity," says Dionne, who lives in Toronto and TORONTO - After conquering the male-dominated mining industry, Dominique Dionne is hoping for a spot on one of the country's top corporate boards. Now entering its second year, the Diversity 50 database is adding 50 new candidates, effectively doubling in size. Last year, six of its candidates were elected to board-level positions. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

corporate income tax revenues: OTTAWA - Canada had bigger budget deficits in July and in the April-July period than it did in the same periods last year due to a sharp drop in corporate income tax revenues, which the government said would be reversed in August, according to Reuters. Revenues from corporate income taxes plunged 73.7 percent in July, down C$1.3 billion, "reflecting timing issues which lowered July revenues but are expected to raise August revenues," the government said and By Louise Egan The federal budget deficit widened to C$1.98 billion $1.92 billion in July, compared with a shortfall of C$1.35 billion in July 2012, the Department of Finance said on Friday in a monthly report. The government ran a C$158 million surplus in the month of June. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

American adults: In math, reading and problem-solving using technology all skills considered critical for global competitiveness and economic strength American adults scored below the international average on a global test, according to results released Tuesday, according to Huffington Post. Not only did Americans score poorly compared to many international competitors, the findings reinforced just how large the gap is between the nation's high- and low-skilled workers and how hard it is to move ahead when your parents haven't and WASHINGTON - It's long been known that America's school kids haven't measured well compared with international peers. Now, there's a new twist: Adults don't either. Adults in Japan, Canada, Australia, Finland and multiple other countries scored significantly higher than the United States in all three areas on the test. Beyond basic reading and math, respondents were tested on activities such as calculating mileage reimbursement due to a salesman, sorting email and comparing food expiration dates on grocery store tags. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Andrea Ortiz: "You arrive in class, they give you a book and they ask you to learn it, that's it. The teachers are very educated and well trained but I think that on many occasions they do not know how to transmit that knowledge," said Ortiz, who sells clothes at Zara's in Madrid. "The day will come when I have to join a company and I won't know the basics of how an office works.", according to CTV. In the first global study of adult skills, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development interviewed 166,000 people across 24 countries and regions -- a rich sample of people from all walks of life who agreed to sit down for tests that could last up to 90 minutes. The results from mostly industrialized countries offered a snapshot into how people of different ages are educated, work and adapt to a changing world. It did not include China, India or Brazil, which are among the world's fastest developing countries and PARIS -- Andrea Ortiz, a 24-year-old Spaniard, has degrees in law and business and works in a multinational clothing company -- as a store clerk. She has little hope of advancement and fears that when finally she secures a job she wants, she'll have no idea how to do it well. The Spaniard's fears may be well-founded, according to a study released Tuesday that shows many countries in the most dire economic trouble have workforces that lack the skills needed to get the recovery going. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government employees: Trustees will be hoping for clarification as to what governance role they play or will be playing within the system, beyond that of frontline apologists for provincial fiscal decisions. , according to Times Colonist. Superintendents, who at one time were government employees but became locally employed in the 1970s, will be watching for any hint of a change in their own relationship with the deputy and government. Local employment changed everything in terms of communication between district leadership and government. The appointment of Rob Wood, CEO of Housing Nova Scotia, as deputy minister in the Ministry of Education, arouses a variety of responses from within the system: curiosity, anxiety, optimism or pessimism, depending on whom you ask. Boards of education had the authority at one time to fund their districts partly through a system of local taxation for which they were directly answerable to their electorate. The effects of the provincial governments 1982 restraint program in curtailing local spending removed from local boards that authority to set district budgets traditionally their most important responsibility. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

RBC Canadian Manufacturing Purchasing Managers: TORONTO - The pace of growth in the Canadian manufacturing sector accelerated in September to its highest level in over a year, helped by a jump in new orders and exports, data showed on Tuesday, according to Reuters. A reading above 50 shows growth in the sector and By Leah Schnurr The RBC Canadian Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' index PMI , a gauge of manufacturing business conditions, rose to a seasonally adjusted 54.2 last month from 52.1 in August, making for the highest level since June 2012. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.