Lampedusa: Helicopters ferried the injured to Lampedusa, the Italian island that is closer to Africa than the Italian mainland and the destination of choice for most smugglers' boats leaving Tunisia or Libya. It was off Lampedusa that a migrant ship from Libya capsized Oct. 3 with some 500 people aboard. Only 155 survived, according to Times Colonist. The two shipwrecks were the latest grim reminder of the extreme risks that migrants and asylum-seekers often take in an effort to slip into Europe every year by boat. Facing unrest and persecution in Africa and the Middle East, many of the migrants think the Lampedusa escape route to Europe, which is barely 70 miles 113 kilometres from northern Africa, is worth the risk and VALLETTA, Malta - For the second time in a week, a smugglers' boat overloaded with migrants capsized in the Canal of Sicily on Friday as it made the perilous crossing from Africa to Europe. At least 27 people drowned, but 221 people were rescued in a joint Italian-Maltese operation, officials said. Friday's capsizing occurred 65 miles 105 kilometres southeast of Lampedusa, but in waters where Malta has search and rescue responsibilities. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Castor Williams: A U.S. citizen who fled from border officers at the Halifax airport on Oct. 1, only to be arrested later that day in Truro, has pleaded guilty to an immigration charge, according to The Chronicle Herald. Judge Castor Williams accepted a joint recommendation from lawyers for a sentence of 30 days in jail less 11 days credit for time on remand and Shawn Matthew McConnell, 47, of Ballard, Calif., entered the plea Friday in Dartmouth provincial court. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

climate change: The 37-year-old is seeking refugee status, but not because he is being persecuted back home, one of the definitions of a refugee. Rather, he says, flooding and rising sea levels due to climate change are making it too dangerous for him, his wife and three children to return to Kiribati. The island nation, with a population of about 103,000, is made up of 33 coral atolls in the Pacific, half way between Hawaii and Australia, according to The Star. Whatever the outcome, the legal battle brings attention to a question that academics, researchers, environmentalists, politicians and diplomats have been puzzling over: what, if anything, should be done to aid the projected 200 million to 1 billion people who may be displaced by climate change over the next 50 years and A pending court case in New Zealand involving a man from the low-lying island of Kiribati could have profound implications worldwide on the future of migration due to climate change. The case is to go to court on Oct. 16. New Zealand immigration officials have rejected the mans previous claims, and most jurists are betting he ll lose his case in the high court. But his lawyer, Michael Kidd, told The Associated Press he will, if necessary, appeal the case all the way to the Supreme Court. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Danielle Duperre: The Montreal native, who moved in 2011 to the tiny village of Manor in southern Saskatchewan, said Thursday that the volunteer fire chief showed up at her house demanding that she pay for making the emergency call because the fire wasn't posing a hazard, according to Huffington Post. "Go back to expletive Montreal where you belong!" he shouts on the recording. "You got me out of expletive bed for this whole expletive !" MANOR, Sask. - Danielle Duperre called 911 last week when she thought the blaze from her neighbour's fire pit was getting out of control, but says she didn't expect to face a tirade about her "petty" French complaint as a result. She said his hand was balled up in a fist and his mouth was clenched tight. The 58-year-old said she became afraid and quickly grabbed her cellphone to record the man's ensuing two-minute rant. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Joachim Stroink: I could think of a lot of words to describe a 57 per cent voter turnout, but awesome would not be one of them, according to The Chronicle Herald. I m sure everything was awesome to Stroink the day after the election and Halifax Chebucto Liberal candidate Joachim Stroink described as awesome the fact that voter turnout in his riding had jumped from 55 per cent in the last election to more than 57 per cent in this one. This is not to take away from Stroinks point that voter turnout actually increased in this election. Thats certainly better than voter turnout decreasing. And its not to pour cold water on Stroinks victory. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Sri Lanka: OTTAWA - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Monday he would not attend a November summit of the Commonwealth in Sri Lanka because of what he called human rights abuses on the island, according to Reuters. Sri Lanka's envoy to Canada disputed Harper's comments. The U.N.'s human rights chief said last month that Sri Lanka could be sliding toward an authoritarian system as President Mahinda Rajapaksa gathered power around him and By David Ljunggren "We remain disturbed by ongoing reports of intimidation and incarceration of political leaders and journalists, harassment of minorities, reported disappearances, and allegations of extra judicial killings," he said in a statement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Stephen Carter: The sources say the $130,000 given to Carter in severance was not a lavish plum for a half-year's work, but had been written into the contract as the severance fee regardless of his departure date, according to Times Colonist. "The chief of staff is a crucial position in government. It's the premier's right-hand man, so to speak and EDMONTON - Stephen Carter, the ex-chief of staff to Premier Alison Redford now at the centre of a severance pay scandal, did not walk away from his post willingly, but was let go six months into a three-year contract, sources told The Canadian Press. "He did not leave voluntarily," one of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Friday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Pauline Marois: Pauline Marois is promising 40,000 new jobs over 3 and half years with her new economic plan, according to CTV. It's a $2 billion dollar plan that doesn't even get back to square one -- and ironically costs about the same amount as this year's current deficit and I'm having the darnedest time figuring out Parti Quebecois math. I had a hard enough time with the "new math" way back when but this is a whole new concept. But Quebec lost 50,000 jobs since the Pequistes came to power. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

unemployment rate: OTTAWA The unemployment rate dropped to 6.9 per cent in September its lowest level since 2008 as fewer young people looked for work, Statistics Canada said Friday, according to The Chronicle Herald. The gain in jobs followed the addition of 59,200 jobs in August and The improvement in the unemployment rate from 7.1 per cent in August came as the economy added 11,900 new jobs for the month, just ahead of the 10,000 that had been expected by economists. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Halifax Refugee Clinic: Some refugees in this province arent getting the medical care they need because of cuts to the federal health insurance program for refugees, says the settlement co-ordinator with the Halifax Refugee Clinic, according to The Chronicle Herald. Some think that the program was cut entirely, Zubizarreta said. This has created a lot of confusion because some recipients, who still have coverage, have been denied based on an erroneous notion that there is no coverage available at all and And some who are still eligible for coverage are having trouble accessing care because of confusion surrounding the cuts, Gillian Zubizarreta said Friday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.