Gavin Jones Prime Minister Enrico Letta: ROME - Italy's 2014 budget plays by the European Union rules, but seems designed more to offend nobody than to give the euro zone's most chronically sluggish economy a decisive boost. , according to Reuters. However, Letta also disappointed expectations he had raised for a large cut in taxes on employment, reflecting the fragility of his left-right coalition even after he survived an attempt to topple the government by conservative leader Silvio Berlusconi. By Gavin Jones Prime Minister Enrico Letta largely avoided unfunded tax cuts in the budget, which his cabinet approved late on Tuesday, meaning the deficit should stay within the EU ceiling set at 3 percent of economic output. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Chairman Alex Vicefield: The once mothballed Davie operation, in Levi, Que., is humming these days with 750 workers as it prepares to launch its first ship later this month since restarting operations last year, according to Times Colonist. Chairman Alex Vicefield said Davie is a different company from two years ago when, in financial and ownership disarray, it lost a mammoth federal shipbuilding contract. Now under new management, the firm has diversified its customer base to include ferries, naval ships, oil and gas, and industrial fabrication and MONTREAL - After decades of uncertainty and several ownership changes, the new owners of Canada's oldest shipyard say the company has diversified and is in a strong position to win coast guard shipbuilding and maintenance contracts. The 130-metre offshore construction vessel, for a Norwegian client, is the largest built in Canada in more than three decades. Davie has five ships under construction and more to come over the next year, including two ferries. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Coast Guard: One of the survivors called the 911 U.S. emergency dispatch number on a cellphone, alerting authorities to their location 11 kilometres east of Miami, according to The Star. The survivor found when Coast Guard officials flipped over the boat was suffering seizures, and he was taken by boat to a Miami Beach hospital, officials said. He was treated and released to federal law enforcement and MIAMI BEACH, FLA. Ten people were found clinging to the hull of a small boat that capsized early Wednesday in the waters off South Florida, trapping the bodies of four dead women and one survivor struggling to breathe in a tiny pocket of air beneath it. Sadly, and tragically, we did find four females, adults, underneath the boat that had perished, said Coast Guard Cmdr. Darren Caprara. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

David Johnston: Legislation coming to require balanced budgets during normal economic times and strict timelines for restoring balance in the event of an crisis, according to Huffington Post. The overall federal operating budget will be frozen and OTTAWA - Highlights from the throne speech delivered Wednesday by Gov. Gen. David Johnston: Negotiations will soon be complete in a long-awaited comprehensive trade agreement with the European Union. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Aung San Suu Kyi: She will join an elite group of foreign honorees who include South Africa's Nelson Mandela and Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi, according to Reuters. "She faced down evil and oppression and now speaks boldly for those who are silenced." OTTAWA - Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban for campaigning for girls' education, will be granted honorary Canadian citizenship, the Canadian government announced on Wednesday. "Canada recognizes the courageous and inspiring example set by Malala Yousafzai in risking her life promoting education for young women," the government said in a speech setting out its priorities for the next two years. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Alberta Union of Provincial Employees: Members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees are to meet Friday in Edmonton to elect a new executive and vote on policy resolutions, according to Huffington Post. Smith said he will continue to challenge Premier Alison Redford's government on public-sector job cuts in post-secondary education and proposed public pension plan changes and EDMONTON - It appears the leader of Alberta's largest union will have the job for another two-year term. So far, current president Guy Smith is running unopposed for the union's top job, although it's possible other candidates could be nominated on the convention floor. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

David Ljunggren: OTTAWA - Canada's Conservative government on Wednesday promised to introduce legislation that will require balanced budgets except during economic crises, and renewed a pledge to balance its books by 2015, according to Reuters. The Conservatives, who portray themselves as the only party capable of leading Canada through tough economic times, said they would cut government spending, sell off some federal assets and trim the public service and By David Ljunggren and Randall Palmer It also said it would soon wrap up free trade talks with the European Union, and announced that Prime Minister Stephen Harper would travel to Brussels on Thursday "with the goal of concluding the ... negotiations." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Christine Melnick: The province has officially proclaimed October as Islamic History Month. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. Its the first time a province has designated Islamic History Month, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Christine Melnick said Wednesday in a news release. Shahina Siddiqui left , chair of Islamic History Month Canada, listens as Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Christine Melnick reads a proclamation recognizing October as Islamic History Month Wednesday evening. Photo Store The proclamation was made Wednesday at the legislature to recognize and celebrate the history and heritage of Manitoba Muslims. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government shutdown: Some agencies are offering employees a cover letter that explains to creditors the consequences of the government shutdown. One letter distributed to workers at the Department of Health and Human Services asks creditors to "remain patient and show compassion" for employees affected by furloughs, according to Times Colonist. More than 400,000 federal workers have been furloughed for more than two weeks as lawmakers continue to bicker over a deal that would reopen the government and WASHINGTON - Furloughed federal workers who have trouble paying bills can send their creditors a letter from the government pleading for patience. The letter suggests bill collectors make "feasible arrangements" with employees to help them meet their financial obligations. It provides a phone number creditors can call to verify a customer's employment status with the government. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

British Columbia Premier Christy Clark: Clark and Redford are scheduled to publicly discuss the progress of the joint energy plan on Nov. 5 in Vancouver following the Alberta premier's address to the city's Board of Trade. A final report is due on Dec. 31, according to Huffington Post. Clark had insisted the project must meet a series of conditions, including strict environmental standards and assurances that B.C. would receive a "fair share" the economic benefits, to win her approval, which prompted Redford to suggest Clark was attempting to pick Alberta's pockets with demands for extra royalties and VICTORIA - British Columbia Premier Christy Clark and Alberta's Alison Redford have appointed a team of senior bureaucrats to develop an energy export plan, barely a year after a high-profile disagreement over the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline strained the two leaders' relationship. The premiers are attempting to move past their very public clash over the Northern Gateway pipeline, which was the subject of a meeting in Calgary last October that Clark later described as "frosty." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.