central railway station: MILAN - About 200 refugees fleeing Syria's civil war are camping out in Milan's central railway station after many were stopped from leaving Italy as they tried to reach northern Europe. , according to Reuters. "I want to go to Germany, where my sister, father and mother live," said Amina, 33, who fled Damascus with her husband and three children after their house was destroyed. They have been living in the station in Italy's northern business capital for about a month. By Sara Rossi Many of the refugees, about a third of whom are children, are packed into a small room in the station next to a McDonalds outlet. Others are sleeping in corridors, as they wait for permission to travel to northern Europe on humanitarian grounds. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

primary health care: Your Oct. 12 article, Refugees health at risk, compels me to write to set the record straight for your readers, according to The Chronicle Herald. There has been no change to primary health care for the vast majority of refugee claimants, who will continue to have access to the full range of basic doctor and hospital services that all Canadians receive through their provincial health-care system, including treatment for chronic disease and The Wellesley Institute report that was cited is deeply flawed. It is both unscientific and anecdotal, and was done by an activist group that is trying to mislead people to prove an inaccurate thesis. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher: "As long as inflationary expectations are held at bay, we can fully open the monetary throttle in an effort to deliver on the mandate Congress gave us to help achieve full employment," Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher said in remarks prepared for delivery to the Economic Club of New York. , according to Reuters. U.S. lawmakers late Wednesday approved a deal to reopen the government after a 16-day shutdown. The measure resolves no fundamental differences on spending and taxes that divide Democrats and Republicans. NEW YORK - The U.S. Federal Reserve cannot effectively fight high unemployment unless Congress and President Barack Obama "get their act together" and fix the nation's fiscal problems, a top Fed official said on Thursday. "But it is for naught as long as the fiscal authorities are slamming on the brakes and leaving everyone in the dark as to how they will cure the fiscal mess they have wrought." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government shutdown: The partial government shutdown also likely boosted the total, as government contractors and other businesses furloughed employees. The Labor Department says the less volatile four-week average rose 11,750 to 336,500, according to Times Colonist. "Once the special factors are weeded out, and businesses carry on as best they can, we should continue to see moderate job growth," said Jennifer Lee, an economist at BMO Capital Markets and WASHINGTON - Applications for US unemployment benefits dropped 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 358,000 last week, though the figure was distorted for the second straight week by California's efforts to clear backlogged claims. Applications have jumped in the past two weeks, distorted by computer upgrades in two states and the 16-day shutdown. Prior to those unusual factors, claims had reached pre-recession levels, a sign that companies are cutting very few workers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Edward Snowden: NEW YORK - The father of Edward Snowden said on Wednesday that the former U.S. spy agency contractor has more secrets to share and should stay in Russia "to make sure the true story is told." , according to Reuters. Asked what he told his son during the visit, Snowden told reporters: "To stay, but that's my advice. It's not necessarily what my son will do. He's comfortable. He's happy. And he's absolutely committed to what he has done." By Denis Fitzgerald Father Lon Snowden spoke at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York shortly after returning to the United States from a weeklong visit with his son in Moscow. It was the first time they saw one another since Edward Snowden, an ex-National Security Agency contractor, was given temporary asylum in Russia earlier this year after leaking sensitive data on U.S. security agencies' operations. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

David Johnston: OTTAWA -- Mandatory balanced-budget legislation, interprovincial booze runs, public-sector bashing and lifetime prison terms are among a grab bag of populist Conservative promises in a mid-mandate policy makeover. , according to Winnipeg Free Press and JUSTIN TANG / THE CANADIAN PRESS Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Gov. Gen. David Johnston and his wife, Sharon, share some humour following the throne speech Wednesday. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper speaks with Governor General David Johnston and his wife Sharon following the Speech from the Throne in the Senate Chamber on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Wednesday October 16, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang The Tory-blue agenda was included in a lengthy speech from the throne Wednesday by Gov. Gen. David Johnston that spent almost as much time congratulating the Harper government on past achievements as laying out future priorities. Reaction to the throne speech delivered Wednesday: (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Shelly Glover: Longtime city councillor Dan Vandal hopes to runs as a federal Liberal in Saint Boniface, setting up a potential battle in 2015 with Shelly Glover, the Conservative regional minister for Manitoba. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. Vandal has sat on city council for 16 years, serving at first from 1995 to 2004, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful run for mayor against Sam Katz. He was returned to office in 2006. At the next federal election, Coun. Dan Vandal wants to carry the Liberal banner in Saint Boniface, a riding now represented by Tory cabinet minister Shelly Glover. Photo Store The St. Boniface councillor plans to seek the Liberal nomination in the federal riding, a traditional Grit stronghold that fell to Glover in 2008 and was held by the Tories in 2011. The Dan Vandal file Born: In Winnipeg in 1960. Before politics: Dropped out of high school and became a professional boxer, rising to a No. 1 ranking as a Canadian middleweight at 23. He then started working with youth and attained a social-work degree. First elected: As councillor for St. Boniface in 1995, when he defeated incumbent Evelyn Reese. Re-elected in 1998 and 2002. Mayoral run: Finished second to Sam Katz in the 2004 mayoral byelection created by the resignation of Glen Murray. Return to council: Reclaimed his seat in 2006 by defeating incumbent Franco Magnifico. Re-elected in 2010. Personal life: Married. Has four children and one grandchild. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Nova Scotia: Don Reed, vice-chairman of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance, says Nova Scotia would be in a position of influence to determine how a national regulator would operate, especially if it moves quickly to become an early participant in the process, according to The Chronicle Herald. The proponents of a single regulator believe that whittling down the regulatory burden of doing business in Canada is important to the national economy in many ways and Nova Scotia could play an important role in helping to create a single national securities regulator, but this province has a right to be cautious. Reed, who is also chief executive officer of Franklin Templeton Investments Corp. and of Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC , was in Nova Scotia this week for meetings at Acadia University where he is a member of the board of directors. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Malala Yousafzai: Legislation coming to require balanced budgets during normal economic times and strict timelines for restoring balance in the event of an crisis. Negotiations will soon be complete in a long-awaited comprehensive trade agreement with the European Union. The overall federal operating budget will be frozen. Government hiring will be restrained, spending systems will be reformed and public service pay and benefits will be reasonable, responsible and in the public interest. Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani activist who was targeted by the Taliban over her efforts to promote education for girls, will be given honorary Canadian citizenship. Canadians will be permitted to take beer and spirits across provincial boundaries for personal consumption, according to The Star. Stephen Harper ignores Canadas First Nations at own peril: Walkom Highlights from the throne speech delivered Wednesday by Governor General David Johnston: Related: (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

free trade agreement: PRAGUE, Czech Republic Canadas ambassador to Prague says his country is planning to lift visa requirements for Czech nationals, a thorny issue that threatened a new free trade agreement between the European Union and Canada, according to The Chronicle Herald. Thursdays announcement came as Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was expected in Brussels to conclude the deal with EU that the Czechs had threatened to block and Ambassador Otto Jelinek says his government wants to re-establish visa-free status in the earliest possible term. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.