Stephen Harper: Of course he is running again in 2015, the prime minister assured reporters, according to The Star. Harper could hardly have answered any other way, but at the risk of disappointing him again, the question was certainly being asked here during the Conservative convention and CALGARY When he travelled north in August, Stephen Harper answered a question which had become a topic of much speculation in Ottawa. I m actually disappointed you feel the needed to ask that question, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

telecom bills: Charging for bills rings hollow for customers, Oct. 28, according to The Star. Over the years I have found my telecom bills to be the most complicated and to contain the most errors of any. Without a paper bill I never would have found their mistakes. How many customers have naively paid for those errors online and Re: Charging for bills rings hollow for customers, Oct. 28 I am pleased that the CRTC is finally getting involved in the shameful practice of telecom firms charging their customers just for the privilege of receiving their bills in the mail. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

brain injury: The skull provides protection against brain injury. But theres a limit to this protection and in some cases just a bump or a jolt to the head can cause severe damage to brain nerve cells, called neurons. , according to Times Colonist. But theres a disturbing trend. The number of cases of TBIs in older people is increasing. For instance, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that in a recent four-year period there was a 46 per cent increase in emergency hospital visits and a 34 per cent increase in hospitalizations among those 65 and older for TBIs. Hockey fans know all about Sidney Crosbys concussion that kept him out of the game for months. But few know about the hazards of mild traumatic brain injury. A report from Johns Hopkins University says it doesnt always take a hockey blow to trigger a brain concussion. TBIs can be mild, moderate or severe, depending on the degree of injury. Its estimated that 1.7 million occur each year in the U.S. and 75 per cent are mild concussions. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Mike Duffy: Sen. Irving Gerstein, the chairman of the Conservative Fund Canada and former jewelry chain titan, delivered his report on the party's finances at the close of the party's biennial convention on Saturday, according to Huffington Post. Gerstein appeared to back Harper's line of attack on Wright that he was the only one seeking to cover Duffy's bill and CALGARY - The man who oversees the Conservative Party's finances says he refused to pay off Sen. Mike Duffy's contested expenses, contradicting the version of events provided to police by the prime minister's former chief of staff. For the first time, he addressed the discussions he had with Stephen Harper's ex-chief of staff Nigel Wright about paying back Duffy's living expenses. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Syria: AIN AL-HELWEH, Lebanon - Palestinians Mahmoud and Ahmed fled Syria last month for Egypt, where they paid smugglers to bring them to Europe. Once at sea, they were robbed at knifepoint and herded onto an overloaded boat that sank, pitching over 100 into the sea. , according to Reuters. A people all too familiar with refugee life, Palestinians have lost out more than most in the exodus from Syria. By Alexander Dziadosz The brothers made it back to shore while others drowned, then to be deported in days from a volatile Egypt where anti-Palestinian sentiment runs high. Now at the Lebanese camp of Ain al-Helweh, they face as Palestinians restrictions on their lives far more severe than any other refugees from Syria. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Manulife Financial: There will also be plenty of marquee earnings reports from major Canadian corporations this week, including updates from big insurance companies including Manulife Financial TSX:MFC , GreatWest Lifeco TSX:GWO and Sun Life Financial TSX:SLF , according to CTV. Other big corporate names reporting this week include retailer Canadian Tire TSX:CTA.B , coffee chain Tim Horton's TSX:THI and Canadian Natural Resources TSX:CNQ and TORONTO -- Investors will focus on economic data this coming week as the third quarter earnings season starts to wind down in the U.S., and key data, including employment updates, come in from both sides of the border. Stocks in many of the insurers are well off their 52-lows and close to their best levels in a year as easing by the U.S. central bank has helped boost stock markets and increased bond yields. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canadian Forces: The Canadian Forces Workplace Harassment Survey found that over a 12-month period, 16 per cent of Canadian Forces members who took part in the research experienced personal harassment, which could include offensive comments relating to race, religion, sex or physical traits, according to CTV. "There is still harassment out there so our work is not done," Lt.-Col. Monique Goyette, an expert on the military's harassment policy, said in an interview from Ottawa and Women, aboriginals and visible minorities in the Canadian Forces say they experience higher rates of sexual and personal harassment than their peers in the military, according to a survey that found many don't bother reporting it for fear of being labelled troublemakers. Of that, roughly one third of so-called designated group members -- aboriginals, visible minorities or people with disabilities -- said they suffered some form of personal harassment. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

personal harassment: The Canadian Forces Workplace Harassment Survey found that over a 12-month period, 16 per cent of Canadian Forces members who took part in the research experienced personal harassment, which could include offensive comments relating to race, religion, sex or physical traits, according to Times Colonist. "There is still harassment out there so our work is not done," Lt.-Col. Monique Goyette, an expert on the military's harassment policy, said in an interview from Ottawa and Women, aboriginals and visible minorities in the Canadian Forces say they experience higher rates of sexual and personal harassment than their peers in the military, according to a survey that found many don't bother reporting it for fear of being labelled troublemakers. Of that, roughly one third of so-called designated group members aboriginals, visible minorities or people with disabilities said they suffered some form of personal harassment. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Edward Snowden: "Mr. Snowden violated U.S. law," White House adviser Dan Pfeiffer said Sunday about the former systems-analyst-turned-fugitive who has temporary asylum in Russia, according to Times Colonist. Snowden made the plea in a letter given to a German politician and released Friday. In his one-page typed letter, he asks for clemency for charges over allegedly leaking classified information about the NSA to the news media. "''Speaking the truth is not a crime," Snowden wrote and WASHINGTON - The White House and the leaders of the congressional intelligence committees are rejecting former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden's plea for clemency. "He should return to the U.S. and face justice," Pfeiffer said when pressed about whether clemency was being discussed. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Manulife Financial: There will also be plenty of marquee earnings reports from major Canadian corporations this week, including updates from big insurance companies including Manulife Financial TSX:MFC , GreatWest Lifeco TSX:GWO and Sun Life Financial TSX:SLF , according to 660 News. Other big corporate names reporting this week include retailer Canadian Tire TSX:CTA.B , coffee chain Tim Hortons TSX:THI and Canadian Natural Resources TSX:CNQ and TORONTO Investors will focus on economic data this coming week as the third quarter earnings season starts to wind down in the U.S., and key data, including employment updates, come in from both sides of the border. Stocks in many of the insurers are well off their 52-lows and close to their best levels in a year as easing by the U.S. central bank has helped boost stock markets and increased bond yields. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.