Deputy Mayor Andrea Reimer: The Cigarette Waste Brigade pilot project began Tuesday with the installation of 110 recycling receptacles in four downtown areas where discarded butts are a messy problem, according to Huffington Post. Deputy Mayor Andrea Reimer said the program would help the city reach that goal and VANCOUVER - The City of Vancouver is butting in when it comes to smokers butting out, by launching the world's first cigarette-butt recycling program. Vancouver has a goal of making the city the greenest in the globe by 2020. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

The Canadian Forces: The Canadian Forces was also helping with the deployment of a separate 12-member Canadian Red Cross field hospital, while the Immigration Department said it would give special consideration to Filipinos affected by the tragedy, according to 660 News. The DART team is now on the way to Iloilo, which is one of the affected areas that has so far been less served by some of the humanitarian efforts, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said at the Philippines embassy after signing a book of condolences and OTTAWA The Canadian militarys Disaster Assistance Response Team, or DART, was bound for the Philippine city of Iloilo on Wednesday as the death toll from typhoon Haiyan continued to rise. The Canadian response came in the face of a rising death toll in the Philippines that rose to more than 2,300 lives lost across the country. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Soroush Farazmand: Siavash Karampour and Koory Mirzeai of the Yellow Dogs weren't home when a gunman opened fire at their Brooklyn row house on Monday. But fellow band members and brothers Arash and Soroush Farazmand were shot to death, along with their roommate Ali Eskandarian, by an ex-member of another Iranian band, the Free Keys, police said. The gunman then shot himself on the roof, according to Times Colonist. "For now, it's impossible to even manage a future without our friends, and no explanation can make sense or begin to justify what has happened in our lives," Karampour and Mirzeai said in a statement. "To say we are heartbroken does not come close and NEW YORK, N.Y. - The surviving members of an Iranian indie rock band said Wednesday they are "paralyzed with grief" over the shooting deaths of their drummer and guitarist and another friend at their Brooklyn apartment. The band members said they met in Iran in 2006, and worked together to build an underground venue where they would play shows. They were striving to make a community in the U.S. after moving to New York to have more freedom to play. Their apartment was a hangout for artists, friends and musicians. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper: If anything, the Prime Minister has been consistent in his reluctance to rub shoulders with despots and dictators. At the recent United Nations General Assembly meeting, Harper passed on taking his seat among world leaders of dubious character. At the 2012 summit of La Francophonie, he expressed hope that in the future La Francophonie and other major organizations will decide to hold a summit only in countries with democratic standards, according to The Star. One might therefore expect that Mr. Harpers distaste for human rights abusers would be matched with sympathy and compassion for their victims. The evidence, and in particular the Harper governments dealings with the Tamil community, victims of human rights abuse in Sri Lanka, would suggest otherwise and At first blush the decision by Prime Minister Stephen Harper not to attend this weeks Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, appears principled, even noble. Citing Sri Lankas past and present human rights abuses, Harper states: 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. ... It is clear that the Sri Lankan government has failed to uphold the Commonwealths core values which are cherished by Canadians. Critics have taken issue with this view, arguing that engagement rather than isolation best achieves foreign policy objectives of advancing democracy in the developing world. Former prime minister Joe Clark has admonished our current Prime Ministers belief that issues of democracy or development are best addressed from a distance than in the countries where they are most acute. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Chrystia Freeland: Chrystia Freeland was the head of Reuters Digital in New York when Thompson Reuters moved its Toronto digital newsroom to New York and shipped the bulk of its work to the Bangalore operation, according to Huffington Post. "Ever since I've been an editor at different news organizations, legacy newsrooms have been shrinking, and that was something that happened as well when I was at Reuters," Freeland said in an interview and OTTAWA - A high-profile federal Liberal candidate campaigning in Toronto on a platform of restoring the middle class oversaw the decision to move two dozen full-time media jobs from that city to India. The December 2011 move put about 25 Toronto staff under Freeland's supervision out of work, including 17 permanent and five temporary unionized employees. Thomson Reuters won't say how many employees remain only that the company has "a fully staffed and functioning newsroom in Toronto." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Sri Lankan Terrorist Investigation Division TID: Roy Samathanam, 44, who has been a Canadian citizen since 1996, was arrested by the Sri Lankan Terrorist Investigation Division TID in 2007 while visiting his homeland, according to The Star. Samathanam was ultimately released in August 2010. He claims he was coerced into pleading guilty to what he describes as a trumped-up charge of possessing a GPS device and A Toronto man who was detained and tortured in Sri Lankan jails for three years is taking his case to the United Nations, accusing Sri Lankan authorities of violating international human rights laws. He says he was handcuffed and blindfolded after failing to provide a bribe demanded by officers, while his pregnant wife and daughter were placed under house arrest. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper: Provinces like Saskatchewan and Alberta have been quietly urging the government to ease up on the restrictions, with Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall even making a recent face-to-face appeal to Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the issue, according to Times Colonist. That's why the provinces and territories should embrace the Canada Job Grant, Employment and Social Development Minister Jason Kenney's office said in a statement Wednesday and OTTAWA - The temporary foreign workers controversy could be on the agenda Friday as provincial and territorial leaders gather in Toronto, months after Ottawa tightened the rules to quell fears of foreigners swiping jobs from Canadians. Boom provinces say their economies are hungry for the type of skilled workers that aren't readily available in Canada at the moment due to a skills shortage that the Canadian Chamber of Commerce calls one of the top barriers to Canadian competitiveness. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

convocation ceremonies: Jamie Cassels, who was installed as the seventh president and vice-chancellor at the start of fall convocation ceremonies, said the increasing focus on jobs and money is understandable in a time of global uncertainty. , according to Times Colonist. Just as the value of an individual life cannot be assessed in accounting terms, so the value of university research and education cannot be calculated simply by measuring a graduates income and subtracting the costs of their tuition. The University of Victorias new president cautioned Tuesday against measuring the value of a post-secondary education solely by economic terms. But to focus purely on the immediate bottom line misses the value of education as part of the absolutely essential longer gain for individuals and society, he said in remarks to graduates and their families at the University Centre Farquhar Auditorium. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Sepp Blatter: Zahir Belounis, who is under contract to Qatari side Al-Jaish until 2015, has been denied the chance to leave the country because he is suing the club in order to recover his unpaid salary, according to Times Colonist. "FIFPro insists that Belounis be allowed to leave Qatar and receive his wages immediately," the Netherlands-based union said in a statement and GENEVA - FIFA President Sepp Blatter has been urged to step in and help resolve a contractual dispute which has trapped a player for two years in Qatar, the host nation of the 2022 World Cup. FIFPro, the international union for footballers, said Wednesday it made a "desperate bid" to enlist Blatter's help for the French-Algerian player's "precarious situation." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

American Horror Story: The singer will guest star on an upcoming episode of the FX series, according to The Chronicle Herald. This is the third season of American Horror Story, which focuses on witches. Season one centred on a haunted house, while season two followed an insane asylum and NEW YORK Lily Rabes Stevie Nicks-obsessed character on American Horror Story: Coven is in for a treat. Creator Ryan Murphy revealed the guest spot news over his official Twitter account. Guess whos visiting the Coven? The legendary Stevie Nicks! (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.