President Bashar Assad: Razan Zaytouni, one of the most outspoken critics of Assad, as well as Islamic militants who have gained increasing sway over the fight to oust the government, was seized along with her husband and two other colleagues from her office in Douma, according to The Star. Stephen Harper urges military action against Syria NABEK, SYRIA Masked gunmen abducted a leading Syrian human rights lawyer and three other prominent activists in a rebel-held Damascus suburb Tuesday in a new sign that Al Qaeda-linked militants who have joined the fight against President Bashar Assad are trying to silence rivals in the opposition movement. Read more on thestar.com: (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission: The late civil rights activist Rocky Jones, who spent most of his life advocating for civil rights and social equality, was among six people recognized Tuesday for their work promoting human rights in the province, according to The Chronicle Herald. The individual awards, handed out by the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, will now be named after Jones, who died in July at age 71 and received a posthumous award Tuesday and The awards were presented at an International Human Rights Day event at the Prospect Road community centre in Hatchet Lake. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Kootenay Lake School Division: CHENGDU, China -- Sandy Prentice is the international program administrator for the Kootenay Lake School Division. The name rang no bells for me. It helped, however, when Sandy explained Kootenay Lake is the school division that serves Nelson, a town of 8,000 in southwestern British Columbia. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. "What everybody else is doing," she responded. "I'm recruiting students." 'Saskatchewan has become pretty aggressive about recruitment' Ian Morrison, right a recruiter for the Saskatchewan Institute for Applied Science and Technology GERALD FLOOD / Photo Store Related Items Columns Head and shoulders, ears and toes Winnipeg's sister city: The bold and the beautiful A recipe for trouble Meet our 'estranged' sister What on earth are you doing here? I asked. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Miguel Salguiero: The modernization of the Halifax Shipyard is good news for his business, says Miguel Salguiero, co-owner of Omega Formwork Inc. of Mount Uniacke, according to The Chronicle Herald. Its a significant contract over a long period of time, Salguiero said in an interview Tuesday, although he declined to disclose financial details and Omega was among a number of local companies included in $28.5 million worth of shipyard modernization contracts announced Tuesday by Irving Shipbuilding . (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Mandela: Robben Island At times a leper colony and mental hospital, Robben Island is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site after having incarcerated several anti-apartheid activists including Mandela, who spent 18 years locked in a cell here, where he formed many of his political ideas. Ferries depart from the Nelson Mandela Gateway in Cape Town, according to Huffington Post. Mandela House Museum, Soweto Get a glimpse into Mandelas private home life at 8115 Vilakazi Street, where Mandela lived with his first wife Winnie and their two children between 1946 and 1962. Its also the home he returned to following his release from prison and Relaxnews - To better understand the scope of Nelson Mandelas legacy in South Africa, the countrys tourism office has released a list of attractions that traces his life as a political prisoner, husband, father and anti-apartheid crusader. Here are a few major landmarks connected to the revolutionary leaders life in South Africa: (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Nelson Mandela: Never before has this country likely never before has this planet seen such a gathering of world leaders past and present who will gather at a giant soccer stadium Tuesday morning for a memorial to a man celebrated throughout the world, according to The Star. More than 90 leaders and heads of state were still arriving Monday, but they will be dwarfed by more than 100,000 South Africans, invited to the giant tribute to a man who has passed from country icon to world icon, who will fill FNB Stadium on a first-come, first-serve basis, then spill into other satellite stadiums where big screens will be erected and JOHANNESBURG Nelson Mandela oversaw the birth of the modern South Africa, but in his death he is handing a major challenge to the country he loved. There is royalty, those governing countries both powerful and once-mighty, foes and allies sitting as one at the stadium in which Mandela made his final public appearance, beaming and waving at the closing of this countrys highly successful 2010 World Cup. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

OTTAWA Nathaniel Parent: Now cleaning offices for $11 an hour while he awaits a chance to acquire better job skills, the 21-year-old former foster care ward from Midland, Ont., finds himself choosing between student loan payments and food, according to The Star. Parent, who says he often went without food as a child before being placed in foster care, adds that its a struggle for many of his acquaintances to keep from winding up on the street and OTTAWA Nathaniel Parent has known hunger on and off for most of his life. For the most part, I dont eat very often, Parent says. Sometimes when his debt has to be paid, he says, I do choose to pay it and it ll be like, OK, I ll just wait to eat or maybe have something at a friends house. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Michael Griffin: Michael Griffin was fired from Holy Ghost Preparatory School after administrators said his obtaining a license to marry his same-sex partner was a violation of his contract, according to Times Colonist. He said in the statement that Griffin's decision "contradicts the terms of his teaching contract at our school, which requires all faculty and staff to follow the teachings of the Church as a condition of their employment. In discussion with Mr. Griffin, he acknowledged that he was aware of this provision, yet he said that he intended to go ahead with the ceremony." PHILADELPHIA - A gay teacher at a Catholic high school was fired Friday after he applied for a marriage license. Father James McCloskey, the school's headmaster, said in a statement that faculty at the school are required to follow church teachings, NBC Philadelphia reported. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

David Taylor: David Taylor, the part-time geographer who brought us Canada's population by latitude has devised a map that shows a significant portion of the U.S. lies north of our southernmost point, according to Huffington Post. The red area comprises 22 per cent of the contiguous U.S., according to Taylor's website , 38 per cent including Alaska. It also makes up 15 per cent of the country's population and Many of us think of the United States as our neighbours 'to the south', but a new infographic might make you think differently. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Cleveland Cavaliers: The first thing you notice is just how big they are. A couple of the players stand just under seven feet, according to CTV. Yet there is one thing that sets him apart. He is this years number one NBA draft pick. In effect, the top basketball prospect in the world and Late fall, in the dressing room of the NBAs Cleveland Cavaliers, the players get ready to take to the court for the start of the exhibition season. Most others, not much shorter. A young man crosses the room swinging to music being pumped through a large set of earphones clamped to his head. Compared to the other giants, he seems almost average, 6-foot-8, 256 lbs. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.