Canada Pension Plan: The minister told reporters that some proposals calling for increases in contributions rates to the Canada Pension Plan to pay for enriched benefits can potentially damage the economy and may be too broad, according to CTV. "I think we have to be targeted because the group that needs help pension-wise is 23 or 24 per cent of the Canadian population, it's not poor people. There is a group of middle class people that we need to be concerned about and there are different ways of approaching that." OTTAWA -- Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is suggesting he may present his own targeted proposal on pension reform at Monday's meeting with provincial colleagues, saying he is still concerned about raising taxes in difficult economic times. "You don't need a bazooka to go after a specific issue, you want to be more targeted, more precise," he told reporters Sunday night on his way to dinner with his provincial counterparts. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

economic event: Traders also looked ahead to the major economic event of the week the U.S. Federal Reserves meeting Wednesday when markets may find out what the central bank intends to do about cutting back on a key area of stimulus, according to The Star. U.S. indexes were up sharply as investors wait to see if the Fed will start to taper its monthly $85 billion U.S. of bond purchases and The Toronto stock market closed higher Monday amid strong manufacturing data from the United States and Europe and major corporate acquisitions. The S P/TSX composite index gained 58.71 points to 13,184.41 while rising commodities helped push the Canadian dollar ahead 0.08 of a cent to 94.46 cents U.S. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

James Moore: With that throwaway line at the end of a brief encounter with a B.C. radio reporter, federal Conservative cabinet minister and potential leadership aspirant James Moore triggered a wave of online criticism that he at first rebuffed, saying he was misquoted, according to The Star. In response to a question from a reporter last week, I made an insensitive comment that I deeply regret. I apologize, Moore wrote on his website and OTTAWA Is it my job to feed my neighbours child? I dont think so. But a day later, following calls from child poverty advocates and the Official Opposition to apologize, Moore issued an abject apology and ducked requests for interviews. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty: OTTAWA - Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is saying little about a report that he had sharp words with a cabinet colleague for criticizing Toronto's embattled mayor, but hinted it had to do with political turf. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. The broadcaster cited unnamed cabinet and caucus sources as saying Flaherty swore at Kenney and told him to shut up about Ford, who the finance minister has called a personal friend. Jason Kenney and Jim Flaherty are shown in file photos. THE CANADIAN PRESS/files The CBC has reported Flaherty confronted Jason Kenney in the House of Commons last month after the employment minister called for Rob Ford's resignation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Halifax International Airport: A number of schools are closed for the day, and the Halifax International Airport is reporting a number of cancellations and delays, according to Huffington Post. In Nova Scotia, the snow changed to a messy mixture of ice pellets and freezing rain Sunday afternoon, making driving treacherous and HALIFAX - Maritimers are cleaning up after a powerful storm that brought heavy snow and howling winds to the region. The storm Sunday knocked out power to thousands of customers in the region and disrupted ferry services between Nova Scotia, P.E.I and New Brunswick. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Syria: BEIRUT - The exodus of millions of people from Syria in one of the largest refugee flights in decades is pushing neighbouring countries to a breaking point, and thousands of lives are threatened with the onset of a bitter winter. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. With less than a month to go before internationally brokered peace talks by Syria's warring sides are to begin, the U.N. chief demanded a cease-fire for the discussions to have any chance in succeeding. This Sunday, Dec. 15, 2013 citizen journalism image provided by Aleppo Media Center AMC, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows flames rising from burning vehicles following a Syrian government airstrike in Aleppo, Syria. The Britain based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday that dozens of children were among the scores killed in airstrikes on several opposition areas a day earlier. AP Photo/Aleppo Media Center, AMC The crisis prompted a record appeal by the United Nations on Monday for $6.5 billion to help displaced Syrians and their host countries, with hundreds of thousands more refugees expected as the civil war rages. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

BEIRUT Syrian government aircraft: BEIRUT Syrian government aircraft pounded opposition areas in the northern city of Aleppo and near the southern border with Jordan on Monday, a day after airstrikes killed at least 76 people, while the United Nations issued a record appeal for $6.5 billion to help the millions of Syrians uprooted by their homelands civil war, according to The Chronicle Herald. The government has relied on its air power in particular in northern Syria, much of which fell to opposition fighters over the course of the past year. One of the major battlegrounds on that front is Aleppo, where Assads forces and rebels have been bogged down in a bloody fight since rebels launched an assault on the city in mid-2012 and President Bashar Assads air force is his greatest advantage in the countrys civil war, and he has successfully exploited it to stem and even roll back rebel advances across the country. Human rights groups say Syrian military aircraft have carried out indiscriminate air raids that frequently hit civilian targets, such as hospitals, bakeries and residential areas. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Syria GENEVA The United Nations: More on thestar.com:, according to The Star. 5 questions about Syria GENEVA The United Nations said Monday it will need nearly $13 billion in aid in 2014 to reach at least 52 million people in 17 countries, including the millions of Syrians who have been displaced by their civil war. New year dawns darkly for Syria (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

the Federal Reserve: Factory production rose 0.6 per cent in November after a 0.5 per cent gain in October, the Federal Reserve said Monday, according to Times Colonist. Industrial production, which includes manufacturing, mining and utilities, rose 1.1 per cent in November. It was the fourth straight gain and WASHINGTON - U.S. factories increased output in November for the fourth straight month, led by a surge in auto production. The gains show manufacturing is strengthening and could help boost economic growth at the end of the year. Production of motor vehicles and parts increased 3.4 per cent, rebounding from a 1.3 per cent decline in October. Factories also stepped up production of home electronics and chemical products. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper: Copyright 2013, according to Times Colonist and The first Tibetan refugees among 1,000 that will come to Canada in the next two years arrived in Vancouver over the weekend. Canada agreed to taken in the Tibetans after the Dalai Lama, Tibets exiled spiritual leader, made a direct appeal to Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2007. The Canadian government announced the immigration program in 2010. The move has been criticized by China, which claims Tibet as one of its territories. On Saturday, the Tibetans connecting flight from Toronto was delayed about three hours because of snow, adding to their marathon journey from Arunachal Pradesh, India. The Indian community is the seat of the Tibetan government in exile. The 21 Tibetans were met by dozens of people at Vancouver International Airport, including local Tibetans and their sponsor families. Despite the long journey, there were lots of happy faces among the Tibetans, which included a family with three boys, but mostly single people between 18 to 45, said Shenpenn Khymsar, a local Tibetan activist and film maker who helped welcome the newcomers. The new immigrants are largely the children of Tibetans who fled Tibet after China took control after an invasion in 1951. They were travelling for more than 30 hours. It was overwhelming. They were nervous, excited, tired, said Khymsar. But it was nice. They have so much support, and we are all there to help them. I am just excited for their new lives and new possibilities. They ll be able to support their families and village back home, he said. The sponsors agree to provide support for the refugees for one year, providing housing and helping them integrate into Canadian life. If some of them are capable of being independent sooner, thats great. They find a job, they want to move out, said Khymsar, noting that about 75 per cent have functional English. He said they continue to look for more sponsors across Canada and for donations. To help go to www.projecttibetsociety.ca. About 100,000 Tibetan refugees live in settlements across India and Nepal, says the Canada Tibet Committee, which is overseeing the immigration to Canada. About 1,000 Tibetans are estimated continue to leave the Chinese-controlled region each year, trekking across the Himalayans. About 6,500 Tibetans live in Canada now. The new immigrants are expected to settle initially in the Toronto and Ottawa areas, and in the Vancouver and Sunshine Coast areas. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.