german-funded projects: He says "this appeal is especially directed at the Arab world, countries like Qatar." Mueller spoke during a tour of German-funded projects for refugees in Jordan, according to Guelph Mercury. Some 5 million Syrians have fled the civil war since 2011, most settling in Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon. Gerd Mueller on Wednesday urged more countries to step up to help millions of Syrian refugees. In June, Jordan sealed its border after a car bombing, leaving thousands of Syrians without regular access to food, water and medicine. By The Associated Press Mueller says their plight "is a scandal" and that the world has to help them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mexican thing: Pence comment came after Democratic vice-presidential Tim Kaine pressed the Republican on Trump remarks last year comparing Mexican immigrants to rapists."Senator, you whipped out that Mexican thing again," Pence said, according to Brandon Sun. By Wednesday, #That Mexican Thing was trending on Twitter as Latinos widely made fun of the remark with memes, gifs, and satirical versions of Trump "Make America Great Again" red cap."Proud to be 'that Mexican thing!'" Javier Martinez, a New Mexico Democratic lawmaker, tweeted Wednesday. They said Pence remark was dehumanizing and tinged with sexual innuendo. There was no immediate comment from the Trump-Pence campaign about criticism of Pence remark. Mexican-American syndicated cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz said the moment the words came out of Pence mouth "I knew it was going to be big."Alcaraz drew a cartoon of a Latino man holding a card that read, "my vote." Above the man read the words: whip out that Mexican thing again. The campaign has been trying to increase its appeal to Latinos and other minorities who tend to favour Democrats and could prove pivotal in key states, including Florida. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

olympic stadium: It turns out that St-Pierre, who is preparing for a return to the octagon after a three-year hiatus, is a big supporter of gymnastics and has practised it in the past."I love gymnastics," the 35-year-old said. "To make a parallel with martial arts, it not a sport, it a discipline of life."Whatever you do — you roll over, or your cat is in a tree and you have to climb up — it gymnastics, according to Brandon Sun. It is everything that has to do with movement. The two athletes were announced on Wednesday as ambassadors for the 2017 world artistic gymnastics championships, to be staged in October, 2017 at Olympic Stadium. And when you do it at a young age, it helps build the foundation that can translate to any other sport. To have him support the championships and gymnastics in Canada is super cool."The world championships, which coincides with the city 375th anniversary celebrations, is to be held in a 10,000-seat "theatre" arrangement inside the 55,000-seat Olympic Stadium. That why I think it so important."Canadian Olympic gymnast Scott Morgan of North Vancouver, B.C., said St-Pierre is no stranger to the sport."We've been here for a few training camps over the years and he popped in a couple of times and chatted with us," said Morgan. "He wanted to meet us."He a great guy, really humble and a huge advocate for the sport. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pence fights: The celebrity businessman said his relationship with Russia leader would be determined by how Moscow responds to strong U.S. leadership under a Trump administration. "They say Donald Trump loves Putin, according to Guelph Mercury. I don't love, I don't hate. Related Stories Trump VP pick debate move: Deny,... Trump VP pick contradicts him... Kaine attacks, Pence fights back in... Smooth Mike Pence struggles to... Trump offered effusive praise for Mike Pence performance — but also claimed credit for it — even as both campaigns acknowledged that the sole vice-presidential debate was unlikely to alter the race trajectory. We'll see how it works," Trump told a rally outside Las Vegas. While U.S.-Russia relations nosedive over failed diplomacy in Syria, Trump has complimented Putin, calling him a strong leader and even encouraging him to track down Clinton missing emails, though Trump later said he was being sarcastic. "You guys love Russia," Kaine said in Tuesday debate. "You both have said Vladimir Putin is a better leader than the president." In a forceful rebuke, Pence described Putin as a "small and bullying leader," but blamed Clinton and President Barack Obama for a "weak and feckless" foreign policy that had awakened Moscow aggression in Ukraine and meddling in the Middle East. Clinton on Wednesday shrugged that off, saying Trump has "this weird fascination with dictators." "My opponent seems not to know the difference between an ally and adversary," Clinton said at an evening fund raiser in Washington. "There seems to be some misunderstanding about what it means to have a dictatorship and provide leadership." The billionaire candidate sought to take away an argument that Clinton and her running mate, Tim Kaine, have ramped up in the final weeks of the campaign as they work to portray Trump as dangerous for American interests overseas. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

zen: Tears streamed down my face, according to Vancouver Courier. Though my friend was unharmed, strong emotions flowed through me, leaving me both unsettled and curious. I struck my fellow Zen student twice on one shoulder, twice on the other, using the Zen stick called the Kyosaku. The strikes are precisely aimed at the trapezius muscles, are meant to help energize the sitter during long hours of meditation, and are only administered upon request. As babies, we are born tiny, vulnerable, and ready to love. Why, then, the powerful reaction in me, the striker This is something I would puzzle over for the next few years. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

american women: Now they and up to 17 others face prison time, according to Metro News. The men said that in 2011 they arranged four sham marriages between their friends and American women the two Patels had met. But they admitted Monday their plans were federal crimes. The two are business acquaintances. The Patels, former Jackson officer Ivory Harris and lawyer Simpson Goodman pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Jackson to conspiracy charges, as did two of the men who benefited from the fake police reports. Then in 2014, Tarunkumar Patel said he began bribing a Mississippi police officer to create false crime reports in an effort to get immigration authorities to grant them special visas for victims of certain types of crimes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

americas: This third iteration of Rutas, running Oct. 5 to 16 at the Daniels Spectrum in Regent Park, is the brainchild of Toronto Aluna Theatre, led by its effervescent artistic director Beatriz Pizano, according to Toronto Star. Originally from Colombia, Pizano says Rutas grew out of her desire to connect Canada to the Americas and that meant bringing the Americas here. By Karen Fricker Theatre Critic Tues., Oct. 4, 2016 For the next two weeks, Toronto already multicultural theatre scene is getting a big influx of creativity and ideas from nations and traditions across the Americas, via the biennial Rutas Panamericanas International Performing Arts Festival. While much of the festival work — which this year includes eight theatre and dance productions and two films as well as master classes, talks and a conference about performance and human rights — comes from Spanish-speaking Latin America, Pizano underlines that the vision is broad and inclusive. It was Aluna interest in making sure that indigenous voices are heard at Rutas that prompted Pizano and her colleagues to include Toronto Native Earth Performing Arts as a festival producing partner since 2014. She avoids calling the festival focus Latin America, for example, because in some definitions that excludes Brazil and parts of the Caribbean, and because some indigenous communities do not see themselves as within Latin America. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

anti-canadian values: She relates her own experience growing up francophone in Toronto in the 1960s, according to Hamilton Spectator. This brought back similar memories of my family arrival in Canada from Germany in the 1950s. Hebert asks. It seems to me that both then and now, many Canadians feel that wanting to preserve a heritage or language other than English is equivalent to fostering anti-Canadian values. When some of the Acadians refused to swear unconditional allegiance to the British Crown, they were forcibly removed from their colonies in Eastern Canada. At this point I ask myself, what, indeed, are Canadian values Are they to be based solely on British customs, the values of the nation that won the last battle for supremacy against the French and their First Nations allies in 1759 The fate of the first permanent European settlers in Eastern Canada, the Acadians and their native Mi'kmaq supporters, was largely determined by battles between the British and the French, some of which were actually fought in Europe. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

calgary church: The new two solitudes: 'Alberta and the rest of Canada'CBC-Angus Reid poll: Canadians want minorities to do more to 'fit in' It an ancient tradition, today being performed in a southwest Calgary church, according to CBC. The pews are mostly filled — not bad for a church that didn't even exist a year and a half ago. They respond with chants they sing every Sunday, chants that people from this sect of the Catholic Church have used for 2,000 years. Immigration keeping churches alive Father Ephrem — Kardouh is his last name, though no one seems to bother with it — is a priest in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. He was sent to Calgary when the Canadian government announced it would open its door to 25,000 Syrian refugees, many of whom are Christian. "We used to go to the airport almost on daily basis, sometimes we used to go twice a day, to greet the people, to welcome them to tell them here they are welcome and they are safe." Over the past 18 months, Father Ephrem says his congregation went from about 20 faithful to 600. These are the Christians from the Middle East. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian-born children: As a researcher, I strive to engage but remain an observer, according to Toronto Star. Nevertheless, while sitting across from two parents incarcerated in an immigration holding centre, as they described the agony of being separated from their two young daughters, I felt my throat tighten and tears roll down my cheeks. Order this photo By Rachel Kronick Tues., Oct. 4, 2016 As a psychiatrist who works with children and families, I am not supposed to cry. Their pain filled the small interview room; my job could not insulate me. But the Canadian-born children, who were staying with relatives so the girls would not be detained alongside their parents, knew something was wrong and were frightened. The parents told me how they had tried to convince their girls the reason they had not seen them in a month was that the parents were both working overtime. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

discussion paper: A discussion paper he has authored is expected to be made public this fall, and three months of consultations will start soon in Ontario, according to Rabble. The main idea behind a GAI is to give every adult in Canada a fixed amount of money with few if any conditions and to do away with several other types of income assistance programs . Here are 10 things to know about Canada GAI debate: 1. It gained momentum earlier this year when the Ontario government announced it would undertake a pilot study of the GAI. And in June, the Ontario government announced that former Canadian Senator Hugh Segal will advise them on the "design and implementation" of the pilot. The various proposed GAI schemes have multiple names. Each comes with slightly different connotations and different camps of advocates have their own reasons for favouring one term over the other. The following terms are often used interchangeably: basic income, guaranteed annual income, negative income tax, guaranteed livable income, guaranteed adequate income, social dividend, territorial dividend, state bonus, demogrant, assured annual income and citizen wage. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian values: Kellie Leitch has been an orthopedic surgeon since 2001, according to NOW Magazine. She has been Simcoe-Grey member of Parliament since 2011. Brent Hawkes, at the chief 2016 Pride reception on June 22. And she has been the frontrunner for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada since the middle of last month, propelled to the head of the pack largely as a result of her proposal to screen potential immigrants for Canadian values. Andrew Pringle has been the chair of the Toronto Police Services Board since 2015 and a member since 2011. Apparently inspired by a similar Donald Trump plank, Leitch is responsible for the most racially charged federal leadership campaign in recent Canadian history. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hispanic man: The officers "behaved like big game hunters closing in on an animal," said John Burris, a lawyer for the family of Joseph Mann, who was mentally unstable and homeless, according to CTV. The demand for the murder charges came as Los Angeles police chief Charlie Beck defended his officers in the fatal shootings of a black man Saturday who police say was armed with a loaded semi-automatic gun and a Hispanic man on Sunday who officers say was wielding replica handgun. He dodged the cruiser twice and was shot 14 times less than a minute later by the same two officers. The latest police shootings happened amid heightened tensions over police actions involving black people and other minorities across the country, and followed two more fatal encounters between California police and black men last week in San Diego and Pasadena. But Burris told reporters he was not threatening anybody and that the two officers who shot him, John Tennis and Randy Lozoya, should face a U.S. Justice Department civil rights investigation in addition to murder charges. In the Sacramento case, police have said Mann was waving a knife in the air and doing karate moves in the streets just before police responded. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kiwis coach: Veteran winger Manu Vatuvei has been omitted but Kidwell said that did not mean his international career is over, according to Hamilton Spectator. Bromwich retains the captaincy after leading New Zealand in a test loss to Australia in May. In naming his first squad as Kiwis coach, David Kidwell handed international call-ups to New Zealand Warriors backs David Fusitu'a and Solomone Kata, Penrith playmaker Te Maire Martin and Canberra Raiders players Joseph Tapine and Jordan Rapana. Former captain Simon Mannering was also included in the 24-man squad announced Tuesday, but Kidwell said Mannering is happy to have been relieved of the burden of captaincy. New Zealand will play Australia at Perth on Oct. 15 in a lead-up to the Four Nations, which begins Oct. 28 with a match between Australia and Scotland. Kidwell has recently taken over as Kiwis coach from Stephen Kearney and has selected a new-look side. "In picking this team we've tried to achieve a balance between players who are proven at test level and those that are the future of the Kiwis program," he said. "Injuries play an unfortunate part in our game and some of these newcomers will get an immediate opportunity to show they're ready for the next level." Players unavailable because of injury include Roger Tuivasa-Shock, Peta Hiku, Dean Whare, Kieran Foran, Ben Matulino, Alex Glenn and Kodi Nikorima. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

muslim: Canadians want minorities to do more to 'fit in': CBC-Angus Reid Institute poll Thousands gather to mark return of Ahmadiyya Muslim leader to Canada The caliph is the Ahmadiyya group spiritual leader — similar to the pope but on a far smaller scale — and those who caught a glimpse of the leader outside the Baitul Islam Mosque said seeing him was a powerful and joyous moment, according to CBC. There are about 20 million Ahmadiyya Muslims worldwide. "It almost like being recharged, rejuvenated," said Hena Malik, a Muslim mother. Thousands of members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community composed largely of immigrants lined the streets outside a mosque in Maple, Ont. on Monday night to wave, cheer and pray as their caliph, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, arrived. I think as mothers we play the most important role in families,' Muslim mom Hena Malik told CBC News. This week, CBC News and the Angus Reid Institute released a poll showing that 68 per cent of Canadian respondents believe immigrants should be doing more to fit in, as opposed to keeping their own customs and languages. That rejuvenation comes at a welcome time. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pence: Gov, according to Metro News. Eric Holcomb, who was Pence preferred successor, came the same day a federal appellate court in Chicago rebuked Pence for his unsuccessful efforts to stop the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and other groups from settling Syrian refugees."I would honour what the court said. Remarks by Lt. I wouldn't go against the court ruling," Holcomb said during a press conference following a gubernatorial debate. "I would continue to allow the refugees to come in here and find safe haven."He spoke one day before Pence, who is Donald Trump vice-presidential running mate, debates Democrat Hillary Clinton vice-presidential hopeful Tim Kaine. In Indiana, damage to the state reputation under Pence has emerged as a potent campaign issue that Democratic candidate for governor, John Gregg, hopes to capitalize on. Trump and Pence have made restrictions on immigration and refugees a major plank of their campaign. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

points: Both estimates are 0.2 percentage points lower than an IMF outlook issued in July, according to Toronto Star. Among other things, it says Canada has been negatively affected by unexpected weakness in the United States — the world largest economy and a major market for Canadian goods and services. The IMF is now forecasting Canada gross domestic product will grow by 1.2 per cent this year and 1.9 per cent next year. The IMF revised estimate for the U.S. economy has been lowered by 0.6 percentage points to 1.6 per cent. Article Continued Below The Washington-based organization says the global economy faces subdued economic growth in the short and long term. It also lowering the 2017 estimate for the United States by 0.3 percentage points to 2.2 per cent. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

population: The report is like a snapshot of Edmonton demographics, according to CBC. For example, it shows the number of people arriving as 'permanent residents' in Edmonton has increased 178 per cent over the last ten year and stood at 16,739 in 2015. Those figures are just some of the dozens of statistics released on Tuesday in the annual Vital Signs report, by the Edmonton Community Foundation. The report also raises a red flag concerning the aging baby boomer population in Canada. The report also highlighted several quirky statistics, such as one showing that Edmonton pet population is thriving. Without current immigration levels, or a substantial increase in fertility rates, the country population will shrink in about 20 years. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

right: Speaking to Schön! Magazine, she said: "There are black artists - we just have to support them, according to Hamilton Spectator. I'm so proud that people are actually exercising their right to speak up and taking action, but I also think it important for government and congress to pay attention. The 35-year-old singer has spoken out about minorities in the music industry, saying that she is "proud" of people exercising their rights, but says there is still a long way to go in terms of equality. This new generation can be radical and they're not playing when it comes to their freedom and their lives, which are at stake." The former Destiny Child star - who has two-year-old son Titan Jewell with husband Tim Witherspoon - also spoke about how she is constantly "nervous" about raising a boy in a society like America where she says they have to "think about if someone is going to hurt them". Kelly has many African-American boys who are now fearful of their safety due to the recent spate of police shootings involving black men and have sparked the Black Lives Matter activist movement. They have to think about if somebody is going to hurt them, shoot them, because they have some freaking skittles. She said: "I talk to minority boys. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

senate committees: Here are some highlights from the report, according to The Chronicle Herald. Lights! Camera! Action The House of Commons has cameras. Many of the recommendations have been talked about for months, others for years, as the Senate lurches into a new, less partisan reality. Ditto for Commons and Senate committees. The report calls for cameras to be installed in the Government Conference Centre, which will house the Senate during the decade the Centre Block is under construction starting in 2018. Not so for the Senate chamber, which only started broadcasting audio during the height of the Senate spending scandal three years ago. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

senators tuesday: Independent Sen, according to CTV. Ratna Omidvar, who is sponsoring another citizenship-related bill in the upper house, is planning an amendment that would allow those deemed to have misrepresented themselves to appeal a decision to revoke their citizenship. And, in the meantime, he says he'll consider imposing a moratorium on the practice. McCallum, who was grilled by senators Tuesday, says he'd welcome such an amendment. The provision was denounced by the Liberals when they were in opposition but lawyers say they've been aggressively enforcing it since forming government. Revocation without a hearing was part of a citizenship bill passed by the previous Conservative government. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian captain: She a middle-aged, university-educated woman and grieving mother who wears oversized men clothes, smokes cigarettes, and fears no one, according to Vancouver Observer. When a Syrian captain complains that the men who he sent to spy on her can't keep up with her non-stop activities, she suggests they get in better shape. Campbell paints a vivid portrait of Ahlam as a woman of unusual intelligence and self-assurance. To Campbell, Ahlam is more than just an ordinary fixer: she a friend, a kindred spirit, an independent woman who can't be held back by social pressure to conform and be complacent. One of the most excruciating stories from the book involves women and girls who have fled war in Iraq. As part of her distinctive 'immersive' style of reporting, Campbell spent extended periods of time in the "Little Baghdad" area of Damascus, observing, taking notes, listening and detailing the heartbreaking decisions Iraqi refugees in Syria have to make to survive. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

year: Just like that, the Gaels' quest to reach the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations championship had disappeared. "It was the hardest thing, going from WCSSAA champion to nothing, according to The Waterloo Record. It ended so fast and it definitely gives us extra motivation this year," said Dekker. "That definitely our No. 1 goal this year, to win CWOSSA and move on. The Cameron Heights student was a key player on last year senior volleyball team that won the school first Waterloo County championship, only to come up empty a few days later at the Central Western Ontario championship. We want to push for that more than we want to push for WCSSAA." The Gaels took a step in that direction Tuesday, scoring a 3-0 win over the Forest Heights Trojans in an early WCSSAA showdown. Forest Heights and the Jacob Hespeler Hawks represented this region at last year OFSAA triple-A tournament and neither was able to return with a medal. Cameron Heights improved to 4-0 with the victory, while Forest Heights suffered its first loss and dropped to 3-1. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kiwis coach: Veteran winger Manu Vatuvei has been omitted but Kidwell said that did not mean his international career is over, according to The Waterloo Record. Bromwich retains the captaincy after leading New Zealand in a test loss to Australia in May. In naming his first squad as Kiwis coach, David Kidwell handed international call-ups to New Zealand Warriors backs David Fusitu'a and Solomone Kata, Penrith playmaker Te Maire Martin and Canberra Raiders players Joseph Tapine and Jordan Rapana. Former captain Simon Mannering was also included in the 24-man squad announced Tuesday, but Kidwell said Mannering is happy to have been relieved of the burden of captaincy. New Zealand will play Australia at Perth on Oct. 15 in a lead-up to the Four Nations, which begins Oct. 28 with a match between Australia and Scotland. Kidwell has recently taken over as Kiwis coach from Stephen Kearney and has selected a new-look side. "In picking this team we've tried to achieve a balance between players who are proven at test level and those that are the future of the Kiwis program," he said. "Injuries play an unfortunate part in our game and some of these newcomers will get an immediate opportunity to show they're ready for the next level." Players unavailable because of injury include Roger Tuivasa-Shock, Peta Hiku, Dean Whare, Kieran Foran, Ben Matulino, Alex Glenn and Kodi Nikorima. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

senators tuesday: Independent Sen, according to The Waterloo Record. Ratna Omidvar, who is sponsoring another citizenship-related bill in the upper house, is planning an amendment that would allow those deemed to have misrepresented themselves to appeal a decision to revoke their citizenship. And, in the meantime, he says he'll consider imposing a moratorium on the practice. McCallum, who was grilled by senators Tuesday, says he'd welcome such an amendment. The provision was denounced by the Liberals when they were in opposition but lawyers say they've been aggressively enforcing it since forming government. Revocation without a hearing was part of a citizenship bill passed by the previous Conservative government. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

snell: Snell then tucks the gun back into his waistband and runs around the corner of a strip mall as officers chase him, according to Brandon Sun. All then disappear from view because they were no longer within the range of the surveillance camera. The video shows the man identified by police as 18-year-old Carnell Snell crouching behind an SUV parked at a strip mall and pulling a handgun from the waistband of his sweatpants. Snell shooting Saturday came amid heightened tensions over police actions involving black people and other minorities across the country. Police said the video — posted to the police department You Tube channel following pressure by protesters to release it — supports the account LAPD Chief Charlie Beck gave defending the shooting. Snell was the third black man in five days killed in confrontations with Southern California police. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.