coasts: Flavio di Giacomo, Rome spokesperson for the International Organization of Migration, said four people had been rescued out of an estimated 110 aboard, according to The Waterloo Record. He said more details would become available after the four are brought to shore. Eight bodies were recovered but poor conditions were hampering the search taking place 30 miles 50 kilometres off Libya's coast, Italy's ANSA news agency reported. The vast majority of migrant ships set off from Libya's lawless coasts, where smugglers operate with impunity, charging desperate migrants and refugees hundreds of dollars apiece to make the dangerous Mediterranean crossing. West Africans, most of them hailing from Nigeria, accounted for most of the migrants and refugees in 2016, with a 10-fold increase in their numbers since 2010, Frontex reported. Last year saw a record high number 181,000 people heading to Italy by sea, the EU rescue operation Frontex reported. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

menswear: That is making room for a plethora of newcomers, according to Brandon Sun. The data indicates that menswear is worth the re-think. Fashion houses are continuing their reboot of Milan Fashion Week menswear offerings, with notables like Bottega Veneta and Gucci sitting out this round, preferring to combine menswear and womenswear previews next month. Euromonitor market research forecasts that between now and 2020, growth in sales for men's attire and accessories globally will outpace that of women. Here are some highlights Saturday of menswear previews for next fall and winter on the first day of Milan Fashion Week COURTING MILENNIALSDolce&Gabbana have one-upped themselves, moving the young millennial crowd that has populated their front row in recent seasons onto the runway. Last year alone, Italian menswear produced 9 billion euros in revenue. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

partners benefit: I don't want to get ahead of that, but I am very much convinced that we as partners benefit more if we act together than if everyone solves problems for themselves, and that is a constant fundamental attitude on my part, she said, according to Brandon Sun. Underlining the importance of the Group of 20 industrial powers, which Germany chairs this year, she said that the international response to the financial crisis was not a response based on isolation, but a response based on co-operation, on common rules for regulating financial markets, and I think that is the promising path. Asked at a news conference Saturday about protectionist tendencies in the U.S., Merkel said she will seek a dialogue with the new president. Merkel has made clear that she's unhappy about the possible demise of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement as a result of Trump's desire to withdraw the United States. Merkel said there are contacts at adviser level with Trump's team, though there was no immediate word on any plans for a meeting beyond the summits of the Group of Seven and G-20 in May and July respectively. Trump has criticized Merkel's decision to allow large numbers of migrants into Germany. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

toilet seat: Shoes, according to The Waterloo Record. Dog tags. Toilet seats. All of these items have, in recent years, gone on sale adorned with images of Hindu deities, particularly that of Ganesha, known most commonly in the West for his elephant face. I haven't seen Christ on toilet seat covers. It is inappropriate, and it is offensive to devotees, said Rajan Zed, a Reno-based Hindu activist who protests against such commercial products. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tradition practise: Each member of this diverse group commits to a brief document titled Guidelines for Multifaith Dialogue, according to Vancouver Courier. The guidelines describe that together we assume the essential goodness of the other, relate with respect, speak from our own tradition/practise, suspend assumptions, focus on inquiry and reflection... to gain insight and perspective, release the need for an outcome... be open to new understanding; within common values of care, respect, fairness, honesty, humility, clarity and sensitivity to the beliefs, histories and practises of one another no matter how different they may seem. The current list of chaplains includes all those listed above as well as United and Anglican, Baptist and Christian Science, and has at other times included Presbyterian, Sikh, and Wiccan. And together we work in partnership with and with the support of the University of Victoria, including the Interfaith Chapel, guided by a new Memorandum of Understanding negotiated between the University and the spiritual communities, all for the purpose of best serving the campus community.A diverse multi-faith partnership with a secular organization to serve a common good for over 30 years that was easy! If it was, it wouldn't be so rare. It has its share of struggles. It requires a continuing dialogue and understanding with all the care, respect, fairness, honesty, humility, clarity and sensitivity we can offer. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ahmad alhraki: The men have called their emerging business Piece of the East, according to The Chronicle Herald. It's the beginning of a business but it's also a fine display of the Syrian culture and traditions. Rafat Harb and brothers Alaa and Ahmad Alhraki teamed up with the Parker Street Food Bank to upcycle' excess food into jam, pickles, banana bread and other delicacies, after they noticed perfectly edible food being thrown out around Halifax. It's a way for me to express my culture, said 19-year-old Harb, through a translator. For example, bananas that are starting to turn brown will be used to make banana bread. Alaa told the Chronicle Herald that none of the food was expired and is perfectly safe to eat when they take it from the food bank. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

announcement: The repeal of the wet foot, dry foot policy went into effect immediately after a Thursday afternoon announcement, according to CTV. It followed months of negotiations focused in part on getting Cuba to agree to take back people who had arrived in the U.S. Cubans fearful of an imminent end to a special immigration status bestowed during the Cold War had been flocking to the United States since the Dec. 17, 2014 announcement that the U.S. and Cuba would re-establish diplomatic relations and move toward normalization. Average Cubans and opponents of the island's communist leaders said they expected pressure for reform to increase with the elimination of a mechanism that siphoned off the island's most dissatisfied citizens and turned them into sources of remittances supporting relatives who remained on the island. About 100,000 left for the United States after the declaration of detente, many flooding overland through South and Central America and Mexico in an exodus that irritated U.S. allies and other immigrant groups and spawned bitter complaints from the Cuban government. Obama is using an administrative rule change to end the policy. It was creating serious problems for the security of Cuba, for the security of the United States and for the security of our citizens left vulnerable to human trafficking, migratory fraud and violence as a result of the incentives created by these preferential policies, said Josefina Vidal, Cuba's top diplomat for U.S. affairs. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

appointment: YURI CORTEZ / AFP/GETTY IMAGES By The Associated Press Fri., Jan. 13, 2017 MEXICO CITY Mexico's president has nominated the current head of the North American Development Bank, Geronimo Gutierrez Fernandez, to be the country's new ambassador in Washington, according to Toronto Star. Mexico's Foreign Affairs Ministry announced the appointment Friday in a statement. Mexico's Foreign Affairs Ministry announced the appointment of a new ambassador to the U.S on Friday. Mexico's current ambassador in the United States, Carlos Manuel Sada Solana, will become undersecretary for North America. He has been the managing director of the bank in San Antonio, Texas, since 2010. Gutierrez's appointment requires ratification by the Mexican senate. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

atlantic provinces: The Halifax-based council said 11,600 immigrants came to Atlantic Canada in the first nine months of 2016, due in part to an influx of Syrian refugees, according to CBC. The total numbers have tripled since 2002, David Chaundy, author of the report, said in a phone interview Thursday. The Atlantic Provinces Economic Council report released Thursday said a record 8,300 immigrants arrived in 2015, and more the following year. Chaundy, the council's research director, attributes the increase to expanded use of provincial nominee programs, which allow provinces to nominate people who wish to immigrate to their region, up to a cap. Syrian refugees receive welcome bags at the Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ont. on Dec. 11, 2015. That's what has really driven the growth, said Chaundy, adding that this year the region could see closer to 19,000 immigrants, due in part to a new three-year Atlantic immigration pilot project announced by Ottawa and the four provinces last year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

australian parents: Kidman was born in Hawaii to Australian parents and holds dual citizenship in Australia and the U.S. She says she's always reticent to comment on politics, and describes herself as more issue-based, according to CTV. Kidman says she's very committed to women's issues like battling breast and ovarian cancer. Kidman tells the BBC that now that Trump has been elected, we as a country need to support who's ever the president because that's what the country's based on. Kidman's comments have sparked both criticism and praise from social media users. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada: More immigrants coming to Atlantic Canada, but retention rates low Statistics Canada numbers show both P.E.I. and Atlantic Canada have been attracting more immigrants in recent years, according to CBC. It has been an important part of the strategy for provincial governments trying to deal with aging populations. And the record for immigrant retention in the region as a whole is not good. P.E.I. population growing quickly, but so is out-migration APEC's analysis used tax filings to determine only 41 per cent of immigrants who landed on P.E.I. five years ago were still on the Island. Immigrant retention rates in Atlantic Canada % 1 year5 years10 Even in the first year about one third 34 per cent of immigrants will leave the Island. The percentages from other provinces ranged from 58 to 70 per cent. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ctv winnipeg: Doctors have told him that his fingers, and possibly his hands, will need to be amputated, according to Hamilton Spectator. Mohammed tells CTV Winnipeg he fled Ghana fearing for his life because he is bisexual. On Dec. 24, Seidu Mohammed, 24, who is from Ghana in West Africa, crossed the border on foot near Emerson, Man., with another man from the same country. He says he spent a year in a detention facility in the United States and when he was released he decided to head north to Canada. All our arms were frozen, our feet frozen, we can't see, says Mohammed. He and the other man walked for 10 hours in freezing and snowy weather, losing their hats, mitts and their way. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

documentation: Sometimes it is just rumour delivered in a parking lot or a bar, and we can spend weeks or months trying to verify it, often without success, according to Hamilton Spectator. That's why most of this stuff never sees the light of day. Sometimes it comes in an unmarked envelope with lots of documentation and proof, and we still set out to verify it before publication. When editors receive such packages, they rarely get excited. Editors must scrutinize the tip Who delivered the package, and why Are they reliable Do they have the position or background or knowledge to be believable Were they motivated by financial or political gain Or were they just trying to do the right thing Is the information in the public good Will it lead to positive societal change Will it prevent wrongs in future Will it save taxpayers money Will it make the world a better place And most important Will withholding the information be worse than publishing it The information made public this week about U.S. president-elect and Russia did not meet all of those requirements. They know things are usually too good to be true, and while rumours are easy to believe, truth is difficult to verify. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

groundbreaking research: The groundbreaking research, a joint effort by researchers at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and King's College in England, has identified a plausible biological mechanism that links the effects of migrant status to the risk of developing psychosis, according to Toronto Star. We knew schizophrenia patients and those at risk of schizophrenia release more dopamine in their brains when exposed to a social challenge, said Dr. Romina Mizrahi, co-author of the study, says 'psychological and social interventions' can minimize the risk of immigrants developing psychoses. file photo By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Fri., Jan. 13, 2017 Brain chemistry could change under the stress of migration, increasing a newcomer's risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses, according to a new medical study. Romina Mizrahi, a study co-author and director of CAMH's youth psychosis prevention clinic and research program. When they are under stress, they also release more dopamine. Immigrants and their children have higher dopamine synthesis capacity versus non-immigrants. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration canada: I have helped various folks try to bring in relatives, according to The Chronicle Herald. Five years ago, useful guidance from the department call centre was still possible. The egregious lack of guidance for applicants is part of the problem. More recently, the standard answer has been, It's on the website, sir, followed by an offer to email information, the same old stuff that's on the website. Does government expect every applicant to engage a consultant Why does the call centre exist Citizenship and Immigration Canada should be a lot more responsive to needs of clients. When I got we're not immigration consultants, sir, in one call, I saw red. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration enforcement: Immigrants living in the country illegally also hope the events will make it clear to the incoming administration that they don't plan to leave the country despite Trump's calls for a border wall, tougher immigration enforcement and mass deportations, according to Metro News. This is our first salvo to what may be a long, drawn out campaign, said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, spokesman for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. Union leaders and young immigrants are organizing more than 50 protests and cultural events from Philadelphia to Phoenix on Saturday with an aim toward highlighting the power of the immigrant rights movement. The protests mark the latest chapter in a movement that has evolved considerably since 2006, when more than a million people took to the streets to protest a Republican-backed immigration bill that would have made it a crime to be in the country illegally. The crowds this weekend are expected to be nowhere near as big as then, including rallies at a church in Washington and teachers' union hall in Chicago. The bill was widely viewed as overly harsh and sparked a backlash that culminated in massive May Day marches across the country. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ctv winnipeg: Doctors have told him that his fingers, and possibly his hands, will need to be amputated, according to The Waterloo Record. Mohammed tells CTV Winnipeg he fled Ghana fearing for his life because he is bisexual. On Dec. 24, Seidu Mohammed, 24, who is from Ghana in West Africa, crossed the border on foot near Emerson, Man., with another man from the same country. He says he spent a year in a detention facility in the United States and when he was released he decided to head north to Canada. All our arms were frozen, our feet frozen, we can't see, says Mohammed. He and the other man walked for 10 hours in freezing and snowy weather, losing their hats, mitts and their way. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dick durbin: I want them to be themselves and express their own thoughts, not mine! Trump said over Twitter early Friday, according to Brandon Sun. The comment comes after members of Trump's future Cabinet separated themselves from the president-elect on a series of issues, including Russia, torture and Muslim immigration. All my Cabinet nominee are looking good and doing a great job. Partly as a result the nominees have gotten mostly gentle treatment from Senate Democrats who say they've found the Cabinet choices more palatable than the future president himself. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat. As I meet members of the Cabinet I'm puzzled because many of them sound reasonable, said Sen. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration minister: It provides a huge contrast to the sort of cabinet appointments the president-elect is making south of the border -- mostly aging, paunchy, white billionaires, according to Rabble. But people in the refugee and immigration community have also got to be at least a bit apprehensive about the mere fact that there is a new minister. Please consider supporting his work with a monthly donation Support Karl on Patreon today for as little as 1 per month! Toronto lawyer Ahmed Hussen is Canada's first refugee and immigration minister who was himself a refugee, and those who work with refugees are applauding his appointment. John McCallum, the departing minister, had, in the view of those close to the issue, been doing a good job. But there are lots of other big challenges for the immigration ministry, many of them legacies of the Harper government, and McCallum was just getting moving on those. We all know about McCallum's and his department's success in shepherding the large, new influx of Syrian refugees. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

indian boy: In it, she portrays an Australian woman who, with her husband, adopts a lost Indian boy named Saroo, according to Hamilton Spectator. During the interview, Derbyshire brought up Kidman's Australian and American dual citizenship and noted the actress voted in the U.S. election. She was speaking with Victoria Derbyshire of BBC Two, promoting the based-on-a-true-story film Lion, which she described as a love letter ... to mothers and children. I'm always reticent to start sort of commenting politically, Kidman began. I'm issue-based. I've never done it in terms of America, or Australia. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

luc berthold: Conservative MPs from Quebec are starting to make up their minds as to which candidate they will back, according to Huffington Post Canada. Conservative MP Gerard Deltell holds a press conference in Ottawa on April 14, 2016. G rard Deltell says he might also be looking to pick a contender he can endorse and help win support in the province. Photo Matthew Usherwood/CP Four of them Alain Rayes, Pierre Paul-Hus, Luc Berthold, and Sylvie Boucher announced Thursday they will support Andrew Scheer, MP for Regina-Qu'Appelle and former Speaker of the House of Commons. Jacques Gourde is Bernier's campaign co-chair. Ex-cabinet ministers Maxime Bernier and Steven Blaney are also in the race, defending opposite positions on supply management or immigration, hot topics in Quebec. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

migrants: The decision follows months of negotiations focused in part on getting Cuba to agree to take back people who had arrived in the U.S. Effective immediately, Cuban nationals who attempt to enter the United States illegally and do not qualify for humanitarian relief will be subject to removal, consistent with U.S. law and enforcement priorities, Obama said in a statement, according to CBC. By taking this step, we are treating Cuban migrants the same way we treat migrants from other countries. The repeal of the wet foot, dry foot policy is effective immediately. The Cuban government has agreed to accept the return of Cuban nationals who have been ordered removed, just as it has been accepting the return of migrants interdicted at sea. Obama is using an administrative rule change to end the policy. By taking this step, we are treating Cuban migrants the same way we treat migrants from other countries.'- Barack Obama, U.S. president The Cuban government hailed President Barack Obama's decision ending automatic legal residency for any Cuban who touches U.S. soil, while ordinary citizens mourned the end of an easy pathway to a new life in the United States. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

police: The police have previously said a drug was administered to the victims, according to CTV. The patients, who ranged in age from 75 to 96, received care under Elizabeth Wettlaufer at nursing homes in Woodstock, Ont., London, Ont., Paris, Ont. and a private home. Police said, on January 13, 2017, that the new charges are related to incidents with six patients that allegedly occurred between June 2007 and August 2016. Here's what we know about the six victims police identified in January, 2017 Clotilde Adriano The 87-year-old widow, mother of two, grandmother of five and great-grandmother of three died at the Caressant Care home in Woodstock on July 30, 2008, according to her obituary. Albina de Medeiros She died on her 91st birthday at Woodstock General Hospital on Feb. 25, 2010. Police have laid a charge of aggravated assault related to Adriano's care between June and December 2007, though they say her cause of death is not attributed to the accused. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

prairies doctors: Ibrahim told Metro President-Elect Donald Trump's statements calling Somali migrants a disaster for Minneapolis will see many more become desperate to get to Canada, according to Metro News. On December 24, Seidu Mohammed, 24, from Ghana, crossed the border on foot near Emerson, Manitoba, with another man from Ghana. Fear of political instability in the United States is likely to push more refugees to seek asylum in Canada by fleeing across the porous border in the prairies, according to Jibril Ibrahim, the President of the Society. Doctors have told Mohammed that his fingers, and possibly his hands, will need to be amputated due to severe frostbite. There is concern. Ibrahim said his organization is taking steps to ensure that any potential refugees entering Alberta and finding their way to Edmonton will be properly cared for. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

robert creech: At 17, she left her parents in Ottawa and moved to Vancouver to attend University of British Columbia, where she achieved a BA in economics, according to Globe and Mail. At 20, she married Robert Creech, a classical musician. By Grade 9, she had attended 12 schools. Their first daughter Julia was born in Toronto and then Andrea, Pam and Erica arrived on the scene in Vancouver. They all followed Gwenlyn with successful careers in the arts, education and administration. She taught her daughters to always stand up for themselves. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian: However, some people involved in refugee sponsorship said the program was not promoted enough, according to Globe and Mail. The government does not track how many Syrian refugees sponsored through Family Links have arrived in Canada,. Nearly 40,000 Syrian refugees had landed in Canada as of Jan. 2 21,751 government assisted, 13,997 privately sponsored and 3,923 through a blended program of private and government sponsorship. The immigration department said many private sponsors already knew Syrian refugees in Canada with displaced family members overseas, and therefore few of them used Family Links. The Family Links project was launched in January, 2016, in an effort to reunite Syrian refugees in Canada with family members displaced by the civil war overseas. The sponsors and family members then agreed to sponsorship terms, with the private sponsor usually providing 12 months of resettlement support. The federal government partnered with Catholic Crosscultural Services CCS which put Canadian sponsors in contact with Syrian refugees in Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.