war-weary fighters: As diplomacy in Moscow focused on the U.S. airstrikes targeting Syria, more than 2,350 people were bused out of the twin rebel-held towns of Madaya and Zabadani near Damascus, and another 5,000 from the pro-government towns of Foua and Kfraya in the country's north, according to Brandon Sun. There was no heating, no food, nothing to sustain our lives. The co-ordinated evacuations delivered war-weary fighters and residents from two years of siege and hunger, but moved the country closer to a division of its national population by loyalty and sect. We left so that God willing the siege may ease on those who remain, said Ahmad Afandar, a 19-year-old evacuee from Madaya whose parents stayed behind. The two towns rebelled against Damascus' authority in 2011 when demonstrations swept through the country demanding the end of President Bashar Assad's rule. Madaya and Zabadani, once summer resorts to Damascus, have been shattered under the cruelty of government siege. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada catchphrase: Yousafzai praised Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's welcome to Canada catchphrase, which many Tory candidates say sends the wrong message to asylum-seekers who want to enter Canada at non-official border crossings, according to Globe and Mail. Your motto and your stand welcome to Canada' is more than a headline or a hashtag. In her speech in the Commons, Ms. It is the spirit of humanity that every single one of us would yearn for if our family was in crisis, Ms. I pray that you continue to open your homes and your hearts to the world's most defenceless children and families, and I hope your neighbours will follow your example. Yousafzai, 19, said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian citizen: But despite the honours and pomp and ceremony, the March federal budget saw no increase to the international assistance envelope, which means the upcoming fiscal year will see no new money for the very thing Malala urged Parliament to do, according to Toronto Star. In fact, Canada's commitment to official development assistance sits at about 0.28 per cent of its gross national income. And now she is a Canadian citizen with a strong message for Canada to be proactive as a world leader in girls' education. This is nowhere near the UN target of 0.7 per cent and puts Canada far behind its peers on the world stage let alone a leader. This statement sets a clear tone about the government's perspective on the role of international assistance. Article Continued Below Even more concerning, Finance Minister Bill Morneau declared in a post-budget interview that Canada should do more with less foreign-aid spending. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

doorstep monday: But she didn't outline her platform and assumed Yang was not a Canadian citizen, as she is a visible minority, according to The Chronicle Herald. The Halifax Armdale MLA also asked why Yang was not on the voters' list. Lily Yang said Diab was canvassing on her doorstep Monday to request her vote and to put up a lawn sign. Actually, I am second-generation Chinese-Canadian. Instead of apologizing for her ignorant assumption, she kept pressing on how there are many permanent residents in Halifax, Yang wrote in an email to the Liberals Monday. I was incredibly offended by her assumption. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government official: It's tribal, it's absolutely tribal, so on that basis it's genocide, she said of the violence, speaking to The Associated Press on Wednesday night, according to CTV. Her comments are the rare declaration by any government official of genocide in South Sudan. Priti Patel, the U.K. secretary of state for international development, said there are massacres taking place, people's throats being slit amid what she called a scorched earth policy in South Sudan's three-year war. Patel spoke after visiting South Sudan, where she met President Salva Kiir, whose government repeatedly has been accused of blocking food aid to some areas and harassing aid workers. The country also faces a hunger crisis, with famine recently declared in two counties and threatening to spread. The situation in South Sudan is absolutely abhorrent and inhumane, Patel said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration union: She got hurt, according to CBC. I haven't seen the bruises but it's serious enough. One of them assaulted a female Canadian Border Services Agency officer as he was being sent to lock-up at the Emerson, Man., port-of-entry last weekend, said Jean-Pierre Fortin, National President of the Customs and Immigration Union. But her life was not in danger, Fortin said, adding she has returned to work and does not want to be interviewed about her experience. He was apprehended by RCMP officers before being searched, identified and screened. The RCMP confirms a 37-year-old man had illegally crossed the border at about 1 a.m. on Apr. 8. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rain: Wayne Tallon of the Emergency Measures Organization said rain on Wednesday increased water levels to about six metres, higher than the 5.6 metres expected, according to CBC. Flood stage is 6.5 metres along the river in Fredericton. John River in Fredericton is expected to rise over the weekend, reaching its peak while still remaining below flood level. EMO warns of local flooding as snowfall, freezing rain and rain warnings issued for part of province Flood coverage to be extended to 42,000 New Brunswick homes Perth-Andover still waiting for help with flood-damage plans This is normal for this time of the year, Tallon, the City of Fredericton's director of EMO, said in an interview. Tallon said the local snowmelt is causing the river to rise, but he expects it to start receding after this weekend, and continue to go down through early May. We experience this year after year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mission beach: Mohammed couldn't swim, according to Attardo, who believes the boy may have been knocked down Sunday in knee-deep ocean water, according to CTV. There were strong rip currents at San Diego's popular Mission Beach. Mohammed al-Mustafa pleaded for permission to join friends on the beach, promising his mother he wouldn't go in the water, family friend Lisa Attardo said Wednesday. Rescue workers, with help from helicopters, searched for the boy over three days. The family arrived in San Diego in January, having fled the town of Aleppo in 2014 for Turkey, where they sought to become refugees in the United States, said Robert Moser, executive director of Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego, which helped the family resettle. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported there were no efforts planned Wednesday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nazi grandfather: Most problematic is Chrystia Freeland whose well-documented hostility towards Russia raises questions about her suitability for the foreign affairs post, according to Rabble. She got off almost scot-free for blatantly lying about her Nazi grandfather. It reflects itself in various ways but it seems that wars -- old wars, current wars and future wars -- have gripped the minds of our political elite and their courtiers in the media. Justin Trudeau lost his reason regarding the U.S. missile attack on Syria and we were subjected to an extra-heavy dose of non-sense about Vimy Ridge with Trudeau opining that this was Canada at its best. But Canada at its best How about when we finally gave women the vote Or when we established universal medicare When we decriminalized abortion Ended the death penalty When we refused to get sucked into the Iraq war When Canada invented UN peacekeeping Or when we took in Syrian refugees As for the mendacious Ms. Really That was our best This grotesque war that sent millions of innocent young men -- from all combatant countries -- to their meaningless deaths is what defined us as a nation We should obviously mourn the deaths of all those young people forced to sacrifice their lives for nothing. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

parliament hill: The world needs leadership based on serving humanity not based on how many weapons you have, according to Huffington Post Canada. Canada can take that lead, Yousafzai said. Ambrose met with the 19-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner and newly minted honorary Canadian citizen Wednesday after she used a speech to Parliament to charm and challenge Canadians to do more for girls' education. Malala Yousafzai speaks as she sits with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his Centre Block office during her visit to Parliament Hill for her Honorary Canadian Citizenship ceremony in Ottawa on April 12, 2017. I am asking that your government answer Malala's call, Ambrose writes in a letter to Trudeau released Thursday. Photo Justin Tang/The Canadian Press She urged the government to make the issue the central initiative of next years' G7 presidency, and also to host the replenishment conference of the Global Partnership for Education, a multilateral organization that has received close to 200 million in Canadian funding since 2007. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

richard sanders: Also exposed here are Nazi skeletons still being hidden in the closets of Canada's ultranationalist Ukrainian community and the Liberal Chrystia Freeland's Grandfather, Michael Chomiak,the Nazi's Top Ukrainian Propagandist Fake News, Mighty Wurlitzers, Historical Amnesia and the Elephant or Bear in the Room It takes a village to raise a Nazi old African proverb, slightly modified By Richard Sanders, editor, Press for Conversion! magazine of the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade In the spirit of truth and reconciliation, this investigative report explores the propaganda careers of both Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and her Ukrainian grandfather dido Michael Chomiak, the chief editor of two Nazi newspapers, according to Rabble. This 24-part online expos reveals a wealth of new details about Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland's maternal grandfather, Michael Chomiak, and his WWII career as Hitler's leading Ukrainian-language news propagandist throughout Greater Germany and Nazi-allied/occupied Europe. This 25,000-word web resource, with 150 photos/graphics and 200 footnotes, reveals details about her own personal and work-related connections to fascist-linked groups and publications going back to 1986 when she was 18. But besides revealing many aspects of her maternal grandfather's support for the German war effort, this research exposes shocking new information about Chrystia Freeland's own career as a propagandist. For example, in 1986 at age 18, Freeland received a Canadian government-funded job writing articles for The Encyclopedia of Ukraine. To decide whether Freeland is suitable as a Foreign Affairs minister, Canadians should explore this research which documents her longstanding ties to extremely Russophobic organisations that are deeply rooted in the Ukrainian fascist tradition which predates WWII. Canadians should also be aware that during the early years of her journalistic career Freeland wrote for ultranationalist Ukrainian publications linked not only to her grandfather and other fascist collaborators, but to the CIA's mighty Wurlitzer propaganda machine. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

richmond: In translation, part of the ad paid for by a group called Richmond Community Concerns reads You should know that NDP advocates for drug injection sites, gender-neutral washrooms, encourages sex education to young children and supports same sex marriage, according to CBC. The newspapers have large circulations and are widely read by Chinese-Canadians and the broader Chinese community. The ads, which were published in the Ming Pao and Sing Tao Daily newspapers and ran on Chinese-language radio, were directed at NDP Richmond South Centre candidate and current city councillor Chak Au. It is not clear who Richmond Community Concerns is, whether it is backed by a political party or has a specific community affiliation. An 'embarassment' Dora Ng, a Chinese-Canadian trans and queer rights advocate, says the ads are not only personally hurtful and an embarrassment, but throw the Chinese-Canadian community under the bus. The group was not registered with Elections BC at the time the ads were published. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sanctuary city: The City Council voted 5-2 to reverse course just nine days after unanimously deciding to call Lansing a sanctuary, according to The Chronicle Herald. The term sanctuary city has no legal definition and varies in application, but it generally refers to jurisdictions that do not co-operate with U.S. immigration officials. Michigan's capital on Wednesday reversed a decision to call itself a sanctuary city that protects immigrants, bowing to pressure from a business community concerned that the term would draw unwanted attention to Lansing from President Donald Trump's administration and cost the city federal funding. Under Lansing policy set out last week in an order from Mayor Virg Bernero that stays in effect, employees cannot ask about immigration status, except as required by U.S. or Michigan law or a court order. It is not the two words that make this a sanctuary city. Police also are prohibited from holding immigrants for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement unless federal authorities have a judicial warrant. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

selection: The Globe found that the agency that represents the white singer had included the role on her Web page, according to Globe and Mail. Bellamy, a Calgary-based theatre artist, was uncomfortable with this. But an e-mail exchange between Bellamy and the interim artistic director appear to indicate that a selection had been made. In the hit musical, which premiered on Broadway in 1949, Bloody Mary is supposed to be from Tonkin, now a region of Vietnam. The short answer is it's 2017, he says, when asked why he left the production. Bellamy believes strongly that the character should not be played by a white performer. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sivaloganathan thanabalasingam: Thanabalasingam, 31, arrived in Canada as a refugee from Sri Lanka in 2004, and recently became the first person in Quebec to not have murder charges against him proceeded with due to unreasonable delays in the justice system, according to CTV. Despite the stay of proceedings, Canada Border Services Agency arrested him before he was officially released on the murder allegation and Canada's immigration and refugee board ordered him deported to his country of origin. Immigration board member Stephane Morin said Sivaloganathan Thanabalasingam remains a flight risk and a danger to the public. Thanabalasingam is appealing that decision, which could take years to be heard. Morin refused, stating that the two family members didn't seem to understand Canada's justice system, and had testified earlier in the day they didn't think he did anything wrong, despite being accused of murdering his wife. His lawyer, Vic Artinian, argued at the immigration hearing that his client should be released into the care of his brother and sister-in-law while he appeals his deportation order. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

state custody: The Gonzalez case drew national attention, according to Metro News. Domestic abuse victim advocates criticized the arrest, saying it would dissuade other crime victims from reporting abusers for fear of deportation. Although U.S. District Judge Frank Montalvo sentenced the 33-year-old Mexican national to time served on Thursday, she remains in state custody on a forgery charge. Federal authorities say Gonzalez has been deported several times and has a criminal record. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian family: There was money collected, all kinds of furniture and everything was prepared, but we waited and a family didn't arrive until March 2017, he said, according to Metro News. The survey includes responses from 32 sponsorship agreement holders SAH across the country, most of which are faith-based organizations. The report was commissioned by Citizens for Public Justice CPJ an Ottawa-based Christian charity that tries to influence public policy debates on a number of issues, including refugee rights.CPJ executive director Joe Gunn said his own congregation in Ottawa applied to sponsor a Syrian family in autumn 2015. The length of wait times was the biggest complaint, especially for non-Syrian refugees. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada provides processing times for refugee claims on its website, broken down by country. We actually heard of cases of six and a half years' wait, Gunn said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

york neighbourhood: The victims, who were not immediately identified, were found in a wooded area near a recreation centre in Central Islip, east of New York City, according to Toronto Star. Crime scene investigators and detectives were scouring the woods for evidence on the edge of a complex of soccer and football fields and a children's playground. The Associated Press By Frank Eltman The Associated Press Thu., April 13, 2017 CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. The bodies of four men, all described as having suffered significant trauma, were discovered in a park in a suburban New York neighbourhood that has for years contended with a growing problem of gang violence. Justin Meyers, assistant to the Suffolk County police commissioner, said Thursday that the killings all appeared to be recent homicides. Meyers declined to comment on whether the killings of the four men were gang-related. The discovery of the bodies comes about a month after the arrest of eight MS-13 gang members in connection with the September killings of two teenage girls in nearby Brentwood. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

catholic bishops: In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, DiNardo, the archbishop for Galveston-Houston and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, expressed concerns about Trump's now court-stalled executive order blocking immigration from six Muslim-majority nations and about the effects the Trump administration's immigration policies could have on families, according to Brandon Sun. We have kids in our Catholic schools that are crying during the day, DiNardo said. When it comes to refugees and immigration, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo says he and Trump will have to agree to disagree. They're not sure whether their mommy or daddy is going to be home at night when they get back from school. ... There's no reason why that has to happen. The White House had no comment Wednesday on prospects for a meeting, although such a session would continue a common practice for the head of the bishops' conference to confer with the U.S. president. DiNardo in 2007 became the first Catholic cardinal in the Southern United States, an area where Catholicism has flourished as more people have moved there, from both inside and outside the U.S. In his first extended interview since his more than 400 fellow bishops in November elected him to a three-year term as president of the U.S. bishops' conference, DiNardo said the conference has had quiet initial talks with the White House to arrange a session between him and Trump. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

michigan law: The term sanctuary city has no legal definition and varies in application, but it generally refers to jurisdictions that do not co-operate with U.S. immigration officials, according to Brandon Sun. Under Lansing policy set out last week in an order from Mayor Virg Bernero that stays in effect, employees cannot ask about immigration status, except as required by U.S. or Michigan law or a court order. The City Council voted 5-2 to reverse course just nine days after unanimously deciding to call Lansing a sanctuary. Police also are prohibited from holding immigrants for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement unless federal authorities have a judicial warrant. We have an executive order right now that protects folks and keeps them and their family intact, said Councilwoman Kathie Dunbar, who opposed dropping the term. It is not the two words that make this a sanctuary city. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mission beach: Mohammed couldn't swim, according to Attardo, who believes the boy may have been knocked down Sunday in knee-deep ocean water, according to Brandon Sun. There were strong rip currents at San Diego's popular Mission Beach. Mohammed al-Mustafa pleaded for permission to join friends on the beach, promising his mother he wouldn't go in the water, family friend Lisa Attardo said Wednesday. Rescue workers, with help from helicopters, searched for the boy over three days. The family arrived in San Diego in January, having fled the town of Aleppo in 2014 for Turkey, where they sought to become refugees in the United States, said Robert Moser, executive director of Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego, which helped the family resettle. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported there were no efforts planned Wednesday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

alderney landing: In recent years, the festival and concert have been held at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth, according to The Chronicle Herald. But for Canada 150, the municipality says the Halifax Common is the best location as it can safely accommodate estimated crowds of more than 40,000 people. An information report from the Parks and Recreation Department outlines the municipality's plans for the July 1 festival called, We Are Canadian Nous Sommes Canadiens 2017. The location also aligns with the Canada 150 funding pillars, which encourage the use of outdoor communal spaces. The festival will run from noon until midnight. The HRM has received funding from Canadian Heritage, but the report says the amount will remain confidential until official announcements are made. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian press: The Canadian Press By Bruce Campion-Smith Ottawa Bureau Alex Boutilier Ottawa Bureau Reporter Wed., April 12, 2017 OTTAWA Few new Canadians go right from a citizenship ceremony to addressing Parliament, according to Toronto Star. But then few people are like Malala Yousafzai Nobel Peace Prize winner, a United Nations messenger of peace, a global advocate for education. In a Wednesday address to Parliament, Yousafzai praised Canadians for standing together in the face of terrorism. And still just 19. The adoration was evident from the moment Yousafzai entered the House of Commons chamber to a sustained standing ovation. The Pakistan woman, who survived a Taliban attack five years ago, dazzled MPs and dignitaries Wednesday with a Parliament Hill speech sprinkled with inspiration, humour and a call for Canada to do more for global development. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

convenience stores: Read How Easter affects K-W waste collection changes and times, according to CBC. Friday Grand River Transit will be running on the Sunday service schedule. Here is a list of a few things that will be open and closed in the Waterloo Region this Easter weekend. Guelph Transit will be running on a holiday schedule.GO Transit is not operating on Good bin pick up will not be affected. Region of Waterloo International Airport. Open Most convenience stores, gas stations. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ebba akerlund: They requested peace and quiet to grieve the death of their daughter, Ebba Akerlund, according to CTV. Other victims of Friday's attack included a 31-year-old Belgian woman, a 69-year-old Swedish woman, and a 41-year-old Briton whom the British government identified as Chris Bevington, an executive at Swedish music-streaming service Spotify. Sweden's TV4 said Tuesday evening that the parents released a statement saying they wanted to thank the Swedish people for all the warmth and love you have given us at a time of despair and pain. Fifteen others were injured in the attack, with eight still hospitalized. On Tuesday, the Stockholm District Court ruled that police may detain the suspect for one month, but Eriksson said his client could remain jailed as long as it takes to resolve the case. Rakhmat Akilov, a 39-year-old Uzbek man, has pleaded guilty to a terrorist crime after ramming the truck into the crowd, according to his lawyer, Johan Eriksson. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

foot level: In the backyard, the layering concept is on full display, according to Hamilton Spectator. Lift the leaf of a hellebore and find the fresh growth of the little geranium renardii. Every teaspoon of soil supports a plant. Sweet woodruff creeps between day lilies. Above the fray of perennials at foot level, shrubs hold court. An unusual, shiny pachysandra is wrapping around perennial sage. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.