supporters monday: But the Yes California Independence Campaign faltered after its president, Louis Marinelli, revealed ties to Russia, according to Brandon Sun. Marinelli said in a lengthy message to supporters Monday that he is seeking permanent residence in Russia because of his frustration, disappointment and disillusionment with the United States. The drive to make the nation's most populous state its own country, with what would be the world's sixth-largest economy, has drawn extra interest after last year's election of Republican Donald Trump as president. The secretary of state's office confirmed that Marcus Ruiz Evans, the group's vice-president, withdrew the California Nationhood ballot measure. The coalition plans to file its own ballot measure in coming weeks, without the baggage of Marinelli's Russian ties, said Steve Gonzales, the new group's secretary-treasurer and board member. Evans said he was leaving the Yes California group and joining the California Freedom Coalition, which he described as a grassroots organizing effort that evolved since last year's election. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dalhousie university: We do a lot before their arrival, facilitate their rooms, get their classes set up, and stuff like that, according to Metro News. Once they're here, we're really just their friends, said Dobson. In Dobson's second year at Dalhousie University, the now fourth-year political science student became involved in the World University Service of Canada WUSC an organization that supports refugee students coming to Canada for school. Students like Dobson also help the new students with things like applying for student loans, scholarships, and just getting them familiar with Halifax and Nova Scotia. Before September 2016, WUSC raised money to bring four refugee students to Dalhousie. She has served as the student refugee program coordinator for the Dalhousie chapter of WUSC for the past two years. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

guatemala massacre: He's one of four former soldiers arrested by U.S. authorities in 2010 on allegations of participating in the killing of more than 200 people in the village of Las Dos Erres, according to CBC. Jorge Sosa guilty of lying about 1982 Guatemala massacre Accused Guatemalan war criminal extradited Sosa, 59, is now serving a 10-year sentence for immigration fraud in the United States, where he also held citizenship until it was revoked in 2014. The federal government said in newly filed court documents that Jorge Vinicio Sosa Orantes concealed his role in a 1982 massacre by the Guatemalan military when he obtained Canadian citizenship a decade later. Canada has opted to strip citizenship in only a handful of modern-day war crimes cases. He left Guatemala in 1985 and sought asylum in the United States, claiming he was fleeing guerrillas. Sosa was arrested in Lethbridge, Alta., in 2011 and extradited to California, where he stood trial for lying about the massacre on his naturalization forms. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kellie leitch: Leitch didn't mind she found a much better place to sit, right in front, according to Toronto Star. The two Conservative MPs may be seat mates in the back row of the House of Commons these days, but their campaigns to take over the permanent leadership of the party couldn't be much farther apart. Adrian Wyld / The Canadian Press photos By Stephanie Levitz The Canadian Press Mon., April 17, 2017 OTTAWA When Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai was speaking in Parliament last week, Kellie Leitch gave her seat to Conservative leadership rival Erin O'Toole's daughter Mollie so she could bear witness to history alongside her dad. Leitch is on the populist path; the centrepiece of her campaign is a requirement that all newcomers be interviewed to verify their Canadian values. I talk about Canadian values, one of those values being hard work. She rails against out-of-touch elites, though some suggest the former cabinet minister and pediatric orthopedic surgeon is one herself. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

leitch mind: The two Conservative MPs may be seat mates in the back row of the House of Commons these days, but their campaigns to take over the permanent leadership of the party couldn't be much farther apart, according to Hamilton Spectator. Leitch is on the populist path; the centrepiece of her campaign is a requirement that all newcomers be interviewed to verify their Canadian values. Leitch didn't mind she found a much better place to sit, right in front. She rails against out-of-touch elites, though some suggest the former cabinet minister and pediatric orthopedic surgeon is one herself. I think when Canadians work hard they are extremely generous back, Leitch said recently during a roundtable interview with The Canadian Press. I talk about Canadian values, one of those values being hard work. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

life terms: Justice John O'Donnell said in July, 1988 while sentencing the then-55-year-old Hungarian immigrant to two concurrent life terms in prison for conspiring to kidnap the daughter of a lawyer and have the teen killed if a 400,000 ransom was not paid, according to Hamilton Spectator. In my opinion, this man should never, ever, ever, be released on parole,'' the judge said. Your evil knows no bounds, Mr. It appears that will indeed be the case for Demeter, who on April 19, will turn 84 years old behind bars. Why was the judge so adamant in his condemnation It helps to recap Demeter's criminal history and what seems to be his motivations a vengeful nature and cold hard cash. Demeter has suffered a stroke, heart attack and been treated for cancer during his 40-plus years in the Ontario prison system. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kellie leitch: The two Conservative MPs may be seat mates in the back row of the House of Commons these days, but their campaigns to take over the permanent leadership of the party couldn't be much farther apart, according to Huffington Post Canada. Conservative leadership candidates Erin O'Toole and Kellie Leitch are following two very different paths in their party's contest. Leitch didn't mind she found a much better place to sit, right in front. Photo Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press Leitch is on the populist path; the centrepiece of her campaign is a requirement that all newcomers be interviewed to verify their Canadian values. I talk about Canadian values, one of those values being hard work. She rails against out-of-touch elites, though some suggest the former cabinet minister and pediatric orthopedic surgeon is one herself. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mari yamaguchi: Abe told a parliamentary session that the government is formulating measures including protecting foreigners, landing procedures, building and operating shelters, and screening asylum seekers, according to Toronto Star. Abe's disclosure came in response to a question that had been occasionally asked in the past, but is now more relevant than ever as North Korea's missile capability advances rapidly and tension with the U.S. rises. Yoshinobu Shimizu / AP By Mari Yamaguchi Associated Press Mon., April 17, 2017 TOKYO Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that Japan's government is drawing up contingency plans in case a crisis on the Korean Peninsula sends an influx of refugees to Japan. The government has been working on evacuation plans for about 60,000 Japanese from South Korea in case of a crisis. Article Continued Below Pence will be flying to Tokyo from South Korea, where he declared the era of strategic patience with North Korea is over, reiterating President Donald Trump administration's shift toward applying more pressure on Pyongyang. Abe is set to discuss North Korea on Tuesday with U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

marlihan lopez: Marlihan Lopez said it would go a long way to healing a growing rift between police and survivors of sexual assault, according to CTV. Last week the Suret du Quebec released information about its handling of some 800 cases of sexual assault cases between 2014 and 2016. The audit of such police cases is currently being done in some cities in the U.S. and the Quebec Coalition of Sexual Assault Centres says Quebec police forces should do the same here. The SQ says the number of cases considered unfounded was 12 percent, and not the 21 percent as reported by the Globe and Mail in February. But Lopez said a lack of outside analysis is a huge missed opportunity, saying if police say cases are unfounded, that means police do not belive a crime was committed. The SQ said it was satisfied these cases were handled correctly and saw no need to analyze them further or change its methods. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nobel laureates: Pakistani Nobel Peace Laureate Malala Yousafzai leaves Parliament Hill after receiving an honorary Canadian citizenship in Ottawa, April 12, 2017, according to Huffington Post Canada. Photo Lars Hagberg/AFP/Getty Images Here's what I heard The world believes in us Canada matters. When Nobel Laureates descend upon your city -- your nation's capital -- you know it's time to listen up and take note. As Malala herself said, If Canada leads, the world will follow. Leymah, the woman who led a sex strike to demand peace in her war-torn country, believes in Canada. Malala, the Pakistani girl who was shot in the head for the crime of going to school, believes in Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rohingya minority: But she's no Nelson Mandela either, and that has deeply disappointed some people including fellow holders of the Nobel Peace Prize who expected better of her, according to Hamilton Spectator. The issue that most upsets them is her refusal to take a firm stand on the mistreatment of the Rohingya minority, Muslims of Bengali descent who live in Rakhine state in southwestern Burma. Fair enough she has a country to run, and an army to hold at bay. Since an outbreak of communal violence between Buddhists and Muslims in the state in 2013, the army has treated the Rohingyas with great brutality, and at least a hundred thousand have fled into neighbouring Bangladesh for safety. I think ethnic cleansing is too strong an expression to use for what is happening, she said in the BBC interview, and a new wave of foreign outrage swept over her. The repression has been particularly bad in the past year, with many Rohingyas in the northern part of the state raped or murdered by the army, and foreign critics have begun to describe the events in Rakhine state as ethnic cleansing. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

up-with-people kind: They could have chosen a story that was much idealized, that celebrated Confederation, that was a kind of sea-to-shining-sea national dream, up-with-people kind of tale, according to CTV. And they chose one of the great social injustices of our history. The Canadian Opera Company is reviving its homegrown production, created by composer Harry Somers and librettist Mavor Moore, ahead of Canada's 150th birthday. It's this very provocative story, Hinton says of the made-in-Canada opera. Canadian baritone Russell Braun plays the title role in the opera, which centres on the resistance movements Riel led against the federal government the 1870 Red River Rebellion in Manitoba, and the 1885 Battle of Batoche during the North-West Rebellion in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Riel has been recognized as a founder of Manitoba and a champion and defender of Metis rights; but he remains a controversial figure in Canada's history, who has been viewed as both a hero and traitor. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

leitch mind: The two Conservative MPs may be seat mates in the back row of the House of Commons these days, but their campaigns to take over the permanent leadership of the party couldn't be much farther apart, according to Brandon Sun. Leitch is on the populist path; the centrepiece of her campaign is a requirement that all newcomers be interviewed to verify their Canadian values. Leitch didn't mind she found a much better place to sit, right in front. She rails against out-of-touch elites, though some suggest the former cabinet minister and pediatric orthopedic surgeon is one herself. I think when Canadians work hard they are extremely generous back, Leitch said recently during a roundtable interview with The Canadian Press. I talk about Canadian values, one of those values being hard work. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

opening day: Three months after undergoing shoulder surgery, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback showed up for opening day of off-season workouts looking fit, trim and minus the sling he'd been wearing to protect his right arm, according to Brandon Sun. I am where the physical therapists, trainers and doctors say I am. He's still not sure when he'll be start throwing passes. I'm not going to worry about it., Luck said, declining to provide a timetable for his expected return. I want to play, I want to play, but I'm not going to worry about it. I have full trust in the guys helping me out. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

york jets: It's always good to get back started, especially when you are coming to a new team, McCown said Monday in quotes issued by the team, which reported for its first day of the off-season program at its training facility in Florham Park, New Jersey, according to Brandon Sun. It's good to meet everyone and get acclimated. The New York Jets are the 10th team the veteran quarterback has been with since 2002, so he's sort of an expert in getting acquainted with teammates in new surroundings. But it's the first day in a long process and I'm excited to be part of it. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith became free agents and weren't re-signed, leaving New York only with the unproven Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg at the position. McCown was signed in March to a one-year, 6 million contract to try to help stabilize the Jets' shaky quarterback situation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

anti-immigration party: Officers responded with tear gas during the small skirmishes, according to CTV. Fernanda Marrucchelli said Le Pen's anti-immigration party is fighting our essential freedoms, our rights, no matter if we are French or immigrant. Some protesters threw firebombs at police during the march from suburban Aubervilliers to a Paris neighbourhood where Le Pen is scheduled to hold a rally on Monday. A banner at the front of the march read Paris-Suburbs Against the National Front. Anti-racism activist Omar Slauti said the fight against Le Pen should be in the streets, not the ballot box, denouncing the extreme-right populism that has spread around Europe. Marchers handed out tracts denouncing xenophobia and racism that they allege Le Pen and her anti-immigration party represent. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

assad: Lawmaker Tom Brake said The first lady of Syria has acted not as a private citizen but as a spokesperson for the Syrian presidency, according to Metro News. He said Asma Assad should either stop defending Syria's barbaric acts or lose her citizenship. Some Liberal Democrats in Parliament sent a letter to Home Secretary Amber Rudd on Sunday, saying Asma Assad should not be able to represent her husband and retain British nationality. Britain has called for her husband to leave the presidency and condemned his use of chemical weapons. Asma Assad was educated in Britain and worked as an investment banker before she married in 2000. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

week: Those interviews have been greatly condensed, according to The Chronicle Herald. Lisa Raitt She was born in Sydney and raised by her grandparents as the youngest of seven children. Each of them agreed to be interviewed this week and were generous with their time. She is good at being pleasant. She is the only mother in the race. She feels that her experience both in a senior role at the Toronto Port Authority and in three different cabinet positions is an asset. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

exorbitantly-priced suits: Centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron wears suits that cost about 350 euros 370 from a small Parisian retailer, according to Metro News. Whether political calculation or lucky coincidence, the move nicely contrasts with scandal-hit conservative candidate Francois Fillon, accused of elitism for exorbitantly-priced suits paid for by donors, including 13,000 euros 13,800 for two recent suits. With unemployment and economic woes topping voter concerns ahead of France's two-round April 23-May 7 presidential vote, candidates have vied for the most on-message branding. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen favours sombre suits as she evokes threats against France and takes a hard line on security and immigration. And car factory worker Philippe Poutou, a far-left candidate who took just five weeks off work to run for president, stole the show at the last presidential debate with his messy hair, baggy sweater and sharp tongue that made him look like an Average Joe speaking truth to power. On the other end of the political spectrum, far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon cultivates a tie-free image in an election shaped by anti-establishment sentiment and jackets that evoke communist leaders. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government account: The government withdrew the demand a day after Twitter sued, according to Hamilton Spectator. It was obvious from the start that the government had no legal grounds to make the demand. A rogue government account that criticizes President Donald Trump's policies anonymously was in danger last week of being unmasked after the Department of Homeland Security issued a summons demanding the social media company turn over its users' identities. Even one top Trump aide with his own Twitter scandal, Dan Scavino, argues that federal employees have a right to free speech on their own time, using their own accounts and equipment. Users posting to ALT uscis, the account targeted by the DHS summons, have critiqued the government's immigration policies and revealed issues within the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office. Since Trump's inauguration, dozens of Twitter accounts have sprung up claiming to be run by current and former federal employees of different agencies, including alt labour and RogueEPAstaff. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration: AP / U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement By Jim Bronskill The Canadian Press Sun., April 16, 2017 OTTAWA Canada is moving to strip citizenship from a man accused of slaughtering villagers in Guatemala using a grenade, gun and sledgehammer, according to Toronto Star. Jorge Vinicio Sosa Orantes concealed his brutal role in a 1982 massacre by the Guatemalan military in obtaining Canadian citizenship a decade later, the federal government says in newly filed court documents. He is currently serving a 10-year sentence for immigration fraud. Sosa Orantes, 59, is now serving a 10-year sentence for immigration fraud in the United States, where he also held citizenship until it was revoked in 2014. The bloody, decades-long conflict between Guatemalan government forces and guerrillas intensified in the early 1980s. Canada has opted to strip citizenship in only a handful of modern-day war crimes cases. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

intercolonial railway: Fleming was such a one, according to Hamilton Spectator. As was the Intercolonial Railway, the route of which he plotted through the wilds of Eastern Canada to connect the Atlantic provinces with Ontario and Quebec. With the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017 comes reason to recall the myriad acts of union across decades, and the names and accomplishments that were the glory of their times. It was called The People's Railway and was, in effect, Canada's first national infrastructure project and one of the young country's first Crown corporations. To make that happen, Macdonald and associates turned to Fleming, a prolifically imaginative and energetic migr from Kirkcaldy, Scotland, just across the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh. That railway was one of Sir John A. Macdonald's chief enticements to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and one of the conditions of Confederation, agreed to with the signatures of a few dozen Fathers of Confederation in 1867. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

show: In all of 2016, there were just 241, statistics from the IRB show, according to Hamilton Spectator. Last December, the Liberal government lifted a requirement for Mexicans to obtain a visa before travelling to Canada and an increase in claims was forecast. New figures from the Immigration and Refugee Board show that March recorded the highest number yet of new claims in 2017 110, up from 85 in February and 71 in January, for a total of 266 so far this year. The volume of asylum seekers from Mexico had been the reason the previous government begin to require visas in 2009, but the move caused diplomatic bad blood between the two countries. Still, in lifting the visa, Canada told the Mexican government that if asylum claims reached a certain level, the visa could be reinstated. The federal Liberals had promised to remove the requirement and doing so was given new impetus given the impending renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

uhuru kenyatta: The best response is to help the refugees to return and rebuild their nation, Kenya's president, Uhuru Kenyatta, said in a recent speech, according to CTV. Fearing war and drought, however, the vast majority of the complex's residents would rather stay put. It's also a place the Kenyan government wants to close. The camp complex, which is home to more than 250,000 people, was first opened in 1991 as a temporary shelter for people fleeing civil war in neighbouring Somalia. Officials claim that al-Shabaab, a terrorist group, uses the complex to recruit new members. Decades later, the Kenyan government says the camp complex has become a financial burden and a security concern. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

year sentence: Sosa Orantes, 59, is now serving a 10-year sentence for immigration fraud in the United States, where he also held citizenship until it was revoked in 2014, according to CTV. Canada has opted to strip citizenship in only a handful of modern-day war crimes cases. Jorge Vinicio Sosa Orantes concealed his brutal role in a 1982 massacre by the Guatemalan military in obtaining Canadian citizenship a decade later, the federal government says in newly filed court documents. The bloody, decades-long conflict between Guatemalan government forces and guerrillas intensified in the early 1980s. The army would typically circle a village, seal it off, gather the people and separate men and women before killing villagers. The military junta began a ruthless campaign of destruction that wiped out 440 villages, killing over 75,000 people and displacing more than 250,000, the Canadian government says in documents filed in Federal Court. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

claims: In all of 2016, there were just 241, statistics from the IRB show, according to Brandon Sun. Last December, the Liberal government lifted a requirement for Mexicans to obtain a visa before travelling to Canada and an increase in claims was forecast. New figures from the Immigration and Refugee Board show that March recorded the highest number yet of new claims in 2017 110, up from 85 in February and 71 in January, for a total of 266 so far this year. The volume of asylum seekers from Mexico had been the reason the previous government begin to require visas in 2009, but the move caused diplomatic bad blood between the two countries. Still, in lifting the visa, Canada told the Mexican government that if asylum claims reached a certain level, the visa could be reinstated. The federal Liberals had promised to remove the requirement and doing so was given new impetus given the impending renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.