attention officials: The son of Libyan parents who immigrated to Britain in the early 1990s, Abedi has been identified by British authorities as the bomber who attacked the Ariana Grande concert Monday night, according to Brandon Sun. While Home Secretary Amber Rudd said he was on the radar of the intelligence service up to a point, it was not clear how much attention officials had paid to his activities and whether authorities could have stopped him. While some claim Salman Abedi had been banned from the mosque he attended for statements glorifying terrorism and his angry rhetoric even prompted an acquaintance to report him to the authorities, others deny that account, saying he never showed any worrying or erratic behaviour. As a portrait of the alleged bomber emerged, it was complicated by contradictory accounts over whether Abedi held views that had sparked concern before Monday's attack. He was glorifying terrorism, Shafiq told The Associated Press. Mohammed Shafiq, who heads the Manchester-based Muslim organization Ramadhan Foundation, said some of Abedi's past statements had prompted a Libyan community activist in Manchester to report him to the national counter-terrorism hotline two years ago. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hilltop compound: They also claim east Jerusalem as their capital, and live in neighbourhoods under Israeli control that suffer from poverty, neglect and poor services, according to Brandon Sun. These stark contrasts are on display this week. But for Palestinians, there is little to celebrate. Parades, light shows and festivals are being held throughout the city as Israeli Jews celebrate the capture of Jerusalem's Old City from Jordanian troops half a century ago. The Old City is home to the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, and the adjacent hilltop compound revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, the spot where the biblical Temples once stood. The victory was hailed by Jews as marking the symbolic return of control over Judaism's holiest sites after 2,000 years in exile. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee status: None has been charged with a crime, according to Brandon Sun. About half are seeking refugee status, although only about 0.3 per cent of such applicants are awarded asylum in Japan. Supporter Mitsuru Miyasako told reporters Thursday many had been recruited to work in Japan during the bubble economy about 30 years ago but are now being told to go home. Many have had children in the country. Thirty people in another city joined. The hunger strike, which started May 9 with 22 people in a Tokyo immigration detention centre, expanded to 70 people there. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

anti-muslim group: People accused school administration of not disciplining students who were Syrian refugees, which the school refuted, according to Metro News. Our involvement is really about providing a reassurance to students and families that everyone should feel safe, said AMPAC spokesperson Aurangzeb Qureshi. The protest at Linday Thurber Composite High School was attended by at least two groups an anti-Muslim group called Worldwide Coalition Against Islam and another group called Soldiers of Odin and was held in response to a scuffle between students last week. There should be no reason why any student, regardless of faith, religion, cast or creed shouldn't feel safe in school. function set Cookie related path / ; Related Red Deer school condemns anti-immigrant protest sparked by fight between students Alberta politicians condemn Confederate-style flag displayed at Red Deer protest He said the organization is concerned to see groups such as Soldiers of Odin, which the Anti-Defamation League has labeled a hate group, on school campuses. Since AMPAC set up an Islamophobia reporting hotline in mid-2016, they have seen calls rise from one a day to an average of three or four a day. When you have students, regardless of what their religion or background might be, attempting to confront hate groups on school property ... that should not be taking place, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian-born stars: Last year he also starred in the Toronto-shot Family Channel sitcom Raising Expectation alongside Molly Ringwald, according to The Chronicle Herald. Other Canadian-born stars who've also found themselves returning to shoot TV here in recent years include Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy of Schitt's Creek and Anna Paquin of Bellevue. While the Vancouver-born star once had to work south of the border to gain fame on series including Beverly Hills, 90210, he's now able to live at least half of the year back on home soil shooting the dramedy Private Eyes, which debuts its second season Thursday on Global. I think what happened in the TV industry a few years ago was that the TV industry left California and it moved other places, and I think that Toronto and Vancouver were big winners in that migration, Atlanta was a big winner in that migration, New York was a big winner in that migration, said Priestley. Well, for the most part. But the industry has left California and people like me who work predominantly in TV, I go where the interesting work is and ... it brought me here. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

county seat: Sitting around a table at a mini-mall in the county seat of Bakersfield, a couple of old friends complain about illegals, according to CBC. They're thrilled that the U.S. president is fulfilling his promise to crack down on them. And when you see both in the same field, you're probably in Kern, the biggest Republican county in the state. There's too many people up there that are too liberal that are willing to give our country away or our state away.'- Ron Reece, Bakersfield resident You don't let people invade your country! says Ron Reece. I earned mine, let them earn theirs! Since Trump signed an executive order tightening border security, the number of illegal immigrant arrests is up 38 per cent over the same period last year, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE . Reece, a former cop, says illegal immigrants who commit crimes have been coddled by state politicians in the capital, Sacramento. It's whoever wants what for free gets it, says George Henderson. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government: Rempel said the Canadian government has to speak out on these issues, according to Metro News. LGBTQ minorities, especially in Iran, have been one of the most persecuted groups of people on Earth, she said. Calgary Conservative MP Michelle Rempel is sponsoring the petition, which demands that the government to condemn attacks against LGBTQ minorities in both Iran and Chechnya. Horrible stories of persecution against LGBTQ communities in Chechnya have emerged recently, with reports of people being assaulted and even killed for being gay. The program has been renewed on a rotating basis, but groups want the government to commit to it permanently. Parliament has been studying a program that allows for LGBT groups in Canada to help sponsor refugees from around the world. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

health supplies: From the Syrian side of the border zone, Ambassador Nikki Haley gazed up at a Turkish flag plastered onto signs marking the entrance into that nation's territory, according to The Chronicle Herald. Syrian refugees once flooded through the run-down Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing until officials cracked down. That reality is far removed from America's years-old hope for President Bashar Assad to leave power and speedily end the civil war. These days it's only aid convoys that pass back and forth, trying to meet an unrelenting demand for food, health supplies and other basic needs in the Arab country. Underscoring the danger, security officials spirited her away from the border after unmarked vehicles were spotted moving toward the area. Ferried to the border in an armoured motorcade, Haley walked to within just a few feet of entering the Arab land, becoming the highest-ranking U.S. official to come so close to Syrian territory in years. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

language skills: The career pathway program will make loans of up to 15,000 available to people who have been internationally trained but who can't get jobs in their fields because their credentials aren't recognized, said Alex LeBlanc, the executive director of the association, according to CBC. There was data to support that there was a financial element to why immigrants were having trouble getting their credentials recognized.'- Alex LeBlanc, New Brunswick Multicultural Association Applicants must have credentials that are valid in their home countries, be unemployed or under-employed, have significant language skills in either English or French, and be accepted into whatever upgrading program the loan will be used for. Now the New Brunswick Multicultural Association has launched a loan program to help newcomers and permanent residents get over that barrier by upgrading their credentials. LeBlanc told Information Morning Fredericton that in past years, about a quarter of immigrants settling in New Brunswick arrived with jobs. The interest rate on a career pathway loan is prime plus one per cent and the borrower will make interest-only payments while studying. But many face financial obstacles that include the cost of writing exams, paying tuition, and living or travel expenses related to getting their credentials recognized in Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

libya: Additional arrests were made both in Britain and in Libya in the bombing that killed 22 people and wounded scores more, according to CTV. Among those taken into custody in Libya were the suspected bomber's father and his younger brother, the latter of whom confessed to knowing all the details of the attack plot, Libyan anti-terror authorities said. Officials scoured the background of the British-born ethnic Libyan identified as the bomber, saying he was likely part of a wider terrorist network. I think it's very clear this is a network we are investigating, said Chief Constable Ian Hopkins of the Manchester Police, as authorities raided British properties thought to be connected to Salman Abedi, the 22-year-old suspected bomber who grew up in Manchester and died in the attack. Meanwhile, officials probed possible travel by the alleged bomber, looking for clues to new threats. British Home Secretary Amber Rudd said Abedi likely did not act alone in the strike at the close of an Ariana Grande concert Monday night and that he had been known to security forces up to a point. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

peace deal: Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, faces high expectations from ethnic groups and the international community to end conflicts between ethnic armed groups and the army that have lasted for nearly seven decades, according to The Chronicle Herald. Suu Kyi said Wednesday that her government would not pressure the ethnic groups into a peace deal, and would allow for open negotiations. Delegates filled a conference hall in Naypyitaw for the start of the five-day talks, which come nine months after a first round of talks was held. We will not resort to exerting pressure through populist politics to achieve our goals, but we will instead strive to reach an agreement acceptable to all with open, frank and inclusive dialogue, she said during her opening speech. In Kachin State, in the country's north, more than 100,000 people have been forced from their homes over the past six years due to ongoing fighting between the groups and government troops. Despite overtures made by Suu Kyi, ongoing clashes between the army and the ethnic armed groups continue in some parts of Myanmar. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

prison: She said the captain was briefly treated at a hospital for shock following his conviction, according to CTV. It's a ridiculous ruling, said lawyer Kim In-sook. A lawyer for the captain said her client was being punished for having consensual sex with his partner in a private space. She said the military penal code, which makes homosexual activity punishable by up to two years in prison, was unconstitutional because it tramples on basic human rights and dignity. Kim said it's unclear whether her client would appeal his six month prison sentence that was suspended by a year because he felt tormented by the legal process. South Korea's military, which doesn't reveal how often it pursues cases against soldiers suspected of being gay, didn't immediately make a statement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

racalmuto pedestrians: And that's where he set his monument to the man on Racalmuto's main drag Via Garibaldi where Sciascia had been wont to mingle, an ink in the waters of community, according to Hamilton Spectator. The sidewalk is, in effect, part of the work. So when Giuseppe Agnello set about creating a memorial statue of Sciascia after the writer died in 1989, the renowned sculptor knew the street had to be part of it. Now in Racalmuto pedestrians pass by Sciascia in midstride, life-size, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a cigarette, with eyes that like the eyes in some paintings seem to follow you everywhere, ready to strike up a conversation. Still circulating in the traffic of his people. The writer, walking. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee claim: The 25-year-old chef, who dreams of one day opening his own restaurant, has crossed the first hurdle to establishing a new life in Hamilton, according to Hamilton Spectator. Beltran has been granted an exception to the Safe Third Country Agreement to enter Canada and make a refugee claim. Alvaro Beltran's long run from El Salvador's notorious gangs is over, for now at least, and maybe forever. If successful, he will become a permanent resident of Canada. Margaret Rivas,A refugee from El Salvador and now a permanent resident I was praying to God and putting myself in His hands and hope that He's going to make the doors open, Beltran said. I felt very happy because I was in a safe country that I knew Canada would be, but I felt sad because I left my country and part of my family, my friends, my work. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rock concert: The children are innocents, who don't create the conditions that supposedly motivate the bombers, are helpless to stop them, and cannot do anything about the ultimate outcome, according to Toronto Star. Indeed, it seems children are always victims of terror, from horrible acts of violence, such as this week at a rock concert in Manchester where 22 people, including teenagers and an 8-year-old girl, were killed, to all-out wars in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere. BEN STANSALL / AFP/GETTY IMAGES By Bob Hepburn Politics Wed., May 24, 2017 For children, suicide bombers are a special hell. Why do the suicide bombers do it Why do they target helpless children Despite having lived in, worked in and visited the Middle East and the Arab world since the early 1990s, I still cannot figure out what these guys think they will accomplish by blowing themselves up, along with dozens of innocent kids. And so I understand intellectually the often-stated reasons for such attacks, which is they are designed specifically to frighten civilians and to wreck havoc on communities. react-empty 166 I've also read many of the hundreds, if not thousands, of books and academic papers written about what motivates suicide bombers, from their hatred of American aggression to lack of self-esteem, ethnic persecution, religious intolerance and more. Article Continued Below Over those years, I witnessed much death, violence, poverty, greed, corruption, hatred, oppression and religious extremism.I've listened to young and old people tell me how every insult and perceived slight affects their personal dignity and the dignity of their family, their ancestors, their tribe, their community and their religion. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

terry mcauliffe: Terry McAuliffe has pardoned a minor driving offence committed years ago by an immigrant mother of two, saying he hopes it will help prevent her deportation, according to Metro News. Immigration advocates have protested the arrest of 30-year-old Liliana Cruz Mendez of Falls Church, who was taken into custody this month after going with her lawyer to a check-in appointment at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office. Virginia Gov. They say her case is emblematic of tougher immigration policies under President Donald Trump. Cruz Mendez's children, 10 and 4, are U.S. citizens, and her husband has a work permit and is pursuing a green card, according to the advocacy group CASA. If President Trump and his administration are serious about making our nation safer, they will release Ms. McAuliffe acknowledged his pardon may not affect Cruz Mendez's case, but said he wants to send a clear message that tearing this family apart will not make our Commonwealth or our country safer. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trump: The pope, by turns dour and smiling, welcomed a more effusive president to the seat of a religion that claims more than 70 million followers in the United States, according to Hamilton Spectator. The two stuck mainly to protocol, avoiding a public reprise of the barbs they aimed at each other during Trump's presidential campaign or the pope's thinly veiled critiques of Trump as a symbol of a dangerously reinvigorated nationalism. In a larger meeting with U.S. and Vatican officials, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, urged Trump not to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord. But there appeared to be a message in the gifts the pope gave to his guest. Francis also presented him with a medallion engraved with the image of an olive tree a symbol of peace, he explained. They included a copy of his influential essay on the importance of saving the environment, a rebuke to the climate change skepticism espoused by Trump. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

health supplies: From the Syrian side of the border zone, Ambassador Nikki Haley gazed up at a Turkish flag plastered onto signs marking the entrance into that nation's territory, according to Brandon Sun. Syrian refugees once flooded through the run-down Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing until officials cracked down. That reality is far removed from America's years-old hope for President Bashar Assad to leave power and speedily end the civil war. These days it's only aid convoys that pass back and forth, trying to meet an unrelenting demand for food, health supplies and other basic needs in the Arab country. Underscoring the danger, security officials spirited her away from the border after unmarked vehicles were spotted moving toward the area. Ferried to the border in an armoured motorcade, Haley walked to within just a few feet of entering the Arab land, becoming the highest-ranking U.S. official to come so close to Syrian territory in years. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

maryland attorney: Vasiliades and Rodriguez also allegedly told the woman and her husband that their client could get them 3,000 if the case got thrown out because they didn't show up, according to Brandon Sun. Part of it, we allege, is a good old fashioned bribe, but the threat that the witness would be deported is sadly new, and I think it arises out of the climate of fear in the immigrant community over the change in policy for deportations, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh told The Associated Press in an interview. Attorney Christos Vasiliades was arrested when he showed up Tuesday at the Baltimore courthouse for the scheduled start of the rape trial.A Baltimore grand jury indicted Vasiliades and interpreter Edgar Rodriguez on charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice and intimidate a victim and a witness. According to the indictment, the attorney and interpreter called the husband to say his wife's case had become more complicated, and the couple agreed to meet with the men. The men told the couple that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is looking at this case, and referred to President Donald Trump's policies as creating a hostile environment for immigrants in the United States, the indictment said. Feeling threatened after that initial meeting, they sought help from law enforcement, and authorities had them meet again, this time recording what was said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tuesday deadline: The administration was facing a Tuesday deadline to file paperwork to seek a second review by Orrick, according to Brandon Sun. The Trump administration sought reconsideration in light of a new memo by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He gave the two California counties that challenged the executive order San Francisco and Santa Clara two weeks to file any documents opposing the request. The memo issued Monday reasserts the department's position that Trump's executive order applies to a relatively small amount of money administered by the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Homeland Security that require localities to comply with a specific immigration law related to information-sharing among police and federal immigration authorities. Santa Clara and San Francisco argued that Orrick had already considered the arguments in the memo in his ruling. The Trump administration said the memo is binding guidance that undercuts Orrick's preliminary injunction. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

american diplomats: Trump's 31 per cent budget cut to the State Department and U.S. overseas assistance would dramatically reverse decades of support for programs that Democrats and Republicans held up as vehicles for promoting U.S. values and helping the world's neediest, according to Metro News. And it's putting American diplomats in the uncomfortable position of defending the nation's continued status as a world leader even as the Trump administration signals its priority is at home. Then her boss proposed ending all U.S. funding to the organization. It's starting the conversation, Nikki Haley, Trump's U.N. envoy, said of the White House's Tuesday budget proposal. He's going to have that conversation with Congress on where we should fall on this. It doesn't mean that's where it will end up. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

anti-muslim group: The scuffle outside Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School last week attracted online comments accusing the immigrants of whipping students and accusing school officials of not disciplining the Syrians, according to Huffington Post Canada. More than a dozen people showed up at the school parking lot today to protest, including an anti-Muslim group called Worldwide Coalition Against Islam. Educators and RCMP are trying to keep the peace at a central Alberta school after someone posted a video on social media of a fight between a small group of Syrian and Canadian students. Principal Dan Lower says all the students involved in the fight four Syrians and four Canadians have been suspended for one week. He says students and parents have been told the fight has been blown out of proportion by people on social media. Lower says the protesters have no connection to the school, Mounties are on hand as a precaution and regular classes are underway. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

appropriation debate: By Martin Regg Cohn Ontario Politics Columnist Mon., May 22, 2017 What's mine is mine, according to Toronto Star. What's yours is yours. The stereotypical depiction has long troubled Jewish audiences, yet Shylock's voice If you prick us, do we not bleed also humanized Jews for anti-Semitic audiences. If you think that's what the cultural appropriation debate is about, you're probably wrong. It's a culture war of words. Wrong, because it barely qualifies as a debate. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada: It was good to know that, he responded with a smile, as when things got really bad at home, it would be nice to be welcome in Canada, according to Rabble. Nothing like that will ever be said by U.S. President Donald Trump, who took off last Friday for a nine-day trip abroad that did not begin with or include a stop in Canada. When Governor-General Micha lle Jean greeted U.S. President Obama on the tarmac at the Ottawa airport, she told him how popular he was in Canada. Trump took a trip to distract from his problems at home. Travelling with 50 U.S. CEOs, the president announced joint ventures and cross-border investments that totalled some 200 billion over 10 years. The Trump journey began in Saudi Arabia where he signed off on a 110-billion arms sale, representing a new strategic vision shared with the Petrol Kingdom. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ed: Vince Talotta / Toronto Star By Michelle McQuigge The Canadian Press Tues., May 23, 2017 Theatregoers in Toronto will soon come face to face with a piece of local history that once represented a new beginning for generations of newcomers to the city, according to Toronto Star. The glitzy, illuminated sign that once graced the front of the iconic Honest Ed's department store was being dismantled Tuesday, months after the store itself sold its last bargain-priced item. The sign will have a new home over an entrance to the Ed Mirvish Theatre. The sign will be refurbished and find a new home over an entrance to the Ed Mirvish Theatre, named for the man who founded the discount store on his way to becoming one of the city's leading impresarios. Although the sign was installed in 1984, more than 30 years after Mirvish first opened the store known for its rock-bottom prices and occasional giveaways, it became a prominent and beloved landmark to residents and visitors alike. Read more Honest Ed's famous sign gives its final farewell Keenan Article Continued Below Honest Ed's sign to be removed today Honest Ed's signs no longer so cheap cheap cheap, as resale value goes up up up Honest Ed's signs Wanted react-empty 161 Here's how Toronto said farewell to Honest Ed'sThe brightly-hued sign, measuring 9.14 metres tall by 18.28 metres wide and comprised of nearly a dozen smaller placards, featured 23,000 bulbs loudly displaying the words Honest Ed's. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

department store: The sign will be refurbished and find a new home over an entrance to the Ed Mirvish Theatre, named for the man who founded the discount store on his way to becoming one of the city's leading impresarios, according to Hamilton Spectator. The brightly-hued sign, measuring 9.14 metres tall by 18.28 metres wide and comprised of nearly a dozen smaller placards, featured 23,000 bulbs loudly displaying the words Honest Ed's. The glitzy, illuminated sign that once graced the front of the iconic Honest Ed's department store was being dismantled Tuesday, months after the store itself sold its last bargain-priced item. Although the sign was installed in 1984, more than 30 years after Mirvish first opened the store known for its rock-bottom prices and occasional giveaways, it became a prominent and beloved landmark to residents and visitors alike. It is fitting that a sign from the original store that made it possible for my father to become involved in theatre will now grace the venue that is named for him, David Mirvish said in a statement. Ed's son David said there was considerable public interest in preserving the sign, adding the new location will both meet that demand and offer an appropriate tribute. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.