labour rules: Top vote-getters advance to the decisive second round June 18, according to Hamilton Spectator. Polls suggest the elections will strongly favour Macron's party and dramatically shake up French politics, punishing the traditional left and right parties and leaving no single strong opposition force. A total of 7,882 candidates are running for 577 seats in the National Assembly in Sunday's first round of the two-stage legislative elections. Macron's year-old centrist movement, Republic on the Move, is seeking an absolute majority to be able to implement his campaign promises, which include simplifying labour rules and making it easier to lay off workers in hopes of boosting hiring. Macron also plans to quickly pass a law to strengthen security measures effectively making the state of emergency permanent, after multiple Islamic extremist attacks in France and another one that he says will put more ethics into French politics. The government outlined the main themes of a major labour reform that has already angered French unions and is likely to prompt tensions over the summer. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

revolution: As when voters turned the previously unelected Macron into France's youngest president last month, Sunday's first round of voting in two-stage legislative elections again brought stinging black eyes to traditional parties that, having monopolized power for decades, are being utterly routed by Macron's political revolution, according to The Chronicle Herald. His fledgling Republic on the Move! contesting its first-ever election and fielding many candidates with no political experience at all was on course to deliver him a legislative majority so crushing that Macron's rivals fretted that the 39-year-old president will be able to govern France almost unopposed for his full five-year term. The newly elected French leader's gamble that voters wanted to throw out old faces and try something new is paying off in full first by giving him the presidency and, on Sunday, the crucial first step toward securing the legislative power to deliver on his pledge of far-reaching change. Record-low turnout, however, took some shine off the achievement. Macron intends to set his large and likely pliant cohort of legislators, all of them having pledged allegiance to his program, to work immediately. Less than 50 per cent of the 47.5 million electors cast ballots showing that Macron has limited appeal to many voters. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

self-determination movement: The nationalist Self-Determination Movement was neck-and-neck with the coalition led by former Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, which had around 26 per cent each after the counting of about 70 per cent of the votes, according to Democracy in Action, a monitoring group, according to Metro News. No group can govern alone and coalitions will be likely. The ex-rebels came in first with around 35 per cent of the vote. The new Cabinet will have a tough job in resolving several thorny issues, including the border demarcation deal with Montenegro. Ramush Haradinaj, whom the leading coalition has nominated to be prime minister, hailed Kosovars for the trust given to the coalition, adding these are the best elections ever held in Kosovo. The approval of another agreement with Serbia giving more rights to the ethnic Serb minority, and the continuation of fraught talks with Belgrade, which denies Kosovo's existence as a state, were also key concerns. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

september: By 'fair representation', it means a proportion of 16 per cent, that is, the proportion of visible minorities in the Quebec population, according to CTV. In a news conference Sunday at the PQ National Council in Drummondville, he said he does not want to talk about quota, but ensures that at the September congress there will be at least 16 percent minority delegates. PQ leader Jean-Fran ois Lisee is aiming for a 'fair representation' of people of diversity among the delegates at his September congress but also for his team of candidates in the 2018 elections. But for candidates in the 2018 election, he said the party would like to reach 16 percent and work on it. In his speech to party members, PQ President Raymond Archambault said the party was entering a new political era, a post-convergence era, after the failed attempt to converge sovereignist movements, blocked at the last minute by Qu bec Solidaire. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

st u.s: Voter turnout was just 23 per cent, leading opponents to question the validity of a vote that several political parties had urged their supporters to boycott, according to CTV. And the U.S. Congress has final say in any changes to Puerto Rico's political status. Nearly half a million votes were cast for statehood, about 7,600 for free association/independence and nearly 6,700 for the current territorial status, according to preliminary results. But that didn't stop Gov. He said he would create a commission to ensure that Congress validate the referendum's results. Ricardo Rossello from vowing to push ahead with his administration's quest to make the island the 51st U.S. state and declaring that Puerto Rico voted for statehood. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border: The almost 7,000-square-foot house, cut into five currently vacant apartments, is on a lot of less than a quarter-acre that, along with the building itself, straddles the border between Beebe Plain, Vermont, and Stanstead, Quebec, according to Hamilton Spectator. Selling a home in two countries is proving to be a challenge for the couple who owns it. For sale A 1782 fixer-upper with thick granite walls, 1950s decor, and armed 24-hour security provided by both Canada and the United States of America. The structure, which has an estimated rebuild cost of about 600,000, is on the market for 109,000. And then there's that international border. It's structurally sound but needs lots of work. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

court hearing: Among other things, the legislation would repeal a provision that strips dual citizens of their Canadian status if convicted of terrorism, treason or espionage, according to CBC. It has been applied to one person Zakaria Amara, convicted for his role in a 2006 terror plot in Toronto. Bill C-6 is designed to repeal many of the previous Conservative government's changes to how people become citizens and how they can lose that status. Far more people lose their citizenship because it was obtained fraudulently, and the Senate wants to amend the bill in order to give those people a chance at a court hearing before their status is stripped away. Liberals considering moratorium on stripping citizenship without hearing Liberals revoking citizenship at much higher rate than Conservatives Hussen's hand was partially forced by a recent Federal Court decision that said people have a right to challenge the revocation of their citizenship, although predecessor John McCallum had earlier suggested he would support the amendment. Hussen said the government will accept that proposal, albeit with some modifications of its own, including giving the minister the authority to make decisions when an individual requests it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dubai: The Korean man now lives in Toronto, according to The Chronicle Herald. One of the Israeli ladies was a qualified nurse in Israel and it took her two years to jump through all of the hoops to be qualified here. I have tutored five students a Korean man, two ladies from Israel, a couple from mainland China who live with their son and family, and this year an Egyptian man who worked nine years in Dubai before coming here. The other Israeli woman has moved to Vancouver. He is so discouraged with the lack of employment here that he plans to return to Egypt in July unless he miraculously finds work. My Egyptian student is a civil engineer and worked on numerous mega-engineering projects in Dubai, which have helped make Dubai a modern metropolis. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

greeting guests: Instead of continuing with his training, Gavel went to work for the Governor of Queensland and his family last April, according to CTV. He was so well-suited to life in the governor's mansion that they promoted him in February to the newly-created position of Vice-Regal Dog. German Shepherd Gavel was in training with the Queensland Police Service last year when trainers decided that he did not display the necessary aptitude for a life on the front line. He signed his contract with a paw print. Among Gavel's duties are greeting guests at citizenship ceremonies and at the annual open house at Fernberg, the official residence of the governor, who is the Queen's representative in the state. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

orlando pascoal: Richard Lautens / Toronto Star By Hina Alam Staff Reporter Sat., June 10, 2017 It was Orlando Pascoal's first Portugal Day Parade, according to Toronto Star. The 7-year-old squealed in excitement when he saw a float with a giant fish on it. W. on Saturday. The parade is amazing, he said. Her nails were painted green and red as she waved a Portuguese flag in one hand and a Canada 150 flag in the other. His grandmother, Teresa Pascoal, laughed. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

point haul: That was just two minutes after Argentina broke a 31-31 deadlock with a composed dropped goal by replacement flyhalf Juan Martin Hernandez, according to Metro News. England flyhalf George Ford converted Solomona's try to finish with a 23-point haul. Solomona, at the end of a string of short passes to the right wing, bumped off Pumas fullback Joaquin Tuculet, side-stepped another Puma, and fended off a third to run clear away down the middle for the winning score in the 79th minute. He made seven goalkicks, failing to convert only his try. England, including 18-year-old flanker Tom Curry, its youngest starter in 90 years, made errors but grew into the match and wouldn't give up. The form and confidence of Argentina based on its season playing as the Jaguares in Super Rugby were expected to dismiss an England depleted of 16 British Lions. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

relief-packing event: Ahmed Hussen, Canada's minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, was at Saturday's event, according to CBC. CBC What you see here is Canadian generosity and the ability of citizens to step up, Hussen said. Among those at the relief-packing event was Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Ahmed Hussen, who himself came to Canada as a refugee from Somalia in his teens. Canadians have always stepped up when other people around the world have run into difficulties especially when it comes to famine and malnutrition affecting women and children and men. Toronto MP Ahmed Hussen 1st Somali-Canadian appointed to federal cabinet Toronto's Ahmed Hussen 1st Somali-Canadian elected to Parliament Paying it forward' Osob Mohamud was one of many who volunteered at the event. The Canadian government has pledged to match all funds raised for famine relief in East Africa until the end of the month. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

research lab: The plan for the Economic Immigration Lab is, in part, to work with local employers to create better pathways to local jobs, according to CBC. There are a number of studies that show that international students would like to stay in the community in which they study at a rate of anywhere between 50 to 60 per cent, said LeBlanc. Think about a research lab or a science lab, a social lab is not so different from that, said Alex LeBlanc, executive director of the New Brunswick Multicultural Council. Providing an incentive for international students to stay and make their home in the province will in turn help address New Brunswick's problems with stagnant population growth and taxation. Courtesy of UNB LeBlanc said the New Brunswick government, the New Brunswick Business Council, City of Moncton, and the Association for Francophone Municipalities are all at the new lab's leadership table. The University of New Brunswick Pond-Deshpande Centre will be the host of a 'social' lab that will focus on retaining and attracting immigrants. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

right answers: The government's emphasis on equity and diversity is central to its branding, according to Globe and Mail. Its 50-50 cabinet has won universal praise. From now on, these committees will be overseen by phalanxes of bureaucrats whose job is to ensure that they come up with the right answers. But now it has embarked on a campaign of reverse discrimination that deeply undermines the concepts of fairness and excellence. Since last fall, the Trudeau government has named 56 judges, of whom 33 or 59 per cent are women. Academia isn't the only target. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

shields immigrants: Her case has drawn attention because she has no criminal record and is an immigration activist, according to Metro News. The immigration judge, Annie S. Garcy, said holding Rueda without bond was unduly severe and allowed her to be released on her own recognizance. Claudia Rueda, 22, plans to apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program started in 2012 under President Barack Obama that shields immigrants who came to the U.S. as young children from being deported. She noted Ruedas' academic and other achievements and was incredulous when a government attorney asked that Rueda be required to wear a monitoring device. The government attorney, Matthew Hanson, responded that Rueda was arrested twice, once for trespassing and once for disorderly conduct. Wow, an ankle bracelet Really said Garcy, who is on temporary assignment from Newark, New Jersey, under an administration effort to give higher priority to cases along the U.S. border with Mexico. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

thursday panopoulos: He died suddenly at University Hospital on Thursday, according to CTV. Panopoulos had operated a string of successful restaurants with his brothers Elias and Nikitas when he came up with his famous invention. Sam Panopoulos -- who earned a place in history by putting canned pineapple and ham on a pizza at his Satellite Restaurant in Chatham in 1962 -- was 83 and had just celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife Christina. Created just for fun, the so-called Hawaiian soon spread around the world. Saying he was fundamentally opposed to pineapple on pizza, Johannesson declared that it should be banned. Last February, the dish became the target of ridicule by Iceland's president, Guoni Johannesson. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

thursday panopoulos: According to an obituary by his family, Sam Panopoulos had been in hospital in London, Ont., when he died suddenly on Thursday, according to The Chronicle Herald. Panopoulos was born in Greece and emigrated to Canada in 1954, where he and his two brothers operated a number of restaurants. The Greek-Canadian man who said he was the first to put pineapple on pizza has died at the age of 83. Over the years, he told various media outlets that he made the first Hawaiian pizza in 1962 at the Satellite Restaurant in Chatham, Ont., after deciding that chunks of canned pineapple might make a tasty topping. One of Panopoulos' sons described his father as a dedicated family man who wasn't looking to get famous. But his claim to pineapple on pizza isn't undisputed some people on some websites suggested the dish was invented in Australia, while others still say it sprung from a German dish of ham, cheese and pineapple on toast. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

year terms: He was fined 400 euros, according to Metro News. His stance could mark a change for The Finns, which had softened its nationalistic and anti-EU tone and distanced itself from far-right parties in Europe something that has reduced its popularity but enabled it to enter the government in 2015. The Finns Party elected Jussi Halla-aho as its leader to replace Foreign Minister Timo Soini, who stepped down after two 10-year terms as chairman.A European Parliament member, the 46-year-old Halla-aho was convicted in 2012 for making racist and anti-Muslim statements on his blog. However, Halla-aho may toughen the party's nationalistic line, spelling trouble for Finland's governing coalition. Soini has said he would like to continue as foreign minister after giving up the post of party chairman. The two other partners have said there will be no changes in the government program. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

anti-immigrant sentiment: We could do a better job both showing what kind of integration has happened, trying to move the debate from one that is focused on fear to one that is focused on opportunity and advantages, she said, according to CTV. Clements spoke at the end of a two-day visit to Ottawa, where she made the pitch for Canada to increase how many refugees it will resettle but also play a leading role in reshaping the global approach to resettlement. The anti-refugee, anti-immigrant sentiment deployed by politicians is fuelled by fear, and the global challenge is to look at what drives that fear and respond to it, Kelly Clements said in an interview Friday. Canadians are already engaged in seeking practical solutions to the global refugee crisis next week is the inaugural meeting of the World Refugee Council, an organization based in Waterloo, Ont., and partially funded by the federal government. The UN is now working on a plan to put that declaration into action. Their work will support the outcome from landmark meeting in New York last September where UN member countries committed to finding new ways to deal with refugees. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

board functions: The three remaining members are also selling off the organization's assets after its charitable status was revoked in March, according to CBC. Halifax's Multicultural Festival cancelled after financial difficulties A CBC News investigation last May revealed that after 32 years, the festival would not go ahead and details about the organization's precarious financial situation trickled out. After months of silence, current members of the Multicultural Association of Nova Scotia are speaking out about what went wrong. The association's office was packed up last spring when it announced the 2016 festival would be cancelled. A board functions and a board hires staff to do certain things and they're in control of that staff, said Phinney. Angela Mac Ivor/CBC Interim president Debbie Phinney joined last year, and said she saw warning flags from her very first board meeting. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada fund: Ryan McMahon's guide to Indigenous peoples' treaties in Canada'Forgotten art' Indigenous chef debuts traditional menu in Montreal It was more going to be more about the contributions of multicultural communities than anything else, Cisterna said of the original plan for the mural, according to CBC. But when we started to do our consultation, we realized that there was a very important piece that was missing in this narrative. Neruda Arts received 25,000 from the Canada 150 Fund for the mural, but the group's artistic director Isabel Cisterna said after consulting with local groups, the plan for the project changed. The public is invited to help paint the mural this weekend for a June 15 deadline. Isabel Cisterna Including Indigenous voices Neruda Arts consulted with the Aboriginal Education Centre at the University of Waterloo and the Aboriginal Student Centre at Wilfrid Laurier University. Cisterna said children are welcome. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian businessman: In between, he's been an acclaimed rapper, author, and documentarian, and he also co-starred in a film with Reese Witherspoon, according to Huffington Post Canada. I came to Canada with nothing, and now I have three businesses that employ Canadians, Jal says proudly, using his personal journey as an example of why we should welcome refugees to Canada. Now he's a Canadian businessman. They know where they come from so when they get here and get an opportunity boom! that's it. Emmanuel Jal performing at the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas, U.S. March 17, 2017 Photo Reuters When my country was torn by the war, we kept running from one place to another. That is certainly how Jal has lived since escaping his past as one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, 20,000 or so young children left alone in a war zone, where he later became AK-47-wielding soldier at the age of eight. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

estate developer: They clash over the environment, hunting, immigration, money, greed first politely, and then not so, according to The Chronicle Herald. Remember, this script was written before Trump, Hayek said recently. In the film, Hayek plays a Mexican healer who finds herself at an intimate dinner party with her wealthy clients and their wealthier friends including a ruthless real estate developer played by John Lithgow. But the genius of screenwriter Mike White is that in his astute observation of humanity, he borders on fortune teller. It's now playing in limited release. When the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, amid the Women's March and the Inauguration, no headline could resist the Trump-ian comparison, either in direct reference to Lithgow's Doug Strutt, a bullish capitalist who mistakes Beatriz for the help and then doubles down on the insults, or just the general tone of unease and divide at this dinner table. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

front door: Over his melodic recitation came a tapping sound as a locksmith installed higher-grade locks on the front door, according to Hamilton Spectator. The worshippers at the Eugene Islamic Center are worried about their security. Inside a mosque in the college town of Eugene, a half-dozen men prostrated themselves on a carpet while another man led the midday prayers. A man recently appeared outside the mosque and threatened to kill Muslims. The victims were trying to protect two teenage girls, one of whom was wearing a hijab, as the man shouted anti-Islamic slurs. Barely two weeks later, an assailant stabbed two men to death and wounded a third on a commuter train in Portland, 180 kilometres to the north. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

identity theft: Local enforcement of laws regulating employment of unauthorized aliens would result in a patchwork of inconsistent enforcement that would undermine the harmonious whole of national immigration law, Justice Brent Appel wrote for the majority, according to Metro News. Martha Martinez, who is now 31, obtained an Iowa driver's license when she was 17 using a birth certificate and Social Security card borrowed from a woman named Diana Castaneda. The 4-3 divided court, in a significant ruling that could have broad consequences for those living in Iowa illegally and using fake credentials to obtain work, concluded prosecution of crimes such as identity theft and forgery when related to immigration fall under federal jurisdiction and cannot be prosecuted in state court. She also used the fake credentials to obtain federal authorization to get a job in Muscatine at a company that provides sanitation services for food processing plants. She was able to obtain a driver's license under her real name and newly issued Social Security number provided through DACA. However, the Iowa Department of Transportation, using facial recognition software, matched her face with the driver's license she obtained at 17 using Castaneda's credentials. Martinez in 2013 received temporary lawful immigration status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy implemented under President Barack Obama. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

irish unionists: May's Conservative Party is forecast to win 319 seats in Thursday's snap election, seven short of the 326 needed for a majority in parliament, according to Hamilton Spectator. That certainly wasn't her plan. Now it appears that a little party in Northern Ireland needs to come to the Tory's rescue. And so May has spent the dawn hours at 10 Downing Street ringing her counterparts at the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland, which won 10 seats. They're traditionalists God save the Queen and the Union Jack. On the surface, the Irish unionists have much in common with the Tories. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.