alpine republic: At a joint news conference Saturday with Kurz to speak about the coalition deal, Strache said his party agreed to rule out a referendum on Austria leaving the European Union, according to CBC. The two men said they will also push for more relaxed relationship between the West and Russia. Kurz, 31, and Freedom Party FPO leader Heinz-Christian Strache, 48, announced their deal on Friday night, handing the far right a share of power for the third time in the Alpine republic, after more than a decade in opposition. Austrian vote gives mandate to far right to enter coalition talks Austria to erect 'technical barriers' to keep out refugees They presented details of a law-and order-agenda that includes Introducing minimum sentences for violent and sex crimes. Securing Austria's borders nationally to stop illegal immigration until the EU has secured external frontiers. Making fighting political Islam a priority. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

british-born father: Alexander had been forced to quit over a constitutional ban of dual citizens sitting in Parliament, according to The Chronicle Herald. The former champion tennis player was able to re-contest the electorate he had held since 2010 because he renounced the citizenship he inherited from his British-born father. The conservative Liberal Party candidate John Alexander regained his Sydney electorate, defeating Kristina Keneally, the Las Vegas-born candidate for the centre-left Labor Party who was once leader of the New South Wales state government. The byelection returns Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's government to the single-seat majority it held in October when the High Court created a constitutional crisis by ruling that five lawmakers were ineligible to sit in Parliament. Alexander was regarded as the favourite to win the byelection. They included Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, who was able to successfully contest a byelection on Dec. 2 because he had renounced the New Zealand citizenship he inherited from his father. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian citizen: But after more than 60 years in Canada, Gyselinck discovered she's not actually Canadian, according to CBC. Gyselinck, 67, grew up in Manitoba and now lives in Deep Cove, B.C. Over the course of her life, she has worked as a welder, car detailer, and artist, among other things. She was just a one-year-old, and has never known any other home since. She also married, had two children and was widowed. The realization that she's not a Canadian citizen has sent her life into a tailspin, leaving her unable to acquire valid identification and at risk of losing her health insurance. She always had a social insurance number, health insurance and paid her taxes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

families notes: The American Civil Liberties Union filed court papers Friday asking a judge to order the government not to interfere with or obstruct the girls' access to abortions, according to Metro News. The ACLU says the girls arrived as unaccompanied minors. The Trump administration says two pregnant immigrant teens who are being held in federal custody and prevented from obtaining abortions can leave the U.S. if they want to end their pregnancies. The Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families notes that the teens entered the country illegally and says they can voluntarily depart to their home country or find a suitable sponsor. The American Civil Liberties Union says the Trump administration is blocking two pregnant immigrant teens being held in federal custody from obtaining abortions. But the agency says if the girls choose not to do that, HHS does not believe we are required to facilitate the abortion. 7 45 p.m. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

friday evening: The ACLU earlier this year represented a pregnant teen in the same circumstances in Texas, helping her obtain an abortion following a lawsuit, according to Metro News. On Friday evening, the ACLU filed court papers updating the lawsuit filed in that earlier case to include the two additional teens, saying the facts of their cases are similar. Both girls arrived in the country as unaccompanied minors and are being held in federal shelters, the ACLU said, though it didn't say where. The ACLU is asking a federal judge to order the government not to interfere with or obstruct the girls' access to abortions. The judge overseeing the case has set a hearing for Monday. Both minors have asked their respective doctors and their shelters for an abortion, but to date, the government has not allowed them to access abortion, the ACLU wrote. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

year: All they can do is look at the family photos they brought with them from the last time they were together back home often when the children were still very young, according to Toronto Star. This year, caregivers stuck in the immigration backlog have launched a letter-writing campaign, encouraging Canadians to write to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen asking them for the mercy of clearing the backlog and reuniting their families. For many of the caregivers, some waiting for as long as seven years for the permanent residency to reunite with their families, Christmas is the hardest and loneliest moment of the year. At a recent town hall meeting, Hussen said he sympathized with the caregivers' situation and boasted that the backlog has come down to the current 23,000 applications from the peak of 62,000 in 2014. Article Continued Below Four caregivers, in Toronto and elsewhere, are sharing their personal letters to Trudeau and Hussen, explaining why even waiting one more year is too long. The government hopes to clear 80 per cent of the backlog by the end of 2018. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jail: PLEASE GET ME OUT OF HERE I DON'T BELONG HERE!! HELP ME! HELP ME! PLEASE!!!!!! . . . I don't see how they can continue to keep me locked up like a criminal, according to Toronto Star. I have no charges. Scrawling in frantic capital letters, she begged him to get her out of the maximum-security jail where she was being held indefinitely as an immigration detainee. I had already paid my time for my crime. Gratton, a grandmother who celebrated her 50th birthday behind bars, never made it out of jail. I'll leave Canada if that's what it comes to, but let me out until that's what's desided sic if it comes to that. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

omaha convention: Last week, 22 motorcoach tours from across the country converged on the city for a smattering of Christmas festivities, and local businesses and hoteliers are seeing the boost in a time of year when some hotel rooms sit empty, according to The Chronicle Herald. More Christmas-themed tours are expected this week, but the Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau said that last week may have been the busiest tour week in December in the city's history. Tourists wanting to experience the holidays around the world are finding festivities just a bus ride away to Omaha, Nebraska. They come for Christmas in Germany at the German American Society; Christmas in Greece at the Greek Orthodox Church; Christmas in Mexico on South 24th Street; Irish Christmas at Father Flanagan's Boys Town; plus other holiday events, like the poinsettia display at Lauritzen Gardens, the Omaha Symphony's Christmas program and A Christmas Carol at the Omaha Community Playhouse. It just blew me away, all of the diversity that area has, Dean said. Valarie Dean, manager of Bilbrey Tours of Abilene, Texas, told the Omaha World-Herald the motorcoach tour company sent a group of just under 40 people to Omaha last week. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jane doe: The ACLU earlier this year represented a pregnant teen in the same circumstances in Texas, helping her obtain an abortion following a lawsuit, according to Toronto Star. On Friday evening, the ACLU filed court papers updating the lawsuit filed in that earlier case to include the two additional teens, saying the facts of their cases are similar. Both girls arrived in the country as unaccompanied minors and are being held in federal shelters, the ACLU said, though it didn't say where. The ACLU is asking a federal judge to order the government not to interfere with or obstruct the girls' access to abortions. The same judge previously ruled in favour of the ACLU's first plaintiff, referred to as Jane Doe. Read more White House embarking on major campaign for merit-based immigration structure Article Continued Below Trump and top Democrats reach deal on young immigrants Donald Trump's immigration ban could be an opportunity for Canada, federal documents say Both minors have asked their respective doctors and their shelters for an abortion, but to date, the government has not allowed them to access abortion, the ACLU wrote. react-empty 163 The judge overseeing the case has set a hearing for Monday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

johnny galecki: Two actresses later joined the show, becoming mainstays of the comedy, according to The Chronicle Herald. However, newcomers Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch haven't earned nearly as much as their costars for years. The original cast largely male includes Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, and Kaley Cuoco. Recently, the original actors agreed to a pay cut so that Bialik and Rauch could earn more. Whether in Hollywood or elsewhere, many women still earn less than their male counterparts. Unfortunately, the scenario that played out with The Big Bang Theory cast is not an anomaly. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

reconstruction money: This list is by no means exhaustive and so please send me suggestions at toolkit rabble.ca and I will be happy to add them.1, according to Rabble. Syria ISIS has been routed from Syria and the Assad government is reinstalled. Given the huge need around the world, and here in Canada, this guide is meant to help you inform your giving. The country is in ruins and the wars in the Middle East have created the biggest refugee crisis since World War II. However, there is high probability that the reconstruction money given to the government will not get to all Syrians and will be used to sure up President Assad's power. Daher argues that two ulterior motives underlie the Syrian government's approach to reconstruction Consolidating political and economic power within a narrow circle of Syrian elites connected to the ruling Assad family and quelling dissent in former opposition areas. The Syrian government's plans for rebuilding the country's wrecked cities and governorates are starting to take shape, but there are warning signs the process may not necessarily be geared towards recovery and renewal, according to Swiss-Syrian academic and author Joseph Daher. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rohingya refugees: More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar to escape brutal persecution since late August and many of them remain stuck in cramped refugee camps in Bangladesh, requiring medical attention, according to CBC. Over 6,700 Rohingya killed in a single month, Doctors Without Borders estimates'I have no right to look away' Doctor says world needs to know plight of Rohingya refugees Li boarded a plane earlier this fall and headed to Malumghat, where hospitals and NGOs are working around the clock to keep up with health care demands. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, is used to dealing with challenging medical situations but little could have prepared him for what he saw on a recent trip to help Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. For several weeks, he volunteered with the surgical centre at a mission hospital there. More than half the patients were children and many of them had never received medical care in a hospital before, Li said. It was a well-run hospital but it was very busy, often over capacity, he told CBC host of The Early Edition Rick Cluff. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

amateur clubs: The date was confirmed Friday by the prince's Kensington Palace office, according to CTV. While most British royal weddings are on weekdays, this one is a Saturday, and the same day as the soccer showdown at London's Wembley Stadium. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19 -- the same day as one of the biggest English sports events of the year, the FA Cup final. Harry's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and other royals are expected to attend the wedding, along with Markle's parents, Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland. The FA Cup competition, which is open to hundreds of teams all the way from the top-ranked Premier League down to amateur clubs, began in August and is played every month until two teams meet in the final. The climax of soccer's oldest cup competition could present a distraction for guests at the royal reception, although the events should at least be at different times. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

david livingstone: This comes at a time when Mandarin has surpassed Cantonese as the most widely spoken Chinese-language in the Lower Mainland, according to the 2016 census, according to Metro News. Karine Ling teaches an after-school Cantonese class at David Livingstone Elementary and starts her courses with the basics, no matter what age her students are. There are a several Cantonese schools popping up in Vancouver that focus on conversational, rather than written language and cater to those who have no exposure to Cantonese at home. For the first class, I teach them how to say hello and good bye. But these kids haven't. function set Cookie related path / ; Related Vancouver advocates aim to save Cantonese as language loses ground to Mandarin New spin on Chinese school focuses on Chinatown's Cantonese conversations'It changes every day' Vancouver commissions retail gentrification study in Chinatown Vancouver Chinatown's cultural food businesses struggle to survive report Ling, 24, teaches a class of 11 children ages four to 13. These are things you don't usually learn at Chinese school because you would learn at home, she explained. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fraser: I became part of the society, which was like a close family, according to Metro News. This historically low-income, working-class stretch of Fraser, encompassing the businesses between 16th and 28th, is at the border of Little Mountain, Mount Pleasant and Kensington Cedar Cottage. It was a place where I could meet my friends and speak my mother tongue, said Matuszewski, who immigrated to Vancouver from Poland in 1979. The area is often called Mountainview, but recently, it's been branded as Fraserhood. function set Cookie related path / ; Related Community newspapers We can't afford to lose any'Vancouver Art Gallery installation salvages materials from demolished houses Helping hands on Richmond's Highway to Heaven Fraserhood is Vancouver's trendiest neighbourhood, wrote real estate company Rennie on its website last year, with a host of new restaurants, caf s and even ice cream spots, each more unique than the last. Media on Fraserhood sometimes called the Fraserhood deem it an up-and-coming area. Earnest Ice Cream opened its first brick-and-mortar location here in 2013. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration system: It is assembling data to bolster the argument that the current legal immigration system is not only ill-conceived, but dangerous and damaging to U.S. workers, according to Toronto Star. We believe that data drives policy, and this data will help drive votes, said White House spokesman Hogan Gidley, for what the administration considers, common sense America-first immigration controls the president has proposed. The administration was laying the groundwork for such a drive even before a Daesh-inspired extremist who was born in Bangladesh tried to blow himself up in Midtown Manhattan on Monday. White House officials outlined their strategy this week exclusively to The Associated Press, and said the data demonstrates that changes are needed immediately. The issue is expected to be prominently featured in the president's Jan. 30 State of the Union address. But their effort will play out in a difficult political climate, as even Republicans in Congress are leery of engaging in a major immigration debate ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

islamic state-inspired: It is assembling data to bolster the argument that the current legal immigration system is not only ill-conceived, but dangerous and damaging to U.S. workers, according to The Chronicle Herald. We believe that data drives policy, and this data will help drive votes, said White House spokesman Hogan Gidley, for what the administration considers, common sense America-first immigration controls the president has proposed. The administration was laying the groundwork for such a drive even before an Islamic State-inspired extremist who was born in Bangladesh tried to blow himself up in Midtown Manhattan on Monday. White House officials outlined their strategy this week exclusively to The Associated Press, and said the data demonstrates that changes are needed immediately. The issue is expected to be prominently featured in the president's Jan. 30 State of the Union address. But their effort will play out in a difficult political climate, as even Republicans in Congress are leery of engaging in a major immigration debate ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

larger-than-life u.s: But it is also an attempt to build a political movement that speaks to the racial and class grievances of those Americans - mainly white - who view themselves as outsiders, according to The Chronicle Herald. In the lead-up to Tuesday's special election, Trump tried to mobilize his base of so-called deplorables behind discredited Republican candidate Roy Moore. It is an idiosyncratic style based in large part on the personality quirks of the larger-than-life U.S. president. He failed. Exit polls indicate that 72 per cent of white men who voted had backed the former judge. True, those whites who cast ballots voted overwhelmingly for Moore. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

oversight committee: Unlike the tense discussion over a previous draft, the final version pleased the board, according to Metro News. I think some significant progress has been made there, board chairman Steve Hill said during the meeting. The Las Vegas Stadium Authority board does not have to approve the plan, but the team involved the panel in discussions over the document that for months has been the subject of debate at public meetings during which members of the community suggested and at times demanded that certain objectives be included. I certainly think it comports with the law and the intent of the Legislature. The team would be required to provide quarterly reports on the hiring goals to an oversight committee during the construction of the project. Under the plan, minority and female workers would carry out at least 38 per cent of construction work hours and 55 per cent of operation hours on event days. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

party: There is a new division in Quebec, between those living in Montreal and citizens elsewhere in the province, according to CTV. The consistent and sustained rise in the polls of the legislature's third-largest party, the federalist Coalition Avenir Quebec, reflects this new reality. But the 10 months leading up to October's provincial election will be different. Polling indicates the six-year-old party has a serious shot at government -- including a majority -- without needing to win a single seat on the island of Montreal, a breakdown that hasn't happened in Quebec's modern political history. Quebec has 125 ridings, including 27 on the island of Montreal. Whether or not it's possible to win without Montreal, I hope to -- and I will -- have a certain number of ridings on the island, Coalition Leader Francois Legault said during an end-of-year interview with The Canadian Press. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

records: Bill 164, The Human Rights Code Amendment Act, passed second reading in October, according to Rabble. It has been referred to committee. Ontario's human rights laws could be changing to make it easier for people who have criminal records, or have had contact with the police, to find jobs. If passed, it would make discrimination in employment because of someone's police records illegal. The changes would expand the definition to include any charges or convictions, with or without suspensions, and any police records, including records of non-criminal contact with the police. Right now, the Ontario Human Rights Code forbids discrimination in employment because of a conviction that has been suspended, previously known as pardoned, or a provincial offence, like traffic violations. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

skyscraper windows: If stockbrokers still used ticker tape, and if modern skyscraper windows could open, certainly some paper would have rained down on them too, according to Toronto Star. The city was happy. The team arrived in an open-air double-decker bus that left Maple Leaf Square and crawled up Bay St. as people cheered it along. As a classic bandwagon fan that arrives late to the game, distracted by other things during the regular season, I applaud the fans who are there for the long haul, cheering on our various teams during the good and bad times alike. Big sports games are euphoric civic moments, connecting people together across cultures and classes, even if just temporarily. What I do truly love to participate in, though, are the celebrations after important wins. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

students: Charlottetown area to get 41 new educators Influx of newcomers leads to some crowded P.E.I. classrooms Spring Park Elementary School was one of the schools to have around 50 more students enrolled in September than expected, according to CBC. They have hired two new full-time teachers at the school, with extra English as a second language EAL and teaching assistants splitting their time between Charlottetown-area schools. They are currently in the process of hiring three more teachers and four more educational assistants. Hard for new students to adjust Spring Park principal Terry Mac Isaac says the extra staff is providing much needed support to students now. Spring Park principal Terry Mac Isaac says the additional hires have allowed for more one-on-one time with EAL students. He also said it was difficult in September when the school was trying to help all of the new immigrant students get adjusted. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

susan elliott: Abeleira was born in Vigo, Spain, but his parents fled the Franco dictatorship in the 1950s, shortly after his birth and the family moved to Mexico, according to Toronto Star. Spain has no record of his birth, likely because he was never registered or the record was destroyed during the dictatorship. In quashing the immigration decision and sending the case back to the department for reconsideration, Justice E. Susan Elliott said Francisco Suarez Abeleira can't continue to be trapped in limbo in Canada and deserves a chance to have a new life. After spending his formative years in Mexico and most of his adulthood in the United States, he was caught by American border officials in 2009. Although the refugee judge accepted he was stateless, Abeleira was found not to be at risk of persecution in the U.S. and his claim was rejected. After being released from immigration detention, he crossed the unguarded land border between Vermont and Quebec seeking asylum in Canada a year later. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tamil community: On Sunday, protesters said now that the rebel group known as the Tamil Tigers have been defeated, international leaders have to set conditions to ensure peace and better treatment for Tamil civilians, according to CTV. The Sri Lankan government says they're rescuing civilians but what's happening is that women and children are being put in concentration camps and being raped, alleged 21-year-old Sahab Jesuthasan, one of the main organizers of the protest. A crowd of people from Toronto's large Tamil community has been standing outside the Consulate for days, as the Sri Lankan military continued to close in on the last stronghold of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. They are demanding that the Sri Lankan government allow the western media into the conflict zone and allow humanitarian aid workers to help the thousands of people who have been injured in the violent clashes. There are people living here in Toronto who are voiceless, said Mahinda Gunakekera, president of the Sri Lanka United National Association of Canada SLUNA . They're afraid to speak their mind because the LTTE will harm their families. Voiceless' However, Sinhalese Canadians say their families are the ones who are under constant threat by the Tamil Tigers back home and here in Toronto. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

windsor: His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales and Ms, according to CBC. Meghan Markle will marry on 19th May 2018. Queen Elizabeth's grandson, who's fifth in line to the throne, and Meghan, known for her leading role in U.S. TV legal drama Suits, announced their engagement late last month. Today's announcement follows earlier confirmation of the month of the wedding and its location at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. A palace spokesperson last week said Windsor was chosen because it's a very special place for them. Kensington Royal They will be married in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, just west of London. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.