sahel region: In 2016, the military conducted nearly 500 airstrikes in the coastal city of Sirte over several months to destroy Daesh's stronghold there, according to Toronto Star. But the attack Saturday that the military's Africa Command said had killed two militants later identified by a spokesperson as belonging to Al Qaeda's branch in northwestern Africa took place in the country's southwest, a notorious haven for a deadly mix of Al Qaeda and other extremist groups that also operate in the Sahel region of Niger, Chad, Mali and Algeria. Until now, the Pentagon had focused its counterterrorism strikes in Libya almost exclusively on Daesh fighters and operatives farther north eight since U.S. President Donald Trump took office. This appears to be the continuation of expanding AFRICOM activity in Libya's ungoverned areas, said Deborah K. Jones, who served as U.S. ambassador to Libya from 2013 to 2015, referring to the Africa Command.A missile fired by the U.S. drone struck a house in Ubari, 700 kilometres south of Tripoli, in an area close to major oilfields that was wracked by violent ethnic feuding in 2015. Local residents were quoted by the media outlets as saying the house had been frequented by foreigners. Pictures in Libyan news media outlets showed a mutilated corpse lying in the rubble of a house, and a pair of shrapnel-ridden vehicles nearby. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

school bus: On the landing outside an apartment decorated with Buddhist prayer flags, she watched as a school bus turned down the block and the niece she had not seen in four years, hopped to the curb, according to Metro News. I am lucky, said Gurung, reunited with her sister's family just a few days earlier after spending more than half her life in a refugee camp. Only the teacher, Devi Gurung, was rewarded for her patience. The next morning, Amina Olow smiled, too, but faintly, as she recalled the daughters she has not seen in nearly a decade. She's heard nothing since. Then she unfolded a letter from U.S. immigration officials, dated more than a year ago, that seemed to promise the two girls would join her soon. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

stage moments: I just hope that we can all rise above negativity in our lives and just do what we believe in, said Arcade Fire's Win Butler as he accepted the band's album award for Everything Now, according to CTV. Speak your truth and don't be afraid to just do whatever the hell you want. Host Michael Buble set the tone early on Sunday night by announcing his wife's third pregnancy -- but other performers were quick to grab the tide of optimism during their own stage moments. Gord Downie's brothers Mike and Patrick echoed an unbounded sense of resolve as they accepted a posthumous award for the singer, who died last October of brain cancer. This is Gord's award. If we've learned anything from Gord it was the value of taking care of each other, said Patrick. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

thousands: And some were comically obvious lies, according to Toronto Star. Trump twice claimed that big-time drug dealers who kill thousands of people get sentenced to 30 days in jail or a fine. Some of them were numerical exaggerations, some of them sneaky misrepresentations. Both claims are absurd individual drug dealers don't kill thousands, big-time traffickers do not get sentenced to mere fines. Democrats very obviously do Democratic president Barack Obama created the program; Trump cancelled it; Democrats have demanded that he immediately do something to secure the status of the immigrants who were aided by the program; Trump has refused, saying he will only agree to a path to citizenship if Democrats agree to billions in spending on his border wall and to make other changes to the immigration system. Trump claimed four times that Democrats do not actually want to save the DACA Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that protects from deportation some of the young immigrants who were illegally brought to the U.S. as children. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

users: Everyone knows the story of how Facebook evolved from a university social site into a global media juggernaut, with users in almost every country, according to The Chronicle Herald. It has many fine features, which we users must enjoy or there wouldn't be 2.2 billion of us. Lately, 10 years feels like enough. But Facebook's greatest value is as an advertising and data-gathering vehicle. But Facebook is not accountable, at least not to its users who contribute, often unknowingly, the personal information that Facebook sells for profit. That's why the company is worth 480 billion. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lack genuineness: Immigration officers routinely find the most committed and long-standing relationships to lack genuineness or of having been entered into for an improper purpose, according to NOW Magazine. These negative decisions are often flawed and appealable. Even the strongest applications can be denied. So, wasting no time, affected couples appeal these negative decisions to the Immigration Appeal Division IAD of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, hoping for speedy resolutions. The IAD hears several types of appeals. What they don't know is that, at that point, they still have years of agonizing waiting left ahead of them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

shellmont street: Charges of assault and mischief are being considered against the protester, says RCMP E Division Cpl, according to Vancouver Courier. Tammy Douglas, but RCMP also turned the woman over to the Canada Border Services Agency, she said.A You Caring crowdfunding campaign for the woman launched by fellow protester Brett Rhyno, identifies her as Tia Chicome. The woman was arrested after police were called to the 8000 block of Shellmont Street just before 8 a.m. last Wednesday March 21 for reports several demonstrators had climbed onto a truck headed into the terminal.article continues below Trending Stories Dunbar Street construction mixed blessing for businesses Burnaby RCMP warns it won't tolerate Kinder Morgan pipeline protester hurting more Mounties Richmond will only have one summer night market this year Can you spot the lost hiker in this photo related Pipeline protester arrested after jumping onto semi headed into Kinder Morgan tank farm Trans Mountain completes work on time despite protests in Burnaby Number of arrests nears 200 in pipeline protest A security person began documenting the event using a video camera; a female allegedly ran toward the security person and slapped the camera out of his hand, causing it to break, stated an RCMP press release. She was arrested after stopping a tow truck trying to make its way into the terminal past another truck that had already peacefully stopped, according to Rhyno's description of the incident on Facebook. It did not stop and kept forcing the demonstrators backwards, pushing into their bodies with the grill of the truck. Land defenders put up their hands and yelled for the truck to stop, states his You Caring crowdfunding post. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dance: It's not just a flamboyant pastime, according to Metro News. For many minority French communities who feel alienated over tensions arising from divisive anti-gay marriage protests and the anti-immigration National Front, it's a statement of defiance. Vogue, the '80s dance movement Madonna popularized in her hit 1990 song of the same name, is experiencing a revival in France. Many gay black and Arab youths especially those from Paris' less affluent and religiously conservative suburbs see Vogue dance events as safe places in which their racial and sexual identities can be fully expressed without fear of reprisals. When they were lining the streets in France with angry anti-gay marriage signs, the others were expressing themselves with dance on the Vogue runway, said dancer Marion Tiger Melody. Not many people realize but voguing, it's political. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mar-a-lago estate: He said building his signature border wall is all about National Defence, according to CTV. Since grudgingly signing the bill on Friday after threatening a veto, Trump has faced fierce criticism from conservatives who have accused him of caving to congressional Democrats. Trump said on Twitter from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida that because of the military funding, many jobs are created and our Military is again rich. The president said Friday at the White House he was very disappointed in the package, in part because it didn't fully pay for his border wall. Trump sought 25 billion for his border wall, but the plan included much less -- 1.6 billion for building new sections of wall and replacing older sections. But Trump said he had no choice because the nation needed to fund the military. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

montreal gazette: One thing I will never accept is the dirty little politics of Philippe Couillard, said Legault, according to CTV. The sniping started when Finance Minister Carlos Leitao said the CAQ promoted ethnic-based nationalism, which Legault's party said was a veiled accusation of racism. With the Coalition Avenir Quebec leading in most polls, the Liberals took close aim at CAQ leader Francois Legault, leading to Legault accusing them of mudslinging. The people are used to Liberal lies, but now all those lies are against our party, said Legault. This week, CAQ MNA Nathalie Roy wrote an op-ed piece for The Montreal Gazette, arguing the CAQ is not anti-immigrant. So, we're going to be there just to put the record straight. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

muslim canadians: And despite being mandated to finish within six months, the M-103 report took almost a year to complete, according to Rabble. For the religious communities involved, it's fair to question whether the government really cares to concretely address the problem of Islamophobia and religious discrimination in Canada. The M-103 report itself was the result of hearings with 77 witnesses. Lest we forget, Parliament's recent report on religious discrimination was launched as a result of motion M-103, debated one year ago in Parliament. Motion M-103 and its resulting report were not some sort of academic exercise to assess a hypothetical problem. M-103 itself was motivated largely by an attack on a Quebec City mosque on Jan. 29, 2017 which left six Muslim Canadians dead. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee status: She's scheduled to be deported on March 27th and is currently in a detention centre in Laval, according to CTV. Several organizations, including Solidarity Across Borders and the Immigrant Workers Centre raised her case today. Lucy Francineth Granados has been living as an undocumented worker in Montreal for the last nine years. They're hoping to put pressure on the Federal government to stop the deportation. She made her way to Canada where she tried and failed to get refugee status in 2012. Granados left her native country in 2009 after the death of her husband. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

remorse: Michael McCaul said, according to The Chronicle Herald. He did refer to himself as a psychopath. Investigators are still looking into what motivated 23-year-old Mark Anthony Conditt, but the recording he left on his cellphone shows that he was a sick individual, U.S. Rep. He did not show any remorse, in fact questioning himself for why he didn't feel any remorse for what he did, McCaul said. The first three victims were minorities. Conditt makes no mention of a racial motivation on the recording, but investigators are still looking into that as a possibility, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

saturday night: I'm in line for my passport, the American told reporters after members of the Montreal rock group accepted the international achievement prize at Saturday's Juno Awards gala industry event, according to Metro News. Butler is married to bandmate Regine Chassagne, who was born in Montreal, but wedlock is only part of the qualification for becoming a Canadian citizen. After playing a Canadian-accented version of himself on Saturday Night Live earlier this month, Butler says he still doesn't have an official stamp of approval from the federal government. An applicant must also be physically present in the country for at least 1,095 days within five years, according to the Government of Canada website. Ironically I would just have to not achieve any international success in order to become Canadian, so tonight hits particularly close to home, he joked. Butler says the international achievement Juno organizers have recognized him for is also what's hindering him from meeting those requirements. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

stage moments: I just hope that we can all rise above negativity in our lives and just do what we believe in, said Arcade Fire's Win Butler as he accepted the band's album award for Everything Now, according to Metro News. Speak your truth and don't be afraid to just do whatever the hell you want. Host Michael Buble set the tone early on Sunday night by announcing his wife's third pregnancy but other performers were quick to grab the tide of optimism during their own stage moments. Gord Downie's brothers Mike and Patrick echoed an unbounded sense of resolve as they accepted a posthumous award for the singer, who died last October of brain cancer. This is Gord's award. If we've learned anything from Gord it was the value of taking care of each other, said Patrick. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

information meeting: Steves told the Richmond News that his tweet had been misread and that he will not recuse himself from the council vote on Monday.article continues below Trending Stories The dirty truth about Vancouver real estate Burnaby RCMP warns it won't tolerate Kinder Morgan pipeline protester hurting more Mounties Greater Vancouver home prices to drop 21 per cent by 2019 analysis Federal court rejects provincial appeal on Burnaby Trans Mountain decision On March 1, Steves tweeted about an open house on proposed modular housing for homeless people, according to Vancouver Courier. It read, 500 Asian people go to a Public Information meeting. Harold Steves for dividing Richmond residents based on their ethnicity, and asked Steves to recuse himself from an upcoming vote on farmland size. The librarian gets Karate Kicked by an opponent to housing for homeless people. The librarian gets Karate Kicked by an opponent to housing for homeless people. South Asian landowners are campaigning for 10,764 sq ft houses in the ALR. Is this multiculturalism What on earth is happening to RichmondBC The tweet got more than 100 likes and nearly 100 retweets.500 Asian people go to a Public Information meeting. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dhillon: It sparked a large discussion on who we are as a country, said Dhillon, now an RCMP inspector, according to CBC. Insp. Rather than give in, he vigorously campaigned against the RCMP dress code, eventually becoming the first officer to wear a turban on duty. Baltej Singh Dhillon is now a 27-year veteran of the RCMP. But when he applied to join the RCMP in 1988, he had to fight for his right to wear a beard and turban. The event was held to stimulate ideas for a new community plan that aims to provide support for people who experience racism and discrimination. Canada The Story of Us Dhillon was one of a group of community leaders participating in an-anti racism forum in Surrey on Friday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

remorse: Michael McCaul said, according to CTV. He did refer to himself as a psychopath. Investigators are still looking into what motivated 23-year-old Mark Anthony Conditt, but the recording he left on his cellphone shows that he was a sick individual, U.S. Rep. He did not show any remorse, in fact questioning himself for why he didn't feel any remorse for what he did, McCaul said. The first three victims were minorities. Conditt makes no mention of a racial motivation on the recording, but investigators are still looking into that as a possibility, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

militaristic role: Initially, Obama denounced Wright's statements, but eventually he and his wife had to withdraw from membership in the church, according to Toronto Star. This despite a respected Republican like John McCain defending him. Wright was a fierce critic of racism and what he perceived as America's militaristic role in the world. This is the price of leadership. Nourbe Se Philip, Toronto Article Continued Below NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh may be ready to represent all Canadians but until we know he doesn't have another agenda, why should Canadians be ready to have him represent us Columnist Shree Paradkar says there is precedent for him to support issues from his ancestral home. This is the experience that NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh needs to draw on. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

people: It is perplexing to me that people could be influenced in casting their votes in the recent U.S. election and the U.K. Brexit referendum, according to The Chronicle Herald. Yet it seems people do lose elements of their cognitive functioning and decision-making abilities with overuse of technologies, over time, as is now being shown through research and evidence. Equifax, Home Depot Do we really believe there is protection of our private information on any social media or technological platform despite the attempts of those providers to reassure us People choose to reveal every detail of their lives, including medical and health-related ones, on several social media platforms, then express disdain when/if any entity uses that information for business or data-mining purposes. Therefore, let us be advised to not be surprised by this recent turn of events or perhaps, even more sinister future revelations of how personal information is used. Sandra Bauld, HRM Bull riding gives us bad name Halifax has made considerable strides in becoming a world-class travel destination. After all, it is each individual's choice to engage in these ways. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian: We weren't able to go to school, according to CBC. He knew better than to dare dream of going to university, he said. We had to work there to support our family, said the 20-year-old, who grew up with four siblings. Here's how Fredericton's 1st Syrian newcomer to marry celebrated during the storm A Syrian man's desperate plea, a former refugee's answer Saying thanks Syrian newcomers plan dinner for homeless in Saint John Then the Reyises signed up in Turkey for a program that could allow the seven-member family to immigrate to Canada. On the first day I came to Canada, I wasn't even able to say my name or how to introduce myself, said the teen, who now speaks three languages, including English. '1193913411567', 'playlist Selector' 'container Selector' ' container49634315', 'ciid' 'caffeine14591411' ; 'I felt like I have everything now'2 27 Welcome to New Brunswick But soon, his old dreams about going to school were back. There were hurdles, Reyis said, but eventually the family was accepted and arrived in the country two years ago. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tourism numbers: These folks find their hopeful signs where they can in the aforementioned tourism numbers but also in the fact that 4,515 immigrants arrived in Nova Scotia in 2017, a number that was down from the banner previous year because of the 1,500 Syrian refugees who arrived here in 2016, according to The Chronicle Herald. Not all of these newcomers stick around. The kind of man or woman who breaks into a joyous Bhangra dance upon learning that a couple of wealthy Americans are building a rustic resort complete with a brewery, lodge and music venue and crawling with sheep and highland cattle on 900 acres of fallow farmland in Cape Breton's Margaree Valley. As a report released this week by the Public Policy Forum points out, Nova Scotia's immigrant retention rate from 2011-2015 was 72 per cent, compared to 56 per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador, 52 per cent in New Brunswick and a lowly 18 per cent in Prince Edward Island. Or you can do some rough math and say, hey, that's 3,250 new Nova Scotians even though that's about half the annual number of immigrants the Ivany Report called upon to counteract our aging population and worrisome rate of out-migration and take some solace from that. Now, you can be distressed by the fact that no province outside of Atlantic Canada has a retention rate below 80 per cent. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cent: The city and province will spend 24 million over the next three years on the initiative, according to CTV. The money will go towards more French training and to community organizations that help integrate immigrants. While the unemployment rate in Quebec is currently 5.5 per cent, for new arrivals it's 16 per cent. Seventy per cent of new arrivals are in Montreal, so that's a lot of people. So one of the things we're working on is to try to see if we can't also try to see if we can have these new arrivals go and find work outside Montreal as well, said Immigration and Diversity Minister David Heurtel. And right now we have a lot of jobs open in the rest of Quebec. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border wall: Trump said he was very disappointed in the package, in part because it did not fully pay for his planned border wall with Mexico and did not extend protection from deportation to some 700,000 Dreamer immigrants due to lose coverage under a program the president himself has moved to eliminate, according to CTV. But Trump praised the bill's provisions to increase military spending and said he had no choice but to fund our military. The episode further eroded the already damaged credibility of both the president and a White House staff that had assured the nation he was onboard. My highest duty is to keep America safe, he said. With Congress already on recess, and a government shutdown looming, he said that young immigrants now protected in the U.S. under Barack Obama's Delayed Action for Childhood Arrivals program have been totally abandoned by the Democrats not even mentioned in Bill and the BORDER WALL, which is desperately needed for our National Defence, is not fully funded. The bill signing came a few hours after Trump created his latest round of last-minute drama by tweeting that he was considering a veto. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cheetos: What Hin wanted was a burger, according to Toronto Star. Maybe a bowl of Cap'n Crunch. I hate fish, Khan Hin said. Or some Tater Tots. Hin's palate is American. I'm feisty, he said, for my Flamin' Hot Cheetos. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jewish appeal: The largest in the network, UJA Toronto's endowment and planned giving arm, has 500 million in assets and planned gifts, according to Rabble. CJA Montr al has over 300 million on hand. Together the United Jewish Appeal/Combined Jewish Appeal of Toronto, Montr al, Winnipeg, Windsor, Calgary, Edmonton, Hamilton, London, Ottawa, Vancouver and Atlantic Canada raise over 100 million annually. In a recent letter to the Canadian Jewish News, Morris Sosnovitch asked why UJA Toronto gives a quarter of its budget to a country with a 360-billion national budget. The Jewish Federations also oversee the United Israel Appeal Federations Canada. All Canadian taxpayers should ask why tax deductions are given for the 13.7 million UJA Toronto, 3.8 million CJA Montr al, and 1.12 million CJA Vancouver donated last year to Israel, among the world's 25 wealthiest countries, run for the past decade by one of the most right-wing governments in the world. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.