margaret jetelina: Achievements can be either professional or personal, according to NOW Magazine. Nominees must be aged 15 or older, hold landed immigrant permanent resident or citizen status in Canada, and reside in Canada. EST. To nominate someone for this prestigious national awards program, go to to fill out the simple online nomination form.A nominee can be anyone who has immigrated to Canada and has since contributed to the success and uplifting of this country and/or its people. Through the RBC Top 25 Awards program, we celebrate immigrants who have achieved great things and, in turn, serve as inspiring role models, said Margaret Jetelina, editor of Canadian Immigrant. RBC is committed to supporting newcomers in Canada and is honoured to be able to celebrate their significant contributions and successes that positively effect change in our country, said Ivy Chiu, senior director, newcomer strategy, RBC. These awards not only showcase the richness and diversity newcomers add to the fabric of our communities, but also the important role they play in making Canada the success it is today and will continue to be in the future. Canada has always been known as a welcoming country to immigrants, and these awards are a shining example of that humanitarian hospitality. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border crisis: President Trump treats the rule of law with utter contempt, Becerra said, according to CTV. He knows there is no border crisis, he knows his emergency declaration is unwarranted, and he admits that he will likely lose this case in court. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra released a statement Monday saying the suit alleges the Trump administration's action violates the Constitution. Joining California in filing the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Virginia. Trump declared a national emergency to fulfil his promise of completing the wall. All the states involved in the lawsuit have Democratic attorneys general. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

paul workman: Amy, who is 34, told CTV's London Bureau Chief Paul Workman the story of how she ended up in such a dangerous situation, according to CTV. It all started when she married a Muslim man and converted to Islam. The woman, whose first name is Amy, is one of four Canadian ISIS brides who spoke to CTV News from inside the Kurdish-run Al-Hawl refugee camp in eastern Syria. He started learning about the religion more and he just felt like it wasn't suitable for us to stay in Canada anymore, she said. It's absolutely terrifying when you're just walking on the street and you hear a plane coming. At first, it's terrifying, she added. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

transgender recognition: That change comes after a pair of major trade groups -- the International Air Transport Association and Airlines for America -- approved updated standards to allow member airlines to offer two new gender options unspecified or unidentified, according to CTV. In 2017, Ottawa announced that travellers will be able to specify their gender with an X on their passport, instead of F for female or M for male. Major U.S. airlines said last week they will change their ticketing process so that passengers can identify themselves along non-binary lines, representing a victory for advocates of transgender recognition. The website for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says the change is coming soon. IRCC is working diligently to introduce the 'X' gender identifier in its official documents, Genest said in an email. Until then, passengers can request an observation text free of charge on their passport that notes their sex should be marked as X, said Mathieu Genest, press secretary to Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

vest: A yellow vest protesters clench their fist during a demonstration Saturday, Feb.16, 2019 in Marseille, southern France, according to Toronto Star. Yellow vest protesters are holding scattered demonstrations around Paris and the rest of France amid waning support for their movement. The Paris prosecutor's office said the investigation was being conducted into public insult based on origin, ethnicity, nationality, race or religion. Claude Paris / AP Photo Yellow vest protesters march Saturday, Feb.16, 2019 in Paris. Thibault Camus / AP Photo Yellow vest protesters march Saturday, Feb.16, 2019 in Paris. Yellow vest protesters are holding scattered demonstrations around Paris and the rest of France amid waning support for their movement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ctv vancouver: Tammy Nguyen said she and her boyfriend, Tom Vo, were on their way to a celebratory Lunar New Year dinner in Quang Ngai, Vietnam on Feb. 9 when they were attacked by two strangers on a motorbike, according to CTV. According to Nguyen, the men threw acid at them before approaching them with a knife and slashing her boyfriend's legs. A B.C. couple is recovering in hospital after suffering serious burns in what they have described as a random and unprovoked acid attack while vacationing in Vietnam. They said something that we couldn't really understand and we both looked to our left and that's when they splashed the acidic water on us, Nguyen told CTV Vancouver via video chat from a hospital room in Bangkok. He just went straight for my boyfriend. I had my purse on me but he didn't come get me. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

emergency declaration: Heading into the weeklong Presidents Day recess, the office of Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi National emergency declaration a legal fight Trump is likely to win Congress allows Violence Against Women Act to lapse High stakes as Trump, Dems open drug price talks MORE D-Calif. is distributing a spreadsheet to members logging a host of wide-ranging local projects potentially threatened by Trump's effort to shift funds from military construction coffers to the border wall.ADVERTISEMENT The list nearly 400 projects long features a number of ventures in GOP districts, according to Rabble. It includes maintenance facilities for F-35 stealth fighters at Eielson Air Force Base outside Fairbanks, Alaska; the operation of a middle school at Fort Campbell, Ky.; and funds to replace a training maze at Fort Bragg, N.C. We have to smoke out as many Republicans as possible by making the case that projects in their backyard are in jeopardy and will likely be raided to help pay for Trump's ineffective and politically motivated wall, said a senior Democratic aide. Yet party leaders are in no immediate rush to show their hand, instead hoping to keep the focus on growing GOP divisions while pressuring more Republicans to oppose the president's unilateral power play. Key congressional Republicans, meanwhile, don't need any nudge from Democrats. Congress has granted the executive branch certain spending authorities. They're already tearing themselves apart over Trump's declaration. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

under-resourced agency: The men allege that Ghadial gave them fake job offers that eventually quashed their chances of working in Canada and got them expelled from the country, according to CTV. Ghadial says he didn't know the job offers were fake. The men say they trusted Karnail Singh Ghadial, a so-called ghost immigration consultant, who operated in a kind of unregulated black market. This is a major issue for us and one which we can do very little about, Murray explained. But those one-offs can be repeat offenders. The ICCRC does, however, pass complaints on to the Canada Border Services Agency CBSA but the under-resourced agency admitted to CTV News that it investigates mass fraud, rather than one-offs. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

luxury hotels: The announcement comes as the company has posted losses at a few of its golf properties and brand experts say it has lost some of its appeal, according to CTV. We live in a climate where everything will be used against us, whether by the fake news or by Democrats who are only interested in presidential harassment and wasting everyone's time, barraging us with nonsense letters, the president's son, Eric Trump, said in an emailed statement. The Trump Organization said Thursday that it will no longer try to open hotels under its Scion and American Idea brands catering to budget and mid-priced travellers, a departure from its focus on luxury hotels. We already have the greatest properties in the world and if we have to slow down our growth for the time being, we are happy to do it. The company said in March 2017 that nearly two dozen developers had already signed letters of intent to open mid-priced Scion hotels, and was enthusiastic about the future prospects. The rollout began with promises of fast success. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

policy fight: Overall, though, illegal border crossings are down from a high of 1.6 million in 2000, according to CTV. His declaration instantly transformed a contentious policy fight into a foundational dispute over the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution, spurring talk of a congressional vote to block Trump and ensuring that the president and Democrats will continue fighting over the border wall in Congress, the courts and on the campaign trail. In his emergency proclamation, Trump painted a dark picture of the border as a major entry point for criminals, gang members, and illicit narcotics and one that threatens core national security interests. It triggered outrage from Democrats, unease among some Republicans and flew in the face of years of GOP complaints that President Barack Obama had over-reached in his use of executive authority. The standoff over border funding had led to the longest government shutdown in history. Trump signed the declaration to justify diverting billions of federal dollars from military construction and other purposes after Congress approved only a fraction of the money he had demanded. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

konrad yabuski: The CBC was making the case that really, Trudeau is the victim here, according to Rabble. We've disappointed him. This is the Rebel, of course, so there's the obligatory shot at the mainstream media, who, he suggests are buying Trudeau's story. We've let him down. And while he gives credit to the three Globe reporters who broke the story, he points to a column filed by their colleague, Konrad Yabuski, who argued that there's nothing sinister in wanting to spare the company from a criminal trial. Especially that uppity girl, Jody he notes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

neighbouring pakistan: An ambulance drives on a highway, traveling from the direction of a large explosion, in Pampore, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019, according to Toronto Star. Security officials say at least 10 soldiers have been killed and 20 others wounded by a large explosion that struck a paramilitary convoy on a key highway on the outskirts of the disputed region's main city of Srinagar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi placed the blame for Thursday's bombing squarely on neighbouring Pakistan, which India accuses of supporting rebels in Kashmir. Dar Yasin / AP Photo Indian paramilitary soldiers carry the remains of colleagues at the site of an explosion in Pampore, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Dar Yasin / AP Photo Indian paramilitary soldiers patrol at the site of an explosion in Pampore, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Security officials say at least 10 soldiers have been killed and 20 others wounded by a large explosion that struck a paramilitary convoy on a key highway on the outskirts of the disputed region's main city of Srinagar. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

series leakes: Chris Evans / Chris Evans photography The place a sushi joint, in Tokyo, where Tanya Sam found herself staring down the almighty Nene Leakes, a moment recently beamed out to regular watchers of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, according to Toronto Star. Tears were shed. Tanya Sam is a former oncology nurse with a science degree from Toronto, who is the unlikely new cast-member of the Real Housewives of Atlanta. Barbs, traded. In the Housewives universe the 100-plus women we've gotten to know over the many different series Leakes is one of the most conspicuous OG ambassadors, not to mention a one-woman GIF. So what say, Ms Sam Article Continued Below It was obviously a difficult conversation for me to have with Nene, she started to say, after ringing me up to chat this week. The specifics of the tragicomic argument may have been difficult to track something to do with some shade, or perceived shade, volleyed during an earlier visit to a temple!!! but for a girl who grew up in Etobicoke, it was nothing less than a baptism by fire in the reality-TV arts. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

anything congress: The Friday announcement came hours after Trump signed the declaration and said he expected legal challenges, according to CTV. The civil rights group will argue that Trump's use of emergency powers is unprecedented and can't be used to build a border wall. The American Civil Liberties Union says it will file a lawsuit challenging U.S. President Donald Trump's emergency declaration to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border. ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero says the declaration is 'patently illegal.' Their legal action would be separate from anything Congress may do. They say Trump's decision would shred the Constitution by usurping Congress' power to control spending. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi puh-LOH'-see and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have also raised the possibility of legal action. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

facebook: Facebook App Open links in External Browser There is a specific issue with the Facebook in-app browser intermittently making requests to websites without cookies that had previously been set, according to Rabble. This appears to be a defect in the browser which should be addressed soon. To enable cookies, follow the instructions for your browser below. The simplest approach to avoid this problem is to continue to use the Facebook app but not use the in-app browser. Select Safari from the settings menu. This can be done through the following steps Open the settings menu by clicking the hamburger menu in the top right Choose App Settings from the menu Turn on the option Links Open Externally This will use the device's default browser Enabling Cookies in Internet Explorer 7, 8 & 9 Open the Internet Browser Click Tools Internet Override automatic cookie handling For First-party Cookies and Third-party Cookies click Accept Click OK and OK Enabling Cookies in Firefox Open the Firefox browser Click custom settings for history Check Accept cookies from sites Check Accept third party cookies Select Keep until they expire Click OK Enabling Cookies in Google Chrome Open the Google Chrome browser Click Tools icon Options Under the Hood Content Settings Check Allow local data to be set Uncheck Block third-party cookies from being set Uncheck Clear cookies Close all Enabling Cookies in Mobile Safari iPhone, iPad Go to the Home screen by pressing the Home button or by unlocking your phone/iPad Select the Settings icon. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

chicago history: Blakey said he'll issue a ruling Tuesday, according to CTV. Recent Chicago history indicates lawsuits like the one filed by Protect Our Parks can stymie and even kill blockbuster projects, even ones proposed by VIPs with enormous financial and political influence. U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey heard oral arguments Thursday on a key motion by city attorneys to toss a lawsuit by Protect Our Parks that aims to halt the Obama Presidential Center from ever being built in the selected location. A lawsuit brought by Friends of the Park helped scuttle a 400 million plan by Star Wars creator George Lucas to build a museum on public land next to Chicago's lakefront. As the litigation wound through federal court in 2016, Lucas ditched the Chicago plans. That suit, like the Obama-project complaint, argued the project ran afoul of laws dating back to the 1800s barring new developments in a 26-mile 42-kilometre chain of parks hugging Lake Michigan. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

election night: A movement digs deep, plants roots, and grows until its objectives are achieved, according to Rabble. There are today no agreed-upon benchmarks to be reached in order to call something a movement No law must be passed, no number of people assembled in the public square. Invoking the term is meant to denote seriousness, to suggest that the activism you are engaged in will not disappear with the passing of the news cycle or be headed off by the most recent tidbit of celebrity gossip. Anyone with a cause can claim the term in order to benefit from the gravity it connotes. The Resistance, the ubiquitous term for all manner of anti-Trump activity, emotion, and intention, came into being shortly after election night in 2016. With such a low barrier to entry, it becomes harder for even the most benevolent social critics to distinguish thoughtful networks of dissent built over time, as the historian Blair L.M. Kelley defines a movement, from those that are branded as such without any effort to be one. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jagmeet singh: By far, the most commonly cited issue in this byelection was affordable housing, followed by taxes, jobs, the environment and immigration, according to Toronto Star. Clockwise from top left NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, People's Party of Canada candidate Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson, Conservative Party candidate Jay Shin and Liberal Party candidate Richard Lee during a debate in Burnaby ahead of that riding's byelection later this month. But despite Jagmeet Singh's future hanging in the balance, when the Star hit the suburban city's streets this week as thick snow piled up locals were focused on anything but his prospects. The most prominent candidates in the byelection are the Liberals' Richard Lee, who got a two-day celebrity boost from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week, the Conservatives' Jay Shin and the NDP's leader, Singh. Also running are independent candidates Valentine Wu and Terry Grimwood. Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson, candidate for the new right wing People's Party of Canada, is gaining attention as she hammers the Grits, Tories and New Dems alike on refugees, immigration and carbon taxes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

substances: By the end of this year, the EPA will propose a regulatory determination for the chemicals, the next step toward establishing limits under the Safe Drinking Water Act, Wheeler said in Philadelphia as he released the agency's policy for dealing with the substances, according to CTV. The EPA has faced criticism from lawmakers in both major political parties as an increasing number of states have discovered perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known collectively as PFAS, in public water systems and private wells. Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the immediate focus would be on two of the most common chemicals in the group, both of which have been phased out by manufacturers but remain in the environment and have suspected links to health threats ranging from cancer to decreased fertility. The synthetic chemicals are found in firefighting foam, nonstick pots and pans, water-repellent clothing and many other household and personal items. Scientific studies have found associations between the chemicals and cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis and other health issues. Environmentalists have criticized the agency, saying it had not acted fast enough. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

spanish politics: Members of Sanchez's Cabinet had signalled that a defeat in the budget vote would lead to a fresh general election, according to Toronto Star. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrives at the Spanish parliament in Madrid, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019. The 191-158 vote, with one abstention, opened a new crisis in Spanish politics. Spain's minority socialist government could be forced to call an early general election if Catalan separatist parties carry out their threat to reject the 2019 national budget in a crucial parliamentary vote Wednesday. Spain's minority socialist government could be forced to call an early general election if Catalan separatist parties carry out their threat to reject the 2019 national budget in a crucial parliamentary vote Wednesday. Manu Fernandez / AP Photo Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrives at the Spanish parliament in Madrid, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

campaign: But he's not waiting to declare victory, contending at the White House on Wednesday that a wall is being built as we speak, according to Vancouver Courier. Indeed, work on a first barrier extension 14 miles in Texas' Rio Grande Valley starts this month, approved by Congress about a year ago along with money to renovate and strengthen some existing fencing. Trump is expected to grudgingly accept the agreement, which would avert another government shutdown and give him what Republicans have been describing as a down payment on his signature campaign pledge.article continues below Trending Stories Thousands turn out for Downtown Eastside Women's Memorial March in Vancouver Canadians warned to avoid non-essential travel' to parts of Mexico Top 10 things to do with kids on Family Day in Vancouver Vancouver's last remaining porn theatre evolves He said Wednesday that he's still waiting on lawmakers to present him with final legislative language before making a decision. But that's a far cry from the vast wall he promised during his campaign would go up so fast your head will spin. Carried away by his own enthusiasm, perhaps, he added, You are going to have to be in extremely good shape to get over this one. Sounding like he was again in campaign mode, he told a law enforcement group on Wednesday, It's going to be a great, powerful wall. ... The wall is very, very on its way. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

government plan: Researchers at the protest handed a petition to academy president and renowned mathematician Laszlo Lovasz, asking him to support keeping their research institutes under the academy's management, according to CTV. The academy oversees some 5,000 researchers in a range of disciplines, from medicine and economics to computer science and astronomy. Several thousand people formed a human chain around the headquarters of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, urging the academy's leaders to fight the government plan and hold onto their independence. Populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the government's aim is to improve innovation in scientific research and to have publicly funded research projects create a direct economic profit. Our ability to enforce our interests in obtaining significant scientific and innovation funds could be stronger. International innovation rankings show that, unfortunately, Hungary's place is among the weaker performers, Orban said Tuesday in an open letter to researchers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

palestinian embroidery: The robe, adorned with elaborate hand-stitched embroidery, requires months of grueling labour, according to CTV. Some thobes fetch thousands of dollars. Now it's gaining prominence as a softer expression of Palestinian nationalism, competing even with the classic keffiyeh -- the headscarf donned by young stone-throwing Palestinian men protesting Israel's occupation. The traditional textiles call to mind a bygone era of Palestinian peasant women sewing on a break from the fields. The historic thobe conjures an ideal of pure and untouched Palestine, before the occupation, said Rachel Dedman, curator of a recent exhibit at the Palestinian Museum focused on the evolution of Palestinian embroidery. Last month, Rashida Tlaib proudly wore her mother's thobe to her historic swearing-in as the first female Palestinian American member of Congress, inspiring masses of women around the world, especially in the Palestinian territories, to tweet photos of themselves in their ancestral robes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pmo probe: PMO probe Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he welcomes the investigation into whether he or anyone in his office influenced former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould in the SNC-Lavalin case. 2, according to CTV. Forced labour Provincial police have freed 43 people from a labour human trafficking operation in Barrie and Wasaga Beach, Ont., in what officials have compared to modern day slavery. 3. Here's what else you need to know to start your day. 1. Immigration fraud Three men from India say their Canadian dreams have been crushed after allegedly being scammed by an unlicensed immigration consultant. 4. Mars landing A space travel company that once advertised one-way trips to Mars filed for bankruptcy in Swiss court last month and has officially dissolved, according to court documents. U.S. shutdown Republican lawmakers have settled for less funding for new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border, tentatively agreeing to a deal that would prevent another government shutdown. 5. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

guard troops: About 100 of the 360 troops will remain deployed under California's agreement with the federal government to focus specifically on combating transnational crime such as drug and gun smuggling, Newsom spokesman Nathan Click said, according to CTV. Specifically, they will be tasked with providing intelligence on transnational crime and assist with cargo dock operations and searches of commercial trucks for contraband. Gavin Newsom plans Monday to withdraw several hundred National Guard troops from the state's southern border with Mexico in defiance of the Trump administration's request for support from border states. Newsom's move comes on the heels of New Mexico Gov. The two state's former governors agreed to send troops to the border last April at the Trump administration's request along with Texas and Arizona. Michelle Lujan Grisham, also a Democrat, pulling back her state's troops from the U.S.-Mexico border. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

campaign event: Trudeau joined Lee at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, where dozens of supporters cheered as Trudeau said he expects Lee to be a strong voice in Parliament for residents of Burnaby, B.C. Lee is a former provincial legislator who replaced the Liberals' first candidate, Karen Wang, after she resigned following an online post mentioning the ethnicity of her opponent, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, according to CTV. Singh is seeking his first seat in Parliament in the byelection, scheduled for Feb. 25, and earlier today he attended the annual Chinese New Year parade in Vancouver. He made the remarks after a small group of anti-pipeline protesters began shouting at him at a campaign event to support Richard T. Lee, the Liberal candidate in the Burnaby South byelection. A small group of demonstrators clad in yellow vests also greeted Trudeau outside the Burnaby event to protest his government's policies on immigration. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.