foreign workers: Economists and immigration experts say there are solutions at hand as the Conservatives grapple with yet another controversy involving temporary foreign workers. , according to CBC. "Are these workers truly needed in some sectors? There's a tendency for non-economists to think of an economy as a machine, where if you're missing certain parts, the machine doesn't work, and certainly businesses want us to regard it that way. But that's not always the case." How to solve a problem like the federal government's scandal-plagued Temporary Foreign Worker Program? "We have to figure out what we want as a labour market in the end," David Green, an economics professor at the University of British Columbia who specializes in wage and employment issues, said in an interview Tuesday. Support pours in for Weyburn, Sask., waitresses who lost jobs McDonald's boycott threatened over use of temporary foreign workers Waitresses in Saskatchewan lose jobs to foreign workers (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Employment Minister Jason Kenney: Employment Minister Jason Kenney made a pit stop in Winnipeg today as part of his cross-country tour finalizing job training agreements with the provinces and territories. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. Kenney lashes out at Manitoba's campaign of fear on immigration Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development, and Theresa Oswald, Manitoba Minister of Jobs and the Economy during the Canada Job Grant press conference in Winnipeg today. At an event at Red River College, Kenney and Manitobas Jobs and Economy Minister Theresa Oswald signed three agreements that continue funding from Ottawa for training programs, including the once touchy Canada Job Grant . Related: (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Philippe Couillard: The Liberal premier may feel emboldened in introducing austerity measures after winning 70 of the 125 ridings up for grabs in the April 7 election, according to CTV. "In a nutshell, we've been spending beyond our means for a long time," Couillard said. "The debt is high. The interest payments on it are higher than the budget for the Education Department and - Philippe Couillard was sworn in as Quebec premier on Wednesday and immediately warned that the time has come for hard economic decisions. After unveiling his 26-member cabinet, Couillard reeled off a litany of the economic difficulties facing Quebec: a rampant provincial debt that is the highest in the country; the heaviest tax burden; and the highest level of expenditures. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Jason Kenney: In Manitoba on Wednesday, the federal employment minister reiterated that employers who abuse the program could face fraud charges and jail time. The program remains under review and further changes will be announced soon, he added, according to The Star. The more important thing is that we prevent abuse in the first place and thats why we ve tightened up the rules, and we ll continue to do so and Jason Kenney says only small numbers of companies are abusing Ottawas controversial temporary foreign workers program as a major fast-food chain freezes its participation and a respected economist casts fresh doubt on the extent of Canadas skills shortage. Obviously, in some small numbers, there are cases of abuse, and we dont tolerate those; we intend to crack down on them severely, Kenney said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Central African Republic: The first challenge this dismal situation presents is how to protect the refugees until the U.N. force arrives. Most endangered are the countrys Muslims, who became the target of a vicious outbreak of sectarian attacks by members of the Christian majority after a Muslim-led government itself guilty of mass brutality collapsed in January. Of the 100,000 Muslims who formerly lived in Bangui, fewer than 1,000 remain, and some 80,000 Muslims have fled to neighboring countries. Unless the tide can be reversed, the destruction of their communities may be irreversible. Related Items Articles NDP calls for Canada to contribute UN peacekeepers to Central African Republic , according to Winnipeg Free Press. A government has been established under an interim president, Catherine Samba-Panza, who is not connected to the militants of either side. But her administration, packed with her relatives and associates, is proving ineffective; U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who recently visited the country, fairly described it as "at ground zero of governance." It needs funding and technical help if it is to get police, courts and prisons running again. The unanimity with which the United Nations Security Council approved a peacekeeping force for the Central African Republic early this month attested to the dire situation in that impoverished country. More than 630,000 people in a nation of 4.5 million have fled their homes, and tens of thousands are living in miserable and dangerous conditions at the airport in Bangui, the capital, or in other improvised camps. Just 6,000 African and 2,000 French troops provide what passes for protection and order in a country where the state has collapsed. The U.N. force, which will consist of 10,000 troops and 2,000 police, is not due to deploy until September. To be sure, not only Muslims are at risk. On March 29 Chadian troops killed about 30 people and injured more than 300 at a Christian market in Bangui. Chad, a majority-Muslim country, later agreed to withdraw its 850 peacekeepers, which were not part of the African Union force. But Muslim militias and mercenaries remain a threat. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Henry Kissinger: Henry Kissinger and Archer Blood were the same age, both 48 years old in 1971 a pivotal year for both men. You almost certainly know who the former man is, but may well have never heard of the latter. Yet Mr. Bloods is a name worth remembering. This little-known U.S. diplomat deserves to be commemorated in the annals of conscience. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. Muslim countries must tackle gender gap head-on Gary J. Bass is the winner of the 2014 Lionel Gelber Prize for his book The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger and a Forgotten Genocide . He will receive his award and deliver a free public lecture this Thursday, April 24 at 5:30 p.m., at the Munk School of Global Affairs. In Bangladesh, a winner-take-all democracy is not sustainable (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Hector Mantolino: Another week, another bizarre story about Canadas temporary foreign worker program, according to The Chronicle Herald. Here in Nova Scotia, Dartmouth businessman Hector Mantolino is before the courts for allegedly paying Filipino temporary workers as little as $3.13 an hour in his cleaning business and This time, its a tale out of Weyburn, Sask., about workers who have reportedly been sacked by their pizza shop employers in favour of staff from abroad. One woman had worked at the shop for 28 years, another for 14. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Dora Anie: The ship would go to Ghana, where she was born and grew up, where schools are so critically needed. , according to Hamilton Spectator. She knows. Dora's charity has helped build one school there and is almost finished another. The first one cost $27,000 and the next one will have cost about $40,000. Whenever a school closes in Hamilton, Dora Anie just wants to say, "Can I take that building and put it on a ship?" Related Stories A Taste of Africa "Ghanaian parents will stop eating to put money to a school," says Dora, who founded Ghana Schools of Dreams 10 years ago. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Count Pavel Ignatieff: The Ignatieffs were "White Russians," opposed to the Communists, and the family's patriarch, Count Pavel Ignatieff, was once an influential member of the court of Czar Nicholas II. , according to Hamilton Spectator. Grateful to the British government for offering them exile, the Ignatieffs co-operated regularly with the British intelligence service after settling in Canada in the mid-1920s, according to recently released MI5 files obtained by the Toronto Star. Recently released British intelligence files note that the family of former federal Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff spied on suspected Nazi sympathizers in Canada on behalf of the British security service MI5. The 1917 Russian Revolution drove the Ignatieffs into exile while the czar and his family were executed by firing squad. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Len Jillard: Stung by recent criticism of its use of foreign workers, the restaurant chain's vice-president of human resources Len Jillard said Wednesday the firm needs to pause the plan to prove to Canadians it is not abusing the program or its workers. , according to Hamilton Spectator. Jillard, in an exclusive interview with The Canadian Press, said McDonald's has already informed the federal government about its plans, including federal Employment Minister Jason Kenney. McDonald's Canada is putting its temporary foreign workers program on hold while a third party conducts an audit on its use of the plan. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Flaherty funeral Herb Gray: It was an oratorical skill that earned him the nickname The Gray Fog. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. Public gathers in Toronto to watch Flaherty funeral Herb Gray will be remembered as the slightly stooped figure in a suit just a little too large for his body, who met opposition questions in the House of Commons with meandering responses that were deftly crafted to say nothing at all. Herb Gray, former deputy prime minister, dies at 82 (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Jason Kenney: Kenney says he believes the number of abuses under the program is small and the government has already been working to tighten the rules. , according to CBC. The latest controversy involves two long-serving Saskatchewan waitresses who were recently fired from a restaurant in Weyburn while their temporary foreign worker colleagues were spared. Waitresses in Saskatchewan lose jobs to foreign workers Support pours in for Weyburn, Sask., waitresses Replace Temporary Foreign Worker Program with immigration, say experts Federal Employment Minister Jason Kenney says employers who abuse the temporary foreign workers program could face fraud charges and possible jail time. The government has been under fire for months amid reports of abuse by restaurants and other companies. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

McDonalds: Stung by recent criticism of its use of temporary foreign workers, McDonalds senior vice-president of human resources Len Jillard said Wednesday that the program is being halted while an audit by a third party determines if there have been violations or abuse of workers foreign or Canadian. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. Pizza place faces federal grilling over temporary foreign workers McDonalds Canada says temporary foreign workers are a necessary part of the fast-food chains business model, but its use of the federal jobs initiative is now on hold until the company satisfies itself and Canadians that it doesnt abuse the program. Service sector sees spike in temporary foreign workers (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

National Film Board: The scenes are from the innovative National Film Board of Canada-produced project Circa 1948 , which includes an artistic 3D app, a website and an interactive installation that launched in competition at Tribeca Film Festivals Storyscapes program in New York on Tuesday, according to The Star. Renowned Vancouver visual artist Stan Douglas and the NFB Digital Studio co-created the so-called storyworld, which offers an immersive experience that takes users directly into the sights, sounds and headlines of the city back then and Its 1948 and a mysterious woman checks into the Hotel Vancouver, telling the front desk shes looking for her husband. Meanwhile, a local radio newscast announces a housing crisis for legions of homeless war vets, and a police constable confesses hes at the hotel to place a bet with a bookie. Canadian Stage unveils 2014-15 theatre season (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canada: Express Entry, formerly known as Expression of Interest, will be "a swifter path to Canada that will select immigrants based on the skills and attributes that Canada needs based on those identified by government but also by employers," said Immigration Minister Chris Alexander during a news conference in Richmond Hill, Ont., on Tuesday. , according to CBC. Express Entry is a different program from the Temporary Foreign Worker Program which has come under heavy criticism after uncovered several instances where employers are favouring foreign workers over Canadians. The Canadian government is forging ahead with a new immigration system that will offer "express entry" to qualified immigrants starting in January 2015 as a way to help fill open jobs for which there are no available Canadian workers. While the change in the name of the program was quietly announced in a news release two weeks ago, the government has been remodelling Canada's immigration system for the last 18 months or so. Canada to play matchmaker with skilled immigrants and jobs Waitresses in Saskatchewan lose jobs to foreign workers Temporary Foreign Worker Program (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Russian President Vladimir Putin: The move comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country should step up its presence in the Arctic and challenge other nations for control of the regions vast supply of natural resources. Western governments are eyeing Russias aspirations in the Arctic with suspicion, in large part because of Moscows provocative role in the crisis in Ukraine. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. Kiev moves against militants after politician tortured, slain Moscow has ordered a Canadian envoy to leave Russia amid an ongoing feud over the recognition of diplomatic staff in both countries. Alexei Navalnys conviction sends chilling message to Putins opponents (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Japan: U.S. politics holding up Harpers trade agenda, according to Globe and Mail. Japan, Australia clinch trade deal as U.S.-Tokyo talks heat up Supply management explainer. The video Video explainer: So what exactly is supply management? Quality control issues have added to concerns that Japan's big companies may not be able to contribute to a recovery the way the government hopes. Yonggi Kang reports on what may need to change. Reuters Asia Video: aMade in Japana no longer what it used to be? As Japanese consumers contend with a tax hike, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is under more pressure than ever to deliver on a long-awaited new tranche of growth-boosting reforms. Yonggi Kang reports. Reuters Asia Video: In Japan, higher grocery bills add to a leaderas burden If Barack Obama and Shinzo Abe can hammer out a deal on agriculture subsidies this week, then next years Canadian election could be the first in a generation in which trade is a key issue, with Stephen Harper favouring the Trans Pacific Partnership TPP and Thomas Mulcair and possibly Justin Trudeau opposing it. More Related to this Story Obama-Abe summit to aid trade talks, not seal deal: U.S. official (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

children: Police responded to a call for help Monday morning and found the dead woman inside a local home and her children missing, according to Huffington Post. The three children were found in the same home as the suspect and police say they weren't physically harmed and B.C. - Mounties in Clearwater, B.C., say they expect charges to be laid against a man in connection to the death of a mother of three young children. On Monday afternoon, police say they took a man into custody without incident. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Robert Dziekanski: Bentley was among four officers who confronted Dziekanski at Vancouver's airport on Oct. 14, 2007, when the Polish immigrant was repeatedly stunned with a Taser and died, according to CTV. The Crown's theory was that the officers worked together the night of Dziekanski's death to concoct a story to tell investigators and then lied at the public inquiry to cover up their collusion and - The Crown says an officer who was acquitted of perjury for his testimony at the inquiry into Robert Dziekanski's death should be put on trial for a second time, arguing a judge made "significant errors" when he rejected the theory that Const. Bill Bentley and his fellow officers colluded to lie about what happened. He was found not guilty last year. The other three officers also charged with perjury are still awaiting trial. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Democratic Republic of Congo: The allegations, made by some of the refugee claimants who were interviewed, have prompted outrage in the Congolese Canadian community, whose members expressed shock that the government would work with a regime it has placed under a travel warning. Officially, Canada has a moratorium on deportations to the Democratic Republic of Congo, out of concerns for the safety of people sent back, according to The Star. If we are supporting and funding a dictatorship, there is no difference between the Congo and Canada and The federal government allegedly paid for a cross-Canada trip by officials from Congo a country known for its human rights abuses to interview Congolese nationals facing deportation to their homeland. This is one of the worst dictatorships in the world, and Canada has spent money to pay for the trip of those from the regime that is killing my family, my friends and my people, alleged Freddy Kabongo, president of the Congolese Community of the GTA. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Russia: Russia ordered the removal of the first secretary at the Canadian embassy in retaliation for the expulsion of a Russian military attache from Ottawa earlier this month, said a Canadian government source, not authorized to speak on the record, according to Huffington Post. Canada has imposed economic and political sanctions against Russia and The diplomatic chess game between Canada and Russia over the Ukraine crisis continued Tuesday, with the Kremlin ordering the expulsion of a senior Canadian diplomat stationed in Moscow. The Harper government also called in the Russian ambassador for a diplomatic dressing-down last week as pro-Russian gunmen seized government buildings in several eastern Ukrainian cities following Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula last month. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

foreign workers: Economists and immigration experts say there are solutions at hand as the Conservatives grapple with yet another controversy involving temporary foreign workers, according to CTV. "Are these workers truly needed in some sectors? There's a tendency for non-economists to think of an economy as a machine, where if you're missing certain parts, the machine doesn't work, and certainly businesses want us to regard it that way. But that's not always the case." - How to solve a problem like the federal government's scandal-plagued temporary foreign workers program? "We have to figure out what we want as a labour market in the end," David Green, an economics professor at the University of British Columbia who specializes in wage and employment issues, said in an interview Tuesday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

soup kitchen: Representatives from Western Manitoba's lone soup kitchen said the amount of people using their resources has been on the rise. Brandon food bank plans to grow its own , according to CBC. Tinker lost his job, suffers from depression and his disability cheques aren't enough. Demand is up and challenges are mounting for Brandon's Helping Hands Soup Kitchen. "I moved to Brandon about two and a half years ago from up north from the Onanole area ... fell into some hard times," said George Tinker, volunteer at Helping Hands Soup Kitchen. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Richard Adams: Anthony Sullivan, 72, asked federal immigration authorities in Los Angeles to reopen a 1975 petition filed by his late husband Richard Adams so Sullivan can be awarded residency as the surviving spouse of a U.S. citizen, immigration lawyer Lavi Soloway said, according to Times Colonist. "It doesn't matter how much time has passed and it doesn't matter how long it took to figure it out," Soloway said. "He and Richard sustained a constitutional injury for 40 years, and that should be corrected." LOS Calif. - An Australian man widowed by his American husband of more than three decades made a renewed pitch Monday for a green card after the Obama administration eased policies on gay marriage. The request came decades after the couple sued and lost an early effort to win immigration benefits for same-sex married couples, and less than a year after the Obama administration started issuing green cards to gay couples who marry. Adams died in 2012 in the couple's Hollywood home. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Tribeca Film Festival: The scenes are from the innovative National Film Board of Canada-produced project "Circa 1948," which includes an artistic 3-D app, a website and an interactive installation that launched in competition at Tribeca Film Festival's Storyscapes program in New York on Tuesday, according to Times Colonist. The free iPad and iPhone app, which also launched Tuesday, allows users to navigate their own way through two locations that were vibrant at that time but no longer exist today: The ethnically diverse Hogans Alley on the east side, and the old Hotel Vancouver in the west end and It's 1948 and a mysterious woman checks into the Hotel Vancouver, telling the front desk she's looking for her husband. Meanwhile, a local radio newscast announces a housing crisis for legions of homeless war vets, and a police constable confesses he's at the hotel to place a bet with a bookie. Renowned Vancouver-based visual artist Stan Douglas and the NFB Digital Studio co-created the so-called storyworld, which offers an immersive experience that takes users directly into the sights, sounds and headlines of the city back then. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Hafedh Rhouma: A Halifax man will stand trial in October on charges of immigration fraud, according to The Chronicle Herald. Rhouma pleaded not guilty earlier this month to charges of misrepresentation and counselling misrepresentation under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and one Criminal Code charge of forgery and Hafedh Rhouma, 48, appeared in Halifax provincial court Tuesday with immigration lawyer Lee Cohen to set dates for a trial. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.