nicolas billon: In a career spanning nearly half a century, Yoshi as he's known to the playwrights has translated more than 50 Canadian plays, for which he's earned honours like the Order of Canada in 2003, according to NOW Magazine. But while the artists whose work he translates are in the spotlight, Yoshi stays behind the scenes. What do Nicolas Billon, Morris Panych, Hannah Moscovitch and George F. Walker have in common They're big in Japan, thanks largely to one individual Toyoshi Yoshihara. In fact, he scarcely makes contact with the playwrights themselves. But according to Billon, who's had three plays translated by Yoshi The Elephant Song, Iceland and Butcher it's both. Translating a play without building a relationship with its playwright might make Yoshi's work seem more technical than artistic. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pic: In fourth place was A Bad Moms Christmas with 11.5 million that bumps up its domestic total to 39.8 million, and in fifth was the horror pic Jigsaw, in its third week in theatres which took in 3.4 million, according to Metro News. Among smaller releases, the coming-of-age pic Lady Bird cracked the top 10 in its expansion to only 37 theatres . The Greta Gerwig-directed film earned 1.2 million. It beat out newcomers like the comedy sequel Daddy's Home 2, which opened in second with a solid 29.7 million, and Kenneth Branagh's lush adaptation of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, which debuted in third with 28.7 million. The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theatres Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theatre locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by com Score 1. Daddy's Home 2, Paramount, 29,651,193, 3,575 locations, 8,294 average, 29,651,193, 1 Week.3. Thor Ragnarok, Disney, 57,078,306, 4,080 locations, 13,990 average, 212,068,013, 2 Weeks.2. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

australian citizens: Australia is rare if not unique in the world in banning dual nationals from sitting in Parliament, according to CTV. Pressure is growing to reform the 116-year-old constitution amid the growing uncertainty over how many byelections might result from the current crisis and which party might end up forming government. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's conservative coalition could lose two seats at byelections next month after government lawmaker John Alexander on Saturday resigned from Parliament because he had likely inherited British citizenship from his English-born father. Turnbull's conservative Liberal Party and the centre-left opposition Labor Party agreed to set a Dec. 1 deadline for senators to provide documented evidence that they are solely Australian citizens. Immigrant lawmakers must document steps they have taken to renounce their original nationalities. Australian-born lawmakers will have to provide details of their parents and grandparents' dates and countries of birth to demonstrate that they have not inherited a second nationality. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

blood sugar: An estimated one million Canadians currently living with the disease don't even know it, according to The Chronicle Herald. Find out where you stand by taking the Canadian Diabetes Risk Assessment Questionnaire CANRISK which uses the following criteria to determine how likely you are to develop the disease Your age and gender Your body mass index and waist circumference Your family history and ethnic background Your blood sugar and pressure Your lifestyle diet and exercise If you get a high score, don't panic. For the occasion, CDA is heading a month-long campaign urging Canadians to find out if they are at risk of prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes. There are many ways you can minimize your risk, on your own or with the help of a doctor, such as Being physically active Limiting trans fats and sugar in your diet and eating regular, balanced meals Reducing your alcohol intake Not smoking Monitoring and controlling your cholesterol levels and blood pressure If you start to experience symptoms of diabetes which include unusual thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, blurred vision and unexpected weight change consult your healthcare provider immediately. Because early detection is key, take a few minutes this November to find out if you should make some lifestyle changes before it's too late. While the complications of diabetes can be severe, they can mostly be prevented with proper management. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

counter-insurgency operation: Maung Maung Soe was transferred from his post as head of Western Command in Rakhine, where Myanmar's military, known as the Tatmadaw, launched a sweeping counter-insurgency operation in August, according to CBC. I don't know the reason why he was transferred, said Maj.-Gen. Maj.-Gen. Aye Lwin, deputy director of the psychological warfare and public relations department at the Ministry of Defence. Did the UN ignore warnings of ethnic cleansing of Rohingya in Myanmar Some 600,000 refugees later, Ottawa digs in on dealing with Myanmar on Rohingya crisis The move comes ahead of the visit on Wednesday by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is expected to deliver a stern message to Myanmar's generals, over whom national leader Aung San Suu Kyi, criticized in the West for failing to halt atrocities, has little control. He wasn't moved into any position at present; he has been put in reserve. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

country: Suu Kyi is a Nobel peace laureate for her leadership of the democracy movement in Myanmar but she has come under widespread criticism as her country's civilian leader because of violence that has caused many in the Rohingya minority to flee the country, according to Metro News. In a statement, Geldof says he will turn his award in at City Hall on Monday morning. The founder of Live Aid says Suu Kyi is a handmaiden to genocide whose association with Ireland's capital shames us all. He says he is a proud Dubliner and does not want the ceremonial title while Suu Kyi also holds it. Myanmar is a Buddhist-majority country that doesn't recognize Rohingya as an ethnic group, contending they are Bengali migrants from neighbouring Bangladesh living illegally in the country. He says that her association with our city shames us all and we should have no truck with it, even by default. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

math teacher: Lonny doesn't seem to mind, since he keeps coming back to visit, according to CBC. Their mother, Suzan Al-Malouhi, is still learning English, but she knows exactly how to describe her children as she watches them move the cat from room to room. She and her brother Abdul Razak, 5, love to carry Lonny around their Halifax apartment that way. They are very hyper, she says. They left Syria in 2011 and lived for five years in Lebanon, where she worked as a French, science and math teacher. Unable to find work, many Syrian refugees reluctantly turn to social assistance Syrian refugees bump N.S. population to record high but will they stay Al-Malouhi and her husband have five children, ranging in age from four to 17. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fall meeting: But he said recent policies and attitudes have often been rooted in unfounded anxiety about people who look, talk and even think differently, according to The Chronicle Herald. That fear is present both within and outside the church, he said. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, Texas, affirmed the government's authority to protect national security. The forces of division prey on our fear of the unfamiliar, the different. They tempt us to see a threat in the stranger. But fear is not of God, said DiNardo, in an address to the bishops' fall meeting in Baltimore. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

halifax home: It was important to Khalaf to feed the guests from CBC at her Halifax home, according to CBC. The table spoke of a family, which includes six children, eager to share their happiness with others. She and her daughter had also spent hours hand-rolling two heaping platters of glistening, stuffed grape leaves, which they set on a long table loaded with other Syrian delicacies. It was all so different 16 months ago. All our morales were really very degraded, Khalaf said through an interpreter. When we left Syria, we left it in a state of war. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

press analysis: Three of every four are white men, with few African-Americans and Hispanics in the mix, according to Metro News. The last president to nominate a similarly homogenous group was George H.W. Bush. So far, 91 per cent of Trump's nominees are white, and 81 per cent are male, an Associated Press analysis has found. The shift could prove to be one of Trump's most enduring legacies. That puts him in position to significantly reshape the courts that decide thousands of civil rights, environmental, criminal justice and other disputes across the country. These are lifetime appointments, and Trump has inherited both an unusually high number of vacancies and an aging population of judges. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

people: In silence, Parisians and tourists were pausing in front of the commemorative plaque with the names of the 90 victims of the attack at the Paris concert hall, according to The Chronicle Herald. Many were crying. A crowd of people is paying tribute to the victims of the Nov. 13, 2015, attacks, laying roses and lighting candles near the Bataclan concert hall. Massive security was deployed in the streets of the capital near the sites of the attack. Show them we don't forget. Parisian Elisabeth Bornand, 56, white roses in her hand, said I came to show my support to the injured people, the victims' families. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

school teacher: That's one reason why she thinks her colleagues should be involved.B'Dacy has been an elementary school teacher in Ontario for more than 20 years, according to Rabble. She's not in the classroom now, having become an executive officer of the Elementary Teachers of Toronto, a member of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario. These aren't issues immediately concerning most members of her union, she said. The executive has decided to be more involved with social causes, whether that means writing letters to politicians or showing up at protests. Whenever people see teachers with posters, they just assume we're on strike for more money, B'Dacy said, noting the public often has a hard time separating teachers as a profession from the causes they support. Some people get confused at this tactic. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

school: Many schools nevertheless have concerns about the U.S. political climate and fear that it could drive students away, according to Toronto Star. While 45 per cent of schools saw declines in international enrolment, nearly a third said their numbers have increased since last year, the survey found. The Institute of International Education reported Monday that the number of new students coming from abroad fell by an average of 7 per cent at nearly 500 colleges and universities surveyed this fall, but said the results from school to school are more mixed than many had feared. The remaining 24 per cent said they saw no change. Article Continued Below The White House's proposed travel bans and separate reports of violence against immigrants had fueled fears of a sharp decline in students coming from abroad. It's definitely a wake-up call, but by no means is it a crisis, and it does not come anywhere close to the precipitous decline and plummeting of numbers that the entire sector had been predicting, said Rajika Bhandari, head of research, policy and practice for the non-profit group based in New York. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

school: The report, which is subject to approval by board trustees, said the program should be discontinued, but the board should continue to work with police to ensure a safe school environment, according to CTV. In the face of this data, we have a clear duty to act on behalf of our students, and address the concerns they have brought to our attention, it said. The report from staff at the Toronto District School Board follows a six-week period during which students, staff and parents at the affected schools were surveyed and student focus groups and community meetings were held to assess the School Resource Officer program. The SRO program, which was suspended at the end of August, saw police officers deployed at 45 TDSB high schools in an effort to improve safety and perceptions of police. Critics of the program argued that armed officers in schools intimidate students. It was implemented in 2008 after 15-year-old Jordan Manners was shot and killed at C. W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute the previous year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

university: The university was hosting Remembrance Day ceremonies in the gym that morning, according to Toronto Star. Photos of the posters obtained by the Ubyssey student newspaper show what appears to be images of Nazis with the words the true heroes of WW2. Philip Steenkamp, UBC's vice-president of external relations, says in a statement that the disturbing posters were discovered on War Memorial Gym on Saturday. Steenkamp says campus security took down the posters as soon as they were made aware of them. Once again, we see anti-Semitism and neo-Nazism raising their ugly heads at a B.C. university, said Michael Mostyn, Chief Executive Officer of B'nai Brith Canada. Article Continued Below He says the university takes incidents of hate and racism very seriously.B'nai Brith Canada issued a statement on Sunday condemning those who put the posters up. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

words decades: Writer-director Charles Burnett said getting an Oscar eases the sting of a teacher's heartless words decades ago, according to CTV. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu dedicated his award to immigrants worldwide. Donald Sutherland wanted to thank the characters he's played. And cinematographer Owen Roizman was moved to tears at the film academy's ninth annual Governors Awards. The recipients of the honorary statuettes were selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 54-member board of governors. Hollywood took a break Saturday from its growing sexual harassment crisis to present the first Oscars of the season to four film-industry veterans and a virtual-reality project. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

alturkmani: I found myself going down, cleaning the street, Alturkmani says through an interpreter, according to CBC. Here I thought I was doing good, helping people by cleaning the entrance of the building. After he and his wife moved with their young daughter and two teenage sons into the Halifax apartment that would become their home, he decided he wanted to give back to the community that had welcomed his family. Alturkmani smiles as he recalls how he swept up what he thought was dirt It turned out to be salt, put down to de-ice the sidewalk. Seeking work, finding frustration But Alturkmani, a former school bus driver, is still out of work and he's not the only one. We have so many people with us who have the desire to work and to be productive, he says. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

anti-racism rally: The defacement was captured in a video posted online, according to CTV. In an accompanying statement, a group claimed responsibility. The monument was spray painted red. In the statement, the group said that while they were not affiliated with any of the organizations involved in Sunday's anti-racism rally, their motive for the vandalism was inspired in part by movements in the USA to target public symbols of white supremacy such as Confederate statues. Statues and monuments honouring some of Canada's founders have been criticized in recent years, with activists pointing to their treatment of the country's First Nations and other minorities as black marks on Canadian history. The statement was posted to the Facebook page of Sunday's demonstration by activist Jaggi Singh. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadians: Motorists see sights along the way, shop, take all the stuff they want and have a vehicle to get around while there, according to Toronto Star. Cheaper than paying for airfare and car rental you do, however, require more time because it takes a couple of days to drive there and back. About 3.5 million Canadians head to the Sunshine State annually, according to Florida tourism data, and about 40 per cent drive down in cars, RVs or on motorcycles. Here's some of the planning and preparation it takes to ensure a safe and enjoyable Article Continued Below Have documents handy and organized before arrival at a border crossing. Canadians are exempt from the requirement that passports or NEXUS cards don't expire until six months after exiting the U.S., but that doesn't include people of other nationalities travelling with us. You'll be asked how long you plan to visit, where you live, your citizenship and where you'll be staying and may be asked for documentation, such as accommodation bookings and addresses. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

greek citizenship: First, Greek citizenship excluded women, slaves, foreigners, people owing debts to the state, etc. about 80 per cent of the populace, according to Toronto Star. Second, about 100 Athenian state positions were determined by election and not lot. However his assertion that ancient Greek democracy was superior to ours is incorrect. These included the generals and financial officers. Third, there is the matter of the death penalty for inadequate performance while in office. Actually, financial officers were usually wealthy citizens so that any funds they embezzled could be recovered. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

parliament: Rajoy's visit to Catalonia's main city was his first to the northeastern region since he used extraordinary powers to stifle its secession push, according to CBC. After Catalonia's Parliament voted Oct. 27 in favor of declaring independence, Rajoy responded by firing its government, dissolving its parliament and calling the early election. Rajoy told members of his conservative Popular Party in Barcelona that we want a massive turnout to open up a new period of normalcy. Catalan leader opens door to secession from Spain after referendum Spain's Constitution says the nation is indivisible. The threat of the separatists is destructive, sad and agonizing. It's urgent to return a sense of normality to Catalonia and do so as soon as possible to lower the social and economic tensions, Rajoy said Sunday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

prairie landscape: It boasts the beautiful prairie landscape, the boreal wildness and a riverbank rich for fishing, according to CBC. Through the Landing Well Retreat Centre, they also hope to share all that Manitoba's nature has to offer with people who are new to the country to help make them feel at home. Kerri and Raia Bryan have 120 acres of land near Prawda, about 100 kilometres east of Winnipeg. We just thought wouldn't be wonder if we could bring new Canadians to bring that same peace that we experience there, Kerri said on CBC Radio's Weekend Morning Show. Nadia Kidwai/CBC About 10 years ago, Kerri and her husband were living and working in central Winnipeg at different schools. Raia, left, and Kerri Bryan, a mother-daughter duo, are fundraising to renovate an old train station into the Landing Well Retreat Centre. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

scott: Many Puerto Ricans have expressed outrage over Trump's handling of the storm but have applauded efforts by Republican Gov, according to CTV. Rick Scott to welcome them. Both parties are actively courting new arrivals to Florida, which President Donald Trump won last year by 112,000 votes out of 9.6 million cast. As U.S. citizens, Puerto Ricans can vote in federal elections when they move to the mainland. Newcomers must register as voters by next July 30 to vote in primaries ahead of the 2018 general election of a new governor to replace term-limited Scott and choose Florida's congressional delegation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

state home: Gonzalez, 38, saw the storm destroy the restaurant he opened with his father five years ago, according to Metro News. Without power or reliable water, he became violently ill from food poisoning for three weeks. More than a million Puerto Ricans about 5 per cent of Florida's population already call the state home, and given the outrage many feel over President Donald Trump's handling of the storm, political observers say this voting bloc could loosen the Republican Party's hold on this battleground state. Finally, he packed his bags, determined to make his future in Miami instead. We were desperate for help. There is resentment, and we feel abandoned compared to Texas and Florida, Gonzalez said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syria: Then the waiting began, according to Toronto Star. As Syria plunged into a full-scale civil war in 2011, the 62-year-old businessman became desperate to get himself and his family to safety in Canada and repeatedly hounded Canadian immigration officials for updates on the application That ended last November when Sabee was killed in a bombing. He invested 120,000 in cash into the province's economy through Desjardins Trust Inc., an intermediary, and took out a loan to finance the balance of the required 400,000 total to meet the threshold of the immigration program in exchange for permanent residency. He had remained at his home in Aleppo with his wife to guard his property after smuggling his children out of Syria. Article Continued Below If we had received our immigrant visa as was promised to my father, we could all be living together in Canada now in safety. Now his wife and three grown children all refugees in limbo across France and Germany are fighting to get a refund on his investment in Canada after immigration officials rejected the family's application because the principal applicant is no longer alive. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

thor ragnarok: The film, from Disney and Marvel and directed by Taika Waititi, out-grossed each of its two predecessors domestically in just two weeks, not accounting for inflation, according to CTV. It easily beat out the comedy sequel Daddy's Home 2 and the lavish Agatha Christie adaptation Murder on the Orient Express, even as both posted solid openings. Studios estimated Sunday that Thor Ragnarok added 56.6 million from North American theatres in its second weekend, bringing its domestic total to 211.6 million. Paramount scored again with Daddy's Home 2, which adds John Lithgow and Mel Gibson to the Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg formula. The first film from 2015 grossed 242.8 million worldwide on a similar budget. The film, which cost a reported 69 million to produce, took second place at the box office with 30 million. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.