byelection candidate: In an interview, Tyler Thompson said her foray into politics began in 2017 when she learned about a B.C. government policy to teach sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary schools, according to CTV. She campaigned hard against the policy, running for the local school board in Burnaby last fall with that as her main issue. Bernier is defending the appointment of former Christian talk-show host Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson to be the Burnaby South byelection candidate for the party he founded after parting ways with the Conservative party in August. She finished 11th out of 13 candidates but said she got enough votes to convince her she was speaking for a silent majority who stay quiet so they aren't called bigots but feel the way she does about not exposing children to an ideology at school. The other side was extremely surprised. I got 15,622 votes, she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

business model: Merrymount is seeking 370,000 this year and 240,000 next year from the city, according to CTV. The bridge funding will maintain programs and prevent bed closures until a more sustainable business model is in place in 2021. Councillor Phil Squire says, Will the federal government step up and provide a contribution Will the provincial government Squire values the work Merrymount does in the community, but wants city staff to investigate other funding sources to fill the budget shortfalls. This demand that I see really arose out of an emergency circumstance - immigration circumstance - with the Yazidis who were facing extreme persecution, Squire says. The organization stepped in to provide therapy to young children kidnapped by ISIS and forced to become child soldiers who are now living in London. According to Merrymount about 400 Yazidi refugees have settled in London after escaping genocide at the hands of ISIS in northern Iraq and Syria. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

edwin starr: The video surfaced in a failed attempt to discredit the new member of Congress as she was sworn in as the youngest woman ever elected to the U.S. House of response to the online criticism was short and brilliant, tweeting a video of herself dancing into her new congressional office, according to Rabble. The video got tremendous attention. While she may not have uttered precisely those words, the sense of the phrase was on full display in the U.S. Congress last week, as a video circulated of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez dancing with friends while she was an undergraduate at Boston University 10 years ago. What was largely overlooked was the tune that she was dancing to the classic 1970 anti-war anthem War, sung by Edwin Starr. War, What is it good for Absolutely nothing, the chorus goes. It rocketed to No. 1 in the summer of 1970, and has been a staple anthem against war ever since. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

police: There are exceptions for people who consumed the alcohol that put them over the limit after they stopped driving but it falls on the motorist to prove that, according to CTV. The two-hour rule means police no longer have to catch an impaired driver before they leave their vehicle. The changes, which took effect last month, make it a criminal offence to have too high of a blood-alcohol level within two hours of driving. Officers can show up at a suspect's home or workplace, or wherever else they may be, demanding a breath sample. They're going to make it more difficult for the police and the prosecutors, and they're going to make it more difficult for the average citizen. These new changes are radical, Calgary-based criminal defence lawyer Ian Savage told CTVNews.ca. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

surplus labor: We may not be in an actual two quarter growth draw down by May but will feel like it and will likely to be happening in per capita terms, according to Rabble. Here's my best guess for where we'll be at by May How will this impact the election The Coalition is planning to campaign on three ; economic management and a surplus;Labor's supposed tax hikes, andborder security. Economy Australian Politics Australian Property Australian Shares Australian Dollar Australian interest rates Australian banks Australian budget Global Macro Carbon Economy China Economy European Economy New Zealand EconomyUS Housing Commodities Iron ore price Australian LNGGold End site-header ; Primary Section Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Reddit -Which party will benefit from the recession election By Houses and Holes in Australian Economy, Australian Politicsat 12 20 am on January 11, 2019 72 ; A recession election is coming. The first is about to become a liability. To fix that, Josh Recessionberg will have to swing to a framework of how the surplus has positioned the nation for new stimulus yada, yada, yada. It's all very well to crow about surpluses in the good times but in the bad it just looks like penny pinching. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hockey bus: Guilty plea The driver of a transport truck involved in a deadly crash with the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team's bus has pleaded guilty to all 29 charges against him. 2, according to CTV. Trump's address In a televised plea, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Democrats to fund his border wall, blaming illegal immigration for an increase of drugs and violence in America. 3. Here's what else you need to know to start your day. 1. DNA samples Phoenix police have served a search warrant to get DNA from all male employees at a long-term care facility where a patient who has been in a vegetative state for years gave birth. 4. New technology First-time exhibitors at this year's CES gadget show include multiple companies unlikely to be thought of as tech titans, including John Deere, The North Face and Oral-B. One more thing... Mr. Indigenous protesters Rallies were held across the country in support of Wet'suwet'en First Nation following the arrest of several Indigenous people at a pipeline protest in B.C. 5. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tito: I'm happy, according to CTV. I'm overwhelmed, Joseph Tito said while standing in Pearson International Airport Wednesday afternoon. I'm excited. I still can't believe I am here. When he tried to make arrangements to bring his babies back home, he learned that they weren't immediately eligible to become Canadian citizens. Tito travelled to Mombasa with his mother in December to meet his newborn twin daughters, named Mia and Stella, who were born on Nov. 30. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

press conference: After the 18-year-old refused to board a flight from the Thai capital to Kuwait on Monday, she barricaded herself inside an airport hotel room, according to CTV. The United Nation's refugee agency has declared the teenager is a legitimate refugee. Canadian authorities, in behind-the-scenes conversations, have indicated they would be open to taking in Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, who fled her family and renounced Islam, which is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia. I was told by UNHCR that there are several countries offering asylum but we can't be rushed, Maj. Surachate Hakparn, head of Thai Immigration Police, told reporters at a press conference. Gen. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

company today: The four-day consumer-electronics show opens Tuesday with some 4,500 companies exhibiting products and services and more than 180,000 people expected to attend, according to CTV. It's the place startups and established tech giants alike go to unveil everything from utilitarian apps to splashy devices. But they're first-time exhibitors at this year's CES gadget show, along with other unlikely newcomers such as missile-maker Raytheon, outdoorsy retailer The North Face and the 115-year-old motorcycling icon Harley-Davidson. So what are these legacy companies doing here Every company today is a technology company, said Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, which organizes CES. Shapiro said many companies already send executives to Las Vegas each January to gauge trends, so it's not surprising that they eventually unveil their own new technology as well. We're still doing old-fashioned things Ordering clothes, buying detergent, getting a cup of coffee, but there are new-fangled ways of doing it, he said. It's also part of a more fundamental economic shift as consumers increasingly expect to buy not just goods and services, but a personal experience, which often skews digital, said Dipanjan Chatterjee, a brand analyst at Forrester Research. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

daughter ashah: Haley Ryan / Star Metro The charges stem from an incident on Oct. 25 when Isaac Saney, a Dalhousie University professor and member of the school's Black Faculty & Staff Caucus, was getting on a bus in downtown Halifax with his then four-month-old daughter Ashah in a stroller, according to Toronto Star. Telling his story in November, Saney said that a white woman in her 40s and a white male in his late teens barged ahead and said to Saney, In Canada don't you know there's priorities about who can board this bus Saney said he told the two that people with strollers, persons with disabilities and seniors are given boarding priority. Isaac Saney, a Dalhousie University professor, says he and his daughter Ashah were the targets of a racist incident on a Halifax Transit bus last month. Saney said they began making anti-immigrant, racist comments about people being let in to Canada and people who don't have manners. Read more Halifax man says his family faced racism on a city bus. Article Continued Below When Saney told them he found their comments unacceptable and asked them to stop, he said the woman got up and shouted, Do you want us to really be f-ing racist We can be f-ing racist, and told Saney to shut the f-k up. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rohingya refugees: Rohingya refugees cross the border near Anzuman Para village in Bangladesh after fleeing from Myanmar, according to Toronto Star. The UN has launched a new campaign to raise awareness and support for refugees. On Tuesday, the agency kicked off the 2 Billion Kilometres to Safety campaign to challenge the world to simulate refugees' journeys for safety by logging the daily distance they travel, raising funds for those in need of protection and petitioning for the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration that was endorsed by UN member states in December. Roger Arnold / UNHCR Every day, we are inspired by the acts of kindness from people who are doing their very best to improve life for refugees the activists, the communities hosting refugees, businesses, donors, volunteers. At a time when we are facing so many misconceptions about refugees, it is vital that we remind ourselves of the real and dangerous journeys they are forced to take. This campaign will encourage people to support refugees through something they are already doing walking, cycling, running, said the UN Refugee Agency's Deputy High Commissioner Kelly T. Clements. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

van attack: Aleksandra Kozhevnikova, shown in her North York apartment in December, was badly injured in last spring's van attack on Yonge St, according to Toronto Star. Cole Burston / For Toronto Star When the rented van finally stopped, 10 people were dead and 16 others were seriously injured. At least she did until last April 23, when a van plowed into pedestrians on Yonge St., taking the elderly widow and grandmother down in one of the most devastating and deadly attacks Canada has ever witnessed. Alek Minassian, 26, has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder. The insurer had an in-house investigator dig into Kozhevnikova's benefit claims and hired a law firm to question her about her injuries under oath, according to documents obtained by the Star. The attack left Kozhevnikova in a wheelchair and requiring physical and psychological care that AIG Insurance the insurer of Ryder Truck Rental Canada Ltd., the company that rented the van to Minassian has largely declined to pay. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

claim: Instead, she has been allowed to enter Thailand temporarily under the protection of the U.N. refugee agency, which was expected to take about five to seven days to study her case and her claim for asylum, according to CTV. She said she wants to go to Australia to seek refuge there. Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun grabbed global attention when she sent out pleas for help via social media, saying she feared for her life if she were put on a plane back to Kuwait, where she had slipped away from her family, or her homeland. We will not send anyone to die. We will adhere to human rights under the rule of law, said Thai Immigration Police chief Maj. We will not do that. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

billie eilish: You may know some names, and plenty will be brand new, but we're confident that your new favourite is to be found here, according to Rabble. Don't forget to listen to them all in our playlists on Spotify and Apple Music, and you can read our headline interview with the most talked-about teen on the planet, Billie Eilish, right here. You'll find the rappers ready to take drill mainstream, the punk bands ready to change the nation and the pop stars and bands ready to take festival season and beyond by storm. We've done it in alphabetical order no rankings here, they're all winners across two pages, so hit next' when you reach the bottom. Why you're going to love her You probably already do even if you don't realise it. 070 Shake was one of the highlights of the Kanye-produced albums Ye', Nasir' by Nas and Daytona' by Pusha T bringing her unique voice and energy to each, effortlessly putting herself in the same league as rap's greats. Compiled by Thomas Smith, NME New Music Editor Words Jordan Bassett, Andrew Trendell, El Hunt, Tom Connick, Dan Stubbs, Rhian Daly, Sam Moore Latest News The NME 100 Essential new artists for 2019 Neil and Pegi Young Credit Getty Neil Young pays tribute after ex-wife Pegi dies at the age of 66 David Beckham and Cillian Murphy in 'Peaky Blinders' Credit Getty/BBC David Beckham collaborates with Peaky Blinders' on new clothing line Sharethrough Mobile 070 Shake The Kanye-approved rapper bringing emotion to glitchy rap bangers From North Bergen, USASounds like Dark, moody rap that dares you to confront your inner feelings For fans of Kanye West, Drake, She transcends other emo rappers by trying to find the beauty in her pain. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

chinese police: He was locked up for three weeks and eventually deported, according to CTV. Cigana wanted to share his experience with the Chinese legal system after two Canadians -- Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor -- were arrested there in December. Jason Cigana, a 39-year-old originally from the Montreal area, had been living and working in China's southern city of Shenzhen for six years when he was arrested by Chinese police in October. The Chinese government has said both Kovrig and Spavor were arrested on national-security grounds. Although his case is different from Kovrig's and Spavor's, Cigana's experience offers a rare look at how China handles people, including foreigners, while they are in custody. Their detentions appear to be in retaliation for Canada's arrest of Huawei senior executive Meng Wanzhou at the request of the United States. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

violence: The new year has made that hope harder to cling to, as signs of violence are now breaking out into the open and can no longer be swept under the rug, according to Rabble. The analysis probably seemed to many to be speculative and premature, pointing to something that might someday come to pass, while in the meantime, there was still hope that such a time would never actually arrive. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

energy sector: Many spoke about the economic situation in Western Canada, according to CTV. They said they want more money in their pockets instead of being taxed and more support for pipelines and jobs in the oil industry. Travelling from Virden to Brandon, the group protested Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a range of issues connected to the oil sector and taxation. Organizers said the line of vehicles was almost 10 kilometers long. But he said it's not just the energy sector struggling and believes there are many people who can't afford any more taxes. Rick Walker has worked in the oil business on and off for 30 years and helped organize the event. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

freddie mercury: But Cooper's remake went home with just one award, for the song Shallow, according to CTV. Instead, the night's final two awards went to Bohemian Rhapsody -- the popular but poorly reviewed drama about Queen's frontman, a movie that wrapped after jettisoning its director, Bryan Singer -- and best actor-winner Rami Malek for his full-bodied, prosthetic teeth-aided performance as Mercury. A Star Is Born came into Sunday's ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, as the presumed heavyweight and Oscar favourite. Thank you to Freddie Mercury for giving me the joy of a lifetime, said Malek. Few nominees were considered more of a sure thing than Lady Gaga as best actress in a drama. This is for you, gorgeous. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wonder: You start to wonder if all of these things are connected, according to CTV. But at the same time, they could just be arbitrary events. You look at what's going on and you wonder if this is just a large game of pieces being moved around, David Whelan told the AP via Skype from Newmarket, Ontario. Asked about the matter by reporters at the White House on Sunday, President Donald Trump said We're looking into that. His arrest has led to speculation that Russia could be using him to bargain for a Russian woman who has pleaded guilty to acting as a foreign agent in the U.S. But Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Saturday that discussing a possible swap involving Whelan and Maria Butina would be premature because Whelan hasn't been formally charged, according to Russian news agencies. Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine who also holds Canadian, British and Irish citizenship, was detained in Moscow in late December. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

american president: Carl de Souza/AFP/Getty Images Many pundits believe centrism is dead as a viable political movement a thesis spurred on by recent global events, according to Rabble. The election of an American President who refers to an ethnic group as potential rapists and murderers is unprecedented in the modern post-war era. Ronil Singh Then British prime minister Tony Blair L stands next to former U.S. president Bill Clinton after the latter's speech at the annual Labour Party conference at the GMEX Centre in Manchester, north-west England, 27 September 2006. But Trump is not an anomaly. From Europe to the Middle East to Asia and even Latin America, populist nationalism appears to be on the march. The last decade has seen several rabble-rousing right-wing leaders rise to prominence worldwide. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

burkina faso: They were last heard from on Dec. 15 when Blais posted photos from their trip to Facebook, according to CTV. We're really worried because the communications stopped abruptly and every kind of activity, every trace just completely vanished, Blais' sister, Melanie Blais, told CTV News. In a Facebook group, the family of Edith Blais, said she and her friend Luca Tacchetto were driving through Burkina Faso when they disappeared. Blais, who is from Sherbrooke, Que., met Tacchetto, a 30-year-old architect, in Canada two years ago, the family said. They were on their way to neighbouring Togo to work on a humanitarian project, the Facebook group said. The travellers were on their way to the capital Ouagadougou from Bobo-Dioulasso, the country's second largest city, when communications between them and their families stopped abruptly. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

department: Ronil Editorials If province taking over subways, Metrolinx must up game Columnists Relax, it's OK to make light of Trudeau's India trip Columnists A week out in the woods the calm before the chaos Columnists Say his name RIP Cpl, according to Rabble. Ronil Singh This undated photo provided by the Newman Police Department shows officer Ronil Singh of Newman Police Department who was killed early Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, in the town of Newman, Calif. Ronil Singh Michelle Malkin Published January 5, 2019Updated January 5, 2019 6 00 PM ESTFiled Under Toronto SUNOpinion Columnists Share Say his name RIP Cpl. Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department via APIn the still of the last night of 2018, the silence of California Dems chilled the air and airwaves. Kamala Harris tweeted three times between Christmas and New Year's Eve bemoaning the plight of illegal immigrants and their children. Border wall opponent Sen. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

media coverage: We are considering serious disciplinary action for those who were involved and contributed to approving a plate that is so obviously inappropriate at a time when there was significant media coverage about the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, etc, Ward wrote, according to CTV. This is a very serious lack of judgment for those who were involved in doing the research and/or approving the plate for issue. The email from vice-president Keith Ward to registrar of motor vehicles Carla Hocken on April 24, 2017, said approving the licence plate did not follow MPI procedures and required immediate action. Nick Troller filed a legal challenge against MPI over its decision to revoke the personalized plate. He put the ASIMIL8 plate in a border that stated We are the Borg and Resistance is futile. Troller is an avid fan of the Star Trek TV franchise and in 2015 got the plate which features a well-known saying by the alien race the Borg. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

policy move: Year-over-year average hourly wage growth for permanent employees was 1.49 per cent -- up slightly from its November reading of 1.46 per cent, but much lower than its peak last May of 3.9 per cent, according to CTV. Experts have been expecting wages to rise as more people find work. But even in a job market that has tightened over the past year the agency's latest data release shows the key indicator of wage growth continued to show weakness in December. Instead, its sharp deceleration since the middle of last year is viewed as a good reason for the Bank of Canada to wait a little longer before hiking interest rates. I think, if anything, this completely takes the likelihood of a policy move any time in the next three months down to zero. There's just no way that this figure does not give the Bank of Canada more space to wait and see before raising interest rates, Ranko Berich, head analyst at Monex Canada and Monex Europe, said in an interview. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee board: We have appointed many, many, many judges to be able to have hearings in places like Calgary and Vancouver and invested again in the IRB to hire more staff, to be able to introduce innovations that speed up the process without compromising a fair due process, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said in Calgary Friday, according to Toronto Star. Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS file photo Refugees are now waiting close to two years to have their cases heard. Just over 64,000 refugee claims including nearly 35,000 irregular arrivals and those from various other streams are awaiting a decision from the Immigration and Refugee Board. We have appointed many, many, many judges to be able to have hearings in places like Calgary and Vancouver and invested again in the IRB to hire more staff, to be able to introduce innovations that speed up the process without compromising a fair due process, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said in Calgary Friday. Article Continued Below The independent review identified persistent and systemic problems and a history of failure to manage spikes in asylum claims and backlogs. I'm very confident that the recommendations that were made in the independent review by Neil Yeates will enable us to move forward. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

travis: The person who wrote BCLC's reply is now the director of its anti-money laundering unit, according to CTV. Red flags were put up and red flags were ignored, said Dermod Travis, with watchdog organization Integrity BC. Travis said the timeline of these warnings just a year after 2009, when the previous Liberal government shut down an RCMP illegal gambling task force, claiming it wasn't effective shows that criminals were only too happy to take advantage. The agency's response at the time dismiss the concerns, according to records newly uncovered through a Freedom of Information request. What BCLC's response said, and what this disbandment of the RCMP force said was, Open for business, Travis said. In 2010, officials noticed a dramatic increase of big buy-ins using small denomination bills, including one man who was able to buy in 3.5 million over two months, according to a letter from the public safety ministry's gambling watchdog. The current government needs to get out in front of this and call a public inquiry. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.