experience independence: Today, and for years to come, I will work in support of freedom for women around the world, Mohammed said through a translator, according to National Observer. The same freedom I experienced on my first day I arrived in Canada. Rahaf Mohammed said her arrival in Toronto has allowed her to join the ranks of the lucky ones who experience independence in their everyday lives, something she contends is denied to women in her home country. ; In her first public statement since her arrival on Saturday, the 18-year-old said she intends to fight to allow other women to experience the new privileges she now enjoys as a Canadian resident. Mohammed won global attention last week when she fled her family while visiting Kuwait and flew to Bangkok, Thailand. She landed in Toronto after the Canadian government said it had agreed to resettle her at the request of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She barricaded herself in an airport hotel room and launched a Twitter campaign outlining allegations of abuse against her relatives accusations her family members have denied. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

police officer: The number of those killed at the DusitD2 complex rose with the discovery of six more bodies at the scene and the death of a wounded police officer, said Joseph Boinnet, inspector-general of Kenyan police, according to Vancouver Courier. Twenty-eight people were hurt and taken to the hospital, he said.article continues below Trending Stories Beloved Vancouver bakeshop East Village Bakery closing after six years Vancouver actress and nephew reported missing in B.C. Vancouver restaurant on rat found in its soup this incident did not happen'Police seek accused 'sugar daddy' scammer In a televised address to the nation earlier in the day, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that the all-night operation by security forces to retake the complex was over and that all of the extremists had been killed. Two people accused of facilitating the attack were arrested. We will seek out every person that was involved in the funding, planning and execution of this heinous act, he vowed. Security camera footage released to local media showed a suicide bomber blowing himself up in a grassy area in the complex, the flash visible along with smoke billowing from the spot where he had been standing. In an attack that demonstrated al-Shabab's continued ability to strike Kenya's capital despite setbacks on the battlefield, extremists stormed the place with guns and explosives. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

buenos aires: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a closing press conference at the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018, according to Toronto Star. Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O'Regan is also on the move, possibly taking over Indigenous Services from Philpott. The Canadian Press has confirmed that Philpott will take over the post occupied by longtime Liberal Scott Brison, who precipitated the shuffle last week with his unexpected resignation. He has cancelled an event scheduled to take place Monday in his home province of Newfoundland and Labrador.CBC reported O'Regan's move to Indigenous Services as a certainty Sunday.A Nova Scotia backbencher speculation Sunday centred on Sean Fraser or Bernadette Jordan will also be added to the cabinet lineup to fill Brison's role as that province's cabinet representative. Article Continued Below The shuffle is expected to be small, with as few adjustments as possible to fill the void of Brison's departure. The newcomer could take over O'Regan's file at Veterans Affairs. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cabinet: The shuffle puts the size of the federal cabinet at 36 members, including Trudeau, according to CTV. This is the largest number of seats around the cabinet table during this government's term in office. The changes were, in the prime minister's mind, an opportunity to put strong performers in important files and continue to demonstrate our capacity to deliver on a broad range of priorities for Canadians, Trudeau said, speaking to reporters after unveiling his changes to the ministerial roster. The gender balance is retained with the changes. This spot needed filling after long-time MP Scott Brison announced last week that he was resigning from cabinet because he will not be seeing re-election in 2019. Trudeau moved minister Jane Philpott into the newly-vacated role as president of the Treasury Board and minister of digital government. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

indian immigration: The regulation was implemented as a way to curb Indian immigration to Canada, according to CTV. The Japanese stream ship sailed into the banks of Vancouver's Burrard Inlet in May 1914 and was anchored there for two months, forcing the passengers to live in deplorable conditions. Toor's grandfather was one of 376 passengers aboard the Komagata Maru who were hoping to challenge immigration laws, which at the time, refused entry to anyone from India who was not arriving via a continuous journey. Only 20 passengers who had previously lived in Canada were allowed to disembark and the ship was turned away. Dozens were imprisoned, including Toor's grandfather, or forced into hiding. When it returned to India, 19 of the passengers were shot and killed in a riot with British authorities. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

issue: The sniping on that has already started in earnest, according to Rabble. The federal Conservative leader stands shoulder-to-shoulder with four provincial premiers promising to resist the carbon tax with all the force they can muster. Climate change -- and what to do or not do about it -- will be one unavoidable issue in the campaigns to come. But the climate and the environment will not be the only big issue. Again, it is the Conservatives who are on the attack, evoking the spectre of a flood of what they call illegal migrants into the country. Identity and its twin, migration, are also shaping up to be major sources of political dispute in 2019. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

refugee status: Ensaf Haidar, wife of the jailed Saudi Arabian blogger Raif Badawi, shows a portrait of her husband as he is awarded the Sakharov Prize, in Strasbourg, France, according to Toronto Star. Haidar isn't worried Ottawa's decision to take in teen refugee Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun will hurt her husband's case, even though there is speculation that the incident could further strain Canada-Saudi relations. Ensaf Haidar said the Canadian government did the right thing in granting refugee status to the 18-year-old woman who drew global attention after fleeing her allegedly abusive family. Christian Lutz / AP I'm happy for her, Haidar said in a phone interview. That's what a democratic country is. I'm very proud of Canada, too. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

station west: The collision injured nearly two dozen more and its cause is still uncertain, according to CTV. Yet even as the city grieved with the families of those killed and police continued their investigation, the chair of the federal Transportation Safety Board took aim at the federal government for not doing more to increase bus safety. All three were public servants in the federal government. Bruce Thomlinson, 56, Judy Booth, 57, and Anja Van Beek, 65, were fatally hurt when a double-decker bus slammed into a shelter at a station west of downtown Ottawa at the start of the evening rush hour on Friday. Thomlinson worked for the Canada Border Services Agency and Van Beek worked for the federal Treasury Board. It was on an express route from the city core, beginning a long run without a stop on its way to a western suburb. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

city: We wanted to own a home to have stability, and peace of mind and flexibility, Reeve said, according to CTV. The rental market didn't have stability. He and his wife, Cassandra Sclauzero, are professionals in their mid-30s who wanted to start a family but they couldn't afford to buy in the city. We both had settled into pretty good first jobs. They were kicked out of a few places in three years through no fault of their own, he said, adding that it was because people were selling or flipping properties. But as much as we loved the city and had these connections it wasn't worth it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cannabis plants: Cannabis plants are photographed during the grand opening event for the Cann Trust Niagara Greenhouse Facility in Fenwick, Ont., on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, according to Toronto Star. Cannabis cultivators in Pelham, Ont, are getting complaints from local residents due to complaints about odour and light pollution. On hot humid days, it's worse because they have to vent more often ... You wouldn't be able to open your windows, he said. Tijana Martin / THE CANADIAN PRESS The town of Pelham, Ont., where Ireland lives an hour away from Toronto, near Niagara Region wine country has become a hotbed for legal commercial pot growers who have snapped up greenhouses and converted them from flowers and vegetables to the more lucrative crop. And while the community is receptive to the jobs the companies bring, mounting complaints about odour and light pollution at night have prompted residents such as Ireland to form a group aimed at keeping the industry in check. There are now six licensed marijuana production operations in the community of 17,500 people, and one cannabis company that has expressed interest, according to Pelham Mayor Marvin Junkin. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

four-team competition: The tournament format featured a 45-minute half, followed by penalties if needed, according to CTV. Bayern's Mats Hummels scoring the winning penalty, slotting it into the middle of the goal. The 18-year-old hoisted the Telekom Cup in a sea of confetti Sunday after helping the German powerhouse to a 4-2 penalty shootout win over Borussia Moenchengladbach in the final of the four-team competition held during the Bundesliga's winter break. James Rodriguez, Brazil's Thiago and Leon Goretzka also scored in the shootout for Bayern. Davies went down late in the game on Andreas Poulsen's challenge but no penalty was given. Davies started on the left side of midfield and showed some nice early touches, at one point taking a pass and flicking it past a defender. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mohammed: Alqunun must also adjust to a society far different from the one she fled, according to Toronto Star. Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun, the Saudi teen who locked herself in a Bangkok hotel room and used Twitter to plead for asylum, is welcomed in Toronto by Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland on Saturday. But after that high-profile welcome, Saudi teenager Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun now faces the challenges encountered by any refugee finding warm clothes, looking for a place to live, obtaining ID and a bank account. Rick Madonik / Toronto Star We believe very strongly that women's rights are human rights, said Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland after welcoming a smiling Alqunun, who made a brief appearance before media on Saturday, wearing a grey Canada hoodie, following her flight to Toronto. But rather than cursing the darkness, we really believe I believe in lighting a single candle, Freeland said. The oppression of women is not a problem that can be resolved in a day. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

media campaign: Alqunun, fresh off a flight from Seoul, South Korea, and sporting a grey Canada hoodie and a blue United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees hat, smiled and waved at a group of reporters but offered no comment on her arrival, according to CTV. Freeland, however, heaped praise on the young woman who shot to fame through her social media campaign to flee her family. Chrystia Freeland appeared alongside 18-year-old Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun with her arm around the teen as she appeared briefly at Toronto's Pearson International Airport. It was a pleasure for me this morning to welcome to her new home a very brave new Canadian, Freeland said. ... she wanted Canadians to see that she's here, that she's well, and that she's very, very happy to be in her new home, although she did comment to me about the cold. Alqunun said her father physically abused her and tried to force her into an arranged marriage. Alqunun gained international prominence when she fled her family last week while visiting Kuwait and flew to Bangkok, where she barricaded herself in an airport hotel and launched a Twitter campaign outlining allegations of abuse against her relatives. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trump: The House and Senate voted to give federal workers back pay whenever the federal government reopens and then left town for the weekend, leaving the shutdown on track to become one for the record books once the clock struck midnight and the closure entered its 22nd day, according to CTV. And while Trump privately considered one dramatic escape route -- declaring a national emergency to build the wall without a new stream of cash from Congress -- members of his own party were fiercely debating that idea, and the president urged Congress to come up with another solution. A solution couldn't come soon enough for federal workers who got pay statements Friday but no pay. What we're not looking to do right now is national emergency, Trump said. About 800,000 workers missed paychecks Friday, many receiving blank pay statements. He insisted that he had the authority to do that, adding that he's not going to do it so fast because he'd still prefer to work a deal with Congress. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

wall: Everything each party says and does at this point is motivated by the need to win the battle over public opinion, according to Rabble. In this fight, the Democrats would seem to have the edge. But the standoff is now ultimately about something else Which side will most benefit and which will be most harmed by the shutdown. Strong support for the wall is limited to the minority of Americans who constitute the president's base, he made things politically difficult for himself by proposing preposterously on the campaign trail that Mexico would pay for the wall, and very few people appear to have been persuaded by his claim that the country faces a national security crisis on the southern border. The surest way for them to do so would be to keep on their present path of emphasizing that the government must be reopened because of how the shutdown is hurting federal workers. But that doesn't mean the Democrats won't blow it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mps: Meanwhile the proportion against it has fallen by seven points to 31 per cent, according to a survey for this newspaper, according to Rabble. Some 30 per cent of Labour voters also think MPs should support her deal, a similar eight point increase, with 51 per cent against. The number of Conservative supporters who want MPs to back her deal has risen to 55 per cent up eight points in five weeks. The number of Conservative supporters who want MPs Theresa May is pictured to back her deal has risen to 55 per cent up eight points in five weeks But the Survation poll is further evidence of the huge task Mrs May faces in rescuing her deal, which seems set for defeat in the Commons on Tuesday. Worryingly for Mrs May, Labour has also taken a three-point lead over the Tories with the Conservatives on 38 to Labour's 41. Overall, it is still opposed by 41 per cent to 34 per cent of the public, although opposition has fallen by nine points since December. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mistreatment: Migrant workers' advocate Syed Hussan said the proposed changes are a step in the right direction but need strengthening, according to Toronto Star. Bernard Weil / Toronto Star file photo With an open work permit, the worker would be able to look for new work immediately and escape the situation they had been facing, immigration department spokesperson Peter Liang told the Star in an email. Ottawa has announced it is planning to allow migrant workers, with proven allegations of mistreatment, to find employment elsewhere in Canada without fear of being penalized or sent home. These proposed regulations, if adopted, are expected to reduce the likelihood that migrant workers would choose to endure mistreatment or abuse, and encourage employers to treat workers with respect. Article Continued Below Advocates for migrant workers have long complained restricted work permits expose workers to employers' abuse and exploitation, because workers fear that if they complain, they will lose their job, and, without an open permit allowing them to find work elsewhere, they must return to their home country. Of the 302,500 temporary foreign workers employed in Canada in 2017, according to the immigration department, about half, or 153,460, were on employer-specific work permits, issued primarily to caregivers and labourers in agriculture. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

party logos: Andr Poggenburg, a former leading figure in the AfD in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, resigned this week with an email sent to the leadership, in which he criticized the party's supposed move to the left, according to Rabble. Unfortunately, developments inside the AfD in the past weeks and months have shown, that this is no longer my true political home, he said in the email, which was seen by German news site Spiegel Online. The new party's logo includes a cornflower, which was also adopted as a secret symbol by Nazis in the 1930s. His new party is called Aufbruch der deutschen Patrioten Awakening of German Patriots and Poggenburg has updated his social media profiles with party logos featuring a cornflower with a German flag. It was also the favorite flower of Kaiser Wilhelm -- the last German emperor and king of Prussia -- and came to be a symbol of pan-German nationalism in the 19th century. The flower was previously worn as a secret symbol identifying members of the then-illegal Nazi party in Austria in the 1930s. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

police: Police denied her entry and seized her passport, while her brother and father travelled to Thailand to take her back to Saudi Arabia, according to Toronto Star. Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun walks in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, Jan. 11, 2019. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada would accept Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun, 18, as a refugee, after she was stopped last Saturday at Bangkok airport by immigration police. Alqunun, the 18-year old Saudi woman who fled her family to seek asylum, is leaving Bangkok on Friday and will fly to Canada, Thailand's immigration police chief said. Alqunun barricaded herself in an airport hotel room and launched a Twitter campaign that drew global attention to her case. Sakchai Lalit / AP Trudeau brushed aside suggestions that the move might complicate already strained relations with Saudi Arabia, while the organization Human Rights Watch praised Canada for acting swiftly to provide sanctuary to a vulnerable woman. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

thai capital: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR had asked Canada to accept her as a refugee, and Canada has accepted that request and will be granting her asylum, Trudeau confirmed, according to CTV. After the 18-year-old refused officials' attempts to have her board a flight from the Thai capital to Kuwait on Monday, she barricaded herself inside an airport hotel room and took to social media to start a campaign that ended up garnering global attention to her case. Trudeau said that Canadian diplomats in Thailand had been closely engaged in the case of Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, who fled her family and renounced Islam, which is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia. This prompted UN officials to grant her refugee status. Truly I have never dreamed of this love and support. In a tweet Friday night, al-Qunun thanked those who supported and helped her. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

thursday january: It was met with a chorus of boos from the nearly 1,000 people in attendance, according to Toronto Star. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes questions from the crowd during a town hall at University of Regina in Regina, Saskatchewan on Thursday January 10, 2019. The man told Trudeau that Canada's policy threatens freedom, that Islam and Christianity don't mix and suggested that some immigrants want to kill Canadians. Michael Bell / THE CANADIAN PRESS They have openly stated that they want to kill us, and you are letting them in, the man said Thursday at the meeting held at the University of Regina. He said immigrants help bolster the economy and make communities more resilient. Trudeau seemed taken aback, but answered that Canadians can have confidence in the system. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

world stage: He added that Christianity and Islam don't mix, a comment that garnered boos from the crowd as the man asked about what he described as an open border, according to CTV. What are we doing about that thing in particular An open border, the man said. A man at the University of Regina event, the second town hall of the week, claimed his family has been in the area for generations and spoke of tyranny coming down on us on the world stage. It's not an open-border policy. The exchange began with the man describing tyranny in Europe. We're not an open country, Trudeau responded, stressing that the rule of law is applied by officials to all immigrants whether they arrive regularly by airport or cross the border from the U.S. illegally. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

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.