british newspaper: At issue is a poor olive harvest that has, by some estimates, seen Italian olive oil production drop by 57 per cent, to the lowest level the country has seen in 25 years, according to CTV. Italian olive oil industry association Italia Olivicola says part of the problem comes from the Xylella bacteria, which has been infecting groves in the Salento region. According to British newspaper The Times, agricultural union Coldiretti has said Italy's domestic olive oil supply will be fully depleted by April. The group says four million olive trees in Salento have been destroyed by the bacteria enough on its own to reduce Italy's olive production by 10 per cent. Coldiretti says 25 million trees in Puglia have been destroyed due to frost and other unusual weather activity over the winter. More serious is the situation in Puglia, where approximately 40 per cent of Italy's olive oil is produced. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

focus tuesday: The 23 people killed in the nation's deadliest tornado in nearly six years came into focus Tuesday with the release of their names by the coroner, according to Toronto Star. They included 6-year-old Armando Hernandez Jr., known as AJ, torn from his father's arms two days after singing in his first-grade class musical; 10-year-old Taylor Thornton, who loved horses and was visiting a friend's home when the twister struck; and Jimmy Lee Jones, 89, who perished along with his wife of six decades, Mary Louise, and one of their sons. Relatives said one extended family lost 10 members. Just keep those families in your prayers, Lee County Coroner Bill Harris said, two days after the disaster. Tami Chappell / AFP Article Continued BelowA search and rescue team walk past damage from a tornado which killed at least 23 people in Beauregard, Alabama on March 4, 2019. Damage is seen from a tornado which killed at least 23 people in Beauregard, Alabama on March 4, 2019. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

oxfam canada: Lauren Ravon, director of policy and campaigns for Oxfam Canada, says overall the Trudeau government is making good progress in advancing its feminist agenda, which she says is cause for celebration, according to CTV. Some of the major milestones that we hit in 2018 are really significant, she said. The charity released its 2019 feminist scorecard before International Women's Day on Friday, assessing steps the government took between March 2018 and February 2019 to make meaningful progress toward gender equity. We got pay-equity legislation, gender-budgeting legislation -- these are things that will make a difference in people's lives. But while the Liberal government's feminist words have translated into new policies and initiatives, they have not had serious money put behind them, Ravon said. Ravon pointed also to the introduction of the first-ever Poverty Reduction Act, the creation of the Department of Women and Gender Equality and the doubling of funding for Canadian women's movements as other wins over the last year in advancing women's rights in Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

state workers: We're not going to collaborate any longer with the dictatorship, Guaido said after a meeting at the offices of an engineers' association in Caracas, according to CTV. He urged state workers to prepare for a strike, though no date was given and he said an immediate priority will be to promote a law guaranteeing rights for public workers. Guaido said police officials were among those at a meeting that he held with leaders of public employee unions, which rely heavily on subsidies from Maduro's government to get by in a country suffering from hyperinflation and shortages of food and other necessities. The 35-year-old leader of the National Assembly said he would call a meeting of the legislature on Wednesday to craft the law. At least one pro-Maduro Supreme Court judge has accused Guaido of illegally usurping power, putting him at risk of arrest. Guaido and his backers say Maduro's re-election last year was invalid, making the legislative leader interim president. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mike duffy: Senator Gerstein confirmed that his channel into Deloitte is open and is happy to continue assisting us, Bayne reads to me at one point, according to National Observer. Tanned, with snowy-white hair and the trim build of someone who runs triathlons, the 73-year-old Bayne is one of Canada's top criminal attorneys. The lawyer is in his cluttered corner office at Bayne Sellar Ertel Carter, a downtown Ottawa law firm, located just around the corner from city hall. He's arguably most famous for defending Mike Duffy during the senator's 2015-'16 trial for fraud and bribery leading to Duffy's acquittal. I was trying to find out if an audit commissioned by the Senate into Duffy's expenses, which was carried out by Deloitte, was truly objective and how its findings were leaked to senior members of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper's inner circle before the Senate saw them. While researching a story about auditors for The Globe and Mail, I had traveled to Ottawa last spring to meet with Bayne to discuss an overlooked aspect of the Duffy case specifically the role played by Deloitte, Canada's largest auditing and management consulting firm. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

buddhism hinduism: II . It has a clear background more political than pretended or projected socio-religious that gave birth to it, according to Rabble. In a desperate attempt to historicize this myth Kashmiriyat number of theses & theories have been written & advanced during the past two to three decades by linking its genesis in what is described as liberal Islam III differentiated from orthodox Islam IV that despite its predominance in the valley, it is claimed, was accommodative of several Brahman & Buddhist practices into its fold that produced a confluence of Kashmiri Shaivite traditions & mystic Sufi practices, or a blend of religious belief systems of Islam, Buddhism & Hinduism. I . However, the term did not emerge ex-nihilo from the soil of Kashmir. V This uniquecommixture of mutually conflicting core factual realities or inherent Kashmiris communal harmony, mutual respect & peaceful co-existence . VII adsbygoogle window.adsbygoogle .push ; The protagonists further state that Kashmiriyat which wedded Kashmiris to the shrines of Sufis &Rishis, VIII is exposed to grave danger by Islamic radicalization. Missing reference to religious transformation of Medieval Kashmir But the votaries of Kashmiriyat who view them as pioneers of Kashmiriyat forget to make reference to the times they preached the values of mutual tolerance, harmony & respect among religious communities of Kashmir. IX The protagonists ofthe fancied idea of Kashmiriyat try to trace it to the times of Brahman Lalleshwari or Lal Ded X and Muslim Sheikh Noor ud Din Noorani or Nund Reshi XI both somewhat contemporary patron saints, respectively, of mystic orders of Rishism & Sufism of the Kashmir valley. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cabinet: However, I have been considering the events that have shaken the federal government in recent weeks and after serious reflection, I have concluded that I must resign as a member of Cabinet, according to CTV. In Canada, the constitutional convention of Cabinet solidarity means, among other things, that ministers are expected to defend all Cabinet decisions. It has been an honour to play a leading role in progress that has shaped our country bringing Syrian refugees to Canada; legislating a balanced approach to Medical Assistance in Dying; negotiating a health accord with new resources for mental health and home care; improving infrastructure for First Nations to provide clean water on reserve; and reforming child welfare to reduce the over-apprehension of Indigenous children. A minister must always be prepared to defend other ministers publicly, and must speak in support of the government and its policies. Unfortunately, the evidence of efforts by politicians and/or officials to pressure the former Attorney General to intervene in the criminal case involving SNC-Lavalin, and the evidence as to the content of those efforts have raised serious concerns for me. Given this convention and the current circumstances, it is untenable for me to continue to serve as a Cabinet minister. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

movie stars: It brings 3,000-plus delegates to the ornate Great Hall of the People in Beijing for two weeks of speeches, meetings with senior leaders and political ritual to endorse the ruling Communist Party's economic and social welfare plans, according to CTV. A gathering of noncommunist groups held at the same time brightens Beijing's drab winter, drawing tech billionaires, movie stars and ethnic minorities in distinctive traditional dress. The battle with China's biggest trading partner is overshadowing the National People's Congress, the country's highest-profile event of the year. That gives President Xi Jinping's government a platform for advertising changes aimed at ending the fight with President Donald Trump that has disrupted trade in goods from soybeans to medical equipment. Trump cited complaints Beijing steals or pressures companies to hand over technology when he slapped punitive tariffs on 250 billion of Chinese imports in July. The technology measure is part of a proposed law on foreign investment that aims to address complaints by Washington, Europe and other trading partners that China's system is rigged against foreign companies. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nato member: And in Estonia, they did, according to CTV. While the centre-right Reform Party, which ran on a low-tax, small-government platform, will be tasked with forming a government, the anti-immigrant, euroskeptic Estonian Conservative People's Party more than doubled its seat tally in parliament. Political observers watched a parliamentary election held Sunday in the Baltic nation, an EU and NATO member that borders Russia, as a continental barometer for whether far-right nationalists would continue making gains. Reform Party leader Kaja Kallas is expected to become the country's first female prime minister after her party finished with 28.8 per cent of the vote. The far-right party nevertheless captured a larger platform for its positions, some of which critics see as homophobic and racist. The party said before the election it would not consider the Estonian Conservative People's Party, or EKRE, as a potential governing coalition partner. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

prison grounds: He remains a citizen, but New Zealand officials say his detention abroad and apparent lack of travel documents are obstacles to his return and he may face legal consequences for his actions, according to Toronto Star. In this image made from video taken March 3, 2019, captured Islamic State soldier New Zealander Mark Taylor is led through prison grounds in Qamishli, Syria. Mark Taylor is among a half-dozen or so New Zealanders thought to have joined the militant group. Taylor, among a half-dozen New Zealanders thought to have who joined the Islamic State group, has been captured in Syria says he regrets not being able to afford a slave and expects to return home. Taylor told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from a Kurdish prison that after five years with the Islamic State, he fled in December and surrendered to Kurdish forces because life had become unbearable. AP / Australian Broadcasting Corporation Known by the Twitter handle Kiwi Jihadi, Taylor notoriously forgot to turn off Twitter's geotagging function in 2014, alerting outsiders to the location of Islamic State fighters. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trade sanctions: Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, shown in December, is facing extradition to the United States for allegedly violating its trade sanctions against Iran, according to Toronto Star. She'll be in court Wednesday. Meng filed a notice of civil claim on Friday alleging her rights were violated by authorities during her arrest on Dec. 1 at the Vancouver International Airport. Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press File Photo While the lawsuit itself is on solid footing and refers to established Supreme Court precedent, awards in civil claims like the one brought by Meng are generally only in the thousands of dollars, said Kyla Lee, a Vancouver-based criminal lawyer with Acumen Law Corporation. On its face, this appears to be part of an overall legal strategy, because there is no financial incentive for her to bring this lawsuit, and what she's claiming is financial damages, Lee told the Star Vancouver in an interview. Meng's extraordinary wealth suggests the likely motivation for the lawsuit is its use as a tool in her longer-term bid to avoid extradition to the United States to face criminal charges, she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rights 'more: Noem said she wants make sure there's enough funding so local governments don't bankrupt themselves during construction, according to Vancouver Courier. She also wants officials to be able to aggressively pursue people who financially back violence and gain access to those funds as well.article continues below Trending Stories Barack Obama brings message of hope to Vancouver Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou sues Ottawa, border services for breaching constitutional rights'More than 40 men arrested in underage Vancouver sex sting Where do our plastics go And how do we get rid of them The push comes late in the state's 2019 legislative session, timing that critics panned. Kristi Noem said Monday that she's proposing a new framework for oil pipeline construction before building starts on the Keystone XL pipeline, introducing legislation that would require companies behind such projects to chip in on protest-related expenses and create a way to go after the money of those who fund destructive demonstrations. To the best of our knowledge, this type of approach has not happened anywhere in the nation before, and this next-generation pipeline construction model was developed to directly address issues caused by out-of-state rioters funded by out-of-state interests that have attacked nearby projects, Noem said. Noem's bills come after opponents of the Dakota Access oil pipeline staged large protests that resulted in 761 arrests in southern North Dakota over a six-month span beginning in late 2016. The current model for developing major energy infrastructure projects clearly needed to have an update. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ka lee: They were among the first wave of Indochinese boat people welcomed to Canada under a then-new sponsorship program that allowed Canadians to directly resettle refugees caught up in humanitarian crises abroad, according to Toronto Star. Ka Lee-Paine, now a teacher in Kitchener, holds a photo of herself at 2, taken when she was living in a refugee camp in Thailand. Lee-Paine arrived in Canada in 1979 as a 2-year-old refugee, along with her parents and a brother. Lee-Paine was among the first wave of Indo-Chinese refugees resettled in Canada by the Mennonites after private sponsorship began in 1979. SUPPLIED PHOTO Ka Lee is shown at age 2 holding a sign for immigration purposes in 1979 in Thailand. Steve Russell / Toronto Star Ka Lee-Paine at her 40th birthday celebrations with Rosella and Jim Leis. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

action plan: The European Commission today published a comprehensive report on the implementation of the Circular Economy Action Plan it adopted in December 2015, according to Rabble. The report presents the main results of implementing the action plan and sketches out open challenges to paving the way towards a climate-neutral, competitive circular economy where pressure on natural and freshwater resources as well as ecosystems is minimised. This will contribute to boost Europe's competitiveness, modernise its economy and industry to create jobs, protect the environment and generate sustainable growth. The findings of the report will be discussed during the annual Circular Economy Stakeholder Conference taking place in Brussels on 6 and 7 March. This report shows that Europe is leading the way as a trail blazer for the rest of the world. First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, responsible for sustainable development, said Circular economy is key to putting our economy onto a sustainable path and delivering on the global Sustainable Development Goals. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

anita camp: I've got nowhere else to go, according to CTV. That's why I'm here in the first place, he said, adding he has lived in the camp for almost a year and a half. Newton, 28, said he was the last resident to leave Anita Camp, after police and firefighters taped off the area and enforced an evacuation ordered on Saturday. The provincial fire commissioner ordered the evacuation at the request of the city's fire chief, after three fires in the camp in just two days this week exploded propane cylinders and threatened the safety of residents. Any fires before that were minor, but he said one this week destroyed about a quarter of the camp. Newton said the three recent blazes followed several others at the camp that seem to have increased in severity, beginning with one in December that injured his wife. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

people: Wilson-Raybould frames her position as being determined by her ethnic origin, according to Toronto Star. She makes much of coming from a long line of matriarchs and behaving in accordance with the laws and traditions of her people. However, one aspect of Wilson-Raybould's statements, touched upon by columnists Tanya Talaga and Rick Salutin, deserves to be discussed. Indeed, it has been highlighted that her Kwak'wala name means born of noble people. Her actions, in her own words, would be determined not only or primarily by her analysis of the situation and understanding of legal rules, but at least as much by some innate, hereditary righteousness that allows her to act ethically where other people who do not share her heritage are unable or unwilling to do so. It is striking to see how much this self-characterization harks back to European 19th-century notions of the noble savage, as elaborated by Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

vietnamese refugees: Vietnamese refugees fleeing the communist chaos after the end of the Vietnam War wade to shore in Malaysia in 1978 after their boat sank offshore, according to Toronto Star. K. Gaugler / UNHCR My family and I wouldn't be here without it, said Ka Lee-Paine, who was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and came here at age 2 with her family in 1979, among the first wave of people accepted under the private refugee sponsorship program. The 11-page sponsorship agreement, signed between Ottawa and the Mennonite Church on March 5, 1979, in response to the boat people crisis, became the blueprint for Canada's private refugee resettlement program that has allowed Canadians to play an active role in helping refugees start a new life here. We had complete strangers helping us out. Ninety-nine per cent of us do understand how fortunate we are to have made it to Canada and we strive to be productive citizens of this country. The sponsorship meant I could have a good life, get a great education and be a strong woman, added the now 42-year-old Kitchener teacher. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

american history: I know where I came from, Sanders boomed in his unmistakable Brooklyn accent, according to CTV. And that is something I will never forget. My experience as a child, living in a family that struggled economically, powerfully influenced my life and my values. The Democrats in the 2020 race have taken varied approaches to Trump, with some avoiding saying his name entirely, while others make implicit critiques of his presidency. The Vermont senator positioned himself in opposition to Trump administration policies from immigration to climate change. Sanders has never shied from jabbing Trump in stark terms, and during his speech at Brooklyn College, he called Trump the most dangerous president in modern American history and said the president wants to divide us up. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bernie sanders: We have got to understand this is not about him, it's about us, and we should not be motivated by what we are against by what we are for as a country, Booker said, according to CTV. As other Democratic hopefuls campaigned in early voting states, Sen. Asked during a Charleston, South Carolina, town hall meeting how best to oppose President Donald Trump without running an overly negative campaign, the New Jersey senator said Democrats need to look inward and focus on issues important to many of them, such as health care and education. Bernie Sanders of Vermont made Brooklyn the official launch site of his second run for the White House, telling supporters that his campaign is tailor-made to defeat Trump. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts courted voters in Iowa while Sen. Sen. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

helgemo: After accepting he had breached anti-doping rules, Helgemo was suspended by the WBF until Nov. 20, according to CTV. He also had all titles, medals and points from the 2018 World Bridge Series revoked. The federation said on its website Friday that Geir Helgemo, who is Norwegian but represents Monaco in bridge events, tested positive for synthetic testosterone and female fertility drug clomifene at a World Bridge Series event in Orlando, Florida last September. Kari-Anne Opsal, president of the Norwegian Bridge Federation, said the drugs were not performance enhancing. Many within the bridge community know Geir and respect him. In a statement on the federation's website, she said Geir Helgemo...has previously played for the Norwegian national team and is our biggest star. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kasperi kapanen: Back in friendly and much more quiet SBA, he should be re-charged in pursuit of a 40-goal season, according to CBC. Ristolainen, the biggest and busiest of the Sabres defence at almost 25 minutes a game, will have something to say about that. C John Tavares It's a long way from Long Island, where Tavares endured the toughest two hours of his NHL life on Thursday. FIVE KEYS TO THE GAMEYou again The Leafs face the Sabres for the second time in a week. John Tavares got the ball rolling while Kasperi Kapanen burned Buffalo's power play for a short-handed goal. On Monday, loosening up at the passing of the trade deadline that afternoon, the Leafs struck four times in the second period in a 5-3 win. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border crisis: Lamar Alexander said on the Senate floor Thursday, according to CTV. But he stopped just short of saying he'd support a resolution blocking the president's move. Trump's move would turn a border crisis into a constitutional crisis, veteran Sen. Had Alexander pledged his vote, it would probably be enough for the Senate to pass a measure repealing the emergency declaration. He can build a wall and avoid a dangerous precedent and I hope he'll do that, Alexander said. Speaking later to reporters, Alexander, R-Tenn., warned what might happen if Trump doesn't settle for using other money he can access without declaring an emergency. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hector mantolino: Mantolino, originally from the Philippines, pleaded guilty in December 2017 to misrepresentation under provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, according to CTV. The owner of several cleaning and maintenance companies, Mantolino used the temporary foreign worker program to bring 28 workers to Canada from the Philippines over a number of years. In handing down his sentencing decision today for Hector Mantolino, Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Glen McDougall said a message had to be sent to employers who rely on temporary foreign workers. According to a statement of agreed facts, he paid them at least 500,000 less than their total reported salaries. Mantolino's lawyer had argued for a conditional sentence. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

world flutes: It is too exciting, according to Toronto Star. The warning has obviously been ignored by Alison Melville and her four fellow musicians invited by North Wind Concerts to the Yorkville hall to present Encircling the World Flutes. The flute is not an instrument with a good moral effect. Performers from Encircling the World Flutes, clockwise from bottom left Ernesto Cardenas, Alison Melville, Kianoush Khalilian and Deep Ganguly. photo courtesy Kianoush Khalilian As the name suggests, this is no ordinary flute concert not that there is such a thing as an ordinary flute concert it is a celebration of the many forms the flute can take. Ernesto Cardenas, Peruvian-Canadian founder of the Toronto-based Andean ensemble Sikuris St. Melville herself, well known from her appearances with Toronto Consort and Tafelmusik and co-founder of North Winds, plays baroque flute and reorder. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

york yankees: He will wear No. 3 rather than the No. 34 he used with the Washington Nationals, where he spent his previous major league seasons, according to CTV. Harper has a .279 career average with 184 homers and 521 RBIs, including a .268 average with 14 homers, 32 RBIs in 47 games at Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia scheduled a news conference for Saturday to introduce Harper. His agreement tops the 325 million, 13-year agreement outfielder Giancarlo Stanton reached before the 2015 season with the Miami Marlins, who traded him to the New York Yankees in December 2017. He receives a 10 million salary this year, 26 million in each of the following nine seasons and 22 million in each of the last three years. Harper gets a 20 million signing bonus in equal installments, the first within 90 days of the deal's approval by the commissioner's office and the second this Nov. 1. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

american government: It is time for our nation to set a new priority, Inslee told supporters gathered at a solar panel business in Seattle, according to Vancouver Courier. This is truly our moment. Jay Inslee launched his 2020 Democratic presidential bid on Friday with a promise to refocus American government and society. It is our moment to solve America's most daunting challenge and make it the first, foremost and paramount duty of the United States ... to defeat climate change. article continues below Trending Stories Vancouver craft breweries could be forced from communities they helped create World-famous hot pot restaurant Hai Di Lao to open in Metro Vancouver Vancouver transit police looking for suspect in alleged hate crime Survey says Opinions about Commercial Drive change little over 20 years The 68-year-old former congressman becomes the first governor to enter a race dominated by senators. Steve Bullock and former Colorado Gov. Montana Gov. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.