immigrantscanada.com

Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

stories feeling: Michael Pfleger after Facebook banned Farrakhan, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and conservative personality Milo Yiannopoulos, saying they violated its ban on dangerous individuals, according to Vancouver Courier. Farrakhan, who turns 86 this weekend, said those who think he is a hater don't know him and have never had a conversation with him. During the speech Thursday at a Roman Catholic church on Chicago's South Side, Farrakhan asserted people shouldn't be angry with him if I stand on God's word, also saying that he knows the truth, and separate the good Jews from the Satanic Jews. article continues below Trending Stories Feeling hot, hot, hot B.C. broke 26 weather records yesterday Empty the Tanks protesters planning return to Vancouver Aquarium Saturday Why is a former Vancouver councillor bringing developers to meet the mayor Food truck fiesta in Port Moody, Coquitlam Farrakhan was invited to speak at the church by the Rev. He added those who hated him before and got to know him came to love him. Social media you met me tonight. He went on to say Facebook's contention that he is dangerous is true because what he says can be researched by his listeners. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

summit news: The now-removed Facebook page is associated with a website called Summit News, which is run by Paul Joseph Watson, editor of the controversial website Infowars, according to National Observer. Summit News hosts all of Watson's content, much of which is cross-posted verbatim on Infowars. Facebook took down the page after being asked about it by National Observer. Fight disinformation with facts. This is how much readers like you have donated so far. Support the Election Integrity Reporting Project! You can call in donation to 604 569-3321. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

british majority: With his money-grubbing speeches, Boris Johnson cheapens our politics Suzanne Moore Read more By 61% to a meagre 18%, voters agree with the sentiment that a prime minister should always put the British majority first even if it means minorities lose out . That might embolden Boris Johnson to make more controversial jokes about Muslim women, suggests Prospect's editor, Tom Clark, according to Rabble. Johnson last summer suggested that Brexit might get somewhere if it were being run by Donald Trump, of whom he was increasingly admiring . But he may be feeling out-Trumped as he watches rowdy Nigel Farage rallies where audiences shout, Lock her up! about Theresa May. The poll mines a worrying seam of anti-democratic, anti-civil rights instincts on the right, with Conservatism moving rapidly rightwards. On foreign policy, zero-sum nationalism again echoes Trumpism 58% agree that a prime minister should always put Britain first even if that means damaging alliances with only 20% disagreeing. How would you answer it when considering Tony Blair's fateful error in putting the special relationship with George W Bush first, even though joining the Iraq war was certainly not in Britain's national interest More reassuringly, voters reject the crassest Trumpishness. But that's a more ambiguous question. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

shield tehran: Rouhani's threats put the world on notice that it cannot continue to rely on Iran complying with terms of the unraveling deal in the coming weeks, according to CTV. Meanwhile, a U.S. campaign of sanctions hammering Iran's anemic economy and blocking its sale of oil on the global market is only making life worse, putting further pressure on both its Shiite theocracy and its 80 million people. A televised address by President Hassan Rouhani, who once pledged that the landmark deal would draw Iran closer to the West, saw the cleric instead pressure Europe to shield Tehran from the sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump withdrawing the U.S. from the agreement exactly a year earlier. Rouhani himself compared the situation to a medical emergency for the Islamic Republic, only 40 years after its founding. This surgery is for saving the deal, not destroying it. We felt that the nuclear deal needs a surgery, and the painkiller pills of the last year have been ineffective, Rouhani said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

indian citizens: Hundreds of thousands of voters have found their names deleted, EVMs have malfunctioned, and the Voter Verified Paper Trail VVPAT meant to preserve the EVM's integrity, has not just stumbled, but also fallen short on its promised seven-second display after the casting of vote, according to Rabble. Users report that it is never more than a fleeting three seconds. However, much of what was feared from the Electronic Voting Machines EVMs seems to be playing out in different voting booths in diverse parts of the country. In short, the uncanny fear that the votes of Indian citizens in a democracy could be stolen en masse, have got aggravated. Arvind Kejriwal complained of the deletion of voters belonging to minority communities and lower castes all those who are expected to vote against the BJP. Instead of inviting the scrutiny of ethical hackers to fight misgivings, the EC has obfuscated every time flaws have been found in the machines Many towns in western Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Chennai and scores of cities in other parts of the country have witnessed this sickening phenomenon. The big question is will the final result on May 23, 2019, capture the anger and anxieties of a restive nation or will the mandate be hijacked by an evil cabal of technology influencers, right-wing populists and rabble-rousers, crooked businessmen, and old-fashioned goons and experts at booth-capturing who know how to prevent ordinary people, opposition parties and dissenters from voting. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

teaching staffs: Kitchener-Conestoga and Jeremy Roberts Ottawa West-Nepean . Education Minister Lisa Thompson has established a 1.6 billion attrition protection fund to help school boards manage reductions in teaching staffs without resorting to layoffs, according to Toronto Star. Chris Young / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILE PHOTO Sources said a few cabinet ministers were added to the list despite their more decisive victories, with Education Minister Lisa Thompson Huron-Bruce among them. The postcards, which are being distributed this week, are aimed at more than 30 Tory ridings considered vulnerable, including those held by MPPs like Christine Hogarth Etobicoke-Lakeshore Robin Martin Eglinton-Lawrence Mike Harris Jr. It is unclear if voters in Premier Doug Ford's Etobicoke North riding are included. Article Continued Below The targeted mailouts represent a new strategy for the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association and the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario. If every home receives one, about a million cards would be sent out to the 33 ridings. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

campaign issues: The report includes a survey of 2,038 people 1,417 voters and 621 non-voters that was conducted as people left the polls on voting day and in the days and weeks following the Oct. 20 vote, according to Vancouver Courier. Which brings me to the disappointing news as if a 39.4 per cent voter turnout, which was lower than the 43.4 per cent in 2014, wasn't enough to send democracy types into a civic heart of darkness. These figures are in a city report that goes before city council next week. In no particular order, let's all share in the per cent of respondents said they didn't know enough about the candidates, so they didn't vote. Twenty per cent said there were too many candidates. Twenty-two per cent said they didn't know enough about the campaign issues. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

june: The veterans were chosen from among the Canadians who died during the first five days of the Normandy landings from June 6 to June 10, 1944 a pivotal step in the march toward Europe's liberation from Nazi Germany, according to Toronto Star. Staff at the centre cultivated the first tranche of addresses from the attestation papers of soldiers the military records of more than 900 Canadians who died during those first days of the Battle of Normandy. The project Postcards from Juno being spearheaded by the Juno Beach Centre, Canada's Second World War museum on Juno Beach, is using postcards to notify people living at select addresses about Second World War veterans who lived at their current location in the 1940s, before heading over to serve in Nazi-occupied France, where they were killed in battle. The project is part of efforts to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day June 6, 1944 when 14,000 Canadian soldiers, along with over 140,000 British and American allies, stormed a stretch of beach code named Juno on France's northern coast, creating the largest seaborne invasion in history. The idea of using the last pieces of personal information linked to hundreds of fallen Canadian soldiers to create postcards commemorating their sacrifice was conceived by Mike Bechthold, executive director, Juno Beach Centre Association, which operates the war museum in Normandy. Article Continued Below The personalized postcards include the name, rank, age, and the date of death of the soldier linked to each address. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

benefit programs: Sign up for our Capital Dispatch newsletter, for all the latest politics news Half of the 16 million Canadians trying to reach an agent in a government call centre could not get through, the report states, according to CTV. People calling these departments include those applying for disability benefits, inquiring about their pensions or old age security, calling about the status of their citizenship or permanent resident applications and veterans or their families inquiring about benefit programs. The audit which looked at the call centres of Employment and Social Development Canada; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; and Veterans Affairs Canada was tabled in Parliament Tuesday morning as part of the spring package of auditor general reports. The audit found that, at both the department of Employment and Social Development and the department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, instead of giving callers the option to wait to speak with an agent, millions of callers were redirected to an automated system, told to go to the website, or advised to call back another time. While Veterans Affairs did not bump any calls to an automated system, many waiting to speak with someone hung up before their call was taken. For those who called Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and were able to get through, the wait to speak with an agent was around 30 minutes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

charles hart: Chadha, who wrote and directed the film, adapted it into a musical with music by Howard Goodall and lyrics by Charles Hart, with Chadha co-writing the book with her husband, filmmaker Paul Mayeda Berges, according to Toronto Star. The musical opened on the West End in London in 2015, and was nominated for five Olivier Awards that season.A moment from the West End London production of Bend It Like Beckham, a stage adaptation of the film. courtesy Starvox Entertainment It flowed for us. It's been over 17 years since Gurinder Chadha's film premiered, launching the careers of Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley and earning 70 million worldwide with the intercultural coming-of-age story of Jesminder Jess Bhamra, a Beckham-obsessed teenager in west London who begins playing soccer behind her conservative Punjabi Sikh family's back. We knew where the songs needed to be in the story. You do go on the same ride as the movie but it's much emotionally richer I think. We knew the essence of the story, the essence of Jess and her father's journeys. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dispatch newsletter: They also noted speculation about the name Spencer, the maiden name of Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, according to CTV. Keep up-to-date with the latest royal news with our Royal Dispatch newsletter Royal babies usually have a string of names, opening the way for endless betting possibilities. Britain's legal bookmakers reported high interest Tuesday in the names Alexander, James and Arthur. Following a flurry of bets last evening, Alexander is now the new favourite at the top of our name betting and the one we are fearing the most, said John Hill of the Coral betting agency. Choosing Spencer as a first or middle name is seen as a way for Harry to honour Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997 when he was only 12. Alexander has 4/1 odds at Coral, while Arthur is 6/1 and Albert, James and Spencer are all 8/1. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sponsorships scandal: The Harper government stayed within a comparatively narrow band throughout its time in office, never falling below 30 per cent, never rising much above 40, according to CBC. The Chretien government likewise lost only a little altitude over the years, remaining well above 40 per cent in most polls until the sponsorships scandal brought them down to earth. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press Andrew Coyne May 6, 20198 39 PM EDTLast Updated May 7, 201911 26 AM EDTFiled under Full Share this story Andrew Coyne Canadians have fallen desperately out of love with Justin Trudeau Tumblr Pinterest Google Linked InThere are precedents for the extraordinary swoon in popularity the governing Liberals are currently enduring, and have endured 20 points in the polls in two and a half years, according to data collected by the CBC's Poll Tracker site but you have to go back some way to find one. But a government falling this far, this fast, in its first term To have done so, what is more, without even the aid of a recession with unemployment and mortgage rates both in single digits, and separatism in Quebec, at least quiescent The only parallel that comes to mind is with the first Mulroney government. But with less than six months to go until the election, it is unclear what similar combination of circumstances can revive the Trudeau Liberals. That government, it will be recalled, managed to recover, winning re-election on the strength of its signature free trade initiative and growing public doubts about the opposition leader. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

election integrity: The meeting came on the heels of a new global report by an international body of 132 governments, bringing together roughly 15,000 scientific and government sources, who collaborated with Indigenous and local knowledge sources to conclude that nature is in decline at rates unprecedented in human history and that extinctions are accelerating, according to National Observer. Fight disinformation with facts. Canada's environment and climate change minister was in Metz, France on Monday where she has met with counterparts in the Group of Seven advanced industrialized nations to talk plastics pollution, climate change and biodiversity. Support the Election Integrity Reporting Project!This is how much readers like you have donated so far. The new report, by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, also put the inequality of environmental destruction into stark relief. Goal 75,000 49,550Donate Its findings echo those by the World Wildlife Fund, which said last year that mammal populations in Canada had dropped by over 40 per cent, amphibian and reptile populations by over 30 per cent, and fish populations by 20 per cent. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

paper gowns: Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden These extraordinary paper gowns were handmade by Vancouver students Overall, we found that getting through to government call centres took time and persistence, the audit report says, according to Vancouver Courier. In fact, we found that half of the 16 million Canadians who tried to speak to an agent could not do so. Sylvain Ricard's office audited call centres at three departments that receive a lot of phone calls the Immigration Department, Employment and Social Development Canada and Veterans Affairs.article continues below Trending Stories Canadians urged to avoid all travel to parts of the Philippines Burnaby police appeal for leads in 2015 murder of Vancouver city worker Koi set to return to Vancouver's Dr. Seven million callers were sent to an automated system or were told to go to a website or to call back later. Callers make millions of calls to the government every year to get the information they need to make time-sensitive, important decisions. This audit is important because call centres are a key source of government information, Ricard said in the report. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

martin schiavetta: For more on this story, check out CTV Calgary's coverage Police said that a suspect has been arrested and is facing second-degree murder charges for each victim, according to CTV. We were, you know, certainly satisfied to locate the bodies, Staff Sgt. Authorities said in a statement that they found the bodies, believed to be that of Jasmine Lovett, 25, and her daughter, Aliyah Sanderson, in a heavily wooded area at around 4 a.m. on Monday near Grizzly Creek, Calgary. Martin Schiavetta said in a press conference on Monday. He expressed his condolences to the family. But at the same time, it's obviously a very sad feeling when you have to notify the families of that. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

business ceiling: Bed-and-breakfast hosts similarly face legal challenges in that lawyers say that they are acting illegally if they leave a joint on a guest's pillow or otherwise provide cannabis.article continues below Trending Stories Canadians urged to avoid all travel to parts of the Philippines Class Notes Van Tech teacher vying for million dollar prize Man thanks paramedic who saved his life on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside a year ago Has Hootsuite hit its business ceiling in Vancouver Cannabis lounges, where there is open consumption, are also illegal, according to provincial law, according to Vancouver Courier. These limitations are restricting aspiring tourism entrepreneurs at a time when the number of tourists who visit B.C. could be on the wane. Tour companies, for example, are unable to have customers consume cannabis in the back of a van even when the guests are completely separated from the compartment where a driver would be. After the U.S., the largest source of international visitors to B.C. is China, and the current diplomatic rift between Canada and China is severe enough that China has issued a travel advisory against its citizens travelling to Canada. Vancouver, however, is estimated to have a 3.3 per cent jump in overnight visitors in 2019, according to the Conference Board of Canada, and some cannabis tourism entrepreneurs are putting on a brave face. The next largest source of international visitors to B.C. is the U.K., and fears are that country's economy may wobble, as it adjusts to being outside the European Union. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

downtown eastside: He was 95 and had lived in Phoenixville since the 1950s.article continues below Trending Stories Canadians urged to avoid all travel to parts of the Philippines Class Notes Van Tech teacher vying for million dollar prize Man thanks paramedic who saved his life on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside a year ago New pedestrian bridge will connect Metrotown Skytrain Station with mallA proud and old-fashioned man with an eminent forehead, cosmopolitan accent, and erudite but personal prose style, Lukacs was a maverick among historians, according to Vancouver Courier. In a profession where liberals were a clear majority, he was sharply critical of the left and of the cultural revolution of the 1960s. Lukacs died of heart failure early Monday at his home in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, according to his stepson, Charles Segal. But he was also unhappy with the modern conservative movement, opposing the Iraq war, mocking hydrogen bomb developer Edward Teller as the Zsa Zsa Gabor of physics and disliking the puerile tradition, apparently started by Ronald Reagan, of presidents returning military salutes from the armed forces. This has earned him, among friends and critics alike, a somewhat curmudgeonly reputation. John Lukacs is well known not so much for speaking truth to power as speaking truth to audiences he senses have settled into safe and unexamined opinions, John Willson wrote in The American Conservative in 2013. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bedside matters: In 1931, 99.8 per cent of Canadian graduate nurses identified as having British, French or European ancestry, Kathryn McPherson notes in Bedside Matters The Transformation of Canadian Nursing, 1900-1990, according to Toronto Star. The history professor at York University writes that the historical lack of diversity in the profession can be traced to immigration restrictions as well as racial discrimination from nursing schools unwritten colour bars that came to light only when challenged. With little exception, everyone was white. In the 1931 census, Canadians with British, European and French ancestry accounted for 98.2 per cent of the population. That day, the women wore white dresses and pinned black bands on their starched caps, walking two by two to U of T's Convocation Hall. Agnes Clinton is pictured on graduation day 1951, the first Black graduate of the Women's College school. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

light candles: The 35-year-old army captain told investigators he killed five women and two girls, and disposed of three bodies -- those of a Filipino woman and a Romanian mother and daughter -- in the man-made lake, according to CTV. A suitcase with the remains of a woman was found at the bottom a week ago. The lake is part of an abandoned copper pyrite mine where a woman's body was found by chance last month in a flooded shaft, setting off an investigation that police say led to the island nation's first known serial killer. Several hundred people gathered at the site Sunday to light candles and lay flowers in memory of the two first victims, both of whom were from the Philippines. A coroner will examine the remains found Sunday to try to identify the victim, police spokesman Andreas Angelides said. Some wept as tributes to the two victims were read. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cent mark: And with vacancy rates near the one per cent mark, that means tenants have all but given up on looking for their ideal unit and will instead take whatever they can get, according to CTV. It costs 1,500, 1,600 for something pretty basic with limited light and probably mould, so it's not good, said Vancouver renter Jess Harvey. According to listing site Pad Mapper, the median cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in Vancouver is sitting at about 2,100 a month. But could that be changing An online search of the rental market revealed several landlords offering perks and discounts in an effort to entice renters. And those offering these types of incentives included the owners of brand new or renovated suites. Those include one month of free rent and cash that can be applied to future payments. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

air force: Dust storms were forecast in the desert state of Rajasthan bordering Pakistan, heat waves in the coastal state of Maharashtra on the Arabian Sea, heavy rain in the northeastern states bordering China and snowfall in the Himalayas, according to CTV. Around 1.2 million people were evacuated from low-lying areas of Odisha and moved to nearly 4,000 shelters, according to India's National Disaster Response Force. The India Meteorological Department said the extremely severe cyclone in the Bay of Bengal hit the coastal state of Odisha around 8 a.m., with weather impacted across the Asian subcontinent. Indian officials put the navy, air force, army and coast guard on high alert. By Friday afternoon, Fani had weakened to a very severe storm as it hovered over coastal Odisha and was forecast to move north-northeast toward the Indian state of West Bengal by Friday evening. Odisha Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi said the evacuation effort was unprecedented in India. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

news: But sources tell CTV News that he informed the Prime Minister's Office more than a year ago that he would testify on behalf of Norman, according to CTV. Sources confirm that he is listed on the defence witness list. Leslie, who represents the Ottawa riding of Orleans and was previously a lieutenant-general in Canadian military, would not comment. Two high level sources tell CTV News that after Leslie informed the Liberal whip that he would testify on behalf of Norman, he was not pressured to change his testimony, nor was he asked not to run again. CTV News has also learned that Leslie asked that his legal costs be covered by the government, and that request has been signed off on, sources said. But as late as two weeks ago, sources say that the most senior members of the PMO were inexplicably still unaware of Leslie's decision. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

signup forms: But some also say they won't let it turn them around, according to Toronto Star. In this Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 file photo, Tennessee Gov.-elect Bill Lee takes part in a walk-through for his inauguration in War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. They call the new law, likely the first in the country to fine groups for too many incomplete registration forms, an affront to one of the most basic civil rights enjoyed by Americans. Gov. It drew an immediate federal lawsuit. Bill Lee has signed legislation that would likely make Tennessee the first to fine voter registration groups for turning in too many incomplete signup forms. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

amstephen moore: Trump announced on Twitter that Moore had decided to withdraw from the Fed process, according to Rabble. Trump called him a great pro-growth economist and a truly fine person. Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg News By Felicia Sonmez Felicia Sonmez National reporter on The Washington Post's breaking political news team Email Bio Follow Seung Min Kim and Seung Min Kim White House reporter Email Bio Follow Damian Paletta Damian Paletta Reporter covering economic policy Email Bio Follow May 3 at 7 35 AMStephen Moore, President Trump's planned nominee for a seat on the Federal Reserve Board, on Thursday abandoned his bid to join the powerful U.S. central bank, the second presidential favorite to bow out in the face of Republican opposition. Steve won the battle of ideas including Tax Cuts and deregulation which have produced non-inflationary prosperity for all Americans, Trump tweeted. In a letter informing Trump of his decision to withdraw, Moore praised the president's economic policies but said the scrutiny of his past remarks had become too much to bear. I've asked Steve to work with me toward future economic growth in our Country. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

journalism: In anticipation of today's World News Day, a time to recognize and celebrate the power of journalism to make a difference in people's lives, I asked for your perspectives on why journalism matters to you, according to Toronto Star. A free press is a basic tenet of democracy. You answered. Journalism matters even more today given all the unregulated platforms and anonymous sources on which falsehoods can be circulated and even, undermine free elections, writes Linda Lapointe. Thank you to all who participated. FRED CHARTRAND / THE CANADIAN PRESS The responses, as always when I reach out to Star readers for your views were for the most part thoughtful and constructive, showing tremendous insight into the value of the public service mission of journalism and deep appreciation both for journalism's purpose in our democracy and for the work of journalists who aspire to journalism's highest ideals. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

prequel revenge: He was 74, according to CTV. No cause was given. Mayhew died at his home in north Texas on Tuesday, according to a family statement. As Chewbacca, known to his friends as Chewie, the 7-foot-3 Mayhew was a fierce warrior with a soft heart, loyal sidekick to Harrison Ford's Han Solo, and co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon. Peter Mayhew was a kind and gentle man, possessed of great dignity and noble character, Ford said in a statement Thursday. Mayhew went on to appear as the Wookiee in the 2005 prequel Revenge of the Sith and shared the part in 2015's The Force Awakens with actor Joonas Suotamo, who took over the role in subsequent films. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.