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.

labour: Underpinning it is both triumphalism and insecurity, according to Rabble. A traumatised left must unite in the face of unprecedented adversity Triumphalism, because Labour has been subjected to a devastating defeat, leaving it shattered and demoralised, stripped of seats it has held for decades; and because it has no plausible leader who can confidently presume to take the party to victory in 2024. This grand national project was rudely interrupted when Labour deprived the Conservatives of a majority in 2017 it will now be renewed with vigour. Insecurity, because support for Labour among younger voters is at an unprecedented high, while for the Tories it's at an unparalleled low; because the right knows Labour's economic policies are popular, driving its 2017 surge and provoking the only doubts Tory strategists had about victory this time around; and because it is keenly aware that a left-led Labour party came horrifyingly close to forming a government just two and a half years ago, falling short by just 2,227 votes in seven constituencies. The electoral map is already rigged in favour of the Tories it took on average just 38,264 votes to elect a Tory MP, compared to 50,835 per Labour MP. That advantage will now be entrenched. That near-death experience, so far as they are concerned, must never be repeated. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

class actions: What is a class action Class-action lawsuits allow groups of people to seek justice against a defendant who is accused of causing loss or harm to others through product liability, privacy breaches, consumer protection issues, environmental accidents, mass personal injury, institutional abuse, and labour and employment issues, according to CTV. They are usually brought by one individual on behalf of many people, with one plaintiff acting as a representative for the class. Here's how they work. Class actions are often lengthy, complex and multinational cases. It has been an effective tool for systemic change and is still used to assert minority rights, such as the protection of migrants and veterans, for instance. The concept of representative litigation dates back to medieval England but the modern class action took shape in the U.S. in the 1960s, largely to address civil rights, says Jasminka Kalajdzic, an associate professor of law and director of the Class Action Clinic at the University of Windsor. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

intelligence branch: The squad, which included members of the provincial and Toronto police forces, kept tabs on the travel of prominent criminals, watching flights daily from 6 a.m. into the wee hours of the next morning, according to CTV. They operate a briefcase camera and have become adept in collecting very good photographs, the RCMP memo said. The idea of snapping surreptitious images developed in late November 1964 when a member of the RCMP's security and intelligence branch drafted a memo touting the possible help of a special police squad working at the bustling Toronto International Airport. At the time, two decades before the birth of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the RCMP was responsible for monitoring suspected subversives and foreign spies. The Canadian Press obtained details of the RCMP's Photographic Sighting Program from Library and Archives Canada through the Access to Information Act. In light of frequent air travel by leading Communist Party of Canada members, East Bloc embassy personnel and others of interest to the Mounties, the future co-operation of the airport squad might prove rewarding, and its members had already indicated a willingness to assist, the memo said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

xinjiang uighur: However, there are some places that may seem attractive to travellers, such as Venezuela or Haiti, but which have been shaken by popular uprisings or political instability, according to CTV. In the case of the 'Pearl of the Antilles', the phrase 'avoiding all non-essential travel' is added. Predictably, North Korea, Iraq, Syria and many states at war or under the yoke of repressive regimes include this advisory. At a less alarming level, there are nearly a hundred countries in the world where Global Affairs Canada recommends 'exercising great caution'. Many European, South American or Asian destinations are found on this list. Ottawa also warns of certain practices observed in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. In the case of China, Canadian travellers are advised to be careful because of the 'risk of arbitrary application of local laws'. A mention that is reminiscent of the detention of two Canadians, ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor, arrested in December 2018 in what appears to be retaliatory measures in response to the Canadian arrest of Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou on a US extradition warrant. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

personality development: Let me first state the obvious, then move on to more troubling concerns, according to Rabble. The obvious is that Donald J. Trump, President Trump, personifies the naked id of Freudian fame. Republicans have become the Party of Id. In Freud's theory of personality development, the id is curbed by ethical ideals and normative constraints, which normal children after graduating from their Terrible Twos internalize as humankind's superego. Undeterred by his failure to matriculate the Terrible Twos, Trump recklessly advances as a toddler-adult, uncurbed and unrestrained by ethical ideals or normative constraints. But, of course, there are always exceptions to every rule. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

priyanka: Singh has also written that whatever rumours are doing rounds on social media of heckling and strangulating Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are wrong, he added, according to Rabble. Kalanidhi Naithini, Lucknow Singh has also written that whatever rumours are doing rounds on social media of heckling and strangulating Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are wrong. https //t.co/5Isy HvTWdJ ANI UP ANINewsUP December 28, 2019 Kalanidhi Naithini, Lucknow SSP told news agency ANI, Today, morning area incharge, Dr Archana Singh has presented a report to Additional Superintendent where she has mentioned that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's car was not moving in the scheduled route rather a different route. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

london people: He was critical of the parliamentary system since he felt impediment while imposing his sole decisions in the country, according to Rabble. Now when ailing Ex. Some months ago, the same debate regarding the implementation of the presidential system circulated when Imran Khan raised voice against the parliamentary system. PM Nawaz Sharif made his journey to London; people have begun to curse the parliamentary system. Let's start the discussion whether Pakistan should have presidential democracy or parliamentarian democracy. In this trend, the parliamentary system in place was called out the remnant of the British legacy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mainstream u.s: It highlighted the strategic blindness of NBC political director and Meet the Press host Chuck Todd and others in dealing with the Trump administration and the Republican Party, according to Georgia Asian. Rosen described Todd's response to the onslaught of lies as malpractice and willful blindness to what the Republican Party had become . The right wing ecosystem for news does not operate like the rest of the country's news system, Rosen pointed out. On Boxing Day, I read an enlightening essay by NYU journalism professor Jay Rosen about the mainstream U.S. media. And increasingly conservative politics is getting sucked into conservative media. Yet Meet the Press and other mainstream current-affairs network programs operate on the premise of a symmetry between the two major political parties according to Rosen. It makes more sense to see Fox News and the Trump White House as two parts of the same organism. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bauchi state: Yakubu Dogara is 52 years old today, according to Rabble. Born on December 26, 1967 in Tafawa Balewa, Bauchi State, Dogara rose from a humble background in that rural community, where Nigeria's first and only Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa came from. Hon. He was first elected into the House of Representatives in 2007 from one of the most diverse constituencies in the country, with Christians and Moslems, and many ethnic groups co-existing. Close associates and family members would say he is never desperate for anything in life. Yet, within a short time, he won the confidence of all segments of the people, whose lives he has touched positively. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

indian constitution: In effect exercising the very democratic right guaranteed to them by the Indian Constitution, according to Rabble. Yet, while these protests have already turned increasingly violent with many reported to have died at the hands of riot police, there is a general expectation that the apathy directed towards India's minorities that has long characterized this ruling government is likely to continue in the absence of any serious condemnation, especially from the rest of the democratic free world'. Hence, while Prime Minister Modi's BJP led government steadily erodes India's democratic ideals in favor of a more populist' brand of politics, one can't help but note how this very statement has come to read as a catch-all byline that is applicable to almost any part of the world now. In a direct challenge to the ruling BJP government's inspired vision of the Sangh Parivar, protestors across major cities such as Lucknow, Delhi, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Assam have taken to the streets in defense of what has in principle remained a secular democracy. Be it in Trump's America, Putin's Russia, Erdogan's Turkey, Johnson's Britain or Bolsanaro's Brazil, the rise of such populist' leaders themselves represent perhaps one of the most troubling impediments to a such a so called free' world. Yet, what this illusory triumph masks is how each of the above mentioned leaders, including Narendra Modi, have simply perfected the age-old art of political demagoguery. For the ardent supporters of these leaders, the very fact that their support is part of the majoritarian cause stands as the ultimate triumph of democracy through the unfettered will of the people constituting these states. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

detention centre: The reaction was swift, according to CTV. Hope he brought gifts for these kids, replied online activist group Sleeping Giants, with a photo of children huddled under blankets on the floor of an apparent detention centre. Santa, his reindeer and all of the presents have been cleared by CBP for entry into the United States! the tweet reads, with a photo of Santa Claus holding apparent government-issued identification. Writer Rob Rousseau responded if he didn't have the proper credentials, would you arrest him would you arrest santa sic Other users responded with cartoons, memes and modified nativity scenes -- including the California church who showed Jesus, Mary and Joseph separated by cages -- that heavily criticize both the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Santa, his reindeer and all of the presents have been cleared by CBP for entry into the United States! Norad Santa CBP CBP December 25, 2019Hope he brought gifts for these kids! Sleeping Giants slpng giants December 25, Charlotte Clymer cmclymer December 25, 2019if he didn't have the proper credentials would you arrest him. would you arrest santa Rob robrousseau December 25, too poor for Matt to sue fiondavision December 25, 2019One year ago today, Felipe G mez Alonzo died in CBP custody. In November the Associated Press reported that the U.S. had held more than 69,000 migrant children in custody over the past year, with several reports of children allegedly dying without access to medical care. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

holiday photos: A judge told him Tuesday he would need to wait until March 29 before his trial could begin, according to CTV. They're allowed to hold him for up to 18 months without having a trial and they appear to be wanting to do that, David Whelan, Paul's brother, told CTV News from Newmarket, Ont. Paul Whalen, a former U.S. marine who was born in Ottawa, was arrested on espionage charges while attending a wedding a Moscow on Dec. 28, 2018, but has yet to stand trial in the matter. If convicted, Whelan could spend up to 20 years in prison. Russian federal agents said Whalen had a flash drive with classified information on it, but Whalen said he thought it contained holiday photos given to him by a friend. There still has been no evidence provided by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation to the court about Paul's charges, David said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

york times: The custom dates back to at least 1935, when the New York Times mentioned a Chinese restaurant owner bringing chow mein to a New Jersey Jewish children's home on Christmas Day, according to CTV. The custom is now so well-known it's been studied, parodied, and was once even referenced by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan during her 2010 nomination hearing. There's a longstanding tradition of Jewish families in Canada and the U.S. going out to eat Chinese food on Dec. 25. Here's a closer look at how the tradition started. This meant Jewish families were typically free on the Christmas Day holiday, and Chinese restaurants were open too, says historian and food writer Lara Rabinovitch. A matter of convenience When Jewish and Chinese immigrants first started arriving in Canada and the U.S., they didn't observe Dec. 25 as a holiday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lifestyle choices: The experience, Linfield surmises in her book The Lion's Den, made her ashamed to be a Jew, according to Rabble. That is a curious sentiment. To the Jewish American academic, the self-contained ghetto of fanatical settlers seemed like an atavistic throwback to a religiously insular mindset secular Zionism had set out to eradicate. Whatever the merits of maintaining a Jewish presence in Hebron, Linfield is hardly responsible for the views, deeds and lifestyle choices of settlers there. Barely the first page into her book we appear to be standing on shaky ground. By professing to be ashamed because of other Jews she doesn't even know, she inadvertently reinforces the old antisemitic trope that Jews are a monolithic entity burdened with collective guilt for the actions of a few. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

people: All I would request you to write a letter to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and c.c. it to our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on my behalf and request him to show some compassion for the people of Kashmir who continue to face a lockdown ever since August 5, 2019, according to Georgia Asian. Alternatively, you can just copy and paste the content of my letter and forward it to him to save your time, as you must be busy responding to thousands of letters being mailed to you around this time of the year. Fortunately, I am not going to ask for material gifts, which makes your job bit easier and you don't have to worry about buying anything for me. Kashmir is a disputed region where people have been fighting for right to self-determination. Indian forces continue to suppress their struggle with heavy deployment of troops. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

love stories: These podcasts range from deep dives into the rise and fall of Rob Ford and love stories from second-generation Canadians to sports commentary and investigations into a grisly murder, according to NOW Magazine. Here, in no particular order, are our top podcasts of the year. But with only so many hours in a day to listen to them, we've rounded-up our 10 favourite Toronto-made podcasts of 2019. Born And Raised Huff Post In the second season of Born And Raised, which tells the stories of second-generation Canadians, hosts Alisha Sawhney and Al Donato focus on love, sex, marriage, parenthood and everything in between. SAMANTHA EDWARDSListen here Canadian True Crime independent The podcast universe is bursting with true crime podcasts, but this Canadian version hosted by Kristi Lee is my favourite. This season, Sawhney and Donato bring listeners love stories from Halifax's Pier 21, virginity myths, discovering lesbian porn on the family computer and talking sex-ed with immigrant parents. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

consumer: Now, there are far more options to access exclusive labels, according to CTV. You can buy them at online sites like Netaporter. Not anymore. Or get them barely used through sites like Fashionphile and The Real Real. The consumer is king. You can even rent an entire rotating wardrobe through companies like Rent the Runway. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ryu: Ryu and the Blue Jays agreed to an 80 million, four-year contract, according to a person familiar with the negotiations, according to CTV. The person spoke late Sunday night on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a physical after Christmas and had not been announced. One that was willing to pay for it, too. Ryu was 14-5 with a major league-best 2.32 ERA for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. The 32-year-old left-hander from South Korea receives a 20 million salary each of the next four years, with no signing bonus. He started for the National League in his first All-Star Game and finished second in Cy Young Award voting to New York Mets ace Jacob de Grom. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

poverty: Experts suggest that a plan by Statistics Canada to recalculate the threshold by changing the market basket measure early next year could lead to a similar bump in poverty rates, according to CTV. The measure calculates the minimum a person or family would have to earn to afford a basket of goods and services needed to reach a modest or basic living standard. The last time the made-in-Canada measure was updated was in 2008 and poverty rates increased by 2.2 per cent because the financial cut-off used to define low-income was raised. The Liberals adopted the measure as the country's official poverty line last year and set aside 12 million over five years to update the basket, which doesn't include things like wireless services. A final report from Statistics Canada is expected in February. In July, the top official at Employment and Social Development Canada and the minister at the time were told federal officials would decide on the actions to be taken with Statistics Canada's recommendations, including which to implement, and which to send for more research when it comes to making the changes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

time i: This work-life balance I was like, What the fuck is everybody complaining about ' Until I had to do it, according to Georgia Asian. I mean, if I don't work less I will wreck his childhood. I'm in an insane relationship with time as a mother this agonized relationship with time, writer Hannah Moscovitch laments with a laugh, speaking to the Straight from her Halifax home before her show Infinity opens here after the holidays. So it's not like a theoretical ideal that I should have work-life balance, she continues, sounding as self-effacing, funny, and candidly introspective as some of her best-known female stage characters. And now I'm in a constant existential relationship with time; I'm constantly thinking about it. And then she reflects more seriously, Writing Infinity gave me the chance to grapple with that. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

colourful style: He was born in Aix-en-Province in southern France in 1933 to a family of Italian immigrants, and moved at the tender age of 22 to Paris, where he was trained by Spanish couturier Cristobal Balenciaga before launching his own label nine years later, according to CTV. He quickly imposed his own colourful style on the world of fashion. Ungaro, who retired from fashion in 2004, died on Saturday after two years in a weakened state of health, a family member said. One should not wear a dress, one should live in it, said the man who regarded his life's work as a craft. Ungaro would later say he had learned the basics from his father and from Balenciaga. Ungaro was the second of six children, his father a tailor. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

finance minister: Auditor General Julia Mullaley reported the province's net debt is now higher than it's ever been, and cautioned in her annual financial audit that government is not living within its means, according to CTV. She reported that the government's financial targets, including a goal to return to surplus by 2023, appear increasingly difficult to hit. The province's finance minister and auditor general both described the situation as challenging this month, following a fiscal update that saw revenue fall 392 million short of projections, largely due to a shutdown of oil production after consecutive spills. More pressingly for residents, a plan has yet to materialize on how to mitigate electricity rates, which are expected to skyrocket once the over-budget Muskrat Falls hydro dam starts providing full power to the island. Ball said he understands the stress this uncertainty causes, but insists the situation is nothing the province hasn't weathered before. A rough plan released by provincial government in the spring predicted an annual need for 200 million from Ottawa, but details are still being negotiated. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

steam room: It was a spur of the moment kind of thing, Aliu explained during an interview this past week at a gym near Toronto, according to CTV. A few highway exits from his home, this is where the 30-year-old works out to stay in shape in case some team gives him one more shot at playing. Aliu was scrolling through the timeline on his phone when he saw a report of how just-fired Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock had mistreated Mitch Marner, his prized rookie forward. I sent it out and didn't even think anything of it, and just went into the steam room for 20 minutes, he said. The tweets went viral, and missed calls and text messages were piling up when Aliu returned. I did a couple of hot-cold rounds in the shower and when I came out it was crazy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

toni jacob: Toni Jacob, the program director, says It all started when I realized that a lot of Africans coming to Ottawa, it is their first Christmas and they don't know anything about Canadian Christmas, according to CTV. We just wanted to welcome the newcomers coming to Ottawa and having their first Christmas in Canada. Close to 100 people gathered in a party room of an apartment building on Donald Street for the 4th Annual 1 Resource Annual Christmas Giving Program. Jacob says the first Christmas in a new country can be challenging as many try to adjust to new cultures, new languages and different traditions. Not being able to come out and find people to help them get around. Finding support is the biggest challenge. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trudeau: Some municipal politicians in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, concerned about deadly shootings, have called for measures to control handguns in their cities, according to CTV. The Trudeau government plans to empower provinces and cities to take steps to manage the storage and use of handguns within their individual jurisdictions, given that they have different needs and concerns. In an interview with The Canadian Press, Trudeau also defended his government's intention to allow handgun prohibition on a city-by-city basis rather than enacting a sweeping federal ban. We have heard from a number of particularly large cities saying that they want to be able to ban handguns within their city limits, Trudeau said during the wide-ranging interview in Ottawa this week. And we feel that it would be a solid step to move forward and give cities and provinces those tools to do that. That is something we are hearing from some very specific places across the country but not everywhere across the country. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nation rise: The company behind the site, EDP Renewables, must lay off the 200 employees working on Nation Rise just before the holidays and stands to lose the 230 million in capital it has already sunk into the project, according to National Observer. But EDP Renewables has now launched a court challenge to try to overturn the province's decision, alleging it was fuelled by politics instead of evidence, National Observer has learned. Nation Rise Wind Farm, nestled among dairy farms and fields of corn, was three months away from completion when Ontario Environment Minister Jeff Yurek cancelled it earlier this month, citing concerns over possible risks to local bat populations. The government's move clashes with earlier testimony given by the province's own experts, according to the application filed in Ontario Superior Court on Dec. 10. What people are reading Banking regulator compares climate change risk to asbestos fallout Shrinking populations in Caribbean due to climate change Coal isn't dying. To do this so late in the game is very, very damaging, Tom LoTurco, director of development for EDP Renewables in Eastern Canada and the United States, told National Observer this week. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.