Pope Urges U.S. To Keep Religious Values
Belief in God is foundation of human rights, he tells Bush
http://www.wcr.ab.ca/news/2008/0421/pope042108.shtml
By JOHN THAVIS-Catholic News Service-Washington

Pope Benedict highlighted his visit to the White House by pleading with Americans to preserve a moral and political order based on the central place of religious faith. Religious values helped forge "the soul of the nation" and should continue to inspire Americans as they face complex political and ethical issues today, the pope said during an April 16 ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House.

The pope was greeted with great fanfare as a crowd of thousands sang Happy Birthday to him on his 81st birthday. Pope Benedict said he had come to the United States "as a friend, a preacher of the Gospel and one with great respect for this vast pluralistic society."

He said that from the beginning U.S. history and its quest for freedom was linked to "a moral order based on the dominion of God the Creator."

This was seen in the proclamation of "the self-evident truth that all men are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights," he said.
"'In a world without truth, freedom loses its foundation,' and a democracy without values can lose its very soul."
- Pope Benedict

Religious values have continued to be a driving force, for example in the struggle against slavery and the human rights movement, he said.

"In our time, too, particularly in moments of crisis, Americans continue to find their strength in a commitment to this patrimony of shared ideals and aspirations," he said.

The pope then spoke about freedom in the U.S. tradition, saying Americans have always understood freedom as not just a gift but as a summons to responsibility. Preserving freedom calls for virtue, self-discipline, a sense of sacrifice for the common good and responsibility for the less fortunate, he said.

Freedom has a deep connection to truth, the pope said. Quoting Pope John Paul II, he said the late pope had "reminded us that history shows, time and again, that 'in a world without truth, freedom loses its foundation,' and a democracy without values can lose its very soul."

The pope said the Church is convinced that faith can inspire people to work for a more just and fraternal society.

"Democracy can only flourish, as your founding fathers realized, when political leaders and those whom they represent are guided by truth and bring the wisdom born of firm moral principle to decisions affecting the life and future of the nation," he said.

The pope did not speak about specific domestic or international issues in his public remarks.

In his speech, U.S. President George W. Bush picked up on several of the pope's favourite themes, denouncing a "dictatorship of relativism" that threatens traditional values.

The president drew applause when he said "we need your message that all human life is sacred and that each of us is willed and each of us is loved and each of us is necessary."

International Students In Canada Will Be Able To Obtain An Open Work Permit
CANADIAN FEDERATION OF STUDENTS
Work Permit Changes A Positive Step

OTTAWA, April 22 /CNW Telbec/ - The Canadian Federation of Students welcomes the government's announcement of changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program.

 "These changes address a key recommendation of the Canadian Federation of Students for improving the program's flexibility," said Brent Farrington, National Deputy Chairperson of the Canadian Federations of Students Effective immediately, international students will be able to obtain an open work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program, with no restrictions on the type of employment and no requirement for a job offer. In addition, the duration of the work permit has been extended to three years across the country. Previously, the program only allowed international students to work for one or two years, depending on the location.

"The changes to the program will allow international students greatly increased flexibility, allowing graduates more time to find jobs that are right for them," said Farrington. "When coupled with new Citizenship and Immigration programs, the changes will make it easier for international students to immigrate upon graduation."

The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program allows students who have graduated from an eligible program at a post-secondary institution to gain valuable Canadian work experience. According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, preliminary 2007 data indicate that 63,673 international students came to Canada in 2007, representing a 4.6 percent increase over the previous year.

The Housing Boom Is Over!
http://www.660news.com/news/local/article.jsp?content=20080418_002104_7616
Bryce Kelley - April 17, 2008 - 10:00 pm

The housing boom in Canada is starting to slow down.

The latest numbers from the Canadian Real Estate Association shows a softening of markets across most of the country. Douglas Porter, the chief economist at BMO Nesbitt Burns, says there are double-digit declines in sales activity in more markets than you can shake a stick at, and Calgary is one of those markets.

Our city is posting the sharpest decline in sales activity. Year over year, it's down 36%.

The figures are a huge change of pace from 2 years ago, and Ed Jensen, president of the Calgary Real Estate Board tells 660 news the city has officially become a buyers market.

New listings in have soared in Calgary Edmonton and Vancouver, while its a sellers dream in Regina Saskatoon and Winnipeg.

The Canadian Real Estate Association says most major markets in canada are becoming balanced, but Alberta's two biggest cities are the "most balanced".

New B.C. Legislation Opens Door To More Foreign-Trained Doctors

VICTORIA — British Columbia is making it easier for out-of-province and foreign trained health professionals to work in the province. Health Minister George Abbott says reforms tabled in Bill 25, the Health Professions Regulatory Reform Act, will expand patients' choice of health professionals and also their access to such people. Qualified doctors working in other provinces and countries will be allowed to work in B.C. with a restricted licence.

Abbott says Canadian citizens trained in medical schools and working outside Canada will be welcomed home to practice in B.C. Nurses will be allowed to practice in more areas of medicine, and pharmacists will be allowed to authorize routine prescription renewals. Bill 25 will also require that the bodies governing doctors and other health professionals make public any disciplinary action taken against physicians and other health workers.

Ex-President On Mission To Establish Social Equality In India
Visiting Here To Promote Trade Ties With Canada
http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/416200
April 19, 2008-Prithi Yelaja- Toronto Staff Reporter

Former president, eminent scientist and national visionary all in one, Abdul Kalam has an ambitious goal for his native India: to see it join the ranks of developed nations by 2020. But it must be done, he insists, in a way that enhances social equality. The technological revolution that has transformed India's cities and created a burgeoning middle class has to be carried into the thousands of villages where the people remain poverty-stricken and ill-educated.

Kalam, who's in Canada to help launch a new organization called the Canada-India Foundation, shared that vision at the University of Toronto via his trademark PowerPoint presentation yesterday, before joining Prime Minister Stephen Harper to present the Global Indian award to Sam Pitroda, the architect of India's telecom revolution, at an inaugural gala at the Liberty Grand.

An aeronautical engineer who helped create India's space and nuclear programs, Kalam, 76, stepped down as the country's 11th president last July, returning to his first love: teaching.

Known in India as the "people's president," the lifelong bachelor was hugely popular with young people, whom he urged to "dream, dream, dream."

He was known for personally replying to the emails he received by the hundreds daily.

He has persuaded several of India's largest companies, including Wipro and Satyam, to help provide free computers and training in villages, part of his PURA (Providing Urban Facilities in Rural Areas) concept.

Compulsory free education for girls at least to age 14, which India will implement by next year, is another pillar of his vision.

India is on track to achieve his vision for 2020 if gross domestic product continues to grow at 10 per cent a year for the next decade, he said. But Kalam also espouses a new way of measuring GDP to include how many people are lifted out of poverty each year, and a measure of a nation's character or value. The extended family, still a core structure in Indian society, adds to the nation's value because of its supportive nature, says Kalam.

The new Canada-India Foundation aims to foster closer trade ties between the two countries, facilitate South Asian participation in Canadian politics and advocate public-policy issues.

Canada India Foundation pushes for more visa processing centres in India
http://www.canadaindia.org/ 
Written by Amit Gossai / SAFP Correspondent - Friday, 11 April 2008

TORONTO -- Supporting the Harper government's immigration reform legislation, Bill C-150; the Canada India Foundation (CIF) says Canada however, still needs to take several steps to improve immigration services in India.

CIF is urging Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Diane Finley to establish two new visa processing centres in Mumbai and Chennai.

"In comparison to China and Pakistan, India on a per capita basis, is disproportionately serviced by Immigration Canada," said CIF Convener Ajit Someshwar. "More can and must be done to facilitate skilled accreditation of immigrants if Canada is serious about attracting the best and the brightest."

The Harper government lived to rule another day after they survived another confidence vote Wednesday.

The House voted 201-68 against the NDP motion which called for a rejection of the government's budget implementation bill. The Conservatives and Liberals opposed the motion, while NDP and Bloc Quebecois members supported it.

"Bill C-50 is good for Canada and good for Canadian employers," said Someshwar. "By choosing to prioritize skilled labourers, while protecting family class immigrants and refugees, the Minister is striking the right balance."

Bill C-50 seeks to speed up the processing of the over 900,000 applicants currently in the backlog with significant new funding. It also allows Finley to designate skilled immigrant categories which will be prioritized in consultation with employers. In addition, Finley has stated that family re-unification, refugees and humanitarian cases will not be affected by this Bill.

India’s Aditya Birla increases its stake in AV Group in New Brunswick

NACKAWIC, NB, April 14 /CNW/ - T
The Aditya Birla Group today announced that it has increased its stake from 75% to 95% in its two Canadian joint venture companies, AV Cell Inc. and AV Nackawic Inc., at a total consideration of approximately $9 million CAD. The Group has acquired the additional 20% stake in these two companies from Tembec Inc, its joint venture partner. Tembec's decision to dilute its stake in these two entities is part of their effort to focus resources on core business units.

"This decision fits with our strategy of securing cost effective pulp for the Group's global VSF (Rayon) business," said Mr. Shailendra K. Jain, Director Pulp and Fibre Business, Aditya Birla Group. "The Birla Group is pleased that our longstanding relationship with Tembec will continue and that they will remain a much valued shareholder in both the companies."

"AV Nackawic and AV Cell have excellent long-term potential, and Aditya Birla's continued confidence in them bodes well for their continued viability and prosperity," said Peter Vinall, President and Chief Executive Officer,  AV Group.

AV Cell, located in Atholville, NB, maintains 275 direct jobs and currently produces 340 metric tonnes per day of specialty grade dissolving pulp for the textile industry. AV Nackawic supports 300 direct jobs and is currently undergoing a conversion from paper pulp to dissolving pulp that is expected to be completed in July 2008. The two mills' production is exclusively for the Group's units in India, Thailand, Indonesia and China.

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