Polar Commission without board for almost two years

During his trip to the North last week, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced with great fanfare that Canada would be building a new world-class Arctic research station in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut.

Budget cuts hurting embassies: DFAIT reports

By Lee Berthiaume

Recent budget cuts at Canadian embassies and high commissions are having dramatic ramifications on the country's representation abroad, according to Foreign Affairs reports.

The government says Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon is the main point-person on Canada’s Arctic foreign policy. But experts say a dedicated ambassador would be a good addition.

Does Canada need to resurrect its circumpolar ambassador?

By Françoise Makanda

Two weeks ago, Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon unveiled the government's new Arctic foreign policy statement, which put a premium on the Arctic Council and finding diplomatic resolutions to many of the Canada's ongoing disputes in the North.

Trade, business groups decry business visa process

By Anca Gurzu

When Amina Gerba started organizing last year's conference for African business leaders, Forum Africa, she thought there would be about 100 participants. In the end, only about 40 managed to obtain their business travel visa, while the rest were unable to convince immigration officers that they planned to return to their home countries.

Palestinian group loses QC appeal
Toronto adopts drug declaration
AbitibiBowater deal a precedent?

Avoid EU Roma meeting: Dosanjh

Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh has asked the Canadian government not to attend a meeting of EU officials next week that will discuss a French decision to expel Roma from the country, the Press Trust of India reported. Mr. Dosanjh said in remarks on Aug. 29 that he thinks France is breaking EU law by targeting Roma and the Canadian government should condemn that process. Some EU officials would like to see more extensive measures to be taken against Roma migrants. Canada introduced visa requirements against the Czech Republic last year because of an influx of Roma asylum seekers.

NEWS

Diplomatic absence from Angola lamented

By Lee Berthiaume

Failure to open diplomatic, trade mission prompts questions from African officials, private sector.

Spending more on counter-terrorism no easy task

While most say more resources are needed, politics and other priorities are key considerations.

New foreign workers 'blacklist' sparks controversy

By Anca Gurzu

While new rules to shield foreign workers from exploitation are welcome, immigration lawyers worry that a plan to publicly "blacklist" allegedly dishonest employers lacks details and could lead to lawsuits. There are also concerns that introducing an expiration date on working permits will unfairly impact low-skilled workers.

OPINION

Time For an end to Arctic games

COLUMNS

Burma election boycott, moral but unwise

By Jim Creskey

What does an opposition do about an intractable government that is incapable of coming up with any programs or even ideas that will make a country a better place for its citizens, especially its poorest citizens?

Sudanese refugees drag a bag of food aid. Climate change played a large role in the conflict in Darfur.

Climate change will lead to asylum seekers influx

By David Crane

In response to the arrival of a ship on Canada's West Coast loaded with Tamils seeking refugee status, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has vowed to crack down on future boatloads of migrants. "We will take whatever steps are necessary going forward," he has said.

Muslims and US Elections

The great journalist HL Mencken once said that nobody ever went broke by underestimating the intelligence of the American public, but I may be about to prove him wrong.

Outgoing Filipino Ambassador José Brillantes says he saw “the transformation of the Filipinos [in Canada] from a ragtag group of a small pocket of society into a growing community.”

Diplomatic Circles

Watching the transformation of a community

By Françoise Makanda

Filipino Ambassador José Brillantes may be returning to Manila, but if there's one thing for certain, many more of his countrymen will be coming from the Philippines to bolster the population in Canada.

Chatter House

Must have been a Manic Monday

By Avinash Gavai

DFAITers received a rather rude awakening on the first day of this week when their Monday Blues turned to a darker shade of Red Alarm.

Inside Defence

Explaining Peter MacKay's fear of Russians

By Scott Taylor

When papa Elmer MacKay put his young toddler Peter to bed back in the late 1960s, he must have invoked visions of evil Cold War Russians into his son's head to put him to sleep. How else could one explain our defence minister's phobic fear of all things Russian?

LETTERS