FEAR STORM IN OTTAWA

Despite Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s brave words (after the fact) about not being intimidated by terrorism, Canada did not stand strong and proud during the recent shooting incident on Parliament Hill.

Media-​fuelled fears caused widespread panic, including the ridiculous instruction for military personnel to cease wearing uniforms outside their workplace.

With confusion and panic mounting, the incident in Ottawa caught the attention of the international media, which reported that Ottawa was under siege by terrorists.

Current And Incoming Republican Senators Set Out Pro-Corporate Agenda For 114th Congress

WASHINGTON -- Republicans senators, including those already in office and incoming new members, discussed across morning television shows on Sunday what they would like to see done in the 114th Congress.

The suite of issues senators want addressed include a grab-bag of policies sought by the powerful U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which spent more than $35 million to help elect the new GOP majority.

Mexico Protesters Set Presidential Palace On Fire

(Reuters) - Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Sunday condemned violent protests over the apparent massacre of 43 students after demonstrators set fire to the door of his ceremonial palace in Mexico City on Saturday night.

Tens of thousands of Mexicans have taken to the streets to protest the government's handling of the case of the missing students, and last night protesters in central Mexico City set fire to the door of the National Palace.

Information watchdog says cash crunch endangers Canadians’ access rights

OTTAWA - The federal information watchdog is almost broke, weathering a cash crunch Suzanne Legault says threatens her ability to protect the rights of Canadians.

Legault's office had just $37,000 left at the end of the last fiscal year — or 0.2 per cent of her overall budget.

The information commissioner is an ombudsman for users of the Access to Information Act, handling complaints about delays, fees, and difficulties in obtaining records from federal agencies.

Israeli Police Raise Alert Level As Protests Sweep The Country

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli police went on heightened alert Sunday following protests across the country over the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old Arab Israeli who appeared in video footage to be retreating from police, as the prime minister vowed a tough response to any further unrest.

Thousands of Arabs took to the streets Saturday to protest the shooting, with many hurling rocks and firebombs at police. The protests continued Sunday with a general strike called by Arab Israeli community leaders and demonstrations outside universities and other institutions. The tensions add to those already raging in Jerusalem, where Palestinians from the eastern part of the city have been clashing almost daily with police over access to a disputed holy site.

China-US gulf widens as ‘marginalised’ Obama heads for Beijing summit

When Barack Obama lands in Beijing for a two-day state visit this week, he will find a city of traffic-free roads, crystal blue skies, and powerful officials who have made up their minds against him.

Obama will participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Beijing on Monday and Tuesday at the start of a short regional tour – later in the week, he will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit and the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Burma and then the G20 summit in Australia.

Mitch McConnell's Triumph Strikes Worry In The Hearts Of Campaign Finance Reformers

WASHINGTON -- Over the past three years, House Republicans have repeatedly tried, and failed, to bar federal agencies from adopting regulations to govern the campaign finance landscape created by the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision. Now, with their party seizing control of the Senate, that effort to stop new rules may win, too.

WHO Doesn't Approve Of Canada's Ebola Visa Ban, But Can't Change It

TORONTO - Canada appears to have used a loophole — a rather large one — to justify to the World Health Organization its decision to stop issuing visas to residents and nationals of Ebola-affected countries.

The global health agency says Canada's new policy contravenes the spirit if not the letter of the International Health Regulations, but there is nothing the WHO can do about it.

International health law experts have said Canada's policy, announced Oct. 31, is a violation of the International Health Regulations, known as the IHR.

Jose Mujica, Uruguay's president, offered $1M for 1987 VW Beetle

President Jose Mujica says he has received a million-dollar offer to buy his blue 1987 Volkswagen Beetle, which has become a symbol of the Uruguayan leader's austere lifestyle.

The man once nicknamed "the poorest president in the world" told the Uruguayan weekly Busqueda that an Arab sheik offered $1 million for the humble car. When asked about the reported offer at a news conference, Mujica said: "That's what they said to me, but I didn't give it any importance."

Retired sea captain: Don't be fooled by Harper's pipeline plans

I write this article from the perspective of an old-timer who has a few tidbits of wisdom from my time on this planet. These thoughts are to do with the feds and Enbridge's so-called plan to run supertankers through the narrow passages out of Kitimat.

One word sums this up: poppycock!

I have been capable, and qualified, to sail any ship this world had to offer and in charge of some of the largest vessels used on this British Columbia coastline. My certificate, signed by the then Federal Minister of Transportation, was unrestricted; it literally states "Limitations: None."