Five stories in the news today, March 6

Five stories in the news for Monday, March 6:

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REFUGEES HAVE BETTER ODDS FINDING HOME IN CANADA

Some immigration lawyers say asylum seekers have been braving the cold to illegally cross the American border because they feel Canada is a better bet to gain refugee status.  Winnipeg immigration lawyer Bashir Khan says there’s a lack of access to justice for those trying to obtain refugee status in the U.S. He says claimants in Canada get a legal aid assigned lawyer and aren’t put in detention, which makes it easier for them to prepare their case. Statistics provided by the Immigration and Refugee Board show refugee claims from people fleeing some countries are approved more often than not.

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time served

Nanaimo man caught with over 30g of illicit drugs avoids additional jail time

1h ago

big return

Senior women's box lacrosse returns to Nanaimo after 10+ year absence

2h ago

environmental impacts

Accidental pump activation causes minor oil slick in Nanaimo marina

3h ago

MODERN UNDERGROUND RAILWAY PROPELS ASYLUM SEEKERS INTO CANADA

Many African asylum-seekers who end up in Canada have undergone an arduous journey through thousands of kilometres of jungle, along back roads and over water in small wooden boats. They often spend a lengthy period in a U.S. immigration detention centre. It’s a modern underground railroad with networks of smugglers plotting paths through South and Central America to help people fleeing Somalia, Ghana, Djibouti and other countries. A member of a Canadian non-profit group that provides support services to newcomers says such stories are common with those who have ended their journey by illegally crossing the Canadian border.

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PROTESTS CONTINUE AGAINST CABBIE’S ACQUITTAL

More events are planned to protest a Halifax cab driver’s acquittal on a sexual assault charge. Outrage has been growing since Judge Gregory Lenehan ruled last week that the Crown failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that an intoxicated woman did not consent to sexual activity in the cab. Lenehan declared in his ruling that “a drunk can consent.”  A small group gathered in Halifax Sunday to compose letters demanding a judicial council review of Lenehan, and protest marches are planned for Tuesday and Wednesday.

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HEARING SOCIETY WORKERS STRIKE

Employees with the Canadian Hearing Society have launched strike action. The Canadian Union of Public Employees says they had no choice after management rejected all of the union’s proposals. The workers include counsellors, literacy instructors, audiologists, speech language pathologists and interpreters. They staff 24 Canadian Hearing Society offices across Ontario.

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ROBO-ADVISERS’ BEAR MARKET GAME PLAN

With stock markets trading at or near all-time highs, robo-advisers are trying to get clients to remain focused on their plan — even when an inevitable market correction comes. Digital investment services have gained popularity during a period of relative strength on the stock markets, in part by marketing toward younger clients who may not have the scars of bear markets of the past to remind them they’re a natural part of the market cycle. For many millennials, robo-advisers are appealing because they’re advertised as offering professionally managed portfolio advice at a relatively low cost.

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The Canadian Press