President Donald Trump said Saturday that he didn't expect Michael Cohen, his longtime personal lawyer and fixer, to "flip" as the government investigates Cohen's business dealings. Trump, in a series of tweets fired off from Florida on the morning of former first lady Barbara Bush's funeral, accused The New York Times and one of its reporters of "going out of their way to destroy Michael Cohen and his relationship with me in the hope that he will 'flip'... (Full Story)

Nicaragua's government says it is willing to negotiate over controversial social security reforms that have prompted protests and deadly clashes this week. Vice President Rosario Murillo said nine people had been killed in the unrest. She called the protests "cruel'' but offered no other details. Dozens of others have been injured or arrested in the chaos in various cities across the Central American nation. Murillo said late Friday that President Daniel... (Full Story)

Ian Black, author of Enemies and Neighbors: Arabs and Jews in Palestine and Israel 1917-2017, will be the featured speaker at the Gelber Center, April 19, 2018 at 7.00 p.m. His topic: “Israelis and Palestinians: Contested Past, Uncertain Future.” (Full Story)

On Thursday, April 19, 2018 at 7:00 pm at the Gelber Centre, veteran British journalist Ian Black will be speaking on “Israelis and Palestinians: Contested Past, Uncertain Future.” (Full Story)

Canadian Friends of Peace Now is deeply concerned about the potential for the escalation of violence at the Gaza border. We are alarmed and saddened by the killing and wounding of unarmed protesters last week. We call on both sides - Palestinians and Israelis - to exercise restraint and act responsibly to prevent further bloodshed. (Full Story)

by Raz Zimmt

Some two months after the wave of protest that swept through Iran, the Iranian authorities are endeavoring to bring the situation back to normal, though local protest events are still ongoing. The protests, which reflected the Iranian public’s demand for change, once again highlighted the conflicting opinions in the Iranian leadership concerning the desired response to the civilian plight. President Hassan Rouhani is attempting to exploit the protests to advance economic reforms and civil rights.  (Full Story)

TORONTO, Canada - The Bata Shoe Museum is saddened to announce the passing of Mrs. Sonja Bata (1926-2018), Founder of the Bata Shoe Museum. A passionate collector, philanthropist, world traveller and business leader, Sonja Bata's thirst for knowledge was both infectious and inspirational. Her drive for design excellence permeated every facet of her life and she encouraged this same quality in those around her. (Full Story)

Valentine’s Day rituals often begin in the classroom, where the holiday serves both as an enjoyable arts and crafts activity and as a pedagogical tool, teaching children about structuring love and friendship into a concrete, prescribed form. The ritualization of love continues throughout our lives, not only on Valentine’s Day, but through weddings, anniversaries, and Mother’s and Father’s Day. (Full Story)

GENEVA – The Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch condemned the U.N. election of Turkey as Vice-Chair of the committee that accredits and oversees the work of non-governmental human rights groups at the world body, noting that the Erdogan regime arrests, jails and persecutes human rights activists, journalists and students. (Full Story)

Non-native lawyers and consultants defend aboriginal causes for their own financial gain, argue Frances Widdowson and Albert Howard in their controversial book, Disrobing the Aboriginal Industry: The Deception Behind Indigenous Cultural Preservation. The billions of tax dollars spent on aboriginal programs serve to enrich white consultants and a native elite, instead of improving the condition of the aboriginal population, according to the authors. (Full Story)

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is the most isolated nation on earth. This country is commonly known as North Korea and it claims to be sovereign over the entire Korean Peninsula. North Korea was created at the end of the Korean War between 1950 and 1953. At the end of the war, the Kim Il Sung`s socialist government remained in the north and a capitalist government took control of the South. Kim IL Sung, as first North Korean Supreme Leader, led the first socialist government of the DPRK by implementing his self-reliance ideology which isolated North Korea from the rest of the World. The self-reliance ideology, known as Juche in North Korea, aims at protecting the socialist state from any outside influence.  (Full Story)

MORNINGS IN JENIN  by Susan ABULHAWA is a novel  reflecting the reality of the  Palestinian plight and suffering. Its original title in 2002 was THE SCAR OF DAVID   in 2002 which  becomes  relevant in the story. The SCAR of David is probably a metaphor for the Star of David. The book is well researched and  is also a personal account . (Full Story)

In 1976, the nationalist Parti Québécois came to power in Quebec and governed the province until 1985. A tense period followed its election within business circles and among the Jewish community. In the midst of this crisis, Victor Teboul’s Mythe et images du Juif au Québec had just been published and it exposed a negative portrayal of Jews in Quebec’s most well-read novels and history books. The book had a strong impact on the Jewish leadership and created some controversy among Quebec’s francophone intellectual elite. (Full Story)

By Amos Yadlin and Yoel Guzansky

Saudi Arabia is challenged in nearly every dimension, on both domestic and external levels. Therefore, the recent turmoil in the kingdom, reflected in an unprecedented number of arrests of hundreds of officials, including key leaders of the economic, communications, and political sectors, may prove to be a development of historic magnitude. Will the political upheaval be perceived by Riyadh’s enemies as a window of opportunity to intensify pressure?Is the kingdom facing an era of instability? (Full Story)

Every year for several weeks before November 11, a field of scarlet poppies appears on coat lapels across Canada. This wearing of the poppy has a complex history ... (Full Story)

By Ghada Chehade

The recent law passed by the Quebec government, known as Bill 62-the “religious neutrality law,” will require women to remove their burqa or niqab (meaning face covering in Arabic) while giving or receiving public services such as getting on a bus or taking a book out of the library. The controversial law is getting a lot of attention and criticism. As a Muslim woman living in Canada I feel compelled to weigh in, not least because I can say things that non-Muslims may be too afraid to say. (Full Story)