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BREAKING: Canada reduces permanent residency application slots

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The Canadian Government has announced measures to tackle population growth by lowering the number of permanent residents coming to the country.

The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marc Miller, on Thursday, announced that rather than the 500,000 yearly slots for permanent residents, the country would be lowering the numbers for the next three years.

It said the new measure would come into effect from 2025.

According to him, the county will welcome 395,00 permanent residents in 2025;  380,000 in 2026, and 365,000 in 2027.

He explained that the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan will pause population growth in the short term to achieve well-managed, sustainable growth in the long term.

“The levels plan includes controlled targets for temporary residents, specifically international students, and foreign workers, as well as for permanent residents,” the minister said.

“Today’s announcement is the next step in our plan to address the evolving immigration needs of our country. While it’s clear our economy needs newcomers, we see the pressures facing our country, and we must adapt our policies accordingly.

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“These changes will make immigration work for our country so that everyone has access to the quality jobs, homes, and support they need to thrive. We have listened to Canadians, and we will continue to protect the integrity of our system and grow our population responsibly,” he added.

He explained that the Levels Plan also supports efforts to reduce temporary resident volumes to 5% of Canada’s population by the end of 2026.

“Specifically, compared to each previous year, we will see Canada’s temporary population decline by 445,901 in 2025; 445,662 in 2026, and a modest increase of 17,439 in 2027,” the minister added.

Canada’s population has grown in recent years, reaching 41 million in April 2024, with immigration accounting for almost 98% of this growth in 2023, 60% of which can be attributed to temporary residents.

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“I have no love for fake friends, pretenders”— Mikel Obi replies 2Baba

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Mikel Obi has finally responded to 2Baba, shedding light on why he allegedly snubbed the music icon during a chance meeting in London.

Reflecting on their shared history, Mikel said:
“We grew up together in Jos, and you achieved fame before me. I reached out to you several times, but you never responded. Then, the same God who blessed you answered my prayers, and fame found me too.”

He expressed his surprise been approached by 2Baba in a London mall after years of silence:
“Now that I’ve made it, suddenly you recognize me? Life has taught me that no one wants to associate with failure. That’s why I stay in my lane for peace and only keep connections with those who stood by me before fame.”

Concluding his statement, Mikel emphasized his stance: “I have no love for fake friends or pretenders.”

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Nagasaki driver returns 25-yr ‘partner’ RX-7 to Mazda at ceremony on 80th birthday

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Naoko Nishimoto shares her thoughts in front of her longtime "partner" Mazda RX-7, in the city of Nagasaki on Dec. 18, 2024. (Mainichi/Kazuki Kawashima) © The Mainichi
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NAGASAKI — A decades-long driver of a Mazda RX-7 sports car fulfilled a pledge to turn in her license on her birthday on Dec. 18 and passed the vehicle along to its maker.

At the ceremony held in a local Mazda dealership, Nagasaki resident Naoko Nishimoto commented with her hand on the hood, “Thank you so much for the 25 years we have shared our lives together, ‘Seven.'”

“Seven” is the name she gave her beloved coupe.

When Nishimoto was working as a clerk at the age of 55, she was looking to buy a new car and fell in love with the RX-7 when she first happened to see it in the anime series “Initial D”. “Its outline is beautiful,” she thought. She immediately bought a brand-new silver model for around 3 million yen (about $19,300 at the current rate).

After she had used the vehicle for daily outings like trips to the supermarket and racked up about 77,500 kilometers over 25 years of use, she made up her mind to give up her driver’s license in December 2022, when she turned 78. After her search for the car’s next owner was reported in the news, Mazda Motor Corp. put in an application.

A young designer at Mazda gave Nishimoto a sketch of the adored cruiser during the ceremony. “The RX-7 was the first car I was responsible for marketing after joining the company. Ms. Nishimoto lovingly drove this car for 25 years, and we will maintain and handle it with care from here on,” Mazda President Masahiro Moro wrote in a letter that was also passed to her.

“For the two years after I decided to let it go, I had particularly fond memories of riding in Seven to photograph seasonal flowers and scenery. I loved the feeling of oneness with the car,” Nishimoto said.

The car will hereafter undergo maintenance before beginning its second life as a promotional vehicle.

The RX-7 integrated Mazda’s technical prowess and included a high output, low noise and vibration rotary engine. Around 810,000 of the vehicles were produced between 1978 and 2002. Having plenty of overseas fans, the car was featured in “Fast and Furious,” and it has been immortalized in the street-racing manga, anime and game series “Initial D” as the car owned by the protagonist’s rival.

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Judges Must Reject Gifts From Governors,Ministers “- NBA President, Osigwe

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Afam Osigwe, president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), says it is unconstitutional for members of the cabinet or governors to be giving gifts to judges.

Osigwe spoke on Thursday during Politics HQ, a programme on News Central TV.

The NBA president’s comments came months after Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), announced the construction of quarters for judges in Abuja.

In September, the FCT minister flagged off the construction of 40 houses for judges in Abuja, which sparked a public outrage.

He said 20 of the houses, when completed, would be allocated to judges of the FCT high court, while 10 would be given to the judges of the federal high court and 10 to those of the court of appeal.

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