Google search term: Prorogue

Many young Canadians admit they are not even aware of the word. Still, “prorogue” has recently become stylishly popular and part of the cool lingo amongst high schoolers.

Canadians reached out to the internet as Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his minority Conservative government faced challenges at the hands of opposition parties “coalition.”

“I wondered for a long while what coalition meant whenever it was mentioned at school. Now they came up with prorogue. I was like holy cow, ” says Tommy Jacobson, a grade nine student at a local secondary school.

The Google website’s Insights for Search tool, which allows users to compare search volume patterns, shows a huge spike in the number of queries related to the political showdown.

The CBC reported prorogue’s popularity increased by about 100 per cent by the beginning of December. It was about 100 per cent more popular as a search term than it has ever been since Google started keeping tabs in 2004.

Canadians have a history of remaining calm in face of such perilous times but it seems that now the Canadians are having a tough time facing their “cool” about the national political scene

A celebration of “right to life, liberty and security of person.”

The 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is celebrated on December 10, 2008.

The UDHR was a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948 at Palais de Chaillot, Paris.

The promotion and protection of human rights has been a major preoccupation for the United Nations since 1945, when the Organization’s founding nations resolved that the horrors of the Second World War should never be allowed to recur.

The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled. It consists of 30 articles which have been elaborated in subsequent international treaties, regional human rights instruments, national constitutions and laws.

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has launched a year-long campaign to lead up to this anniversary. Because the UDHR holds the world record as the most translated document (with more than 360 language versions available), organizations around the globe will be able to use the year to focus on helping people everywhere learn about their rights.

“On this Human Rights Day, it is my hope that we will all act on our collective responsibility to uphold the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration. We can only honour the towering vision of that inspiring document when its principles are fully applied everywhere, for everyone,” Ki-Moon said.

At the United Nations Headquarters in New York a number of special events are taking place. The United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights will be awarded at the special afternoon commemorative General Assembly plenary meeting in the General Assembly Hall. The recipients of the 2008 Prize are: Ms. Louise Arbour, Mr. Ramsey Clark, Dr. Carolyn Gomes, Dr. Denis Mukwege and Human Rights Watch.

Assassinated Ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan Mrs. Benazir Bhutto and Sr. Dorothy Stang are awarded the prize posthumously.

Economy is a sleeping giant says Coquitlam’s new mayor

The newly elected city council of Coquitlam took oath to “faithfully perform the duties of my office, ” in an elegant ceremony at the city council chambers on Dec 01, 2008.

Councillor Linda Reimer takes oath

As tradition calls the ceremony was complete with mayor’s chain of office, formal attires and presence of prominent city residents. Yet, focus remained on the economic challenges that lie ahead for mayor Richard Stewart and his council.

” I want the council to come together now more than ever in times of this economic crisis,” said Stewart.

The council members reiterated Stewart’s concerns about the economy and vowed to stay connected with residents of the city.

” Many members of the public are starting to feel the [economic] crunch ,” said Stewart.

The speech also focused on the development of Coquitlam-Maillardville as a centre of culture, arts, heritage and learning.

Stewart said city departments are asked to work within their existing budgets so emerging needs can be addressed without additional costs being incurred. He also acknowledged the employees of the City and thanked all those who had contributed to his mayoral campaign.

This article has also been published on NowPublic

http://www.nowpublic.com/world/economy-sleeping-giant-says-coquitlams-new-mayor