Monday Morning Briefing: How Trump threw Canada's refugee system into turmoil

Highlights

“It’s going to get worse. The numbers keep climbing,” said Ilona Beiks, vice president of the Inland Refugee Society of British Columbia, which had to turn away refugees last year for the first time in its 35-year history because it did not have enough money to cope with the growing number of asylum seekers. Buffered by three oceans and the United States to the south, Canada has for decades had the luxury of being able to pick and choose its newcomers. So few asylum seekers crossed the U.S. border illegally over the years that Canada didn’t consistently track the number that has changed dramatically over the past 14 months.

President Donald Trump will unveil a plan to combat the opioid addiction crisis that includes seeking the death penalty for drug dealers and urging Congress to toughen sentencing laws for drug traffickers, White House officials said.

Commentary: Vladimir Putin's unsurprising victory in Russia's presidential election puts him on course to further entrench his power and pursue an expansive foreign policy, writes Agnia Grigas. "However, one of his most significant goals to enhance his stature may be one that has thus far fallen under the radar: the development of a post-Soviet ideology for his country." Putin needs this rebranding "not only as a distraction from Russia’s stagnating economy, but also to provide a legacy that offers an alternative to the Western model of liberal democracy."

World

Russian President Vladimir Putin basked in his biggest ever election victory, extending his rule over the world’s largest country for another six years at a time when his ties with the West are on a hostile trajectory.

Women in Saudi Arabia need not wear headcover or the black abaya - the loose-fitting, full-length robes symbolic of Islamic piety - as long as their attire is “decent and respectful”, the kingdom’s reform-minded crown prince said.

President Bashar al-Assad flaunted government advances in Syria’s seven-year war by filming himself driving to meet frontline soldiers near Damascus, making a video of the journey from the city center into areas recently recaptured.

Amran Abocar  @amran_abocar

Miners seeing ‘arms race’ to secure long term supplies of cobalt http://reut.rs/2u3wi5w

8:03 AM - mar 19, 2018

Business

EU lawmakers to investigate alleged misuse of Facebook users' data

EU lawmakers will investigate whether the data of more than 50 million Facebook users has been misused, the head of European Parliament said. Data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica harvested private information from more than 50 million Facebook users in developing techniques to support President Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign, the New York Times and London’s Observer reported on Saturday.

1 Min Read

Amazon tracks repeat shoppers for line-free Seattle store - and there are many

Amazon is tracking how regularly customers shop at its store without checkout lines in Seattle - and so far, the verdict is they keep coming back.

3 min read

Exclusive: 'Where can I buy?' - Google makes push to turn product searches into cash

Alphabet’s Google routinely fields product queries from millions of shoppers. Now it wants to take a cut of their purchases, too. The U.S. technology company is teaming up with retailers including Target Corp, Walmart, Home Depot, Costco Wholesale and Ulta Beauty.

5 min read

Carl Icahn gets four board seats at Newell Brands

Sharpie pens maker Newell Brands will appoint four directors to its board picked by billionaire investor Carl Icahn, the company said. The news comes just days after Icahn disclosed a 6.86 percent stake in Newell and said he could seek a board seat at the consumer products company.

2 min read

Top Stories on Reuters TV

Trip wire may have triggered bomb in Austin: police

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Shinzo Abe takes blame for loss of trust over scandal as polls dive

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