Past Articles:
These "Articles" are dated from August 1st, 2008 - August 31st, 2008.
 New Orleans mayor warns would-be looters
31/08/08
 Arctic ice melting and not coming back: scientist
30/08/08
 Happier really does mean healthier, researchers say
29/08/08
 Gustav nears Jamaica as U.S. residents keep watch
28/08/08
 Twister strikes Saskatchewan, six injured
27/08/08
 Inmates facing murder charges escape from Sask. jail
26/08/08
 More Canadians could be infected by Listeria
25/08/08
 Beijing Summer Games come to a joyous close
24/08/08
 Canada to finish Beijing Games with 18 medals
23/08/08
 Karine Sergerie wins silver medal in taekwondo
22/08/08
 Ontario death confirmed in listeriosis outbreak
21/08/08
 Facebook used in scam to profit from bus beheading
20/08/08
 Canada's Simon Whitfield wins silver in triathlon
19/08/08
 Treatable heart disorder kills hundreds of kids
18/08/08
 Canada adds four more medals, one rowing gold
17/08/08
 'Invisibility' technology may help view tiny objects
16/08/08
 Canadian gets 3 years in Thailand pedophile trial
15/08/08
 U.S. sends warning to Russia over Georgia fighting
14/08/08
 Inquiry into teen's death will be 'fair': Que. police
13/08/08
 CMA report: 21,000 will die from pollution in 2008
12/08/08
 Americans still travelling, just not to Canada
11/08/08
 T.O. firefighter in medical trouble at blast site
10/08/08
 Actor, comedian Bernie Mac dead at 50
09/08/08
 China kicks off Olympics with lavish ceremony
08/08/08
 Olympic torch takes historic run on Great Wall
07/08/08
 Fake Olympic tickets websites shut down by U.S.
06/08/08
 Security tightens in China following deadly attack
05/08/08
 Morgan Freeman seriously hurt in car accident
04/08/08
 Automakers wooing value-conscious buyers
03/08/08
 Bus victim's family to speak out about tragedy
02/08/08
 Friends identify bus victim; RCMP name suspect
01/08/08
=======================
 
New Orleans mayor warns would-be looters
Web Posted | Last Updated Sun. August 31 2008 12:48  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 31st, 2008
The last bus evacuating New Orleans residents from the dangers posed by approaching hurricane Gustav is expected to leave at 3 p.m. local time, with the city imposing a dusk-to-dawn curfew after that to prevent looting.

"Looters will go directly to jail. You will not get a pass this time," Mayor Ray Nagin told reporters on Sunday. "You will not have a temporary stay in the city. You will go directly to the Big House."

The evacuation order became mandatory at 8 a.m. local time on Sunday for the more vulnerable west bank of the Mississippi River, and starts at noon on the east bank.

Police and Louisiana National Guard troops remain behind to patrol evacuated neighbourhoods. "We will have unprecedented security," Nagin promised.

Three years ago, hurricane Katrina swamped the city's flood defences. Much of New Orleans is below sea level. More than 1,800 people died and property damage ran into the billions of dollars. Many neighbourhoods still aren't rebuilt, and there are questions whether the city's levees and other defences can withstand another major hurricane.

Social chaos followed, with widespread looting and other crime occurring in Katrina's immediate aftermath.
Derek Webb and Amber Nightengale, of Washington, march down Bourbon Street with their luggage as they try to escape Hurricane Gustav in New Orleans on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2008. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Harry Janoswky prays before Mass at the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans' French Quarter Sunday, Aug. 31, 2008 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Ron Heflin)
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami has issued a hurricane warning for an area from Cameron, La. eastward about 800 kilometres to the Alabama-Florida border, meaning hurricane conditions are expected within the next 24 hours.

New Orleans and Lake Ponchartrain are included in that zone. But a hurricane watch also extends east of Cameron into Texas.

"Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion," the center advised.

Alabama also issued mandatory evacuation orders for some of its coastal areas. U.S. President George Bush also urged all Gulf Coast residents to evacuate, warning the flooding risk was considerable.
Street vendor John Burris pushes his hot dog stand past a boarded-up establishment along Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)
Gustav is currently rated as a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 193 kilometres per hour, but forecasters believe it will regain strength and become a Category 4 storm as it passes over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico today.

At 11 a.m. ET, it was located about 520 kilometres south of the Mississippi River's mouth, moving northwest at 28 kilometres per hour.

Nagin said his officials hope the hurricane, if it hits New Orleans, will move out quickly. The city's pumps can remove 2.5 centimetres of rainfall per hour for the first two hours, then capacity falls by about half, he said.

Gustav could drop up to 30 centimetres of rain, with 50 centimetres possible in some areas, forecasters say.

Cuba, the Gulf

Gustav was at Category 4 strength when it passed over Cuba with winds of 220 kilometres per hour, leaving homes and roads damaged or destroyed in its wake. However, while there were many injuries, no deaths were reported.

Gustav made landfall at Los Palacios in the heart of the country's tobacco region.

The hurricane has left 81 people dead so far, mainly by triggering floods and landslides in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

In advance of the storm, oil and gas companies started shutting down their operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. Minerals Management Service said Saturday that more than three-quarters of all oil production and 40 per cent of gulf natural gas facilities were shut down.

The Gulf represents about one-quarter of U.S. oil production. Analysts say a prolonged shutdown would drive prices up for gasoline and other petroleum products.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Hanna is approaching the Turks and Caicos Islands and is expected to land either late Sunday or on Monday. It is expected hit the Bahamas and possibly Cuba in the coming days.

Hanna has sustained winds of 95 km/h. The hurricane center said it could lead to dangerous rip currents off some parts of the southeastern U.S. coastline.

Political impact
The White House said Sunday that Bush would not be attending the Republican convention in St. Paul this coming week because of the threat posed by Gustav. Neither would Vice President Dick Cheney.

Bush had been scheduled to address the convention, which will confirm Sen. John McCain as the party's presidential candidate, on Monday evening.

Bush said he'll travel to Texas on Monday to visit an operations centre that is co-ordinating the response to Gustav.
McCain said that the convention might not go ahead, depending on the storm's severity.

"It just wouldn't be appropriate to have a festive occasion while a near tragedy or a terrible challenge is presented in the form of a natural disaster," he said in an interview taped Saturday with "Fox News Sunday."

McCain is expected to travel to Mississippi today with his newly announced running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Associated Press

Comments:
Second chances....
Bush it seems will get a second chance to do right for the people of New Orleans.
We'll see what happens.
....................................................
Andy
The highway appears to be jammed on the outbound side but empty on the other side. Has no official thought of closing the inbound side of the freeway to traffic into the city and doubling the number of lanes to exit? This has always puzzled me. For the number of cars coming into the citythe could even leave one lane open.
I hope the people are spared the devastation and hope all are safe.
....................................................
Dale
Will they rebuild the city again or move? It'll be interesting to see the human response by the citizens of N O also.
....................................................
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Arctic ice melting and not coming back: scientist
Web Posted | Last Updated Sat. August 30 2008 07:27  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 30th, 2008
Arctic sea ice is melting at an alarming rate, and some scientists have little hope the downward trend can be reversed before the ice disappears altogether.

The National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Colorado released its latest ice report this week, showing ice coverage in the region is at its second lowest level in 30 years.

"It's very different from in the past when you had a low year and you tended to rebound. We haven't been doing that anymore," Julienne Stroeve, a research scientist at the centre, told CTV.ca.

As of this week, 2008 is in second place for the lowest amount of sea ice since satellite measurements were first taken in 1979.

And with several weeks left in the melt season, 2008 could still surpass September 2007 for the lowest amount of sea ice since satellite measurements were first taken in 1979.

At last measure on Aug. 26, Arctic sea ice coverage was at 5.26 million square kilometers -- a decline of 2.06 million square kilometres from the beginning of August.

Two aspects of sea ice change show that as the years unfold, September sea ice has gradually dwindled between 1979 and 2006. (The National Snow and Ice Data Center / Google)
In September of last year, a record low was recorded, with 5.69 million square kilometres of sea ice recorded.

It's not a benchmark that Stroeve is proud of, but she's also not surprised by the chilling picture the numbers provide.

"I guess the main thing people should understand is this is just a continuation of that long term downward trend. I think whether or not we break the record it's just the continuation of what we've been seeing since 2002, where every year we're losing ice and we're not recovering at all," she said.
Much of the ice coverage in the Arctic normally melts each summer and reforms in winter. However, Stroeve said more and more of that ice is being lost to the sea, and failing to reform in winter.

The result is a sort of reverberating effect. Ice serves to reflect up to 80 per cent of the suns rays, and heat, back into space, helping keep the Arctic cool. But as the ice disappears, more and more of the sun's heat is absorbed in the ocean, then released to the air during fall cooling. That speeds up the warming process and makes the ice melt even faster.

Last year was a particularly bad year for sea ice in the Arctic, Stroeve said. Heavy storm conditions took a toll on ice off the coasts of Siberia and Alaska, unusually clear skies and warm ocean and atmospheric temperatures created a "perfect storm."

"You had a lot of things that happened together that caused a lot of ice loss," Stroeve said.

"But had that perfect storm happened say in the 1970s, you probably wouldn't have lost so much ice like you did last year. And the key thing seems to be the ice is just becoming really thin and it's that much more vulnerable to natural variability."
The updated time series plot puts this summer's sea ice extent in context with other years. 2007, shown in solid blue, is far below the previous record year of 2005, shown as a dashed line; September 2007 was 39 per cent below where we would expect to be in an average year, shown in solid gray. Average sea ice extent from 1979 to 2000 was 7.04 million square kilometres. (The National Snow and Ice Data Center)
Other experts said the ice has reached a tipping point, and melt will be much more severe from here on in. Stroeve said she wouldn't characterize it as such, but said projection models have shown that with ice thinning at its current rate, it could all disappear -- in summer -- within a decade.

The most immediate effect of the ice loss, Stroeve said, is that animals that depend on the ice, such as polar bear and seals, are finding it harder and harder to survive as the winter ice shrinks, and takes longer to refreeze in the fall.

Observers from the U.S. federal government doing a whale survey in mid August reported seeing nine polar bears swimming off Alaska's northwest coast.

The bears were between 20 and 100 kilometres from shore. Some were swimming north, apparently trying to reach the polar ice shelf, which was more than 600 kilometres distant.

While polar bears have been known to swim 100 kilometres, but can often become dangerously weak from the ordeal.

Stroeve said she has also heard reports of seals being spotted further north than ever before as they travel further and further north to find ice.

"It's scary. It's such a huge change that's happening very quickly and it makes me very sad because I just can't see how the species that rely on the ice can survive this," Stroeve said.

While scientists have developed climate models to predict the future of ice in the Arctic, little is known about how those changing temperatures and conditions will play out in more southerly latitudes.

"That's the area I think science needs to go into next. We don't really know what this is all going to mean. We know everything is connected, so when you change one part everything is affected. But how exactly it's going to play out is still not very clear," Stroeve said.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from Andy Johnson
=======================
 
Happier really does mean healthier, researchers say
Web Posted | Last Updated Fri. August 29 2008 06:12  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 29th, 2008
Happiness and satisfaction might lead to better health, according to a study released Friday. Not only that, but greater happiness could boost health in as little as three years.

"Everything else being equal, if you are happy and satisfied with your life now, you are more likely to be healthy in the future," said lead author Mohammad Siahpush. "Importantly, our results are independent of several factors that impact on health, such as smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption and age."

The study appears in the American Journal of Health Promotion.
Members of the of the Canadian synchro Olympic diving team, Meaghan Benfeito (left) and Roseline Filion smile for reporters on their return from the Beijing Olympics in Montreal, Monday, Aug. 25, 2008. (Graham Hughes / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Researchers looked at data from an Australian survey carried out in two phases in 2001 and 2004.

To assess happiness and satisfaction, about 10,000 adults were asked questions such as "During the past four weeks, have you been a happy person?" and "All things considered, how satisfied are you with your life?"

"We found strong evidence that both happiness and life satisfaction have an effect on our indicators of health," Siahpush said.

Happiness and satisfaction in people's responses were associated with (1) excellent, good or very good health; (2) the absence of long-term, limiting health concerns and (3) higher levels of physical health three years later.

Improving happiness and satisfaction might also lead to better health in the future, results showed.

"There are indications that as you become happier and more satisfied with your life, you tend to become healthier as well," Siahpush said.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
=======================
 
Gustav nears Jamaica as U.S. residents keep watch
Web Posted | Last Updated Thu. August 28 2008 08:04  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 28th, 2008
Tropical Storm Gustav veered towards Jamaica Thursday as residents along the U.S. Gulf Coast were being warned to monitor the situation.

As of 5 a.m. ET, Gustav was centered about 130 kilometres east of Kingston, Jamaica -- moving toward the west-southwest at about 13 km/h.

"Jamaica's expected to see very heavy rains and high winds (as) the centre is going to pass very close to them today," Eric Blake, with the U.S. National Hurricane Center, told CTV's Canada AM on Thursday.
This image provided by NOAA taken shows tropical storm Gustav churning east of Kingston, Jamaica, on Thursday Aug. 28, 2008.
Blake said Gustav could become very strong in the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend, possibly reaching Category 3 hurricane status.

"Residents all the way from northwest Florida through Louisiana and Texas should be monitoring the situation," he said.

New Orleans, which was struck by Hurricane Katrina three years ago Friday, has begun planning a possible mandatory evacuation.

Mayor Ray Nagin, who was attending the Democratic National Convention in Denver, left early to help the city prepare.

Meanwhile, oil prices spiked more than US$2 Wednesday, closing above US$118 a barrel, on fears that the storm could damage the Gulf Coast energy infrastructure.

The offshore rigs in the Gulf of Mexico are responsible for a quarter of U.S. crude production.

On Wednesday, Royal Dutch Shell PLC said it was evacuating 300 people from rigs and other producers were taking similar action.

The world's largest offshore drilling contractor, Transocean Inc., said all of its Gulf rigs were pulling up and equipment was being secured as a precaution.

"A bad storm churning in the Gulf could be a nightmare scenario," Phil Flynn, an analyst at Alaron Trading Corp. in Chicago, told The Associated Press. "We might see oil prices spike US$5 to US$8 if it really rips into platforms."

Gustav has already triggered landslides and caused flooding in Dominican Republic and Haiti, killing at least 23 people.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Associated Press
=======================
 
Twister strikes Saskatchewan, six injured
Web Posted | Last Updated Wed. August 27 2008 08:16  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 27th, 2008
Environment Canada meteorologists are investigating to find out if a tornado that touched down in a small Saskatchewan community is responsible for flipping a trailer and injuring six people.

Residents in Spruce Home, about 35 kilometres north of Prince Albert, say strong winds toppled power lines and trees and damaged two local schools, which remained closed Wednesday.
Debris covers a golf cart in Spruce Home, Sask., after a suspected tornado hit the region on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008,.
No students were hurt, but six people suffered minor injuries when a trailer in the community flipped. Five of the injured were treated in hospital and released and a sixth person is listed in good condition, according to The Canadian Press, which reported the injured were likely employees of Vermette Wood Preservers Ltd.

The company's owner, Perry Vermette, told CTV Saskatoon he saw a funnel cloud heading towards his office.

"I said, 'Find a wall, because this thing's coming,' and as I said that the (trailer) behind us hit into the office, lifting the office right up and dropping it back down," he said. "The office is a write-off."

Environment Canada meteorologist Bob Cormier says he's not sure a tornado hit the trailer, but confirmed a twister did touch down at a nearby golf course. He said there was some property damage at the golf course, but there were no reports of injuries at that location.

The owner of Kachur's Golf Course told CTV Saskatoon they'll have a lot of work to do cleaning up the aftermath of the twister.

"There must be 500 trees or more down throughout the course," Pat Kachur said.

CTV Saskatoon also showed amateur video taken by a viewer driving through the area Tuesday afternoon. It showed golf ball-sized hail pounding off the viewer's vehicle.

Local residents say the storm was the worst they've seen in years.

"It blew the greenhouse right across the yard," resident Cliff Davidson said. "It picked up a full 45 gallon water barrel and tossed it across the yard like it was empty."

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Canadian Press & from CTV Saskatoon's Christina Heydanus
=======================
 
Inmates facing murder charges escape from Sask. jail
Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. August 26 2008 07:59  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 26th, 2008
Five "dangerous" inmates remain at large after escaping from the Regina Provincial Correction Centre Sunday night, the RCMP say.

A sixth inmate escaped but was captured shortly before midnight Sunday, the police force said.

"These people are considered dangerous and could possibly be armed so we are asking the public, please do not approach them," RCMP Sgt. Doug Coleman said.

The men escaped at about 10 p.m. Sunday, but the public was not informed until Monday afternoon.

Saskatchewan Corrections, Public Safety and Policing Minister Darryl Hickie told Canada AM on Tuesday that "we'll have to look at (the) entire communications process in light of this escape.

"In the future, we'll release to the media at the same time we release to the RCMP to ensure that public safety is maintained," he said.

The RCMP did not release specific details on why the men were in prison -- only that their crimes ranged from property offences to serious violent crimes.

But The Canadian Press reported that staff at a provincial courthouse in Regina confirmed that four of the men are charged with murder and another is charged with aggravated assault. Hickie also said some of the inmates are facing murder charges.

The inmates have been identified as:
A sign marks the perimeter of the Regina Correctional Centre on Monday Aug. 25, 2008. (Troy Fleece / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Ryan John Agecoutay, 25, is seen in this undated RCMP handout photo.
Preston Clarence Buffalocalf, 22, is seen in this undated RCMP handout photo.
- Ryan John Agecoutay, 25
- Preston Clarence Buffalocalf, 22
- James Joseph Pewean, 25
- Daniel Richard Wolfe, 32

One of the inmates cannot be named as he had been charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The Regina correction centre is under lockdown but no injuries were reported in the escape. Police have not said how the men managed to escape.

Wolfe was charged earlier this year with two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder in relation to a violent home invasion.

He is one of founders of the Indian Posse street gang -- an aboriginal gang based out of Winnipeg.

Police released photos of the escaped men but said the prisoners may have made attempts to disguise their appearance. They have also issued Canada-wide warrants for the escapees.
James Joseph Pewean, 25, is seen in this undated RCMP handout photo.
Daniel Richard Wolfe, 32, is seen in this undated RCMP handout photo.
Jail just upgraded

The jail had just undergone renovations to replace the section built in 1913.

Julien Houlet, the centre's director told The Canadian Press in early August that the $51.5 million in improvements for the facility will help house inmates more humanely.

The old 1913 building has been described as like Alcatraz, with crumbling concrete, a sagging foundation, and problems with mould and cockroaches.

The men escaped from a newer part of the facility, which was built in the 1960s.

"I look forward to the investigation to find out exactly what happened in this case," Hickie said.

Anyone with information on the escaped inmates is asked to call the RCMP Regina detachment at (306) 780-5560 or their local police.

To make an anonymous tip on the inmates, a person can call Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a tip online at www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Canadian Press
=======================
 
More Canadians could be infected by Listeria
Web Posted | Last Updated Mon. August 25 2008 08:14  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 25th, 2008
More Canadians may be infected by the listeria outbreak linked to Maple Leaf Foods, since the bacteria can have a lengthy incubation period, says Canada's chief public health officer.

Maple Leaf has recalled all products that were manufactured at its Toronto plant after three people died in Ontario, and one in British Columbia. There have been at least 21 confirmed cases.

But Chief Public Health Officer Dr. David Butler-Jones told CTV's Canada AM that number could rise.

"Certainly that's possible," he said. "As a country we're still looking at relatively small numbers, but the incubation period -- the time from when you are exposed to when you get sick -- can vary from as small as three days to over two months."

Up to 220 products are now involved in the expanded recall -- including ready-made Safeway and TakeAwayCafe brand sandwiches that were added to the list on Monday by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The Calgary-based distributor of the Lucerne Foods sandwiches sold in Saskatchewan and Alberta said some could contain affected meat products.
Maple Leaf Foods is warning consumers not to eat meat that is labeled with establishment number 97B, found beside the best before date (view larger image to see an example).
The Maple Leaf Foods production facility in Toronto is seen on Thursday August 21, 2008. (Frank Gunn / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Precautionary measure

Maple Leaf expanded its recall on Sunday but called the move a precautionary measure, saying none of the products added to the recall have shown any trace of listeria.

Despite the four deaths, Health Minister Tony Clement said authorities acted quickly to warn Canadians about the outbreak and called it a "success."

Butler-Jones agreed the handling of the outbreak has been successful so far. He said Canada has one of the safest food distribution and preparation systems in the world -- but it's not 100 per cent safe, and food poisoning and bacteria outbreaks will occur from time to time.

"Being able to recognize it and then do things to limit that impact -- that's really where the system can kick in," he said.

Ontario health officials know about some listeria cases in July, but it was not until last week that any products were recalled.

"These products have been distributed nationally to retail stores and food service institutions such as restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutional cafeterias or kitchens," Maple Leaf Foods said in a news release.
Maple Leaf Foods workers clad in protective clothing clean equipment on the food processing lines at the facility in Toronto on Thursday August 21, 2008. (Frank Gunn / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Several shelves at a grocery store sit empty after Maple Leaf Foods issued the largest recall in the company's 100 year history.
"These products may also be sold at deli counters. If the original product identity and best before code is not evident, consumers are advised to check with their retailer to determine if the product is included in the list of recalled products."

Plant shutdown

The company issued the recall after tests indicated the Toronto plant is the source of the listeria bacteria. The plant has been temporarily shut down and is now being sanitized.

"Results of genetic testing from three samples of the products recalled by Maple Leaf Foods show that two tested positive for the outbreak strain of listeria," the Public Health Agency of Canada said Saturday in a statement.

The third sample was a close match to the outbreak strain and is undergoing another test.

Patients contract listeriosis after consuming foods contaminated with listeria monocytogenes.

Maple Leaf began recalling products last week when initial tests showed two types of meat contained the bacteria. That list expanded to 23 products, then on Saturday, and again on Monday, several types of packaged sandwiches were also recalled.

Public health officials have warned that food contaminated with listeria may not look or smell like it has spoiled.

Listeriosis can cause flu-like symptoms, such as a stiff neck, headache, nausea and fever.

Healthy individuals may remain symptom-free. However, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are at greatest risk.

Product details
Maple Leaf has warned consumers not to serve or eat meat products labelled with establishment number 97B. Customers can find the number near the "best before" label or packaged on dates.

The affected sandwiches are sold in 180-gram packages. They have best-before dates of up to and including Aug. 22 and 24. The UPC code is 7-76393017001-8.

CFIA initiated the recall because the sandwich contains sliced corned beef -- one of the deli meat products recalled by Maple Leaf Foods earlier this month.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
=======================
 
Beijing Summer Games come to a joyous close
Web Posted | Last Updated Sun. August 24 2008 11:51  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 24th, 2008
Fireworks in the shape of the Olympic rings are shown over National Stadium during the closing ceremony of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
The Summer Olympics came to a close in Beijing with a blast of fireworks, spectacular pageantry and athletes and spectators alike celebrating the joy of sport.

Tens of thousands of spectators and athletes packed what became known as the Bird's Nest, the Games' main stadium, for a final party and send-off on Sunday night.
Canadian athletes enter the National Stadium for the closing ceremonies at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Sunday, August 24, 2008. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)
Canadian silver medallist Karen Cockburn carries in the flag for the closing ceremonies at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008. (Paul Chiasson / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
"Tonight, we come to the end of 16 glorious days which we will cherish forever," IOC president Jacques Rogge told the crowd at the National Outdoor Stadium. "Through these Games, the world learned more about China, and China learned more about the world."

"These were truly exceptional Games," he said, and then declared them formally closed.

Liu Qi, the head of the Beijing organizing committee, said the Games were "testimony to the fact that the world has rested its trust in China."

When the first round of fireworks died down, a military band played the Chinese national anthem before thousands of acrobats and drummers in brightly coloured costumes danced onto the field.
Fireworks explode over the National Stadium during the closing ceremony of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing on Sunday, Aug 24, 2008. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Unlike the Aug. 8 opening ceremonies, when athletes arrive in groups with their country-mates, the Olympians ran into the stadium, waving to spectators and snapping pictures.

Members of the Canadian team climbed onto each other's shoulders as flags fluttered from their backs. Some bumped into Chinese basketball star Yao Ming and crowded around him for a snapshot.

Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and British songstress Leona Lewis represented the host of the 2012 Summer Games, London, with a concert from a stage rigged from a double-decker bus. Soccer star David Beckham also appeared.

The ceremonies were also highlighted by a kung-fu demonstration by athletes from a local martial arts school and a duet sung by Chinese soprano Song Zuying and tenor Placido Domingo.

Games 'cannot force changes'

China spent about US$40 billion to produce an Olympics that ran like a well-oiled machine but still generated controversy.

The Chinese government put a tight lid on free speech, deporting protesters who sought to highlight human right's issues in Tibet and even blocking the international media from viewing certain websites.

Throughout the Games, Rogge defended the organization's decision to award China the Olympics and continued to do so.

"The IOC and the Olympic Games cannot force changes on sovereign nations or solve all the ills of the world," Rogge said earlier. "But we can -- and we do -- contribute to positive change through sport."

Chinese athletes put their country at the top of the gold medal tally with 51. China's 99 total medals was the country's best showing ever at an Olympics.

The United States won the most medals, with 108. Canada finished with 18.

Sports lovers got quite the show, as the sixteen days of competition produced 43 world records and 132 Olympic records.

Highlights included Michael Phelps's eight gold medals in swimming and Jamaica's Usain Bolt and his three golds in track and field.

Canadian medal haul
After a slow start by Canadian athletes, the Games marked Canada's third-best showing at a Summer Olympics. The final medal tally is three gold, nine silver and six bronze medals.

Canada's first gold medal was won by Hazelton, B.C.'s Carol Huynh, who came out on top of the women's freestyle 48 kg wrestling competition.

Other Canadian highlights included 61-year-old show jumper Ian Millar capturing a silver medal - his first - in the equestrian team event. Miller had participated in every Olympics since 1971 and the Beijing Games marked his ninth trip to the big show.

Millar dedicated the victory to his late wife, Lynn, who died of cancer in March.

Millar's teammate, Schomberg, Ont.'s Eric Lamaze, became the first Canadian ever to win a gold medal in the individual equestrian event. Lamaze's win marked his comeback after missing the last two Olympics due to positive cocaine tests.

Canada's flag-bearer at the opening ceremonies, kayaker Adam van Koeverden, overcame a disappointing eighth-place finish in the K-1 1,000 metre race with a silver medal in the 500 metres.

Canadian athletes also posted 12 fourth-place finishes throughout the Games.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Associated  Press
=======================
 
Canada to finish Beijing Games with 18 medals
Web Posted | Last Updated Sat. August 23 2008 12:33  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 23rd, 2008
BEIJING -- Adam van Koeverden delivered for both himself and his country Saturday, paddling to a silver in the K1 500-metre race that eased the self-doubt in his mind and allowed Canada to match its third-best medal total ever at the Summer Games.

At 18 medals - three gold, nine silver, six bronze - and with no Canadians scheduled to compete Sunday when the 2008 Olympics conclude, the haul in Beijing equals the total from the 1992 Barcelona Games.

Only the 22 medals claimed at the 1996 Atlanta Games and the 44 Canadians won at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, which were boycotted by Eastern Bloc countries, rank higher.

"I think we did a great job," van Koeverden said.

Mountain biker Catharine Prendel, the synchronized swim team and 800-metre runner Gary Reed almost added to the tally Saturday, each posting a fourth-place finish.

Considering the bevy of other near-misses throughout the Games - Canada posted 12 fourth-place finishes in all - the Canadian performance marks a strong rebound from lacklustre efforts at the 2004 Athens Games (12 medals) and the 2000 Sydney Olympics (14 medals).

Van Koeverden also rebound well Saturday, as the kayaker from Oakville, Ont., took to the water still stinging from his shocking eighth-place finish in the K1 1,000 metres Friday.

Fighting off a heavy dose of self-doubt and a sleepless night, he delivered a strong
Canada's Adam van Koeverden of Oakville, Ont. reacts to his silver medal win in the kayak single (K1) 500 metre final at the Beijing Olympics in Beijing, China on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)
Canada's Adam van Koeverden, from Oakville, Ont. pumps his fist after placing second in the 500m single kayak final at the Beijing Olympics in Beijing, China on Saturday Aug.23, 2008. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)
performance in his signature event, leading most of the way before holding off Britain's Tim Brabants for silver.

"I'm proud of myself today," van Koeverden said. "Mostly just because of the stress and the pressure that I've been dealing with over the past 24 hours.

"There's been a lot of doubt in my mind. It's the kind of thing I've never dealt with before. It's a little victory for me today."

The defending Olympic champion finished in a time of one minute 37.630 seconds. Aussie Ken Wallace won gold in 1:37.252, while Brabants was a hair behind van Koeverden at 1:37.671.

Van Koeverden won gold in the 500 and bronze in the 1,000 metres four years ago in Athens and carried Canada's flag into the closing ceremonies as the country's only double medallist at those Games.

He came to Beijing as flag-bearer for the opening ceremonies and won both the 1,000 and 500 heats in Beijing, setting a world record in the 500 in the process. He also finished first in 1,000-metre semifinal.

That made his performance in the 1,000 all the more unbelievable, although it wasn't entirely surprising given the demands he dealt with as the face of Canada's team in China.

"The amount of pressure that I've been dealing with over the past six months ... just the mounting pressure of being a potential double gold medallist and knowing that I've won a lot of races up until now, but they don't really matter once you get here because it's this one that counts ... it has put a lot of pressure on me," van Koeverden admitted.

Marie-Helene Premont went into the women's mountain bike race with somewhat similar expectations and was considered a legitimate contender for gold.
Canada's Carol Huynh from Hazelton, B.C. holds up her gold medal for the women's freestyle 48kg wrestling during victory ceremonies in Beijing. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson)
Gold medalist Eric Lamaze of Canada on Hickstead celebrates after winning the Equestrian Individual Jumping competition during the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008. (AP / Kin Cheung)
But the 2004 Olympic silver medallist from Chateau-Richer, Que., was forced to withdraw from the event due to breathing problems and it was Prendel who instead challenged for the podium.

The native of Kamloops, B.C., missed a medal by nine seconds after a late mistake allowed Russia's Irina Kalentyeva to claim bronze.

"It was an awesome race," said Pendrel. "I had a bit of trouble shifting on the last climb and Irina was right on my wheel. I had to put a foot down. She got by me and that was bronze.

"But coming to your first Olympics, getting fourth, that was awesome."

Premont completed just one of six laps around the 4.5-kilometre Laoshan course, but was at a loss on what triggered her breathing problems.

She stopped twice to try and get her heart rate and lungs under control before calling it a day.

"It's the worst thing that could happen, having to stop at the Olympics," she said. "I've never stopped any race since I began. Even when I fell or broke something I always finish.

"Here it was a physical problem. I couldn't do anything else."

Reed, a silver medallist at the world championships last year, was 0.12 seconds off the podium in the 800.

The 26-year-old from Kamloops was near the back of the pack at the midway point of the race before making his move, but it might have come too late to reel in the leaders.

"Fourth is a tough place to finish," said Reed. "I got in a little trouble in the corner. I was stuck inside and could not get out. At the end of the day, I have to be happy with the finish and the 10-year process to get here."

The synchronized swim team, meanwhile, finished fourth at 95.668 points, moving one spot up the standings when Japan received a two-point penalty. Japan and the U.S. tied for fifth.

"This is fantastic, we are so happy with it," said Marie-Pierre Gagne of Montreal. "Our team has worked so hard preparing for these Games and to get this result here tells us that we're finally there. Being one step up in ranking and beating the Americans proves to us that our country has greatly improved."

That could go for the Candian Olympic team as a whole.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Canadian Press
=======================
 
Karine Sergerie wins silver medal in taekwondo
Web Posted | Last Updated Fri. August 22 2008 08:19  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 22nd, 2008
BEIJING -- Karine Sergerie of Sainte-Catherine, Que., won silver in Olympic taekwondo Friday.

She lost the 67-kilogram class final 2-1 to Hwang Kyungseon of South Korea.

The 23-year-old Sergerie became the first Canadian to win a world championship in the sport, which she did last year in the 63-kilogram class.

Weight classes at the Olympics were halved from eight to four, which meant the five-foot-four, 138-pound fighter faced some opponents heavier than her in the 67-kg division.
Karine Sergerie (left) of Canada fights Asuncion Ocasio Rodriguez of Puerto Rico during the women's 67kg semifinal taekwondo competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Friday, Aug. 22, 2008. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / PAUL CHIASSON)
Hwang is the world champ in that weight class.

En route to the final, Sergerie defeated Asuncsion Ocasio Rodriguez of Puerto Rico 2-0 in the semifinal, downed Vanina Paola Sanchez Beron of Argentina 3-0 in the quarter-final and opened with a judges' decision victory over Tina Morgan of Australia.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Canadian Press
=======================
 
Ontario death confirmed in listeriosis outbreak
Web Posted | Last Updated Wed. August 20 2008 20:16  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 21st, 2008
The Public Health Agency of Canada has confirmed that one person in Ontario has died from the strain of listeriosis that may be related to a bacteria outbreak at a Toronto Maple Leaf Foods plant.

Neither the Agency, nor the provincial ministry of health, could comment on the identity or location of the deceased.

Maple Leaf Foods says the plant will be closed for four days as the company investigates an outbreak of listeria monocytogenes and expands a recall of its packaged meats.

The company has recalled 23 packaged meat products, including sliced cooked turkey breast, roast beef and salami.

Though listeria has not been found in all of the 23 products now on recall, the company is recalling items that share a production line with the tainted meats.
See the full list of recalled products below.

"We have taken a much broader approach to the recall than the actual testing has indicated we need to," Maple Leaf representative Linda Smith told CTV Toronto.

Smith told CTV Newsnet that the products that were recalled came from two specific production lines at its Toronto plant.
She said they were dismantling those lines to do a comprehensive cleaning.

About 380 employees at the plant are affected by the temporary closure. Employees will be receiving a supplemental half-day of food safety training.

Smith said there are ten staff devoted to food safety at the facility and the plant undergoes external audits several times a year.
The Maple Leaf Foods' Toronto plant, which has been temporarily closed, is seen on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008.
Maple Leaf Foods representative Linda Smith speaks to CTV Toronto about the recall on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008.
Dr. Vinita Dubey, associate medical officer of health with Toronto Public Health, speaks with CTV Toronto on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008.
"Clearly in this case our standard has not been held," she said.

The recall is related to an ongoing investigation into a listeriosis outbreak being conducted by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Seventeen cases of listeriosis have been confirmed: 13 in Ontario, two in British Columbia and one each in Saskatchewan and Quebec.

However, there 16 more suspected, but unconfirmed, cases of listeriosis in Ontario.

The cause of the outbreak remains unknown and a link has not been made between the affected products and any human illness.

"We'll work until we can find the source or until the outbreak is completed," Canadian Food Inspection Agency recall officer Garfield Balsom told CTV Newsnet.

On Sunday, Maple Leaf issued a recall of its Sure Slice roast beef and corn beef products, which are produced at the Toronto plant, after they tested positive for low levels of listeria.

The products that are part of the recall have been distributed to nursing homes, delis and restaurants across Canada, including McDonald's and Mr. Sub.

McDonald's has temporarily removed its turkey BLT sandwich from its menu while the investigation into the cause of the bacteria outbreak continues.

However, Balsom said the recalled meats should all have been removed from sale by mid-afternoon Wednesday.

Exposure to the listeria bacteria can lead to listeriosis, particularly in the elderly, the very young, pregnant women or those with weakened immune systems.

"I strongly advise the public, especially those at high risk for listeriosis, such as the elderly, pregnant women and those with weak immune systems, to make sure they avoid consuming these products," Dr. David C. Williams, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, said in a statement. "I have also asked all public health units to advise emergency rooms in their jurisdictions to be on alert for cases."

Symptoms of listeriosis include nausea, vomiting, cramps and fever.
"Food that's contaminated with listeria doesn't always look like it's spoiled and the bacteria can also proliferate when it's in the fridge," said Dr. Vinita Dubey of Toronto Public Health. "So it's important for individuals to make sure they heat their food, especially cold cuts and deli meats, properly."

The recalled products were produced from June 2 onward.

The 23 products have an establishment number of 97B and have best before dates ranging from Sept. 30 to Jan. 1, 2009.

The complete list of affected products, including individual product codes and best-before dates:
26365, Sliced Cooked Turkey Breast, 470 grams, Sept. 30;
02106, Schneiders Bavarian Smokies, 1 kilogram, Oct. 28;
02126, Schneiders Cheddar Smokies, 1 kilogram, Oct. 28;
21333, Sure Slice Roast Beef, 1 kilogram, Sept. 30;
21388, Sure Slice Combo Pack, 1 kilogram, Sept. 30;
60243, Deli Gourmet Roast Beef slices, 1 kilogram, Sept. 30;
02356, Seasoned Cooked Roast Beef, 500 grams, Oct. 7;
42706, Roast Beef, Seasoned and Cooked, 500 grams, Oct. 7;
21334, Sure Slice Turkey Breast Roast, 1 kilogram, Oct. 14;
21444, Sure Slice Corned Beef, 1 kilogram, Oct. 14;
44938, Montreal Style Corned Beef, 500 grams, Oct. 14;
21440, Sure Slice Black Forest Style Ham, 1 kilogram, Oct. 21;
21447, Sure Slice Salami, 1 kilogram, Oct. 21;
21331, Sure Slice Smoked Ham, 1 kilogram, Oct. 21;
48019, Schneiders Deli Shaved Corned Beef, 200 grams, Oct. 21;
48020, Schneiders Deli Shaved Smoked Meat, 200 grams, Oct. 21;
48016, Schneiders Deli Shaved Smoked Ham , 200 grams, Oct. 21;
48018, Schneiders Deli Shaved Smoked Turkey Breast, 150 grams, Oct. 21;
48017, Schneiders Deli Shaved Fully Cooked Smoked Honey Ham, 200 grams, Oct. 21;
21360, Burns Bites Pepperoni, 500 grams, Jan. 21, 2009;
99158, Turkey Breast Roast, 1 kilogram, Sept. 30;
71330, Roast Beef Cooked, Seasoned, 2.5 kilograms, Sept. 30;
71331 Corned Beef, Smoked Meat, 2.5 kilograms, Sept. 30.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with a report from CTV Toronto's Galit Solomon, The Canadian Press & ctvtoronto.ca
=======================
 
Facebook used in scam to profit from bus beheading
Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. August 19 2008 19:10  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 20th, 2008
WINNIPEG -- Someone claiming to be a sister of the young man stabbed and beheaded on a Greyhound bus in Manitoba last month has been trying to use the horrific killing to collect money.

The unidentified person posted messages on the Facebook social-networking site last week, claiming to be Tim McLean's eldest sister, Amanda.

"I thank you all for your support of our family. It has been hard to deal with, but life must go on," one message read.
Tim McLean is seen in an undated handout photo with the daughter of his friend William Caron. (HO - William Caron / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
"If you would like to make a donation to help our family, we have set up a PayPal account to do so. Contact for more details."

The impostor also contacted Ron Schinners, who had set up a tribute page to McLean, with a story of financial hardship. The family was having a hard time paying for all the funeral expenses, Schinners was told via instant messaging, and had to quit jobs to help each other through the ordeal.

Schinners was so moved by the story, he turned control of his Facebook tribute page over to the person he believed was the victim's sister -- despite never having met her or talked to her on the phone.

"I was doing it out of the kindness of my heart, but I was also being deceived and I felt really stupid," Schinners said Tuesday from his home in Port Alberni, B.C.

The pleas for donations were on a handful of McLean tribute pages for a couple of days before people got suspicious. They pointed out the McLean family had already set up an account to accept donations at branches of TD-Canada Trust.

Schinners eventually heard from the real Amanda McLean. At the same time, someone reported the matter to the RCMP and the person posting as Amanda McLean was removed from Facebook, he said.

Manitoba RCMP would not confirm whether an investigation was underway, citing privacy laws.

McLean, a travelling carnival worker, was on his way home to Winnipeg from Edmonton on July 30 when he was attacked onboard the bus.

Vince Weiguang Li, 40, of Edmonton has been charged with second-degree murder. He is undergoing a psychiatric assessment and his next court date is set for Sept. 8.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with a report from The Canadian Press
=======================
 
Canada's Simon Whitfield wins silver in triathlon
Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. August 19 2008 12:39  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 19th, 2008
Canadian athlete Simon Whitfield won a silver medal in triathlon at the Beijing Olympics on Tuesday, eight years after he captured gold in Sydney.

Whitfield, 33, stayed with the pack through most of the race but pulled ahead in the final few hundred metres, in a brilliant display of grit and determination.

"I kind of fought my way on there, and I thought there's no time like the present," he said. "I tried to make it a battle of pure willpower. I gave it everything I had."

He finished in a time of one hour 48 minutes 53 seconds. That was just five seconds behind Germany's Jan Frodeno.

New Zealand's Bevan Docherty captured bronze, while Spain's Javier Gomez, the top-ranked triathlete who was favoured by some to win, came in fourth.

Whitfield had finished fifth at a World Cup event Des Moines, Iowa, before heading to Beijing this month.

Whitfield -- a native of Kingston, Ont., who now resides in Victoria, B.C. -- was joined in the race by two other Canadians: Paul Tichelaar of Edmonton, who finished 28th, and Colin Jenkins of Hamilton, who finished 50th.
Canada's Simon Whitfield looks at his silver medal he won in the men's triathlon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in Beijing Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008. (AP / David Guttenfelder)
Canada's Simon Whitfield races Igor Sysoev of Russia to the finish line during the Elite Men's World Triathlon in Vancouver, Sunday, June 8, 2008. (Jonathan Hayward / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
The gruelling race started with a 1.5-kilometre swim in the Ming Tombs Reservoir, followed by a 40-km bike race and a 10-km foot race. The 55 competitors competed in 28-degree Celsius heat with 80 per cent humidity.

Whitfield had urged Triathlon Canada to bring Jenkins to Beijing, so they could use team tactics in the race, according to a report in The Globe and Mail. The plan was to have Whitfield draft Jenkins during the bike race to conserve energy for the final run.

During Tuesday's race, Jenkins led Whitfield in the water and during the first few kilometers of the bike event. Whitfield said both Jenkins and Tichelaar were key to his win.

"Our communication was spectacular," he said.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with a report from The Canadian Press
=======================
 
Treatable heart disorder kills hundreds of kids
Web Posted | Last Updated Sun. August 17 2008 22:00  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 18th, 2008
A treatable, genetic heart disorder has killed hundreds of young people across Canada because the warning signs often go unnoticed and the symptoms are misdiagnosed, experts say.

Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) occurs when exercise, a sudden exertion or even a startling noise causes the heart to stop.

While the exact number of cases of SCD in North America are not known, conservative estimates range from 0.8 to 6.2 cases per 100,000 children and adolescents per year.

"It strikes them down with absolutely no warning and these are particularly tragic because no one saw them coming," Dr. Chris Simpson, medical director of the cardiac program at Kingston General Hospital, told CTV News.

Experts estimate that as many as 50 per cent of young people afflicted with SCD exhibited symptoms of the condition prior to their death. Signs and symptoms include:
Fainting or seizure during physical activity.
Fainting or seizure due to emotional excitement or distress, or from being startled.
A family history of unexpected sudden death during exercise or a seizure.
Family history of unexplained sudden death of an otherwise healthy young person.

Anyone with these symptoms should see a cardiologist for a cardiac assessment, Simpson said.

'Haunts me every day'

Sixteen-year-old Taylor Allan would get dizzy and have fainting spells during her soccer or basketball games. But her family didn't think they pointed to a severe medical problem until she suddenly collapsed and died.

Doctors later discovered that she had a genetic heart disorder.
Dr. Chris Simpson is the medical director of the cardiac program at Kingston General Hospital. He says kids and parents should be looking out for symptoms such as fainting after after noise or exertion.
Young athletes in Italy are screened for the disorder and the rates for sudden death have fallen by nearly 90 per cent.
The Canadian Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation (SADS) is pushing for testing for all children and young people, and for schools across the country to be equipped with defibrillators.
"It haunts me every day to think I could have been able to do more had I been better educated," Taylor's father, Ken, told CTV News.

The most common causes of sudden cardiac death include:
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HMC), a progressive condition that eventually may cause a fatal arrhythmia.
Congenital heart defects.
Inherited cardiac rhythm disorders, such as Long QT Syndrome, ARVC, CPVT and Brugada Syndrome.

A heart disorder went undetected in 19-year-old Mickey Renaud, a star hockey player with the Windsor Spitfires. He collapsed in his family's home and later died.

Pam Husband, executive director of the Canadian Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation (SADS), said that because the signs are under-recognized, children are dying unnecessarily, like her 16-year-old son Greg.

Husband says Canada should follow Italy's example. There, young athletes are screened for heart problems, and rates of sudden deaths have dropped by nearly 90 per cent.

"Most of these disorders can be treated in a way that children can live a relatively normal life," Husband told CTV News.

The heart disorders that cause SCD can be treated with medication or surgery if they are detected. However, experts said there aren't any plans for a widespread testing program.

SADS also advocates for defibrillators to be placed in elementary and high schools across the country to treat children who collapse at school from sudden cardiac arrest.
Simpson said that families and coaches also need to be better at spotting the warning signs so children can get assessed and treated.

"If you faint during exercise you should seek medical attention and not just dismiss it," Simpson said. "If everybody were to adhere to those rules we would save many lives of young kids and adults."

The Canadian SADS Foundation can be reached at 877-525-5995 or at the website on the right-hand side of the page.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with a report from CTV medical specialist Avis Favaro & senior producer Elizabeth St. Philip
=======================
 
Canada adds four more medals, one rowing gold
Web Posted | Last Updated Sun. August 17 2008 10:49  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 17th, 2008
Canada's Olympians have won another four medals, capped by a gold medal performance by the men's eight crew in rowing, erasing any memories of the crew's fourth-place finish in Athens.

"I've been thinking about it ever since,'' Kyle Hamilton told reporters Sunday about the disappointing finish in 2004. "I never thought I'd get the opportunity to be a favourite in an Olympics again.

"Just to come in as a favourite is an amazing experience. To do it twice is just amazing and to win ... I can't say anymore.''
In Athens, the Canadian crew had been heavily favoured to win but ended up finishing fifth. But there was no nightmare ending this time to the dream of Olympic gold.

"I knew that we had won it, there was nobody coming back at that point,'' coxswain Brian Price told reporters Sunday in Beijing, as he talked about raising his arms near the finish line. "I kept telling them to keep on cranking.''

Canada won in a time of five minutes 23.89 seconds. Britain captured silver with a 5:25.11 performance, and the United States earned bronze in 5:25.34.

The eight is comprised of Hamilton of Richmond, B.C., Adam Kreek of London, Ont., Dominic Seiterle and Malcolm Howard of Victoria, Jake Wetzel of Saskatoon, Andrew Byrnes of Toronto, Ben Rutledge of Cranbrook, B.C., Kevin Light of Sidney, B.C., and Price of Belleville, Ont.
Canada's mens eights team celebrates as they pose for photographers on the edge of the dock after winning gold in the Men's Eight rowing final at the the Beijing Olympics in Beijing, China Sunday Aug.17, 2008. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)
Canada's mens eights team celebrates as they pose for photographers on the edge of the dock after winning gold in the Men's Eight rowing final at the the Beijing Olympics in Beijing, China Sunday Aug.17, 2008. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Other rowing success

The lightweight men's four and lightweight women's double crews each captured bronze.

"We started everything we could in the first 500 to get ourselves into the race and essentially through the middle it's a dogfight, everybody wants a piece of it,'' said Ian Brambell of the men's four crew. "We knew that we had a really solid 500 and it was just a matter of not waiting for it but going, everyone together. We closed the eyes and went for it.''

The Canadians with a time of 5:50.09 -- just back of Poland, which took silver in 5:49.39. Denmark won gold in 5:47.76.

"Coming into the last 500 we seemed to get our rhythm and Ian said 'Go for it,' we committed everything we had and went,'' said Parsons. "We knew it was tight, we really had no idea where we were when we started that sprint.

"It was exhausting. There wasn't anything left in the end.''

The team has had a challenging week. Coach Bent Jensen is battling pancreatic cancer. He is getting chemotherapy treatments from the team doctor.

The foursome consists of Brambell of Victoria, Jon Beare of Toronto, Mike Lewis of Victoria and Parsons of Thunder Bay, Ont.

About 40 minutes earlier, Melanie Kok of St. Catharines, Ont., and Tracy Cameron of Shubenacadie, N.S. held on for bronze after a strong challenge by the Germans.
From the right Canada’s Liam Parsons. Mike Lewis, Jon Beare and Lain Brambell show their medals after placing third in the Lightweight men's final at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2008. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Canada's Melanie Kok, left, and Tracy Cameron celebrate with medals after taking the bronze medal in the Lightweight women's sculls final at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2008. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
They finished in 6:56.68, with the Germans 0.04 seconds behind. The Netherlands won gold in 6:54.74 while Finland took silver in 6:56.03.

"I thought we had it,'' said Cameron. "When we looked over I could see that our bow ball was definitely in front of the Germans. It was just making sure the judges were with us.''

"We're pretty pleased,'' said Kok. "After our first two races, we kind of had a tendency of sort of getting caught in the last 500 so we made it our mission to really execute that last 500 and lay it all down on the line and I think we did that.''

The women's eight crew missed the podium by 0.79 seconds. They finished fourth with a 6:08.04 performance. The bronze-medal-winning Romanians finished in 6:07.25. The United States took gold in 6:05.34, and the Netherlands finished strongly to capture silver in 6:08.04.

"The women were solidly in third place until the last 100 yards when they were edged out," CTV's Steve Chao told Newsnet from Beijing on Sunday.

Canada's fourth medal on the day came from Ryan Cochrane of Victoria. He won bronze in the 1,500-metre freestyle swimming event.

"I'm so happy with it," said Cochrane, a University of Victoria student who is just 19. "It was a hard race. I think the first half took a lot out of me for the second half. I just couldn't be happier."

Medal tally

Canada's total of seven medals propels it into 15th place overall, but far behind powerhouses like the U.S. (65, 19 gold) and China (57, 32 gold). Canada had hoped for a top-16 finish.

Chao said Canadian Olympic officials predict another seven medals over the next seven days of competition. If that holds, Canada would finish with 14 medals, two better than its performance in Athens -- but far below its total of 22 at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. "They're not predicting exactly where these medals will come from," he said.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Canadian Press
=======================
 
'Invisibility' technology may help view tiny objects
Web Posted | Last Updated Sat. August 16 2008 06:05  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 16th, 2008
New technology that could someday make Harry Potter's invisibility cloak a reality, may have more immediate, and important applications: the ability to see and communicate better.

While any type of cloaking device is likely at least 10 years away, being able to control how light bends is a major step in other emerging technologies.

The military application of such a device might seem obvious, but the immediate medical and communication applications could be just as exciting.

Researcher and co-author of a new study on metamaterial, Guy Bartal, of the University of California Berkeley, believes the application in imaging and telecommunications could be significant.

"Shorter-term applications of the things we have demonstrated, I would say...we can use it for very high resolution, to image tiny objects," Bartal said. "For example, living cells in their natural environment."

Currently there are limits to how tiny an object can be imaged, "Even if you take a very small object, and you magnify by say 100,000, you will see a magnified image, but you won't see the fine detail, you will get a blurred image."
Bartal adds that using metamaterial you will be able to see those smaller objects.

Prof. George Eleftheriades is a metamaterials researcher and Canada Research Chair in the University of Toronto's Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.

He believes that in addition to their use in medical imaging, metamaterials will also be instrumental in improving wireless technology.

What is metamaterial?

University of California Berkeley researcher Dr. Shuang Zhang, is the co-author of one of two studies recently published on metamaterial.

He describes metamaterial as "a three dimensional array of electronic elements such as capacitors and inductors, the common elements you will find in your radio, or televison, but with a nanometer scale so that it can interact with light."

These engineered materials, which do not exist in nature, are often built with simple metals like silver or gold.

They are then engineered to interact with electromagnetic waves, like light and radio waves, in order to bend or reverse those waves.

Seeing small things
A schematic and two scanning electron microscope images with top and side views of a metamaterial developed by UC Berkeley researchers. The material is composed of parallel nanowires embedded inside porous aluminum oxide. (Jie Yao/UC Berkeley)
Guy Bartal, researcher at University of California Berkeley, speaks on CTV's Canada AM from San Francisco, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008.
Objects that are much smaller than the wavelength of light, about one micrometer, cannot be seen by today's optical microscopes, according to Zhang.

But, metamaterials may solve that problem.

"The metamaterials achieved by our group have the potential to beat this limit and to image very small objects, such as living cells, in their natural environment. This would be of practical importance for medical science," he said.

Eleftheriades adds that while low cost, high resolution medical imaging is an area where metamaterials can be applied, "we are still learning how to make 3-dimensional metamaterial lenses and how to reduce the effect of losses on imaging resolution."

The effect that metamaterials can have on light could also lead to their use for confining it into very fine beams to create "optical circuits," a possible future alternative to the electric circuit.

Other technological applications

Metamaterials are built to specific sizes depending on the frequency of the waves they are intended to interact with.
They can, therefore, also be designed to work with radio waves, radar and telecommunications signals.

According to Eleftheriades, the development of metamaterials for use in next generation wireless systems is happening quickly.

"Metamaterials enable for example the development of small multi-antenna terminals that are needed in many of these wireless platforms," he said. "Moreover, metamaterials are very well suited for creating devices that operate at multiple bands which is another immediate requirement in emerging wireless systems."

So while the idea of using metamaterials to hide things may be a decade away, using them to see small objects and facilitate communication, may be much closer.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from Amanda Taccone
=======================
 
Canadian gets 3 years in Thailand pedophile trial
Web Posted | Last Updated Fri. August 15 2008 06:19  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 15th, 2008
BANGKOK, Thailand -- A Canadian schoolteacher who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy was sentenced Friday to three years and three months in jail in Thailand.

Christopher Paul Neil, who taught in several Asian countries, was arrested last year following an international manhunt after hundreds of photos of him allegedly engaging in sex acts with young boys were discovered on the Internet.

The Thai court also imposed a 60,000 baht (C$1,892) fine on the 32-year-old man who had pleaded guilty May 12. His initial sentence of six years, six months was reduced by the court because Neil pleaded guilty.

Neil still faces similar charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty, involving the younger brother of the 13-year-old victim. In that case, he faces up to 20 years in jail for charges that include sexually abusing a minor, videotaping the alleged abuse, taking a child without parental consent, and holding him against his will.

The child who was nine years old at the time claims Neil paid him to perform oral sex in 2003. That trial resumes on Oct. 7.

"OK," was Neil's only comment to reporters after the verdict was read. His interpreter said Neil, dressed in a prison uniform and wearing ankle chains, would not appeal.

During the trial, the victim, 18, testified he went to Neil's apartment in Bangkok where the crime was committed. Photos that allegedly showed Neil engaging in sexual acts and playing with naked or partially clothed young boys were also presented.

Neil was arrested in Thailand on Oct. 19, 2007, after the international police agency Interpol unscrambled swirled digital images from about 200 Internet photos, which allegedly show Neil engaging in sexual acts with young boys. Neil admitted through his translator that he took the photos but said he did not post the pictures online.

Hundreds of tips were received and Neil was arrested 11 days after the Interpol appeal was launched.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Associated Press
Canadian Christopher Paul Neil sits in the cell at criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2008. (AP / Sakchai Lalit)
Thai prison guards escort Canadian Christopher Paul Neil, center, at criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2008.(AP / Sakchai Lalit)
Christopher Paul Neil is seen in these images released by Interpol on Monday, Oct. 8, 2007. German specialists produced the identifiable images from the original pictures, where his face had been digitally blurred.
=======================
 
U.S. sends warning to Russia over Georgia fighting
Web Posted | Last Updated Thu. August 14 2008 11:56 ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 14th, 2008
The relationship between the U.S. and Russia is in jeopardy and could be seriously damaged if the nation doesn't tread carefully in its standoff with Georgia, U.S. Secretary of Defence Robert Gates warned on Thursday.

Russia has sent troops into Georgia after the former Soviet state sent its own forces into the breakaway states South Ossetia and Abkhazia over the past week.

Gates told a news conference on Thursday said a joint U.S.-Russia military exercise planned to begin Friday has been cancelled, as has a Canada-U.S.-Russia operation scheduled to start on Aug. 20.

"In the days and weeks ahead the Department of Defence will re-examine the entire gamut of our military activities with Russia and will make changes as necessary and appropriate depending on Russian action in the days ahead," Gates said.

He issued a stern warning reminiscent of Cold War declarations between the two nations.

"If Russia does not stop back from its aggressive posture and actions in Georgia the U.S.-Russia relationship could be adversely affected for years to come," Gates said.

However, Gates said he doesn't expects the U.S.' role in the situation to go beyond providing humanitarian assistance.

"I don't see any prospect for the use of military force by the United States in this situation," he said when pressed by reporters. "Is that clear enough for you?"

At least one planeload of humanitarian aid has already arrived in Georgia to help those displaced by fighting. Gates said an assessment is underway to determine how to best distribute the aid to those who need it most.

He described Russia's involvement as designed to punish Georgia "for daring to try to integrate with the West" and said it serves as a warning to other former Soviet members to avoid following Georgia's lead.
A Russian soldier moves through the woods on the outskirts of Gori, northwest of the capital Tbilisi, Georgia, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008. (AP / Darko Bandic)
Russian troops ride on an armoured vehicles during a search operation outside of the Black Sea port of Poti, Georgia, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008. (AP / Bela Szandelszky)
Russian troops take up positions on farmland, during a search operation outside of the Black Sea port of Poti, Georgia, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008. (AP / Bela Szandelszky)
Russian tanks rolled into Gori on Wednesday, breaking a ceasefire agreement and causing U.S. President George Bush to say Russia had damaged its reputation with the West.

Gori is 24 kilometres from South Ossetia, the breakaway province at the heart of the dispute. Issues around Abkhazia, another breakaway province, are also fueling the fighting.

Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze said international community is beginning to unite behind the idea that Russian troops must pull out of Georgia and the break away states in order for talks to resume.

But so far there is no sign that is happening.

"The situation here is indeed tense and we have reports about the movement of the Russian troops almost every hour and there's no discernable pattern other than ...they are not withdrawing just yet," Gurgenidze told CTV Newsnet.

One week ago, Georgian troops entered South Ossetia, which broke away from Georgian rule in 1992 and has acted autonomously ever since. The area has not received international recognition, and many of its residents hold Russian passports.

Russian troops entered the fray one day after the Georgian soldiers moved in. Russia claims 2,000 South Ossetians have been killed by Georgia.

Georgian troops moved into Abkhazia after Abkhazian fighters put a flag on a bridge outside their territory in an attempt to redefine the border. On Wednesday Georgia said its troops had withdrawn from Abkhazia.

Russian troops were supposed to withdraw from Gori on Thursday, but the plan seemed to hit a snag in the morning when explosions and gunfire could be heard.

There were reports that the blasts -- which occurred shortly after a tense standoff between Russian and Georgian troops on the edge of the city -- sounded like mortar fire.

"It started smoothly, but later a complicated situation occurred," Zaza Gachechiladze, editor-in-chief of The Messenger, an English-language newspaper in Georgia, told CTV's Canada AM.

"It started out OK but that soon gave way to small sporadic shootings and fires in the provincial town of Gori. The Georgian population and leaders ... are very much concerned about the situation."

Georgia claimed more Russian troops were arriving in Gori despite earlier plans to leave.

Georgia also alleged the Russians had seized a military base outside of Gori.
Georgian officials had gone into Gori to participate in the handover, but left unexpectedly around midday Thursday.

That was followed by the brief but tense standoff at a checkpoint, which ended when Russian tanks arrived at the scene and Georgian soldiers backed off, The Associated Press reports.

"Russia has not taken the right steps and is not following it's commitment," Gachechiladze said.

He suggested Russian military leaders in Gori may be acting independently of decisions made by Russian policy makers in Moscow.

CTV's Washington Bureau Chief Tom Clark said Georgia maintains both Abkhazia and South Ossetia are part of Georgia, but Russia disagrees.

"This morning the Russian president said very clearly they're crazy, they're out of their mind, there's no way South Ossetia and Abkhazia are part of Georgia, they are within the Russian sphere. So this is where it is coming to butting heads -- what actually constitutes Georgia," Clark told Canada AM.

However, he later said the situation was somewhat defused by Gates' comments on the unlikelihood the U.S. would send troops.

U.S. criticism

U.S. President George Bush said Wednesday Russia's actions have put its integration in the wider world community at risk.

"To begin to repair the damage to its relations with the United States and Europe and other nations ... Russia must keep its word and act to end this crisis," he said Wednesday in Washington.

Bush also said Russia's position in Gori would allow it to block Georgia's main east-west highway, divide the country and threaten Tbilisi.

He announced two steps by the U.S.:
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel first to Paris for a meeting with France's President Nicholas Sarkozy, then Georgia, to express "America's unwavering support" for the democratically-elected government of Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili.
The U.S. military has dispatched a C-17 cargo aircraft, loaded with humanitarian supplies, to Georgia.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
=======================
 
Inquiry into teen's death will be 'fair': Que. police
Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. August 12 2008 20:02 ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 13th, 2008
Quebec provincial police say that their criminal investigation into the police shooting of an 18-year-old in Montreal will be public and will establish who was "responsible" for the incident.

Freddy Alberto Villanueva's death sparked riots Sunday in the northern Montreal community where the shooting occurred. He was shot by a Montreal police officer during a confrontation Saturday night.

Anti-racism groups have been calling for a public inquiry into the shooting, amid appeals from the police and government officials for calm in the community.

In a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Lt. Francois Dore of the Quebec provincial police said in French, "We trust that we will do this inquiry well."

"The goal of a criminal investigation is to establish responsibility, if there is, of each and every one (involved) -- which is not the goal of a public inquiry," he added in English.

He said that the conclusion of the investigation will be made public and there will be regular communications from the provincial force on the matter.

"The investigation will be complete, will be impartial . . . (it) will be a fair investigation," Dore said in response to a question about political pressure on the case.

He said that more than 30 witnesses have been interviewed so far and police have met with the family of the victim.

"We can feel the confidence between them and us," he said.

Dore said the investigation should be complete in eight to 10 weeks.

New information on officers involved
Freddy Villanueva, right, is seen in this undated family photo. He was reportedly shot and killed by Montreal police on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2008.
Dany Villanueva tells CTV News his brother, Freddy Villanueva, was trying to help him when he was reportedly shot by Montreal police.
Montreal police officers search for evidence and clean up after weekend rioting in the city's north end, Monday, Aug. 11, 2008. (Peter McCabe / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
The fatality occurred when police attempted to arrest an individual at a city park in north Montreal Saturday night. Police said two officers were conducting what appeared to be a routine intervention.

When the officers got out of their vehicle, Montreal police said that they were surrounded by a group of youth, who then rushed the officers.

The officers -- one female, one male -- were both white.

Dore confirmed that four shots were fired by a single officer, one which killed Villaneuva. Two others were injured and are still in hospital.

Both officers are now on sick leave.

He said that neither officer has been questioned by Quebec police yet, which he said was normal for an investigation. But he did say they would be interviewed within a "few days."

Dore refused to give any information on the officers involved, saying that it would "contaminate" the investigation.

Montreal police have dismissed criticism that its officers had other alternatives than to use lethal force.

"The ideology of Hollywood movies is that you can take on eight people with martial arts courses and that everyone can be neutralized just like that -- it's not that easy," Chief Insp. Paul Chablo told CTV Montreal.

Some residents of the community feel the shooting incident erupted amid heightened racial tensions between police and community members in the area, which is troubled with high unemployment, a lack of education and poverty.

Pierreson Vaval, who heads a youth group in the city's north end, told The Canadian Press the community members are in revolt because they don't like the way they are being treated by authorities.

Public inquiry wanted
A public inquiry would allow witnesses to testify, said a spokesperson for the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations.
"The advantage of a public inquiry is that it will look for the motives that feed this hatred of the police system," lawyer Jacky-Eric Salvant told a news conference.

"The other advantage of a public inquiry is that we will be able to analyze the intervention methods of police."

Minister of Public Security, Jacques Depuis, told CTV Montreal that he has met with community groups and leaders, and that he wants people to stop taking violent action to make their point.

"Police (are) doing work that is not easy," Depuis said.

The police wants a good relationship with the community but also has to be able to fight crime, he said.

"They are well-inclined to keep a peaceful atmosphere, to keep an open communication...with the communities, and the population should have confidence in the police department."

One Montreal radio host says many of his callers continued to express anger and resentment at a police force they say has been harassing them for too long.

"This is not only about gang street members, it's about ordinary citizens who live peacefully in Montreal North," Jean Fils-Aime, CPAM radio host told Canada AM Tuesday. "Whenever police see a black man or just see a young man, police will stop him and try to get information from them and arrest them."

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from CTV Montreal
=======================
 
CMA report: 21,000 will die from pollution in 2008
Web Posted | Last Updated Wed. August 12 2008 09:17 ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 12th, 2008
Up to 21,000 Canadians will die this year due to air pollution, with 3,000 of those deaths due to short-term exposure to smog.

The heart-stopping figures are some of the key findings in the first large-scale report on the impact of air pollution across Canada.

It finds that by 2031, almost 90,000 Canadians will have died from the acute short-term effects of pollution and more than 700,000 will be dead from long term exposure.

The economic impact of those deaths will cost Canada $8 billion in 2008 and over $250 billion by 2031.

The study "No Breathing Room: National Illness Costs of Air Pollution" was completed by the Canadian Medical Association and released on Wednesday.

"Much has been made about the poor air quality in China and the effect it is having on our athletes," CMA President Dr. Brian Day told a news teleconference on Wednesday.

"But we have a serious home-grown pollution problem right here and Canadians, ranging from the very young to the very old, are paying the price."

The study found that while most of the pollution-related deaths in Canada were due to long-term exposure, a growing number can be attributed to short-term, acute exposure to heavy smog.
A woman cycles past the downtown Toronto skyline as smog hangs over the city on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2005. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Even in brief doses, heavy pollution can affect the ability of blood to coagulate, making clotting more likely and giving rise to heart attacks and strokes, said Ted Boadway, CMA's technical advisor on health and the environment.

"Both of which rise during pollution episodes and in the few days afterwards and explain in significant part the number of acute deaths due to air pollution," Boadway told reporters.

In the long-term, he said, the harmful ingredients contained in air pollution can weaken the muscle cells in artery walls, particularly in the heart, causing a number of cardiovascular problems and potentially death.

Day described the report as a road map detailing where the country stands now in terms of pollution, and how much more severe the situation will become if policy makers don't act now to improve air quality.

The CMA used a model developed by the Ontario Medical Association to come up with its results. The organization took the model and expanded it to a national level, using the "highly predictive" pollutants particulate matter and ozone as measuring sticks to judge air quality.

It revealed that Ontario and Quebec receive a heavier dose of smog than the rest of the country, and as a result residents of those provinces are suffering.

In fact, 70 per cent of the premature deaths occur in Central Canada, even though Ontario and Quebec comprise only 62 per cent of Canada's population.

And most of that smog doesn't even originate in either of the provinces.

"Canada gets a fair bit of pollution from the American midwest which drifts north, comes across through Ontario and continues right on through to Quebec," Boadway said, adding people who live outside of cities also get blasted with smog.

"Sometimes people in rural areas think they're escaping very nicely because they don't live in downtown wherever. The fact is these masses of air pollution move across the countryside and some of our worst air pollution occurs in rural areas because it just happens to be downwind."

The study looked at four areas: lost productivity costs, healthcare costs, economic damage to quality of life and the economic damage to the country due to loss of life.

In Ontario alone, lost productivity will cost Canada $349,400 this year. By 2031 that will total over $9 million in damage.
Healthcare costs in the province will be $221,800 this year, up to almost $6.5 million total by 2031.
Economic damage to quality of life will hit $194,100 in Ontario in 2008, up to $265,000 in 2031 and totalling almost $5.5 million by that time.
Economic damage due to loss of life will cost $3,644,100 in 2008, rising to $6,367,200 in 2031, and totalling $115,674,500 by 2031.
Other key findings of the report include the following:

In 2008, 80 per cent of those who die due to air pollution will be over 65.
25 Canadians under 19 will die from short-term acute pollution exposure this year.
In 2008 there will more than 9,000 hospital visits and 30,000 emergency room visits, and 620,000 doctor's office visits, stemming from air pollution.

"This report shows for the first time the tragic effects of the toxic air that we breathe, whether it is in my hometown of Vancouver, or across the country in St. John's," Dr. Day said.

Health Canada and Environment Canada contributed to the report.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff

Some Comments:
kate
This is nothing new, it's been happening for years now but let's keep picking on the smokers ignoring environmental issues. More people die from poor air quality than second hand smoke yet nothing has been done about it except another useless study that will be ignored. Why should we do anything about saving the environment if it's going to cost shareholders and rich people money (that's sarcasm by the way). Besides some fictitous mythical human is going to come save us all anyway right? Going to give us another planet to destroy as a reward - don't hold your breath - oh wait you probably can't without choking on smog if you live in the GTA.
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VK
This is why we should not critize others, like Beijing, when bad things can easily happen at home.
......................................................................
FEAR
FEAR FEAR what are we U.S.A!!!!!!!! Everything is killing us!!!!!! FEAR FEAR FEAR IT ALL!!!! THE END IS COMING!!!!
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Americans still travelling, just not to Canada
Web Posted | Last Updated Mon. August 11 2008 07:49 ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 11th, 2008
HALIFAX -- For 40 years, motel owner Gordon Heading counted on American travellers for a steady stream of business each summer along Cape Breton's scenic Cabot Trail.

But this year, Heading says his American business is down 60 per cent from what it used to be. Nearly half of the U.S. tour buses due to stop at his Cabot Trail Motel now say they can't find enough passengers to make the journey profitable.

"We're getting cancellation after cancellation," the 75-year-old said by phone while manning the motel's front desk in Baddeck, N.S.

"There's no cancellations out of the Canadian side or the European side, but the American cancellations are killing everybody."

Travel industry groups in the U.S. report that Americans are travelling abroad this summer as much as they ever did - they just aren't coming to Canada.

They say a sagging economy and weak U.S. dollar haven't prompted Americans to cancel travel plans altogether in favour of staying at home.

A new survey of 2,230 Americans released on Friday by the U.S. Travel Industry Association reports only nine per cent of adults plan to take so-called "staycations."

That follows a study released earlier this summer by the American Automobile Association that reported bookings for European tours have nudged up five per cent this summer, while travel to Canada has cooled off.

"Canada's not the bargain people thought it was before," said AAA spokesman Mike Pina, pointing to a stronger loonie.

He adds that as new passport regulations loom for Americans going to Canada, more people are getting passports and are considering travelling further afield for the first time.

"There's more competition in a time of the year that's important to (Canadian tourism)," Pina said.
American travel abroad has grown in leaps and bounds after being sent into a tailspin by the terrorist attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. It went up from 56.2 million travellers in 2003 to a record-breaking 64.1 million in 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Over the same period, American travel to Canada dipped by about one million visitors, outpaced by recent double-digit growth in U.S. travel to destinations like Germany, Japan, Spain and India.

The president of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada says he's not surprised.

Randy Williams says that after years of blaming external factors like terrorism fears or a weak American economy, Canadian tourism operators are realizing there are other issues deterring U.S. visitors.

"We've just got to pick up our game," he said, adding that American tourists have typically been considered "low-hanging fruit" by Canadian tourism operators.

"Traditionally, the dollar was 65 cents and fuel costs were low and so it was easy and we got spoiled, for sure."

Williams' organization is recommending a more aggressive marketing strategy and going after emerging markets with a burgeoning middle class, like Brazil, India and China.

"We've got to be more exciting and world-class," Williams said.

"Ten years ago there were 40 to 60 nations really promoting their countries for tourism in an aggressive way and now we've got 100 countries promoting themselves and they also look to the U.S. as a very affluent economy."

Heading says he's seen more travellers from Asia and Europe in recent years, and that's helping to salvage this summer for his motel.

"It seems to be building all the time," he said. "The Europeans think Canada is cheap. They can't believe the price of our gas - they're paying double what we pay for gas."

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Canadian Press
=======================
 
T.O. firefighter in medical trouble at blast site
Web Posted | Last Updated Sun. August 10 2008 15:19 ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 10th, 2008
A firefighter has been rushed to hospital from the scene of a blast at a north Toronto propane facility after being found with vital signs absent, police have confirmed.

CTV Toronto's Galit Solomon told Newsnet on Sunday that details are sketchy, but it could be a cardiac arrest situation.

Thousands of people remain out of their homes following the early Sunday explosions, and now there is word that Yorkdale Mall's management -- the massive shopping centre southeast of the explosion, where some blast evacuees were originally taken -- has ordered a precautionary evacuation.

There have been other, more minor injuries associated with the blast. Police are still trying to determine the status of one missing person, an employee of the business -- Sunrise Propane Industrial Gases.

There were workers at the facility, which operates 24 hours per day. Cabbies driving propane-powered vehicles often use it to fill up.

However, the situation at the propane facility itself is slowly getting under control, Division Commander Bob O'Hallarn of Toronto Fire told a news conference late Sunday morning.

Subway service along the northernwesternmost part of the Yonge-University subway line has been restored, the Toronto Transit Commission said Sunday afternoon in a news release.

The 401 Highway, one of the country's busiest, remains closed between the 400 Highway, a major artery leading north out of Toronto, and the Don Valley Parkway. There is a partial closure of the air space over the fire site.

The sounds of multiple booming blasts woke up people living in North York around Keele Street and Wilson Avenue between 3:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. Fire officials determined that the explosion originated from the Sunrise facility on Murray Road.

The blast sparked a six-alarm blaze, with 160 firefighters and 35 pieces of equipment on scene to fight the fire.
A massive fireball explodes over Toronto at 3:55 a.m. ET in this image taken from video submitted to MyNews.CTV.ca by Marc Vincent.
Smoke and flames can be seen in the sky after an explosion at a propane depot in Toronto on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008. (Ahmed Abouel-Kheir / MyNews.CTV.ca)
Smoke from explosions at a propane depot in Toronto's north end can be seen from the High Park area, early Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008. (Chris Peckford / MyNews.CTV.ca)
When they arrived on the scene, four propane tanks were engulfed in flames. O'Hallarn said just after 11 a.m. the situation had improved, and that fire crews were dealing with one propane truck tanker that still had flames burning underneath. Fire officials believe it is the tires underneath that are burning.

"It's still a risk but not as much as a risk as it was before," he said.

Firefighters are trying to cool the propane rail tankers to keep it from exploding. They are also trying to keep spot fires that have sprouted throughout the facility under control.

The rail tankers -- which were venting -- can hold up to 220,000 litres of propane, but it isn't known if they are full, O'Hallarn said.

"These tanks are well-designed and generally are quite safe," he said. "We'll have to investigate to see what happened."

The residents of the neighbourhood are lucky the situation was not worse, said O'Hallarn. "There was a very, very large amount of fire when we arrived and the extent of the explosion if the blast was heard as far away as it was, could have been much more serious."

O'Hallarn said the cause of the blast isn't yet known. The Ontario Fire Marshal's Office is on scene investigating the incident.

Giant fireballs
Highway 401, normally Canada's busiest highway, sits eerily empty in the area of the propane explosion in this image taken from an Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) camera on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008.
Firefighters gather several blocks from a five-alarm blaze at a propane refinery in northwest Toronto, Sunday, August 10, 2008. (J.P. Moczulski / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Several people reported minor injuries as the blast blew out windows and caused major damage to several homes. Police say that so far, one person is unaccounted for, but investigators gave no further details.

The blast lit up the area with giant orange fireballs, sent smoke billowing into the sky and could reportedly be heard dozens of kilometres away.

"It was just a tremendous explosion and blew all the windows out of the house, just blew the house up, and I just managed to get out of there in time,'' said area resident Robert Helman.

"My windows just cracked and they blew out,'' said Ricardo Oliveria, 24.

"My whole room lights up orange and I look out. I live on the top floor so I had a perfect view. And I just seen a huge ball of flame hundreds of metres in the sky, big black pillars of smoke.'

"We got freaked out. My family woke up. They thought it was a plane that went down,'' he said.

O'Hallarn said his firefighters found some vehicles on fire in the area and damage to houses across the street when they arrived at the scene.

"So far we have not found anyone injured (in the houses)," he said.

Earlier, police said they were concerned about a driver who was on the site filling up his truck with propane. He has since been located safe but with minor injuries.

"The driver made his way to North York General Hospital," O'Hallarn said. "He was there, filling up his truck. He saw smoke or some type of gas, went to report that, left the area and then as soon as he left, there was an explosion."

Evacuees

Fire officials said residents living in a 1.6-kilometre radius around the plant had been evacuated over concerns about explosions from the tankers. Businesses in the area were forced to close.
Evacuees were taken to York University, at Keele Street and Steeles Avenue, where Salvation Army volunteers served them a hot meal. The Red Cross and the Humane Society will also be at York University to help people and pets in need.

"I don't think it will be days (before the evacuees can return home), I think it will be hours but if we run into problems that we can't foresee, then it might take longer," O'Hallarn said.

Despite the risk, some people are refused to leave their homes.

The Canadian Press estimated that as many as 12,500 people could live in the evacuation zone around the site.

The evacuation zone encompasses Sheppard Avenue to Wilson Avenue, Dufferin Street to Keele Street.

Toronto Mayor David Miller is on vacation but has been reached by his office and has been regularly briefed on the situation, according to his spokesperson Stuart Green. He is expected to speak with the media later Sunday afternoon.

Elaine Smyer, with the city's emergency planning department, was at York University overseeing the evacuees. She told reporters at the scene crisis councillors are being made available to residents who were traumatized by the early morning blast.

She said friends and family should not come to York University to see their loved ones but can instead call a special phone number to inquire about their status. People will be asked to leave a message on an answering machine and someone will call them back with the information they are looking for, she said.

The phone number for friends and families of evacuees is 416-736-5185.

She said she expects most of the people who have been evacuated will choose to stay with their family and friends instead of at the university untl they are allowed to return back home.

"We do have the cooperation of York University if we need to expand to other facilities," she said.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Canadian Press
=======================
 
Actor, comedian Bernie Mac dead at 50
Web Posted | Last Updated Sat. August 09 2008 11:42 ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 9th, 2008
Actor and comedian Bernie Mac has died in a Chicago-area hospital from complications due to pneumonia. He was 50.

The Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated performer had suffered from sarcoidosis, which is an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the organs of afflicted persons.

"Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital," Danica Smith, his publicist, said Saturday in a statement from Los Angeles.
Bernie Mac in Universal City, California on March 6, 2004. The comedian and actor died after being hospitalized with pneumonia, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2008. (AP / Mark J. Terrill)
Smith said no other details about Mac's death were available.

Mac had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He had recently been hospitalized for treatment of pneumonia.

Mac's big-screen credits include "Ocean's Eleven," "Bad Santa," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and "Transformers."

He had his own series on Fox in the U.S. "The Bernie Mac Show" had more than 100 episodes broadcast between 2001 and 2006. It earned the comedian critical and popular recognition.

Mac was born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough on Oct. 5, 1957, in Chicago. He had told interviewers entertaining came naturally to him.

"Wherever I am, I have to play," Mac said in 2002. "I have to put on a good show."

Mac told CBS "Late Show" host David Letterman in 2007 that he planned to retire soon.

"I'm going to still do my producing, my films, but I want to enjoy my life a little bit," he said. "I missed a lot of things, you know. I was a street performer for two years. I went into clubs in 1977."

Mac recently became embroiled in controversy when he made a surprise appearance at an event for Barack Obama, the U.S. Democratic Party's presumptive presidential nominee. He ended his act with what some considered off-colour remarks and received a rebuke from the Obama campaign.

Despite some controversies, Mac was considered one of the great comedic performers in Hollywood. He was part of "The Original Kings of Comedy," a 2000 documentary about black standup comedy stars.

"The majority of his core fan base will remember that when they paid their money to see Bernie Mac ... he gave them their money's worth," comedian Steve Harvey told CNN on Saturday.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Associated Press
=======================
 
China kicks off Olympics with lavish ceremony
Web Posted | Last Updated Fri. August 08 2008 08:20 ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 8th, 2008
Fireworks, an elaborate traditional show with hundreds of dancers, and tens of thousands cheering fans kicked off the 2008 Olympics in Beijing this morning.

The Games' opening ceremonies mixed songs and dances performed by little children with a military march by Chinese soldiers. The performances highlighted some of China's greatest contributions to society and world history, such as the invention of paper, gunpowder, moveable type and the compass.

The ceremonies began at 8 p.m. local time (8 a.m. ET). China decided on the time and date, August 8, because the number eight culturally is considered a lucky number representing infinity.

With China emerging as one of the world's leading economic and military powers, the ceremonies offered the country a chance to show off its ascendancy before world leaders, including U.S. President George Bush and Russian Prime Minister Vladamir Putin. About 91,000 people watched the ceremonies live at the National Stadium in Beijing, and they had a potential television audience of four billion worldwide.

"A lot is on the line for the Chinese government, certainly. (Also) for the Chinese people, there is so much pride and nationalism here," CTV's Lisa LaFlamme told Canada AM on Friday.

LaFlamme said that beneath the excitement, however, security concerns remain a top priority. So far, Chinese authorities have been able to clamp down on much of the protest activities organized by international demonstrators upset about China's policies, including its human rights record.
Fireworks over the National Stadium during opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics in Beijing, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2008. (AP / Bullit Marquez)
A man wears a hat with the shape of the 'Bird's Nest' and glasses marking the date of the opening ceremony outside the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Friday, Aug. 8, 2008. (AP / Charlie Riedel)
Chinese authorities are also concerned about the threat of terrorism. A terrorist group wanting an independent Muslim state in the western region of the country recently released a video threatening an attack at the Games.

"This has been a very ominous video tape that has emerged. It (shows) the 2008 logo up in flames and also a simulated explosion over one of the venues," LaFlamme said.

There were also reports Friday morning that in a separate incident, terrorists have threatened an Air China office in Tokyo, saying they will crash flights into venues in Beijing.

Worries about pollution in the host city have also been a concern. In an effort to clean up smog that consistently hangs over the city, the Chinese government has employed a number of strategies to clean up the air. On Friday, roads in key Beijing locations were closed off.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
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Olympic torch takes historic run on Great Wall
Web Posted | Last Updated Thu. August 07 2008 08:21 ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 7th, 2008
The Olympic torch is making its final approach to Beijing with a dramatic relay along the Great Wall of China.

In total, 2,008 grey pigeons were released into the air as the torch was carried by 18 different runners, flanked by hundreds of yellow pompom-waving fans on its way to Friday's opening ceremonies.

Thursday's torch run began with Li Zhonghua, one of China's most famous test pilots, carrying the flame.

The relay has been plagued by controversy along much of its global journey that began in March in Athens, Greece. Human rights and activist groups have used the opportunity to challenge China's record, particularly in Tibet, with major demonstrations and protests.

Despite high security, three Americans staged a protest Thursday morning in Tiananmen Square, though Chinese police quickly put a stop to the demonstration.

And at least two women who protested their forced evictions ahead of the Games were taken into custody by Chinese police on Thursday.

On Wednesday, members of Students for a Free Tibet managed to unfurl two large banners in Beijing.
Olympic and Chinese flags are shown during Torch Relay ceremonies on the Great Wall of China at Badaling, north of Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2008. (AP / Ricardo Mazalan)
Plain clothed security people block photographers as they lead away a man, second right, who was protesting against being evicted from his home at the Qianmen area in Beijing, Thursday Aug. 7, 2008. (AP / Greg Baker)
CTV's Lisa LaFlamme said security measures are "extreme" in many parts of Beijing as activists attempt to use the intense global spotlight to get their message out.

"There are stringent security measures in place on all levels, but particularly in the key landmark areas of the city and surrounding the games," LaFlamme told CTV's Canada AM.

"There's something like 300,000 security surveillance cameras in the city observing your every move. Wherever you're going you get scanned, if you're going into the subway or certainly into or out of the Olympic venues."

Another concern in the weeks leading up to the Games has been pollution. Beijing's notoriously high smog rates have had many athletes wondering how to protect themselves, despite China's assurances it would improve air quality by shutting down industry and taking cars off the road.

Today is a terrible day by all standards," LaFlamme said on Thursday.

"Beijing is measuring the air quality index saying it is 88. Keep in mind the safety limit set by the World Health Organization is 50. The Canadian environmental exerts I spoke with that are travelling with the Canadian Olympic team say the measure is actually closer to 100. You literally can't see the tops of the buildings today."

However, Chris Rudge, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee, described the team as "excited, committed and focused" and said members don't seem overly concerned about pollution affecting their performance.

"Athletes got to this level by being able to focus very well and I think this is a big moment for them in their lives and the issues that exist here exist for all athletes and they're focused on their task," Rudge told Canada AM from Beijing.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
=======================
 
Fake Olympic tickets websites shut down by U.S.
Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. August 05 2008 22:16 ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 6th, 2008
Bogus websites purporting to sell tickets for the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing have scammed hundreds of ticket buyers out of Olympian-sized payments.

Canadians, Americans, Australians and some athletes' families, have been duped in the scam. Some have lost as much as US$50,000.

"It had the different characters that are on the Olympic website," Chante Pathak of Windsor, Ont., told CTV News. "It had every sporting event possible, every time, a timetable, a map -- everything. It looked totally legitimate."

The International Olympic Committee and U.S. authorities have sued two websites, beijingticketing.com and beijing-2008tickets.com, and shut at least one of them down, alleging they made millions.

Authorities say the websites were illegally using Olympic trademarks to convince customers to hand over their credit card and personal information.

Consumers who ordered tickets from www.beijingticketing.com, reported receiving a mass email Monday that informed them the company did not have tickets to distribute.
An individual shows off his tickets to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Thousands of people waited for days to purchase the tickets.
A ticket agent at the Olympic ticketing centre in Beijing gives tickets to a customer. People in China were able to purchase tickets from a box office, but international fans had to rely on buying over the internet.
An email from "Alan Scott" told customers that "our suppliers have not been able to honour their commitments to us in supplying tickets for the Summer Olympics, despite having received written assurances from these suppliers. We are given to understand that they have placed themselves in to bankruptcy, despite having been paid in full by our company" the Los Angeles Times reported.

James Moriarty, a Houston, Tex. lawyer, ordered US$12,000 worth of tickets from one of the websites, never to receive the highly sought tickets.

"My initial reaction was fear, anger, I said lots of very ugly words," he told ABC. He said the website had looked authentic so he purchased the tickets.

Some customers have been able to get their money back from their credit card companies but it's not clear yet if everyone will be paid back.

The official Beijing ticket website says as of July 27 all Olympic events within the city have sold out.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with fa report from CTV's Scott Laurie
=======================
 
Security tightens in China following deadly attack
Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. August 05 2008 08:10 ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 5th, 2008
Beijing Olympic organizers reassured residents and visitors Tuesday that the Games will be safe despite a recent violent attack in far western China.

Beijing Games spokesman Sun Weide said China was confident about their preparations ahead of the international event, which kicks off Friday.

"China has focused on strengthening security and protection around Olympic venues and at the Olympics Village, so Beijing is already prepared to respond to any threat," Weide said Tuesday, according to the BBC.

On Monday, two men drove a dump truck into a group of jogging police officers in Xinjiang province and then tossed homemade explosives into the officers' barracks.

The attack, which China said was carried out by suspected terrorists, left 16 police officers dead.

Police said the two men arrested are members of the Muslim minority Uighurs, who have waged a sporadically violent rebellion against Beijing's control of northwestern China.
Chinese soldiers prepare to march into the Olympic Stadium in Beijing, China on Tuesday, August 5, 2008. (Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Olympic officials speak top reporters following an attack on Chinese police by two militants on Monday, August 4, 2008.
"They found nine homemade bombs inside the vehicle that was used to ram into the police," CTV's Beijing Bureau Chief Steve Chao said Tuesday.

"They also found a homemade gun as well as propaganda material... similar to the jihadist material they found during a previous raid on East Turkistan Islamic Movement groups."

Last month, a video by the Turkistan Islamic Party surfaced on the Internet. In it, the group pledged to "target the most critical points related to the Olympics."

The party is believed to be based in Pakistan, with its core members having received training from al Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban.

Many terrorism analysts think militants are more likely to attack softer targets than Olympics-related sites, where China has more than 100,000 soldiers and police on duty.

Chao said security in Kashgar -- where Monday's attack occurred -- has been tightened with police checkpoints on major roads.

Additionally, authorities announced Tuesday that they've arrested 18 "foreign agitators."

The arrests were not all related to Monday's incident but instead linked to greater unrest in the region, said Chao.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Associated Press
=======================
 
Morgan Freeman seriously hurt in car accident
Web Posted | Last Updated Mon. August 04 2008 13:07 ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 4th, 2008
Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman has been seriously injured in a car accident in Mississippi and is in hospital in Memphis.

Regional Medical Center spokesperson Kathy Stringer told The Associated Press that the actor is in serious condition.

A Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesperson confirmed that Freeman was in a car crash Sunday just before midnight along Mississippi Highway Two. The spokesperson said he had few other details.
In this March 5, 2008 file photo, actor Morgan Freeman attends a 'Cinema Society' screening of 'Married Life' in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, file)
Clary McFerrin, a local newspaper editor, said that he arrived at the accident shortly after it occurred. He said it appears that Freeman's car was airborne when it left the highway and landed in a ditch.

He said that Freeman was conscious and talking to rescue workers.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Freeman was airlifted from the crash, which took place just north of Ruleville, Miss.

A female passenger was also in the vehicle but she has not been identified. Her condition is unknown.

Freeman, 71, and his wife Myrna live near Charleston, Miss. on a large ranch.

The prolific actor has already appeared in two summer blockbusters this year, "The Dark Knight" and "Wanted".

IMDB.com says that Freeman has five films that are currently in various phases of production and are expected to be released by the end of 2009.

Freeman won a supporting actor Oscar in 2005 for Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby." He has another three Oscar nominations.

The actor is especially well-regarded for his smooth, baronial voice and has narrated a number of critically-acclaimed films, such as "The Shawshank Redemption" and "March of the Penguins."

Freeman also played God in 2003's "Bruce Almighty."

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Associated Press
=======================
 
Automakers wooing value-conscious buyers
Web Posted | Last Updated Sun. August 03 2008 07:24 ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 3rd, 2008
Prices at the pump are holding steady for the moment, but there's still plenty of uncertainty. So buying a new, affordable car that you can count on to provide some bang for the buck over the long term should be a sure thing.

"Consumers have had plenty of surprises over the last 12 months, and don't want more," says Jeff Bartlett, online deputy editor at ConsumerReports.org.
2009 Honda Fit has 21 cubic feet of cargo space plus the dive-down capability of the 60/40 split rear Magic Seat.
With automakers trying to regain consumers' attention, they're offering a range of vehicles designed to appeal to value-conscious buyers who want a quality ride, better than average long-term reliability and a low-cost ownership experience. Extra safety features like multiple airbag systems, and conveniences like power-adjustable seats, are all now easier than ever to come by -- if those are the specific things you're looking for.

Behind the numbers

Value, of course, is very subjective, since what may be a must-have for some buyers, like a multiple-airbag system, may not be as important to someone who wants bells and whistles, like a navigation system that comes standard. As a result, these vehicles are not necessarily the cheapest, most fuel-efficient or most reliable in their class, but instead offer an extensive, attractive mix of features and attributes.

To compose the list, we started with market research firm Strategic Vision's 2008 Total Quality Index, a survey of drivers that measures the vehicle ownership experience by looking at things like perception of quality, overall satisfaction and experience and emotional attachment to the vehicle. Warranty, safety features, fuel economy and reliability are also measured.

We then looked at Consumer Reports' Predicted Reliability scores to find vehicles that rated "excellent" or "very good." Edmunds.com's True Cost to Own data -- which project average vehicle ownership cost for depreciation, financing, taxes, fees, insurance premiums, fuel costs, maintenance and repairs--was also considered.

Starting small
The values are packed even into small cars like the Honda Fit (US$14,750), which is loaded with value-driven features such as power windows and door locks, side curtain airbags and adjustable steering column as standard equipment. If switching from a gas-guzzling SUV to a small car such as this is too much of a downgrade, roomy, midsize utility vehicles like the Toyota 4Runner (USUS$28,415) or a midsize crossover utility like the Ford Edge (US$25,735) over-deliver for the category.

The latter, in particular, offers as part of the base package a peppy 3.5-litre V6 engine for drivers who want more robust power, adjustable head restraints to help reduce whiplash in an accident, and a tire-pressure monitoring system that reminds owners when to add air (which can improve fuel economy).

There's even value to be found in a luxury car. The Lexus LS 460 is the most expensive car on our list of 10 value-packed vehicles, at US$62,900. Despite the high price, the car comes equipped with a voice-activated navigation system; push-button ignition start/stop; and a multiple airbag system that includes knee airbags for front-seat occupants. The car even has a headlamp washer that cleans off bugs and other debris stuck to the lights' surface.

But the real value is that Lexus picks up the tab for maintenance and repairs during the first three years of ownership. None of this was lost on LS owners; the car has a Total Quality Index of 922 out of 1,000, meaning surveyed owners truly enjoy owning that particular car. No other vehicle on the list has a higher TQI experience.

Rounding out our list of top 10 value-packed vehicles are the Scion xB (US$16,700), the Subaru Impreza (US$17,995), the Buick Lucerne (US$27,275), the Lexus IS 250 (US$32,025), Honda Element (US$19,780) and the Lincoln MKX (US$35,840).

Change in perceived value
The current high price of gas has had a significant impact on what motorists perceive as added value. In an annual Consumer Reports Auto Pulse survey of car owners released in June, it was found that 31 per cent -- up from 16 per cent a year ago -- now rank fuel economy as the No. 1 priority when purchasing a car, beating out reliability and quality (No. 2) as well as safety (No. 3). Interest in safety features was down slightly to 18 per cent, compared with 21per cent the previous year.

The drop, however slight, may signal that consumers are willing to trade safer vehicles for better fuel economy.

But none of the vehicles on the list are short on safety features. In the Honda Element, for example, both rows of occupants are protected with side curtain airbags that have a rollover sensor that determines the rate of roll and deploys the airbags accordingly. An anti-lock braking system, brake assist and electronic stability control, all designed to help a driver maintain better control of the vehicle in adverse situations, are standard equipment.

Is your new car packed with enough value-added amenities? Weigh in. Add your thoughts in the Reader Comments section below.

For some buyers, value also means performance and high technology. The Lexus IS 250 has a peppy, 2.5-litre V6 engine with dynamic radar cruise control; it pumps out favorite sounds through a 13-speaker sound system with a six-disc in-dash CD changer. The air system even has a dust and pollen filter, which allergy sufferers would find particularly appealing.

So no matter what the value priority may be, it all comes down to one thing, says Alexander Edwards, automotive division president of Strategic Vision: "How much am I getting for every dollar spent?"

If you can't answer that question immediately, auto experts say, you may want to take a little extra time before closing the deal. There are enough surprises in life. The experience of owning a car, particularly without a feature you were expecting to come standard, shouldn't be one of them.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from Jacqueline Mitchell, Forbes.com
=======================
 
Bus victim's family to speak out about tragedy
Web Posted | Last Updated Sat. August 02 2008 14:24 ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 2nd, 2008
Tim McLean's family is expected to speak publicly later today about his shocking death.

A fellow Greyhound bus passenger killed and beheaded the Winnipeg man on Wednesday night in a vicious knife attack. The attack occurred just outside Portage la Prairie.

McLean's friends say learning about his brutal death, which made international headlines, devastated them.

"I don't know how (his family) is coping," McLean's friend Colleen Yestrau told CTV Newsnet on Saturday.

"I do send my heart out to them," she said, sobbing throughout a phone interview.

Yestrau said she will visit the McLean family on Saturday and return some of the 22-year-old's belongings. McLean was a roommate, she said.

"He was just an all-around great guy. He was never in a bad mood. He always liked to have fun. No one can ever replace him. Tim was one of a kind," Yestrau said.
Tim McLean is seen in an undated handout photo with the daughter of his friend William Caron. (HO - William Caron / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Tim McLean, 22, is shown here in a photo from the social networking website Facebook. (www.facebook.com)
McLean was returning home after working as a carnival booth operator at a fair in Edmonton.

Witnesses said McLean was sleeping when a man seated next to him started to stab him in the neck and chest with a large knife. Frightened passengers scrambled to get off the bus as the man, who was not known to McLean, continued to stab his victim.

Passengers said the man ended up cutting off McLean's head and held it up for others to see.

"Maybe those passengers will forget (the incident) one day. For his friends and family, this is one of the most tragic days of our lives," McLean's childhood friend William Caron told CTV News.

Vince Li, 40, of Edmonton, has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with McLean's death. Li is expected to return to court in Portage la Prairie on Tuesday. He is in jail under video surveillance.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Canadian Press
=======================
 
Friends identify bus victim; RCMP name suspect
Web Posted | Last Updated Fri. August 01 2008 10:05 ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: August 1st, 2008
RCMP have charged Vince Weiguang Li, 40, with second-degree murder after 22-year-old Tim McLean was stabbed and then decapitated in a vicious attack on a Greyhound bus.

Li, from Edmonton, Alta., will appear at a court in Portage la Prairie, Man., on Friday morning, RCMP confirmed in a press release.

McLean, identified by friends as the victim, was killed late Wednesday in what appears to be a random act of violence.

Initial reports said McLean was sleeping with his head against the window when a large man sitting beside him attacked.

However, one of McLean's best friends said he was not asleep when the attack happened.

"I was talking to one of his ex-girlfriends not too long ago, and she was texting him the whole way back from Edmonton until 10 minutes before this accident happens," William Caron told The Canadian Press.

"He was just sitting there texting her, listening to music on his cellphone."

Caron said McLean was returning to Winnipeg after working at a carnival booth at fairs around western Canada.

"My brother was supposed to go meet him at the bus depot and he never showed up," said Caron.

He described McLean as a quiet, easy-going guy.
Tim McLean, 22, is shown here in a photo from the social networking website Facebook. (www.facebook.com)
The suspect can be seen sitting in the front of a Greyhound bus while RCMP negotiators approach near Portage La Prairie, Man. late Wednesday July 30, 2008. (Boris Minkevich / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Officers speak with witnesses outside of a Greyhound bus where a gruesome murder took place during a trip from Edmonton to Winnipeg late Wednesday, July 30, 2008.
"I was completely shocked 'cause Tim has never been a roughhousing guy," he said. "He's always been a quiet guy, just kind of socialized with his buddies and that was it."

Meanwhile, friends of the victim quickly created a "R.I.P. Tim" tribute on the social networking website Facebook.

"I can't believe this is happening," wrote Leah Dryburgh of Winnipeg.

"Tim, you were the best guy ever. You didn't deserve this at all."

Another friend said McLean was someone who liked to have fun and never took anything too seriously.

"When the days in are games were boring hot and long, I would talk to him and he would make them more fun," Brian wrote on the website. "Thanks Tim! We had a blast! My thoughts and prayers go out to his family."

Pictures of McLean have also been picked up from the website.

A post-mortem on McLean's body will be conducted Friday at the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre.

RCMP officials have not officially released the identity of the victim.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Canadian Press
 
The Olympic rings are raised during the opening ceremony for the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Friday, Aug. 8, 2008.
Final Olympic Medal Standings
Medal Standings of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics . . . !
Rank:
Country:
 Gold:
 Silver:
 Bronze:
Totals:
1
China
51
21
28
100
2
USA
36
38
36
110
3
Russia
23
21
28
72
4
Great Britain
19
13
15
47
5
Germany
16
10
15
41
6
Australia
14
15
17
46
7
South Korea
13
10
8
31
8
Japan
9
6
10
25
9
Italy
8
10
10
28
10
France
7
16
17
40
11
Ukraine
7
5
15
27
12
Netherlands
7
5
4
16
13
Jamaica
6
3
2
11
14
Spain
5
10
3
18
15
Kenya
5
5
4
14
16
Belarus
4
5
10
19
17
Romania
4
1
3
8
18
Ethiopia
4
1
2
7
19
Canada
3
9
6
18
20
Poland
3
6
1
10
21
Hungary
3
5
2
10
21
Norway
3
5
2
10
23
Brazil
3
4
8
15
24
Czech Republic
3
3
6
25
Slovakia
3
2
1
6
26
New Zealand
3
1
5
9
27
Georgia
3
3
6
28
Cuba
2
11
11
24
29
Kazakhstan
2
4
7
13
30
Denmark
2
2
3
7
31
Mongolia
2
2
4
31
Thailand
2
2
4
33
North Korea
2
1
3
6
34
Argentina
2
4
6
34
Switzerland
2
4
6
36
Mexico
2
1
3
37
Turkey
1
4
3
8
38
Zimbabwe
1
3
4
39
Azerbaijan
1
2
4
7
40
Uzbekistan
1
2
3
6
41
Slovenia
1
2
2
5
42
Bulgaria
1
1
3
5
42
Indonesia
1
1
3
5
44
Finland
1
1
2
4
45
Latvia
1
1
1
3
46
Belgium
1
1
2
46
Dominican Republic
1
1
2
46
Estonia
1
1
2
46
Portugal
1
1
2
50
India
1
2
3
51
Iran
1
1
2
52
Bahrain
1
1
52
Cameroon
1
1
52
Panama
1
1
52
Tunisia
1
1
56
Sweden
4
1
5
57
Croatia
2
3
5
57
Lithuania
2
3
5
59
Greece
2
2
4
60
Trinidad/Tobago
2
2
61
Nigeria
1
3
4
62
Austria
1
2
3
62
Ireland
1
2
3
62
Serbia
1
2
3
65
Algeria
1
1
2
65
Bahamas
1
1
2
65
Columbia
1
1
2
65
Kyrgyzstan
1
1
2
65
Morocco
1
1
2
65
Tajikistan
1
1
2
71
Chile
1
1
71
Ecuador
1
1
71
Iceland
1
1
71
Malaysia
1
1
71
South Africa
1
1
71
Singapore
1
1
71
Sudan
1
1
71
Vietnam
1
1
79
Armenia
6
6
80
Chinese Taipei
4
4
81
Afghanistan
1
1
81
Egypt
1
1
81
Israel
1
1
81
Republic of Moldava
1
1
81
Mauritius
1
1
81
Togo
1
1
81
Venezuela
1
1