Apr 09

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=60 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="5c8746483.png"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="747" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#FFCC80" BORDERCOLORDARK="#CC9900" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#000000 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 52 WIDTH="37"><div> <A HREF="id1115.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May 09"><U><IMG SRC="31ce11160.png" border=0 width="17" height="22" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> PREV</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="37"><div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Giant Dwarf"><U><IMG SRC="31ce11160.png" border=0 width="17" height="22" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> HOME</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="37"><div> <A HREF="id1104.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mar 09"><U><IMG SRC="31ce11160.png" border=0 width="17" 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HEIGHT= 31471 ><NOBR><div> <B> <A NAME="top"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B><IMG SRC="5e4a5c200.png" border=0 width="92" height="32" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  </B><B>Articles!</B></div> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="626" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#FFCC80" BORDERCOLORDARK="#CC9900" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="50"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="50" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="50" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="50" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="50" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="50" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="50" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="50" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="50" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="50" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="50" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1201.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Feb 12"><U><B>Feb/12</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1194.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jan 12"><U><B>Jan/12</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1193.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dec 11"><U><B>Dec/11</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1192.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nov 11"><U><B>Nov/11</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><div> <A HREF="id1191.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Oct 11"><U><B>Oct/11</B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1190.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sep 11"><U><B>Sep/11</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1185.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Aug 11"><U><B>Aug/11</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><div> <A HREF="id1184.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jul 11"><U><B>Jul/11</B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><div> <A HREF="id1182.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jun 11"><U><B>Jun/11</B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1181.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May 11"><U><B>May/11</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><div> <A HREF="id1180.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Apr 11"><U><B>Apr/11</B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1179.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mar 11"><U><B>Mar/11</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1178.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Feb 11"><U><B>Feb/11</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><div> <A HREF="id1173.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jan 11"><U><B>Jan/11</B></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1172.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dec 10"><U><B>Dec/10</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1170.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nov 10"><U><B>Nov/10</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><div> <A HREF="id1167.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Oct 10"><U><B>Oct/10</B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1161.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sep 10"><U><B>Sep/10</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1160.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Aug 10"><U><B>Aug/10</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><div> <A HREF="id1159.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jul 10"><U><B>Jul/10</B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1154.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jun 10"><U><B>Jun/10</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1153.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May 10"><U><B>May/10</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><div> <A HREF="id1143.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Apr 10"><U><B>Apr/10</B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1142.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mar 10"><U><B>Mar/10</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1137.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Feb 10"><U><B>Feb/10</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jan 10"><U><B>Jan/10</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1134.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dec 09"><U><B>Dec/09</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1129.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nov 09"><U><B>Nov/09</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><div> <A HREF="id1128.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Oct 09"><U><B>Oct/09</B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1123.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sep 09"><U><B>Sep/09</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1122.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Aug 09"><U><B>Aug/09</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><div> <A HREF="id1121.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jul 09"><U><B>Jul/09</B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1120.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jun 09"><U><B>Jun/09</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1115.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May 09"><U><B>May/09</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFFCC WIDTH="50"><div> <A HREF="id1114.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B>Apr/09</B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1104.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mar 09"><U><B>Mar/09</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1103.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Feb 09"><U><B>Feb/09</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1099.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jan 09"><U><B>Jan/09</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1092.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dec 08"><U><B>Dec/08</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1091.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nov 08"><U><B>Nov/08</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><div> <A HREF="id1086.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Oct 08"><U><B>Oct/08</B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1084.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sep 08"><U><B>Sep/08</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1083.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Aug 08"><U><B>Aug/08</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><div> <A HREF="id1078.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jul 08"><U><B>Jul/08</B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1077.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jun 08"><U><B>Jun/08</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1072.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May 08"><U><B>May/08</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><div> <A HREF="id1071.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Apr 08"><U><B>Apr/08</B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1060.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mar 08"><U><B>Mar/08</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1044.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Feb 08"><U><B>Feb/08</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1043.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jan 08"><U><B>Jan/08</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1038.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dec 07"><U><B>Dec/07</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1037.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nov 07"><U><B>Nov/07</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><div> <A HREF="id1032.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Oct 07"><U><B>Oct/07</B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1026.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sep 07"><U><B>Sep/07</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1025.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Aug 07"><U><B>Aug/07</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><div> <A HREF="id1020.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jul 07"><U><B>Jul/07</B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1015.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jun 07"><U><B>Jun/07</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id1009.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May 07"><U><B>May/07</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33 WIDTH="50"><div> <A HREF="id1007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Apr 07"><U><B>Apr/07</B></U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id986.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mar 07"><U><B>Mar/07</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id979.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Feb 07"><U><B>Feb/07</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC33><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id978.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jan 07"><U><B>Jan/07</B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> <B>These "Articles" are dated from April 1st, 2009 - April 30th, 2009.</B></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="390" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#30" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Chrysler filing for bankruptcy protection, reports say</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 30/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#29" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Police offer $50,000 in Tori Stafford case</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 29/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#28" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Canada issues warning against travel to Mexico</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 28/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#27" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Swine flu to spread quickly 'all over the world'</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 27/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#26" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  4 confirmed swine flu cases in N.S., 2 more in B.C.</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 26/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#25" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  WHO holds emergency meeting on swine flu</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 25/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#24" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  WHO concerned about Mexican flu-like illnesses</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 24/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#23" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Credit card regulations coming, Flaherty says</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 23/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#22" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Police release sketch of woman seen with Tori</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 22/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#21" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  BoC cuts key interest rate to 0.25 per cent</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 21/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#20" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Gunman on CanJet plane now in custody, reports say</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 20/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#19" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  UN racism conference starts amid boycotts</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 19/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#18" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Pirates attack tanker, are captured by NATO forces</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 18/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#17" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Marijuana muffins caused Port Perry dogs to fall ill</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 17/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#16" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Southern Manitobans growing weary of flood</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 16/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#15" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Search for missing Ontario girl hits one-week mark</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 15/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#14" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Undeterred Somali pirates hijack three more ships</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 14/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#13" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Family of missing Ont. girl living 'minute by minute'</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 13/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#12" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Vancouver police say murder of disabled man 'disturbing'</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 12/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#11" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Hundreds of tips pour in about missing Ontario girl</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 11/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#10" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Volunteers join police in search for Ontario girl</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 10/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#09" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Jobless rate hits eight per cent, 61,300 jobs axed</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 09/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#08" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  CFIA issues warning not to eat beef sold at Safeway</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 08/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#07" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Italy quake death toll hits 207 as search continues</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 07/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#06" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Earthquake strikes Italy killing at least 50 people</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 06/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#05" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  HMCS Winnipeg thwarts Arabian Sea pirate attack</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 05/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#04" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Karzai to review controversial family law</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 04/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#03" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Oil rises above US$53 in Asia, extending rally</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 03/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#02" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Bombardier slashing workforce by 3,000 workers</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 02/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#01" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><B><IMG SRC="f1f0b0d0.png" border=0 width="11" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  Expert says pirates are Conficker's early victims</B></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> 01/04/09</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> =======================</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="705" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="707"><div>  <A NAME="30"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 125 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Chrysler filing for bankruptcy protection, reports say</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Thu. Apr. 30  2009  09:26  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 30th, 2009</div> <div> <B>Struggling automaker Chrysler LLC will file for bankruptcy, according to reports, after negotiations between the U.S. Treasury Department and Chrysler's lenders fell apart late last night.</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="db1da0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 741 WIDTH="707"><div> The Associated Press cited unnamed officials who said the company is now seeking bankruptcy protection.</div> <bR> <div> The discussions between the two parties were designed to reduce nearly $7 billion in secured debt.</div> <bR> <div> But in the end, 40 hedge funds that hold roughly 30 per cent of Chrysler's debt refused to budge, said auto industry analyst Dimitry Anastakis.</div> <bR> <div> "They're owed about $7 billion in total and the government is saying you should take about $2 billion of the $7 billion that you're owed, and they're refusing to do so," he told CTV's Canada AM.</div> <bR> <div> "Most of the lenders have agreed to, but these few have not so they're threatening them with bankruptcy."</div> <bR> <div> The four banks that hold the remaining 70 per cent of the debt agreed to take the $2 billion in exchange for cancelling the debt, but the hedge funds wanted a better deal, Anastakis said.</div> <bR> <div> The negotiations ended late Wednesday night after progress came to a standstill.</div> <bR> <div> "All this time the Canadian Auto Workers and the United Auto Workers and all the stakeholders have had to make concession and this is the one group that has refused to make concessions. Just about everyone else has," Anastakis said.</div> <bR> <div> "They'll get some money, they just won't get what they want, and they're not happy about that."</div> <bR> <div> Unless a deal is reached before midnight Thursday, Chrysler will seek bankruptcy protection, The Associated Press reports.</div> <bR> <div> On Thursday, Reuters reported that last-ditch efforts were still underway to reach a deal, but BNN's Michael Kane said that seemed like an unlikely outcome since the debtholders had turned down the government offer.</div> <bR> <div> "I really don't think that is going to happen here because you need the participation of the U.S. treasury department and we're told it was treasury that walked away last night. They had made a proposal: 'You forgive $7 billion worth of loans and we will give you $2.25 billion in government money," Kane said.</div> <bR> <div> "The banks said they could live with that, the hedge funds said no."</div> <bR> <div> If Chrysler LLC does seek bankruptcy protection it's possible the Canadian division of the company could follow suit. However, the Canadian Auto Workers have said that plants here would continue to churn out vehicles if the parent company takes the bankruptcy route.</div> <bR> <div> CAW President Ken Lewenza said he has been told that Chrysler would split into two parts if it filed for bankruptcy. One section would form an alliance with Fiat and continue to operate. The other would liquidate its assets.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 379 WIDTH="707"><div> The news of the stalemate in negotiations came after U.S. President Barack Obama said he was "very hopeful" that a deal would be reached and Chrysler would continue to operate.</div> <bR> <div> Washington on Wednesday added $250 million to its offer to buy out debtholders, though it was ultimately unsuccessful.</div> <bR> <div> The Obama administration, along with Canada's Conservative government, have both said Chrysler needs to make deals with the main stakeholders if financial aid is to flow.</div> <bR> <div> Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Industry Minister Tony Clement and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty are scheduled to hold a Thursday afternoon news conference.</div> <bR> <div> There was frustration among other affected parties as the talks approached a breakdown.</div> <bR> <div> "You've got high stakes negotiations going on right here at the very last hours," said Michigan Democrat Gary Peters, whose district includes Chrysler's Auburn Hills headquarters.</div> <bR> <div> "It's frustrating that these hedge funds continue to push for every last nickel," he said. "Tens of thousands of families' lives are at stake here."</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Associated Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="29"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 393 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Police offer $50,000 in Tori Stafford case</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. Apr. 28  2009  22:54  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 29th, 2009</div> <div> <B>Police are now offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the disappearance of Victoria Stafford.</B></div> <bR> <div> The Oxford Community Police Service made the announcement on Tuesday night as officers continued to investigate the suspected abduction of the eight-year-old girl, missing since April 8 from her home in Woodstock, Ont.</div> <bR> <div> Earlier on Tuesday, Victoria's mother, Tara McDonald, told a bizarre story about a mysterious limo ride to a Toronto hotel.</div> <bR> <div> McDonald thought she was heading to Toronto to meet with renowned psychic Sylvia Browne about her daughter's disappearance.</div> <bR> <div> Instead, the mystery guest turned out to be an anonymous person offering to pay Victoria's captors a reward for a safe return.</div> <bR> <div> McDonald told reporters she didn't know what to believe when a limo driver knocked at her door and told her that his wealthy boss wanted to speak with her.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e151a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Tara McDonald speaks to reporters from outside her home in Woodstock, Ont., Tuesday, April 28, 2009.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e152a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Tara McDonald holds a photo she says was taken at school the day before her daughter, Victoria Stafford, disappeared, in Woodstock, Ont. on Wednesday, April 22, 2009.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 813 WIDTH="707"><div> The driver had apparently walked through the woman's backyard, far away from the prying eyes of reporters who were camped out front.</div> <bR> <div> "(It all sounds) crazy? I know," she said. "I thought that we were going to see Sylvia Browne."</div> <bR> <div> McDonald said she has left a message for Browne, wanting to speak to her about Victoria's disappearance.</div> <bR> <div> But it wasn't Browne. Rather, it was an anonymous traveller who had a stopover in Toronto wanted to help after seeing the case on TV.</div> <bR> <div> This person, who McDonald has refused to describe because of her promise to keep them anonymous, has reportedly also lost a child to a kidnapping.</div> <bR> <div> McDonald said the person was told by police not to pay a ransom demand for their child and as a result their child was killed.</div> <div> "They didn't want that to happen to me," McDonald said. "They said it was fate and that they wanted to help."</div> <bR> <div> MacDonald said she, her boyfriend and best friend travelled to see the stranger in Toronto, at the Sheraton Hotel located by Pearson International Airport. A limousine was provided for them for their travel.</div> <bR> <div> McDonald said she was the only one who went upstairs to talk to the stranger and when she did, she stayed for about two hours.</div> <bR> <div> McDonald said she told police about the encounter and forwarded a number to authorities that has been set up to facilitate the transaction should it be necessary.</div> <bR> <div> So far, both police and McDonald say there have been no ransom demands.</div> <bR> <div> Victoria's father Rodney Stafford stood next to McDonald while she spoke to reporters.</div> <bR> <div> He said he only heard about the trip to Toronto from McDonald after it happened and that he wished he went along to meet the stranger.</div> <bR> <div> "If someone is willing to help then that's great, Other than that, I don't know anything about it other than what Tara has told me," he said.</div> <bR> <div> McDonald said she's well aware the story sounds "crazy" and that people are speculating about the encounter.</div> <bR> <div> "A lot of weird things have taken place (since Victoria disappeared)," she said. "A lot of weird messages, a lot of weird letters. It's not any more weird than anything else that has happened."</div> <bR> <div> Victoria, known as "Tori" by close family and friends, has been missing since April 8. She was last seen walking away from her school with a woman whom police have not been able to identify.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from ctvtoronto.ca</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="28"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 519 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Canada issues warning against travel to Mexico</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. Apr. 28  2009  07:42  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 26th, 2009</div> <div> <B>The Public Health Agency of Canada is advising against all non-essential travel to Mexico, due to the swine flu outbreak that has been linked to the deaths of 152 people in Mexico.</B></div> <bR> <div> "As of April 27 2009, travellers from Canada are recommended to postpone elective or non-essential travel to Mexico until further notice," stated the advisory, which was issued on Monday.</div> <bR> <div> The U.S., France, Britain and Germany have also issued warnings against unnecessary travel to Mexico.</div> <bR> <div> The World Health Organization's pandemic alert level has been raised from a Phase 3 to Phase 4 level, marking the increasing severity of the outbreak.</div> <bR> <div> The Phase 4 classification -- the first since 1999 --means human-to-human transmission is taking place.</div> <bR> <div> WHO Spokesperson Paul Garwood said the organization is respecting individual countries' handling of the outbreak and said travellers should be cautious and follow their government's travel recommendation.</div> <bR> <div> "We feel now that the virus has been found in several countries it's difficult to contain, so we need to focus on mitigation efforts," Garwood told CTV's Canada AM on Tuesday.</div> <bR> <div> Ottawa recommends that those who must travel to Mexico should do the following to minimize risk:</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e147a06e0.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="110" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Arriving passengers passing by a thermal camera are shown on the screen of the device at Incheon International airport, west of Seoul on Tuesday, April 28, 2009. A South Korean woman tested positive after travelling to Mexico, making her a 'probable' case -- the country's first -- authorities said Tuesday. (AP / Jung Yeon-je)</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e146a06e0.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="110" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Lorenzo Uroza, wearing a protective white mask, crosses the control point in the airport at Bilbao, northern Spain, Tuesday, April 28, 2009 after returning last week to Madrid from Mexico. Spain's health minister has confirmed a second case of swine flu in this country. (AP / Alvaro Barrientos)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 565 WIDTH="707"><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Wash hands frequently with soap under warm running water.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">If water isn't available, use an alcohol-based gel hand-sanitizer.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, and wash your hands afterwards.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Avoid contact with people who appear to have respiratory illness.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Monitor Canada's and Mexico's public health agency websites.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Get vaccinated against seasonal flu.</div> <bR> <div> Despite the increased advisory level, the World Health Organization is not yet predicting that the outbreak will become a pandemic.</div> <bR> <div> So far only Mexico has seen severe disease related to the virus, but Canada's chief public officer of health David Butler-Jones said that could change.</div> <bR> <div> "We will likely see more cases. We will likely see more severe illnesses. And we will, likely -- unfortunately -- see some deaths, as well," he said.</div> <bR> <div> Four of Canada's six diagnosed cases of swine flu were students at King's Edgehill School in Windsor, N.S.</div> <bR> <div> Headmaster Joseph Seagram told Canada AM on Tuesday that three of the four students have now been given a clean bill of health.</div> <bR> <div> "They are completely clear and free to go home and go to school and play sports as they would normally," Seagram said.</div> <bR> <div> The fourth is "recovering nicely and we expect he will be released today."</div> <bR> <div> He said life is returning to normal after a tense few days at the school.</div> <bR> <div> "The flu is running its course and students are beginning to be symptom free. We ran classes yesterday and my hope is that attendance will pick up as the week progresses."</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="27"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 637 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Swine flu to spread quickly 'all over the world'</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Mon. Apr. 27  2009  07:59  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 27th, 2009</div> <div> <B>Europeans were warned Monday to avoid non-essential travel to the United States or Mexico due to swine flu, which one health expert says will spread "all over the world" within the next week or two.</B></div> <bR> <div> European Union Health Commissioner Andorra Vassiliou told reporters that Europeans "should avoid travelling to Mexico or the United States of America unless it is very urgent for them."</div> <bR> <div> Vassiliou met with EU foreign ministers Monday as Spain reported the first confirmed case of swine flu in Europe.</div> <bR> <div> In Canada, authorities have already confirmed six cases of swine flu -- four in Nova Scotia and two in British Columbia.</div> <bR> <div> Canadian infectious disease specialist Dr. Neil Rau warned Monday that the flu is going to spread quickly.</div> <bR> <div> "This is going to be all over the world within the next week or two -- we know that for sure," Rau told CTV's Canada AM.</div> <bR> <div> "At first that sounds scary but it may not be that dangerous a virus as we initially thought."</div> <bR> <div> Swine flu, also known as A H1N1, is normally contracted through contact with pigs. However, it appears that this strain, which was first reported in Mexico, is spread through human-to-human contact.</div> <bR> <div> Symptoms include fever, muscle and joint pain, cough, sore throat, eye pain, shortness of breath and extreme fatigue.</div> <bR> <div> Late Thursday, Mexico's health secretary confirmed 1,614 cases in that country with 103 believed dead.</div> <bR> <div> In Mexico City, CTV's Tom Walters said there is a sense of fear among residents.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e138a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> A fully gowned hospital staff stands behind a sign alerting members of the public to report to hospital staff if they have been to certain countries recently in Singapore at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital on Monday April 27, 2009. (AP / Wong Maye-E)</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e13aa0550.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="85" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Tourists arriving Bangkok, Thailand pass through a thermal scanner at Suvarnabhumi international airport Monday, April 27, 2009. (AP / Apichart Weerawong)</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e13ba0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Airline passengers, some wearing face masks, arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport being closely monitored for flu-like symptoms Monday, April 27, 2009 in Manila, Philippines. (AP / Bullit Marquez)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 673 WIDTH="707"><div> "We were very struck yesterday by just how many people you see wearing masks and by how many people are avoiding public gatherings," Walters reported Monday morning.</div> <bR> <div> "...There is a great effort being made here to keep people from interacting and certainly to keep them from gathering in groups."</div> <bR> <div> Meanwhile, officials around the world were racing Monday to contain the swine flu outbreak.</div> <bR> <div> In New Zealand, officials reported suspected swine flu cases in a second group of teenage students who had just returned from a class trip to Mexico.</div> <bR> <div> Two students and a parent among the group of 15 became have mild flu symptoms.</div> <bR> <div> All of the students and their families have voluntarily quarantined themselves as laboratory results are expected within days. </div> <div> World Health Organization spokesman Peter Cordingly said the new virus is spreading quickly throughout Mexico and the southern United States.</div> <bR> <div> The United States has confirmed at least 11 cases of swine flu.</div> <bR> <div> In Asia, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and the Philippines used thermal scanners to check passengers for signs of fever.</div> <bR> <div> China said anyone who experiences flu-like symptoms within two weeks of arrival must report to authorities.</div> <bR> <div> China and Russia have both banned imports of pork and pokr products from Mexico and three U.S. states where swine flu has been reported.</div> <bR> <div> Meanwhile, many countries have issued travel warnings for Mexico.</div> <bR> <div> Rau said life must go on in Mexico and around the world.</div> <bR> <div> "I think what's going to happen in Mexico is the WHO is going to finish its investigations within the next few days and the war is going to be over," Rau said.</div> <bR> <div> "They're going to realize that it's not as dangerous a virus as we first thought and life will return to usual."</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Associated Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="26"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 196 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>4 confirmed swine flu cases in N.S., 2 more in B.C.</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Sun. Apr. 26  2009  15:35  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 26th, 2009</div> <div> <B>Six cases of swine flu infections have been confirmed in Canada, with four such cases in Nova Scotia and another two in British Columbia.</B></div> <bR> <div> B.C. confirmed its two cases at a press conference on Sunday afternoon.</div> <bR> <div> "This indicates that swine influenza is present in Canada," Dr. Danuta Skowronski of the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, told reporters.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e137a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Pat Dunn, the Nova Scotia minister of health promotion and protection, speaks at a news conference in Halifax, N.S., on Sunday, April 26, 2009.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 701 WIDTH="707"><div> She also noted that such infections were "not unexpected."</div> <bR> <div> Skowronski said both of the affected people live in the Lower Mainland, and both have recently travelled to Mexico.</div> <bR> <div> None of the cases seen in B.C. are as severe as those seen in Mexico, she said.</div> <bR> <div> The B.C. infections were initially identified as a non-typeable influenza A, and they have since been confirmed as swine flu cases.</div> <bR> <div> Skowronski said respiratory illnesses are not uncommon at this time of year, and that health officials "don't want to make people unnecessarily alarmed."</div> <bR> <div> "If you have influenza-like illness, take the precautions that you normally would to take care of yourself," she said. "Isolate yourself at home so that you're not spreading the illness to others, and follow the usual precautions, in terms of coughing and sneezing into your elbow rather than your hands, and frequent hand washing. However, if symptoms seem to be getting worse rather than better, then consider seeing your doctor."</div> <bR> <div> In Nova Scotia, health officials say four confirmed cases of swine flu have been identified within the province, all from the same high school. Two of the students recently travelled to Mexico, which has suffered fatalities from the virus.</div> <bR> <div> Dr. Robert Strang, the province's chief public health officer, said the Nova Scotia cases are considered "mild" cases of the flu and the affected persons are now recovering.</div> <bR> <div> "These case are mild, no one in Nova Scotia has been hospitalized because of the illness.</div> <bR> <div> All those who have been affected are recovering," Strang said at a news conference on Sunday afternoon. "At this point, we're not seeing severe cases like that occurring in Mexico. We're consistent with the United States where we're seeing very mild illness from the swine flu."</div> <bR> <div> Strang said that the four confirmed cases are students attending King's-Edgehill School, a private high school in the Windsor, N.S., area.</div> <bR> <div> The pair of affected students who went to Mexico were traveling with at least 20 people on a school trip from April 1 to 8.</div> <div> Later Sunday afternoon, a school official told reporters that 17 students and four staff members are in quarantine.</div> <bR> <div> Two of the staff members are in quarantine at the school, while the other two remain at home, the school official said.</div> <bR> <div> He also said that only one of the students with swine flu had attended the trip to Mexico, contradicting the data given by the province's chief public health officer.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 308 WIDTH="707"><div> Strang stressed that the Canadians who have fallen ill with swine flu have, so far, only very mild symptoms. </div> <bR> <div> "The swine flu that we're seeing outside of Mexico is very mild," he said.</div> <bR> <div> Pat Dunn, the minister of health promotion and protection, said he has "the utmost confidence" in the local health professionals' ability to handle the situation as it develops.</div> <bR> <div> "Public health officials in Nova Scotia have been on top of this since the first cases of respiratory illness were identified in Mexico," Dunn said.</div> <bR> <div> Strang said local health authorities are working with the Public Health Agency of Canada and related agencies across Canada, to monitor the swine flu issue.</div> <bR> <div> The swine flu has sickened an estimated 1,300 people in Mexico since April 13 and killed at least 22 other people. </div> <div> It is believed that the virus may be responsible for another 60 deaths.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Associated Press and The Canadian Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="25"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 379 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>WHO holds emergency meeting on swine flu</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Sat. Apr. 25  2009  13:42  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 25th, 2009</div> <div> <B>The head of the World Health Organization has convened an emergency meeting at the agency's headquarters to determine if it's necessary to raise the pandemic alert level, as officials work to contain a deadly swine flu outbreak that may have killed more than 60 people in Mexico.</B></div> <bR> <div> Margaret Chan cut short a visit to Washington and returned to the WHO's Strategic Health Operation Center in Geneva, Switzerland, on Saturday, and was immediately briefed on the latest developments.</div> <bR> <div> At least 62 people have died in Mexico from severe pneumonia caused by a flu-like illness, WHO spokesperson Gregory Hartl said.</div> <bR> <div> Mexican officials put the death toll at 68, with 20 confirmed to be linked to the new swine flu strain, known as A H1N1.</div> <bR> <div> The strain has not been previously diagnosed in either pigs or humans and appears to spread easily from human to human.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e135a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Women wear surgical masks as they exit the subway in Mexico City, on Saturday, April 25, 2009. (AP / Gregory Bull)</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e136a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> A Mexican Army soldier hands out surgical masks to people in cars at an intersection in Mexico City, on Friday, April 24, 2009. (AP / Alexandre Meneghini)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 645 WIDTH="707"><div> More than 1,000 people in Mexico have fallen ill, sparking concerns of a pending public health crisis.</div> <bR> <div> The current pandemic alert level is at Phase 3, and it could go up to Phase 4 after today's meeting. Phase 6 would mean officials are calling the outbreak a pandemic.</div> <bR> <div> Chan said at a news conference on Saturday that the WHO has not received reports of swine flu beyond Mexico and the southwestern United States, but urged all countries to be vigilant for an increase in pneumonia cases or other flu-like illness.</div> <bR> <div> "The viruses causing cases in some parts of Mexico and some parts of the USA are genetically the same," she said, adding the virus "has pandemic potential" because it is spreading between people.</div> <bR> <div> According to Chan, Mexican authorities are reporting that cases range from the very mild to severe, which means it is difficult to tell how widespread the virus really is.</div> <bR> <div> "We need to really comb through those data and get the granularities and understand exactly who is suffering and which (age) group has disease more severe than others," Chan said.</div> <bR> <div> The virus is unusual in that it is primarily affecting healthy young adults. Influenza usually affects the very young and the very old.</div> <bR> <div> Unlike recent bird flu cases, where people who became ill had contact with infected birds, it appears that this strain of swine flu is infecting people with no history of contact with animals, according to Canadian infectious disease specialist Dr. Neil Rau.</div> <bR> <div> "What is concerning is that even though it has the word swine flu, meaning it originates from pigs, people who get this infection have no history of contact with pigs," Rau said Saturday during an interview on CTV Newsnet.</div> <bR> <div> Mexican authorities have closed schools, museums, libraries and theatres in an attempt to prevent the virus's spread, while officials at the Mexico City airport are questioning travellers in an effort to prevent a sick passenger from boarding a plane.</div> <bR> <div> On Saturday, Mexico City's mayor cancelled all public events for the next 10 days in order to control the outbreak.</div> <bR> <div> Mayor Marcelo Ebrard also announced that the city has enough medicine to treat those who are infected.</div> <bR> <div> The Mexican government plans to administer 500,000 doses of influenza vaccine to health care workers, who are at high risk of infection.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 458 WIDTH="707"><div> However, it is unclear if this year's influenza vaccine offers protection against the swine flu.</div> <bR> <div> The WHO said that 12 of the Mexican cases have been linked genetically to a swine flu virus that has appeared in California.</div> <bR> <div> Officials in the United States said that seven people were infected with swine flu in California and Texas, and all have recovered.</div> <bR> <div> In Canada, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said Friday that so far, the virus has not been detected in Canada.</div> <bR> <div> According to Rau, the current outbreak has not been linked to resort areas frequented by Canadian tourists.</div> <bR> <div> However, public health officials are probing a small number of flu-like cases in Canada to determine if they match the Mexican illness.</div> <bR> <div> Experts say the best protection against the virus is to avoid contact with anyone who is coughing or sneezing, wash hands regularly and see a doctor if any of these symptoms become apparent:</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">fever</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">cough</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">sore throat</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">eye pain</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">shortness of breath</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">muscle and joint pain</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">extreme fatigue</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Associated Press and The Canadian Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="24"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 359 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>WHO concerned about Mexican flu-like illnesses</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Fri. Apr. 24  2009  08:16  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 24th, 2009</div> <div> <B>The World Health Organization is voicing concern over more than 800 severe "influenza-like" illnesses in Mexico that have caused 60 deaths, while Canada remains on high alert for suspected cases brought back here by Canadian travellers.</B></div> <bR> <div> The United Nations agency says it has activated its Strategic Health Operations Centre -- its command and control centre for acute public health events, because of the sudden spike in flu illnesses in Mexico.</div> <bR> <div> WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said Mexican authorities had noticed unusual flu activity in March and April, a period when the flu season of the country of 105 million should have drawn to a close.</div> <bR> <div> "To date, there have been some 800 suspected cases with flu-like illness, with 57 deaths in the Mexico City area," she told a news briefing Friday. "Similar cases have since been found in San Luis Potosi in central Mexico. The number of suspected cases is 24 suspected cases and three deaths."</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e12da06e0.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="110" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Patients sit in a crowded waiting room at a hospital in Mexico as the number of 'influenza-like' illnesses grows.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e12ea06e0.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="110" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Alison McGeer, an infectious disease specialist at Toronto's Mount Sinai hospital, appears on CTV Newsnet on Thursday, April 23, 2009.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 596 WIDTH="707"><div> At least one Canadian may have been affected, after being treated for severe pneumonia following a trip from Mexico. That patient has since recovered but the source of his illness remain unclear.</div> <bR> <div> At Mexico's request, Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg is testing more than 50 samples from infected Mexican residents to try to pinpoint the virus and better identify why the bug is causing such severe illness.</div> <bR> <div> Mexican authorities are due to announce test results later Friday, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Swine flu in southern U.S.</B></div> <bR> <div> At the same time, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says that seven people had been diagnosed with a new kind of swine flu in California and Texas, which share a border with Mexico.</div> <bR> <div> The WHO is also concerned about the swine flu outbreak, which may or may not be related to the illnesses in Mexico.</div> <bR> <div> It says the virus is a never-before-seen mixture of viruses typical among pigs, birds and humans. Yet, the virus does not appear to create severe illness and all seven patients have recovered.</div> <bR> <div> "We don't yet know the extent of the problem," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the director of respiratory diseases for the agency, "but we don't think this is a time for major concern."</div> <bR> <div> Nevertheless, the cases are unusual because it appears none of the patients had come in contact with pigs, suggesting that an animal virus is being transmitted from person to person.</div> <bR> <div> Dr. Allison McGeer, an infectious disease specialist at Toronto's Mount Sinai hospital, says Canadian health officials, made wiser by their experience with SARS, are treating both outbreaks seriously.</div> <bR> <div> "SARS taught us that it can take a very little time to move a virus all around the globe," she told CTV Newsnet Thursday.</div> <bR> <div> "One of the things we've committed to around the world is enhanced surveillance and being really sure that we don't miss these new viruses."</div> <bR> <div> McGeer added that the chances that the Mexican outbreak is the start of a new flu pandemic are "pretty low."</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 379 WIDTH="707"><div> The flu-like condition in Mexico has so far affected healthy young adults between the ages 25 and 44, mostly in south and central areas of the country, but not the tourist areas on the coast.</div> <bR> <div> The victims showed influenza-like symptoms that progressed to "severe respiratory distress" within five days. Some have had to be placed on respirators, while other have died.</div> <bR> <div> Health officials say specimens collected from the patients have tested positive for both A and B strains of influenza. Further tests at Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg should help to better identify the strain.</div> <bR> <div> Canadian health officials have issued an advisory to travellers who have recently returned from Mexico to be on alert for flu-like symptoms and report them quickly to a doctor.</div> <bR> <div> Any Canadian who has returned from Mexico within the last two weeks and is suffering the following symptoms should contact a physician:</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">fever</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">cough</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">sore throat</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">shortness of breath</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">muscle and joint pain</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="23"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 125 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Credit card regulations coming, Flaherty says</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Wed. Apr. 22  2009  21:56  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 23rd, 2009</div> <div> <B>With economists worried about the threat of massive amounts of credit card defaults, the Canadian government announced they are looking into new regulations to protect consumers.</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="e121a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 725 WIDTH="707"><div> Finance Minister Jim Flaherty made the announcement Wednesday but did not specify the exact regulations, such as interest rate limits, the government is considering.</div> <bR> <div> "There are a number of issues we can address with respect to credit cards," Flaherty told reporters.</div> <bR> <div> "We have regulatory power and we're working on certain regulations, which I'll be able to speak about publicly soon."</div> <bR> <div> He did not answer questions on interest rate limits.</div> <bR> <div> Visa and MasterCard make up 94 per cent of the credit card market in Canada. The heads of the Canadian branches of those companies appeared before the Senate banking committee on Wednesday to argue against regulation.</div> <bR> <div> They pushed to enter the debit-card industry, which takes funds directly from a consumer's account -- a market that is dominated by Canada's charted banks.</div> <bR> <div> The entry of the credit card giants into the debit market is being opposed by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and the Retail Council of Canada as they fear merchants' fees will go up.</div> <bR> <div> "This is of great concern and we don't want Visa and MasterCard to do to debit what they have done to credit," Diane Brisebois, president of the Retail Council of Canada, told CTV News.</div> <bR> <div> Brisebois says that merchants are outraged with credit card companies, saying they've seen seven increases in fees over the last 18 months.</div> <bR> <div> Brisebois said with debit cards in Canada there is a flat processing fee of eight cents per purchase.</div> <bR> <div> Liberal senator Pierrette Ringuette noted that in North Carolina a typical $500 purchase equals a fee of $7.72 for Visa and $8.39 for MasterCard.</div> <bR> <div> "Do you want to do the same thing in Canada?" she asked.</div> <bR> <div> Visa president Tim Wilson said it was "dangerous" to make assumptions about what the company would do in the Canadian market.</div> <bR> <div> Kevin Stanton, the president of MasterCard, said that the entry of the credit card companies into the market would mean better choices for consumers.</div> <bR> <div> The pair also said Canadians could use debit cards worldwide with their companies, as well as online.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Canadian Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="22"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 408 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Police release sketch of woman seen with Tori</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Wed. Apr. 22  2009  07:23  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 22nd, 2009</div> <div> <B>Police have released a composite sketch of the mystery woman seen in a surveillance video with Victoria Stafford, the eight-year-old girl who went missing two weeks ago.</B></div> <bR> <div> Ontario Provincial Police investigators describe the woman in the sketch as being between 19 to 25 years old, at least 5'1" tall and weighing about 125 pounds. She is believed to wear her long dark hair in a ponytail.</div> <bR> <div> OPP Det. William Renton has called a news conference for 10 a.m. Wednesday in Woodstock, Ont., to provide more information about the sketch.</div> <bR> <div> Surveillance video taken on the afternoon of April 8 showed Tori walking away from school with a woman in a puffy white coat.</div> <bR> <div> Oxford Community Police Chief Ron Fraser is urging the public to review the composite image police believe to be the abductor.</div> <bR> <div> "I am appealing to the community to review this composite image and if anyone has any information relating to this person to please call us," Fraser said in a news release issued late Tuesday.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e118a06c0.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="108" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Late on Tuesday, April 21, 2009, police in the Tori Stafford abduction investigation released this composite sketch of the woman who may be linked to to the abduction of eight-year-old Tori Stafford in Woodstock, Ont. on April 8, 2009.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e0e7a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Victoria Stafford, 8, is shown in a family handout photo from July 2008. (Dave Chidley / THE CANADIAN PRESS)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 456 WIDTH="707"><div> "We continue to believe that there are people in the area who have knowledge of this crime. We are urging these people to immediately come forward to help us in this investigation."</div> <bR> <div> Police also say that the U.S. television show "America's Most Wanted" will be broadcasting a segment about the Stafford case on Saturday.</div> <bR> <div> Earlier Tuesday, the girl's mother issued another appeal to whoever was holding her daughter.</div> <bR> <div> Tara McDonald said she hopes that "guilt just eats" at whoever has her daughter and is appealing to that person to release the child.</div> <bR> <div> McDonald said she has watched the entire video, which ends with her daughter walking in front of a local nursing home.</div> <bR> <div> She said the video does not show where Victoria goes from there.</div> <bR> <div> She said a man who also appears in the video was a parent waiting for his son, who is seen walking into the frame.</div> <bR> <div> McDonald also said police have interviewed her friends, past acquaintances and people she hardly knows.</div> <bR> <div> Wearing protective gear, the Ontario Provincial Police officers combed the local dump Tuesday, in the second day of their search through the town's garbage.</div> <bR> <div> Using an excavator, they moved 17 tons of garbage in the search for evidence.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with a report from CTV Toronto's Austin Delaney in Woodstock, Ont.</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="21"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 196 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>BoC cuts key interest rate to 0.25 per cent</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. Apr. 21  2009  09:00  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 21st, 2009</div> <div> <B>The Bank of Canada cut its key overnight interest rate by a quarter point Tuesday to 0.25 per cent.</B></div> <bR> <div> The record low level has been reached following eight cuts from the bank in the last year.</div> <bR> <div> Avery Shenfeld, chief economist at CIBC World Markets, said the rate cut will not help the economy.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e10ca0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> A sign in front of the Bank of Canada building is shown in Ottawa, on Tuesday, March 3, 2009. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tom Hanson)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 323 WIDTH="707"><div> "A further cut to a quarter-point overnight rate would be futile on its own, and would squeeze margins in the banking system," Shenfeld said in a note Monday.</div> <bR> <div> BNN's Michael Kane said of even more importance than Tuesday's decision is what is contained in the bank's Monetary Policy Report, which is due out Thursday.</div> <bR> <div> "In it Governor Mark Carney is expected to say which road the bank will go down in an effort to keep the economy healthy," Kane said Tuesday.</div> <bR> <div> "The road to what is known as quantitative easing would involve printing new money, which has inflationary overtones."</div> <bR> <div> If the bank chooses to pursue the easing of credit, Kane said that would require keeping the money that's already out there flowing.</div> <bR> <div> "The Bank of Canada would be buying up corporate bonds or government bonds to ease the tightness in the credit markets," he said.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Canadian Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 411 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Gunman on CanJet plane now in custody, reports say</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Mon. Apr. 20  2009  08:27  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 20th, 2009</div> <div> <B>The armed gunman who took a CanJet plane hostage in Jamaica is now in police custody, according to reports from eye witnesses at the scene.</B></div> <bR> <div> Initially, 174 passengers and eight crew members were held by the gunman on CanJet Flight 918. The passengers and two crew members were released, but six Canadian crew members were held until Monday morning.</div> <bR> <div> CTV's Rosemary Thompson, reporting from the Montego Bay airport, said the situation now appears to be over.</div> <bR> <div> "I can see the CanJet plane just across the tarmac. I'm behind a security fence. According to an eye-witness who was here at this fence, he saw the police enter the plane and take away what he believes was the suspect," Thompson told CTV's Canada AM.</div> <bR> <div> "Right now it's very calm around the plane. We understand from wire reports here in Jamaica that this may be contained, that this situation may be resolved."</div> <bR> <div> The flight operated for Transat Tours Canada took off from Halifax, N.S. at 7:15 p.m. Sunday night, then landed at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, en route to Santa Clara, Cuba, said Kent Woodside, general manager of Canjet Airlines.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e101a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> A hijacked Boeing 737 belonging to CanJet sits on the tarmac near the Jamaican resort of Montego Bay, Monday, April 20, 2009. (AP / Patricia Roxborough, Jamaica Observer)</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e103a0640.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="100" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The arrivals board at the airport in Halifax shows the anticipated arrival of CanJet Flight 918 from Jamaica on Monday, April 20, 2009. (Andrew Vaughan / THE CANADIAN PRESS)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 594 WIDTH="707"><div> The gunman boarded the plane shortly after 10 p.m., firing one shot in the process, according to unconfirmed reports.</div> <bR> <div> "All those passengers and two of our crew members have safely left the aircraft. Six crew are still on board. The gunman also remains on board," Woodside told a news conference in Halifax Monday morning, before the suspect was taken into custody.</div> <bR> <div> The crew members being held hostage were from Montreal, Toronto and Halifax.</div> <bR> <div> Woodside said the airline is providing full co-operation with local officials, and another plane has been made available to bring the passengers -- all of whom are Canadian -- home later in the day. The airport had been under lockdown but has now re-opened.</div> <bR> <div> The safety of the remaining crew members still being held hostage remains the priority, Woodside said before the suspect was arrested. It appeared that none of the passengers or crew were injured during the ordeal.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Eye-witness report</B></div> <bR> <div> Brenda Grenier, a passenger who was freed from the plane, told CTV's Canada AM that the gunman came on the plane and demanded to be flown to the U.S., but was told there was no fuel to do so.</div> <bR> <div> "He had the gun to the pilot's head, even, and we all freaked out and everybody started screaming and everyone huddled down into their seat because you don't want to look at him," she told CTV's Canada AM from a hotel room in Montego Bay.</div> <bR> <div> "When we saw the gun and went it went off I held my daughter's hand and I said 'I don't want to go this way, I love you.'" </div> <div> Grenier said the man said his name was Rico.</div> <bR> <div> Eventually, one of the flight attendants convinced the man to release the passengers, if they gave him money on their way off the aircraft.</div> <bR> <div> "We proceeded to just leave our passports on the plane, everything, and we just took our cash and we ran and just ran into the airport and they were very good with us there," Grenier said.</div> <bR> <div> <B>'Collective effort'</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 596 WIDTH="707"><div> Daryl Vaz, Jamaica's information minister, told Canada AM the gunman was believed to be a young Jamaican man in his 20s with "mental problems."</div> <bR> <div> The man's father and other friends were on the scene to help secure the release of the crew members, Vaz said.</div> <bR> <div> "The reports I'm getting is he's a young, young man of about 20 years old. He's from Montego Bay, and has mental problems," Vaz said.</div> <bR> <div> "His family members are here along with friends. So far nothing has borne fruit but it's a collective effort. It's definitely a situation where it's a troubled young man."</div> <bR> <div> Jamaica's Prime Minister Bruce Golding and the national security minister were also said to have flown in by helicopter.</div> <bR> <div> The British Broadcasting Corporation reported that the suspect used fake ID to board the plane as it was getting ready to take off. He then forced his way past security and went on board the plane with a firearm.</div> <bR> <div> Sangster airport is one of the most modern in the Caribbean and handles more than three million passengers a year.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Harper 'deeply concerned'</B></div> <bR> <div> Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who is in Jamaica for a one-day visit, was awakened early Monday with news of the incident, The Canadian Press reported.</div> <bR> <div> The official told CP the Prime Minister's Office was watching developments and was "deeply concerned."</div> <bR> <div> The PMO released a statement saying that a member of the RCMP as well as the Management and Consular services Officer at the Canadian High Commission in Jamaica are en route to Montego Bay to provide assistance.</div> <bR> <div> The PMO has also been in contact with CanJet in Halifax offering any support it can offer, "including possible transportation assistance on the Government of Canada aircraft that transported the Prime Minister to Jamaica which is currently on the ground in Kingston."</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="19"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 250 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>UN racism conference starts amid boycotts</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Sun. Apr. 19  2009  16:14  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 19th, 2009</div> <div> <B>THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- The United Nations opens its first global racism conference in eight years Monday with Canada, Israel, the United States and at least four other countries boycotting the event out of concern that Muslim countries will demand that it denounce Israel and ban criticism of Islam.</B></div> <bR> <div> Canada has said the conference will promote racism and not combat it.</div> <bR> <div> The administration of President Barack Obama, America's first black head of state, announced Saturday that it would boycott "with regret" the weeklong meeting in Geneva, which already is experiencing much of the bickering and political infighting that marred the 2001 conference in Durban, South Africa.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e100a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, right, is accompanied by Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen, left, upon arrival at the Afghanistan Conference in The Hague, Netherlands, Tuesday March 31, 2009. (AP / Bas Czerwinski)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 604 WIDTH="707"><div> Germany and the Netherlands declared their boycott Sunday, while Canada, Australia, Israel and Italy already have said they would not attend.</div> <bR> <div> "I would love to be involved in a useful conference that addressed continuing issues of racism and discrimination around the globe," Obama said in Trinidad on Sunday after attending the Summit of the Americas.</div> <bR> <div> But he said the language of the UN's draft declaration "raised a whole set of objectionable provisions" and risked a reprise of Durban, "which became a session through which folks expressed antagonism toward Israel in ways that were often times completely hypocritical and counterproductive."</div> <bR> <div> "We expressed in the run-up to this conference our concerns that if you adopted all of the language from 2001, that's not something we can sign up for," Obama said.</div> <bR> <div> Britain said it will send diplomats, despite concerns the meeting could become a forum for Holocaust denial or anti-Semitic attacks.</div> <bR> <div> At the Vatican, Pope Benedict said the conference is needed to eliminate racial intolerance around the world. Asia News, a Catholic news agency that is part of the missionary arm of the Vatican, said of the Pope's comment: "The Holy See is distancing itself from the criticisms of some western countries."</div> <bR> <div> "I am shocked and deeply disappointed by the United States' decision not to attend," said UN human rights chief Navi Pillay, who is hosting the conference.</div> <bR> <div> She conceded some countries were focusing solely on one or two issues to the detriment of the fight against intolerance, but said it is essential that the issue of racism be tackled globally.</div> <bR> <div> The major sticking points regarding the proposed final UN declaration are its implied criticism of Israel and an attempt by Muslim governments to ban all criticism of Islam, Shariah law, the Prophet Muhammad and other tenets of their faith.</div> <bR> <div> Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- who repeatedly has called for the destruction of Israel and denied the Holocaust -- is slated to speak on the first day.</div> <bR> <div> He arrived in Geneva on Sunday evening and was meeting President Hans-Rudolf Merz of Switzerland, the country which represents the diplomatic interests of the United States in the Islamic republic.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 459 WIDTH="707"><div> The pullout of Germany would be significant as it has played a leading role in UN anti-racism efforts as a result of its troubled historical legacy. In recent meetings, it has expressed dismay about some governments' attempts to downplay the significance of the Holocaust.</div> <bR> <div> The UN draft statement does not mention Israel by name, but it reaffirms the Durban statement and its reference to the plight of Palestinians. That document was agreed after the United States and Israel had walked out over attempts to liken Zionism -- the movement to establish a Jewish state in the Holy Land -- to racism.</div> <bR> <div> Israel and Jewish groups have lobbied hard against western participation in the meeting, arguing that the presence alone of American and European negotiators would give legitimacy to what they fear could become an anti-Semitic gathering.</div> <bR> <div> Still, after years of contentious preparations there appears little evidence to validate these fears. The statement of 2001 that is so contentious now was cheered in Israel at the time, as it recognized the Jewish state's right to security.</div> <bR> <div> Regarding its boycott, the Obama administration said it could not endorse any statement that singled out Israel or included passages demanding a ban on language considered an "incitement" of religious hatred. Such calls "run counter to the U.S. commitment to unfettered free speech," said State Department spokesman Robert Wood.</div> <bR> <div> Many Muslim countries want curbs to free speech to prevent insults to Islam they claim have proliferated since the terrorist attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. They cite the 2005 cartoons of Prophet Muhammad published by a Danish newspaper that sparked riots in the Muslim world.</div> <bR> <div> European countries also have criticized the meeting for focusing heavily on the West and ignoring problems of racism and intolerance in the developing world.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Associated Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="18"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 434 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Pirates attack tanker, are captured by NATO forces</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Sat. Apr. 18  2009  08:40  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 18th, 2009</div> <div> <B>NATO forces captured seven Somali pirates involved in an attack on a tanker in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday, in yet another day of drama on the high seas.</B></div> <bR> <div> The Marshall Islands-flagged Handytankers Magic sent out a distress call around dawn after it was attacked by pirates armed with guns and rockets, according to Portuguese Lt.-Capt. Alexandre Santos Fernandes, a member of the NATO team patrolling the area.</div> <bR> <div> A Dutch frigate that is part of the NATO force saw the pirates attempting a getaway "on a small white skiff, which tried to evade and proceed toward a Yemeni-flagged fishing dhow," that the same pirates had seized on Sunday, Fernandes said.</div> <bR> <div> The pirates were using the Yemeni boat as a so-called "mother ship," from which to launch skiffs to conduct attacks far away from the Somali coast.</div> <bR> <div> The Dutch ship intercepted the skiff and captured the seven pirates, in addition to seizing seven Kalashnikov rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.</div> <bR> <div> The NATO troops then boarded the Yemeni vessel, freeing 20 Yemeni fishermen that had been held hostage on board.</div> <bR> <div> According to Fernandes, the pirates will eventually have to be released.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e0fea0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> This photo released by the French Defense Ministry on Friday, April 10, 2009, suspected pirates, at centre right, are seen as marine commandos of the French Navy go to intercept them in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia. (AP / ECPAD-French Defense Ministry)</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e0ffa0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> In this undated photo, the Belgian ship Pompei, owned by De Nul, is shown in unidentified waters. (AP / Belgian Government)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 381 WIDTH="707"><div> "Due to Dutch internal law, under the circumstances they were intercepted, we will have to let them go," he said, offering no other details.</div> <bR> <div> Meanwhile, officials in Belgium are reporting that a Belgian ship may have been attacked by pirates. The ship, the Pompei, sent two warning signals early Saturday morning that it was being attacked as it made its way to the Seychelles.</div> <bR> <div> A Nairobi-based diplomat said the incident took place about 240 kilometres north of the Seychelles.</div> <bR> <div> Officials have not been able to make contact with the ship since the signals were sent out.</div> <bR> <div> The attacks are further evidence that NATO officials have their work cut out for them as they fight piracy in the Horn of Africa.</div> <bR> <div> A number of ships from Europe and North America, including HMCS Winnipeg, are battling pirates in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes thanks to its status as a short cut between Europe and Asia.</div> <bR> <div> Somali pirates have attacked more than 80 ships this year alone and are still holding 15 cargo ships and more than 280 crew members hostage.</div> <bR> <div> Pirates have netted millions of dollars in recent years attacking ships and holding crew members for ransom.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Associated Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="17"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 164 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Marijuana muffins caused Port Perry dogs to fall ill</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Fri. Apr. 17  2009  10:13  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 17th, 2009</div> <div> <B>Durham Regional Police say pot-laced muffins were the apparent cause of illness for four dogs who got sick after visiting a park in Port Perry, Ont.</B></div> <bR> <div> Investigators say an 18-year-old male disposed of the muffins, which he believed contained marijuana, in Poplar Park last month so that his parents wouldn't find them.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e0f7a0730.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="115" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Four dogs fell ill after visiting Poplar Park in Port Perry, Ont., last month.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 257 WIDTH="707"><div> The teenager had thrown a party while his parents were out of town and the muffins were made available to guests.</div> <bR> <div> He dumped them in the park when he was cleaning up from the party.</div> <bR> <div> Four dogs fell ill after munching on the muffins left in the park.</div> <bR> <div> Police began investigating the matter on March 23, after dog owners complained about the apparent poisonings.</div> <bR> <div> Investigators say the teenager did not intend to hurt any animals by disposing of the muffins in the park and he is upset about what happened. He has offered to apologize to the victims.</div> <bR> <div> Police say he will not face any criminal charges.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from ctvtoronto.ca</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="16"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 423 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Southern Manitobans growing weary of flood</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Thu. Apr. 16  2009  09:01  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 16th, 2009</div> <div> <B>Residents in southern Manitoba are growing weary of being surrounded by water -- and officials say the flood waters still have further to rise.</B></div> <bR> <div> The Red River is expected to crest at Morris, south of Winnipeg, on Saturday. Officials predict the water will rise to the second highest level in a century, just short of the flood of 1997. That "so-called flood of the century" caused $400 million in damage and forced the evacuation of some 28,000 people.</div> <bR> <div> This time, the residents of Morris haven't evacuated and are instead protected by a ring dike around the town. Roads into town are closed to the north, south and west. People can still drive in and out to the east but emergency officials say the town may have to close the dike, if the water continues to rise.</div> <bR> <div> Inside the town, residents are trying to get used to the eerie quiet. Highway 75, which runs from the U.S. border to Winnipeg, remains closed under two metres of water. Residents say with no trucks roaring through the town as usual, and everyone hunkered down at home, Morris feels like a ghost town.</div> <bR> <div> Roxanne Schiewe, manager of the Burke's Motor Inn in Morris tells the <I>Winnipeg Free Press</I> that residents are getting fed up with the flood, which seemed to start early and is now dragging on.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e0eda0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Ice jams move slowly through Riverton, Man., Wednesday evening, April 15, 2009. Riverton is approximately 120 km north of Winnipeg. (Debbie Einarson / MyNews.CTV.ca)</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e0eea0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Ice is pushed onto banks of the river in Arborg, Man. Arborg is about 100 km north of Winnipeg. (Koby Wiebe / MyNews.CTV.ca)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 645 WIDTH="707"><div> "It's almost a form of torture," said Schiewe. "Let's just have the crest happen and move on."</div> <bR> <div> Residents in the rest of the southern part of the province are being told to brace for "several more weeks" of washed out roads and fields that resemble lakes.</div> <bR> <div> "Crests from St. Jean Baptiste to the floodway inlet are now expected to exceed those of 1979 by about 15.25 centimetres (half a foot)," reads the latest flooding bulleting on the government of Manitoba website.</div> <bR> <div> "Once rivers have crested, there will be a gradual decline in levels. However, levels will remain high for several weeks, even with favourable weather."</div> <bR> <div> Manitoba Premier Gary Doer says while the danger of forcing evacuations is not over, he's pleased with how well-prepared the province has been for this flood.</div> <bR> <div> "If we didn't have all our flood protection systems in place, we would be evacuating 100,000 people in Winnipeg," he told Canada AM Thursday. "We have the floodway diversion, we had people sandbagging last night in low, outlying areas for another 100 homes."</div> <bR> <div> "We have all the ring dikes around the towns south of the city. We haven't had to have any major evacuation orders yet in any community south of the city that we hadn't anticipated a month ago when we gave our forecast."</div> <bR> <div> "North of the city, we've been hit by ice, but mostly in predictable ways... But we're remaining very vigilant right now."</div> <bR> <div> Alf Warkentin, the province's senior flood forecaster, says there is still a lot of water coming downstream from North Dakota. And he says the recent warm weather is causing a lot of snow melt to run into the Red River and its tributaries.</div> <bR> <div> Highways and farmland near towns such as Emerson and St. Jean Baptiste are already swamped and some local farmers are wondering whether they will be able to sow crops this spring.</div> <bR> <div> Time is already tight because of Manitoba's short growing season and the seeding window of opportunity could close before waters recede.</div> <bR> <div> Manitoba Agriculture Minister Rosann Wowchuk says farmers can draw on excess moisture insurance if their fields remain flooded. But she is confident seeding will go ahead.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="15"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 184 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Search for missing Ontario girl hits one-week mark</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Wed. Apr. 15  2009  07:35  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 15th, 2009</div> <div> <B>It has now been a week since eight-year-old Victoria Stafford vanished without a trace, and police still appear to have few clues about her whereabouts.</B></div> <bR> <div> Victoria, known as "Tori" by her close friends and family, was last seen on April 8, walking with an unidentified woman at around 3:30 p.m. after school.</div> <bR> <div> The two were spotted on grainy video surveillance footage.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e0e7a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Victoria Stafford, 8, is shown in a family handout photo from July 2008. (Dave Chidley / THE CANADIAN PRESS)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 666 WIDTH="707"><div> Police have been unable to identify the woman in the video, who has long, dark hair and appears to be in her early twenties. Tori seems to know the woman and appears to be going with her willingly.</div> <bR> <div> Neither of Tori's estranged parents recognized the woman in the video either.</div> <bR> <div> The <I>Toronto Star</I> reports that both Rodney Stafford and Tara McDonald have now taken lie-detector tests, and their previous relationships are being scrutinized.</div> <bR> <div> The <I>Star</I> cites friends of Stafford and McDonald as saying they took the tests over the Easter weekend.</div> <bR> <div> Oxford Community police have not commented on the polygraph test results, or whether the investigation is now focusing on their previous partners.</div> <bR> <div> Investigators came under criticism on Tuesday from a U.S. organization that questioned the amount of time that passed before police reported the girl missing.</div> <bR> <div> In the U.S., police must report a missing person to the FBI within two hours.</div> <bR> <div> Community Police Const. Laurie-Anne Maitland said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon that police acted as quickly as possible.</div> <bR> <div> By midnight on the day Tori went missing, police in other jurisdictions had been notified, and a media release went out at 3 a.m.</div> <bR> <div> Elliot Ferguson, who works for the <I>Woodstock Sentinel Review</I> newspaper, told CTV's Canada AM that there was no sense of widespread urgency until the day after Tori disappeared.</div> <bR> <div> "We did hear reports on our radio scanner late that night of a lost girl in that area, and the reports over the radio scanner didn't sound urgent so we didn't think anything of it," he said.</div> <bR> <div> "It wasn't until the next morning when we came in to start the day that we saw the fax that had come across from the police."</div> <bR> <div> Maitland insisted that Victoria's case has been a priority for police in the region since the first moment she was reported missing.</div> <bR> <div> Police have been criticized for not issuing an Amber Alert -- an urgent bulletin notifying the public and the media when a child has been abducted.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 288 WIDTH="707"><div> In order for police to issue an Amber Alert, the following three criteria must be met, according to Ontario Provincial Police: </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The child must be under 18 years of age. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Police believe the abducted child is in imminent danger. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">There is enough information about the abductor and or suspect's vehicle to believe that an immediate broadcast alert would help locate the child. </div> <bR> <div> Police have now halted the ground search for Tori, though a group of local residents have continued to look for any clues, and police are actively investigating the case.</div> <bR> <div> "The ground search has concluded and has been completed but we still have officers going door-to-door and canvassing homes and business properties," Maitland said on Tuesday.</div> <bR> <div> She said police are hopeful Victoria is still alive because the search "has not located something that would lead us to believe foul play may be a factor."</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Associated Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="14"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 870 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Undeterred Somali pirates hijack three more ships</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. Apr. 14  2009  08:44  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 14th, 2009</div> <div> <B>MOMBASA, Kenya -- Undeterred by American and French hostage rescues that killed five bandits, Somali pirates brazenly hijacked three more ships in the Gulf of Aden, the waterway that's become the focal point of the world's fight against piracy.</B></div> <bR> <div> The latest trophy for the pirates was the M.V. Irene, a Greek-managed bulk carrier sailing from the Middle East to South Asia, said Noel Choong, who heads the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur.</div> <bR> <div> The Irene was attacked and seized in the middle of the night Tuesday -- a rare tactic for the pirates.</div> <bR> <div> U.S. navy Lt. Nathan Christensen, spokesman for the Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, said the Irene was flagged in the Caribbean country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and carried 23 Filipino crew. Choong reported a crew of 21, and there was no immediate way to reconcile the figures.</div> <bR> <div> A maritime security contractor, speaking on condition of anonymity because it is a sensitive security issue, said the ship put out a distress signal "to say they had a suspicious vessel approaching. That rapidly turned into an attack and then a hijacking."</div> <bR> <div> "They tried to call in support on the emergency channels, but they never got any response," the contractor said.</div> <bR> <div> On Monday, Somali pirates also seized two Egyptian fishing boats in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia's northern coast, according to Egypt's Foreign Ministry, which said the boats carried 18 to 24 Egyptians.</div> <bR> <div> A flotilla of warships from nearly a dozen countries has patrolled the Gulf of Aden and nearby Indian Ocean waters for months. They have halted several attacks on ships this year, but say the area is so vast they can't stop all hijackings.</div> <bR> <div> Choong said pirate attacks this year had risen to 77, with 18 of those ships hijacked and 16 vessels with 285 crew still in pirates' hands. Each boat carries the potential of a million-dollar ransom.</div> <bR> <div> The latest seizures come after U.S. navy SEAL snipers rescued American ship captain Richard Phillips on Sunday by killing three young pirates who held him captive in a drifting lifeboat for five days. A fourth pirate surrendered after seeking medical attention for a wound he received in trying to take over Phillips' vessel, the Maersk Alabama.</div> <bR> <div> Phillips is aboard a navy vessel at an undisclosed location, Christensen said.</div> <bR> <div> The French navy late Monday handed over the bodies of two Somali pirates killed in a hostage rescue operation last week to authorities in Somali's semiautonomous northern region of Puntland, and they were buried.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Associated Press</I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e0dea0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Wives of Filipino sailors, Doris Deseo and Catherine Boretta show pictures of their husbands in Manila to get updates on negotiations to free their hostage husbands in Somalia. (AP / Aaron Favila) </div> <div> <IMG SRC="e0dfa0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Members of HMCS Winnipeg's armed naval boarding party are seen during operations in an undisclosed location near the coast of Somalia. The Winnipeg is currently serving as part of a NATO-led anti-piracy mission called Operation Allied Protector. (Canadian Forces Combat Camera)</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e0e0a0fa0.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="250" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Leading Seaman Randy Melancon cycles live rounds through the Close-in Weapon System (CIWS) on HMCS Winnipeg off the coast of Somalia during Operation Allied Protector. (Warrant Officer Carole Morissette / Canadian Forces Combat Camera)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="13"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 420 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Family of missing Ont. girl living 'minute by minute'</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Mon. Apr. 13  2009  08:12  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 13th, 2009</div> <div> <B>The family of the eight-year-old Ontario girl who has been missing since Wednesday say they are living "minute-by-minute," expecting at any time to get a phone call telling them she is safe and is coming home.</B></div> <bR> <div> Victoria Stafford, known as "Tori," disappeared virtually without a trace last Wednesday.</div> <bR> <div> So far, the only clue to her whereabouts is a surveillance tape that shows her leaving school with an unidentified woman, but police say they have little else to go on.</div> <bR> <div> Tori's aunt Rebecca Stafford told CTV's Canada AM on Monday that the family is holding onto hope.</div> <bR> <div> "We're doing as well as could be expected," she said, as police and volunteers prepared for a fifth straight day of searching for the girl.</div> <bR> <div> "I keep saying we're on a minute-by-minute basis. We're all expecting the phone to ring any second to tell us Tori's safe and she's coming back."</div> <bR> <div> On Sunday night, close to 1,000 people gathered in the town of Woodstock in southwestern Ontario for a candlelight vigil for the missing girl.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e0d5a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Eight-year-old Victoria Stafford was last seen leaving her Woodstock, Ont. school on Wednesday afternoon, April 8, 2009.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e0d6a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Rodney Stafford, Victoria's father and Rebecca Stafford, Victoria's aunt, speaks with CTV's Canada AM from Ingersoll, Ont., approximately 150 km southwest of Toronto, Monday, April 13, 2009.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 600 WIDTH="707"><div> Her father Rodney Stafford said he was humbled by the outpouring of support.</div> <bR> <div> "It's too hard to explain in words. It's crazy. It was something I never thought I would ever see, the community support the way that I did last night. It's just amazing," he told Canada AM.</div> <bR> <div> Woodstock Mayor Michael Harding said the community is pulling together in support of the family.</div> <bR> <div> "It was an incredibly touching experience last night to see so many people out, holding candles to bring comfort and support to the Stafford family. It was a very moving experience," Harding told Canada AM on Monday.</div> <bR> <div> "I think it touched everyone's heart and we're still a city of such size where we can come together and support families like the Stafford family in times of need."</div> <bR> <div> At the vigil in the Southwestern Ontario town, Tori's mother Tara McDonald said no one can begin to understand what the family is going through.</div> <bR> <div> During the vigil she wept openly and held her 10-year-old son tightly.</div> <bR> <div> She said she knows her daughter is safe and urged her to try and escape from wherever she is, and make her way home.</div> <bR> <div> Harding called their plight "every family's worst nightmare" but said the community is pulling together. Hundreds of people are helping with a ground search and others are distributing leaflets.</div> <bR> <div> "Everyone wants this child returned safely to the arms of her family," Harding said.</div> <bR> <div> He said "a sense of hope, a sense of optimism" remains in the community, but anxiety is increasing as time goes on.</div> <bR> <div> Tori's father and aunt said they both watched the surveillance video hundreds of times, and are convinced the girl in the grainy footage, seen leaving with an unidentified woman, is Tori.</div> <bR> <div> However, neither recognize the woman who is with Tori in the video.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Canadian Press </I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="12"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 120 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Vancouver police say murder of disabled man 'disturbing'</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Sun. Apr. 12  2009  20:45  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 12th, 2009</div> <div> <B>VANCOUVER -- The murder of a disabled homeless man whose body was left outside an elementary school is being described by the Vancouver police as "a disturbing and heinous crime."</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="e0d4a0730.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="115" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 596 WIDTH="707"><div> Michael Ciro Nestoruk, 41, was discovered Thursday by parents dropping off their children for the last day of classes before the Easter long weekend.</div> <bR> <div> Police spokesman Const. Lindsey Houghton says the investigation into Nestoruk's death has been a difficult one for even the most seasoned officers.</div> <bR> <div> "You never want to say a homicide is routine because they're all unique and they're all very tragic in their own way," Houghton said.</div> <bR> <div> "But in this case we have a man who is confined to a wheelchair, he only has one leg, and our investigators, they're pretty upset about this one."</div> <bR> <div> "He was a homeless defenceless victim and this is truly a disturbing and heinous crime," Houghton said.</div> <bR> <div> Police aren't saying how Nestoruk died. He is Vancouver's 13th homicide victim of the year.</div> <bR> <div> Classes at Sir Guy Carleton Elementary School were cancelled Thursday after the discovery.</div> <bR> <div> Vancouver School Board spokesman David Weir said students will be back in the classroom Tuesday. A letter thanking parents for their response to the crime and outlining what has happened will be sent home with students, Weir said.</div> <bR> <div> Police are asking anyone who may have seen Nestoruk in the hours before his death to contact them.</div> <bR> <div> "Any information, even details that people might not think are important, could be very helpful to assist detectives in establishing a timeline and putting the pieces of this puzzle together," Houghton said.</div> <bR> <div> Houghton said Nestoruk frequented the area around the school and panhandled outside nearby businesses. He was known to police but only for minor infractions.</div> <bR> <div> Investigators are trying to determine whether the attack on Nestoruk was random or targeted.</div> <bR> <div> On April 3, Wendy Ladner-Beaudry was killed as she ran through Pacific Spirit Park on Vancouver's west side. RCMP have not ruled out the possibility that the attack on Ladner-Beaudry was a random act.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 360 WIDTH="707"><div> Laura Track, housing campaigner for the advocacy group Pivot Legal Society, said Nestoruk's death is particularly tragic because he was marginalized not only by his disability, but also by being homeless.</div> <bR> <div> "It's upsetting to know that he faced the barriers that he did and for that reason was living outside and was exposed to this level of risk. I think it just really shows again in really stark form how we're failing people who face these disadvantages."</div> <bR> <div> Track said a lack of affordable housing and support for people with disabilities forces many to live outdoors. It's there that the homeless face extreme risks, whether they be from passersby or freezing temperatures.</div> <bR> <div> In December, a homeless woman died on a Vancouver street after a fire erupted in her makeshift shelter.</div> <bR> <div> Track said a 2007 report by the B.C. Coroners Service found that homeless people die at a rate about 20 per cent higher than the general population.</div> <bR> <div> She said more needs to be done to identify the barriers homeless people face.</div> <bR> <div> "We need to do better by our fellow citizens. We need to make sure that people with disabilities, with mental illness, with addiction have options."</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Canadian Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="11"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 647 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Hundreds of tips pour in about missing Ontario girl</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Sat. Apr. 11  2009  14:06  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 11th, 2009</div> <div> <B>Efforts to locate a missing Woodstock, Ont., girl will focus on the hundreds of tips that have poured in to police over the last couple of days, according to the town's mayor.</B></div> <bR> <div> Eight-year-old Victoria (Tori) Stafford was last seen leaving her school, Oliver Stephens Public School, on Wednesday afternoon.</div> <bR> <div> A surveillance video captured images of Tori around the time she went missing, walking with a woman who local police indicate is a "person of interest."</div> <bR> <div> Since her disappearance, hundreds of local volunteers, in addition to police, have scoured the region looking for signs of the girl.</div> <bR> <div> On Saturday, officials were preparing to follow up on the "hundreds of leads" that have been phoned in to police, said Woodstock Mayor Michael Harding.</div> <bR> <div> "Every resource that we have has been turned toward this little girl's safe return," Harding told CTV Newsnet early Saturday afternoon.</div> <bR> <div> According to Harding, a number of police forces in the area, including London and Kitchener-Waterloo, have offered their assistance to officers in Woodstock, which is about 125 kilometres southwest of Toronto.</div> <bR> <div> As the search for Tori enters its third day, Harding said local parents are becoming increasingly anxious about the safety of their children.</div> <bR> <div> "Everyone that has raised children or has children probably is in an anxious state at the moment," Harding said. "Of course as it goes on longer I think that anxiety level increases."</div> <bR> <div> Jason Gardyne, a father of three, told The Canadian Press that since Tori's disappearance, he hasn't let his children walk home alone from school.</div> <bR> <div> "I've lived here all my life -- 34 years -- and I've never heard anything like that," he said while out with his seven-year-old daughter.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e0cda0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Eight-year-old Victoria Stafford was last seen leaving her Woodstock, Ont. school on Wednesday afternoon, April 8, 2009.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e0cea0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Tara MacDonald, Victoria's mother, appeals for her daughter's safe return, from her home in Woodstock, Ont., on Thursday, April 9, 2009.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e0d2a0930.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="147" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Tiffany Ackers hands out a poster for missing Victoria 'Tori' Stafford, 8, on a street corner in Woodstock, Ont. on Friday April 10, 2009.(Dave Chidley THE CANADIAN PRESS)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 203 ><NOBR><div> Community members have been invited to a candlelight vigil that is planned for Sunday at 8 p.m.</div> <bR> <div> Anyone with information about Tori's disappearance is asked to contact Oxford Community Police at 519-421-2800.</div> <bR> <div> Tori is about 4'5", 62 pounds and has blue eyes and short blonde hair.</div> <bR> <div> She was last seen wearing a denim skirt, a green shirt and a black Hannah Montana jacket with a fur-lined hood.</div> <bR> <div> The girl's family has established a $10,000 reward for the child's safe return.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Canadian Press </I></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="10"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 399 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Volunteers join police in search for Ontario girl</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Fri. Apr. 10  2009  06:45  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 10th, 2009</div> <div> <B>More than 40 police officers aided by hundreds of volunteers are searching for an eight-year-old Woodstock, Ont., girl missing for more than two days.</B></div> <bR> <div> Victoria (Tori) Stafford was reported missing after she did not return home from Woodstock's Oliver Stephens Public School on Wednesday afternoon.</div> <bR> <div> Police later obtained surveillance video from a nearby high school that captured footage of a girl matching Tori's appearance walking with an adult woman on Wednesday afternoon.</div> <bR> <div> Oxford Community police Const. Laurie-Ann Maitland told CTV Newsnet that Tori has now been positively identified as the girl in the video.</div> <bR> <div> "It is, in fact, her," Maitland said in a phone interview on Friday morning.</div> <bR> <div> Tori is seen walking with the woman in the direction of her home around 3:32 p.m. on Wednesday, Maitland said. There is no sign of force or resistance in the video.</div> <bR> <div> Police want to know who she was walking with, and they say the matter is now a criminal investigation.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e0cda0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Eight-year-old Victoria Stafford was last seen leaving her Woodstock, Ont. school on Wednesday afternoon, April 8, 2009.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e0cea0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Tara MacDonald, Victoria's mother, appeals for her daughter's safe return, from her home in Woodstock, Ont., on Thursday, April 9, 2009.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 514 WIDTH="707"><div> "The lady we're looking to speak with, who is a person of interest, is a white female, 19 to 25 years old, approximately 5'1" or 5'2" and between 120 and 125 pounds," said Maitland.</div> <bR> <div> "She has straight, long black hair, past the shoulders that is worn in a ponytail, and she was wearing tight black jeans and a white puffy winter jacket."</div> <bR> <div> But police are not using the word abduction in the case.</div> <bR> <div> Tori's father, Rodney Stafford, called the video of his daughter "disturbing."</div> <bR> <div> "To actually see Victoria skipping alongside this person, it's rather obvious that she knows who she's with," he said.</div> <bR> <div> Stafford added he hasn't slept since he found out his daughter was missing.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Timeline</B></div> <bR> <div> Maitland said police have put together a timeline of the last day Tori was seen.</div> <bR> <div> The girl's teachers said Tori attended school without any problems the day she disappeared.</div> <bR> <div> "We don't have any information after that, but she never did make it home," Maitland added.</div> <bR> <div> Around 6 p.m. that night, Tori's parents reported her missing and police immediately began to investigate.</div> <bR> <div> Police started a door-to-door search late Wednesday. They began a ground search at first light Thursday with about 40 officers and canine units.</div> <bR> <div> Tori is about 4'5", 62 pounds and has blue eyes and short blonde hair.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 348 WIDTH="707"><div> She was last seen warning a denim skirt, a green shirt and a black Hannah Montana jacket with a fur-lined hood.</div> <bR> <div> Flyers of Tori have been plastered all over Woodstock, a city of about 30,000, 125 kilometres southwest of Toronto.</div> <bR> <div> Anyone with information is asked to contact Oxford Community Police at 519-421-2800.</div> <bR> <div> The case isn't being considered as an Amber Alert because it doesn't meet certain criteria, Maitland said.</div> <bR> <div> "I cannot stress enough that it does not change the investigation in any way of how serious it is," she said.</div> <bR> <div> In interviews with television stations on Thursday, the parents said they are offering a $10,000 reward for Victoria's safe return -- with no questions asked.</div> <bR> <div> "We just want her home safely. And we just want this to be over and done with. We don't need to know a reason -- we've racked our brains. We don't have any idea why anybody would do this," Tara Mcdonald said.</div> <bR> <div> "It's a nightmare."</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Canadian Press </I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="09"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 196 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Jobless rate hits eight per cent, 61,300 jobs axed</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Thu. Apr. 09  2009  08:14  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 9th, 2009</div> <div> <B>Canadian employers slashed 61,300 jobs in March, pushing the unemployment rate up to 8 per cent -- the highest in seven years.</B></div> <bR> <div> All of the jobs lost were in full-time positions, Statistics Canada said in its report Thursday.</div> <bR> <div> Since October 2008, 357,000 jobs have been cut, which represents 2.1 per cent of the work force.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e0c7a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Canada's unemployment rate jumped to eight per cent in March, up from 7.7 per cent in February. About 61,000 people lost their jobs during the month.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 712 WIDTH="707"><div> In percentage terms, the decline is the largest recorded over a five-month period since the 1982 recession.</div> <bR> <div> Statistics Canada says the March losses were widespread across a number of industries but most notably in:</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">manufacturing (-34,000)</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">finance, insurance, real estate and leasing(-19,800)</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">construction (-18,000)</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">natural resources (-10,500)</div> <bR> <div> Analysts had been predicting about 55,000 jobs would be lost in March.</div> <bR> <div> "While not quite as horrid as the two prior months, this report leaves little doubt that we remain deep in the heart of the recession, despite some mildly encouraging results on other fronts in recent weeks," Douglas Porter, deputy chief economist at BMO Nesbitt Burns, said in a note Thursday.</div> <bR> <div> Provincially, British Columbia (-23,000), Alberta (-15,000) and Ontario (-11,000) saw the largest job losses.</div> <bR> <div> Since October, these three provinces have had the fastest rate of employment decreases.</div> <bR> <div> Meanwhile, employment fell by 26,000 among men aged 25 to 54 in March.</div> <bR> <div> "Since the start of the downturn in October, the unemployment rate for this group has increased by 2.2 per cent points, while employment has declined by 197,000, the largest five-month loss in 33 years," says the report.</div> <bR> <div> "In contrast, there have been fewer employment losses (-39,000) among women aged 25 to 54 years since October, and their unemployment rate has increased by 1.0 percentage point, to 5.7 per cent."</div> <bR> <div> Alex Davis, laid off from his job at AGS Automotive Systems in Toronto last month, said his former company has reduced staff from 600 to 30 people.</div> <bR> <div> "The stress level has been very difficult for me and my family," Davis told CTV's Canada AM on Thursday.</div> <bR> <div> In February, Canadian employers slashed 82,600 jobs, pushing the unemployment rate up to 7.7 per cent.</div> <bR> <div> South of the border, U.S. employers slashed 663,000 jobs in March, sending the jobless rate to 8.5 per cent -- the highest since 1983.</div> <bR> <div> The cuts mark the fourth straight month in which job losses exceeded 600,000.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="08"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 217 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>CFIA issues warning not to eat beef sold at Safeway</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Wed. Apr. 08  2009  07:09  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 8th, 2009</div> <div> <B>OTTAWA -- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to eat certain lean ground beef sold at Canada Safeway because it may be contaminated with E. coli.</B></div> <bR> <div> The lean ground beef affected was sold in packages of approximately 450 grams with the first part of the UPC being 201670 and a Canada establishment number of 573.</div> <bR> <div> The meat was prepared for certain Canada Safeway stores in northeastern Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e0bda0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to eat certain lean ground beef sold at Canada Safeway because it may be contaminated with E. coli.(AP / Larry Crowe)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 290 WIDTH="707"><div> The affected packages bear a Best Before or a Freeze By date of March 19 and were sold from March 13 to March 19 and are no longer available for sale.</div> <bR> <div> Consumers who may have previously purchased this product and have it in their freezers are advised not to eat it.</div> <bR> <div> There has been no reported illness associated with the consumption of this product.</div> <bR> <div> The manufacturer, Vantage Foods, Winnipeg, is voluntarily recalling the affected product from stores.</div> <bR> <div> Food contaminated with E. coli may not look or smell spoiled but eating it can cause serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses.</div> <bR> <div> Symptoms include severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea, seizures, strokes, and in severe cases, the bacteria can cause death.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Canadian Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="07"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 507 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Italy quake death toll hits 207 as search continues</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. Apr. 07  2009  08:34  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 7th, 2009</div> <div> <B>A strong aftershock struck central Italy Tuesday as workers continued to search for survivors of a deadly earthquake that has killed 207 people.</B></div> <bR> <div> The 4.9-magnitude aftershock hit at 11:26 a.m. local time as rescue crews searched for university students in the rubble of a collapsed dormitory in L'Aquila, about 110 kilometres northeast of Rome.</div> <bR> <div> The aftershock prompted the workers to run out frantically from the disaster site.</div> <bR> <div> Two buildings in Pettino, a suburb of L'Aquila, collapsed following the aftershock, according to the news agency ANSA. No one was believed to be inside either building.</div> <bR> <div> The initial 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck early Monday, its epicentre in L'Aquila, as many residents were sleeping.</div> <bR> <div> On Tuesday, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said 207 people died in the quake and 1,000 were injured. He said at least 100 of injured were in serious condition.</div> <bR> <div> Berlusconi also said 15 people were still missing.</div> <bR> <div> The prime minister said the rescue efforts would continue for another 48 hours, however, he said trapped people had diminishing chances of survival.</div> <bR> <div> CTV's London Bureau Chief Tom Kennedy, reporting Tuesday from L'Aquila, said crews have been working non-stop since the earthquake struck in very dangerous conditions.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e0aaa0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Firefighters search through the rubble of collapsed buildings, in L'Aquila, central Italy, Tuesday, April 7, 2009. (AP / Pier Paolo Cito)</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e0aba0dc0.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="220" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Firefighters and rescuers carry out a person from the rubble of a collapsed university dorm building, known as the 'Casa dello Studente' (House of the Student), in L'Aquila, central Italy, Tuesday, April 7, 2009. (AP / Pier Paolo Cito)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 327 WIDTH="707"><div> "It's quite possible that large chunks of rubble could fall on the people who are trying to dig away to find anymore bodies," Kennedy said.</div> <bR> <div> He said there have been multiple aftershocks Tuesday.</div> <bR> <div> "I'm at the site of a four-storey building that is down but just moments ago they stopped the work and moved away from the building because there's just been a warning there may be another significant aftershock," Kennedy said.</div> <bR> <div> L'Aquila Mayor Massimo Cialente said every single structure in the city will have to be inspected before people are allowed to move back in.</div> <bR> <div> Roughly 70,000 people live in the historic city, located in a valley surrounded by the Apennine mountains.</div> <bR> <div> Rescue crews are also working in dozens of towns in the surrounding areas.</div> <bR> <div> Tens of thousands have also been left homeless after their homes were reduced to rubble.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Associated Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="06"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 506 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Earthquake strikes Italy killing at least 50 people</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Mon. Apr. 06  2009  08:07  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 6th, 2009</div> <div> <B>A powerful earthquake struck Italy's mountainous central region early Monday, damaging thousands of buildings and killing at least 50 people.</B></div> <bR> <div> The earthquake's epicentre was about 110 kilometres northeast of Rome, near the medieval city of L'Aquila.</div> <bR> <div> Interior Minister Roberto Moroni said 50 people had been killed in the quake but the death toll is expected to rise.</div> <bR> <div> In L'Aquila, a university town, many residents are still trapped in the rubble.</div> <bR> <div> At a student dormitory, rescue workers searched for at least six missing students after the building partially collapsed.</div> <bR> <div> Outside the dorm, students huddled together to comfort each other and stay warm.</div> <bR> <div> "We managed to come down with other students but we had to sneak through a hole in the stairs as the whole floor came down," student Luigi Alfonsi, 22, told The Associated Press.</div> <bR> <div> "I was in bed -- it was like it would never end as I heard pieces of the building collapse around me."</div> <bR> <div> L'Aquila Mayor Massimo Cialente said some 100,000 people were forced to leave their homes following the quake.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e097a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Firefighters carry a woman out of a crumbled home in the city of L'Aquila, after a strong earthquake rocked central Italy, early Monday, April 6, 2009.(AP / Pier Paolo Cito)</div> <div> <IMG SRC="e098a0dc0.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="220" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> A damaged building is seen in the city of L'Aquila, after a strong earthquake rocked central Italy, early Monday, April 6, 2009. (AP / Pier Paolo Cito)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 451 WIDTH="707"><div> Meanwhile, an official with the Civil Protection Department said between 10,000 and 15,000 buildings were damaged by the earthquake.</div> <bR> <div> "This means that we'll have several thousand people to assist over the next few weeks and months," Agostino Miozzo told Sky Italia. "Our goal is to give shelter to all by tonight."</div> <bR> <div> Officials were also forced to evacuate parts of the hospital in L'Aquila, fearing it too could collapse.</div> <bR> <div> As a result, wounded victims had to be taken to other hospitals or were treated in the open air.</div> <bR> <div> The quake struck at 3:32 a.m. local time and was a magnitude 6.3, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Italy's National Institute of Geophysics put it at 5.8.</div> <bR> <div> L'Aquila is surrounded by the Apennine mountains and is the regional capital of the Abruzzo region, with about 70,000 inhabitants.</div> <bR> <div> Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi declared a state of emergency Monday, freeing up federal funds to pay for the rescue effort.</div> <bR> <div> In Rome, journalist Megan Williams said she was suddenly woken up by the "strong, violent jerks" in her apartment.</div> <bR> <div> "I sat up and I noticed that all the closets and cupboards were shaking, the floor was shaking," Williams told CTV's Canada AM on Monday. "I got out of bed and checked on my kids, their beds were shaking but they were okay."</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Associated Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="05"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 183 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>HMCS Winnipeg thwarts Arabian Sea pirate attack</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Sun. Apr. 05  2009  15:19  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 5th, 2009</div> <div> <B>A Canadian warship has had a busy weekend on the Arabian Sea, thwarting a pirate attack and delivering supplies to a boatload of Somali refugees all in the same 24-hour period.</B></div> <bR> <div> On Saturday, HMCS Winnipeg, currently involved in an anti-pirate NATO mission called Operation Allied Protector, saw three skiffs approaching an Indian merchant vessel.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e095a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The crew of the HMCS Winnipeg is seen conducting operations in an undated image. (Canadian Forces Combat Camera)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 708 WIDTH="707"><div> The Pacific Opal radioed for help and Cmdr. Craig Baines, the commanding officer of the Canadian warship, sent out a Sea King helicopter to investigate.</div> <bR> <div> Baines told CTV Newsnet that HMCS Winnipeg got the call for help while it was busy escorting another ship.</div> <bR> <div> "We were actually escorting another vessel at the time when we noticed that another ship launched three smaller vessels that rapidly closed in on a merchant vessel that was nearby in the area," he said Sunday.</div> <bR> <div> Pilot Maj. James Hawthorne said the pirates complied with Canadian instructions, which came in the form of a sign hanging from the side of the helicopter with the word "Stop" written in Somali.</div> <bR> <div> "Whatever their intentions were, they complied without instructions and allowed the merchant vessel to proceed," Hawthorne said, when quoted in a military statement that was released Saturday.</div> <bR> <div> Baines said the helicopter shadowed the suspected pirate skiffs for about 15 minutes in total.</div> <bR> <div> "After we've deterred something, if they haven't actually done an act of piracy, which in this case they hadn't because we intervened beforehand, we usually just let them carry on and try to monitor their position," Baines said.</div> <bR> <div> Few pirates would engage a military ship or helicopter, he said, because the risks are too high.</div> <bR> <div> "The fortunate thing is that the pirates want nothing to do with warships or helicopters," Baines said.</div> <bR> <div> "They are in this for economic gain only and so they know that if they ever tried to engage a ship or a helicopter, it would end badly for them."</div> <bR> <div> Afterward, the HMCS Winnipeg crew got a thank you message from the crew on board the Pacific Opal, Baines said.</div> <bR> <div> Lieut. Gen. Michel Gauthier said the incident "highlights the importance of our mission and the efforts to make a difference with our coalition partners in the fight against piracy and international terrorism."</div> <bR> <div> HMCS Winnipeg saw further action on Sunday when it brought supplies to a boatload of Somali refugees who were hungry and thirsty after being at sea for two days.</div> <bR> <div> The warship has a crew of some 240 officers and is based out of Esquimalt, B.C.</div> <bR> <div> It has been at sea since February and is scheduled to return to B.C. in August.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Canadian Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="04"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 217 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Karzai to review controversial family law</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Sat. Apr. 04  2009  12:44  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 4th, 2009</div> <div> <B>Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Saturday he has ordered the ministry of justice to review a law that critics say will make it illegal for women to refuse sex with their husbands.</B></div> <bR> <div> Karzai said the law, which has already been passed, could be sent back to parliament should it contain stipulations that contradict the Afghan constitution or the tenets of Shariah law.</div> <bR> <div> "I ordered the justice minister to review the law, and if there is anything that would contravene the country's constitution or Shariah law or the freedom our constitution gives to Afghan </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e094a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks during a news conference at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday, April 4, 2009. (AP / Rafiq Maqbool)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 685 WIDTH="707"><div> women, without any doubt there will be changes in it, and again it will be sent to the parliament of Afghanistan," Karzai said during a news conference. "Measures will be taken."</div> <bR> <div> The law applies to Afghanistan's Shiite community, which makes up between 10 to 20 per cent of the country's population. </div> <div> The United Nations Development Fund for Women argues that the law "legalizes the rape of a wife by her husband."</div> <bR> <div> One of the most controversial articles in the law, Article 132, appears to legislate the frequency of sexual intercourse among Shiite couples.</div> <bR> <div> The article says a husband has the right to have sex with his wife every fourth night unless she is ill.</div> <bR> <div> During his Saturday news conference, Karzai said he had studied the law and that "I don't see any problems with it."</div> <bR> <div> He accused Western media outlets of misinterpreting the law and pointed out that, despite the fact that it restricts a woman's right to leave her home, it does allow exceptions during emergencies.</div> <bR> <div> The law has led to outrage among many Western politicians.</div> <bR> <div> U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has spoken to Karzai about the law, and U.S. President Barack Obama called the law "abhorrent."</div> <bR> <div> Prime Minister Stephen Harper hailed the review as a "good step" but said the Canadian government would continue to pressure Karzai about the law.</div> <bR> <div> "The involvement of the international community (in Afghanistan), particularly Canada and our NATO allies, is based on the pursuit of very fundamental values in opposition to the kinds of values that the Taliban stood for," Harper said during a news conference at the close of this weekend's NATO summit. "And if we drift from that there will be a clear diminishment in allied support for this venture."</div> <bR> <div> Women's rights in Afghanistan have been a concern to Western nations since the Taliban regime that ruled Afghanistan in the late 90s severely restricted women's movements.</div> <bR> <div> Women were prohibited from attending school, holding a job or appearing in public without a male escort.</div> <bR> <div> Now, schools are open to girls and women own businesses and run in elections. Eighty-nine of 351 parliamentarians are women.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Associated Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="03"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 125 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Oil rises above US$53 in Asia, extending rally</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Fri. Apr. 03  2009  06:28  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 3rd, 2009</div> <div> <B>SINGAPORE -- Oil prices rose above $53 a barrel Friday in Asia, extending the previous day's rally, fuelled by investor optimism crude demand will soon rebound if the U.S. recession has bottomed.</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="cc9ca0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 571 WIDTH="707"><div> Benchmark crude for May delivery rose 58 cents to $53.22 a barrel by late afternoon in Singapore in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $4.25 on Thursday to settle at $52.64.</div> <bR> <div> Oil prices have bolted from below $35 a barrel six weeks ago, riding a wave of improving investor sentiment that the worst of the U.S. recession may be over. Crude prices have mirrored a surge in stock markets, with the Dow Jones industrial average up more than 20 per cent during the last month.</div> <bR> <div> "At this point, it's more momentum than fundamentals," said Gerard Rigby, energy analyst with Fuel First Consulting in Sydney. "People are expecting oil to jump over the next 12 to 24 months."</div> <bR> <div> Investors brushed off evidence this week that U.S. crude inventories are at a 16-year high.</div> <bR> <div> Crude inventories grew by 2.8 million barrels, or 0.8 percent, for the week ended March 27, the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said in its weekly report on Wednesday. Oil stockpiles have not been this high since July 1993 and are 15.5 per cent above year-ago levels.</div> <bR> <div> Investors will be closely watching the U.S. jobs report for March, which is scheduled to be released later Friday. Economists predict the report will show a loss of 654,000 jobs following a drop of 651,000 jobs in February, which was a record third straight month of job losses above 600,000. The unemployment rate is expected to rise to 8.5 per cent from 8.1 per cent in February.</div> <bR> <div> "If the unemployment rate in the U.S. goes up a lot, it would definitely put the brakes on the recent price increase," Rigby said.</div> <bR> <div> In other Nymex trading, gasoline for May delivery rose 0.52 cent to $1.48 a gallon and heating oil gained 1.02 cents to $1.44 a gallon.</div> <bR> <div> Natural gas for May delivery jumped 2.8 cents to $3.81 per 1,000 cubic feet.</div> <bR> <div> In London, Brent prices rose 60 cents to $53.35 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Associated Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="02"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 147 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Bombardier slashing workforce by 3,000 workers</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Thu. Apr. 02  2009  07:25  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 2nd, 2009</div> <div> <B>Canadian aerospace leader Bombardier Inc. announced Thursday it will be slashing its workforce by 10 per cent, or 3,000 jobs, amid falling demand for its business aircraft.</B></div> <bR> <div> The company, which is based in Montreal, reduced its workforce just two months ago by 1,360 employees as sales of its Learjet and Challenger planes lost momentum.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="e085a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 675 WIDTH="707"><div> The most recent job losses will affect Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Northern Ireland, the company said in a news release. </div> <div> Here are the details for the Canadian layoffs:</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">In Montreal, 10 contract workers, 831 unionized and 189 non-union and management workers will be laid off.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">In Toronto, 420 unionized workers and 55 non-union and management workers will be laid off.</div> <bR> <div> While commercial sales are expected to increase by 10 per cent in 2009, business aircraft demand is predicted to drop by 25 per cent compared to last year.</div> <bR> <div> "Bombardier Aerospace is revising downward all of its business and regional jets production rates and implementing measures to meet the continuing challenges facing the aviation industry," the release states.</div> <bR> <div> "This adjustment will result in a further reduction of approximately 10 percent of Bombardier Aerospace's total workforce, or approximately 3,000 employees."</div> <bR> <div> However, in the same release, Bombardier boasted about its financial standing, saying the fiscal year ending at the end of January showed growth in revenue, profitability and a "robust cash position."</div> <bR> <div> Revenue increased by 13 per cent to US$19.7 billion, and net income went up substantially, the release said.</div> <bR> <div> In the fourth quarter, profits rose to US$309 million compared to $218 million the year before.</div> <bR> <div> Earnings per share were 17 cents, up from 12 cents per share in the same quarter of the 2008 business year.</div> <bR> <div> "During the past year, we more than held our own as the world's financial markets tumbled and the global economy weakened," said Pierre Beaudoin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier Inc. in the release.</div> <bR> <div> "In fact, we reached a milestone with net income rising to $1 billion, for the first time in our history."</div> <bR> <div> The release said the company's aerospace division has the most comprehensive product line of all business aircraft makers, and offers products in 95 per cent of the total market.</div> <bR> <div> Here are details for the non-Canadian layoffs announced on Thursday:</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Belfast: 665 contract workers, 280 union workers and 30 non-union and management workers.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">U.S.: 300 union workers and 170 non-union and management workers will be laid off.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700c8ffffff00.png" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Mexico: 50 contract workers will be laid off.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 32 WIDTH="707"><div> =======================</div> <div>  <A NAME="01"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 196 WIDTH="540"><div> <B>Expert says pirates are Conficker's early victims</B></div> <div> Web Posted | Last Updated Wed. Apr. 01  2009  11:06  ET</div> <div> Giant Dwarf Posted: April 1st, 2009</div> <div> <B>It appears that many of the earliest victims of Conficker -- the dreaded computer virus that is supposed to switch into high gear on April Fool's Day -- are computer users with pirated copies of Microsoft Windows operating systems.</B></div> <bR> <div> Brian O'Higgins, chief technology officer at computer security company Third Brigade, says the much-talked-about computer worm has efficiently spread itself out across some 10 million worldwide computers, many of which are located in Asia and Europe.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="165"><div> <IMG SRC="e078a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Jake Zack, an IT worker at the Canadian Internet Registry Authority in Ottawa, is part of the effort to track the Conficker computer worm.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 592 WIDTH="707"><div> And because many users in these regions use machines with pirated copies of Microsoft operating systems, they may not be receiving the anti-virus update services that licensed Windows users are provided with. And as a result, they may be the most at-risk users.</div> <bR> <div> "It turns out in Asia and China, Russia, India, Brazil, Argentina, these are the areas where a lot of the worm lives," O'Higgins told CTV Newsnet on Wednesday morning.</div> <bR> <div> "There's many more copies of pirated versions of the Windows operating system and those tend not to be patched as often, and that's where it (Conficker) grabs a foothold."</div> <bR> <div> Users that receive regular updates and security patches from Microsoft should be fine, O'Higgins said.</div> <bR> <div> He said it is impossible to predict when the stealthy worldwide worm will turn itself on.</div> <bR> <div> "It's sitting there, kind of, trying to be quiet, so it doesn't call a lot of attention to itself, so you don't notice that it's there and will recognize an infected machine and take it off," O'Higgins said.</div> <bR> <div> "It's waiting: it's going to make money for the people who put it out there -- and what they're going to do with it and how and when, we're just going to have to see."</div> <bR> <div> The worm works by blocking user access to Microsoft and anti-virus software sites, so that it can entrench itself in a particular system.</div> <bR> <div> That's when Conficker can take hold of a computer and get it to send out spam, employ it in identity-theft scams or use it for other purposes.</div> <bR> <div> According to the latest Conficker code, April 1 is supposed to be the day that infected computers "phone home" for new instructions and ramp up their level of online activities.</div> <bR> <div> Microsoft has offered $250,000 for anyone who can provide information to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who designed and distributed Conficker.</div> <bR> <div> Written by CTV.ca News Staff <I>with files from The Associated Press</I></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <A HREF="#top" TITLE="Apr 09"><U><IMG SRC="16243f0d0.png" border=0 width="63" height="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>