Articles!
These "Articles" are dated from June 1st, 2009 - June 30th, 2009.
 Plane crashes off Comoros with 153 on board
30/06/09
 Dye used in heart disease tests may harm kidneys
29/06/09
 Michael Jackson's private doctor talks to police
28/06/09
 Michael Jackson's body released to family
27/06/09
 Pop icon Michael Jackson dies at 50
26/06/09
 Mousavi under pressure to withdraw challenge
25/06/09
 Global recession is close to hitting bottom: OECD
24/06/09
 Legendary TV host Ed McMahon dead at 86
23/06/09
 Iran threatens to crush any opposition protests
22/06/09
 North Korea accuses U.S. of plotting atomic war
21/06/09
 Molson family to buy Montreal Canadiens from Gillett
20/06/09
 Supreme leader calls Iran vote 'definitive victory'
19/06/09
 Energy prices push inflation down to 0.1 per cent
18/06/09
 Shuttle launch postponed over stubborn hydrogen leak
17/06/09
 Judge rejects Balsillie's bid to move Coyotes
16/06/09
 Canadian soldier killed trying to defuse bomb
15/06/09
 Liberals say all options open for confidence vote
14/06/09
 Canada, U.S. will renegotiate Great Lakes water treaty
13/06/09
 Minority government's fate rests in Ignatieff's hands
12/06/09
 Canada getting out of isotope business, Harper says
11/06/09
 Raitt's 'sexy' comment angers medical community
10/06/09
 Another tough day likely ahead for Lisa Raitt
09/06/09
 N. Korea sentences two U.S. journalists to prison
08/06/09
 18 killed during shootout at house in Acapulco
07/06/09
 Two bodies found near plane crash site, Brazil says
06/06/09
 Ont. hit hard as jobless rate reaches 11-year high
05/06/09
 Users of Premarin drug stunned by price hike
04/06/09
 Secret federal documents reveal full AECL funding
03/06/09
 Searchers comb Atlantic for missing Air France jet
02/06/09
 Jetliner disappears after reporting electrical trouble
01/06/09
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Plane crashes off Comoros with 153 on board
Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. June 30  2009  07:40  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 30th, 2009
A young child was rescued from the sea after a Yemeni passenger jet with 153 people on board crashed in the Indian Ocean early Tuesday.

The Airbus A310, which took off from the Yemeni capital of San'a, crashed as it tried to land amid heavy wind in Moroni, on the island nation of Comoros.

Yemeni civil aviation deputy chief Mohammed Abdul Qader said there were 142 passengers on the plane along with a crew of 11 Yemenis.

Most of the passengers were from Comoros, returning from Paris. French officials also confirmed that 66 on board were French nationals.

According to local reports, search teams rescued a child alive amid the debris.

"They were surprised when they saw a child who had something under him to keep him afloat," Hakim Almasmari, editor of the Yemen Post, told CTV's Canada AM on Tuesday.

"They found him alive, he was the only survivor up to now."

Abdul Qader told The Associated Press that the rescued child was five years old.

Meanwhile, Comoros immigrations officer, Rachida Abdullah, told AP that three dead bodies were also recovered along with debris from the plane.

Almasmari said the rest of the bodies should be found within the next few hours.
In this undated photo released by Airbus Industries, one of its A310 passenger planes, the same type that crashed in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday, June 30, 2006, is seen flying in an undisclosed location. (AP / Airbus Industries)
An unidentified relative of a passenger cries at Marseille airport, southern France, Tuesday, June 30, 2009 after a jet from Yemen with 153 people on board crashed in the Indian Ocean early Tuesday as it tried to land during heavy wind on the island nation of Comoros. (AP / Claude Paris)
"The area where the wreckage happened is limited and they know where it happened exactly," he said.

Gen. Bruno de Bourdoncle de Saint-Salvy, the senior commander for French forces in the southern Indian Ocean, said the plane crashed about 34 kilometres from the Moroni airport.

In a statement Tuesday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy "expressed his deep emotion" about the accident and said the French military would help with the search.

The Comoros, located about 2,900 kilometres south of Yemen, is an archipelago of three main islands.

Last month, an Air France plane crashed after leaving Brazil, killing 228 people on board.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Associated Press
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Dye used in heart disease tests may harm kidneys
Web Posted | Last Updated Sun. June 28  2009  22:09  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 29th, 2009
The dye used to help doctors determine if a patient's arteries are blocked may cause kidney damage for those with underlying health problems, such as early signs of kidney disease or diabetes.

A new study has found that in some patients, the dye often used to illuminate the arteries and blood vessels around the heart can cause enough kidney damage to increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.
Doctors inject dye to help in the discovery of blockages in a patient's arteries in a test called an angiography.
"This is not just a short-term problem, but could also have long-term implications," Dr. Madhu Natarajan of Hamilton Health Sciences told CTV News.

Each year, more than one million people in North America undergo the test, called an angiography, to determine if they have blocked arteries that need to be opened via heart bypass surgery or angioplasty.

The dye used during angiography does not pose a risk to patients with healthy kidneys.

But in a study of nearly 300 patients who showed signs of kidney disease, Canadian and American researchers found that 31 per cent of patients continued to have health problems linked to the dye a year after undergoing the test.

Thirteen per cent suffered kidney failure, a stroke or heart attack and, in rare cases, death.

"This is important because I think it makes us physicians, as well as patients, be more aware that this is a potential complication," Natarajan said.

But instead of serving as a warning against giving some patients these potentially life-saving tests, the researchers said it will help them prevent kidney damage in at-risk patients.

Four per cent of adults have kidney damage, some of it undiagnosed, and rates of kidney problems are higher among those with Type 2 diabetes.

Therefore, if doctors give their patients a simple blood test to determine if they have kidney damage before undergoing angiography, they can be given medication before or after the test to protect their kidneys.

"We believe this therapy can help reduce the risk," Dr. Sheldon Tobe of the Heart and Stroke Foundation told CTV News. "There is still a debate among the medical community about how effective it is, but the risks of this kind of therapy are absolutely minimal."

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with a report from CTV News medical correspondent Avis Favaro and producer Elizabeth St. Philip
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Michael Jackson's private doctor talks to police
Web Posted | Last Updated Sun. June 28  2009  13:50  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 28th, 2009
Police have now heard a first-hand account of the final moments of Michael Jackson's life from the cardiologist who was with the legendary pop singer at the time of his death.

Investigators met with Dr. Conrad Murray for three hours on Saturday, hearing his account of what happened the day that the 50-year-old star died.

Following the meeting, police said Murray was co-operative and "provided information which will aid the investigation."

The doctor's spokesperson said Murray helped police "identify the circumstances around the death of the pop icon and clarified some inconsistencies."

Jackson died Thursday afternoon, after suffering cardiac arrest at his rented Los Angeles mansion. He was rushed to UCLA Medical Center, only six minutes away, but doctors were unable to revive the pop singer.

An initial autopsy ruled out trauma or foul play, but medical officials said more tests are needed to determine an official cause of death.

Questions about Jackson's use of painkillers, however, have been raised. And medical examiners have confirmed the singer had taken prescription medication.
Dr. Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson's cardiologist, poses for a photo in Houston on July 7, 2006. (AP / Houston Chronicle)
Katherine Jackson, mother of the late pop star Michael Jackson, leaves the Jackson family home in Encino, Calif., on Saturday, June 27, 2009. (AP / Chris Carlson)
Murray had been hired to accompany Jackson on a set of 50 concerts that were to take place in London this summer.

On Saturday, the cardiologist hired a Houston law firm to represent him, though police have so far said he is only considered a witness in their investigation.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reports that Jackson's family has had a second, private autopsy conducted.

Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson has said the family wants more information about Jackson's death.

"It's abnormal," Jesse Jackson said Saturday. "We don't know what happened. Was he injected and with what? All reasonable doubt should be addressed."

He said the singer's family is grief-stricken.

"They're hurt because they lost a son. But the wound is now being kept open by the mystery and unanswered questions of the cause of death," he said.

Obama sends condolences

On Sunday, it was revealed that U.S. President Barack Obama had sent a private letter to Jackson's family, expressing his condolences.

White House adviser David Axelrod mentioned the letter during a TV appearance on Sunday, but he did not provide any details about its content.

The White House has said the president saw Jackson as a top-level performer whose life had both sad and tragic aspects.

The singer's family has been staying together in Encino, Calif., grieving his loss, preparing funeral arrangements and caring for Jackson's three children.

His sisters, Janet and La Toya, were spotted visiting Jackson's rented mansion on Saturday. But they did not speak to reporters at the scene.

The Jackson family released a statement to People magazine on Saturday, describing the pain they are going through.

"In one of the darkest moments of our lives we find it hard to find the words appropriate to this sudden tragedy we all had to encounter," the statement said. "We miss Michael endlessly."

On Sunday night, the annual BET awards show is set to take place and organizers have been scrambling to put together a show to honour Jackson.

Singers Beyonce and Ne-Yo, both of whom were scheduled to perform at the awards show, said they hoped to change their performances to honour the recently deceased King of Pop.

BET network chair and chief executive Debra Lee said the broadcast was thrown into "total overhaul" following Jackson's death.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Associated Press
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Michael Jackson's body released to family
Web Posted | Last Updated Sat. June 27  2009  10:04  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 27th, 2009
The body of Michael Jackson has been released to his family members, who have gathered in Encino, Calif., to plan his funeral arrangements and grieve his loss.

A person close to the family who talked to The Associated Press said Jackson's relatives have many questions about the people who spent time with the pop singer in the days leading up to his death.

In particular, Jackson's family wants to know more about the singer's interactions with AEG, the concert promoter that was behind the 50 upcoming concerts he was due to perform at London's 02 Arena.

The family believes that several advisers and representatives who were spending time with Jackson were put in place by AEG.

The president of AEG Live has said Dr. Conrad Murray, the cardiologist who was with Jackson when he collapsed Thursday, was hired at the request of the singer.

"As a company, we would have preferred not having a physician on staff full-time because it would have been cheaper without the hotels and travel, but Michael was insistent that he be hired," Randy Phillips said Friday. "Michael had a rapport with him."

Records reveal that Jackson's doctor had been ordered to pay $400,000 as a result of court judgments over the years and he currently faces at least two other pending court cases and several tax liens.
Sunrise lights up a shrine of fan letters and gifts outside the Jackson family home in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday, June 27, 2009. (AP / Jason Redmond)
U.S. pop star Michael Jackson arrives at the Festival Palace in Cannes to attend the screening of his music video 'Ghost' during the 50th International Cannes Film Festival on May 8, 1997.(AP / Laurent Rebours)
Police have seized the doctor's car in search of evidence, but say Murray is not considered a criminal suspect.

The person who spoke to The Associated Press said Jackson's family is also very concerned about the singer's estate, as they are not sure who has been handling his business affairs.

"There are decisions going down without the family being in the loop; it's becoming an issue," the person said.

Without a will in place, the handling of Jackson's estate could be very complicated as the singer was a reported US$400 million in debt at the time of his death.

While none of Jackson's family members were present when he died, he was not estranged from his relatives, the person close to the family said.

The singer's children are now being cared for by his family in Encino.

Jackson's body was released to his family late Friday night. His family is debating whether to arrange a public or private funeral.

The Los Angeles County coroner's office completed Jackson's autopsy Friday, concluding that there were no signs of foul play or trauma in the singer's death.

More tests are needed, however, to determine Jackson's cause of death.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Associated Press
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Pop icon Michael Jackson dies at 50
Web Posted | Last Updated Thu. June 25  2009  19:59  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 26th, 2009
Michael Jackson, the "King of Pop," has died after suffering cardiac arrest at his Los Angeles home. The singer had been preparing for a major comeback after years of seclusion.

A fire department official said Jackson was not breathing when paramedics arrived at his rented Bel Air mansion at 12:26 p.m.

Jackson, 50, was treated at UCLA Medical Center. But hospital officials were unable to revive him.

"One of Michael Jackson's staff members called 911," TMZ correspondent Nina Parker told CTV News Channel. "Once the paramedics arrived, we were told that he was unresponsive and had no pulse. The paramedics were unable to revive him at the home, nor were they able to when he arrived at the hospital."

Lawyer Brian Oxman, a spokesperson for the Jackson lawyer, said prescription medications may have contributed to the death -- but no official cause has been given.

"For the last many months, and almost more than a year, this family has been talking about the use of medications by Michael and warning he was going to wake up dead," Oxman, his voice wavering, told CTV News Channel. "This was our fear."

Jackson's death came as he prepared for a major comeback next month, after years of seclusion. He was scheduled to perform 50 shows in London's O2 Arena, with the financial backing of two billionaires.

Jackson, who had won 13 Grammys and sold more than 750 million albums over his career, had not embarked on a major tour since 1997.

In recent years, he had been the subject of endless tabloid headlines and financial difficulties. If his London shows had proved successful, he was expected to embark on a major world-wide series of concerts.
Michael Jackson announces he is set to play ten live concerts at the London O2 Arena in July, which he announced at a press conference at the London O2 Arena, Thursday, March 5, 2009. (AP / Joel Ryan)
People gather outside the UCLA medical centre in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 25, 2009.
Michael Jackson at age 13, the youngest member of the Jackson Five, sings in his home in Encino, Ca in 1972. (AP Photo, file)
He first gained fame as a musical prodigy with his brothers in the Jackson 5. He was just a child, but under the watchful eye of his father, Joe Jackson, the group managed a string of hit singles with Motown Records.

The singer then broke out on his own in 1971, and began to craft his reputation as the "King of Pop." His solo efforts have become some of the best-selling albums of all time, including "Off the Wall," "Thriller" and "Bad."

The latter two albums coincided with the rise of MTV, and Jackson became known for a series of ground-breaking music videos -- including the horror-themed "Thriller."

Along with his talents as a singer and songwriter, he was also a spectacular dancer. He showed off his signature move, "The Moonwalk," during a 1983 television appearance celebrating the 25th anniversary of Motown.

But as his fame rose, so did his eccentricity. He became known for his child-like demeanor and his treasure trove of toys and amusement park rides at his Neverland Ranch -- named after the fantastical island of Peter Pan.

By the late-1980s he had become fodder for the tabloids. In 1986, it was erroneously reported that he slept in a hyperbaric chamber. Other reports focused on his paling skin, which Jackson blamed on the disease Vitiligo, and his numerous plastic surgeries that completely changed his facial appearance.

And then in 1993, in the most severe blow to his career, Jackson was accused of child molestation. He eventually settled the allegations out of court, but they continued to haunt him and the public never saw Jackson the same way again.

In 2005, he was again accused of child molestation. He denied all charges and was acquitted in court.

This past year, Jackson's financial problems appeared to have escalated to the point where he was ready to auction off more than 1,000 personal items -- including a few of his trademark single gloves.

But in April, Jackson filed a legal action to stop the auction.

The March announcement of 50 shows at London's O2 Arena appeared to signal a return to form for Jackson, and a way to settle his debt problems. Tickets for the event, called "This is It," sold out within hours.

"I love you," Jackson had told fans during the announcement. "I really do. You have to know that I love you so much. Really, from the bottom of my heart."

Rev. Jesse Jackson, a long-time friend, said the singer's shadow would always loom large on the U.S. cultural landscape.

"Michael Jackson was a trailblazer," Jackson told reporters in New York City. "To say an 'icon' would only give these young people in Harlem a fraction of what he was. He was a historic figure that people will measure music and the industry by."

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
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Mousavi under pressure to withdraw challenge
Web Posted | Last Updated Thu. June 25  2009  08:01  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 25th, 2009
Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi says he's being isolated by government authorities and pressured to drop his challenge of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's recent election victory.

On his official website, Mousavi for the first time discussed what he called his growing post-election difficulties.

He complained of the "recent pressures" on him to end his election challenge and he said he has been "completely restricted" from meeting with people.

Mousavi also said he has been subject to verbal attacks but he vowed to keep pressuring the government over what many Iranians believe was a fixed election.

"I cannot modify black as white and white as black," he was quoted as saying. "This is not the solution to expect me to express something in which I don't believe."

On Wednesday, Mousavi met with 70 university professors, all in support of a more Liberal government.

After the meeting, Mousavi's website says the professors were arrested by Iranian authorities.

Also Wednesday, Iranian riot police cracked down on protesters involved in a so-called "illegal rally" near the parliament building in Tehran.
A supporter of main challenger and reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, standing next to a poster of him, whistles as she films the event with her mobile phone, at an election rally at the Heidarnia stadium in Tehran, Iran on Tuesday, June 9, 2009. (AP / Ben Curtis)
South Korean activists shout slogans as police officers stand guard during a rally denouncing Iran's government policy in front of the Iranian embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, June 25, 2009. (AP / Lee Jin-man)
Protesters who gathered near the parliament were beaten back with batons, causing some to flee to another Tehran plaza, Sepah Square, about two kilometers north.

Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad took aim at U.S. President Barack Obama over growing Western criticism of Iran.

"Why has Mr. Obama, who advocates change, been trapped and follows the same path as Bush," state TV quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.

Inside Iran, there are signs that support for Ahmadinejad is waning.

Several Tehran newspapers reported Thursday that only 105 of 290 members of parliament showed up to a victory celebration for Ahmadinejad on Tuesday.

Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani was among the no-shows.

"Clearly they (the Iranian government) are targeting Mousavi because he is the figurehead of this opposition movement but there are many, many powerful people in Iran who continue their objection and fundamental disagreement with the way the country is being run," CTV's London Bureau Chief Tom Kennedy reported Thursday.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Associated Press
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Global recession is close to hitting bottom: OECD
Web Posted | Last Updated Wed. June 24  2009  07:56  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 24th, 2009
A new report says the global recession is close to bottoming out but that recovery will be weak unless governments do even more to restore confidence in banks.

In its half-yearly economic outlook, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said Wednesday it expects the economies of member countries to shrink by 4.1 per cent in 2009.

Despite the decline, the report says government initiatives will help stop an even worse decline.

Jorgen Elmeskov, the OECD's acting economics department head, said with a "nascent recovery hopefully in sight" it may be tempting to relax the "extraordinary policy effort" of the past nine months.
The deepest global recession in over 60 years is close to bottoming out, but recovery will be weak unless governments take further action to remove uncertainty over banks' balance sheets, the OECD said Wednesday, June 24, 2009. (AP / Carolyn Kaster)
However, Elmeskov said that would be the wrong move because "there is still more policy can do to ensure a faster and more robust recovery."

While some countries have already taken steps to remove the uncertainty associated with impaired assets on bank balance sheets, Elmeskov said others may have to take similar action.

"Likewise, and especially in conditions where the picture of bank balance sheets provided by existing accounting rules is hazy, stress testing has a role to play in providing confidence," Elmeskov said in comments accompanying the report.

"Getting the full benefit out of stress testing requires that the tests be seen as challenging, be made public, and be associated with demands for recapitalization where needed."

"Stress testing" banks allows officials to analyze which banks are at the greatest risk of failure and to see what additional capital they'll need to keep operating.

By 2010, the report forecasts world economic growth will rebound to 2.3 per cent, compared to 2.2 per cent this year.

The speed of the recovery will vary by country, with China already appearing to be recovering.

The U.S., weighed down by troubled banks and fading fiscal stimulus measures, could face an "uncharacteristically weak" recovery that will prove "insufficient" to offset the country's 10 per cent unemployment rate.

The report says governments should eventually, in a coordinated effort, roll back their interventions to stabilize the financial system.

Moving forward, "regulatory and supervisory changes" will have to be brought in to limit the risk of a future financial crisis, says the report.

"In summary, it looks as if the worst scenario has been avoided and that OECD economies are now nearing the bottom," Elmeskov said.

"Even if the subsequent recovery may be slow such an outcome is a major achievement of economic policy.

"But this is no time to relax -- ensuring that the recovery stays on track and leads towards a long-term sustainable growth path will call for major policy efforts going forward."

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
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Legendary TV host Ed McMahon dead at 86
Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. June 23  2009  08:52  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 23rd, 2009
Legendary night show sidekick Ed McMahon has died at 86, his publicist confirmed on Tuesday.

McMahon, best known as Johnny Carson's sidekick on the "Tonight Show," died just after midnight at a Los Angeles, Calif. hospital.

McMahon was part of the show for 30 years, and became an icon with his guffaws and "H-e-e-e-e-e-ere's Johnny!" introductions, delivered just before Carson would take the stage.
Ed McMahon arrives at the premiere of 'The Simpsons Movie' in Los Angeles, July 24, 2007. (AP / Matt Sayles)
McMahon's agent Howard Bragman confirmed his death, saying he was surrounded by family at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center when he died.

Bragman didn't give a cause of death, saying only that McMahon had a "multitude of health problems in the last few months."

In February it was reported that McMahon had been admitted to hospital for treatment of pneumonia.

In March 2008, it was announced that McMahon was recovering from a broken neck after an injury suffered in a fall in 2007.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
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Iran threatens to crush any opposition protests
Web Posted | Last Updated Mon. June 22  2009  07:49  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 22nd, 2009
Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned opposition protesters Monday to be prepared for "confrontation" if they keep demonstrating against the recent re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The Guard, Iran's most powerful military force, ordered demonstrators to "end the sabotage and rioting activities" and called their protests a "conspiracy" against the country.

On the Guard's website, a statement warned protesters to "be prepared for a resolution and revolutionary confrontation with the Guards, Basij and other security forces and disciplinary forces."

On Sunday, opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi called the June 12 election a fraud and vowed to keep up the protests.

"The country belongs to you ... protesting lies and fraud is your right," Mousavi said in a statement on his website.

Mousavi is directly defying Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who called last week for protests to stop.
In this photograph posted on the Internet, a protester recoils after throwing a projectile at Iranian riot police in Tehran, Iran Saturday, June 20, 2009. (AP)
In this photograph posted on the internet, a group of Iranian riot police are seen during clashes in Tehran, Iran Saturday June 20, 2009. (AP Photo)
In support of Mousavi, former president Mohammad Khatami said in a statement that "protest in a civil manner and avoiding disturbances in the definite right of the people and all must respect that."

Official figures say 17 people have died since protests began but online postings, including a video purporting to show the fatal shooting of a teenage girl, suggest the death toll could be higher.

The Globe and Mail's George McLeod, reporting from Tehran, said the deaths are "really energizing the protest movement."

McLeod said there is less of a security presence on the streets Monday compared to Sunday.

Also Monday, a high-level clerical panel, known as the Guardian Council, said voting irregularities were found in 50 constituencies.

However, council spokesman Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei said the irregularities "have no effect on the result of the elections."

Meanwhile, a Canadian journalist was detained in Iran Sunday as authorities extended their crackdown to include those covering the demonstrations.

Newsweek magazine said in a statement its correspondent Maziar Bahari, a Canadian citizen, was detained Sunday morning and has not been heard from since.

The magazine defended its coverage as "fair and nuanced" and is calling for his release. More than 20 journalists have been detained in Iran over the last week.

The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs says the Canadian embassy in Tehran will be demanding immediate consular access to Bahari.

Bahari came to Canada from Iran in 1988 as a political refugee. He has made a number of documentary films, several of them about Iran.

"The Iranian government does treat dual national citizens as Iranian citizens," McLeod said.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Associated Press
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North Korea accuses U.S. of plotting atomic war
Web Posted | Last Updated Sun. June 21  2009  07:05  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 21st, 2009
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea has accused the United States of plotting atomic war against the communist regime, saying President Barack Obama's recent reaffirmation of nuclear protection of South Korea only exposed his government's intention to attack.

The accusation comes as Washington and regional powers consider a new South Korean proposal to meet soon to find a way to resolve the global standoff over the North's nuclear programs.
A tourist walks past a posting of North Korea's map and a flag at an observation post in Ganghwa, located on the South Korean side of the restriction line that separates the two Koreas, on Sunday, June 21, 2009. (AP / Ahn Young-joon)
In North Korea's first response to last week's meeting between Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in Washington, its government-run weekly Tongil Sinbo said that Obama's commitment to South Korea's security, including through U.S. nuclear protection, only revealed a U.S. plot to invade the North with nuclear weapons.

"It's not a coincidence at all for the U.S. to have brought numerous nuclear weapons into South Korea and other adjacent sites, staging various massive war drills opposing North Korea every day and watching for a chance for an invasion," said the commentary published Saturday.

The weekly also said the North will also "surely judge" the Lee government for participating in a U.S.-led international campaign to "stifle" the North.

Tension on the Korean peninsula has spiked since the North defiantly conducted its second nuclear test on May 25. North Korea later declared it would bolster its atomic bomb-making program and threatened war in protest of U.N. sanctions for its test.

North Korea says its nuclear program is a deterrent against the U.S., which it routinely accuses of plotting to topple its communist regime. Washington, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea, has repeatedly said it has no such intention and has no nuclear weapons deployed there.

In what would be the first test case for the new U.N. sanctions, U.S. officials said Thursday the U.S. military had begun tracking a North Korean-flagged ship which may be carrying illegal weapons. The officials said the ship left a North Korean port Wednesday.

On Sunday, South Korean television network YTN quoted an unidentified South Korean intelligence source as saying the ship is believed to be sailing toward Myanmar. Seoul's Defense Ministry, Unification Ministry and the National Intelligence Service said they could not confirm the report.

On Saturday, a South Korean Foreign Ministry official said Seoul has proposed five-way talks with the U.S., China, Russia and Japan to find a solution to the North's threats.

The U.S. and Japan have agreed to participate, while China and Russia have yet to respond, the official told The Associated Press, requesting anonymity because he was discussing a plan still in the works.
North Korea and the five countries began negotiating under the so-called "six-party talks" in 2003 with the aim of giving the communist regime economic aid and other concessions in exchange for dismantling its nuclear program. In April, however, the North said it was pulling out of the talks in response to international criticism of its controversial April 5 long-range rocket launch.

The South Korean official said it remains to be seen where or when the meeting -- if it materializes -- will take place, but one possibility is on the sidelines of a regional security forum scheduled in Phuket, Thailand, in July.

He said the North could be approached for talks, as they are scheduled to attend the Phuket meeting. The communist nation has little interaction with the world, but it does attend the annual ASEAN Regional Forum.

The Foreign Ministry official said Lee proposed the idea of bringing together officials of the five countries during his summit with Obama.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Associated Press
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Molson family to buy Montreal Canadiens from Gillett
Web Posted | Last Updated Sat. June 20  2009  22:49  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 20th, 2009
George Gillett has reached an agreement in principle to sell his majority share of the Montreal Canadiens to Geoff Molson of the famed brewing family.

The deal will also include the Bell Centre and the Gillett Entertainment Group.

The deal is subject to approval from the NHL's board of governors, and could be approved by late August.

Both sides said they would hold a news conference to announce the deal when it is finalized.

Gillett says he is pleased to sell the team back to the Molsons, who have been involved with the club for three generations.

"Our family has been very proud to be associated with the Montreal Canadiens over the past eight years and particularly to be a part of their Centennial Season," Gillett said in a statement Saturday.

"I am fully confident that the Molson brothers, who have been a great part of the heritage of the club, will ensure the preservation and development of this great sports institution."

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the Molsons will be good for the team's fans.
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is consoled by teammates after losing 4-1 to the Boston Bruins in game four NHL Eastern Conference quarter final playoff hockey action in Montreal Wednesday, April 22, 2009. (Ryan Remiorz/ THE CANADIAN PRESS)
George Gillett arrives at a U.K. soccer match in October 2008. Besides owning the Canadiens, Gillet is also the co-owner of the English Premier League Liverpool soccer team. (AP / Sang Tan)
"That's what I heard, subject to board approval," Bettman told reporters in Las Vegas when asked about the reported sale.

"I think to the extent that they've been able to find people who are obviously passionate about the game and structure a transaction that makes sense for everybody, that's a real plus for the franchise and the fans in Montreal."

According to La Presse, a source says the deal will be worth more than $500 million.

Geoffrey, Andrew and Justin Molson were considered to among to leading suitors for the team. Molson Coors already owns 19.9 per cent of the team.

Gillett bought 80.1 per cent of the team, as well as the Bell Centre where the team plays, for $275 million in 2001.
Gillett also is the co-owner of Liverpool FC.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
=======================
 
Supreme leader calls Iran vote 'definitive victory'
Web Posted | Last Updated Fri. June 19  2009  07:46  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 19th, 2009
Iran's supreme leader said Friday that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election as president was a "definitive victory" that involved no vote rigging.

In a rare speech at Friday prayers, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the results show Ahmadinejad had a landslide victory over pro-reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi.

"There is 11 million votes difference," Khamenei said. "How one can rig 11 million votes?"

Since the results of last week's vote were announced, hundreds of thousands of Iranians have protested against the government saying the election was fixed.

The demonstrations pose the greatest challenge to the government in 30 years, since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Hamid Dabashi, a professor at Columbia University, said Khamenei also took a paternal tone towards the demonstrators Friday telling them not to be manipulated by foreigners.

"It's a regular, habitual ranting against the U.S. and the U.K., which of course has absolutely nothing to do with people in the streets in the millions objecting to this particular election" Dabashi told CTV's Canada AM.

Khamenei also said that protests must cease and that the opposition must instead use the cleric-led ruling system to deal with election complaints.
In this image made from video broadcast by Iran's IRIB television, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, makes his address at Tehran University on Friday, June 19, 2009. (AP / IRIB)
In this image made from video broadcast by Iran's IRIB television, Friday, June 19, 2009, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on the podium in the center of picture, makes his address as part of Friday prayers at Tehran University.
He said protesters would be "held responsible for chaos if they didn't end" their ongoing demonstrations.

George McLeod, a freelance reporter for the Globe and Mail in Iran, said the government is removing most of the remaining reporters in the country.

"Two major TV stations are being removed and one American cameraman is at the police station," McLeod, who plans to stay in Tehran, told CTV's Canada AM.

McLeod said it's too early to determine how the protesters will respond to Khamenei's calls that they stop demonstrating.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Associated Press
=======================
 
Energy prices push inflation down to 0.1 per cent
Web Posted | Last Updated Thu. June 18  2009  07:38  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 18th, 2009
Canada's annual inflation rate fell to 0.1 per cent in May, from 0.4 per cent in April, pushed down mainly by lower costs for energy products.

In its report Thursday, Statistics Canada said energy products saw an 18.3 per cent year-over-year price drop.
The cost of gasoline was 25.1 per cent lower in May 2009 than a year earlier.

When measured on a monthly basis, prices in Canada actually jumped 0.7 per cent in May after falling slightly in April.

The increase was due to an 8.3 per cent rise in gasoline costs between April and May.

Meanwhile, the Bank of Canada's core index -- which excludes the most volatile items -- advanced 2 per cent over the 12 months to May.

That was an increase from the 1.8 per cent rise posted in April.

"Consumer prices are ramping up in Canada to a level that is going to catch the attention of the Bank of Canada," BNN's Michael Kane reported Thursday from Toronto.

The seasonally adjusted monthly core index increased 0.3 per cent from April to May, after increasing 0.2 per cent from March to April.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
=======================
 
Shuttle launch postponed over stubborn hydrogen leak
Web Posted | Last Updated Wed. June 17  2009  08:00  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 17th, 2009
NASA scrubbed Wednesday's launch of space shuttle Endeavour because of a recurring hydrogen gas leak, and the space station construction mission is now postponed until July.

The decision came just three-and-a-half hours before the planned pre-dawn launch. NASA technicians discovered that a leak they thought they had fixed earlier in the week was still emitting hydrogen above levels considered to be safe.

An earlier launch had been planned for last Saturday, but was postponed when the leak was discovered. NASA spent the past four days trying to fix the problems with the hydrogen gas vent line that connects to the external tank.

"The leak was way out of spec again, and so we were just not comfortable pressing on," said Mike Leinbach, assistant launch director for the mission on Wednesday.

The venting system is used to carry excess hydrogen safely away from the launch pad during liftoff. Hydrogen gas is extremely volatile and can burn in large enough quantities.

CTV's Joy Malbon, reporting from Cape Canaveral, said the mood at NASA was one of disappointment.

"I mean they gave it everything they've got, the old college try. First it was lightning in the sky, a thunderstorm, they had the weather to contend with, and then as late as about 11 p.m. they said it's good to go, most of the storm has moved off. And then they find out there's a hydrogen leak," Malbon told CTV's Canada AM.

"There's just huge disappointment in the Canadian Space Agency and especially among Canadian astronaut Julie Payette."

A similar hydrogen leak stalled a shuttle flight earlier this year.

In March, the leak occurred where a vent line hooks up to the tank. The hookup was replaced along with a couple of seals and the seepage stopped, but engineers never did determine the exact source of the trouble.
Space shuttle Endeavour sits on launch pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. early Wednesday, June 17, 2009.
A bolt of lightning strikes north of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center during a thunderstorm late Tuesday, June 16, 2009 in Cape Caneveral, Fla. (Orlando Sentinel / Red Huber)
Pete Nickolenko, right, STS-127 Launch Director and LeRoy Cain, NASA's Manager for Launch Integration, speak at a news conference early Wednesday morning June 17, 2009. (AP / Terry Renna)
Payette, a 45-year-old mother of two boys, is one of seven crew members who will now have to wait until July before the 16-day Endeavour mission can begin.

Space missions are usually quickly rescheduled, but there is a "thermal blackout" period for the next few weeks because of the space station's relative position to the sun.

A delay until at least July 11 means the rest of the year's shuttle program will have to be rescheduled.

NASA is working on a tight schedule for eight more flights, before retiring the shuttle fleet and completing construction of the ISS by the end of 2010.

Endeavour's mission

Endeavour will take the final segment of Japan's huge space station lab and an outdoor shelf for experiments to the orbiting outpost.

The astronauts will also attach some spare parts outside the space station, replace aging batteries and perform other maintenance.

Payette's trip to the space station, her second trip in space, will be historic. She is due to join fellow Canadian astronaut Bob Thirsk, who boarded the space station on May 29 along with a Russian and a Belgian astronaut. He's living there for six months.

Endeavour's crew of seven is scheduled to be aboard the space station for close to two weeks, during which five space walks are planned.

Payette is making her first trip to the space station since the Discovery mission in 1999 when she became the first Canadian to visit the outpost.

Since that trip, the space laboratory has grown to the size of two football fields.

The 45-year-old mother of two boys will be a shuttle flight engineer for the first time on the current mission, keeping busy by helping operate three robotic space arms.

One of them is the Canadarm1 on the shuttle and the other two, the Canadarm2 and a Japanese arm, are on the space station.

The Japanese robotic arm will be used to install a platform for experiments on the station's Japanese Kibo module.

Endeavour's flight comes three weeks after the successful repair effort at the Hubble Space Telescope carried out by Atlantis.

The mission may be the last time a Canadian flies on an American shuttle, before the fleet is retired.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
=======================
 
Judge rejects Balsillie's bid to move Coyotes
Web Posted | Last Updated Mon. June 15  2009  23:00  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 16th, 2009
A bankruptcy judge has rejected Jim Balsillie's bid to relocate the Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton, but the Canadian billionaire is not giving up.

Arizona bankruptcy judge Redfield Baum said the possibility of the team's relocation presented significant issues for the court.

"There are no reported bankruptcy court decisions ordering a relocation of the magnitude proposed here," he said.

Baum also said the issue of a relocation fee -- in which Balsillie would have to pay millions of dollars to the NHL for the right to move the Coyotes to Ontario -- had not been resolved.

Finally, he said the court "is unconvinced that it should order that the NHL must decide the relocation application to meet the June 29th deadline." Balsillie had set that deadline for his $212.5-million offer to expire.

A spokesperson for Balsillie, Bill Walker, said his client was still seeking to bring a seventh NHL team to Canada.
Jim Balsillie co-CEO of RIM speaks to the media on Monday, May 25, 2009. (Dave Chidley / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Phoenix Coyotes players celebrate a goal against the Colorado Avalanche in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Denver on Wednesday, April 1, 2009. (AP / David Zalubowski)
"The court did not approve either our approach or the NHL's," Walker said in statement late Monday. "Judge Baum did state he does not have time to decide all the relocation issues. But the court still controls the sale process. As a result, we look forward to hearing from the NHL soon on its view of our relocation application and an appropriate relocation fee, so as to allow the court to determine if that fee is reasonable."

We still think there is enough time for the NHL to approve Mr. Balsillie's application and move the team to Hamilton by September," he added. "The court invited mediation on these issues and Mr. Balsillie is willing to participate in such mediation if the NHL is also willing to do so."

Baum had earlier said he wanted to ensure the team's creditors would not be left in the lurch if the team was moved. The NHL argued the franchise is still viable in Phoenix, but the team has reportedly lost more than $300 million since it moved there from Winnipeg in 1996.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league was "pleased" with Baum's decision.

"We will turn our attention now toward helping to facilitate an orderly sales process that will produce a local buyer who is committed to making the Coyotes' franchise viable and successful in the Phoenix/Glendale area," he said in a statement. "We are confident that we will be able to find such a buyer for the Coyotes and that the claims of legitimate creditors will be addressed."

One of the key issues in the dispute was whether majority owner Jerry Moyes had the authority to file for bankruptcy and negotiate the team's sale, or if the NHL had control of the Coyotes.

On May 5, Moyes announced he had put the team into Chapter 11 protection. That same day, Balsillie made an offer to purchase the team -- but only if he could relocate it to Ontario.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman alleged in court filings that he had control of the team -- not Moyes -- and any talk of selling or moving the franchise should have been directed to him.

Balsillie, the 48-year-old co-CEO of Waterloo, Ont.-based Research In Motion -- which makes the BlackBerry wireless device -- has made two previous attempts to move a franchise to Canada.

He tried to purchase and move the Nashville Predators to Hamilton in 2007, but the league rebuffed him. He has also previously expressed interest in the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Despite Monday's ruling, Balsillie's dream of bringing an NHL franchise to Southern Ontario may not be dead yet, said sports writer Howard Bloom, publisher of SportsBusinessNews.com.

While Bloom said there is "little if any appeal process when it comes to bankruptcy," he predicted that the Coyotes will play one more season in Phoenix before they are put on the auction block by the NHL.

"Hockey is never going to work in Phoenix," Bloom told CTV News Channel on Monday night, noting that the team has lost some US$300 million over the past nine seasons in Arizona.

Bloom said that once the team is put up for auction, Balsillie could then bid on the franchise and move it north -- but with the NHL controlling the process.

"I think if Jim Balsillie's smart, he'll play by the rules," Bloom said, noting that the auction price could swell to $400 million.
"He's a hard guy to keep down."

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Canadian Press
=======================
 
Canadian soldier killed trying to defuse bomb
Web Posted | Last Updated Sun. June 14  2009  22:36  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 15th, 2009
A Canadian soldier was killed in Afghanistan Sunday when one of two roadside bombs he was trying to defuse exploded.

Cpl. Martin Dube, 35, was the second Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan in a week.

The explosion also killed an Afghan police officer and gravely injured a local interpreter.

Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance described Dube as "energetic" and as someone who believed in the Afghan mission. He said the combat engineer was always willing to help anyone in need.

"The IED that Martin was dismantling could have killed an entire family, as it was deliberately aimed at passing traffic," Vance, the senior Canadian solider in Kandahar, said.
Cpl. Martin Dube, 35, is shown in a handout photo. Dube, a combat engineer, was killed in Afghanistan, Sunday, June 14, 2009 when an improvised explosive device he was attempting to defuse exploded. (Colin Perkel / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
"His actions, his sacrifice, saved the lives of innocents."

Dube was from 5e Regiment du Genie de Combat based at CFB Valcartier near Quebec City.

The explosion occurred just after noon in the Panjwaii district, which is about 20 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city.

Last Monday, Pte. Alexandre Peloquin died in the same district when he stepped on an explosive device.

Dube was the 120th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed his condolences in a statement Sunday offering "deepest sympathies to the families and friends of Cpl. Dube."

"We are eternally grateful for his sacrifice for this country, while helping to ensure a brighter future for the Afghan people. We are all saddened by this loss," Harper said.

"The bravery and dedication of the exceptional men and women of the Canadian Forces is demonstrated on a daily basis. Their tireless work to make Afghanistan a better place to live are testaments to Canada's most respected and revered values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law."

Vance, seemingly addressing civilians back in Canada, said that grief over the soldier's death would not get in the way of the mission.

"The loss of a soldier is not an indication of failure, nor cause for hopelessness -- Martin Dube knew that, and so should you," Vance said.

"We are determined to succeed so that Afghan lives improve; but our enemies are equally determined to challenge and prevent Afghanistan from flourishing as the nation it so wants to be."

Dube is survived by his girlfriend, Julie, his parents, Marie-Paule and Roger and his brother Vincent.

The interpreter was flown to Kandahar Airfield Hospital. His condition is not known.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Canadian Press
=======================
 
Liberals say all options open for confidence vote
Web Posted | Last Updated Sun. June 14  2009  13:03  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 14th, 2009
The Liberal party insists it may still attempt to bring down the Conservative government in an upcoming confidence vote, despite the political risks of sending Canadians back to the polls for the second time in less than a year.

On Sunday, Liberal MP Ralph Goodale said his party has not ruled anything out for its caucus meeting on Monday, when Leader Michael Ignatieff will decide whether his party will vote against the government's recent economic update.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered the economic progress report on Thursday, saying 80 per cent of stimulus spending was being implemented and 3,000 new infrastructure projects have begun.

Ignatieff said Friday the report was unrealistically positive, but pledged to take a close look at the document before making up his mind.

"The options are all open," Goodale said in an interview on CTV's Question Period. "This is a serious issue and nobody should rule out anything at this stage. This is an important week for Canada, we've got to get it right."

Goodale said Liberal MPs have been consulting their constituents to gauge their support on the issues.

"They'll be listening to their constituents very carefully over this weekend as they have been doing for the last many weeks," he said. "And they'll be bringing that advice back to Mr. Ignatieff tomorrow and next week. They'll be weighing all of this very carefully and very conscientiously."

Liberal strategist Steve MacKinnon told Question Period that the party is out of debt, election-ready and believes the sitting government's days "are numbered."

But he said the decision to go into an election will be made by Ignatieff alone.

"Clearly, the days of this government are numbered, whether it's this week or at some point in the future," MacKinnon said. "The fact of the matter is that Mr. Ignatieff has a big decision that must be taken in the interests of our economy and our health care system."
Liberal MP Ralph Goodale said all options 'are open' for his party when they meet on Monday, June 15, 2009.
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff delivers a luncheon speech before the federation representing Quebec's chambers of commerce Thursday, June 11, 2009 in Montreal. (Paul Chiasson / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Prime Minister Stephen Harper speaks about the Canadian government's progress in implementing Economic Action Plan Initiatives, at a town-hall meeting, June 11, 2009 in Cambridge, Ontario. (Dave Chidley / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
But it will take more than Liberal votes to topple the Conservatives. The NDP and the Bloc Quebecois would have to vote against the government, too, in order for it to fall.

Both the Bloc Quebecois and the NDP have already signalled that they will not support the government in the upcoming confidence vote, a position NDP National Director Brad Lavigne said is consistent with his party's prior objections with the budget.

"This is part of the budget that was tabled a few months ago and we said that the budget wasn't going to do the trick, and yet time and time again, we're proven right," Lavigne told Question Period.

While he conceded that many Canadians will not want to head back to the polls this summer, Lavigne said it was a matter of principle that the NDP would not be supporting the budget.

"I think that most Canadians would prefer there not to be an election...but political parties have to make their decisions based on what they believe in," he said. "We have a belief that this budget is bad. We voted against the budget after reading it back a few months ago and this is the same vote for the same budget. This is the end of the process."

Conservative strategist Tim Powers echoed Lavigne's belief that Canadians do not want to go to the polls again.

On Question Period, Powers questioned why an election would be justified when the government believes it is making progress on the recession that has plagued the worldwide economy since last fall.

"We're starting to see signs, albeit slow, that the economy is turning around. Why is there any need for an election now?" Powers asked.

Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre suggested the Liberals would need to "reconstruct" the short-lived NDP-Liberal coalition that Ignatieff divorced his party from after Dion stepped down as party leader last fall.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
=======================
 
Canada, U.S. will renegotiate Great Lakes water treaty
Web Posted | Last Updated Sat. June 13  2009  13:35  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 13th, 2009
Canada and the United States will renegotiate the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Saturday in Niagara Falls, Ont.

Clinton, who was joined by Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon, crossed the border for celebrations marking 100 years of the Boundary Waters Treaty between the two countries.

"We have to update it to reflect new knowledge, new technologies and, unfortunately, new threats," Clinton said.

"The rivers, the lakes, the streams, the watersheds along our boundary do not belong to one nation, they belong to all of us," she said at celebrations overlooking the falls.

"The friendship between Canada and the United States is a model for the world," said Cannon.

But, he also had some pointed comments on efforts to hinder, rather than promote, trade between the two countries.

"Free trade has been — and still is — a driving force between our countries, one that will help pull us out of the global economic downturn," Cannon said, as Clinton looked on.

"Protectionism can only bring everyone down," he said.

Formed in 1909, the Canada U.S. Boundary Waters Treaty is aimed at resolving disputes "primarily those concerning water quantity and water quality along the boundary between Canada and the United States," according to the website of the International Joint Commission that administers the treaty.

"It is so wonderfully easy to travel between our two countries," Clinton said, noting that an estimated 300,000 people cross the border "every single day."

Still, travel between the two countries has recently become tighter with the introduction on June 1 of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hold a joint press conference in Niagara Falls, Ont., on Saturday, June 13, 2009.
Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon speaks about the Boundary Waters Treaty, at an event marking its 100th anniversary, in Niagara Falls, on Saturday, June 13, 2009.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at a celebration marking the 100th anniversary of the Boundary Waters Treaty, on the Rainbow Bridge between Canada and the U.S., on Saturday, June 13, 2009.
Starting June 1, border guards began requesting passports as Canadians crossed into the United States as the new measure officially came into effect.

For now, anyone who doesn't have a passport will still be allowed to cross the border, as long as they have such things as a birth certificate and picture identification.

Speaking at a news conference later, Clinton said she and her officials were working to make sure that enhanced security measures do not overly interfere with movement across the border.

"We will work very closely with the Canadian government," she said.

As well, both Clinton and Cannon said discussion over water will include the Arctic.

"We don't want the Arctic to become a free-for-all," Clinton said.

Written by CBC.ca News Staff
=======================
 
Minority government's fate rests in Ignatieff's hands
Web Posted | Last Updated Fri. June 12  2009  07:51  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 12th, 2009
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff may announce today whether he will prop up the Conservatives or try and topple the minority government over its handling of the economic downturn.

On Thursday, after Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a rosy update on the economy, Ignatieff said he wanted to take a close look at the document before he made up his mind about what to do.

Immediately after hearing the update, NDP Leader Jack Layton and Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe vowed to vote against the government next Friday when the economic update is put to a confidence vote.

Ignatieff slammed the report as unrealistically positive, but pledged to take a close look at the document before making up his mind.

He said the New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois rejected the update without even looking at it, but it would be irresponsible for him to do so.

"I think it's time to take off the rose-coloured glasses and look closely at the numbers," Ignatieff said in Montreal on Thursday.

He said the Liberals are prepared to enter an election campaign, if necessary, but said the timing is in question.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper speaks about the Canadian government's progress in implementing Economic Action Plan Initiatives, at a town-hall meeting, June 11, 2009 in Cambridge, Ontario. (Dave Chidley / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff delivers a luncheon speech before the federation representing Quebec's chambers of commerce Thursday, June 11, 2009 in Montreal. (Paul Chiasson / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
"The question is what is in the national interest, what do Canadians want here?" Ignatieff asked.

"Let's remember where we are. ... We're in the middle of the most serious recession in a generation, right? What's the right way forward for our country? That's the question I'll be asking myself tonight."

Ignatieff is expected to announce his decision Friday or Monday.

Canada's economy is chugging towards recovery and will only be derailed by "needless political instability," Harper said Thursday.

He said 80 per cent of the $22.7 billion earmarked as stimulus spending is "committed and is being implemented" in some 3,000 infrastructure projects across the country.

"That is no small feat only 72 days into the fiscal year," Harper said, while delivering the second of his government's promised quarterly reports to the House of Commons.

He said Canada was the last of the major developed countries to be dragged into the global recession, has been the least hard-hit by it, and "we will make sure Canada emerges in the strongest position when it is over."

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
=======================
 
Canada getting out of isotope business, Harper says
Web Posted | Last Updated Wed. June 10  2009  18:56  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 11th, 2009
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says that Canada will be getting out of the medical isotope business.

Canada produces at least one-third of the world's medical isotopes, which are used in cancer and heart scans, at the aging Chalk River facility.

At a news conference, Harper said that the plan is to bring Chalk River, now out of service, back online and working as long as possible, while working with the global community and private business for alternatives sources.

Officials say the Chalk River reactor is planned to continue operating until 2016, at which point other countries and businesses would take over to meet global demand.

Harper said it was a difficult decision but hundreds of millions of dollars thrown at the alternatives sources of medical isotopes weren't working and didn't produce a single isotope.

"For whatever reason, Atomic Energy was not able to make that project work. There was no prospect that it would work," Harper said.

"What we've decided to do instead was to invest money to repair the (Chalk River) reactor to keep it online for a longer period of time while other sources around the world come online.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper take part in a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Wednesday June 10, 2009. (Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
A digital meter is illuminated outside of the nuclear reactor at the Atomic Energy Canada Limited plant in Chalk River, Ontario, Wednesday, December 19 2007. (Fred Chartrand / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
"But obviously we will continue to have difficulties with a reactor that is very old, and whose operation is not always dependable and predictable ... That's just the tough reality of the situation."

Since the NRU reactor at the Chalk River nuclear facility was shut down on May 15, Canadian hospitals have been getting by with extra shipments from reactors elsewhere around the world.

The Petten reactor in the Netherlands -- the world's second largest for medical isotopes -- has increased production by at least 50 per cent, and a South African reactor has also ramped up production.

But last week, both those reactors were shut down temporarily, worsening Canada's supply crisis.

The issue is front-and-centre in Ottawa, with the head of the Ontario Association of Nuclear Medicine warning that smaller hospitals are expected to run out of medical isotopes by Thursday.

"At the end of this week, we'll have a very severe reduction in the supply of medical isotopes for this Thursday and Friday," Dr. Christopher O'Brien told Canada AM Wednesday.

"Many centres across Canada will be offering basically only emergency services -- if that."

That means some patients across Canada who have been booked for diagnostic scans for later this week may have to be rescheduled.
Radioisotopes, which are necessary for diagnosing diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and bone ailments, are seen in this undated photo.
Dr. Christopher O'Brien, president of the Ontario Association of Nuclear Medicine, speaks on Canada AM from CTV's studios in Kitchener, Ont., Wednesday, June 10, 2009.
Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt said that hospitals will receive medical isotopes next week.

"Hospitals will receive next week over 50 per cent of their orders . . . from what they have anticipated," Raitt said Wednesday.

On the attack

The Conservatives also went on the attack Wednesday, charging that the Liberals knew the Chalk River reactor was near-death while they were in power.

The Tories say that former Liberal natural resources minister Ralph Goodale knew about the reactor's problems in 2003, and alleged that the minister knew that two replacement projects were in deep trouble.

Raitt called it "unforgivable" and said the Liberals didn't fund Atomic Energy of Canada properly.

Goodale responded by saying all of the reactor problems have occurred since the Tories came to power.

The Liberals said the Conservatives don't have a long-term solution to the isotope shortfall.

"We have spoken to the Dutch and the Australians and they say they can ramp up production, but they can't make up the shortfall," Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff charged in the House of Commons Wednesday. "(The government) can't make up the shortfall and they can't say how many isotopes will actually end up in Canadian hospitals."

Other technologies
Doctors have been able to use an older-technology isotope called Thallium 201 for cardiac therapies and tests, so care for those patients has been little affected. But any type of diagnostic test for non-heart-related issues, such as cancer tests, will not be available when the supply runs dry.

Hospitals in remote areas will feel the pinch more than those in urban centres, which can pool their isotopes more effectively because of their proximity to one another.

O'Brien says his group is getting reports that next week will be even worse than this week, with absolutely no medical isotopes availability for smaller hospitals.

The Chalk River reactor will be shut down for at least three months as maintenance crews attempt to patch a crumbling wall at the base of the reactor that led to a heavy water leak.

To make matters worse for Canadian doctors desperate for isotopes, the Petten reactor in the Netherlands is also leaking and is scheduled to be out of service for four weeks starting in July.

"The shutdown of the reactor in the Netherlands is going to have a significant impact," says O'Brien.

"We're very, very concerned about this. If Chalk River is not restarted by that time, the world's two major reactors that produce medical isotopes will be closed simultaneously. The other two or three reactors that we can rely on will not be able to meet demand.

"We are terrified of this situation."

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
=======================
 
Raitt's 'sexy' comment angers medical community
Web Posted | Last Updated Wed. June 10  2009  08:48  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 10th, 2009
The head of the Ontario Association of Nuclear Medicine says it was "very inappropriate" for Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt to call the isotope shortage a "sexy" issue.

Dr. Christopher O'Brien said Raitt's comments, which were made during a private conversation with a former aide, became public at a time when the crisis is at a breaking point.

"The medical community feels that we are in a crisis situation and statements such as that just diminish the seriousness that the medical isotope crisis is having on patient access for heart disease and cancer," O'Brien told CTV's Canada AM on Wednesday.

Opposition MPs called on Raitt to resign on Tuesday, one day after a recording was unveiled in which she called the isotope shortage a "sexy" issue that could earn her political points.

On the tape, which was apparently recorded by mistake in January by Raitt's former press secretary Jasmine MacDonnell, the minister is also heard questioning the competency of Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq.

Despite intense pressure, both Raitt and Prime Minister Stephen Harper refused to give an inch on Tuesday, and both stopped short of issuing a formal apology.

"This minister has been working around the clock to make sure we get a greater supply of
Minister of Natural Resources Lisa Raitt responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Tuesday, June 9, 2009. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Dr. Christopher O'Brien, president of the Ontario Association of Nuclear Medicine, speaks on Canada AM from CTV's studios in Kitchener, Ont., Wednesday, June 10, 2009.
isotopes and make sure we have alternative options for our health-care patients in this country," Harper said in Parliament.

He also lashed out at the opposition and accused them of playing "cheap politics."

Harper defended Raitt's work on the medical isotope file, saying she was working with the international community to improve the isotope supply in the medium and long term.

"That's what the minister is doing, that's what this government is doing, not playing cheap politics."

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff responded by saying that Raitt has failed to get the isotope shortage under control as the minister in charge of the file.

"The cheapest politics there is to call a crisis a career opportunity," Ignatieff said. "This is about the minister's performance. The government knows there aren't enough isotopes."

NDP Leader Jack Layton said at the very least Raitt should apologize, if not step down, for comments that are insensitive to cancer patients who may have to wait longer for tests or treatments due to the isotope crisis.

The tape was made public by Halifax's The Chronicle Herald on Monday, only a few days after MacDonnell was sacked for leaving sensitive government documents at CTV News' Ottawa bureau.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
=======================
 
Another tough day likely ahead for Lisa Raitt
Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. June 9  2009  08:02  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 9th, 2009
More fireworks are expected Tuesday over comments made by Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt about the medical isotope shortage and her colleague Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq.

A recording of a conversation between Raitt and her former communications director Jasmine MacDonnell was left in a bathroom in the House of Commons and eventually fell into the hands of a reporter.

In the tape, Raitt can be heard calling the isotope shortage a "sexy" issue that will help score political points.

The tape also recorded Raitt criticizing Aglukkaq and her ministry's handling of the isotope file.

CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife said the opposition parties are jumping on the opportunity to demand Raitt's resignation.

"Obviously the opposition parties are going to seize on this and try to bring the minister down on this particular issue," Fife told CTV's Canada AM.

"The prime minister is going to hang tough and we'll see the public reaction. There may be a significant-enough backlash that it might do enough damage for the prime minister to ask her to resign."

The recorded conversation took place in January, but the reporter who obtained it, Steve Maher, reportedly held off on listening to it until last week, when MacDonnell resigned after leaving sensitive documents at CTV's Ottawa bureau.

The paper won a court battle on Monday to publish the information.

"The judge says it wasn't a private conversation if you leave the tape machine in the bathroom in the House of Commons. He said this was an issue of bad bookkeeping, quite frankly," Fife said.

When Maher received the tape in January, he called MacDonnell to let her know he had it, but no one came to get it in the four months before the paper moved to publish the contents.
Minister of Natural Resources Lisa Raitt responds during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Monday June 8, 2009. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Stephen Maher, reporter for The Chronicle-Herald, appears on Canada AM from CTV studios in Halifax, Tuesday, June 9, 2009.
New Democrat MP Olivia Chow, left, and lawyer Brian Iler, right, speak to the media at a press conference asking for the federal government to investigate and conduct an audit in response to alleged misconduct of some Toronto Port Authority board members in Toronto on Monday, June 8, 2009. (Nathan Denette / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
"Really they don't have anyone to blame and the judge agreed with the Halifax Chronicle, saying if you leave it in a public place don't claim it was a private conversation," Fife said.

"It stretches credibility that this woman would not have gone and picked up the tape as soon as she knew it was in the hands of a reporter."

So far, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has stood by the minister and reportedly has no plans to ask for her resignation.

Allegations related to previous job

Adding to Raitt's troubles are allegations she may have expensed thousands of dollars worth of meals when she was the chief executive officer of the Toronto Port Authority.

NDP MP Olivia Chow claims four of the nine port authority directors have requested an examination into Raitt's expenses and other management practices at the port authority.

At issue is $80,000 in travel and hospitality expenses that Raitt ran up in two years while she was CEO of the federal public authority.

Raitt quit the job to run for the Conservatives.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
=======================
 
N. Korea sentences two U.S. journalists to prison
Web Posted | Last Updated Mon. June 8  2009  07:35  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 8th, 2009
Two American journalists were convicted Monday in North Korea and sentenced to 12 years of hard labour.

Laura Ling and Euna Lee were convicted of committing "grave crimes" against the reclusive nation, according to a short report from the Korean Central News Agency.

The decision came at the conclusion of a five-day trial that has brought relations between Pyongyang and the U.S. to the boiling point.
This undated combo file photo show American journalists Laura Ling, right, and Euna Lee who were arrested near North Korea's border with China. (AP / Yonhap)
Tensions have been high since the North carried out a series of nuclear and missile tests which have led the United Nations to consider punishing the country.

Many believe the journalists, 32-year-old Ling and 36-year-old Lee, are being used by Pyongyang as bargaining chips in the dispute.

In addition to committing "grave crimes," they were found guilty of crossing illegally into North Korea.

The country's highest court "sentenced each of them to 12 years of reform through labor," said the news report.

On Monday, White House spokesperson Bill Burton said U.S. President Barack Obama was deeply concerned about the situation.

"We are engaged through all possible channels" to secure their release, Burtin said in a statement on Monday.

The U.S. State Department is still trying to confirm reports of the sentencing.

Some analysts have suggested the two journalists may be used as bargaining chips to secure aid from the U.S., or that the sentencing is retaliation for U.S. threats of sanctions against Pyongyang.

Washington is also considering putting North Korea back on the list of states that sponsor terrorism.

Monday's sentence was the maximum possible under North Korean law, but some analysts have said it's likely their release will be arranged through diplomatic negotiations.

The women were reporting on the illegal trafficking of women between North Korea and China. The trial was held in secret, and few details have been released about their arrest. It's unclear whether they strayed into the North and were picked up there, or if border guards crossed into China to pick them up.

They were working for former U.S. vice president Al Gore's Current TV, based out of California.

Ling is the sister of journalist Lisa Ling, a former co-host of The View.

Tensions between North Korea and its neighbours, and the West, have been high since May 25, when it detonated an underground nuclear blast. Following that, several missile tests were carried out. The U.S. also says the North appears to be preparing to test another long range missile.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Associated Press
=======================
 
18 killed during shootout at house in Acapulco
Web Posted | Last Updated Sun. June 7  2009  17:16  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 7th, 2009
Mexican soldiers battled for two hours with armed men believed to be holding police hostage in a house in Acapulco, leaving 16 gunmen and two soldiers dead, the military says.

At least three soldiers and Mexican bystanders were injured in the shootout. Some small hotels were evacuated in the Acapulco neighborhood, which used to be popular with classic Hollywood stars such as John Wayne, but has since fallen out of favour and become rundown.

The battle broke out Saturday night after the military received a tip about a gated home filled with armed men, said the army colonel who led the mission and spoke on the condition of anonymity for security reasons.

Gunmen opened fire at the soldiers when they arrived at the house and hurled about 50 grenades at them. Several gunmen tried to flee in a car but ran into a Humvee that was blocking the exit.

An additional group of gunmen arrived by car to reinforce those in the house, but were killed by the military, the colonel said as he wore a ski mask while leading reporters through the battle scene.
Police officials hold a position during a gunfight in Acapulco, Mexico, Saturday, June 6, 2009. (AP Photo)
Seized weapons sits on the floor of a home after a gunfight in Acapulco, Mexico, early Sunday, June 7, 2009. (AP Photo)
Inside the home, soldiers found four Guerrero state police officers who were handcuffed in the garage.

The police officers, who were still bound and sitting on the floor, told reporters that they were being held captive by the gunmen.

The military did not have any intelligence reports about the police officers capture and said their identities had not been confirmed.

"We found them like this, handcuffed, and they say they were kidnapped. So, if they were kidnapped, as they say, then we rescued them," the colonel said near the bound men.

The military said it was unclear whether the gunmen belonged to one of the drug cartel battling for turf in Guerrero state.

One drug cartel, the Beltran Leyva cartel, has a heavy presence in Acapulco. One of its top lieutenants was arrested last month.

The military said they confiscated 47 guns, grenades and various ammunition from the home, and seized several cars, including a Mercedes Benz.

Mexico has deployed 45,000 soldiers in the war on the drug cartels. More than 18,000 people have died since December 2006 in drug-related violence.

The Mexican offensive has had far-reaching implications, as the shortage of Mexican drug exports, has driven up illegal drug prices around the world. Police in Vancouver have said the spike in gang violence there is related to the shortage of Mexicans drugs, causing gangs to fight over a shrinking supply.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Associated Press
=======================
 
Two bodies found near plane crash site, Brazil says
Web Posted | Last Updated Sat. June 6  2009  13:20  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 6th, 2009
The Brazilian military reports that it has found two male bodies in the Atlantic Ocean close to where an Air France jet crashed last Sunday.

Brazilian air force spokesperson Col. Jorge Amaral said the bodies were recovered Saturday morning about 650 kilometres northeast of the Fernando de Noronha islands off of Brazil's northern coast.

According to Amaral, search crews also found a suitcase that contained a ticket for the flight.
A Brazilian Air Force plane takes part in search operations for the missing Air France jet, in Fernando de Noronha, northeast of Brazil, Saturday, June 6, 2009. (AP / Eraldo Peres)
Air France flight 447 was on its way from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Paris, France when it vanished over the ocean Sunday night with 228 people on board as it flew through strong turbulence.

Search crews first spotted wreckage on Tuesday, and have since found a number of pieces of the plane.

However, they had yet to find any survivors or bodies until today.

French authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash, but are focusing on messages sent by the plane that show it may have been receiving incorrect airspeed readings.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
=======================
 
Ont. hit hard as jobless rate reaches 11-year high
Web Posted | Last Updated Fri. June 5  2009  07:54  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 5th, 2009
The Canadian economy shed 42,000 jobs in May, pushing the unemployment rate up to an 11-year high of 8.4 per cent, Statistics Canada reported Friday.

The losses were led by cuts in Ontario's manufacturing sector, which shed another 47,000 jobs last month.

Jayson Myers, president of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, said the numbers reflect how dire the situation is for the manufacturing sector, which has already seen customer demand "fall off the map."
Statistics Canada says Ontario felt the full brunt of the recession in May as 60,000 workers in the province lost their jobs. (AP / Elise Amendola)
Myers told CTV's Canada AM on Friday that the industry is now "being hit by a soaring loonie and also being threatened by rising protectionism in the United States."

Douglas Porter, deputy chief economist at BMO Nesbitt Burns, said the Ontario losses are largely due to production shutdowns at Chrysler.

"Arguably, the very narrowness of the job losses in May -- almost exclusively concentrated in Ontario manufacturing -- holds out a whiff of good news for the broader economy," Porter said in a note.

"That is, the devastation in the auto sector is not being repeated in other sectors."

Overall, 60,000 workers across all sectors in Ontario lost their jobs in May.

Across Canada, employment has fallen by 363,000, or 2.1 per cent. Of those losses, 234,000 cuts have come in Ontario.

"While Ontario accounts for 39 per cent of the total working-age population, it has experienced 64 per cent of overall employment losses since the start of the labour market downturn," says the report.

The Canada-wide cuts were worse than the 36,500 jobs economists had predicted would be lost.

"It was back to reality for Canadian employment in May," Porter said.

"The job shakeout likely still has a way to go, even if the broader economy bottoms out in the coming months."

BNN's Michael Kane said job losses should be expected during the economic downturn.

"Even when the recession ends and the economy starts to rebound we will continue to see job loss for several months," Kane said.

Although Ontario saw job losses, employment increased in Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff
=======================
 
Users of Premarin drug stunned by price hike
Web Posted | Last Updated Wed. June 3  2009  22:50  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 4th, 2009
Women who take the hormone replacement therapy drug Premarin are getting a big case of sticker shock when they renew their prescriptions these days.

That's because as of April 1, a month's supply of the medication has risen an astonishing 800 per cent, from about 14 cents a pill to about $1.24 a pill.

The price hike isn't due to any changes in the drug's formulation or packaging; it's simply a matter of supply and demand, says its manufacturer, Wyeth Canada.

With a number of studies linking long-term hormone replacement use to increased risks of breast cancer, many women have gone off the drug. But some women who have debilitating menopause symptoms weighed the risks along with their doctor and decided to take hormone replacement medications.

But the drop-in demand has left Wyeth with few options but to raise prices, it says.

"Wyeth Canada is increasing the price of Premarin to more appropriately reflect the costs and value of the product today," the company said in an email to CTV News.

"The new price is reflective of current costs, including higher manufacturing and ingredient costs and a long-term, steady reduction in the consumption of the product, increasing the per-dose and per-patient cost significantly.
The monthly cost of the hormone replacement therapy drug Premarin rose 800 percent from 14 cents a pill to about $1.24 a pill.
Rositta Buracas, one of the Canadian women who take Premarin, was shocked to see that her three-month bill went from about $25, including dispensing fee, to more than $125.
"We believe this adjustment is fair and reasonable and it reflects the tremendous value of Premarin to Canadian women, while remaining competitive to other products in its category," the company said, noting that the current price remains below the average cost of prescriptions in Canada.

Rositta Buracas is one of the Canadian women who take Premarin. She says it helps her sleep better, feel better, and ward off osteoporosis. When she noticed the price increase last month, she was shocked. Her three-month bill went from about $25 -- including dispensing fee -- to more than $125. Prices vary slightly depending on pharmacy.

"When they showed me the bill I said, 'You've got to be joking, right?'"

A reader of the CTV MedNews Express health blog wrote in to say that she, too, was stunned with the price hike.

"I'm very upset at the company," Emily told CTV. "Companies shouldn't do this to their patients."

There is no generic version of Premarin, meaning there are no easy alternatives for patients. While generic conjugated estrogen can be used instead, many may find that the price is not much lower than Premarin.

Premarin's pricing based on market demand

There is little the federal government can do. That's because Premarin is no longer a patented medication, its pricing doesn't come under the jurisdiction of the federal government's Patented Medicine Review Board and companies are free to set pricing based on market demand.

Rositta has her own demand and that's that women write in to Wyeth and demand a more reasonable price increase.

"I want the company to sit up and take notice. They'd better do something because there will be lots of bitchy hormonal women out there!" she says.

Dr. Jim Wright of the University of British Columbia's Therapeutics Initiative, which analyzes prescription medication independently of pharmaceutical companies, says when there are no patents, companies can price a drug at whatever the market can handle.

He says at its new price, Premarin is not good value. He says women should reconsider whether they should talk with their doctors and assess whether they'd be better off with another kind of estrogen medication.

"I would also recommend all provincial drug plans, when they become aware of this, to no longer fund it, and private insurance should not fund it because it's not good value," he says.

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals says its decision "was based on extensive research, including discussions with stakeholders, physicians and patients, and reflects the value Premarin brings to Canadian women. Key inputs from that research showed that Canadian physicians and women wanted us to continue to offer the product."

"While we understand this is undesirable for some patients, the only other option was to remove the product from the market, and many Canadian women continue to rely on this unique product."

The company says that if women can't afford it, their doctors can apply for it on compassionate release and get a 100-day supply for free, while patients "consider options for payment or transitioning to an alternate product."

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with a report from CTV medical specialist Avis Favaro and producer Elizabeth St. Philip
=======================
 
Secret federal documents reveal full AECL funding
Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. June 2  2009  22:00  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 3rd, 2009
Sensitive government documents left behind at a CTV News bureau reveal Ottawa has poured far more money into the aging Chalk River nuclear reactor than the public has been told.

The binder of documents was left nearly a week ago at CTV's Ottawa bureau by either Minister of Natural Resources Lisa Raitt or one of her aides. Some of the papers are clearly marked "secret."

Ontario's Chalk River reactor supplies at least one third of the world's medical isotopes, which are used in diagnostic tests for some forms of cancer. Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. shut down the reactor last month because of a heavy water leak.

In documents headlined "Background for discussion with chair of Atomic Energy Canada," the government lists funding for the Crown corporation at $351 million for 2009-2010. That figure was in the January budget.

However, it also lists $72 million to "maintain the option of isotope production." The public 2009 budget does not specifically mention funding for isotopes.

The documents also include a hand-written note that lists total funding for Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd. since 2006 at $1.7 billion, and then a talking-point memo to characterize the spending as "cleaning up a Liberal mess."

The Conservative government plans to privatize AECL's nuclear reactor division in order to boost sales of its CANDU reactors, as Ontario weighs whether to buy two new power plants.
A digital meter is illuminated outside of the nuclear reactor at the Atomic Energy Canada Limited plant in Chalk River, Ontario, Wednesday, December 19 2007. (Fred Chartrand / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt responds to questions during a news conference after announcing that the Harper government plans to sell off parts of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, in Ottawa, Thursday May 28, 2009. (Fred Chartrand / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Publicly, Ottawa has downplayed Ontario's interest in the sale of AECL's Candu division. But included in the binder is background information for a May 25 meeting with Glenna Carr, who chairs the board of directors for AECL: "The government continues to support AECL's bid in Ontario, but the announcement will probably raise questions about this support. We will have to manage this very carefully."

Other documents highlight cost increases for AECL that have not been made public. In one document headlined "Discussion with CEO Hugh MacDiarmid, CEO of Atomic Energy Canada," it lists $100 million in supplementary funding to keep it solvent.

That figure includes cost increases to refurbishing Ontario's Bruce Power reactors and cost-overruns at Candu reactors around the world, according to the documents.

And in papers headlined "Minister Raitt's Discussion with Ontario Minister of Energy George Smitherman," it appears that AECL is far behind schedule on refurbishing two of the Bruce reactors: "Bruce 1 reactor 324 days late," and "Bruce 2 reactor 433 days late."

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from Graham Richardson
=======================
 
Searchers comb Atlantic for missing Air France jet
Web Posted | Last Updated Tue. June 2  2009  07:53  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 2nd, 2009
Investigators are trying to piece together what happened in the final moments before a still-missing Air France jetliner vanished over the Atlantic Ocean.

The plane carrying 228 people, including one Canadian, disappeared from radar screens around 10:14 p.m. ET Sunday, while flying from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris, France.

The Airbus A330 vanished after sending automated messages saying it had encountered a storm and had experienced electrical problems.

CTV's London Bureau Chief Tom Kennedy said ships from four nations were helping in the search on Tuesday, or were on their way to do so.
Members of the Brazilian Pelican military squad prepare to depart from Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, to take part in the search for an Air France jet that disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean, Monday, June 1, 2009. (AP / Walbe, Correio do Estado)
French and Brazilian military aircraft were searching a vast section of ocean between Brazil and the west coast of Africa, for the plane.

U.S. satellite technology was also being used to search for signs of the aircraft.

"When the search began we were told the actual search area is a couple of times the size of Europe," Kennedy told CTV's Canada AM.

"I have no doubt that area has been considerably reduced, but it is a very large area and people are already talking about how if the wreckage broke up in the air it would be spread over a very large area."

At least one Canadian, 49-year-old Brad Clemes, was on board the jetliner.

On Monday afternoon, a family member confirmed to CTV News that Clemes, originally from Guelph, Ont., was among those on the flight.

Clemes was an employee with Coca-Cola living in Belgium who was born and raised in Southern Ontario, according to reports.

Points of fire?

Brazilian airline TAM issued a statement on Monday saying one of its pilots had reported seeing several orange points on the ocean that could have been points of fire.

Air Force spokesman Col. Jorge Amaral told the Agencia Brasil official news service that authorities were investigating the report.

"There is information that the pilot of a TAM aircraft saw several orange points on the ocean while flying over the region," he said.

Final communication

Air France said an automatic message was sent from the plane at 10 p.m. ET on Sunday, indicating it had experienced electrical problems while passing through a "thunderous zone with strong turbulence."
Then at 10:14 p.m., another message sent from the plane said an "electrical circuit malfunction" had taken place.

If no survivors are found, the incident will be the deadliest commercial crash since 2001.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Monday afternoon that the "prospects of finding survivors are very small."

Speaking at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, Sarkozy said the incident "is a catastrophe like Air France has never before known."

Sarkozy added that "it will be very difficult" to find the jet because the zone where it vanished is so massive.

The plane went missing roughly 1,200 kilometres northwest of Natal, Brazil, near the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha. The region is roughly 2,400 kilometres northwest of Rio.

The plane, Flight 447, was supposed to arrive in Paris at 5:15 a.m. ET on Monday. It was carrying 216 passengers and 12 crew.

Along with one Canadian, the airline said Monday that 61 French people, 58 Brazilians, 26 Germans and nine Italians were on board, among others.

Written by CTV.ca News Staff with files from The Associated Press
=======================
 
Jetliner disappears after reporting electrical trouble
Web Posted | Last Updated Mon. June  1  2009  08:19  ET
Giant Dwarf Posted: June 1st, 2009
An Air France jet carrying 228 people has vanished over the Atlantic Ocean during a flight from Brazil to France, after reporting heavy turbulence and electrical problems.

The airline lost contact with the Airbus A330 around 10:20 p.m. ET on Sunday after receiving a message that the plane was in trouble, said CTV's London Bureau Chief Tom Kennedy.

"About three to three-and-a-half hours after this plane took off from Brazil there was a radio message, the pilot or co-pilot radioed to say they had hit very heavy turbulence and they had had a short circuit," he told CTV's Canada AM.

"That's as much as we know. Radio contact was lost not long after that and then the plane simply disappeared from radar screens."

The plane is reported to have vanished roughly 300 kilometres northeast of Natal, Brazil, near the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha.

The Brazilian air force has launched a search and rescue operation on the country's northeast coast.
View at Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris after it was announced that an Air France Airbus A330 was missing between Rio de Janeiro and Paris, Monday June 1, 2009. (AP / Bob Edme)
This undated file photo shows an Airbus A330-200 jetliner from the French company Air France. (AP / Airbus)
The plane, Flight 447, was supposed to arrive in Paris at 5:15 a.m. ET on Monday.

Neither French nor Brazilian authorities have made an official statement about the plane's disappearance, but Kennedy said hope is already fading.

"Certainly the tone coming out of France is not good," he said.

"It's being reported by French radio that a spokesperson inside Air France has said they've lost hope for this aircraft."

A crisis centre has been established at Charles de Gaulle airport to help the families of those who were aboard the plane.

Company spokeswoman Brigitte Barrand said the airline had few details to release.

"Air France regrets to announce that it is without news from Air France Flight 447 flying from Rio to Paris," she said. "Air France shares the emotion and worry of the families concerned."

CTV's aviation expert Mark Miller said the twin jet engine Airbus A330 has a strong safety record.

"If this airplane is confirmed to have gone down it will be the first complete loss of an Airbus A330 in the world, so you can imagine this airplane has basically an unblemished record," Miller told Canada AM.

He said weather records for the region show severe thunderstorms occurred overnight, but said jetliners typically fly above such weather disturbances.

He said the A330 has multiple levels of redundancies, or backup systems, so that if one system goes down another can kick in and take over.

The plane is also equipped with an Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System, or ACARS, which uploads location and flight data to a satellite on a minute-by-minute basis, so that controllers can pinpoint the aircraft's location.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed his "extreme worry" and sent representatives to Charles de Gaulle airport to report on the situation.

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