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U.S. launches controversial rocket	30/04/05
Residential school abuse victim awarded damages	29/04/05
Guité returns to Gomery hot seat	28/04/05
PM shells out $4.6B for NDP's support	27/04/05
NDP waits for Martin's decision	26/04/05
Martin, Layton meet to discuss deal	25/04/05
Benedict XVI installed as Pope	24/04/05
Nunavut Earth Day protest gets star support	23/04/05
Martin pledges election after final Gomery report	22/04/05
Martin to appeal directly to Canadians	21/04/05
New Pope vows to unify Christians	20/04/05
No 'empty moralizing' in foreign road map: Martin	19/04/05
Ottawa to speed up immigration	18/04/05
Pope's ring and seal destroyed	17/04/05
Polls show Conservatives gaining support	16/04/05
10 children among 20 killed in Paris fire	15/04/05
Sponsorship probe told millions paid in commissions	14/04/05
Destroy mislabelled pandemic flu samples, WHO tells labs	13/04/05
Cancer crisis 'will only get worse,' society warns	12/04/05
Transit strike averted in Toronto	11/04/05
Drugs killing thousands of seniors yearly	10/04/05
Charles and Camilla tie the knot	09/04/05
Huge crowd attends Pope's funeral	08/04/05
Rome struggles to control crowds	07/04/05
Another woman's body found near Edmonton	06/04/05
5 dead in Ottawa fire	05/04/05
John Paul's funeral set for Friday	04/04/05
Martin remembers 'a true apostle of peace'	03/04/05
Shots fired as sealers, protesters clash	02/04/05
Pope John Paul in grave condition	01/04/05

U.S. launches controversial rocket Web Posted | Last Updated Sat, 30 Apr 2005 00:59:56 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 30th, 2005 CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. - A U.S. rocket has blasted off without a hitch from a Florida air force station, after repeated delays amid fears it might drop debris on oil platforms off Newfoundland's shore. The Titan IV rocket launched from Cape Canaveral shortly before 9 p.m. EST Friday and successfully cast off a military satellite several minutes later, observers said. The mission caused a diplomatic scramble earlier in April, when officials revealed that a 10-tonne solid rocket booster and other materials would land near oil platforms on the Grand Banks, about 350 kilometres east of St. John's. Newfoundland and Labrador's premier, Danny Williams, said three of the platforms – including Hibernia – would be evacuated. He called on the Americans to cancel the mission. The U.S. Air Force Space Command postponed it repeatedly, blaming technical problems. At the same time, it assured Canadians that the chance of anyone being hurt was 1 in a trillion. On Friday, Defence Minister Bill Graham said he felt confident the mission could proceed without causing problems. The oil operations that might have been affected included the gravity-based structure at Hibernia, the floating platform at Terra Nova and the drill rig GSF Grand Banks in the White Rose field. About 245 people work at a time at Hibernia. Another 80 people work at the Terra Nova platform. Written by CBC News Online staff	The Titan IV rocket launched from Cape Canaveral on Friday on a northeast path along the Atlantic coast. The Hibernia offshore oil platform was one of three operations that would have been evacuated.
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Residential school abuse victim awarded damages Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 29 Apr 2005 11:44:03 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 29th, 2005
REGINA - Canada's highest court has increased the award for an aboriginal man from Saskatchewan who was sexually abused by a residential school administrator more than a quarter of a century ago. The victim, who can't be named, was assaulted in the mid-1970s by the school's administrator during after-hours boxing practices. The boy was 14 or 15 years old at the time of the assaults. The issue before the Supreme Court of Canada was the amount of damages. The victim was originally awarded $407,000 by a Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench judge, with about $300,000 of that for lost earnings – also know as pecuniary damages. The total amount was later reduced to $86,000 by the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, which said, among other things, that the man wasn't entitled to lost wages for time he spent in jail. But on Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled the man should get a larger share – but not all – of the pecuniary damages he was seeking. The judges did not set an exact amount, and said if the two sides can't agree they should go back to court to settle on a number. The man was one of the victims of the notorious pedophile William Peniston Starr, who as residence supervisor oversaw students on the Gordon First Nation in the 1970s. Starr spent time in prison for sexually assaulting a number of male students. Hundreds of other students would later accuse Starr of abuse. The man at the centre of the lawsuit wasn't a student at Gordon, but came into contact with Starr while he was running an after-school boxing program. He said he was subjected to acts of masturbation by Starr on two occasions. In later years, the man struggled with alcohol abuse, joblessness and conflicts with the law. He sued the federal government in 1997. The man's lawyer, Tony Merchant, hailed the decision, saying it represented justice for his client and will also help other residential school abuse victims receive proper compensation. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Guité returns to Gomery hot seat Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 28 Apr 2005 07:41:02 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 28th, 2005
MONTREAL - Chuck Guité, the civil servant who ran the trouble-plagued federal sponsorship program in its formative years, will be back before the Gomery inquiry Thursday morning. What he tells the public inquiry's hearings in Montreal won't be known for a few days, however. Justice John Gomery has imposed a publication ban on his testimony because Guité is facing a fraud trial in June over his role in running the program. If Gomery follows the practice he has used for two other witnesses in the same situation – Quebec advertising executives Jean Brault and Paul Coffin – he will at least partially lift the ban after hearing all of what Guité has to say. This will be Guité's second appearance before the commission. The last time he testified, Guité insisted his political masters in Jean Chrétien's Liberal government knew how he was running the program. That included a lack of contracts and documents spelling out what work a number of Liberal-friendly ad firms were doing to earn fees and commissions from the $250-million program designed to keep Quebec in Canada after the 1995 sovereignty referendum. Auditor General Sheila Fraser has said the people running the federal program "broke every rule in the book" when it came to ensuring Ottawa got value for its money. In his last appearance, Guité depicted himself as a man coping with an emergency, fighting to save Canada and having to cut corners in the process. Since then, the inquiry has heard from a parade of advertising executives who are alleged to have submitted phoney invoices and bills for work that did nothing to promote national unity. Some of the executives talked about a cosy relationship with Guité. For example, he built a wine cellar for one and sold a boat to another. There has also been testimony about sponsorship money being funnelled back to the Liberal party in a scandal that may lead to the defeat of current Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority government later this spring. Written by CBC News Online staff
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PM shells out $4.6B for NDP's support Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 27 Apr 2005 06:44:26 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 27th, 2005
TORONTO - Prime Minister Paul Martin has reached an agreement-in-principle with the New Democrats to earn support for his minority government's budget – a deal that includes a $4.6-billion boost in social program spending over two years. "This agreement is fiscally responsible. It is progressive. We agreed to it because we want Parliament to work," Martin told reporters Tuesday. Martin said the deal – which could enable his government to survive – will be paid for through projected budget surpluses of $9 billion. The prime minister vowed that the budget would be balanced, adding that he is still committed to paying down at least $4 billion a year from the national debt. Under the proposed deal, the Liberals would boost social spending in Canada and foreign aid by $4.6 billion over two years. Promised tax cuts for small and medium-sized businesses will remain but cuts for large corporations will be deferred. Budget's 'better',' though not perfect: Layton NDP Leader Jack Layton had asked Martin to respond by Tuesday on whether the prime minister would scrap corporate tax cuts, introduced in the February budget, as the price for NDP support. "This budget isn't perfect. But it's better. And it's balanced, and it includes tax reductions for small business," Layton told reporters Tuesday evening at an earlier news conference. "But it also invests in people and our environment." $1.6 billion for affordable housing The deal appears to meet many of Layton's demands. The NDP had wanted Martin to reduce tuition fees, build more affordable housing, increase foreign aid and spend more to fight pollution.
The proposed deal includes: -  $1.6 billion for affordable housing construction, including aboriginal housing. -  $1.5-billion increase in transfers to provinces for tuition reduction and better training through EI. -  $900 million for environment with one more cent of the federal gas tax going to public transit. -  $500 million for foreign aid to bring Canada in line with promise of 0.7 per cent of GDP. -  $100 million for pension protection fund for workers. Layton said details were still being discussed by the Liberal and NDP House leaders. Harper attacks deal as 'price to make corruption go away' Conservative Leader Stephen Harper suggested the purpose of the money was to divert attention from the sponsorship scandal. "My first response is that Mr. Martin and Mr. Layton think $4.6 billion of taxpayers' money is the price to make corruption go away, but I wonder if the taxpayers of Canada are going to think the same thing," Harper said in a statement. If the Liberals hadn't received NDP support to push through the budget, an election call within the next month was almost a certainty. A looming parliamentary vote on the budget has the potential to bring down Martin's administration, since it will be considered a vote of confidence in the government. A Liberal/NDP alliance would give them a combined total of 151 members of Parliament. A possible alignment of 99 Conservative MPs and 54 Bloc Québécois MPs would add up to a total of 153 votes. In that scenario, three MPs sitting as Independents could decide the fate of Martin's government in the 308-seat Parliament. Written by CBC News Online staff
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NDP waits for Martin's decision Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 26 Apr 2005 08:00:33 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 26th, 2005
TORONTO - NDP Leader Jack Layton is hoping to hear back from Paul Martin on Tuesday about whether the prime minister will meet a demand that the Liberals scrap $4.6 billion in corporate tax cuts as the price for NDP support on the minority government's budget.
During a 30-minute meeting Sunday night in Toronto, Layton gave Martin until Tuesday afternoon to decide whether to cancel the tax cuts introduced in the February budget, which are planned to take effect in three years' time. The NDP wants Martin to cancel the cuts in favour of spending more to fight pollution, reduce tuition fees, build more affordable housing and increase foreign aid. "There's no need to overthink this proposal," said Layton at a news conference Monday. "We're simply saying, 'Shift some of the spending.' "If the prime minister is willing to change his budget ... then we'll work to try to pass the budget." If the Liberals don't receive NDP support to push through the budget, an election call within the next month is almost a certainty.	Prime Minister Paul Martin speaks with the media after a meeting in Toronto, Monday.
PM stands ground Speaking Monday in Toronto, Martin sounded likely to hold firm on his tax-cut promise. He said the planned cuts would primarily help small- and medium-sized businesses, which he called the "primary job creator" in Canada, and finance social programs. "We will do nothing that would in any way, shape or form jeopardize the financial stability and the financial strength of this country," said Martin. Conservative Leader Stephen Harper suggested Monday that any deal between the Liberals and NDP could become an election issue. "If they are going to make a backroom deal, it's something the voters may want to have a say on," he told reporters. Harper said if those two parties make changes to the budget that include taking out policies his party supports – policies such as tax cuts – it would "push us farther away from this government and farther away from supporting it." A looming parliamentary vote on the budget has the potential to bring down Martin's administration, since it will be considered a vote of confidence in the government.
The possibility of an election forced Martin to cancel his trip to visit parts of Holland and the city of Moscow in early May to mark Canada's role in the liberation of Europe at the end of the Second World War 60 years ago. Political scientist David Docherty says that even if Layton and Martin agree on a budget deal, the Liberals will have a hard time avoiding other confidence votes brought in by the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois in the weeks ahead. "Unfortunately for the Liberals, even with the support of the New Democrats, it's highly unlikely they'll be able to avoid an election until after Gomery," he said. Martin went on television last week to promise he would call an election within 30 days of receiving the final report of the Gomery inquiry looking into the $100-million sponsorship scandal. That report is expected in mid-December.	NDP Leader Jack Layton speaks in a news conference at his riding office in Toronto, Monday.
If the Liberals and the NDP form an alliance, they would have a combined total of 151 members of Parliament. A possible alignment of 99 Conservative MPs and 54 Bloc MPs would add up to a total of 153 votes. In that scenario, three MPs sitting as Independents could decide the fate of Martin's government in the 308-seat Parliament. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Martin, Layton meet to discuss deal Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 25 Apr 2005 07:27:36 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 25th, 2005
TORONTO - Prime Minister Paul Martin met with NDP Leader Jack Layton Sunday night in an effort to keep the Liberal minority government alive. Without a deal between the two parties, an election call within the next month is almost a certainty. The two parties would not confirm where or when the meeting was taking place, let alone reveal what the leaders had said to each other once it had happened. Layton has been offering to support the Liberals' budget if Martin agrees to cancel a series of planned corporate tax cuts and address some NDP priorities. Political scientist David Dockerty says that even if Layton and Martin agree on a budget deal, the Liberals will have a hard time avoiding other confidence votes brought in by the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois in the weeks ahead. "Unfortunately for the Liberals, even with the support of the New Democrats, it's highly unlikely they'll be able to avoid an election until after Gomery," he said. Martin went on national TV last week to promise he would call an election within 30 days of receiving the final report of the Gomery inquiry looking into the $100-million sponsorship scandal. If the Liberals and the NDP form an alliance, they would have a combined total of 151 MPs. A possible alignment of 99 Conservative MPs and 54 Bloc MPs would add up to a total of 153 votes. In that scenario, three MPs sitting as independents could decide the fate of Martin's government in the 308-seat Parliament. They are British Columbia's Chuck Cadman, a former Canadian Alliance and Conservative MP, and former Liberals Carolyn Parrish and David Kilgour. There is one vacant seat, after the Liberal MP for Labrador died in late 2004. While the negotiations and number-crunching go on, MPs will take a spring break from the House of Commons this week. That will give them a chance to return to their ridings and gauge whether voters want them to force a new election less than a year after the one that produced this minority government. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Benedict XVI installed as Pope Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 24 Apr 2005 13:21:49 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 24th, 2005
VATICAN CITY - As many as 500,000 people packed St. Peter's Square Sunday to attend a mass that marked the official start of the pontificate of Benedict XVI. The crowd erupted into applause as the Pope emerged from St. Peter's Basilica and stood for a few moments to smile and wave before the mass began. More cheering greeted the Pope as he kissed the altar. The Pope began his day by blessing the tomb of Rome's first bishop, St. Peter, in the crypt under the great cathedral of the Vatican. No pope had begun his installation mass this way before. The insignia of office In one of the most symbolic moments, Benedict was given his Fisherman's Ring and a woollen pallium or shawl, both symbols of his papal authority. The ring is emblazoned with an image of Peter casting his fishing nets. It was used historically as a seal for apostolic letters. With that, Benedict XVI donned his gold mitre and went to his congregation gathered in the morning sun to lead his first public mass since being elected by his fellow cardinals in a secret two-day conclave last Tuesday. The 78-year-old Pope, speaking in Italian, asked for prayers as he assumed "this enormous task." "My real program of governance is not to do my own will, not to pursue my own ideas, but to listen, together with the whole Church and the will of the Lord." The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was known as the enforcer of church orthodoxy, said in his papal installation homily that he would listen along with the Church to the will of God in governing the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics. Benedict reached out to other Christians, delivering "special greetings" to them as well as to Jews to whom he said, "We are joined by a great shared spiritual heritage." The mass completed, the Pope was driven among his faithful in an open-topped Jeep-like vehicle. Along with an estimated 100,000 pilgrims from the Pope's native Germany, political and ceremonial dignitaries on the list of those attending included German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, and Benedict's brother, the Rev. Georg Ratzinger. Other dignitaries attending were Prince Philip; Canadian Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson; Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, representing the United States; Rowan Williams, the spiritual head of the world's Anglican Communion; and representatives from the Christian Orthodox and Russian Orthodox churches. Italy has boosted security by shutting Rome's Ciampino airport until noon, banning all aircraft except a few military planes from flying above the city during the ceremony and putting thousands of extra police officers on the streets. In the days after the mass, Benedict will perform installation ceremonies at the three other main basilicas in Rome. Benedict, the first German pope since the 11th century, was the leader of the College of Cardinals and delivered the homily at the funeral of John Paul II, who died April 2. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Nunavut Earth Day protest gets star support Web Posted | Last Updated Sat, 23 Apr 2005 11:06:02 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 23rd, 2005 IQALUIT - Hollywood actors Selma Hayek and Jake Gyllenhaal joined hundreds of Canada's Inuit for a group photo-shoot in Iqaluit to protest against global warming. It was part of the worldwide Earth Day celebrations. The large crowd, which assembled on the frozen surface of Baffin Island's Frobisher Bay, formed the shape of a giant Inuit drum dancer and the words "Arctic Warning" for an aerial photograph.
The non-profit event took place as part of Toonik Tyme, Iqaluit's spring festival. Schools and businesses were closed Friday afternoon. "Hello everybody! This is the most exciting place I've ever been in my life," yelled Hayek, the Mexican performer known for her roles in Frida, Dogma and Desperado. Event organizer John Quigley, who took the picture, said the image will be projected around the world to send a message about the effects of global warming in the Arctic, and how climate change affects Inuit. The California-based photographer has co-ordinated similar projects in other settings, including events on baseball diamonds, parking lots, beaches and parks. Sheila Watt-Cloutier, president of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, an international Inuit group, said the number one threat to her culture is climate change. "Most times I have to go out to far away places of the world to send this message. This message is coming home for us," she said. A recently released document claims that climate change is occurring two to three times faster in the Arctic than in other parts of the world and that the arctic ice cap could melt away within a century. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Martin pledges election after final Gomery report Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 22 Apr 2005 07:58:57 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 22nd, 2005
OTTAWA - In a rare address over the nation's airwaves Thursday, Prime Minister Paul Martin promised to hold an election within 30 days of an inquiry report into the sponsorship scandal. In a seven-minute speech delivered in English, nine minutes in French, Martin pleaded with Canadians to reserve judgment on his government until all the facts are known about the scandal. "I commit to you tonight that I will call a general election within 30 days of the publication of the commission's final report and recommendations," Martin said. The report, to be written by Justice John Gomery, the head of the commission, is expected to be released in December. "Let Judge Gomery do his work. Let the facts come out and then the people of Canada will have their say," Martin said in the speech, that was taped in the prime minister's parliamentary office about an hour before it aired. Martin conceded that the scandal occurred under the Liberal government's watch while he was finance minister, saying "those who were in power are to be held responsible. And that includes me." "Knowing what I've learned this past year, I am sorry that we weren't more vigilant, that I wasn't more vigilant," he said. Martin's address comes as the Liberal party has come under fire following recent revelations at the Gomery Inquiry, which is investigating the sponsorship program – a $250-million project intended to promote national unity and to oppose separatism in Quebec. In her February 2004 report, Auditor General Sheila Fraser said an estimated $100 million in commissions in relation to the program went to Liberal-friendly ad agencies for little or no work. Liberals saw their support plummet in the polls after the inquiry heard of an alleged scheme to funnel taxpayers' dollars to the Liberal party through sponsorship contracts. "I will never hesitate to describe what happened on the sponsorship file for what is was: an unjustifiable mess. It's up to me to clean it up. That's my job. I am cleaning it up. And I am willing to be judged on my record of action," Martin said.
But Martin, who has been hammered daily by opposition MPs over the allegations of corruption within the Liberal party, reminded viewers that it was he who cancelled the program and immediately called for an inquiry once he became prime minister. He took credit for firing Alfonso Gagliano, the minister responsible for the sponsorship program, from his appointment as ambassador to Denmark, and bringing in whistleblower legislation. The prime minister also pledged that "if so much as a dollar is found to have made its way to the Liberal party from ill-gotten gains" it will be returned to Canadians. "I want no part of that money," Martin said. The opposition had earlier denounced the prime minister's tactic of going to the airwaves, saying that measure should be reserved for times of national crisis. A decade ago, Jean Chrétien made a TV appeal on the eve of the Quebec referendum. Brian Mulroney spoke to the country during the constitutional battles. Pierre Trudeau took to the airwaves to justify his wage-and-price controls of 1975. Martin said the scandal has monopolized all political discussion and he blamed opposition MPs for "partisan jousting" and for not allowing the government to deal with important issues. The allegations have fuelled speculation that the opposition parties will bring down the government and force a spring election. "The Parliament you sent to Ottawa less than a year ago is preoccupied with election talk and with political strategy – not with the job you sent us here to do," the prime minister said. "If we are to have an election, one that will be at least in part about the work of Judge Gomery, surely that election should occur only when we have the work of Judge Gomery," Martin said. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Martin to appeal directly to Canadians Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 21 Apr 2005 06:55:24 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 21st, 2005
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Paul Martin has taken the extraordinary measure of announcing he will speak to the nation on Thursday night about the sponsorship scandal and the resulting chaos in Parliament. The speech, which is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. ET, will be carried live on CBC Radio and CBC Newsworld. There has been continuing speculation that the opposition parties are ready to force an election. The prime minister's advisers are describing the current situation as "an exceptional political circumstance," but say it is not a national emergency. The issue that is at the root of the problem is the sponsorship program and the Gomery inquiry which is examining the scandal over federal government advertising contracts. There have been allegations of Liberal party corruption and there has been a resultant decline in the Martin government's standing in public opinion. In her February 2004 report, Auditor General Sheila Fraser said an estimated $100 million in commissions in relation to the program went to Liberal-friendly ad agencies for little or no work. The inquiry's final report remains months away - probably in November - and Martin has continually insisted that any election call should be after all the facts are known. The suggestion now is that he'll make "a commitment" to Canadians about the matter in Thursday's statement, but it is unclear what the commitment might be. His advisors say he will not set an election date, he will not hand over power and he will not resign. Instead, among other things, he's expected to restate that the Gomery inquiry must be allowed to finish its work. And, he's expected to reinforce what recent public opinion polls have shown, that Canadians don't want an election now. The opposition has already denounced the prime minister's tactic. "I think it's a distraction to try to get Canadians attention away from criminality within his ... party," said Conservative Deputy Leader Peter MacKay. In a statement NDP Leader Jack Layton said he was disappointed with the prime minister's actions. "It is greatly unfortunate Mr. Martin, who promised to show respect for Parliament, has chosen a television address instead of being accountable to Parliament. On both policy and corruption, the growing disrespect for Parliament that Mr. Martin's Liberal government shows makes it difficult for those of us trying to make it work to succeed. This is a disappointment, which we've come to expect from Mr. Martin." BQ Leader Gilles Duceppe called Martin "a man of hesitation. Now he's a man of desperation." Written by CBC News Online staff
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New Pope vows to unify Christians Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 20 Apr 2005 07:49:40 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 20th, 2005
VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI used his first mass as the Roman Catholic Church's leader Wednesday to lay out his priorities, promising above all to bring Christians together.
The agenda of former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany was read in Latin to the 114 cardinals who assembled in the Sistine Chapel one day after electing him as Pope. "Showing good sentiments is not enough for this. Concrete acts that enter souls and move consciences are needed," the message said of his pledge to follow in the steps of his predecessor, John Paul II, by working towards reunifying Christians split apart by 1,000 years of different approaches to spirituality. He also promised to continue reaching out to other religions and civilizations, as John Paul II did, and to work on implementing more reforms from the Second Vatican Council in1962-65, which began to modernize Catholicism.	Pope Benedict XVI leads mass in the Sistine Chapel.
And he said he would reach out to young Catholics around the world. "I wait to meet with them in Cologne on the occasion of the next World Youth Day. I will continue the dialogue with you, dear youths, future and hope of the church and mankind." Benedict pledged to do all this in John Paul's spirit. "I seem to feel his strong hand holding mine," the message said. "I feel I can see his smiling eyes and hear his words, at this moment particularly directed at me: 'Be not afraid.'" Ratzinger turned 78 on Saturday, three days before becoming the first Germanic pope since the 11th century. Known to some as a frank and pious traditionalist and to others as a strict hardliner, he will be formally installed on Sunday at 10 a.m. Rome time (4 a.m. EDT). On Tuesday evening, shortly after his election was heralded by a puff of white smoke and the tolling of St. Peter's Basilica, Benedict XVI addressed a cheering crowd of tens of thousands of people.
"Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me – a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord," he said. "The fact that the Lord can work and act even with insufficient means consoles me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers," the new Pope said. The crowd responded by chanting "Benedict!" and "Benedetto!" The last pope named Benedict ruled the church from 1914-1922. Benedict XV had been the Italian cardinal James della Chiesa before serving as pope during and after the First World War, favouring neither side but working tirelessly for peace. The new pontiff had served John Paul II since 1981 as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Known as "the enforcer," he has warded off attempts by liberals to reform the church and disciplined dissidents. He has rejected the ordination of women and marriage for priests, and is also on the record as opposing homosexuality, rock music and Buddhism. The cardinal even has his own fan club. Its website, www.ratzingerfanclub.com, has been overwhelmed with traffic since his election Tuesday. The club sums up the cardinal's operating method this way: "Putting the smackdown on heresy since 1981." As leader of the College of Cardinals, Ratzinger delivered the homily at the funeral of John Paul II, who died April 2 at age 84. Written by CBC News Online staff
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No 'empty moralizing' in foreign road map: Martin Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 19 Apr 2005 08:15:49 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 19th, 2005
OTTAWA - The Martin government will unveil its long-awaited foreign policy blueprint Tuesday, promising to change the role of the Canadian military and the country's foreign aid objectives. "You cannot have the kind of robust foreign policy I believe Canada has to have if all you're prepared to do is engage in empty moralizing," said Prime Minister Paul Martin on Monday, as he gave a preview of his plan to a select group of diplomats, foreign policy experts and Canadian aid agencies. The International Policy Statement was supposed to have been ready in the fall of 2004, but Martin asked that it be re-written several times to deliver on his promise to redefine Canada's role in the world by: - Reshaping relations between Canada and the United States. - Improving business ties with emerging economic powerhouses such as China and India. - Targeting foreign aid at a smaller number of countries, whittling the list down to 25 from the current 155. "We are going to exercise an independent foreign policy in those areas where we believe that we have a role and an ability to play where others don't," Martin said. Martin singled out Sudan, Haiti and the Middle East as places where Canada can play a key role in providing security, and then building stable democracies. Won't be 'handmaiden of any country' He said Canada will be an equal partner with the United States in defending North America, but not at any price. "The foreign policy I envisage is certainly part of NATO, part of the great Western alliance," he said. "But let there be no doubt: We are not going to be out there as the handmaiden of any country." Martin also promised to make the necessary investments in Canada's military to ensure staff have the skills and the equipment to do the jobs asked of them. Some in his audience wondered about the value of Martin's promises with the Liberals mired in a scandal from the sponsorship program inquiry and a possible election looming. Bruce Campbell, the executive director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, was among the skeptics. "It would be naive to think that it wasn't in some way connected to diverting attention away from the political turmoil, scandal and so forth," he said. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Ottawa to speed up immigration Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 18 Apr 2005 08:05:17 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 18th, 2005
OTTAWA - Citizenship and Immigration Minister Joe Volpe is expected to announce a plan Monday to quicken the pace of the application process for immigrants who want to settle in Canada. Part of the $72-million plan is aimed at helping those who want to sponsor their parents or grandparents, a process that immigration lawyers say can take between five and 10 years because there is a backlog of about 100,000 cases. Key aspects of the immigration plan, according to various media reports: - A tripling in the number of parents and grandparents accepted over the next two years, bringing the total to 18,000 a year. - A change to allow international students to work and gain Canadian experience while they are being trained in this country. - Incentives to encourage new Canadians to settle outside major metropolitan centres like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. - More money to clear a growing backlog of citizenship applications. The changes do not need legislative approval and could take place immediately, giving the Liberals some campaign momentum with immigrant communities should their minority government fall this spring or summer. Volpe was expected to announce the immigration plan in Brampton, Ont., on Monday morning, accompanied by MPs from other Toronto-area ridings that are home to significant numbers of new Canadians. Big backlogs causing hardship Immigration lawyer Michael Greene says there should be a public debate over solving the backlogs in bringing family members to Canada, which are causing severe hardship for new immigrants. "I do think that Canadian family values are there and that it's a motherhood and apple pie issue – and in this case, literally a motherhood issue," he said. Harbinder Gill, who moved to Calgary from the Indian state of Punjab seven years ago, says the delay is taking a heavy toll on him. "I drive stressed, I go to work stressed, I'm always stressed, I stay home stressed," he said. "I'm always thinking about my mother and sisters." His father died after Gill arrived in Canada, but every day he waits for some news about whether he'll be reunited with his aging mother and his sisters. After five years of waiting, he is beginning to give up hope. If his family sponsorship application isn't approved in the next year, the 35-year-old says he'll move back to India. "We find this across the country," said Calgary Conservative MP Lee Richardson of the frustration and despair felt by immigrants wanting their families nearby. "Upwards of 70 per cent of case work in our MPs' offices are immigration business. "That's nuts. There's something wrong with the system." Written by CBC News Online staff
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Pope's ring and seal destroyed Web Posted | Last Updated Sat, 16 Apr 2005 20:01:33 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 17th, 2005 VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II's ring and lead seal have been destroyed in a symbolic ritual that marks the end of the pontiff's 26-year reign. The ceremony during a meeting of Roman Catholic cardinals at the Vatican came as the official nine-day mourning period for John Paul ended with a Mass held Saturday in St. Peter's Basilica. The cardinals were meeting for the last time before they seal themselves off in the Sistine Chapel beginning Monday in a conclave to choose a new pope.	Pope John Paul II
A Vatican spokesman said Saturday that he was confident that jamming devices and other security measures would keep secret the name of John Paul's successor until it's announced publicly. Joaquin Navarro-Valls of the Vatican said technical specialists on the Vatican's security force had ensured that no leaks would be possible from the chapel. Guards said devices that block cell phones and other communications equipment have been installed in the chapel. The 115 cardinals who will take part in the conclave have taken an oath of secrecy, as have all housekeepers and other staff who will have contact with the cardinals. The main courtyard near the chapel will be sealed and tourists will be restricted in parts of the Vatican grounds. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Polls show Conservatives gaining support Web Posted | Last Updated Sat, 16 Apr 2005 11:41:48 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 16th, 2005
TORONTO - A pair of new polls show Stephen Harper's Conservatives are leading the Liberals in voter support. An Ipsos-Reid survey suggests the Conservatives have 36 per cent support, while the Liberals trail at 27 per cent. The NDP were at 15 per cent, while the Bloc Québécois followed at 10 per cent. The poll, conducted for the Globe and Mail and CTV during April 12-14, follows damaging testimony at the Gomery inquiry over the past week. Compared to a similar poll from April 8-10, the Conservatives have gained six percentage points in voter support, while the Liberals have stayed the same. The NDP dropped from 19 per cent support and the Bloc was down by two percentage points. Despite the shift in support, 53 of respondents in the new poll said they don't want an election until after Justice John Gomery releases his report on the sponsorship scandal in the fall. The survey of 1,000 adults is said to reflect the views of all Canadians to within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times in 20. According to the survey, 40 per cent said they were more likely to trust the Conservative leader compared to 35 per cent for Paul Martin. When asked who they think would be able to clean up corruption in Canada, 41 per cent believed it would be Harper, while 26 per cent named the prime minister and Liberal leader. A second poll, conducted by Compas Research for the National Post, gives the Tories 34 per cent support. The Liberals are at 30 per cent, the NDP at 18 per cent and the Bloc, 15. The spread between the Conservatives grew when those surveyed were asked how they would vote "given the revelations from the Gomery commission." Thirty-six per cent of respondents chose the Conservatives and 26 per cent, the Liberals. COMPAS Inc. polled 1,004 adults. The results are said to be accurate within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The poll was conducted from April 11-13. Written by CBC News Online staff
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10 children among 20 killed in Paris fire Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 15 Apr 2005 08:17:36 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 15th, 2005
PARIS - Fire swept through a budget hotel in central Paris early Friday morning, killing at least 20 people and causing some guests to leap from windows to escape. Half of the dead were children, officials said.
A total of 50 people were injured, 11 of them critically, after flames broke out in the Paris Opera hotel at about 2 a.m. There is speculation that four of the victims may have been trying to cook something in the first-floor breakfast room where the fire broke out. Guests were forbidden to cook in their rooms. The hotel had only one exit, so some guests chose to jump from their room windows rather than perish in the flames and thick smoke. Crews are still looking for victims in the debris. Many of those killed are reported to be Africans. The French capital's City Hall and state welfare services had rented 26 of the one-star hotel's 32 rooms as emergency housing for needy immigrant families.	Firefighters attend a fire in a central Paris hotel.
The hotel was also popular with tourists attracted by its low prices. It is located in the city's ninth district, home to the world-famous Paris Opera House and the Place Pigalle, associated with artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and songbird Edith Piaf. Of the three Canadians staying in the six-storey hotel, one was "lightly injured," a fire official said. The Department of Foreign Affairs could not immediately confirm that report. More than 50 fire trucks and 10 ambulances were called to the scene. The fire was put out in about one hour. An emergency medical centre and a makeshift morgue were set up in the nearby Galeries Lafayette department store. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Sponsorship probe told millions paid in commissions Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 14 Apr 2005 08:03:39 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 14th, 2005
MONTREAL - The Gomery inquiry has heard that Jacques Corriveau, one of Jean Chrétien's close friends, pocketed nearly $7 million in sponsorship money for little or no work.
Hunting and fishing show promoter Luc Lemay testified Wednesday that he agreed to give Corriveau a commission on all government sponsorship contracts he obtained for Lemay's companies. Lemay says contracts for his companies – Groupe Polygone and Expour – started to pour in after he met Corriveau. He told the inquiry he would meet with Corriveau at the beginning of each year to hammer out project proposals for sponsorship money. That, he said, translated into about $36 million over seven years for Lemay's companies. Lemay says $6.7 million went to Corriveau in commissions.	Luc Lemay testifying at the Gomery commission.
"Corriveau would send me bills, but I never looked them over," Lemay said. "We had agreed I'd pay him his commission once the money came through." Bills tabled at the inquiry show Corriveau provided invoices for professional services. "Did Corriveau do any work for the money?" Lemay was asked. "Little or none," Lemay replied. "So why would you pay him for work that he didn't do?" Lemay said Corriveau very possibly didn't want to show that he was making commissions on contracts he lobbied for in Ottawa. At that point Justice John Gomery intervened. "One is not supposed to use one's influence or contacts with the government to secure contracts, right?" Gomery asked. Lemay said, "I don't know." "You've never heard of influence peddling? That's forbidden in public service?" Lemay simply scratched his head and shrugged. Had Lemay looked at Corriveau's bills for regional outdoors shows he should have become suspicious. The description of the work on each of the invoices is nearly identical, referring to preparing venues at Olympic stadiums in Rimouski, Ste. Foy, Chicoutimi, Trois Rivières and Sherbrooke. "To your knowledge is there an Olympic stadium in Rimouski?" Lemay was asked. "No," he replied. In his testimony, Lemay also acknowledged he made equal contributions totalling $10,000 to Liberal candidates Denis Coderre and Yolande Thibeault between 1998 and 1999 and an additional $10,000 to the Liberal party during the same period. But he said the donations had nothing to do with sponsorship money he received. On Thursday the inquiry will begin hearing testimony from Jacques Corriveau, the man who is turning out to be a key figure in the scandal. The sponsorship inquiry is looking into the $250-million sponsorship program, which was intended to promote national unity, and to discourage separatism in Quebec. In her report in February 2004, Auditor General Sheila Fraser said an estimated $100 million in commissions under the program went to Liberal-friendly ad agencies for little or no work. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Destroy mislabelled pandemic flu samples, WHO tells labs Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 13 Apr 2005 06:35:36 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 13th, 2005
OTTAWA - Canadian scientists were the first to spot a pandemic flu strain that was mistakenly sent to labs in 18 countries, sparking the World Health Organization to issue an urgent recall Tuesday.
A U.S. company sent mislabelled samples of the H2N2 influenza that triggered a pandemic in 1957 to nearly 5,000 labs worldwide, as part of a routine testing program. Since the strain hasn't infected humans since 1969 and it is not included in flu shots, people under the age of 37 have no immunity to H2N2.
Although the risk of a laboratory accident causing a pandemic was low, WHO urged scientists to immediately destroy the materials. "A large number of labs got it and if someone does get infected, the risk of severe illness is high and this virus has shown to be fully transmissible," WHO's influenza chief, Dr. Klaus Stohr, told The Associated Press. All 20 Canadian laboratories that received the mislabelled material have destroyed it, the Public Health Agency of Canada said Tuesday. On March 26, Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory detected the mislabelled samples, potentially averting a global problem by notifying WHO. Laboratories worldwide use the test kits as part of their internal quality control checks, to ensure they are identifying viruses correctly. The College of American Pathologists also uses the kits to test scientists seeking certification. Within 24 hours, scientists worldwide are to confirm the specimens were destroyed by reporting to the College, the WHO alert said. Lab workers who worked with the material will be monitored, and anyone showing respiratory illness will be tested for H2N2, the Canadian agency said in response to the WHO directive. Almost 99 per cent of the labs that received the kits are in the U.S., Stohr said. Bioterrorism is not suspected, said Dr. Nancy Cox, influenza chief at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Cancer crisis 'will only get worse,' society warns Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 12 Apr 2005 07:08:25 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 12th, 2005
TORONTO - Canada faces a cancer care crisis because the number of new cases is growing twice as fast as the country's population, the Canadian Cancer Society warned Tuesday. "It's difficult now to deal with the cancer cases we have, and it will only get worse," society spokeswoman Heather Logan told CBC Newsworld in an interview to mark the 25th anniversary of the day runner Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope to raise money for cancer research. The cancer society said 149,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2005, about 3,500 more new cases than doctors detected a year earlier. About 69,000 people will die of the disease, up by 1,200 from 2004. About 2.7 million Canadians will die of cancer over the next three decades if the current trend continues, Logan said. The society is calling on Ottawa to fund a $50-million strategy that it says could prevent 400,000 of those deaths by promoting healthier living. At least half of all cancers are preventable if people make simple lifestyle choices, Logan said. That includes quitting smoking, eating more fruit and vegetables and increasing exercise by even a small amount each day – "getting off the bus one stop early and walking to your house or office." Cancer rates are growing in part because the Canadian population is aging, said Logan. The types increasing the fastest for men are thyroid, skin and prostate cancer, she said. Thyroid, lung and skin cancer rates are rising most rapidly for women. Those rates may be rising in part because skin, thyroid, lung and prostate cases are being detected earlier, she added. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Transit strike averted in Toronto Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 11 Apr 2005 04:44:45 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 11th, 2005 TORONTO - A last-minute deal has been reached to avoid a strike by Toronto transit workers, which would have sent hundreds of thousands of people scrambling to find other transportation in the country's largest city. The strike was to have begun on Monday morning, but representatives for the Toronto Transit Commission and the transit union said late Sunday that they had reached a tentative deal.	Toronto's streetcars, as well as its buses and subways, will be running as usual on Monday after a strike was averted.
Ontario's Labour Ministry arranged the meeting between the two sides after negotiations broke off abruptly on Friday over wages, contracting out, work schedules and other issues. "I want to announce to the people of Toronto that there will be full TTC service tomorrow morning," Bob Kinnear, president of the Transit Workers Union, said at news conference after 5 p.m. local time. Toronto Transit Commission chairman Howard Moscoe said it was the toughest collective agreement that he's ever negotiated. "I feel like a member of the bomb squad who half an hour ago was faced with a green wire and a red one and thank God we cut the right wire," Moscoe said. "It was that tight." Toronto Mayor David Miller thanked both sides for resolving their differences, calling the transit system "the lifeblood of Toronto." Kinnear said most of the major breakthroughs were non-monetary in nature and wouldn't cost the public a cent. He said the agreement includes: More regular schedules for maintenance workers. Less harsh disciplinary procedures related to following transit schedules. Changes to contracting-out procedures. More than 8,000 transit union employees will vote on the tentative deal on Thursday. The union announced plans to strike after rejecting a contract offer on Friday. The proposed deal included wage hikes of 2.75 per cent, three per cent and 3.2 per cent, and improvements to benefits and pensions. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Drugs killing thousands of seniors yearly Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 10 Apr 2005 10:32:50 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 10th, 2005
OTTAWA - A CBC News investigation reveals that Canadian seniors account for 44 per cent of adverse drug reactions causing death that are reported to Health Canada, even though they make up just 13 per cent of the population. CBC's analysis of Canada's adverse drug reaction database, obtained from Health Canada under Access to Information laws, suggests up to 16,500 elderly patients have died due to suspected drug reactions in the last five years. "The way it's been calculated by CBC I think is quite cautious and is realistic," said Dr. Jim Wright, a clinical pharmacologist who studies the adverse effects of drugs. He's also the managing director of the Therapeutics Initiative at the University of British Columbia. Older people are more vulnerable to drug reactions partly because they use more drugs than the general population. Seniors are also more vulnerable because they metabolize and excrete drugs more slowly. But when drugs are being developed, they're rarely tested in seniors, so their effects can be a surprise, says Dr. Robyn Tamblyn, an epidemiologist and researcher at McGill University. "When a drug is approved to come into the market, you're almost in an experimental situation when you're trying it out on people for which it was never tested," said Tamblyn. Tamblyn says that in a given year, nearly one in 10 seniors who take drugs will have a reaction serious enough to put them in hospital. In most cases she says it's a result of inappropriate prescribing: the wrong drug, the wrong dose, the wrong combination of drugs, or even unreadable handwriting on prescriptions that leads to mistakes. But people are also living longer, in general, according to Dr. Chris MacKnight, one of only 200 Canadian geriatricians, doctors who specialize in treating the elderly. That means it's more common to live with several chronic conditions, each of which might require its own medication. MacKnight sees problems created by these multiple prescriptions in the people he treats at the Camp Hill Veterans Memorial Hospital in Halifax. "The patients we see in the emergency room, probably 75 to 80 per cent of them, have a medication involved in their problem. They've almost always been started on something recently that they've [reacted badly] to," said MacKnight, who's also the president of the Canadian Geriatrics Society.
Drugs to avoid One tool to help physicians avoid such problems is a study known as the Beers list, which outlines drugs seniors should generally avoid because they are either ineffective in the elderly or put seniors at an unnecessarily high risk when safer alternatives are available. Last updated in 2003, lead author Donna Fick calls the peer-reviewed list the most user-friendly way for doctors to identify inappropriate drugs for seniors. Although general practitioners write about 80 per cent of prescriptions, most, including Canadian Medical Association president Albert Schumacher, don't know about or use the Beers list. Schumacher says he's not alarmed by the number of deaths attributed to Beers list drugs. He says doctors try to balance risk and benefit when they prescribe. "No it doesn't necessarily raise alarms because, remember, with seniors we're dealing with many life-threatening illnesses," he said. CBC found that in 2004, 1.5 million Canadian seniors – more than one-third – were given drugs that are either ineffective in the elderly or put seniors at an unnecessarily high risk when safer alternatives are available. This figure was arrived at using data provided by Brogan Inc., a health-care data and research company based in Ottawa. MacKnight says family doctors are in a tough position when it comes to prescribing for seniors, and they need tools and training to help them do it more safely. Health researchers like Donna Fick believe a good start would be for doctors to familiarize themselves with the Beers list. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Charles and Camilla tie the knot Web Posted | Last Updated Sat, 09 Apr 2005 11:21:44 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 9th, 2005
WINDSOR, ENGLAND - Thirty-five years after they first began their love affair, Prince Charles and the former Camilla Parker Bowles were married on Saturday.
Camilla will now be known as Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall. If Charles becomes King, she will legally be his queen, but they have announced she will instead use the title of Princess Consort. Crowds cheered and a jazz band played Congratulations as the couple emerged from their private civil ceremony at the Guildhall in Windsor, west of London. They then drove back to Windsor Castle for a blessing by the Archbishop of Canterbury and a buffet reception. Most members of the Royal Family attended the civil wedding, except for the Queen and Prince Philip, who were at the blessing service of prayer and dedication. It was a second marriage for both Charles, 56, and Camilla, 57, and the blessing service included recitation of an act of penitence, in which the couple joined the congregation in acknowledging "sins and wickedness."	Prince Charles and his bride Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, leave St George's Chapel after the church blessing of their civil wedding ceremony.
The blessing service, held in St. George's Chapel, which is inside Windsor Castle, also included pledges by Charles and Camilla to be faithful to each other. Canada's Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson was among the 800 guests attending the blessing. Also there was Camilla's first husband, Andrew Parker Bowles. In the streets of Windsor, some people carried Union Jack flags as they lined the route between the Guildhall and Windsor Castle. Others raised banners honouring Prince Charles's first wife, the late Diana, Princess of Wales. For the wedding, Camilla wore an oyster silk basket-weave coat with a herringbone stitch and a matching chiffon dress. She also wore a matching straw and lace hat with feather details. The new duchess later changed into a porcelain blue silk dress for the blessing.
Charles was dressed in a formal morning suit, in contrast to the military uniform he wore for his first marriage. Prince William, Charles's eldest son, and Tom Parker Bowles, Camilla's son, acted as witnesses at the wedding ceremony. Plans seemed jinxed This wedding was beset by problems from the time it was announced in February. The couple had hoped to declare their engagement on Valentine's Day, but the announcement was made earlier when their secret was leaked to the British press.	A royal fan in Windsor's High Street gives his thumb of approval to the wedding on Saturday.
The wedding ceremony was going to be at Windsor Castle, but it was moved to the riverside town's Guildhall after the couple learned that an obscure law would have required them to open the castle to anyone else who wanted to marry there. The wedding was initially planned for Friday, but it was delayed by a day earlier this week so it would not conflict with the funeral of Pope John Paul II in Vatican City. Charles first met Camilla Shand in 1970 and they discovered they shared an interest in outdoor life. But he moved on, sailing away with the Royal Navy, and she ended up in 1973 marrying Parker Bowles, a colonel in the Household Cavalry.
The people's princess Charles married 20-year-old Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. It was a fairy-tale wedding and the beautiful princess won the people's heart, but she lost her husband's. "There were three of us in that marriage," Diana said later, referring to Camilla. Diana also acknowledged affairs of her own. The Parker Bowles marriage ended in 1995, and Charles and Diana divorced the next year. Andrew Parker Bowles remarried in 1996. Many Britons joined Diana in calling Camilla a home-wrecker, and the new Duchess of Cornwall is still not as popular as Diana, who died in 1997. Charles and Camilla slowly made their relationship open, appearing together for the first time	Charles and Camilla shortly after their civil wedding ceremony.
in 1999 and first kissing in public in 2001. After the reception, the couple plan to fly to Aberdeen for a honeymoon at a Scottish hunting lodge. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Huge crowd attends Pope's funeral Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 08 Apr 2005 08:22:16 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 8th, 2005
ROME - Pilgrims, kings, queens and presidents bowed their heads and prayed as the funeral mass of Pope John Paul II was celebrated at St. Peter's Square Friday. Tens of thousands of worshippers and more than 100 world leaders flooded into Rome's most famous square for the largest funeral in the Roman Catholic Church's history.
More than four million more people watched the service on large video screens installed throughout the city, including an estimated two million pilgrims who had travelled from the Pope's native land of Poland for the occasion. Throughout the ceremony, rounds of applause broke out repeatedly in a traditional Italian sign of respect, as onlookers gently waved Polish flags. "They're applauding his life; they're celebrating his life now," said Rita Dawes, one of the pilgrims in the square. "It's a wonderful life. He's done so much for everyone." At some points in the service, the crowd began chanting "Giovanni Paolo" and "Santo! Santo!" to express the wish that the church move quickly to make John Paul II a saint. The applause and chanting were loudest as the Pope's casket was carried back into St. Peter's Basilica for interment at 6:40 a.m. EDT, or 12:40 Rome time.	Pallbearers carry the coffin of Pope John Paul II into St. Peter's Square.
When the funeral began more than two and a half hours earlier, the Vatican's Sistine Choir sang the Gregorian chant Grant Him Eternal Rest, O Lord, as the simple wooden coffin was carried from where it had been lying in state in the basilica. Carved into the coffin were a cross and the letter "M" to signify the late Pope's love for Mary, the mother of Jesus. A plain book of the Gospel lay on top of the coffin in lieu of the flowers more common at funerals. Gospel reading compared to Pope's life As a slight wind rippled his cassock, a young priest sang in Latin the biblical passage that many believe summed up the late Pope's life, John 21:15-18. In it, Jesus asks his beloved disciple Simon Peter whether he loves Jesus, then directs him: "Feed my sheep." Peter went on to become the church's first pope, and died a martyr for his faith.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the German-born dean of the College of Cardinals and a confidant of the late pontiff, was the celebrant at the requiem mass and delivered the homily. Speaking in Italian, he spoke of the Pope's love for the young, "whom John Paul II liked to call the future and hope of the church." Ratzinger said John Paul was "profoundly rooted in Christ," and that allowed him to bear the heavy burden of leading the church despite the complexity of preaching an often-unpopular gospel in a modern world, and the increasing toll of the illnesses he suffered. "He offered his life to God for the flock... and in this way he became one with Christ, the good shepherd who loves his sheep," Ratzinger said.	The banners read "Santo Subito," calling for John Paul to be made a saint quickly.
The homily was followed by the prayers of the faithful, read by young people from all over the world – in French, in Swahili, in Filipino, in Polish, in German, and in Portuguese. A number of cardinals took part in eucharistic prayers before about 300 priests fanned out throughout the crowd to serve communion wafers to those assembled. World leaders, pilgrims fill square
World leaders attending the historic open-air mass included Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, U.S. President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. Five kings, four queens, and at least 70 presidents and prime ministers were surrounded by their entourages, most dressed in dark colours with many of the women wearing black lace head coverings or black hats as a sign of respect. Security was exceptional for what some analysts believe is the biggest gathering ever of world leaders.	Pilgrims begin to fill St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Friday.
Roads and traffic in Rome were blocked, offices closed, and all sports and cultural events were cancelled in honour of the man who led the Roman Catholic Church for more than 26 years. After the funeral ended, John Paul II was buried "in the bare earth" under a marble slab in the crypt below St. Peter's Square where many other popes lie. A white silk veil covered his face and commemorative medals and documents detailing his life surrounded his body. The slab will have the Latin version of the Pope's name inscribed on it, as well as the years of his life, 1920-2005. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Rome struggles to control crowds Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 07 Apr 2005 07:25:50 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 7th, 2005 ROME - With hundreds of thousands of people still waiting in St. Peter's Square, police in Rome on Thursday reopened the lineup to view the body of Pope John Paul II after shutting it down last night. Pilgrims in the massive lineup snaking through the square are facing hours of waiting before they'll get into St. Peter's Basilica, where John Paul's body is lying in state. Police struggled to shut down the lineup Wednesday evening, managing to erect blockades about an hour past the cutoff, which had been scheduled for 10 p.m. local time. Tearful and frustrated pilgrims pleaded with security to let them in the line. Some gathered behind the metal blockades and refused to leave. But as the lineup started to move quicker Thursday morning, police announced they would let more people join. It's not known how long the lineup will remain open.	People in St. Peter's Square waiting to enter the basilica where the body of the Pope lies in state.
By the time the final few pilgrims view the Pope's body Thursday evening, more than two million will have passed through the basilica. Watch funeral on screens, officials urge As many as four million people are expected to descend on Rome for Friday's funeral, including more than 200 heads of state. Rome has ramped up its security, calling in thousands of extra police, placing the army on alert and shutting down the city's airspace on Friday. Workers are setting up large video screens at locations in and on the outskirts of the city of three million. City officials used electronic traffic signs and text messages to urge people to stay away from the city centre. Officials are directing people to stay away from St. Peter's Basilica, which will shut its gates on Thursday evening, and watch the funeral on the giant screens. U.S. President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, along with former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush arrived in Rome on Wednesday. Prime Minister Paul Martin and Opposition Leader Stephen Harper leave Ottawa Thursday to attend as part of the official Canadian delegation. Others in the 25-person Canadian delegation include Martin's wife Sheila, Quebec Premier Jean Charest and Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Another woman's body found near Edmonton Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 06 Apr 2005 04:25:54 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 6th, 2005
EDMONTON - The RCMP team investigating a series of prostitute deaths in and around Edmonton, has been called in to look at another case. It follows the discovery of the body of a woman on a golf course in a remote area northwest of the city. An employee of the Edmonton Springs golf course doing regular maintenance, found the body Monday afternoon on the 4th fairway. Police believe the victim is a young woman. They have not released her identity and don't know if she was a prostitute. Const. Craig Albers, from the RCMP Stony Plain - Spruce Grove detachment, says Project KARE has been called in as a precaution. "The investigators and some of the evidence they found at the scene indicated foul play was suspected in the incident," he said. Albers won't say what that evidence is. The RCMP are continuing to comb the golf course using metal detectors and police dogs. A tent has been set up to shield the area where the woman's body was found. Police don't know how long the victim was there, but they say the fairways were last checked two weeks ago and there was nothing suspicious at that time. Police hope an autopsy will determine the exact cause of death. They expect to have more details by Wednesday morning. Written by CBC News Online staff
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5 dead in Ottawa fire Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 05 Apr 2005 07:05:13 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 5th, 2005
OTTAWA - Five people are dead and three injured in an early morning fire in Ottawa's Chinatown. The five people killed were of various ages, including children and young adults, said fire officials. Three people are in hospital, at least two in critical condition. One of the injured was a baby, according to a report. The blaze erupted around 1:40 a.m. EDT Tuesday in an apartment above a grocery store. Arson investigators are on the scene. Written by CBC News Online staff
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John Paul's funeral set for Friday Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 04 Apr 2005 08:00:50 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 4th, 2005
ROME - John Paul II's funeral will take place Friday starting at 4 a.m. EDT, the Vatican announced after Roman Catholic cardinals met in Rome Monday.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger will preside over the open-air requiem mass, which will begin at 10 a.m. Rome time Friday on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica, said John Paul's longtime spokesman, Joaquin Navarro-Valls. The Polish-born pontiff 's body will then be laid to rest in the grotto below St. Peter's Basilica alongside those of other former popes, he said. As tradition dictates, the cardinals eligible to make church decisions until a successor is chosen assembled in Rome Monday morning for the first of a series of meetings.	The body of John Paul lies in state at the Vatican.
Some of the 117 cardinals were still on their way to Vatican City, so only 65 cardinals participated in choosing a date for the funeral. They also swore an oath of secrecy about the election of a new pope later this month, as well as read John Paul's will and any other documents he might have prepared for them. In addition, the cardinals arranged for the destruction of John Paul's Fisherman's Ring and the dies used to make lead seals for his apostolic letters, traditional gestures meant to symbolize the end of his papacy and to prevent forgeries. The cardinals will stay in Rome until one of their number is selected as the Roman Catholic Church's new leader. Rome is preparing for what could be one of the biggest gatherings in modern times, as up to two million people are expected to arrive to pay their last respects to John Paul in the days leading up to his funeral. The city is already dealing with huge crowds, as an estimated 100,000 people gathered for a requiem mass in St. Peter's Square on Sunday. Rome is bringing in extra police and medical personnel as well as arranging extra water supplies, bus shuttles and thousands of beds ahead of Friday's funeral.
Authorities are also setting up a huge campsite on the city's outskirts to accommodate thousands of pilgrims. "For us, it will be an extraordinary challenge," Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni said on Sunday. The body of John Paul, who died Saturday after leading the Roman Catholic Church's 1.1 billion members for 26 years, will lie in state at St. Peter's Basilica for three days as members of the public pay their respects, starting Monday afternoon. The funeral, expected to last more than two hours, will be held in St. Peter's Square – the same place as those of his immediate predecessors, Paul VI and John Paul I.	Italian Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, left, Vatican secretary of state Cardinal Angelo Sodano and German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger celebrate mass for John Paul on Sunday.
The Vatican has declared nine days of mourning, while Italy has declared four days of national mourning. Prime Minister Paul Martin and U.S. President George W. Bush will be among the world leaders attending the funeral. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Martin remembers 'a true apostle of peace' Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 03 Apr 2005 10:37:05 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 3rd, 2005
OTTAWA - Church bells rang out across Canada Saturday afternoon as Canadians from all faiths and all walks of life paused to mark the death of Pope John Paul II.
Prime Minister Paul Martin, who is himself a practising Roman Catholic, described the pontiff as "a true apostle of peace." Martin said John Paul had "repeatedly expressed his interest in our country. His empathy with the aspirations of our aboriginal groups, symbolized by his special trip to the North in 1987 to meet our aboriginal communities, was particularly noteworthy." Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson said John Paul II was inspirational. "To the people and places he visited so tirelessly, he spoke of eternal spiritual truths that give life its deepest meaning," she said, "and his words were made forceful by the power of his intellect and the strength of his faith."	Prime Minister Paul Martin
Opposition Leader Stephen Harper recalled the Pope as a defender of human rights who "played a key role in the fall of communism, helping to establish the Solidarity movement in his native Poland. "No matter the political ideology, he brought leaders and common men and women together with his strength of spirit." From Victoria to St. John's, people came together at Catholic churches to share their sorrows and to pray for a beloved leader. "I'm a Protestant," said Brad Pyle, who came to St. Michael's Cathedral in Toronto to pray for the Pope. "He's had profound meaning to myself and other non-Catholics." Written by CBC News Online staff
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Shots fired as sealers, protesters clash Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 1 Apr 2005 21:56:54 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: April 2nd, 2005 FREDERICTON - Rifle shots were fired into the air Friday during a confrontation between sealers and protesters in the Gulf of St. Lawrence off the north coast of Prince Edward Island. The incident occurred after three helicopters carrying protesters and photographers landed near a sealing vessel, according to Canadian Press photographer Jonathan Hayward, who witnessed the clash. "At one point a sealer who was just walking past with his catch, he just let his catch go, turned around with a small gaff , and he came after a small group of the people in the party," Hayward told CBC News.	A seal hunter (right) pushes a member of the International Fund for Animal Welfare on an ice floe in the Gulf of St. Lawrence Friday.
The shots were fired by someone aboard the vessel after abuse shouted by about a half-dozen sealers escalated into a shoving match with protesters. The activists then retreated to their helicopters. "It was scary," Hayward said. Dwight Spence, a Newfoundlander whose sealing boat was at the centre of Friday's incident, said no shots were fired at the protesters, as the International Fund for Animal Welfare has claimed. "There were shots sent over the ice," he acknowledged in an interview from his boat. "We were killing seals." Spence said the hunt protesters have been especially numerous and aggressive this year. "I've never seen 'em so bad before," he said. "This crowd now... they're starving for publicity. They have to earn their money but it's a hard way to earn it."
Friday's incident was the second violent one within two days on the ice floes. On Thursday, officers with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans arrested three protesters for allegedly getting too close to the sealers, a department spokesman said. Paul Watson, captain of the protest ship Farley Mowat, confirmed that 19 members of his crew approached the sealing vessel. But he insisted they kept the distance away required by regulations. Watson said he saw a sealer attack a crew member, while the sealer involved in the scuffle claims he was only defending himself. Written by CBC News Online staff	Jonathan Hayward
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Pope John Paul in grave condition Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 1 Apr 2005 08:23:46 EST Giant Dwarf Posted: April 1st, 2005
VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II is conscious but in grave condition after suffering heart failure during treatment for a urinary tract infection, said Vatican officials. The Vatican denied Italian reports that the Pope had slipped into a coma. "The Pope is still lucid, fully conscious and extraordinarily serene," said Joaquin Navarro-Valls, the Pope's spokesman. He said the pontiff remained in "very serious" condition with unstable blood pressure. The 84-year-old pontiff participated in mass and received some top aides Friday morning, Navarro-Valls said. John Paul asked aides to read him the biblical passage describing the final stage of the Way of the Cross, the path that Christ took to his Crucifixion, Navarro-Valls said. He said the Pope followed attentively and made the sign of the cross. "This is surely an image I have never seen in these 26 years," said an emotional Navarro-Valls. Pope has blood infection: Vatican John Paul took a turn for the worse after requiring cardio-respiratory assistance on Thursday after his heart stopped during treatment for a urinary tract infection. The day before, doctors put him on a feeding tube. He already had another tube to help him breathe and his health has been deteriorating since February.
Navarro-Valls said John Paul, who has led the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics for 26 years, made the decision not to return to Rome's Gemelli hospital. There had been reports that the Pope resisted hospitalization all along because he wanted to die at the Vatican – the symbolic centre of the Catholic faith. St. Peter's Square was quiet Friday morning with only a small group of people praying and watching the windows on the Pope's apartment. Hundreds of people had gathered there earlier, however, including many who wrapped themselves in blankets and kept a vigil all night for John Paul. Pope given sacrament of the sick In Friday's statement, the Vatican also confirmed that on Thursday the pontiff had been given the sacrament of the sick, also known as the "Holy Viaticum." The ritual, which used to be called Last Rites, is performed not only for people who are dying but also for patients who are very ill. The Pope has received the sacrament before, including after being shot in an assassination attempt in 1981.
Poor health started years ago He recovered from the gunshot wound, but his health began to deteriorate about a decade later when he began showing signs of Parkinson's disease. In 1992, he had surgery to remove a benign tumour from his large intestine and in 1994 he broke his thigh bone. But his health really began to deteriorate this winter. He contracted influenza, then spent nine days in hospital in early February and had to be re-admitted a few weeks later. On Feb. 24, doctors inserted a tracheotomy tube in his throat to help him breathe. Parkinson's disease also makes breathing and swallowing difficult. His failing health prevented him from presiding over Holy Week events. He tried to utter a few words to tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square on Easter Sunday, but wasn't able to speak. Written by CBC News Online staff