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Homolka set to be released within days	30/06/05
Same-sex legislation passed	29/06/05
Same-sex vote likely on Tuesday, Harper questions 'legitimacy' of bill	28/06/05
90 students kidnapped in Nepal	27/06/05
Narcotic fires burn in Afghanistan	26/06/05
Transatlantic flight in Vickers Vimy biplane a 'go'	25/06/05
Canadian Live 8 tickets: less than 30 minutes and free	24/06/05
Air India families mark 20th anniversary of 'Canadian tragedy'	23/06/05
More Alberta flood evacuees to return home	22/06/05
Water levels remain high as Red Deer River crests	21/06/05
Alberta town braces for severe flooding	20/06/05
3,000 escape Alberta floodwaters	19/06/05
Gomery retires to write his report on sponsorship scandal	18/06/05
Revenge sparked Cambodian hostage-taking: police	17/06/05
Tories offer budget bill passage for same-sex marriage delay	16/06/05
Liberals survive confidence votes	15/06/05
Jackson 'probably' molested boys: juror	14/06/05
Lake tragedy leaves 1 boy dead, 2 brothers in critical condition	13/06/05
Heat wave fries Central Canada	12/06/05
U.S. suspects another case of mad cow	11/06/05
Tories' audio expert says tapes are clean	10/06/05
Awaiting decision that could change health care in Canada	09/06/05
Flooding forces hundreds to leave homes in Alberta	08/06/05
Fire aboard Canadian frigate sends crew to hospital	07/06/05
Woman killed in bear attack in Alberta	06/06/05
Atlas shows environmental damage	05/06/05
Judge says Homolka still poses threat, imposes strict conditions on her freedom	04/06/05
Psychiatrist to testify on behalf of Homolka	03/06/05
Homolka set to make court appearance	02/06/05
Martin, Dosanjh question authenticity of tapes	01/06/05

Homolka set to be released within days Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 30 Jun 2005 06:16:52  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 30th, 2005
Convicted killer Karla Homolka could walk out of prison Thursday, 12 years after being convicted for her role in the rape and murder of two Ontario teenagers. Homolka, who is currently being held in Quebec's Ste-Anne-des-Plaines maximum security prison, could be released sometime between June 30 and July 5.
Her imminent freedom comes after a Quebec judge turned down her request Wednesday for an injunction that would have prohibited the media from telling certain details about her life once she leaves prison. It is unclear where Homolka, 35, will live, but various reports have speculated she could take up residence in Quebec. But Homolka will be under restrictions upon her release. Earlier this month, a Quebec judge ruled Homolka posed a threat to reoffend following an application by Ontario's attorney general to place restrictions on her once she left prison.	Karla Homolka
Some of the restrictions, under Section 810 of the Criminal Code, include: She give 96 hours notice if she plans to move. Have no contact with people with a criminal record. Have no job or volunteer position with people under the age of 16. Report to a police station the first Friday of every month. Homolka's deal with Crown prosecutors, in exchange for testifying against her ex-husband Paul Bernardo, outraged the public and has been criticized for being too lenient. Some have called it "a deal with the devil." Bernardo received a life sentence for the crimes, was named a dangerous offender and is unlikely to ever be released. Ontario police and prosecutors cut Homolka a special plea bargain, accepting she was a battered woman and an unwilling accomplice in the murders of Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy. Only after the deal was struck did videotapes surface showing her to be an apparently willing, full partner in the abuse against Mahaffy, French and her own teenage sister, Tammy Homolka. They also showed she helped rape another woman known as Jane Doe. Tammy choked to death on her own vomit after Bernardo and Homolka drugged and raped her two days before Christmas 1990. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Same-sex legislation passed Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 29 Jun 2005 00:02:31  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 29th, 2005
The Liberals' controversial same-sex marriage legislation has passed final reading in the House of Commons, sailing through with a vote of 158 for and 133 against.
Supported by most members of the Liberals, the Bloc Quebecois and the NDP, the legislation passed easily, making Canada only the third country in the world, after the Netherlands and Belgium, to officially recognize same-sex unions. But the passage of Bill C-38, once again, came with a political price tag for the government. Joe Comuzzi, resigned from the cabinet so he could vote against the bill - an open rebuke of the government legislation.
Comuzzi was the minister responsible for Northern Ontario. Although he was the only cabinet minister to break ranks with Prime Minister Paul Martin over the controversial plan to legalize the marriage of gays and lesbians, it highlighted the divisions within Canada and within the Liberal party, pitting supporters of equality rights against those who are defending religious freedoms. For Comuzzi, the decision to resign meant putting principles ahead of the privileges of cabinet. "In 2004, during the election, I promised faithfully to the people of Thunder Bay-Superior North, that I would defend the definition of marriage," he said, explaining his move. The prime minister said he regretted the decision of a man he called an "old friend," but accepts it because the government must speak with one voice on same-sex marriage. The "vote is about the Charter of Rights," said Martin. "We're a nation of minorities and in a nation of minorities you don't cherry-pick rights." The government has moved over the last few months to appease critics both within Liberal ranks and among Canadians at large. Amendments were introduced to ensure no religious group or charitable organization is forced to accept same-sex marriage. But in spite of those amendments some groups remain unconvinced. Same-sex marriage remains one of the most difficult issues ever to confront Canadian politicians. In large part passage of the bill is the reason the parliamentary session was extended for the first time in 17 years. But while Tuesday night's vote closes off the debate in the Commons, the Conservatives insist there is no closure for Canadians who believe marriage should continue to be defined as the union of a man and a woman, to the exclusion of all others. Conservative Leader Stephen Harper says if his party forms the next government, the law will be revisited. Harper made the promise one day after suggesting the adoption of the law lacked legitimacy because it relied on the support of the separatist Bloc Quebecois. Harper said he believes Bloc MPs are the legitimate representatives of Quebec voters. But he argues most Canadians aren't buying it as a final decision since most federalist MPs are opposed to same-sex marriage. Harper says a Conservative government would hold a free vote for all MPs on the matter, rather than forcing cabinet ministers to vote with the government. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Same-sex vote likely on Tuesday, Harper questions 'legitimacy' of bill Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 27 Jun 2005 22:36:11  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 28th, 2005
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper says the government's same-sex legislation will make it through the House of Commons only because of support from the Bloc Québécois, and that, says Harper, means the legislation "lacks legitimacy."
BQ Leader Gilles Duceppe immediately pounced on the remarks, saying his party has as much legitimacy as the Conservatives. But Harper says the same-sex political marriage between the Liberals and the BQ is illegitimate. He told reporters on his way into question period on Monday that the majority of federalist MPs will vote against the bill that extends the right to marry to gays and lesbians, and he warned that the Liberals will face a backlash from voters outside Quebec. "It makes it an issue of Quebec versus Canada. Most Canadians have a skeptical view of Pequistes breaking up the country," said Conservative deputy leader Peter MacKay.	Stephen Harper
Harper, who has spent months wooing voters who oppose same-sex marriage for religious or cultural reasons, found a new target as MPs returned to Ottawa for the sole purpose of approving legislation to legalize same-sex marriage. Harper branded Bill C-38 the product of an illegitimate union. "I think because this bill is only being passed with the support of the BQ, I think it will lack legitimacy with most Canadians. The truth is most federalist MPs will oppose this legislation," he said. Barely a month ago Harper was working hand-in-hand with the BQ to defeat the Liberal budget, in a move that would have brought down the government. Justice Minister Irwin Cotler pointed out the irony. "It was all right to seek their support for measures he wanted and suddenly they're illegitimate when it comes to Bill C-38. I find that surprising and even somewhat hypocritical," said Cotler.
BQ MP Richard Marceau says equating an issue of equality rights with Quebec separation is unbelievable. "I would say to Stephen Harper, 'Stephen take a break you need one. Forget the barbecues, you need to go home and relax.'" NDP Leader Jack Layton was scathing in his criticism. "What Harper is saying is not only does he deny rights to gays and lesbians but also to Quebecers." Public Works Minister Scott Brison called it "another case of Stephen Harper trying to divide Canadians and pit one group against another. For him to imply that somehow federalists are not as supportive of human rights and equality as separatists is truly offensive." On Monday evening MPs approved a motion to limit debate on the same-sex legislation. It means further debate will be restricted to about eight more hours. The bill will now probably come up for a vote sometime on Tuesday. The Conservatives insist Harper is raising a legitimate issue with the majority of Canadians living outside Quebec and that he will continue to appeal to ordinary Canadians opposed to same-sex marriage.
The Conservatives concede they don't have the numbers to block the same-sex marriage bill in the Commons, but they have tabled a number of amendments intended to preserve marriage as the exclusive union of a man and a woman. Conservative MP Ken Epp contrasted same-sex marriage to the civil rights movement of the 1960s in the United States. "Blacks in the United States," said Epp, "never asked to be called white. They just wanted the same rights." Epp then went on to say that women in Canada sought equal rights without demanding to be called men.	Gilles Duceppe
"And so I ask the question in this struggle for so-called equality for same-sex couple, why do they want to use the word that describes heterosexual marriage and has for millennia?" The bill would legalize same-sex marriage across the country. A number of court decisions in the past few years have allowed such marriages to be performed in eight provinces and one territory. The NDP and Bloc support the bill. The Liberals are allowing backbench MPs to vote with their consciences, and as many as 34 Liberals may vote against it. All but four members of the Conservative caucus are opposed to the bill. Written by CBC News Online staff
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90 students kidnapped in Nepal Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 27 Jun 2005 07:58:08  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 27th, 2005
More than 90 high school students have been kidnapped by communist rebels in a remote Nepali village, authorities in Kathmandu said Monday. Rebels have kidnapped students in the past to teach them about their cause. But they are usually held for only two to three days. These students are still missing five days later. The ninth- and tenth-grade students from Nepal Rastriya high school were seized last Wednesday in Paudiamrai village, about 300 kilometres west of Kathmandu, the military said. "These students have been held longer than usual, but we are still hopeful that all of them would be freed – like before – in a few days," Durga Pokhrel, the chief administrative officer of the district, told the Associated Press. "Because the village is in a remote mountainous area where there are no communication and road links, information is still very sketchy," he said. Police say they have no information about the abducted children and they have not sent a rescue mission to the area, considered a dangerous zone. There are no army or police bases nearby. About 250 students were taken from a nearby village on June 15 and sent back three days later. Nepal's Maoists began their armed campaign for a communist republic in 1996. Rebel attacks have increased since Nepal's King Gyanendra assumed absolute power and imposed a state of emergency in February. Earlier this month, Maoist rebels bombed a bus, killing 38 civilians. The rebels apologized for the incident, saying the intended target was a government vehicle. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Narcotic fires burn in Afghanistan Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 26 Jun 2005 10:51:34  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 26th, 2005
Afghan officials burned about 60 tonnes of narcotics Saturday in huge bonfires throughout the country. On the outskirts of the capital, Kabul, government officials were on hand to torch a stockpile of hashish, heroin and opium.
The fires were timed to mark the United Nations' International Day against Drug Use and Trafficking. Afghanistan is one of the world's top suppliers of illegal drugs, supplying 87 per cent of the world's opium and its derivatives, according to a 2004 report by UN Office on Drugs and Crime. The U.S. and Britain are pouring millions of dollars to help fight the drug trade.	Burning opium near Kabul.
On a recent visit to Washington, President Hamid Karzai pledged to reduce opium farming by 30 per cent during 2005. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Transatlantic flight in Vickers Vimy biplane a 'go' Web Posted | Last Updated Sat, 25 Jun 2005 11:45:03  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 25th, 2005 Weather conditions finally appear to be right for a Vickers Vimy biplane to lift off from Newfoundland on a 20-hour flight across the Atlantic Ocean, organizers said Saturday.	Replica of Vickers Vimy biplane that Alcock and Brown flew across the Atlantic in 1919.
Millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett and co-pilot Mark Rebholz have been waiting for almost two weeks for the right weather conditions – not only in St. John's, but also over the Atlantic. If current conditions hold, their replica open-cockpit plane will take off at 7:00 p.m. Saturday night and head for Ireland, where they hope to land about 20 hours later. The flight is an attempt to recreate the historic crossing of the Atlantic in 1919 by John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown, whose feat preceded Charles Lindbergh's solo transatlantic flight by eight years. Fossett, who grabbed the world's attention in March by making the first solo, nonstop flight around the world, built a copy of Alcock and Brown's original Vickers Vimy, which now hangs in a London aviation museum. While waiting for the weather to clear, Rebholz has been passing the time doing some maintenance work on the plane, including replacing a broken bolt. He noted that the replica has clocked a lot more flying time than the original. "We have about 850 hours on our airplane," Rebholz said, while the original Vickers Vimy logged a total of only about 30 hours. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Canadian Live 8 tickets: less than 30 minutes and free Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 23 Jun 2005 14:03:18  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 24th, 2005 Fans eagerly snapped up every ticket for the Canadian Live 8 concert in just 21 minutes Thursday morning. About 35,000 tickets to the July 2 show in Barrie, Ont., were made available on Ticketmaster's Canadian website as of 10 a.m. EDT Thursday. There were none left just 21 minutes later. The multi-nation Live 8 concerts are aimed at raising awareness of world poverty and putting pressure on the Group of Eight leaders – meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland, from July 6-8 – to take action to help poor nations. Ticket-seekers were met with this skill-testing question on the website:	About 35,000 tickets to the Canadian Live 8 concert in Barrie, Ont. were snapped up in less than 30 minutes.
"According to Live 8 and Make Poverty History, what can the G8 leaders do to help make poverty history?" A. Increase foreign aid. B. Cancel the debt of poor countries. C. Make trade rules fair for the poor. D. All of the above. However, site organizers made responding to the multiple-choice question foolproof by simply listing the answer (All of the above) immediately after the four entries. Tickets were limited to two per person. They can be picked up between June 25 and June 30 from Barrie's Molson Centre or in Toronto at the Rogers Centre, the Hummingbird Centre, the Molson Amphitheatre or any Sunrise Records Ticketmaster outlet. On Wednesday, concert promoter Michael Cohl – the driving force behind the Barrie show – lashed out at media criticism of the lineup, which is dominated by Canadian music veterans like Gordon Lightfoot, Bruce Cockburn, Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Jann Arden and Tom Cochrane. "These are people who have competed on the world stage successfully," he told the Canadian Press. "My job is to put together the best cross-section of talent that will draw the best audience both in terms of live, and in terms of the television audience, so that more people will get the message." Cohl also correctly predicted that the lineup would inspire an "overwhelming demand" for the free tickets. Organizers also announced Wednesday the addition of Australian garage rock band Jet to the Canadian event, supplementing more youthful acts like punk-pop bands Simple Plan and Les Trois Accords, rocker Sam Roberts, rapper K'naan and folk-rock duo Tegan & Sara. Who Are The Canadian Acts: - Bryan Adams, Jann Arden, Bachman Cummings Band, Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo, Bruce Cockburn, Celine Dion (by satellite), Gordon Lightfoot, Motley Crue, Deep Purple, Our Lady Peace, Simple Plan, Sam Roberts, Tragically Hip, Great Big Sea, African Guitar Summit, Tom Cochrane, Doba Caracol featuring K'naan, Les Trois Accords, Tegan & Sara, Jet, Dan Aykroyd and Tom Green (hosts).  More acts to be added! When: - Saturday, July 2, 2005, from 11 a.m. EDT to 8 p.m. (Broadcast on CTV) Written by CBC News Online staff
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Air India families mark 20th anniversary of 'Canadian tragedy' Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 23 Jun 2005 06:51:29  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 23rd, 2005
Three hundred and twenty-nine white balloons were released into the sky off the southwest coast of Ireland Thursday, symbolizing the victims of Air India Flight 182 which blew up over the Atlantic Ocean 20 years ago today. About 500 people, including friends and families of the victims of the Air India bombing, gathered for a sombre service to mark the 20th anniversary of the tragedy. The memorial, which took place at Akahista, where a monument stands to honour the victims, began with a minute of silence at 8:12 a.m. On June 23, 1985 at 8:13 a.m., the flight vanished from the radar screens. All 329 people aboard were killed. Prime Minister Paul Martin, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, NDP Leader Jack Layton, Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe and B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell were among those who gathered for the ceremony. Martin declared Thursday a national day of mourning in Canada and ordered flags at government buildings across the country to be flown at half-mast to remember the victims. "This act of evil defies comprehension," Martin said at the ceremony. "The flight may have been Air India, it may have taken place off the coast of Ireland, but in so many ways this is a Canadian tragedy." Martin also announced a permanent memorial will be built in Canada to honour the victims and promised an annual day of remembrance for victims of terrorism. Earlier, family members laid flowers and pictures of loved ones below the names of the victims listed on a wall at the memorial site. The shadow of a large sundial in the middle of the monument is meant to touch a precise spot every June 23, at 8:13 a.m. Many family members have called for a probe into the tragedy following the acquittal of two men in connection with the bombing. Padmini Turlapati, who lost two sons in the tragedy, repeated the demand at the memorial. "Only truth can set us free. Do not trivialize the magnitude of this tragedy by saying nothing can be done," she said to the crowd. Former Ontario premier Bob Rae, who also attended the memorial service, is investigating whether an inquiry is warranted. He's expected to advise the federal government in the next few months. Written by CBC News Online staff
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More Alberta flood evacuees to return home Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 22 Jun 2005 08:06:24  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 22nd, 2005
More Alberta flood evacuees are expected to head home Wednesday morning as the threat of flooding continues to subside. With the water levels receding, some residents of the southern Alberta town of Drumheller started returning Tuesday night. The swelling of the Red Deer River had forced 3,200 people to leave their homes Sunday.
People from another eight communities were scheduled to return home Wednesday morning as hastily constructed dikes have been able to keep back the water. Schools are to be reopened on Thursday. The water flow crested Tuesday just below the height of the dikes. Shortly after, the water level began to fall back. Emergency operations spokesman Ross Rawlusyk said at least 25 homes in Drumheller were flooded and that about 200 homes using private water wells were under a boil-water order. Local and area municipal crews and 800 volunteers built almost four kilometres of dikes in 55 hours to hold back the water, Drumheller town administrator Ray Romenetz said. He said entire subdivisions would otherwise have been flooded.	Man watches the Red Deer River rise behind his house just outside Drumheller, Alta., Monday, June 20.
Romanetz said the town's emergency dike system is being continually reinforced. "Any evidence of seepage was quickly followed up with additional material brought in. With erosion on the water side we brought in rock to stabilize the bank." The flooding across the province has led to the deaths of at least two people. Two men died in separate accidents in the Calgary area when their vehicles crashed into swollen rivers. A teenager who is believed to have been near a footbridge that was washed out is also missing. Police are also blaming the death of another driver on the flood. They say the driver crashed trying to avoid people lined up on a bridge in Drumheller watching the flood.	Morrin Bridge truck crash, near Drumheller.
Several other Alberta waterways also swelled with heavy rains and thousands have been forced out of their homes and lost belongings. The amount of damage is still being estimated, but it's expected to be double the $100-million cost of the last big Alberta floods in 1995. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Water levels remain high as Red Deer River crests Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 21 Jun 2005 07:28:05  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 21st, 2005
The flood-swollen Red Deer River crested in Drumheller, but water levels are still dangerously high and a flood warning remains in effect. A logjam on a tributary north of the Alberta town prevented the water from rising higher, but the river is expected to stay at its current level for the next 12 to 18 hours. On Monday, bulldozers had shovelled loads of dirt into dikes at strategic sites around the town. Town officials say it's too early to determine when more than 3,000 people, who were ordered evacuated from their homes, will be allowed to return. By late Monday, about 25 homes in the area had been flooded. The flooding across the province has led to the deaths of at least three people. Two men died in separate accidents in the Calgary area when their vehicles crashed into swollen rivers. A teenager, who is believed to have been near a footbridge that was washed out, is also missing. Truck plunge kills driver Meanwhile, pedestrians who had gathered on the Morrin Bridge to view the flooded river are being blamed for triggering a fatal truck crash overnight near Drumheller. Police say the truck plunged into the river as it attempted to dodge cars that had slowed down to avoid the pedestrians. RCMP say the truck had been travelling at about 100 km/h when it came over a hill. The vehicle hit a car, then slammed into the side of the bridge, knocking out two girders and plunging into the water, killing the driver. In Calgary, officials threatened to ration water if people didn't start limiting the amount they use. The Elbow River spilled over its banks on the weekend in Calgary, forcing more than 1,500 people from their homes and prompting a mandatory water-rationing order. The city has asked residents to voluntarily conserve water because the two water treatment plants are having trouble keeping up with demand. The river water coming into the plants is so full of silt and debris that the facilities are struggling to produce enough clean water. In Edmonton, emergency officials have said the city is no longer at risk of flooding as the North Saskatchewan River crested overnight and water levels have stabilized. The high water point reached 8.7 metres, which is nearly a metre lower than expected. Alberta Premier Ralph Klein has estimated the cost of damage from the flood is going to be hundreds of millions of dollars. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Alberta town braces for severe flooding Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 20 Jun 2005 06:05:32  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 20th, 2005
Residents of Drumheller are bracing for severe flooding Monday as water from the Red Deer River is expected to spill over the dikes and into the Alberta town.
Around 2,700 people were evacuated Sunday night from the town, located northeast of Calgary, as crews raised the height of emergency dikes in areas most at risk for flooding. Although Alberta Environment officials said the flows would be less than earlier forecasts had predicted, the town is still expected to be hit by the overflow of water. Alberta has not seen a flood of this magnitude in 200 years, Environment Minister Guy Botillier told reporters in Red Deer on Sunday. "In terms of the water flow and the magnitude and the intensity, what we are going to be facing in this area is going to be something that we've never witnessed before," he said. Debris that dammed up a tributary of the river is expected to ease some of the damage on Drumheller and spare Red Deer the severe flooding that had been predicted. Few homes are situated right on the river in Red Deer and only about 15 families had been evacuated from their houses. West of Calgary, near Cochrane, the Trans-Canada Highway remains closed because of 1.5 metres of water on a low-lying section of roadway. In Calgary, where massive flooding has prompted a state of emergency to be declared, about 1,500 people remained out of their homes. Mayor Dave Bronconnier said it could take days before people in some areas are allowed back. "There are literally hundreds of homes that have been impacted," said Bronconnier.	East Elbow Park in Calgary. The photo was taken at 7 a.m. on Sunday. A golfer makes the best of a bad situation at the Beaver Dam Flats on Sunday in Calgary.
By late Sunday, the city began to review flooded areas district by district and let a few residents return to their homes. Use less water, city says Bronconnier urged Calgarians to cut back on their water usage, saying the flooding has limited the city's ability to treat water. But in the first three hours after the city made the appeal, water usage actually went up. Demand on Sunday was 450 megalitres, but the plants could only produce 360 megalitres. Edmonton water lower than initially feared Edmonton police were going door-to-door in some low-lying neighbourhoods early Sunday evening, warning residents about the potential danger after Alberta Environment issued a flood warning and the city declared a local state of emergency. The city had considered issuing evacuation notices to 1,200 homes, but by late Sunday evening, the city said evacuations would not likely be necessary because water levels were not rising as quickly as anticipated. Written by CBC News Online staff
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3,000 escape Alberta floodwaters Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 19 Jun 2005 11:45:01  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 19th, 2005
About 3,000 people in southern Alberta spent the night in emergency shelters after torrential rains forced some communities to declare a state of emergency.
The worst hit areas are in and around Calgary, where more than 2,000 people were ordered to leave their homes Saturday night. More than 1,000 others have been put on evacuation notice in the city. Mayor Dave Bronconnier declared a local state of emergency because of flooding from the rising Elbow and Bow Rivers. The evacuation order was issued as flood waters threatened to spill over the Glenmore Dam, which controls volumes on the Elbow River. City manager Owen Tobert says he's hoping the mandatory evacuations can be lifted later Sunday. Meanwhile, the mandatory evacuations were lifted for in and around High River. In Sundre, 800 were ordered out. They were forced to leave after water from the Red Deer River kept rising. Many people stayed at Olds College for shelter. The evacuation order for Sundre residents was lifted Sunday morning, but the town is keeping in place its local state of emergency for now, and a boil water advisory for everyone on well systems. The emergency operations centre in Sundre had to be moved Saturday because of flooding. The mayor says a couple of exits out of the town were lost because they were under water. About 200 people were told to leave their Red Deer homes because of flooding. Environment Canada is forecasting the Red Deer River will crest within the city of Red Deer Monday morning. In Drumheller, north of Calgary, emergency officials have activated their operations centre to deal with a flood warning. The town evacuated low-lying campgrounds along the Red Deer River and is preparing sandbags for delivery to any homeowners who need them. West of Calgary, near Cochrane, the Trans-Canada Highway remains closed because of 1.5 metres of water on a low-lying section of roadway. Local state of emergencies are in place for Calgary, Red Deer, Red Deer County, High River, Okotoks, Black Diamond, Turner Valley, Sundre, the Municipal District (MD) of Foothills, MD of Rockyview and County of Mountainview.	Sandbagging in Okotoks Conservation officers rescue people who were stranded at a camp ground on the Bow River near Carseland, Saturday.
Campers airlifted to safety Campers south of Calgary near Okotoks had to be rescued by helicopter from rising flood waters. About 50 campers ignored earlier requests to leave, and then found their escape routes had been cut off. There are no reports of any serious injuries, but officials say the floods have already caused tens of millions of dollars in damage. In Calgary alone, more than 1,000 city employees are dealing with the emergency. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Gomery retires to write his report on sponsorship scandal Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 17 Jun 2005 21:45:59  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 18th, 2005 The public hearings into the sponsorship scandal are now over. The Gomery inquiry heard from a lawyer for the attorney general of Canada on Friday, who argued that neither Prime Minister Paul Martin nor his predecessor Jean Chrétien knew about the financial abuses and mismanagement of the program. According to Sylvain Lussier, the responsibility for the scandal does not reach the prime minister. He told Justice John Gomery that both Chrétien and Martin acted properly.	Justice John Gomery
"They were not aware of the problems before they became public but more importantly it was not part of their ministerial responsibility to be aware of those problems," he said. Lussier says when they did learn about the problems both men tried to clean them up. But the opposition argues Martin should shoulder some of the blame since he was "a senior member from Quebec ... If he didn't have knowledge of this, he was completely and utterly lame as minister of finance. He was either involved or he was incompetent," said Conservative deputy leader Peter MacKay. Lussier lays responsibility for what happened lower down the ladder with the former minister of public works, Alfonso Gagliano, and the civil servant who was in charge of sponsorships, Chuck Guité. "The responsibility to administer the program falls with [the Department of] Public Works and the minister of public works. It did not fall anywhere else," said Lussier. The final decision on who's to blame in the scandal now rests with the commissioner. Gomery will now head for his farm south of Montreal where he plans to cut the grass and tend to his vegetables. Then, he says, he'll sit down to write a report explaining to Canadians why so much of their money was wasted or stolen. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Revenge sparked Cambodian hostage-taking: police Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 17 Jun 2005 08:33:32  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 17th, 2005
A man looking for revenge against his former employer led Thursday's hostage-taking at an international school in northwestern Cambodia in which a Canadian boy was killed, according to police.
The 23-year-old man behind the hostage-taking was initially looking to retaliate against a South Korean man who employed him to drive his two children to the Siem Reap International School, said Prak Chanthoeun, deputy commander of military police in Siem Reap province, on Friday. The suspect said he recently quit his job after his employer got angry with him and slapped his face, Chanthoeun said. "Every day, he thought about taking revenge against the South Koreans. So he bought a pistol, then called three friends from his home area," Chanthoeun said. He then "proposed that they go to the school, find the two Korean children and kill them. But when they arrived there, they didn't see the Korean children," he said. Although the former driver is alleged to have led the assault, Cambodian police arrested a 29-year-old security guard who is suspected of masterminding the hostage-taking. Police said he did not take part in the raid. Four gunmen stormed the school Thursday morning, taking about 30 children and a teacher hostage during the six-hour standoff. Police said the men, all in their early 20s, also wanted to extort money from the foreigners and well-off Cambodians whose children attend the school, located in the popular tourist spot of Siem Reap, near the Angkor temples. The government was also investigating whether the attackers may have had political motives. The ringleader shot two-year-old Maxim Michalik, born in Victoria, soon after the raid began because he was making too much noise, Chanthoeun said. He quoted the suspect as saying: "I needed money as soon as possible so I shot this boy and also because this kid was crying a lot, more than the other kids." The gunmen had demanded money, six AK-47 rifles, six shotguns, grenade launchers, hand grenades and a vehicle. Authorities agreed to some of the gunmen's demands, handing over $30,000 US and a van. When the gunmen tried to escape with four children in the van, police rushed the vehicle, smashing its windows and taking the children. Written by CBC News Online staff	A suspect waits to be questioned Thursday, June 16, 2005, in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Students of the Siem Reap International School in Cambodia are rushed to safety by parents and security officials Thursday, June 16.
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Tories offer budget bill passage for same-sex marriage delay Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 16 Jun 2005 08:14:28  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 16th, 2005
The federal Liberals have rejected an offer by the Conservatives to allow the passage of a $4.6-billion budget bill if the government delays the same-sex marriage legislation. The Tories said in exchange for the delay, they wouldn't filibuster Bill C-48, the budget amendment negotiated between the Liberals and the NDP. A filibuster could force the House of Commons to sit into the summer, past the scheduled end of its current session next Thursday. Scott Reid, a spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office, told the Canadian Press that the government will not accept the Tories' proposal. "There is no deal and there will be no deal between the government and the Conservatives to delay the civil marriage legislation until the fall. Period," he said. Reid said that he can't guarantee that same-sex marriage legislation would pass during this session. "But we can guarantee that we will play no part in compromising one bill for another," he said. Conservative House leader Jay Hill said there had been some negotiations. "If we were to get a delay of [the marriage bill] until the fall and perhaps some other concession, we'd be happy." Hill said a primary concern of the Tories was getting out of the spring session with the same-sex marriage bill "not progressing any further." "If we can get that, it'll be worth our while to see [the budget bill] go," he said, adding that the budget bill will eventually pass anyway. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Liberals survive confidence votes Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 15 Jun 2005 08:26:46  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 15th, 2005
The federal Liberals remain in power after being tested in a series of late night confidence votes that could have toppled the minority government. The government survived 16 votes in the House of Commons, including a bill to approve the government's main budget, money to run government departments, and two votes on funding for the controversial gun registry.
A defeat on any of the votes would have brought down the government and forced an election. In the end, even the closest vote – one on the government's expenditure plans – passed 153 to 149. With the Conservatives appearing to have lost their enthusiasm for an immediate election, there was no repeat of the high drama of the May 19 confidence vote. In that vote, the Liberals survived only after Speaker of the House Peter Milliken, who is a Liberal MP, voted to break a tie.	Speaker tallies one of many votes
The absence of some MPs Tuesday night had left the Tories and Bloc Québécois at least four votes shy of defeating an NDP-Liberal alliance. Conservative MPs Dave Chatters and Darrel Stinson were battling cancer, and Gurmant Grewal was on stress leave. Bloc MP Louise Thibault was also out of town following the death of her father. The Tories threw their support behind the main budget bill, but warned that they would vote against the $4.6-billion budget amendment later this week. Although the Liberals were expected to win all the votes, they were taking the possibility of a defeat seriously. Indian Affairs Minister Andy Scott, recuperating from surgery, arrived in a wheelchair. The Liberals also stalled at the beginning, getting up slowly during one vote as they waited for MP Sarmite Bulte, whose flight into town was delayed by a thunderstorm. Former Liberal MP Pat O'Brien, who left the Liberals to become an Independent, ended up voting against the government out of frustration over same-sex marriage. O'Brien said he had been in negotiations with Liberals all day, hoping to delay the same-sex marriage legislation until the fall. But Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said he was unaware of any negotiations between the government and O'Brien. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Jackson 'probably' molested boys: juror Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 14 Jun 2005 05:41:36  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 14th, 2005
A member of a California jury that acquitted pop star Michael Jackson of molesting a 13-year-old boy said he believes the singer "probably has molested boys," but that there wasn't enough evidence to convict him.
"I can't believe that this man could sleep in the same bedroom for 365 straight days and not do something more than just watch television and eat popcorn," Raymond Hultman said in an interview on Larry King Live. "I mean, that doesn't make sense to me, but that doesn't make him guilty of the charges that were presented in this case and that's where we had to make our decision." Jackson has admitted to having what he characterizes as innocent sleepovers with children. On Monday, a California jury acquitted Jackson of molesting a 13-year-old boy, finding him not guilty on all 10 charges, including conspiring to keep the boy and his family on the grounds of the estate and giving alcohol to a minor.	Michael Jackson waves as he leaves the Santa Barbara County Courthouse in Santa Maria, Calif.
Prosecutors presented testimony about Jackson's allegedly improper relationships with several boys in the early 1990s, including two who took the stand. (One of those boys testified that Jackson had not molested him.) But Hultman said he believed it was likely that both boys had been molested. Hultman also told the Associated Press that he was one of three people on the jury who voted to acquit only after being persuaded by the others that there was reasonable doubt about the entertainer's guilt in this particular case. "That's not to say he's an innocent man," Hultman, 62, said of Jackson. "He's just not guilty of the crimes he's been charged with," he said, adding he had doubts about the accuser's credibility. Some jurors admitted they were bothered that Jackson would have sleepovers with children. "We would hope first of all that he doesn't sleep with children anymore and that he learns that they have to stay with their families or stay in the guest rooms or the houses or whatever they're called down there," said jury foreman Paul Rodriguez. Jurors said they all agreed prosecutors had simply not proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
"It was just not enough," said a woman who identified herself as Juror No. 10. "We expected probably better evidence, something that was a little more convincing. And it just wasn't there," she said. Rodriguez said jurors found the accuser's version of events inconsistent with testimony offered by other members of his family. Some jurors also said they disliked the accuser's mother and said they doubted her credibility. "I disliked it intensely when she snapped her fingers at us," said one juror, a woman, who declined to give her name. Another juror said she was troubled that the accuser's mother allowed her son to sleep alone with Jackson.	Juan Botero and Ramunas Bartulis, both of Queens, boo while watching the verdict in the trial of Michael Jackson in New York's Times Square.
The verdict ends four months of arguments that cast the 46-year-old singer as either an eccentric child molester who lured children to his ranch or an innocent victim of an extortion attempt by the mother of the 13-year-old cancer survivor. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Lake tragedy leaves 1 boy dead, 2 brothers in critical condition Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 13 Jun 2005 07:59:59  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 13th, 2005
A Toronto boy drowned and his two young brothers were in critical condition after they were pulled from the lake of an Ontario park Sunday afternoon. The boys, aged 7, 8 and 9, were swimming in Belwood Lake, a conservation area located about 75 kilometres northwest of Toronto, when a man spotted one of them in trouble around 2 p.m. local time, police said. As the man pulled the boy out of the water and performed CPR, the boy's mother suddenly realized her other two sons were missing. Bystanders searched for about 10 minutes before someone spotted the other boys underwater, said Mark Whittaker, a witness. "If only we knew the other two kids were missing when we were all watching to make sure the first boy was living, we might have been able to do more," he said. The brothers were found in about a metre of water. "We were going crazy trying to find them, but the water was so thick...it almost made it impossible to see anything," said Keith Whittaker, Mark's father. The first boy, Larry Le, 9, was pronounced dead at the local hospital. His brothers, Anthony, 8, and Calvin, 7, were in critical condition Sunday night at Hamilton's McMaster Hospital and Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children. There are signs on the beach informing beach-goers the area is unsupervised. Dave Schultz, spokesman for the Grand River Conservation Authority, said supervision of the beach was discontinued in 1996 following provincial funding cuts. An area is fenced off for children, but the brothers were found outside that area. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Heat wave fries Central Canada Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 12 Jun 2005 09:04:31  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 12th, 2005
Toronto has declared an extreme heat emergency, as parts of Ontario and Quebec swelter through unseasonably hot temperatures. The city's temperature on Saturday climbed to about 31 C – which felt like 41 because of the humidity. It was about 10 degrees hotter than normal. Ottawa sizzled under the same conditions, while Montreal reached a high of 33. Environment Canada warned people to get used to it, because the heat wave seems likely to continue. "It's the intensity of the heat and the duration," said David Phillips, a spokesman for Environment Canada. "Clearly, we've had more summer this week than we had all of last year in Eastern Canada." Toronto's chief medical officer issued an extreme heat alert for the entire weekend, as officials urged people to keep an eye on youngsters and older people. Cooling centres were set up across the city and had lured about 200 people by mid-afternoon Saturday. Volunteers handed out bottled water and information. "It's important to keep hydrated during these days," said Elaine Smyar, of the City of Toronto. "We have lots of information here on how to beat the heat and we have staff here that are trained to recognize any heat-related emergencies or issues." The city also opened up wading pools and air-conditioned municipal buildings. Extreme heat kills 120 people in Toronto a year Toronto's woes were compounded by air pollution from coal-fired power plants and vehicle emissions, which made it oppressive for people with breathing problems. Only five days earlier, on June 6, the city announced its first heat alert of the year – and its 14th smog alert. The same day, the Ontario government released a study that said smog was responsible for more than 800 deaths a year in Toronto, with extreme heat making the problem even worse. Researchers concluded that extreme heat was killing an average of 120 people a year in Toronto, 121 in Montreal, 41 in Ottawa and 37 in Windsor, Ont. Written by CBC News Online staff
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U.S. suspects another case of mad cow Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 10 Jun 2005 22:01:49  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 11th, 2005
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it is investigating another possible case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy [BSE], also known as mad cow disease.
In a news conference held late Friday evening, the USDA said the beef cow did not enter the human food or feed chain. A spokesman for the USDA says additional tests will be needed before it can be confirmed whether it is a case of mad cow disease. The news came on the same day as Canadian cattle producers were given renewed hope that the U.S. border may re-open soon.
Mike Johanns, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, said he wants the border open to Canadian cattle again because it is costing the American cattle industry too much. "The longer the border remains closed, the more extensive the changes to the industry structure and the more likely it is that the resulting economic damages in the U.S. will be permanent," said Johanns. Johanns spoke to beef producers and industry representatives at a conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. The U.S. closed its borders to Canadian beef more than two years ago after a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy [BSE], also known as mad cow disease was discovered in Alberta. Another case was found in Washington State a few months later and international borders, including the lucrative Japan market, snapped shut to U.S. beef. Johanns says science has proven Canadian and U.S. beef is safe. He says all sides, including his own, should recognize that. "We have confirmed that Canada's safeguards are effective and Canadian beef is safe. This is not guesswork, it's not magic, and it's not politics. It's science," he said. Johanns says Canada is responding by expanding its capacity and the U.S. will lose out. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Tories' audio expert says tapes are clean Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 10 Jun 2005 07:25:01  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 10th, 2005
An audio expert hired by the federal Conservative party says the final full versions of Gurmant Grewal's tapes have not been altered. The Tories released a letter from audio engineer Randy Dash that says the tapes, which have been handed over to the RCMP, appear to be clean and unaltered. It has been three weeks since Grewal, the Conservative MP for the B.C. riding of Newton-North Delta, came forward with recorded conversations between himself, federal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh and Tim Murphy, the prime minister's chief of staff. Grewal, who has since gone on stress leave, has said the tapes prove that the Liberals offered him political favours in exchange for his support in a confidence vote in the House of Commons. Initially, Grewal released an eight-minute tape he'd secretly recorded. Two weeks later, the Conservatives released more recordings. But suspicion was cast on the tapes after several independent audio experts, including one hired by CBC News, said they have been altered and that they could hear edits. As it turned out, entire sections of conversations were missing in which Grewal talks about a cabinet position for himself and a Senate seat for his wife, Nina. She is also a Conservative MP, for the neighbouring B.C. riding of Fleetwood-Port Kells. Jason Kenney, another Conservative MP, said Thursday it may have been wiser to make sure the tapes were complete right away. "In retrospect, obviously, if 100 per cent of the recordings had been released at the same moment it would have eliminated any of these completely diversionary questions," he said. Meanwhile, federal ethics commissioner Bernard Shapiro said he is now prepared to investigate the conduct of Murphy. He had initially rejected NDP requests to investigate Martin's chief of staff because Murphy is an unelected official. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Awaiting decision that could change health care in Canada Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 08 Jun 2005 22:23:59  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 9th, 2005
The Supreme Court of Canada will rule Thursday on whether it's unconstitutional to prevent someone from paying for private medical care – a case that could change the face of Canadian health care.
The plaintiffs – a Montreal patient and a doctor – want the court to strike down sections of the Quebec Hospital Insurance Act that prevent people from buying health insurance for medical procedures covered by the public health plan. The two men have separate complaints, but the court decided to hear their court challenges together. In 1996, Montreal businessman George Zeliotis waited a year for hip replacement surgery. While waiting, he asked whether he could purchase insurance that would allow him to skip the public queue and pay directly for the surgery.
When he learned it was against the law, he took his case to court. Canadians can buy private health insurance for things outside of public medicare such as prescriptions, physiotherapy or private hospital rooms. The 73-year-old Zeliotis argued the year-long wait for surgery was unreasonable, endangered his life and infringed on the charter's guarantee of right to life, liberty and security. The second plaintiff, Dr. Jacques Chaoulli, wants the court to overturn a Quebec provision preventing doctors who don't operate within the medicare plan from charging for services in public hospitals. Chaoulli, who had tried but failed to set up a private hospital, represented himself before the court. Observers believe there are three likely outcomes: keep health-care delivery as it is; allow a two-tier system; or rule something is wrong with the system without offering a solution, effectively throwing it back to the provinces to figure out a fix. Senator Michael Kirby, who chaired a Senate committee studying health care, recommended the provinces pay for private treatment if the patient isn't treated within a certain timeframe.
The Canadian Medical Association had intervenor status during the case. CMA president Dr. Albert Schumacher said the group wanted the court to understand the implications of its decision. "We recommended that whatever the outcome is, it be delayed for three years to give time for the governments to phase in, catch up or whatever," said Schumacher. He believes the court has struggled with its ruling.
"We've been expecting this decision to come out since January. The fact that it's taken so long means there's a lot of pretty crunchy issues they don't have agreement on. This was not a slam-dunk decision for them." Lawyers for the federal government argue the court should not interfere with the health-care system, considered "one of Canada's finest achievements and a powerful symbol of the national identity." Written by CBC News Online staff
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Flooding forces hundreds to leave homes in Alberta Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 08 Jun 2005 05:31:50  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 8th, 2005
Hundreds of residents of the town of High River were told to leave their homes overnight as rivers in southwestern Alberta began to overflow after days of heavy rain. The Highwood River is lapping the bottom of the train bridge and the vehicle bridge is shut.
Early Wednesday morning, some of the 3,500 residents living near the community's golf course were woken up as a mandatory evacuation was ordered for the area. On Tuesday afternoon, a mandatory evacuation was ordered for about 200 residents of three subdivisions: Beachwood Estates, the Willows and Wallaceville. An evacuation centre with sleeping bags and cots had been set up at the Highwood High School. Some areas of southwestern Alberta have been hit by between 100 millimetres and 170 millimetres of rain over the past few days. But forecasters said the rain could subside starting Wednesday or Thursday. Officials have issued a flood watch for almost 24 rivers, streams and creeks in the southern part of the province. A state of emergency has been called in Pincher Creek, Coalhurst and High River and officials are asking residents to limit their water use, so that more waste water isn't going into the already full sewer systems. The move is considered a precaution, but residents are urged to take steps to protect their own property from any flooding that might occur. The wet weather and swollen rivers are bringing back memories of the devastating flood that hit the area exactly 10 years ago – water levels that, at the time, were considered an event that happens only once a century. Flash flood watch for Manitoba	An elderly High River resident watches as a volunteer helps sandbag her home against flood waters following a week of heavy rains in southern Alberta.
Wet weather is also playing havoc in Manitoba, where a flash flood watch has been issued for western parts of the province. The watch covers an area stretching from the U.S. border to Swan River, running as far east as Brandon and Dauphin. Continuing wet weather in the area could bring as much as 50 millimetres of rain by Thursday. Most of the region is still saturated from torrential rains that brought more than 100 millimetres of water to many areas late last week. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Fire aboard Canadian frigate sends crew to hospital Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 07 Jun 2005 06:48:28  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 7th, 2005
Crewmembers of HMCS Toronto were taken to hospital for observation after a fire broke out on the frigate as it sat docked in Halifax Monday night. The fire started in the forward auxiliary machinery room at 7:10 p.m. local time. Crew, personnel from three other ships and a fire tug all joined in to battle the blaze, which took 45 minutes to put out. Mike Bonin, a navy spokesman, said some of the crew members breathed in smoke and were taken to hospital for "very, very minor observations." He didn't know the exact number of crew members. The cause of the fire is being investigated. It is not yet known the extent of the damage. HMCS Toronto was built in Saint John, N.B., and commissioned by the navy in 1993. The 134-metre warship has taken part in a number of operations, including enforcing embargoes of the former Yugoslavia and Iraq. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Woman killed in bear attack in Alberta Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 06 Jun 2005 05:27:08  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 6th, 2005
A woman jogging along a trail near Canmore, Alta., was killed on Sunday by a bear that had been captured and relocated out of the region a week earlier. The woman, who has not been identified, was jogging with two other female friends near the town located 90 kilometres west of Calgary when the grizzly bear came along their path at around 2 p.m. Two of the women ran off while the other one climbed up a tree. The grizzly was able to grab a hold of her and pull her down. Dave Ealey, a spokesperson for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, said officers were nearby when the two other women called for help. "Our guys were there right on the spot, and [the bear] was on the body. When it moved off the body they shot the bear," he said. The woman was the first person killed by a bear in Alberta since 1998. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Atlas shows environmental damage Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 05 Jun 2005 09:26:23  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 5th, 2005
The United Nations has unveiled a new world atlas that uses satellite imagery to show the often damaging environmental changes sweeping the planet. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) produced the atlas, called "One Planet Many People," to mark World Environment Day. The atlas compares and contrasts satellite images of past decades with ones from the present. It finds many of the world's precious resources have seriously deteriorated because of rapid urbanization, overfishing and the loss of forests. UN environment expert Pascal Peduzzi warned that natural resources are being used up so rapidly that many are in danger of disappearing. "We've already cut 20 per cent of the Amazon. We have also seen some lakes that just totally vanished." Peduzzi also said 78 per cent of the oceans are overfished. Hesaid overfishing caused the collapse of cod fishery in Canada and sardine fishery in California. The atlas shows the effects of retreating glaciers on mountains and in polar regions. It shows the explosive construction growth around some of the world's major cities and how this is increasing pollution and leading to global climate change. But the atlas also reveals how environmental problems can be solved when people work together. The UN group says it shows that the ozone layer is improving as a result of the Montreal Protocol that called for the ban of ozone depleting aerosol gases. The atlas was unveiled in San Francisco, where representatives from cities from around the globe on Sunday were ending a week of meetings, held to discuss the future of the world's environment. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Judge says Homolka still poses threat, imposes strict conditions on her freedom Web Posted | Last Updated Sat, 04 Jun 2005 08:13:16  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 4th, 2005 A Quebec judge has ruled that convicted killer Karla Homolka has returned "back to the same pattern" and poses a threat to reoffend. Judge Jean R. Beaulieu gave his ruling Friday afternoon on an application by the province of Ontario to place restrictions on Homolka once she is released from prison. The restrictions, under Section 810 of the Criminal Code, mean she must maintain good behaviour and not own any weapons.	Karla Homolka in court, Friday.
She must also: - Report to the nearest police station on the day of her release and tell them where she is living and who her roommates are. - Notify police of any change of name. - Report to a police station the first Friday of every month (or arrange another time). - Give 96 hours notice if she plans to move. - Give three days notice if she plans to go away for more than a weekend. - Complete specific information about any travel plans. - Give police her travel plans if leaving Quebec. - Have no contact with people with a criminal record. - Have no contact with her former husband Paul Bernardo. - Have no contact with former victims Jane Doe or Nicole T. - Have no contact with the families of victims Kristen French or Leslie Mahaffy. - Not possess drugs or illicit substances. - Not be in a job which gives her access to benzodiazepine, opiates or barbiturates. - Have no job or volunteer position with people under the age of 16. - Continue therapy and counselling. - Provide police with a DNA sample. The judge said Homolka had better obey the conditions over the next 12 months, or else they will be renewed. If she breaks any conditions she faces up to two years in jail. Homolka was impassive when she heard the ruling, sitting calmly in the courtroom and had no visible reaction, but her lawyer said the conditions are fundamentally unfair and show that the Canadian criminal justice system doesn't work. Homolka has almost finished serving a 12-year sentence for her role in raping and killing two teenage girls in the early 1990s. She could be released from prison any time between June 30 and July 5. Earlier, Homolka's relationship with convicted killer Jean-Paul Gerbet, whom she met in the library of a federal prison in Quebec was revealed. The couple have exchanged weekly letters, pairs of clean underwear and a simple kiss in the library at one point. Gerbet is due to be paroled in 2008. He will be deported to his native France upon his release from prison. It was that relationship that appeared to convince the judge that Homolka was still a danger to reoffend. "Here we are in 2005 and she's come back to the same pattern," Beaulieu said, referring to her relationship with Gerbet. "She's back with a partner who is acting in the same style as the old one."
James Ramsay, the lawyer representing Ontario prosecutors at the hearing, produced sexually charged letters exchanged between two in which they speak of being together someday. Ramsay also zeroed in on a list that Homolka had made during a counselling session outlining the qualities she was seeking in an ideal romantic partner. Such a man should believe in the moral value of marriage, have a good education, want to have children, love his mother, have a good attitude toward women and have no history of family abuse, among other characteristics on Homolka's list. "This isn't a good description of Jean-Paul Gerbet," Ramsay pointed out to the court. The court had earlier heard that Homolka had a homosexual relationship with a fellow inmate that lasted a few years before ending more than two years ago. Morissette said it is very common for homosexual relationships to develop in prison, especially among prisoners serving lengthy sentences. After his conviction in the first-degree murders of French and Mahaffy, Paul Bernardo was declared a dangerous offender. He will be kept in jail indefinitely. Homolka's sentence was only 12 years because she claimed to be a battered wife and made a plea bargain deal with the Crown in return for testifying against Bernardo. Only after the deal was struck did the videotapes surface showing her to be an apparently willing, full partner in the abuse against Mahaffy, French and her own teenage sister, Tammy Homolka. Tammy choked to death on her own vomit after Bernardo and Homolka drugged and raped her two days before Christmas 1990. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Psychiatrist to testify on behalf of Homolka Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 03 Jun 2005 08:01:12 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 3nd, 2005
A Montreal psychiatrist is expected to testify that convicted killer Karla Homolka is not a risk to reoffend when she finishes her 12-year sentence for her role in the murders of Ontario teens Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy. Homolka returns to a Quebec courtroom Friday for the second day of hearings into whether strict conditions should be imposed on her movements when she is released from a federal penitentiary in Joliette, Que., in a few weeks.
Ontario and Quebec Crown prosecutors are trying to convince the judge that Homolka still poses a danger to the public when she completes her 12-year sentence for manslaughter for her role in the killings. On Thursday, Homolka's lawyer Sylvie Bordelais challenged those claims. She cited several psychiatric assessments that suggest Homolka will be a minimal danger when released. The first day of the hearing ended just before 5 p.m. without a decision from Justice Jean R. Beaulieu. Thursday marked the first time since 1995 that Homolka had appeared in a public courtroom.	Karla Homolka in court, Thursday.
The Crown is seeking restrictions on Homolka that include the following requirements: - She report twice a month to authorities. - She give advance warning when she travels. - She have no contact with the victims' families. - She not be allowed to associate directly or indirectly with anyone with a criminal record. That last restriction has particular significance, as the court heard that Homolka is writing regularly to Jean-Paul Gerbet, a convicted killer serving time in Quebec for the murder of his girlfriend. It was also revealed Homolka had a nude photo in her cell of Gerbet, who is up for parole in 2008, as well as a pair of his underwear.
Any court order imposing conditions on her release would have effect for no more than 12 months, so an annual review would be needed to make sure Homolka's actions are limited beyond that time. Homolka's deal with Crown prosecutors in exchange for testifying against her ex-husband Paul Bernardo outraged the public and has been criticized for being too lenient. Some have called it "a deal with the devil." Some say the Crown had little choice in the matter when the deal was struck, however. At the time, there was little hard evidence against Bernardo, and videotapes showing a smiling Homolka seeming to willingly participate in the sadistic sexual assaults and murders had not yet surfaced.	Police van carrying Karla Homolka in Joliette, Que., Thursday.
After his conviction in the first-degree murders of French and Mahaffy, Bernardo was declared a dangerous offender. He will be kept in jail indefinitely. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Homolka set to make court appearance Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 02 Jun 2005 06:14:04 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 2nd, 2005
Schoolgirl killer Karla Homolka will make her first public appearance in a decade to fight the Ontario government's attempt to place certain restrictions on her when she is released from prison within weeks.
Homolka will appear in a Quebec court Thursday as she nears the end of her 12-year sentence for her role in the deaths of Ontario teens, Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French. Ontario Crown attorneys will be trying to convince the judge that Homolka is still dangerous and could do harm after she is released from the federal penitentiary in Joliette, Que. They will ask the judge to apply Section 810 of the Criminal Code, which could limit where Homolka goes and who she can talk to and could require her to report her movements, even though she will have finished her sentence. "What's happening...is not about continuing a sentence," said Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant. "It is about considering whether or not a person who is being released and completed her sentence, in fact, should have restrictions placed on her and should be monitored."	Karla Homolka
Homolka could face up to two years in jail if she breaks an order made under the code. The convicted killer is fighting the attempt to restrict her freedom. The hearing could extend beyond the one day now set aside. While no witness list has been released, Homolka may testify. Dr. Louis Morissette, a Montreal psychiatrist, is expected to testify in her support. "Every clinical indicator suggests she is a low risk," Morissette said. McGill law professor Ron Sklar says it will be tough for the judge to decide what's fair. "Clearly, we don't put the mark of Cain on people in Canada...no matter how monstrous the crime that the person has committed....They have certain rights once they have served their time in jail [including the right] to freedom. That has to be a balanced however, with the public's understandable apprehensiveness about public safety." The hearing in Joliette, about 75 km north of Montreal, is expected to draw a large crowd. Quebec justice officials have reserved seats in the courtroom and set up a big screen in a nearby room for media. Homolka last appeared in public 10 years ago when she testified against her former husband Paul Bernardo. Bernardo was declared a dangerous offender and is in jail indefinitely for the murders of French and Mahaffy. Homolka's deal with Crown prosecutors in exchange for testifying against Bernardo outraged the public and has been criticized for being too lenient. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Martin, Dosanjh question authenticity of tapes Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 01 Jun 2005 10:51:15 EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Jun 1st, 2005
The prime minister and his health minister are questioning the authenticity of tapes that suggest two Conservative members of Parliament could have been rewarded for supporting the Liberal government in last month's non-confidence vote. Gurmant Grewal, Conservative member for the riding of Newton-North Delta in British Columbia, secretly recorded roughly four hours of conversation with Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh and Tim Murphy, the chief of staff for the Prime Minister's Office. Grewal posted segments of the recordings on his website on Tuesday. While their authenticity can't be confirmed, Grewal says they prove that Dosanjh and Murphy offered Senate and ambassador postings to him and his wife Nina, who is the Conservative member of Parliament for Fleetwood-Port Kells, if they would skip last month's confidence vote that threatened to bring down the minority government. But Dosanjh issued a statement Tuesday night, saying, "It is clear to me that the recordings have been altered." "There are significant omissions in the transcripts and recordings," Dosanjh said. "The translation from Punjabi to English is often inaccurate. Even the English to English transcription is deficient. Parts of the recordings themselves have been edited." Martin also questioned the recordings as he came out of a Tuesday evening cabinet meeting. "There is doubt in terms of complete authenticity. There is doubt as to the adequacy, the veracity of the translations. I am told there are wide sections of conversation that have not even been recorded. And these are all things that we are going to want to check," Martin said. The tapes that were released do not include the complete conversations, including how they started or ended. Murphy has denied making any offers, saying Grewal repeatedly approached him for a job. While the tapes don't explicitly offer the pair jobs, they do suggest the Liberals were courting the Conservative couple. There have been calls from the opposition for the prime minister to suspend Murphy. But Martin defended his chief of staff. "There is a credibility issue and it's not with members of my staff and my government. But it's certainly with the member of Parliament concerned from Delta," he said. The recordings also suggest the prime minister knew Liberals were courting the Grewals to cross the floor before a crucial vote. In one conversation, Dosanjh said he had talked to Martin and that "he will be happy to talk to you over the phone tonight or in person if you want to move." Martin said he knew the Grewals might cross over to the Liberals, but told his officials that no offers of rewards were to be made. The NDP and the Bloc Québécois have called on the RCMP to investigate the allegations. Ethics commissioner Bernard Shapiro also wants to see the transcripts of the conversation. Written by CBC News Online staff