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640 killed in Iraq stampede	31/08/05
'This is our tsunami'	30/08/05
'New Orleans may never be the same'	29/08/05
People leaving as Katrina nears Louisiana	28/08/05
Katrina kills 6 in Florida, becomes more powerful	27/08/05
At least 17 dead in Paris apartment blaze	26/08/05
Investigators to probe cause of Snowbird crash	25/08/05
Homolka's former boss coming under scrutiny	24/08/05
Boss says Homolka may have broken rules: report	23/08/05
Civilians to join Canadian mission in Kandahar	22/08/05
Google raises cash selling 14.2 million shares	21/08/05
Massive cleanup begins after tornado rips through southwestern Ontario Friday	20/08/05
Two suspects dead after police chase in London, Ontario	19/08/05
Restrictions proposed on medicines needed to make crystal meth	18/08/05
Man shot by London police was sitting on seat in subway train	17/08/05
Man convicted in Taber, Alta., school killing missing from Toronto custody facility	16/08/05
CBC locks out employees	15/08/05
Cypriot airliner crashes near Athens	14/08/05
Funeral set for war hero 'Smokey' Smith	13/08/05
Province unprepared for Wabamun spill: Klein	12/08/05
Cancer-linked chemical spilled near Alberta lake, tests confirm	11/08/05
Angry Alberta residents await test results	10/08/05
Discovery landing set for California	09/08/05
Discovery forced to stay in space 1 more day	08/08/05
Russian submarine and crew rescued	07/08/05
Huge crowd marks anniversary of Hiroshima bombing	06/08/05
British PM cracks down on extremism	05/08/05
NASA weighs options for another Discovery repair	04/08/05
Pearson air traffic getting back to normal	03/08/05
3 marijuana activists to appear in court	02/08/05
NASA concerned about protruding material on Discovery	01/08/05

640 killed in Iraq stampede Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 31 Aug 2005  07:53:24  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 31st, 2005
As many as 640 people have been killed and 200 injured when a crowd of Iraqi Shias stampeded off a bridge in northern Baghdad. "We have lost count, we have hundreds and hundreds of dead and injured," said a health ministry official. "We can't tell how many are dead. Many bodies are still in the river."
Most of the dead were women and children, a source in Iraq's Interior Ministry said. They died in the crush or drowned in the Tigris river. Streets in the area of the accident are narrow making it extremely difficult for rescue workers to reach the dead and injured. Iraq's Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari declared three days of mourning. Police say the stampede may have been caused when rumours spread that a suicide bomber was prepared to blow himself up.	People walk over a bridge towards a shrine in Kadhimiya following a deadly stampede in Iraq.
Television reports said about one million pilgrims from Baghdad and region had gathered near the Imam Mousa al-Kadim shrine in the capital's Kadhimiya district. They were there for the annual commemoration of the death of the Shia saint. Tensions have been high between religious and ethnic communities leading up to a referendum on a new constitution for Iraq. Parliament completed work on a draft constitution on Sunday. It must be approved by a popular mandate before Oct. 15 to come into force. About two hours before the disaster, a mortar and rocket attack killed at least seven people and injured at least 40 near the shrine. U.S. Apache helicopters fired on the attackers, a U.S. statement said. Written by CBC News Online staff
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'This is our tsunami' Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 30 Aug 2005  07:17:50  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 30th, 2005
Hurricane Katrina has left at least 55 dead and an unknown number of lives shattered in its wake. Homes and businesses are submerged, people are displaced, and damage is being counted in the billions of dollars. The killer hurricane, which slammed into Louisiana with 225 km/h winds, was downgraded Monday night to a tropical storm. It is tracking north and could enter Canada as soon as Tuesday night. The storm inflicted catastrophic damage along the Gulf coast as it slammed into Louisiana, and then swept across Mississippi, Alabama and western Florida. Although an unofficial death toll hovered around 55 on Tuesday morning, officials in Mississippi were reporting 50 dead in that state alone.
Jim Pollard, a spokesperson in Harrison County, said that 30 of them died at a Biloxi, Miss. apartment complex where they were drowned or crushed by debris. "This is our tsunami," said Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway. Police used boats to go into flood-stricken areas to rescue people trapped in their homes. Some were plucked to safety by helicopters. New Orleans was spared the catastrophic flooding that had been feared. But Katrina's winds shattered high-rise windows and littered the city's historic French Quarter with rubble. Tulane University Medical Center vice-president Karen Troyer-Caraway said waters were rising in downtown New Orleans because a nearby levee holding back Lake Pontchartrain had suffered a two-block long breach. "The water is rising so fast I cannot begin to describe how quickly it's rising," she said. "We have whitecaps on Canal Street, the water is moving so fast." Nine thousand people found soggy refuge in the New Orleans' Superdome. Power was lost early Monday, air conditioning was off and water leaked in from a roof damaged by high winds. "Everybody wants to go see their house. We want to know what's happened to us. It's hot, it's miserable and, on top of that, you're worried about your house," said Rosetta Junne, 37.	Cars sit idle on flooded streets in downtown New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina came ashore on Monday, Aug. 29th, 2005. The full extent of damage to the roof of the Louisiana Superdome can be seen in this aerial view above the battered city of New Orleans.
Katrina knocked out power to more than a million people from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. It could take two months to restore electricity to everyone. Ten major hospitals in New Orleans were running on emergency backup power. An oil drilling platform under repair broke free of its mooring in Mobile Bay, Alabama, and slammed into a bridge. At least two oil rigs were adrift in the Gulf of Mexico. The insurance industry could pay out claims as high as $26 billion US. That would make Katrina more expensive than the previous record-setting storm. Hurricane Andrew caused some $21 billion US in insured losses in 1992 to property in Florida and along the Gulf Coast. Crude oil futures spiked to more than $70 a barrel in Singapore for the first time Monday as Katrina targeted an area crucial to the U.S. energy infrastructure, but the price had slipped back to $68.95 by midday in Europe. The approaching storm forced the shutdown of an estimated 1 million barrels of refining capacity. By Tuesday morning, Katrina had moved inland to northeastern Mississippi. The U.S. the National Hurricane Center said it was downgraded to a still dangerous tropical storm with 96 km/h winds. As the storm moves north, it may spawn tornadoes over the U.S. Southeast and swamp the Tennessee and Ohio valleys with a potentially disastrous 20 cm or more of rain. The National Hurricane Centre in Halifax said the remnants of the storm could reach parts of Canada as early as Tuesday night. Weather forecaster Carolyne Marshall said it's extremely hard to predict at the moment, but Ontario may only be brushed by Katrina. Written by CBC News Online staff
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'New Orleans may never be the same' Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 29 Aug 2005  08:15:48  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 29th, 2005
Hurricane Katrina hit shore Monday morning just south of Buras, La., about 88 km southeast of New Orleans. The hurricane edged slightly to the east providing some hope that the worst of the storm's fiercest winds might not directly strike New Orleans. Although Katrina weakened slightly overnight to a strong Category 4 storm, it still poses an extremely serious threat with 240 km/h winds. At least a million people had fled ahead of the storm, creating bumper-to-bumper traffic. Evacuees sought refuge as far away as Texas, 425 km to the west.
Approximately 26,000 people had taken shelter in the Superdome, the enclosed stadium near New Orleans' French Quarter. The Louisiana National Guard brought in 10 truckloads of food and water for them. Experts predicted that thousands of homes in New Orleans could be damaged and a million people left homeless. The storm surge could be as high as 8.5 metres above normal. "It's capable of causing catastrophic damage," said U.S. National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield. "Even well-built structures will have tremendous damage. Of course, what we're really worried about is the loss of lives. "New Orleans may never be the same." Oil companies shut down production from many of the offshore platforms that provide a quarter of U.S. oil and gas production. U.S. oil futures jumped nearly $5 US a barrel in opening trade to reach a peak of $70.80 US. Gasoline soared by 12 percent to a record high of 57 cents US a litre.	Hurricane Katrina heading for land.
Streets in New Orleans were mostly abandoned as the storm approached. News reports said sporadic looting had broken out in one New Orleans neighbourhood, but police were on the scene. More than 4,000 National Guardsmen were mobilizing in Memphis, Tenn. and will help police New Orleans streets. Alabama officials issued mandatory evacuation orders for low-lying coastal areas. Residents of several barrier islands in the western Florida Panhandle were also urged to evacuate. Sections of New Orleans lie up to 3 metres below sea level. The city is protected by a network of levees, or embankments, as well as canals and pumps to keep it dry. New Orleans has not been hit directly by a hurricane since 1965. Hurricane Betsy flooded the city and killed about 75 people in the United States. Written by CBC News Online staff
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People leaving as Katrina nears Louisiana Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 28 Aug 2005  8:03:00  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 28th, 2005 Authorities told people along Louisiana's Gulf coast to take the coming threat of Hurricane Katrina very seriously.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a test. This is the real deal," New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin said at a news conference on Saturday.
He said he would likely be asking residents to evacuate their homes at daybreak on Sunday. Michael Brown, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said those residents should leave within 36 hours because "beyond that, it's just too late." However, up to 100,000 people lack the transportation to leave New Orleans, which sits below sea level, making it especially vulnerable to a powerful hurricane. Authorities may use the Superdome as a shelter of last resort. Katrina is gaining strength over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The hurricane is expected to hit land Monday morning somewhere between New Orleans and Pensacola, Fla. When the hurricane hit southern Florida on Thursday night, seven people died -- and it was only a Category 1 storm then. Experts predict it will be a Category 4 storm with winds of at least 210 km/h when it next hits land. "Right now, it looks like Louisiana is in line for a possible direct hit," Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said. "It does not bode well for southeastern Louisiana."	A woman walks by the wreckage left on a Ft. Lauderdale beach by hurricane Katrina on Friday. Residents of southern Florida are already bracing for the Category 2 hurricane's return.
Mandatory or voluntary evacuations were called on Grand Isle, Louisiana's only inhabited barrier island, and in the parishes of St. Charles, Lafourche, Terrebonne, Plaquemines and St. Bernard. Coastal residents took the warnings seriously. They jammed highways and swamped gas stations as they scrambled to escape the coming hurricane. To aid the evacuation, Louisiana and Mississippi made all lanes on interstate highways into northbound lanes. Some service stations were running low on gas by Saturday afternoon. About 300,000 residents of low-lying areas of the Florida Panhandle east of Pensacola were also under voluntary evacuation orders. Florida cleaning up Katrina, the second hurricane to strike Florida this year, formed over the Bahamas on Wednesday. When the hurricane made landfall along the Miami-Dade and Broward County lines Thursday night, sustained winds were measured about 129 km/h. Residents of southeast Florida are still cleaning up. Utility crews are working to restore power to 733,000 homes and businesses, down from the more than 1.3 million customers left in the dark at the storm's peak. Officials are supplying ice and bottled water at no charge. Independent forecasting firms have pegged insured losses from Katrina's first landfall at between $600 million US and $2 billion US. Katrina is the 11th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. That is seven more than typical by this time of year. The season began June 1 and ends Nov. 30. With a report from CTV's Denelle Balfour Written by CTV.ca News Staff
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Katrina kills 6 in Florida, becomes more powerful Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 26 Aug 2005  18:50:19  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 27th, 2005
Hurricane Katrina killed six and caused power cuts to more than 2 million in southeast Florida Friday. It increased in strength as it moved northwest over the Gulf of Mexico and was expected to hit land along the Florida panhandle near Louisiana by Monday. Forecasters said the storm has become a Category-Two hurricane with 160 km/h winds. They say it could reach Category-Three by Saturday, and be near Category-Four as it approaches the Gulf Coast.
The death toll included three people killed by falling trees and two boaters who tried to ride out the storm in their crafts. Sheets of rain flooded communities and fierce gusts stripped tiles off roofs, tore away mosquito screens and shattered trees, leaving neighbourhoods piled high with tree limbs and leaves. An overpass under construction collapsed west of Miami, blocking the city's main east-west highway.	This photo shows an overpass under construction in Miami-Dade County which collapsed onto State Road 836 Friday Aug. 26, 2005.
Most schools, businesses and government offices in southeast Florida were closed Friday. Winds were so strong a parked Boeing jetliner was blown sideways at Miami International Airport. Oil companies evacuated some workers from platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Punished last season by four powerful hurricanes in six weeks, Florida residents had snapped up drinking water and batteries from stores but few bothered to put up hurricane shutters. Friday evening utility crews scrambled to restore power to more than one million customers. Florida Governor Jeb Bush urged residents in panhandle areas to monitor the storm and make necessary preparations. If Katrina hits the panhandle at Category 4 strength, as forecasters say it could, it would mean sustained winds topping 208 km/h. Officials asked for a federal disaster declaration to speed recovery aid for the cities of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Written by CBC News Online staff
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At least 17 dead in Paris apartment blaze Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 26 Aug 2005  08:22:00  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 26th, 2005
At least 17 people, six of them children, were killed when a fire swept through a crowded apartment building in Paris. About thirty are believed to be injured. "It's an extremely heavy toll," said Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who visited the scene of the blaze on a major boulevard in the city's 13th district. The children had been "asphyxiated," he said. "It's an abominable spectacle." The seven-storey building in southeast Paris was home to about 30 adults and 100 children, mainly African immigrants from nations such as Mali, Senegal, Ghana and Tunisia.
The fire broke out shortly after midnight local time in the stairwell of the building and raced to the upper floors. One resident of the building described being awakened by the cries of children and adults. People "jumped out the windows. They didn't care about dying," Oumar Cisse told journalists after he was evacuated from his second-storey apartment.	Firemen evacuate victims using a ladder as a fire killed 17 people in a Paris apartment building.
While officials are still investigating the cause of the fire, residents and journalists have reported the building appeared to be in a dilapidated condition with cracks in the walls and old electrical wiring. Cisse, a 71-year-old from Mali, said the living conditions were "totally unhealthy" as the building was infested by rats and mice. According to Serge Blisko, the district's mayor, the African immigrants were housed in affiliation with a French charitable organization that works to improve the lives of the impoverished. The building was "in a mediocre state," he told France-Info radio. More than 200 firefighters worked for an hour and a half before bringing the blaze under control. This is the second major fire in Paris this year that has taken a devastating toll on African migrants, raising questions about why potentially dangerous buildings are being crowded with immigrant families. "They were in this building for something like 10 years, and they were promised 10 years ago that they were not going to stay in this building for more than three months," Agence France-Presse journalist Isabelle Ligner reported on CTV's Canada AM. "In fact, they stayed for years and years and years. This illustrates the problem we have in large cities in France of the lack of social housing." In April, 24 people were killed in a hotel blaze in the city's 9th district. Most were African immigrants and others without means who were housed there by authorities. At the time, officials said the night watchman's girlfriend may have accidentally cause the blaze by placing candles on the floor to set the scene for a romantic tryst. The prosecutor's office has alleged that she threw piles of clothes on the floor and left in a rage with the candles still burning, when she found out he was drunk. With files from The Associated Press Written by CTV.ca News staff
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Investigators to probe cause of Snowbird crash Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 25 Aug 2005  07:02:00  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 25th, 2005 Investigators will be probing the cause of the latest Snowbird jet crash Thursday, as fresh questions emerge about the safety of the elite flying squad. The pilot, Capt. Andy Mackay, managed to steer his aircraft away from area homes, ejecting safely when his aircraft crashed on the outskirts of the northern Ontario city of Thunder Bay on the way to an air show Wednesday. He has been released from hospital after being treated for undisclosed injuries, the Department of National Defence said.	The Department of National Defence said 39-year-old Capt. Andy Mackay, Snowbird 8, sustained injuries and was being treated in hospital.
While there have been questions about the safety of the squad in the past, Defence Minister Bill Graham says it is too early to discuss the future of the program. "We will, of course, be reviewing the circumstance around what caused it, and we will certainly make those public," he told The Globe and Mail. "Until we know what's happened, it's very difficult to evaluate the risk factor that is in there." The Snowbirds fly CT-114 Tutors, jets that are more than 30 years old. But pilots have defended the program, saying the jets are safe. Platoon Chief Al Spooner of Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue Service, who drove Mackay to the hospital, told the Globe that Mackay described the experience in the car.
"The pilot told me that he was inverted, lost power, righted the plane, tried to start it, it wouldn't start. He was at about 1,000 feet, so he bailed out of it." Maj. Ian McLean said he was told in a brief phone conversation with Mackay that the downed plane experienced a loss of engine thrust. "He took the appropriate checklist actions at that time and was unable to regain sufficient thrust to keep the aircraft in the air," McLean told reporters in Thunder Bay.	This exclusive photograph shows the wreckage of the crashed Snowbird.
"He determined that it was time to eject from the aircraft." McLean said the jet went down as Snowbirds engaged in "shakeout manoeuvres" -- which pilots routinely perform before shows to test their aircraft. "Obviously, the procedures paid off in this case," said McLean, adding that the crash took place far away from people. The Snowbirds were ready to appear at 5:30 p.m. ET in front of tens of thousands of spectators, but the event was cancelled 10 minutes later when it was announced that the plane had crashed. The Snowbirds are next scheduled to perform in St. Catharines, Ont., on Saturday and Sunday, but it was not immediately known if the shows would be cancelled. According to the Snowbirds' website, Mackay is in his fourth year with the squadron, with over 4,800 hours of military flying experience. He flies the No. 8 jet as the Opposing Solo. In the most recent accident involving the famed Snowbirds aerobatic team, a pilot died in December 2004 when he collided with another jet. Capt. Miles Selby, 31, of Tsawwassen, B.C., was killed instantly in the crash, 64 kilometres south of Moose Jaw, Sask. Capt. Chuck Mallett, 35, of Delta, B.C., was thrown from his Tutor jet about 1,100 metres above ground level. Written by CTV.ca News staff
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Homolka's former boss coming under scrutiny Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 24 Aug 2005  06:28:00  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 24th, 2005 After making allegations about Karla Homolka's post-prison behaviour, Richer Lapointe, her former employer, came under some scrutiny of his own.
Lapointe will be in a Longueuil, Que. courtroom on Wednesday in connection with charges stemming from an altercation with his estranged wife, CFCF reporter Jennifer Tryon told CTV News Toronto on Tuesday. However, The Canadian Press reported Lapointe has filed similar charges against his wife. "We heard that he needs to provide $3,000 bail. So that's leading some to believe his motive for needing money in exchange for some of the pictures that he may or may not have sold to certain media," Tryon said. Lapointe approached CTV last weekend, seeking money for his story about Homolka. The TVA network in Quebec said Lapointe asked them for $35,000 for his information.
The Toronto Sun did pick up his story. The Sun said Lapointe received nothing from them. "People are offering money for pictures, things like that; I said no,'' Lapointe told Toronto radio station CFRB. "I just wanted it to be clear. Across Canada and Quebec -- anywhere -- I never, never, never got a penny, nothing.'' Tryon said according to Homolka's lawyer, Homolka quit her job at Lapointe's hardware store on Friday -- as soon as she found out Lapointe was facing criminal charges. Under the 'Section 810' order imposed on her by a judge before her release, Homolka is not to associate with known criminals. "And we heard from neighbors ... they heard an altercation outside the house -- someone being forced to leave the apartment without wanting to," she said. "They went outside and said she was being removed from the apartment. This is the same time, her lawyer said, that she had found out that her employer at the hardware store was facing criminal charges," Tryon said.	Homolka was living in this apartment building in Longueuil, a 10-minute drive south of the island of Montreal. Tim Danson, a lawyer for the families of murdered teens Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy.
The allegations Lapointe's allegations about Homolka breaking some conditions of her release brought the convicted sex killer back into the news with a vengeance. On Tuesday, the Sun quoted Homolka's now ex-boss as saying he believes the convicted sex killer has breached at least two conditions of her release, including associating with known criminals. Tim Danson, a lawyer for the families of murdered teens Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy, said Tuesday he will ask Quebec police to investigate the report and lay charges if necessary. "The whole reason why these conditions were imposed on Karla Homolka was because the court was satisfied on the evidence before it that she represented a threat to public safety,'' Danson said in an interview with The Canadian Press. "These conditions were necessary to minimize or at least reduce that risk." If convicted of a breach, Homolka could face a prison term of up to 24 months. Did Karla break the rules? Lapointe, 39, told the Sun he hired Homolka to work in his hardware store on Aug. 10 to either help rehabilitate her or expose her lies. He now says that he believes Homolka has broken at least two of her parole conditions, and he plans to take the apparent condition breaches to prosecutors in Ontario and Quebec. Under Section 810 of the Criminal Code, a Quebec judge has placed a series of conditions on Homolka that include not associating with known criminals.
Lapointe said that Homolka asked him to help her find temporary refuge for the son of a convicted killer. She also allegedly told him that she has cooked meals for her boyfriend in Laval. Lapointe believes that boyfriend is imprisoned killer Jean-Paul Gerbet, currently housed in a minimum security Laval correctional institute. However, Correctional Service Canada spokeswoman Michele Pilon-Santilli says she's checked with the prison and the allegation isn't true. Prisoners cannot bring food into the prison from the outside. She also says Homolka has not been near the jail. Gerbet is serving a life sentence for the murder of his estranged girlfriend Cathy Carretta in 1998. Lapointe says Homolka broke another condition of her release that stipulates she not be left alone in position of authority with anyone under age 16 when he unknowingly left her alone with his sons, aged 9 and 14. Homolka, 35, was released from prison on July 4, after serving her full 12-year sentence for manslaughter for her role in the deaths of French, 15, and Mahaffy, 14. Homolka in Longueuil A newspaper reported Saturday that Homolka was living in Longueuil, about a 10-minute drive south of the island of Montreal. In an interview with CTV on Tuesday, Longueuil ice cream store owner Jean-Claude St-Cyr reported seeing Homolka come in for breakfast. "She comes here for breakfast a couple of times," he said. "I don't know first time who it is. But after two days, three days, a couple of customers said 'Hey, I think it's Karla'."
Longueuil resident Fang Zhou Bian said he didn't know Homolka was in the neighbourhood for about two months. "And it gives me a little chill, yeah, to imagine that she was here all the time." It's unclear if Homolka is still in the area. Pictures published in the Toronto Sun on Tuesday showed Homolka with a different hairstyle than the one she had just hours after her release from jail when she appeared on RDI, Radio-Canada's all-news French station. In the recent pictures, she had shorter, red hair. She was also shown with a dog. Written by CTV.ca News staff
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Boss says Homolka may have broken rules: report Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 23 Aug 2005  08:15:00  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 23rd, 2005 Convicted schoolgirl killer Karla Homolka may have breached her parole conditions, her employer claims, according to a report by the Toronto Sun. Richer Lapointe, 39, told the newspaper in an exclusive interview that he secretly hired
Homolka to work in his hardware store to either help rehabilitate her, or expose her lies. Lapointe said that he believes Homolka has broken at least two of her parole conditions, and plans to take the apparent condition breaches to prosecutors in Ontario and Quebec. Under Section 810 of the Criminal Code of Canada, a Quebec judge has placed a series of conditions on Homolka that include not associating with known criminals. However, Lapointe says that Homolka asked him to help her find temporary refuge for the son of a convicted killer. She also allegedly told him that she has cooked meals for her boyfriend in Laval. Lapointe believes that boyfriend is imprisoned killer Jean-Paul Gerbet. Gerbet is serving a life sentence for the murder of his estranged girlfriend Cathy Carretta in 1998. He is currently housed in minimum security Laval correctional institute. Lapointe says Homolka broke another condition of her release that stipulates she not be left alone in position of authority with anyone under age 16 when he unknowingly left her alone with his sons, aged 9 and 14. Homolka, 35, was released from prison on July 4, after serving her full 12-year sentence for manslaughter for her parts in the deaths of Kristen French, 15, and Leslie Mahaffy, 14. A newspaper reported Saturday that Homolka was living in Longueuil, about a 10 minute drive south of the island of Montreal. Pictures published in the Toronto Sun on Tuesday showed Homolka with a different hairstyle than the one she had just hours after her release from jail when she appeared on RDI, Radio-Canada's all-news French station. In the recent pictures, she was shown with short, red hair. She was also shown with a dog. Other incidents reported by Lapointe in the Toronto Sun feature: - He alleges Homolka dropped a picture of a naked woman on the floor of his store while showing him pictures of    her family and friends. - He describes her "trembling" at the sight of a 19-year-old sales clerk. Written by CTV.ca News staff
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Civilians to join Canadian mission in Kandahar Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 22 Aug 2005  08:34:00  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 22nd, 2005 Security is a pressing, but secondary priority, as Canada's provincial reconstruction team moves to its next phase of operations in the volatile Afghan province of Kandahar. RCMP officers and government development personnel are arriving in Kandahar this week, to bolster an experimental force that mixes civilians, the police and military. With its focus on reconstruction over security, the team has a $4 million budget to spend on development projects in the next 18 months. Unlike Canadian missions in other parts of Afghanistan -- where the military has participated in aid projects in a coordinating role -- the Kandahar PRT is based on an integrated approach. The mission's success is threatened, however, by the instability that has wracked the southern province regarded as the birthplace of the Taliban. In recent months, as Afghanistan prepares for its mid-September parliamentary and provincial council elections, Taliban and al Qaeda insurgents have escalated attacks throughout the country, and particularly in Kandahar. Reporting from the volatile province, CTV's Matt McClure said a roadside bomb that killed four U.S. troops north of Kandahar Sunday, was a stark reminder of the dangers that Canadian troops must always beware of.	Two young girls are curious of Canadian Soldier Private Jason Taylor, a member of 5 Platoon, 2 Section, as he patrols on the outskirts of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) site in Kandahar, Afghanistan. (image: Sgt Jerry Kean, Canadian Forces) Corporal Chance Fiessel, a member of 5 Platoon, 2 Section, takes time to talk with two young children while on patrol on the outskirts of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) site in Kandahar, Afghanistan. (image: Sgt Jerry Kean, Canadian Forces)
"This is the worst attack on U.S. forces in some two months," McClure said in an interview Monday. At least 72 U.S. service members involved in the U.S.-led military operations in Afghanistan have died since Jan. 1, making 2005 the costliest year for the United States since their intervention ousted the Taliban in November 2001. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld declared that major combat operations in Afghanistan were over in May, 2003. But Taliban attacks have been increasing since the beginning of this year, so far killing an estimated 1,000 Afghans. Even though Canadian officials downplay the risk their mission is facing in Kandahar, patrol vehicles are being fitted with a special gun turret that provides added protection in a blast. "Canadian commanders are predicting there's going to be lots more of these attacks in the leadup to the September 18th vote," McClure told CTV's Canada AM. "Given that the deteriorating security situation here, soldiers can't wait for that." Written by CTV.ca News staff
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Google raises cash selling 14.2 million shares Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 19 Aug 2005  08:44:18  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 21st, 2005
Google Inc. plans to raise about $4 billion US by selling 14.2 million more shares. In its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Google said it will use the proceeds for "general corporate purposes," including acquisitions. Despite the many rumours about how the software company will spend the money, David Krane, a Google spokesman, declined to comment further on the announcement. Analysts were having a field day with speculation. "They have massive infrastructure plans, so I'd say (it may buy) a couple hundred thousand more servers, a bunch of dark fiber, maybe a few data centers," said Mark Stahlman, an analyst at Caris & Co. "Quite possibly wire up half the United States with Wi-Fi or something." In a research report, Merrill Lynch analyst Lauren Rich Fine noted there was speculation Google might have been interested in buying China's Baidu.com before its public offering earlier this month. There are further rumours that Google plans to create an internet telephone service. In its most recently reported quarter, Google's earnings more than quadrupled to $342.8 million. Revenue doubled to $1.38 billion. Analysts have questioned whether that growth can continue at such a high clip, due to aggressive competition from Yahoo and Microsoft. In a typical Google approach, the exact number of shares to be sold -- 14,159,265 -- happens to be the eight digits after the decimal point in the value Pi. Google's founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, studied computer science at Stanford University. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Massive cleanup begins after tornado rips through southwestern Ontario Friday Web Posted | Last Updated Sat, 20 Aug 2005  12:44:18  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 20th, 2005
Residents in Southwestern Ontario have begun a massive cleanup after a tornado and severe storms hit the area Friday afternoon. A state of emergency is in effect in Fergus, a town located about 150 kilometres west of Toronto, after a confirmed tornado destroyed houses and barns, uprooted trees and tossed around vehicles. One woman said her car was lifted off the ground and flipped over three times. There were no reports of deaths or injuries. Environment Canada said eyewitness accounts of the Fergus tornado were corroborated by radar. The severe storms began around 1:30 p.m. ET, causing flooding in some areas. Toronto traffic was snarled as cars plowed through highways that in some places resembled rivers. As the storm advanced through the afternoon, Environment Canada issued a tornado warning for Toronto, something that rarely happens. By late afternoon, many of the tornado warnings in southwestern Ontario were downgraded to severe thunderstorm warnings as the weather system moved further east. However, the storms delayed flights departing from Pearson International Airport. Close to 10,000 Ontario residents were left without electricity. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Two suspects dead after police chase in London, Ontario Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 18 Aug 2005  18:34:05  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 19th, 2005
A smash-and-grab jewelry robbery left two suspects dead after a highway gun battle and a high-speed police chase that started at a suburban shopping mall in London, Ontario on Wednesday. All of the injured and dead were in the car that was being chased by police. The two dead men are from Quebec. The accident happened when the car clipped a truck and rolled into a ditch. The four occupants were ejected in the accident. The two survivors remain in hospital in London. Dozens of police cruisers and a heavily-armed SWAT team swooped down on the crash site on Highway 402. Ontario's police watchdog agency, the Special Investigation Unit, is probing the incident that involved up to 50 police cruisers and several helicopters. The arms-length SIU is called in to investigate all civilian deaths involving police. The SIU said that one man died at the scene, and three others were seriously injured. One of the injured men later died in hospital. A spokeswoman for the agency confirmed shots were fired during the chase, but wouldn't say if police had discharged their weapons, nor would she comment how the two men died. The crashed vehicle was earlier seen racing down a street in London with a gunman inside the vehicle waving a weapon. "The guy was hanging out of the sun roof holding a gun," said one witness. London police said two officers were treated for minor injuries. The pursuit began just before 2 p.m., when sledge hammer-wielding bandits smashed display cases at a jewelry store in a mall and fled with an undisclosed amount of loot. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Restrictions proposed on medicines needed to make crystal meth Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 18 Aug 2005  06:01:34  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 18th, 2005
Health and police officials in Ontario say sales of the most popular cold medications should be restricted because they contain a key ingredient used to make crystal methamphetamine, a potentially lethal street drug.
They intend to persuade a new crystal meth task force -- soon to be announced by the Ontario government -- of the necessity to restrict the sale of pseudoephedrine, a chemical found in many cold and allergy medications such as Sudafed, Actifed and Contac. The ingredient is essential for crystal meth cooks to make the highly addictive drug. A health official says "The bottom line is that without this drug you cannot make crystal meth."	Oregon has passed a law requiring prescriptions for over-the-counter cold remedies.
Crystal meth is gaining in popularity because the high is long-lasting and intense, and it is so cheap. A user can stay high for 12 hours for as little as $5. But side effects, including heart problems, hallucinations and violence, can be devastating. Last week the federal government made meth a Schedule I drug, increasing maximum penalties for possession or production. On Tuesday, Oregon became the first U.S. state to enact such a law requiring prescriptions to purchase common over-the-counter drugs. Other states have limited sales by placing these remedies behind the pharmacist's counter. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Man shot by London police was sitting on seat in subway train Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 16 Aug 2005  19:14:48  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 17th, 2005
An innocent Brazilian man shot dead by British police who mistook him for a London bombing suspect had taken a seat on a subway train and was tackled by a police surveillance officer before being shot, according to an account of events broadcast Tuesday. British police had claimed that 27-year old electrician Jean Charles de Menezes didn't obey an order to stop as they tailed him into London's Stockwell underground train station a day after a series of bombs planted on London's transit system failed to fully detonate. Menezes had emerged from a house that police had under surveillance, believing it was linked to the bombings. On Tuesday, Britain's ITV news, citing security footage, said that Menezes entered the station at a normal walking pace, stopping to pick up a newspaper. The television station claimed that witness accounts, included in an investigation report into the shooting, said Menezes was seated on the train before being shot. A man sitting opposite Menezes is quoted as saying: "Within a few seconds I saw a man coming into the double doors to my left. He was pointing a small black handgun towards a person sitting opposite me. He pointed the gun at the right hand side of the man's head. The gun was within 12 inches (30 centimetres) of the man's head when the first shot was fired."
A police surveillance officer described how he wrapped his arms around Menezes and pushed him down into a seat. "I grabbed the male in the denim jacket by wrapping both my arms around his torso, pinning his arms to his side. I then pushed him back on to the seat where he had been previously sitting . . . I then heard a gun shot very close to my left ear and was dragged away onto the floor of the carriage." The report obtained by ITV said while Menezes was shot eight times, a further three bullets were fired but missed. ITV said the documents came from an official investigation into his death. The Independent Police Complaints Commission, who have been charged with investigating the shooting, refused Tuesday to comment on the veracity of the documents. The IPCC said it would not speculate or release partial information about the investigation, and that others should not do so. London Metropolitan Police said they could not make any comment while the police complaints commission investigation was ongoing. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Man convicted in Taber, Alta., school killing missing from Toronto custody facility Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 15 Aug 2005  22:06:58  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 16th, 2005
The man convicted in a school killing in Alberta has walked away from an open custody facility in Toronto, prompting a police manhunt. Police said Todd Cameron Smith left the custody facility without escort or permission. In April 1999, the then-14-year-old Smith sawed off his stepfather's rifle and gunned down 17-year-old Jason Lang at W.R. Myers High School in the southern Alberta community of Taber. He had intended to kill everyone at the school. The killing sent shockwaves across Canada, coming one week after two youths shot and killed 13 people at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Smith was convicted of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. He was sentenced to three years secure custody. Smith was a youth at the time and could not be identified, but police have received judicial authorization to name him during the current search or until Saturday. Police say Smith is considered to be dangerous. They say members of the public should not approach Smith if they see him. In March, Smith was transferred to the custody facility, even though at the time, Justice Rhys Morgan agreed the man was not ready for freedom and the Crown argued he still posed a significant risk to the public. Morgan said the youth needed a very slow and supervised transition back into society via open custody. The decision followed a joint statement from both Crown and defence based on psychiatric and probation reports that said Smith should be allowed to move to an open-custody facility, but under close supervision and intensive treatment. Taber police said late Monday night they had notified victims of the 1999 shooting of Smith's disappearance, as well as officials at the high school. Authorities in Taber also said they did not believe Smith was headed to Alberta, noting most of his family has left the area and moved east. The statement was little comfort for Jason Lang's father. Rev. Dale Lang said he was scared after learning his son's killer was unaccounted for. Written by CBC News Online staff
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CBC locks out employees Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 15 Aug 2005  06:35:20  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 15th, 2005
The CBC locked out about 5,500 employees at 12:01 a.m. Monday after no substantial progress was made in last-minute bargaining between Canada's largest broadcaster and its union, the Canadian Media Guild. The workers have been without a contract for more than a year, with the CBC saying it needs more flexibility to hire new staff on a contract basis instead of full-time. The CMG, which represents producers, newsroom staff and technicians, says 30 per cent of the CBC's workforce is already non-permanent, giving the network all the flexibility it needs. Programming on all CBC services - radio, television and online - will continue, though it will be scaled back. Management says the CBC will continue to broadcast CFL football and NHL hockey games – but possibly without any play-by-play commentary or colour analysis. Local radio morning shows will be replaced by a single national broadcast. TV newscasts will be pared down, and there will be more acquired programming and movies. Last month, guild members voted 87.3 per cent in favour of giving their negotiating team a strike mandate. The employees have been without a contract since the end of March 2004. Negotiations for a new contract began in May 2004. Employees in Quebec and Moncton, N.B., belong to different unions and are expected to continue working but not to cross over into Ontario to help out. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Cypriot airliner crashes near Athens Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 14 Aug 2005  08:07:23  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 14th, 2005
A Cypriot airliner carrying 121 people has crashed into a hill, 40 kilometres north of Athens. Helios Airways Flight 522 went down near the coastal town of Grammatikos on Sunday. It was on a flight from Larnaca, Cyprus, to Athens International Airport.
Video images of the crash site show the tail of the Boeing 737, separated from the rest of the plane. Emergency crews have rushed to the scene and some residents of the town are also helping in the search for survivors. Officials first suspected something was wrong when the plane lost contact with the Athens control tower. The Greek air force sent two F-16 fighter jets to follow the plane.	The wreckage burns on a hillside near the coastal town of Grammatikos.
Reports say the air force pilots saw no movement in the airliner's cockpit, and it was unclear if the two pilots were in their seats. Other reports say one pilot may have fallen ill. Greek police say that at this point, there are no signs the plane was hijacked. A government official says there may have been a problem with the cabin pressure in the plane. Greek defence ministry say they suspect trouble with the oxygen supply or decompression. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Funeral set for war hero 'Smokey' Smith Web Posted | Last Updated Sat, 13 Aug 2005  10:21:26  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 13th, 2005 Friends, family and admirers will say a final goodbye Saturday to Sgt. Ernest (Smokey) Smith, one of Canada's greatest war heroes. Funeral services for Smith, who died Aug. 3 at age 91, will be held at St. Andrew's-Wesley Church in Vancouver.	An honour guard at the Seaforth Armoury.
Smith was the last living Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, won for bravery during the Italian campaign of the Second World War. On Friday, people were lined up around the block to pay their respects at his regiment's armoury. The first person came at 5:30 in the morning, hours before the Seaforth Armoury opened. One by one they filed in quietly to see the coffin, draped with the Canadian flag and surrounded by an honour guard. Many talked of Smith's courage in single handedly beating back German tanks, then machine-gunning a column of enemy soldiers. Fellow veterans knew him as someone who liked his scotch and cigars, and who fought for his buddies off the battlefield. Long-time friend Cliff Chadderton said Smith was known to speak up for military pals who were having trouble getting a pension. The funeral parade will begin at the Seaforth Armoury and make its way across the Burrard Street Bridge. While the parade is in the middle of the bridge, CF18s will fly past and perform the missing soldier manoeuvre. Capt. Pav Dudick of the Canadian Army, who helped organize the parade, said the military procession – described as the largest in Canada in more than 50 years – will be an appropriate tribute. "Smokey was not fighting for medals; he was fighting for his friends," Dudick said. "He was fighting for his friends as Canadians. He was in Italy as a Canadian to bring freedom to people who could not fight for themselves. And as such, this was a great inspiration to Canadian soldiers and any Canadian citizen by extension." Dudick says it will be the largest funeral for a Canadian war hero since Billy Bishop's in the 1950s. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Province unprepared for Wabamun spill: Klein Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 11 Aug 2005  22:35:59  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 12th, 2005
Alberta Premier Ralph Klein admitted his government was unprepared to deal with the oil spill into Lake Wabamun caused by a train derailment last week. "I fault the province and I fault the railway because we didn't have a disaster plan in place," Klein said Thursday. "The [containment] booms had to be brought in from elsewhere." "Unlike the coastal provinces, we don't have booms and we don't have things available because we never anticipated something of this nature ever happening," Klein said. The premier said the province will now be developing a disaster plan for areas where railways come close to bodies of water. Earlier, both the Alberta and federal environment ministers toured the Lake Wabamun train derailment site promising answers and action regarding potentially cancer-causing chemicals that spilled into the water there last week. "We need to get to the bottom of this issue," federal Environment Minister Stéphane Dion said. "It's a very sad day for us all," said Guy Boutilier, Alberta's environment minister, after touring the resort community about 65 kilometres west of Edmonton. "From the air – as a cottage owner – it's heart-wrenching," Boutilier added.
But as the ministers spoke, local anger continued over the area's plight that began when 43 rail cars jumped the track on Aug. 3. Doug Goss of the Lake Wabamun Residents Association told CBC News on Thursday he recognized Dion "is here doing his job." "He's here to say he's going to enforce the law," Goss said. Not satisfied But, he said, residents want more. "The fact of the matter is this horse is long since gone from the barn." The big concern is the state of the water. At first, cleanup efforts and health warnings focused on bunker fuel oil as the cause of a huge slick on the lake. But Alberta Environment crews became suspicious after spotting a green substance at the scene.	Alberta Environment Minister Guy Boutilier. Thick oil, which may contain a chemical linked to cancer, covers much of Wabamun Lake west of Edmonton.
On Wednesday, Alberta Environment confirmed that initial results of testing near the lake showed there had been leakage from a train car that was carrying about 70,000 litres of an oil used to treat utility poles. But it said it wouldn't know until later in the week whether enough of the substance spilled to pose a threat to human health, Environment officials said. "We have to wait for the conclusions determined by the chemists," Dion said on Thursday. "We know it's a toxic substance," he added, but how toxic is not yet known. The oil is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. Health officials say prolonged or repeated contact with polycyclic aromatic compounds has been shown to cause skin cancer, while inhaling the substances can cause cancer to other parts of the body. Boutilier has said CN Rail will face criminal charges if the company turns out to have misled officials by neglecting to report what exactly had spilled. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Cancer-linked chemical spilled near Alberta lake, tests confirm Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 10 Aug 2005  22:49:12  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 11th, 2005
Tests have confirmed that a chemical linked to cancer leaked near an Alberta lake after a train derailment last week, Alberta Environment says. The department said Wednesday that initial results of testing near Lake Wabamun showed leakage from a train car that was carrying about 70,000 litres of an oil used to treat utility poles. It won't be known until later in the week whether enough of the substance spilled to pose a threat to human health, Environment officials said. The news followed CN Rail's admission that some of its staff knew a day after 43 cars jumped the tracks on Aug. 3 that one car had been carrying the oil, which has been linked to skin cancer. The revelation, made by CN officials Tuesday, drew accusations of a coverup at a town-hall meeting in Wabamun that night. The crowd was already frustrated because the derailment spilled more than a million litres of bunker fuel oil, a heavy oil used in asphalt production and to power ships and barges – and three-quarters of it made its way into the lake. CN denies allegations of coverup
Jim Feeny, a CN spokesperson, on Wednesday denied the allegations that the company deliberately withheld information, saying CN had worked hard to get information out quickly as it cleaned up the mess. "CN would never purposely withhold information relating to public safety, but obviously we have an issue here with the specific information about this one specific car, about the contents of this one specific car," he told CBC News. He said CN officials are trying to determine who received the information and why it wasn't immediately passed on. "Obviously there's been a disconnect here," Feeny said. "We do know that there was a problem, that the information did not get to everyone who needed it." He also said the company was willing to consider compensation for people with homes or cottages near the lake. Early cleanup efforts and health warnings had focused on the bunker fuel oil, as a huge slick spread across the lake.	Thick oil, which may contain a chemical linked to cancer, covers much of Wabamun Lake west of Edmonton.
However, Alberta Environment crews became suspicious after spotting a green substance at the scene and announced early this week that the pole-treating oil might have been spilled. The oil is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. Health officials say prolonged or repeated contact with polycyclic aromatic compounds has been shown to cause skin cancer, while inhaling the substances can cause cancer to other parts of the body. On its shipping manifest, CN had listed the car's contents as "lube oil," a general category that didn't raise flags with environmental officials. Imperial Oil, which was shipping the substance, said the company labelled the product appropriately for shipping because it isn't considered a hazardous good. On Tuesday, Doug Miller, CN's vice-president of transportation services, said they became aware the car contained pole-treating oil when someone asked the company shipping the product for the material safety data sheet. Alberta's environment minister has said CN Rail will face criminal charges if the company turns out to have misled officials by neglecting to report that the chemical spilled during the derailment. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Angry Alberta residents await test results Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 10 Aug 2005  07:28:47  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 10th, 2005
People living in an Alberta community could find out as early as Wednesday whether a toxic substance leaked from a derailed CN train car. People living nearby Lake Wabamun, west of Edmonton, were warned late Monday that they shouldn't drink or touch the water because a hazardous substance linked to skin cancer may have leaked from the cars. Angry and frustrated residents crammed into a community hall Tuesday, demanding to know from CN Rail officials when their water would be safe again following last week's train derailment. "You are not giving us answers, you are giving us clouds. Give us some answers," said Debbie Michalchuk, one of 250 residents who attended the meeting Tuesday. "I am terribly disappointed in the lack of response. I have not received one notice from CN." "I need water today, " said Dean Fuller. "I have a disabled child at home and it's going to become a health concern." Officials told residents they would have to wait for results of water toxicity tests to be completed. CN vice-president Paul Miller said people who register with the company will receive free bottled water.
Earlier, Alberta's environment minister said CN Rail will face "the full extent of the law" if the company turns out to have misled officials by neglecting to report that a cancer-linked chemical spilled during the derailment. "I'm damn well pissed off," Guy Boutilier said Tuesday. "I call it an ecological disaster, and we are going to bring to the full extent of the law anyone who has breached Alberta law." Alberta Environment said it may charge CN Rail with providing incomplete information after learning that an oil used to treat utility poles may have been in one of the cars that spilled their loads into the lake.	Thick oil, which may contain a chemical linked to cancer, covers much of Wabamun Lake west of Edmonton.
The oil is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. Health officials say prolonged or repeated contact with polycyclic aromatic compounds has been shown to cause skin cancer, while inhaling the substances can cause cancer to other parts of the body. It's not known how much of the 70,000 litres of the liquid may have spilled from the car. On its shipping manifest, CN had listed the car's contents as lube oil, a general category, but Alberta Environment officials suspect it may be the pole-treating oil. "We feel that the information provided to us was not sufficiently detailed to help us enforce or supervise the cleanup of the site," said Irwin Huberman of the Environment Department. Don't shower, drink or wash: officials Edmonton's health authority, Capital Health, had ordered people not to drink, or swim or boat in the lake after 43 cars left the tracks last Wednesday, spilling more than one million litres of bunker fuel oil. The village of Wabamun has been shipping in its water from another community until tests are done. But people did interact with the contaminated water, trying to rescue oil-soaked birds and animals. Now, Capital Health is advising people against drinking well water, showering or washing dishes with the water. It also warns against touching birds or animals that have been in contact with the lake water. "It's too late for me," said cottage owner Gordon Soneff. "I showered. I brushed my teeth. I ate off dishes that were washed with that water." Birds waiting for help Tove Reece, with Voice for Animals, says some volunteers will likely continue to try to help the birds, with more than 200 waiting to have the thick oil cleaned from their feathers. "I think the people there are going to say, 'I don't care, I just want to do what I can for these birds,'" said Reece. Cause of crash 'still buried' Meanwhile, the Transportation Safety Board's lead investigator, Art Nordholm, said his team members are looking at either equipment failure or a track problem as the cause of the derailment. He said they're still sifting through the wreckage to try to find evidence. "We don't have the part that'll give us the conclusion as to what [the cause] is," Nordholm said. "It's still buried underneath the cars that are there, because we've got to lift them up to see what's under." Written by CBC News Online staff
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Discovery landing set for California Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 09 Aug 2005  08:06:24  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 9th, 2005
The space shuttle Discovery began the process of returning to Earth on Tuesday, after a 14-day mission in space. The shuttle has now fired its braking rockets and is making its way towards California and the Edwards Air Force Base in the Mohave Desert, just north of Los Angeles. For several hours, the crew had been caught in a waiting game Tuesday, eager to return to Earth but waiting for NASA to find the right location – and weather – for them to do so.
Two landing opportunities early on Tuesday, in Florida, had to be cancelled because of bad weather, including clouds and rain. Weather conditions are good in California and visibility is clear. Costly alternative Landing on the U.S. west coast is less desirable for NASA since it will take more time and money to fly the shuttle back to Florida, strapped to a jumbo jet. "We do appreciate your patience and good humour with the situation," NASA's Mission Control told the shuttle crew on Tuesday. "We're not surprised at all," Discovery's Commander Eileen Collins said when told of the change in landing plans.	The Discovery International Space Station
After starting their day to the sounds of the Beatles' tune Good Day Sunshine, the crew were said to be in good spirits, ready to come home. "We sure hope we get our feet on the ground today," astronaut Wendy Lawrence said. Discovery had been forced to spend an extra day in space on Monday after bad weather prevented them from landing in Florida. Problem-plagued mission Discovery's mission began 14 days ago, on July 26. And problems plagued it right from the start. First, liftoff was delayed because a fuel sensor malfunction. Then, after liftoff, a chunk of insulating foam fell off the shuttle's external fuel tank. That was the same thing that happened in 2003 to the Columbia shuttle, which broke up on re-entry after hot gases penetrated a crack in the heat shield in the wing. All seven of Columbia's crew died in the disaster. The insulating foam problem on Discovery led NASA to announce it was suspending all future shuttle flights. Once in space, astronaut Steve Robinson had to undertake an unprecedented spacewalk to remove two pieces of ceramic-covered cloth dangling between tiles on Discovery's heat shield. NASA officials were concerned the shuttle could have shed that material during re-entry, and that debris might hit a critical area. Later, concerns were raised about yet another problem with the shuttle, a torn thermal blanket just below the cockpit window. However, NASA determined it posed no hazard for re-entry. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Discovery forced to stay in space 1 more day Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 08 Aug 2005  07:51:17  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 8th, 2005
Bad weather over Florida forced the cancellation of the space shuttle Discovery's return to Earth on Monday. The crew will now try to land on Tuesday. NASA officials said clouds and the chance of rain showers in Florida were to blame. The conditions were "very unstable," NASA said in an announcement that came just after 5:00 a.m. EDT, about 90 minutes before the shuttle was slated to begin re-entry.
"We just can't get comfortable with the stability of the situation for this particular opportunity so we are going to officially wave you off for 24 hours," Mission control told the shuttle crew. NASA will try again for another landing in either Florida or California. The astronauts must land before Wednesday, when their supply of oxygen will run out. In preparation for re-entry, NASA officials on earth and the shuttle crew in space had all been expressing confidence as they tried to push away thoughts of the Columbia's tragic return in 2003. "I think Discovery is in absolutely great shape," Collins said on Sunday.	This full view of the International Space Station was photographed following the undocking of Discovery on Saturday.
"I'm pretty confident about re-entry, I'm thinking about the landing." Shadow of Columbia However, both the astronauts and NASA officials said they couldn't help but think of their predecessors, the seven astronauts who died when the Columbia broke apart as it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere in Feb. 1, 2003. They admitted they'll remain tense until the Discovery rolls onto the landing strip at Kennedy Space Center. "I have had a lot of thoughts about Columbia and I will have thoughts after the landing," Collins said. "There's a lot of things to worry about," said flight director LeRoy Cain. But, he emphasized, "We're looking forward, we're not looking back." The shuttle undocked from the International Space Station on Saturday, capturing spectacular images of the laboratory as it circled it before heading toward Earth. "I wish I could come back here whenever I wanted to have these views," Collins said. "And also the rest of the world had the opportunity to come up here, but it is time to end the mission." Canada plays a role The Discovery's return will be a pivotal exercise, not only for the lives of the astronauts, but for the entire future of the U.S. space program – and by extension, Canada's participation. Just hours into the mission that started on July 26, NASA announced it was suspending the shuttle program – after finding evidence of the same problem that led to the Columbia disaster. Columbia broke up on re-entry after hot gases penetrated a crack in the heat shield in the wing. A piece of insulating foam from an external fuel tank caused the crack to form at launch. The space agency spent $1 billion US on safety upgrades after the disaster, and officials thought they had solved the problem of foam breaking off the external fuel tank. But video showed Discovery's tank also shed foam when it launched on July 26. Experts said they don't believe the debris caused significant damage to the Discovery. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Russian submarine and crew rescued Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 07 Aug 2005  01:27:26  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 7th, 2005
A Russian submarine, with its crew of seven sailors, has surfaced after being freed from the tangle of metal debris that trapped it deep in the Pacific for three days. The men managed to survive despite dwindling oxygen supplies and dropping temperatures, said the Russian news agencies ITAR-Tass and RIA-Novosti, citing Russian naval officials.
Capt. Igor Dygalo said they appeared to be in satisfactory condition. "The rescue operation has ended," Rear Adm. Vladimir Pepelyayev, deputy head of the navy's general staff, said on state television. The submarine popped to the surface at 4:26 p.m. local time Sunday off the Kamchatka Peninsula on Russia's Pacific coast. About an hour earlier, a British remote-controlled vehicle cut the cables that had snagged the sub since Thursday on a military antenna about 190 metres below the surface. The rescue was slowed by an unspecified technical problem that forced crews to raise the Super Scorpio back to the surface before it could descend again to cut away a tangle of fishing net. "After the last cable holding down the mini-sub was cut off, rescuers found a piece of fishing net on the nose of the submersible," a Russian naval spokesman, Capt. Alexander Kosolapov, told the Interfax news agency. "They were unable to take it off because the Scorpio had to be raised to the surface due to functioning problems." Naval officers had given widely varying estimates of how long the men could last amid dwindling oxygen supplies, ranging from Saturday night to Monday local time.	U.S. personnel unload one of two unmanned submersibles, known as Super Scorpios at an airport near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia on Saturday.
Sailors' plight drew help from around globe An international rescue effort had mobilized to save the submariners, whose submarine was caught too deep for them to try to escape or for divers to try to free it. Nine Russian naval ships have been at the site for days, trying various methods to get the sub to shallower water. Among the efforts, they attached cables in a bid to raise it on Saturday. The U.S. and British navies both sent planes with the Super Scorpios to the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on the Kamchatka Peninsula on Friday night. The British vehicle arrived at the rescue site in Beryozovaya Bay, about 16 kilometres off the peninsula's coast, shortly before noon Sunday as the U.S. navy vessels were being raced to the scene. The Japanese navy also sent ships to help. None of the sailors was hurt in Thursday's accident, which occurred while the 13-metre-long sub, which normally carries only three crew members, was on a training exercise. The plight of the mini-sub is evoking memories of a disaster in August 2000, when all 118 people aboard the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk died after it sank and rescue efforts failed. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Huge crowd marks anniversary of Hiroshima bombing Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 05 Aug 2005  23:17:36  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 6th, 2005
More than 55,000 people gathered in Hiroshima on Saturday to remember the 60th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of the Japanese city. The crowd, packed into Peace Memorial Park, observed a moment of silence at 8:15 a.m. local time, the exact moment that the bomb exploded on Aug. 6, 1945. Participants then released 1,000 doves into the sky. Offerings of wreaths and water were made at an altar to symbolize the suffering of the tens of thousands of people who died.
Hiroshima's mayor, Tadatoshi Akiba, made a speech urging the United States, Russia and other countries that have nuclear weapons to destroy them. He warned that they are "jeopardizing human survival." "Many people around the world have succumbed to the feeling that there is nothing we can do," he said. "Within the United Nations, nuclear-club members use their veto power to override the global majority and pursue their selfish objectives." Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was less outspoken but promised that the country would lead the international drive to curb the weapons. ""I offer deep prayers from my heart to those who were killed," he said. About 140,000 people – about 40 per cent of the city's estimated population of 350,000 – were killed instantly or within a few months by the bomb.	The A-bomb dome is reflected on the Motoyasu river at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima.
Hiroshima still tallying victims 60 years after bombing The number of people in Hiroshima who have died from radiation-related disease continues to grow. Hiroshima officials now put the total dead at 237,062. This year, 5,000 more names are expected to be added to the list. When the U.S. military's Enola Gay bomber dropped its nuclear payload on the city on Aug. 6, 80,000 people were believed instantly vaporized. By the end of 1945, the number of dead had reached about 140,000. Three days after Hiroshima was decimated, a second bomb hit Nagasaki. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, ending the Second World War. About 85,000 Hiroshima survivors known as "hibakusa" are still living in the thriving city of nearly three million. Some say it's a miracle that the 400-year-old city was able to rebuild at all. CBC Newsworld will have extensive coverage this weekend marking the 60th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing. It will broadcast a special program that looks at the services of remembrance taking place around the world at 5:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday. CBC Newsworld will air the documentary Hiroshima on The Passionate Eye, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2005 at 10 p.m. Written by CBC News Online staff
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British PM cracks down on extremism Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 05 Aug 2005  07:42:27  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 5th, 2005
British Prime Minister Tony Blair unveiled sweeping new measures Friday to deport or bar anyone believed to be advocating violence or posing a threat to the country. The new measures include a crackdown on websites, bookstores, religious extremists, and any organization suspected of being involved in advocating violence. "Let no one be in doubt that the rules of the game are changing," Blair said during a news conference in London as he unveiled the 12-point plan. "If you come to our country from abroad, don't meddle in extremism." The proposed new powers would give Britain the right to refuse asylum to anyone deemed to have been involved in extremist violence. As well, it would be illegal to be trained in violent or extremist acts, either in Britain or abroad. "Coming to Britain is not a right," Blair said. It would also be illegal to plan any attack, or to take part in activities such as getting information off the internet on how to make bombs. Blair's comments come in the wake of two waves of bomb attacks in London in July. On July 7, 56 people died and 700 were injured when bombs went off in three subway locations and a bus line. Two weeks later on July 21, no one was injured when the detonators of four more bombs went off, again in three subway cars and a bus. In those attacks, the main loads of explosives failed to ignite. On Thursday, al-Qaeda's deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri blamed Blair for the bombings and said the British prime minister should be held responsible for future attacks. "Blair has brought to you destruction in central London, and he will bring more of that, God willing," al-Zawahri said in a videotape broadcast on the Arab-language network al-Jazeera. It is not clear when the new powers would come into effect, but Blair said he was willing to recall the British Parliament next month to begin debating the measures. "This is not in any way whatsoever aimed at the decent, law-abiding Muslim community of Britain," Blair said. "We know British Muslims in general abhor the actions of the extremists." Written by CBC News Online staff
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NASA weighs options for another Discovery repair Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 04 Aug 2005  07:28:40  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 4th, 2005
NASA will decide Thursday whether to launch another repair mission for the space shuttle Discovery, this time to fix a torn thermal blanket just below the cockpit window.
The concern is that the blanket could break off during re-entry, whip backward and hit the shuttle, possibly causing serious damage. This would be the fourth spacewalk of the 12-day Discovery mission, and if approved, would delay the shuttle's flight home by one day, NASA says. The spacecraft and its crew of seven are scheduled to return to Earth on Monday. On Wednesday, mission controllers said the possibility of repairs was "remote." This latest problem comes just one day after astronaut Steve Robinson undertook an unprecedented repair job in space. He removed two pieces of ceramic-covered cloth dangling between tiles on Discovery's heat shield. NASA officials were concerned the shuttle could have shed that material during re-entry on Aug. 8, causing debris that might hit a critical area. "Everything the team said would happen did," Robinson said of his repair job to the shuttle's underbelly.	View of the repair from Steve Robinson's helmet cam. Astronaut Steve Robinson approaches the underside of Discovery.
The space station's robotic Canadarm2 supported Robinson as he pulled out the two pieces. One was protruding 2.5 centimetres, and the other 1.5 centimetres. The shuttle Columbia broke apart in 2003 after hot gases penetrated a crack in the heat shield on the wing. A piece of insulating foam from the external fuel tank struck the wing during launch. Written by CBC News Online staff
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Pearson air traffic getting back to normal Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 03 Aug 2005  08:34:05  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 3rd, 2005
Traffic in and out of Toronto's Pearson International Airport was slowly returning to normal Wednesday morning, though a runway involved in Tuesday's Air France airplane fire will stay closed while investigators examine the scene.
A news release from Air Canada said the airline "expects to resume domestic Canada and transborder U.S. flights to and from Toronto on Wednesday, Aug. 3, as quickly as possible." However, the airline said, "as aircraft are repositioned to operate [Wednesday's] schedule, some delays and a limited number of cancellations to and from Toronto are expected." The airline cancelled many of its flights Tuesday in the wake of the accident, in which an Airbus A340 overshot the east-west Runway 24L by about 200 metres and plunged into a wooded ravine near Highway 401. Miraculously, all 309 passengers and crew made it out of the airplane before it became enveloped in flames, with only 43 minor injuries reported. WestJet also cancelled some flights Tuesday, but was expecting its schedule to return to normal Wednesday. "Runway 24L is closed and will be for some time," Steve Shaw, the vice-president of corporate affairs for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, told CBC News Wednesday morning.	Jenny Ginder, right, hugs her daughter Samantha Todd who was a passengers on Air France flight 358 that crashed at Pearson Airport in Toronto on Tuesday August 2nd, 2005.
Another major runway, 24R, will be back in service at some point Wednesday, Shaw added, giving the airport four operational runways. "It'll take a good part of the day to catch up with the backlog," he said. Passengers hoping to fly in and out of Pearson are being advised to call ahead to make sure their flights are on time. For domestic flights, Air Canada's toll-free number is 1-888-422-7533, and WestJet passengers can call 1-800-538-5696. Passengers whose flights were cancelled Tuesday have been asked not to show up at the airport unless they have a confirmed booking on another flight. Even before the accident, arrivals and departures from the country's busiest airport were erratic because of the poor weather conditions that may have contributed to the mishap. A thunderstorm watch was in effect when the aircraft made its botched landing at 4:03 p.m., and departing flights had been grounded since mid-afternoon. The runway was wet and lightning could be seen around the airport when the plane landed. In the hours after the accident, Toronto-bound flights were diverted to other locations including Ottawa, Montreal and Winnipeg. Thousands of other passengers across the country had their travel plans changed as dozens of flights were redirected, delayed or cancelled. Calgary's airport was unexpectedly busy, for example, with 13 flights delayed or cancelled. "Toronto is such a busy, busy airport that whether it's a major accident or weather event, it certainly has a far-reaching effect on travel across the country," said Bryce Paton, a spokesman for the Calgary Airport Authority. Written by CBC News Online staff
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3 marijuana activists to appear in court Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 02 Aug 2005  07:47:34  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 2nd, 2005 Three members of the B.C. Marijuana Party will be in British Columbia's Supreme Court on Tuesday, charged with selling marijuana seeds by mail order to the United States. Marijuana party President Marc Emery and his employees Michelle Rainey and Gregory Williams were arrested on Friday at the request of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. American officials are seeking Emery's extradition, which could take six months to a year.	Marc Emery smokes marijuana as he holds a plant.
The warrant on Friday alleged a conspiracy to produce marijuana and distribute seeds, as well as alleging money laundering. "Their activities resulted in the growing of tens of thousands of marijuana plants in America," assistant U.S. attorney Jeff Sullivan told CBC News on Friday. "He was involved, allegedly, in an illegal distribution of marijuana in this country [U.S.]. He is a drug dealer." U.S. officials allege that Emery has sold as much as $3 million in seeds. Written by CBC News Online staff
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NASA concerned about protruding material on Discovery Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 31 Jul 2005 21:47:38  EDT Giant Dwarf Posted: Aug 1st, 2005
NASA officials are trying to decide what to do about two short strips of material that are protruding from between thermal tiles on the belly of the space shuttle Discovery. Flight director Paul Hill told a briefing Sunday that two engineering teams are working "aggressively" on the problem with heated discussions taking place about what, if anything, to do.
The dangling pieces are from gap fillers used to fill the thin spaces between thermal tiles. The fillers are made of a felt-like material and ceramic and held in place with glue and by the tight fit of the tiles. One piece is protruding 2.5 centimetres and the other 1.5 centimetres. Hill said material sticking out six-tenths of a centimetre has been found when previous shuttles returned to earth. He noted, however, those measurements were taken after re-entry and the intense heat could have burned some of it off. The protrusions were discovered while Discovery is in orbit only because of all the photography and laser imaging being aimed at normally hard-to-see spots. The concern is that something dangling from the normally smooth bottom of the shuttle could overheat the area during re-entry, when temperatures hit 11,000 C. Hill said it will be Monday before the analysis is complete and a decision made whether to have the crew's two space walkers cut the hanging material, pull out or shove it back in. If a repair is felt to be necessary, it would likely be carried out during the mission's final spacewalk on Wednesday, he said.	Flight director Paul Hill. Discovery astronaut on earlier spacewalk.
Mission managers are debating the best way of reaching the dangling strips, including putting an astronaut on the end of the Canadian-built robotic arm. "The options get complicated," Hill said. "There are pretty strong arguments for and against most of the options." Written by CBC News Online staff