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Christian agency blames U.S. for kidnappings	30/11/05
Martin to request Parliament be dissolved today	29/11/05
Tainted blood trial begins for former Red Cross head	28/11/05
2 Canadians kidnapped in Iraq	27/11/05
Martin asks Harper to retract 'organized crime' comment	26/11/05
Dick Pound slams NHL's drug policy	25/11/05
Ex-chair blasts salaries at immigration consultants' society	24/11/05
Ottawa, provinces ready to commit to native issues	23/11/05
MPs pass motion calling for February election	22/11/05
Threat of GM job cuts to dominate meeting with CAW	21/11/05
B.C. bird flu not Asian strain: officials	20/11/05
B.C. farm quarantined after bird flu found in one duck	19/11/05
Martin chides Bush at APEC summit	18/11/05
Opposition eyeing Christmas campaign	17/11/05
Snow-struck Prairies under cold snap	16/11/05
Winnipeg woman retiring after $27.2M lotto win	15/11/05
Economic update prelude to election, observers say	14/11/05
Ontario developer sues woman over website	13/11/05
France braces for 'violent actions'	12/11/05
Ottawa may bypass bid process for aircraft	11/11/05
2 hurt as possible tornado hits Hamilton	10/11/05
Investigation highlights security concerns at Canadian airports	09/11/05
South Asian quake toll jumps to 87,350	08/11/05
Dig uncovers ancient church on Israeli jail site	07/11/05
Schools, cars torched in 10th night of French riots	06/11/05
Free trade key to fighting poverty: Martin	05/11/05
Waist-hip ratio best predictor of heart risk	04/11/05
Child-sex ring uncovered in Winnipeg, police allege	03/11/05
Chrétien will fight Gomery in the courts	02/11/05
Ottawa awaits Gomery's view of sponsorship scandal	01/11/05

Christian agency blames U.S. for kidnappings Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 30 Nov 2005  05:28:17  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 30th, 2005
Christian Peacemaker Teams is blaming the U.S. occupation of Iraq for the abduction of four of its members, including two Canadians. In a statement on its website, the agency spoke about how it is saddened by the kidnappings, and how it has long opposed U.S. involvement in Iraq. "We are angry because what has happened to our teammates is the result of the actions of the U.S. and U.K. governments due to the illegal attack on Iraq and the continuing occupation and oppression of its people," according to the web statement. "We are deeply disturbed by their abduction. We pray that those who hold them will be merciful and that they will be released soon," said the statement. Two Canadian hostages who were paraded on Arab television by a previously unknown militant group appeared to be unharmed, said a spokesman for Christian Peacemakers.
James Loney, a 41-year-old community worker from Toronto, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, a 32-year-old former Montrealer, had been working for Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq when they were abducted at gunpoint on Saturday, along with two others. A militant group calling itself the Swords of Righteousness Brigade has accused the peace activists of being spies. The videotaped footage shows four men sitting on the ground, and one of the men's passports. It was broadcast on Al-Jazeera. A time stamp indicates the video was recorded on Nov. 27. Al-Jazeera said it could not verify the information on the tape. A spokesman for Christian Peacemaker Teams said he was relieved to see the abducted members still alive.	James Loney of the Christian Peacemaker Teams.
"We were happy to see the faces of our people on the Al-Jazeera tape," said Bob Holmes, a spokesman for Christian Peacemaker Teams. Holmes said the organization was "very disturbed" by the kidnappers' claim that the hostages were spies and evangelicals, which he strenuously denied. Doug Pritchard, another Toronto-based spokesman, insisted Loney and the group were in Iraq only for humanitarian reasons. "They were not there to change anyone's religion, they were there in solidarity with the people of Iraq as they try to build a new society for themselves," said Pritchard. Pritchard described Loney as a great guy. "Jim is a fantastic person and if anybody can weather a storm like this, it's James Loney. [Christian Peacemaker] has a lot of credibility on the ground so we're very hopeful, and we just have to pray that this works out," said Pritchard.
Timmins, Ont., MP Charlie Angus first met Loney at a homeless shelter he was running. Loney had come to volunteer, and Angus was struck by the man's passion for those less fortunate. "He is just always someone who is there on the front lines, never doing it for show, never doing it for grandeur," said Angus. "He just did it, and that's something I've always, always admired Jim for." This was Loney's third trip to Iraq, and the first one for Harmeet Singh Sooden, an electrical engineer studying for a master's degree in literature in New Zealand. The other two hostages were identified as Norman Kember, 74, of London, and an American, Tom Fox, 54, of Clearbrook, Va., a Quaker who has worked with the Christian Peacemaker Teams for the past two years. "The fact that they're still alive is good news," said Dan McTeague, parliamentary secretary	Harmeet Sing Sooden of the Christian Peacemaker Teams.
responsible for Canadians abroad. CPT, based in Toronto and Chicago, is a volunteer organization that sends teams to crisis zones around the world. In Iraq, the group has monitored elections, advocated for prisoners of the Abu Ghraib jail and helped with human rights activities. Over the past two years, insurgents in Iraq have kidnapped more than 225 people, including four Canadians. At least 38 hostages have been executed including one of the Canadians. Written by CBC News Staff
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Martin to request Parliament be dissolved today Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 29 Nov 2005  05:46:59  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 29th, 2005
In just a few hours, Prime Minister Paul Martin will pay a visit to the Governor General to ask her to set the election date – likely Jan. 23 – for what will be one of the longest campaigns in a quarter century.
In a 171 to 133 vote, the House of Commons passed a historic no-confidence motion against the Martin Liberals Monday night, exactly one year and five months after Canadians voted them in. "Let's get started, time's a wasting," a boisterous Martin told his supporters after the motion passed. "C'mon, we've got a campaign to run." As the vote was conducted, parliamentarians stood up to applaud MPs who will not be running in the next election. After the vote result was announced, cheering MPs tossed sheets of paper into the air. They then crossed the aisle to shake hands with their political opponents as they prepared for the long campaign.	Paul Martin addresses his caucus after his Liberal minority government was defeated in the House of Commons.
The Liberal defeat marks the first time a government has fallen on a straight motion of no-confidence in Parliament. Other minority governments have been forced into elections after losing budget votes or censure motions interpreted as loss of confidence. Shortly after the collapse of his government, Martin lashed out at the opposition as he launched his party's election campaign, taking particular aim at Conservative Leader Stephen Harper. "Stephen Harper sees no positive role for government, not in improving the lives of Canadians, not even in standing up for Canada," he said to his cheering caucus. Harper promised to mount a campaign focusing on the future of Canada, saying it's not enough to just complain about the Liberals. He referred to the no-confidence vote as an historic night for Canada. "This is not just the end of a tired, directionless scandal-plagued government, it's the start of a bright new future for this great country," Harper said.
Last week, Harper officially tabled the motion of no-confidence which read: "That this House has lost confidence in the government." The Liberals have 133 seats, followed by the Conservatives with 98, the Bloc Québécois with 53 and the NDP with 18. There are four seats held by Independents and two are vacant. According to a poll conducted by Environics Research for the CBC, 35 per cent of decided voters said they would vote Liberal. The Conservatives came in at 30 per cent and the NDP was picked by 20 per cent. With a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20, the poll puts the Liberals and Conservatives at a virtual dead heat.	Stephen Harper is given a standing ovation from caucus members after voting for his non-confidence motion in the House of Commons.
Federal elections have to be held on a Monday and the campaigns have to be at least 36 days long. Martin is expected to call for a slightly longer campaign, setting the vote for mid-January, either the 16th or the 23rd, with an agreement among the parties to take a holiday break and stop campaigning between Dec. 23 and Jan. 3. An eight-week campaign would be the longest the country has seen in two decades. The last time a government fell at the hands of the opposition was Joe Clark's Conservative government in 1979. NDP Leader Jack Layton criticized the Liberals for refusing to compromise and agree to their proposal to hold a February election, avoiding a Christmas campaign. "As a result of the stubbornness of the Liberals and the inflexibility that we've seen, we will be starting an election [campaign] tomorrow," Layton said. Martin had promised to call an election within 30 days after the final sponsorship report is delivered on Feb. 1. Monday's vote means a number of bills will die on the order paper, among them an act to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana and an animal cruelty bill. Written by CBC News Staff
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Tainted blood trial begins for former Red Cross head Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 28 Nov 2005  07:38:40  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 28th, 2005 The trial gets underway in Toronto on Monday for Dr. Roger Perrault, one of the people at the centre of Canada's tainted blood scandal. Perrault was the head of the Canadian Red Cross when thousands of people received blood
transfusions that infected them with HIV or hepatitis C in the 1980s and early 1990s. He faces several criminal charges for his alleged role in the tragedy that left thousands of Canadians infected with HIV or hepatitis C. It was one of the worst public health disasters in Canada. Perrault, the former director of blood transfusions, has been charged with four counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and one count of common nuisance endangering the public. More than 1,000 Canadians were infected with HIV and up to 20,000 with hepatitis C after receiving tainted blood products from the charity. The trial in the downtown Toronto courthouse is expected to take up to a year, or more. Over the summer, Perrault's lawyer asked the court to drop the charges against him saying his client suffered from heart disease and the stress from the trial could kill him. Perrault, 68, has had two heart attacks and open-heart surgery. But a cardiologist testified in court that in spite of the condition Perrault should be able to deal with the stress of even a long trial. Written by CBC News Staff
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2 Canadians kidnapped in Iraq Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 27 Nov 2005  11:31:19  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 27th, 2005
Four humanitarian workers, including two Canadians, have been taken hostage in Iraq, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Sunday. The Canadian embassy in Amman, Jordan, notified Foreign Affairs about the kidnapping on Saturday. The aid agency has asked that the names not be released, Dan McTeague, the parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs, said Sunday. McTeague said the aid agency, which he would not name, "has not requested any assistance at this time." Officials in Amman and Ottawa are in contact with the organization, he added. There are reports that the other two workers are British and American, but McTeague could not confirm it. In April 2004, Foreign Affairs issued an advisory that said no Canadians should travel to Iraq. "Under no circumstances should Canadians be there," McTeague said Sunday. "The situation remains very unstable ... and continues to be a danger for all foreign travellers." He said Canada does not have an embassy in Iraq, but Foreign Affairs will continue to collect information about the kidnapping. At least 200 foreigners have been abducted in Iraq in the past year and a half. Written by CBC News Staff
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Martin asks Harper to retract 'organized crime' comment Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 25 Nov 2005  20:59:23  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 26th, 2005
Prime Minister Paul Martin has asked Conservative Leader Stephen Harper to apologize for comments made in Parliament on Thursday. Harper said the Liberals were guilty of "breaking every conceivable law in the province of Quebec with the help of organized crime" as he introduced a motion of no-confidence in Martin's minority government. A member of Martin's staff threatened legal action after Conservative MPs defended Harper's comment outside the House of Commons. PMO spokesman Scott Reid said the Liberals won't take the accusations lying down.
"Lawyers acting on behalf of the [Liberal] party have informed Mr. Harper in writing of our intention to defend the party vigorously against any false smears such as those he uttered yesterday under the protection of privilege," said Reid. "As the prime minister has said, Mr. Harper should take this opportunity to do the right thing. To apologize and to show some respect for the truth. He has been down this road before with his disgraceful comments about child pornography [in the last federal election campaign]. "Even [NDP Leader] Jack Layton, his new best friend, says the comments are unacceptable. Mr. Harper has a chance to show leadership by admitting he went too far. He should simply retract. At minimum, he should know the party will not tolerate false smears from him and his surrogates." The tradition of parliamentary privilege protects MPs against legal consequences for comments in the House, but that protection doesn't extend outside the Commons. In an e-mail to parliamentary reporters, Reid said the Liberals were reviewing transcripts of comments made by MPs Peter MacKay and John Reynolds "and the rest of the Harper truth squad" after a particularly raucous day of pre-election debate in the House of Commons.
On Friday, Martin did not refer to the threatened legal action, but he did comment on Harper's accusation. "He should apologize. He should take back his words," Martin said in French during a Friday morning news conference in Kelowna, B.C. "Canadians deserve better ... They don't want to see a repetition of this during a national campaign." NDP Leader Jack Layton weighed in on Friday as well. "His choice of words were unacceptable," Layton said at the summit of first ministers and native leaders in Kelowna. "We know full well that Justice Gomery talked about the culture of entitlement that existed within the Liberal party," said Layton. "It doesn't help the discussion, it doesn't help efforts for change ... if you use the words that Mr. Harper used." Harper made his comment while talking about Justice John Gomery's report into the sponsorship scandal. The Nov. 1 report concluded that Liberal politicians mismanaged the program, and that some Liberal party organizers in Quebec sought and received donations from ad companies that had received lucrative government contracts starting in the mid-1990s. MPs will vote Monday evening on Harper's no-confidence motion, and the three opposition parties are almost certain to bring down the government, sparking a federal election in January. Written by CBC News Staff
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Dick Pound slams NHL's drug policy Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 24 Nov 2005  18:06:30  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 25th, 2005 Dick Pound, chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency, believes as many as one-third of the NHL's 700 players may be taking some kind of performance-enhancing drug. "I spoke with Gary [NHL commissioner Gary Bettman] and he said 'We don't have the problem in hockey,'" Pound said Thursday in an interview with the London Free Press. "I told him he does. You wouldn't be far wrong if you said a third" of hockey players are gaining some pharmaceutical assistance. Asked if he meant performing-enhancing drugs, Pound replied: "Yes."	WADA chairman Dick Pounds thinks as many as one-third of the NHL's 700 players may be taking performance-enhancing drugs.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly took exception to Pound's views. "I would respectfully suggest that Mr. Pound's comments have absolutely no basis in fact," Daly told The Canadian Press. "I find it troubling, to say the least, that he would find it necessary to comment on something he has absolutely no knowledge of. "Perhaps Mr. Pound would be better served to limit his comments to topics as to which he has knowledge, instead of speculating on matters as to which he has none." Ted Saskin, executive director of the NHL Players' Association, echoed Daly's sentiments. "Dick Pound's comments are incredibly irresponsible and have no basis in fact," said Saskin. "He has no knowledge of our sport and our players and frankly has no business making such comments." Under the terms of the NHL's new collective bargaining agreement, players are subject to a minimum of two drug tests a year without warning. A first-time offender would receive a 20-game suspension. A 60-game suspension would be given to a repeat offender, with a permanent ban for a third offence. Pound thinks those sanctions do not go far enough. "The NHL has reached a deal with their players that looks as though they found an early copy of the baseball policy on the floor somewhere," said Pound, a former Canadian Olympic swimmer. Major League Baseball introduced a new drug policy this past January that mandated a first-time offender be suspended for 10 days.
With U.S. Congress threatening legislation, baseball recently made the penalties more stiffer: a 50-game ban for a first offence, 100 for a second, eventually leading to an outright ban. As chairman of the Montreal-based World Anti-Doping Agency, Pound is one of the most powerful men in the sports world. Often outspoken and unapologetic about his views on drug cheats, Pound has been on a personal crusade for years to eradicate drug use by athletes by getting as many sports, international bodies and governments to adopt the World Anti-Doping Code. Under the WADA Code, international amateur athletes are subject to a two-year ban for their first positive drug test. In a 2003 interview with CBC Sports Online, Pound talked about the difficulties he was having trying to get Major League Baseball, the NFL, the NBA and NHL to conform to WADA's global strategy on drug testing. "The problem is they don't want to admit there's a problem, so I don't see it happening. They're in denial and fans are somewhat apathetic about it all, so there's no incentive for them to get tougher on drugs," Pound said. "It seems to me that it only becomes a big deal when someone tests positive at the Olympics and is stripped of a medal. Then it becomes a big deal. For pro sports, I just think most fans don't care about how the athletes get there in the first place and just want to see them on the field." Written by CBC News Staff
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Ex-chair blasts salaries at immigration consultants' society Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 24 Nov 2005  07:37:48  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 24th, 2005
The former chairman of a body the federal government set up to regulate immigration consultants says he quit because board members wanted to pay themselves $60,000 a year to attend 12 one-day meetings. Toronto lawyer Ben Trister told CBC News that he resigned from the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants last month over his concerns that board members were mismanaging the organization. "The more people who come to know about what's going on there, and how people have been paid, and the kinds of decisions that have been made – the people who are running the organization now shouldn't be allowed to continue to run it," he said. As proof, Trister points to several other resignations involving the society, including another board member, two chief executive officers, and a governance expert who he says called the board "delusional." The federal government created the society two years ago to impose ethical guidelines and standards on an industry that had been plagued with problems. Many potential newcomers to Canada were complaining that their cases were handled poorly, or that unscrupulous people calling themselves consultants had taken their money for no work. The immigration minister at the time, Denis Coderre, named Trister and eight others to the board of the society, which had more than a million dollars in startup funds. Trister became chairman of the board, but resigned at the end of October. He said he quit because the eight other board members were proposing to pay themselves an annual salary of $60,000 each for a job that requires 12 one-day meetings a year. CEO Don Lamont resigned at the same time.
John Ryan, the new chairman of the 1,600-member society, referred questions to board member Patrice Brunet. Brunet wouldn't comment on Trister's complaints, or reveal how much board members are paid, but said the amount is reasonable. "The board does not endorse Mr. Trister's opinions," he added. Joe Volpe, the current immigration minister, said there's little he can do because the society is now an independent not-for-profit corporation. "One doesn't know whether this is a question of birthing and growing pains, or whether it's a longer-term systemic issue," he told CBC News. Trister, who informed the government of his reasons for quitting in blistering resignation letters, said the situation is clear to him. "These aren't growing pains, they're shrinking pains," he said. "This organization is in jeopardy." By paying membership fees to the society and being members in good standing, immigration consultants who charge a fee for their services obtain the right to deal with the three federal agencies most involved with immigration matters. Those are Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Immigration and Refugee Board and the Canadian Border Services Agency. Written by CBC News Staff
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Ottawa, provinces ready to commit to native issues Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 22 Nov 2005  19:04:15  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 23rd, 2005
Ottawa and the provinces are preparing a 10-year plan to provide First Nations people with the same standard of education, housing and economic development as other Canadians. The confidential draft obtained by Radio-Canada, the French-language service of the CBC, is called "Strengthening Commitments and Closing the Gap." Some reports put the cost of the plan at more than $4 billion. The plan includes the key commitments expected to come out of the first ministers' conference with national aboriginal leaders beginning Thursday in Kelowna, B.C. The negotiations for the agreement have been going on for months. And Prime Minister Paul Martin underscored what's at stake when he and the premiers sit down with native leaders. "The need, in terms of health care, in terms of education, is manifest," said Martin.
Statistics show that close to half of aboriginal adults have less than high-school education, compared with 16 per cent of non-natives. The 19 per cent unemployment rate among natives is nearly three times the national average and the draft communique outlines steps to deal with native poverty. The first ministers will commit to linking provincial school systems with those run by the First Nations and providing funding to train more aboriginal teachers.	Josee Kusugak
The governments agree to finance new housing both on and off reserves, as well as new measures to give natives access to mortgages. The programs will be tailored to meet specific needs. For example, the immediate housing priority for many Inuit is to renovate and build new social housing units in the North. "The federal government got out of the social housing program in 1993 and have never updated housing in the Arctic," said Josee Kusugak, president of the national Inuit organization ITK. But there is still no agreement on health care. Provincial government sources say part of the problem is that the federal government hasn't delivered last year's promised $700 million for native health care and the aboriginal groups themselves are at odds over how health funds should be divvied up. In its draft proposals for this week's meeting, the Assembly of First Nations demanded control over its own health-care system and a guarantee from Ottawa that funding would increase by 11 per cent each year. But even within the AFN there's a dispute over what's at stake. Ghislaine Picard, Quebec vice-chief of the AFN, says he and other chiefs from that province won't be in Kelowna because they believe the federal government's goal is to offload more responsibility for First Nations programs to the provinces. "If it's strictly a discussion of programs and services, which seems to be the case, we don't see why we should have provinces at the table," said Picard. Federal officials insist all the parties heading to the conference agree on far more than they disagree on. But there is a fear that the discussions over health care could become bogged down over process, a fate that has undermined previous efforts to deal with native issues. On another contentious issue, abuse in residential schools, it is expected that Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan will announce a compensation plan for thousands of former students who suffered abuse and cultural isolation. More than 12,000 aboriginals have sued Ottawa over their treatment at the schools. Written by CBC News Staff
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MPs pass motion calling for February election Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 21 Nov 2005  20:46:59  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 22nd, 2005
Federal MPs have passed an NDP motion that calls on Prime Minister Paul Martin to dissolve Parliament in January for a Feb. 13 election. But the minority Liberals immediately said they would ignore the non-binding motion, clearing the way for a no-confidence vote expected to take down their government next week. The motion – which was introduced by NDP Leader Jack Layton and supported by the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois – passed by a vote of 167-129 on Monday night. After the vote, Layton said he hoped it would spur a change of heart from Martin, who has repeatedly rejected opposition demands that he agree to make an election call in the first week of January. Layton said he felt compelled to introduce the motion because an election was already looming and he didn't see any point in letting Liberal cabinet ministers use the holiday break to race around the country making big-ticket spending promises at the taxpayers' expense. "It didn't seem like a positive thing," he told a news conference. "Instead, getting some housekeeping work done now ... and then having the election immediately after the holidays makes a lot of sense – and the majority of members of Parliament clearly have expressed that tonight." Liberal House leader Tony Valeri responded by dismissing the NDP motion as political posturing. "It's not really a compromise, it's a cop-out that's an attempt to evade responsibility for causing an election during the Christmas holidays," Valeri said.
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper said the Liberals' refusal to respect Monday's vote meant he would proceed with a plan to introduce a binding no-confidence motion on Thursday. It would come to a vote on Nov. 28. The motions are both part of a plan to oust Martin's Liberals that came out of talks between Harper, Layton and Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe on Nov. 13. That's when the three opposition leaders issued an ultimatum demanding that Martin agree to make an election call in January or face a no-confidence motion that could bring down his government in November. Harper said an election call next week could only be avoided if Martin changes his mind about accepting opposition demands to call a February election – or if the government prorogues Parliament. It is expected to pass with the endorsement of the three opposition parties, which would mean an election call would likely have to be issued on Nov. 29. Meanwhile, the Liberals have already begun to make big-ticket spending announcements including – on Monday – $46 million in aid to the auto industry, more money for day care, and fast-tracked help for homeowners, aboriginals and others. In the past few weeks, they've also announced a $30-million income-tax cut, $920 million for immigration services in Ontario, millions of dollars for Chinese- and Italian-Canadians wrongfully treated in the Second World War, cash to curb gun violence and more. Later in the week, the Commons is expected to consider a financial motion required to pay for provisions in Finance Minister Ralph Goodale's fiscal update that provide billions in tax cuts to companies and smaller breaks for individuals. The Bloc Québécois has said its MPs will support that. There is also speculation that the federal government could announce during the week nearly $1½ billion in aid for the softwood lumber industry, up to $5 billion for aboriginal issues, aid for farmers and money for the military. Written by CBC News Staff
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Threat of GM job cuts to dominate meeting with CAW Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 21 Nov 2005  07:14:19  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 21st, 2005
The threat of job cuts is expected to dominate a meeting today between the president of General Motors of Canada and the head of the Canadian Auto Workers Union. The CAW's Buzz Hargrove is expected to discuss GM's plans for its plants in Canada, in light of a massive restructuring program in GM operations worldwide. A report in Monday's Globe and Mail newspaper suggests that GM job reductions here in Canada could number as many as 3,000. GM currently employs about 22,000 people in Canada and about 324,000 people around the world. The job cuts were first announced back in June by the automaker's CEO, Rick Wagoner. At the time he said the move would generate savings of approximately $2.5 billion US. GM has been cutting plants and production in recent years, reducing its annual assembly capacity from six million units in 2002 to five million units by the end of this year, he said. Last March, GM announced the largest-ever investment in the Canadian auto industry: $2.5 billion (including $435 million in federal and Ontario government money) to upgrade plants and establish research and development centres. In June, a study ranked General Motor's No. 1 plant in Oshawa, Ont., as the most efficient assembly operation on the continent. Many of GM's U.S. operations are provided with parts and component built in plants in St. Catharines and Windsor, Ont. Written by CBC News Staff
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B.C. bird flu not Asian strain: officials Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 20 Nov 2005  08:18:14  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 20th, 2005 A strain of bird flu discovered on a poultry farm in British Columbia's Fraser Valley is not the same type that has been blamed for killing at least 65 people in Asia since 2003, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed on Sunday. The H5 virus found in a commercial duck on the Chilliwack farm is a low pathogenic North American strain, CFIA veterinarian Cornelius Kiley told reporters. Despite news that the virus can cause only mild disease in birds, a CFIA-ordered cull of birds	A sign posted at the farm in Chlliwack.
on the farm will proceed. Kiley said while there's no immediate risk to domestic birds, there are concerns the virus could mutate. About 65,000 birds will be killed at the facility, one of the farms affected in a cull carried out in the spring of 2004 in the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland. Millions of chickens were killed in an effort to stop the spread of the avian flu. On Saturday, CFIA said two wild ducks in Manitoba have tested positive for H5N1 viruses, but not the dangerous strain that has spread from birds to people in Southeast Asia. Officials called the viruses "low pathogenic," meaning they're not viewed as a public health threat. "I want to emphasize that the H5N1 subtype detected in Manitoba is completely distinct from the strain currently present in Asia," Brian Evans told a news conference. "From a genetic perspective, there are significant strain differences in their structure," said Evans, the agency's chief veterinary officer in Canada. The viruses were isolated as part of a cross-country surveillance program to find what avian flu viruses are being carried by wild ducks in Canada. Agency officials said they've have also isolated an H5N3 subtype in two birds from Quebec. Written by CBC News Staff
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B.C. farm quarantined after bird flu found in one duck Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 18 Nov 2005  21:04:09  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 19th, 2005
A commercial farm in British Columbia's Fraser Valley has been quarantined after a duck was found infected with an avian flu virus. B.C. government officials said Friday there is no risk to human health, but the Canadian Food Inspection Agency closed off the farm as a precaution after an outbreak of avian influenza in the area in 2004. The agency's director of animal health said it's not surprising to find the virus in a domestic duck flock because the birds are known carriers. The other birds on the B.C. farm were healthy and showed no signs of disease, said Dr. Jim Clark. "We are prepared to quarantine all commercial poultry operations that are within five kilometres of this particular premises, " he added. "We will be doing sampling in the farms to determine whether there's any evidence of the virus we're currently characterizing is present in other locations." While Clark confirmed the virus detected is the H5 strain, it will take another two days of tests to determine if it is the same type that has infected humans in Asia. The duck will be sent to the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease in Winnipeg for further testing. An outbreak of avian flu in 2004 hit farms in a 70-kilometre-wide area from Vancouver's eastern suburbs to Chilliwack in the eastern Fraser Valley, requiring the slaughter of 17 million birds. In the end, about three million birds were found to be diseased and the rest were allowed to be sold to consumers. Written by CBC News Staff
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Martin chides Bush at APEC summit Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 18 Nov 2005  07:02:54  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 18th, 2005 Prime Minister Paul Martin used a multinational meeting in Busan, South Korea, Friday to air his softwood lumber grievances with U.S. President George W. Bush. In a closed meeting that also included the leaders of Mexico and Peru, Martin told Bush his stance on the ongoing lumber dispute jeopardizes the expansion of free trade. Speaking in French to reporters later, Martin said he told Bush, "If you can't agree with your best ally, Canada, and you have the same problem with Mexico, how can you convince the other Latin American countries that free trade is a good thing?"	Paul Martin meets with Mexico's President Vicente Fox and U.S. President George W. Bush.
The world leaders have gathered in the South Korean port town for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, aimed at bringing down trade barriers. "The whole premise of a free trade agreement [is supposed to be] that when somebody signs an agreement, that those agreements are honoured," Martin said. Instead, he said, the Americans have not abided by a series of NAFTA rulings that said Canada is not heavily subsidizing its softwood industry, as the U.S. had claimed when it imposed heavy tariffs against lumber imports. "You're not going to have Free Trade of the Americas if that's the practice that's been established," Martin warned. Earlier, the prime minister began his day by laying a wreath at a Korean War cemetery where more than 300 Canadian soldiers are buried. Written by CBC News Staff
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Opposition eyeing Christmas campaign Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 16 Nov 2005  18:56:26  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 17th, 2005
The opposition has set Nov. 28 as the most likely date to bring down the minority Liberal government, forcing an election campaign over the Christmas and New Year's holidays. Prime Minister Paul Martin repeated again on Wednesday that he won't give in to opposition demands he call an election in early January. If Martin doesn't change his mind, the opposition is vowing to bring down the government at the end of the month. Opposition leader Stephen Harper laid out the most likely scenario for how the minority Parliament would come to an end. "The agreement is that if the prime minister has not clearly agreed, solemnly committed to call the election in January, then a non-confidence vote will go ahead on the Thursday [Nov. 24]." The no-confidence motion would come before the House, but probably not be voted on until the following Monday, Nov. 28. That would allow the long-planned First Ministers Conference on aboriginal affairs set for next Thursday and Friday in Kelowna, B.C., to go ahead. If the no-confidence motion passes, the government will fall and Canadians are into an election campaign. In Ottawa on Wednesday, Martin said he is sticking to his plan to call a vote after the second Gomery report is released in early February. "I'm going to continue to govern until such time as, in fact, a non-confidence motion is passed by the opposition and the government falls." Martin says if there is an election over the Christmas period it will be the opposition's fault for bringing down the government. But NDP Leader Jack Layton disagrees. He says it will be Martin's fault for being "the only leader in this House that will not compromise." Liberal House leader Tony Valeri says what's really happening is that Layton is getting cold feet. "The leader of the NDP is so fearful of the fact that so many people have come out and said there is absolutely nothing wrong when the prime minister made that commitment to Canadians that today he's attempting to backtrack, that today he's afraid." As the minority Parliament lurches day by day toward collapse, the refrain heard most often from both the government and the opposition is that no party wants an election over the holidays. But it's looking more and more like a holiday election is exactly what Canadians are going to get. Written by CBC News Staff
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Snow-struck Prairies under cold snap Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 16 Nov 2005  06:06:42  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 16th, 2005 A nasty winter blast through southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan that has caused at least four deaths and shut schools, businesses and roads in the last two days is lingering early Wednesday as temperatures dipped to nearly –30. The storm system moved on to northern Ontario overnight, bringing high winds, snow and a chance of freezing rain.	A bus gives up the struggle in Winnipeg Tuesday.
At 6 a.m. ET, the temperature in Regina was –27.9, with fog depositing ice on surfaces throughout the city. Winnipeg was slightly warmer at –11.4, but was registering a wind chill of –21. Manitoba cities such as Brandon and Winnipeg had received up to 30 centimetres of snow by late Tuesday as a severe winter weather system moved into the province from its western neighbour, Saskatchewan. Poor-visibility conditions in Saskatchewan are continuing a day after the storm was blamed for the four road deaths. Parts of the Trans-Canada Highway in the southern part of the province were shut for hours on Tuesday. In Manitoba, emergency officials closed the Trans-Canada from Virden to Winnipeg early Tuesday morning, and roads were in "poor condition" throughout the southeast part of the province. "It's quite an intense system and it's very wet, so most of the snow that's out there is very heavy," said Anne-Marie Palfreeman of Environment Canada. Mail delivery was halted in Winnipeg, where many airport flights were cancelled. Municipal officials expect to spend $3 million out of an annual $14.1-million snow-clearing budget to deal with the storm's aftermath. Even snowplows ended up in ditches near Brandon, and people driving less substantial vehicles across the region waited up to three hours for help from tow-trucks. Tow-truck driver Shawn Zorback was moving around rescuing motorists until he got ran into trouble himself. "We're stuck just like everybody else, and frankly, it's not fun," he told CBC News. Buses were running at least an hour behind schedule, if they were running at all. "Whoever is in charge needs to be really realistic as to what the road conditions are before they make the decision to cancel or not to cancel [bus service]," said Sharon Romanow, who spent 20 minutes trying to calm down her disabled daughter Tuesday morning. Sarah, 19, had spent two hours on a school bus full of disabled students that got stuck several times while trying to bring them back to their houses. Written by CBC News Staff
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Winnipeg woman retiring after $27.2M lotto win Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 15 Nov 2005  07:29:58  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 15th, 2005 A Winnipeg financial planner says she's handing in her letter of resignation after winning a whopping $27.2 million in Saturday's Lotto 6/49. Dawn Fraser bought the quick-pick record-setting ticket – the biggest lottery jackpot in Manitoba history – at a small Winnipeg hotel. The 54-year-old was in her kitchen Sunday evening making cabbage rolls when her husband checked their ticket numbers.	Lotto winner Dawn Fraser at a Winnipeg news conference on Monday.
"We were just stunned," she said. "We didn't know what to think, really, we just stood there." At a news conference Monday afternoon, Fraser said she will leave her job as an account manager at a credit union, but she doubts if she, her husband and child will move from Winnipeg. "Really, the most important thing is your family and your friends and staying grounded," she said. "Winnipeg is our home, so I can't foresee us going anywhere else. We'll certainly go and visit other places, but I can't see us ever leaving." Fraser said she hasn't decided what to do with her millions, although she plans to spend her newfound wealth on her family and friends. She also said that an expensive boat might also be in her future. "Maybe buy a nice car and a boat and, of course, my husband is interested in some charities that I know he'll be supporting." The biggest previous jackpot won in Manitoba was $19.9 million, which was split between 10 people in Winnipeg in 2001. Gloria Asban, one of those winners, says it's important to keep things in perspective. "Love the money, keep the money, use it properly and share it to those less fortunate," said Asban. Last month, 17 employees at an oil and gas plant near Edmonton shared the largest jackpot ever in Canada worth more than $54 million. Written by CBC News Staff
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Economic update prelude to election, observers say Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 14 Nov 2005  07:57:14  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 14th, 2005
The federal Liberals will promise to spend billions on immigration and tax breaks later today as they jockey for position in the run-up to a coming election. Dubbed an economic update, both the opposition and independent observers think Finance Minister Ralph Goodale's plan for Canada's economy has more to do with politics than economics. The reason: the three opposition parties have banded together to take the initiative on the timing of the election away from the Liberals. With the possibility of an election before Christmas, or early in the new year, the economic update – a regular report on the country's finances – has taken on much more importance, as it may be the Liberals' last chance to act like a government in charge of the agenda. "It seems like a budget in every respect," said Ellen Russell, senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Sources told CBC News that the update will contain: A higher personal tax exemption, cutting the income taxes Canadians pay.Reinstating $2 billion in corporate tax cuts which the Liberals dropped in their budget deal with the NDP this spring, but have promised to bring back. More than $1 billion to cut the time immigrants have to wait, and improve services for immigrants. About $250 million to help smaller businesses sell more overseas. But the leaks do not include measures to improve productivity, which Goodale and independent economists have said is a major concern.
Opposition leaders press Martin on election Goodale will deliver the update amid threats from the opposition that the minority government could fall within a week. Leaders of the three opposition parties demanded on Sunday that Prime Minister Paul Martin agree to call an election in January or face a no-confidence motion that could bring down his government in November. Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, NDP Leader Jack Layton and Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe issued the ultimatum after meeting in Ottawa, saying the Liberals had lost their moral authority to govern. The Liberals immediately dismissed the opposition offer as an attempt to hand off the responsibility of calling a Christmas election to the Liberals. The Tories and the Bloc agreed to support an NDP motion – which could be introduced as early as Tuesday – that will ask Martin to launch a campaign in the first week of January, two months earlier than the date for an election call favoured by the prime minister. It would send voters to the polls in February, shortly after the second report into the sponsorship scandal is due to be released. Harper said that if Martin refuses the demand, he would introduce a no-confidence motion in the following week. Since the opposition parties together outnumber the Liberals, they would oust the government and spark a Christmas election campaign.
The opposition leaders said they agreed to give Martin the option of calling a January election rather than immediately toppling his government because they wanted Parliament to get some work done – such as the energy rebate bill, C-66, and Bill C-65, which protects workers in the event of bankruptcies – before the Christmas break. The three opposition parties have been keen to capitalize on the fallout of the inquiry into the sponsorship scandal, especially after Justice John Gomery released his first report on Nov. 1. But the timing of both the economic update and the opposition motion could be affected by tactical moves by the other side. For example, the opposition parties are counting on using opposition days, when they control the agenda, to introduce their motions, but the Liberals could delay those days. And the opposition may have some procedural method of delaying Goodale's speech, or any discussion about it in Parliament. Liberals' conduct the issue Layton and Duceppe also portrayed their compromise as being primarily motivated by what they characterized as Liberal misconduct. Layton said his party was willing to back the Liberals in the spring because the NDP felt Martin was open to political compromises that allowed work to continue in Parliament. But he said he hadn't seen the same spirit of compromise in the fall. The NDP said they would back the government if the Liberals moved to stop increased private influence in health care, but the Liberal offer was not satisfactory, the NDP said. Written by CBC News Staff
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Ontario developer sues woman over website Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 13 Nov 2005  13:08:01  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 13th, 2005
A Southern Ontario woman who was complimented by the government for her environmental reports on her website says she has a good defence against a libel suit from a developer. In a letter posted on another website, Louisette Lanteigne of Waterloo, Ont., said the $2 million suit from local developer Activa Holdings Inc. is simply an effort to shut her up. The developer's suit is a SLAPP – Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation – intended to silence her criticisms, she said. "The plaintiff's goal in a SLAPP is not to win the lawsuit, but is rather to silence a critic by instilling fear of large legal costs and the spectre of large damage awards," she said in a letter posted by a supporter on rabble.ca. Lanteigne set up a website this spring where she posted photos and stories of environmental problems and construction work in the new subdivision where she lives. Government departments complimented her, saying they reply on reports from citizens to find out about problems. But Activa took offence, and sued her. "The website contains numerous untrue statements and defamatory statements about Activa," company lawyer Greg Murdoch told Canadian Press. "Activa is in this unfortunate position where it has to proceed with this lawsuit." Lanteigne's letter on rabble.ca said: "I have a pretty strong case of defence at my end including many letters of thanks from the minister of the environment and the minister of labour. " She said she will not be intimidated, and "I'm glad it's out there in the media." Written by CBC News Staff
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France braces for 'violent actions' Web Posted | Last Updated Sat, 12 Nov 2005  00:55:21  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 12th, 2005
French authorities are bracing for more unrest this weekend after messages calling for violence in Paris were posted on the internet and distributed by text messaging. Truckloads of riot police have been deployed in the French capital. A weekend ban on gatherings of "a nature that could provoke or encourage disorder" from 10 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday has been imposed. "Messages distributed in the last few days over the internet and by text messaging have called for gatherings Nov. 12 in Paris and 'violent actions,' in the words of their authors," a Paris police headquarters statement said. National Police Chief Michel Gaudin said five people have been taken into police custody on suspicion of putting up internet sites calling for violence. Central Paris has largely escaped more than two weeks of violence across France. It peaked last Sunday but has fallen in intensity since President Jacques Chirac's government announced emergency measures on Tuesday including curfews. But more than 300 cars were torched across the country and 119 people arrested overnight. In the south, an attacker threw two firebombs into a mosque during Friday prayers, causing minor damage. Overnight into Saturday, arsonists destroyed part of a primary school in the eastern town of Savigny-le-Temple, set two stores ablaze in Rambouillet, west of Paris, and set fire to a library inside the town hall in the western town of Angers. The unrest has mainly hit poor suburbs around main towns and cities as youths who complain about the lack of opportunities have attacked property and torched thousands of cars. Violence erupted Oct. 27 after the accidental electrocutions of two teenagers hiding out in a power substation to escape police. Written by CBC News Staff
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Ottawa may bypass bid process for aircraft Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 11 Nov 2005  08:06:00  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 11th, 2005 The need for new military aircraft is so urgent that Ottawa may consider bypassing much of the traditional competitive bidding process to procure some, reports The Globe and Mail. Key cabinet ministers will meet Monday to discuss plans to fast track a $12.2-billion purchase of 50 military aircraft, including 15 Chinook helicopters and 16 Hercules transports, the newspaper reported Friday.	Chief of the Defence Staff General Rick Hillier.
The man pushing this plan is Chief of Defence Staff General Rick Hillier. Hillier, the former commander of allied troops in Afghanistan, says the traditional bidding process -- which often takes years -- is not a good model to follow right now, at a time when there is such an urgent need of equipment. His plan would see the first aircraft delivered within 36 months, with the last coming into service within 60 months, according to Defence Department documents obtained by The Globe. However, his campaign is concerning global aerospace industry players, such as Bombardier and Airbus. They argue that Hillier's plan would cost more because it is non-competitive. In addition to the helicopters and transports, the purchase is also expected to include 15 fixed-wing search-and-rescue aircraft and four "northern utility" planes, say documents. The aircraft are earmarked for the mission in Afghanistan, where Canadian troops are patrolling some of the most dangerous streets in the world. About 1,200 Canadian combat troops will join the U.S.-led operations in southern Afghanistan early next year. They will have to rely on Americans or other coalition countries for resources they don't have, such as helicopter transport. When the war on terror began three years ago, Canadian troops relied heavily on U.S. Chinook helicopters to get them in out of battle zones, and to supply them. There are currently about 250 Canadian troops in Afghanistan running a provincial reconstruction team, and an undisclosed number of Canadian special forces troops operating out of Kandahar. Written by CTV.ca News Staff
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2 hurt as possible tornado hits Hamilton Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 10 Nov 2005  05:34:56  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 10th, 2005
Environment Canada is trying to determine whether a tornado was responsible for ripping the roof off an elementary school in Hamilton, Ont., on Wednesday, slightly injuring two students. The children were among a group practising volleyball in the gym of the Lawfield Public School at about 4 p.m. when a bout of severe weather hit. "I just heard a big gust of wind and the roof just collapsed," said Matt Theoret, one of the students in the gym. "The windows blew in... We all ran." Two students who were hit by falling debris were taken to hospital for treatment.
"This emergency scene could have been much worse and a lot more tragic just due to the fact that if it had happened a half hour earlier, the elementary school would have been filled with children or with children leaving," said Bob Simpson of Hamilton's Emergency Medical Services. A number of children still doing after-school activities at Lawfield were evacuated to a nearby arena, but then that building's roof began peeling off. School officials have closed Lawfield until further notice. Several areas 'devastated,' says mayor	Severe weather damaged trees and buildings in Hamilton, Ontario.
Witnesses reported black skies and funnel-shaped clouds just before the bout of severe weather hit, downing trees and power lines. "It was eerie in the dark of night and it's even eerier in the light of day," Hamilton Mayor Larry Di Ianni told CBC News Thursday morning. He added that he was grateful no lives were lost, though the storm "devastated a number of areas in our city" and knocked out power to 4,000 homes. "We'll fix that and get on with our lives," Di Ianni said. No confirmation of tornado yet Environment Canada has yet to confirm a tornado was responsible for the damage, since an on-site assessment must be done. That will happen Thursday, when weather experts have a chance to examine the pattern of debris and the extent of the damage. However, Hamilton is in a part of southern Ontario where tornadoes have hit in the past. A large tree fell in front of Steve Burkholder's house and the wind flipped over his camper trailer, which had been parked nearby. Burkholder was inside with his daughter at the time. "I just felt the windows kind of go whoosh," he said, describing how he looked outside to see his trailer sitting on its roof on his front lawn. The winds took a toll on Hazel Clarke's house. "We were all just relaxing and then we heard thunder and lightning and the door banged," she said. "Then we heard it again and all of a sudden the roof caved in. The whole of the roof of the house is gone." About 5,000 homes were without power in the wake of the storm, but electricity had been restored to most of them by Thursday morning. Written by CBC News Staff
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Investigation highlights security concerns at Canadian airports Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 08 Nov 2005  20:37:05  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 9th, 2005
A special undercover investigation by the CBC's The Fifth Estate has exposed major problems with security at some of Canada's airports. In the months following the New York, Washington and Pennsylvania attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Ottawa committed more than $9 billion to security measures. More than $2 billion of that was earmarked exclusively for airport security. But an investigation by The Fifth Estate found lapses in the security systems. Airport security specialist Steve Elson showed how he could decipher access codes for restricted areas in less than 20 minutes. Using a hidden camera, the Fifth Estate team followed him as he walked through Toronto's Pearson International Airport, opening one door after the other.
The doors all appeared to have the same access code. "That means I can get access to airplanes, to the ramp, literally get into a jetway door in a few seconds," said Elson. Mark Duncan, chief operating officer for the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), the agency tasked with providing security at Canadian airports, says the system is sound. "Our last public opinion survey showed that 90 per cent of the people were satisfied with the security process. So we think we've delivered on the mandate we were given," he said.
But Bill Butler, a passenger screener, says Canadian airports are far less secure than they appear. "It's what I call the illusion of security, that's what I call it." Senator Colin Kenny, who did his own review, says government secrecy and inefficiency lead to weak security, and Canadians should be demanding that they get more value for money, "because they're not getting it." Transport Minister Jean Lapierre was not available for comment. The Fifth Estate's program on airport security airs Wednesday night at 9 p.m. on CBC Television. Written by CBC News Staff
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South Asian quake toll jumps to 87,350 Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 08 Nov 2005  08:04:33  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 8th, 2005
The death toll from the South Asian earthquake a month ago rose sharply Tuesday, reaching 87,350 because of a new count conducted in Pakistan. The estimate of 86,000 deaths in Pakistan, prepared by the Asian Development Bank and World Bank with the help of local officials and aid agencies, is much higher than the government's official count of 73,000. Another 1,350 deaths were reported in India and Indian-controlled parts of Kashmir from the Oct. 8 earthquake.
Pakistani finance department spokesman Iqbal Ahmed Khan attributed the new death count to a higher than expected number of bodies being pulled from debris, especially in regions of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir that quake-related landslides had cut off from help. UN begging for $50.5 million more The new death count comes as the United Nations continues to warn that it needs millions of dollars more to help about 300,000 homeless and injured survivors as winter sets in. The effort is being called "Operation Winter Race."
"What is particularly difficult in Kashmir is that people [will] freeze to death if they don't get assistance in weeks," said Jan Egeland, the UN's aid co-ordinator. The United Nations has put out a call for $50.5 million Cdn in order to continue its operations until the end of November. "The concept is one warm room per family before it becomes too cold," Egeland said in New York. So far about 334,000 winterized tents have been delivered to house the homeless. Another 332,000 are said to be on the way, but stoves are still urgently needed. Written by CBC News Staff
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Dig uncovers ancient church on Israeli jail site Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 06 Nov 2005  11:56:00  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 7th, 2005 Israeli archaeologists announced Saturday they have discovered the remains of what could be the oldest Christian church in the Holy land, in a maximum-security jail just down the road from the biblical site of Armageddon. Remains of the church, which the Israel Antiquities Authority dates to the mid-3rd to early-4th century, were found during a dig for possible artifacts prior to the construction of a new prison wing. "This is a very ancient structure, maybe the oldest in our area," Yotam Tepper, the head archaeologist on the dig told The Associated Press.	Israeli archaeologists said they have discovered what may be the oldest Christian church in the Holy Land on the grounds of a prison near the biblical site of Armageddon.
Channel Two television, which first reported the story, broadcast pictures of a well-preserved mosaic tile floor bearing the name of Jesus Christ in ancient Greek as well as images of fish, an early Christian symbol. One inscription memorialized the name of Akaptos as "Lover of God who contributed the altar to the god Jesus Christos, as a memorial," according to Hebrew University Prof. Leah di Segni. More than 60 prison inmates participated in the excavations at the Megiddo prison in Israel's northern Galilee region over the past 18 months, with the most significant discoveries taking place in the past two weeks. Prisoner Maimon Biton, serving time for theft, was thrilled to be a part of the discovery. "It was like finding a bag full of money," he said. The findings could shed light on an important period of Christianity, which was banned by the Romans until the 4th century. "Mosaics, in general, and inscribed mosaics in particular from the 3rd and 4th centuries are very rare, as is the wording of the inscription. This structure is indeed unique and significant to the understanding of the development of early Christianity into a recognized and official religion," Tepper said in a written statement.
He told reporters that this type of archaeological evidence is rare. "There is no structure you can compare it to. It is a very unique find," he said. Pietro Sambi, the Vatican's ambassador to Israel, praised the find as a "great discovery." "Of course, all the Christians are convinced of the history of Jesus Christ," he told Channel Two. "But is it extremely important to have archaeological proof of a church dedicated to him? Certainly." The jail is close to the hill of Megiddo -- Hebrew for Armageddon -- where Christian teachings say God will prevail over Satan in a fiery end-of-the-world war before the messiah comes.	This picture released by the Israeli Antiquities Authority shows a mosaic with writing in ancient Greek with references to Christ, on the floor of what is believed to be the oldest church in Israel.
But already, some archaeologists are questioning the findings. Joe Zias, an anthropologist and a former curator with the Israel Antiquities Authorities, said there were no churches before the 4th century. "The earliest it could be is 4th century and we have other 4th-century churches. I think what is important here is the size, the inscription and the mosaics," he said. "I think it is an important find ... but I wouldn't say it was the oldest church in the world." Still, the find is stoking a frenzy in Israel. There is speculation the entire prison may be moved so that a tourist attraction can open in its place. Written by CTV.ca News Staff
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Schools, cars torched in 10th night of French riots Web Posted | Last Updated Sat, 05 Nov 2005  21:56:39  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 6th, 2005
Rioters have razed two Parisian schools and burned hundreds of vehicles during the past 24 hours, in the tenth straight day of violence that is spreading from poor suburbs to cities and towns throughout France. Young men and boys continued to wreak havoc into the early hours of Sunday, speeding on motorbikes and in cars from one spot to another to lob Molotov cocktails at buildings and cars and pelt police with rocks.
An extra 2,300 police officers patrolled alongside their colleagues in the capital and surrounding communities, which have borne the brunt of the violence since it began on Oct. 27 in poor northeastern suburbs with large immigrant populations. Patrick Hamon, a spokesperson for the national police, said the rioters had torched at least 607 vehicles by 1 a.m. local time on Sunday, including 13 in Paris itself. Earlier in the day, they burned to the ground two schools in the Paris suburb of Essonne. No one was injured.	Interior Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy.
About 68 people were arrested in the violence, which fanned out on Saturday to previously tranquil areas, from Strasbourg near the German border to Rouen in the far north to Bordeaux in the southwest. Government holds crisis meeting France's Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin met with eight of his cabinet ministers in the morning, after the previous night's violence saw at least 900 vehicles torched around Paris alone and led to more than 250 arrests. After the meeting, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy warned authorities could impose stiffer sentences for arsonists. But Sarkozy, who had earlier condemned the rioters as "scum" and talked of "hosing down" their neighbourhoods, sounded much less inflammatory. He said authorities had to be firm, but also understood the feeling of injustice in poor neighbourhoods, where people are battling high unemployment, poor housing conditions, racism and other social problems. Many people view the violence as the expression of pent-up anger by the country's unemployed and underemployed youth, particularly in Muslim immigrant communities, and as a sign of the difficulty North Africans have experienced in trying to integrate into French society. Hundreds of people march to protest riots
On Saturday morning, more than 1,000 people held a silent march through one of the hardest-hit suburbs, Aulnay-sous-Bois. Loubna Hamidi, a Muslim woman, condemned the people behind the violence as she and other marchers crunched through shattered glass, past the carcasses of burned-out cars, and in front of businesses and buildings hit by Molotov cocktails. "I'm very angry and I'm ashamed because they are Arabic like me but they are not my brothers," she told CBC News. "When they do this, they are not my brothers."
As one man surveyed the damage, he complained the local mayor hadn't done enough to help those who need jobs and support. He pointed out a recreation club that he said was off-limits to the young men in the area. "This is why they burn this." The trouble began when two teenagers were electrocuted at a power sub-station in Clichy-sous-Bois, north of Paris. Local youths allege the pair were being pursued by police, a charge officials deny. Written by CBC News Staff
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Free trade key to fighting poverty: Martin Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 04 Nov 2005  19:51:19  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 5th, 2005
Prime Minister Paul Martin defended free trade at the Summit of Americas in Argentina Friday, saying it's the best way to fight poverty. Martin told his fellow hemispheric leaders that the summit's original focus, the expansion of free trade, is still valid and defended the idea against critics who charge it exploits workers and the poor. "A Free Trade Agreement of the Americas is not about making the hemisphere safe for capitalists. It is about providing opportunities for our workers, and better goods and services for our consumers, from the bottom rung of the income ladder to the top. "Freer and fairer trade will lift more human beings out of poverty than all of the assistance programs in the world combined." Martin's speech contrasted with the words spoken by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who brought a crowd of thousands to its feet with a marathon speech decrying colonialism, imperialism and U.S. policy. Chavez said the idea of creating a free trade area of the Americas is dead.
"The planet "is being destroyed under our own noses by the capitalist model, the destructive engine of development," Chavez said, adding that "every day there is more hunger, more misery thanks to the neo-liberal, capitalist model." While Martin was at the summit preaching expanded free trade to opponents like Chavez, he was also trying to persuade the U.S. to comply with existing trade agreements. Earlier in the day at a meeting with Mexican President Vicente Fox, Martin took a thinly veiled dig at U.S. President George W. Bush's administration and its position on softwood lumber, saying free trade won't work if any one player decides to ignore the rules. "The fact is that President Fox, myself, President Bush, all of us believe strongly in the free trade of the Americas. But we know that it's got to be based on rules – and rules that are listened to," Martin said. Martin's government has criticized Washington for ignoring a NAFTA ruling that U.S. tariffs imposed on Canadian softwood imports are unjustified. Written by CBC News Staff
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Waist-hip ratio best predictor of heart risk Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 03 Nov 2005  20:10:00  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 4th, 2005 Researchers say they've found a better way of measuring obesity and a person's risk of getting a heart attack than the method used by doctors worldwide for years. A Canadian-led study in Friday's issue of The Lancet medical journal says that the standard measure of obesity, called the body-mass index (BMI), doesn't work as well as measuring how big a person's waist is compared to their hips. Drawing data from 27,098 people from 52 countries, the study concluded that the waist-to-hip ratio is three times more accurate at predicting a person's risk of heart attack than a person's BMI.	The study concluded that the waist-to-hip ratio is three times more accurate at predicting a person's risk of heart attack than a person's BMI.
BMI (based on a person's weight and height) takes no notice of where a person's fat lies or how muscular that person may be, says Dr. Arya Sharma, co-author of the study and a professor of medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. Therefore, a well-muscled athlete and an obese person could have similar BMI scores. "If we are going to try to prevent heart disease, your focus has to be on waist circumference, not just weight," Sharma told CTV News. Previous research has drawn a correlation between obesity and heart disease. But most of those studies focused on populations in Europe and North America. For the Interheart study, McMaster professor of medicine Dr. Salim Yusuf and his team aimed to find out whether other indicators for obesity, especially waist-to-hip ratio, would better predict heart disease in different ethnic populations than BMI. The waist-to-hip ratio, says Yusuf, "is easier to measure and it is more powerful; and this is why it should be used." Yusuf says the study confirms earlier findings that fat around the abdomen is a bad omen: it's linked to heart problems, diabetes and high blood pressure.
The study also found: BMI was only slightly higher in heart attack patients than in control groups, with no difference in the Middle East and South Asia. In contrast, heart attack patients had a far higher waist-to-hip ratio than control groups, irrespective of other cardiovascular risk factors. This observation was consistent in men and women, across all ages, and in all regions of the world. Therefore, larger waist size (reflected in the amount of abdominal fat) was harmful; whereas larger hip size (which could indicate the amount of lower body muscle) was protective.	Dr. Arya Sharma, co-author of the study.
Researchers suggest a two-part strategy based on their findings: trim the area around the waist; and possibly boost hip size by increasing muscle mass or redistributing fat. BMI backers But some experts say further studies are needed before we can do away with BMI for good. Calgary pediatrician Dr. Peter Nieman says unless you know what you're doing, it's difficult to be consistently accurate in measuring waist-to-hip ratio. "We already have a lot of physicians struggling, both in pediatrics and adulthood, to monitor a patient's BMI. And for them to do a hip-to-waist ratio routinely is going to be difficult," Nieman told CTV News. "I think it's going to be much easier to routinely measure the BMI." Indeed, both the World Health Organization and the U.S. Center for Disease Control still hold the BMI as the gold standard for measuring obesity. And Nieman adds that the waist-to-hip study pertains only to adults; for children, he says, "the jury is not yet out." "It's going to be very important to do more research. It's still a little bit early to say we've driven the nail into the coffin of the BMI," said Nieman. Others, however, think the latest study should be enough to encourage doctors to add a measuring tape to their medical tools.
Charlotte Krageland of the University of Oslo, Norway went so far as to call the current practice with BMI "obsolete" in light of the study's findings. "For the assessment of risk associated with obesity, the waist-to-hip ratio, and not the body mass index, is the preferred simple measure," he wrote in a statement. How to calculate waist-to-hip ratio Figuring out your risk is simple. Using a tape measure: Measure your hips. Measure your waist. Then divide the waist number by the hip number. For a healthy woman: the total should be under 0.85 For a healthy man: the total should be below point 0.90 (A 30-inch waist and 36-inch hips would work out to a favorable 0.83, or 83 percent.) Written by Avis Favaro, CTV News Staff
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Child-sex ring uncovered in Winnipeg, police allege Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 02 Nov 2005  18:27:11  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 3rd, 2005
Winnipeg police say they are investigating one of the largest sexual exploitation rings ever seen in the city, allegedly involving more than 30 children ranging in age from 18 months to 17 years. Sgt. Kelly Dennison said about 20 girls – aged 12 to 17 – were sold into prostitution. Dennison said the other children younger than age 12, including a baby of only 18 months, weren't necessarily forced to perform sexual acts but may have been exposed to them because they lived in the houses where they were taking place. So far, police have charged two women with procuring children for the purposes of prostitution, living off the avails of prostitution and corrupting children.
The corruption charges stem from the plight of the younger children, Dennison explained. "A minor can be corrupted if they're subjected to constant abuse, constant alcoholism, if they're in an environment where they have nowhere to go other than to observe certain things going on," he said. Police said more arrests could be made as the investigation continues. "Just by sheer number, it's probably the largest, or one of the largest, investigations we're doing," Dennison said.	Sgt. Kelly Dennison
The children involved in this case have been removed from three homes in Winnipeg's West End. Jane Runner – who works with New Directions, an organization that helps women and children escape sexual exploitation – said the case isn't as uncommon as people would like to believe. Runner estimated that only 10 per cent of prostitution happens on the street, where it is visible to the public. She said the case highlights the importance of addressing the root problems that make children vulnerable to sexual exploitation: poverty, homelessness and addiction. "If younger children are witnessing this, and this is all they're seeing, it becomes normalized, it becomes the way of life," Runner said. "Those kids who are growing up in this kind of environment need to understand this isn't a normal behaviour, activity." Written by CBC News Staff
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Chrétien will fight Gomery in the courts Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 02 Nov 2005  05:20:17  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 2nd, 2005
Former prime minister Jean Chrétien has strongly challenged the findings of Justice John Gomery, saying the error-ridden report has prompted him to seek a judicial review. "Mr. Justice John Gomery drew conclusions that are completely unbased on the evidence put before him," Chrétien said in French during a news conference. "To arrive at these conclusions he chose to ignore or distort the clear evidence from all senior public servants who appeared before him, including the former and current clerk of the privy council," he said. Although the report said there was no proof Chrétien was directly aware of the scheme, Gomery found that Chrétien and his chief of staff must be held responsible for the flawed running of the federal sponsorship program from 1994 to 2003. "Since Mr. Chrétien chose to run the program from his own office, and to have his own exempt staff take charge of its direction, he is accountable for the defective manner in which the sponsorship program and initiatives were implemented," Gomery said.
Chrétien said Gomery falsely determined that the office of the prime minister administered the sponsorship program. "There is no evidence before him to support that allegation," Chrétien said. "Mr. Justice Gomery simply made an error. In this case, as in many others, he made errors concerning his observations about the rules, responsibilities and powers of the office of the prime minister...," Chrétien said. Chrétien's lawyer, David Scott, said the judicial review would be based on the allegations that Gomery showed bias against Chrétien and that conclusions were drawn "without an evidentiary basis for them." During the sponsorship inquiry, lawyers for Chrétien filed papers in Federal Court, asking that Gomery be removed over concerns he lacks objectivity. They later withdrew their demands. But on Tuesday, Chrétien reiterated his concerns about bias, noting that the inquiry's lead counsel was Bernard Roy, who has a close relationship with former Conservative prime minister Brian Mulroney. The two are partners in the same law firm and Roy was Mulroney's chief of staff and best man at his wedding. Chrétien repeated what he said during his testimony at the sponsorship scandal, defending the federal sponsorship program by saying it was an important tool to fight Quebec's sovereignty movement. He said he regretted any mistakes that were made, adding that as prime minister he must take ultimate responsibility. Written by CBC News Staff
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Ottawa awaits Gomery's view of sponsorship scandal Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 01 Nov 2005  09:44:18  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Nov 1st, 2005
The prime minister already has his own copy of the Gomery report, but Canadians will have to wait until 10:00 a.m ET Tuesday before they find out what it has to say about the sponsorship scandal. CBC News will provide extensive coverage on CBC Television, CBC Radio and CBC.ca, as soon as the report is released. Justice John Gomery sent a copy of his first report to Prime Minister Paul Martin on Monday evening, giving him 16-hours lead time before releasing it to the Canadian public. Martin will meet with his MPs prior to the report's release. It is suspected that Gomery will blame a select group of politicians, aides and bureaucrats for the advertising scandal, which erupted last winter with the release of the report by Auditor General Sheila Fraser. The Liberal government of then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien spent $250 million to promote national unity in Quebec. In her February 2004 report, Fraser said an estimated $100 million in commissions in relation to the program went to Liberal-friendly ad agencies for little or no work. Chrétien has received what is called a Section 13, or a warning letter from the commission there might be a negative finding against him. If so, sources say he might pursue action in Federal Court to clear his name. Martin hasn't received a Section 13, but the Conservatives say he can't escape blame. "It's political blame, that's what is important here. Canadians will get their ultimate say and they will be the ones who will render a final judgment on Mr. Martin and the Liberal party. There's no separating the two," said Conservative deputy leader Peter MacKay. The opposition parties, however, won't have access to the contents until Tuesday morning, through their lawyers. Public opinion polls show Canadians may be growing weary of the affair, but Tuesday's release of the report is likely to revive their interest.
Political watchers say the effect is hard to predict outside of Quebec where the impact has been greatest. "I think what people expect of Judge Gomery is a perspective between all of these testimonies, many of them contradicting one another," said Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew. David Mitchell, from the University of Ottawa, says Gomery's reports will have a lasting effect on how government is run. "Depending on how far he goes with his recommendations this could have a big impact on how politics is managed and how government exercises its authority in the decades to come," said Mitchell. Others say the real impact of the scandal won't be in the political realm at all, but in the public service. Arthur Kroeger, an expert in public policy, notes a recent plan by Treasury Board will boost the number of independent auditors and create a new web of accounting practices. But he says no matter how many rules you have in place, if the highest politicians want to break them, they can. "It's a little like putting three more bolts on the front door when all the business is being transacted through the back window. The auditor general didn't say there were no rules, she said all the rules were broken," said Kroeger. Gomery cannot issue findings that can lead to criminal charges but his conclusions could certainly damage reputations. Martin will hold a news conference on Tuesday afternoon to respond to the report. Justice Gomery is scheduled to release his report in two parts. The first part, which will lay blame for the scandal, is due out on Tuesday at 10 a.m ET. The second part, which will recommend fixes, will arrive in February of 2006. Written by CBC News Staff