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Indonesian market blast kills 8	31/12/05
Gun charges laid in Toronto shooting that killed teen	30/12/05
Nova Scotia father, son win $15.4M lotto	29/12/05
Gang feud may have led to Toronto shooting: reports	28/12/05
Canadian beef back in Japanese supermarkets	27/12/05
Solemn ceremonies mark anniversary of Southeast Asia tsunami	26/12/05
Pontiff urges world to unite against terrorism and other blights	25/12/05
Families of Western hostages take out ads in Iraqi papers	24/12/05
No strike at Via keeps holiday rail travel on track	23/12/05
Sexy 'swingers clubs' okay, Supreme Court rules	22/12/05
Ottawa demands answers in death of Canadian peacekeeper in Haiti	21/12/05
New York transit strike triggers gridlock, headaches for 7 million	20/12/05
Accused of buying weapons for al-Qaeda, Khadr to appear in court	19/12/05
RCMP arrest Abdullah Khadr	18/12/05
Ottawa bans arthritis drug	17/12/05
Snowy, icy storm roaring east into Quebec, Atlantic Canada	16/12/05
Leaders prepare to square off in Vancouver debate	15/12/05
Martin rejects U.S. ambassador's rebuke	14/12/05
Bomb ripped apart vehicle carrying Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan	13/12/05
Ceremonies mark 20th anniversary of Arrow crash	12/12/05
Comedian Richard Pryor dies	11/12/05
Helicopter pilot and passenger died after crash	10/12/05
Child killed as plane skids off runway in Chicago	09/12/05
Deadline extended, fears continue for safety of hostages	08/12/05
U.S. to cut softwood duties almost in half	07/12/05
Bodies recovered after plane hits 10-storey building in Tehran	06/12/05
Duceppe dismisses Martin's warning of 'referendum election'	05/12/05
CAW wants NDP to hold balance of power	04/12/05
Kidnappers threaten to kill hostages, including Canadians	03/12/05
Wal-Mart hired security guards to spy on Quebec employees: CBC investigation	02/12/05
Conrad Black to appear in Chicago court Thursday	01/12/05

Indonesian market blast kills 8 Web Posted | Last Updated Sat, 31 Dec 2005  11:35:31  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 31st, 2005
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered an investigation into a bombing that killed eight people and injured 45 others in Central Sulawesi province. The homemade bomb, packed with nails and ball bearings, exploded at a Christian market on Saturday as people shopped for food ahead of the New Year celebrations.
The attack happened in the provincial capital Palu, just days after the Indonesian government warned of possible militant attacks during the holiday season. The bomb tore through the market slaughterhouse, which also sold meat directly to the public, at around 7 a.m. local time. Investigators speculated that certain kiosks were targeted because they were selling pork, which is forbidden to Muslims. Indonesia is predominantly Muslim, but its east has large pockets of Christians, to whom pork is acceptable.	Police officers carry the body of a bombing victim at a market in Palu, central Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Almost half of Sulawesi's population is Christian. Fighting between Muslims and Christians in Central Sulawesi from 1998-2001 killed 2,000 people, mainly around the town of Poso. While a peace accord halted the bloodshed, sectarian violence has erupted sporadically. In October, unidentified assailants beheaded three Christian high school girls in Poso, east of Palu. Written by CBC News Staff
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Gun charges laid in Toronto shooting that killed teen Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 30 Dec 2005  11:53:28  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 30th, 2005 One of the men arrested after the fatal Boxing Day shootout in downtown Toronto that killed a 15-year-old girl has been charged with eight firearms-related crimes, including discharging a weapon into a crowd. Andre Thompson, 20, was also charged with breaching a probation order that he not own, possess or carry a weapon. He and a 17-year-old, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, were arrested at a subway station shortly after a gunfight erupted between two gangs near the busy intersection of Yonge and Dundas streets. Up to 15 young people may have been involved. Seven bystanders in the area for Boxing Day shopping were shot.	Jane Creba was a Grade 10 student at a Toronto high school, police said as they released this photo.
Police said none of the charges against Thompson was related to the death of Jane Creba, the 15-year-old high school student who was struck by a stray bullet in the chaos. Forensic tests are continuing on the bullet that claimed Creba's life. She was pronounced dead at St. Michael's Hospital. A gun was found at the subway station where Thompson and the 17-year-old were arrested. Grief counselling for friends
On Thursday, close to 150 of Creba's classmates showed up at their Toronto east-end high school for grief counselling. They were accompanied by dozens of parents and more than 25 teachers and staff. Creba was described as a top student, an excellent athlete, and a wonderful friend and daughter. "Our bright light tragically scattered into darkness on Boxing Day 2005," said a statement released Wednesday by her parents, Virginia Barton and Bruce Creba.	A makeshift memorial where the Yonge Street shooting took place continues to grow.
"Her life has been transformed into a shooting star that will be forever a light for her devoted parents, uncles, aunts, cousins and close friends." A makeshift memorial of flowers, candles, and stuffed animals has appeared on the site of her death, on a stretch of sidewalk a short distance north of the Eaton Centre shopping mall. Written by CBC News Staff
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Nova Scotia father, son win $15.4M lotto Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 29 Dec 2005  15:44:40  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 29th, 2005 Nova Scotia's newest multimillionaire told his boss a little white lie Thursday morning when he called to say he couldn't make it to work. John Graydon, a Halifax airport employee, used the excuse that he had a family emergency. In fact, he and his father Patrick, a retired military man, were heading to the Atlantic Lottery Corporation's head office in Moncton, N.B., to pick up a cheque for $15.4 million. The father and son from Enfield had the only Lotto 6/49 ticket that matched all six numbers	John and L.P. Graydon hold up their cheque for $15,427,356.00.
– 6, 7, 10, 29, 42 and 44. It has earned them $15,427,356.00, the largest Lotto 6/49 jackpot win for Atlantic Canadians this year. John Graydon said he awoke about 3 a.m. on Thursday to start his shift at Halifax International Airport, then decided to check the lottery ticket he had bought six hours earlier. He says he jumped up and down for a few minutes, waking up his girlfriend, Kerry Burgess, and father. "I was jumping so high and my girlfriend was in bed and it was craziness, it was nuts," he said. "I definitely cleaned the tiles below me with my tongue because my mouth was open so wide. It took me about 10 minutes just to really say, 'Holy crap!'" He then called work with his family-emergency story. The father and son say they have a number of plans on how to spend the money. Avid golfers, the pair plan to travel around the world and play various courses, beginning in the United States. "We don't have our passports so it looks like Florida is where we'll start," said John Graydon. He also plans to buy a 35-foot catamaran, to replace his 26-foot sailboat. Patrick Graydon's wife, Joyce, said she'd like new countertops and hardwood floors in their house. Written by CBC News Staff
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Gang feud may have led to Toronto shooting: reports Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 28 Dec 2005  11:10:54  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 28th, 2005 A feud between rival gang members may have led to the Boxing Day shooting spree that killed a 15-year-old girl and injured six others in a downtown Toronto area bustling with shoppers, according to published reports. Police believe the gunfire broke out Monday between two groups, with 10 to 15 people in their late teens to early 20s involved in an exchange of gunfire on busy Yonge Street near the	A shopper pauses at a makeshift memorial where the Yonge Street shooting took place.
Eaton Centre, said the reports Wednesday. Within an hour of the shooting, police arrested two young men at a nearby subway station, where they recovered a gun. But it was still uncertain if the two were involved in the violence and no charges had been laid. Police added that more guns could have been involved and there could be more arrests. Police and gang sources were quoted as saying the shootings may have followed an altercation between the groups earlier in the day. One group may have followed the other from the east end of the city to the downtown area. The shooting happened just before dinnertime Monday as shoppers crowded the sidewalks of Yonge Street, just north of the tourist-heavy Eaton Centre. The 15-year-old girl, whose name has not been released, was shopping with her family when a bullet hit her head. The teen was declared dead in hospital following the 5:19 p.m. shooting. Witnesses said she had been standing outside a Foot Locker store when she was hit. "She was honest to God the funniest, prettiest and all around nicest person...," one classmate wrote about her on a blog. "I can't think of a single person who didn't like her and everyone loved laughing and joking with her. She had the nicest fun-loving attitude towards everything and I know that everyone will miss her." The girl, who lived in the city's east end, has been described as a top student and excellent athlete. Six other people – described by police as four males and two females – were taken to hospital. "One person, a male, is in critical condition," police said. One of the victims is an exchange student who is resting at her home. Police have said all the victims were innocent bystanders. Written by CBC News Staff
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Canadian beef back in Japanese supermarkets Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 27 Dec 2005  13:32:08  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 27th, 2005
Japanese consumers are getting their first chance in two years to sample top Canadian beef with its return to some Tokyo supermarkets on Tuesday. Hanamasa Co., a Tokyo-based operator of supermarkets and restaurants, imported about eight tonnes of beef from Ontario for its 10 outlets in the Tokyo area. Canadian beef had been banned for two years after BSE was discovered in an Alberta cow in 2003. Hanamasa plans to begin full-scale sales of Canadian beef in late January or February, with prices about the same as before the import ban, said company official Hiroko Abe. Canada's ambassador to Japan said he believed Canadian beef would regain its popularity following the easing of the ban. "We are very confident that this market will strengthen as it did in the past and that the Japanese will again merit well from good quality Canadian beef," said Ambassador Josef Caron, who attended a ceremony at a Tokyo supermarket Tuesday that was one of the first to begin selling the beef. "It will take a little bit of time, but it will come back." Canada exported between 10,000 and 20,000 tonnes of beef a year to Japan until trade was halted in May 2003, when the first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, was found in a Canadian animal. Before the ban, Japan was the third largest importer of Canadian beef after the United States and Mexico, according to the Canadian Embassy. On Dec. 12, Japan partially lifted the ban on U.S. and Canadian beef imports, allowing meat only from cattle younger than 21 months. Written by CBC News Staff
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Solemn ceremonies mark anniversary of Southeast Asia tsunami Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 26 Dec 2005  09:10:21  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 26th, 2005
A warning siren blared in Indonesia's Aceh province Monday, followed by a minute's silence starting at 8:16 a.m. – symbolizing the moment the first wave of the deadly tsunami struck a year ago, killing at least 223,000 people. It was just one of the hundreds of ceremonies held throughout Southeast Asia to commemorate the first anniversary of the disaster. "It was under the same blue sky exactly a year ago that Mother Earth unleashed the most destructive power among us," Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Sumatra island. Indonesia suffered the most damage from the earthquake and tsunami disaster, which killed 169,000 people – mostly along the coast of Aceh. In Sri Lanka, where 30,000 people were killed, ceremonies were held across the island. Hundreds gathered with President Mahinda Rajapakse, who observed two minutes of silence at a national memorial service along the southern coast. Thousands more lined streets across the country to listen to the service on loud speakers. As the country's flag was lowered to half-staff, Rajapakse began raising it again – signalling to Sri Lankans that together they have the strength to move forward.
"On the 26th of December, the whole of Sri Lanka awoke," he said. "One year ago, we understood that we are a country with people of strength." In Thailand, the ceremonies were at more than a dozen locations along the country's coastline that were damaged by last year's waves. Almost half of the 5,000 people who died in the country were tourists spending the holidays at various resorts. Many of their relatives were among those taking part in the remembrance ceremonies. After a minute's silence, many walked from the main ceremony to the beach to be near the water at the same moment last year's waves hit at 700 kilometres an hour. Some tossed orchids into the surf. Others planted bouquets in the sand. The United Nations estimates the earthquake and tsunami killed at least 223,000 people, levelled almost 400,000 homes and left more than two million people homeless. As of last March 9, among those officially listed as dead were 15 Canadians. About $13.6 billion in aid money has been pledged by governments and individuals around the world for recovery efforts. Although there have been massive reconstruction achievements, some critics say it has been too slow in many places. Written by CBC News Staff
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Pontiff urges world to unite against terrorism and other blights Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 25 Dec 2005  10:40:09  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 25th, 2005
Pope Benedict urged people to unite against terrorism, poverty, pandemics and environmental destruction, in his first Christmas Day address from the Vatican. He also called for a "new world order" to correct economic and ethical imbalances, and appealed for protection for people suffering from "tragic humanitarian crises" in the Darfur region of Sudan and elsewhere.
Despite cold weather and drizzling rain, tens of thousands of people cheered and called out the Pope's name as he came to a balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square at noon on Sunday. Benedict, wearing a gold cape and holding a gold mitre, was delivering his first Urbi et Orbi message (Latin for "to the city and to the world") and blessing since being elected head of the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics in April. He followed the steps of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, in using the traditional Christmas message to review conditions around the world. "A united humanity will be able to confront the many troubling problems of the present time: from the menace of terrorism to the humiliating poverty in which millions of human beings live, from the proliferation of weapons to the pandemics and the environmental destruction which threatens the future of our planet," said Benedict, 78.	Pope Benedict XVI holds the Holy Gospel book as he celebrates midnight mass in St. Peter's Basilica early Sunday.
Benedict calls for 'fairness and wisdom' in Iraq, Lebanon The Pope said there were signs of hope in Iraq, the Holy Land and Lebanon but these needed to be confirmed by "actions inspired by fairness and wisdom" on the ground. Benedict also urged for human rights to be respected in Darfur and called for a peaceful resolution of "dangerous disputes" in Asia, singling out the Korean peninsula. Pope warns of dangers of technological progress At the start of his message, the Pope cautioned the crowd not to be seduced by the "immense" technological and scientific progress of recent centuries.
"Today we can dispose of vast material resources. But the men and women in our technological age risk becoming victims of their own intellectual and technical achievements, ending up in spiritual barrenness and emptiness of heart," he said. "That is why it is so important for us to open our minds and hearts to the birth of Christ, this event of salvation which can give new hope to the life of each human being." Benedict also followed another custom of John Paul, by wishing the crowd a merry Christmas in dozens of languages.	A Nativity scene and a Christmas tree are seen in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Saturday.
On the previous night, the Pope used the Christmas Eve midnight mass to offer a special prayer for peace in the Middle East. He was also scheduled to lead an evening prayer service on New Year's Eve and planned to celebrate mass in St. Peter's Basilica on New Year's Day. Written by CBC News Staff
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Families of Western hostages take out ads in Iraqi papers Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 23 Dec 2005  17:58:30  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 24th, 2005
The families of four Western peace activists kidnapped in Iraq are taking out a series of radio and newspaper advertisements in Arabic appealing for their release. Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Sooden, 32, were kidnapped at gunpoint on Nov. 26 in Baghdad, along with Briton Norman Kember, 74, and American Tom Fox, 54. Their captors have threatened to kill them unless all Iraqi prisoners being held by coalition forces were freed. There's been no word of their condition since the kidnappers' deadline came and went on Dec. 10.
The ads, which will appear in various Iraqi newspapers, point out that many figures from the Arab and Muslim world have called for the release of the hostages. Meanwhile the family of James Loney says it will be having a sombre holiday this year. The Christmas holidays, Loney's brother Edward told CBC News on Friday, are "not really part of our agenda right now."	James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden.
He said the Sault Ste. Marie family is distracted from seasonal celebrations by the fate of his brother, but that they are trying to make the holiday as "normal as possible" for the small children. The four hostages were in Iraq with the Christian Peacemaker Teams when they were kidnapped by a previously unknown group called the Swords of Righteousness Brigades. A member of Sooden's family in New Zealand has said that they are taking the lack of news from the kidnappers as a positive sign. Anas Altikriti, an envoy who went to Iraq on behalf of the Muslim Association of Britain, has also said he is fairly certain the four hostages are still alive. Edward Loney said his family isn't hearing much from the Canadian government, but he believes that's because officials don't have any information. The Christian Peacemaker Teams are also in contact with the family, he said. "I'm assuming that everything that can be done is being done," he said. Written by CBC News Staff
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No strike at Via keeps holiday rail travel on track Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 23 Dec 2005  10:56:33  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 23rd, 2005
Management and 350 engineers and conductors at Via Rail reached a tentative agreement early Friday morning, avoiding a strike at the height of the holiday season. The union representing the workers announced the deal in a news release.
"Teamsters Canada Rail Conference is pleased to announce we have reached a tentative agreement in principle with Via Rail Canada," union president Gilles Halle said. The union had set a strike deadline of Christmas Eve. Details of the deal were not immediately available.
On Thursday, with the prospect of a strike gaining attention and concern, the federal labour minister urged both sides to show "common sense and common decency" and not disrupt service during Christmas. "I don't want to see Canadians used as pawns in a work stoppage," Labour Minister Joe Fontana told reporters on a conference call Thursday. "They have to take the public interest in mind." The engineers had been without a contract for five years, although part of the delay arose because the Teamsters took over as bargaining agent from another union about two years ago. Written by CBC News Staff
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Sexy 'swingers clubs' okay, Supreme Court rules Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 21 Dec 2005  23:32:00  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 22nd, 2005 Canada's top court says clubs that feature group sex and partner-swapping are perfectly legal. In its 7-2 decision released Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Canada said, because
consensual sexual activity in a private club poses no threat to society, it shouldn't be considered criminal. The ruling sets a single standard, after lower courts went in opposite directions on two similar cases involving a pair of so-called 'swinger clubs' in Montreal. In one case, the owner of a singles club was convicted on two counts of keeping a common bawdy house and fined a total of $7,500. James Kouri's "Coeur a Corps" featured a dance floor around which a black curtain would swing every half hour. People hidden behind the drapery could then take part in or watch sex acts. In the other case, Jean-Paul Labaye, the owner of the members-only "liberated couples" club L'Orage was also convicted of keeping a bawdy house and fined $2,500. Members of Labaye's club could enter a locked room where they could participate in or watch any kind of sex act.
"It's a commercial establishment where people reconvene and practice swapping or swinging, even orgy gang-bangs," said Labaye's lawyer, Robert La Haye. "It does not contaminate society. It does not hurt, it does not do any harm to society and to the public in general." While Kouri's conviction was overturned by the Quebec court of appeal, Labaye's was upheld. Because a judge dissented in each of those decisions, they both wound up in front of the Supreme Court.	Robert La Haye says 'It's a commercial establishment where people reconvene and practice swapping or swinging, even orgy gang-bangs.'
Under the Criminal Code, a "bawdy house" is defined as a place used or frequented for prostitution or "for the purpose of acts of indecency." Because there was no money paid for the sex acts at the heart of the two cases, the prostitution issue was moot -- leaving the case to be decided in terms of indecency. The definition of indecency is typically measured against what ordinary Canadians will tolerate. But in their ruling Wednesday, the Supreme Court judges said the test for indecency should not simply be whether an activity violates a "social consensus" of community standards, but the actual harm it causes. "Consensual conduct behind code-locked doors can hardly be supposed to jeopardize a society as vigorous and tolerant as Canadian society," Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin wrote in the majority decision. Brian Rushfeldt, Executive Director of the Canada Family Action Coalition, said Wednesday's ruling should become an election issue. "I'd like to hear politicians address the fact that we have a Supreme Court, seven judges, literally imposing a whole new moral standard on all Canadians while we've got politicians out there talking about whether they should use a notwithstanding clause," Rushfeldt said. "Perhaps this is a case where the notwithstanding clause should be imposed to let politicians or parliament make some decision on this because it affects every Canadian, not just the swingers. Laurie Arron, the Advocacy Director for EGALE a gay rights group, disagreed with Rushfeldt's interpretation of the Supreme Court's decision. Arron said the ruling was not a charter case that struck down a law. "All they've done is interpret the meaning of indecency and that's something that's never been defined in the criminal code." Written by CTV.ca News Staff
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Ottawa demands answers in death of Canadian peacekeeper in Haiti Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 21 Dec 2005  07:46:36  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 21st, 2005
Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew said Wednesday that Canada is demanding answers into the killing of a Canadian peacekeeper in Haiti. "The United Nations are working closely with the Haitians to shed light on the events of yesterday," he told CBC News while emphasizing the importance of the dangerous mission that took the life of a retired RCMP officer from Quebec. Mark Bourque, who was part of a Canadian police contingent helping provide security for the upcoming elections in the country, was killed by gunmen on Tuesday in Port-au-Prince.
Bourque, 57, from Stoneham, Que., is the eighth UN peacekeeper to be killed in Haiti in the past 18 months, and the fourth shooting victim in the past five days. According to Damien Anses-Cardona, a spokesperson for the UN peacekeeping mission, Bourque was shot at by two unknown gunmen while on patrol in Cité Soleil, a sprawling, impoverished suburb of the capital. Another UN spokesman, David Wimhurst described Cité Soleil as "an extremely violent slum area of the city run by armed gangs." According to Wimhurst, Bourque "was driving along Route Nationale 1 and the car came under fire. The police officer was hit in the leg, very seriously injured in the leg. His partner tried to help him as much as he could.	Retired RCMP officer Mark Bourque seen here before his retirement from the RCMP.
"An armoured personnel carrier, from the UN came in to extract him and got him to the Argentinean hospital ... unfortunately they couldn't save him." He died in hospital after losing a lot of blood. His colleague wasn't injured. Dangerous mission On Friday, three Chilean peacekeepers were ambushed and shot in the north of the country, near Cap Hatien. Their injuries are not described as life-threatening. Bourque's death brings to eight the number of peacekeepers that have died in Haiti since the UN established a mission there in June 2004. Four have died in accidents, according to U.N. officials, 30 others have been wounded. There are 125 active and retired RCMP officers on duty in Haiti amid the nearly 9,000 UN soldiers trying to bring order to that country. Pettigrew says that even though the situation is dangerous, Canada's efforts in Haiti must continue.
"I think it is important that Canada maintains its commitment," he told CBC. "Canada is part of the UN force there and we have to do our share," he said. "The general situation is a challenging one." Prime Minister Paul Martin condemned the killing. In a statement he said "Bourque was in Haiti as part of Canada's efforts to promote good governance and democracy, and his work there exemplified to the world the finest of Canada's values.
Haiti has scheduled legislative and presidential elections for Jan. 8. The country has been wracked by political and gang violence and since a bloody rebellion overthrew President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in February 2004. Written by CBC News Staff
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New York transit strike triggers gridlock, headaches for 7 million Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 20 Dec 2005  07:32:59  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 20th, 2005 The morning commute across the New York City area was plunged into chaos Tuesday as a transit strike began, forcing some 7 million people to find another way to get around. The city's transit union called the strike just after 3:00 a.m. local time after failing to reach a deal with transit officials after days of fractious talks. Thousands of people are already having to get around the city on foot, with sidewalks and city bridges – including the landmark Brooklyn Bridge – packed as people make their way into the city. At one subway booth, a handwritten sign was posted, reading "Strike in Effect. Station Closed. Happy Holidays!"	New York police officers post transit strike notices at the Times Square subway station in New York City.
"I think they all should get fired," Eddie Goncalves, a doorman trying to get home after his overnight shift, told the Associated Press. Money stumbling block Pension and money issues have been the big stumbling block in the negotiations. Union president Roger Toussaint told a news conference that reaching a deal should have been possible. "Sadly that has not been the case." With no buses and subways running, traffic gridlock is a prime concern. The city plans to implement an emergency plan to keep certain streets open for emergency vehicles and reduce gridlock. "You have to have four persons in a car in order to get into Manhattan," NBC reporter Claire Leka told CBC News on Tuesday. Gridlock begins "The traffic is already gridlock and cars are being turned back," Leka said as she monitored the situation from the borough of Queens, New York. In opting for the transit strike the estimated 33,000 bus and subway employees are breaking the law, which means they could face huge fines. Those fines could total as much as $1 million US a day. As well, the city's transit authority is seeking legal means to stop the walkout. New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said a strike could cost the city as much as $400 million each day. A particular concern is what impact the strike will have on the busy holiday retail season. This is the first transit strike in the city in more than 25 years. Written by CBC News Staff
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Accused of buying weapons for al-Qaeda, Khadr to appear in court Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 19 Dec 2005  07:44:52  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 19th, 2005
Abdullah Khadr will appear in a Toronto court Monday after being arrested over the weekend at the request of U.S. authorities. He is accused of plotting to kill American soldiers abroad.
Khadr's lawyer, Dennis Edney, said his client faces two charges: possession and use of a destructive device to further a crime of violence and conspiracy to murder a U.S. national outside the United States. The arrest came just weeks after Khadr returned to this country. He was escorted back by Canadian officials on Dec. 2 after he spent more than a year in a Pakistani jail. It's unclear who had held Khadr in Pakistan or why he was released. He is being held right now at a detention centre in Toronto.	Dennis Edney speaking in Edmonton.
Edney, who is based in Edmonton, said he's baffled by the charges against his client and is questioning why the United States didn't charge Khadr when he was detained in Islamabad. "One would have thought that, if Mr. Abdullah Khadr was the bad person they suggest he is, he would have been dealt with in Pakistan," he told CBC News. "The Americans would have brought him over to the United States and indicted him. That didn't happen." Abdullah Khadr is the eldest son of Ahmed Said Khadr, who was accused of raising money for al-Qaeda. Ahmed Said Khadr was killed in a battle with Pakistani forces in 2003 and several of his children have been jailed separately at times on accusations of having links to militant groups. Western intelligence officials have accused Abdullah Khadr of running an al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan in the 1990s. He denies it. His brother, Omar Khadr, is the only Canadian held at the U.S. detention centre in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. A special U.S. tribunal has charged Omar in connection with the killing of an American soldier in Afghanistan. The United States has 60 days to hand over information to show Khadr committed a crime. If it succeeds, Khadr could appeal and extradition proceedings could be tied up in court for years. Written by CBC News Staff
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RCMP arrest Abdullah Khadr Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 18 Dec 2005  08:36:31  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 18th, 2005
RCMP have arrested Abdullah Khadr, the eldest son of an accused al-Qaeda financier, at the request of U.S. authorities. Kadhr, 24, is being held at a detention centre in Toronto after his arrest Saturday night. Relatives told the Toronto Star he was taken into custody after agreeing to meet an RCMP officer at a McDonald's restaurant near his apartment. He's being held on a U.S. warrant, wanted for allegedly planning to kill American soldiers abroad. His Edmonton-based lawyer, Dennis Edney, says Khadr faces two charges: possession and use of a destructive device to further a crime of violence and conspiracy to murder a U.S. national outside of the U.S. Khadr returned to Canada earlier this month and he had been detained in Pakistan for more than a year. His family has reported ties to al-Qaeda. Khadr has denied allegations he ran an al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan in the 1990s. His father, Ahmed Said Khadr, who died in a 2003 gunfight with Pakistani troops, was accused of raising money for al-Qaeda. His brother, Omar Khadr, is the only Canadian held at the U.S. detention centre in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. A special U.S. tribunal has charged Omar in connection with the killing of an American soldier in Afghanistan. Written by CBC News Staff
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Ottawa bans arthritis drug Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 16 Dec 2005  17:35:30  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 17th, 2005
The federal government has banned a popular arthritis drug because it may cause a heart attack or stroke. Sales of Bextra have been suspended since last April when the federal government approached its maker, Pfizer Inc., after concerns were raised in the United States and Europe about its possible side effects. The drug, which racked up global sales of $1.3 billion in 2004, has now been banned permanently. "The decision to stop the sale of Bextra is based on information submitted by the manufacturer, Pfizer Canada Inc.," Ottawa said in an announcement late Friday afternoon. "Health Canada concluded that there is insufficient evidence to establish the safety of the drug for its recommended use." A Pfizer spokesman was unavailable for comment. Health Canada started a review of Bextra and related drugs following Merck & Co. Inc.'s withdrawal of a similar drug, Vioxx, in September 2004. Bextra was suspended in April across Canada, the United States and Europe after regulators voiced concerns over cardiovascular risks. Vioxx remains suspended, but the federal government said in July that it would be allowed back on the market if requested. Written by CBC News Staff
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Snowy, icy storm roaring east into Quebec, Atlantic Canada Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 16 Dec 2005  07:33:55  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 16th, 2005
Eastern Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will be next to feel the effects of a powerful winter storm Friday that roared across southern Ontario overnight. The storm is expected to bring periods of heavy snow, wind in places and possibly ice pellets and freezing drizzle. As well, the weather could cause traffic delays on roads and highways and result in airline flights either being delayed or possibly cancelled. "Ottawa right up to Cornwall are going to get hammered today," says the CBC's Colleen Jones. "So will Montreal, right up to Quebec City." Morning traffic was reported to be moving slow in both Ottawa and Montreal because of the weather.
As the storm moves east, it could dump as much as 20-30 centimetres of snow on places like Montreal and the Eastern townships in Quebec. "That's a whack of snow," says Jones, who notes that for Montreal, the biggest one-day snowfall for this particular day in history was 24 centimetres. Parts of New Brunswick, P.E.I. and Nova Scotia could end up with a wet, freezing evening, according to the latest reports from Environment Canada. The same storm system is also affecting much of the Northeastern United States which was under as winter storm warning on Friday.	Salt trucks hit the streets of Toronto.
The U.S. National Weather Service was warning that travel conditions in some areas could be hazardous. Overnight, there were visions of a white holiday season – and heavy shovelling work – in southern Ontario. Ontario Provincial Police are reporting that, since noon on Thursday, they have responded to 470 collisions – 93 since midnight. One death was reported in a highway accident near Hamilton overnight. On Friday morning, Air Canada in Toronto was warning passengers the severe weather could delay flights. And the City of Toronto's road operations manager, Rob Orpin, was warning that the morning drive could be slow-going. "It's going to be a long rush hour," Orpin said. "Take your time. Leave early. It's winter in Canada. Enjoy it." Jones also says there's more bad weather on the way for southern Ontario. "As soon as this system all pushes out, there's going to be big snowsqualls tonight in parts," she said. Written by CBC News Staff
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Leaders prepare to square off in Vancouver debate Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 14 Dec 2005  20:37:52  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 15th, 2005 Party leaders spent the night fortifying their arguments and sharpening their planned attacks in preparation for tonight's French-language debate in Vancouver. While New Democrat Leader Jack Layton warmed up by answering questions at a B.C. high school on Wednesday, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and Prime Minister Paul Martin rolled out policy announcements.	Party leaders will soon be fighting it out on this empty stage.
Harper attended a Vancouver rally and announced a plan that would allow provinces and territories to elect their own senators, and reiterated his party's plan to set fixed election dates every four years. Martin visited a B.C. sawmill where he was unapologetic after Tuesday's scolding from U.S. ambassador David Wilkins. He said he wouldn't be swayed by Wilkins' warning to turn-down the anti-U.S. rhetoric or risk hurting cross-border relations.
"I will make sure Canada speaks with an independent voice now, tomorrow and always, and you should demand nothing less from your prime minister," Martin said. But unquestionably all four national party leaders spent Wednesday making-ready for the first major debate of the election campaign. "I'm kind of practicing for the debate," Layton said during his high school visit, which involved a question and answer session. Martin was also focusing his thoughts on Thursday's debate. He said his goal for the debate was basically "to set out my vision in terms of Canada and where it can go." Harper had his mind trained on the upcoming contest too. "Well I won't get into the details. We're obviously preparing for the debates and we'll spend a couple of days doing that," said Harper. Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe began the day by campaigning in Montreal, then flew to Vancouver late in the day. He said he began preparing for the leaders debate weeks ago, before the election writ was even dropped.	Liberal Leader Paul Martin responds to questions during a news conference after visiting a sawmill in Richmond, B.C. NDP Leader Jack Layton speaks to students at Byrne Creek Secondary School during a campaign stop in Burnaby, B.C.
Leaders will square-off in two debates. The French language debate is scheduled for tonight and the English language debate on Friday (the French debate will air on CTV Newsnet; the English debate can be seen on both CTV's main network as well as Newsnet). Each debate will last two hours. The federal parties and the five TV networks airing the debates agreed on a new format for the debates, in which: Each leader will speak uninterrupted for one minute in response to each question. Microphones for leaders who aren't speaking will be turned off (in order to avoid shouting matches and infuriating cross-talk that plagued the 2004 debates). Moderator Trina McQueen has the power to provide a leader with an additional 30 seconds for follow-up remarks. Further, McQueen can choose to grant another 15 seconds for rebuttal if she deems that a leader has come under particularly spirited attacks by his rivals. But because there will be no direct interaction between the leaders, critics say the debates could simply become platforms for each of them to perform their scripted, rehearsed monologues before the cameras. And this time, questions will be posed by members of the public, not a panel of journalists. Allan Tupper, a political science professor at University of British Columbia, thinks the new rules will harm rather than facilitate the debate process.	Conservative Leader Stephen Harper addresses the media during a photo-op in Vancouver. Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe speaks with reporters after a meeting with local community leaders in Montreal on Wednesday.
"I think some of the efforts to reduce the give and take in the debate may not be in our best interests because it will reduce the spontaneity," Tupper told CTV Vancouver. "We really want to know how people respond when they're there making judgments, not when they've had a month to think about it." Line Maheux, a communications consultant helping Harper prepare for the debates, called the format incumbent-friendly. "It's really a conversation with Canadians, it's not a debate," Maheux told the Canadian Press. "It's going to be really good for somebody who's really scripted and practices a lot." Pollster Allan Gregg with The Strategic Counsel said the notion of not being able to interrupt a fellow debater may be a foreign concept for many of our politicians -- but real-time testing conducted by his firm shows that people tend to tune out when the shouting ramps up. Taking this into account, said Gregg: "Maybe if you have a little bit more dignified and coherent articulation of party positions and from that, a greater sense of different-ness in the choices that are available, Canadians may respond very positively." Written by CTV.ca News Staff
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Martin rejects U.S. ambassador's rebuke Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 13 Dec 2005  20:37:52  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 14th, 2005 Liberal Leader Paul Martin denied Tuesday he was making the U.S. a target in the federal election campaign after being rebuked by the U.S. ambassador to Canada for continually criticizing his southern neighbour. Martin rejected criticisms by Ambassador David Wilkins, who suggested the Liberal leader had attacked some U.S. policies to score political points. "I have not made the United States or any country a target in the campaign," Martin told reporters while campaigning in Surrey, B.C., for the Jan. 23 election. In a speech to the Canadian Club in Ottawa on Tuesday, Wilkins said Martin risks damaging relations between the countries by dragging the United States into the election campaign.	David Wilkins, U.S. ambassador to Canada at a Canadian Club luncheon speech in Ottawa, Tuesday, December 13th, 2005.
Wilkins didn't name Martin directly but left no doubt that he was talking about the prime minister when he warned against scoring cheap political points against Washington. "It may be smart election-year politics to thump your chest and criticize your friend and your No. 1 trading partner constantly," Wilkins said, "But it is a slippery slope, and all of us should hope that it doesn't have a long-term impact on the relationship." He said Canada and the United States have one of the best relations in the world, but warned that he often wouldn't know it by comments made in the election campaign or stories in Canadian media. "It's easy to criticize the United States; we're an easy target at times," Wilkins said. "But the last time I looked, the United States was not on the ballot." Martin irked Washington with Kyoto comments During the fall, Martin angered Washington by criticizing a number of U.S. policies, including its position on softwood lumber duties. The White House also officially complained about comments the prime minister made at the recent UN climate change conference in Montreal. In a speech, Martin singled out the United States and, in particular, the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush for refusing to sign the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse-gas reductions. Martin also urged the United States – estimated to produce one-quarter of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions – to listen to the "global conscience" on climate-change issues. On Dec. 9, Jim Connaughton, chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality, chastised Canadian Ambassador Frank McKenna over Martin's comments. He told McKenna they were the worst slight against Bush since Germany's Gerhard Schroeder suggested Bush's stance against the Kyoto Protocol was responsible for hurricane Katrina. U.S. better than Canada on greenhouse-gas emissions: Wilkins
Wilkins noted the United States has a better track record on cutting its greenhouse-gas emissions, as a percentage of its total, than Canada does. Since Kyoto was signed, Canada's emissions have gone up 24 per cent over 1990 levels, while U.S. emissions have climbed 13.3 per cent from 1990 to 2003. "I would respectfully submit to you that when it comes to a 'global conscience,' the United States is walking the walk," Wilkins said. 'I will defend Canada,' Martin says Martin said it was his job as Canada's leader to tackle issues such as the softwood lumber dispute, a prime trade irritant between Canada and the United States for several years. Martin noted that he had staked out Canada's stand on the lumber dispute and climate change long before an election was called. "The position that I have taken on softwood lumber, that the Americans should honour their agreement, is a position I took long before any election was contemplated," Martin said. Martin took the opportunity to slam Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, saying he would always give in to Washington. "If the thesis of Mr. Harper is that the only way to have good relations with the United States is to concede everything to the United States, then I do not accept that at all. "We do expect our partners to honour our agreements and I will defend Canada – period." Written by CBC News Staff
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Bomb ripped apart vehicle carrying Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 12 Dec 2005  19:15:56  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 13th, 2005 Three Canadian soldiers were injured when a bomb detonated under their vehicle in southern Afghanistan, in what a journalist who was riding with them described as a "complete disaster scene." Tim Albone, a reporter with Global Radio News, said they were travelling in a lightly armoured vehicle through a dry riverbed about 90 kilometres west of Kandahar midday Monday when the bomb exploded under a front tire. "In the moment of the blast, I remember hearing a pop sort of like a door slamming," he told CBC News. "The next thing I knew, the two guys in the front – the driver and a passenger – were both screaming. They both had broken legs." Albone said he turned to look for the soldier who had been sitting in a 250-kilogram gun turret,	A Canadian soldier examines the wreckage of a military vehicle that was damaged in a roadside bomb attack near Maywand, Afghanistan on Dec. 12. Three Canadian soldiers were injured.
but saw that both the man and the turret had been ripped out of the vehicle by the force of the blast. He said the bomb destroyed the vehicle's engine, hurled the hood about 150 metres, threw a front tire 500 metres and sent plumes of black smoke into the air. "It was just a complete disaster scene, really." Victims treated each others' injuries while awaiting rescue He said military officials later told him that the quartet only survived because of the armour on the vehicle, which was one of the Mercedes-Benz Gelaendewagens (known as "G Wagons") recently purchased by the Canadian military. Albone said it took about 40 minutes for medical crews to reach them, in part because they feared more bombs could be hidden in the area. He said he lifted up the turret that was trapping the gunner on the ground. Then they pulled the two other soldiers out of the wreckage, splinting up one man's leg with a basic first aid kit they found in the G wagon. Two soldiers suffered broken bones Once help arrived, they were taken from the site near the town of Maywand to a U.S. military field hospital in Kandahar. The Canadian Department of National Defence said Monday that they were in stable condition.
Colonel Steve Bowes told CBC News that one soldier had a broken leg and another had a broken ankle and foot. He said the third soldier escaped with minor injuries. The military hasn't named the soldiers but said they were well enough to telephone their families themselves. All of the soldiers are with the 3rd battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, which is based in Edmonton. Two bombing suspects arrested, Albone says Albone said coalition troops had arrested two people who were seen tearing away from the scene of the bombing on a motorcycle. He said they had been handed over to Afghan troops. Neither Canadian nor Afghan officials have confirmed the arrests. Last week, three members of Canada's commando unit, Joint Task Force 2, were injured in an operation against insurgents in Afghanistan. In late November, a Canadian soldier was killed in Afghanistan when the armoured vehicle he was riding in rolled over near the city of Kandahar. Pte. Braun Scott Woodfield, 24, was the eighth Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan since 2002. Roughly 250 Canadian soldiers are part of a provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in and around Kandahar. As many as 1,250 Canadian soldiers will be serving in Afghanistan by February 2006. Written by CBC News Staff
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Ceremonies mark 20th anniversary of Arrow crash Web Posted | Last Updated Mon, 12 Dec 2005  07:39:54  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 12th, 2005
Solemn ceremonies are being held in Gander, N.L., on Monday to mark the 20th anniversary of the Arrow Air crash, the worst air disaster on Canadian soil. The crash of the charter plane killed eight civilian crew members and 248 U.S. soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division. The soldiers were on their way home for Christmas from a peacekeeping mission in the Sinai desert. The plane was on its way to the Campbell Army Airfield in Kentucky. Ceremonies will be held there as well on Monday. The crash will also be commemorated at a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington. The plane had stopped for refueling and crashed less than a minute after takeoff. The site of the crash is now home to a memorial called Silent Witness, which features a statue of a peacekeeper holding the hands of children. The former Canadian Aviation Safety Board's official determination was that ice on the wings probably caused the disaster. Written by CBC News Staff
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Comedian Richard Pryor dies Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 11 Dec 2005  00:18:56  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 11th, 2005 U.S. performer Richard Pryor, who helped revolutionize comedy with his profanity-laced and highly confessional social commentaries, has died at age 65 after long illness. Pryor's wife and business associates said he died in a California hospital on Saturday following a heart attack. Since 1986, he had been battling multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease that forced him to quit performing in 1997 and had robbed him of his ability to speak by 2004. Pryor broke many barriers for black performers during his heyday in the 1970s and 1980s, becoming one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood. He appeared in a number of mainstream films but likely wielded the most influence as a stand-up comedian, transforming the genre with social commentaries that were often shockingly personal and deeply raunchy.	Richard Pryor, shown in 1998, pioneered a highly personal and deeply raunchy kind of social commentary in his stand-up routines.
He's credited with breaking the trail for a generation of comedians, including Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, David Letterman, Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock. Williams said Pryor had a profound impact on him, helping him understand that no subject need be taboo. "He just made me realize that in order to do it, you just got to keep taking chances with it," Williams said. "He said anything is available and that's what he was always about. I'm talking about really painful things, I mean, deeply so – even Freud would say, 'You shouldn't go there.'" Director Spike Lee, who often examines racial and social tensions in his films, said Pryor inspired other comedians, actors and artists – including Lee himself – to tackle social issues. "He was a trailblazer, and the way he showed social commentary in his humour opened up a universe for other comics to follow in his footsteps," Lee told CNN. "It's a great loss." Born in Peoria, Ill., in December 1940, Pryor had a grandmother who owned a string of brothels and his mother was a prostitute. He drew part of the inspiration for his act from the pimps and other characters he met at the brothel, he said. Pryor often focused on race relations in his stand-up routines, which he peppered with profanities. He said in his autobiography, Prior Convictions, that he tried to co-opt a racial epithet by using it. Pryor, who battled drug and alcohol addiction for years, often took the tragic events in his life and made them a part of his concert movies and recordings.
This included a 1980 fire that nearly killed him. He had doused himself with cognac and then ignited himself while free-basing cocaine, then later said it was a suicide attempt. Pryor famously incorporated it into his routine, joking that setting oneself on fire "sobers you up pretty fast." "You can do anything you want and you can say anything that comes to mind, just so long as it's funny," he said. Pryor won a number of Grammy awards for his comedy recordings, which included 1971's Richard Pryor: Live & Smokin', Richard Pryor: Wanted: Live In Concert (1979) and Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982). He appeared in about 40 films, including Lady Sings the Blues, The Mack, Uptown Saturday Night, Silver Streak, Which Way Is Up?, Car Wash, The Toy, Superman III and Stir Crazy. He also co-wrote the 1974 Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles but was passed over for the lead role because of the controversy generated by his comedy routines. In 1998, Pryor won the inaugural Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Among other kudos, in 2004, the television network Comedy Central voted him the top stand-up comedian of all time. Pryor married seven times, although he only had five wives in total because he married two women two times. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer Lee, and seven children. Written by CBC News Staff
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Helicopter pilot and passenger died after crash Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 09 Dec 2005  16:59:03  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 10th, 2005
The two men killed in Wednesday's crash of a Canadian Coast Guard helicopter off Newfoundland's Burin Peninsula died of drowning or hypothermia, said a coroner's report. Pilot Gord Simmons, 65, and technician Carl Neal, 46, died after the aircraft crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Marystown late Wednesday afternoon.
The office of Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical examiner said Friday that autopsy examinations show "both individuals died as a result of post-impact events, either by drowning or hypothermia." The coast guard commissioner said on Thursday that the bodies were discovered wearing "flotation devices." The Canadian Coast Guard is still searching for the main frame of the downed helicopter, a MBB 105 chopper. Searchers haven't been able to find the underwater locator beacon from the helicopter. Some minor debris has been recovered.	A Canadian Coast Guard MBB-105 helicopter.
The coast guard says it has no idea why the helicopter crashed but says there was no issue with the pilot's age, or with the condition of the 22-year-old helicopter. Weather not a factor Weather is also not considered to be a major factor in the accident. Coast guard officials say Simmons called colleagues as he was landing at Go By Point, a bit of rough terrain at the ocean's edge. No one lives there, but there is a landing pad and a navigational tower. Simmons and Neal were scheduled to do maintenance work. There was no radio communication from the men when they made their way back to the mainland. The helicopter was on a routine mission to check an aid to a navigational site at Go-By-Point. The helicopter was on its way back to Marystown when it apparently ran into trouble.
Neal had been with the coast guard for more than a decade. Simmons was one of the oldest helicopter pilots in Newfoundland, with more than 25 years experience with the coast guard. No history of problems The MBB-105 helicopter has no history of problems. Officials say it appears that a device designed to notify authorities when an aircraft crashes failed to activate. On Thursday, Prime Minister Paul Martin sent his condolences to the families of the two men.	Gordon Simmons
"On behalf of all Canadians, I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to the family, friends and colleagues of these two persons," said Martin in a statement. A funeral for Neal will be held Sunday, while a funeral for Simmons is set for Monday. Written by CBC News Staff
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Child killed as plane skids off runway in Chicago Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 09 Dec 2005  06:26:58  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 9th, 2005
U.S. transportation officials are seeking answers into a bizarre accident in Chicago where an airliner skidded off a runway, killing a 6-year-old boy and injuring 10 others. The accident occurred Thursday evening as a snowstorm pelted the runway at the city's Midway airport. The Southwest Airlines 737 jetliner, which left Baltimore, Md. with 98 passengers and five crew on board, was trying to land in Chicago when it ran into trouble. The plane raced across the runway, skidding as it went along, and then it crashed through a fence. It ended up on a road where it hit one vehicle and pinned another one underneath it. The boy who was killed was a passenger in the vehicle that was pinned by the plane. Four other people in the vehicle were also injured and taken to hospital. The two other children and two adults were said to be in serious to good condition. No one on the plane was seriously injured. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration officials are investigating the crash. Written by CBC News Staff
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Deadline extended, fears continue for safety of hostages Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 07 Dec 2005  20:05:42  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 8th, 2005
Kidnappers holding four members of a Christian aid group in Iraq, including two Canadians, have extended their deadline. The militants now say Britain and the United States have until Saturday to meet their demands or the four will die.
The extension of the deadline means more time to negotiate a peaceful resolution, but it also means increased pressure, anxiety and heightened emotions for the families of the hostages. James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Sooden, 32, were kidnapped at gunpoint on Nov. 26 in Baghdad, along with Briton Norman Kember, 74, and American Tom Fox, 54. Loney is from Toronto and Sooden has lived in Montreal. A group calling itself the Swords of Righteousness Brigades has demanded the United States and Britain free all Iraqi prisoners by Saturday. The kidnappers say the men are spies, which is denied by their organization.	Edward Loney, left, Matthew Loney, back, Donna Loney, right, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Wednesday.
The hostages are members of a Christian aid group called Christian Peacemaker Teams, which sends teams to troubled areas. According to its web site its actions in Iraq are aimed at "focusing attention on the issue of detainee abuses and basic legal and human rights ..." The family of James Loney met with reporters on Wednesday at their home in Sault Ste, Marie, Ont. Patrick Loney, father of James Loney, could not speak, his exhaustion evident. Instead it was James' brother Edward who said the family was thinking not only of their situation but were also praying "for other families facing similar circumstances in Iraq." "We want James home," said another brother, Matthew Loney. "We want the other members home. And we want a peaceful resolution to how things are going over there," he said. The militant group that is holding the Westerners originally demanded that Iraqis being held in U.S. and British custody be released by Thursday. But as the deadline approached, it was extended for a further 48 hours. Prime Minister Paul Martin says he is concerned about the fate of the Canadians. "I've been on phone every day and we're doing everything we possibly can. But it's a matter of such delicacy I can't really comment," he said. In a statement released late Wednesday evening Martin went further. "I want to reassure the public that the government of Canada remains absolutely committed to securing the safe release of the hostages. Every resource of the government is committed towards achieving that outcome.
"Canada remains willing to listen to and speak with persons who may have information that will assist in the safe release of the hostages," said the statement. Christian Peacemaker Teams issued a statement on Wednesday evening highlighting its concerns about the safety of the four men. "Christian Peacemaker Teams believes that no single person, no single nation can meet the demands of justice. No single person, no single nation can meet the demands of peace. But we believe that it is everyone's responsibility to do their part to bring each combatant and each captive home to their families and to end the war and occupation."	James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden.
There was support from around the Arab world, as well. Mohammed Ayash of the International Solidarity Movement for Palestine, said the hostages are peacemakers, friends of Muslims and defenders of Iraqi detainees "because they are working there as human rights [supporters] and are against the occupation," he said. Written by CBC News Staff
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U.S. to cut softwood duties almost in half Web Posted | Last Updated Wed, 07 Dec 2005  06:46:13  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 7th, 2005 Canadian officials are cheering a move by the U.S. Commerce Department to chop softwood lumber duties by almost 50 per cent. The Commerce Department set the new rates on Tuesday, settling on average payments of 10.81 per cent.
That figure is a considerable drop from the current average payment of 20.15 per cent. "This is a very positive step forward as Canada fights to have the illegal duties reduced to zero," John Allan, president of the B.C. Lumber Trade Council, told the Canadian Press. The softwood dispute has been the main trade irritant between Canada and the U.S. The U.S. believes Canada improperly subsidizes softwood production because most U.S. timber is harvested from private land at market prices, while in Canada the wood is mostly cut on Crown land. The U.S. government has collected about $5 billion in duties on Canadian softwood exports to the U.S. since the tariffs were introduced in May 2002. Canada has claimed several victories in previous decisions by the World Trade Organization and the North American Free Trade Agreement bodies. Written by CBC News Staff
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Bodies recovered after plane hits 10-storey building in Tehran Web Posted | Last Updated Tue, 06 Dec 2005  07:49:33  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 6th, 2005
Charred bodies are being reported on the ground after an Iranian military plane carrying 94 people crashed into a 10-storey building in Tehran on Tuesday. Iranian state television said the plane burst into flames upon impact and the official news agency, IRNA, says 10 bodies have been taken from the crash site. There are also reports of charred bodies on the ground nearby. There's been no further word on casualties, although Reuters is reporting that all 94 people who were on the plane are feared dead. The cause of the crash is also not yet known. News reports say the building is on fire. Iason Sowden of Global Radio News in Tehran told CBC News the flames are hampering rescue efforts. Sowden said some reports are describing the scene as one of "complete chaos." Sowden also said that one wing of the plane is reportedly lying in front of the building. The plane went down at approximately 2:10 p.m. local time in Tehran. Iranian television said the plane, a C-130 military transport, crashed shortly after taking off from the city's Mehrabad airport. There were reportedly 84 passengers on board and 10 crew members. The plane went down in the Azari district of the city, which is densely populated and close to the airport. Sowden described the district as "a poorer area with some slums." Written by CBC News Staff
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Duceppe dismisses Martin's warning of 'referendum election' Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 04 Dec 2005  23:44:50  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 5th, 2005
Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe says Liberal Leader Paul Martin was being ridiculous when he said that, in Quebec, the Jan. 23 election would essentially be a referendum on sovereignty. Duceppe mocked Martin while speaking Sunday to about 600 Bloc delegates at a special meeting in Longueuil, Que. Duceppe said that if Martin were correct and if the Bloc were to win the majority of parliamentary seats in Quebec, it would force sovereignty negotiations to begin with the federalist government of Liberal Premier Jean Charest. The Bloc leader said the election was a kind of referendum – but on a difference question: "Do you want to get rid of Paul Martin's Liberals, yes or no?" "We're not deciding sovereignty," Duceppe later told reporters. "It's a federal election, Paul Martin should know that." He was responding to comments made a few days earlier by Martin, who called it a "referendum election." The Liberals have been trying to capitalize on some Quebecers' fears that a vote for the Bloc would necessarily be a vote for sovereignty. "The election in Quebec is between ourselves and the Bloc," Martin said on Dec. 2. "Yesterday, [Parti Québécois Leader] André Boisclair and Gilles Duceppe made it very clear that it is their intention to rip Canada apart, to pit Quebec family against Quebec family. That's not in anybody's interest."
Quebec, where Bloc MPs hold 53 of 75 seats, is seen as a key battle in the campaign. It's where public outrage over the federal sponsorship program scandal has climbed highest, with a resulting plunge in support for the Liberals. "A lot of federalists in Quebec, people who support a federalism that respects Quebec, feel very uncomfortable supporting the Liberals, who have damaged federalism more than any political party in recent memory," said NDP Leader Jack Layton. Conservative Leader Stephen Harper predicted Martin's comments would only undermine federalists like Charest. "We have a federalist government in Quebec, the most federalist prime minister in my lifetime," Harper said. "He wants to make Canada work." Charest has stayed out of the federal campaign so far. But the federal separatist party has been getting shows of support from provincial political figures, including former PQ leader Bernard Landry. Boisclair had already shown up at a couple of events and was side-by-side with Duceppe on Sunday. "They are trying to build a momentum and quite frankly they are trying to surf on Gilles Duceppe's popularity," Vincent Marissal, of Montreal's La Presse newspaper, told CBC News Sunday. Written by CBC News Staff
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CAW wants NDP to hold balance of power Web Posted | Last Updated Sun, 04 Dec 2005  12:51:49  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 4th, 2005
Delegates from the Canadian Auto Workers union have voted to elect as many NDP members and as few Conservatives as possible. The union wants the NDP to hold the balance of power in a Liberal minority government, the recommendation passed by the CAW council said.
More than 900 delegates and guests attended the council, the union's "parliament," in Toronto on Saturday. "The best possible outcome of this federal election is another Liberal minority government, with the NDP holding a balance of power," the recommendation reads. "The worst outcome is a Conservative victory (minority or majority)." The vote was overwhelmingly in favour of a motion to back the NDP if its candidate has a chance of winning, or the Liberal if the NDP candidate does not have a good chance of victory, the union said in a release.	Buzz Hargrove in early Nov / 05.
The union will consult with local leaders and activists to prepare a list of endorsed candidates, which will be posted on the CAW website. In other ridings, "individual voters will need to decide what best contributes to electing a Liberal minority with NDP balance of power, and stopping the Conservatives," the recommendation said. The release said there was a "lengthy and impassioned debate" with some speakers backing just the NDP, while others argued the recommendation "is a realistic strategy intended to give the NDP the best chance to have an impact in the next Parliament." Liberal Leader Paul Martin made a pitch to the CAW meeting Friday, and CAW president Buzz Hargrove endorsed the recommendation. But CAW members in the Saguenay region of Quebec disagreed. They have adopted a motion condemning Hargrove, saying the union should not support any of the political parties during this election campaign. Written by CBC News Staff
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Kidnappers threaten to kill hostages, including Canadians Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 02 Dec 2005  16:49:26  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 3rd, 2005
Arab television network Al-Jazeera broadcast a videotape Friday in which the kidnappers of four Western peace activists – including two Canadians – threaten to kill the hostages.
The kidnappers said the hostages would be killed unless all prisoners in American or Iraqi detention centres are released by Dec. 8. The four hostages are members of Christian Peacemaker Teams, an aid group working in Iraq. They are Canadians Jim Loney and Harmeet Sooden, along with Briton Norman Kember and American Tom Fox. The tape showed what Al-Jazeera said were the four hostages, eating from a plate of food and appearing frightened.	Canadians Harmeet Sooden, left, and James Loney are seen in this undated image taken from Al-Jazeera television.
In a second video clip, the American and Briton appeared to be talking to the camera, but no audio was transmitted. The workers were kidnapped last Saturday in Baghdad. Written by CBC News Staff
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Wal-Mart hired security guards to spy on Quebec employees: CBC investigation Web Posted | Last Updated Fri, 02 Dec 2005  05:35:06  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 2nd, 2005
Employees at a Quebec Wal-Mart store that closed after a successful union drive were spied upon by undercover security guards, according to an investigation by Radio-Canada. Guards told journalists at CBC's French-language service, that Wal-Mart had hired them to spy on employees at the store in Jonquière, 200 kilometres north of Quebec City, early in 2005. It corresponded to the time the world's largest retailer announced the store would close for financial reasons. A documentary on the subject will be broadcast Friday on the program Zone Libre. In it, the guards say their surveillance targeted union leaders and workers sympathetic to the drive. One former guard said he patrolled the store in civilian clothes, watching employees. Another agent said the store's surveillance cameras were used to follow certain workers. Wal-Mart Canada president and CEO Mario Pilozzi denied the allegations. "No, we wouldn't tolerate the situation you mentioned," Pilozzi told Radio-Canada. "No idea about what you're talking about." Spying on union leaders or sympathizers is illegal under the Quebec Labour Code. In August 2004, the United Food And Commercial Workers succeeded in a drive to unionize the store's 200 workers. But a contract was never signed. The store closed in April. A second Wal-Mart in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, won union certification in January 2005. In February, Wal-Mart was chastised by the Quebec Labour Relations Board for attempting to intimidate workers who wanted to form a union at a third Quebec store in Sainte-Foy, just outside Quebec City. Wal-Mart has 235 stores in Canada, employing more than 60,000 people. Written by CBC News Staff
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Conrad Black to appear in Chicago court Thursday Web Posted | Last Updated Thu, 01 Dec 2005  10:14:46  EST Giant Dwarf Posted: Dec 1st, 2005 Former press baron Conrad Black is expected to plead not guilty to eight fraud charges when he appears in a Chicago court Thursday. This is the third time Black has been scheduled to appear. Earlier appearances were delayed to allow him to arrange legal counsel. U.S. authorities have accused Black and several former Hollinger executives of a scheme to defraud Hollinger International of more than $80 million US. He faces eight charges of mail and wire fraud.	Conrad Black
Black will be accompanied by his Canadian lawyer, Edward Greenspan, as well as Edward Genson, a prominent Chicago lawyer just recently hired. Black can expect to be fingerprinted and have his mug shot taken shortly before or after his arraignment, which is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. local time (5:30 p.m. EST). Black has said he's the victim of a "massive smear job," and fully expects to be vindicated in court. On Wednesday, the arraignments of Black's co-defendants, former Hollinger executives Jack Boultbee, 62, and Peter Atkinson, 58, did not go ahead as scheduled. Atkinson has said he would appear along with Black on Thursday. Boultbee failed to appear in court. U.S. authorities have said they would begin extradition proceedings against Boultbee if he doesn't appear by next week. Black's return to Canada could be complicated once the arraignment is complete, said Richard Kurland, a lawyer and an expert in immigration law. "If an immigration officer has reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Black actually did those things, then the immigration officer can exercise discretion to bar Mr. Black entering Canada," said Kurland. Black has been living in his Toronto mansion for the past several months, but he gave up his citizenship very publicly four years ago to take a British peerage. Black has not been convicted of any crime, but Kurland said that doesn't matter. "All an immigration officer needs to bar someone is reasonable grounds to believe that the offence was committed," he said. If that happens, Black would need a temporary resident permit issued by Immigration Minister Joe Volpe. Written by CBC News Staff