Canadian Content - In The News

Iraqi stockpile of uranium secretly arrives in Montreal

CTV News — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 03:30:05 GMT

The last major remnant of Saddam Hussein's nuclear program, a huge stockpile of concentrated natural uranium, reached Montreal on Saturday to complete a top-secret U.S. operation.

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Dion 'chewed me out' over blog: Garth Turner

CTV News — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 03:30:05 GMT

Liberal MP Garth Turner hasn't apologized on his website for a controversial blog he posted about Quebec sovereigntists -- despite being "chewed out" for the remarks by Liberal Leader Stephane Dion.

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Man rips head from Hitler wax figure

Reuters — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:20:57 GMT

BERLIN (Reuters) - A man tore the head from a controversial waxwork figure of Adolf Hitler on the opening day of Berlin's Madame Tussauds museum Saturday, police said.

Reuters

Canadian soldier found dead at Mideast base

CTV News — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:20:57 GMT

Canada's military is describing the death of a Canadian soldier found dead at an undisclosed Middle Eastern military base as being unrelated to combat.

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Protests begin in advance of G8 meetings

CTV News — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:20:57 GMT

Protests have begun in northern Japan over the upcoming G8 summit that begins Monday. Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to leave for the summit later today.

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Canadian reported missing in Colombia

CTV News — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 03:10:48 GMT

A Canadian is missing in Colombia, Foreign Affairs officials confirmed Friday, amid reports he was kidnapped by members of Colombia's largest left-wing rebel group FARC.

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Harper applauds tribute to four fallen Mounties

CTV News — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 03:10:48 GMT

Stephen Harper said few tragedies have struck as painful a chord during his time in public office as the shootings of four Mounties in 2005, as statues honouring the slain men were unveiled Friday.

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Are you a skilled immigrant to Canada? Tell us your story.

CBC News — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:11:07 GMT

The federal government will begin holding consultations across the country next week to determine which skilled immigrant workers it should fast track under a new law that gives officials the power to speed up certain applications.
Consultations will look at where Canada is experiencing its labour shortages, what skills are needed to fill the gaps and what barriers exist to foreign credential accreditation.
Just over two weeks ago, Parliament approved legislation that allows the immigration minister to decide which applications should be fast-tracked, and which should be rejected, based on the need to fill labour shortages.
The government says the law will help stop a backlog of 900,000 applications from growing any larger and will allow quick entry for those with skills in demand.
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Are you a skilled immigrant to Canada? Tell us your story.

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How much information do you give to retailers?

CBC News — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:11:07 GMT

Nearly half of Canadians say they have refused to give personal information to a retailer, according to a survey commissioned by the federal privacy commissioner.
The survey also found that one in two Canadians said they have questioned a retailer why they need a name, postal code or address.
Consumers said they were reluctant to provide names, addresses and postal codes to retailers, citing fears of fraud and identity theft. About a quarter of the respondents also said they could see no reason for the retailer to collect the data.
The results indicate consumers are showing a considerable amount of savvy, Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart said Thursday.
Read full story
How much information do you give to retailers?

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Germans seek action after healthy woman�s assisted suicide

Praxius — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:12:21 GMT

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/World/1065683.html

Quote:

BERLIN � Bettina Schardt knew that the combination of drugs she drank in the living room of her home in Wuerzburg last week would kill her, and she died alone.

But this was no ordinary suicide. A German doctor told her just the right formula of antimalarial drugs and tranquilizers she needed to commit suicide painlessly � and he set up a camera to film her death.

The case has set off a firestorm here not only because of the way Dr. Roger Kusch has publicized his role in the death � holding a press conference in which he played snippets of the woman�s last moments � but also because of the motives behind her suicide.

The 79-year-old Schardt was not in chronic pain or suffering from a terminal illness. She was healthy and simply wanted to avoid moving into a nursing home.

Well that's understandable.... :-P

Quote:

Today, five of Germany�s 16 states plan to push for tighter laws on assisted suicide. They want to make it illegal for companies to profit from teaching people how to kill themselves.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, who leads the conservative Christian Democratic Union, told a German television broadcaster Wednesday that she opposes assisted suicide "in whatever form it comes."

But liberal politicians have cautioned against amending suicide laws too quickly.

"No snap decisions," Peter Struck, parliamentary leader for the Social Democrats, said this week. "No immediate laws that then come to nothing."

Suicide is not illegal in Germany, nor is assisting one. But mercy killing and euthanasia carry a heavy stigma here because of Nazi eugenics programs that killed more than 70,000 mentally ill and handicapped people before and during the Second World War.

Kusch, a Hamburg physician and former state justice senator told Schardt how to take enough of the antimalarial drug chloroquine and the tranquilizer diazepam to make her drift into unconsciousness and then arrest her breathing. He did not administer the deadly mixture and broke no law.

He told reporters in Hamburg on Monday that he set up a camera in Schardt�s home and then let her be.

"I said, �farewell,� and then I left," Kusch said. He also showed clips of the tape in which Schardt confirmed that she was ending her life of her own free will.

In a farewell note addressed to Kusch, Schardt assured him that she planned her own death "smilingly and systematically."

Fair enough.... not really much to debate... she wanted to end her life, the doctor told her how, she did it, she died.... not many people get a chance to control their fate like that and if she had enough of her life and didn't want to spend the rest of it being dependant on a retirement home, then who am I to argue?

Iran 'responds to nuclear offer'

Praxius — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:32:45 GMT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7489982.stm

Quote:

Iran has given its response to an offer of incentives for suspending uranium enrichment, Iranian state media report.

They say the response was delivered to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, without giving any further details.

The incentives package from China, the EU, France, Russia, the UK and US was offered to Iran by Mr Solana in June.

He also asked Iran to accept a six-week freeze on further developments on its controversial programme, in return for a similar freeze on new UN sanctions.

The UN Security Council approved a third round of sanctions against Iran over the issue in March 2008.

Separately, the EU also imposed new sanctions on Iran in June.

Tehran denies Western claims that it is seeking to build a nuclear weapon, saying its programme is peaceful.

It has repeatedly rejected demands to halt enriching uranium, which can be used as fuel for power plants or material for weapons if refined to a greater degree.

Incentives

Tehran's response was delivered to Mr Solana by Iran's ambassador in Belgium, Iran's official Irna news agency said, quoting an unnamed Iranian official.

The official said the response was signed by Iranian Foreign Minister Manoucher Mottaki.
Iran's state TV also said that Tehran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili had a telephone conversation with Mr Solana on Friday.

Mr Solana's office has so far not confirmed that Iran's response to the European package was delivered.

The incentives package builds on a previous offer of 2006 and says that if Iran suspends uranium enrichment, then talks can start about a long-term agreement.

On offer is recognition of Iran's right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and the treatment of Iran in "the same manner" as other states under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Iran would get help with developing nuclear power stations and be guaranteed fuel for them.
It would also be offered trade concessions, including the possible lifting of US sanctions preventing it from buying new civilian aircraft and parts.

Poland holds out over US missiles

Praxius — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:30:26 GMT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7490146.stm

Quote:

Poland's prime minister has rejected the latest terms offered by the US to host a missile defence shield.

Donald Tusk said any deal must increase Poland's own security, and he dismissed the latest offer as unsatisfactory.

"We are ready to co-operate but we are waiting for an answer from the American side," Mr Tusk told a news conference.

The US wants to place 10 interceptors missiles in Poland as part of a defence shield against possible attack - a move condemned by Russia and China.

The US is also seeking permission to build a radar station in the Czech Republic as part of the defence shield plans.
Russia has said the project would upset the military balance in Europe and warned it could have no choice but to point its own missiles at the installations.

The reason given "any deal must increase Poland's own security, and he dismissed the latest offer as unsatisfactory" sounds similar to why Canada didn't join in a few years back....

Glad to see that others are starting to see how sketchy this plan really is as it currently stands.

Betancourt and family greeted by Sarkozy in France

CTV News — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:10:19 GMT

Ingrid Betancourt arrived in France to a presidential welcome Friday, two days after being rescued from rebels in the Colombian jungle.

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BCE reaches final agreement with takeover group

CTV News — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:10:19 GMT

After delays that had investors wondering whether the deal would happen at all, BCE Inc. has announced a final agreement has been reached and will be moving forward at the original sale price.

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Fertility doc says pregnant man case not abnormal

Praxius — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:26:46 GMT

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...0704?hub=World

Quote:

A Canadian fertility doctor is breaking a widely sensationalized story down to science basics, saying the experience of the so-called pregnant man who reportedly gave birth to a healthy baby girl last Sunday, is just a simple medical case.

Thomas Beatie, a 34-year-old who began life as a woman but underwent hormone therapy to become a man, reportedly gave birth to a girl, according to People magazine and ABC News.

Toronto fertility doctor Dr. Tom Hannam suggests although the details surrounding the parent may be unusual, the birth process was anything but.

"When you meet a patient who wants to become pregnant, the first thing you would do is just make sure that they would be healthy enough to carry a pregnancy through to term and anticipate a healthy baby," Hannam told CTV's Canada AM on Friday.

"And in this man's case, he was born a woman and had been on hormones, but he'd stopped them for about two years before even attempting this. So from a medical perspective it's actually quite straightforward. He was quite healthy."

Beatie still has female reproductive organs and stopped taking his twice-weekly doses of testosterone ahead of his pregnancy. He said it was a natural birth, rather than by C-section.

"The only thing different about me is that I can't breastfeed my baby. But a lot of mothers don't," he told People. Beatie had his breasts removed as part of his transition to a man.

The ABC News report said that the baby girl was born on June 29 at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, Ore.

Beatie decided to carry the baby because his wife, 46-year-old Nancy, could not become pregnant. She had a hysterectomy as a result of endometriosis.

He was impregnated at home through artificial insemination, using donor sperm and his own eggs, according to People.

Hannam said that in Canada, the Assisted Human Reproduction Act requires that prospective parents who want to undergo fertility treatments also get counselling.

However, if Beatie had been subject to Canadian reproductive laws, he wouldn't have been excluded from the process of becoming a parent, despite the fact that reports say many doctors refused to treat him.

"Counselling, at the moment, is looking more towards what's best for the person who's going to deliver," said Hannam, director of the Hannam Fertility Centre in Toronto. "It's not a tool of judgement. They're not using it to elect who should become a parent and who should not."

Beatie, known in tabloids as the "Pregnant Man," made an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" last April. He told Winfrey he started his sex-reassignment process about 10 years ago.

He is legally a man and lives with his wife in Oregon, where they operate a T-shirt printing business.

Toronto police, corrections officers arrested in connection with grow-ops

Praxius — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:23:11 GMT

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/sto...ice-busts.html

Quote:

Two Toronto police officers and three corrections officers were some of the 23 people arrested Thursday on suspicion of being involved with "a very elaborate criminal organization" that grew and sold marijuana and other drugs.

And who said potheads were dumb? Oh wait, they got caught... never mind.

Quote:

During a news conference Thursday, Toronto police Chief William Blair said an investigation in February into marijuana grow-ops in neighbouring York Region uncovered evidence that linked a Toronto constable to one of the residences under investigation.

Subsequent investigations led to allegations that a second member of the Toronto Police Service and three corrections officers were also involved in the "criminal enterprise, the primary purpose of which was the production and distribution of marijuana, the distribution of other drugs, and the laundering of the proceeds of their criminal enterprise," Blair said.

Of 23 people arrested Thursday, 20 have been charged, including one young offender.

Kevin Bourne and Patrick Lee, who have served with the Toronto police for nine and eight years respectively, are in custody. They are expected to appear in a Newmarket court on Friday.

"The conduct alleged by these two individual officers, and quite frankly also by those corrections officers that are accused in today's investigation, [means] that trust is challenged and we are very disappointed," Blair said.

In addition to the arrests, investigators seized nearly eight kilograms of marijuana and $60,000 in cash during the raids Thursday, as well as three houses and five vehicles.

Superintendent James Ramer said the enterprise was run by "a very elaborate criminal organization" that was allegedly in operation for about two years and sold ecstasy and steroids as well as marijuana.

"It's certainly disappointing to find out that you have two of your own members involved, but it's work that needs to be done. We have to ensure the public trust and public confidence," Ramer said.

The investigation continues.

British Muslims applaud top judge's support for Shariah law

Praxius — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:18:28 GMT

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/0...w-britain.html

Quote:

Leading Muslim jurists on Friday welcomed comments by Britain's chief justice supporting a role for Shariah law in resolving disputes.

The Lord Chief Justice Lord Phillips said in a speech on Thursday that there was no question of Islamic law replacing English law.

However, "there is no reason why Shariah principles, or any other religious code, should not be the basis for mediation or other forms of alternative dispute resolution."

Shaykh Faiz Siddiqi, a barrister and chair of the governing council of the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal, said Friday that critics of any use of Islamic law failed to recognize that both parties had to agree to any form of dispute resolution in Britain.

Shamim Qureshi, the presiding judge of the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal, said the application of Shariah law could be useful in settling disputes about forced marriages, according to a statement released by the tribunal.

Qureshi, a judge in Wolverhampton Magistrates Court, is one of the few Muslims to serve as a judge in England.

The Muslim Arbitration Tribunal, established last year, offers alternative resolution of family disputes, forced marriages and disputes over debts, commercial matters and inheritance.
Not necessarily in conflict with British law

In his speech at the East London Muslim Centre, Phillips said there is a widespread misunderstanding of Shariah law in Britain.

"Part of the misconception about Shariah law is the belief that Shariah is only about mandating sanctions such as flogging, stoning, the cutting off of hands or death for those who fail to comply with the law," Phillips said.

"The view of many of Shariah law is coloured by violent extremists who invoke it, perversely, to justify terrorist atrocities such as suicide bombing, which I understand to be in conflict with Islamic principles," Phillips said.

He said British media, in particular, had misunderstood a speech in February by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, who also supported a role for Shariah law, specifically suggesting a role in resolving disputes.

"A point that the archbishop was making was that it was possible for individuals voluntarily to conduct their lives in accordance with Shariah principles without this being in conflict with the rights guaranteed by our law," Phillips said.

He noted that it is already permissible in England for parties in a dispute to agree to resolve under rules other than English law.

Makes sense to me.

No skimpy outfits on bar staff

Reuters — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:00:23 GMT

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's government has told discos, karaoke bars and other entertainment venues to install windows in private rooms and ensure staff dress modestly from Oct 1 as part of an effort to crack down on prostitution and drugs.

Reuters

You want cheese curds with that?

Reuters — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:00:23 GMT

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's U.S. embassy apologized on Thursday for a party invitation that featured a prominent figure in Canadian history brandishing a large plate of French fries covered in cheese curds and gravy.

Reuters

Big cheese carving celebrates Independence Day

Reuters — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:00:23 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A sculpture of the signing of the Declaration of Independence made from a one-tonne block of cheddar cheese glistened on the sidewalk of Times Square in New York on Thursday as an artist's tribute to the Fourth of July.

Reuters

Priest critical of Morgentaler has controversial past

CTV News — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:00:23 GMT

A B.C. priest who is returning his Order of Canada because the same award was given to Dr. Henry Morgentaler has a controversial past of his own.

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Dignitaries help mark Quebec City's 400th year

CTV News — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:00:23 GMT

Prime Minister Stephen Harper praised Quebec City as the "most beautiful" city in Canada, as thousands celebrated the provincial capital's anniversary. But the festivities also drew protests.

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Are you a laid off manufacturing worker? Tell us your story.

CBC News — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:00:27 GMT

Another 2,000 jobs in Canada's auto industry have been gobbled up with the shutdown of 11 small plants operated by a Toronto-area company that makes plastic instrument panels.
The auto-parts industry is feeling the pinch from soaring fuel costs and a corresponding drop in demand for gas-guzzling vehicles, and is having a devastating effect on southern Ontario's auto manufacturing sector,
Last month, GM announced that the truck assembly plant in Oshawa would be among four North American plants being closed in the next few years. About 2,600 people work at the Oshawa facility.
Also last month, Magna International Inc., Canada's largest auto-parts manufacturer, announced it would be cutting 400 jobs at its plant in St. Thomas, Ont., due to flagging truck sales.
New statistics suggest sales are not likely to improve in the near future.
Read full story
Are you a laid off manufacturing worker? Tell us your story.

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Teen with upside-down feet walks for first time

Praxius — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:56:58 GMT

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...0703?hub=World

Quote:

NEW YORK -- A Filipino teenager who came to New York so doctors could perform surgery to untwist her severely clubbed feet took her first unaided steps Wednesday in pink-and-white sneakers -- the first shoes she's ever worn.

"I'm very happy," Jingle Luis said with a smile. "It was exciting."

The 15-year-old girl arrived at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx in May with her mother for surgery and follow-up treatment.

She had never been able to walk on her own because she was born with feet so clubbed they twisted backward and upside down, forcing her to hobble on the tops of her feet with the help of crutches.

On Wednesday, doctors took off her post-surgical casts and replaced them with special support braces.

Then came the moment she had waited a lifetime for: She slipped her feet into her first pair of shoes and took several long strides.

The surgery, which the hospital performed for free, involved inserting screws into the bones of her feet and turning them bit by bit to straighten them out.

When the pins were taken out, the feet were straight, but casts were put on for several weeks to keep them that way.

Dr. Terry Amaral, her surgeon, expects Jingle to wear the braces for about a year.

"This is a miracle. I am very thankful to God," said Jingle's mother, Jasmine Luis, who makes a living selling fish door-to-door. Jingle's father is a corn farmer.

Jingle's case came to the attention of Montefiore after a staff physician traveled to the Philippines in 2003 with a Christian relief mission.

While clubfoot is a relatively common deformity, occurring in about one in 1,000 births, children are usually treated in infancy with casts or braces that gradually bring the feet into correct alignment.

Amaral said Jingle's condition was complicated by spina bifida, a birth defect that involves the incomplete development of the spinal cord or its coverings.

Doctors who saw Jingle as a baby thought her spina bifida would shorten her life span and prevent her from walking, so they did not treat the clubfoot, Amaral said.

But Jingle's condition turned out to be relatively mild.

"She's essentially a normal child," Amaral said.

Canadian Embassy meant no harm with poutine poster

Praxius — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:47:44 GMT

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/0...ology0703.html

Quote:

Officials with Canada's embassy in Washington D.C. have apologized for using a picture of Samuel de Champlain holding poutine on a recent invitation.

The picture was used in publicity material inviting people to the embassy's Canada Day dinner.

Spokesperson Tristan Landry says no offence was intended by the depiction of Quebec's founder holding a plate of poutine and that the invitation was redrawn.

Poutine is a popular delicacy in Quebec, made with fries, cheese curds and gravy.

A French-language rights group in Quebec criticized the picture calling it a joke in bad taste, and adding that the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa would never put out a picture of the Statue of Liberty holding a hotdog.

Nope, but a Tomato will do. :roll:

Quote:

Jean-Paul Perreault, the president of Imperatif fran�ais, called the embassy's behaviour contemptuous and unacceptable.

Perreault wants Prime Minister Stephen Harper to offer apologies nationally and internationally because the invitation appeared on the internet.

Get a grip and grow up, geez....