Felicien wins national hurdles final

Perdita Felicien won the women's 100-metre hurdles final at the Canadian track and field championships Saturday in Toronto.

Felicien finished with a time of 12.80, edging out Olympic bronze medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep, who ran the course in 12.95. Lopes-Schliep had won the last four times the pair had raced, but Felicien was clearly motivated to win an eighth national title in the event.

Dylan Armstrong of Kamloops, B.C., easily won the men's shot put event on Saturday.

The 28-year-old, who was fourth at last summer's Beijing Olympics, fouled on four of his six throws, but his first toss of 20.30 metres was good enough to win.

Justin Rodhe of Kamloops threw 19.24 for second, while Matthew Doherty of Red Deer, Alta., was third with 16.30.

Jennifer Joyce of Richmond, B.C., won the women's hammer throw with a toss of 69.05 metres.

Sultana Frizell of Perth, Ont., the Canadian record holder, was second at 68 metres, while Megann Vandervliet was third with 60.48.

Earlier Saturday, Derek Watkins of Windsor, Ont., won the men's high jump, clearing 2.18 metres. Mark Dillon of Toronto jumped 2.15 for second, while Michael Mason of Nanoose Bay, B.C., took the bronze with 2.15.

The Canadian championships are the qualifying meet for next month's world championships in Berlin, and also mark the first time Toronto's Varsity Stadium has hosted the event in nearly 40 years.

Gay rodeo brings revenue to Strathmore, Alta.

Organizers of Canada's only gay rodeo say the event will give the economy in Strathmore, Alta., a boost.

The Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association will hold its two-day event east of Calgary on June 27 and 28.

Judy Munson, one of the organizers, said local businesses will benefit from the event.

"They might as well reap the revenue of having us here and we'll bring a fair amount of money into the town and the economy," she said.

"I mean, the hotels are full, the motels are full, and so the restaurants and bars will see a bit of revenue, which will be good for them."

The gay rodeo moved out of Symons Valley Ranch north of Calgary this summer after 15 years there because the event had outgrown its former venue.

Munson said the gay rodeo has been given a warm welcome in Strathmore.

"It's been amazing. The people have been great…[and] we have people from the community volunteering for us that want to get involved. It's just been overwhelming."

Organizers expect as many as 4,000 people to attend the events at the Strathmore Rodeo Grounds.

New fees squeeze Vancouver's outdoor fitness operators

An outdoor boot camp instructor oversees a class in Vancouver Friday. (CBC)

Vancouver's outdoor fitness operators say the city is making it harder for them to hold sessions in the city's parks.

After a recent decision by the Vancouver Park Board, outdoor workout programs, like bootcamps and yoga classes, will now require licences to operate at local beaches and green spaces.

Antonio Zivanovic, who runs an outdoor Vancouver fitness company, said the fee is bad for business.

"The fee that's associated with it makes it difficult because it is a business…[where] the margins are very tight. [It] makes it difficult for

St. Lawrence residents rally over weekend clinic hours

Residents of St. Lawrence rallied on Thursday to keep the local clinic open on weekends this summer. (CBC)

Dozens of residents of a town on Newfoundland's Burin Peninsula rallied in steady rains on Thursday to protest the closure of weekend services at the town's medical clinic.

To accommodate summer vacation scheduling, Eastern Health is closing the clinic in St. Lawrence from Friday evening until Monday morning. For the rest of the summer, St. Lawrence residents will be directed to the regional hospital in Burin, about 40 kilometres away.

Eastern Health says the area will be served with a regional complement, including ambulances.

But Deputy Mayor Paul Pike told protesters, who held placards calling on Eastern Health and the Newfoundland and Labrador government to change the policy, that reaching the hospital is not necessarily that easy.

"People are talking about call times of 20 minutes, getting to Burin in 20 minutes. That's not so," he said.

"You can't get to Burin in 20 minutes if you have to call an ambulance. That ambulance, the one in Burin could be down over the road, or farther вЂ" could be in the Marystown area. The one in Lawn could be in Lamaline."

Residents of St. Lawrence successfully lobbied Eastern Health in early 2008 to drop a planned three-week closure.

With the latest cutback in service, though, residents have so far had no success.

Couple used website to defraud 'naive' investors, judge rules

Earl Lawery Matthews and Reyanne Briand have been found guilty of fraud. (CBC)

A judge in southern Newfoundland has convicted a couple of defrauding unsuspecting investors of hundreds of thousands of dollars through a website that even suggested the pair were fighting poverty.

Earl Lawery Matthews, a U.S. citizen, and Reyanne Briand, a Canadian, were found guilty in Grand Bank of fraud and possession of criminally obtained property.

Judge Harold Porter found the couple had founded a web-based business called Aid4Families.com, which included vaguely written promises that suggested investors could earn healthy returns on their investments.

In a written decision released Wednesday, Porter lashed out at Matthews and Briand, who had settled on Newfoundland's Burin Peninsula after starting their business in Quebec, as manipulating their clients with concocted promises of what investors could expect.

"These claims, all of them false, were made in order to induce potential 'investors' to believe that Aid4Families.com was a stable, reliable, and ethical institution. Aid4Families.com was neither of these: it was instead a means by which the accused sought to deprive the naive of their funds," Porter wrote.

"The Aid4Families.com website is replete with exaggeration, false promise, and plain lies. It provides ample evidence of dishonest and discreditable behaviour on the part of the defendants."

The website is no longer active.

Porter found that the couple used aliases, and exhibited an ongoing pattern of deception in dealing with customers.

A police investigation was launched after investors in the U.S. reported problems. In one case, a couple had invested almost $350,000, expecting a high rate of return. Porter noted that the couple used language on their site that indicated a high rate of return, such as 25 per cent, but which had no legal meaning.

Porter found that Matthews and Briand also pulled on clients' heartstrings to gain their trust.

"Perhaps the lowest form of deceit found on the website is the claim that Aid4Families.com had opened a 'charitable branch,' " he wrote, adding they used "pictures of happy, smiling children" to promote their cause.

He said the pair promised to use one per cent of profits "to resolve problems like hunger (irrigation, sanitation, roads and greenhouses), poverty (financial grants for business and education), train and pay the homeless and poor to be dispatched around the world, and build homes that respect the traditional culture and meets modern needs."

Later, in his judgment, Porter concluded, "On the contrary, the only persons who might have benefited from those operations were the accused, and they did not loan one cent to anybody."

Porter said he would sentence Matthews and Briand at a later date.

Michael Jordan keen to buy Bobcats

Michael Jordan is interested in a majority stake in the Bobcats. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

The Charlotte Bobcats are for sale, and Michael Jordan is interested, but first, he has to put an ownership group together.

Addressing the issue on Thursday night for the first time since the news last month that majority owner Bob Johnson was looking to sell the Bobcats, Jordan shied away from going into detail about his plans.

But Jordan, who holds a minority stake in the team and runs basketball operations, made it clear he would like to gain majority control.

"I would like to put together a team to do that, yeah," Jordan said.

Jordan then quickly turned the attention back to his selection of Gerald Henderson of Duke with the 12th pick in the NBA draft and didn't take further questions on the ownership issue.

It remains unclear if Jordan is close to securing the investors and money needed to buy the team, for which Johnson paid $300 million US.

Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television, became the first black majority owner of a major professional sports team when he was awarded the expansion team in 2003.

But the club, which began play in the 2004-05 season, has struggled to sell tickets and sponsorships, and Johnson has lost millions.

Johnson is using a New York-based sports financial services firm in hopes of either securing more investors or selling the team outright.

Jordan's star quality in his home state could help boost the franchise, but it's uncertain if he could agree with Johnson on a price.

Forbes magazine recently valued the team at $284 million US, less than Johnson's expansion fee.

The team plays in a city hard hit by the financial crisis, and the credit crunch could hurt any deal of that magnitude.

However, the team also keeps all profits from the downtown Charlotte arena it operates and the Bobcats have improved on the court.

Jordan hired Hall of Fame head coach Larry Brown last year, and he guided the Bobcats to a 35-47 record, the best in the franchise's five seasons.

Liberals suppressed welfare numbers during B.C. election: NDP

Documents obtained through an access to information request show the Liberal government suppressed the release of welfare numbers until after the May 12 provincial election, B.C. NDP Leader Carole James said Monday.

The NDP alleges that the Public Affairs Bureau instructed Ministry of Housing and Social Development officials to delay the release of damaging statistics, which showed a dramatic rise in the province's welfare caseload.

In documents released by the NDP on Monday, a communications officer with the Public Affairs Bureau asked staff at the Ministry of Housing and Social Development not to post the March welfare statistics online during the election campaign.

"Hi John вЂ" can we please hold off on publishing these until after the election?" wrote the official on April 21.

In a later email, a Housing and Social Development official refers to "the requirement not to post information to the internet during the interregnum period" as a possible reason why the information was not posted online. An interregnum period is the time between two governments.

James said the Public Affairs Bureau officials were intentionally suppressing the posting of the welfare figures for political reasons.

"These documents show that the highly politicized Public Affairs Bureau cancelled the routine release of these damaging welfare caseload numbers during the election. It's clear the [Gordon] Campbell government put its political interests ahead of the public's right to information about B.C.'s economy and fiscal situation," James said Monday.

When the March welfare numbers were released by the Ministry of Housing and Social Development on May 15, they showed the number of people on social assistance who were able and expected to work had increased 49.8 per cent in the previous six months.

The B.C. Liberals won their third straight term in the May 12 election. They have not yet responded to the NDP's allegations.

Jerry Reinsdorf to bid for Coyotes on Friday

Chicago White Sox and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf says he will field a bid to keep the Coyotes in Glendale, Ariz., on Friday. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The owner of the Chicago Bulls and White Sox has promised a bid to keep the Phoenix Coyotes in Arizona, during a hearing in the team's bankruptcy court case on Monday.

An attorney for Jerry Reinsdorf said via phone that his client would apply to the NHL to buy the team by Friday.

The announcement by Reinsdorf is in line with documents filed in court by the NHL earlier in the day. The league said that it was confident a local bidder would come forward by the end of the week вЂ" exactly when Reinsdorf said he would field a bid for the ailing franchise.

Judge Redfield T. Baum set Aug. 5 as the new deadline for a local sale.

The NHL said it could meet that deadline but the lawyers representing the city of Glendale, Ariz., said it didn't think a new lease agreement could be worked out by then.

If the local deal falls through, Baum set a fallback deadline date in September for Jim Balsillie's bid to move the team to southern Ontario. The NHL is trying to fend off the Canadian businessman's effort to buy the Coyotes through bankruptcy and relocate the franchise to Hamilton.

Balsillie suffered a defeat last week when Judge Baum ruled that his sale deadline of June 29 was too ambitious to resolve the many complex issues the case involves.

The league said in its motion on Monday that it would consider a bid to relocate the team for the 2010-11 season, but only if a local buyer cannot be found.

The NHL is rejecting the option proposed by the Coyotes to accept bids that both aim to keep the team in Arizona as well as those that would move operations.

If relocation bids were considered, the league argued, competitors would have a much shorter time frame to put together a bid than Balsillie had before his May 5 agreement with Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes for $212.5 million US.

'Simply impractical'

The Coyotes said in court filings after last week's setback that PSE Sports & Entertainment, Balsillie's company, would be willing to extend its bid to mid-September.

The NHL responded Monday that trying to buy the team and move it for the start of the regular season in October was "simply impractical."

The league said that 1,190 of 1,230 regular season games for the 2009-10 campaign have been finalized ahead of the official release of the schedule in July.

The NHL hinted in the document on Monday that the Balsillie play has discouraged interest from buyers who would keep the team in its location at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale.

"A team's lifeblood is derived from advance ticket sales, advertising revenue, corporate sponsorships and television revenue, all of which are adversely affected if there is uncertainty as to whether a team will continue to play in its current venue," the league said in its filing.

The NHL had previously said it had received four expressions of interest in the team to remain in Phoenix, but even Baum expressed skepticism they were serious offers in a hearing earlier this month.

For its part, the City of Glendale has argued that anyone trying to relocate the franchise would be on the hook for hundreds of millions in connection with breaking the arena lease.

With files from The Associated Press

Wall may move ahead of public opinion on nuclear reactor

Citing time pressures from the federal government, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall Monday said his government will prepare a proposal for a nuclear reactor to produce medical isotopes, even before public consultations about uranium development have wrapped up.

"There's not, unfortunately, a lot of time for this, given the now emergent necessity for Canada to deal with an isotope situation," Wall told CBC News on Monday, referring to a shortage of nuclear material used for medical purposes.

Wall emphasized that any proposal for a reactor would include a proviso that public input on the issue would be factored into the final decision.

Wall said federal officials want to see a proposal around the end of July. That would be several weeks ahead of his receiving a report on public thoughts about uranium from Dan Perrins, who is chairing the public consultation process.

That has some participants in the consultation process wondering whether their views will be taken seriously.

"It's really disheartening вЂ" it's almost as though a decision has been made," said Sinda Cathcart, who was making a presentation in Regina to the consultation commission on behalf of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

"Are the public consultations going to carry a whole lot of weight?" Cathcart asked.

Sandra Morin, a member of the opposition NDP in the provincial legislature, doesn't think so.

"He [Wall] says the decision to build this reactor is going to be done by August," Morin said Monday. "Well, the people in these consultations are saying that we need more information вЂ" we need to slow things down вЂ" and here we are moving bullet speed train ahead."

According to a government-commissioned report released by Saskatchewan to provide a starting point for its consultations, the development of a nuclear reactor to produce medical isotopes is not economically viable, if done for only that purpose.

The report said a research reactor that also produced medical isotopes would make sense. However, it cautioned that Saskatchewan would have to overcome shipping-time issues because isotopes do not last a long time.

How To Become A Successful Dog Trainer?

How To Become A Successful Dog Trainer?
 by: Ray Coleiro
While reams have been written and expounded on training secrets and the psychology of the dog one often tends to forget that the "mason" is the one who lays the bricks and makes the building strong. In this case it is the "attitude" of the trainer. Have you wondered why some trainers have "a touch" while others just get by? Well it is because they are in complete synchrony with the dog. So, to be a good and successful trainer, you will need to develop your skills in a holistic/rounded manner — knowledge, patience, affinity for your dog, enthusiasm, a learning zeal, and more should all be coalesced in a productive way. To be a trainer who produces a "top" dog you must instinctively know what motivates your dog. What is it that can be tapped to make him a "team" player? Your dog may take to some learning like a duck to water and yet turn its back on certain things — here your skills come to the fore, you will need to make the "distasteful" attractive and enjoyable. You will need to gauge your dog's mood and change the training approach appropriately. Another important and often forgotten aspect is that you must work at a pace that the dog is comfortable with – for each lesson you must revise until the little dog has learnt thoroughly. Vary the order of the commands so that the dog has to "pay attention" and think – he must not mechanically execute commands.
Each step must be taken with steadfastness. It is important, for you to remain calm and to motivate the dog at the right moment. Play your voice, whistles, and hand signals in a way that the dog will recognize what you are about to say. dogs are so attuned to their trainer/owner that they will, after a while pre-empt your commands. The little dog will read your mind clearly. Develop your extra sensory perceptions to recognize the dog's moods—if the dog is willing to learn, then you must take the day's learning all the way. If he seems distracted -- just play with him and execute a few simple lessons. If the dog is listless declare an impromptu holiday – spend the lesson time cuddling your pet, giving him a relaxing massage or take him for a drive. Never try and train if, you yourself are feeling low, irritable, or off color—it does not achieve anything. Take a day or few days off -- the world will not come to an end or stop.
Never train your dog when: You are unwell. You are angry, negative, or upset. You are low on patience or out of energy. When the mind is distracted or there is too much traffic in the training area. When you are not confident on how to execute a certain lesson – postpone until you have time to clarify with your trainer or school.
Like all first class trainers you too should adopt the four Cs –Calmness, Consistency, Communication, and Concentration. To raise a prince you need to be a seer.
We Must Learn Too
To be successful teachers we too must learn –often it is our ignorance that leads to disasters. We must, constantly update our knowledge and learn better and more innovative ways to communicate with our canine friends.
Some tried and tested methods are: Leash handling: The ideal way is to begin with your arms hanging loosely down with the palms facing inwards. The loop of the leash should be placed over the right thumb with the loose end crossing the palm. The next step is to fold the leash like an accordion to a manageable length. The loose end should emerge from under the little finger. Then the leash must pass through the loop made by the thumb and index finger of the left hand and across the palm. Hold the leash loosely in your left hand; from here to your dog's collar the leash should have enough length to form a "j" In popular parlance this is referred to as the "control-start" position. This permits better control of the dog. The right hand should always be stationary while the left hand makes all the necessary corrections. Footwork: At all times footwork is your biggest aid in training. While executing turns if you do not place your feet properly you could trip the dog and cause a disturbance in the synchronization. Moving quickly also causes forging or lagging. Footwork should be consistent and the foot closest to your dog should lead. Pace is crucial don't race or pick up-tempo sometimes and saunter at other times. It is beneficial to place your feet in a "T" position whilst turning Timing and use of body language: It is essential to move together. If you say heel and start walking even before the word leaves your lips then you are making it difficult for your dog to follow your commands. You must pause for a second after giving the command –this gives enough time for the dog to respond accurately. In order to establish a certain pattern, it is advisable to incorporate delays of 1-5 seconds before responding. Since dogs are extremely receptive animals they can respond very quickly to body language. It is for them an inherited trait. The pet will recognize your smile as a welcoming gesture. Similarly, towering or leaning over is considered to be threatening. Just raising your hand is enough to convey –a threat/displeasure. So it is essential for you to master body language. Similarly, hand signals help the dog perform many tasks.
Whether you are a first time dog owner or a seasoned veteran, your learning never stops as far as it comes to training your dog. Each and every dog presents different training challenges, and the more equipped you are to handle these training issues the more likely you are to prevent any permanent and long term future behavioral problems.
If you are serious about your dog, and want the very best for her/him, then you owe it to your best friend to get a copy of this FREE Dog Training Mini-Course. You can still get it from here:
http://www.dogtrainingmastery.com/Free_Dog_Training/dog-obedience-training.htm

Ginseng Tea

Ginseng Tea
 by: David Chandler
Ginseng tea is great for short periods; this tea can alleviate many symptoms of common aliments and lessen fatigue. Ginseng is the main ingredient to many of the medicinal teas. However, prolonged use can lead to insomnia and heart trouble, so be sure to consult your physician before drinking ginseng tea regularly as an alternative to coffee for that afternoon pick me up.
In China, ginseng is held in high regard. It is believed that ginseng has rejuvenating powers and provides stimulation to the whole body. Ginseng also offers protection against fatigue. Ginseng is known to be a stimulant for the central nervous system. This root can also help with inflammation, fever, and hormonal imbalances to name a few.
The tea is usually made from the Wisconsin ginseng root. Slices can be steeped to create a tea that is a strong as the consumer would like, or purchased as a powder and brewed using tea balls. Both of these methods let the drinker control the amount of tea used. There are ginseng tea bags available from specialty stores, but it is not recommended to buy the tea without reading all the ingredients as some packaged teas are sold as ginseng but in fact have very little of this herb in them, instead using mostly fillers
Consult an herbal practitioner or naturopath as to the right type of ginseng and how to brew your tea. The tea can be sweetened with a little honey or stored cold in the refrigerator, as this tea is quite good served iced.
Take note, if you are pregnant use ginseng sparingly or not at all.

Vegas and the Ride of a Lifetime

Vegas and the Ride of a Lifetime
 by: Caterina Christakos
Most people envision Las Vegas as one big casino. Admittedly I was one of them, until I undertook the ride of a lifetime. Imagine soaring hundreds of feet above canyons of red and orange, walking over rocks that been sculpted by mother nature herself and floating down a river of dreams. These are the images that I will carry with me forever when I think of Las Vegas, Nevada.
After taking a break from about twelve hours of straight gambling, my father and I looked at each other and thought there must be more to Vegas than jangling slot machines and endless booze. So we asked our friendly concierge, at the Mandalay Bay Resort, for some suggestions and he arranged for the champagne lunch helicopter tour to the Grand Canyon.
Wonderful we thought, it looked good in the movies, might as well give it a shot. Neither of us was prepared for the adventure that we were about to take.
The helicopter company sent a limo to pick us up at the hotel. The ride lasted about five minutes then we were dropped off at the helicopter launch. Fellow passengers from all over the world chatted and waited for our journey to begin.
Moments later we took off for one of the waiting helicopters, with our pilot leading the way. Attractive and intelligent, in a boy next door kind of way, he quickly showed us how father and I ended up in a helicopter of our own because several of the other passengers decided to just fly over the canyon. The tour we chose actually had us landing on the bottom.
We soared for about a half an hour over a canvas which included every color imaginable painted by dessert, mountains and the Colorado river. Within thirty minutes of smooth flying we were over the canyon and able to see the landing pad, set in the middle of tumbleweed, mountains and cacti. As we disembarked the pilot helped us climb down the stone and dirt pathway to a little boat dock, where we met a family from Britain that would be our companions on our champagne lunch down the Colorado river.
The boat captain was a tiny oriental man with sparkling eyes and a rich sense of humor. He handed out our picnic baskets and regaled us with stories of how the Grand Canyon was created. He also had the sense to stop periodically and help us get the most amazing shots of the canyon. He seemed to know every rock and ridge and was able to point out eagles and faces carved into the rock by millions of years of erosion.
At the end of our Las Vegas helicopter tour we flew back to the original launch and took our limo back to the hotel, content, awestruck and absolutely certain that we would return to Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon and our Las Vegas helicopter tour.

Beliveau put Canadiens ahead of personal glory

Hall of Famer Jean Beliveau was named the 20th captain of the Canadiens in 1961. (Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)

Hockey legend Jean BГ©liveau earned nearly every

Phelps edges Canada's Ryan Cochrane in California meet

Canada's Ryan Cochrane finished 35 hundredths of a second behind American swimmer Michael Phelps. (Itsuo Inouye/Associated Press)

Victoria's Ryan Cochrane pushed American Michael Phelps to the limit in the 400-metre freestyle final at the Santa Clara International Grand Prix on Saturday, finishing a close second to the swimming superstar.

Phelps cruised to an early lead but Cochrane pushed him hard over the final 100 metres at the outdoor competition. The American edged Cochrane by 35-hundredths of a second to take yet another swimming title.

Cochrane finished in 3:48.40, while Phelps won with a time of 3:48.05. Robert Hurley of Australia was third in 3:48.49.

While Phelps was perhaps the biggest story at the 2008 Olympics, winning a record eight gold medals, Cochrane was the bright light of the Canadian swimming team. He won Canada's only medal in the pool, a bronze in the 1,500 freestyle.

With files from The Associated Press

Family pleads for clues in fatal apartment fire

The mother of one of the victims in a La Ronge, Sask., apartment fire that claimed three lives made a public plea for answers Friday.

On May 26, Justin Charles, 20, Marsha McKenzie, 19, and their four-month-old child, Jeremy, perished in a fire that police are calling suspicious.

No arrests have been made and police said Friday they were still seeking information from anyone who may know something about the fire.

Family members and police officers spoke at a school assembly Friday, according to a news release from the RCMP.

Later, Alice Charles told CBC News the deaths have been especially hard to accept because they have unanswered questions about what happened and who may be responsible.

"My message, I guess, is just asking the people to come forward with any information, whether it be rumours or anything at all," Charles said in a phone interview with CBC News. She suggested people could use the Crimestoppers line, as well.

"Give them any information and it's all anonymous, all confidential," Charles said.

The toll-free number for Saskatchewan Crimestoppers is 1-800-222-8477. The number for the RCMP detachment in La Ronge is 306-425-6730.

Police have not released any additional information about the fire, other than to say their investigation is continuing.

Shortly after the fire, eyewitnesses told reporters that a mattress lying in a hallway was set on fire.

B.C. man granted bail after 26 years in jail for sex attacks

A man who was found guilty in 1983 of rape and indecent assault involving eight women has been granted bail, pending an appeal of his conviction.

Ivan Henry's grown daughters, Tanya and Kari Henry, hugged and teared up after Justice Peter Lowry of the B.C. Appeal Court read out his ruling Friday.

Henry will face strict bail conditions: he'll live with his daughter in North Vancouver, have a curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and he'll wear an electronic monitoring device.

Henry, who has maintained he was wrongfully convicted, was not in the courtroom. A publication ban prohibits the media from reporting anything about the evidence against Henry.

He has been in custody since July 29, 1982, when he was arrested following a string of attacks against women in Vancouver.

Henry was convicted and declared a dangerous offender the following year. Appeals in 1984 and 1997 were unsuccessful.

However, the B.C. Court of Appeal earlier this year agreed to reopen the case after a review of events by government-appointed lawyer Len Doust concluded the guilty verdict may have been a miscarriage of justice.

Environment minister unveils key part of Canadian carbon market

Minister of the Environment Jim Prentice speaks with the media after giving a speech about establishing a carbon market to the Economic Club of Canada in Ottawa on Wednesday. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

The federal government has issued rules for claiming greenhouse gas reductions or "offsets" that will form the basis for a national carbon market.

Environment Minister Jim Prentice unveiled two key draft documents Wednesday related to the offset system at a speech before the Economic Club of Canada in Ottawa.

The documents set out the rules and requirements for generating offset credits that represent emissions reductions and guidelines for checks to ensure those reductions are real and quantifiable.

They provide important details and certainty about the carbon trading system that the government had proposed earlier as part of its climate change plan, Prentice said.

"Canadians can begin to plan for the future, to proceed with confidence, to proceed with a clear understanding of the rules of the road."

Under the government's climate change plan, rules will limit emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. However, emitters will be able exceed the limits if they purchase offset credits to compensate for their excess emissions.

The federal government's greenhouse gas reduction target is a 20 per cent reduction from 2006 emissions by 2020 and a 60 to 70 per cent reduction by 2050.

Market to set carbon price

The offset system is intended to generate real emission reductions, Prentice said.

"It does so by establishing a price for carbon in Canada вЂ" something that has never before been done in this country," he said. In theory, this would make it profitable to generate offsets.

However, the actual price will be set by those who buy and sell the offset credits in the marketplace, Prentice said.

The new rules describe how projects can qualify to earn offset credits, each representing greenhouse gases equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide. Some project examples provided by the government include wind power and the collection and burning of methane from landfills to produce electricity. The verification process is based on international standards.

Both companies and

UN members agree on sanctions resolution against North Korea

A South Korean soldier patrols near the demilitarized zone separating North Korea from the South on Wednesday. South Korea and six members of the UN Security Council have agreed to impose new sanctions on North Korea. (Lee Jae-Won/Reuters)

Key members of the United Nations Security Council agreed Wednesday to impose new sanctions on North Korea to counter a spate of missile tests carried out recently by the country.

The member countries have agreed to the wording of a resolution draft that imposes the sanctions, according to diplomats.

Six members of the council вЂ" Britain, China, France, Russia, United States and Japan вЂ" along with UN member South Korea, will present the draft to the full 15-member Security Council panel for a vote later this week, an unnamed diplomat told the Agence France-Presse news agency. He requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Given the resolution has the backing of the powerful permanent Security Council members, it is unlikely to be voted down by other members.

The draft document was a "very strong" response to North Korea's nuclear test, Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, told reporters after a meeting of the Security Council.

"This sanctions regime, if passed by the Security Council, will bite, and bite in a meaningful way," she said.

Financial restrictions

The resolution urges вЂ" but stops short of requiring вЂ" countries to reduce financial ties with the government in Pyongyang. Security Council nations and international financial institutions are asked "not to enter into new commitments for grants, financial assistance, or concessional loans to [North Korea], except for humanitarian and developmental purposes."

The resolution also calls on member countries not to engage in any financial transactions with North Korea if they believe the money can be put toward nuclear- or missile-related programs.

It denounces North Korea's nuclear and ballistic tests and demands a moratorium on further such activity.

The resolution extends a ban on exports of tanks, artillery and other large arms by North Korea вЂ" only small arms are exempt. That measure would cut off a significant source of revenue to the country, Rice said.

All 192 UN member nations are urged to inspect cargo vessels at sea or airports if they believe the contents may be used to advance Pyongyang's nuclear or ballistic programs.

China, Russia initially reluctant

The resolution comes after two weeks of closed-door meetings between the seven countries on what to do about the North Korea issue.

While the United States and Japan were outspoken in their support of tough new sanctions, China and Russia were less enthusiastic, as they were leery of provoking Pyongyang.

Russia and China both have veto power over any resolutions voted on by the Security Council.

The resulting document, Western diplomats told Reuters, was a watered-down version of what was an initially strict set of measures to be levied against North Korea.

North Korea has been flexing its military muscle in recent months. On Monday, Pyongyang's main Rodong Sinmun newspaper said the country will consider any sanctions a declaration of war and will respond with "due corresponding self-defence measures."

On Tuesday, North Korea said it would use nuclear weapons in a "merciless offensive" if provoked.

North Korean scientists had conducted an underground nuclear test on May 24 that drew swift condemnation from the international community. That was the second test since 2006.

And in April, North Korea tested a long-range rocket over Japan.

North Korea has been under UN sanctions that bar it from nuclear and ballistic activity since its first atomic test in 2006. But those sanctions have been poorly enforced and largely ignored, particularly after North Korea showed a willingness to participate in talks toward disarmament.

North Korea subsequently rejected those talks, which was part of the impetus behind the new resolution.

At least 2 shot at Holocaust Museum in Washington

Law enforcement officers secure the perimeter of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington on Wednesday after at least two people were shot at the museum. (Haraz N. Ghanbari/Associated Press)

At least two people were shot at the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday afternoon.

A man walked into the museum with a long gun and shot a guard at around 12:50 p.m. ET, said Sgt. David Schlosser of the U.S. Park Police, which polices several National Park Service areas. He was unable to say whether the gun was a rifle or a shotgun.

Two other security guards at the museum fired at the shooter, Schlosser told reporters.

Both the shooter and the injured guard were transported to George Washington University Hospital, he said. He didn't know what condition either man was in.

Fire department spokesman Alan Etter told CNN that a third victim suffered minor injuries, likely from flying glass.

Law enforcement officials told NBC News that the suspect in the shooting was 88-year-old James Wenneker Von Brunn, a native of Maryland. Von Brunn is believed to have connections to white supremacist groups.

Several loud pops

Mark Lippert was in the museum when he heard several loud pops and saw several schoolchildren running toward him with horrified looks on their faces. That's when he knew someone had been shot, he said.

His first priority was then to find an emergency exit and get out, he said.

Another witness, who identified herself only as Maria, told CNN she saw the security guard being shot.

"He was face down. His back, I think, was shot, [and] blood was coming out," she said.

Linda Elston, who was visiting the museum, said she was on the lower level watching a film when she and others were told to evacuate.

"It was totally full of people," Elston said. "It took us a while to get out."

Heavy security

The museum was closed after the shooting, and there were no reports of any further injuries, Etter said. Roads surrounding the museum were also closed.

The museum normally has a heavy security presence, with guards positioned both inside and outside. All visitors are required to pass through metal detectors at the entrance, and bags are screened.

Schlosser wasn't able to say whether the shooter had passed through the metal detector.

The museum, located just off the National Mall near the Washington Monument, is a popular tourist attraction that draws about 1.7 million visitors each year

With files from The Associated Press

Sweden may be minus Larsson for World Cup qualifier

Veteran striker Henrik Larsson will probably not play for Sweden in a World Cup qualifier against Malta next week because of the sudden death of a close relative on Saturday.

The 37-year-old Larsson, who played his 105th international when Sweden lost 1-0 Saturday to Group 1 leader Denmark, was notified in the dressing room and left the Swedish squad to join his family.

If Larsson wants to play Wednesday, he's welcome to do so, Swedish team officials said.

"He is experienced enough to make his own decision," said Swedish team official Lars Richt.

Sweden coach Lars Lagerback gave no firm answer.

"I don't know," he said at a press conference Sunday. "We have decided to play for 'Henke' on Wednesday. I'm sure he will appreciate that. We're going to take three points so we're back in the race again."

Lagerback called up striker Tobias Hysen on Sunday, the leading goal scorer in the Swedish firs

Federer wins 1st French Open title, makes history

Roger Federer reacts to his first French Open win on Sunday. (Michel Euler/Associated Press)

Roger Federer has made tennis history.

The Swiss star beat Robin Soderling in straight sets to win his first French Open on Sunday, becoming only the sixth man to win all four major events, and tying Pete Sampras's record for the most Grand Slam titles ever.

Federer beat Soderling, the No. 23-seed, 6-1, 7-6, 6-4, before a roaring crowd. An emotional Federer fell to his knees when he won the match and shed tears as the anthem played after he was presented with the championship trophy.

He joins Sampras in the record books with 14 career Grand Slam titles.

Sweden's Soderling enjoyed a surprising run at Roland Garros en route to the first Grand Slam final of his career. The 24-year-old handed No. 1 seed and four-time defending champion Rafael Nadal his first career loss at the French Open in the fourth round.

Soderling puts up a fight

It was Nadal who beat Federer the last three years in the French final.

Soderling's run came to a halt on Sunday, though not without a fight.

Federer dominated the first set, breaking Soderling's serve three times, but the Swede rallied back in the second to force a tiebreak. Federer gave up only one point in the tiebreaker to take the set.

Soderling kept it close in the third set, forcing a break point on Federer's serve when he led 5-4, but Federer rallied back to take the match.

A grinning Federer was presented with the championship cup by American Andre Agassi, the last man to complete a career Grand Slam.

Agassi did it in Paris 10 years ago, joining Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Don Budge and Fred Perry as the only players to win all four titles. The esteemed list now includes Federer.

2nd set interruption

The match was interrupted early in the second set when a man with a red Barcelona soccer team flag ran on the court and tried to put a red hat on Federer's head.

Federer pushed him aside, and soon after, security guards caught and removed the man from the court.

Security guards checked to make sure Federer was OK and Soderling queried with a thumbs-up to double-check before continuing with his serve.

Nadal remains the only man to beat Sampras in a Grand Slam final, a feat he's accomplished five times. The Spaniard was the only man keeping Federer from completing the Grand Slam career sweep.

Soderling is now 0-10 lifetime against Federer and has won only one set against him.

Federer is two months shy of his 28th birthday. At that age, Sampras had won 11 titles.

The French Open was Federer's 19th appearance in a Grand Slam final, all in the last six years.

He's won two of the last three, capturing the U.S. Open nine months ago with a victory over Scotland's Andy Murray in the final.

Shootout kills 15 gunmen, 1 soldier in Acapulco

Fifteen gunmen and one soldier were killed during a gun battle in Acapulco's tourist zone early Sunday, the Mexican military said.

The two-hour shootout began after military forces arrived at a house in the popular tourist area to investigate a tip that armed men were inside.

An army colonel at the scene told The Associated Press that gunmen opened fire with assault riles and threw about 50 grenades at soldiers.

Four Guerrero state police officers were later found inside the house. The colonel said gunmen had been holding them hostage.

With files from The Associated Press

Diabetes drug may help fight cancer, mouse study suggests

A commonly prescribed diabetes drug also has the potential to boost the immune system's response to cancer treatments, Canadian and American researchers have found.

In studies on mice published in Wednesday's issue of the journal Nature, Prof. Yongwon Choi, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and his colleagues found the drug metformin increases the effectiveness of an experimental anti-cancer vaccine.

'I like to think of it as an immune system booster.'вЂ" Prof. Russell Jones

Cancer and diabetes may seem quite different, but researchers are uncovering common metabolic pathways in both diseases.

Cancer vaccines aim to treat the disease rather than prevent it, by priming the immune system to recognize cancerous cells as a threat before they grow out of control.

The challenge of cancer vaccines is to get the immune system to recognize the threat posed by cancer cells and mount enough of a response to eliminate the tumour, said study co-author Russell Jones, a professor at McGill University's Goodman Cancer Centre in Montreal.

The team said they serendipitously discovered that the immune system's specialized white blood cells known as CD 8 T-cells switch from burning glucose to fatty acids following infection.

"While I definitely would stop short of saying, 'Let's take it as a prophylactic therapy' [for cancer], because I think it's more complex than that, it certainly gives hope," said Jones, who also works in McGill's pathology department.

"Essentially, I like to think of it as an immune system booster."

Causing the cells to switch to burning fatty acids using the anti-diabetes drug metformin enhanced the immunological memory of CD 8 T-cells in mice, and significantly improved how well an experimental vaccine worked against an aggressive tumour, the researchers found.

Traditionally, immunological memory is important for mounting a speedy response to bacteria or viruses after a vaccine primes the immune system to recognize the threat.

Tricking cells

Metformin is known to bring down blood sugar levels by mimicking starvation.

In the experiments, mice engineered to lack immunological memory were unable to switch from using glucose as a fuel source to using fatty acids.

Giving metformin "tricked" the T-cells into thinking they were starved, and restored their immunological memory, Jones explained.

The immunological memory of normal mice also improved.

The findings are potentially extremely important for both therapeutic and preventive vaccines, the researchers said.

The study's first author, postdoctoral fellow Erika Pearce of the University of Pennsylvania, now plans to test the immune boosting approach in humans, to determine the best time and approach to deliver it.

Pessimism about finding Air France black boxes grows, mourners gather

Members of Brazil's military search for debris from an Air France jet over the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday. Rescuers have still found no signs of life, but have spotted debris, including an airplane seat, a fuel slick, an orange lifevest and pieces of white debris. (AP Photo/Brazil Defence Ministry)

Hundreds of mourners gathered at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Wednesday to remember the victims of the crashed Air France Flight 477, as investigators announced there was little optimism that the black boxes would ever be found.

Families of the 228 people aboard the Airbus A330 when it fell off the radar screens on Sunday night en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris attended the private ceremony with officials from Air France and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

As the mourners gathered on one side of the Atlantic Ocean, Brazilian officials announced search planes have found a debris field that includes what appears to be a seven-metre piece of the plane.

Search planes had spotted a five-kilometre trail of wreckage вЂ" including an orange life-vest, a small white piece of metal and what is believed to be an airliner seat вЂ" on Tuesday more than 640 kilometres northeast of the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, off Brazil's coast.

People enter Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris for an ecumenical church service for relatives and families of the passengers of Air France's flight 447. (Bob Edme/Associated Press)

The latest wreckage, which was spotted about 90 km south of the other debris field, contains about 10 metal objects and an oil slick that has spread about 20 km, said Brazilian air force Col. Jorge Amaral.

Officials have said there are no signs of survivors or the remains of passengers.

Bells toll 228 times

The bells at Notre Dame tolled 228 times for the 216 passengers and 12 crew on Flight 447.

Among the passengers were vacationers, newlyweds, a group of business people returning from a trip they'd been sent on as a reward for their work, an 11-year-old boy returning to England alone, and Brad Clemes, 49, a Coca-Cola executive who was born and raised in Guelph, Ont., and lived in Belgium.

President Nicolas Sarkozy met with the families privately following the memorial to provide them with an update on the investigation.

Sarkozy has reportedly told the families that arrangements will be made so they can fly over the debris field if that is something they feel they need to do for closure.

Brazil is taking the lead in the search for wreckage while France will take charge of the crash investigation.

No signals from black boxes detected

The French investigators provided their first update on the investigation at a press conference at an airport north of Paris on Wednesday.

A slick that is believed to be from the fuel of Air France Flight 447 is seen from the window of a Brazilian air force plane patrolling the crash area in the Atlantic Ocean roughly 1,200 km northeast of Recife on Tuesday. (Reuters/Brazilian Air Force/Handout)

Paul-Louis Arslanian, head of France's accident investigation agency, said he is not optimistic the black boxes from the plane will ever be found.

Finding the black boxes, which are likely under thousands of metres of water on the mountainous ocean floor, will require searchers to narrow their efforts to a very limited range, Arslanian said.

Planes searching the suspected crash site have not picked up any signals from the black boxes, which are designed to transmit at a low frequency for up to 30 days, he added.

"We may be unable to find the black boxes due to circumstance and logistics," he said.

Aviation experts have said black boxes are virtually indestructible and designed to withstand a high impact crash and underwater pressure.

But Arslanian warned that even if they are recovered, investigators may find the data is useless to the investigation or has been destroyed.

Early Wednesday, French military officials said that there was no doubt the wreckage was the remains of the missing plane.

Investigators have not yet formed an opinion on whether the plane broke up in the air or on impact with the ocean, Arslanian said.

Air France said it received a bomb threat for a flight between Buenos Aires and Paris on May 27, but a check of the aircraft proved negative and the flight proceeded.

France's Defence Ministry said there are no signs so far of terrorism in connection with the tragedy.

Debris from Air France Flight 447 has been found about 650 kilometres northeast of the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha. (CBC)

A full investigation will be conducted even if the black boxes are not found, he said. It's unclear how long the process would take.

Investigators are studying the four-year-old jetliner's maintenance records and there are no indications it had any problems before takeoff, said Arslanian.

It is also not yet clear if the chief pilot on the flight was at the controls when the plane crashed into the ocean, he added. Pilots on long-haul flights often take turns at the controls to remain alert.

Preliminary report by month's end

The accident agency will submit a preliminary report by the end of June, said Alain Bouillard, who is leading the probe.

French military spokesman Christophe Prazuck said France is moving the mission to recover the wreckage into a naval operation, which will include submarines to find the plane's two black boxes.

Some experts have said the remote area of the ocean, its depth and the weather in the region at this time of year could make the recovery effort one of the most difficult since the exploration of the sunken Titanic.

In addition to French military aircraft that are patrolling the area, France has dispatched a research ship equipped with unmanned submarines that can reach a depth of 6,000 metres. The submersibles will be used to recover wreckage settling beneath the ocean's surface.

Four Brazilian navy ships carrying recovery equipment an

Loonie tumbles more than two cents while stocks sell off

The Canadian dollar gave back more than two cents on Wednesday while North American stock markets came under selling pressure.

Lower prices for oil, coupled with some weaker-than-expected U.S. economic data, were factors in the drop in equities.

At 1:27 p.m. ET, the dollar was down 2.15 cents at 90.36 cents US.

The loonie's drop coincided with a retreat in the price of oil. In trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, light sweet crude oil for July was down $2.86 a barrel at $65.69 US. The drop came after the U.S. Energy Information Administration,