National News

Murder charges against top CFB Trenton officer leave military community reeling
BELLEVILLE, Ont. - The Canadian military was rocked to its core Monday following the bombshell allegation that the colonel in command of the country's largest air force base had killed two women and sexually assaulted two others. Col. Russell Williams, a 46-year-old career member of the Canadian Forces, was charged Monday with first-degree murder in the deaths of Jessica Lloyd, 27, of Belleville, and Marie France Comeau, a 38-year-old corporal with CFB Trenton's 437 squadron who was killed last November.
      

Murder suspect Williams flew Governor General, prime minister aboard Challenger
The officer charged in the deaths of two Ontario women was pilot to VIPs including the prime minister and Governor General before he was handed command of the country's largest air force base. Col. Russell Williams, 46, of Tweed, Ont., was arrested Sunday in Ottawa. He was charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of two women and with the sexual assaults of two others.
      

Prime minister meets with business leaders, Alberta caucus in Calgary
CALGARY - Energy and economic recovery topped the agenda when Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with Calgary business leaders Monday ahead of the federal budget. Harper projected optimism in a short statement he made for reporters before closing the doors on the meeting.
      

IOC president Jacques Rogge says he is confident about Cypress snow at Vancouver Games
VANCOUVER, B.C. - The president of the International Olympic Committee will begin each day during the Winter Olympics with two things. A cup of coffee and the weather forecast. But Jacques Rogge said Monday that while it's clear there's no carpet of snow covering the city, there is no danger to the freestyle skiing and snowboarding competitions at Cypress Mountain.
      

Commercial airing in D.C. during Olympics stresses Canada-U.S. ties
WASHINGTON - A 30-second commercial lauding the close ties between Canada and the U.S. will air on Washington's NBC affiliate dozens of times during the upcoming Vancouver Winter Games. The organization behind the ad, the Canadian American Business Council, says it marks the first time such a commercial has aired "inside the Beltway" - in other words, to an audience of powerful movers and shakers - during such a significant, avidly watched event.
      

Torch relay arrives in Surrey, where Nigerian-born Igali will light cauldron
SURREY, B.C. - The Olympic torch relay made its way Monday through the Vancouver-area community of Surrey, home to one of the largest Indo-Canadian populations in the country, as it enters the final days of its coast-to-coast tour of Canada. The torch is now in the Lower Mainland as the relay approaches Friday's opening ceremonies in Vancouver.
      

Man who set record for longest-ever stay in space by Canadian gets degree
CALGARY - A Canadian astronaut who was granted an honorary degree from the University of Calgary while orbiting in space now has a hard-copy version to the show the world. Bob Thirsk, who spent six months aboard the International Space Station last year, returned to the university to receive his diploma after it was granted to him in a special ceremony last July. Thirsk says it's great to be back on Earth but he still misses his time in space "flying around like Superman."
      

Oda urges 'one final effort' for Haiti as public donations eclipse $113m
OTTAWA - Ordinary Canadians have donated $113 million to non-governmental agencies involved in Haitian earthquake relief - and counting. "This amazing response reflects the true values held by Canadians," International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda said Monday.
      

Albertans brace for $2B "fiscal correction" in new provincial budget
EDMONTON - Alberta's Conservative government will attempt to bail the province out of a record deficit Tuesday with a new tight-fisted budget. But with the most volatile revenue flow in all of Canada, Alberta could end up being swamped by a drop in energy prices or an expected boost in the dollar.
      

Trial begins for two men charged with murder in boxing Day shooting in Toronto
TORONTO - The third and likely final trial in the Boxing Day shooting death of Jane Creba began Monday in Toronto, with two men pleading not guilty to all charges against them. Creba, 15, was shot and killed while shopping with her family on Dec. 26, 2005. Six bystanders were also wounded.
      

Estimates of Olympic protests increase as Vancouver Games approach
VANCOUVER, B.C. - Police are expecting large crowds of protesters to mark the start of the Winter Games later this week, but international Olympic officials say they're not concerned the demonstrations will pose any serious problems. Anti-Olympic groups are planning a large event in downtown Vancouver to coincide with Friday's opening ceremonies, and others are expected to follow throughout the ensuing 16 days of the Games.
      

McGuinty shrugs off accusations of vote-buying with Nortel pension guarantee
OTTAWA - It's up to voters to decide whether the Ontario Liberals are trying to buy votes in an upcoming Ottawa byelection by providing an estimated $200 million to help Nortel pensioners or just doing the right thing, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Monday. "I have a tremendous amount of confidence in voters to draw whatever conclusions they feel are fair and to make their decisions accordingly," he said.
      

Hamilton, Ont. man among five people killed in an explosion at a Conn. power plant
HAMILTON, Ont. - U.S. authorities say a Canadian is among five people killed in an explosion at a power plant under construction in Middletown, Conn.. The powerful explosion blew apart large swaths of the nearly completed 620-megawatt Kleen Energy plant as workers were purging a gas line Sunday morning. Roy Rushton of Hamilton, Ont., was killed in the explosion, along with Peter Chetulis of Thomaston, Conn.; Ronald Crabb of Colchester, Conn.; Raymond Dobratz of Old Saybrook, Conn., and Chris Walters of Florissant, Mo.
      

NHL Players' Association helps to replace equipment lost in Sask arena fire
KINDERSLEY, Sask. - Memories of the intense cold, the camaraderie and the scratchy old public address system came flooding back to pro hockey player Steve MacIntyre when he heard last month that the old arena in Kindersley, Sask., where he used to play, had burned down. MacIntyre, 29, who has played in the NHL and is currently with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League, grew up on a farm near Brock, Sask., but spent much of his spare time playing midget hockey in the old arena, which he affectionately refers to as "the barn."
      

Ottawa pulls funding for embattled First Nations University of Canada
REGINA - Some say the federal government's decision to pull funding from the First Nations University of Canada over ongoing concerns with finances and governance will be the "nail in the coffin" for the school. Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl said Monday his department won't renew about $7.3 million to the Regina-based institution effective March 31.
      

N.S. premier says he will bring legislation to boost spending controls
HALIFAX, N.S. - Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter says he will introduce legislation intended to strengthen spending controls following a probe that concluded members from all three main parties inappropriately and excessively used public money. In his first public remarks since the spending scandal erupted last week, Dexter admitted he bought a $2,150 digital camera and two laptops for $5,501 - expenses that the province's auditor general flagged in a report as excessive.
      

Conference Board says new heart health strategy could save billions of dollars
OTTAWA - A national plan to promote healthier living and reduce heart disease and strokes could save the country $76 billion between now and 2020 - if it meets just some of its targets - a new report says. The Conference Board of Canada analysed the potential savings of a heart health plan put together last year by a coalition of groups, including the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
      

N.B. man says he's banned from Tim Hortons because of complaints about coffee
ST. ANDREWS, N.B. - A tempest in a Tim Hortons decaf cup is brewing in New Brunswick. Jimmy Craig said Monday he's been banned from two Tim Hortons outlets in the province because of his complaints about the decaf, but the company said it made the decision after he became aggressive with staff.
      

Guidelines could cut unnecessary CT scans for kids with head injury: study
TORONTO - A team of researchers from pediatric institutions across Canada has developed a set of rules to help doctors decide whether a child with a minor head injury should receive a CT scan. The seven clinical signs - dubbed the CATCH rules - are derived from a study of almost 3,900 children aged 16 and under, who were examined at 10 Canadian pediatric teaching hospitals after suffering a minor head trauma.
      

Ontario government to launch $1.6M ad campaign on tax changes, including HST
OTTAWA - Ontario's controversial move to harmonize sales taxes will be part of a new $1.6-million government ad campaign that's poised to hit newsstands on Thursday. The print ads, which highlight an income tax cut that took effect Jan. 1, will invite readers to "take a closer look at Ontario's new tax package" by visiting a government website.