SOS sent for Canadian journalist in Iran
Canadian astronaut delayed again
Canadian nickel miners throw down tools
TORONTO: OPPOSITION WANTS HELP FOR CANADIAN JOURNALIST IN IRAN
The leader of the Canada's federal opposition New Democratic Party, Jack Layton, is appealing to the government for help in arranging the release of Maziar Bahari, a Canadian of Iranian origin who is being held in prison in Iran. Mr. Bahari was arrested last month in Tehran while he was reporting on post-election violence for the American weekly magazine Newsweek. At least 24 journalists are known to have been detained. Two weeks after Mr. Bahari's arrest, Canada's foreign affairs minister, Lawrence Cannon, filed a formal protest. Mr. Cannon had also met with the Iranian chargé d'affaires the day after Mr. Bahari's arrest. Mr. Layton calls the delay in filing a protest unacceptable and wants Canada's government to take immediate action to secure Mr. Bahari's release.
CAPE CANAVERAL: SHUTTLE FLIGHT AGAIN DELAYED
The launch of the U.S .space shuttle Endeavour was delayed for the fourth time on Sunday, again due to local thunderstorm activity near Cape Canaveral, FL. The launch was rescheduled for Monday. The shuttle's seven-person crew, including Canadian Julie Payette, will go on a 16-day mission to the international space station. Miss Payette will join her Canadian colleague, Bob Thirsk, at the space station. It will be the first time that two Canadian astronauts are in space at the same time.
OTTAWA: QUEEN RETURNS TO CANADA
The Queen will visit Canada next year. The British monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh will come sometime during the summer. Their itinerary has still to be announced. The Queen last visited Canada in 2005, when she toured the Prairie provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta during their centennial years. Her son, Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, are planning an extensive visit to Canada in November. Meanwhile, the Queen has bestowed Britain's Order of Merit on former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. The honour is conferred on individuals of distinction in the arts, learning, sciences and public service. Mr. Chrétien served as prime minister from 1993 to 2003.
ST. JOHN'S: SHRIMP FISHERY REOPENS
Newfoundland and Labrador's shrimp fishery will reopen after the fishermen's union and seafood processors reached an agreement on the price of shrimp. Processors stopped production almost two months ago, saying that the high Canadian dollar and dwindling global demand made it unprofitable. The stopped left shrimp fishing boats tied up at wharves and 2,000 plant employees out of work. The union says agreement was reached that fishermen will be paid 42 cents a pound for their catch. The province is a major supplier of cold-water shrimp.
PAKISTAN
Pakistan's government has begun the process of returning about two million people to their homes after they were displaced two months ago by the army's assault on Taliban militants in the Swat Valley. The exodus from Swat was one of the biggest human migrations in recent times and led to a global appeal for humanitarian help. Pakistani officials say people are allowed to return home because the army has pushed Taliban rebels out. The army launched the offensive in April after militants took over a district just 100 kilometres from Islamabad raising fears for Pakistan's stability.
RUSSIA
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev paid his first visit to South Ossetia. He had a meeting in the region's capital Tskhinvali with its leader, Eduard Kokoity. Russia fought a five-day war against Georgia last August after the Georgian military attempted to wrest back control of the breakaway territory. Russia subsequently recognized South Ossetia's declaration of independence. The Georgian government denounced Mr. Medvedev's visit as a provocation. The mountainous Caucasus region is only recognized as an independent state by Moscow and Nicaragua. It remains a major sticking point in relations between Russia and the West.
NORTH KOREA
North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-il, is said to have cancer of the pancreas and does not have long to live. South Korean media cited information gathered from Chinese and South Korean intelligence sources. The 67-year-old Mr. Kim has not been seen in public often in the past year, leading to speculation that he was in ill health. Mr. Kim took power in 1994, when his father died at the age of 82. His youngest son Kim Jong-un is regarded as the most capable of Mr. Kim's three known sons.
LIBERIA
Lawyers defending former Liberian leader Charles Taylor began their defence arguments at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Mr. Taylor will testify in his own defence on Tuesday. He's the first African head of state to be tried by an international court. Mr. Taylor is accused of 11 crimes including murder, torture, using child soldiers and rape. The prosecution has sought to prove he led rebels to gain influence in neighbouring Sierra Leone to steal its mineral wealth. During a year of testimony, the court heard from witnesses, some of them missing their hands, who testified about atrocities committed during Sierra Leone's 11-year civil war that ended in 2002. Mr. Taylor's lawyers argue that he should be found guilty merely out of disgust with atrocities committed by others.
SUDBURY: NICKEL MINERS STRIKE
About 3,100 workers went on strike Monday at one of Canada's biggest nickel mines. The workers at Vale-Inco Nickel mine in Sudbury, ON, rejected the company's latest contract offer by a margin of 85 per cent on Saturday. Sudbury's operations produce 10 per cent of the world's nickel supply. A long labour strike could lead to higher nickel prices.
MONTREAL: AIR CANADA PILOTS, ATTENDANT OKAY LABOUR PACT
Members of the labour unions representing Air Canada's pilots and flight attendants have voted to ratify contractual arrangements which the employer says are crucial if it's to avoid going back into bankruptcy protection. The tentative agreements call for a 21-month extension of existing contracts, thus freezing wages, pensions and benefits at current levels. The union representing thousands of repair crews and baggage handlers rejected the deal but will vote on it again, the results being known on Wednesday. Under the various labour agreements, the airline's unions receive a 15-per cent stake in the company and a seat on the board of directors. In exchange, the unions would consent to a moratorium on pension payments.
BERLIN: MAGNA HAS NEW RIVAL FOR OPEL
Holding company RHJ International SA has entered the competition for ownership of German automaker Opel. The Brussels-based investor says talks regarding Opel with General Motors Corp. have been taking place for several weeks and are at "an advanced stage." The company didn't specify how big a stake it wants. Canadian auto parts giant Magna International Inc. and Sberbank of Russia have a tentative accord to take a majority share of Opel but German officials have stressed that that agreement is preliminary and that other players remain in the game. Last week, China's Beijing Automotive Industry Corp. put in a bid for Opel. Fiat Group SpA of Italy has dropped its official bid but says it remains interested.
TORONTO: TIM HORTONS EXPANDS IN BIG APPLE
The Tim Hortons coffee shop chain will open 15 new shops in New York City this month and next. Some of the stores will be located at such landmarks as Broadway, Times Square and Madison Square Garden. Tim Hortons has 3,500 stores across North America, most of them in Canada.
BASEBALL
Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay has officially
been named the American League starter for Tuesday's all-star game.
Major League Baseball made the announcement today in St. Louis.
The honour is well-deserved for Halladay, who is 10-3 with a 2.85
earned-run average in 17 games this season.
This is his sixth all-star game selection and he's pitched in
three of them so far.
Weather
British Columbia on Tuesday: mix sun cloud, high 21 Celsius Vancouver. Yukon, Northwest Territories: sun. Nunavut; rain. Whitehorse 26, Yellowknife 21, Iqaluit 10. Prairies: rain. Edmonton 16, Regina, Winnipeg 19. Ontario: sun south, rain north. Quebec: sun. Toronto 25, Ottawa 20, Montreal 19. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia: sun. Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador. Fredericton 20, Halifax, Charlottetown 22, St. John's 23.
