CBC News: The National - March 25th, 2010

1. Headline: Price Charles goes to Afghanistan

Prince Charles headed to Afghanistan to show his support this past week. Charles spent his time talking to British troops and meeting Afghan civilians. Charles also commented on what it was like to have his own son, Harry, serve overseas. The trip was kept under wraps until after he left.

2. Headline: Democratic Backlash

Since the recent adoption of health care by the Obama Administration, Democrats are receiving threatening phone calls regarding the new health care system. All threats and incidents are taken seriously and are being investigated by the FBI, U.S. Capitol Police and other law enforcement agencies to identify and bring to justice those responsible.

3. Headline: Robert Pickton to Stand Trial Again?

Lawyers for Robert Pickton are making a case for a new trail at the Supreme Court of Canada. The British Columbia native who was convicted of killing 6 woman, Pickton is currently serving a life sentence with no change of parol. It is unknown at this point whether Pickton will face a trial again.

4. Headline: NHL Adopts a New Rule

NHL members and it's players union have moved quickly to adopt a rule on blind side hits. After a series of ugly hits, the NHL deemed this new rule a priority and will be in effect as of today.

CBC News: The National - March 24th, 2010

1. Headline: Baby Slings Recalled

Over a million baby slings are being recalled in the U.S, 15,000 in Canada. The U.S consumer product safety commission says babies could suffocate in the soft fabric slings made by Infantino. Linked to three infant deaths, these slings should be returned immediately.

2. Headline: Victoria Police Exposed

A you tube video filmed by a student in downtown Victoria was released showing the Victoria Police using excessive, perhaps unnecessary force. Seen kicking a young man several times, the situation look quite out of control. 6 men were detained according to police and were released later on the night.

3. Headline: Volcano Eruption in Iceland

After 200 years of in-activeness, a large volcano erupted in Iceland. The large eruption forced 500 people to temporarily clear out of there homes. No injuries have been reported and the citizens are now back in there homes however their is concern that a second eruption will occur.

4. Headline: A Fire Truck hit by a Train



Detroit's Fire Department is trying to figure out what one of their trucks was doing driving across a train track. As the video shows, the fire truck being hit buy an Amtrack train, no serious injuries occurred. The firemen were apparently responding to a car accident call nearby.

BBC News - March 25th, 2010

1. Headline: Pope accused of failing to act on sex abuse case

During the 1990s, Pope Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Ratzinger, failed to act over complaints about a priest who is thought to have abused over 200 deaf boys. Ratzinger, then head of the Vatican office dealing with sex abuses, did not respond to letters from an archbishop regarding the case. The Pope issued a letter last week to Ireland addressing the 16 years of clerical cover-up scandals, but has yet to comment on his handling of a child sex abuse case involving a German priest.

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2. Headline: Deal reached over Greece debts at Brussels summit

16 European countries have agreed to help debt-laden Greece. The financing plan will total up to 22 billion euros, using co-ordinated bilateral loans. The President of the European Council, Herman Van Romput, said the deal was important, "not just for Greece, but for the stability of the eurozone". However, some European countries, including Germany, are fiercely opposed to the bail-out, as Greece’s debt is almost 300 billion euros.

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3. Headline: Dutch coffee shop fined 10m euros for breaking drug law

The owner of a coffee shop in Terneuzen, Netherlands, has been fined 10 million euros by Dutch courts for breaking drug laws. Checkpoint coffee shop is the biggest cannabis-selling coffee shop in the Netherlands, serving up to 3,000 people a day before being closed last year. Owner Meddie Willemsen, was sentenced to a 16-week prison term after being convicted of keeping more than the maximum tolerated amount of 500g of marijuana at the café. On a couple of occasions, police found 200 kg of cannabis when they raided the coffee shop.

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4. Headline: 'Osama Bin Laden threatens retaliation over 9/11 trial'

Al-Jazeera news channel has broadcast an audiotape said to be from Osama Bin Laden, threatening to kill Americans if the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, is executed by the United States. Prosecutors are expected to seek the death penalty for Mohammed, who has admitted being fully responsible for the terrorist attacks, and four other suspects. In the tape broadcast, the supposed Bin Laden said, "The White House has declared its wish to execute (Mr. Mohammed and the other suspects). The day the United States takes such a decision, it would be also taking the decision that any of you falling into our hands will be executed."

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The Globe and Mail - March 25th, 2010

1. Headline: Euro zone agrees on Greek bailout

16 countries that use the Euro currency have agreed to step in and help Greece’s debt woes. The aim of the deal would be a serious blow to the value of the Euro, one of such high impact that most economists think European governments would have to step in and stop it somehow. Upon news that a financial rescue package for Greece was taking shape, European and U.S. stock markets went up on Thursday.

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2. Headline: Pelosi condemns threats against Congress members

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has condemned vandalism and threats against members of Congress in Washington. At least four Democratic offices in New York, Arizona and Kansas have been struck by extremist vandals against the new overhaul of the U.S. health care system. At least 10 members of Congress have reported threats, though no arrests have been made as of yet. Pelosi said it is “important for us to be able to express ourselves freely, not to diminish that in any way, but also to hit a standard that says some of the actions… must be rejected.”

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3. Headline: New arms pact cuts nuclear arsenal of U.S. and Russia by a third

US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will sign a new arms pact next month in Prague. The deal will slash Russia and the United States’ nuclear arsenals by about a third, leaving each country roughly 1,500 warheads. The level, which is still more than enough warhead to “wage global Armageddon” – is expected to be reached in five to seven years. This agreement gives some credence to Obama’s peace pledge made last spring, where he declared he sought “the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.”

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4. Headline: Mexico arrests ‘King of Heroin’

JosMexican police have arrested the drug trafficker allegedly responsible for transporting hundreds of pounds of heroin into South California each year. The so-called “King of Heroin”, Jose Antonio Medina (nickname “Don Pepe”) ran a complex smuggling operation that ran 200 kilograms of heroin each month across the Mexican border. The majority of heroin trade has recently shifted from Columbia to Mexico, where nearly 17,900 people have died in drug-related violence since 2006, and the lucrative business is estimated to bring $25 billion into Mexico each year.

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The Globe and Mail - March 24th, 2010

1. Headline: New Brunswick kills controversial power deal with Hydro-Québec

Shawn Graham, New Brunswick Premier, has pulled out of the unpopular plan to sell much of New Brunswick’s power generation to Hydro Quebec, costing the province $3.2 billion. Graham insists he initially believed in the deal, though it is speculated he is ridding himself of a political millstone before September provincial elections. Mr. Graham pulled the plug on the deal after meting with Quebec Premier Jean Charest. Hydro Quebec cited more risks than it was willing to take, and so New Brunswick Power will remain a New Brunswick-owned Crown corporation.

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2. Headline: Irish bishop resigns in Catholic sex abuse scandal

The Vatican has confirmed Pope Benedict XVI’s acceptance of Bishop John Magee’s resignation. The 73-year-old Irish Bishop, who served as secretary to Popes Paul VI, John Paul I and John Paul II, has been accused of mishandling child sex abuse complaints against priests in his diocese of Cloyne. Investigations have found that Magee appeared to have obstructed investigations about child sex abuse allegations against two priests since 1995. The Pope has apologized for decades of abuse, yet has taken no action against bishops blamed for cover-ups.

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3. Headline: Departure of Canadian Forces hampers Jacmel’s reconstruction

At the end of their two-month relief mission, Canadian Forces have dismantled their camps and pulled out of Jacmel, Haiti. Canada’s soldiers are being criticized for destabilizing aid efforts by taking the fleet of heavy lift machinery, delivered to Jacmel after the earthquake, back to Canada. This makes receiving large shipments at the airport difficult, if even possible. Canadian troops also abandoned stations set up at the Jacmel seaport, leaving the port “not secure at all”.

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4. Headline: U.K. election budget charts path out of spiralling deficit

Britain’s Labour government has announced a 2010 budget that promises a £2.5 billion package to boost growth, higher taxes for high-income groups and less borrowing. Finance Chancellor Alistair Darling is confident England’s economy has improved under Labour government, saying “the recovery has begun, unemployment is falling and borrowing is better than expected.” However, the Conservatives argue the plan is too late and the economy is too fragile. Conservative leader David Cameron has responded, “[Labour government] are just going to carry on spending, carry on borrowing and carry on failing. The biggest risk to our recovery is five more years of this prime minister”.

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BBC News - March 24th, 2010

1. Headline: Saudi Arabia detains dozens of 'al-Qaeda militants'

58 Saudis and 55 foreigners have been arrested for planning to target oil facilities and security forces in Saudi Arabia. The groups have been linked to al-Queda, and specialized in targeting security personnel. The terrorist cells were formed in January 2009 by a merger between two regional offshoots of the Islamist militant network in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The group aims to topple the Yemeni government, Saudi monarchy, and establish an Islamic caliphate.

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2. Headline: Pope accepts resignation of Irish bishop John Magee

The Pope has accepted the resignation of Bishop John Magee, after his mishandling of allegations of sex abuse. The Irish bishop failed to act effectively to limit access to children by individuals who had a credible complaint of child sex abuse against them in his County Cork diocese. In 2008, the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland filed a report that Magee had not responded appropriately to abuse claims.

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3. Headline: US and Pakistan promise to improve ties after mistrust

In hopes to start a new partnership, the US and Pakistan are making efforts to overcome “years of misunderstandings”. US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to discuss military aid, debts owed, and nuclear issues between the two countries. Both parties are positive with progress made thus far, and are holding a week-long “strategic dialogue”.

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4. Headline: Budget 2010: Darling draws election battle lines

UK Finance Chancellor Alistair Darling has set out his 2010 Budget. Darling urged voters not to desert Labour, as the government had been “right about the recovery” and cut the year’s £178bn deficit by £11bn. However, Conservative and opposition party leader David Cameron accused Darling of stealing Tory policies on taxing, and warned voters the biggest threat to the economy would be to have PM Gordon Brown carry on as leader for the next five years. BBC Economics Editor Stephanie Flanders summed up Mr Darling's message as "it's bad, but not as bad as we thought - and not nearly as bad as it would have been under the Conservatives".

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New York Times - March 24th, 2010

1. Headline: Warned about Abuse, Vatican Failed to Defrock Priest

Rev. Lawrence C. Murphy worked at St. Johns School for the Deaf in Wisconsin from 1950 - 1974. In that time, Reverend Murphy molested approximately 200 boys. Top Vatican officials, choose not to defrock Rev. Lawrence C. Murphy. One of thousands of this type of case has been ignored and is currently being ignored by Vatican officials, including the future Pope Benedict XVI.

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2. Headline: Mobs Are Born as Word Grows By Text Message

Beginning as a form of social art, text messaging mobs have become much more dangerous than group pillow fights and impromptu dance parties. Known as "Flash Mobs" young teenagers in the Philadelphia area have been using social media to join together and cause riots. Breaking into stores, bullying and physical violence have all occurred in what was described by a local as "A tsunami of kids". What once started out as an innocent social experiment, this problem is currently under investigation and is being taken very seriously.

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3. Headline: Reading Scores Lagging Compared with Math

A 17 year trend, Children reading levels are much lower than the should be. However, according to Mark Shiender, VP at the American Institute of Research, "The nation has done a really good job improving math skills. So why are the reading skills so low? According to English expert Susan Pimental the children are not be asked to read nearly enough.

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4. Headline: Social Securty Payout to Exceed Revenue This Year

Not expected to occur until 2016, Social Security will pay out more in benefits than it recieves in payroll. This is only a preliminary conclusion as the Social Security Administration is expected to issue its own numbers for the current year within the annual report from its board of trustees within the next few weeks. Politicians are concerned with the long term costs involing Social Security who are already struggling with the nations debt.
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The Globe and Mail - 23rd March, 2010

1. Headline: Obama signs U.S. health-care overhaul into law

Today US President Obama signed a historic $938 billion hearth care bill that will extend to 32 million uninsured Americans and ban insurance company practices like denying coverage to people with medical problems. However, not everyone is on board. Not a single Republican voted in favour of the 10-year bill, deeming the law unconstitutional.

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2. Headline: Israeli PM gets chance to mend fences with U.S.

After a rocky meeting with U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden this month, hopes were high that US President Obama would do better with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington. The relations between the US and Israel, though longtime allies, have rarely been worse. Though the main quarrel is regarding Israel's refusal to stop expanding settlements in Jerusalem, Netanyahu and Obama must patch up their differences. Both agree Iran developing nuclear weapons is a much bigger threat, and are focussed on discouraging the country's nuclear development.

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3. Headline: Britain expels Israeli diplomat over Dubai case

Britain has expelled an unnamed Israeli diplomat, due to the alleged use of 12 forged U.K. passports in the assassination of a Hamas operative. Though Israel has declined to comment, UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband says Israel is responsible for the slaying of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh on Jan 20 in Dubai. Miliband stated that Britain will continue to support Israel's bid for security and stability, though Israel has put British nationals at risk and showed a "profound disregard" for Britain's sovereignty.

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4. Headline: Ann Coulter’s speech in Ottawa cancelled

Right-wing "antagonist" Ann Coulter was forced to cancel a University of Ottawa address last night after organizers feared her appearance could turn demonstrators violent. Coulter declares she has given 100 to 200 speeches at universities, and this was the first one to be shut down. Because of Coulter's extreme right-wing and sometimes outrageous statements, some demonstrators against hr speech had swarmed the event and turned boisterous. COulter plans on filing a human rights complaint in Canada regarding the incident, adding the incident had revealed "the shortcomings in Canadian free speech".

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CBC News: The National - March 23rd, 2010

1. Headline: Canadian's are lacking Vitamin D

It has been concluded, after recent studies by Statistics Canada, that millions of Canadians aren't getting enough Vitamin D. Studies say that 2/3 Canadians are lacking Vitamin D. Doctors say Canadians should be taking 200-400 units of Vitamin D a day. This is an ongoing study and the next report will be in July 2010.

2. Headline: Abortion motion

Although it has been expressed that the current Canadian Government does not want to debate abortion, negotiations were in full swing today. The Liberals want abortion to be included in the governments initiative. Keith Martin expresses that Canadian's should give access to abortion where it is legal. At this time, the Canadian Government is not endorsing abortion. It is still unknown what the Canadian Governments proposal will be at the upcoming G8 summit regarding this issue.

3. Headline: US Health Care Bill Signing

Definitely cause for celebration in the United States today after President Obama signed the long awaited Health Care Bill giving coverage to millions of Americans. Obama explains that the new system will take four years to implement and that they need this time to implement the system responsibly.

4. Headline: Ann Coulter's Speech Canceled at the University Of Ottawa

Contriversal right wing commentator Ann Coulter cause quite the stir on campus in Ottawa today. Over 2000 people showed up to protest, forcing Coulter to cancel her presentation. Known around campus as the right wing Micheal Moore, Coulter is know for her harsh delivery and conservative views. For example, closely after 9/11 Coulter suggested that the US invade Muslim, kill their leaders and become Christian. Coulter will not reschedule her presentation in Ottawa and will continue on with her tour.

BBC News - March 23rd, 2010

1. Headline: Barack Obama signs landmark US healthcare bill into law

Today, US President Barack Obama signed a controversial healthcare bill into law in Washington, DC. The new law will benefit the 32 million Americans who currently without health insurance, providing them with health coverage. The costly bill is strongly opposed by Republicans; not one voting for the bill. Immediately after the bill was signed, 13 states began legal proceedings against the government to stop the new bill on grounds that the reforms are unconstitutional.

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2. Headline: Benjamin Netanyahu says Mid-East talks face new delay

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, met with President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. Though the pair met for about 90 minutes, details of their discussion were closed to the media. This was the first time the two allies have met since their row over building in East Jerusalem. It is speculated that the two leaders' dispute may not be over: last week Mr Obama said the building of 1600 homes in Ramat Shlomo was not helpful in the peace process. However, Mr Netanyahu is still adamant in the planning - he once again reasserted Israel's "right to build" in Jerusalem this past Monday.

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3. Headline: Britain expels Israeli diplomat over Dubai passport row

The UK is to expel an Israeli diplomat after substantial evidence suggests over 12 forged British passports were used in the killing of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouth on 19 January at a Dubai hotel. England's foreign secretary, David Miliband, states the misuse of British passports is "intolerable". Israel has previously stated no proof supported its country was behind the killing of the Hamas leader. Miliband stated that the incident "represents a profound disregard for the sovereignty of the United Kingdom", and the fact that Israel is an ally adds "insult to injury."

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4. French government backs down on carbon tax plan

The French government has decided to drop its plan for taxing domestic carbon dioxide emissions. Prime Minisiter Francois Fillon has stated that the government should focus on policies that increase France's economic competitiveness. France's main focus, according to Fillon, is to increase competitiveness with the rest of Europe, particularly France's neighbour, Germany. The carbon tax has also been rejected as there were too many exemptions for commuters in the tax plans.

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The New York Times - March 23rd 2010

1. Headline: Obama Signs Health Care Overhaul Bill, With a Flourish.

Described as " the most sweeping social legislation enacted in decades", President Obama signed the Health Care Bill. The landmark bill will give coverage to approximately 30 million people who do not currently have coverage. The signing of the bill marks a high point of Barack Obama's Presidency. To Health Care!
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2. Headline: US and Mexcio Set New Drug Standard

Today, US and Mexico set their $331 million dollar plan aimed to strengthen civilian law enforcement in drug trafficking. The plan also will help to rebuild communities of poverty and crime. Similar to the Merida Initiative, started by the Bush Administration 3 years ago, the one main difference is the shift away from military assistance. Secretary Napolitano states "“I think the strategy cannot be sustained in a way that is only military. It’s got to be a combination of civilian law enforcement.”
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3. Headline: Four Suspended From Labour Party in UK Scandal

Former Labour cabinet ministers: Stephan Byers, Patricia Hewitt, Geoff Hoon and Margaret Moran have been caught on camera offering to use their political influence in return for payments of thousands of pounds. With Britain nudging towards elections, these outcomes do not fair well on the Labor Party.

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4. Headline: Treasury Takes First Steps to Reshape Fannie and Freddie

Mortgage-finance companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, that the government took over in 2008, are now being reshaped by the Obama Administration. Treasury Secretary, Timothy F. Geithner states that the Obama administration would take “a fresh, cold, hard look at the core problems in our system” and deliver a “comprehensive reform proposal” to Congress, but he did not give any specific time line. He suggested that the administration was waiting for the economy to settle before attacking this project.

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