From novanews@ac.dal.ca Mon Apr 2 15:09:54 2001 From: novanews@ac.dal.ca (NovaNewsNet Digest Editors) Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2001 10:09:54 -0400 Subject: [NNN] NovaNewsNet DIGEST for Apr. 2, 2001 Message-ID: NovaNewsNet DIGEST A summary of news from Nova Scotia, Canada and the world Apr. 2, 2001 -------------------- TOP NEWS STORIES -------------------- NOVA SCOTIA: Hamm, Atlantic premiers to meet over softwood lumber NATIONAL: Newfoundland braces for huge strike WORLD: U.S. wants release of spy plane crew held in China WEATHER: Today will be cloudy with flurries with some freezing drizzle and a high of 2 C. Tonight we will be getting five to 10 centimeters of snow with a low of -1 C. ENVIRONMENT CANADA --------------------------------- TOP STORIES FROM NOVANEWSNET --------------------------------- TUNING INTO 'AUDIO ART': Everywhere we go, we're bombarded with sound -- from honking car horns to shopping mall Muzak -- yet few of us take the time to really listen to our surroundings. Three young Haligonians taking part in the city's first annual Audio Art Festival hope to change all that. -------------------- NOVA SCOTIA NEWS -------------------- HAMM, ATLANTIC PREMIERS TO MEET OVER SOFTWOOD LUMBER: Nova Scotia Premier John Hamm will meet with the other Atlantic premiers in Charlottetown today. The premiers will discuss the Canadian-American softwood lumber dispute after a lumber agreement expired over the weekend. An American lumber industry association is expected to press for trade tariffs on Canadian lumber but says it won't target the Atlantic provinces. But there is no guarantee Atlantic Canada will be exempt. The lumber industry employees 55,000 people in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. DAILY NEWS Link current at 8:20 ADT CANJET NEVER HAD A CHANCE, ANALYSTS SAY: Operating results show that upstart airline Canjet's short life was a painful one, doomed by the downturn in the American economy, increasing fuel prices and lack of passengers. Its aircraft usually flew less than half full. The carrier generated only nine cents for each mile it flew a passenger, but analysts estimate it cost at least 14 cents a mile to break even. After less than seven months of operation IMP Group International sold Halifax-based Canjet to Canada 3000 in a $7-million all-stock deal that closes on May 1. DAILY NEWS Link current at 8:30 a.m. ADT MOOSEHEADS OUT: The Halifax Moosehead's Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff drive is over after the team lost the sixth game in a best of seven series to the Rimouski Oceanic 4-1 last night. Rimouski was in control from the start scoring after only a minute and six seconds and adding two more after that. Moosehead player Jason King managed to score Halifax's only goal in the first period. King said the loss of key players Ali MacEachern and Gary Zinck was a big factor. DAILY NEWS Link current at 7:50 ADT DOWNED POWER LINES KEEP POINT PLEASANT PARK CLOSED: Point Pleasant Park is still closed and will remain so until at least Thursday after a weekend storm downed power lines and tree branches throughout the park. "There's just no way anyone could make it safely through that park right now," says park manager, Peter Bigelow. Cleanup crews have been busy elsewhere in the city but are expected to begin work in the park today. DAILY NEWS Link current at 7:35 ADT NO ROAD SIGNS FOR SENIORS: Residents of Sandy Point, Shelburne County are worried about senior citizens who regularly cross a busy highway in the community. Shelburne municipal council asked for warning signs to be placed on the highway but was told by the department of transportation that they only put up signs for children. "I have been places where it says deer crossing, cattle crossing and duck crossing," says Bernice Goodick of Sandy Point. "So what's the government telling us - that our animals are more important than our people?" CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 8:50 a.m. ADT NDP TO CONTEMPLATE FUTURE: The NDP provincial council will meet on Saturday in Milford, Hants County to plan for the future amid charges the party is rudderless and adrift. Party members are upset over NDP Leader Helen MacDonald's failure to win a seat in last month's Cape Breton North byelection and the party's failure to name a new provincial secretary. The party's youth movement is upset over the party's refusal to endorse the removal of the Lord's Prayer in the legislature and that most the party's executive is over 40. DAILY NEWS Link current at 8:00 a.m. ADT EQUALIZATION TALKS EXTENDED: The provincial government announced yesterday it will extend talks on the provincial equalization proposal for another 90 days. The controversial proposal, which would see the province's richest municipalities pay into a fund to support poorer ones, has angered Halifax mayor Peter Kelly. The mayor says the government is getting the message there is no support for the plan. Despite the delay, the government still wants to have an equalization plan in effect by April 1, 2002. DAILY NEWS Link current at 8:07 a.m. ADT JEWISH CONGRESS SEEKS INCLUSIVE 'HOUSE' PRAYER: The president of the Atlantic Jewish Congress says she plans to work with other groups of faith to find a 'House prayer' that will be inclusive for all Nova Scotians. Sheva Medjuck says the current practice of saying the Lord's Prayer in Province House, is inappropriate. Tory MLA Brooke Taylor says Nova Scotia's minority religion groups should respect the Christian beliefs of the majority of Nova Scotians, and allow the saying of the Lord's Prayer to continue. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 8:26 a.m. ADT -------------------- NATIONAL NEWS -------------------- NEWFOUNDLANDERS BRACE FOR HUGE STRIKE: Nearly 20,000 public-sector workers have walked off the job in the largest strike in the history of Newfoundland and Labrador. The real impact of the strike will be felt today as people return to work to find government departments functioning on skeleton crews and ferry service at a standstill. The Newfoundland Association of Public Employees and the provincial branch of the Canadian Union of Public Employees were originally seeking a 24 per cent wage increase over three years for their members. NATIONAL POST Link current at 7:46 a.m. ADT CHAOS FEARED IN VANCOUVER AS TRANSIT STAFF WALK OUT: Tens of thousands of Vancouver-area transit users will be walking, cycling or carpooling to work today due to a strike that has idled the region's buses and commuter ferries. The situation is expected to cause chaos on the roads, with thousands of extra cars pouring onto the streets as people who take transit each day turn to automobiles to get to work. The transit system shutdown began yesterday, but was expected to become critical with rush-hour today. NATIONAL POST Link current at 7:42 a.m. ADT CANADIAN ASTRONAUT PREPARES FOR SPACEWALK: Astronaut Chris Hadfield will be the first Canadian to walk in space on April 22. Hadfield will help install a Canadian robotic arm on the International Space Station during two planned spacewalks. Without the new robotic arm, the $60-billion (US) space station cannot be built. The arm will propel itself around the station structure, performing construction tasks beyond the reach of the smaller original Canadarm on the space shuttles. TORONTO STAR Link current at 7:32 a.m. ADT SCHOOL STAFF ACCUSED OF BLOODYING STUDENTS: Police and school officials in Kitimat, B.C., are investigating complaints that Grade 4 pupils were subjected to a verbal and physical tirade by school staff that left some students bloodied. Some students claimed they had their noses jammed against a wall on March 13 when they forgot their gym equipment. The parents allege some children were pushed so hard into the wall that they received bloody noses. The school board is looking into the allegations. NATIONAL POST Link current at 7:38 a.m. ADT OPPOSITION RENEWS CALL FOR INQUIRY: Newly revealed testimony by the owner of the Auberge Grand-Mère has punched damaging holes in Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's defence against allegations of conflict of interest, opposition leaders said Sunday. Yvon Duhaime, the owner of the inn, said in testimony that his business depended in large part on clients coming from the adjacent golf course, in which Chrétien was a part-owner. A poll for the Globe and Mail and CTV on the weekend suggested Canadians think Chrétien should agree to an independent public inquiry. GLOBE AND MAIL. Link current at 7:50 a.m. ADT CONCRETE WALL RISES IN FORTIFIED QUEBEC: Derided as a Berlin Wall by some, a wise precaution by others, a concrete-and-metal security fence that will corral the Summit of the Americas this month began rising in historic Quebec City yesterday. Cranes placed massive concrete blocks that will anchor the three-metre-high fence, as authorities head into the final weeks of their controversial, high-security campaign. The enclosure has become the flashpoint for anger by anti-globalization protesters who call it a muzzle on their right to demonstrate. GLOBE AND MAIL Link current at 7:52 a.m. ADT COUNTDOWN BEGINS FOR B.C. NDP: British Columbia's election clock is ticking down to the end of a decade of New Democratic Party rule and B.C. Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell is poised to become premier. His party is in the polls with more than 60per cent support, while the NDP remains stagnant at 20 per cent with three months left in its troubled five-year mandate. An election must be called by June 28. GLOBE AND MAIL Link current at 7:55 a.m. ADT GRITS DECIDE AGAINST TAX CUTS: The Liberal government has ruled out introducing new tax cuts or spending measures to stimulate the slowing economy when Finance Minister Paul Martin announces an economic update in May. The opposition has been calling for a spring budget to respond to the slowing economy, but the government's senior economic policy makers say such a move would be premature and could push the country into deficit. NATIONAL POST Li nk current at 7:58 a.m. ADT -------------------- WORLD NEWS: -------------------- U.S. CHIDES CHINA FOR HOLDING SPY PLANE CREW: The United States has criticized Chinese authorities for holding 24 crew members of a downed American spy plane after it made an emergency landing in China. The propeller-powered Navy EP-3 Aries II surveillance plane collided in midair with one of two Chinese F-8 jet fighters that had been sent to intercept it. The U.S. aircraft then limped the 70 nautical miles to a military airfield on Hainan Island. The crew is thought to be safe and unharmed, although the Chinese jet plunged into the South China Sea and its pilot remains missing. CNN Link current at 7:36 a.m. ADT MILOSEVIC LAWYERS PREPARE APPEAL: Former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic has spent his first night behind bars as his lawyers prepare to contest his detention. Milosevic was arrested on Sunday and placed in jail for at least 30 days after surrendering before dawn to end a 26-hour standoff. Police will continue investigating allegations of criminal conspiracy and theft of state funds during Milosevic's 13-year rule. Milosevic could get five to 15 years if convicted of diverting over $100 million in customs funds to his Socialist Party and to maintain his grip on power. CNN Lin k current at 7:39 a.m. ADT BRITISH PM POSTPONES ELECTION: British Prime Minister Tony Blair has signaled that a general election will take place in June by confirming that he will delay county elections for a month as a result of the foot-and-mouth epidemic. Shortly before the prime minister confirmed his decision, Conservative leader William Hague called for an indefinite delay in elections until the foot-and-mouth crisis is dealt with. Blair is hoping to hold the election on June 7. BBC Link current at 7:45 a.m. ADT GAY COUPLES MARRY UNDER NEW DUTCH LAW: Four gay couples exchanged rings and vows at Amsterdam city hall yesterday, the first of hundreds planning to wed under a new Dutch law allowing same-sex marriages. Though several other countries register same-sex couples and some call them marriages, rights groups have hailed the Dutch legislation as groundbreaking. It eliminates all references to gender in laws governing matrimony and adoption, going so far as to amend the dictionary to eliminate references to "man and woman" in the definition of marriage. GLOBE AND MAIL Link current at 8:00 a.m. ADT INDIANA TEEN FACES MURDER CHARGES: A teenager accused of fatally shooting a student outside a Gary, Indiana high school was scheduled to be formally charged with murder on Monday. Investigators said Donald Ray Burt Jr., 17, admitted shooting sophomore Neal Boyd, 16, on Friday. Burt's half-brother, Sidney Abrons, 21, said Burt was expelled from the school nearly two years ago for truancy and a history of fighting. Police say Burt didn't give a motive. USA TODAY Link current at 8:05 a.m. ADT ISRAELI SOLDIER SHOT DEAD: An Israeli reserve soldier has been killed in an exchange of gunfire with Palestinians after the burial of two young victims of Mideast violence. The 23-year-old reservist was shot in the head as he stood guard at an army post near the Jewish settlement of Itamar outside the West Bank town of Nablus late on Sunday, the army said. Earlier in the day mourners carried the body of an 11-year-old Palestinian boy through the streets of Ramallah in the West Bank. He died on Sunday from injuries suffered two weeks ago during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the village of Deir Nizam. CNN Link current at 8:37 a.m. ADT MACEDONIA BEGINS PEACE TALKS: Macedonia's government launched urgent talks on Monday with leaders of the country's ethnic Albanian minority, seeking to ease tensions that have spawned an armed rebellion in this former Yugoslav republic. The talks between President Boris Trajkovski and the spectrum of political parties represented in parliament were preceded by nearly 48 hours of calm on the ground. The army called it the longest period without incident since the insurgents, many of them Kosovo Liberation Army veterans, began challenging Macedonian forces six weeks ago. USA TODAY Link current at 8:14 a.m. ADT TODAY'S EDITORS: Angela Chang, Sam Austin CO-ORDINATING EDITOR: Jon Campbell -------------------- NovaNewsNet DIGEST is written, edited and produced weekdays, excluding holidays, during the academic term by students in the School of Journalism at the University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This Digest, along with original news, is also available on the Web at To unsubscribe to this service, send a message to mailserv@ac.dal.ca. In the body of the message, write: unsubscribe novanews (Your Name) If you have comments or problems unsubscribing, please e-mail Online Workshop Co-ordinator Tim Currie From novanews@ac.dal.ca Tue Apr 3 15:14:36 2001 From: novanews@ac.dal.ca (NovaNewsNet Digest Editors) Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2001 10:14:36 -0400 Subject: [NNN] NovaNewsNet DIGEST for Apr. 3, 2001 Message-ID: NovaNewsNet DIGEST A summary of news from Nova Scotia, Canada and the world Apr. 3, 2001 -------------------- TOP NEWS STORIES -------------------- NOVA SCOTIA: Military to loosen dress code NATIONAL: Ottawa to license some pot growers WORLD: Milosovic confesses to funding wars WEATHER: All day today we will see light snow that will carry on into the evening with a temperature around -1 C. Tonight, it'll be cloudy with flurries giving slight amounts, with a low of -4 C. ENVIRONMENT CANADA --------------------------------- TOP STORIES FROM NOVANEWSNET --------------------------------- IT'S A LONG ROAD TO THE NHL -- AS A REFEREE: Making it to the NHL as an official is becoming almost as competitive as making it as a player. Dave Banfield and Gord Dwyer are two of a handful of local officials who are doing everything they can to get there. -------------------- NOVA SCOTIA NEWS -------------------- MILITARY TO LOOSEN DRESS CODE: Canadian Forces officials in Halifax announced that the military will amend its dress code. Soldiers will be allowed to shave their heads bald, men may wear their hair tapered, and women with longer hair may wear it braided. The rule will also allow women to wear makeup for cultural reasons. For example, Hindu women may wear a bindi, a red dot on their forehead.. NATIONAL POST Link current at 7:25 a.m. ADT DOWNED SPY PLANE LIKELY VISITED NOVA SCOTIA: The top-secret U.S. navy spy plane forced down in China over the weekend is believed to have paid a rare visit to Nova Scotia. An EP-3E AIRES was among the aircraft on display at the Nova Scotia International Air Show at Shearwater in September 1999, and an aviation journalist is confident it's now at the centre of a tense international stand-off. Jim Turnbull, who writes for American naval aviation magazines, said Monday the appearance at Shearwater marks the only time the plane has ever turned up at a North American air show. CHRONICLE-HERALD. Link current at 7:35 a.m. ADT UNSANITARY SCOPE USED ON PATIENTS: Health officials are urging 1,000 people who may have been tested with an unsanitary endoscope at the Highland View Regional Hospital in Amherst to see their family doctors. The discovery of the unsanitary scope, before a colonoscopy procedure last Wednesday, also led the hospital to temporarily halt endoscopic procedures until staff can be sure the scopes are clean. "We tested the scope . . . and have found some common bacteria," said District 5 health authority's chief medical officer, Dr. Joe Donachie. He said the chances of infections are about one in 1.7 million. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 7:29 a.m. ADT BRACKET CREEP ADDS $25M-$30M TO GOV'T COFFERS : The provincial government is pocketing $25 million to $30 million by failing to match a federal income tax change. Finance Minister Neil LeBlanc says Nova Scotia can't afford to stop bracket creep, the erosion of wage earners' disposable incomes by governments' failure to adjust taxation levels over time. Many governments, including the federal government, automatically adjust their taxation rates to recognize that incomes rise naturally with inflation. Without the adjustment, more taxpayers each year enter the highest tax bracket. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 7:50 a.m. ADT JANITOR STRIKE IS LEAVING SCHOOLS A MESS: The metro area's 10-day-old school janitor's strike is leading to paper-clogged toilets, dirty hallways and the cancellation of some school events in some local schools. Dartmouth High School has cancelled dances, fund-raising events and after-school sports and clubs. The school board has said the schools aren't as clean as they normally are, but there are no health or safety issues. DAILY NEWS Link current at 7:45 a.m. ADT BILL COULD ALLOW CABBIES TO DEMAND CASH UP FRONT: Halifax regional council is expected to discuss a bill tonight that would allow cab drivers to demand passengers pay up front before starting a ride. A manager of a local cab company estimates that between five and 10 drivers lose fares every night. Some cab drivers think that if the bill is made law, it will be more agreeable to customers. DAILY NEWS Link current at 7:53 a.m. ADT COMPOSTER FACES NEW ORDER: New Era farms composting facility has been ordered by Environment Minister David Morse to clean up its act or risk being fined as much as $1 million. The local MLA urged the minister to shut down New Era Farms if it doesn't comply immediately with the edict. The Goodwood facility, located in the Timberlea-Prospect riding, was charged last week by the province after residents complained again of plant's odour and its violation of the terms of its operating licence. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 8:07 a.m. ADT JAIL ESCAPEE HAS A VIOLENT CRIMINAL PAST: The man who broke out of the Halifax Correctional Centre has a history of assaults, including one incident last January when he was convicted of attacking his common law wife. John Joseph Francis left the Halifax Correctional Centre on foot Sunday night while guards brought in another prisoner. Francis was serving a 180-day sentence for thefts from local grocery stores and for failing to obey conditions of his probation. DAILY NEWS Link current at 8:00 a.m. ADT TOUGH SEASON SO FAR FOR MAPLE SYRUP PRODUCERS: After spending days on snowshoes digging out their lines and setting taps, Nova Scotia maple syrup producers are finding the trees reluctant to surrender their sap. "The trees have got a real funny buzz on this year," says fifth-generation sugar maker Gloria Langille of Mapleton, Cumberland County. She says so far this year, she has harvested only half the amount of an average season. "One day last week it got up to seven degrees and I was sure we were in for a good run. It lasted for about an hour and petered out," she said. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 8:01 a.m. ADT -------------------- NATIONAL NEWS -------------------- OTTAWA TO LICENSE POT GROWERS: Ottawa will unveil new regulations this week making it legal for third parties to grow and supply marijuana for those who suffer from a terminal illness and who have other serious conditions. The new rules will allow people who need the drug's painkilling benefits to designate a grower on their behalf. The rules will also identify three groups of people who will be exempted from prosecution for using marijuana. But the government would only identify one -- the terminally ill. GLOBE AND MAIL Link current at 7:28 a.m. ADT PROTESTERS DEMAND TO SEE TRADE DOCUMENT: About 500 protesters calmly attempted to enter the international trade minister's offices in Ottawa to get a look at the working text of the proposed hemispheric free-trade deal. Non-essential staff at the Lester B. Pearson building on Sussex Drive had been told to stay home in anticipation of demonstrations. Opponents of the proposed agreement, which will be discussed at a trade summit in Quebec City later this month, have called the negotiating process undemocratic because the working text is being kept secret. GLOBE AND MAIL Link current at 7:36 a.m. ADT OTTAWA TEACHER'S LICENCE REVOKED FOR AFFAIR WITH STUDENT: An Ottawa Catholic school teacher who admitted to inviting a 14-year-old student into his car and giving her gifts after school, was permanently stripped of his teaching licence by the Ontario College of Teachers last week. The 31-year-old school board teacher, whose name cannot be released under a publication ban to protect the identity of the victim, admitted in an agreement of facts that the affair lasted from September 1997 to March 1999. While the two did not have any physical sexual contacts, their relationship was groomed with sensual connotations and innuendo. TORONTO STAR Link current at 7:11 a.m. ADT TORONTO INMATE PLOTTED TO KILL POLICE: Police say Nestor Fonseca, 33, was masterminding a plan to murder several police and justice officers involved in his drug smuggling case, including killing one by torching his home. On Monday, police announced they had uncovered a plot in which Fonseca was planning to hire hitmen to kill three RCMP officers, one Toronto police officer, two federal justice department officials and an FBI agent. They were all involved in the investigation that led to his arrest. Fonseca has been in jail since January 2000 and faces extradition to the United States. CBC Link current at 7:42 a.m. ADT TORONTO CONSIDERS HOMELESS SHELTER FOR TRANSSEXUALS: Toronto city council will consider a plan to create a special shelter for homeless transsexuals. Proponents of the idea say regular shelters are inappropriate for the estimated 100 homeless transsexuals in Toronto, mostly men hoping to become women and that transsexuals merit a distinct facility because they have distinct needs. NATIONAL POST Li nk current at 7:47 a.m. ADT FAMILY OF DEAD ONT. TEEN SUES PROVINCE: The family of a Scarborough, Ont. teen who died after his ambulance was diverted last January from the nearest hospital has launched a $7.1 million negligence lawsuit against the province. Joshua Fleuelling's ambulance was redirected from Scarborough Grace Hospital, 4.3 kilometres from his home, to Markham-Stouffville Hospital, 11 kilometres away. He suffered respiratory and cardiac arrest, dying two days later. His parents rest their suit on evidence from an earlier inquest, which revealed a rise in the number of hospitals which, citing a lack of beds, refused to accept ambulances after the province began amalgamating hospitals and emergency wards. TORONTO STAR Link current at 7:14 a.m. ADT SLOW ONT. DRIVERS TO PULL OVER OR FACE FINES: Throughout the spring and summer, a team of seven officers will patrol the divided highways in the congested triangle surrounding Toronto -- from Oshawa to Fort Erie to London. They will be on the lookout for anyone driving in the left lane who refuses to pull over for faster traffic. Sgt. Cam Wooley of the Ontario Provincial Police says slow drivers who drive in the fast lane are the leading source of road rage. These slow drivers could be fined $110 and docked three demerit points if they are caught this summer. OTTAWA CITIZEN Link current at 8:01 a.m. ADT PARTIES UNITE TO FORCE VOTE ON GRAND-MERE ISSUE: All four opposition parties will unite to force a House of Commons vote tomorrow on whether to establish a judicial inquiry into Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's business dealings in his riding. The Canadian Alliance is calling for creation of an independent judicial inquiry to examine whether Chrétien had a conflict of interest. Opposition parties hope to test Chrétien's control over his Liberal caucus and will be watching closely to see who abstains or fails to show up. TORONTO STAR Link current at 7:53 a.m. ADT -------------------- WORLD NEWS: -------------------- MILOSEVIC CONFESSES TO FUNDING WARS: Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has admitted financing conflicts in neighbouring Bosnia and Croatia. The admission came in an appeal Milosevic wrote from his cell in Belgrade's Central Prison against his detention on corruption charges. Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic predicted the former president will also face charges of ordering the murders of personal and political enemies. The United States promised to release $50 million in aid for Yugoslavia after it arrested Milosevic. CNN Link current at 8:20 a.m. ADT CHINA CLAIMS TO HAVE BOARDED SPY PLANE: According to a source, Chinese authorities boarded a U.S. spy plane that was forced to make an emergency landing there. The plane was full of sensitive spy equipment. The U.S. considers the plane sovereign territory, which should not be invaded by Chinese soldiers. China says under international law it has the right to search the plane, which it considers responsible for the accident. A U.S. air force spokesperson told CNN he would not confirm reports of the boarding. A Pentagon official said the crew began to destroy sensitive equipment before the plane landed in China but did not know how far they got. CNN Link current at 8 a.m. ADT FIGHTING CONTINUES ON WEST BANK: Violence continued in the Middle East despite a round of telephone diplomacy orchestrated by the United States. Fierce gun battles raged into Tuesday morning in Bethlehem in some of the worst fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinians during the past six months. At least six Palestinians were wounded, including a four-year-old girl who is in a critical condition, after tank shells and grenade launchers were used in the West Bank town. CNN Link current at 8:30 a.m. ADT SENATE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM: The U.S. Senate approved on Monday a sweeping campaign finance overhaul bill that bans unlimited contributions to political parties, a practice known as "soft money." Some senators who endorsed the bill, say the bill still faces a long road before it will become law. It must clear the House and go to a conference committee. President George W. Bush has been noncommittal about whether he would even eventually sign the bill to make it law. CNN L ink current at 8:26 a.m. ADT SIERRA LEONE REBELS DECLARE WAR OVER: Rebel forces in Sierra Leone say the decade-long war is over and that they want to engage in purely political struggle. Senior Revolutionary United Front commander Jibril Massaquoi said UN peacekeepers in Sierra Leone were now welcome to deploy throughout the country. Senior commanders added that if elections were fair the rebels would transform themselves into a political party. The rebels committed many atrocities during the civil war and many Sierra Leoneans are deeply skeptical of the their call for peace. BBC Link current at 8:37 a.m. ADT FILIPINO SUPREME COURT REJECTS ESTRADA'S CLAIM: The Filipino Supreme Court voted unanimously Tuesday to reject an attempt by ousted President Joseph Estrada to take back the presidency, ending months of battles over the new government of Gloria Arroyo. She was hastily sworn in Jan. 20 after mass protests forced Estrada from office over corruption allegations. On Tuesday the court also voted 12-1 against granting the former leader presidential immunity from criminal cases, opening the way for mass corruption charges against him. USA TODAY Link current at 8:45 a.m. ADT DUKE BLUE DEVILS WIN NATIONAL TITLE: The Duke University Blue Devils beat the Arizona Wildcats to win the NCAA basketball tournament, giving coach Mike Krzyzewski his third national title. The final score was 82-72 and Duke's top player was Mike Dunleavy who lead the way with 21 points. USA TODAY Link current at 8:41 a.m. ADT TODAY'S EDITORS: Jonathan Colburn, Sarah Crane, Ingrid D'Eon, Tyler Krusta CO-ORDINATING EDITOR: Jon Campbell -------------------- NovaNewsNet DIGEST is written, edited and produced weekdays, excluding holidays, during the academic term by students in the School of Journalism at the University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This Digest, along with original news, is also available on the Web at To unsubscribe to this service, send a message to mailserv@ac.dal.ca. In the body of the message, write: unsubscribe novanews (Your Name) If you have comments or problems unsubscribing, please e-mail Online Workshop Co-ordinator Tim Currie From novanews@ac.dal.ca Wed Apr 4 14:42:48 2001 From: novanews@ac.dal.ca (NovaNewsNet Digest Editors) Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2001 09:42:48 -0400 Subject: [NNN] NovaNewsNet DIGEST for Apr. 4, 2001 Message-ID: NovaNewsNet DIGEST A summary of news from Nova Scotia, Canada and the world Apr. 4, 2001 -------------------- TOP NEWS STORIES -------------------- NOVA SCOTIA: Province finds $5M to deal with nurse shortage NATIONAL: Romanow to lead health-care inquiry WORLD: Tension mounts between U.S. and China in spy plane stand-off WEATHER: It'll be mainly cloudy today, becoming sunny later this morning with a high near 6 C. Tonight will be mainly clear with a low of near -2 C. ENVIRONMENT CANADA -------------------- NOVA SCOTIA NEWS -------------------- PROVINCE FINDS $5M TO DEAL WITH NURSE SHORTAGE: The Nova Scotia government unveiled a one-time $5-million strategy Tuesday aimed at solving the province-wide nursing shortage and easing nurses' heavy workload. The strategy takes a four-pronged approach to luring new nurses to Nova Scotia and encouraging those already working here to stay, by setting aside $4.1 million for education and orientation programs for practising nurses, $300,000 to recruit nurses, $300,000 for solving work life problems, and $300,000 for a co-operative education program for student nurses. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 7:44 a.m. ADT CABBIES CAN DEMAND CASH UP FRONT -- COUNCIL: Halifax regional council voted 12 to 11 yesterday to allow cab drivers to ask for fares in advance. Taxi companies say drivers are getting ripped off far too often by passengers who flee the car without paying or make an excuse to leave the vehicle and don't come back. Staff will be asked to draft the change to the city's taxi and limousine bylaw that will then return to council for approval. DAILY NEWS Link current at 7:46 a.m. ADT SPRING STORM BURIES C.B.: Parts of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland were crippled yesterday by the latest in a long string of wintry blasts that have pounded the region for months. Cape Breton suffered the brunt of the storm in Nova Scotia, with drifts of snow so high and heavy that snowplows got stuck, leaving most streets in the municipality impassable. Louisbourg, one of the worst-hit areas, reported up to 40 centimetres of snow. DAILY NEWS Link current at 8:07 a.m. ADT TORIES CUT MEAL MONEY FOR PATIENTS AT HOSTEL: Nova Scotia cancer patients and others at Point Pleasant Lodge, a Halifax hostel, have lost their daily meal allowance. And patients must now check out when they leave on overnight family visits -- taking all their belongings with them -- and rebook accommodation when they return. The cuts were authorized by the new government-funded Capital district health authority. The provincial health department previously funded 68 beds at Point Pleasant Lodge and provided patients with transportation to and from hospital, as well as providing a $14-per-day meal allowance for patients who qualified to stay at the lodge. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 7:59 a.m. ADT SCHOOL BOARD USING PRINCIPALS AS SCABS -- UNION: Nova Scotia's teachers union has been drawn into the 11-day-old school janitors strike, amid accusations the Halifax regional school board is using principals as strike-breakers. The board ordered principals to keep open schools hosting money-making after-school programs, a job usually left to janitors. NSTU president Brian Forbes said he would like to see the after-school child-care programs shut down during the strike -- just like extra-curricular sports, school musicals and dances. His union advised principals to lock the doors an hour after classes, throwing the EXCEL and YMCA programs into jeopardy. DAILY NEWS Link current at 8:18 a.m. ADT N.S. BATTLES FEDS OVER TAX VALUE OF CITADEL HILL: Nova Scotia is opposing Ottawa's assessment of the value of the Halifax Citadel, with both sides citing radically different figures. Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations has assessed the federally owned property at $37.5 million. The federal government contends the historic site's assessed value is zero -- a difference of close $1 million for the city's coffers. CANADIAN PRESS Link current at 8:34 a.m. ADT MUIR LIED ABOUT HEALTH-CUT HELP, CRITICS SAY: The provincial government secretly hired a Toronto consultant to do much of the work on a study showing where it can make health cuts. Healthcor consultants made $476,791.05 on the "clinical footprint" study, according to documents the Liberals obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. Health Minister Jamie Muir told the House in March 2000 the government was using "existing resources." NDP health critic Darrell Dexter called the outside spending "an outrageous breach of trust." DAILY NEWS: Link current at 8:46 a.m. ADT RAPIST CAN'T CONTROL URGES -- PSYCHIATRIST: A Nova Scotia Hospital psychiatrist told Halifax provincial court yesterday he fears Philip Ernest Gorman could commit another brutal rape, despite his attempts to overcome several sexual disorders. Dr. Emmanuel Aquino diagnosed Gorman in 1999 as a sexual sadist, meaning he becomes aroused by causing others pain. Prosecutors have applied to have Gorman, 44, declared a dangerous offender and jailed indefinitely. Gorman has been in jail since December 1998, awaiting sentencing for sexually assaulting a Fairview teenager. DAILY NEWS Link current at 7:56 a.m. ADT FORD, NEESON IN HALIFAX FOR 'K-19' SHOOT: Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson begin filming the Soviet submarine movie K-19: The Widowmaker today, and will be in town Thursday, Friday and likely next week. They will be joined by an unlikely cast of extras -- 50 employees from the Halifax Shipyard, who'll be filmed in vintage coveralls while pretending to be Soviet workers building a 1960s nuclear submarine. The footage shot in Halifax, including filming outside the harbour this May, could amount to seven to 10 minutes on the screen. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 8:09 a.m. ADT -------------------- NATIONAL NEWS -------------------- ROMANOW TO LEAD HEALTH-CARE INQUIRY: Roy Romanow, former NDP premier of Saskatchewan, is to be appointed today to head a one-man national inquiry into Canada's health-care system. During the 18-month study, he is expected to delve into contentious areas such as whether medicare should insure all costly new drugs and technologies, and whether doctors should be put on a form of salary rather than receive a fee for each service. NATIONAL POST Link current at 8:39 a.m. ADT CANADIAN DOLLAR HITS 2001 LOW: The Canadian dollar hit its lowest point of the year against the U.S. greenback Tuesday. At one point, the loonie traded at 63.19 cents (US), the lowest so far this year and just above the all-time trading low of 63.09 cents. The stock market also tumbled with the Dow Jones industrial stocks plummeting nearly 350 points and the Nasdaq composite index down more than 100. The dispute between the United States and China over a grounded U.S. spy plane added to the market's uneasy mood. TORONTO STAR Link current at 7:55 a.m. ADT ONT. BABY'S STARVATION DEATH A HOMICIDE, SAYS CORONER'S COUNSEL: The starvation death in 1997 of five-week old Jordan Heikamp should be considered a homicide, because there is evidence that Jordan's 19-year-old mother, Renee, killed him, by feeding him diluted formula, coroner's counsel told a jury yesterday. When Jordan died, he weighed four ounces less then his original birth weight. Heikamp and a Catholic Children's Aid worker were initially charged with criminal negligence causing death, but the charges were dismissed in 1999 due to insufficient evidence. A verdict of homicide at a coroner's inquest is a finding of fact but carries no legal responsibility. Renee Heikamp's lawyer called the statement "shocking," saying her client is being re-prosecuted. TORONTO SUN Link current at 7:56 a.m. ADT ACTIVIST WHO 'PIED' CHRETIEN MAY FACE PRISION: Evan Brown, the man who pushed a cream pie into Prime Minister Jean Chretien's face in Prince Edward Island last August, could face prison for what he insists was a gentle and peaceful political protest. Brown was convicted of assault Tuesday in Charlottetown. Crown prosecutor Valerie Moore told provincial court she will seek both jail time and a period of probation for the young political activist. Brown will be sentenced May 16, and under the Criminal Code, could face up to five years in jail. NATIONAL POST Link current at 8:05 a.m. ADT CANADIAN FORCES SUBMIT TO FASHION: Female soldiers in the Canadian Forces can wear pigtails while on duty as part of a significant break in military tradition that also gives men the right to shave their heads, and both sexes the right to dye their hair, and wear body piercings while off duty. The Canadian Forces will allow the fashions, provided the adornments "preserve a conservative, disciplined, professional appearance." The changes came after troops made suggestions to their non-commissioned officers. NATIONAL POST Link current at 8:21 a.m. ADT MEN PLEAD GUILTY IN BEAR ORGAN TRAFFICKING: Two Manitoba men pleaded guilty Monday for their involvement in the gruesome collection of bear body parts in what is believed to be the province's largest organ trafficking operation. Peter Waldner, of the Ridgeland Hutterite colony was fined $24,000 for selling the body parts to buyers in B.C. and a Winnipeg man, who wanted to make bear paw soup, an Asian delicacy, which can sell for up to $1,000 a bowl. Phillip Hofer, of the Greenwald Hutterite Colony was fined $2,000 for his lesser role in the operation. WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Link current at 8:38 a.m. ADT ONT. MAN JAILED FOR PREYING ON FAMILY FOR 25 YEARS: Robert Tripp, called the "personification of evil," by a Toronto judge for his sexual preying on two generations of one family for more than 25 years, was sentenced yesterday to six years in prison. Tripp, 44, pleaded guilty to nine sex-related charges between the years of 1972 and 1996 and admitted that he had sexually abused six children and one grandchild, after he became their mother's lover, at the age of 15. Tripp was also involved in the rape of a stranger in Toronto in 1978. Justice Hugh Locke said Tripp would abuse the children constantly and was "a sexual predator most of his adult life." TORONTO SUN Link current at 8:24 a.m. ADT ONT.THIEVES MAKE OFF WITH $2,000 IN CANCER MONEY: An Ontario Cancer Society volunteer saw the efforts of hundreds of donors disappear after her car, containing about $2,000, was stolen as she went to collect more donation money. Joanna Ford stopped at a Costco store in Woodbridge, Ont., to pick up more money and drop off daffodils, but couldn't carry everything into the store at once. She left her purse and the money collection bag in her locked Toyota 4-Runner, only to return 10 minutes later and find the parking space empty. "I just feel really bad for the people this happened to," Ford said. "I just want to apologize." TORONTO SUN Link current at 8:51 a.m. ADT EIGHT SUSPECTED DRUG TRAFFICKERS ARRESTED IN MEXICO: Mexican immigration officials announced Tuesday they have arrested eight alleged Canadian Hells Angels members in the Pacific coast resort of Zihuatenejo. They are being held in Mexico City until they can face drug-related charges in Canada. It could not be immediately determined whether the eight were wanted in connection with police raids last Wednesday in Quebec that aimed to strike a crippling blow at the Hells Angels. TORONTO STAR Link current at 7:46 a.m. ADT FORMER OFFICER CAN'T SUE IF HE RECEIVES PENSION, CROWN SAYS: A Crown attorney has asked the Federal Court of Canada to throw out a $7.5-million civil suit against the Canadian Forces brought by a former warrant officer allegedly poisoned by his own troops. "The motion is based on the fact that [Matt] Stopford is in receipt of a pension. And that, in law, disentitles him from suing the government for the same thing," says Alain Préfontaine, a federal government lawyer for the Canadian Forces. Stopford alleges that while peacekeeping in Croatia in 1993, the Canadian Forces was aware of a bizarre plot by as many as six soldiers to poison him. NATIONAL POST Link current at 8:56 a.m. ADT JONES WINS TWO MORE, SHARES FIRST AT CURLING CHAMPIONSHIP: Nova Scotia's Colleen Jones continued her resurgence at the women's world curling championship in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Tuesday. After opening the event with back-to-back losses, putting her at the bottom of the standings heading into Day 2, Jones has fought back to share top spot with Denmark and Sweden. "To win five games in a row feels great and we're pretty happy with the way we're playing right now," said Jones. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 8:17 a.m. ADT -------------------- WORLD NEWS: -------------------- TENSION MOUNTS BETWEEN U.S. AND CHINA IN SPY PLANE STAND-OFF: Chinese President Jiang Zemin is calling again on Washington to publicly apologize for the collision between a U.S. spy plane and a Chinese jet fighter on Sunday. The White House has declined to apologize and has stepped up its pressure on China to return the spy plane and release its crew, which was detained following the collision. There is no sign China is ready to meet the American demands. The pilot of the Chinese jet involved in the collision is still missing. BBC Link current at 8:33 a.m. ADT TED TURNER BIDS FOR RUSSIAN TV STATION: The owner of Russia's only independent television network, Vladimir Gusinsky, has signed a deal in principle to sell most of the company to Ted Turner, founder of American cable news network CNN. However, it's now a three-way deal. Russia's state-dominated gas monopoly, Gazprom, engineered a takeover of the NTV network and gained control yesterday. Gazprom's boardroom coup pushed Gusinsky, NTV's founder, out and replaced NTV's board with loyalists. REUTERS Link current at 7:41 a.m. ADT FORMER PHILIPPINES PRESIDENT FACES CHARGES: A Filipino prosecutor announced today he will file eight criminal charges against ousted president Joseph Estrada, including a plunder case punishable by death. The charges relate to allegations Estrada amassed as much as $300 million in bribes and kickbacks. Estrada has denied any wrongdoing. The announcement comes one day after the country's supreme court voted unanimously to reject Estrada's petition to retake the presidency. The charges against Estrada -- who was ousted in a revolt in January -- are expected to be filed later today. CNN Link current at 8:53 a.m. ADT MAN CONVICTED OF STALKING HINGIS, FACES JAIL TIME: Miami jurors on Tuesday convicted a man accused of stalking Martina Hingis, rejecting arguments by the defence that he never threatened the tennis star and was only trying to romance her. Jurors deliberated for 2 1/2 hours before finding Dubravko Rajcevic, a 46-year-old Croatian-born naval architect, guilty on all four misdemeanor charges. He faces up to four years in state prison. USA TODAY Lin k current at 8:53 a.m. ADT BUSES COLLIDE IN KENYA, KILLING 14: Two buses collided on a bridge along Kenya's Indian Ocean coast and plunged into a river, killing at least 14 people and injuring 27, police and hospital officials said Monday. Dozens of people remain missing. The buses were travelling on a bridge at sunset Sunday when one of them slowed down and was struck in the rear by the second bus. Both broke through the guardrail, plunging into the river. The bridge is located just 1,600 feet from where the river empties into the Indian Ocean and police fear many bodies may have been swept out to sea. USA TODAY Link current at 9:07 a.m. ADT ANTI-POLLUTION LAWS CAUSE TRANSPORT MAYHEM IN DELHI: Commuter frustration during morning rush hour turned into violence in the Indian capital, Delhi, yesterday, when an angry mob torched six buses as new anti-pollution measures caused pandemonium on the public transport system. It was estimated that only a tenth of the usual number of buses were able to operate. Indian courts are enforcing a ban on vehicles which do not use compressed natural gas, forcing thousands of buses, taxis and auto rickshaws off the roads. Delhi has been described as one of the world's most polluted cities. BBC L ink current at 8:01 a.m. ADT MAOIST REBELS KILL 35 POLICEMEN IN NEPAL: Rebels attacked police stations in two remote mountain villages in Nepal on Monday, killing at least 35 policemen, police said. Three rebels died in the attacks. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but police blame Maoist guerrillas. More than 1,500 people have died since the rebels began fighting the government in 1996. USA TODAY Link current at 9:15 a.m. ADT TODAY'S EDITORS: Myra Hyland, Jen McCauley, Sandi Lamey, Jill MacBeath, Jennifer MacDonald CO-ORDINATING EDITOR: Tim Currie -------------------- NovaNewsNet DIGEST is written, edited and produced weekdays, excluding holidays, during the academic term by students in the School of Journalism at the University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This Digest, along with original news, is also available on the Web at To unsubscribe to this service, send a message to mailserv@ac.dal.ca. In the body of the message, write: unsubscribe novanews (Your Name) If you have comments or problems unsubscribing, please e-mail Online Workshop Co-ordinator Tim Currie From novanews@ac.dal.ca Thu Apr 5 14:53:33 2001 From: novanews@ac.dal.ca (NovaNewsNet Digest Editors) Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2001 09:53:33 -0400 Subject: [NNN] NovaNewsNet DIGEST for Apr. 5, 2001 Message-ID: NovaNewsNet DIGEST A summary of news from Nova Scotia, Canada and the world Apr. 5, 2001 -------------------- TOP NEWS STORIES -------------------- NOVA SCOTIA: Man's body found on Dartmouth shoreline NATIONAL: Liberals reopen water export debate WORLD: Gov't plan would open U.S. wilderness to development WEATHER: It should be a beautiful, sunny day today with a high near 5 C. It will remain clear tonight with a low near -5 C. ENVIRONMENT CANADA --------------------------------- TOP STORIES FROM NOVANEWSNET --------------------------------- JAPANESE ANIMATION DEFEATS SUPERMAN -- BOYS SHUN OLD HEROES: When young boys sit down to draw their favourite fantasy characters, they aren't drawing Superman or Spiderman. Today's comic book-loving children want magical creatures with a Japanese flair -- and we're not talking about Godzilla -- animé is all the rage. TRADE COLLEGE ROLLS OUT WELCOME MAT FOR WOMEN: The Nova Scotia Community College is turning its sights on the 51 per cent of the population that has traditionally been under-represented in the trades: women. -------------------- NOVA SCOTIA NEWS -------------------- MAN'S BODY FOUND ON DARTMOUTH SHORELINE: Police are treating the discovery of a man's body on the Dartmouth shoreline near the Canadian Coast Guard base on Wednesday morning as suspicious. The body was found among some large boulders down a steep embankment, by a man walking along the railway tracks. As of early Wednesday evening, police were still trying to identify the body. The man is believed to be in his early '20s. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 7:59 a.m. ADT HALIFAX IS STAR CITY: Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson arrived in Halifax Tuesday night and a limousine whisked them downtown for a quick sleep at the Prince George Hotel before they started filming K-19: The Widowmaker yesterday. Kevin Spacey is said to be staying at the same hotel while in town filming The Shipping News with Julianne Moore, Dame Judi Dench and Pete Postlethwaite. One of the waitresses who served Ford said he treated her "very well" in the tip department. DAILY NEWS Link current at 7:47 a.m. ADT SCHOOL BOARD SPLIT OVER STRIKE: The Nova Scotia Union of Public Employees yesterday accused the Halifax regional school board's top administrators of forcing a school janitors strike in an attempt to smash the union. They called on the board to "stand up" to their senior managers and settle the 12-day-old strike. The majority of board members backed staff's handling of the matter at a private briefing Tuesday night. But Eastern Shore member Robert Monk and Timberlea's Mike Flemming both say the bargaining process is failing. DAILY NEWS Link current at 7:54 a.m. ADT HIGH PRICE OF PRIME HOUSING GETS HIGHER: A classic case of supply and demand has driven up housing prices in south-end Halifax by more than 25 per cent in the first quarter of 2001, says a national real estate company. The dramatic increase in prices is the result of competitive bidding due to a lack of available homes on the market. The shortage of available properties has also generated on average, fewer sales for local realtors. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 7:51 a.m. ADT N.S. WOMEN TO COLLECT BRAS FOR PROTEST: A group of central Nova Scotia women is planning to voice its opposition to hemispheric free trade by collecting 300 bras with messages written on them by their donors. The women plan to attach them to a web of ribbons, pieces of cloth, and banners that protesters plan to attach to the fence around the Quebec City hotel where the Summit of Americas meetings will take place later this month. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 7:37 a.m. ADT YARMOUTH DOWNLOADS 300 JOBS: Premier John Hamm and federal Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency minister Robert Thibault will announce at noon today that Register.com, a major Internet firm based in New York, will set up a customer service centre in Yarmouth. It's believed the centre could employ 300 people and might be up and running by July. The Nova Scotia Community College campus will be used as temporary headquarters until a new building is constructed in the town's Hebron Industrial Park. Register.com offers 24-hour support to customers in developing and maintaining their Web sites and online identities. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 8:15 a.m. ADT PROVINCE 'CAVED IN,' PULLED INSPECTOR -- NDP: Charges of political interference flew at Province House on Wednesday over the labour department's handling of safety inspections at Amherst Fabricators Ltd., where a steel beam crushed a man's legs last week. New Democrat MLA Frank Corbett made the allegation after learning the company had asked the department earlier this year to ensure Alan Ross, the local occupational health and safety officer, wouldn't lead inspections at the site because he was too strict. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 7:28 a.m. ADT ESCAPEE'S EX-WIFE FEARS FOR SAFETY: Deanna Dean, the former common-law wife of escaped Halifax Correctional Centre inmate John Joseph Francis, says she fears for her safety. Francis, 35, escaped from the jail Sunday night by running out the open front door and has been on the lam ever since. Francis was convicted last year of assaulting Dean by kicking her 20 or 30 times with steel-toed boots. He is described as 5'9", 155-pounds, with brown hair, hazel eyes and an eagle tattoo on his right shoulder. DAILY NEWS Link current at 8:38 a.m. ADT NO CURE FOR SEXUAL SADIST, PSYCHOLOGIST SAYS: Dr. Angela Connors, a doctor who works with sex offenders, considers Philip Ernest Gorman's risk of re-offending very high. Connors says Gorman has taken every program available and still cannot control his impulses. Gorman raped three women in Newfoundland 20 years ago while armed with a gun and a knife. He served his full 15 years in prison before coming to Halifax, where he is currently serving time for an assault on a Fairview teenager in 1998. The Crown is trying to keep Gorman, 44, in jail indefinitely for that assault. DAILY NEWS Link current at 8:48 a.m. ADT EAGLES SOAR IN STUNNING COMEBACK: The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles have done something few teams have been able to accomplish -- come back from three games down to win a playoff series. The Screaming Eagles downed the Chicoutimi Sagueneens 6-1 in front of 4,861 fans at Centre 200 in Sydney on Wednesday night to take the Dilio Conference quarter-final series 4-3. Cape Breton will now meet the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the semifinals, starting Friday. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 8:23 a.m. ADT -------------------- NATIONAL NEWS -------------------- LIBERALS REOPEN WATER EXPORT DEBATE: Prime Minister Jean Chrétien has appointed a parliamentary committee to examine the appropriateness of selling water to the United States and other nations. The Liberal government promised to ban bulk water exports two years ago. The committee will hold televised hearings on "freshwater security" beginning in September. The proposal is opposed by environmentalists who fear the depletion of Canada's groundwater. The decision to hold public hearings on bulk water exports comes a week after Newfoundland's Liberal government said it might allow the export of billions of gallons of water from Gisborne Lake. NATIONAL POST Li nk current at 7:30 a.m. ADT LIBERALS PASS BILL TO REVERSE EI CUTS: The federal Liberals made good on an election promise yesterday by fast-tracking changes to employment insurance through the House of Commons -- changes which reverse some EI cuts made by the Liberals in 1996. Changes are retroactive to Oct. 1, 2000, and include restoration of full benefits to frequent claimants, and improved eligibility for seasonal workers and parents returning to the workforce. CANADIAN PRESS Link current at 8:22 a.m. ADT NFLD. PUBLIC SERVICE STRIKE COULD BE LONGER THAN EXPECTED: Newfoundland premier Roger Grimes has warned residents of a long public service workers strike. Grimes said the government will not budge on its offer to increase wages by 13 per cent over three years. The National Association of Public Employees (NAPE) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees is demanding 15 per cent. Grimes said if vital services such as health care start to fail, he would consider back-to-work legislation. NAPE president Tom Hanlon says his members will defy any back-to-work order. CBC Link current at 8:15 a.m. ADT QUE. PROSECUTORS REJECT SPECIAL TEAM TO 'CONTROL' TRADE PROTESTERS: Quebec prosecutors are threatening to quit a special eight-member team set up by the Quebec government to prosecute protesters arrested at the Summit of the Americas this month. One prosecutor has already left the team, and others are expected to follow, saying they are being used to control protesters. As many as 25,000 protesters are expected at the summit, which will be held April 20-22. Organizers hope to develop a free-trade agreement for both North and South America, excluding Cuba, at the summit. MONTREAL GAZETTE Link current at 7:40 a.m. ADT QUEBEC THREATENS TO BOYCOTT HEALTH-CARE COMMISSION: Quebec Health Minister Remy Trudel says the province won't take part in a federal health-care commission announced this week. Former Saskatchewan premier Roy Romanow, the head of the commission, said he will take the inquiry to Quebec even if the province follows through on its threat not to participate. Romanow has until November 2002 to make recommendations for ensuring the survival of publicly funded health care. MONTREAL GAZETTE Link current at 7:47 a.m. ADT DOUKHOBORS FILE LAWSUIT OVER MISTREATMENT: Nearly 50 members of a B.C. Doukhobor sect filed a lawsuit against the B.C. government yesterday, seeking an apology, counselling, and compensation for the mistreatment they received while in the B.C. government's New Denver Sanitorium. More than 150 children of members of the Sons of Freedom Doukhobor sect were incarcerated there, some for six years, and forced to abandon their Russian language and culture. The traditionalist Russian sect is known for its use of nudity and arson as forms of protest against materialism. CBC Li nk current at 8:13 a.m. ADT LATIMER UNDERGOING MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT: Robert Latimer was transferred from the Saskatchewan Penitentiary in Prince Albert to Saskatoon's Regional Psychiatric Centre on Monday. The Saskatchewan farmer was convicted this year of second-degree murder for the 1993 death of his disabled daughter, Tracy. In-depth mental health profiles are not unusual for inmates facing long sentences. Such assessments may last three to four weeks, but can go up to 90 days. GLOBE AND MAIL Link current at 7:45 a.m. ADT FOOT-AND-MOUTH FEARS FORCE CANCELATION OF ONT. HOLSTEIN SHOW: Tomorrow's Ontario Holstein Spring Show in Stratford, Ont. has been cancelled because of a lack of exhibitors, organizers said. Area farmers said yesterday the show is likely another victim of foot-and-mouth disease fears. The show -- more than 30 years old -- is held each year and usually attracts hundreds of exhibitors. About 20 head of cattle had arrived by noon yesterday. The Holstein show usually draws large numbers of foreign buyers to see Ontario breeding stock. LONDON FREE PRESS Link current at 7:59 a.m. ADT ENVIRONMENTALISTS COMMEND B.C. FOR CONSERVATION PLAN: Greenpeace and other conservation groups ended their international campaigns yesterday to discourage customers from buying British Columbia's coastal rainforest timber. The decision followed an announcement Wednesday by environmentalists, First Nations bands, forest companies and the B.C. government to protect the province's old-growth rain forest. The deal involves 3,000,000 hectares of B.C.'s northern and mid-coastal areas often referred to as the Great Bear Rainforest. This area includes the habitat of the Spirit Bear, a rare, white subspecies of the brown Kermode bear. However, some community mayors fear the deal will damage local resource-based economies. GLOBE AND MAIL Link current at 8:45 a.m. ADT -------------------- WORLD NEWS: -------------------- GOV'T PLAN WOULD OPEN U.S. WILDERNESS TO DEVELOPMENT: A draft report being prepared for the U.S. government recommends raising energy production, including allowing oil and gas development on millions of acres of wilderness containing protected wildlife and scenery. U.S. President George W. Bush has argued that modern technology makes possible oil and gas drilling on federal lands without environmental damage. A spokesperson for the government says the administration is "not close to making any policy announcements." USA TODAY Link current at 7:38 a.m. ADT CHINA WELCOMES U.S. EXPRESSION OF 'REGRET': China says a U.S. expression of "regret" over the loss of a Chinese pilot after a collision with a U.S. spy plane near the Chinese island of Hainan on Sunday is "a step in the right direction," but not enough to end the spat between the two nations. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman welcomed the expression of regret, formally delivered to Chinese Vice-President Qian Quchen in a letter from U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, but said a formal apology was still needed. CNN Link current at 7:34 a.m. ADT KURSK HAD NUCLEAR WEAPONS ON BOARD, REPORTS NORWEGIAN TV: The Russian submarine Kursk had nuclear weapons on board when it sank last August, despite Moscow's insistence to the contrary, Norwegian TV has reported. The TV-2 network quoted a member of the Russian commission investigating the disaster, and a Norwegian expert, who both said there were atomic weapons on the Kursk. But Russian officials insisted that only non-nuclear weapons were being carried. All 118 sailors on board died when the submarine sank during a training exercise in the Arctic last August. BBC Link current at 8:09 a.m. ADT UN ISSUES ARREST WARRANT FOR MILOSEVIC: A UN official has been sent to Belgrade to deliver a warrant for the arrest of former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic on war crimes charges. Milosevic was arrested last week and is being detained in Belgrade on charges of suspicion of corruption and abuse of power. The Serbian government has so far refused to extradite Milosevic to The Hague to face charges of genocide and crimes against humanity in Kosovo. CNN Link current at 7:48 a.m. ADT RESSAM DEFENCE WRAPS UP: The fate of a one-time Montreal shopkeeper will be turned over to a Los Angeles jury today. Ahmed Ressam's defence team wrapped up with testimony from half a dozen witnesses, including a former FBI expert in explosive residues. Ressam faces nine charges relating to an alleged bomb plot targeting millennium celebrations in U.S. cities. The defence says the Algerian native was just a courier, duped into driving a carload of explosives across the border. If found guilty, he could spend the rest of his life in U.S. prisons. CBC Link current at 8:28 a.m. ADT SUDANESE MILITARY LEADERS KILLED IN PLANE CRASH: In a blow to Sudan's powerful military at a critical point in the civil war, the country's deputy defence minister Col. Ibrahim Shamsul-Din and 13 other high-ranking officers were killed Wednesday as their plane crashed on takeoff in the war-torn south. They were headed back to Khartoum when their plane skidded off the runway. The crash appears to have been an accident. CNN L ink current at 8:00 a.m. ADT PALESTINIANS ATTACKED AFTER PEACE TALKS: Israeli troops in Gaza fired at a convoy today carrying three top Palestinian security chiefs from peace talks with their Israeli counterparts. Gaza Palestinian security chief Mohammed Dahlan was in one of the vehicles which came under fire after the high-level meeting aimed at halting violence in the region. Palestinian officials say Israeli troops deliberately targeted the vehicles, but Israel denies the claim. Three bodyguards were injured in the shooting. CNN Link current at 7:42 a.m. ADT TODAY'S EDITORS: Becky Harris, Kim McKay, Jennifer Stewart, Jennifer Thornhill CO-ORDINATING EDITOR: Tim Currie -------------------- NovaNewsNet DIGEST is written, edited and produced weekdays, excluding holidays, during the academic term by students in the School of Journalism at the University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This Digest, along with original news, is also available on the Web at To unsubscribe to this service, send a message to mailserv@ac.dal.ca. In the body of the message, write: unsubscribe novanews (Your Name) If you have comments or problems unsubscribing, please e-mail Online Workshop Co-ordinator Tim Currie From novanews@ac.dal.ca Fri Apr 6 14:40:41 2001 From: novanews@ac.dal.ca (NovaNewsNet Digest Editors) Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2001 09:40:41 -0400 Subject: [NNN] NovaNewsNet DIGEST for Apr. 6, 2001 Message-ID: NovaNewsNet DIGEST A summary of news from Nova Scotia, Canada and the world Apr. 6, 2001 TO OUR READERS: It's hard to believe, but this is our final Digest of the academic year! Thanks for reading and thanks especially to those who commented on it. We'll be back in September when the academic year begins again. Have a happy summer. -------------------- TOP NEWS STORIES -------------------- NOVA SCOTIA: Cancer patients get guides NATIONAL: Agreement reached in Nfld. public sector strike WORLD: China grants U.S. second meeting with plane crew WEATHER: We'll see a few early morning fog patches, but otherwise it'll be mainly sunny with cloudy periods and a high of 3 C to 6 C. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low near -4 C. ENVIRONMENT CANADA --------------------------------- TOP STORIES FROM NOVANEWSNET --------------------------------- HALIFAX POLICE TEST CRIME-FIGHTING COMPUTER IN CHLORINE LEAK EMERGENCY: Halifax police take crime prevention to a new level with a computer system, dubbed City Watch, that can automatically phone up to a thousand people an hour to relay important messages. But some residents say the system needs a few kinks worked out. BREATHING EASIER -- CONTROVERSIAL PESTICIDE PHASE-OUT WELCOMED BY SOME RESIDENTS: Ann Campbell and Jaime Armstrong are both allergic to pesticides. Campbell was 37 years old when she first developed severe symptoms to pesticides. Her skin becomes itchy and she gets pounding headaches. Armstrong first developed symptoms when she was not even a year old. Both say they'll be breathing a little easier this summer thanks to a new pesticide ban in Halifax. -------------------- NOVA SCOTIA NEWS -------------------- CANCER PATIENTS GET GUIDES: Cancer Care Nova Scotia has announced it will hire "patient navigators" to help cancer patients through the health system. They will assist patients and families who often feel overwhelmed after a diagnosis. Navigators will mostly be nurses, located at regional hospitals. The first year of the program is budgeted at $235,000. The provincial government set up Cancer Care, in 1998 to manage and improve the cancer system. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 7:09 a.m. ADT POLICE RULE OUT FOUL PLAY IN DARTMOUTH DEATH: Police have identified the body of 16-year-old James Tyler Howell of Dartmouth, who was found by a man walking along train tracks near the Coast Guard base in Dartmouth Wednesday morning. Preliminary results from an autopsy do not indicate foul play was involved. Police say a medical examiner is still trying to determine the cause of death. CBC HALIFAX Link current at 7:50 a.m. ADT LUNENBURG NDP RIDING ASSN. ASKS LEADER TO RESIGN: Nova Scotia NDP leader Helen MacDonald has been asked to resign by the party's Lunenburg riding association. Association members voted to ask MacDonald, who does not have a seat in the House, to make way for a new leadership convention in June. MacDonald said she has no intention of resigning. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 7:15 a.m. ADT MAYOR GETS SURPRISE IN MAIL: Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly got a surprise package in the mail on Thursday -- mushy feces, instead of fan mail. The 'gift' had a British Columbia postmark, one of 6,000 letters he's received since taking office. Still, it's not totally useless, in his eyes. "That can be used for compost," he said. Kelly says he commonly receives letters from children requesting information about the city for school projects. He turned the package over to Halifax Regional Police in case something else follows it in future. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 7:25 a.m. ADT QEH'S CONDITION 'DISGUSTING': About 100 Queen Elizabeth High School students staged a sit-in in the school gymnasium after classes on Thursday, to protest unsanitary conditions caused by the two-week-old janitors' strike. Students complain the hallways are strewn with garbage, the washrooms are filthy and the building smells from overloaded trash bins. The school positioned security guards to block media access to the gym, but a few students brought the protest outside. There are still no talks scheduled between the janitors and the school board. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 7:26 a.m. ADT SNOW REMOVAL COSTS SOAR: Snow removal for the Halifax area, originally budgeted at $8.7 million by Halifax regional council, has gone more than $5 million over budget. A reserve fund and revenue from snow-related area rates covered some of the cost, but the city is still about $1.5 million in the hole. The Halifax region has received 261.7 cm of snow since November, 73.2 cm more than normal, Environment Canada said yesterday. DAILY NEWS Link current at 7:52 a.m. ADT SPECULATORS TO BLAME FOR PRICE HIKE -- FUEL EXEC: Gas prices in metro Halifax jumped yesterday, with one trucking company finding that prices had jumped overnight to 78.9 from 72.9 cents a litre for regular self-serve. Vice-President of Wilson Fuels Dave Collins blames the price hike on speculators, who, he says, are driving up the wholesale price by buying millions of litres of gas, gambling that the price will rise when vacationers increase demand during the summer months. Collins says he actually makes more profit when gas is cheaper because people drive more. DAILY NEWS Link current at 7:59 a.m. ADT REPORT ENVISIONS SHIPBUILDING BOOM: A report mandated by federal Industry Minister Brian Tobin has suggestions to revitalize the shipbuilding industry in Canada. The plan would see the federal government block all foreign subsidies, and instead offer a program in which shipbuilders would see $21.4 million in tax deferred for every $100 million they invest in the industry. The plan also calls for policy adjustments, improved focus on the key markets and issues and stronger partnership between industry and government. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 7:35 a.m. ADT FILM COMPANY DRAWS CURTAIN ON K-19 SET: The producers of K-19: The Widowmaker are hiding the set from the rest of the city. Plywood walls, wire fences, and tarp after tarp keep the harbour-area set contained. "It'd be a little silly to have a movie set in the 1960s and have cars driving by from 2001," says a publicist for the movie. The barrier also serves to keep the filming far from prying eyes, with little sign of moviemaking visible. CHRONICLE-HERALD Link current at 8:05 a.m. ADT -------------------- NATIONAL NEWS -------------------- AGREEMENT REACHED IN NFLD. PUBLIC SECTOR STRIKE: The biggest strike in Newfoundland's history could be over, after Premier Roger Grimes and union leaders announced a tentative deal in the five-day-old public sector walkout. Tom Hanlon, president of the Newfoundland Association of Public Employees, said he was happy with the deal, and would recommend the strikers accept it and take down their pickets immediately. CBC Li nk current at 8:05 a.m. ADT CIGARETTE TAXES PUFFED UP IN EASTERN CANADA: The price of a carton of cigarettes went up by $4 today in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and P.E.I. The increase reflects a hike in both federal and provincial taxes announced yesterday. Although Central Canada and the Maritimes were the only places hit with major price hikes right away, people in other parts of the country will soon notice other attempts by Ottawa to get smokers to butt out. CBC L ink current at 8:11 a.m. ADT EI LAWS UNFAIR TO WOMEN, TRIBUNAL RULES: Canada's Employment Insurance laws violate the equality provisions under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms because women, as primary caregivers, find it hard to work the hours needed to qualify, a tribunal ruled yesterday. Retired judge Roger Salhany, who wrote the decision in the case of Winnipeg nurse Kelly Lesiuk, said he doesn't have the power to strike down the rules. The case now goes to a board of referees, which will decide whether Lesiuk should receive retroactive benefits. TORONTO STAR Link current at 7:50 a.m. ADT ISLAND FARMERS MUST FACE REALITY -- VANCLIEF: It's time P.E.I. farmers realized the United States is unlikely to back away from a debilitating potato dispute and consider growing something else, federal Agriculture Minister Lyle Vanclief said yesterday. The United States stopped importing Island spuds last October after an unsightly potato wart fungus was discovered in the corner of a single field. Despite the industry's measures to contain the disease -- measures Vanclief said exceed international standards -- U.S. authorities have refused to budge on the issue. CHARLOTTETOWN GUARDIAN Link current at 8:09 a.m. ADT DAY PUSHES JOINT EFFORTS AT POLLS: Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day says it is time the Tories and the Canadian Alliance to consider running joint candidates in federal elections in a bid to win power in Ottawa. The Alliance leader said the time is right for riding associations to hold joint nomination meetings and run just one right-of-centre candidate. But Tory officials, including Joe Clark, have dismissed joint candidates in the past and passed a party resolution in 1999 banning joint candidacies. TORONTO STAR Link current at 7:50 a.m. ADT BANK SITS ON DOLLAR-DEFENCE FUND: The Bank of Canada is sitting on a record $33.5 billion (US) in its dollar-defence fund of foreign currencies and gold, but has refused to use any of it because it doesn't see the current weakness in the dollar as a crisis. Nor does the government. Prime Minister Jean Chretien, under attack for what the Canadian Alliance charges is a low-dollar policy, said the "problem" is not that the Canadian dollar is too weak, but that the U.S. dollar is too strong. OTTAWA CITIZEN Link current at 7:36 a.m. ADT CONDITIONS PLACED ON CHAPTERS-INDIGO MERGER: The Competition Bureau authorized the merger of Canada's two biggest bookstore chains Wednesday, but will impose stiff conditions on the combination of Chapters and Indigo. The agreement with the Competition Bureau requires that Chapters and Indigo sell 13 superstores and 10 mall stores, mostly operated under the banners of Classic and SmithBooks. It will also require Chapters to adopt a five-year code of conduct on its relations with publishers. Trilogy Retail Enterprises, the parent company of Indigo, took over Chapter for $121 million in February. TORONTO STAR Link current at 8:02 a.m. ADT BILL TABLED IN FIGHT AGAINST ORGANIZED CRIME: Police would get new powers to break the law and destroy private property under an antigang bill tabled in Ottawa yesterday, while now-legal activities such as doing accounting for a criminal gang would warrant up to five years in prison. Police chiefs praised the bill, which was introduced two years after the Supreme Court called on Parliament to define when police can break the law. GLOBE AND MAIL Link current at 8:19 a.m. ADT OTTAWA TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA FOR SEVERE ARTHRITIS: Sufferers of severe forms of arthritis will be given the right to possess and smoke marijuana legally if they can prove they can't be treated with other drugs to alleviate their relentless pain, according to changes to be revealed today by the federal health department. Ottawa's long-awaited regulations on medicinal marijuana will also allow terminal patients, and people with AIDS, multiple sclerosis, spinal-cord injuries, epilepsy and other serious conditions to use the drug if it eases their symptoms. GLOBE AND MAIL Link current at 8:22 a.m. ADT CHRETIEN TO OFFER OLIVE BRANCH TO CALGARY: Prime Minister Jean Chretien's two-hour visit to Calgary today will feature encouraging words for the Alberta energy industry and praise for Alberta Premier Ralph Klein's role in producing the health-care accord last fall, an official in the Prime Minister's Office said. Chretien will reassure the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers that he has no intention of resurrecting a National Energy Program in any form, nor will he levy new taxes on the energy industry. Instead Chretien will advocate new trade opportunities. CALGARY HERALD Link current at 8:19 a.m. ADT -------------------- WORLD NEWS: -------------------- CHINA GRANTS U.S. SECOND MEETING WITH PLANE CREW: U.S. diplomats have gone into a second meeting with 24 crew members from a U.S. surveillance plane. Beijing's decision to allow a second visit comes amid intensified diplomatic efforts to end the standoff, which began early Sunday when the EP-3E Aries II spy plane and Chinese F-8 fighter collided off the south coast of Hainan Island, over the South China Sea. China has not indicated when it plans to release the 24-person crew, despite warnings from the U.S. that relations between the two countries could be seriously undermined. CNN Link current at 7:37 a.m. ADT CALIFORNIA RELEASES PLAN TO END ENERGY CRISIS: California Governor Gray Davis used a televised address to announce his plan to solve the state's energy crisis yesterday and he slammed federal regulators for leaving California at the mercy of out-of-state power generators he said were "ripping off" the state. Davis had previously vowed not to stick California consumers with the bill for the state's botched 1996 power deregulation scheme. But, in his address, he said consumer rate hikes would be necessary -- although not at the average 40 per cent rate state utility regulators proposed last week. He also called on California to reduce power consumption by 10 per cent over the summer. REUTERS Link current at 7:24 a.m. ADT ISRAELI GUNSHIPS STRIKE TARGETS IN GAZA: Israeli army helicopter gunships fired on four targets in Gaza early today, a Palestinian police official told CNN. The official said at least five people were injured in the attacks on targets in Beit Lahaya, including Palestinian police installations and the military intelligence services building. The Israeli army said the strikes were in retaliation for earlier mortar attacks on Israeli villages. CNN Link current at 7:46 a.m. ADT JAPAN'S PRIME MINISTER SAYS HE'LL RESIGN: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori told his cabinet today he would step down, signalling the end of one of Japan's most unpopular governments since the end of World War II. Mori, under fire for months over verbal gaffes and missteps, had been long expected to quit. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is planning to hold a leadership election later this month to choose a successor. The apparent front-runner to replace Mori is former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, who served from 1996 to 1998. USA TODAY Link current at 8:00 a.m. ADT PALESTINIAN MILITANT ASSASSINATED: A well-known Palestinian militant was assassinated in broad daylight Thursday in what appears to be one of the more unusual attacks in Israel's policy of striking down terrorists. Iyyad Hardan, 30, a leader of the military wing of the Islamic Jihad group, was killed instantly when a booby-trapped public telephone blew up while he was using it, just outside a Palestinian jail where he had been living for safety reasons. GOLBE AND MAIL Link current at 7:54 a.m. ADT POISON ATTACKS ON VIETNAMESE SCHOOLS: Nearly 250 students and teachers at schools in central Vietnam have been poisoned in apparently deliberate attacks, the state-controlled press said. Newspapers have reported that someone put a strange smelling chemical into classrooms at seven different schools in the province of Dak Lak. More than 40 people are in serious condition in hospital. Vietnamese police are also now investigating a number of separate incidents in which chemicals have been placed in primary-school classrooms around the province. BBC Link current at 7:51 a.m. ADT U.S. ADS LINKED TO RISE IN HIV INFECTIONS: Ever since a breakthrough series of AIDS drugs hit the U.S. market several years ago, many gay activists have deplored the image of health and vitality that some of the advertisements portray. Now there's evidence that the ads, which feature models climbing mountains, heaving javelins, riding bikes and crewing on sailboats, have contributed to an alarming increase in San Francisco in the rate of new infections of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Preliminary results of a survey released last month by the city's health department found that gay men who had seen the ads were more likely to engage in unsafe sex. USA TODAY Link current at 8:10 a.m. ADT FOOT AND MOUTH THREATENS RARE DUTCH BREEDS: Rare breeds of traditional Dutch livestock face extinction because of precautions against foot-and-mouth disease. The last 100 Schoonbeker sheep left in the world are due to be destroyed today in a cull aimed at creating "firewalls" to end the spread of the disease. The Society for the Preservation of Nature has said it will start legal proceedings to prevent the killing of endangered species. "We have been struggling for years to keep populations up. This would be a fatal blow," said Robert Moens of the society. CNN Link current at 7:42 a.m. ADT TODAY'S EDITORS: Melanie Cloney, Allan Milligan, Amy MacPherson, Tyler Kustra CO-ORDINATING EDITOR: Tim Currie -------------------- NovaNewsNet DIGEST is written, edited and produced weekdays, excluding holidays, during the academic term by students in the School of Journalism at the University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 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