China, representatives of Dalai Lama plan new round of talks on Tibet in July

Audra Ang, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIJING - China says it will hold a new round of talks on Tibet with representatives of the Dalai Lama next month.

The announcement by the official Xinhua news agency says the meetings will take place in early July but does not give a specific date or venue.

Thupten Samphal, a spokesman for the Dalai Lama's government-in-exile in Dharmsala, India, confirms that the next round of talks will be held "soon."

He did not have any other details but said that government-in-exile officials will meet Monday to discuss logistics.

China has been accused of using heavy-handed tactics in quelling anti-government riots and protests that began in March in Tibet and Tibetan communities in western China.

Some experts believe Beijing is agreeing to a fresh round of discussions to ease international pressure and criticism ahead of the Olympic Games that begin Aug. 8 in China .

"There is some concern for China to maintain a good profile internationally before the Olympics so that must be part of the issue," said Robbie Barnett, an expert in modern Tibet at Columbia University.

"It's also very clear inside Tibet that many Tibetans put a great weight on news of these talks and there's some evidence that people inside Tibet will be generally reluctant to stage protests when there is still hope in this process," he said.

China has governed Tibet since communist troops marched into the Himalayan region in the 1950s.

The Dalai Lama, who fled to India amid a failed uprising in 1959, has said he wants some form of autonomy that would allow Tibetans to freely practise their culture, language and religion. But Beijing has labelled him a "splittist" intent on seizing independence, and it continues to vilify him.

The Dalai Lama's envoys have attended five rounds of talks with China since 2002. Specific details of those discussions have not been released, but they are believed to have focused on the Dalai Lama's demands for more autonomy.

The last round, prompted by the March protests, was held May 4 in the southern city of Shenzhen. The closed-door talks, the first since 2006, ended with a solid offer from Beijing for future discussions - but yielded scant other concrete results.

Xinhua said then that China hoped the Dalai Lama and his followers would "take credible moves to stop activities aimed at splitting China, stop plotting and inciting violence and stop disrupting and sabotaging the Beijing Olympic Games."

"Our door is always open for dialogue with the Dalai Lama. (We) hope that the Dalai Lama would treasure this opportunity and give a positive response to the requirements of the central authorities," an unnamed government official was quoted as saying by Xinhua in a two-sentence statement announcing the new round of talks.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Malaysian opposition leader takes refuge in Turkish Embassy amid new allegations

Sean Yoong, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has taken refuge in the Turkish Embassy, saying he fears a government plot to assassinate him.

Anwar fled to the embassy Sunday amid allegations in a police complaint that he sodomized a 23-year-old male aid.

The allegations revived memories of a similar accusation a decade ago that led to his imprisonment and ouster as deputy prime minister. Malaysia's top court later exonerated him.

Anwar accused the government Sunday of a conspiracy to thwart his rising political clout.

The startling developments provided a twist to Malaysian politics, which have been in turmoil since March 8 elections in which Anwar's opposition coalition made unprecedented gains against the governing National Front coalition.

Anwar has since been vying to unseat the government, saying he is in a position to engineer enough defections from the Front to achieve his goal.

In a statement posted on his blog, Anwar said the opposition's political comeback has put his life in danger.

"I have been told that my assassination has not been ruled out as means to subvert the people's will and bring an end to the transformational changes taking place in Malaysia," Anwar wrote on his blog from the Turkish Embassy where he was holed up since early Sunday.

Anwar's party said that he was not seeking political asylum but that the Turkish ambassador had offered him protection. Anwar is known to be a close friend of Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Calling the sodomy accusation "a complete fabrication," Anwar said he "remains (as) committed as ever before to continuing the struggle for a free and just Malaysia."

Bakri Zinin, the federal police chief for criminal investigations, said a man filed a complaint Saturday saying Anwar had sodomized him in a condominium in an upscale Kuala Lumpur suburb on Thursday.

"We want to establish the allegation first to see whether there is truth or not," Bakri told a news conference. "We will conduct a thorough investigation and be fair to both sides."

Sodomy, even if consensual, is punishable by 20 years' imprisonment in Muslim-majority Malaysia.

Anwar's party identified the accuser as his assistant, saying he had disappeared Saturday. His whereabouts were unknown Sunday.

A charismatic politician, Anwar was once part of the ruling establishment, rising to the post of deputy prime minister and finance minister in then-prime minister Mahathir Mohamad's government in the 1990s.

But his career collapsed in 1998 when he was accused of sodomizing his driver and abusing his power to cover up the deed. Mahathir fired him from the government and had him jailed.

Anwar was subsequently convicted on both charges, but Malaysia's highest court overturned the sodomy conviction and freed him in 2004.

Anwar insists he was framed to prevent him from challenging Mahathir for power.

Anwar did not run in the March 8 elections because his abuse-of-power conviction barred him from holding political office for five years. The ban ended in April, and Anwar has indicated he wants to re-enter Parliament through a by-election, which would make him eligible to become prime minister.

In his blog, Anwar said he recently obtained evidence that the national police chief, Musa Hassan, and the attorney general, Abdul Gani Patail, fabricated evidence against him in 1998.

"These actions are being repeated today to undermine the forces of reform and renewal which were unleashed in the March 2008 elections," he said.

The new accusation was engineered by "interested parties" to prevent him from exposing Musa and Abdul Gani, he said, adding that he will, however, not be silenced.

It was not clear how long he would stay at the Turkish Embassy, even though police say they do not intend to arrest him before investigations are complete.

More than 50 supporters gathered outside the embassy Sunday. Police blocked roads in the area in an apparent security precaution.

Anwar's wife, Azizah Ismail, described the sodomy accusation as an attempt at "political murder."

At a news conference, she displayed a Blackberry showing a photograph of the accuser apparently with one of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak's aides at Najib's office.

Some blogs also carried pictures of the accuser with three government ministers at various events.

Anwar's supporters say this is evidence that the accuser was well-known to the government before he came to work for Anwar in March. They say this indicates a possible conspiracy to frame Anwar.

But Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi insisted the government was not responsible for the accusation, saying there was no conspiracy "to cause (Anwar) trouble or harass him or raise such issues to undermine him."

© The Canadian Press, 2008

China resists U.S. push for UN to punish Zimbabwe over election violence

Matthew Lee, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIJING - China is resisting a U.S.-led push for UN sanctions to punish the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe over recent election violence.

Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice raised the issue during talks in Beijing on Sunday, the same day President Robert Mugabe was declared winner of last week's widely condemned presidential run-off election.

However, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi says the immediate need in Zimbabwe is for stability.

He also called for renewed dialogue between Mugabe and his opponents and said China would try to help that process.

China, a major trading partner of Zimbabwe, is a member of the UN Security Council and can veto any sanctions the council proposes.

President George W. Bush said Saturday that Washington wants the UN Security Council to impose an arms embargo on Zimbabwe as well as travel bans on Zimbabwe government officials.

Rice has said the U.S. plans to introduce a resolution in the council this coming week. The United States holds the council's presidency until July 1, but appears to face an uphill battle in getting several important members to agree to any penalties.

Besides China, both Russia and South Africa have opposed action on Zimbabwe, saying the situation is an internal matter. Russia, like China, enjoys veto power as a permanent member of the Security Council, while South Africa is an elected member of the council.

Although Yang indicated that Beijing's stance had not changed, Rice said the U.S. would pursue the matter. She said that conditions in Zimbabwe had "deteriorated to a grave level" and that "the sham election there is likely to bring more violence."

"We believe that it's time for the international community to act more strongly," Rice said. "Frankly, it makes sense to deny the government of Zimbabwe the means to use violence against its own people."

At present, there is no international arms embargo against Zimbabwe. China is one of its main suppliers of weapons and ammunition, although Yang said a recent shipment had been returned "at the request of the receiving party."

That shipment made headlines this spring when some African countries refused to allow the freighter to dock at their ports, partly at the urging of the United States and others.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

G-8 protestors clash with police in Tokyo ahead of July 7-9 meeting

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOKYO - Protesters clashed with police in Tokyo Sunday during demonstrations against the upcoming summit of leaders from the Group of Eight industrialized nations.

Media reports say more than 1,000 people were involved in two rallies. At one demonstration in downtown Tokyo, one man was dragged away after clashing with police in riot gear.

Japan has tightened security ahead of the summit.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will join leaders from the U.S., Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Russia and Italy for the July 7-9 meeting on the northern island of Hokkaido.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Chinese native is winner of Bachauer Young Artists piano competition

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SALT LAKE CITY - A 16-year-old Chinese boy has won the Gina Bachauer Young Artists international piano competition.

Si Jing Ye, who now lives in New York City, beat out five other finalists for the gold medal with his performance Saturday night of Tchaikovsky's Concerto in B-flat Minor.

The first-place finisher is awarded $8,000.

Kenric Tam, 18, of California, was second and Jonathon Flori, 18, of Spain, was third.

A 10-member jury selected the finalists from a field of 29 competitors. Young Artists competitors range in age from 14 to 18 and were from 11 different countries.

The competition is named for the late Greek concert pianist Gina Bachauer.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

David Suzuki reflects on 50 years of the planet’s destruction

By David Suzuki and Faisal Moola

Last month, I attended the 50th anniversary of my college graduation. A week later, I celebrated my grandson’s graduation from high school. I don’t think I was much different from the kids in my grandson’s class when I went away to college in 1954 (give or take a few rings and tattoos). Like them, I was filled with trepidation but also excitement about testing my physical and intellectual abilities beyond high school. But my how the world has changed in 50 years!

I began my last year of college in 1957. On October 4 that year, the Soviet Union electrified the world by successfully launching a satellite, Sputnik 1, into space. Little did we dream that out of the ensuing space race between the U.S.S.R. and the U.S.A. would come 24-hour television news channels, cellphones, and GPS navigation.

In 1958, the only trans-Atlantic phone lines were cables laid on the ocean floor, so phone calls to England had to be booked hours or sometimes days in advance. I flew from Toronto to a roommate’s wedding in San Francisco on a propeller plane that made several stops during the 22-hour trip.

In 1958, scientists were still debating about whether genetic material was DNA or protein, we didn’t know how many chromosomes humans have or that the Y chromosome determines sex, and the Green Revolution was yet to come. Polio was still a problem in North America, smallpox killed hundreds of thousands annually, and oral contraceptives, photocopiers, personal computers, colour TV, and DVDs didn’t exist.

In 1958, parts of the Amazon, Congo, and New Guinea had not been explored. We were yet to learn of species extinction, depletion of fish in the oceans, the effects of CFCs on the ozone layer, acid rain, global warming, PCBs, and dioxins.

In half a century our lives have been transformed by scientific, medical, and technological advances, as well as a host of environmental problems. No one deliberately set out to undermine the planet’s life-support systems or tear communities apart, but those have been the consequences of our enormous economic and technological “success” over the past five decades. Beset by vast problems of wealth discrepancy, environmental issues, poverty, terror, genocide, and prejudice, we are trying to weave our way into an uncertain future.

I began speaking out on television in 1962 because I was shocked by the lack of understanding of science at a time when science as applied by industry, medicine, and the military was having such a profound impact on our lives. I felt we needed more scientific understanding if we were to make informed decisions about the forces shaping our lives.

Today, thanks to computers and the Internet, and television, radio, and print media, we have access to more information than humanity has ever had. To my surprise, this access has not equipped us to make better decisions about such matters as climate change, peak oil, marine depletion, species extinction, and global pollution. That’s largely because we now have access to so much information that we can find support for any prejudice or opinion.

Don’t want to believe in evolution? No problem – you can find support for intelligent design and creationism in magazines, on websites, and in all kinds of books written by people with PhDs.

Want to believe aliens came to Earth and abducted people? It’s easy to find theories about how governments have covered up information on extraterrestrial aliens. Think human-induced climate change is junk science? Well, if you choose to read only certain national newspapers and magazines and listen only to certain popular commentators on television or radio, you’ll never have to change your mind.

And so it goes. The challenge today is that there is a huge volume of information out there, much of it biased or deliberately distorted. As I think about my grandson, his hopes and dreams and the immense issues my generation has bequeathed him, I realize what he and all young people need most are the tools of skepticism, critical thinking, the ability to assess the credibility of sources, and the humility to realize we all possess beliefs and values that must constantly be reexamined.

With those tools, his generation will certainly leave a better world to its children and grandchildren 50 years from now.

Source URL: http://www.straight.com/article-151069/david-suzuki-reflects-50-years-planets-destruction

Montreal store owners support possible longer weekend hours

Jessica Murphy, THE CANADIAN PRESS
MONTREAL - Store owners in Montreal are hoping to profit from tourist dollars if the province allows longer weekend retail hours.

City stores are currently forced to close at 5 p.m. on weekends. But last week, Montreal City Hall made a request to Quebec's minister of economic development, Raymond Bachand, asking that business hours be extended to 8 p.m.

"We need to attract more tourists, the tourists are the buyers," said David Burak, owner of the Eve and Zoe clothing store on Ste-Catherine, Montreal's main shopping street.

The last few years have been difficult for retailers, he said, especially with the high Canadian dollar affecting the tourism industry.

Retailers also say it would allow them to take advantage of the late afternoon rush.

"At five, we generally have a boom," said Bedo store manager Diane Desrosiers. She admitted to sometimes flouting the law and staying open past legal operating hours. Their store has already been fined once, but "if I close my doors at five, I have people knocking to get in," she said.

Desrosiers heralded the city's decision to let the stores stay open during the Formula One Grand Prix weekend in early June, allowing them to take advantage of the evening pedestrian traffic. "We think it's great to be able to stay open as late as possible."

But not all store owners support the proposed change.

Haj Khoumaissi, who owns band T-shirt and poster store Labyrinthe, said longer hours won't necessarily mean more customers.

However, tourists enjoying the jazz festival expressed enthusiasm for longer opening hours.

Stores in Toronto are open Saturday until late, said Steve Amico.

"I find it convenient. Unfortunately, the people working in these places aren't going to like it. I used to work in retail, so I know it's tough."

Sam Harvey, in town from Washington, D.C., was surprised the stores closed at 5 p.m.

"We come from a place where they stay open as late as they want," he said. "It's just a seven day, 24-hour economy."

The change would be relegated to the city's central downtown shopping district, although stores in specified tourist areas, like Old Montreal and Chinatown, are exempt from current regulations. Quebec is the only province to regulate shopping hours outside of Sundays and holidays.

Michel D'Urso, visiting from Belgium, said longer hours would only add to the Montreal's charm.

"It allows tourists to discover the city. It has an attraction, doesn't it - a boulevard with open stores," he said.

"It brings people to the city."

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Chinese investment fund manager pays $2.1M to dine with Warren Buffett

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
OMAHA, Nebraska - A Chinese investment fund manager won the chance to have lunch with billionaire Warren Buffett by bidding $2.1 million in the most expensive charity auction ever held on eBay.

Zhao Danyang of the Hong Kong-based Pureheart China Growth Investment Fund won the auction, which ended Friday evening with a bid of $2,110,100.

A spokeswoman for the Glide Foundation, which receives all the proceeds from the auction, identified the winner Saturday.

It appears that Zhao and Buffett share a similar investment philosophy. But Zhao could not be reached Saturday, and no one answered the phone at Buffett's Omaha office.

The auction will provide a significant boost to Glide, which provides social services to the poor and homeless in San Francisco. The foundation operates on a $12 million annual budget, spokeswoman Denise Lamott said.

"It almost feels like a miracle," Glide's founder Reverend Cecil Williams said in a statement. "We are amazed and ready to continue our work of breaking the cycles of poverty."

Last year's lunch brought in $650,100.

A group of Glide staff members and supporters gathered in a small hotel ballroom Friday to watch the auction results. Lamott said there were shouts of celebration when the bids topped $1 million.

"It was absolutely unbelievable," Lamott said.

Zhao and up to seven friends will dine with Buffett at the Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in New York City whenever the two men can schedule it. Last year's winners collected their prize only Wednesday.

The investment philosophy Zhao's fund describes on its Web site is similar to Buffett's approach of finding companies with an enduring competitive advantage that are selling for significantly less than they are worth.

Buffett, chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., is primarily known for his investing success. Berkshire owns more than 60 subsidiaries including insurance, clothing, furniture, jewellery and candy companies, restaurants, natural gas and corporate jet firms and has major investments in such companies as Coca-Cola Co., Anheuser-Busch Cos. and Wells Fargo & Co.

But Buffett is also known for his philanthropy.

In 2006, he announced his plan to give away the bulk of his nearly $49 billion fortune over time. Most of his shares of Berkshire stock will go to five charitable foundations, with the largest going to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Lamott said eBay officials confirmed that this year's lunch with Buffett was the most expensive charity item the site has ever sold.

Previously, the most expensive charity item ever sold on eBay was a letter from Democratic senators blasting conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh for using the phrase "phony soldiers" on his program. The letter signed by 41 senators sold for $2.1 million on eBay last October.

The proceeds from Limbaugh's auction went to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, which provides scholarships to children of Marines or federal law enforcement personnel who were killed while serving their country. Limbaugh matched the bid.

Buffett has been auctioning off lunches online for six years but began auctioning the lunches for Glide off-line in 2000. He offers only one lunch a year.

Williams called Buffett's dedication to the charity lunches amazing.

"Thank you, Warren Buffett, for your deep compassion and sensitivity that empowers us to transform the lives of so many people in need," Williams said.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Vancouver follows worldwide trend in convention centres: expand or build anew

Greg Joyce, THE CANADIAN PRESS
VANCOUVER - Build them and they will come.

That's the overwhelming philosophy on convention and exhibition centres - erect new ones or expand existing facilities and the visitors, and their cash, will roll in.

The City of Vancouver joined the intense competition with full vigour, deciding in 2004 that its facility was undersized and losing the city convention traffic.

The man in charge of the Crown corporation that runs the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre brims with confidence that the new facility, scheduled for completion next year, will be worth the vast sums of money that have since flowed.

And they are vast.

Costs have gone from the original estimate of $495 million in 2000 to the current $883 million.

"If you compare the expansion (costs), we're in the cards," said Warren Buckley, president and CEO of PavCo, the Crown corporation that runs the centre.

Boston has a new convention centre that cost $850 million "and it's not as nice as the new one here."

Phoenix's new centre cost $775 million, Chicago just expanded for $800 million, Cleveland is proposing a $400 million expansion and Ottawa is considering a $400 million expansion.

Currently, there are about 20 centres being built in North America and another 20 or more expansions, said Buckley.

Buckley conceded the convention centre market is saturated, but maintains Vancouver will be successful - the expansion tripling the current exhibition space on the waterfront at Canada Place.

Despite Buckley's optimism, the province's independent auditor general has reservations.

In a recent report, acting auditor general Errol Price said that although the latest approved budget was for $883.2 million, "there is no guarantee that this will be the final cost."

The project was plagued by problems from its outset, the auditor general said.

The federal government came on board with a fixed contribution of $222.5 million and the province, initially matching Ottawa's contribution, has been left to approve and fund the budget overruns.

A decision to turn the expanded facility into a showcase for the 2010 Winter Olympics and use it as the Games' international media centre expanded the scope of the project, and put it on an accelerated completion schedule that forced up costs, the report says.

The total B.C. taxpayer burden is now more than $500 million, surpassing the infamous fast ferry fiasco under the previous NDP government.

When the auditor's report came out, Finance Minister Carole Taylor brushed off the comparison to the PacifiCat ferries - a trio of aluminum ships left on the auction block even for a fraction of their $469-million price tag and eventually mothballed.

"At end of the day we'll have a magnificent convention centre that we will all enjoy . . . and it will not be wrapped in plastic," Taylor said, referring literally to the ferries' protective cocoons.

Heywood Spencer, a professor of public policy at the University of Texas in San Antonio, and an expert on the economics of convention centres, is skeptical.

Some do better but many get a half to a third of the visitors forecast, he said.

There has been a decline in air travel after the 9-11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. and rising energy costs, he said.

"It was devastating," he said, referring to the drop in delegate days at convention centres since 9-11. "And now energy doubling will be devastating."

Convention business at the most successful destination in the U.S. - Las Vegas - is in decline and the biggest convention centre in the U.S., in Chicago, expanded and still saw the number of delegates drop last year, he said.

Peter Hall, who teaches urban studies at SFU, said there are no shortage of examples of vast overspending at taxpayers' expense, including the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Mirabel airport outside Montreal and Chunnel between England and France.

"Given the cost overrun and given the changed circumstances, it's very hard to see how that convention centre can have a net positive cost benefit," he said.

Buckley is undaunted.

Already, he said there is a 6,000-delegate convention of geneticists booked for 2016 and the 2010, 2011 and 2012 bookings are all "very good."

One recent convention of about 2,000 generated $4 million in direct spending, he said.

"The genetic doctors at that rate will spend $12 million."

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Rogers releases iPhone calling plan prices, lowest $60 a month

THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO - Rogers Wireless (TSX:RCI.B) released Friday its pricing for iPhone calling plans starting at $60 a month and all of them requiring a three-year contract.

At the lowest priced plan, users will receive 150 minutes of calling time, plus unlimited evening and weekend calling. As well, the plan will include 400 megabytes of data, 75 outgoing text messages and unlimited incoming text messages and visual voice mail.

"We've designed a pricing structure that offers affordable, flexible voice and data packages so Canadians can truly unleash their iPhone 3G experience on Canada's fastest wireless network," Rogers Wireless chief marketing officer John Boynton said in a statement.

Rogers' Fido subsidiary offered the same plans.

Rogers estimated that 400 MB was the equivalent of up to 200,000 text e-mails, 3,100 web pages or 1,360 photo attachments.

The most expensive plan is $115 a month and will include 800 minutes, plus unlimited evening and weekend calling. The top priced plan also includes two gigabytes of data, 300 outgoing text messages and unlimited incoming text messages and visual voice mail.

All the plans include unlimited Wi-Fi access at all Rogers and Fido hotspots.

The new iPhone goes on sale in Canada on July 11 for $199 for an eight-gigabyte model and $299 for the 16-gigabyte model.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Supreme Court wipes out damages award in Honda unjust-firing case

THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA - A court ruling that assessed $500,000 in punitive damages against Honda of Canada in a wrongful-dismissal suit was a judicial mistake, the Supreme Court of Canada said Friday as it threw out the award.

It had been the biggest punitive damages award ever handed down in a Canadian employment-law case. Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, one of the country's largest business groups, welcomed the decision, saying it demonstrates that employers, too, have rights when it comes to firing people.

In a 7-2 decision, high court justices said lower courts were wrong in awarding punitive damages to Kevin Keays, a chronic fatigue syndrome sufferer who was fired by Honda in 2000.

Justice Michel Bastarache said the original trial judge made "palpable and overriding errors" about the company's behaviour. He noted the judge found that Honda acted "in bad faith" in firing Keays.

"There was, in my opinion, no such breach and no justification for an award of damages for conduct in dismissal."

He said Honda's conduct, overall, "was not sufficiently egregious or outrageous to warrant an award of punitive damages."

Keays also won two years' back pay from the company at trial.

The Ontario Court of Appeal agreed he had been wrongfully dismissed, but reduced the punitive damages award to $100,000.

The Supreme Court erased the damage award entirely and reduced the back pay portion to 15 months' salary.

Bastarache said the appeal judges erred, too, because punitive damages should be limited to exceptional cases.

"Punitive damages are restricted to advertent wrongful acts that are so malicious and outrageous that they are deserving of punishment on their own," he wrote. "This distinction must guide judges in their analysis."

He said such damages should punish conduct which is "harsh, vindictive, reprehensible and malicious" as well as "extreme in its nature and such that by any reasonable standard it is deserving of full condemnation and punishment."

"The facts of this case demonstrate no such conduct."

Ian Howcroft, a vice president for the manufacturers and exporters association, said the court ruling clarified how damages should be awarded.

"This is a clear victory for employers and demonstrated that Honda had acted properly in its dealings with Mr. Keays," he said.

Keays worked for Honda for 14 years. His chronic fatigue led to repeated absences and made his relationship with the company a rocky one.

For a time, he was on long-term disability, but the benefits were cancelled when the insurance company involved determined he could return to full-time work.

Keays went back to work, but absences continued. He enrolled in a special program that exempted him from attendance-related discipline and saw a company doctor.

But troubles continued and when Honda demanded that he see another company doctor he balked, asking for an explanation.

Honda refused to provide further details and fired him. He sued.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

RCMP national drug squad warns BC a leader in global drug trade

Jeremy Hainsworth, THE CANADIAN PRESS
RICHMOND, B.C. - Standing in front of a rainbow array of drugs seized from a British Columbia-based "super-lab," the RCMP federal drug squad issued a warning Thursday: Canada has become a major source for the global drug trade and B.C. is the leader of the pack.

Insp. Brian Cantera, of the RCMP federal drug enforcement branch, said ecstasy, marijuana and cocaine produced in Canada are increasingly making their way around the world.

"This is going and being distributed worldwide," Cantera said before the backdrop of more than 200 kilograms of ecstasy pills seized last week from the drug lab in suburban Richmond.

And B.C. is the leading drug-producing province in Canada, Cantera said.

He said policing agencies worldwide say they are seizing sizeable amounts of drugs originating in the province.

Thursday's news conference came a week after the province's largest-ever ecstasy bust, which netted one million tablets from the drug "super-lab" in Richmond, B.C.

Five people have been arrested in the case.

Cantera said organized crime groups active in B.C. are earning extreme profits off the world drug trade and there are continuing international investigations involving drugs coming out of the province.

In December, police announced a crackdown on an organized crime drug manufacturing and distribution ring operating primarily from Vancouver.

The investigation involved police from Australia, the United States, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, India and China and more than 100 people were arrested worldwide.

Cantera said the Richmond lab also contained more than 100 kilograms of "pure crystalized ecstasy," as well as the massive number of pressed tablets.

The lab's pill presses were capable of producing 8,000-12,000 pills an hour. There were also automatic firearms at the lab, police said.

"We can say confidently that the seizure is a significant advancement in combatting organized crime in British Columbia," Chief Supt. Bob Harriman, the RCMP's head of federal criminal investigations for B.C., told reporters.

Harriman said the drug economy is emerging "at the expense of innocent victims across British Columbia at an enormous risk to the public."

The Richmond bust June 20 was the latest in a string of almost daily drug raids in the province.

On Wednesday, the Surrey RCMP auto theft unit found a methamphetamine lab while executing a search warrant. The lab was about 100 metres from a school.

A routine Vancouver police call June 1 ended with the bust of a meth lab and the arrest of a man police say is a well-known to them.

Earlier in May, a man and woman were arrested in the sleepy Interior town of Lumby and charged with large-scale manufacturing of crystal meth.

Marijuana grow-ops are raided regularly yet police cannot keep up with the pace of production.

Harriman said the issue requires the co-operation of all levels of government, all enforcement agencies and the public.

He called for tougher regulations on the precursor chemicals used to manufacture drugs. Other countries have stricter regulations, so the lack of tough rules in Canada are an "Achilles heel when it comes to producing this particular product with greater ease."

Harriman said the investigators in the Richmond case had to don full hazmat protection suits.

He said the labs contain not only volatile substances but have the potential to spell "environmental disaster" for the surrounding areas.

"The environmental damage in this investigation is indisputable," Cantera said. "There would appear to be evidence of soil contamination."

The lab was located next to the Fraser River and a conservation area.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Canada Post seeks two-cent increase in the price of stamps

THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA - Canada Post is seeking a two-cent increase on the price of sending a letter in Canada because of rising cost pressures for fuel and transportation.

The rate for domestic mail would increase to 54 cents from 52 cents in January 2009, and rise by two cents per year in the following two years.

In asking Ottawa to allow the increase, the Crown corporation said current rates don't adequately reflect its costs in operating the postal service - in particular rising costs for labour, fuel and transportation.

The impact on the average Canadian household would be 95 cents per year, while publications mail rates will increase by an overall weighted average of 3.1 per cent.

Canadians have 60 days in which to make representations to the Minister Responsible for Canada Post regarding the proposed rate increases on regulated products.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Coffee seems to protect against liver cancer, study reveals

(CBC) - The more coffee a person drinks, the lower their risk of developing liver cancer, suggests a large study.

University of Helsinki researchers found that coffee seems to be connected to lower blood levels of gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), a liver enzyme involved in the secretion and absorption of bile that has been linked to liver cancer.

The researchers studied 60,323 Finnish participants aged 25 to 74 - all had no cancer at the start of the study - in seven surveys between 1972 and 2002. Participants were tracked until June 2006.

People who participated in the study had to complete questionnaires about their medical history, diet and lifestyle, and income.

They were also asked how many cups of coffee they drank a day and divided into groups based on those findings. The groups were broken into 0-1 cup, 2-3 cups, 4-5 cups, 6-7 cups and eight or more cups per day.

After an average period of follow-up of 19.3 years, 128 people involved in the study were diagnosed with liver cancer.

Researchers found that in the groups that drank the most coffee, the risk of developing liver cancer was the lowest, and that the risk was highest in those who drank less than two cups of coffee per day.

Those who had high blood levels of GGT and drank the least amount of coffee daily had the highest risk of liver cancer.

The reasons behind the seemingly protective role of coffee are unclear. "The biological mechanisms behind the association of coffee consumption with the risk of liver cancer are not known," the authors write. They caution that the findings do not prove excessive coffee drinking staves off liver cancer.

The study is to be published in the July issue of the journal Hepatology.

Canadian housing market ceases to be sellers' market, boom over, say analysts

Eric Shackleton, THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO - The Canadian housing market has ceased to be a sellers' market in both the residential and the recreational sectors, meaning the boom experienced over the past few years is over, analysts say.

The long awaited end of the boom is reflected "in more moderate demand and increased supply of properties for sale," said TD economist Craig Alexander in an interview Thursday following the release of a housing report by the bank.

"I don't think it's surprising that we've seen that the housing market in Canada is really cooling down," he said.

Average annual price gains on a national basis were running on average at about 10 per cent between 2002 and 2007.

"If you look back historically, the historical average should be about 4.5 per cent. So the rate of price growth has been double what's probably sustainable," he said.

Alexander said the housing market boom was eventually going to come down to earth.

"And really it's been in the last four to five months that the economic numbers have very clearly shown us that the housing boom has come to an end," he said.

The year-over-year price growth for existing homes in Canada's major markets fell to only 1.1 per cent in May, down from 8.6 per cent just four months earlier, the TD report said.

At the same time, new residential listings rose 1.8 per cent on a seasonally adjusted month-over-month basis to 78,878 units in May, the Multiple Listing Service reported Thursday.

Royal LePage also said the recreational property market is returning to a more normal state, with price increases moderating.

"Mirroring the trend we are seeing in urban real estate markets, recreational property prices continue to rise, but at approximately half the rate of the increase in 2007," Phil Soper, president and CEO of Royal LePage Real Estate Services, said in an interview Thursday.

"Improving supply has helped temper price increases this year, which will have a disproportionately favourable impact on cottage seekers when compared to their city counterparts," he said.

The average price for a recreational property in Canada now ranges between $326,567 and $1,066,389, according to the 2008 Royal LePage Recreational Property Report.

"We're looking at an average five per cent increase in prices by the end of the year," Soper said.

Alexander said the trend across the country is "broadly based."

"We're shifting across the country from a sellers' market conditions, particularly in the West. Now we're really into more balanced markets," he said.

Home prices in Calgary and Edmonton in April and May, for instance, fell to below year-earlier levels.

While the bank had expected the slowdown to occur much earlier, housing remained stronger for longer than anticipated, "largely due to increased affordability through new financing options, such as no money down or extended amortizations," said Alexander.

"But even those additional buyers have now been absorbed," he said.

However Alexander said Canada is not going to see the same boom-bust cycle seen in the United States.

What Canadians will see, he said, is that the boom will end with the growth in prices coming down to very low single digits.

"Our forecast is that price growth in 2008 will average two per cent and then it will be about 3.5 per cent next year. So we're going to be below the (4.5 per cent) trend for a few years," he said.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

New satellite will provide early warning system of dangerous asteroids

Bill Graveland, THE CANADIAN PRESS
PRIDDIS, Alta. - A tiny space telescope the size of a large suitcase could prove to be the eventual early warning system that protects our planet from a cataclysmic collision with an asteroid.

It sounds like something out of a movie and that scenario, based partly on fact, prompted a couple of Hollywood blockbusters to go to the silver screen about the chances of an asteroid colliding with the earth.

The 1998 movie "Armageddon" was about an asteroid the size of Texas heading for our planet while that same year "Deep Impact" saw scientists scrambling to prevent a comet from hitting the earth and causing the extinction of human life.

The NEOSSat - Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite - which weighs in at 65 kilograms and requires less electricity to power than a small light bulb, is the world's first space telescope designed to detect and track asteroids as well as satellites.

Its unveiling at the University of Calgary's Rothney Astrophysical Observatory 30 kilometres southwest of Calgary comes just a few days before the 100th anniversary of the Tunguska Event.

A massive explosion when an asteroid broke up a few kilometres above the Earth shook central Russia with the force of 1,000 nuclear bombs and is considered the largest event of its kind in recorded history.

The asteroid was only about 50 metres across, according to Dr. Alan Hildebrand, who leads an international science team for the asteroid search project. A larger asteroid the size of a small city is believed to have hit what is now Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula 65 million years ago, changing the climate and causing the extinction of the dinosaur.

There are thousands of asteroids three times as large as the one that exploded over Russia, he said, and others that are as large as a kilometre wide.

"The brass ring in the asteroid search business would be to find an asteroid that was going to impact the earth before it happened so you could go out into space and move it," said Hildebrand.

"The asteroid impact is the one natural disaster we can actually stop. We know a volcano is going to erupt, we can't stop it. If we know there is an asteroid coming we can go out and change its orbit, it misses the planet and everybody continues on happily."

By launching a telescope 700 km above the earth's atmosphere, it will be possible to keep an eye on satellites and track them 24 hours a day because of the blackness of space.

About 5,000 large asteroids have already been catalogued and the number is expected to increase dramatically when the NEOSSat is strapped onto a rocket and is piggybacked into space in two years time.

"We don't want to see the asteroids closer than 100,000 kilometres," chuckled Hildebrand. "But we can see them literally at any distance. It's rare for them to come close to our planet.

"We can see a relatively small asteroid easily 150 million kilometres away - that's the distance from here to the sun."

The tiny telescope, at 15 centimetres, is smaller than those owned by some amateur astronomers and comes with a price tag of about $10 million because it twists and turns hundreds of times a day and will provide a regular stream of information back to earth.

The NEOSSat will be doing double duty once it is launched into space. Defence Research Development Canada will use the telescope to keep an eye on things closer to home.

It will watch for space junk and larger asteroids that could collide with satellites providing critical information to both military and civilian users.

"An asteroid hitting a satellite would be catastrophic and the energy on impact would just be the end," said Capt. Tony Morris, the deputy program manager of the joint project.

"The impact? Let's say one of the main communication satellites had a collision, then there goes all of our telecommunications and television."

He said it could also impact the use of GPS and even shut down banking transactions.

Morris said with enough warning, it is possible to manoeuvre satellites away from debris and asteroids if they are deemed too big.

"We're looking at things three to five to 10 metres - we're not looking at golf balls flying through space," he said.

"Old satellites we lost control of, spent rocket bodies, asteroids and things like that."

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Daihachi Oguchi, master in traditional Japanese drumming, dies at 84

Yuri Kageyama, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOKYO - Master Japanese drummer Daihachi Oguchi, who led the spread of the art of "taiko" drumming to the U.S. and throughout Japan, has died, an official at his ensemble said. He was 84.

Oguchi was crossing the street when he was struck by a car Thursday. He was rushed to the hospital but died of excessive bleeding early Friday, said Yuken Yagasaki of Osuwa Daiko, the group in Nagano prefecture (state) in northern Japan that Oguchi had led.

Oguchi helped found top U.S. taiko groups, including San Francisco Taiko Dojo, which has performed in Hollywood movies and on international tours since its founding 40 years ago.

A former jazz musician, Oguchi was one of the first to elevate the traditional folk sounds of taiko to modern music played in concert halls, not just festivals and shrines.

He led and starred in the performance of drumming and dance at the closing ceremony of the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

"Your heart is a taiko. All people listen to a taiko rhythm dontsuku-dontsuku in their mother's womb," Oguchi told The Associated Press at that time. "It's instinct to be drawn to taiko drumming."

Then 74, he appeared in U.S. magazine advertisements for the Games that read: "Get ready to rock 'n' roll."

Charming, fiery and vivacious, Oguchi had been scheduled to perform with Kodo, a well known taiko group, later this year, although he was in failing health in recent years.

Along with Kabuki theater and "ukiyoe" woodblock prints, taiko is one of Japan's most popular - and respected - art forms in the West. Part dance and part athletics, modern taiko can be dazzlingly visual and acrobatically physical.

Japanese used to grow up hearing taiko the same way Americans used to grow up hearing the blues or jazz. But until the arrival of Oguchi, taiko had given way in Japan to Western music, including rock and pop.

Taiko, especially the big ones that tower over the drummers, make dramatic booming sounds. A taiko drum is made from a single hollowed out tree trunk with cowhide strapped tightly across it.

"In taiko, man becomes the sound. In taiko, you can hear the sound through your skin," is the way Oguchi described it in the AP interview.

Thanks partly to Oguchi and his followers' efforts, hundreds of taiko groups, both professional and amateur, have sprung up not only throughout Japan but also in the U.S., Brazil, Europe and other nations.

Oguchi also was one of the first composers of modern taiko, writing catchy tunes based on historical themes, such as samurai storming on horses.

Besides his overseas work, Oguchi helped make taiko a household word in Japan, opening classes in various towns, attracting not only youngsters but also women who welcomed taiko like an aerobics class, he said.

Oguchi also started making more affordable drums in his hometown of Okaya, Nagano, and turned it into a business.

"In taiko, you return to the roots, the beginning of humanity," Oguchi said.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Japan inflation index rises 1.5 per cent on rising food and gasoline

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOKYO - Japan's core inflation in May rose 1.5 per cent from a year earlier, increasing for the eighth straight month at the quickest pace in more than a decade, the government said Friday.

Higher gasoline and food prices drove up the core consumer price index, which excludes fresh food prices but includes those for energy. Fuel prices in the country jumped after the government reinstated a gas tax at the beginning of June after temporarily halting it in April.

Overall CPI was up 1.3 per cent in May, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said. Core CPI for the Tokyo area rose 1.3 per cent in June.

The government also released several other economic indicators Friday, including employment and spending data.

Japan's unemployment rate stood at four per cent in May, unchanged from the previous month.

Spending by Japanese households slid 3.2 per cent from a year earlier, while retail sales in the country rose 0.2 per cent in May from the previous year, the government said.

Japan's industrial production in May was up 2.9 per cent from the previous month on a seasonally adjusted basis.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Allow more foreign investment, bank mergers in Canada: panel of experts says

Julian Beltrame, THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA - A government-appointed panel of experts has called for a major overhaul of competition laws to ease the path for foreign firms to buy Canadian companies and remove restrictions on domestic enterprises.

The recommendations would end a 10-year prohibition on bank mergers, essentially make foreign takeovers reviewable only if they top $1 billion in value, and allow more foreign ownership in the airline sector, telecommunications and uranium mining.

"This is sweet music to our ears," said Thomas D'Aquino, president of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives. "It's comprehensive, it's deep, its far reaching. It really is a phenomenal blueprint for taking Canada into the 21st century."

If enacted, d'Aquino said it could have implications as far-reaching for the Canadian economy as did the Canada-U.S. free trade agreement.

But Ken Georgetti of the Canadian Labour Congress called the exercise "a waste of time," saying that the recommendations only reflected business interests, not what is good for Canadians in general.

The 134-page report does not directly tackle the hottest topic facing the government on competition policy - national security and investments by state-owned enterprises - but does assume such a test will be enacted by government.

The five-member panel was given a letter from Industry Minister Jim Prentice last fall stating that the government would deal with the issue separately.

On most other matters, the report's 65 recommendations, plus sub-recommendations, place emphasis on opening the doors to foreign investment rather than closing them.

"The panel believes that Canada needs to be more open to competition, as competition spurs the productivity enhancements that underpin our economic performance and ultimately our quality of life," said chair Lynton (Red) Wilson in a release issued alongside the report titled Compete to Win.

The panel calls for increasing the threshold under which foreign takeovers would be reviewed under the Investment Canada Act to $1 billion from the current $295 million, which would eliminate about two-thirds of the buyouts currently reviewed.

And it recommends that the onus for determining that a foreign acquisition is to the net benefit for Canada should be shifted from the applicant to the government.

As well, the panel says the government should:

-Liberalize restrictions on foreign investment in air transport, uranium mining, and the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors.

-Remove the de facto ban on bank mergers and cross-pillar mergers within the financial sector, including insurance companies.

-Allow foreign companies to own a telecommunications business as long as it does not have more than 10 per cent of market share in Canada.

-Increase the limit on foreign ownership in the airline sector to 49 per cent.

-Establish a permanent Canadian Competitiveness Panel to encourage competition and report to Parliament annually.

-Consider allowing cities to charge a one per cent sales tax to raise funds for infrastructure spending.

As well, the panel urged all governments to reduce corporate and personal taxes, eliminate all internal barriers to trade, establish a national security regulator and harmonize provincial and federal sales taxes and regulations and environment assessment procedures.

The government should use the immigration system to bring in more skilled workers, particularly in areas where Canada faces shortages, the panel said.

While some of the recommendations would be easier to enact under a majority government, Perrin Beatty of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, a former Tory cabinet minister, said some need immediate attention.

"A lot of the recommendations can start right away," he said. "A good start is the Canada-U.S. border (restrictions to travel and trade). There's a problem there and it's growing daily on the border and we need to act."

However, the report came in for some criticism from NDP Industry critic Peggy Nash for failing to deal with the real issues impacting Canadians and business, including the high dollar, fuel prices and deteriorating infrastructure in the country. And she said the recommendation to ease restrictions on foreign investment in the uranium and resource mining sector is contrary to what other countries are doing to shelter key strategic national assets.

"It seems like a wish list from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Council of Chief Executives," she said. "It's like it was taken off the shelf."

Liberal critic Scott Brison blamed Prentice for taking national security and state-owned enterprises off the table.

"It's the most important issue in terms of foreign investment," he said, "and the minister has been dilly-dallying on this for months."

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business also criticized the panel, saying the recommendations to allow bank, insurance and cross-pillar mergers, and its focus on large enterprises may actually hurt most Canadian businesses, which are small or medium in size.

One of the hardest selling points may be the underlying vision of the report, which appears to downplay concerns that domestically-owned enterprises are vulnerable to foreign acquisition.

The Wilson panel, named after the former BCE Inc. executive who heads it, was formed last July following a wave of foreign takeovers and attempted buyouts in recent years that had many Canadians concerned the country's business core was being hollowed out.

Over the past several years a number of iconic Canadian companies, including the Hudson's Bay Company, Alcan Inc. and Falconbridge Ltd., have been bought up or been targets of foreign firms.

But the panel recommendations, if adopted by government, would have the effect of inviting more foreign investment into Canada rather than less.

Wilson said at a press conference following the release that those concerns were taken seriously by the panel.

Current financial conditions and tight credit markets make large leveraged buyouts more difficult today, he said.

"We decided it would not be in Canada's interests to try and erect more barriers, to play defence. It would serve our interests to make sure this economy is vibrant, competitive, productive and is participating in consolidation," he said.

"If you like, we prefer the game go to the other end of the rink."

D'Aquino said he too was concerned about foreign acquisitions, particularly if they involve the loss of headquarters in Canada, but said the way to deal with the issue is not through protectionism but by allowing Canadian firms to become big enough to compete globally.

"Why is it instead of Vale (do Rio Doce) in Brazil buying Inco, why did we not form a national Canadian giant?" he asked. "Part of the impediment was in our competition laws ... the national interest is that we don't put anyone in Canada at a disadvantage who wants to bulk up to be competitive."

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Fishing for fun slowly losing popularity, Statistics Canada says

THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA - Statistics Canada says fewer people are fishing for fun these days, which is good news for the fish, at least.

The agency says 3.2 million adults bought fishing licences in Canada in 2005, down 25 per cent from the number who hit the water in 1995.

Overall, it says, recreational fishermen are getting older - the average age is 48 for men and 44 for women.

Anglers tend to fish for the same number of days they did a decade ago - about two weeks each - but because of their dwindling numbers, the catch dropped to 156 million fish in 2005 from 196 million in 1995.

The average annual catch was 64 fish for each angler, although Prince Edward Island fisherman reeled in an average of 90.

Ontario and Quebec - home to the biggest numbers of anglers - also showed the biggest drops in both fishermen on the water and fish caught.

However, the ranks of sports fishermen actually rose by seven per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador between 1995 and 2005.

The survey says trout are the main target for sports anglers, making up a quarter of the total catch.

The other major target species are walleye, perch, bass, northern pike and salmon.

Anglers tend to spend about the same amount on their pastime as they did in the 1990s, but the reduced numbers means that total take from recreational fishing dropped to $1.6 billion in 2005 from $1.8 billion in 1995.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Hotels in Beijing hurting as some foreigners seem to pass on Beijing Olympics

Stephen Wade, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIJING - The Beijing Olympics are looking like a bust for the city's hotels.

The 17-day Games were supposed to generate a buzz throughout the summer, leading to a tourism windfall with fully booked hotels, flush customers and a jubilant atmosphere.

Instead Beijing's summer tourism season is slow, with hotels and travel agencies saying many potential travellers are being put off by tightening visa rules, polluted Beijing air and officials who seem more concerned with keeping out foreigners than welcoming them.

China has spent a reported C$40 billion on new infrastructure and stunning venues, hoping to impress visitors with a modern city, attractive to foreign tourists. But this may not play out, which could shake an industry that has more than doubled its five-and four-star hotels offerings to 160 since Beijing was awarded the Olympics seven years ago.

"We are not full at the moment, and we have rooms to fill," said Anthony Ha, general manager of the newly opened Marriott Courtyard Beijing Northeast. "There's not much time left, and we have a way to go."

Ha declined to reveal the hotel's occupancy rate. But he expressed concern over a report last month from the Beijing Tourism Bureau that showed five-star hotels were 77 per cent booked for the Aug. 8-24 Olympics, and four stars were at 44 per cent.

"That's worrisome," Ha said. "All of the hoteliers, anyway in Beijing, we're hoping to hit 90 per cent daily. It's a huge thing."

He said 90 per cent would be normal for events like the Olympic Games.

"This is once-in-a-lifetime thing," Ha said.

According to the Beijing Tourism Bureau, the number of foreign visitors to Beijing in May dropped by 12.5 per cent from a year ago. Among the biggest drops were Japanese visitors, down 45 per cent. American arrivals shrunk by 17.15 per cent.

The earthquake on May 12 that killed almost 70,000 in Sichuan province may account for some of the decrease. So may a slumping world economy, and off-putting images of deadly rioting on March 14 in Tibet, followed by chaotic pro-Tibet protests on international legs of the torch relay.

But the tourist no-shows also coincide with new stringent visa regulations, making it tough for tourists and business executives to come in. Students have also been targeted, the government fearing they might side with political activists if protests erupt during the games.

Along with hotels, homeowners who hoped to land a windfall by leasing their homes or apartments are being disappointed. Song Zhi, manager of a Web site aimed at overseas Olympic tourists, said he had 200 units but only 20 were reserved. The average price is about 1,000 yuan (C$145).

"We don't have what we've expected," Song said. "There're not even many people making inquires about pricing. We had expected a peak in June, but that peak has yet to come."

Guo Lingmei, general manager of marketing for BTG Travel in Beijing, said high hotel prices and difficulties obtaining tickets were discouraging tourists. Beijing organizers have said 6.8 million tickets were available for the games, but most were swooped up domestically.

Guo expects June, July and August to be slow.

"There won't be many tourists in these months," she said.

Some established five-star hotels are in good shape - at least during the Olympics - having secured reservations from Olympic sponsors or national Olympic committee delegations.

"We don't have any problems at all," said Marco Sander, director of marketing and sales at the 526-room Kempinski Hotel. He said his high-powered guests were a sure bet.

"They need to come and they have no choice to turn back now," Sander said. "They have put so much money down they cannot draw back."

Sander said he was doubtful that Beijing would charm foreigners. Barcelona made its mark in 1992 with a stunning port and spirited nightlife, and Sydney did much the same in 2000. Sander's hotel, like many, has undergone renovation in the run-up to the games.

"We will see a big vacuum after the Olympic Games," he said. "If Beijing is not able to transmit a very positive picture about the city and facilities - if we can't convince people to come to Beijing we have a big problem."

China's authoritarian government seems most intent on keeping foreigners away. Visa rules were changed with little explanation, and repeated document sweeps of compounds where foreigners live seem designed to roust any potential troublemakers.

Last week Beijing said it had mobilized a 100,000-strong anti-terrorism force to guard against threats to the Olympics, headed by the elite Snow Wolf Commando Unit.

Ground-to-air missiles have been positioned under camouflage netting just 300 metres from one Olympic venue, a highly visible response to alleged plots by separatists from the Muslim-dominated region of Xinjiang. The government says plotters attempted to crash an airliner and planned to kidnap athletes and journalists.

There are also reports of bar areas in Beijing being forced to close early during the Games, with a few around town dubbing these the "Killjoy Games" or "All-China Games."

"Beijingers will enthusiastically welcome foreign tourists," said Zhang Huiguang, director of the Beijing Tourism Bureau. "But for terrorists and troublemakers, we'll unite and fight against them."

Zhang said the average price of a five-star hotel in Beijing ranged from 3,840 to 7,910 yuan (C$565 to C$1,160 ). Some rates are reported as high as C$2,000 per night during the Olympics. The four-star average was 2,226 yuan (C$325).

Several hotel managers said potential visitors may have been frightened by the soaring prices, pushed up artificially when Beijing Olympic organizers in 2005 and 2006 reserved 70 per cent of the rooms at the city's four-and five-star hotels. Beijing organizers a few months ago released thousands of rooms, dropping their room holdings to 40 per cent.

The practice is common in many large events, like the World Cup or Olympics, but it usually drives up prices.

Si Cunxia, sales manager of Travel China travel agency, said the Olympics have hurt Beijing's summer tourism.

"A lot of the hotels overestimated their occupancy rate for July and August," she said. "The hotels were all too optimistic to think that they would be packed with tourists. In reality, tourists who would normally come to Beijing are not coming during the Olympics because transportation and accommodations are quite high."

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Toronto taxi rides to become more expensive

(CBC) - Toronto taxicab fares are going up in mid-July.

Cab drivers asked the city for the increase, citing increased gas prices and saying the present fares aren't enough to cover their costs.

The vote by council Tuesday night was unanimous.

"It's just a necessity to keep the industry going," said Coun. Howard Moscoe.

"And don't blame the poor cab driver for this, I mean we're all cursing the outcome. You know Esso made $52 billion in profits last year and the cab driver shouldn't bear the brunt of the blame."

The drop fare, or the fare a customer pays before the cab goes anywhere, will now start at $4, up from $3.

The per kilometre rate will go up to 25 cents for every 155 metres instead of 25 cents for every 170 metres.

The industry estimates that when the price change takes effect, a $10 cab ride will increase to $11.75.

The flat rate to the airport will not increase.

New case of mad cow disease found in B.C.; third in three years

THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA - The discovery of another case of mad cow disease in B.C. will have no impact on Canada's already hard-hit beef industry, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says.

The agency announced Monday that another cow has been identified as having bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE.

"This should have no impact as far as trade, or significant impact directly within Canada," said George Luterbach, a veterinarian with the agency.

It's the third case in B.C. in the last three years and the 13th in Canada since the first case of mad cow came to light in 2003.

But Luterbach said Canada has been assessed by the World Organization for Animal Health and given a controlled-risk status, indicating it has the proper checks and balances to control the disease.

"As part of our risk assessment, it was recognized that as Canada moves to the eradication of BSE . . . there would likely be a small number cases that will be detected along the way, and this is well understood by our trading partners," he said in an interview Monday.

Luterbach said over 220,000 cattle in Canada have been tested for BSE since the country's first case saw the U.S. and other international borders closed to Canadian beef in 2003.

"Those cattle have been selected to be the highest potential risk animals for BSE," he said.

"We've very confident that BSE is not common nor widespread in Canada because of our surveillance."

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency hasn't said where the infected cow is located but an investigation is under way to determine where the cow was born.

The inspection agency said a ban on using animal materials in feed products has virtually eliminated the spread of BSE in Canada, but it said a small number of mad cow cases are still expected to surface.

In 2006 and 2007 the disease was found in two B.C. dairy cows, and in both cases the agency said the infection was caused by contaminated feed.

It also said there was no risk to public health because no part of the animal entered the human food systems.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Nissan chief says price hikes likely in Japan amid soaring material costs

Yuri Kageyama, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
YOKOHAMA, Japan - Nissan Motor Co., Japan's third-biggest automaker, will likely raise prices in its domestic market as soaring prices for steel and other raw materials boost production costs, chief executive Carlos Ghosn said Wednesday.

Ghosn, speaking to reporters after a shareholders meeting, said price increases are probably inevitable in Japan, following those already announced in the United States and Europe. He said Nissan may have to raise prices by two or three per cent.

He predicted that all Japanese automakers would be forced to raise prices, especially as steel costs are expected to keep climbing - although it would be hard for Nissan to be the first to do so when rivals like Toyota and Honda haven't.

"In pricing, the industry has no choice," Ghosn said after addressing more than 2,000 shareholders in Yokohama, southwest of Tokyo.

"At the end of the day, we are sure everyone is going to do it."

Nissan, as well as Toyota and other manufacturers, have already raised the U.S. prices of some models.

Japanese automakers, while faring better than American rivals General Motors Corp. or Ford Motor Co., are struggling to maintain profits amid a stronger yen, higher material costs and sluggish U.S. and Japanese markets.

He sought to allay fears about the company's declining share price, blaming soaring oil costs, the U.S. slowdown and other factors that are hurting all automakers.

Ghosn, who also serves as head of the Japanese automaker's alliance partner Renault SA, told shareholders that a stagnant Japanese auto market and rising steel and materials costs are also to blame for the company's falling share price.

Nissan stock has fallen 37 per cent over the last 18 months and 14 per cent since the start of the year.

"I don't think what we are seeing today is related to the performance of the company," Ghosn said.

He pointed out that Toyota Motor Corp. stock is down 15 per cent this year, and the entire Japanese stock market has been suffering.

Ghosn acknowledged that Nissan's executive pay is far higher than the compensation at Toyota, but he said this is because Toyota executives are almost all Japanese, while a quarter of those at Nissan are non-Japanese, requiring pay that reflects "global standards."

In outlining Nissan's five-year plan through 2012, Ghosn pointed to expansion in emerging markets such as China, Russia, India and Brazil. He acknowledged, however, that major growth cannot be expected in the traditional markets of North America, Europe and Japan.

He pointed to Nissan's cheap entry-level car, promised for 2011, to respond to the needs of emerging markets.

The company is also working on a zero-emission electric vehicle.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Japan's May trade surplus falls 7.6 per cent, third straight month of declines

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOKYO - Japan's trade surplus in May fell 7.6 per cent from a year earlier, marking the third straight month of declines.

The Finance Ministry said Wednesday the surplus shrank to 365.61 billion yen (US$3.39 billion) compared with 395.55 billion yen, as soaring crude oil prices and other commodities increased imports.

Overall imports grew 4.4 per cent to 6.44 trillion yen ($59.7 billion) in May, while exports rose 3.7 per cent to 6.81 trillion yen ($63.2 billion), the ministry said.

The nation's politically sensitive trade surplus with the U.S. fell 11 per cent, down for the ninth straight month on slower exports of cars, auto parts, mineral fuels and machinery.

Meanwhile, Japan's trade surplus with Asia rose for the second straight month, jumping 68.5 per cent due to growing auto, mineral fuel and steel product exports to the region, the ministry said. The trade surplus with China, however, fell 82.8 per cent.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

China plans major Everest cleanup next year, may reduce number of visitors

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIJING - The world's highest garbage dump is set for a major clean up next year.

The operation, part of ongoing efforts to spruce up Mount Everest and protect its fragile Himalayan environment, will involve a garbage collection campaign and a possible limit on the number of climbers and other visitors, state media reported Monday.

"Our target is to keep even more people from abusing Mount Everest," Zhang Yongze, Tibet's environmental protection chief was quoted as saying by the Xinhua news agency.

Everest's 8,850-metre peak - the world's tallest - lies on the border between China and Nepal, with climbers providing a large source of income for people on both sides.

However, crowded routes and accumulations of garbage and human waste have led to some calls for the mountain to be temporarily closed to climbers.

Last year, more than 40,000 people visited the mountain from the Chinese side, which is located in Tibet, the China Daily newspaper said.

Although that number was less than 10 per cent of those who went to the mountain on the Nepal side in 2000, the paper said environmentalists estimate they could have left behind as much as 120 tonnes of garbage or an average of three kilograms per tourist.

There is no definitive figure on how much trash has been left on Everest in 55 years of climbing since New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay first conquered the mountain May 29, 1953.

The high altitude, deep snow, icy slopes and low level of oxygen make it difficult for climbers to carry anything other than the necessities down the mountain once they summit the peak, which has been nicknamed the world's highest garbage dump.

The Nepalese government has tightened its laws, and climbers and their guides are now required to carry out gear - tents, ropes, sleeping bags, oxygen tanks - and trash or forfeit a $4,000 deposit.

While China isn't known to have a similar rule, it has enacted other restrictions, including forbidding vehicles from driving directly to the base camp at 5,180 metres, Zhang said. The move also was aimed at preserving the melting Rongbuk glacier at the base of Everest, which has retreated 150 metres in the past decade, he said.

Zhang said his bureau is planning on launching a garbage collecting campaign in the first half of 2009 and is urging that the number of tourists and mountaineers be restricted.

The Xinhua report did not give any more details and calls to Zhang's agency rang unanswered on Monday.

A climbing official in Nepal said he had not received any information from China on its plans to restrict access to the mountain next year.

Mountaineering department official Ramesh Chetri said Nepal planned to keep Everest open for the 2009 spring climbing season.

"I did not hear anything about this," Ang Tshering, chairman of expedition company Asian Trekking, said by telephone from Kathmandu. He said he would contact Chinese officials Tuesday for details, and added that he did not think closing Mount Everest or limiting climbers was a good solution.

China began cleanup efforts in 2004, when 24 volunteers removed eight tonnes of garbage from the slopes.

In 2005, the number of people helping out increased to 100 in hopes of making a a dent in the litter, which includes abandoned tents, oxygen tanks, boxes, cans, and plastic wrappers.

Ken Noguchi, an acclaimed Japanese mountaineer, has said he has collected an estimated nine tonnes of garbage from both sides of the mountain in five trips, beginning in 2000.

Everest featured most recently as the backdrop for the Beijing Olympic torch relay, in which a team of Chinese and Tibetan climbers carried the flame to the summit and back down again.

Chinese authorities enraged climbers by convincing Nepal's government to join it in completely shutting down the mountain for several days during the peak climbing season to prevent any possible disruption to the sensitive Everest leg of the relay.

Tibetan activists accuse Beijing of using the climb to symbolize its control over Tibet. China says it has ruled the Himalayan region for centuries, although many Tibetans say their homeland was essentially independent for much of that time.

Zhang described the Olympic expedition as a model of environmental responsibility, saying climbers, support crews and media had carted away large amounts of garbage and relied on a pair of "environmental toilets" to avoid fouling the mountain.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Well-to-do households, those with children more likely to drink bottled water

THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA - Statistics Canada says higher-income households and those with children are most likely to drink bottled water at home.

The agency says apartment dwellers, seniors and households with at least one university graduate were least likely to use bottled water.

It says almost 30 per cent of all households used bottled water as their main drinking source in 2006.

It also notes that the amount of plastic waste generated by consumption of bottled water has raised environmental concerns, especially since most communities have perfectly good drinking water in the taps.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

China reopens Tibet to foreign tourists three months after violent riots

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIJING - Tibet reopened to tourists Wednesday, three months after the Chinese government banned visits by foreigners in the wake of violent anti-government riots and protests.

Officials from the Tibetan Tourism Bureau say the first group of foreign tourists, from Sweden, arrived at the airport near the capital, Lhasa, on Wednesday morning. China threw a curtain around Tibet and areas in nearby provinces with sizable Tibetan populations after the March violence, citing the safety of foreign tourists and journalists.

But a notice on the bureau's website said life in Lhasa had returned to normal, noting the June 21 torch relay "provided a more solid foundation for a stable society."

The torch relay, which was criticized by overseas Tibetan activist groups and had been considered a potential flashpoint, passed without event under heavy security.

The tourist bureau's notice said the struggle against "separatists" who want to split Tibet from China was over.

"Tibet's society is stable and harmonious, its markets bustling, and its environment beautiful," the notice said.

The March violence and the subsequent tourist ban have taken a major toll on Lhasa's economy, which has grown increasingly reliant on tourism since the start of rail service nearly two years ago.

Tibet had 4 million visitors in 2007, up 60 per cent from the previous year, the official Xinhua News Agency reported earlier this year. Tourism revenues hit US$687 million, more than 14 per cent of the economy.

Chinese domestic tour groups were allowed back into Tibet in late April, and over 160 groups have so far travelled there, the Tibetan Tourism Bureau said.

China says 22 people died in the anti-government protests in March. But overseas Tibet supporters say many times that number were killed in the riots and the resulting security crackdown across Tibetan regions of western China.

In the crackdown after the violence, Beijing held speedy trials and sentenced dozens involved in the riots to sentences ranging from years to life in prison.

In the wake of the protests, Buddhist monasteries seen as incubators for anti-government sentiment were surrounded by security forces and closed off to the outside as searches were conducted and monks forced to undergo intensified political indoctrination against the Dalai Lama.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

$10M Calgary penthouses break price record

(CBC) - Two luxury penthouse condos are on the Calgary market for an unprecedented price of $10 million each, propelling the city into a lofty real estate realm.

The two-storey, 4,400-square-foot units are part of the Astoria on Tenth Tower under construction in Calgary's Beltline neighbourhood.

The sticker price makes the 34th- and 35th-floor condos the priciest ever in Alberta and the third most costly in Canada, after listings in Toronto for $25 million and Vancouver for $18 million, said Arcus Developments Tuesday.

"The Astoria on Tenth penthouses are a sign we've arrived as a city," said Gerry Mendyk, president and director of Arcus. "The city's never seen anything like them, and we feel now is the perfect time to introduce them."

The penthouses boast solid marble and ebony, crystal chandeliers, 9-metre arched windows and five balconies. The developer also highlighted luxury features including an 860-bottle private wine vault, media and billiards rooms and priority elevator service.

The building on the 900 block of 10th Ave S.W. will also have a movie theatre for owners, said Mendyk.

The developer said more than half of the building's 225 suites have been sold. Occupancy is scheduled for 2010.

Last week, a six-bedroom house in Crescent Heights sold for $7.5 million, breaking the record for the top MLS residential sale in Calgary.

The previous record was set in May when a Mount Royal bungalow sold for $4.8 million.

Alberta ends 2007-08 fiscal year with $4.6 billion surplus even after record spending

THE CANADIAN PRESS
EDMONTON - Record high oil prices and a booming population pushed Alberta's budget surplus to $4.6 billion in the 2007-08 fiscal year - despite record spending.

The financial report for the year ended March 31 shows that resource revenues shot well past early predictions and reached $11 billion - the third-highest in Alberta history.

Government officials concede that with oil now trading at more than US$130 a barrel another windfall of resource revenues is in the offing.

But a bustling economy also pushed government spending to record levels to relieve a backlog of building projects and higher health and education costs.

The Heritage Savings Trust Fund reached a record value of $17 billion despite a significant slide in the value of some investments.

The report also shows a $2.3-billion liability to cover a shortfall in the teachers pension fund - part of a deal the government struck with teachers to guarantee five years of labour peace.

© The Canadian Press, 2008