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The Canadian Press Budget for Friday, Dec 18 , 2009
(Canadian Press DataFile Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The following is a complete list of coverage plans for top news from The Canadian Press. If you have any questions, contact CP's National Desk at 416-507-2150.
Copy moves by 18:00 ET unless otherwise noted; all times ET.
COPENHAGEN _ Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other world leaders say they have reached an agreement on fighting global warming. Harper called the agreement a ``comprehensive'' and ``realistic'' agreement. The leaders are to reconvene in Mexico next year for another round of talks to work out details. 700 words. By Steve Rennie. See Photos. Climate-Cda.
OTTAWA _ Michael Ignatieff comes off a rocky first year as Liberal leader amid rumours that he's depressed, exhausted, and so worn down by the thankless grind of opposition politics that he's ready to return to Harvard rather than face the ignominy of sure election defeat. But Ignatieff insists he's in for the long haul and he's got a plan to turn Liberal fortunes around in the new year. 700 words. By Joan Bryden. See Photo. Ignatieff-Politics. Moved.
OTTAWA _ Finance Minister Jim Flaherty hopes to emerge from today's meeting with his provincial counterparts in Whitehorse with a consensus on what steps to take next on pension reform. But a national agreement on how to make Canadians save more for their retirement is still many months away. 600 words. By Heather Scoffield. Pension-Meeting. Moved.
OTTAWA - A leading economists says the Bank of Canada is wrong to be concerned about homeowners getting in over their heads by taking on too much debt. CIBC's chief economist says Canada is in no danger of falling into the mortgage hole that felled the U.S. financial system two years ago, and that rather than worry about the impact of low interest rates, the central bank should be careful not to harm the useful role played by the housing market in the recovery. 600 words. By Julian Beltrame. BC-Economy-Housing. Moved National and Business
WINNIPEG - A Manitoba man who has been behind bars for 23 years will be going home for the holidays after being granted bail Friday while his conviction in a drug murder is reviewed. Frank Ostrowski, a former hair stylist turned drug dealer, has been in jail since he was found guilty in 1987 for ordering the shooting of dealer Robert Nieman over a drug debt. Ostrowski has always maintained his innocence and the federal government is now reviewing whether he was wrongfully convicted. 600 words. By Chinta Puxley. BC-Drug-Murder-Review. Moved.
EDMONTON - A Supreme Court decision Friday doesn't bring Peach Atkinson's murdered daughter Nina Courtepatte back to her, but the mother said it will be a better Christmas now that one of the 13-year-old girl's killers has had her conviction bumped up to first-degree murder from manslaughter. 650 words. By Bob Weber. BC-SCOC-Courtepatte-Killer. Moved.
TORONTO _ A Canadian sports doctor facing charges over an unapproved drug has been ensnared by the media frenzy over superstar golfer Tiger Woods' personal problems. Outside court Dr. Anthony Galea's lawyer, surrounded by a throng of journalists including many Americans, said Friday the charges have absolutely nothing to do with Woods. 500 words. By Allison Jones. US-Canadian-Doctor-Doping. Moved.
VANCOUVER _ A former KGB agent fighting deportation plans to release documents he's claimed will prove he's not a security threat. Mikhail Lennikov has been hiding in a Vancouver church since June after Canadian officials refused to grant him landed immigration status because of his ties with the notorious Soviet Union spy agency. 600 words. By James Keller. BC-KGB-Deportation. Moved.
WASHINGTON - Canada's premiers will get a moment in the spotlight this year at the influential National Governors' Association annual meeting in February. Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is co-hosting the event, Common Border, Common Ground, that will focus on Canada-U.S. relations, with an emphasis on trade, border security and energy. It's the first-ever meeting between the association and its Canadian counterpart, the Council of the Federation, and as one invitee put it: ``This is a big deal for Canada.'' 600 words. By Lee-Anne Goodman. BC-US-Cda-Governors-Meeting. Moved National and International.
WASHINGTON _ It was almost a year ago that Barack Obama took the oath of office as a sea of a million joyous people stretched out before him, braving a bone-chilling day on Capitol Hill to cheer on the man who won the White House with a message of hope and change.Eleven months later, and Obama's approval ratings have slipped below 50 per cent due to problems both of his own making and those beyond his control _ double-digit unemployment, a devastating recession, mammoth deficits, an escalating war in Afghanistan and a bruising battle over health-care reform that's left an already divided nation even further polarized. 890 words. By Lee-Anne Goodman. YEAR-Obama-Economy. Moved.
UNDATED _ Diary of the top Canadian and international news events of 2009. 3,000 words. Update, if needed, to move Dec. 30. BC-YEAR-Diary. Moved.
VICTORIA _ The B.C. coroner's inquest jury in the Peter Lee murder-suicide inquest has made 14 recommendations, including calling on the B.Cm government to form a single domestic violence unit and embark on a public information program highlighting domestic violence. Moved.
HALIFAX _ A provincial review of a facility that cares for the mentally disabled in northeastern Nova Scotia has concluded there was severe overcrowding in the period when 22 cases of abuse were documented at the residence. The report on Riverview adult residential centre in Riverton, N.S., released Friday depicts a facility where clients have ``no privacy or sense of a place to spend quiet or alone time.'' 600 words. By Michael Tutton. BC-NS-Abuse-Residence. Moved Regional (A).
HALIFAX _ The ferry service that links Nova Scotia with Maine was scuttled Friday, three days after the provincial government told Bay Ferries Ltd., it would stop subsidizing the money-losing operation. Tourism operators said the move will hurt the province's economy, but the cabinet minister responsible for the file said the government just doesn't have the money to support a business that isn't viable. 500 words. By Michael MacDonald. BC-Ferry-Service-Scrapped. Moved Regional (A).
INTERNATIONAL
WASHINGTON _ Three accused al-Qaida associates arrested in Africa arrived in New York on Friday to face charges that they conspired to support terrorism by smuggling drugs bound for Europe. The arrests mark the first time U.S. authorities have captured and charged al-Qaida suspects in a drug trafficking plot in Africa, in a case officials say demonstrates the spread of the terror network into global criminal activity. 500 words. By Devlin Barrett. US-Africa-Al-Qaida-Drugs. Moved.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan _ A suicide attacker set off a powerful bomb outside a mosque in northwestern Pakistan just after police officers had finished their Friday prayers, killing 10 people. The attack was the second against a mosque used by security forces in two weeks. No group has taken responsibility for the bombing that also wounded 25 people in Lower Dir region, but the Taliban has carried out similar attacks throughout the country. Most of the victims were police leaving the mosque after prayers. 700 words. By Munir Ahmad. See Photo. AS-Pakistan. Moved.
OSWIECIM, Poland _ The Nazis' infamous iron sign declaring ``Arbeit Macht Frei'' _ German for ``Work Sets You Free'' _ was stolen Friday from the entrance of the former Auschwitz death camp, Polish police said. The 5-metre-long 40-kilogram iron sign at the Holocaust memorial site in southern Poland was unscrewed on one side and torn off on the other, police spokeswoman Katarzyna Padlo said. 800 words. By Krzysztof Kopacz and Monika Scislowska. See Photo. EU-Poland-Auschwitz-Sign-Stolen. Moved.
KABUL, Afghanistan _ Facing intense pressure to reform, President Hamid Karzai plans to replace heads of two ministries linked to corruption while retaining several others favoured by the West, Afghan officials said Friday. The lineup is an apparent bid to balance U.S. demands and appease local power bosses who helped him win re-election. The long-awaited cabinet list, expected to be formally announced Saturday, is seen as the first test of Karzai's willingness to assemble a team of reformists, as demanded by the West. 800 words. By Amir Shah. AS-Afghanistan. Moved Datafile only.
BAGHDAD, Iraq _ Iraq says Iranians have seized an oil well in Iraqi territory along the two countries' disputed border. The Iraqi government's spokesman says the armed Iranians who crossed the border to take over the oil well have violated Iraq's sovereignty. The incident comes as Iraq is trying to attract international investment to help develop its oil sector and highlights the sometimes tenuous relationship between Iraq and its Shiite neighbour and ally. 450 words. By Rebecca Santana. ML-Iraq-Iran-Oil.
BRASILIA, BRAZIL _ Doctors prepared Friday to perform emergency surgery on a Brazilian toddler to remove some of the 42 sewing needles that were allegedly inserted into him by his stepfather during a series of bizarre rituals. Surgeons in the northeastern city of Salvador plan to take out a needle that punctured the two-year-old boy's heart and others threatening vital organs, said a spokesman at the hospital where the boy is being treated in the northeastern city of Salvador. 570 words. By Marco Sibaja. See Photo. LT-Brazil-Boy-Needles. Moved.
LAGOS, Nigeria _ After decades of military rule, coups and strong-armed elections, Africa's most populous nation now finds itself with a seriously ill, and absent, president. President Umaru Yar'Adua has been hospitalized in Saudi Arabia for what staffers say is a serious heart condition. With no clear successor, Nigeria is roiled by uncertainty and some prominent citizens are even calling for his resignation. 600 words. By Jon Gambrell. See Photo. AF-Nigeria-Leaderless-Nation. Moved Datafile only.
___HIGHLIGHTED ON THE NATIONAL BUDGET
The following stories, which carry foreign placelines but are of specific interest to Canadian readers, move on both the International and National wires and are highlighted on the National budget:
_ Climate
_ Climate-Cda
_ Climate-Obama
_ US-Cda-Governors-Meeting.
_ YEAR-Obama-Economy
BUSINESS
MONTREAL _ After 10 years as a publicly traded company, shareholders of Cossette Inc. (TSX:KOS) approved the friendly takeover bid by U.S.-based Mill Road Capital L.P. that will privatize the Quebec advertising company. Cossette had been the subject of a hostile takeover bid by Cosmos Capital Inc., headed by former Cossette president and co-founder Francois Duffar who retired in 2007 from the company. Cossette shareholders voted 99.9 per cent on Friday at a special meeting in Quebec City to approve the deal. 450 words. By LuAnn LaSalle. Cossette.
MONTREAL _ Shares in Research In Motion (TSX:RIM) bounced up more than 10 per cent Friday after it beat profit expectations, but analysts say there's increasing competition ahead for the BlackBerry maker. RIM faces competition from new devices in 2010 and one analyst said the Waterloo, Ont., company likely faces an uphill battle to maintain that kind of growth. 600 words. By LuAnn LaSalle. Research-In-Motion.
MONTREAL _ Canada's economy may be showing signs of improvement but the aerospace industry faces continued turbulence in 2010 with a full recovery from the worse crisis to strike the sector possibly as far as two years away.``Clearly in 2009 there were still orders that had come in from the previous years, so what we're looking at is a more difficult year in 2010,'' says Claude Lajeunesse, head of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada. 879 words. By Ross Marowits. YEAR-Aerospace.
TORONTO _ Royal Gold Inc. (TSX:RGL) has reached an agreement to acquire International Royalty Corp. (TSX:IRC), trumping a rival bid from gold-focused royalty company Franco-Nevada Corp. (TSX:FNV). The agreement values IRC at about $749 million, 17 per cent more than the $639-million cash offer made by Franco-Nevada. 600 words. By Kristine Owram. International-Royalty-Corp.
TORONTO _ Despite an admittedly difficult year both for the company and the pharmaceutical industry as a whole, drug maker Patheon (TSX:PTI) said Friday it is well positioned to take advantage when market conditions return to normal.CEO Wes Wheeler said that even though Patheon suffered a decline in net income for the year, it outperformed the market as a whole, which is experiencing hardship due in part to cash-strapped clients' reluctance to invest in projects. 578 words. By Sunny Freeman. Patheon.
TORONTO _ Asset-backed commercial paper will return to the spotlight on Monday when financial regulators meet to consider settlements with financial institutions alleged to have mishandled the troubled investments. A number of major institutions will appear before hearings across the country Monday, when a panel will determine whether to accept settlements with authorities over the collapse of the ABCP market in 2007. By Sunny Freeman. 600 words. ABCP-Hearings.
CALGARY _ Canadian Superior Energy Inc. ((TSX:SNG), a Calgary based natural gas producer that restructured under bankruptcy protection earlier this year, says it intends to raise up to C$50 million through a non-brokered private placement issue of up to 96.2 million common shares. Under the financing, announced Friday, Alberta businessman Clay Riddel will acquire about 38.5 million shares and join the Canadian Superior board. 500 words. By Lauren Krugel. Canadian-Superior. Moved.
NEW YORK _ General Motors Co. said Friday it will shut down Saab after talks to sell the brand to a Dutch carmaker collapsed, marking the third time this year that a deal by GM to sell an unwanted brand has fallen through. By Dan Strumpf. US-GM-Saab, 3rd Writethru. Moved.
NEW YORK _ Crude prices spiked briefly Friday after Iranian troops crossed into Iraq and seized an oilfield. Iraq's Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Haj Aziz said Iranian soldiers surrounded a well Thursday night. He did not know who was in control of the area now. By Chris Kahn. Oil-Prices.
DETROIT _ General Motors Co. made the first payment on its giant instalment loans from the U.S. and Canadian governments on Friday, sending US$1 billion to the U.S. Treasury and $192 million to Canada. By Tom Krisher. APFN-US-GM-Loan-Repayment.
TOKYO _ Japan's central bank said Friday it was crucial for the country to beat deflation and it would not accept continued price declines. ``It is a critical challenge for Japan's economy to overcome deflation and return to a sustainable growth path with price stability,'' the bank said in a statement after a regular two-day policy meeting. By Jay Alabaster. AS-Japan-Central-Bank.
UNDATED _ Airline shares have been on a tear. They've been climbing steadily since summer, and the rally has gained steam since Thanksgiving with the six biggest carriers up as much as 55 percent. Is this rally for real, or are there storm clouds ahead? 550 words. By Joshua Freed. Airline-Stocks-Rebound. Moved Datafile only.
The Canadian Press is also following:
TORONTO _ The Toronto stock market ended Friday in negative territory as weakness in base metals and materials edged out gold and better-than-expected earnings from BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion Ltd. (TSX:RIM).The S&P/TSX composite index closed 9.66 points lower to 11,463.40 in a volatile trading session that slipped into the red during the final hour on high volume trading. 539 words. By David Friend. Dollar-Markets.
QUEBEC _ Aeterna Zentaris Inc. (TSX: AEZ) said Friday it had terminated an agreement with Sanofi-Aventis U.S. (NYSE:SNY) which would develop, commercialize and license one of its treatments for enlarged prostate glands. BC-Aeterna-Zentaris, 1st Writethru. Moved.
MONTREAL _ Thallion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (TSX:TLN) said Friday it has signed a partnership letter of intent with France's LFB Biotechnologies to development Shigamabs, a treatment of Shiga toxin-producing bacterial infection (STEC). Thallion.
OTTAWA _ The recession continues to play havoc with Ottawa's finances.The federal government says it fell another $3.3 billion into a hole in October on a combination of falling revenues and rising service costs. 420 words. Federal-Deficit.
OTTAWA - Canadian households spent an average of $71,360 in 2008, two per cent more than in 2007. But luxuries played a relatively minor role, as the basics of subsistence accounted for the bulk of the increase. StatsCan-Household-Spending.
OTTAWA _ Wholesale sales in current dollars edged up 0.3 per cent to $41.1 billion in October, the fourth increase in five months. Statistics Canada reports sales by volume were up 0.4 per cent. StatsCan-Wholesale.
OTTAWA - After being slapped down by the federal government over the Globalive issue, the CRTC says it is reviewing the Canadian ownership bona fides of a second new entrant to the country's cellphone market. CRTC-Public-Mobile.
TORONTO _ A joint partnership between Canada's biggest auto supplier and the federal government will result in a new $7.2-million research facility with the goal of developing lighter-weight, more environmentally friendly auto parts. By Kristine Owram. Magna-Facility.
TORONTO _ Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan said Friday it has signed a deal to sell its 15.3 per cent stake in AlarmForce Industries Inc. (TSX:AF) to private equity firm Callisto Capital. BC-AlarmForce-Teachers, 1st Writethru. Moved.
TORONTO _ The board of Enerflex Systems Income Fund (TSX:EFX.UN) urged unitholders to support an increased takeover bid from Toromont Industries Ltd. (TSX:TIH) Friday, saying the revised offer was fair and in their best interests. Toromont-Enerflex.
TORONTO _ New Dawn Mining Corp. (TSX:ND) swung to a profit of $640,250 or two cents a share in the fourth quarter after reporting a loss of just over $2 million or seven cents a share in the prior-year period. Revenue for the three months ended Sept. 30 was just under $2.8 million, compared with just under $2.9 million last year. BC-New-Dawn.
TORONTO _ Cash Minerals Ltd. (TSXV:CHX) has agreed to scrap its deal to acquire the Agnew Lake uranium properties in Ontario from Nyah Resources Corp. (TSXV:NRU) after Nyah ended its planned takeover of Russo-Forest Corporation. Cash-Minerals-Nyah.
TORONTO _ Federal Industry Minister Tony Clement announces a $7.2-million joint partnership between auto parts maker Magna International Inc. (TSX:MG.A) and the National Research Council of Canada for a research facility that will develop lightweight technology for vehicles. Magna-Facility, 2nd Writethru.
TORONTO _ Funeral home operator Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI) said Friday it has extended its offer for Toronto-based Keystone North America Inc. (TSX:KNA.UN) to Feb. 1 from an earlier Dec. 22 deadline. BC-Keystone-Service-Corp, 1st Writethru. Moved.
TORONTO _ Junior gold miner New Dawn Minining Corp. (TSX:ND) swung to a profit in the fourth quarter, reversing a loss in the same period last year.The Toronto-based miner said it made $640,250 or two cents a share in the quarter after reporting a loss of just over $2 million or seven cents a share in the comparable year-ago period. 187 words. New-Dawn.
GUELPH, Ont. _ Drainage pipe maker Armtec Infrastructure Income Fund (TSX:ARF.UN) announced Friday it had been awarded a $43-million contract to help extend a subway line in the Toronto area. Armtec-Infrastructure.
WINNIPEG _ A union spokesman says more than 250 Winnipeg aerospace machinists could face layoffs at their shop.There are about 620 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers who work for Aveos Fleet Performance Inc. in Winnipeg. 130 words. Aerospace-Layoffs.
SASKATOON _ Cameco Corp. (TSX:CCO) said Friday that unionized employees at Cameco Fuel Manufacturing Inc. in Ontario have agreed to a new collective agreement. BC-Cameco-Contract, 1st Writethru.
EDMONTON _ Industrial distributor Commercial Solutions Inc. (TSX:CSA) reports fourth-quarter loss of $1.8 million or nine cents a share, reversing year-earlier net income of $819,096 or four cents a share. Revenues dropped to $20.2 million from $38.3 million. Commercial-Solutions.
EDMONTON _ The Alberta government says it is launching a legal challenge to Ottawa's plans to create a national securities regulator. Alberta-Securities-Regulator.
EDMONTON _ Oil and gas company Magnum Energy Inc. (TSXV:MEN) says it eked out fourth-quarter earnings of $3,024 or less than a penny a share, reversing a loss of $281,914 or a penny a share in the comparable period last year. Revenues declined to $329,349 from $470,114. Magnum-Energy
CALGARY _ Cortex Business Solutions Inc. (TSXV:CBX) saw first-quarter revenues soar and said it believes they will continue to grow as companies flock to the e-business products and services provider to help them cut costs. BC-Cortex-Business, 1st Writethru. Moved.
CALGARY _ Alert B&C Corporation (TSXV:ACB), a Calgary-based biodefence products producer, says it has closed its Montreal plant and cut its workforce there to save cash in a tough market. BC-Alert-Plant-Cuts, 1st Writethru. Moved.
CALGARY _ Novus Energy Inc. (TSXV:NVS) said Friday it has closed two separate agreements under which it is acquiring oil assets in its core operational area of Dodsland, Sask. BC-Novus, 1st Writethru. Moved.
CALGARY _ Harvest Energy Trust (TSX:HTE.UN) said Friday that the takeover of the income trust by Korea National Oil Corp. has received Investment Canada approval.The deal is expected to close Tuesday. 175 words. Harvest-Energy-Trust.
CALGARY _ Investors in U.S. fertilizer producer CF Industries Holdings Inc. (NYSE:CF) had until midnight Friday to tender their shares to Agrium Inc.'s (TSX:AGU) latest hostile takeover offer.The bid of US$45 in cash plus one Agrium share for each CF share was worth about US$5 billion based on Agrium's closing share price Friday. 296 words. Agrium-CF.
VANCOUVER _ Sterling Shoes Income Fund (TSX:SSI.UN) units fall 21 per cent Friday after the Vancouver-based shoe store retailer suspended its monthly distributions to unitholders. Sterling-Shoes.
VANCOUVER _ Coast Wholesale Appliances Income Fund (TSX:CWA.UN) said it would pay a special one-time distribution of 4.16 cents per unit. BC-Coast-Wholesale-Appliances, 1st Writethru. Moved.
VANCOUVER _ Lions Gate Metals Inc. (TSXV:LGM) and Ausnico Ltd. announced a deal to merge Friday in a stock-swap deal worth at least $8 million. BC-Lions-Gate-Ausnico, 1st Writethru. Moved.
VANCOUVER _ CIBT Education Group Inc. (TSXV:MBA) announced Friday it is acquiring Vancouver-based KGIC Education Group, one of the largest private, English-language training schools and business colleges in Canada. BC-CIBT-KGIC, 1st Writethru. Moved.
WASHINGTON _ About 447,000 Dorel baby car seat carriers are being recalled after dozens of reports of the child restraint handle coming loose.There have been at least three injuries to babies, including bumps, bruises and a head injury. 116 words. US-Baby-Car-Seats-Recall.
BERLIN _ Bombardier Transportation (TSX:BBD.A) announced Friday it has signed a contract with a Chinese rail company to provide metro cars and training for US$138 million. Bombardier.
SPORTS
HOCKEY
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A captaincy change hasn't changed how much Patrick Marleau means to the San Jose Sharks. It was natural for an outsider to wonder what kind of season the veteran forward might have after relinquishing the 'C' over the summer. Marleau has responded with a start that not only has him on pace for a career year, but has kept him on the radar for Team Canada. 680 words. By Chris Johnston. See CP Photo. HKN-Sharks-Marleau. Moved.
See also:
_ HKN-NHLPA-Charity-Tour. Moved.
_ HKN-NHL-Brain-Damage. Moved.
CALGARY - _The Calgary Flames will host the red-hot Nashville Predators in a rare afternoon affair on Saturday at the Pengrowth Saddledome. While the Flames broke a three-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night, the Predators beat the Edmonton Oilers 6-3 for their third straight victory. 700 words. By Laurence Heinen. HKN-Predators-Flames. Moved.
EDMONTON _ As match-ups go, the suddenly struggling Edmonton Oilers couldn't find a less favourable one than Saturday's game against the Washington Capitals if they tried. 700 words. By Robin Brownlee. HKN-Oilers-Advance. Moved.
VANCOUVER _ When the Vancouver Canucks play host to Washington Friday, there will be no shortage of red Capitals jerseys in the crowd. The city is buzzing with the first appearance in more than three years by Russian sniper Alexander Ovechkin. ``Everybody just comes to me and says, 'What's up?' It's pretty cool. I feel like a movie star,'' Ovechkin said of the attention. 550 words. By Sunny Dhillon. HKN-Ovechkin-Vancouver. Moved.
FOOTBALL
WINNIPEG _ Mike Kelly was the author of his own demise. His firing Thursday night as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach didn't come as a surprise to some of his players, who describe the rookie CFL coach's one-year reign as a never-ending series of bizarre events that will stand out in their careers. 700 words. By Judy Owen. See CP Photo. FBO-CFL-Bombers-Kelly. Moved.
NEW ORLEANS _ As far as Drew Brees can tell, the season of giving in New Orleans started about 14 weeks ago. Brees and the Saints have given this football-mad city more tastes of victory than it has ever known in a single season. The fans have responded in their own way when the players drive home from games, windows down, to share in the excitement. 915 words. By Brett Martel. FBN-Cowboys-Saints. See Photo. Moved. HOLD FOR ONLINE use until Saturday, Dec. 1.
See also:
_ FBN-Jets-Sanchez. 2nd Writethru. Moved.
_ FBN-Rams-Swine Flu. Moved.
_ FBN-Vikings-Big Pat's Plan. Moved.
_ FBN-Titans-Young.
_ FBN-McNair-Gun Arrest. 1st Writethru. Moved.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. _ Ovie Mughelli knew it had been a while since the Atlanta Falcons had consecutive winning seasons. The fullback didn't realize it had been their entire 44-year existence. ``Oh my God,'' he said. ``That's ridiculous.'' The Falcons are one loss away from extending one of the sports' most dubious streaks. 600 words. By Paul Newberry. See Photo. FBN-Falcons-Streak. Moved.
UNDATED _ Despite finishing 8-4 and out of a BCS game for the first time in years, USC is a 9-point favourite over Boston College in the Emerald Bowl on Dec. 26. Bowl picks through games of Dec. 31. By Writer Ralph D. Russo. FBC-T25-Bowl-Picks-Part-I. Moved.
See also:
_ FBC-New-Mexico-Bowl. Moved Datafile only.
_ FBC-St-Petersburg-Bowl. Moved Datafile only.
_ FBC-Fiesta-Bowl-Donations. Moved Datafile only.
LOS ANGELES _ Football has long been the athletic stepchild at inner-city Crenshaw High School. Trophy cases are crammed with basketball awards. Gym walls are lined with hoops championship flags.But the football team is undefeated this season and headed for the California state championship bowl game this weekend, and the coach attributes part of the success to an unlikely off-field source: rapper Snoop Dogg. 850 words. By Christina Hoag. See Photo. US-Snoop-Football. Moved Sports and Entertainment, Datafile only.
See also:
_ FBH-Another-McCoy. Moved Datafile only.
CHICAGO _ If you thought ``The Blind Side'' was a good story, you will want to keep an eye out for this kid. Tory Squires won't make the splash Michael Oher did. But a football scholarship is within reach and if he makes it all the way to the NFL, Squires will have beaten odds every bit as daunting. 600 words. By Jim Litke. FBH-Jim-Likte. Moved Datafile only.
TIGER WOODS
PORTLAND, Ore. _ Swiss watch maker Tag Heuer says it will ``downscale'' its use of golfer Tiger Woods' image in advertising campaigns for the foreseeable future. 550 words. See Photos. GLF-Woods-Tag-Heuer. 1st Writethru. Moved. Will be UPDATED
See also:
_ GLF-Woods-Awards. Moved.
_ GLF-Woods-Pavin. Moved. 1st Writethru. Moved.
WINTER SPORTS
UNDATED _ The battered Canadian ski team took another blow Friday when Francois Bourque became the third racer in as many days, and the fourth this week, to suffer a knee injury that will keep him out of the Olympic Games. A rash of injuries have swept the World Cup circuit this year, leaving coaches and officials trying to find a way to make the sport safer without taking away the excitement and sense of danger. 750 words. See Photo. By Jim Morris. OLY-SKI-Bourque-Injured. Moved.
LONDON _ Two U.S. women's relay teams lost a preliminary ruling Friday in their fight to keep the Olympic medals stripped from them because of Marion Jones' doping offences. 550 words. By Stephen Wilson. See Photo. OLY-IOC-Jones-Medals. 2nd Writethru. Moved.
UNDATED _ Injuries have knocked five members of the Canadian ski team out of the Olympic, but Alpine Canada is still predicting it will win three medals at the Games. 400 words. By Jim Morris. OLY-SKI-Medal-Count.
NEW YORK _ Megan Sweeney needed to beat her sister in a win-or-else raceoff just to get on the U.S. Olympic luge team. Getting through that much drama might make the rest of the journey to the Vancouver Games seem easy. 600 words. See Photo. By Tim Reynolds. OLY-LUG-US-Roster. Moved Datafile only.
SOCCER
NYON, Switzerland _ AC Milan midfielder David Beckham has been given his dream matchup against former club Manchester United in the first knockout round of the Champions League.The one-time Old Trafford favourite _ who returns to Italy next month for a second loan spell from the Los Angeles Galaxy _ got exactly the tie he hoped for at Friday's draw. 530 words. By Graham Dunbar. SOC-Champions-League-Draw. 1st Writethru. Moved.
See also:
_ SOC-Europea-League-Draw. 1st Writethru. Moved.
_ SOC-Man-United-Giggs. Moved.
_ SOC-Everton-Donovan. 2nd Writethru. Moved
OTHER SPORTS
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. _ IndyCar star Danica Patrick gets her first taste of stock car racing in the ARCA test at Daytona International Speedway. Developing from afternoon availability. 600 words. By Mark Long. See Photos. CAR-NASCAR-Danica-Patrick. Moved.
UNDATED _ Some look forward to Chris (The Polish Hammer) Horodecki's World Extreme Cagefighting debut Saturday night and worry about ring rust after a lengthy absence. The baby-faced 22-year-old from London, Ont., has fought just once since April 2008 after all. But an excited Horodecki sees it differently. 550 words. By Neil Davidson. MMA-WEC-Horodecki. Moved.
ENTERTAINMENT
LONDON _ Sarah Jessica Parker is looking forward to a family Christmas. That's because she won't be the only female in the house this year; her baby girls, Marion and Tabitha, will also be part of the festivities. The twins were born last June to a surrogate and the actress is eager to, well . . . spoil them. 620 words. By Adam Egan. EU-Q&A-Sarah-Jessica-Parker. Moved.
NEW YORK _ The John Lennon-Paul McCartney songwriting team broke up 40 years ago but their influence lives on in music, pop culture and now in two prominent new books about music.Lennon is one of the five seminal artists who shape the backbone of ``Corn Flakes With John Lennon,'' a memoir by Robert Hilburn, the influential former critic and reporter for the Los Angeles Times. Author Peter Ames Carlin focused on Lennon's partner for the biography ``McCartney: A Life.'' 1152 words. By David Bauder. US-Books-Lennon&McCartney. Moved.
NEW YORK _ Considered one way, Charles Gibson 's career in TV news seems to be a model of stability: 34 years logged with one employer, ABC. There, he did his job well and rose to the top echelon of his profession, forming a firm bond with his viewers and offering his gracious signoff, ``I hope you had a good day.''On the other hand, Gibson, who retires Friday from the ``World News'' anchor desk and from ABC as a full-time employee, is bowing out as more than an admired network news star. 587 words. By Frazier Moore. See Photo . US-AP-on-TV-Gibson's-Exit. Moved.
UNDATED _ Jon and Kate Gosselin officially divorced Friday after 10 years of marriage, eight children and a year of tabloid headlines.Kate Gosselin gets the family home in eastern Pennsylvania in the no-fault divorce agreement, according to her lawyer, Mark Momjian. She will also continue as the primary caretaker of the reality TV couple's nine-year-old twins and five-year-old sextuplets. 452 words. By Maryclaire Dale. See Photo. US-Jon&Kate-Gosselin. Moved.
NEW YORK _ Amber Portwood's lunch with a friend keeps getting interrupted by a crying baby. The problem is, the baby is Amber's. She packs up and leaves the restaurant before she can finish eating.Quieting a fussy baby is all in a day's work for the 19-year-old and her co-stars on MTV's new reality show, ``Teen Mom'' (10 p.m. EST Tuesdays). The show premiered to the highest rated series on the network in more than a year. 494 words. By Alicia Rancilio. See PhotoS. US-TV-Teen-Mom. Moved.
LIFESTYLES
AQCHA, Afghanistan _ While international forces in Afghanistan battle militants hiding in the mountains, aid agencies are fighting an even more elusive enemy: malnutrition. The World Food Program and UNICEF have launched a project to feed thousands of mothers and children _ some too weak to cry. Aid workers hope a high-protein diet distributed through a network of village clinics can help them through the winter. 1,000 words. By Alfred de Montesquiou. See AP Photos. Afghan-Malnourished, Advance. Also moved International, datafile only.
TIJUANA, Mexico _ Behind every crime is a corrupt cop. That's Public Safety Chief Julian Leyzaola's mantra as he storms Tijuana with its most aggressive police reform to date. The job is as monumental as turning around Al Capone's Chicago. If it works, it would be a huge breakthrough in a drug war that has taken more than 14,000 lives in Mexico and a potential model for other hotspots. The AP followed Leyzaola for eight months as he put his plan into action. 2,500 words. By Elliot Spagat. See AP Photos. Drug-War-Police-Cleanup, Advance. Also moved International, datafile only.
(c) 2009 The Canadian Press
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