NovaNewsNet Digest for Nov. 4, 2004

Nova Scotia News
Atlantic News
Canadian News
World News

NOVA SCOTIA

MLA FEARS SHORTAGE OF FLU VACCINE: A Liberal MLA is worried hospitals will be overburdened this winter because the province doesn't have enough flu vaccine to inoculate every Nova Scotian who wants a flu shot. Demand for the vaccine is up this year. The province is saving what it has left of the 340,000 doses it ordered for people who are at risk of being hospitalized if they get sick, including babies and the elderly. CBC NOVA SCOTIA Link current at 8:24 a.m.

JUDICIAL RECOUNT UPHOLDS MARSHALL'S VICTORY: Eskasoni resident Esmond Marshall's place in history as the first Mi'kmaq elected to a municipal council was confirmed in a recount Tuesday. Marshall, who won the District 13 council seat in the Cape Breton Regiona.m.nicipality by 17 votes, was happy with the results of the judicial recount in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.m.rshall said the next four years at regional council are going to be hard work. Constituents have said they want roads repaired, improved snow removal and additional ambulances, he said. CAPE BRETON POST Link current at 8:45 a.m.

NURSES ASSOCIATION MUM ON 'INCOMPETENT' NURSE: A Dartmouth nurse has lost her licence for admittedly being incompetent on the job for three years, but the nursing professional body isn't revealing any details. A brief and vaguely worded professional-conduct hearing decision posted on the College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia website says Michelle Lyzette McGrath had her nursing licence suspended on Oct. 20, 2004. DAILY NEWS Link current at 8:10 a.m.

ACCUSED TOLD TO KEEP SILENT: Days before he was arrested in the murder of Sean Simmons, Wayne James warned Steven Gareau to maintain a code of silence. Gareau, 48, is the last of four men to be tried in Halifax on charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder. Simmons, 31, was gunned down Oct. 3, 2000, in the lobby of an apartment building in Dartmouth. Last year, Dean Kelsie, his uncle Wayne James and Hells Angel Neil Smith were convicted for their roles in the killing and sentenced to life in prison. CHRONICLE HERALD Link current at 8:40 a.m.

GAS PRICES DROP IN METRO: Gasoline prices may still be too high for many drivers, but metro seems to have escaped the worst of the recent oil shock. Prices dipped to below 90 cents per litre at stations across the city Wednesday, offering slight relief after months of prices that approached the buck-a-litre mark. DAILY NEWS Link current at 8:18 a.m.

ATLANTIC

WOMAN'S BODY FOUND IN P.E.I. FARM FIELD: A woman's body was found Wednesda.m.rning in rural P.E.I. near an abandoned vehicle owned by a woma.m.ssing from Charlottetown. Kimberly Doreen MacEachern was reported missing on Saturday night. The 39-year-old failed to return to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. She was on a day pass and was to report back to the facility by 6 p.m. Police said she was dropped off at the QEH, but did not go inside. Two members of a civilian search team found a body around 300 metres from the vehicle. CBC P.E.I. Link current at 9:00 a.m.

N.B. POLICE INVESTIGATE GUN THREAT: A 15-year-old male student in Fredericton allegedly threatened to bring a gun to school this week to harm other students. Reg Bonnell, principal of the school, says he learned of the threa.m.nday night, when a parent called him. Police arrested the boy Tuesda.m.rning. Bonnell says he and the police have each questioned a half-dozen students and the boy remains out of school while the matter is resolved. CBC NEW BRUNSWICK Link current at 9:22 a. m.

N.B. DEFICIT TOPS $103M: Premier Bernard Lord's government lost $2 million more than it expected last year according to audited financial statements released Wednesday. The documents reported a deficit of $103 million for last year. They had budgeted for a loss of about $101 million. Finance Minister Jeannot Volpe blames the loss on cuts to federal transfer payments. The financial statement also shows that the provincial debt has been lowered by $109 million over the last four years. CBC NEW BRUNSWICK Link current at 8:55 a.m.

STANDOFF IN N.B. PRISON ENDS: A standoff involving inmates at the Atlantic Institution in Renous, N.B., is over. One inmate was stabbed during the incident but his injuries are not life-threatening. On Tuesday night, 16 inmates refused to return to their cells. On Wednesday afternoon the warden read them the riot act and threatened to send in the prison's emergency response team. The dispute involved access to cigarettes and cable television. CANADA.COM Link current at 8:50 a.m.

CHANGES NEEDED FOR N.B. LEGAL AID SYSTEM -- LAWYERS: The New Brunswick Law Society enlisted Justice Antonio Lamer to conduct a constitutional review, following concerns raised by the New Brunswick Criminal Defence Lawyers Association. Association spokesman Gary Miller says he's worried the province created a conflict of interest by directly paying for, and administering, both Crown prosecutors and legal aid defence lawyers. No decision has been made on how to amend the act. They're hoping the changes will be ready in time for next month's sitting of the legislature. CANADA.COM Link current at 9:03 a.m.

SEAFOOD BOYCOTT OVER SEAL HUNT: The Animal Alliance of Canada is threatening to boycott Canadian seafood in the United States because of the seal hunt. It says if Ottawa does not negotiate an end before next spring, it will target Canada's $5-billion fishing industry. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is not commenting on how it plans to respond to the threat or if it is taking the threat seriously. CBC NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR Link current at 8:43 a.m.

CANADA

MARTIN WARNS MPs NOT TO BASH BUSH: Prime Minister Paul Martin warned his caucus to use restraint when passing judgment on U.S. President George W. Bush's election victory. But even as he raised his concerns, outspoken MP Carolyn Parrish continued to criticize Bush, calling him a "war-like man," and saying that his re-election shows that Americans are "out of step" with the rest of the world. Martin said, "We should limit our comments on any preferences we may have had or have with who won." GLOBE AND MAIL Link current at 8:51 a.m.

MANDATORY RETIREMENT BAN IN ONT. WON'T BE RETROACTIVE: A plan to lift mandatory retirement laws in Ontario may not apply to older workers already forced off the job, Ontario Labour Minister Chris Bentley said Wednesday. Bentley said it might be too hard for a company to rehire retired workers if their jobs have already been filled. He promised the government will introduce legislation to end mandatory retirement at age 65, one of the Liberals' key promises during the provincial election campaign. CBC Link current at 8:07 a.m.

MARTIN URGES BUSH TO TACKLE BORDER ISSUES: Prime Minister Paul Martin phoned newly elected U.S. President George W. Bush Wednesday to congratulate him on his win and push for action on some top Canadian issues. Martin urged Bush to take action on cross-border trade problems, especially restrictions on Canadian beef exports and softwood lumber restrictions. Bush agreed to talk about the issues at the APEC Summit in Chile later this month and Martin told reporters that Canada's relationship with the U.S. was on a firm footing. CBC Link current at 7:59 a.m.

MAN CHARGED IN TRIPLE-HOMICIDE IN B.C.: A 24-year-old B.C. man has been charged with three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder following a shooting on the Penticton Indian Reserve on the weekend. Quincy Paul, 29, Robin Baptiste, 24, and Damien Endreny, 20, died when they were shot on Oct. 30 at a party spot on the reserve. Dustin Paul, 24, was in hospital for three days with a slashed throat, before being arrested and moved to the RCMP cells on Tuesday. CBC Link current at 8:34 a.m.

NFLD. PREMIER VOWS TO TAKE DISPUTE TO OTTAWA: Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams promised Wednesday to embark on a cross-country crusade if Ottawa fails to move quickly enough to settle a dispute over offshore oil revenues. Williams wants Prime Minister Paul Martin to honour the offer he made back in June to give the province all of its offshore revenues with no strings attached. He also wants to work to erase any perception Canadians may have that Newfoundland and Labrador is unwilling to help itself. GLOBE AND MAIL Link current at 8:56 a.m.

NO COMPETITION FOR SPONSORSHIP JOBS, GUITE SAYS: Chuck Guite, the retired bureaucrat who ran the federal sponsorship program in the 1990s said on Wednesday he had no written guidelines on how to approve sponsorship applications. Guite said the normal contracting process was never used when awarding sponsorship contracts. Advertising and public relations agencies were "prequalified" and didn't have to bid on individual jobs, he said. Guite began four days of testimony at a public inquiry headed by Justice John Gomery on Wednesday. CBC Link current at 8:20 a.m.

SASK. MULLS BID TO ALLOW SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: A Saskatchewan judge will rule Friday on whether the province will allow same-sex marriages. On Wednesday Justice Donna Wilson heard from lawyers representing five gay and lesbian couples who were denied marriage licences. Wilson is expected to rule in favour of same-sex marriage, since neither the provincial nor the federal government plans to contest the application. Currently, same-sex couples ca.m.rry in Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, Manitoba, the Yukon and Nova Scotia. CBC Link current at 8:13 a.m.

WORLD

BUSH VICTORY CONFIRMED: U.S. President George W. Bush was re-elected for a second term in office Wednesday after one of the most divisive presidential elections in the country's history. Bush was elected with a 51 per cent margin after Democratic candidate John Kerry decided not to contest the results. During his victory party, Bush promised Americans he would pursue his political agenda aggressively and said Americans were "entering a season of hope." NATIONAL POST Link current at 8:00 a.m.

BIN LADEN WANTS NUKES -- CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE: A newly obtained Canadian intelligence report has concluded that Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida is intent on acquiring nuclear weapons. The report, prepared by the National Security Threat Assessment centre, states that "al-Qaida is interested in acquiring nuclear capabilities in order to expand its attack arsenal." The report also says nuclear scientists argue it would be almost impossible for al-Qaida to hold such weapons because they are difficult to maintain and have a lifespan of about three years. CANADA.COM Link current at 8:02 a.m.

ARAFAT LOSING CONSCIOUSNESS - OFFICIALS: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has lost consciousnesses repeatedly in the past several hours, Palestinian officials said this morning. However they would not say whether or not he is in a coma. The 75-year-old's health has been deteriorating for several weeks now. He was rushed to Paris last Wednesday when his condition worsened. An update on his condition is expected later today. CBC Link current at 7:53 a.m

IVORY COAST BOMBS REBELS: At least two warplanes bombed a rebel military camp before sunrise this morning in the north of the Ivory Coast. A rebel commander told Associated Press "the war has started again." The Ivory Coast government announced Thursday it has begun its plans to re-conquer the rebel-held north. The West African Nation has been plagued by civil war but had been relatively peaceful since 2003. CBC Link current at 7:54 a.m.

SUSPECTED RADICALS ARRESTED IN DUTCH FILMMAKER'S MURDER: Dutch police arrested eight suspected Islamic radicals in the murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh, prosecutors announced Wednesday. One of the suspects, a 26-year-old suspected Muslin extremist, was arrested Tuesday after a shootout with police. None of their identities have been released. Van Gogh was shot and stabbed in Amsterdam on Tuesday following death threats after his latest movie criticized the treatment of Islamic women. GLOBE AND MAIL Link current at 8:04 a.m.

JEOPARDY! CONTESTANT ALL TIME TV GAME SHOW WINNER: Jeopardy! Contestant Ken Jennings has become the biggest TV game show winner of all time. Jennings has appeared on the show 66 times and won a total of $2,197,000 US. The previous record was of $2,180,000 US by Kevin Olmstead in 2001 on the show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. TV Week Magazine has said that Jennings' defeat, which has not yet aired, will come after his 75th straight appearance. CBC Link current at 7:57 a.m.