Alberta vows to keep the oil profits

"This is political showdown," Klein said. "This is also a constitutional issue. Alberta has control and authorization and authority over its resources."
And he said he's willing to walk away from the [equilization] program altogether.

CBC News: Klein threatens to abandon equalization

technorati tags: Canada, Politics, Alberta

Internet Reformations North of the 49th

The Internet industry must move towards a "metered" billing system in the future as customers increasingly download video and other bandwidth-intensive applications, Rogers Communications Inc. chief financial officer Bill Linton said yesterday in a presentation at Morgan Stanley's 11th Annual Media & Communications Conference in Washington that was webcast.

globeandmail.com : Rogers CFO predicts 'metered' on-line billing

This small article sugests a desire to move to something very similar to the proposed American legislation, widely reported earlier this month.

technorati tags: News, Internet, Canada

Armed revolt at Guantanamo Bay quickly subdued

[O]fficials called Thursday's clash the most intense outbreak of violence at the jail for foreign terrorism suspects at the U.S. naval base [...] since it opened in January 2002.

Six prisoners were treated for "minor injuries" and none of the U.S. guards was seriously hurt after the fight pitting 10 inmates against 10 U.S. guards, the officials said. The fight ended only after guards blasted detainees five times with a 12 gauge shotgun shooting rubber balls and used a grenade launcher that shot a blunt rubber object, officials said.

Army Col. Mike Bumgarner, in charge of detention operations, said detainees were jumping off beds on top of the guards and knocked some guards to the ground, adding: "Frankly we were losing the fight at that point." The fighting lasted four to five minutes, [officials] said.

Details of the clash emerged on the same day that the United Nations' top anti-torture body told Washington that any secret jails it ran for foreign terrorism suspects, along with the Guantanamo facility, were illegal and should be closed.

My Way News - US guards battle Guantanamo inmates in wild fight (Reuters)

technorati tags: Military, Terrorism, News, Politics, Guantanamo

Iranian Perspective or Propaganda?

"His insistence on a US security commitment implicitly acknowledges Iran’s deterrent claims for its nuclear programs. In other words, ElBaradei views Iran’s efforts to posses the nuclear energy cycle technology not simply to produce electricity, but also as a tool guaranteeing its security against foreign threats."

- Mr. Zeidabadi is a leading Iranian journalist and political analyst, writing for several Iranian and foreign-based media.

The United States And Iran’s Security (Iran Press Service)

Proposed American Laws Cloud the Internet's Future

The telecoms are frustrated that commercial Web sites reap unlimited profits while those providing entry to your home for these companies are prevented from fully cashing in. If the new telecom regulations pass without safeguarding net neutrality, the big telecom companies will be able to prioritize the Web for you. They will be free to decide which Web sites get to your computer faster and which ones may take longer - or may not even show up at all.

By giving the telecoms the ability to harness your Web surfing, the government will epower them to shake down the most profitable Web companies. These companies will sell access to you, to Amazon.com, Travelocity.com and even BaltimoreSun.com, etc. What if these companies elect not to pay? Then, when you type in "amazon.com," you might be redirected to barnesandnoble.com, or your lightning-quick DSL Internet service might suddenly move at horse-and-buggy speed.

Proposed rule changes would tangle the Web - baltimoresun.com

http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=node/1882

http://www.iml.org/npps/story.cfm?ID=736

Action on Iran Problem Lacks Concensus

A senior U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the meeting agreed that Iran must pay a price for not complying with U.N. resolutions but did not come to terms on what form that would take.

"I think the prospects for an agreement this week are not substantially good," he said. "Clearly we had a ways to go."

Earlier on Monday, China made clear that any reference to possible sanctions or war should be eliminated from the U.N. resolution ordering Tehran to curb its nuclear program.

My Way News
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BBC NEWS | US urges diplomacy in Iran crisis

RCMP Commish Asks For More $$

"At this point in time, our best guess is that we're able to tackle maybe a third of what we know is out there, in terms of serious organized crime," he said, adding that is probably a generous estimate. "And remember, when I say one-third, that's of what we know."

Although the Mounties' budget has doubled over the past seven years, Commissioner Zaccardelli told the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence he still has "serious issues to deal with, in terms of resources."

RCMP can't dent organized crime

9/11 Conspirator Spared Execution

After seven days of deliberation, the nine men and three women rebuffed the government's appeal for death for the only person charged [in the USA with] the four suicide jetliner hijackings that killed nearly 3,000 people on Sept. 11, 2001.

BREITBART.COM - Moussaoui Gets Life for Role in Sept. 11

Moussaoui, as he was led from the courtroom after the 15-minute hearing, said: "America, you lost. ... I won." He clapped his hands as he was escorted away.

Canada's First Blue Budget in 13 Years

The goods and services tax (GST) will drop to six per cent from seven per cent on July 1. For people buying a new home before that, a "transitional adjustment" equivalent to the difference in rates will be offered through the income tax system.

Changes for students

• Canadians attending university or college can claim an annual $500 tax credit on textbook costs, which translates into a benefit of about $80 a year for a typical full-time student.
• All scholarship, fellowship and bursary money will now be income-tax exempt, compared to the current exemption limit of $3,000 a year.
• More people will be eligible for Canada Student Loans because of a reduction in the amount parents are expected to contribute toward the cost of post-secondary education, effective August 2007.
• The federal government will give up to $1 billion to provinces and territories needing to make "urgent investments in post-secondary education infrastructure."
• Apprentices in the skilled trades will get a new $1,000 annual grant in their first and second years, plus a tax deduction of up to $500 for the cost of tools they need for the job, above an initial cost of $1,000.

MORE DETAILS @: CBC News Indepth: Federal Budget 2006

technorati tags: Politics, Canada, Budget, News

Conservative Government's Budget Expected Tomorrow

OTTAWA (CP) - Awash in billions of surplus dollars, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is likely to cut both income taxes and the GST - as well as boost spending on farmers, students, the military and police - in his first federal budget Tuesday. He's also expected to take an axe to some environmental programs and cultural funding as the Conservatives begin to fulfil their campaign promises to slash $22 billion from government spending over five years.

CANOE -- CNEWS - Canada: Tax cuts, spending on farmers and business, all part of federal Tory budget

The budget is set to be unveiled at 4 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT) on Tuesday.

Conservatives brace for first test - Yahoo! Canada News via Reuters

Osama's next "field commander" studied at McMaster

"You can look for the next Mohammad Atta by tracing him through Hamilton when you get back to Toronto," says Paul L. Williams, author of the new book, The Dunces of Doomsday in an exclusive interview with the CFP on Saturday.

Osama's 'American Hiroshima' field commander studied at Hamilton's McMaster University

Loonie nears US$0.90

The Canadian dollar came within a nose of 90 U.S. cents on Monday, rising for the seventh straight session as the greenback continued its broad decline, while strong commodity prices favored the loonie.

Canadian dollar extends gains on oil, weak US$ - Yahoo! News

RIM Lawsuit; Round II

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, alleges that RIM, provider of the popular Blackberry wireless e-mail service, infringed upon several of Visto's patents. The company is seeking a permanent injunction.

RIM faces another patent lawsuit

American "Day without Immigrants"

The normally bustling downtown Los Angeles produce and garment districts were virtually shut down this morning and truck traffic at the ports was down sharply after many employees protesting the nation's immigration policy's did not show up for work.

Today's Protests Shutter L.A.'s Produce and Garment Districts - Los Angeles Times

technorati tags: Immigration, Security