ABOUT THIS AUTHOR
Biography
Alan Cassels is a drug policy researcher at the University of Victoria. He is currently writing a book about prescription drug use in seniors.
World »
- Hurricane Ike upgraded to Category 2 as it edges toward Texas
- U.S. forecasters said Hurricane Ike is gaining size and strength over the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday after the storm battered parts of Cuba this week.
- Canada considers sending disaster team to Haiti
- Canada is considering sending its specialized disaster response team to help with hurricane relief efforts in Haiti, CBC News has confirmed.
- U.S. levies sanctions against Iranian shipping firm
- The U.S. government on Wednesday slapped financial sanctions on Iran's largest state-owned shipping line and its affiliates for allegedly helping to transfer military-related arms and cargo.
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Canada »
- Green leader allowed into debates, networks confirm
- Green Leader Elizabeth May will be allowed to take part in the federal leaders' debates, Canada's networks confirmed on Wednesday.
- B.C. Liberals cancel fall session of legislature
- The B.C. Liberals have cancelled the fall sitting of the provincial legislature, sparking outrage from the opposition NDP.
- Layton pledges $8B for retraining, 'green-collar' workforce
- NDP Leader Jack Layton announced an $8-billion investment plan on Wednesday to address manufacturing, saying a New Democratic government would not "stand by and watch an economic train wreck unfold in the manufacturing sector."
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Health »
- Therapy for arthritic knees often as effective as surgery: study
- Many people with osteoarthritis gain the same benefits from physiotherapy and mild pain relievers that they would get from arthroscopic surgery, which is often unnecessary, a Canadian-led study suggests.
- Air pollution poses heightened risk to heart patients: study
- Tiny particles in polluted air hamper the heart's ability to conduct electrical signals in people with heart disease, who should avoid traffic pollution after leaving hospital, researchers say.
- Baby formula in China probed for kidney stone link
- Health officials in China are investigating a brand of baby formula after 14 infants were treated in hospital for kidney stones.
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Arts & Entertainment»
- Theatre director Richard Monette dies at 64
- Richard Monette, the longest-serving artistic director of the Stratford Festival, has died at 64.
- Alberta student wins Canadian Idol
- Alberta student Theo Tams has been crowned the new Canadian Idol.
- Shorter Che wins North American distribution deal
- A slimmed down version of Steven Soderbergh's lengthy biopic Che has won a North American distribution deal.
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Technology & Science »
- Big Bang experiment succeeds in 1st major tests
- The giant particle accelerator near Geneva, Switzerland has completed its first major tests, successfully sending beams of protons all the way around a 27-kilometre underground tunnel beneath the Swiss-French border.
- Telecommunications market is global, but not in Canada
- Outdated ownership rules are keeping prices high and competition low, experts say
- Freshwater fish in North America at risk, study says
- About four out of 10 freshwater fish species in North America are in peril, according to a major study by U.S., Canadian and Mexican scientists.
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Money »
- Ontario's zero-economic growth to drag down Canada: Scotiabank
- Ontario's economy will not grow at all in 2008, which will help bring down Canada's overall GDP growth by 75 per cent, according to a new forecast by Scotiabank Economics.
- Lehman Brothers sheds assets to stem real-estate problems
- Lehman Brothers said Wedneday that it will sell a majority stake in its investment management business and spin off its commercial real estate operations to shareholders to mitigate $7 billion US in losses on commercial and residential real estate.
- TSX regains most of Tuesday's losses
- Toronto's key stock index regained nearly three-quarters of Tuesday's bone-rattling crash on Wednesday, but U.S. markets made a much weaker recovery.
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Consumer Life »
- 15th listeria death linked to Maple Leaf Foods
- Another person has died from listeriosis linked to tainted meat processed at the Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto.
- Alberta bans expiry dates for gift cards
- Alberta will eliminate expiry dates and inactivity fees for gift cards starting Nov. 1, making sure they keep their full value whenever they are redeemed.
- Britain to retain strict rules on liquids in carry-on luggage
- Strict restrictions on carrying liquids in hand baggage will remain in place in Britain for as long as five more years, despite calls from a high-profile international airline to ease the rules.
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Sports »
Scores: NHL NBA
- White Sox snap Blue Jays' streak at 10
- Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay was again foiled at U.S. Cellular Field, as Toronto lost 6-5 to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, snapping the team's 10-game winning streak.
- Canada succumbs to Mexico in World Cup qualifier
- Omar Blanco and Rafael Marquez scored in the second half as Mexico toppled Team Canada 2-1 in World Cup qualifying on Wednesday.
- Quebec junior hockey league won't ban fighting
- The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League won't ban fighting outright for the 2008-09 season that commences Thursday but will aim to crack down on brawling, the league president announced Wednesday.