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<title>canada.com Business News</title><description>FP White label top stories</description><link>http://64.15.136.122/myfeed/blog/default/worldnews_CAN - all</link><language>en-ca</language><item>
<title>Somali militants gather, recruit outside town taken by Ethiopian forces; calm inside town</title><description><![CDATA[NAIROBI, Kenya - Militants from the insurgent group al-Shabab appeared to be gathering hundreds of fighters and attempting to recruit even more in villages outside a Somalia border town invaded by Ethiopian troops over the weekend, residents said Monday. Hundreds of Ethiopian troops moved into...]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[NAIROBI, Kenya - Militants from the insurgent group al-Shabab appeared to be gathering hundreds of fighters and attempting to recruit even more in villages outside a Somalia border town invaded by Ethiopian troops over the weekend, residents said Monday. Hundreds of Ethiopian troops moved into the Somali town of Beledweyne on Saturday, opening a third front against al-Shabab militants, who also face Kenyan troops in Somalia's south and African Union troops in the capital, Mogadishu. Residents in Beledweyne said Monday that they welcome the presence of Ethiopia's military because it has forced al-Shabab militants out of the town. But a resident in a nearby village said that militants were amassing hundreds of fighters in forests outside Beledweyne. Bearded, masked men also tried to persuade locals in the town of Bulo Burte to join what they were calling "holy jihad," the resident said. "We fear they will conscript our children because they are asking for more fighters," said Elmi Kheyre, a local elder. "They also visited Quranic schools and asked teachers to convince students to join al-Shabab. We fear rampant conscription of children and elderly people." Ethiopian troops invaded Somalia in 2006, spawning fierce resistance and the militant group that has become al-Shabab. But residents on Monday said that so far they welcome the Ethiopians' presence. Harsh punishments â€” lashings, amputations and stonings â€” and strict social rules enforced by al-Shabab has eroded the group's popularity. "We really feel like we are in a new world after al-Shabab left us," Ali Abdullahi, a resident in Beledweyne, said by phone. "People are free. There is no longer any oppression and fear. The oppressors have left." Residents say cafes and other social sites are crowded with people talking about their lives under al-Shabab's rule. "Now people are feeling ... that al-Shabab are gone for good," said Sadiya Hussein, a mother of three. "If ...]]></content:encoded><link>http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/breakingnews/somali-militants-gather-recruit-outside-town-taken-by-ethiopian-forces-calm-inside-town-136523868.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">f5fd3b30-6102-2e2d-f0fb-f92221f8240b</guid><author></author><category>world</category><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:34:41 GMT</pubDate><timestamp>t1325507681000</timestamp><enclosure length="3" type="COUNTRIES_WORLD" url="Ethiopia"/><enclosure length="2" type="CITY_WORLD" url="Mogadishu"/><enclosure length="3" type="COUNTRIES_WORLD" url="Kenya"/><enclosure length="1" type="CITY_WORLD" url="Hargeisa"/><source url="http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/rss/?path=&#x25;2Fworld&#x25;2Fbreakingnews">Winnipeg Free Press</source></item>
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<title>Movie sword-fight master Bob Anderson dies at 89</title><description><![CDATA[LONDON - British fencing authorities say Bob Anderson, a former Olympic swordsman who staged fights for films including the "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings" series, has died. He was 89. Anderson donned Darth Vader's black helmet and fought light saber battles in the original "Star Wars"...]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[LONDON - British fencing authorities say Bob Anderson, a former Olympic swordsman who staged fights for films including the "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings" series, has died. He was 89. Anderson donned Darth Vader's black helmet and fought light saber battles in the original "Star Wars" trilogy. His role was not initially publicized, but Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, said in a 1983 interview that "Bob Anderson was the man who actually did Vader's fighting." The character was played by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones. Anderson worked as a sword master or trainer on movies including the James Bond adventures "From Russia With Love," ''The Legend of Zorro" and "The Hobbit." The British Academy of Fencing said Monday Anderson died early New Year's Day.]]></content:encoded><link>http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/breakingnews/movie-sword-fight-master-bob-anderson-dies-at-89-136524233.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">fd1866f6-f8f4-3bf5-f329-f353746a760a</guid><author></author><category>sports</category><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:34:26 GMT</pubDate><timestamp>t1325507666000</timestamp><source url="http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/rss/?path=&#x25;2Fsports">Winnipeg Free Press</source></item>
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<title>Rio to cut Quebec smelter output after lockout</title><description><![CDATA[Rio Tinto Alcan will shut down about a third of the production at its 438,000-tonne Alma aluminum smelter in the Canadian province of Quebec after locking out hundreds of unionized workers in a contract dispute, it said on Sunday. ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[Rio Tinto Alcan will shut down about a third of the production at its 438,000-tonne Alma aluminum smelter in the Canadian province of Quebec after locking out hundreds of unionized workers in a contract dispute, it said on Sunday. Earlier the unit of the Anglo-Australian mining giant said it locked out about 800 workers at the smelter in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, located 480 km (about 300 miles) northeast of Montreal. Rio said it had begun an orderly shutdown of 144 out of 432 reduction cells at the smelter and would continue to operate the remaining capacity using company staff until further notice. Rio said it had been bargaining with the union, Syndicat des travailleurs de l'aluminium d'Alma, since October 4. The contract expired on December 31. Union representatives could not be reached immediately for comment.]]></content:encoded><link>http://feeds.canada.com/~r/canwest/F6939/~3/eDG5wgpy24k/story.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:www.montrealgazette.com:content=5935873</guid><author></author><category>business</category><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:31:03 GMT</pubDate><timestamp>t1325507463000</timestamp><enclosure length="0" type="image/jpeg" url="http://www.montrealgazette.com/5929380.bin"/><enclosure length="0" type="application/octet-stream" url="http://feeds.canada.com/canwest/5929380.bin"/><enclosure length="2" type="COMPANIES" url="Alcan"/><source url="http://feeds.canada.com/canwest/F6939">The Gazette</source></item>
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<title>UK man in court charged in killing of Indian student, gives his name as &apos;Psycho&apos;</title><description><![CDATA[LONDON - A 20-year-old British man charged with the murder of an Indian student said in court that his name was "Psycho" during an appearance Monday. Kiaran Stapleton was charged with shooting 21-year old Anuj Bidve on Dec. 26 in a seemingly unprovoked attack in the northern city of Salford.]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[LONDON - A 20-year-old British man charged with the murder of an Indian student said in court that his name was "Psycho" during an appearance Monday. Kiaran Stapleton was charged with shooting 21-year old Anuj Bidve on Dec. 26 in a seemingly unprovoked attack in the northern city of Salford. Police are investigating whether the crime was racially motivated. Stapleton appeared at the City of Manchester Magistrates Court. When asked to state his name, he said, "Psycho. Psycho Stapleton." Prosecutor Ben Southam said Stapleton will be held in custody for 24 hours and sent to Manchester Crown Court, which deals with murder cases. Bidve was from the western Indian city of Pune and enrolled in a postgraduate course in microelectronics at Lancaster University in northern England. He was on a holiday break with a group of nine friends when he was shot. He had arrived in Britain just three months ago. Two Greater Manchester Police officers have flown to India to meet with Bidve's family. His father, Subhash Bidve, has criticized how British and Indian authorities have handled the case. He found out about his son's death on Facebook before U.K. police could contact him. A candlelit memorial service for Bidve is set for Monday evening in the street where he was shot, while a peace march has been organized in India, starting near Nehru Park in New Delhi and finishing at the British Embassy.]]></content:encoded><link>http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/breakingnews/uk-man-in-court-charged-in-killing-of-indian-student-gives-his-name-as-psycho-136523863.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">fa437e0a-f5fe-0aff-6af3-f169f0fa044a</guid><author></author><category>world</category><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:29:41 GMT</pubDate><timestamp>t1325507381000</timestamp><enclosure length="2" type="COUNTRIES_WORLD" url="England"/><enclosure length="1" type="CITY_WORLD" url="New Delhi"/><enclosure length="2" type="PEOPLE_FAMOUS" url="Police"/><source url="http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/rss/?path=&#x25;2Fworld&#x25;2Fbreakingnews">Winnipeg Free Press</source></item>
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<title>&apos;I wanted Moira to live.&apos; — The living legacy of Canada&apos;s first organ transplant</title><description><![CDATA[There's a patch of skin, about an inch square, on the inside of Nola Johnson's arm just above the elbow, that was not there when she was born in September, 1942. It belonged once to her identical twin sister, Moira, but has been a part of Nola since 1958, when the Johnson twins were 15 years old. The graft serves as a reminder to Nola of the historic accomplishment she and Moira were part of more than a half century ago when they became donor and recipient in the first successful organ transplant in Canada and just the third worldwide. ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[There's a patch of skin, about an inch square, on the inside of Nola Johnson's arm just above the elbow, that was not there when she was born in September, 1942. It belonged once to her identical twin sister, Moira, but has been a part of Nola since 1958, when the Johnson twins — as everyone knew them then around their West Montreal Island home in Baie D'Urfe — were 15 years old. The graft serves as a reminder to Nola of the historic accomplishment she and Moira were part of more than a half century ago when they became donor and recipient in the first successful organ transplant in Canada and just the third worldwide. More significantly to her, though, it acts a living reminder of the sister and best friend who died in 1978, and of the 29 extra years Nola was able to give Moira. She touches her arm when talking about it. "It's very precious to me," she says. Moira was sick and having convulsions, and was in a coma by the time she was taken to the Montreal Neurological Institute in the spring of 1958. Her condition had declined quickly and without warning, and doctors at the Neuro were baffled. They asked Dr. John Dossetor, a kidney specialist across the street at Montreal's Royal Victoria Hospital, to have a look. Dossetor, who years later co-founded the Kidney Foundation, ran tests that showed extremely high levels of nitrogen in Moira's blood. Her kidneys were failing. At the time, dialysis was a primitive science, just a dozen years old and infrequently used. Kidneys had been successfully transplanted from living donors only twice before — both times at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, and on both occasions involving sets of identical twins. Immunosuppressives, or anti-rejection drugs, had not yet been identified, and so only identical twins could share organs without rejection. When it was discovered that Moira had an identical twin in Nola, doctors realized they might be able to save Moira's life by transplanting one of Nola's kidneys into her. ...]]></content:encoded><link>http://feeds.canada.com/~r/canwest/F75/~3/_JqQ4pzM7ko/story.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:www.canada.com:content=5935875</guid><author></author><category>national</category><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:28:52 GMT</pubDate><timestamp>t1325507332000</timestamp><enclosure length="0" type="image/jpeg" url="http://www.canada.com/5935157.bin"/><enclosure length="0" type="application/octet-stream" url="http://feeds.canada.com/canwest/5935157.bin"/><enclosure length="1" type="SPORTS" url="Hockey"/><enclosure length="1" type="CITY_WORLD" url="Victoria"/><enclosure length="1" type="CITY_WORLD" url="Ottawa"/><source url="http://feeds.canada.com/canwest/F75">Canada.com</source></item>
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<title>Mubarak&apos;s trial resumes in Egypt amid speculation that he could be acquitted</title><description><![CDATA[CAIRO - The trial of Hosni Mubarak resumed on Monday amid speculation that a recent acquittal of policemen tried for killing Egyptian protesters could be a prelude to the dismissal of charges against the ousted leader. Mubarak faces charges of complicity in the killing of more than 800]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[CAIRO - The trial of Hosni Mubarak resumed on Monday amid speculation that a recent acquittal of policemen tried for killing Egyptian protesters could be a prelude to the dismissal of charges against the ousted leader. Mubarak faces charges of complicity in the killing of more than 800 protesters during last year's uprising that toppled his 29-year regime. The 83-year-old ailing Mubarak was brought by helicopter to the Cairo courthouse from a hospital where he is held in custody. He was then taken into the defendants' cage on a gurney, wearing dark sunglasses and covered by a green blanket. Another Cairo court on Thursday acquitted five policemen of charges of killing five protesters during the Jan. 25-Feb. 11 uprising in the capital's district of el-Sayedah Zeinab. The court said three of the defendants were not at the site of the killings while the other two fired against protesters in self defence. The ruling angered families of the victims. Activists demanded that the killers be brought to justice and complained that similar cases are languishing in courts in several Egyptian cities. On trial with Mubarak are his two sons, Gamal, his one-time heir apparent, and Alaa, along with the ousted leader's former security chief and six top police commanders. The Mubaraks face additional corruption charges in the same case. The trial began Aug. 3 but has since been bogged down in procedural matters, including a demand by lawyers for the victims that the presiding judge, Ahmed Rifaat, be removed. That request alone took a separate court about three months to rule on. The acquittal of the police officers in el-Sayedah Zeinab and the relatively long time the Mubarak trial is taking before even starting to deal with the core of the charges against him have led many activists to brand the proceedings a farce, organized by the generals who took over power when the longtime leader was ousted. The generals are led by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Mubarak's defence minister for the last 20 years he ...]]></content:encoded><link>http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/breakingnews/mubaraks-trial-resumes-in-egypt-amid-speculation-that-he-could-be-acquitted-136523713.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">18f7f4fa-6bf4-0f15-4864-f8fd2f534d64</guid><author></author><category>world</category><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:24:41 GMT</pubDate><timestamp>t1325507081000</timestamp><enclosure length="2" type="CITY_WORLD" url="Cairo"/><enclosure length="1" type="COUNTRIES_WORLD" url="Egypt"/><source url="http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/rss/?path=&#x25;2Fworld&#x25;2Fbreakingnews">Winnipeg Free Press</source></item>
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<title>Palestinians have low expectations for upcoming talks with Israelis</title><description><![CDATA[The Palestinians are downplaying expectations ahead of their first meeting with Israelis in more than a year. The chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, and Israeli envoy Yitzhak Molcho are set to meet in Jordan on Tuesday in a bid to get peace talks restarted. Negotiations have been stalled]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[The Palestinians are downplaying expectations ahead of their first meeting with Israelis in more than a year. The chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, and Israeli envoy Yitzhak Molcho are set to meet in Jordan on Tuesday in a bid to get peace talks restarted. Negotiations have been stalled since September 2010. Erekat told reporters in the West Bank on Monday that he doesn't expect any breakthroughs unless Israel agrees to halt settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. He also says Israel must accept its 1967 lines as the basis for a future border. Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel rejects the Palestinian demands and says peace talks should resume without preconditions.]]></content:encoded><link>http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/breakingnews/palestinians-have-low-expectations-for-upcoming-talks-with-israelis-136523703.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">03f7fe0c-2bf7-01fd-28f5-21f64f6f00fc</guid><author></author><category>world</category><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:19:41 GMT</pubDate><timestamp>t1325506781000</timestamp><enclosure length="0" type="image/jpeg" url="http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/648*442/JRL103-11_2012_115116_high.jpg"/><enclosure length="2" type="COUNTRIES_WORLD" url="Jordan"/><enclosure length="4" type="COUNTRIES_WORLD" url="Israel"/><source url="http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/rss/?path=&#x25;2Fworld&#x25;2Fbreakingnews">Winnipeg Free Press</source></item>
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<title>Bird flu strain that killed man was from poultry, not human, transmission, Chinese city says</title><description><![CDATA[BEIJING, China - The strain of H5H1 bird flu that killed a Chinese man cannot spread among people, a health agency said Monday, appealing for calm after the country's first reported case of the disease in humans in 18 months. Genetic analysis indicated the virus spread directly from poultry to]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[BEIJING, China - The strain of H5H1 bird flu that killed a Chinese man cannot spread among people, a health agency said Monday, appealing for calm after the country's first reported case of the disease in humans in 18 months. Genetic analysis indicated the virus spread directly from poultry to the victim, who died Saturday in the southern city of Shenzhen, the Shenzhen Disease Control Center said in a statement reported by the official Xinhua News Agency. "Though it is highly pathogenic to human beings, the virus can not spread among people," the statement said, according to Xinhua. "There is no need for Shenzhen citizens to panic." H5N1 rarely infects humans and usually only those who come into close contact with diseased poultry. Scientists are closely watching the virus for any signs it is becoming more easily transmissible from human to human. A 39-year-old bus driver surnamed Chen developed a fever Dec. 21 and was hospitalized Dec. 25, according to an earlier statement by city and provincial authorities. The provincial health department said Health Ministry experts confirmed Saturday that he was infected with H5N1. Xinhua said health authorities still were trying to figure out where he was infected. The Guangdong health department has said 120 people who had close contact with Chen have not developed any abnormal symptoms. The World Health Organization says globally 336 people have died from 573 confirmed bird flu cases since 2003. Of these, 40 cases were in China, 26 of which were fatal. Chen's death was a week after two dead birds tested positive for the virus in Hong Kong, which is just across a river from Shenzhen. More than 19,000 birds at a Hong Kong market were slaughtered and imports and sales of live poultry were banned for three weeks after a chicken carcass tested positive for H5N1. Lab tests later confirmed that an Oriental magpie robin found dead on Dec. 17 was also infected. China's last reported human case of H5N1 was in June 2010. A pregnant 22-year-old ...]]></content:encoded><link>http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/breakingnews/city-in-southern-china-appeals-for-calm-after-first-bird-flu-case-in-humans-in-18-months-136521978.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">3df12b25-f7fe-fff2-f2fc-f7753e05f6f0</guid><author></author><category>world</category><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:14:41 GMT</pubDate><timestamp>t1325506481000</timestamp><enclosure length="0" type="image/jpeg" url="http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/648*433/XAW804-12_2012_111752_high.jpg"/><enclosure length="4" type="COUNTRIES_WORLD" url="China"/><enclosure length="2" type="CITY_WORLD" url="Hong Kong"/><source url="http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/rss/?path=&#x25;2Fworld&#x25;2Fbreakingnews">Winnipeg Free Press</source></item>
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<title>Spain: 2011 deficit could be higher than 8 pct, minister says tax hike averted market turmoil</title><description><![CDATA[MADRID - Spain's deficit for 2011 could be even higher than the larger-than-forecast 8 per cent of GDP it announced last week, the finance minister of the new conservative government said Monday. Luis de Guindos said in a radio interview that the government, which took power just before]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[MADRID - Spain's deficit for 2011 could be even higher than the larger-than-forecast 8 per cent of GDP it announced last week, the finance minister of the new conservative government said Monday. Luis de Guindos said in a radio interview that the government, which took power just before Christmas, found out only early last week how bad the numbers were and had no choice but to act quickly by increasing income and property taxes, despite an election campaign pledge not to raise taxes. The conservative Popular Party swept to victory in Nov. 20 general elections, winning a comfortable majority in Parliament as voters enduring 21.5 unemployment and a stagnant economy dumped the incumbent Socialists. De Guindos said the 8 per cent figure â€” up from a 6 per cent forecast by the outgoing government â€” would have come out in a matter of weeks anyway and would have almost certainly led to a punishing rise in Spain's borrowing costs. So the government acted quickly by announcing Friday a package of tax rises and spending cuts â€” totalling about â‚¬15 billion ($19 billion) â€” at the same time as it unveiled the new deficit estimate, so as to stay ahead of events, he said. "It was an act of responsibility and political initiative to keep the Spanish economy from reaching a situation that would have been practically unsustainable," de Guindos told Cadena Ser radio. He said both the central government and Spain's regional governments shared blame for the overspending. As for the final 2011 deficit figure, he said: "It is possible that it will exceed 8 per cent. Not by much, I certainly hope." He said Spain right now, with its economy a mess and the eurozone in a debt crisis, could not afford to announce its deficit will be two points higher than forecast without also quickly taking measures like raising taxes, as unpleasant as that might be. "If we had not, others would have done it for us," de Guindos said, suggesting the European Union would have stepped in somehow. The ...]]></content:encoded><link>http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/breakingnews/spain-2011-deficit-could-be-higher-than-8-pct-minister-says-tax-hike-averted-market-turmoil-136523283.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">241e16f4-1712-f111-1210-fa1816f1f0f2</guid><author></author><category>world</category><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:09:41 GMT</pubDate><timestamp>t1325506181000</timestamp><enclosure length="6" type="COUNTRIES_WORLD" url="Spain"/><enclosure length="1" type="PEOPLE_POLITICS" url="Socialists"/><source url="http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/rss/?path=&#x25;2Fworld&#x25;2Fbreakingnews">Winnipeg Free Press</source></item>
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<title>Kiro Gligorov, first elected president of Macedonia, dies at age 94</title><description><![CDATA[SKOPJE, Macedonia - Kiro Gligorov, the first democratically elected president of Macedonia who served two terms at the helm of the country in the 1990s as it became independent from Yugoslavia, has died. He was 94. The head of Gligorov's office, Zivko Kondev, said Monday that the former]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[SKOPJE, Macedonia - Kiro Gligorov, the first democratically elected president of Macedonia who served two terms at the helm of the country in the 1990s as it became independent from Yugoslavia, has died. He was 94. The head of Gligorov's office, Zivko Kondev, said Monday that the former president died in his sleep at his home in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, on Sunday evening. Gligorov became president of Macedonia in January 1991, when it was still a Yugoslav republic. He led his countrymen through a referendum, in which they voted for independence. The territory of 2.1 million people became the only republic to secede from Yugoslavia without a war. Gligorov suffered head injuries and lost an eye during an assassination attempt in October 1995 when a bomb blast targeted his car as he headed to work in Skopje. His driver and a bystander were killed. The president spent several months in the hospital, emerging with a lifelong deep scar above his right eye. No suspects were ever arrested for the bombing, and the investigation into the attempted assassination has made little headway in the intervening years. Born in the central Macedonian town of Shtip on May 3, 1917, Gligorov served two consecutive presidential terms, leading the nation from January 1991 to November 1999. The early days of his presidency were overshadowed by a bitter dispute with southern neighbour Greece over the newly independent nation's name â€” a dispute that continues to this day. Athens objected to the use of the name "Macedonia," saying it implied territorial ambitions on its own northern province of the same name. It also objected to a symbol on the new country's flag and articles of the Macedonian constitution that Greece believed implied territorial claims. Greece imposed a crippling 19-month embargo on its northern neighbour, hammering the emerging country's economy. In 1995, the Macedonian government signed an accord with Athens agreeing to remove the symbol from its flag and revising some articles of ...]]></content:encoded><link>http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/breakingnews/kiro-gligorov-first-elected-president-of-macedonia-dies-at-age-94-136522968.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">602c2afa-393e-fa45-f979-297203f146f8</guid><author></author><category>world</category><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:04:41 GMT</pubDate><timestamp>t1325505881000</timestamp><enclosure length="0" type="image/jpeg" url="http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/240*272/XBG101-12_2012_000000_high.jpg"/><enclosure length="1" type="COMPANIES" url="NATO"/><enclosure length="1" type="COUNTRIES_WORLD" url="Republic of Macedonia"/><enclosure length="3" type="COUNTRIES_WORLD" url="Greece"/><enclosure length="7" type="COUNTRIES_WORLD" url="Macedonia"/><enclosure length="2" type="CITY_WORLD" url="Athens"/><enclosure length="2" type="CITY_WORLD" url="Skopje"/><source url="http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/rss/?path=&#x25;2Fworld&#x25;2Fbreakingnews">Winnipeg Free Press</source></item>
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<title>Myanmar&apos;s government reduces sentences for some prisoners</title><description><![CDATA[YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar's government has announced it is reducing the sentences of some prisoners on humanitarian grounds. State television and radio said Monday that President Thein Sein signed a clemency order to mark the country's 64th anniversary of independence. They said some death...]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar's government has announced it is reducing the sentences of some prisoners on humanitarian grounds. State television and radio said Monday that President Thein Sein signed a clemency order to mark the country's 64th anniversary of independence. They said some death sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment, while some prisoners serving between 20 and 30 years will have their terms cut to 20 years. Those serving less than 20 years are to have their sentences cut by one-fourth. It was not immediately clear how many prisoners would be affected, or whether they would include political detainees. Several prominent student activists serving 65-year prison terms were not subject to the clemency order.]]></content:encoded><link>http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/breakingnews/myanmars-government-reduces-sentences-for-some-prisoners-136522613.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">70f0f3f7-f2f0-fdff-fb4b-4416f95df3f4</guid><author></author><category>world</category><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:34:47 GMT</pubDate><timestamp>t1325500487000</timestamp><enclosure length="5" type="COUNTRIES_WORLD" url="Myanmar"/><source url="http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/rss/?path=&#x25;2Fworld&#x25;2Fbreakingnews">Winnipeg Free Press</source></item>
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<title>Fender benders in government vehicles cost feds millions, analysis shows</title><description><![CDATA[OTTAWA - If the federal government wants to cut costs, it may want to put bureaucrats through driving school. The government's books show fender benders involving federal vehicles in recent years cost taxpayers $28 million in repairs or write-offs. An analysis by The Canadian Press of the...]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[OTTAWA - If the federal government wants to cut costs, it may want to put bureaucrats through driving school. The government's books show fender benders involving federal vehicles in recent years cost taxpayers $28 million in repairs or write-offs. An analysis by The Canadian Press of the government's audited financial statements since the 2000-01 fiscal year found thousands of federal vehicles have been in accidents. At least 8,511 motor-vehicle accidents have been reported in the Public Accounts of Canada. However, the actual tally is probably higher than that since not all departments report the number of collisions in a given year. Two-thirds of the overall cost of collisions came from the Mounties. Vehicle accidents involving members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police cost the government $18.8 million. The RCMP has been in at least 4,596 motor-vehicle accidents since 2001, more than any other department or agency in the Public Accounts documents. However, the RCMP's annual crash tallies have only been reported in the Public Accounts since 2006, so the 10-year total is likely far higher. The force has been getting in more and more accidents over the last five years. The number of RCMP accidents rose from 427 in 2006 to 1,068 last year. A spokeswoman said given the nature of police work, it is little wonder the RCMP gets in more collisions than other branch of government. "We are the only government agency involved in active policing. The RCMP fleet is the largest in the federal government other than (National Defence) and our officers and vehicles are on the road 24/7," Cpl. Laurence Trottier wrote in an email. "The RCMP is also the only government agency that must travel in all types of weather in order to do our work. That inherently puts us in the position where we are actually pursuing violators, criminals, etc. that are obviously trying to evade capture and this sometimes results in a collision. "We are also parked at the side of high speed highways and get hit by ...]]></content:encoded><link>http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/breakingnews/fender-benders-in-government-vehicles-cost-feds-millions-analysis-shows-136522093.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">ff4a622d-f4f4-61ff-3d59-5b5bfc10faf1</guid><author></author><category>national</category><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:34:34 GMT</pubDate><timestamp>t1325500474000</timestamp><enclosure length="1" type="PEOPLE_FAMOUS" url="Police"/><source url="http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/rss/?path=&#x25;2Fcanada&#x25;2Fbreakingnews">Winnipeg Free Press</source></item>
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<title>LA detectives release video featuring person of interest after latest wave of car arson fires</title><description><![CDATA[LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Los Angeles detectives want to talk to a man caught on grainy surveillance video at a parking garage that was the scene of one of dozens of suspicious car fires in the city. Police distributed DVDs on Sunday featuring footage of the person of interest, a white male between]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Los Angeles detectives want to talk to a man caught on grainy surveillance video at a parking garage that was the scene of one of dozens of suspicious car fires in the city. Police distributed DVDs on Sunday featuring footage of the person of interest, a white male between 20 and 30 years old with a receding hairline and a shoulder-length ponytail. The man is wanted for questioning in connection with the rash of arson blazes, said Officer Sara Faden. He was seen on video Saturday after emerging on foot from inside an underground parking structure on Hollywood Boulevard where a car fire was reported. Detectives estimated the man, who was wearing a bulky jacket, is between 5-feet-6 and 6-feet-1. Faden said investigators are asking for the public's help in identifying the man on the video. Detectives spent early Sunday analyzing security video camera footage and following up on other leads after a half dozen more vehicles were set on fire on New Year's Eve. The outbreak of arson fires has left a trail of smouldering debris in Hollywood, West Hollywood, North Hollywood and the Fairfax district of Los Angeles since Thursday. Authorities said they were investigating a total of 43 suspicious fires. Most of those fires were set in parked cars. In several cases, flames have jumped to carports and apartment units. A reward of $60,000 has been offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the arsonist. Detectives served a search warrant at a home in the San Fernando Valley, Det. Gus Villanueva said Sunday. Several interviews were conducted, but no arrests were made. "They are working on hundreds of clues, interviewing dozens of witnesses, picking up countless pieces of evidence," police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said of the detectives. Authorities haven't said how the car fires were sparked or what was collected at the crime scenes. They were unsure if the rash of fires were the work of one arsonist or multiple people or copycats. There have been no injuries. ...]]></content:encoded><link>http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/breakingnews/la-detectives-release-video-featuring-person-of-interest-after-latest-wave-of-car-arson-fires-136521988.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5e443526-f937-f6f6-6cfc-7238686af5f5</guid><author></author><category>world</category><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:29:47 GMT</pubDate><timestamp>t1325500187000</timestamp><enclosure length="4" type="CITY_WORLD" url="Los Angeles"/><enclosure length="5" type="CITY_WORLD" url="Hollywood"/><enclosure length="4" type="PEOPLE_FAMOUS" url="Police"/><source url="http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/rss/?path=&#x25;2Fworld&#x25;2Fbreakingnews">Winnipeg Free Press</source></item>
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<title>Iran tests cruise missile during navy war games</title><description><![CDATA[Iran on Monday successfully tested a Ghader ground-to-ship cruise missile on the last day of navy war games near the Strait of Hormuz, the official news agency IRNA quoted a navy spokesman as saying. ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[TEHRAN — Iran on Monday successfully tested a Ghader ground-to-ship cruise missile on the last day of navy war games near the Strait of Hormuz, the official news agency IRNA quoted a navy spokesman as saying. "This missile built by Iranian experts successfully hit its target and destroyed it," Commodore Mahmoud Mousavi was quoted as saying. He said it was "the first time" a Ghader missile had been tested. The Ghader missile, also known as the Qader, is said to have a range of 200 kilometres, which is generally considered medium-range or even short-range for a cruise missile, even though IRNA described it as "long-range." Mousavi earlier told the ISNA news agency that "the Ghader is an ultra-modern missile with an integrated, ultra-precise radar whose range and intelligent anti-detection system have been improved over previous generations." Mousavi said the navy was to test two other types of missiles later Monday, a surface-to-surface Nour missile also with a range of 200 kilometres, and a Nasr anti-ship missile with a shorter range. The Ghader is said to be entirely built by Iran. The Nour and Nasr missiles are based on Chinese designs. The Nour, also known as the Noor, is based on China's C-802 missile. Mousavi said the Nour missile to be fired "has been improved with its anti-radar and targeting system," according to ISNA. An Iranian Nour missile was reportedly used by the Iran-linked Hezbollah militia in Lebanon to disable an Israeli warship during a 2006 conflict. The Nasr anti-ship missile is based on China's C-704 missile and has a range of 35 kilometres. Iran has them mounted aboard patrol boats. Mousavi was quoted as saying that Syrian military observers would watch the tests. Iran's navy started its 10 days of war games near the Strait of Hormuz on December 24. They are due to finish Monday after the missile tests and an exercise practising "a new tactical formation" to be used to close the strait if so ordered, Mousavi was ...]]></content:encoded><link>http://feeds.canada.com/~r/canwest/F77/~3/QgX2Ma3qQZc/story.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:www.canada.com:content=5935864</guid><author></author><category>world</category><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:29:43 GMT</pubDate><timestamp>t1325500183000</timestamp><enclosure length="0" type="image/jpeg" url="http://www.canada.com/5935861.bin"/><enclosure length="0" type="application/octet-stream" url="http://feeds.canada.com/canwest/5935861.bin"/><enclosure length="1" type="COUNTRIES_WORLD" url="Saudi Arabia"/><enclosure length="11" type="COUNTRIES_WORLD" url="Iran"/><enclosure length="2" type="COUNTRIES_WORLD" url="China"/><enclosure length="3" type="COUNTRIES_WORLD" url="United States of America"/><enclosure length="1" type="WORLD_POLITICS" url="Barack Obama"/><enclosure length="1" type="COUNTRIES_WORLD" url="Lebanon"/><source url="http://feeds.canada.com/canwest/F77">Canada.com</source></item>
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<title>Pattern of police repression makes prostitution more dangerous, experts say</title><description><![CDATA[MONTREAL - It wasn't so long ago that prostitutes were a common sight on Montreal's historic lower Main, standing on street corners in high-heeled boots. For years, the intersection of Ste. Catherine Street and St. Laurent Boulevard was the epicentre of the city's bustling red light]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[MONTREAL - It wasn't so long ago that prostitutes were a common sight on Montreal's historic lower Main, standing on street corners in high-heeled boots. For years, the intersection of Ste. Catherine Street and St. Laurent Boulevard was the epicentre of the city's bustling red light district. Over the past decade, though, nearly all the strip clubs and street-level prostitution has been pushed to the outskirts to make way for a city-backed development of office buildings and trendy shops. The changes may be good for business -- but they also have sex workers worried about their own safety. Repression from police has pushed prostitution into more dangerous, isolated parts of the city, making sex workers more vulnerable to violence, said Anna-Louise Crago a sex worker and a clinical coordinator at a sex-trade support and advocacy group known as Stella. "There's incredibly heavy police repression against any sex workers trying to work on the street in this area," said Crago. "Criminalization and police repression against sex workers, our clients, and our work places make it impossible to work in safer conditions." Experts say the same pattern of repression has been repeated in other cities across Canada, making prostitution a more dangerous job. In Vancouver, police engaged in a decades-long campaign to move prostitutes into the more isolated Downtown Eastside, where serial killer Robert Pickton spent years hunting his victims, said John Lowman, a criminologist at Simon Fraser University. That made it easy for Pickton and other predators to target women, said Lowman, who testified at the Pickton inquiry. "One of the things that just about everybody agrees on is that the current laws don't make sense," he said in an interview. "It's a problem that needs a fundamental solution." It's not illegal to be a constitute in Canada, but many of the activities associated with prostitution are classified as criminal offences. Lowman said the ambivalence ...]]></content:encoded><link>http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/breakingnews/pattern-of-police-repression-makes-prostitution-more-dangerous-experts-say-136522088.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">f6fd225c-f64b-f51e-f706-fcf4f2f2fdf7</guid><author></author><category>national</category><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:29:34 GMT</pubDate><timestamp>t1325500174000</timestamp><enclosure length="1" type="CITY_WORLD" url="Ottawa"/><source url="http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/rss/?path=&#x25;2Fcanada&#x25;2Fbreakingnews">Winnipeg Free Press</source></item>
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