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Tory-dominated committee deleted tough parts of Duffy report: document

The Canadian PressMay 22, 2013 16:03
OTTAWA - The Tory-dominated, closed-door Senate committee studying Mike Duffy's improper housing expenses deleted a specific reference to his failure to co-operate with auditors before releasing its report to the public. Duffy, meanwhile, said Wednesday he's pleased that same committee will be reviewing his expenses once again. A draft of the internal economy committee's report from earlier this month, obtained by The Canadian Press, shows the sections of the report that were later dropped.

Man murdered in London in suspected Islamist terror attack

Agence France-PresseMay 22, 2013 15:30
A man believed to be a serving British soldier was brutally murdered Wednesday near a London barracks in what Prime Minister David Cameron said appeared to be a terrorist attack. Cameron called the attack "appalling" and said: "There are strong indications that it is a terrorist incident." Armed police shot and wounded the two suspected attackers. One broadcaster showed footage of one of the men at the scene carrying a blood-covered knife and meat cleaver saying to the camera: "We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you."

Thrifty Merrimack developing new cancer drugs at lower cost

May 22, 2013 15:17
By Bill Berkrot NEW YORK (Reuters) - Little known biotechnology company Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc has quietly built a large pipeline of experimental cancer treatments that it aims to deliver at a fraction of the cost spent by larger rivals. That could translate into lower-cost treatments for large unmet needs, such as pancreatic cancer, at precisely the time when pressure is mounting to reduce runaway healthcare spending.

Illinois pays down bills but backlog could rise again in August

May 22, 2013 15:15
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Higher-than-expected revenue from state income tax enabled Illinois to reduce its unpaid bills to $5.8 billion from $8.5 billion at the beginning of April, the state comptroller said on Wednesday while cautioning the improvement could be short lived.

Muslim imams pray at Auschwitz for Holocaust dead

Agence France-PresseMay 22, 2013 15:00
Muslim leaders from across the globe knelt in prayer for the Holocaust dead at the Auschwitz's notorious Wall of Death on Wednesday, in an emotional visit to the Nazi German death camp in southern Poland. Imams from Bosnia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United States offered traditional Muslim "salat" prayers facing south towards their holy city of Mecca, shoes removed, during a Holocaust awareness visit to the site.

Quebec government polls public on 'problem' of religious accommodation

The Canadian PressMay 22, 2013 14:48
QUEBEC - The Quebec government is turning to public opinion as it seeks to set guidelines for minority rights. The cabinet minister responsible for drafting a so-called "Charter of Secularism" says the government will seek public input as it delays debate on the plan until the fall. Bernard Drainville, a Parti Quebecois cabinet minister, is putting together the secularism policy proposed in the last election campaign. It's believed the policy will curb the presence of certain religious symbols, notably Muslim headwear, in public institutions.

'I did not know,' Harper says about chief of staff's $90K payment to Duffy

The Canadian PressMay 22, 2013 14:48
LIMA, Peru - Prime Minister Stephen Harper insisted Thursday that he did not know about — nor was asked to sign off on — the arrangement that saw his chief of staff cut a personal cheque for $90,000 to Sen. Mike Duffy. Harper, currently on a trade mission in South America, took questions on the Senate expenses scandal for the first time since news emerged about the controversial cheque written by his former right-hand man. I did not know ... (and) I was not consulted," Harper said, the Peruvian president standing at his side.

Smartphone app lets doctors view your daily habits

Agence France-PresseMay 22, 2013 13:46
A novel new app can help healthcare providers keep tabs on patients suffering from mental illness or diabetes, to see if their behavior is straying from the norm and heading in an unhealthy direction.

13 People under arrest for protesting mystery death in China

Agencia EFEMay 22, 2013 13:45
Beijing, May 22 (EFE).- Thirteen people were arrested after taking part in a protest demanding transparency in the investigation of the mysterious death of a 22-year-old woman near a Beijing market, Chinese police said Wednesday. The circumstances surrounding her death, which authorities attribute to suicide but which the deceased's friends and family are calling a rape-murder, had hundreds of people demonstrating in the streets near the market to demand a "fair" investigation.

EU sets end-2013 deadline for automatic bank data sharing

Agence France-PresseMay 22, 2013 13:30
EU leaders agreed Wednesday that the automatic sharing of individuals' bank account data, a key measure to prevent tax evasion, should become law across all member states by the end of the year, European Union President Herman Van Rompuy said. At the close of a one-day summit, final conclusions flagged by Van Rompuy at a press conference called on member states to complete adoption of regulation covering private savings aimed at ending bank secrecy.
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