Thousands flee Slave Lake as wildfires ravage town

The largest mass evacuation in Alberta history has just happened due to raging wildfires that have destroyed much of the northern Alberta town of Slave Lake. Thousands of residents are desperate to know of the situations of their homes, since at least 7,000 people have been reported to be forced from their homes as the firemen are struggling against destructive flames, which are even more dangerous that they seem due to the high winds that spreads these fire quickly. Winds reached 100 kilometers per hour, which helped the fire spread very quickly, leaving much of the town destroyed within only an hour. Many necessities such as blankets and cots were provided to those that have been forced from their homes, and also makeshift hospitals set up for those that need medical attention. Although the government has done a very good job so far of dealing with this issue, there is no end to be seen of this disaster.

I believe that the government did a great job of comforting the people and providing them with their basic needs to pass the time. There is not much more that can be done as the fires are still raging, and there is no set date of when the fires will be extinguished completely. The CTV news channel has already reported that about 40$ of the town has been burned, therefore there really is not much hope for these citizens to still be able to go back to their homes. I believe that the government has done all they can, and will continue to do all they can to limit the effects of this disaster, and also to treat and provide food and shelter for those that are in need.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110516/slave-lake-alberta-wildfire-evacuation-110516/

No homes affected yet by controlled Manitoba flood

The controlled flood in Manitoba is going better than the officials who planned it could have hoped for, as there have been no homes that are yet flooded by this. This minor flood was caused by a breach in a flood dike in Manitoba, which was done purposefully to help protect hundreds of homes that would be at great risk if the river became uncontrollable. Because of this, more than 150 people have already been evacuated as they are scared for the danger that could potentially come, as three houses have already been surrounded by water as of Monday evening, while none of them were completely flooded. The Infrastructure Minister Steve Ashton said that they have made significant progress, but they are nowhere near done with this issue, as they have already spent $70 million on flood mitigation measures. It is estimated that this number will rise to approximately $200 million by the end of the flood season.

I don't believe that making controlled floods that could potentially harm the citizens that live in Manitoba is a wise choice. Although this was designed to protect people and their homes in the long term, there are many places where these things can go wrong, and if they do go wrong, then the issues and cases become very tragic. I believe it is better just to leave it alone, or rather try to find a new, more safe and sure way to protect the people, instead of risking so many things and putting the people at such an inconvenience.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110516/flood-update-110516/

Endeavour blasts off for next-to-last shuttle mission

Today, the space shuttle Endeavour blasted off for its final trip into space, which can also be known as NASA's second-last manned shuttle mission. The launch was successful as the shuttle lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 8:56am Easter Time, headed towards the International Space Station. Upon its liftoff, there were many spectators, amounting to approximately 45,000 NASA guests, and also tens of thousands more that watched outside the space center's gates. This particular trip consists of 6 crew members, and will last for 16 days as these crew members try to install a particle physics experiment that is worth two billion US dollars. It is a telescope that is made of magnets that can seemingly find things such as antimatter and dark matter, which are some of the many things that astronomers are trying to figure out and learn more about in the universe today. This is the second-last manned shuttle mission for NASA as they have decided to reach into interplanetary travel, and they have decided to give the business of transporting crew members and cargo to the space station to private companies.

In my opinion, it is great for NASA to hand this business of transporting crew and cargo the International Space Station to private businesses because this way, NASA can focus on other things that humankind does not have technology for at this moment. Through further research, I believe that there is a possibility that people will be able to travel between planets. If NASA did not abandon their current project and hand these issues of transporting crew and cargo to private businesses, they would have neither the time nor funds required to do this kind of research and improve upon the technology that we have today.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110516/nasa-shuttle-endeavour-launch-day-110516/

Japanese in expanded nuclear zone leave homes

In Japan, two more towns are evacuated as technicians have found that these places are having substantially high radiation levels. This is mainly due to the radiation leak, and the contaminants that are resulting from it has reached these two towns. Both these towns are out of the preliminary 20 kilometer evacuation zone, and so the damage that was done by the nuclear power plants can be seen as far more serious than ever thought before. Many people have already moved out voluntarily, but it is not until now that the Japanese government had issued orders demanding the evacuation of Japanese citizens from these areas, as staying in these areas any longer may cause drastic damage to the people and have horrid side and after effects.

I think that it is right to make people evacuate from these two towns due to health concerns. If people did not evacuate and the government did not issue this order, then the people will be subject to massive amounts of radiation through the contaminants that are being spread through the water, and also the air. As a result of this radiation, individuals may develop cancer, and also their sons or daughters, and this effect may go on for many generations, thus it is very important for these people to evacuate.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20110516/japan-nuclear-zone-110516/

Inside the operation that led to bin Laden's death

It was revealed that the the US officials that were in charge and executed this operation to kill Bin Laden were not tracking Bin Laden himself, but rather a courier of his. The US intelligence officials are reported to have been searching for this courier for many years, as they learned that Osama used this courier to run different errands for him. It seemed as though the courier was the real mastermind behind the 911 attack, as Osama used him to maintain contact with the outside world. He was finally located last August, in 2010, in a compound that was located 55 kilometers north of Islamabad, Pakistan, in Abbottabad. Although they have located this compound in August, they did not attack until now because they wanted to make sure that Osama was located in there. There were some predictions initially when they saw the compound, as it was so strong and secure that the intelligence officials did not believe that it was built just to hide a courier, but rather someone of far greater importance. After 8 months, US president Barrack Obama was convinced of Bin Laden's location, and had secretly held 5 meetings in which the focused topic was whether or not Osama was in the compound. In the end, the operation was allowed to happen and Osama was found and shot dead.

I think that the US officials did a great job at tracking the courier of Bin Laden, since it was quite obvious and logical that Osama himself did not go outside to run different errands. He obviously needed someone on the outside to issue his orders, and once the intelligence officials had found this courier, Osama's fate was sealed. I also believe that they made the right choice by waiting this amount of months before initiating the attack sine they needed to make sure of Bin Laden's location. If in fact Bin Laden was not located in the compound, then it would be far harder for people to locate Osama since he would be even more scared to come out and plan anything. Taking the compound without Osama being in it would just scare him away farther, and make the work necessary to find him even harder than it already is.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20110502/inside-the-raid-that-killed-bin-laden-110502/

Japan may ban access around nuclear plant

After the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that hit the east coast of Japan, a nuclear disaster was unveiled from the Fukushima nuclear complex as there have been radiation leaks. Because of this, the Japanese government has decided and are preparing to strictly enforce a 20-km restricted zone around the whole site. This means that nobody would be able to travel within 20km of the nuclear radiation leak, thus providing a lesser chance that people may be harmed by the radiation that is continuously being given off by the plant itself. On March 12, the day after the disaster, approximately 80,000 residents have been evacuated because of this issue, and some have tried to come back to collect their belongings as they were not able to take any with them at the time. This restricted zone will also enforce the law by keeping away thefts that potentially try to steal other's belongings, and this was decided by the Japanese government based on these 2 separate reasons.

In my opinion, banning access to the area around the nuclear power plant is a great way to keep the people and their belongings safe. Not only are people safe from the radiation and its many harms and side effects, but people can also be guaranteed that their belongings will not be stolen by others who try to take advantage of the situation. The ban is a very effective way to control what is happening, and it ensures the safety of citizens and enforces the law in the best possible ways.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/04/20/japan-nuclear-evacuation-ban.html

Researchers halt study on daily AIDS prevention pill

Some researchers have stopped their study on daily AIDS prevention pills because their results show that the pill was not doing any good and was rather useless. They have tested this pill with thousands of African women, but have found that the women taking these pills were just as likely to be infected with AIDS as any other women who didn't take these pills. There were no side effects or safety problems with the pill, as no fatal diseases or sicknesses have arose from the pill itself, yet an interesting result is that women who were taking this pill were more likely to become pregnant. Scientists who learned of this could not explain it why this pill, named Truvada, would cause these kinds of results.

I believe that the scientists did the right thing by halting the study regarding this specific pill. This is because it never turned any good results, and so the best decision is to halt the study to save and conserve money, and start looking and experimenting for another pill that could possibly cure this epidemic. If the researchers were to keep wasting time and money for this pill, the chances of ultimately finding a cure or anything that could control this disease would decrease by many times, as they would be experimenting with a dead end.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110418/aids-pill-study-110418/

Canadian unemployment slips to 7.7 per cent in March

Early predictions stated that Canada as a country would gain 20,000 jobs in March, yet the final result was that it actually lost 1500. Despite this fact, the unemployment rate managed to drop by 0.1%, from 7.8% to 7.7%, as almost 15,000 fewer people are looking for work. Economists report that things are not as bad as they seem, since full time employment rose by 90,600 in March, and the loss of 92,100 part time jobs is not yet worth the hours of those full time jobs. The major contributors and industries that gained the most jobs in March belong to the accommodation and food services sector, where a total of 36,000 jobs have been created. This means that the level of employment in this sector has gone back up to what it was originally 12 months before. Other industries that saw drastic changes were the construction industry, which created 24,000 new jobs, while health-care and social assistance industries actually saw a loss in jobs. The health-care and social assistance industries lost a total of 17,000 jobs as the numbers of public sector employees fell drastically in March. Each province had different rates of unemployment, and also differed between whether or not it was going, and so in the end, it all depended on where you were situated.

I believe that the loss of the part-time jobs would not affect Canada's economy all that much since so many full time jobs were created. These full time jobs work far more hours than the part-time jobs, and so it builds a more stable economy for Canada where people can work that they can continue and work at for many years in the future. It is also great that the unemployment rate has decreased, as even though it only changed by 0.1%, it still has a very large effect since 0.1% already amounts to a lot of people, considering Canada's current population.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110408/jobs-unemployment-rate-110408/

Harper would turn Halifax Harbour into int'l trade hub

Prime Minister Stephen Harper decided fund they hydroelectric project that is to take place Newfoundland and Labrador in order to promote green energy across the east coast. The governments of Newfoundland and Labrador are seeking financial loans in order to minimize the borrowing costs that they would have if loaned from others. These funds are included in the use of purchasing a sub-sea cable that would route the power from the hydro project through Nova Scotia. Because of this, Bloc leader Duceppe is unsatisfied with Harper because he pointed out that Quebec never received funding assistance with their electric transport lines. He also pointed out that it was a "slap in the face".

Overall, I believe it is right for Steven Harper to fund this project in Newfoundland and Labrador since the environment is a very important issue in the world we live in right now. Steven Harper is stepping up to protect the environment and create awareness, which I think is a good and wise thing to do, in order to keep this country green. I don't think that Duceppe should be unsatisfied with Harper because although Harper didn't give funding assistance to Quebec, he is helping Newfoundland and Labrador, which is really still part of Canada.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20110331/election-main-110331/20110331?s_name=election2011

Tories fall, election set for May

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has lost the confidence of the House of Commons on Friday after being the leader of a minority government for more than 5 years. It is recorded that there is no minority government in the history of Canada that went as long as Harper without losing a vote of confidence. The leaders of the opposition, Michael Ignatieff and Jack Layton have decided to force an election, which would be Canada's 4th federal election in 7 years, which Canadian citizens obviously do not want due to the high costs and the current situation of the economy. It has also been found that the most senior members of the government are being accused of electoral fraud, and also that Stephen Harper has appointed someone who served in prison for stealing money from his clients as his top advisor. This person is also currently under the investigation of the RCMP due to accusations of influence peddling. Because Harper and his government has lost the confidence of the House of Commons, it is predicted that Canada will be having yet another election on the second of May.

In my opinion, I don't think it is a wise choice for the leaders of the opposition to force an election at this time because of the current economic situation. This upcoming election is against the wills of the people, and I think that it is rather a waste of money. I think that forcing an election at this time will cause the citizens of Canada to grow increasingly displeased with the government, as it is their 4th election in 7 years, as reported in the article. This amount of elections costs large amounts of money which could be spent many other ways, more useful ways to improve the lives and living conditions of the people. This election is a complete waste of money and time, and I find it ignorant for the leaders of the opposition to force an election even though it was made clear that citizens did not want it.

http://thesudburystar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3045056

Egypt's military rulers say prime minister has resigned

The prime minister of Egypt, Ahmed Shafiq, who was appointed by the dictator Hosni Mubarak has resigned from his position. Shafiq was a former air force officer, and so it may seem that the military has been in control of the country. This decision was mainly due to the demands of the opposition protest movement, as they clearly do not trust Mubarak or anybody that he appoints or is associated with. Meanwhile, a pro-democracy activist, Mohamed ElBaradei is "thankful" for this decision as he welcomes the departure of Shafiq, and thanks the military for listening to the demands of the people. It is said that ElBaradei would likely be the next leader of Egypt, yet many believe that he lacks the knowledge of the living conditions of the people, as he has spent little time in the country. This is largely due to the fact that he has spent many years overseas and he is a UN official. The people of Egypt believe that he does not know of the problems that people are facing, which are mostly those that are of the poor majority of the country.

I believe that it is right for Shafiq to step down from the position of Prime Minister since not doing so will result in unsatisfied people. If Egypt would ever like to be at peace again and have a rich economy with better living conditions, the needs and demands of the people must be met. If Shafiq didn't step down, this may cause major protests and uprisings, which could lead to many dead as people become increasingly unsatisfied and violent. I also believe that it would be wise for ElBaradei to take over as the leader of Egypt, since he does support democracy and he can lead the people in the right direction. Although he might not know much about the situations and problems of the people, the most important thing is to begin with the right steps, which in this case is getting rid of the dictatorships that have been plaguing Egypt for so many years.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20110303/egypt-post-mubarak-pm-resigns-110303/

Gadhafi stashed more than $2 billion in Canada

It is reported that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has stashed more than $2 billion in Canadian banks, which was all after a visit from former Canadian Prime Minister, Paul Martin. The Government House Leader in Canada John Baird said that Ottawa is freezing the assets belonging to Gadhafi and his regime, and that a ban will also be placed on the financial dealings with Libya. They hope that these actions taken will help to end the violence that is occurring and apparently escalating in Libya. It is believed that freezing these assets and funds will force Gadhafi out of power as he runs out of money to fund his acts of "terrorism" and communism, which in the long term will ultimately force him out of power. Moreover, the Canadian government is also banning any Canadian companies from making transactions with the Libyan government or any of their central banks in order to assure that no additional funds are going to Gadhafi.

In my opinion, freezing the assets and funds of Gadhafi will surely help to end this violence more quickly. If Canada didn't freeze these funds, Gadhafi would have an extra $2 billion to fight with. With that amount of money, there is really no limit to how much destruction he can cause and how many lives will be lost because of this. I truly believe that the Canadian government did the right thing for the people of not only Canada, but also Libya and any people of other countries that are currently experiencing terror and are in danger in Libya. Banning the Canadian companies from making transactions will also be effective as this way, Gadhafi will run out of money very quickly and not be able to fund his operations.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110228/libya-evacuations-canadians-110228/

Ottawa urges all Canadians to leave Libya

The federal government of Canada urges Canadian citizens to leave Libya as soon as possible, as the growing dangers and escalated violence might result in unnecessary deaths. The situation in Libya is not at all safe, as many Canadians could not even travel to the airport due to the dangers on the way. Even if Canadians were to arrive at the airport, they would be faced with Gadhafi loyalists that demanded money and threatened the people. The Canadians that are in Libya have found different ways to escape, whether it be by plane or by boat. It is reported that many problems occurred with flights going to retrieve Canadian passengers, as some faced insurance problems, and some did not even have permission to land. Many Canadians were able to leave the country of Libya in the end, but it is estimated that as many as 700 Canadians still remain within the borders, constantly in danger.

I think that the Canadian government should try to get all the Canadian citizens out of Libya as soon as possible, however they can. The situation in Libya is getting worse, and people are constantly in danger. It was even suggested to the Canadians that it might be safest to depart for the airport at dawn, as that may be the time where there is least resistance on the road. Many of the chartered planes have returned empty due to different difficulties, and so I think that the Canadian government must find a different, more active and useful approach to this problem in order to ensure that citizens can return home safely.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110225/libya-foreign-national-evacuations-110225/

Organizers urge sustained street protests in China

Many people are protesting through the use of the internet in China, and also through the streets. In response to this, the Chinese government, which is an authoritarian government, has rounded up these people and taken them into custody, as these people were charged with subversion. Some people have been taken into custody simply because they reposted someone else's writing, which may or may not be "offensive" to the Chinese government. Even though it was not their original writing, they are still charged for it. More than 100 activists have either been detained by police, confined to their homes, or reported missing. Many people know of the fate of resorting to protests on the streets, and so many activists only encourage the citizens to take an "afternoon walk" near the appointed place at the appointed time. Not many people were able to participate in this campaign in the first place as many didn't know due to the internet censorship that China has throughout the country, which blocks websites such as Facebook and Twitter. Although there are not many people that know of this, all those that do and have come out to protest are sure to have been "punished" in some way by the government.

In my opinion, people should have a right to protest, whether it be online or in the streets. It is not fair to not allow these since the people's wishes are very important to the development and successfulness of a country. The people of China are not able to express their wishes, as any attempt to do so might result in being detained by the police, or sometimes worse. I don't believe it is right for the Chinese government to limit the information and transparency of the government to the people, as the government's activities should be known to everybody that lives in the country.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20110223/china-street-protests-110223/

Obama proposes fee for Canadian visitors to the U.S.

US President Barrack Obama proposed a plan to have an inspection fee for Canadians upon their arrival in the United States of America, which amounts to $5.50 per person. This proposal was found within the 2010 draft budget that was submitted to Congress. In past years, it had always been free to travel between the countries of Canada, USA, and Mexico; it is believed that Obama is charging the Canadians this "inspection fee" because of the economic downturn and the increasing need to recover as soon as possible. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper told reporters that the United States are facing enormous financial problems, but charging Canadians is not a "useful" way to solve the problem. The charge proposed by Obama would only apply to passengers that are arriving by air or ship, and travel by car between borders will not be impacted by this fee. This is favourable to the many Canadians that travel across the border, and then take a flight to their holiday destination. Statistics Canada says that around 16 million Canadians flew into the US in 2009, which would supposedly add $90 million US dollars to the US government. It was also found that the number of trips to the US from Canada has increased drastically over time, and that the most popular holiday destination for Canadians is still the US.

In my opinion, I don't think that charging Canadians this inspection fee for travelling to the US will improve or help the economy of the US at all, since it will only total to $90 million per year. Although this number may sound a lot, on a national and country-wide basis, it really does not make much of an impact. I agree with Harper's saying that it is not a useful way to solve their economic and financial problems. Also, charging this inspection fee might lower the number of tourists to the US from Canada since people did not have to pay it before, and there really is no reason to start paying now. It is kind of unfair as Obama stated that only Canadians will pay the inspection fee, and he did not specify if any other country's citizens will have to pay this as well.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110217/obama-fee-canadian-visitors-110217/

Prostitution probe leads to trial for Italy's Berlusconi

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi will be put on trial this April as he had charges laid against him regarding him paying a 17 year old Moroccan girl to essentially have an affair with him. Not only did he commit to prostitution, but he also tried to cover it up in the end. Globe and Mail correspondent Eric Reguly pointed out that Berlusconi has been put on trial for many times on more than two dozen separate occasions ever since he was elected as the Italian Premier in 1994. Reguly also said that all the past occasions have either been alleged corruption, tax evasion, or things of that sort, and that it is the first time that Berlusconi was charged for something of a sexual nature. Both Berlusconi and the 17 year Moroccan girl, Ruby, say that they did not have sex with one another, but only that the premier gave the girl 7000 euros upon meeting her. The fact that Berlusconi paid for prostitution is not illegal in Italy, the only reason that he was able to be charged and put on trial was because the girl was under 18. For this issue, the premier can be convicted and sent into prison for any amount of time ranging from 6 months to a potential 12 years.

I do believe that Berlusconi should go to jail for this, as although prostitution is legal in Italy, I still believe that it isn't technically "right" and acceptable to do so. The fact that the girl was under 18 made this issue much more serious, and thus he is facing trial. This matter is also very serious since he is not only known to everybody, but he is the Premier of Italy, and this is a very embarrassing situation for all Italians seeing and hearing about this. Although Berlusconi and the girl did not have sex together, I still believe he should be sent to prison to preserve justice in the law, since it was also found that he used his influence to get the girl out of jail due to theft charges.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20110215/italy-berlusconi-indicted-prostitution-probe-110215/

WHO says alcohol abuse causing 2.5M deaths a year

Today, the WHO (World Health Organization) uncovered a variety of disturbing statistics regarding the use of alcohol. It was found that approximately 2.5 million people are killed by issues relating to alcohol abuse, and the WHO tries to enforce that governments do more and help in this issue in terms of alcohol abuse prevention. It was also found that 4% of all deaths worldwide have a direct relation to alcohol, where the main causes of deaths are: injuries that occur when drunk, cancer, liver disease, heart disease, and also strokes. WHO also said that over 6% of male deaths are caused by alcohol, while only 1% of deaths in women are due to that cause. Also, 10% of deaths in young people ranging from the ages of 15-29 are from alcohol related issues, reaching a number of around 320,000 per year. The WHO shows these statistics to the world in order to create awareness, hoping that the numbers in deaths caused by these issues will decrease as people know the potential horrors that they could be facing.

In my opinion, alcohol shouldn't be consumed on a large basis at any time or any place. This is because when drinking too much and becoming drunk, your senses are lowered and impaired, while your knowledge of what is happening around you is also decreased. It is because of this that people do not know what they are doing, and they sometimes tend to do things that they normally would never think of doing. As they abuse alcohol, they are putting themselves and the people around them in immense danger. From this, it is fair to say that one should never abuse alcohol, since the effects can be deadly, but I do not believe it is fair to say that one is not allowed to consume alcohol at all. As long as one is responsible with matters concerning this issue, I do not believe that alcohol should really be a problem. The only reason for these deaths is specifically the abuse of alcohol, and that alone is what should be controlled, not the consumption of alcohol in general.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110211/who-alcohol-abuse-110211/

Teacher leaves behind nine-year-old boy on class trip

Today, a father protests outside an Ontario school as his son with special needs, Ryan, was left behind with two strangers on a school trip. It was later discovered that the teacher that was in charge at the moment had done it on purpose. Ryan is described by his father to have problems retaining information such as words and numbers, such that he does not even know his own home address. Officials from the Waterloo District School Board then tried to explain that Ryan was left behind in the care of an elderly couple so that the teacher can come back for him, after escorting the rest of his classmates back to the school. Kevin, Ryan's father, has pulled both Ryan and his sister out of school and demands that the teacher in charge of the school trip and the principal be fired from the school. It was also reported that the board is taking disciplinary action with the teacher, but it is not clear what punishment she received, or whether she received a punishment at all.

I strongly believe that the teacher was irresponsible for leaving Ryan behind on this field trip, since he is still a kid, and can get easily lost. Above that, he was left with an elderly couple he didn't know, and possible could have kidnapped him or done things many times worse. The teacher was wrong not in the sense that he purposely left the boy behind, but because there was an assistant available for classes with children that have special needs, but the teacher chose to handle the trip all by herself and was determined that she did not need any assistance. Overall, the teacher did not do a good job of taking care of the students and did not act appropriately, and so I firmly believe that she should be fired, or at least faced with some other major punishment.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110208/boy-left-at-skating-rink-110208/

Toronto judge rejects pot smoking as a religious right

In Toronto, many people that are members of The Church of the Universe have tried to legalize marijuana through arguing that the drug acts as a sacrament. Since marijuana has always been illegal, they have tried to argue that the law does not protect their rights or freedoms regarding religion, as stated in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Today, a Toronto judge has rejected this idea as a right for the people, as approving it would cause many people to claim the smoking of Marijuana to be a religious right as well. This church refers to marijuana as God's "Tree of Life", and are therefore encouraged to spend as much of their time as possible around this drug, whether it be wearing it, inhaling it, growing it, writing on it, or eating it. On their website, it also says they have the right to use it as sacrament in and throughout their lives, when clearly, they don't. The church founders, Walter Tucker and Michael Baldasaro, and two other men have also been previously convicted of selling marijuana to undercover police officers in 2006/2007, as the officers acted as new members of the church.

In my opinion, marijuana should not be legalized for any reason as it is a highly addictive drug that causes people to hallucinate, and also to plunge into very serious financial problems as they want to buy more. The inhaling or smoking of drugs such as marijuana leads to increased criminal activity and also accidents, as people are not capable of controlling themselves when under such influences. For the reasons above, it can be concluded that marijuana is not in the least way beneficial to the citizens of Toronto, therefore it should not be legalized and kept away from the people.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110207/judge-rejects-pot-smoking-as-a-religious-right-110207/

CRTC chair faces grilling on Internet billing decision

Today, the head of the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission) is forced to face a Commons Committee on the matters of the ruling that charged smaller, independent companies according to the amount of bandwidth that they used, which directly impacted the consumers, who are day to day internet users. Instead of paying a monthly fee with unlimited downloads, people are now paying for a monthly fee for a set amount of internet usage, and they are also required to pay extra money if the set amount is overused. The chairman of the CRTC, Konrad Von Finckenstein, told the MP's that this change was in the best interests of consumers, although it clearly is not. Facing the pressure of the federal government, Von Finckenstein decided to postpone the billing change for 60 days as the decision is reconsidered.

In my opinion, it is very unfair to the many internet users of Canada that there is a sudden change in billing. There are many people that use the internet for most of the day, almost every day, and they will be greatly impacted by such a change as they are required to pay a very large amount of extra fees. There is no reason for the CRTC to make this change, since the only goal that they have is to acquire more money and have increased profit, even though they are still making money. It is not fair that the CRTC can demand more money from the millions of internet users in Canada just for their personal benefits and goals.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110203/ottawa-challenges-CRTC-ruling-110203/

Canadians relieved to be safely out of Egypt

As the protests continue, the Canadian government has been trying to bring Canadians out of Egypt as they chartered a plane to bring these people from Cairo to Frankfurt, Germany. All of the passengers that were aboard the Air Canada flight were required to sign a contract, which stated that they would be responsible for all fees after they have arrived in Frankfurt, and also that they must pay $400 for the flight from Cairo to Frankfurt. In Cairo International Airport, the passengers had to wait many hours to get processed, and additional waiting caused by the ground-handling agent, who demanded $2000 from the passengers as a whole in order to let them board the plane. After the bribe was paid, there was yet more waiting on-board the plane as they needed a tow to one of the runways. The management of the Cairo International Airport is very poor, as security agents wanted to delay the flight further by wanting to check all the passengers on the plane once again, but was not done at the end. This first flight took off at 3pm on Monday, and there have already been been 2 other flights that have taken off for Frankfurt to this day, another one on Monday and the last on Tuesday evening. There are still believed to be 6000 Canadians in Egypt.

I believe that the Canadian government should get all Canadians out of Egypt and out of danger as soon as possible, although it is understandable that it is very difficult with the corruption and the poor services and management in the airports, and also in the country as a whole. Moreover, I do not think that it is right for the government to require the passengers to be responsible for their expenses after their arrival in Europe, as this is an unfortunate incident that nobody wanted to happen. It is unfair that these Canadians have to pay extra money in order to be "safe" and return home, since some might find it difficult to get by with the little money that they have left after the $400 flight from Cairo, and also the $2000 bribe that was paid.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20110201/canadian-evacuees-110201/

Massive Protest in Central Cairo Square

In Cairo, Egypt, there are close to 250,000 people that have gone to protest in Tahrir square in the heart of the city. They have been protesting for well over a week now, all towards a common goal: to force their president of over 30 years, Hosni Mubarak, to resign. During Mubarak's reign over the country, the people of Egypt have all been living under harsh conditions with low income, while corrupt officials rule the country and possess a large portion of the country's wealth. Moreover, the conditions of living have also worsened with rising prices and increased taxes. These are all results of Mubarak's reign as although there is a "democracy", the government is corrupt, leaving it to be no more than a dictatorship that is run by Mubarak. As a result, Mubarak has named a vice president, but the people are still unsatisfied, as they will not rest until Mubarak has completely resigned. Given that the protesters are trying to communicate their idea and demands in a peaceful and safe manner, the Egyptian army has promised not to harm and fire upon any protesters, even though there have been approximately 300 deaths confirmed over the past week.

I believe it is right for the people to fight for and demand what they want from the government, as long as it is reasonable and achievable. The people of Egypt are not satisfied with Mubarak's reign over Egypt and the massive wealth that he lives with each and every day, while the citizens suffer from tragically low incomes and lack of food. Even though Mubarak has named a vice president, there is no reason to believe that true democracy can be formed within Egypt for as long as Mubarak is the president. Mubarak has been in power over the whole of Egypt for close to 3 decades now, and it is time that he steps down and let the country be governed to address the wills of the people, and not to benefit himself and his personal needs. Without the end of this dictatorship and a newly formed democracy, the needs of the many people of Egypt won't be seen, heard, or satisfied in any case.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110201/cairo-protests-110201/

Egyptians protest against current leader

In Cairo, Egypt, the people have been protesting against their government that has been in power for almost 30 years. They are furious that their current leader, Hosni Mubarak, has been negligent of the harsh conditions that the people are living in, as 40% of citizens live on less than $2 a day. During Mubarak's time of leading the country, he has oppressed the people during the time of his power and has offered no services, equity, and proper education to the people. This event has also led to an economic downturn, as the protest has been raging for the 3rd day now. Citizens of Egypt have claimed that innocent youth were captured by the Egyptian police and tortured to death as Mubarak rules the country and levels of corruption have never been higher. Although Egypt has the structure of a democratic government, it is truly a dictatorship as the winning party had 97% of the seats last election, giving a hint to people of the world of the seriousness of the corruption that is taking place in the country.

I firmly believe that it is truly unfair to the citizens of Egypt as their rights are abused day by day and they are constantly being oppressed by the government. While the family, friends, and followers of the so-called dictator Mubarak live in immense wealth, the majority of the population lives in immense poverty as they struggle to get by each day with the rising prices and low income. It is not a good sight to see, as the government has been pushing the people of their country more and more, until it has reached an unbearable level in the past few years, leading to the raging protests that have been going on these few days. I believe it is right to protest the government, as all people deserve to receive equal treatment by others, no matter their place in society or their level of wealth.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20110127/egypt-anti-mubarak-protests-110127/