Rob Ford's chief of staff out of office as 'crack video' scandal swirls

TORONTO - The chief of staff to embattled Mayor Rob Ford was escorted by security from city hall premises Thursday as allegations the mayor had been caught on videotape smoking crack cocaine continued to swirl.

Mark Towhey said he did not resign but his departure had not come as a shock to him.

Read More..

CRTC hits Alberta's Wildrose Party with $90,000 fine for robocalls in 2011, 2012

EDMONTON - Alberta's Opposition Wildrose Party says it has paid a $90,000 penalty imposed by federal regulators for violating automated phone call rules.

Read More..

Federal Court upholds 2011 election results in 'robocall' ridings

OTTAWA - Fraud was definitely a factor in the rash of misleading robocalls that bedevilled voters in six federal ridings in the 2011 election, but not enough of one to justify overturning the results, a Federal Court judge has decided.

Read More..

Could have accepted chief of staff's resignation sooner, Harper admits

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper acknowledged for the first time Thursday that "perhaps" he could have responded more quickly to the news that his trusted chief of staff had footed the $90,000 bill for Sen. Mike Duffy's disallowed housing expenses.

Read More..

Obama defends drones but seeks to move US beyond war years, outlining narrower terror threat

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama sought to move the U.S. beyond the war effort of the past dozen years, defining a narrower terror threat from smaller networks and homegrown extremists rather than the grandiose plots of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida.

Read More..

Abrupt departure for Mayor Rob Ford's chief of staff amid 'crack video' scandal

TORONTO - The chief of staff to embattled Mayor Rob Ford was escorted by security from city hall premises Thursday amid swirling allegations the mayor had been caught on videotape smoking crack cocaine.

Read More..

Extremist Moktar Belmoktar claims responsibility for deadly Niger suicide attack

NIAMEY, Niger - Suicide bombers in Niger detonated two car bombs simultaneously, one inside a military camp in the city of Agadez and another in the remote town of Arlit at a French-operated uranium mine, killing 26 people and injuring 30, according to officials in Niger and France.

Read More..

Record rainfall, snowmelt caused one-in-12,000-year fatal B.C. landslide: report

VANCOUVER - A massive landslide that ripped through a small hamlet in southeastern British Columbia last year, killing four people, was caused by a deluge of rain and a late spring snowmelt that triggered the largest slide to hit the region in at least 12,000 years, a report into the disaster...

Read More..

Legislature to reconvene this summer to pass balanced budget: Christy Clark

VANCOUVER - Passing a balanced budget, going on a trade mission to Asia, and establishing labour peace with teachers are among B.C. Premier Christy Clark's top priorities as she announced she will recall the legislature this summer.

Read More..

Too soon to decide whether to join Pacific Alliance: Stephen Harper

CALI, Colombia - Prime Minister Stephen Harper says it is too soon to decide whether Canada should join the Pacific Alliance trade bloc in its mission to deepen economic integration.

Read More..

Students, teachers reunite for first time after school was destroyed by Oklahoma tornado

MOORE, Okla. - Students from a suburban Oklahoma City elementary school destroyed by this week's tornado reunited with their teachers Thursday and collected whatever could be salvaged from the ruins.

Read More..

Woman run over three times by her own car

TROIS-RIVIERES, Que. - A woman is recovering following a bizarre accident in which she was run over three times by her own car.

Read More..