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Last Updated: Thursday, July 29, 2010 | 7:08 PM ET

Sex-bribe case nets ex-refugee judge 18 months
: Steve Ellis, a former immigration board adjudicator and Toronto city councillor who was convicted of trying to elicit sexual favours from a refugee claimant, has been sentenced to 18 months in jail. more »; Related: Ex-immigration judge guilty of breach of trust; Related: Refugee judge sex-bribe trial sees secret video

Dogs may have been targets at Cherry Beach: Toronto police have released details of what they're calling a "suspicious incident" in the off leash area at Cherry Beach that might have been aimed at injuring dogs. more »
Toronto's Caribana proceeds despite funding cut: Toronto's Caribana - the biggest Caribbean festival in North America - heads into its final few days, despite a loss of $400,000 in federal funding. more »

Coroner orders review of drowning deaths: Ontario's acting chief coroner has ordered a review of all drowning deaths in the province since May following the death of a 2½-year-old-boy in a backyard swimming pool in the Ottawa region. more »
Lost G20 charge puzzles man's lawyer: The lawyer of a man charged under what has become known as the "G20 five-metre rule," only to find out later there was no record of the charge ever being filed, says he is waiting for an explanation. more »
Ontario tackles ER wait times with $45M more: The Ontario government is expanding its effort to reduce emergency-room wait times across the province. more »
Toronto man sentenced in Iran nuclear case: A Toronto man found guilty of trying to send devices to Iran that could be used to build nuclear weapons has been sentenced to four years and three months in prison. more »
Teen trapped in Cuba to come home: mother: The mother of an Ontario teen stranded in Cuba for months after he was involved in a traffic accident says the family has struck a deal with Cuban authorities for his safe return. more »
Fire destroys Newmarket mall: Investigators are trying to determine the cause of a fire at a strip mall in Newmarket early Thursday morning. more »
Lopes-Schliep looks for personal best: Between the many television interviews and news conferences she's been asked to do this week, Priscilla Lopes-Schliep just wants to maintain a familiar routine. more »

News Headlines and Features

Lightning sparks 165 new B.C. wildfires: Lightning strikes caused an estimated 165 new wildfires in B.C.'s Interior overnight Wednesday, prompting officials to issue two new evacuation orders and call in aerial reinforcements as hot, dry weather continued.
DND computers used to change Wikipedia site: A Defence Department spokesperson confirms computers at the department's research agency were used to alter a Wikipedia site on the Joint Strike Fighter jet.
B.C. ends sex tests as researcher charged: The B.C. government has cancelled a program that tested the sexual responses of young sex offenders by attaching sensors to their genitals, after it learned one of the researchers has been charged with a sexual offence.

BP prepares to plug damaged well: A procedure intended to ease the job of plugging BP's blown-out Gulf of Mexico well for good could start as early as the weekend, the U.S. government's point man for the spill response says.
Frenchwoman charged in baby deaths: A Frenchwoman who admitted suffocating eight of her newborns and concealing their corpses in the garden and garage of her home has been charged with manslaughter.
Enbridge oil not expected to reach Lake Michigan: Oil that spilled from an Enbridge pipeline into a southern Michigan waterway is not expected to reach Lake Michigan, U.S. officials say.

Slash salt intake, Canadians advised: Canadians should consume half the sodium they're now taking in from foods and drinks as part of a multi-pronged approach to cutting salt intake, according to new federal guidelines.
Coroner orders review of drowning deaths: Ontario's acting chief coroner has ordered a review of all drowning deaths in the province since May following the death of a 2½-year-old-boy in a backyard swimming pool in the Ottawa region.
N.L. medical labs lack expertise: report: A review of Newfoundland and Labrador's largest medical labs has found dysfunctional relationships among staff and a lack of expertise in complex areas of medical testing.

YouTube ups video limit to 15 minutes: Popular video-sharing website YouTube says it is ready to increase the limit it places on video uploads to 15 minutes, from the current 10 minutes.
Rocker Brian May focuses on 3-D photography: Rock star, astrophysicist and animal rights activist Brian May has revealed a new obsession — stereo photographs.
Venice film fest boasts premiere-filled lineup: Barney's Version, the movie based on Mordecai Richler's acclaimed novel, is among the high-profile titles making their world debuts at this year's Venice Film Festival.

Global warming signs unmistakable: report: A new report by 300 scientists has flagged the past decade as the hottest on record and compiled 10 'unmistakable' indicators the world is getting warmer. But the scientists mostly stayed away from discussions about the cause.
Arctic ship graves a 'rewarding' find: Parks Canada archeologists who found HMS Investigator, a British naval ship that was stranded in the Northwest Passage 155 years ago, are equally pleased to have discovered the graves of three of the ship's crew.
DND computers used to change Wikipedia site: A Defence Department spokesperson confirms computers at the department's research agency were used to alter a Wikipedia site on the Joint Strike Fighter jet.

Budget deficit could be gone a year early: The federal government should be able to eliminate the annual budget deficit by 2015, a year ahead of schedule, the Conference Board of Canada says.
Google shares fall on China blocking report: Google shares fell 1.4 per cent in after-hours trading Thursday after the company said people in mainland China are being blocked from using its internet search engine.
Telecom took in $41B in 2009: Canada's communications industry took in $55.4 billion in revenue in 2009, the CRTC said Thursday, a 2.1 per cent increase from the previous year's level.

Charities face garbage overload: Some Canadian charities are wasting time and money getting rid piles of garbage and unusable goods left in donation bins and outside thrift store outlets.
Cheeky suitcase stickers no longer for sale in Canada: A set of provocative suitcase stickers with images of a bound and gagged flight attendant, bags of cocaine, stacks of money and sex toys will no longer be sold in Canada after the transport minister implied they might be illegal.
BPA found in cash register and ATM receipts: The controversial chemical bisphenol A has been found in 40 per cent of receipts collected by the U.S. organization Environmental Working Group.

Alouettes planning tough night for Boyd: Cory Boyd will try to become the first Argonaut since 1968 to rush for 100 yards in four consecutive games when Toronto visits the Montreal Alouettes Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Lopes-Schliep looks for personal best: Between the many television interviews and news conferences she's been asked to do this week, Priscilla Lopes-Schliep just wants to maintain a familiar routine.
Jays flip Wallace to Astros for Gose: The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired outfielder Anthony Gose from the Houston Astros in exchange for first baseman Brett Wallace.