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A Winnipeg woman who took a stranger’s sleeping baby from a house party and smashed the toddler’s head against a sidewalk until a bystander intervened, has been given one more year behind bars. Nikita Eaglestick, who is 21, had been charged with the attempted murder of the child, but she reached a deal with the Crown. She plead guilty to abduction, assault and failing to comply with a court order to stay away from alcohol. By the way, the little girl has fortunately made a full recovery and is doing just fine.

An 80 year old man has died in the crash of a classic car, which police say raises questions about the safety of vintage automobiles. The tiny 1960 Fiat crashed into the back of pickup truck in the city earlier this week. The elderly driver died in hospital, and his 71 year old female passenger remains in hospital in stable condition. The old car was not equipped with what would be mandatory safety equipment on modern automobiles, including seat belts and airbags.

Winnipeg Jets fans will have a special guest on hand when their newly returned team plays its first regular season game on home ice October 9th. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says he’ll be there to join the party. Bettman was in the city back in May when thousands took to the streets in celebration after it was announced True North had purchased the Atlanta Thrashers and were moving them here. Bettman says he’s looking very forward to being part of the sellout crowd at MTS center.

Another bodyguard for Michael Jackson is expected to be a key witness today in the involuntary manslaughter trial of the pop star’s doctor. Prosecutors hope Alberto Alvarez will help them show jurors that Dr. Conrad Murray delayed calling 9-1-1 and tried to hide the fact that he’d given Jackson a powerful surgical anesthetic.

The U.S. is looking at building fences along its border with us, to try and bolster defences against terrorists and other criminals. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency is proposing to use fencing and other barriers to manage what they call, trouble spots. It’s also considering increased use of radar ground sensors and drones. The agency will now hold a series of public meetings about the idea in both Washington and towns along the border.

Nokia is making more big cuts. The Finnish cellphone maker says they’ll let another 3500 people go next year. The company is looking to cut 1.5 billion dollars in costs and try to catch up with top rivals in the very tough smart-phone market.

The ongoing battle over the fate of an ailing elephant at the Edmonton Valley Zoo, could end up before the country’s highest court. Animal rights groups want the Supreme Court’s help in getting Lucy the elephant moved to a warmer wildlife sanctuary in the U.S. But the zoo says the 36 year old pachyderm is middle aged and has some health problems…and that a stressful move could threaten her life.

At the big Michael Jackson trial in L.A. yesterday……Jackson’s personal assistant testified that the last days of the star’s life were filled with reasons for optimism, until they took a tragic turn. Michael Williams testified yesterday about a frantic call from Dr. Conrad Murray about Jackson having a bad reaction to a drug he’d given him. Turns out, Jackson was already in cardiac arrest after getting propofol. Dr. Murray is on trial for involuntary manslaughter in Jackson’s 2009 death.

It’s taken awhile but….police armed with search warrants are visiting newsrooms around Vancouver, looking to confiscate any video shot during the Stanley Cup riots in June. They say media footage of the rioting and looting that followed the Canucks loss to Boston, will be invaluable to prosecute suspects. The force also says they expect to charge some 40 people next month…but say there will likely be hundreds more who get picked up and charged.

City police say the death of a man in the crash of a classic car, raises big questions about the safety of vintage automobiles. The tiny 1960 Fiat crashed into the back of a pickup truck earlier this week. The 80 year old driver died, while his passenger is still in hospital. The car was not equipped with seatbelts and airbags….which of course are mandatory safety equipment on modern vehicles.

Not many details yet….but we can tell you there was a stabbing in the city overnight. Cops say a man was taken to hospital in unstable condition after being stabbed in the 100 block of Barber street. The incident happened just after 8 last night. So far, police have not made any arrests and the investigation continues.

There’s little doubt that health is one of the hot button issues in the campaign for Tuesday’s provincial election. Today, NDP Premier Greg Selinger will talk about strengthening home care while Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard will make an announcement about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Yesterday, Tory leader Hugh McFadyen promised to create 30 new personal care home beds in the Interlake region.

Some people say they’re worried about a couple of orphaned bear cubs that have been seen on highway 7, just outside the city. Sally Hull says she captured her sighting on her cell phone after she thought the pair were dogs. Instead, when she pulled over, she realized it was 2 bear cubs who were in distress and crying. Hull says other drivers in the area have told her the mother bear was hit by a vehicle. Conservation officials say the young animals aren’t in real trouble and have had the summer to learn survival skills.

A government advisory board is suggesting the Harper government take another look at the way it deals with poverty. The National Council of Welfare claims billions of dollars could be saved every year if Ottawa were to switch its thinking from short term fixes to long term investments in tackling the reasons why people are poor. The council says prevention could and would save a bundle in things like emergency health care, shelter and prison costs.

Day 2 of the trial of Michael Jackson’s doctor is expected to focus more sharply on what happened before and immediately after the singer’s death. Dr. Conrad Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Jackson in June of 2009. In its opening arguments to jurors in Los Angeles yesterday, the defence said Jackson took a lethal dose of a sedative after Murray had left the room. Meaning, they think Jackson is responsible for his own death.

A German zoo’s most famous resident, Heidi the cross eyed opossum has died. The Leipzip zoo announced today that Heidi’s keepers decided to put the 3 and a half year old animal to sleep after trying to unsuccessfully for weeks treat her for arthritis and other symptoms of old age. Heidi became an unlikely international celebrity with her cute but confused appearance that stemmed from her crossed eyes.

The Conference Board of Canada is warning Canadians don’t know enough about the technology we use everyday, and therefore may be exposing ourselves and the country to online risks. In a new report, the board says people who use digital technology without taking time to understand the risks involved, leave themselves open to cyber crime.

Sony says it’s spending too much money on those disposable 3-D glasses at the movies. So, the studio is telling theatre owners that it’s going to stop paying for them starting next May. That’s just before it releases the 3-D movies, “The Amazing Spider Man” and “Men in Black 3.” Moviegoers already pay an additional couple of dollars or more for 3-d movies tickets.

Well Dick Cheney can’t seem to find any peace on his book tour in this country. The former U.S. Vice President arrived at a Calgary hotel to speak about his new memoir “In My Time,” as demonstrators outside called on cops to arrest him for war crimes. This was the 2nd straight night that Cheney was the subject of such protests. Protesters allege Cheney is a war criminal for supporting Bush administration policies on torture during the Iraq war.

The province’s municipal officials say our political parties have got one week to make some commitments to fixing roads and bridges. The Association of Manitoba Municipalities is demanding that infrastructure become a top priority in the campaign leading up to Tuesday’s vote. Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz says there are billions of dollars worth of repairs needed for aging roads, sewers and sidewalks…..something he says has been neglected for decades.

City police have pulled partial human remains from the Red River that they believe may be those of little Nathaniel Thorassie. The 6 year old boy was playing on the icy river with his brother last December when he fell into the water and vanished. Nathaniel’s mother says she’s grateful that police never quit looking for her son’s remains. She says she’ll now be able to bury him and he will finally be at rest.

A sad ending to this story. Remember that school bus driver who was involved in a collision last week while carrying students from St. John’s Ravenscourt? Well he’s now died. Students say he had collapsed while driving sending the vehicle off the road and almost into a house. The school issued a letter of condolence yesterday saying counseling remains available to students.

Prime Minister Harper will meet today with his finance minister and the country’s top banker about the economy. The meeting comes after Jim Flaherty and Mark Carney attended weekly meetings in Washington with their G-20 counterparts and private bankers.

Big day down in Los Angeles today. Michael Jackson’s doctor goes on trial for involuntary manslaughter in the singer’s death. Authorities allege Dr. Conrad Murray administered a lethal dose of the anesthetic popofol, along with other sedatives in June of 2009. They also allege Murray lacked the proper lifesaving equipment to revive the King of Pop.

Police in London, Ontario have launched an official investigation to find the person who threw that banana at a black NHL player during a pre-season game in the city last week. The fruit was fired at Philly wingman, Wayne Simmonds during a shootout attempt and the act was deemed racially motivated. Police say the person could be charged under the Trespass to Property Act.

The Canadian Forces will be sticking around in Libya awhile longer. The House of Commons passed a motion yesterday to extend our participation in the NATO led military mission by another 3 months. Our current mandate there was set to expire today. Defence Minister Peter McKay says Canada was there at the start of the Libyan mission and we’ll be there at the end.

A pretty good day on the markets yesterday. Bank stocks led rallies in Toronto and New York, as investors were encouraged by news of European leaders planning to take some big steps to tackle their debt troubles. Toronto’s TSX climbed 244 points, while New York’s Dow Jones gained 272.

They came, they shouted and some were ticketed. Hundreds of environmentalists and others rallied on Parliament Hill yesterday to protest the proposed Keystone pipeline project that would bring Alberta oilsands crude, down to Texas refineries.

He’s got some big friends in Hollywood. The A-listers turned out last night for an L.A. fundraiser for President Barrack Obama. Celebs included, Danny DeVito and Rhea Pearlman, Jack Black and DreamWorks C.E.O. Jeffrey Katzenberg. About 120 guests paid nearly 18 grand each to attend.

The Crown is alleging a newlywed was marked for death by his own wife in a murder for hire plot hatched shortly after they walked down the aisle. Ivan Radocaj, was a 43 year old former professional wrestler known as the Croatian Giant. He was beaten to death inside his Interlake home back in September of 2007. His widow, Melody Sanford is now accused of conspiracy to commit murder and 1st degree murder, along with several other people.

Several streets were closed yesterday while city police investigated the discovery of a man who was found dead. Officers say they were called to a home on Boyd Avenue and Andrews street early Sunday morning about a male who was injured. Neighbors say they heard gunfire. So far though, police have not confirmed if the victim was shot…and the investigation continues.

And yet another body found floating in the Red River. City police say the body was found yesterday afternoon near Henderson Highway. So far there’s no word on who it was, or if it was a man or woman.

Well Wall street and Bay street are coming off their worst week since 2008. And if Asian markets are any indication, the jitters over a world wide recession continue. Stocks closed sharply lower in Japan and Hong Kong overnight.

A graveside service is set for this Friday for Arch West. Name probably doesn’t sound familiar….but the product he created will. West was the one who invented Doritos back in 1961. His family says Dorito chips will be tossed in before they put dirt over his urn. West by the way was 97 and died of natural causes.

The 2 men who returned home to the U.S. yesterday after more than 2 years in an Iranian prison, say their only crime was being American. Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer were arrested when they hiked into Iran from Iraq. Iranian authorities accused them of being spies, but Fattal and Bauer say they were simply hikers who became political prisoners.

This is one way to get your message across ! Thousands of people stripped to their underwear and ran through Salt Lake City to protest what they called “uptight” laws of Utah. Undie Run organizer Nate Porter says about 3 thousand people actually took part. Participants wore bras, panties, nightgowns, swimwear and some seriously colorful boxer shorts.

Marathon swimmer Diana Nyad says it’s a huge disappointment. She had to end her latest attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida yesterday because of a jellyfish sting. The 62 year old was in the water for some 40 hours, halfway through her swim, when she was stung by a Portuguese man o’war. Nyad says the pain was unbearable, and medics warned her that one more man o’war sting could kill her.

Parliament Hill will be full of environmental groups today as opponents of a proposed 13 billion dollar pipeline gather for a solidarity rally. Greenpeace and others will hold a civil disobedience protest against the proposed Keystone XL pipeline that would carry crude from Alberta’s oilsands to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast. Prime Minister Harper defends the project by the way. He says it’ll create thousands of jobs and give Americans a more secure oil supply.

The NDP’s immigration critic says former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney has got no business coming to this country to promote his new book. Don Davies says Cheney shouldn’t be allowed in because he’s admitted to authorizing the use of water boarding and sleep deprivation techniques on detainees while he was Vice President. All that being said however…tickets to hear Cheney talk about his new book, are sold out for tonight.

The city’s arson strike force, is investigating another suspicious fire in East Kildonan this weekend. Fire crews were called out early yesterday morning to a garage fire in the 100 block of Talbot Avenue. The garage and a couple of vehicles were damaged in the blaze. So far, the cause is still not known, but damage is pegged at over 40 grand.

A 19 year old Winnipeg woman has been charged with 2nd degree murder in the death of her 84 year old grandmother. Rahami Sacranie was found beaten inside a home on the city’s southeast side. Officers say the woman had upper body injuries and was rushed to hospital but died of her injuries. Police say the grandmother, a couple and their children all lived in the same home.

Well the main televised debate of this provincial election takes place tonight on supper hour newscasts across the province. NDP Premier Greg Selinger says he’s looking forward to telling voters what the party stands for. And Tory leader Hugh McFadyen says the debate is an important one since advanced polls will open this weekend.

Reports this morning say the City of Winnipeg paid a private contractor more than 700 thousand dollars this past spring to buy sandbags…that in the end…they never got. Apparently Mulder Construction signed a contract with the city for half a million bags at a cost of 1.82 per bag. When the flood forecast was later changed and our city wasn’t really threatened by high waters….officials tried to get out of the Mulder deal. But that cost some big bucks….in fact, 2.65 cents a bag…for 280 thousand of them. The city’s director of public works says to cut its losses the city opted not to have the bags delivered because that would have cost extra.

Death row inmates in Texas are losing their right to choose their last meal before they’re executed. They can blame killer Lawrence Russell Brewer, who was executed on Wednesday. For his last meal, Brewer ordered 2 chicken fried steaks, a triple bacon cheeseburger, fried okra, a pound of BBQ’d meat, 3 fajitas, a meat lover’s pizza, a pint of ice cream and some peanut butter fudge. But get this…he didn’t eat a bite of any of it. Now Texas officials say all death row inmates will get the same meal as any other prisoner…regardless of whether it’s their last.

Asian stock markets closed lower in trading overnight….which could mean another white knuckle day on North American markets. Yesterday, the TSE lost more than 390 points. And the Dow Jones was also down by about the same amount.

The Canadian buck is up only slightly in overseas trading this morning. Our dollar fell more than 2 cents yesterday to close at 97.33 cents U.S. Economists say the decline is a sign of the fear that’s out their….that another world recession is underway.

Big changes on Facebook have triggered a flood of complaints from users….but the social media site insists they’ll improve the experience. C.E.O. Mark Zuckerberg has unveiled the Facebook Timeline, which is like an online scrapbook. He sys it’s a new way to express who you are. The Timeline was launched a day after Facebook users woke up to find their homepages altered, with changes to the newsfeed and a steady stream of updates automatically lisiting users activities.

Stocks are plunging and our dollar’s diving. Economists say thanks to fears of another world recession, stocks are going down. Yesterday both the T.S.E. and Dow Jones plunged almost 400 points. And, our loonie lost over 2 cents on the day…and is now sitting at 97.33 cents U.S.

A new study suggests almost two thirds of Canadians wish they had more information about food safety. 30 per cent think there’s a higher risk of consuming contaminated foods today, compared to just 2 years ago. The report also found that people living in Quebec and B.C. had the least confidence in the food system, while people in Saskatchewan and Manitoba had the most.

Prime Minister Harper says the biggest test facing the world right now is trying to avoid the devastating consequences of a 2nd worldwide recession. Harper made the comments just before British Prime Minister David Cameron addressed Parliament, and praised Canada’s economic record.

Well it appears that North Americans won’t be clobbered by any space junk today. Scientists say that dead NASA satellite is expected to drop out of space sometime this afternoon or early evening. And the latest calculations indicate it won’t be over our country, the U.S. or Mexico when it does. More than 2 dozen large metal chunks are expected to survive re-entry into earth’s atmosphere.

A busload of Winnipeg school kids escaped serious injury when their chartered bus nearly crashed into a house. A spokesperson for St. John’s-Ravescourt says the bus had about 20 students from kindergarten to grade 12 on it when the driver suffered a medical emergency. Crews were seen performing CPR on the driver but there was no immediate word on his condition. The bus ended up on the porch of a home, and fortunately nobody was home at the time.

Personally, I think it has to do with the really cold winters !! A new report on technological trends says people from Manitoba and Saskatchewan were the most likely to have big screen t.v.’s. The report says people in both provinces were also the most likely to have a high-def television. The report also found that East Coasters were least likely to have a house full of tech toys. And Vancouverites were most likely to use the internet at home.

A Manitoba man who spent 14 years behind bars for a murder he didn’t commit, has now filed a multi million dollar lawsuit. Lawyers for Kyle Unger have filed the suit which says Unger was deprived of his youth, his education and a normal working life. Unger had been convicted of killing Bridgette Grenier back in 1990 at an outdoor rock concert. But the conviction was later quashed and he was formally acquitted in 2009 after DNA testing.

British Prime Minister David Cameron will make his first solo visit to our country today, after addressing the U.N. General Assembly in New York. After the speech, Cameron will fly to Ottawa for a private meeting with Prime Minister Harper and an address to Parliament later in the day.

The series child killer serving a life sentence for killing 11 B.C. teenagers in the early 80’s, is apparently on the brink of death himself. Relatives of some of the victims say they’ve been told by prison officials that Clifford Olson is now in a Quebec hospital, dying of cancer. Reports say Olson is so sick he may not last another week.

Troy Davis maintained his innocence to the very end. While strapped to a gurney in Georgia’s death chamber, he denied killing a police officer and asked his many supporters to look deeper into the case. However, the officer’s relatives say after 22 years of Davis being on death row, they finally have justice.

Tomorrow remains the most likely day that, that old NASA satellite will come crashing down to earth. An estimated 26 pieces, weighing some 1200 pounds are expected to arrive. The 20 year old dead research satellite will be the biggest NASA spacecraft to fall uncontrolled from the sky in 32 years.

And yet more Beatle memorabilia bringin in some big bucks ! A contract for a Beatles concert in the U.S. has sold for more than 23 thousand dollars. The auction house selling it, figured it would go for around 5 grand….but bidders blew that number out of the water. The contract lays out terms for the Beatles 1965 appearance at San Francisco’s Cow Palace. Among other things, the contract states the group would not perform before a segregated audience.

One of the stars from last night’s Jets game is back in the news this morning….but sadly not for his hockey abilities. Police experts say Jets defenceman, Dustin Byfuglien was under the influence of drugs when his boat was stopped on a Minnesota lake last month. Court documents also say the 26 year old players had trouble speaking, was unsteady on his feet and smelled of booze. Byfuglien is facing 4 charges that include boating while under the influence of alcohol and or drugs, and refusing to provide a blood or urine sample.

A Winnipeg woman whose 2 children were allegedly abducted by their father says she’s living a nightmare, just praying for information on where they are. Emily Cablek has set up a trust fund to offer rewards for information about her 10 year old son Dominic and 9 year old daughter, Abby. City police say they believe Kevin Maryk took the children and left the country years ago.

Rock legend Neil Young, who spent his youth growing up here in Winnipeg, is taking a look at his life in a brand new book. His publisher says the book, called “Waging Heavy Peace,” will come out in the fall of 2012. Young’s father, Scott, was a former Winnipeg Free Press sports reporter who wrote his own memoir back in 1984 called Neil and Me. Young says he decided to follow his Dad’s advice on writing….which was just keep on doing it and you’ll never know what’ll turn up.

The skies are all clear for Air Canada and its flight attendants. A threatened strike was averted after a tentative agreement was reached late yesterday between the airline and its attendants. No details of the deal just yet…but the Canadian Union of Public Employees say they’re happy with it, and will be recommending members accept it when they vote on it next month.

Google has opened up its Google Plus social network to everyone after testing it for the past 3 months with a limited audience. The network is Google’s attempt to compete with Facebook as a social network.

The country’s fertility doctors are apparently considering barring obese women from undergoing fertility treatments. The controversial move is being discussed among doctors attending a conference in Toronto this week. Research has found obese women who have in vitro fertilization treatments have higher risks of complications.

America’s deadliest air racing disaster has now claimed its 11th victim. DNA testing confirms that remains recovered from Friday’s crash scene in Reno, Nevada were those of a man reported missing after the air show tragedy. Medical examiners have had the gruesome task of trying to identify several body parts after a vintage plane crashed into the show’s V.I.P. area.

World leaders are pledging to take action to prevent millions of deaths from cancer, diabetes, heart and lung disease. The leaders at the U.N. General Assembly’s first ever meeting on chronic disease promised yesterday to tackle smoking, excessive drinking, lack of exercise and unhealthy diets. But…left unanswered was how they’ll go about doing that.

The bomb experts with Winnipeg’s police department were called into service again over the weekend. Cops say a person who was cleaning a family member’s home in the St. Boniface area, found what looked like a practice aircraft bomb. The residence was evacuated immediately and the bomb was safely removed.

The summer recess is over….and now Members of Parliament will return to their seats today in the House of Commons. They’ll open with a series of tributes to the late NDP leader Jack Layton.
Meanwhile, while Prime Minister Harper has stressed that job creation would be high on his government’s priority list, his tough on crime agenda will be the first major bill to get introduced later this week.

Well at last word….Air Canada and its flight attendants were still talking…and that’s a good thing for those planning on flying this week. The Union has set a strike deadline of this Wednesday. The airline says if the walkout happens, they will continue to fly, just on a limited schedule.

As the victim’s from Friday’s air show crash in Nevada are indentified, we’ve learned that a retired Air Canada pilot and his wife were among the spectators killed. 9 people died in the tragedy, the pilot of the Second World War era plane, and 8 spectators on the ground. 60 year old Winnipeg native George Hewitt and his 57 year old wife, Wendy, had moved just recently to Arizona. Hewitt flew for Air Canada for 40 years before retiring.

A heartfelt tribute was given last night to the late NHL tough guy, Wade Belak, by his former teammates and opponents on the season opening episode of CBC’s “Battle of the Blades.” Belak was set to appear in the skating competition, but was found dead in a Toronto hotel complex late last month in what sources say was an apparent suicide.

You can’t blame them ! Thousands of people are marching in downtown Tokyo today, calling on the government to abandon nuclear energy in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident. This is one of the biggest demonstrations since the March 11th earthquake and tsunami that spewed radiation into the air in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

T.V.’s “Modern Family” is the 2011 winner of the best comedy series Emmy award, repeating last year’s victory. The series picked up a total of 5 awards at last night’s show, including best supporting acting honors for Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell. “Mad Men” won best drama for the 4th year in a row. Kyle Chandler was the surprise winner in the best drama actor category for the last season of the football drama “Friday Night Lights.” And Julianna Margulies won best actress honors for her role in “The Good Wife.”

Okay…most people have been on a plane with a few jackasses before….but 10 dozen donkeys on one flight? 120 donkeys arrived at a sanctuary in California on a plane from Hawaii chartered by the Humane Society of America. They’re descendants of donkeys that were taken to Hawaii’s big island to work coffee plantations and then cast aside when they became obsolete.

More violence in the city overnight. 2 people were apparently shot at Portage and Carlton around 2:30 this morning. Both were taken to hospital and there’s no word yet on their condition. Details are still sketchy but city police are investigating.

The man sought in the slaying of a Manitoba woman, has now been found and arrested in southern Alberta. RCMP say they picked up Russell McDiarmid at a campsite yesterday evening. He was taken into custody without incident and will be escorted back to Manitoba. A Canada wide warrant had been issued for the 51 year old in the death of Nancy Swenty of Fisher Branch.

After a couple of pretty intense days on the campaign trail, NDP leader Greg Selinger has a less contentious day planned today. This morning, he’ll announce a partnership deal between the province and the Winnipeg Jets. Tory leader Hugh McFayden will keep the focus on health care, with some health related announcements. And Seniors will be front and center today with Liberal leader Jon Gerrard, as he makes announcements regarding personal care homes.

It was like a scene out of horror movie….difference is….it was real! A Manitoba woman asleep in her bed got bitten on the lip by a rabid bat. Treina Reykdal says the attack earlier this month at her farm near Ashern, was terrifying and painful. Fortunately, her husband was able to save the day…as he whacked the mouse sized creature with a stuffed animal until it was dead. Sadly though, the bat turned out to rabid so Treina and pretty much her entire family will now have to get rabies shots for the next 28 days.

Flood evacuees from the Lake St. Martin First Nation may finally have a new place they can call home….as band officials are in talks towards establishing a temporary village. Around 700 Lake St. Martin residents have been living in Winnipeg hotels since May, when they were evacuated from their reserve due to severe flooding. Chief Adrian Sinclair says he hopes to secure an agreement soon on setting up this temporary village at an old radar base near Gypsumville.

45 Canadians will be honored at Rideau Hall in Ottawa this morning when they’re awarded the Order of Canada. Among those named as an officer is astronaut Julie Payette, who flew on 2 shuttle missions.

Parts of southeastern Newfoundland are under a hurricane warning this morning as Maria, a category One hurricane with winds of 120 kilometers an hour will brush past the island. Forecasters say Maria could drench some areas with up to 90 millimeters of rain.

Mickey Rooney is suing his stepson. The 90 year old actor says Chris Aber tricking him into thinking he was on the brink of poverty while defrauding him out of millions and bullying him into continuing to work. Rooney is accusing his stepson of breach of trust, elder abuse and fraud.

It’s gonna be a tough day at Research in Motion today. Shares in the company have already dropped some 18 per cent in overnight trading. This after the blackberry maker reported its 2nd quarter profit sank to 329 million dollars….down almost 60 per cent over the same time last year. Company exec.’s blame the drop on lower than expected sales of smartphones and tablets.

Kurt Ziebart….the man who invented the rust-proofing system bearing his name, has died at his Michigan home at the age of 91. Ziebart was born in Germany and moved to the U.S. in 1953. He developed the rust-proofing system after friends noted many American cars were in bad shape because of road salt.

This would be my worst nightmare !! 4 men are in hospital after they were attacked by some 60 thousand bees in Santa Ana, California. One man was stung over 60 times. Witnesses say the 4 were rolling on the ground like they were burning an invisible fire. So far, it’s not known what ticked the bees off and why they decided to attack.

Few more details on the counterfeit raid at a store in Portage Place Mall. RCMP seized more than half a million dollars worth of counterfeit designer goods in the raid. Mounties went to the store armed with a search warrant and say they found items with labels like Prada, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Gucci. Police are now looking at charges under the Copyright, Trademark and Textile act.

A sailor helping to clean up a beach in Hawaii has found a message in a bottle. It was dropped in the ocean more than 5 years ago by a school girl in Japan. The bottle contained a note, 4 origami flowers, and a photo of the girl’s 6th grade class. The note read….”I wrote this letter because we’ll graduate elementary school so I wanted it to be a graduation memory.”

RCMP have made another counterfeit clothing raid….this time at Portage Place Mall. Officers could be seen leaving the mall with boxes of goods yesterday afternoon. A witness says officers seized items including shirts and purses. Last month the RCMP said they seized 18 grand worth of name brand knock off clothes from a shop in Grand Marais. Also a shipment of bogus Winnipeg Jets hockey jersey was confiscated in a shipment of air freight from China.

It’ll be a hut like no other ! Famed architect Frank Gehry has agreed to build one of the warming huts this winter at the Forks. A Forks spokesperson says a team from Los Angeles will travel to our city in January to build the hut. The design has yet to be created and it’s not known if the 82 year old Gehry will personally come to Winnipeg.

Manitoba’s political leaders exchanged more verbal barbs last night in a televised leaders debate. The rhetoric was turned up a notch as NDP leader Greg Selinger said the former Tory government stacked people in crowded hospital hallways. Tory leader, Hugh McFayden shot back saying the NDP had broken 4 out of the 5 promises they made back in 1999. Meantime, Liberal leader Jon Gerrard said the government has left social services and schools in a mess.

Chris Walton has been working on her fingernails for 18 years. And now, she’s got something to show for it. Guiness World Records officials have now named Walton, the woman with the longest fingernails. Dalton’s nails measure…get this…..3.1 meters on her left hand and 2.92 on her right. The Las Vegas woman says she does her own nails and makeup and even does household chores with her curly talons.

Well if this Kitty could talk, what interesting tales she’d tell. Animal care officials say a calico cat wandered away from her Boulder, Colorado home 5 years ago and has been found alive and well in New York City. How “Willow” traveled 2500 klicks to the East Coast is still one big mystery. A microchip implanted when she was kitten allowed officials to find her owners…who were obviously totally shocked when they got the call.

Randall Hopley’s lawyer says his client is “sad and sorry” that he’s in the situation he’s in right now. William Thorne commented outside a courtroom in Cranbrook, B.C., where his 46 year old client appeared yesterday on charges of kidnapping and child abduction. The charges stem from last week’s abduction of 3 year old Kienan Hebert, who went missing for 4 days before being returned safely. Hopley will now undergo a psych exam to determine if he’s fit to stand trial.

Today marks the official start to the federal NDP leadership race….meaning, candidates may now begin to register. So far, the only person to declare his intention to run to succeed the late Jack Layton is party president Brian Topp.

It’s a sign of the times? From now on, Australian passports will have 3 gender options…male, female and indeterminate. The change is aimed at eliminating discrimination against transgender people.

The Order of Canada may be about to give Conrad Black the boot. An 11 member advisory panel will recommend to the Governor General whether to strip the fallen media tycoon of the prestigious award. Black was made an officer of the Order back in 1990, but of course has since been convicted of fraud.

It’s gonna be a bit of a mess on Kenaston this morning. This is because construction work on the CN railway crossing will start, as part of the new IKEA project. This means traffic will be down to one lane in each direction on Kenaston between Sterling Lyon and Rothwell road. The good news is…it won’t last long….crews say 24 to 48 hours tops.