NEWS IMAGE COLLAGE / for 02-2008

No. 23 Will rise to rafters as Habs honour a natural leader One-time Canadiens physician Douglas Kinnear tells this story about Bob Gainey, whose No. 23 will be raised to the Bell Centre rafters tonight.

Red Deer, Alta's, Jeremy Wotherspoon has a title in his clutches.The speed-skating whiz clinched the World Cup speedskating title in the 500 metres on Saturday in Heerenven, Netherlands

Today Canada celebrates 99 years of aviation in the country.

Goaltender Roberto Luongo has regained his form, and so too have the Vancouver Canucks. Luongo and the Canucks hope to continue their stellar play as they welcome the struggling Detroit Red Wings on Saturday (CBC, 10 p.m. ET) at General Motors Place.

Two of the bigger names mentioned in pre-trade deadline speculation are set to face off tonight at the Air Canada Centre as Marian Hossa and the Atlanta Thrashers clash with Mats Sundin and Toronto the Maple Leafs.

City workers have removed 27,500 truckloads of snow from Toronto streets since last week, when officials announced a massive snow removal plan.

Layoffs predicted as city loses Grand Prix. Toronto's hospitality industry will take a $50 million hit this summer with the cancellation of the Toronto Grand Prix.

The shutdown of the Chalk River reactor sparked a battle that saw the head of its regulator get fired. Now insiders wonder: Is Canada losing its status as world nuclear heavyweight?

KABUL, Afghanistan - A ruthless new generation of Afghan insurgents is casting aside Taliban doctrine that opposed killing large numbers of civilians, instead using more powerful explosives and packing bombs with ball-bearings to maximize kills

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - The soldier hobbled over the rough gravel ground, his crutches slipping on the rocks. He'd been hurt in an explosion from a roadside bomb, he said, and had two more weeks to go in his tour in Kandahar

Parliament needs to give Canada's troops "clarity of purpose" in Afghanistan because Canadians are battling an opportunistic enemy that is striking at perceived weakness, the country's top soldier said Friday.

The federal Liberal party launched a second attack Friday on a Tory ad that Liberal MP David McGuinty called "juvenile and misleading," and "deliberate dishonesty."

While all those juicy Canadian money jokes are sadly behind us, the dropping US dollar does have one nice side effect, at least for those pesky squatters north of the border. That's right, Canadians are finally getting an Xbox 360 pricing scheme on par w

HAGATNA, Guam - The Air Force says a B-2 stealth bomber crashed on Guam, but the two pilots ejected safely.

The left-leaning Council of Canadians, which is campaigning against what it calls the increasing integration of the U.S. and Canadian militaries, is raising concerns about the deal.

Celebrities Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and Madonna are among hundreds of patrons of a New York bar being urged by New York health officials on Thursday to get a Hepatitis A vaccination after a bartender was found to be infected.

From the town Prince made famous with the Minneapolis Sound to the Chicago blues scene and then Music City itself, Kevin Bieksa's had a long, strange trip the past few days.

The big news: Earth is doomed to fry and then be gobbled up by the dying Sun. But don't blow your savings on an Apocalypse Party just yet, for astronomers say the planet's demise is 7.6 billion years away.

OTTAWA - The little guy from Shawinigan is receiving Canada's highest civilian honour. Jean Chretien, Canada's 20th prime minister, is being made a companion of the Order of Canada this morning in a ceremony at Rideau Hall, the residence of the Governor

Turkish troops crossed the Iraqi border to launch a ground operation in pursuit of Kurdish guerrillas, according to the military and news reports Friday, the first ground operation since the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003

Liberals cast themselves as the architects of a compromise position on the extension of the Afghan mission after the government said Canada would leave Kandahar in 2011 and shift next year from counterinsurgency to development and training local security

Jennifer Lopez gave birth to twins early Friday, making the singer and husband Marc Anthony the parents of a boy and a girl after one of pop music's most closely watched pregnancies, People reported

CHC Helicopter Corp., which provides flight services to the oil and gas sector, is being sold to a U.S. private equity firm in a deal that values the company at $3.7 billion.

Lengthy debate over Canada's role in Afghanistan could put its soldiers increasingly at risk as the Taliban perceive the country as a "weak link," Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier said Friday.

OTTAWA - Parliament should give "overwhelming" support to an extension of Canada's mission in Afghanistan or risk the wrath of an enemy that strikes at weakness, the country's top soldier said Friday.

Can-Am's wild new vehicle is unlike anything else that's licensed for the road

High-powered performance cars set the pace for more mainstream vehicles

Rare and iconic models by Italian carmaker abound in display at Toronto auto show

A look at the concept vehicles appearing at the 2008 Toronto auto show.

A look at some of the production vehicles appearing at the 2008 Toronto auto show.

Right from the start, hot rods and flame paint jobs have gone together.

It can stop you from voting, destroy your dental appointments, make it difficult to rent a car or book a flight, even interfere with your college exams.

Sources tell TSN that Toronto Maple Leafs interim general manager Cliff Fletcher and captain Mats Sundin met on Thursday to discuss his future with the team.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Roberto Luongo kept the Vancouver Canucks afloat, even when they were outplayed.

MONTREAL - Evgeni Malkin continues to pile up points and the Pittsburgh Penguins keep on winning games.

OTTAWA - Rick Nash would like to see more of the Ottawa Senators - especially after his performance Thursday night.

TORONTO - Buffalo and Toronto were both near the bottom of the NHL's Eastern Conference standings a month ago, and now the Sabres are nine points ahead of the Leafs after their 5-1 victory Thursday night.

SUNRISE, Fla. - The Boston Bruins knew they could rally from a two-goal, third-period deficit Thursday night. Especially against a team that's been giving up leads of late.

PHILADELPHIA - Simon Gagne is out for the regular season. Peter Forsberg squashed his comeback attempt. Danny Briere has not played up to his hefty $52 million free-agent contract.

RALEIGH, N.C. - In the congested Southeast Division, one sustained stretch of solid play could make the difference between winning the division or missing the playoffs.

UNIONDALE, N.Y. - This New York Islanders victory had it all: spotless goaltending from Rick DiPietro, timely scoring from Miroslav Satan, and blissful quiet from Chris Simon.

LOS ANGELES - Alexander Frolov, Patrick O'Sullivan and Michael Cammalleri had their way with the St. Louis Blues and turned a tight game into a laugher.

China today accused Washington of double standards after the US navy fired a missile to destroy a failed satellite 150 miles above the Pacific.

The storming of the US embassy in Belgrade could be a prelude for a crackdown against moderates, pro-western Serb politicians warned today.

Thousands of Turkish troops, backed by warplanes, have entered northern Iraq to attack Kurdish rebels in the largest ground offensive since the US-led invasion.

Production of the JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft started on 22 January at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) at Kamra near Islamabad.

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan is suffering a severe lack of in-theatre lift capacity, but no national solutions to address the shortfall are expected for at least another year, according to NATO officials.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Canadian troops will have no choice but to remain in combat even if their focus in Afghanistan after 2009 is solely on training the Afghan National Army, two Canadian military officers said.

Vancouver Canucks rookie Mason Raymond got the better of veteran goaltender Chris Mason on Thursday night.

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is boosting military spending with an automatic annual budget increase that will translate into hundreds of millions of dollars over the next decade

Canadian and French astronomers have discovered the largest dark matter structures ever seen, stretching across 270 million light years

The Russian ambassador says Canada should think twice about supporting Kosovo's declaration of independence

MA'SUM GHAR, Afghanistan - "I want to keep my fauxhawk," says a soldier at Forward Operating Base Ma'sum Ghar where Cpl. Kenton Dill is giving haircuts for $5 a pop.

CARACAS, Venezuela - A commercial airliner with 46 people on board was reported missing Thursday in western Venezuela, officials said

WASHINGTON: A missile interceptor launched from a navy warship has struck a dying American spy satellite orbiting 130 miles over the Pacific Ocean, the Pentagon announced late Wednesday. Officials cautioned that while early information indicated that t

SUNRISE, Fla. - Richard Zednik felt a stabbing pain in his neck and knew he had to get to the bench - fast. Once there, the Florida Panthers right-winger thought of his four-year-old daughter, Ella.

The Harper government has unveiled a new motion to end the Canadian mission in the volatile Kandahar region of Afghanistan by 2011 -bridging the gap between previous Conservative and Liberal motions.

In a bid to ease Saskatchewan's growing nursing shortage, the province is sending a delegation to the Philippines to attract 300 nurses.

BELGRADE, Serbia - A handful of protesters broke into the U.S. embassy in Belgrade on Thursday, cheered on by crowds outside, in a protest at U.S. support for Kosovo's independence.

Let the change bell ring. Let Oscar blow with the big wind of Obamamania: This year is gonna see some surprises - maybe. Without an outright odds-on favourite destined to sweep the soiree, the big night may need those newly returned guild workers to rewri

Gene Simmons often boasts of having slept with more than 5,000 women but, luckily for us, we've never had to confront physical evidence of his supposed sexual prowess. Sadly, our days of blissful ignorance are numbered: a sex tape allegedly featuring the

Women who drink tea may be protecting themselves from a build-up of artery-clogging plaque, so lowering their risk for heart disease and stroke, findings from a French study suggest.

Snacks, drinks and our tendency to talk over each other makes us feel like we're together

At Internet awareness sessions, police officers are teaching kids to take responsibility for their actions because seemingly innocent online chatting can have dire consequences

MONTREAL - Nike Inc. has sold its Bauer Hockey subsidiary for US$200 million to an investor group led by Montreal businessman Graeme Roustan and U.S. private equity firm Kohlberg & Co.

MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin presented his country's highest award to members of a submarine expedition that planted a Russian flag on the seabed under the North Pole.

Pentagon officials said Thursday they are highly confident the tank of toxic hydrazine fuel on board a defective spy satellite was destroyed when a missile hit the satellite over the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday night.

The federal government is currently in negotiations to acquire large helicopters and unmanned surveillance drones in an attempt to satisfy two conditions set out in the Manley report for extending the Afghanistan mission, CBC News has learned.

DALLAS - Jarome Iginla capitalized on a Dallas defensive breakdown to provide a happy ending to a five-game road trip for the Calgary Flames.

BUFFALO, N.Y. - After vowing the Buffalo Sabres would make the playoffs, Thomas Vanek backed it up with a clutch performance.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Corey Perry finished off in a shootout what his teammates started in the third period. Perry scored the deciding goal in the shootout as the Anaheim Ducks found a higher level in the third period to rally for a 3-2 victory over the C

CHICAGO - Nikolai Khabibulin had to wait nearly a year between shutouts. Chicago's star goalie finally got another one, making 38 saves to lead the Blackhawks to a 3-0 win over the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night.

WASHINGTON - For the second straight game, the New York Islanders overcame a two-goal deficit. For the second straight game, the Washington Capitals blew a two-goal lead.

NEWARK, N.J. - The New Jersey Devils have finally figured out how to win at home. The San Jose Sharks don't seem to remember how to win on the road.

Having snatched victory from the jaws of rationality, our sense of dazed disbelief is unlikely ever to leave any of us.

More startling, veteran satellite-watcher AT says, is where the debris cloud will go. "To my considerable surprise, it's on an ascending pass that will take the debris cloud across central Canada a few minutes later.

The United States and Canada should forget arguments over who owns the Northwest Passage and instead jointly manage Arctic waters, academics and former diplomats from both sides urge in a new report.

OTTAWA - The Harper government will unveil a new motion Thursday aimed at bridging the remaining gap between the Conservatives and Liberals over the fate of Canada's military mission in Afghanistan.

Stephen Harper's Conservatives have gained their strongest lead over the Liberals since first taking power in 2006, and have edged ahead in support on almost every key issue, according to a new Strategic Counsel poll.

The U.S. military said late Wednesday it had successfully fired a missile at an out-of-control satellite, in a move to prevent a tank of hazardous fuel from hitting the Earth

The Queen's place in Canada is going to trial, as Ottawa failed to stop a Charter challenge of the citizenship oath to the monarch.

RCMP officials believe there is a 25 per cent chance an out-of-control satellite will hit Canada and release toxic rocket fuel, unless the U.S. military can shoot it down, CTV News has learned.

Steel yourself to watch those digits on the gasoline pump tick over at high speed - once again a host of factors global and local are conspiring to push prices well over the loonie-a-litre mark

Soaring wheat prices have Canadian bakeries struggling, farmers rejoicing and customers digging deeper at the till to pay for their bread and pasta purchases.

Treasure hunters claim to have found two tonnes of looted Nazi gold, which they believe to be part of the Amber Room, a chamber of such elaborate beauty that it has been called the eighth wonder of the world.

New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg yesterday alleged 'fraud' in the unofficial count of New York City's votes - which left Obama with zero votes in 80 election districts.

A South Carolina man is thankful for a DVD that ended up taking a bullet for him

Firefighters are still hosing down the remains of a smouldering city block after an early-morning fire that raged for hours on Queen St. W.

I am saying that I will neither aspire to nor accept, I repeat, I will neither aspire to nor accept the positions of President of the State Council and Commander in Chief.

If you remember its origins, folks, you are a senior of the universe

The rate of gun crimes in Canada is holding steady but the number of young people using guns in violent crimes is still on the rise, according to new numbers from Statistics Canada.

The concluding pose of any yoga practice, Corpse pose allows the body to relax and absorb the benefits of the physical practice and the mind to experience the peaceful meditation that is the goal of all yoga.

Not far from Alliston, where pavement gives way to gravel-covered side roads and houses are separated by fields not yards, the storage shed covered in corrugated steel is unremarkable save for its contents.

A popular Chinatown restaurant has gotten the green pass to reopen after it was shut down when a passerby snapped a photo through the front window of rats climbing and feasting on countertops used for cooking.

His nickname was "Mouse" but there was nothing timid about Mickey Renaud. A strapping lad at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, the Windsor Spitfires captain had all the makings of a sure-fire NHLer.

Clear skies are expected over the GTA tonight for a total eclipse of the moon.

WINDSOR, Ont. - The sudden unexplained death of a teenaged hockey captain described as a well loved leader with a ''goofy smile'' stunned the hockey world Tuesday and left his team reeling.

MONTREAL - The Montreal Canadiens were shaking with excitement after the biggest regular season comeback in team history.

Kiprusoff stopped 24 shots and Dion Phaneuf and Jarome Iginla each scored two goals to lead the Calgary Flames to a 4-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday night.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Even in its seventh NHL season, the Vancouver Canucks' brother act is still drawing raves.

OTTAWA - The Ottawa Senators have registered their share of victories this season - but few have been as important as the one they earned Tuesday night.

TORONTO - Buried beneath the endless trade rumours and the doom and gloom of what appears to be a lost season is the fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs have been getting some good results from unlikely places.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - One-goal decisions are becoming all too common for the Nashville Predators.

PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins seem to save their best for last. Ryan Malone scored twice in the final 3:20 as the Penguins erased a two-goal deficit in the third period for a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.

RALEIGH, N.C. - Boston coach Claude Julien listed David Krejci as his No. 3 skater for the shootout, just like before. This time, it lasted long enough for Krejci's turn - and he made the most of his chance.

ST. LOUIS - After struggling most of the season, the St. Louis Blues' power play has been potent the past two games.

A new generation of free-standing turbines will liberate hydroelectricity from its dependence on dams

UNICEF Team Canada brings home a triumphant three gold medals and one bronze medal out of the four team disciplines at the 2008 Equestrian Skill-at-Arms Championships held in India

Gasoline prices up by 2.41 cents a litre on July 1; reduce tax impact by using less fuel, says finance minister

CANBERRA, Australia - Australia's 550 combat troops based in southern Iraq should be withdrawn, the country's defence chief said Wednesday.

WASHINGTON -- An attempt to blast a crippled U.S. spy satellite out of the sky using a Navy heat-seeking missile -- possibly on Wednesday night -- would be the first real-world use of this piece of the Pentagon's missile defence network. But that is not

Fans of celestial shows have a good reason to stay up Wednesday night. Astronomers say the night will feature the last total lunar eclipse until 2010.

Daniel Sedin scored in overtime to give the visiting Vancouver Canucks a 3-2 road win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.

OTTAWA - Canada plans to buy a handful of older, surplus German tanks to cannibalize for spare parts to keep its combat forces on the move in Afghanistan, say defence industry sources.

Shocking police station video of an argumentative woman who ended up unconscious in a pool of her own blood with two black eyes, a broken nose and broken teeth did not lead to criminal charges against the cop after officials claimed the woman "fell over.

A U.S. policy requiring luggage arriving from Canada to be rescreened is so tangled in red tape that it's causing people to miss connections and is responsible for the loss or delay of as many as 100,000 bags annually, experts warn.

The four-year-old son of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin wasn't at all alarmed when he was recently bitten by a baby boa constrictor, according to his mother.