March 9, 2009

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WORLD

THE END OF DEMOCRACY?

EARLIER THIS MONTH a Russian court acquitted three men accused of involvement in the 2006 murder of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Politkovskaya’s writing had exposed Russian human rights abuses in Chechnya, and she had been detained on occasion by the Russian military as a result. By MICHAEL PETROU

NATIONAL

A WARM WELCOME IN OTTAWA

Nothing about a presidential trip is left to chance. When Barack Obama visited Ottawa, even the brief break set aside for him to talk privately with his officials, and perhaps touch base with Washington before his final news conference with Stephen Harper, was meticulously planned.

MAIL BAG

I’M HAPPY TO see the Americans finally get a President who wants to bring utopia to the world. This will be a volumetric, demanding task to be achieved through persistence and patience, demanding global co-operation. However, in your article “Canada’s love affair with Barack Obama” (National, Feb. 23), your poll suggested that Canadian respondents were more than 50 per cent in favour of Obama’s economic and environmental programs—though I would strongly suggest that fewer than 50 per cent could tell you what those programs are.

THE BACK PAGES

V.I.P. WHISTLER

The stream of rich and famous pouring into Whistler, B.C., widens each year. Often, there's no warning for the ski guides and vacation planners who host the big names. Ben Thomas was taken aback when British singer-songwriter Seal phoned him. By JULIA MCKINNELL

JUSTICE

HOW TO PAY FOR SOME JUSTICE

Karen Fallis works on the assembly line at the Chrysler plant in Brampton, Ont., bolting on seat belts and “doing the same thing 500 times a day.” A single mother with two kids, her free time— not to mention disposable income—is in short supply. By KATE LUNAU

BUSINESS

MAKING BAD TIMES GOOD

In hard economic times like these, most of us live in fear of getting laid off. But when Rick Geister got his pink slip he saw it as a lucky break. For the past 15 years, the 40-year-old had toiled away at the auto parts company Kitchener Frame, first as a welder, then for seven years as a quality control inspector. By COLIN CAMPBELL

INTERVIEW

Q We're going to talk about Oscar and the movies, so let’s start with Slumdog Millionaire. Did you see it? Did you like it? A: I sure did. All of the above. I liked the fact that that movie could have been set anywhere and still been a fantastic film.

BUSINESS

ATTACK OF THE CONDO CRATERS

In 2007, when developers announced that a flashy new 80-storey condo, dubbed simply 1 Bloor, would rise at Toronto’s Yonge and Bloor intersection—arguably the most prestigious address in Canada—it sent the city into a frenzy. Buyers lined up in the rain for days, one promoter dubbed the site “the Manhattan of Toronto,” and realtors warned potential purchasers that if they didn’t get in now, they may never own a place downtown. By JASON KIRBY

7 DAYS

NEWSMAKERS

Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton travelled to East Asia on her first “listening” tour of the region, part of a long-term plan to improve America’s reputation in the world. On Wednesday, dressed in a navy blue pantsuit with white piping, a cheerful Clinton sat on a stool beside the two young hosts of a popular Indonesian talk show for teens called Dahsyat (which means “awesome”).

BUSINESS

ECONO WATCH

As they have so often over the past few months, General Motors and Chrysler— the two most troubled of Detroit’s automakers—were at centre stage of the economy this week. The two companies outlined their plans for survival, which include a request for close to US$56 billion in emergency government aid. By STEVE MAICH

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