Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - November 8, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press wednesday november 8, 2006 world a13 Canadian flights goods reduce new user fees senator urges by Beth Gorham w Ashington ? the Republican head of the Senate Home land Security committee wants . Officials to reduce new user fees on Canadian commercial flights and goods shipments that Are supposed to kick in this month. In a letter this week to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns Maine senator Susan Collins complained that the fees could seriously harm Cross Border Trade. Proposed in August As an emergency measure the fees would Start nov. 24 and Are intended to fund random . Inspections of Canadian goods to control pests disease and Bio terrorism. Canada has demanded that the fees be dropped saying the risks have been exaggerated and the charges Are too Steep. Security threats have to be balanced against the unique trading relation ship with Canada and bilateral safety co operation that already exists said Collins. She was not up for re election in tues Days midterm elections but would lose the top spot on the influential Senate committee if democrats win majority in the upper House. Last year Trade Between Maine and Canada was at $3.9 billion. Many Maine businesses depend for their survival on the timely importation of products from Canada wrote Collins. Around the world blast kills nato Soldier Kabul ? an explosive device struck a nato patrol vehicle in Southern Afghanistan killing one Soldier and wounding two others the Alliance said in a statement. The blast occurred in Panjwani District of the Southern Kandahar province on monday the statement said. The nationality of the dead and wounded soldiers was not disclosed. There Are some 2,300 Canadian sol Diers deployed in Afghanistan most serving in Kandahar province. I be changed Ortega Managua Nicaragua ? Daniel Ortega says he a not the same revolution Ary the United states once tried to overthrow. The sandinista Leader won his fifth bid for the presidency preaching har Mony love and reconciliation often with John Lennon a give peace a Chance playing in the background. Stem cloning ban vote Canberra Australia ? Australia a Senate narrowly voted tuesday to lift the country a ban on cloning human embryos for Stem cell research. The Bill approved 34-32, would relax rules on Stem cell research and allow therapeutic cloning of embryos for medical research. The House of representatives still needs to pass the Bill before it becomes Law but legislators had expected the Senate to pose the biggest hurdle. Serpent handling death London Kentucky ? a woman died after being bitten by a Snake during a Serpent handling service at Church police said. Linda Long 48, of London ky., died sunday at University of Kentucky medical Center Brad Mitchell a detective with the Laurel county Sher Iff a office said tuesday. Israel ends Gaza offensive beit Hanoun Gaza strip ? israeli forces ended a we Klong offensive tuesday aimed at halting rocket attacks from this Northern Gaza town leaving behind wrecked Homes uprooted Trees and sewage covered streets. But hours after the pullback the palestinian rocket fire resumed. Israel kept up its onslaught from out Side beit Hanoun killing 10 palestini ans in air strikes gunfire and tank shelling. Al Aida claims attack bid Cairo Egypt ? Al Aida has purport edly claimed responsibility for attempted suicide attacks on two Oil installations in Yemen including one belonging to a Calgary based company and vowed More strikes against the United states and its allies according to a statement posted on the internet. Let the americans and their allies. Know that these operations Are Only the first spark and that what is coming is More severe and bitter the state ment said. ? from the news services delays in receiving inventories and supplies through a poorly managed inspection regime could do serious harm to these As Well she said the user fees will act As a tax raising costs and harming the competitiveness of . Companies. It does to make sense she wrote to subject All commercial shipments to inspections and user fees regardless of whether they include agricultural products. The inspections should be targeted to shipments most Likely to present a risk. I urge you to consider whether the user fees can be assessed Only on Agri cultural shipments wrote Collins. I also am concerned that this policy May exceed the capacity of land Border ports of entry like the one in Calais new York representative Lousie Slaughter a Democrat has also objected to Blanket user fees on All Canadian com Mercial vehicles when fewer than 20 per cent of them carry agricultural products. . Officials have invited Public com ments on their plans to increase random inspections on fruits vegetables and other goods crossing the Border. Commercial aircraft arriving in the United states from Canada would have to pay a fee of us$70.25, trucks $5.25 per crossing or $105 for the year loaded rail cars $7.50 and commercial vessels $488. Many of the fees would increase in the next fiscal year. ? Canadian press Japan a deadliest Tornado kills 9 and offices. Many of the victims were construct by Kozo Mizoguchi the Tornado which knocked out Tion workers building a Tunnel near the electricity and flipped Over cars in the town officials said. Tokyo ? a Tornado ripped through a town of Sarcoma on the Northern Island according to the Central meteor Northern japanese town on tuesday of hokkaido was the deadliest Torna logical Agency the worst Tornado pre killing at least nine people and injuring do on record in Japan. Piously recorded in Japan was just two 25 More officials said. Several hours local television showed a scene of months ago when three people were after the twister two people were devastation with a wide Swath of col killed on the Southern Island of missing and believed to be trapped lapsed buildings badly damaged cars Kyushu. Under the rubble of flattened Homes and Utility poles strewn across streets. ? associated press ;