A-List Investor Warren Buffett Questions Keystone XL Project Delay

Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett gestures during an interview with Liz Claman on the Fox Business Network in Omaha, Neb, May 5, 2014. CP

The Keystone XL pipeline got an emphatic endorsement Monday from a powerful backer of President Barack Obama who questioned the handling of the file.

To billionaire investor Warren Buffett, the delay is a thumbing of the nose at Canada.

"I would have passed Keystone," Buffett said in an interview with CNBC.

"I think that we have an enormous interest in working with Canada, as they have in working with us. That oil is going to get sold. If we make it more difficult for them, who knows how they'll feel about making things more difficult for us someday."

Pop Singer Chris Brown Denied Entry To Canada Again

The Canadian government denied Chris Brown entry into the country just hours before a scheduled performance. Chris took to Twitter to announce to fans...in a dignified manner. He tweeted;

"Unfortunately I will not be able to perform in front of sold out crowds in Montreal & Toronto. The good people of the Canadian government wouldn't allow me entry. I'll be back this summer and will hopefully see all my Canadian fans!"

Chris was scheduled to perform in Montreal and Toronto. And fans had already bought tickets. Die hard Chris Brown fans are now asking the US govt to ban Justin Bieber - who is Canadian - from entry into the US. According to TMZ, Canadian law dictates a person could be "criminally inadmissible" if they have been convicted of a crime involving assault.

Liberals Bid to make O Canada lyrics gender neutral opposed by Conservatives

Liberal MP Mauril Belanger wants to make the English lyrics of Canada's national anthem gender neutral by replacing the reference to "all our sons" with "all of us." (Holly Caruk/CBC)

CBC
A Liberal backbencher's bid to make O Canada more gender neutral by replacing the reference to "all thy sons" with "all of us" in the English lyrics seems set for defeat after several Conservative MPs — including the parliamentary secretary to the citizenship and immigration minister — spoke out against it during the opening round of debate on Monday morning.

In an impassioned address to a sparsely populated House of Commons, Ottawa Vanier Liberal MP Mauril Belanger argued that the change was not just necessary, but overdue.

"There are many reasons we would want to sing "in all of us command,'" he noted.

Convicted murderer Luka Magnotta to drop his appeal

CBC
Convicted murderer Luka Magnotta will withdraw his applications for an appeal, according to Radio-Canada.

He has asked to be present in the Court of Appeal tomorrow morning via video conference.

A jury in Montreal found the 32-year-old guilty of first-degree murder, committing an indignity to a body, publishing obscene material, mailing obscene material and criminal harassment in December.

Magnotta admitted to committing the acts, but his lawyer argued he should have been found not criminally responsible because of mental health issues.

Egypt court orders release of Canadian Egyptian journalist Mohammed Fahmy on bail

A court in Egypt has ordered the release on bail of two al-Jazeera English journalists, Mohammed Fahmy and Baher Mohammed who were arrested in December 2013 and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment in June 2014 on allegations of helping banned Muslim Brotherhood and spreading false information about the Egyptian government.

Mohammed Fahmy, a Canadian/Egyptian journalist must pay 250,000 Egyptian pounds (around £21,000) for his freedom while his colleague, Baher Mohamed, an Egyptian, will not pay anything.

The two journalist were arrested and tried alongside their Australian colleague, Peter Greste, who was deported back to his home country Australia on February 1st after the Egyptian government came up with a law allowing the deportation of foreign nationals to their home countries

Congress set to pass bill approving Keystone

Dina Cappiello The Associated PressThe United States Congress approved a bill Wednesday to construct the privately funded Canadian Keystone XL oil pipeline project, setting up a confrontation with President Barack Obama, who has threatened to veto the measure.

The House voted 270-152 to send the bill to the president, endorsing changes made by the Senate that stated climate change was real and not a hoax, and oilsands should no longer be exempt from a tax used to cleanup oil spills. Only one Republican voted against the measure.

But neither chamber has enough support to overcome a veto, and supporters were already strategizing on how to secure the pipeline’s approval using other legislative means.

Seth Rogen Took To Twitter To Clear The Air On His Controversial ‘American Sniper’ Comments

Seth Rogen/Getty

Canadian actor and comedian Seth Rogen took to twitter to explain his controversial ‘American Sniper’ comments. In a followup to yesterday’s story about Seth Rogen’s comments about American Sniper — namely how the movie reminded him of the fake Nazi propaganda film in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds. He took to twitter to clear the air after backlash from media;

President Obama In New #Stateoftheunion Address Vows Equality Over Hostility

Barack Obama sought to rally a hostile Congress behind an uncompromising vision of a more equal America on Wednesday in a State of the Union address remarkable for its broad appeal for national unity – if rather less memorable for its new policy proposals. President affirms ‘We are still one people’ in speech aiming to appeal to divided Congress with persistent vision for American middle class. Watch full video below;

Seems Canada Can't Do Anything To Stop Keystone XL Pipeline Project Oppositions

Alexander Panetta, The Canadian Press
The American environmental organizations fighting the Keystone XL pipeline say there's no climate-change plan Canada could possibly adopt that would make them back down.

Multiple groups contacted this week dismissed an idea often heard in Canada — that a more ambitious climate policy by the federal government might have influenced the Keystone outcome.

They said there's no carbon tax too high, cap-and-trade ceiling too low, or climate plan too punishing on greenhouse-gas emissions that would have changed their opposition to that pipeline.

"Inconceivable. Would never happen," said Jason Kowalski, the U.S. policy director for 350.org, one of the groups that helped turn a Nebraska land dispute into a national debate over climate change.

They're now awaiting the final outcome of the six-year Keystone saga — and these green groups are extremely optimistic they're on the verge of victory.

British PM says Pope Francis is wrong to say people who mock Islam should 'expect a punch'

UK Prime Minster David Cameron doesn't approve of the comment Pope Francis made following the Charlie Hebdo massacre. Speaking about freedom of expression and its limit, the Pope said 'you cannot insult the faith of others and if you do, you can expect a punch'.

But opposing what the Pope said, Cameron said freedom of speech is important in an open society;

'I think in a free society, there is a right to cause offence about someone's religion. I'm a Christian; if someone says something offensive about Jesus, I might find that offensive, but in a free society I don't have a right to wreak vengeance on them. We have to accept that newspapers, magazines, can publish things that are offensive to some, as long as it's within the law. That is what we should defend.'

Film academy president responds to #Oscarsowhite diversity firestorm

In this Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015 file photo, Chris Pine, left, and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs announce the Academy Awards nominees for best actor in a leading role at the 87th Academy Awards nomination ceremony in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP / Invision / Dan Steinberg)

Sandy Cohen, The Associated Press
Responding for the first time to the firestorm of criticism over the lack of diversity in this year's Oscar nominations, film academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs says the all-white acting slate inspires her to accelerate the academy's push to be more inclusive. She also hopes the film industry as a whole will continue to strive for greater diversity.

The first black president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences spoke out Friday night in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press about the Oscar nominations and the widespread criticism that followed.

All 20 of this year's acting contenders are white and there are no women in the directing or writing categories. After the nominations were announced Thursday morning, the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite started trending on Twitter.

Church of Mormon wins fight with BC polygamous leader

James Keller  The Canadian PressA religious leader in a small polygamous commune in southeastern British Columbia has been forbidden from using trademarks belonging to the Mormon church, which has long condemned such fundamentalist splinter groups that continue to practise multiple marriage.

The Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court last year after learning Winston Blackmore had registered the corporate name Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Inc. in the province.

Blackmore, who was charged last year with practising polygamy, is one of the leaders of Bountiful, a community whose residents follow a fundamentalist form of Mormonism that condones polygamy.

The mainstream Mormon church renounced polygamy more than a century ago and it has taken pains to make it clear it is not connected to Bountiful or a number of similar groups in the United States.

LA Clippers star Matt Barnes goes ballistic over estranged wife's risqué photo

Earlier this week LA Clippers star Matt Barnes took a shot at his estranged wife Gloria Govan after she attended a movie premiere looking all sexy. A day later, Gloria's sister Laura posted a behind the scenes look at their latest photo shoot, where the two sisters were topless. Matt appeared in the comment section and went off...

Actress Raven-Symoné steps out on the red carpet with her girlfriend

Controversial actress and former Cosby Show star Raven-Symoné stepped out arm-in-arm for the first time on the red carpet with her girlfriend model AzMarie Livingston at the premiere of new series Empire in Hollywood yesterday.  See more pics from the premiere after the cut...

Lebanese star sparked outrage in the Middle East after she's ranked porn queen

Mia has been receiving death threats from Lebanon, Iraq and even Palestine after she was voted one of the world’s most popular adult actresses. Thankfully, she lives in Miami, USA, away from people who could really harm her.

"Doesn’t the Middle East have more important things to worry about besides me? How about finding a president? Or containing ISIS?" she tweeted after getting threats

Middle Eastern people are so mad at her that a few have threatened to fly to the US, haunt her down and kill her because she's bringing 'disgrace to her religion'. On her instagram page, one follower wrote "I am a Palestinian patriot and what you are doing is shameful” Another went as far as to write: “Your head will be cut soon inshallah”. See the interesting tweets and her pics after the cut...

One Direction Harry Styles' shocking sexual comments on mate's page that's got fans talking

One Direction singer Harry Styles made a shocking sexual comment on band mate Niall Horan's instagram photo that sent their fans into meltdown on social media. Niall posted this selfie with his tongue out on his instagram page and Harry posted a jaw dropping sexual comment under the photo. Harry wrote "Can I sit on your face?" then added "Please?".

Fans had to wonder if the 20 year old had been hacked or if it was a fake account...but Harry wasn't hacked and it's his real account. He was just being naughty. 1D fans have been talking about it all day

Canadian Gay Couple Becomes First To Be Married In Mennonite Church

Craig Friesen, left, and Matt Wiens, right, were married by the pastors of Nutana Mennonite Church (where they currently attend) in Osler Mennonite Church, the church Friesen grew up attending. (Rachel Bergen/CBC News)

Rachel Bergen, CBC News
New Year's Eve is a special time for many, and for Craig Friesen and Matt Wiens, it was especially meaningful.

The Saskatoon couple was married on Dec. 31 in Osler, Sask., in the presence of family, friends and the church community.

The men's wedding marks a point in history for the Mennonite denomination in Canada. Friesen and Wiens are the first same-sex couple publicly married in a Canadian Mennonite church.

"Our relationship doesn't feel different, but our relationship with our community and with our faith has changed at least a little bit. It was really beautiful and freeing," Friesen said.

Friesen and Wiens are hopeful other LGBT Mennonites will learn from their example that they don't have to choose between their faith and their sexuality.

"Historically, the church has been oppressive to the queer community," Wiens said.

Jian Ghomeshi Scandal Have Two CBC Managers Taking Leave From Work

Workers remove a giant photo of former CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi from a wall in the corporation's Toronto offices. (CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young)

Lauren Strapagiel Canada.com
Two managers who were involved in the departure of disgraced radio host Jian Ghomeshi from the CBC are taking leaves of absence, according to the national broadcaster.

The CBC tweeted Monday afternoon that Todd Spencer, head of human resources, and Chris Boyce, executive director of radio and audio are taking leave, but provided no other details.

Sarah Palin Facebook Photos Of Son Stepping On Dog Trigger Online Outrage

Reuters
Facebook photos posted by Sarah Palin showing her son Trig using the family dog as a step stool unleashed online fury on Friday reminiscent of the public reaction to the disclosure that Mitt Romney had once driven with his dog strapped on the car's roof.

Trig, 6, who has Down Syndrome, is shown stepping on the back of the family's black Labrador while it lies on the kitchen floor in order to reach the sink. The dog appears unruffled.

The Facebook post by Palin, who was the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2008, drew more than 12,000 comments by midday Friday, ranging from cries of animal abuse to those seconding Palin's praise for the youngest of her five children.

"May 2015 see every stumbling block turned into a stepping stone on the path forward," Palin wrote on her Facebook page.

"Trig just reminded me. He, determined to help wash dishes with an oblivious mama not acknowledging his signs for 'up!', found me and a lazy dog blocking his way. He made his stepping stone," Palin wrote.

Singer Madonna defends altered photos of MLK On Album Art

Martin Luther King Jr., left, in an image Photoshopped to resemble Madonna's album art, right.

The Associated Press
Madonna is defending herself against criticism after she posted Instagram photos of Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela that were altered to look like her own image on her new album.

Madonna’s cover for the album “Rebel Heart” is a closeup of her face with black string on it. Her social media posts show the faces of King and Mandela doctored to make it appear as though they have similar string on their faces. Some consider the posts offensive.

In a statement released late Friday night, Madonna said she was not comparing herself to them but acknowledging that they were rebels. She also said the images were fan-generated and defended herself against claims of racism, adding she also posted other famous faces who were not black.