Lokalne Vesti - Vancouver, BC

Mickelson surges into tie for lead in Houston
HUMBLE, Texas - Phil Mickelson finished a 7-under 65 early Friday to move into contention at the rain-delayed Houston Open.

New 'Game of Thrones' might surprise readers
TORONTO - Readers who have devoured all the books in George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" fantasy series may be surprised by some of the plot twists on TV's "Game of Thrones" in season 2 and beyond, says star Michelle Fairley, who plays Catelyn Stark.

Oh baby! Great-grandchild for Queen Elizabeth II
LONDON - Buckingham Palace says Peter Phillips and his wife, Autumn, have had a baby girl — giving Queen Elizabeth II her second great-grandchild.

Fla. prosecutor drops Manny Ramirez battery charge
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A Florida prosecutor has dismissed a misdemeanour domestic battery charge against baseball star Manny Ramirez because his wife won't co-operate in the investigation.

Jerry Lee Lewis weds for 7th time in Mississippi
NATCHEZ, Miss. - Jerry Lee Lewis has wed for the seventh time in a ceremony this month in Mississippi, according to a newspaper report.

Motorist dressed as Batman escapes ticket in US
ROCKVILLE, Md. - Police in the U.S. pulled over a motorist dressed as Batman, but the caped crusader escaped — legally — without a ticket.

Man charged with impaired driving after crash
HEATHERTON, N.S. - A 61-year-old man is facing charges of impaired driving after a crash in northern Nova Scotia involving a sport utility vehicle and a tractor trailer.

US museum puts prolific forger's works on display
CINCINNATI - Fool me once, the saying goes. But 50 times? That's what a convincing art forger did for nearly three decades when he donated his copies of Picassos and other works of art to unsuspecting U.S. museums in 20 states.

Fleurette Kids Transpo back on track with limo licence
Perseverance and determination finally paid off for Fleurette Tharat Thursday after the city handed her a limousine licence.  

Alberta premier suspends transition payments
EDMONTON - After getting battered for weeks over gold-plated goodbyes to politicians and pay to committee members who don't meet, Alberta Premier Alison Redford has declared an unconditional surrender.

Smithsonian opens Civil War art from North, South
WASHINGTON - The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery is opening two new exhibits that retrace the history of the Civil War, including a display of lesser known portraits by photographer Mathew Brady.

Budget highlights: Retirement, penny's end
OTTAWA - Highlights from the Conservative government's 2012 budget, released Thursday:

Next Canadiens GM faces many challenges
BROSSARD, Que. - Whoever takes over as the next GM of the Montreal Canadiens faces a long list of challenges — and even heavier expectations.

Governor General to be taxed - sort of
OTTAWA - How do you pay income tax without actually losing any salary to the Canada Revenue Agency?

Polar bear killed after house break-in
GOOSE COVE, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR, - Fifty-five-year-old Louis Reardon got the shock of his life early Thursday when he leapt out of bed to his son's cries of "Polar bear!" as a large male bear broke into their home in northern Newfoundland.

Shell gets injunction for Arctic drill ships
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A federal judge has ordered representatives of Greenpeace USA to stay a kilometre away from Shell Oil's drilling vessels destined for Arctic Ocean waters off Alaska's northern shores.

Supreme court won't hear Drabinsky's appeal
TORONTO - It wasn't the finale Garth Drabinsky would have scripted. The Supreme Court lowered the curtain on his long-running legal drama Thursday, leaving the former head of Livent Inc. to serve out his fraud sentence behind bars.

Box Office Preview: 'Hunger' back for seconds
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Lionsgate's "Hunger Games" will devour the debuting "Wrath of the Titans" this weekend as it continues to gorge on box-office megabucks with an expected domestic take of at least $60 million and a potential 10-day total approaching $250 million by Sunday night.

Industrial index up, raw materials down
OTTAWA - Higher prices for petroleum and coal products and primary metals pushed the Industrial Product Price Index up slightly in February, while a drop in the price of mineral fuels caused the Raw Materials Price Index to decline.

‘Walkable’ cities are better for health: Study
Toronto enjoys a reputation for being a city of walkable neighbourhoods. But a landmark report for the Toronto Board of Health offers fresh evidence that residents who have the most to gain from living within strolling distance of shops and services frequently live in the city’s least walkable areas.