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Swine flu
Six-year-old girl dies in Ontario

TORONTO - A six-year-old girl from Peel Region west of Toronto has become the 14th Canadian to die after contracting swine flu, but officials were unsure Monday what role the H1N1 virus played in her death. Authorities are not releasing the name of the girl, who is believed to be the youngest person in Canada with the virus to have died. Public health officials said the girl showed the usual symptoms of a flu - coughing and fever - on June 14, and died the next day without having been admitted to hospital. The coroner's office is still investigating the cause of the six-year-old's death, said Dr. Arlene King, Ontario's chief medical officer of health.

Nuclear safety

Possible pipe leaks worry watchdog

OTTAWA - Canada's nuclear-safety watchdog is worried tubes carrying radioactive water in nuclear power plants could rupture and shut down reactors. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission plans to simulate breaches inside giant boilers to better understand what would happen if the pipes burst. The boilers - called steam generators - use heat from the nuclear reactor core to convert water into steam, which is then fed into a turbine to generate electricity. Steam generators in Candu reactors are shaped like light bulbs filled with thousands of tubes held in place with supports. But the safety commission warns the tubes can rub against the supports and wear away over time.

Politics

N.S. Tory leader departing: paper

HALIFAX - Rodney MacDonald is expected to step down as Nova Scotia Conservative leader in the next few days. The Halifax Chronicle Herald is reporting that MacDonald will depart as leader during either a party dinner Tuesday night or during a caucus meeting Wednesday. As for MacDonald's replacement, the newspaper says Yarmouth Richard Hurlburt appears to be the front-runner as interim leader. One source told the Chronicle Herald that Hurlburt has been lobbying hard for the post. Another name that has been floated as a candidate is Cumberland South candidate Murray Scott. The interim leader is chosen by the Tory members of the legislature and the decision is then ratified by the party executive.

Newfoundland

Man dies onboard Air France flight

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - An Air France jet had to make an emergency stop in St. John's, N.L., overnight after a passenger died onboard. The plane was on its way to Paris from Montreal when a 41-year-old man became sick and died. The flight touched down at about 2 a.m. today at the St. John's International Airport, where the man's body was taken off. Newfoundland medical examiners are now investigating the man's cause of death. Police have not released the man's identity.

Aboriginal health

Manitoba provides swine flu training

WINNIPEG - A three-day training session in Winnipeg aims to give aboriginal communities more tools to deal with swine flu. Staff from about 30 First Nations are learning how to communicate effectively with residents during a pandemic. They're also learning how to mobilize a community and gather resources and supplies. Health agencies say the illness may become more severe this fall during regular flu season. Dozens of people from several Manitoba First Nations have been taken to Winnipeg hospitals for treatment.