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Politics

Cuban punk rocker to stand trial

HAVANA - Cuba has ordered jailed punk rocker Gorki Aguila, an outspoken critic of Fidel Castro and the communist government, to stand trail on Friday for "social dangerousness," a charge that could carry up to four years in prison. Authorities arrested the 39-year-old lead singer of the band Porno para Ricardo at his Havana home on Monday as he was working on a new album. Cuban law defines "social dangerousness" as behaviour contrary to "communist morality." The group is known for performing songs with angry lyrics that poke fun at or openly insult Fidel Castro and his brother Raul.

NDP leader to meet with PM Saturday

OTTAWA - It will probably be a very short meeting. NDP Leader Jack Layton has agreed to sit down with Stephen Harper on Saturday, but said he believes the prime minister has already decided to throw in the towel and call a fall election. There are several pieces of legislation, including bills on climate change and a national daycare strategy, that could form the basis of a fall agenda, but Layton said Harper has shown no interest in any of it. "He seems to be lining up to justify quitting on the job," Layton said in an interview Wednesday. Harper has sought meetings with all three opposition leaders to see whether they can agree on an agenda for the fall session of Parliament, scheduled to begin Sept. 15.

Quebec

Angry artists demo against cutbacks

MONTREAL - Hundreds of Quebec actors, dancers, writers and artists, including Jazz Festival co-founder Andre Menard and noted playwright Michel Tremblay, turned out for a demonstration organized by Culture Montreal and the Montreal arts council. The artists accuse the government of trying to "censor" artists and running counter to trends in the rest of the world. In the last few weeks, Ottawa announced nearly $45 million in cuts to financing for the arts in Canada, including the elimination or reduction of some programs judged crucial by the arts community.

Travel

Iraq plans to build giant Ferris wheel

BAGHDAD - Iraq is calling on companies to submit designs to build a giant Ferris wheel in Baghdad - the latest in a string of lavish proposals painting the capital as a leisure friendly city. A Baghdad municipal spokesman says the Ferris wheel, dubbed the Baghdad Eye, will soar more than 200 metres over the city. The wheel will have air-conditioned compartments that would each carry up to 30 passengers. Three possible locations in Baghdad have been selected, but officials are waiting to see what proposals are submitted before picking one.

Health

Scientists achieve the big switcheroo

NEW YORK - Talk about an extreme makeover: Scientists have transformed one type of cell into another in living mice, a big step toward the goal of growing replacement tissues to treat a variety of diseases. The cell identity switch turned ordinary pancreas cells into the rarer type that churns out insulin, essential for preventing diabetes. But its implications go beyond diabetes to a host of possibilities, scientists said. It's the second advance in about a year that suggests that someday doctors might be able to use a patient's own cells to treat disease or injury without turning to stem cells taken from embryos. The work is "a major leap" in reprogramming cells from one kind to another, said one expert not involved in the research, John Gearhart of the University of Pennsylvania.

Zimbabwe

Rivals fail to agree on government

HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe's opposition accused President Robert Mugabe of abandoning talks aimed at forming a unity government, and said Wednesday he would fail if he tried to rule alone. State media said Mugabe had announced Tuesday he was soon to form a new cabinet after concluding the opposition Movement for Democratic Change did not want to take part. Coalition negotiations have been deadlocked over how much control Mugabe should surrender. Opposition spokesman Nelson Chamisa said Wednesday the MDC remained committed to power-sharing talks.