News for Youse: B.C. fish in trouble, BlackBerry for sale, and Pamela Wallin expenses to be made public

Skeena sockeye returns hit historic low  Authorities have issued unprecedented fishery closures for B.C.’s Skeena River system. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has said sockeye salmon returns are so low that First Nations fisheries on Babine Lake and Babine River cannot continue with normal operations.

Disease killing herring  Biologist Alexandra Morton has warned a disease is causing B.C. herring to hemorrhage and bleed to death. Salmon populations are also affected as they feed on herring. On her website, Morton wrote that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has said it is investigating the matter.

Sustainable tower on the way  Vancouver is expected to soon serve as the home of the world’s tallest sustainable office tower. The city has issued a development permit for the corner of Howe and Pender streets for a $200-million project designed by Harry Gugger, the architect behind Beijing’s Bird Nest Stadium.

Breathalyzer report ruled inadmissible  The B.C. Supreme Court has ruled that a federal government report on the accuracy of breathalyzer equipment is inadmissible in cases reviewing roadside driving bans. Legal analysts are speculating that the decision will likely result in more appeals of drunk driving charges.

Hot Springs fire under control  Authorities say they have contained a forest fire burning near the B.C. tourist destination of Harrison Hot Springs. A Coastal Fire Centre Information officer told CKNW that firefighters hope to have the blaze extinguished by tomorrow morning.

BlackBerry for sale  The Canadian telecommunications equipment firm BlackBerry Ltd is officially for sale. The troubled company formally known as Research In Motion or RIM has been steadily losing ground to Apple and Google for years. Yesterday (August 12), it announced it was exploring “strategic alternatives” that included the sale of its operations.

Wallin expenses information coming  The details of the expenses of Conservative Senator Pamela Wallin will soon be made public, CBC News has reported. An audit found that Wallin claimed as much as $140,000 in ineligible expenses. The former journalist has said she will repay the money with interest.

Pressure mounts on IOC  Calls continue to build for the International Olympic Committee to take a stand against anti-gay legislation in Russia, the country scheduled to host the Winter Olympics in 2014. The most recent in a string of homophobic laws passed by the Russian parliament bans “propaganda for non-traditional sexual relations”.

Clashes in Cairo  A new wave of violence is underway in Cairo as supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood refuse to end sit-ins and staged a march targeting the headquarters of Egypts interior ministry.  A police crackdown aimed at ending the sit-ins has been expected for several days now but so far has not occurred.

Oprah says she’s sorry  Oprah Winfrey has apologized for her initial reaction to an incident that occurred during a recent shopping trip she made in Switzerland. “I'm really sorry that it got blown up,” the former talk-show host told media yesterday. Winfrey previously complained about a Zurich store clerk refusing to show her a handbag, claiming that the item was too expensive for the billionaire to purchase.