News for Youse: Metro finances improve, caterpillars can kill, and Arab assets were frozen

Search continues None of the four missing people have been recovered following last week's mudslide in the Kootenays community of Johnson's Landing, but search operations will continue today.

Metro finances A report going to the Metro Vancouver finance committee this week reveals that the regional district and housing corporation are projecting a combined surplus of $24.5 million in 2012, mainly because of the deferral of projects, lower-than-budgeted expenditures in water and liquid-waste operations, and higher-than-expected revenue in solid-waste operations.

Saving sharks A motion will go before the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in September calling on the B.C. government to impose a provincial ban on shark fin soup.

Caterpillar illness A horse is seriously ill in a Central Saanich animal hospital after it was believed to have eaten tent caterpillars, which have been linked to health problems among horses in the United States.

Harper's corporatism A leading alternative journalist who used to work for the New York Times, Chris Hedges, told the Straight that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is "a pretty venal figure" who is "the kind of species that rises to political power and is utterly subservient to corporate interests at the expense of the citizenry". For more, go here.

Billions frozen The Canadian Press has reported that in response to the Arab Spring, the RCMP worked with various federal agencies and Canadian banks to freeze $4.3 billion in assets suspected of being controlled by Arab dictators and allegedy corrupt officials.

Beach volleyball The Vancouver Open Pro Beach Volleyball Tournament went off without a hitch at Kitsilano Beach.