Epic console combat with Super Smash Bros. Brawl

After lengthy delays, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is finally hitting stores.

The much-anticipated fighting game for the Nintendo Wii may have been originally due pre-Christmas but but the wait has been worth it.

In multiplayer up to four people can battle each other either in person or over the Internet.

“If you’re a Nintendo fanboy this game has so much packed into it, things that you’d appreciate if you’d been a Nintendo fan. Some of the weapons that pop up, some of the music that pops up and some of the backgrounds in the stages will really impress some people who are in the know”.

Tough new green plan targets oil sands

OTTAWA — Ottawa will unveil new climate-change regulations this week that would force new oil sands projects and coal-fired electricity plants to capture and store the bulk of their greenhouse gases rather than spew them into the air.

The new rules are part of Environment Minister John Baird’s plan to regulate 17 key industrial sectors, which include manufacturers of pulp and paper, cement and chemicals, as well as producers of mineral products like steel, aluminum and iron ore, among others.

“There’s no doubt we’re asking a lot of industry and a lot of Canadians but we believe Canadians are up to the challenge,” Mr. Baird said Sunday.

Successes despite the meltdown

Given the meltdown all markets have experienced over the past nine weeks, the year ended Dec. 31, 2007, seems like a lifetime away. But for those who manage money on a professional basis, the annual performance numbers bring some accolades and a warm smile to their clients.

API Asset Performance, a pension fund consulting firm, has compiled the 2007 top performers among the 653 funds in its pooled database:

Balanced Funds. The fund run by MFC Global returned 11.78% last year. MFC Global’s fund was the top performer over three years (average compound gain of 14.63%) and second-best over five years with a 14.90% gain.

Late-season storm plays havoc in the East

MONTREAL —

Like a swaggering house guest that refuses to leave, winter unleashed a vicious late-season storm upon Eastern Canada over the weekend, stranding thousands of March break travellers and testing the limits of a weather-weary nation’s endurance.

Across Quebec, the Maritimes and Southern Ontario, abundant snow and violent winds caused road accidents and travel disruptions as Canadians seeking a respite from winter ended up camping out in airport terminals instead.