Top News Advisory as of 6:15 p.m., Monday, Jan. 14, 2013

(Canadian Press DataFile Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) TOP NEWS ADVISORY 6:15 p.m.

Here are the latest Top News stories from The Canadian Press. All times are Eastern unless otherwise stated. Coverage plans are included when available. Entries are subject to change as news develops. Contact the National Desk at 416-507-2150.

TOP NEWS AT THIS HOUR B.C. judge strikes down human smuggling law Human-Smuggling VANCOUVER _ Canada's human smuggling law has been struck down by the British Columbia Supreme Court, leaving two high-profile prosecutions in limbo with a judge's advice that the federal government go back to the drawing board. The decision comes during the defence of four men accused of ferrying dozens of Tamil migrants to B.C.'s west coast in fall 2009. PHOTO. AUDIO.

___ AFN head Shawn Atleo taking medical leave Aboriginal-Protests OTTAWA _ The head of Canada's largest aboriginal organization, Shawn Atleo, is taking a sick leave in the midst of a political crisis. Atleo, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, says the toll of long meetings and frustrations over the past two weeks have caught up with him, and his doctor has ordered him to rest. PHOTO. AUDIO.

___ Canada sends C-17 to Mali to help France Cda-Mali OTTAWA _ Canada is contributing one of its large C-17 military cargo planes to deliver supplies to the capital of Mali after a request from France.But Prime Minister Stephen Harper insists no Canadian Forces personnel will be involved in any combat action in the landlocked West African country. PHOTO. AUDIO.

See also: AF-Mali-Fighting ___ It's not just flu, folks - multiple viruses making the rounds HealthMatters-Sick-Season HealthMatters - We're in the sick season. Several different viruses are attacking people across the country, clogging up emergency departments and creating the impression everyone has "the flu." In reality, what Canadians are seeing is a confluence of activity involving influenza viruses, noroviruses and a virus known as RSV. By Helen Branswell. PHOTO, GRAPHIC.

___ Not guilty verdicts in Nortel trial Nortel-Fraud-Trial TORONTO _ The former top brass at Nortel Networks felt "vindicated" Monday after being acquitted of fraud charges nearly a decade after they were accused of falsifiying financial records to trigger bonuses for themselves at the fallen technology giant.Ontario Superior Court Justice Frank Marrocco said he was "not satisfied" that ex-CEO Frank Dunn, ex-CFO Douglas Beatty and ex-controller Michael Gollogly had "deliberately misrepresented" the finances at the now-defunct telecom company in 2002 and 2003. PHOTO. AUDIO. VIDEO.

___ Give Sri Lankan justice her job back: Harper Cda-Sri-Lanka OTTAWA _ Canada appears one step closer to boycotting this year's Commonwealth leaders' summit with Prime Minister Stephen Harper bluntly calling on the Sri Lankan government to reinstate the country's fired chief justice.Harper has threatened to ignore the 54-country summit that Sri Lanka hosts later this year because he has serious concerns about the country's commitment to human rights and democracy since the country's long civil war ended in 2009. AUDIO.

___ Inquest 'best memorial' to Ashley Smith Ashley-Smith TORONTO _ The inquest into the death of a teenager who choked to death while prison guards videotaped the tragedy but did not intervene will serve as a memorial to her, the presiding coroner said Monday. As the long-awaited probe finally opened, Dr. John Carlisle told jurors the death of Ashley Smith was a tragedy that needs to inform the future. PHOTO. AUDIO. VIDEO.

___ Emotional testimony at soldier's sentencing Court-Martial-Watts CALGARY _ The stepsister of a soldier killed in a training accident in Afghanistan cried Monday at the sentencing of a Calgary reservist.Heather Middleton was one of six scheduled witnesses called by the prosecution to discuss the impact of the death of Cpl. Josh Baker and injuries to four others during a training accident in Afghanistan nearly three years ago. PHOTO. AUDIO.

___ Inquiry hears abuse report was not an emergency Daughter-Killed-Inquiry WINNIPEG _ Three months before little Phoenix Sinclair was beaten to death, social workers had a final chance to intervene.But a vague, second-hand tip that the girl was being abused was not treated as an emergency, the inquiry into Phoenix's death was told Monday. PHOTO. AUDIO. With Daughter-Killed-Inquiry-QuickFacts ___ Ottawa eyes biofuels for naval ships Navy-Biofuels OTTAWA _ Before Ottawa goes full steam ahead with an idea to power navy ships with biofuels, it wants to know if the cost of doing so will sink the plan. The federal government is soliciting proposals for how it might use biofuels to replace traditional diesel _ assuming the price is right.

___ Aboriginal spots on salmon commission lapse Salmon-Commission VANCOUVER _ The federal government has allowed the only two First Nations appointments to a Canada-U.S. commission that manages Pacific salmon to lapse, prompting aboriginal fishermen to accuse Ottawa of shutting them out.The Pacific Salmon Commission was set up as part of the 1985 Pacific Salmon Treaty, which governs how salmon are managed and shared off the West Coast. AUDIO.

___ Obama says gun control specifics coming this week; accuses gun lobby of trying to scare Americans into buying guns US-Gun-Control WASHINGTON _ Responsible American gun-owners have no reason to fear anyone's looking to take away their guns, President Barack Obama said Monday. During the final news conference of his first term, Obama suggested the gun lobby was stoking those false fears to drive sales in the wake of the horrific mass shooting in small-town Connecticut last month. He added he's reviewing a list of proposals from Vice-President Joe Biden about reducing gun violence and will have specifics by weeks' end. By Lee-Anne Goodman. Washington correspondent.

See also: US-Obama ___ Lawyer in India rape case says client is a minor AS-India-Gang-Rape NEW DELHI _ One of the five men charged with gang-raping and killing a 23-year-old student on a bus in India's capital is a minor, his lawyer said Monday as he demanded an age-determination test in what could be a tactic to delay the case from being tried in a fast-track court.Manohar Lal Sharma, the lawyer for Mukesh Singh, said at a court hearing that his client is under 18, and that police documents indicating Singh is 26 had been "manipulated." PHOTO.

___ Opioid use linked to risk of road trauma: study Opioid-Use-Accidents TORONTO _ Taking even low doses of opioids like codeine or morphine increases the risk of being involved in a traumatic motor vehicle accident _ and that risk goes up as people take higher and higher amounts of the powerful pain killers, research suggests.Opioids, the widely prescribed class of drugs that also includes oxycodone, hydromorphone and the fentanyl patch, are prescribed for both acute and chronic pain. The medications, especially immediately after they are taken, can play havoc with a person's alertness and reaction time. PHOTO. Will be updated; Moves both National and Lifestyles.

Source: Armstrong 'sorry' to Livestrong staff CYC-Armstrong-Oprah AUSTIN _ Lance Armstrong apologized to the staff at his Livestrong cancer foundation before heading to an interview with Oprah Winfrey, a person with direct knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussion was private. PHOTO.. AUDIO.

___ Palace: Prince William and Kate's baby due in July EU-Britain-Royal-Pregnancy LONDON _ The former Kate Middleton is due to give birth to her first baby in July, and her health is improving after a bout of severe morning sickness, palace officials said Monday. The child of Kate and Prince William will be third in line to the British throne. PHOTO. AUDIO.

___ Composer Mychael Danna in good Globes company FILM-Mychael-Danna TORONTO _ Toronto composer Mychael Danna says last night's Golden Globe Awards, where he won a trophy for his work on "Life of Pi," was "a fun evening, to say the least."But there was one moment that really stood out _ when he sat at a table with media mogul Rupert Murdoch on one side of him, and actress-singer Jennifer Lopez on the other.

___ Coca-Cola to address obesity for first time in ads US-Coca-Cola-Obesity NEW YORK _ Coca-Cola became one of the world's most powerful brands by equating its soft drinks with happiness. Now, for the first time, it's addressing a growing cloud over the industry: obesity.The U.S.-based company on Monday will begin airing a two-minute ad during the highest-rated shows on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC in hopes of becoming a stronger voice in the debate over sodas and their impact on public health. The ad lays out Coca-Cola's record of providing drinks with fewer calories over the years and notes that weight gain is the result of consuming too many calories of any kind _ not just soda. PHOTO. AUDIO.

___ (c) 2013 The Canadian Press

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