San Francisco - Dozens of skiers and snowboarders were rescued from dangling ski gondolas at the Canadian resort of Whistler after a tower supporting the cable cars partially collapsed.

A spokesman for the ski resort, which is one of the largest in North America, said 53 passengers were rescued Tuesday. No serious injuries were reported even though about 30 gondola cars, each of which can hold eight passengers, were suspended in the air.

The broken tower was close to the base of the mountain. The partial collapse of a truss caused the cable to sag between the two adjacent towers although none hit the ground, pictures from Canadian Television News showed.

Kabul  - Three Canadian soldiers were killed in a roadside blast in southern province of Kandahar, while another bombing in the same province killed three Afghan policemen and wounded 12 people, officials said Sunday.

The soldiers of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force were patrolling Saturday morning when the blast occurred, the Canadian defence ministry said in statement posted at its website.

Another Canadian soldier was wounded in the attack in Arghandab district, 14 kilometres west of Kandahar city in Kandahar province, it said.

Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousif Ahmadi, speaking from an undisclosed location, took responsibility for the attack and claimed seven Canadian soldiers and four Afghan forces were killed.

New York - What was to be the most expensive takeover of a firm by investors collapsed Thursday as a deal to acquire Canadian telecom giant BCE fell through.

Montreal  - Former Harvard professor Michael Ignatieff took over the
reins of Canada's opposition Wednesday with a stern warning for Prime
Minister Stephen Harper
- shape up or fail the grade.

Speaking in Ottawa after he was named interim leader of the Liberal
Party, Ignatieff said he was ready to topple the minority Conservatives
and enter into a governing coalition with the socialist New Democratic
Party (NDP) if he didn't like Harper's budget, which is expected to be
tabled when Parliament resumes on January 26.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued warning against consumption of two varieties of chocolate bars. This warning has been specifically issued for people allergic to milk protein.

Calgary, Canada - Olympic speedskating champion Cindy Klassen of Canada will si