Colo. officials order faster responses to parolees

Published April 09, 2013

Associated Press

DENVER –  Colorado parole officers must now respond to alerts from parolees' electronic monitoring equipment within two hours, after a review that followed the death of the state's prisons chief.

Parole records show that white supremacist gang member Evan Ebel slipped out of his ankle bracelet five days before Department of Corrections Director Tom Clements was killed at his home. Ebel is a suspect in Clements' death.

Colorado's governor announced a sweeping review of the state's prison and parole operations last week. Corrections officials announced the change in its electronic monitoring policy Tuesday.

Investigators are trying to determine whether Clements' slaying was an isolated attack or done at the direction of top members of the 211 Crew.

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Messier among 3 recipients of Order of Hockey in Canada

Published April 08, 2013

Associated Press

OTTAWA –  Mark Messier was one of three recipients of the Order of Hockey in Canada for his contributions to the game.

Messier, who won six Stanley Cups during a Hall of Fame career with Edmonton, the New York Rangers and Vancouver, was honored along with Paul Henderson and coach Dave King.

During a two-hour ceremony held on Parliament Hill, Messier broke down as he spoke of the national pride he felt as a young boy watching Henderson score the goal that sealed Canada's hockey supremacy over the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summit Series.

Others who have been awarded the Hockey Canada honor include Jean Beliveau, Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Cassie Campbell-Pascall and Gord Renwick.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper attended the ceremony and paid tribute to recipients.

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Putin: Russia, China help build new world order

Published March 22, 2013

Associated Press

MOSCOW –  Ahead of a visit by China's new president, Russian President Vladimir Putin says the Moscow-Beijing partnership is aiding global security and helping create a fairer world order.

Russia is Xi Jinping's first foreign destination as China's president. Xi's talks with Putin on Friday are set to focus on oil and gas as China seeks to secure new energy resources to fuel its growing economy.

Putin told the ITAR-Tass news agency that Xi's choice of Moscow for the trip underscored a "special character of strategic partnership" between the two former Cold War rivals.

He added that Russia and China have set an example of a "balanced and pragmatic approach" to international crises — an apparent reference to their lockstep opposition to U.N. sanctions against Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime.

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