Words can’t describe how grateful Alyse McDonald is but she hopes a big hug gets the message across. 3 February

David Ho, the Vancouver billionaire businessman and former police board member, has pleaded guilty to unlawfully confining a prostitute and possessing a prohibited weapon. 3 February

NFL great Marcus Allen said he’s ready to meet and mingle with Vancouver football fans as they watch the gridiron rematch between the New York Giants and New England Patriots Sunday in Super Bowl XLVI. 3 February

A family of four from Edmonton died Wednesday evening when their SUV lost control and collided with an oncoming tractor-trailer in B.C.’s Interior. 2 February

The University of British Columbia defended its use of animal testing Monday, claiming a majority of more than 200,000 animals were used in basic science projects that cause less than minor or short-term stress.  31 January ⁽¹¹⁾

Kyprios and Chin Injeti are among the two dozen artists participating in a benefit concert for the children of a Vancouver musician who died last year. 2 February

STOCKHOLM - Champis the bunny doesn't only hop — he also knows how to herd a flock of sheep, possibly having picked up on the skill after watching trained dogs do the job. 3 February ⁽¹⁾

Canada’s largest multi-genre fan convention is coming to town with Fan Expo Vancouver, which will feature heavy hitters in the world of comics, gaming, anime, horror and sci-fi. 2 February

Montreal are certainly not going to be the only Canadian club with an impact in Major League soccer this season. 3 February 18:39

MONTREAL - A casual text message to work colleagues encouraging them to ''blow away'' the competition at a trade show allegedly plunged a Muslim man into a terrorism probe. 2 February ⁽²⁾

A 19-year-old North Surrey man aims to pedal 100 kilometres with a cause — on one wheel. 3 February

LONDON - With Wayne Rooney back from injury in time for Manchester United's trip to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea couldn't have picked a worse time to be without two of its star defenders for Sunday's important match in the Premier League title race. 3 February 19:00

TORONTO - Canadian Facebook fans may share everything from pictures of their meals to engagement announcements on the social networking site, but they're unlikely to get in on its hotly-anticipated initial public stock offering. 2 February

MONTREAL - The Quebec government will head to court to seek a multimillion-dollar compensation from an engineering consortium it blames for last summer's collapse in a Montreal tunnel. 3 February 20:15

HAGERSTOWN, Md. - An Army officer ordered a court-martial Friday for a low-ranking intelligence analyst charged in the biggest leak of classified information in U.S. history. 3 February 19:57

VANCOUVER - One of three brothers among a notorious family with reputed links to Vancouver's gang world "fabricated" a story that he was simply planning to steal drugs, instead of scheming to traffic them with his ex-girlfriend's father, a B.C. Supreme Court judge said Friday. 3 February 19:50

KASLO, B.C. - An avalanche in British Columbia's West Kootenay region has claimed the life of a skier. 3 February 19:48

SALT LAKE CITY - Saboteurs stole passwords and sensitive information on tipsters while hacking into the websites of several law enforcement agencies worldwide in attacks attributed to the collective known as Anonymous. 3 February 19:44

MONTREAL - A man who says he once attempted suicide has filed a police complaint against a Tory senator who suggested murderers be provided rope so they can hang themselves in prison. 3 February 19:40

LONDON, Ont. - The jury in the trial of a man accused of killing eight-year-old Victoria Stafford will visit the place where her body was found. 3 February 19:37

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says it has charged man with assault with a weapon after a woman was stabbed while walking alone early Thursday. 3 February 19:18

EDMONTON - A long-awaited program from the federal and Alberta governments on how to gauge the environmental effects of the oilsands — and answer the industry's international critics — will watch for more contaminants, in more places, more often. 3 February 18:56

CHARLOTTETOWN - A fire inside an apartment building in downtown Charlottetown has forced 11 people from their home. 3 February 18:44

TALOYOAK, Nunavut - RCMP in Nunavut believe a mother and two children died in a house fire in a tiny community on the Boothia peninsula. 3 February 18:25

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Proposed legislation in the state of Ohio would ban the purchase of lions, bears, gorillas and other exotic animals, but it also would allow current owners of such animals to keep the pets if they meet strict new requirements. 3 February 18:22

WASHINGTON - A German-born man charged with killing his much-older socialite wife missed a scheduled court appearance Friday because he was hospitalized for an undisclosed medical problem. 3 February 18:15