News for Youse: Crime down, seawall extension deferred, and ex-Murdoch executives charged

Crime rate drops The Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics has reported a six-percent reduction in crime reported by police in 2011; in Vancouver, police-reported crime rate fell seven percent and violent crime dropped nine percent.

Redford rebuttal Alberta premier Alison Redford has spurned any oil-revenue-sharing agreement with the B.C. government, which has set five conditions, including a "fair share of economic benefits", in return for support of Enbridge's proposed Northern Gateway pipeline.

Kinder Morgan motion Vancouver Green councillor Adriane Carr has filed a motion for today's council meeting calling on the city to ask the province to conduct a provincial environmental assessment on the proposed twinning of the Kinder Morgan pipeline, which would sharply increase oil-tanker shipments through Burrard Inlet.

Park board buckles In the face of intense opposition from 21 speakers, park commissioners voted to defer a motion by chair Sarah Blyth to develop options for connecting the seawall from Jericho to Kitsilano Beach.

Komagata Maru memorial Hordes of politicians, including Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, were on hand yesterday at Harbour Green Park for the unveiling of a new memorial on the 98th anniversary of the Komagata Maru incident, in which more than 350 South Asians were forced to leave Vancouver harbour at gunpoint.

Phone-hacking charges Former News of the World editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson (also a former communications aide to British prime minister David Cameron) face criminal charges in connection with the Ruper Murdoch-owned paper's intercepting of phone calls.

Mitchell suspended The Canadian Football League has dished out a two-game suspension to the B.C. Lions' piano-playing defensive tackle, Khalif Mitchell, after he hyperextended the arm of Simeon Rottier, an offensive lineman for the Edmonton Eskimos.

Ichiro and Nash traded The long-time star right fielder for the Seattle Mariners, Ichiro Suzuki, has ben traded to the New York Yankees after struggling this year with a .261 batting average; Columbus Blue Jackets shipped star forward Rick Nash to the New York Rangers for three players and a first-round draft pick.

Meikle honour This morning, Vancouver city council will award the Civic Merit Award to broadcaster and author Marg Meikle, who has helped raise money to fight Parkinson's disease.