UN blasts Canada over alleged torture of terror suspects: The United Nations Committee Against Torture has taken Canada to task for alleged complicity in the torture of men detained after the 9/11 terror attacks in the United States. The committee has also expressed concern about Canada's role in the torture of prisoners by Afghan authorities. In its response to those allegations, Canadian officials have accused the committee of "bureaucratic mission creep." Marc Montgomery speaks with Alex Neve, the secretary general of Amnesty International Canada, who attended the review of Canada's compliance with the Geneva Convention against Torture.
http://www.amnesty.ca/

Calgary police target honour-based violence: The police service in Calgary, Alberta is the first in Canada to try to track and prevent honour-based crimes. The force says it is dealing with an increase in such crimes and is trying to identify potential victims and raise awareness in communities. A local immigrant women’s group says the police are doing the right thing and is pledging cooperation. However, as The Link’s Calgary correspondent Frank Rackow tells us, the definition of an honour crime is problematic to some.

Connected Homes and Intelligent Buildings: How smart is your home? Well, a high school student in Quebec has developed a system that you can plug in and program, in order to monitor your home from a distance. And, that’s just the beginning. The Link’s Carmel Kilkenny tells us how new systems combined with the internet will allow us to operate our home from any distance - lights, temperature, windows and security; using things like our smart phones.

SONG: River Stay Away from my Door
ARTIST: Gary Fjellgaard + Valdy
ALBUM: Contenders-2 Still in the Race

'Democracy and Religion' feature interview - Joanne Benham Rennick: Multiculturalism and the presence of many religions in Canada poses no threat to stability, according to religious rights researcher Joanne Benham Rennick, an assistant professor of Contemporary Studies at Laurier Brantford University in Brantford, Ontario. Joanne Benham Rennick spoke with Diego Creimer for Radio Canada International's 'Democracy and Religion' multimedia web series.
http://www.rcinet.ca/religions/#/en/gallery

Hydro dams reverse the seasons and bring death to Canada's North: For untold generations, the lives of the Inuit people of Hudson Bay's Belcher Islands have revolved around the Common Eider (Somateria mollissima sedentaria), a diving duck that actually overwinters there. But, in recent years, mass die-offs of the birds have been traced back to changes in water currents brought about by hydroelectric projects. Today, an encore presentation of our chat with biologist Joel Heath who has captured the beauty and the tragedy in his critically acclaimed documentary, People of a Feather.
http://www.peopleofafeather.com
The Arctic Eider Society: http://www.arcticeider.com
http://www.joelheath.ca/
http://www.ipy2012montreal.ca/

See programme summary