A new law will go into effect on July 1 banning smoking tobacco indoors throughout the Netherlands. What this means for Amsterdam's historic coffee shops, where smoking tobacco laced with marijuana is more of the main draw, remains up for debate. According to reports, coffee shop owners say the new ban should not effect them because 'coffee shops' are a place where people go to smoke. They say it is preposterous for the ban to extend to their shops, just as it would be for food to be banned from restaurants, or alcohol from a bar.

Education Minister Kathleen Wynne had sent an investigator to review the books of the Toronto Catholic School Board over its inability to manage its expenses. The probe comes in the aftermath of a report that the board's trustees spent excessively, particularly on benefit packages that cost taxpayers on the average $107,218 per trustee. Heading the investigation team will be Pierre Filitrault, a former senior business official of the same board. Wynne gave Filitrault one week to go over the books and management practices of the school board.

British girls between the ages 10 to 17 have increased their share of criminal acts with 59,236 incidents reported in 2006-07. The figure represents a 25 percent jump from 47,358 young girl crimes in 2003-04. In contrast, British boys even registered a 2 percent decline in crime rates for the same period. However, despite the emerging trends, the bulk of offenders were still young men.

Authorities apprehended a man who they said was driving over 200 kilometers an hour while arguing with his wife on his mobile phone. According to officials, the 33-year old driver was apprehended driving his pickup truck early Thursday on the roads of the Perth suburbs.

A security guard was terminated from employment after he stopped a teenager from attempting to steal alcohol, because he allegedly went against the company policy that only selected officers could deal with shoplifting situations. Dean Babcock, a 54-year old former policeman who is now a security guard at a local Targer, said that Monday he spotted a 16-year old girl attempting to steal a bottle of tequila worth $45. Upon closer inspection, Babcock identified the girl as the same one who security cameras caught stealing a bottle of rum a few days earlier.