The government of Canada's Manitoba province is offering local homeowners and homebuilders cash, tax credits, refunds and grants if they use geothermal energy in homes and buildings. Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mines Jim Rondeau announced the incentives for Manitobans as part of a national program to reduce Canada's greenhouse gases and reduce energy bills of consumers.

Paris Hilton has released a new video in response to Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) controversial TV ad mocking her celebrity status. Lounging in a chair in a swimsuit, the hotel-heiress says in the video, "Hey America, I'm Paris Hilton and I'm a celebrity too. Only I'm not from the olden days and I'm not promising change like that other guy. I'm just hot. "

Police, with the approval of wildlife experts, have shot a black bear that accidentally stuck a plastic jug on its head when the animal strayed into the community of Frazee during the town's turkey festival. In a statement issued Wednesday, a bear expert at the Department of Natural Resources said they allowed police to kill the bear on Saturday because the animal came close to people. An estimated 1,500 people were in Frazee to celebrate Turkey Day.

German authorities are searching for a killer in what is being called one of the worst cases of animal cruelty in the country's history. Since last year, more than 40 pet bunny-rabbits have been killed in the night in their outdoor hutches. Horrified owners found their beloved pets decapitated and drained of all their blood in many cases. The killer takes the head and collects the blood, leading investigators to think that the animal killer is involved in the occult or Satanism.

Jeff Taylor, the founder of online job site Monster. com, is now touting his latest Internet project: online obituaries. Taylor said his newest venture, Tributes. com, is aimed at moving death notices from the newspaper to the Internet. Unlike Legacy. com, which is owned partly by the Tribune Co. and receives fees from 650 newspapers to publish online death notices, Taylor intends to obtain obituaries directly from funeral homes and earn revenue by selling advertising, among other ways.