MONTREAL - Three years of efforts to protect Canada's boreal forest have ended in failure as negotiations broke down between environmentalists and the forest industry.

Resolute Forest Products (TSX:RFP) said Tuesday it was disappointed that participants were unable to achieve an agreement on a workable plan to balance conservation efforts with social and economic considerations.

HAVANA - A company that monitors global Internet traffic says another branch of the Venezuela-to-Cuba undersea fiber-optic cable has come online, connecting the island to nearby Jamaica.

Internet analysis firm Renesys says it detected the new traffic between Cuban state telecom monopoly Etecsa and Cable & Wireless Jamaica beginning May 13.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Sprint Nextel Corp. has raised its buyout offer for the stake in Clearwire it does not already own by 14 per cent.

Sprint said Tuesday that it is offering $3.40 per share for Clearwire Corp. Its previous offer, from December, was for $2.97 per share for the wireless data operator.

PARIS - The man charged with reviving France's shrinking economy and attracting businesses to invest here is gaining a reputation for doing the opposite.

As the country's first-ever minister for industrial renewal, Arnaud Montebourg has told the world's largest steelmaker it is not welcome in France; exchanged angry letters with the head of an American tire company he was supposedly wooing; and scuttled Yahoo's offer to buy the majority of a video-sharing website.

TORONTO - North American markets surged ahead at the open Tuesday as investors awaited for signs from the U.S. Federal Reserve on when the central bank will scale down its $85-billion bond buy back program.

Almost all sectors on the S&P/TSX enjoyed healthy gains, as the composite index climbed 141.58 points to 12,754.63.

MINNEAPOLIS - Best Buy Co. on Tuesday reported a loss in its fiscal first quarter as it sold its stake in Best Buy Europe and works on a turnaround plan that includes cutting costs and closing some stores.

Its adjusted earnings beat Wall Street expectations, but revenue fell short as the company faced tough pricing competition during the quarter. Its shares slipped in morning trading.

NANTERRE, France - A French drug company and its founder are on trial on charges of misleading the public about a diabetes drug marketed as a weight loss method and suspected in hundreds of deaths.

But after years of delays in one of France's biggest recent health scandals, the proceedings could still be pushed back further.

The price of oil fell to near US$96 per barrel Tuesday as investors waited for the Federal Reserve's latest views on the U.S. economy.

By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark crude for June delivery was down 60 cents to $96.11 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract gained 69 cents to close at $96.71 on Monday.

SARNIA, Ont. - Activists plan to protest in Sarnia, Ont., as a two-day national conference on oil sands bitumen kicks off today.

The "Bitumen Adding Value Conference" is meant to bring together industry leaders, experts and decision-makers to discuss the production of value-added products from the oil sands resource.

REMOND, Wash. - Will Xbox mark the spot once again for Microsoft?

The company is set to reveal the next generation of its Xbox entertainment console during a presentation Tuesday at its headquarters in Redmond, Wash.

JANSEN, Sask. - Work is underway to contain a leak of crude oil after part of a freight train derailed in Saskatchewan.

The accident happened as the Canadian Pacific Rail (TSX:CP) train was rolling through an area near the village of Jansen, about 150 kilometres southeast of Saskatoon.

FRANKFURT - Germany's central bank expects the country's economy to improve "markedly" in the second quarter — a development that could boost the wider eurozone as it struggles to get out of recession.

The Bundesbank said Tuesday that Europe's largest economy should expand more robustly after a weak first three months of the year. Germany grew only 0.1 per cent in the first quarter in part because cold weather delayed the construction season.

BEIJING, China - Authorities are investigating rice mills in southern China following tests that found almost half of the staple grain in one of the country's largest cities was contaminated with a toxic metal.

The mills in Hunan province's Youxian county were ordered to suspend business and recall their products after samples showed excessive levels of cadmium, according to an official notice issued Tuesday by the county government.

ROUGEMONT, Que. - Lassonde Industries Inc. (TSX: LAS.A) said Tuesday it has signed a deal to increase its stake in Clement Pappas and Company, Inc. to 84 per cent from 70.7 per cent for US$21.2 million.

The fruit and vegetable juice company said it has agreed to buy all of the CPC shares held by the Pappas family other than Clement David Pappas, the company's current CEO.

TORONTO - The Canadian dollar was ahead Tuesday as traders awaited a key statement from U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke later this week.

The loonie was up 0.11 of a cent to 97.28 cents US.

The following list represents the most viral tracks on Spotify, based on the number of people who shared it divided by the number who listened to it, from Monday, May 13, to Sunday, May 19, via Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter and Spotify.

1. Five Finger Death Punch, "Lift Me Up" (Prospect Park)

The following list represents the top streamed tracks on Spotify from Monday, May 13, to Sunday, May 19:

UNITED STATES

BANGKOK - Researchers say Thailand is showing the world how to respond to the global food crisis: by raising bugs for eating.

The United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization released a study and handbook Tuesday on what they call 'six-legged livestock' — edible bugs and worms that can help meet global food demand that is expected to grow 60 per cent by 2050. The agency says they provide a rich source of protein, vitamins and minerals.

WASHINGTON - A Senate panel says Apple Inc. is avoiding paying billions of dollars in U.S. taxes, but the world's most valuable company says it is complying with the laws and pays "an extraordinary amount" in taxes to the U.S. government.

Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook is scheduled to testify Tuesday on Capitol Hill to explain the company's tax strategy.

LONDON - U.K.-based mobile telecoms company Vodafone has reported a 1.9 increase in annual profits despite a slowdown in much of its European operations.

It reported Tuesday net profits of 7.70 billion pounds ($11.665 billion) for the year ending March 2013 compared with 7.55 billion pounds the year before.

MONTREAL - Three years of efforts to protect Canada's boreal forest have ended in failure as negotiations broke down between environmentalists and the forest industry.

Resolute Forest Products (TSX:RFP) said Tuesday it was disappointed that participants were unable to achieve an agreement on a workable plan to balance conservation efforts with social and economic considerations.

OTTAWA - A "very upset" Prime Minister Stephen Harper wants any federal Conservative who is in politics to seek personal gain from public office to get out of his caucus.

Speaking to his MPs and senators in the midst of a scandal that took down his own chief of staff, Nigel Wright, over the weekend, Harper also promised to tighten Senate expense rules.

TORONTO - Toronto Mayor Rob Ford ignored a crush of reporters waiting outside his city hall office this morning in the hopes he would address allegations that he was recorded on video appearing to smoke crack cocaine.

The mayor was flooded with questions when the elevator he was riding in opened, but he stayed silent and remained on the elevator, continuing on to council chambers.

OTTAWA - The prime minister is jetting out of Ottawa today, leaving behind one of the worst political storms ever faced by his Conservative government, to contemplate a trade alliance membership in South America that many consider unnecessary.

Before he leaves, though, Stephen Harper is expected to address the Conservative caucus and talk about his right-hand man, Nigel Wright, who resigned Sunday as a result of his role in a ballooning controversy involving the disallowed expenses of Sen. Mike Duffy.

OTTAWA - Dozens of people appointed to plum patronage jobs have been donating to the Conservative party, despite government rules that forbid it.

A Canadian Press investigation found as many as one of every five chairpersons on the Employment Insurance Boards of Referees gave money to political parties, riding associations and election candidates while they served on the tribunal.

OTTAWA - Conservatives gathered Monday night to mourn the passing of a key architect in their rise to power — and to brace for the toughest test Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government has faced since taking office on a promise to clean up politics in the national capital.

A who's-who of Tories had few words for the handful of assembled journalists at Ottawa's National Arts Centre, where a memorial service was being held for Conservative senator and party stalwart Doug Finley, who died earlier this month.

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico - The disappearances of a British Columbia man and a U.S. man in the Mexican resort city of Puerto Vallarta has their families frantically searching for information in what they believe could be a kidnapping.

Diego Hernandez, a 22-year-old Canadian martial arts instructor, and his friend and business partner Craig Silva vanished on May 8, just days after Hernandez put together a mixed martial arts sporting event in the city.

MONTREAL - The Queen would likely not be amused by the way Victoria Day was observed in downtown Montreal on Monday.

At a rally of hardcore Quebec nationalists, a handful of people threw darts at a photo of the Queen. Others held up signs saying "Down with the monarchy" and "Quebec will soon be a republic."

WINNIPEG - Hundreds of people lined up inside the Manitoba legislature Monday to pay their respects to Elijah Harper, the aboriginal politician whose quiet but firm resistance to the Meech Lake constitutional accord became a symbolic moment for indigenous rights.

"He gave us all inspiration to know that it's OK to say no sometimes," Derek Nepinak, grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, said before taking his turn to walk by Harper's casket.

TORONTO - For decades visitors to the D-Day beaches on the northwest coast of France have looked out at the English Channel, taking in the journey made by Allied troops that marked a turning point in the Second World War.

The view from some of those sites — including Juno Beach where 359 Canadians died — could soon change if a plan succeeds to build an army of wind turbines some 10 kilometres offshore.

EDMONTON - Police in Edmonton have laid numerous impaired driving charges after a toddler was killed by an SUV that smashed through a restaurant patio.

Investigators say a family was dining at an outdoor table at a restaurant in southwest Edmonton on Sunday evening when an Acura MDX crashed into them, pinning a two-year-old boy to a wall.

TABUSINTAC, NEW BRUNSWICK, - The deaths of three New Brunswick fishermen have cast a pall over the northeastern communities where they lived and worked, but a local leader said Monday the healing can begin now that their bodies have been recovered.

The coming weeks will be very difficult for the men's families, but the tight-knit village of Tabusintac — where one of the fishermen lived — will rally around them, said Chris Avery, chair of the community's local service district.

OTTAWA - The prime minister heads to South America this week to suss out membership in a new trading bloc that many aren't sure Canada ought to join.

The Pacific Alliance was formed by Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru in 2011 and Canada took a spot on the sidelines the next year, along with several other countries as observers.

MONTREAL - A philosophy professor who famously wore a panda costume to lighten the mood throughout last year's Quebec student protests has found a new cause.

Anarchopanda, the unofficial mascot of the Quebec student strikes, has completed a fundraising campaign to contest fines levied against protesters in recent months.

Note to readers: Corrects spelling of costume

Get ready to break out the sunscreen Canada, but don't worry about sizzling all season.

Meteorologists at AccuWeather.com say the majority of Canadians can look forward to a more "typical" summer this year, when hot spells will be interspersed with cooler periods.

TABUSINTAC NEW BRUNSWICK, - A minister of a United Church in a New Brunswick village says the community is in mourning after several weeks marred with tragedy for the local fishing industry, including the death of three fishermen.

Olive Ann Archibald of the Tabusintac Pastoral Church said the crowd at Sunday morning's service was "sombre," as search and rescue teams continued to comb the waters offshore for two missing fishermen.

TORONTO - A public relations expert suggests Rob Ford's decision not to host his weekly radio show on Sunday may indicate the Toronto mayor has yet to fully figure out how to respond to allegations he was recorded on video appearing to smoke crack cocaine.

Queen's University Professor Monica LaBarge said Ford should come out and directly say whether the alleged drug use the video reportedly appears to show is true — something she says Ford could have used this week's edition of his Toronto talk radio show to do.

OTTAWA - A look at the life and career of Ray Novak, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's new chief of staff:

Born: March 30, 1977

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version wrongly said Novak's birthday was May 30, 1977 and that he had completed a master's degree in political science.

OTTAWA - Emerging from a dramatic week that has seen him lose two senators and his chief of staff, Stephen Harper will focus now on calming down his anxious caucus and righting a listing Conservative ship.

Tory MPs have been hearing from upset constituents about the Senate expenses controversy that has become one of the most serious challenges for the prime minister's administration.

A group that includes some prominent Canadian actors, writers and politicians is calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to change the name of Victoria Day.

Author Margaret Atwood, Green Party leader Elizabeth May and actor Gordon Pinsent are among those behind an online petition to rename the public holiday, which is celebrated on Monday, as "Victoria and First Peoples Day."

TORONTO - Canada's track and field super couple is about to become a threesome.

Nikkita Holder and husband Justyn Warner are expecting their first child, the latest chapter in an Olympic-sized love story that began way back when the hurdler and sprinter were childhood friends.

JOHANNESBURG - Oscar Pistorius' older brother cried tears of relief Tuesday as a magistrate acquitted him of culpable homicide and negligent driving for the death of a woman in a road accident.

The case attracted international interest because the two Pistorius two brothers — including double-amputee Olympics star Oscar — faced court cases for the deaths of two women.

LONDON - Manchester United earned a record 60.8 million pounds ($92.7 million) in Premier League television revenue this season en route to a 20th English title.

Deposed champion Manchester City, which finished 11 points behind United in second, received 58.1 million pounds ($88.6 million), according to figures released by the league on Tuesday.

IRVING, Texas - Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will miss at least three weeks of off-season workouts after a procedure to remove a cyst from his back.

The team's website reported Tuesday, the first day of organized team workouts, that Romo underwent the procedure last month and could return for the mandatory minicamp that starts June 11. He will be ready for training camp in July.

Monday's Games

NHL Playoffs

SASKATOON - After seeing their three-goal lead evaporate, the Portland Winterhawks' quick-strike offence ensured the race for the MasterCard Memorial Cup title is still wide open.

Derrick Pouliot and Chase De Leo scored 23 seconds apart in the third period Monday as Portland picked up its first win at the tournament with a 6-3 victory over the London Knights.

DENVER - Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy is reportedly on the verge of being the next head coach of the Colorado Avalanche.

A report posted on the Denver Post's website Monday night says Roy's younger brother, Stephane Roy, leaked the impending announcement.

BALTIMORE - Vernon Wells doubled in the tiebreaking run in the 10th inning and the New York Yankees hit four solo homers in a 6-4 victory over the Orioles on Monday night, extending Baltimore's losing streak to six games.

New York trailed 4-3 in the ninth before Travis Hafner homered with one out on a 3-1 pitch from Jim Johnson, who has blown three straight save opportunities after converting a franchise-record 35 in a row. All three of those botched saves have come during Baltimore's current skid.

DETROIT - The young Detroit Red Wings have made the mighty Chicago Blackhawks look vulnerable, beating them two straight times to gain an advantage in their last playoff matchup as Western Conference rivals.

Gustav Nyquist and Drew Miller scored 31 seconds apart midway through the second period and Pavel Datsyuk restored a two-goal lead in the third to help Detroit beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 Monday night and take a 2-1 lead in the second round series.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan is changing his team's name to the Hornets, said a person familiar with the situation.

The person said Jordan will detail the timetable for the change to be completed at a press conference the Bobcats have scheduled for Tuesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press Monday on condition of anonymity because the name change has not been publicly announced.

INDIANAPOLIS - Pacers forward David West is expected to play Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals at Miami, despite an injured right leg.

Team doctors held West out of Monday's practice with what coach Frank Vogel described as a calf strain or lower leg strain. He did shoot around with his teammates after practice ended. Vogel said doctors thought it would be best to give West a day off.

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Cincinnati Reds ace Johnny Cueto has been activated from the 15-day disabled list, and he is set to make his first start in more than a month on Monday night.

The Reds optioned infielder Neftali Soto to Triple-A Louisville on Monday so Cueto can face the New York Mets.

CHICAGO - The Boston Red Sox have activated relief pitcher Andrew Bailey from the 15-day disabled list before their game Monday against the Chicago White Sox.

Bailey had been out since April 29 with right biceps inflammation. He threw 17 pitches in a rehab assignment Saturday at Triple-A Pawtucket.

TORONTO - R.A. Dickey and the Jays found the win column, notching a valuable victory against an American League East opponent, but remain very much a work in progress.

Toronto needed Tampa Bay to help its cause Monday, with Rays reliever Josh Lueke walking four — one intentionally — in an ugly seventh inning that propelled the Jays to a 7-5 win on a sun-splashed Victoria Day matinee.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. - Don't judge the New York Rangers by the scores of their two losses to the Boston Bruins.

According to coach John Tortorella, the Rangers played much better in the Game 2 blowout than in their overtime defeat in the series opener.

Looks like Skylar Diggins will have a new ride when she goes to Tulsa to join the Shock.

The former Notre Dame star tweeted her thanks to sports agency Roc Nation, backed by rap superstar Jay-Z, along with photos of a new white Mercedes she said the agency surprised her with.

SASKATOON - In most other years, London Knights forward Max Domi would probably garner more attention at the MasterCard Memorial Cup.

The son of former tough guy Tie Domi is expected to be taken in the first round of next month's NHL draft, but with the three top North American-based prospects all playing at the Credit Union Centre, the 2013 edition of Canadian Hockey League's showcase event is far from normal.

OTTAWA - Craig Anderson has returned to form just in time to give the Ottawa Senators a chance against the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Anderson was a pivotal part of Ottawa's 2-1 double-overtime win over Pittsburgh on Sunday that cut the Penguins' lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven second-round playoff series.

TORONTO - Given his numbers at triple-A Buffalo, Anthony Gose wasn't expecting a call from the Blue Jays.

When it came, he still didn't quite believe it.

TORONTO - It appears Bryan Colangelo is out as president and general manager of the Toronto Raptors, but he could be staying with the team in another capacity.

According to multiple media reports, the Raptors are negotiating with Colangelo to take on a corporate, non-basketball role with the team.