About one-third of Canada's population will be a visible minority by 2031, according to new projections by Statistics Canada. Most visible minorities are projected to live in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal, but cities everywhere are expected to see an increase. Over the next two decades, the agency projects the largest visible minority group in Canada will be South Asian, and white people are projected to become the visible minorities in Toronto and Vancouver.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is in the Middle East to mediate indirect peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. The end of a 14-month deadlock remains one of the Obama administration's biggest breakthroughs in the region, and Biden is there to make sure talks stay on track. However, his visit was clouded on Tuesday when Israel approved the construction of 1,600 new homes for Jewish settlers in disputed east Jerusalem. The U.S. and Palestinians believe Israeli settlements built on lands claimed by the Palestinians undermine peace prospects.

U.S. researchers have coined the term “tanorexic” to describe someone addicted to tanning. Researchers say when ultraviolet light hits the skin, it somehow signals the brain to feel good and relaxed. One study found frequent tanners had symptoms comparable to narcotics withdrawal when endorphins were blocked, as though they were addicted to light.

Olympic champion skier Bode Miller will miss this week’s World Cup finals in Germany due to a sore ankle. The 32-year-old won three medals at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, including the super-combined gold medal. Meantime, Hans Grugger of Austria was first in Tuesday’s downhill training, while Erik Guay was the top Canadian in seventh. On the women's side, Emily Brydon was top Canadian, also in seventh.

A woman in New Zealand is about US$2,000 richer after selling two alleged captured ghosts in an online auction. The woman says her ghosts were captured during an exorcism and assured potential bidders that bottles containing the ghosts had been dipped in holy water.

A survey of more than 1,900 Canadian employers finds 17 per cent of them expect to increase their payrolls in the second quarter of 2010, compared with six per cent of those who anticipate reducing the size of their workforce. Three-quarters of surveyed employers expected to stay the course.