Journalist, 4 Canadian Troops Killed in Afghan Blast

An award-winning Calgary Herald journalist was among five Canadians killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan yesterday. Michelle Lang, 34, was embedded with troops on a security patrol when their vehicle was hit in the Kandahar area. She had arrived in the country 2 weeks earlier on an assignment to report on Canada's NATO mission; it was the first trip to Afghanistan for Lang, who was the Herald's health reporter.

"We are all devastated by the loss of Michelle and our thoughts right now are with her family and her fiance," said Scott Anderson, editor-in-chief of Canwest News Service. "Journalists need to—and do—put themselves at risk every day to report first-hand on important stories like Afghanistan. But that doesn't make this any easier."