July 10 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories from selected Canadian newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL
** Heavy rain is not the only reason the Assiniboine River is flooding in the height of summer and threatening a swath of communities across southern Manitoba this week, a new report suggests. The elimination of vast numbers of small ponds and wetlands across the Canadian prairie has removed a crucial buffer that can temporarily store water on the landscape during periods of excessive precipitation. (http://bit.ly/1rawNiP)
** Canada should "come off the sidelines" to take a more active role in South Sudan as that country's humanitarian crisis deepens, the head of Amnesty International's Canadian branch says. Alex Neve made the comments after a 10-day visit to South Sudan, where a violent conflict is causing widespread upheaval in the world's newest country. (http://bit.ly/1ngOQU2)
Reports in the business section:
** Multimillionaire geologist Charles "Chuck" Fipke has sold his remaining stake in Ekati, the first-ever Canadian diamond mine he discovered two decades ago in the Arctic tundra of the Northwest Territories. The native Albertan sold his 10 percent interest to Dominion Diamond Corp for a total of $67 million (http://bit.ly/1nad8KL)
NATIONAL POST
** A father opened fire at a suburban Houston home Wednesday, killing four of his children as well as two adults who were with them, and critically wounding his 15-year-old daughter, authorities said. The suspected gunman eventually surrendered after a three-hour standoff with deputies who had cornered him. (http://bit.ly/1rayexz)
** The Conservative government is examining a whole new business model to effectively buy, sell and use the time and skills of federal employees: Meet the BURO-crat. The government has been planning a pilot project at some federal agencies that would apply "market principles" to more efficiently use federal bureaucrats and help smooth out busy and slow work periods, according to government records. (http://bit.ly/W05QUP)
FINANCIAL POST
** The Canadian arm of China Petrochemical Corp may shelve work on its Northern Lights oil sands lease or sell the property entirely, as Chinese companies begin to rethink future investment prospects in the world's No. 3 crude reserve. Sinopec, as the company is known, could delay efforts to develop the property or seek to sell its interest in the lease entirely as it consolidates its North American assets, a person familiar with board-level discussions in Beijing said. (http://bit.ly/U5bLX7)
** CNOOC Ltd subsidiary Nexen Energy ULC is restructuring its operations and letting go staff despite pledges to Ottawa by China's largest offshore oil producer to keep all employees and senior management and turn the Calgary-based company into a platform for growth, industry sources say. (http://bit.ly/1tquxZ3) (Compiled by Sudarshan Varadhan in Bangalore)