Author: Editor

REPLAY: B.C. this week in video

Recreational marijuana could be sold in storefronts to Canadians 18 and older if the federal government materializes recommendations made by a task force that was set to explore the legalization of the drug. See More > It’s been almost a week since a large-scale apartment fire left a dozen Langley residents homeless.

Amona residents partying as eviction looms

Amona – Rumors of a police led-evacuation swirled Saturday night in the hilltop outpost of Amona, which is slated for evacuation by December 25. Yet, as hundreds of supporters, mostly teenagers, descended upon the outpost they did not appear worried. On Saturday night the outpost actually took on a party-like atmosphere as teenagers danced in the mud to techno-rave melodies interlaced with religious proverbs.

Tax tribunal rejects Virbhadra Singh’s appeal; HP CM alleges political vendetta

In a setback to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal has dismissed the appeal filed by him against the order of the Income Tax department, which had sought fresh assessment of his tax returns related to the financial year of 2009-10 to 2011-12. The veteran Congress leader termed the development as “politically motivated” and said that he would contest the orders and file an appeal in the High Court or in the Supreme court, if the need arose.

Demonetization will meet fate of Congress’ ‘Nasbandi’: Lalu Prasad Yadav

RJD president Lalu Prasad on Saturday said demonetization would meet the fate of ‘Nasbandi’ of the Congress rule and announced protest across Bihar on December 28. During a day-long meeting of RJD MPs, ministers, legislators and office-bearers, Prasad and other leaders of the party highlighted people’s woes following the scrapping of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes. Addressing the RJD leaders, Prasad criticised the move and said, “It will meet the fate of ‘nasbandi’ during the Congress rule in the past.”

Vijender knocks out Cheka to retain WBO Asia Pacific title, extends his unbeaten streak to 8-0

Indian boxing star Vijender Singh fights with Francis Cheka of Tanzania during the Proboxing match in New Delhi on Saturday ‘Cheka talked so much but I believed in my punch power, and I have done it,’ Vijender said after the bout. The Vijender Singh juggernaut rolled on without a glitch as the Indian boxing star took less than 10 minutes to successfully defend his WBO Asia-Pacific Super Middleweight title with an emphatic Technical Knockout win over Tanzania’s Francis Cheka on Saturday.

Ohio school taps U of Louisville official as new president

The University of Cincinnati on Saturday named as its 30th president: a former longtime professor who’s been serving as acting president at the University of Louisville. The Ohio school’s board of trustees met in special session to approve Neville Pinto to lead the public university of more than 44,300 students.

BP Gains Abu Dhabi Oil Field Stake for $2.2 Billion in Stock

BP Plc cemented its 77-year relationship with Abu Dhabi by swapping about $2.2 billion of its own shares for a stake in one of the emirate’s largest onshore oil concessions. The U.K.’s second-biggest oil group will issue new ordinary shares to pay for 10 percent of the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Petroleum Operations Ltd., giving the emirate a 2 percent holding in BP, the London-based company said Saturday in a statement.

CRICKET: Calne cricketer Dawson hits half-century on England Test debut against India

LIAM Dawson bagged a piece of English cricket history as his unbeaten half-century underpinned the tourists’ revival on day two of the fifth Test against India. Calne’s Dawson was hit on the helmet by the second ball he faced in his Test career from Ishant Sharma, but went on to display the battling qualities – and sound technique – for which he was chosen here as a spinning all-rounder as he and Adil Rashid shared a much-needed eighth-wicket stand of 108 in a total of 477 all out.

Ugandan court orders WizKida s arrest

A court in the Ugandan capital Kampala has issued an arrest order to Ugandan police and Interpol against Nigerian pop star Wizkid. The court order demands that the Nigerian artiste, real name Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun and his manager Sunday ‘Sunny’ Arey be arrested within one month.

War photographer nearly killed in Syria returns to region in medical aid convoy

War photographer Paul Conroy has joined a convoy carrying much-needed medical equipment to the Syrian border for a new hospital in Aleppo – marking his first return to the region since the blast which nearly killed him. In 2012 the photojournalist from Liverpool was badly injured in the Syrian city of Homs, alongside acclaimed war reporter Marie Colvin who was killed in the same blast, when the media centre they were in was shelled.

Norman the booby bird flown home to Caribbean after unscheduled UK stay

A tropical bird found washed up on a British beach has been flown 5,000 miles home to the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean in time for Christmas after being nursed back to health. The red-footed booby bird was discovered underweight and dehydrated on a pebble beach at St Leonards-on-Sea, near Hastings in East Sussex, on September 4. The bird, nicknamed Norman, underwent intensive care at the RSPCA’s Mallydams Wood wildlife centre where he spent time under a heat lamp to ward off the cold and ate sprats to build up his strength.

Philippines’ Duterte to US over aid issue: ‘Bye-bye America’

President Rodrigo Duterte threatened Saturday to terminate a pact that allows U.S. troops to visit the Philippines, saying “bye-bye America” as he reacted with rage to what he thought was a U.S. decision to scrap a major aid package over human rights concerns. A U.S. government aid agency, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, said earlier in the week that its board deferred a vote on a renewal of the development assistance package for the Philippines “subject to a further review of concerns around rule of law and civil liberties.”

England Test new boy Liam Dawson savours impressive innings in India

England’s Liam Dawson was thrilled to make his Test debut count despite the shock of being hit on the head by only the second delivery he faced. The all-rounder may have been picked principally for his left-arm spin, as England try to return fire on Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja on their tough tour of India, but they were indebted to his fine batting after he arrested a first-innings slide which threatened once again to get out of hand.

India openers make steady reply after England tail wags

IMAGE: England’s Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson run between wickets on Day 2 of the 5th Test in Chennai on Saturday. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters ngland’s lower-order gave India a taste of their own medicine on a benign Chepauk track racking up a commendable 477 in their first innings on the second day of the fifth and final cricket Test in Chennai.

Officials say car bombs targeted Turkish military

A suicide car bomb targeting military personnel exploded at the entrance gate to a university in the central province of Kayseri on Saturday, killing 13 Turkish troops and wounding 55 other people, authorities said. The blast comes a week after a car bomb attack claimed by Kurdish militants killed 44 people, mainly riot police posted outside a soccer stadium in Istanbul.

Gambian electoral crisis tops agenda at West African summit

In this Friday Dec. 2, 2016 file photo, Gambians celebrate the victory of Opposition coalition candidate Adama Barrow, run past an army soldier on the streets of Serrekunda, Gambia. The United Nations secretary-general says a takeover by Gambia’s security forces of the country’s electoral commission offices could compromise “sensitive electoral material” as the president refuses to accept being voted out of power.

It’s a crowded starting line for France’s Socialist primary

Former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, now candidate for the socialist party primary election, gestures during the inauguration of his campaign headquarters, Wednesday Dec. 14, 2016, in Paris. Valls hopes to unite the Socialists under his banner and give the left a chance to stay at the Elysee, in the most ambitious challenge of his political life after president Francois Hollande decided not to run for re-election next year.

Supporters, opponents of embattled Park stage big rallies in Seoul

Supporters of South Korean President Pak Geun-hye rallied on Saturday for her reinstatement while opponents gathered to repeat their demands that the leader impeached over a corruption scandal step down immediately. A banner bearing images of South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her father, the late South Korean former military dictator Park Chung-hee, is seen as they attend a protest opposing her impeachment near the constitutional court in Seoul A woman cries while praying for the South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment to be accepted, in front of the constitutional court in Seoul, South Korea, December 17, 2016.

Knights slay Eagles

CENTURION: South Launceston opener hits out on his way to a debut century knock of 106 against Mowbray at the NTCA No.2 Ground. Pictures: Scott Gelston A debut century to Sean Harris helped South Launceston grab valuable points for the Cricket North ladder with an 80-run victory over Mowbray in their round 11 Greater Northern Cup match at the NTCA.

Turkey: car bomb kills thirteen off-duty soldiers

Thirteen soldiers were killed and 48 more were injured when a car bomb hit a bus transporting off-duty military personnel in the central Turkish city of Kayseri on Saturday, one week after a similar attack targeted police outside an Istanbul stadium. The blast is likely to further anger a Turkish public frustrated by a string of deadly attacks this year, several of which have been claimed by Kurdish militants, including last week’s which killed 44 and wounded more than 150.

Saving ancient treasures

The Turkish Cypriot tourism office and the local council of Trikomo have signed an agreement to open an archaeology museum in the town, as part of a drive to ensure every town has a museum. Tourism office head, Fikri Ataoglu, and the leader of the local council, Hasan Sadikoglu, believe the museum will draw visitors to the town and allow them to see the historical artefacts of the island.

Sport24.co.za | Baloyi confident of Chiefs turnaround

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Lucky Baloyi is confident Amakhosi can “turn it around”, ahead of their clash with high-flying Polokwane City at the FNB Stadium. Steve Komphela’s side are hoping to return to the winning trail following a string of disappointing results that has left them seven points off the pace set by league leaders Cape Town City, albeit with a game in hand on Eric Tinkler’s men.

Sport24.co.za | Sundowns’ failure exposes African soccer

In a class of their own in the PSL right now and effectively the number one team in Africa by virtue of annexing CAF’s Champions League trophy, Mamelodi Sundowns’ ill-fated campaign in FIFA’s Club World Cup in Japan tends paradoxically to expose further African soccer in its entirety. And for those who might view this assessment from Sundowns’ two defeats in their two games against Japan’s Kashima Antlers and South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai to be in the realms of an exaggeration, it is as well to be reminded of the fact that no African nation has as yet progressed beyond the quarter-finals of the Soccer World Cup and no African club has annexed the Club World Cup either.

Deal reached that could restart Aleppo evacuation

A Syrian man pulls their belongings after he was evacuated with his family from Aleppo, near Idlib, Syria, Friday, Dec. 16, 2016. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says 7,500 civilians have been evacuated from the Syrian city of Aleppo and that he has reached out to Tehran in a bid to keep the process on track.

NWA dismisses claim that Southern Coastal Highway is a iffya

Chief Executive Office of the National Works Agency EG Hunter says that there is nothing “iffy” about the process leading up to the start of work on the proposed US$384-million Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project. Hunter was responding to a remark by St Thomas Eastern Member of Parliament Fenton Ferguson that there was something “iffy” about the project, as Opposition members of the House of Representatives’ Infrastructure and Physical Development Committee pressed him for details about the agency’s main projects.

MoBay EDM fest tonight

EBMF, now in its fourth year, has become a marquee event on Montego Bay’s entertainment calendar. With its two stages, one catering to dancehall and hip hop and the other to Electronic Dance Music and soca, patrons are in for a treat.

Miss Alia Atkinsona s uplifting example

Time and time again, Jamaicans have found reason to take heart and inspiration from the example of champion swimmer Miss Alia Atkinson. The nation has been inspired not just as a result of Miss Atkinson’s successes, but also by her determination and courage to fight back from bitter disappointment.