When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.

A Kelowna man is upset after FortisBC unexpectedly removed branches from a tree in his front yard, leaving the spruce an «atrocious» «eyesore.» The utility company says the tree was a safety issue near power lines.

The Seychelles Investment Board (SIB) has confirmed that the tender process for Zone B in the Victoria Waterfront project will be relaunched following some objections put forward through the appeal process. The SIB chief executive, Anne Rosette, said that the appeal process was done after the selection of bidders at the beginning of March. Aimed at making Victoria, the capital, livelier, the Waterfront Development project is part of the approved Victoria Masterplan 2040 and will be carried out in the area most people know as the ex-Children's Playground. The request for proposals for the project was launched in October 2023 and the successful bidders include one for Zone A, 11 for Zone B, four for Zone C, and five for Zone D. Zone B comprises three plots of land to be developed for activities and entertainment and four applicants appealed the selection. «Out of the four appeals, two appeals stated that there were issues with the way submissions for bidding were done. When we launched the bidding, we said that submissions could be done in two ways; by email or physically through the National Tender Board (NTB). The Investment Appeal Panel concluded that this process was done in a way that was not in the interest of the bidders and that it could cause confusion. We were then asked to re-do the tender for Zone B,» Rosette told reporters. She expressed disappointment at the outcome of the appeal stating that this also impacts her office. «This is the first time that this has been brought forward, and we have to consider it and improve. We have a small team of only three people. This means a lot of extra work for them and this isn't the only project they are working on. We thought we had concluded this part and now we have to re-do it. We have to take the feedback on board, the panel is an independent body,» said the CEO. She said that all parties involved have been informed and regarding the legal implications, Rosette admitted that there is always a risk. «When we meet the bidders affected we will see what will happen. We have to discuss with them first,» she explained. Rosette clarified that while the three people selected had received a notice of award, the award had not been given yet, this can only be done after the appeal. Therefore, the panel's decision means that they will have to participate again. «This is the process and it is explained to everyone who participates in the tender process. It is an eventuality that can happen. This is a deficiency of the procedure that we have to address. We have to ensure that we improve upon it,» she added, Rosette said according to the procedures, since the appeal was done for Zone B, the tender process will only be relaunched for Zone B and not for the other zones.   Rosette clarified that they are only notifying the public and everyone involved regarding this situation and that details regarding the relaunching of the tender process for Zone B will be done later.  «We will restart the process after we have reviewed the procedure in place and the technicalities associated with it. We don't have a date yet, but we will keep everyone involved informed of what is happening,» she added.

SINGAPORE — A new framework allowing those living in Housing Board flats to keep cats will come into effect in September, when a two-year transition period for cat owners to meet licensing and microchipping requirements begins. The Cat Management Framework — under the National Parks Board's Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) — will allow up to two cats to be kept in each HDB flat, and three cats for each private residence, with owners required to license and microchip all their pet cats. «Those with more cats than the limits for HDB flats and private premises will be allowed to keep all their existing pet cats if they license them within this transition period,» said the AVS. Licensing will be available online via the AVS' Pet Animal Licensing System portal from Sept 1. First-time applicants will also need to complete a one-time free online pet ownership course covering basic pet care skills and responsible ownership.

How much would you pay for a cup of plain water when dining out?  For one customer, $1 was a bit too much.  On Friday (May 10), netizen Ng Ai Kheng took to Facebook to share her experience.  She had patronised a Kaffe & Toast outlet at Sengkang General Hospital outlet and ordered a cup of hot water, one which cost her $1.  Shocked, Ng called it «unethical pricing» for a «small cup of tap water (hot)». «Many can have the choice of not patronising the shop but someone needs to voice out,» she said.  «I personally feel that this kind of pricing should not be a benchmark for others to follow. It is setting a precedent for unnatural inflation.» She also placed the receipt for that cup of water next to another receipt for an order of kopi-c and teh-o.  The kopi-c cost $2.20 while the teh-o was $2, which was not very far off from the amount that Ng had paid for her water.  AsiaOne has reached out to Ng and Kaffe & Toast for more details.  In the comments, some sided with Ng and said that $1 was too much. 

A 42-year-old man died from a blood clot in his lung last Friday (May 3) evening, days after undergoing surgery on his leg. Lianhe Zaobao reported on May 10 that the man had fallen while getting into his colleague's car on the afternoon of April 24 at Bulim Avenue in Jurong West. The moving car then ran over the man's left leg, and he was immediately rushed to the hospital for treatment. According to the Chinese paper, the man was later discharged and allowed to return home. The hospital he stayed at, and his discharge date was not reported. On April 29, the man visited the hospital for a follow-up appointment, where he was recommended to undergo surgery as the wound was swollen. He was hospitalised again after the surgery and was reportedly in good condition. Four days later, however, a ward nurse discovered that the man was not breathing. His cause of death was pulmonary embolism caused by deep vein thrombosis in the calf, reported Zaobao.

TORONTO: Jamaican Canadian police superintendent, Stacy Clarke, who is before a tribunal hearing in Toronto for charges under the Police Services Act, says it was important for her to take accountability for what she had done. In September 2023,...

Retired Toronto Police Service police chief Mark Saunders, retired TPS superintendent Dave McLeod, and former president of the Jamaican Canadian Association Audrey Campbell, were among the list of witnesses called to vouch for the character of...

THE WRITTEN Numbers in Everyday Life Project was officially launched on May 2, established to support the early childhood education sector by helping to ensure that kids retain the fundamentals of mathematics. This project is made possible...

Strutting along the classroom’s make-believe runway, with shoulders held high and smiles beaming, the Kindergarten students of Maverley Primary and Infant School proudly showcased what sets them apart, successfully accomplishing the day’s goal. ‘...

As Jamaica celebrates Education Week with a special emphasis on Read Across Jamaica Day, Amplify Studios in partnership with GrassROOTS Community Foundation and the Book Industry Association of Jamaica is taking a keen look at Jamaica’s literacy...

Jim Peterson, a retired Toronto MP and former Liberal cabinet minister under Paul Martin, has died at the age of 82.

More than 200 Special Education Assistants have been trained as part of the Ministry of Education and Youth's programme to strengthen inclusive education and to ensure that no student with special needs is left behind. Portfolio Minister,...

Washington has “reasonable” concerns that West Jerusalem may have violated humanitarian law using American weapons Read Full Article at RT.com

According to Sergey Belyaev, diplomatic relations with the three Baltic states have been downgraded to a charge d’affaires level

According to Spokesman Alexander Gordeyev, the Ukrainians lost roughly 50 troops

Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen television said the Israeli air force is also delivering airstrikes at Khan Younis

To commemorate the vote, a decision was made to set May 11 as DPR Day and May 12 as LPR Day

The cost of multiple rocket launchers is $30 mln, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced

The Transport Authority is advising the public to be on the lookout for unscrupulous persons who are claiming that they are acting on behalf of the agency and its Managing Director, Ralston Smith, in the auctioning of motor vehicles. The authority...

Un nouveau ponton flottant, élargissant la capacité d'accueil des bateaux de pêche, a été inauguré à Vaitupa vendredi 10 mai. Une inauguration qui intervient dans un contexte tendu : les pêcheurs accusent toujours la coopérative de leur bloquer l'accès à la marina et de leur vendre de la glace à prix fort, tandis que le gérant du site se plaint de cotisations impayées.

Du 21 au 31 mai 2024, le Haut-commissariat de la République en Polynésie française organise une opération d’abandon d’armes à Tahiti et Moorea.

The jury was shown video interviews the pupil - known a Boy B - gave to police after Rebecca Joynes, 30, was arrested a second time following allegations she had sex with the schoolboy.

Critics have claimed the trip to the ninth most dangerous country in Africa is 'hypocritical', given Harry's previous concerns about his security in the UK.

The Crown Prosecution Service has axed guidelines warning parents they could be taken to court for refusing to agree to specific demands from a transgender child.

Hundreds of thousands of Brits reported seeing the Northern Lights from their windows last night thanks to a severe geomagnetic storm that threatens to disrupt the world's power grids.

Instances of the offence have surged by 13 per cent nationally, with 114 reports of spiking every month in London alone.