General

News that BC Hydro will significantly increase its reliance on imported electricity this year may come as a shock to many energy-complacent British Columbians, but not to B.C. Citizens for Green Energy (BCCGE) and its co-spokesperson David Field.

 The parliament of Catalonia, an autonomous region of Spain, today voted to outlaw bullfighting – an iconic sport in much of the country. The vote was held after animal rights activists, led by Spanish animal rights group Prou! (Spanish for "Enough!"), who claim the practice is "barbaric", collected 180,000 signatures to a petition.

Bullfighting has been outlawed in the Canary Islands since 1991. In other areas, such as Portugal and southern France, the bulls, which are specially bred for fighting, are not killed in the ring.

 It's still impaired driving if you're driving a boat.

A fanfare is bringing in the month of August in Grand Forks, a fanfare of fire trucks and firebells that is. This weekend the Grand Forks Fire Department is hosting "Firebells and Fanfare" event gathering of antique fire fighting apparatus from throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Firebells started with the Victoria Fire Department, but has been held in a number of cities over the past 15 years.

A cyclist sustained a head injury and a broken leg when he was struck by a vehicle while riding on Highway 3 between Christina Lake and Grand Forks. Vincent Castiglione, age 79, appeared to veer into traffic as if he intended to cross the highway, said Staff Sergeant Jim Harrison.

The accident took place on Thursday, July 22 and the highway was closed for a short time as West Kootenay Traffic Services assisted in the investigation of the events.

 A man dressed as the Star Wars antagonist Darth Vader robbed a bank in Setauket, New York. The robber was dressed in a character themed mask and blue cape. Armed with a hand gun, the robber stole an undetermined amount of cash from the Chase bank branch.

 Kimberly Ruth Noyes has been found ‘not criminally responsible for reason of mental disorder’ in the killing of 12-year-old John Fulton of Grand Forks. 

An advert by fast food restaurant Burger King has been banned from British television over claims that it is misleading. The campaign for the new TenderCrisp chicken burger received two complaints over the fact that the burger appears significantly larger on the advert than in real life.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) investigated the complaints and purchased three burgers from a Burger King restaurant. They reported that both the thickness and the height was "considerably less" than in the advertisement.