International News Briefs

Prince owes promoter $4 million

DUBLIN, Ireland: A judge has ordered pop singer Prince to pay $4 million for a concert he cancelled last minute. The concert, scheduled for June 2008, was pulled unexpectedly, leaving thousands of Prince fans disappointed. Dublin promoter MCD Productions took Prince to court after he failed to pay compensation in a confidential settlement they reached on Feb. 26. High Court Justice Peter Kelly found in favour of the promoter. CBC News reports MCD is the largest event promoter in Ireland. They claimed they paid $3 million US up front to bring Prince into Dublin’s 82,300-seat Croke Park.

Plastic bottle boat is afloat

SAN FRANCISCO, California: A catamaran constructed of 12,000 plastic bottles is on its way to Sydney, Australia. Called the Plastiki, the boat was funded by environmentalist and heir David De Rothschild, who will captain the vessel. De Rothschild is hoping his 11,000 nautical mile adventure will raise awareness about pollution in the oceans. BBC News reports the Plastiki will sail past the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an oceanic landfill double the size of Texas. The boat is a completely green vessel with bottles filled with carbon dioxide which keep the boat afloat. The catamaran is powered by solar, wind and sea turbines. Even the laptops on the boat will be powered by a stationary bike. Critics of the Plastiki have warned that should the boat break apart during its journey, it will dispose thousands of plastic bottles into the ocean.

Man given 15 years for breaking into prison

MIAMI, Florida: A former inmate of the Brevard County Detention Centre will be serving more time in prison after he attempted to break back into the facility. Sylvester Jiles, 25, was sentenced to the maximum 15-year penalty. Jiles was trying to break back into prison because he feared violent retaliation from his victim’s family members. He had been released from jail the week before and was on probation. According to Reuters, Jiles suffered cuts and bruises after trying to scale a 12-foot-high barbed wire fence. The convict was previously residing in Brevard for a manslaughter conviction.

Irregular fruits and vegetables will continue to be sold

BRUSSELS, Belgium: An attempt to outlaw misshapen and discoloured fruit throughout the European Union was shot down in parliament last week. A group of Euro-MPs tried to bring back the standardization of fruits and vegetables so as to prevent the sale of odd-shaped and odd-coloured food. One MP commented the shape of fruit is irrelevant to its taste or nutritional value. The proposal was voted down primarily because MPs argued it would lead to increased food waste. According to BBC News, foods that previously had a ban which was later lifted included beans, carrots, eggplants, cucumbers, onions, peas and watermelons. The fruits and vegetables that must continue to conform to certain legislated standards include apples, strawberries, tomatoes and citrus fruits.

Published in Volume 64, Number 25 of The Uniter (April 1, 2010)

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