Vision Newspaper Canada (October 30th - November 5th, 2014)

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USHER kicks off tour in Montreal >> page 7

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Suge Knight and Cat Williams arrested >> Page 8

LL Cool J to host 1 hour Grammy Christmas Special >> page 06

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Vision/ Autumn 2014

The Caribbean Opposition backers march through Haiti capital as election stalemate continues

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti _ A few thousand protesters allied with Haiti’s opposition are marching through the capital’s streets demanding the chance to vote in legislative and local elections that are three years late.

Demonstrators started their march in a downtown slum that is a stronghold of the party founded by ex- President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

The flag-waving and chanting protesters made a rare trip to a hillside district that is home to many wealthy Haitians. Riot police guarded hotels, shops and the country’s elections office.

By early afternoon, the Sunday march was largely peaceful.

Elections overdue since 2011 had been scheduled to take place Sunday. But the vote has been postponed due to an electoral stalemate between the government and six opposition senators.

NEWS US sends senior diplomat to Haiti, seeking to resolve impasse that has delayed elections ment in a brief visit to the Caribbean nation.

President Michel Martelly was supposed to call elections in 2011 for a majority of Senate seats, the entire Chamber of Deputies and local offices. But he hasn’t done so because the Senate has yet to approve an electoral law authorizing the vote.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti _ A senior U.S. diplomat is in Haiti trying to resolve a political impasse over long-stalled legislative elections.

Thomas Shannon is counsellor to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Shannon was meeting with Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe and members of Parlia-

Spokesman Dario Medrano said Friday that the 40-year-old woman was arrested at the airport in the popular tourist district of Punta Cana after arriving on a flight from Brussels. Her name has not been released.

Dominican authorities say this is the first time they have arrested someone who was smuggling money in their stomach.

Shannon declined to comment Thursday as he left a meeting in Parliament.

The Associated Press

Weakening Hanna soaks waterlogged northern Nicaragua, eastern Honduras

Dominican officers arrest woman found with $70,000 in her stomach, $69,000 hidden in suitcase

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP)_ Dominican Republic officials say they have arrested a woman who was carrying more than $70,000 in her stomach and $69,000 hidden inside her suitcase. The spokesman for the National Drug Control Agency says the money in the woman’s stomach was divided up among 16 capsules and the cash is likely tied to drug trafficking.

Some Senators say the proposed law is unconstitutional and improperly favours the Martelly government. They must approve it by January or Parliament will be dissolved.

a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph), but warned that rains would continue over northeastern Nicaragua and eastern Honduras.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) _ Hanna made landfall near the Nicaragua-Honduras border Monday as a tropical storm, bringing heavy rains to an already waterlogged area.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm was forecast to dump as much as 10 to 12 inches (25-30 centimetres) of precipitation with higher isolated amounts, threatening dangerous flash floods and landslides.

Thousands of people in northern Nicaragua were already in shelters after heavy rains last week caused flooding and damaged roads.

The Nicaraguan navy said 17 people were rescued from two sailboats that capsized off the country’s Caribbean coast.

The Hurricane Center said Hanna was expected to dissipate by Tuesday.

Monday evening, Hanna’s centre was about 70 miles (115 kilometres) west-southwest of Cape Gracias a Dios, on the border between the two countries.

Late Monday, the centre said The storm was heading west near Hanna had weakened into 7 mph (11 kph).

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Vision Newspaper UK: Editor in Chief : Nadine White, Editor: Nadia Akram, Correspondent in Jamaica: Deana Meyers Contributors: Francesca Quass, Yemi Abiade, Samantha Dennis, Claire Daley, Vision Newspaper Canada: Editor in Chief: Alwin Squire, Editors: Samantha Deschamps, Kelly Deschamps, Marilyn Marshall, Christopher Miller

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Around the world Sharpton calls for federal prosecution in Ferguson police shooting, condemns grand jury leaks

ST. LOUIS (AP)_ Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton returned to St. Louis Friday to renew calls for the federal prosecution of a white police officer who shot and killed a black 18-year-old in Ferguson.

A grand jury’s deliberations about whether to indict Darren Wilson in Michael Brown’s killing are expected to be complete by mid-November. The U.S. Justice Department is also investigating whether Wilson violated Brown’s civil rights and conducting a broad investigation of police in the St. Louis area.

Sharpton returned to New York after meeting with Brown’s parents and local activists.

Sharpton’s breakfast speech was followed by a training of volunteer ``justice disciples’’ to monitor the police response to anticipated protests over the upcoming grand jury decision.

O.J. SIMPSON-APPEAL

LAS VEGAS (AP) _ O-J Simpson’s chance for a new trial now lies with the Nevada Supreme Court. His lawyers have filed papers with the court, claiming a lower court judge was wrong not to give the former N-F-L star another chance in front of a judge and jury. Simpson has argued that his trial lawyer, Yale Galanter, botched the case and had a conflict of interest. Simpson was convicted in 2008 of kidnapping and armed robbery — charges that came as a result of a hotel room robbery to get back memorabilia Simpson claimed belonged to him.

Simpson is 67 — and won’t be eligible for parole until 2017.

Vision/ Vision 2014

news

3

A glance at marijuana laws in Latin America and the Caribbean _ COLOMBIA: President Juan Manuel Santos in August endorsed newly introduced legislation that would legalize marijuana for medicinal and therapeutic use in the drug war-afflicted Andean nation.

Here’s a look at the status of marijuana laws in some countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. _ ARGENTINA: Personal possession of marijuana was decriminalized under a 2009 Supreme Court ruling that jail time for small amounts of drugs violates Argentina’s constitution.

Although the ruling only referred to pot, in practice it extended to most drugs.

_ BRAZIL: Does not punish personal drug use, but trafficking or transporting small amounts of controlled substances is punishable by drug abuse education or community service. _ CHILE: The law allows use of medical marijuana, but so far only one pilot program has been authorized. First legal seeds were planted Wednesday.

_ GUATEMALA: President Otto Perez Molina has called the drug war a failed strategy and praised the ``visionary’’ legalization experiments in Washington and Colorado. Currently, prison terms of four months to two years can be imposed for the possession of drugs for personal use. _ JAMAICA: The justice minister in June announced legislation to decriminalize the possession of to 2 ounces (57 grams) of pot and legalize the drug for religious purposes in a country where adherents of the Rastafarian spiritual movement ritually smoke marijuana as a ``holy herb.’’

_ MEXICO: There is no general push to legalize marijuana in a country where tens of thousands have been killed in drug war violence in the past seven years, but lawmakers in the capital, Mexico City, have introduced a measure to allow stores to sell up to 5 grams of pot. _ URUGUAY: Became the first nation to approve a state-overseen marijuana market in 2013. Once registered and licensed, any Uruguayan adult will be allowed to grow plants at home or join a pot-growing club. Soon users will also be able to buy marijuana cigarettes from pharmacies.

The Associated Press

Community

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Vision/ Autumn 2014

Canada closes its doors to people from the West African countries battling Ebola for bid. Would our government say the same thing. Or is this more about politics than science.

Canada is following in Australia’s footsteps and has closed its doors, effectively immediately, to people from the West African countries battling Ebola. In a move that puts Canada at odds with the World Health Organization, the federal government said on October 31 it is suspending the issuance of visas for residents

and nationals of countries with “widespread and persistent-intense transmission” of Ebola virus disease. Now the question is why is Canada doing this". Medically the best minds tell us that this is not the way to go about it. What if the US, UK and Europe as a whole became involved with numerous cases of Ebola god

Since the West African countries are poor and relay on us for aid it is unlikely they can do anything in the world.

We are the most racially and ethically diverse country in the world and we got this way by allowing the the world to come and make a better life for themselves and families.

It does not matter where you are from we all came to better ourselves in this home and native land. It Is our national ideology.

"In October 1347, a ship came from the Crimea and docked in Messina, Sicily. Aboard the ship were not only sailors but rats. The rats brought with them the Black Death, the bubonic plague. Jews were taken as scapegoats, in part because better hygiene among Jewish communities and isolation in

What ’s On

Events

the ghettos meant in some places that Jews were less affected". Accusations spread that Jews had caused the disease by deliberately poisoning wells.

How can we say what we are saying to the black western African countries? It goes against our values and our human rights laws. It is shameful. The worst of it is that we as a population are basically complacent to the governments inappropriate behaviour! We are as ignorant as the leaders of 1347 only the scapegoat then was Jews and now its black Africans!

Assoc.Professor Alan Levy BA, MIR,LLM Human Resources,Labour Relations,Leadership & Dispute Resolution Department of Business Administration Faculty of Arts Brandon University

Family & Children

Chelsea Stewart

Mobb Deep

T.I. with Guests Tour

Asap Ferg & YG Best Coast Connection

Alkaline Return Tour

Venue: Jamaican Canadian Association Address: 995 Arrow Rd, Toronto, ON Date: November 1st, 2014

Venue: Kool Haus Address: 132 Queens Quay East Toronto, ON Date: November 6th, 2014 Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ca

1. Union Hall - Edmonton, AB November 8th, 2. Burton Commuinty Theater Winnipeg, MB - November 11th 3. Kool Haus - Toronto, ON November 14th Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ca

Venue: Sound Academy Toronto, ON Date: November 19th, 2014

Venue: Luxy Toronto, ON Date: November 14th 2014

Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ca

Venue: Oshawa Music Hall Oshawa, ON Date: November 22nd 2014

Flying Lotus

Schoolboy Q

Usher The UR Experience Tour

Ghostface Killer

Lil John

The Juice Cup Africa vs West Indies

Venue: Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, BC Date: November 19th, 2014 Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ca

Venue: Sound Academy Toronto, ON Date: November 21st, 2014 Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ca

1. Bell Center - Montreal, QC November 1st, 2. Air Canada Center - Toronto, ON November 2nd 3. Rogers Arena - Vancouver, BC November 27th 4. Rexall Place - Edmonton, AB November 30th Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ca

Venue: The Rockpile East Toronto, ON Date: November 28th, 2014 Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ca

Venue: The Ranch Road House Edmonton, AB Date: December 3rd, 2014 Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ca

venue: Queen Elizabeth Theater Date: November 14th & 16th, 2014

Caribbean Cook off Competition

Venue: Burnhamthorpe Community Center 1500 Gulleden Drive, Etobicoke ON Date: November 8th 2014 More information: www.jerkfestival.ca

Black Unsung Heros Dinner & Awards

Venue: Jamaican Canadian Association 995 Arrow Rd. Toronto, ON Date: November 9th 2014

Vision/ Autumn 2014

Community

5

Bell Media launching Rogers and Vice Media video streaming service create joint venture

TORONTO _ Bell Media is launching a new video streaming service that will include the entire HBO scripted off-air library.The company says the subscription service, code-named ``Project Latte,'' will feature premium programming, including ``The Sopranos,''

``The Wire'' and ``Sex and the City.''

The Canadian Press

TORONTO _ Rogers Communications is teaming with pugnacious cultural magazine and digital outlet Vice Media in a $100-million joint venture that will launch a new TV channel and open a production studio in downtown Toronto.The partnership between Montreal-created Vice

and Canadian media giant Rogers (TSX:RCI.B) will begin next year with the Vice TV Network in Canada and a digital distribution model that will let Rogers chase the 18- to 34-year-old demographic with exclusive mobile content.

The Canadaian Press

Music

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Vision/ Autumn 2014

Recording Academy to announce Grammy nominations Dec. 5; also debuting holiday TV special Thursday it was time to switch it up. ``We're freshening up, changing this up a little bit and the kicko for Grammy season will still be getting our nominations out that day, albeit a little dierently,'' Portnow said.

NEW YORK _ The Recording Academy will announce the nominees for the 2015 Grammy Awards the morning of Dec. 5, except for one category: the coveted album of the year.

The nominees for the top prize will come later that day when the academy debuts the new

TV special, ``A Very GRAMMY Christmas,'' to air on CBS at 9 p.m. EST. It will feature performances from Pharrell and Ariana Grande.

The Grammys first launched a televised concert announcing its main nominees in 2008.

Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow said in an interview

The one-hour Christmas special will be hosted by LL Cool J and also will include Maroon 5, Tim McGraw and some others to be announced at a later date, show producer Ken Ehrlich said Thursday. It will tape Nov. 18 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

The nominees for album of the year will be announced toward the end of the program, Ehrlich said.

Grande, Pharrell and the others will perform their own hits and holiday songs, as well as discuss their favourite holiday moments and Grammy moments.

All of the performers are Grammy winners except for Grande, who marked a breakthrough this year with a string of hits, including ``Problem.'' ``If you ask any musical artist what their best Christmas gift would be, maybe eight out of 10 of them would say a Grammy nomination,'' Ehrlich said.

The 57th annual Grammy Awards will air live Feb. 8 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It will include 83 categories.

By Mesfin Fekadu THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Settlement reached in Chris Brown law suit how much the settlement was worth. He did not immediately respond to requests for information from The Associated Press.

The settlement was first reported by TMZ.

WASHINGTON - The lawyer for a man who was punched by Chris Brown outside a Washington hotel says he has settled a lawsuit against the singer.

The Washington Post reports (http://wapo.st/1nU8ebT ) that John C. Hayes, the attorney for Parker Adams, confirmed on Thursday that a settlement had been reached. He did not say

Brown pleaded guilty to misdemeanour assault on Sept. 2. The singer admitted hitting Adams, who tried to get in a picture that the singer was taking with two women outside the W hotel in October 2013. Adams suffered a broken nose.

Brown was sentenced to time served.

(The Associated Press)

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Jerk, Curry, Fried and Stew Chicken.

Many more delectable entrees.

Ask about our specials.

All meals come with: Rice and Peas, Rice or Cooked Food & Small Side of Vegetables (ALL PRICES INCLUDE TAX)

Vision/ Autumn 2014

Music

7

Usher says 1 son studies his dance moves, the other doesn't think he's a 'great singer'

NEW YORK _ One of Usher's sons studies his dance moves meticulously, while the other has said to the Grammy-winning star: ``You're not a great singer.''

Usher says his son Nayvid Ely Raymond, who turns 6 in December, isn't impressed with the multiplatinum singer. ``He doesn't care about what I do as much. ... He's like, 'I'm the star. Who are you? You sing?''' Usher said in a recent interview.

``He told me the other day, he says, 'You're not a great singer,''' Usher, 36, continued with a laugh. His reply to his son: ``What? I'm a great singer!''

Usher said his son named after him, who turns 7 next month, has taken to his father's dance talents. ``When seeing me perform on tour in the past ... and most of the time it's past his bedtime, but he's just sitting

there studying every move, every second, like laser focus,'' he said of Usher Raymond V. ``And then I'll see him off by himself doing the moves.''

Usher will showcase his sharp choreography on his UR Experience World Tour, which kicks off Saturday in Montreal. He said the tour was influenced by live shows he's seen from U2, Bruce Springsteen and Frankie Beverly. ``There's this connection and that is what gave the inspiration for this show,'' he said of the veteran acts.

He will play many of his hits, from ``U Remind Me'' to ``Yeah!'' to ``OMG,'' on his first tour in three years. He will also play instruments. ``I may be playing the drum sometimes. I may be playing the bass,'' he said. ``We may have a reprise on a song that you know and you enjoy for, who knows, eight to 10 minutes.''

Usher, who released two singles this year, is currently working on his eighth album.

Apart from music, he says he would like to do more movies

and enjoyed his stint on NBC's ``The Voice'' because was able to stress the seriousness of artist development. ``This is something that was very, very important when I came up as an artist and is probably the reason why 20 years later, I am making music and performing and excited about doing it,'' he said.

By Mesfin Fekadu THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Music

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Vision/ Autumn 2014

MISSY ELLIOTT, LIL KIM, DA BRAT to perform on Soul Train awards

NEW YORK (AP) _ Missy Elliott, Lil Kim and Da Brat are reuniting for the Soul Train Awards. They all appeared on the 1997 hit ``Not Tonight,’’ along with Angie Martinez and the late Left Eye of T-L-C. The Soul Train Awards will tape in Las Vegas on November 7th. The show airs on B-E-T and CENTRIC on November 30th.

ICE CUBE

visits sesame street

NEW YORK (AP) _ There was a time when parents would have freaked out to hear their kids were learning words from Ice Cube, but these days, it’s O-K. ``Sesame Street’’ has released a video of Ice Cube teaching the word ``astounding’’ to Elmo.

He demonstrates by showing Elmo a few magic tricks. You can see the video on ``Sesame Street’s’’ Facebook page. Ice Cube has a new single called ``Drop Girl’’ but it is not kid-friendly.

KALADO detained in US

TINY HARRIS OF XSCAPE under fire for eye lightening

NEW YORK (AP) _ Tiny Harris is defending her choice to have a procedure that permanently lightened the colour of her eyes.

The former Xscape singer and wife of rapper T.I. says she travelled to Africa about two weeks ago for cosmetic implants that changed her eyes from brown to ice grey. She

tells ``Good Morning America’’ she thinks they’re ``amazing.’’

A spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology says such procedures are illegal in the U-S and are considered dangerous. Harris says T.I. wasn’t on board at first but is O-K with them as long as she’s healthy

KEVIN ISAACS in his fathers footsteps EP titled If You Leave.

Isaacs produced all the songs for his Kevin Isaacs Music Production label, which was released digitally on October 25.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The JANAICA OBSERVER is reporting that dancehall artiste Kalado has been detained in the US. There sources say the ‘Good Good Bring Life’ singer has been detained on immigration issues since October 18, but other sources say the singer is being held on suspicion of immigration fraud charges. source: www.jamaicaobserver.com

In a statement release in the Jamaica Observer he said “the mini-set has uplifting messages and love songs with one specially dedicated to my dad” “Dad is a big influence on my career, teaching me humility, the importance of being well-read and writing songs with sweet melodies.”

“He was my idol,” said Isaacs.

KINGSTON, Jamaica - Kevin Isaacs, son of the late lovers rock singer Gregory Isaacs is promoting his latest project, a five-track

Gregory Isaacs, the Cool Ruler, died in 2010 in London, England. source: www.jamaicaobserver.com

SUGE KNIGHT arrested

LAS VEGAS (AP) _ Death Row Records founder Suge (SHUG) Knight was arrested the day before he had to appear in court on an unrelated charge. Knight is in a Las Vegas jail after he was taken into custody Wednesday night on charges he and comedian Katt Williams stole a celebrity photographer’s camera last month in Beverly Hills, California.

Knight appeared in court in Las Vegas yesterday on an unrelated suspended-licence charge that was reduced to a 190-dollar fine.

Knight will have an extradition hearing Monday. He has a prior conviction for assault with a deadly weapon and could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

Music

Vision/ Autumn 2014

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Album Review

I Rise Etana

Back From The Dead 2 ‘Mixtape’ Chief Keef

One of the most anticipated releases of the year is Etana’s fourth album, I RISE. It comes with a strong set of tunes delivered at the highest production values, suited to a Jamaican recording artist of her calibre and creative songwriting ability.

This set finds her in role model mode, but also as a woman in love, a woman in control and yet ready to soar; expanding to higher heights, a woman challenging the creative process and the system as a whole.

Chief Keef is back this Halloween with the second installment of his “Back From The Dead” mixtape series. The project is hosted by DJ Holiday and almost entirely produced

by Keef himself. A Deluxe version is also for sale on iTunes.

source: www.reggaeville.com

Release date: October 28, 2014

source: www.datpiff.com

Release date: October 31, 2014

Vibes

Rich Nigga Timeline Mixtape Migos

While some still may view Theophilus London as a relative newcomer in today’s game, his impressive track record speaks for itself. Records such as 2009’s “Humdrum Town” and 2012’s “Big Spender” served as tremendous boosts to the career of an artist who incorporates elements from hip-hop, soul, R&B, and electro to form an entirely new genre he describes as “post-punk.” There are even a few doses of reggae and funk on the Brooklyn-by-way-of-Trinidad native’s eclectic sophomore album, Vibes, a 12-song body of work executively produced by Kanye West.

Immediately following the airing of the BET Hip Hop Awards, Migos took to Twitter to announce a new mixtape titled Rich Nigga Timeline and reveal the official artwork for the project, which will drop November 5th.

Theophilus London

source: www.xxlmag.com

Release date: November 4, 2014

source: www.rapwave.net

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Music

Vision/ Autumn 2014

Album Review: Dionne Warwick's duets album is uneven; features Cyndi Lauper, Gladys Knight, CeeLo less. And the choice of material is, of course, beyond reproach, relying heavily on classics composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

Dionne Warwick, ``Feels So Good'' (Bright Music Records) The duets from Dionne Warwick's new album show her remarkable voice undiminished by time, still as sweet and melodious as ever. Her phrasing and delivery sound easy and effort-

``Every Once In A While'' with Eric Paslay is spare and convincing, filled with yearning for a time that cannot be recovered. A quirky reggae version of ``Raindrops Keep Falling So the combination of On My Head'' with Ziggy Warwick with a number Marley seems to combine of younger performers, a dozen different styles as well as some who've into a witty rendition that been around for decades, works; and Phil Driscoll should have been a winbrings a welcome touch ner. But the record strug- of Barry White to ``This gles to find a groove _ a Guy/This Girl's In Love common shortcoming With You.'' of duet compilations _ and some of the arrange- A country-inflected ``Hope Is Just Ahead'' ments sound a bit flat, too polished to carry an with Billy Ray Cyrus manemotional wallop. ages to deal with the horrors of school shootings There are exceptions. and other modern day

troubles without giving in to despair _ their voices work well together, and the Motown-style horns and acoustic guitars somehow mesh.

But what should have been a dream team pairing with Gladys Knight on ``I Know, I'll Never Love This Way Again'' fails to bring out the best in these two giants, and Cyndi Lauper doesn't really add much to ``Message to Michael,'' which was probably perfect the first time around.

By Gregory Katz THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Vision/ Autumn 2014

sports

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Jamaican discus thrower Canada learns path at Traves Smikle gets 2 year CONCACAF under 20 suspension for doping qualifying tournament in Jamaica Smikle said at the time that he did not knowingly or wittingly take any banned substance.

Smikle, who competed at the 2012 London Olympics, was one of several athletes who tested positive at last year's Jamaican championships, MONACO _ Jamaican dis- along with sprinters Asacus thrower Traves Smikle fa Powell and Sherone has received a two-year Simpson. suspension for doping.

The International Association of Athletics Federations says Smikle's ban will last until June 21, 2015.

The sanction began from the date of his positive test for a banned substance at the Jamaican national championships on June 22, 2013.

Powell and Simpson had their 18-month bans reduced to six months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Smikle's suspension was among those included on the IAAF's latest list of doping sanctions released this week.

The Associated Press

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica _ Canada has been drawn in a group with Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras and defending champion Mexico for the CONCACAF under-20 men's championship in Jamaica next year.

Austria, Germany, Hungary, Portugal, Serbia, Ukraine, North Korea, Myanmar, Qatar and Uzbekistan have already qualified for the 24-team U-20 World Cup alongside host New Zealand.

Canada has not qualified for the under-20 world The other pool includes Aruba, Guatemala, Jamai- championship since 2007 ca, Panama, Trinidad and when it hosted the event.

That Canadian team lost Tobago, and the U.S. all three matches and exThe 12-team qualifying ited after pool play withevent, slated for Jan. 9-24 out scoring a goal. in Kingston and Montego Bay, will send four teams Canada's best showing at this level was in 1997 to the FIFA U-20 World when Bruce Twamley's Cup New Zealand 2015.

Canadian team featuring Canada will open Jan. 12 Dwayne De Rosario and Paul Stalteri reached the against Mexico. round of 16 before losing to Spain.

CONCACAF covers North and Central America and The Associated Press the Caribbean.

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FILM

Vision/ Autumn 2014

Sketch comedy series ‘Friends of the People’ sure to win friends as truTV goes for laughs cheerfully likens to “a really long RV trip where sometimes the toilet gets clogged.”

Photo credit www.jetmag.com “It’s seven different voices with different styles of comedy,” says Kevin Barnett, one of the show’s two head writers, “but we meet in the middle in terms of what we think is funny.”

“And we all feed off each other,” adds cast mate Jermaine Fowler.

NEW YORK _ Sketch-comedy shows are like frozen-yogurt shops: While there are probably way too many, most are good enough to stay afloat.

Still, it takes a special breed of fro-yo shop to make it worth seeking out in a strange neighbourhood.

Same with sketch comedy. But “Friends of the People” should tickle your comedy sweet tooth more than most. Which means it’s well worth tracking down on truTV, a network that heretofore was never known for funny, where it premieres Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. EDT. What sets this TV troupe apart (other than the network where it’s found)? For one thing, its demographic makeup: six guys (five African-American and one Caucasian), plus one lone white gal.

That diverse composition (which recalls the Fox comedy series “In Living Color” from a quarter-century ago) seems less notable, however, than how the show’s seven talents have fused larkily into a singular identity: one of playful absurdity that mines humour from daily life, including but hardly limited to race in its single-minded pursuit of laughs.

“Race has a personality on the show in a good way, but we don’t want any one thing to dictate the show,” says Jennifer Bartels, who, even as the gang’s sole female, regards herself as one of the boys. “We want the funniest stuff to get in.”

“A lot of our sketches don’t touch on race, and if they do, it’s in a very stupid, silly way,” says Lil Rel Howery, who at this moment looks plenty silly in his black spandex Power Rangers suit while taking a break at a Manhattan public park with fellow cast mates dressed in red, white and blue versions of that same uniform. They’re filming a sketch in which Howery mistakes his character not as the black-clad Power Ranger but as a Black Power ranger who disrupts production of the “Power Rangers” TV show by thrusting his fist in the air and strutting around in a dashiki.

“We’re some silly people, man,” Howery chuckles.

Scheduled for a future airing in the 10-episode first season, the sketch marks the end of five months of writing and production, which has gathered these young writer-performers (and, yes, friends) for what Bartels

“We’re not a sketch group,” sums up Josh Rabinowitz, the white guy and the other head writer. “It’s more like a collective of separate comedians who are friends and came together to do stuff.”

On the premiere episode, their stuff includes: _ A sketch in which an NBA player rocks the sports world by coming out as monogamous, a condition, says the shocked commentator, “thought to be nonexistent in professional sports.”

I’d probably be OK at it,” then dropped out of law school and recruited Keith, who also ditched his law school aspirations, reasoning, “We needed to do something that would put us together.”

They’re together now with the other zany Friends of the People, whose show is part of a revamping of truTV. Adopting the slogan “Way More Fun,” the network this week is also premiering “Fake Off,” a performance competition series; “Hair Jacked,” described as an ambush game show that takes place in a hair salon; and a wacky advice show, “How to Be a Grown-up.” More fun stuff is in the pipeline.

“We are leaning more into the comedic,” says truTV’s president and programming boss, Chris Linn. “We’ve been looking for young creatives who have a real vision for their projects. Then we let their recipe for comedy find itself.”

That appears to be true with “Friends of the People,” according to Jermaine Fowler.

_ A spoof of “Seinfeld” peopled by cocaine dealers called “Drug Deal About Nothing.”

“We don’t feel filtered,” he says.

“We feel like our vision is manifested 100 per cent.”

_ An edition of “Squabblin & Quarrelin,” which parodies ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption,” with lookalike co-hosts who laconically agree on every topic they raise.

It’s a treat.

This duo is played by identical twins Keith and Kenny Lucas, happily interchangeable members of the troupe who take a deadpan approach to comedy that could be described as “Bob Newhart-esque _ but a little more absurd and a lot more urban,” says Keith (or is it Kenny?).

The Lucas Bros. came to comedy when Kenny took an improv course and, in his first faltering attempts at standup, concluded, “If I did this a hundred times,

By Frazier Moore THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

__

EDITOR’S NOTE: Frazier Moore is a national television columnist for The Associated Press.

He can be reached at fmoore(at)ap.org and at http://www.twitter.com/tvfrazier. Past stories are available at http://bigstory.ap.org/ content/frazier-moore ___ Online: http://www.trutv.com

Vision/ Autumn 2014

Fashion & Lifestyle

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BANG ON TREND! FASHION BITES

Beyonce partners with British retailer Topshop to launch athletic wear company next year

NEW YORK _ Want a body like Beyonce's?

Now you can buy clothes she's designed for exercising.

647-316-1759

The 33-yearold singer announced Monday that she is merging with British retailer Topshop to launch the company, Parkwood TopShop

Athletic Ltd. It is a 50/50 joint venture.

The clothing line will be available next fall.

ment. She says she's ``always loved'' Topshop and called the retailer ``forward thinking.''

Beyonce first Beyonce said in dabbled in fasha statement that ion when she reshe ``could not leased the House think of a better of Dereon line partner'' as she alongside her continues to grow mother a decade her production ago. company, ParkThe Associated Press wood Entertain-

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