News
Players from the Wellington Dukes and County Royals took the plunge yesterday – into the Wellington Harbour that is. Our Brenda Little was there.
Throngs of demonstrators met at Toronto’s Sankofa Square yesterday afternoon, growing to an estimated crowd of 100,000 people in a march to Queen’s Park, in a show of solidarity with Iranians who have been protesting the country’s theocratic regime. Amid a crush of bodies along Yonge Street, the rallying cry “Down with Khamenei” and shouts in support of “King Reza Pahlavi” could be heard, in reference, respectively, to the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader and the exiled eldest son of the last shah of Iran, who was ousted during the 1979 revolution. In December, protests sparked by the fall of the Iranian currency, and the rising costs of living, quickly spread across iran. Broader demands for political change have become a focus of demonstrations. The government responded with an internet blackout and a violent crackdown that has left more than 6,000 dead.
Sticking with Iran, Supreme leader Khamenei warned Sunday that any attack by the United States would spark a “regional war” in the Middle East, further escalating tensions as U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to militarily strike the Islamic Republic over its crackdown on recent nationwide protests. The comments from the 86-year-old Khamenei are the most-direct threat he’s made so far as the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and associated American warships are in the Arabian Sea..It remains unclear whether Trump will use force. He’s repeatedly said Iran wants to negotiate and has brought up Tehran’s nuclear program as another issue he wants to see resolved.
The 68th annual Grammy awards took place yesterday evening in Los Angeles, hosted by comedian Trevor Noah. Winners included:
Lady Gaga for Best Pop Album
Jelly Roll for Best Contemporary Country Album
Kendrick Lamar for Best Rap Album
Turnstile for Best Rock Album
The Cure for Best Alternative Album
Sports
The Picton Pirates opened strong yesterday afternoon at the Lakefield Smith Community Centre, where they faced the Chiefs. Isaiah More, Will Potts, and Colby Leaver all scoring for the Pirates in the opening frame to give the boys a 3-1 lead. But that was all she wrote for the team, as Lakefield scored six unanswered for a 7-3 win.
The Scotties Tournament of Hearts final took place last night to crown the best women’s side in the country between Team Canada’s Kerri Einarson and Team Manitoba’s Kaitlyn Lawes. It took 11 ends, but Einarson came out of top 4-3 to take her 5th Scotties win.
R.J. Barrett scored a team-high 21 points to help the Toronto Raptors to a 107-100 win against the struggling Utah Jazz yesterday. Scottie Barnes celebrated being named to his second NBA All-Star Game with 14 points and nine rebounds as the 30-21 Raptors halted a two-game losing skid. The Raps are currently 4th in the East, a half game up on Cleveland.
And finally in tennis news, Carlos Alcaraz is the youngest man ever to complete a career Grand Slam after securing the Australian Open title against Novak Djokovic. The top-ranked Alcaraz dropped the first set Sunday as Djokovic went out hard in pursuit of a record 25th major title, but he dug deep to win 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. As he was leaving the court, he signed the lens of the TV camera with a note of recognition: “Job finished. 4/4 Complete.” The 4 tournament wins needed to complete the Grand Slam are the US Open, the French Open, the Australian Open, and Wimbledon.
