This Saturday (May 25), the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre will be awash in space cowboys as the eighth annual Can't Stop the Serenity fundraiser touches down.

Held at select locations around the world, Can't Stop the Serenity raises awareness and money for Equality Now, an organization dedicated to improving the civil, political, economic, and social rights of girls and women. The Vancouver event also helps out B.C. Women's Hospital & Health Centre Foundation and Avalon Recovery Society.

Two of the world’s most successful and storied sports organizations are teaming up to add a second professional soccer team in New York City.

Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and English Premier League club Manchester City FC will jointly manage the 20th member of North America’s Major League Soccer, according to an announcement by MLS commissioner Don Garber on Tuesday (May 21).

The New York City Football Club will join future crosstown rivals New York Red Bulls for the 2015 season. The two teams reportedly paid $100 million to acquire the expansion franchise, a deal that was in the works for three years, Garber said.

Some of B.C.’s hottest indie bands return to New Westminster for Uptown Live 2013, a free music and arts street festival taking place Saturday (May 25) from 1 to 7 p.m.

Presented by Royal City Centre and Westminster Centre, Uptown Live kicks off outside the Uptown shopping district (6th Avenue at 6th Street) after the Key West Ford Hyack International Parade. Three performance stages will showcase bands, such as the Boom Booms, Good for Grapes, Bend Sinister, the Belle Game, the Shilohs, Buckman Coe, and New Westminster’s own Warren Dean Flandez.

Along with live music, the festival will also feature a BMX bike demonstration, food trucks, and a family fun zone.

Women Transforming Cities presents Engaging Women, Transforming Cities: Designing Ideal Cities for Women and Girls as part of its national conference on May 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event features international, national, and local speakers at SFU’s Segal Graduate School of Business (500 Granville Street).

Keynote speakers at the event include Caroline Andrew, president of Women in Cities International; Prabha Khosla, an urban planner; Karen Leibovici, president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities; and Sylvia Bashevkin, professor of political science at the University of Toronto.

The 16th annual European Festival takes place on May 25 and 26 at Swangard Stadium (3883 Imperial Street). This year, the family-friendly event opens from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday (May 25) and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday (May 26).

Highlights of the 2013 festival include a European talent show on Sunday at 3 p.m., live music and dance performances on the festival stage and arts plaza stage, an ABBA tribute show on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 4:30 p.m., a Beatles tribute on Saturday at 8:30 p.m., and an after-party dance with DJ Cris.

Switzerland has been chosen as this year’s featured country, but a total of 30 countries’ cultural displays, including dishes, will be available.

UBC law prof linked to payment  CTV News has reported that Benjamin Perrin, an associate professor of law at UBC, helped draft an agreement for a $90,000 payment from Nigel Wright to Sen. Mike Duffy. Perrin was a special adviser in the Prime Minister's Office and Wright was chief of staff to Stephen Harper. Both no longer work in the PMO. (Editor's note: Perrin later denied being consulted on the payment from Wright to Duffy.)

Sedins help Swedes win  The host country, Sweden, won the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship by defeating Switzerland 5-1. The Swedes benefited from two goals by Canucks captain Henrik Sedin.  

Ottawa makes it a series  Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson scored a short-handed goal in the final minute to tie the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, setting the stage for Colin Greening's winning goal in double overtime. Pittsburgh leads the series 2-1.

Boston Bruins take charge  The Bruins have a commanding 2-0 series lead over the New York Rangers after a 5-2 win yesterday.

Monsanto has become a global villain to many farmers for allegedly trying to corner the market on seeds.

It's led some of them, like Canada's Percy Schmeiser, to wage campaigns lasting for years against the U.S.-based corporation.

Schmeiser went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada to fight Monsanto's demand that he had to buy seeds from the company every year in return for purchasing Roundup Ready canola.

Earlier this year, the Texas Observer published a feature article about an organic farmer in that state who was also taking on Monsanto.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has been among the fiercest critics of Vision Vancouver council's decision to introduce grade-separated downtown bike lanes.

In 2010, the CFIB released a survey showing that 90 percent of Hornby Street business owners did not trust the city to look after their interests.

However in New York City, separated bike lanes have been linked to a boost in retail business.

Most of us know Ricky Gervais as that rather amusing man who used to star in The Office, the acerbic former host of the Golden Globes, one of the world's greatest standup comedians, or even as the entertainment world's most outspoken atheist.

It turns out that he's also an animal lover. In the video above, he makes a pitch for stopping the use of animal tests in cosmetics.

You have to agree with him—it's pretty stupid to kill a creature just so people can have a slightly better aroma in their shampoo.

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