REGINA — Saskatchewan residents no longer have to specify their gender on driver’s licences and photo ID cards.

Saskatchewan Government Insurance said in a statement that anyone who doesn’t identify as male or female can choose to mark an X on the documents.

Spokeswoman Penny McCune said the government-owned company is committed to being inclusive and realizes some people don’t want to be forced to identify as either male or female.

Alberta, Ontario, and Newfoundland and Labrador already offer their residents the option not to specify gender on their licences.

Last May, Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench ruled that the provincial government had to allow people to remove gender from their birth certificates.

SGI customers who want to change their driver’s licence can do so at any authorized issuer at no charge.

“As conceptualizations of gender and sex evolve across Saskatchewan and the world, a move to an unspecified option means that all people — whether they’re transgender, non-binary, or simply people who don’t think their gender needs to be on their IDs — will be able to have identification that most accurately represents who they are,” Jacq Brasseur, executive director of the UR Pride Centre for Sexuality and Gender Diversity in Regina, said in the Monday release.

SGI points out that it cannot guarantee that a driver’s licence or ID with an X will be accepted by businesses, organizations or government agencies who have not made changes to their gender policies.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The NFCA is pleased to announce an extended partnership with the innovative professional sports manufacturing and design company Sports Attack. This partnership was extended to include a three-year contract. Sports Attack will remain the title sponsor of the NFCA Convention Clinic for 2017, 2018, & 2019.

 “Sports Attack provides a tremendous presence at our NFCA Convention and we truly appreciate their support. They have an unique Convention partnership, as they promote and provide quality Sports Attack products at our educational clinics and in the exhibit hall,” said Executive Director Carol Bruggeman. “Sports Attack is a leader in the industry as they continue to work with our NFCA member coaches to develop high-quality products for softball. It has been a privilege to work with Sports Attack.”

Sports Attack manufactures professional sports training equipment for baseball, softball, football, volleyball, tennis, soccer, rugby and cricket. The Sports Attack softball line was designed by former softball players and coaches who were determined to meet player needs.   

With over 40 years of pitching machine design experience, Sports Attack has established itself as a leader in cutting-edge sports training equipment. The exclusive design of the Hack Attack and Junior Hack Attack three-wheel softball pitching machines allow hitters to see the ball clearly through release, just like a live pitcher. One of these machines will once again be raffled off at the 2017 NFCA Convention in Las Vegas. 

“Sports Attack greatly respects the NFCA and recognizes their considerable contribution to the growth and professionalism present in fastpitch softball today,” said Sports Attack Media and Marketing Lucie Hale. “We are proud to be a sponsor of this progressive organization and to provide this sport with the best pitching machines on the market.” 

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has revealed that the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will collectively be known as The Infinity Saga.

While the MCU has so far been divided into phases, each ending with a major Avengers team-up movie, it has been clear for the majority of film series’ run that everything has been building towards a final chapter. Feige emphasises this in an interview featured in the latest issue of Empire, where he discusses creating the conclusion to over a decade’s worth of filmmaking.

“We wanted to bring to a conclusion a series of movies in a way that had never been done before,” Feige says regarding the decision to use the Infinity Saga title. “Harry Potter had an ending because there were only so many books. Lord of the Rings too. But we thought, 22 movies in, wouldn’t it be fun to bring some finality to the storyline.”

Avengers: Endgame will be the final film in The Infinity Saga, and bring the story of Thanos and his quest to use the Infinity Gauntlet to a close. While not every film in the Saga has been instrumental to Thanos’ quest – we didn’t see our first Infinity Stone until the Tesseract was revealed in the post-credits sequence at the end of the MCU’s fourth film, Thor – The Infinity Saga seems a fitting name for the story arc. It will also presumably make for a very pretty 22-film box set, too.

The MCU is as much about what’s next as it is what’s now, though, so it’s time to start guessing what the next saga will be. With Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox now effectively a done deal, we’ll likely soon see X-Men and Fantastic Four characters arrive in the MCU. Avengers vs. X-Men, anyone?

Matt Purslow is IGN UK’s News and Entertainment Writer, and spends his time assembling a universe-altering metal glove between writing stories. You can follow his progress on Twitter @mattpurslow.

VANCOUVER — As election campaigns kick off across British Columbia its largest city is facing a race unlike any other, experts say.

A proliferation of new parties and independent candidates are crowding the Vancouver race in a widespread turnover of the existing council.

“It’s really weird, it’s not common to anything I’ve ever seen,” said David Moscrop, a political scientist in the department of communications at the University of Ottawa who recently left British Columbia.

Unusual system

The city’s political system is already unusual in Canada. It operates under a party system and voters elect council members at-large because Vancouver hasn’t had wards since the 1930s.

Since 2008, centre-left Vision Vancouver has dominated council under Mayor Gregor Robertson, who is not running again. Before that, the centre-right Non-Partisan Association had the longest ruling legacy with some notable exceptions, including 2002 when the Coalition of Progressive Electors won the mayor’s office and eight of 10 council seats.

This year, newcomers who considered throwing their names in the hat are looking at a rare opportunity. Only four incumbent councillors are running and among them, only one is returning from Vision Vancouver. The party also saw its mayoral candidate, Ian Campbell, bow out just one week before the nomination deadline.

“To have the, I wouldn’t say collapse, but have the entrenchment of a major party, and then that space filled by a ton of new independent candidates in a party system is unusual and remarkable,” Moscrop said.

“But it’s also a reminder that in politics when there’s a space that emerges to be filled, it gets filled.”

The result leaves voters in the city of Vancouver to choose between 21 mayoral and 71 council candidates vying for the mayor’s job and 10 council seats. Eleven parties are running candidates.

Moscrop predicted the election will largely be fought on a single issue: housing.

“There’s different parties with different approaches to fixing it that on first glance don’t break down on ideological lines of left-right as much as they do on density, non-density, how they want to do transportation inside development projects. That’s all substantive and encouraging,” Moscrop said.

‘A proliferation of candidates’

Hamish Telford, a political scientist at the University of the Fraser Valley, said new campaign finance rules are likely part of the reason so many new parties and candidates entered the race. They prohibit corporate and union donations and limit individual contributions to $1,200.

Under the old system, he said candidates with name recognition or established political parties tended to soak up available donations, making it difficult for newcomers to break in.

“What we’re seeing at least this time around is a proliferation of parties, a proliferation of candidates because they don’t need as many resources to compete against the established candidates and parties,” he said.

Could lower voter turnout

The turnover extends beyond the city. Only eight of the 21 mayors in the municipalities that make up Metro Vancouver are running again.

Patrick Smith, a political science and urban systems professor at Simon Fraser University, said it’s not clear why so many incumbents in the region have declined another run. But it could have something to do with the new campaign spending rules and the extension of municipal terms to four years from three.

While the shift in campaign spending was heralded as a way to get ‘big money’ out of politics, Smith said it could have the unintended consequence of lowering voter turnout. It means all candidates have less opportunity to get their messages out, he said.

“If you’re an elector and you’re looking at 11 different party groups and 71 candidates for council you might just decide to stay home and watch a baseball game,” he said.

This race may also be less predictable than others, with the introduction of so many new parties and the low number of incumbents running.

“Since we don’t have wards, we do have parties. That helps people organize their thoughts,” he said.

“And if you go back just one election, the best predictor of who got elected civically not just in Vancouver but in B.C. is incumbency. And that’s thrown out the window this time,” Smith said.

Former NDP MP Kennedy Stewart is considered among the frontrunners for the mayor’s seat in Vancouver. If he is elected, he would be the first independent mayor since Mike Harcourt in 1980. Other challengers for mayor in the city are Ken Sim of the Non-Partisan Association, independent candidate Shauna Sylvester, former Conservative MP Wai Young of Coalition Vancouver and Hector Bremner of YES Vancouver.

Much like in real life, dogs often serve an important purpose in video games. They help fight enemies, recover items, provide companionship, and add a small amount of levity that benefits even the most grimdark games out there.

They span genres, appearing in everything from first-person shooters to pixelated adventure games. And, while all dogs in games are very good boys and girls, these ten are the ones who went above and beyond to be the very best.

Koromaru (Persona 3, Persona Q: Dancing All Night)

Koromaru is a good Shiba Inu boy based on the real-life dog Hachiko, who was so loyal to his owner that he returned to greet his owner after his commute home from work long after the owner’s premature death. Koromaru is a faithful, devoted companion who wears a specially-made evoker and does his best to help his friends and the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad.

Shiba Inu (Silent Hill 2)

One of the endings in Silent Hill 2 takes protagonist James into a room where he encounters a very good Shiba Inu pulling levers and wearing a headset. It’s then that James realizes this devious little pup was the one pulling the strings all along. The best part? We’re treated to this jaunty tune over the end credits.

 PaRappa (PaRappa the Rapper)

PaRappa was the positive rapping force for good Will Smith aspired to be during the mid-’90s. He’s polite, wholesome, and has a pretty sick sense of rhythm. We love you, PaRappa.

Sif, the Great Gray Wolf (Dark Souls)

Sif is a good, sword-wielding pup with a tragic backstory and a deadly set of moves. The companion Artorias the Abysswalker, Sif is a good puppy who guards Artorias’ grave after he was consumed by the Abyss itself. We wish we didn’t have to fight such a good, protective pup…but Dark Souls is a bleak game full of hard decisions.

Barbas (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)

There’s more to meets the eye with Barbas, as he’s the companion to the Daedric Prince Clavicus Vile and recruits the main player’s help in locating his “master.” He’s the only dog in Skyrim that can talk, and a big choice at the end of his side quest can even make him a potentially invincible companion to take with you across the Northlands of Tamriel.

Dog (Fable II)

The dog is easily one of the very best parts in Fable II. They’re your constant, most loyal companion, always following behind you, warning you of trouble, helping you in a fight, and alerting you to buried treasure scattered around the world. What’s more, they sacrifice themselves at the end to protect the player. A good, good pup indeed.

Boomer (Far Cry 5)

Boomer is the perfect companion to help you combat a zealous cult in the Montana wilderness. He’ll alert you to enemies, can slip past their detection with ease, and offers a lot of adorable idle animations to enjoy. He’s a good, all-American pup who, in the game’s own words, will “watch your back better than any man could.”

D-Dog (Metal Gear Solid V)

D-Dog is one of the few dogs in games whose progression from puppy to grizzled combatant is seen on-screen. He’s a good boy with easily the most swagger of any pup on this list, thanks to the distinguished eye patch he wears and the high-action stunts he’s able to pull off with ease. If ever there was a worthy companion to Snake, it’s D-Dog.

Caesar (Wargroove)

Caesar is a brilliant war strategist, snazzy dresser, and majestic good boy in the Cherrystone army. He’s the companion and best friend of Queen Mercia, and one of the only playable dogs included on this list. Aside from being regal and smart, Caesar’s best attribute is his ability to inspire his troops and give them the fortitude they need to succeed on the battlefield.

Dogmeat (Fallout 4)

The wasteland is a terrifying, stressful place. Everything is potentially fatal, and there are very few friends to be made in its expanse. That’s why Dogmeat’s presence in Fallout 4 is so special. Sure, there could be several Super Mutants and a Deathclaw hunting you in a bombed-out ghost town, but at any moment, you can look down and see a German shepard wearing a bandana and doggles at your side, ready to help. The best part? He’s immortal, meaning you’ll never have to stress about making sure your dog friend makes it out alive.

Cassidee is IGN’s social editor and the biggest of dog people. You can chat with her about puppies and geek stuff on Twitter. 

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – As conference tournament play ramps up, Angelo State remains the unanimous No. program in this week’s NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. The top four rankings stood pat and were joined by new No. 5 West Texas A&M this week.

The Rambelles (51-4) and Lady Buffs (40-9) are the top two seeds in this week’s single-elimination Lone Star Conference (LSC) Tournament with possibility of a top-five clash in the championship game. LSC regular season champion Angelo State, which has won 16 straight, capped off its regular season with two LSC road wins at Cameron (6-5, 10-3), while WT also won on the road, sweeping a three-game LSC set from Eastern New Mexico (15-1, 7-2, 9-1).

Remaining at No. 2, Harding heads into Great American Conference (GAC) tournament as the top seed and regular season champs. Following a 5-1 week, the Bison (50-6) became just the second GAC program to reach the 50-win plateau, the first to do it during the regular season.

No. 3 North Georgia was idle last week after winning its fourth straight Peach Belt Conference tournament title. Cal State Monterey Bay wrapped its regular season, splitting with then-No. 9 Humboldt State in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) action. The Otters (42-9) claimed the CCAA regular season title and will be the top-seed at the 2017 CCAA tournament in Stockton, Calif.

Southern Indiana dropped a spot to No. 6 after splitting a Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) twinbill with Quincy. The Eagles (40-10) earned a share of the GLVC regular season title and will be the top seed at this week’s tournament in East Peoria, Ill.

West Virginia Wesleyan is riding a 15 game-winning streak and moved up one position to No. 7. The Bobcats (40-6) are the Mount East Conference (MEC) regular season champs and will be the top seed at the MEC Tournament in Salem, Va. WVWC capped off its regular season with a pair of doubleheader sweeps of Glenville State and Concord.

Pfeiffer dipped two spots to No. 8 after putting in a runner-up performance at the Conference Carolinas Tournament. The Falcons (44-6) battled back from the loser’s bracket to reach the title game, but fell to North Greenville, 4-0.

Minnesota State owns the longest active winning streak in Division II at 20 games after they reeled off six more wins to close out the regular season. The Mavericks (50-6) clinched the regular season Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) regular season title on the final day of the season with a twinbill sweep of Minot State (10-0, 11-5). It marks the first 50-win season for Minnesota State since 2011.

New to the top-10 this week is No. 10 West Florida. The Argos (39-12) swept Lee in their final Gulf South Conference (GSC) series and locked up the No. 2 seed for the GSC tournament in Huntsville, Ala.

Regular season Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAA) champions Central Oklahoma made the biggest climb this week, moving up five spots to No. 16 after sweeping through the MIAA tournament to claim their first title since joining the league in 2013.

NE-10 Southwest Division champion Adelphi jumped into the No. 25 spot, while previous-No. 23 New Haven fell out of the top-25.

The NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the eight NCAA regions. Records reflect games played through Sunday, April 30.

2017 NFCA Division II Softball Coaches Poll
Week 12 | May 3, 2017

Rank Team (First place votes) Points 2017 Record Last Week 1 Angelo State (16) 400 51-4 1 2 Harding 384 50-6 2 3 North Georgia 367 44-10 3 4 Cal State Monterey Bay 346 42-9 4 5 West Texas A&M 320 40-9 7 6 Southern Indiana 311 40-10 5 7 West Virginia Wesleyan 299 40-6 8 8 Pfeiffer 289 44-6 6 9 Minnesota State 283 50-6 10 10 West Florida 244 39-12 12 11 Humboldt State 237 34-12 9 12 Colorado Mesa 233 42-6 11 13 Lenoir-Rhyne 187 46-11 13 14 Saint Leo 182 37-13 14 15 Caldwell 169 40-13 16 16 Central Oklahoma 150 47-9 21 17 California Baptist 139 36-11 17 18 UAH 132 39-14 18 19 St. Mary’s 118 40-12 19 20 West Chester 102 40-10 20 21 Southern Arkansas 88 42-14 14 22 Wayne State (Mich.) 77 36-12 25 23 Dixie State 50 39-12 24 24 Saginaw Valley State 27 31-14 22 25 Adelphi 23 33-13-1 RV

Dropped Out:  No. 23 New Haven

New to Poll: No. 25 Adelphi

Receiving Votes:  Valdosta State (13), Armstrong State (10), Carson-Newman (9), Winona State (4), North Alabama (3), New Haven (2), Mississippi College (1), Kutztown (1).

The NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the eight NCAA regions. Records reflect games played through Sunday, April 30.