TO BIG TO CATCH Conditions too perilous for surfing competition

Monster waves the size of a six-story building broke at Northern California's perilous Mavericks surf spot. The waves on Thursday drew professional big-wave surfers from around the world, but conditions were too chaotic for an annual surfing competition for top riders.

Authorities in British Columbia say a United Airlines flight was diverted to Vancouver due to a security concern and a passenger was taken into custody

The year 2016 is a special one for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, celebrating its 125th anniversary. In 1891, Albert Ballin launched the first pleasure cruise on the Augusta Victoria and in doing so laid the foundation of what is now a major industry.

A RETIREE'S LAST TRIP TO COSTO Yesterday I was at Costco buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my loyal pet, Necco, the Wonder Dog, which weighs 191 lbs. I was in the check-out line when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

A leading police union in the Canary Islands has sent a letter to the most senior police officer in Tenerife; the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands. The content of the letter is a demand for an office in the station to offer assistance to tourists.

Paul Gauguin Tahiti Cruises Discover the exotic ports of the South Pacific aboard the luxurious m/s Paul Gauguin. 7 night cruise with air from $5,515

Princess Cruises celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2015 with their campaign Come Back New. This year the initiative is called More Ashore, with the understanding that adding to the port experience will help their guests come back new.

For the past four years Bahamas Waste Management has had assistance powering their fleet of vehicles in Nassau from the most unlikely source. Disney Cruise Line has donated used cooking oil which is converted into biodiesel fuel, a nontoxic, biodegradable fuel that reduces engine emissions.

Rainbow InFocus is your monthly wrap of LGBT news from around the world, spotlighting friendly places to travel to, latest developments in human rights, and other travel related tidbits of knowledge to make planning your next journey that much easier.

That quote is credited to Ernest Hemingway and this spring the winner of a fiction-writing competition will have the opportunity to work in the Key West writing studio that was once the sanctum of Ernest Hemingway, one of America's greatest authors.

In November a US District Court jury in Seattle awarded US $21.5 million in damages to an Illinois businessman who suffered a minor brain injury when he was struck in the head by a sliding-glass door on the Holland America MS Amsterdam.