LOCAL
The Canadian Bankers Association is offering $50,000 for information that leads to the capture and conviction of a group of suspects wanted for a rash of brash and savage daytime bank robberies. These suspects have been particularly violent, as tellers have been choked, slapped, pistol whipped, and had their hair pulled. [National Post]
Ontario’s information watchdog says she was dismayed at “misinformation” from bureaucrats during her recent probe into illegally deleted emails in the scandal over scrapped power plants. Information and Privacy commissioner lays blame on the top civil servant in the Ministry of Government Services. [Toronto Star]
A Mississauga man was sentenced to 30 days in jail, to be served over weekends, and prohibited him from driving for seven years for his role in the drunk driving accident that resulted in the death of his wife. “He lost his wife, his high school sweetheart, his will to live…he’s crying today and wondering why he’s not with mom,” said his daughter. [Toronto Star]
NATIONAL
Hundreds of Canadians received free Tim Hortons coffee in three locations Thursday, and since Monday, anonymous copycat coffee philanthropists have cropped up in Edmonton, Alberta, Ottawa, and Red Deer. If these benefactors were really nice, they’d buy people some good coffee, not Tim Hortons. [Globe and Mail]
Canada’s Premiers and territorial leaders are presenting a united front against a federal government jobs training program. Jason Kenney, newly switched to minister of employment, said he looks forward to working with provincial leaders, but an internal document suggests Ottawa is prepared to push ahead with key items despite provincial opposition. [CBC]
Quebec police have raided the head office of the rail company responsible for the deadly train explosion in Lac-Megantic as part of their investigation into criminal negligence. This comes after the deadline for the company to pay back $4-million to the town for cleaning up the disaster came and went. [Toronto Star]
INTERNATIONAL
A Tunisian opposition politician Mohamed Brahmi was assassinated Thursday, setting off mass protests against the Islamist-led government in the capital and elsewhere. Brahmi was outside his home with his disabled daughter when he was shot in the head, the country’s second such assassination since February. [CBC]
A release of methane in the Arctic could speed up melting of sea ice and climate change with a cost to the global economy of $60-trillion. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Erasmus University used economic modelling at the current rate of melting and also at lower and slower releases, but all situations had a “steep” economic cost due to physical changes in the Arctic. [National Post]
The U.S. government has completed its case against Bradley Manning, the source of the WikiLeaks bundle of state secrets. Manning was accused of using his training and skills to deliberate and systematically harm the US and assist al-Qaida. [The Guardian]
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