LOCAL
An Etobicoke local believes the photo of Rob Ford with his arm around Anthony Smith, who was killed soon after, that drug dealers sent the Toronto Star to give their story credibility was taken in front of a house where police were called only two weeks ago after an alleged armed home invasion. As he was passing the house, the local happened to notice numerous features matched what’s in the background of the photo. [Globe and Mail]
Adam Nobody, who alleges he was beat by police during the G20, is suing police for $11-million. Nobody said he wanted to tell the truth and denied the police’s lawyer’s suggestion that this is a money grab. [National Post]
Doug Ford told reporters that police are investigating threats to his family, which the police confirmed. He then plugged the $250-million surplus in the budget and continued singling out Jaye Robinson, who days ago asked the mayor to comment explicitly on the crack video, for missing a meeting that other councillors also missed only because she was sick in bed with a chest infection. [National Post]
NATIONAL
Brent Rathgeber, the former Conservative MP who resigned last week, had some harsh words condemning the lack of openness and transparency of his old party. “Too many backbench MPs do willingly what the Prime Minister’s Office wants them to do because they see it as a way of advancement…” [National Post]
A U.S. confectioner created a breast milk-flavoured lollipop that will soon hit Canada. Despite being a candy company, they aim their products at adults, offering white Russian, tequila and mojito flavoured lollipops. [Toronto Star]
Stephen Harper is backing a plan to send oil from Alberta to Canada’s eastern provinces as Barack Obama takes his time deciding whether to permit construction of the Keystone Pipeline. New Brunswick Premier David Alward said, “This project and what it could mean to our country is as important as the construction of the railway was to Canada centuries ago. ” [Toronto Star]
INTERNATIONAL
Rebels fighting the Syrian government seized the only border crossing along the Israeli-Syrian cease-fire line in the Golan Heights. United Nations peacekeeping soldiers were forced to vacate the area as the Syrian conflict edges closer to Israeli-held territory. [New York Times]
Barack Obama sought to justify his administration spying on millions of Americans’ phone records on grounds it’s an essential tool to protect against terrorist threats. This happened under the Bush adminsitration, but this is the first time records show that it’s continuing under Obama’s. [The Guardian]
Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has vowed to continue with the park development in Istanbul that set off a chain of protests across the country, saying it will make the city more beautiful. His tone was less accusatory than in the recent past, but in the expectation of further violence during protests Turkey’s stock market dipped 4.7% of its value. [The Guardian]
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