1. Greece gets bankruptcy, and bikers too
This is just what Greece needs — crazy Canadian bikers beating up on people: According to the Vancouver Sun, dozens of Canadian Hells Angels headed to Greece this month for an international biker parade and convention, where at least three of them distinguished themselves by ending up in jail. Three Alberta Hells Angels are behind bars after being arrested following the near-fatal beating of a Greek man. At least nine B.C. Hells Angels also attended the international meeting of 2,000 Hells Angels from 500 chapters. The three from Alberta made a court appearance last Friday. The 41-year-old man they allegedly beat up is on life support.
2. Battle at the top of the CRTC
Sounds like these guys really don’t like each other: A dispute at the top tier of the CRTC is getting totally out of hand. It pits CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais against Ontario regional commissioner Raj Shoan. Shoan reportedly submitted travel plans that included trips to Las Vegas, Amsterdam, New York City and Mont Tremblant, adding up to $78,000, and Blais refused to approve them. Shoan cut the list to $48,000 and invited Blais to pick the ones he’d approve. When Shoan said he planned to take the dispute to the PMO, Blais responded that: “No reasonable person could interpret (your statements) as anything but threatening, specifically with the intent to bully me into the outcome you want.…”
Boys, boys …take it outside. We have cellphone bill disputes to deal with here.
3. North Korea may be starving. Or not.
There seems to be some uncertainty as to whether North Korea is in danger of mass hunger due to the worst drought in 100 years. Food is an issue at the best of times in North Korea and it’s unusual that it would draw international attention to the extent of the drought. (They usually don’t like to admit life is anything but perfect in the world’s most malevolent one-man state). A U.S. State Department official said he’s heard the drought reports but didn’t know of any plans to respond. China says it’s willing to help if North Korea asks for it. No one believes much of what North Korea says anyway, so it’s hard to know the truth.
4. Rape clinic plans “gender equality” care for men
A hospital in Stockholm is set to become the first in the country (or anywhere?) with an emergency department specifically for male rape victims. The clinic at Södersjukhuset is scheduled to open this autumn. Södersjukhuset (try and say that fast, three times) already has the largest emergency care unit in the Nordic region and runs a round-the-clock, walk-in clinic for women and girls who have been sexually assaulted. Now it says it will also admit men and boys as part of a strategy to ensure “gender equal” emergency care for rape victims of both sexes.
5. And they all want houses in Vancouver
The Economist says Asia is richer than Europe for the first time and is catching up to North America. It says Asian wealth is expected to reach $75 trillion by 2019, compared to $63 trillion (give or take) in North America. And although the U.S. still has by far the most millionaires, Asia created more new ones last year than anywhere else — 62% of the total. The main reason is China: It will account for 70% of Asia’s growth between now and 2019, and will overtake North America as the Big Kahuna by 2021.
6. Rob Ford hearts Donald Trump. Perfect
Rob Ford says he’s a big fan of Donald Trump as a presidential candidate. How great is that? I bet David Letterman wishes he hadn’t quit before he heard about it. The jokes just make themselves up.
7. Scandal at the Senate. Stop me if you’ve heard this
The Star says the RCMP plans to review all 30 senators flagged for questionable spending in the auditor general’s review, not just the nine the AG separated out for special attention. The list includes Senate Speaker Leo Housakos, recently named to the top job by Stephen Harper; Conservative government leader Claude Carignan and Senate Liberal caucus leader James Cowan.
National Post
KellyMcParland<