1.Rob Ford scandal intensifies as Toronto police name second suspect in shooting linked to crack video
Toronto police have arrested a second man in connection with the killing of Anthony Smith, 21, who appears beside Rob Ford in the photo at the centre of the crack video scandal. 23-year-old Hanad Mohamed of Toronto was arrested in Fort McMurray, Alberta and charged with first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of Anthony Smith in Downtown Toronto on March 28. Nisar Hashimi, 23, has also been charged with first-degree murder in the Smith shooting after turning himself in to police in April. When asked about the photograph on his call-in radio program last weekend, Ford said he did not know Mr. Smith and he takes photos with everyone. [Globe and Mail]
2. Dr. Henry Morgentaler, leader of the abortion movement in Canada, dies at 90
Dr. Henry Morgentaler, the Canadian abortion pioneer who broke the law in 1969 and opened the country’s first abortion clinic in Montreal, died in his Toronto home at age 90. In the following decades, Morgentaler fought to protect abortion rights in Canada, culminating in the 1988 Supreme Court ruling that struck down Canada’s abortion law as unconstitutional. A Polish Jew who survived five years in Dachau and Auschwitz, said his time in the concentration camps prepared him for his fight with the Canadian legal system.[CBC]
3. Pakistan Taliban won’t listen to peace initiatives in wake of leader’s death
After the Pakistani Taliban’s second-in-command, Wali-Ur Rehman Mehsud, was killed in a drone attack Wednesday, the group’s spokesperson said they will not listen to government peace initiatives. The high-ranking leader was one of seven people slain when a drone struck a target near the town of Miranshah, in the North Waziristan district of Pakistan’s tribal region known for its significant population of militant groups. Wali-Ur Rehman Mehsud was wanted by the United States government for his involvement in the December 2009 suicide bomb attack at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Afghanistan that killed seven CIA employees. [CNN]
4. Beef over banana settled between Velvet Underground and Warhol estate
Rock band the Velvet Underground have settled a lawsuit with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts over the use of a pop art-stylized banana design that appeared on the cover of the band’s first album in 1967. Velvet Underground sued the Warhol Foundation in January 2012 after hearing of the Foundation’s plans to license the banana design for iPhone and iPad accessories. The details of the settlement were not disclosed. [Billboard]
5. Animal sanctuary drops abuse allegations against owner of IKEA monkey
Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary, where the famed IKEA monkey of Toronto is staying, is no longer claiming that the primate’s former owner abused him. Yasmin Nakhuda, the former owner of Darwin, has been fighting for custody of the monkey and has gone before the courts in two unsuccessful attempts at regaining custody. A full trial will take place today and tomorrow, as well as on June 10 and 11. [CTV]
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Palmer does the social media for Spectator Tribune and his own Twitter account, too! @palmerfritschy