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Metro Snapshot: May 1, 2008 – Metro US

Metro Snapshot: May 1, 2008

The federal government pledged to spend an extra $50 million on food aid to help developing countries deal with rising food prices, and 58% of Canadians believed the Conservatives spent more money than they were legally allowed during the last election. Drivers in Ontario will soon have to spend $250 on a fine if caught lighting up in a car with children in the backseat, and the premier of Ontario responded to yesterday’s news of Ontario becoming a “have-not” province by saying that his province spends too much on federal equalization. “It’s just perverse to say that somehow we are in need, while at the
same time we’re sending $20 billion to the rest of the country,” he said. “It just doesn’t make any sense.”

Canada’s age of sexual consent will be raised from 14 to 16 today, but gay rights groups pointed out that it’s still illegal for Canadians under 18 to have anal sex, meaning two gay or
bisexual 17-year-olds who engage in the act could end up in jail.

Australia’s government announced a plan to eliminate discrimination against gay couples in more than 100 laws, but stopped short of approving same sex marriage. The U.S. said that Al Qaeda was regaining strength and stepping up attacks in Afghanistan, and Iran condemned Hillary Clinton for threatening to attack and “totally obliterate” the country if it uses nuclear weapons against Israel. “I want the Iranians to know that if I’m the president, we will attack
Iran,” Clinton said. “In the next 10 years, during which they might
foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to
totally obliterate them.” Investigators into a polygamist sect in Texas were looking into the possibility that young boys were sexual abused, and Chinese mountaineers made final preparations Wednesday to take the Olympic flame up Mount Everest.

David Blaine held his breath in a water tank for over 17 minutes, and geeks held their breath waiting to see Ian McKellen reprise his role of Gandalf in an upcoming Hobbit film. Rick McGinnis tried to untangle The Office twists. Montreal lost.