LIMA, Peru - Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he did not know about - nor was he asked to sign off on - the arrangement that saw his chief of staff, Nigel Wright, cut a personal cheque for $90,000 to Sen. Mike Duffy.

Harper also says he would not have allowed Wright, who has since resigned, to give the money to Duffy had he known about it.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford still isn't saying much about allegations that a cellphone video appears to show him smoking crack cocaine, but Doug Ford says his brother has told him the reports are untrue and he believes him.

Doug Ford insisted at a news conference today that Rob Ford has already addressed the allegations by calling them “ridiculous.”

He also called on the media to stop “harassing” members of his family, saying never before has a mayor been so zealously targeted.

Rob Ford dismissed the allegations on Friday as a Toronto Star smear job, but has not commented since then so reporters have been following him to try to get him to talk.

U.S.-based website Gawker and the Star separately reported on Thursday that a drug dealer was shopping around a cellphone video that appeared to show Ford smoking crack.

The publications said their staff had viewed the footage and taken notes about its contents, but neither had purchased the video.

(The Canadian Press)

Over one million Montrealers are affected by a boil-water advisory that covers a large swath of the city.

The municipal government has released the advisory, which applies to the lower half of the island, after problems at a water-filtration station.

Residents are advised to boil their water for at least a minute, or to use bottled water. They are also asked to avoid brushing their teeth with tap water.

However, tap water can still be used to wash dishes, take a shower or wash clothes.

The city says the advisory was prompted by abnormally low water levels as a filtration plant in the city's west end, and discoloured water. Tests are being conducted on the water to determine whether it is, in fact, contaminated.

It's the second major infrastructure problem in the city in less than 24 hours.

The previous evening, the city's metro system suffered a complete shutdown at the height of rush hour because of a computer problem.

There was yet another glitch today: the city website, which carried the water advisory, appeared to be down.

(The Canadian Press)

A British official says a violent attack near a London barracks is being investigated as a possible terrorist act.

Police said two men attacked another man on Wednesday. One man is dead and two others were injured.

A British government official who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the investigation said details had emerged that were indicative of a “terrorist-motivated attack.”

While details were scant, Prime Minister David Cameron called the killing “truly shocking” and said he had asked Home Secretary Theresa May to call an urgent meeting of the government's emergency committee.

(The Associated Press)