– NZ Women: No dating, thanks, just sex (Sunday Star Times):
Dating culture is dead – instead, young New Zealand women are regularly getting drunk and cruising around in packs looking for men to have sex with. That’s one of the findings of a TVNZ Sunday investigation into the sexual behaviour of New Zealand women.
– 7 residents, 1 nurse die in nursing home shooting (AP):
7 residents, 1 nurse killed in NC nursing home shooting; Suspect faces 8 murder counts
– Le Pen repeats slur that Nazi gas chambers were a ‘detail’ (France24):
Jean-Marie Le Pen, MEP and leader of France’s far-right Front National, outraged assembled members of the European Parliament by repeating his assertion that the Nazi gas chambers were “a mere detail” in the history of the Second World War.
– Suicide watch for soldiers in Iraq (Telegraph):
An unprecedented “suicide watch” has been launched by commanders at Britain’s main military base in Iraq following the deaths of three soldiers.
– Mexican drug violence spills over into US (Times Online)
– Pakistan intelligence agency elements must stop support for Taliban, al-Qaeda: US (Telegraph):
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and General David Petraeus, head of US Central Command, said that elements within the Inter-Services Intelligence agency must end their support for Islamic militants.
– Iran missile experts in North Korea ‘to help with rocket launch’ (Times Online)
– North Korean missile is challenge to Obama (Times Online)
– US and Iran open Afghanistan peace talks (Times Online):
IRANIAN and American officials have held their first talks about ending the war in Afghanistan amid signs that President Barack Obama’s efforts to thaw relations with Tehran are paying off.
– Brazil builds walls around Rio de Janeiro slums (Reuters)
– Pulitzer winner Seymour Hersh reveals Cheney’s assassination ring, gets no press (Examiner)
– Tens of thousands march in G20 protests (AFP)
– Brown snubbed over tax (Times Online):
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, last night led the assault on the prime minister’s “global new deal” for a $2 trillion-plus fiscal stimulus to end the recession. “I will not let anyone tell me that we must spend more money,” she said. (Yes!)
– GM’s CEO resigns at Obama’s behest (Politico):
The Obama administration asked Rick Wagoner, the chairman and CEO of General Motors, to step down and he agreed, a White House official said.
– Hedge funds vow to fight as G20 gathers (Telegraph):
A group of powerful hedge fund managers has warned that they are ready to quit London and move off-shore if regulations or taxes become too onerous.
– Financial sector set to shed 30,000 jobs (Daily Mail)
– Tesco to launch bank branches and current accounts (Telegraph):
Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket, will open bank branches in 30 of its stores by the end of 2009 as part of a massive assault on the financial services sector. (or to secure a future bailout for the company.)
– Recession slays east European tigers (Times Online):
Banks from Austria, Italy, France, Belgium, Germany and Sweden account for 84% of loans in former communist nations. Austria is potentially the worst affected, with loans of £293 billion, equivalent to 70% of the country’s GDP.
– Gordon Brown left red-faced at summit as uk’s debts soar (Daily Mail):
Gordon Brown faced huge embarrassment on the eve of the G20 summit as it was revealed that Britain is heading for the top of Europe’s borrowing league.