All Hallows Eve

Happy Halloween, everyone...

Russell Brand, Wossy & Manuel's granddaughter...

So, following the lewd phone calls made to actor Andrew Sachs during Russell Brand's Radio 2 programme, the presenter has announced his intention to quit his Saturday evening show. Meanwhile his co-presenter Jonathan Ross has been suspended for 12 weeks without pay and Radio 2’s controller Lesley Douglas has resigned.
BBC Director general Mark Thompson called Ross's actions "utterly unacceptable", adding that "it cannot be allowed to go uncensured or without sanction". Earlier, Mr Thompson met with the BBC Trust to discuss the crisis. The Trust says there will be an on-air apology for calls and has called for editorial controls in the corporation to be tightened.
Some 30,500 complaints had been received by the corporation by Thursday morning.
Timeline: Russell Brand prank calls

OK - the "jolly jape" by Brand & Ross has backfired with a vengance, and both have paid for their idiotic stunt. But this was a pre-recorded show which should have been given proper supervision prior to airing, so those responsible at the BBC should also accept blame for this debacle.

However while I understand Andrew Sachs and his 23-year-old granddaughter Georgina Baillie (who was the subject of these "prank" calls) would be angry about what happened, considering Ms Baillie has now done the inevitable "kiss and tell" story to the media about her night with Russell Brand, my sympathies towards her are somewhat tempered. I won't be surprised if she turns up on a "celebrity reality" show sometime in the future (dollar dollar dollar dollar dollar bill y'all, to coin a phrase)...

But doesn't anyone think this story has all been blown out of all proportion? There were only 2 real complaints at the time.

The numerous calls (by people who had probably never even heard what was actually broadcast) only started rolling in once the newspapers picked up on the story. And as for the holier-than-thou attitude from the press & politicians...excuse me while I throw up (and by the way Prime Minister, I think the current global financial crisis is more worthy of your attention).....

War Of The Worlds...

30 Oct 1938...

"across an immense ethereal gulf, minds that are to our minds as ours are to the beasts in the jungle, intellects vast, cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes and slowly and surely drew their plans against us."

Tonight marks the 70th Anniversary of a legendary event in the history of broadcasting - the night that Orson Welles' radio dramatization of "War of the Worlds" panicked thousands of Americans into believing Earth was under attack by Martians.
War of the Worlds: The Script

Unfortunately Spielberg’s recent "War Of The Worlds" movie only induces nausea in me...talk about sappy endings!

Meanwhile in North London (continued)....

Arsenal and Spurs draw an eight-goal thriller.
Arsenal 4-4 Tottenham

Pardon my language, but what a F*CK UP! It may be a draw, but to be honest, it feels like we bloody lost.
Right now I'm feeling so pissed off it's untrue...we threw away a two goal lead, and then DRAW!!!!

Nemesis is a bitch...and I just feel gutted right now.

Meanwhile in North London....

OK - time to concentrate on Wednesday night and Arsenal versus Tottenham....

It's a real shame Ramos isn't still in charge, but regardless of the recent regime change at Spurs and the installation of their latest "Messiah", Harry Redknapp, they're still languishing at the base of the Premiership. Admittedly the Spuds have some good individual players, but they're still in dire straits, nonetheless.
So there should be no excuses. Nothing less than a win from the Gooners will do.

And yet....while I find the Spuds current state as funny as any other Arsenal fan, I admit loathing these North London Derbies. Recent jokes aside, I hate playing Tottenham, because the possibility always exists that we could lose to them (which makes the following day very painful, as I listen to their fans rant in the office).
But if Arsenal play to their full potential, we should win this little soirée.

PS: there's also that little matter of avenging the Carling Cup exit last season, so lets kick 'Arry & company while they're still down in the dumps.....

In my opinion (continued)...

Something topical:

This pic of actor Daniel Craig, aka the current James Bond 007 is a fave of mine. He looks urbane, yet cold as steel as he lurks in the shadows. No Roger Moore quips from this Bond - just pure menace.

(PS: Sean Connery is still the numero uno 007, in my opinion, though)

Alexis Silver

OK - let's turn away from footie....and wish a "happy birthday" to adult actress Alexis Silver, who turned 29.
According to one website, Alexis comes from a Jewish background, and was was born on October 27th 1979, in Leeds, West Yorkshire as Alexis Silverman.
Anyway, Alexis may have originated in the UK, but she now lives & works in the US of A. So many happy returns, Ms Silver...
Alexis Silver (II) on the Internet Movie database

And the next Spuds manager is...

Harry Redknapp, formerly boss of Portsmouth.

Late Saturday night, Tottenham sacked coach Juande Ramos, sporting director Damien Comolli and first team coaches Gus Poyet and Marcos Alvarez.

So the merry go-round continues at White Hart Lane...
Tottenham sack Ramos for Redknapp

Staring into the abyss (continued)...

The British economy shrank for the first time in 16 years between July and September. Economic output fell by 0.5%, according to the UK Office for National Statistics, amid fears of a global slowdown and huge volatility on world share markets. UK shares tumbled further on the news, closing down 5%. The pound was also affected, falling to $1.52 before recovering to $1.5889 - the first time it has fallen below $1.60 in the past five years.

The New York stock market opened about five per cent down although shares regained some of the losses in later trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average eventually closed 3.6% down, while the Nasdaq index finished 3.2% down.

European and Asian markets also suffered heavy losses. Frankfurt slid more than 5% and Paris was down more than 3.5%. Tokyo fell 9.6%, Seoul plunged 10.6% and Hong Kong dived 8.3%. In Latin America, Brazil's main market fell 7%. In Moscow, share trading was suspended on both main share indexes until 28 October, after they plunged more than 10%. The euro dropped to $1.25, its lowest level for two years.
Shares hit by recession worries

“We will never return to the old boom and bust," declared Prime Minister Gordon Brown in March 2007. That vainglorious comment has returned to slap him in his face. Britain's boom has turned to a bust - with a vengance. Charlie Bean, deputy governor of the Bank of England, describes this as “a once-in-a-lifetime crisis, and possibly the largest financial crisis of its kind in human history”.

Gordon Brown did not create this global crisis. However I feel his government's policies has made the impact of a downturn more pernicious for the UK. The question I ask myself is: are David Cameron's Tory party, who favoured “Laissez-faire” capitalism (before the current financial turmoil), the solution to the Labour party, when the next General Election comes upon us?

And as for the recent public clamour to punish the bankers, the "greed is good" mantra wasn't just confined to Wall Street and the City of London. Why did hundreds of thousands of UK savers deposit their money in Icelandic bank accounts, before that country's financial system all but collapsed? Because those banks offered higher rates of interest.

Folks, the party's over - now it's time to pay the bill...

Football, football, football (continued)...

A nice win for Arsenal Tuesday night, demolishing Fenerbahce 5-2 in the Champions League, but their defence still worries me. Unlike Theo Walcott, I don't think good teams will fear playing the Gunners...
Theo Walcott: Teams scared to play Arsenal

Still, things could be worse. I could be supporting that other club in north London...which neatly brings me to this amusing ditty currently doing the rounds via e-mail.
Sing to the tune of the classic "American Pie" by Don McLean:

A long, long time ago,
I can still remember,
How the Carling Cup win made them smile,
And they knew this could be their chance,
To finally make that big advance,
And maybe, break the top 4 for a while.

But transfer windows made them shiver,
As Robbie Keane went off to Liver…..
Pool, and Berbs to Man U,
You can’t believe it can you?
Tears of laughter we all cried,
As on Bent they have to rely,
And Frasier Campbell really tried,
The Day That Tottenham Died !

So my my kiss UEFA goodbye,
When Comoli sold the Goalie,
Well it made Levy Cry,
When you play for Spurs you kiss Capello goodbye,
Soon your gonna be a Magpie,
I bet you wish you were a Magpie.

Did your players eat the poisoned food,
To let Arsenal in and Spoil your mood,
If the fansite tells you so,
Do you believe in Chas n Dave,
Can their music save you from an early grave,
And can Dawson teach me how to run real slow,
Well, I knew you were set for a let down,
When the Spaniard signed the Blackburn clown,
You sacked poor Martin Jol,
And now everyone just laughs out loud,
I have long been laughing at your lack of luck,
Your delusion means I couldn’t give a f*ck,
That to the table bottom you are stuck,
The day the Tottenham died,
I started singing……,

So my my kiss UEFA goodbye,
When Comoli sold the goalie,
Well it made Levy cry,
When you play for Spurs you kiss Capello goodbye,
Soon your gonna be a Magpie,
I bet you wish you were a Magpie.

Quality stuff....even the press are getting in on the Spuds jokes
Tottenham Hotspur Jokes

Staring into the abyss (continued)...

The supervisory board of Caisse d'Epargne are meeting today to decide what will happen to the board's chairman, as well as other senior executives, following the revelation that the French bank lost of millions of euros in a trading incident. The bank, which is merging with Banque Populaire to become the country's second-largest retail bank, disclosed a 600 million-euro ($808m; £466m) trading loss on share derivatives.

Derivatives are a way of investing in a particular product or security without having to own it. The value can depend on anything from the price of coffee to interest rates or what the weather is like. Derivatives can be used as insurance to limit the risk of a particular investment.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the bank's losses were "unacceptable", and a special audit of all French banks has been ordered by Finance and Economy Minister Christine Lagarde.
The scandal at Caisse d'Epargne revived memories of junior trader Jerome Kerviel, who was blamed for costing another French bank Societe Generale, 4.9 billion euros ($7bn; £3.7bn) earlier this year.
Troubled French bank set to meet

Billionaire Warren Buffett has previously warned that these complex instruments were an investment "time bomb" devised by "madmen" and more famously, described them as "financial weapons of mass destruction".

The Governor of New York, David Paterson has recently stated that the city will begin regulating part of the $62 trillion credit default swap (CDS) market next year because a lack of regulation in that area of finance has contributed to the current credit crisis (CDS are a type of derivative contract, designed to transfer credit risk - in effect a form of financial insurance).

Considering that the world economy last year was estimated to be worth $54.62 trillion, the events surrounding Caisse d'Epargne shows what can happen if the time bomb explodes...

The return of LDM (continued)...

Time for some different news...

Adult model Linsey Dawn McKenzie makes her comeback today, 19th of October 2008!
LDM's official website is now open (ahem - but only if you're over 18 years old)....
Linseydawnofficial

In my opinion (continued)...

Some of the comments about 33-year-old Melanie Brown's unusual outfit at the at the Music of Black Origin (Mobo) Awards at London's Wembley Arena were rather less than complimentary.

But I thought the costume was great because it was different - it made one sit up and take notice...so well done, Scary Spice, and ignore the nay-sayers!

Staring into the abyss (continued)...

Both Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley will receive $10 billion each under the U.S. Treasury's bailout plan. Under the plan, Goldman and Morgan will receive capital in exchange for senior preferred shares that pay a 5 percent annual dividend for five years. The Treasury will also get $1.5 billion in warrants from both firms.

Morgan Stanley also completed a deal in which it will sell a 21% stake for $9 billion to Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ. Concerns about the transaction had caused Morgan Stanley’s share price to plummet.

Meanwhile the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is prepared to give Ukraine up to $14 billion to help stabilize the country's financial system. Officials from the IMF met the country's leaders yesterday and an adviser to the Ukrainian president stated two to three weeks were required to clinch an agreement on a credit facility.

Earlier this week, Hungary sought help from the European Central Bank and the country was also negotiations with the IMF, to gain further help if need be, as a "last resort".
Crisis spreads to Eastern Europe as Ukraine, Hungary and Serbia call IMF

While Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs can breathe easier, the news about these countries facing insolvency is disturbing. According to the report Argentina, Pakistan, Ecuador, the Baltic States, Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey are also facing either financial delinquency or bankruptcy. The fate of Iceland haunts these nations....

Lights out?

One of the headlines on the BBC that I overlooked during the global financial maelstrom was the following:

Councils in England and Wales are considering switching off some of their street lights to save money and energy.

Councils say that switching off the lights will cut carbon dioxide emissions and help them to reduce their carbon footprints. Turning lights off at certain time will also save money.

Motoring organisation the AA is opposed to the move. They say that the number of serious road accidents will increase if there is less street lighting as pedestrians and cyclists will be harder to spot. Residents in the areas piloting the scheme are concerned as they believe that turning off street lights will increase crime and vandalism.

So if switching off street lights will save money, will the authorities pass these savings on to taxpayers like me by giving us a Council Tax rebate? I doubt it.
Also, what if someone gets mugged in the dark and decides to take legal action against the council responsible for switching off the lights, because he/she believes the reduction in street lighting is linked to the crime?

Calling International Rescue....?

President George W Bush has announced an injection of $250bn (£143bn) of government money into buying shares in struggling US banks - including $25bn each in Citigroup, JP Morgan and the recently-merged Bank of America/Merrill Lynch. The money will come from the bail-out package already approved by Congress. This follows agreement by European leaders on a plan to tackle the banking crisis, saying no big institution will be allowed to fail (said plan spearheaded by British PM Gordon Brown & Chancellor Alistair Darling).

The British government pledged to inject up to £37bn of new capital into Royal Bank of Scotland, LloydsTSB and HBOS. Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) will raise £20bn - with the government buying £5bn of preference shares and underwriting £15bn of ordinary shares. RBS chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin fell on his sword and quit the firm after the move.

Meanwhile France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Austria have committed themselves to guaranteeing loans between banks and injecting new capital into them. Germany's rescue package is estimated to be worth €500 billion, France: €360 billion, about €200 billion will be coming from the Netherlands and up to €100 billion each from Spain and Austria.

Is this where the World steps back from the abyss and pat Gordon Brown on the back? Well, while this week's rally in the global stock markets is welcome, we should take a closer look at the state of the credit markets instead and see if the banks are now prepared to lend to each other.

So keep those fingers crossed folks, it's still squeaky-bum time...
US unveils $250bn banking rescue
Financial crisis: World round-up

In defence of...Jade Goody???

A couple of months ago I found myself in the rare position of defending Katie Price, aka Jordan. I knew that was too good to be true...

Reading today's tabloids about "celebrity" Jordan's criticism of Reality TV star Jade Goody for selling stories about her cervical cancer ordeal, one phrase comes to mind:

"Dear Kettle, Yours sincerely, Pot"

I'm no fan of Jade Goody, but I can still find some sympathy for the woman's current condition. It's a pity Jordan can't do the same - after all Ms Price wasn't exactly quiet about her experience with a rare form of cancer back in 2002.

At times the world of these tabloid "celebs" seems more akin to a pig troth full of hypocrisy...

Barack Obama

When one considers that forty years has passed since the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., the ascendancy of Barack Obama should be seen as significant progress. He is the first non-Caucasian to become the presidential candidate of either major US party and if he goes on to beat John McCain in November's general election, he will be the nation's first non-Caucasian president.

But for some people, that prospect of a "President Obama" appears to be an anathema:


Heck, why stop there? Why not design a t-shirt with George Wallace's proclamation "Segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever"

But really worries me is that with Obama recently being smeared as a "terrorist", all it takes is one lunatic who believes the negative campaigning and decides that he/she must "save" America from Barack Hussein Obama. Already there has been reports that at a recent Republican rally, someone in the crowd yelled out "Kill him!"

To quote from Democratic Congressman John Lewis, "Senator McCain and Governor Palin are playing with fire".
Palin makes Obama terrorist claim
McCain in 'hatred' war of words

Severiano "Seve" Ballesteros....

Just heard on BBC News that golfing legend Seve Ballesteros has been diagnosed with a brain tumour following an "exhaustive check" in a Madrid hospital.
Seve diagnosed with brain tumour

Here's hoping Seve will recover and resume a full life. There's been enough bad news of late...

Staring into the abyss (continued)...

"If you stare into the Abyss long enough the Abyss stares back at you".
Friedrich Nietzsche

According to the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the world financial system is teetering on the "brink of systemic meltdown".
The stark warning was made by Dominique Strauss-Kahn in Washington after talks with US President George W Bush, Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers and the World Bank.
Mr Strauss-Kahn added that the crisis was being fanned by fears over debt-ridden banks but added rich nations had so far failed to restore confidence.
IMF in global 'meltdown' warning

So we continue to stare into the abyss which has been staring back at us since last year. I hope our governments can contain the fear stalking the global financial markets, because the alternative is grim....

In my opinion (continued)...

Ok - time for a break from financial armageddon...
According to her own website (adults only), Miosotis (born in the Dominican Republic on September 16, 1980 ) has a 48in bust, and her bra size is 38K.
But the point of this post isn't to comment on her awesome chest measurements - I think in this pic, the hairstyle nicely compliments her face, adding to her beauty.

Squeaky-bum time?

Stock markets are continuing to panic in the face of uncertainty in the global economy. President George W Bush has promised the American people the US government is working "aggressively" to restore stability to the economy, after Wall Street shares fell sharply on the opening in volatile trading.
In London, the FTSE 100 index ended down almost 9% before a meeting of the finance ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) most-developed nations. France's Cac index closed down 7.7%, Germany's Dax lost 8.4% in a day of heavy selling, and Japan's Nikkei stock index plunged 9.62%, the biggest loss since "Black Monday" in October 1987. Shares in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore all plummeted, while Moscow and Jakarta stock markets remain suspended because of excessive volatility. The Vienna stock market fell 10% on re-opening after trading was suspended on Friday morning.

The British pound tumbled to a five-year low against the US dollar to trade at $1.6902 at one point, but recovered later. It also fell against the euro to 1.245 euros.
Oil prices fell to a one-year low, with US light crude dropping to $77.99. Back in July it hit a record high of $147.27.

Worryingly Morgan Stanley is fighting persistent rumours about its financial condition, as Moody's said it was reviewing the credit rating of the financial services firm for a possible downgrade. Morgan Stanley employs about 48,000 people at 600 offices in 35 countries. Last month, it was announced that Japanese banking giant Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group would pay $9bn (£5.2bn) for a 21% stake in the 73-year-old American bank. The transaction is due to close next Tuesday, but in the midst of recent events, concerns over the completion of the Mitsubishi deal caused a dramatic fall in Morgan Stanley's stock price. Goldman Sachs also saw its stock drop by 12% yesterday.
Fear grips global stock markets

If the rumours are true, then Morgan Stanley is in for a very long weekend. Anything in these troubled times appears possible....and everyone appears vulnerable.

Even the debt clock is wrong...

Even the US debt clock is feeling the strain of recent events...the National Debt Clock in Times Square, New York has run out of digits for the first time.
The board was originally erected to highlight the $2.7 trillion level of American debt in 1989, but when that passed the $10 trillion point last month, the sign could not display the full amount. Currently the debt is estimated at about $10.2 trillion (£5.9 trillion). To make matters worse, some economists believe the recent $700bn bail-out plan for ailing US financial institutions could send the federal government's current debt level to $11 trillion.
The clock's owners say two more zeros will be added, allowing the clock to record a quadrillion dollars of debt.
US debt clock runs out of digits

Staring into the abyss (continued)...

"Here come comes the pain"
Snake Eyes (1998)

In the UK, the British government has defended the actions of local authorities which invested more than £840m with now-failed Icelandic banks. Iceland's largest bank, Kaupthing, became the third financial institution to be taken over by the country's government in the past week.
So far local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland have revealed that they have deposits worth £842.5m in total. The figure is £946.8m when investments by police authorities and Transport for London are added.
Already there is reports that London town halls face raising council taxes and cutting spending in the wake of the Icelandic banking crash.
In full: Councils facing losses

All this is reminiscent of the fall of Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), which collapsed in 1991. Back then, up to 30 local authorities in the UK lost around £82m after investing in BCCI on the basis of approval by the Bank of England.
According to reports, some local authorities were warned about the risk of investing in Icelandic banks by international credit ratings agencies earlier this year. In fact some some local government managers did act on these warnings and withdrew their funds. So why did other councils still continue to invest tax-payers money into Icelandic banks? Also, why didn't the British government follow up on warnings in July about Icelandic banks facing collapse?

Staring into the abyss (continued)...

In a surprise coordinated move, central banks from some of the world's leading economies have announced they're cutting interest rates by 0.5%. The Bank of England cut UK rates from 5% to 4.5%, the Federal Reserve reduced US rates from 2% to 1.5%, and the European Central Bank (ECB) cut eurozone rates from 4.25% to 3.75%.
The central banks of Canada, Sweden and Switzerland all took similar action in the co-ordinated move. Even China cut its rate, albeit by 0.27 percentage points. However the unprecedented step failed to cheer world stock markets.

The co-ordinated interest rate cuts came within hours of an announcement by the British government that £50bn of public money would be invested in UK bank shares, in a semi-nationalisation of major British banks. This was part of a package of measures aimed at rescuing the banking system that makes available £400bn ($692bn) of fresh money.
Central banks cut interest rates

Will the plan to save British banks work ? In these uncertain times, who knows....

Staring into the abyss (continued)...

The UK government is poised to announce details of a comprehensive £50bn rescue package for the banking system. According to reports, it will include a proposal to use taxpayers' money to invest in banks - in effect part nationalising them.
Government to unveil bank rescue

Meanwhile customers of the Icesave internet bank have been warned they may have to claim compensation for money held in their savings accounts. Authorities are preparing for the bank's parent in Iceland, Landsbanki, to be declared insolvent.
Icesave savers warned on accounts

Stock markets across the world remain volatile as investors continue to worry about the strength of financial institutions. In Germany, state-owned savings banks reported a flood of new deposits as people look for safer accounts which are insured for 100% of their value.

In Iceland the Prime Minister, Geir Haarde, has confirmed that negotiations have been going on with Russia for a huge loan to support Iceland's troubled banking system. Mr Haarde said a delegation from Iceland would go to Moscow in the next couple of days to finalise the deal. He thanked Moscow for its offer of more than $5bn in emergency loans.
Credit crisis: World in turmoil

At this rate, putting one's money under the mattress will seem a safer alternative....

Staring into the abyss (continued)...

World stock markets have plunged despite government bank bail-outs in the US and Europe. In the UK, the FTSE 100 fell 391.1 points, or 7.85%, to close at 4,589.2. In effect, £93.4bn has been wiped off the value of the index's shares. Yesterday's fall was bigger than the slides seen in the wake of the September 11 attacks on the US and the 1987 stock market crash.

Meanwhile Asian stocks has opened down sharply amid investor panic that global governments may not be able to stem the financial crisis.

EU leaders have agreed to act more closely to deal with the economic crisis. The UK Chancellor Alistair Darling says the government will do whatever is necessary to ensure stability of the financial system.

Germany earlier appeared to announce an unlimited guarantee for private savings - though later said this was not the case and had instead given only a "political commitment" that savers would not lose deposits. This followed news that the country's finance ministry had agreed a 50bn euro ($68bn; £38.7bn) plan to save one of the country's biggest banks, Hypo Real Estate.
Austria, Denmark Greece and Sweden have also moved to bolster protection of bank accounts - a tactic first started by Ireland, who were widely criticized at the time.

Despite soundbites from European leaders about "unity" it seems self-presavation is now the name of the game.
So much for greater co-ordination between the EU governments....

Wendy Richard

Former EastEnders star Wendy Richard has revealed she's dying of cancer.
The 65-year-old actress, who rose to fame playing Miss Brahms in the BBC sitcom Are You Being Served?, has already battled breast cancer twice - but was diagnosed with an aggressive form of the disease earlier this year.
Ms Richard said she would marry her long-term partner before starting chemotherapy.
Besides playing Pauline Fowler in the BBC One soap, she has also appeared in Dad's Army, The Likely Lads, Please Sir!, Up Pompeii, Grace & Favour (the sequel to Are You Being Served?) and some Carry On movies. In 1962 her (uncredited) vocals helped get her to #1 on the UK chart, on the single, "Come Outside", featuring Mike Sarne.
Ex-EastEnder 'dying of cancer'
Wendy Richard (Internet Movie Database)

Sad news. Thanks for the memories Wendy, and be brave...

Staring into the abyss (continued)...

President Bush says the US economy still faces "serious challenges" after signing into law the revised $700bn financial rescue package for the US financial system, after it received approval in the House of Representatives. The House rejected an earlier version on Monday, sparking a huge one-day drop in the US stock markets and sending a shudder through the world's financial system. The revised plan was approved by the Senate on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the prime minister of Iceland is leading crisis talks with the country’s central bank and leaders of its top pension funds to thrash out a rescue plan for the country’s ailing banking industry.

Oh well, things could be worse...

...for example, you could be a Spurs football fan...