EXPLANATION The cartoon plays on the expression 'fly off the handle'. If you fly off the handle, you suddenly and completely lose your temper. That's why Helda's attending the Anger Management Support Group. And like all good (and bad) witches, Helda flies on the handle of her broom—except that she keeps falling off, which explains her injured arm and leg.
COMMENT You can see more cartoons by visiting Dan's site.
Halloween was originally called Samhain and marked the end of the harvest season for Celtic farmers. You can find out more about Halloween and watch more videos on History.com.
COMMENT For more Halloween resources, type the word 'Halloween' into the search box at the top right of this page and click on the 'Search' button.
The financial turmoil rattling governments and banks in Europe is further weighing on the already-sluggish outlook for business in the region, reports the Wall Street Journal. Full story >>
VOCABULARY When something such as an idea, feeling, or illness lingers, it continues to exist for a long time, often much longer than expected. • October has a reputation for being a troublesome month for financial markets, and memories of the 1987 crash still linger.
Despite signs of a pick-up, it is still a spooky time for the U.S. economy, but a trip to the scary suburban town of Fairfield, Connecticut shows Americans are ready to spend more for a ghostly Halloween time.
TRANSCRIPT REPORTER: There is a house on a quiet street in Fairfield, Connecticut that delights in the macabre; the dark side of Halloween; the tricks before the treats; where ravens, rats and mummies are treasured guests; a place where Halloween is far more than a day on the calendar. Jeannie Finlay started Halloween decorating in earnest 18 years ago when her four children were young. JEANNIE FINLAY, HALLOWEEN ENTHUSIAST: "People started commenting that they thought it was so cool, so we started adding a little more the next year and the next year and it got out of control somehow (laughs). It's become quite a fetish around here." REPORTER: A costly one at that; Finlay adds one new feature each year. The fog machine was $150, as was Dracula. This year's addition, Dracula's Bride, rang in at $79. Not to mention, the cost to feed the costumed ghosts and goblins who come haunting on Halloween and looking for treats. Finlay expects more than 400 trick or treaters this year. JEANNIE FINLAY: "It's about $400 in candy because we get the full size bars from BJ's." REPORTER: The spirit of Halloween is alive and well in 2011. The average American is expected to spend more than $72 on costumes, decorations and candy this year, up $5 from a year ago. The final tally, according to the National Retail Federation, is $6.9 billion. Candy stores stand to benefit from that big business as customers nab gummy brains, bats and teeth. Sweet Rexie's, in Fairfield, expects sales will be flat or slightly higher than last year, though enthusiasm has been high. Kerrin Gildae is the manager at Sweet Rexie's. KERRIN GILDAE, MANAGER, SWEET REXIE'S "Everyone's been really excited. Everyone's been calling about make your own haunted house and coming around shopping for all different candies." REPORTER: More people than ever are expected to join in on the Halloween celebrations this year, according to the NRF. Big Halloween sales may stir up hopes consumers will cast a good spell on retailers ahead of the key holiday shopping season. Jill Bennett, Reuters.
The euro is shown as a zombie risen from the grave advancing towards Eurozone leaders Nicolas Sarkozy, Angela Merkel, Silvio Berlusconi, and George Panandreou. David Cameron looks on from a safe distance (Britain is not part of the eurozone).
COMMENTARY Sarkozy, Merkel, and Berlusconi might be pleased that they have resurrected the euro, but the euro zombie will get them in the end.
Deputy PM Nick Clegg has launched a full-frontal attack on Conservative Eurosceptics within the coalition, describing their aims as "economic suicide", the Observer reports. Full story >>
VOCABULARY A rebuke is An expression of sharp disapproval or criticism. • James Murdoch, the presumed heir to the News Corp media empire, received a sharp rebuke from shareholders when nearly 35 per cent of the company's investors voted against his re-election to the board.
In Dave Brown's version Angela Merkel, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Silvio Berlusconi (a passenger without a paddle!) are in a canoe which is about to go over the rapids—a metaphor for the eurozone debt crisis. UK prime minister David Cameron is in the back of the canoe, which has broken off. Cameron is giving the thumbs up, a sign that everything is fine.
EXPLANATION Britain, having decided to keep the pound, is not part of the eurozone, which is why David Cameron looks so pleased. He must be hoping that Britain will be spared if the euro crisis worsens.
IDIOM To paddle your own canoe means to act independently and decide your own fate. The Phrase Finder has an interesting article on the origin of this expression.
The Guardian leads with a quote from the judge sentencing Vincent Tabak to a minimum of 20 years in jail after he was found guilty of the murder of Joanna Yates. Full story >>
VOCABULARY If you say something is dreadful, you mean that it is very bad or unpleasant, or very poor in quality. • The removal of the dreadful Gaddafi after an astonishing 42 years in power gives Libyans an opportunity to build something better.
There's apprehension on the streets of Rome and Athens after euro zone leaders struck a deal to reduce Greece's debt burden and boost the bailout fund's firepower.
TRANSCRIPT News of a deal to contain Europe's debt crisis was greeted with scepticism by some of those who've been hit hardest by the region's economic woes. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou says the rescue plan means the country's debt will now be sustainable. GREEK PRESIDENT GEORGE PAPANDREOU: "We managed to escape from this default trap. The fact that we are still here today is a big achievement for the Greek people. So, today I think we can close a chapter, a chapter of the past and I think we can now start working on a new future for our country." But few were celebrating on the streets of Athens. RETIRED COLONEL, TASOS SKARLATOS: "It's a dark and shady deal. Everything here gets worse by the day. God help us." Many blame the country's politicians for their situation, and believe the fifty per cent losses that private investors say they'll take - is as good as bankruptcy. ATHENS RESIDENT, SPIROS KARALIS: "As long as these 300 politicians are in Parliament, things won't get better. They are the ones that brought us to this situation, so it is unlikely they will save us." Italy has the second largest debt pile after Greece. At 1.9 trillion euros, it's around 120 per cent of GDP. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has promised to deliver a plan to reform the economy by November 15, including raising the retirement age, cutting red tape and improving business conditions. But Italians felt far from assured after the Brussels summit. ROME RESIDENT: "I don't think this government is capable of managing this crisis. The measures they are coming up with are inadequate. For instance to make it easier to fire employees doesn't help people at all. They should target those with large assets, who have the means to pay more in this moment of crisis." Nonetheless, some analysts said Berlusconi's plans went beyond expectations, helping European shares rally to a 12 week high. Kirsty Basset, Reuters
This cartoon by Andy Davey from The Sun relates to news that a lack of computing power is limiting the improvements the Met Office can make to the accuracy of its weather forecasts. Read more >>
The cartoon shows a scientist with a clipboard standing on the roof of the Met Office building. It's very windy. The scientist is holding his index finger in the air. A Met Office official comments, "No, he's not infallible but he's better than our computer."
EXPLANATION To determine which way the wind is blowing, you traditionally stick your index finger in your mouth to wet it with saliva, and then you hold your finger in the air. It will become dry on the side from which the wind is blowing.
VOCABULARY If a person is infallible, they are never wrong.
Europe's new strategy to tame its debt woes invigorated global financial markets despite lingering questions over how the plan will work and whether it will be enough to end the two-year-old crisis. Full story >>
VOCABULARY When something climbs, it increases in value or amount. • Prices have climbed by 5% since the beginning of the year.
European leaders agreed to boost the region's bailout fund to one trillion euros, but details still have to be decided. At the same time, a framework for re-funding banks was agreed upon.
TRANSCRIPT It's night time in Belgium and according to sources, European politicians appear close to finding a way out of the darkness of a debt crisis. Here's an optimistic UK Prime Minister David Cameron. SOUNDBITE: BRITISH PRIME MINISTER DAVID CAMERON (ENGLISH) SAYING: "Well, we made some good progress tonight. It's very much in Britain's interest that we sort out these problems and solve this crisis." European leaders have agreed to boost the size of the Eurozone bailout fund fourfold to one trillion euros, the sources say. There's also a framework on what to do about the banks saddled by bad sovereign debt. Leaders agree banks need additional capital in order to withstand more potential debt writedowns, agreeing to raise capital requirements to 9 percent by the end of the next year. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. SOUNDBITE: POLISH PRIME MINISTER DONALD TUSK (ENGLISH) SAYING: "And we also adopted certain elements of the way we should proceed to attain this goal. An emotional element during this debate, was the fact of making it clear that this is an exceptional circumstance and not permanent element." But even that hinges on Greece getting the next bailout payment and avoiding a default, which would put the debt crisis back at square one. Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite. SOUNDBITE: LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT DALIA GRYBAUSKAITE (ENGLISH) ARRIVING AND SAYING: "Of course the main thing now is restructuring all the banking sector, to stabilize and to give the guarantees that we are all behind it. So the Greek package will be negotiated now and to go with the banking sector and representatives of bank. But we 27 give green light for negotiations to be finalized. And now it's all about technicalities." Technicalities also have to be worked out when it comes to HOW to boost the Eurozone bailout fund. According to a draft statement obtained by Reuters, one idea is to create a special investment vehicle that would allow sovereign wealth funds like China and the Middle East to buy in. A final decision is not expected until a November meeting. Conway Gittens, Reuters.
To understand this cartoon by Adams from The Telegraph, you have to be familiar with the saying, "You spend ages waiting for a bus and then two (or three) come along at once …", an observation about the inefficiencies of British bus services (and the annoying nature of life in general).
In Adams' take on this idea, EU leaders Angela Merkel, Nicolas Sarkozy, David Cameron, and Greek PM George Panadreou are waiting at the bus stop (note the EU flag) in the pouring rain. Then along come three 'Euro Crisis Summit' buses—a reference to the fact that European leaders convened yesterday in Brussels for their second summit in four days—and the 14th in 21 months—amid mounting global exasperation over their failure to extinguish the two-year-old euro zone debt crisis.
Ongoing negotiations among EU leaders feature on the front of The Daily Telegraph, which reports German leader Angela Merkel fears a collapse of the euro could threaten peace. Full story >>
VOCABULARY When someone dithers, they hesitate because they are unable to make a quick decision about something. • One reason that France and Germany continue to dither over their rescue of Greece is they fear how much their domestic banks will lose when Greek debt gets another haircut.
