TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADERS: A desperate, but divided, group of world leaders descended on London for an emergency G20 summit aimed at reining in the damage being wrought by the global economic crisis. Even before the summit began, the United States acknowledged they were unlikely to find much support for its push for massive stimulus spending, while Europe was forced to backpedal from hopes for tighter financial regulation. However, one area of agreement was a consensus that solving the crisis would require the participation of countries outside the G8.
DOING THE WORM: The computer world was closely watching a malicious Internet worm known as Conficker, which is estimated to have infected as many as 10 million computers worldwide, where it is awaiting instructions due today. Capable of stealing valuable information, deleting files, and sending out millions of spam items, experts agreed that the worm had the potential to wreak havoc, but were unsure of how much damage would actually be caused.
MEET THE NEW BOSS: When the hawkish Benjamin Netanyahu emerged as the likely successor to former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, many Middle East watchers were concerned about serious setbacks to the peace process. But so far, Netanyahu has largely hewed to a conciliatory tone regarding the Palestinians, a tone he stuck to when he was confirmed as prime minister yesterday, promising to seek “full peace” with the Arab and Muslim world. However, his vision of a self-ruling Palestinian population earned a sharp rebuke from a Palestinian negotiator who called for an end to Israeli occupation.
PACKING IT IN: Grant Krieger, a longtime advocate of medicinal marijuana, abandoned a legal battle that took him as far as the Supreme Court. Krieger, who uses marijuana to treat symptoms of multiple sclerosis, signed a pledge that he would cease growing and distributing the drug in exchange for the Alberta Court of Appeal swapping a four-month jail term for 18 months probation.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF WET T-SHIRT: Many Manitoba students skipped travelling to exotic spring break locales to battle the flood threat presented by a rising Red River. The idea of neighbour helping neighbour is not uncommon among the Red River each spring, but this year’s overwhelming threat prompted an equally overwhelming response.
WOMEN’S RIGHTS: The federal government gave the Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s regime an earful over controversial new legislation that would reportedly allow men to rape their wives. The new law — which critics said Karzai passed in a hurry to win electoral support among ethnic Hazaras — would forbid Shia women from refusing their husbands sex, leaving the house without them, or have custody of children.
WHAT ME, QUERY? Beijing dismissed a report by Canadian researchers outlining an extensive China-led computer spy ring as lies aimed at stoking anxiety about the country’s rising global influence. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said the accusation was a symptom of a “Cold War virus” that causes people abroad to “occasionally be overcome by China-threat seizures.”
ROAD TO RECOVERY: Charla Nash, the Connecticut women who was savagely mauled by a friend’s chimpanzee, was speaking and responding to fairly complicated commands, according to family members. Speaking through a voice box, Nash — who lost her hands, lips, eyelids and nose in the attack — is able to communicate with nurses and has asked to see her daughter, which her brother said made him “grin from ear to ear.”
