People in the know in Iran report that the hottest subject of discussion among Iranian conservative leaders these days is the issue of who is to succeed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is said to be suffering from leukemia.New Jersey: The arrest of 44 people on corruption charges in the Garden State (including 3 mayors, 5 rabbis and a host of other elected officials) vaults New Jersey back near the top of the league standings of most corrupt states in the US. The attempted illegal sale of human kidneys as part of the scam adds a particularly piquant touch to the proceedings.
Silvio Berlusconi: Following on his wife's filing for divorce, the Italian Prime Minister and richest man in Italy, has moved from cavorting with 18-year-old starlets to being caught on audiotape with prostitutes. Does not leave him with much time to cope with the financial crisis, but then that only impacts the little people, doesn't it?
The Queen: Of England, that is. FP Passport reports that she has suffered terrible losses in the recent economic downturn, reducing her property portfolio by one-fifth, to a mere $530 million. I guess times are tough all over after all Mr. Prime Minister!
