The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has confirmed that there is a significant economic slowdown in most of its member nations, and it is being led by the seven most industrialized nations, those that comprise the so-called Group of 7.

In the wake of last Friday’s helicopter crash that killed Interior Secretary Francisco Blake Mora in the administration’s 30th such accident, so-called analysts and pseudo-experts have discovered that in Mexico, unlike other countries, rules for helicopter navigation are hardly ever observed.

As talks on the budget bill forge ahead in a race against the clock prior to the November 15 deadline, the lower house of Congress’s Budget Commission once more became mired Thursday on two major line items, highways and the agricultural sector.

The debt markets made it clear in a tumultuous session Wednesday that the problem in Italy is not so much who is in charge of the government, but rather the delay in approving austerity measures and structural reforms that will enable Italy to reach a healthier fiscal financial situation.

The agonizing wait has concluded in Italy. After a vote in Parliament that showed the weakness of the government headed by Silvio Berlusconi, el prime minister agreed to step down, and the financial markets greeted the news with widespread enthusiasm.