GOOD DAY FOR: Jolly unemployed Germans, after employment firm Jobcafe Munich reported a shortage of qualified Santa Clauses for German malls and holiday parties. Applicants need to be good with children, good organizers, decent actors, and have clean police records. “To be honest, not many people have what it takes to be a good Father Christmas,” said Jobcafe’s Jens Wittenberger. He said that Santas earn up to $75 an hour. (Reuters)
BAD DAY FOR: Mining for synergy, after mining giant BHP Billiton withdrew its $66 billion hostile takeover offer for rival Rio Tinto, citing the slumping global economy and resulting drop in commodity prices. The all-stock deal was worth almost $150 billion last year. BHP shares rose on the news, Rio Tinto’s dropped. (MarketWatch)
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Donald Trump's jumbo-sized corruption | May 14 editorial cartoonsCartoons Wednesday's editorial cartoons feature artificial intelligence, Democratic attempts to reach rural voters, a tariff deal with Xi Jinping, the U.S. economy, tariffs, and habeas corpus.
-
Israel-US 'rift': is Trump losing patience with Netanyahu?Today's Big Question US president called for an end to Gaza war and negotiated directly with Hamas to return American hostage, amid rumours of strained relations
-
Zack Polanski: the 'eco-populist' running for Green Party leaderIn The Spotlight 'Insurgent' party deputy is making a bid to take the Greens further to the left
