Main: Guardian - Britain is facing “arguably the worst” economic downturn in 60 years which will be “more profound and long-lasting” than people had expected, says Chancellor Alistair Darling. BBC - Update: Two bodies found at millionaires arson house. Telegraph - Senator John McCain’s choice of the Alaska governor, Sarah Palin, to be his running mate on the Republican presidential ticket has stunned American political circles - prompting furious debate. Mail - One of the leading figures in British TV comedy has been killed in a horrific road accident in central London today. ITN - Calais rapist could be a 'people smuggler'. Economy: Times - Britain’s mortgage lenders may be sitting on hundreds of millions of pounds of worthless loans fraudulently obtained by criminals to support drug manufacturing, illegal immigration and money-laundering. Herald - Brian Souter, the millionaire founder of Scottish bus and rail giant Stagecoach, said he could not take full credit for the meteoric rise in his company’s share price, but he admitted that since taking back the chief executive’s reins he had spent ‘a lot of time fixing things’. Other: Independent - Putting you on the map: the website that pinpoints where your name is in the world. Telegraph - Doctors have successfully intervened to stop a 12-year-old boy who is already 7ft 3ins tall from growing any more. BBC - An analysis of new census figures has shown that Australia is suffering from an unprecedented ‘man drought’. Sky - Amy Winehouse is facing legal action after pulling out of a Paris concert where she was due to be one of the headline acts. Mail - Pictured: The killer orca whales who will attack their own for the sake of a good meal. Links to more news stories at WhitDawg.com

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