Black Watch: Today’s Top Stories

All those dreadful numbers can cause confusion, though. The Times, which had something of a snit when The New York Times wrongly referred to Lord Black as its former proprietor (can you imagine?), bumped up Black’s bond from 21 million dollars to 21 million pounds. As for The Guardian, on a Web feature slugged Media Monkey’s Diary, the august publication reported:

“As disgraced media mogul Conrad Black prepares his appeal against his conviction for fraud and obstructing justice—and the prospect of a lengthy prison sentence—it is good to know he still has time for some e-mail banter with his biographer Tom Bower. The investigative journalist, who prompted a £5m libel suit from Black with his book Conrad and Lady Black: Dancing on the Edge, e-mailed Black the day after the trial. ‘I intend to write to the judge urging leniency,’ wrote Bower. ‘I hold no bad feelings towards you and hope that you don’t make things even worse for yourself.’ ‘Your supportive words are incongruous, given the cataract of vicious and ignorant libels you have deluged on Barbara and me,’ replied Black. ‘We expect to win at the court of appeal and end your career as a plausible writer in my libel suit after that. You are almost but not quite, beneath my detestation, and you will regret your hyena-attacks.’ Not back on the Christmas card list just yet, then.”

Sentencing takes place November 30th. 107 days and counting.

Black and his conspirators now set to lose £8.4m fortune [Daily Mail]Prosecutors demand $17m from Black and allies [The Times]US seeks to seize Black’s Florida mansion [The Independent]Conrad Black may lose Palm Beach mansion [The Daily Telegraph]Media Monkey’s Diary [The Guardian]