News Headlines - 08 October 2013

▽AFP: US default would be 'worse' than shutdown: Obama

Failure to raise the debt ceiling would cause the United States to default on its bills, a situation "dramatically worse" than the current government shutdown, President Barack Obama warned Tuesday.

▽Putin demands Dutch apology after diplomat detained by police | Reuters

President Vladimir Putin demanded an apology from the Netherlands on Tuesday after Dutch police detained the Russian embassy's second-ranking diplomat at his home following a complaint by neighbors.

▽MI5 chief: Leaks 'hand terrorists the advantage' - ITV News

The Director General of MI5 has defended the security services right to remain secret in the wake of the Edward Snowden NSA and GCHQ leaks. Speaking in public for the first time since taking on the role Andrew Parker said publishing details of the service's work, "hands the advantage to the terrorists."

▽Undercover NYPD Cop to Face Charges in SUV Assault - ABC News

In a stunning twist in the case of an SUV driver attacked by motorcyclists, an undercover New York police officer is expected to be charged this week for bashing the window of the SUV, law enforcement sources said today. A criminal case is being built against the undercover detective and charges are expected in the next 24 to 48 hours, sources familiar with the case told ABC News. The officer can be seen on a video taken at the scene of the attack breaking a rear window of the SUV after a high-speed chase, sources said. The undercover cops initially told his superiors days after the attack that he was at the scene of the assault and did not stop it for fear of blowing his cover, police said after he came forward. Sources said he was "not truthful" about his involvement during earlier interviews.

▽Japanese PM supports Taiwan's TPP bid - The China Post

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe supports Taiwan's entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade bloc and a free trade deal between Japan and Taiwan, the spokesman for Taiwan's delegation to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Indonesia said yesterday.