ECN 10/22/07

Poles End Turbulent Kaczynski Era
By Jan Puhl
The Polish twins have been separated. Voters on Sunday torpedoed Prime Minister Lech Kaczynski's attempt to get re-elected. But it's far from clear whether challenger Donald Tusk, 50, who has pledged to mend relations with EU allies, will be able to implement his policy agenda.

This one catches my eye because it will have a significant impact on the development on the EU. It may have just gotten a boost from Poland.

Politburo reshuffle is a sign for China
By Joseph Kahn
Published: October 22, 2007
BEIJING: The Chinese Communist Party announced a new leadership lineup Monday morning that anoints two future leaders of the country and modestly enhances the authority of President Hu Jintao.
The reshuffle promotes four officials to the nine-man Politburo Standing Committee, the country's top ruling body, including two provincial leaders expected to inherit the posts of party general secretary and prime minister in five years' time.

It is hard to tell if this is really anything or just window dressing from a closed nation.

Big three join forces on financial transparency

22.10.2007 - 09:21 CET
The leaders of Germany, France and the UK have issued a joint position on the need for more transparency of financial markets, following worries that the turmoil caused by the US housing crisis could hit growth.

If the US sneezes the world checks to see if they got sprayed.

Oprah becomes test of what an endorsement
means

By Martha T. Moore, USA TODAY
Oprah Winfrey can get people to read Tolstoy, sell millions of magazines and turn a mail-order canvas bag into a hot item just by naming it one of her favorite things.
To get Americans to vote for her favorite presidential candidate, Democrat Barack Obama, though, she'll have to twice prove conventional wisdom wrong: once with voters who repeatedly say endorsements don't make a big difference, and once with politicos who say they can — but that those by celebrities usually don't matter.

With Hillary possibility stumbling with fund raising scandals, people may turn to the most trusted person on television. This will have long reaching effects if Sen. Obama is able to put Hillary down