LOST IN THE DARK RIDE

26 Oct 2008, 0311 hrs IST, Subodh Ghildiyal, TNN               Text: NEW DELHI: Economic crisis and poll-wary allies may decide the timing of Lok Sabha elections, with Congress mulling whether to hit the ballot before the effects of global meltdown kicks in or to risk the optimism of a recovery by the time it happens on schedule. As Congress mulls whether to advance elections to a pleasant winter-timing or let it happen in the summer to follow, it also has to…

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If Barack Obama wins the American presidential election in nine days’ time, it will be because he has beaten the Republicans at their own game, according to Karl Rove, the noted “architect” of President George W Bush’s two victories. The Democrats have copied Rove’s formidable tactics and ground operation, pumping out a disciplined message, assembling a broad-based coalition which includes young first-time voters and African-Americans, and drowning their Republican opponents with money. “I’ve got to tell you, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” Rove said in an interview. “I can say, I’m deeply flattered.” Rove recalled how Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe, outlined their…

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American military chiefs are to send up to 9,000 troops to Helmand next year, potentially sidelining the UK’s 5,000-strong force in the southern Afghanistan province. The first of three US brigade combat teams is expected to be operational by the spring. Their main base is under construction alongside the British headquarters at Camp Bastion….

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Associated Press People march past Rome’s ancient Colosseum Saturday on their way to a rally to protest the conservative policies of Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s government, including plans to cut funding for public universities and hold separate classes for immigrant children. ROME - A huge crowd turned out Saturday to protest the conservative policies of Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s government, including plans to cut funding for public universities and hold separate classes for immigrant children….

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              Text: BEIJING: China must not under-estimate the impact of the global financial crisis but its economy is strong enough to weather the storm, the nation’s central bank chief said on Sunday. “The current adjustment of global economic financial markets is the inevitable result of the releasing of…

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JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni called off her efforts to form a new governing coalition on Saturday and will recommend holding an early parliamentary election after a key party backed out of talks, officials said. Israel’s Foreign Minister and Prime Minister-designate Tzipi Livni (L) and Speaker of the Parliament Dalia Itzik attend a Kadima party gathering in Petah Tikva near Tel Aviv October 23, 2008. (REUTERS/Alon Ron) The decision by Livni, the designated successor to scandal-hit outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, means an election is likely in late January or February. The next parliamentary poll had been scheduled for 2010. An…

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NEW YORK (AP): To win the presidency, Republican John McCain will continue stoking doubts about Democrat Barack Obama’s tax policies and readiness to be commander in chief while hoping the volatile electoral map ultimately will look more or less as it did in 2004, when President George W. Bush was narrowly re-elected. It’s a daunting, perhaps insurmountable, challenge. With just over a week to go in a political climate that overwhelmingly favors Democratic nominee Barack Obama, McCain has increasingly limited options to reach the 270 Electoral College votes needed for victory. His state-by-state strategy allows him almost no margin for error. The McCain team is well aware of the challenges,…

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RENO, Nev. - Scrambling to win the West, Democrat Barack Obama mocked John McCain on Saturday for aggressively trying to distance himself from President Bush. McCain touted his Western ties and warned that Obama is a tax-and-spend threat to the nation. The financially flush Obama campaign also unveiled a two-minute TV ad that asks, “Will our country be better off four years from…

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REGIONAL ROUNDUP: The MSCI Asia-Pacific Index fell to its lowest close since May 2004 this week, led by measures of commodity and electronics companies Asian stocks dropped for the seventh week in eight, sending the region’s benchmark index to the lowest level since 2004, on signs profits are declining as the credit crisis worsens. Sony Corp, maker of the PlayStation game consoles, slumped 19 percent to the lowest in 13 years after slashing its profit forecast on weaker demand for electronics and the surging yen. Samsung Electronics Co led South Korea’s KOSPI Index to its biggest weekly drop in at least two decades after its profit tumbled and as the government stepped up measures to shore…

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NEW YORK, Oct 25: Bruised and battered Wall Street faces another test in the coming week with more data to highlight dire economic conditions and a Federal Reserve meeting expected to offer a fresh rate cut. A major question for investors is whether the horrific market action of recent weeks reflects worries of tougher economic conditions ahead or is the result of hedge funds and portfolio…

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