Alaska Senator Republican Ted Stevens, convicted of seven felonies, is being persistently pressurized by fellow Republicans to step down from the Senate. John McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, have wasted no time in separating their campaign from the “corruption and insider dealing that has become so pervasive in the nation's capital.”

Republican John McCain has lately been picking on Congressman Barney Frank warn voters about the fiscal dangers that would accompany Barack Obama’s presidency. It appears Frank has found a comfortable home in McCain’s speeches in the campaign’s closing days.

As it is customary for candidates to return to their home state to vote on Election Day, the Alaska Governor is also expected to do the same. The campaign, however, has not announced this officially yet, due to the amount of time it takes to fly to Alaska and the need for the GOP Vice-Presidential nominee to continue campaigning.

In case Palin travels to her Anchorage office the evening of November 3rd, she will travel back to the continental US after she votes, to join her running mate in Phoenix for their Election Night party.

While political leaders often achieve national prominence by riding a wave of issues or ideology, the strength of Republican vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin lies more in her image. Palin has unapologetically cast her image as one who shares the lot and the views of a large segment of the population. 

Though there has been exhaustive, undeniably sexist criticism of this Alaska Governor, she has been unequivocal in giving visibility and a voice to her supporters - mostly non-urban and white voters, neither poor nor wealthy, religious, who strive for self-reliance.

Prague - The Czech parliament's lower house Wednesday approved a treaty establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC), a body set up to punish war crimes and genocide.

The Czech Republic, which takes over the European Union's six- month rotating presidency on January 1, was the last EU member to ratify The Hague-based tribunal.

The house ratified the treaty 140-6 in a vote that required a majority of 120 votes in the 200-seat chamber. Thirty-seven lawmakers abstained from the vote.

Berlin - A German official resigned his vice-ministerial post at the Transport Ministry Wednesday after weeks of criticism of executive bonuses that are planned at one of Germany's biggest state-owned companies.

Matthias von Randow represented the ministry as a member of the supervisory board of Deutsche Bahn, the national railways company, which is set to privatize a one-quarter stake in its passenger and freight operations.