one word for these two: controllable. they will do as they're told.

1. Sweden picks top EU officials

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has announced that Belgian Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy will be the first permanent President of the European Council following negotiations in Brussels on Thursday evening.

He also revealed British EU Commissioner Baroness Catherine Ashton will assume the post of High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

Both candidates received backing from all 27 EU countries for the positions creating by the Lisbon Treaty.

The talks were coordinated by Sweden in its is role as head of the rotating EU Presidency over a working dinner attended by heads of state and government.

"We are convinced that Herman Van Rompuy is the right man to lead the European Council in the right way," Reinfeldt said after the summit meeting.

The Swedish Prime Minister was given a Rubik's cube by European Commissioner José Manuel Barrosso as a memento and recognition of negotiating the positions after weeks of politicial wrangling.

The two candidates were largely overlooked in the run up to the announcement, which has been met with a level of surprise by commentators over their limited experience in foreign affairs.

After backing Tony Blair for the EU president role, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown made a last-minute decision on Thursday in nominating centre-left Baroness Ashton, who has been in her position as EU Commissioner responsible for trade for less than 12 months.

However, Christian Democrat leader Van Rompuy had come to the forefront as a possible candidate over the last few days.

Christine Demsteader

source: the local

2. Baroness Ashton: i'll prove i'm the best person for the job

The little-known Labour peer who emerged as the surprise choice to be Europe's first 'foreign minister' declared today that she was determined to prove she was the best person for the job.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland, the EU trade commissioner who has never held elected office, said she was 'humbled' to have been picked by EU leaders for the new post of High Representative.

Her appointment was announced last night at a special summit in Brussels where another largely unknown figure - Belgian Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy - became the first EU President.

read more @ daily mail

3. more meetings coming up -- always so many meetings

Port-of-French President Nicholas Sarkozy and UN chief Ban Ki-moon will be attending the Commonwealth of Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in the Trinidad and Tobago capital Nov 27-29 as special guests, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen will also attend.

'Commonwealth leaders will hold discussions, among other things, on the critical matter of climate change as we approach the UN meeting next month in Copenhagen, Denmark,' Manning said in a national broadcast.

Queen Elizabeth II, titular head of the Commonwealth of Nations, will open the meet Nov 27.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be leading a delegation to this 1.3 million strong nation whose Indian diaspora comprise 44 percent of the population.

Manmohan Singh will be joined by 51 other leaders at CHOGM.

source: venezuela news