The Coming Week in Europe: Investors to Focus on Oil Prices and LSE's Future

BERLIN -- If some Europeans can't get to work next week because of fuel shortages, at least they can sit home and watch round-the-clock coverage of the Olympics in Australia.

After protests against the high cost of fuel across the Continent caused gas pumps to dry up, the situation is expected to slowly normalize in the coming week in even the hardest-hit countries such as the U.K. and Belgium. That should be good news for Europe's economies, if not for some sports-crazy Europeans who would rather be stranded at home to watch the action in Sydney.

Whereas most Americans will be treated to only highlights and emotion-filled montages of their sports heroes, many Europeans will be hit with 24-hour Olympic programming, showing live coverage of even such events as archery and handball. ...