Issue 158

World news in brief: Issue 158

22nd October 2007

News in brief from around the world. In this issue: The Dalai Lama visits the white house, Vladimir Putin gives support to Iran, and the Knights Templar even get a look in.

Global

Former Vice President Al gore was a surprise winner of the Nobel peace prize, for his high profile work on climate change and his Oscar winning documentary an inconvenient truth.

Ironically this success comes on the back of recent criticism by a high court judge who ruled that the film contained numerous scientific inaccuracies, after it was bought for distribution in schools by the British government.

The Nobel peace prize has further fuelled speculation that mister gore will once again enter the race for the white house having missed out in the 2000 election to the incumbent George W Bush.

America

Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama and current Republican Vice President Dick Cheney are distant cousins According to Research conducted by the latter's wife Lynne Cheney for a book on family history one of Obamas mothers (who is white) ancestors Maureen Duvall had a granddaughter who marred a relative of mister Cheney.

It is about all the two men have in common as Obama is a staunch liberal on virtually every issue in America and has been widely revered for his all action, charismatic approach to his presidential campaign, while Cheney know for his staunch conservatism was instrumental in the decision to invaded Iraq four years ago.

The Vactican

The Knights Templar are in the news once more as the Vatican confirmed that it would be publishing never before seen archives of the Knights Templar original investigation between 1307 to 1312 when the order was abolished by the church and is assets were confiscated, the recent resurgence in interest in the templar encouraged by the success of the Da Vinci Code has led to the Papal office to allow copies of the investigation and trail of the templar to go on sale in limited edition sets for around £3000 pounds per set.

Russia/Iran

Russian president Vladimir Putin has put his weight behind the Iranians controversial nuclear program saying that Iran must not be hindered in its peaceful pursuit of nuclear power at the Russian built Bushehr nuclear Plant, Russia has been one the staunchest supporters of Therans Nuclear ambitions putting it at loggerheads with the western powers namely the US and the UK which have sought to prohibit the proliferation of atomic weapons in the hands of state deemed dangerous or "rogue states".

Tibet

In a move that has angered Chinese government the Dalai Lama is to receive a US congressional gold medal the highest civilian award the United States can bestow with President Bush himself set to attend it will be the first time an incumbent US president will be seen publicly with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Media in Beijing have been unequivocal in their objections stating that the award would "cast a shadow on Chinese- US relations."

Waterfront Online