ECN 11/2/07

Rice in Turkey for Kurdish talks
The US secretary of state has arrived in Ankara for talks aimed at averting major military action by Turkey against Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq.
Ahead of her visit, Condoleezza Rice called the Kurdistan Workers' Party a "common enemy" of Turkey, Iraq and the US, and urged all sides to co-operate.

A terrorist is a terrorist is a terrorist.

Venezuelan troops use tear gas on Chavez protesters
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuelan troops used tear gas and water cannons Thursday disperse demonstrators who turned out by the tens of thousands to protest constitutional reforms that would permit President Hugo Chavez to run for re-election indefinitely.

Could you imagine the outrage that would break out here in America if a sitting President tried this? Look at Chavez and his rise to power and you will see the fabled "Making of a Tyrant".

EU ministers give final nod to controversial gene therapies
31.10.2007 - 09:28 CET By Lucia KubosovaEUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU environment ministers have given their final approval to the bloc's guidelines on the development of gene therapies, leaving it up to member states to decide whether to ban research on human embryonic cells on ethical grounds.The legislation passed on Tuesday (30 October) sets out the technical details on regulating so called "advanced therapies" - gene therapy, adult stem cell therapy and tissue engineering – at the EU level.

Gene manipulation on humans is fine but don’t you dare touch corn.

Russian Youth and the Putin Cult
With elections just around the corner, President Vladimir Putin's popularity seems higher than ever -- particularly among Russian youth. The right-tilting group Nashi practically worships their leader, and isn't shy about letting the opposition know about it. By Anselm Waldermann in Moscow