An international peace research institute, in their latest figures, had shown a decline in the volume of Russian weapons sold to the Chinese military, even though Beijing still remains as the single largest receiver of Russian arms. This decrease in volume had contributed to Russia’s reduced overall exportation of major standard weapons system. Currently China and Russia are just completing past agreements and have not signed any new contract. In turn, Russia will be looking at India’s continued custom to make up for the decrease in China’s patronage. But problems with their past dealings may also lead to a decrease in India’s purchase of Russian weapons.

Italian voters headed to vote on Sunday to choose between former Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni and incumbent Silvio Berlusconi as the next prime minister.  The next prime minister will be under more pressure to have a stronger administration than the previous one, which collapsed in less than two years.  One major concern is Italy’s stagnating economy.  Berlusconi represents the center right and has been leading in the polls.  He predicts that he will return as the prime minister for the third time. His center-left opponent, Walter Veltroni has a platform of change.  Both of them cited the need for tax cuts and increased police presence.

36 Iraqis were injured and three were killed when fighting exploded between American and Iraqi forces and Shiite militia. The skirmish in Sadr City followed days of confrontations between American and Iraqi forces and the Mehdi Army, a small militia who fights Mogtada Sadr, a rebel Shiite cleric. On Sunday, five US soldiers died when rockets landed in the Green Zone. One of the soldiers was killed in eastern Baghdad, at the Rustamiyah Base, while the other was hit by a roadside bomb in the Diyala province. Because of the fighting, all entrances and exits to Baghdad have been blocked, and US and Iraqi snipers are stationed on building tops.

Ad war still continues between Clinton and Obama. At Pennsylvania you can never watch a television without political ad. It is said that the ads of Obama and Clinton appears 11000 times a day in the state with Obama’s ad twice as often as Clinton’s.
It is also said that both candidates have already spent a total of $110million on ads alone. Barack Obama who’s already approaching $70million on ads has already out spent the record spending in previous campaigns. According to a political analyst, frequent airing of ads on television covers up the real personality of the candidate or whatever negative issues he or she has.

This controversial ad which spreads on the web anonymously attacks Hilary Clinton. The ad is created by a still unknown activist. It is a home made vide which is done outside the political campaign. The ad has a woman running who has her candidate’s slogan on her chest and smashes a big brother with her sledgehammer. This big brother is Clinton. This ad boosts the campaign of Barack Obama.

Now anyone has the power to influence people on these serious political matters. That’s the beauty of new media. There is no need to wait for permission to air your opinion and insights. This signals the end of broadcast era and welcomes the new media which is the internet.

International pressure mounts on China to stop the violence in Tibet as Chinese rule spreads to other regions. The New York Times reports that United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appealed to Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jeichi to resume dialogue with the Dalai Lama, who is currently living in self-imposed exile in India. A similar plea was made by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

A group of Nobel laureates also condemned the violence against protesters and asked the Chinese government to halt its unwarranted campaign against the Dalai Lama. Other reports say that the Dalai Lama is willing to meet Chinese leaders in Beijing if they are ready for a Tibet dialogue. However, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the Dalai Lama needs to stop separatist activities and give up his stance for Tibet’s independence before a dialogue can occur.

Two separate attacks in Mosul, Iraq injured 35 civillians and killed six people, five of whom were police officers. According to the Kuwait News Service, the five police officers were killed by a suicide attack on the al-Waggas police station in Ras al-Jadda by an explosives-ridden car. Two other bombings killed one person and injured fourteen when explosives set off in front of a police officer’s home. There were no casualties during the first explosion. When people gathered in front of the house after the first bomb exploded, the second bomb got detonated.

Um al-Reiban police arrested 11 suspects in the al-Tanak district. During an inspection of their houses, weapons were found in one of the suspects’ homes.

“ Its 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. But there’s a phone in the White House and its ringing. Something’s happening in the world. Your vote will decide who answers that call.”

Then shows Hilary Clinton picking up the phone. This is the campaign ad of Senator Hilary Clinton airing in Texas. The Senator wants to implicate that she is more qualified in handling National Security crisis and issues. The ad wants the people to base their decision on who’s got more leadership experience.

Obama on the other hand has this to say “They’re usually the kind that play upon peoples’ fears, try to scare up votes.”

Patrick Hillery, former President of Ireland died aged 84 Dr Hillery was external affairs minister from 1969 when his major accomplishment was negotiating Ireland’s entry into the European Economic Community, now the European Union, on January 1, 1973. He was a medical doctor by profession until he became a lawmaker for 21 years at Fianna Fail party.

In America there is an institution called Electoral College thru which the Americans vote their President and Vice President. When the people vote they do not directly vote their President and Vice President but instead they vote for official electors. These Official electors will be the ones to cast the vote for President and Vice President thru Electoral College.

Each Presidential candidate has an assembly of Electors assigned to that candidate and each state is allotted a number of electors equal to the number of its representative and senators in the US congress. When the candidate wins by popular vote in a particular district, the electors assigned to that candidate will be the one to vote to the Electoral College. However when there is close election wherein there is a vote deadlock the Electoral College decides who will win the election and sometimes its not the candidate with the most popular vote.