World Briefs

Author: By Caroline Vial

Double Trouble

If the Poles were to vote tomorrow, the country could be led by a pair of real twins. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, currently in his 50s, still lives with his mother. He is at the head of the conservative party of Law and Justice, that is currently leading in the polls published April 15. As an avid supporter of Catholic values, his vocation is "riding high" since the passing away of the Pope, and he has a strong chance of becoming Prime Minister. Lech Kaczynski, his younger brother by 45 minutes, was triumphantly elected mayor of Warsaw three years ago. His popularity makes him a favorite in the up-and-coming presidential elections. "It is difficult to tell whether the Poles will accept two people with the same face, in two key positions," declared the older brother Jaroslaw. He also claimed that he would withdraw from the race if this situation were harmful to his twin's campaign.



Can Aliens see better?

Finally, the naked eye can spy on the Great Wall of China, from space. In 2003, the first Chinese astronaut, Yang Liwei, gave his compatriots a scare, declaring that he had not seen a trace of the wall during his orbital journey. On April 21, a photo taken by the Asian American Astronaut Leroy Chiao and printed at the front of the China Daily, restored their national pride. As the photo was taken at an altitude of 360 km, it had to be authenticated by renowned expert, Wei Chengie. "Difficult to say whether I really saw it or not," confided the astronaut.



Sacred Auctions

Jean Paul II had barely given his last gasp when a blessed wafer was put up for biddings on eBay. Initially priced at $100, it soon found a buyer for $2,000. The diocese of Sioux City, Iowa immediately intervened and the seller repented, cancelled his auction and returned the wafer - for free - to its administrator, Roger Augustine. The buyer, a faithful Catholic, wanted to keep the relic from falling into the hands of Satanists and be used to celebrate a black mass. The wafer had been put on the market with four stamps and a cork-screw that the American tourist supposedly had in hand during the mass.