ninme

Once upon a time, romance blossomed between two lonely souls (albeit one less lonely than the other), but just at the critical moment in their happiness, they were cruelly torn apart. But the tale had not ended, and a happy ending is yet in sight!

Times Online News Log – Condi moves on

It seems that Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, has found a new squeeze.

Just five months after accepting Jack Straw’s invitation to taste the curry, pie and black pudding of the North West, Ms Rice has taken another diplomat’s holiday, this time with the Canadian Foreign Minister, Peter MacKay, and things, as you can see to the right, went pretty well.

“This has been a lovely trip, Peter,” said Ms Rice yesterday, at the end of a relaxing visit to Pictou County, Nova Scotia, the prosperous and beautiful home district of Mr MacKay, a 41-year-old bachelor.

Ooooh la!

During a morning that included a visit to a Tim Horton’s –

They went to Tim Horton’s!

– (Canada’s best known chain of coffee and donut emporiums), where Ms Rice, 51, had a half regular, half decaf coffee and Mr MacKay had a medium tea, The Toronto Star saw something blossom.

“It was obvious he was smitten with one of the world’s most powerful women as they exchanged a handshake and double-cheek kiss,” the newspaper reported today. “The feeling appeared mutual. Rice, who has never married, repeatedly called MacKay by his first name and seemed in no rush to finish up her morning agenda.”

ninme sighs happily

Even The New York Times abandoned some of its usual decorousness to eye up Mr MacKay, who it described as: “the closest thing to eye candy on the diplomatic circuit.”

Although he did go out with Belinda Stronach (shudder), so we’ll keep an eye on him.

Teehee:

Toronto Star – `This has been a lovely trip, Peter’

STELLARTON, N.S. – The world’s most influential diplomat and Ottawa’s most eligible bachelor seem to be hitting it off.

Good grief he just oozes Canadian. Look at those ruddy cheeks.

Update:

Uh oh. His predecessor as Minister for Foreign Affairs was Pierre Pettigrew! The cowardly villain of the Harry Potter novels but French!

Update II:

What have we done. A Turkish newspaper:

Sabah – Rice is above the clouds with Peter MacKay

New York Times Newspaper has written that the U.S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is dating Canada Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter MacKay… New York Times has also written that Rice and Peter MacKay’s pose on last week’s Canada visit is clearly “a flirtation”. MacKay has already introduced Rice with his family. Now Canadians have found a new way to protest America’s war with Iraq: “Rice and MacKay! Make love, no war!”

Heeheehee.

Update III:

Hahahaha

The Age – When Condi flies north, diplomatic gossips feel the earth move

The whole thing’s freaking hilarious but then:

The State Department has been quick to dump cold water on the innuendoes. “No, there were no candles,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in exasperation when asked for further details about a working dinner. He pointed out that the dinner was not quite intimate: 14 aides and six security guards were present. “It was a well-lighted dinner, with electricity-based lighting,” he said.

This is just killing me.

Update IV:

Toronto Star – Media atwitter over Condi and Peter

“This will probably wind up getting more attention that a year’s worth of U.S. policy toward Canada, which tends to be an invisible subject.”

A U.S. online gambling company was even reportedly considering offering odds on whether the two would get together.

One American journalist who routinely covers Rice for a U.S. newspaper was kicking himself for not making the trip north

Killing me!

Update IV:

The Times – Rice keeps her cool as papers play matchmaker

IN private moments, Condoleezza Rice concedes that being the world’s most famous diplomat can be exasperating.

There is a war on terror to fight, a volatile Middle East, an Iran with nuclear ambitions, sectarian strife in Iraq — not to mention endless speculation about her love life.

In the latest demonstration of the perils of being an attractive, articulate, female — and single — Dr Rice, the US Secretary of State, returned from an official visit to Canada yesterday with the North American press obsessed with one issue. It was not the number of Canadian troops in Afghanistan.

I can’t stop laughing. Okay, last one, promise:

[McKay] chipped in: “Something else I’ve learnt about Secretary Rice is she loves the cool Atlantic breezes here in Nova Scotia, and she left the window open last night.” He had previously declared himself a “fan” of Dr Rice and said that the two share a “chemistry”.

As the collected reporters giggled, Dr Rice added: “The view, the air — I slept so well. This really is a lovely place.”

I love it. Sometime, sometimes, I even love reporters.