Clooney becomes UN peace envoy

Is there anything he can't do? Ocean's Eleven and Syriana star George Clooney has been appointed as a United Nations (UN) peace envoy.

The 46-year-old actor, who also appeared in O BrothER, Where Art Thou??, Solaris and, funnily enough, The Peacemaker, was officially given the title by UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon in New York.

UN spokesman Michele Montas said Clooney had been chosen for his to focus public attention on "crucial international political and social issues".

It follows over four years of campaigning by the former ER actor against the war in Darfur. He is a co-founder, along with Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Don Cheadle, of Not On Our Watch, a charity intended to focus global resources on humanitarian relief in Darfur. So far, it has raised $9.3 million (£4.6 million) for the region.

The news comes after Clooney's nomination for an Oscar for his role in the thriller Michael Clayton.

Other UN peace envoys include anthropologist Jane Goodall, classical musician Yo-Yo Ma and Falling Down star Michael Douglas.

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