| MPs put Gigaba on the spot
Home Affairs Deputy Minister Malusi Gigaba faced a grilling from MPs on Tuesday, who demanded that he account for the perennially chaotic state of his department. Gigaba's attempt to pass the buck to his director-general, Mavuso Msimang, was shot down by the portfolio committee chairperson, Patrick Chauke, who put his foot down firmly and demanded political accountability. This comes hardly a week after the Cabinet said it would haul ministers and their directors general before the executive to account for poor bookkeeping practices. .
Female voters analyze Democratic front-runners Clinton, Obama
Edwards has thrown his support behind Dodds threatened filibuster of the new FISA bill unless telecom retroactive immunity is stripped from the bill. This should be interesting. If Edwards goes to DC to lend his support will the other candidates follow his lead in holding the telecoms responsible for the illegal wiretapping. Finally a candidate who is willing to defend the American people from illegal warrantless wiretaps! Now let's see who else steps forward. John Edwards said: In Washington today, telecom lobbyists have launched a full-court press to win retroactive immunity for their illegal eavesdropping on American citizens. Granting retroactive immunity will let corporate law-breakers off the hook and hamstring efforts to learn the truth about Bush's illegal spying program.
Canada abandons UN racism conference
Canada has withdrawn its support for a U.N. anti-racism conference scheduled to take place in South Africa next year after deeming it to be anti-Israel, a government official said Wednesday. The so-called Durban II conference "has gone completely off the rails" and Canada wants no part of it, said Jason Kenney, Canada's secretary of state for multiculturalism and Canadian identity. "We'll attend any conference that is opposed to racism and intolerance, not those that actually promote racism and intolerance," he said. Kenney said that during the 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durban, Arab and Muslim countries criticized Israel, prompting Israel and the United States to walk out in protest. But he added that Canada remained to speak up for Israel.
Mass. lawmakers convene to press for Obama
About 40 elected officials from around the state met at Governor Deval Patrick's committee headquarters yesterday to support Senator Barack Obama's bid to win Massachusetts in next Tuesday's Democratic primaries. The state lawmakers, city councilors, and other elected officials were joined via conference call by Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Representatives Michael E. Capuano and William Delahunt. Patrick sought to dampen expectations about Obama's chances against his chief Democratic rival, Senator Hillary Clinton. "Nobody is kidding anybody," Patrick said. "This will be an uphill climb for this candidate. This is an insurgent campaign in many respects. . . . "Unless we make it personal, we will not get it over the goal line," he said.
Pauley Pavilion's renovation plan
That phase, according to sources, has been pushed back until fall 2008. It is also the latest change in plans, but not the first. In discussing the financial aspect of renovating Pauley Pavilion in August 2003, UCLA senior associate director of business operations Ken Weiner said "if we do it all, it may be $40 million." UCLA is now looking at a much more expansive, and expensive, renovation with a price tag close to $120 million. In May 2005, Guerrero said UCLA should begin "to develop a funding strategy" and begin a fundraising campaign "in the latter part of this year." And once the plan does go public and a timetable is established for the renovation, plans for the teams that play in Pauley Pavilion must be set. According to athletic department sources, most of the teams will likely play at the Wooden Center.
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