May 12, 2005

Aid for Darfur to top $170-million Globe and Mail, Canada - The government will announce a military and humanitarian assistance package for the war-ravaged Darfur region of Sudan today worth more than $170-million a year, federal sources say. The announcement may not be enough to satisfy independent MP David Kilgour, who said he wants to see rapid deployment of Canadian troops to Darfur before committing himself to supporting the minority Liberal government on a confidence vote. Mr. Kilgour said the army needs to have "boots on the ground" in substantial numbers to help stanch the bloodshed. The long-term aid package, government sources say, involves sending only about 60 Canadian soldiers to the region. 1:14:53 PM

The poorly named Blog Right Wing Nut House does a very nice fisking of Pat Buchanan's recent  WorldNet Daily article.  Pat thinks that WW2 was not worth it, and Rick Moran says BUCHANAN JUMPS THE SHARK. 12:43:07 PM

Drunk driver jailed 15 years for killing twice CTV - A drunk who has killed twice in separate incidents behind the wheel was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in jail. Jeffrey Dressler, 35, of Holland Landing, Ont., pleaded guilty Wednesday to killing grandfather Ion Mihaila, 66, during a morning of reckless driving Nov. 27. He became the first person in Canada twice convicted of impaired driving causing death in different collisions. 10:04:15 AM

Trust fund may be set up to reimburse ad donations Globe and Mail, Canada - The Liberal Party of Canada is considering setting up a trust fund that would be used to reimburse sponsorship money that ended up in party coffers, senior officials said yesterday. The Liberals have long resisted opposition calls to immediately set money aside for the eventual reimbursement to taxpayers, but changed their tune after a series of damning testimonies at the Gomery inquiry. Public Works Minister Scott Brison said the Liberals will reimburse the funds after the release of the final Gomery report at the end of the year. 9:59:55 AM

Cubans to US: Don't Shelter Terror Suspect ABC News - Cuban exile Luis Posada Carriles wants asylum in the United States. Cubans who blame him for the 1976 bombing of a passenger plane are outraged. I am not outraged, mostly because the US has NOT given Luis Posada Carriles asylum.  I will go on the record as saying I do not think he should get asylum.  It would go against the great "you are with us, or with the terrorists.." speech. 9:44:40 AM

Chretien pal confirmed kickbacks, inquiry told London Free Press - Jacques Corriveau, a friend of Jean Chretien, admitted to running a kickback scheme that funnelled sponsorship cash from ad agencies to federal Liberal party coffers, the sponsorship inquiry was told yesterday. 9:40:53 AM

The New York Post reports that it will cost employers $628,880,000 in lost productivity on the first two days of Star Wars Episode III - Return of the Sith . How many of you are planning to skip at least part of your workday on the first two days? [ Slashdot ] 9:37:04 AM