Rice acknowledges
'thousands' of mistakes in Iraq ….. 

US Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice has acknowledged that the United States has made "thousands"
of tactical errors in Iraq. 

But she pleaded that the US and
British invasion of Iraq three years ago be judged on its strategic goal -
the ouster of dictator Saddam Hussein to pave the way for democracy - as
she defended Washington's policy in the region. 

From the ABC …..

Downer, Vaile willing to take witness stand in AWB inquiry 

Two Federal Government ministers
say they are happy to appear as witnesses before the Cole inquiry if they
are asked. 

Trade Minister Mark Vaile and
Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer have until Wednesday to reply to
questions sent out by lawyers. 

From the ABC …… 

Ruddock threatens ACT same-sex union laws 

The Federal Government is threatening to block the ACT's civil union laws for gay and lesbian couples.

The Territory Government's bill will be debated in the legislative assembly in May, with the first ceremonies expected to take place in June. 

From the ABC 7:30 report

Cole inquiry lacks powers: Opposition
Reporter: Michael Brissenden 

From the SMH ….. 

‘Downer's memory at a loss over
wheat deal talks’
By Cynthia Banham and Marian
Wilkinson
March 28, 2006 

The Foreign Affairs Minister,
Alexander Downer, said yesterday he could not recall details of a
conversation he had last September with the head of the United Nations
investigation into the oil-for-food scandal, when he allegedly said AWB had no
option but to pay kickbacks if the company wanted to do business in Iraq. 

From the Seattle Times

Seattle to Kyoto: You can't get there by car
By Warren Cornwall
Seattle Times staff reporter

If Seattle is going to do its part to slow global warming, people are going to have to get out of their cars.

That's the cornerstone — and also the biggest challenge — of a plan to be unveiled today for how the city can join countries from around the world in trying to meet the Kyoto Protocol, a 1997 international treaty to reduce climate-changing gases such as carbon dioxide.

The report, written at the request of Mayor Greg Nickels, says that if the city really wants to cut greenhouse gases, it needs to spend millions more on transit, build more compact neighborhoods, encourage energy efficiency and use more fuels from plants rather than petroleum.

‘Readers tell me that Americans don’t live here any more. They ask what responsible American citizenry would put up with the trashing of the Bill of Rights and the separation of powers, with wars based on deception, and with pathological liars in control of their government? One reader recently wrote that he believes that "no element of the U.S. government has been left untainted" by the lies and manipulations that have driven away accountability. So-called leaders, he wrote, "talk a great story of American pride and patriotism," but in their hands patriotism is merely a device for "cynical manipulation and fraud." 

AWB executives
'expected to spy on Iraqis' 

It is claimed AWB executives were
asked to gather intelligence for the Federal Government in the lead-up to the
war in Iraq.

The Cole inquiry is examining
allegations AWB was paying kickbacks to the regime of Saddam Hussein, in contravention
of United Nations sanctions.

From the ABC ….. 

Rice
salutes Australian troops 

US
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has thanked a small contingent of Australian
troops who have returned from Iraq, Afghanistan and Sumatra at a gathering in
Melbourne. 

From the ABC ….. 

No
need for ads on the ABC: Labor 

The
Federal Opposition's communications spokesman says the Government should rule
out the introduction of advertising on the ABC.

Poll
reflects Labor's 'bad week' ….. 

A Federal Labor frontbencher, Lindsay
Tanner, says the Australian public has sent a message to the Opposition, after
an opinion poll that suggests a loss of support.

The Newspoll published in The Australian newspaper shows Labor is 6 per cent
behind the Coalition on a two-party preferred basis and approval for the
Opposition Leader, Kim Beazley, has slipped to a new low.