It’s the News with Kandy Korrespondent!

Democratic presidential nominee-apparent, Obama and soon to be ex-presidential candidate Clinton shared a private tête-à-tête on Friday marking the first step towards re-uniting the much divided Democratic Party. Neither the meetings’ location nor content have been disclosed.

Meanwhile, Clinton supporters are mounting an intense effort to pressure Obama into offering Clinton the post of vice president. On Tuesday, Senator Clinton told supporters that she would be “open” to being Obama’s running mate if it would help the Democratic Party win the White House.

In Other News:

On Friday, a bill aimed at limiting climate-warming carbon emissions died in the Senate after a procedural vote. The bill would have cut total US emissions by 66% by 2050. Opponents said it would result in lost jobs and even higher fuel prices.

Despite the highest jump in the unemployment rate in 3 ½ years, 5.5% during May alone, the White House maintains that the country is not in a recession.

Internationally:

On Friday, Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was detained for the second time by police. Tsvangirai is set to compete in a run-off against incumbent dictator Robert Mugabe on June 27th. On Thursday, police held five US diplomats, among them the US ambassador, and two British diplomats after they visited victims of political violence. The opposition says that 65 people have been killed since the first round of voting in March.

A senior western diplomat told the UK’s Telegraph on Friday that Mugabe’s power has been reduced to that of a figurehead with several generals in actual command of the country.The diplomat says that it was these senior generals who kept Mugabe in power at the end of March.

On Thursday, Mugabe banned all of the international aid organizations working in Zimbabwe—including the UN organization CARE International—saying that they were aiding Tsvangirai’s campaign bid.

CARE warned on Friday that the regime’s ban puts millions of Zimbabweans at risk. CARE’s Africa communications manager Kenneth Walker stated,

“You have a situation, a very dire economy in Zimbabwe… inflation is more than 100,000 percent and just finding the next meal is an extremely major exercise for a great many people… So several million people without access to food aid, health services, education, clean water and sanitation facilities are at risk.”

Eighty percent of Zimbabweans are unemployed. Home-based care for those affected with HIV-AIDS was among the services provided by CARE.

And Now For Something Completely Different:

Beijing Olympic organizers have released the officially sanctioned cheer for the August games. The four-step cheer is designed to promote cheering in a “smooth and civilized manner”. Organizers will use television programs, squads of volunteers at Olympic venues, and the Education Ministry to assure proper cheer etiquette.

It goes like this:

“Olympics… Jiayou” (translated as “add oil”—a traditional Chinese sporting cheer)

as you say this, clap twice and then give a double thumbs up.

Then, “China… Jiayou”

If you are a foreigner you may replace Olympics and Jiayou with the names of individuals and other countries.

That’s the news!

[Photo courtesy of the New York Times.]

I am sad to announce that legendary fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent passed away in Paris on Sunday at the age of 71. He is best known for redesigning “men’s clothes” for women through creations such as his infamous tux of 1966 and trademark elegant pantsuit. As one commentator put it, “Chanel gave women freedom” in the first half of the 20th century, and Saint Laurent “gave them power”.

In Other News,

Hilary Clinton emerged triumphant from Sunday’s primary in Puerto Rico yet it is doubtful that this will be enough to stop her downhill spiral. On Tuesday, the remaining 31 delegates will be decided as voters in Montana and South Dakota go to the polls for the Democratic Party’s final two primaries. Obama is approximately 50 delegates away from the 2,118 needed to secure the party’s nomination.

A massive fire raged through Universal Studios in Los Angeles for nearly 10 hours on Sunday. The fire damaged a sound stage, movie sets, and attractions including a famous alley from “The Sting” and a set from “Back to the Future”. The cause of the fire is still unknown.

International Wrap-up:

Election day violence in Macedonia left one dead and nine wounded.

Twenty Russian gay rights activists held a protest in Moscow today in spite of city officials continued refusal to allow parades or demonstrations. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov has in the past called homosexuality “santanic”. Russia decriminalized homosexuality in 1993.

South Africa has said it will set up seven camps throughout the country to receive the 70,000 migrant workers displaced by the past weeks’ violent rampages. Aid agencies protest that the South African government lacks the expertise necessary for such an endeavor. According to officials, 56 people have been killed and over 650 injured.

Meanwhile in Zimbabwe, tensions are mounting leading up to the June 27th presidential run-off between incumbent dictator Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai. On Saturday, the BBC reported that Major General Martin Chedondo told troops that they must leave the army unless they plan to vote for Mugabe. Such admonishment echoes the stance of Zimbabwe’s Generals who have vowed never to support a Tsvangirai government.

And Now For Something Complete Different…

I’m sure by now you’ve heard all about Japan’s coffin-like businessman hotel rooms, sandwiched subways, and traffic nightmares… but what about phantom closet dwellers? According to Reuters, on Friday a 57-year old man in Japan found a 58-year old woman living in his closet. Seriously. Apparently the man had become suspicious when food kept disappearing from his kitchen and decided to set up a hidden camera. He sent the images to the local police who found the woman hiding in a closet along with a mattress and several plastic drinking bottles.

This past Wednesday, April 16th, Senators Clinton and Obama faced off for the twenty-sixth time.

Now I must admit– I have long since stopped caring about the debates and I am dangerously close to apathy with regards to the DNC.

Moreover, I am of the opinion that after the first few debates they become pointless and simply a chance for candidates to get free TV time.

A debate could be held where moderators ask questions and the studio uses old footage of the candidates answering because seriously guys—THERE IS NOTHING NEW TO ADD!

Take this last debate for instance:

The first portion concerned a controversial comment Obama made two weeks ago while in San Francisco. He stated that small towns in Pennsylvania and elsewhere have been seeing jobs disappear over the past 25 years.

“It’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations,”

He later apologized for the poor wording of his statement, saying that the underlying truth of his statement remained unchanged—people are rightfully frustrated because they have seen their way of life drastically and unapologetically changed over the past few years.

Clinton and McCain both took the opportunity to label Obama as an elitist out of touch with the electorate.

The debate, then, was simply a chance for Hilary to continue her attack and Barack to continue his defense.

Moderator George Stephanopolous then turned on the heat asking each candidate if the he/she thought the other could beat Senator McCain.

Are you kidding me? What kind of question is that and why should I as a voter give a damn if Obama thinks Clinton could win or vice versa?

Discussion then turned to good ol’ Reverent Jeremiah Wright. I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit sick of that whole controversy—yes the man made really horribly insensitive comments- concerning HIV and concerning 9/11. But he’s not the guy on the ballot.

Regardless, however, this issue is being beaten to death. The next question Stephanopoulos asked says it all: “Do you think Reverend Wright loves America as much as you do?” – Dear George—as a voter I really don’t care whether Obama or Reverend Wright love America more—love as an emotion has little to do with the nuts and bolts of leadership and governance.

But even when the debate finally got away from the mud-slinging the rest was equally predictable:

Both candidates opposed McCain’s stance on the economy.

Both reiterated their opposition to Iran as a nuclear power.

Both also stated that they were committed to pulling the troops out or Iraq.

So I rest my case—by the 26th time around, a debate is a total waste of time. So why do they happen?

In the end I think it’s simply part of the “great game” of politics. The song that never ends…