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> Wed., June. 25, 2003
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Congress Forgets Child Tax Credit for Poor
Press Freedoms Curbed in Iraq
Same Sex Marriages Allowed in Ontario
Seeds of Resistance: Against Biotech Crops
Rape: A Weapon in Kashmir
Congress Forgets Child Tax Credit for Poor
In Congress debate continues on a prescription drug benefit
for Medicare recipients. Everyone agrees prescription drugs
should be covered under Medicare, at least in part, but Democrats
accuse the GOP of using the prescription drug issue to partly
privatize the Medicare system. Meanwhile as the July 4th recess
looms, Congress may or may not finish a bill to extend the
child tax credit to millions of low income families left out
of the budget signed last month. Josh Chaffin reports from
the Capitol.
[top]
Press Freedoms Curbed in Iraq
Britain’s defense minister today said the British
government is considering sending more troops to Iraq on the
heels of yesterday’s attack on British soldiers in the
southern Iraqi town of Majar al-Kabir. Six soldiers died as
they opened fire onto a protesting crowd. Reports say demonstrators
had been protesting against aggressive and heavy-handed British
tactics during a sweep of the area for weapons. One report
said British soldiers first fired rubber bullets - and then
live ammunition - into the crowd. Prior to yesterday’s
attack, no British soldiers had been killed since May 1. Meanwhile,
the US has curbed press freedom in Iraq threatening to punish
any publications that incites violence against US & UK
troops. Fariba Nawa reports from Baghdad.
[top]
Same Sex Marriages Allowed in Ontario
Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean told NBC's
"Meet the Press" this past Sunday that if elected,
he would "insist that every state find a way to recognize
the same legal rights for gay couples as they do for everybody
else.” This as the Massachusetts Supreme Court is set
to rule on the issue of legalizing gay marriage in a few weeks
and a similar case has been filed in New Jersey. The issue
has also gained momentum with a bill introduced in Congress
by Sen. Hillary Clinton, that gives gay couples the same rights
as heterosexual couples. This as Toronto is gearing up for
its annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride celebrations
this weekend, with an added cause for celebration: Same-sex
couples now have the right to marry in Ontario. Kristin Schwartz
reports from Toronto.
[top]
Seeds of Resistance: Against Biotech Crops
As the U.S. tries to force Europe to accept biotech crops
at the Sacramento WTO ministerial, the future for both uncontaminated
seed and for the small farmer may seem quite bleak. Companies
such as Monsanto enjoy profits from genetically-engineered
products such as Roundup Ready Canola oil which now dominate
supermarkets. As Ingrid Evjen-Elias reports from Berkeley,
seeds of resistance to genetic engineering and monoculture
are sprouting not only at this week’s protests, but
at over 3,100 farmer’s markets around the country. Crop
diversification and seed saving, she reports, is a boon to
not only struggling farmers domestically, but could be key
for farmers around the globe.
[top]
Rape: A Weapon in Kashmir
Continuing his meetings with US President George Bush, Pakistan’s
leader, General Pervez Musharraf, today said he had asked
Bush to involve himself in a roadmap style peace plan between
India and Pakistan over Kashmir. This as tomorrow the Indian
President, is set to arrive in the capital of Indian administered
Kashmir amid heightened security. Last week, police fired
into a mob in Indian administered Kashmir, as they protested
the alleged molestation of five girls by Indian security forces.
The demonstrators say the security forces in Kashmir held
the women hostage and molested them. the security forces deny
the allegation. Human rights groups say rapes and molestations
are common in the region ridden by conflict for the last 13
years. Twelve years ago security forces entered a village
to search for militants and raped dozens of women. From Kunanpushpora,
Kashmir, Shahnawaz Khan reports that the village is still
suffering.
[top]
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