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> Fri., Feb. 20, 2004
FSRN
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Today's lead stories:
Haitians in Support of Aristide?
Recall Referendum in Venezuela?
Sharpton Challenges Democratic Candidates
Right to Self Govern Violated in Mexico
Australian Race Relations
FSRN Headlines
NM County Grants Same Gendered Marriage Licenses
20 marriage licenses have been issued to same sex couples
in Sandoval County, New Mexico, just north of Albuquerque,
according to a county clerk. After asking for an opinion from
the county’s attorney, County Court Clerk Victoria Dunlop
said there is no legal reason to withhold them. State law
in New Mexico defines marriage as a civil contract between
parties without making mention of gender. Clerks in Santa
Fe and Bernalillo counties cited a 1961 statute creating the
marriage license form, which specifically asks for information
from “male” and “female” applicants,
as reason to deny same gendered couples licenses to marry.
The Sandoval County Clerk said they would continue to issue
marriage licenses until the State Attorney says otherwise.
SF Sues CA Over Marriage
San Francisco city officials are suing the state of California
on the ground that state laws banning same-sex marriage are
unconstitutional. More from Kellia Ramares at KPFA in Berkeley.
EPA Officials Say Administration Ignoring Toxic Sites
Bush administration officials are ignoring dangerous toxic
sites in the United States, as the Superfund bank account
dwindles according to Environmental Protection Agency internal
documents. Mitch Jeserich reports from D.C.
Few Cast Ballots in Iran
Iranian citizens refuse to cast their ballots today in pivotal
elections. Mahdis Keshavaraz has the story.
Russia's Next Generation Missile System
Russian officials said they are prepared to move ahead with
their next generation of intercontinental missiles. Meganne
Briton reports from D.C.
Supreme Court to Hear Padilla and Hamdi Cases
The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear from US
citizens who say the government cannot to strip them of their
rights. Lawyers for Jose Padilla and Yaser Esam Hamdi say
the men are being held indefinitely without charge or access
to proper legal council in violation of the constitution.
The Bush administration says they are “enemy combatants”
a term with no legal precedent in either U.S. courts or international
law. The US Supreme Court will weigh the rights of these individuals
with the power of the executive branch in April.
[top]
Haitians in Support of Aristide?
The associated press is reporting that diplomats from the
US and other countries have presented a plan for political
reform and a return to the rule of law to Haitian President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide. This follows a spate of anti-government
attacks in Haiti that have left some 50 people dead. But many
poor Haitians in the capital of Port-au-Prince say they still
support President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, despite the worsening
political conflict and unabated poverty. Reed Lindsay reports
from Port-au-Prince.
[top]
Recall Referendum in Venezuela?
The Recall Referendum that Venezuela’s opposition
is trying to organize against President Hugo Chavez is running
into problems. The elections commission that is verifying
the signatures of the recall petition is calling into question
a large proportion of the signatures and both sides in the
country’s political conflict are saying that fraud is
involved. Meanwhile, yesterday, the opposition announced that
it will hold primaries to choose a presidential candidate,
should Chavez lose an eventual recall referendum. Greg Wilpert
has the story from Caracas, Venezuela.
[top]
Sharpton Challenges Democratic Candidates
In response to the failure of the Grand Jury to return with
an indictment of New York City policeman Richard Neri who
was charged with wrongfully killing Brooklyn teenager Timothy
Stansbury Jr., democratic presidential candidate Rev. Al Sharpton
yesterday challenged his fellow Democratic Primary candidates
to address the issue in their New York campaigns leading up
to Super Tuesday, March 2nd. In Brooklyn NY, Ian Forrest has
the story.
[top]
Right to Self Govern Violated in Mexico
This week marks eight years since the signing of the San
Andres Accords between the Zapatista Army and the Mexican
Federal government. Although the San Andres Accords permit
autonomous and traditional forms of government in Mexico's
indigenous communities, recent and ongoing violations of the
right to self-government prompted a meeting of hundreds of
members of indigenous groups to discuss the current situation
of political and cultural autonomy in Mexico. Shannon Young
and Vladimir Flores file this report.
[top]
Australian Race Relations
This week, Australia was rocked by riots that took place
in Sydney's notorious Redfern district, after the death of
a 17-year-old aboriginal teen Thomas Hickey, in a bike accident.
Several eye-witnesses reported that Hickey was being chased
by police, moments before his death, leading many to blame
them for the death. The incident is being viewed against a
backdrop of race relations in Australia - a country where
many indigenous people remain severely disadvantaged, with
no formal treaty processes in place. Erica Vowles has this
report.
[top]
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