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> Wed., Aug. 3, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Soldiers on Trial for Death of Iraqi General
Activists Demonstrate Against New Energy Bill
Debate in Germany Over GMOs Continues
EU Banana Tariff Ruling Ignores Worker and Environmental Rights
Record Settlement from Enron Linked Investment Bank
Schwarzenegger's Very Expensive Special Election
FSRN Headlines
Army officers in the Western African country of Mauritania,
claim to have overthrown the government of president Maaouiya
Ould Sid Ahmed Taya and announced the creation of a ruling
military council. Joshua Kyalimpa reports.
International groups put the total number if Iraq deaths
since the invasion in 2003 to at least 25,000. Today has been
one of the deadliest days for the United States in Iraq. Salam
Talib has more.
The first bombing suspect has been charged in Britain. Police
detained and charged him under the new Anti-terrorism law.
Helen Kelly reports from London.
Settler activists in Gaza press forward with their anti-evacuation
march as Jihad says they will stop all rocket attacks until
the evacuation is complete. Manar Jibreen has more.
[top]
Soldiers on Trial for Death of Iraqi General
(2:53)
The Washington Post is reporting that a former Iraqi General
was beaten to death by US interrogators in 2003. The report
also indicates that there are serious concerns the CIA and
Special Forces were involved in the lead up to the Iraqi General's
death. The Pentagon responded that the actions fell outside
of the military field manual, and that the participating soldiers
were being tried. However, as Mitch Jeserich reports, President
Bush says he'll veto a bill in Congress that would require
all detainees to be treated according to that same field manual
cited by the Pentagon.
[top]
Activists Demonstrate Against New Energy Bill
(2:21)
A group of activists protested the new energy bill today,
adopted by the House. Their major grievances include unnecessary
tax breaks to oil companies with record profits, and deep
water drilling that is detrimental to wildlife. In Washington,
Anastasia Gnezditskaia has more.
[top]
Debate in Germany Over GMOs Continues (1:33)
Despite the lifting of a 6-year moratorium across the EU
on the cultivation of genetically modified crops last year,
the debate over the safety of these crops continues across
Europe. In June of this year, EU environment ministers agreed
to uphold 8 national bans on specific strains of genetically
modified corn and rapeseed due to concerns over the safety
of these products. But biotech giants like Monsanto are dangling
an attractive carrot in front of farmers with their strain
of corn that is resistant to the European corn borer, a crop-damaging
insect. But EU member states are worried about the effects
of this GM corn on so-called 'non-target' organisms such as
European butterflies and moths, and other insects. Cinnamon
Nippard has more.
[top]
EU Banana Tariff Ruling Ignores Worker and Environmental
Rights (1:47)
The World Trade Organization this week ruled against a new
tariff imposed by the European Union on banana imports. The
ruling was applauded by the nine Latin American banana producing
countries that filed a request with the WTO for arbitration
earlier this year. But workers' rights advocates say the quarrel
over tariffs ignores the bigger issue of how eliminating quotas
on banana imports to the EU could affect both workers and
the environment. FSRN's Jill Replogle reports from Guatemala.
[top]
Record Settlement from Enron Linked Investment Bank
(2:21)
Investors swindled out of billions of dollars during the
collapse of Enron Corporation have received their biggest
settlement yet after an Enron linked investment bank agreed
to pay $2.4 billion. But that may not be the final award.
Max Pringle reports.
[top]
Schwarzenegger's Very Expensive Special Election
(4:11)
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has called a special
election that could turn into a ballot fight costing as much
as half a billion dollars, with donations pouring in at a
record rate. Schwarzenegger's ballot agenda is itself running
into trouble, with setbacks such as court ruling that knocked
one of his initiatives off the ballot, and the failure of
another to make the ballot in the first place. Polls show
most California voters opposed to a special election when
they see the price-tag. A state lawmaker, meanwhile, is introducing
legislation to cancel the vote. In Sacramento, Christopher
Martinez reports.
[top]
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