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> Tue., Oct. 4, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Turkey to Begin Talks to Join the European Union
Bush Holds First News Conference since May
General Strike Hits France Today
FEMA Announces End of Application Process for New Orleans
Residents
Finding Justice in East Timor
Benzene Exposure Causing Severe Diseases in India
FSRN Headlines
DELAY INDICTMENT
Prosecutors in Texas upped the stakes when they re-indicted
Tom Delay Monday. From KPFT in Houston, Renee Feltz has the
details:
Underlying allegations against the US House Majority leader
remain the same, but the new indictment by new Travis County
grand jurors requires the prosecutor to prove DeLay conspired
to launder money. This is a first degree felony, punishable
by a maximum life term. The previous conspiracy charge was
a state jail felony punishable by a two-year term.
Jurors also consolidated DeLay's case with this associates
who face the same charges of laundering 190,000 in corporate
money through the Republican National Committee, which divided
the sum and donated it to seven state legislative candidates.
Monday's new indictment came as Delay's lawyers argued last
week's indictment was faulty because Texas conspiracy law
did not apply to the election statute in 2002. Lawmakers changed
the law in 2003.
The new indictment's timing also came Monday because today
is the third anniversary of $190,000 donation - which means
the statue of limitations for the conspiracy charge has now
run out.
DeLay's court date is still set to appear in court on October
21.
From KPFT in Houston, I'm Renee Feltz for fsrn...
HURRICANE STAN
Approximately ten thousand people have been evacuated from
areas of the Mexican Gulf Coast state of Veracruz as Hurricane
Stan approaches. Mexico's state-run oil company, PEMEX, has
shut down a number of drilling platforms in the gulf. Flooding
and mud slides caused by the storm has already claimed the
lives of dozens in Central America.
MASS GRAVE IN THE DRC
A United Nations team has started investigating three mass
graves in a region of the Democratic Republic of Congo that
was held by the Rwandan army following that country’s
1994 genocide. Joshua Kyalimpa reports from Kampala, Uganda.
PEACEKEEPING TROOPS LEAVING SIERRA LEONE
United Nations troops are now preparing to leave Sierra Leone
after a six-year peace keeping mission. After the end of a
decade long civil war, the mineral-rich West African country
is plagued by poverty and high unemployment rates and in desperate
need of basic infrastructure. The UN peace keepers are expected
to complete their pull out of Sierra Leone by the end of the
year.
ISREAL-PALESTINE BORDER ISSUES
In a move that might be considered redrawing of borders, Israeli
government stated that there will be no more disengagement
from the West Bank and the settlements there will be part
of Israeli future borders. Manar Jibreen reports from the
West Bank.
On Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister, Shaul Mofaz stated
that the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip corresponds
with Israel's international interests, adding that the southern
borders were previously agreed upon in accords with Egypt.
Mofaz said he opposes any unilateral withdrawal from the West
Bank settlements, as these settlements are considered to be
the future borders of Israel, and therefore vital to Israeli
national security. These statements by Israel's Defense Minister
will minimize any possibility of a viable Palestinian state
in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip outlined in the US backed
Road Map Peace Plan. The Bush administration had previously
agreed upon the annexation of settlements blocs in the West
Bank to Israel in any final agreement. For Free Speech Radio
News from the International Middle East Media Center IMEMC.Org
in Palestine I'm Manar Jibreen
KATRINA BODY SEARCH ENDS ***was cut for time***
Search operations for victims of Hurricane Katrina wrapped
up this week as the New Orleans mayor announced future plans
for the city. Matt Toups reports from New Orleans.
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin announced that about 3000 "non-essential"
city employees would be put on unpaid leave because the city
does not have the funds to continue payroll processing. The
mayor also announced that FEMA trailers will be moved onto
public city land for use as temporary housing. This, as search
operations for corpses left behind in the wake of Hurricane
Katrina ended this week. Just under one thousand bodies were
discovered in house-to-house searches in the Crecent City
- less than initial estimates. Although some private schools
have re-opened and the Port of New Orleans is expected to
receive ships in the coming days, many parts of the city still
lack electricity, gas, and water and the levees remain in
a fragile state. For FSRN, I'm Matt Toups in New Orleans.
[top]
Turkey to Begin Talks to Join the European Union
(3:14)
Turkey is to start membership talks with the European Union
– beginning a process the EU promised the country 40
years ago. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is welcoming
the talks, saying that Islam and European values can come
together and that the country’s inclusion could mean
an increase in stability for Europe. Several questions remain
surrounding Turkey’s inclusion in the EU, particularly
around its human rights record, and the issue of the country’s
Kurdish minority. We’re joined on the line by Vera Beaudin
Saeedpour, Director of the Kurdish Library Museum in Brooklyn.
[top]
Bush Holds First News Conference since May
(3:32)
In his first news conference since May, President Bush reassured
conservative critics that Harriet Miers is the right choice
to replace Sandra Day O’connor on the Supreme Court.
Bush took the opportunity to comment on issues relating to
Hurricane Katrina, the Patriot Act, and the continuing presence
of U.S. troops in Iraq. Selina Musuta reports from DC.
[top]
General Strike Hits France Today (3:43)
Up to a million French workers joined a one-day general
strike today, to protest salaries they say aren't keeping
up with inflation, and to defend public services and jobs.
Tony Cross reports from Paris.
[top]
FEMA Announces End of Application Process for New
Orleans Residents (2:32)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Friday
that that was the last day for New Orleans residents to apply
for emergency aid, despite the fact that the phone and internet
application process has been nearly impossible to access in
the month since Hurricane Katrina hit. Jenka Soderberg reports
from New Orleans.
[top]
Finding Justice in East Timor (4:16)
Six years ago, in an atmosphere of escalating violence,
the people of the Southeast Asian island nation of East Timor
voted for independence. Following the vote, thousands of Timorese
were killed and hundreds of thousands were forcibly displaced,
as most of the country’s infrastructure was destroyed.
Now, the survivors say the lack of justice threatens both
East Timor and Indonesia. Diane Farsetta reports.
[top]
Benzene Exposure Causing Severe Diseases in India
(3:10)
Benzene exposure is causing severe incurable diseases among
workers in India. Benzene is used in the diamond polishing
industries of Gujarat, where workers are left to fend for
themselves without health insurance in an industry void of
safety measures. Though the government has put a blanket ban
on using benzene, it continues to be used under cover. FSRN’s
Binu Alex reports from Ahmedabad.
[top]
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