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> Thur., Oct. 13, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
US and China Fail to Reach Textiles Agreement
El Alto Remembered as Bolivia Looks at Electoral Re-Districting
Relief Not Reaching Earthquake Victims in Indian-Administered
Kashmir
Anti-Affirmative Action Groups Sues LAUSD
California Heads for Special Election
A Look at Texas’ Death Penalty
FSRN Headlines
PROTESTS CONTINUE IN MANILA
Hundreds of students clashed with policemen today during a
march towards the presidential palace in the Philippines.
Police arrested 10 for illegal assembly. Girlie Linao reports
from Manila.
Approximately 300 student activists marched in Manila today,
demanding the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
over allegations of election fraud. They were also challenging
a new hard line policy against rallies without permits. The
policy has triggered violent dispersal of demonstrations in
the past three weeks. A clash erupted as the students approached
Mendiola bridge - several hundred meters from the Malacanang
presidential palace. Around 100 policemen blocked the demonstrators
and pushed them back with anti-riot shields. Officials claimed
the students threw rocks at the policemen, prompting them
to use water cannons. Arroyo's opponents vowed to hold more
street demonstrations in the coming days. For Free Speech
Radio News, I'm Girlie Linao in Manila.
BIRD FLU FEARS IN EU
The European Union has now banned poultry imports from Romania
and Turkey amidst fears of a bird flu pandemic. The ban was
triggered by the discovery of a deadly strain of the aviary
virus in Turkey responsible for dozens of human deaths in
Asia. Laboratory results from samples taken in Romania have
yet to be announced. EU officials have called for an emergency
meeting tomorrow in Brussels to discuss further measures.
FOOT-AND-MOUTH OUTBREAK
An outbreak to foot-and-mouth disease among cattle herds in
southern Brazil has led Uruguay and Chile to close their borders
to beef imports from the region. From Santiago Jorge Garretón
has more.
Chile's Agricultural and Livestock Service, the S.A.G. announced
the ban as soon as the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease
was detected in southern Brazilian cattle. The S.A.G. promptly
alerted all border crossing personnel to the measure. Chile
is a country free of foot-and-mouth disease due to strict
controls. S.A.G. efforts over the years have led to cattle
herds free of foot-and-mouth disease without the use of vaccines.
Other beef producers in South America must vaccinate their
herds to prevent the crippling disease. Meanwhile, Brazil's
neighbor Uruguay also closed its borders to beef from the
affected region. Despite the outbreak government officials
in both countries have dismissed rumors of increases in the
price of meat, citing that other Brazilian regions are free
of foot-and-mouth disease. Half of the meat consumed in Chile
comes from Brazil. Chilean officials have now turned a vigilant
eye to cattle from Paraguay that may be infected due to contact
with Brazilian cattle. For FSRN this is Jorge Garretón
in Santiago.
HIV/AIDS RATE DROPS IN ZIMBABWE
FSRN'S South African correspondent Na'eem Jeenah reports:
A newly published United Nations report has found that the
HIV/AIDS infection rate of Zimbabweans between the ages of
15 and 49 fell by nearly 5 percent in two years. The findings
were part of a study conducted by UN Aids, the US Center for
Disease Control and a number of universities. The reduction
in the infection rate has been attributed to widespread behavioral
changes and increased consciousness about AIDS. Casual sex
is on the decline as is the number of people with sexually
transmitted diseases. However, AIDS-related diseases continue
to kill over 3,000 people every week in the southern African
country. After Uganda, Zimbabwe is the second country in Sub-Saharan
Africa to see a drop in its HIV infection rates.
FEDERAL RECOGNITION DENIED
Two Indian tribes in Connecticut are vowing to appeal yesterday's
ruling by the US Interior Department denying them federal
recognition. Melinda Tuhus reports from New Haven.
The Interior Department reversed last year's ruling that
had granted federal recognition to the Schaghticokes and Eastern
Pequots. State politicians were united in their opposition
to federal recognition, fearing it would bring more Indian
casinos into the state. The two Indian casinos already in
Connecticut are among the biggest gambling operations in the
world.
(Sound :05) " The tribes don't want to do a lot of things,
but they don't want to lose their identity."
Schaghticoke tribal chairman Richard Velky says that the
costs of pursuing federal recognition often force tribes to
ally themselves with outside interests they might prefer not
to deal with, and those are most often gambling interests.
Velky says politicians need to separate the issues of federal
recognition and gaming.
(Sound 0:21) "Gaming was a right given to the tribes
by the government back in 1988. But the S started their petition
back in 1981. We actually started the land claim in the 1970s.
So our issues were in effect long before gaming came about,
and they're going to be in effect until we are successful
in our bid for federal recognition."
The Interior Department ruled the tribes did NOT qualify
for federal recognition because they could not prove they
had existed as a tribe through the centuries, forming an intact
cultural and social community. The tribes vehemently disagree,
and say they will appeal the decision in federal court. For
FSRN, I'm Melinda Tuhus in New Haven, CT.
[top]
US and China Fail to Reach Textiles Agreement (3:41)
The US and Chinese government announced today that they
have failed to reach an agreement on textiles. This comes
as a surprise to many, as China struck a similar deal on textiles
with the European Union in June. But, as Darby Hickey reports,
labor unions and industry leaders say the Bush administration
is not doing enough to deal with what they call China's manipulation
of its currency. In Washington, Darby Hickey reports.
[top]
El Alto Remembered as Bolivia Looks at Electoral
Re-Districting (3:59)
Between the 11th and the 15th of October, 2003 in Bolivia,
60 indigenous Aymaras people were killed and over 400 were
seriously injured while blocking the streets of El Alto city
from trucks that were exporting Bolivian gasoline. El Alto
is perched 4,100 meters above the Bolivian capitol of La Paz,
and is home to the largest Aymara population in the world.
Two years later, the battle in the Aymara city is remembered
and the people who died fighting are honored. Diletta Varlese
reports.
[top]
Relief Not Reaching Earthquake Victims in Indian-Administered
Kashmir (2:23)
In spite of claims by the local government in Indian administrated
Kashmir, many of the people affected by Saturday's devastating
earthquake in the region have yet to receive assistance in
the form of government aid. Though relief supplies are pouring
in, particularly as a result of local donations, the pace
of getting the relief material to people in need is has been
sluggish. From Indian-administered Kashmir, Shahnawaz Khan
reports.
[top]
Anti-Affirmative Action Groups Sues LAUSD
(2:17)
An anti-affirmative action group is suing the Los Angeles
Unified School District, charging that the its desegregation
efforts are in violation of Proposition 209, a 1996 measure
that banned racial preference in state-run institutions. From
KPFK in Los Angeles, FSRN’s Leilani Albano reports.
[top]
California Heads for Special Election (3:16)
For California voters, the November 8 special election is
fast approaching. Several important issues will be up for
grabs, with numerous propositions on the ballot. Many people
outside the state are keeping a close watch, as national trends
often follow California. Grace Turner reports.
[top]
A Look at Texas’ Death Penalty (3:26)
This week marks the World Day Against the death penalty,
when Amnesty International and other organizations call for
an end to capital punishment. Texas leads the nation in death
sentences and executions, and in some ways personifies the
fight over life and death. From Houston, Katie Heim has more.
[top]
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