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> Tue., Oct. 25, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Dick Cheney Potentially Involved In Valerie Plame Outing
Iraqis Ratified Draft Constitution
A Look at Young People and HIV/AIDS in East Asia and the Pacific
US and The Philippines Commence Military Exercises
Massive Protests against Education Reforms in Italy
Restoring Utilities in New Orleans Highlights Race and Class
Divides
Rosa Parks Dies at Age 92
FSRN Headlines
UNSC ON HARIRI REPORT
The United Nations Security Council met today to discuss the
now-famous report on the assassination of former Lebanese
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Syria's ambassador to the UN
compared the accusations of a Syrian hand in the assassination
to charges of involvement by the U.S. authorities in the September
11th terrorist attacks. The United States and France are expected
to author a joint resolution calling on Syria to cooperate
with further investigations. The interim report - released
last week - implicates a number of high-ranking Lebanese and
Syrian officials in Hariri's assassination. A final version
of the report is due out on December 15th.
VIOLENCE IN GAZA
Violence erupted overnight in the Gaza Strip in the wake of
yesterday's assassination of an Islamic Jihad commander in
the West Bank. Manar Jibrin has more.
At least five people were injured today when the Israeli
Air Force fired artillery at two separate locations in the
Gaza Strip. An Israeli military spokesman said the attacks
had targeted launching sites used by Palestinian fighters.
The first attack was against a Beit Hanoun office building
used by the Fattah ruling party. The second air strike targeted
a charitable organization with links to Islamic Jihad. The
attacks came after the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement
fired dozens of home-made shells into southern Israel on Monday
night. The movement said the shelling was in retaliation for
the Israeli army's assassination of two of its operatives
in the West Bank city of Tulkarem on Monday. This is the second
time Israel has launched an attack within Gaza since its withdrawal
in September. For FSRN from IMEMC.Org in Palestine I am Manar
Jibrin
ARRESTS IN KASHMIR
A separatist Kashmiri leader was arrested along with 12 others
in Indian administered Kashmir as they traveled towards the
Line of Control to join earthquake relief efforts. Shahnawaz
Khan has more from Srinagar.
As India and Pakistan discuss the logistics of opening the
Kashmiri line of control in the aftermath of the October 8
quake, many Kashmiris think the two countries are putting
politics before the relief work. The line of control is a
ceasefire boundary that has divided the disputed Kashmir region
since 1947. Police in Indian administered Kashmir today arrested
at least twelve activists of the separatist group, the National
Front, along with its chairman Nayeem Khan as they headed
to the line of control. Khan had earlier announced his intent
to cross the line of control along with volunteers to help
with relief efforts in quake devastated Muzaffarabad in Pakistan
administered Kashmir. Divided by the ceasefire line Kashmirs
have been unable to meet and help each other in the wake of
the devastating October 8th earthquake. India and Pakistani
officials are scheduled to meet on Saturday to discuss the
opening of the line of control. For Free Speech Radio News
I'm Shahnawaz Khan from Srinagar, Kashmir.
AFGHAN JOURNALIST JAILED
A journalist in Afghanistan has received a 2 year prison sentence
for publishing two articles deemed "blasphemous"
by an Afghan court. The ruling has sent ripples of alarm through
the Afghan media community and has been condemned by journalist
rights groups in the United States. Rebecca Myles reports
from New York.
As the editor of a monthly magazine called Women's Rights,
Ali Mohaqiq Nasbab published two articles that touched a nerve
in Afghanistan. One questioned harsh punishment for women
under Sharia law and the other argued that giving up Islam
is not a crime. Afghan clerics said the two articles were
"blasphemous" and Nasab was arrested on October
1st. Abby Wright, with the New York-based Committee to Protect
Journalists, is disturbed by the ruling.
(Wright CLIP)"We think this is a step in the wrong direction
for Afghanistan which really in many ways has made a lot of
progress since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. There does
seem to be an ongoing conflict between more conservative elements
of the government and more liberal or open factions, and this
is what this case shows. We are deeply concerned that a blasphemy
law is being applied to a journalist. We believe that journalists
should never be jailed for their work as journalists."
A media law signed in 2004 by Afghan President Hamid Karzai
bans content deemed insulting to Islam, although the penalties
for breaking this law were left vague. For FSRN, I am Rebecca
Myles….
WILMA'S WAKE
Evacuation efforts have begun in Cancun for tens of thousands
of tourists left trapped by Hurricane Wilma. Vladimir Flores
has the story.
Thirty six hours of intense wind and rain almost completely
destroyed the tourist infrastructure of the so-called Mayan
Riviera. It is estimated that in Cozumel, 100% of hotels,
hospitals, and highways were affected by the hurricane. Electricity
is still unavailable in much of the region. Around 30,000
tourists are awaiting evacuation from Cancun after spending
the past few days in temporary shelters. Three hundred seventy
people are in police custody after President Vicente Fox sent
the Federal Preventative Police and the Armed Forces to the
area to prevent looting. A seven o'clock curfew is in effect
for Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Cancún. The hotel
industry says $500 million will be needed for reconstruction.
Vladimir Flores, Free Speech Radio News, Oaxaca.
[top]
Dick Cheney Potentially Involved In Valerie Plame
Outing (3:54)
The White House side stepped questions today concerning
Vice President Dick Cheney’s potential involvement in
the leak of an undercover CIA operative. This comes as the
New York Times reports that the special prosecutor investigating
the case has found that it was Cheney who told his chief of
staff Scooter Libby Valerie Plame identity. The development
has some calling on Congress to launch its own investigation
to see whether Cheney knew about Plame’s illegal outing.
Mitch Jeserich reports from Washington.
[top]
Iraqis Ratified Draft Constitution (2:36)
Iraq's election commission announced today that voters ratified
the draft constitution in a referendum vote October 15. FSRN’s
David Enders spoke with Abu Thalat, an Iraqi journalist in
Baghdad about the vote’s significance.
[top]
A Look at Young People and HIV/AIDS in East Asia
and the Pacific (3:13)
In East Asia and the Pacific, an increasing number of children
and young people are living with HIV/AIDS. Last year, over
120,000 children were directly affected by the disease in
this region. From Bangkok, FSRN correspondent Doualy Xaykaothao
has more.
[top]
US and The Philippines Commence Military Exercises
(3:35)
More than 4,000 US troops have been in the northern Philippines
since last week for joint ground, air and naval exercises
with Filipino soldiers. The 2-week training is being held
as opponents of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo launch a
people’s court to put her to trial for election fraud
allegations. While Arroyo has lost key supporters in the 4
month political crisis, the United States has remained a vital
backer for her administration. But, as Girlie Minao reports
from Manila, critics are warning the political support comes
with a price.
[top]
Massive Protests against Education Reforms in Italy
(2:44)
Thousands of Italian university students, teachers and researchers
demonstrated this morning against a plan to reform the country’s
education system, which is currently being discussed in Parliament,
and slated to become law. FSRN’s Diletta Varlese reports.
[top]
Restoring Utilities in New Orleans Highlights Race
and Class Divides (2:54)
While many in New Orleans continue to live with and official
curfew, and without power or gas, local officials and utility
companies are coming under increasing criticism. And, as FSRN’s
Christian Roseland reports, the utility restoration is once
again exposing the city’s race and class divides.
[top]
Rosa Parks Dies at Age 92
Civil rights activist Rosa Parks died late last night at
her home in Detroit. Parks is best known for refusing to give
up her seat to a white passenger in 1955. Park’s act
of resistance towards institutionalized segregation in Montgomery,
Alabama as well as the rest of the South and the nation landed
her in jail, and fueled the Montgomery bus boycott and a national
movement against racism. Long considered one of the mothers
of the civil rights movement, she died from natural causes
surrounded by loved ones at her home in Detroit. Again, Rosa
Parks died last night. She was 92.
[top]
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