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> Mon., Nov. 14, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Battle Brews between Democratic Congressional Leaders and
President Bush
Liberians Await Final Election Results
US Used White Phosphorous on Fallujah According to Italian
Documentary
South Africa Considers Anti-Mercenary Bill
Vadodara Acquittals in Gujarat, India
High School Students Punished for Anti-War Activities
FSRN Headlines
TENSE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
Diplomatic relations between Mexico and Venezuela are on the
rocks after an ongoing verbal exchange between their heads
of state. Vladimir Flores reports from Mexico.
The verbal dispute between Mexican president Vicente Fox
and Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez began earlier this month
at the Summit of the Americas meeting in Argentina over a
disagreement regarding the proposed Free Trade Area of the
Americas. Chávez said Fox is a "puppy dog of the
empire" for supporting the free trade agenda of the United
States. Last night, the Office of Mexico's Foreign Minister
gave the Chavez administration until tonight to submit an
official apology. Today at noon, Venezuela's ambassador in
Mexico announced his departure from the country. Mexico has
since moved to recall it's ambassador from Caracas. The two
nations will maintain business relations in the event of a
diplomatic rupture.
SAARC WRAP-UP
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation or SAARC
concluded its summit yesterday From New Delhi, Vinod K. Jose
reports.
About 1.5 billion people live in the SAARC member states,
about 45 per cent of them in absolute poverty. The leaders
of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and
the Maldives ended weekend summit talks in the capital of
Bangladesh with a promise to give renewed urgency to fighting
the poverty that afflict millions across the region. A free-Trade
agreement was put on hold over the differences on the methods
for compensating the poorest members. However the member nations
pledged to slash trade barriers from January 1 next year,
which many experts consider is the first step towards creating
a free trade area in South Asia. Expanding the seven nation
membership, SAARC included Afghanistan as its 8th member.
China and Japan will be granted observer status with the South
Asian regional grouping. The leaders also agreed to set up
a disaster preparedness centre in the Indian capital New Delhi
following two devastating natural disasters in the region—December's
killer Tsunami and last month's Kashmir earthquake. From New
Delhi in India, this is Vinod K. Jose for Free Speech Radio
News.
RULING ON GAS FLARING
A Federal High Court in Nigeria has ordered western oil companies
to stop gas flaring in the Niger Delta region. Nigeria flares
the highest quantity of gas in the world. Sam Olukoya reports
from Lagos.
The court ruled on Monday that gas flaring in the Niger Delta
should stop as it violates guaranteed constitutional rights
to life and dignity. The court also declared Nigeria's gas
flaring law as unconstitutional, and ordered the Nigerian
government to bring the law in line with present day practice
in the oil and gas industry. The case was brought by environmentalists
and members of some Niger Delta communities. They complained
that greenhouse gas emissions from the gas flares poison their
environment. Some of the largest multinational oil companies
in the world are involved in gas flaring in the Niger Delta.
These include the Anglo Dutch company, Shell Petroleum, the
American companies, ExxonMobil and ChevronTexaco, the French
company TotalFinaElf and the Italian company Agip. Peter Roderick,
co-Director of the UK based Climate Justice Programme, described
the judgment as a clear message that flaring is an outdated
practice that is not acceptable in Nigeria. For Free Speech
Radio News, this is Sam Olukoya in Lagos.
SHANTYTOWN MARCH
Residents of a South African shantytown faced of with police
today in Durban. Na'eem Jeenah reports from Johannesburg.
It was chaos on the streets of Clare Estate in Durban today
as scores of protesters were attacked, tear-gassed, arrested
and later released by police. The thousands of marchers were
shack-dwellers from the area who were protesting their evictions
and the lack of housing. By this afternoon, police had blocked
off all entrances and exits to the Foreman Road shack settlement
and there were reports that anyone trying to leave the settlement
was fired upon. Today's incidents follow last week's attempt
by the shack dwellers to apply for a permit to march against
the city council. Police refused permission in what the protesters
and freedom of expression groups say was an illegal move.
The march today was peaceful until police attacked the crowd
with shields, batons and rubber bullets and arrested a number
of people. Several protesters were injured. The demonstrators
marched under the slogan No Land, No House, No Vote in reference
to municipal elections to be held in South Africa early next
year. For Free Speech Radio News, this is Na'eem Jeenah in
Johannesburg.
BUS RIDERS STRIKE
An organization of public transportation users began a week
long strike today in Vancouver. Alison Benjamin reports.
The Bus Riders Union, a group of people who say they're dependent
on public transportation, begin their 5 day fare strike in
Vancouver, Canada today. They are demanding lower bus fares,
expanded service, and increased accessibility for bus riders.
Zailda Chan is a Bus Riders Union organizer. She says current
fares disproportionately affect low income, transit-dependent
communities. Fares have been raised three times in the last
five years. Bus tickets range in price from 1.90 to 3.80 (American).
Ken Hardy is a spokesperson for Translink, the public transportation
authority in Vancouver. Hardy says lower fares would be ideal,
but questions the motives of fare strikers, saying that denying
money to the service won't make it better. He says Translink
would need further government subsidies to lower fares. In
response to the claim that current fares place burdens on
low income populations, Hardy says that most people use public
transportation not out of necessity, but out of choice. This
week's fare strike is the second of the year in Vancouver.
5000 people participated in a similar fare strike organized
by the Bus Riders Union in January. For FSRN in Vancouver,
Canada, I'm Alison Benjamin.
[top]
Battle Brews between Democratic Congressional Leaders
and President Bush (3:58)
The 9/11 Public Discourse Project slammed the Bush administration,
the Congress and the press today for losing sight of protecting
sensitive areas in the country. The group, formerly the 9/11
Commission, also slammed the Bush administration for its policies
towards detainees held at Guantanamo Bay and around the world.
Meanwhile, a war of words is brewing between Democratic Congressional
leaders and the President over prewar intelligence on Iraq.
Mitch Jeserich brings us this Capitol Hill report.
[top]
Liberians Await Final Election Results (2:44)
Liberians are awaiting final run-off election results –
although reports indicate that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf will
take the seat with about 60% of the votes cast. Her opponent,
Liberian soccer star George Weah’s members, however,
are threatening to boycott their seats in the Parliament to
protest what they say was a fixed election. Weah supporters
also threw stones at police guarding the US Embassy and National
Elections Commission, or NEC on Friday, before they were met
with tear gas and forced to disperse. Protestors rallied in
front of the NEC over the weekend, claiming the second round
of election are laced with fraud. Ryme Katkhouda spoke with
Angelique Shofar, host of ‘Africa Meets Africa’
on WPFW, about the historical elections.
[top]
US Used White Phosphorous on Fallujah According to
Italian Documentary (2:34)
About 200 people rallied in front of the US Embassy in Rome
today, protesting against the reported use of white phosphorous
on civilians in Iraq. Italy’s state run all news television
station aired a documentary last week, that reveals that the
US army has used white phosphorus against civilians during
the attacks in Fallujah in November 2004. Dilletta Varlese
reports.
[top]
South Africa Considers Anti-Mercenary Bill
(3:14)
Former members of the South African army have been involved
as soldiers-for-hire in a number of coup attempts around the
world. These ex-commandos are also found now in increasing
numbers in Iraq, and the South African government has proposed
a new law to prohibit mercenary activity. Terna Gyuse reports.
[top]
Vadodara Acquittals in Gujarat, India (4:12)
In India, the special courts established to expedite the
cases surrounding the 2002 anti-Muslim riots are finding it
more and more difficult to nail the accused as a spree of
acquittals continue in Gujarat. Last week, more than a hundred
cases were halted for a lack of evidence. But, as FSRN’s
Binu Alex reports from Vadodara, many victims are being pressured
to withdraw their complaints while the prosecution often deliberately
weakens the case making it hard for the victims of violence
to find justice.
[top]
High School Students Punished for Anti-War Activities
(3:01)
A California statewide walkout was joined by thousands of
youth from high schools and colleges to protest the Iraq war.
The event, which took place on November 2 to commemorate President
George Bush’s re-election anniversary, was touted to
be the biggest of its kind in Los Angeles since the 1994 walkouts
against the state’s anti-immigration initiative, Proposition
187. Organizers say the event turned ugly after police and
school officials started to physically detain and expel protestors.
FSRN’s Leilani Albano reports from KPFK.
[top]
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