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> Tue., Nov. 29, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Bush New Stance on Immigration Enforcement
Virginia Governor Halts What Would Have Been 1000 Execution
Democratic Lawmakers Turn to Hugo Chavez to Save on Heating
Costs
Human Rights Abuses in Iraq
Confusion Surround Medicare Prescription Program
"What Kids are Really Learning in School Today"
- Commentary by Mumia Abu-Jamal
FSRN Headlines
POLITICAL COLLAPSE IN CANADA
Canada's 38th parliament will cease to exist today and Canadians
will head to the polls in January. Prime Minister Paul Martin's
minority government - in power for 17 months - was voted out
yesterday. Alison Benjamin reports from Vancouver.
The government of Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin collapsed
yesterday after a Parliamentary vote of no confidence. Conservative
party leader, Stephen Harper, introduced the motion, which
was seconded by New Democrat leader, Jack Layton. The motion
passed 177 to 133. Martin's Liberal party led Parliament since
June 2004. This is the first time a Canadian government has
fall on a motion of straight non-confidence. In the past,
minority governments have fallen because of lost budget votes
or censure motions interpreted as non-confidence votes. Yesterday's
vote has set the stage for an early election. Prime Minister
Paul Martin will ask the Governor General Michaelle Jean to
dissolve Parliament today. Elections are scheduled for January
23rd. For FSRN in Vancouver, Canada, I'm Alison Benjamin.
PRIMARIES POSTPONED IN GAZA
Primary elections have been postponed in some areas of Palestine.
Manar Jibreen reports from the West Bank.
Primary elections for the ruling Fatah party have been suspended
in the Gaza Strip amid allegations of voting irregularities
and eruptions of violence at polling stations on Monday. Fuad
Kokali, member of Fatah movement, said that no intention to
call off the elections:
"There is no intention to postpone the elections in the
West Bank. On the contrary president Abu Mazin, said he will
respect the results of the already held elections such as
in Bethlehem area. Elections in Gaza Strip were suspended
only for security problems which will be addressed soon."
Voters in last week's primaries in the West Bank favored young
contenders over veteran Fattah politicians. Imprisoned Fatah
member and legislator, Marwan Barghuthi won an overwhelming
majority in Ramallah area; achieving 96% of the total votes.
This marks the first time that Fatah has held primary elections.
The long-dominant party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
will face a political challenge from Hamas in January's legislative
elections For FSRN from IMEMC.Org in Palestine I'm Manar Jibrin.
HONDURAN ELECTION CONTROVERSY
An election official in Honduras has announced that opposition
candidate Manuel Zelaya is the country's new president-elect.
The announcement has sparked political tension in Honduras
as only a small fraction of the votes cast in Sunday's election
have been counted. The other leading presidential contender
has refused to concede, saying that it is too early to call
the election with so few votes tallied. Both candidates promise
to be tough on crime if elected.
SIBEL EDMONDS CASE REJECTED
The Supreme Court has rejected the wrongful termination case
of an FBI whistle blower who spoke out against security lapses
at the Bureau. Victoria Jones reports from Washington DC.
The Supreme Court on Monday denied to hear the case of Sibel
Edmonds, a language specialist who was fired from her position
at the FBI for discussing security breaches that she witnessed
after 9/11. Lower courts dismissed the wrongful termination
case under the "states secrets privilege", a rarely
used legal precedent which allows the executive branch to
assert that there are military matters which should not be
divulged in the interest of national security, before the
case was rejected by the Supreme Court. Now that her legal
options have come to an end, Ms. Edmonds has said that she
intends to continue her fight by asking Congress to investigate
security breaches inside the FBI. For Free Speech Radio News
in Washington, DC, I'm Victoria Jones.
BESLAN INQUIRY
A government probe into the terrorist attack at a school in
Beslan, Russia has concluded that security forces are partly
to blame. The head of the local parliamentary commission reviewing
the case, blamed security forces for allowing a group of heavily
armed persons to pass unnoticed through a major regional air
and rail hub like Beslan. Investigators also condemned security
forces for mishandling the effort to rescue the hostages held
at the school. Three-hundred and thirty one people died in
the September 2004 attack.
[top]
Bush New Stance on Immigration Enforcement
(3:53)
Back from his week-long vacation, President Bush is on a
2-state tour to promote a newly organized stance on immigration
reform. His focus is on immigration enforcement measures backed
in the House. Immigrant advocates hope he builds support for
more comprehensive measures in the Senate. Renee Feltz has
more.
[top]
Virginia Governor Halts What Would Have Been 1000
Execution (2:58)
Virginia governor Mark Warner has halted the execution of
death row inmate Robin Lovitt today. Lovitt would have been
the 1000th person executed since since 1977 - more than any
other state except Texas. DNA evidence which may have linked
Lovitt to the murder he’s been convicted of was illegally
destroyed, prompting the Viriginia governor to grant Lovitt
clemency. Warner has never granted clemency in the past, and
11 people have been executed under his tenure - 94 people
have been executed in the state since 1977. Many say that
Virginia’s death penalty is so flawed, no one can be
sure that those on death row are guilty, and Lovitt’s
case was no exception. From Richmond, FSRN’s Catherine
Komp reports.
[top]
Democratic Lawmakers Turn to Hugo Chavez to Save
on Heating Costs (2:20)
As winter approaches, advocacy groups are in their last
throws in trying to get Congress to fully fund the low-income
assistance heating program for the elderly and the poor. The
Department of Energy predicts that this winter’s heating
bills will rise by 50%. While it looks doubtful that Congress
will fully fund the program and oil companies with record
profits say they don’t want to set a precedent by lowering
costs, some Democratic lawmakers are turning to Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez for help. From Washington, Mitch Jeserich
reports.
[top]
Human Rights Abuses in Iraq (2:48)
Al-Jazeera has broadcast a video today, showing two Canadians,
one British, and one US national who were taken hostage Saturday
in West Baghdad. The four humanitarian workers, part of the
Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT), were in Iraq documenting
the conditions of detainees in the country- many of whose
rights have been violated by the coalition forces. One of
the CPT’s cases involves Zaidoun Fadel. Fadel would
have turned 20 years old last week, but last year, 3 US soldiers
detained him and his cousin, Marwan. Both young men were handcuffed,
and then thrown into the Tigris River. FSRN’s Salam
Talib spoke with Nazar Al Samaria, the uncle and lawyer for
the two victims.
[top]
Confusion Surround Medicare Prescription Program
(3:38)
Medicare recipients across the US have begun the process
of enrolling in the country's first "government-funded"
prescription drug program. But many of those eligible for
the service, most of whom are elderly, say they are, at best,
bewildered by the process. FSRN’s Jim Kent spoke to
senior citizens, pharmacists and a Medicare representative
in South Dakota, and found that there's more than enough confusion
about the government's new prescription drug program to go
around.
[top]
"What Kids are Really Learning in School Today"
- Commentary by Mumia Abu-Jamal (4:04)
Geovany Serrano is a tenth-grader at Belmont High, in LA,
who’s learning what American Democracy really means.
After he passed out flyers and tried to organize at his school
in support of the walk-out, school cops grabbed him, blasted
him with pepper spray, and arrested him...
[top]
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