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> Wed., Jan. 4, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Abramoff Pleads Guilty—Again
Lawlessness Consumes Gaza as Elections Advance
Hamas participation sparks controversy
Uganda, DRC, Ready Military Offensive Against Rebels
Goa Evicts Sex Workers to Privatize Port
Pataki Delivers New York’s State of the State
FSRN Headlines
BLOODY DAY IN IRAQ
Iraq witnessed some of the worst violence in recent weeks
today. A suicide bomber killed 36 people and wounded 40 others
when he detonated his explosive vest during a Shi'ite funeral
in Miqdadiya. Three separate car bombings took the lives of
at least 15 people, leaving some 40 others wounded. North
of Baghdad, insurgents attacked a convoy of fuel tankers with
rocket-propelled grenades. Reuters is reporting that 20 of
the 60 fuel tankers were destroyed in the attack.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE GAS DEAL
Western Europe heaved a sigh of relief today and oil prices
dropped, thanks to Ukraine's agreement to pay more for Russian
natural gas. The dispute led to Russia's Gazprom energy company
cutting off Ukraine's gas supply on Monday and an apparent
reduction of the flow to other European countries. Tony Cross
reports from Paris.
Under a five-year agreement, Ukraine will buy gas at 95 dollars
per one-thousand cubic meters. That's nearly double last year's
tariff of 50 dollars ... but not the over 400 per-cent rise
Gazprom demanded, claiming that it was the "market price"
that other countries pay. A joint venture between the 2 countries'
power companies will pay the Russians 230 dollars for their
gas and then lower the price by adding much cheaper gas from
central Asia. Ukraine will get 47 per-cent more for the transit
of Russian gas to western Europe. European Union energy officials
broke off an emergency meeting to welcome the news. The EU
imports 40 per-cent of its natural gas, half of that from
Russia. Several countries reported a drop in pressure yesterday.
Russia accused the Ukrainians of siphoning off gas, a charge
which Kiev denied while threatening to do so if its supply
was not restored. The Ukrainians accuse Moscow of starting
the row for political reasons. Since the so-called "Orange
revolution" last year, president Viktor Yushchenko's
government has moved away from Russian influence and closer
to the US-dominated military alliance, NATO, and the European
Union. For FSRN, I'm Tony Cross in Paris.
CHAVEZ AND MORALES CUT ENERGY DEAL
Bolivia's president-elect is on a multi-country tour, visiting
heads-of-state before his inauguration later this month. Greg
Wilpert reports from Caracas.
Bolivia's President-elect Evo Morales made a brief visit
to Venezuela yesterday, where he received a very warm welcome
from Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez. As a possible sign
of how closely the two countries will be collaborating, Chavez
promised Morales a wide variety of programs to support the
newly-elected government in Bolivia. Among them, a deal that
would meet all of Bolivia's diesel fuel needs in return for
in-kind payments of Bolivian agricultural products. Chavez
also offered to provide extensive advice on the implementation
of a literacy campaign, land reform program, the nationalization
of Bolivia's natural gas reserves, and the convocation of
a constitutional assembly, as all are programs that the Chavez
government has already implemented in Venezuela. The two countries
pledged to advance Latin American integration with the creation
of a continent-wide oil company known as "Petroamerica".
Bolivia and Venezuela have the largest natural gas reserves
in South America. Greg Wilpert reporting for Free Speech Radio
News from Caracas, Venezuela.
CLASHES IN SOUTH AFRICAN TOWNSHIP
Violent clashes erupted between immigrants and locals in a
South African township this morning. Na'eem Jeenah reports.
Five people were killed and 11 injured in clashes in the
informal settlement Olievenhoutsbosch outside South Africa's
capital, Pretoria, this morning. The conflict was between
South African residents and foreigners; Zimbabweans and Mozambiquans.
The dead and injured had been beaten with sticks, whips and
homemade weapons. No one has yet been arrested but the injured
are being questioned and police have increased patrols in
the area. The city's mayor also met members of the community
this afternoon to defuse the conflict. Some residents said
tension between South Africans and mostly illegal immigrants
were sparked by the fatal stabbing of a South African youth
before Christmas. Rumour had it that the man had been killed
by a foreigner and calls for revenge circulated. South African
gangs searched houses for foreigners but the tension died
down after a meeting. With foreigners returning after the
holiday, tensions flared again. Criminals jumped on the bandwagon,
raiding homes and stealing valuables. South Africans have
a notorious reputation for xenophobia - especially against
other Africans - and this is not the first time that foreigners
have been killed. For Free Speech Radio News, this is Na'eem
Jeenah in Johannesburg.
NO DAY IN COURT FOR DETAINEES?
The Bush administration is seeking to dismiss pending habeas
corpus petitions brought by detainees held at the prison camp
at the U.S. Naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Greg Gorman
reports from Washington DC.
Under a new amendment of the recently signed Defense Appropriations
Act, the Justice Department is attempting to dismiss more
than 180 pending cases against so-called enemy combatants
being held at Guantanamo Bay who have previously filed suit
challenging their detention. The new provision severely restricts
the ability of the federal courts to hear cases related to
Guantanamo detainees. The amendment was approved by Congress
only after assurances that pending cases would not be affected.
Avi Cover, Senior Associate at Human Rights First, believes
that the administration's attempt to dismiss the Guantanamo
petitions is an effort to evade the structures and laws of
Congress. (CLIP) In 2004, the Supreme Court ruled that both
U.S. citizens and foreign nationals who are being held as
suspected terrorists have the right to challenge the legality
of their detention. For Free Speech Radio News in Washington,
DC, I'm Gregory Gorman.
Features
This news just in at airtime: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon has suffered what hospital officials call a “major”
stroke. Doctors say he is under general anesthesia and receiving
breathing assistance. His powers have been transferred to
vice premier Ehud Olmert. More on Israel and Palestine later
in this newscast.
[top]
Abramoff Pleads Guilty—Again (3:00)
Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff entered another plea of
guilty today—this time for conspiracy and wire fraud
charges stemming from Abramoff’s securing a $60 million
dollar loan under false pretenses. The plea comes as part
of an agreement that will guarantee Abramoff serves no more
than seven years in prison if he cooperates fully in a federal
corruption probe that could involve as many as 20 members
of congress and their aids, including former House Majority
Leader Tom Delay. The probe could have a serious impact on
congressional elections, as it will likely be capturing headlines
well into campaign season—though observers believe the
officials under investigation are principally Republican,
there’s a possibility it will implicate some democrats
as well. Correspondent Anastasia Gnezditskaia has reactions
and analysis from the nation’s capital.
[top]
Lawlessness Consumes Gaza as Elections Advance
(3:50)
Today is the second official day of campaigning for legislative
elections in Palestine. But factional fighting and lawlessness
are escalating in Gaza, threatening to derail the vote. Late
yesterday, Palestinian intelligence officers arrested al aqsa
martyrs’ brigade militant alaa al-hams, who they suspect
of involvement in the kidnapping of a human rights activist
last week. Followers of al-hams then fired at the Palestinian
security headquarters in Rafah, briefly took over four government
buildings, seized the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt,
and later drove two stolen bulldozers through a border wall
near the crossing. Laila EL-Haddad reports from Gaza:
[top]
Hamas participation sparks controversy (3:08)
This will be the first parliamentary election that the militant
Islamic group Hamas has chosen to participate in. In the face
of heavy corruption and infighting within the dominant fatah
faction, Hamas is expected to win at least 25% of the seats.
That’s raised eyebrows in Israel and Washington—Hamas
has organized suicide bombings and advocates the destruction
of the Israeli state. Israel has called for the organization
to be disqualified, and the U-S congress has threatened to
cut off funding to the Palestinian Authority if Hamas participates
in elections. The widely held view in Palestine, however,
is that such complaints are simply a pretext for achieving
other aims. David Enders reports from Qalqiliya in the West
Bank.
[top]
Uganda, DRC, Ready Military Offensive Against Rebels
(3:02)
The governments of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of
Congo are set to launch an offensive aimed at dislodging a
rebel army from Garamba National park. The Lord’s resistance
army, which is infamous for conscripting child soldiers, crossed
to the park in Democratic Republic of Congo, or D.R.C., about
three months ago, but there have been some concerns about
whether Uganda could participate in efforts to dislodge it.
Last month, the International Criminal Court ruled Uganda
should pay reparations to the d-r-c for invading in the late
1990s, plundering the country’s national resources,
and committing human rights abuses there. the joint military
operation will require the Ugandan army—TO re-enter
the Congo. Joshua Kyalimpa reports from Kampala.
[top]
Goa Evicts Sex Workers to Privatize Port
(3:43)
In the former Portuguese colony of Goa, thousands have been
forcibly evicted to clean up the city's red light district
and pave the way for privatization of a nearby port. Hundreds
of the evicted are sex workers, mostly poor women from rural
areas already living on the margins of society--and the Indian
government is providing no resources to resettle or rehabilitate
them. Vinod K. 'Jose reports:
[top]
Pataki Delivers New York’s State of the State
(1:54)
New York governor and likely presidential contender George
Pataki issued his final state of the state address today,
fresh on the heels of an announcement that the state has a
surplus of $2 billion—twice what it had expected. Rebecca
Myles has more from New York City.
[top]
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