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> Tue., Feb. 7, 2006
FSRN
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Today's lead stories:
Donald Rumsfeld Says Military Spending Should Be Increased
Senate to Decide on Controversial Asbestos Bill Vote
Haitian Voters Head to the Polls
Mass Protests in France Against New Contract for Young Workers
"Clean, Safe" Plutonium Reprocessing?
The Fate of the South Central Farmers
FSRN Headlines
Israel steps up assassinations
The Israeli military has stepped up its assassination campaign
against Palestinian militants: todayiIsraeli soldiers shot
dead an Islamic Jihad leader during an arrest raid in Nablus,
and an Israeli airstrike killed two members of the al-Aqsa
Martyr's Brigade in southern Gaza. That was the fourth Israeli
airstrike on Palestinian targets since the weekend—last
night a similar strike killed two al-Aqsa members in northern
Gaza. Meanwhile, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal sounded a conciliatory
note today: he announced in Cairo that Hamas will include
the less-militant Fatah faction in a new Palestinian government,
and will cooperate with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
New Report: Israeli Settlements Grew During Gaza Withdrawal
In Israel, Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said today that if
his Kadima party wins next month's elections, it will try
to establish Israel's final borders within two years. Mofaz
says he's willing to negotiate with Palestinian leadership,
but left open the possibility that Israel could pursue another
unilateral withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territory
like its headline-grabbing pullout from the Gaza Strip last
summer. Critics charge that such unilateral moves distract
international attention while Israel consolidates its hold
on the most valuable occupied land—a new report released
today shows that the number of Israelis living in occupied
Palestine actually increased during the withdrawal from Gaza.
Laila El-Haddad has more from Gaza.
Peace Talks in Sri Lanka
Norwegian officials announced today that the Sri Lankan government
and Tamil Tiger rebels will hold their first high level peace
talks in three years. Ponniah Manikavasagam reports from Vavuniya:
FEMA Hotel Vouchers for Katrina Victims Expire
Many of the people displaced by Hurricane Katrina will lose
the federal assistance paying for their hotel rooms today.
KPFT's Renee Feltz reports that some still have no place to
go.
Scott King Buried
Coretta Scott King was buried today. Her funeral drew luminaries
from around the world. President George W. Bush said she created
a "better, more welcoming country." But Bush winced
visibly when Southern Christian Leadership conference co-founder
Reverend Joseph Lowery attacked the invasion of Iraq and the
neglect of America's poor. Former president Jimmy Carter pointed
out that Hurricane Katrina exposed disparities in American
society that persist to this day. He also pointed out Scott
King, and her husband, Martin Luther King Jr., endured civil
liberties violations in the form of secret government surveillance.
[top]
Donald Rumsfeld Says Military Spending Should Be
Increased (4:03)
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld praised the Whitehouse’s
proposal to raise military spending in its 2007 Budget proposal,
asserting that the money is needed to benefit the needs of
the military. But in his testimony today to the Senate Armed
Services Committee, Rumsfeld added that military spending
should be increased, and some Senators agree. Leigh Ann Caldwell
has more from Capitol Hill.
[top]
Senate to Decide on Controversial Asbestos Bill Vote
(2:15)
The Senate is set to decide tonight on whether they should
vote on a bill that would set up a $140-billion fund for people
harmed by asbestos exposure. The bill, which has largely been
supported by Republicans and a handful of Democrats, has sparked
controversy. Some Democrats are accusing Republicans of shaping
the bill to support the corporate interests of companies like
General Electric, while Republicans say that Democrats are
being obstructionist, by attempting to block the vote from
taking place. Selina Musuta has more from Washington.
[top]
Haitian Voters Head to the Polls (4:02)
As Haitian voters head to the polls to elect a new government
today, many questions involving Haitians both inside and outside
of Haiti are pressing. The political violence following the
US, French, and Canadian-sponsored coup d'etat in February
2004, has forced thousands of Haitians to flee their homes,
and many more have migrated to neighboring countries in search
of economic stability and a better life. FSRN’s Aaron
Lakoff has more from Port au Prince.
[top]
Mass Protests in France Against New Contract for
Young Workers (3:39)
Students and workers' unions demonstrated together in over
90 French towns today, as the country’s parliament debated
a proposed new contract for young workers, which will mean
that workers age 25 and younger can be fired for any reason
during their first 2 years on the job, on short notice and
a minor severance package. Tens of thousands joined the protests,
although they weren't as well-supported as last October's
mobilization against the right-wing government's policy on
wages and public services. Tony Cross reports from the streets
of Paris.
[top]
"Clean, Safe" Plutonium Reprocessing? (3:39)
As part of its effort to wean US residents off their "addiction"
to oil, the Bush administration is proposing a new generation
of nuclear power plants. Even though most of the oil consumers
use is in the form of gasoline, in his state of the union
speech last week President Bush did not mention increasing
fuel economy. He did call for more "clean, safe nuclear
power." What he didn't mention was his plan to restart
plutonium reprocessing as an integral part of the push for
nuclear power, with $250 million for the project in his budget
request released yesterday. But, as Melinda Tuhus reports,
opponents say the project is fraught with potential for environmental
disasters, nuclear terrorism, and a soaring pricetag.
[top]
The Fate of the South Central Farmers (2:14)
The 14-acre South Central Farm in LA continues to teeter
in legal limbo. Farmers are still awaiting the outcome of
a court hearing over a week ago on the ability of 350 means
tested families to remain on the nation’s largest community
garden. From KPFK, Kelly Barnes has more.
[top]
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