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> Tue., Feb. 14, 2006
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FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Low Income Residents Left Out In the Cold
Nepalis in India Rally for People’s War
A Look at Iraq’s Internal Politics
Civil Libertarians Say Telecommunications Spying Infringes
on Constitutional Rights
Santa Cruz Police Surveilance Internal Report Released
Native Women in Canada Call for Action Against Violence
FSRN Headlines
EU DEBATES BOLKENSTEIN DIRECTIVE
About 50 thousand labour unionists demonstrated outside the
European parliament in Strasbourg, France, today. This as
the parliament debated a revised version of the controversial
Bolkestein directive on creating a free market in services
throughout the European Union. Tony Cross reports from Paris.
The Bolkestein directive caused widespread protests last
year, especially in France, where it boosted the no vote in
the referendum on a European constitution. But Conservative
and Socialist Euro MPs have drawn up a compromise version
which is due to be voted on Thursday. The new draft states
that workers will be subject to the wages and conditions of
the country where they're working, rather than their country
of origin, as before. And it allows countries to refuse access
on the grounds of security, or protection of the environment,
health or consumers, as well as excluding some key sectors,
such as the mail and social services. The hard-left, the Greens
and the French Socialists still say they'll vote against.
Even the unions are split ... some back the changes while
others say that there are still several "grey areas"
over how controls will be enforced and the status of public
services. For FSRN, I'm Tony Cross in Paris.
WAL-MART TO PAY FAIR SHARE
The world's largest and most profitable retailer, Wal-Mart,
is feeling pressure from state legislatures asking the the
giant company to pay a larger share of its payroll on employee
healthcare. Martha Baskin reports from Seattle.
Similar to legislation that recently passed in Maryland and
is pending in 31 other states, Washington State's "Fair
Share Healthcare Act" would require employers with more
than 5,000 employees to spend at least 9% of their payroll
on healthcare benefits. Wal-Mart defends its benefits package
by pointing out that whenever it opens a new store, it gets
far more applicants than there are openings. But Wal-Mart
critics, like David Groves with the Washington State Labor
Council, say the company is subsidized by taxpayers because
thousands of its workers opt for government-sponsored healthcare
instead of a company plan. "One of the ways that they're
able to beat other employers on price is that they do pay
less and provide less benefits...and what they've learned
is that they don't need to provide healthcare because the
government will." Proponents of the legislation remain
unsure as to whether the state legislature's Democratic leadership
will bring the vote to the floor of the House. For FSRN, this
is Martha Baskin in Seattle.
EXPANSION OF PALESTINIAN EXECUTIVE POWERS
The outgoing Palestinian Legislative Council has granted broad,
new executive powers to the President. Manar Jibrin reports.
Late Monday afternoon, the outgoing Palestinian Parliament
empowered Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, to appoint
a new constitutional court that would have far-reaching powers,
including the capacity to cancel future legislation. Hamas
criticized the move saying that it is an attempt to undermine
Hamas' right to rule the Parliament. Anwar Zboun, a newly
elected PLC member of Hamas described the move as illegal.
"This constitutional court is illegal; therefore we will
work to change these bills passed yesterday... We consider
this as an attempt to strike the Palestinian democracy that
brought us to this parliament." The new Parliament, which
will have 76 Hamas members out of 132, will be sworn in on
Saturday amongst increasing pressure by the U.S. and the donor
countries to stop aid to a Hamas-formed government. For FSRN,
this is Manar Jibrin reporting from Palestine.
ARREST WARRANTS FOR OPERATION CONDOR SUSPECTS
A court in Argentina has issued arrest warrants for a former
dictator and 12 ex-military officers for their suspected role
in Operation Condor. Marie Trigona reports from Buenos Aires.
A federal appeals court upheld the indictment of a group
of military leaders for their alleged participation in a joint
scheme to illegally kidnap and kill political activists during
the 1970's. Former Argentine Dictator, Jorge Videla, and former
Interior Minister, Albano Harguindeguy, are among the suspects
indicted. Most of the ex-military leaders are under house
arrest in connection with other human rights abuse charges.
However, because of the gravity of the charges, the court
issued warrants for their arrest. If convicted, they could
each face a minimum of eight years in jail. In Argentina alone,
30,000 people were victims of Operation Condor; a shared plan
by regional dictators in Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Brazil,
and Argentina to kill opponents in the 1970s and 80s. For
Free Speech Radio News, I'm Marie Trigona from Buenos Aires.
NEW CHINESE HIV/AIDS ANTI-DESCRIMINATION LAW
China has announced the country's first anti-discrimination
laws against AIDS and HIV patients. Dante Toza has more:
The new rules to protect the rights of AIDS and HIV-positive
patients will take effect on March 1st. Local governments
will be responsible for providing free medication to poor
patients and free consultations to infected pregnant women.
Also, hospitals will not be able to turn AIDS and HIV patients
away. However, AIDS activists in China are unsure of the effectiveness
of these new regulations, saying that, for example, there
are no legal consequences for a hospital that refuses service
to an AIDS patient. Last month, the Central Chinese government
published a report stating that there are currently 650,000
people in China living with HIV and the numbers are rising
by about 200 new infections per day. From Hong Kong, this
is Dante Toza with FSRN.
[top]
Low Income Residents Left Out In the Cold
(3:59)
Home Energy Assistance programs are causing low income residents
to be left out in the cold - as Congress and President Bush
have left promises of providing energy assistance to the poor
unfulfilled. Leigh Ann Caldwell has more from Capitol Hill.
[top]
Nepalis in India Rally for People’s War
(2:53)
As the Royal Nepalese Army throttles mass protests within
Nepal, thousands of Nepalis gathered in the Indian capital,
Delhi , to celebrate Ten years of Peoples' War in Nepal. The
Janadhikar Suraksha Samiti, a union of Nepali workers in India,
organized a mass rally vowing to fight till the end for restoration
of democracy in Nepal. FSRN’s Vinod K. Jose reports
from Delhi.
[top]
A Look at Iraq’s Internal Politics (@:57)
One coalition soldier was killed and six were wounded in
separate attacks in Baghdad today. Meanwhile, the provincial
police chief in the southern province of Basra, said all security
cooperation and joint patrols with British soldiers had been
called off after revelations of prisoner abuse by British
soldiers in Amarrah, the capital of Misan governorate, north
of Basra. As the country's new majority Shiite government
increasingly asserts itself against the foreign military presence,
the selection of Ibrahim Jaafari to remain in the post of
prime minister leaves some concerned about the course of the
country's internal politics. Salam Talib files this report,
produced by David Enders.
[top]
Civil Libertarians Say Telecommunications Spying
Infringes on Constitutional Rights (4:06)
The Bush administration is widening the scope of domestic
spying with the help of telecommunications giant AT&T,
and another secret database that targets peace activists.
While the Bush administration justifies its domestic spying
programs, grassroots civil rights groups are taking a stand
against programs they say infringe on people’s constitutional
rights. FSRN’s Christina Aanestad reports.
[top]
Santa Cruz Police Surveilance Internal Report Released
(2:33)
Police in Santa Cruz, California released a 600 page report
Friday, detailing its internal probe of surveillance conducted
on Do-It-Yourself New Year's parade meetings. City officials,
who initially praised the report as “thorough and complete”
are now backpedaling, and have authorized an independent investigation.
FSRN's Vinny Lombardo has more.
[top]
Native Women in Canada Call for Action Against Violence
(3:00)
According to Amnesty International, the Canadian government,
and the Native Women’s Association of Canada, native
women are targets of high levels of violence in Canadian society.
That violence is being dramatically highlighted now, by the
opening of the trial for suspected serial killer Robert Willy
Pickton, in Vancouver British Columbia. Pickton is accused
of murdering almost 30 women over the past 20 years - many
of whom were native. Today, native women in Vancouver and
across Canada held memorial events for missing and murdered
women, and to call for more action from the government and
society as a whole. Kristin Schwartz has more.
[top]
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