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> Tue., May. 2, 2006
FSRN
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Today's lead stories:
John Bolton Testifies in The House About Iraq and Iran
Over Half-A-Million People Participate in Pro-Immigrant Actions
Protests Against Anti-Immigrant Law in Paris
German Company Indicted for Racial Discrimination In Nigeria
Sri Lanka On Possible Path to Civil War
Indonesians Demonstrate Against New Labor Law
FSRN Headlines
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IN PUERTO RICO
The government of Puerto Rico has shut down many of its non-emergency
public services due to a budget crisis. Some 100,000 government
employees are temporarily out of work and an estimated half
a million students have been unable to attend classes at public
schools since the shut down began yesterday. The impasse at
the root of the fiscal crisis stems from the lack of agreement
between the island's governor and legislature in the development
of a spending plan. Governor Anibal Acevedo Vila has called
for the approval of a 7% sales tax, but this proposal has
met opposition in the legislature.
BOLIVIA NATIONALIZES GAS RESERVES
Bolivian President Evo Morales nationalized the country's
natural gas reserves yesterday. Diletta Varlese reports.
Multinational energy companies operating in Bolivia will
have 180 days to re-negotiate their contracts under the terms
of the presidential decree announced yesterday. The decree
stipulates that the exploration and industrialization of the
country's hydrocarbon resources will be managed by the government.
Companies operating in the most productive fields will retain
only 18% of the total production, while the state keeps the
rest. In other fields, companies can retain up to 40% of the
gas produced. Brazil's Petrobras and Spanish-based Repsol
are the top foreign companies operating in Bolivia. The nationalization
of the country's gas reserves has been a key issue for Bolivian
social movements and has led to the ouster of two presidents
in recent years. Bolivia has the second largest natural gas
reserves in South America. For FSRN, I'm Diletta Varlese.
CRITICAL LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
The World Conservation Union today released its 2006 Red List
of Threatened Species. The report found that of the over 40,000
species assessed, one in four mammals, one in eight birds,
and one in three amphibians are known to be in danger of extinction.
In the list of threatened species is the polar bear, the hippopotamus
and the Saharan desert gazelle. The hippo population of the
Democratic Republic of Congo has plummeted by 95% due to unregulated
hunting. Humans, directly and indirectly, remain the number
one reason behind the loss of bio diversity.
NATIONAL SECURITY LETTERS
In Washington, The Justice Department has issued a report
detailing its domestic surveillance activities in 2005, including
data on the number of secret search warrants it solicited.
Selina Musuta reports from the capital.
Required under a new provision in the renewal of the USA
Patriot ACT, the Justice Department conducted a study of FBI
activities and reported the findings to leaders of both parties
in the House. According to the report, the FBI issued 9,254
National Security letters, or NSLs, requesting the private
information of more than 3,500 U.S. citizens or legal residents
in 2005. NSLs allows the FBI, without court approval or grand
jury subpoena, to demand personal information from banks,
credit card, telephone and Internet companies about their
clients. Civil liberties groups have attacked the use of NSLs
and other clandestine methods of obtaining evidence, like
the increased issuance of secret warrants under the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act. The secret court that oversees
that law approved a record 2,072 orders for back door searches
or surveillance in 2005. The report did not release data on
years prior to 2005. Selina Musuta, FSRN, in Washington, DC.
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI STRIKERS DECLARE VICTORY
After 2 months on strike, janitors at the University of Miami
are declaring victory. Andrew Stelzer has the story.
Early on in the strike, the University of Miami agreed to
give a pay raise and some health benefits to 400 janitors,
and the schools more than 500 other contract employees. But
UNICCO, the Boston based contractor who technically employs
the janitors, would not allow them to vote whether to join
the SEIU using a card check election. The janitors campaign
found the national spotlight, with the support of students
and clergy. After recent visits to the hunger striking workers
by former vice presidential candidate John Edwards and teamsters
president James Hoffa, UNICCO agreed to let a third party
(the American Arbitration Association) examine and verify
a card check which will begin later this month. Tanya Aquino
is with Students Towards a New Democracy. She was one of several
students who went on hunger strike along side a dozen janitors
in early April, vowing not to eat until UNICCO allowed the
janitors to use a card check election and stop harassing the
workers in their organizing efforts. (ACT) "Zoila Mursuli,
the worker who was fired for her union support when a Orlando
Sentinel reporter came to interview her, is being reinstated
with back pay, so this is a huge victory. Now they work on
building the union, and they hope to have it up and running
by the beginning of next semester." The SEIU agreed that
at by August 1st, at least 60 percent of workers need to sign
cards for the union to gain recognition. The janitors return
to their jobs on Wednesday. For FSRN, I'm Andrew Stelzer.
[top]
John Bolton Testifies in The House About Iraq and
Iran (3:59)
At a meeting in Paris, a US diplomat predicted that Europe
will back sanctions on Iran. Meanwhile, testifying before
a House subcommittee, US Ambassador to the United Nations,
John Bolton, denied any knowledge of intelligence information
used in the lead up to the war in Iraq, and deflected any
claim that the US is on a path to military action to Iran.
Washington Editor Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.
[top]
Over Half-A-Million People Participate in Pro-Immigrant
Actions (2:41)
Over one-and-a-half million people took to the streets in
dozens of towns and cities throughout the nation yesterday,
participating in various walkouts, marches and rallies, and
boycotting school and work sites. The Los Angeles School District
says that nearly 72,000 middle and high school students did
not attend school, but does not yet have an estimate for students
in Kindergarten thru 6th grade. Businesses around the country
closed shop, either in solidarity with the day’s action
or because workers missed their shifts in mass. Spanish-language
DJ El Piolín, who is largely credited with bringing
crowds of people to the historic Gran Marcha in LA on March
25 - as well as yesterday’s marches in throughout LA,
says that as an undocumented immigrant he felt a duty to encourage
his listeners to attend.
[top]
Protests Against Anti-Immigrant Law in Paris
(3:58)
On Monday, 7,000 people marched in Paris to denounce a draft
law under which highly skilled immigrants will be favored
over those coming to France to join their families. The law
will make it easier to expel those without proper immigration
documents, as well as those who do not respect the contract
of welcome and integration, which is part of the bill. FSRN’s
Khaled Sid Mohand has more from Paris.
[top]
German Company Indicted for Racial Discrimination
In Nigeria (2:36)
A German construction company operating in Nigeria has been
indicted for racial discrimination. Nigeria's food and drug
regulating agency says that worker’s nationality determined
what types of drugs they received at the Company's clinics:
while the mainly German expatriate workers were normally treated
with genuine drugs, fake drugs stored in poor condition were
reserved for their Nigerian counterparts. FSRN’s Sam
Olukoya has more from Lagos.
[top]
Sri Lanka On Possible Path to Civil War (4:18)
Sri Lanka appears to be sliding back towards civil war,
with a drastic increase in violence between government forces
and the Tamil Tiger rebels since December. Officials said
more than 100 people have died in the last two weeks alone.
The Norwegian-brokered peace process remains frozen, and peace
facilitators are trying to lead the government and the Tamil
Tiger rebels back to the negotiating table. FSRN’s Ponniah
Manikavasagam reports from Sri Lanka.
[top]
Indonesians Demonstrate Against New Labor Law
(2:46)
Hundreds thousands of workers in Indonesia marched in cities
throughout the country, rejecting a new labor law that abolishes
many basic worker rights. The new draft has provoked massive
protests over the past 2 months, but the government and business
associations continue to support the draft labor law. From
Jakarta, FSRNs Meggy Margiyono reports.
[top]
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