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> Wed., May. 31, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Coalition Calls on Congress to Take Action to Reduce Dependence
on Oil
Unrest Continues in East Timor
Chilean High School Students Force Government to Negotiate
Florida Governor Signs Law Restricting Academic Research
UN Conference on Global HIV/AIDS Kicks Off
Nepalese Residents Weary of Future of Foreign Aid
FSRN Headlines
IRAQI PRIME MINISTER DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY IN BASRA
Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has declared a
state of emergency in Basra, threatening to use an "iron
fist" to restore security there.
BUSH COMMENTS ON HADITHA
Meanwhile, President George W. Bush commented on allegations
of a massacre of Iraqi civilians by US Marines in Haditha
for the first time today. When asked about the scandal during
a photo op with the visiting president of Rwanda, Bush said,
(quote) "I'm mindful that there's a thorough investigation
going on. If in fact, laws were broken, there will be punishment."
US Marines are accused of murdering some 24 unarmed Iraqi
civilians and then covering up the crime.
COMPOUND TRAGEDY IN KASHMIR THIS HEADLINE WAS CUT FOR TIME
CLICK HERE to DOWLOAD it
In Kashmir, Indian soldiers killed 2 demonstrators today who
were protesting after 21 school children died in a boat accident
yesterday. Shahnawaz Khan reports.
Yesterday's boat accident triggered violent protests from
locals who burned a naval post in the area. People blamed
the navy for negligence for having allowed an overcrowded
boat in the Lake. The children were in a navy boat driven
by navy personnel. Protesters also alleged that the navy had
not offered requisite help and the driver of the ill fated
boat had jumped to save his life sensing trouble. Two demonstrators
were killed today when Indian soldiers fired on an angry mob
trying to attack the army and Naval units near the lake. An
army spokesman later said that one of the persons killed by
the firing was a suspected militant who had first fired at
troops, wounding a soldier. Civil and Navy authorities have
ordered a probe into the boat accident. For FSRN I'm Shahnawaz
Khan.
DOCTORS END THEIR STRIKE IN INDIA
Thousands of patients in India heave a sigh of relief today
as doctors and medical students withdraw their strike following
a Supreme Court directive. Binu Alex has more.
Doctors and medical students called off their strike this
afternoon, in accordance with a court order. They were protesting
for nearly three weeks against a federal government plan to
reserve half of state-funded professional college places for
lower caste students. But the court said the strike was causing
great inconvenience for a large number of patients and ordered
the doctors to return to work. The court also asked the government
to justify the quota plan within eight weeks and explain how
it would be implemented. Reserving seats for lower castes
who form a majority of Indian population has been a political
tool used by various parties for electoral gains. The striking
doctors argue that fifty years of programs to bring up the
lower castes from the bottom of India's caste hierarchy have
not been successful. From Ahmedabad in India, I am Binu Alex
for Free Speech Radio News.
RIOTING CONTINUES IN PARIS
There have been new riots in Paris's outskirts over the last
two nights, in scenes reminiscent of the violence which spread
across France last autumn. Tony Cross reports from Paris.
Four police officers were injured overnight as they tried
to protect the police station in Montfermeil from an attack
by about 30 youths. Meanwhile, in neighboring Clichy-sous-Bois,
four others escaped from their car just before a gang set
it on fire. About 100 local youths are reported to have been
involved in last night's disturbances in the two towns, which
were the starting-point for riots last year. On Monday, masked
youths, wielding sticks and baseball bats, attacked Montfermeil
town hall and the home of the mayor, a member of the ruling
UMP party who issued a decree banning groups of more than
three young people from the streets. The decree was blocked
by the courts. But left-wing local councillors claim that
heavy-handed policing goes on. They say that the latest violence
was sparked by the arrest of a woman whose son was wanted
in connection with a robbery. Interior Minister and presidential
hopeful, Nicolas Sarkozy, brushed aside the criticism and
promised to get tougher to restore order. For FSRN I'm Tony
Cross in Paris.
HUNG JURY AT ANTI-MINUTEMAN TRIAL
In Orange County, a jury deadlocked yesterday at the trial
of a 19-year old activist who was protesting a speaking engagement
by Minuteman founder, Jim Gilchrist. Kimberly Mercado reports
from KPFK.
Kurt Isobe was facing charges of felony assault against a
police officer for allegedly using a red soda can and an object
the size of a golf ball to attack police at a demonstration
against the Minutemen in Garden Grove in May of last year.
However, witnesses, some of whom accompanied Isobe and up
to 300 other anti-Minutemen protesters at the demonstration
testified that Isobe threw no objects. Crime lab technicians
testified that no fingerprints were found on the evidence.
Isobe faced up to 3 years in prison if convicted of the charges.
The Orange Count District Attorney's Office has not determined
if they will retry the case. For FSRN. I'm Kimberly Mercado
in Los Angeles.
WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTIONS ROLLED BACK BY SUPREME COURT
The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 yesterday to roll back protections
for whistleblowers employed by the government. Yesterday's
decision overturns a lower court's ruling that whistleblowers
are protected by the First Amendment. For the majority, Justice
Anthony Kennedy wrote (quote) "When a citizen enters
government service, the citizen by necessity must accept certain
limitations on his or her freedom." The decision will
affect some 20 million government employees.
[top]
Coalition Calls on Congress to Take Action to Reduce
Dependence on Oil (3:35)
As natural gas producers announced predictions of stabilized
energy prices for the summer, a coalition of groups is calling
on Congress to take action to reduce U.S. dependence on oil.
With country-wide gasoline prices still rocket-high, and the
fall elections looming, politicians have said they will tackle
the issue, but critics say nothing substantial has been done.
FSRN's Darby Hickey has more from Washington DC.
[top]
Unrest Continues in East Timor (3:59)
The brief period of calm enjoyed in East Timor's capital,
Dili, during the past two days was broken today, with peacekeepers
unable to quell continued fighting by groups of youths welding
machetes. This follows days of unrest and fighting sparked
by a rebellion led by sacked members of the East Timor armed
forces. FSRN’s Erica Vowles reports that despite the
presence of peacekeeping troops from Australia, New Zealand
and Malaysia, the capital and the country remains tense.
[top]
Chilean High School Students Force Government to
Negotiate (3:33)
High school students throughout Chile staged the largest
nation-wide walk out in 3 decades yesterday. High school students
began demonstrations in April, after marathon meetings failed
to produce any results on the student's demands for improved
access to education and for student bus passes. They then
changed tactics by staging sit-ins, lectures, and virtually
shutting down public high schools in Chile's main cities for
the last ten days. These are the first student protests during
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet term, and for the country’s
new minister of Education. FSRN's Jorge Garretón reports
from Santiago.
[top]
Florida Governor Signs Law Restricting Academic Research
(2:35)
The Governor of Florida has signed a policy into law, which
prevents universities from spending any state funds for academic
research in nations defined by the U.S. State Department as
terrorist states. The policy applies to 5 countries: Sudan,
North Korea, Iran, Syria, and the country which sparked the
ban - Cuba. From WMNF in Tampa, Andrew Stelzer has more about
the Cuban-American legislator who championed the law on behalf
of his Cuban exile constituents, despite numerous objections
from the academic community.
[top]
UN Conference on Global HIV/AIDS Kicks Off
(3:32)
The United Nation's Conference on Global HIV/AIDS kicked
off today in New York, with the release of a new report that
indicates more has been done in the last 5 years to counter
the spread of, and to treat people with HIV. But the report
also states that the goals set up by the United Nations 5
years ago are far from being achieved. The report also indicates
that women make up the world's majority of the people living
with HIV/AIDS. Mitch Jeserich has more.
[top]
Nepalese Residents Weary of Future of Foreign Aid
(2:47)
The Danish government was among the first international
bodies this week to increase foreign aid to the newly-formed
democratic government in Nepal. Although the country has long
been one of the most aid-dependent in the world, donor monies
were curtailed or cut off completely during the totalitarian
regime of King Gyanendra. But as Carey Biron reports from
Katmandu, many residents feel that the re-started foreign
funds need to be used in a dramatically differently way than
they were in the past.
[top]
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