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> Thur., Aug. 10, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
U.K. Officials Say They’ve Foiled Terror Plot
Washington Reacts on Terror Development
Rural Civilian Village Targeted by IDF
Oaxaca’s Social Movement Continues
Nepal’s Uneasy Prospects for Peace
Still Seeking Justice for the Women of Juarez
FSRN Headlines
LEBANON
Israeli troops have taken control of the Lebanese town of
Marjayoun, five miles north of the border. Plans for a major
invasion lasting up to two months - approved by Israel's security
cabinet yesterday - were reportedly put on hold following
conversations between the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert,
and the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice. Israeli soldiers
today consolidated strategic positions in southern Lebanon
and warned of new attacks on Beirut and the north of the country.
Khaled Sid Mohand reports from the northern city of Tripoli.
At around noon today, Israeli army airplanes dropped leaflets
in a town just south of Tripoli to warn people it would strike
any vehicle bigger than a car traveling all along the road.
This means the only coastal road spared by the Israeli's army
aircraft promises to be free of any vehicles from this evening
until tomorrow morning, further strangling the country already
suffering from a ground, air, and sea embargo for nearly one
month. If the Sunni population of the northern city of Tripoli
was quite indifferent to the war sparkled in the south, they're
now seriously worrying about a possible extension of the conflict
into their region. Despite the traditional hostilities between
Shiia and Sunni, support for Hizbollah is growing by the day,
particularly among the poor. Today's cafe conversations were
all focused on the Hizbollah leader Sayed Hassan Nasrallah's
speech yesterday, in which he promised "to turn their
precious land of the south into a graveyard for occupying
Zionists,". Khaled Sid Mohand in Tripoli, Lebanon.
SRI LANKA
Heavy fighting broke out today between the Sri Lankan government
forces and the Tamil Tiger rebels over a key irrigation reservoir
in the eastern part of the island. Just 2 days ago, both sides
claimed credit for ending the three-week blockade of water
supplies to thousands of acres of paddy fields. Ponniah Manikavasagam
reports from Sri Lanka.
The truce monitors termed the ongoing escalation of hostilities
as a low-intensity war which has resulted in severe casualties
on both the combatants and the civilians. The government said
today the rebels first fired artillery on the troops to regain
control of the Mavil Aru dam that the forces claim is under
their control. But the Tamil Tigers say that the troops started
an offensive in two fronts to take control of Mavil Aru, which
is in their control. Government said 5 soldiers were killed
and 41 injured by the mortar and artillery fire from the rebels.
A rebel spokesman said they lost 10 cadres and another 20
were wounded in today's fighting. Rebels say 50 civilians
have been killed and another 200 wounded and thousands have
been forced to flee their homes. Davide Vignati is the communication
co-ordinator of the International Committee of Red Cross:
"We have been informed that there are displaced moving
towards the south. We don't know the numbers because we couldn't
enter or reach the area. We don't know the situation really.
We don't know in which condition they are walking." But
the government denied the charges. It said the troops were
targeting the rebel's artillery positions and doesn't know
about the displacement of civilians. For Free Speech Radio
News, I am Ponniah Manikavasagam in Vavuniya, Sri Lanka.
NIGERIA
Nigeria's House of Representatives has issued a report slamming
Chevron for tax evasion. Sam Olukoya reports from Lagos.
The American energy giant has been asked to pay $492 million
in back taxes to the Nigeria government. The report released
today by Nigeria's lower house of Congress is the result of
a broad investigation into allegations of tax evasion, fraud,
and corruption made against Chevron. The report says the company
inflated its tax returns to the government and overstated
the cost of its operations in order to evade taxes. The House
must still debate and adopt measures before recommendations
made in the report could come into effect. Chevron has in
the meantime denied that it evaded tax. The company said it
was reviewing the report and would soon issue its official
position on the matter. Multinational companies operating
in Nigeria have in the past been accused of short changing
the country of tens of millions of dollars through tax evasion.
Only last year, the US Company, Halliburton, was found to
have made illicit payments to Nigerian tax officials to enable
it secure "favourable tax cuts". For Free Speech
Radio News, this is Sam Olukoya in Lagos.
CHILE
High School students in Chile are growing restless again just
months after massive mobilizations demanding reforms to the
country's education system. FSRN's Jorge Garretón reports
from Santiago.
High school students are meeting today with the new minister
of education to let her know of their dissatisfaction with
the slow pace of resolving their demands. The Presidential
Education Commission was formed after the students carried
out intense street mobilization in April and May. The Commission
is expected to hand the government a reforms package that
can be later sent to Congress to legislate changes to the
Education Act. Students want a reform of the Education Act
that puts an end to the educational system as a for-profit
institution and to transform it into a truly public system.
On Tuesday, high school students took to the streets of Santiago
demanding that authorities respond to their demands promptly.
But the demonstration turned violent when the students began
pelting the district's educational offices with rocks. Students
then fought police, who made some 160 arrests. The new Education
Minister is telling the students they must be patient saying
reforms to the system do not happen in two or three months.
The student assembly will meet tomorrow, to determine their
future actions. For FSRN this is Jorge Garretón in
Santiago.
[top]
U.K. Officials Say They’ve Foiled Terror Plot
(1:28)
British airports remain on critical alert after police foiled
an alleged terror ring suspected of plotting to blow up a
number of aircraft bound for the U.S. Helen Kelly reports
from London.
[top]
Washington Reacts on Terror Development
(3:38)
The foiled plot has caused concern on the other side of
the Atlantic as well. FSRN’s Selina Musuta reports on
Washington’s reaction.
[top]
Rural Civilian Village Targeted by IDF (3:22)
New, separate reports issued by human rights watchdogs B’Tselem
and the Palestinian Monitoring Group reveal that between 151
and 163 people were killed in the Gaza Strip in July –
that’s the deadliest month on record in nearly two years.
Israel continued its attacks by firing missiles into Gaza
today, as UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said that the events
in Lebanon should not sidetrack the crisis in the Occupied
Territories. Annan added that the killing of Gaza civilians
was unjustifiable. As FSRN’s Rami Almeghari reports
from Rafah, Israel has targeted rural civilian areas.
[top]
Oaxaca’s Social Movement Continues
(4:15)
Political instability continues to reign in Mexico, as the
Federal Electoral Tribunal carries on its partial recount
of presidential votes. In Oaxaca, the climate of violence
has left three people dead, armed attacks on the office of
the biggest-selling newspaper, and the arrest of social leaders
– all in less than 48 hours. Yet, as FSRN’s Vladimir
Flores reports, despite the repression, a massive social movement
continues to hold protests demanding the immediate resignation
of the state’s governor.
[top]
Nepal’s Uneasy Prospects for Peace
(2:54)
Nepal's government and the Maoists both say they are striving
for peace. After events earlier this week jeopardized the
peace process, Baburam Bhattarai, second in charge in the
Maoist hierarchy, stated that their peace dialogue WITH THE
GOVERNMENT had reached the verge of collapse. His outburst
stemmed from Nepal's Premier Girja Prasad Koirala's remark
that even the King should be given some freedom with in a
democracy. As FSRN's PC Dubey reports, the contradictions
displayed by both sides have the potential to jeopardize all
prospects for peace.
[top]
Still Seeking Justice for the Women of Juarez
(3:42)
More than 400 young women have been raped and murdered in
northern Mexico since 1993 – their bodies left in the
desert’s border region, just south of El Paso, Texas.
This summer, the Mexican government returned 14 cases it has
been investigating back to the state of Chihuahua. According
to officials, there is no evidence to substantiate a federal
crime. As Leslie Clark reports, the families of the murdered
and missing women in Ciudad Juarez are infuriated, as the
face yet another setback in their mission for justice.
[top]
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