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> Wed., Aug. 20, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Coup Takes Hold in Thailand
Republicans Threaten Bush’s Security Agenda
House Eyes Proof of Citizenship for Polling Booths
Congress Hashes Out Energy Security
World Bank Critics Site Increased Poverty on African Continent
Disability Rights Advocates File Class Actions Lawsuit
FSRN Headlines
BUDAPEST RIOTS CONTINUE
Violent demonstrations calling for the Hungarian Prime Minister's
resignation have continued for the 2nd day in a row in Budapest.
Over 200 people have been injured in the street clashes and
more than 130 have been arrested. Police used water cannons
to disperse protesters assembled today. A leaked tape in which
the Prime Minister admits to lying repeatedly about the economy
in order to win last April's election has fueled the calls
for his resignation. His economic reforms since then have
also made him unpopular. Prime Minster Ferenc Gyurcsany still
refuses to step down.
TRANSPORTATION STRIKE IN BANGLADESH
Public transportation in Bangladesh was largely suspended
today as protesters demanding electoral reforms blockaded
rail and vehicle traffic. Opposition activists are calling
for the removal of the country's top electoral officials,
saying they favor the current government. Tens of thousands
of protesters flooded the capital city of Dhaka on Monday.
Elections in Bangladesh are scheduled for January of next
year.
ROYAL SOCIETY REPRIMANDS EXXONMOBIL
Britain's independent scientific academy, the Royal Society,
has publicly asked ExxonMobil to stop funding groups that
deny scientific evidence on climate change. Naomi Fowler reports
from London:
The Royal Society has never before spoken out in this way.
It says ExxonMobil last year gave nearly three million dollars
to 39 groups that misrepresent and undermine the science of
climate change. These groups have claimed it's 'very difficult
to blame climate change on human activity' and that global
temperature rises are not related to rising carbon dioxide
levels in the atmosphere. But the Royal Society says evidence
to the contrary is overwhelming. In a letter to ExxonMobil,
the Society has demanded that the oil company stop funding
these groups and stop making 'inaccurate and misleading' public
statements on global warming. They're also asking for a list
of all other organizations or groups funded by ExxonMobil.
ExxonMobil is standing by its reports and its environmental
views. This is Naomi Fowler in London for Free Speech Radio
News.
CALIFORNIA SUES CAR MAKERS
The state of California has filed a lawsuit against 6 car
manufacturers over damages caused by greenhouse gas emissions
created by their products. Named in the suit filed today in
the US District Court in San Francisco are: Ford, General
Motors, Nissan, Honda, Chrysler, and Toyota.
FORMER STUDENT TO SUE THE DHS
A federal judge in Idaho has allowed a wrongful arrest lawsuit
against the Department of Homeland Security and Attorney General
Alberto Gonzalez to move forward. Leigh Robartes has more.
Former University of Idaho student Abdullah al-Kidd was held
in jail for two weeks and prohibited from going to Saudi Arabia
on a four-year scholarship to study Islam after he was detained
at Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. in 2003.
At the time, authorities said al-Kidd was a material witness
in the trial of fellow Idaho student Sami al-Hussayen; a Saudi
who was accused of fostering terrorism due to his work on
Islamic charity web sites. A Boise jury acquitted al-Hussayen,
who was subsequently deported. The prosecution did not call
on al-Kidd to testify. Federal Judge Edward Lodge Tuesday
denied a government motion to drop the lawsuit on the grounds
agents conducted the arrest and detention properly. Al-Kidd's
attorneys say his detention cost him the scholarship and job
opportunities. They accuse the FBI of telling a detention
hearing judge he had a one-way ticket to Saudi Arabia, when
he actually had a round trip ticket. They also say the FBI
failed to tell the judge he had a wife and family in the US,
he's a US citizen, and that he had cooperated with FBI interviews
in the case. Leigh Robartes, Free Speech Radio News, Moscow,
Idaho.
LIFE SENTENCE FOR DIRTY WARRIOR IN ARGENTINA
A federal court in Argentina has sentenced a former police
chief to life in prison for crimes against humanity and for
the murder and torture of political dissidents during the
1976-1983 dictatorship. Marie Trigona reports from Buenos
Aires.
Retired police chief Miguel Etchecolatz, now 77, ran clandestine
detention centers in the Buenos Aires province during the
military dictatorship. He is the first military officer to
be sentenced for crimes against humanity and sentenced to
life. In the court room last night Etchecolatz kissed a crucifix
after the sentence was read. Several spectators threw red
paint on him as escorted from the courtroom. Human rights
activists and relatives of the disappeared celebrated the
verdict while embracing each other inside and outside the
court room in La Plata, 40 kilometers from Buenos Aires. This
is the second sentence of a former military officer charged
with human rights abuses after Argentina's Supreme Court struck
down as unconstitutional legal immunity for officers who served
during the era of military dictatorship. For Free Speech Radio
News I'm Marie Trigona in Buenos Aires.
[top]
Coup Takes Hold in Thailand (2:00)
Trouble continues in Thailand, one day after the country’s
military seized power from Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Although massive protest menaced his authority this year,
Thaksin was the clear winner in April’s general election.
Nevertheless, Army Chief General Sondhi Boonyaratkalin led
yesterday’s coup d'etat, and is holding power. In a
televised address, Sondhi said the army would return power
to the people as quickly as possible. Host Aura Bogado reports.
[top]
Republicans Threaten Bush’s Security Agenda
(4:00)
Republican attempts to block the President’s authority
over domestic surveillance in the House of Representatives
are failing. But those attempts are slowing down progress
on Bush’s tough-on-security agenda. FSRN’s Leigh
Ann Caldwell reports.
[top]
House Eyes Proof of Citizenship for Polling Booths
(2:40)
Less than 2 months before midterm elections, the House of
Representatives was poised at deadline today to pass legislation
that would require voters to show proof of citizenship at
voting booths in the future. The Republican proposal comes
just a day after a judge in Georgia threw out a similar law
passed by the state legislature because it would disenfranchise
qualified voters. Darby Hickey reports on the federal bill
from the Capitol.
[top]
Congress Hashes Out Energy Security (4:36)
While consensus is a rare product in Congress, no one on
Capitol Hill contests the need to move toward energy independence.
As FSRN’s Yanmei Xie finds out, the differences are
in how to achieve it.
[top]
World Bank Critics Site Increased Poverty on African
Continent (3:00)
The annual meeting of the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund, (IMF) is underway in Singapore. In his speech
at the opening session, World Bank's President Paul Wolfowitz
said that in the past year, the Bank had provided $9.5 billion
in support for the poor – adding that more than half
the sum was dedicated to Africa. But World Bank critics in
African countries like Nigeria disagree and point out that
the Bank’s activities have increased poverty on the
continent. Sam Olukoya reports from Lagos.
[top]
Disability Rights Advocates File Class Actions Lawsuit
(3:00)
The group Disability Rights Advocates has filed a class-action
lawsuit against the California Department of Transportation,
charging it with violating federal and state civil rights
laws requiring accessible sidewalks and streets for people
with disabilities. It's the first suit of its kind in the
United States. The Berkeley-based nonprofit law firm has filed
suit on behalf of all Californians with disabilities, but
the main plaintiffs are the group Californians for Disability
Rights, along with several individuals. Daveed Mandell reports
from Berkeley.
[top]
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