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> Thur., Nov. 9, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Allen Concedes to Webb: Democrats Take the Senate
Bush Nominates Gates to Replace Rumsfeld
International Community Condemns Attacks on Beit Hanoun
Anti-War Faith-Based Group Targets Politicians who Supported
Military Commissions Act
Women’s Lives May be the Cost of Nicaragua’s Total
Abortion Ban
FSRN Headlines
POLITICAL CRISIS IN KYRGYZSTAN
The president of Kyrgyzstan has signed off on constitutional
reforms aimed at easing a deep political crisis that has threatened
to unseat him. Constitutional changes include removing the
president's power to name the prime minister and obliging
the country's national security agency to report to the legislative,
rather than to the executive, power. Protesters camped outside
of the president's office abandoned their tent city today,
but many in the opposition movement continue to demand the
president's resignation.
EU HUMAN RIGHTS COURT ON CHECHEN MURDERS
The European Court of Human Rights today condemned Russia
in two cases involving deaths and disappearances in the long
conflict in Chechnya. The court, based in Strasbourg, France,
ordered Moscow to pay compensation to the victims' families.
Tony Cross reports from Paris.
UN REPORT ON DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Environmental organizations and women's rights groups from
across the world are urging the UN General Assembly to endorse
a high-level panel report that has proposed that the world
body take unified actions to address development-related issues.
Haider Rizvi reports from the United Nations.
Environmental organizations and women's groups have welcomed
the report saying that its implementation would help fill
the gap between the UN rhetoric on gender equality and the
reality of women's lives. The report, which was released here
today by the prime ministers of Norway and Pakistan, calls
for radical streamlining of UN work on gender equality and
environmental protection and preservation. The high-level
panel has recommended the creation of an independent UN body
to coordinate with various UN agencies working on gender issues.
It also calls for the world body to set up a new Sustainable
Development Board to oversee the development, humanitarian,
and environmental functions of the UN. If adopted by the General
Assembly, diplomats and observers say the UN development operations
around the world could produce much more meaningful and effective
results than what the world body is doing now.
MINIMUM WAGE HIKE IN 6 STATES
Voters in Colorado, Ohio, Missouri, Arizona, Nevada and Montana
approved ballot initiatives on Tuesday to raise the minimum
wage in their states. Now more than half of the country's
50 states have a minimum wage that is higher than the federal
level. The federal minimum wage of $5.15 an hour has not changed
since 1997.
WASHINGTON STATE RACE TOO CLOSE TO CALL
The Congressional race for the 8th District in Washington
State is still too close to call. Neither candidate has claimed
victory. From Seattle, Mark Taylor-Canfield has more.
Democratic candidate for US House of Representatives Darcy
Burner says she will demand a recount if she does not win
the seat currently occupied by Republican and former King
County Sheriff Dave Reichert. If she wins, Burner would be
the first Democrat ever elected in the 8th Congressional district.
Reichert is leading by less than three thousand votes. "Now,
I figure, we should know within the next month who actually
won in the eighth district. I don't know how this is going
to turn out – nobody does – apart from the fact
that it's going to be incredibly close…" Congressman
Reichert struck a positive note for his campaign. "There's
lots of votes yet to count, but you know what? We're ahead."
Given the divisive political climate in Washington State,
court battles over this congressional seat could last for
many months. 18 counties in Washington experienced severe
flooding on election day, limiting voter turnout. Problems
with computer voting systems and absentee ballots were also
reported in several precincts in Washington State. This is
Mark Taylor-Canfield reporting for Free Speech Radio News
in Seattle.
[top]
Allen Concedes to Webb: Democrats Take the Senate
(4:22)
The last incumbent standing, Republican Senator George Allen
conceded to opponent James Webb in the Virginia Senate race.
This gives the Democrats control of the Senate - 51 seats
to the Republicans’ 49. Washington is now busy preparing
for the power shift that will take place in January. FSRN’s
Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.
[top]
Bush Nominates Gates to Replace Rumsfeld
(4:10)
Change is in the air in Washington. The President's nominee
to head the Department of Defense may add new voices to the
cabinet on Iraq policies and relations with Iran. President
Bush introduced Robert Gates to succeed outgoing Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld yesterday. Yanmei Xie reports from Washington
DC.
[top]
International Community Condemns Attacks on Beit
Hanoun (3:51)
20 Palestinian civilians, including eight children, were
killed Wednesday as the Israeli army fired several tank shells
on Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. This deadly attack
came just 24 hours after the Israeli army took positions on
outlying areas of Beit Hanoun, following a six-day invasion.
The international community has condemned the attack, and
the UN Security Council held an emergency session to address
the situation today. FSRN's Rami Almeghari has more.
[top]
Anti-War Faith-Based Group Targets Politicians who
Supported Military Commissions Act (4:00)
An anti-war faith-based group in Connecticut is running
a high-profile campaign casting a shadow on politicians who
voted in favor of the Military Commissions Act, which Congress
passed and President Bush signed last month. Opponents of
the war say the new law legalizes torture, while demolishing
the right of habeas corpus. Two of the politicians targeted,
Congress members Nancy Johnson and Rob Simmons, were defeated
on Tuesday. Melinda Tuhus reports from Hartford.
[top]
Women’s Lives May be the Cost of Nicaragua’s
Total Abortion Ban (3:47)
Doctors and women's groups in Nicaragua are alarmed by a
change in the penal code that completely prohibits abortion,
even in medical emergencies when the woman’s life is
at risk. They say the new legislation will condemn hundreds
of women to death and will tie doctors' hands. Jill Replogle
reports from Managua.
[top]
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