April 15, 2005
Headlines
The United Nation’s Human Rights Commission has voted to condemn a number of countries for violations of its’ principles. In Geneva, the 53-member nation group passed a resolution condemning the lack of democratic reform by the military junta in Burma. They also condemned the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the construction of additional settlements in the West Bank. Continuing a 6-year tradition, the United States also put forth and secured approval of a condemnation of Cuba’s human rights record. This year, the Cuban government countered with a resolution proposal against the U.S. Joseph Mutti has more from Havana.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas charges that the Israeli government has overstepped their bounds and violated the truce after the military killed an activist in Nablus. Manar Jibreen reports from the International Middle East Media Center.
Some local D.C. residents protested the first night of major league baseball in nation’s capitol declaring that the city’s funding priorities negatively impacts those who live around the stadium. Selina Musuta of the D.C. Radio Coop reports from RFK stadium.
Turkey’s military attacked and killed 21 Kurds near the Iraqi border. Supported by U.S. made helicopters, it was the largest attack since the 5-year-old ceasefire. Kurdish officials said the Turkish government was ignoring the ceasefire and called it off in June. According to the Associated Press, Turkish intelligence has received reports of Kurdish rebels blocking the border between Turkey and Iraq. 12-million Kurds live in Turkey, half of them in the south. They have been officially asking for their own homeland since 1984.
Features
World Bank and IMF Meet in Washington to Consider Debt Relief (4:35)
The IMF and the World Bank began their semi annual meeting in Washington DC today. The last time they met, they agreed in principal that all impoverished nations must have their debt cancelled. However, the richest countries are deadlocked over how to approach debt relief, and global activists worry that Finance Ministers will emerge from this weekend’s meeting without making progress on a proposal to cancel the debts. As usual, accompanying the meetings are anti-corporate globalization demonstrations that are planned to take place throughout the weekend. Mitch Jeserich reports.
Demonstrations on Tax Day (2:34)
As the US government collects an estimated $987-billion from individual tax payers, some held demonstrations at government offices throughout the day. Ingrid Drake from the DC Radio Co-op brings us this Tax Day report from Washington, D.C.
Colombia’s Proposed Amnesty Legislation Faces Many Hurdles (3:42)
In Colombia, The law of “Truth, Reparation and Justice” seems to represent three major stumbling blocks for the Colombian government, the paramilitaries as well as the victims from the 41-year-old conflict. This week, Colombian lawmakers dealt a blow to President Alvaro Uribe’s effort to remove one of the most brutal forces from Colombia’s battlefields. Niki Karsin reports from Bogotá
Students Join Striking Campus Workers (3:02)
Hundreds of UCLA students walked out of classes yesterday, in solidarity with 7,000 UC union workers from Oakland to Orange County, as negotiations for a new contract remains in a stalemate. From KPFK in LA, Page Getz reports.
Hate Crimes at University of Colorado (3:22)
The University of Colorado at Boulder is reeling from a recent spate of racist incidents which have outraged students, the CU administration, as well as the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Historically, CU has had few African Americans- the highest rate of enrollment was in the early 1990s when 2% of the student body was black. Today, there are 1.6% African American students or less than 500 out of a total student body of 29,352. Maria Callier has the story from Boulder, Colorado.
Oregonians Consider Long Term Effects of Californians Moving North (2:44)
According to recent statistics from Oregon’s Department of Motor Vehicles, migration from California to Oregon is slowing down. Some Oregonians have long felt that the Californian migration is causing too much development and pushing out locals, but now, after seeing some long-term effects of the new comers, Oregonians might consider a slow-down bad news. Sierra Jenkins files this report.
