May 31, 2005
Headlines
The Enron accounting firm charged with shredding documents has been absolved of wrong doing by the US Supreme Court. Peter Larkin reports from D.C.
Immigrant rights activists are marching across the desert to highlight the arduous plight of those who attempt to reach the US. Amanda Shauger reports from Tuscon.
Tens of thousands of protestors in Bolivia are still calling for the nationalization of their energy reserves. Luis Gomez reports from La Paz.
Israeli police in the occupied West Bank faced off with demonstrators trying to halt the production of the separation wall. Manar Jibreen with the International Middle East Media Center reports.
A bankruptcy judge is expected to rule on whether United Airlines workers will keep any part of their contract. Doug Cunningham reports from Workers Independent News.
Features
French Voters Reject EU Referendum (3:26)
French voters rejected the proposed draft of the EU constitution. Nearly 55% of them voted no for a variety of reasons- among them, the vote is seen as blow to President’s Jacques Chirac’s support of the Constitution. After the vote, Chirac named a new government, appointing Dominique De Villepin as prime minister. After ten years in power, Chirac has not been able to restore hope among French people who have faced 10% unemployment for nearly 20 years. Residents expressed a persistent fear over the economy that they believe the new constitution would not solve. Raphaël Krafft reports from Paris.
New Security Plan in Iraq as Attacks Continue (2:37)
The new security plan of the Iraqi ministry of the interior and the ministry of defense is to surround Baghdad with 40,000 troops from the police and Iraqi national guard. This latest development creates a new security situation on the ground in Iraq. We spoke with Muaad Hamdaani a journalist in Baghdad who writes for the Arabic language website “Iraq for All News”
Bikers Protests Government Treatment of Veterans (4:04)
Thousands of bikers, many who are veterans, went to Washington D.C. this Memorial Day Weekend, to protest the government’s treatment of returning veterans of war and of military personnel captured oversees. They called on George Bush to reclassify two missing US soldiers in Iraq, Sergeant Matt Maupin and Captain Scott Speicher as Missing in Action and Prisoner of War. Currently, they are designated as Missing-Captured, which has no standing with the Geneva Accord protection concerning prisoners of war. Mitch Jeserich reports from Washington.
Washington Voters Attempt to Block New Radioactive Waste Shipments (3:27)
The US government is suing Washington State over an initiative that would prevent new nuclear waste from entering the state. The initiative was passed in November 2004 with 69 percent voter support. Initiative 297 would prohibit the US Department of Energy from shipping radioactive waste from other states to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, already considered to be the most contaminated place in the western Hemisphere. Ben Tabor reports.
On-Going War Increases Number of Homeless Children in Uganda (2:37)
According to a new report, the number of children taking refuge on the streets of war-ravaged northern Uganda has gone up from 30,000 to 40,000 during last month. The report, compiled by UNICEF with other civil society organizations in the region, say renewed fighting forced more children to flee attacks and abduction by the Lord’s Resistance Army. FSRN’s Joshua Kyalimpa reports, from Uganda.
Teachers End Strike in Oaxaca City, Mexico (2:24)
In Mexico, after nearly a week of occupying key streets in downtown Oaxaca City, public school teachers ended their strike over the weekend. However, the teachers say their occupation of the airwaves will continue. In Oaxaca City, Vladimir Flores has the story.
