May 26, 2006

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Headlines (4:34)
Palestine
In an attempt to ease tensions in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Hamas led government ordered its special forces off gaza’s streets in wake of clashes with the Fatah movement, which has stirred fears of civil war. Manar Jibreen reports:

Washington State Antiwar protestors have been arrested in Olympia Washington, as they tried to block US army convoys headed for Iraq. Mark Taylor Canfield reports:

South Central Farm Supporters Prepare for Possible Arrest inside Compound
The South Central Farmers and their supporters continue their encampment on the nation’s largest urban farm. After increased pressure from local and international media, LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa finally commented on the Farm, saying current land owner Ralph Horowitz should bring the selling price down from the over $16-million he is demanding, closer to the roughly $5-milion he paid for it 2 years ago. As people inside the Farm gathered past midnight to strategize for a possible eviction and arrests, supporter Daryl Hannah spoke to FSRN.

Features
Bush and Blair Meet to Discuss Progress in Iraq (3:25)
British Prime Minister Tony Blair is in Washington today, where he met with President Bush at the White House. Both acknowledged that the war in Iraq is not proceeding as smoothly as they had hoped, and admitted regret for incidents like the prisoner abuse at Abu Graib. During his visit, Tony Blair called for UN reform, and stressed the need for enhanced multilateralism. FSRN’s Anastasia Gnezditskaia reports from Washington, DC.

Germany’s Foreign Intelligence Service Accused of Spying on Journalists (2:42)
Germany’s Foreign Intelligence Service, the BND, has been accused of spying on journalists. A leaked report commissioned by a Parliamentary Committee criticized the BND for overstepping it bounds by spying on the press, and for using journalists to snitch on each other. Since the 1980’s the BND has spied on a number of major German news publications, but the BND says its actions were purely for self-protection. Cinnamon Nippard reports from Berlin.

Colombia Voters Head to the Polls Sunday (4:58)
Colombian voters head to the polls this Sunday for the country’s presidential election. While this South American nation has stood out as the strongest Bush administration ally among a growing trend of leftist leaders in the region, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe remains ahead in the polls and will most likely win a second term. But the recent rise in popularity of leftist candidate Carlos Gaviria opens the possibility of a run-off. From Bogotá, Nicole Karsin has more.

Oaxaca City Human Rights Defenders Protest against Femicide (3:31)
According to a recent report issued by Mexico’s Lower House of Congress, an average or 4 women of girls are killed daily in the country, mostly in the states of Mexico, Veracruz, Chiapas, Guerrero and Mexico City – aside from Ciudad Juarez. The report indicates that Oaxaca takes second place for femicide. Vladimir Flores reports from Oaxaca City, where human rights defenders organized a protest to demand justice for the over 20 women that have been killed in the past 9 months alone.

Amnesty International Report Criticizes International Community for Ignoring Human Rights Violations on African Continent (4:17)
African governments have been accused of violating people’s rights under the guise of promoting security. In their latest report, human rights watchdog Amnesty International says that although there were indications of progress in some parts of Africa, the situation has remained “pathetic” and that the international community and the UN are slow to act. Joshua Kyalimpa reports from the Amnesty International Africa region office in Kampala.

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