December 3, 2007
- UN Summit Seeks to Move Past Kyoto Protocol
- House and Senate Agree on New Energy Bill that Critics Say is Too Weak
- Bush and Congress Battle Over War Funds
- Chavez Loses Bid to Reform Venezuela’s Constitution
- Sharif Barred from Participating in Election
- Developers Eye Woods in Maine
HEADLINES
ISRAEL RELEASES PALESTINIAN PRISONERS
Israel released 429 Palestinian prisoners today in what the Israeli cabinet says is a gesture of good will toward Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. FSRN’s Rami Almeghari has more.
SUPREME COURT NEWS
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments today regarding a former Sprint employee in Kansas City who sued the company for age discrimination. The case may have crucial implications for how gender and age discrimination cases can be handled in court. Also at the High Court today justices refused to take up the case of a Mississippi death row inmate whose lawyer had never tried a case and suffered from mental illness. The Court also declined to hear the case of two members of Congress over an illegally taped telephone call. However, they did agree to take up a dispute over who owns money misappropriated by ormer Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos, a case in which the United States supports the government of the Philippines. Tomorrow, justices will hear arguments in the case of a Louisiana death-row inmate who contends that race played a role in his murder conviction and sentence.
HIGHWAY PROTEST IN INDIA
Tribal peoples in the Indian state of Assam launched a Highway blockade across the state a s part of their campaign to gain Scheduled Tribe status. Bismillah Geelani reports.
ECUADORIAN ASSEMBLY TACKLES NEW CONSTITUTION
Ecuador now has a functioning Constituent Assembly. Today, two months after the election, they began the task of rewriting the nation’s constitution. Joseph Mutti reports from Quito.
FEATURES
UN Summit Seeks to Move Past Kyoto Protocol
World governments are meeting for a key UN climate summit that will attempt to reach a deal on what should replace the Kyoto Protocol, which ends in 2012. Talks will center on whether binding targets are needed to cut emissions. It is the first such meeting since the IPCC, a panel of leading scientists, concluded that climate change was “very likely” caused by human activity. Rebecca Henschke reports from Indonesia.
House and Senate Agree on New Energy Bill that Critics Say is Too Weak
After weeks of waiting, the US House and Senate have finally come to an agreement on energy policy. Fuel economy standards will see an increase, but critics say the bill still doesn’t go far enough. FSRN Correspondent Matt Laslo has this report.
Bush and Congress Battle Over War Funds
The stand off between the President and Congress over war funds intensified today. Bush is once again threatening lay offs and safety shortages for soldiers in the field if Congress doesn’t provide money soon. All this on the first day Congress returns for their final stretch of legislative action before the end of the year. FSRN’s Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.
Chavez Loses Bid to Reform Venezuela’s Constitution
In an unprecedented decision, on the heels of massive street demonstrations, millions of Venezuelans went to the polls over the weekend. The result? The Venezuelan opposition gained its first victory over President Hugo Chavez in 9 years, defeating his Constitutional Reform Referendum yesterday by a margin of less than 2%. FSRN’s Mike Fox has more from Caracas.
Sharif Barred from Participating in Election
Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League, that nation’s second largest political party, has announced the party will not take part in the country’s general elections on January 8. His decision came after the election commission barred him from taking part in the elections because of his alleged involvement in hijacking the plane in which current president Pervez Musharraf was returning home from Sri Lanka in in 1999. FSRN’s Masroor Hussain takes a look at what Sharif’s announcement means for Pakistan’s political stability.
Developers Eye Woods in Maine
Public hearings are underway this month to determine whether the State of Maine will allow more than 400,000 acres of forest land to be re-zoned to allow the largest development ever proposed in the states history. From WERU in East Orland, Maine, Amy Browne reports.
