Archive - May 2007

Headlines (5:40)
BUSH TALKS CLIMATE CHANGE
President Bush called on 15 world powers today to agree on a program to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The speech comes just days ahead of the start of the G8 summit of wealthy nations. The Bush Administration has on numerous occasions rejected pressure to institute measures to combat global warming. Instead of focusing on the targets established in the Kyoto Protocol, Bush has instead called for a series of meetings with the world's top polluters to agree on a common goal.

EXXON-MOBIL STILL OPPOSED TO GREENHOUSE GAS LIMITS

Headlines (5:00)
THAI COURT DISBANDS FORMER RULING PARTY
Thailand's Constitutional Court today ruled to disband the Thai Rak Thai party and bar more than 100 of its members from participating in electoral politics for 5 years. The party had been in power in Thailand until a military coup ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra last year. The court found Shinawatra and his party guilty of violating Thai election laws. Thousands of troops are on hand in Bangkok and the Interim Prime Minister has threatened to impose a state of emergency in the event of political unrest.

ETHIOPIAN TROOPS FIRE ON SOMALI CIVILIANS AFTER ROADSIDE BOMB BLAST

Headlines(5:07)
LAPD'S CHIEF BRATTON ON MAY DAY MELEE

Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton today presented his report on the May 1st police riot at MacArthur Park to the LA Police Commission. Chief Bratton blamed the overwhelming use of force against participants and observers of the immigration rally on a (quote) "command and control breakdown". Some of the actions being taken by LAPD include personnel changes, internal affairs investigations into misconduct, and department-wide training...including training for police to videotape future demonstrations. Chief Bratton will present his report to LA's City Council tomorrow.

PROTESTS AROUND RCTV'S DEPARTURE FROM AIRWAVES

FSRN presents a special Memorial Day edition of Free Speech Radio News – a look at the human costs the war in Iraq is having on our country. At least 3,438 US soldiers have died in Iraq since George Bush ordered an invasion of the country four years ago. More than 60,000 have been
injured, and 230,000 have sought treatment in Veterans Administration hospitals after returning home.

But the costs of war at home go beyond that – to the families of the soldiers who return home and must bear the burden of injuries, both physical and mental.

Headlines(6:00)
INFLUENTIAL IRAQ CLERIC COMES OUT OF HIDING

Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada Al Sadr re-appeared in public during Friday prayers after months in hiding. Al Sadr is well known for his opposition to the American occupation of Iraq. Hiba Dawood has the story.

Headlines (6:00)
BLAST IN RUSSIAN MINE KILLS 38
A methane blast in a Siberian coal mine has killed 38 Russian miners. Today's explosion comes just two months after 110 miners died in a nearby mine run by the same company.

LOOMING REFUGEE CRISIS IN LEBANON
In Lebanon, a stand-off between the Army and Sunni Islamist group, Fatah al Islam, has entered its fifth day. While the pro-western government has said it will stop at nothing to wipe out the armed group, human rights observers are noting a growing refugee crisis for those Palestinians caught in the crossfire. Jackson Allers reports from the Bedawi refugee camp in northern Lebanon.

Headlines (5:00)
DEMS CAPITULATE TO WHITE HOUSE ON WITHDRAWAL TIMELINE
The Democratic leadership in Congress has capitulated to the White House demand for a war funding bill without a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. The move comes after President Bush vetoed legislation that would have required a phase pullout to begin on October 1st and Congressional approval of progress reports in order to obtain further funding. Some House Democrats say they will vote against the war spending measure in the absence of a time line. Representatives plan to remove domestic spending measures from the war funding bill in order to hold two separate votes tomorrow. US taxpayers have already spent an estimated $500 billion dollars on the war.