Archive - Jan 6, 2010

• Clashes erupt along Egypt-Gaza border
• Aid convoy arrives to Gaza after delay
• Warming temperatures threaten Bolivian glaciers and indigenous communities
• Obama halts release of Yemeni detainees following attempted attack
• EPA to allow mountain top coal mine to go forward in West Virginia

• Two congressional democrats announce retirement
• Interior Department announces stricter review of oil and gas leases on public lands
• Federal court says Washington inmates have right to vote
• Soldiers kill three workers at Chevron facility in Nigeria
• Anti-whaling vessel collides with Japanese ship during hunt
• Final survivor of Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings dead at 93

Dozens of Palestinians clashed today with Egyptian security guards on the Gaza-Egypt border line. The riots left one Egyptian soldier dead and 35 Palestinians wounded including 5 critically. FSRN's Rami Almeghari has more.

The Viva Palestina Convoy trucks encountered many obstacles before they were able to enter Gaza. FSRN spoke to Keven Ovenden, Viva Palestina Convoy leader, just minutes after they entered Gaza. He began by describing the crossing.

The Copenhagen climate change summit ended with mixed results leaving many wondering when – and if – a legally binding treaty will be reached. In response, some countries are continuing with negotiations on their own, and this time with a new emphasis. Bolivian President Evo Morales announced an alternative climate change summit to counter the failures at Copenhagen.  It will take place in Cochabamba, Bolivia in April 2010.  The summit will gather governments and indigenous nations, and will focus on climate justice and the rights of "mother earth." Morales has also said that one goal of the conference would be to work toward an international court on environmental crimes. Bolivia is already experiencing the effects of climate change, especially in the indigenous community of Khapi.  FSRN’s Jessica Aguirre takes us there to see what climate change looks like on the ground.

Today, a federal grand jury indicted the 23-year-old Nigerian man for the failed Christmas bombing of a plane landing in Detroit. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is charged with six counts, including attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted murder of 289 people on board the plane. One result of the incident has been a focus on the relationship between the U.S. and Yemen.  US officials have said the alleged bomber had contact with al-Qaeda in Yemen prior to the attempted attack.  On Tuesday, President Obama announced that he will halt the release of Yemeni detainees from Guantanamo Bay. Also Tuesday, a federal appeals court upheld a ruling to detain a Yemeni terror suspect, despite calls from public defenders and human rights groups for his release.  FSRN’s Matt Pearson reports.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced a compromise regarding one mountain top coal mine in West Virginia.  The mine will receive its permit to operate but must decrease its pollution of surrounding streams by half. FSRN’s Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.