Headlines for Friday, April 2, 2010

Israeli air raids on Gaza intensify
Israeli air raids on Gaza overnight left three wounded and a number of buildings devastated.  Israeli officials say the attacks were in response to homemade rocket fire from Gaza.  FSRN’s Rami Almeghari reports.

Israeli warplanes carried out several air raids on the Gaza Strip Thursday night.  This follows armed clashes last week, which left two Israeli soldiers and two Palestinian resistance fighters killed.

Medical sources say that at least three children were wounded when the Israeli raids hit a diary in southern Gaza City.  Mo'atasem Dalloul is owner of the dairy.  This is the second time that Mo'tasem's dairy has been targeted in the past year.

"All things inside the factory have been completely destroyed.  I believe Israel considers this factory part of the Gaza's economic infrastructure, and sees it as a symbol of the steadfastness of the people here.”

Israeli raids also hit areas adjacent to the Hamas-sponsored Asda'a media production studio in southern Gaza Strip, as well as a metal workshop in the middle of the region.

The Hamas-led government wants help from the international community to curb the Israeli raids.  Israeli media reports that senior Israeli officials are indicating more attacks on Gaza are likely soon, unless Hamas stops homemade rocket fire from within the territory.  Rami Almeghari.  Free Speech Radio News.  Gaza.

Guinea-Bissau PM released by military
The Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau was released from house arrest, after being taken custody by the military yesterday in what many are calling a coup attempt.  The military action was met with protests by hundreds calling for the restoration and assurance of democracy in the West African country.

Sudanese opposition parties to boycott national election
Several major candidates opposing incumbent Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir have dropped out of the upcoming national election.  The move to boycott was led Wednesday by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement’s presidential candidate Yasir Arman.  After meeting with US envoy Scott Gration yesterday, several other opposition groups decided to boycot as well.  They believe the elections will be fixed.  But Abdalmahmood Mohamad, Sudan’s Ambassador to the UN, told PressTV that al-Bashir’s ruling government is committed to democratic transformation.

“So that we are governed through ballot box rather than bullet.  And on this we are happy also because the process is going on and the elections are going to be held with whoever is attending.”

The April 11th election preparations have also been met with criticism by international organizations, who say the country is not adequately prepared to hold a fair election.  The  pull-out of so many candidates threatens to undermine the legitimacy of Bashir’s now-eminent victory, and to unravel tentative peace deals between militant groups in Sudan.  The US Envoy is meeting again today with opposition party leaders, encouraging them to participae in next weeks polls.

US sees slight gain in new jobs
The US continues to add jobs, according to new figures released by the Labor Department today, but the country’s unemployment rate remains at 9.7 %.  Labor Secretary Hilda Solis calles the addition of 162-thousand jobs encouraging, but said it’s important that the Obama Administration’s job creation measures reach the people who need it most.  The so-called “real unemployment rate” was 16.9% for the month of March.  This includes workers who have stopped looking for work and those who are working part time because they can’t find full-time work.  The 16.9% is slightly higher than February and more than a percentage point higher than March of last year.

Scott Roeder sentenced to life in prison for killing abortion provider
A judge in Wichita, Kansas sentenced Scott Roeder to life in prison for the murder of Dr. George Tiller, a late-term abortion provider who he shot last May.  FSRN’s Sehvilla Mann has the details.

The judge imposed the maximum sentence for the killing, for which Scott Roeder was found guilty in January.  The defense was pushing for a life sentence with the possibility of parole in 25 years.  But Judge Warren Wilbert ruled that because Reoder stalked Tiller before shooting him, there was an “aggravating factor,” which led to the longer sentence of fifty years without parole.

Roeder took the stand Thursday saying he shot Dr. Tiller to save the lives of unborn children; he expressed no remorse for the killing.  Tiller family lawyer Lee Thompson told the judge this lack of remorse and the fact he bragged to others about the killing made Roeder’s crime an act of domestic terrorism.

“A heinous, atrocious, cruel murder planned, plotted and devised for years and years…  And designed and executed solely for the purpose of killing someone with whom he disagreed.”

The longer sentence means that Roeder, now 52, will probably spend the rest of his life in prison.  He has ten days to file an appeal.  Sehvilla Mann, FSRN.

Prominent Brazilian land-reform activist murdered
And finally, a prominent land-reform activist in Brazil has been shot and killed.  Police say motorcycle gunmen shot Pedro Alcantara de Souza five times in the head.  Authorities are connecting the murder with a string of violence against land reform activists who represent landless farmers in their fight against powerful ranchers.  Hundreds of farmer’s advocates have been murdered, with the perpetrators rarely being brought to justice.  Earlier this week, a Brazilian judge delayed the trial of a rancher who allegedly masterminded the murder of US nun and Amazon activist Dorothy Stang.