Thursday, October 25, 2007

• The US Announces Sanctions on Iran
• Democrats Criticize Bush Administration Handling of Corruption in Iraq
• S-CHIP Legislation Still a Hot Topic on the House Floor
• Thousands of Poor in India March to Protest Corporate Land Grabs
• Freedom of Press Contentious in Nepal

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The US Announces Sanctions on Iran (1:29)
US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson today announced a set of sanctions against Iran that would, in Rice's words, "Provide a powerful deterrent to every international bank and company that thinks of doing business with the Iranian government."

"Because of the Revolutionary Guards support for proliferation and because of the quds force support for terrorism, acting under US law and consistent with our intl obligations, the US today is designating both of these groups. We are similarly designating 3 Iranian state-owned banks—Bank of Melli and Melat for their involvement in proliferation activities, and Bank Suderat as a terrorist financier."

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is the largest arm of the Iranian military, while the Quds Force is a special forces unit whose main objectives, according to the Federation of American Scientists, are to train and finance revolutionary movements. Several individuals are also included in the list of those designated for sanctions. No one will be allowed to conduct business with designees, and all of their assets within the US jurisdiction will be frozen. Rice concluded by saying she's open to the peaceful use of nuclear power in Iran and is open to talks with Tehran. The Washington Post is calling the sanctions, the broadest set of punitive measures imposed on Tehran since the 1979 takeover of the US Embassy.

Democrats Criticize Bush Administration Handling of Corruption in Iraq (4:11)
At a hearing today for the Government Oversight committee, Democrats criticized Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on being vague about corruption and contractors in Iraq. Rice took heat for not denouncing out-right an order made by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. In that order, Maliki demands that he give approval to any corruption investigation of high-ranking ministry officials – including himself. Rice claimed the information was all new to her. Karen Miller has more.

S-CHIP Legislation Still a Hot Topic on the House Floor (2:25)
The House of Representatives is considering the State Children's Health Insurance Program today. The new version of the S-CHIP legislation makes some changes in an effort to appease Republicans. Among those changes, it tightens up language about eligibility for undocumented immigrants. However, the timing of the vote does little but dissuade Republicans from joining. FSRN's Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.

Thousands of Poor in India March to Protest Corporate Land Grabs (4:38)
The battle over land rights in India has intensified in recent years. Whole segments of Indian society – mostly poor indigenous tribes - claim their land is slowly being taken by powerful development groups that plan to use it for Industrial Townships and special economic zones. In a move to counter this unhindered development, some 25-thousand poor tribe members from various parts of India have been marching to Delhi. They hope to press the government for an equitable solution in order to avoid the displacement of thousands. Binu Alex reports from western India

Freedom of Press Contentious in Nepal (5:11)
As tensions in Nepal mount over an impasse between Maoist rebels and the Nepali Government, press freedom in the country has come under attack. During the Royal Nepalese regime, journalists suffered myriad persecutions - ranging from detention, assault and abduction, to disappearance. The eclipse of royal autocracy, the advent of democracy in April 2006, and the participation of Maoist rebels in the government provided hope for expanded freedom of the press. But press freedom continues to suffer – some of it at the hands of the Maoists. They have been accused of abducting Nepalese journalists unsympathetic to their cause. And as PC Dubey reports from Kathmandu, the government has done very little to provide a safe environment for the press in the country.