Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Headlines
PRODI FACES CONFIDENCE VOTE
Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi will face a parliamentary
confidence vote tonight. Prodi resigned a week ago after failing to
secure Senate approval for key foreign policy issues. If Prodi loses
the confidence vote, he will have to dissolve his government and either
form a new coalition or have the president call for early elections.

TERROR REPORT
Worldwide statistics from a new study released today shows there's been
a dramatic rise in terrorist attacks worldwide since the invasion and
occupation of Iraq – the so-called 'Iraq effect.' From London, Naomi
Fowler reports.

RE-THINKING DON'T ASK DON'T TELL
The US Military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy may come to an end soon. Darby Hickey reports from Washington DC.

MEDICAL WORKERS STRIKE IN ARGENTINA
Argentine medical workers are holding a massive all-day strike today
throughout Buenos Aires provincial hospitals to demand a pay increase
and public health care grants. Marie Trigona has more.

LIVE FROM HAVANA, IT'S FIDEL CASTRO
Cuban leader Fidel Castro yesterday made his 1st live radio appearance
since having surgery more than 6 months ago. Castro called in to the
nightly radio show of his ally, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez
yesterday. Images of Fidel Castro have been broadcast periodically
since he was hospitalized to dispel rumors that he was dead or dying,
but yesterday's exchange with Chavez was Castro's first live appearance
in the broadcast media since he transferred power to his brother Raul
in July of last year.

JAPANESE WHALE HUNT ABANDONED
Japan's Fisheries Agency announced today that it has abandoned this
season's whale hunt. The announcement comes 2 weeks after the main ship
in its whaling fleet caught fire in Antarctic waters. The crippled ship
sailed out of Antarctic waters today on its way back to Japan.

Features
Israeli Offensive Continues in West Bank
Three Palestinians were killed by an undercover Israeli army unit in a
Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank this morning. Ghassan
Bannoura reports from Bethlehem.

The Costs and Burdens of the REAL ID Considered in the Senate
The Department of Homeland Security is set to make changes to the REAL
ID Act. The law that requires states to follow federal identification
guidelines has received intense criticism from both Democrats and
Republicans. The Senate is also taking up language that would amend
REAL ID. FSRN’s Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.

Iraq’s Parliament Considers Controversial Oil and Gas Law
Iraq's Cabinet has passed a law that would govern the country's oil and
gas reserves. As Hiba Dawood reports, it’s up to the country's
parliament to ratify it.

Affordable Housing Advocates Push for National Housing Trust Fund
More than 500 affordable housing advocates from around the country are
lobbying Congress this week for a national housing trust fund to build
and preserve 1.5 million housing units for extremely low income
families over the next ten years. Nan McCurdy has more from Washington
DC.

Big Pharma Takes on India’s Cheap Drugs
The developing world's right to drugs for cancer patients is facing a
legal challenge in an Indian court. Pharmaceutical giant, Novartis, is
fighting cases against the Indian government, including Cancer
Patients' Aid Association. India, often called “pharmacy of the world”
for supplying drugs at the cheapest price, produces roughly 70 per cent
of drugs to the third world, according to the UN. Novartis now wants
patents for their drugs in India which, if granted, could mean the end
of cheap production of drugs. FSRN's Vinod K. Jose has the story.