July 26, 2005
Headlines
At least three groups have claimed responsibility for the bombings in Egypt, non have yet been confirmed. Paul Schemm has more, from Cairo.
The six party talks on nuclear disarmament began today with progress,after a year long hiatus. Severine Bordon reports from Beijing.
Following protests by human rights group the UN has violated has decided to investigate the killings of innocent civilians by its peacekeeping troops in Haiti earlier this month. Haider RIzvi has more from the UN.
More protests erupted on streets outside the Indian capital and in parliament today after policemen beat up hundreds of protesting Honda workers. Vinod Jose has more from Gurgaon.
An Italian court has issued an arrest warrant for 6 more CIA operatives for the detention and removal of an Islamic radical. FSRN’s Manuela Aldabe reports.
Features
DR-CAFTA Poised to Pass in the House of Representatives (3:36)
After the Bush administration promised new incentives for US textile companies in the southern states, several key Republican House lawmakers have changed their position and now say they support the Dominican Republic Central American Free Trade Agreement. This shift in position has many on Capitol Hill believing that the House may pass the controversial free trade agreement by the end of the week. The Senate has already approved it. Mitch Jeserich reports.
Historic Split in AFL-CIO (3:35)
The leaders of two of the AFL-CIO’s largest unions, the Teamsters and the Service Employees, announced that they are pulling out of the labor federation on the eve of the AFL’s 50th anniversary celebration in Chicago. The split is sharpening divisions among unions at a time that many say the labor movement needs unity rather than dissent. Chris Geovanis reports.
Lebanese Government Emerges Out of Economic Crises (3:39)
It has been one month since Lebanon’s 2005 Parliamentary elections saw the anti-Syrian “opposition” coalition lead by Saad Hariri, son of the assassinated former Prime Minister, win a majority of seats. This past week, politicians announced the government’s formation, after a long delay in the shadow of a serious economic crisis. Stefan Christoff and Mohammed Shublaq report from Beirut.
Guatemalan Community Displaced by Chixoy Dam Seek Reparations (2:20)
In Guatemala, a local Human Rights group is investigating allegations of a clandestine prison, being operated by local security forces. Huehuetenango Governor Mauro Guzmán has requested a formal investigation into th armed group, which also stands accused of coercing residents to serve with the forces or pay a heavy fine. Meanwhile, El Periodico, one of Guatemala’s major newspapers, apologized for unfair coverage concerning demonstrations for reparations for communities affected by the Chixoy Dam. 3,400 people, mostly Maya-Achí, were displaced by the Dam and never compensated. Community members have now come to Washington, DC to persuade World Bank officials to create a negotiation process that will lead to reparations. Selina Musuta reports from Washington, DC.
Compton’s Overwhelming Murder Rate (3:34)
The City of Compton has seen 44 murders this year alone, most of them gang-related. The killings add up to more than all of last year’s murders put together, and echo the 1990s, when homicides averaged at about 80 per year. Compton residents and community leaders are trying to make sense of the violence. From KPFK in LA, FSRN’s Sister Charlene Muhammad reports.
Anti-Abortion Activists Come to San Francisco (4:04)
Hot on the heels of the nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Court, a little known evangelical group calling itself Crusade for Life made a stop in the San Francisco bay area to protest outside of women’s health clinics. San Francisco feminist activists organized in force to call attention to the erosion to women’s access to abortion, from attacks on clinics around the country, to legislation limiting when, where and how women can access abortions. FSRN’s Sarah Olson reports.
