Archive - Nov 13, 2007

• Benazir Bhutto, on House Arrest, Calls for Musharraf to Step Down
• President Bush Vetoes Health and Human Services Budget, Approves $471B for Defense
• India Urged to Support Burmese Democracy, and to Stop Arms Sales to Military Junta
• Germany's Labor Minister Resigns Amidst Party's Shift to the Left, Coalition in Upheaval
• Yesterday's Gaza Violence Followed by Overnight Arrest of Fatah Presidential Adviser, Others

Benazir Bhutto, on House Arrest, Calls for Musharraf to Step Down

The Democratic Republic of Congo now has the go-ahead to forcibly
disarm Rwandan Hutu rebels operating within its borders. This comes
after a meeting with the Rwandan government. The rebels groups are
comprised of ex-Rwandan soldiers and other militias and have
contributed to the destabilization of Eastern Congo. Both governments
are looking to ease tensions, and stop the flow of refugees between
borders.

The increasing clashes between the Congolese government and rebel
militias have led to reports of horrific sexual violence against women
and girls. And they've sparked fears of an impending refugee crisis
into neighboring Rwanda and Uganda. In crossing the border, refugees

Eastern lawmakers are fighting hard to preserve the ecosystem of over
twenty million acres of the Northern Rockies. But lawmakers from the
area fiercely oppose the measure. They want the area to stay open to
industry.

FSRN Correspondent Matt Laslo with a report from Washington, DC.

Racial Disparity in Economic Mobility Persists in the US

If you are a man in the United States, chances are your overall income
over the past thirty years has not increased, when adjusted for
inflation. And if you are a black man in the US, chances are your
income has gone down. Although, according to a new study released by
the Brookings Institute, there is good news. Julia Issacs is the
author of the study, says because women's incomes are steadily
increasing, family income levels continue to rise.

The report shows that racial disparity in income levels and mobility
persists across the board.

There's also a racial disparity when it comes to the stability of the

Japan's lower House of Parliament has voted to resume its naval
support-role in the US-led war in Afghanistan. Japan had been part of
the Coalition of the Willing from the very beginning; their primary
role was to refuel US ships. But a new political party won control of
Japan's Upper House of Parliament and voted to discontinue their
involvement on November 1st.

The Prime Minister of Japan has been pushing to rejoin the war in
Afghanistan, but the opposition party maintains that doing so violates
the country's pacifist constitution. The Japanese Prime Minister is
scheduled to meet with President Bush later this week. Bush has been
urging Japan to resume its mission in Afghanistan.

India has announced that its troops occupying schools and hospital
buildings in Indian- administered Kashmir will vacate these buildings
by November 30. The decision comes amid demands for troop reductions
and relocation by Kashmir's People's Democratic Party.

Shahnawaz Khan reports.