Headlines for Thursday, November 5, 2009

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he will not seek reelection in 2010
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said today he will not run for reelection in 2010.  Rami Almeghari reports from Gaza.

In a televised speech, Abbas outlined important steps in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, calling on the Israelis to choose peace based on a two-state solution.  He said he made his decision because of the impasse in the Middle East peace process.

"Peace is much more significant than any political gains.  And it’s much more important than any government coalition that could lead the region to fall apart or to other unknown ends."

Israeli settlement activity is still one of the most controversial issues standing in the way of peace talks.  The US has gone back and forth on the issue of settlements and preconditions, something that Abbas criticized.  The Palestinian Authority has rejected resuming peace talks with Israel unless Israel stops all forms of settlement construction.  Rami Almeghari.  Free Speech Radio News.  Gaza.

UN pulls 600 staff out of Afghanistan citing safety concerns
In Afghanistan, hundreds of villagers gathered in the Southern Helmand province to protest what they claim is the killing of 9 civilians by NATO shelling.  NATO has denied those killed were civilians, but officials say they are conducting an investigation.

In other news, The UN is pulling 600 of its staff out Afghanistan following the attack on a guesthouse in Kabul last week that killed five employees.  Spokesperson Aleem Siddique says UN agencies will evaluate which staff is most critical.

"We will be supporting their efforts to ensure that they can continue their programmes while ensuring the safety and welfare of our all staff here."

The UN says once security measures are in place, it hopes to be able to return the staff to their original locations.

Post-apartheid land redistribution delayed in South Africa
The world wide economic recession continues to play out in surprising ways.  In South Africa, it means those still waiting for post-apartheid justice could be waiting even longer.  FSRN’s Mimi Cherono Ng’ok reports from Cape Town.

After the end of apartheid, the New South African government promised to redistribute land.  At the time, almost 90% of the country was owned by the white population.  The Constitution stipulates the government must buy the property from its owners before redistributing.  So far only 5% of the land has been transferred, but the government still hoped to redistribute one-third of the property by 2014.

Now the program is suffering another setback.  The global recession has contributed to a lack of funds to purchase land for black farmers.  And the Department of Rural Development says the goal has been pushed back to 2025.

That year would mark the 30th anniversary of the end of apartheid - too long to wait, according to union leaders who have called for higher taxes on the rich to raise the funds necessary to move forward with redistribution. Mimi Cherono Ng’ok, FSRN, Cape Town.

US sanctions to remain on Myanmar’s Junta
The US is maintaining it’s policy of “pragmatic engagement” and a cautious stance after Assistant Secretary of State Scot Marciel met yesterday with Myanmar Junta leaders and detained pro-democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi.  The meeting was the first of its kind in more than 10 years.  State Department Spokesperson Ian Kelly told reporters that the US continues to call for improved human rights, the release of political prisoners and democratic reform.  At this point sanctions will remain in place.

“Our policy about sanctions is that we need to see some specific steps before we’ll consider that.”

Today, Marciel told reporters in Thailand the US is being cautious that the Junta isn’t just stringing them along, with no intention of instituting change in the country.

Unemployment benefits extension passes House and Senate
Today the US Labor Department announced that number of new unemployment claims nation-wide was down by 20,000 this week, an approximate 4% drop.  And those on the unemployment rolls will likely get a bit more relief after the Senate unanimously voted yesterday to extend unemployment benefits by 14 weeks.  States with unemployment rates over 8.5% will be eligible for a 20-week extension.

Court rules against Tyson Foods for labor violations
A federal jury in Birmingham, Alabama, has decided a Tyson poultry processing plant in the state violated the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.  Brandon Hollingsworth, of WUAL in Tuscaloosa, reports.

Lawyers representing the U-S Department of Labor said Tyson Foods violated federal law by not keeping accurate records of time employees spent doing work-related activities outside the actual production line, including things like putting on safety gear before and after entering the production zone.  Workers were not paid for that time, which the attorneys said was a violation of federal law.  The Alabama jury agreed.

The decision will affect some 3,000 workers at the Blountsville plant, about an hour north of Birmingham.  The Labor Department began looking into Tyson’s practices nine years ago, and filed a complaint in district court two years later.  A mistrial was declared in February, but the department opted for a second trial, which began in August.  No word yet on any punishment Tyson may face.  Brandon Hollingsworth, FSRN, Tuscaloosa.

The Labor Department also announced it has increased the number of staff focusing on wage and hour disputes by one-third, adding an additional 250 field investigators.