• Court Rejects Abu-Jamal's Latest Appeal
• Opponents of US Missle Shield Program Organize in Poland
• Earth Liberation Front Accused of Arson in Washington State
• UN Agency Seeks Funding for Education In Afghanistan

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Court Rejects Abu-Jamal's Latest Appeal

A three-judge panel of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia has rejected Mumia Abu Jamal's latest appeal for a new trial. Abu Jamal's current legal status leaves him with the option of begin re-sentenced to death, or sentenced to life in prison. FSRN spoke with Ramona Africa in Philadelphia regarding this latest development.

Opponents of US Missile Shield Program Organize in Poland

A group of Polish activists, including "The Campaign against Militarism" and "Poles for a Referendum" has prepared for a mobilization against the installation of missiles and the building of the US base in Poland. The action, scheduled for March 29, is part of a larger anti-militarist struggle which is taking place throughout Europe, including campaigning in Slupsk, north-western Poland where elements of the shield are to be placed. Their protest coincides with reports in Polish papers that the country is to speed up negotiations on hosting elements of the American anti-missile shield on its soil. Danuta Isler reports from Warsaw.

Earth Liberation Front Accused of Arson in Washington State

Since the early 1990's, the Earth Liberation Front has claimed responsibility for dozens of instances of politically inspired property damage, including the 1998 Vail firebombing that was considered the costliest act of eco-terrorism in the country, causing $12 million in damage. On Monday, March 3rd in Woodinville, Washington, arsonists set fire to three uninhabited but furnished luxury model homes, causing an estimated 7 million dollars of damage. A spray-painted banner at the scene mocked builder's claims that the mansions were environmentally friendly, and bore the letters ELF, the initials of the Earth Liberation Front, a decentralized collective of radical environmentalists. Erin Siegal reports.

UN Agency Seeks Funding for Education in Afghanistan

Aan estimated 6.2 million children in Afghanistan began school this month, up by half a million from the year before. But the United Nations Children's Fund estimates that still, in the seventh year of the NATO occupation, only about a third of Afghan boys complete primary schools compared to 13 percent of girls. UNICEF is appealing for nearly $13 million in emergency funding for Afghanistan. Zack Baddorf reports from Kabul.