Emotions in Arizona remain heated, where reaction to the border state's new law that promises a crackdown on illegal immigrants has reached a near boiling point. Jon Decker reports.
USA-ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW - Emotions in Arizona remain heated, where a new law requires state and local police to determine a person's immigration status if there is "reasonable suspicion" they are undocumented.
Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce, is the bill's author.
SENATOR RUSSELL PEARCE ON THE BORDER, SAYING:
"This is not only a national security issue, but once they cross that border, it is our neighborhoods, our health care, it is our criminal justice system, it is our educational system, it is our responsibility to our system and our citizens to protect and serve. We intend to enforce the law here in Arizona."
A recent Rasmussen Reports poll found that almost two-thirds of voters in the Arizona favored the measure.
LISA CUMMINGS, PHOENIX ARIZONA, ON THE LAW, SAYING:
"I know a lot of people who come over the border to have babies, so that they can stay in this country. They don't have to pay their insurance to have their baby. I pay insurance. Why is that fair for them and not me."
But critics say the law is unconstitutional and opens the door to racial profiling.
TONY ZUNIGA, PHOENIX, ARIZONA, ON THE LAW, SAYING:
"It is not what America is about. It is not what our history is about. I am totally American and I totally believe in the American way. I don't believe in discrimination, I don't believe in hating people, this was not the right route to take."
The law, which also makes it a crime to transport illegal immigrants and to hire day laborers off the street, has already had an impact on those looking for work.
GABRIEL ESTORREZ, FROM PHOENIX, ARIZONA, ON HOW THE LAW IS IMPACTING HIM, SAYING:
"I only came here for the job. The police, sometimes there is too much problems. The sheriff, you watch him, if you are hispanic, you need your I.D., your papers. It is too much problems for this. I do not know."
There are some 11 million illegal immigrants living and working in the United States, an estimated 460,000 of them in Arizona.
Jon Decker, Reuters.
Friday 30 April 2010
Venezuela arrests man who allegedly sent text death threat to Chavez
Man arrested after being accused of texting death threat against Venezuela's Chavez.
BARINAS, VENEZUELA (APRIL 29, 2010) GOVERNMENT TV - Venezuela's foreign minister said on Thursday (April 30) a man had been arrested for allegedly encouraging the assassination of leftist President Hugo Chavez.
Interior Minister Tareck El Aissami said authorities were investigating a suspect for allegedly sending text messages pushing for Chavez's assassination.
"A Venezuelan citizen has been arrested here in Alberto Adriani in the state of Merida. He's A 29-year-old who is being investigated for alleged links to instigate the assassination of President Hugo Chavez, who as you know was supposed to visit Merida, although this wasn't the motive for not going. Text messages began to circulate that encouraged the assassination of Chavez. We've started an investigation and we've arrested one person allegedly involved. We are going do a deeper investigation. He's a person that's been in and out of Colombia. It reaffirms what we've been denouncing, that there's a permanent and continuous threat of assassination for President Chavez," the foreign minister said.
"Death to Hugo Chavez, for a fatherland free of tyrants," read the text, according to the minister.
He added the message was attributed to an illegal paramilitary group, the AUC or United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, which began disarming a few years ago.
Chavez, who is Latin America's leading critic of Washington, frequently accuses the Colombian government of being a U.S. pawn in the region. But critics say he exaggerates the threat to distract Venezuelans from domestic problems.
BARINAS, VENEZUELA (APRIL 29, 2010) GOVERNMENT TV - Venezuela's foreign minister said on Thursday (April 30) a man had been arrested for allegedly encouraging the assassination of leftist President Hugo Chavez.
Interior Minister Tareck El Aissami said authorities were investigating a suspect for allegedly sending text messages pushing for Chavez's assassination.
"A Venezuelan citizen has been arrested here in Alberto Adriani in the state of Merida. He's A 29-year-old who is being investigated for alleged links to instigate the assassination of President Hugo Chavez, who as you know was supposed to visit Merida, although this wasn't the motive for not going. Text messages began to circulate that encouraged the assassination of Chavez. We've started an investigation and we've arrested one person allegedly involved. We are going do a deeper investigation. He's a person that's been in and out of Colombia. It reaffirms what we've been denouncing, that there's a permanent and continuous threat of assassination for President Chavez," the foreign minister said.
"Death to Hugo Chavez, for a fatherland free of tyrants," read the text, according to the minister.
He added the message was attributed to an illegal paramilitary group, the AUC or United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, which began disarming a few years ago.
Chavez, who is Latin America's leading critic of Washington, frequently accuses the Colombian government of being a U.S. pawn in the region. But critics say he exaggerates the threat to distract Venezuelans from domestic problems.
Vietnam remembers the fall of Saigon
Vietnam celebrates the 35th anniversary of the fall of Saigon - now known as Ho Chi Minh City - which marked the official end of the Vietnam War.
VIETNAM-ANNIVERSARY - Thousands of troops march in a parade commemorating the communist victory over U.S. -backed South Vietnam in Ho Chi Min city.
It was 35 years ago when North Vietnam tanks smashed through the gates of the presidential palace in the city.
A lieutenant and political commissar of that tank unit recalls the moment the war ended.
VU DANG TOAN, FORMER SOLDIER IN TANK 390, SAYING:
"The moment our tank 390 smashed through the gate is coming soon. At 10:45 am thirty-five years ago it smashed the presidential palace and drove straight to the palace. We are here today, very emotional, and thinking of what happened 35 years ago as it was a great victory, it was very quick to liberate Saigon and the country is reunited."
The ceremony was held at the former presidential palace in Ho Chi Minh City, formally known as Saigon.
The Communist Party Chief praised the city's economic achievements.
The city itself generated more than 20 percent of the nation's gross domestic product last year and 30 percent of its tax revenue.
Officials also paid tribute to the three million Vietnamese soldiers and civilians who died during the war, which also claimed more than 58,000 American troops.
Ageing veterans were overwhelmed with the celebration.
MADAM VU THI NHAM, 80-YEAR-OLD VETERAN FROM HANOI, SAYING:
"I could not describe my happiness. I was crying as I'm so emotional, so happy but at this moment I think of my comrades who sacrificed their lives for the country. We feel happy but we always want to remember them."
Police kept ordinary Vietnamese away for security reasons as President Nguyen Minh Triet led a delegation of dignitaries from Cuba, Russia, Cambodia and Laos.
Ian Lee Reuters
VIETNAM-ANNIVERSARY - Thousands of troops march in a parade commemorating the communist victory over U.S. -backed South Vietnam in Ho Chi Min city.
It was 35 years ago when North Vietnam tanks smashed through the gates of the presidential palace in the city.
A lieutenant and political commissar of that tank unit recalls the moment the war ended.
VU DANG TOAN, FORMER SOLDIER IN TANK 390, SAYING:
"The moment our tank 390 smashed through the gate is coming soon. At 10:45 am thirty-five years ago it smashed the presidential palace and drove straight to the palace. We are here today, very emotional, and thinking of what happened 35 years ago as it was a great victory, it was very quick to liberate Saigon and the country is reunited."
The ceremony was held at the former presidential palace in Ho Chi Minh City, formally known as Saigon.
The Communist Party Chief praised the city's economic achievements.
The city itself generated more than 20 percent of the nation's gross domestic product last year and 30 percent of its tax revenue.
Officials also paid tribute to the three million Vietnamese soldiers and civilians who died during the war, which also claimed more than 58,000 American troops.
Ageing veterans were overwhelmed with the celebration.
MADAM VU THI NHAM, 80-YEAR-OLD VETERAN FROM HANOI, SAYING:
"I could not describe my happiness. I was crying as I'm so emotional, so happy but at this moment I think of my comrades who sacrificed their lives for the country. We feel happy but we always want to remember them."
Police kept ordinary Vietnamese away for security reasons as President Nguyen Minh Triet led a delegation of dignitaries from Cuba, Russia, Cambodia and Laos.
Ian Lee Reuters
Amnesty condemns Belgian burqa ban vote
Human rights group condemns decision by Belgium's lower house of parliament to approve a draft law to ban wearing the full Islamic face veil in public.
LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (APRIL 30, 2010) REUTERS - Amnesty International reacted with dismay on Friday (April 30) to the decision by the Belgian lower house of parliament to approve a draft law to ban wearing the full Islamic face veil in public. The move could make Belgium the first country to make the practice a criminal offence.
The measure was overwhelmingly backed on Thursday (April 29) by 136 lawmakers with just two abstentions.
The bill, which would ban all clothing that covers or partially covers the face, could become law in the coming months as the upper house, or Senate, is not expected to block it.
John Dalhuisen, an Amnesty expert on discrimination in Europe, said they were shocked that not a single member of parliament had voted against the ban.
He said: "Amnesty International is obviously very disappointed by this vote, by the ban on the full covering of the face in Belgium. We're extremely disappointed that it was approved by such an overwhelmingly comprehensive margin, 130 odd in favour, two abstaining, and absolutely no-one against a measure that Amnesty International believes violates Belgium's obligations to respect both the freedom of expression and the freedom of religion of women who freely choose to wear full face veils, such as the burqa or the hijab, in public."
However, the collapse of the Belgian government last week and the prospect of an imminent election could cause a delay because parliament would have to be dissolved.
France, which has the largest Muslim population in Europe, is also looking towards a ban on wearing veils in public, with the government set to examine a draft bill in May. It could also become law within a few months.
Dalhuisen said he fears there could be a domino effect across Europe. He said: "If you see at the moment it's far right, extreme right parties who have jumped on this bandwagon. Mainstream parties are certainly considering it as well in a number of European countries as well, so there is a real concern that there are a lot of other European countries looking at this. If this passes, if this passes without significant opposition, I think a lot of people will be tempted by it. It's in our view a very dangerous line to be going down. It's definitely very much the thin end of the wedge."
Belgium's French-speaking liberals, who proposed the veil law, argued that an inability to identify people who have hidden their faces presents a security risk and that the veil was a "walking prison" for women.
Wearing the facial veil, known as the niqab and the body-length outer garment, or burqa, widely worn in Afghanistan, could lead to lead to fines of 15-25 euros (about 20-33 U.S. dollars) and imprisonment for up to seven days.
The bill's chief promoter, Daniel Bacquelaine, said local mayors could suspend the ban during festivities such as Carnival when people traditionally wear costumes, including masks.
The law could also be used against potentially violent demonstrators who covered their faces.
Bacquelaine estimated that a few hundred women in Belgium wore facial veils and said it was a rising trend.
LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (APRIL 30, 2010) REUTERS - Amnesty International reacted with dismay on Friday (April 30) to the decision by the Belgian lower house of parliament to approve a draft law to ban wearing the full Islamic face veil in public. The move could make Belgium the first country to make the practice a criminal offence.
The measure was overwhelmingly backed on Thursday (April 29) by 136 lawmakers with just two abstentions.
The bill, which would ban all clothing that covers or partially covers the face, could become law in the coming months as the upper house, or Senate, is not expected to block it.
John Dalhuisen, an Amnesty expert on discrimination in Europe, said they were shocked that not a single member of parliament had voted against the ban.
He said: "Amnesty International is obviously very disappointed by this vote, by the ban on the full covering of the face in Belgium. We're extremely disappointed that it was approved by such an overwhelmingly comprehensive margin, 130 odd in favour, two abstaining, and absolutely no-one against a measure that Amnesty International believes violates Belgium's obligations to respect both the freedom of expression and the freedom of religion of women who freely choose to wear full face veils, such as the burqa or the hijab, in public."
However, the collapse of the Belgian government last week and the prospect of an imminent election could cause a delay because parliament would have to be dissolved.
France, which has the largest Muslim population in Europe, is also looking towards a ban on wearing veils in public, with the government set to examine a draft bill in May. It could also become law within a few months.
Dalhuisen said he fears there could be a domino effect across Europe. He said: "If you see at the moment it's far right, extreme right parties who have jumped on this bandwagon. Mainstream parties are certainly considering it as well in a number of European countries as well, so there is a real concern that there are a lot of other European countries looking at this. If this passes, if this passes without significant opposition, I think a lot of people will be tempted by it. It's in our view a very dangerous line to be going down. It's definitely very much the thin end of the wedge."
Belgium's French-speaking liberals, who proposed the veil law, argued that an inability to identify people who have hidden their faces presents a security risk and that the veil was a "walking prison" for women.
Wearing the facial veil, known as the niqab and the body-length outer garment, or burqa, widely worn in Afghanistan, could lead to lead to fines of 15-25 euros (about 20-33 U.S. dollars) and imprisonment for up to seven days.
The bill's chief promoter, Daniel Bacquelaine, said local mayors could suspend the ban during festivities such as Carnival when people traditionally wear costumes, including masks.
The law could also be used against potentially violent demonstrators who covered their faces.
Bacquelaine estimated that a few hundred women in Belgium wore facial veils and said it was a rising trend.
Thursday 29 April 2010
Tensions rise in Arizona over immigration law
Arizona's controversial new immigration law creates huge divide in state, while bringing the issue back to the forefront U.S. politics.
NOGALES, ARIZONA, UNITED STATES (APRIL 28, 2010) REUTERS - Emotions in Arizona remained heated on Wednesday (April 28), where reaction to the state's new law that promises a crackdown on illegal immigrants has reached a near boiling point.
The controversial law, which Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into effect last Friday (April 23), has created strong feelings on both sides.
It requires state and local police to determine a person's immigration status if there is "reasonable suspicion" they are undocumented. Critics say it is unconstitutional and opens the door to racial profiling.
Republican backers argue that it's needed to curb crime in the desert state, which is a key corridor for drug and migrant smugglers from Mexico.
"Enough is enough. How many more people have to die, billions of cost to the tax payers," explained State Senator Russell Pearce, the author of the bill.
"It is outrageous, it is malfeasance on the part of the government. Even farther, the government is complacent in the deaths, the maiming, the billions of dollars in cost to America and American citizens. Our citizens have a constitutional right to have these laws enforced and the failure to enforce them is an abuse to the lawful citizens in this country, who pay the price for that failure" Pearce added.
There are some 10.8 million illegal immigrants living and working in the United States, an estimated 460,000 of them in Arizona.
A Rasmussen Reports poll on Wednesday found that almost two-thirds or 64 percent of voters in the Arizona favored the measure.
"I know a lot of people who come over the border to have babies, so that they can stay in this country," complained Lisa Cummings, a longtime resident of Phoenix.
"They don't have to pay their insurance to have their baby. I pay insurance. Why is that fair for them and not me. It is not, it is just giving every one an equal chance. The problem is that they are coming over the border, they are smuggling people in and why not do it the right way" added Cummings.
Protest organizers who staged a gathering outside the state capitol on Wednesday were outraged over the law.
"There is a lot of ignorance on the anglos. They see a hispanic, we're good to wash your dishes, to clean your yard, to build your houses, to do the work from the bottom. You mean to tell me we are not good enough to be like you guys," said Daniel Valdez, who believes the bill will result in racial profiling.
Others find the law un-American.
"It is not what America is about. It is not what our history is about. I am totally American and I totally believe in the American way. I don't believe in discrimination, I don't believe in hating people, this was not the right route to take," added Tony Zuniga, a local criminal attorney in Phoenix.
The law, which also makes it a crime to transport illegal immigrants and to hire day laborers off the street, has already had an impact on those looking for work.
"I only came here for the job," explained Gabriel Estorrez, a day laborer, who may consider leaving Arizona as a result of the new law.
"The police, sometimes there is too much problems. The sheriff, you watch him, if you are hispanic, you need your I.D., your papers. It is too much problems for this. I do not know."
Arizona's law is slated to take effect 90 days after the current legislative session adjourns in late July or early August. .
The bold move has reverberated well beyond its border, sparking calls for economic boycotts and celebrity intervention. Colombian-born pop star Shakira said she will travel to Phoenix on Thursday (April 29) to help campaign against the new law, and would meet with Mayor Phil Gordon, police and Latino families. She sought a meeting with Governor Brewer but was turned down, her publicist said.
NOGALES, ARIZONA, UNITED STATES (APRIL 28, 2010) REUTERS - Emotions in Arizona remained heated on Wednesday (April 28), where reaction to the state's new law that promises a crackdown on illegal immigrants has reached a near boiling point.
The controversial law, which Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into effect last Friday (April 23), has created strong feelings on both sides.
It requires state and local police to determine a person's immigration status if there is "reasonable suspicion" they are undocumented. Critics say it is unconstitutional and opens the door to racial profiling.
Republican backers argue that it's needed to curb crime in the desert state, which is a key corridor for drug and migrant smugglers from Mexico.
"Enough is enough. How many more people have to die, billions of cost to the tax payers," explained State Senator Russell Pearce, the author of the bill.
"It is outrageous, it is malfeasance on the part of the government. Even farther, the government is complacent in the deaths, the maiming, the billions of dollars in cost to America and American citizens. Our citizens have a constitutional right to have these laws enforced and the failure to enforce them is an abuse to the lawful citizens in this country, who pay the price for that failure" Pearce added.
There are some 10.8 million illegal immigrants living and working in the United States, an estimated 460,000 of them in Arizona.
A Rasmussen Reports poll on Wednesday found that almost two-thirds or 64 percent of voters in the Arizona favored the measure.
"I know a lot of people who come over the border to have babies, so that they can stay in this country," complained Lisa Cummings, a longtime resident of Phoenix.
"They don't have to pay their insurance to have their baby. I pay insurance. Why is that fair for them and not me. It is not, it is just giving every one an equal chance. The problem is that they are coming over the border, they are smuggling people in and why not do it the right way" added Cummings.
Protest organizers who staged a gathering outside the state capitol on Wednesday were outraged over the law.
"There is a lot of ignorance on the anglos. They see a hispanic, we're good to wash your dishes, to clean your yard, to build your houses, to do the work from the bottom. You mean to tell me we are not good enough to be like you guys," said Daniel Valdez, who believes the bill will result in racial profiling.
Others find the law un-American.
"It is not what America is about. It is not what our history is about. I am totally American and I totally believe in the American way. I don't believe in discrimination, I don't believe in hating people, this was not the right route to take," added Tony Zuniga, a local criminal attorney in Phoenix.
The law, which also makes it a crime to transport illegal immigrants and to hire day laborers off the street, has already had an impact on those looking for work.
"I only came here for the job," explained Gabriel Estorrez, a day laborer, who may consider leaving Arizona as a result of the new law.
"The police, sometimes there is too much problems. The sheriff, you watch him, if you are hispanic, you need your I.D., your papers. It is too much problems for this. I do not know."
Arizona's law is slated to take effect 90 days after the current legislative session adjourns in late July or early August. .
The bold move has reverberated well beyond its border, sparking calls for economic boycotts and celebrity intervention. Colombian-born pop star Shakira said she will travel to Phoenix on Thursday (April 29) to help campaign against the new law, and would meet with Mayor Phil Gordon, police and Latino families. She sought a meeting with Governor Brewer but was turned down, her publicist said.
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