Tuesday, January 15, 2008

• Congress Heads Back to the Hill
• Suharto's Death Bed
• Korean Women Exploited in Matchmaking Schemes
• Kenyan Opposition Wins Parliament Speaker Post
• Mumia Abu Jama Comments on Kenya

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Congress Heads Back to the Hill

Congress comes back to Washington today - their one month holiday is over and they return to a number of issues that loom from last year, as well as new concerns. As FSRN's Leigh Ann Caldwell reports, this year could prove difficult for Congress, since many outside factors could inhibit any success.

Indonesia's former dictator Suharto remains in critical condition in a Jakarta hospital, and doctors say they fear for the life of the 86-year-old former general. Suharto ruled Indonesia for 32 years before being toppled in a pro-democracy uprising in 1998. A decade after his downfall, he remains a controversial and divisive figure. He is accused of rampant corruption and gross human rights abuses. But as he lies on his death bed, there are mounting calls for him to be forgiven. Rebecca Henschke takes a look at why the Suharto name still wields unwavering sway over Indonesia's elite.

Of the 11,000 North Koreans who have defected to South Korea, almost 70 percent are women. Many of them make the dangerous journey to freedom alone, leaving family behind or losing them along the way. Once they arrive in the South, many find it difficult to adjust to life there, make close friends or find a mate. Now, online match-making services are pairing Northern ladies with Southern men. But some warn that these agencies might be exploiting women for a profit. Jason Strother reports from Incheon.

Kenya's opposition candidate was narrowly elected to speaker of the parliament today, just a couple of weeks after massive presidential post-election violence claimed the lives of more than 600 people, leaving thousands more injured and displaced. After three rounds of voting, opposition candidate Kenneth Marende won the post over incumbent Francis ole Kaparo by just 4 votes. The win signals a rocky road ahead for President Mwai Kibaki, who will face almost certain stalemates in parliament as a result of the opposition's win. Meanwhile, a Kenyan mediation effort led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was postponed today, due to illness.

In this commentary, political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal considers what's happening in Kenya.