Wikinews:Broadcast/Teleprompter for April 11, 2005

This evening, a special report from San Jose, California about new developments in the Wendy's chili finger case...

Anti-Japan protests spread to more Chinese cities...

Thousands march on Baghdad in anniversary protest...

Panic in Sumatra after a new earthquake...

Good evening. For Wikinews, David Vasquez reporting.

Tonight we bring you a special report from San Jose, California following up on the mysterious chili finger which a Las Vegas woman claims she found in her chili here in San Jose.

But first the latest news...

Anti-Japan protests continued for a second day in China on Sunday, as an estimated three thousand protesters marched on the Japanese consulate in Guangzhou. Thousands of protesters also marched in Shenzhen, throwing objects at Japanese businesses.

The protesters repeated their demands for a boycott of Japanese goods, to block Japan from obtaining a seat on the U.N. Security Council, and for Japan to change textbooks which they say whitewash Japan's war atrocities. Protesters burned Japanese flags while singing and shouting anti-Japanese slogans. They also carried anti-Japanese signs along with Chinese flags.

In Tokyo, Japan formally summoned Wang Yi, China's ambassador to Japan, concerning China's actions on Sunday.

"We formally demanded China’s apology and compensation," said Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura.

He also said that Wang Yi replied "No" when asked for an apology.

While not agreeing to issue a formal apology through diplomatic channels, Wang claimed that China did not approve of the violent aspects of the protests.

"The (Chinese) government does not agree with extreme action," Yi said.

Back in Beijing, the People's Daily reported that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang deflected blame away from China for the recent downturn in Sino-Japanese relations.

"Japan must adopt an earnest attitude and appropriate ways to deal with major principled issues concerning the feelings of the Chinese people," Qin said.

"The Japanese have to do more things conducive to enhancing mutual trust and maintaining the relations between the two countries, rather than doing the reverse," Qin Gang said.

In other news, back in Iraq...

Tens of thousands of protesters waving national flags marched in Baghdad, Iraq earlier today on the anniversary of the toppling of Saddam Hussein.

Central Baghdad shut down ahead of the march and Iraqi security searched most protesters before entering the city. US and other peace-keeping forces remained out of sight. The march, sponsored by the cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, passed with no notable violence or arrests, and the crowd was dispersed by early evening.

There were simultaneously another 5000 protesters who marched in Ramadi, a city west of Baghdad.

Calling for the withdrawal of occupation forces, protesters aped the televised images of occupation forces by knocking down their own effigies of George Bush, Tony Blair and Saddam himself. The effigies were clothed in red — a symbolism they have been marked for death.

Iraqi Ali Feleih Hassan told the Associated Press, "No one accepts this. I want them out. They have been here for two years, and now they have to set a timetable for their withdrawal."

The US has been unable to set a timetable and is determined to stay until they believe the country is secure. Muqtada al-Sadr, an opposition negotiator, ultimately ended an uprising after signing a peace agreement with US forces last August.

Finally, in Sumatra...

People living on the Indonesian island of Sumatra have fled their homes after an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 hit the area earlier Sunday. Although the quake was not powerful enough to cause a tsunami, the event sparked fears of a repeat of the December 26 magnitude 9.3 earthquake in which around 300,000 people died. Today's tremor struck 70 miles southwest of Padang, a city in western Sumatra, yet no damage has been reported so far.

And now, we turn to a special report from San Jose, California about new developments in the Wendy's chili finger case...

And that's all for this broadcast of the Wikinews Report. Good night.